bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of social media agility on performance of small and medium enterprises: moderating roles of firm size and environmental dynamism
Authors: Onngam Worachet , Charoensukmongkol Peerayuth
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Despite the increasing numbers of research studies about social media business, the concept of social media agility is still an emerging topic that has been understudied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of social media agility on business performance by using a sample of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. Moreover, this study explored whether the effect of social media agility on business performance could be moderated by the characteristic of firm in terms of size, as well as the characteristic of market environment in terms of environmental dynamism.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample of 337 firms was obtained from the business directory using the simple random sampling method, and the model assessment was performed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The data analysis indicated that social media agility positively affected the business performance of SMEs. Moreover, the moderating effect analysis showed that smaller firms tended to gain higher business performance from social media agility than larger firms. In addition, social media agility positively affected business performance to a greater extent when firms operated under low environmental dynamism than when they operated under high environmental dynamism.

Practical implications

Because SMEs are the key driving of economic development and economic growth, the recommendations from this study could be helpful for the government sector responsible for the competency development of SMEs to offer a development program that might enable entrepreneurial firms to develop social media marketing competencies and enhance their potential to be successful in the digital transformation.

Originality/value

The authors found new evidence showing that the degree to which social media agility affected business performance depended significantly on the firm characteristics in terms of firm size, as well as the environmental factor in terms of environmental dynamism. These findings provide valuable contributions to the existing literature that still lacks evidence about the moderating conditions that could increase or reduce the benefits that firms obtain from social media agility.
Does restaurant innovativeness influence customer advocacy? The roles of self-image congruity and customer engagement
Authors: Teng Hsiu-Yu , Chen Chien-Yu , Han Tien-Cheng
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Studies have explored the determinants of customer advocacy because of customer advocacy's vital role in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing. The current research complements the existing literature in the hospitality field by examining the association between restaurant innovativeness and customer advocacy while also investigating the mediating roles of self-image congruity and customer engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

The statistical software AMOS version 25 and bootstrapping were employed to test the hypotheses. Purposive sampling was employed for participant recruitment, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were collected from Taiwanese customers who had dined at selected restaurants.

Findings

The results from 385 restaurant customers reported that self-image congruity had an indirect impact on customer advocacy through customer engagement. Customer advocacy was influenced by restaurant innovativeness through the mediation of customer engagement. The influence of restaurant innovativeness on customer advocacy was positively and sequentially mediated by self-image congruity and customer engagement.

Practical implications

Restaurant innovativeness is linked to customer advocacy through self-image congruity and customer engagement. Thus, restaurant managers should implement strategies focusing on innovativeness to improve self-image congruity and engagement among customers.

Originality/value

The current research may be the first to provide a research model that explores restaurant innovativeness, self-image congruity, customer engagement and customer advocacy in the hospitality context. This study also has practical implications for enhancing customer advocacy.
The effects of inoculation and narrative messages on texting and driving among college students
Authors: Geegan Sarah A. , Ivanov Bobi , Parker Kimberly A. , Rains Stephen A. , Banas John A.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Research is needed regarding how to influence young adults’ patterns of cell phone use while driving, amid social pressures to stay connected to their peers. Such insight could form the basis of a social marketing campaign. This study aims to explore the potential of inoculation and narrative messages as strategies to protect (i.e. generate resistance against) negative attitudes toward texting and driving.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a three-phase experiment, the investigation explored the impact of different communication message strategies (i.e. inoculation, narrative, control) aimed at reducing texting while driving.

Findings

Results indicated that, for college students exposed to messages in support of texting and driving, inoculation messages were superior to both narrative and control messages. These findings can guide the development of strategic social marketing interventions.

Practical implications

Social marketing scholars and practitioners should consider weaving inoculation messages throughout social marketing campaigns focused on this important issue.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate and compare inoculation and narrative strategies in the context of texting and driving.
Analysis of incentive mechanism and contractor behaviours under informatisation construction in megaprojects
Authors: Wang Yuying , Zhou Guohua
Published: August 2023

Purpose

As the complexity and uncertainty of megaprojects make it difficult for traditional management models to address the difficulties, this paper aims to design a performance incentive contract through IT applications, thereby promoting the formation of an information-based governance mechanism for megaprojects and facilitating the transformation and upgrading of the construction management model of megaprojects to informatisation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduced IT applications into the performance assessment and used the proportion of IT applications replacing traditional manual management as a variable. It analysed different replacement ratios to obtain the optimal solution for the change of contractors behaviours and promote the optimal performance incentive for the informatisation in megaprojects.

Findings

The results show that under the condition of the optimal replacement ratio, achieving the optimal state of a mutual win-win situation is possible for the benefit of both sides. The counter-intuitive finding is that the greater the replacement ratio is not, the better, but those other constraints are also taken into account.

