bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating datasets with high IRIS burst prevalence
Authors: Nelson C. J. , Kleint L.
Published: November 2022

Context. Approximately 0.01% of all Si IV 1394 Å spectra sampled in 2013 and 2014 by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) have IRIS burst profiles. However, these events are not evenly distributed across datasets with 19.31% of these spectra being identified in only six (of more than 3500) rasters.

Aims. Here, we investigate five of these six datasets, with the aim of understanding why they contain so many IRIS burst profiles. This research will help guide future targeted analyses of IRIS bursts.

Methods. We analyse five datasets sampled by the IRIS satellite, studying both Si IV 1394 Å spectra and 1400 Å filter slit-jaw imager (SJI) data. IRIS burst profiles are identified through the use of an automated algorithm. Additionally, we study co-spatial line-of-sight photospheric magnetic field maps sampled by the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (SDO/HMI) instrument.

Results. The majority of identified IRIS burst profiles (12 401 out of 13 904) found in the five datasets analysed here were localised to seven small regions in the time-distance domain (temporal durations of < 4 h and spatial lengths of < 12″ along the slit). The SJI data co-spatial to these regions contained long-lived or repetitive compact brightenings, matching the defined properties of UV bursts, which remained close to the IRIS slit throughout their evolutions. The IRIS burst profiles were not limited to the brightest pixels in the fields of view (FOVs) nor did they comprise the majority of bright (> 500 DN/s) pixels. These IRIS burst profiles occurred co-spatial to evolving (e.g., cancelling) opposite polarity magnetic fields where magnetic reconnection is thought to be possible.

Conclusions. More than 10% of the IRIS burst profiles identified during the entirety of 2013 and 2014 are contained in just seven small regions in the time-distance domain where long-lived (lifetimes > 10 min) or repetitive UV bursts occurred along the axis of the IRIS slit.
Osteoprotektion beim ossär metastasierten kastrationsresistenten Prostatakarzinom (mCRPC): Aktuelle Daten aus Deutschland, vorgelegt von d-uo
Authors: Doehn Christian , Klier Jörg , Johannsen Manfred , Eichenauer Rolf , Schönfelder Robert , Romagnolo Allessandro , Reese Stephan , Nitz Christian , Jaeger Andreas , Fieseler Claus , Burkert-Scholz Marcus , Brenneis Horst , Binder Manfred , Beuke Maike , Schröder Jörg , Hempel Elke , König Frank
Published: November 2022

Einleitung Patienten mit einem ossär metastasierten Prostatakarzinom haben oftmals bereits bei
Diagnosestellung eine verminderte Knochendichte. Im Stadium der Kastrationsresistenz besteht
bei einer relevanten Zahl an Patienten ein erheblich erhöhtes Risiko für das Erleben von
skeletal-related events (SRE). Wir haben die Versorgungssituation hinsichtlich der
Osteoprotektion bei Patienten mit einem ossär metastasierten kastrationsresistenten
Prostatakarzinom (mCRPC) in urologischen Praxen in Deutschland untersucht.

Material und Methoden Es handelte sich um eine fragebogenbasierte Untersuchung unter Mitgliedern von d-uo
(Deutsche Uro-Onkologen). Eingeschlossen wurden alle Patienten mit einem histologisch
gesicherten Prostatakarzinom, die im Zeitraum 7/2019 und 6/2020 mindestens einmal in der
beteiligten Praxis gesehen wurden. Für die weitere Analyse wurden alle Patienten mit einem
mCRPC mit Knochenmetastasen hinsichtlich des Beginns, der Art und Dauer einer osteoprotektiven
Therapie sowie der zusätzlichen Gabe von Kalzium und Vitamin D betrachtet.

Ergebnisse Im o.g. Zeitraum wurden in 15 Praxen insgesamt 3.692 Patienten mit einem Prostatakarzinom
gesehen. Hiervon hatten 410 Patienten (11,1%) ein mCRPC mit Knochenmetastasen. Eine
medikamentöse osteoprotektive Therapie (zur Vermeidung von SRE) wurde bei 274/410 Patienten
(66,4%) mit mCRPC und Knochenmetastasen vorgenommen. Denosumab wurde bei 67,9% der Patienten
und ein Bisphosphonat bei 32,1% eingesetzt. Bei 93,4% der Patienten mit mCRPC mit
Knochenmetastasen wurde zusätzlich Kalzium und Vitamin D supplementiert. Die Dauer der
osteoprotektiven Therapie betrug 25,3 Monate für Denosumab und 39,6 Monate für
Bisphosphonate.

