bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional regulation and chromatin architecture maintenance are decoupled modular functions at the Sox2 locus
Authors: Taylor Tiegh , Sikorska Natalia , Shchuka Virlana M , Chahar Sanjay , Ji Chenfan , Macpherson Neil N , Moorthy Sakthi D , Mitchell Jennifer A , Sexton Tom
Published: February 2022

How distal regulatory elements control gene transcription and chromatin topology is not clearly defined, yet these processes are closely linked in lineage specification during development. Through allele-specific genome editing and chromatin interaction analyses of the Sox2 locus in mouse embryonic stem cells, we found a striking disconnection between transcriptional control and chromatin architecture. We trace nearly all Sox2 transcriptional activation to a small number of key transcription factor binding sites, whose deletions have no effect on promoter-enhancer interaction frequencies or topological domain organization. Local chromatin architecture maintenance, including at the topologically associating domain (TAD) boundary downstream of the Sox2 enhancer, is widely distributed over multiple transcription factor-bound regions and maintained in a CTCF-independent manner. Furthermore, disruption of promoter-enhancer interactions by ectopic chromatin loop formation has no effect on Sox2 expression. These findings indicate that many transcription factors are involved in modulating chromatin architecture independently of CTCF.
Exotic alleles contribute to heat tolerance in wheat under field conditions
Authors: Molero Gemma , Coombes Benedict , Joynson Ryan , Pinto Francisco , Piñera-Chávez Francisco J. , Rivera-Amado Carolina , Hall Anthony , Reynolds Matthew P
Published: February 2022

Global warming is one of the most significant threats to food security. With temperatures predicted to rise and extreme weather events becoming more common we must safeguard food production by developing crop varieties that are more tolerant to heat stress without compromising yield under favourable conditions. By evaluating 149 spring wheat lines in the field under yield potential and heat stressed conditions, we demonstrate how strategic integration of exotic material significantly increases yield under heat stress compared to elite lines, with no significant yield penalty under favourable conditions. Genome-wide association analysis revealed three marker trait associations, which together increase yield under heat stress by over 50% compared to lines without the advantageous alleles and was associated with approximately 2°C lower canopy temperature. We identified anAegilops tauschiiintrogression underlying the most significant of these associations. By comparing overlapping recombination of this introgressed segment between lines, we identified a 1.49Mbp region of the introgression responsible for this association that increases yield under heat stress by 32.4%. The genes within this region were extracted from diverseAe. tauschiigenomes, revealing a novelAe. tauschiiMAPK gene, a SOC1 orthologue and a pair of type-B two-component response regulators. Incorporating these exotic alleles into breeding programmes could serve as a pre-emptive strategy to produce high yielding wheat cultivars that are resilient to the effects of future climate uncertainty with no yield penalty under favourable conditions.
Actin remodelling controls proteasome homeostasis upon stress
Authors: Williams Thomas , Cacioppo Roberta , Agrotis Alexander , Black Ailsa , Zhou Houjiang , Rousseau Adrien
Published: February 2022

When cells are stressed, bulk translation is often downregulated to reduce energy demands whilst stress-response proteins are simultaneously upregulated. 19S Regulatory Particle Assembly-Chaperones (RPACs) are selectively translated upon TORC1 inhibition to promote proteasome assembly and activity, maintaining cell viability. However, the molecular mechanism for such selective translational upregulation is unclear. Using yeast, we discover that remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton is important for RPAC translation following TORC1 inhibition. mRNA of the RPAC ADC17 travels along actin cables and is enriched at cortical actin patches under stress, dependent upon the early endocytic protein Ede1. ede1Δ cells failed to induce RPACs and proteasome assembly upon TORC1 inhibition. Conversely, artificially tethering ADC17 mRNA to cortical actin patches enhanced its translation upon stress. These findings suggest that actin dense structures such as cortical actin patches may serve as a translation platform for a subset of stress-induced mRNAs including regulators of proteasome homeostasis.
The Structure-Selective Endonucleases GEN1 and MUS81 are Functionally Complementary in Safeguarding the Genome of Proliferating B Lymphocytes
Authors: Fernandez Keith Conrad , Feeney Laura , Smolkin Ryan M. , Yen Wei-Feng , Matthews Allysia J. , Petrini John H. J. , Chaudhuri Jayanta
Published: February 2022

