bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Board characteristics, auditing characteristics and audit report lag in African Central Banks
Authors: Chalu Henry
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of audit report lag in Sub-Saharan African Central Banks. In this case, the determinants were divided into two categories: independent variables and mediating variables. The independent variables, which were generated from board characteristics, included board size, board gender diversity, governor duality, audit committee size and audit committee meetings. The mediating variables were auditing characteristics and they comprised audit mandate, audit approach and audit quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used data from 192 observations from African Central Banks' financial reports for the period 2000–2016. The data collected were analyzed using path analysis, whereby four regression models were run and tested simultaneously. From the analysis, the study determined total effects and then decomposed the total effects into direct and indirect effects.

Findings

The study results indicate that in the case of board characteristics, governor duality and audit committee size were found to have a positive influence on audit report lag. In the case of audit quality, only audit mandate was found to have a negative influence on audit quality in the Central Banks. However, the introduction of mediating variables increased the positive effect of governor duality and audit committee size, while also making board size and board gender diversity have a significant negative effect on audit report lag.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper have implications for the practice and policy of the auditing and governance of Central Banks, which includes designing appropriate governance structures as well as proper auditing strategies.

Originality/value

This is the first study which has examined factors influencing audit report lag in Central Banks. Previous studies on Central Banks' governance have examined the independence and autonomy of the Central Banks, as well as their accounting. This paper extends prior studies by examining the effects of those factors. Another contribution is the study's application of auditing characteristics as mediating variables.
Quantifying reputation risk using a fuzzy cognitive map: a case of a pharmaceutical supply chain
Authors: Rajagopal Varthini , Shanmugam Prasanna Venkatesan , Nandre Ratnapratik
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Reputation risk onsets in focal firm whenever any entity of its supply chain (SC) faces risk-crisis event. A framework for modeling and predicting holistic SC reputation risk is proposed by integrating operational risk (OR) drivers originating from upstream and downstream partners and focal firm. A fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) is then developed to predict and quantify Pharmaceutical SC reputation risk.

Design/methodology/approach

Using event study methodology, SC reputation risk framework with 13 input OR drivers was developed. Based on pharmaceutical supply chain experts’ opinion, the correlation between reputation risk and its input drivers was estimated. The developed FCM tool was validated using nine real-life instances. A series of “what-if” scenario analyses were performed to demonstrate effectiveness of proactive and reactive mitigation strategies against reputation risk.

Findings

Quality and unethical governance risks significantly impacted reputation in Pharmaceutical SC and a firm should prefer “risk avoidance” against these risks. The upstream risks significantly affect reputation in a Pharmaceutical SC as compared to the downstream risks. Proactive mitigation strategies and assertive crisis communication are suggested for upstream risks while diminishment/ bolstering/rebuilding reactive crisis communication is recommended for downstream risks.

Originality/value

Reputation risk is often overlooked in SC literature. This work develops a model to quantify the reputation risk considering the indirect consequences of the ORs that originates at any point in a SC. The proposed FCM tool aids SC manager to focus on higher attribution risk events and devise an optimal combination of proactive and reactive mitigation strategies to avoid/minimize the economic loss due to reputation crisis.
Analysing the critical success factors and the risks associated with third-party logistics in the food supply chain:a case of coffee industry
Authors: Shanker Saket , Sharma Hritika , Barve Akhilesh
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyse various risks associated with third-party logistics (3PL) in the coffee supply chain and to present a framework that computes the influence of these risks on the critical success factors of the coffee supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The risks have been identified through a comprehensive literature review and validation by industry experts. The paper utilises an interpretive structural modelling (ISM) methodology for developing a hierarchical relationship among the CSFs. Furthermore, fuzzy MICMAC analysis is carried out to categorise these CSFs based on their driving power and dependence value. The fuzzy technique for order preferences by the similarity of an ideal solution (fuzzy-TOPSIS) approach has been applied to prioritise the risks associated with 3PL based on their ability to influence the CSFs of the coffee SC. Furthermore, we performed a sensitivity analysis to analyse the stability of the results obtained in this study.

Findings

This study illustrates ten risks associated with 3PL and five CSFs in the coffee supply chain. The analysis revealed that coffee enterprises need to develop a balanced pricing strategy to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage, whereas the lack of direct customer communication is the most dominant 3PL risk affecting the CSFs.

