bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Challenges of Urinary Schistosomiasis Among Adolescent Immigrants in New York City: A Report of Three Cases
Authors: Shaoba Asma , Hammerschlag Margaret R. , Bamgbola Oluwatoyin F.
Published: February 2023

Urinary schistosomiasis is endemic in the tropical world. It is uncommon in geographical areas with advanced public health resources. Modern immigration from endemic communities to the United States supports the need to improve our diagnostic awareness. We describe 3 Brooklyn adolescent immigrants from Africa with urinary schistosomiasis, all of whom had an initial misdiagnosis that led to delay in therapeutic intervention.
Candidates selection for oocyte donation in a public gamete bank—Predictive value of the anti-Müllerian hormone
Authors: Vale-Fernandes Emídio , Barreiro Márcia , Monteiro Mariana P.
Published: February 2023

Background:

Infertility treatments with oocyte donation are becoming frequent. Recruitment of oocyte donors is a demanding and costly process and therefore of crucial importance. The selection of the oocyte donors undergoes a rigorous evaluation process of the candidates with routine measurement of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels (ovarian reserve test). Our aim was to assess whether AMH levels could act as a good marker as tool to select the donor candidates and correlate them with the ovarian response to stimulation with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol as well as to identify and validate the appropriate AMH level threshold by correlating it with the number of oocytes retrieved.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of the oocyte donors' clinical records was performed.

Results:

The mean age of the participants was 27 years. The ovarian reserve evaluation showed a mean AMH of 5.20 ng/mL. An average number of 16 oocytes was retrieved (12 mature oocytes MII). AMH levels showed a statistically significant positive correlation with the number of total oocytes retrieved. A threshold value of AMH = 3.2 ng/mL predictive of the retrieval <12 oocytes (areas under the curve, 0.7364; 95% confidence interval: 0.529–0.944) was identified by receiver operating characteristic curve. Using this cutoff, the normal response (12 oocytes) was predicted with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 60%.

Conclusions:

The measurement of AMH may be a determining factor in the choice of the oocyte donor candidates to maximize the response to requests from beneficiaries who require donor oocytes to perform assisted reproductive technique cycles.
A study of the relationship between serum uric acid levels and pain in patients with migraine
Authors: Altunkaynak Yavuz , Keskek Asli , Donmezler Suleyman , Yazar Tamer , Olgun Hulya , Delen Firuze , Kurt Sabitay Imren , Ozturk Musa , Ertem Devrimsel Harika
Published: February 2023

Serum uric acid (SUA), the end product of purine metabolism acts as an antioxidant and is related to oxidative stress. It has been reported that SUA may be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, and multiple sclerosis. However, studies evaluating SUA levels in migraine are scarce. This study aimed to explore the relationship between pain characteristics and SUA levels in patients with migraine and compare SUA levels in migraine patients during a headache attack and headache-free period with those control groups. This prospective, cross-sectional study included 78 patients with migraine and 78 healthy subjects who were randomly selected from hospital personnel as the control group. Headache characteristics (duration of attack, pain intensity, and headache frequency) and sociodemographic features were recorded. The SUA level was measured once in the control group and twice in the migraine patients, during the migraine attack and headache-free periods. Although the SUA levels of the migraine group in the headache-free period were higher than those of the control group, the difference was not statistically significant. Gender was not significantly related to the change in SUA levels between the attack and headache-free period. When the correlation between age, duration of migraine, frequency, duration, and intensity of pain was evaluated; the difference between SUA levels in female migraine patients was weakly correlated with headache intensity, whereas male patients had a moderate correlation. (P < .05; R > 0.250, and R > 0.516, respectively). The difference in SUA level in the migraine attack period compared to the headache-free period showing a positive correlation with pain intensity suggested that SUA may have a role in migraine due to its antioxidant role.
20 million pregnant women with group B streptococcus carriage: consequences, challenges, and opportunities for prevention
Authors: Paul Proma , Gonçalves Bronner P. , Le Doare Kirsty , Lawn Joy E.
Published: February 2023

Purpose of review

Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) is currently the only recommended preventive approach against clinical consequences of maternal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization. In this review, we discuss new findings of total perinatal GBS burden and relative effectiveness of differing targeting of IAP, notably microbiology-based and risk factor-based screening, including potential limitations. Finally, we provide updates on maternal GBS vaccines and their potential cost-effectiveness in disease reduction.

Recent findings

Updated estimates of the burden of GBS related to pregnancy outcomes show (1) early-onset GBS disease incidence and deaths are high in some low- and middle-income countries where IAP has not been implemented and (2) late-onset GBS disease, preterm birth, and stillbirth, which are not preventable by IAP, remain a public health problem in both high and low-middle income settings. Observational evidence indicates that microbiology-based screening may be more effective than risk factor-based screening, but even in high-income countries, compliance is imperfect. To address the need for alternative prevention strategies, several maternal vaccine candidates are in clinical development, and modelling suggests these could be cost-effective in most scenarios.

