bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal genotype and nuclear organization as driving factors in host plant nutrient acquisition and stable carbon storage
Authors: Ferguson Robert , Mugambi Ken , Villeneuve-Laroche Matthew , Kallenbach Cynthia M. , Antunes Pedro M. , Corradi Nicolas 
Published: November 2024

SummaryArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate root symbionts of most plants that improve plant growth by transferring nutrients into plant roots through networks of soil hyphae. These hyphal networks represent a carbon sink in soil; thus, it has been suggested that these fungi can also boost atmospheric carbon storage, highlighting their potential role in managing greenhouse emissions. In this study, we aimed to determine whether certain AMF genotypes and nuclear organizations (homokaryons vs heterokaryons) are associated with higher rates of host plant yield and carbon storage.We compared Sudan-grass (Sorghum × drummondii) AMF inoculation across eight strains ofRhizophagus irregularis: four homokaryotic and four heterokaryotic strains. Sudan-grass was grown in a growth chamber, which included13C-CO2pulse labeling to track plant carbon into AMF.AMF inoculation increased total and belowground biomass, as well as phosphorous, magnesium, and manganese uptake in the host. Heterokaryons led to greater belowground biomass, as well as less variable increases in shoot phosphorous. Mycorrhizal inputs to soil mineral-associated organic carbon − a highly persistent carbon pool with slow turnover − were overall greater in heterokaryons than in homokaryons but varied significantly among strains.This indicates that the potential for carbon storage by mycorrhizal carbon inputs varies based on fungal genomic identity and nuclear organization. Overall, inoculation improved the yield of Sudan-grass and resulted in significant inter-strain variation in persistent carbon contributions to the soil. This work highlights the importance of considering genotype and nuclear identity in assessments of AMF as bio-stimulants and drivers of carbon storage.Societal Impact StatementIt is crucial to develop strategies for reducing our continued excessive global increases in fertilizer applications and to offset CO2emissions. The pervasive underground hyphal networks of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) present an enticing bio-stimulant and carbon sink. We inoculated Sudan-grass plants with eight genotypically distinct strains of a model AMF species to determine if strain identity affects plant growth and carbon storage. We found that plant biomass, nutrient acquisition and stable soil carbon inputs varied among strains, emphasizing the importance of AMF strain identity in the selection of AMF inoculants for optimizing crop yield and carbon storage.
Proximity proteomics provides a new resource for exploring the function of Afadin and the complexity of cell-cell adherens junctions
Authors: Choi Wangsun , Goldfarb Dennis , Yan Feng , Major M. Ben , Fanning Alan S. , Peifer Mark 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe network of proteins at the interface between cell-cell adherens junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton provides robust yet dynamic connections that facilitate cell shape change and motility. While this was initially thought to be a simple linear connection via classic cadherins and their associated catenins, we now have come to appreciate that many more proteins are involved, providing robustness and mechanosensitivity. Defining the full network of proteins in this network remains a key objective in our field. Proximity proteomics provides a means to define these networks. Mammalian Afadin and its Drosophila homolog Canoe are key parts of this protein network, facilitating diverse cell shape changes during gastrulation and other events of embryonic morphogenesis. Here we report results of several proximity proteomics screens, defining proteins in the neighborhood of both the N- and C-termini of mammalian Afadin in the premier epithelial model, MDCK cells. We compare our results with previous screens done in other cell types, and with proximity proteomics efforts with other junctional proteins. These reveal the value of multiple screens in defining the full network of neighbors and offer interesting insights into the overlap in protein composition between different epithelial cell junctions.Summary StatementAfadin BioID reveals new adherens junction proteins.
Rad52 sorts and stacks Rad51 at the DNA junction to promote homologous recombination
Authors: Deveryshetty Jaigeeth , Mistry Ayush , Pangeni Sushil , Ghoneim Mohamed , Tokmina-Lukaszewska Monica , Kaushik Vikas , Taddei Angela , Ha Taekjip , Bothner Brian , Antony Edwin 
Published: November 2024

AbstractHomologous recombination (HR) repairs double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs). The DSBs are resected to yield single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that are coated by Replication Protein A (RPA). Rad51 is a recombinase and catalyzes strand invasion and the search for homology. However, it binds to ssDNA with lower affinity than RPA. Thus, mediator proteins such as Rad52/BRCA2 are required to promote Rad51 binding to RPA-coated ssDNA, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.Saccharomyces cerevisiaeRad52 interacts with Rad51 through two distinct binding modes. We here uncover that the Rad51-binding site in the disordered C-terminus of Rad52 (mode-1) sorts polydisperse Rad51 into discrete monomers. The second Rad51 binding site resides in the ordered N-terminal ring of Rad52 (mode-2), but this interaction occurs at only one position on the ring. In single molecule confocal fluorescence microscopy combined with optical tweezer analysis, we directly visualize filament formation using fluorescent-Rad51. Rad52 catalyzes Rad51 loading onto RPA-coated ssDNA, with a distinct preference for junctions, but no filament growth is observed. Deletion of the C-terminus of Rad52 results in loss of Rad51 sorting and abrogates Rad51 binding to RPA-coated DNA. While BRCA2 and Rad52 are structurally unrelated, many of these functional features are conserved. We describe a concertedSort & Stackmechanism for mediator proteins in promoting HR.
