bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling the Effective Control Strategy for the Transmission Dynamics of Global Pandemic COVID-19
Authors: Biswas M. H. A. , Khatun M. S. , Paul A. K. , Khatun M. R. , Islam M. A. , Samad S. A. , Ghosh U.
Published: April 2020

The novel coronavirus disease (namely COVID-19) has taken attention because of its deadliness across the globe, causing a massive death as well as critical situation around the world. It is an infectious disease which is caused by newly discovered coronavirus. Our study demonstrates with a nonlinear model of this devastating COVID-19 which narrates transmission from human-to-human in the society. Pontryagin’s Maximum principle has also been applied in order to obtain optimal control strategies where the maintenance of social distancing is the major control. The target of this study is to find out the most fruitful control measures of averting coronavirus infection and eventually, curtailed of the COVID-19 transmission among people. The model is investigated analytically by using most familiar necessary conditions of Pontryagin’s maximum principle. Furthermore, numerical simulations have been performed to illustrate the analytical results. The analysis reveals that implementation of educational campaign, social distancing and developing human immune system are the major factors which can be able to plunge the scenario of becoming infected.
Mosquito densoviruses: the revival of a biological control agent against urbanAedesvectors of arboviruses
Authors: Perrin Aurélie , Gosselin-Grenet Anne-Sophie , Rossignol Marie , Ginibre Carole , Scheid Bethsabée , Lagneau Christophe , Chandre Fabrice , Baldet Thierry , Ogliastro Mylène , Bouyer Jérémy
Published: April 2020

UrbanAedesmosquitoes are vectors of many viruses affecting human health such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses. Insecticide resistance and environmental toxicity risks hamper the effectiveness of chemical control against these mosquito vectors. Alternative control methods, such as the use of mosquito-specific entomopathogenic viruses should be explored. Numerous studies have focused on evaluating the potential of different densoviruses species as biological control agent. However, knowledge on the extent of inter- and intra-specific variations in the susceptibility ofAedesmosquitoes to infection by different densoviruses remains insufficient. In this study, we compared infection and mortality rates induced by the Aedes albopictus densovirus 2 in different strains ofAedes albopictusandAedes aegyptimosquitoes. The twoAedesspecies were different in terms of susceptibility to viral infection. Under laboratory conditions, Aedes albopictus densovirus 2 appeared more virulent for the different strains ofAedes aegyptitested than for those ofAedes albopictus. In addition, we also found significant intra-specific variation in infection and mortality rates. Thus, although even if Aedes albopictus densoviruses could be powerful biocontrol agents used in the management of urbanAedespopulations, our results also call into question the use of single viral isolate as biocontrol agents.
Impacts of the 1918 flu on survivors’ nutritional status: a double quasi-natural experiment
Authors: Palloni Alberto , McEniry Mary , Huangfu Yiyue , Beltran-Sanchez Hiram
Published: April 2020

A unique set of events that took place in Puerto Rico during 1918-1919 generated conditions of a “double “quasi-natural experiment. We exploit these conditions to empirically identify effects of exposure to the 1918 flu pandemic, those of the devastation left by an earthquake-tsunami that struck the island in 1918, and those associated with the joint occurrence of these events. We use geographic variation to identify the effects of the quake and timing of birth variation to identify those of the flu. In addition, we use markers of nutritional status gathered in a nationally representative sample of individuals aged 75 and older in 2002. This unique data set enables to make two distinct contributions. First, unlike most fetal-origins research that singles out early nutritional status as adeterminant of adult health, we test the hypothesis that the 1918 flu had deleterious effects on the nutritional status on adult survivors who at the time of the flu werein uteroor infants. Second, and unlike most research on the effects of the flu, we focus on markers of nutritional status set when the adult survivors were children or adolescents. We find that estimates of effects of the pandemic are sizeable primarily among females and among those who, in addition to the flu,were exposed to the earthquake-tsunami.We argue that these findings constitute empirical evidence supporting the conjecture that effects of the 1918 flu alone and the combined effects of the flu and the earthquake are associated not just with damage experienced during the fetal period but also postnatally.
Potential short-term negative versus positive effects of olive mill-derived biochar on nutrient availability in a calcareous loamy sandy soil
Authors: Alazzaz Azzaz , Usman Adel R. A. , Ahmad Munir , Elfaki Jamal , Sallam Abdelazeem S. , Ibrahim Hesham , Akanji Mutair A. , Al-Wabel Mohammad I.
Published: April 2020