Recent progress in GBS vaccine research holds promise of reducing the large and preventable burden of mortality and disability caused by GBS disease, especially in higher-burden settings where clinical and laboratory services may be limited. Importantly vaccines also hold potential to prevent GBS stillbirths and GBS-associated preterm births.
Racial disparities in early adverse events and unplanned readmission after open fixation of fractures distal to the knee
Authors: Xu Amy L. , Raad Micheal , Shafiq Babar , Srikumaran Uma , Aiyer Amiethab A.
Published: February 2023

Objectives:

To determine whether (1) early postoperative complications and (2) time to surgery for operative fixation of fractures distal to the knee differ for Black versus White patients and to assess whether disparities exist within fracture subtypes.

Design:

Retrospective database review.

Setting:

Hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.

Patients/Participants:

Patients (18 years or older) undergoing open fixation of fractures distal to the knee between 2010 and 2019 (n = 9172 patients).

Intervention:

Open reduction and internal fixation of fractures distal to the knee.

Main Outcome Measurements:

Thirty-day postoperative complications and time to surgery by race, as compared by multivariable regression with nearest-neighbor propensity score matching.

Results:

Of the 9172 patients in our cohort, 1120 (12%) were Black. After matching, we identified 1120 White patients with equal propensity scores as our Black patients. Black patients had 1.5 times higher odds (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0–2.0) of experiencing any early adverse event when compared with matched White counterparts. Black patients also had 1.9 times higher odds (95% CI: 1.2–3.0) of requiring unplanned readmission within 30 days of operative fixation. There were no significant differences by race in time to surgery. Fracture subtype (tibia/fibula shaft, isolated malleolar, bi/trimalleolar, and pilon fractures) was not associated with postoperative complications or time to surgery in the multivariable analysis.

Conclusion:

Racial disparities in the early postoperative course after open fixation of fractures distal to the knee exist, with significantly higher rates of early adverse events and unplanned readmission persist for Black versus White patients after propensity matching.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic level III.
REBOA for the Treatment of Blast Polytrauma: Zone 3 Provides Cerebral Perfusion, Attenuates Organ Dysfunction and Reperfusion Coagulopathy Compared to Zone 1 in a Swine Model
Authors: Cralley Alexis L. , Moore Ernest E. , Sauaia Angela , Carani Pedro H. , Schaid Terry R. , DeBot Margot , Fragoso Miguel , Ghasabyan Arsen , Hansen Kirk , Cohen Mitchell J. , Silliman Christopher C. , Fox Charles J.
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a lifesaving therapy for hemorrhagic shock following pelvic/lower extremity injuries in military settings. However, Zone 1 aortic occlusion (AO; above the celiac artery), while providing brain/cardiac perfusion, may induce/worsen visceral ischemia and organ dysfunction. In contrast, AO Zone 3 (below the renal arteries) provides abdominal perfusion potentially minimizing ischemia/reperfusion injury. We hypothesized that, compared with AO Zone 1, AO Zone 3 provides neuro/cardioprotection while minimizing visceral ischemia and reperfusion coagulopathy after severe traumatic hemorrhage due to pelvic/lower extremity injuries.

METHODS

Fifty-kilogram male Yorkshire swine underwent a blast polytrauma injury followed by a resuscitation protocol with randomization to no AO (No AO, n = 6) or AO with REBOA at Zone 1 (AO Zone 1; n = 6) or Zone 3 (AO Zone 3; n = 4). Vital signs and intracranial pressure (ICP) were monitored for 240 minutes. Citrate native and tissue plasminogen activator challenge thrombelastography, prothrombin time, creatinine, lipase, total bilirubin, troponin, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays protein levels were measured at set intervals.

RESULTS

Both AO groups had significant increases in mean arterial pressure during aortic occlusion. All three groups had significant increases in ICP, but final ICP in the No AO group (26 ± 5.8 mm Hg) was significantly elevated compared with AO Zone 1 (17 ± 5.2 mm Hg) and AO Zone 3 (16 ± 4.2 mm Hg) (p < 0.01). The final mean troponin in the No AO group (4.10 ± 5.67 ng/mL) was significantly higher than baseline (0.03 ± 0.02 ng/mL, p < 0.05), while the two AO groups had no significant changes (p > 0.05). AO Zone 1 was the only group associated with hyperfibrinolysis (p < 0.05) and significantly increased prothrombin time (p < 0.05). Only AO Zone 1 group had significantly higher markers of organ damage.

