bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tabula Microcebus: A transcriptomic cell atlas of mouse lemur, an emerging primate model organism
Authors:   The Tabula Microcebus Consortium, Ezran Camille , Liu Shixuan , Chang Stephen , Ming Jingsi , Botvinnik Olga , Penland Lolita , Tarashansky Alexander , de Morree Antoine , Travaglini Kyle J. , Zhao Jia , Wang Gefei , Hasegawa Kazuteru , Sin Hosu , Sit Rene , Okamoto Jennifer , Sinha Rahul , Zhang Yue , Karanewsky Caitlin J. , Pendleton Jozeph L. , Morri Maurizio , Perret Martine , Aujard Fabienne , Stryer Lubert , Artandi Steven , Fuller Margaret , Weissman Irving L. , Rando Thomas A. , Ferrell James E. , Wang Bo , De Vlaminck Iwijn , Yang Can , Casey Kerriann M. , Albertelli Megan A. , Pisco Angela Oliveira , Karkanias Jim , Neff Norma , Wu Angela Ruohao , Quake Stephen R. , Krasnow Mark A.
Published: December 2021

Mouse lemurs are the smallest, fastest reproducing, and among the most abundant primates, and an emerging model organism for primate biology, behavior, health and conservation. Although much has been learned about their physiology and their Madagascar ecology and phylogeny, little is known about their cellular and molecular biology. Here we used droplet- and plate-based single cell RNA-sequencing to profile 226,000 cells from 27 mouse lemur organs and tissues opportunistically procured from four donors clinically and histologically characterized. Using computational cell clustering, integration, and expert cell annotation, we defined and biologically organized over 750 mouse lemur molecular cell types and their full gene expression profiles. These include cognates of most classical human cell types, including stem and progenitor cells, and the developmental programs for spermatogenesis, hematopoiesis, and other adult tissues. We also described dozens of previously unidentified or sparsely characterized cell types and subtypes. We globally compared cell type expression profiles to define the molecular relationships of cell types across the body, and explored primate cell and gene expression evolution by comparing mouse lemur cell transcriptomes to those of human, mouse, and macaque. This revealed cell type specific patterns of primate specialization, as well as many cell types and genes for which lemur provides a better human model than mouse. The atlas provides a cellular and molecular foundation for studying this primate model organism, and establishes a general approach for other emerging model organisms.
FLAMs: A self-replicating ex vivo model of alveolar macrophages for functional genetic studies
Authors: Thomas Sean , Wierenga Kathryn , Pestka James , Olive Andrew J
Published: December 2021

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are tissue resident cells in the lungs derived from the fetal liver that maintain lung homeostasis and respond to inhaled stimuli. While the importance of AMs is undisputed, they remain refractory to standard experimental approaches and high-throughput functional genetics as they are challenging to isolate and rapidly lose AM properties in standard culture. This limitation hinders our understanding of key regulatory mechanisms that control AM maintenance and function. Here, we describe the development of a new model, fetal liver-derived alveolar-like macrophages (FLAMs), which maintains cellular morphologies, expression profiles, and functional mechanisms similar to murine AMs. FLAMs combine treatment with two key cytokines for AM maintenance, GM-CSF and TGFβ. We leveraged the long-term stability of FLAMs to develop functional genetic tools using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing. Targeted editing confirmed the role of AM-specific gene Marco and the IL-1 receptor Il1r1 in modulating the AM response to crystalline silica. Furthermore, a genome-wide knockout library using FLAMs identified novel genes required for surface expression of the AM marker Siglec-F, most notably those related to the peroxisome. Taken together, our results suggest that FLAMs are a stable, self-replicating model of AM function that enables previously impossible global genetic approaches to define the underlying mechanisms of AM maintenance and function.
Phylogenomics unravels the early diversification of fungi
Authors: Strassert Jürgen F. H. , Monaghan Michael T.
Published: December 2021

