bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of temporal continuities of grasslands on the diversity and species composition of plants
Authors: Taiki Inoue , Yuki Yaida A. , Yuki Uehara , Koki Katsuhara R. , Jun Kawai , Keiko Takashima , Atushi Ushimaru , Tanaka Kenta
Published: April 2020

Semi-natural grasslands are ecosystems rich in biodiversity. However, their decline has been reported worldwide, and identification of grasslands with high conservation priority is urgently required. Recently, an increasing number of studies have reported that past vegetation history affects current biological communities. To evaluate whether the temporal continuity of grasslands promotes biodiversity, and thus can be an indicator of conservation priority, we studied vascular plant communities in old (160– 1000s years) and new (52–70 years after deforestation) grasslands, as well as in forests, of Sugadaira Highland in central Japan. The number of plant species was highest in old grasslands, followed by new grasslands and forests. This pattern was much clearer in the number of grassland-dependent native and grassland-dependent endangered species, indicating the role of old grasslands as refugia for those species. The species composition differed between old and new grasslands. New grasslands had species compositions in between those of old grasslands and forests, suggesting that the plant community in new grasslands retains the influence of past forestation for more than 52 years after deforestation. Eleven indicator species were detected in old grasslands, but none in new grasslands, suggesting the uniqueness of the plant community in old grasslands. We conclude that the temporal continuity of grasslands increases plant diversity and can be an indicator of grasslands with high conservation priority.
Suppressor mutations in Mecp2-null mice implicate the DNA damage response in Rett syndrome pathology
Authors: Enikanolaiye Adebola , Ruston Julie , Zeng Rong , Taylor Christine , Schrock Marijke , Buchovecky Christie M. , Shendure Jay , Acar Elif , Justice Monica J.
Published: April 2020

Mutations in X-linked methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) cause Rett syndrome (RTT). To identify functional pathways that could inform therapeutic entry points, we carried out a genetic screen for secondary mutations that improved phenotypes in Mecp2/Y mice after mutagenesis with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). Here, we report the isolation of 106 founder animals that show suppression of Mecp2-null traits from screening 3177 Mecp2/Y genomes. Whole-exome sequencing, genetic crosses, and association analysis identified 22 candidate genes. Additional lesions in these candidate genes or pathway components associate variant alleles with phenotypic improvement in 30 lines. A network analysis shows that 63% of the genes cluster into the functional categories of transcriptional repression, chromatin modification, or DNA repair, delineating a pathway relationship with MECP2. Many mutations lie in genes that modulate synaptic signaling or lipid homeostasis. Mutations in genes that function in the DNA damage response (DDR) also improve phenotypes in Mecp2/Y mice. Association analysis was successful in resolving combinatorial effects of multiple loci. One line, which carries a suppressor mutation in a gene required for cholesterol synthesis, Sqle, carries a second mutation in retinoblastoma binding protein 8, endonuclease (Rbbp8, also known as CtIP), which regulates a DDR choice in double-stranded break (DSB) repair. Cells from Mecp2/Y mice have increased DSBs, so this finding suggests that the balance between homology-directed repair and nonhomologous end joining is important for neuronal cells. In this and other lines, two suppressor mutations confer greater improvement than one alone, suggesting that combination therapies could be effective in RTT.
Synthesis and crystal structures of tetrameric [2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolin-2-yl)anilido]sodium and tris[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolin-2-yl)anilido]ytterbium(III)
Authors: Gajecki Leah , Twamley Brendan , Berg David J.
Published: April 2020

Reaction of 2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolin-2-yl)aniline (H2-L1) with one equivalent of Na[N(SiMe3)2] in toluene afforded pale-yellow crystals of tetrameric poly[bis[μ3-2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolin-2-yl)anilinido][μ2-2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolin-2-yl)aniline]tetrasodium(I)], [Na4(C11H13N2O)4]
n
or [Na4(H-L1)4]
n
(2), in excellent yield. Subsequent reaction of [Na4(H-L1)4]
n
(2) with 1.33 equivalents of anhydrous YbCl3 in a 50:50 mixture of toluene–THF afforded yellow crystals of tris[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolin-2-yl)anilinido]ytterbium(III), [Yb(C11H13N2O)3] or Yb(H-L1)3 (3) in moderate yield. Direct reaction of three equivalents of 2-(4′,4′-dimethyl-2′-oxazolinyl)aniline (H2-L1) with Yb[N(SiMe3)2]3 in toluene resulted in elimination of hexamethyldisilazane, HN(SiMe3)2, and produced Yb(H-L1)3 (3) in excellent yield. The structure of 2 consists of tetrameric Na4(H-L1)4 subunits in which each Na+ cation is bound to two H-L1 bridging bidentate ligands and these subunits are connected into a polymeric chain by two of the four oxazoline O atoms bridging to Na+ cations in the adjacent tetramer. This results in two 4-coordinate and two 5-coordinate Na+ cations within each tetrameric unit. The structure of 3 consists of a distorted octahedron where the bite angle of ligand L1 ranges between 74.72 (11) and 77.79 (11) degrees. The oxazoline (and anilide) N atoms occupy meridional sites such that for one ligand an anilide nitrogen is trans to an oxazoline nitrogen while for the other two oxazoline N atoms are trans to each other. This results in a significantly longer Yb—N(oxazoline) distance [2.468 (3) Å] for the bond trans to the anilide compared to those for the oxazoline N atoms trans to one another [2.376 (3), 2.390 (3) Å].
Cis versus trans arrangement of dithiocarbazate ligands in bis-chelated Ni and Cu complexes
Authors: Begum Khurshida , Begum Sabina , Sheikh Chanmiya , Miyatake Ryuta , Zangrando Ennio
Published: April 2020

