bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A simple model of COVID-19 explains disease severity and the effect of treatments
Authors: Sanche Steven , Cassidy Tyler , Chu Pinghan , Perelson Alan S. , Ribeiro Ruy M. , Ke Ruian
Published: December 2021

Considerable effort was made to better understand why some people suffer from severe COVID-19 while others remain asymptomatic. This has led to important clinical findings; people with severe COVID-19 generally experience persistently high levels of inflammation, slower viral load decay, display a dysregulated type-I interferon response, have less active natural killer cells and increased levels of neutrophil extracellular traps. How these findings are connected to the pathogenesis of COVID-19 remains unclear. We propose a mathematical model that sheds light on this issue. The model focuses on cells that trigger inflammation through molecular patterns: infected cells carrying pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damaged cells producing damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). The former signals the presence of pathogens while the latter signals danger such as hypoxia or the lack of nutrients. Analyses show that SARS-CoV-2 infections can lead to a self-perpetuating feedback loop between DAMP expressing cells and inflammation. It identifies the inability to quickly clear PAMPs and DAMPs as the main contributor to hyperinflammation. The model explains clinical findings and the conditional impact of treatments on disease severity. The simplicity of the model and its high level of consistency with clinical findings motivate its use for the formulation of new treatment strategies.
Racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mental health during COVID-19
Authors: Iyengar Ananya S. , Ein-Dor Tsachi , Zhang Emily X. , Chan Sabrina J. , Kaimal Anjali J. , Dekel Sharon
Published: December 2021

Knowledge of childbirth outcomes of Black and Latinx individuals during the coronavirus pandemic is limited. Black/African American and Latinx/Hispanic individuals were matched to non-Hispanic white individuals on socio-demographics. Minority individuals were nearly three times more likely to have clinically significant traumatic stress in response to childbirth and two times more likely to report postpartum depression. Unplanned Cesarean rates were higher and incidences of skin-to-skin and breastfeeding were lower in the minority group. Racial and ethnic maternal disparities exist during COVID-19.
Danger signs and management of suspected severe malaria cases at community level and in referral health facilities: an operational study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Okitawutshu Jean , Signorell Aita , Kalenga Jean-Claude , Mukomena Eric , Delvento Giulia , Burri Christian , Mwaluke Fatou , Buj Valentina , Sangare Moulaye , Luketa Sylvie , Brunner Nina , Lee Tristan , Hetzel Manuel , Lengeler Christian , Tshefu Antoinette
Published: December 2021

Background

Evidence from one trial in Africa suggests that pre-referral Rectal Artesunate (RAS) can be a life-saving intervention for severe malaria in remote settings, where parenteral treatment is not available. Recognition of danger signs indicative of severe malaria is critical for prompt and appropriate case management.

Methods

An observational study was conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the frame of the multi-country CARAMAL project, to assess the effectiveness of RAS under real-world conditions. Severely ill feverish children <5 years seeking care from a community-based healthcare provider were recruited in three rural health zones into a patient surveillance system. They were subsequently followed within the healthcare system and at home after 28 days to determine care seeking, antimalarial treatment provision and health outcomes.

Results

Overall, 66.4% of patients had iCCM general danger signs, as well as more specific danger signs. Children aged 2-5 years (aOR=1.58, 95% CI 1.20–2.08) and those presenting iCCM general danger signs were more likely to receive RAS (aOR = 2.77, 95% CI 2.04–3.77). Injectable treatment was less likely with RAS pre-referral treatment (aOR=0.21, 95% 0.13– 0.33). In the post-RAS phase, the case fatality ratio was 7.1%. Children not receiving RAS had a higher risk of dying, but this was not statistically significant (aOR = 1.50, 95% CI 0.86– 2.60). The odds of dying were reduced in patients without iCCM general danger signs, but just not statistically so (aOR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.38–1.06). Full oral therapy at a RHF was highly protective (aOR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.07-0.26), while a full treatment of severe malaria (injectable + oral) was shown to also decrease massively the odds of dying (aOR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.09– 0.79) compared to injectable treatment alone.

Conclusions

Better understanding the determinants of successful case management, and targeted improvements of the health system (especially the provision of a full course of an oral antimalarial) are crucial for improving health oucomes of children with suspected severe malaria.
Direct lysis RT-qPCR of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture supernatant allows for fast and accurate quantification of virus, opening a vast array of applications
Authors: Craig Nicky , Fletcher Sarah L. , Daniels Alison , Newman Caitlin , O’Shea Marie , Warr Amanda , Tait-Burkard Christine
Published: December 2021

