bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cell-based assays and comparative genomics revealed the conserved and hidden effects ofWolbachiaon insect sex determination
Authors: Arai Hiroshi , Herran Benjamin , Sugimoto Takafumi N. , Miyata Mai , Sasaki Tetsuhiko , Kageyama Daisuke 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACTIt is advantageous for maternally transmitted endosymbionts to skew the sex ratio of their hosts toward females. Some endosymbiotic bacteria such asWolbachiacause their insect hosts to exclusively produce female offspring through male killing or feminization. In some lepidopteran insects, male killing is achieved by affecting the sex-determining process in males, and a unique mechanism of male killing and its functional link with feminization have been implicated. However, comparative analysis of these phenotypes is often difficult because they have been analyzed in different host–symbiont systems and transinfection ofWolbachiaacross different hosts is often challenging. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of nineWolbachiastrains on the splicing of sex-determining genes in Lepidoptera by fixing the host genetic background using a cell culture system. Cell transinfection assays confirmed that three male killing-inducingWolbachiastrains and one feminization-inducingWolbachiastrain increased the female-type splicing products of the core sex-determining genesdoublesex,masculinizer, andzinc finger protein 2. RegardingWolbachiastrains that do not induce male killing/feminization, three had no effect on these sex-determining genes, whereas two strains induced female-type splicing ofmasculinizeranddoublesexbut notzinc finger protein 2. Comparative genomics confirmed that homologs ofoscar, theWolbachiagene responsible for male killing inOstrinia, were encoded by male killing/feminizingWolbachiastrains, but not by non-male killing/non-feminizing strains. These results demonstrated the conserved effects underlying male killing and feminization induced byoscar-bearingWolbachia, and suggested other potential mechanisms thatWolbachiamight employ to manipulate host sex.IMPORTANCEArthropods commonly carry maternally transmitted microbial symbionts such asWolbachia. The lack of paternal transmission frequently led to the evolution of reproductive parasitism traits, namely the manipulation of host reproduction in favor of female hosts, substantiated by male killing and feminization. AlthoughWolbachiainduces these phenotypes in a wide range of insects, the underlying mechanisms, diversity, and commonality remain largely unclear. In this study, we used a combination of transinfection assays and comparative genomics to reveal the conserved effects of male killing and feminizingWolbachiastrains on lepidopteran sex determination. Furthermore, we demonstrated that some non-male killing/non-feminizingWolbachiastrains also have an inherent ability to influence sex determination, albeit in a different manner, suggesting the potential for multiple mechanisms to manipulate host sex. This study also implied the frequent evolution of host suppressors againstWolbachia-induced reproductive manipulation.
Wnt signaling modulates the response to DNA damage in theDrosophilawing imaginal disc by regulating the EGFR pathway
Authors: Ewen-Campen Ben , Perrimon Norbert 
Published: February 2024

AbstractDespite the deep conservation of the DNA damage response pathway (DDR), cells in different contexts vary widely in their susceptibility to DNA damage and their propensity to undergo apoptosis as a result of genomic lesions. One of the cell signaling pathways implicated in modulating the DDR is the highly conserved Wnt pathway, which is known to promote resistance to DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation in a variety of human cancers.However, the mechanisms linking Wnt signal transduction to the DDR remain unclear. Here, we use a genetically encoded system inDrosophilato reliably induce consistent levels of DNA damagein vivo, and demonstrate that canonical Wnt signaling in the wing imaginal disc buffers cells against apoptosis in the face of DNA double-strand breaks. We show that Wg, the primary Wnt ligand inDrosophila, activates Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling via the ligand-processing protease Rhomboid, which in turn modulates the DDR in aChk2, p53,andE2F1-dependent manner. These studies provide mechanistic insight into the modulation of the DDR by the Wnt and EGFR pathwaysin vivoin a highly proliferative tissue. Furthermore, they reveal how the growth and patterning functions of Wnt signaling are coupled with pro-survival, anti-apoptotic activities, thereby facilitating developmental robustness in the face of genomic damage.Author SummaryEctopic activation of the highly conserved Wnt signaling pathway has been previously demonstrated to promote resistance to radiation and chemoradiation therapy in a variety of human cancers, yet the mechanisms by which Wnt modulates the DDR pathway are not clearly established. Furthermore, putative interactions between Wnt signaling and the DDR outside the context of pathological Wnt over-expressing tumors have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we show that, inDrosophila, loss of canonical Wnt signaling during development of the highly proliferative wing imaginal disc sensitizes cells to DNA damage, biasing them towards apoptosis and ultimately disrupting normal wing development. In contrast, ectopic Wnt signaling reduces the level of apoptosis for a given level of DNA damage. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that Wnt signaling acts via Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling, a well characterized pro-survival pathway, by activating the ligand-processing protease Rhomboid, and that this effect requires core DDR componentsChk2, p53,andE2F1.Altogether, we show that Wnt signaling can promote developmental robustness by opposing apoptosis in the face of DNA damage, and reveal a mechanism by which Wnt signaling modulates the DDR via EGFR signaling.
Ternary Oxides of
s
- and
p
-Block Metals for Photocatalytic Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion
Authors: Gelin Simon , Kirchner-Hall Nicole E. , Katzbaer Rowan R. , Theibault Monica J. , Xiong Yihuang , Zhao Wayne , Khan Mohammed M. , Andrewlavage Eric , Orbe Paul , Baksa Steven M. , Cococcioni Matteo , Timrov Iurii , Campbell Quinn , Abruña Héctor , Schaak Raymond E. , Dabo Ismaila 
Published: February 2024

