bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Payments to key opinion leader physicians and drug sales of top pharmaceutical companies during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sandoval José Luis , Friedlaender Alex , Addeo Alfredo , Weiss Glen J.
Published: January 2022

Background

The unprecedented context of the COVID-19 pandemic poses the opportunity to study several questions in circumstances that would probably not otherwise occur. We sought to determine the dynamics of pharmaceutical company drug sales revenue, market capitalization and payments to physicians during the pandemic, focusing on payments to so-called key opinion leaders (KOLs).

Methods

We analyzed the CMS Open Payments data of 15 top pharmaceutical company general payments to US physicians. We calculated total payments per year for all physicians, KOLs and 2018 KOLs in subsequent years. Drug-related fold changes in payments, drug revenues and company market capitation were calculated using Q1-2018 as reference. Yearly differences in payments, drug sales revenue and market capitalization were tested using generalized estimation equations (GEE). A double-sided p<0.05 was considered significant.

Results

The analyzed dataset comprised 8,563,872 payments to 382,779 physicians. In 2020, we observed a reduction in payments to physicians and KOLs compared to prior years. The total amount per KOL physician per company also decreased for each year for KOLs and the 2018 KOLs in the subsequent years. Payments per drug, but neither drug revenues nor pharmaceutical company market capitalization, followed a downward trend in 2020 compared to prior years. GEE analysis confirmed that, compared to 2018, the decrease in payments to KOLs overall and for the top drugs of each company was statistically significant. Yet, no significant differences in drug sales revenue and market capitalization was observed.

Conclusions

A substantial and significant reduction in payments to KOLs during the first fiscal year of the COVID-19 pandemic was not associated with a reduction in drug sales revenue of blockbuster drug products and the market capitalization of 15 top pharmaceutical companies. Overall, these findings suggest that a substantial part of pharmaceutical payments to KOLs do not appear to impact top drug sales revenues.
Modelling COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections in Highly Vaccinated Israel – the effects of waning immunity and third vaccination dose
Authors: Feng Anyin , Obolski Uri , Stone Lewi , He Daihai
Published: January 2022

In August 2021, a major wave of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant erupted in the highly vaccinated population of Israel. The Delta variant has a transmission advantage over the Alpha variant, and thus replaced it in approximately two months. The outbreak led to an unexpectedly large proportion of breakthrough infections (BTI)-- a phenomenon that received worldwide attention. The BTI proportion amongst cases in the age group of 60+ years reached levels as high as ∼85% in August 2021. Most of the Israeli population, especially those 60+ age, received their second dose of the vaccination, four months before the invasion of the Delta variant. Hence, either the vaccine induced immunity dropped significantly or the Delta variant possesses immunity escaping abilities. In this work, we analyzed and model age-structured cases, vaccination coverage, and vaccine BTI data obtained from the Israeli Ministry of Health, to help understand the epidemiological factors involved in the outbreak. We propose a mathematical model which captures a multitude of factors, including age structure, the time varying vaccine efficacy, time varying transmission rate, BTIs, reduced susceptibility and infectivity of vaccinated individuals, protection duration of the vaccine induced immunity, and the vaccine distribution. We fitted our model to the cases among vaccinated and unvaccinated, for <60 and 60+ age groups, to address the aforementioned factors. We found that the transmission rate was driven by multiple factors including the invasion of Delta variant and the mitigation measures. Through a model reconstruction of the reproductive number R0(t), it was found that the peak transmission rate of the Delta variant was 1.96 times larger than the previous Alpha variant. The model estimated that the vaccine efficacy dropped significantly from >90% to ∼40% over 6 months, and that the immunity protection duration has a peaked Gamma distribution (rather than exponential). We further performed model simulations quantifying the important role of the third vaccination booster dose in reducing the levels of breakthrough infections. This allowed us to explore “what if” scenarios should the booster not have been rolled out. Application of this framework upon invasion of new pathogens, or variants of concern, can help elucidate important factors in the outbreak dynamics and highlight potential routes of action to mitigate their spread.
Anti-PEG Antibodies Boosted in Humans by SARS-CoV-2 Lipid Nanoparticle mRNA Vaccine
Authors: Ju Yi , Lee Wen Shi , Pilkington Emily H. , Kelly Hannah G. , Li Shiyao , Selva Kevin J. , Wragg Kathleen M. , Subbarao Kanta , Nguyen Thi H.O. , Rowntree Louise C. , Allen Lilith F. , Bond Katherine , Williamson Deborah A. , Truong Nghia P. , Plebanski Magdalena , Kedzierska Katherine , Mahanty Siddhartha , Chung Amy W. , Caruso Frank , Wheatley Adam K. , Juno Jennifer A. , Kent Stephen J.
Published: January 2022