The structures are described of two bis-chelated metal complexes of nickel(II) and copper(II) with S-n-hexyl 3-(1-phenylethylidene)dithiocarbazate Schiff bases in a cis configuration, namely, bis[S-n-hexyl 3-(1-phenylethylidene)dithiocarbazato-κ2
N
3,S]nickel(II), [Ni(C15H21N2S2)2], and bis[S-n-hexyl 3-(1-phenylethylidene)dithiocarbazato-κ2
N
3,S]copper(II), [Cu(C15H21N2S2)2]. In both complexes, the metals have distorted square-planar geometries. A search in the Cambridge Structural Database [Groom et al. (2016). Acta Cryst. B72, 171–179] for bis-chelated nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes with similar Schiff bases retrieved 55 and 36 hits for the two metals, respectively. An analysis of the geometrical parameters of complexes showing cis and trans configurations is reported and the values compared with those for the complexes described in this work.
2-[(2,4,6-Trimethylbenzene)sulfonyl]phthalazin-1(2H)-one: crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational study
Authors: Izuogu David Chukwuma , Asegbeloyin Jonnie Niyi , Jotani Mukesh M. , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: April 2020

The X-ray crystal structure of the title phthalazin-1-one derivative, C17H16N2O3S {systematic name: 2-[(2,4,6-trimethylbenzene)sulfonyl]-1,2-dihydrophthalazin-1-one}, features a tetrahedral sulfoxide-S atom, connected to phthalazin-1-one and mesityl residues. The dihedral angle [83.26 (4)°] between the organic substituents is consistent with the molecule having the shape of the letter V. In the crystal, phthalazinone-C6-C—H...O(sulfoxide) and π(phthalazinone-N2C4)–π(phthalazinone-C6) stacking [inter-centroid distance = 3.5474 (9) Å] contacts lead to a linear supramolecular tape along the a-axis direction; tapes assemble without directional interactions between them. The analysis of the calculated Hirshfeld surfaces confirm the importance of the C—H...O and π-stacking interactions but, also H...H and C—H...C contacts. The calculation of the interaction energies indicate the importance of dispersion terms with the greatest energies calculated for the C—H...O and π-stacking interactions.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 6-benzoyl-3,5-diphenylcyclohex-2-en-1-one
Authors: Naghiyev Farid N. , Akkurt Mehmet , Askerov Rizvan K. , Mamedov Ibrahim G. , Rzayev Rovnag M. , Chyrka Taras , Maharramov Abel M.
Published: April 2020

In the title compound, C25H20O2, the central cyclohexenone ring adopts an envelope conformation. The mean plane of the cyclohexenone ring makes dihedral angles of 87.66 (11) and 23.76 (12)°, respectively, with the two attached phenyl rings, while it is inclined by 69.55 (11)° to the phenyl ring of the benzoyl group. In the crystal, the molecules are linked by C—H...O and C—H...π interactions, forming a three-dimensional network.
Do government subsidies crowd out technological capabilities?
Authors: Chen Shuangying , Fu Feng , Xiang Tingting , Zeng Junli
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Extant research on the crowding-out effects of government subsidies on the positive role of firm innovation resources or activity remains limited. This paper aims to investigate the crowding-out effects of subsidies on the utilization of technological capabilities and also the contingency mechanisms of market-oriented economy based on the resource-based view (RBV), given the co-existence of the subsidies and technological capabilities for firm innovation in transitional economy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used panel data of 115 Chinese high-tech firms from 2002 to 2010. Fixed-effects model was used to test several hypotheses.

Findings

This paper empirically demonstrates that the subsidies crowd out the utilization of firms’ technological capabilities for invention outcomes in the near-term. Furthermore, this paper finds that the crowding-out effects are weaker when firms have high export intensity or are located in provinces with high market-oriented systems.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this paper apply to Chinese firms. Future research could test their generalizability to different samples and other transitional economies.

