bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of the COVID-19 announcement on stock returns: evidence from Egypt
Authors: Elgharib Wael Ahmed
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims at testing efficiency of the Egyptian stock market at semi-strong level through exploring the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Egyptian stock returns.

Design/methodology/approach

The author applied the “Event Study” method that addresses the impact of a particular event or group of events on stock returns, from 12 September 2019 to 5 April 2020, choosing Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX) 100 companies which constitute constitutes the highest-level 100 companies in terms of liquidity and activity.

Findings

The study found inefficiency of the Egyptian stock market at the semistrong level, as the declaration of the COVID-19 has a negative insignificant effect on stock returns, whether on the day of the declaration, before or after it, The underlying reasons for these results can be referred to the idea that can be explained that investors are noise trading when making their investment decisions.

Research limitations/implications

There are two limitations to the interface of this paper. The first one is the short-term impact of COVID-19, using 141 days, and then it is not clear in the research the long-term impact of events related to the epidemic. Secondly, because the author deals with a short period term, the author does not test the characteristics of the company or any other major events that may affect the stock returns of the companies under study.

Originality/value

This adds to the finance literature on the impact of the COVID-19 announcement on stock returns in the context of African countries. The explanation of the interconnection of the COVID-19 announcement on stock returns in Egypt.
Adoption of smart contracts in the construction industry: an institutional analysis of drivers and barriers
Authors: Shang Gao , Pheng Low Sui , Zhong Xia Roderick Low
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The construction industry has arrived at a crossroads of rapid technological progress. While it is foreseen that the advent of new construction technologies will disrupt the construction industry’s future, such disruptions often create the ideal environment for innovation. As poor payment practices continue to plague the construction industry, the advent of smart contracts has created an opportunity to rectify the inherent flaws in the mitigation of payment problems in traditional construction contracts. Given the intrinsic resistance of construction firms to such revolutionary changes, this study aims to understand the various factors influencing the adoption of smart contracts in the Singapore construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method was adopted involving quantifying respondents’ perceptions of the factors influencing smart contract adoption, and validation from a group of interviewees on the matter. Out of 461 registered quantity surveyor members contacted via the Singapore institute of surveyors and valuers website, 55 respondents took part in the survey. This is followed by semi-structured interviews to validate the survey results.

Findings

The findings indicate that construction firms have neither a significant knowledge of nor willingness to adopt smart contracts. A total of 29 institutional factors were also identified that significantly influence the adoption of smart contracts. The quantitative findings were further reinforced by qualitative interviews with five industry experts.

Originality/value

With recognition of and the successful formulation of the significant institutional drivers and barriers, the key findings of this study will be integral in driving the commercial adoption of smart contracts within the construction industry.
Experiential branding in higher education: an Indian case
Authors: Kuriakose Francis
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The objective of the research is to evaluate the experiential branding practices of a higher education institution (HEI) in India against student perceptions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mixed-method approach for data collection, a range of relevant attributes of the experiential brand identity of the HEI was constructed. A quantitative technique called conjoint analysis was then used to understand the student-evaluated brand experience from the average relative importance of attributes and average part-worth utilities.

Findings

The study concluded that among the brand attributes of the HEI, course delivery had the highest relative importance among students, whereas price had the maximum elasticity.

Practical implications

This study demonstrates how a differentiated brand identity of an HEI can be built using student perceptions. HEIs can use this model to strategize brand expansion by forming meaningful external partnerships to fulfill this objective.

Originality/value

The study is novel and innovative in the Indian context where relatively little attention has been paid to the assessment of experiential brand identity in higher education. The research takes the first step in deconstructing the experiential brand architecture into relevant attributes and assessing their impact on student preferences.
Development of a housing quality (HQ) scale in the context of Pakistan
Authors: Farooque Ummer , Awan Muhammad Usman , Shafiq Muhammad
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale for measuring housing quality in the context of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The inductive and deductive approaches for item generation have been combined, and items have been purified using multistage expert review. Data was collected from a sizeable purposive sample of 445 respondents, and exploratory and confirmatory factor approaches used for assessing psychometric properties of the scale.

Findings

The result is a 21-item scale covering five dimensions, namely, Design and Construction Quality, Neighborhood Quality, Adequacy of Space, Quality of Institutional Services and Proximity of Basic Amenities.

Originality/value

This study contributes to housing quality literature by deepening our understanding of the concept of housing quality in the context of Pakistan, the world’s fifth most populous country. The findings of the study have important implications for both theory and practice.
Sustainability supply chain practices: proposal for a framework
Authors: Correia Elisabete , Garrido Susana , Carvalho Helena
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper proposes a framework for the implementation of sustainability practices by individual companies and corresponding supply chains (SCs), considering the various SC tiers, the three dimensions of sustainability and the following critical areas: Governance, Product and Process, Customers and Suppliers Management, and Stakeholder focus.

