bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Local Content in Uganda
Authors: Sen Ritwika
Published: March 2020

This chapter analyses policy options to promote local content in Uganda as it transitions to an oil-producing country. It contends that productive linkages between oil and gas exporters and domestic suppliers in a range of ‘connected’ goods and services sectors can be a source of broad-based economic growth. However, the success of policy initiatives or extensive regulatory requirements will ultimately hinge on domestic firm capabilities to overcome barriers to entry into the global industry. The analysis comprises an evaluation of existing local content policies in Uganda, a mapping of the natural resource value chain, and an assessment of domestic firm capabilities to supply the anticipated demand for goods and services from the oil and gas industry.
The Construction Sector in Zambia
Authors: Cheelo Caesar , Liebenthal Robert
Published: March 2020

The construction sector plays a critical role in delivering quality infrastructure, which in turn influences the use of natural resource revenues towards achieving structural change and development. We use industrial organization and political economy lenses to describe and understand the organization of and changes in the construction industry in Zambia, focusing on demand-side factors; supply-side issues; market interactions through prices and costs; and public institutions, regulations, policies, and structures. We establish the main firm-level, industry-wide, and macroeconomic bottlenecks affecting Zambia’s construction sector, and offer options for dealing with the key bottlenecks. We suggest institutional reforms and legal and regulatory changes governing procurement and contracting rules and systems; training and other capacity-building programmes; greater access for local contractors to existing financing sources, including the Skill Development Levy; a review and update of the local content and subcontracting strategy and policy; and state-supported and financed research and development programmes.
National Partiality, Immigration, and the Problem of Double-Jeopardy
Authors: Frick Johann
Published: March 2020

A foundational conviction of contemporary liberal thought is that all persons matter equally. However, states frequently pursue policies that are strikingly partial towards compatriots over foreigners. A common strategy for justifying this partiality appeals to associative obligations incurred by standing in special relationships with fellow citizens. Such arguments face an important hurdle. This chapter argues for a “Boundary Principle”, according to which special relationships among members of a group cannot justify strong forms of partiality, unless the boundaries of this group can also be justified. Hence, arguments from associative obligations are, by themselves, incomplete. Most states limit migration, and thereby prevent willing people from entering into those relationships with us that would generate associative obligations on our part. A successful defense of national partiality in terms of associative obligations is therefore more closely tied to the question of what restrictions can be placed on immigration than most political philosophers have recognized.
Relevance Rides Again?
Authors: Gils Aart van , Tomlin Patrick
Published: March 2020

Often institutions or individuals are faced with decisions where not all claims can be satisfied. Sometimes, these claims will be of differing strength. In such cases, it must be decided whether or not weaker claims can be aggregated in order to collectively defeat stronger claims. Many are attracted to a view, which this chapter calls Limited Aggregation, where this is sometimes acceptable and sometimes not. A new version of this view, Local Relevance, has recently emerged. This chapter seeks to explore and evaluate this view. In order to do so, the chapter offers a more precise interpretation of this basic approach, calling it ‘Sequential Claims-Matching’. The chapter shows how Sequential Claims-Matching avoids problems that dog other Limited Aggregation views but suffers from difficulties and ambiguities of its own. In particular, the chapter shows that it is hard to accommodate some core Limited Aggregation intuitions around tie-break cases within the Local Relevance view.
Evening in America
Authors: Sinykin Dan
Published: March 2020

James Baldwin’s observation that “American investments cannot be considered safe wherever the population cannot be considered tractable” could serve as a précis for Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. I show how McCarthy’s novel traces US scalp hunters in northern Mexico in the aftermath of the US-Mexican War as they clear the land of intractable Indians—i.e. slaughter them for cash—so the United States can pivot from settler colonialism to economic imperialism. The scalp hunters prove as bad for capital as the Indians they decimate, debauching cities, taking Mexican scalps that might pass as Indian, and destroying the means of production. Writing from late twentieth-century capitalist crisis, McCarthy depicts a constitutive violence that capitalism has unleashed, but cannot control. What remains, for McCarthy, beyond capitalism is the excess that fells it, a drive to violence.
Introduction to Dlonguébougou
Authors: Toulmin Camilla
Published: March 2020

This first chapter introduces the village and people of Dlonguébougou in Central Mali, and it describes my visits there. Lying between the desert and savannah, while it might appear remote from centres of power, this Sahelian village has been linked to the wider world for centuries, and its landscape traversed by traders, explorers, and military expeditions. The village was founded 3 centuries ago by three families who retain significant presence and power. Patterns of social organization, chiefly power, households, clans, casted groups, and herding communities are presented. Over the last 35 years, the village has grown threefold, and the pattern of settlement has spread over the surrounding fields. The chapter ends by presenting the background and purpose of this longitudinal study, its aims being to understand and document the evolution of village life since 1980, how people make a living, shifts in investment and prosperity, land pressures, and the significance of migration.
The farming landscape
Authors: Toulmin Camilla
Published: March 2020

