bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of ElectrocompetentStaphylococcus aureusCells and Plasmid Transformation
Authors: Zeden Merve S. , Schuster Christopher F. , Gründling Angelika
Published: August 2023

This protocol is part of a series of methodologies for the construction of an in-frame gene deletion inStaphylococcus aureusstrain RN4220. Having previously described how an allelic-exchange plasmid containing a desired gene deletion (in this case, pIMAY*-ΔtagO) can be constructed and isolated fromEscherichia coli, we now present details of the next steps in this method—the preparation of electrocompetentS. aureuscells and introduction of thetagOmutant plasmid DNA into theS. aureuscells by electroporation. Colonies containing the plasmid can then be selected on chloramphenicol plates at a low temperature permissive for plasmid replication.
Establishing aCulexColony from Field-Collected Eggs
Authors: Meuti Megan E. , Siperstein Alden , Wolkoff Matthew
Published: August 2023

Culexlarvae are well adapted to growing and developing in containers, and therefore collecting and rearing field-collectedCulexto adulthood in the laboratory is relatively straightforward. What is substantially more challenging is simulating natural conditions that encourageCulexadults to mate, blood feed, and reproduce in laboratory settings. In our experience, this is the most difficult hurdle to overcome when establishing new laboratory colonies. Here, we detail how to collectCulexeggs from the field and establish a colony in the laboratory. Successfully establishing a new colony ofCulexmosquitoes in the laboratory will allow researchers to evaluate physiologically, behaviorally, and ecologically relevant aspects of their biology and better understand and manage these important disease vectors.
Rearing and Maintaining aCulexColony in the Laboratory
Authors: Meuti Megan E. , Siperstein Alden , Wolkoff Matthew
Published: August 2023

After overcoming the significant obstacle of getting adultCulexmosquitoes to reproduce and blood feed in the laboratory, maintaining a laboratory colony is much more achievable. However, great care and attention to detail are still required to ensure that the larvae have adequate food without being overwhelmed by bacterial growth. Additionally, achieving the appropriate densities of larvae and pupae is essential, as overcrowding delays development, prevents pupae from successfully emerging as adults, and/or reduces adult fecundity and alters sex ratios. Finally, adult mosquitoes should have constant access to H2O and nearly constant access to sugar sources to ensure that both males and females have adequate nutrition and can produce the maximum number of offspring. Here, we describe our methods for maintaining the Buckeye strain ofCulex pipiensand how other researchers might modify them to suit their specific needs.
Allelic Exchange: Construction of an Unmarked In-Frame Deletion inStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Zeden Merve S. , Schuster Christopher F. , Gründling Angelika
Published: August 2023

Here we describe an allelic-exchange procedure for the construction of an unmarked gene deletion in the bacteriumStaphylococcus aureus. As a practical example, we outline the construction of atagOgene deletion inS. aureususing the allelic-exchange plasmid pIMAY*. We first present the general principles of the allelic-exchange method, along with information on counterselectable markers. Furthermore, we summarize relevant cloning procedures, such as the splicing by overhang extension (SOE) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Gibson assembly methods, and we conclude by giving some general consideration to performing genetic modifications inS. aureus.
Determinants of blockchain adoption and organizational performance in the healthcare sector in India
Authors: Kabra Gaurav
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Blockchain technology (BCT) has multiple benefits across industries in varied contexts, but limited organizations have adopted such disruptive innovative technologies in the healthcare industry in India. The research on advancing the understanding of blockchain adoption (BCA) determinants in India's healthcare industry is limited. Thus, the study aims to identify the BCA determinants in the healthcare sector in India. Further, the impact of BCA was examined on organizational performance (OP).

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilizes Technology, Organization, and Environment (TOE) framework to investigate the determinants of BCA in the healthcare sector in India. The data were gathered using a seven-point Likert seven-point ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree” from 272 respondents working in the healthcare industry in India. The relationship within the framework was investigated using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results demonstrate the positive impact of top management support, organizational size, organizational readiness, competitive pressure and government support on BCA in the healthcare sector. On the other hand, compatibility, security and privacy issues do not affect BCA. The results emphasize and validate blockchain’s importance in improving OP in the healthcare sector. Further, the results indicate that non-technological factors are paramount to improving BCA within the healthcare sector. Organizations should invest in employee training and development to ensure their staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively manage BCT.

Research limitations/implications

The model was developed for BCA in the healthcare sector in the Indian context; however, the model applies to other countries with the same business environment. Hence, the model can be further examined in diverse countries to generalize the findings.