Humans commonly have low level antibodies to poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG) due to environmental exposure. Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 contain small amounts of PEG but it is not known whether PEG antibodies are enhanced by vaccination and what their impact is on particle–immune cell interactions in human blood. We studied plasma from 130 adults receiving either the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) mRNA vaccines, or no SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for PEG-specific antibodies. Anti-PEG IgG was commonly detected prior to vaccination and was significantly boosted a mean of 13.1-fold (range 1.0 to 70.9) following mRNA-1273 vaccination and a mean of 1.78-fold (range 0.68 to 16.6) following BNT162b2 vaccination. Anti-PEG IgM increased 68.5-fold (range 0.9 to 377.1) and 2.64-fold (0.76 to 12.84) following mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 vaccination, respectively. The rise in PEG-specific antibodies following mRNA-1273 vaccination was associated with a significant increase in the association of clinically relevant PEGylated LNPs with blood phagocytes ex vivo. PEG antibodies did not impact the SARS-CoV-2 specific neutralizing antibody response to vaccination. However, the elevated levels of vaccine-induced anti-PEG antibodies correlated with increased systemic reactogenicity following two doses of vaccination. We conclude that PEG-specific antibodies can be boosted by LNP mRNA-vaccination and that the rise in PEG-specific antibodies is associated with systemic reactogenicity and an increase of PEG particle–leukocyte association in human blood. The longer-term clinical impact of the increase in PEG-specific antibodies induced by lipid nanoparticle mRNA-vaccines should be monitored.
Mutual relationships between head injury and conduct problems in children aged 9 months to 14 years in the UK Millennium Cohort Study
Authors: Brandt Valerie , Hall Charlotte , Eisenbarth Hedwig , Hall James
Published: January 2022

Background

Research suggests a link between acquired head injury and signs of conduct disorder, with a majority of findings based on retrospective reports and comparison samples. The relationship between head injuries and conduct problems and how they may influence one another during development is currently unclear. This study aimed to investigate direct and indirect associations between head injury and conduct problems through to early adolescence.

Methods

Data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study was used to investigate the relationship between conduct problems as assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and parent reported head injury over time, at ages 9 months, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14 years, using a cross-lagged path analysis. This is data from 18,552 children, participating in a UK cohort study that is representative of the UK population. We included 7,041 (3,308 male) children, who had full information about head injuries and conduct problems at age 14.

Results

We found a mutual association between childhood head injuries and conduct problems but with distinct timings: Head injury between 5-7 years predicted greater chance of conduct problems at age 11 and 14 years, while greater conduct problems at 5 years predicted a significantly greater chance of a head injury at age 7-11 years.

Conclusions

These findings have important implications for the timing of preventive and ameliorative interventions. Prior to school entry, interventions aiming to reduce conduct problems would appear most effective at reducing likelihood of head injuries in future years. However, equivalent interventions targeting head injuries would be better timed either as children are entering formal primary education, or soon after they have entered.
COVID-19 impact on Socio-economic and Health Interventions: A Gaps and Peaks analysis using Clustering Approach
Authors: Mahanta Hridoy Jyoti , Sastry G. Narahari
Published: January 2022

A quantifiable model to describe the peaks and gaps during the several waves of COVID-19 is generated and applied to the progression of 120 countries. The number of waves encountered and how many more to be encountered is a question which is currently explored by all the scientific communities. In the same quest, an attempt has been made to quantitatively model the peaks and the gaps within them which have been encountered by 120 most affected countries from February 2020 – December 2021. These 120 countries were ranked based on the number of confirmed cases and deaths recorded during this period. This study further cluster these countries based on socio-economic and health interventions to find an association with three dependent features of COVID-19 i.e. number of confirmed cases, deaths and death-infectivity rate. The findings in this study suggests that, every wave had multiple peaks within them and as the number of peaks increased, predicting their growth rate or decline rate turns to be extremely difficult. However, considering the clusters which share the common features even with diverse countries, there is some possibility to predict what might be coming next. This study involves exhaustive analysis of reliable data which are available in open access and marks an important aspect to the COVID-19 research communities.
Parent grain reconstruction from partially or fully transformed microstructures in MTEX
Authors: Niessen Frank , Nyyssönen Tuomo , Gazder Azdiar A. , Hielscher Ralf
Published: January 2022

