bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discrimination of Vocal Folds Lesions by Multiclass Classification using Autofluorescence Spectroscopy
Authors: Gaiffe Olivier , Mahdjoub Joackim , Ramasso Emmanuel , Mauvais Olivier , Lihoreau Thomas , Pazart Lionel , Wacogne Bruno , Tavernier Laurent
Published: May 2023

Objectives

The diagnosis of vocal fold cancer currently relies on invasive surgical biopsies, which can compromise laryngeal function. Distinguishing between different types of laryngeal lesions without invasive tissue sampling is therefore crucial. Autofluorescence spectroscopy (AFS) has proved to be efficient as a non-invasive detection technique but has yet to be fully exploited in the context of a multi-class tissue analysis. This study evaluates whether AFS can be used to discriminate between different types of laryngeal lesions in view of assisting in vocal fold surgery and preoperative investigations.

Materials and methods

Ex vivospectral autofluorescence scans were recorded for each sample using a 405-nm laser excitation. A total of 1308 spectra were recorded from 29 vocal fold samples obtained from 23 patients. Multiclass analysis was conducted on the spectral data, classifying lesions either as normal, benign, dysplastic, or carcinoma. The results were compared to histopathological diagnosis.

Results

Through an appropriate selection of spectral components and a cascading classification approach based on artificial neural networks (ANN), a classification rate of 97% was achieved for each lesion class, compared to 52% using autofluorescence intensity.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of AFS combined with multivariate analysis for accurate classification of vocal fold lesions. Comprehensive spectral data analysis significantly improves classification accuracy, even in challenging situations such as distinguishing between malignant and premalignant or benign lesions. This method could provide a way to performin situmapping of tissue states for minimally-invasive biopsy and surgical resection margins.
Attention drives visual processing and audiovisual integration during multimodal communication
Authors: Seijdel Noor , Schoffelen Jan-Mathijs , Hagoort Peter , Drijvers Linda
Published: May 2023

During communication in real-life settings, our brain often needs to integrate auditory and visual information, and at the same time actively focus on the relevant sources of information, while ignoring interference from irrelevant events. The interaction between integration and attention processes remains poorly understood. Here, we use rapid invisible frequency tagging (RIFT) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate how attention affects auditory and visual information processing and integration, during multimodal communication. We presented human participants (male and female) with videos of an actress uttering action verbs (auditory; tagged at 58 Hz) accompanied by two movie clips of hand gestures on both sides of fixation (attended stimulus tagged at 65 Hz; unattended stimulus tagged at 63 Hz). Integration difficulty was manipulated by a lower-order auditory factor (clear/degraded speech) and a higher-order visual semantic factor (matching/mismatching gesture). We observed an enhanced neural response to the attended visual information during degraded speech compared to clear speech. For the unattended information, the neural response to mismatching gestures was enhanced compared to matching gestures. Furthermore, signal power at the intermodulation frequencies of the frequency tags, indexing non-linear signal interactions, was enhanced in left frontotemporal and frontal regions. Focusing on LIFG, this enhancement was specific for the attended information, for those trials that benefitted from integration with a matching gesture. Higher power at this intermodulation frequency was related to faster reaction times. Together, our results suggest that attention modulates the strength and speed of audiovisual processing and interaction, depending on the congruence and quality of the sensory input.
Development and Biophysical Characterization of a Humanized FSH–Blocking Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutic Formulated at an Ultra–High Concentration
Authors: Rojekar Satish , Pallapati Anusha R. , Gimenez–Roig Judit , Korkmaz Funda , Sultana Farhath , Sant Damini , Haeck Clement , Macdonald Anne , Kim Se-Min , Rosen Clifford J. , Barak Orly , Meseck Marcia , Caminis John , Lizneva Daria , Yuen Tony , Zaidi Mone
Published: May 2023

