bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the antecedents of employee engagement
Authors: Alam Jasmine , Mendelson Morris , Ibn Boamah Mustapha , Gauthier Mathieu
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between employee engagement and general management, performance management, reward management and transformational leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was distributed to a mid-sized energy company based in North America. A two-stage hierarchical multiple regression was performed. Employee engagement was the dependent variable, and the control variables of age and education were entered at stage one. In stage two, the four variables of general management, performance management, reward management and transformational leadership were included.

Findings

The findings revealed that the factors most predictive of employee engagement were reward management, followed by performance management, general management and transformational leadership. The only control variable predictive of engagement was age, where older employees reported greater engagement.

Practical implications

The study can offer practitioners more insight into employee engagement which in turn can help with employee related decision-making in their own individual workplaces.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the existing literature on human resource management by providing insights into the factors that contribute to employee engagement and corroboration that age is a contributing factor.
Busy commissioners and firm performance: evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Trinugroho Irwan , Risfandy Tastaftiyan , Hanafi Mamduh M. , Sukmana Raditya
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Using the Indonesian setting where the government formally limits the presence of busy commissioners, the authors investigate whether a board containing busy commissioners could be beneficial or detrimental for firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose an econometric model focusing on the impact of busy commissioners on the firm's profitability. The authors are also interested in investigating whether the effect is different between small and large firms and between mature and non-mature firms. A sample of 392 Indonesian listed firms from 2014 to 2020 is used in this study.

Findings

The authors find a negative association between busyness and performance and this result is robust across different estimations and econometrics strategies. The authors also document that the negative impact of busy directors diminishes particularly in young and small firms. The authors also find that the impact is more pronounced in state-owned firms.

Practical implications

From a firm point of view, the result suggests that the companies should be aware that appointing busy commissioners in the board structure can detriment market-based performance. The listed firms should also understand that busy commissioners are inefficient, especially if these firms are large, mature and state-owned.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating the relation between busy commissioners and performance by considering age, firm size and state-owned firms as a moderator in a sample of Indonesian listed firms.
Value drivers of government issued mobile coupons usage
Authors: Zhang Jing , Zhang Linghua
Published: February 2022

Purpose

In the pandemic time, many local governments in China issue mobile coupons to citizens in order to boost economy via stimulating consumption. This study examines value drivers for consumers to use government issued mobile coupons (GIMCs), which differ from traditional ones issued by retailers, during the pandemic time in mainland China.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis of 148 posts and 388 comments from Sina Weibo were performed to identify value-related antecedents of GIMCs' usage by consumers. Then, drawing on extant literature and based on the variables extracted from content analysis, a conceptual model was proposed addressing the determinants of value perceptions which motivate consumers to acquire and redeem GIMCs. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 510 citizens who used government issued m-coupons to verify hypotheses.

Findings

The research findings show that functional value (driven by economic benefits, convenience and relevance), emotional value (driven by trustworthiness, competition and altruism) and social value (driven by social norms and social recognition) positively shape consumer's attitude toward GIMCs and their intention to use GIMCs. Also, it is found that functional value and attitude link is enhanced by consumer's utilitarian shopping motivation and weakened by hedonic shopping motivation. Hedonic shopping motivation enhances the relationship between emotional value and attitude.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the theory development of coupon promotional tool by focusing on m-coupons issued by government (instead of retailers) under the pandemic background. Besides, it provides managerial insights for local authorities to design effective GIMCs policies.
Corporate governance and firm risk-taking: the moderating role of board gender diversity
Authors: Muhammad Hussain , Migliori Stefania , Mohsni Sana
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore the moderating role of board gender diversity (BGD) in the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms (i.e. board size, board independence, chief executive officer (CEO) gender, CEO duality and ownership concentration) and firm risk-taking.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 192 non-financial publicly traded Italian firms over 2014–2018, this study tests the proposed research hypotheses and assess the moderating effect of BGD.

Findings

Drawing on agency theory and resource dependence theory, this study finds a significant relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and firm risk-taking, which is significantly moderated by BGD. BGD accentuates the negative effect of board size, independent directors, CEO gender and CEO duality on firm systematic risk and attenuates the positive impact of CEO duality on firm unsystematic risk. The results, which are consistent with the risk-reduction effect of BGD, are robust to the use of alternative measures of firm risk-taking.

Practical implications

Women’s presence on corporate boards plays a critical role in the board’s involvement in risk-taking. Hence, investors and stakeholders should consider women on corporate boards as a crucial risk-mitigating factor.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to our knowledge on risk management by demonstrating the moderating role of BGD while relating corporate governance mechanisms and firm risk-taking.
A green supplier selection framework in polyethylene industry
Authors: Asgharnezhad Arezou , Avakh Darestani Soroush
Published: February 2022

Purpose

To outsource part of their work, organizations are looking for suppliers who also have green criteria with other criteria. Selecting suppliers begins with the definition of potential suppliers and then selects the best among them. This study aims to present a two-part approach for selecting suppliers consisting of suppliers’ prioritization.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first part, the criteria that influence on selecting the suppliers have been identified and extracted using the literature review and experts’ opinion which consists of 19 criteria. Then, these criteria were evaluated by the content validity ratio index and using experts’ opinions, and finally, 16 criteria were selected for selecting green suppliers in a polyethylene’s products producer company in Iran. In the next step, suppliers are selected in a green supply chain using multi-criteria decision-making methods such as Dempster–Shafer theory and grey relationship analysis, which is a strategic decision.