A versatile generic framework for parent grain reconstruction from fully or partially transformed child microstructures has been integrated into the open-source crystallographic toolbox MTEX. The framework extends traditional parent grain reconstruction, phase transformation and variant analysis to all parent–child crystal symmetry combinations. The inherent versatility of the universally applicable parent grain reconstruction methods and the ability to conduct in-depth variant analysis are showcased via example workflows that can be programmatically modified by users to suit their specific applications. This is highlighted by three applications, namely α′-to-γ reconstruction in a lath martensitic steel, α-to-β reconstruction in a Ti alloy, and a two-step reconstruction from α′ to ɛ to γ in a twinning and transformation-induced plasticity steel. Advanced orientation relationship discovery and analysis options, including variant analysis, are demonstrated via the add-on function library ORTools.
The link between company performance and supply chain orientation from the perspective of halal SMEs
Authors: Usmanova Kamila , Wang Daoping , Sumarliah Eli , Fauziyah Fauziyah
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine the links between company performance (CP) and supply chain (SC) orientation considering halal small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan. The SC orientation framework integrates three aspects to determine CP, i.e. credibility, commitment and top management support.

Design/methodology/approach

Halal SMEs were reviewed; 271 valid responses were obtained and scrutinised, employing the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique.

Findings

The credibility of SC stakeholders performs the main impact on the CP of halal SMEs in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, commitment and top management support show fewer influences, although they significantly impact CP.

Originality/value

This study confirms the relationships between SC orientation and CP from the perspective of halal SMEs. The social capital theory was applied to explain these relationships. It is the initial attempt to investigate such relationships in a post-Soviet Union country.
Cryptocurrencies and portfolio diversification in an emerging market
Authors: Letho Lehlohonolo , Chelwa Grieve , Alhassan Abdul Latif
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This paper examines the effect of cryptocurrencies on the portfolio risk-adjusted returns of traditional and alternative investments within an emerging market economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs daily arithmetic returns from August 2015 to October 2018 of traditional assets (stocks, bonds, currencies), alternative assets (commodities, real estate) and cryptocurrencies. Using the mean-variance analysis, the Sharpe ratio, the conditional value-at-risk and the mean-variance spanning tests.

Findings

The paper documents evidence to support the diversification benefits of cryptocurrencies by utilising the mean-variance tests, improving the efficient frontier and the risk-adjusted returns of the emerging market economy portfolio of investments.

Practical implications

This paper firmly broadens the Modern Portfolio Theory by authenticating cryptocurrencies as assets with diversification benefits in an emerging market economy investment portfolio.

Originality/value

As far as the authors are concerned, this paper presents the first evidence of the effect of diversification benefits of cryptocurrencies on emerging market asset portfolios constructed using traditional and alternative assets.
A hotel stay for a respite from work? Examining recovery experience, rumination and well-being among hotel and bed-and-breakfast guests
Authors: Chen Chun-Chu , Han Jiyoon (Jennifer) , Wang Yao-Chin
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship among guests’ lodging recovery experience, work-related rumination, guest satisfaction and well-being, within the context of hotels and bed and breakfasts (B&Bs).

Design/methodology/approach

The sample included 823 Taiwanese full-time workers. The proposed relationships were tested using partial least square structural equation modeling, and the moderating effects of accommodation types were tested using multi-group analysis.

Findings

The research findings indicate that staying at a hotel or B&B provides a respite from work and reduces negative, repetitive thoughts about work issues (work-related rumination). These recovery effects then contribute to customer satisfaction and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that practitioners need to develop products that could reduce customers’ negative emotional attachments to work and enhance the well-being of customers in a stressful society, which could ultimately contribute to promoting the public health of full-time workers.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the stress-recovery aspect of lodging experiences and their impacts on customer satisfaction and well-being. Further insights are demonstrated with the inclusion of work-related rumination.
Learning-based dynamic capabilities in closed-loop supply chains: an expert study
Authors: Ritola Ilkka , Krikke Harold , Caniëls Marjolein C.J.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Product returns information gives firms an opportunity for continuous strategic adaptation by allowing them to understand the reasons for product returns, learning from them and improving their products and processes accordingly. By applying the Dynamic Capabilities (DCs) view in the context of closed-loop supply chains (CLSC), this study explores how firms can continuously learn from product returns information.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a qualitative Delphi study-inspired approach. Experts from industry and academia are interviewed in two interview rounds. First round of interviews are based on extant research, while the second round allows the experts to elaborate and correct the results.

Findings

This study culminates into a conceptual model for incremental learning from product returns information. The results indicate incremental learning from product returns can potentially lead to a competitive advantage. Additionally, the authors identify the sources of information, capabilities along with their microfoundations and the manifestations of product return information. Three propositions are formulated embedding the findings in DC theory.

