bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HOLISMOKES
Authors: Huber S. , Suyu S. H.
Published: July 2024

Strongly lensed Type Ia supernovae (LSNe Ia) are a promising probe with which to measure the Hubble constant (H0) directly. To use LSNe Ia for cosmography, a time-delay measurement between multiple images, a lens-mass model, and a mass reconstruction along the line of sight are required. In this work, we present the machine-learning network LSTM-FCNN, which is a combination of a long short-term memory network (LSTM) and a fully connected neural network (FCNN). The LSTM-FCNN is designed to measure time delays on a sample of LSNe Ia spanning a broad range of properties, which we expect to find with the upcoming Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and for which follow-up observations are planned. With follow-up observations in the i band (cadence of one to three days with a single-epoch 5σ depth of 24.5 mag), we reach a bias-free delay measurement with a precision of around 0.7 days over a large sample of LSNe Ia. The LSTM-FCNN is far more general than previous machine-learning approaches such as the random forest (RF) one, whereby an RF has to be trained for each observational pattern separately, and yet the LSTM-FCNN outperforms the RF by a factor of roughly three. Therefore, the LSTM-FCNN is a very promising approach to achieve robust time delays in LSNe Ia, which is important for a precise and accurate constraint on H0.
Chronische Niereninsuffizienz bei Typ-2-Diabetes – die stille Bedrohung einer Multisystemerkrankung
Authors: Günes-Altan Merve , Schmieder Roland
Published: July 2024

Die hohe Prävalenz von Typ-2-Diabetes (T2D) und die damit einhergehenden Auswirkungen auf verschiedene Organsysteme stellen in der Behandlung der betroffenen Patienten eine große Herausforderung dar. Eine der häufigsten Komplikationen ist die diabetische Nephropathie, die weltweit etwa 700 Millionen Menschen betrifft. Sie ist die Hauptursache für die Entwicklung einer chronischen Niereninsuffizienz (CNI) und führt zu einem signifikant erhöhten kardiovaskulären Risiko. Die diabetische Nephropathie präsentiert sich somit als Multisystemerkrankung und erfordert einen umfassenden Behandlungsansatz. Dieser Ansatz umfasst neben der Optimierung des Lebensstils auch die medikamentöse Therapie einschließlich antihyperglykämischer, antihypertensiver und lipidsenkender Wirkstoffe sowie neuere Wirkstoffe wie SGLT2-Inhibitoren, nicht steroidale Mineralokortikoid-Rezeptorantagonisten und GLP-1-Rezeptoragonisten zur Nephro- und Kardioprotektion.
Komplexe koronare Herzerkrankung und Diabetes
Authors: Reith Sebastian
Published: July 2024

Im Vergleich zur Normalpopulation haben Patienten mit Diabetes mellitus ein signifikant höheres kardiovaskuläres Risiko. Dies beinhaltet eine erhöhte kardiovaskuläre Ereignisrate sowohl vor einer Koronarintervention im Nativgefäß als auch postinterventionell im mit einem Stent versorgten Gefäßsegment. Entsprechend anspruchsvoll ist die optimale Revaskularisationsstrategie bei Diabetes und Vorliegen eines komplexen Koronarbefunds. Gerade bei einer koronaren Mehrgefäßerkrankung scheint die aortokoronare Bypassoperation bei Diabetikern einer perkutanen Koronarintervention überlegen zu sein, wohingegen die Datenlage bei koronarer Hauptstammbeteiligung und beim akuten Koronarsyndrom noch uneinheitlich ist.
18F-labelled gentiobiose as potential PET-radiotracer for specific bacterial imaging: precursor synthesis, radiolabelling and in vitro evaluation
Authors: Landau Felicitas , Hermann Sven , Schelhaas Sonja , Schäfers Michael , Niemann Silke , Faust Andreas
Published: July 2024

Aim Bacterial infections are a clinical challenge, requiring fast and specific diagnosis to ensure effective treatment. Therefore, this project is dedicated to development of positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers specifically targeting bacteria. Unlike previously developed bacteria-specific radiotracers, which are successful in detecting Gram-negative bacteria, tracers capable of imaging Gram-positive infections are still lacking.

Methods The disaccharide gentiobiose as abundant part of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria could fill this gap. Herein, the synthesis and evaluation of 2‘-deoxy-2‘-[18F]fluorogentiobiose ([18F]FLA280) is reported. The precursor for radiolabelling was obtained from a convergent synthesis under application of a benzylidene/benzyl group protecting strategy.

Results The first catalytic hydrogenation in 18F-radiochemistry is reported as proof of concept. The deprotection was carried out without any side product formation, giving the final radiotracer [18F]FLA280 in good radiochemical yield and excellent radiochemical purity. [18F]FLA280 was proven to be stable in murine and human blood serum for 120 minutes and was subjected to in vitro bacterial uptake studies towards S. aureus and E. coli resulting in a low bacterial uptake.

