bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular and structural basis of a subfamily of PrfH rescuing both the damaged and intact ribosomes stalled in translation
Authors: Tian Yannan , Li Qingrong , Fatma Shirin , Jiang Junyi , Jin Hong , Zeng Fuxing , Huang Raven H.
Published: January 2025

In bacteria, spontaneous mRNAs degradation and ribotoxin-induced RNA damage are two main biological events that lead to the stall of protein translation. The ubiquitous trans-translation system as well as several alternative rescue factors (Arfs) are responsible for rescuing the stalled ribosomes caused by truncated mRNAs that lack the stop codons. To date, protein release factor homolog (PrfH) is the only factor known to rescue the stalled ribosome damaged by ribotoxins. Here we show that a subfamily of PrfH, exemplified by PrfH fromCapnocytophaga gingivalis(CgPrfH), rescues both types of stalled ribosomes described above. Ourin vitrobiochemical assays demonstrate thatCgPrfH hydrolyzes the peptides attached to P-site tRNAs when in complex with both the damaged and intact ribosomes. Two cryo-EM structures ofCgPrfH in complex with the damaged and intact 70S ribosomes revealed thatCgPrfH employs two different regions of the protein to recognize two different stalled ribosomes to orient the GGQ motif for peptide hydrolysis. Thus, using a combination of bioinformatic, biochemical, and structural characterization described here, we have uncovered a family of ribosome rescue factors that possesses dual activities to resolve two distinct stalled protein translation in bacteria.
Subcontinental Genetic Diversity in theAll of UsResearch Program: Implications for Biomedical Research
Authors: Gouveia Mateus H. , Meeks Karlijn A. C. , Borda Victor , Leal Thiago P. , Kehdy Fernanda S. G. , Mogire Reagan , Doumatey Ayo P. , Tarazona-Santos Eduardo , Kittles Rick A. , Mata Ignacio F. , O’Connor Timothy D. , Adeyemo Adebowale A. , Shriner Daniel , Rotimi Charles N.
Published: January 2025

TheAll of UsResearch Program (All of Us) seeks to accelerate biomedical research and address the underrepresentation of minorities by recruiting over one million ethnically diverse participants across the United States. A key question is how self-identification with discrete, predefined race and ethnicity categories compares to genetic diversity at continental and subcontinental levels. To contextualize the genetic diversity inAll of Us, we analyzed ∼2 million common variants from 230,016 unrelated whole genomes using classical population genetics methods, alongside reference panels such as the 1000 Genomes Project, Human Genome Diversity Project, and Simons Genome Diversity Project. Our analysis reveals that participants within self-identified race and ethnicity groups exhibit a gradient of genetic diversity rather than discrete clusters. The distributions of continental and subcontinental ancestries show considerable variation within race and ethnicity, both nationally and across states, reflecting the historical impacts of U.S. colonization, the transatlantic slave trade, and recent migrations.All of Ussamples filled most gaps along the top five principal components of genetic diversity in current global reference panels. Notably, “Hispanic or Latino” participants spanned much of the three-way (African, Native American, and European) admixture spectrum. Ancestry was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) and height, even after adjusting for socio-environmental covariates. In particular, West-Central and East African ancestries showed opposite associations with BMI. This study emphasizes the importance of assessing subcontinental ancestries, as the continental approach is insufficient to control for confounding in genetic association studies.
scMILD: Single-cell Multiple Instance Learning for Sample Classification and Associated Subpopulation Discovery
Authors: Jeong Kyeonghun , Choi Jinwook , Kim Kwangsoo
Published: January 2025

Single-cell transcriptomics enables the study of cellular heterogeneity, but current unsupervised strategies make it challenging to associate individual cells with sample conditions. We propose scMILD, a weakly supervised learning framework based on Multiple Instance Learning, which leverages sample-level labels to identify condition-associated cell subpopulations. scMILD employs a dual-branch architecture to perform sample-level classification and cell-level representation learning simultaneously. We validated the model’s reliable identification of condition-associated cells using controlled simulation studies with CRISPR-perturbed cells. Evaluated on diverse single-cell RNA-seq datasets, including Lupus, COVID-19, and Ulcerative Colitis, scMILD consistently outperformed state-of-the-art models and identified condition-specific cell subpopulations consistent with the original studies’ findings. This demonstrates scMILD’s potential for exploring cellular heterogeneity underlying various biological conditions and its applicability in different disease contexts.