Findings

This study attempts to improve the level of reliance on the whole uncertain degree by combining Dempster–Shafer theory and grey relational analysis (GRA), which makes the grey analysis method more robust and its results more reliable. The findings show that Supplier 4 is ranked as first within six suppliers.

Originality/value

Using GRA and Dempster–Shafer theory for green supplier selection problem in polyethylene industry is the novelty of this work.
Independence, trust, and loyalty. The county governor's coordination of public and voluntary resources in crises in Norway
Authors: Aasland Tora , Braut Geir S.
Published: February 2022

Collaboration and communication are crucial factors in handling crises, whether the crisis is a serious landslide requiring emergency response for several days or a pandemic lasting for months. This article describes and analyses the governmental relationship with the local communities in critical situations with the COVID‐19 pandemic as a case. In the Norwegian administrative organisation, the county governors have a defined role in their emergency responsibilities, including being chairpersons of the County Emergency Council (CEC). The Norwegian emergency system is organised with samvirke (translated to English as coordinated cooperation) as a core constituency. In this system, voluntary organisations have a formalised role in taking an active part in crisis handling. The inclusion of voluntary organisations in the CEC, as seen by the county governors, is used as a case study. The challenges of collaboration can be analysed using the terms independence, trust, and loyalty. Data are collected from governing documents and interviews with the county governors. The main factor in successful coordination is the governors' ability to support the municipalities and the local communities. They must balance between wants of independence and state control. The art of this balancing act is the topic of this article.
A new scoring system for predicting in‐hospital death after lung cancer surgery (the SABCIP score) using a Japanese nationwide administrative database
Authors: Tahara Masahiro , Ishimaru Tomohiro , Fujino Yoshihisa , Fushimi Kiyohide , Matsuda Shinya , Mukae Hiroshi , Yatera Kazuhiro
Published: February 2022

Background

We aimed to develop and validate a new risk scoring tool for predicting in‐hospital mortality after lung cancer surgery.

Methods

We retrospectively identified patients admitted for lung cancer surgery from a nationwide administrative database in Japan and randomly divided them into derivation and validation cohorts. In the derivation cohort, we performed logistic regression analysis to determine predictive variables and developed a risk scoring tool by proportionally weighting the regression coefficients and assigning points to each variable. In both cohorts, we evaluated the predictive performance of the score using the c‐index and showed the in‐hospital mortality at each risk score.

Results

In total, 64 175 patients (32 170 and 32 005 patients in the derivation and validation cohort, respectively) were enrolled, including 115 (0.4%) and 119 (0.4%) in‐hospital patient deaths in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. Following the multivariate regression analysis, we selected six variables to create the SABCIP score, a risk scoring tool named after the parameters on which it is based, namely male sex, age ≥ 75 years, body mass index <18.5, clinical stage ≥3, interstitial lung disease, and procedure type (sleeve resection, chest wall resection, or pneumonectomy). The c‐index of the score was 0.82 and 0.80 in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively, which represents a better or equal discrimination performance compared with previous scoring tools. In‐hospital mortality increased as the score increased in both cohorts.

Conclusion

The SABCIP score is a simple and useful predictor of in‐hospital mortality in patients after lung cancer surgery.
Drug Overdoses During the COVID‐19 Pandemic Among Recently Homeless Individuals
Authors: Liu Michael , Richard Lucie , Campitelli Michael A. , Nisenbaum Rosane , Dosani Naheed , Dhalla Irfan A. , Wadhera Rishi K. , Shariff Salimah Z. , Hwang Stephen W.
Published: February 2022

Aims

To examine how weekly rates of emergency department (ED) visits for drug overdoses changed among individuals with a recent history of homelessness (IRHH) and their housed counterparts during the pre‐pandemic, peak, and re‐opening periods of the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic, using corresponding weeks in 2019 as a historical control.

Design

Population‐based retrospective cohort study conducted between September 30, 2018 and September 26, 2020.

Setting

Ontario, Canada.

Participants

A total of 38 617 IRHH, 15 022 369 housed individuals, and 186 858 low‐income housed individuals matched on age, sex, rurality, and comorbidity burden.

Measurements

ED visits for drug overdoses of accidental and undetermined intent.