Phylogenomic analyses have boosted our understanding of the evolutionary trajectories of all living forms by providing continuous improvements to the tree of life1–5. Within this tree, fungi represent an ancient eukaryote group6, having diverged from the animals ∼1.35 billion years ago7. Estimates of the number of extant species range between 1.5 and 3.8 million8,9. Recent reclassifications and the discovery of the deep-branching Sanchytriomycota lineage10 have brought the number of proposed phyla to 2011; 21 if the Microsporidia are included12–14. Uncovering how the diverse and globally distributed fungi are related to each other is fundamental for understanding how their lifestyles, morphologies, and metabolic capacities evolved. To date, many of the proposed relationships among the phyla remain controversial and no phylogenomic study has examined the entire fungal tree using a taxonomically comprehensive data set and suitable models of evolution. We assembled and curated a 299-protein data set with a taxon sampling broad enough to encompass all recognised fungal diversity with available data, but selective enough to run computationally intensive analyses using best-fitting models. Using a range of reconstruction methods, we were able to resolve many contested nodes, such as a sister-relationship of Chytridiomyceta to all other non-Opisthosporidia fungi (with Chytridiomycota being sister to Monoblepharomycota + Neocallimastigomycota), a branching of Blastocladiomycota + Sanchytriomycota after the Chytridiomyceta but before other non-Opisthosporidia fungi, and a branching of Glomeromycota as sister to the Dikarya. Our most up-to-date fungal tree of life will serve as a springboard for future investigations on the evolution of fungi.
Contrastive Cycle Adversarial Autoencoders for Single-cell Multi-omics Alignment and Integration
Authors: Wang Xuesong , Hu Zhihang , Yu Tingyang , Wang Yixuan , Wang Ruijie , Wei Yumeng , Shu Juan , Ma Jianzhu , Li Yu
Published: December 2021

We have entered the multi-omics era, and we can measure cells from different aspects. When dealing with such multi-omics data, the first step is to determine the correspondence among different omics. In other words, we should match data from different spaces corresponding to the same object. This problem is particularly challenging in the single-cell multi-omics scenario because such data are very sparse with extremely high dimensions. Secondly, matched single-cell multi-omics data are rare and hard to collect. Furthermore, due to the limitations of the experimental environment, the data are usually highly noisy. To promote the single-cell multi-omics research, we overcome the above challenges, proposing a novel framework to align and integrate single-cell RNA-seq data and single-cell ATAC-seq data. Our approach can efficiently map the above data with high sparsity and noise from different spaces to a low-dimensional manifold in a unified space, making the downstream alignment and integration straightforward. Compared with the other state-of-the-art methods, our method performs better on both simulated and real single-cell data. On the real data, the performance improvement on accuracy over the previous methods is up to 55.7% regarding scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data integration. Downstream trajectory inference analysis shows that our tool can transfer the labels from scRNA-seq to scATAC-seq with very high accuracy, which indicates our method’s effectiveness.
Food Restriction Augmented Alpha1–Adrenergic Mediated Contraction in Mesenteric Arteries
Authors: Vorn Rany , Yoo Hae Young
Published: December 2021

Food restriction (FR) enhances the sensitivity to cardiopulmonary reflexes and α1- adrenoreceptors in the female, despite hypotension. The effect of male FR on cardiopulmonary and systemic vascular function is not well understood. This study examines the effects of FR on cardiopulmonary, isolated mesenteric arterial function and potential underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized that FR decreased eNOS activity in mesenteric arteries. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: (1) control (n=30), (2) 20 percent of food reduction (FR20, n=30), and (3) 40 percent of food reduction (FR40, n=30) for five weeks. Non-invasive blood pressure was measured twice a week. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) was measured using isolated/perfused lungs in rats. The isolated vascular reactivity was assessed in double-wire myograph. After five weeks, food restricted rats exhibited a lower mean arterial pressure and heart rate, however, only FR40 groups exhibited statistically significant differences. The basal tone of PAP and various vasoconstrictors did not show significant differences in pulmonary circulation between each group. We observed that food restriction were enhanced the sensitivity (EC50) in response to α1-adrenoreceptors (phenylephrine, PhE)-induced vasoconstriction, but not to serotonin, U46619, and high K+ in the mesenteric arteries. FR reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation via decreased function of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-nitric oxide (NO) pathway in the mesenteric arteries. PhE-mediated vasoconstriction in mesenteric arteries was eliminated in the presence of eNOS inhibitor (L-NAME). In addition, incubation with NOX2/4 inhibitors (apocynin, GKT137831, VAS2870) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger inhibitor (Tiron) were eliminated the differences of PhE-mediated vasoconstriction but not to cyclooxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin) in the mesenteric artery. Augmentation of α1–adrenergic mediated contraction via inhibition of eNOS-NO pathway by increased activation of ROS through NOX2/4 in response to FR. Reduced eNOS-NO signaling might be a pathophysiological counterbalance to prevent hypovolemic shock in response to FR.
Metabolic potentials of Liquorilactobacillus nagelii AGA58 isolated from Shalgam based on genomic and functional analysis
Authors: Yetiman Ahmet , Ortakci Fatih
Published: December 2021