Oxides containing metals or metalloids from the p block of the periodic table (e.g., In, Sn, Sb, Pb, and Bi) are of technological interest as transparent conductors and light absorbers for solar-energy conversion due to the tunability of their electronic conductivity and optical absorption. Comparatively, these oxides have found limited applications in hydrogen photoelectrolysis, primarily due to their high electronegativity, which impedes electron transfer for reducing protons into hydrogen. We have shown recently that inserting s-block cations into p-block metal oxides is effective at lowering electronegativities while affording further control of band gaps. Here, we explain the origins of this dual tunability by demonstrating the mediator role of s-block cations in modulating orbital hybridization while not contributing to frontier electronic states. From this result, we carry out a comprehensive computational study of 109 ternary oxides of s- and p-block metal elements as candidate photocatalysts for solar hydrogen generation. We down-select the most desirable materials using band gaps and band edges obtained from Hubbard-corrected density-functional theory, with Hubbard parameters computed entirely from first principles, evaluate the stability of these oxides in aqueous conditions, and characterize experimentally four of the remaining materials, synthesized with high phase uniformity, to validate and further develop the computational models. We thus propose nine oxide semiconductors, including CsIn3O5, Sr2In2O5, and KSbO2, which, to the extent of our literature review, have not been previously considered as water-splitting photocatalysts.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
The challenges of adopting emerging technologies in the AEC industry a literature review and bibliometric analysis
Authors: Eriqat Mohammad O. , Sweis Rateb J. , Sweis Ghaleb J. 
Published: February 2024

Purpose
This paper aims to identify and provide a theoretical explanation for the barriers that hinder the adoption of emerging technologies in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, irrespective of the company’s size, specialization or geographical location. In addition, the paper proposes potential areas for future research in this domain.

Design/methodology/approach
A list of barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies was identified and clarified using a systematic literature review of various scientific sources.

Findings
Twenty-five barriers were recognized and explained and some suggestions for future research studies were provided.

Research limitations/implications
The barriers related to a specific country or region or to a specific technology were excluded.

Originality/value
By providing a deeper comprehension of the barriers hindering the adoption of emerging technologies, this review is expected to encourage their adoption in the industry. Furthermore, it could prove valuable in devising effective strategies for the successful implementation of these technologies.
Milkbasket takeover by Reliance Retail Venture Limited: the ethical dilemma
Authors: Ganguly Sanjeev , Rai Soumi , Mukherjee Shreya 
Published: February 2024

Learning outcomes
After completion of the case study, the students would be able to comprehend the crisis at hand for Milkbasket, why did it resist Reliance’s takeover in the first place, then to evaluate the pros-cons and future prospects for the organization post-acquisition; to evaluate from an ethical standpoint the process of mergers and acquisitions using ethical frameworks to understand how, when, to whom and through what processes do mergers and acquisitions qualify the test of being ethical; and to analyse different hostile takeovers, especially through tender offers, proxy contests and toehold bidding strategy in this case.

Case overview/synopsis
Founded in 2015, Milkbasket was a micro-delivery start-up based in Gurugram (near New Delhi), India. Milkbasket would let its subscribers order till midnight and deliver groceries, milk and other everyday essentials to its subscribers before 7 a.m. next day. It had burnt a lot of cash and was facing difficulty in getting investors; as such they were engaged in discussions with many companies. Two of them – Reliance Retail Venture Limited and BigBasket – were not accepting the proposed valuation, but Milkbasket got term sheets from other two companies.