In this study, a greenhouse pot experiment with maize (Zea mays L.) was conducted using treatments consisting of a control (CK), inorganic fertilizer of NPK (INF), and 1% and 3% (wt/wt) of olive mill solid waste (OMSW)-derived biochar (BC) at various pyrolytic temperatures (300–700 °C). The goal was to investigate potential negative versus positive effects of BC on pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and nutrient (P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) availability in a calcareous loamy sandy soil. The results showed that application of OMSW-derived BC, especially with increasing pyrolysis temperature and/or application rate, significantly increased soil pH, EC, NH4OAc-extractable K, Na, Ca, and Mg, and ammonium bicarbonate-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (AB-DTPA)-extractable Fe and Zn, while AB-DTPA-extractable Mn decreased. The application of 1% and 3% BC, respectively, increased the NH4OAc-extractable K by 2.5 and 5.2-fold for BC300, by 3.2 and 8.0-fold for BC500, and by 3.3 and 8.9-fold for BC700 compared with that of untreated soil. The results also showed significant increases in shoot content of K, Na, and Zn, while there were significant decreases in shoot content of P, Ca, Mg, and Mn. Furthermore, no significant effects were observed for growth of maize plants as a result of biochar BC addition. In conclusion, OMSW-derived BC can potentially have positive effects on the enhancement of soil K availability and its plant content but it reduced shoot nutrients, specifically P, Ca, Mg, and Mn; therefore, application of OMSW-derived BC to calcareous soil might be restricted.
Targeted proteomics as a tool to detect SARS-CoV-2 proteins in clinical specimens
Authors: Bezstarosti Karel , Lamers Mart M. , Doff Wouter A.S. , Wever Peter , Thai Khoa , van Kampen Jeroen J. A. , Haagmans Bart L. , Demmers Jeroen A. A.
Published: April 2020

The rapid, sensitive and specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 is critical in responding to the current COVID-19 outbreak. In this proof-of-concept study, we explored the potential of targeted mass spectrometry based (MS) proteomics for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in both research samples and clinical specimens. First, we assessed the limit of detection for several SARS-CoV-2 proteins by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) MS in infected Vero E6 cells. For tryptic peptides of Nucleocapsid protein, the limit of detection was in the mid-attomole range (9E-13 g). Next, this PRM methodology was applied to the detection of viral proteins in various COVID-19 patient clinical specimens, such as sputum and nasopharyngeal swabs. SARS-CoV-2 proteins were detected in these samples with high sensitivity in all specimens with PCR Ct values <24 and in several samples with higher CT values. A clear relationship was observed between summed MS peak intensities for SARS-CoV-2 proteins and Ct values reflecting the abundance of viral RNA. Taken together, these results suggest that targeted MS based proteomics may have the potential to be used as an additional tool in COVID-19 diagnostics.
Postnatal mechanical loading drives adaptation of tissues primarily through modulation of the non-collagenous matrix
Authors: Zamboulis D. E. , Thorpe C. T. , Kharaz Y. Ashraf , Birch H. L. , Screen H. R. C. , Clegg P. D.
Published: April 2020

Mature connective tissues demonstrate highly specialised properties, remarkably adapted to meet their functional requirements. Tissue adaptation to environmental cues can occur throughout life and poor adaptation commonly results in injury. However, the temporal nature and drivers of functional adaptation remain undefined. Here, we explore functional adaptation and specialisation of mechanically loaded tissues using tendon; a simple aligned biological composite, in which the collagen (fibre phase) and surrounding predominantly non-collagenous matrix (matrix phase) can be interrogated independently. Using an equine model of late development, we report the first phase-specific analysis of biomechanical, structural and compositional changes seen in functional adaptation, demonstrating adaptation occurs postnatally, following mechanical loading, and is almost exclusively localised to the non-collagenous matrix phase. These novel data redefine adaptation in connective tissue, highlighting the fundamental importance of non-collagenous matrix and suggesting that regenerative medicine strategies should change focus from the fibrous to the non-collagenous matrix phase of tissue.
FOXO1 promotes HIV Latency by suppressing ER stress in T cells
Authors: Vallejo-Gracia Albert , Chen Irene P. , Perrone Rosalba , Besnard Emilie , Boehm Daniela , Battivelli Emilie , Tezil Tugsan , Krey Karsten , Raymond Kyle A. , Hull Philip A. , Walter Marius , Habrylo Ireneusz , Cruz Andrew , Deeks Steven , Pillai Satish , Verdin Eric , Ott Melanie
Published: April 2020