Findings

Average rates of ED visits for drug overdoses between January and September 2020 were higher among IRHH compared with housed individuals (rate ratio [RR], 148.0; 95% CI, 142.7–153.5) and matched housed individuals (RR, 22.3; 95% CI, 20.7–24.0). ED visits for drug overdoses decreased across all groups by ~20% during the peak period (March 17 to June 16, 2020) compared with corresponding weeks in 2019. During the re‐opening period (June 17 to September 26, 2020), rates of ED visits for drug overdoses were significantly higher among IRHH (RR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.44–1.69), matched housed individuals (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.08–1.46), and housed individuals relative to equivalent weeks in 2019 (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02–1.11). The relative increase in drug overdose ED visits among IRHH was larger compared with both matched housed individuals (P = 0.01 for interaction between group and year) and housed individuals (P < 0.001) during this period.

Conclusions

Recently homeless individuals in Ontario, Canada experienced disproportionate increases in ED visits for drug overdoses during the re‐opening period of the COVID‐19 pandemic compared with housed people.
COVID‐19 and mental health: Impact on symptom burden in older people living with mental illness in residential aged care
Authors: Curran Eleanor , Nalder Liam , Koye Digsu , Hocking Jan , Coulson Brett , Khalid Sabah , Loi Samantha M. , Lautenschlager Nicola T.
Published: February 2022

Objectives

COVID‐19–related restrictions for residential aged care (RAC) have been significant. However, the mental health impacts for residents already living with mental illness remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined change in mental health symptom burden for this group and potential associations with clinical and contextual factors.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients of a specialist aged mental health clinical service for RAC. Change in symptoms (measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Nursing Home version [NPI‐NH]) between pre‐pandemic and two pandemic timepoints were analysed using Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests. Potential associations with baseline diagnosis or severity of ‘lockdown’ restrictions in RAC were assessed using linear regression.

Results

Data from 91 patient files were included. The median NPI‐NH score slightly increased during wave one (baseline median NPI‐NH score = 17.0 [interquartile range, IQR: 10.0–27.0]; wave one median = 19.0, IQR: 8.0–30.0) and fell during wave two (Median: 15.5, IQR: 7.0–28.0), but changes were not statistically significant (all p‐values >0.05). Adjusting for age and gender, an association between neurocognitive disorder diagnosis and NPI‐NH score during wave one was statistically but not clinically significant (p = 0.046). No other significant associations were identified.

Conclusions

Accounting for pre‐pandemic symptoms, we found no clinically relevant evidence of worsening mental health during COVID‐19 for a group of older people living with mental illness in RAC. This adds to evidence of relatively stable mental health in older people during the pandemic. Research and policy should consider underpinning mechanisms and emphasise patient‐ and carer‐centred interventions.
Blame and culpability in explaining changes in perceptions of corporate social responsibility and credibility
Authors: Souiden Nizar , Chaouali Walid , Aldás‐Manzano Joaquín , Rachid Jamali Dima
Published: February 2022

This study uses the sequential updating mechanism and draws on several theories, such as the attribution theory, the self‐perception theory and the shame theory, to explain the interplay between consumers' perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate credibility. It contends that both CSR and corporate credibility undergo the sequential updating mechanism. A two‐stage model (before and after a corporate public relation [PR] crisis) is used to investigate how individuals' perceptions of CSR and credibility are determined by their blame attribution to the firm, their self‐culpability, as well as their prior perceptions of CSR and credibility. To test the research hypotheses, four samples were collected from Spain (224 and 244) and the United Kingdom (307 and 236). Respondents had to state their opinions in relation to a Spanish and a British company operating in the fashion industry. For the model estimation, the SmartPLS 3 was used. The results show that consumers' perception of a firm's liability has a significant impact on their feeling of culpability, which in turn strongly and negatively affects their perceptions of the firm's CSR and credibility. In addition, consumers' prior perceptions of CSR and credibility play a relevant role in regulating and offsetting the final effect of a corporate PR crisis.
Advocacy and self‐advocacy in Malta: Reflections on the lives of Maltese people with intellectual disability from the 1950s to the present day
Authors: Callus Anne‐Marie , Bonello Isabel , Micallef Brian
Published: February 2022

Background

This article presents an overview and discussion of the main developments in the lives of persons with intellectual disability in Malta over the last 70 years in residential services, education, employment, friendships and relationships, culture, sport and leisure activities, having a say in one's own life and how people look at persons with intellectual disability. It also discusses who were the people who played important parts in these developments.

Materials and Methods

The article is written by an academic and two self‐advocates with lived experience of intellectual disability. The first author wrote the literature review tracing developments in the disability sector in Malta. These topics were then discussed by the three authors.

Results

Thanks to these developments, persons with intellectual disability can live more independently in their community and develop their potential, including the ability to speak for themselves. However, many persons with intellectual disability do not have a say over how they live their lives and experience a lot of control. Very often, it is other people who decide for them. Persons with intellectual disability should enjoy relationships in which they are cared for and they care for others. They should also play an important part in the development of services that are aimed at them.