Practical implications

This paper highlights the crowding-out effects of the subsidies, revealing that high-tech firms should balance the direct effects and crowding-out effects of the subsidies.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the neglected interactions between the subsidies and technological capabilities based on RBV and provides a more nuanced understanding of the crowding-out effects of the subsidies in transitional economy.
Market reaction to the international acquisitions by Chinese firms
Authors: Lin Xinzhe , Li Yina , Wan Xiaolan , Wei Jiuchang
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by firms in the emerging marketing on stock market cumulative abnormal returns (CARs). This research focuses on the acquiring firms in emerging markets and broadens the existing scope which highlights the M&As by firms in developed countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Regarding the controversial argument on the effect of cross-border M&As, the authors introduce a resource-based theory to explain the motivation of M&As by Chinese firms, conduct an event study analysis of 472 international acquisitions by Chinese firms from 2010 to 2015 and indicate cross-border M&As as a positive signal in the stock market.

Findings

The results reveal that cross-border M&As result in significantly positive CARs in a short term for the acquiring firms listed in mainland markets but not for that in the Hong Kong market. Furthermore, consistent with signaling theory and the investors’ heuristic thinking in decision-making, investors may adopt the technological innovation capability of the country where the target firms locate, and the acquiring firm’s preannouncement in shaping their positive judgment of the acquiring firm’s near future performance.

Originality/value

The authors distinguished the responses of the investors from the mainland and Hong Kong stock markets and investigated how the knowledge of the national innovation capability of the target firm and acquisition preannouncement influence the investors’ interpretation of the cross-border M&As as a market signal.
Modelling the performance of waste management services in Ghana’s public hospitals
Authors: Amos Daniel , Musa Zairul Nisham , Au-Yong Cheong Peng
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore and establish key performance indicators that could be considered towards improving the delivery of waste management (WM) services in public hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted for this study. This involved two phases of data collection and analysis. Specifically, interviews in selected case studies hospitals and a general questionnaire survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to model the relationships among the performance variables. An expanded balanced scorecard typology was used to categorize performance variables.

Findings

The results demonstrate that quality and internal business strategic indicators have a significant influence on WM performance. By implication, public hospital managers would be well advised to invest resources in improving internal business operations, learning and growths, as well as prioritizing finance in the process of managing healthcare waste.

Practical implications

The developed WM structural model can be used to identify performance indicators that can be incorporated into public hospitals’ WM strategy to improve performance leading to a decent healthcare environment.

Originality/value

The majority of studies have centered on the knowledge and practices of healthcare WM. This study extends the knowledge of healthcare WM literature from the perspective of FM performance measurement. The developed model of the study is invaluable to many developing countries that are faced with the challenge of improving WM practices.
The role of political risk in the travel fair decision-making process
Authors: Dimitrovski Darko
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to determine the influence of travel fair selection factors on exhibitor intention to attend, in conjunction with the role of political risk within that relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the basic premises of image repair theory, this quantitative study examines the perceptions of 205 exhibitors – both domestic and international – at Belgrade Travel Fair.

Findings

Two variables – travel fair customer acquisition and retention orientation and market orientation – were found to influence travel fair intention in a statistically significant manner, while multi-group structural equation modeling indicates a positive statistically significant correlation between travel fair customer acquisition and retention and travel fair market orientation and travel fair intention for exhibitors that place higher importance on political risk in the region.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the research are its regional focus and its small sample size.

Practical implications

Travel fair organizers should consider market orientation and customer acquisition and retention orientation as important antecedents of travel fair intention. Exhibitor perception of political risk enhances image repair efforts.

Social implications

The study focuses on the perception of travel fair exhibitors when attending a travel fair in a region which is continually exposed to political risk. Thus, travel fairs can act as image repair instruments for companies affected by political risk in a region, as they have the capacity to present a positive image to a specific audience.

Originality/value

The study enhances the existing work related to image repair theory by observing how travel fairs can be used as image repair instruments. The originality of the study lies in its provision of further understanding of the reasons for exhibitor attendance at travel fairs and, more specifically, the role of political risk in this context. The study’s findings extend the applicability of the image repair theory in the context of the behavioral nature of travel fair attendance.
Effects of capital structure and institutional–financial characteristics on earnings management practices
Authors: Muñoz Mendoza Jorge Andrés , Sepúlveda Yelpo Sandra María , Velosos Ramos Carmen Lissette , Delgado Fuentealba Carlos Leandro
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to analyze the effects of financing policy and countries' institutional–financial characteristics on earnings management (EM) practices in Latin American companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The GMM estimator was used according to Arellano and Bover (1995) for panel data on a sample of 983 Latin American companies between 1995 and 2017.

Findings

Leverage and short-term debt have a negative and nonlinear effect on EM practices. Nonlinearity suggests that firms with high levels of leverage and short-term debt carry out positive discretionary accruals. Countries' institutional and financial development reduces EM practices. Mandatory IFRS adoption also reduces these practices and mitigates the effects of the low institutional and financial development on EM.