Schlussfolgerung Eine osteoprotektive Therapie wurde insgesamt bei zwei Drittel der Patienten mit CRPC und
Knochenmetastasen vorgenommen. Zwei Drittel dieser Patienten wurden mit Denosumab behandelt.
Fast alle Patienten mit einer medikamentösen osteoprotektiven Therapie erhielten auch Kalzium
und Vitamin D. Folgt man der Leitlinienempfehlung, ist die Versorgungssituation hinsichtlich
einer medikamentösen osteoprotektiven Therapie bei Patienten mit einem mCRPC mit
Knochenmetastasen unzureichend.
Effects of explicit phonetics instruction and a podcasting project on L2 Spanish vowel quality
production
Authors: Martoccio Alyssa
Published: November 2022

The current study tested changes in the production of the Spanish vowels /a e i o u/ over a semester of study in
intermediate second language Spanish learners (first language English) enrolled in either a Spanish phonetics
(n = 17) or conversation (n = 12) course. All participants completed an oral text reading task
at pretest and posttest time and a podcasting project throughout the semester, but only students in the phonetics course received
explicit phonetics instruction. Results found group by time change for F2 values of /a/ and /e/, and for both changes, the
instructed group’s values but not those of the uninstructed group were more nativelike at posttest time. These results show
improvement over time on vowel quality production by the instructed group, and descriptive results found positive attitudes by
both groups toward the project and other promising vowel production changes by the uninstructed group.
Historical background
Authors: Moore A. W.
Published: November 2022

The focus of this chapter is the historical background to Gödel’s theorem. The chapter begins with a flawed proof that Leibniz gave, over three hundred years ago, that 2 + 2 = 4, thus revealing how hard it is to achieve rigour at this very basic level. But the bulk of the chapter is concerned with three attempts that were made around the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to provide an axiomatization of the kind that Gödel’s theorem is concerned with: (i) that of Frege, which turned out to be inconsistent, because it gave rise to the paradox that Russell discovered; (ii) that of Russell himself, in collaboration with Whitehead, which they published in Principia Mathematica and which turned out to be incomplete, something that Gödel himself established by adopting it as the case study for his proof; and (iii) that of Hilbert, who tried to articulate precisely what was required of such axiomatizations. The chapter concludes with an outline of Hilbert’s programme, of which this attempted articulation was an integral part. Two of the key features of the programme are identified: Hilbert’s view that mathematical statements about the infinite are meaningless devices designed to facilitate proofs; and his demand that any axiomatization comprising such statements be shown to be consistent, but in a way that doesn’t beg questions by making its own use of such statements.
A second proof of Gödel’s theorem, and a proof of Gödel’s second theorem
Authors: Moore A. W.
Published: November 2022

This chapter presents a second proof of Gödel’s theorem, closer to Gödel’s own. It adopts a version of Peano Arithmetic, called PA, as a sample theory. PA can be shown to be both axiomatizable and sufficiently strong. Showing that PA is sufficiently strong requires giving a precise definition of what it is for membership of a set of natural numbers to be determined algorithmically. Three candidate definitions are outlined, one of which exploits the concept of a Turing machine. These definitions can be shown to be equivalent, and the thesis that any of them suffices, which is known as Church’s thesis, is introduced and thereafter presupposed. The proof of Gödel’s theorem in application to PA is then sketched. It involves exploiting a Gödel numbering and constructing a statement s in the language of PA which is true if and only if it doesn’t belong to PA. It can then be shown that, if PA is consistent, then s does not belong to PA; and that, if PA has a stronger property known as ω-consistency, which is a sort of soundness, then the negation of s does not belong to PA either; hence that PA is incomplete. Finally, a sketch is given of how reflection on this very proof yields a proof of Gödel’s second theorem in application to PA, which shows that PA doesn’t contain a statement corresponding to a statement of its own consistency.
Looking at God
Authors: Williams Thomas
Published: November 2022

Anselm develops his account of the divine nature most extensively in two of his earliest treatises, but the concept of God he develops there remains consistent throughout his career. In neither work does he pretend to be developing an account of the divine nature from scratch: the God he is looking at and then looking for—that is, first describing and then seeking to prove—is explicitly the God of Christian belief. This is Anselm’s lifelong project of ‘faith seeking understanding’. His description of God is thus to some extent determined by revelation (refined through philosophy), but the argument that such a being exists is meant to be purely rational. This chapter explains how, according to Anselm, we can form an idea of a being of unsurpassable perfection. It explores such attributes as eternity (timelessness), immutability, and immateriality. It shows how Anselm argues for divine simplicity—the doctrine that there is no multiplicity in God, so that God’s attributes are all identical with each other and with God himself—and explains why the apparently counterintuitive doctrine of simplicity is so important and indispensable for Anselm. Anselm considers and seeks to resolve various difficult puzzles about divine power, knowledge, justice, and mercy. Rightly regarded as one of the definitive expositions of classical theism or perfect-being theology, Anselm’s account of the divine nature remains influential to this day, a fertile source of inspiration and a locus of intense debate.
How things got started
Authors: Williams Thomas
Published: November 2022