Practical implications

The study offers valuable insights into the factors that influence BCA and OP in the healthcare sector. The results of this research can be used to inform policy decisions and guide practitioners toward promoting and facilitating the use of BCT in healthcare organizations.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, the present study is the first of its kind to examine the TOE framework in BCA within the healthcare sector and its implications on OP.
Roles of clients in buildability improvement in Nigeria: an exploratory factor analysis
Authors: Osuizugbo Innocent Chigozie , Aina Omotayo Olugbenga , Onokwai Anthony Ogochukwu
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Construction industry is a vital sector for national and economic development of any country. Past studies reveal that the Nigerian construction industry is suffering from buildability problems. Buildability improvement is the duty of every key stakeholder, including designers, builders and clients. This study sets out to determine the principal roles of clients in buildability improvement in Nigerian construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was adopted to evaluate construction industry professionals’ views on the roles of clients in buildability improvement in Nigeria. Eighty-one questionnaires were sufficiently filled and returned, representing a return percentage of 76% which formed the basis of this study. Data elicited were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

The results from factors analysis show that the roles of clients in buildability improvement can be categorised into two constructs: commitment to buildability assessment and other related practices, and adequate planning of project objectives.

Originality/value

This study contributed to more effective buildability studies by highlighting the roles of clients in buildability improvement in the construction industry. An understanding of these roles is very significant for minimising buildability problems as well as for improving and embedding buildability as a practice in the construction industry.
Antecedents of big data analytics (BDA) adoption in private firms: a sequential explanatory approach
Authors: Waqar Javaria , Paracha Osman Sadiq
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the key antecedents influencing the private firm’s intention to adopt big data analytics (BDA) in developing economies. To do so, the study follows the sequential explanatory approach.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypothesized model that draws on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework paired with the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, a purposive sampling technique was applied to gather data from 156 IT and management domain experts from the private firms that intend to adopt BDA and operate in Pakistan’s service industry, including telecommunication, information technology, agriculture, and e-commerce. The data were analysed using the partial least squares structural equations modelling (PLS-SEM) technique and complemented with qualitative analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews in NVIVO 12 based on grounded theory.

Findings

The empirical findings revealed that the two constructs – perceived benefits and top management support – are the powerful drivers of a firm’s intention to adopt BDA in the private sector, whereas IT infrastructure, data quality, technological complexity and financial readiness, along with the moderators, BDA adoption of competitors and government policy and regulation, do not significantly influence the intention. In addition, the qualitative analysis validates and further complements the SEM findings.

Originality/value

Unlike the previous studies on technology adoption, this study proposed a unique research model with contextualized indicators to measure the constructs relevant to private firms, based on the TOE framework and DOI theory, to investigate the causal relationship between drivers and intention. Furthermore, the findings of PLS-SEM were complemented by qualitative analysis to validate the causation. The findings of this study have both theoretical and practical implications.
Developing Mathematics teachers' attitude towards technology integration through school-based lesson design teams
Authors: Njiku Joseph , Mutarutinya Védaste , Maniraho Jean François
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the development of Mathematics teachers' attitudes towards technology integration through collaborative lesson design activities as part of professional development.

Design/methodology/approach

The pre-and post-test for non-equivalent comparison groups quasi-experiment was adopted as the study design where 125 participants were distributed into three groups in Dar es Salaam – Tanzania. Data analysis was done using gain in scores, t-test, split-plot analysis of variance, and eta-squared.

Findings

Comparison across groups and between pre-intervention and post-intervention showed that collaborative lesson design activities have more potential to develop Mathematics teachers' attitudes than the isolated implementation of such activities. Relevant recommendations are provided.

Practical implications

The study offers valuable insights for teacher education especially in-service training focussing on effective ways of developing teachers' competencies especially attitudes towards technology integration.

Originality/value

Although lesson design studies are prevalent, majority have investigated the development of teachers' knowledge rather than attitude for integrating technology. Additionally, the study sheds light on attitude as a multidimensional construct thereby providing more insight into the subject.
Role of institution in combating crime in India: an empirical study
Authors: Dinda Soumyananda , Khasnobis Poulomi
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper examines the role of institution in the combating crime in India. This study also assesses institutions for controlling property crime in India in the post-reform era.

Design/methodology/approach

Crime and socio-economic data are taken from National Crime Record Bureau and the Reserve Bank of India, respectively. Twenty major Indian states are selected for the study purpose for the period of 1994–2019. Fixed effect panel data technique is used for analysis purpose.

