bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The dual role of the 16mer motif within the 3’ untranslated region of the variant surface glycoprotein ofTrypanosoma brucei
Authors: Bakari-Soale Majeed , Batram Christopher , Zimmerman Henriette , Jones Nicola G. , Engstler Markus
Published: December 2023

The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of African trypanosomes is essential for survival of bloodstream form parasites. These parasites undergo antigenic variation, an immune evasion strategy in which they periodically switch VSG expression from one isoform to another. The molecular processes central to the expression and regulation of the VSG are however not fully understood. In general, the regulation of gene expression in trypanosomes is largely post-transcriptional. Regulatory sequences, mostly present in the 3’ UTRs, often serve as key elements in the modulation of the levels of individual mRNAs. InT. bruceiVSG genes, a 16mer motif within the 3’ UTR has been shown to be essential for the stability ofVSGtranscripts and abundant VSG expression. This motif is 100 % conserved in the 3’ UTRs of all transcribed and non-transcribed VSG genes. As a stability-associated sequence element, the absence of nucleotide substitutions in the 16mer is however exceptional. We therefore hypothesised that the motif is involved in other essential roles/processes besides stability of theVSGtranscripts.

In this study, we demonstrate that the 100 % conservation of the 16mer motif is not essential for cell viability or for the maintenance of functional VSG protein levels. We further show that the intact motif in the active VSG 3’ UTR is neither required to promote VSG silencing during switching nor is it needed during differentiation from bloodstream forms to procyclic forms. Ectopic overexpression of a second VSG, however, requires the intact 16mer motif within the ectopic VSG 3’ UTR to trigger silencing and exchange of the active VSG, suggesting a role for the motif in transcriptional VSG switching. The enigmatic 16mer motif therefore appears to play a dual role in transcriptionalVSGswitching andVSGtranscript stability.
Volunteer to bury your talents: the influence of work values on voluntary overqualification
Authors: Li Yi , Wang Xuan , Moin Muhammad Farrukh
Published: December 2023

Purpose

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of individuals willingly opting for employment positions that do not fully use their education, skills and abilities, a phenomenon known as voluntary overqualification. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence and the formation mechanism of this emerging phenomenon. Drawing upon social cognition theory, this study explores the relationship between work values and voluntary overqualification while also examining the mediating role of the future work self and the moderating role of perceived marketability.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a longitudinal approach, collecting data through questionnaires administered at multiple time points. The sample consisted of 607 employees from various departments of five Chinese companies. Regression analysis using the PROCESS macro in SPSS was used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate a positive relationship between employees’ work values and voluntary overqualification. Furthermore, this relationship is mediated by the future work self. Additionally, perceived marketability plays a moderating intermediary role in the whole model.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the overqualification literature by introducing a novel type of overqualification and unveiling the mechanism by which work values influence voluntary overqualification. The findings provide insights for understanding and managing employees who are voluntarily overqualified.
The hedonic well-being index for measuring city competitiveness – an exploratory study
Authors: Tan Boon-Seng
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the construction of a valid and reliable measure for the competitiveness of cities that excludes the drivers of competitiveness from the index construction. Not incorporating these drivers in the index avoids the problem of assuming relative contributions (i.e. weights) of these drivers on competitiveness as a maintained hypothesis.

Design/methodology/approach

From the definition that competitiveness is the ability of a city to sustain prosperity, this study derives a model called the hedonic well-being index (HWI) in which prosperity is measured by using the consumption of goods and service including leisure. This study then uses secondary data sources to construct an exploratory HWI (assuming a Cobb Douglas functional form) and compare this index to three benchmarks, namely, income, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the World Happiness Report (WHR) index. This study also review the component expenditure of the index across geographical locations.

Findings

The HWI is better predicted by the WHR index (a subjective well-being index) than by the GDP per capita (a measure of output), owing to the inclusion of leisure and household production absent in per capita GDP. This study explored and found regional variations in the distribution of the expenditure components in the HWI.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of constructing an exploratory HWI to measure the competitiveness of cities using secondary data. The reliability of the index can be improved using primary data in future research. Separating the drivers from the definition of competitiveness allows testing of the contribution and interaction of these drivers on competitiveness.
Generative AI and composing: an intergenerational conversation among literacy scholars
Authors: Enriquez Grace , Gill Victoria , Campano Gerald , Flores Tracey T. , Jones Stephanie , Leander Kevin M. , McKnight Lucinda , Price-Dennis Detra
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a transcript of a dialogue among literacy educators and researchers on the impact of generative aritficial intelligence (AI) in the field. In the spring of 2023, a lively conversation emerged on the National Council of Research on Language and Literacy (NCRLL)’s listserv. Stephanie initiated the conversation by sharing an op-ed she wrote for Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the rise of ChatGPT and similar generative AI platforms, moving beyond the general public’s concerns about student cheating and robot takeovers. NCRLL then convened a webinar of eight leading scholars in writing and literacies development, inspired by that listerv conversation and an organizational interest in promoting intergenerational collaboration among literacy scholars.