Design/methodology/approach

Using several case studies of small- and medium-size companies, a qualitative methodology is used to develop the proposed framework.

Findings

The analysis of these case studies makes it possible to identify the sustainability practices that are the most important for practitioners, thereby reducing the number of sustainability practices specified in the literature and giving some insights regarding which should be used in addressing critical areas. A set of guidelines and actions is also suggested for managers to continue the path of sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

Further studies in other cultural and national realities and industrial contexts are desirable to assess the proposed framework's suitability and the results obtained.

Practical implications

The results of this study show that the practices implemented are highly dependent on the resources that the company can mobilize and, on the choices, and commitment to sustainability on the part of top management.

Originality/value

The authors propose a framework to help individual companies and corresponding SCs to implement sustainability practices considering the various dimensions of sustainability, critical areas and SC's various partners.
Teachers' perceptions about the delivery and methodology of a blended learning mentor training course: a case from Chile
Authors: Cabezas Verónica , Pereira Sebastián , Figueroa Catalina , Straub Camila
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions of participants regarding a blended learning training course in Chile (and its e-learning adaptation due to the COVID-19 pandemic) for mentor teachers (MTs). The MT learns theoretical elements of mentoring and in parallel accompanies a newly qualified teacher while receiving support from an online tutor. Opinions are presented from MTs and accompanied teachers (ATs) about the contribution, format and methodology of the course.

Design/methodology/approach

A program evaluation with mixed methodology was used. Online questionnaires were sent to MTs and ATs at the end of the course. Returned questionnaires totaled 98 MTs and 20 ATs for the blended learning version and 75 MTs and 54 ATs for the e-learning format. In addition, 11 post-course interviews were conducted in three schools with MTs, ATs and their school leaders.

Findings

The course contributed to the development of mentoring skills. Participants highlighted the importance of the face-to-face component of both versions. The theoretical–practical methodology used was positively evaluated. Support and feedback provided to MTs by the online tutor was important for developing skills.

Research limitations/implications

Results are part of a case (n = 247), so general statements cannot be made about the population.

Practical implications

While this program evaluation focuses on a specific context, the results can contribute to the design of effective MT online training courses in other contexts and countries, given the limited body of research on this type of experience.

Originality/value

The course provided is described in detail, which may be useful when designing similar mentor education courses in other contexts.
The effect of financial soundness variables on bank performance: a macro-level analysis in MSCI Emerging Market Index countries
Authors: Arzova Sabri Burak , Sahin Bertac Sakir
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The present study investigates the impact of financial soundness variables on bank performance in emerging countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses macro-level panel data from 17 countries from 2011 to 2020. The analysis adopts six models. While four models include bank profitability, the dependent variable of the other models is Bank Z Scores. Regulatory Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Liquid Assets to Total Assets, Non-Performing Loans to Total Gross Loans and Non-Interest Expenses to Gross Income are proxies of financial soundness variables.

Findings

The authors estimate fixed and random effects models with the Arellano, Froot and Rogers methods. Empirical results show that Non-Performing Loans to Total Gross Loans harm ROA and ROE. Regulatory Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets negatively affects ROE. Non-Interest Expenses to Gross Income on Bank Z Scores have a significant and negative effect. Moreover, Inflation, Foreign Direct Investment and GDP are macroeconomic variables that increase bank profitability.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature in different aspects. The first is the model of the study. The authors contribute to the literature regarding the variables used to measure financial soundness. Secondly, emerging countries are samples in the study. A significant part of the studies on financial soundness has focused on developed countries. Finally, the authors analyze the macro-level data. Bank soundness studies mainly investigate country-level variables. Macro-level analysis may provide an advantage in combating global financial crises.
The impact of interactions before, during and after meetings on meeting effectiveness: a coordination theory perspective
Authors: Král Pavel , Králová Věra , Šimáček Petr
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Most studies on workplace meetings have examined them as physical gatherings but have not linked them to interactions before and after meetings. Drawing upon coordination theory, this study aims to examine the impact of interactions before, during and after meetings on meeting effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey design was used, and regular workplace meeting attendees were recruited. A mediation model was developed to test the effect of interactions on perceived meeting effectiveness.