The aim of present study was to perform functional and genomic characterization of a novel Liquorilactobacillus nagelii AGA58 isolated from Shalgam to understand its metabolic potentials. AGA58 is gram-positive, catalase-negative and appears as short-rods under light-microscope. The AGA58 chromosome composed of a single linear chromosome of 2,294,535 bp that is predicted to carry 2151 coding sequences, including 45 tRNA genes, 4 rRNA operons. Genome has a GC content of 36.9% includes 45 pseudogenes, 32 transposases and one intact-prophage. AGA58 is micro-anaerobic owing to shorter doubling time and faster growth rate achieved compared microaerofilic condition. It carries flagellar biosynthesis protein-encoding genes predicting motile behavior. AGA58 is an obligatory homofermentative where hexose sugars such as galactose, glucose, fructose, sucrose, mannose, N-acetyl glucosamine, maltose, trehalose are fermented to lactate thru glycolysis and no acid production from pentose sugars achieved due to lack of key enzyme namely phosphoketolase in pentose phosphate pathway. Carbohydrate fermentation tests showed AGA58 cannot ferment pentoses which was also confirmed in silico. Putative pyruvate metabolism revealed formate, malate, oxaloacetate, acetate, acetaldehyde, acetoin and lactate forms from pyruvate. AGA58 predicted to carry bacteriocin genes for type A2 lantipeptide, Blp family class II bacteriocins showing antimicrobial potential of this bacterium which can be linked to antagonism tests that AGA58 can inhibit E. coli O157:H7, S. Typhimurium ATCC14028, and K. pneumonia ATCC13883. Moreoever, AGA58 is tolerant to acid and bile concentrations simulating the human gastrointestinal conditions. L. nagelii AGA58 depicting the probiotic potential of AGA58 as a first report in literature within same species.
Family level drivers of access to healthcare among persons with disabilities in the Bosomtwe district of Ghana
Authors: Acheampong Enoch , Nadutey Alberta , Bredu-Darkwa Peter , Agyei-Baffuor Peter , Kwaku Edusei Anthony
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The perceptions of disability conditions held by parents and immediate family members directly determine the types of treatments that are likely to opt for persons with disabilities whenever they are ill. Family level drivers of access to healthcare among persons with disabilities in the Bosomtwe district of Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study was conducted in which data were collected from 60 participants selected purposively. Face-to-face interviews were conducted, and the results were presented thematically.

Findings

The drivers identified have been categorized into positive and negative depending on how they influenced persons with disabilities’ access to health care. Payment of medical bills, physical access support, the narration of health condition to a health-care provider, spiritual support, care and love were the positives while perceived spiritual cause of disability, preference for alternative treatment centers, unwillingness to support reproductive and specialized health care.

Research limitations/implications

This study had some limitations, and one of such is the non-inclusion of disabled people who had not been registered by the department of social welfare but resided in the district who could have provided rich information to the study. However, their exclusion did not affect the quality of data obtained, as those who were registered and selected for the study gave adequate information about the issues that were considered during the study.

Originality/value

Family members of persons with disabilities play key roles in promoting their access to health care; therefore, there is the need for stakeholders to put in measures that will limit misconceptions about disability not only for the general public but also for individuals like parents and immediate family members of persons with disabilities.
Ultrasound liver tumor segmentation using adaptively regularized kernel-based fuzzy C means with enhanced level set algorithm
Authors: Uplaonkar Deepak S. , Virupakshappa  , Patil Nagabhushan
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a hybrid algorithm for segmenting tumor from ultrasound images of the liver.

Design/methodology/approach

After collecting the ultrasound images, contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization approach (CLAHE) is applied as preprocessing, in order to enhance the visual quality of the images that helps in better segmentation. Then, adaptively regularized kernel-based fuzzy C means (ARKFCM) is used to segment tumor from the enhanced image along with local ternary pattern combined with selective level set approaches.

Findings

The proposed segmentation algorithm precisely segments the tumor portions from the enhanced images with lower computation cost. The proposed segmentation algorithm is compared with the existing algorithms and ground truth values in terms of Jaccard coefficient, dice coefficient, precision, Matthews correlation coefficient,f-score and accuracy. The experimental analysis shows that the proposed algorithm achieved 99.18% of accuracy and 92.17% off-score value, which is better than the existing algorithms.

Practical implications

From the experimental analysis, the proposed ARKFCM with enhanced level set algorithm obtained better performance in ultrasound liver tumor segmentation related to graph-based algorithm. However, the proposed algorithm showed 3.11% improvement in dice coefficient compared to graph-based algorithm.

Originality/value

The image preprocessing is carried out using CLAHE algorithm. The preprocessed image is segmented by employing selective level set model and Local Ternary Pattern in ARKFCM algorithm. In this research, the proposed algorithm has advantages such as independence of clustering parameters, robustness in preserving the image details and optimal in finding the threshold value that effectively reduces the computational cost.
How human capital affects labor income share at the sectoral level?: Evidence from the EU-13 countries and the UK
Authors: Çelik Orkun
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The author investigates the effects of human capital on labor income share in the 15 sectors of the European Union (EU)-13 countries and the United Kingdom (UK) over the period 2008–2015.

