bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TheHelicobacter pyloriorphan ATTAAT-specific methyltransferase M.Hpy99XIX plays a central role in the coordinated regulation of genes involved in iron metabolism
Authors: Gottschall Wilhelm , Ailloud Florent , Josenhans Christine , Suerbaum Sebastian 
Published: November 2024

AbstractH. pylorigenomes contain a large and variable portfolio of methyltransferases (MTases), creating a highly diverse methylome. Here, we characterize a highly conserved ATTAAT-specific MTase, M.Hpy99XIX, the onlyH. pyloriMTase never associated with an endonuclease (“orphan” MTase). Inactivation of M.Hpy99XIX resulted in a significant change in the transcription of >100 genes, despite the fact that only a small subset of their promoter regions contained an ATTAAT target motif. Patterns of transcriptional change showed significant correlations with changes reported forH. pylorimutants in the ArsRS regulators involved in iron regulation. The MTase inactivation also caused a higher susceptibility to diverse metal ions as well as iron chelation and oxidative stress. These phenotypes could be traced back to the methylation of single motifs in the promoter regions of iron transportersfrpB1andfecA1. Altogether, methylation of individual motifs in promoters can have a large downstream effect causing major changes to metabolic pathways. These findings suggest that the methylome represents a universal and dynamic interface connecting genome diversity and transcriptional regulation. Very recently, a new ecospeciesHardyofH. pylorihas been reported. M.Hpy99XIX is present in the majority of “normal” (Ubiquitous)H. pyloristrains, whereas no singleHardystrain contained this gene, consistent with other reported differences betweenHardyandUbiquitousstrains related to iron/metal homeostasis. ATTAAT methylation is intricately connected with the bacterial transcriptional network, highlighting the important role of bacterial epigenetic modifications in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis.
Structural and biochemical characterization of a widespread enterobacterial peroxidase encapsulin
Authors: Ubilla-Rodriguez Natalia C. , Andreas Michael P. , Giessen Tobias W. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractEncapsulins are self-assembling protein compartments found in prokaryotes and specifically encapsulate dedicated cargo enzymes. The most abundant encapsulin cargo class are Dye-decolorizing Peroxidases (DyPs). It has been previously suggested that DyP encapsulins are involved in oxidative stress resistance and bacterial pathogenicity due to DyPs’ inherent ability to reduce and detoxify hydrogen peroxide while oxidizing a broad range of organic co-substrates. Here, we report the structural and biochemical analysis of a DyP encapsulin widely found across enterobacteria. Using bioinformatic approaches, we show that this DyP encapsulin is encoded by a conserved transposon-associated operon, enriched in enterobacterial pathogens. Through low pH and peroxide exposure experiments, we highlight the stability of this DyP encapsulin under harsh conditions and show that DyP catalytic activity is highest at low pH. We determine the structure of the DyP-loaded shell and free DyP via cryo-electron microscopy, revealing the structural basis for DyP cargo loading and peroxide preference. Our work lays the foundation to further explore the substrate range and physiological functions of enterobacterial DyP encapsulins.
Functional maturation and experience-dependent plasticity in adult-born olfactory bulb dopaminergic neurons
Authors: Tufo Candida , Cheah Menghon , Lipovsek Marcela , Browne Lorcan P , Grubb Matthew S 
Published: November 2024

