bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Annexin A1 tripeptide mimetic increases sirtuin-3 to augment mitochondrial function and limit ischemic kidney injury
Authors: Suliman Hagir , Ma Qing , Zhang Zhiquan , Ren Jiafa , Morris Benjamin T. , Crowley Steven D. , Ulloa Luis , Privratsky Jamie R.
Published: December 2020

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common organ failures following surgery. We have developed a tripeptide mimetic (ANXA1sp) of the parent annexin A1 molecule that shows promise as an organ protectant limiting cellular stress; however, its potential as a kidney protective agent remains unexplored, and its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Our hypothesis was that ANXA1sp would limit kidney injury and improve mitochondrial function following surgical ischemic kidney injury.

Methods

In blinded fashion, wildtype mice were assigned to receive vehicle control or experimental drug (ANXA1sp) 1 hour prior to and 1 hour after kidney vascular clamping. Our primary outcome was assessment of kidney injury and function by measurement of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and histologic injury scoring of kidney tissue sections. Immunofluorescence microscopy, real-time PCR and western blot were used to assess cell death, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial biomarkers. An in vitro model of oxygen-glucose deprivation in immortalized kidney tubule cells was used.

Results

ANXA1sp given prior to and after ischemic kidney injury abrogated ischemic AKI. ANXA1sp further limited kidney cell death and oxidative stress following ischemia. ANXA1sp significantly improved markers associated with mitochondrial DNA repair and mitochondrial biogenesis. ANXA1sp upregulated expression of the mitochondrial protectant sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) in the mitochondria of kidney tubular cells. Silencing of SIRT3 limited ANXA1sp-mediated protection against hypoxic cell death.

Conclusions

ANXA1sp limits kidney injury through upregulation of SIRT3 and consequent preservation of mitochondrial function. ANXA1sp holds considerable promise as a perioperative kidney protectant prior to ischemia inducing surgery and/or kidney transplantation.
Sea urchins, parrotfish and coral reefs in Grand Cayman, BWI: exemplar or outlier?
Authors: Sherman Elizabeth
Published: December 2020

The change in state of Caribbean coral reefs over the last 40 years has been characterized by phase shifts from scleractinian coral cover to macroalgal cover, the loss of structural complexity and a decline in biodiversity. Not only do scientists want to understand these changes, but also predict the future of coral reefs and their capacity for resilience. In particular, the loss of herbivory, due to declines in parrotfish and the sea urchinDiadema antillarum, has been implicated in many studies as a proximate cause of the coral to macroalgal phase shift. However, reports of the particular role of these putative herbivores have varied, with some studies claiming a causal role for parrotfish, others forDiademaand still others suggesting no such relationships. Often these studies just examined one response measure of coral reef biodiversity. In this paper, I report the relationship between parrotfish andDiademato many metrics of reef organization surveyed simultaneously in the same transects in reefs outside and within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Grand Cayman, an island that has been affected by increasing tourism over the last 30 years. The magnitudes of the various measures of reef diversity reported here are consistent with those reported elsewhere. The relationships among those measures are consistent with those reported in some prior studies and inconsistent with others, reflecting the variation in responses documented in prior studies. The presence of sea urchins was associated with survey sites having higher levels of coral cover, lower levels of macroalgae cover, and lower densities of parrotfish than survey sites without sea urchins. Moreover, parrotfish abundance was associated with a decrease in coral cover and little relationship to macroalgae cover. Neither coral cover nor macroalgae cover was different in sites within the MPA compared to sites outside the MPA. I argue that the combination of site-specific local stressors and their interaction with global stressors makes it unlikely that any one island or even regional reef system could serve as an exemplar for Caribbean-wide reef degradation. Moreover, it is difficult to assess the potential for reef resilience in the face of the ongoing assaults from increasing tourism pressures and global climate change.
Propagating patterns of intrinsic activity along macroscale gradients coordinate functional connections across the whole brain
Authors: Yousefi Behnaz , Keilholz Shella
Published: December 2020

