bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gravitational wave echoes induced by a point mass plunging into a black hole
Authors: Sago Norichika , Tanaka Takahiro
Published: October 2020

Recently, the possibility of detecting gravitational wave echoes in the data stream subsequent to the binary black hole mergers observed by LIGO was suggested. Motivated by this suggestion, we presented templates of echoes based on black hole perturbations in our previous work. There, we assumed that the incident waves resulting in echoes are similar to the ones that directly escape to the asymptotic infinity. In this work, to extract more reliable information on the waveform of echoes without using the naive assumption on the incident waves, we investigate gravitational waves induced by a point mass plunging into a Kerr black hole. We solve the linear perturbation equation with the source term induced by the plunging mass under the purely outgoing boundary condition at infinity and a hypothetical reflection boundary condition near the horizon. We find that the low-frequency component below the threshold of the super-radiant instability is highly suppressed, which is consistent with the incident waveform assumed in the previous analysis. We also find that the high-frequency mode excitation is significantly larger than the one used in the previous analysis, if we adopt the perfectly reflective boundary condition independently of the frequency. When we use a simple template in which the same waveform as the direct emissions to infinity is repeated with the decreasing amplitude, the correlation between the expected signal and the template turns out to decrease very rapidly.
Scalar clockwork and flavor neutrino mass matrix
Authors: Kitabayashi Teruyuki
Published: October 2020

We study the capability of generating the correct flavor neutrino mass matrix in a scalar clockwork model. First, we assume that the flavor structure is controlled by the Yukawa couplings as in the standard model. In this case, the correct flavor neutrino mass matrix could be obtained by appropriate Yukawa couplings $Y_{\ell^\prime\ell}$ where $\ell^\prime, \ell = e, \mu, \tau$. Next, we assume that the Yukawa couplings are extremely democratic: $|Y_{\ell^\prime\ell} |=1$. In this case, the model parameters of the scalar clockwork sector, such as the site number of a clockwork gear in a clockwork chain, should have the flavor indices $\ell^\prime$ and/or $\ell$ to generate the correct flavor neutrino mass matrix. We show some examples of assignments of the flavor indices which can yield the correct flavor neutrino mass matrix.
Non-Hermiticity and topological invariants of magnon Bogoliubov–de Gennes systems
Authors: Kondo Hiroki , Akagi Yutaka , Katsura Hosho
Published: October 2020

Since the theoretical prediction and experimental observation of the magnon thermal Hall effect, a variety of novel phenomena that may occur in magnonic systems have been proposed. We review recent advances in the study of topological phases of magnon Bogoliubov–de Gennes (BdG) systems. After giving an overview of previous works on electronic topological insulators and the magnon thermal Hall effect, we provide the necessary background for bosonic BdG systems, with particular emphasis on their non-Hermiticity arising from the diagonalization of the BdG Hamiltonian. We then introduce definitions of $$ \mathbb{Z}_2 $$ topological invariants for bosonic systems with pseudo-time-reversal symmetry, which ensures the existence of bosonic counterparts of “Kramers pairs.” Because of the intrinsic non-Hermiticity of bosonic BdG systems, these topological invariants have to be defined in terms of the bosonic Berry connection and curvature. We then introduce theoretical models that can be thought of as magnonic analogs of two- and three-dimensional topological insulators in class AII. We demonstrate analytically and numerically that the $$ \mathbb{Z}_2 $$ topological invariants precisely characterize the presence of gapless edge/surface states. We also predict that bilayer CrI$$_3$$ with a particular stacking would be an ideal candidate for the realization of a two-dimensional magnon system characterized by a nontrivial $$ \mathbb{Z}_2 $$ topological invariant. For three-dimensional topological magnon systems, the magnon thermal Hall effect is expected to occur when a magnetic field is applied to the surface.
On Katz’s (A,B)-Exponential Sums
Authors: Fu Lei , Wan Daqing
Published: October 2020

We deduce Katz’s theorems for (A, B)-exponential sums over finite fields using $\ell$-adic cohomology and a theorem of Denef–Loeser, removing the hypothesis that A + B is relatively prime to the characteristic p. In some degenerate cases, the Betti number estimate is improved using toric decomposition and Adolphson–Sperber’s bounds for degrees of L-functions. Applying the facial decomposition theorem, we prove that the universal family of (A, B)-polynomials is generically ordinary for its L-function when p is in certain arithmetic progression.
Supporting the formation and functioning of innovation platforms in healthcare value chains
Authors: Marais Annica , Grobbelaar Sara S (Saartjie) , Meyer Isabel , Kennon Denzil , Herselman Marlien
Published: October 2020