Key Messages

scMILD: A novel weakly supervised framework for single-cell transcriptomics

Dual-branch architecture enables sample classification and cell subpopulation identification

Outperforms state-of-the-art models across diverse single-cell RNA-seq datasets

Identifies biologically relevant condition-associated cell subpopulations

Bridges the gap between sample-level phenotypes and cellular heterogeneity
Helical transition of the bridge helix of Cas12a is an allosteric regulator of R-loop formation and RuvC activation
Authors: Ganguly Chhandosee , Martin Lindsie , Aribam Swarmistha , Thomas Leonard M. , Rajan Rakhi
Published: January 2025

CRISPR-Cas12a is widely used for genome editing and biomarker detection since it can create targeted double-stranded DNA breaks and promote non-specific DNA cleavage after identifying specific DNA. To mitigate the off-target DNA cleavage of Cas12a, we previously developed aFrancisella novicidaCas12a variant (FnoCas12aKD2P) by introducing double proline substitutions (K969P/D970P) in a conserved helix called the bridge helix (BH). In this work, we used cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) to understand the molecular mechanisms of BH-mediated activation of Cas12a. We captured five structures of FnoCas12aKD2Pat different states of conformational activation. Comparison with wild-type (FnoCas12aWT) structures unravels a mechanism where BH acts as a trigger that allosterically activates REC lobe movements by tracking the number of base pairs in the growing RNA-DNA hybrid to undergo a loop-to-helical transition and bending to latch onto the hybrid. The transition of the BH is coupled to the previously reported loop-to-helix transition of the “lid”, essential for opening RuvC endonuclease, through direct interactions of residues of the BH and the lid. We also observe structural details of cooperativity of BH and “helix-1” of RuvC for activation, a previously proposed interaction. Overall, our study enables development of high-fidelity Cas12a and Cas9 variants by BH-modifications.
Guidestar: a spike-in approach to improve RNA detection accuracy in imaging-based spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Tan Jazlynn Xiu Min , Wang Lurong , Seow Wan Yi , Boonruangkan Jeeranan , Huang Mike , Toh Jiamin , Chen Kok Hao , Chou Nigel
Published: January 2025

Imaging-based spatial transcriptomics technologies, such as MERFISH and seq-FISH, use combinatorial barcoding and imaging to simultaneously detect individual RNA molecules from 10s to 10,000s of genes. These technologies require the decoding of individual RNA molecules’ location and gene identity from stacks of images. However, beyond using ‘blank’ code-words as negative controls, there is a lack of ground truth information embedded within the assay to experimentally measure the accuracy and sensitivity of the decoding algorithm. We introduce Guidestar, a system of spike-in controls integrated within a combinatorial FISH assay, that labels a subset of RNA transcripts with additional probes. These probes are imaged separately as ‘guide bits’, which serve as ground-truth data to assess decoding accuracy at the level of individual RNA molecules. Using Guidestar to evaluate accuracy of an existing decoding method suggested alternative parameter settings that increased sensitivity with minimal impact on accuracy. We also used the Guidestar dataset to train a machine-learning based classifier to distinguish true from false RNA calls, yielding 9% and 40% higher F1 scores across cell line and tissue samples, respectively.
A major update of the genome assembly of Eri silkmoth,Samia ricini.
Authors: Lee Jung , Okamoto Mana , Kawagoe Rin , Shimada Toru
Published: January 2025

Indian eri silkmoth,Samia ricini, is a wild silkmoth whose silk occupies a significant economic position. In addition to its importance as an economic animal,S. riciniis also useful as a model species of Saturniidae. National BioResource of Japan (NBRP) maintains aS. ricinistrain brought to Japan during WWII via Taiwan. Since we have previously published a draft genome assembly ofS. ricini, we have attempted to construct a chromosome-level genome assembly to facilitate genetic studies ofS. ricini. We successfully constructed a chromosome-scale genome assembly by exploiting two long-read-based technologies, HiFi reads and optical genome mapping. Furthermore, we performed functional annotations of the genome assembly, i.e., repeat annotation, transcriptome-based gene prediction, ATAC-seq, and PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA)-targeted small RNA-seq. The assembly harbours 16,226 protein-coding genes and 636 piRNA clusters across three tissues: ovaries, testis, and embryos. ATAC-seq data comprehensively detected open chromosome regions, which will benefit when CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing is conducted.
Molecular Insights into Cross-Species Spillover of Coronavirus HKU5 via ACE2 Receptor Recognition
Authors: Xia Lingyun , Zhang Yuanyuan , Li Yuya , Li Dexin , Zhou Qiang
Published: January 2025

Coronaviruses represent a significant zoonotic threat, with host adaptation serving as a pivotal determinant of cross-species transmission. The bat-derived β-coronavirus HKU5 utilizes its spike (S) protein for receptor recognition and viral entry. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the HKU5 S protein in a closed conformation. Two fatty acids are bound to the HKU5 S protein, stabilizing the S protein in the closed conformation. Furthermore, we solve the structure of the HKU5 receptor-binding domain (RBD) in complex with the peptidase domain (PD) ofPipistrellus abramusangiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), uncovering a unique binding mode distinct from other coronaviruses that use ACE2 as their receptor. Evolutionary and functional analyses indicate that mutations on RBD can modulate receptor binding, while conservation and structural modeling suggest that HKU5 has the potential to cross species barrier. Notably, we identify ACE2 orthologs in avian species, such asPitta sordida, that support stable HKU5 RBD binding and interaction. These findings provide molecular insights into the host adaptation of HKU5 and underscore the importance of surveillance for this virus and its zoonotic risk.
Timed chromatin invasion during mitosis governs prototype foamy virus integration site selection and infectivity
Authors: Lagadec F. , Singh P. K. , Calmels C. , Lapaillerie D. , Lindemann D. , Parissi V. , Cherepanov P. , Engelman A. N. , Lesbats P.
Published: January 2025

