bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Data dissemination for green-VANETs communication: an opportunistic optimization approach
Authors: D. Chandramohan , Dumka Ankur , V. Dhilipkumar , Loganathan Jayakumar
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to predict the traffic and helps to find a solution. Unpredictable traffic leads more vehicles on the road. The result of which is one of the factors that aggravate traffic congestion. Traffic congestion occurs when the available transport resources are less when compared to the number of vehicles that share the resource. As the number of vehicles increases the resources become scarce and congestion is more.

Design/methodology/approach

The population of the urban areas keeps increasing as the people move toward the cities in search of jobs and a better lifestyle. This leads to an increase in the number of vehicles on the road. However, the transport network, which is accessible to the citizens is less when compared to their demand.

Findings

The demand for resources is higher than the actual capacity of the roads and the streets. There are some circumstances, which will aggravate traffic congestion. The circumstances can be the road condition (pot holes and road repair), accidents and some natural calamities.

Originality/value

There is a lot of research being done to predict the traffic and model it to find a solution, which will make the condition better. However, still, it is an open issue. The accuracy of the predictions done is less.
Market microstructure: a comparative study of Bombay stock exchange and national stock exchange
Authors: Goel Anshi , Tripathi Vanita , Agarwal Megha
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The present study seeks to investigate the relative edge between the market microstructure of the two leading stock exchanges of the Indian capital market, that is BSE and NSE with a focus on analysing their trading mechanism, efficiency, liquidity and volatility.

Design/methodology/approach

We analyse the microstructure of BSE and NSE on the basis of: (1) trading mechanism – ownership structure, listing of securities, trading system and settlement and clearing process; (2) information efficiency using unit root test, serial correlation, runs test, variance ratio and the ARIMA model; (3) liquidity using trading statistics no. of listed Companies, market capitalisation, no. of trades etc. and (4) volatility using standard deviation and GARCH(1,1) model.

Findings

A comprehensive scrutiny on microstructure of BSE and NSE makes it evident that the two leading stock exchanges of India are mostly similar and leave no scope to choose between them. Both the exchanges are demutualised corporate entities with a fully automated trading system in an order-driven market, informationally inefficient as evidenced by the predictability of returns, have shown tremendously growing trading statistics and by and large a declining trend in volatility over the years.

Practical implications

Understanding the components of the microstructure black-box will provide the regulatory bodies with an intellectual framework to strengthen the market architecture. Both the exchanges will get aware of the dynamics of trading, can grow to be more competitive and attract more firms for listing and investors for trading of securities. Also, investors, portfolio managers and equity analysts will be able to make better investment strategies by understanding how the market works.

Originality/value

Research in the area of market microstructure has been severely neglected, especially in the context of the Indian market. India is the world's fastest growing economies and we have witnessed tremendous reforms in the capital market. The past two and a half decades have brought about several innovations via demutualisation, screen-based trading, emergence of clearing corporations, innovative financial products and intense use of IT in the Indian stock market. A spurt of reforms and the emerging environment make it crucial to deeply analyse the market structure and design of two premier stock exchanges of India – BSE and NSE.
Organizational readiness for artificial intelligence in health care: insights for decision-making and practice
Authors: Alami Hassane , Lehoux Pascale , Denis Jean-Louis , Motulsky Aude , Petitgand Cecile , Savoldelli Mathilde , Rouquet Ronan , Gagnon Marie-Pierre , Roy Denis , Fortin Jean-Paul
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) raises many expectations regarding its ability to profoundly transform health care delivery. There is an abundant literature on the technical performance of AI applications in many clinical fields (e.g. radiology, ophthalmology). This article aims to bring forward the importance of studying organizational readiness to integrate AI into health care delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

The reflection is based on our experience in digital health technologies, diffusion of innovations and healthcare organizations and systems. It provides insights into why and how organizational readiness should be carefully considered.

Findings

As an important step to ensure successful integration of AI and avoid unnecessary investments and costly failures, better consideration should be given to: (1) Needs and added-value assessment; (2) Workplace readiness: stakeholder acceptance and engagement; (3) Technology-organization alignment assessment and (4) Business plan: financing and investments. In summary, decision-makers and technology promoters should better address the complexity of AI and understand the systemic challenges raised by its implementation in healthcare organizations and systems.

Originality/value

Few studies have focused on the organizational issues raised by the integration of AI into clinical routine. The current context is marked by a perplexing gap between the willingness of decision-makers and technology promoters to capitalize on AI applications to improve health care delivery and the reality on the ground, where it is difficult to initiate the changes needed to realize their full benefits while avoiding their negative impacts.
The relation of workplace spirituality with employees’ innovative work behaviour: the mediating role of psychological empowerment
Authors: Bantha Tapas , Nayak Umakanta
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to examine the relationship between workplace spirituality and employees’ innovative work behaviour and also to check the mediating role of psychological empowerment on this relationship from the lens of self-determination theory (SDT).