Originality/value

This study enriched the research of the performance configuration incentive from a practical perspective. It extended the research framework of IT incentive mechanisms in the governance of megaprojects from a management theory perspective. It clarified the role of IT applications in incentive mechanisms and the design process of optimal incentive contracts under different performance incentive states. The incentives made the contractors work harder to meet the owner's requirements, and it could improve the efficiency of megaprojects, thus better achieving megaproject objectives.
Does servant leadership affect organisational citizenship behaviour? Mediating role of affective commitment and moderating role of role identity of young volunteers in non-profit organisations
Authors: Ngah Nor Syamaliah , Abdullah Nor Liza , Mohd Suki Norazah , Kasim Mohd Ariff
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study examines the relationships between servant leadership and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) of young volunteers in non-profit organisations (NPOs) and investigates the mediating role of affective commitment and the moderating role of role identity in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 400 young volunteers from NPOs in Malaysia. Data were analysed using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach.

Findings

The results reveal that affective commitment significantly mediates the relationship between servant leadership and OCB of young volunteers in NPOs. The role of identity was found to moderate the relationship between servant leadership and affective commitment of young volunteers in NPOs.

Research limitations/implications

This study utilised servant leadership theory and examined the direct effect between servant leadership and OCB of young volunteers in NPOs, the mediating effect of affective commitment, and the moderating effect of role identity in this relationship simultaneously within a unified research framework.

Practical implications

NPOs should recruit more servant leaders and provide effective volunteer training and leadership development to current leaders to increase affective commitment and develop better service behaviours in dealing with volunteers.

Originality/value

This study is unique in that it highlights the partially mediated effects of affective commitment on the relationships between servant leadership and OCB of young volunteers in NPOs, as well as the fact that role identity significantly moderates the relationship between servant leadership and affective commitment of young volunteers in NPOs.
Blockchain technology-based crypto assets: new insights into the evolution of the understanding of digital entrepreneurship
Authors: Ulrich Klaus , Guaita Martínez José Manuel , Carracedo Patricia , Soriano Domingo Ribeiro
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The study aims to shed light on the concepts most addressed in scientific research, which blockchain topics are of most interest, how relevant are these tools for academia, and how relevant are they?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have developed a bibliometric study of scientific publications on blockchain made since 2016. For the analysis, the VOSViewer software version 1.6.19 has been used, which allows a statistical analysis of scientific publications on the subject.

Findings

The study manifest the relevance of Initial Coin Offering, growth of research interest in this field and the relevance of blockchain technology in the development of entrepreneurial projects.

Originality/value

This study provides a complete and updated picture of the scientific research on blockchain for the subsequent transfer of knowledge to the business world.
Does Islamic corporate governance prevent bankruptcy in Islamic banks? Implications for economic sustainability
Authors: Jan Ahmad Ali , Lai Fong-Woon , Shah Syed Quaid Ali , Tahir Muhammad , Hassan Rohail , Shad Muhammad Kashif
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Sustainability is essential to the ongoing operations of banks, though it is much less clear how Islamic corporate governance (ICG) promotes economic sustainability (ES) and thereby prevents bankruptcy. To explore the unexplored, this study aims to examine the efficacy of ICG in preventing bankruptcy and enhancing the ES of Islamic banks operating in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study measures ES through Altman's Z-score to analyze the level of the industry's stability and consequently examines the effect of ICG on the ES of Islamic banks in Pakistan for the post-financial-crises period. Using the country-level data, this study utilized a fixed-effect model and two-stage least squares (2SLS) techniques on balanced panel data spanning from 2009 to 2020 to provide empirical evidence.

Findings

The empirical results unveiled that board size and meetings have a significant positive influence on the ES while managerial ownership demonstrated an unfavorable effect on ES. Interestingly, the insignificant effect of women directors became significant with the inclusion of controlled variables. Overall, the findings indicate that ICG is an efficient tool for promoting ES in Islamic banks and preventing them from the negative effects of emerging crises.

Practical implications

The findings provide concrete insights for policymakers, regulators and other concerned stakeholders to execute a sturdy corporate governance system that not only oversees the economic, social and ethical aspects but also provides measures to alleviate the impacts of potential risks like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social implications

Examining the role of ICG in alleviating bankruptcy risk is an informative and useful endeavor for all social actors.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first efforts to provide evidence-based insights on the role of ICG in preventing bankruptcy and offers a potential research direction for ES.
Board of directors and financial performance: the role of risk management in Palestinian-listed companies
Authors: Musallam Sami R.M.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of the board of directors on financial performance, either directly or indirectly through the existence of risk management after the issuance of the Palestinian Code on Corporate Governance (PCCG) in Palestine.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents an empirical investigation of 31 nonfinancial Palestinian-listed companies from 2010 to 2016. This study utilizes the structural equation modeling (SEM) model.