Quiescence is a hallmark of CD4+T cells latently infected with HIV-1. While reversing this quiescence is an effective approach to reactivate latent HIV from T cells in culture, it can cause deleterious cytokine dysregulation in patients. Here we report that FOXO1, a key regulator of T-cell quiescence, promotes latency and suppresses productive HIV infection. In resting T cells, FOXO1 inhibition induces ER stress and activates two associated transcription factors: activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). Both factors associate with HIV chromatin and are necessary for HIV reactivation. Indeed, inhibition of PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), a known link between ER stress and ATF4, and calcineurin, a calcium-dependent regulator of NFAT, synergistically suppress HIV reactivation induced by FOXO1 inhibition. Thus, our studies uncover a novel link between FOXO1, ER stress, and HIV infection that could be therapeutically exploited to selectively reverse T-cell quiescence and reduce the size of the latent viral reservoir.
Does cultural intelligence promote cross-cultural teams' knowledge sharing and innovation in the restaurant business?
Authors: Ratasuk Akaraphun , Charoensukmongkol Peerayuth
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This research investigates knowledge sharing and innovation on the part of culturally diverse teams in the restaurant business and their relation to cultural intelligence (CQ), in which CQ was conceptualized as a team-level variable.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 103 cross-cultural teams in restaurants located in five popular tourist destinations in Thailand and were derived from multiple sources to prevent common method bias. The data that measured team CQ and knowledge sharing were collected from all members in each team and were averaged to create aggregate measures at the team level, while the team supervisor evaluated the teams' innovative performance. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used in the data analysis.

Findings

The results indicated that those teams that demonstrated high CQ tended to exhibit a greater degree of team knowledge sharing and receive higher evaluations of their innovative performance than did those that demonstrated low CQ. The results also showed that team knowledge sharing mediated the relation between team CQ and innovation.

Originality/value

CQ's contribution in cross-cultural teams measured at the team level contributes additional knowledge to prior CQ research that rarely has investigated the phenomenon at the aggregate level.
Engaging employees through effective performance management: an empirical examination
Authors: Kakkar Shiva , Dash Sanket , Vohra Neharika , Saha Surajit
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Performance management systems (PMS) are integral to an organization's human resource management but research is ambivalent on their positive impact and the mechanism through which they influence employee behavior. This study fills this gap by positing work engagement as a mediator in the relationship between perceptions of PMS effectiveness, employee job satisfaction and turnover intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a survey-based design. Data were collected from 322 employees in India attending a management development program at a premier business school. Partial least squares–based structure equation modeling package ADANCO was used for data analysis.

Findings

Positive perception of PMS effectiveness was found to enhance employee work engagement. This increased job satisfaction and reduced turnover intentions among employees. Thus, work engagement mediated the relationship between PMS perceptions and job satisfaction and turnover intentions.

Practical implications

The results suggest that organizations need to focus on three characteristics of PMS, namely its distinctiveness, consistency and consensus. These characteristics determine the effectiveness of PMS in engaging employees and influencing their job satisfaction and turnover intentions.

Originality/value

Prior studies on performance management have largely been limited to aspects of justice and focused disproportionately on the appraisal aspect of performance management. This study takes a systems view of performance management and addresses prior shortcomings by examining the role of clarity and horizontal fit between PMS practices in determining employee engagement. The study also provides much needed empirical support to theoretical studies which have argued that PMS is a driver of engagement in organizations (Gruman and Saks, 2011; Mone and London, 2014).
Dartmouth Outward Bound Center and the rise of experiential education, 1957–1976
Authors: Seaman Jayson , MacArthur Robert , Harrington Sean
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The article discusses Outward Bound's participation in the human potential movement through its incorporation of T-group practices and the reform language of experiential education in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Design/methodology/approach

The article reports on original research conducted using materials from Dartmouth College and other Outward Bound collections from 1957 to 1976. It follows a case study approach to illustrate themes pertaining to Outward Bound's creation and evolution in the United States, and the establishment of experiential education more broadly.

Findings

Building on prior research (Freeman, 2011; Millikan, 2006), the present article elaborates on the conditions under which Outward Bound abandoned muscular Christianity in favor of humanistic psychology. Experiential education provided both a set of practices and a reform language that helped Outward Bound expand into the educational mainstream, which also helped to extend self-expressive pedagogies into formal and nonformal settings.

Research limitations/implications

The Dartmouth Outward Bound Center's tenure coincided with and reflected broader cultural changes, from the cold war motif of spiritual warfare, frontier masculinity and national service to the rise of self-expression in education. Future scholars can situate specific curricular initiatives in the context of these paradigms, particularly in outdoor education.