Design/methodology/approach

As former doctoral students of two of the panel participants, webinar facilitators Grace and Victoria positioned themselves primarily as learners about this topic and gathered questions from colleagues, P-16 practitioners and those outside the field of education to assess the concerns and wonderings that ChatGPT and generative AI have raised. The following webinar conversation was recorded on two different days due to scheduling conflicts. It has been merged and edited into one dialogue for coherence and convergence.

Findings

Panel participants raise a host of questions and issues that go beyond topics of ethics, morality and basic writing instruction. Furthermore, in dialogue with one another, they describe possibilities for meaningful pedagogy and critical literacy to ensure that generative AI is used for a socially just future for students. While the discussion addressed matters of pedagogy, definitions of literacy and the purpose of (literacy) education, other themes included a critique of capitalism; an interrogation of the systems of power and oppression involved in using generative AI; and the philosophical, ontological, ethical and practical life questions about being human.

Originality/value

This paper provides a glimpse into one of the first panel conversations about ChatGPT and generative AI in the field of literacy. Not only are the panel members respected scholars in the field, they are also former doctoral students and advisors of one another, thus positioning all involved as both learners and teachers of this new technology.
Dual solutions for axisymmetric flow and heat transfer due to a permeable radially shrinking disk in copper oxide (CuO) and silver (Ag) hybrid nanofluids with radiation effect
Authors: Waini Iskandar , Jamrus Farah Nadzirah , Roșca Natalia C. , Roșca Alin V. , Pop Ioan
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the dual solutions for axisymmetric flow and heat transfer due to a permeable radially shrinking disk in copper oxide (CuO) and silver (Ag) hybrid nanofluids with radiation effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The partial differential equations that governed the problem will undergo a transformation into a set of similarity equations. Following this transformation, a numerical solution will be obtained using the boundary value problem solver, bvp4c, built in the MATLAB software. Later, analysis and discussion are conducted to specifically examine how various physical parameters affect both the flow characteristics and the thermal properties of the hybrid nanofluid.

Findings

Dual solutions are discovered to occur for the case of shrinking disk (λ < 0). Stronger suction triggers the critical values’ expansion and delays the boundary layer separation. Through stability analysis, it is determined that one of the solutions is stable, whereas the other solution exhibits instability, over time. Moreover, volume fraction upsurge enhances skin friction and heat transfer in hybrid nanofluid. The hybrid nanofluid’s heat transfer also heightened with the influence of radiation.

Originality/value

Flow over a shrinking disk has received limited research focus, in contrast to the extensively studied axisymmetric flow problem over a diverse set of geometries such as flat surfaces, curved surfaces and cylinder. Hence, this study highlights the axisymmetric flow due to a shrinking disk under radiation influence, using hybrid nanofluids containing CuO and Ag. Upon additional analysis, it is evidently shows that only one of the solutions exhibits stability, making it a physically dependable choice in practical applications. The authors are very confident that the findings of this study are novel, with several practical uses of hybrid nanofluids in modern industry.
Predictors of workaholism and quality of work-life among information technology (IT) professionals in Nigeria: a dynamite promoting brain-drain albatross
Authors: Akinwale Olusegun Emmanuel , Kuye Owolabi Lateef , Akinwale Olayombo Elizabeth
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The dynamics of work have increased the importance of work conditions and job demand in the corporate environment. This has exposed the high predominance of work overload among employees and managers in social organisations. This study aims to investigate the contemporary determinants of workaholism (organisational culture, financial well-being and career development) and quality of work-life (QWL) in Nigeria’s information technology (IT) sector.

Design/methodology/approach

To synthesise an understanding of factors that are responsible for workaholic behaviour among employees in the IT industry, this study used a cross-sectional research design to investigate the phenomenon that accounts for such hysteric conditions. This study administered an inventory battery of scales to obtain data from the study population on a random sampling technique to measure the established constructs responsible for workaholism and QWL. This study surveyed 644 samples of IT professionals in Nigeria and used structural equation modelling and artificial neural networks to examine the data obtained from the IT professionals.

Findings

The outcome of this study was significant as proposed. This study demonstrated that compulsive work approach adversely affects employee QWL in Nigeria’s IT industry. Also, excessive work adversely affects employee QWL in Nigeria’s IT industry. This study further discovered that organisational culture and management pressure significantly affect the QWL in the Nigerian IT industry. The results of this study showed that financial well-being significantly affects the QWL in the Nigerian IT industry. Lastly, it established that career development significantly affects the QWL in the Nigerian IT industry. This study concluded that if working round the clock is not completely removed from Nigeria’s IT cultural system, the industry will not be a safe environment and will not attract employees anymore. It has enabled many Nigerian workforces to quit working in Nigeria and migrate to international organisations.

