bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dental caries and associated factors among Chinese children and adolescents
Authors: Huang Zhenxian , Su Meixuan , Wang Qiaojing , Li Wenjie , Jiang Haimin
Published: May 2021

Background:

Dental caries is a common disease under the action of many factors. Dental caries may occur in all age groups, among which children and adolescents are at high risk of dental caries. Early identification of the risk factors of dental caries is very important for clinical staff to prevent and intervene as soon as possible and reduce the incidence of dental caries. Although Chinese scholars have studied and summarized the risk factors of dental caries in children and adolescents, the conclusions are different. Therefore, in this study, meta-analysis was used to summarize the risk factors of dental caries in Chinese children and adolescents, and to explore the characteristics of high-risk groups of dental caries, so as to provide reference for early detection and prevention of dental caries.

Methods:

Medical specialty databases like PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang Database were consistently and exhaustively searched. According to the method of evidence-based medicine, the inclusion and exclusion criteria were established, and the meta-analysis of all eligible research results was carried out by using Review Manager 5.3 software.

Results:

We will disseminate the findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis via publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Conclusions:

Our study was carried out to estimate the pooled prevalence of dental caries and its associated factors among Chinese children and adolescents.

OSF Registration Number:

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/RA9D6.
Exploitation of sulfated glycosaminoglycan status for precision medicine of platinums in triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Hampton James D. , Peterson Erica J. , Katner Samantha J. , H.Turner Tia , Alzubi Mohammad A. , Harrell J. Chuck , Dozmorov Mikhail G. , Gigliotti Pam J. , Kraskauskiene Vita , Shende Mayuri , Idowu Michael O. , Puchalapalli Madhavi , Hu Bin , Litovchick Larisa , Katsuta Eriko , Takabe Kazuaki , Farrell Nicholas P. , Koblinski Jennifer E.
Published: May 2021

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer lacking targetable biomarkers. TNBC is known to be most aggressive, and when metastatic is often drug resistant and uncurable. Biomarkers predicting response to therapy improve treatment decisions and allow personalized approaches for TNBC patients. This study explores sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) levels as a predictor of TNBC response to platinum therapy. sGAG levels were quantified in three distinct TNBC tumor models including cell line-derived, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors, and isogenic models deficient in sGAG biosynthesis. Thein vivoantitumor efficacy of Triplatin, a sGAG-directed platinum agent, was compared in these models to the clinical platinum agent, carboplatin. We determined that >40% of TNBC PDX tissue microarray samples have high levels of sGAGs. Thein vivoaccumulation of Triplatin in tumors as well as antitumor efficacy of Triplatin positively correlated with sGAG levels on tumor cells, whereas carboplatin followed the opposite trend. In carboplatin-resistant tumor models expressing high levels of sGAGs, Triplatin decreased primary tumor growth, reduced lung metastases and inhibited metastatic growth in lungs, liver, and ovaries. sGAG levels served as a predictor of Triplatin sensitivity in TNBC. Triplatin may be particularly beneficial in treating patients with chemotherapy-resistant tumors who have evidence of residual disease after standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy. More effective neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment will likely improve clinical outcome of TNBC.

Significance

TNBC is a heterogenous disease, often defined by the absence of a therapeutic target. Our recent results show sGAGs may provide a viable biomarker for Triplatin in patients with TNBC, producing a significant advantage over carboplatin in this setting. Selective precision medicine agents, such as Triplatin, that are active against chemotherapy-resistant disease and exploit molecular biomarkers like sGAGs may significantly benefit patients in this setting.
Designing Novel and Potent Inhibitors for Multi Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: A Computational Approach
Authors: Idrees Muhammad , Ahmad Bashir , Israr Muhammad , Waqas Muhammad , Mukarram Shah Syed Muhammad , Khattak Aishma , Khan Saad Ahmad
Published: May 2021

Tuberculosis is a major global health problem and is still among the top 10 causes of death. The increasing rate of drug resistance to infectious agents has provoked an urgent need to discover novel anti-tuberculosis agents with novel modes of action. In this study, small molecule inhibitors of the proteins encoded by the drug resistant genes, i.e., katG, gyrA, pncA and rpoB of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), were identified using computational methods. In the ligand base pharmacophore, an already reported four ligands for the four proteins encoded by the resistant genes of M. tuberculosis were selected for the generation of pharmacophores. The validated pharmacophores model of all the four proteins, generated on the basis of ligand base, were selected for further screening of ZINC drug like database. As screening results 486 structurally diverse hits for katG, 542 for PncA, 112 for rpoB and 365 for gyrA were mapped and filtered via Lipinski’s rule of five. Finally, on the basis of docking score and binding interactions, ten small molecules were selected for each protein as novel inhibitors. These selected novel inhibitors have significant interaction with the active site of the protein and a strong possibility to act as an additional starting opinion in the development of new and potential inhibitors. The result indicates that novel inhibitors could be a promising lead compound and be effective in treating sensitive as well as multi drug resistant tuberculosis.
Vascular tropism models of blood-borne microbial dissemination
Authors: Boczula Anna E. , Ly Amy , Ebady Rhodaba , Cho Janet , Anjum Zoha , Zlotnikov Nataliya , Persson Henrik , Odisho Tanya , Simmons Craig A. , Moriarty Tara J.
Published: May 2021