An enormous global effort is being made to study SARS-CoV-2 and develop safe and effective treatments. Studying the entire virus replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to identify host factors and treatments to combat the infection. However, quantification of released virus often requires lengthy procedures, such as endpoint dilution assays or reinfection with engineered reporter viruses. Quantification of viral RNA in cell supernatant is faster and can be performed on clinical isolates. However, viral RNA purification is expensive in time and resources and often unsuitable for high-throughput screening. Here, we show a direct lysis RT-qPCR method allowing sensitive, accurate, fast, and cheap quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in culture supernatant. During lysis, the virus is completely inactivated, allowing further processing in low containment areas. This protocol facilitates a wide array of high- and low-throughput applications from basic quantification to studying the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and to identify novel antiviral treatmentsin vitro.
Neuropsychiatric, cognitive and brain morphology characteristics of conversion from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Lucas Ronat , Alexandru Hanganu ,   for the ADNI group
Published: December 2021

The impact of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) on cognitive performance has been extensively reported, and this impact was better defined in the aging population. Yet a potential impact of NPS on brain morphology, cognitive performance and interactions between them in a longitudinal setting, as well as the potential of using these values as prediction of conversion – have remained questionable. We studied 156 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from theAlzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiativedatabase who maintained the same level of cognitive performance after a 4-year follow-up and compared them to 119 MCI participants who converted to dementia. Additionally, we assessed the same analysis in 170 healthy controls who remained healthy at follow-up. Compared to 15 controls who converted to MCI. Their neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, and brain morphology data underwent statistical analyses of 1) baseline comparison between the groups; (2) analysis of covariance model controlling for age, sex, education, and MMSE score, to specify the cognitive performance and brain structures that distinguish the two subgroups, and 3) used the significant ANCOVA variables to construct a binary logistic regression model that generates a probability equation for a given individual to convert to a lower cognitive performance state.

Results showed that MCI who converted to AD in comparison to those who did not convert, exhibited a higher NPS prevalence, a lower cognitive performance and a higher number of involved brain structures. Furthermore, agitation, memory and the volumes of inferior temporal, hippocampal and amygdala sizes were significant predictors of MCI to AD conversion.
Metabolic phenotyping reveals a potential link between elevated faecal amino acids, diet and symptom severity in individuals with severe mental illness
Authors: Jansma Jack , van Essen Rogier , Haarman Bartholomeus C.M. , Chatziioannou Anastasia Chrysovalantou , Borkent Jenny , Ioannou Magdalini , van Hemert Saskia , Sommer Iris E.C. , Aidy Sahar El
Published: December 2021

The brain-gut axis is increasingly recognized as an important contributing factor in the onset and progression of severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder. This study investigates associations between levels of faecal metabolites identified using 1H-NMR, clinical parameters, and dietary components of forty-two individuals diagnosed in a transdiagnostic approach to have severe mental illness. Faecal levels of the amino acids; alanine, leucine, and valine showed a significant positive correlation with psychiatric symptom severity as well as with dairy intake. Overall, this study proposes a diet-induced link between the brain-gut axis and the severity of psychiatric symptoms, which could be valuable in the design of novel dietary or therapeutic interventions to improve psychiatric symptoms.
A temporal sequence of thalamic activity unfolds at transitions in behavioral arousal state
Authors: Setzer Beverly , Fultz Nina E. , Gomez Daniel E. P. , Williams Stephanie D. , Bonmassar Giorgio , Polimeni Jonathan R. , Lewis Laura D.
Published: December 2021

The moment of awakening from sleep reflects a profound transformation in neural activity and behavior. The thalamus is a key controller of arousal state, but whether its diverse nuclei exhibit coordinated or distinct activity at transitions in behavioral arousal state is not known. Using fast fMRI at ultra-high field (7 Tesla), we measured sub-second activity across thalamocortical networks and within nine thalamic nuclei to delineate these dynamics during spontaneous transitions in behavioral arousal state. We discovered a stereotyped sequence of activity across thalamic nuclei that preceded behavioral arousal after a period of inactivity, followed by widespread cortical deactivation. These thalamic dynamics were linked to whether participants remained awake or fell back asleep, with unified thalamic activation reflecting subsequent maintenance of awake behavior. These results provide an outline of the complex interactions across thalamocortical circuits that orchestrate arousal state transitions, and additionally, demonstrate that fast fMRI can resolve sub-second subcortical dynamics in the human brain.
Single-cell transcriptome reveals insights into the development and function of the zebrafish ovary
Authors: Liu Yulong , Kossack Michelle E. , McFaul Matthew E. , Christensen Lana , Siebert Stefan , Wyatt Sydney R. , Kamei Caramai , Horst Samuel , Arroyo Nayeli , Drummond Iain , Juliano Celina E. , Draper Bruce W.
Published: December 2021