Findings

Interactions before meetings positively influenced attendee involvement during the meeting, and attendee involvement mediated the positive relationship between attendee interactions during the meeting and perceived meeting effectiveness. A novel finding of this study is that incorporating meeting outcomes in subsequent work positively influenced perceived meeting effectiveness because it fostered common understanding of the meeting agenda.

Originality/value

The present results link prior empirical findings on interactions before and during meetings to new predictions regarding the effect of interactions after meetings. Coordination theory expands current conceptualizations of workplace meetings by broadening the notion of meetings to cover a more extended period of interdependent interactions.
Was CSR in our minds? The relevance of CSR in the vision and mission of Indian companies through the lens of ownership
Authors: Joshi Gauri , Sharma Dipasha , Kunte Monica , Shikalgar Shirin
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore the patterns of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and investments across different ownership groups and relevance of CSR practices in the vision and mission (V&M) statements of firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the neo-institutional theory approach, which explains similarities and differences in the CSR practices of organisations embedded within (and between) similar sectoral contexts. The study accounts the CSR activities of the top 100 companies listed on the Bombay Stock exchange (BSE) based on their ownership and checks the overlap of the CSR activities conducted by the companies with the ongoing social development schemes launched in India during the same of time. The time period between 2017 and 2020 is chosen to analyse the CSR studies. The study uses content analysis technique to derive conclusions. A textual analysis of top 100 listed firms across all ownership groups aimed at understanding patterns of CSR practices opted by the different groups and coherence of CSR patterns in the V&M statements. CSR related keywords were analysed in the V&M statements to understand what influence reporting of CSR practices in the strategic communication of firms.

Findings

Overall analysis indicated that top 100 firms prefer to invest in the areas of “Education”, “Sustainability” “Skill” where public-owned firms preferred towards “Sanitation” and “Environment/Sustainability” showing concurrence with local development goals. Private and foreign groups preferred to park their CSR funds in “Education” and “Skill” development showing coherence with the global agendas. Public-owned firms tend to report more CSR related specifically “Environment’ and “Sustainability” in the strategic documents. However, private and foreign firms do not pay any significance to CSR related keywords in their V&M statements.

Research limitations/implications

Findings suggest that despite of huge CSR investments, private and foreign-owned firms lack CSR focus and communication in their V&M statements, which may create disintegration in the CSR investment and strategic alignment of near-term and future goals. The paper suggests that private and foreign firms should also communicate their CSR practices through their V&M to stakeholders so that CSR practices may not remain mere 2% mandated expenditure by the Government of India.

Originality/value

The study contributes in confirming the success of the CSR policy mandate in supplementing government’s social development programmes along with indications on the role of family firms in accelerating the process of community development as compared to foreign firms. The study also favours integration of CSR disclosures in the V&M statements to gain long-term benefit out of these investments.
Digital transformation policies to develop an effective startup ecosystem: the case of Barcelona
Authors: Font-Cot Francesc , Lara-Navarra Pablo , Serradell-Lopez Enric
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The role of government in the global digital transformation is to ensure that digital infrastructure is reliable and efficient enough to guarantee an entrepreneurial ecosystem for investment in innovation and startups. This paper presents a case study showing how local policies have been used to create an effective startup ecosystem in Barcelona. This paper aims to provide a detailed analysis of the key elements of the startup ecosystem, including the role of local government.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an exploratory case research approach and proposes a theoretical framework to study the Barcelona innovation ecosystem, drawing on interviews, research observations and an analysis of the literature.

Findings

By applying its conceptual framework tools, the research is able to identify the key elements making up the startup ecosystem and classify the impact of digital transformation policies into three stages: creating the ecosystem, fostering feedback within the ecosystem by encouraging the first generation of entrepreneurs to interact with the second and third and attracting foreign capital and talent to this innovation ecosystem.

Originality/value

The novelty of this work lies in its time frame and geographical scope, as it provides an analysis of the digital transformation policies in Barcelona’s local startup ecosystem over a 30-year period. This research offers deeper insight into the role of public policies in the startup ecosystem in Barcelona, as well as the impact of digital transformation policies on startup ecosystems in general.
Library as a learning organization: the influence of leadership skills on organizational citizenship behavior at Vietnamese libraries
Authors: Tran Quan Hoang Nguyen
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of leadership skills (technical, human and conceptual) on organizational citizenship behavior in Vietnamese libraries and the role of organizational culture as the mediator.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach was chosen to gather data from 356 participants working in various libraries in Vietnam. The validity of the measures was assessed through regression analysis and SPSS software.