CONCLUSION

Compared with AO Zone 1, AO Zone 3 provided similar neuro/cardioprotection but with less organ dysfunction and coagulopathy. This study suggests that Zone 3 REBOA may be preferable over Zone 1 for treating military relevant blast polytrauma with minimal intra-abdominal and chest trauma, but further clinical investigation is warranted.
Novel Endpoints in Solid Organ Transplantation: Targeting Patient-reported Outcome Measures
Authors: Ju Angela , Cazzolli Rosanna , Howell Martin , Scholes-Robertson Nicole , Wong Germaine , Jaure Allison
Published: February 2023

Although solid organ transplantation improves survival and quality of life in many patients with organ failure, treatment complications and side effects can have debilitating consequences for patients. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) capture how patients feel and function, including quality of life, symptoms, and side effects that are assessed directly by patients. Yet, they remain infrequently reported in trials in solid organ transplantation. Barriers to implementing PROMs in trials include uncertainty in selecting appropriate PROMs, concerns about resources limitations, patient burden, and limited evidence to support the psychometric robustness of measures for use in transplant recipients. In recent years, there have been increasing efforts to include patient-reported outcomes that are important to patients in trials to ensure that trials provide patient-centered information for decision-making. This article will provide an overview of PROMs, discuss PROs that are important to solid organ transplant recipients and those that are used in trials in solid organ transplantation, and outline approaches for selecting PROMs for clinical trials.
Aliidiomarina quisquiliarum sp. nov., isolated from landfill leachate
Authors: Zhang Xuan-qi , Xamxidin Maripat , Li Jing-hang , Zhang Xin-yin , Wang Tao , Chen Can , Wu Min , Ke Han
Published: February 2023

Bacterial strain Y-6T, isolated from a landfill site in Yiwu, PR China, was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, motile by means of a single polar flagellum and formed pale beige colonies. Strain Y-6T grew at 4–40 °C (optimal at 30–37 °C), pH 6.5–9.5 (optimal at pH 7.2–8.5) and in the presence of 0.5–10.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimal at 1.0–3.0 %). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain Y-6T was a member of the genus

Aliidiomarina

and closely related to

Aliidiomarina taiwanensis

MCCC 1A06493T with a 16S rRNA sequence similarity of 98.2 %. The major cellular fatty acids of the isolate were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 and summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1
 ω9c and/or 10-methyl-C16 : 0). Q-8 was the predominant ubiquinone. The major polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, aminoglycophospholipid, aminophospholipid, phospholipid, three glycolipids and two unknown lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 46.6 mol%. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization value between Y-6T and A. taiwanensis MCCC 1A06493T was 18.3 %. Strain Y-6T had an average nucleotide identity value of 74.09 % with A. taiwanensis MCCC 1A06493T. Results from the polyphasic taxonomy study support the conclusion that strain Y-6T represents a novel

Aliidiomarina

species, for which the name Aliidiomarina quisquiliarum sp.nov. is proposed. The type strain is Y-6T (=MCCC 1K06228T=KCTC 82676T).
Corynebacterium megadyptis sp. nov. with two subspecies, Corynebacterium megadyptis subsp. megadyptis subsp. nov. and Corynebacterium megadyptis subsp. dunedinense subsp. nov. isolated from yellow-eyed penguins
Authors: Nouioui Imen , Saunderson Sarah C. , Midwinter Anne C. , Young Melanie J. , McInnes Kate M. , Watts Jim , Sangal Vartul
Published: February 2023

Novel

Corynebacterium

strains, 3BT and 7BT, were isolated from the oral cavities of young chicks of yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho), Megadyptes antipodes. A polyphasic taxonomic characterization of these strains revealed chemotaxonomic, biochemical and morphological features that are consistent with those of the genus

Corynebacterium

. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values between the strains and their closest phylogenetic neighbour,

Corynebacterium ciconiae

CCUG 47525T were 99.07 %, values that are in line with their phylogenomic positions within the evolutionary radiation of the genus

Corynebacterium

. Digital DNA–DNA hybridization values and average nucleotide identities between the genome sequences of the two strains and related

Corynebacterium

species were well below the defined threshold values (70 and 95–96 %, respectively) for prokaryotic species delineation. The genome size of these strains varied between 2.45–2.46 Mb with G+C content 62.7–62.9 mol%. Strains 3BT and 7BT were Gram-stain positive bacilli that were able to grow in presence of 0–10 % (w/v) NaCl and at temperature ranging between 20–37 °C. The major fatty acids (>15 %) were C16 : 0 and C18 : 1
 ω9c, and the mycolic acid profile included 32–36 carbon atoms. We propose that these strains represent a novel species, Corynebacterium megadyptis sp. nov. with 3BT (=DSM 111184T=NZRM 4755T) as the type strain. Phylogenomically, strains 3BT and 7BT belong to two lineages with subtle differences in MALDI-TOF spectra, chemotaxonomic profiles and phenotypic properties. The fatty acid profile of strain 3BT contains C18 : 0 as a predominant type (>15 %), which is a minor component in strain 7BT. Strain 7BT can oxidize N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, l-serine, α-hydroxy-butyric acid, l-malic acid, l-glutamic acid, bromo-succinic acid and l-lactic acid, characteristics not observed in strain 3BT. Therefore, we propose that these strains represent two subspecies, namely Corynebacterium megadyptis subsp. megadyptis subsp. nov. (type strain, 3BT=DSM 111184T=NZRM 4755T) and Corynebacterium megadyptis subsp. dunedinense subsp. nov. (type strain, 7BT=DSM 111183T=NZRM 4756T).
Curing “GFP-itis” in Bacteria with Base Editors: Development of a Genome Editing Science Program Implemented with High School Biology Students
Authors: Vasquez Carlos A. , Evanoff Mallory , Ranzau Brodie L. , Gu Sifeng , Deters Emma , Komor Alexis C.
Published: February 2023