Research limitations/implications

This study supports extant literature in confirming the value of product returns information and opens concrete avenues for research by providing several propositions.

Practical implications

This research elucidates the practices, processes and resources required for firms to utilize product returns information for continuous strategic adaptation. Practitioners can use these results while implementing continuous learning practices in their organizations.

Originality/value

This study presents the first systematic framework for incremental learning from product returns information. The authors apply the DC framework to a new functional domain, namely CLSC management and product returns management. Furthermore, the authors offer a concrete example of how organizational learning and DC intersect, thus advancing DC theoretical knowledge.
Entry-level job pursuit intention: assessing person-environment fit in India
Authors: Sengupta Atri , Mittal Shashank
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Person-environment (PE) fit theory suggests that value congruence (fit) leads to the job pursuits intention (Cable and Judge, 1996) which is also influenced by cultural norms (Ma and Allen, 2009). Due to stringent job market condition along with its people, as a part of collectivistic culture, having poor self-concept consistency, value congruence may unfold different phenomenon in Indian context. Therefore, the present study intends to explore the existing fit theory on different cultural norms and different job market condition with entry-level job pursuits as participants.

Design/methodology/approach

The fit was measured both objectively and subjectively in a mixed method research design. Top 100 institutes ranked in NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) (under Management category) were approached for data collection and 41 institutes agreed to participate. Data were collected in four phases from 2,714 entry-level job pursuits and domain experts based on web-based job advertisements. Krippendorff's alpha was calculated for measuring objective fit, and the subjective fit was measured through quadratic structural equation modeling with response surface analysis.

Findings

Findings revealed lack of value congruence objectively; and no influencing role of subjective fit in job pursuits intention. This indicated that neither Indian employers nor entry-level job pursuits were concerned about value congruence. The post-hoc analysis suggested that poor self-concept consistency as a cultural norm led to such atypical findings.

Originality/value

The present study suggests that fit may lead to different phenomena of entry-level job pursuits intention with different contextual and cultural norms.
Does corporate social responsibility affect dividend policy? Empirical evidence in the French context
Authors: Ben Salah Olfa , Ben Amar Anis
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on dividend policy in the French context. In addition, the authors seek to determine if the individual components of CSR influence dividend policy.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses panel data methodology for a sample of French non-financial firms between 2008 and 2018. Generalized least squares method is used to estimate the models.

Findings

Using panel data methodology for a sample of 825 observations for the period 2008–2018, this study finds a positive impact of CSR practices on dividend policy. The authors also find that individual components of CSR positively influence dividend policy. To check the robustness of the results, this study further runs a sensitivity tests, including an alternative measure of dividend policy, all of which confirm the findings.

Practical implications

This study has examined the impact of CSR on dividend policy in France and may have implications for regulatory, investors, analysts and academics. First, the involvement in CSR best practices encourages companies to pay more dividends to investors. Therefore, investors are more motivated to invest in socially responsible firms than socially irresponsible firms. Second, given the association of CSR with the quality of accounting information and financial markets, regulators should step up recommendations relating to the different societal dimensions of CSR.

Originality/value

While little previous work has focused on the causal link between CSR and dividend policy, this research is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to have looked at the impact of CSR on dividend policy in France.
Presenting a framework for the successful entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship
Authors: Fallah Mohammad Reza , Soori Maryam
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The concentration of women entrepreneurs on influential events such as the development of green entrepreneurship, which lead to the coordination and dynamic balance between economic and environmental goals, can create a bright future for businesses with sustainable and environmentally friendly architecture. The main purpose of this study is to provide a framework for the successful entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

The present qualitative applied descriptive-analytical study was conducted on a population of women entrepreneurs working in green businesses. This population was obtained by the non-probability chain sampling method and an exploratory interview with the saturation of 12 individuals. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings.

Findings

The results revealed that creating shared value, inclusive social acceptance, multifaceted interactions and green dynamic bedding are effective in the entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship in the form of “competitive empowerment” and “multiplied green synergy”. Thus, managers and planners should consider some factors, including shared value, social acceptance, inclusive acceptance, building green culture, knowledge flows, multiple participation, networking dimension, green marketing, competitiveness, creating platforms, green technologies and risk management.

Originality/value

This research tries to present a framework for the entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship area.
Ethical leadership, perceived leader–member ethical communication and organizational citizenship behavior: development and validation of a multilevel model
Authors: Abu Bakar Hassan , Connaughton Stacey L.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study provides a systematic testing of ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) by examining the underlying mechanisms of leader motivation language on ethics through which ethical leadership influences followers’ OCB at the team level.