Findings

The results showed that leadership skills do have a significant impact on organizational citizenship behavior, but only human skills had a significant effect on bureaucracy culture. The study also revealed that bureaucracy culture played a significant role in affecting organizational citizenship behavior of organizations. Furthermore, bureaucracy culture was found to mediate the relationship between human skill and organizational citizenship behavior of organizations.

Originality/value

This study makes a valuable contribution to the field by exploring the influence of three types of leadership skills on organizational citizenship behavior and the role of leadership in promoting organizational culture. The findings of this research can help organizations understand the importance of leadership skills and organizational culture in promoting good citizenship behavior among employees. The research implications are discussed and can be used to inform decision-making and future research in the field.
Extension of the primary dispersal distance through peduncle laying and elongation promotes myrmecochory in Japanese sedges
Authors: Tanaka Koki
Published: April 2023

Postfloral peduncle laying is regarded as an element of myrmecochorous syndrome, which is presumed to facilitate seed discovery by ants by presenting seeds on the ground. However, this presumption does not explain why the peduncles should lay down rather than dropping diaspores on the ground. In this study, an alternative hypothesis is proposed, the distance hypothesis, stating that peduncle laying extends the primary dispersal distance and thereby enhances myrmecochory or functions as an insurance against myrmecochory failure. To test the distance hypothesis, I focused on several myrmecochorous sedge species. First, the occurrence of postfloral peduncle elongation was examined, which contributes to the extension of primary dispersal distance and is not directly relevant to seed presentation on the ground. The primary dispersal distances relative to sedge canopy radius were quantified to infer the insurance function, that is, the extent to which peduncle laying and elongation alone isolate seedlings from the sedge canopy. The effect of primary dispersal distances on myrmecochory were examined in a field experiment. Postfloral peduncle elongation was observed in all species examined. The insurance function of peduncle laying and elongation was supported in a subset of sedge species, in which primary dispersal distances were approximately twice as long as the sedge canopy radius. The field experiment revealed that longer primary dispersal distances increased both the number of ant nests into which diaspores were transported and myrmecochorous dispersal distances. These results support the distance hypothesis and highlight the need to reconsider the function of peduncle laying in myrmecochores.
Exploring customer heterogeneity with a scale‐extended latent class choice model: Experimental evidence drawn from urban water users
Authors: Cooper Bethany , Burton Michael , Crase Lin
Published: April 2023

The search for improved water pricing is central to urban water reform in many countries. Establishing efficient water prices is notoriously difficult, not least because different customers have different demands for water and yet they are presently faced with a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to pricing and service. This is especially challenging where water availability fluctuates widely, as is the case in many parts of Australia, because the impacts of exposure to episodic periods of scarcity can differ markedly. There is now substantial interest in the notion of ‘unbundling’ the water product to provide a better fit between customers' preferences and the level of service received. Following this trend, this study provides important insights into householders' willingness to pay for a range of flexible water options using a choice experiment. The paper reports a relatively underemployed extension to the latent class modelling framework to investigate preference heterogeneity towards urban water products, including purchasing services that involve the provision of environmental and amenity outcomes. The work adds to studies that use choice data to reveal heterogeneity while improving our understanding of household customers' demands. Overall, it also brings into focus questions about the future management of water in urban contexts.
Not All Friends Are Alike: A Categorization of Friendly Acquisitions Integrating the Acquired Firm Profile with the Acquirer's Approach
Authors: Delgado João Pedro , Gomes Emanuel , Neves Pedro
Published: April 2023

Although previous studies have examined the distinct motivations of acquirers and contrasted the differences between friendly and hostile acquisitions, the combination of the acquirer and target firm perspectives, particularly within friendly acquisitions, has not yet been addressed. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach and integrating the acquiring and acquired firms’ perspectives, this study identifies different types of friendly deals and investigates their impact on post‐acquisition performance. A unique dataset of 668 acquisitions was constructed by merging the Zephyr and Orbis databases. A regression analysis revealed that, in general, rescue and appealing targets obtain better post‐acquisition performance than average targets. The effect of rescue and appealing targets is accentuated by greater accumulated knowledge. Conversely, in partial acquisitions, the effect of rescue and appealing targets is diminished for high‐accumulated knowledge. This signal change of the knowledge‐moderating parameter implies that under general conditions, rescue and appealing targets outperform average targets. However, if the acquirer seeks to follow a collaborative approach to extract the accumulated knowledge of the target firm, then it is better to signal a more cooperative stance through a partial acquisition.
A reference database of Windows artifacts for file‐wiping tool execution analysis
Authors: Joo Dabin , Lee Jiwon , Jeong Doowon
Published: April 2023