Highly concentrated antibody formulations are oftentimes required for subcutaneous, self-administered biologics. Here, we report the creation of a unique formulation for our first–in– class FSH–blocking humanized antibody, MS-Hu6, which we propose to move to the clinic for osteoporosis, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease. The studies were carried out using our Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) platform, compliant with the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 21, Part 58). We first used protein thermal shift, size exclusion chromatography, and dynamic light scattering to examine MS-Hu6 concentrations between 1 and 100 mg/mL. We found that thermal, monomeric, and colloidal stability of formulated MS-Hu6 was maintained at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. The addition of the antioxidant L–methionine and chelating agent disodium EDTA improved the formulation’s long–term colloidal and thermal stability. Thermal stability was further confirmed by Nano differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Physiochemical properties of formulated MS-Hu6, including viscosity, turbidity, and clarity, conformed with acceptable industry standards. That the structural integrity of MS-Hu6 in formulation was maintained was proven through Circular Dichroism (CD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Three rapid freeze–thaw cycles at –80°C/25°C or –80°C/37°C further revealed excellent thermal and colloidal stability. Furthermore, formulated MS-Hu6, particularly its Fab domain, displayed thermal and monomeric storage stability for more than 90 days at 4°C and 25°C. Finally, the unfolding temperature (Tm) for formulated MS-Hu6 increased by >4.80°C upon binding to recombinant FSH, indicating highly specific ligand binding. Overall, we document the feasibility of developing a stable, manufacturable and transportable MS-Hu6 formulation at a ultra–high concentration at industry standards. The study should become a resource for developing biologic formulations in academic medical centers.
Circadian PERIOD proteins regulate TC-DSB repair through anchoring to the nuclear envelope
Authors: Le Bozec Benjamin , Guitton-Sert Laure , Collins Sarah , Finoux Anne-Laure , Payrault Charlotte , Frison Jessica , Carette Romane , Rocher Vincent , Guillou Emmanuelle , Arnould Coline , Guénolé Aude , Aguirrebengoa Marion , Lazar Ikrame , Marnef Aline , Frit Philippe , Calsou Patrick , Mangeat Thomas , Puget Nadine , Legube Gaëlle
Published: May 2023

Repair of DNA Double-Strand Breaks (DSBs) produced in transcriptionally active chromatin occurs through a poorly characterized pathway called Transcription-Coupled DSB repair (TC-DSBR). Here, using a screening approach scoring multiple outputs in human cells, we identified proteins from the PERIOD complex, a key module ensuring circadian oscillations, as novel TC-DSBR players. We show that the core PER complex protein PER2 is recruited at TC-DSBs and that it contributes to the targeting of TC-DSBs at the nuclear envelope (NE). At the NE, SUN1 and the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) act as docking sites for TC-DSBs and TC-DSB anchoring fosters RAD51 assembly. Impaired DSB localization at the NE results in elevated DSB clustering and translocation rate. In agreement, the circadian clock regulates TC-DSB anchoring to the NE, RAD51 assembly, and DSB clustering. Our study shows that DSB localization to the NPC is a conserved molecular pathway that also occurs in human cells and provides a direct link between the circadian rhythm and the response to DSBs occurring in active genes. This opens new therapeutic strategies for chemotherapies based on drugs that are inducing DSBs in active loci such as topoisomerase poisons.
Enhlink infers distal and context-specific enhancer-promoter linkages
Authors: Poirion Olivier B. , Zuo Wulin , Spruce Catrina , Daigle Sandra L. , Olson Ashley , Skelly Daniel A. , Chesler Elissa J. , Baker Christopher L. , White Brian S.
Published: May 2023

Enhancers play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and their functional status can be queried with cell type precision using using single-cell (sc)ATAC-seq. To facilitate analysis of such data, we developed Enhlink, a novel computational approach that leverages single -cell signals to infer linkages between regulatory DNA sequences, such as enhancers and promoters. Enhlink uses an ensemble strategy that integrates cell-level technical covariates to control for batch effects and biological covariates to infer robust condition-specific links and their associatedp-values. It can integrate simultaneous gene expression and chromatin accessibility measurements of individual cells profiled by multi-omic experiments for increased specificity. We evaluated Enhlink using simulated and real scATAC-seq data, including those paired with physical enhancer-promoter links enumerated by promoter capture Hi-C and with multi-omic scATAC-/RNA-seq data we generated from the mouse striatum. These examples demonstrated that our method outperforms popular alternative strategies. In conjunction with eQTL analysis, Enhlink revealed a putative super-enhancer regulating key cell type-specific markers of striatal neurons. Taken together, our analyses demonstrate that Enhlink is accurate, powerful, and provides features that can lead to novel biological insights.
Phase transition of maternal RNAs during vertebrate oocyte-to-embryo transition
Authors: Hwang Hyojeong , Chen Sijie , Ma Meng , Divyanshi  , Fan Hao-Chun , Borwick Elizabeth , Böke Elvan , Mei Wenyan , Yang Jing
Published: May 2023

The oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET) is regulated by maternal products stored in the oocyte cytoplasm, independent of transcription. How maternal products are precisely remodeled to dictate the OET remains an open question. In this work, we discover the dynamic phase transition of maternal RNAs duringXenopusOET. We have identified 863 maternal transcripts that transition from a soluble state to a detergent-insoluble one after oocyte maturation. These RNAs are enriched in the animal hemisphere and many of them encode key cell cycle regulators. In contrast, 165 transcripts, including nearly allXenopusgermline RNAs and some vegetally localized somatic RNAs, undergo an insoluble-to-soluble phase transition. This phenomenon is conserved in zebrafish. Our results demonstrate that the phase transition of germline RNAs influences their susceptibility to RNA degradation machinery and is mediated by the remodeling of germ plasm. This work thus uncovers novel remodeling mechanisms that act on RNAs to regulate vertebrate OET.
An SMR cell-cycle inhibitor inducible by a carotenoid metabolite resets root development and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Braat Jeanne , Jaonina Meryl , David Pascale , Leschevin Maïté , Légeret Bertrand , D’Alessandro Stefano , Beisson Frédéric , Havaux Michel
Published: May 2023

New regulatory functions in plant development and environmental stress responses have recently emerged for a number of apocarotenoids produced by enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation of carotenoids. β-cyclocitric acid (β-CCA) is one such compound derived from β-carotene which triggers defense mechanisms leading to a marked enhancement of plant tolerance to drought stress. We show here that this response is associated with an inhibition of root growth affecting both root cell elongation and division. Remarkably, β-CCA selectively induced cell cycle inhibitors of the SIAMESE-RELATED (SMR) family, especially SMR5, in root tip cells. Overexpression of theSMR5gene in Arabidopsis induced molecular and physiological changes that mimicked in large part the effects of β-CCA. In particular, theSMR5overexpressors exhibited an inhibition of root development and a marked increase in drought tolerance which is not related to stomatal closure.SMR5up-regulation induced changes in gene expression that strongly overlapped with the β-CCA-induced transcriptomic changes. Both β-CCA and SMR5 led to a down-regulation of many cell cycle activators (cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases) and a concomitant up-regulation of genes related to water deprivation, cellular detoxification and biosynthesis of lipid biopolymers such as suberin and lignin. This was correlated with an accumulation of suberin lipid polyesters in the roots and a decrease in non-stomatal leaf transpiration. Taken together, our results identify the β-CCA-and drought-inducibleSMR5gene as a key component of a stress signaling pathway that reorients root metabolism from growth to multiple defense mechanisms leading to drought tolerance.
Phase segregation and miscibility of TiO
x
nanocomposites in Gd-doped ceria solid electrolyte material
Authors: Li Junying , Routh Prahlad K. , Li Yuanyuan , Plonka Anna , Makagon Evgeniy , Lubomirsky Igor , Frenkel Anatoly
Published: May 2023

Electro-chemo-mechanical (ECM) coupling refers to mechanical deformation due to electrochemically driven compositional change in a solid. An ECM actuator producing micrometre-size displacements and long-term stability at room temperature was recently reported, comprising a 20 mol% Gd-doped ceria (20GDC), a solid electrolyte membrane, placed between two working bodies made of TiO
x
/20GDC (Ti-GDC) nanocomposites with Ti concentration of 38 mol%. The volumetric changes originating from oxidation or reduction in the local TiO
x
units are hypothesized to be the origin of mechanical deformation in the ECM actuator. Studying the Ti concentration-dependent structural changes in the Ti-GDC nanocomposites is therefore required for (i) understanding the mechanism of dimensional changes in the ECM actuator and (ii) maximizing the ECM response. Here, the systematic investigation of the local structure of the Ti and Ce ions in Ti-GDC over a broad range of Ti concentrations using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction is reported. The main finding is that, depending on the Ti concentration, Ti atoms either form a cerium titanate or segregate into a TiO2 anatase-like phase. The transition region between these two regimes with Ti(IV) concentration between 19% and 57% contained strongly disordered TiO
x
units dispersed in 20GDC containing Ce(III) and Ce(IV) and hence rich with oxygen vacancies. As a result, this transition region is proposed to be the most advantageous for developing ECM-active materials.
Platform ecosystem research in the technology and innovation management discipline: a multi-method literature review
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Sandip , Whalley Jason , Pandey Ritesh , Ranganathan Vinodhini
Published: May 2023

Purpose

In parallel with the rising importance of innovation and digital technologies, research on platform ecosystems is rapidly accumulating. This study aims to summarize the current research published in leading technical and innovation management (TIM) journals and provide recommendation for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors combine multiple quantitative literature review methods (social network analysis, citation analysis and co-citation analysis) with a systematic literature review of articles published in the 13 most influential TIM journals over a 15-year period.

Findings

The citation network of 168 selected papers is sparse, with low network density indicating the emerging nature of the field. Using network centrality values, the authors identified the 33 most influential articles. The review of methodologies in these articles found that conceptual and case study research dominate, suggesting the need for additional confirmatory and quantitative analysis. Co-citation analysis of the references identified six research clusters: foundation, network-centric innovation, complementor management, platform competition, ecosystemsand product platforms.