Originality/value

The article draws attention to one of the forms that the human potential movement took in education – experiential education – and the reasons for its adoption. It also reinforces emerging understandings of post-WWII American outdoor education as a product of the cold war and reflective of subsequent changes in the wider culture to a narrower focus on the self.
Work-family enrichment: evidence from India on source attribution
Authors: Premchandran Rajesh , Priyadarshi Pushpendra
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Work-family researchers examining work-family enrichment (WFE) have used a cross-domain model (Froneet al., 2003) to explain relationships between enrichment experienced and the satisfaction reported in the same domain. Recent research points out inconsistencies in this approach, arguing for a source attribution model in which increased satisfaction is reported in the domain where the source of enrichment resides. This study looks at bi-directional WFE and both forms of domain satisfaction, job and family, to explore relative strengths of these relationships in an Indian context, thereby extending theory on source vs cross-domain effects of enrichment.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a single-source cross-sectional study of 508 married individuals working in the services sector in India, each with at least one child in the family. Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results support the source attribution perspective of enrichment where WFE shows stronger links to job satisfaction, and family-work enrichment (FEW) shows stronger links to family satisfaction. Our study revealed that dual-earners report higher satisfaction levels compared to those from single-earner households.

Originality/value

In addition to advancing theory on source attribution for WFE, this is the first study to focus exclusively on married individuals with children to further help accentuate inter-domain resource transfer. In addition, this is one of the few studies to test out the theory of enrichment through service sector knowledge workers in a developing economy like India, where the service sector contributes to 60% of the GDP.
Decision-making for risk evaluation: integration of prospect theory with failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA)
Authors: Sagnak Muhittin , Kazancoglu Yigit , Ozkan Ozen Yesim Deniz , Garza-Reyes Jose Arturo
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The aim of the present study is to overcome some of the limitations of the FMEA method by presenting a theoretical base for considering risk evaluation into its assessment methodology and proposing an approach for its implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

Fuzzy AHP is used to calculate the weights of the likelihood of occurrence (O), severity (S) and difficulty of detection (D). Additionally, the prospect-theory-based TODIM method was integrated with fuzzy logic. Thus, fuzzy TODIM was employed to calculate the ranking of potential failure modes according to their risk priority numbers (RPNs). In order to verify the results of the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with the participation of industry experts.

Findings

The results are very much in line with prospect theory. Therefore, practitioners may apply the proposed method to FMEA. The most crucial failure mode for a firm's attention is furnace failure followed by generator failure, crane failure, tank failure, kettle failure, dryer failure and operator failure, respectively.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper consists in integrating prospect theory with the FMEA method in order to overcome the limitations naturally inherent in the calculation of the FMEA's RPNs.
Market arrival of apples under risk in Jammu & Kashmir, India: evidence from an ARDL application
Authors: Akber Nusrat , Paltasingh Kirtti Ranjan
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the market response of apple growers to price and price risk along with weather factors and weather risk in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. In other words, it tries to find the both short-run and long-run price elasticities of apples' market arrival and also the elasticity with respect to price-risk and weather-risk variables.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses the bound test approach of “auto-regressive distributed lag” (ARDL) model. Monthly data on market arrival of apples and respective prices along with other nonprice factors are used.

Findings

The bound test approach of ARDL confirms the existence of long-run relationship between the market arrival of apples and price and nonprice factors. The market response to price is found to be inelastic both in shortrun and longrun. The risk coefficients are negative indicating that apple growers are risk averse. However, they do respond strongly to weather risk than price risk.

Research limitations/implications

Weather insurance must be provided to the apple growers to safeguard their production loss due to weather risks. Proper infrastructure in the form of storage facilities, marketing information, transport and communication to local markets should be provided to them. Unavailability of data at the district level poses a great difficulty to have a panel data analysis. But future research can be initiated to bridge this gap.

Originality/value

This paper considers the market response of apple growers under both price risk and weather risk which is first in its nature. The authors have not found any other paper discussing this in the case of apple in India.
Multiple choice questions and essay questions in curriculum
Authors: Kaipa Roha Mariam
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and essays and short answer questions are the most common assessment protocols instructors use in their classrooms. However, the reliability and validity of these assessment protocols are controversial. The current study employed a survey research design using Qualtrics to determine the faculty and student perspective on using MCQs and essay and short answer questions in their courses as well as their rationale for the preference.

Design/methodology/approach

Eighty-five students and 67 faculty within the social sciences discipline participated in the study.

Findings

65% of the students strongly preferred MCQs over essays and short answer questions. However, faculty did not show a strong preference for one or the other form of assessment (52.30% selected essays and short answer questions, and 47.69% preferred MCQs) in their courses. The study also explores why the students and faculty prefer one form of assessment over the other.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study helped to understand the current assessment practices in a classroom from a faculty and student perspective.