Rising patient demands, a growing population, and resource limitations constrain the South African healthcare system. The integration of disparate interventions that are developed and implemented across various actors in healthcare value chains (VCs) remains a significant challenge. This calls for a multi-disciplinary approach to integrate the knowledge of communities, non-governmental organisations, private sector actors, frontline healthcare workers, and researchers in the development of sustainable, value-adding interventions. Multi-stakeholder engagement, in this article referred to as innovation platforms (IPs), is a mechanism through which interdependent VC actors could be organised and coordinated to develop sustainable innovations to strengthen the healthcare system. This article addresses the lack of guidance on how to develop and operate healthcare IPs in South Africa by presenting a framework for IP formation and functioning in healthcare VCs. A grounded theory approach, namely conceptual framework analysis, informed framework development within an exploratory qualitative study. The outcome of the study is an innovation management tool for improved policy development in a developing country context. It provides practical guidance to policy makers on how to: (1) Setup and develop an IP; (2) Implement interventions to improve IP functioning; and (3) Develop mechanisms to address commonly experienced challenges.
Bone Health and Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment
Authors: MUÑOZ MARCUS , ROBINSON KATHLEEN , SHIBLI-RAHHAL AMAL
Published: October 2020

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a common condition and is associated with increased risk of fracture, including hip and vertebral fractures that in turn can have devastating consequences on morbidity and mortality. In this article, we review the pathogenesis and diagnostic approach to postmenopausal osteoporosis. We review available nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies and we discuss their clinical efficacy and complications, with a detailed discussion of atypical femur fractures and osteonecrosis of the jaw.
Smoking-Related Social Interactions as Experienced by Persons Who Smoked Long-term
Authors: Draucker Claire Burke , Rawl Susan M. , Vode Emilee , Fields Matthew , Elkins Candice , Morgan Olivia , Perez Sara R. , Straber Lucy , Carter-Harris Lisa
Published: October 2020

Purpose/Aims

Smoking-related stigma is manifested in the everyday social interactions of persons who smoke and can result in low self-esteem, diminished self-efficacy, and resistance to smoking cessation. The purpose of this study was to describe smoking-related social interactions as experienced by persons with a history of long-term smoking.

Design

This study used a qualitative descriptive approach.

Methods

This study is part of a larger study designed to identify factors that influence lung cancer screening participation. Data were drawn from 39 qualitative interviews with persons from the parent study. All descriptions about smoking-related social interactions found in the narratives were extracted, coded, categorized, and summarized with content analytic techniques.

Results

Seven different types of social interactions were identified: (a) being looked down on for smoking, (b) being humiliated for smoking in public, (c) being banished while smoking, (d) being blamed for one's health problems, (e) not “really” being blamed for smoking, (f) being told “just quit,” and (g) being worried about hurting others.

Conclusions

Clinical nurse specialists should promote antismoking campaigns that are not stigmatizing, discuss health risks of smoking in a respectful manner, provide evidence-based cessation resources, improve communication with persons who smoke, and address stigma in programs to improve screening for smoking-related illnesses.
A Statewide Survey of Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice
Authors: Thurby-Hay Linda , Whitehead Phyllis , Nelson Kimberly
Published: October 2020

Clinical nurse specialists are the second largest advanced practice nursing role in the United States and remain underused in many states. Expanding access to care to improve patient outcomes is a national priority, which prompted this state clinical nurse specialist association to identify practice barriers, identify opportunities for practice expansion, differentiate registered nurse from clinical nurse specialist practice, and describe differences in those who have practiced in other states. This study was composed of a 15-question online survey, including demographic information, collected over a 4-week period in 2016. Sixty-one respondents (7% of eligible clinical nurse specialists in the state) completed the survey. Regulations limiting the scope of practice in the state were identified by 75% of participants as a practice barrier. Work environment, educational factors, and organizational support contributed to limitations in practice as delineated in the Consensus Model for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. Participants support increasing public awareness of clinical nurse specialists as advanced practice nurses. Survey results confirm the need for a multifaceted approach in removing clinical nurse specialist practice barriers and improving access to their care by aligning state law and regulation with the National Council of State Boards of Nurses' Model Nurse Practice Act.
The Clusters of Transcription Factors NFATC2, STAT5, GATA2, AP1, RUNX1 and EGR2 Binding Sites at the InducedIl13Enhancers MediateIl13Gene Transcription in Response to Antigenic Stimulation
Authors: Kamran Mohammad , Liang Jinyi , Liu Bing , Li Yapeng , Gao Junfeng , Keating Ashley , Mohamed Fathia , Dai Shaodong , Reinhardt Richard , Jiong Yang , Wu Zhongdao , Huang Hua
Published: October 2020