During the development of humoral immunity, activated B lymphocytes undergo vigorous proliferative, transcriptional, metabolic, and DNA remodeling activities; hence, their genomes are constantly exposed to an onslaught of genotoxic agents and processes. Recombination-dependent DNA transactions that preserve the integrity of the genome and of the DNA replication process generates Holliday junctions that must be eliminated for the accurate segregation of sister chromatids and faithful propagation of genomic material. To investigate the role of two Holliday junction resolvases, GEN1 and MUS81, in B cell biology, we established B-cell conditional knockout mouse models and found that targeted deletion of GEN1 and MUS81 in early B cell precursors halts their development and maturation while selective loss of the resolvases in mature B cells inhibits the generation of robust germinal centers. Upon activation, these double-null mature B lymphocytes fail to proliferate and survive while exhibiting transcriptional signatures of p53 signaling, apoptosis, and type I interferon response. Metaphase spreads of these resolvase-deficient cells showed severe and diverse chromosomal abnormalities, including a preponderance of chromosome breaks, consistent with a defect in resolving DNA recombination intermediates. These observations underscore the essential roles of GEN1 and MUS81 in safeguarding the genome to ensure the proper development and maintenance of B lymphocytes.
DBFE: Distribution-based feature extraction from copy number and structural variants in whole-genome data
Authors: Piernik Maciej , Brzezinski Dariusz , Sztromwasser Pawel , Pacewicz Klaudia , Majer-Burman Weronika , Gniot Michal , Sielski Dawid , Wozna Alicja , Zawadzki Pawel
Published: February 2022

Motivation

Whole-genome sequencing has revolutionized biosciences by providing tools for constructing complete DNA sequences of individuals. With entire genomes at hand, scientists can pinpoint DNA fragments responsible for different cancers and predict patient responses to cancer treatments. However, the sheer volume of whole-genome data makes it difficult to encode the characteristics of genomic variants as features for machine learning algorithms.

Results

We present three feature extraction methods that facilitate classifier learning from distributions of genomic variants. The proposed approaches use binning, clustering, and kernel density estimation to produce features that discriminate between two groups of patients. Experiments on genomes of 219 ovarian, 61 lung, and 929 breast cancer patients show that the proposed approaches automatically identify genomic biomarkers associated with cancer subtypes and clinical response to oncological treatment. Finally, we show that the extracted features can be used alongside unsupervised learning methods to analyze genomic samples.

Availability

The source code of the presented algorithms and reproducible experimental scripts are available on Github at https://github.com/MNMdiagnostics/dbfe

Contact

maciej.piernik@cs.put.poznan.pl
Combinatorial effects on gene expression at the Lbx1/Fgf8 locus resolve Split-Hand/Foot Malformation type 3
Authors: Cova Giulia , Glaser Juliane , Schöpflin Robert , Ali Salaheddine , Prada-Medina Cesar Augusto , Franke Martin , Falcone Rita , Federer Miriam , Ponzi Emanuela , Ficarella Romina , Novara Francesca , Wittler Lars , Timmermann Bernd , Gentile Mattia , Zuffardi Orsetta , Spielmann Malte , Mundlos Stefan
Published: February 2022

Split-Hand/Foot Malformation type 3 (SHFM3) is a congenital limb malformation associated with tandem duplications at the LBX1/FGF8 locus. Yet, the disease patho-mechanism remains unsolved. Here we investigated the functional consequences of SHFM3-associated rearrangements on chromatin conformation and gene expression in vivo in transgenic mice. We show that the Lbx1/Fgf8 locus consists of two separate, but interacting, regulatory domains. Re-engineering of a SHFM3-associated duplication and a newly reported inversion in mice resulted in restructuring of the chromatin architecture. This led to an ectopic activation of the Lbx1 and Btrc genes in the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) in an Fgf8-like pattern. Artificial repositioning of the AER-specific enhancers of Fgf8 was sufficient to induce misexpression of Lbx1 and Btrc. We provide evidence that the SHFM3 phenotype is the result of a combinatorial effect on gene misexpression and dosage in the developing limb. Our results reveal new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying SHFM3 and provide novel conceptual framework for how genomic rearrangements can cause gene misexpression and disease.
The guardian of the genome meets a viral master gene regulator at a biomolecular condensate
Authors: Borkosky Silvia Susana , Fassolari Marisol , Campos-León Karen , Rossi Andrés Hugo , Salgueiro Mariano , Pascuale Carla , Martínez Ramón Peralta , Gaston Kevin , de Prat Gay Gonzalo
Published: February 2022