Conclusion The observed bacterial uptake indicates that [18F]FLA280 may be not a promising tracer candidate for in vivo translation and alternative candidates particularly for Gram-positive bacteria are required. However, further development on the concept of labelled carbohydrates and cell wall building blocks might be promising.
Microsurgical Lateral Orbital Approaches to Resect Tumors within the Cavernous Sinus, Middle Fossa, and Temporal Lobe: A Systematic Review
Authors: Monsour Molly , Rizk Mehdi , Kazelka Mehdi , Peto Ivo , Tai Alexander , Agazzi Siviero , Croci Davide M.
Published: July 2024

Introduction Common approaches to remove skull base tumors invading the orbital apex, cavernous sinus, middle fossa, or temporal lobe include orbitozygomatic or fronto-orbital craniotomies. Recently, different types of orbital approaches have been described as alternative minimally invasive techniques.

Objective With this systematic review, we analyzed the typology of intracranial tumors treated through transorbital approaches, especially through the lateral orbital (LO) wall, and analyzing the complication rates and outcomes.

Design A PubMed/Medline search was performed using the criteria: “orbitotomy,” “transorbital,” “transpalpebral,” and “lateral orbitotomy” in combination with “cavernous sinus,” “middle fossa,” and “temporal lobe.”

Main Outcome Measures From these reports, we collected diagnoses, lesion sizes and locations, approaches, outcomes, aesthetic outcomes, postoperative ptosis, postoperative cranial nerve (CN) palsies, length of CN deficits postoperatively, overall complications, and follow-up length.

Results A total of 13 papers and 3 of our own cases matched our inclusion criteria totaling 160 patients. Most patients were treated for meningiomas (135, 84.4%). The approaches included the LO approach (n = 54; 33.8%), deep transorbital (n = 5; 3.1%), mini-LO (n = 91; 56.9%), and modified LO (n = 10; 6.2%). While not all cases reported excision success, the various LO approaches achieved total (n = 42; 26.25%) resection margins. Postoperative ocular complications (including CN palsies, proptosis, or ocular disturbances) totaled 46 (28.8%) new CN palsies, 23 (14.4%) occurrences of vision loss, 1 (1.7%) with worsened proptosis, 5 (3.9%) with worsened enophthalmos, and 42 (26.3%) other complications.

Conclusion Microsurgical LO approaches, especially in the era of radiosurgery, may become a suitable alternative to other more established craniotomies.
Structural basis for mouse receptor recognition by bat SARS2-like coronaviruses
Authors: Zhang Wei , Shi Ke , Hsueh Fu-Chun , Mendoza Alise , Ye Gang , Huang Linfen , Perlman Stanley , Aihara Hideki , Li Fang
Published: July 2024

The animal origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive, lacking a plausible evolutionary narrative that may account for its emergence. Its spike protein resembles certain segments of BANAL-236 and RaTG13, two bat coronaviruses considered possible progenitors of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, its spike contains a furin motif, a common feature of rodent coronaviruses. To explore the possible involvement of rodents in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 spike, we examined the crystal structures of the spike receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of BANAL-236 and RaTG13 each complexed with mouse receptor ACE2. Both RBDs have residues at positions 493 and 498 that align well with two virus-binding hotspots on mouse ACE2. Our biochemical evidence supports that both BANAL-236 and RaTG13 spikes can use mouse ACE2 as their entry receptor. These findings point to a scenario in which these bat coronaviruses may have coinfected rodents, leading to a recombination of their spike genes and a subsequent acquisition of a furin motif in rodents, culminating in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.
Propagation of distinct CWD prion strains during peripheral and intracerebral challenges of gene-targeted mice
Authors: DeFranco Joseph P. , Bian Jifeng , Kim Sehun , Crowell Jenna , Barrio Tomás , Webster Bailey K. , Atkinson Zoe N. , Telling Glenn C.
Published: July 2024