Design/methodology/approach

An internet-based survey was conducted among knowledge workers, i.e. 340 employees (software engineers and product developers) working in different US-based multi-national companies operating in India. The relationships are tested by using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and, for mediation, Preacher and Hayes (2008) procedure has been used.

Findings

The PLS-SEM and Preacher and Hayes (2008) mediation results revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between workplace spirituality and employees’ innovative work behaviour. There is also a substantial effect of workplace spirituality on psychological empowerment and psychological empowerment on employees’ innovative work behaviour. Psychological empowerment is found to be mediating fully between workplace spirituality and employees’ innovative work behaviour.

Practical implications

In the context of organizations, it will be really beneficial to enhance employees’ innovative work behaviour through inculcating workplace spirituality. Promoting workplace spirituality is one of the prerequisites in organizations towards creating sustainability and establishing an empowered organization in this competitive business environment.

Originality/value

There is a dearth of studies in linking the relationship between workplace spirituality and employees’ innovative work behaviour with the mediating role of psychological empowerment from the lens of SDT.
Knowledge and use of accounting software: evidence from Oman
Authors: Thottoli Mohammed Muneerali
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to determine the influence of knowledge and use of accounting software among small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Oman.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has used qualitative approach. Further, the paper elucidated the significance of knowledge of accounting software and evaluated the relationship between knowledge and its adoption or use of accounting software among SMEs in Oman. Purposive sampling method was used to choose the target interviewees required for the survey (semi-structured interview). This method has been applied by selected accountants who work in SMEs in Oman. Based on practical experience and basic knowledge in the field of accounting, a total of six members are selected as the sample size for the study.

Findings

The findings revealed that the knowledge of accounting software has a significant effect on the use of accounting software, meaning that there is significant and positive relationship among the knowledge of generalized accounting software and the use of such generalized or customized accounting software by SMEs in Oman. In addition, this research shows the empirical evidence of knowledge of accounting software effects on the adoption or use of accounting software among SMEs in Oman

Practical implications

The study has brought about a new discussion on the importance of information communication technology (ICT) knowledge and use or adoption of accounting software by SMEs for accounting literature. Further, this study emphasizes the usage and benefits of accounting software by accountants in various SMEs. Further, it would be useful to suggest that SMEs and such other types of organizations adopt customized or generalized accounting software that will enhance the practice among accounting professionals.

Originality/value

This paper contributes both theoretical and practical knowledge of accounting in accountants using generalized or customized accounting software and its relationship with accountant in various SMEs or such other organizations; it is an approach that is not widely discussed in the previous studies. Besides, conducting such study in the field of SMEs gives novelty in the literature between SMEs and developing economies. This has discussed the weakness of accountant in implementing accounting software in the organization.
Some antecedent factors that shape SMEs adoption of social media marketing applications: a hybrid approach
Authors: Eze Sunday C. , Chinedu-Eze Vera C. , Bello Adenike O.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Although several researchers have made significant efforts to examine the adoption of social media marketing technology in Nigeria, many have focussed on large organizations while others have constantly extrapolated the findings obtained in the Western world as if small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have the same structure, managerial capabilities, and operate in the same way. This has hindered the development of an integrated framework aimed at unravelling the factors shaping the adoption of social media marketing applications in SMEs in Nigeria. The paper, therefore, aims to explore some antecedent factors that shape SMEs adoption of social media marketing applications in SMEs in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study deployed a qualitative approach with the use of unstructured and semi-structured interviews with a total of 20 participants drawn purposeful from Nigeria directories and analysed by using a hybrid method of thematic analysis.

Findings

The study developed an extended technology–organization–environment framework (TOE) framework that incorporated the communication context, which aids in identifying 11 key success factors shaping SMEs adoption of social media marketing technology in Nigeria. The findings associated with the extended TOE framework show that they have an impact on social media marketing technology adoption in SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

Because the researchers adopted the qualitative method, the findings may lead to some bias in the analysis of the data which may limit the insights into the key factors shaping the adoption of social media marketing technology adoption. Future studies may adopt a mixed-method approach or a comparative approach to confirm the finding and to better understand the critical factors linked to the framework. Although it is believed the with the use of thematic data analysis, the results are well associated with the structure; however, the structure has limitations. Drawing from the data analysis, the factors are limited. Other factors which may positively influence social media marketing adoption in SMEs. Hence, further studies are needed in this area in a bid to explore these factors by using different research appraoches.