Design/methodology/approach

A multilevel model was validated via with structural equation modeling (SEM) from hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) based on data collected in a Malaysian organization.

Findings

The perceived leader–member ethical communication at the team-level makes a unique contribution beyond the ethical leadership in explaining OCBs.

Originality/value

Perceived leader–member ethical communication mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and OCB.
My self-reflection on the importance of Michael Power’s book The Audit Society to my research and interest in auditing
Authors: Skaerbaek Peter
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications that Power’s book had to the author’s research in public sector auditing.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the author reflects and debates the inspiration that Michael Power’s book The Audit Society had on the author’s own research.

Findings

The author finds that this book had a significant influence on how he succeeded theorizing his studies on auditing, and how he could contribute to the audit literature. It is stunning how the book succeeded in synthesizing audit research, encouraging scholars to understand auditing as a social practice, i.e. how auditing can be theorized using various social science theories and how the book also appealed to broader social science.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is a reflection that covers around a 20-year period with potential mis-representations of how exactly sequences of actions and thoughts were.

Practical implications

This paper helps to clarify how it is that audit operates and influences everyday life of persons involved with auditing.

Social implications

This paper casts doubts as to what actions are carried out in the name of audit and that audit is not just a value free activity but involved with political agendas.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is that it fleshes out how a seminal book can have significant implications on how research is carried out.
Legal protection systems, corporate governance and firm performance: a cross-country comparison
Authors: Ghabri Yosra
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This paper builds on the “Law and Finance” theory and aims to examine the effect of the legal and institutional environment on the governance–performance relationship in the context of non-US firms. More precisely, it examines whether and how the country’s legal system and the level of investor protection interact with the firm-level corporate governance and affect firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used the “G-Index” governance score developed by the Governance Metrics International rating for a sample of 12,728 firm-year observations from 23 countries over the 2009–2016 period.

Findings

The results show that the interaction between the country-level institutions and corporate governance system significantly affect the firm performance. In particular, the findings indicate that firms operating in common law countries tend to exhibit a positive valuation effect and higher performance than firms with a comparable corporate governance level operating in civil law countries. More precisely, the authors find that in common law countries, higher investor protection with enhanced corporate governance is associated with better firm performance. However, firms operating in civil law countries with weaker investor protection and a comparable corporate governance level tend to experience a negative valuation effect.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that the institutional and legal environment is crucial and important in determining the value-maximizing level of good governance practices. Managers and regulators should carefully analyze the cost of these initiatives and should coordinate it with the needs of the country’s legal system. The challenge for the company will be how to adjust its corporate governance strategy according to the needs and demands of the country’s legal system in which the company operates to improve its performance. The regulators should ensure a fit between the specifics of the national legal and institutional environment and corporate governance standards and practices.
Viral shedding and the durability of immunoglobulin G antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Authors: Lusida Maria Inge , Gunawan Emily , Megasari Ni Luh Ayu , Yamani Laura Navika , Juniastuti  , Utsumi Takako , Mori Yasuko
Published: January 2022

We followed 45 participants in Surabaya, Indonesia, for 10 months and compared their PCR and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) immunoglobulin G (IgG) results. As much as 13 out of 45 participants were IgG seropositive at least once while the remaining 32 stayed IgG seronegative throughout the study. Among 13 seropositive participants, 9 were consecutively seropositive at least twice and were eligible for IgG longevity evaluation. The duration of IgG detection varied from 47 to ≥233 days. We observed intermittent re‐positive PCR results suggestive of viral shedding in participants with a longer duration of IgG detection.
Leaf trait expression varies with tree size and ecological strategy in a subtropical forest
Authors: Bin Yue , Li Yanpeng , Russo Sabrina E. , Cao Honglin , Ni Yunlong , Ye Wanhui , Lian Juyu
Published: January 2022

How the dramatic vertical environmental gradients in closed canopy forests shape intraspecific variation in the functional traits of tree species and their ecological strategies is not well understood. In an Asian subtropical forest, we tested the hypothesis that, because species’ maximum height and shade tolerance determine the lifetime environmental variation of a tree, they should be correlated with the magnitude of intraspecific variation in leaf traits and how strongly it depends on tree size.

We collected data on three vertical environmental variables, tree size and four leaf traits of 3,880 trees of 24 species in a subtropical forest. Air temperature and relative humidity displayed linear, and insolation displayed nonlinear, variation with height above‐ground. Intraspecific trait variation (ITV) varied significantly among species, for all but one understorey tree species, and also varied with tree size for at least one trait. Many trait‐size relationships were nonlinear with inflection points near the height where insolation dramatically increased. While ITV did not correlate with species’ maximum height nor shade tolerance, the amount of ITV explained by size (SDTV) and the rate of change in trait expression with size did.