The flexibility and precision of CRISPR-Cas9 and related technologies have made these genome editing tools increasingly popular in agriculture, medicine, and basic science research over the past decade. Genome editing will continue to be relevant and utilized across diverse scientific fields in the future. Given this, students should be introduced to genome editing technologies and encouraged to consider their ethical implications early on in pre-college biology curricula. Furthermore, instruction on this topic presents an opportunity to create partnerships between researchers and educators at the K-12 levels that can strengthen student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To this end, we present a three-day student-centered learning program to introduce high school students to genome editing technologies through a hands-on base editing experiment inE. coli, accompanied by a relevant background lecture and facilitated ethics discussion. This unique partnership aims to educate students and provides a framework for research institutions to implement genome editing outreach programs at local high schools.
Reassessing the Functional Significance of BOLD Variability
Authors: Roberts R.P. , Wiebels K. , Moreau D. , Addis D.R
Published: February 2023

BOLD variability (SDBOLD) has emerged as a unique measure of the adaptive properties of neural systems that facilitate fast, stable responding, based on claims that SDBOLDis independent of mean BOLD signal (meanBOLD) and a powerful predictor of behavioural performance. We challenge these two claims. First, the apparent independence of SDBOLDand meanBOLDmay reflect the presence of deactivations; we hypothesize that while SDBOLDmay not be related to raw meanBOLDit will be linearly related toabsolutemeanBOLD. Second, the observed relationship between SDBOLDand performance may be an artifact of using fixed-length trials longer than response times. Such designs provide opportunities to toggle between on- and off-task states, and fast responders likely engage in more frequent state-switching, thereby artificially elevating SDBOLD. We hypothesize that SDBOLDwill be higher and more strongly related to performance when using such fixed-length trials relative to self-paced trials that terminate upon a response. We test these two hypotheses in an fMRI study using blocks of fixed-length or self-paced trials. Results confirmed both hypotheses: (1) SDBOLDwas robustly related withabsolutemeanBOLD; and (2) toggling between on- and off-task states during fixed-length trials reliably contributed to SDBOLD. Together, these findings suggest that a reappraisal of the functional significance of SDBOLDas a unique marker of cognitive performance is warranted.
Syntheses and crystal structures of bis(4-methylpyridine-κN)bis(selenocyanato-κN)zinc(II) and catena-poly[[bis(4-methylpyridine-κN)cadmium(II)]-di-μ-selenocyanato-κ2
N:Se;κ2
Se:N]
Authors: Näther Christian , Jess Inke
Published: February 2023

The reactions of Zn(NO3)2
.6H2O and Cd(NO3)2
.4H2O with KSeCN and 4-methylpyridine (C6H7N; 4-picoline) lead to the formation of crystals of bis(4-methylpyridine-κN)bis(selenocyanato-κN)zinc(II), [Cd(NCSe)2(C6H7N)2] (1), and catena-poly[[bis(4-methylpyridine-κN)cadmium(II)]-di-μ-selenocyanato-κ2
N:Se;κ2
Se:N], [Cd(NCSe)2(C6H7N)2]
n
(2), suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The asymmetric unit of compound 1 consists of one Zn cation that is located on a twofold rotation axis as well as one selenocyanate anion and one 4-methylpyridine ligand in general positions. The Zn cations are tetrahedrally coordinated by two terminal N-bonding thiocyanate anions and two 4-methylpyridine ligands, forming discrete complexes. The asymmetric unit of compound 2 consists of two crystallographically independent Cd cations, of which one is located on a twofold rotation axis and the second on a center of inversion, as well as two crystallographically independent selenocyanate anions and two crystallographically independent 4-methylpyridine ligands in general positions. The Cd cations are octahedrally coordinated by two N- and two S-bonding selenocyanate anions and two 4-methylpyridine ligands and are linked into chains by pairs of selenocyanate anions. Within the chains, the Cd cations show an alternating cis–cis–trans and all-trans coordination and therefore, the chains are corrugated. PXRD investigations prove that the Zn compound was obtained as a pure phase and that the Cd compound contains a very small amount of an additional and unknown phase. In the IR spectrum of 1, the CN stretching vibration of the selenocyanate anion is observed at 2072 cm−1, whereas in the 2 it is shifted to 2094 cm−1, in agreement with the crystal structures.
Interventionist research in management accounting: promoting engagement through face-to-face dialogues
Authors: Quarchioni Sonia , Chiucchi Maria Serena
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper explores face-to-face dialogues between practitioners and interventionist researchers in the management accounting (MA) field during real-time interactions for the development of accounting devices. It aims to shed light on whether and how these dialogues can affect the construction of meanings around the devices, thereby influencing the course of interventionist research (IVR) projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a reflective analysis (both in itinere and ex-post) of an IVR project conducted by one of the authors within a healthcare organisation. It draws on a dialogical perspective to delve into the conversations between the author and the organisation's chief executive officer (CEO) during one-to-one meetings for developing a new strategic dashboard.

