bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MDF regulates a network of auxin-dependent and -independent pathways of adventitious root regeneration inArabidopsis
Authors: Aldowigh Fahad , Matus Rodrigo , Agneessens Julien , Gao Haozhan , Wei Wenbin , Topping Jennifer , Lindsey Keith
Published: May 2024

Plants exhibit strong plasticity in growth and development, seen clearly in lateral and adventitious root development from differentiated tissues in response to environmental stresses. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of both auxin-dependent and auxin-independent signalling pathways in regulating thede novoformation of adventitious roots (ARs) from differentiated tissues, such as leaf petiole inArabidopsis.One important question is how the auxin-dependent and -independent pathways are coordinated. To investigate this question, we used a combined approach of inducible gene expression, mutant, and signalling reporter gene analysis during AR regeneration in theArabidopsispetiole to understand regulatory relationships. Auxin signalling components AXR1 and AXR3, and the PIN trafficking protein VAMP714, are each required for AR initiation, as is the ethylene signalling repressor POLARIS, but not EIN2. We identify the RNA splicing regulator MDF and the transcription factor RAP2.7 as new positive regulators of both the auxin-independent and auxin-dependent pathways, and show that MDF regulatesRAP2.7,WOX5andNAC1; while RAP2.7 regulatesWOX5but notNAC1orYUC1. NAC1 is required forde novoroot formation in a pathway independent ofYUC1,WOX5orRAP2.7. We propose a model in which MDF represents a point of molecular crosstalk between auxin-dependent and -independent regeneration processes.
Addressing inter-individual variability in CSF levels of brain-derived proteins across neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Mravinacová Sára , Bergström Sofia , Olofsson Jennie , de San José Nerea Gómez , Anderl-Straub Sarah , Diehl-Schmid Janine , Fassbender Klaus , Fliessbach Klaus , Jahn Holger , Kornhuber Johannes , Landwehrmeyer G. Bernhard , Lauer Martin , Levin Johannes , Ludolph Albert C. , Prudlo Johannes , Schneider Anja , Schroeter Matthias L. , Wiltfang Jens , Steinacker Petra , Otto Markus , Nilsson Peter , Månberg Anna ,   FTLD consortium
Published: May 2024

Background

Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases requires reliable biomarkers. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins hold promise for reflecting brain pathology, yet their utility may be compromised by natural variability between individuals, weakening their association with disease and impacting their diagnostic accuracy.

Method

We measured the levels of 69 proteins in CSF from 499 individuals using an antibody-based suspension bead array technology. In this multi-disease cohort including participants with Alzheimer’s disease, behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, corticobasal syndrome, primary supranuclear palsy and healthy controls, we investigated inter-individual variability in CSF protein levels. Further, we explored protein profiles across the diseases, after adjusting for this variability using linear modelling.

Results

Correlation and PCA analysis on the measured CSF proteins revealed the presence of inter-individual variability in overall CSF levels of brain-derived proteins, which could not be explained by disease associations. Using linear modelling, we show that adjusting for median CSF levels of brain-derived proteins increases the diagnostic accuracy of many proteins, including those previously identified as altered in CSF in the context of neurodegenerative disorders. We further demonstrate a simplified approach for the adjustment using pairs of correlated proteins with opposite alteration in the diseases. With this approach, the proteins adjust for each other and further increase the biomarker performance through additive effect. Moreover, we find that many CSF proteins show similar alteration across the studied diseases, indicating that these proteins likely reflect shared processes.

Conclusion

CSF protein profiles are affected by inter-individual variability which partially hinders the diagnostic potential of CSF proteins. Thus, we propose that this variability should be accounted for in future studies. Further, we demonstrate high overlap in CSF protein patterns across neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the need for multi-disease studies in order to identify biomarkers that are specific to or common between different diseases.
Stratifying Risk for Postpartum Depression at Time of Hospital Discharge
Authors: Clapp Mark A. , Castro Victor M. , Verhaak Pilar , McCoy Thomas H. , Shook Lydia L. , Edlow Andrea G. , Perlis Roy H.
Published: May 2024

Objective

Postpartum depression (PPD) represents a major contributor to postpartum morbidity and mortality. Beyond efforts at routine screening, risk stratification models could enable more targeted interventions in settings with limited resources. Thus, we aimed to develop and estimate the performance of a generalizable risk stratification model for PPD in patients without a history of depression using information collected as part of routine clinical care.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of all individuals who delivered between 2017 and 2022 in one of two large academic medical centers and six community hospitals. An elastic net model was constructed and externally validated to predict PPD using sociodemographic factors, medical history, and prenatal depression screening information, all of which was known before discharge from the delivery hospitalization.