The intrinsic activity of the human brain, observed with resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) and functional connectivity, exhibits macroscale spatial organization such as resting-state networks (RSNs) and functional connectivity gradients (FCGs). Dynamic analysis techniques have shown that the time-averaged maps captured by functional connectivity are mere summaries of time-varying patterns with distinct spatial and temporal characteristics. A better understanding of these patterns might provide insight into aspects of the brain’s intrinsic activity that cannot be inferred by functional connectivity, RSNs or FCGs. Here, we describe three spatiotemporal patterns of coordinated activity across the whole brain obtained by averaging similar ~20-second-long segments of rsfMRI timeseries. In each of these patterns, activity propagates along a particular macroscale FCG, simultaneously across the cortical sheet and in most other brain regions. In some areas, like the thalamus, the propagation suggests previously-undescribed FCGs. The coordinated activity across areas is consistent with known tract-based connections, and nuanced differences in the timing of peak activity between brain regions point to plausible driving mechanisms. The magnitude of correlation within and particularly between RSNs is remarkably diminished when these patterns are regressed from the rsfMRI timeseries, a quantitative demonstration of their significant role in functional connectivity. Taken together, our results suggest that a few recurring patterns of propagating intrinsic activity along macroscale gradients give rise to and coordinate functional connections across the whole brain.
A new method based on the von Mises-Fisher distribution shows that a minority of liver-localized CD8 T cells display hard-to-detect attraction toPlasmodium-infected hepatocytes
Authors: Zenkov Viktor S. , O’Connor James , Cockburn Ian , Ganusov Vitaly V.
Published: December 2020

Malaria is a disease caused byPlasmodiumparasites, resulting in over 200 million infections and 400,000 deaths every year. A critical step of malaria infection is when sporozoites, injected by mosquitoes, travel to the liver and form liver stages. Malaria vaccine candidates which induce large numbers of malaria-specific CD8 T cells in mice are able to eliminate all liver stages, preventing fulminant malaria. However, how CD8 T cells find all parasites in 48 hours of the liver stage lifespan is not well understood. Using intravital microscopy of murine livers, we generated unique data on T cell search for malaria liver stages within a few hours after infection. To detect attraction of T cells to an infection site, we used the von Mises-Fisher distribution in 3D, similar to the 2D von Mises distribution previously used in ecology. Our results suggest that the vast majority (70-95%) of malaria-specific and non-specific liver-localized CD8 T cells did not display attraction towards the infection site, suggesting that the search for malaria liver stages occurs randomly. However, a small fraction (15-20%) displayed weak but detectable attraction towards parasites which already had been surrounded by several T cells. We found that speeds and turning angles correlated with attraction, suggesting that understanding mechanisms that determine the speed of T cell movement in the liver may improve the efficacy of future T cell-based vaccines. Stochastic simulations suggest that a small movement bias towards the parasite dramatically reduces the number of CD8 T cells needed to eliminate all malaria liver stages, but to detect such attraction by individual cells requires data from long imaging experiments which are not currently feasible. Importantly, as far as we know this is the first demonstration of how activated/memory CD8 T cells might search for the pathogen in nonlymphoid tissues a few hours after infection. We have also established a framework for how attraction of individual T cells towards a location in 3D can be rigorously evaluated.
Cancer-Associated Mutations Perturb the Structure and Interactions of the Intrinsically Disordered p53 Transactivation Domain
Authors: Schrag Lynn G. , Thevarajan Indhujah , Liu Xiaorong , Prakash Om , Zolkiewski Michal , Chen Jianhan
Published: December 2020

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are key components of regulatory networks that control crucial aspects of cell decision making. The intrinsically disordered transactivation domain (TAD) of tumor suppressor p53 mediates its interactions with multiple regulatory pathways to control the p53 homeostasis during the cellular response to genotoxic stress. Many cancer-associated mutations have been discovered in p53-TAD, but their structural and functional consequences are poorly understood. Here, by combining atomistic simulations, NMR spectroscopy, and binding assays, we demonstrate that cancer-associated mutations can significantly perturb the balance of p53 interactions with key activation and degradation regulators. Importantly, mutations do not all directly disrupt the known interaction interfaces. Instead, some mutations likely modulate the disordered state of p53-TAD, which affects the interactions. Our work suggests that the disordered conformational ensemble of p53-TAD can serve as a central conduit in regulating the response to various cellular stimuli at the protein-protein interaction level. Understanding how the disordered state of IDPs may be modulated by regulatory signals and/or disease associated perturbations will be essential in the studies on the role of IDPs in biology and diseases.
Widespread decrease of cerebral vimentin-immunoreactive astrocytes in depressed suicides
Authors: O’Leary Liam Anuj , Belliveau Claudia , Davoli Maria Antonietta , Ma Jie Christopher , Tanti Arnaud , Turecki Gustavo , Mechawar Naguib
Published: December 2020