Anti‐forensic technology can play an effective role in protecting information, but it can make forensic investigations difficult. Specifically, file‐wiping permanently erases evidence, making it challenging for investigators to determine whether a file ever existed and prolonging the investigation process. To address this issue, forensic researchers have studied anti‐forensic techniques that detect file‐wiping activities. Many previous studies have focused on the effects of file‐wiping tools on $MFT, $LogFile, and $DATA, rather than on Windows artifacts. Additionally, previous studies that have examined Windows artifacts have considered different artifacts, making it difficult to study them in a comprehensive manner. To address this, we focused on analyzing traces in 13 Windows artifacts of 10 file‐wiping tools' operations in the Windows operating system comprehensively. For our experiments, we installed each file‐wiping tool on separate virtual machines and checked the traces that the tools left behind in each artifact. We then organized the results in a database format. Our analysis revealed that most of the tools left traces on other artifacts, except for JumpList, Open&SavePidlMRU, and lnk. There were also some cases where traces remained on the other three artifacts. Based on our research, forensic investigators can quickly identify whether a file‐wiping tool has been used, and it can assist in decision‐making for evidence collection and forensic triage.
Research progress toward the influence of mosquito salivary proteins on the transmission of mosquito‐borne viruses
Authors: Wang Zhao‐Yang , Nie Kai‐Xiao , Niu Ji‐Chen , Cheng Gong
Published: April 2023

Mosquito‐borne viruses (MBVs) are a large class of viruses transmitted mainly through mosquito bites, including dengue virus, Zika virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and chikungunya virus, which pose a major threat to the health of people around the world. With global warming and extended human activities, the incidence of many MBVs has increased significantly. Mosquito saliva contains a variety of bioactive protein components. These not only enable blood feeding but also play a crucial role in regulating local infection at the bite site and the remote dissemination of MBVs as well as in remodeling the innate and adaptive immune responses of host vertebrates. Here, we review the physiological functions of mosquito salivary proteins (MSPs) in detail, the influence and the underlying mechanism of MSPs on the transmission of MBVs, and the current progress and issues that urgently need to be addressed in the research and development of MSP‐based MBV transmission blocking vaccines.
Worker silence in a turbulent neoliberal context: The case of mass privatisation of sugar factories in Turkey
Authors: Erbil Cihat , Özbilgin Mustafa
Published: April 2023

Silence in the context of work has different meanings across different settings. Turbulence induced by the privatisation of previously state‐owned enterprises presents a curious setting to explore worker silence. Turning to worker silence in the process of mass privatisation of sugar factories in Turkey, we examine why workers remained silent while resenting privatisation. We reflect on the experiences and perceptions of workers in the privatisation of sugar factories in an unregulated neoliberal country, where macro‐national and meso‐institutional mechanisms enforce worker silence Drawing on 48 interviews with workers from sugar factories, we demonstrate that worker silence deepened in the process of privatisation. The study provides evidence that an unregulated form of neoliberalism worsens worker silence through three distinct mechanisms: dismissal of democratic demands, marketisation of everything and decline of solidarity. We extend these mechanisms with 13 different corresponding forms.
Two sides of the same coin: Appraising job‐related attributes as resilience enhancing or undermining
Authors: Maley Jane Frances , Mitchell Rebecca , Boyle Brendan , McNeil Karen , Trau Raymond
Published: April 2023

Increasing stress levels in the workplace is an economic and social issue for many industries, and coal mining is no exception. However, more recently mining coal has become an intense moral and ethical issue subjecting workers to psychosocial related stress. Previous research has demonstrated that resilience can help manage individual stress to improve health outcomes and workplace productivity. This study examines data collected from 61 interviews with various workers in the coal industry in Australia throughout immense and stressful uncertainty. Drawing on the Job‐Demands‐Resource and the Transaction of Stress and Coping theories, we find that crucial elements of human resource management processes, supervision and the employee work unit may be modelled as either demands or resources. More significantly, we find that the individual's subjective appraisal of job‐related demands and resources plays a significant role in enhancing or undermining their resilience. For theory, this study extends the Job‐Demands‐Resource model by challenging the prevailing assumption that job‐related attributes act as demands or resources in terms of their relationship with resilience; for human resource management practice, the findings help focus on how particular strategies can best support and promote employee resilience.
The safe use of metformin in heart failure patients both with and without T2DM: A cross‐sectional and longitudinal study
Authors: Chowdhury Gina , Carland Jane E. , Kumar Shaun , Olsen Nick , Graham Garry , Kumarasinghe Gayathri , Hayward Christopher S. , Greenfield Jerry R. , Macdonald Peter , Day Richard O. , Stocker Sophie L.
Published: April 2023

Aims

This study investigated the safe use of metformin in patients with (1) type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and heart failure on metformin, and (2) heart failure without T2DM and metformin naïve.