Results

The cohort included 29,168 individuals; 2,703 (9.3%) met at least one criterion for postpartum depression in the 6 months following delivery. In the external validation data, the model had good discrimination and remained well-calibrated: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.721 (95% CI: 0.707-0.734), Brier calibration score 0.088 (95% CI: 0.084 – 0.092). At a specificity of 90%, the positive predictive value was 28.0% (95% CI: 26.0-30.1%), and the negative predictive value was 92.2% (95% CI: 91.8-92.7%).

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that a simple machine-learning model can be used to stratify the risk for PPD before delivery hospitalization discharge. This tool could help identify patients within a practice at the highest risk and facilitate individualized postpartum care planning regarding the prevention of, screening for, and management of PPD at the start of the postpartum period and potentially the onset of symptoms.
The Effects of Indoor Residual Spraying on Prevalence of Malaria among Under-five Children in Zambia; A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kapiya Gwenie , Sialubanje Cephas , Nawa Mukumbuta
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Malaria remains a global challenge despite the efforts to eliminate it by 2030 by the WHO and its partner countries. About 93.6% of the malaria cases and 95.4% of the deaths occurred in Africa. Zambia is one of the top 20 highly endemic countries with about a third (29.3%) of all children aged 6 to 59 months having malaria in 2021 and it accounts for about 1.4% of the global malaria incidence and mortality. Among the interventions used to eliminate malaria is Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS). Existing literature has shown the effects of IRS on malaria prevalence and incidence by comparing IRS versus no IRS intervention. This study assessed the effects of IRS on malaria prevalence over time from when it was done in three monthly cohorts over a period of one year.

Methods

This study was a retrospective cohort study. Data was collected retrospectively covering a period of 12 months when the IRS was done in the households where the Malaria Indicator Survey of 2021 was carried out. The study then compared malaria prevalence in closed cohorts of three months. Data was analysed in Stata version 14, descriptive statistics were summarized as counts and percentages, cross-tabulations between the dependent variable and independent variables were done and measures of association were assessed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression. The level of significance was set at 0.05.

Results

The study included 1,786 children aged six to 59 months and more of these were female 52.5% (938/1786). Among the children, 14.7% (263/1786) were in the 0 to 3 months cohort, 59.3% (1059/1786) were in the 4 to 6 months cohort, 16.2% (289/1786) in the 7 to 9 months cohort and 9.8% (175/1786) in the 10 to 12 months cohort. The malaria prevalence was 33.4%. There were no significant statistical differences in the malaria prevalence among children in the four cohorts.

Conclusion

This study found that over a period of one year, the protective effect of Indoor Residual Spraying was not statistically different among under-five children whether it was done within zero to three months, four to six months, seven to nine months or ten to twelve months. This implies that the protective effects of IRS on malaria prevalence extended equally over a period of 12 months.
Brain-wide pleiotropy investigation of alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking behaviors
Authors: Deiana Giovanni , He Jun , Cabrera-Mendoza Brenda , Ciccocioppo Roberto , Napolioni Valerio , Polimanti Renato
Published: May 2024

To investigate the pleiotropic mechanisms linking brain structure and function to alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking, we integrated genome-wide data generated by the GWAS and Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine use (GSCAN; up to 805,431 participants) with information related to 3,935 brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) available from UK Biobank (N=33,224). We observed global genetic correlation of smoking behaviors with white matter hyperintensities, the morphology of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, and the mean thickness of pole-occipital. With respect to the latter brain IDP, we identified a local genetic correlation with age at which the individual began smoking regularly (hg38 chr2:35,895,678-36,640,246: rho=1, p=1.01×10−5). This region has been previously associated with smoking initiation, educational attainment, chronotype, and cortical thickness. Our genetically informed causal inference analysis using both latent causal variable approach and Mendelian randomization linked the activity of prefrontal and premotor cortex and that of superior and inferior precentral sulci, and cingulate sulci to the number of alcoholic drinks per week (genetic causality proportion, gcp=0.38, p=8.9×10−4, rho=-0.18±0.07; inverse variance weighting, IVW beta=-0.04, 95%CI=-0.07 – −0.01). This relationship could be related to the role of these brain regions in the modulation of reward-seeking motivation and the processing of social cues. Overall, our brain-wide investigation highlighted that different pleiotropic mechanisms likely contribute to the relationship of brain structure and function with alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking, suggesting decision-making activities and chemosensory processing as modulators of propensity towards alcohol and tobacco consumption.
Ultra-processed foods and type 2 diabetes mellitus incidence in RaNCD project: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Amirian Parsa , Zarpoosh Mahsa , Pasdar Yahya
Published: May 2024

Background

Following rapid population growth and urbanization, global ultra-processed food consumption levels have increased. Additionally, type 2 diabetes mellitus, a non-communicable disease, is affecting one-tenth of the people worldwide. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in different scenarios in a prospective cohort study in the western part of Iran.