1

Postmortem investigations have implicated cerebral astrocytes immunoreactive (-IR) for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the etiopathology of depression and suicide. However, it remains unclear whether astrocytic subpopulations IR for other astrocytic markers are similarly affected. Astrocytes IR to vimentin (VIM) display different regional densities than GFAP-IR astrocytes in the healthy brain, and so may be differently altered in depression and suicide. To investigate this, we compared the densities of GFAP-IR astrocytes and VIM-IR astrocytes in postmortem brain samples from depressed suicides and matched non-psychiatric controls in three brain regions (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dorsal caudate nucleus and mediodorsal thalamus). A quantitative comparison of the fine morphology of VIM-IR astrocytes was also performed in the same regions and subjects. Finally, given the close association between astrocytes and blood vessels, we also assessed densities of CD31-IR blood vessels. Like for GFAP-IR astrocytes, VIM-IR astrocyte densities were found to be globally reduced in depressed suicide relative to controls. By contrast, CD31-IR blood vessel density and VIM-IR astrocyte morphometric features in these regions were similar between groups, except in prefrontal white matter, in which vascularization was increased and astrocytes displayed fewer primary processes. By revealing a widespread reduction of cerebral VIM-IR astrocytes in cases vs. controls, these findings further implicate astrocytic dysfunctions in depression and suicide.
Deep Linear Modeling of Hierarchical Functional Connectivity in the Human Brain
Authors: Zhang Wei , Palacios Eva , Mukherjee Pratik
Published: December 2020

The human brain exhibits hierarchical modular organization, which is not depicted by conventional fMRI functional connectivity reconstruction methods such as independent component analysis (ICA). To map hierarchical brain connectivity networks (BCNs), we propose a novel class of deep (multilayer) linear models that are constructed such that each successive layer decomposes the features of the preceding layer. Three of these are multilayer variants of Sparse Dictionary Learning (SDL), Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) and Fast ICA (FICA). We present a fourth deep linear model, Deep Matrix Fitting (MF), which incorporates both rank reduction for data-driven hyperparameter determination as well as a distributed optimization function. We also introduce a novel framework for theoretical comparison of these deep linear models based on their combination of mathematical operators, the predictions of which are tested using simulated resting state fMRI data with known ground truth BCNs. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, Deep MF and Deep SDL performed best for connectivity estimation of 1stlayer networks, whereas Deep FICA and Deep NMF were modestly better for spatial mapping. Deep MF provided the best overall performance, including computational speed. These deep linear models can efficiently map hierarchical BCNs without requiring the manual hyperparameter tuning, extensive fMRI training data or high-performance computing infrastructure needed by deep nonlinear models, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) or deep belief networks (DBNs), and their results are also more explainable from their mathematical structure. These benefits gain in importance as continual improvements in the spatial and temporal resolution of fMRI reveal more of the hierarchy of spatiotemporal brain architecture. These new models of hierarchical BCNs may also advance the development of fMRI diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, given the recent recognition of disparities between low-level vs high-level network connectivity across a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Frequency-selective oscillatory control of working memory robustness to distractors
Authors: Novikov Nikita , Gutkin Boris
Published: December 2020

Working memory (WM) is the brain’s ability to retain information that is not directly available from the sensory systems. WM retention is accompanied by sustained firing rate modulation and changes of the large-scale oscillatory profile. Among other changes, beta-band activity elevates in task-related regions, presumably stabilizing WM retention. Alpha-band activity, in turn, is stronger in task-irrelevant regions, serving to protect WM trace from distracting information. Although a large body of experimental evidence links neural oscillations to WM functions, theoretical understanding of their interrelations is still incomplete.

In this study, we used a computational approach to explore a potential role of beta and alpha oscillations in control of WM stability. First, we examined a single bistable module that served as a discrete object representation and was resonant in the beta-band in the active state. We demonstrated that beta-band input produced differentially stronger excitatory effect on the module in the active state compared to the background state, while this difference decreased with the input frequency. We then considered a system of two competing modules, selective for a stimulus and for a distractor, respectively. We simulated a task, in which a stimulus was loaded into the first module, then an identical oscillatory input to both modules was turned on, after which a distractor was presented to the second module. We showed that beta-band input prevented loading of high-amplitude distractors and erasure of the stimulus from WM. On the contrary, alpha-band input promoted loading of low-amplitude distractors and the stimulus erasure.

In summary, we demonstrated that stability of WM trace could be controlled by global oscillatory input in a frequency-dependent manner via controlling the level of competition between stimulus-encoding and distractor-encoding circuits. Such control is possible due to difference in the resonant and non-linear properties between the background and the active states.
Effects of working memory load and CS-US intervals on delay eyeblink conditioning
Authors: Etemadi Leila , Jirenhed Dan-Anders , Rasmussen Anders
Published: December 2020

Background

Eyeblink conditioning is used in many different species to study motor learning and make inferences about cerebellar function. However, considerable discrepancies in performance between different species combined with evidence that awareness of stimulus contingencies affects performance indicates that eyeblink conditioning in part reflects activity in non-cerebellar regions. This questions whether eyeblink conditioning can be used as a pure measure of cerebellar function in humans.

Methods

Here we explored two ways to reduce non-cerebellar influences on performance in eyeblink conditioning: (1) using a short interstimulus interval, and (2) having participants do working memory tasks during the conditioning. Data were analyzed, and the influence of the interstimulus interval and working memory tasks was assessed using a linear mixed effects model.