God need not have created, but he did; and he created in ways that are open to the project of faith seeking understanding. We can understand that God’s act of creation begins within the divine nature itself. It is not compelled from outside, but results from God’s own self-expression. God expresses creation as a kind of internal utterance: a Word. This Word is itself divine but is the ground for everything else that is not divine. Creatures exist in the Word before they exist in themselves; in the Word they are unitary and perfect, though in themselves they are fragmentary and partial. The divine Word expresses the perfect prototypes of all creatures, what they ought to be. Anselm describes this ought as both rightness and truth: a thing is right, is true, when it is as it ought to be according to the divine mind that envisioned and then created it. We ordinarily think of truth as something that characterizes statements: a statement is true when it expresses what is the case. But, Anselm argues, we call such a statement true because the purpose of a statement is to express what is the case. Statements, then, are by no means the only bearers of truth: anything that has a purpose—which, in a created universe, is everything there is—is true if it is as it ought to be, and ‘does the truth’ if it does what it ought to do, which is what God created it to do.
Pay to play? Economic constraints and participation in extracurricular activities
Authors: Hjalmarsson Simon
Published: November 2022

Research across countries shows that children from lower-income families are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities than children from more affluent families. While this income gradient in participation is by now established, the mechanisms behind the gradient are more contested. I examine whether the income gradient in extracurricular activity participation is the result of household economic constraints, using panel data methods on a nationally representative sample of Swedish adolescents. Data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study in Four European countries (CILS4EU) allow me to combine taxation register data on changes in household income with survey data on changes in extracurricular activity participation. Results from first-difference regression models show that changes in household income are not generally associated with changes in participation, but a weak association is found between changes in income and ceasing participation among adolescents in low-income households. The results largely cast doubt on theoretical explanations that emphasize household economic constraints as a substantial contributor to the income gradient in participation. Instead, results are more consistent with explanations emphasizing cultural differences in parenting logics and parental preferences for participation, as well as with explanations stressing non-economic forms of resource constraints.
Burden of disease among older adults in Europe—trends in mortality and disability, 1990–2019
Authors: Iburg Kim Moesgaard , Charalampous Periklis , Allebeck Peter , Stenberg Elsa Jonsson , O’Caoimh Rónán , Monasta Lorenzo , Peñalvo José L , Pereira David M , Wyper Grant M A , Niranjan Vikram , Devleesschauwer Brecht , Haagsma Juanita
Published: November 2022

Background

It is important to understand the effects of population ageing on disease burden and explore conditions that drive poor health in later life to prevent or manage these. We examined the development of disease burden and its components for major disease groups among older adults in Europe over the last 30 years.

Methods

Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study, we analyzed burden of disease trends between 1990 and 2019 measured by years of life lost (YLL), years lived with disability (YLD) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among older adults (65+ years) in Western, Central and Eastern Europe using cause groups for diseases and injuries.

Results

Between 1990 and 2019, the crude numbers of DALYs for all causes increased substantially among older Western Europeans. In Eastern Europe, the absolute DALYs also increased from 1990 to 2005 but then decreased between 2006 and 2013. However, DALY rates declined for all European regions over time, with large differences in the magnitude by region and gender. Changes in the YLL rate were mainly driven by the contribution of cardiovascular diseases.

Conclusions

This study found an increased overall absolute disease burden among older Europeans between 1990 and 2019. The demographic change that has taken place in Eastern European countries implies a potential problem of directed resource allocation to the health care sector. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential health gains through directing resources to health promotion and treatment to reduce YLDs and to prevent YLLs, primarily from cardiovascular diseases.
Change in coronary heart disease hospitalization after chronic disease management: a programme policy in China
Authors: Zhu Jingmin , Wang Wei , Wang Jun , Zhu Liang
Published: November 2022

This study aims at examining changes in coronary heart disease (CHD) hospitalization associated with a novel county-scale chronic disease management (CDM) programme policy implemented in March 2019 in China during the 13th Five-Year period (2016–2020). The CDM programme was designed to improve the health of populations with chronic diseases by means of an integrated way involving both county-level public hospitals and primary care institutes. Data originated from the medical files of CHD inpatients discharged from a secondary hospital from January 2017 to December 2020. A total of 6111 CHD patient records were collected. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to assess changes in hospitalization direct medical costs and length of stay of CHD patients. The mean direct medical cost of CHD hospitalization was 8419.73 Yuan, and the mean length of stay was 7.57 days. Results suggested that the implementation of CDM reduced hospitalization direct medical cost and bed days by about 23% (1956.12 Yuan at means) and 11.5% (almost 1 day at means), respectively. In addition, a further decreasing trend in medical costs over time was associated with chronic disease management. It is implied that chronic disease management is an effective way of relieving the medical and financial burden of hospitalization.
The Impact of Racism on Violence Exposure Among Black Children in the United States
Authors: Bernard Donte L. , Willis Henry A. , Sosoo Effua E.
Published: November 2022

Violence exposure within the United States represents a significant public health issue that can lead to significant psychological challenges across the life course. Unfortunately, Black youth are disproportionately exposed to various forms of violence, which positions them to be at greater risk for poor mental health. Previous research suggests that racism, which represents a significant risk to the positive psychosocial development of Black youth, can function as a unique form of violence that victimizes youth. As evidenced by the recent high-profile murders of Black Americans at the hands of police officers and other community members, the interaction between racism and violence can have profound consequences. Given this interplay, the current chapter utilizes a socioecological framework to delineate the relevance of racism across individual, relational, community, and societal domains, to illuminate why Black youth are at an elevated risk for violence exposure relative to other racial ethnic groups in the United States.
A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Girls
Authors: Wessells Michael G. , Kostelny Kathleen , Ondoro Ken
Published: November 2022

