bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic evidence for a regulated cysteine protease catalytic triad in LegA7, aLegionella pneumophilaprotein that impinges on a stress response pathway
Authors: Hershkovitz Dar , Chen Emy J. , Ensminger Alexander W. , Dugan Aisling S. , Conway Kaleigh T. , Joyce Alex C. , Segal Gil , Isberg Ralph R. 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACTLegionella pneumophilagrows within membrane-bound vacuoles in phylogenetically diverse hosts. Intracellular growth requires the function of the Icm/Dot type-IVb secretion system, which translocates more than 300 proteins into host cells. A screen was performed to identifyL. pneumophilaproteins that stimulate MAPK activation, using Icm/Dot translocated proteins ectopically expressed in mammalian cells. In parallel, a second screen was performed to identifyL. pneumophilaproteins expressed in yeast that cause growth inhibition in MAPK pathway-stimulatory high osmolarity medium. LegA7 was shared in both screens, a protein predicted to be a member of the bacterial cysteine protease family that has five carboxyl-terminal ankyrin repeats. Three conserved residues in the predicted catalytic triad of LegA7 were mutated. These mutations abolished the ability of LegA7 to inhibit yeast growth. To identify other residues important for LegA7 function, a generalizable selection strategy in yeast was devised to isolate mutants that have lost function and no longer cause growth inhibition on high osmolarity medium. Mutations were isolated in the two carboxyl-terminal ankyrin repeats, as well as an inter-domain region located between the cysteine protease domain and the ankyrin repeats. These mutations were predicted by AlphaFold modeling to localize to the face opposite from the catalytic site, arguing that they interfere with the positive regulation of the catalytic activity. Based on our data, we present a model in which LegA7 harbors a cysteine protease domain with an inter-domain and two carboxyl-terminal ankyrin repeat regions that modulate the function of the catalytic domain.
Predicting cell-type-specific exon inclusion in the human brain reveals more complex splicing mechanisms in neurons than glia
Authors: Michielsen Lieke , Hsu Justine , Joglekar Anoushka , Belchikov Natan , Reinders Marcel J.T. , Tilgner Hagen , Mahfouz Ahmed 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAlternative splicing contributes to molecular diversity across brain cell types. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate splicing, but the genome-wide mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we used RBP binding sites and/or the genomic sequence to predict exon inclusion in neurons and glia as measured by long-read single-cell data in human hippocampus and frontal cortex. We found that alternative splicing is harder to predict in neurons compared to glia in both brain regions. Comparing neurons and glia, the position of RBP binding sites in alternatively spliced exons in neurons differ more from non-variable exons indicating distinct splicing mechanisms. Model interpretation pinpointed RBPs, including QKI, potentially regulating alternative splicing between neurons and glia. Finally, using our models, we accurately predict and prioritize the effect of splicing QTLs. Taken together, our models provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating cell-type-specific alternative splicing and can accurately predict the effect of genetic variants on splicing.
Stability of long-sustained oscillations induced by electron tunneling
Authors: Tabanera-Bravo Jorge , Vigneau Florian , Monsel Juliette , Aggarwal Kushagra , Bresque Léa , Fedele Federico , Cerisola Federico , Briggs G. A. D. , Anders Janet , Auffèves Alexia , Parrondo Juan M. R. , Ares Natalia 
Published: March 2024

Self-oscillations are the result of an efficient mechanism generating periodic motion from a constant power source. In quantum devices, these oscillations may arise due to the interaction between single electron dynamics and mechanical motion. We show that, due to the complexity of this mechanism, these self-oscillations may irrupt, vanish, or exhibit a bistable behavior causing hysteresis cycles. We observe these hysteresis cycles and characterize the stability of different regimes in both single- and double-quantum-dot configurations. In particular cases, we find these oscillations stable for over 20 s, many orders of magnitude above electronic and mechanical characteristic timescales, revealing the robustness of the mechanism at play.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Leadership behavioural integrity and employee engagement: role of organisational career development and feedback self-efficacy
Authors: Jena Lipsa , Pattnaik Subash Chandra , Sahoo Rashmita 
Published: March 2024