Originality/value

The study has enriched the existing TOE framework and provided insights into the dominant issue faced by SMEs in adopting social media marketing technology, provided an analytical dimension, reliable explanation of these finding and tool for evaluating some of the challenges faced by SMEs in the adoption of social media marketing technology.
Narcissistic supervision and employees' change-oriented OCB
Authors: Wang Wenting , Jian Lirong , Guo Qiuyun , Zhang Haitao , Liu Wenxing
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to build a link between narcissistic supervision and employees' change-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). On the basis of the social dynamics of state paranoia theory, the study examines the relationship between narcissistic supervision and employees' change-oriented OCBs, and explores how this relationship is mediated by psychological safety and affective organizational commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected from a sample of 183 employee–leader dyads from a technology company in China, the study examines the mediating effects of psychological safety and affective organizational commitment on the relationship between narcissistic supervision and employees' change-oriented OCBs. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results indicate that narcissistic supervision has a negative effect on psychological safety and affective organizational commitment; psychological safety mediates the relationship between narcissistic supervision and affective organizational commitment; and affective organizational commitment mediates the relationship between psychological safety and employees' change-oriented OCBs. The results also show that the negative effect of narcissistic supervision on employees' change-oriented OCBs is mediated by psychological safety and subsequently affective organizational commitment.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by linking narcissistic supervision and employees' change-oriented OCBs and suggesting that psychological safety and affective organizational commitment are two critical mediators of this relationship. This study not only advances research on the “dark side” of narcissistic supervision, but also sheds light on the underlying mechanism of narcissistic supervision and employees' change-oriented OCBs from the psychological and emotional perspectives.
Mental health consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on adult population: a systematic review
Authors: Raihan Mohammad Mojammel Hussain
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The spread of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has infected millions of people worldwide. Public health emergencies caused by COVID-19 affect not only people’s physical health but also mental health. This paper aims to summarize recent research findings on the mental health impact of COVID-19 experienced by the general adult population.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used a systematic approach and aimed to review the literature on mental health problems faced by general adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PubMed database has been selected randomly from the Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Embase and PubMed databases. Ten journal articles published between January and July 2020 were selected from the PubMed database for the final review.

Findings

There is growing evidence that COVID-19 may be an objective risk factor for mental distress among the general adult population. More psychological and social support should be provided to protect adult people’s mental health.

Practical implications

This review will help policymakers develop mental health interventions for the general adult population vulnerable to psychological distress because of COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

This paper is original and contributes to the existing knowledge that the mental health challenges of COVID-19 are widespread. There is, therefore, a need for more psychological interventions for adults, older adults, in particular, to promote mental health and reduce the distress associated with public health emergencies caused by COVID-19.
Making post-colonial place identity: the regeneration of the St Lazarus neighbourhood, Macau
Authors: Ye Xi
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to identify how the place identity of the former Portuguese neighbourhood of St Lazarus was reshaped for the purposes of place branding, tourism and consumption in post-colonial Macau.

Design/methodology/approach

This study sees place identity as a constructed multiplicity whose components are strategically assembled to (re)make the self. It uses the Deleuze–Guattarian theory of assemblage to analyse identity-making, specifically to examine how urban elements, including material content (material qualities of forms, programmes and life) and narrative expressions (interpretations of place), come together to shape the sense of place.

Findings

The heritage conservation policy and creative district planning guidance are overarching controls. Following them, several material and narrative elements are connected. The colonial character of the architecture is reinforced and an artistic atmosphere is created, while inhabitants’ everyday life is suppressed and the difficult past is almost erased. The newly processed post-colonial identity seems another kind of colonisation. Coloniality as a power relationship continues in a different form. The hidden structure driving these processes is global capitalism.

Originality/value

Studies on colonial architectural heritage in Macau, particularly outside of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, remain relatively scarce. This study aims to fill this gap and to further examine the Deleuze–Guattarian theory in the context of place study.
A robust iterative pose tracking method assisted by modified visual odometer
Authors: Yuan Rupeng , Zhang Fuhai , Fu Yili , Wang Shuguo
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a robust iterative LIDAR-based pose tracking method assisted by modified visual odometer to resist initial value disturbance and locate a robot in the environments with certain occlusion.

Design/methodology/approach

At first, an iterative LIDAR-based pose tracking method is proposed. The LIDAR information is filtered and occupancy grid map is pre-processed. The sample generation and scoring are iterated so that the result is converged to the stable value. To improve the efficiency of sample processing, the integer-valued map indices of rotational samples are preserved and translated. All generated samples are analyzed to determine the maximum error direction. Then, a modified visual odometer is introduced for error compensation. The oriented fast and rotated brief (ORB) features are uniformly sampled in the image. A local map which contains key frames for reference is maintained. These two measures ensure that the modified visual odometer is able to return robust result which compensates the error of LIDAR-based pose tracking method in the maximum error direction.

Findings

Three experiments are conducted to prove the advantages of the proposed method. The proposed method can resist initial value disturbance with high computational efficiency, give back credible real-time result in the environment with abundant features and locate a robot in the environment with certain occlusion.