Findings

The findings show that a lack of alignment between the images invoked by verbal forms and the device representations can hinder accounting IVR projects. Obstacles can be overcome when the researcher, by acting upon verbal forms and device representations that mutually reinforce each other, shapes the practitioner's expectations creating shared meanings around the device. This occurs during face-to-face interactions in which the researcher recognises the trialogue with the practitioner and the device, thereby affecting the practitioner's mode of engagement.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to improving the understanding of how researchers can affect practitioners' conceptualisation of accounting devices through the real-time experience of face-to-face dialogues. In doing so, it sheds light on the potential for IVR in MA to embrace a dialogical perspective. The paper also contributes more broadly to studies on the relationship between verbal and written accounting forms.
The corporate governance lifecycle in emerging markets – the case of the Republic of Korea
Authors: McNally Bridget , O’Connor Thomas
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of the corporate lifecycle on the corporate governance practices of firms in the Republic of Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use five corporate lifecycle measures and corporate governance scores from Black et al. (2012) to estimate governance-prediction models inclusive of corporate lifecycles measures for a sample of 497 Republic of Korea firms over the 1998–2004 period.

Findings

The authors find little evidence which points to a corporate governance lifecycle for firms in the Republic of Korea. The findings suggest that factors other than firm lifecycle best explain the corporate governance practices of firms in Korea.

Originality/value

Using a battery of lifecycle measures and corporate governance indexes and subindexes, the authors believe this paper represents the most rigorous study yet to study the corporate governance lifecycle in an emerging market economy, namely, the Republic of Korea.
The role of corporate venture capitalists in supporting the growth of their backed start-ups
Authors: Benkraiem Ramzi , Gonçalves Duarte , Shuwaikh Fatima
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Building on the venture capital (VC) literature, this paper aims to study the impact of the value added by corporate venture capitalists (CVCs) on their funded companies by comparing its IPO valuation with its independent venture capitalists (IVCs) peers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a sample of 3,719 VC-backed ventures, between the years 1998 and 2020. The empirical analysis focuses on the propensity score matching approach, pairing ventures based on their probability of being funded by CVCs, and consequently, interpret the results derived from the valuation multiple ratios between the “nearest neighbors.”

Findings

This study finds that companies funded by CVCs can achieve higher valuations at their IPO compared to IVC-backed companies. Moreover, CVC-backed companies outperformance is mainly driven by startups which hold a technological fit with their CVC investor, with higher technological overlaps being translated into more significant valuations.

Research limitations/implications

This study presents systematic evidence to the subject concerning ventures’ type of investors and its effect on the startups’ IPO valuations.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to the enrichment of the industry’s literacy while also easing entrepreneurs’ decisions when choosing a funding partner. CVCs offer a variety of services and support that fits the specific needs of their funded companies.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the role of CVCs as a tool to help venture growth.
Influencing factors of young people’s short video switching behaviour based on grounded theory
Authors: Chen Xin , Liu Yingxi
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore the switching behaviour of short video (SV) users and its influencing factors and promote the sustainable development of SV platforms (SVPs) and the marketing strategy formulation of library and information institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the qualitative research method of semi-structured interviews and grounded theory, this study conducts an exploratory study on the user switching phenomenon of an SVP. The authors encoded the interview text at three levels, extracted the factors influencing user switching behaviour on an SVP and constructed the corresponding theoretical model.

Findings

This study identifies the following major internal and external factors influencing user switching behaviour of SVP: platform quality, social environment, individual characteristics and use needs. It also elaborates on the impact of these internal and external factors on user switching behaviour.

Originality/value

This study explored the factors influencing SV user switching behaviour and constructed corresponding theoretical models, enriching research in information technology and social media switching. In practice, this study helped the existing SVPs and library and information institutions establish a corresponding early warning mechanism to prevent the loss of existing users and attract new users.
Measuring altmetric events: the need for longer observation period and article level computations
Authors: Karmakar Mousumi , Singh Vivek Kumar , Banshal Sumit Kumar
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impact of the data observation period on the computation of altmetric measures like velocity index (VI) and half-life. Furthermore, it also attempts to determine whether article-level computations are better than computations on the whole of the data for computing such measures.