Since prion diseases result from infection and neurodegeneration of the central nervous system (CNS), experimental characterizations of prion strain properties customarily rely on the outcomes of intracerebral challenges. However, natural transmission of certain prions, including those causing chronic wasting disease (CWD) in elk and deer, depends on propagation in peripheral host compartments prior to CNS infection. Using gene-targeted GtE and GtQ mice, which accurately control cellular elk or deer PrP expression, we assessed the impact that peripheral or intracerebral exposures play on CWD prion strain propagation and resulting CNS abnormalities. Whereas oral and intraperitoneal transmissions produced identical neuropathological outcomes in GtE and GtQ mice and preserved the naturally convergent conformations of elk and deer CWD prions, intracerebral transmissions generated CNS prion strains with divergent biochemical properties in GtE and GtQ mice that were changed compared to their native counterparts. While CWD replication kinetics remained constant during iterative peripheral transmissions and brain titers reflected those found in native hosts, serial intracerebral transmissions produced 10-fold higher prion titers and accelerated incubation times. Our demonstration that peripherally and intracerebrally challenged Gt mice develop dissimilar CNS diseases which result from the propagation of distinct CWD prion strains points to the involvement of tissue-specific cofactors during strain selection in different host compartments. Since peripheral transmissions preserved the natural features of elk and deer prions, whereas intracerebral propagation produced divergent strains, our findings illustrate the importance of experimental characterizations using hosts that not only abrogate species barriers but also accurately recapitulate natural transmission routes of native strains.
OPALIN is an LGI1 receptor promoting oligodendrocyte differentiation
Authors: Teng Xiao-Yu , Hu Ping , Zhang Cai-Ming , Zhang Qin-Xin , Yang Guolin , Zang Yan-Yu , Liu Zhi-Xiong , Chen Guiquan , Shi Yun Stone
Published: July 2024

Leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 (LGI1), a secretory protein in the brain, plays a critical role in myelination; dysfunction of this protein leads to hypomyelination and white matter abnormalities (WMAs). Here, we hypothesized that LGI1 may regulate myelination through binding to an unidentified receptor on the membrane of oligodendrocytes (OLs). To search for this hypothetic receptor, we analyzed LGI1 binding proteins through LGI1-3 × FLAG affinity chromatography with mouse brain lysates followed by mass spectrometry. An OL-specific membrane protein, the oligodendrocytic myelin paranodal and inner loop protein (OPALIN), was identified. Conditional knockout (cKO) of OPALIN in the OL lineage caused hypomyelination and WMAs, phenocopying LGI1 deficiency in mice. Biochemical analysis revealed the downregulation of Sox10 and Olig2, transcription factors critical for OL differentiation, further confirming the impaired OL maturation in
Opalin
cKO mice. Moreover, virus-mediated re-expression of OPALIN successfully restored myelination in
Opalin
cKO mice. In contrast, re-expression of LGI1-unbound OPALIN_K23A/D26A failed to reverse the hypomyelination phenotype. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that OPALIN on the OL membrane serves as an LGI1 receptor, highlighting the importance of the LGI1/OPALIN complex in orchestrating OL differentiation and myelination.
Evidence of ferroelectric features in low-density supercooled water from ab initio deep neural-network simulations
Authors: Malosso Cesare , Manko Natalia , Izzo Maria Grazia , Baroni Stefano , Hassanali Ali
Published: July 2024

Over the last decade, an increasing body of evidence has emerged, supporting the existence of a metastable liquid–liquid critical point in supercooled water whereby two distinct liquid phases of different densities coexist. Analyzing long molecular dynamics simulations performed using deep neural-network force fields trained to accurate quantum mechanical data, we demonstrate that the low-density liquid phase displays a strong propensity toward spontaneous polarization, as witnessed by large and long-lived collective dipole fluctuations. Our findings suggest that the dynamical stability of the low-density phase, and hence the transition from high-density to low-density liquid, is triggered by a collective process involving an accumulation of rotational angular jumps, which could ignite large dipole fluctuations. This dynamical transition involves subtle changes in the electronic polarizability of water molecules which affects their rotational mobility within the two phases. These findings hold the potential for catalyzing activity in the search for dielectric-based probes of the putative second critical point.
The End of Engagement
Authors: McCourt David M
Published: July 2024

After the Cold War, America’s leaders hoped Russia and China could be integrated into the rules-based international order and might even become more like the West. By the late 2010s, optimism was dead—Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping showing little interest in playing by the West’s rules. The End of Engagement takes the reader into the world of America’s China and Russia experts as they have struggled to make sense of changes in Beijing and Moscow. It traces how China-skeptical views emerged as a powerful and legitimate alternative prior to 2016. The election of Donald Trump brought into government anti-Engagement advisors who set about designing and implementing a new approach: Strategic Competition. Rather than return to Engagement, Trump’s successor, Joseph Biden, doubled down on Strategic Competition, because the center of gravity in China field had shifted in the interim away from Engagement. The book develops this argument via a comparison with America’s Russia community, which has not experienced the sort of paradigmatic turnover of the China watchers. The Russia community is smaller and less polarized than its counterpart focused on China—the inverse of conditions prior to 1989—limiting the urgency to reframe America’s understandings of Moscow, as effected by the anti-Engagers. The result was policy stasis, with a ratcheting sanctions regime overtaken by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The absence of struggle among America’s Russia watchers to reframe Russia highlights its centrality to the end of Engagement with the People’s Republic of China.
What Was Engagement?
Authors: McCourt David
Published: July 2024