Originality/value

This study has shown a meaningful dimension by discovering that workaholism is inherently in the cultural values and DNA of Nigerian IT institutions and not work addiction in itself for the employees. The novelty of this research has indicated that workaholism has not been documented much in the Nigerian IT sector.
Investment deviation from the optimal path: does the examination of audit quality services matter? A French study
Authors: Kouaib Amel , Lacombe Isabelle , Jarboui Anis
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The study of the relationship between external auditing services and investment deviation in a French setting has received relatively little research attention thus far. There are insufficient indicators to measure audit quality and then have a measurable link to investment efficiency. This study is motivated by such a research gap as well as the important role of auditing services in assuring investment efficiency. The purpose of this study is to test whether a good audit quality service improves corporate investment awareness in French-listed companies and contributes to establishing a comprehensive analysis framework for inefficient investment and how audit services have become an important tool to reduce the investment deviation of listed companies in France.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a sample of 89 non-financial French firms listed on the Stoxx 600 Index from 2015 to 2021, this study uses feasible generalised least squares (FGLS) regressions to study the relationship between investment deviation and auditing service quality.

Findings

After running an FGLS regression model for two firm groups (overinvestment and overinvestment groups) and testing for a set of control variables, especially COVID-19, the findings show a non-linear correlation between audit service and corporate investment deviation. Both underinvestment and overinvestment decisions are negatively and statistically significantly impacted by audit indicators. Furthermore, involving a high-quality specialised auditor may enhance overall monitoring and lead to a lower investment deviation level. Overall, the empirical results show that a high-quality audit service enhances the investment efficiency of French-indexed companies.

Practical implications

This study offers crucial information that audit regulators can use to better appreciate the advantages of high audit quality and to take seriously the policy issues that affect it. Board members are urged to provide excellent audit quality that improves investment efficiency with careful consideration.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing audit literature by illuminating the effect of audit quality services on investment deviation to show a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to the differences in prior studies’ findings in the field of audit quality impacts.
Political change, elections, and stock market indicators: a generalized method of moment analysis
Authors: Yiadom Eric B. , Tay Valentine , Sefe Courage E.K. , Gbade Vivian Aku , Osei-Manu Olivia
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The performance of financial markets is significantly influenced by the political environment during general elections. This study investigates the effect of general elections on stock market performance in selected African markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Prior studies have been inconsistent in determining whether electioneering events negatively or positively influence stock market performance. The study utilized panel data set with annual observations from 1990 to 2020. The generalized method of moments (GMM) is employed to investigate the effect of electioneering and change in government on key stock market performance indicators, including stock market capitalization, stock market turnover ratio and the value of stock traded.

Findings

The study finds that electioneering activities generally have a positive impact on the performance of the stock market, whereas a change in government has a negative impact. As a result, the study recommends that stakeholders of the stock market remain vigilant and actively monitor electioneering events to devise and implement effective policies aimed at mitigating political risks during general elections. By adopting these measures, investor confidence can be significantly enhanced, fostering a more robust and secure investment environment.

Originality/value

The study investigates a neglected section of the literature by highlighting not only the effect of elections on stock market indicators but also possible change in government during elections.
Role of work ethic in the work–life satisfaction relationship: a longitudinal moderation model
Authors: Jing Emma Lei , Yan Nanxi
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The authors examine the longitudinal relationship between work satisfaction and life satisfaction, and the moderating role of work ethic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a nationally representative sample of Dutch working adults (N = 1020; three waves over five years) and take a model comparison approach to identify the longitudinal relationship between work satisfaction and life satisfaction. To test the moderating effects of work ethic, the authors use conditional process analyses.

Findings

The authors find more evidence as to how work satisfaction and life satisfaction are positively and reciprocally linked over time using longitudinal data. More importantly, work ethic strengthens the positive effect of work satisfaction on life satisfaction, but no such moderating role is observed as to the effect from life satisfaction to work satisfaction.

Practical implications

The findings raise awareness that employees' overall happiness in life matters to workplace satisfaction. More importantly, one effective strategy to promote work satisfaction is to design work that nurtures strong work ethic – measures that help employees see more value in their work.