Results

Our results show that subjects trained with a short interstimulus interval (150ms and 250ms) produce few conditioned responses after 100 trials. For subjects trained with a longer interstimulus interval (500ms), those who did working memory tasks produced fewer conditioned responses and had a more gradual learning curve – more akin to those reported in the animal literature.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that having subjects perform working memory tasks during eyeblink conditioning can be a viable strategy to reduce non-cerebellar interference in the learning.
Ion mechanism and parameter analysis of anodal-first waveforms for selective stimulation of C-fiber nerves
Authors: He Siyu , Tripanpitak Kornkanok , Yoshida Yu , Takamatsu Shozo , Huang Shao Ying , Yu Wenwei
Published: December 2020

Few investigations have been conducted on selective stimulation of small-radius unmyelinated C nerves (C), which is critical to both recoveries of damaged nerves and pain suppressions. The purpose of this study is to understand how an anodal pulse in an anodal-first stimulation could improveC-selectivity over myelinated nociceptive Aδ nerves (Aδ), and further clarify the landscape of the solution space. The Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model and the Mclntyre-Richardson-Grill (MRG) model were used for modellingCandAδ,respectively to analyze the underlying ion dynamics and the influence of relevant stimulation waveforms, including monopolar, polarity-symmetric, and asymmetric pulses. Results showed that polarity-asymmetric waveforms with preceding anodal stimulations benefitC-selectivity most, underlain by the decrease of the potassium ion current ofC. The optimal parameters forC-selectivity have been identified in the low frequency band, which will benefit remarkably the designs of nociceptive nerve selective stimulation.
Hydrogen disorder in kaatialaite Fe[AsO2(OH)2]5H2O from Jáchymov, Czech Republic: determination from low-temperature 3D electron diffraction
Authors: Steciuk Gwladys , Majzlan Juraj , Plášil Jakub
Published: December 2020

Kaatialaite mineral Fe[AsO2(OH)2]5H2O from Jáchymov, Czech Republic forms white aggregates of needle-shaped crystals with micrometric size. Its structure at ambient temperature has already been reported but hydrogen atoms could not be identified from single-crystal X-ray diffraction. An analysis using 3D electron diffraction at low temperature brings to light the hydrogen positions and the existence of hydrogen disorder. At 100 K, kaatialaite is described in a monoclinic unit cell of a = 15.46, b = 19.996, c = 4.808 Å, β = 91.64° and V = 1485.64 Å3 with space group P21/n. The hydrogen sites were revealed after refinements both considering the dynamical effects and ignoring them. The possibility to access most of the hydrogen positions, including partially occupied ones among heavy atoms, from the kinematical refinement is due to the recent developments in the analysis of 3D electron data. The hydrogen bonding observed in kaatialaite provides examples of H2O configurations that have not been observed before in the structures of oxysalts with the presence of unusual inverse transformer H2O groups.
Independence from the perspective of the Shari'ah committee
Authors: Zainal Abidin Nor Hafizah , Mat Yasin Fatimah , Zainal Abidin Ahmad
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to gather the perceptions of the Shari'ah committee members on what and how they safeguard and strengthen their independence in fact and independence in appearance during the discharge of their duties.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 13 Shari'ah committee members from 13 different Islamic financial institutions (IFIs).

Findings

Based on the Islamic worldview and agency theory, the findings suggest that safeguard measures within the context of the Shari'ah committee are strengthened by the following factors: presence of competencies, personal characteristics of the Shari'ah committee members, board engagement, role of the chairman in the Shari'ah committee and accountability to God. Based on the agency theory, it can be suggested that the characteristics of the Shari'ah committee and the presence of an effective governance structure are able to minimise threats to the independence of the Shari'ah committee and enhance its effectiveness.

Practical implications

The insights from this study highlight that proper and fit criteria need to be enhanced to ensure the independence of the Shari'ah committee members when performing their roles for IFIs. Moreover, it shows that board engagement and chairman involvement in overseeing the Shari'ah committee in the discharge of its duties is able to improve the independence of the Shari'ah committee both in fact and in appearance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the evidence on safeguard measures in the Malaysian context, which is highly regulated in relation to the Shari'ah governance practices in IFIs. This evidence could be considered by other Shari'ah committees in different contexts.
Nexus between intellectual capital and business performance: evidence from India
Authors: Weqar Faizi , Sofi Zubair Ahmad , Haque S.M. Imamul
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The prime intention of this study is to examine the influence of intellectual capital (IC) on the financial performance of Indian companies listed on Standard and Poor Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index (BSE SENSEX).

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs the data of 30 most significant and most prominent companies of India listed on BSE SENSEX for 10 years from 2009–2010 to 2018–2019. Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAICTM) methodology developed by Pulic (2000) was employed for measuring the efficiency of the IC.