Findings

The results of the SEM model find that there is a significant positive effect of the existence of risk management and the tenure-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on financial performance. However, CEO duality has a significant negative effect on financial performance. The results also find that the effect of CEO duality and board size are significantly positive on financial performance through the existence of risk management.

Research limitations/implications

This study adds to the existing literature by investigating the effect of the board of directors on financial performance, either directly or indirectly through the existence of risk management in Palestine as one of the youngest stock exchanges in the region that assists in testing the validity of agency theory in a young and small emerging Islamic market context.

Practical implications

The results of this paper are significant to shareholders and managers of companies to make proper choices in order to secure the interests of stakeholders and increase the flow of capital and foreign investment.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is one of the first papers to investigate the effect of the board of directors and financial performance, either directly or indirectly through the existence of risk management in Palestine.
Introversion-extraversion and online course satisfaction
Authors: Hayat Tsahi , Samuel-Azran Tal , Goldberg Shira , Amichai-Hamburger Yair
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic forced universities to hastily transition to eLearning on a mass scale, necessitating the identification of populations who are more challenged by the transition. This study aims to identify how students’ level of introversion/extraversion and digital literacy come to play in their satisfaction with the eLearning environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis examined 272 Israeli students who moved from a face-to-face learning environment to a Zoom learning environment between March–July 2020, following the outbreak of the pandemic. All the participants completed two rounds of surveys, and 62 of the 272 participants were then interviewed, and their social network was mapped using a sociogram.

Findings

Findings indicated that, in accordance with the “poor get richer” hypothesis, introverts expressed more satisfaction from the transition to the video-conferencing Zoom platform than extraverts. In addition, for highly introverted people, high digital literacy was significantly associated with increased course satisfaction, whereas for highly extraverted people, a high number of social ties with peers from the course was associated with course satisfaction.

Originality/value

As expected, the study’s findings shows that there is no “one size fits all” approach for online learning. Learners with different personalities can benefit from learning environments that foster greater satisfaction with the learning experience. Online platforms can, and should, be designed in a way that offers this needed personalization, and this study provides initial principles that can inform such personalization.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-01-2023-0028
Framework for using online social networks for sustainability awareness
Authors: Chalmeta Ricardo , Barbeito-Caamaño Adriana M.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to contribute to the field of computer systems for sustainability research. It proposes a framework for sustainability awareness using online social networks (OSNs) by analyzing major research streams of the current state of knowledge and different bibliometric variables, and identifies a future research agenda in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) methodology, content analysis and bibliometric tools were employed to identify, select, collect, synthesize, analyze and evaluate all research published on sustainability awareness using OSNs to provide complete insight into this research area.

Findings

This study proposed a framework comprising four categories for sustainability awareness using OSNs. These four categories are: the key factors to success, analysis of existing tools, proposal of new methods, approaches and theoretical frameworks, and case examples. In addition, this study synthesized the future research challenges for each category of the proposed framework.

Originality/value

Fostering sustainability awareness and sustainable behavior using OSNs is a growing area of research that seeks cultural change in society to achieve sustainable development. Through OSNs, people can discover and become aware of the consequences of unsustainable practices and habits in society, and learn how to develop sustainable behavior.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR
Does gamification affect knowledge-sharing behavior? The mediating role of intrinsic satisfaction needs
Authors: Cai Yang , Li Xiujun , Shi Wendian
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study employed self-determination theory (SDT) and the “Motivational affordance–Psychological outcomes–Behavioral outcomes” framework to investigate the relationship between gamification features and knowledge-sharing behavior in online communities.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical model was tested with 281 Chinese users from an online social question and answer (Q&A) community. Partial least square structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data.

Findings

The empirical results revealed that competence mediated the effects of immersion and achievement-related gamification features on knowledge sharing. Moreover, relatedness mediated the effects of immersion, achievement and social-related gamification features on knowledge sharing.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted on a Chinese Q&A platform, and the results may not be generalizable to other cultures or service providers with different goals.

Practical implications

The study's findings indicate that gamification could serve as an effective toolkit for incentivizing and promoting knowledge sharing in online communities. The findings thus provide strategic insights for administrators of online communities seeking to leverage gamification designs to encourage user participation in knowledge-sharing activities.

