bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Simons Observatory: Combining cross-spectral foreground cleaning with multitracer
B
-mode delensing for improved constraints on inflation
Authors: Hertig Emilie , Wolz Kevin , Namikawa Toshiya , Lizancos Antón Baleato , Azzoni Susanna , Abril-Cabezas Irene , Alonso David , Baccigalupi Carlo , Calabrese Erminia , Challinor Anthony , Errard Josquin , Fabbian Giulio , Hervías-Caimapo Carlos , Jost Baptiste , Krachmalnicoff Nicoletta , Lonappan Anto I. , Morshed Magdy , Pagano Luca , Sherwin Blake ,   The Simons Observatory Collaboration
Published: August 2024

The Simons Observatory (SO), due to start full science operations in early 2025, aims to set tight constraints on inflationary physics by inferring the tensor-to-scalar ratio r from measurements of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization B-modes. Its nominal design including three small-aperture telescopes (SATs) targets a precision σ(r=0)≤0.003 without delensing. Achieving this goal and further reducing uncertainties requires a thorough understanding and mitigation of other large-scale B-mode sources such as Galactic foregrounds and weak gravitational lensing. We present an analysis pipeline aiming to estimate r by including delensing within a cross-spectral likelihood, and demonstrate it for the first time on SO-like simulations accounting for various levels of foreground complexity, inhomogeneous noise and partial sky coverage. As introduced in an earlier SO delensing paper, lensing B-modes are synthesized using internal CMB lensing reconstructions as well as -like cosmic infrared background maps and LSST-like galaxy density maps. We then extend SO’s power-spectrum-based foreground-cleaning algorithm to include all auto- and cross-spectra between the lensing template and the SAT B-modes in the likelihood function. This allows us to constrain r and the parameters of our foreground model simultaneously. Within this framework, we demonstrate the equivalence of map-based and cross-spectral delensing and use it to motivate an optimized pixel-weighting scheme for power spectrum estimation. We start by validating our pipeline in the simplistic case of uniform foreground spectral energy distributions. In the absence of primordial B-modes, we find that the 1σ statistical uncertainty on r, σ(r), decreases by 37% as a result of delensing. Tensor modes at the level of r=0.01 are successfully detected by our pipeline. Even when using more realistic foreground models including spatial variations in the dust and synchrotron spectral properties, we obtain unbiased estimates of r both with and without delensing by employing the moment-expansion method. In this case, uncertainties are increased due to the higher number of model parameters, and delensing-related improvements range between 27% and 31%. These results constitute the first realistic assessment of the delensing performance at SO’s nominal sensitivity level.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Violation of weak cosmic censorship in de Sitter space
Authors: Lin Feng-Li , Ning Bo
Published: August 2024

Inspired by the recent discovery of a violation of strong cosmic censorship (SCC) for the near-extremal Reissner-Nordström black holes in de Sitter space (RN-dS), we investigate if the weak cosmic censorship conjecture (WCCC) can also be violated in RN-dS with a fixed cosmological constant. Our method is based on the recent formulation of examining WCCC by the constraint of the second law, which in this case requires the sum of areas of the event and cosmic horizons cannot decrease during the infall process of Wald’s gedanken experiment. We find that the WCCC can be violated for the near-extremal RN-dS in some regimes of second-order perturbation of field configurations. Given the charge parameter of RN-dS, we can find the lowest value of the subextremality parameter, beyond which the WCCC holds. Our results imply that there might be possible correlations between the violation of SCC and WCC. Because of a lack of an unambiguous relation between the gravitational mass and matter’s kinematic mass in asymptotically de Sitter space, we cannot compare the corresponding regimes of parameter space for the violations of SCC and WCCC. We also discuss the subtlety in formulating the first- and second-law approaches to examine WCCC.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
First-generation distance learning students: can the perceptions of social support and sense of belonging influence academic persistence?
Authors: Mtshweni Bongani V.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

First-generation students (FGS) experience numerous challenges during their studies because of their background attributes and lack of social capital required to navigate institutions of higher learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of perceived social support and a sense of belonging on academic persistence among FGS at a distance e-learning institution in South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional quantitative research approach was employed. The sample comprised 240 undergraduate students. While multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the influence of perceived social support and sense of belonging on academic persistence, mediation analysis was used to test for the mediating effect of sense of belonging on the relationship between perceived social support and academic persistence.

Findings

The results revealed that while perceived family support, perceived friendship support and perceived support from others did not significantly predict academic persistence, a sense of belonging significantly predicted academic persistence. The results also demonstrated that a sense of belonging significantly mediated the relationship between perceived family support and academic persistence. Further, the sense of belonging significantly mediated the relationship between perceived support from others and academic persistence.