This chapter takes up the question of what engagement was, and whether it is truly over, separating its distinct aspects as policy—the concrete processes of engaging China and Russia, community—the groups promoting or seeking to promote such policies—and frame, which applies specifically to China, an important point of distinction to the Russia case. Disaggregating E/engagement in this way is essential for identifying what, precisely, has changed. This chapter shows how large-E Engagement is a feature specifically of the U.S. China debate—a largely post hoc rationalization for a host of positions and initiatives taken toward China since the opening in the early 1970s, which connects the discussion here to the book’s sociological perspective on the intertwined policy professional and personal struggles over U.S. since the Cold War.
Enacting machine agency when AI makes one’s day: understanding how users relate to AI communication technologies for scheduling
Authors: Endacott Camille G
Published: July 2024

AI Communication Technologies (AICTs) make decisions about users’ communication on their behalf. Users’ implementation of AICTs that autonomously act may enable and constrain how they accomplish their work and interact with others. Drawing on interviews with users of two AICTs with differing levels of autonomy designed for work-related scheduling, this study investigated how users enacted AICTs in practice. Users of both tools drew on AICTs’ autonomous capabilities to enact machine agency, a structure that assigns AICTs the power to allocate resources, which helped them increase scheduling efficiency and guide how others interacted with them. Users of the tool that autonomously implemented decisions described a process of enactment in which they used the tool to control their work, perceived the tool was exhibiting too much control, and acted to regain control. I present implications for understanding how people enact machine agency with AICTs that make decisions about their work.
The Academic Catalyst Group: A Tactical Framework for Working Groups to Enhance Clinician-Educator Academic Career Development
Authors: Martin Shannon K. , Allen-Dicker Joshua , Ricotta Daniel N. , Kwan Brian K.
Published: July 2024

Working groups have tremendous potential to contribute to the academic career development of early-career clinician-educators. These individuals may find themselves engaged in many different working spaces, including working groups or committees such as those found within specialty societies or professional organizations. Such working groups may be underrecognized opportunities for academic skill building and professional growth because they are often characterized as primarily service-oriented, citizenship, or administrative work. Working groups can use their natural cross-institutional collaborations for mentorship and externalization—2 key building blocks for academic success that frequently represent challenges for early-career clinician-educators. In this article, the authors review common challenges that early-career clinician-educators may encounter during their academic development and propose a 3-step tactical framework, the academic catalyst group, that working group leaders can apply to groups to purposefully enhance professional development for clinician-educators. The framework urges working group leaders and members to conceptualize and develop academic catalyst groups as communities of practice by (1) assembling with intention, (2) mining the mission, and (3) finding an easy win. This framework can inspire working group leaders to align their work with academic career development and ultimately foster career growth for all group members.
Outcomes of lung transplantation in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Avdimiretz Nicholas , Halloran Kieran , Benden Christian
Published: July 2024

Purpose of review

Lung transplantation (LTX) has transformed care for people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) suffering from advanced cystic fibrosis lung disease (ACFLD), and it has evolved into an accepted therapy for patients with ACFLD across all ages. We review cystic fibrosis as a major indication for LTX, particularly highlighting outcomes including survival, a changing landscape over time, and factors affecting sequelae following LTX in cystic fibrosis.

Recent findings

Although some populations such as those undergoing lung retransplantation exhibit inferior posttransplant outcomes, LTX for pwCF provides an excellent long-term survival that has significantly improved over time, likely due to specialized cystic fibrosis center care and recognition of common comorbidities in pwCF post-LTX. There are gaps in post-LTX outcomes for pwCF, including that identified between Canada and the United States, and that seen in adolescents – both of which are likely multifactorial. In particular, the revolution in cystic fibrosis medical therapy with CFTR modulator therapy has resulted in a dramatic decline in programs performing LTX for cystic fibrosis. How durable this effect will remains to be seen.

Overall, LTX remains a well accepted ultimate therapy option in patients with ACFLD if compatible with the individual's goals of care, offering an improved quality of life and maximization of overall survival.
Harnessing CRISPR interference to re-sensitize laboratory strains and clinical isolates to last resort antibiotics
Authors: Chiacchiera Angelica Frusteri , Casanova Michela , Bellato Massimo , Piazza Aurora , Migliavacca Roberta , Batt Gregory , Magni Paolo , Pasotti Lorenzo
Published: July 2024