Originality/value

The proposed method is able to give back real-time pose tracking results with robustness. The iterative sample generation enables the robot to resist initial value disturbance. In each iteration, rotational and translational samples are separately generated to enhance computational efficiency. The maximum error direction of LIDAR-based pose tracking method is determined by principle component analysis and compensated by the result of modified visual odometer to give back correct pose in the environment with certain occlusion.
Momordica angustisepala fibres and ant hill particles/polyester value-added hybrid composites for bumper application
Authors: Nwuzor I.C. , C.U. Atuanya , O. Olisa
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The production of car bumper composites based on glass fibers and carbon fibers has been a continuous trend. These materials have standard properties; however, they are very expensive and are not readily available. Therefore, focus on the choice of reinforcement fibers is gradually shifting toward natural sources. Natural fibers are becoming attractive alternatives to traditional high‐performance fibers such as glass and carbon fibers for reinforcement in composites in structural applications. To produce a car bumper that will be less expensive and available leads to the development of Momordica angustisepala fibers (MAf) and anthill particles/ polyester hybrid composites.

Design/methodology/approach

The composite was produced by hand lay method. The physical, mechanical, microstructure and thermal properties of the composites were used as criteria for the selection of the material for car bumper application. The validation of the tensile properties was done using the finite element method.

Findings

The results should impact energy of 7.82J/mm2, 145.28 per cent improvement in tensile strength of the polyester increased by the addition of 6wt per cent MAf, and 5wt per cent anthill particles. Flexural modulus of 2269.01 and 2435.19 Mpa and flexural strength of 56.61 and 85.45 Mpa were obtained for the polyester and composite. The maximum temperature of decomposition was 370.00 and 472.00oC for polyester and composite. Validation of the tensile properties shows that with the difference between predicated yield strength the experimental gave a percentage error of 6.43 per cent and safety of 68.12 per cent. It can be concluded that the composite formulation with 6 wt per cent MAf and 5 wt per cent anthill particles in polyester can be used in the production of car bumper because the mechanical properties obtained are within the ranges used for car bumper application.

Originality/value

The composition of 5 wt per cent anthill particles and 6 wt per cent MAf in polyester has never been used in the production of car bumper before now; hence this work is novel and contributed to knowledge materials development.
Accounting: the teaching, the practice and what is missing
Authors: Rajeevan Shanmugavel
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the knowledge and practice gap in accounting education and propose an alternative teaching method to align accounting education to meet the needs of the practical world.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 500 questionnaires were circulated among four stakeholders (academics, accounting students, accountants in business and accountants in practice) and received an overall usable response rate of 27%.

Findings

It was found that to reflect the current accounting practices, accounting students should be exposed to accounting specific experiential learning and industry specific training at an early stage of their academic education. Universities and professional institutes can work together to develop a curriculum to create an elite league of accounting professionals.

Practical implications

The insights of this study would provide guidance to educators on how to develop an advance experiential learning structure for students that reflects the current accounting practices and technologies involved.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature by means of providing an alternative teaching method for undergraduate accounting degree program.
‘How it is grown doesn't matter, as long as it's on the table’: Pesticide use, uncertainty and future aspirations
Authors: WALTZ MIRIAM
Published: December 2020

Agricultural pesticides are widely considered to be a crucial aspect of increasing food production, particularly in developing countries ‐ despite concerns around their potentially harmful toxic effects. Based on 11 months of ethnographic fieldwork in 2019, the author explores how smallholder farmers in a rural community in western Kenya face new pest infestations introduced through global trade networks and exacerbated by climate change. In response, they increasingly adopt agricultural pesticides against these threats to their harvests to secure their aspirations for the future as well as shorter‐term livelihoods. The author argues that the farmers were ‘trying’: trying out new things, unsure of the outcome, to secure livelihoods, food and good health. They shared concerns about toxic exposure and the potential effects of increased pesticide use. Yet the uncertain status of pesticides as both poison and medicine, combined with divergent temporalities of risk and exposure, meant that economic considerations heavily shaped decisions around pesticide use at a household level.
Outcomes of Medicaid home‐ and community‐based long‐term services relative to nursing home care among dual eligibles
Authors: Konetzka R. Tamara , Jung Daniel H. , Gorges Rebecca J. , Sanghavi Prachi
Published: December 2020

Objective

To provide the first plausibly causal national estimates of health outcomes for older dual‐eligible recipients of Medicaid HCBS relative to nursing home care and to explore possible mechanisms for the effect.

Data Sources

We use 2005 and 2012 Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX), a national compilation of Medicaid claims, merged with Medicare claims to identify hospital admissions, our main outcome variable.