Selection of a suitable chromatin environment during retroviral integration is a tightly regulated and multilayered process that involves interplay between viral and host factors. However, whether intrinsic chromatin dynamics during mitosis modulate retroviral genome invasion is currently poorly described. Direct interaction between the spumaretrovirus prototype foamy virus (PFV) Gag protein and cellular chromatin has been described as a major determinant for integration site selection. A previous Gag chromatin-binding site (CBS)–nucleosome co-crystal structure revealed an interaction with the histone H2A-H2B acidic patch via a highly conserved arginine anchor residue. Yet, the molecular mechanisms regulating Gag-chromatin capture during PFV infection remain obscure. Here, we investigated the kinetics of Gag-chromatin interactions during mitosis and proviral integration of PFV-infected synchronized cells. Using Gag CBS variant viruses, we showed that alteration of Gag affinity for nucleosome binding induced untimely chromatin tethering during mitosis, decreased infectivity and redistributed viral integration sites to markers associated with late replication timing of host chromosomes. Mutant Gag proteins were moreover defective in their ability to displace the histone H4 tail from the nucleosome acidic patch of highly condensed mitotic chromatin. These data indicate that the mitotic chromatin landscape during Gag–nucleosome interactions hosts PFV integration site selection determinants and that spumaretroviruses evolved high-affinity chromatin binding to overcome early mitosis chromatin condensation for optimal viral DNA tethering, integration and infection.
MiRNA Locker: A Modularized DNA Assembly As miRNA Inhibitors
Authors: Zhu Lingyun , Min Lu , Zhu Chu-shu , Wu Xiaomin , Li Wenying , Ma Jiaxin , Lei Yilin , Gao Changsong , Qiu Xinyuan , Liu Chuanyang
Published: January 2025

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are vital post-transcriptional regulators that govern key cellular processes such as proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Current loss-of-function approaches, including chemically modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), face significant challenges, including high costs, limited scalability, and off-target effects. To overcome these limitations, we developed “miRNA Locker”, a novel miRNA inhibition platform created using the Overlapped Oligo Assembly (OOA) method. This innovative platform constructs highly stable dumbbell-shaped single-stranded DNA structures, offering improved target specificity, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Using miR-214 as a proof-of-concept target, we demonstrated that miRNA Lockers effectively bind Argonaute-miRNA complexes, reduce miRNA levels, and induce downstream changes in gene expression and cellular phenotypes, surpassing the performance of commercial antagomirs. Furthermore, applying miRNA Lockers to miR-654 validated the regulatory role of miR-654 in modulating RNF8 expression and promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer cells. Our results highlight the potential of miRNA Lockers as a versatile tool for studying miRNA function and advancing miRNA-based therapies.

Graphical Abstract
A cytoskeletal scaffold promotes motile cilia assembly by regulating transition-zone integrity
Authors: Park Hyunji , Choi Minjun , Cheung Helen Oi-Lam , Zhang Yu , Makino Shigeru , Yoshikawa Yoshiaki , Qi Haoran , Liu Zheng , Lan Guocheng , Fu Guoling , Wang Qian , Guo Shiny Shengzhen , Liu Pentao , Liu Zhen , Ti Shih-Chieh , Wang Won-Jing , Li Xiang David Xiang , Ni Tao , Hui Chi Chung , He Mu
Published: January 2025

Motile cilia are eukaryotic organelles with essential chemo- and mechano-sensing functions across evolution, from single cell organisms to humans. Motile cilia of the mammalian nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems are characterized by unique motility proteins to generate fluid flow essential for transporting metabolites and removing mucus. The molecular mechanism of motile cilia biogenesis remains unknown. Here, we use mouse genetics, single-molecule motility assays, proteomics, high-resolution imaging, andin situcryo-tomography to identify mammalian KIF27, a motor protein of the Kinesin-4 family and homologue of the Hedgehog pathway regulator COS2/KIF7, as a key regulator of motile cilia assembly. We show that KIF27 promotes the integrity of the transition zone, a diffusion barrier situated at the cilium base. Loss of KIF27 causes specific and profound defects in axonemal structure and disrupts cilia beating, which collectively lead to organismal phenotypes that recapitulate primary ciliary dyskinesia. We show that the motile properties of KIF27 are dispensable for its function in motile cilia biogenesis. Instead, KIF27 acts as a microtubule scaffold to regulate the transition zone architecture and enable correct ciliary incorporation of motility-generating proteins. Given that KIF27 homologues exist in different evolutionarily lineages, we propose that the ancestral activities of KIF27/KIF7 kinesins were to form a microtubule-associated scaffold for protein-protein interactions pertinent to cilia formation and signaling. The transition-zone associated KIF27 activities may represent a general building principle for motile cilia assembly in diverse species and cell types.
High-field fMRI at 7 Tesla reveals topographic responses tuned to number in the developing human brain
Authors: Jeong Ga-Ram , Soch Joram , Trampel Robert , Nieder Andreas , Skeide Michael A.
Published: January 2025