Interleukin-13 plays a critical role in mediating many biological processes responsible for allergic inflammation. Mast cells expressIl13mRNA and produce IL-13 protein in response to antigenic stimulation. Enhancers are essential in promoting gene transcription and are thought to activate transcription by delivering essential accessory co-factors to the promoter to potentiate gene transcription. However, enhancers mediatingIl13have not been identified. Furthermore, whichIl13enhancers detect signals triggered by antigenic stimulation have not yet been defined. In this study, we identified potentialIl13enhancers using histone modification monomethylation at lysine residue 4 on histone 3 (H3K4me1) ChIP-seq and acetylation at lysine residue 27 on histone 3 (H3K27ac) ChIP-seq. We used Omni-ATAC-seq to determine which accessible regions within the potentialIl13enhancers that responded to IgE receptor crosslinking. We also demonstrated that the transcription factor (TF) cluster consisting of the NFATC2, STAT5, GATA2, AP1, and RUNX1 binding sites at the proximalIl13enhancer, the TF cluster consisting of the EGR2-binding site at the distalIl13E+6.5 enhancer, are critical in sensing the signals triggered by antigenic stimulation. Those enhancers, which are responsive to antigenic stimulation and constitutively active, cooperate to generate greater transcriptional outputs. Our study reveals a novel mechanism underlying how antigenic stimulation induces robustIl13mRNA expression in mast cells.
An affinity-matured human monoclonal antibody targeting fusion loop epitope of dengue virus within vivotherapeutic potency
Authors: Kotaki Tomohiro , Kurosu Takeshi , Grinyo Ariadna , Davidson Edgar , Churrotin Siti , Okabayashi Tamaki , Puiprom Orapim , Mulyatno Kris Cahyo , Sucipto Teguh Hari , Doranz Benjamin J. , Ono Ken-ichiro , Soegijanto Soegeng , Kameoka Masanori
Published: October 2020

Dengue virus (DENV), from the genusflavivirusof the familyflaviviridae, causes serious health problems globally. Human monoclonal antibodies (HuMAb) can be used to elucidate the mechanisms of neutralization and antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of DENV infections, leading to the development of a vaccine or therapeutic antibodies. Here, we generated eight HuMAb clones from an Indonesian patient infected with DENV. These HuMAbs exhibited the typical characteristics of weak neutralizing antibodies including high cross-reactivity with other flaviviruses and targeting of the fusion loop epitope (FLE). However, one of the HuMAbs, 3G9, exhibited strong neutralization ability (NT50< 0.1 µg/ml) and possessed a high somatic hyper-mutation rate of the variable region, indicating affinity-maturation. Administration of this antibody significantly improved the survival rate of interferon-α/β/γ receptor knockout C57BL/6 mice after a lethal DENV challenge. Additionally, Fc-modified 3G9 molecules that had lost their in vitro ADE activity showed significantly enhanced therapeutic potencyin vivoand competed strongly with an ADE-prone antibodyin vitro. Taken together, the affinity-matured FLE-targeting antibody 3G9 exhibits several promising features for therapeutic application including a low NT50value, potential for pan-flavivirus infection treatment, and suppression of ADE. This study demonstrates the therapeutic potency of affinity-matured FLE-targeting antibodies.
Investigation of RNA metabolism through large-scale genetic interaction profiling in yeast
Authors: Decourty Laurence , Malabat Christophe , Frachon Emmanuel , Jacquier Alain , Saveanu Cosmin
Published: October 2020

Gene deletion and gene expression alteration can lead to growth defects that are amplified or reduced when a second mutation is present in the same cells. We performed 154 genetic interaction mapping (GIM) screens with mutants related with RNA metabolism and measured growth rates of about 700 000Saccharomyces cerevisiaedouble mutant strains. The screens used the gene deletion collection in addition to a set of 900 strains in which essential genes were affected by mRNA destabilization (DAmP). To analyze the results we developed RECAP, a strategy that validates genetic interaction profiles by comparison with gene co-citation frequency, and identified links between 1 471 genes and 117 biological processes. To validate specific results, we tested and confirmed a link between an inositol polyphosphate hydrolase complex and mRNA translation initiation. Altogether, the results and the newly developed analysis strategy should represent a useful resource for discovery of gene function in yeast.
A gradual backward shift of dopamine responses during associative learning
Authors: Amo Ryunosuke , Yamanaka Akihiro , Tanaka Kenji F. , Uchida Naoshige , Watabe-Uchida Mitsuko
Published: October 2020