Study Design

We model the effects of HCBS using a longitudinal instrumental variables framework. To address the endogeneity of HCBS receipt, we instrument for it using the county percentage of nonelderly long‐term care users who receive HCBS. The percentage of nonelderly users is highly predictive of HCBS use for an elderly beneficiary, but because the instrument was derived from a separate population, the exclusion restriction is unlikely to be violated.

Population Studied

1,312,498 older adults (65+) dually enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare and are using long‐term care. We also examine heterogeneity of effects by race/ethnicity and the presence of dementia.

Principal Findings

HCBS users have 10 percentage points higher (P < .01) annual rates of hospitalization than their nursing home counterparts when selection bias is addressed; rates of potentially avoidable hospitalizations are 3 percentage points higher (P < .01). These differences persist across races, dementia status, and intensity of HCBS spending.

Conclusions

Shifting Medicaid long‐term care funding for older adults from nursing homes to HCBS, while well‐motivated, results in the unintended consequence of substantially higher hospitalization rates for older dual eligibles. The quality and/or quantity of services may be inadequate for some HCBS recipients. Hospitalizations are costly to Medicare but also to the HCBS recipient in terms of stress and risks. Although consumer preferences to remain at home may outweigh poor outcomes of HCBS, the full costs and benefits need to be considered. HCBS outcomes—not just expansion—need more attention.
Causes of death for intensive care survivors with and without acute kidney injury in 5‐year follow‐up
Authors: Niittyvuopio Miikka , Vaara Suvi , Ohtonen Pasi , Pettilä Ville , Liisanantti Janne , Ala‐Kokko Tero
Published: December 2020

Background

Data on the causes of death and long‐term mortality of intensive care unit‐treated hospital survivors with acute kidney injury (AKI) are limited. The goal of this study was to analyze the causes of death among critically ill patients during a 5‐year follow‐up.

Methods

In this predetermined sub‐study of a prospective, observational, multi‐center cohort from the FINNAKI study, we analyzed 2436 patients who were discharged from the hospital. Statistics Finland provided the follow‐up data and causes of death.

Results

During the follow‐up, 765 (31%) patients died, of whom 295 (39%) had AKI and 73 (9.5%) had received renal replacement therapy. More than half of the deaths in both the non‐AKI and AKI groups occurred after the 1 year follow‐up (58% vs. 54%, respectively). The three most common causes of death in AKI were cardiovascular diseases (36%), malignancies (21%), and neurological diseases (11%). In early deaths (<90 days) cardiovascular causes were more prevalent in AKI patients compared to non‐AKI (38% vs 25%, P = .037.) In six cases (0.8%), the main cause of death was kidney disease, out of which five were in the AKI group. In patients with cardiovascular causes, the median time to death was shorter in AKI patients compared to non‐AKI patients (508 vs 816 days, P = .018).

Conclusion

Cardiovascular causes and malignancies account for more than half of the causes of death in patients who had suffered AKI, while death from kidney disease after AKI is rare. Early cardiovascular deaths are more prevalent in AKI compared to non‐AKI patients.
Nasal High‐flow Oxygen Versus Conventional Oxygen Therapy for Acute Severe Asthma Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Ruangsomboon Onlak , Limsuwat Chok , Praphruetkit Nattakarn , Monsomboon Apichaya , Chakorn Tipa
Published: December 2020

Background

Nasal high flow (NHF) has demonstrated efficacy in relieving dyspnea in various patients with hypoxemic and hypercapnic respiratory failure. It may also reduce dyspnea in patients with acute severe asthma in the emergency department (ED). The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of NHF with conventional oxygen therapy (COT) in improving dyspnea in acute severe asthma patients with hypoxemia in the ED.

Methods

This pilot nonblinded randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 37 patients aged ≥ 18 years with acute severe asthma and hypoxemia in the ED of Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand (TCTR20180926003). The participants were randomly allocated to receive either COT (n = 18) or NHF (n = 19) for 120 minutes. The primary outcome was comparing the intervention effects on the patients’ degree of dyspnea measured using the modified Borg scale (MBS). The secondary outcomes were comparing the interventions based on the numeric rating scale (NRS) of dyspnea, the dyspnea scale assessing accessory muscle use, vital signs, and blood gas results.

Results

The intention‐to‐treat analysis included 37 patients (COT group n = 18 and NHF group n = 19). The baseline mean MBS was 7.8 in both groups. At 120 minutes, the mean (±SD) MBSs in patients receiving COT and NHF were 3.3 (±2.5) and 1.4 (±2.5), respectively (mean difference = 1.9 [95% CI = 0.2 to 3.8], p = 0.043). The trends in NRS and dyspnea score results were similar to those of MBS. Respiratory rates were lower with NHF (mean difference = 4.7 [95% CI = 1.5 to 7.8], p = 0.001). No between‐ or within‐group differences in blood gas results were found.