A significant challenge to building a culture of peace is globally pervasive violence against children, including the sexual exploitation and abuse of girls. Using a social-ecological lens, this chapter examines the multiple, interacting causes and impacts of sexual exploitation and abuse of girls at different levels such as family, peer, community, and societal levels. As an illustrative case study, it examines the sexual exploitation and abuse of teenage girls (13 to 17 years) in two urban slums of Mombasa, Kenya. A mix of focus group discussions and in-depth interviews identified recurrent themes: unequal power relations and men in authority positions abusing girls, rape, family members as perpetrators, transactional sex, prostitution, the sale of alcohol as a contributing factor, and hotspots for sexual violence. Prevention efforts must feature the interplay between structural violence, especially patriarchy, and direct violence and take a holistic, systemic approach that goes beyond a focus primarily on direct violence.
Understanding Patienthood
Authors: Chochinov Harvey Max
Published: November 2022

This chapter sets the stage by offering readers an appreciation for what shapes patients’ responses to changing health circumstances and their encounters with healthcare providers and healthcare systems. It carefully guides readers through the complexities of understanding why patients react as they do based on the specifics of the healthcare ailment or concern, the associated uncertainty of what is happening, the perceived threat, the meaning they ascribe to those changes, and the personal characteristics and circumstances of the individual entering into patienthood. This chapter also describes how these reactions shift dynamics in personal identity, altering the balance between patienthood and personhood. Appreciating these issues is important, given that we need to know why someone is reacting the way they are before being able to drill down into how to respond to them.
Is the Integration Problem in the Sensoriomotor System the Cause of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis?
Authors: Payas Ahmet , Batin Sabri , Kurtoğlu Erdal , Arik Mustafa , Seber Turgut , Uçar İlyas , Unur Erdoğan
Published: November 2022

Purpose:

The reason behind the balance control disorder seen in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has been suggested as a central nervous system dysfunction, yet it has not been investigated in detail whether this problem originates from sensory, motor, or from both systems. This study aimed to reveal the differences in the pathways that provide proprioceptive sense, motor control, and coordination between these 2 systems in female individuals with AIS.

Methods:

Brain Diffusion Tensor Imaging was applied to 30 healthy individuals and 30 Lenke type 1 AIS patients. All of the individuals included in the study were predominantly right-handed and aged between 10 and 18. Diffusion tensor imaging of both groups were performed bilateral tractography on the corticospinal tract (CS tr), medial lemniscus (ML), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) tracts using DSI Studio software.

Results:

Significant differences in the parameters of CS tr, ML, SLF, ILF pathways were found between the AIS and the control groups. In the AIS group, significant differences were found in the fiber count and fiber ratio of the ML that carries the proprioceptive sense and CS tr, which is responsible for the somatomotor system. There were also significant differences between the left and right CS tr, ML, SLF, and ILF pathways of the AIS group (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

Differences in the CS tr, ML, SLF, and ILF pathways may trigger muscular asymmetry and cause postural instability and thus spinal deformity in AIS.
Molecular Characterization of Adult Tumors Diagnosed as Cerebellar Glioblastomas Identifies Subgroups Associated With Prognosis
Authors: Picart Thiébaud , Poncet Delphine , Barritault Marc , Bauchet Luc , Zouaoui Sonia , Guyotat Jacques , Gabut Mathieu , Fina Frédéric , Honnorat Jérôme , Figarella-Branger Dominique , Pallud Johan , Ducray François , Meyronet David ,   French Brain Tumor Database,   ANOCEF
Published: November 2022

Adult tumors diagnosed as cerebellar glioblastoma (cGBM) are rare and their optimal classification remains to be determined. The aim of this study was to identify subgroups of cGBM based on targeted molecular analysis. cGBM diagnosed between 2003 and 2017 were identified from the French Brain Tumor Database and reviewed according to the WHO 2021 classification. The following molecular alterations were studied: IDH1/2, H3F3A, FGFR1, BRAF, TERT promoter mutations, EGFR amplification, MGMT promoter methylation, and alternative lengthening of telomere status. DNA methylation profile was assessed in a subset of cases. Eighty-three cGBM were included and could be classified into 6 mutually exclusive subgroups associated with median age at diagnosis (MA) and prognosis: TERT-mutant and/or EGFR-amplified tumors (n=22, 26.5%, MA=62 y, median overall survival [OS]=4 mo), H3K27M-mutant tumors (n=15, 18.1%, MA=48 y, median OS=8 mo), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway–activated tumors (FGFR1, BRAF mutation, or occurring in neurofibromatosis type I patients, n=15, 18.1%, MA=48 y, median OS=57 mo), radiation-associated tumors (n=5, 6%, MA=47 y, median OS=5 mo), IDH-mutant tumors (n=1), and unclassified tumors (n=25, 30.1%, MA=63 y, median OS=17 mo). Most MAPK pathway–activated tumors corresponded to high-grade astrocytomas with piloid features based on DNA methylation profiling. In multivariate analysis, MAPK pathway–activating alterations, ATRX loss of expression, and alternative lengthening of telomere positivity were independently associated with a better outcome and TERT/EGFR alterations with a worse outcome. cGBM display an important intertumoral heterogeneity. Targeted molecular analysis enables to classify the majority of tumors diagnosed as cGBM into mutually exclusive and clinically relevant subgroups. The presence of MAPK pathway alterations is associated with a much better prognosis.
The DrosophilaDopamine 2-like receptor D2R(Dop2R) is required in the Blood Brain Barrier for male courtship
Authors: Love Cameron R. , Gautam Sumit , Lama Chamala , Le Nhu Hoa , Dauwalder Brigitte
Published: November 2022