Greater ITV is thought to be associated with greater environmental heterogeneity, and yet strong evidence supporting this has not always been found. Our findings shed new light on how trait plasticity is phenotypically integrated with tree species’ ecological strategy by pointing to the importance of accounting for tree size, since SDTV, rather than ITV, was associated with strategy variation in maximum height and shade tolerance.

Our study improves understanding of tree size's effect on leaf trait expression, and implies that SDTV is not only a key mechanism promoting interspecific variation in tree stature, contributing to species coexistence via vertical niche partitioning, but is also likely to influence the effects of climate change on forests by constraining tree responses to vertical environmental gradients.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Random placement models explain species richness and dissimilarity of frog assemblages within Atlantic Forest fragments
Authors: Almeida‐Gomes Mauricio , Gotelli Nicholas J. , Rocha Carlos Frederico Duarte , Vieira Marcus Vinícius , Prevedello Jayme Augusto
Published: January 2022

Understanding the effects of random versus niche‐based processes on biodiversity patterns is a central theme in ecology, and an important tool for predicting effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on biodiversity. We investigated the predictive power of random processes to explain species richness and species dissimilarity of amphibian assemblages in a fragmented tropical landscape of the Atlantic Forest of South America.

We analyzed a large database of amphibian abundance and occupancy, sampled in 21 forest fragments ranging in size from 1.9 to 619 ha. We compared observed species richness and species dissimilarity with the outcomes of two null (random placement) models: 1‐ the traditional Coleman's area‐based model and 2‐ an abundance‐based model (based on the number of individuals observed in each fragment). We applied these models for all species combined, and separately for forest‐dependent and habitat‐generalist species.

The abundance‐based model fitted the observed species richness data better than the area‐based model for all species, forest‐dependent species, and generalist species. The area‐based and the abundance‐based models were also able to significantly explain species dissimilarity for all species and for generalists, but not for forest dependent species.

The traditional area‐based model assigned too many individuals to large fragments, thus failing to accurately explain species richness within patches across the landscape.

Although niche‐based processes may be important to structuring the regional pool of species in fragmented landscapes, our results suggest that part of the variation in species richness and species dissimilarity can be successfully explained by random placement models, especially for generalist species. Evaluating which factors cause variation in the number of individuals among patches should be a focus in future studies aiming to understand biodiversity patterns in fragmented landscapes.
Ups and downs of non‐native and native stream‐dwelling salmonids: Lessons from two contrasting rivers
Authors: Morita Kentaro
Published: January 2022

Freshwater rivers and lakes are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance because of their proximity to human occupation. Anthropogenic impacts in fresh water include those caused by dams, water pollution, channelization, and invasive species. One common action to conserve freshwater biodiversity involves supplementing or reintroducing extirpated species, though the benefits of these efforts are controversial. Installation of fishways to dams and removal of invasive alien species has also resulted in recovery of native species. Herein results of long‐term monitoring of salmonids in two rivers in Japan are presented. The first case involves a river above a dam where native white‐spotted charr Salvelinus leucomaenis and masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou declined rapidly in number following dam construction, where non‐native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta increased in number, and where stocking of native masu salmon was unsuccessful. The second case involves a river formerly dominated by non‐native rainbow trout, in which native Dolly Varden charr Salvelinus curilus and masu salmon increased in numbers following removal of non‐native species and fishway installation. Results reveal natural recovery of masu salmon in a river within which they were once completely extirpated, without stocking. Because salmonids are migratory fish and return to natal rivers, when locally extinct, human intervention to stock or reintroduce them has often been deemed necessary. However, restoration of wildlife would not require stocking or reintroduction if factors that impede the self‐recovery capability of species are removed.
For a New Church in a New China: Yu Guozhen and his Christian Nationalism (1900–1912)
Authors: Sun Zexi
Published: January 2022

While most English studies of Chinese Christianity recognise the significance of early independent church movements led by indigenous leaders, few have looked in detail at the pioneering example of Yu Guozhen and his China Jesus Independent Church. Indeed, what motivated the early efforts of Chinese Protestants to form independent churches? As probably the first leader of independent churches to achieve national impact, Yu exhibited a clear commitment to harmonising Christianity with the Chinese state, which he deemed as the basis of guaranteeing religious rights. Though it would adopt various forms in the years to come, such synthesis of Christian nationalism has proved to be a recurring theme in the indigenisation of Chinese Christianity in the twentieth century.
Epistemology of surveillance: Revealing unmarked forms of discipline and punishment in Israeli academia
Authors: Abu‐Rabia‐Queder Sarab
Published: January 2022