Originality/value

Research on the role of gamification in promoting knowledge sharing has been limited in scope and has focused on tourism comment communities. Little evidence exists on the effect of gamification within social Q&A communities. Further, the finding of gamification's positive role in motivating knowledge sharing indicates the need for the knowledge-sharing field to focus on contextual factors.
An unusual case of a triple suicide pact at the time of the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Raddi Silvia , Tarozzi Ilaria , Cecchetti Matteo , Chericoni Silvio , Franceschetti Lorenzo , Bugelli Valentina
Published: August 2023

In December 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared SARS‐CoV2 a global pandemic. Home confinement, low social contacts, and fear of virus transmission played a major role as risk factors for suicides during the following period. Suicide pacts, in particular, showed a different pattern. A rare case of a triple suicide pact among members of the same family nucleus is presented. The victims were an elderly, severely ill woman and her adult children (a son and daughter), linked by a morbid relationship. The last time the family was seen alive was 40 days before the discovery. All corpses presented decompositional changes. After a full autopsy, the cause of death was determined to be a lethal intake of morphine for the mother and acute blood loss due to self‐stabbing at the neck for the siblings. The younger woman was under the effects of a large amount of heparin. Toxicological analysis was positive for opioids and alcohol in both siblings. Suicide pacts have rarely been described during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In the few cases reported, the victims were more often relatives than people in a romantic relationship. The involvement of three people is unusual, as is the use of different suicide methods among the victims. In the presented case, the elderly mother's imminent death from terminal cancer, her concern over dying in a nondomestic environment, and the siblings' fear of being alone likely led to the conception of the suicide pact. Social isolation and economic difficulties also played a contributing role.
ELF1/PRR11/ARP2/3 promoted trophoblast cells proliferation and motility in early pregnancy
Authors: Zhu Pengfei , Dou Chengli , Song Zhijiao , Bi Xingyu , Wu Xueqing , Miao Yiliang
Published: August 2023

Background/objective

Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is a common adverse pregnancy outcome with an incidence of approximately 10–30%. There are many factors that cause EPL, among which the lack of proliferation and invasive properties of trophoblast cells can lead to embryonic development. Therefore, in this study, the molecular biology of trophoblast cells was investigated.

Methods

Placental villous tissues from EPL patients were collected to explore ELF1 and PRR11 gene expression. The proliferation and migration of trophoblast cells were assessed by MTT, crystalline violet staining, and traswell assays, respectively. Western blotting and RT‐qPCR were performed to investigate the relationship between ELF1, PRR11, and ARP2/3. F‐actin polymerization and FAK activation were evaluated by immunofluorescence and western blotting. Ultimately, ELF1/PRR11/ARP2/3 expression was verified in the EPL mice model

Results

ELF1 and PRR11 were lowly expressed in placental villous tissues from EPL. The overexpression of ELF1 and PRR11 promoted proliferation and migration of trophoblast cells. Moreover, while ELF1 bound to the PRR11 promoter and promoted transcriptional activation. Finally, ELF1/PRR11/ARP2/3 showed low expression in the placental tissue of EPL mice.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that PRR11 promoted the motility of trophoblast cells by binding to the ARP2/3 complex to promote F‐actin polymerization and FAK activation. In addition, ELF1 bound to the initiation site of PRR11 to promote its transcription. ELF1/PRR11/ARP2/3 may play an important role in EPL.
Editorial: Social determinants of health in steatotic liver disease—Generating community‐level data to maximise community impact
Authors: Duarte Maria J. , Rubin Jessica B.
Published: August 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Chen et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17631
Adjuvant pharmacological strategies for the musculoskeletal system during long‐term space missions
Authors: Thomasius Friederike , Pesta Dominik , Rittweger Jörn
Published: August 2023

Despite 2 h of daily exercise training, muscle wasting and bone loss are still present after 6‐month missions to the international space station. Some crew members lose bone much faster than others. In preparation for missions to the Moon and Mars, space agencies are therefore reviewing their countermeasure portfolios. Here, we discuss the potential of current pharmacological strategies. Bone loss in space is fuelled by bone resorption. Alendronate, an oral bisphosphonate, reduced bone losses in experimental bed rest and space. However, gastrointestinal side effects precluded its further utilization in space. Zoledronate (a potent bisphosphonate), denosumab (RANKL antagonist) and romosozumab (sclerostin antagonist) are all administered via injection. They effectively suppress bone resorption and are routinely prescribed against osteoporosis. Their serious adverse effects, namely, osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femur fractures occur very rarely when the usage is limited to 1 or 2 years. Hence, utilization of one of these compounds may outweigh the bone risks of space travelling, in particular in those with high bone resorption rates. Muscle wasting in space is likely due to hampered muscle protein synthesis. Even though this might theoretically be countered by the synthesis‐boosting effects of anabolic steroids, the practical grounds for such recommendation are currently weak. Moreover, they reveal their full potential only when combined with an anabolic exercise stimulus, for example, via strength training. It therefore seems that a combination of exercise and pharmacological countermeasures should be considered for musculoskeletal health on the way to the Moon and Mars and back.
A Proportional Incidence Rate Model for Aggregated Data to Study the Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19 Hospital and ICU Admissions
Authors: Yan Ping , Mullah Muhammad Abu Shadeque , Tuite Ashleigh
Published: August 2023