Findings

Property crime rate declines with economic growth, while it increases with financial development. Findings of fiscal policy instruments are different. Own tax is positively associated with property crime in India, while non-tax fiscal instruments such as fine, penalty, and so on, are inversely related to it. Property crime rate is inversely related to institutional factors like charge sheet and conviction rate.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed for other crimes in India. State-level data are used here for analysis purpose; however, spatial or cluster analysis techniques might provide more insights for combating crimes in India.

Practical implications

This study suggests that economic growth and fiscal instrument along with institutional development are essential to control property crime in India.

Social implications

Government should take steps to improve the law-and-order system to control property crime across states.

Originality/value

Impact of non-tax fiscal instrument reduces property crime while that of own tax is increases it in India. These findings are unique and added certain insight in the study. Institutional roles are captured its performances like charge sheet and convict rate, which are significantly reduce property crime in Indian states. Least square dummy variable model is applied to capture individual state effects.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2023-0063
Loyalty and well-being explain serial crowdfunding backing behavior: an empirical test of complementary theories
Authors: Efrat Kalanit , Gilboa Shaked , Wald Andreas , Shneor Rotem
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Despite the critical contribution of serial backers in advancing crowdfunding volumes, few studies have addressed the phenomenon of serial backing. Research on the motivations of backers suggests that cognitive antecedents influence pledging in crowdfunding projects according to the theory of planned behavior. However, intrinsic factors associated with different dimensions of well-being may also explain crowdfunding support. This study seeks to advance the understanding of drivers of serial backing by combining the theory of planned behavior and the theory of well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws on survey data from 336 serial backers, complemented by objective data on the number of campaigns and amounts invested by backers from Headstart, the largest crowdfunding platform in Israel. The research model is tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings indicate that the well-being of serial backers mediates the impact of attitude, subjective norms and social norms on their loyalty. However, while loyalty can be explained by elements of both theories, it does not translate into actual serial backing behavior.

Originality/value

This study is the first to systematically explore serial backers' motivations in crowdfunding and the influence of these motivations on their actual behavior. It combines two previously separate theories, the theory of planned behavior and the theory of well-being.
Audit quality and classification shifting: evidence from UK and Germany
Authors: Usman Muhammad , Nwachukwu Jacinta , Ezeani Ernest , Salem Rami Ibrahim A. , Bilal Bilal , Kwabi Frank Obenpong
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The authors examine the impact of audit quality (AQ) on classification shifting (CS) among non-financial firms operating in the UK and Germany.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used various audit committee variables (size, meetings, gender diversity and financial expertise) to measure AQ and its impact on CS. The authors used a total of 2,110 firm-year observations from 2010 to 2019.

Findings

The authors found that the presence of female members on the audit committee and audit committee financial expertise deter the UK and German managers from shifting core expenses and revenue items into special items to inflate core earnings. However, audit committee size is positively related to CS among German firms but has no impact on UK firms. The authors also document evidence that audit committee meetings restrain UK managers from engaging in CS. However, the authors found no impact on CS among German firms. The study results hold even after employing several tests.

Research limitations/implications

Overall, the study findings provide broad support in an international setting for the board to improve its auditing practices and offer essential information to investors to assess how AQ affects the financial reporting process.

Originality/value

Most CS studies used market-oriented economies such as the USA and UK and ignored bank-based economies such as Germany, France and Japan. The authors provide a comparison among bank and market-oriented economies on whether the AQ has a similar impact on CS or not among them.
How artificial intelligence impacts the competitive position of healthcare organizations
Authors: Ali Mohamad Talal , Bastone Anna , Bernhard Fabian , Schiavone Francesco
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Digital transformation affected modern society influencing how businesses cooperate and produce value. In this context, Artificial Intelligence plays a critical role. This study aims to explore the role of Artificial Intelligence in organisational positioning within the market, influencing firms' competitiveness. In this vein, this research seeks to respond to the following research question: How does AI impact the competitive advantage of healthcare organizations?.

Design/methodology/approach

To tackle the research question, an explorative analysis using the case study method to investigate an international healthcare center in Dubai was conducted. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with the head and the members of the robotic surgery team in CMC Dubai to thoroughly understand what the components of the robotic approach are and how the arrangement before the introduction of this innovative technique while shedding light on the added value and the advantages of adopting such technique on both patient safety and patient satisfaction. Additionally, archival data and online documentation (e.g. industry reports, newspaper articles and internal documents) were analyzed to obtain data triangulation.