Methods

Two prospective studies on heart failure patients were undertaken. The first was a cross‐sectional study with two patient cohorts, one with T2DM on metformin (n = 44) and one without T2DM metformin naive (n = 47). The second was a 12‐week interventional study of patients without T2DM (n = 27) where metformin (500 mg immediate release, twice daily) was prescribed. Plasma metformin and lactate concentrations were monitored. Individual pharmacokinetics were compared between cohorts. Univariable and multivariable analysis analysed the effects of variables on plasma lactate concentrations.

Results

Plasma metformin and lactate concentrations mostly (99.9%) remained below safety thresholds (5 mg/L and 5 mmol/L, respectively). Metformin concentration had no significant relationship with lactic acidosis safety markers. In the interventional study, New York Heart Association (NYHA) II (P < .03) and III (P < .001) grading was associated with higher plasma lactate concentrations, whereas male sex was associated with 47% higher plasma lactate concentrations (P < .05). The pharmacokinetics of heart failure patients with and without T2DM were similar.

Conclusions

We observed no unsafe plasma lactate concentrations in patients with heart failure treated with metformin. Metformin exposure did not influence plasma lactate concentrations, but NYHA class and sex did. The pharmacokinetics of metformin in heart failure patients are similar irrespective of T2DM. These findings may support the safe use of metformin in heart failure patients with and without T2DM.
Conditional Cross-Design Synthesis Estimators for Generalizability in Medicaid
Authors: Degtiar Irina , Layton Tim , Wallace Jacob , Rose Sherri
Published: April 2023

While much of the causal inference literature has focused on addressing internal validity biases, both internal and external validity are necessary for unbiased estimates in a target population of interest. However, few generalizability approaches exist for estimating causal quantities in a target population that is not well-represented by a randomized study but is reflected when additionally incorporating observational data. To generalize to a target population represented by a union of these data, we propose a novel class of conditional cross-design synthesis estimators that combine randomized and observational data, while addressing their estimates' respective biases—lack of overlap and unmeasured confounding. These methods enable estimating the causal effect of managed care plans on health care spending among Medicaid beneficiaries in New York City, which requires obtaining estimates for the 7% of beneficiaries randomized to a plan and 93% who choose a plan, who do not resemble randomized beneficiaries. Our new estimators include outcome regression, propensity weighting, and double robust approaches. All use the covariate overlap between the randomized and observational data to remove potential unmeasured confounding bias. Applying these methods, we find substantial heterogeneity in spending effects across managed care plans. This has major implications for our understanding of Medicaid, where this heterogeneity has previously been hidden. Additionally, we demonstrate that unmeasured confounding rather than lack of overlap poses a larger concern in this setting.
Combining Mixed Effects Hidden Markov Models with Latent Alternating Recurrent Event Processes to Model Diurnal Active–Rest Cycles
Authors: Ren Benny , Barnett Ian
Published: April 2023

Data collected from wearable devices can shed light on an individual's pattern of behavioral and circadian routine. Phone use can be modeled as alternating processes, between the state of active use and the state of being idle. Markov chains and alternating recurrent event models are commonly used to model state transitions in cases such as these, and the incorporation of random effects can be used to introduce diurnal effects. While state labels can be derived prior to modeling dynamics, this approach omits informative regression covariates that can influence state memberships. We instead propose an alternating recurrent event proportional hazards (PH) regression to model the transitions between latent states. We propose an expectation–maximization algorithm for imputing latent state labels and estimating parameters. We show that our E-step simplifies to the hidden Markov model (HMM) forward–backward algorithm, allowing us to recover an HMM with logistic regression transition probabilities. In addition, we show that PH modeling of discrete-time transitions implicitly penalizes the logistic regression likelihood and results in shrinkage estimators for the relative risk. This new estimator favors an extended stay in a state and is useful for modeling diurnal rhythms. We derive asymptotic distributions for our parameter estimates and compare our approach against competing methods through simulation as well as in a digital phenotyping study that followed smartphone use in a cohort of adolescents with mood disorders.
Analysis of the genetic loci of pigment pattern evolution in vertebrates
Authors: Elkin Joel , Martin Arnaud , Courtier‐Orgogozo Virginie , Santos M. Emília
Published: April 2023