The blood brain barrier (BBB) has the essential function to protect the brain from potentially hazardous molecules while also enabling controlled selective uptake. How these processes and signaling inside BBB cells control neuronal function is an intense area of interest. Signaling in the adultDrosophilaBBB is required for normal male courtship behavior and relies on male-specific molecules in the BBB. Here we show that the dopamine receptorD2Ris expressed in the BBB and is required in mature males for normal mating behavior. Conditional adult male knockdown ofD2Rin BBB cells causes courtship defects. The courtship defects observed in geneticD2Rmutants can be rescued by expression of normalD2Rspecifically in the BBB of adult males.DrosophilaBBB cells are glial cells. Our findings thus identify a specific glial function for theDR2receptor and dopamine signaling in the regulation of a complex behavior.
Genetic mapping of craniofacial traits in the Mexican tetra reveals loci associated with bite differences between cave and surface fish
Authors: Powers Amanda K. , Hyacinthe Carole , Riddle Misty , Kim Young Kwang , Amaismeier Alleigh , Thiel Kathryn , Martineau Brian , Ferrante Emma , Moran Rachel , McGaugh Suzanne , Boggs Tyler , Gross Joshua B. , Tabin Clifford J.
Published: November 2022

The Mexican tetra,Astyanax mexicanus, includes interfertile surface-dwelling and cave-dwelling morphs, enabling powerful studies aimed at uncovering genes involved in the evolution of cave-associated traits. Compared to surface fish, cavefish harbor several extreme traits within their skull, such as a protruding lower jaw, a wider gape, and an increase in tooth number. These features are highly variable between individual cavefish and even across different cavefish populations. To investigate these traits, we created a novel feeding behavior assay wherein bite impressions could be obtained. We determined that fish with an underbite leave larger bite impressions with an increase in the number of tooth marks. Capitalizing on the ability to produce hybrids from surface and cavefish crosses, we investigated genes underlying these segregating orofacial traits by performing Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analysis with F2hybrids. We discovered significant QTL for bite (underbite vs. overbite) that mapped to a single region of theAstyanaxgenome. This work highlights cavefish as a valuable genetic model for orofacial patterning and will provide insight into the genetic regulators of jaw and tooth development.
Gene essentiality in cancer cell lines is modified by the sex chromosomes
Authors: Shohat Shahar , Vol Ethel , Shifman Sagiv
Published: November 2022

Human sex differences arise from gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes. Studying the direct effects of sex chromosomes in humans is still challenging. Here we studied how the sex chromosomes can modulate gene expression and the outcome of mutations across the genome by exploiting the tendency of cancer cell lines to lose or gain sex chromosomes. We inferred the dosage of the sex chromosomes in 355 female and 408 male cancer cell lines and used it to dissect the contributions of the Y and X Chromosomes to sex-biased gene expression. Furthermore, based on genome-wide CRISPR screens, we identified genes whose essentiality is different between male and female cells depending on the sex chromosomes. The most significant genes were X-linked genes compensated by Y-linked paralogs. Our sex-based analysis identifies genes that, when mutated, can affect male and female cells differently and reinforces the roles of the X and Y Chromosomes in sex-specific cell function.
A novel approach to conducting business research after COVID-19: incorporating crisis elements in the study frameworks
Authors: Seshadri Usha , Kumar Pranav
Published: November 2022

Purpose

To understand how to deal with high effect situations, like that associated with COVID-19, in the future, many economists, academics and business leaders are drawing parallels between the 2008 financial crisis and the current pandemic. This study aims to explore how crisis elements can be considered while strategizing for business research despite the minimal possibility of an emergency occurring. Also, research in crisis management is fragmented, resulting in isolated components guiding businesses through crises. This research emphasizes the relative scarcity of a comprehensive crisis management framework.

Design/methodology/approach

COVID-19 has been the biggest crisis the world has ever confronted, and businesses require an innovative strategy to address it. Towards keeping the data set involved in this study targeted and manageable, articles are selected from peer-reviewed journals based on a purposive sampling method. In addition, the research used reports from consulting firms and government and nongovernment organizations to understand current trends in business research.

Findings

The findings revealed that for a firm to survive a crisis, it must ensure its plans are aligned with the trends that would allow it to grow during the crisis. Rather than entirely changing the track, strategies should be guided by the company's existing resource availability and capabilities. The techniques used must ensure the company's profitability or limit losses, thus ensuring long-term viability. Real-life examples from the current pandemic have shown how firms who recognized crisis characteristics could survive the pandemic and profited multiple times.