Complexity academic level
This case study can be used for graduate courses on strategic management, business ethics and corporate governance. This case study can also be used in corporate finance course to highlight the importance of making ethical/responsible judgements to protect stakeholder interests.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Can hybrid strategy improve SME performance? The role of innovation and adaptive capacity
Authors: Gutiérrez-Broncano Santiago , Linuesa-Langreo Jorge , Rubio-Andrés Mercedes , Sastre-Castillo Miguel Ángel 
Published: February 2024

PurposeThis article focusses on the hybrid strategy, a simultaneous combination of cost leadership and differentiation strategy. The study aims to examine the impact of hybrid strategy on firm performance through its anticipated positive effects on process and product innovation. In addition, we study the moderating role of adaptive capacity in the direct relationships of hybrid strategy with process and product innovation.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modelling was used to analyse 1,842 Spanish firms with fewer than 250 employees. We randomly selected small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in Spain from the Spanish Central Business Directory (2021) database. The overall sample design was based on stratified sampling.FindingsWe found that hybrid strategy is positively related to firm performance and to process and product innovation. Additionally, in firms implementing hybrid strategies, process innovation fostered firm performance. Finally, adaptive capacity strengthened the relationships of hybrid strategy with process and product innovation. This sheds light on how and when hybrid strategy is most effective in fostering SME performance.Practical implicationsWe highlight that SMEs need to establish strategies that use diverse resources and capabilities and not just generate competitive advantage using one strategy (cost leadership or differentiation strategy). This requires an agile and flexible systems and structures.Originality/valueOur research provides novel results by proposing the adoption of hybrid strategies instead of pure strategies (cost leadership and differentiation strategy) as a way for SMEs to survive during crises. Unlike “stuck in the middle” strategies, our study demonstrates the importance of hybrid strategies in a comprehensive model that links them to innovation and firm performance, with adaptive capacity being a determining factor.
Legal issues of transparency and disclosure in Ethiopian state-owned enterprises: a global perspective
Authors: Demamu Alemayehu Yismaw 
Published: February 2024

Purpose
Ethiopia has enacted laws on transparency and disclosure of information in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). However, these laws are not strict enough, with the transparency and disclosure practices disappointing in the country. Thus, this study aims to investigate the legal framework governing transparency and disclosure in SOEs.

Design/methodology/approach
This study uses doctrinal, qualitative and comparative approaches. Domestic legal texts are appraised based on the organization for economic co-operation and development Guideline on Corporate Governance of State-owned Enterprises, the World Bank Toolkit on Corporate Governance of State-owned Enterprises and best national practices. This approach has been further corroborated by qualitative analysis of the basic principles of transparency and disclosure.

Findings
The finding reveals that the laws on transparency and disclosure do not comply with global practices and are inadequate to ensure transparency and discourse in SOEs. They fail to establish appropriate disclosure frameworks and practices at the SOE and state-ownership entity levels. They also indiscriminately subject enterprises to multiple auditing functions and conflicting responsibilities.

Originality/value
To the author’s knowledge, this study is the first legal literature on transparency and disclosure in Ethiopian SOEs. This study assists the state as owner in reforming the laws and uplifting SOEs from their current unpleasant condition. It can also become a reference for future research.
Fan conflict or complement? Exploring the intersection of sports betting and team loyalty
Authors: Dwyer Brendan , Shapiro Stephen L. , Drayer Joris 
Published: February 2024

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was (1) to examine the underexplored intersection of sports betting and favorite team loyalty, and (2) to assess differences in gambling behavior among sport bettors by varying levels of team loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,555 National Football League (NFL) bettors and non-betting NFL fans were surveyed to assess media consumption across a mix of team loyalty attitudes and betting behaviors.FindingsStatistically significant differences were found between four types of NFL fans (casual, team loyalty-dominant, betting-dominant and hybrid) as it relates to media consumption in various forms. Most notably, the results suggested symbiosis between the activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe symbiosis finding, though preliminary, suggests the activity provides an additional platform for consumers to connect with spectator sport. Furthermore, the act of betting, like participation in fantasy sports, appears to spur consumption of the NFL product generally. The study, however, was limited to NFL fans, did not specify the method for sports betting, nor the intensity of gambling.Practical implicationsTeams should not worry that betting detracts from fan engagement with the team product. Also, leagues and media providers should continue to highlight betting content as participants consume at higher rates than non-participating sports fans.Social implicationsTeam fandom may potentially moderate problem behavior among bettors. The betting results indicate being a loyal team fan lowers one’s gambling spend per month and largest bet compared to non-loyal bettors. However, the hybrid fan showed significantly higher media consumption levels.Originality/valueSports fans have more opportunities to interact and engage with their favorite games than ever before. However, consumers have limited amounts of time and money, and this study is one of the first to examine differences in fan interests and behaviors related to sport betting and team loyalty and the resulting viewership and consumption behavior.
Chain-of-event prompting for multi-document summarization by large language models
Authors: Bao Songlin , Li Tiantian , Cao Bin 
Published: February 2024