Zebrafish are an established research organism that has made many contributions to our understanding of vertebrate tissue and organ development, yet there are still significant gaps in our understanding of the genes that regulate gonad development, sex, and reproduction. Unlike the development of many organs, such as the brain and heart that form during the first few days of development, zebrafish gonads do not begin to form until the larval stage (≥5 dpf). Thus, forward genetic screens have identified very few genes required for gonad development. In addition, bulk RNA sequencing studies which identify genes expressed in the gonads do not have the resolution necessary to define minor cell populations that may play significant roles in development and function of these organs. To overcome these limitations, we have used single-cell RNA sequencing to determine the transcriptomes of cells isolated from juvenile zebrafish ovaries. This resulted in the profiles of 10,658 germ cells and 14,431 somatic cells. Our germ cell data represents all developmental stages from germline stem cells to early meiotic oocytes. Our somatic cell data represents all known somatic cell types, including follicle cells, theca cells and interstitial stromal cells. Further analysis revealed an unexpected number of cell subpopulations within these broadly defined cell types. To further define their functional significance, we determined the location of these cell subpopulations within the ovary. Finally, for select examples, we used gene knockout experiments to determine the role of newly identified genes. Our results reveal novel insights into ovarian development and function and the sequencing information will provide a valuable resource for future studies.
Characterising genome architectures using Genome Decomposition Analysis
Authors: Aunin Eerik , Berriman Matthew , Reid Adam James
Published: December 2021

Genome architecture describes how genes and other features are arranged in genomes. These arrangements reflect the evolutionary pressures on genomes and underlie biological processes such as chromosomal segregation and the regulation of gene expression. We present a new tool called Genome Decomposition Analysis (GDA) that characterises genome architectures and acts as an accessible approach for discovering hidden features of a genome assembly. With the imminent deluge of high quality genome assemblies from projects such as the Darwin Tree of Life and the Earth BioGenome Project, GDA has been designed to facilitate their exploration and the discovery of novel genome biology. We highlight the effectiveness of our approach in characterising the genome architectures of single-celled eukaryotic parasites from the phylumApicomplexaand show that it scales well to large genomes.

Significance

Genome sequencing has revealed that there are functionally important arrangements of genes, repetitive elements and regulatory sequences within chromosomes. Identifying these arrangements requires extensive computation and analysis. Furthermore, improvements in genome sequencing technology and the establishment of consortia aiming to sequence all species of eukaryotes mean that there is a need for high throughput methods for discovering new genome biology. Here we present a software pipeline, named GDA, which determines the patterns of genomic features across chromosomes and uses these to characterise genome architecture. We show that it recapitulates the known genome architecture of several Apicomplexan parasites and use it to identify features in a recently sequenced, less well-characterised genome. GDA scales well to large genomes and is freely available.
Regulation of dctA and DctA by cAMP-CRP and EIIAGlc at the transcriptional and post-translational levels in E. coli: Consequences for aerobic uptake and metabolism of C4-dicarboxylates
Authors: Schubert Christopher , Unden Gottfried
Published: December 2021

The expression of dctA, encoding the aerobic C4-dicarboxylate (C4-DC) transporter DctA of Escherichia coli, and its use in the presence of alternative carbon sources was characterized. dctA is regulated by cAMP-CRP and substrates that control cAMP levels, either through the phosphotransferase system (PTS), or through their metabolic link to PEP synthesis. The data indicates that phosphorylation of the regulator EIIAGlc of the glucose-specific PTS represents the mediator for regulation. The dctA promotor region contains a class I CRP-binding site (position -81.5) and a DcuR-binding site (position -105.5). The response regulator DcuR of the C4-DC-activated DcuS-DcuR two-component system is known to stimulate expression of dctA, and cAMP-CRP is known to stimulate expression of dcuS-dcuR. Thus, activation of dctA expression by cAMP-CRP and DcuR is organized in a coherent feed-forward loop (FFL) where cAMP-CRP positively regulates the expression of dctA by direct stimulation and by stimulating the expression of dcuR. Stimulation by DcuR is presumed to require DNA bending by cAMP-CRP. In this way, CRP-FFL integrates carbon catabolite control and C4-DC-specific regulation. Moreover, EIIAGlc of the glucose-specific PTS strongly interacts with DctA, which could lead to substrate exclusion of C4-DCs when preferred carbon substrates such as sugars are present. Since C4-DCs are perceived in the periplasmic space by the sensor DcuS, the substrate exclusion is not linked to inducer exclusion, contrasting classical inducer exclusion known for the lactose permease LacY. Thus, aerobic C4-DC metabolism is tightly regulated at the transcriptional and post-translational levels, whereas uptake of L-aspartate by DcuA is essentially unaffected. Overall, transcriptional and post-translational regulation of dctA expression and DctA function efficiently fine-tunes C4-DC catabolism in response to other preferred carbon sources.
Cell type–specific analysis by single-cell profiling identifies a stable mammalian tRNA–mRNA interface and increased translation efficiency in neurons
Authors: Gao William , Gallardo-Dodd Carlos J. , Kutter Claudia
Published: December 2021