Originality/value

The findings regarding the role of work ethic show that the conservation of resources theory can be an informative lens to understand the work–life satisfaction relationship. For individuals with strong work ethic, work satisfaction constitutes a more salient form of psychological resources benefiting their overall life satisfaction.
Top management team diversity and adaptive firm performance: the moderating roles of overlapping team tenure and severity of threat
Authors: Ma Changlong , Ge Yuhui , Zhao Heng
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Although strategic scholars have made great effects to exploring the moderating roles of team interaction in explaining the effect of top management team (TMT) diversity, they have adopted seemingly conflicting theoretical perspectives to explain how it works. Drawing on ideas from the threat rigidity theory, the authors integrated these perspectives by proposing a contingency model in which the relationships between TMT diversity and adaptive firm performance depend on the matching between the internal context (i.e. overlapping team tenure) and external context (i.e. severity of threat).

Design/methodology/approach

This study sampled 579 Chinese A-share listed companies that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and multilevel linear regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis.

Findings

Results provided support for this hypothesis. Specifically, the interaction between TMT age/tenure diversity and overlapping team tenure is significant only when the severity of threat is high, while the interaction between TMT functional diversity and overlapping team tenure is significant only when the severity of threat is low.

Originality/value

The results of this study provide a comprehensive perspective to predict the performance impact of team diversity and contribute to diversity research and practice.
Business digital transformation: strategy adaptation, communication and future agenda
Authors: Cosa Marcello
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study addresses the pivotal role of digital transformation (DT) in the post-pandemic business landscape, identifying a notable gap in comprehending strategic adaptations and digital communication amidst the complexities of the digital era. It seeks to illuminate practical insights for businesses navigating through DT by intertwining its technological and organizational aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a conceptual approach, this paper synthesizes existing literature and theoretical frameworks related to DT, integrating its technological, strategic and organizational dimensions. It utilizes real-world instances to elucidate the digital era’s practical implications and strategic adaptations. The study also proposes a research agenda that spotlights pressing DT issues, challenges and actionable strategies for businesses.

Findings

Despite DT’s inherent complexity, the paper reveals that it is crucial for businesses navigating the contemporary digital landscape. It underscores the importance of strategic adaptations in DT, highlighting their implications on customer experiences and organizational structures amidst the evolving technological and market dynamics. Moreover, it accentuates the significance of effective digital communication strategies in enhancing user experiences and conveying value propositions adeptly.

Originality/value

This paper brings vital aspects of DT impacting modern organizations, offering invaluable insights for practitioners and scholars aiming to comprehend and navigate DT’s complexities. The identified research gaps underscore the necessity for further exploration, aiming to broaden DT’s theoretical and practical facets.
Reaching out for help
Authors: Lilley Kirsty
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how often survivors are dismissed and unsupported in response to actively reaching out for help with distress. The author hopes the vignettes written about in this piece will serve to support and contribute to a body of work, which will educate professionals how to better support. The author shares various experiences when opportunities to help were denied and the impact this had on recovery. It is also noted that the responses of some health professionals mirror the original trauma suffered and therefore add to distress unnecessarily.

Design/methodology/approach

The author has written about various experiences in different settings in which the support offered fell below professional standards and contributed to further unnecessary distress. The writing is evocative and rich in descriptive detail of the event and then implications of the event on recovery.

Findings

The author concludes that it is helpful to use experiences of being dismissed and unsupported by various professionals to contribute to a body of work, which will hopefully educate and support those in caring professions to support survivors better. The author notes that responses to requests for help can unintentionally and intentionally further exacerbate the distress already experienced by those living with traumatic early life experiences and relational abruptions.

Originality/value

This is the author’s unique and first-hand lived experience of reaching out for help in relation to the distress experienced as a result of early life traumatic and adversarial experiences. The author notes that it is helpful to write about these difficult experiences with the hope that they will inform educational programmes to support health professionals in how they respond to people experiencing trauma. This has helped the author regain a sense of agency in contributing to the prevention of further unhelpful responses from various health professionals to those in distress. The vignettes are rich, deeply evocative and moving. The writing process also helped the author make sense of these further difficulties and how they impacted the recovery process.
Enabling consumer reciprocity through voucher campaigns
Authors: da Silva Juliano Domingues , Endrici João Otávio Montanha , Ferreira Thiago Brusarosco
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study proposes that reciprocity appeal may influence consumers helping behavior. The authors suggest that this influence depends on the target of reciprocity (direct vs. indirect), consumer–brand social distance (close vs. distant) and frequency of exposure to the appeal over time.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted through three experimental studies. They were carried out both through online experiment (Study 1) and in laboratory (Studies 2 and 3). Study 3 consisted of an experiment combined with longitudinal growth models, supporting the hypothesis that repetitive periods decrease reciprocity over time.

Findings

The results demonstrate that consumers close to a brand become more prosocial toward the company when the reciprocity appeal is perceived as direct (vs. indirect). In contrast, the indirect reciprocity appeal influences consumers distant from the company. Furthermore, reciprocity appeal decreases consumer helping behavior over time, but indirect reciprocity appeal attenuates this negative effect only to close customers.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to theory by showing that direct reciprocal appeals increase the helping behavior of close customers when company appeals are infrequently made.