AbstractContinued integration of new neurons persists in only a few areas of the adult mouse brain. In the olfactory bulb (OB), immature adult-born neurons respond differently to olfactory stimuli compared to their more mature counterparts, and have heightened levels of activity-dependent plasticity. These distinct functional features are thought to bestow unique properties onto existing circuitry. OB interneurons, including those generated through adult neurogenesis, consist of a set of highly distinct subtypes. However, we do not currently know the different cell-type-specific mechanisms underlying their functional development and plastic potential. Here, we specifically characterised electrophysiological maturation and experience-dependent plasticity in a single, defined subtype of adult-born OB neuron: dopaminergic cells. We selectively live-labelled both adult-born and ‘resident’ dopaminergic cells, and targeted them for whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in acute mouse OB slices. Surprisingly, we found that from the time – at ∼1 month of cell age – that live adult-born dopaminergic neurons could first be reliably identified, they already possessed almost fully mature intrinsic firing properties. We saw significant maturation only in increased spontaneous activity and decreased medium afterhyperpolarisation amplitude. Nor were adult-born dopaminergic cells especially plastic. In response to brief sensory deprivation via unilateral naris occlusion we observed no maturation-specific plastic alterations in intrinsic properties, although we did see deprivation-associated increases in spike speed and amplitude across all adult-born and resident neurons. Our results not only show that adult-born OB dopaminergic cells rapidly functionally resemble their pre-existing counterparts, but also underscore the importance of subtype identity when describing neuronal maturation and plasticity.
How the layer-dependent ratio of excitatory to inhibitory cells shapes cortical coding in balanced networks
Authors: Alizadeh Arezoo , Englitz Bernhard , Zeldenrust Fleur 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe cerebral cortex exhibits a sophisticated neural architecture across its six layers. Recently, it was found that these layers exhibit different ratios of excitatory to inhibitory (EI) neurons, ranging from 4 to 9. This ratio is a key factor for achieving the often reported balance of excitation and inhibition, a hallmark of cortical computation. However, neither previous theoretical nor simulation studies have addressed how these differences in EI ratio will affect layer-specific dynamics and computational properties. We investigate this question using a sparsely connected network model of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. To keep the network in a physiological range of firing rates, we varied the inhibitory firing threshold or the synaptic strength between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. We find that decreasing the EI ratio allows the network to explore a higher-dimensional space and enhance its capacity to represent complex input. By comparing the empirical EI ratios of layer 2/3 and layer 4 in the rodent barrel cortex, we predict that layer 2/3 has a higher dimensionality and coding capacity than layer 4. Furthermore, our analysis of primary visual cortex data from the Allen Brain Institute corroborates these modelling results, also demonstrating increased dimensionality and coding capabilities of layer 2/3.Author summaryExperimental studies indicate that the ratio of excitatory to inhibitory neurons varies across different cortical layers. In this study, we investigate how these varying excitatory-to-inhibitory (EI) ratios affect the layer-specific dynamics and computational capacity of cortical networks. We modeled a randomly connected network of spiking neurons, incorporating different EI ratios based on experimental observations. Our findings reveal that as the influence of inhibition increases, corresponding to lower EI ratios, the network explores a higher dimensionality in its activity, thereby enhancing its capacity to encode high-dimensional inputs. These results align with our analysis of experimental data recorded from layers 2/3 and layer 4 of the rodent primary visual cortex. Specifically, our findings support the hypothesis that layer 2/3, which has a lower EI ratio compared to layer 4, possesses a greater computational capacity.
Service recovery and customer loyalty in the logistics industry: the role of justice perceptions and switching costs