Design/methodology/approach

The complete publication records for the year 2016 indexed in Web of Science and their altmetric data (original tweets) obtained from PlumX are obtained and analysed. The creation date of articles is taken from Crossref. Two time-dependent variables, namely, half-life and VI are computed. The altmetric measures are computed for all articles at different observation points, and by using whole group as well as article-level averaging.

Findings

The results show that use of longer observation period significantly changes the values of different altmetric measures computed. Furthermore, use of article-level delineation is advocated for computing different measures for a more accurate representation of the true values for the article distribution.

Research limitations/implications

The analytical results show that using different observation periods change the measured values of the time-related altmetric measures. It is suggested that longer observation period should be used for appropriate measurement of altmetric measures. Furthermore, the use of article-level delineation for computing the measures is advocated as a more accurate method to capture the true values of such measures.

Practical implications

The research work suggests that altmetric mentions accrue for a longer period than the commonly believed short life span and therefore the altmetric measurements should not be limited to observation of early accrued data only.

Social implications

The present study indicates that use of altmetric measures for research evaluation or other purposes should be based on data for a longer observation period and article-level delineation may be preferred. It contradicts the common belief that tweet accumulation about scholarly articles decay quickly.

Originality/value

Several studies have shown that altmetric data correlate well with citations and hence early altmetric counts can be used to predict future citations. Inspired by these findings, majority of such monitoring and measuring exercises have focused mainly on capturing immediate altmetric event data for articles just after the publication of the paper. This paper demonstrates the impact of the observation period and article-level aggregation on such computations and suggests to use a longer observation period and article-level delineation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first such study of its kind and presents novel findings.
Firm’s readiness for halal food standard adoption: assessing the importance of traceability system
Authors: Najmi Arsalan , Ahmed Waqar , Jahangir Samia
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to consider factors that play an important role in adopting the halal food standard (HFS) among food manufacturers in Pakistan and to investigate the role of the traceability system in the compliance of the halal assurance system (HAS).

Design/methodology/approach

Present study included data from a survey by 134 professionals/food technologists from the food industry, and partial least square-structural equation modeling was applied.

Findings

The results indicate that consumer pressure, industry competition, marketing functions, operational improvement and the organization’s commitment have a significant impact on HFS adoption, while government regulations have an insignificant impact. The results also indicate that the HFS’s adoption and lack of a traceability system significantly impact HAS.

Research limitations/implications

The current study’s findings are inconclusive. Hence, future researchers are suggested to further explore the studied phenomena, especially in other research settings.

Practical implications

For policymakers, the findings of this study offer valuable information as it not only benefits the industry but will also assist in providing better and safer halal food products to consumers.

Originality/value

This study highlights the importance of the adoption of HFS and compliance with HAS in a scenario where demand for Halal is increasing globally. Moreover, the findings of this study offer valuable information in motivating firms to implement HFS.
Distributed innovation, knowledge re-orchestration, and digital product innovation performance: the moderated mediation roles of intellectual property protection and knowledge exchange activities
Authors: Tang Hongjuan , Xie Yu , Liu Yunqing , Boadu Francis
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Despite the support of digital technology, there is a high degree of ambiguity and fluidity in the boundaries of digital products. This is because the addition of distributed innovation entities has an impact on the scope and scale of digital product innovation. Building upon the knowledge orchestration perspective, this study aims to construct a theoretical model, comprising distributed innovation, knowledge reorchestration and digital product innovation performance, and discuss the moderating roles of intellectual property protection and knowledge exchange activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 362 Chinese science and technology enterprises, the scholarship’s framework and hypotheses were tested using regression and bootstrap analysis.

Findings

The results confirm that distributed innovation positively enhances enterprises’ digital product innovation performance; knowledge reorchestration plays a partial mediating role in the linkage amongst distributed innovation and digital product innovation performance; and intellectual property protection and knowledge exchange activities negatively and positively moderate the mediating role of knowledge reorchestration amongst distributed innovation and digital product innovation performance, respectively.

Originality/value

This empirical scholarship explores the effect mechanism of intellectual property protection, knowledge exchange activities and knowledge reorchestration on the linkage amongst distributed innovation and digital product innovation performance. This paper expands the theoretical application of distributed innovation, knowledge orchestration and other related theories in the context of the digital economy and further provides a policymaking reference for the improvement of enterprises’ digital product innovations.
Editorial: Interdisciplinary research in services marketing
Authors: Christofi Michael , Kvasova Olga , Hadjielias Elias
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the importance of interdisciplinary services marketing research and identify basic prerequisites for inter-disciplinary work in the field of services marketing, and to offer directions to services marketing scholars regarding future interdisciplinary research work.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on the available literature, the authors argue for the importance of interdisciplinary research in services marketing. The authors also develop a framework featuring “the key challenges impeding interdisciplinarity”, which need to be addressed to shift the services marketing field towards more sensible interdisciplinarity. Further, based on literature synthesis from different disciplines, they provide a framework with “four future research avenues for interdisciplinary research in services marketing”.