Originality/value

This research is the first to empirically investigate the efficiency of voucher campaigns. Furthermore, it innovates by exploring a situation of direct consumer reciprocity in which the consumer decides to help a company with an expectation, but no explicit requirement, that the company will reciprocate.
Co-creation experience and tourists’ citizenship behavior: challenges of Indonesian ecotourism sector during post-pandemic era
Authors: Kusumawati Andriani , Kurniawan Cahya Nova , Iqbal Mohammad
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to highlight the influence of co-creation experience (CCE) on tourists’ citizenship behavior (TCB), emphasizing the Indonesian ecotourism sector during the post-COVID pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

By using a judgmental sampling, data were collected from 150 visitors who visits Indonesian ecotourism resort and acquired the wildlife experience through co-creation process. To evaluate the relationship model, partial least squares-structural equation modeling by SmartPLS 3rd version was used in this study.

Findings

The result indicated that CCE in terms of Indonesian ecotourism had an effect on involvement (INV) and satisfaction (SAT). Result ascertain INV and SAT direct effect on TCB. Multigroup analysis indicated that perceived risk of COVID-19 could moderate insignificantly the relationship among INV, SAT on TCB.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses on CCE, INV, SAT and TCB in Indonesian ecotourism with wildlife attraction and contributes an insight for tourism research; thus, the results cannot be generalized for other ecotourism worldwide.

Practical implications

The proposed model of this study suggests the need to review the current condition of citizenship behavior at destination level, especially regarding to cleanliness and crowd controlling on post-COVID pandemic to maintain tourists’ health and safety while traveling.

Social implications

Achieving TCB in different types of destination (ecotourism) requires specific development models concerning environmental conditions.

Originality/value

Though CCE, INV, SAT and TCB have identified as main topics for tourism research especially in ecotourism sector, the related factors of TCB in post-COVID-19 era are remain limited.
Seismic attribute transformation and porosity prediction of thin water‐rich sandstone based on Lambert W–R model
Authors: Li Wan , Chen Tongjun , Yin Haiyang , Zhao Liming , Xu Haicheng
Published: December 2023

The seismic attributes of water‐rich sandstone contain much information about the rock's physical properties and seismic wave parameters. They are commonly used to predict the rock's physical properties (e.g. porosity). However, the seismic attributes of water‐rich sandstone are affected by porosity, water saturation and thickness. To eliminate the influence of thickness on the porosity prediction of water‐rich sandstone and improve the accuracy of the porosity prediction, the authors propose a Lambert W–R transform method to isolate the contribution of thickness and porosity from seismic attributes. First, a rock physical model is used to calculate the equivalent elastic parameters of water‐rich sandstones with different porosity values and water saturation levels. Second, the seismic attribute dataset of water‐rich sandstone is established by forward modelling the seismic response of the wedge‐shaped water‐rich sandstone model, and the selection of sensitive physical properties is completed. Then, the transformation parameters (ζAhRs and ηAhRs) are obtained by Lambert W–R transformation, which is exponentially related to instantaneous amplitude. ζAhRs and ηAhRs are sensitive to thickness and porosity, respectively. Finally, an interpretative template for porosity prediction of water‐rich sandstone is established by cross‐plot analysis (ζAhRs and ηAhRs) and verified by a practical case. The verification results show that the porosity predicted by the interpretation template is consistent with drilling fluid consumption. However, it is lower than the porosity of logging constrained P‐wave impedance inversion.
Ritalin, Animal Spirits and the Productivity Puzzle
Authors: Ward Tony
Published: December 2023

This article argues the importance of animal spirits throughout the economy in improving productivity performance. It overviews the idea of animal spirits and people's level of confidence in undertaking economic activity. It then notes a gap, a missing residual, in economists' efforts to understand productivity growth. Two well‐documented measures indicating animal spirits are the levels of social trust and of corruption. Surveying the literature, the article shows both of these correlate with economic performance, and demonstrates they are correlated with each other. A case study of the impact of changes in corruption levels shows animal spirits can have significant effects.
Agricultural Economics in the JAE: Some Editorial Reflections
Authors: Harvey David R.
Published: December 2023

On retirement from the post of Editor in Chief of the JAE, it is appropriate that I offer some reflections on my editorship. First, I review the general performance of the journal over the period 2005‐2023, and conclude that the JAE has held its own amongst our peers though this is is largely due to our authors and reviewers, rather than the Editor. Second, I consider the subject matter and citation scores of our published papers over this period, as a reflection of the evolution of the state of the art of the Agricultural Economics profession. Here, I illustrate the increasing number and subject/method range of published papers, but raise some questions about what, exactly, citations really indicate. I conclude with some reflections on the challenges and opportunities for the profession.
On the state of financial research: Is it in a silo?
Authors: Azad A. S. M. Sohel , Chazi Abdelaziz , Khallaf Ashraf , Zantout Zaher
Published: December 2023