Originality/value

This analysis is among the first to examine the knowledge structure of platform ecosystem research in the TIM domain by using multiple evidence-based analysis methods. The authors also apply the theory, context, characteristics and methodology framework to suggest areas for future research.
Longitudinal effects of high-performance work practices on job performance via person–job fit
Authors: Kaur Harleen , Kaur Rajpreet
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This present three-wave longitudinal study aims to elucidate underlying mechanism in high-performance work practices (HPWPs) and job performance relationship by examining the role of person–job as a potential mediator.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 357 faculty members of universities in Punjab (India) using a well-structured questionnaire for four consecutive months. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM software.

Findings

This study results substantiated HPWPs have a direct favorable impact on the person–job fit because their extensive engagement policies, such as employee empowerment and rewards, help employees to perceive their jobs as being a good fit. Furthermore, these practices fulfil employment expectations for employees, resulting in job fit and boosting the employee’s performance; highlighting person–job fit as potential mediator.

Research limitations/implications

Grounding on the person–environment congruence theory, this study shed light on the relationship between HPWPs and job performance via person–job fit in the Indian higher education sector. This develops a unique management philosophy and strategies for long-term sustainable growth of organizations to give proper concrete evidence for the significance of human resource management (HRM).

Practical implications

This study findings persuade HR professionals in higher education institutions to actively engage in reconsidering and implementing their current HPWPs efficaciously to ensure that the employees are well-suited to their roles, i.e. increased person–job fit and perform at a higher level. Furthermore, considering the favorable impact of HPWPs on job fit and performance, it is pertinent to extensively use these practices in organizations all over the world especially across developing nations as a successful HRM solution.

Originality/value

This longitudinal study provides first-hand information on person–job fit intervening as a mediator in HPWPs and job performance relationship thereby contributing to the current corpus of HPWPs work. This fills the gap in HPWPs and job performance literature by identifying a novel concept of person–job fit that is mostly unexplored in developing countries like India.
Unlocking employees resilience in turbulent times: the role of spiritual leadership and meaning
Authors: Ahmed Syed Saad , Khan Muhammad Mumtaz , ur Rahman Mustaghis
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between spiritual leadership and employee resilience. Specifically, this research explores how meaning mediates the relationship between spiritual leadership and employee resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

This quantitative study collected data from the 439 respondents using a seven-point Likert scale. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the relationship among spiritual leadership, meaning and employee resilience.

Findings

The results shows that spiritual leadership, directly and indirectly, influences employee resilience. Spiritual leadership also instills meaning among employees through exhibiting genuine concern and communicating a shared vision. This research also demonstrates that meaning cultivates employee resilience to survive and thrive in a challenging business environment.

Practical implications

First, organizations should assess, incorporate and promote altruistic values and shared vision in their leadership program and staffing process. Second, this study urges leaders and managers to create meaning in the workplace. Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the daily routines and order that humans are accustomed to, causing distressing circumstances for many people. This research calls for spiritual leadership to respond proactively by providing employees with support, appreciation and direction in those times.

Originality/value

This research moves forward the extant academic discussion on spiritual leadership, meaning and employee resilience in two ways. First, this study adds empirical evidence to the relationship between spiritual leadership and employee resilience, which has drawn scant attention from scholars. Second, this research buttresses the proposed framework from the perspective of positive psychology and broaden-and-build theory.
Foreign investment sensitivity to employment regulation: reassessing what really matters
Authors: Florkowski Gary Walter
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Drawing on the international business and IHRM literature, this study investigated the effects that employment regulation and its nature of enforcement have on foreign investment in emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel regressions with time fixed effects were conducted for the period 2002–2017 using regulatory, human capital, and economic data for 34 developing nations. Robustness checks also were performed by varying the measures for key predictors along with the modes of analysis (i.e., Pooled OLS with clustered standard errors, generalized estimating equations (GEE), and instrumental variable (IV) regression with the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach).

Findings

Although the totality of restrictions did not have an impact, FDI inflows were negatively related to the process strength of enforcement. This suggests investors place greater emphasis on de facto exposure than on de jure enactments, favoring nations less willing or able to push for compliance. In addition, while GDP growth had a positive impact on inward investment, the opposite was found for licensing restrictions and labor productivity. The remaining controls failed to display consistent relationships with foreign investment.

Research limitations/implications

Data constraints precluded the inclusion of additional economies and years before 2001. It also was not possible to directly evaluate the influence of labor costs without a standardized measure for developing nations. This entered at best indirectly in GDP per capita, which was tested.