The correlation between codon and anticodon pools influences the efficiency of translation, but whether differences exist in these pools across individual cells is unknown. We determined that codon usage and amino acid demand are highly stable across different cell types using available mouse and human single-cell RNA-sequencing atlases. After showing the robustness of ATAC-sequencing measurements for the analysis of tRNA gene usage, we quantified anticodon usage and amino acid supply in both mouse and human single-cell ATAC-seq atlases. We found that tRNA gene usage is overall coordinated across cell types, except in neurons, which clustered separately from other cell types. Integration of these data sets revealed a strong and statistically significant correlation between amino acid supply and demand across almost all cell types. Neurons have an enhanced translation efficiency over other cell types, driven by an increased supply of tRNAAla (AGC) anticodons. This results in faster decoding of the Ala-GCC codon, as determined by cell type–specific ribosome profiling, suggesting that the reduction of tRNAAla (AGC) anticodon pools may be implicated in neurological pathologies. This study, the first such examination of codon usage, anticodon usage, and translation efficiency resolved at the cell-type level with single-cell information, identifies a conserved landscape of translation elongation across mammalian cellular diversity and evolution.
findMySequence: a neural-network-based approach for identification of unknown proteins in X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM
Authors: Chojnowski Grzegorz , Simpkin Adam J. , Leonardo Diego A. , Seifert-Davila Wolfram , Vivas-Ruiz Dan E. , Keegan Ronan M. , Rigden Daniel J.
Published: December 2021

Although experimental protein-structure determination usually targets known proteins, chains of unknown sequence are often encountered. They can be purified from natural sources, appear as an unexpected fragment of a well characterized protein or appear as a contaminant. Regardless of the source of the problem, the unknown protein always requires characterization. Here, an automated pipeline is presented for the identification of protein sequences from cryo-EM reconstructions and crystallographic data. The method's application to characterize the crystal structure of an unknown protein purified from a snake venom is presented. It is also shown that the approach can be successfully applied to the identification of protein sequences and validation of sequence assignments in cryo-EM protein structures.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(7-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl)ethan-1-one
Authors: Guseinov Firudin I. , Kobrakov Konstantin I. , Ugrak Bogdan I. , Atioğlu Zeliha , Akkurt Mehmet , Bhattarai Ajaya
Published: December 2021

The bicyclic imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine core in the molecule of the title compound, C10H7F3N2O, is planar within 0.004 (1) Å. In the crystal, the molecules are linked by pairs of C—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming strips. These strips are connected by the F...F contacts into layers, which are further joined by π–π stacking interactions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plots reveal that molecular packing is governed by F...H/H...F (31.6%), H...H (16.8%), C...H/H...C (13.8%) and O...H/H...O (8.5%) contacts.
Investor sentiment and stock return volatility: evidence from the Indian Stock Exchange
Authors: N Sreenu , Naik Suresh
Published: December 2021

Purpose

In any stock market, volatility is a significant factor in strengthening their asset pricing. The upsurge in volatility in the stock market can activate and bring changes in the financial risk. According to financial conventional theory, the stakeholders (investors) are selected to be balanced and variations in pertinent risk are also to be anticipated due to the outcome of the drive-in basic factors in Indian stock markets. The hypothesis shows that there are actions in systematic and unsystematic risks that are determined by volatility. It is allied to sentiment-driven in the trader movement.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used the methodology of generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity-in mean GARCH-M and exponential GARCH-M (E-GARCH-M) methods on the Indian stock market. The data have been covered from 2000 to 2019.

Findings

Finally, the study suggests that due to the unfitness of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), the selection has enhanced with sentiment is an important risk factor.

Practical implications

The investor sentiment and stock return volatility statement are established by using the investor sentiment amalgamated stock market index built.

Originality/value

The outcome of the study shows that there is an important association between stakeholder (investor) sentiment and stock return, in case of volatility behavioural finance can significantly explain the behaviour of stock returns on the Indian Stock Exchange.
Defining risk reduction strategies for tourists with specific food needs: a qualitative approach
Authors: Fuentes-Moraleda Laura , Muñoz-Mazón Ana , Santiago-Rincón Coral , Orea-Giner Alicia
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This exploratory study aims to identify the main risk reduction strategies when individuals suffer from coeliac disease (CD) or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) travel. Based on Yeung and Yee's (2013; 2019) model, the paper offers a new framework for analysing the main travel risk reduction strategies for people with specific food needs. The empirical work focuses on the perspectives of different stakeholders (CD and NCGS community, restaurant managers/service providers and nutritionists).

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach based on thematic analysis is adopted. The results of 32 semi-structured in-depth interviews reveal different stakeholders' perspectives in order to understand the various strategies.

Findings

The findings confirm the high level of consensus that the main food risk reducers are: travel information, staff training in safety assurance, legislation and risk prevention protocols. The findings also show significant limitations in the information offered by restaurants, organisations and tourist destinations and the negative repercussions on the tourist experience and the reputation on a particular destination.