The global race against antimicrobial resistance requires novel antimicrobials that are not only effective in killing specific bacteria, but also minimize the emergence of new resistances. Recently, CRISPR/Cas-based antimicrobials were proposed to address killing specificity with encouraging results. However, the emergence of target sequence mutations triggered by Cas-cleavage was identified as an escape strategy, posing the risk of generating new antibiotic-resistance gene (ARG) variants. Here, we evaluated an antibiotic re-sensitization strategy based on CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), which inhibits gene expression without damaging target DNA. The resistance to four antibiotics, including last resort drugs, was significantly reduced by individual and multi-gene targeting of ARGs in low- to high-copy numbers in recombinantE. coli. Escaper analysis confirmed the absence of mutations in target sequence, corroborating the harmless role of CRISPRi in the selection of new resistances.E. coliclinical isolates carrying ARGs of severe clinical concern were then used to test the robustness of CRISPRi under different growth conditions. Meropenem, colistin and cefotaxime susceptibility was successfully increased in terms of MIC (up to >4-fold) and growth delay (up to 11-hours) in a medium-dependent fashion. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of CRISPRi-mediated re-sensitization to last-resort drugs in clinical isolates. This study laid the foundations for further leveraging CRISPRi as antimicrobial agent or research tool to selectively repress ARGs and investigate resistance mechanisms.
Video Foundation Models for Animal Behavior Analysis
Authors: Sun Jennifer J. , Zhou Hao , Zhao Long , Yuan Liangzhe , Seybold Bryan , Hendon David , Schroff Florian , Ross David A. , Adam Hartwig , Hu Bo , Liu Ting
Published: July 2024

Computational approaches leveraging computer vision and machine learning have transformed the quantification of animal behavior from video. However, existing methods often rely on task-specific features or models, which struggle to generalize across diverse datasets and tasks. Recent advances in machine learning, particularly the emergence of vision foundation models, i.e., large-scale models pre-trained on massive, diverse visual repositories, offers a way to tackle these challenges. Here, we investigate the potential offrozenvideo foundation models across a range of behavior analysis tasks, including classification, retrieval, and localization. We use a single, frozen model to extract general-purpose representations from video data, and perform extensive evaluations on diverse open-sourced animal behavior datasets. Our results demonstrate that features with minimal adaptation from foundation models achieve competitive performance compared to existing methods specifically designed for each dataset, across species, behaviors, and experimental contexts. This highlights the potential of frozen video foundation models as a powerful and accessible backbone for automated behavior analysis, with the ability to accelerate research across diverse fields from neuroscience, to ethology, and to ecology.
Genomic and transcriptomic profiles influence on brain morphology and their interactions with pain sensitivity individual differences
Authors: Pan Yiwen , Zhang Zhiguo , Hao Xiaoke , Huang Gan , Liang Zhen , Zhang Li
Published: July 2024

Pain sensitivity varies widely among individuals and is influenced by a complex interplay of multi-omics factors, including genetic variations, gene expression, and brain morphology. While previous studies have identified associations between pain sensitivity and brain morphology, the exact mechanisms by which genetic profiles interact with brain structure to influence individual pain sensitivity remain unclear. In this study, we used aggregated datasets, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes from 432 healthy participants, along with gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA), to explore this multi-omics interplay. We first measured individual pain thresholds using laser stimuli and discovered structural brain differences between high and low pain sensitivity groups. We then identified two key gene sets with polarized expression patterns linked to brain morphology variations, enriched in functions related to ion channels and transmembrane transporter activities. Further statistical and mediation analyses revealed specific SNPs fromECM1,SLC24A2, andSCN9Agenes that influence pain sensitivity, mediated through brain morphological changes in multiple basal ganglia regions. Our findings suggested that these SNPs not only affect brain structure but also modulate how individuals pain perception. Finally, we proposed an interpretation model integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and neuroimaging data, providing a detailed framework that illustrates the multi-omics contributions to individual difference in pain sensitivity. This study advances our understanding of how genetic and brain structural factors combine to shape pain perception, offering potential targets for personalized pain management strategies.
SMEs internationalization! Market intelligence and entrepreneurial orientation influence on international performance: a moderation model
Authors: Rehman Shafique Ur
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Drawing on resource-orchestration theory (ROT), this study investigates the influence of market intelligence and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on international performance of born global (BG) small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets with the mediating role of global technological competence. Quality focus is used as a moderator between global technological competence and international performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered through a survey, and PLS-SEM was employed for hypotheses testing with a sample of 256 BG SMEs.

Findings

The results showed that market intelligence, EO, global technological competence and quality focus positively relate to international performance. Moreover, market intelligence and EO are positively associated with global technological competence. Besides, global technological competence significantly mediates the relationship between market intelligence, EO and international performance. Finally, quality focus strengthens the positive relationship between global technological competence and international performance.

Practical implications

Our research demonstrates that if management utilizes or invests on market intelligence, EO, global technological competence and quality focus, then the BG SMEs will increase their international performance.