Conclusions

The authors composed a poem which reflects the main issues that the two self‐advocates consider to be the most important: support, other people's attitudes and knowing what persons with intellectual disability want.
Effect of egg size on the growth rate and survival of wild walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus larvae
Authors: Kajiwara Keitaro , Nakaya Mitsuhiro , Suzuki Kota , Kano Yota , Takatsu Tetsuya
Published: February 2022

To clarify the survival process of walleye pollock larvae of the Japan Pacific stock in relation to the individual egg size, we estimated the original relative egg diameter from the diameter of the hatch check formed on larval sagittal otoliths. Significant positive correlations were obtained between egg diameter and embryonic body length, yolk sac volume, and lapillar otolith diameter in 3‐year groups (2013–2015 year classes) collected with a plankton net in Funka Bay. Embryos before hatching were without a check; however, checks were observed on all larval otoliths just after hatching. The check diameters showed significant positive regressions to age at collection (days after hatching) in 2014 and 2015 year classes, however not in the 2013 year class. Diameters of eggs collected with a ring net in Funka Bay gradually increased from 2013 to 2015 year classes. During the 2013–2015 spawning seasons, the proportion of adult females of the 2007 and 2009 year classes, which had relatively high abundances, gradually increased to higher proportions with age (43%, 57%, and <73%, respectively), indicating that the mechanism by which the eggs gradually became larger. The low water temperature experienced by the spawners ca. 2 months earlier, advancement in spawner age, and increase of repeat spawners (at least twice in their life time) would contribute to the increase in egg size and growth and survival rate of walleye pollock larvae.
Hidradenitis suppurativa: a review of current treatment options
Authors: Lewandowski Miłosz , Świerczewska Zuzanna , Barańska‐Rybak Wioletta
Published: February 2022

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, progressive, debilitating, recurrent inflammatory skin disease characterized by the occurrence of very severe, persistent, painful nodules, abscesses, and fistulas, most commonly found in the skin folds of the axilla, groin, gluteal, and perianal areas. The pathogenesis of HS is still not completely understood; currently, it is considered to be an immune‐mediated inflammatory illness (IMID). Due to the significant decrease in the patients' quality of life and a delayed beginning of a treatment, the selection of the appropriate therapy is extremely important in these patients. Regardless of the fact that there are multiple treatment options for HS, no uniformly effective therapy has been found. All the guidelines underline the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the disease, which enables providers to create the right management of HS. This article aims to provide updates on the current treatment options of acne inversa to raise awareness and improve the management of the disease.
Putting humour to work: To make sense of and constitute organizations
Authors: Huber Guy
Published: February 2022

How do people use humour to make sense of and constitute organizations? To understand this, I consider humour as a dynamic discursive practice, through which people (re)produce, complicate and potentially transform relations of power in the workplace. To extend the reach of humour research to this end, I have reviewed and synthesized the literature on humour to identify five contextual resources for agentic sensemaking in the use of humour through which discourses are destabilized and critiqued. I then consider six discursive practices, exercised through humour, that generate power and help constitute organizations. To complete my conceptual framework, I identify and discuss five potential avenues for future research on humour and power at work. I aim to inspire researchers to associate, use and analyse the processes in my framework to generate critically orientated evidence of how people use humour to substantiate organizational/workplace realities. I conclude that humour offers rich potential to better understand how people subjectively constitute organizations in practice.
A penalty decomposition algorithm with greedy improvement for mean‐reverting portfolios with sparsity and volatility constraints
Authors: Mousavi Ahmad , Shen Jinglai
Published: February 2022