Similar to circulating tumour and immune cells, many blood-borne microbes preferentially “home” to specific vascular sites and tissues during hematogenous dissemination1–5. For many pathogens, the “postal codes” and mechanisms responsible for tissue-specific vascular tropism are unknown and have been challenging to unravel. Members of the Lyme diseaseBorreliella burgdorferispecies complex infect a broad range of mammalian tissues and exhibit complex strain-, species- and host-specific tissue tropism patterns. Intravenous perfusion experiments and intravital microscopy studies suggest that heterogeneous tissue tropism properties may depend on tissue-specific differences in host and microbial molecules supporting vascular interaction and extravasation. However, interpreting these studies can be complicated because of the immune-protective moonlighting (multitasking) properties of manyB. burgdorferiadhesins. Here, we investigated whetherB. burgdorferivascular interaction properties measured by live cell imaging and particle tracking in aorta, bladder, brain, joint and skin microvascular flow chamber models predict strain- and tissue-specific dissemination patternsin vivoThese studies identified strain- and endothelial cell type-specific interaction properties that accurately predictedin vivodissemination ofB. burgdorferito bladder, brain, joint and skin but not aorta, and indicated that dissemination mechanisms in all of these tissues are distinct. Thus, the ability to interact with vascular surfaces under physiological shear stress is a key determinant of tissue-specific tropism for Lyme disease bacteria. The methods and model systems reported here will be invaluable for identifying and characterizing the diverse, largely undefined molecules and mechanisms supporting dissemination of Lyme disease bacteria. These methods and models may be useful for studying tissue tropism and vascular dissemination mechanisms of other blood-borne microbes.
ProLung™-budesonideInhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Reduces Lung Inflammation
Authors: Konduri Kameswari S. , Pattisapu Ram , Pattisapu Jogi , Konduri Girija G. , Zwetchkenbaum John , Roy Bidhan , Barman Monalisa , Frazier Adria , Hurst Brett L. , Düzgüneş Nejat
Published: May 2021

Background

Inhaled budesonide benefits patients with COVID-19.ProLung™-budesonideenables the sustained, low dose administration of budesonide within a delivery vehicle similar to lung surfactant.ProLung™-budesonidemay offer anti-inflammatory and protective effects to the lung in COVID-19, yet it’s effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication is unknown.

Objective

To determine the efficacy ofProLung™-budesonideagainst SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, evaluate its ability to decrease inflammation, and airway hyperresponsiveness in an animal model of lung inflammation.

Methods

SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero 76 cells were treated withProLung™-budesonide([0.03– 100 μg/ml]) for 3 days, and virus yield in the supernatant was measured. Ovalbumin-sensitized C57BL/6 mice received aerosolized (a)ProLung™-budesonideweekly, (b) only budesonide, either daily or weekly, or (c) weekly emptyProLung™-carrier(without budesonide). All treatment groups were compared to sensitized untreated, or normal mice using histopathologic examination, electron microscopy (EM), airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to Methacholine (Mch) challenge, and eosinophil peroxidase activity (EPO) measurements in bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL).

Results

ProLung™-budesonideshowed significant inhibition on viral replication of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells with the selectivity index (SI) value > 24. WeeklyProLung™-budesonideand daily budesonide therapy significantly decreased lung inflammation and EPO in BAL.ProLung™-budesonidelocalized in type II pneumocytes, and was the only group to significantly decrease AHR, and EPO in BAL with Mch challenge

Conclusions

ProLung™-budesonidesignificantly inhibited viral replication in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. It localized into type II pneumocytes, decreased lung inflammation, AHR and EPO activity with Mch challenge. This novel drug formulation may offer a potential inhalational treatment for COVID-19.
SAMase of bacteriophage T3 inactivatesE. coli’smethionine S-adenosyltransferase by forming hetero-polymers
Authors: Simon-Baram Hadas , Kleiner Daniel , Shmulevich Fannia , Zarivach Raz , Zalk Ran , Tang Huayuan , Ding Feng , Bershtein Shimon
Published: May 2021