Practical implications

This research provides coffee enterprises with a generalised framework with set parameters that can be used to attain a successful coffee supply chain in any developing nation.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by being the first kind of study, which has used fuzzy ISM-MICMAC to analyse the CSFs of the coffee supply chain and fuzzy-TOPSIS for analysing the impact of various risks associated with the 3PL in the coffee supply chain. Thus, this work can be considered a benchmark for future research and advancement in the coffee business field.
Role of gatekeeping on Facebook in creating information benefits for vulnerable, pregnant women in the rural United States
Authors: Potnis Devendra Dilip , Halladay Macy
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate why and how gatekeepers on social networking sites (SNS) create what types of information benefits for gated, vulnerable, pregnant women in the rural United States.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study adopts “network gatekeeping” as a theoretical lens to implement a combination of deductive and inductive qualitative approaches for analyzing in-depth interviews with members and administrators of a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Group on Facebook with a membership of over 500 pregnant women in rural Appalachia in the United States.

Findings

The VBAC group administrators' (a) vision of transforming the existing doctor-centric birth culture to a more mother-centric birth culture in the rural United States, (b) expertise and experience in healthcare and (c) valuing scientific, evidence-based information lead to recurring, authoritative but evolving manifestations of combinations of nine network gatekeeping mechanisms. Implementations of nine network gatekeeping mechanisms (i.e. localization, infrastructure, cost effect, channeling, censorship, regulation, editorial, user-interaction and value adding mechanisms) help VBAC group administrators control interactions and information on the group, thereby creating 16 information benefits for the gated, vulnerable women before, during and after pregnancy.

Originality/value

This sociological study of network gatekeeping posits and proves an “information value chain” (i.e. Why to create information benefits? – How to create information benefits? – What types of information benefits?) for vulnerable, pregnant women on Facebook. Rarely any study shows the role of network gatekeeping mechanisms in implementing an information value chain.
Mapping knowledge domains on Wikipedia: an author bibliographic coupling analysis of traditional Chinese medicine
Authors: Zhao Dangzhi , Strotmann Andreas
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Wikipedia has the lofty goal of compiling all human knowledge. The purpose of the present study is to map the structure of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) knowledge domain on Wikipedia, to identify patterns of knowledge representation on Wikipedia and to test the applicability of author bibliographic coupling analysis, an effective method for mapping knowledge domains represented in published scholarly documents, for Wikipedia data.

Design/methodology/approach

We adapted and followed the well-established procedures and techniques for author bibliographic coupling analysis (ABCA). Instead of bibliographic data from a citation database, we used all articles on TCM downloaded from the English version of Wikipedia as our dataset. An author bibliographic coupling network was calculated and then factor analyzed using SPSS. Factor analysis results were visualized. Factors were labeled upon manual examination of articles that authors who load primarily in each factor have significantly contributed references to. Clear factors were interpreted as topics.

Findings

Seven TCM topic areas are represented on Wikipedia, among which Acupuncture-related practices, Falun Gong and Herbal Medicine attracted the most significant contributors to TCM. Acupuncture and Qi Gong have the most connections to the TCM knowledge domain and also serve as bridges for other topics to connect to the domain. Herbal medicine is weakly linked to and non-herbal medicine is isolated from the rest of the TCM knowledge domain. It appears that specific topics are represented well on Wikipedia but their conceptual connections are not. ABCA is effective for mapping knowledge domains on Wikipedia but document-based bibliographic coupling analysis is not.

Originality/value

Given the prominent position of Wikipedia for both information users and for researchers on knowledge organization and information retrieval, it is important to study how well knowledge is represented and structured on Wikipedia. Such studies appear largely missing although studies from different perspectives both about Wikipedia and using Wikipedia as data are abundant. Author bibliographic coupling analysis is effective for mapping knowledge domains represented in published scholarly documents but has never been applied to mapping knowledge domains represented on Wikipedia.
The effects of government spending shocks on income distribution in South Africa
Authors: Nuru Naser Yenus , Zeratsion Mola Gebremeskel
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The main aim of this study is to examine the effect of government spending and its components' shocks on the distribution of income between labour and capital in South Africa for the period between 1994Q2 and 2019Q3.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of government spending shocks on income distribution are analysed using Jordà's (2005) local projection method. The shocks, however, are identified by applying short-run contemporaneous restrictions in a vector autoregressive model based on Cholesky identification scheme.

Findings

The results indicate that government spending shock has a positive and significant effect on labour share after the first quarter. This means that expansionary government spending has a paramount role in reducing income inequality in the economy. Both government investment and government consumption shocks have also contributed to a reduction in income inequality, though the magnitude effect is smaller for government consumption.

Originality/value

Research findings on the effects of government spending shock on income inequality are still inconclusive. Therefore, this research examines the effect of total government spending shock along with its components on labour income share for the South African economy.
The impact of COVID-19 outbreak on Borsa Istanbul: an event study method
Authors: Karaömer Yunus , Kakilli Acaravcı Songül
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This study aims to research how the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacts the selected sector price indices in Borsa Istanbul (BIST), Turkey.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the event study method because it is a useful method as stock prices and market instantly reflect the effect of such an unusual event. Data are retrieved from the https://www.investing.com/.