Mean‐reverting portfolios with few assets, but sufficient variance, are of great interest for investors in financial markets. Such portfolios are straightforwardly profitable because they include a small number of assets whose prices not only oscillate predictably around a long‐term mean but also possess enough volatility. Roughly speaking, sparsity minimizes trading costs, volatility provides arbitrage opportunities, and mean‐reversion property equips investors with ideal investment strategies. Finding such appealing portfolios can be formulated as a nonconvex quadratic optimization problem with an additional sparsity constraint. To the best of our knowledge, there is no method in the literature that directly solves this problem with its solution achieving favorable theoretical properties. In this paper, we develop an efficient two‐stage algorithm for solving this problem which, in the worst case, provably obtains a stationary point and further, demonstrates numerical efficiency. In the first stage of our algorithm, we apply a tailored penalty decomposition method for finding a stationary point of this nonconvex problem. For a fixed penalty parameter, the block coordinate descent method is utilized to find a stationary point of the associated penalty subproblem. In the second stage, we improve the result from the first stage via a greedy scheme that solves restricted nonconvex quadratically constrained quadratic programs (QCQPs). We show that the optimal value of such a QCQP can be obtained by solving their semidefinite relaxations. Numerical experiments on S&P 500 are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on patients with hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Fiocco Zeno , Schlager Justin Gabriel , Kendziora Benjamin , Patzak Leilah , Kupf Sophie , French Lars Einar , Hartmann Daniela
Published: February 2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic caused collateral damage to patients with acute and chronic conditions. In this mono‐centre cross‐sectional study, we sought to evaluate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). In June 2020, we sent an anonymous survey to 109 patients, who were diagnosed with HS in our outpatient clinic from May 2018 to April 2020. Fifty patients (45.9%) completed and returned the survey. Forty‐five participants (90.0%) denied any cancellation of hospitalisation due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Hospitalisation was postponed in 8% of cases and cancelled in 2%. Compared to prior to the pandemic, fewer patients consulted their primary physician for changing wound dressings and more changed the dressings themselves or were assisted by their family members. 13% of patients avoided doctor visits due to fear of COVID‐19 and 26.1% minimised doctor visits. The Dermatology Life Quality Index showed a moderate to very severe impact on patients' Quality of Life (mean score = 10.06). Only one patient used telemedicine. Due to limited access to primary care and fear of COVID‐19, the pandemic had a detectable impact on the hospital management of patients with HS in our facility. Telemedicine still plays a negligible role in primary wound care.
Dating violence, violence in social networks, anxiety and depression in nursing degree students: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Barroso‐Corroto Esperanza , Cobo‐Cuenca Ana Isabel , Laredo‐Aguilera José Alberto , Santacruz‐Salas Esmeralda , Pozuelo‐Carrascosa Diana Patricia , Rodríguez‐Cañamero Sergio , Martín‐Espinosa Noelia María , Carmona‐Torres Juan Manuel
Published: February 2022

Aim

To determine the prevalence and risk factors for dating violence and the correlations between dating violence and violence in social networks, anxiety and depression among nursing students.

Design

A cross‐sectional and correlational study.

Methods

This study was conducted with nursing degree students at Spanish university during May 2021. A total of 248 nursing students completed an online survey. The online survey included sociodemographic variables, the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory, the Social Network Violence Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Chi‐squared test, Pearson's correlation and logistic regression were used.

Results

Of the participants, 13.3% were men and 86.7% were women. A total of 53.2% had experienced and/or perpetrated dating violence. About violence in social networks, 22.2% of the participants had perpetrated it, and 20.2% had been victims of it. Strong correlations were found between experiencing and perpetrating dating violence. Significant associated factors were cohabitation with a partner, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status and history of dating violence.

Conclusions

Dating violence is a serious problem given its high prevalence among the surveyed nursing students, who, as future health professionals, must know how to recognize and react to possible cases of abuse.

Impact

The study results add to international literature that men and women university nursing students are equally susceptible to intimate partner violence and report similar prevalence of dating violence. Also, dating violence is correlated with increased levels of anxiety and depression. It seems to be necessary to implement training programmes that help minimize the problem and identify possible cases.
Forestry clear‐cuts increase environmental temperatures, affecting the ecophysiological responses of specialized beetles in fragmented landscapes
Authors: Barahona‐Segovia Rodrigo M. , Grez Audrey A. , Veloso Claudio
Published: February 2022

The forestry practice of clear‐cutting (the removal of all woody vegetation) results in a range of negative impacts on ectotherm physiology and behaviour. Organisms in these habitats can experience elevated body temperature due to increases in air and soil temperature, affecting their performance. In this study, we evaluated the effect of ambient temperature (air and soil), habitat type (clear‐cut, forest edge and forest interior) and season (summer and autumn) on body temperature, microhabitat use and velocity of the thermosensitive ground‐beetleCeroglossus chilensis. We found that body temperature ofC.chilensisincreased with higher soil temperature in summer, especially in clear‐cuts, although body temperature decreased rapidly when sheltering in microhabitats (e.g. dead logs, plants and leaf litter). Leaf litter and dead logs were more frequently selected in native forest and clear‐cuts, respectively, but in clear‐cuts, dead logs and plants have up to 4°C higher than the optimal preference ofC. chilensis. Higher soil temperature and lower activity levels of beetles were observed in clear‐cuts in summer than in the other two habitat types, and beetles moved faster in the interior of the native forest than in other habitats regardless of the season. Our results suggest thatC. chilensisis a bioindicator of changes in ambient temperatures occurring after forest fragmentation by forestry. We suggest that the management and maintenance of thermal shelters in clear‐cuts could lessen the negative effects of high temperatures on thermosensitive beetles in fragmented forest landscapes.
Species diversity, phylogeny and evidence of recombination in begomoviruses associated with yellow mosaic disease of moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) in South India
Authors: Akram Mohd , Kamaal Naimuddin , Pratap Aditya , Muin Abdul , Agnihotri Aniruddha Kumar , Rathore Utkarsh Singh , Rathore Meenal , Singh Narendra Pratap
Published: February 2022