We develop a proportional incidence model that estimates vaccine effectiveness (VE) at the population level using conditional likelihood for aggregated data. Our model assumes that the population counts of clinical outcomes for an infectious disease arise from a superposition of Poisson processes with different vaccination statuses. The intensity function in the model is calculated as the product of per capita incidence rate and the at-risk population size, both of which are time-dependent. We formulate a log-linear regression model with respect to the relative risk, defined as the ratio between the per capita incidence rates of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. In the regression analysis, we treat the baseline incidence rate as a nuisance parameter, similar to the Cox proportional hazard model in survival analysis. We then apply the proposed models and methods to age-stratified weekly counts of COVID-19–related hospital and ICU admissions among adults in Ontario, Canada. The data spanned from 2021 to February 2022, encompassing the Omicron era and the rollout of booster vaccine doses. We also discuss the limitations and confounding effects while advocating for the necessity of more comprehensive and up-to-date individual-level data that document the clinical outcomes and measure potential confounders.
Update on the role of T cells in cognitive impairment
Authors: Ruiz‐Fernández Ignacio , Sánchez‐Díaz Raquel , Ortega‐Sollero Enrique , Martín Pilar
Published: August 2023

The central nervous system (CNS) has long been considered an immune‐privileged site, with minimal interaction between immune cells, particularly of the adaptive immune system. Previously, the presence of immune cells in this organ was primarily linked to events involving disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) or inflammation. However, current research has shown that immune cells are found patrolling CNS under homeostatic conditions. Specifically, T cells of the adaptive immune system are able to cross the BBB and are associated with ageing and cognitive impairment. In addition, T‐cell infiltration has been observed in pathological conditions, where inflammation correlates with poor prognosis. Despite ongoing research, the role of this population in the ageing brain under both physiological and pathological conditions is not yet fully understood. In this review, we provide an overview of the interactions between T cells and other immune and CNS parenchymal cells, and examine the molecular mechanisms by which these interactions may contribute to normal brain function and the scenarios in which disruption of these connections lead to cognitive impairment. A comprehensive understanding of the role of T cells in the ageing brain and the underlying molecular pathways under normal conditions could pave the way for new research to better understand brain disorders.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue From Alzheimer's Disease to Vascular Dementia: Different Roads Leading to Cognitive Decline. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.6/issuetoc
MicroRNA‐326 negatively regulates CD155 expression in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Nakanishi Takayuki , Yoneshima Yasuto , Okamura Koji , Yanagihara Toyoshi , Hashisako Mikiko , Iwasaki Takeshi , Haratake Naoki , Mizusaki Shun , Ota Keiichi , Iwama Eiji , Takenaka Tomoyoshi , Tanaka Kentaro , Yoshizumi Tomoharu , Oda Yoshinao , Okamoto Isamu
Published: August 2023

Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors induces a durable response in some patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer, but eventually gives rise to drug resistance. Upregulation of CD155 expression is implicated as one mechanism of resistance to programmed death receptor‐1 (PD‐1)/PD‐1 ligand (PD‐L1) inhibitors, and it is therefore important to characterize the mechanisms underlying regulation of CD155 expression in tumor cells. The aim of this study was to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) that might regulate CD155 expression at the posttranscriptional level in lung cancer. Comprehensive miRNA screening with target prediction programs and a dual‐luciferase reporter assay identified miR‐346, miR‐328‐3p, miR‐326, and miR‐330‐5p as miRNAs that bind to the 3′‐UTR of CD155 mRNA. Forced expression of these miRNAs suppressed CD155 expression in lung cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemical staining of CD155 in tissue specimens from 57 patients with lung adenocarcinoma revealed the median tumor proportion score for CD155 to be 68%. The abundance of miR‐326 in these specimens with a low level of CD155 expression was significantly greater than in specimens with a high level (p < 0.005). Our results thus suggest that miR‐326 negatively regulates CD155 expression in lung adenocarcinoma and might therefore play a role in the development of resistance to PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors.
Effects of doxofylline as an adjuvant on severe exacerbation and long‐term prognosis for COPD with different clinical subtypes
Authors: Chen Mei‐Feng , He Wei , Huang De‐Sheng , Jia Hui , Zhong Zhao‐Shuang , Li Nan , Li Shan‐Shan , Xia Shu‐Yue
Published: August 2023

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of doxofylline as an adjuvant in reducing severe exacerbation for different clinical subtypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

The clinical trial was an open‐label non‐randomized clinical trial that enrolled patients with COPD. The patients were divided into two groups (doxofylline group[DG] and non‐doxofylline group[NDG]) according to whether the adjuvant was used. Based on the proportion of inflammatory cells present, the patients were divided into neutrophilic, eosinophilic, and mixed granulocytic subtypes. The rates of severe acute exacerbation, use of glucocorticoids, and clinical symptoms were followed up in the first month, the third month, and the sixth month after discharge.