Research limitations/implications

The results of the study imply that distance learning institutions should strengthen student support mechanisms and institute steps to create learning environments that engender belongingness to enable students to persist academically and reach their academic goals.

Originality/value

This study outlines practical strategies that distance learning institutions could use to enhance support and bolster belongingness among students to help them complete their studies.
Digital marketing and small and medium-sized enterprises’ business performance in emerging markets
Authors: Deku Wisdom Apedo , Wang Jiuhe , Preko Alexander Kofi
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the comprehensive conceptualization how digital marketing and its adoption increase the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as the impact of technological orientation, customer relationship management and digital marketing on SMEs’ business performance in emerging markets (EMs).

Design/methodology/approach

Anchored by social network theory, 178 SMEs were conveniently drawn from the National Board for Small Scale Industries now Ghana enterprise agencies in Ghana. The hypotheses were analysed using the SPSS package tool, and structural equation modelling was used, as well.

Findings

This study reveals that the conceptualization and adoption of digital marketing positively affect the performance of SMEs’ business management in EMs. In addition, a positive moderating effect of dynamism is observed in the relationship between digital marketing and SMEs’ business performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses only on SMEs from the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions of Ghana as an EM, and it proposes priorities for future research streams in both developed and emerging countries.

Practical implications

The findings encourage SMEs to develop quality digital marketing technologies, good customer relationships and technological orientation and customer relationship management competencies in EMs to maximise profit.

Originality/value

This paper fills considerable knowledge, evidence and contextual gaps in the literature on SMEs, entrepreneurship and marketing in EMs by presenting a comprehensive overview of how SMEs can use digital marketing in an EM context to achieve the following: customer acquisitions, satisfaction and retention; increased profitability; quality service delivery; value creation; and cost reductions.
Does leadership humility foster salesperson creativity? The serial mediating role of job satisfaction and knowledge sharing
Authors: Fujii Makoto
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study clarifies the mediating effects of job satisfaction and knowledge sharing on the relationship between leadership humility and salesperson creativity. It also shows how job satisfaction mediates between leadership humility and knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

This study sampled 380 salespeople in Japan’s financial sector to participate in a two-wave online survey. The partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results of the partial least squares structural equation modeling showed that the serial mediating effect of leadership humility on salesperson creativity through job satisfaction and knowledge sharing was statistically significant. The supplementary analysis showed that leadership humility had a curvilinear effect on salesperson creativity.

Research limitations/implications

The findings were restricted to salespeople employed in Japan’s financial sector.

Practical implications

Contrary to previous meta-analytic studies, the mere presence of humble leaders is insufficient to induce salesperson creativity.

Originality/value

This study is the first to deeply elucidate the underlying mechanism between leadership humility and salesperson creativity and examine the curvilinear relationship between leadership humility and salesperson creativity.
Inflated energy prices and capital structure: firm level evidence from Indian manufacturing sector
Authors: Dhanda Mamta , Dhanda Sunaina , Choudhary Bhawna
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of inflated energy prices on the capital structure of Indian manufacturing corporations and to investigate whether the capital structure of Indian firms is driven by demand shocks or supply shocks during the study period.

Design/methodology/approach

After conducting a thorough review of the capital structure and inflation-based research studies, panel data-based regression model and correlation matrix have been used as statistical tools for Indian manufacturing sector available with the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Prowess database.

Findings

The results suggest that variables like the presence of inflated energy prices had adversely influenced the capital structure of Indian corporations. Not only this, the study also highlights that factors pertaining to the demand shock had induced Indian corporations to have higher debt levels in the capital structure.

Practical implications

This study has laid some ground work to explore the influence of inflation on capital structure of Indian firms upon which a more detailed evaluation could be based.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first that explores the influence of inflated energy prices on the capital structure of manufacturing firms in India by using the most recent data.
Let the people decide! Citizen engagement and enfranchisement in the front end of urban development projects
Authors: Vuorinen Lauri , Lehtinen Jere , Ståhle Matias
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Citizen engagement can promote value creation in urban development projects. This potential stems from the granting of decision-making authority to citizens, labeled citizen enfranchisement in this study. Citizens are focal stakeholders of urban development projects and enfranchisement grants them an explicit say on such projects. Despite this potential for enhanced value creation, there remains limited understanding about how project organizations enfranchise stakeholders in the front end of urban development projects.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, we designed a multiple-case study to analyze two novel citizen engagement processes in Northern-European cities. In these processes, citizens were enfranchised in ideating, designing, and making selections on urban development projects. We followed a multimethod approach to data collection. The collected datasets include document data, interview data and observation data.