S-adenosylmethionine lyase (SAMase) of bacteriophage T3 degrades the intracellular SAM pools of the hostE. colicells, thus inactivating a crucial metabolite involved in plethora of cellular functions, including DNA methylation. SAMase is the first viral protein expressed upon infection and its activity prevents methylation of the T3 genome. Maintenance of the phage genome in a fully unmethylated state has a profound effect on the infection strategy — it allows T3 to shift from a lytic infection under normal growth conditions to a transient lysogenic infection under glucose starvation. Using single-particle Cryo-EM and biochemical assays, we demonstrate that SAMase performs its function by not only degrading SAM, but also by interacting with and efficiently inhibiting the host’s methionine S-adenosyltransferase (MAT) — the enzyme that produces SAM. Specifically, SAMase triggers open-ended head-to-tail assembly ofE. coliMAT into an unusual linear filamentous structure in which adjacent MAT tetramers are joined together by two SAMase dimers. Molecular dynamics simulations together with normal mode analyses suggest that the entrapment of MAT tetramers within filaments leads to an allosteric inhibition of MAT activity due to a shift to low-frequency high-amplitude active site-deforming modes. The amplification of uncorrelated motions between active site residues weakens MAT’s ability to withhold substrates, explaining the observed loss of function. We propose that the dual function of SAMase as an enzyme that degrades SAM and as an inhibitor of MAT activity has emerged to achieve an efficient depletion of the intracellular SAM pools.

IMPORTANCE

Self-assembly of enzymes into filamentous structures in response to specific metabolic cues has recently emerged as a widespread strategy of metabolic regulation. In many instances filamentation of metabolic enzymes occurs in response to starvation and leads to functional inactivation. Here, we report that bacteriophage T3 modulates the metabolism of the hostE. colicells by recruiting a similar strategy — silencing a central metabolic enzyme by subjecting it to phage-mediated polymerization. This observation points to an intriguing possibility that virus-induced polymerization of the host metabolic enzymes might be a common mechanism implemented by viruses to metabolically reprogram and subdue infected cells.
The ecological consequences and evolution of retron-mediated suicide as a way to protectEscherichia colifrom being killed by phage
Authors: Berryhill Brandon A. , Garcia Rodrigo , Manuel Joshua A. , Levin Bruce R.
Published: May 2021

Retron were described in 1984 as DNA sequences that code for a reverse transcriptase and a unique single-stranded DNA/RNA hybrid called multicopy single-stranded DNA (msDNA). It would not be until 2020 that a function was shown for retrons, when compelling evidence was presented that retrons activate an abortive infection pathway in response to bacteriophage (phage) infection. When infected with the virulent mutant of the phage lambda, λVIR, and to a lesser extent, other phages, a retron designated Ec48 is activated, theEscherichia colibearing this element dies, and the infecting phage is lost. With the aid of a mathematical model, we explore thea prioriconditions under which retrons will protect bacterial populations from predation by phage and the conditions under which retron-bearing bacteria will evolve in populations without this element. UsingE. coliwith and without Ec48 and lVIR, we estimated the parameters of our model and tested the hypotheses generated from our analysis of its properties. Our models and experiments demonstrate that cells expressing a retron-mediated abortive infection system can protect bacterial populations. Our results demonstrate that retron bearing bacteria only have a competitive advantage under a limited set of conditions.
Proteomic traits vary across taxa in a coastal Antarctic phytoplankton bloom
Authors: McCain J. Scott P. , Allen Andrew E. , Bertrand Erin M.
Published: May 2021

Production and use of proteins is under strong selection in microbes, but it’s unclear how proteome-level traits relate to ecological strategies. We identified and quantified proteomic traits of eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes through an Antarctic phytoplankton bloom using in situ metaproteomics. To do this, we first used simulations, cultures, and bioinformatic methods to rigorously assess our inferences about various proteomic traits and use these assessments to provide several practical recommendations for researchers using metaproteomics. Different taxa, rather than different environmental conditions, formed distinct clusters based on their ribosomal and photosynthetic proteomic proportions, and we propose that these characteristics relate to ecological differences. We defined and used a proteomic proxy for regulatory cost, which showed that SAR11 had the lowest regulatory cost of any taxa we observed at our summertime Southern Ocean study site. Haptophytes had lower regulatory cost than diatoms, which may underpin haptophyte-to-diatom bloom progression in the Ross Sea. Using metaproteomics, we have quantified several proteomic traits (ribosomal and photosynthetic proteomic proportions, regulatory cost) in eukaryotic and prokaryotic taxa, which can then be incorporated into trait-based models of microbial communities that reflect resource allocation strategies.
Genetic, Genomic and Biophysical Case Study: Familial 46, XY Sex Reversal due to a Novel Inherited Mutation in Human Testis-Determining Factor SRY
Authors: Vaiani Elisa , Chen Yen-Shan , Ramirez Pablo , Racca Joseph , Baquedano Maria Sonia , Malosetti Carmen , Touzon Maria Sol , Marino Roxana , Costanzo Mariana , Bailez Marcela , Berensztein Esperanza , Galluzzo-Mutti Maria Laura , Chatterjee Deepak , Yang Yanwu , Belgorosky Alicia , Weiss Michael A.
Published: May 2021

Objective

To describe the clinical, histopathological and molecular features of a novel inheritedSRYallele (p.Met64Val; consensus box position 9) observed within an extensive pedigree: two 46, XY sisters with primary amenorrhea (16 and 14 years of age; probands P1 and P2), their normal father and brother, and an affected paternal XY grandaunt.