Methods

The RaNCD cohort includes 10047 participants aged 35 to 65; the main phase commenced in March 2015; we included participants susceptible to diabetes at enrolment with follow-up data. We used the widely accepted NOVA classification to define ultra-processed foods. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used as the main model; furthermore, the Cox model with different adjustments and the logistic regression model were used as sensitive analysis to evaluate the association between ultra-processed foods consumption and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Results

A total of 8827 participants with a mean age of 46.92y, a mean follow-up time of 7.1y, and a mean daily ultra-processed food intake of 87.69 grams were included. During the follow-up phases, we included 255 incidences of type 2 diabetes mellitus cases. After adjusting for cofounders in the primary model, including age, gender, residence type, socioeconomic status, physical activity, body mass index, and familial history of diabetes despite the elevated hazard ratio of 1.08 (0.75, 1.55) in the fourth quartile compared to the first quartile, the P-value was insignificant (p-value = 0.665);p for trend in the UPF quartiles was also insignificant.

Conclusion

Our study has shed light on the association between ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Middle East region. We have identified significant associations between diabetes incidence and some covariates. However, further investigations are necessary to confirm or refute the UPFs/T2DM association.
Combining multiple stressors unexpectedly blocks bacterial migration and growth
Authors: Sharma Anuradha , Shuppara Alexander M. , Padron Gilberto C. , Sanfilippo Joseph E.
Published: May 2024

In nature, organisms experience combinations of stressors. However, laboratory studies typically simplify reality and focus on the effects of an individual stressor. Here, we use a microfluidic approach to simultaneously provide a physical stressor (shear flow) and a chemical stressor (H2O2) to the human pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosa. By treating cells with levels of flow and H2O2that commonly co-occur in nature, we discover that previous reports significantly overestimate the H2O2levels required to block bacterial growth. Specifically, we establish that flow increases H2O2effectiveness 50-fold, explaining why previous studies lacking flow required much higher concentrations. Using natural H2O2levels, we identify the core H2O2regulon, characterize OxyR-mediated dynamic regulation, and dissect the redundant roles of multiple H2O2scavenging systems. By examining single-cell behavior, we serendipitously discover that the combined effects of H2O2and flow block pilus-driven surface migration. Thus, our results counter previous studies and reveal that natural levels of H2O2and flow synergize to restrict bacterial colonization and survival. By studying two stressors at once, our research highlights the limitations of oversimplifying nature and demonstrates that physical and chemical stress can combine to yield unpredictable effects.
Horizontal gene transfer of a functional cki homolog in the human pathogen Schistosoma mansoni
Authors: Wendt George R , Collins James J
Published: May 2024

Schistosomes are parasitic flatworms responsible for the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis, causing devastating morbidity and mortality in the developing world. The parasites are protected by a skin-like tegument, and maintenance of this tegument is controlled by a schistosome ortholog of the tumor suppressor TP53. To understand mechanistically how p53-1 controls tegument production, we identified a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor homolog (cki) that was co-expressed with p53-1. RNA interference of cki resulted in a hyperproliferation phenotype, that, in combination with p53-1 RNA interference yielded abundant tumor-like growths, indicating that cki and p53-1 are bona fide tumor suppressors in Schistosoma mansoni. Interestingly, cki homologs are widely present throughout parasitic flatworms but evidently absent from their free-living ancestors, suggesting this cki homolog came from an ancient horizontal gene transfer event. This in turn implies that the evolution of parasitism in flatworms may have been aided by a highly unusual means of metazoan genetic inheritance.
Circulating proteomic profiles are associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes in a multi-ethnic Asian population — a longitudinal study
Authors: Liang Yujian , Lim Charlie G.Y. , Ritchie Scott C , Bertin Nicolas , Chai Jin-Fang , Yao Jiali , Li Yun , Tai E Shyong , van Dam Rob M. , Sim Xueling
Published: May 2024

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major global concern, with Asia at its epicenter in recent years. Proteins, products of gene transcription, serve as dynamic biomarkers for pinpointing perturbed pathways in disease development. To understand the protein function in incident T2D, we examined the association of 4,775 plasma proteins with incident T2D in a Singapore multi-ethnic cohort of 1,659 Asian participants (539 cases and 1,120 controls). Our analysis revealed 522 proteins that were associated with incident T2D after adjusting for age, sex, and ethnicity. Among the 522 proteins associated with incident T2D, the change in 205 plasma proteins, observed in parallel with the development of T2D at baseline and six-years follow-up, were further associated with incident T2D. The associated proteins showed enrichment in neuron generation, glycosaminoglycan binding, and insulin-like growth factor binding. Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis suggested three plasma proteins, GSTA1, INHBC, and FGL1, play causal roles in the development of T2D, with colocalization evidence supporting GSTA1 and INHBC. Our findings reveal plasma protein profiles linked to the onset of T2D in Asian populations, offering insights into the biological mechanisms of T2D development.
Off-energy operation for the Extremely Brilliant Source at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
Authors: Valle L. , Brochard T. , Carmignani N. , Carver L. R. , Chavanne J. , Ewald F. , Le Bec G. , Liuzzo S. M. , Perron T. , Reyes-Herrera J. , Raimondi P. , Scheidt K. , Versteegen R. , Wade J. , White S.
Published: May 2024