This study on the state of financial research analysed the citations made in leading business and economics journals in the period 1997–2020. It found that, contrary to other business fields, and despite citing more references, finance researchers overlooked the fruitful mode of knowledge creation by integrating advances from disciplines other than economics. Additionally, citations in economics became disproportionate to older papers. Furthermore, intradisciplinary citations remained predominantly in the same four journals, although others became prominent. These findings on the state of financial research supplement other issues inhibiting finance knowledge progression and have inferences regarding the training of future scholars.
Review: Wildlife forensic genetics—Biological evidence, DNA markers, analytical approaches, and challenges
Authors: Kanthaswamy Sree
Published: December 2023

Wildlife‐related crimes are the second most prevalent lawbreaking offense globally. This illicit trade encompasses hunting, breeding and trafficking. Besides diminishing many species and their habitats and ecosystems, hindering the economic development of local communities that depend on them, undermining the rule of law and financing terrorism, various cross‐species transmissions (zoonoses) of pathogens, including COVID‐19, can be attributed to wildlife crimes. Wildlife forensics applies interdisciplinary scientific analyses to support law enforcement in investigating wildlife crimes. Its main objectives are to identify the taxonomic species in question, determine if a crime has been committed, link a suspect to the crime and support the conviction and prosecution of the perpetrator. This article reviews wildlife crime and its implications, wildlife forensic science investigation, common forms of wildlife biological evidence, including DNA, wildlife DNA techniques and challenges in wildlife forensic genetics. The article also reviews the contributions of genetic markers such as short tandem repeat (STR) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers, which provide the probative genetic data representing the bulk of DNA evidence for solving wildlife crime. This review provides an overview of wildlife DNA databases, which are critical for searching and matching forensic DNA profiles and sequences and establishing how frequent forensic DNA profiles and sequences are in a particular population or geographic region. As such, this review will contain an in‐depth analysis of the current status of wildlife forensic genetics, and it will be of general interest to wildlife and conservation biologists, law enforcement officers, and academics interested in combating crimes against wildlife using animal forensic DNA methods.
World trends in publication for maxillofacial and dental trauma in the elderly
Authors: Turino Fabiana Dantas , Jural Lucas Alves , da Silva Leticia Lopes A. , Magno Marcela Baraúna , Maia Luciane Cople , Risso Patrícia A.
Published: December 2023

Aging may increase the risk of maxillofacial and dentoalveolar trauma (MDT). This review assessed global trends in scientific publications on MDT in the elderly. Six databases were searched. Studies about MDT in the elderly (≥60 years old) were included in two text mining stages (S1 and S2). In S1, all studies with elderly subjects were included, while in S2 only studies in which the elderly were assessed in a separate set of data or in a subanalysis by age groups were included. In S1, relevant data were mined using VantagePoint™ software. In S2, data were descriptively analyzed. There were 2265 studies at S1 and 110 at S2. The publication dates spanned from 1963 to 2023. In S1, the most cited keywords and terms were aged (n = 1872), male (n = 1839), female (n = 1777), “mandible fracture” (n = 460), “orbit fracture” (n = 362), and “maxilla fracture” (n = 118). Thirty authors published 10 or more articles with visible collaboration networks. There was a progressive increase in publications, especially in Europe (n = 150). In S2, most studies were case reports/case series (n = 62). The primary etiology was accidental falls (n = 84), the most affected region was the middle third of the face (n = 65), and dental trauma was rarely reported (n = 15). Cone Beam computed tomography was the most used diagnostic tool (n = 67). Of the 81 articles that addressed therapy, 52 opted for surgical treatment. Although there has been an increase in the number of articles on MDT over the years, studies with the elderly population as a specific study group are still needed. Accidental falls were the most reported etiology, while the middle third of the face and the mandible were the anatomic region and bone most affected, respectively. The high number of case reports indicates the need for improvement in the available scientific evidence about MDT in the elderly.
Local adaptation with gene flow in a highly dispersive shark
Authors: Klein Juliana D. , Maduna Simo N. , Dicken Matthew L. , da Silva Charlene , Soekoe Michelle , McCord Meaghen E. , Potts Warren M. , Hagen Snorre B. , Bester‐van der Merwe Aletta E.
Published: December 2023