Design, Setting, Participants and Outcome Measurements

Following DNA sequencing to identify the SRY mutation, hormonal studies of the probands and histopathological examination of their gonads were performed. Functional consequences of p.Met64Val (and other mutations at this site) were also investigated.

Results

Breast development in P1 and P2 was Tanner II and IV, respectively. Müllerian structures and gonads resembling ovaries were found in each sister. Histopathology revealed gonadal dysgenesis, gonadablastoma and dysgerminoma. AMH/MIS, P450 SCC, and P450 aromatase were expressed in gonadoblastoma tissues. Genomic sequencing revealed no candidate mutations in other genes related to sexual differentiation. Variant p.Met64Val impairedSox9transcriptional activation associated with attenuated occupancy of the testis-specific enhancersEnh13andTESCO. Biophysical studies indicated that the mutant HMG box retains specific DNA binding and DNA bending but with accelerated rate of protein-DNA dissociation.

Conclusion

The partial biological activity of p.Met64Val SRY, maintained at the threshold of SRY function, rationalizes opposing paternal and proband phenotypes (the “the father-daughter paradox”). Steroidal biosynthesis by gonadoblastoma may delay genetic diagnosis and recognition of gonadal tumors. Quantitative assessment of inherited SRY alleles highlights the tenuous transcriptional threshold of developmental decision-making in the bipotential gonadal ridge.
The Effect of Minnelide against SARS-CoV-2 in a Murine Model
Authors: Caballero Van Dyke Marley C. , Mead Heather L. , Bryant Mitchell , Laux Klaire L. , Kollath Daniel R. , Coyne Vanessa K. , Miller Karis J. , Stone Nathan E. , Jaramillo Sierra A. , Keim Paul , Milikowski Clara , Gupta Vineet K. , Vickers Selwyn M. , Saluja Ashok K. , Velagapudi Mohana R. , Barker Bridget M.
Published: May 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. Even as more vaccine candidates are released, more treatment options are critically needed. Here, we investigated the use of Minnelide, a water soluble pro-drug with anti-inflammatory properties, for the treatment of COVID-19. To do this, k18-hACE2 mice were infected with SARS-CoV-2 or given PBS control intranasally. The next day mice were either treated daily with low dose (0.0025mg/day) or high dose Minnelide (0.005mg/day), or given vehicle control intraperitoneal. Mice were weighed daily, and sacrificed at day 6 and 10 post-infection to analyze viral burden, cytokine response, and pathology. We observed a reduction in viral load in the lungs of Minnelide-treated mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 at day 10 post-infection compared to day 6 post-infection. All SARS-CoV-2 infected non-treated mice were moribund six days post-infection while treatment with Minnelide extended survival for both low (60% survival) and high (100% survival) dose treated mice ten days post-infection. Interestingly, cytokine analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in IL-6 (lung and heart) and D-dimer (serum) in high dose treated SARS-CoV-2 infected mice compared to mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 alone at day 6 post-infection. Additionally, histology analysis revealed that Minnelide treatment significantly improved lung pathology ten days post-infection with SARS-CoV-2 with all the mice exhibiting normal lung tissue with thin alveolar septa and no inflammatory cells. Overall, our study exhibits potential for the use of Minnelide to improve survival in COVID-19 patients.
Optimizing network neuroscience computation of individual differences in human spontaneous brain activity for test-retest reliability
Authors: Jiang Chao , He Ye , Betzel Richard F. , Wang Yin-Shan , Xing Xiu-Xia , Zuo Xi-Nian
Published: May 2021

A rapidly emerging application of network neuroscience in neuroimaging studies has provided useful tools to understand individual differences in intrinsic brain function by mapping spontaneous brain activity, namely intrinsic functional network neuroscience (ifNN). However, the variability of methodologies applied across the ifNN studies - with respect to node definition, edge construction, and graph measurements-makes it difficult to directly compare findings and also challenging for end users to select the optimal strategies for mapping individual differences in brain networks. Here, we aim to provide a benchmark for best ifNN practices by systematically comparing the measurement reliability of individual differences under different ifNN analytical strategies using the test-retest design of the Human Connectome Project. The results uncovered four essential principles to guide ifNN studies: 1) use a whole brain parcellation to define network nodes, including subcortical and cerebellar regions, 2) construct functional networks using spontaneous brain activity in multiple slow bands, 3) optimize topological economy of networks at individual level, 4) characterise information flow with specific metrics of integration and segregation. We built an interactive online resource of reliability assessments for future ifNN (ibraindata.com/research/ifNN).