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility Extremely Brilliant Source (ESRF-EBS) is the first fourth generation 6 GeV storage ring (SR) light source making use of the hybrid multibend achromat lattice, reaching a natural horizontal emittance of 140 pm rad. Further, reducing the horizontal emittance would provide a more brilliant and a higher quality photon source for the EBS users. One way of achieving this is to operate the SR off-energy. The first approach reduces the electron beam energy by −1%, which gives a 121 pm rad natural horizontal emittance. To fulfill operation requirements, the full ring had to be rematched, including both the quadrupoles and the sextupoles in the linear optics correction. The off-energy settings are then tested in the SR in terms of lifetime, injection efficiency, and operability.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Chiral condensate and the equation of state at nonzero baryon density from the hadron resonance gas model with a repulsive mean field
Authors: Biswas Deeptak , Petreczky Peter , Sharma Sayantan
Published: May 2024

We study the QCD equation of state and the chiral condensate using the hadron resonance gas model with repulsive mean-field interactions. We find that the repulsive interactions improve the agreement with the lattice results on the derivatives of the pressure with respect to the baryon chemical potential up to eighth order. From the temperature dependence of the chiral condensate we estimate the crossover temperature as a function of baryon chemical potential, Tpc(μB). We find that the chiral crossover line starts to deviate significantly from the chemical freeze-out line already for μB>400MeV. Furthermore, we find that the chiral pseudocritical line can be parametrized as Tpc(μB)/Tpc(0)=1−κ2[μB/Tpc(0)]2−κ4[μB/Tpc(0)]4 with κ2=0.0150(2) and κ4=3.1(6)×10−5, which are in agreement with lattice QCD results for small values of μB. For the first time we find a tiny but nonzero value of κ4 in our study.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Local in Time Conservative Binary Dynamics at Fourth Post-Minkowskian Order
Authors: Dlapa Christoph , Kälin Gregor , Liu Zhengwen , Porto Rafael A.
Published: May 2024

Leveraging scattering information to describe binary systems in generic orbits requires identifying local and nonlocal in time tail effects. We report here the derivation of the universal (nonspinning) local in time conservative dynamics at fourth post-Minkowskian order, i.e., O(G4). This is achtieved by computing the nonlocal-in-time contribution to the deflection angle, and removing it from the full conservative value in [C. Dlapa , .; C. Dlapa , .]. Unlike the total result, the integration problem involves two scales—velocity and mass ratio—and features multiple polylogarithms, complete elliptic and iterated elliptic integrals, notably in the mass ratio. We reconstruct the local radial action, center-of-mass momentum and Hamiltonian, as well as the exact logarithmic-dependent part(s), all valid for generic orbits. We incorporate the remaining nonlocal terms for ellipticlike motion to sixth post-Newtonian order. The combined Hamiltonian is in perfect agreement in the overlap with the post-Newtonian state of the art. The results presented here provide the most accurate description of gravitationally bound binaries harnessing scattering data to date, readily applicable to waveform modeling.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Modeling novel physics in virtual reality labs: An affective analysis of student learning
Authors: Canright Jared P. , White Brahmia Suzanne
Published: May 2024

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] We report on a study of the effects of laboratory activities that model fictitious laws of physics in a virtual reality environment on (i) students’ epistemology about the role of experimental physics in class and in the world; (ii) students’ self-efficacy; and (iii) the quality of student engagement with the lab activities. We create opportunities for students to practice physics as a means of creating and validating new knowledge by simulating real and fictitious physics in virtual reality (VR). This approach seeks to steer students away from a confirmation mindset in labs by eliminating any form of prior or outside models to confirm. We refer to the activities using this approach as Novel Observations in Mixed Reality (NOMR) labs. We examined NOMR’s effects in 100-level and 200-level undergraduate courses. Using pre-post measurements, we find that after NOMR labs, students in both populations were more expertlike in their epistemology about experimental physics and held stronger self-efficacy about their abilities to do the kinds of things experimental physicists do. Through the lens of the psychological theory of flow, we found that students engage as productively with NOMR labs as with traditional hands-on labs. This engagement persisted after the novelty of VR in the classroom wore off, suggesting that these effects were due to the pedagogical design rather than the medium of the intervention. We conclude that these NOMR labs offer an approach to physics laboratory instruction that centers the development of students’ understanding of and comfort with the authentic practice of science.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Site-Selective Preparation and Multistate Readout of Molecules in Optical Tweezers
Authors: Picard Lewis R. B. , Patenotte Gabriel E. , Park Annie J. , Gebretsadkan Samuel F. , Ni Kang-Kuen
Published: May 2024