Findings

Our findings demonstrated a distribution and redistribution of decision-making authority throughout the phases of the citizen engagement processes. Citizens’ voices were amplified throughout the project front end, although episodes of decision-making authority held by the cities took place periodically as well. By granting explicit decision-making authority to citizens, citizen enfranchisement facilitated a more democratic urban development process, promoting value creation.

Originality/value

In contrast to the earlier research, the findings of our study illustrate citizen engagement taking place at so-called higher levels of stakeholder engagement. In particular, our study reveals a granting of de facto decision-making authority to citizens, also known as citizen enfranchisement. These findings contribute to the earlier research on stakeholder engagement in projects, where the influence of stakeholder engagement has often been considered symbolic or limited.
Biodiversity preservation in German higher education institutions: existing approaches, challenges and future developments
Authors: Yerokhin Stella-Maria , Lin Feuer Yu-Shan , Sassen Remmer
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the current stage of biodiversity preservation in higher education institutions (HEIs), using samples from German universities and investigating three different dimensions, namely, existing approaches, challenges and future developments.

Design/methodology/approach

Semistructured expert interviews were conducted with employees from 14 German Universities. To analyze the data, both deductive and inductive methods of content analysis were conducted to systematically code the results.

Findings

This research shows that efforts for biodiversity preservation are frequently made in the areas of student and staff initiatives, green space management, as well as in research and teaching. However, German HEIs face numerous hurdles such as interest conflict, lack of prioritization and financial restrictions, some of which are difficult to overcome. In the future, HEIs should seek a deeper integration of biodiversity into curricula to further raise biodiversity awareness.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides practical implications by providing good practices, which can serve as a guide for implementing measures for biodiversity preservation. By understanding the struggles and future expectations, stakeholders and policymakers could promote targeted measures and relevant policies to advance biodiversity initiatives at and beyond universities. Moreover, the research shows the importance of involving students and staff actively in the planning and executing stage for biodiversity preservation through initiatives to achieve green campuses.

Originality/value

The paper presents an essential research field which is still in its earlier stage. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study that focuses on German Universities in this context. This study adds value in providing in-depth insights into this topic to raise awareness of biodiversity preservation in both practice and research.
Human–artificial intellectual capital…beyond a fragmented perspective
Authors: Caputo Francesco
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Human and artificial intelligence has often been examined through competitive and oppositional lenses, which may no longer suffice in modern digital and knowledge-based societies. This paper advocates for a holistic perspective by integrating human and artificial intelligence within the conceptual framework of intellectual capital (IC).

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a deductive approach rooted in systems theory, this study reinterprets established dimensions of IC for the era of artificial intelligence.

Findings

Drawing inspiration from the Information Variety Model and the 4C Curve Model, both developed within the research framework of the Viable Systems Approach, a conceptual framework is proposed to transcend fragmented perspectives. It aims to provide researchers and practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of human–artificial intelligence relations within the realm of IC.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on the potential evolution of IC in the era of artificial intelligence by presenting a multidisciplinary framework that challenges reductionist perspectives. It underscores the importance of systems thinking in reframing, analyzing and discussing key dimensions of IC in the context of the artificial intelligence era.
How CEO transformational leadership promotes firm innovation: mediating role of collective task self-efficacy
Authors: Zhao Wenwen , Zhang Zhe
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Innovative capabilities are essential for the survival and development of an organization. Previous studies have found a positive relationship between CEO transformational leadership (CEOTFL) and firm innovation. However, limited studies have endeavored to investigate the relationship between CEOTFL and firm innovation through the cognition and attitudes of the ordinary employees, despite their significant role in corporate innovation. Existing TFL literature has predominantly concentrated on “the close relationships” between leaders and their immediate subordinates, leaving the remote influence of CEOTFL on ordinary employees under-researched. Therefore, the current study aims to explain the relationship between CEOTFL and firm innovation from a micro-level perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Multilevel and multi-sourced data from 1,627 employees across 145 firms was used to test the hypotheses in this study.

Findings

The results indicate that CEOTFL can enhance firm innovation by enhancing the collective task self-efficacy of regular employees. Moreover, this effect is not observed when employees are exposed to a low level of work–life balance practices.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that CEOs can perform increased TFL to promote firm innovation. It is recommended that CEOs demonstrate their TFL not only to their direct subordinates but also to regular employees using various methods, such as participating in corporate activities with employees, delivering public speeches and sending emails to employees. Meanwhile, the HRM system should consistently align with the CEO’s leadership approach within the organization.