Practical implications

The results will help hospitality business managers and destination management organisations develop food risk reduction strategies to solve some of the most important food-related problems when people in this market segment travel.

Originality/value

This work contributes to the literature by providing a new framework on travel risk reduction strategies for people with specific food needs. The novelty of this research is mainly found in the study of risk reduction strategies related to the travel decision-making process for those with CD and NCGS from different perspectives.
Burnt to a crisp? Understanding drivers of burnout amongst New Zealand workers
Authors: Haar Jarrod
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Job burnout is a popular topic for researchers and a pressing issue for employees and employers. However, the most popular measure has become widely critiqued, and a new construct – the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) – has been offered as a better way to assess burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses data from 1,022 employees across a wide range of occupations, sectors and industries. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and odds ratio calculations are explored.

Findings

The present psychometric properties of the BAT construct are supported. Overall, 11.1% of employees met the high burnt-out risk threshold. Determinants of burnt-out risk were explored, with significant findings from high perceptions of organizational support, large firm-size, young age and long work hours found. No gender differences. The odds ratio provides greater insights into the risks associated with factors, especially working 55+ hours/week, which resulted in 580% higher risk of burnt-out risk.

Research limitations/implications

The findings highlight the danger of burnt-out risk and provide a useful benchmark for those exploring the burnt-out risk rate.

Originality/value

The BAT has not been tested in New Zealand across a sample of employees. Given the large size and breadth of employees, this provides useful generalizability to the BAT-NZ. The determinants tested here are all unique to the literature and provide new insights.
Developing a risk assessment model for banking software development projects based on rough-grey set theory
Authors: Karimi Tooraj , Yahyazade Yalda
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Risk management is one of the most influential parts of project management that has a major impact on the success or failure of projects. Due to the increasing use of information technology in all fields and the high failure rate of software development projects, it is essential to predict the risk level of each project effectively before starting. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is proposing an expert system to infer about the risk of new banking software development project.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the risk of software developing projects is considered from four dimensions including risk of cost deviation, time deviation, quality deviation and scope deviation, which is examined by rough set theory (RST). The most important variables affecting the cost, time, quality and scope of projects are identified as condition attributes and four initial decision systems are constructed. Grey system theory is used to cluster the condition attributes and after data discretizing, eight rule models for each dimension of risk as a decision attribute are extracted using RST. The most validated model for each decision attribute is selected as an inference engine of the expert system, and finally a simple user interface is designed in order to predict the risk level of any new project by inserting the data of project attributes

Findings

In this paper, a high accuracy expert system is designed based on the combination of the grey clustering method and rough set modeling to predict the risks of each project before starting. Cross-validation of different rule models shows that the best model for determining cost deviation is Manual/Jonson/ORR model, and the most validated models for predicting the risk of time, quality and scope of projects are Entropy/Genetic/ORR, Manual/Genetic/FOR and Entropy/Genetic/ORR models; all of which are more than 90% accurate

Research limitations/implications

It is essential to gather data of previous cases to design a validated expert system. Since data documentation in the field of software development projects is not complete enough, grey set theory (GST) and RST are combined to improve the validity of the rule model. The proposed expert system can be used for risk assessment of new banking software projects

Originality/value

The risk assessment of software developing projects based on RST is a new approach in the field of risk management. Furthermore, using the grey clustering for combining the condition attributes is a novel solution for improving the accuracy of the rule models.
Do negative events really have deteriorating effects on stock performance? A comparative study on Tesla (US) and Nio (China)
Authors: Lim Yi Xuan , Tan Consilz
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Both investors and the stock markets are believed to behave in a perfectly rational manner, where investors focus on utility maximization and are not subjected to cognitive biases or any information processing errors. However, it has been discovered that the sentiment of the social mood has a significant impact on the stock market. This study aims to analyze how did the protest event of Tesla happened in April 2021 have a significant effect on the company's stock performance as well as its competitors, Nio, under the competitive effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on time series data collected from Tesla and Nio by employing 10 days, 15 days and 20 days anticipation and adjustment period for the event study. This study employed a text sentiment analysis to identify the polarity of the sentiment of the protest event using the Microsoft Azure machine learning tool which utilizes MPQA subjective lexicon.

Findings

The findings provide further evidence to show that a company-specific negative event has deteriorating effects on its stock performance, while having an opposite effect on its competitors.

Research limitations/implications

The paper argues that negative sentiments through social media word of mouth (SWOM) affect the stock market not just in the short run but potentially in the longer run. Such negative sentiments might create a snowball effect which causes the market to further scrutinize a company's operations and possibly lose confidence in the company.