Polar molecules are a quantum resource with rich internal structure that can be coherently controlled. The structure, however, also makes the state preparation and measurement (SPAM) of molecules challenging. We advance the SPAM of individual molecules assembled from constituent atoms trapped in optical-tweezer arrays. Sites without NaCs molecules are eliminated using high-fidelity Cs atom detection, increasing the peak molecule filling fraction of the array threefold. We site-selectively initialize the array in a rotational qubit subspace that is insensitive to differential ac Stark shifts from the optical tweezer. Lastly, we detect multiple rotational states per experimental cycle by imaging atoms after sequential state-selective dissociations. These demonstrations extend the SPAM capabilities of molecules for quantum information, simulation, and metrology.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Fault-Tolerant Code-Switching Protocols for Near-Term Quantum Processors
Authors: Butt Friederike , Heußen Sascha , Rispler Manuel , Müller Markus
Published: May 2024

Topological color codes are widely acknowledged as promising candidates for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Neither a two-dimensional nor a three-dimensional topology, however, can provide a universal gate set {, , }, with the gate missing in the two-dimensional and the gate in the three-dimensional case. These complementary shortcomings of the isolated topologies may be overcome in a combined approach, by switching between a two- and a three-dimensional code while maintaining the logical state. In this work, we construct resource-optimized deterministic and nondeterministic code-switching protocols for two- and three-dimensional distance-three color codes using fault-tolerant quantum circuits based on flag qubits. Deterministic protocols allow for the fault-tolerant implementation of logical gates on an encoded quantum state, while nondeterministic protocols may be used for the fault-tolerant preparation of magic states. Taking the error rates of state-of-the-art trapped-ion quantum processors as a reference, we find a logical failure probability of 3% for deterministic logical gates, which cannot be realized transversally in the respective code. By replacing the three-dimensional distance-three color code in the protocol for magic state preparation with the morphed code introduced in Vasmer and Kubica [PRX Quantum 3, 030319 (2022)], we reduce the logical failure rates by 2 orders of magnitude, thus rendering it a viable method for magic state preparation on near-term quantum processors. Our results demonstrate that code switching enables the fault-tolerant and deterministic implementation of a universal gate set under realistic conditions, and thereby provide a practical avenue to advance universal, fault-tolerant quantum computing and enable quantum algorithms on first, error-corrected logical qubits.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
What shapes template-matching performance in cryogenic electron tomography in situ?
Authors: Maurer Valentin J. , Siggel Marc , Kosinski Jan
Published: May 2024

The detection of specific biological macromolecules in cryogenic electron tomography data is frequently approached by applying cross-correlation-based 3D template matching. To reduce computational cost and noise, high binning is used to aggregate voxels before template matching. This remains a prevalent practice in both practical applications and methods development. Here, the relation between template size, shape and angular sampling is systematically evaluated to identify ribosomes in a ground-truth annotated data set. It is shown that at the commonly used binning, a detailed subtomogram average, a sphere and a heart emoji result in near-identical performance. These findings indicate that with current template-matching practices macromolecules can only be detected with high precision if their shape and size are sufficiently different from the background. Using theoretical considerations, the experimental results are rationalized and it is discussed why primarily low-frequency information remains at high binning and that template matching fails to be accurate because similarly shaped and sized macromolecules have similar low-frequency spectra. These challenges are discussed and potential enhancements for future template-matching methodologies are proposed.
Methodological Insights: This is not an experiment: using vignettes in qualitative accounting research
Authors: Wiegmann Leona , Conrath-Hargreaves Annemarie , Guo Zhengqi , Hall Matthew , Kober Ralph , Pucci Richard , Thambar Paul J. , Thiagarajah Tirukumar
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The use of interviews for data collection is prevalent in qualitative accounting research. This paper examines vignettes – sketches of hypothetical scenarios – as a promising complementary way to conduct interviews in qualitative accounting research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on our experiences designing and using vignettes in five separate qualitative accounting studies, which collectively involve over 200 interviews with various participants. It discusses the opportunities the use of vignettes in interviews offers to qualitative accounting research, as well as the challenges associated with designing and using vignettes. The paper also reflects on fellow researchers’ varied reactions during seminars, workshops, and the journal review process.

Findings

Vignettes emerge as a productive and engaging complementary way for accounting researchers to obtain additional insights and perspectives not usually accessible in semi-structured interviews. The paper also provides practical insights into developing, using and publishing qualitative accounting studies using vignettes, contributing an additional behind-the-scenes view of using qualitative research methods.