Social implications

This study strengthens the importance of ordinary employees and their contribution to firm innovation.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the literature on the micro-foundations of the relationship between CEOTFL and firm innovation by considering ordinary employee reactions as a mediator. Furthermore, this study enriches the CEOTFL literature by investigating the distant influence of CEOTFL on rank-and-file employees through the lens of social cognitive theory. Additionally, the authors expand cue consistency theory to the realms of CEO leadership and HRM literature by integrating CEOTFL and work–life balance practices into a unified model. The findings reveal the importance of coordination between CEO leadership and HRM systems within an organization. The inclusion of Chinese sample data in this study augments the cultural diversity of the sample within the CEOTFL literature.
Combined effects of abusive supervision, willpower and waypower on employees’ task performance and helping behavior, through quality of work life
Authors: Haq Inam Ul , Raja Usman , Azeem Muhammad Umer , Bajwa Naeem
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Extending the efforts of previous scholars, this study examines how abusive supervision undermines employees’ ability to meet performance expectations and propensity to engage in helping behavior. Specifically, we investigate a hitherto unexplored mediating role of quality of work life (QWL) in this relationship. We further suggest that employees’ psychological resources, namely willpower and waypower, act as protective shields against this harmful process.

Design/methodology/approach

We tested the proposed hypotheses using multisource (self- and supervisor-rated) three-wave time-lagged data (N = 185) collected from employees and their supervisors in eight organizations that operate in the service sector of Pakistan.

Findings

The findings corroborate our predicted hypotheses. The results indicate that employees' exposure to abusive supervision deteriorates their quality of work life (QWL), hindering their ability to deliver expected performance and tendency to help other colleagues. However, this negative process is less pronounced for employees who possess sufficient psychological resources of willpower and waypower.

Practical implications

This study provides valuable insights to organizations by explicating the process that undermines employees’ ability to channel their energies into performance-enhancing activities when faced with humiliation from their supervisors.

Originality/value

This study details three previously unexplored factors that explain how and when abusive behavior steers service sector employees away from meeting performance expectations and assisting colleagues, via thwarting their quality of work life.
Digital information repackaging: best practices from university library website managers
Authors: Atmi Ragil Tri , Putri Cecinita Felia , Babbar Parveen
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the digital information repackaging process from the perspective of library website operators. The digital info repackaging process consists of analysis, synthesis, editing and presenting.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews with 17 library website operators regarding their experience in information repackaging. The library website observation also conducted to gather the data on information repackaging.

Findings

Librarians who manage library websites repackage digital information using a process of user analysis, content analysis, editing and transforming and translating. Librarians who are in charge of repackaging usually collect, check, group and present information based on the raw data and information. Librarians rarely did criticize or argue the information. They just deliver it in the pact and attractive format. In the future, librarians can add critical comments on their digital information content, such as give recommendation, provide point of view, add some suggestion or make comparison.

Practical implications

This paper can provide an overview of the process of repackaging digital information carried out by university libraries which can be provided by libraries via websites. Apart from that, it is hoped that the presence of this research can help librarians in carrying out the process of repackaging digital information.

Originality/value

This paper can add to the scientific development of information science and library studies related to the field of information repackaging, especially in the repackaging of digital information in creating website content to efficiently meet the information needs of university library users.
Integrating deep reinforcement learning and improved artificial potential field method for safe path planning for mobile robots
Authors: Tong Sijie , Liu Qingchen , Ma Qichao , Qin Jiahu
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to address the safety concerns of path-planning algorithms in dynamic obstacle warehouse environments. It proposes a method that uses improved artificial potential fields (IAPF) as expert knowledge for an improved deep deterministic policy gradient (IDDPG) and designs a hierarchical strategy for robots through obstacle detection methods.

Design/methodology/approach

The IAPF algorithm is used as the expert experience of reinforcement learning (RL) to reduce the useless exploration in the early stage of RL training. A strategy-switching mechanism is introduced during training to adapt to various scenarios and overcome challenges related to sparse rewards. Sensor inputs, including light detection and ranging data, are integrated to detect obstacles around waypoints, guiding the robot toward the target point.

Findings

Simulation experiments demonstrate that the integrated use of IDDPG and the IAPF method significantly enhances the safety and training efficiency of path planning for mobile robots.

Originality/value

This method enhances safety by applying safety domain judgment rules to improve APF’s security and designing an obstacle detection method for better danger anticipation. It also boosts training efficiency through using IAPF as expert experience for DDPG and the classification storage and sampling design for the RL experience pool. Additionally, adjustments to the actor network’s update frequency expedite convergence.
Dufour and Soret effects on MHD squeezed nanoliquid flow between parallel plates by differential transform method
Authors: Thangaraj Chandrapushpam , Sivanandam Sivasankaran , Marimuthu Bhuvaneswari
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the Dufour and Soret combined effects on the study of two-dimensional squeezed flow of copper water nanofluid between parallel plates along with applied (external) magnetic field. Impact of higher order chemical reaction is also considered.