AUTHOR SUMMARY

It is an essential mission for neuroscience to understand the individual differences in brain function. Graph or network theory offer novel methods of network neuroscience to address such a challenge. This article documents optimal strategies on the test-retest reliability of measuring individual differences in intrinsic brain networks of spontaneous activity. The analytical pipelines are identified to optimize for highly reliable, individualized network measurements. These pipelines optimize network metrics for high inter-individual variances and low inner-individual variances by defining network nodes with whole-brain parcellations, deriving the connectivity with spontaneous high-frequency slow-band oscillations, constructing brain graphs with topology-based methods for edge filtering, and favoring multi-level or multi-modal metrics. These psychometric findings are critical for translating the functional network neuroscience into clinical or other personalized practices requiring neuroimaging markers.
Critical point equation on almost f-cosymplectic manifolds
Authors: Kumara H. Aruna , Venkatesha V. , Naik Devaraja Mallesha
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Besse first conjectured that the solution of the critical point equation (CPE) must be Einstein. The CPE conjecture on some other types of Riemannian manifolds, for instance, odd-dimensional Riemannian manifolds has considered by many geometers. Hence, it deserves special attention to consider the CPE on a certain class of almost contact metric manifolds. In this direction, the authors considered CPE on almost f-cosymplectic manifolds.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper opted the tensor calculus on manifolds to find the solution of the CPE.

Findings

In this paper, in particular, the authors obtained that a connected f-cosymplectic manifold satisfying CPE with \lambda=\tilde{f} is Einstein. Next, the authors find that a three dimensional almost f-cosymplectic manifold satisfying the CPE is either Einstein or its scalar curvature vanishes identically if its Ricci tensor is pseudo anti‐commuting.

Originality/value

The paper proved that the CPE conjecture is true for almost f-cosymplectic manifolds.
Management and maintenance of research data by researchers in Zimbabwe
Authors: Chigwada Josiline Phiri
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The concept of research data management (RDM) is new in Zimbabwe and other developing countries. Research institutions are developing research data repositories and promoting the archiving of research data. As a way of creating awareness to researchers on RDM, the purpose of this paper is to determine how researchers are managing their research data and whether they are aware of the developments that are taking place in RDM.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey using a mixed method approach was done and an online questionnaire was administered to 100 researchers in thirty research institutions in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was done by choosing participants from the authors of articles published in journals indexed by Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science. Interviews were done with five top researchers. The data was analysed using NVIVO. The results were presented thematically. The questionnaire was distributed using the research offices of the selected 30 research institutions. There was a 75% response rate.

Findings

The findings indicated that all the researchers are aware of the traditional way of managing research data. A total of 70% of the respondents are not aware of the current trends in RDM services, as they are keeping their data on machines and external hard drives, while 97.3% perceive RDM services as useful, as it is now a requirement when applying for research grants. Librarians have a bigger role to play in creating awareness on RDM among researchers and hosting the data repositories for archiving research data.

Practical implications

Research institutions can invest in research data services and develop data repositories. Librarians will participate in educating researchers to come up with data management plans before they embark on a research project. This study also helps to showcase the strategies that can be used in awareness creation campaigns. The findings can also be used in teaching RDM in library schools and influence public policy both at institutional and national level.

Social implications

This study will assist in building capacity among stakeholders about RDM. Based on the findings, research institutions should prioritise research data services to develop skills and knowledge among librarians and researchers.

Originality/value

Few researches on RDM practices in Zimbabwe were done previously. Most of the papers that were published document the perception of librarians towards RDM, but this study focused mainly on researchers’ awareness and perception. The subject is still new and people are beginning to research on it and create awareness amongst the stakeholders in Zimbabwe.
A bibliometric analysis of CSR in the banking industry: a decade study based on Scopus scientific mapping
Authors: Zainuldin Mohd Haniff , Lui Tze Kiat
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study bibliometrically describes and depicts the intellectual structure and knowledge progress of CSR studies in the banking industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Bibliometric analysis is used to quantitatively examine the bibliographic data that gathered from Scopus database. The evaluative and relational techniques are employed to produce the findings and mappings for research themes, impact and directions, as well as collaboration trends. A topical classification is also included to review the results of different types of analysis.

Findings

This study discusses how the CSR literature in the banking industry has evolved between 2009 and 2019. The publications increase significantly from 2015 to 2019 and the top journals, authors, affiliations and countries are identified. Stakeholder, disclosure, financial performance, Islamic banks, corporate governance and international banks are among the popular research and collaboration trends found in the extant literature. Reflecting on the arguments in the previous literature, several key research gaps and further suggestions are acknowledged for future studies.