Originality/value

This study explores how the Tesla's protest event at Shanghai Auto Show 2021 has a significant impact on Tesla's stock performance and prolonged negative impact although Tesla implemented immediate remedial actions. The remedial actions were not accepted positively and induced a wave of negative news which had a more persistent effect.
How increased foreign competition motivates domestic firms to do good: an examination of foreign entry mode and domestic CSR response
Authors: Woo Hyun-Soo , Berns John , Mukherjee Kaushik , Kim Jisun
Published: December 2021

Purpose

We examine whether domestic firms react differently to foreign direct investment (FDI) entry modes –mergers and acquisitions (M&A) versus greenfield. Specifically, we ascertain whether the entry mode of foreign competition motivates different corporate social responsibility (CSR) responses from domestic firms and when such relationships hold.

Design/methodology/approach

We employ fixed-effects models using 1,331 US firm-year observations for 2015–2018. Furthermore, we examine the interactive effects of industry concentration to examine a key boundary condition.

Findings

Foreign entry via greenfield mode has no effect on domestic firm CSR. Entry through M&A has a significantly positive effect. We attribute these findings to the increased threat to domestic firms from foreign M&A whereas foreign entry through greenfield mode is less threatening as entrants face significantly more challenges in host countries. We identify industry concentration as a boundary condition of our findings. The effect of foreign M&A entries on domestic firms' CSR becomes weaker as industries are more concentrated.

Originality/value

This study offers novel insights on FDI by parsing out different reactions to entry mode by domestic firms. We add to our understanding of CSR as a mechanism to stave off foreign competition, offer insights into a key boundary condition of such actions and demonstrate the robustness of our findings.
COVID-19 vaccination in South Asia: a call for responsible leadership among SAARC countries
Authors: Haque Amlan , Islam Md Shamirul
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has presented an opportunity to set aside traditional regional collaborations and take responsible leadership to overcome difficult times. This paper aims to explore the current COVID-19 vaccination progress and pandemic status for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries and suggests responsible leadership to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and to think beyond.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper offers a viewpoint of the current COVID-19 vaccination among eight SAARC nations. It scrutinises the recent COVID-19 vaccination statistics for the eight South Asian countries based on Web-based analytics and comparative analysis until 28 August 2021.

Findings

This paper calls for collaborative decisions and responsible actions for policymakers in the SAARC countries to deal with the COVID-19 vaccination crisis. When South Asian countries are fraught with the increasing number of populations with COVID-19 cases, deaths and acute shortage of life-saving vaccines, it is time for their national and SAARC leaders to strengthen regional cooperations and initiate collaborative actions. The paper demonstrates that implementing responsible leadership can result in favourable outcomes for individuals, organisations, regions and the world. Moreover, this paper suggests SAARC, through responsible actions, has the potentiality to overcome the current crisis of COVID-19 vaccination and enhance the regional sustainability of the South Asian nations.

Originality/value

This paper delivers information about the present developing situation of COVID-19 vaccination in SAARC countries, how the governments and regional leadership are handling and future challenges that have been raised and can be overcome effectively. This paper can be helpful for the policymakers and SAARC leaders for effective public health interventions in the region and to develop a recovery roadmap for the sustainable economic zone.
Balanced scorecard usage and organizational effectiveness: evidence from manufacturing sector
Authors: Oyewo Babajide , Moses Olayinka , Erin Olayinka
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the drivers and impact of balanced scorecard (BSC) usage on organizational effectiveness in manufacturing companies. The objectives of the paper were to assess the organizational factors affecting the usage intensity of the BSC; the relative benefits of BSC determining its adoption speed; and the extent to which BSC usage enhances organizational effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a survey research design. Data collection was through a structured questionnaire administered on senior accounting/ finance personnel of 300 manufacturing companies that are members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Binary logistic regression analysis, discriminant analysis and structural equation modeling (maximum likelihood estimation method) were used to analyze survey data obtained from 104 BSC adopters.

Findings

Result shows that the three organizational factors affecting BSC usage intensity are affiliation to a foreign entity, availability of specialist skills and business strategy (strategic pattern). The strongest predictor is, however, the availability of specialist skills. The strongest determinants of the BSC adoption speed are the need for financial stability and the importance of customer feedbacks. The impact of BSC usage on organizational effectiveness is positive, statistically significant but weak. The inability of BSC usage to contribute appreciably to organizational effectiveness is attributable to the lack of integration among the performance measures in the BSC framework and the shallow usage rate of BSC.

Practical implications

Although it is commendable that financial stability and customer satisfaction strongly drive BSC adoption speed, the low rating recorded by other factors related to product development, employee development and process improvement suggests that the performance measures in the BSC framework are not used in an integrative manner. This also confirms that the BSC, like other innovative management accounting techniques, is applied at a rudimentary level by organizations in Nigeria.