This chapter describes the patterns of land use and the soils, vegetation, and landscape of Dlonguébougou. Climate change has brought greater concentration and intensity of rainfall, and farmers must cope with high variability. Millet is at the heart of the farming system, and sesame has become an important cash crop. While many young people go away on migration each year, the majority come back for 3 months to help their families at the height of the cultivation season. Increased pressure on land attributable to the spread of cultivation, scarcer quantities of manure for maintaining soil fertility, and the shift of labour from collective household activities to private farming of sesame have all led to a large fall in millet yields since 1980–1982.
The Onset of Connectivity
Authors: Satz Helmut
Published: March 2020

Placing identical finite sized objects randomly in a plane leads first to cluster formation, eventually to the formation of overall connection: this process is denoted as percolation. It is a geometric form of critical behavior, occurring with an abrupt onset. Such phenomena form the basis of many transitions, from Galaxy formation to the onset of electrical conductivity. The formation of locust swarms can be considered as such a process.
Epilogue
Authors: Satz Helmut
Published: March 2020

Although swarm structure can lead to negative consequences, such as the extermination of passenger pigeons and (almost) of the American buffalo, it generally greatly enhances the survival of the species. Today, the most numerous societies are those of insects, using a self-organized caste system.
Rules of Engagement and the International Law of Military Operations
Authors: Hosang J.F.R. Boddens
Published: March 2020

This study analyses the role and function of the rules on the use of force (rules of engagement (ROE)) for military operations in terms of the interaction between the various bodies of international and national law applicable to such operations and the actual conduct of the operations in question. It explains how ROE act as a linchpin between the law, including the academic study of the law, and the actual conduct of military operations in practice. In order to structure this analysis and explanation, the book offers a brief introduction to general concepts related to rules on the use of force (ROE and otherwise) and the process of planning military operations, followed by in-depth discussions of the application of (the law of) self-defence, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international and national criminal law in the context of military operations. Based on the conclusions and observations of the constituent chapters and observations from practice, this book examines the classical conceptual model of ROE and offers a refinement of that model to explain the interaction between law and ROE. As such, the book serves as a ‘bridge’ between academic theory and operational practice, as well as between the academic world and the conduct of military operations.
Basic Principles of Rules of Engagement
Authors: Hosang J.F.R. Boddens
Published: March 2020

This chapter provides a general introduction to the concept of rules of engagement (ROE) and similar rules on the use of force. It discusses the basic principles and purposes of ROE in military operations and presents a classical model of ROE. In that model, the influences of operational, political, and legal aspects of the use of force are combined to produce the basis for ROE. The chapter also discusses derivative instructions, such as ‘soldier’s cards’, and special forms of ROE. Finally, the chapter discusses the operational planning process to explain the placement of ROE in the overall military operational planning procedures and concepts.
Jus ad Bellum and Military Command
Authors: Hosang J.F.R. Boddens
Published: March 2020

This chapter discusses the various legal bases for the use of force, including national self-defence and the criteria for national self-defence, examining the law governing the initiation of the use of force, jus ad bellum. It also looks at the various command and control systems applicable to both the operations and the operational planning process. Further, it discusses the role of non-State actors in the context of national self-defence as well as the use of force on the territory of third States in the context of a non-international armed conflict.
Rules of Engagement and Humanitarian Law
Authors: Hosang J.F.R. Boddens
Published: March 2020

The focus of this chapter is on the law of armed conflict and as such, analyses the influence of international humanitarian law (IHL) on the rules on the use of force, discussing the implementation of specific elements of IHL, in particular the principle of distinction in the rules of engagement (ROE) which authorize the use of force against persons and objects. Further, in discussing the principle of distinction, specific attention is given to the role of ROE as regards targeting persons and objects, including the concept of direct participation in hostilities and the difference between status-based targeting and behaviour-based targeting. This chapter will also explore other elements of the principles of IHL, such as proportionality and precautions in attack.
Rules of Engagement and Human Rights Law
Authors: Hosang J.F.R. Boddens
Published: March 2020

This chapter analyses the interaction between rules of engagement (ROE) and international human rights law. To support the analysis, the chapter first discusses the extraterritorial applicability of international human rights law in the context of international military operations, drawing on the case law of several human rights law bodies. The chapter then discusses the interaction between international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law, including a discussion of the differences in meaning of the concepts of necessity and proportionality in each paradigm. The role of international human rights law in the ROE is discussed, especially regarding the right to life.
Rules of Engagement and (International) Criminal Law
Authors: Hosang J.F.R. Boddens
Published: March 2020