Findings

The authors identify five challenges that can likely impede services marketing research from progressing into true interdisciplinary work: limited cross-pollination, limited paradoxical thinking, limited conceptual development, limited cross-disciplinary collaboration and “inside–out” focus. The authors also propose four future research avenues to drive interdisciplinary research in the services marketing field: integration of services marketing and information management; linguistic perspectives in services marketing research; the interface between services marketing and medicine; and consumer personality and values in services marketing.

Originality/value

The authors propose two novel frameworks. The first concerns the key challenges of interdisciplinarity in services marketing research and the second provides avenues to drive future interdisciplinary services marketing research.
The landscape of “quality circles for education” – a structured analysis
Authors: Abukhader Sajed M.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Quality circles (QCir) method is one tool of favorable effects on organisational change. However, usage of the QCir method for the development of education is still a perplexing, scattered and scarcely attended domain. This paper aims at defining boundaries of categories of topics that could be considered relevant discussions to this domain.

Design/methodology/approach

With the basis of Soft Systems Methodology theory and concept development research method, this paper structured a taxonomy of categories of topics. Additionally, this paper afterwards performed a structured analysis, based on the taxonomy, of the total literature relevant to the “quality circles for education” domain.

Findings

The results revealed that this line of interest, although limitedly researched, is still alive today, and not dead as was claimed in some studies. However, the core and amount of empirical evidence is yet insufficient for the necessary progress of knowledge of this domain due to the type of research methods used most of the time. Also, fortunately, because of the tabulated structure, the analysis clearly showed the niche topics under this area that are ripe ground for new research. Furthermore, this paper has shed light on another possible future line of research that plugs this domain into a set of synonym circles used in the pedagogy realm.

Originality/value

This paper introduced land marks and border for a subject that was left limitedly visited and scattered for some time, although it was positively praised in several studies. This paper developed a taxonomy as well as drawn the landscape of the subject via performing a comprehensive structured analysis of the relevant literature.
The Great Resignation in the UK – reality, fake news or something in between?
Authors: Marks Abigail
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this review is to understand whether “The Great Resignation” has emerged as a concept within the popular media and academic because it is based on fact or whether it has emerged because it broadly aligns with a dominant neoliberal ideology.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper critically reviews United Kingdom (UK) government data to establish evidence for “The Great Resignation”. Thus, the purpose is to understand whether there has been an increased propensity for workers to leave or change their jobs due to attitudinal changes emerging from the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Findings

Based on this review, there is limited evidence that “The Great Resignation” has been occurring within the UK. Nonetheless, there have been extensive commentries in both the popular press and academic outlets that have been attempting to evidence the phenomenon. Some of academic writing is drirven by narratives emerging from the press which should thus warrent consideration of the extent to which academics are losing control over conceptual and theoretical development.

Originality/value

The key contribution that is made by this piece is the questioning of concepts that have entered the common vernacular. Concepts such as “The Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting” have, for the most part, gained popularity through social media. This paper looks at “The Great Resignation” and warns of the possibility that social media maybe a significant threat to robust academic theorisation.
Diaspora engagement in tourism crisis recovery: the case of Indonesia
Authors: Cahyanto Ignatius , Liu-Lastres Bingjie , Gallagher William
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Diasporas represent a unique yet often overlooked stakeholder in tourism crisis management. Their strong bonds with their homeland often result in continued engagement with an extended community, which is valuable to their homeland during unsettling times. This study aims to examine the engagement of the Indonesian diaspora in the USA to revive tourism in Indonesia during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and their motivation behind such efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is rooted in a social constructivism paradigm and uses a qualitative approach. Four focus groups (n = 25) and ten individual interviews with the Indonesian diaspora in the USA were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to identify major themes.

Findings

The findings indicate that diaspora engagement stemmed from two broad categories: social activism, such as information liaison, skills and knowledge transfer, and economic activism, including philanthropic activities, investment and remittance and return-home travel. Both altruistic and social exchange motives drive their continuous engagement. The findings exemplify “diaspora diplomacy” that can be harnessed as social capital for homeland tourism recovery post-crisis.