Findings

The efficiency of IC is substantially and positively associated with the financial performance of the Indian companies as measured by return on assets (ROA), market-to-book (MB) ratio and return on equity (ROE). Amongst the three dimensions of VAIC, capital employed efficiency (CEE) was the most vital element in contributing to the firm financial performance, followed by human capital efficiency (HCE). Structural capital efficiency (SCE) only helps in enhancing the ROA of Indian firms.

Research limitations/implications

The study results are only restricted to the 30 companies of India listed on S&P BSE SENSEX Index. Thus generalization of the result needs especial caution.

Originality/value

The study fills the void in the current literature of IC and business performance and extends the understanding of their relationship by providing empirical evidence.
Understanding verified users' posting behavior from the perspective of human dynamics: a case study of Sina micro-blog
Authors: Yi Ming , Lu Yingying , Deng Weihua , Kun Lu , Zhang Zhanhao
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new human dynamics model to explain the process of verified users' (VUs) posting on Sina micro-blog.

Design/methodology/approach

A common human dynamics research method with three steps is applied. Firstly, a large-scale behavioral dataset is collected involving 495 VUs and five topics on Sina micro-blog. Second, five important indicators that reveal the characteristics of posting behavior are analyzed. Then, a quantitative model is constructed to describe the process of posting behavior, and its validity is verified by simulations.

Findings

Three important characteristics of VUs' micro-blog posting behavior are observed: fat-tailed distribution, fluctuation and periodicity. These characteristics do not fit the assumption of interest-driven models proposed by previous literature. An optimized task-driven model is introduced to describe this complex phenomenon mathematically. The model is verified on empirical data, confirming that task-driven models can be optimized to explore information behavior on social media.

Originality/value

Being different from previous studies that mainly describe common users' posting behavior on social media by applying interest-driven models, this paper customizes an optimized task-driven model for VUs, who mainly treat social media as a platform for work and play a crucial role in information creation on social media.
Why do Mongolian students choose to study in Australia?
Authors: Shah Mahsood , Kansal Monika , Chugh Ritesh
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper is based on a pilot study undertaken at an Australian university that has successfully recruited students from Mongolia. The study examined the factors that attracted Mongolian students to study in Australia and at the subject university, as well as students' expectations before arrival, barriers to learning and the university's key areas and services that support learning. The study also examined areas in which the learning experience could be improved, as well as personal, social and cultural gains apart from academic achievement, and the role of education agents in helping students to choose the subject university.

Design/methodology/approach

The student cohort consisted of all graduate students. The qualitative survey included eight questions, which primarily aimed to examine the reasons behind Mongolian students' decision to study in Australia. The online survey was pilot-tested with a focus group consisting of academic staff to ensure that the survey was working properly and to ensure that the questions were worded appropriately and easily understood. Based on the responses of the focus group, some questions were reworded to solicit effective responses.

Findings

The study found that Mongolian students were attracted to an English-speaking country and high quality of education. Their expectation prior to arrival was a university campus as portrayed in marketing material, including expansive open spaces. The study also highlighted the need to diversify student profiles at metropolitan locations. It found Mongolian students made friends, learnt a new culture but faced learning difficulties too.

Originality/value

Many studies have examined the factors influencing students' decision to study in certain countries. While previous studies have focussed on large countries such as China and India, emerging sources of international students such as Mongolia are ignored. The focus on Mongolian students is original in Australia and overseas.
Relationship between insurance and access and cost of care in patients with diabetes before and after the affordable care act
Authors: Varadarajan Arjun , Walker Rebekah J. , Williams Joni S. , Bishu Kinfe , Nagavally Sneha , Egede Leonard E.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of insurance coverage changes over time for patients with diabetes on expenditures and access to care before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Design/methodology/approach

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2002–2017 was used. Access included having a usual source of care, having delay in care or having delay in obtaining prescription medicine. Expenditures included inpatient, outpatient, office-based, prescription and emergency costs. Panels were broken into four time categories: 2002–2005 (pre-ACA), 2006–2009 (pre-ACA), 2010–2013 (post-ACA) and 2014–2017 (post-ACA). Logistic models for access and two-part regression models for cost were used to understand differences by insurance type over time.

Findings

Type of insurance changed significantly over time, with an increase for public insurance from 30.7% in 2002–2005 to 36.5% in 2014–2017 and a decrease in private insurance from 62.4% in 2002–2005 to 58.2% in 2014–2017. Compared to those with private insurance, those who were uninsured had lower inpatient ($2,147 less), outpatient ($431 less), office-based ($1,555 less), prescription ($1,869 less) and emergency cost ($92 less). Uninsured were also more likely to have delay in getting medical care (OR = 2.22; 95% CI 1.86, 3.06) and prescription medicine (OR = 1.85; 95% CI 1.53, 2.24) compared with privately insured groups.