In the adult brain, hemodynamic responses to visually presented numerosities reveal receptive field-like tuning curves in topographically organized maps across association cortices. It is currently unknown whether such tuned topographic responses to numerosities can also be detected in the developing brain. Here we conducted a 7 Tesla fMRI experiment in which we presented a large set of visual dot displays to 11-12-year-old children and adults. We found that developing hemodynamic responses indeed revealed logarithmic Gaussian tuning to quantitative information. Tuning models explained comparable amounts of variance in children and adults. In most subjects, six bilateral cortical maps consistently exhibited topographic responses to numerosities. The present study goes beyond previous work by uncovering a population code for quantity detection in individual developing human brains. Our work lays a foundation for a model-based neuroimaging approach to individual cognitive differences in the context of developmental dyscalculia and mathematical giftedness.
A critical initialization for biological neural networks
Authors: Pachitariu Marius , Zhong Lin , Gracias Alexa , Minisi Amanda , Lopez Crystall , Stringer Carsen
Published: January 2025

Artificial neural networks learn faster if they are initialized well. Good initializations can generate high-dimensional macroscopic dynamics with long timescales. It is not known if biological neural networks have similar properties. Here we show that the eigenvalue spectrum and dynamical properties of large-scale neural recordings in mice (two-photon and electrophysiology) are similar to those produced by linear dynamics governed by a random symmetric matrix that is critically normalized. An exception was hippocampal area CA1: population activity in this area resembled an efficient, uncorrelated neural code, which may be optimized for information storage capacity. Global emergent activity modes persisted in simulations with sparse, clustered or spatial connectivity. We hypothesize that the spontaneous neural activity reflects a critical initialization of whole-brain neural circuits that is optimized for learning time-dependent tasks.
Layer 1 NDNF interneurons form distinct subpopulations with opposite activation patterns during sleep in freely behaving mice
Authors: Aurélie Brécier , Gaëlle Mailhos , Przemyslaw Jarzebowski , Yuqi Li , Ole Paulsen , Audrey Hay Y.
Published: January 2025

Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep facilitates memory consolidation by transferring information from the hippocampus to the neocortex. Recent evidence suggests that this transfer occurs primarily when hippocampal sharp-wave ripples (SWRs) and thalamocortical spindles are synchronized. In this study, we asked what role cortical layer 1 NDNF-expressing (L1 NDNF) interneurons play during NREM sleep in gating information transfer during SWR-spindle synchronization. Using simultaneous cell-specific calcium imaging and local field potential recordings in freely moving mice, we discovered that L1 NDNF neurons form cell assemblies tuned to specific sleep stages, exhibiting differential responses to spindle synchronization. L1 NDNF neurons mediate slow inhibition through GABABreceptors. Systemic application of a GABABreceptor antagonist increased pyramidal neuron excitability during NREM sleep, enhanced inhibitory responses during SWRs, and disrupted SWR-spindle coupling. Overall, these findings suggest an important contribution of L1 NDNF neuron-mediated slow inhibition to the synchronization of sleep oscillations with potential implications for memory consolidation processes.
Processing of Genomic RNAs by Dicer in Bat Cells Limits SARS-CoV-2 Replication
Authors: Owolabi Iyanuoluwani J. , Karim Shazeed-UI , Khanal Sweta , Valdivia Sergio , Frenzel Christopher , Bai Fengwei , Flynt Alex S.
Published: January 2025

Bats are reservoirs for numerous viruses that cause serious diseases in other animals and humans. Several mechanisms are proposed to contribute to the tolerance of bats to these pathogens. This study investigates the response of bat cells to double-stranded RNA generated by SARS-CoV-2 replication. Here, we found the involvement of Dicer in the processing of viral genomic RNAs during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Examining RNA sequencing of infected cells, small-interfering RNA (siRNA)-like fragments were found derived from viral RNAs. Depletion of Dicer showed a reduction in these RNAs and an increase in viral loads suggesting unlike other mammals, bats may use Dicer to limit viral replication. This prompted the exploration of key dsRNA sensors in bat cells. Our analysis showed significant upregulation of OAS1 and MX1 in response to dsRNA, while PKR levels remained low, suggesting alternative dsRNA-response mechanisms are present that eschew the common PKR-based system. These results further show how bats employ distinct strategies for antiviral defense that may contribute to tolerating viral infections. They suggest the involvement of Dicer in antiviral mechanisms in bats, a function not observed in other mammals. This highlights a mechanism for bat originating viruses to evolve features that in other animals could cause extreme antiviral responses such as is seen with SARS-CoV-2.