Vertebrate pigmentation patterns are amongst the best characterised model systems for studying the genetic basis of adaptive evolution. The wealth of available data on the genetic basis for pigmentation evolution allows for analysis of trends and quantitative testing of evolutionary hypotheses. We employed Gephebase, a database of genetic variants associated with natural and domesticated trait variation, to examine trends in how cis‐regulatory and coding mutations contribute to vertebrate pigmentation phenotypes, as well as factors that favour one mutation type over the other. We found that studies with lower ascertainment bias identified higher proportions of cis‐regulatory mutations, and that cis‐regulatory mutations were more common amongst animals harbouring a higher number of pigment cell classes. We classified pigmentation traits firstly according to their physiological basis and secondly according to whether they affect colour or pattern, and identified that carotenoid‐based pigmentation and variation in pattern boundaries are preferentially associated with cis‐regulatory change. We also classified genes according to their developmental, cellular, and molecular functions. We found a greater proportion of cis‐regulatory mutations in genes implicated in upstream developmental processes compared to those involved in downstream cellular functions, and that ligands were associated with a higher proportion of cis‐regulatory mutations than their respective receptors. Based on these trends, we discuss future directions for research in vertebrate pigmentation evolution.
Becoming good ancestors: A decolonial, childist approach to global intergenerational sustainability
Authors: Biswas Tanu
Published: April 2023

There are two key questions consistently raised by children and youth since the onset of the school strikes for climate in 2018 in the Global North: Why study for a future, which may not be there? Why spend a lot of effort to become educated, when our governments are not listening to the educated? (conf. fridaysforfuture.org, n.d). While the same questions are shared by young climate activists from the Global South, there are other interrelated economic realities that echo the disappointment, anger, disillusionment, desperation, and frustration driving those utterances in their socio‐political contexts. Comparative insights from so‐called ‘developing’ countries disclose that institutionalized schooling, commonly confused with education, manipulates the aspirations of younger generations and their wider societies. Contemporary global schooling is one of the key propellers of global economic agendas geared towards producing human capital that is ‘employable’ in the future job market. The paradox of a global education agenda geared towards generating human capital employable on a job market is that most of those jobs (if at all they will be there) continue serving the very economic system that is threatening the right to life, health, culture (especially for indigenous communities) and the best interests of future generations on this planet. As young climate activists from various countries collectively argue within the framework of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, major economies are failing to protect the basic human rights of children and future generations. I suggest that the various interrelated crises evident through the key questions raised by young climate activists must be considered as part of a North–South continuum. In this paper, I reflect upon these interrelated crises by developing a decolonial childist approach to education—understood as an intergenerational relationship, implying an effort on part of present adults becoming good ancestors of the future, in the present. Such efforts require larger structural shifts which I consider by means of the four strategies I discuss building upon previous co‐reflections.
Deep brain stimulation suppresses epileptic seizures in rats via inhibition of adenosine kinase and activation of adenosine A1 receptors
Authors: Xie Pandeng , Liu Siqi , Huang Qi , Xiong Zhonghua , Deng Jiahui , Tang Chongyang , Xu Ke , Zhang Bo , He Baijian , Wang Xiongfei , Liu Zhao , Wang Jing , Zhou Jian , Guan Yugang , Luan Guoming , Li Tianfu , Zhai Feng
Published: April 2023

Aims

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, is an effective therapy for patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy, yet, its mechanism of action remains elusive. Adenosine kinase (ADK), a key negative regulator of adenosine, is a potential modulator of epileptogenesis. DBS has been shown to increase adenosine levels, which may suppress seizures via A1 receptors (A1Rs). We investigated whether DBS could halt disease progression and the potential involvement of adenosine mechanisms.

Methods

Control group, SE (status epilepticus) group, SE‐DBS group, and SE‐sham‐DBS group were included in this study. One week after a pilocarpine‐induced status epilepticus, rats in the SE‐DBS group were treated with DBS for 4 weeks. The rats were monitored by video‐EEG. ADK and A1Rs were tested with histochemistry and western blot, respectively.

Results

Compared with the SE group and SE‐sham‐DBS group, DBS could reduce the frequency of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) and the number of interictal epileptic discharges. The DPCPX, an A1R antagonist, reversed the effect of DBS on interictal epileptic discharges. In addition, DBS inhibited the overexpression of ADK and the downregulation of A1Rs.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that DBS can reduce SRS in epileptic rats via inhibition of ADK and activation of A1Rs. A1Rs might be a potential target of DBS for the treatment of epilepsy.
Efficacy and safety of monotherapy with enavogliflozin in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Results of a 12‐week, multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase 2 trial
Authors: Yang Ye Seul , Min Kyung Wan , Park Seok‐O , Kim Kyung‐Soo , Yu Jae Myung , Hong Eun‐Gyoung , Cho Sung Rae , Won Kyu Chang , Kim Yong Hyun , Oh Seungjoon , Choi Sung Hee , Koh Gwanpyo , Huh Wan , Kim Su Young , Park Kyong Soo
Published: April 2023

Aims

The study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of enavogliflozin, a newly developed sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, with placebo in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and Methods

Patients with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) of 7.0‐10.0%, entered a 2‐week placebo run‐in period, and were randomized to receive once‐daily enavogliflozin (0.1, 0.3 or 0.5 mg) or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change in HbA1c from baseline at week 12.