Findings

The authors find that selected sectors are impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. The banking and transportation sectors, on the announcement of first death, were impacted negatively, while the telecommunication and food –beverage sectors were impacted positively. The transportation and banking sectors experience an obvious downturn after the spread of COVID-19, while the food–beverage and telecommunication sectors experience an obvious upturn after the spread of COVID-19. Besides, the most adversely impacted sector is banking.

Originality/value

This study bridges the research gap and adds significant insights to the existing literature. The main contribution of this study to the existing literature is the unexpected outbreak impacts on financial markets, especially on BIST. It is also expected that this study will make a significant contribution to analysts, researchers and policymakers.
The mediating role of emotional intelligence on the impact of perfectionism on problem-solving skills: an application for tourist guides
Authors: Kırıcı Tekeli Ezgi , Özkoç Aziz Gökhan
Published: April 2021

Purpose

It is understood that the personality traits and intelligence levels of the tourist guides directly or indirectly affect their ability to solve the problems they encounter on tours. This study aims to test whether emotional intelligence has an intermediary effect on the problem-solving skills of professional tourist guides with perfectionist personality traits.

Design/methodology/approach

Field research was conducted within the study to analyze suggestions on the interaction of variables on an empirical basis, and data were collected using interview, document review and survey technique. Thus, the mixed-methods approach was used in the study. Within the scope of this study in which 410 professional tourist guides were surveyed, a substantial part of the research data was obtained through the application of the survey technique. Besides, interviews were carried out with 12 professional tourist guides. The clues obtained by the qualitative study were transformed into hypotheses within the scope of the quantitative study, and the intermediary effect was tested.

Findings

A relationship between the main themes, sub-themes and codes was determined within the framework of the qualitative method. As a result of the mediation test, it has been revealed that emotional intelligence has an intermediary role in the relationship between perfectionism and problem-solving skills. According to the results of bootstrapping, the indirect effect of emotional intelligence on perfectionism and problem-solving skills was found out to be significant.

Practical implications

The study acknowledged that positive perfectionism, high emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills contributed to the professional tourist guides being willing to provide better service. In tune with the assumption that the more the quality of the tours carried out through agencies increases, the more satisfied tourists are; the study implicated that it would be advisable for agencies to prioritize the trainings provided for their tour guides to enhance their positive perfectionist, emotionally intelligent personalities and problem-solving skills. Given that professional tourist guides may create a positive country image with the quality service they provide, the significance of such trainings stretch beyond the benefits of such organizations.

Originality/value

Relevant variables were analyzed with a mixed method and applied on professional tourist guides.
How COVID-19 influences the future of service management professions
Authors: Lee Kiwon , Chuang Ning Kuang , Lee Seonjeong Ally , Israeli Aviad A.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Crises influence individuals’ career development. The COVID-19 crisis has global impacts in financial, health and social aspects and service industries are at the forefront of the pervasive impacts. This study investigated how college students’ perceptions of COVID-19 interplayed with self-efficacy on their academic plans and further identified major differences between students in service-oriented and nonservice-oriented majors.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered online survey was conducted with 299 undergraduates at a large Midwestern university during COVID-19. Regression analyses, including conditional analyses, examined the study hypotheses using SPSS.

Findings

The results showed that, in general, students’ self-efficacy reduced their intentions to change their academic majors. The joint effects of self-efficacy and perception of COVID-19 diverged among students in nonservice-oriented majors but converged among students in service-oriented majors (e.g. hospitality and tourism). These students in the service fields showed more commitment to their current majors even as their concerns about the social implications of COVID-19 increased.

Practical implications

This study suggests that academic institutions should try to improve students’ self-efficacy to maintain their career commitments during crisis times. Furthermore, service organizations should highlight the importance of social aspects as recovery from COVID-19 begins as a tool to recruit college graduates.

Originality/value

The literature on career decisions of students in service industries is quite limited. This study enriches the body of career decisions research in the context of service management by highlighting how service sectors are influenced by COVID-19.
Mapping the themes and intellectual structure of customer engagement: a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Srivastava Mukta , Sivaramakrishnan Sreeram
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Customer engagement (CE) as a domain of research started gaining impetus when it became apparent that it can be a key driver of a firm's performance, competitive advantage and loyalty. The purpose of this study is to develop a deep understanding of the CE construct in marketing literature using bibliometric analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 940 articles were retrieved from Scopus, the well-known electronic database. Bibliographic coupling and co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer along with content analysis were employed.