Practical implications

These findings have important implications for social responsibility, suggesting more aggressive monitoring is needed of investment criteria and government relations. At a minimum, social auditing and reporting should better document overt commitments to rights-adherence and compliance-partnering. CSR stakeholders can work in tandem, tracking enforcement more closely and lobbying governments to discourage policies of lax enforcement.

Originality/value

This is the first study to assess how legal stock and its manner of enforcement influence FDI inflows. Improving on earlier studies, employment law was measured with a broad legal scale that was annually adjusted. Enforcement was evaluated in two different forms, both as process strength and administrative capacity – the former drawing investors' attention.
Female digital entrepreneurship: a structured literature review
Authors: Alhajri Abrar , Aloud Monira
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study offers a structured literature review (SLR) on female digital entrepreneurship (DE). This is done by providing insights into the recent developments of the topic, reviewing and critiquing previous studies in the literature, and pinpointing areas for future potential studies.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive SLR was conducted on 18 papers published between 2017 and 2022 by discipline, time, methodologies, context, topic, and theoretical emphasis. The authors employed the three phases of critical research – insight, critique, and transformative redefinition – to conduct the literature review.

Findings

The literature on female DE is inadequate, fragmented, and divergent in terms of less practice-based insights. Furthermore, most female DE research is published in nonspecialized journals. The examination of the impact of gender and cross-country comparative studies is scarce. Existing literature lacks epistemological and methodological diversity. The lack of theoretical connections across the various research areas on female entrepreneurship may be the reason why this area of study has proven difficult for scholars. Few authors exhibit high specialization in the topic, whereas most authors contribute to either DE or female entrepreneurship.

Research limitations/implications

This SLR research aims to provide an overview of the female DE field by identifying the current trend of research and recognizing future research directions and to improve readers’ knowledge of this research branch.

Practical implications

This review has classified the field's main topics and found that the influence of context (institutional and social) is the most investigated issue. Further, it presents a potential for practitioners' contribution to the field as coauthors and outlines needed studies.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary, updated review and research agenda that supplements rather than substitutes the existing literature reviews on female entrepreneurship. Moreover, this study makes a significant contribution by presenting the stages of development in female DE research within the context of the overall literature on female entrepreneurship.
Social interaction and the successful exit of cultural and creative crowdfunding projects: evidence from the Modian platform
Authors: Jia Lin , Zhang Ying , Lin Chen
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Social interaction in comment sections has become a key factor for backers' decision making in crowdfunding platforms. However, current research on the two-way social interaction in crowdfunding is insufficient, and there exist inconsistent conclusions. This study focuses on the social interaction between creators and backers and explores its influence on the successful exit of crowdfunding projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The extended Cox model is used for the empirical analysis of 1,988 crowdfunding projects on the Modian (www.modian.com) platform, a crowdfunding platform for cultural and creative projects in China. The two-way social interaction is reflected in comment quantity and sentiment, as well as reply rate.

Findings

Results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between comment quantity/sentiment and the successful exit of crowdfunding projects. This relationship is strengthened by high reply rate.

Originality/value

This study focuses on comment quantity and sentiment. The inverted U-shaped results reconcile previous conclusions. Replies from creators are regarded as a separate factor, and their moderating role is explained. The study research proves the importance of social interaction in crowdfunding platforms and provides suggestions for backers, creators and platform managers.
Holistic evaluation of a team-lecture hybrid (TLH) instructional design applied in a public affairs course
Authors: Tataw David Besong
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This uses quantitative and qualitative methods in assessing performance and process outcomes in a team lecture hybrid (TLH) instructional design applied in a public affairs course.

Design/methodology/approach

Within a non-experimental prospective design, individual and team outcomes were assessed as follows: survey of student perceptions of learning outcomes; comparison of individual and group scores on in-class case analyses using paired t-tests; external reviewers' observations of traditional lecture versus TLH activities; and analysis of students' reflections on team dynamics using a team process reflection tool adapted from four team development stages.

Findings

The following student learning outcomes results were observed: increased use of critical thinking; higher student interaction with other students and the instructor; higher student engagement in initiating or contributing to content or other learning activities; higher student enthusiasm; increased use of problem-solving skills; improved performance evidenced by quality of individual versus group products; evidence suggesting improvements in student learning outcomes when active learners and an active instructor interact in a learning environment.