Design/methodology/approach

The nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) are changed into system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by employing suitable similarity transformations. These transformed ODEs are then solved by means of a semianalytical method called differential transform method (DTM). Effects of several changing physical parameters on fluid flow, temperature and concentration have been deliberated through graphs.

Findings

It is observed that Dufour and Soret numbers are directly related to temperature profile and a reverse trend was observed in the concentration profile. Temperature enhancement is perceived for the enhanced Dufour number. Enhancement in Dufour number shows a direct association with Sh and Nu for all values of squeezing parameter.

Practical implications

The combined Dufour and Soret effects are used in separation of isotopes in mixture of gases, oil reservoirs and binary alloys solidification. The squeeze nanoliquid flow can be used in the field of composite material joining, rheological testing and welding engineering.

Social implications

This study is mainly useful for geosciences and chemical engineering.

Originality/value

The uniqueness in this research is the study of the impact of cross diffusion on chemically reacting squeezed nanoliquid flow with the chemical reaction order more than one in the presence of applied magnetic force using a semianalytical procedure, named DTM.
Plant functional types and tissue stoichiometry explain nutrient transfer in common arbuscular mycorrhizal networks of temperate grasslands
Authors: Dawson Hilary Rose , Shek Katherine L. , Maxwell Toby M. , Reed Paul B. , Bomfim Barbara , Bridgham Scott D. , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Silva Lucas C. R.
Published: August 2024

Plants and mycorrhizal fungi form mutualistic relationships that affect how resources flow between organisms and within ecosystems. Common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) could facilitate preferential transfer of carbon and limiting nutrients, but this remains difficult to predict. Do CMNs favour fungal resource acquisition at the expense of plant resource demands (a fungi‐centric view), or are they passive channels through which plants regulate resource fluxes (a plant‐centric view)?

We used stable isotope tracers (13CO2 and 15NH3), plant traits, and mycorrhizal DNA to quantify above‐ and below‐ground carbon and nitrogen transfer between 18 plant species along a 520‐km latitudinal gradient in the Pacific Northwest, USA.

Plant functional type and tissue stoichiometry were the most important predictors of interspecific resource transfer. Of ‘donor’ plants, 98% were 13C‐enriched, but we detected transfer in only 2% of ‘receiver’ plants. However, all donors were 15N‐enriched and we detected transfer in 81% of receivers. Nitrogen was preferentially transferred to annuals (0.26 ± 0.50 mg N per g leaf mass) compared with perennials (0.13 ± 0.30 mg N per g leaf mass). This corresponded with tissue stoichiometry differences.

Synthesis Our findings suggest that plants and fungi that are located closer together in space and with stronger demand for resources over time are more likely to receive larger amounts of those limiting resources.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Research on the castor oil pressing extraction mechanism based on multi‐physics coupling simulation
Authors: Shu Can , Yang Liu , Xu Zilong , Wu Junfeng , Chen Huan , Cui Bo , Wang Zhicheng , Xiao Xuan , Song Shaoyun , Zhang Yonglin
Published: August 2024

Castor oil has been widely used in various fields due to its properties, leading to large attention for its extraction mechanism. To research the castor oil extraction mechanism during pressing, a self‐developed uniaxial compression device combined with an in situ observation is established. The effects of pressure, loading speed, and creep time are investigated, and a finite element model coupling with multi‐physics is established for castor oil pressing extraction, verified by the seed cake experimental compression strain matching with numerical simulation under the same condition. Simulation results indicated that the pressing oil extraction process can be divided into two stages, Darcy's speed shows the first sharp decreasing stage and the second gradual increasing stage during porosity and pressure interaction. In the first stage, porosity is dominant on Darcy's speed. With porosity decreasing, the pressure effect on Darcy's speed exceeds porosity in the second stage. With seed thickness increasing, Darcy's speed first increases and then decreases. With loading speed increasing, Darcy's speed increases. Darcy's speed decreases constantly with creep time increasing. This study can provide basic theoretical and practical guidance for oil extraction.
The politics of accountability in global sustainable commodity governance: Dilemmas of institutional competition and convergence
Authors: Macdonald Kate , Bahruddin  , Hartoto Annisa Sabrina , Unger Carla , Cisneros Paul , Pugley Deborah Delgado , Herreras Salazar Damaris , Winanti Poppy Sulistyaning , Kurniawan Nanang Indra
Published: August 2024