Findings

After careful content analysis, six clusters were identified through bibliographic coupling: (1) modeling customer engagement, (2) customer engagement theory and empirical validation, (3) customer engagement and service-dominant logic, (4) customer engagement and social media, (5) customer engagement and brand platforms and (6) engagement in other contexts. The outcomes of this study would not only be valuable for scholars working in the CE domain, but could also be useful for practitioners and policymakers who wish to enhance their understanding about CE.

Originality/value

Over the past decade, the research on CE construct has exploded owing to the growing interest of both scholars and practitioners in the field. Despite being a popular field of research, there is no published work on a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the construct in marketing literature. The current study bridges this gap in the existing literature.
Institutional disruption and technology platforms: the Uber case
Authors: Ferreira Wilquer Silvano de Souza , Vale Gláucia Maria Vasconcellos , Bernardes Patrícia
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The aim of this article is to test the hypothesis that peer-to-peer technology platforms (Uber) are associated with disruption in the institutional environment, affecting beliefs, norms and users' ways of thinking and acting.

Design/methodology/approach

Probability sample comprising 843 users (446 passengers; 397 drivers) in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, using a set of indicators was specifically designed for this study.

Findings

Uber triggers significant changes in the systems of rewards and sanctions, in social preferences, and in entrepreneurial structure and governance, and promotes the coexistence of an institutional logic, hitherto dominant, with new believes, rules, norms and regulatory systems.

Originality/value

This is a pioneer study that associates institutional approach's elements with technology platforms; the authors also elaborated and utilized an analysis model consisting of a set of completely original indicators capable of mapping and measuring different dimensions of the phenomenon under analysis.
Digital twin-based progress monitoring management model through reality capture to extended reality technologies (DRX)
Authors: Alizadehsalehi Sepehr , Yitmen Ibrahim
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to develop a generic framework of a digital twin (DT)-based automated construction progress monitoring through reality capture to extended reality (RC-to-XR).

Design/methodology/approach

IDEF0 data modeling method has been designed to establish an integration of reality capturing technologies by using BIM, DTs and XR for automated construction progress monitoring. Structural equation modeling (SEM) method has been used to test the proposed hypotheses and develop the skill model to examine the reliability, validity and contribution of the framework to understand the DRX model's effectiveness if implemented in real practice.

Findings

The research findings validate the positive impact and importance of utilizing technology integration in a logical framework such as DRX, which provides trustable, real-time, transparent and digital construction progress monitoring.

Practical implications

DRX system captures accurate, real-time and comprehensive data at construction stage, analyses data and information precisely and quickly, visualizes information and reports in a real scale environment, facilitates information flows and communication, learns from itself, historical data and accessible online data to predict future actions, provides semantic and digitalize construction information with analytical capabilities and optimizes decision-making process.

Originality/value

The research presents a framework of an automated construction progress monitoring system that integrates BIM, various reality capturing technologies, DT and XR technologies (VR, AR and MR), arraying the steps on how these technologies work collaboratively to create, capture, generate, analyze, manage and visualize construction progress data, information and reports.
Building information model visualisation in augmented reality
Authors: Dudhee Vishak , Vukovic Vladimir
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The possibility of integrating building information in an augmented reality (AR) environment provides an effective solution to all phases of a building's lifecycle. This paper explores the integration of building information modelling (BIM) and AR to effectively visualise building information models in an AR environment and evaluates the currently available AR tools.

Design/methodology/approach

A BIM model of a selected office room was created and superimposed to the actual physical space using two different AR devices and four different AR applications. The superimposing techniques, accuracy and the level of information that can be visualised were then investigated by performing a walk-through analysis.

Findings

From the investigation, it can be concluded that model positioning can be inaccurate depending on the superimposing method used and the AR device. Moreover, using the currently available techniques, only static building information can be superimposed and visualised in AR, showing a need to integrate data from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors into the current BIM-AR processes to allow visualisation of accurate and high-quality operational building information.