Originality/value

It presents an integrated, sector-agnostic crisis management framework based on literature, business managers' insights and lessons from the current pandemic. Precrisis, crisis arrival, crisis management and crisis experience are the four phases of the framework. The study proposes future research directions to scholars in applying the framework and its enhancement concerning the upcoming crisis possibilities.
The relationship between institutional ownership and idiosyncratic volatility: evidence from the stock markets of China and the USA
Authors: Hu Yu , Jiang Xiaoquan , Xue Wenjun
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper investigates the relationship between institutional ownership and idiosyncratic volatility in Chinese and the USA stock markets and explores the potential explanations.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors use the panel data regressions and the dynamic tests of two-way Granger causality in the panel VAR model to examine the relationship between institutional ownership and idiosyncratic volatility in Chinese and the USA stock markets.

Findings

The authors find that the institutional ownership in the Chinese (the USA) stock market is significantly and positively (negatively) related to idiosyncratic volatility through various tests. This paper indicates that institutional investors in the USA are more prudent and risk-averse, while the Chinese institutional investors are not because of high risk-bearing capacity.

Originality/value

This paper deepens the authors’ understanding on the relationship between institutional ownership and idiosyncratic volatility and in the USA and the Chinese stock markets. This paper explains the opposite relationships between institutional ownership and idiosyncratic volatility in the stock markets in China and USA.
Motivations behind SME greenfield investment in emerging markets
Authors: Ti Lian-Lin , Ng Boon-Kwee , Rasiah Rajah
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper identifies the motivations for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) when they undertake greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) into an emerging market. It elucidates the factors that influence SMEs to choose a fully equity-based investment despite the significant risks and commitments involved with greenfield FDI.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study uses case study research based on interviews conducted with managers and founders of 16 German SMEs that have established greenfield operations in Malaysia.

Findings

Building upon the transaction cost theory, five major motivations are identified that drive greenfield choice among the SMEs. The results imply that SME motivation for greenfield is derived from a combination of strategic asset-seeking determinants and culturally driven reactions to external and behavioral uncertainty. The results also ascertain that these motivations have less to do with the size and revenue of the firm, but hinge on the SMEs’ inner antecedents such as asset specificity, international experience, proprietary knowledge and ownership mode.

Originality/value

The findings clarify the literature on equity-based entry mode for SMEs in emerging economies, enabling a closer understanding of the organizational and dynamic experiences and an overview of the auxiliary competencies these companies have to compete in the global market. The conceptual insights and empirical evidence derived from this study contribute to the intellectual discourse and managerial implications in the field of internationalization strategies of SMEs, particularly from developed countries into emerging markets via greenfield FDI.
IMAGINING A DECOLONIZED CITY IN AND FROM AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
Authors: Kiddle Rebecca , Elkington Bianca , Ross Mike , Mercier Ocean Ripeka , Thomas Amanda , Gjerde Morten , Smeaton Jennie , Arona Tui , Mawer Chantal
Published: November 2022

Imagining decolonized cities creates space to explore how urban places could strip away colonial dominance and restore the ability of Indigenous people to live, know and be. In this essay, we describe one attempt to create such space. While working in Porirua in Aotearoa New Zealand, we ran an urban design competition, hosted workshops with young people and held a symposium. Through all three phases we drew on utopian thinking to imagine beyond the current constraints of urban form in Aotearoa New Zealand to consider how cities might reflect the diverse realities of Māori. While this approach is an attempt at generating hopeful geographies, it also sat in tension with (post)colonial realities, such as racist attempts by white people to claim Indigeneity, and the ongoing need for land to be returned to Indigenous people. We argue that envisioning how cities might be decolonized is useful and needs to be rooted in the particular politics of place, but this imagining needs to be paired with action to confront persistent colonialism.
Superiority of ceftazidime off‐label high‐dose regimen in PK/PD target attainment during treatment of extensively drug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in cancer patients
Authors: Zavrelova Alzbeta , Sima Martin , Malakova Jana , Rozsivalova Petra , Paterova Pavla , Zak Pavel , Visek Benjamin , Michalickova Danica , Slanar Ondrej , Radocha Jakub
Published: November 2022

Aim

The objective of this study was to evaluate off‐label high‐dose ceftazidime population pharmacokinetics in cancer patients with suspected or proven extensively drug‐resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections and then to compare the achievement of the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target after standard and off‐label high‐dose regimens using population model‐based simulations. A further aim was to clinically observe the occurrence of adverse effects during the off‐label high‐dose ceftazidime treatment.

Methods

In patients treated with off‐label high‐dose ceftazidime (3 g every 6 h), blood samples were collected and ceftazidime serum levels measured using LC–MS/MS. A pharmacokinetic population model was developed using a nonlinear mixed‐effects modelling approach and Monte Carlo simulations were then used to compare standard and high‐dose regimens for PK/PD target attainment.