PurposeThe present study purports to unravel the mechanism in relationship among leadership behaviour integrity, organisational career development and employee engagement. Further, it also aims to understand if the employee feedback self-efficacy has any moderating influence on the relationship between leader behavioural integrity and organisational career development.Design/methodology/approachPre-existing questionnaires are used for collecting data from a total of 417 employees working in the information technology industry operating within India. Analysis of the data is done using structural equation modelling technique.FindingsResults of the study show that organisational career development partially mediates the relationship between leadership behavioural integrity and employee engagement. It is also found that feedback self-efficacy plays a moderating role in the relationship between leadership behavioural integrity and organisational career development.Originality/valueThe study helps to understand the mechanism of the relationship between leadership behavioural integrity and employee engagement through organisational career development with the support of ethical theory and social exchange theory. It also shows the moderating role played by feedback self-efficacy in the relationship between leadership behavioural integrity and organisational career development using social learning perspective.
The impact of the collaborative consumption triangle on purchasing intentions within online food delivery platforms
Authors: Cheng Fei-Fei , Hsu Meng-Hsu , Wu Chin-Shan 
Published: March 2024

PurposeThis study adopted the collaborative consumption triangle to explore the influence of online food delivery platforms (OFDP) on consumer purchase intentions. It investigates the effects of restaurants' corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, individuals' food neophilic tendencies (FNT), and platforms' perceived benefits on purchase intention within OFDP. Furthermore, the study analyses differences in consumers' pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) on OFDP.Design/methodology/approachThe 497 participants conducted a web-based self-completion survey, using structural equation modelling to analyse the path structure of consumer purchasing intention. Furthermore, differences in PEB among OFDP consumers were compared through multigroup analysis.FindingsThe findings indicate that CSR influences the perceived value of sustainability and that the perceived value of sustainability influences purchase intention. Additionally, the influence of the perceived value of sustainability on purchase intention is more pronounced among consumers with low PEB compared to those with high PEB.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings may not be generalisable to other countries due to cultural differences, CSR policies, and strategies for promoting sustainable development.Social implicationsThe study provides valuable contributions related to (1) restaurants increasing their revenue and meeting their long-term sustainable development goals; (2) providing reusable containers policy and reusable containers policy and category tags for restaurants within OFDP.Originality/valueThis study is a pioneering work examining factors influencing purchase intentions within OFDP from the tripartite collaborative consumption perspective post-COVID-19 and focuses on the differences in PEB concerning OFDP.
Impact of challenge and hindrance job stressors on informal safety communication of construction workers in China: the moderating role of co-worker relationship
Authors: Cong Weiyi , Zhang Shoujian , Liang Huakang , Xiang Qingting 
Published: March 2024

PurposeJob stressors have a considerable influence on workplace safety behaviors. However, the findings from previous studies regarding the effect of different types of job stressors have been contradictory. This is attributable to, among other factors, the effectiveness of job stressors varying with occupations and contexts. This study examines the effects of challenge and hindrance stressors on construction workers' informal safety communication at different levels of coworker relationships.Design/methodology/approachA three-dimensional framework of informal safety communication is adopted, including self-needed, citizenship and participatory safety communication. Stepwise regression analysis is then performed using questionnaire survey data collected from 293 construction workers in the Chinese construction industry.FindingsThe results demonstrate that both challenge and hindrance stressors are negatively associated with self-needed and citizenship safety communication, whereas their relationships with participatory safety communication are not significant. Meanwhile, the mitigation effects of the coworker relationship (represented by trustworthiness and accessibility) on the above negative impacts vary with the communication forms. Higher trustworthiness and accessibility enable workers faced with challenge stressors to actively manage these challenges and engage in self-needed safety communication. Similarly, trustworthiness promotes workers' involvement in self-needed and citizenship safety communication in the face of hindrance stressors, but accessibility is only effective in facilitating self-needed safety communication.Originality/valueBy introducing the job demands-resources theory and distinguishing informal safety communication into three categories, this study explains the negative effects of challenge and hindrance job stressors in complex and variable construction contexts and provides additional clues to the current inconsistent findings regarding this framework. The diverse roles of challenge and hindrance job stressors also present strong evidence for the need to differentiate between the types of informal safe communication.
A content analysis of the frequency of fat talk in Walt Disney animation films (1937–2021)
Authors: Ogden Jane , Chohan Alissa 
Published: March 2024