Design/methodology/approach

The author employs pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation with panel data, using the EU KLEMS database.

Findings

The results show that when education level increases, labor income share increases and gender-based labor income share differentials decrease. Return to education is higher in qualitative sectors in contrast with the other sectors. Moreover, there are gender-based labor income share differentials at the sectoral level. These differentials are higher in nonqualitative sectors, while they are relatively lower in qualitative sectors.

Research limitations/implications

The biggest limitation of the study is that the data range cannot be expanded because of the database. The author is of opinion that the empirical findings will guide to policy makers in terms of wage setting.

Originality/value

The expected contribution of this study to the literature is to investigate the effect of human capital on labor income share at the sectoral level for the EU-13 countries and the UK. As far as the author knows, there is no study which investigates this topic at the sectoral level such a comprehensive, in the literature.
An investigation of influencer body enhancement and brand endorsement
Authors: Lefebvre Sarah , Cowart Kelly
Published: December 2021

Purpose

As the cosmetic surgery industry grows and diversifies, societal beauty standards have shifted to include images of surgically enhanced bodies. With the increased use of influencer marketing, it is important for marketers to understand consumer perceptions of these modified appearances. This paper aims to use the lens of perceived morality (PM) to investigate consumer perceptions of cosmetic surgery services and the effect of enhanced body appearance on consumer interest in an endorsed brand. Interpersonal similarity (IS) is tested as a boundary condition.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-methods approach was taken with a qualitative study and two online experiments. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling (NStudy 1 = 133) and Amazon Mechanical Turk (NStudy 2 = 202; NStudy 3 = 270).

Findings

The themes uncovered in the qualitative study revealed that cosmetic surgery services were acceptable when internally motivated but may signal inauthenticity. The findings of Study 2 suggested consumer interest in an endorsed brand was negatively impacted by body enhancement (BE), with PM as the underlying mechanism. Study 3 results demonstrated IS moderated this effect. The indirect effect was significant only for those low in IS.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the underexplored area of cosmetic surgery services and its role in influencer marketing. The findings extend the literature on consumer attitudes and perceptions toward these services and provides insight into the intersection of BE and morality. The contribution is notable, as marketers increasing rely on social media influencers, many of whom have undergone cosmetic surgery services and enhanced their body appearance, to promote their brands.
Regenerative tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand – A new paradigm for the VUCA world
Authors: Major Josie , Clarke Debbie
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The paper provides a summary of the findings from GOOD Awaits – The Regenerative Tourism New Zealand (NZ) Podcast and envisions a regenerative future for tourism in Aotearoa.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the findings from the GOOD Awaits Podcast, a series of interviews with pioneers and practitioners of regenerative tourism. The podcast was created as a platform for the collective discovery of a new way forward for tourism in the wake of COVID-19, and the series provides a detailed summary of the regenerative tourism movement in NZ.

Findings

Through these interviews, a vision for a regenerative visitor economy in Aotearoa emerged. This new model is rooted in indigenous knowledge and living systems theory. It is a paradigm shift that allows us to see tourism as a living ecosystem and requires innovative economic models, such as social entrepreneurship, systems level changes to the way tourism operates and is governed, local tourism solutions with community thriving as the primary aim and much more collaboration both within tourism and across sectors.

Originality/value

Regenerative tourism is an emerging model and one that is rapidly gaining traction in NZ and globally. The GOOD Awaits podcast is a unique, thoughtful and practical demonstration of what this model could look like in Aotearoa. It demonstrates the potential and feasibility of regenerative tourism practice, and the response has shown the desire for these conversations at a national and international scale. This paper is an accessible summary of the podcast's first season and has value for anyone interested in the regenerative tourism movement in Aotearoa.
Diagnose the viability of separation of power in Egypt: a cybernetics perspective
Authors: Zeini Nahed T.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study is to diagnose the Egyptian political system from the perspective of the viable system model (VSM). That in turn gives us significant insights on how to improve the distribution and control of power in Egypt to warrant greater autonomy and representativeness in the branches of government.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed diagnostic framework in this study was accomplished by applying the principles and aspects of Stafford Beer's VSM to the three state powers of Egypt: the executive, legislative and judiciary. In addition, it adopts the guidelines for applying the VSM described by both Stafford Beer and José Pérez Ríos.

Findings

The presented framework in this study shows a comprehensive explanation of the essential functions and their distribution among the entities of the Egyptian political system. In addition to that, the findings give us insights about the need for greater autonomy and self-organization among the political system's entities. Greater communication, consensus, cooperation and coordination is needed to achieve balance, regulate the interactions between them and to monitor each other without intervention. This, in turn, would ensure greater representation of citizen demands and expectations, and protect and guarantee their rights and freedoms.