Polymerase chain reaction assays of eight yellow mosaic disease (YMD) affected moth bean samples using specific primers indicated the presence of Mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV), Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) and Horsegram yellow mosaic virus (HgYMV) in two samples (Mo1 and Mo5) and two of these three viruses in remaining six samples. Sequence data analysis of Mo1 and Mo2 revealed the involvement of multiple DNA‐A and DNA‐B molecules in both samples. Further analysis of DNA‐A and DNA‐B molecules confirmed the presence of three viruses viz., MYMIV, MYMV and HgYMV, in Mo1 and of two MYMV and HgYMV in Mo2 samples. Analysis of common region (CR) sequences of components (DNA‐A and DNA‐B) of each virus indicated >85% nucleotide identity confirming them to be cognate and species integrity. The recombination analysis revealed the presence of a total of six putative recombination events in the viruses under study. In a phylogenetic analysis of DNA‐A sequences of the viruses under study with bipartite legume‐infecting begomoviruses and some selected old and new world begomoviruses, MYMIV, MYMV and HgYMV grouped with respective virus species. Similar grouping and clustering were found in the DNA‐B sequences also. The present study reports infection by HgYMV in moth bean and the association of three viruses (MYMIV, MYMV and HgYMV) with moth bean yellow mosaic disease for the first time. The presence of mixed infection of begomoviruses provides opportunities for the exchange of DNA between the species which may lead to the development of new strain/virus species.
Auditory closed‐loop stimulation on sleep slow oscillations using in‐ear EEG sensors
Authors: Henao David , Navarrete Miguel , Juez José Yesith , Dinh Hugo , Gómez Rodrigo , Valderrama Mario , Le Van Quyen Michel
Published: February 2022

Acoustic stimulation synchronized to slow oscillations in scalp electroencephalograms has been shown to enhance sleep features, which makes it promising in boosting cognitive functions as well as in the treatment of some sleep disturbances. Nevertheless, scalp electrode sensors are resource intensive and poorly tolerated by sleeping patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential usability of in‐the‐ear electroencephalography to implement auditory closed‐loop stimulation during sleep. For this, we evaluated the agreement between slow oscillation recordings obtained through the in‐ear sensor and those obtained simultaneously from standard scalp electrodes during naps of 13 healthy subjects. We found that in‐ear activity provided enough information to automatically detect sleep slow oscillations in real‐time. Based on this, we successfully enhanced scalp slow oscillations using auditory single‐cycle closed‐loop brain‐state‐dependent stimulation based on in‐ear signals acquired in 11 further subjects. We conclude that in‐ear sensors provide a feasible technology for the enhancement of sleep patterns, and could pave the way for new clinical applications in the near future.
Stenting of the caudal aorta and aortic trifurcation for the treatment of thrombosis in 7 dogs
Authors: Gavin Kelly A. , Weisse Chick , Berent Allyson C.
Published: February 2022

Background

Aortic and aortoiliac thrombosis in dogs causes disease and death.

Objective

To describe the procedure and outcomes for stenting the caudal aorta and aortoiliac trifurcation.

Animals

Seven client‐owned dogs that underwent aortic/aortoiliac stenting for treatment of thrombosis.

Methods

Retrospective multi‐center investigation. Medical records were reviewed for dogs that underwent stenting of the aorta or aortoiliac trifurcation between 2008 and 2020. Information collected included history, signalment, clinicopathologic data, diagnostic imaging, procedure reports, and outcomes.

Results

Seven dogs with an occlusive thrombus located at or near the aortic trifurcation were included. Four of 7 dogs were non‐ambulatory. Hind limbs were paretic in 5 dogs, paralyzed in 1 dog, and claudication alone was noted in 1 dog. Five of the 7 dogs had protein‐losing nephropathy (PLN). Of 5 dogs with PLN, 1 had protein‐losing enteropathy (PLE) and controlled hypothyroidism and 1 had caudal aortic chondrosarcoma. Two dogs had no identified underlying disease. Angiography was performed before catheter directed thrombolysis and stent placement. No deaths occurred during the procedure. Postoperative complications included pain (4/7), bruising and edema (3/7), bruising only (1/7), and edema only (1/7). Median survival time (MST) of the 7 dogs was 264 days (range, 1‐1053 days). Five of 7 dogs were ambulatory within 2 days of stenting and survived to discharge with a MST of 425 days (range, 208‐1053 days).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Stenting of the aorta and aortoiliac trifurcation can provide an apparently safe and effective treatment with rapid return to ambulation for some dogs with aortic thrombosis.
Assessing technological trends through patent landscaping: The case of Bitcoin
Authors: Cavalheiro Gabriel M. do C. , Cavalheiro Mariana B.
Published: February 2022