Originality/value

The aim of this paper is to increase awareness of vignettes as a complement to the standard qualitative accounting interview. It provides guidance on how vignettes might be used productively for studying rare, new, emerging, complex, or multi-period real-world accounting phenomena. It also discusses how vignettes can promote transparency, honesty, and a greater level of detail in participants’ responses, as well as facilitate the involvement of lay people in accounting studies.
Double-edged sword effects of green HRM on employee organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: interactive effects and mediation mechanisms
Authors: Ahmed Zeeshan , Khosa Mishal , Nguyen Nhat Tan , Fahmi Omar Faqera Abdulaziz , Kayode Ibikunle Afeez , Raza Saqlain
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Employee green behavior contributes to the achievement of hospitality organizations’ sustainability goals. However, there is a need to examine how green human resource management (GHRM) fosters employees’ green behavior. Anchored on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we anticipate that GHRM may have double-edged effects on employees’ organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) via two opposing mechanisms (e.g. environmental passion and emotional exhaustion). Moreover, we expect that the relationship of GHRM on environmental passion and emotional exhaustion depends on environmentally specific empowering leadership (ESEL).

Design/methodology/approach

The data were garnered from 356 hospitality employees in Pakistan and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The findings revealed a significant and positive link between GHRM and employee OCBE and environmental passion and a significant and negative relationship between GHRM and emotional exhaustion. Similarly, the link between environmental passion and employee OCBE was significant and positive and between emotional exhaustion and employee OCBE was significant and negative. Our results indicate that the impact of GHRM on OCBE among hospitality employees was mediated by environmental passion and emotional exhaustion. Further, ESEL strengthened the association of GHRM with environmental passion while mitigating the effect of GHRM on emotional exhaustion.

Originality/value

Anchored on the COR theory, our study provides novel empirical evidence by investigating the mechanisms and boundary conditions between GHRM and employee OCBE nexus in the hospitality realm.
Contagious greenwashing investment
Authors: Sun Yutong , Jiang Shangrong , Wang Shouyang
Published: May 2024

Purpose

This study explores the contagion of greenwashing strategies among ESG mutual funds. It investigates how the greenwashing behaviors of peer funds within the same family influence a fund’s decision to engage in greenwashing. The research also examines the impact of greenwashing on genuine ESG funds and explores the mechanisms through which greenwashing strategies spread across ESG mutual funds.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs a two-stage least squares regression model with cross-fund returns standard deviation as an instrumental variable to disentangle the peer effects of greenwashing from family-level characteristics. The analysis incorporates various fund characteristics and introduces four contagion channels through which greenwashing may influence genuine ESG funds.

Findings

The study finds greenwashing behavior in ESG funds is positively influenced by similar practices within their fund family. Larger assets under management and older funds with higher management fees show resilience against greenwashing influences, while team-managed funds are more susceptible. Additionally, socially responsible investors struggle to distinguish between genuine and greenwashing ESG funds, which may contribute to the persistence of greenwashing practices.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by delineating the mechanisms of greenwashing contagion within ESG mutual funds. It also examines the demand-side incentives for adopting greenwashing strategies, offering insights into the implications for fund flows and investor behavior. This study is among the first to analyze the contagion effects of greenwashing strategies across an extensive network of ESG funds, enriching our understanding of the broader impacts of greenwashing in the context of socially responsible investing.
Reciprocal-reflective approach to learning: an approach to increase employee and manager learning
Authors: Lyons Paul , Bandura Randall
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present for practitioner (manager) consideration an approach to a collaborative learning and problem-solving effort by a manager in partnership with an employee. Fundamentally, in place of manager direction and expertise applied to employee learning, the approach is grounded on manager-employee collaboration that makes use of an approach to learning to: (1) address some work-based problem or issue, (2) share typical leadership roles of goal-setting and problem solving, and (3) jointly working to improve the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes of each partner.

Design/methodology/approach

The concept of reciprocal reflective approach to learning (RRAL) is created by consideration of some factors that are consolidated, ultimately, to yield an approach to change. They include shared efforts in goal-setting and related tasks, identification of knowledge and skill areas linked to the performance and growth of each of the partners, and the use of a specific learning model.

Findings

The approach presented can be achieved yet requires much attention by each participant. Reciprocity means that each participant is involved in their own increases in knowledge and skills as well as aiding their partner in her/his improvements. Problem solving is also a large component of their efforts as is relationship building.