Purpose
In the era of big data, various industries are generating large amounts of text data every day. Simplifying and summarizing these data can effectively serve users and improve efficiency. Recently, zero-shot prompting in large language models (LLMs) has demonstrated remarkable performance on various language tasks. However, generating a very “concise” multi-document summary is a difficult task for it. When conciseness is specified in the zero-shot prompting, the generated multi-document summary still contains some unimportant information, even with the few-shot prompting. This paper aims to propose a LLMs prompting for multi-document summarization task.

Design/methodology/approach
To overcome this challenge, the authors propose chain-of-event (CoE) prompting for multi-document summarization (MDS) task. In this prompting, the authors take events as the center and propose a four-step summary reasoning process: specific event extraction; event abstraction and generalization; common event statistics; and summary generation. To further improve the performance of LLMs, the authors extend CoE prompting with the example of summary reasoning.

Findings
Summaries generated by CoE prompting are more abstractive, concise and accurate. The authors evaluate the authors’ proposed prompting on two data sets. The experimental results over ChatGLM2-6b show that the authors’ proposed CoE prompting consistently outperforms other typical promptings across all data sets.

Originality/value
This paper proposes CoE prompting to solve MDS tasks by the LLMs. CoE prompting can not only identify the key events but also ensure the conciseness of the summary. By this method, users can access the most relevant and important information quickly, improving their decision-making processes.
The influence of supervisor bottom-line mentality on knowledge territorial behavior and knowledge sabotage behavior
Authors: Tan Zhihong , Yuan Ling , Wan Qunchao 
Published: February 2024

Purpose
Based on social cognitive theory, this study aims to explore the influence of supervisor bottom-line mentality (SBLM) on employee knowledge behavior (knowledge territorial behavior and knowledge sabotage behavior). The study first investigates the role of an ethical decision-making mechanism (moral disengagement) in mediating this relationship. In addition, it considers the possible boundary conditions to supplement research on the influence of SBLM in the knowledge management field.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected 256 data points from employees across three stages using convenience sampling. The authors then tested the proposed hypothesis using hierarchical regression and bootstrap methods.

Findings
The results demonstrated that SBLM promotes employees’ moral disengagement, leading to more knowledge territorial behavior and knowledge sabotage behavior. Furthermore, high power distance orientation among employees exacerbates the ill effects of SBLM according to the first stage of a moderated mediation model. Employees with such an orientation are more likely to respond to a SBLM by exhibiting a higher level of moral disengagement, thus increasing their knowledge territorial behavior and knowledge sabotage behavior.

Originality/value
Research on the influence of SBLM in the knowledge management field is limited. This study not only clarifies the relationships between SBLM and two types of knowledge behavior (knowledge territorial behavior and knowledge sabotage behavior) but also enriches the research on the antecedents of these two types of knowledge behavior.
Leveraging brand coolness for building strong consumer-brand relationships: different implications for products and services
Authors: Tran Khai Trieu , Truong Anh Tran Tram , Truong Van-Anh T. , Luu Tuan Trong 
Published: February 2024

Purpose
This study aims to answer the following questions: How do consumers’ perceptions of brand coolness affect brand relationship outcomes and how do brand coolness effects differ between product brands and service brands?

Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey was used to collect data from 1,500 consumers assigned to assess one of 20 popular product and service brands in Vietnam. Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Findings
Data analysis reveals that both dimensions of brand coolness (i.e. self-oriented and other-oriented coolness) exert positive impacts on brand relationship outcomes (i.e. brand satisfaction, brand love and brand advocacy) through brand attitude (i.e. the evaluative mechanism) and self-brand connection (i.e. the identity mechanism). While the identity mechanism of brand coolness effects is more prominent in product brands, the evaluative mechanism is more pronounced for service brands.

Practical implications
This research provides practical guidance for brand managers to build strong customer relationships by leveraging their brand coolness and the mechanisms underlying coolness effects. This study suggests a tailored application of brand coolness dimensions to different branded entities.

Originality/value
This research contributes to the brand coolness literature by validating a two-dimensional brand coolness structure encompassing self-oriented and other-oriented coolness, in accordance with a value-based conceptualization of the concept. For mass brand studies, this study recommends the exclusion of rebellious and subcultural attributes, as well as the utility of pre-determined brands as evaluated objects, in measuring brand coolness. This study also illuminates dual mediation mechanisms and moderation of the branded entity underlying brand coolness effects on consumer–brand relationships.