Results

A total of 155 participants were included in the study. The average age of the participants was 71.2  ±  10.1 years, 52.3% of the patients were male, and 29.7% of the participants had extremely severe cases of COPD. In the third month after discharge the numbers of patients exhibiting severe exacerbation among the neutrophilic subtype were 5 (6.6%) in the DG versus 17 (22.4%) in the NDG (incidence rate ratio[IRR] = 0.4 [95% CI: 0.2–0.9] P = 0.024). In the sixth month after discharge, the numbers were 3 (3.9%) versus 13 (17.1%; IRR = 0.3 [95%; CI: 0.1–0.9], P = 0.045), and those for the eosinophilic subtype were 0 (0.0%) versus 4 (14.8%), P = 0.02. In the eosinophilic subtype, the results for forced expiratory volume in the first second and maximal mid‐expiratory flow were significantly higher in the DG. The mean neutrophil and eosinophil levels were significantly lower than in the NDG among the neutrophilic subtype, and the neutrophil percentage was lower than in the NDG among the eosinophilic subtype. At the six‐month follow‐up, the dose adjustment rates of the neutrophilic and eosinophilic subtypes showed a significant difference (P< 0.05).

Conclusions

As an adjuvant drug, doxofylline has a good therapeutic effect on patients with the neutrophilic and eosinophilic clinical subtypes of COPD. It can reduce the incidence of severe exacerbation, the use of glucocorticoids, and inflammatory reactions in the long term (when used for a minimum of 3 months).
Analysing ecological dynamics with relational event models: The case of biological invasions
Authors: Juozaitienė Rūta , Seebens Hanno , Latombe Guillaume , Essl Franz , Wit Ernst C.
Published: August 2023

Aims

Spatio‐temporal processes play a key role in ecology, from genes to large‐scale macroecological and biogeographical processes. Existing methods studying such spatio‐temporally structured data either simplify the dynamic structure or the complex interactions of ecological drivers. The aim of this paper is to present a generic method for ecological research that allows analysing spatio‐temporal patterns of biological processes at large spatial scales by including the time‐varying variables that drive these dynamics.

Location

Global analysis at the level of 272 regions.

Methods

We introduce a method called relational event modelling (REM). REM relies on temporal interaction dynamics that encode sequences of relational events connecting a sender node to a recipient node at a specific point in time. We apply REM to the spread of alien species around the globe between 1880 and 2005, following accidental or deliberate introductions into geographical regions outside of their native range. In this context, a relational event represents the new occurrence of an alien species given its former distribution.

Results

The application of relational event models to the first reported invasions of 4835 established alien species outside of their native ranges from four major taxonomic groups enables us to unravel the main drivers of the dynamics of the spread of invasive alien species. Combining the alien species first records data with other spatio‐temporal information enables us to discover which factors have been responsible for the spread of species across the globe. Besides the usual drivers of species invasions, such as trade, land use and climatic conditions, we also find evidence for species‐interconnectedness in alien species spread.

Conclusions

Relational event models offer the capacity to account for the temporal sequences of ecological events such as biological invasions and to investigate how relationships between these events and potential drivers change over time.
Incidence of cardiovascular and bleeding events and reasons for discontinuation in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with ibrutinib—A retrospective analysis on consecutive patients from a well‐defined region
Authors: Andersson Maria L. , Johansson Hemming , Österborg Anders , Månsson‐Broberg Agneta , Hansson Lotta , Palma Marzia
Published: August 2023

Objective

Ibrutinib treatment is associated with cardiovascular side effects, in particular atrial fibrillation (AF) and hypertension, as well as increased risk of bleeding. Here, we aimed at describing the incidence of these events during long‐term follow‐up in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated outside clinical trials as well as identifying clinical factors predictive of developing AF. Additionally, other reasons for treatment withdrawal were analyzed.

Methods

The study was retrospective, data were collected from medical records.

Results

A total of 134 patients were identified. Median follow‐up was 32 months (range 3–103) and median duration of ibrutinib treatment was 26 months (range 1–103). Of 110 patients with no prior history of AF, 24.5% were diagnosed during treatment. Newly diagnosed or worsening of pre‐existing hypertension occurred in 15.7%. Sixty‐six % of the patients experienced bleeding events, of which 7.5% grade 3–4. Treatment discontinuation and dose reduction occurred in 68% and 47% of the patients, respectively, mostly due to toxicity.

