bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of vaccinia virus growth factor in stimulating the mTORC1-CAD axis of thede novopyrimidine pathway under different nutritional cues
Authors: Dsouza Lara , Pant Anil , Pope Blake , Yang Zhilong 
Published: July 2024

SummaryVaccinia virus (VACV), the prototype poxvirus, actively reprograms host cell metabolism upon infection. However, the nature and molecular mechanisms remain largely elusive. Given the diverse nutritional exposures of cells in different physiological contexts, it is essential to understand how VACV may alter various metabolic pathways in different nutritional conditions. In this study, we established the importance ofde novopyrimidine biosynthesis in VACV infection. We elucidated the significance of vaccinia growth factor (VGF), a viral early protein and a homolog of cellular epidermal growth factor, in enabling VACV to phosphorylate the key enzyme CAD of thede novopyrimidine pathway at serine 1859, a site known to positively regulate CAD activity. While nutrient-poor conditions typically inhibit mTORC1 activation, VACV activates CAD via mTORC1-S6K1 signaling axis, in conditions where glutamine and asparagine are absent. However, unlike its cellular homolog, epidermal growth factor (EGF), VGF peptide alone in the absence of VACV infection has minimal ability to activate CAD, suggestive of the involvement of other viral factor(s) and differential functions to EGF acquired during poxvirus evolution. Our research provides a foundation for understanding the regulation of a significant metabolic pathway, namely,de novopyrimidine synthesis during VACV infection, shedding new light on viral regulation under distinct nutritional environments. This study not only has the potential to contribute to the advancement of antiviral treatments but also improve the development of VACV as an oncolytic agent and vaccine vector.ImportanceOur research provides new insights into how VACV alters the mTORC1-CAD signaling axis under different nutritional cues. The identification of how VACV regulates a major enzyme, CAD, within thede novopyrimidine synthesis pathway, establishes a molecular mechanism for determining how VACV reshapes this essential pathway, necessary for facilitating efficient VACV replication. We further emphasize that, despite nutrient-poor conditions, which typically inhibit mTORC1 activation, VACV can stimulate mTORC1. We identify its early growth factor, VGF, as an important factor for this stimulation of mTORC1 and its downstream effector CAD, revealing a new mechanism for how VACV sustains mTORC1-CAD axis activation under these nutrient deficient conditions. This work provides fresh insights into the molecular mechanisms of mTORC1-CAD regulation, which has the potential to be utilized to enhance VACV as an oncolytic tool, vaccine vector and aid in the development of antiviral drugs.
TheArabidopsis thalianacore splicing factor PORCUPINE/SmE1 requires intron-mediated expression
Authors: Dikaya Varvara , Rojas-Murcia Nelson , Benstein Ruben M. , Eiserhardt Wolf L. , Schmid Markus 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPlants are prone to genome duplications and tend to preserve multiple gene copies. This is also the case for the genes encoding the Sm proteins ofArabidopsis thaliana(L). The Sm proteins are best known for their roles in RNA processing such as pre-mRNA splicing and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. In this study, we have taken a closer look at the phylogeny and differential regulation of the SmE-coding genes found inA. thaliana,PCP/SmE1, best known for its cold-sensitive phenotype, and its paralog,PCPL/SmE2. The phylogeny of thePCPhomologs in the green lineage shows thatSmEduplications happened multiple times independently in different plant clades and that the duplication that gave rise toPCPandPCPLoccurred only in the Brassicaceae family. Our analysis revealed thatA. thalianaPCP and PCPL proteins, which only differ in two amino acids, exhibit a very high level of functional conservation and are able to perform the same function in the cell. However, our results indicate thatPCPis the prevailing copy of the twoSmEgenes inA. thalianaas it is more highly expressed and that the main difference betweenPCPandPCPLresides in their transcriptional regulation, which is strongly linked to intronic sequences.
“Target” versus “Non-target”: how free gift influences surplus food purchase intention
Authors: Zhang Yuexian , Wang Xueying 
Published: July 2024

PurposeFree gifts have become a commonly used marketing strategy. Nevertheless, whether free gifts can and how this strategy promotes the surplus food purchase intention remain a debated topic. This paper attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of offering free gifts (target and non-target products) in enhancing the purchase intention associated with surplus food.Design/methodology/approachCategorically, Studies 1 to 4 were performed to analyze the impact of the free gift on the surplus food purchase intention, explore the mediating role of perceived quality uncertainty and examine the moderating role of blind-box design and mental simulation.FindingsThe study findings indicate that the provision of non-target products as a free gift exerts a more pronounced influence on surplus food purchase intention as compared to offering a target product as a free gift. Evidently, perceived quality uncertainty serves as a mediating role, whereas blind-box design and mental simulation are identified as moderators in this process.Originality/valueThis paper compares the influences of various types of free gifts, namely target and non-target products, on surplus food purchase intention through perceived quality uncertainty, thereby enhancing the existing comprehension of free gifts and surplus food purchase intention. In addition, this article extends the boundary conditions of free gifts by investigating the moderating influence of blind-box design and mental simulation.
Information asymmetry and investment efficiency: the role of blockholders
Authors: Khan Mubashir Ali , Yau Josephine Tan-Hwang , Sarang Aitzaz Ahsan Alias , Gull Ammar Ali , Javed Muzhar 
Published: July 2024