Findings

The results highlight three primary outcomes influenced by implementing AI in organizational processes: clinical, financial and technological outcomes. The study will offer interesting non-studied insights about the implementation of Artificial Intelligence tools in the healthcare sector and specifically robotic surgeries, and to which extent this will contribute and represent a competitive advantage. Results will hopefully insert a brick in the wall of the impact of AI tools on the quality and the results of surgical operations while emphasizing the benefits of integrating AI in surgical practice.

Originality/value

This study offers interesting theoretical and practical implications. It opens a new perspective to understand and manage AI tools in service. This research is not without limits providing valuable insights for future research.
Learning in living lab collaboration in primary care – a qualitative study
Authors: Samuelson Sarah , Svensson Ann , Svenningsson Irene , Pennbrant Sandra
Published: August 2023

Purpose

To meet future healthcare needs, primary care is undergoing a transformation in which innovations and new ways of working play an important role. However, successful innovations depend on joint learning and rewarding collaborations between healthcare and other stakeholders. This study aims to explore how learning develops when entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals and older people collaborate in a primary care living lab.

Design/methodology/approach

The study had an action research design and was conducted at a clinically embedded living lab at a primary care centre on the west coast of Sweden. Data consisted of e-mail conversations, recordings from design meetings and three group interviews with each party (entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals and older people). Data were analysed with inductive qualitative content analysis.

Findings

An overarching theme, “To share each other’s worlds in an arranged space for learning”, was found, followed by three categories, “Prerequisites for learning”, “Strategies to achieve learning” and “To learn from and with each other”. These three categories comprise eight subcategories.

Originality/value

This research contributes to knowledge regarding the need for arranged spaces for learning and innovation in primary care and how collaborative learning can contribute to the development of practice.
Time will tell: examining the role of nostalgia in retro sport merchandise purchase intentions
Authors: Scola Zach , Dwyer Brendan , Gordon Brian S.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The authors sought to examine how nostalgic feelings influenced purchase intentions of sport fans towards branded merchandise. Additionally, the goal was to test the childhood brand nostalgia (CBN) scale to see if it was an effective measure in this context. This was an important early step in understanding the way nostalgia may influence sport fan's merchandise preferences.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were completed by 601 fans of two professional sport teams in the USA. These consumers were targeted geographically through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and half given a modern branded t-shirt and the other half a retro branded t-shirt. To examine brand nostalgia in this context, the CBN measure was evaluated and examined to see its impact on each group, using hierarchical regressions.

Findings

The results demonstrated that CBN positively impacted consumers purchase intentions in the retro logoed t-shirt group. However, in the modern logoed t-shirt group, CBN did not significantly influence purchase intentions.

Practical implications

The findings of this study suggest that retro merchandise is working as expected, as it is attractive to those who feel nostalgic about their team. Secondarily, this study's findings suggest it may be vital for marketers to be conscious that their retro materials are connecting to the past.

Originality/value

This study was an early examination of a measure of nostalgia and its impact on purchase intentions in sport. The findings suggested that this CBN instrument may be appropriate in retro marketing research, especially regarding sport merchandise. Further, the findings suggest that nostalgic feelings may be influential toward retro merchandise, but not modern merchandise.
Accounting practices at an Indian winery: the case of new vineyard
Authors: Singh Amrinder , Soni Tarun Kumar , Bhusan Soumik
Published: August 2023

Research methodology

This case study has been prepared after thoroughly studying the Indian wine industry. Secondary data for the value of wine imported in India has been taken from the website of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Data for GDP per capita for India has been taken from World Development Indicators, World Bank. Data for revenue generation of top five countries have been sourced from Statista Report on Indian wine market. Fictitious names are used for the Winery (Romaniszyn) and the individual (Harish G.) working there.

Case overview/synopsis

This case revolves around accounting complexities for starting a winery in India. A new vineyard comes with the challenge of the gestation period (five years), during which it would not generate revenue. Harish G. was adept at business development and had experience working with an Italian winery. He was unaware of how difficult accounting decisions would be, including determining the quantum of funds required, ascertaining different financial options to purchase assets and meeting cash requirements. He knew he would not be able to generate any sales for five years at the newly formed winery; the grapevines imported from New Zealand took that long to reach maturity. Furthermore, given that Harish was starting a new brand of wine, he also faced constraints with attracting new customers.