Originality/value

These results reveal the relevance of companies' financing policy as a means of controlling EM practices. Results also suggest that policy effectiveness decreases with leverage and short-term debt. It is suggested that policymakers design financial policies aimed to promote institutional and financial development as a means of systematic control over EM activities, which also includes IFRS.
Corporate social responsibility and college sports fans’ online donations
Authors: Hwang Geumchan , Kihl Lisa A. , Inoue Yuhei
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study examined how a US college athletic department’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives influenced fans’ online donation intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 490 fans of a Division I intercollegiate athletic program and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results indicated that the quality of CSR information positively affected e-satisfaction with CSR initiatives, which, in turn, predicted fans’ online donation intentions, university attachment, and fan–athletic department identification. Moreover, the relationship between e-satisfaction with CSR initiatives and online donation intentions was mediated by fan–athletic department identification.

Research limitations/implications

This study has a limitation in terms of generalizability. The current focus on a single athletic department does not apply the results to athletic programs at other US universities and colleges. Future research should confirm the generalizability of the study’s findings by collecting data from fans of other athletic departments.

Originality/value

It is important to understand the impact of CSR activities on online donor intentions because marketing these activities could serve as an effective fundraising tool for athletic departments. The findings from this study inform athletic administrators of factors they might consider when promoting CSR initiatives through online media to encourage fans’ donations.
A systematic literature review on family business: insights from an Asian context
Authors: Teixeira Sergio , Mota Veiga Pedro , Figueiredo Ronnie , Fernandes Cristina , Ferreira João J. , Raposo Mário
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Family firms have been the subject of various scientific studies. This interest derives not only from their unique characteristics in terms of their management but more specifically in terms of their succession in a dimension that does not impact on other companies in the same way. Hence, and as a complex field of research, this study seeks to map out and analyse the intellectual knowledge on research into family firms in Asian contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

As regards the statistical and analytical methods, the authors made recourse to the bibliometric, co-citation and cluster analysis techniques. In order to evaluate any potential patterns among the articles, the authors analysed the ways in which the articles are jointly cited. This furthermore applied hierarchical cluster analysis to the totality of the articles subject to co-citation analysis within the scope of grouping the interrelated articles into distinct sets. In order to graphically map the bibliographic co-citation analysis, the authors deployed the network and cluster determination theories.

Findings

The results enabled the identification and the classification of various theoretical perspectives on the domain of family firms into four main approaches: (1) family business behaviour; (2) family versus non-family CEOs; (3) business family performance; and (4) business family and people.

Originality/value

This study identifies, explores, analyses and summarises the main themes, contributing towards deepening the literature through the means of identifying the priority areas in relation to Asian family businesses able to guarantee international standards of excellence in comparison with their respective competitors.
How do takaful operators choose which model to adopt? A case study from the Kingdom of Bahrain
Authors: Alkhan Ahmed Mansoor , Hassan M. Kabir
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an analysis on how takaful operators choose, which takaful model to adopt when managing their insurance operations.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses a qualitative methodology and uses the Kingdom of Bahrain as a case study. A single/holistic case study design is used to holistically analyse how a takaful operator chooses which takaful model to adopt when managing its insurance operations.

Findings

The results reveal that generally, takaful operators adopt either the hybrid wakala-mudharaba or wakala model of takaful, depending on whether a takaful operator is managing/investing the participants’ general or family fund, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

As the empirical data and results pertain to one jurisdiction, it may be difficult to generalize the empirical findings upon other jurisdictions.

Originality/value

This research may have contributed to knowledge by adding to literature empirical data and results in relation to takaful in the Kingdom of Bahrain that may have not previously existed in literature.
Science and education in the form 4.0: public policy and organization based on human and artificial intellectual capital
Authors: Vodenko Konstantin V. , Lyausheva Svetlana A.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to develop a concept of organization of the system of science and education in the form 4.0 based on human and artificial intellectual capital.

Design/methodology/approach

The methods of regression and correlation analysis are used. The role of human and artificial intellectual capital for provision of effectiveness and competitiveness of the system of science and education is determined, as well as its correspondence to the modern challenges. Analysis of perspectives and limitations of automatization of the system of science and education based on AI is conducted; a model of organization of the system of science and education in the form 4.0 based on human and artificial intellectual capital is compiled.

Findings

It is established that in the system of science and education, the decisive production factor is intellectual capital, but human intellect does not necessarily have to dominate in its structure. AI is one of the most popular technologies of Industry 4.0 in the system of science and education, which has wide perspectives of practical implementation. As experience of the leading world universities, which had the highest level of digitization in 2018, showed, foundation on non-breakthrough digital technologies (computer equipment and Internet) does not allow opening the potential of increase of indicators of effectiveness and competitiveness of the system of science and education and bringing it in correspondence to the modern challenges based on digitization. However, correlation of activity of application of artificial intellectual capital with these indicators is four times higher (0.2), as compared to correlation of these indicators with activity of application of human intellectual capital (0.05). This shows demand for digitization of the system of science and education, but based on breakthrough digital technologies, of which AI should become the key one.