Originality/value

The paper contribution lies in its focus on exogenous constructs (i.e. market intelligence, EO, global technological competence and quality focus) to determine the international performance of born global SMEs in emerging markets.
Desiri Naturals: sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly business
Authors: Saldanha Avil , Veigas Olvin , Aranha Rekha
Published: July 2024

Learning outcomes

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to critically analyze the business model of Desiri Naturals, analyze the pricing strategy of Desiri Naturals, examine the importance of experiential marketing in the success of an environment-friendly business, identify the challenges faced by new entrepreneurs and evaluate the sustainability practices of Desiri Naturals.

Case overview/synopsis

This case study discusses the business model of an environmentally friendly business. The challenges and obstacles faced by entrepreneurs are illustrated in this case. The entrepreneurs’ vision to provide chemical-free food is highlighted and their business operations as a means to fulfill this vision are explained. Desiri used an age-old bull-driven method of oil extraction (Ghana). Challenges in pricing due to the availability of low-priced mass-produced edible oil using the solvent extraction process are presented in this case. The entrepreneurs faced the pricing dilemma at the inception of the business, as oil produced using the natural cold pressing method cost three times the selling pricing of solvent-extracted oil. Innovative methods of experiential marketing such as Ghana tourism are explained in this case. This case study also explains the sustainable and natural farming techniques propagated through its network of farmers. This case study provides insights into the scalability of this model and the scope for employment generation in rural India. The environmentally friendly practices followed by Desiri, such as the use of glass bottles and reusable steel containers for packaging oil are emphasized. Finally, this case presents the marketing and operational challenges faced by entrepreneurs in their quest to expand their operations.

Complexity academic level

This case study can be used by postgraduate and undergraduate students studying marketing, entrepreneurship, sustainability and operations management courses in commerce and business management streams.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS8: Marketing.
Project risk management in practice: the actuality of project risk management in organizations
Authors: Willumsen Pelle Lundquist , Oehmen Josef , Selim Hani Mike Rae
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper explores how risks are managed in project practice beyond formalized risk management processes by applying the lens of actuality research to project risk management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper follows a qualitative multimethod research approach utilizing literature review, interviews, observations and document analysis. The paper is based on three case studies and one interview study in project organizations facing green transition challenges.

Findings

Little work exists to reveal how risk management is actually done by project practitioners, and why. Few studies report on contextual variation and consider confounding factors beyond a “one size fits all” formalized explicit risk management process, despite ample evidence that risks are managed outside the formal process. The study documents that informal and/or implicit risk management activities add significantly more value.

Originality/value

The paper contributes a literature review of research into the actuality of project risk management, a sense-making framework of how risks are managed in practice beyond the formal, explicit risk-management process by including informal and/or implicit risk management activities, an empirical study of risk-management practice highlighting that informal and/or implicit risk-management activities dominate in practice, a discussion of why risks are managed outside formalized, explicit process and a research agenda to enable the design of impactful project risk-management practices.
The importance of positive employee experience and its development through using predictive analytics
Authors: Vereb Donát , Krajcsák Zoltán , Kozák Anita
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The study aims to explore the organizational benefits of positive employee experience and to provide a framework for measuring it. The positive employee experience has a profound impact on employees’ attitudes; thus, it is particularly important to what extent an organization can create the conditions supporting this.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on literature review and the framework needs to be empirically tested to draw final conclusions.

Findings

Organizational performance and success are influenced by employees’ well-being, commitment, job satisfaction and the high level of individual performance. However, this grouping of variables is not exhaustive, but in practice, it is often not necessary to fully understand the complex and complicated relationships among the organizational variables. However, a positive employee experience has an impact on all of these variables. According to our understanding and experience, the task of management is not to strengthen the variables describing employee attitudes individually, based on the knowledge of specific relations presented in the management literature and selected for the sake of a single research, but to create an acceptable level of the positive employee experience, which is able to strengthen these variables in a way that is useful for the organization.

Originality/value

In this study, the authors introduce the concept of the positive employee experience and the ways and steps to measure it. The authors review the methodology of predictive analytics, the main principles of data collection and the types of data with their possible applications. Finally, the limitations of the framework and the risks of enhancing the positive employee experience are also discussed.
Emphasizing family as a source of social support: implications for work-family conflict and job satisfaction among hispanic professionals
Authors: Jacobson Ryan P. , Jacobson Kathryn J.L. , DelCampo Robert G.
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Although Hispanics represent a large and growing proportion of the US workforce, little is known regarding the possible effects of their somewhat unique cultural values, beliefs, and practices on their experiences of work-family conflict or job satisfaction. This research tested theoretically derived hypotheses regarding the protective effect of a component of familism values, family as a source of social support, on these outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A moderated mediation model was tested using survey data from Hispanic professionals (N = 103).

Findings

As predicted, family support was negatively related to work interfering with family (WIF) and positively related to job satisfaction. WIF mediated the relationship between family support and job satisfaction. Additionally, gender moderated this mediated relationship such that the effects were stronger for Hispanic women than men.