Originality/value

A practical process and method for visualising and superimposing BIM models in an AR environment have been described. Recommendations to improve superimposing accuracy are provided. The assessment of type, quality and level of detail that can be visualised indicates the areas that need improvement to increase the effectiveness of building information's visualisation in AR.
Elizabethkingia anophelis, an emerging pathogen, inhibits RAW 264.7 macrophage function
Authors: Mayura I. Putu Bayu , Gotoh Kazuyoshi , Nishimura Hayato , Nakai Erina , Mima Takehiko , Yamamoto Yumiko , Yokota Kenji , Matsushita Osamu
Published: April 2021

Elizabethkingia anophelis is a pathogen that can cause a life‐threatening infection in immunocompromised patients. The first case of E. anophelis infection was reported in 2013; subsequently, an increase in its incidence has been reported globally. Additionally, a mortality rate of more than 30% was observed in the US outbreak of 2015. To date, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying E. anophelis infection, such as toxin production, remain unclear. Since tissue macrophages act as the first line of defense against pathogens, in the present study the interactions between E. anophelis and a macrophage‐like cell line RAW 264.7 were examined. Although E. anophelis showed no cytotoxicity toward RAW 264.7 macrophages, the infection inhibited LPS‐induced morphological changes and activation of differentiation markers for the polarization of RAW 264.7 macrophages toward an M1‐like phenotype. However, when the cell contact was restricted using Transwell inserts or bacterial culture supernatants were used instead of live bacteria, no such inhibition was observed. Moreover, it was shown that E. anophelis evaded phagocytosis. Overall, the results suggest that E. anophelis infection inhibits the differentiation of RAW 264.7 macrophages to a pro‐inflammatory phenotype in a contact‐dependent manner.
Mortality Inequality in the Czech Republic*
Authors: Bertoli Paola , Grembi Veronica
Published: April 2021

We examine the evolution of mortality and mortality inequality among the 77 districts of the Czech Republic ranked by a new poverty index, from 1994 to 2016. The country experienced dramatic improvements in mortality for all age categories and both genders, but with very little variation in inequality. Inequality in mortality has remained substantially stable, increasing only for females aged 20–64.
Income Inequality and Mortality: A Norwegian Perspective*
Authors: Bütikofer Aline , Karadakic René , Salvanes Kjell G.
Published: April 2021

While Norway has experienced income growth accompanied by a large decline in mortality during the past several decades, little is known about the distribution of these improvements in longevity across the income distribution. Using municipality‐level income and mortality data, we show that the stark income gradient in infant mortality across municipalities in the 1950s mostly closed in the late 1960s. However, the income gradient in mortality for older age categories across municipalities persisted until 2010 and only flattened thereafter. Further, the infant mortality gap between rich and poor Norwegian families based on individual‐level data persisted several decades longer than the gap between rich and poor municipalities and only finally closed in the early 21st century.
All the Tea in China: Solving the ‘China Problem’ at the WTO
Authors: Mavroidis Petros C. , Sapir André
Published: April 2021

The history of China’s accession to the WTO has been a rollercoaster of alacrity and acrimony. Hailed as another milestone in the WTO‐era, it soon proved to be a thorn in the side of the multilateral edifice. Various complaints have arisen, and all have to do with the role of state involvement in the workings of the economy. The cause of concern is not state involvement per se – it is state involvement in an economy of unprecedented size. State‐owned enterprises and transfer of technology are the expressions of state involvement that have caught most of the attention. In this paper we argue in favor of multilateral solutions to address both matters. Staying idle is not an option as the trading community otherwise will continue to be confronted with unilateral responses that are largely ineffective while generating significant negative external effects.
Metabolomic profiles discriminating anxiety from depression
Authors: de Kluiver Hilde , Jansen Rick , Milaneschi Yuri , Bot Mariska , Giltay Erik J. , Schoevers Robert , Penninx Brenda W.J.H.
Published: April 2021

Objective

Depression has been associated with metabolomic alterations. Depressive and anxiety disorders are often comorbid diagnoses and are suggested to share etiology. We investigated whether differential metabolomic alterations are present between anxiety and depressive disorders and which clinical characteristics of these disorders are related to metabolomic alterations.

Methods

Data were from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), including individuals with current comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders (N = 531), only a current depression (N = 304), only a current anxiety disorder (N = 548), remitted depressive and/or anxiety disorders (N = 897), and healthy controls (N = 634). Forty metabolites from a proton nuclear magnetic resonance lipid‐based metabolomics panel were analyzed. First, we examined differences in metabolites between disorder groups and healthy controls. Next, we assessed whether depression or anxiety clinical characteristics (severity and symptom duration) were associated with metabolites.

Results

As compared to healthy controls, seven metabolomic alterations were found in the group with only depression, reflecting an inflammatory (glycoprotein acetyls; Cohen's d = 0.12, p = 0.002) and atherogenic‐lipoprotein‐related (e.g., apolipoprotein B: Cohen's d = 0.08, p = 0.03, and VLDL cholesterol: Cohen's d = 0.08, p = 0.04) profile. The comorbid group showed an attenuated but similar pattern of deviations. No metabolomic alterations were found in the group with only anxiety disorders. The majority of metabolites associated with depression diagnosis were also associated with depression severity; no associations were found with anxiety severity or disease duration.