GRAPHICAL SUMMARY
Kinetic analysis of strand invasion duringC. elegansmeiosis reveals similar rates of sister- and homolog-directed repair
Authors: Hamrick Antonia , Cope Henry D. , Forbis Divya , Rog Ofer
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Meiotic chromosome segregation requires reciprocal exchanges between the parental chromosomes (homologs). Exchanges are formed via tightly-regulated repair of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs). However, since repair intermediates are mostly quantified in fixed images, our understanding of the mechanisms that control the progression of repair remains limited. Here, we study meiotic repair kinetics inCaenorhabditis elegansby extinguishing new DSBs and following the disappearance of a crucial intermediate - strand invasion mediated by the conserved RecA-family recombinase RAD-51. We find that RAD-51 foci have a half-life of 42-132 minutes for both endogenous and exogenous DSBs. Surprisingly, we find that repair templated by the sister chromatid is not slower than repair templated by the homolog. This suggests that differential kinetics are unlikely to underlie ’homolog bias’: the preferential use of the homolog as a repair template. We also use our kinetic information to revisit the total number of DSBs per nucleus - the ‘substrate’ for the formation of exchanges - and find an average of 40 DSBs in wild-type meiosis and >50 DSBs when homolog pairing is perturbed. Our work opens the door for analysis of the interplay between meiotic repair kinetics and the fidelity of genome inheritance.

Key points

By extinguishing new meiotic DSBs, we define the lifetime of a key repair intermediate.

We find similar rates of meiotic DNA repair templated by the sister and the homolog.

Kinetic information allows calculation of the total number of meiotic DSBs inC. elegans.
Site-specific DNA demethylation during spermatogenesis presets the sites of nucleosome retention in mouse sperm
Authors: Maezawa So , Yukawa Masashi , Sakashita Akihiko , Barski Artem , Namekawa Satoshi H.
Published: January 2025

DNA methylation patterns are inherited from the parental germline to the embryo. In mature sperm, the sites of unmethylated DNA are tightly coupled to sites of histone retention at gene regulatory elements that are implicated in paternal epigenetic inheritance. The timing and mechanism of site-specific DNA demethylation in the male germline currently remains unknown. Here, we perform genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation during spermatogenesis by capturing methylated DNA through interaction with a methyl-DNA binding protein domain (MBD). Our data demonstrate that there is a site-specific change in DNA methylation during the mitosis-to-meiosis transition. Importantly, the genomic sites that are demethylated during this transition predetermine nucleosome retention sites in spermatozoa. These results suggest that site-specific DNA demethylation during the mitosis-to-meiosis transition of spermatogenesis prepares embryonic gene expression after fertilization. We therefore propose DNA demethylation during spermatogenesis as a novel phase of epigenetic reprogramming that contributes to embryonic gene regulation.
Green advertising: a hybrid literature review using citation and TCM analysis
Authors: Goyal Sakshi , Ramaswamy Venkat Narasimhan , Goyal Praveen , Chanda Udayan
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Given the multifaceted nature of research in green advertising (GA), it is critical to holistically review the extant literature to understand their contributions. This study aims to perform a hybrid literature review by combining citation analysis and a theory-context-method (TCM) framework to map the conceptual development of GA in the past three decades.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the SPAR-4-SLR technique, the current study identified the literature contributions of 133 articles published between 1993 and 2024 in the Scopus and Web of Science databases.

Findings

The study’s findings identified that certain theories, such as attribution theory and signalling theory have been used frequently in investigating the influence of GA on consumer behavior. The context analysis identified emerging themes like green trolling and green demarketing. This study also proposes substantial avenues with alternative theories for further advancement of GA research.

Research limitations/implications

By conducting a hybrid literature review, this study identifies the highly cited articles and sources and provides a comprehensive synthesis of GA research.

Practical implications

Analysis of 133 articles from eight subject areas identified various themes in GA, aiding future researchers in identifying potential research opportunities and for marketers to develop appropriate strategies for their GA campaigns.

Originality/value

This study is the initial attempt to perform a hybrid literature review on GA using citation analysis and TCM framework.
A person-centered perspective on entrepreneurial success: combining proactive behavioral strategies across various life domains
Authors: Boesten Renée M. , Demerouti Evangelia , Le Blanc Pascale M. , Pekaar Keri A.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study adopts a person-centered perspective to explore how entrepreneurs combine multiple proactive behavioral strategies across the business, personal and business-environment domains. We research whether certain combinations of proactive behavioral strategies (i.e. seeking resources, optimizing demands, seeking challenges, idea generation, environmental exploration, network crafting, self-insight and boundary management) relate to well-being and business performance. Moreover, we investigate whether entrepreneurs’ daily use of these strategies aligns with their general profiles.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 286 Dutch entrepreneurs participated in a general survey study. Moreover, 49 of these entrepreneurs also participated in a six-day diary study (N = 255). Latent profile analysis was used to find specific profiles and multilevel regression to understand the daily patterns.