Research limitations/implications

Generalizability of the results should be explored by employing larger samples that include longer tenured workers, employees with higher degrees of management experience, and additional Hispanic subgroups. Results contribute to a growing body of research demonstrating beneficial effects of familism values for Hispanics.

Practical implications

Results suggest that organizations may benefit from taking active steps to support familism values among Hispanic workers.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study to explore the possible benefits of family support values on workplace outcomes.
Military connections, corporate governance and corporate tax avoidance
Authors: Abdul Wahab Effiezal Aswadi , Wardani Damara Ardelia Kusuma , Harymawan Iman , Nasih Mohammad
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between military connections and tax avoidance in Indonesia. Further, the paper examines whether the relationship between military connections and tax avoidance is impacted by three corporate governance variables: auditor size or Big 4, board size and audit committee independence. Indonesia's settings allow for a unique investigation, as military involvement has been documented.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses Indonesia as the research setting because its military forces have a long history of business involvement. The sample includes 1,986 firm-year observations on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2010 to 2018. The period signifies the time of significant change post-Suharto to illustrate changes in military reform.

Findings

Military-connected firms recorded a negative relationship with effective tax rates, indicating higher tax avoidance. The authors extend this test by considering three corporate governance variables: Big 4, board size and audit committee independence. They find the corporate governance variables are ineffective in mitigating the positive impact of military-connected firms and corporate tax avoidance. The results remain consistent when performing endogeneity tests.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the extant literature by examining the impact of military connections on tax avoidance. The findings reflect Indonesia's institutional settings depicting military and political connections.
Key stakeholders and their roles in modern slavery monitoring, detection and disclosure: a systematic literature review
Authors: McLaren Eric , Salampasis Dimitrios , Busulwa Richard , Baldegger Rico Johannes , Wild Pascal
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Even though extant research highlights the crucial role some stakeholders play in helping corporations understand, manage and mitigate the occurrence of modern slavery in their supply chains and operations, there is a fundamental lack of understanding of all the relevant stakeholder groups and the specific roles they play. By adopting a stakeholder theory approach, this study aims to identify all the key stakeholders and their associated roles towards supporting corporations’ modern slavery monitoring, detection and disclosure activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was conducted by following the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant literature included scholarly work focusing on the identification of key stakeholders and the roles they play in enabling corporations’ modern slavery monitoring, detection and disclosure activities.

Findings

Nine stakeholder groups and their roles were identified, such as governments, workers, IGOs, NGOs and suppliers. Examples of performed activities include conducting audits, providing training, monitoring occurrences of modern slavery, enforcing regulations, reporting on labour issues and evaluating corporations’ modern slavery reports.

Practical implications

A comprehensive understanding of key stakeholders and their roles enables better collaboration towards achieving transparency within corporations’ supply chains and operations. Other stakeholders can leverage these findings to enhance modern slavery reporting activities.

Social implications

Clarity regarding key stakeholders and their roles may improve quality and quantity of reported modern slavery information, enhancing corporations’ public accountability.

Originality/value

This study adopts a stakeholder theory approach to provide a comprehensive understanding of key stakeholders and their roles in enhancing corporations’ modern slavery reporting activities.
Business and human rights as Swedish foreign policy: The soft implementation of international regulatory norms
Authors: Higham Ian
Published: July 2024

This article aims to explain why national governments choose soft policies in the domestication of international norms even when those norms may explicitly call for harder measures. The article achieves this aim by exploring domestic adoption of National Action Plans (NAPs) for implementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The UNGPs are an international soft law instrument that calls for a mix of voluntary and mandatory policies to promote human rights due diligence, and NAPs are soft domestic policy instruments that lack the bindingness of mandatory due diligence legislation now found in several states. Most governments with NAPs have adopted them specifically as foreign policies, treating them not as regulatory initiatives but as tools for enhancing national reputations. Using a range of primary and secondary sources, the article constructs a case study of Sweden to explain why governments might opt for softer implementation of the UNGPs in the form of NAPs. It draws several conclusions: (1) governments may emulate the approach to domesticating international regulatory norms that is promoted by international organisations; (2) support from domestic actors motivates norm implementation, and the policy style selected is likely to reflect power constellations in the state and, under consensus‐based governance systems, the lowest common denominator of actor preferences; and (3) path dependency following institutional venue selection influences the type of policy developed and adopted. These findings shed new light on the reasons why international policy norms are implemented in ‘softer’ ways than perhaps intended by their architects.
Urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse symptoms 20–26 years after childbirth: A longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Hagen S. , Sellers C. , Elders A. , Glazener C. , MacArthur C. , Toozs‐Hobson P. , Hemming C. , Herbison P. , Wilson D.
Published: July 2024

Objective

To investigate pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD; urinary incontinence (UI), faecal incontinence (FI) and prolapse) ≥20 years after childbirth and their association with delivery mode history and demographic characteristics.