Originality/value

Though insurance coverage among patients with diabetes did not increase significantly, the type of insurance changed overtime and fewer individuals reported having a usual source of care. Uninsured individuals spent less across all cost types and were more likely to report delay in care despite the passage of the ACA.
Sustainability governing entities in higher education throughout Chile
Authors: Mac-lean Claudia , Vargas Luis Santiago , Uribe Gonzalo , Aldea Cristian , Lares Lorna , Mercado Oscar
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a panoramic and systematic view of 10 Sustainable Campus Network (SCN) universities’ internal entities in charge of the sustainability effort – such as offices, committees, units, programs, or other, showing how some institutions have gained increasing deployment and momentum. However, their appearance and growth pathways have had significant disparities.

Design/methodology/approach

Global and local agendas have had a strong influence on Chilean higher education institutions. A relevant signal has been the creation of the SCN, formed by 21 Chilean universities, whose vision is to help shape a fair and environmentally healthy civilization contributing from the higher education realm. This work adopts a survey design methodological approach. It describes the following resulting components obtained from the aggregated data: (a) emergence processes and environments, (b) governance models and operational mechanisms, (c) networks and collaboration, and (d) final products generated, for sustainability governing entities within universities in Chile.

Findings

The main findings indicate that at the institutional level, the Cleaner Production Agreement for higher education institutions and the creation of the SCN have been key drivers in the formalization of several entities leading the sustainability efforts within Chilean universities. Also, regarding the degree of commitment to sustainability, the most active internal stakeholder corresponds to students.

Originality/value

The present work represents a pioneering effort in the Chilean context to identify and systematize the challenges, organizational structures, and key accomplishments of sustainability governing entities in higher education nationwide.
Sport sponsorship announcement and stock returns: a meta-analytic review
Authors: Kwon Youngbum , Cornwell T. Bettina
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Given the public availability of secondary data on investments in events such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup and professional sports, event studies that measure stock market response to these investments have grown. Previous findings are mixed, however, with some studies suggesting that the announcement of sponsorship contracts is a positive event and others finding detrimental effects of the announcement on shareholder value. This study aims to analyze the mixed findings from event studies in sport sponsorship to determine if sponsorship announcements influence stock market response.

Design/methodology/approach

The meta-analysis examines more than 20 years of research on event studies in sponsorship (34 studies).

Findings

The overall results show a positive, but non-significant effect of partnership deal announcements on shareholder wealth. Further analysis considers the effects of sponsorship announcements by each type of event window to see the impact of the announcement relative to time (pre-announcement, announcement day, post-announcement and pre- to post-announcement). This closer examination of the event window shows that stock prices of sponsoring organizations increased in the pre-announcement window.

Originality/value

Quantitative meta-analytic findings indicate that information about sponsorship deals appears to leak to share markets and positively influence share price. This finding suggests that sponsoring the sports and events found in these event studies is seen as value enhancing for sponsoring firms.
Audit quality and the trade-off between real and accrual earnings management in the oil and gas industry: the GCC evidence
Authors: Mnif Yosra , Ben Hamouda Afef
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper examines the impact of audit quality on the managerial preferences between real and accrual earnings management (REM and AEM, respectively) in oil and gas firms operating in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The study relies on the modified Jones model’s (Dechow et al., 1995) to capture AEM and employs Roychowdhury (2006) approach to examine the use of REM through abnormal cash flows, abnormal production and abnormal discretionary expenditures. Audit quality is measured by auditor-industry specialization. The analyses are based on a sample of 30 oil and gas firms from 2008 to 2019.

Findings

The findings highlight that sample companies may substitute between earnings management strategies and tend to shift from AEM to REM when audited by an industry expert. Further analysis points out that the trade-off decision of the pooled sample stems from both upstream and downstream sectors.

Research limitations/implications

This study is subject to two main limitations. First, the narrowed scope of audit quality related factors due to the scarcity of corporate governance reports of companies. Second, the sample size is reduced.

Practical implications

The regulators and users of financial statements should be aware that REM strategy is used by oil and gas firms even when scrutinized by a high quality auditor, calling for extra caution when auditing or analyzing the financial information.

Originality/value

The current research is the first, unveiling the association between audit quality and the trade-off between AEM and REM in a less inspected sector and a unique institutional setting.
Investigating the barriers and facilitators to implementing mental health first aid in the workplace: a qualitative study
Authors: Narayanasamy Melanie Jay , Thomson Louise , Coole Carol , Nouri Fiona , Drummond Avril
Published: December 2020

Purpose

There has been little research into the use and efficacy of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) across UK workplaces. This paper aims to investigate the implementation of MHFA across six UK organisations, identifying key barriers and facilitators.