Results

Overall, 194 patients were included in the full analysis set [placebo, n = 46; enavogliflozin (0.1 mg, n = 49; 0.3 mg, n = 50; 0.5 mg, n = 49)]. Patients receiving 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mg enavogliflozin showed significantly reduced HbA1c compared with those receiving placebo at week 12 (−0.79%, −0.89%, −0.92% and −0.08%, respectively; p < .001 vs. placebo). Mean changes in fasting plasma glucose from baseline at week 12 were −30.5, −31.1, −35.0 and 4.9 mg/dl in patients receiving enavogliflozin doses and placebo, respectively. The proportion of patients achieving HbA1c <7.0% at week 12 was significantly higher in the three enavogliflozin groups than in the placebo group (42.9%, 44.0%, 61.2% and 17.4%, respectively). A higher proportion of patients showed HbA1c reduction by >0.5% after receiving enavogliflozin doses than those receiving placebo (61.2%, 72.0%, 65.3% and 26.1%, respectively). There were no significant differences in incidences of adverse events of hypoglycaemia and genital infection between the groups.

Conclusions

Once‐daily enavogliflozin monotherapy for 12 weeks is an effective, safe, and well‐tolerated treatment for Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Microbial communities of the antFormica exsectaand its nest material
Authors: Lindström Stafva , Timonen Sari S. , Sundström Liselotte
Published: April 2023

In this study, we investigated the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of the antFormica exsecta(Hymenoptera, Formicidae), and assessed whether the microbial communities inside the ants differ from those in their nest material. Furthermore, we investigated whether the microbial communities inside the ants are conserved across time. To achieve this, we sequenced the bacterial 16S rRNA, and the fungal ITS region in entire adult worker ants and their nest material by Illumina MiSeq. We found that both the bacterial, and the fungal microbiomes form communities discrete from those in the surrounding nest material. In addition to the differences in species composition, we also found that bacterial species diversity, species richness, ζ diversity, and evenness were lower in ants than in the nest material. For fungi, only species richness was lower in the ants than in the nest material. The rate of within‐colony species turnover across sampling events was not statistically significant for bacteria, but highly significant for fungi. This suggests that the fungal communities in the ants are less stable than the bacterial ones. Four bacterial taxa (Alphaproteobacteria,Proteobacteria,Staphylococcus, andStreptococcus), and two fungal taxa (DavidiellaandCryptococcus) formed a core microbiome, being consistently present and more abundant in the ants, but absent in the nest material. In all other cases differences in community composition and structure were due to taxa that were more consistently present and more abundant in the nest material, and frequently absent in the ants. Furthermore, we found 36 unique OTUs identified as Proteobacteria, and 82 unique OTUs identified as Alphaproteobacteria in the ants, representing 2.5% and 5.8% of all bacterial OTUs and 24.6% and 41% of the total number of bacterial sequences. This suggests thatF. exsectaharbours a considerable bacterial diversity that so far remains unexplored.
‘He is the customer, I will say yes’: Notions of power, precarity and consent to sexual harassment by customers in the gay tourism industry
Authors: Hadjisolomou Anastasios , Nickson Dennis , Baum Tom
Published: April 2023

This article explores the sexualized nature of the gay tourism industry and examines how ‘pink dollar’ organizations tacitly encourage incidences of sexual harassment from customers. Drawing on qualitative data from two popular gay tourism destinations, the article shows the embeddedness of sex, as a selling point, in the industry which creates blurred lines between service, sexuality, and sex. This consequently leads to sexual harassment by customers which is accepted and to which workers consent. Consent is driven by the hyper‐sexualization of the workplace and the power imbalance within the service triangle and the interaction with the customer and the precarious nature of the sector. Mirroring Burawoy’s (1979) idea of employees consenting (giving in) to organizational norms, we contribute to theory by suggesting that the power imbalance constructed within the service triangle gives high interactive power to the customer to harass workers without evident consequences for their misbehavior, whilst the latter consent and accept this as part of the job, due to the limited support from management.