The accountability of market‐driven sustainability governance has long been controversial, reflecting the deeply political processes through which accountability contests shape governance transformations. Drawing on illustrative examples from internationally traded agro‐commodity sectors in the critical case of Indonesia, this paper examines the contested processes of accountability that have accompanied a recent period of institutional change in sustainability governance. Amidst rising critiques of global certification, there has been a parallel expansion of governance approaches that prioritise capability development over regulatory enforcement and engage more intensively with governments in commodity‐producing countries. As alternative governance models gain influence, tensions between competing governance stakeholders and agendas are mirrored and amplified through parallel accountability contests, in which distributional conflicts between global and local stakeholders are intensified by pressures to adopt contentious systems of compliance verification. While accountability gaps associated with contrasting institutional models produce strong pressures for partial institutional convergence, such convergence coexists with new forms of institutional fragmentation, as competition between global and national certification expands to encompass competition with localised capacity‐building and jurisdictional approaches. Analysis highlights the often‐neglected role of accountability politics in shaping institutional change, while raising pressing questions about the distributional implications of contemporary shifts away from global certification governance models.
Relationship between the combination of platelet count and neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio and prognosis of patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors plus chemotherapy: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kashimura Saeko , Sato Miki , Inagaki Takahito , Kin Masaoki , Manabe Ryo , Kusumoto Sojiro , Horiike Atsushi , Tsunoda Takuya , Kogo Mari
Published: August 2024

Background

The relationship between the combination of platelet count and neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (COP‐NLR) and prognosis in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination therapy with chemotherapy remains unclear. Thus, we investigated prognostic factors, including the COP‐NLR, to identify patients who could benefit from the therapeutic efficacy of ICI combination therapy for advanced NSCLC. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between the COP‐NLR score during ICI combination therapy and treatment response.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 88 patients with NSCLC who initially received ICI combination therapy. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). The prognostic factors were extracted using the Cox proportional hazards model. The relationship between COP‐NLR score at 3 weeks after starting ICI combination therapy and a good response (complete response [CR] and partial response [PR]) to treatment was analyzed using the chi‐square test.

Results

The median OS was 15.7 months. In the multivariable analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) 2, distant metastatic sites ≥2, and baseline COP‐NLR scores of 1, 2 were extracted as significant poor prognostic factors. The proportion of patients with CR and PR in the 3‐week COP‐NLR score of 0 group was significantly higher than that in scores of 1, 2 group.

Conclusions

Baseline COP‐NLR, ECOG PS, and number of distant metastatic sites were prognostic factors in patients with NSCLC with ICI combination therapy. A lower 3‐week COP‐NLR was associated with a good response to treatment.
No value of non‐selective beta‐blockers after TIPS‐insertion
Authors: Tiede Anja , Stockhoff Lena , Rieland Hannah , Liu Zhaoli , Mauz Jim B. , Tergast Tammo L. , Kabelitz Martin A. , Schütte Sarah S. , Ehrenbauer Alena F. , Meyer Bernhard C. , Wedemeyer Heiner , Hinrichs Jan B. , Cornberg Markus , Falk Christine S. , Xu Cheng‐Jian , Maasoumy Benjamin
Published: August 2024

Background and Aims

Non‐selective beta‐blockers (NSBB) are a well‐established treatment in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension. However, their potential role after insertion of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) still needs to be determined. Of note, recent studies suggested that favourable anti‐inflammatory effects of NSBB might be independent from pressure reduction. This study aimed to evaluate whether NSBB‐treatment is associated with amelioration of systemic inflammation (SI), hepatic decompensation and survival after TIPS‐insertion.

Methods

In a retrospective study comprising 305 consecutive patients, we investigated the impact of NSBB‐intake at TIPS‐placement on periinterventional cirrhosis‐associated complications and continued NSBB‐treatment after discharge on complications including hepatic decompensation and mortality during 1‐year follow‐up, employing multivariable competing‐risk‐analyses. In a prospective cohort including 45 patients, we performed a comprehensive analysis of SI analysing 48 soluble inflammatory markers (SIMs) at baseline plus 3 and 6 months after TIPS‐insertion.

Results

Overall, 175 (57.4%) patients received NSBB‐therapy prior to TIPS‐insertion; upon discharge, this decreased to 131 (22.9%), with 36 (27.5%) discontinuing NSBB within 1‐year follow‐up. Neither NSBB‐therapy at TIPS‐insertion nor treatment‐continuation after discharge were associated with lower risks for hepatic decompensation, individual cirrhosis‐associated complications or mortality neither in the periinterventional period nor during follow‐up. Similarly, in the prospective cohort NSBB‐intake was not linked to lower levels or a more prominent change of WBC, CRP or any other SIM at any of the investigated time points.