Conclusion

Nasal high flow reduced the severity of dyspnea and respiratory rate in hypoxemic patients with acute severe asthma in the ED.
Vascular risk factors for optical coherence tomography‐detected macular cysts: The Maastricht Study
Authors: De Clerck Eline E. B. , Schouten Jan S. A. G. , Berendschot Tos T. J. M. , Goezinne Fleur , Liesenborghs Ilona , Dagnelie Pieter C. , Schaper Nicolaas C. , Kroon Abraham A. , Henry Ronald M. A. , Reesink Koen D. , Schram Miranda T. , Stehouwer Coen D. A. , Webers Carroll A. B.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

To investigate whether higher blood pressure and greater arterial stiffness are associated with the presence of macular cysts and whether this association is already present in the absence of micro‐aneurysms in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), we performed a macular volume scan in 2647 individuals (mean age 60 ± 8 years, 50% men, 27% type 2 diabetes). The association between macular cysts and 24‐hour systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity and carotid distensibility was assessed by use of logistic regression.

Results

Twenty‐four hours systolic blood pressure was associated with the presence of macular cysts [OR = 1.03 (95% CI 1.00–1.05) per 1 mmHg, p = 0.03]. 24 hr pulse pressure [OR = 1.61 (95% CI 1.11–2.34) per 10 mmHg, p = 0.01] and carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity [OR = 1.16 (95% CI 1.02–1.32) per 1 m/s, p = 0.02] were associated with macular cysts, while carotid distensibility was not [OR = 1.03 (95% CI 0.96–1.11) per 1.0*10−3/kPa, p = 0.45]. Associations were similar in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes and were already present in the absence of micro‐aneurysms.

Conclusion

Twenty‐four hours systolic blood pressure, 24 hr pulse pressure and carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity are associated with the presence of OCT‐detected macular cysts in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes, even in the absence of micro‐aneurysms. Therefore, blood pressure and aortic stiffness are potential factors contributing to macular cysts.
The overprotection of conscientious objection in Chile’s abortion regulation
Authors: Marshall Pablo , Zúñiga Yanira
Published: December 2020

This paper critically analyses conscientious objection to abortion in the context of the new regulation of pregnancy termination in Chile. It argues that adequate regulation should not be blind: The bioethical requirements that seek to balance the interests involved must consider the legal regulation of the interests at stake, the context in which they are implemented, and, fundamentally, the effectiveness of the solutions adopted. Attention should be paid to the risks involved in the political use of conscientious objection to prevent the implementation of women’s reproductive rights. In describing the process of the entrenchment and expansion of conscientious objection to abortion in Chile, we show how this process has overprotected conscience and how the risks of undermining the effectiveness of the new abortion legislation hinder the enjoyment of rights entrenched by the law.
Visions, promises and understandings of development around Kenya’s Masinga reservoir
Authors: Clelland William
Published: December 2020

Motivation

Utilitarian visions of societal transformation often drive decisions about large infrastructure projects. However, such visions mask the heterogeneity of encounters with the projects and fail to consider lasting impacts on communities whose lives they can disrupt. Further, it is seldom considered that such communities need to anticipate the future to manage the changes they will experience.

Purpose

This article considers how the trajectories of change experienced by people living in the vicinity of a major infrastructure project have shaped their visions of development. In addition, it examines how interested parties (or stakeholders) can work together to look beyond the project and stimulate further development opportunities.

Approach and Methods

Drawing on fieldwork at Masinga dam and reservoir in Kenya, the research privileged local experiences and longer‐term views of this hydropower development, 40 years after construction work began. A mixed‐methods research design was used to understand how Masinga reservoir and the associated development discourse have been assimilated locally.

Findings

Although the water associated with Masinga reservoir has been accepted by a nearby community, inequitable access and poor stakeholder relations resulted in the project failing to act as a catalyst for subsequent inclusive development. Past and present conflicts over access to water and land have generated a chronic environment of distrust and short‐term, individualistic visions of development. However, when people consider how things could be then visions of community‐driven development can emerge.

Policy Implications

For infrastructure projects to stimulate lasting community development, the heterogeneity of encounters and longer‐term impact on both the environment and social relations must be considered. Moreover, development authorities should explicitly raise the visibility of issues faced by the full range of stakeholders. With a resurgence of interest in large hydropower schemes, policies that encourage stakeholders to develop a common vision of what lies beyond a project is critical to achieving equitable and sustainable change.
EMBRACING THE DARK SIDE? TESTING THE SOCIALIZATION OF A MAXIMIZING MINDSET
Authors: Spiegelman Eli
Published: December 2020