Originality/value

The modeling of the Egyptian political system from a VSM perspective suggests the necessity of reform of the political system by a clear division of functions and tasks within the operational entities and subentities, decentralization of power structures and utilization of the decision marketing mechanism to reach public acceptance. The application of the VSM, for the sake of diagnosing and designing the viability of separation of power, can be considered as highly original.
Effect of carbonization on the surface and influence on heavy metal removal by water hyacinth stem-based carbon
Authors: Tinega Joseph Nyamoko , Warui Charles Mwaura
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of carbonization on the surface and its influence on heavy metal removal by water hyacinth based carbon.

Design/methodology/approach

Dried water hyacinth stem was used as precursor to prepare carbon based adsorbent by pyrolysis method. The adsorbent proximate (ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon) and elemental (carbon hydrogen nitrogen sulfur) composition, surface area, pore size distribution, surface chemistry was examined and compared.

Findings

The results demonstrated that through carbonization in comparison to dried water hyacinth stem, it increased the surface area (from 58.46 to 328.9 m2/g), pore volume (from 0.01 to 0.07 cc/g), pore size (from 1.44 to 7.557 Å) thus enhancing heavy metal adsorption. The metal adsorption capacity of Cd, Pb and Zn was measured and analyzed through induced coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. At metal concentration of 0.1 mg/l adsorption rate for Cd, Pb and Zn was 99% due to increased large surface area, coupled with large pore size and volume. Furthermore, the adsorbent surface hydroxyl group (OH−) enhanced adsorption of positively charged metal ions through electrostatic forces.

Practical implications

It is presumed that not only adsorption with synthetic wastewater but real wastewater samples should be examined to ascertain the viability of adsorbent for commercial application.

Originality/value

There are little or scanty data on the effects of carbonization on water hyacinth stem based carbon and subsequent effects on heavy metal removal in effluents.
Evaluation of synergic methods for corrosion protection of reinforced steel
Authors: Ahmed Nivin M. , Mossalam Essam Abdelfattah , El-Sabbagh Basil , Souaya Eglal M.R.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the effect of pH on the reinforced concrete steel protection for rebars coated with paint formulations containing talc and free from it. As the presence of talc in paints can offer high pH which cordially affects the protection behavior of the coated rebars. Additionally, this study includes evaluating the durability of concrete mixes in presence of some replacements of ordinary cement such as meta-kaolin (MK) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS).

Design/methodology/approach

Two paint formulations were prepared containing the same ingredients except that (P1) is free from talc and (P2) contains talc. The anticorrosive behavior of painted steel in the blended concrete mixes containing MK and GGBFS was studied by using different electrochemical techniques in chloride solution. The concrete durability was evaluated by the means of compressive and bond strength beside chloride permeability. Different concrete mixes containing mineral groups or pozzolanic materials were prepared by replacing (10, and 30%) GGBFS and (5, 10 and 15%) MK as binary from cement CEM I with (w/b) 0.45 with superplasticizer ratio (SP) 2% of the binder

Findings

It was found that the presence of talc, in spite of its ability to offer high pH, has affected positively the corrosion behavior of reinforced concrete steel by forming a complex with concrete even if it is present in paint formulation and not free in the medium.

Originality/value

The results revealed that concrete blended with (30% GGBFS and 10% MK) with coated rebars with P2 containing talc showed the highest corrosion protection performance in addition to modified permeability and compression resistance.
Improving firm performance using market orientation and capabilities: a case study approach
Authors: Narula Sandeep , Rana Sudhir , Srivastava Shakul , Kharub Manjeet
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study explores the relationship between market orientation (MO), marketing capabilities, competitive advantage and firm performance with a focus on productivity and growth. This study answers on how MO and capabilities can enhance the performance of a firm. The following research points have been looked into: (1) business development in uncertain times, (2) strategies that complement both business development and competitive advantage at the same time and (3) how proactive MO helps the business organization to improve performance and attain category leadership in the desired therapeutic segment.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is based on an intensive case study that provides a thorough description, interpretation and understanding of the case. To accomplish the given goals, a public sector firm was carefully chosen and data were gathered through interviews with managers from different levels of the case company.

Findings

Results of this study explain that the MO concept is highly effective in building the marketing capabilities and sustaining the performance. The study offers business development strategies for the businesses where product differentiation is low and price ceiling is practiced on a certain category of products. MO when combined with marketing capabilities gives the organization a competitive advantage which ultimately enhances the firm performance.