This chapter discusses the role of rules of engagement (ROE) in the context of criminal law and the influence of criminal law on ROE, continuing on to examine the two principal roles ROE can play in the criminal law context: as an accusatory device and as an exculpatory device. Further, it explores the concept of ‘ROE crimes’ and analyses the concept of mens rea in the context of ROE and military operations, with special emphasis on the role of the defence of superior orders in (international) criminal law. The chapter concludes with a discussion of several criminal law cases centred on ROE.
Trade Estimates
Authors: Cobham Alex , Janský Petr
Published: March 2020

International trade plays an important role in some of the most prominent studies aimed at estimating the scale of illicit financial flows (IFF). This chapter provides a critical survey of the leading estimates of trade-based IFF, addressing separately the strengths and weaknesses of methodologies that rely on data at the country, commodity and transaction level. The current state of data availability makes a trade-off between coverage and quality of estimation inevitable, and at present no approach in this area yields sufficiently a strong, global series. There are a number of promising areas for future development, but unfortunate trade-offs will remain unless there is a step change in data availability.
International Corporate Tax Avoidance
Authors: Cobham Alex , Janský Petr
Published: March 2020

exy2Tax avoidance by multinational companies is the most widely recognised tax abuse, and also the most heavily researched aspect of illicit financial flows (IFF). This chapter provides a critical survey of the leading estimates, highlighting the range of methodological innovation and alternative data. While the global range of estimated revenue losses is wide (between around $200bn and $600bn a year), consistent findings include that it is only a handful of jurisdictions that benefit from profit shifting at the expense of all others; and that lower-income countries lose the highest share of current tax revenues. While there is no single, perfect estimate in the literature, it does point the way to a potential indicator for the UN target.
New Proposals for IFF Indicators in the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Cobham Alex , Janský Petr
Published: March 2020

The search for indicators for the UN target to reduce illicit financial flows (IFF) is complicated by data issues and the difficulties of estimating what is deliberately hidden. In this chapter, we propose our two preferred indicators, that address instead the measurable consequences of IFF. In this chapter we lay out the two measures, and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses including in respect of data availability and potential work-arounds at national level. Both measures use relatively newly available data to establish scale: in the first case, the scale of the misalignment between where multinational companies carry out their economic activity, and where they are ultimately able to declare the resulting profit; and in the second case, the scale of offshore wealth which is undeclared to tax authorities.
Biographical Sketches
Authors: Meurig Thomas John
Published: March 2020

The personalities, approaches towards research, and attitudes towards other people of Perutz, Kendrew, and Hodgkin are described, as well as the inspiration they gave to others. Max Perutz’s approach and policy in creating and operating the successful Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) are analysed, and some examples of his personal interest in individuals are outlined. John Kendrew’s role in preventing the privatization of the LMB in 1993 was crucial, and Dorothy Hodgkin’s unique skills as a scientist, leader, and guide to numerous associates, especially her female students at Somerville College, Oxford, are described. Biographical sketches are given of many outstanding scientists who made diverse contributions (direct and indirect) to biology and constitute the second part of this chapter.
Anthology Publication and the Woman Poet
Authors: Socarides Alexandra
Published: March 2020

Chapter 1 investigates the moment at mid-century when American women’s poetry was, for the first time, being collected and marketed to a wide audience. By looking closely at the structures and visual components of the anthologies of the late 1840s, this chapter shows just how vexed the placement of the “American woman poet” into literary culture was. While women poets had been deployed in the service of a narrative about American literary culture earlier, it was with the creation of these anthologies that a whole host of conventions got embraced by writers and editors alike. By highlighting the diversity of approaches and poems contained within these anthologies, this chapter returns to the ways in which women’s poetry resisted being flattened into one kind of poem and women poets into one image.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with altered gene expression in military personnel and veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: an RNA sequencing study
Authors: Pattinson Cassandra L , Guedes Vivian A , Edwards Katie , Mithani Sara , Yun Sijung , Taylor Patricia , Dunbar Kerri , Kim Hyung-Suk , Lai Chen , Roy Michael J , Gill Jessica M
Published: March 2020

Study Objectives

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common condition for military personnel and veterans. PTSD has been shown to impact gene expression, however, to date no study has examined comorbid conditions which may also impact gene expression, for example, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). As such, this study sought to examine gene expression using RNA sequencing across three group comparisons of military personnel and veterans: (1) PTSD with EDS (PTSDwEDS) versus PTSD without EDS (PTSDw/outEDS), (2) Controls (no PTSD or EDS) versus PTSDwEDS, and (3) Controls versus PTSDw/outEDS.

Methods

We performed experimental RNA-seq using Illumina’s HiSeq 2500 Sequencing System. We also used Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), a bioinformatics application, to identify gene pathways and networks which may be disrupted.