Complexity academic level

This case can be used in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in the introductory session of a financial accounting course. It is designed to approach basic accounting concepts, permitting the class to discuss and focus on the principal thought process of starting a real business and accounting for the transactions as and when they occur rather than only on mathematical computations. The objective of this case study is attained by involving the students in recording various accounting transactions and decisions the winery’s management must take over the time from early plantation to bottling of the wine. Every decision assesses the students’ comprehension of accounting concepts by making them analyze and resolve the accounting issues raised.
Sustainable finance and business risk resilience: a conceptual perspective and suggestions for upcoming research
Authors: Azadda William Newlove , Koomson Samuel , Klutse Senanu Kwasi
Published: August 2023

Purpose

As public awareness of the concept of sustainable development has increased, a new investor market has appeared. These investors will only make investments in sustainable financial instruments. Yet, how corporate managers can effectively exploit this new financing concept to make their companies risk resilient remains unaddressed. This study, a conceptual research, aims to examine the impact of sustainable finance (SF) on business risk resilience (BR) and the impact of SF on risk management infrastructure (RI). It also addresses the impact of RI on BR and the mediating effect of the former between SF and BR in the corporate world. Finally, this research explores the moderating effect of managerial capability (MC) and firm technology-focused innovation capability (IC) between SF and RI.

Design/methodology/approach

This study incorporates both theoretical and empirical works in the sustainability, innovation, risk management and HRM fields. Afterwards, it constructs a conceptual model alongside suppositions that can be tested in further studies.

Findings

This study proposes that SF will enhance BR and RI. Moreover, RI will promote BR and positively intervene between SF and BR. Furthermore, MC and IC will reinforce the SF–RI impact such that the SF–RI impact will be strengthened for companies whose MCs and ICs are high than low.

Research limitations/implications

This research affords suggestions for researchers in multidisciplinary fields. It reinforces BR and RI by introducing SF, MC and IC as tactical devices. It also serves as a reference point for forthcoming academics to investigate this conceptual model, empirically, in diverse industries worldwide.

Practical implications

Practical lessons for finance, investment and risk managers, as well as corporate investors are discussed.

Originality/value

This study provides a new research model that demonstrates how SF can be exploited to promote BR and build RI. It also shows how RI can bolster BR and how RI can connect SF to BR. This new model also exhibits how MC and IC moderate the impacts of SF and RI. Thus, it attempts to advance existing knowledge and theoretical frameworks.
Filipendula glaberrima Nakai extract inhibits the bacterial infection by induction of HBD2 and HBD3 expression, and reduction of the inflammatory activity
Authors: Nguyen Anh‐Thu , Kim Minho , Kim Ye‐Eun , Kim Hangeun , Kim Ki‐Young
Published: August 2023

Defensins and inflammation are innate immune barriers of the body against infectious pathogens. Searching for a compound that can inhibit infectious diseases by affecting human β‐defensin (HBD) and proinflammatory cytokines is the new trend in research to control bacterial infection. The aim of this study is to provide a natural compound, Filipendula glaberrima Nakai extract (FGE), which is able to induce the expression of an antimicrobial defensin as well as reduce inflammation. FGE induced the expression of HBD2 and HBD3 through activating both p38 and NF‐κB signaling pathways. Furthermore, FGE inhibited the expression of TNF‐α and IL‐6 via p38 and NF‐κB pathways in Staphylococcus aureus–stimulated THP1 cells. Injection of FGE alleviated cutaneous erythema and swelling caused by S. aureus injection in mice ears. Taken together, FGE could reduce bacterial infection by inducing the expression of defensin and anti‐inflammatory activity.
Planning from scratch: A new modelling approach for designing protected areas in remote, data‐poor regions
Authors: Ducros Delphine , Devillers Rodolphe , Messager Antoine , Suet Marie , Wachoum Abakar Saleh , Deschamps Clémence , Breme Babakar Matar , Petersen Ib Krag , Kayser Yves , Vincent‐Martin Nicolas , Djimasngar M’Baïti Narcisse , Portier Bruno , Champagnon Jocelyn , Mondain‐Monval Jean‐Yves , Defos du Rau Pierre
Published: August 2023

Human pressure on ecosystems has strongly increased over the last decades and now impacts even the most remote regions. To help mitigate these impacts, it is crucial to designate protected areas in regions that retain a high level of ecological integrity. However, ecological data remain scarce for many such areas, making the systematic design of new protected zones challenging.