Authors: Srivastava Vibhava 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThis study delves into the intricate dynamics between the severity of service failures and the justice perceptions of B2B customers, with a specific focus on their impact on subsequent service recovery satisfaction. Furthermore, it explores the nuanced relationship between recovery satisfaction and repurchase intention while scrutinizing the influence of perceived switching costs on this interaction.Design/methodology/approachThe study centers around the logistics service market, employing institutional customers of logistics services as the primary unit of analysis. The conceptual model is empirically tested using a dataset comprising responses from 196 participants, employing PLS-SEM as the analytical approach.FindingsThe study reveals a negative impact of service failure severity on justice perceptions, with distributive justice showing no influence on recovery satisfaction. However, procedural justice and interactional justice positively affect recovery satisfaction. Furthermore, a positive connection is identified between service recovery satisfaction and repurchase intention, with perceived switching costs acting as a negative moderator in this interaction.Research limitations/implicationsThis research reaffirms the interplay between justice perceptions, recovery satisfaction and repurchase intention in B2B service settings. It underscores the influence of service failure severity on justice perceptions and establishes perceived switching cost as a moderator in the interaction between recovery satisfaction and repurchase intention.Practical implicationsThe study underscores the imperative of careful and empathetic handling of distressed customers by personnel. Through effective recovery efforts and a well-calibrated combination of recovery mechanisms, service providers can instill a perception of higher switching costs in customers, acting as a deterrent to changing service providers.Originality/valueThis study is one of its kind which examines customer responses in the post-recovery phase of the service recovery journey, providing unique insights into the interaction between service failure severity, justice perceptions, recovery satisfaction, perceived switching costs and repurchase intention. Its contribution extends to the B2B services domain, particularly within the context of an emerging economy.
The silent potential: coworkers’ voicing in workplace meetings
Authors: Bohacova Karolina , Heide Mats 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe article aims to increase the understanding of how coworkers perform voice (i.e., do voicing) in internal meetings while embedding the phenomenon in wider organizational and social contexts. It answers the following research questions: 1. How do coworkers perform voicing in team meetings at an international manufacturing company? 2. How do coworkers experience voicing in meetings?Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative study is based on empirical material collected through 11 observations and 16 semi-structured interviews at a multinational organization within the transportation and infrastructure sector.FindingsWork meetings remain largely silent even though coworkers perceive their workplace as safe, open and transparent. Coworker’s voicing is therefore postponed or transformed into a form of pseudo-communication, influenced by a discourse of productivity, effectivity and efficiency, hybrid ways of organizing, and both enabling and constraining character of a meeting structure. Additionally, the study uncovers a new form of unobtrusive managerial control, i.e. wellbeing talk. Coworker’s voicing is a complex communication process influenced by various social, cultural, organizational, individual and team-based norms.Research limitations/implicationsThe article offers a three-fold contribution to communication scholarship: (1) identification and exploration of new communicative phenomena emerging in organizations; (2) problematization of silence and voice theories and (3) challenging the theoretical assumption that open organizational environments, psychological safety and transparency automatically result in coworkers’ voicing.Practical implicationsOur results raise several practical challenges that teams must address, such as who is responsible for facilitating coworker’s voicing and what is reasonable to expect from coworkers. Some members’ silence might not mean they are unsatisfied or suppressing their voicing. Instead, they might need more time to reflect before their performance. Ideally, coworker’s voicing becomes a habitualized practice, replacing the currently normalized silence.Originality/valueThe study departed from the fact that work meetings, i.e. everyday organizational communicative events, are commonly taken for granted, and the importance of coworker’s voicing in organizing processes remains overlooked. This article problematizes the current dominant voice scholarship, which is strongly influenced by normative managerial thinking and a limited understanding of communication. Voicing is not merely a voluntary, rational and reactive communicative process. Instead, we propose voicing is a complex interplay between various situational, structural, social, cultural and team-based influences governed by norms and power dynamics.
Analysis of content, services, and resources available and accessible on websites of academic libraries
Authors: Dei De-Graft Johnson 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This study aims to review the content of academic libraries’ websites with specific reference to the general information, services, information resources, features and functionalities, instructional tools to support teaching, learning and research for the patrons and users, and the visibility or activeness of the navigational tools on the websites.