Results

A total of 14 cancer patients with serious infection suspected of XDR P. aeruginosa aetiology were eligible for PK analysis. XDR P. aeruginosa was confirmed in 10 patients as the causative pathogen. Population ceftazidime volume of distribution was 13.23 L, while clearance started at the baseline of 1.48 L/h and increased by 0.0076 L/h with each 1 mL/min/1.73 m2 of eGFR. High‐dose regimen showed significantly higher probability of target attainment (i.e., 86% vs. 56% at MIC of 32 mg/L). This was translated into a very low mortality rate of 20%. Only one case of reversible neurological impairment was observed.

Conclusion

We proved the superiority of the ceftazidime off‐label high‐dose regimen in PK/PD target attainment with very low occurrence of adverse effects. The off‐label high‐dose regimen should be used to optimize treatment of XDR P. aeruginosa infections.
Spatial relationship of localized sources of persistent atrial fibrillation identified by a unipolar‐based automated algorithm to complex fractionated atrial electrocardiograms and atrial low voltage areas
Authors: Nagase Takahiko , Kato Ryuichi , Asano So , Fukunaga Hiroshi , Yoshida Yoshinori , Hayashi Yosuke , Sekiguchi Yukio , Nanasato Mamoru , Nitta Junichi , Isobe Mitsuaki
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Spatial characteristics of localized sources of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) identified by unipolar‐based panoramic mapping software (CARTOFINDER) remain unclear. We evaluated spatial characteristics of bi‐atrial AF localized sources in relation to complex fractionated atrial electrocardiograms (CFAEs) and atrial low voltage area (LVAs) (≤0.35 mV during AF).

Methods and Results

Twenty consecutive patients with persistent AF underwent bi‐atrial voltage, CFAE, and CARTOFINDER mapping before the beginning of ablation (18 [90%] patients, initial procedure; 2 [10%] patients, repeat procedure). CFAEs were recorded using the interval confidence level (ICL) mode and defined as sites with a confidence level of ≥80% of maximal ICL number. We elucidated the following: (1) differences in the rate of AF localized sources and CFAEs inside or outside the atrial LVAs; (2) distribution of AF localized sources and CFAEs; and (3) distance between the closest points of AF localized sources and CFAEs.

A total of 270 AF localized sources and 486 CFAEs were identified in 20 patients. AF localized sources were confirmed more often outside atrial LVAs than CFAEs (71% vs. 46% outside LVA, p < .001). AF localized sources and CFAEs were diffusely distributed without any tendency in bi‐atria. Mean distance between closest AF localized sources and CFAEs was 22 ± 8 mm.

Conclusion

AF localized sources identified by CARTOFINDER are different therapeutic targets as compared to CFAEs and could be confirmed both inside and outside atrial LVAs.
Usability, acceptability and clinical utility of a mobile app to screen for hearing loss in older adults in a geriatric rehabilitation hospital
Authors: Kobewka Daniel , Ruller Sydney , Daly Blake , Mark Fraser Amy E. , Bromwich Matt , Sveistrup Heidi , Wilson Kumanan
Published: November 2022

Rationale

Hearing loss is a common problem for older adults entering rehabilitation hospitals.

Aims and Objectives

To pilot a hearing loss screening device to determine feasibility, usability, and impact on patient outcomes.

Methods

We screened all patients newly admitted to a geriatric day hospital for hearing loss using the SHOEBOX® QuickTest (SHOEBOX Ltd.) app as part of a quality improvement programme. We measured the time it took for each patient to complete screening and recorded any issues they had using the app. We recorded the number of patients who screened positive who did not have a previous diagnosis and changes in physician behaviours after they received their patients' results.

Results

Seventy‐four patients with a mean age of 83.4 years used the hearing screener. All patients were able to complete the screening with a mean time to completion of 10 min and 48 s. Ninety‐nine percent of patients screened positive for hearing loss. Of these positives 56% were in participants not already known to have hearing loss. Physicians often changed their behaviour after receiving results by using assistive devices during visits and referring to audiology for formal testing.

Conclusions

Screening for hearing loss is feasible in a geriatric day hospital. The SHOEBOX QuickTest app is acceptable, usable, resulting in the identification of undiagnosed hearing loss and in changes to physician behaviour.
How should river embankments be spatially developed, from the upstream section or the downstream section?
Authors: Koma Taisei , Kono Tatsuhito , Kazama So
Published: November 2022

Using an economic model of how river embankments affect local residents, we explore the efficiency of embankment construction from two viewpoints: (1) which section of a river should be constructed first, the upstream or downstream section, and (2) how tall the embankments should be constructed depending on the section. For this purpose, we first develop a model to determine efficient construction of embankments using a hydraulic model. Then, we perform numerical simulations, which are calibrated with recorded ground data for the Kitakami and Abukuma Rivers. The results reveal that the construction from the upstream section can be efficient if the upstream section has a much larger population than the downstream section. We show that constructing higher embankments in the upstream section generates negative externalities in the downstream section because it increases the possibility of flooding in the downstream section. In addition, when the amount of inflow from tributaries into the downstream section is sufficiently large compared to that into the upstream section, embankments with efficient heights bring about Pareto improvements, giving benefit to residents in the downstream section as well as the upstream section. Moreover, we show that the efficient embankment heights depend on which section the construction starts from.
Bilateral septal pacing in combination with coronary venous pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy
Authors: Li Jialin , He Jiaqi , Yu Haibo , Xu Guoqing , Gao Yang , Xu Baige , Wang Zulu , Han Yaling , Liang Yanchun
Published: November 2022

Background

Conventional right ventricular pacing combined with coronary venous pacing (CVP) is a mainstay for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, QRS duration of conventional CRT may be frequently more than 130 ms. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of QRS narrowing by bilateral septal pacing (BSP) in combination with CVP for CRT (BSP‐CRT).