Previous literature suggests an “economist effect”: business and economics students behave more like Homo economicus than do those from other disciplines. Does this represent selection of selfish maximizers into the disciplines, or a causal effect of study? We argue that common findings that behavior gets no “worse” over time represent overly simplistic tests. Our experiment investigates changes not just in behavior, but also in how participants feel about this behavior. Although we replicate the previous behavioral result, we find evidence that students learn to (1) attach less‐negative normative weight to maximizing behavior, and (2) employ greater sophistication in its implementation. (JEL A20, D91, C9)
Maxillofacial trauma following road accidents—An 11‐year multi‐center study in Israel
Authors: Einy Shmuel , Goldman Sharon , Radomislensky Irina ,   Israel Trauma Group (ITG), Bodas Moran , Peleg Kobi
Published: December 2020

Background/Aim

Road traffic collisions (RTC) are known to be one of the major causes of maxillofacial trauma (MFT). The road user factor is of crucial importance in the prevalence, severity, and treatment of maxillofacial injuries. The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of maxillofacial trauma among road users, to illustrate injury patterns and to identify road users at high risk.

Methods

This historical prospective multi‐center study was based on Israel's Trauma Registry between 2008‐2018, which included 4829 hospitalized patients following RTC with MFT. Data were analyzed according to six road user types (vehicle driver, passenger, bicyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrian, and e‐bike/scooter), maxillofacial injury location, and maxillofacial treatment.

Results

MFT, which accounted for 5% of the hospitalized RTC injuries, was not equally distributed among road users, as bicyclists and e‐bike/scooters were more prone to maxillofacial trauma (7.2% and 10.1%, respectively) than vehicle drivers (3.2%). Children (age 0‐14 years) comprised almost half of the cyclists, 25% of the pedestrians and 20% of the passengers. Some MFT patients experienced multiple injuries, with the majority involving jaw and facial bones and to a lesser extent the mouth, teeth, gingivae, and alveolar bone (mouth and dento‐alveolar (DA) trauma). Approximately 30% of hospitalized road casualties with MFT underwent MF surgery, with the need for surgery lowest among pedestrians.

Conclusion

Hospitalized road casualties had different types of MFT in terms of prevalence, location, severity, and treatment, depending on the road user type.
Women report more severe sensations from 2 mA and 4 mA transcranial direct current stimulation than men
Authors: Workman Craig D. , Fietsam Alexandra C. , Kamholz John , Rudroff Thorsten
Published: December 2020

Interest in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to alter cortical excitability, facilitate neural plasticity, and improve performance is increasing. Subjects often report temporary stimulation‐related sensations, which might distract from the task being performed or compromise blinding. tDCS is also prone to high outcome irregularity and one potential variability source is the biological sex of the subject. The purpose of this study was to re‐analyze existing tolerability data to ascertain any sex differences in sensation severity and blinding guesses from tDCS at 2 mA and 4 mA. Each subject underwent tDCS at three randomly ordered intensities (sham, 2 mA, 4 mA), reported the severity sensations experienced, and guessed which tDCS condition they underwent (blinding). Women reported higher sensation severities than men from 2 mA and 4 mA tDCS and higher severities with increasing intensity (sham < 2 mA < 4 mA). Men reported similar severities in all stimulation conditions. Both sexes distinguished sham from 2 mA and 4 mA, and neither were able to discriminate between 2 mA from 4 mA. This study highlights differences in severity reports between women and men and adds to the growing body of literature, indicating that current sham methodologies might be inadequate to maintain blinding.
In vivo γ‐aminobutyric acid increase as a biomarker of the epileptogenic zone: An unbiased metabolomics approach
Authors: Hamelin Sophie , Stupar Vasile , Mazière Lucile , Guo Jia , Labriji Wafae , Liu Chen , Bretagnolle Ludiwine , Parrot Sandrine , Barbier Emmanuel L. , Depaulis Antoine , Fauvelle Florence
Published: December 2020

Objective

Following surgery, focal seizures relapse in 20% to 50% of cases due to the difficulty of delimiting the epileptogenic zone (EZ) by current imaging or electrophysiological techniques. Here, we evaluate an unbiased metabolomics approach based on ex vivo and in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) methods to discriminate the EZ in a mouse model of mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE).

Methods

Four weeks after unilateral injection of kainic acid (KA) into the dorsal hippocampus of mice (KA‐MTLE model), we analyzed hippocampal and cortical samples with high‐resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Using advanced multivariate statistics, we identified the metabolites that best discriminate the injected dorsal hippocampus (EZ) and developed an in vivo MEGAPRESS MRS method to focus on the detection of these metabolites in the same mouse model.

Results

Multivariate analysis of HRMAS data provided evidence that γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) is largely increased in the EZ of KA‐MTLE mice and is the metabolite that best discriminates the EZ when compared to sham and, more importantly, when compared to adjacent brain regions. These results were confirmed by capillary electrophoresis analysis and were not reversed by a chronic exposition to an antiepileptic drug (carbamazepine). Then, using in vivo noninvasive GABA‐edited MRS, we confirmed that a high GABA increase is specific to the injected hippocampus of KA‐MTLE mice.