Adaptive divergence in response to environmental clines are expected to be common in species occupying heterogeneous environments. Despite numerous advances in techniques appropriate for non‐model species, gene–environment association studies in elasmobranchs are still scarce. The bronze whaler or copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) is a large coastal shark with a wide distribution and one of the most exploited elasmobranchs in southern Africa. Here, we assessed the distribution of neutral and adaptive genomic diversity in C. brachyurus across a highly heterogeneous environment in southern Africa based on genome‐wide SNPs obtained through a restriction site‐associated DNA method (3RAD). A combination of differentiation‐based genome‐scan (outflank) and genotype–environment analyses (redundancy analysis, latent factor mixed models) identified a total of 234 differentiation‐based outlier and candidate SNPs associated with bioclimatic variables. Analysis of 26,299 putatively neutral SNPs revealed moderate and evenly distributed levels of genomic diversity across sites from the east coast of South Africa to Angola. Multivariate and clustering analyses demonstrated a high degree of gene flow with no significant population structuring among or within ocean basins. In contrast, the putatively adaptive SNPs demonstrated the presence of two clusters and deep divergence between Angola and all other individuals from Namibia and South Africa. These results provide evidence for adaptive divergence in response to a heterogeneous seascape in a large, mobile shark despite high levels of gene flow. These results are expected to inform management strategies and policy at the national and regional level for conservation of C. brachyurus populations.
Philanthropia as Skopos of the Incarnation: The Deifying Vocation of Humanity in Maximus the Confessor
Authors: Marco Anthony
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Maximus the Confessor's belief that the Incarnation would have happened without a Fall is a key facet of his thought, yet contradicts portions of his corpus which state that God became human due to sin. I assert that Maximus affirms a prelapsarian motive of the Incarnation for two reasons: his conception of deification as participation and understanding of humanity's original vocation. Deification and vocation are presented by Maximus in such a way that they could have only been fulfilled through Christ's Incarnation; the joining of human and divine natures is not a soteriological necessity. Analysing accounts of the Fall of Adam in both the Questiones ad Thalassium and the Ambiguum demonstrate that the Confessor reconciles the historic need for salvation with the will of God from all eternity. I argue that a reading of Ambigua 41 in the context of the Maximian corpus reveals an all‐encompassing reason for the Incarnation. Philanthropy (φιλανθρωπία), God's love for humanity, is the motive (σκοπός) for the Incarnation that embraces the divine preexistent intention without contradicting soteriology.
Outcomes and predictors of clinical T1 renal mass (cT1) upstaged to pathological T3a (pT3a) after partial nephrectomy: A single‐center experience
Authors: Pathak Niramya , Ganpule Arvind , Patel Dhruv , Singh Abhishek , Shete Nitiraj , Sabnis Ravindra , Desai Mahesh
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Clinical T1 (cT1) renal mass treated surgically has a good prognosis, but there is an upstaging risk that potentially threatens oncological outcomes after partial nephrectomy (PN). We aim to analyze and study the incidence, predictors, perioperative morbidity, and oncological outcomes of pT3a upstaging.

Methodology

A retrospective study of 313 patients who underwent PN for cT1 renal mass at a single center from a single tertiary referral center between 2000 and 2021 was done. Demographic, perioperative, pathological, and outcome variables were reviewed. We compared these parameters between upstaged and non‐upstaged groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to study preoperative variables associated with upstaging.

Results

Nineteen patients were upstaged to pT3a. Making an incidence of 6.1%. Upstaged tumors were bigger (5.02 cm vs. 4.08 cm, p = 0.004), had higher clinical stage T1b (84.2 vs. 40.5%, p < 0.001), had more tumors which were central location (21 vs. 3.4%, p < 0.001), had more endophytic and mesophytic tumors (15.8 vs. 5.8% and 52.6 vs. 9.5%, p < 0.001), and had higher R.E.N.A.L Nephrometry score (8.05 vs. 6, p < 0.001). Upstaged tumors had more operative times (227 vs. 203 min, p = 0.01), more postoperative complications (68.4 vs. 13.1%, p < 0.001), more major complications of Clavien Dindo Grade 3 and above (15.8 vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001). Age (OR 1.035, p = 0.034), Radiological tumor dimension (OR 1.578, p = 0.003), Radiological or Clinical stage (T1b) (9.19, p = 0.008), Higher Nephrometry score (Intermediate and High) (OR 6.184, p = 0.004) were preoperative predictors of upstaging. Oncological outcomes were comparable.