Conclusions

The incidence of AF was high and at a median follow‐up of 2.5 years, two‐thirds of the patients discontinued treatment mostly due to bleeding and infections. Treatment‐related toxicity of any grade should be regarded as a concern of prolonged ibrutinib therapy.
Healthy ageing and cognitive impairment alter EEG functional connectivity in distinct frequency bands
Authors: Kumar Wupadrasta Santosh , Ray Supratim
Published: August 2023

Functional connectivity (FC) indicates the interdependencies between brain signals recorded from spatially distinct locations in different frequency bands, which is modulated by cognitive tasks and is known to change with ageing and cognitive disorders. Recently, the power of narrow‐band gamma oscillations induced by visual gratings have been shown to reduce with both healthy ageing and in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the impact of ageing/MCI on stimulus‐induced gamma FC has not been well studied. We recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) from a large cohort (N = 229) of elderly subjects (>49 years) while they viewed large cartesian gratings to induce gamma oscillations and studied changes in alpha and gamma FC with healthy ageing (N = 218) and MCI (N = 11). Surprisingly, we found distinct differences across age and MCI groups in power and FC. With healthy ageing, alpha power did not change but FC decreased significantly. MCI reduced gamma but not alpha FC significantly compared with age and gender matched controls, even when power was matched between the two groups. Overall, our results suggest distinct effects of ageing and disease on EEG power and FC, suggesting different mechanisms underlying ageing and cognitive disorders.
Exploitation shifted trophic ecology and habitat preferences of Mediterranean and Black Sea bluefin tuna over centuries
Authors: Andrews Adam J. , Pampoulie Christophe , Di Natale Antonio , Addis Piero , Bernal‐Casasola Darío , Aniceti Veronica , Carenti Gabriele , Gómez‐Fernández Verónica , Chosson Valerie , Ughi Alice , Von Tersch Matt , Fontanals‐Coll Maria , Cilli Elisabetta , Onar Vedat , Tinti Fausto , Alexander Michelle
Published: August 2023

During recent decades, the health of ocean ecosystems and fish populations has been threatened by overexploitation, pollution and anthropogenic‐driven climate change. Due to a lack of long‐term ecological data, we have a poor grasp of the true impact on the diet and habitat use of fishes. This information is vital if we are to recover depleted fish populations and predict their future dynamics. Here, we trace the long‐term diet and habitat use of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT), Thunnus thynnus, a species that has had one of the longest and most intense exploitation histories, owing to its tremendous cultural and economic importance. Using carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotope analyses of modern and ancient BFT including 98 archaeological and archival bones from 11 Mediterranean locations ca. 1st century to 1941 CE, we infer a shift to increased pelagic foraging around the 16th century in Mediterranean BFT. This likely reflects the early anthropogenic exploitation of inshore coastal ecosystems, as attested by historical literature sources. Further, we reveal that BFT which migrated to the Black Sea–and that disappeared during a period of intense exploitation and ecosystem changes in the 1980s–represented a unique component, isotopically distinct from BFT of NE Atlantic and Mediterranean locations. These data suggest that anthropogenic activities had the ability to alter the diet and habitat use of fishes in conditions prior to those of recent decades. Consequently, long‐term data provide novel perspectives on when marine ecosystem modification began and the responses of marine populations, with which to guide conservation policy.
Sociolinguistic awareness in L2 Arabic: A study of learners' code use repertoires
Authors: Nassif Lama , Shapiro Shawna
Published: August 2023

Code use, including codeswitching and/or style‐shifting, is an important but undertaught aspect of L2 sociolinguistic competence, and an important aspect of L2 learners' translanguaging repertoires. This study examines code use in Arabic—a diglossic language with distinct social uses for the prestige variety (Modern Standard Arabic, MSA) and Colloquial Arabic (CA). The study involved 10 participants who were third‐year, L2 learners of Arabic in a multidialectal program, and focused on the questions: (1) What types of metasociolinguistic awareness are evident among advanced learners of Arabic who have had multidialectal training? (2) To what extent is this awareness reflected in their productions? Data collection included a language learning history survey, spoken and written productions in Arabic, and an English interview. Findings show that participants had a complex awareness of MSA‐CA use that could be further expanded through instruction, suggesting that the trajectory of sociolinguistic competence development is complex, nonlinear, and influenced by instructional, social, and idiolectal factors. This study has important scholarly and pedagogical implications, and is linked to the rapidly growing body of scholarship on translanguaging practices and pedagogies.
Optimisation of LA‐ICP‐MS/MS Rb‐Sr Dating of Micas with Non‐Matrix‐Matched Reference Materials
Authors: Huang Shiqiang , Chang Zhaoshan , Liu Kairan , Garbe‐Schönberg Dieter
Published: August 2023