Conclusion

While substantial clinical overlap exists between depressive and anxiety disorders, this study suggests that altered inflammatory and atherogenic‐lipoprotein‐related metabolomic profiles are uniquely associated with depression rather than anxiety disorders.
Microguided endodontics: Accuracy evaluation for access through intraroot fibre‐post
Authors: Perez Cyril , Sayeh Amira , Etienne Olivier , Gros Catherine Isabelle , Mark Ashley , Couvrechel Cauris , Meyer Florent
Published: April 2021

In this work, we intended to assess the reliability of guided endodontic technique to remove a bonded fibre‐post when there are artefacts in the cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) images caused by composite dental materials. We mounted natural posterior teeth on ten simulated models. Forty fibre‐post and composite‐core restorations were inserted in the teeth. We merged a pre‐operative CBCT and optical surface scan on the BlueskyplanTM software to digitally design and subsequently 3D‐printed the guides. Two operators initiated endodontic access into the fibre‐post restorations using the template to guide the drill. Post‐operative CBCT was taken and merged onto the pre‐operative plan to measure the deviations at the coronal and apical segments. The mean deviation between the planned and actual drill paths were, respectively, of 0.39 ± 0.14 mm coronally and 0.40 ± 0.19 mm apically. Microguided endodontics is a predictable and accurate method to remove fibre‐post restorations efficiently.
Positive predictive values in clinical screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip
Authors: Husum Hans‐Christen , Ghaffari Arash , Rytoft Laura Amalie , Svendsson Jens , Harving Søren , Kold Søren , Rahbek Ole
Published: April 2021

Aim

To establish the positive predictive value (PPV) of clinical hip examinations performed by referrers in the Danish screening programme for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) utilising three definitions of true positive DDH diagnosis.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 290 children (169 female) referred during a 4‐year period to the orthopaedic outpatient clinic at our institution with a positive clinical hip examination. Positive predictive value was calculated for clinical hip examinations across three definitions of a true positive clinical hip examination for all referrers and subgroups consisting of general practitioners, midwives and paediatricians. The PPV for clinical hip examinations was calculated for paediatric orthopaedic surgeons using one of the three definitions.

Results

Positive predictive value of clinical hip examinations for all referrers were 5.4%, 3.6% and 1.8% with the definition of a true positive DDH diagnosis defined as clinical instability found by orthopaedic surgeon, ultrasound classification ≥Graf IIc or both definitions combined, respectively. Positive predictive value of clinical hip examinations performed by orthopaedic surgeons was 33.3% with a true positive clinical examination defined as an ultrasound classification ≥Graf IIc.

Conclusion

We conclude that the positive predictive value of clinical hip examinations made by referrers in the Danish screening programme for DDH is low.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Firm Value and Corporate Governance Code Revisions: The Asian Evidence*
Authors: Ooi Chai‐Aun , Hooy Chee‐Wooi , Nagata Kyoko
Published: April 2021

The present study examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm value, and the effects of corporate governance code revisions on the relationship. We examine this relationship for: (i) a high‐income country, Japan; (ii) middle‐income countries China, Malaysia and Thailand; and (iii) low‐income countries India and Indonesia. We use the Heckman two‐stage sample selection bias approach for the empirical analysis. We find that Japanese stakeholder CSR and environmental CSR have a smaller positive effect on firm value compared to the middle‐income countries, but we do not find any statistically significant association for the low‐income countries. In addition, we find that only Japanese corporate governance code revisions significantly contribute to the positive relationship between CSR and firm value, which concurs with the new recommendations documented in the revised codes of corporate governance. The present study reveals that foreign major shareholders matter to the value creation of CSR in Japan and the middle‐income countries of China, Malaysia and Thailand.
A review of CSR classification schemes and the operationalization of bolted‐on vs. built‐in CSR
Authors: Rahman Noushi , Blake Laura
Published: April 2021

Recent conceptualization of built‐in versus bolted‐on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives has offered a much‐needed distinguishing framework to sophisticate our understanding of why different CSR initiatives yield varying corporate social performance (CSP) and associated recognition from stakeholders. One of the major roadblocks in conducting research on these two types of CSR initiatives is the absence of a valid and reliable measure. We address this void by developing a measure for bolted‐on versus built‐in CSR that relies on coding publicly available content. Our measure of these two types of CSR initiatives tests favorably for both convergent and discriminant validity and inter‐rater reliability. Advancement of such a measurement instrument will positively contribute to CSR research, enabling scholars to better theorize the linkage between CSR and reputation, and other aspects of firm performance.
Utilizing stability criteria in choosing feature selection methods yields reproducible results in microbiome data
Authors: Jiang Lingjing , Haiminen Niina , Carrieri Anna‐Paola , Huang Shi , Vázquez‐Baeza Yoshiki , Parida Laxmi , Kim Ho‐Cheol , Swafford Austin D. , Knight Rob , Natarajan Loki
Published: April 2021