Following a request from local managers, we developed an original methodological approach to help design new zoning for a pre‐existing protected area in a remote, data‐poor Sahelian wetland of southern Chad, a vast area rich in biodiversity and exploited by diverse human activities. The method involved first collecting extensive aerial survey data (6252 records) on birds and mammals and then analysing this through a combination of distance sampling and density surface modelling. The biodiversity data, combined with ecological predictors, helped model species distribution layers that were then incorporated with socio‐economic constraints into the systematic conservation planning tool Marxan.

This approach produced an array of protected zoning options that met three levels of conservation objectives set by experts, corresponding to proportions of individuals from given species to protect in the proposed protected area. Frequent exchanges with local managers allowed the analyses to be refined, resulting in seven potential scenarios to be considered for conservation purposes.

Synthesis and applications. In a context of high data scarcity, lack of access and short‐term conservation objectives, this combined approach that optimizes newly obtained data via a suite of modelling tools can facilitate identifying and protecting natural areas in regions most in need of urgent conservation policy.
Differences in trait–environment relationships: Implications for community weighted means tests
Authors: Lepš Jan , de Bello Francesco
Published: August 2023

One of J.P. Grime's greatest achievements was demonstrating the importance of the relationship between the environment and plant functional traits for understanding community assembly processes and the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. A popular approach assessing trait–environment relationships is the community weighted means (CWMs) method, which evaluates changes in communities' average trait values along gradients, with Grime being among its first practitioners.

Today the CWM method is well‐established but some scholars have criticized it for inflated Type I errors. That is, in some scenarios of compositional turnover along a gradient, CWM tests can provide significant results even for randomly generated traits. Null models have been proposed to correct for such effects by randomizing trait values across species (CWM‐sp). We review different approaches relating traits to the environment within the framework of the accepted dichotomy between species‐level (observations are species) versus community‐level (observations are community parameters) analyses. Between these families of analyses and their combinations, a great variety of methods exist that test different trait–environment relationships, each with different null hypotheses and ecological questions.

In classic CWM tests, the null hypothesis focuses on characteristics of trait distributions at the community level along gradients. The Type I error rate should not be a priori considered inflated when this test is used to identify changes in community trait structure affecting the functioning of communities. Trait changes observed with CWM tests may be accurate, but the interpretation that a specific trait drives turnover may be fallacious. Approaches like CWM‐sp may be more appropriate for testing other ecological hypotheses, such as whether trait–environment relationships are widespread across species. In effect, this moves the ecological focus towards species‐level analyses, that is on the adaptive value of traits and their relation to species niches.

Synthesis. There is no single trait–environment relationship. Species‐level and community‐level analyses, including variants within them, test different relationships with different null hypotheses, such that the potential for inflated error rates can be misleading. Using a spectrum of methods provides a comprehensive picture of the diversity of trait–environment relationships.
Some pig! Exchanging NFTs for the perspective of regeneration
Authors: Maurer Bill
Published: August 2023

There are a thousand more silly ideas for every utopian blockchain project to heal the planet, foster financial justice, transform cultural production or democratize practically anything and everything. Non‐fungible tokens (NFTs) are one of them. The funny thing is that the more you pick at them, the more they harmonize with certain longstanding anthropological arguments. Non‐fungibility lurks in the anthropological imagination of non‐capitalist economies. This article uses the common law of fungibility to explore the elevation of the very idea of non‐fungibility presumed in many NFTs. This idea might have more in common with saints’ incorruptible flesh or the Crown Jewels than the standard fictions of capitalist finance. They cut social ties by insisting on their singularity and immutability. In doing so, they crowd out other blockchain conversations about regeneration and ways to reckon the debts we owe any number of possible futures.
Reimagining blockchain in a pluriversal world: Digital land governance in the Global South and the metaverse
Authors: Rodima‐Taylor Daivi , Campbell‐Verduyn Malcolm
Published: August 2023

Blockchain technologies are increasingly live‐tested in experiments aimed at improving governance in a growing range of activities. A key question often lost amongst these efforts is whether such projects redistribute wealth and power, and, if so, in which ways. Examining the case of blockchain‐based land governance, this contribution explores the tensions between ambitious visions and their actual scales of implementation around the redistributional promises of distributed ledger technologies. Bringing together the concepts of ‘imaginaries’ and ‘infrastructures’, we analyse land governance blockchainization emerging in the Global South and the metaverse. Identifying a contrast between imaginaries ‘scaling up’ redistributive promises yet tending to materialize in ‘scaled‐down’ forms, we argue for more sustained attention to pluriversal perspectives that foreground local concerns and diverse voices.
Blockchain in the EU: Transforming imaginaries and the social making of fnancial regulation
Authors: Faria Inês
Published: August 2023