PurposePrevious research demonstrates a consistent association between the media and body and eating related issues in children. Recent research has highlighted a role for “fat talk” to describe discourses around body size and food. One key source of media information is Disney animation films, yet to date no research study has explored the verbal content of this genre.Design/methodology/approachThe present study used a content analysis to examine fat talk in Disney animation films (1937–2021; n = 53) with a focus on the frequency of fat talk, changes over time and differences between the genders and heroic statuses of the givers and receivers of fat talk. Fat talk was defined as relating to both body size and food and could be either positive or negative.FindingsResults revealed that there was more negative than positive fat talk per film; no significant changes over time; males were the givers of significantly more positive and negative fat talk than females and were also the receivers of more negative fat talk; good characters were the givers and receivers of more positive and negative fat talk and more self-directed negative fat talk than bad characters.Practical implicationsThe results are discussed in terms of possible legislation and parenting interventions to minimise the harm of this genre on young children.Originality/valueDisney animation films may not be as benign as often thought.
The effect of sovereign credit ratings on democracy in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Gossel Sean , Mutize Misheck 
Published: March 2024

PurposeThis study investigates (1) whether democratization drives sovereign credit ratings (SCR) changes (the “democratic advantage”) or whether SCR changes affect democratization, (2) whether the degree of democratization in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries affects the associations and (3) whether the associations are significantly affected by resource dependence.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the effects of SCR changes on democracy in 22 SSA countries over the period of 2000–2020 VEC Granger causality/block exogeneity Wald tests, and impulse responses and variance decomposition analyses with Cholesky ordering and Monte Carlo standard errors in a panel VECM framework.FindingsThe full sample impulse responses find that a SCR shock has a long-run detrimental effect on the democracy and political rights but only a short-run positive impact on civil liberties. Among the sub-samples, it is found that the extent of natural resource dependence does not affect the magnitude of SCR shocks on democratization mentioned above but it is found that a SCR shock affects long-run democracy in SSA countries that are relatively more democratic but is more likely to drive democratic deepening in less democratic SSA countries. The full sample variance decompositions further finds that the variance of SCR to a political rights shock outweighs the effects of all the macroeconomic factors, whereas in more diversified SSA countries, the variances of SCR are much greater for democracy and political rights shocks, which suggests that democratization and political rights in diversified SSA economies are severely affected by SCR changes. In the case of the high and low democracy sub-samples, it is found that the variance of SCR in the relatively higher democracy sub-sample is greater than in the low democracy sub-sample.Social implicationsThese results have three implications for democratization in SSA. First, the effect of a SCR change is not a democratically agnostic and impacts political rights to a greater extent than civil liberties. Second, SCR changes have the potential to spark a negative cycle in SSA countries whereby a downgrade leads to a deterioration in socio-political stability coupled with increased financial economic constraints that in turn drive further downgrades and macroeconomic hardship. Finally, SCR changes are potentially detrimental for democracy in more democratic SSA countries but democratically supportive in less democratic SSA countries. Thus, SSA countries that are relatively politically sophisticated are more exposed to the effects of SCR changes, whereas less politically sophisticated SSA countries can proactively shape their SCRs by undertaking political reforms.Originality/valueThis study is the first to examine the associations between SCR and democracy in SSA. This is critical literature for the Africa’s scholarly work given that the debate on unfair rating actions and claims of subjective rating methods is ongoing.
Static and dynamic characteristics of large-span six-slider closed hydrostatic guideway considering pitch moment and yaw moment
Authors: Zhang Heji , Lu Dezhao , Pan Wei , Rong Xing , Zhang Yongtao 
Published: March 2024

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to design a closed hydrostatic guideway has the ability to resist large-side load, pitch moments and yaw moments, has good stiffness and damping characteristics, and provides certain beneficial guidance for the design of large-span closed hydrostatic guideway on the basis of providing a large vertical load bearing capacity.

Design/methodology/approach
The Reynolds’ equation and flow continuity equation are solved simultaneously by the finite difference method, and the perturbation method and the finite disturbance method is used for calculating the dynamic characteristics. The static and dynamic characteristics, including recess pressure, flow of lubricating oil, carrying capacity, pitch moment, yaw moment, dynamic stiffness and damping, are comprehensively analyzed.

Findings
The designed closed hydrostatic guideway has the ability to resist large lateral load, pitch moment and yaw moment and has good stiffness and damping characteristics, on the basis of being able to provide large vertical carrying capacity, which can meet the application requirements of heavy two-plate injection molding machine (TPIMM).

Originality/value
This paper researches static and dynamic characteristics of a large-span six-slider closed hydrostatic guideway used in heavy TPIMM, emphatically considering pitch moment and yaw moment. Some useful guidance is given for the design of large-span closed hydrostatic guideway.
Development of a novel nonrigid support friction stir welding repair robot for aluminum alloy train
Authors: Jin Taotao , Cui Xiuhui , Qi Chuanyue , Yang Xinyu 
Published: March 2024

Purpose
This paper aims to develop a specific type of mobile nonrigid support friction stir welding (FSW) robot, which can adapt to aluminum alloy trucks for rapid online repair.