Feature selection is indispensable in microbiome data analysis, but it can be particularly challenging as microbiome data sets are high dimensional, underdetermined, sparse and compositional. Great efforts have recently been made on developing new methods for feature selection that handle the above data characteristics, but almost all methods were evaluated based on performance of model predictions. However, little attention has been paid to address a fundamental question: how appropriate are those evaluation criteria? Most feature selection methods often control the model fit, but the ability to identify meaningful subsets of features cannot be evaluated simply based on the prediction accuracy. If tiny changes to the data would lead to large changes in the chosen feature subset, then many selected features are likely to be a data artifact rather than real biological signal. This crucial need of identifying relevant and reproducible features motivated the reproducibility evaluation criterion such as Stability, which quantifies how robust a method is to perturbations in the data. In our paper, we compare the performance of popular model prediction metrics (MSE or AUC) with proposed reproducibility criterion Stability in evaluating four widely used feature selection methods in both simulations and experimental microbiome applications with continuous or binary outcomes. We conclude that Stability is a preferred feature selection criterion over model prediction metrics because it better quantifies the reproducibility of the feature selection method.
Nonparametric estimation in an illness‐death model with component‐wise censoring
Authors: Eaton Anne , Sun Yifei , Neaton James , Luo Xianghua
Published: April 2021

In disease settings where study participants are at risk for death and a serious nonfatal event, composite endpoints defined as the time until the earliest of death or the nonfatal event are often used as the primary endpoint in clinical trials. In practice, if the nonfatal event can only be detected at clinic visits and the death time is known exactly, the resulting composite endpoint exhibits “component‐wise censoring.” The standard method used to estimate event‐free survival in this setting fails to account for component‐wise censoring. We apply a kernel smoothing method previously proposed for a marker process in a novel way to produce a nonparametric estimator for event‐free survival that accounts for component‐wise censoring. The key insight that allows us to apply this kernel method is thinking of nonfatal event status as an intermittently observed binary time‐dependent variable rather than thinking of time to the nonfatal event as interval‐censored. We also propose estimators for the probability in state and restricted mean time in state for reversible or irreversible illness‐death models, under component‐wise censoring, and derive their large‐sample properties. We perform a simulation study to compare our method to existing multistate survival methods and apply the methods on data from a large randomized trial studying a multifactor intervention for reducing morbidity and mortality among men at above average risk of coronary heart disease.
Motor processing modulates word comprehension
Authors: Togato Giulia , Andras Filip , Miralles Elvira , Macizo Pedro
Published: April 2021

We evaluated whether movement modulates the semantic processing of words. To this end, we used homograph words with two meanings, one associated with hand movements (e.g., ‘abanico’, ‘fan’ in Spanish) or foot movements (‘bota’, ‘boot’ in Spanish), and the other not associated with movement (‘abanico’, ‘range’ in Spanish; ‘bota’, ‘wineskin’ in Spanish). After the homograph, three words were presented, and participants were asked to choose the word related to one of the two homograph meanings. The words could be either related to the motor meaning of the homograph (‘fan‐heat’), to the non‐motor meaning of the homograph (‘range‐possibility’) or unrelated (‘fan‐phone’). The task was performed without movement (simple condition) or by performing hand (Experiment 1) and foot (Experiment 2) movements. Compared with the simple condition, the performance of movement oriented the preference towards the motor meaning of the homograph. This pattern of results confirms that movement modulates word comprehension.
Ecosystem services provided by aculeate wasps
Authors: Brock Ryan E. , Cini Alessandro , Sumner Seirian
Published: April 2021