Originality/value

The current study contributes to knowledge by exposing the organizational factors and relative benefits driving BSC adoption. It provides empirical evidence on why the BSC may not deliver the optimal benefit of improving organizational effectiveness despite its popularity and potential as an integrated performance measurement (IPM) apparatus that can add value to organizations. The paper adds to the scarce literature on IPM in developing countries. Drawing from the result that availability of specialist skills is the strongest predictor of BSC usage intensity, the practice of enmeshing the management accounting function with general accounting/finance should be discouraged.
CSR practices and creativity during COVID-19 pandemic in the emerging market: investigating the mediating effect of affective commitment
Authors: Mohammed Abdul Alem , Ferraris Alberto , Troise Ciro
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to explore how corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimensions (i.e. economic; legal; ethical; philanthropic) foster employee creativity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, an attempt is made to investigate the mediating role of affective commitment to explain the above linkage.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey data were collected from 167 employees in the emerging market of Saudi Arabia. The data was analysed using PLS-SEM for frequency, reliability, confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modelling.

Findings

The CSR dimensions, particularly the ethical and philanthropic dimensions, showed both direct and indirect effects on the creativity behaviour of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, affective commitment mediated the relationship between the legal, ethical and philanthropic CSR dimensions and creativity behaviour.

Originality/value

This study enriches previous CSR empirical research and adds to current literature focused on the determinants of CSR dimensions' effectiveness; particularly, the research is set in a challenging scenario characterized by the pandemic. So, this paper extends previous studies by investigating under which key conditions CSR dimensions are most effective, in particular in two main directions. First, it contributes to the CSR literature by determining how various CSR dimensions influence creativity behaviour during a pandemic. Pandemics are events that occur regularly, and the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, offers the opportunity to explore its effects on employees' behaviours in the current context. Second, the study's mediation findings contribute to new empirical evidence which suggests that affective commitment has a positive effect on the CSR dimensions of employee creativity behaviour during a pandemic in an emerging market.
Streak artefacts in Computed Tomography Urography: Comparative evaluation between two different iodinated contrast media
Authors: Pedote Pasquale , Cozzolino Monica , Nicolardi Martina , Accogli Rocco Umberto , Sardaro Angela , Scardapane Arnaldo , Stabile Ianora Amato Antonio
Published: December 2021

Introduction

The objective of this study was to compare the frequency and entity, in computed tomography (CT) urography, of streak artefacts on the urinary tract generated by two contrast agents with a different iodine concentration and osmolarity.

Methods

Computed tomography scans including an excretory renal phase, performed on adult subjects in the period May–July 2020, were retrospectively evaluated in consensus by three expert radiologists, to detect any streak artefacts located in the urinary tract. Patients were administered either 1.6 mL/kg of Iodixanol 320 mgI/mL or 1.3 mL/kg of Iomeprol 400 mgI/mL.

Results

In total, 144 CT scans were analysed, subdivided into two groups administered either Iodixanol (71/144 (49.3%) patients) or Iomeprol (73/144 (50.7%) patients). In 41% cases, no beam hardening artefacts were found; among these, 12/59 (20.3%) patients had received Iodixanol and 47/59 (79.7%) Iomeprol. In the Iodixanol group, the mean contrast density on the renal pelvis was 2565.6 HU and streak artefacts occurred in 59/71 cases (83.1%); in 33/59 (55.9%) cases, the artefacts were marked, and in 26/59 (44.1%) minimal. In the Iomeprol group, the mean contrast density on the renal pelvis was 1666 HU and streak artefacts occurred in 26/73 cases (35.6%); in 7/26 (27%) cases, the artefacts were marked and in 19/26 (73%) minimal.

Conclusion

The study data demonstrate a significant difference in the attenuation values of iodine urine in the excretory system between the Iodixanol and Iomeprol group. Iodixanol induced a higher frequency and burden of artefacts, compared to Iomeprol.
Argos: A toolkit for tracking multiple animals in complex visual environments
Authors: Ray Subhasis , Stopfer Mark A.
Published: December 2021

Automatically tracking the positions of multiple animals is often necessary for studying behaviours. This task involves multiple object tracking, a challenging problem in computer vision. Recent advances in machine learning applied to video analysis have been helpful for animal tracking. However, existing tools work well only in homogeneous environments with uniform illumination, features rarely found in natural settings. Moreover, available algorithms cannot effectively process discontinuities in animal motion such as sudden jumps, thus requiring laborious manual review.

Here we present Argos, a software toolkit for tracking multiple animals in inhomogeneous environments. Argos includes tools for compressing videos based on animal movement, for generating training sets for a convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect animals, for tracking multiple animals in a video and for facilitating review and correction of the tracks manually, with simple graphical user interfaces.

We demonstrate that Argos can help reduce the amount of video data to be stored and analysed, speed up analysis and allow analysing difficult and ambiguous conditions in a scene.

Thus, Argos supports multiple approaches to animal tracking suited for varying recording conditions and available computational resources. Together, these tools allow the recording and tracking of movements of multiple markerless animals in inhomogeneous environments over many hours.
The marginal gaps of lithium disilicate crowns constructed by different scanner and milling unit combinations
Authors: Su Sinclair , Dudley James
Published: December 2021

Background

The purpose of this study was to compare the marginal gaps of CAD/CAM lithium disilicate (LDS) crowns constructed using three different scanner and milling unit combinations.