Originality/value

The manuscript is based on a case study representing niche and mid-sized Indian pharmaceutical company, “Indian Immunologicals Limited” (IIL, a public sector firm), that adopted MO along with competitive business strategies in highly competitive, regulated and price control therapeutic category, anti-rabies vaccine. The company with a judicious mix of business strategies, operational excellence and MO not only enhanced productivity but also market share and created new business units for future.
Predicting bitcoin price movements using sentiment analysis: a machine learning approach
Authors: Gurrib Ikhlaas , Kamalov Firuz
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) attracted a lot of attention in recent months due to their unprecedented price fluctuations. This paper aims to propose a new method for predicting the direction of BTC price using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) together with sentiment analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Concretely, the authors train an LDA-based classifier that uses the current BTC price information and BTC news announcements headlines to forecast the next-day direction of BTC prices. The authors compare the results with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model and random guess approach. The use of BTC price information and news announcements related to crypto enables us to value the importance of these different sources and types of information.

Findings

Relative to the LDA results, the SVM model was more accurate in predicting BTC next day’s price movement. All models yielded better forecasts of an increase in tomorrow’s BTC price compared to forecasting a decrease in the crypto price. The inclusion of news sentiment resulted in the highest forecast accuracy of 0.585 on the test data, which is superior to a random guess. The LDA (SVM) model with asset specific (news sentiment and asset specific) input features ranked first within their respective model classifiers, suggesting both BTC news sentiment and asset specific are prized factors in predicting tomorrow’s price direction.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the potential effect of crypto-related sentiment and BTC specific news on BTC’s price using LDA and sentiment analysis.
Lean accounting: a structured literature review
Authors: Alves Rafael Figueira , Vieira Neto Julio , de Mattos Nascimento Daniel Luiz , de Andrade Flavio Ezequiel , Tortorella Guilherme Luz , Garza-Reyes Jose Arturo
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to perform a review and analyze the literature on lean accounting (LA) to develop insights into how LA research is developing, offering a critique of the research to date and underlining future research opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses a structured literature review (SLR) to categorize and analyze 39 research articles from relevant journals with a publication date from 1996 to 2020 (September) and to answer three research questions.

Findings

Findings demonstrated that although LA seems to be the most suitable method for lean companies, it still lacks research in terms of the role of accountants in lean organizations as well as how its concepts are integrated with the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Practical implications

The paper provides both academics and practitioners with valuable insights regarding the role of management accounting and accountants in the pursuit of lean transformation, presenting meaningful themes and a complete analysis of the literature along with research gaps for future research.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to lean manufacturing literature by providing a comprehensive SLR of articles regarding LA. Also, the paper serves as a basis for developing future research agendas in management accounting practices for lean organizations.
Impacts of early ACA Medicaid expansions on physician participation
Authors: Curto Vilsa , Bhole Monica
Published: December 2021

Objective

To quantify impacts of early Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions on Medicaid participation for primary care physicians.

Data Sources

The study uses secondary Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) data from the United States for 2009–2012, as well as secondary National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) data from the United States for 2015.

Study Design

The study uses a quasi‐experimental difference‐in‐differences study design where the policy change is Medicaid expansion in six states that adopted early ACA Medicaid expansions during 2010 and 2011: California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington. The key outcome variables are five monthly measures of physician participation: the number of Medicaid visits, the number of Medicaid patients, seeing at least 1 Medicaid patient, seeing at least 25 Medicaid patients, and seeing at least 50 Medicaid patients.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

The sample consists of all physicians who were active between 2005 and 2015, according to the NPPES.

Principal Findings

For primary care physicians, Medicaid expansion led to a 29% increase in Medicaid visits (5.88 per month; 95% CI: 2.49–9.27), a 29% increase in Medicaid patients (4.59 per month; 95% CI: 2.16–7.02), and did not affect the probability of any Medicaid participation. Medicaid expansion also led to a 22% increase in the probability of seeing at least 25 Medicaid patients per month (4.58 percentage points; 95% CI: 1.27–7.89) and a 31% increase in the probability of seeing at least 50 Medicaid patients per month (2.99 percentage points; 95% CI: 0.99–4.99).

Conclusions

Early ACA Medicaid expansions led to increased Medicaid visits for primary care physicians but did not affect the probability of any Medicaid participation. Primary care physicians who had previously served Medicaid patients responded to early ACA Medicaid expansions by serving substantially more Medicaid patients.
Effect of ultrasonic thawing on the physicochemical properties, freshness, and protein‐related properties of frozen large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea)
Authors: Chu Yuanming , Tan Mingtang , Bian Chuhan , Xie Jing
Published: December 2021