Design/methodology/approach
The study focused on six categories of tertiary institutions: public universities, technical universities, chartered private universities, university colleges, colleges of education and nursing and midwifery schools. From each category, the researchers purposively selected five different institutions with library websites. Thus, 30 library websites were reviewed and analyzed for this study.

Findings
The review disclosed a generally low content and information on the websites in terms of the availability of information resources and collections; the types of services available at the libraries via the websites; the features and functionalities of the websites; the instructional tools to support teaching, learning and research for the patrons and users; and the visibility or activeness of the navigational tools on the websites. Despite this, the public universities displayed more and above average information, services, information resources, instructional tools and navigational tools on their library websites, followed by the technical universities, chartered private universities and university colleges. Conversely, the colleges of education and nursing and midwifery schools were to a large extent unable to provide information relating to electronic resources, instructional tools and navigational tools.

Research limitations/implications
The study was limited to 30 library websites from all six categories of tertiary institutions in Ghana. From the study, the management of the universities and the libraries must appreciate the significant role of websites in providing information and resources in support of teaching, research and learning at the institutions. In this regard, they need to provide the necessary support and resources for the effective deployment and operationalization of websites.

Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first of its kind as no study seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis of the content of academic libraries’ websites with specific reference to the general information, services, information resources, features, functionalities, instructional tools to support teaching, learning and research for the patrons and users, and the visibility or activeness of the navigational tools on the websites.
Construction quality problems prevention based on coupling relationship mining
Authors: Jiang Shaohua , Zhang Jingqi , Mao Yufeng 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThis study introduces a novel approach to preventing construction quality problems by examining the complex interrelations among such issues. Recognizing the overlooked coupling between problems is essential, as it can exacerbate quality issues, triggering chain reactions that compromise project success. The research justifies its focus on these interrelations by highlighting the insufficiency of traditional quality management methods, which often fail to account for interconnected quality problems in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry.Design/methodology/approachAt the core of this research is the establishment of a knowledge base for construction quality issues, marking a pioneering effort to systematically organize unstructured textual data on construction quality problems and their interconnections. This base serves as a platform for the subsequent application of advanced analytical techniques. Specifically, the study leverages preprocessing, text similarity algorithms and association rule mining to dissect and illuminate the nuanced coupling relationships among construction quality issues, a facet not thoroughly explored in prior research.FindingsThe innovative analytical methodology employed here reveals significant insights into the dynamics of construction quality issue coupling. These insights not only deepen the understanding of these complex interactions but also guide the development of targeted intervention strategies. The practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed approach are demonstrated using selected textual materials as experimental evidence. The findings show that understanding and addressing these couplings can significantly mitigate potential chain reactions of defects, thus enhancing overall project quality.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in its threefold contribution: the creation of a dedicated knowledge base for construction quality issues, the application of novel analytical methodologies to decipher coupling relationships and the extension of text analysis techniques to the realm of construction quality problem prevention. Together, these innovations open new avenues for research and practice in construction management, offering a robust framework for the systematic identification and mitigation of quality issues in construction projects.
The impact of supply chain due diligence practices on supply chain performance: an organization’s perception
Authors: Samal Tejaswini , Jena Sarat Kumar 
Published: November 2024

PurposeThe increasing complexity and globalization of supply chains raise risks such as human rights abuses and environmental damage while affecting their supply chain performance (SCP), which prompted a study on supply chain due diligence (SCDD) practices. This study examines the impact of SCDD practices on the SCP. It examines if and how these relationships can be influenced by factors such as organizational culture and trust.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model and hypotheses based on institutional theory were developed. The survey instrument captures organizations' perceptions of SCDD practices and related key performance indicators for SCP. The study collects data from 329 supply chain and logistics managers in Indian manufacturing and logistics organizations, and the hypotheses are validated using a structural equation model.FindingsResults indicate that SCDD practices positively influence SCP. Trust and organizational culture strengthened SCDD–SCP relationships.Practical implicationsThe study explores how organizations perceive and implement due diligence in their supply chains, highlighting areas for improvement. This understanding could help organizations enhance their supply chain management strategies, leading to better risk management, cost reduction, avoiding penalties and improved overall performance.Originality/valueThe main contribution of the study is to examine organizations' perceptions of SCDDA implementation and then identify its effects on supply chain performance. This is done considering trust and organizational culture as moderating factors.
Towards a comparison of three customer value perspectives in the hotel industry: insights from Moroccan context
Authors: Nejjari Ridouan , Slaoui Samira 
Published: November 2024

PurposeWhile creating and delivering customer value involves managers, frontline employees and tourists; no prior study has investigated and compared the customer value from these three different perspectives. This paper aims to fill this gap, thereby facilitating the enhancement of the value proposition (VP) and its implementation by frontline employees.Design/methodology/approachEmploying three surveys that represent the perspectives of three actors (managers, frontline employees and customers), this study investigates perceptions using both SmartPls4 and SPSS25. SmartPls4 is useful for construct validation, whereas SPSS25 is suitable for hypothesis testing.FindingsIn three- and four-star hotels, the results reveals significant disparities between in the perception of customer value between managers and frontline employees, as well as between frontline employees and customers. Similar discrepancies are observed between managers and customers. However, in five-star hotels, the study indicates that there are no significant differences in the perception of customer value among the three actors (managers, frontline employees and customers).Practical implicationsIn three- and four-star hotels, the results suggest two primary managerial implications: firstly, the need to enhance understanding of guests, and secondly, to motivate and engage frontline employees in contributing to the development and shaping of the VP. Conversely, in five-star hotels, they should maintain the value they conceive and offer.Originality/valueThis study stands out in the realism of hospitality customer value investigation as it pioneers in offering valuable and useful insights from three different perspectives related to the three actors involved in customer value (managers, frontline employees and customers) within three, four and five-star hotels.