This paper analyzes the unmarked forms of discipline and punishment employed against Palestinian researchers in Israeli academia, attempting to decolonize it through critical knowledge production. Based on interviews with 15 researchers from a cross‐section of academic institutions in Israel, the paper identifies subtle mechanisms of discipline and punishment, directed toward normalizing the epistemology of the colonized. The findings suggest that the gatekeepers of Israeli academia not only seek to maintain the existing racial hierarchy between Israeli and Palestinian researchers but also seek to “eliminate” the indigenous epistemology of the latter through mechanisms of hidden surveillance, used to control them as colonized subjects unable to challenge the Zionist ideology that is an essential aspect of Israeli academia. The current paper aims to unpack these invisible mechanisms of surveillance, which are part of a broader colonial apparatus aiming to maintain not only territorial sovereignty but also epistemologic sovereignty.
The effect of parental leave duration on early‐career wage growth
Authors: Kramer Karen Z. , Pak Sunjin , Park So Young
Published: January 2022

Work–family policies are meant to support labor force participants, but they often result in lower rewards for those who use them. Based on the ideal worker norm framework and signalling theory, we hypothesise that parental leave duration will result in lower wage growth, above and beyond that of having children. The 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data from 2000 to 2015 are used to test the hypotheses with a longitudinal sample (14 waves) of individuals in the United States who worked before and after taking parental leave (n = 6723). Discontinuous growth models are used to predict the penalty for parental leave duration for men and women. We find that both men and women suffer from a lower hourly wage growth for taking longer parental leave and that there are more severe penalties for taking paid parental leave than taking unpaid parental leave.

Practitioner notes

What is currently known?

utilization of parental leave is significantly related to the wellbeing of employees and their families.

However, employees are penalized for taking parental leave.

What this study adds?

Paid parental leave, which is mostly available to skilled, professional employees carries a noticeable early‐career wage penalty, but the use of unpaid leave, does not.

Both men and women are penalized for taking parental leave, but the longer parental leaves women take increase the gender pay gap.

Implications for practitioners:

HR practitioners should monitor whether employees are penalized for taking parental leave.

HR practitioners should try incentivizing male employees to take parental leave that is comparable to the one taken by their female employees.
Differences in cord blood extracellular vesicle cargo in preterm and term births
Authors: Menon Ramkumar , Dixon Christopher Luke , Cayne Samir , Radnaa Enkhtuya , Salomon Carlos , Sheller‐Miller Samantha
Published: January 2022

Objective

This study determined the cord plasma‐derived extracellular vesicle (exosomes; 30–160 nm particles) proteomic profile in patients who had spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM), compared to those who delivered at term regardless of labor status.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional analysis of a retrospective cohort that quantified and determined the proteomic cargo content of exosomes present in cord blood plasma samples in PTB or pPROM, and normal term in labor (TL) or term not in labor (TNIL) pregnancies. Exosomes were isolated by differential centrifugation followed by size exclusion chromatography. Exosomes were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis (quantity and size) and markers (dot blots for exosome markers). The exosomal proteomic profile was identified by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Ingenuity pathway analysis determined canonical pathways and biofunctions associated with dysregulated proteins.

Results

Cord plasma exosomes have similar quantity and exhibit both tetraspanin and ESCRT protein markers specific of exosomes regardless of the conditions. Proteomics analysis exhibited several similar markers as well as very unique markers in exosomes from each condition; however, bioinformatics analysis revealed a generalized and non‐specific inflammatory condition represented in exosomes from different condition that is not indicative of any specific underlying biological functions indicative of an underlying pathology.

Conclusions

Compared to maternal plasma and amniotic fluid exosomes, the value of cord plasma derived exosomes is limited. Quantity, character, and proteomic cargo contents in exosomes or the pathways and functions represented by differentially expressed proteins do not distinguish specific conditions regarding normal and abnormal parturition. The value of cord plasma exosome proteomic cargo has limited value as an indicator of an underlying physiology or as a biomarker of fetal well‐being.
Acute peri‐operative neurocognitive disorders: a narrative review
Authors: Evered L. , Atkins K. , Silbert B. , Scott D. A.
Published: January 2022