Design/methodology/approach
The friction stir welding robot is designed to complete online repair according to the surface damage of large aluminum alloy trucks. A rotatable telescopic arm unit and a structure for a cutting board in the shape of a petal that was optimized by finite element analysis are designed to give enough top forging force for welding to address the issues of inadequate support and significant deformation in the repair process.

Findings
The experimental results indicate that the welding robot is capable of performing online surface repairs for large aluminum alloy trucks without rigid support on the backside, and the welding joint exhibits satisfactory performance.

Practical implications
Compared with other heavy-duty robotic arms and gantry-type friction stir welding robots, this robot can achieve online welding without disassembling the vehicle body, and it requires less axial force. This lays the foundation for the future promotion of lightweight equipment.

Originality/value
The designed friction stir welding robot is capable of performing online repairs without dismantling the aluminum alloy truck body, even in situations where sufficient upset force is unavailable. It ensures welding quality and exhibits high efficiency. This approach is considered novel in the field of lightweight online welding repairs, both domestically and internationally.
Rich alone or rich together: the impact of value proposition innovation on the product–place co-branding value
Authors: Zhu Rong , Fu Yaoyao , Wen Ao , Zhao Jiaxin 
Published: March 2024

Purpose
This study aims to examine an emerging product–place co-branding marketing practice in China’s rural areas. The role of this practice in inclusive development is analyzed from the perspectives of value proposition innovation, market legitimacy, media coverage and brand value. Both research and practice indicate value proposition innovation to exert an important influence on brand value enhancement, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation.

Design/methodology/approach
A moderated mediation model is constructed to examine whether market legitimacy mediates the relationship between value proposition innovation and brand value. vWhether this mediating process is moderated by media coverage is also examined. The primary data are collected from semi-structured interviews and observations conducted with two common cases to develop proper scales for value proposition innovation and market legitimacy. The research includes 100 product–place co-brandings published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2019. Hypotheses are tested using hierarchical regression and a Bootstrap model.

Findings
Value proposition innovation has a positive effect on brand value, and market legitimacy partially mediates this relationship. Media coverage positively moderates the relationship between value proposition innovation and market legitimacy, and positively moderates the mediating effect of market legitimacy; the higher the media coverage, the stronger the mediating effect of market legitimacy.

Research limitations/implications
Based on data availability and accessibility, the study sample focused on indicators from 100 brands in 2019. If the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs discloses consecutive annual information for other years, future studies could explore panel data to further test the study’s conclusions from a longitudinal perspective.

Originality/value
First, this paper adds to the emerging literature on product–place co-branding business models by examining the relationship between value proposition innovation and brand value. Second, this paper enriches institutional theory by including market legitimacy as a mediator between value proposition innovation and brand value. Third, this paper identifies the moderating role of media coverage, thus broadening the theoretical implications of institutional theory with respect to improving market legitimacy.
Foreign direct investment and carbon emissions in ECOWAS: does good governance matter?
Authors: Limazie Mazignada Sika , Woni Soumaïla 
Published: March 2024

PurposeThe present study investigates the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) and governance quality on carbon emissions in the Economics Community of West African States (ECOWAS).Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the objective of this research, panel data for dependent and explanatory variables over the period 2005–2016, collected in the World Development Indicators (WDI) database and World Governance Indicators (WGI), are analyzed using the generalized method of moments (GMM). Also, the panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE) method is applied to the four segments of the overall sample to analyze the stability of the results.FindingsThe findings of this study are (1) FDI inflows have a negative effect on carbon emissions in ECOWAS and (2) The interaction between FDI inflows and governance quality have a negative effect on carbon emissions. These results show the decreasing of environmental damage by increasing institutional quality. However, the estimation results on the country subsamples show similar and non-similar aspects.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that policymakers in the ECOWAS countries should strengthen their environmental policies while encouraging FDI flows to be environmentally friendly.Originality/valueThe subject has rarely been explored in West Africa, with gaps such as the lack of use of institutional variables. This study contributes to the literature by drawing on previous work to examine the role of good governance on FDI and the CO2 emission relationship in the ECOWAS, which have received little attention. However, this research differs from previous work by subdividing the overall sample into four groups to test the stability of the results.