Results

There were only two genes that were significantly dysregulated between the Controls and PTSDw/outEDS, therefore IPA analysis was not conducted. However, comparisons revealed that there was significant gene dysregulation between Controls and the PTSDwEDS (251 genes), and the PTSDwEDS versus the PTSDw/outEDS (1,873 genes) groups. Four candidate networks were identified via the IPA software for analysis. Significantly dysregulated genes across the four candidate networks were associated with sleep and circadian function, metabolism, mitochondrial production and function, ubiquitination, and the glutamate system.

Conclusions

These results suggest that PTSD with concurrent EDS is associated with gene dysregulation. This dysregulation may present additional biological and health consequences for these military personnel and veterans. Further research, to track these gene changes over time and to determine the cause of the EDS reported, is vital.
On the Selection and Analysis of Clades in Comparative Evolutionary Studies
Authors: Poe Steven , Anderson Christopher , Barnett Joseph
Published: March 2020

Researchers commonly present results of comparative studies of taxonomic groups. In this review, we criticize the focus on named clades, usually, comparably ranked groups such as families or orders, for comparative evolutionary analyses and question the general practice of using clades as units of analysis. The practice of analyzing sets of named groups persists despite widespread appreciation that the groups we have chosen to name are based on subjective human concerns rather than objective properties of nature. We demonstrate an effect of clade selection on results in one study and present some potential alternatives to selecting named clades for analysis that are relatively objective in clade choice. However, we note that these alternatives are only partial solutions for clade-based studies. The practice of analyzing named clades obviously is biased and problematic, but its issues portend broader problems with the general approach of employing clades as units of analysis. Most clade-based studies do not account for the nonindependence of clades, and the biological insight gained from demonstrating some pattern among a particular arbitrary sample of groups is arguable. [Clades; comparative biology; taxonomic groups.]
Intrinsic noise improves speech recognition in a computational model of the auditory pathway
Authors: Schilling Achim , Gerum Richard , Zankl Alexandra , Metzner Claus , Maier Andreas , Krauss Patrick
Published: March 2020

Noise is generally considered to harm information processing performance. However, in the context of stochastic resonance, noise has been shown to improve signal detection of weak subthreshold signals, and it has been proposed that the brain might actively exploit this phenomenon. Especially within the auditory system, recent studies suggest that intrinsic noise plays a key role in signal processing and might even correspond to increased spontaneous neuronal firing rates observed in early processing stages of the auditory brain stem and cortex after hearing loss. Here we present a computational model of the auditory pathway based on a deep neural network, trained on speech recognition. We simulate different levels of hearing loss and investigate the effect of intrinsic noise. Remarkably, speech recognition after hearing loss actually improves with additional intrinsic noise. This surprising result indicates that intrinsic noise might not only play a crucial role in human auditory processing, but might even be beneficial for contemporary machine learning approaches.
Subanesthetic ketamine reactivates adult cortical plasticity to restore vision from amblyopia
Authors: Grieco Steven F. , Qiao Xin , Zheng Xiaoting , Liu Yongjun , Chen Lujia , Zhang Hai , Gavornik Jeffrey , Lai Cary , Gandhi Sunil , Holmes Todd C. , Xu Xiangmin
Published: March 2020

Subanesthetic ketamine evokes rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects in human patients. The mechanism for ketamine’s effects remains elusive, but ketamine may broadly modulate brain plasticity processes. We show that single-dose ketamine reactivates adult mouse visual cortical plasticity and promotes functional recovery of visual acuity defects from amblyopia. Ketamine specifically induces down-regulation of neuregulin-1 (NRG1) expression in parvalbumin-expressing (PV) inhibitory neurons in mouse visual cortex. NRG1 downregulation in PV neurons co-tracks both the fast onset and sustained decreases in synaptic inhibition to excitatory neurons, along with reduced synaptic excitation to PV neuronsin vitroandin vivofollowing a single ketamine treatment. These effects are blocked by exogenous NRG1 as well as PV targeted receptor knockout. Thus ketamine reactivation of adult visual cortical plasticity is mediated through rapid and sustained cortical disinhibition via downregulation of PV-specific NRG1 signaling. Our findings reveal the neural plasticity-based mechanism for ketamine-mediated functional recovery from adult amblyopia.