It has been proposed that the activity of dopamine neurons approximates temporal difference (TD) prediction error, a teaching signal developed in reinforcement learning, a field of machine learning. However, whether this similarity holds true during learning remains elusive. In particular, some TD learning models predict that the error signal gradually shifts backward in time from reward delivery to a reward-predictive cue, but previous experiments failed to observe such a gradual shift in dopamine activity. Here we demonstrate conditions in which such a shift can be detected experimentally. These shared dynamics of TD error and dopamine activity narrow the gap between machine learning theory and biological brains, tightening a long-sought link.
A critical residue in the α1M2-M3 linker regulating GABAAreceptor pore gating by diazepam
Authors: Nors Joseph W. , Gupta Shipra , Goldschen-Ohm Marcel P.
Published: October 2020

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are a class of widely prescribed psychotropic drugs. Their anxiolytic and sedative effects are conferred by modulating the activity of GABAAreceptors (GABAARs), which are the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors throughout the central nervous system. However, the physical mechanism by which BZDs exert their effects on the receptor is poorly understood. In particular, BZDs require coapplication with an agonist to effectively open the channel pore, making it difficult to dissect whether the drug has altered either agonist binding or channel gating as these two processes are intimately coupled. To isolate effects on gating we used a spontaneously active gain of function mutant (α1L9’Tβ2γ2L) that is directly gated by BZDs alone in the absence of agonist. In the α1L9’T background we explored effects of alanine substitutions throughout the α1M2-M3 linker on modulation of the channel pore by the BZD positive modulator diazepam (DZ). The M2-M3 linker is known to be an important element for channel activation. Linker mutations generally impaired unliganded pore opening, indicating that side chain interactions are important for channel gating in the absence of bound agonist. All but one mutation had no effect on the transduction of chemical energy from DZ binding to pore gating. Strikingly, α1V279A doubles DZ’s energetic contribution to gating, whereas larger side chains at this site do not. In a wild-type background α1V279A enhances DZ-potentiation of currents evoked by saturating GABA, consistent with a direct effect on the pore closed/open equilibrium. Our observations identify an important residue regulating coupling between the BZD site and the pore gate, thereby shedding new light on the molecular mechanism of a frequently prescribed class of psychotropic drugs.
Omnitemporal choreographies of IP3R and all five STIM/Orai underlie the complexity of mammalian Ca2+signaling
Authors: Emrich Scott M. , Yoast Ryan E. , Xin Ping , Arige Vikas , Wagner Larry E. , Hempel Nadine , Gill Donald L. , Sneyd James , Yule David I. , Trebak Mohamed
Published: October 2020

Invertebrates express one endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident Ca2+-sensing stromal-interaction molecule (Stim) and one Orai plasma membrane channel protein. Stim conveys store depletion to Orai, mediating the evolutionarily conserved Ca2+release-activated Ca2+(CRAC) current. The crucial role of their vertebrate homologues, STIM1 and Orai1 in mediating CRAC activity in mammals is well-established. However, mammals possess two STIM and three Orai isoforms and the choreography of their interactions under physiological receptor activation is unknown. We show that the five mammalian STIM1/2 and Orai1/2/3 isoforms have non-redundant functions. Yet, all five isoforms are always required together to ensure the graded diversity of mammalian Ca2+signaling events in response to the full spectrum of agonist strengths. Receptor-activated Ca2+signaling across the range of stimulus intensities requires functional interactions between not only STIM1/2 and Orai1/2/3, but also IP3R, ensuring that receptor-mediated Ca2+release is precisely tailored to Ca2+entry and activation of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT). This is orchestrated by two interdependent and counterbalancing paradigms: the N-termini Ca2+-binding ER-luminal domains ofunactivatedSTIM1/2 inhibit IP3R-evoked Ca2+release. Gradual increase in agonist intensity leads to gradual STIM1/2 activation and relief of IP3R inhibition. Concomitantly, the cytosolic C-termini ofactivatedSTIM1/2 differentially interact with Orai1/2/3 proteins as agonist intensity increases. Thus, coordinated and omnitemporal functions of all five STIM/Orai proteins and IP3Rs at the ER-lumen and cytosol translate the strength of agonist stimulation to precise levels of Ca2+release, Ca2+entry and NFAT induction, ensuring the diversity and fidelity of complex mammalian Ca2+signaling.

Highlights

All five STIM/Orai and IP3R are always required together in mammalian Ca2+signalling

Unactivated STIM1/2 inhibit IP3R and activated STIM1/2 cooperatively activate Orai1/2/3

STIM1 contribution increases and that of STIM2 decreases as agonist intensifies

Graded IP3R disinhibition and Orai activation tailor receptor activity to NFAT induction
Multinationality and performance effects: an integrated theory of new patterns of multinationality and home political influence
Authors: Yen I-Fan , Lin Hsin-Mei
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to develop an integrated perspective on the relationship between multinationality and performance in the outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of Chinese firms. The study not only represents contrasting OFDI patterns – namely, born global-natured multiple synchronous foreign investments versus conventional internationalization process (IP)-natured steady increasing foreign investments – but also contributes to understanding the extent to which explanations of home political influence need to be rooted within the general theory of multinationality.