PurposeThis study aims to examine the extent to which information asymmetry affects investment efficiency and whether the presence of blockholders moderate this relationship.Design/methodology/approachWe employ the data of firms listed on the Malaysian stock exchange for the period 2010–2018, to compose our sample. Our final sample includes the 100 largest non-financial firms based on market capitalization. Collectively, these 100 companies contribute 84.2% to the total market capitalization (MYR 1,730bn) which is representative of the whole market. The ordinary least squares regressions were used as the main estimation technique. The system generalized method of moments, two-stage least squares and propensity score matching were also used, to address potential endogeneity concerns.FindingsWe document a positively significant association of information asymmetry with investment inefficiency. These results imply that information asymmetry reduces investment efficiency and enhances sub-optimal investments. We also document that blockholders negatively moderate the relationship of information asymmetry with investment inefficiency. Further analyses show that investment inefficiency is higher in low-growth firms than in high-growth firms because of higher information asymmetry.Research limitations/implicationsWe focus on Malaysia, which is a predominantly common-law Anglo-Saxon country. Graff (2008) documented that the investors are treated differently across legal systems and there are differences between the continental European and Anglo-Saxon countries. La Porta et al. (1999) documented that investors tend to have more legal protection in Anglo-Saxon countries. Therefore, our results may not be generalized to countries with different legal systems.Practical implicationsAn important implication of our findings is that stakeholders may encourage the presence of blockholders and give them a voice to weaken the positive relationship between information asymmetry and investment inefficiency.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the contingency literature by investigating the moderating effect of an important governance mechanism, i.e. the presence of blockholders on information asymmetry-investment efficiency nexus. Despite being important, this moderating effect has been largely overlooked in the literature. Our study contributes by providing an understanding of how blockholders can influence investment decisions, offering insights for academics, investors and policymakers focused on improving the efficacy of investment decisions and governance structure.
Toward addressing customer migration: measuring B2B salespersons’ perceptions of customer ownership
Authors: Fergurson J. Ricky , Marshall Greg W. , Pelton Lou E. 
Published: July 2024

Purpose
One of the pivotal questions facing all firms is “Who owns the customer?” Despite the longstanding acknowledgment that customer ownership is critical to a firm’s success, to date, little research attention has been afforded to conceptualizing and measuring customer ownership. This study aims to address this research gap by exploring, measuring and validating a customer ownership scale through the lens of the business-to-business salesperson.

Design/methodology/approach
The classical multi-item scale development involving a multistep process was used in developing and validating this scale measuring customer ownership. Using a grounded theory approach, the customer ownership scale is developed and justified as distinctive from customer loyalty.

Findings
The two-factor customer ownership scale reflects the underlying factors of the salesperson–customer bond and provides a pathway to empirically assess mechanisms for addressing customer migration. The findings suggest an opportunity for greater precision in both meaning and measurement for both academics and practitioners.

Originality/value
The question “Who owns the customer?” has been a venerable enigma in sales organizations, and it remains an underdeveloped construct in sales and marketing research. This research empirically explores the construct of customer ownership in a systematic manner that is conspicuously absent from extant studies.
Third-party application developers and the liminal space experience during digital entrepreneurship development
Authors: Ajah Emmanuel Okoro 
Published: July 2024