The aculeate wasps are one of the most diverse and speciose insect taxa; they are omnipresent across ecosystems and exhibit diverse co‐evolutionary and exploitative associations with other organisms. There is widespread conjecture that aculeate wasps are likely to perform essential ecological and economic services of importance to the health, well‐being and nutritional needs of our planet. However, the scope and nature of the ecosystem services they provide are not well understood relative to other insect groups (e.g. bees, butterflies, beetles); an appreciation of their value is further tarnished by their public reputation as pointless pests. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive review of how aculeate wasps contribute to the four main areas of ecosystem services: regulatory, provisioning, supporting and cultural services. Uniting data from a large but previously disconnected literature on solitary and social aculeate wasps, we provide a synthesis on how these insects perform important ecosystem services as parasites, predators, biological indicators, pollinators, decomposers and seed dispersers; and their additional services as a sustainable alternative to meat for human consumption, and medicinal potential as sources of research leads for anti‐microbials and cancer treatments. We highlight how aculeate wasps offer substantial, but largely overlooked, economic benefits through their roles in natural pest management and biological control programs. Accordingly, we provide data‐driven arguments for reasons to consider the ecosystem service value of aculeate wasps on a par with other ‘useful’ insects (e.g. bees). Finally, we provide a research roadmap identifying the key areas of research required to capitalise better on the services provided by these important insects.
Perceived racial and cultural discrimination and sense of belonging in Canadian society
Authors: Wu Zheng , Finnsdottir Maria
Published: April 2021

Multiculturalism promises equality and tolerance, yet racialized minorities in Canada continue to report experiences of discrimination. As Canada becomes increasingly culturally and racially diverse, it is important to understand what this discrimination means for sense of belonging in Canada. Using ordinary logistic regressions, we examine the effects of ethnocultural and racial discrimination on sense of belonging. Relying on a theoretical framework of the Rejection/Identification and Rejection/Disidentification models, we test the impacts of discrimination on national sense of belonging and on in‐group sense of belonging. We further examine the differential effects of discrimination on sense of belonging for white and non‐white Canadians. We find that discrimination negatively impacts both national and in‐group sense of belonging among both non‐white and white Canadians, although the impact is stronger among racialized minorities. Thus, we argue that discrimination reduces sense of belonging in Canada generally, but is more damaging to those who already occupy a marginalized social position. These findings have implications for our understanding of multiculturalism in Canada.
Successful management of dengue in renal transplant recipients: A retrospective cohort from a single center
Authors: Meshram Hari Shankar , Kute Vivek , Patel Himanshu , Banerjee Subho , Chauhan Sanshriti , Desai Sudeep
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The literature on dengue infection in renal transplant recipients has shown wide diversity in clinical presentation and outcome. The objective of this study was to report the clinical profile, short‐term and long‐term outcomes of dengue among renal transplant recipients.

Methods

A total of 59 post‐transplant dengue suspected cases were admitted from July 2019 to April 2020 of which 31 had confirmed dengue infection. The clinical and laboratory profile of the confirmed dengue cases (n = 31) were compared with non‐dengue cases (n = 28).

Results

Among the clinical and laboratory features retro‐orbital pain, conjunctival redness, thrombocytopenia on admission, and absence of arthralgia were significantly associated with dengue compared to non‐dengue cases. No mortality was observed in the dengue cases. Allograft dysfunction, acute rejection and graft losses were identified in 64.5% (n = 20), 6.4% (n = 2) and 6.4% (n = 2) dengue cases respectively. No rejection or graft losses were observed in 1‐year follow‐up.

Conclusions

We report a differential clinical profile for dengue in transplant settings which will aid in the diagnosis. We also report successful management of dengue infection in renal transplant recipients with the majority having allograft dysfunction. A long‐term follow‐up of the cohort was uneventful.
Extracorporeal photopheresis and its role in heart transplant rejection: prophylaxis and treatment
Authors: Slomovich Sharon , Bell Jennifer , Clerkin Kevin J. , Habal Marlena V. , Griffin Jan M. , Raikhelkar Jayant K. , Fried Justin A. , Vossoughi Sarah R. , Finnigan Katie , Latif Farhana , Farr Maryjane A. , Sayer Gabriel T. , Uriel Nir
Published: April 2021

Heart transplantation is the gold standard therapeutic option for select patients with end‐stage heart failure. Unfortunately, successful long‐term outcomes of heart transplantation can be hindered by immune‐mediated rejection of the cardiac allograft, specifically acute cellular rejection, antibody‐mediated rejection, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Extracorporeal photopheresis is a cellular immunotherapy that involves the collection and treatment of white blood cells contained in the buffy coat with a photoactive psoralen compound, 8‐methoxy psoralen, and subsequent irradiation with ultraviolet A light. This process is thought to cause DNA and RNA crosslinking, ultimately leading to cell destruction. The true mechanism of therapeutic action remains unknown. In the last three decades, extracorporeal photopheresis has shown promising results and is indicated for a variety of conditions. The American Society for Apheresis currently recommends the use of extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma, scleroderma, psoriasis, pemphigus vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, graft‐versus‐host disease, Crohn's disease, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, and solid organ rejection in heart, lung, and liver transplantation. In this review, we aim to explore the proposed effects of extracorporeal photopheresis and to summarize published data on its use as a prophylactic and therapy in heart transplant rejection.