Ultrasonic treatment (UT) was used to thaw large yellow croaker in this study, and the effect of various ultrasonic power levels on the quality of large yellow croaker was evaluated after thawing. The effects of ultrasonic on water holding capacity (WHC), moisture distribution, thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance (TBARs), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N), ATP degradation (related to K value), surface color change, free amino acid (FAA) content, total sulfhydryl group (SH) content, Fourier transform infrared absorption spectra (FT‐IR), fluorescence emission spectra, and microscopic observations of large yellow croaker myofibrillar proteins were investigated. The thawing times of the control sample, 200UT, 240UT, 280UT, and 320UT samples were 1750, 1190, 810, 580, and 570 s, respectively, which indicated that ultrasonic radiation could improve thawing efficiency. Additionally, ultrasonic thawing maintained better freshness and color and inhibited lipid oxidation. Compared with fresh samples, the TVB‐N of large yellow croaker thawed by ultrasonication increased by 12.68%, and the K value increased by 0.9%. The 240UT sample had tightly arranged myofibrils and fewer changes in the structures of myogenic fibrillar proteins than the fresh samples, and the SH content of 240UT was decreased by 8.17%. Use of excessive ultrasonic power (320 W) damaged the protein microstructure and the microstructure of large yellow croaker. In conclusion, sample 240UT maintained the quality of large yellow croaker better with minimal damage, which is recommended for rapid thawing.

Practical Application

Ultrasonic waves improve the thawing efficiency of large yellow croaker and maintain the freshness and color of the fish. According to results, sample 240UT exhibited slight changes in the structure of the myofibril protein, but excessive ultrasonic power destroyed the microstructure and protein structure. Appropriate ultrasonic treatment to the thawing of fish has good prospects.
The Movebank system for studying global animal movement and demography
Authors: Kays Roland , Davidson Sarah C. , Berger Matthias , Bohrer Gil , Fiedler Wolfgang , Flack Andrea , Hirt Julian , Hahn Clemens , Gauggel Dominik , Russell Benedict , Kölzsch Andrea , Lohr Ashley , Partecke Jesko , Quetting Michael , Safi Kamran , Scharf Anne , Schneider Gabriel , Lang Ilona , Schaeuffelhut Friedrich , Landwehr Matthias , Storhas Martin , van Schalkwyk Louis , Vinciguerra Candace , Weinzierl Rolf , Wikelski Martin
Published: December 2021

Quantifying movement and demographic events of free‐ranging animals is fundamental to studying their ecology, evolution and conservation. Technological advances have led to an explosion in sensor‐based methods for remotely observing these phenomena. This transition to big data creates new challenges for data management, analysis and collaboration.

We present the Movebank ecosystem of tools used by thousands of researchers to collect, manage, share, visualize, analyse and archive their animal tracking and other animal‐borne sensor data. Users add sensor data through file uploads or live data streams and further organize and complete quality control within the Movebank system. All data are harmonized to a data model and vocabulary. The public can discover, view and download data for which they have been given access to through the website, the Animal Tracker mobile app or by API. Advanced analysis tools are available through the EnvDATA System, the MoveApps platform and a variety of user‐developed applications. Data owners can share studies with select users or the public, with options for embargos, licenses and formal archiving in a data repository.

Movebank is used by over 3,100 data owners globally, who manage over 6 billion animal location and sensor measurements across more than 6,500 studies, with thousands of active tags sending over 3 million new data records daily. These data underlie >700 published papers and reports. We present a case study demonstrating the use of Movebank to assess life‐history events and demography, and engage with citizen scientists to identify mortalities and causes of death for a migratory bird.

A growing number of researchers, government agencies and conservation organizations use Movebank to manage research and conservation projects and to meet legislative requirements. The combination of historic and new data with collaboration tools enables broad comparative analyses and data acquisition and mapping efforts. Movebank offers an integrated system for real‐time monitoring of animals at a global scale and represents a digital museum of animal movement and behaviour. Resources and coordination across countries and organizations are needed to ensure that these data, including those that cannot be made public, remain accessible to future generations.
Repeat computed tomography in recurrent abdominal pain: An evidence synthesis for guidelines for reasonable and appropriate care in the emergency department
Authors: Carpenter Christopher R. , Griffey Richard T. , Mills Angela , Doering Michelle , Oliveira J. e Silva Lucas , Bellolio Fernanda , Upadhye Suneel , Broder Joshua S.
Published: December 2021

Objective

Computed tomography (CT) imaging is frequently obtained for recurrent abdominal pain after a prior emergency department (ED) evaluation. We evaluate the utility of repeat CT imaging following an indeterminate index CT in low‐risk abdominal pain adult ED patients.

Methods

An electronic search was designed for the patient‐intervention‐control‐outcome‐timing (PICOT) question: (P) adult patients with low‐risk, recurrent, and previously undifferentiated atraumatic abdominal pain presenting to the ED after an index‐negative CT within 12 months; (I) repeat CT versus (C) no repeat CT; for (O) abdominal surgery or other invasive procedure, mortality, identification of potentially life‐threatening diagnosis, and hospital and intensive care unit admission rates; and return ED visit (T), all within 30 days. Four reviewers independently selected evidence for inclusion and then synthesized the results around the most prevalent themes of repeat CT timing, diagnostic yield, ionizing radiation exposure, and predictors of repetitive imaging.