Conclusion

Tumor upstaging was uncommon with more perioperative morbidity. Higher age, larger tumor size, higher tumor stage, and higher nephrometry scores were preoperative predictors of upstaging.
Comparison of the clinical features and outcomes of severe seasonal influenza and COVID‐19 patients in Tunisia between 2021 and 2022
Authors: Ben Khelil Jalila , Yazidi Rihab , Ben Mrad Nacef , Jarraya Fatma , Rachdi Emna , Ayed Samia , Jamoussi Amira , Ben Salah Afif , Besbes Mohamed
Published: December 2023

Background

We compared patients diagnosed at a SARI (severe acute respiratory infections) surveillance site with COVID‐19 and those with seasonal influenza to investigate the clinical differences, common features, and outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive, retrospective study in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Abderrahman Mami Hospital between September 2021 and April 2022. Demographic, clinical, and biological data as well as outcomes were recorded for all patients.

Results

Among 223 SARI patients, 83 were confirmed COVID‐19, and 22 were influenza positive. The distribution according to gender was similar; but patients with influenza were younger than those suffering from COVID‐19(mean age 60.36 SD 17.28 vs. 61.88 SD 17.91; P = 0.601). In terms of underlying chronic diseases, the frequency was 84.3% in the COVID‐19 group and 72.7% in the influenza group. COVID‐19 patients had a longer duration of hospitalization (mean [SD], 9.51 days [8.47 days] vs. 7.33 days [8.82 days]; P = 0.003), and a more frequent need for invasive ventilation (80 [97.4%] vs. 20 [92.3]). Case fatality was also higher among this group compared to the latter (39 [47%] vs. 6 [27.3%], P = 0.01).

Conclusion

This exploratory study suggests higher severity of COVID‐19 compared to seasonal influenza among SARI hospitalized patients even during the Omicron wave. Further research on higher sample sizes is required to confirm this conclusion.
Successful autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in a refractory anti‐Caspr1 antibody nodopathy
Authors: Afanasiev Vadim , Tsouni Pinelopi , Kuntzer Thierry , Cairoli Anne , Delmont Emilien , Vallat Jean‐Michel , Devaux Jérôme , Théaudin Marie
Published: December 2023

Aim

Autoimmune nodopathies have specific clinicopathologic features, antibodies directed against nodal proteins (neurofascin 186) or paranodal proteins (neurofascin 155, contactin 1, contactin‐associated protein 1 (Caspr1)), and usually have a poor response to first‐line therapies for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Anti‐Caspr1 nodopathy treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) has not been previously reported.

Methods

We report the first case of an anti‐Caspr1 antibody‐positive nodopathy refractory to high‐intensity immunosuppressive treatment, including rituximab, that responded dramatically to AHSCT.

Results

A 53‐year‐old woman presented with a rapidly progressive generalized ataxic, painful motor, and inflammatory neuropathy supported by neurophysiologic and MRI studies. Initial tests for antibodies to nodal/paranodal proteins were negative. She was treated with multiple courses of intravenous immunoglobulin and methylprednisolone, plasma exchange, rituximab, and cyclophosphamide without significant clinical benefit. Repeated testing for antibodies to nodal/paranodal proteins yielded a positive result for anti‐Caspr1/IgG4 isotype antibodies. Given the poor response to multiple high intensity treatments and the relatively young age of the patient, we decided to perform AHSCT at 30 months post‐onset. Immediately after AHSCT, she stopped all immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive therapy. The Overall Neuropathy Limitation Score improved from 8/12 to 4/12 at 6 months post‐AHSCT. At 3 months post‐AHSCT, IgG4 against Caspr1 was negative and no reactivity against paranodes could be detected.

Conclusion

We report a particularly severe anti‐Caspr1 antibody autoimmune nodopathy that responded dramatically to AHSCT. Although the rarity of the disease limits the possibility of larger studies, AHSCT may be a valuable therapy in treatment‐refractory cases.
Big Data, Proxies, Algorithmic Decision‐Making and the Future of Management Theory
Authors: Lindebaum Dirk , Moser Christine , Islam Gazi
Published: December 2023

The future of theory in the age of big data and algorithms is a frequent topic in management research. However, with corporate ownership of big data and data processing capabilities designed for profit generation increasing rapidly, we witness a shift from scientific to ‘corporate empiricism’. Building on this debate, our ‘Point’ essay argues that theorizing in management research is at risk now. Unlike the ‘Counterpoint’ article, which portrays a bright future for management theory given available technological opportunities, we are concerned about management researchers increasingly ‘borrowing’ data from the corporate realm (e.g., Google et al.) to build or test theory. Our objection is that this data borrowing can harm scientific theorizing due to how scaling effects, proxy measures and algorithmic decision‐making performatively combine to undermine the scientific validity of theories. This undermining occurs through reducing scientific explanations, while technology shapes theory and reality in a profit‐predicting rather than in a truth‐seeking manner. Our essay has meta‐theoretical implications for management theory per se, as well as for political debates concerning the jurisdiction and legitimacy of knowledge claims in management research. Practically, these implications connect to debates on scientific responsibilities of researchers.