Time and temperature-resolved transcriptomic analysis ofArabidopsissplicing-related mutants
Authors: Nardeli Sarah Muniz , El Arbi Nabila , Dikaya Varvara , Rojas-Murcia Nelson , Goretti Daniela , Schmid Markus 
Published: November 2024

SUMMARYTemperature plays a crucial role in plant growth and development, influencing numerous physiological processes throughout the plant life cycle. Ambient temperature fluctuations can significantly affect transcriptomic adjustments, which are essential for plants to adapt to ever-changing environmental conditions. Despite the known impacts of extreme temperatures on plant physiology, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the specific effects of moderate changes in ambient temperatures on transcriptomic responses. This study employs strand-specific mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to assess how different splicing-related mutants respond to varying ambient temperatures, providing a valuable resource to the research community. Analysis of our time-resolved temperature-regulated alternative RNA splicing data reveals that common and exclusive use of the splicing machinery plays pivotal roles in thermoresponsive growth. Furthermore, our analyses demonstrate that moderate temperature changes are translated into widespread transcriptomic responses, including adjustments of the circadian clock and significant splicing changes in light and temperature genes. These results highlight the importance of these particular signaling pathways in adapting to new temperature regimes and suggest future experiments to study the role of alternative RNA splicing in temperature adaptation. Taken together, our results provide insights regarding the role of RNA splicing in plant responses to ambient temperature changes, highlighting the biological relevance of transcriptomic adjustments in enhancing plant resilience and adaptation to climate variability.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT–This is the first comprehensive study on how mutants involved in multiple steps of the splicing process modulate splicing activity in response to low and high ambient temperature changes.–We assessed early and acclimated transcriptomic responses and created a valuable resource to investigate the biological outputs.
Gameful experience and consumers’ intention to continue using running apps: the roles of brand attitude and negative online reviews
Authors: Song Hemin , Kim Kyungyeol Anthony , Guo Yuchen , Zhang James J. 
Published: November 2024

PurposeGiven the potential benefits of gamification in running apps, it is necessary to explore the impact of users’ gameful experience on their intention to continue using running apps. This study aims to empirically investigate this relationship along with the roles of brand attitude as a mediator and negative online reviews as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachThe study surveyed 332 running app users in China. The reliability and validity of measures were confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The proposed hypotheses were verified by Process Macro.FindingsThe results show that (1) gameful experience positively impacts intention to continue using running apps, (2) brand attitude mediates the relationship between gameful experience and intention to continue using running apps and (3) negative online reviews moderate the relationship between gameful experience and brand attitude but not the relationship between brand attitude and intention to continue using running apps. Specifically, the effect of gameful experience on brand attitude decreases as users’ perception of negative online reviews increases.Originality/valueThese findings have both theoretical and practical implications for understanding the relationship among users’ gameful experience, brand attitude and intention to continue using running apps, as well as for developing effective gamification strategies to enhance user engagement and retention in running apps.
Board characteristics and profitability in sharia-compliant and non-sharia-compliant firms: beyond mere ceremony?
Authors: Taufik Muhammad , Budiarsyah Gun Gun 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThis study compares the profitability of sharia-compliant firms (SCFs) and non-sharia-compliant firms (NSCFs) and explores the causal links among board of directors (BODs) characteristics (size, gender, meeting frequency, tenure, turnover and compensation), sharia compliance, capital structure and profitability. Specifically, sharia compliance and capital structure serve as moderators.Design/methodology/approachA total of 72 SCFs and 65 NSCFs were investigated during 2011–2019, resulting in 1,644 data. A t-test was used to compare profitability, and causal relationships were explored through panel data regression.FindingsSCFs outperform NSCFs in profitability in 24 of 36 t-tests. Surprisingly, 87 out of 864 instances of sharia violations were found in SCFs. Despite purifying sharia-compliant stocks from violations, the board negatively affected sharia compliance. Furthermore, sharia compliance contradicts the board’s tendency to increase profitability, implying a ceremonial screening, which reveals the board’s reluctance to incorporate sharia compliance into their management style. In contrast, boards in NSCFs rely more on their internal strengths and capacities to influence profitability, as they understand the adverse impact of debt.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study are beneficial for evaluating Islamic loopholes for both boards that are apathetic to sharia compliance and regulators who are not transparent in Islamic financial screening.Originality/valueAcademic literature concentrates on comparing Islamic banks with conventional banks, while the comparison of corporate governance and management styles in SCF vs. NSCF is minimal. Additionally, a novel measurement, the Stapel scale, is proposed for finding the purity of Islamic stocks, which is most suitable when regulators and firms conduct Islamic loopholes.