As guardian of the genome, p53 exerts its tumor suppressor activity by modulating the expression of several hundreds of genes and by interacting with a large number of proteins. However, p53 can also repress viral replication and it is targeted by a variety of viral proteins to allow viral replication to proceed. p53 can repress human papillomavirus replication by binding to the viral E2 master gene regulator. Here we show how full-length p53 can spontaneously form phase separated liquid-like droplets that evolve to amyloid-like aggregates in a time-dependent manner, highlighting the fact that homotypic condensation is on the path to aggregation as observed in several protein aggregopathies. The DNA binding domain of HPV E2 (E2C) triggers heterotypic liquid-liquid phase separation with p53 with a precise 1 p53 : 2 E2C stoichiometry at the onset for demixing, yielding large regular spherical droplets that increase in size with E2C concentration. Moreover, E2C is able to slowly reshape time-evolved p53 aggregates into regular heterotypic liquid droplets. Usingin situsub-cellular fractionation, we show that E2 and wild-type p53 co-localize to the nucleus with a grainy pattern, and E2 can re-localize p53 into chromatin associated foci, a function independent of the DNA binding capacity of p53. A small DNA duplex containing the specific binding site for p53 deforms and dissolves both homotypic and heterotypic condensates at a 1 p53 : 1 DNA stoichiometry, whereas a ∼1000 base pair DNA fragment instead reshaped the condensates into distinct amorphous condensates containing p53, E2C and DNA, reminiscent of what we observe bound to chromatin. We conclude that p53 is a scaffold for liquid-liquid phase separation in line with its structural and functional features, in particular as a hub that binds multiple cellular protein partners as well as nucleic acids. Moreover, the capacity of E2C to rescue p53 from the amyloid aggregation route impacts on p53-rescuing drugs cancers where p53 mutation leads to loss of function.
Mechanical feedback controls the emergence of dynamical memory in growing tissue monolayers
Authors: Sinha Sumit , Li Xin , Das Rajsekhar , Thirumalai D.
Published: February 2022

The growth of a tissue, which depends on cell-cell interactions and biologically relevant process such as cell division and apoptosis, is regulated by a mechanical feedback mechanism. We account for these effects in a minimal two-dimensional model in order to investigate the consequences of mechanical feedback, which is controlled by a critical pressure, pc. A cell can only grow and divide if the pressure it experiences, due to interaction with its neighbors, is less than pc. Because temperature is an irrelevant variable in the model, the cell dynamics is driven by self-generated active forces (SGAFs) that are created by cell division. It is shown that even in the absence of intercellular interactions, cells undergo diffusive behavior. The SGAF-driven diffusion is indistinguishable from the well-known dynamics of a free Brownian particle at a fixed finite temperature. When intercellular interactions are taken into account, we find persistent temporal correlations in the force-force autocorrelation function (FAF) that extends over timescale of several cell division times. The time-dependence of the FAF reveals memory effects, which increases as pc increases. The observed non-Markovian effects emerge due to the interplay of cell division and mechanical feedback, and is inherently a non-equilibrium phenomenon.
Genome-wide analyses of PAM-relaxed Cas9 genome editors reveal substantial off-target effects by ABE8e in rice
Authors: Wu Yuechao , Ren Qiurong , Zhong Zhaohui , Liu Guanqing , Han Yangshuo , Bao Yu , Liu Li , Xiang Shuyue , Liu Shuo , Tang Xu , Zhou Jianping , Zheng Xuelian , Sretenovic Simon , Zhang Tao , Qi Yiping , Zhang Yong
Published: February 2022

PAM-relaxed Cas9 nucleases, cytosine base editors and adenine base editors are promising tools for precise genome editing in plants. However, their genome-wide off-target effects are largely undetermined. Here, we conduct whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analyses of transgenic plants edited by xCas9, Cas9-NGv1, Cas9-NG, SpRY, nCas9-NG-PmCDA1, nSpRY-PmCDA1 and nSpRY-ABE8e in rice. Our results reveal different guide RNA (gRNA)-dependent off-target effects with different editors. De novo generated new gRNAs by SpRY editors lead to additional but not substantial off-target mutations. Strikingly, ABE8e results in ~500 genome-wide A-to-G off-target mutations at TA motif sites per transgenic plant. The preference of the TA motif by ABE8e is also observed at the target sites. Finally, we investigate the timeline and mechanism of somaclonal variation due to tissue culture, which chiefly contributes to the background mutations. This study provides a comprehensive understanding on the scales and mechanisms of off-target and background mutations during PAM-relaxed genome editing in plants.
A conundrum of r-protein stability: unbalanced stoichiometry of r-proteins during stationary phase in Escherichia coli
Authors: Reier Kaspar , Lahtvee Petri-Jaan , Liiv Aivar , Remme Jaanus
Published: February 2022

Bacterial ribosomes are composed of three ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and over 50 ribosomal protein (r-protein) molecules. R-proteins are essential for ribosome assembly, structural stability, and also participate in almost all ribosome functions. Ribosomal components are present in stoichiometric amounts in the mature 70S ribosomes during the exponential and early stationary growth phases. Ribosomes are degraded in stationary phase, however, the stability and fate of r-proteins during stationary growth phase are not known. In this study, we report a quantitative analysis of ribosomal components during the extended stationary phase in E.coli. We show that: (a) the quantity of ribosomes per cell mass decreases in the stationary phase. (b) 70S ribosomes contain r-proteins in stoichiometric amounts. (c) 30S subunits are degraded faster than 50S. (d) In total proteome, the quantity of 21 r-proteins decreases during 14 days (short-lived r-proteins) concomitantly with the reduction of cellular RNA. (e) 30 r-proteins are stable and form a pool of free r-proteins (stable r-proteins). Thus r-proteins are present in non-stochiometric amounts in the proteome of E. coli during the extended stationary phase.