Originality/value

This is one of few studies that evaluated the faculty as well as student perspective on the use of MCQs and essays and short answer questions in the curriculum across the social science discipline.
Exploring the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing resilient fashion supply chains: a multi-evidence-based approach
Authors: Bin Makhashen Yousef , Rafi-ul-Shan Piyya Muhammad , Bashiri Mahdi , Hasan Ruaa , Amar Hassan , Khan Muhammad Naveed
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge gaps in the extant literature on the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing resilient fashion supply chains (RFSCs), and to develop a contextual framework for effective decision-making to enable practitioners to enhance their supply chain resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a novel multi-evidence-based approach comprising Denyer and Tranfield's (2009) systematic literature review (SLR) with context, intervention, mechanism and outcome (CIMO) logic, text mining and network analysis. The approach constitutes a rigorous methodology that cross-validates results and ensures the reliability and validity of findings.

Findings

The authors identified key knowledge gaps in the literature and explored the main contribution categories (e.g. conceptual understandings, operational impacts, use of theories and frameworks). Subsequently, we developed a contextual framework of ambidextrous coopetition to design RFSCs. Finally, an empirical research agenda is proposed with the five research directions to address the gap and take forward the notion of ambidextrous coopetition and RFSCs.

Research limitations/implications

The multi-evidence-based approach is a structured and triangulated SLR approach and thus lacks empirical study.

Practical implications

This research proposes a contextual framework of ambidextrous coopetition that can be used by fashion companies to embed resilience into their structures and operations. This research also presents an agenda for the future empirical research.

Originality/value

This paper contributes by providing a combinatory synthesis on the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing RFSCs. This paper introduces a novel methodological triangulation for improving the quality and validity of SLRs. It identifies significant knowledge gaps and defines directions for future research.
Light and shade of multicultural education in South Korea
Authors: Lee Soo Jung , Jahng Kyung Eun , Kim Koeun
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to attend to the issues that remain veiled and excluded in the name of multiculture.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper problematizes South Korean multicultural education policies through Bourdieu’s concept of capital as a theoretical frame.

Findings

First, the paper discusses that material wealth is unequally distributed to most of the multicultural families, resulting in their lack of economic capital. Second, it notes that students from multicultural families are deprived of cultural capital, as they are racialized in Korean society. As a strategy used to distinguish and exclude a so-called different minority from the unnamed majority, race enables the possession of cultural capital. Third, insufficient social capital identified with resources emerging from social networks positions students from multicultural families as a perpetual minority. As the accumulation of various forms of capital secures power and privilege (Bourdieu, 1986), multicultural education in its current state would continuously reproduce the existing power dynamics where students from multicultural families are subordinate.

Research limitations/implications

Given this, policies for multicultural education in South Korea should cover a wide range of issues, including race, class and network and be redesigned to resolve realistic problems that have been hidden under the name of celebration of culture.

Originality/value

The Korean multicultural education policy has not been analyzed through Bourdieu’s concept of capital. Using a different theoretical viewpoint would be valuable to figure out the problems underlying the policy.
Factors influencing maintenance-related investments in industry: a multiple-case study
Authors: Lundgren Camilla , Bokrantz Jon , Skoogh Anders
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to ensure productive, robust and sustainable production systems by enabling future investments in maintenance. This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the investment process and thereby facilitate future maintenance-related investments. The objectives are to describe the investment process, map the decision support and roles involved and identify factors influencing the process.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was designed as a multiple-case study, with three industrial cases of maintenance-related investments. A structured coding procedure was used to analyse the empirical data from the cases.

Findings

This paper provides a deeper understanding of the process of maintenance-related investments. Eleven factors influencing the investment process could be identified, three of which were seen in all three cases. These three factors are: fact-based decision-support, internal integration and foresight.

Practical implications

Investments in modern maintenance are needed to ensure productive, robust and sustainable production in the future. However, it is a challenge in manufacturing industry to justify maintenance-related investments. This challenge may be solved by developing a decision-support system, or a structured work procedure, that considers the findings of this study.

Originality/value

From this study, an extended view of the relation between quantifying effects of maintenance and maintenance-related investment is proposed, including surrounding factors influencing the investment process. The factors were identified using a structured and transparent coding procedure which is rarely used in maintenance research.
Specific acts of appreciation valued by employees
Authors: Hamrick Natalie , White Paul
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Although managers agree that showing appreciation to their employees is important, many do not know how to do so effectively. Languages of Appreciation have been identified that uniquely convey that the recipient is valued when appreciation is expressed in the “language” they prefer. Moreover, a wide range of specific actions can be effective within a given appreciation language. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the top ten action items within each language of appreciation to discover the actions preferred most frequently by employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Of the over 200,000 individuals who have completed the Motivating by Appreciation Inventory, approximately 1% of respondents were randomly selected to represent each primary language (Words of Affirmation N = 1,000, Acts of Service N = 500, Quality Time N = 500 and Tangible Gifts N = 300). Respondents’ action item preferences were then tallied.