An integrative approach to assessing buyer-supplier relationships: scale development and validation
Authors: Pikos Anna , Latusek Dominika , Ebrahimpour Maling 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe research investigated relations between factors used to evaluate the quality of buyer-supplier relationships (BSRs): perceived performance of the supplier, satisfaction with supplier, and trust in the supplier; and to develop an instrument to evaluate BSRs (a BSRs evaluation scale).Design/methodology/approachWe applied the psychometric testing of the BSRs measurement using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. We applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to understand the interrelations of factors underlying BSRs.FindingsThe BSRs evaluation scale consists of three factors: perceived performance of the supplier, satisfaction with the supplier, and trust in the supplier. The results provide empirical evidence of the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the presented measurement.Originality/valueThe study developed a novel measurement instrument that integrates BSRs’ multidimensional constructs. It explains and confirms the significant roles of satisfaction with the supplier, trust in the supplier, and perceived performance of the supplier in shaping the BSRs’ quality. Furthermore, we provide evidence that in BSRs goodwill- and competence-based trust integrate into a single factor.
Board gender diversity and ESG performance: pathways to financial success in Malaysian emerging market
Authors: Kampoowale Isha , Kateb Ines , Salleh Zalailah , Alahdal Waleed M. 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between board gender diversity (BGD) and financial performance (FP) in the Malaysian emerging market, focusing on the mediating role of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing a dataset of 976 observations from Malaysian publicly listed companies from 2016 to 2023, this study explores BGD as the independent variable with FP measured through both accounting and market metrics. ESG performance serves as a mediating variable. The analysis employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to examine direct and mediating effects, supplemented by the Baron and Kenny approach and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression for robustness.FindingsThe findings indicate that higher BGD positively and significantly impacts all three performance measures: Tobin's Q (TQ), Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). ESG performance positively influences these measures. The SEM analysis reveals a significant positive impact of BGD on ESG performance, which fully mediates the relationship between BGD and TQ/ROA and partially mediates the relationship between BGD and ROE.Practical implicationsThe results have significant implications for policymakers, board members, scholars and investors, stressing the importance of gender diversity and ESG performance in improving FP. The findings suggest that enhancing board effectiveness through BGD can promote sustainable practices and align corporate strategies with broader sustainability goals, which eventually helps to improve companies’ FP.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature by highlighting the mediating role of ESG performance in the relationship between BGD and FP and emphasizing the importance of gender diversity in corporate sustainability. It addresses this gap by providing insights into how ESG performance enhances the impact of BGD on FP.
The OPAD-perception framework: measuring perceptions of online personalized advertising
Authors: Guo Lijie , Wilkinson Daricia , Namara Moses , Patil Karishma , Knijnenburg Bart P. 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe paper aims to develop and validate an instrument to measure users’ perceptions of online personalized advertising.Design/methodology/approachFirst, we identified 12 different aspects of online personalized advertisement and formulated candidate items through a literature review. A card sorting study and expert review were conducted to generate the initial scale items. We then conducted one survey (n = 308) to create a reliable measurement instrument and another (n = 296) to validate the instrument. Finally, we tested how the dimensions of the OPAD-Perception Framework can be used to differentiate between different levels of ad sensitivity, control/no control over the ad personalization process, and different levels of granularity of ad explanation.FindingsThe resulting OPAD-Perception Framework contains 49 Likert-formatted questions measuring ten distinct dimensions of online personalized advertising: reliability, usefulness, transparency, interactivity, targeting accuracy, accountability, creepiness, willingness to rely on, self-actualization, and persuasion.Originality/valueThe OPAD-Perception Framework can serve as a powerful tool to measure users’ attitudes toward online personalized advertising. This will enable advertisers and social media platforms to better support users’ privacy expectations and provide user-friendly interfaces for controlling the ad personalization process.