IMPORTANCE

Ribosome degradation has been extensively described from the viewpoint of its main component – rRNA. Here we aim to complement our knowledge by quantitatively analyzing r-protein degradation and stability in the ribosomes as well as in the whole-cell proteome during stationary phase in E. coli. R-proteins are considered to be very stable in the proteome. Here we show that a specific set of r-proteins are rapidly degraded after release from the rRNA. The degradation of r-proteins is an intriguing new aspect of r-protein metabolism in bacteria.
rG4-seq 2.0: enhanced transcriptome-wide RNA G-quadruplex structure sequencing for low RNA input samples
Authors: Zhao Jieyu , Chow Eugene Yui-Ching , Yeung Pui Yan , Zhang Qiangfeng Cliff , Chan Ting-Fung , Kwok Chun Kit
Published: February 2022

RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) are non-canonical structural motifs that have diverse functional and regulatory roles such as transcription termination, alternative splicing, mRNA localization and stabilization and translational process. We recently developed RNA G-quadruplex structure sequencing (rG4-seq) technique and discovered many rG4s in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic transcriptomes. However, rG4-seq suffers from complicated gel purification step and limited PCR product yield and thus requires a high RNA input amount, limiting its applications for physiologically or clinically relevant studies. In this study, we have developed rG4-seq 2.0 by introducing a new ssDNA adapter containing deoxyuridine in the library preparation to enhance the library quality with no gel purification step, less PCR amplification cycles and higher yield of PCR products. We demonstrate that rG4-seq 2.0 produced high quality cDNA libraries that supported reliable and reproducible rG4 identification at varying RNA inputs (as low as 10 ng amount of RNA). rG4-seq 2.0 also improved the rG4-seq calling outcome and nucleotide bias in rG4 detection persistent in rG4-seq 1.0. Our new method can improve the identification and study of rG4s in low abundance transcripts, and our findings can provide insights to optimize cDNA library preparation in other related methods.
Training induced improvements in knee extensor force accuracy are associated with reduced vastus lateralis motor unit firing variability
Authors: Ely Isabel A , Jones Eleanor J , Inns Thomas B , Dooley Síobhra , Miller Sarah B J , Stashuk Daniel W , Atherton Philip J , Phillips Bethan E , Piasecki Mathew
Published: February 2022

Background

Muscle force output during sustained submaximal isometric contractions fluctuates around an average value and is known to be influenced by variation in motor unit (MU) firing rates. MU firing rate variability seemingly reduces following exercise training interventions, however, much less is known with respect to peripheral MU properties. We therefore investigated whether targeted force accuracy training could lead to improved muscle functional capacity and control, in addition to determining any alterations of individual MU features.

Methods

Ten healthy participants (7 females, 3 males, 27±6 years, 170±8 cm, 69±16kg) underwent a 4-week supervised, unilateral, force accuracy training intervention. The coefficient of variation for force (FORCECoV) and sinusoidal wave force tracking accuracy (FORCESinu) were determined at 25% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) pre- and post-training. Intramuscular electromyography was utilised to record individual MU potentials from the vastus lateralis (VL) muscles at 25% MVC during sustained contractions, pre- and post-training.

Results

Knee extensor muscle strength remained unchanged following training, with no improvements in unilateral leg-balance. FORCECoV and FORCESinu significantly improved in only the trained knee extensors by ~13% (p=0.01) and ~30% (p<0.0001) respectively. MU firing rate variability significantly reduced in the trained VL by ~16% (n=8; p=0.001), with no further alterations to MU firing rate or neuromuscular junction transmission instability.