Design

Cohort study with long‐term follow‐up.

Setting

Maternity units in Aberdeen and Birmingham (UK) and Dunedin (NZ).

Population

Women giving birth in 1993/1994.

Methods

Postal questionnaires at 20 (New Zealand) or 26 (United Kingdom) years after index birth (n = 6195). Regression analyses investigated associations between risk factors and UI, FI and prolapse symptoms.

Main Outcome Measures

Prevalence of self‐reported UI, FI, ‘something coming down’ from or in the vagina (SCD), and the Pelvic Organ Prolapse‐Symptom Score, and relationships with delivery method.

Results

Thirty‐seven per cent (n = 2270) responded at 20/26 years, of whom 61% reported UI (59% of whom reported more severe UI), 22% FI and 17% prolapse symptoms. Having only caesarean section (CS) was associated with a significantly lower risk of UI (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.46–0.85), FI (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.42–0.96) and SCD (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27–0.74) compared to only spontaneous vaginal deliveries (SVDs). Having any forceps delivery was associated with reporting FI compared to only SVDs (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.00–1.66), but there was no association for UI (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.76–1.19) or SCD (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.80–1.38). Higher current BMI was associated with all PFD outcomes.

Conclusions

Prevalence of PFD continues to increase up to 26 years following index birth, and differences were observed according to delivery mode history. Exclusive CS was associated with less risk of UI, FI and any prolapse symptoms.
Evaluating equity in a national virtual care management intervention: Delivery and outcomes by race/ethnicity among Veterans with hypertension and diabetes
Authors: Marcotte Leah M. , Wheat Chelle L. , Rao Mayuree , Wong Edwin S. , Hebert Paul , Nelson Karin , Rojas Jorge , Gunnink Eric J. , Reddy Ashok
Published: July 2024

Objective

To evaluate whether the Preventive Health Inventory (PHI)—a virtual care management intervention addressing hypertension and diabetes management implemented nationally in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)—was delivered equitably among racial/ethnic groups and if existing inequities in hypertension and diabetes outcomes changed following PHI receipt.

Data Sources and Study Setting

We used data from the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse among Veterans enrolled in primary care nationally from February 28, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

Study Design

We used logistic regression to evaluate PHI receipt and hypertension and diabetes outcomes after PHI implementation among Veterans with hypertension and/or diabetes. We conducted unadjusted analyses and analyses adjusting for clinic fixed effects using dummy variables.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

We identified Veterans engaged in primary care with documented race/ethnicity and hypertension and/or diabetes diagnoses in all months during the study period.

Principle Findings

Prior to PHI, Non‐Hispanic Black (NHB) (42.2%) and Hispanic (39.5%) Veterans were less likely to have controlled hypertension vs. Non‐Hispanic White (NHW) Veterans (47.5%); NHB Veterans (32.9%) were more likely to have uncontrolled diabetes vs. NHW Veterans (25.1%). Among 1,805,658 Veterans, 5.7% NHW (N = 68,744), 5.6% NHB (N = 22,580), 10.2% Hispanic (N = 13,313), 6.2% Asian/Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian (N = 1868), 5.1% American Indian/Native Alaskan (N = 744), and 5.6% multiple races or other race (N = 1647) Veterans received PHI. We found no significant racial inequities in PHI receipt in unadjusted and adjusted models. Hypertension and diabetes measures improved more in the intervention group compared with the group who did not receive the intervention. There were no new or worsened inequities after PHI, and in pre‐/post‐intervention analysis, among NHB Veterans, the inequity in uncontrolled diabetes improved by 1.9 percentage points (95% CI 0.2, 3.6).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest the PHI intervention was equitably deployed across race/ethnicity groups without significantly impacting most existing inequities in diabetes and hypertension.
Making the most of what we have: What does the future hold for Emergency Department data?
Authors: Craig Simon , O'Reilly Gerard M , Egerton‐Warburton Diana , Jones Peter , Than Martin P , Tran Viet , Taniar David , Moore Katie , Alvandi Abraham , Tuxen‐Vu Joseph , Wong Anselm , Morphet Julia , Pilcher David , Cameron Peter
Published: July 2024

Over 10 million ED visits occur each year across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Outside basic administrative data focused on time‐based targets, there is minimal information about clinical performance, quality of care, patient outcomes, or equity in emergency care. The lack of a timely, accurate or clinically useful data collection represents a missed opportunity to improve the care we deliver each day. The present paper outlines a proposal for a National Acute Care Secure Health Data Environment, including design, possible applications, and the steps taken to date by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine ED Epidemiology Network in collaboration with the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Optimal use of the existing information collected routinely during clinical care of emergency patients has the potential to enable data‐driven quality improvement and research, leading to better care and better outcomes for millions of patients and families each year.