Research limitations/implications

The bibliographic data used in this study bounds to Scopus database and the methodology itself suffers a few limitations, which integration of other methodologies will be worthwhile to unearth the field beyond the current discovery.

Practical implications

This study is beneficial to potential researchers, scientific journal editors, and bankers to understand the current research progression and evolution within CSR field in the banking sector.

Originality/value

Compared to the existing bibliometric literature, this study is among the pioneer wide-ranging bibliometrics study covering co-word, citation, bibliographic coupling, co-authorship and co-citation for CSR research in the banking sector.
Strategic priorities and competitiveness of businesses operating in different entrepreneurial ecosystems: a benefit of the doubt (BOD) analysis
Authors: Lafuente Esteban , Alonso-Ubieta Suyen , Leiva Juan Carlos , Mora-Esquivel Ronald
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study evaluates the relationship between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and business competitiveness in four different contexts (i.e. France, Spain, Hungary and Costa Rica).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a sample of 348 manufacturing and knowledge-intensive business service firms operating in four countries with different entrepreneurial ecosystems (France, Spain, Costa Rica and Hungary) for 2019. Firm competitiveness is computed via the “benefit-of-the-doubt” (BOD) method, and a multilevel model is employed to assess the connection between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and firm competitiveness.

Findings

The results of the multilevel model indicate that the entrepreneurial ecosystem is related to firm competitiveness, while the BOD results suggest that firms operating in settings with a more consolidated entrepreneurial ecosystem are better able to realize the outcomes of strategic choices linked to the exploitation of key resources and capabilities. Country-specific results suggest that “human capital” is the most relevant competitive pillar prioritized by all sampled businesses.

Originality/value

The proposed analysis of the connection between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and business competitiveness in different contexts contributes to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem frame by offering insights into how the properties of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (i.e. interactions among individuals, organizations and institutions) can produce economically meaningful effects on business performance.
Usability and responsiveness of artificial intelligence chatbot on online customer experience in e-retailing
Authors: Chen Ja-Shen , Le Tran-Thien-Y , Florence Devina
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The rapid evolution in artificial intelligence (AI) has redefined the customer experience and created huge opportunities for companies to interact with customers using chatbots. This study explores the role of AI chatbots in influencing the online customer experience and customer satisfaction in e-retailing.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model based on the technology acceptance model and information system success model is proposed to describe the interrelationships among chatbot adoption, online customer experience and customer satisfaction. Personality is a moderator in the model. The authors used a quantitative approach to collect 425 useable online questionnaires and Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) and SmartPLS to analyze the measurement model and proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The usability of the chatbot had a positive influence on extrinsic values of customer experience, whereas the responsiveness of the chatbot had a positive impact on intrinsic values of customer experience. Furthermore, online customer experience had a positive relationship with customer satisfaction, and personality influenced the relationship between the usability of the chatbot and extrinsic values of customer experience.

Originality/value

This research extends understanding of the online customer experience with chatbots in e-retailing and provides empirical evidence by showing that extrinsic and intrinsic values of online customer experience are enhanced by chatbot adoption.
Lubrication performance analysis of multi-groove sleeve bearing considering journal misalignment
Authors: Wang Lili , He Mengxue , Wang Min , Wei Yuliang
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Under the influence of loading, manufacturing, installation and other factors, the axis of sleeve bearing and journal will not be aligned, which will have a great impact on running stability and life of bearing. The existence of oil groove can effectively improve the life of sleeve bearing and working efficiency. The lubrication performance of two and three grooves sleeve bearing considering journal misalignment is analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

To solve the difference of discontinuous position of oil film thickness, it is necessary to use the flow balance relationship in the finite control space, and oil film thickness equation of multi-groove sleeve bearing considering journal misalignment is gained.

Findings

The friction and bearing capacity of journal bearing with oil groove increase with the increase of journal inclination angle. At the same journal inclination angle, the bearing capacity of two-axial groove journal bearing is larger than that of three-axial groove journal bearing, but the friction of two-axial groove journal bearing shows the trend of the first bigger and then smaller than that of three-axial groove journal bearing.

Originality/value

The research has great significance to optimize bearing lubrication performance and increase bearing working life.
Developing a novel index to evaluate labour chapters in trade agreements: Canada’s ambition–enforceability compromise
Authors: Williams Hanna , Lilly Meredith B.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Lack of progress advancing labour provisions in multilateral trade instruments has led some countries to develop their own labour chapters in bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements. This study aims to track the evolution of 25 years of labour chapters in Canadian trade agreements.

Design/methodology/approach

Modelled on Hoekman (1995), the authors present a novel index using the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) core labour standards to compare and evaluate ambition and enforcement in Canada’s labour chapters.