Originality/value

The approach embraces how reciprocal action can go well beyond problem solving and includes manager and employee interest and attention in helping each other to learn, change, and recognize growth in personal attributes.
Gender equality in STEMM: the legitimisation of existing inequalities through “resistance talk”
Authors: Barnacle Robyn , Cuthbert Denise , Sidelil Leul Tadesse , Henry Nicola , Latham Kay , Spark Ceridwen
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Despite some recent progress, gender inequality remains a persistent problem in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) organisations. This article seeks to better understand resistance to gender equality (GE) in this context with the aim of shedding light on the workplace-based impediments to equality and unlocking remediation opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

The article draws on in-depth interviews with 20 STEMM leaders to examine how they talk about the problem of gender inequality in the organisations they lead. Because resistance is rarely expressed directly, we adopt an in-depth, granular approach to examining what we call STEMM leaders’ “resistance talk” by decoding expressions of GE resistance that may appear, ostensibly, as something else.

Findings

We found various ideas, arguments and other discursive practices which function to legitimate or justify the status quo. These are both described by leaders in relation to what they are dealing with in their own organisations and expressed themselves. While similar “legitimating discourses” operate in other gender-segregated workplaces, our findings show how they manifest specifically in STEMM contexts.

Originality/value

Our results provide much-needed granular level evidence of the discursive tactics deployed to legitimate the status quo and obstruct progress toward GE in STEMM. This extends understanding of barriers to GE in STEMM and, importantly, highlights where attention might be directed to both counter resistance and harness potentially changing attitudes to expedite the necessary change required for GE in STEMM.
Enablers and inhibitors of digitalization as part of continuous improvement
Authors: Kokkinou Alinda , van Kollenburg Ton , Mathijssen Gijs , Vissers Emma , van Doren Sem
Published: May 2024

Purpose

To deal with an increasingly competitive environment, organizations are combining continuous improvement (CI) practices with digitalization to accrue their benefits on operational performance and achieve operational excellence. The purpose of this study was to identify the enablers and inhibitors of digitalization as part of CI projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design consisting of an online survey and semi-structured interviews was used to examine how digitalization technologies have been incorporated by organizations in their CI projects.

Findings

Key enablers of digitalization were found to be leadership capabilities, strategic direction, stakeholder involvement, system compatibility, data quality and giving employees room to experiment. Knowledge of digitalization was found to affect all these enablers.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical findings are based on a nonprobability sample of Dutch CI practitioners, limiting their generalizability.

Practical implications

The empirical findings highlight the need for organizations to adopt a structured approach to implementing digitalization as part of their CI projects, starting by ensuring that the necessary knowledge and skills are either present or accessible to the organization.

Originality/value

The empirical findings show that enablers of digitalization in the context of CI are strongly interlinked, and thus require a holistic approach.
Integrating smart cities and tourism systems: a critical review
Authors: Escobar Stefania Denise , Hall Colin Michael
Published: May 2024

Purpose

This study explores the relationship between Tourism Systems and Smart Cities, aiming to identify what prevents public managers from including these systems in Smart City strategies. This separation neglects that increasing tourism attractiveness may also impact city resources, infrastructures and inhabitants.

Design/methodology/approach

To this end, we developed a critical literature review consulting three databases: Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCOhost. A total of 73 articles were selected and analyzed through thematic analysis.

Findings

Through this critical review, we develop a framework of barriers to integrating a tourism system in Smart City strategies composed of four main barrier themes and 11 barrier factors. Findings show the need for innovative research and public managers to go beyond considerations related to technological challenges and instead focus on other barriers hindering integration, such as the lack of participatory governance and knowledge of tourism systems' current and future impact.

Originality/value

This study offers a critical identification of barriers impeding the inclusion of tourism systems in Smart City strategies, providing a useful guideline for public managers aiming to follow an innovative approach to smart development where tourism can still be a tool to enhance the attractiveness of the territory while considering its current and future impact on the city.
“Voices unheard: exploring the perception and attitude toward reporting elder mistreatment within Pakistani communities in the UK”
Authors: Talpur Ashfaque Ahmed , Ryan Tony , Hinchliff Sharron , Ejegi-Memeh Stephanie , Ali Parveen
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Elder mistreatment (EM) is a complex, universal health and social problem predominantly studied in the indigenous (white) populations of Western countries. This has led to consideration of dominant explanations as universal, potentially masking crucial cultural and ethnic differences. This study aims to fill the gap in elder mistreatment literature for the Pakistani community, offering unique perspectives to inform culturally sensitive policy recommendations.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach, anchored in the philosophical basis of constructivist grounded theory, was used to investigate understandings of EM among Pakistanis in Sheffield, UK. This involved two gender-based focus groups (male = 1; female = 1) and 22 in-depth individual interviews, engaging a diverse participant pool, including older people, family caregivers and community stakeholders.