Conclusion

Our results suggest muscle force control and tracking accuracy is a trainable characteristic in the knee extensors, which is likely explained by the reduction in MU firing rate variability apparent in the trained limb only.
An employee-centered perspective on business processes: measuring “healthy business processes” and their relationships with people and performance outcomes
Authors: Reif Julia A.M. , Kugler Katharina G. , Stockkamp Mariella T. , Richter Selina S. , Benning Valerie M. , Muschaweck Lina A. , Brodbeck Felix C.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Traditional approaches to business processes and their management consider the “people dimension” as an antecedent of process performance. The authors complemented this approach by considering employees as process perceivers and thus taking an employee-centered perspective on business processes. The authors investigated dimensions of healthy business processes, that is, processes which, while promoting performance, foster employee well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a qualitative dataset and two quantitative studies, the authors developed and validated a scale for healthy business processes, interpreted it from a salutogenic perspective and tested relationships with people and performance outcomes.

Findings

The scale comprises four factors reflecting the three dimensions of the salutogenic concept “sense of coherence”: manageability was represented by the factors process tools and process flexibility; comprehensibility was represented by the factor process description; and meaningfulness was represented by the factor management support. The scale and its subscales were significantly related to people and performance outcomes.

Originality/value

The authors propose that health-oriented business process management and performance-oriented business process management are two components of an integrated business process management that favors neither a functionalist, efficiency-oriented approach nor an employee-oriented approach, but takes both approaches and their interaction equally into account in the sense of person-process fit.
Adoption of open innovation in the COVID-19 emergency: developing a process-based information coordination system
Authors: Elia Gianluca , Margherita Alessandro , Massaro Alessandro , Vacca Angelo
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated a global movement of open innovation initiatives aimed to provide knowledge and tools to support policy decisions and actions in the emergency scenario. The authors describe an open innovation process aimed to build an information coordination system to reduce the infection diffusion within the population.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use coordination theory principles to elaborate a framework of activities, resources and dependencies among information resources and producers in the COVID-19 emergency. The framework was applied to develop a case study aimed at describing a health emergency system implemented by Dyrecta Lab (a research laboratory on computer science) and CITEL (a medical research center).

Findings

The authors describe the existence of relevant “flow,” “fit” and “share” dependencies within the activities of infection containment and medical treatment. The authors identify eight key resources and a number of actors involved in those activities, and describe a platform able to gather a multitude of epidemic-related metrics with the purpose to address dependencies and support decision making.

Research limitations/implications

The authors provide insights for advancing the academic discussion on process coordination principles in time-constrained, volatile and highly demanding scenarios.

Practical implications

The value of the authors’ research can be identified for practitioners engaged to develop innovative development projects for public utility. The authors provide a contribution also for first responders and health operators involved in management of the current and future emergencies.

Originality/value

The adoption of process coordination principles is a relatively new and powerful approach to analyze and optimize the processes that characterize the management of emergency scenarios. Besides, the study and application of open innovation in healthcare are partially limited.
In search of frugality in the Malaysian hotel industry: the role of green marketing strategies and government initiatives
Authors: Mohamed Sadom Nur Zulaikha , Quoquab Farzana , Mohammad Jihad
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to shed light on the factors that affect frugality (FR) in the hotel industry. Specifically, it aims to test the role of environmental advertisement (EA) and eco-labelling (EL) on FR through green attitude (GA) in the Malaysian hotel industry. It also tested the role of government initiatives (GIS) as the moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the judgemental sampling technique, a total of 259 usable responses were gathered from hotel guests. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the study hypotheses.

Findings

This study found that EA and EL affect hotel guests’ GA positively. Additionally, the finding revealed that GA exerts a positive influence on FR. Furthermore, this study disclosed that GA mediates the relationship between green marketing strategies (EA and EL) and FR. Contrary to expectation, the moderating role of GIs was not supported in this study.

Originality/value

This is a pioneering study that investigates FR in the hotel industry. Further, this study developed new relationships such as the mediating role of GA between marketing strategies in terms of EA and EL and FR. In addition, the moderating effect of GIs on the relationship between GA and FR, which is comparatively new in the literature was developed. The findings from this study are expected to benefit the hoteliers, governments and the researchers that specialized in consumer behaviour study.
“I just want to word it better”: developing disciplinary literacies in an after-school spoken word poetry team
Authors: Lesus Melina , Vaughan Andrea
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore how youth poets wrote in a community of practice and how their out-of-school poetry writing contributed toward developing disciplinary literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

In this qualitative case study, the authors studied youth’s writing by drafting narrative field notes, collecting student writing and process drawings and interviewing participants.

Findings

The authors found that the poets in this study maintained ownership of their writing and engaged in writing processes in ways that reflected Behizadeh’s (2019) conception of authenticity as writing that connects both to students’ experiences, and to the purposes and audiences of their writing context.

Practical implications

This out-of-school context provides implications for how English Language Arts teachers can rethink what disciplinary literacy looks like in classroom writing instruction.