Findings

The quality of Canada’s labour chapters has steadily improved from 1994 to 2020, with scores rising from 46 to 91 out of 100. In addition, Canada has used its negotiating leverage to encourage partners with weak labour regimes to make improvements. Yet, the highest quality chapters were achieved with trade partners similar to Canada, and those chapters have not pushed either party to improve their own domestic labour regimes. The authors discuss the limits of the ILO standards for addressing contemporary debates about labour and trade.

Originality/value

The authors’ assessment provides the first empirical evidence to demonstrate that Canada’s labour chapters have evolved over time, and that the origins of this evolution predate the Liberal government’s progressive trade agenda by several decades. The authors also suggest that Canada’s “middle road” compromise on ambition versus enforceability may increase the relevance of the index for research on other middle powers and potentially countries in the global south.
Justice and development: the transnational bride trafficking from Vietnam to China
Authors: Nguyen Hung
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an overview of transnational bride trafficking from Vietnam to China, enriching the human trafficking literature with the Vietnamese perspective. It proposes to analyze this bride trade in the developmental context and outline how the supplies and demands for brides root in socio-economical-legal forces such as poverty, lack of law enforcement and culture. This study also brings to attention the involvement of organized crime and collusion of government officials as the main drivers of the trafficking activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper opts for an analytical study using published data, including newspaper reports, previous research studies and public records. The data were complemented by the analysis of the trafficking victim’s stories, descriptions of trafficking activities, copies of statistics and the examination of the legal framework that concerns human trafficking in China and Vietnam.

Findings

This paper provides empirical insights into how transnational bride trafficking is brought about. It suggests that while the vulnerability to trafficking stems primarily from developmental forces, the most crucial element that makes this transnational bride trafficking possible is the involvement of organized crime.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen research approach, this paper lacks originality in data, and some data might not be up-to-date because of the lack of sufficient interest.

Practical implications

This paper includes implications for developing a more nuanced understanding of transnational bride trafficking and the development of new policies that could remedy the issue.

Originality/value

Despite the fact that Vietnam is among countries most affected by human trafficking, there are only a few studies from the Vietnamese perspective. This paper fulfills the need to enrich the debate by providing an informative work on bride trafficking in Vietnam.
Properties of quenched and self-tempered reinforcing steel subjected to high temperature and different cooling conditions
Authors: Hager Izabela , Kańka Stanisław , Maślak Mariusz
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The study presents test results concerning the impact of high temperature and different cooling conditions on the mechanical properties of quenched and self-tempered reinforcing steel. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the extent of the history of the material’s temperature development profile, the course and the intensity of fire exposure and how cooling conditions determines its properties.

Design/methodology/approach

Each specimen series was heated to the temperatures of T = 200°C, 400°C, 600°C, 700°C, 800°C and 1,000 °C. The specimens were either slowly cooled down or subjected to rapid cooling with water quenching, which can be encountered during a firefighting operation. Additionally, stress–strain relationships, microhardness and structural observations were also performed.

Findings

The results of the presented experiments have shown that the steel bars previously heated in fire conditions were very sensitive to the cooling intensity. The test results from the steel specimens – that were heated and quenched with water – demonstrate an increase in tensile strength but a significant reduction in material plasticity.

Originality/value

The presented piece of work provides a contribution for fire safety engineering giving insight into the fire behaviour of reinforcing steel under fire conditions and subjected to rapid or slow cooling. This study has shown the threats arising from thermally induced changes in steel microstructure because of high-temperature exposure. It should also be noted that structure changes may have a local character and refer to steel rebars that are exposed because of fire spalling of concrete cover.
Engagement in an online library class: using extra credit activities to encourage student interaction
Authors: Foster Kimberly T.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Student engagement can be a difficult thing to nurture in an online, asynchronous course. This paper aims to try to encourage a student interaction in such a course, one that additionally is not a requirement for any major or general education plan, the author argues that using extra credit activities can increase student interaction and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Students were given the opportunity to complete extra credit activities of several different types for a small number of extra credit points, the total of which was 5% of the students’ grade in the course. Activities included solo activities, such as playing short online information literacy games and collaborative activities that included posting and responding in a discussion forum.

Findings

The results were disappointing; only 2 out of 17 students in the sample completed extra credit activities, and those that did so would have received high grades whether or not they completed extra credit. This may be due to the low number of extra credit points available per activity, lack of motivation and other issues. Further study on this topic could help resolve these issues.