With the appearance and the growing attention obtained by Bitcoin worldwide, the demand for cryptocurrencies based on blockchain technology is being driven forward at a great speed. Therefore, given the rapid valuation and strong price volatility of Bitcoin in combination with the huge potential for expansion that cryptocurrencies are expected to hold, the ability to develop technologies to help users and financial institutions carrying out transactions based on Bitcoins is also highly sought. To improve understanding of the technological trends associated with the recent valuation explosion of Bitcoin, this study assesses patent filing patterns associated with Bitcoin‐based technologies. More specifically, this study provides robust empirical evidence pointing out that the recent increased visibility of Bitcoin also motivated a strong increase in patent filings addressing technologies related to Bitcoin, thereby turning this particular cryptocurrency into a technological hotspot. Additionally, we present evidence that most Bitcoin technologies address data processing issues, rather than electric signal processing, or hardware technologies. Another relevant finding concerns the geographical concentration of patent applications, as the majority of applicants are based in highly heterogeneous countries, such as United States, China, and South Korea.
Haemostatic alterations in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma: laboratory evidence and clinical implications
Authors: Zanetto Alberto , Campello Elena , Pelizzaro Filippo , Farinati Fabio , Burra Patrizia , Simioni Paolo , Senzolo Marco
Published: February 2022

Venous thrombosis is a frequent complication in cancer and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and a leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide, and it is associated with preexisting cirrhosis in 90% of cases. Patients with cirrhosis acquire complex alterations in their haemostatic system that may predispose them to bleed or thrombotic complications. There is growing evidence that HCC may tilt the haemostatic equilibrium in cirrhosis towards hypercoagulability, thus increasing the risk of venous thrombosis. Previously described mechanisms of HCC‐driven thrombophilia include thrombocytosis and increased platelet activation/function, increased fibrinogen concentration/polymerization, enhanced thrombin generation, hypofibrinolysis, and release of tissue factor‐expressing microvesicles. Nevertheless, there are currently no specific guidelines on risk stratification and management of thromboprophylaxis in patients with cirrhosis and HCC. Our review endeavours to summarize the latest findings on epidemiology, risk factors and pathogenesis of non‐malignant venous thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis and HCC, and provide evidence in support of tailored management of thrombotic risk in these patients.
JAM‐A is a multifaceted regulator in hepatic fibrogenesis, supporting LSEC integrity and stellate cell quiescence
Authors: Brozat Jonathan F. , Brandt Elisa F. , Stark Myriam , Fischer Petra , Wirtz Theresa H. , Flaßhove Alexander , Rodenhausen Aaron N. , Vajen Tanja , Heinzmann Alexandra C. A. , Schmitz Sophia M.‐T. , Abu Jhaisha Samira , Röth Anjali A. , Koenen Rory R. , Sahin Hacer , Trautwein Christian , Berres Marie‐Luise
Published: February 2022

Background and Aims

Leukocyte infiltration is a hallmark of hepatic inflammation. The Junctional Adhesion Molecule A (JAM‐A) is a crucial regulator of leukocyte extravasation and is upregulated in human viral fibrosis. Reduced shear stress within hepatic sinusoids and the specific phenotype of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) cumulate in differing adhesion characteristics during liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to define the functional role of cell‐specific adhesion molecule JAM‐A during hepatic fibrogenesis.

Methods

Complete, conditional (intestinal epithelial; endothelial) and bone marrow chimeric Jam‐a knockout animals and corresponding C57Bl/6 wild‐type animals were treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 6 weeks). For functional analyses of JAM‐A, comprehensive in vivo studies, co‐culture models and flow‐based adhesion assays were performed.

Results

Complete and bone marrow‐derived Jam‐a−/− animals showed aggravated fibrosis with increased non‐sinusoidal, perivascular accumulation of CD11b+F4/80+ monocyte‐derived macrophages in contrast to wild‐type mice. Despite being associated with disturbed epithelial barrier function, an intestinal epithelial Jam‐a knockout did not affect fibrogenesis. In endothelial‐specific Jam‐a−/− animals, liver fibrosis was aggravated alongside sinusoid capillarization and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. HSC activation is induced via Jam‐a−/− LSEC‐derived secretion of soluble factors. Sinusoid CD31 expression and hedgehog gene signalling were increased, but leukocyte infiltration and adhesion to LSECs remained unaffected.

Conclusions

Our models decipher cell‐specific JAM‐A to exert crucial functions during hepatic fibrogenesis. JAM‐A on bone marrow‐derived cells regulates non‐sinusoidal vascular immune cell recruitment, while endothelial JAM‐A controls liver sinusoid capillarization and HSC quiescence.
Innovative approaches in investigating inter‐beat intervals: Graph theoretical method suggests altered autonomic functioning in adolescents with ADHD
Authors: Kvadsheim Elisabet , Fasmer Ole Bernt , Fasmer Erlend Eindride , R. Hauge Erik , Thayer Julian F. , Osnes Berge , Haavik Jan , Koenig Julian , Adolfsdottir Steinunn , Plessen Kerstin Jessica , Sørensen Lin
Published: February 2022