Originality/value

By maintaining ownership of their writing, the youth agentively positioned themselves not only as students accumulating disciplinary knowledge but also as participants in a community of practice.
Green HRM: pathway towards environmental sustainability using AHP and FAHP in a nascent parsimony
Authors: Khatoon Aaisha , Khan Nawab Ali , Parvin Farhana , Wahid Mohammad Salman , Jamal Mohd Tariq , Azhar Saad
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The objective of the work is to have an insight into the degree of the contemporary concept of greening the organization through human resource management (HRM) and to attempt to bridge the gap toward environmental awareness, as well as to observe the dimensions of green HRM (GHRM) practices and its impression toward environmental sustainability by using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and FAHP.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was carried out in two phases; multi-method was employed. The first phase mainly includes a systematic review to convene comprehensive knowledge of widespread GHRM practices to leverage environmental sustainability. In the second phase, the AHP and fuzzy AHP (FAHP) were employed to examine the influence of the respective dimension of GHRM practices toward environmental sustainability.

Findings

This study emphasizes the status of GHRM practices such as green recruitment and green selection, green performance management, green training and development, green compensation and rewards, green welfare aspects as a way to aid environmental issues. The findings suggest that these initiatives help to leverage environmental sustainability. Further, this paper reveals that green compensation and rewards have the highest impact on leveraging environmental sustainability. However, this study also emphasizes the comparative study of GHRM dimensions through AHP and FAHP.

Originality/value

As existing studies reveal, there is least research carried on this field of study and no study was conducted using AHP and FAHP in this field. Thus, this study reveals the necessity to discover the degree of concern toward GHRM practices in context to India.
Context-aware behaviour prediction for autonomous driving: a deep learning approach
Authors: R. Syama , C. Mala
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to predict the behaviour of the vehicles in a mixed driving scenario. This proposes a deep learning model to predict lane-changing scenarios in highways incorporating current and historical information and contextual features. The interactions among the vehicles are modelled using long-short-term memory (LSTM).

Design/methodology/approach

Predicting the surrounding vehicles' behaviour is crucial in any Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). To make a decision, any prediction models available in the literature consider the present and previous observations of the surrounding vehicles. These existing models failed to consider the contextual features such as traffic density that also affect the behaviour of the vehicles. To forecast the appropriate driving behaviour, a better context-aware learning method should be able to consider a distinct goal for each situation is more significant. Considering this, a deep learning-based model is proposed to predict the lane changing behaviours using past and current information of the vehicle and contextual features. The interactions among vehicles are modeled using an LSTM encoder-decoder. The different lane-changing behaviours of the vehicles are predicted and validated with the benchmarked data set NGSIM and the open data set Level 5.

Findings

The lane change behaviour prediction in ADAS is gaining popularity as it is crucial for safe travel in a mixed driving environment. This paper shows the prediction of maneuvers with a prediction window of 5 s using NGSIM and Level 5 data sets. The proposed method gives a prediction accuracy of 97% on average for all lane-change maneuvers for both the data sets.

Originality/value

This research presents a strategy for predicting autonomous vehicle behaviour based on contextual features. The paper focuses on deep learning techniques to assist the ADAS.
Resilience of Brazilian health-care professionals during the pandemic
Authors: Araujo Claudia , Siqueira Marina , Amaral Liliana
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Health-care professionals are caring for patients in unprecedented circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with scarce resources, higher demand and uncertain outcomes. In this context, the purpose of this study is to explore the views of health-care professionals regarding their work conditions and perceived impacts of the pandemic on their health, as well as the role of resilience and improvisation in face of the new challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory and qualitative study carried out semi-structured interviews with eleven health-care professionals from three Brazilian states that have been working in intensive care settings during the pandemic.

Findings

The pandemic has posed a great personal and professional burden on the professionals, impacting their physical and mental health. It also has required them greater resilience and improvisation capabilities to adequately perform work-related activities.

Practical implications

In addition to individual-level attitudes, the results suggest that aspects in the government, society, personal relationships and providers domains influence the effects of the pandemic on the health-care professionals and how they cope with the ongoing crisis. Such a multifactorial approach should therefore be considered by health managers.

Originality/value

With no similar effort identified, this study emphasizes the relevance of discussing the pandemic burden on frontline professionals and intends to be useful for health practitioners, managers, academics and policymakers.
Workers' remittances in Central America: where does the money go?
Authors: Basnet Hem C. , Baker Josiah , Donou-Adonsou Ficawoyi
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine two issues about remittances in Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua). First, whether the inflow of remittances impacts income in the long run. Second, what motivates migrants to send remittances? The first issue is analyzed in the context of a permanent income hypothesis, while the second is analyzed in the context of altruism versus self-interest motives.