Findings

We uncovered four meaningful profiles: the minimum business effort entrepreneurs, the solid and self-caring entrepreneurs, the needy and self-ignorant entrepreneurs and the proactive business entrepreneurs, each with different outcomes in business performance and well-being. Daily proactive behavior showed stability, suggesting a foundation deeply rooted in their general proactive behavior.

Originality/value

The study highlights the value of proactive strategies across all life domains, as profiles encompassing this combination show greater entrepreneurial success.
Gotta take my avatar shopping: impacts of interactive virtual shopping in esports
Authors: Hwang Yongjin , Gupta Keshav , Ock Deokkyung
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Esports game developers are incorporating interactive virtual shopping (IVS) experiences into their products to facilitate consumer–brand interactions. Despite the potential influence of IVS, existing research lacks an understanding of its impact on consumers’ overall affect– particularly game enjoyment, a critical factor in sustaining engagement with esports products – and on attitudinal change toward brands in the real world.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment was designed to examine the impact of shopping in the virtually interactive esports marketplace on game enjoyment. Mediating effects of positive change in brand attitude, perceived realism and character attachment and the moderating effect of self-avatar gender congruity were investigated using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Additionally, the impact of brand popularity on the relationship between IVS and brand attitude was examined using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Findings

There was a positive impact of IVS on game enjoyment, mediated by a positive change in brand attitude, perceived realism and character attachment. Self-avatar gender congruity moderated the mediation effect of perceived realism. Notably, less popular brands exhibited a greater change in brand attitude compared to more popular brands.

Originality/value

The findings add to the body of literature on esports, particularly in investigating the role of IVS within the esports virtual world and advancing research on cognitive appraisal theory. This study informs practitioners in the esports industry about the value of creating interactive virtual marketplaces, as they serve to benefit sponsoring brands and enhance game enjoyment for players.
Establishing ethical standards for GenAI in university education: a roadmap for academic integrity and fairness
Authors: Zlotnikova Irina , Hlomani Hlomani , Mokgetse Tshepiso , Bagai Kelebonye
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The increasing adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in university education has raised significant ethical concerns regarding academic integrity and fairness. This study aims to address these concerns by reviewing existing models and frameworks for ethical GenAI use and proposing a preliminary roadmap to establish ethical standards for GenAI use in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviews current models and frameworks for ethical GenAI use, identifying their strengths and limitations. Based on this literature review and an approach combining interpretative phenomenological analysis and a hybrid phenomenological qualitative method, a six-phase roadmap is proposed, consisting of awareness and understanding, policy development, curriculum integration, technology and infrastructure, continuous evaluation and adaptation and collaboration and outreach.

Findings

This paper emphasizes the need for clear policies, interdisciplinary curriculum integration, robust technological infrastructure and ongoing stakeholder collaboration. Practical recommendations are provided for each phase of the roadmap, offering strategic guidance for universities to navigate the ethical complexities of GenAI implementation.

Originality/value

The proposed roadmap serves as a foundational step for developing policies and guidelines that ensure GenAI supports academic integrity and fosters innovative learning environments. Future research will focus on empirical validation and refinement of the roadmap to enhance its applicability and effectiveness in diverse educational contexts.
Practice briefing: the increasing importance of biodiversity and nature-related issues in real estate
Authors: Newell Graeme
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda has taken on increased importance in the real estate sector in recent years. This paper assesses the increasing importance of biodiversity, nature-related issues and habitat in the ESG agenda for real estate and the impact of the introduction of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) guidelines and several European-based biodiversity initiatives that will shape biodiversity and nature-related risk management in real estate going forward. Strategies being used by the leading real estate players to deliver this important biodiversity and nature-related dimension of ESG are also identified.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on a thorough understanding of the ESG environment in the real estate industry by the author. Best practice examples regarding biodiversity and nature in ESG and the use of the TNFD guidelines in the real estate sector are provided.

Findings

Nature-related risk management is increasingly important. Biodiversity and nature-related guidelines such as TNFD are important to capture biodiversity, nature and habitat issues in the ESG agenda in the real estate sector. These biodiversity guidelines will enable real estate players to be explicit in evaluating, addressing and disclosing their nature-related risks to their stakeholders and facilitating the effective delivery of nature-related risk management procedures. Several major real estate players have already given a commitment to delivering these TNFD guidelines and are developing best practice procedures to embed these TNFD guidelines for biodiversity, nature and habitat in their real estate decision-making. These biodiversity guidelines are expected to have an increasing impact in the real estate sector going forward.