Originality/value

This study provides an in-depth analysis of diaspora engagement in destination recovery. This study highlights the importance of diasporas as social capital for destinations and offers insights into tourism crisis management by incorporating this overlooked stakeholder group.
Inca builders at Machu Picchu National Archaeological Park
Authors: Sieczkowska Dominika , Anna Kubicka‐Sowińska , Bastante Jose M.
Published: February 2023

Knowledge about the Inca measurement system is based on information from the colonial chronicles and modern studies of the 16th‐century Quechua dictionaries. Based on those texts, we can presume that the Incas used an anthropometric system of measurement adopted from the proportions of the human body. Using cosine quantogram analysis and statistical verification, it is possible to verify the existence of the measurement system used by the Inca architects. For this purpose, a measurement series of architectural and water infrastructure elements were collected from 3D point cloud of the Chachabamba and Machu Picchu settlements in Machupicchu National Archaeological Park.
Prognostic relevance of tumor‐resident memory T cells in metastatic lymph nodes of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Natsuki Seiji , Tanaka Hiroaki , Nishiyama Masaki , Mori Takuya , Deguchi Sota , Miki Yuichiro , Yoshii Mami , Tamura Tatsuro , Toyokawa Takahiro , Lee Shigeru , Maeda Kiyoshi
Published: February 2023

Tumor‐resident memory T (TRM) cells in primary tumors are reportedly associated with a favorable prognosis in several malignancies. However, the behaviors and functions of TRM cells in regional lymph nodes (LNs) of esophageal cancer remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of TRM cells in regional LNs of esophageal cancer on clinicopathological findings and prognosis. Specimens of esophageal cancer and primary metastatic LNs (recurrent nerve LNs) were obtained from 84 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy between 2011 and 2017. We performed immunohistochemistry to enumerate and analyze TRM cells, and used flow cytometry to investigate the function of TRM cells. TRM cells were observed in both metastatic LNs and primary tumors. TRM cell‐rich specimens exhibited reduced lymphatic invasion and LN metastasis and prolonged survival compared with TRM cell‐poor specimens. TRM cells in metastatic LNs were more significantly associated with enhanced survival than TRM cells in primary tumors. TRM cells expressed high levels of granzyme B as a cytotoxicity marker. Our results suggested that high TRM cell infiltration in metastatic LNs improves survival even though LN metastasis is commonly associated with poor prognosis. TRM cells possibly contribute to antitumor immunity in regional LNs.
Tracking Chinese newspaper coverage of elephant ivory through topic modeling
Authors: Gao Yufang , Liu Yuntian , Luo Yu , Biggs Duan , Zhao Weiyang , Clark Susan G.
Published: February 2023

Mass media worldwide has contributed to increasing awareness of the illegal wildlife trade and its significant impact on wildlife conservation. We used mass media coverage as a proxy for macro‐level public opinion to analyze the media framing of elephant ivory in 6394 Chinese newspaper articles published from 2000 to 2021 and thus determine the effects of wildlife policies on public opinion. We focused on 2 events: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) approval of China as a trading partner in the purchase and import of ivory stockpiles from Africa in July 2008 and the Chinese government's announcement of a domestic ivory ban in December 2016. Using latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling, we identified 8 topics about elephant ivory and grouped them into 3 frames: ivory arts and culture, ivory crimes, and elephant conservation. Over the last 2 decades, topics related to ivory crimes remained the most prevalent in news articles. Topics about ivory arts and culture showed a significant shift in media salience before and after the 2 events (from 0.44 to 0.19 and from 0.08 to 0.15, respectively, p < 0.05), whereas the other 2 frames did not change significantly. Contrary to popular belief, our results indicated that Chinese macro‐level public opinion on ivory had become more negative following the CITES approval of ivory importation and less negative after the ivory ban announcement, at least for certain periods. The relationship between mass media, public opinion, and wildlife trade policies is complex and requires further examination of the sociopolitical dynamics that influence media narratives. Our results showed the value of topic modeling in monitoring and assessing media representations of wildlife issues in the era of big data. Conservationists should remain vigilant of mass media coverage and collaborate with media practitioners to produce comprehensive narratives on wildlife issues if resources permit.
Impact of alternative histopathology protocols in the dermatopathology laboratory: A prospective quality improvement study
Authors: Hammond Alexander , Covey Sarah , Guo Wanru , Gregory Scott , Bender Nicole R. , Motaparthi Kiran , Walker Addie
Published: February 2023

Background

Histopathology protocols for processing dermatopathology specimens vary among laboratories.

Objective

To determine an optimal histopathology protocol to minimize cost and turnaround time (TAT) for biopsy specimens in a dermatopathology laboratory.

Methods

A prospective, 4‐month study compared the mean cost and TAT of producing one versus two initial H&E slides, and zero versus three unstained slides that could be used for frequently used special or immunohistochemical (IHC) stains.

Results

For all cases, cost was lower for one versus two initial H&E slides, with an insignificant increase in TAT. Producing three vs zero unstained slides incurred higher cost, with no reduction in TAT. In a subset of cases in which frequently used special or IHC stains were performed, cost and TAT were optimized by producing one initial H&E and three unstained slides.

Conclusion

A protocol of one initial H&E slide and zero unstained slides optimizes cost and TAT in our dermatopathology laboratory. Pigmented lesions and inflammatory dermatoses may benefit from the addition of unstained slides. Further study is needed to quantify this benefit and evaluate for other cases for which an alternative protocol is advantageous.