Conclusion

NSBB‐therapy at the time of TIPS‐insertion and its (dis‐)continuation afterwards seems to have no significant impact on SI, development of hepatic decompensation and survival.
Performance of the ChatGPT large language model for decision support in community pharmacy
Authors: Shin Euibeom , Hartman Maggie , Ramanathan Murali
Published: August 2024

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the ChatGPT‐4 (ChatGPT) large language model (LLM) on tasks relevant to community pharmacy.

Methods

ChatGPT was assessed with community pharmacy‐relevant test cases involving drug information retrieval, identifying labelling errors, prescription interpretation, decision‐making under uncertainty and multidisciplinary consults. Drug information on rituximab, warfarin, and St. John's wort was queried. The decision‐support scenarios consisted of a subject with swollen eyelids and a maculopapular rash in a subject on lisinopril and ferrous sulfate. The multidisciplinary scenarios required the integration of medication management with recommendations for healthy eating and physical activity/exercise.

Results

The responses from ChatGPT for rituximab, warfarin, and St. John's wort were satisfactory and cited drug databases and drug‐specific monographs. ChatGPT identified labeling errors related to incorrect medication strength, form, route of administration, unit conversion, and directions. For the patient with inflamed eyelids, the course of action developed by ChatGPT was comparable to the pharmacist's approach. For the patient with the maculopapular rash, both the pharmacist and ChatGPT placed a drug reaction to either lisinopril or ferrous sulfate at the top of the differential. ChatGPT provided customized vaccination requirements for travel to Brazil, guidance on management of drug allergies and recovery from a knee injury. ChatGPT provided satisfactory medication management and wellness information for a diabetic on metformin and semaglutide.

Conclusions

LLMs have the potential to become a powerful tool in community pharmacy. However, rigorous validation studies across diverse pharmacist queries, drug classes and populations, and engineering to secure patient privacy will be needed to enhance LLM utility.
The curvilinear effect of environmental, social, and governance performance on stock price crash risk in China
Authors: Zhou Xiaohua , Yang Yi , Zhang Haitao
Published: August 2024

With the concept of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) gaining traction worldwide, firms are becoming increasingly transparent about their ESG practices to enhance their legitimacy. This study draws on signaling theory, stakeholder theory, and opportunism theory, and uses panel data from Chinese A‐share listed firms from 2009 to 2022. It identifies a U‐shaped relationship between ESG performance and stock price crash risk, indicating that the increase in ESG performance decreases stock price crash risk, but after reaching a threshold value, it increases the risk. Green innovation moderates this U‐shaped relationship, reinforcing its effects. Meanwhile, earnings management plays a mediating role in this U‐shaped relationship. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that the U‐shaped relationship is significant in polluting industries, firms without the duality of chairperson and CEO, firms with high analyst coverage, and those under high market competition. The moderating effect of green innovation is particularly significant in firms with poor external legal environments and firms with positive management tone. Our findings provide novel insights and recommendations for policymakers, managers, and stakeholders to develop effective ESG policies.
A before after control impact experiment on a historically fished seagrass (Zostera marina) bed
Authors: Breen Patricia , Ó Cuaig Macdara , Guilfoyle Fergal , Hannon Colin , Tully Oliver
Published: August 2024

Seagrasses are considered to be globally important for carbon sequestration and they provide a range of ecosystem services. However, they are also known to be vulnerable to various anthropogenic activities, not least bottom contacting fishing gears such as dredging and potting. We set out to test the effects of dredge fishing, in early spring and potting in late summer, in a historically fished but considered “pristine” seagrass meadow on the west coast of Ireland. We found that despite dredging and potting pressures, growth of seagrasses was driven by seasonal changes in light and temperature and that neither fishing activity had any effect on rhizome weight or shoot or blade densities during the growing season. We hypothesize that it is possible for fishing to co‐occur with seagrass if fishing activities are restricted to winter or early spring, before the main seagrass growing season, and/or if particular types of gear, such as the traditional gears described here are used. High levels of dredging and potting had positive increases in the count of both sessile and mobile epifauna suggesting that for mobile species at least, they may take advantage of post‐fishing scavenging opportunities.
Liraglutide enhances insulin secretion and prolongs the remission period in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (the NewLira study): A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Dejgaard Thomas F. , Frandsen Christian S. , Kielgast Urd , Størling Joachim , Overgaard Anne J. , Svane Maria S. , Olsen Markus Harboe , Thorsteinsson Birger , Andersen Henrik U. , Krarup Thure , Holst Jens J. , Madsbad Sten
Published: August 2024

Aim

To test the effect of the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist, liraglutide, on residual beta‐cell function in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes.