Based on local and online ethnographic research, this article explores how blockchain projects and financial supervisors navigate transforming technological dispositions and interact in constructing regulatory frameworks. While there is a straightforward replacement of revolutionary blockchain narratives with regulatory compliance ones, there is also degree of codependency between regulators and market actors in regulatory negotiation.
Flight to Lottery Ahead of FOMC Announcements: Institutional Investors or Retail Investors?
Authors: Guo Haifeng , Hung Chi‐Hsiou D. , Kontonikas Alexandros , Zeng Yeqin
Published: August 2023

This paper studies the pre‐Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcement drift at the stock level. We hypothesize that investors have a higher propensity to speculate before the monetary policy announcements by the FOMC, due to the resolution of uncertainty and associated reduction in investors' fear. Indeed, we find evidence that there exists a drift of lottery‐like stocks in the pre‐FOMC window, when investors' fear gauge is lower, together with higher demand for lottery‐like stocks and higher realized skewness. Moreover, we show that the demand for lottery‐like stocks ahead of FOMC announcements is more prominent among institutional investors than retail investors. Our findings also identify the key role of transient and quasi‐index institutional investors in our documented flight‐to‐lottery effect. Our findings advance the ongoing debates about the role of firms' investor heterogeneity in determining how monetary policy affects corporate managers' decisions. Our paper has important implications for central banks and managers by showing that investors' preference for lottery‐like stocks increases before FOMC announcements.
Changes of heart: Debating the role of cardiology and cardiac surgery in India, 1948–1968
Authors: Jones David S. , Sivaramakrishnan Kavita
Published: August 2023

In 1950, the leaders of independent India celebrated the contributions that surgeons could make to modernising India. Surgeons, however, faced a difficult choice. Some wanted to invest in generalist surgeons to make basic surgical care available to all Indians. Others wanted to invest in specialists to ensure that India participated in cutting‐edge surgical research and care. These debates shaped the emergence of cardiac surgery at two centres: the Christian Medical College in Vellore and the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Bombay. CMC invested in thoracic surgery in the 1940s to offer new treatments for tuberculosis. This gave surgeons the opportunity to explore new techniques of cardiac surgery. Debate quickly emerged about whether investments in cardiology and cardiac surgery made sense. In the end, the specialities were supported in order to attract paying patients. A parallel controversy took place at KEM, where the dean debated the Bombay Municipal Corporation about the role of surgical research at a public hospital. The Rockefeller Foundation influenced both sites, offering financial support if they adopted an American model of full‐time faculty clinician‐researchers. The two case studies reveal how unusual dynamics could contribute to the establishment of new medical specialities in India.
Deontological and consequentialist preferences towards arms exports: A comparative conjoint experiment in France and Germany
Authors: RUDOLPH LUKAS , FREITAG MARKUS , THURNER PAUL W.
Published: August 2023

Despite fierce politicization in arms‐exporting democracies, we lack systematic research on mass public preferences on arms transfers. We propose that citizens either apply a deontologist (rejecting transfers categorically) or consequentialist (trading‐off economic, strategic and normative aspects) calculus of preference formation. Conducting population‐representative survey experiments () in Germany and France, two global top‐five major arms exporters, we find that 10–15 per cent of respondents follow deontologist considerations, a preference structure potentially relevant for all foreign policies involving the use of military force. Still, a majority shows differentiated preferences, giving largest weight to normative considerations, with assessments affected by moderating features (e.g., scenarios of just war). Principled rejection of arms trade and a large consequentialist weight for normative factors are more pronounced in Germany compared to France, indicating that public opinion might pose a stronger constraint for government policy in this country. Respondents' preferences match opinion polls on post‐Russian invasion Ukraine armament, indicating high external validity of our experiments.
Easy‐to‐use R functions to separate reduced‐representation genomic datasets into sex‐linked and autosomal loci, and conduct sex assignment
Authors: Robledo‐Ruiz Diana A. , Austin Lana , Amos J. Nevil , Castrejón‐Figueroa Jesús , Harley Daniel K. P. , Magrath Michael J. L. , Sunnucks Paul , Pavlova Alexandra
Published: August 2023