Results

Although 637 articles and abstracts were identified, no direct evidence was found. Thirteen documents were synthesized as indirect evidence. None of the indirect evidence defined a low‐risk subset of abdominal pain nor did investigators describe whether reimaging occurred for complaints similar to the initial ED evaluation. Included studies did not describe the index CT findings and some reported explanatory findings noted on the original CT for which repeat CTs might have been indicated. The time frame for a repeat CT ranged from hours to 1 year. The frequency of repeat CTs (2%–47%) varied across studies as did the yield of imaging to alter downstream clinical decision making (range = 5%–67%).

Conclusion

Due to the absence of direct evidence our scoping review is unable to provide high‐quality evidence‐based recommendations upon which to confidently base an imaging practice guideline. There is no evidence to support or refute performing a CT for low‐risk recurrent abdominal pain.
Distress Resolution through New Block Formation: Implications for Ownership Concentration*
Authors: Choy Yoonyoung
Published: December 2021

This study examines distress resolution under concentrated equity ownership and concentrated bank debt. Using a large sample of Korean financially distressed firms, I find that distress resolution is more likely when private placements of new equities are accompanied by a change in control. Control transfers in which new blocks are created through equity capital injection contribute to operational efficiency and long‐term performance. These findings suggest that equity capital injection and monitoring by new blockholders are essential for distress resolution under poor investor protection, which further explains why concentrated ownership may persist under such an environment.
Acculturation, urban identity, and psychological well‐being of rural–urban migrants in China
Authors: Li Yuxue , Chen Juan , Xie Shenghua , Huang Xu
Published: December 2021

Acculturation and identity are two significant determinants of the psychological well‐being of migrants, but how they interactively affect psychological well‐being is still underexplored. This study proposes an interactional perspective that links acculturation and urban identity to the psychological well‐being of rural–urban migrants in China. Using data from the 2014 National Migrant Population Dynamic Monitoring Survey, the results of multilevel modeling indicate that both acculturation and urban identity significantly affect the psychological well‐being of rural–urban migrants. Migrants who adopt the integration and assimilation strategy show better psychological well‐being than those who adopt the separation and marginalization strategy. Rural–urban migrants who have a stronger sense of urban identity show better psychological well‐being than those with a weaker sense of urban identity. Meanwhile, urban identity and acculturation also interactively affect the psychological well‐being of rural–urban migrants. In particular, urban identity alleviates the negative pressure generated in the process of acculturation for those who adopt the acculturation strategy of separation. In addition, the effect of acculturation and urban identity on the psychological well‐being of rural–urban migrants varies by migration distance. The research contributes to the literature by demonstrating that cultural identity and place identity interactively affect the psychological well‐being of internal migrants.
pH‐responsive cotton fibre dyed by natural madder dye
Authors: Zhu Shilong , Huang Zhangmi , Yu Xiaoqing , Wei Ling , Wang Hao , Huang Shushu , Meng Xiangling , Han Yige
Published: December 2021

pH‐responsive cotton can be used as a flexible sensor because it changes colour with pH. However, the safety of some synthetic pH‐responsive dyes is uncertain, so the application of pH‐responsive cotton to wounds is limited. Herein, natural madder dye was selected to explore the dyeing conditions and produce safe, pH‐responsive cotton. Based on experimental data and computational calculations, the variation in the conjugation of the molecule was responsible for the colour change of the cotton dyed with madder. When the pH of the madder solution increases, the phenolic hydroxyl group of the alizarin, which is its main component, is ionised, and the colour changes from yellow to purple. The effect of the dye concentration was studied, and the results showed that the higher the dye concentration, the more obvious the colour change of the cotton. The reversibility of cotton dyed with madder was investigated, and the results showed that there was a good reversible transformation with changing pH. The reversibility time of the colour change was less than 20 seconds.
Life expectancy and its adjustment in cerebral palsy with severe impairment: Are we doing this right?
Authors: Rosenthal Mark
Published: December 2021

In children with very severe cerebral palsy, an adversarial legal process for medical negligence, when liability is admitted, requires an estimate of life expectancy. Medical experts using the same cohort data and the same clinical facts can produce quite different life expectancies, leading to arguments in legal conferences and courts. The issues that commonly arise include between‐country comparisons, projected and therapy‐induced advanced life expectancies, and the contribution of epilepsy, scoliosis, and especially cognition to life expectancy. In this review, these factors are discussed from an arithmetic, statistical, and medical viewpoint to initiate debate on the issue, including whether median survival should be advocated.
Not another article on selective dorsal rhizotomy?
Authors: Chambers Henry G
Published: December 2021

This commentary is on the original article by MacWilliams et al. on pages 561–568 of this issue.