Materials and Methods

In a multicentre, double‐blind, parallel‐group trial, adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes and stimulated C‐peptide of more than 0.2 nmol/L were randomized (1:1) to 1.8‐mg liraglutide (Victoza) or placebo once daily for 52 weeks with 6 weeks of follow‐up with only insulin treatment. The primary endpoint was the between‐group difference in C‐peptide area under the curve (AUC) following a liquid mixed‐meal test after 52 weeks of treatment.

Results

Sixty‐eight individuals were randomized. After 52 weeks, the 4‐hour AUC C‐peptide response was maintained with liraglutide, but decreased with placebo (P = .002). Six weeks after end‐of‐treatment, C‐peptide AUCs were similar for liraglutide and placebo. The average required total daily insulin dose decreased from 0.30 to 0.23 units/kg/day with liraglutide, but increased from 0.29 to 0.43 units/kg/day in the placebo group at week 52 (P < .001). Time without the need for insulin treatment was observed in 13 versus two patients and lasted for 22 weeks (from 3 to 52 weeks) versus 6 weeks (from 4 to 8 weeks) on average for liraglutide and placebo, respectively. Patients treated with liraglutide had fewer episodes of hypoglycaemia compared with placebo‐treated patients. The adverse events with liraglutide were predominantly gastrointestinal and transient.

Conclusions

Treatment with liraglutide improves residual beta‐cell function and reduces the dose of insulin during the first year after diagnosis. Beta‐cell function was similar at 6 weeks postliraglutide treatment.
The impact of comment letters on audit fees: Evidence from spillover effect
Authors: Wu Wuqing , Zhang Huixuan , Shan Yuan George
Published: August 2024

This study examines whether comment letters have spillover effects on audit fees. By examining listed companies in China, we find that the frequency of comment letters received by peer firms is positively associated with focal firms' audit fees. The spillover effect is stronger when companies have the same audit firm as their peers and the comment letter is longer, asks more questions, is more negative, or contains more risk information. Furthermore, the effect is more pronounced (weaker) for companies with higher growth (audited by Big Four audit firms). Our findings suggest that comment letters have regulatory effectiveness, which influences companies' and auditors' behavior on a large scale.
Cross‐modal sensitivities to auditory and visual stimulations in the first‐order somatosensory thalamic nucleus
Authors: Kimura Akihisa
Published: August 2024

The ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL), being categorized as the first‐order thalamic nucleus, is considered to be dedicated to uni‐modal somatosensory processing. Cross‐modal sensory interactions on thalamic reticular nucleus cells projecting to the VPL, on the other hand, suggest that VPL cells are subject to cross‐modal sensory influences. To test this possibility, the effects of auditory or visual stimulation on VPL cell activities were examined in anaesthetized rats, using juxta‐cellular recording and labelling techniques. Recordings were obtained from 70 VPL cells, including 65 cells responsive to cutaneous electrical stimulation of the hindpaw. Auditory or visual alone stimulation did not elicit cell activity except in three bi‐modal cells and one auditory cell. Cross‐modal alterations of somatosensory response by auditory and/or visual stimulation were recognized in 61 cells with regard to the response magnitude, latency (time and jitter) and/or burst spiking properties. Both early (onset) and late responses were either suppressed or facilitated, and de novo cell activity was also induced. Cross‐modal alterations took place depending on the temporal interval between the preceding counterpart and somatosensory stimulations, the intensity and frequency of sound. Alterations were observed mostly at short intervals (< 200 ms) and up to 800 ms intervals. Sounds of higher intensities and lower frequencies were more effective for modulation. The susceptibility to cross‐modal influences was related to cell location and/or morphology. These and previously reported similar findings in the auditory and visual thalamic nuclei suggest that cross‐modal sensory interactions pervasively take place in the first‐order sensory thalamic nuclei.
Fatigue life prediction of notched components based on energy gradient using reconstructed critical distance theory
Authors: Lu Jumei , Liu Jianhui , Zhou Fei , Pan Xuemei , Kou Wenjun , Li Youtang , Wu Shengchuan
Published: August 2024

In this paper, a reasonable explanation is given to unify notch effect and geometric size effect into notch geometric feature effect (NGFE), and energy gradient is utilized to depict the influence of the NGFE on the critical distance. The correlation of energy gradient with critical distance and fatigue life is discussed respectively. The weight index of the high energy region is used to quantify the contribution of the high energy region to the fatigue damage. Finally, a model of the reconstructed critical distance theory considering the geometric notch characteristic effect is established. The fatigue test of Q355 (D) alloy steel notched components was carried out, and the evaluation precision of the presented method is compared with Yang’ model and Shen’ model combining with the existing fatigue test data of En8. The results indicate that prediction results of the proposed method are consistent with the test results.