Practical implications

ESG is a key element in the real estate sector today, with net zero carbon strategies and climate change risk management being key dimensions going forward. This climate-related agenda is now being extended to a nature-related agenda, as the issues of biodiversity, nature and habitat are addressed. Guidelines such as TNFD are an important development that the real estate sector will need to embrace, with several leading real estate players already committing to TNFD in their real estate reporting and decision-making. The development of best practice procedures and suitable metrics for these nature-related guidelines will be key components for the fuller assessment of biodiversity, nature and habitat in the real estate space.

Originality/value

This paper is the first paper to specifically address the need for more focus on incorporating biodiversity and nature in ESG in the real estate industry, highlighted by the use of the TNFD guidelines and European-based biodiversity initiatives. Best practice examples from the real estate industry are assessed. This area of biodiversity, nature and TNFD will be a key issue for ESG in the real estate industry going forward.
Navigating mobile device heightened use: an integrated model to assess mobile user engagement
Authors: Maddah Mahed , Mirzaei Tala , Aguirre-Urreta Miguel
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The widespread use of mobile devices raises concerns about their negative effects on users’ well-being but also presents business opportunities. To harness this phenomenon effectively, understanding various aspects of user engagement is essential. This study aims to develop and empirically evaluate a conceptual framework for examining user engagement in mobile technology.

Design/methodology/approach

This study explores user engagement with mobile technology. The authors developed a conceptual model and collected data through an online survey, focusing on engagement with mobile apps, services and devices. The authors analyzed the data to identify factors influencing each aspect of the mobile engagement.

Findings

The findings suggest that engaging mobile apps should be visually appealing, novel, reliable and enjoyable. Mobile services engage users when they are easily accessible and adaptable to diverse needs. These results emphasize the importance of dissecting mobile technology engagement into app, service and device engagement for a deeper understanding of their impacts.

Originality/value

This study underscores the significance of comprehensively understanding user engagement in mobile technology. By delineating engagement dimensions and their determinants, it offers insights for businesses to optimize strategies in leveraging mobile user behavior. This structured approach enhances theoretical understanding and has practical implications for designing user-centric mobile technology solutions.
Fostering sustainable employability in interorganizational networks: which activities and conditions pay off?
Authors: Courchesne Sarah A. , Stynen Dave , Semeijn Judith H. , Caniëls Marjolein C.J.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Currently, lifelong learning and sustainable employability are increasingly fostered in the context of interorganizational networks, which provide workers with access to network activities (e.g., training, career counseling). This study aims to investigate the relationship between workers’ participation in network activities and their sustainable employability by considering workers’ experiences with the network activities. This study also examines the role of relational factors, including network trust and leader-member exchange, as conditions that may influence the link between workers’ participation in network activities and their sustainable employability (i.e. workability, perceived employability and vitality).

Design/methodology/approach

This study has a mixed methods design. A quantitative approach (cross-sectional, questionnaire) was used to establish associations between variables. This approach was supplemented with qualitative data (semistructured interviews) to explore whether Self-Determination Theory can provide an explanation for the associations and the role of (relational) factors that workers perceive as hindering or facilitating in that process.

Findings

The results suggest that participating in network activities have promising benefits for both workers and organizations by facilitating the work ability and perceived employability components of sustainable employability. For these relationships, workers’ satisfaction of their need for competency and relatedness serves as explanatory mechanisms. Moreover, the actualization of benefits of network activities is influenced by relational factors both within the network (i.e. trust) and within organizations (i.e. leader-member exchange).

Originality/value

This study investigates workers’ experiences with network activities, regarding fostering workers’ sustainable employability, and the role of relational factors. Specifically, it considers Human Resource Management practices from a network-level perspective, which is currently understudied. By doing so, this study adds a unique perspective to the Human Resource Management, sustainable employability and career literature streams.
The Dark Triad and cyberloafing: unveiling the shadowy nexus
Authors: Cohen Aaron , Özsoy Emrah
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Cyberloafing has emerged as a significant phenomenon in the modern workplace, largely driven by shifts in work dynamics. Recent discussions suggest that Dark Triad traits may play a critical role in influencing cyberloafing behaviors; however, research exploring these traits in the context of cyberloafing remains limited. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the complex relationship between the Dark Triad personality traits – psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism – and cyberloafing. Additionally, this study examines four other psychological variables and two demographic factors as potential correlates of cyberloafing.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey sample consisted of 155 working adults from the USA who participated via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). All participants were required to be full-time employees (working 35 or more hours per week) and hold MTurk Master qualifications.

Findings

The findings of this study provide credible support for the research hypotheses. While not all Dark Triad traits are linked to cyberloafing, the influence of certain traits is significant enough to draw meaningful conclusions. Specifically, the results of this study showed that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were associated with both forms of cyberloafing: browsing activities and emailing activities. However, narcissism was not related to any form of cyberloafing. Additionally, pay satisfaction and social media addiction were positively related to both forms of cyberloafing, while age was negatively related.