Practical implications

Instructor practice tips were provided in the following areas: use of assessment methods; student engagement as an active instructor; motivational tips for classes with students from a variety of disciplines; and individual team member accountability.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) by addressing limitations in both traditional and collaborative learning models and expanding holistic evaluations in SOTL.
The role of subjective norms in developing entrepreneurial intentions in university students
Authors: Anderson Jonathan R.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Enabling and encouraging entrepreneurial activity has long been of interest to scholars and practitioners. Previous research is partly based on the theory of planned behavior. This research has consistently shown that personal attitudes and perceived behavioral control are correlated with entrepreneurial intentions. However, previous findings have found the relationship between subjective norms and entrepreneurial intentions to be inconsistent. This paper proposes a resolution to these discrepancies and tests these hypotheses in a university setting.

Design/methodology/approach

Using nearly 1,000 student survey responses, this paper uses an inter subject linear regression model to test elements of the theory of planned behavior that have been inconsistent in the literature.

Findings

This paper finds that personal attitudes and perceived behavioral control mediate or partially mediate the relationships between subjective norms and entrepreneurial intentions. Extension for theory development and practice are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

While very insightful, this paper is limited by the use of a within-subjects survey research design and the inherent limitations with such research. Additionally, using college students as respondents limits the ability to generalize the results to any population outside similar college-age populations.

Originality/value

This paper provides a unique test of a set of controversial findings in research on the theory of planned behavior. Identifying unique mediators between social norms and entrepreneurial intentions expands this theory and provides fertile opportunities for future research.
Assessment of the effect of straw lignin-based synthetic resin as a modifier on the rheological properties of asphalt binder towards better utilization of straw biomass
Authors: Li Yiming , Lv Chenyang
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To extend the reuse method and rate of straw biomass, this paper investigated the effect of lignin synthetic phenolic resin (LPF) on the rheological properties of asphalt binder.

Design/methodology/approach

Four LPFs with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% substitution rates were prepared by replacing phenol with lignin in synthetic resins and using it as a modifier to prepare a bio-asphalt binder. Temperature sweep tests were conducted to evaluate aging resistance and temperature sensitivity of the bio-asphalt binder. The rutting resistance of the bio-asphalt binder was evaluated by frequency sweeps and multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) test. Linear amplitude sweep (LAS) tests were conducted to evaluate the fatigue resistance of the bio-asphalt binder. A master curve was constructed to further analyze the rheological properties of the bio-asphalt binder at different frequencies. The low-temperature cracking resistance of the binder was evaluated by G-R parameters, critical temperatures and ΔTc. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to investigate the changes in the functional groups of the binder before and after aging.

Findings

The results indicated that adding LPF could improve the high-temperature rutting resistance, fatigue resistance, aging resistance of asphalt and the binders are less affected by temperature. Additionally, LPF slightly prohibited the low-temperature performance of the asphalt binder, which, however, was significantly lower than the base asphalt degradation during aging. Compared with base asphalt binders, the bio-asphalt binder showed no new absorption peaks generated after adding LPF, identifying that the improved asphalt binder performance by LPF was a mainly physical modification.

Originality/value

The main objective of this paper is to further improve the substitution rate (i.e. the mass substitution ratio of lignin to phenol) of lignin and broaden the application of biomass resins, thus realizing resource sustainability.
States of responds to conflicting institutional logics: power dynamics and the role of management reports
Authors: Gisch Celina , Hirsch Bernhard , Lindermüller David
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Conflicting institutional logics are thought to be factors that hinder organizational changes in public institutions. Thus, this study explores the different strategies of public sector organizations to handle tensions from conflicting institutional logics in their day-to-day activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors argue that strategies for handling conflicting logics should not be treated separately. Rather, the authors show that within organizations, different strategies could be interconnected and depend on each other. The empirical insights come from a case study of a large German federal authority, in which management reporting was introduced with the intent to effect change in the organization.

Findings

The authors show how, over time, organization members confront the practice of management reporting with different approaches to address conflicting institutional demands and to find ways to create management reports that would be accepted by different addressees.

Originality/value

The study documents three states of responds to conflicting institutional logics: decoupling, compromising and hybridization. The authors highlight the power dynamics between the corresponding actors and the consequences for using management reports in these different states. Accordingly, the authors aim to provide profound insights into the microdynamics in the context of conflicting institutional logics.
Consecration and meritocracy in elite business schools: The case of a Swedish student union
Authors: Holmqvist Mikael
Published: May 2023