Design/methodology/approach

By testing a comprehensive panel observation of 8,635 OFDI projects from 1991-2016 in China, this study found that multinationality with the new pattern of multiple synchronous OFDIs has a superior performance effect compared with the conventional pattern of steady increasing OFDIs.

Findings

This study also finds a positive relationship between multinationality (international diversification and home political influence) and the performance effect with the new pattern of multiple synchronous OFDIs, as well as a partial positive relationship between multinationality and the performance effect with the conventional pattern of steady increasing OFDIs.

Research limitations/implications

The study extends the understanding of the performance effects of Chinese multinational enterprises, which may benefit more from the new pattern of multiple synchronous OFDIs than from the conventional pattern of steady increasing OFDIs when the home-country institution is strongly positioned.

Originality/value

This paper concludes that multinationality needs an integrated framework that accounts for the new pattern of OFDI and the influence of diversification and home politics, particularly for the emerging country, China.
Effective strategies for developing retirement village public – private partnership
Authors: Osei-Kyei Robert , Tam Vivian , Ma Mingxue
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The growth in ageing population globally has led to the increase in demand for retirement or aged care homes. Adopting public–private partnership (PPP) in the global retirement village market has become the new approach to address some of the emerging challenges. This paper aims to explore and analyse the critical success factors (CSFs) for the adoption of PPP in the global retirement village market.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical questionnaire survey was conducted with experienced practitioners in the global PPP and retirement village markets. Mean score analysis, normalization range method, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance and factor analysis were used for analysis.

Findings

Results show that out of the 27 CSFs identified, the most significant ones in developing PPP retirement village projects are “the age-friendly design of villages”, “appropriate location of PPP retirement village”, “reliable and accessible health and physical facilities” and “effective social inclusion and integration in villages”. Further analysis shows that the 27 CSFs can be grouped into 7 major factor groupings, namely, “effective project monitoring”, “financial support”, “social integration”, “effective contractual arrangement between parties”, “government commitment and support”, “sustainable design of village” and “effective payment structure”.

Originality/value

The outputs of this study will adequately inform retirement village developers, retirement village stakeholders and local government authorities of the best practices they should put in place to ensure the sustainable growth of the global retirement village market.
Being a student in the social media era: exploring educational affordances of an ePortfolio for managing academic performance
Authors: Alexiou Aikaterini , Paraskeva Fotini
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Undergraduate students often find it difficult to organize their learning activities and manage their learning. Also, teachers need dynamic pedagogical frameworks and learning technologies for supporting learners to advance their academic performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of an ePortfolio intervention on self-regulated learning (SRL cognitive, affective, behavioral and contextual processes) and academic achievement.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purposes of this study, an ePortfolio was designed and implemented based on SRL. The ePortfolio-based self-regulated learning approach (ePSRL) system encompasses the merits of a social networking platform and the functionalities of a learning management system. The participants were 123 university students (38 females and 85 males) at a computer science department. Students were randomly divided into two groups, the experimental and the control group.

Findings

The results of the study indicate that there is a significant increase of the means across SRL processes between the perceptions in the experimental and the control group. The implementation of the ePSRL approach as a learning module for undergraduate students could enable learners to manage their learning processes, transform their behavior into measurable learning outcomes and foster their academic performance.

Originality/value

This paper considers the importance of SRL and ePortfolios. Also, highlights the need of providing technology enhanced training courses and interventions to undergraduate students for supporting them to thrive during their academic studies. Thus, it proposes a set of educational affordances and practical guidelines that can be used by practitioners, instructional designers and educators in higher education as well as in vocational education and training institutions.
The impact of institutional voids on risk and performance in base-of-the-pyramid supply chains
Authors: Rehman Attique ur , Jajja Muhammad Shakeel Sadiq , Khalid Raja Usman , Seuring Stefan
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) markets are frequently characterized by institutional voids. However, it remains unclear how institutional voids impact corporate and supply chain risk and performance. This intersection will be analyzed in this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a systematic literature review of 94 BoP papers published between 2004 and 2019 in peer-reviewed, English-language journals available on Scopus. Drawing upon established frameworks for examining institutional voids, supply chain risks and BoP performance, frequency, and contingency analyses are conducted. Contingencies are established to provide insights into the associations between different constructs from the selected frameworks.

Findings

Supply chain risks are pervasive in the BoP discourse, especially when BoP markets are characterized by institutional voids. The frequency analysis of the constructs suggests that the key supply chain risks discussed in the BoP literature include social risk, credit risk, product market and operating uncertainties, knowledge and skill biases and decision-maker risks due to bounded rationality. The contingency analysis suggests that institutional voids are associated with supply chain risks that affect performance.