Methods

Twenty‐four Columbia model lower left molars were prepared for LDS crowns by undergraduate students in a simulated environment. One LDS crown was constructed for each crown preparation using each of the following intraoral scanner/milling unit combinations: TRIOS 3 scanner/E4D milling unit (TRIO/E4DM); TRIOS 3 scanner/Sirona inLab MC X5 milling unit (TRIO/MCX5); E4D scanner/E4D milling unit (E4DS/E4DM). The crowns were seated onto the original crown preparations and three vertical marginal gap measurements taken at four locations (mid‐buccal, mid‐lingual, mid‐mesial and mid‐distal) using a stereomicroscope. The mean marginal gap (MMG) was calculated for each crown and each individual tooth surface.

Results

The TRIO/MCX5 scanner/milling unit combination produced the smallest MMG of 63.73 ± 47.38 μm followed by E4DS/E4DM (88.64 ± 106.51 μm) and TRIO/E4DM (107.41 ± 76.47 μm). There was a significant effect of milling unit (p < 0.0001) on MMG but no significant effect of scanner (p = 0.070) or location (p = 0.182).

Conclusions

The newer scanner/milling unit combination produced LDS crowns with the smallest MMG. All scanner/milling unit combinations produced LDS crowns within a clinically acceptable MMG.
Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the ventricular system and brain parenchyma in healthy dogs of different skull conformation on computed tomography scans
Authors: Doiche Danuta Pulz , Rahal Sheila Canevese , Silva Jeana Pereira da , Oliveira Flávia Augusta , Miqueleto Nélida Simone Martinez Landeira , Mamprim Maria Jaqueline , Vulcano Luiz Carlos
Published: December 2021

This study aimed to perform quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the lateral and third ventricles, and brain parenchyma, in healthy dogs of different skull conformations on CT scans. Forty‐five adult client‐owned dogs were divided into three groups according to skull conformation: G1 (dolichocephalic)—15 German Shepherds; G2 (mesaticephalic)—15 Rottweilers; G3 (brachycephalic)—15 Boxers. Transverse plane images were used for quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the lateral ventricles and third ventricle, and pre‐ and post‐contrast brain parenchyma. The height of both ventricles and brain was measured at the level of the interthalamic adhesion. Ventricle height, brain height, and ventricle/brain height ratio were statistically higher in G3 compared with G1 and G2 that were similar. The third ventricle was visible but unmeasurable in five dogs from G1 and three from G2. In G3, all dogs had third ventricle visible and measurable in all images. Asymmetric ventricles were seen in five dogs in Group 1 and Group 2, and seven in Group 3. Brain parenchyma had homogenous density in 80% of the dogs in all groups. Contrast enhancement of the rostral midline was visualized in all dogs. In conclusion, brain CT scans of healthy dogs showed that the qualitative data were similar among groups, but lateral ventricle and brain measurements in brachycephalic dogs differed from the dolichocephalic and mesaticephalic dogs.
COVID‐19 policy responses, mobility, and food prices
Authors: Dietrich Stephan , Giuffrida Valerio , Martorano Bruno , Schmerzeck Georg
Published: December 2021

Governments around the world have taken drastic measures to contain the spread of COVID‐19. Policy responses to the pandemic could affect local food prices in important ways. In this paper, we hypothesize that food prices in regionally integrated markets are more sensitive to mobility constraints than those in segmented markets. We use World Food Programme price data from 774 retail markets in 44 low and middle‐income countries to test whether and how food prices have been affected by the stringency of COVID‐19 containment measures. We assess market segmentation based on pre‐COVID‐19 price data and measure government responses using the Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker. Our results show that more stringent policy responses increase food prices for integrated markets but not for segmented markets. The impact of the stringency of policy responses on food prices seems to be mediated by reductions in mobility and moderated by the dependence of markets on trade before COVID‐19.
Substituted judgment for the never‐capacitated: Crossing Storar's bridge too far
Authors: Appel Jacob M.
Published: December 2021

Since several landmark legal decisions in the 1970s and 1980s, substituted judgment has become widely accepted as an approach to decision‐making for incapacitated patients that incorporates their autonomy and interests. Two notable exceptions have been cases involving minors and those involving cognitively or psychiatrically impaired individuals who never previously possessed the ability to contemplate the medical decisions involved in their care. While a best interest standard may have universal merit in pediatric cases, this paper argues that substituted judgement has been rejected too broadly for “never‐capacitated” patients. It then lays out a three‐condition test for using substituted judgment in these cases. For a subset of “never‐capacitated” patients who belong to distinctive religious or cultural communities with clear medical values and have an appropriate surrogate, these values may prove helpful in vindicating the interests of the never‐capacitated and should not be blanketly dismissed.