PurposeThe study aims to embrace the lingering call for more empirical studies that can theorize the role of digital platforms in digital entrepreneurship. Hence, this study seeks to reveal the liminal space entrepreneurial experience of third-party application developers, by investigating how the platform boundary resources promote third-party entrepreneurial actions, as they transition through the disoriented, uncertain and ambiguous processes of digital entrepreneurship development.Design/methodology/approachTo conduct this investigation, an expert interview qualitative method was used. This approach is a well-established technique in the field of social sciences, which allowed a detailed exploration of the theory of liminality. Liminality refers to the transitional phase that individuals or groups experience when moving from one social or cultural context to another. The expert interview method is appropriate for this study because it involves engaging with knowledgeable individuals who have extensive experience and expertise in the subject area being investigated. Through in-depth and unstructured interviews, the experts were able to provide valuable insights and perspectives about the phenomenon investigated.FindingsThe research findings demonstrate that digital platform boundary resources play a significant role in the behaviour of third-party developers’ who engage in the development of digital entrepreneurship in today’s market. The study highlights three ways that show how these resources (software development kit (SDK), API, integrated development environment (IDE), libraries, frameworks) enable third-party developers to create new applications that are used to pursue entrepreneurship in a digital platform, leading to increased user engagement and revenue generation.Originality/valueThe research addresses the critical roles of digital platform boundary resources in digital entrepreneurship development processes. Also, using liminality theory, the research explicated the core experiences of third-party developers as they navigated the challenges and ambiguities experienced in the pursuit of entrepreneurship. Thus, contributing to the existing body of knowledge in literature and practice.
Learning engagement interventions to enhance diversity, equity and inclusivity culture at workplace
Authors: Wavre Shrikant Prabhakar , Kuknor Sunaina Chetan , Dhaktod Pooja , Khokale Sasmit 
Published: July 2024

Purpose
The aim of this study is to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DEI) culture by using individuals’ learning engagement (ILE) as a catalyst with formal and informal learning engagement interventions for sustainable learning and performance.

Design/methodology/approach
As part of a transdisciplinary study (DEI and learning), a mixed method was used. The data from 16 semi-structured interviews (SSI) with corporate professionals was analysed to create the ILE framework for enhancing DEI culture. A focus group discussion and experimentation were used for validation as triangulation.

Findings
The suggested ILE framework had a considerable impact on DEI. Findings revealed a positive, statistically significant association between ILE and DEI cultural enhancement describing how participants' ILE experiences impacted their DEI perspectives, demonstrating compelling evidence of DEI culture enhancement.

Practical implications
This study proposes a sustainable learning approach for a multi-cultural workforce by using the ILE framework for business, HR, DEI and L&D experts to enhance DEI culture.

Originality/value
The study contributes to DEI and learning engagement domains with a framework for integrating all three elements of DEI by using impactful ILE interventions.
Taylor's power law for freshwater fishes: Functional traits beyond statistical inevitability
Authors: Baumgartner Matheus T. , Peláez Zapata Oscar Eduardo 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Taylor's power law (TPL) describes the expected range of parameters of the mean–variance scaling relationship and has been extensively used in studies examining temporal variations in abundance. Few studies though have focused on biological and ecological covariates of TPL, while its statistical inherences have been extensively debated. In the present study, we focused on species‐specific features (i.e. functional traits) that could be influential to temporal TPL.

We combined field surveys of 180 fish species from 972 sites varying from small streams to large rivers with data on 31 ecological traits describing species‐specific characteristics related to three main niche dimensions (trophic ecology, life history, and habitat use). For each species, the parameters of temporal TPL (intercept and slope) were estimated from the log–log mean–variance relationships while controlling for spatial dependencies and biological covariates (species richness and evenness). Then, we investigated whether functional traits explained variations in TPL parameters.

Differences in TPL parameters among species were explained mostly by life history and environmental determinants, especially TPL slope. Life history was the main determinant of differences in TPL parameters and thereby aggregation patterns, with traits related to body size being the most influential, thus showing a high contrast between small‐sized species with short lifespans and large‐bodied migratory fishes, even after controlling for phylogenetic resemblances.

We found that life history traits, especially those related to body size, mostly affect TPL and, as such, can be determinants of temporal variability of fish populations. We also found that statistical effects and phylogenetic resemblances are embedded in mean–variance relationships for fish, and that environmental drivers can interact with ecological characteristics of species in determining temporal fluctuations in abundance.
The ‘uncomfortable aunt’: Acts of resistance against NHS practices that contradict our values
Authors: Midlane Becky 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis study explores the experience of family therapists performing ‘everyday’ acts of resistance against practices within the National Health Service (NHS) that contradict their values. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse semi‐structured interviews with five family therapists working in the NHS. Themes explored include the influence of the self of the therapist on their motivation to resist, and the necessity of resisting to survive in the job and ensure families' marginalised voices are heard in the wider system. The tension in balancing competing needs in the system and the energy that resisting both gives and takes are described, as well as how others in the system influence the therapists' ability to resist. Resisting emerges as a critical role of the family therapist, as well as crucial for practitioners to work in a way coherent with their sense of self.
Osmia3DNest—Novel designed 3D printed artificial nest for solitary cavity‐nesting bees
Authors: Dylewski Łukasz , Kaźmierczak Sandra , Giejdasz Karol , Banaszak‐Cibicka Weronika 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

The availability and appropriateness of nesting sites significantly influence the reproductive success and overall welfare of wild bees. Human‐induced factors contribute to the destruction of natural nesting habitats. To address these limitations, innovative solutions such as the development of artificial nests, offer alternative nest sites to support wild bee populations.