Significance

Our strategy using ex vivo MRS‐based untargeted metabolomics to select the most discriminant metabolite(s), followed by in vivo MRS‐based targeted metabolomics, is an unbiased approach to accurately define the EZ in a mouse model of focal epilepsy. Results suggest that GABA is a specific biomarker of the EZ in MTLE.
Design and analysis of CRISPR‐based underdominance toxin‐antidote gene drives
Authors: Champer Jackson , Champer Samuel E. , Kim Isabel K. , Clark Andrew G. , Messer Philipp W.
Published: December 2020

CRISPR gene drive systems offer a mechanism for transmitting a desirable transgene throughout a population for purposes ranging from vector‐borne disease control to invasive species suppression. In this simulation study, we assess the performance of several CRISPR‐based underdominance gene drive constructs employing toxin‐antidote (TA) principles. These drives disrupt the wild‐type version of an essential gene using a CRISPR nuclease (the toxin) while simultaneously carrying a recoded version of the gene (the antidote). Drives of this nature allow for releases that could be potentially confined to a desired geographic location. This is because such drives have a nonzero‐invasion threshold frequency required for the drive to spread through the population. We model drives which target essential genes that are either haplosufficient or haplolethal, using nuclease promoters with expression restricted to the germline, promoters that additionally result in cleavage activity in the early embryo from maternal deposition, and promoters that have ubiquitous somatic expression. We also study several possible drive architectures, considering both “same‐site” and “distant‐site” systems, as well as several reciprocally targeting drives. Together, these drive variants provide a wide range of invasion threshold frequencies and options for both population modification and suppression. Our results suggest that CRISPR TA underdominance drive systems could allow for the design of flexible and potentially confinable gene drive strategies.
Evaluating and modulating TFEB in the control of autophagy: toward new treatments in CNS disorders
Authors: da Costa Anaelle , Metais Thibaud , Mouthon Franck , Kerkovich Danielle , Charvériat Mathieu
Published: December 2020

TFEB is a mammalian transcription factor that binds directly to the CLEAR consensus sequence (5′‐GTCACGTGAC‐3′) present in the regulatory regions of genes inducing autophagosome formation, autophagosome‐lysosome fusion, hydrolase enzyme expression, and lysosomal exocytosis. By modulating these activities, TFEB coordinates on‐demand control over each cell’s degradation pathway. Thus, a nuclear signaling pathway regulates cellular energy metabolism through TFEB. Our growing understanding of the role of TFEB and CLEAR in the promotion of healthy clearance together with in vitro and in vivo preclinical findings in various animal models of disease supports the conclusion that the pharmacological activation of TFEB could clear toxic proteins to treat both rare and common forms of neurodegenerative disease.
Habitat destruction and overexploitation drive widespread declines in all facets of mammalian diversity in the Gran Chaco
Authors: Romero‐Muñoz Alfredo , Fandos Guillermo , Benítez‐López Ana , Kuemmerle Tobias
Published: December 2020

Global biodiversity is under high and rising anthropogenic pressure. Yet, how the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional facets of biodiversity are affected by different threats over time is unclear. This is particularly true for the two main drivers of the current biodiversity crisis: habitat destruction and overexploitation. We provide the first long‐term assessment of multifaceted biodiversity changes caused by these threats for any tropical region. Focussing on larger mammals in South America's 1.1 million km2 Gran Chaco region, we assessed changes in multiple biodiversity facets between 1985 and 2015, determined which threats drive those changes, and identified remaining key areas for all biodiversity facets. Using habitat and threat maps, we found, first, that between 1985 and 2015 taxonomic (TD), phylogenetic (PD) and functional (FD) diversity all declined drastically across over half of the area assessed. FD declined about 50% faster than TD and PD, and these declines were mainly driven by species loss, rather than species turnover. Second, habitat destruction, hunting, and both threats together contributed ~57%, ~37%, and ~6% to overall facet declines, respectively. However, hunting pressure increased where TD and PD declined most strongly, whereas habitat destruction disproportionally contributed to FD declines. Third, just 23% of the Chaco would have to be protected to safeguard the top 17% of all three facets. Our findings uncover a widespread impoverishment of mammal species richness, evolutionary history, and ecological functions across broad areas of the Chaco due to increasing habitat destruction and hunting. Moreover, our results pinpoint key areas that should be preserved and managed to maintain all facets of mammalian diversity across the Chaco. More generally, our work highlights how long‐term changes in biodiversity facets can be assessed and attributed to specific threats, to better understand human impacts on biodiversity and to guide conservation planning to mitigate them.