Identifying sex‐linked markers in genomic datasets is important because their presence in supposedly neutral autosomal datasets can result in incorrect estimates of genetic diversity, population structure and parentage. However, detecting sex‐linked loci can be challenging, and available scripts neglect some categories of sex‐linked variation. Here, we present new R functions to (1) identify and separate sex‐linked loci in ZW and XY sex determination systems and (2) infer the genetic sex of individuals based on these loci. We tested these functions on genomic data for two bird and one mammal species and compared the biological inferences made before and after removing sex‐linked loci using our function. We found that our function identified autosomal loci with ≥98.8% accuracy and sex‐linked loci with an average accuracy of 87.8%. We showed that standard filters, such as low read depth and call rate, failed to remove up to 54.7% of sex‐linked loci. This led to (i) overestimation of population FIS by up to 24%, and the number of private alleles by up to 8%; (ii) wrongly inferring significant sex differences in heterozygosity; (iii) obscuring genetic population structure and (iv) inferring ~11% fewer correct parentages. We discuss how failure to remove sex‐linked markers can lead to incorrect biological inferences (e.g. sex‐biased dispersal and cryptic population structure) and misleading management recommendations. For reduced‐representation datasets with at least 15 known‐sex individuals of each sex, our functions offer convenient resources to remove sex‐linked loci and to sex the remaining individuals (freely available at https://github.com/drobledoruiz/conservation_genomics).
Does manual lymphatic drainage improve upper extremity functionality in female patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis? A randomized controlled study
Authors: Akdeniz Leblebicier Merve , Cihan Emine , Şahbaz Pirinççi Cansu , Ture Arzu , Ari Büşra , Ozlu Aysun , Yaman Fatima
Published: August 2023

Objective

To demonstrate the effect of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) on upper extremity functionality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Materials and methods

Thirty‐nine female patients diagnosed with RA who were in remission were included in the study. The study group included 19 participants (mean age 50.63 ± 9.83 years), the control group included 20 participants (mean age 55.05 ± 5.89 years). The patients were randomized into two groups as home exercise program plus MLD and home exercise program alone. Both groups received treatment for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was pressure pain threshold (PPT). The patients were evaluated using the PPT, visual analog scale (VAS), hand–wrist joint range of motion examination, hand dynamometer and pinchmeter measurements, and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Scale before the interventention and at the end of the 4th week.

Results

The PPT evaluated at the thumbnail, wrist, and trapezius significantly increased in the study group after treatment (p < .001, p = .001, and p < .001, respectively). MLD was found to significantly increase the PPT at the thumbnail compared with home exercise program (p = .047). The VAS score significantly decreased in the study group (p = .011). The level of increase in radial deviation was statistically higher in the study group (p = .004).

Conclusion

Manual lymphatic drainage had a positive effect on pain, PPT, and range of motion in RA patients in remission. MLD can be added to medical and other conservative treatments in RA patients.
A real‐world Australian experience of upadacitinib for the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis
Authors: Tran Vanessa , Ross Gayle
Published: August 2023

Upadacitinib is a selective Janus kinase‐1 (JAK‐1) inhibitor that has been shown in clinical trials to be effective for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis (AD). This study aimed to evaluate the real‐world experience of patients with AD treated with upadacitinib in a single‐centre Australian cohort. Our study revealed a higher propensity for herpetic infections compared with previous randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
How the World Economic Forum damages the credibility of climate science
Authors: Woodworth Elizabeth
Published: August 2023

The World Economic Forum (WEF) was established in 1971 with the nominal purpose of bringing together leaders to discuss global problems. However, it is well on its way to becoming the most powerful institution in the world, merely by setting forth an agenda for global management that is attractive to many political and business leaders. Two of the central issues on which the WEF has focused are climate change and the pandemic. The first has a depth of scientific support, but the WEF's stance and official pronouncements on the latter were never based on normal scientific review procedures. Since the WEF was a catalyst in the rush to judgment on COVID‐19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates, this suggests that the WEF is primarily guided by political motives, not by science. In fact, the way the WEF approaches the climate issue—as an excuse to restrict freedom without promoting renewable energy sources—makes evident the true motives of the WEF. As a result of the WEF's political use of the climate issue, the validity of climate science has been tarnished in the public mind. If there were true political will to solve the existential problem for future generations, the following could be undertaken immediately: To convert the oil industry to renewable energy, national governments of the world could agree to require that the fossil fuel companies receiving tax dollars convert to renewable energy at a rate of 7%–8% per year. Compounded, within 10 years, these companies would still be dominating the energy game, but with safe sustainable alternatives.