Peri‐operative neurocognitive disorders are the most common complication experienced by older individuals undergoing anaesthesia and surgery. Peri‐operative neurocognitive disorders, particularly postoperative delirium, result in long‐term poor outcomes including: death; dementia; loss of independence; and poor cognitive and functional outcomes. Recent changes to the nomenclature of these disorders aims to align peri‐operative neurocognitive disorders with cognitive disorders in the community, with consistent definitions and clinical diagnosis. Possible mechanisms include: undiagnosed neurodegenerative disease; inflammation and resulting neuroinflammation; neuronal damage; and comorbid systemic disease. Pre‐operative frailty represents a significant risk for poor postoperative outcomes; it is associated with an increase in the incidence of cognitive decline at 3 and 12 months postoperatively. In addition to cognitive decline, frailty is associated with poor functional outcomes following elective non‐cardiac surgery. It was recently shown that 29% of frail patients died or experienced institutionalisation or new disability within 90 days of major elective surgery. Identification of vulnerable patients before undergoing surgery and anaesthesia is the key to preventing peri‐operative neurocognitive disorders. Current approaches include: pre‐operative delirium and cognitive screening; blood biomarker analysis; intra‐operative management that may reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium such as lighter anaesthesia using processed electroencephalography devices; and introduction of guidelines which may reduce or prevent delirium and postoperative neurocognitive disorders. This review will address these issues and advocate for an approach to care for older peri‐operative patients which starts in the community and continues throughout the pre‐operative, intra‐operative, postoperative and post‐discharge phases of care management, involving multidisciplinary medical teams, as well as family and caregivers wherever possible.
How paediatric drug development and use could benefit from OMICs: A c4c expert group white paper
Authors: Neumann Eva , Schreeck Filippa , Herberg Jethro , Jacqz Aigrain Evelyne , Maitland‐van der Zee Anke H. , Pérez‐Martínez Antonio , Hawcutt Daniel B. , Schaeffeler Elke , Rane Anders , de Wildt Saskia N. , Schwab Matthias
Published: January 2022

The safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy in children, particularly preterms, neonates and infants, is limited by a paucity of good‐quality data from prospective clinical drug trials. A specific challenge is the establishment of valid biomarkers. OMICs technologies may support these efforts by complementary information about targeted and nontargeted molecules through systematic characterization and quantitation of biological samples. OMICs technologies comprise at least genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and microbiomics in addition to the patient's phenotype. OMICs technologies are in part hypothesis‐generating, allowing an in depth understanding of disease pathophysiology and pharmacological mechanisms. Application of OMICs technologies in paediatrics faces major challenges before routine adoption. First, developmental processes need to be considered, including a subdivision into specific age groups as developmental changes clearly impact OMICs data. Second, compared to the adult population, the number of patients is limited as are the type and amount of necessary biomaterial, especially in neonates and preterms. Thus, advanced trial designs and biostatistical methods, noninvasive biomarkers, innovative biobanking concepts including data and samples from healthy children, as well as analytical approaches (eg liquid biopsies) should be addressed to overcome these obstacles. The ultimate goal is to link OMICs technologies with innovative analysis tools, such as artificial intelligence at an early stage. The use of OMICs data based on a feasible approach will contribute to the identification complex phenotypes and subpopulations of patients to improve the development of medicines for children with potential economic advantages.
What gaze adds to arrows: Changes in attentional response to gaze versus arrows in childhood and adolescence
Authors: Aranda‐Martín Belén , Ballesteros‐Duperón María Ángeles , Lupiáñez Juan
Published: January 2022

From early ages, gaze acts as a cue to infer the interests, behaviours, thoughts and emotions of social partners. Despite sharing attentional properties with other non‐social directional stimuli, such as arrows, gaze produces unique effects. A spatial interference task revealed this dissociation. The direction of arrows was identified faster on congruent than on incongruent direction‐location trials. Conversely, gaze produced a reversed congruency effect (RCE), with faster identifications on incongruent than congruent trials. To determine the emergence of these gaze‐specific attentional mechanisms, 214 Spanish children (4–17 years) divided into 6 age groups, performed the aforementioned task across three experiments. Results showed stimulus‐specific developmental trajectories. Whereas the standard effect of arrows was unaffected by age, gaze shifted from an arrow‐like effect at age 4 to a gaze‐specific RCE at age 12. The orienting mechanisms shared by gaze and arrows are already present in 4‐year olds and, throughout childhood, gaze becomes a special social cue with additional attentional properties. Besides orienting attention to a direction, as arrows would do, gaze might orient attention towards a specific object that would be attentionally selected. Such additional components may not fully develop until adolescence. Understanding gaze‐specific attentional mechanisms may be crucial for children with atypical socio‐cognitive development.