Findings

Numerous themes were identified, along with the most desired acts of appreciation within each language: Words of Affirmation: acknowledge when I have handled a difficult situation well; Acts of Service: offer to do some menial tasks that will allow me to focus on higher priorities for me; Quality Time: go to lunch together and not talk about business issues; and Tangible Gifts: gift cards (visa gift card or to favorite store/restaurant).

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to report on the specific actions most desired by employees within their preferred appreciation languages. The results can help inform actions that are most likely to be successful in showing appreciation to colleagues in the workplace.
Modeling enablers of knowledge management process using multi criteria decision making approach
Authors: Agrawal Nishant
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Drawing from boundary-spamming knowledge processes and knowledge-based theory, the purpose of this paper is to study enablers of the knowledge management (KM) process using robust multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools like interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the knowledge-based view and through the detailed literature review among different KM success, eight enablers were identified. By using the ISM-DEMATEL approach, a systematic framework was designed, and further cause–effect relationship diagram visualized a causal relationship among the enablers.

Findings

The combined approach of ISM-DEMATEL showcase that “knowledge creation” and “knowledge capture” are essential enablers. These two identified enablers have considered being pillars for KM implementation. On the other side, knowledge organization, knowledge application are dependent enablers.

Practical implications

From a practical viewpoint, the findings of this research work enable the industry consultants to identify the most prominent driving enablers for KM implementation. Additionally, it provides a clue for the effective implementation of KM in a systematic approach.

Originality/value

The integrated method depending on the hierarchical model and cause–effect relationship between enablers of the KM process is a novel approach that opens a new research area in this domain. Moreover, this is the first-ever attempt to combine ISM along with DEMATEL to identify enablers of the KM process.
Seedling production and choice among cashew farmers in Ghana: a profitability analysis
Authors: Bannor Richard Kwasi , Oppong-Kyeremeh Helena , Abele Steffen , Osei Tutu Frank , Chaa Kyire Samual Kwabena , Agyina Dickson
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The unavailability and inadequate use of cashew seedlings for propagation are part of the challenges facing the cashew sub-sector in Ghana. However, promoting investment into cashew seedling production should be based on the analysis of the profitability and viability of such a venture as well as the respective determinants of farmers' demand for the planting material.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used gross margin/contribution, net margin and contribution ratios to analyse the profitability of cashew seedling production under four different business models. Also, the determinants of choice of planting material for cashew plantation among farmers was analysed via a multinomial probit regression.

Findings

The study revealed that cashew seedling production is profitable with a gross margin of $8,474, $2,242, $1,616 and $1,797 and contribution to sales of 31–53% for the various business models. The positive determinants of the use of cashew seedlings were off-farm job participation and extension contact, whereas farm size and age of plantation negatively influenced the use of seedlings. Land acquisition method also influenced the use of both seedlings and seeds negatively.

Practical implications

The findings provide empirical evidence of the viability and profitability of cashew seedling production as a viable business venture and off-farm opportunity in rural areas. The information from the study will help major stakeholders in cashew production to understand the type of farmers who use seeds and seedlings as well as the reasons for using or otherwise.

Originality/value

Significant research in the cashew value chain had focussed on the profitability of cashew plantation with little literature on profitability and viability analysis of cashew seedling production. Similarly, this study provides a significant value chain job opportunity as well as literature on the choice of cashew seedlings among current and prospective end-users.
Development and Validation of the Operational Definitions of the Defining Characteristics of the Nursing Diagnosis of Insomnia in the Occupational Health Setting
Authors: Vega‐Escaño Juan , Barrientos‐Trigo Sergio , Romero‐Sánchez José Manuel , de Diego‐Cordero Rocío , Porcel‐Gálvez Ana María
Published: April 2020

PURPOSE

To develop and validate the operational definition (ODs) for each defining characteristic (DC) contained in the Nursing Diagnosis (ND) “insomnia” (00095) in the occupational health context.

METHODS

Methodological study carried out in two stages, including a consensus of experts to develop the ODs (Stage 1) and an online Delphi panel, performed in two rounds, to validate them (Stage 2).

FINDINGS

The 15 ODs proposed in Stage 1 were narrowed down to six validated ODs in the first round (diagnostic content validity index [DCVI] = 0.80‐0.89). In the second round, five ODs were validated (DCVI = 0.80‐0.94). Finally, the remaining four ODs were validated by the general consensus of experts.