Sociologists are paying increasing attention to the business and financial elites that control today's global economy; indeed, there's a great need to understand who these elites are, what they do, and what makes them tick, as individuals, and as a class. But we also need to understand how the economic elites aremade in the current social and economic system, and one significant way of doing this, is by examining elite business schools, that is, the institutions that aim to train and prepare people to assume important leadership and decision‐making positions in business, finance and related sectors of critical importance to the management of modern capitalism. Based on the notion of consecration, I empirically examine how the student union of Sweden's premier business school, The Stockholm School of Economics, offers its members a learning environment partly separated from the school, and how this semi‐independent organization contributes to making undergraduate students socially, morally and esthetically meritorious for elite jobs in primarily management consulting and finance; a process that is largely shaped by corporate actors that participate formally and informally in the student union activities. The paper contributes to the sociological literature on business schools and higher education and elites, both theoretically through the twin notions of meritocracy and consecration, and empirically through its unique focus on student union activities in an elite business school setting.
Free market economy: Is the market or prices free? Theory and evidence from the United States
Authors: Karacan Rıdvan , Yardımcı Mehmet Emin
Published: May 2023

Global price increases have reached their highest levels in recent times. Finding the reasons for the price increase is very important for economic stabilization. In this paper, it has been estimated that exorbitant price increases may be related to a free market economy. For this purpose, unlike other studies, a comparative analysis of the impact of the free market economy on prices was conducted. The study covers the period 1990–2020, and using the U.S. economy, which is a free market economy, the relationship between property rights, the size of government in the economy, and prices were examined using the autoregressive distributed lag model. The results show that the free market model has a positive effect on the price increase, while the size of the government's economy does not affect the price increase in the same direction. This study aims to provide a different perspective to policymakers in the fight against price instability, which is one of the most important problems facing the economy.
The Effect of Sustained Transparency on Electoral Accountability
Authors: Grossman Guy , Michelitch Kristin , Prato Carlo
Published: May 2023

Transparency is expected to strengthen electoral accountability. Yet, initiatives disseminating politician performance information directly prior to elections have reported mixed results. We argue that to be effective, transparency needs to be sustained: The dissemination of politician performance information needs to occur early, regularly, and predictably throughout the term. Using a formal model of electoral accountability under nonprogrammatic and uneven party competition, we study how sustained transparency affects a string of decisions by various actors in advance of elections: incumbents' running choices, parties' nomination strategies, and potential challengers' entry decisions. We show how these effects shape the candidate slate and ultimately electoral outcomes, conditional on incumbent performance and the incumbent party's relative strength. We test our theory using a field experiment involving 354 subnational constituencies in Uganda, and find robust support for the idea that sustained transparency can improve electoral accountability even in weakly institutionalized electoral settings.
Investigating the role of Candida albicans as a universal substrate for oral bacteria using a transcriptomic approach: implications for interkingdom biofilm control?
Authors: Delaney Christopher , Alapati Susanth , Alshehri Muhanna , Kubalova Dominika , Veena Chandra Lekha Ramalingham , Abusrewil Sumaya , Short Bryn , Bradshaw David , Brown Jason L.
Published: May 2023

Candida albicans is frequently identified as a colonizer of the oral cavity in health and has recently been termed a “keystone” commensal due to its role on the bacterial communities. However, the role that C. albicans plays in such interactions is not fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the relationship between C. albicans and bacteria associated with oral symbiosis and dysbiosis. To do this, we evaluated the ability of C. albicans to support the growth of the aerobic commensal Streptococcus gordonii and the anaerobic pathogens Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis in the biofilm environment. RNA‐Sequencing with the Illumina platform was then utilized to identify C. albicans gene expression and functional pathways involved during such interactions in dual‐species and a 4‐species biofilm model. Results indicated that C. albicans was capable of supporting growth of all three bacteria, with a significant increase in colony counts of each bacteria in the dual‐species biofilm (p < 0.05). We identified specific functional enrichment of pathways in our 4‐species community as well as transcriptional profiles unique to the F. nucleatum and S. gordonii dual‐species biofilms, indicating a species‐specific effect on C. albicans. Candida‐related hemin acquisition and heat shock protein mediated processes were unique to the organism following co‐culture with anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, respectively, suggestive that such pathways may be feasible options for therapeutic targeting to interfere with these fungal‐bacterial interactions. Targeted antifungal therapy may be considered as an option for biofilm destabilization and treatment of complex communities. Moving forward, we propose that further studies must continue to investigate the role of this fungal organism in the context of the interkingdom nature of oral diseases.
Ertapenem blood concentration: A retrospective cohort study to analyse risk of neurotoxicity
Authors: Campany‐Herrero David , Pau‐Parra Alba , González‐Moreno Pablo , Vima‐Bofarull Jaume , Anguita‐Domingo Danae , Montoro‐Ronsano Bruno
Published: May 2023

Aims

Several cases of ertapenem‐related neurotoxicity have been published in the current literature. However, studies evaluating the ertapenem blood concentration (EBC) as a risk of these adverse events are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the trough EBC and the risk of neurological toxicity.