Design/methodology/approach

A panel cointegration method is used to establish the long-run relationship between the variables under consideration. Further, this study uses the fully modified ordinary least squares method (FMOLS) to estimate the impact of remittances on income and consumption. The pooled mean group (PMG) estimation is used.

Findings

The test results indicate that remittances into Central American countries do not promote growth in the long run. Central American families may perceive remittances as a permanent income stream and will increase their current consumption. Additionally, the test results indicate that sending remittances of the Central American migrants is mainly driven by altruism. Their primary motive is to support left-behind families at times of economic hardship.

Research limitations/implications

Findings provide an important implication for these Central American countries, as they have potential to boost income by utilizing remittance money in productivity-enhancing activities. This study could also provide valuable information for the governments of labor-exporting countries around the world to encourage and incentivize remittance recipient families to utilize those funds for income-generating activities.

Originality/value

In Central America, this is probably the first attempt in the literature to analyze the impact of remittances in the context of permanent income hypothesis and the motivation of Central American workers to send remittances to their countries of origin.
The impact of entrepreneurs’ decision-making style on SMEs’ financial performance
Authors: Weerasekara Sumedha , Bhanugopan Ramudu
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles on enterprise performance and suggests several entrepreneurial ecosystems – factors are impacting this relationship. The authors extend this line of work by examining how regional entrepreneurial culture, educational institutional support and business and social networks mediating the relationship between entrepreneurs’ decision-making style and small medium enterprises (SME)s’ financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected through an e-survey of SME owners in New South Wales, Australia. This study developed a model combining a set of entrepreneurial ecosystem factors, entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles and SMEs’ financial performance. Data were analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results suggest regional entrepreneurial culture, educational institutional support and business and social networks mediate the relationship between entrepreneurs’ decision-making style and SMEs’ financial performance. Hence, this study developed a more complete methodical understanding of entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles and their impact on SMEs’ financial performance. This study provides deeper insights into the conditions and processes by which an entrepreneurs’ decision-making style impacts SMEs’ financial performance.

Originality/value

The focus of this study was to understand the relationship of entrepreneurs’ decision-making styles on SMEs’ financial performance. The authors identified that the entrepreneurs’ decision-making style positively impacts SMEs’ financial performance. This study augments the body of knowledge by proposing ways in how the entrepreneurs’ decision-making style can be more strengthened.
The psychological impact of COVID-19’s e-learning digital tools on Jordanian university students’ well-being
Authors: Al-Salman Saleh , Haider Ahmad S. , Saed Hadeel
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to depict and probe into the building tension, stress and depression to which Jordanian university students have been vulnerable after the compulsory shift to online learning and their prolonged use of digital tools.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers used a five-construct questionnaire, namely, use of digital tools in e-learning, sleeping habits, social interaction, psychological reactions and academic performance, to elicit the responses of university students in Jordan concerning the psychological impact of COVID-19’s e-learning digital tools on their well-being. In total, 775 university-level students representing Jordanian public and private universities were asked to fill in the questionnaire, and their responses were statistically analyzed.

Findings

The results showed that the prolonged use of digital tools, lack of face-to-face interaction and heavy load of assignments have led to anxiety, change of sleeping habit, distraction and a stress-building environment, perhaps resulting in depression. This was aggravated by COVID-19’s strict regulatory measures of social distancing, lockdowns, health threats and eroding family income. The prolonged and escalating social, psychological, loss of affection and worsening economic conditions have increased the number of psychological disorders and a drop in students’ academic performance.

Practical implications

This study is useful for educational leaders and policymakers, providing guidance and insights on how higher education institutions can support students’ mental health and psychological well-being, especially in times of crisis. Consequently, the higher education sector should be prepared to function more efficiently and effectively in future emergency situations.

Originality/value

While different studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector globally, little attention has been given to developing countries in the Middle East. By focusing on the Jordanian example, the present study will fill a gap in the research endeavors addressing the prolonged use of e-learning digital tools.
Social marketing AS pedagogy
Authors: Kennedy Ann-Marie , Veer Ekant , Kemper Joya Ananda
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to share the use of social marketing as pedagogy and provide a transformative social marketing pedagogy for social marketing educators. By this, the authors mean the same principles used by social marketers to improve the well-being of a person or group are used as a pedagogic tool to bolster students’ learning and understanding of social marketing. In the described course, students are asked to choose one area of their lives to try and change using concepts taught to them in class. They are then asked to reflect on their personal change journey and apply it to others in the form of a social marketing plan.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors share a conceptual journey using social marketing as pedagogy following the evolution of a marketing for behavioural change undergraduate course. Benchmark criteria for social marketing are used to discuss and conceptualise a transformative social marketing pedagogy. The authors take a reflexive approach to explore course development, motivations, assumptions and activities to expand on their approach.

