bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trading activity on social trading platforms – a behavioral approach*
Authors: Dorfleitner Gregor , Scheckenbach Isabel
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Social trading platforms are considered to be amongst the major innovations in online trading. The purpose of this article is to analyze the trading activity of traders on social trading networks by taking a behavioral approach. Additionally, the authors investigate the factors that influence the irrational part of trading activity derived from the key characteristics of these platforms, i.e. those dealing with social interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation utilizes an extensive set of trading data from two major platforms in Germany to study the trading behavior. The authors apply a fixed effects two-stage least squares (2SLS) approach to quantify the relationship between trading activity and performance and define overconfidence as the part of trading activity that is irrationally motivated and results in negative returns.

Findings

The results provide evidence for the negative relationship between overconfidence and return on social trading platforms. The authors find that the number of followers and some platform-specific features significantly affect the trading behavior of the traders.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to the existing literature by exploring how the novel social interaction characteristics of online trading impact trading activity by giving rise to a new dimension of overconfidence. In addition, the authors evidence that the different frameworks of the platforms motivate heterogenous behavioral responses by the signalers. Finally, the authors refine existing studies by applying a distinct methodology for modeling overconfidence.
Private firm performance: do women directors matter?
Authors: Sattar Mahnoor , Biswas Pallab Kumar , Roberts Helen
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between board gender diversity and private firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test the association between board gender diversity and private firm performance by estimating pooled multivariate regressions using an unbalanced panel data set of 115,253 firm-year observations.

Findings

The authors find that younger, less busy and local women directors enhance private firm performance. Firms with 40% or more women directors report triple the economic benefits compared to boards with at least 20% women directors. Considering firm size, women directors significantly increase small firm profitability, and the effect is more pronounced for high-risk firms. Greater board gender diversity enhances small firm performance as the monitoring role of women directors benefits the firm even in the presence of busy men directors. Consistent with the agency theory framework, the authors find that women directors improve small firm profitability in the presence of agency costs.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the lack of availability of data about private firms, many factors are not directly observable. The analysis uses accounting-based performance measures that may be subject to managerial discretion. Nevertheless, the authors report highly significant results using cash-based performance measures that substantiate the overall findings.

Practical implications

The results of the present study point to the need for private firms to increase board gender diversity and consider women director busyness, age, nationality and firm size when making board director appointments.

Originality/value

This study adds to the scarce existent literature investigating private firms. The results contribute to the understanding of gender-diverse boards as well as the attributes of women directors that enhance private firm performance.
Applying the time continuum model of motivation to explain how major factors affect mobile learning motivation: a comparison of SEM and fsQCA
Authors: Fan Mingyue , Ndavi Juliet Wanza , Qalati Sikandar Ali , Huang Lin , Pu Zhengjia
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Studying mobile learning – the use of electronic devices (i.e. cellphone and tablets) to engage in learning across multiple contexts via connection to peers, media, experts and the larger world is a relatively new academic enterprise. This study analyzes the influencing factors of mobile learning (M-learning) motivation based on the time continuum model of motivation (TCMM).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to verify relationships between mobile learning motivation, attitude, need, stimulation, emotion, ability and reinforcement. Justification for the use of both methods lies in the complementarity relationships that existed between the variables and research methodologies. The sample contains 560 mobile learners' feedback.

Findings

Results show that attitude, need, emotion, ability and reinforcement are important factors to enhance mobile learning motivation, while stimulation is not.

Practical implications

This work highlights the importance of training for app designers on how to design an M-learning App with high learning motivation by paying prior attention to learning content, teaching team and online learning communities.

Originality/value

This study proposes three precise solutions (scholars, managers and practitioners) to improve learning motivation based on the categorization of mobile learners.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-04-2021-0226.
Sustainability as a measure of tourism success: the Portuguese Promotional Tourism Boards' view
Authors: Costa Jorge , Montenegro Mónica , Gomes João
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The study explores the concept of sustainability as a measure of tourism success from the perspectives of the Portuguese Promotional Tourism Boards.

Design/methodology/approach

The study reviews current approaches to defining sustainability and explores how this can contribute to measuring success in tourism destinations using the case of the Portuguese Promotional Tourism Boards to shed light on the theme issue question.

Findings

The evidence that the impacts of tourism are not all beneficial to destinations and their residents is mounting and well addressed by the main world tourism agencies who are now promoting alternative ways for the industry to adopt a more holistic approach to measure the success of tourism destinations. This approach is also being adopted and promoted by some of the world's best tourism destinations.

Originality/value

Based on contributions from the Portuguese Regional Promotional Tourism Entities (ERTs), it was possible to define a successful tourism destination as the one that creates income for the local community and ensures the quality of life of the population; values and preserves local identities, heritage, culture and traditions; and promotes the sustainable use of ecosystems and the preservation of natural resources, while practising a circular economy approach. Based on the same source, it was possible to identify the most important variable in evaluating the success of a tourist destination: the level of satisfaction of residents with tourism.
Towards a holistic approach for measuring tourism success: contribution to a new paradigm
Authors: Costa Jorge , Varum Celeste , Montenegro Mónica , Gomes João
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to critically review the contributions made by the global trends issue participants and to present the lines of action in the form of a proposal for measuring tourism success that is based on a clear move towards sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis of the papers selected was performed so as to identify the most significant outcomes of this global trends issue in terms of the contributions to knowledge and/or professional practice.

Findings

The wide range of perspectives put forward by authors provide a thorough review of the concept and practice of sustainability and its application to the tourism sector, explore a variety of angles that are central to the balanced development of tourism and shed light on new approaches to the measurement of tourism success.