Findings

This study reveals diverse understandings of elder mistreatment (EM) among Pakistani adults, varying across age and gender groups, with distinguished key forms identified. Reporting EM is crucial, but victims face complex decision-making, hindered by societal and individual barriers, including moral and cultural dilemmas. Access to formal support is limited, emphasising the need for targeted interventions.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to delve into the perspectives of Pakistanis on elder mistreatment. It emphasises the importance of policymakers and service providers integrating considerations of race, ethnicity, culture and gender to develop inclusive services, as indicated by the study’s findings.
Hybrid simulation-optimization approach for planning relief-aid distribution with a real-world case study
Authors: Rezeq Mohanad , Aouam Tarik , Gailly Frederik
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Authorities have set up numerous security checkpoints during times of armed conflict to control the flow of commercial and humanitarian trucks into and out of areas of conflict. These security checkpoints have become highly utilized because of the complex security procedures and increased truck traffic, which significantly slow the delivery of relief aid. This paper aims to improve the process at security checkpoints by redesigning the current process to reduce processing time and relieve congestion at checkpoint entrance gates.

Design/methodology/approach

A decision-support tool (clearing function distribution model [CFDM]) is used to minimize the effects of security checkpoint congestion on the entire humanitarian supply network using a hybrid simulation-optimization approach. By using a business process simulation, the current and reengineered processes are both simulated, and the simulation output was used to estimate the clearing function (capacity as a function of the workload). For both the AS-IS and TO-BE models, key performance indicators such as distribution costs, backordering and process cycle time were used to compare the results of the CFDM tool. For this, the Kerem Abu Salem security checkpoint south of Gaza was used as a case study.

Findings

The comparison results demonstrate that the CFDM tool performs better when the output of the TO-BE clearing function is used.

Originality/value

The efforts will contribute to improving the planning of any humanitarian network experiencing congestion at security checkpoints by minimizing the impact of congestion on the delivery lead time of relief aid to the final destination.
Before and during COVID-19: the roles of transformational leadership, organizational culture and work–life balance in healthcare
Authors: Gomes Giancarlo , Tontini Gérson , Krause Vania Montibeler , Bernardes Marianne
Published: May 2024

Purpose

This research aims to investigate the role of transformational leadership and organizational culture – encompassing Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchical and Market Cultures – in the context of work–life balance for healthcare workers. It aims to present a comparison of observations made pre and mid-pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect data from a varied sample of 355 employees (258 before and 97 during the pandemic) representing multiple sectors and positions within a hospital. The interpretation of the data was accomplished using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

Findings reveal that prior to the pandemic, transformational leadership significantly influenced all forms of organizational culture perceptions, with a strong influence on Clan Culture. Clan Culture displayed a consistent positive correlation with WLB both before and during the pandemic. During the pandemic, Market Culture exhibited a negative effect on WLB and Adhocracy Culture demonstrated a positive effect, impacts which were absent before the pandemic. Transformational leadership had a positive impact on WLB before the pandemic, but no discernible effect during the pandemic was observed.

Originality/value

The results indicate that the dynamics between transformational leadership, organizational culture and work–life balance are susceptible to alterations in the face of external crisis events. This study offers a unique exploration of these dynamics in the healthcare sector during the ongoing global pandemic.
Environmental, social and governance performance and firm value: does ownership concentration matter?
Authors: Truong Thi Hanh Dung
Published: May 2024

Purpose

This paper has a dual purpose: to produce a clear panorama of microfactors behind the implementation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) in emergent economies, and to identify long-term versus short-term implications of ESG and its impacts on sustainable transformation. In particular, the paper investigates the moderating role of ownership concentration on ESG performance and firm value relationship in Southeast Asia during 2010–2022 and COVID-19 period 2020–2022.

Design/methodology/approach

By adopting stakeholder and agency theory lenses, this study analyzes 591 nonfinancial listed companies in Southeast Asia from 2010 to 2022 with 2,673 firm-year observations. Data has been collected from Refinitiv and companies' annual reports. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimators are main strategies.

Findings

During 2010–2022, the links between ESG performances and firm value are negative. Ownership concentration negatively moderates the nexus between governance pillar and firm value in both short and long run. In COVID-19, ownership concentration also plays an antagonistic moderating role in ESG combined score-firm value association. The results show a crucial role of blockholders in Southeast Asian firms and their strong support to ESG in conquering crisis period, suggesting that managers develop balancing mechanisms in making ESG-related decisions; policymakers and regulators improve effective control instruments with strong legal systems and enhanced law enforcement to protect minority shareholders.

Originality/value

This is the first study to test the connection between ESG performance, ownership concentration and firm value in Southeast Asia that has: (1) utilized different proxies of firm value and ownership concentration in robustness tests, (2) controlled heteroskedasticity defects, (3) eliminated companies in the Banking and Finance sector from the sample to avoid distorting the conclusions and (4) empirically verified the driven role of governance pillar in ESG performance and ownership concentration reversely moderated the impact of governance pillar on firm value.