Methods

This was a retrospective study, including patients who underwent ertapenem treatment between October 2019 and February 2021. We excluded patients in the critical care unit and those whose blood samples were not properly taken in order to analyse ertapenem trough concentration. We also excluded patients whose clinical follow‐up was not properly realized for the entire period of ertapenem treatment. The main outcome was the presence of any suspicious neurological side effect owing to ertapenem administration and its relationship with the plasma concentration. Secondary outcomes were to identify clinical and analytical data contributing to a higher risk of neurotoxicity.

Results

The initial cohort comprised 158 individuals. For the final analysis we evaluated 102 patients, reporting a neurological alteration in 13/102 (12.7%). Mean trough EBC was significantly higher in patients showing neurotoxicity in comparison with those who did not (37.8 mcg mL−1, standard deviation [SD] ± 35.7 vs. 14.6 mcg mL−1, SD ± 15.2; P = .002). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, EBC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07; P = .006), a moderate renal insufficiency (OR = 9.2; P = .02) and a history of previous neurologic disease (OR = 9.9; P = .02) were identified as risk factors of neurological alteration during ertapenem treatment.

Conclusions

In patients at risk, determining the ertapenem plasma concentration may help to minimize the risk of neurotoxicity.
Categorization of deprescribing communication tools: A scoping review
Authors: Chan Bridgette , Isenor Jennifer E. , Kennie‐Kaulbach Natalie
Published: May 2023

Background

Deprescribing can be beneficial to a wide variety of patients but is often not done due to barriers including lack of time and challenges starting conversations.

Objectives

This study aimed to identify and broadly categorize existing deprescribing communication tools for clinicians and patients.

Methods

Our scoping review protocol was based on the Arksey and O'Malley methods and incorporated the Levac and Joanna Briggs Institute recommendations. EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and grey literature were searched, with two independent reviewers assessing eligibility. A backwards search of the texts chosen for full text screen was completed. Two reviewers independently completed data extraction using a pre‐specified data collection form.

Findings

Databases identified 1121 results, searching of grey literature identified 49 results, and backwards searching identified 1323 results. After screening, 32 resources were included which contained 40 unique tools. Most tools were Canadian and targeted adults over 65 years old living in the community. Most tools had not been tested in the intended patient audience or evaluated for effectiveness.

Discussion

Deprescribing tools have been developed to facilitate conversations by providing structure, education, and decision‐making approaches. More research is needed to test the effectiveness of existing tools.
Clinical approaches for integrating machine learning for patients with lymphoma: Current strategies and future perspectives
Authors: Chihara Dai , Nastoupil Loretta J. , Flowers Christopher R.
Published: May 2023

Machine learning (ML) approaches have been applied in the diagnosis and prediction of haematological malignancies. The consideration of ML algorithms to complement or replace current standard of care approaches requires investigation into the methods used to develop relevant algorithms and understanding the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of such algorithms in the diagnosis and prognosis of malignancies. Here we discuss methods used to develop ML algorithms and review original research studies for assessing the use of ML algorithms in the diagnosis and prognosis of lymphoma.
An interview study to explore applied psychologists' experiences of implementing health psychology in global health partnerships: The Change Exchange
Authors: Turner Rebecca R. , Epuru Reddy Shreya , Byrne‐Davis Lucie M. T. , Bull Eleanor R. , Hart Jo
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Health partnerships in global health aim to build capacity by strengthening training and education. Health psychology has an important role to play, as traditionally health partnerships focus upon increasing capability such as increasing knowledge but do not tackle opportunity and motivation. The Change Exchange recruits applied psychologist volunteers to utilize health psychology in global health partnerships, which is a novel approach. This study aimed to understand the experiences of applied psychologist volunteers working in health partnerships and how such interventions were implemented.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were carried out. Interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis to explore the translation and implementation of health psychology in health partnerships. A deductive approach was then taken using the higher level constructs of the Normalization Process Theory to inform and interpret the themes into recommendations.

Results

Fifteen applied psychologists, all of whom were from the UK and had volunteered in health partnerships between the UK and low‐ to middle‐income countries participated. Key themes and sub‐themes were identified: (1) The challenges of the application of behavioural science within the health partnerships, (2) Building relationships within the health partnership, (3) Exploring the communal and individual effort carried out within the health partnership and (4) Reflecting on the work carried out within the health partnership.

Discussion

Barriers exist in regards to the implementation of health psychology in health partnerships but capacity building is possible. Recommendations suggest, future work should establish clear roles for applied psychologists in health partnerships and critical evaluation of current psychological models, methods and measures for use outside of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic societies.