Design/methodology/approach

Twenty-seven workplace representatives were recruited from six organisations through purposive sampling and took part in semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences of workplace MHFA. The data underwent thematic analysis, identifying key themes around implementation.

Findings

Implementation varied across organisations, including different reasons for initial interest in the programme, and variable ways that MHFA-trained employees operated post-training. Key barriers to successful implementation included negative attitudes around mental health, the perception that MHFA roles were onerous, and employees’ reluctance to engage in the MHFA programme. Successful implementation was perceived to be based on individual qualities of MHFA instructors and good practice demonstrated by trained individuals in the workplace. The role of the inner organisational setting and employee characteristics were further highlighted as barriers and facilitators to effective implementation.

Research limitations/implications

MHFA is a complex intervention, presenting in different ways when implemented into complex workplace settings. As such, traditional evaluation methods may not be appropriate for gaining insights into its effectiveness. Future evaluations of workplace MHFA must consider the complexity of implementing and operationalising this intervention in the workplace.

Originality/value

This study is the first to highlight the factors affecting successful implementation of MHFA across a range of UK workplaces.
Mathematical modeling of systems, its nature and limits of applicability
Authors: Volchenkov Evgeny
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the nature of mathematical modeling of systems within the framework of the object-semantic methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

The initial methodological position of the object-semantic approach is the principle of constructing concepts of informatics proceeding from fundamental categories and laws. As the appropriate foundation, this paper accepts the system-physical meta-ontology is being developed in this paper.

Findings

The genesis of system modeling is considered in the aspect of the evolution of language tools in the direction of objectification. A new conception of formalized knowledge is being put forward as the mathematical form of fixing time-invariant relations of the universe, reflecting regularity of the dynamics of natural or anthropogenic organization. Object knowledge is considered as a key component of the mathematical model, and the solving of system information problems with its use is characterized as “work of knowledge.” The establishment of the meta-ontological essence of modern mathematical modeling allows us to formulate its fundamental limitations.

Originality/value

The establishment of system-physical limitations of modern mathematical modeling outlines the boundaries from which it is necessary to proceed in the development of future paradigms of cognition of the surrounding world, which presuppose convergence, synthesis of causal (physicalism) and target (elevationism) determination.
A case for the use of cyber-systemics to combat financial crime in Australia
Authors: Walker-Munro Brendan
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Financial crime costs the world economy more than $1tn. Yet policing responses continue to apply traditional law enforcement methods to detect, identify and disrupt criminal actors in financial systems. The purpose of this paper is to challenge existing thinking around law enforcement practices in financial crime within an Australian context, by presenting an alternative model grounded in management cybernetics and systemic design (SD), which the author terms “cyber-systemics”.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reflects on prior research work across cybernetics and SD to suggest an integrated approach as a conceptually useful basis for considering regulation of financial crime, and to demonstrate utility using a case study.

Findings

The Fintel Alliance between financial crime regulators and financial institutions in Australia demonstrates a strong connection with, and example of, this study’s cyber-systemic regulatory framework. It will be demonstrated that the form of co-design framework offered under cyber-systemics is both consistent with cybernetic and SD literature, but also a means of avoiding regulatory disconnection in times of change and disruption. This study also invites consideration of how future forms of governance might be structured using cyber-systemics as a conceptual backbone.

Research limitations/implications

This work proposes a novel methodology at odds with traditional law enforcement ways of doing, inevitably requiring a change of regulatory mindset. In addition, this paper is purely conceptual and therefore more research on an empirical basis is required to prove the potential benefits in a real-world regulatory environment.

Originality/value

This is (to the author’s knowledge) the first conceptual exploration of blending SD and management cybernetics in the field of criminal law regulation.
Building a fitting context for knowledge management and innovativeness
Authors: Günsel Ayşe , Bozkurt Serdar , Mehtap Özge
Published: December 2020

Purpose

In the hyper-dynamic business world of today, innovation has become the lifeblood of organizations. Knowledge management (KM) is widely considered an essential antecedent of innovation. However, very little empirical research has specifically addressed how KM is nurtured as support for innovation from a behavioral point of view. This paper aims to operationalize the characteristics of a fitting context – in terms of top management support, organizational rewards and mutual trust – and to clarify the role of organizational context on knowledge management strategies (KMS) and ultimately on firm innovativeness.

Design/methodology/approach

By studying 98 surveys from 23 companies from Technology Fast 50 list, based on using the partial least squares method, the authors find that this organizational context has a significant impact on the formulation and implementation of KMS.

Findings

Organizational/behavioral context has significant effects on the formulation and implementation of KMS as well as firm innovativeness. The results also demonstrate that the tacit KMS has a crucial impact on firm innovativeness.