Research limitations/implications

A theoretical framework aligning three research streams in the context of BoP calls for future studies to test the causality of highlighted constructs that are significantly associated. The analysis is confined to the constructs that are taken into account based on specific conceptual frameworks.

Practical implications

The study provides practitioners with a framework to manage supply chain risks in BoP-related firms to enhance firm performance. Managers can use key dimensions of supply chain risk, such as the product market, the input market and operating uncertainties, to evaluate performance in the BoP context.

Originality/value

Specifically, this research has strengthened the inquiry of supply chain risks in the presence of institutional voids that may have an impact on firm performance
The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the digital transformation of work
Authors: Nagel Lisa
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study investigates whether the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an acceleration of the digital transformation in the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic from March to April 2020 on the crowdsourcing platform Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Findings

The findings show an increase of people working from home offices and that many people believe that digital transformation of work has accelerated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. People who noted this acceleration can imagine working digitally exclusively in the future. Moreover, the importance of traditional jobs as a secure source of income has decreased, and digital forms of work as a secure source of income have increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers believe that digital work will play a more important role as a secure source of income in the future than traditional jobs.

Research limitations/implications

Because the survey was conducted online, respondents may have had a certain affinity for digital work.

Originality/value

This study assesses the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of work, showing that changes in the perception of digital transformation and the willingness to work exclusively in a digital manner have arisen as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To estimate the long-term consequences of the pandemic on the digitisation of work, research that includes macroeconomic consequences in its forecast is necessary.
Swimming in a sea of uncertainty – business, governance and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Authors: Hopper Trevor
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine accounting-related issues that have emerged during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion is based on personal experience and observation of events and media reports in the UK, the USA and New Zealand.

Findings

Many problems that have emerged have varied owing to differences in the national governance of each country regarding the emphasis their governments and businesses have placed on short-run financialisation policies; the comprehensiveness of their information and control systems; their leadership and whether their discourse accords with events and expert advice; their degree of accountability and concern for public wellness; and the need to consider new taxation policies to meet the costs of the pandemic.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is based on personal observations owing to the restrictions on research access during the pandemic, and thus it reflects the author’s political opinions and beliefs.

Practical implications

This paper outlines areas where accounting could and has addressed the issues examined and recommends greater adoption globally of policies and systems designed to meet the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.

Social implications

The social implications are vast for they extend to major issues concerning preserving the planet, its species, humankind and enhanced democratic processes for civil society and developing countries.

Originality/value

A comparative analysis and evaluation of nations' control of of the coronavirus (COVID_19) pandemic. This lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Institutions, entrepreneurial adaptation, and the legal form of the organization
Authors: Khurana Indu , Krichevskiy Dmitriy , Dempster Gregory , Stimpson Sean
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how economic freedom impacts the initial choice of legal structure for startup firms. The authors do this by first exploring whether economic freedom is an essential determinant of the initial legal form of organization (LFO). The authors then explore the impact of economic freedom on firms' choice of changing their initial legal structure over time and how this change impacts their survival rate.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ a multinomial logistic regression model to measure the initial determinants of LFO by utilizing an eight-year panel data set of 4,928 startups in the USA through the Kauffman firm survey and merge it with the Economic Freedom in North American index from the Fraser Institute. The authors then employ a logistic regression model to examine the determinants facilitating a change in legal structure over time.

Findings

The results show that economic freedom is a significant determinant in the choice of legal structure. The findings also report that the majority of startups do not change their legal form, but of those that do change the legal structure show a higher survival rate.

Research limitations/implications

Major limitations are the size of the data and the nature of somewhat limited economic freedom differences with the USA. More nuanced measures of economic freedom would be highly desirable.

Practical implications

Policymakers should take note that limited red tape, smoothly working labor markets and straightforward processes for changes of legal structures of organizations would improve survival and growth odds for entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

Drawing on the theory of institutions, the authors attempt to bridge a gap in the literature by explicitly analyzing the determinants of the legal structure in startups in light of economic freedom. Institutional factors do not work in isolation; therefore, the authors also employ traditional entrepreneur-specific variables that affect the choice of legal structure in addition to the institutional framework.
Cross-disciplinary innovations by Taiwanese manufacturing SMEs in the context of Industry 4.0
Authors: Chen Chun-Liang
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to explore how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan employ technology to participate in global supply chains so as to respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Design/methodology/approach

This study chose four small to medium textile SMEs using qualitative exploratory multiple case studies to examine their participation in the global value chain (GVC) and under the context of Industry 4.0.