CONCLUSIONS

The ODs were validated, although there remains some doubt as to whether some of the DCs can be applied to the field of occupational health.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

The ODs developed and validated could improve the diagnostic accuracy of the ND “insomnia” (00095) in the context of occupational health.
Maternal separation increases cocaine intake through a mechanism involving plasticity in glutamate signalling
Authors: Castro‐Zavala Adriana , Martín‐Sánchez Ana , Luján Miguel Ángel , Valverde Olga
Published: April 2020

Early‐life stress (ELS) is associated with negative consequences, including maladaptive long‐lasting brain effects. These alterations seem to increase the likelihood of developing substance use disorders. However, the molecular consequences of ELS are poorly understood. In the present study, we tested the impact of ELS induced by maternal separation with early weaning (MSEW) in CD1 male mice at different phases of cocaine self‐administration (SA). We also investigated the subsequent alterations on GluR2, GluR1, cAMP response element‐binding (CREB), and CREB‐phosphorylation (pCREB) in ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) induced by both MSEW and cocaine SA. Our results show that MSEW animals expressed a higher cocaine intake, an increased vulnerability to the acquisition of cocaine SA, and incapacity to extinguish cocaine SA behaviour. MSEW mice showed decreased GluR2 and increased GluR1 and pCREB in NAc. Also, results displayed reduction of basal levels of GluR1 and CREB and an elevation of GluR1/GluR2 ratio in the VTA. Such results hint at an enhanced glutamatergic function in NAc and increased excitability of VTA DA neurons in maternally separated mice. Altogether, our results suggest that MSEW induces molecular alterations in the brain areas related to reward processing, increasing the vulnerability to depression and cocaine‐seeking behaviour.
Examining consent for interventional research in potential deceased organ donors: a narrative review
Authors: Cooper J. , Harvey D. , Gardiner D.
Published: April 2020

In the last decade, research in transplant medicine has focused on developing interventions in the management of the deceased organ donor to improve the quality and quantity of transplantable organs. Despite the promise of interventional donor research, there remain debates about the ethics of this research, specifically regarding gaining research consent. Here, we examine the concerns and ambiguities around consent for interventional donor research, which incorporate questions about who should consent for interventional donor research and what people are being asked to consent for. We highlight the US and UK policy responses to these concerns and argue that, whereas guidance in this area has done much to clarify these ambiguities, there is little consideration of the nature, practicalities and context around consent in this area, particularly regarding organ donors and their families. We review wider studies of consent in critical care research and social science studies of consent in medical research, to gain a broader view of consent in this area as a relational and contextual process. We contend a lack of consideration has been given to: what it might mean to consent to interventional donor research; how families, patients and health professionals might experience providing and seeking this consent; who is best placed to have these discussions; and the socio‐institutional contexts affecting these processes. Further, empirical research is required to establish an ethical and sensitive model for consent in interventional donor research, ensuring the principles enshrined in research ethics are met and public trust in organ donation is maintained.
Testing the Integration Hypothesis in the Republic of Dagestan: The Role of Social Capital
Authors: Tatarko Alexander
Published: April 2020

This paper studies the social mechanism underlying the integration hypothesis and presents a model about the mediating role of social capital obtained when testing the integration hypothesis. The mediation model holds that the individual's commitment to integration allows him/her to form bridging social capital, which is accompanied by a higher level of life satisfaction. The study took place in Dagestan, which is the most ethnically diverse republic of the Russian Federation, involving respondents from three main ethnic groups: ethnic Russians, Avars, and Dargins. Our research identifies two adaptation scenarios for ethnic groups. The first scenario involves an integration strategy and bridging social capital, while the second involves a separation strategy without any involvement of social capital. Based on the results of the study, practical recommendations were offered to support integration processes in multicultural regions. For this it is necessary to assess whether the integration hypothesis applies to all ethnic groups within the region; to take measures to create a “supraethnic” identity among the residents of multicultural regions; to introduce a quota for government representation for each ethnic group to reduce interethnic competition; to introduce training on intercultural interaction and ethnic tolerance into the educational programs at schools.
Effects of early pregnancy on expression of interferon‐stimulated gene 15, STAT1, OAS1, MX1, and IP‐10 in ovine liver
Authors: Yang Ling , Li Ning , Zhang Leying , Bai Jiachen , Zhao Zimo , Wang Yujiao
Published: April 2020

Interferon‐tau (IFNT) regulates maternal recognition during early pregnancy in ruminants. The liver can serve as a hematopoietic organ, and it has immune functions. This study hypothesized whether mRNA and proteins of interferon‐stimulated genes (ISGs) induced by early pregnancy are upregulated in maternal liver. Therefore, we determined the expression of interferon‐stimulated gene 15‐kDa protein (ISG15), 2',5'‐oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1), myxovirus resistance protein 1 (MX1), interferon‐gamma‐inducible protein 10 (IP‐10), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in maternal livers during early pregnancy in sheep. Ovine livers were sampled on day 16 of the estrous cycle, and days 13, 16, and 25 of pregnancy, and expression of ISGs was detected by quantitative real‐time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry analysis. Our results showed that there were increases in expression of the mRNA and proteins of ISG15, OAS1, IP‐10, STAT1, and MX1 during early pregnancy. STAT1 protein was limited to the hepatocytes, and endothelial cells of proper hepatic arteries and hepatic portal veins. In conclusion, the upregulation of ISG15, OAS1, IP‐10, STAT1, and MX1 proteins may be implicated in maternal hepatic immune adjustment and other functions during early pregnancy in sheep.
Regulatory T cells in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Kimura Kimitoshi
Published: April 2020