Originality/value

It is substantiated that higher education could be automatized based on AI by 85% and science by 63%. Therefore, on the whole in the system of science and education, the share of AI in the structure of intellectual capital could reach 74% ((85 + 63)/2). It is recommended to use the developed model of organization of the system of science and education in the form 4.0 based on human and artificial intellectual capital.
How port aesthetics affect destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty?
Authors: Lu Chin-Shan , Weng Hsiang-Kai , Chen Shiou-Yu , Chiu Chi Wai , Ma Hiu Yan , Mak Ka Wai , Yeung Ting Chi
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the linkages between port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty in Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this objective, the authors surveyed 247 tourists in Hong Kong. Using factor analysis and structural equation model (SEM) to identify the constructs of port aesthetics and analyze its relationship with destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty.

Findings

Five-port aesthetics constructs were identified, namely, leisure and culture, design and cognition, atmosphere, recreational facilities and memory. The results of SEM revealed the following: port aesthetics positively influenced destination image; destination image positively influenced tourist satisfaction; and tourist satisfaction had a positive influence on tourist loyalty. This research also found that the indirect effect of port aesthetics on tourist loyalty via destination image and tourist satisfaction.

Originality/value

While the environmental qualities of a port could potentially affect destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty, this study developed and validated a measurement instrument of perceived port aesthetics from a tourist’s perspective. Specifically, this research proposed a structural model to explain the relationships between port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty.
Industry practices on the rework of defective products: survey results
Authors: Soares João Cláudio , Sousa Sérgio , Tereso Anabela
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The general objective of this research was to identify the practices of the mass production industries, on the decisions related to the detection of defective products and to identify relevant criteria, actions, effects and variables to be used in a decision-making model.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire was developed and structured in 20 questions, with 18 closed questions and 2 open questions. The questions were constructed based on the literature review, with the identification of 15 theoretical and practical concepts of quality. Seven other information requests were included, concerning the initial characterization of the defective items and industry. The company, the product, the processes and the defects were contextualized, and then the decision-making process was framed, to understand the factors that influenced it.

Findings

The industries of the Industrial Pole of Manaus discard or rework their defective products influenced by promoting the lowest cost and the required quality. The factors with the biggest influence on decisions are rework and disposal costs, and time available for rework and replacement. The main requirements defined for the decision-making model were: 1) compare the rework and discard options, only if the rework reaches the required quality level; and 2) identify and account the effects of defective items on quality, productivity and costs.

Research limitations/implications

Overall, 109 questionnaires were sent, representing 21.3% (109/512) of the companies at the Industrial Pole of Manaus. The respondents represent 14.6% (75/512) of the population.

Originality/value

Defects can occur, requiring a decision that promotes the lowest cost and the required quality. Quality cost models do not show a systematic analysis for identification, accounting, evaluation of effects and criteria associated with the destination of manufactured defective items. Therefore this research was done to fill this gap.
The red and the black: China’s social credit experiment as a total test environment
Authors: Bach Jonathan
Published: April 2020

China's social credit system is an unusually explicit case where technology is used by multiple actors to turn human behavior into a test object on behalf of the state's goal of modifying the larger social environment, making it an intriguing setting for thinking about the new sociology of testing. This article considers how China's search for a usable “credit” score to both allocate financial resources and explicitly measure a citizen's trustworthiness creates an emergent experimental system of governance similar to, yet not quite captured by, the kinds of experimental processes observed in literature on the platform as a form of market‐based governance. As a site where “seeing like a state” and “seeing like a market” converge, the social credit system is a vantage point for observing the changing relationship between moral and economic domains in an era of digital platforms. The article highlights the experimental quality of the system and its emerging system of governance structured around reward and punishment and argues that strategic ambiguity, institutionalized through the affordances of digital platforms, is an important part of the design of this large‐scale social experiment.
Students’ perception of CSR and its influence on business performance. A multiple mediation analysis
Authors: Claver‐Cortés Enrique , Marco‐Lajara Bartolomé , Úbeda‐García Mercedes , García‐Lillo Francisco , Rienda‐García Laura , Zaragoza‐Sáez Patrocinio Carmen , Andreu‐Guerrero Rosario , Manresa‐Marhuenda Encarnación , Seva‐Larrosa Pedro , Ruiz‐Fernández Lorena , Sánchez‐García Eduardo , Poveda‐Pareja Esther
Published: April 2020