Investigating the collective memory of traditional markets in Downtown Amman
Authors: Abu-Obeid Natheer , Al Taki Maha Maher 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate the collective memory of urban cultural heritage sites for selected traditional markets in Down town Amman city – Jordan. The study also introduces the concepts urban artifacts and architectural archetypes as an urban/architectural framework for investigating the collective memory of traditional markets.Design/methodology/approachThe study followed a qualitative research methodology with a (bottom-up) approach focusing on narrative and structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with 20 participants in each market. This was in addition to archival data collection and site observations.FindingsThe study revealed that the users of the two markets do have a shared collective memory manifested in multiple forms of cultural expressions. It also revealed the significant role of collective memory in fostering recognition of the urban and cultural significance of the two markets in the form of architectural archetypes and urban artifacts.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes in further developing the understanding of architectural heritage in the context of collective memory, and understanding architectural heritage in the context of the city through the concept of urban artifacts.Practical implicationsThe study demonstrates that preservation of collective memory can influence people’s attitudes and behaviors as they develop a collective responsibility toward the cultural heritage site.Originality/valueThis is the first focused study to introduce the traditional markets of Downtown Amman within the theoretical framework of collective memory. The study also introduces a new scientific investigation of urban cultural heritage in the context of urban artifacts.
Managing operational resilience during the implementation of digital transformation in healthcare organisational practices
Authors: Altman Ferreira Paulo Sergio 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate ways in which healthcare organisations can successfully maintain operational resilience within intricate and varied engagements during digital transformation processes.Design/methodology/approachThe present research applied cultural-historical activity theory as the theoretical framework and the ethnographic account as an approach and strategy to interpret and understand the operational resilience of digital transformation tools in daily practices. Fieldwork was based on the research technique of shadowing, whereby the researcher closely accompanied the participants to record their conduct, activities and exchanges.FindingsResearch results propose that effective operational resilience management in the implementation of digital transformation projects is based on (1) identifying and interpreting internal contradictions in everyday interactions as opportunities for capability developments; (2) navigating through multiple sites in fast and improvised movements, which derives in distributed and emergent practices; (3) interplaying between dyadic interactions and networked dependencies, which is achieved through the articulation of varied interests and (4) implementing novel intermediary tools, roles and regulations that facilitate the reduction of disturbances.Originality/valueThe propositions of the present study indicate that the management of operational resilience extends beyond conventional adaptive and socio-technical models in healthcare services. The study emphasises the significance of expressing and converting differing interests into mutual advantages. It additionally demonstrates the intricacy of this obstacle, as it entails navigating through uncertain information, concealed interpretations and conflicting interests.
A rock physics modelling approach for time‐lapse monitoring and characterization of fluid–rock interactions in hydrocarbon reservoirs
Authors: Sengupta Moumita , Ghosh Ranjana 
Published: November 2024

AbstractOne of the research gaps is to understand the development of seismic characteristics of gas‐saturated rock along with the change in rock properties because of chemical reactions. We suggest a method to explain the change in elastic properties brought on by CO2 injection in a rock by capturing the physico‐chemical interactions observed in the laboratory in a theory of rock physics. To explain the laboratory‐measured physical characteristics and velocity of a dynamic rock–fluid system, we include a time‐dependent component in the existing cemented‐sand model. We demonstrate theoretically the rate of change of elastic moduli of the dry frame by incorporating the measured rate of change of cement due to chemical dissolution. We adapt the theory such that it can be applied to the field data and calibrate the theory using water‐saturated well log data from the Ankleshwar field, an established oil field in the Cambay basin, western India. Theoretical time‐lapse logs of velocity and density are then produced using the theory over a range of CO2 saturations, assuming cementing material in grain contacts and geochemical interactions comparable to those observed in the laboratory rock. Then, using theoretical logs, corresponding time‐lapse synthetic seismic data are produced for different saturation. These data clearly demonstrate that, for a uniform model, velocity decreases by up to 18% as CO2 saturation increases from 0% to 20% (ignoring the chemical effect), and that, for a specific saturation, say 20%, chemical effects result in a 17% decrease in velocity from the present to the end of 60 years. However, for the patchy model, velocity decreases maximum by 14% and 16% due to varying saturation and chemical reaction. Moreover, for a particular saturation of CO2, say 20%, velocity differs by 16% for different types of models. This research contributes to making strategy for CO2‐sequestration in a designated field.
International High‐Tech SMEs Amid Geopolitical Pressures
Authors: Sinani Evis , Zilja Flladina 
Published: November 2024

AbstractIn the wake of increased geopolitical tensions, we investigate the impact of geopolitical risk on the investments of international high‐tech small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Prior research on SME internationalization has primarily emphasized the importance of home and host‐country institutions and political risk, with limited attention given to geopolitical risk as a distinct contextual factor. Drawing on international relations literature, we posit that geopolitical risk, captured by diplomatic relations between home and host countries, creates political legitimacy concerns for international high‐tech SMEs, discouraging their international investments. This effect is contingent on SME innovation (through patents) and the scope of international diversification. Analysing data from international high‐tech SMEs and their subsidiaries for the period 2009–2022, we find consistent evidence for our hypotheses.