We designed the Osmia3DNest, a 3D printed standardized nest tube for solitary cavity‐nesting bees, aiming to provide a safe for the environment, long‐life, time‐saving and biodegradable product that anyone can print. We proudly present the two Osmia3DNest models for mason bees—closed and open—using polylactic acid filament.

We demonstrate the effectiveness of Osmia3DNest on mason bee reproduction parameters compared with traditional reed nests.

Osmia3DNest can be an alternative to the other artificial nests, which people can customize for their necessity depending on their place of living (rural or urban area), and they can also be washed and reused several times and then decomposed.

Osmia3DNest holds potential for wildlife biologists, management of pollinators, and educational outreach, offering adaptability for different bee species and experimental needs.
Practical and ethical considerations when sperm donors die
Authors: Pennings Guido 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis paper considers the practical and ethical issues related to the death of a sperm donor. It looks at whether sperm banks should check whether the donor is alive at the time the spermatozoa is made available. Knowing that the donor has died in combination with the cause of death can provide important medical information but the chance is very small. However, when the information is available, it may help to decide whether to tell previous recipients and/or to block the remaining samples for future use. A second advantage may be that the donor's offspring can be informed that contact will not be possible and that recipients who are planning to order spermatozoa from an identity‐release donor can be told that the donor has died. However, these advantages presume that identifiable equals contactable while there is no strict link between these two conditions.
Association of Genomic Prostate Score at positive margin with recurrence after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Nourmohammadi Abadchi Sanaz , Salles Daniela C. , Flannery Cynthia , Sama Varun , Baehner Frederick L. , Zambon Joao P. , Mendes Adrianna A. , DePaula Oliveira Lia , Han Misop , Jing Yuezhou , Partin Alan W. , Trock Bruce J. , Lotan Tamara L. 
Published: July 2024

ObjectivesTo evaluate the utility of the 17‐gene Genomic Prostate Score® (GPS; MDxHealth, Irvine, CA, USA) performed on prostate cancer at the positive margin of the radical prostatectomy (RP) for its association with risk of subsequent biochemical recurrence (BCR).Patients and MethodsWe designed a case‐cohort for the outcome of BCR, selecting 223 from a cohort of 813 RP patients treated at Johns Hopkins from 2008 to 2017 with positive margins and available clinical data; of these, 213 had available tissue and clinical data. RNA was isolated from formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tumour tissue adjacent to the positive surgical margin and the GPS was evaluable in 203 of these patients with a score ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher risk. All patients underwent RP with or without adjuvant radiation therapy (ART). The statistical analysis employed Cox proportional hazards regression models for outcome of BCR weighted for case‐cohort design.ResultsIn univariable analysis, every 20‐unit increase in the GPS was associated with a nearly threefold increase in risk of BCR (hazard ratio [HR] per 20 units 2.82, P < 0.001). In a multivariable Cox model adjusted for age, race, Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Postsurgical score, Grade Group at the positive margin, and ART, the GPS was significantly associated with BCR (HR 1.56 per 20 units; 95% confidence interval 1.11–2.19; P = 0.011). The study is limited by its retrospective and single institution design.ConclusionsThe GPS at the positive surgical margin could help stratify prognosis and inform clinical decision‐making regarding adjuvant therapy after RP.
“I feel like I'm changing people's lives, even if it's just two hours at a time”: Understanding contingent instructors’ emotion management in university teaching
Authors: Adamyk Natalie 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis article extends existing scholarship on contingent or temporary‐contract university instructors’ emotional agency by employing the Bolton's emotion management and Cottingham's emotional capital typologies in tandem. In interviews with 40 instructors from universities across Canada, participants described acquiring both primary and secondary emotional capital as an embodied psychosocial resource through past education, upbringing and culture, and knowledge and skills from previous work and training experiences respectively. They then deployed this capital through emotion management based in both social and organizational feeling rules in their capacity as professors. This allowed instructors to reinforce their own sense of purpose, authority and competence as instructors, and to establish fulfilling relationships with students through teaching and mentoring which they infused with personal meaning. However, instructors’ agency was also curtailed to varying degrees, by both institutional attitudes around academic contingency and sexist, and in some cases, racist or otherwise patronizing attitudes from students. Despite this, instructors were often able to reaffirm their identities as instructors by using emotion management in self‐affirming ways, such as by drawing on self‐confidence gained through previous occupations and training, and facilitating cultural backgrounds shared with students through emotional management.