Methods

Fourteen patients with QRS > 130 ms of conventional CRT after failure of physiological conduction system pacing were enrolled. Electrophysiologic characteristics were compared among different modes of CRT during procedure. BSP which was defined as capture of both sides of interventricular septum manifested as shortened R wave peak time without a right bundle branch block QRS pattern.

Results

BSP‐CRT were successfully achieved in 85.7% (12/14) patients. QRS duration at baseline was 185 ± 13 ms and significantly narrowed to 156 ± 9 ms during conventional CRT (n = 14, P < .001), to 143 ± 7 ms during left ventricular septal pacing (LVSP) in combination with CVP for CRT (LVSP‐CRT) (n = 9, P < .001), and further to 122 ± 10 ms during BSP‐CRT (n = 12, P < .001). Notably, among 7 patients in whom both LVSP and BSP were achieved, BSP‐CRT outperformed LVSP‐CRT at QRS narrowing by 16% (P < .001). At 3‐month follow‐up, left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 29 ± 6% to 41 ± 8% (P < .001).

Conclusions

BSP‐CRT resulted in superior acute electrical synchronization to conventional CRT and might be considered as an alternative to conventional CRT with QRS more than 130 ms.
A Semi-Parametric Approach to Model-Based Sensitivity Analysis in Observational Studies
Authors: Zhang Bo , Tchetgen Tchetgen Eric J.
Published: November 2022

When drawing causal inference from observational data, there is almost always concern about unmeasured confounding. One way to tackle this is to conduct a sensitivity analysis. One widely used sensitivity analysis framework hypothesises the existence of a scalar unmeasured confounder U and asks how the causal conclusion would change were U measured and included in the primary analysis. Work along this line often makes various parametric assumptions on U, for the sake of mathematical and computational convenience. In this article, we further this line of research by developing a valid sensitivity analysis that leaves the distribution of U unrestricted. Compared to many existing methods in the literature, our method allows for a larger and more flexible family of models, mitigates observable implications, and works seamlessly with any primary analysis that models the outcome regression parametrically. We construct both pointwise confidence intervals and confidence bands that are uniformly valid over a given sensitivity parameter space, thus formally accounting for unknown sensitivity parameters. We apply our proposed method on an influential yet controversial study of the causal relationship between war experiences and political activeness using observational data from Uganda.
Pilot Collection and Evaluation of Head Kinematics in Stock Car Racing
Authors: Miller Logan E. , Patalak John P. , Harper Matthew G. , Urban Jillian E. , Stitzel Joel D.
Published: November 2022

The goal of this work was to collect on-track driver head kinematics using instrumented mouthpieces and characterize environmental exposure to accelerations and vibrations. Six NASCAR drivers were instrumented with custom-fit mouthpieces to collect head kinematic data. Devices were deployed at four tracks during practice and testing environments and configured to collect approximately 11 min of linear acceleration and rotational velocity data at 200 Hz. This continuous data collection, combined with film review, allowed extraction of complete laps of data. In addition to typical data processing methods, a moving-point average was calculated and subtracted from the overall signal for both linear acceleration and rotational velocity to determine the environmental component of head motion. The current analysis focuses on 42 full laps of data collected at four data collection events. The number of laps per track ranged from 2 to 23. Linear acceleration magnitudes for all 42 laps ranged from 2.46 to 7.48 g and rotational velocity ranged from 1.25 to 3.35 rad/s. After subtracting the moving average, linear acceleration ranged from 0.92 to 5.45 g and rotational velocity ranged from 0.57 to 2.05 rad/s. This study has established the feasibility of using an instrumented mouthpiece to measure head kinematics in NASCAR and presented a technique for isolating head motion due to cornering acceleration from those due to short-term perturbations experienced by the driver.
In Other Journals
Authors: Ash Caroline , Maroso Mattia , Jiang Di , Nusinovich Yevgeniya , Szuromi Phil , McCartney Melissa , Lavine Marc S.
Published: November 2022

Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
Five-Point Correlation Numbers in Minimal Liouville Gravity
Authors: Artemev A. A. , Belavin A. A.
Published: November 2022

N-point correlation numbers in minimal Liouville gravity have been studied. It has been demonstrated how to use Al. Zamolodchikov’s higher equations of motion in Liouville field theory to explicitly calculate these numbers. An explicit expression has been obtained for the case of N = 5.