Findings

This study proffered a strategic model for the innovative integration of textile manufacturing companies and cultural content industry into the global market. The results identified four types of cross-disciplinary value creation strategies by Industry 4.0-driven technology and cultural content infusion: enhancing digital product display capabilities, integrating cultural content design and online marketing, creative brand marketing with cyber-physical channel integration and emotional marketing incorporated with smart services.

Originality/value

The author proposed the following cross-disciplinary value creation strategies for clothing SMEs in Taiwan: (1) enhancing digital product display capabilities, (2) integrating cultural content design and online marketing, (3) creative brand marketing with cyber-physical integration and (4) emotional marketing incorporated with smart services. Using these strategies, SMEs can incorporate cultural and lifestyle aspects into products and services and embed themselves in the global marketing links of GVCs.
How I became an entrepreneur: an exploratory study of young start-up entrepreneurs
Authors: Samalopanan Ameesh Ajantha , Balasubramaniam Vijayalakshmi
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Though extant literature has mapped various stages of start-up enterprise growth, there is limited research on the phases that an entrepreneur traverses before the enterprise is started and established as a venture. The paper attempts to understand the lived experiences of young Indians as they negotiate the entrepreneurial path.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative method, where primary data were collected using in-depth interviews of 15 start-up entrepreneurs. These narratives were compared with Bansal's descriptions of entrepreneurs in her book “Connect the dots”. The interview transcripts and the detailed descriptions were analysed for emergent themes.

Findings

Results indicated that there are five distinct stages in the development of a start-up entrepreneur; namely – pre-entrepreneurial stage, inflexion point, cocoon period, initial stage, crisis stage and, depending upon the success factors and support received during crisis stage, either a success stage or failure stage.

Originality/value

This is a narrative-based, qualitative approach to understand the lived experiences of young start-up entrepreneurs in India and an attempt to map developmental phases. The fact that India is a fast-growing market for start-ups and the higher rate of failure of start-ups in India makes the study relevant.
Re-positioning historical thinking: a framework for classroom practice
Authors: Boadu Gideon
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Over the last few decades, there have been significant developments in history education, key among them being the recommendation for an inquiry approach to history teaching to improve students' ability to think historically. While the idea of historical thinking is widely researched, it appears that it has been approached from a conceptual perspective without a consistent focus on the mode of progression and the outcomes that the historical thinking concepts can achieve.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws from educational and historical theory and empirical research in history education to propose a framework that specifies the outcomes that a historical thinking classroom activity can aim to achieve.

Findings

The paper argues that the systematic deployment and mediation of disciplinary concepts and substantive knowledge are important means for achieving meaningful and relevant outcomes in history teaching. The paper highlights the need for teacher attention not only to historical theory but also to educational theory for an efficient outcomes-based history education.

Originality/value

This paper contributes not only to discussions on historical thinking but also to discussions on the stances of history which have attracted little theoretical discussion and research on their applicability to classroom teaching.
Heat tolerances of temperate and tropical birds and their implications for susceptibility to climate warming
Authors: Pollock Henry S. , Brawn Jeffrey D. , Cheviron Zachary A.
Published: October 2020

Characterizing heat tolerance is critical for predicting an organism's vulnerability to climate warming. Recent studies of ectotherms report that impacts of climate warming are expected to be greater in the tropics, where ectotherms tend to have lower heat tolerances and experience air temperatures closer to their heat tolerance limits than their temperate counterparts. However, similar comparisons of heat tolerance are largely lacking for endotherms, and it remains an open question whether climate warming will also disproportionately affect tropical endotherms.

To address this empirical gap, we measured thermoregulatory responses to acute heat stress in 81 bird species (23 temperate, 58 tropical), assembling the largest comparative dataset of endothermic heat tolerances to date.

After controlling for body mass and experimental chamber humidity, temperate species had significantly higher heat tolerance limits (ΔHTL = 2.2°C; 45.2 vs. 43.0°C) and upper critical temperatures (ΔUCT = 1.1°C; 38.7 vs. 37.6°C) on average than tropical species. Importantly, however, these differences do not appear to impact vulnerability to climate warming, as neither thermal safety margins [i.e. the difference between upper critical temperature (UCT) and maximum air temperature, Tmax] nor warming tolerances [the difference between heat tolerance limit (HTL) and Tmax] differed between temperate and tropical species. We also observed substantial variation in heat tolerance among avian orders, with pigeons and doves (Columbiformes) being among the most heat tolerant species in our dataset.