Originality/value

From a behavioral perspective, this study empirically examines the role of organizational context (top management support, organizational rewards and mutual trust), KMS and firm innovativeness in a holistic manner in Turkey, a developing country. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no researcher has undergone those relationships in literature.
Recovery from depression: re-envisioning the connection between recovery and spirituality
Authors: Snider Anne-Marie , Smith Naomi
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to respond to the following question: What does ongoing recovery from depression look like, and what role might spirituality have for individuals’ meanings of recovery if it has any meaning at all?

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors reconceptualize recovery from depression as ritual, as ongoing recovery, or recovery as a process, resonated with many of the 40 participants (all ages) from the study, and much of the sociological literature on recovery from depression (Fullagar and O’Brien, 2012; Garrett, 1997, 1998; Karp, 1994, 1996, 2016; O’Brien, 2012). To explore the interplay between participants’ accounts of recovery as ongoing, and the meanings of spirituality, the authors used a ritual analysis inspired by Collins (2004).

Findings

From the accounts presented in this paper, the authors suggest that participants are, if subconsciously, using objects with a special or spiritual significance to filter through their thoughts and memories as a way to create what Collins (2004) calls an emotional charge. The authors argue that these emotional charges assist people with lived experiences of depression in distancing from, and reconnecting to, certain social ties, including a particular family member, friend or social group, as part of their recovery. The authors are calling this process, ritual distancing.

Originality/value

Recovery from depression includes a process of reconnection to the self and others, and this process sometimes includes a self-defined spirituality (in objects and social connections).
Analysis and optimization of the strain concentration factor in countersunk rivet holes via finite element and response surface methods
Authors: Jreissat Mohannad , Gharaibeh Mohammad A.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strain concentration factor in a central countersunk hole riveted in rectangular plates under uniaxial tension using finite element and response surface methods.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, ANSYS software was elected to create the finite element model of the present structure, execute the analysis and generate strain concentration factor (,) data. Response surface method was implemented to formulate a second order equation to precisely compute (,) based on the geometric and material parameters of the present problem.

Findings

The computations of this formula are accurate and in a great agreement with finite element analysis (FEA) data. This equation was further used for obtaining optimum hole and plate designs.

Originality/value

An optimum design of the countersunk hole and the plate that minimizes the (,) value was achieved and hence validated with FEA findings.
Deep cutaneous fungal infection by Pleosporales: An exceptional pathogen in tropical Taiwan
Authors: Yu Yi‐Hsiang , Sun Pei‐Lun , Lee Chih‐Hung , Su Chia‐Jui , Tseng Han‐Chi
Published: December 2020

Deep cutaneous fungal infections (DCFI) are cutaneous and subcutaneous infectious diseases caused by fungi. Multiple genera of pathogenic fungi have been reported to cause DCFI. Herein, we report three rare cases of Pleosporales deep cutaneous infection in a southern Taiwan medical center. We evaluated the clinical manifestations, histopathological findings, pathogens, treatments and outcomes. The patients were a 77‐year‐old woman, a 78‐year‐old woman and an 81‐year‐old man, who lived in rural tropical areas. The lesions were erythematous noduloplaques with dark spots located on the upper extremities. Sequence‐based identification showed three different fungi of the order Pleosporales, namely Nigrograna mackinnonii, Medicopsis romeroi and Parathyridaria percutanea. All three cases received 200 mg of oral itraconazole daily for 10, 2 and 8 months, respectively. Two of them are free of diseases to date, and one improved partially but did not complete the treatment. Molecular tools are helpful for the identification of DCFI to exact species, which is key to successful treatment.
Managing Job‐Related Diversity Processes in High‐Reliability Teams in the Emergency Department
Authors: Williams Grace , Irving Gemma , Wright April L. , Middleton Stuart
Published: December 2020

We examine how high‐reliability teams (HRTs) manage job‐related diversity, which refers to differences among team members in skills and experiences relevant to work tasks. Managing job‐related diversity is important in HRTs because of the need for consistent performance in time‐pressured situations with serious consequences for error. In a qualitative study, we observe and interview members of HRTs in a public hospital emergency department in Australia. Our findings reveal a set of six strategies that HRTs in emergency departments use to manage different types of job‐related diversity. Strategies of active explanations and experience‐based task assignment manage educational diversity within HRT team processes. Strategies of deferring to a single leader and balancing delegation and participative leadership manage power diversity. Finally, strategies of sequential specialist involvement and a co‐production mindset manage functional diversity. Our theoretical model of these strategies and their implications for team processes deepen understanding of job‐related diversity in HRTs. Our study contributes to the literature by (1) shining light on managing the double‐edged sword of job‐related diversity in HRTs; (2) opening up insight into differences in diversity management processes between HRTs and traditional teams; and (3) informing debate in the broader teams literature about specific versus generic processes for managing diversity.