Highlights

○ Disinhibition of excitatory cells by ketamine occurs in a fast and sustained manner

○ Ketamine evokes NRG1 downregulation and excitatory input loss to PV cells

○ Ketamine induced plasticity is blocked by exogenous NRG1 or its receptor knockout

○ PV inhibitory cells are the initial functional locus underlying ketamine’s effects
Single cell chromatin accessibility of the developmental cephalochordate
Authors: Chen Dongsheng , Huang Zhen , Ding Xiangning , Xu Zaoxu , Zhong Jixing , Liang Langchao , Xu Luohao , Cai Chaochao , Wang Haoyu , Qiu Jiaying , Zhu Jiacheng , Wang Xiaoling , Xiang Rong , Wu Weiying , Ding Peiwen , Wang Feiyue , Feng Qikai , Zhou Si , Yuan Yuting , Wu Wendi , Yan Yanan , Zhou Yitao , Chen Duo , Li Guang , Zhu Shida , Chen Fang , Zhang Qiujin , Wu Jihong , Xu Xun
Published: March 2020

The phylum chordata are composed of three groups: vertebrata, tunicate and cephalochordata. Single cell developmental atlas for typical species in vertebrata (mouse, zebrafish, western frog, worm) and tunicate (sea squirts) has been constructed recently. However, the single cell resolution atlas for lancelet, a living proxy of vertebrate ancestors, has not been achieved yet. Here, we profiled more than 57 thousand cells during the development of florida lancelet (Branchiostoma floridae), covering important processes including embryogenesis, organogenesis and metamorphosis. We identified stage and cluster specific regulatory elements. Additionally, we revealed the regulatory codes underlying functional specification and lineage commitment. Based on epigenetic features, we constructed the developmental trajectory for lancelet, elucidating how cell fates were established progressively. Overall, our study provides, by far, the first single cell regulatory landscape of amphioxus, which could help us to understand the heterogeneity and complexity of lancet development at single cell resolution and throw light upon the great transition from simple chordate ancestor to modern vertebrates with amazing diversity and endless forms.
Stacking interactions of the methylated cyclopentadienyl ligands in the crystal structures of transition metal complexes
Authors: Malenov Dušan P. , Blagojević Filipović Jelena P. , Zarić Snežana D.
Published: March 2020

In the crystal structures of methylated cyclopentadienyl (Cp) complexes (MeCp, Me4Cp and Me5Cp) deposited in the Cambridge Structural Database, certain orientation types of stacked contacts can be noted as the most frequent. These orientation preferences can be well explained by the matching of oppositely charged regions of electrostatic potential. Parallel displaced stacking, large offset stacking and C—H...π interactions are the dominant interaction types that are responsible for the arrangement in the crystal structures of stacked methylated Cp complexes.
Service quality of insurance in complex project deals in the construction industry in Ghana
Authors: Owusu-Manu De-Graft , Ghansah Frank Ato , Darko Amos , Asiedu Richard Ohene
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The insurance sector provides insurance protection for complex project deals in Ghana. The study assesses the service quality of insurance of complex project deals in the construction industry of developing countries, specifically Ghana. The objectives are to identify the insurance typologies in complex project deals in the construction industry, to assess the level of construction insurance quality, and to assess the challenges faced in complex project insurance.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to analyze the previously related works on insurance in the construction industry. The study then adopted quantitative research strategy where a structured questionnaire survey was used to collect information from construction industry professionals. The data analysis was organized in accordance with the specific objectives of the study with the aid of mean score analysis and independent sample t-test. The study again measured the reliability of the adopted scale using Cronbach's alpha, which indicated that all the items reliably measured what they were intended to measure, and thereby, statistical tools can be applied to give in-depth meanings.

Findings

The insurance typologies for complex projects were discovered by the study, as well as the available service qualities of insurance. The study again made it clear that the major challenges capable of affecting complex construction project are low quality of insurance companies' services and the gap in statutory and legal systems.

Research limitation/implications

The major constraint in this study was the issue of taking only Ghana as a developing country to generalize the result. This is then to provide lessons for other developing countries.

Practical implication

The findings from this study will be useful to construction firms, insurance firms, and regulatory bodies by identifying the effectiveness of insurance as a risk mitigation measure in construction. The study will help the insurance firms to better position themselves to meet the demands of the construction industry. As the findings of this study are Ghana-specific, it is also to provide lessons for other developing countries.

Originality/value

This study delves deep into the complex construction project insurance service quality in developing countries, specifically Ghana.
Perceptual buffer zone: a potential of going beyond the definition of broader preservation areas
Authors: Darabi Hassan , Irani Behbahani Homa , Shokoohi Samin , Shokoohi Saman
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The integrity of heritage and landscape hinges on protection and restoration policies. Such policies are implemented through the determination of buffer zones that most of them are mainly based on the self-absorbed view, which isolates cultural sites from the community, instead of the more inclusive perception-based view. This study used perceptions as a base in identifying buffer zones in Anahita Temple, in comparison with previous study.

Design/methodology/approach

Accordingly, two parallel and qualitative methods were implemented. First, the site inventory approach was used to determine physical buffer zone, and then historical and temporal perceptions were used to determine a perception-based one. In addition, integrated buffer zone was defined based on two approaches. Finally, the participatory importance and performance analysis were proposed in order to conservation strategies formulation.

Findings

The results indicated that a physical buffer zone isolates the historical site from its landscape, thereby presenting challenges. By contrast, constructing a perception-based one not only maintains the integrity of the landscape but also creates correspondence between the landscape and people's mental map of the site.