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are known to suppress excessive inflammation in autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Accumulating evidence suggests that the frequency and suppressive function of Treg cells are altered in patients with MS, which might be involved in the development and exacerbation of the disease. In addition, there are several Treg cell populations with distinct functions, which are differently affected by MS. The importance of these observations is supported by studies using an animal disease model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The environmental factors are also discussed that might underlie the alteration of Treg cells in MS. The perturbation of Treg cell homeostasis could be restored by some disease‐modifying drugs. The beneficial effects of these drugs might be partially mediated by Treg cells. Understanding the dynamics of this population is crucial to reveal the pathogenesis and to develop more effective treatment strategies in MS.
Exenatide once weekly decreases urinary albumin excretion in patients with type 2 diabetes and elevated albuminuria: Pooled analysis of randomized active controlled clinical trials
Authors: van der Aart ‐ van der Beek Annemarie B. , van Raalte Daniel H. , Guja Cristian , Hoogenberg Klaas , Suchower Lisa J. , Hardy Elise , Sjöström C. David , Heerspink Hiddo J.L.
Published: April 2020

Aims

To examine the albuminuria‐lowering effect of exenatide once weekly (EQW) compared with active glucose‐lowering comparators in patients with type 2 diabetes and elevated urinary albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio (uACR).

Methods

Six randomized double‐blind and open‐label phase III studies were pooled in a post hoc, exploratory analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EQW versus non‐glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist comparators in patients with type 2 diabetes and baseline uACR ≥30 mg/g. Treatment groups were EQW versus all comparators pooled. Efficacy outcomes were percent change from baseline to week 26/28 in uACR and absolute change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), body weight and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Results

Baseline characteristics were generally similar between the two treatment groups (EQW: N = 194, all comparators: N = 274). Relative to the comparator group, EQW changed albuminuria by −26.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] −39.5 to −10). Similar improvements were observed with EQW versus oral glucose‐lowering drugs (−29.6% [95% CI −47.6 to −5.3) or insulin (−23.8% [95% CI −41.8 to −0.2]). The effect of EQW on uACR was independent of baseline renin‐angiotensin system inhibitor usage. Adjusted mean decreases in HbA1c, SBP and body weight were more pronounced in the EQW versus the comparator group. Adjustment for changes in HbA1c, eGFR and SBP did not substantially affect the uACR‐lowering effect of EQW. When also adjusting for changes in body weight, the uACR‐lowering effect was reduced to (−13.0% [95% CI −29.9 to 7.8]).

Conclusion

Exenatide once weekly reduced uACR in patients with type 2 diabetes and elevated albuminuria compared to commonly used glucose‐lowering drugs.
Christ’s Love, Peace, Justice, and Freedom Seen against the Challenges of the Modern World
Authors:   Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima
Published: April 2020

This is an edited version of an address given in Paralimni at the Open University of Cyprus in January 2019 during a meeting of the assembly planning committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), hosted by the Archdiocese of Constantia and Ammochostos. It is a reflection on the theme set for the WCC’s 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2021, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity.”
Messenger RNA delivery to mitoribosomes – hints from a bacterial toxin
Authors: Bruni Francesco , Proctor‐Kent Yasmin , Lightowlers Robert N. , Chrzanowska‐Lightowlers Zofia M.
Published: April 2020

In mammalian mitochondria, messenger RNA is processed and matured from large primary transcripts in structures known as RNA granules. The identity of the factors and process transferring the matured mRNA to the mitoribosome for translation is unclear. Nascent mature transcripts are believed to associate initially with the small mitoribosomal subunit prior to recruitment of the large subunit to form the translationally active monosome. When the small subunit fails to assemble, however, the stability of mt‐mRNA is only marginally affected, and under these conditions, the LRPPRC/SLIRP RNA‐binding complex has been implicated in maintaining mt‐mRNA stability. Here, we exploit the activity of a bacterial ribotoxin, VapC20, to show that in the absence of the large mitoribosomal subunit, mt‐mRNA species are selectively lost. Further, if the small subunit is also depleted, the mt‐mRNA levels are recovered. As a consequence of these data, we suggest a natural pathway for loading processed mt‐mRNA onto the mitoribosome.