Findings

Social marketing as pedagogy suggests that behaviour change is not just taught through course content but also embedded throughout the course as a learning tool and outcome. A social marketing course can encourage individual behaviour change by asking students to critically reflect on their own behaviour change journey to fully experience and understand the underpinnings and implications for social marketing. In this way, the authors adopt transformative learning as the outcome of social marketing AS pedagogy. The authors suggest through experiential learning, including active learning and reflexivity, students are able to change their frame of reference or how they interpret the world around them, in regard to complex social issues, which may encourage behaviour change.

Originality/value

As social marketers, the authors must reflect not only on what they teach students (Kelly, 2013) but also on how they teach them. Previous literature has not provided any unique pedagogy for how to teach social marketing. This article provides the first pedagogy for social marketing education – the Transformative social marketing pedagogy which views social marketing AS pedagogy. The authors present the value of experiential learning as a three-pronged approach incorporating Interpretive Experiences, Transformative Experiences and developing Praxis, which includes elements of feeding forward and authentic assessment. This approach provides a unique contribution to the area by providing a pedagogical approach that goes beyond mere knowledge acquisition to transformative learning.
Information-seeking behaviour of students at a Caribbean University during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Nelson Karlene Saundria , Tugwell Yolanda V.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study investigated how students of the Faculties of Humanities and Education and Social Sciences at a Caribbean University sought information during the COVID-19 pandemic, identified challenges they experienced in seeking information for academic tasks and how satisfied they were with the Library's provision of electronic resources and services during this period.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey design was adopted for this study. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.

Findings

This study revealed that undergraduates relied upon lecture notes to complete assignments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Undergraduate students have developed a definite information-seeking pattern, which did not change during the pandemic. They tend to use information channels that require the least effort. Postgraduate students used a variety of Library information channels but primarily used electronic journals. On the whole, students experienced challenges while seeking information via the channels provided by the Library. Students were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the Library's provision of electronic resources and services.

Research limitations/implications

The study used non-probability sampling and only included students from two faculties at one university. As a result, the findings may not be generalized to the entire student population or all Caribbean universities.

Practical implications

The results of this study can be used to identify the difficulties students are having in accessing information from the Library and gauge service delivery.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the scholarship from the Caribbean written to show whether students' information-seeking behaviour changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Un)ethical behaviors of police officers in South Korea: a structural equation analysis
Authors: Lee Seungmug (Zech) , Joo Jae-Jin , Kwon Hye-Rim , Lee Jae-Seung , Rodriguez John J.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims examine to what extent four variable categories of individual ethical ideology, organizational ethical culture, superior's ethical quality and job satisfaction (JS) are causally linked to personal (un)ethical behaviors among South Korean police officers.

Design/methodology/approach

With a stratified sampling technique, 687 surveys were collected from 16 major local police headquarters across the nation. The reliability and validity of the variables were checked. The structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Idealism, principlism, utilitarianism and JS have a negative influence on unethical behaviors, whereas superior's unethical standards are positively associated with unethical behaviors.

Practical implications

The findings can be applied as a reference to improve ethical framework to promote behaviors by enriching the higher level of personal ethical ideology, superior's ethical quality and principlism and utilitarianism by adding an ethics training course to the continuing education program for all officers and developing further education programs for police leadership to raise ethical awareness and quality.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, the study is among the first studies with four comprehensive categories of relevant variables and adds understanding to (un)ethical behaviors of police officers.
Framing Belgian police research: an exploration of scoping reviews regarding police decision-making in terms of topics, methodology and literature characteristics – toward a research agenda
Authors: Feys Yinthe , Verhage Antoinette , Stevens Anse
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This article provides an overview of the latest empirical research regarding police decision-making in Belgium from 2000 to 2021 in terms of methodology and general findings (e.g. types and year of publication, topics studied). Recommendations are given concerning police research and the development of a research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

Fourteen separate and limited scoping reviews regarding police decision-making topics were carried out by students in criminology and law. All scoping reviews followed the same procedure.

Findings

Seventy-nine unique publications are included in the analyses. These show that police violence is most frequently studied, whereas violence against the police was only included in one publication. Empirical research on bodycams and (social) media was not found. Most of the studies followed a quantitative research design, mainly by means of secondary data analysis.

Research limitations/implications

The scoping reviews are limited in scope and were carried out by different students, potentially leading to variable interpretations and selections. Additionally, the conclusions are partly the result of the developed review protocols (e.g. keywords, databases).

Originality/value

This article combines 14 different scoping reviews, following the same procedure, on subtopics regarding police decision-making and thus enabling comparison of the literature found in a consistent way.