Practical implications

Maintaining the site's integrity is expected to encourage participation from the local community and fuel more effective conservation efforts but it also introduces challenges given the need to impose new regulations.

Originality/value

Despite various studies on role of perception in Historical Landscape, less attention has been paid to the role of perception in definition of heritage buffer zone. Therefore, the main goal is to develop a framework to determine the buffer zone of heritage sites by providing a sample.
Assessing working capital management efficiency of Indian manufacturing exporters
Authors: Seth Himanshu , Chadha Saurabh , Ruparel Namita , Arora Puneet Kumar , Sharma Satyendra Kumar
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationship between working capital management (WCM) efficiency and exogenous variables of the Indian manufacturing sector along with its sub-industries that are involved in export activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel regression (fixed effects) was used on a sample of 563 Indian manufacturing firms involved in export activities, covering a time period from 2008 to 2018.

Findings

Industry-wise results showed a significant relation of leverage, net fixed asset ratio, profitability, asset turnover ratio, total asset growth rate and productivity with cash conversion cycle (CCC).

Research limitations/implications

Firstly, having taken a sample from a developing economy, the results of our study may be generalizable only among developing contexts. Secondly, the time period taken in this study (2008–2018) has witnessed several economic fluctuations such as recession and demonetization which might differ for the firms or countries in normal conditions.

Practical implications

An improved working capital model could advance the firms' performance by reducing the CCC of the firm, thereby creating efficiency in WCM. In addition, the results of this study could be helpful for many stakeholders such as working capital managers, debt holders, investors, financial consultants and others for monitoring the firms.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature in the relation between WCM efficiency and exogenous variables of the Indian manufacturing firms engaged in the export activities. Moreover, this study is one of the few research studies to investigate this relationship among Indian export firms in different industries, thus filling the gap in similar work done in other countries.
Modelling the potential efficacy of treatments for white‐nose syndrome in bats
Authors: Fletcher Quinn E. , Webber Quinn M. R. , Willis Craig K. R.
Published: March 2020

The fungal disease white‐nose syndrome (WNS) has caused mass mortality in some species of North American bats during hibernation.

We use population viability models to test if a hypothetical WNS treatment or management action could facilitate the recovery of WNS‐affected little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus populations. We modelled scenarios altering three parameters: (a) WNS severity (population growth rate of WNS‐affected populations; λWNS); (b) proportion of population treated; and (c) treatment improvement in winter survival (TIWS).

Our models predict that a treatment or management action that targets an entire population with a TIWS of 40% (the average TIWS in bat trials to date) will cause a population to stabilize or increase if WNS causes an annual decline of less than 70% (i.e. λWNS > 0.30). However, for severe WNS (λWNS = 0.10), the TIWS must be at least 54% to cause a population to stabilize or increase. Where only a proportion of a WNS‐affected population is treated, population stability is much harder to achieve unless the impact of WNS attenuates over time.

Our models suggest that a treatment or management action only facilitates the recovery of WNS-affected populations if WNS is mild, TIWS is high, and a large proportion of the population can be treated. If a small proportion of the population is treated, it is easier to facilitate recovery if WNS severity attenuates over time.

Synthesis and applications. We modelled the predicted abundance trajectory of white‐nose syndrome‐affected little brown myotis Myotis lucifugus populations in response to a hypothetical treatment or management action. Our two types of models incorporate the complete range of possible scenarios varying three parameters: (a) population growth rate of the white‐nose syndrome‐affected population, (b) the improvement in winter survival associated with the treatment or management action, and (c) the proportion of the population treated. We suggest that our models, which can be explored using online Shiny applications, should be used in the planning phase of treatment or management action programmes for white‐nose syndrome.
Global Crisis Leadership for Disease‐Induced Threats: One Health and Urbanisation
Authors: Connolly John
Published: March 2020

The concept of ‘One Health’ (OH) has gathered momentum among the public health and animal health communities as an important global policy agenda for drawing together these disciplines to inform urban planning and health security policies. OH research, from a risk governance perspective, is generally concerned with identifying preventative programmes that can minimise the threats posed by diseases at the animal‐human interface (e.g. Corona virus, Ebola, avian influenza, the Q virus, for example). This article, by drawing on examples of disease threats, discusses the multi‐level challenges of establishing OH with a particular focus on urban change. It considers the risks posed by the increasing urbanisation of animal habitats and what this means for achieving OH. The article concludes by discussing why social scientists need to pay greater attention to the concept of OH.
A Textual Analysis of US Corporate Social Responsibility Reports
Authors: Clarkson Peter M. , Ponn Jordan , Richardson Gordon D. , Rudzicz Frank , Tsang Albert , Wang Jingjing
Published: March 2020