Firm managers play an important role in the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions. Education is emerging as the key factor in developing a sense of moral responsibility amongst the business students who will eventually become company managers and decision makers. The aim of this research is, thus, twofold. First, to analyze the existence of a direct positive correlation between university students’ perception of CSR and its impact on business performance; and second, to examine the extent to which two factors (advantages brought by CSR and responsibilities toward stakeholders) act as mediation variables in the aforementioned correlation. The analysis was performed with a sample of 390 business‐related university students. Amongst the potential contributions made by this study we can highlight the possibility of knowing future managers’ way of thinking and of knowing the aspects where educational centers might improve their CSR teaching.
Acceptability, reliability, and validity of a brief measure of capabilities, opportunities, and motivations (“COM‐B”)
Authors: Keyworth Chris , Epton Tracy , Goldthorpe Joanna , Calam Rachel , Armitage Christopher J.
Published: April 2020

Objectives

The Capabilities, Opportunities, Motivations, Behaviour (COM‐B) model is being used extensively to inform intervention design, but there is no standard measure with which to test the predictive validity of COM or to assess the impact of interventions on COM. We describe the development, reliability, validity, and acceptability of a generic 6‐item self‐evaluation COM questionnaire.

Design and methods

The questionnaire was formulated by behaviour change experts. Acceptability was tested in two independent samples of health care professionals (N = 13 and N = 85, respectively) and a sample of people with low socio‐economic status (N = 214). Acceptability (missing data analyses and user feedback), reliability (test–retest reliability and Bland–Altman plots) and validity (floor and ceiling effects, Pearson's correlation coefficient [r], exploratory factor analysis [EFA], and confirmatory factor analysis [CFA] were tested using a national survey of 1,387 health care professionals.

Results

The questionnaire demonstrated acceptability (missing data for individual items: 5.9–7.7% at baseline and 18.1–32.5% at follow‐up), reliability (ICCs .554–.833), and validity (floor effects 0.6–5.5% and ceiling effects 4.1–22.9%; pairwise correlations rs significantly <1.0). The regression models accounted for between 21 and 47% of the variance in behaviour. CFA (three‐factor model) demonstrated a good model fit, (χ2[6] = 7.34, p = .29, RMSEA = .02, CFI = .99, TLI = .99, BIC = 13,510.420, AIC = 13,428.067).

Conclusions

The novel six‐item questionnaire shows evidence of acceptability, validity, and reliability for self‐evaluating capabilities, opportunities, and motivations. Future research should aim to use this tool in different populations to obtain further support for its reliability and validity.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on the subject?

The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation (COM), Behaviour (‐B) model is being used extensively to inform intervention design.

The lack of an accepted universal measure hinders progress in behaviour change.

What does this study add?

There is evidence of acceptability, validity, and reliability for self‐evaluating COM.

Our measure may be sufficiently generic for any behaviour or population, although this requires further testing.
Predicting intra‐operative and postoperative consequential events using machine‐learning techniques in patients undergoing robot‐assisted partial nephrectomy: a Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative database study
Authors: Bhandari Mahendra , Nallabasannagari Anubhav Reddy , Reddiboina Madhu , Porter James R. , Jeong Wooju , Mottrie Alexandre , Dasgupta Prokar , Challacombe Ben , Abaza Ronney , Rha Koon Ho , Parekh Dipen J. , Ahlawat Rajesh , Capitanio Umberto , Yuvaraja Thyavihally B. , Rawal Sudhir , Moon Daniel A. , Buffi Nicolò M. , Sivaraman Ananthakrishnan , Maes Kris K. , Porpiglia Francesco , Gautam Gagan , Turkeri Levent , Meyyazhgan Kohul Raj , Patil Preethi , Menon Mani , Rogers Craig
Published: April 2020

Objective

To predict intra‐operative (IOEs) and postoperative events (POEs) consequential to the derailment of the ideal clinical course of patient recovery.

Materials and Methods

The Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative is a multi‐institutional dataset of patients who underwent robot‐assisted partial nephectomy for kidney tumours. Machine‐learning (ML) models were constructed to predict IOEs and POEs using logistic regression, random forest and neural networks. The models to predict IOEs used patient demographics and preoperative data. In addition to these, intra‐operative data were used to predict POEs. Performance on the test dataset was assessed using area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve (AUC‐ROC) and area under the precision‐recall curve (PR‐AUC).

Results

The rates of IOEs and POEs were 5.62% and 20.98%, respectively. Models for predicting IOEs were constructed using data from 1690 patients and 38 variables; the best model had an AUC‐ROC of 0.858 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.762, 0.936) and a PR‐AUC of 0.590 (95% CI 0.400, 0.759). Models for predicting POEs were trained using data from 1406 patients and 59 variables; the best model had an AUC‐ROC of 0.875 (95% CI 0.834, 0.913) and a PR‐AUC 0.706 (95% CI, 0.610, 0.790).