Overall, our results suggest that, from a physiological standpoint, tropical birds may not be systematically more susceptible to climate warming than temperate birds, contrasting previous studies of ectotherms. Furthermore, we show that certain avian clades may be more resilient to warming irrespective of local climate. However, because we only sampled at one temperate and one tropical site, we caution that replication from other habitats and localities are needed to evaluate the generality of our findings.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Temperature is a dominant driver of distinct annual seasonality of leaf litter production of equatorial tropical rain forests
Authors: Kitayama Kanehiro , Ushio Masayuki , Aiba Shin‐Ichiro
Published: October 2020

Intra‐annual periodicity of canopy photosynthetic activity and leaf development has been documented in seasonal and weakly seasonal tropical forests in the Amazon and elsewhere. However, vegetative periodicity such as leaf flush and fall in apparently ‘aseasonal’ equatorial tropical forests has not been well documented. Moreover, causal drivers of the vegetative periodicity in those forests have not been identified largely because of the difficulty in performing manipulative experiments targeting whole forest ecosystem dynamics.

Here we show a distinct annual seasonality in canopy dynamics using a Fourier analysis with a statistical significance test on the long‐term, fortnightly monitored dataset of leaf litterfall in nine evergreen tropical rain forests on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Statistically significant annual periodicity occurs across elevations and soil types in all years irrespective of the year‐to‐year climatic variability, suggesting that fluctuations in regional climate rather than local micro‐climatic, edaphic and/or biotic conditions cause the precise 1‐year periodicity.

We examine climatic factors that have causative effects on the distinct 1‐year periodicity using the spectrum convergent cross mapping that we developed in the present study that can distinguish causal relationships from seasonality‐driven synchronization. According to the analysis, we find that mean daily air temperature is most strongly, causatively related to the 1‐year periodicity of leaf litterfall. However, knowledge on ecophysiolocial and molecular mechanisms underlying temperature‐control of tropical tree growth is limited and further studies are required to understand the detailed mechanisms.

Synthesis. We suggest that intra‐annual temperature changes in association with the movement of the intertropical convergence zone cause the distinct annual vegetative periodicity. Because vegetative periodicity can be transmitted to the dynamics of higher trophic levels through a trophic cascade, interactions between vegetative periodicity and daily air temperature, not rainfall, would more strongly cause changes in the dynamics of equatorial tropical rain forests. Our results show that clear vegetative periodicity (i.e. annual seasonality) can be found in equatorial tropical rain forests under diverse local environments, and that air temperature is a more important factor than the other climate variables in the climate–forest ecosystem interactions.
A student with mild intellectual disability and two‐step equations
Authors: Hord Casey , DeJarnette Anna F. , McMillan Leah A. , Baldrick Paige
Published: October 2020

The authors of this study conducted an exploratory study of the teaching and learning processes of a tutor and a student with a mild intellectual disability (MID) while working on two‐step equations. The researchers focused on situations in which the participant was likely to struggle with memory and processing as well as the challenges of the mathematics tasks with which he was presented. The student benefitted from his own use of strategically organised work on pencil and paper as well as the teacher's use of gestures and strategically asked questions designed to promote his progress, yet not interfere with his critical thinking. While the student did experience some challenges, this study demonstrated a case in which a student with a MID solved and discussed two‐step equations successfully.
Human skin biomarkers relationship to response to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in advanced EGFR‐mutated lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Castañeda‐Zárraga Anahí , Rodríguez‐Cid Jerónimo Rafael , Flores‐Mariñelarena Rodrigo Rafael , Trinidad‐Bibiano Héctor , Martínez‐Herrera José Fabián , Sánchez‐Ríos Carla Paola , Fernández‐Garibay Valeria Michelle , Alatorre‐Alexander Jorge Arturo , Martínez‐Barrera Luis , Santillán‐Doherty Patricio Javier , Vega‐Memije María Elisa
Published: October 2020

Background

A relationship between the EGFR signaling pathway expression in skin and the use of targeted cancer therapies has been previously demonstrated. Consistent evidence to support the use of skin biopsies as a surrogate for therapeutic evaluation is needed. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between the expression of EGFR signaling pathway markers in skin samples from EGFR‐mutated metastatic lung adenocarcinoma patients and their response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Methods

This was a prospective single blind analysis of 35 skin biopsies from 31 patients with confirmed advanced EGFR‐mutated lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was performed: EGFR, p27, Ki67, STAT3 and MAPK, as well as H&E histopathological analysis, in order to determine their treatment response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Results

EGFR, Ki67, STAT3, stratum corneum thickness (number of layers and millimeters) from skin samples had a statistical correlation with an adequate treatment response (P = 0.025, 0.015, 0.017, 0.041, 0.039 respectively). EGFR, p27 and number of layers of the stratum corneum were related to a better median progression‐free survival (P = 0.025 and P = 0.030).

Conclusions

The relationship between EGFR pathway inhibition in the skin and oncological outcomes obtained explains the parallel biological effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We hope that our work incites future research to help validate and assess the use of these markers as potential prognostic and predictive factors.