The recent development of LA‐ICP‐MS/MS techniques enables in situ Rb‐Sr dating of micas, but there is not yet a matrix‐matched reference material (RM). In this contribution we optimised laser conditions and developed a new data reduction approach for Rb‐Sr dating of micas with non‐matrix‐matched RMs Mica‐Mg‐NP and NIST SRM 612. This was achieved by systematically investigating the effects of laser ablation settings, data reduction methods and the selection of the RMs on the Rb‐Sr dating quality of a 306 ± 1 Ma hydrothermal muscovite. We then tested this approach using twelve mica samples with known ages from 306 to 1.4 Ma. The results show that this technique can achieve accuracy of 2.5% or better, and precision of ~1–3% for micas > 15 Ma. The dating accuracy (> 9%) and precision (> 21%) decrease for micas younger than 5 Ma due to the short radiogenic accumulation time. This technique provides a way to date many types of mineral deposits and rocks, with a relatively high spatial resolution (down to 38 μm), a fast turnaround time and a higher closure temperature for muscovite than the Ar‐Ar system, which makes it a powerful tool in geochronological studies.
Women of the revolution and a politics of care: A gendered intersectional approach on an initiative to address socioenvironmental problems in a marginalized community in southern Brazil
Authors: Guimarães Reynaldo Renata , Pope Kamila , Borba Juliano , Sieber Stefan , Bonatti Michelle
Published: August 2023

The Buckets Revolution is a local non‐governmental organization arisen from an initiative implemented in a favela, a marginalized community in the South of Brazil, led and conducted by its women to resist their condition of intersected subordinations and address the socioenvironmental problems caused by the lack of public care. Based on the understanding that women of the Buckets Revolution developed a particular politics of care, this study investigates the configuration of the complex relations between their political practice and the responsibility for care—understood as a core element of women's intersected subordination, and simultaneously, a central value for a new and revolutionary politics of care. From a qualitative approach, the case study is based on an intersectional feminist theoretical framework, epistemology, and methodological design, necessary for the analysis of gender in the South, where its imbrications with race, class, and nation compose a complex, diverse, and unequal scenario. In that sense, the women of the Buckets Revolution, by occupying a social place where these axes of subordination intersect more intensely, offer a “vantage point” to make more visible the processes of domination and resistance on both national and global levels—that is, both in Brazilian society and in an otherwise increasingly interdependent world shaped by neoliberal globalization. The gendered intersectional outline is conducted through the combination of data collection techniques, including participant observation, focus group discussions, semi‐structured interviews, and bibliographical research. The results show that, with their revolutionary politics of care, the women of the Buckets Revolution built a contextualized, horizontal, and bottom‐up care‐based counter‐hegemonic alternative to address the socioenvironmental problems that resulted from intersected subordinations in the Brazilian context, and more broadly, in the contemporary neoliberal global order.
Efficacy and safety of vonoprazan‐based dual therapy and esomeprazole‐based dual therapy in eradicating primary Helicobacter pylori infection: A propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Su Na‐Yun , Shi Qing , Mei Hao , Hu Jie , Liu Yu‐Xiang , Liu Han‐Ning , Liu Heng‐Qi , Guo Yan , Wang Xing‐wei , Lan Chun‐Hui
Published: August 2023

Background

According to the Maastricht VI/Florence consensus report, potassium‐competitive acid blockers (P‐CAB) may improve Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment.

Materials and methods

A total of 213 H. pylori treatment‐naive patients aged between 18 and 70 years were treated with two regimens. The two regimens are VDT: 20 mg vonoprazan twice a day and 1 g amoxicillin three times daily and EDT: 20 mg esomeprazole four times a day and 750 mg amoxicillin four times daily. 13C‐urea breath tests were used to evaluate eradication rate 4–6 weeks after treatment. Based on propensity score matching (PSM), this retrospective study analyzed the eradication rates, adverse events (AEs), compliance, and antibiotic resistance rates in VDT and EDT groups.

Results

On intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis, the eradication rate in VDT group (89.0%; 95% CI 81.7–96.3) was non‐inferior to that in EDT group (87.7%; 95% CI 80.1–95.3; p = 0.796). The corresponding per‐protocol (PP) eradication rates were 94.1% (95% CI 88.4–99.8) and 92.8% (95% CI 86.7–98.9; p = 1.000), respectively. There were no significant between‐group differences with respect to compliance or incidence of AEs.

Conclusions

The efficacy and safety of 14‐day VDT and EDT were comparable. Therefore, 14‐day VDT or EDT may be recommended for the first‐line treatment of H. pylori infection.