Conclusions

The performance of the ML models in the present study was encouraging. Further validation in a multi‐institutional clinical setting with larger datasets would be necessary to establish their clinical value. ML models can be used to predict significant events during and after surgery with good accuracy, paving the way for application in clinical practice to predict and intervene at an opportune time to avert complications and improve patient outcomes.
Solid pseudopapillary tumour should be part of differential diagnosis of focal pancreatic lesions with increased 18F‐FDOPA uptake
Authors: Somme François , Montaz‐Rosset Marie‐Soline , Averous Gerlinde , Deur Jeanne , Goichot Bernard , Bachellier Philippe , Addeo Pietro , Imperiale Alessio
Published: April 2020

Objective

To assess the specificity of increased 18F‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F‐FDOPA) uptake in patients who underwent PET/CT for suspicion of isolated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (pNET). False‐positive results mimicking a pNET have been investigated.

Material and methods

Carbidopa‐assisted 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT scans performed in patients with suspicion of localized pNET were retrieved. Only patients with a definitive diagnosis were retrospectively included. When available, the histopathological result after pancreatic surgery was the gold standard. In other cases, the diagnosis was based on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)/cytology and/or on concordant imaging results of at least two of the following: contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CE‐CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS).

Results

Forty‐four among 731 patients were selected. Among these, 36 patients (82%) were surgically treated, revealing pNET (n = 28), solid pseudopapillary tumour (SPT) (n = 4), adenocarcinoma (n = 2), serous cystadenomas (n = 1) and solitary fibrous tumour (n = 1) cases. An additional three cases of pNET were diagnosed by EUS/cytology. In the remaining five patients, a consensus was reached on follow‐up imaging results: pNET (n = 1), serous cystadenoma (n = 2) and undetermined/no pNET (n = 2). Both specificity and negative predictive value of 18F‐FDOPA PET/CT for localized pNET were 67%. Surprisingly, all four false‐positive results were SPTs showing intense 18F‐FDOPA uptake and negative SRS. There was no significant difference in 18F‐FDOPA uptake intensity between PET‐positive pNETs and SPTs.

Conclusion

18F‐FDOPA PET/CT is not specific for pNET in patients with localized pancreatic lesions. SPT could mimic pNET and should be part of differential diagnosis in such a clinical situation. If these results are confirmed in a broader population, the imaging pattern 18F‐FDOPA PET‐positive/SRS‐negative lesions might be considered as the imaging phenotype of SPT.
Food values and heterogeneous consumer responses to nanotechnology
Authors: Yang Yang , Hobbs Jill E.
Published: April 2020

Agricultural applications of nanotechnology are at a relatively early stage and little is known about consumer responses to the technology. Canadian consumer responses to food nanotechnology are examined through the lens of the Food Value Scale. Data from a survey of Canadian consumers are used to evaluate the relative importance of eleven food values to food purchase decisions. We find that taste, safety, nutrition, and price are among the most important food values to Canadians, however, consumers exhibit considerable heterogeneity with respect to the priority placed on these values. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) explores the effect of food values on choice behavior. The DCE is positioned as a sliced apple product with non‐browning and antioxidant‐enhanced features introduced through the use of nanocoating or a conventional coating method. Random parameters logit (RPL) and latent class models (LCM) confirm the existence of significant preference heterogeneity. The LCM identifies three classes of consumers: “supporters,” “doubters,” and “opponents” who differ in their reaction to nanotechnology and in the relative importance placed on food values such as naturalness, novelty, and convenience. The analysis shows that food values provide additional insights into consumers’ food choices and their attitudes toward novel food technologies.
Agriculture, transportation, and the COVID‐19 crisis
Authors: Gray Richard S.
Published: April 2020

In this short paper, I assess how COVID‐19‐related disruptions in transportation services, as well as new demands for transportation services, could impact Canadian agricultural supply chains. The brief analysis reveals that agricultural access to bulk ocean freight, rail movement, and trucking has generally improved in the pandemic, bolstered by the reduced demand for these transportation services by other sectors of the economy. The intermodal containerized movement of grains and food products has seen some disruption from the lack of empty containers in North America. The widespread consumer adoption of physical distancing measures has vastly increased the demand for retail food pickup and delivery services to the point where these services are being rationed by long wait times. From a policy perspective, there is an apparent need for (a) continued supply chain monitoring and industry engagement, (b) the proactive development of strategies to deal with absenteeism and other potential threats to the supply chain, and (c) an assessment of the economic and health merits of providing additional public resources to provide greater access to grocery pickup and delivery services.
Economic thoughts on the potential implications of COVID‐19 on the Canadian dairy and poultry sectors
Authors: Weersink Alfons , von Massow Mike , McDougall Brendan
Published: April 2020