We employ computer‐based textual analysis to examine disclosure patterns for a sample of US corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports from the period 2002–2016. Starting from 466 features commonly used in computational linguistics, our results show that the linguistics or disclosure patterns in CSR reports can be used to accurately predict the actual CSR performance type of CSR reporters. Specifically, we find that the two most commonly used disclosure characteristics, number of words and number of sentences, alone can be used to predict reporting firms’ CSR performance type with 81% accuracy. The accuracy of prediction increases to 96% when the top 50 linguistics features most relevant to firms’ CSR performance are included in the prediction model. In addition, we find that the linguistic features of CSR disclosure identified by our study are incrementally value relevant to investors even after controlling for the actual CSR performance score from the professional CSR rating agencies. This finding suggests that the linguistic features of CSR disclosure can be an important venue for capital market participants in evaluating firms’ CSR performance type, especially when professional CSR performance ratings are not available.
Regulatory Categorization and Arbitrage: How Daily Fantasy Sports Companies Navigated Regulatory Categories Before and After Legalized Gambling
Authors: Holden John T. , McLeod Christopher M. , Edelman Marc
Published: March 2020

This article uses the context of daily fantasy sports (DFS) to analyze how companies use strategic categorization in regulatory arbitrage. Recent actions by two leaders in the DFS industry, DraftKings and FanDuel, provide an ideal context to study this issue. DraftKings and FanDuel categorized themselves differently to different audiences at different times in a manner that evaded categorization as an illegal gambling activity, only to then dominate the sports betting market after the Supreme Court's decision in Murphy v. NCAA. We examine how this type of strategic categorization, which we call “fluid categorization,” raises important questions for regulators and others concerned with regulatory arbitrage. We also explore how fluid categorization provides lessons for other businesses. While this article has broad implications for the sports gambling marketplace, it also contributes to meaningful discourse for the broader business community, as its findings are relevant to industries beyond DFS that offer gray market products and seek to fight categorical labels until there is a reclassification event.
Mortality and Complication Rates in Adult Trauma Patients Receiving Tranexamic Acid: A Single‐center Experience in the Post–CRASH‐2 Era
Authors: Erramouspe Pablo Joaquin , García‐Pintos María Florencia , Benipal Simranjeet , Manoukian Martin A. C. , Santamarina John‐Lloyd , Shawagga Hiwote G. , Vo Linda L. , Galante Joseph M. , Nishijima Daniel
Published: March 2020

Objectives

The CRASH‐2 trial demonstrated that tranexamic acid (TXA) in adults with significant traumatic hemorrhage safely reduces mortality. Given that the CRASH‐2 trial did not include U.S. sites, our objective was to evaluate patient characteristics, TXA dosing strategies, and the incidence of mortality and adverse events in adult trauma patients receiving TXA at a U.S. Level I trauma center in the post–CRASH‐2 era.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study that included patients aged 18 years or older who received TXA after an acute injury from July 2014 to June 2017. We excluded patients who received TXA orally, patients who received TXA for elective surgical procedures or nontrauma indications, patients who received it 8 hours or longer after the time of injury, and patients with cardiac arrest at time of emergency department arrival. Trained abstractors collected data from the trauma registry and hospital electronic medical records. Our primary outcome measures were in‐hospital death and acute thromboembolic events within 28 days from injury.

Results

We included 273 patients with a mean (±SD) age of 43.8 (±18.7)  years. The mean (±SD) time of administration of TXA from time of injury was 1.55 (±1.2)  hours with 229 patients (83.9%) receiving TXA within 3 hours. The overall mortality within 28 days from injury was 12.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.9% to 16.7%), which was similar compared to that in the CRASH‐2 trial (14.5%, 95% CI = 13.9% to 15.2%). The incidence of acute thromboembolic events was 6.6% (95% CI = 3.7% to 9.5%), which was higher than that in the CRASH‐2 trial (2.0%, 95% CI = 1.73% to 2.27%). Patients in our cohort also received surgery (64.8% vs. 47.9%) and blood transfusions (74.0% vs. 50.4%) more frequently than those in the CRASH‐2 cohort.