Research limitations/implications

This paper addresses several limitations, suggests avenues for future research and outlines practical implications for organizations aiming to mitigate the adverse effects of cyberloafing.

Originality/value

Cyberloafing – engaging in non-work-related online activities during work hours – has gained increasing attention because of its potential to disrupt productivity and organizational functioning. However, limited research has explored this important behavior in depth. Building on contemporary studies, this study investigates the underlying mechanisms and potential implications of how Dark Triad traits may either encourage or mitigate cyberloafing.
Do prestigious clients result in extra fees for audit partners?
Authors: Taylor Stuart Douglas
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether audit partners can signal their audit quality to the market by having, gaining or losing large prestigious audit clients.

Design/methodology/approach

A hedonic audit fee model is estimated on a sample of 19.702 firm/years of Australian listed companies for the period 2013–23 with variables added to code for partners who have, gain or lose large clients at various fee thresholds.

Findings

Non Big-4 partners who have, gain or lose large clients can earn significant fee premiums from their smaller clients However, there are no significant fee premiums for Big-4 partners. The results for non Big-4 are partially explained by a “trading up” effect.

Practical implications

The results show that audit firms, particularly non Big-4 firms, can market their partners based on the prestigious clients they audit and can earn fee premiums for doing so. They also show that the market values partners who prune their client portfolios.

Originality/value

This paper shows smaller clients can make judgments about audit partner quality based on the ability of partners to attract and retain large clients and willingness to prune their client portfolios and that this will influence their willingness to pay fee premiums to be audited by such partners.
Academic integrity considerations of using ChatGPT in assessment activities among university student teachers
Authors: Obed Kipelo , Anangisye William A.L. , Sanga Philipo
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate academic integrity considerations of Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) usage in assessment activities among the finalist student teachers at the University of Dar es Salaam. The study builds upon other previous studies on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. However, it is unique in terms of its context and the focus on integrity.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was used to collect data from 383 finalist student teachers, and other 30 students were involved in focus group discussions (FGDs). Data for this study were analysed using IBM-SPSS Statistics Versions 25 to obtain descriptive statistics for the quantitative part and thematic analysis was used along with QDA Miner Lite for the qualitative part to generate themes.

Findings

Student teachers consider ChatGPT as a transformative AI technology to ease the accomplishment of their assessment tasks. However, a large percentage of them did not pay much attention to academic integrity while using the AI tool. About 199 (52%) out of 383 respondents said ChatGPT is a useful tool in generating answers for their assessment tasks compared to 192 (50.1%) of respondents who had negative opinions.

Research limitations/implications

Given the sensitivity of the topic on academic integrity some participants were hesitant to share information until when the researchers clarified the purpose of the study. Participants were told that the information they would provide was purely for academic purpose. Also, this study was conducted when students’ regular classes were in progress, such that it was challenging to set universal time to conduct FGDs where all intended participants could attend. The researcher was flexible enough to find hours which were conducive for participants to participate in FGDs.

Practical implications

For practitioners, given the fact that ChatGPT is a relatively new AI tool, training for raising awareness of its use should be conducted. Besides, specific academic integrity guidelines for its ethical use should be formulated and implemented. Likewise, instructors should set questions that prompt students original thinking which the AI tool cannot easily give contextualized solutions.

Social implications

The university where the AI tool is used is an open system that is within the society, and the impacts of AI technologies are inevitable in social domains. The society, therefore, should be informed about the emerging AI tools with their associated potentials and shortcomings to safeguard the norms and interests of the society.

Originality/value

The study provides a comprehensive overview of student teachers’ ChatGPT use and its implication on academic integrity. Given the novelty nature of ChatGPT use in education, course instructors and students may benefit from insights into responsible utilization of this AI technology without compromising integrity and quality of education.
Big‐Hearted Invaders: The Impacts of Range Expansion and Parasite Infection on Heart Mass in Cane Toads
Authors: Crane Hailey R. , Rollins Lee A. , Shine Richard , Brown Gregory P.
Published: January 2025

The invasion of cane toads (Rhinella marina) across tropical Australia has resulted in the rapid evolution of traits that enable higher rates of dispersal, and that adapt toads to hot dry climates. In anurans, a larger heart facilitates both locomotor activity and desiccation tolerance. Heart size is also often affected, either directly or indirectly, by parasite infections. To test the effects of invasion history and parasite exposure on heart size, we studied common garden‐reared toads whose parents were sourced from diverse locations, and experimentally exposed them to larvae of a nematode lungworm (Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala). Offspring of invasion‐front parents had larger hearts than did conspecifics from long‐established populations. Exposure to infective lungworm larvae decreased heart mass in toads from all populations. Our study suggests that cardiovascular function, like other traits, has evolved rapidly during the toad invasion; and that lungworm parasites can modify the cardiovascular function and hence aerobic capacity of their host.