The dumping of milk, the offering of hospitality size goods in grocery stores, and the closure of processing facilities are examples of the disruptions caused by the pandemic to the dairy, poultry, and egg sectors. These supply management sectors, however, are more resilient to the impacts of COVID‐19 than other sectors as producers are generally more financially stable, losses are pooled, and production/marketing efforts are coordinated.
The need for a more inclusive science of elephant conservation
Authors: Cassidy Lin , Salerno Jonathan
Published: April 2020

Largely absent from the current scientific dialog is recognition of which voices should contribute to decisions on the future of Africa's elephants, particularly those living in the Kavango‐Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. We argue that elephant conservation policy must take into account the voices of the people bearing the cost of living with wildlife, as well as the nations with the responsibility of hosting elephant populations. Southern African elephant conservation is a 'wicked problem', which is best addressed through small wins approaches. Specifically, research on changes in local political and governance dynamics resulting from community conservation programs is needed, to identify new modalities for community level engagement. Additionally, research into policy implications, as well as seasonal resource needs of humans and wildlife, from zoning and corridor development to facilitate landscape level movement is needed. A modular approach to research for ensuring functional social–ecological landscapes within the KAZA context could help sustain both wildlife and communities in the region.
Comparison of tofogliflozin versus glimepiride as the third oral agent added to metformin plus a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, 24‐week, open‐label, controlled trial (STOP‐OB)
Authors: Kitazawa Toru , Seino Hiroaki , Ohashi Hiroshi , Inazawa Takeshi , Inoue Masahiro , Ai Masumi , Fujishiro Midori , Kuroda Hisamoto , Yamada Masayo , Anai Motonobu , Ishihara Hisamitsu
Published: April 2020

Metformin plus a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor (DPP‐4i) is the most common therapy for Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. This 24‐week, multicentre, open‐label, parallel‐group trial randomized patients on dual therapy to add‐on tofogliflozin (20 mg/day, n = 33) or glimepiride (0.5 mg/day, n = 31). The primary outcome was change in body fat percentage. The secondary outcomes included changes in HbA1c, fat mass, fat‐free mass, liver function variables and uric acid. Tofogliflozin and glimepiride reduced HbA1c to a similar extent. Body fat percentage did not change from baseline in either group. Fat mass was reduced by tofogliflozin but was increased by glimepiride (by −2.0 ± 1.7 kg and +1.6 ± 1.6 kg, P = .002). Fat‐free mass was also reduced by tofogliflozin and increased by glimepiride (by −1.3 ± 1.3 kg and +0.9 ± 2.0 kg, P < .001). Alanine aminotransferase and uric acid levels were reduced by tofogliflozin (P = .006 and P < .001, respectively). These data provide novel information useful for selecting the third oral agent for patients whose diabetes is inadequately controlled with metformin plus DPP‐4i dual therapy.
Hypoglycaemia risk with insulin glargine 300 U/mL compared with glargine 100 U/mL across different baseline fasting C‐peptide levels in insulin‐naïve people with type 2 diabetes: A post hoc analysis of the EDITION 3 trial
Authors: Bolli Geremia B. , Landgraf Wolfgang , Bosnyak Zsolt , Melas‐Melt Lydie , Home Philip D.
Published: April 2020

The relationship between baseline fasting C‐peptide (FCP) and glucose control was examined in insulin‐naïve people with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with oral antihyperglycaemic drugs commencing basal insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla‐300) or 100 U/mL (Gla‐100) in the absence of sulfonylurea/glinides. Participants with FCP measurement from the EDITION 3 trial (n = 867) were stratified according to baseline FCP (≤0.40, >0.40‐1.20, >1.20 nmol/L); 11.0%, 70.9% and 18.1% contributed to each group. Glycaemic control, body weight, insulin dose and hypoglycaemia were determined at 26 weeks. Glycaemic control (HbA1c, FPG) at 26 weeks was similar in each FCP group between insulins. However, end‐of‐study insulin dose was greater with higher FCP for both insulins. More people with lower baseline FCP experienced hypoglycaemia with both insulins, but with numerically lower incidence for Gla‐300 versus Gla‐100 across all FCP groups for all definitions (time periods and levels) of hypoglycaemia. This suggests that Gla‐300 might be particularly advantageous for people who are at higher risk of hypoglycaemia.
†Cormopsocidae: A new family of the suborder Trogiomorpha (Insecta: Psocodea) from Burmese amber
Authors: Yoshizawa Kazunori , Lienhard Charles
Published: April 2020

Cormopsocidae n. fam. of the psocid suborder Trogiomorpha was proposed for a fossil species from mid‐Cretaceous Burmese amber, Cormopsocus groehni n. gen. & n. sp. This family was estimated to be the sister group of all other trogiomorphan taxa, but the possibility of much deeper divergence (i.e. placement as a sister group of all Psocodea) could not be excluded. Cormopsocus groehni retains many plesiomorphic features, which will contribute greatly to elucidating the ancestral state of Psocodea.