Conclusions

Adult trauma patients receiving TXA had similar incidences of death but higher incidences of thromboembolic events compared to the CRASH‐2 trial. Variation in patient characteristics, injury severity, TXA dosing, and surgery and transfusion rates could explain these observed differences. Further research is necessary to provide additional insight into the incidence and risk factors of thromboembolic events in TXA use.
Do female CEOs make a difference in firm operations? Evidence from Vietnam
Authors: Vo Lai Van , Nguyen Hazel Thu‐Hien , Le Huong Thi Thu
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the effect of gender in corporate leadership on the performance and risk of Vietnamese listed firms. We find that firms with female CEOs generate higher profitability than those with male CEOs. In addition, firms led by female CEOs experience less systematic and idiosyncratic risks as well as lower volatility in their returns on assets. These results are robust under different regression specifications. Our results support the hypothesis that women offer unique perspectives, experiences and work styles that benefit firms and that provide evidence for continuing government efforts to improve gender equality in Vietnam.
Emerging conflict between conservation programmes: when a threatened vertebrate facilitates the dispersal of exotic species in a rare plant community
Authors: Sigaud M. , Mason T. H. E. , Barnier F. , Cherry S. G. , Fortin D.
Published: March 2020

As an ever‐increasing variety of conservation programmes are applied in human‐altered environments, there is a growing risk that different conservation actions with conflicting objectives may impede one another. Preventing and resolving the negative impacts of such conflicting conservation programmes could become a key challenge for conservationists. To date, however, the issue of conflicting conservation programmes has been largely overlooked. We explored a potential conflict between the preservation of threatened free‐ranging plains bisonBison bison bisonand the conservation in a National Park of a rare plant community – native rough fescueFestuca halliigrasslands. We investigated the dispersal of exotic seeds by examining 283 samples of bison faeces and the spatial distribution of exotic plant species in relation to bison behaviour. We showed that bison facilitated the long‐distance dispersal of exotic plant species into the park by transporting seeds. Our analysis indicated there was a high probability (>75%) of occurrence of cloverTrifoliumspp. and timothyPhleum pratenseon bison trails across 38% and 27%, respectively, of fescue grassland area. There was also a high probability of occurrence of timothy on bison wallows across 20% of fescue grasslands area. Furthermore, we demonstrated that exotic plant species were most likely to occur within 3 km of potential introduction points, and identified specific grassland patches most at risk of exotic plant species introduction by bison. By revealing the ecological mechanism underlying the emergence of a potential conflict, we were able to delineate spatial variation in the relative threat that bison might pose to the integrity of native fescue plant communities, allowing managers to optimize the allocation of conservation effort. Our study highlights the value of understanding the ecological mechanisms driving conflict between conservation programmes in order to set evidence‐based priorities for guiding future conservation decision‐making.
ABO blood type compatibility is not a risk factor for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia development from androgenetic complete hydatidiform moles
Authors: Sato Asuka , Usui Hirokazu , Shozu Makio
Published: March 2020

Problem

Complete hydatidiform moles (CHMs) are allografts to patients in terms of an androgenetic origin. Thus, some immunological reactions may be involved in the development of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) from CHMs. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ABO blood group on the prognosis of androgenetic CHMs.

Method of Study

A total of 129 patients who were diagnosed as having CHMs based on multiplex short tandem repeat polymorphism analysis were included. The ABO blood types of molar tissues were determined by single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in the ABO gene using a high‐resolution melting assay. The incidence of GTN was compared based on ABO compatibility between the patients and their molar tissues.

Results

The overall incidence of GTN was 17.1% (22/129). Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia occurred in 10.8% (4/37), 14.8% (8/54), 22.2% (6/27), and 36.4% (4/11) of type O, A, B, and AB patients, respectively. Type AB patients tended to develop GTN compared with other blood type patients (P = .093). In ABO type of CHMs, GTN occurrence was not significantly different as it was 16.4% (10/64), 16.0% (8/50), and 22.2% (4/18) for types O, A, and B, respectively (P = .854). According to the ABO incompatibility between patients and molar tissues, GTN occurred in 19.1% (18/94) of the compatible cases and 11.4% (4/35) of the incompatible cases; the occurrence was not significantly different (P = .223).

Conclusion

Patients with type AB tended to develop GTN. However, ABO compatibility between patients and molar tissues had no relationship with GTN occurrence.
Mystical Love: The Universal Solvent
Authors: Laughlin Charles , Takahashi Melanie
Published: March 2020

The authors, both anthropologists who study alternative states of consciousness (ASC), explore the psychodynamics of mystical experience (ME). An affect that is a key factor for and integral to the phenomenology of ME is what they term “mystical love.” In many respects, ME refers to ASC that is diametrically opposite to everyday ego‐centered, materialist consciousness. In this article we examine several questions, including: (1) Why do humans experience ME, (2) why does there seems to be a need to alter consciousness away from ordinary waking states, (3) what is the relationship between mystical love and other affective states such as anger, greed, and anxiety, and (3) what are the necessary conditions for ME‐type, transpersonal experiences? We demonstrate that ritual practices are recurrently used across cultures to incubate and evoke intense feelings of non‐romantic love, empathy, and compassion. Some of these practices include ritual drivers such as ingesting psychotropic substances (entheogens and empathogens), daily activities that devalue ego centeredness and promote love, empathy and selfless service, meditation upon loving kindness, and compassion. All of these practices are preparations for entering ME, the results of which are interpreted within people's cycle of meaning.