Originality/value

While the results of this study were not what was hoped for, the results and methods may be useful for other instructors of online, for-credit library classes looking for new ways to engage with students.
Les jeux sont faits, rien ne va plus? Has the Tory Party Finally Chosen between Europe and America?
Authors: Bale Tim
Published: May 2021

When Andrew Gamble's Between Europe and America was published in 2003, the Conservative Party was in deep trouble—a victim, he claimed, of its own success under Margaret Thatcher in destroying ‘the post‐war compromise’ that had kept the United Kingdom together, allowed it to participate, albeit reluctantly, in European integration, and helped it cope with imperial and economic decline. Yet, getting on for two decades later, the party appears to have regained the hegemony that then looked lost. Moreover, by leading the country out of the EU, the Tories seem finally to have made the choice between the two relationships and the two models of political economy that, according to Gamble, they had long attempted, however uneasily, to reconcile. When we look more closely, however, at trade, at foreign and defence policy, and at the Johnson government's economic policies, it looks as if the Conservatives—for all that the majority of their MPs can be classified as Brexiteers, as Atlanticists, as neoliberals, and therefore as Thatcherites—continue to hope (not necessarily irrationally) that they can have their cake and eat it too.
Low life: William Hogarth, visual culture and sociologies of art
Authors: Carrabine Eamonn
Published: May 2021

This paper is an effort to understand Hogarth's unique position in early eighteenth century London, so as to grasp the rich complexity of his work. It begins by tracing two rival competing positions in the sociology of art, derived from Becker and Bourdieu, before taking a closer look at how Hogarth's work conjures up a new vision of the world, providing shape and meaning to the nation's changing understandings of morality, society, and the city. A fundamental transformation in the field of representation appears halfway through the eighteenth century and the interweaving of art theory, national identity, and systems of patronage are at the centre of this dynamic period. It is no accident that in Hogarth's world the main targets are those who seek to transgress their stations in life and cross class barriers. By combining two different sociological approaches to art the study builds a more nuanced picture of the artist and his work.
Voter responses to refugee arrivals: Effects of settlement policy
Authors: FINSERAAS HENNING , STRØM MARTE
Published: May 2021

In this paper we leverage a sudden shift in refugee settlement policy to study the electoral consequences of refugee settlements. After the 2013 Norwegian parliamentary election, the newly elected right‐wing government made a concerted effort to spread newly arrived immigrants across the country, with the consequence that some municipalities with limited experience in settling refugees accepted to do so. We propose that such policy changes have political consequences, increasing the salience of immigration issues and shifting voters’ preferences to the right. We further propose that successful refugee integration can move (parts of) the electorate to the left, with stronger political polarization as a possible effect of the policy change. Applying difference‐in‐differences techniques, we find no evidence of unidirectional shifts in voter sentiments, but support for the hypothesis of stronger political polarization.
Time discounting and implications for Chinese farmer responses to an upward trend in precipitation
Authors: Ding Yihong , Balcombe Kelvin , Robinson Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

This paper studies Chinese grape growers’ time discounting and its implications for the adoption of technology that can reduce the negative effects of increasing precipitation. Using primary data collected in Xinjiang Province, we undertook a contingent valuation of rain covers that protect fruit from rain and estimated a discounted utility model using these data. Using a hierarchical Bayesian approach, we find that local grape growers discount the future very heavily, with a discount rate of 0.17 per year, which is almost four times higher than the Chinese market interest rate. Farmers also tend to underestimate the benefits of adopting covers, with their purchase decisions appearing to largely depend on their past actual losses rather than future anticipated losses. These findings have broader implications for policies promoting proactive adaptation in response to likely increased rainfall in the region. Targeting farmers who give lower weight to events far off in the future and understanding that many farmers may tend only to make adoption decisions that have strong short‐term benefits could improve the efficacy of climate policies that target agricultural technologies.
Fentanyl‐related substance scheduling as an effective drug control strategy
Authors: Weedn Victor W. , Elizabeth Zaney Mary , McCord Bruce , Lurie Ira , Baker Andrew
Published: May 2021

Fentanyl is now the primary driver of the current opioid crisis. Fentanyl and its analogues are subject to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the Controlled Substances Analogue Enforcement Act of 1986 (Federal Analogue Act), state laws, international treaties, and the laws of foreign countries. The appearance of novel psychoactive substances led to further legislative developments in scheduling. New fentanyl analogues proliferated in a manner previously unseen since about 2016. Overdose deaths of these fentanyl analogues prompted the Drug Enforcement Administration to reactively emergency schedule each new fentanyl analogue as it appeared. The international community also acted. Finally, on February 6, 2018, a proactive temporary (emergency) class‐wide scheduling of fentanyl‐related substances was implemented based upon the fentanyl core structure to save lives. This action spurred a similar action in China. Fentanyl analogues fell dramatically in the marketplace, despite further increases in fentanyl itself. Congress temporarily extended this scheduling, but it will soon expire. Opposition to permanent class‐wide was lodged due to concerns over law enforcement overreach, inadequate Health and Human Services input, and hindrance of research. This paper reaffirms the importance of a class‐based scheduling strategy while also arguing for increased research of schedule I controlled substances.