Cardiac inter‐beat intervals (IBIs) are considered to reflect autonomic functioning and self‐regulatory abilities and are often investigated by traditional time‐ and frequency domain analyses. These analyses investigate IBI fluctuations across relatively long time series. The similarity graph algorithm is a nonlinear method that analyzes segments of IBI time series (i.e., time windows)—possibly being more sensitive to transient and spontaneous IBI fluctuations. We hypothesized that the similarity graph algorithm would detect differences between Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and control groups. Resting electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were collected in 10–18‐year‐olds with ADHD (n = 37) and controls (n = 36). IBIs were converted to graphs that were subsequently investigated for similarity. We varied the criterion for defining IBIs as similar, assessing which setting best distinguished ADHD and control groups. Using this setting, we applied the similarity graph algorithm to time windows of 2–5, 6–13 and 12–25 s, respectively. We also performed traditional IBI analyses. Independent samples t tests assessed group differences. Results showed that a 1.5% criterion of similarity and a time window of 2–5 s best distinguished adolescents with ADHD and controls. The similarity graph algorithm showed a higher number of edges, maximum edges and cliques, and lower edges10+10/edges2+2 in the ADHD group compared to controls. The results suggested more similar IBIs in the ADHD group compared to the controls, possibly due to altered vagal activity and less effective regulation of heart rate. Traditional analyses did not detect any group differences. Consequently, the similarity graph algorithm might complement traditional IBI analyses as a marker of psychopathology.
Tonic pain reduces autonomic responses and EEG functional connectivity elicited by affective stimuli
Authors: Alba Guzmán , Vila Jaime , Miranda José G. V. , Montoya Pedro , Muñoz Miguel A.
Published: February 2022

Most pain studies have focused on only two aspects of pain: the influence of pain on attentional processing and the modulation of pain perception by affective stimuli. However, the influence of tonic pain on the attentional processing of affective stimuli has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the effects of tonic pain on the attentional processing of affective stimuli, focusing on autonomic responses and their relationship with both EEG power and functional connectivity. Forty participants (20 men and 20 women) received tonically painful and nonpainful thermal stimulation while viewing blocks of pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral images. The galvanic skin conductance response (SCR), electrocardiographic activity, and electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in the delta and theta bands were recorded. Participants rated the unpleasantness of the pain at the end of each block. Typical affective SCR and heart rate (HR) patterns were found in the no‐pain condition, but when the pain was delivered, these patterns disappeared. EEG power and functional connectivity results showed that tonic pain affected the delta band in the central region during pleasant and unpleasant image blocks. Our findings suggest that tonic pain captured attentional focus and reduced the cognitive resources available for processing affective stimuli, altering the emotional experience associated with pain.
Spatial analysis of socio‐economic factors and their relationship with the cases of COVID‐19 in Pernambuco, Brazil
Authors: da Silva Carlos Fabricio Assunção , Silva Mayara Costa , dos Santos Alex Mota , Rudke Anderson Paulo , do Bonfim Cristine Vieira , Portis Gabriela Tobias , de Almeida Junior Pedro Monteiro , Coutinho Maria Beatriz de Santana
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To analyse the spatial distribution of rates of COVID‐19 cases and its association with socio‐economic conditions in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

Methods

Autocorrelation (Moran index) and spatial association (Geographically weighted regression) models were used to explain the interrelationships between municipalities and the possible effects of socio‐economic factors on rates.

Results

Two isolated clusters were revealed in the inner part of the state in sparsely inhabited municipalities. The spatial model (Geographically Weighted Regression) was able to explain 50% of the variations in COVID‐19 cases. The variables proportion of people with low income, percentage of rented homes, percentage of families in social programs, Gini index and running water had the greatest explanatory power for the increase in infection by COVID‐19.

Conclusions

Our results provide important information on socio‐economic factors related to the spread of COVID‐19 and can serve as a basis for decision‐making in similar circumstances.
The US military's malaria research in Kenya and the geopolitics of global health
Authors: McCormack Killian
Published: February 2022

The US Army Medical Research Directorate – Africa, also known as the “Walter Reed Project,” is at the forefront of the US military's malaria research and surveillance practices. Since its establishment in Kenya in 1970, the Walter Reed Project's research capacity and infrastructure has significantly expanded, now placing it in a civilian‐led global health network. In this paper, I trace the development of the Walter Reed Project's malaria research and surveillance practices in Kenya from 1970 to today. I explore the geopolitical logics driving the Walter Reed Project's development, its growing infrastructure in Kenya, and its changing relationships with civilian institutes and global health networks. In doing so, I demonstrate the intersections between geopolitics and global health the Walter Reed Project reveals. The paper demonstrates how the Walter Reed Project brings geopolitical logics to bear on its collaborative global health research practices; how it reveals an often overlooked position of state power and geopolitics in mainstream global health networks; and how its health intervention sites in Kenya are points in a geopolitical topography of war‐making, connected to geographies of militarism, empire, and violence in disparate spaces. The paper reveals the attachments to war that underpin the military's global health engagement practices and that permeate mainstream global health networks and sites of health intervention.