Originality/value

The articles contained in this global trends issue demonstrate that tourism cannot solely be an economic equation, but rather an engine for sustainability across its three commonly accepted pillars: Economic, Socio-cultural and Environmental.
The forest gardener: A marsupial with a key seed‐dispersing role in the Patagonian temperate forest
Authors: Vazquez Miriam Soledad , Rodriguez‐Cabal Mariano A. , Amico Guillermo C.
Published: December 2021

Seed dispersal by vertebrate animals is critical for the establishment of fleshy‐fruited plant species. In regions with impoverished faunas, such as the Patagonian temperate forest, the arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides plays a key role as a seed disperser. Here, we assessed the ecological role of D. gliroides as a seed disperser and their possible effects on the plant structure of the Patagonian temperate forest. We found that the passage through the digestive tract of D. gliroides increased germination rate in four of the five groups of plants evaluated. Additionally, we found that D. gliroides disperses all the epiphytes, almost a quarter of the vines and parasites, and could disperse about half of the trees and shrubs present in the Patagonian temperate forest. Taken together, our results demonstrate the keystone dispersing role played by D. gliroides within the Patagonian temperate forest and highlight the importance of its conservation for the preservation of this highly endemic flora.
Post‐industrial masculinities and gym culture: Graft, craft, and fraternity
Authors: Gibbs Nicholas , Salinas Mike , Turnock Luke
Published: December 2021

This article theorizes a link between contemporary masculinity in post‐industrial spaces and ‘hardcore’ gym culture. Over the last three decades the health and fitness industry has grown exponentially, with bodily modification and the proliferation of gymnasia, health supplements and wearable fitness trackers now a dominant means by which many construct their identities. Simultaneously, the onset of wholesale neoliberalism, which has caused large‐scale de‐industrialization and the global outsourcing of labor, has resulted in a macro‐economic shift from production to consumption in the West. Set against this backdrop, this article draws upon two ethnographic studies in ‘hardcore’ gyms to examine the significance of bodywork in the lives of men in two working‐class, post‐industrial locales in England. First, gym work is conceptualized as a form of both graft and craft within our samples, and the role of the male body as a post‐industrial project is considered. Following this, the gym is presented as a site of fraternity which, following the loss of collectivizing industry in both areas, allows men to bond over a shared endeavor and build genuine kinship. Ultimately, we conclude that the gym is a space of production within consumption, furnishing our sample with a means of performing their embodied masculinity and repurposing formative notions of graft, craft, and fraternity in a new adaptive space.
The role of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in positive identification
Authors: Zamora Alyssa C. , Tallman Sean D.
Published: December 2021

The use of skeletal pathologies in establishing positive identifications via radiographic comparison is often avoided—and thus understudied—due to the dynamic nature of the skeleton in response to pathological conditions. Using an online survey, this study tests the accuracy of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), a relatively common vertebral pathology, in making positive identifications through radiographic comparison. Three digital radiographic images from 51 DISH‐positive individuals were obtained from the Boston Medical Center: one image taken at a baseline date (Group A), one image taken within 2 years from baseline (Group B), and one image taken greater than 4.5 years from baseline (Group C). Survey participants were tasked with comparing between simulated lateral “antemortem” and “postmortem” images from living patients and identifying which pair represented the same individual at different time intervals. A total of 40 responses were recorded and analyzed by measuring accuracies, sensitivities, and specificities. Information about survey participants’ field, degree, experience working with radiographs, and familiarity with DISH was also recorded. Series 1 compared Group A to Group B images and resulted in an accuracy of 87.3%, sensitivity of 46.9%, and specificity of 94.3%. Series 2 compared Group A to Group C images and resulted in an accuracy of 83.4%, sensitivity of 34.3%, and specificity of 95.8%. The results indicate that the progressive changes associated with DISH render the condition unreliable for making positive identifications but suggest that DISH could be used to winnow potential matches.
A unique case of direct lightning strike
Authors: Wankhede Ashesh Gunwantrao
Published: December 2021

This is a report of death due to direct lightning strike that was witnessed, with description of the injuries. The associated clothing and jewelry were examined microscopically for lightning‐related findings. For the first time, we report a lightning strike on a victim that led to crater formations in the brass clasp of the basil wood bead necklace, brass teeth, and brass button of the zipper. Blackening, fissuring, and charring of basil wood beads were noted. There was blackening and fusion of cowrie shell teeth, which were in the black thread necklace. The silver necklace chain vaporized and caused deep burns on the nape of neck. A few links of the silver chain necklace were found embedded in the clothing. All this damage provides important insight into the behavior of lightning.
The effectiveness of ground‐based applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki for controlling oak processionary moth Thaumetopoea processionea (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae)
Authors: Straw Nigel A. , Forster Jack
Published: December 2021

The effectiveness of ground‐based applications of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) for controlling oak processionary moth (OPM) was evaluated by comparing the numbers of larval nests on treated and untreated oak trees in Richmond Park, in west London, UK. A total of 760 oak trees (Quercus robur) were monitored over a period of 4 years from 2014 to 2017, and the effects of current treatment and previous treatment history on nest numbers were analysed using general linear mixed models. Two applications of Btk applied 7–10 days apart in the spring, just after egg hatch, reduced the numbers of larval nests by 86–94%. In 2015, the effectiveness of treatment decreased as tree height increased, whereas in 2016 and 2017 nest numbers were reduced by a similar percentage across all tree height classes. The effects of treatment were relatively short‐lived, because at the scale at which the insecticide applications were carried out, trees were re‐colonised rapidly by adult OPM flying in from the surrounding area. Consequently, nest numbers generally returned to pre‐treatment densities within 1–2 years.
The prevalence of temperature and dispersal limitation as drivers of diversity in Neotropical small mammals
Authors: Dambros Cristian , Cáceres Nilton , Baselga Andrés
Published: December 2021

The spatial distribution of biodiversity is driven by species dispersal and their response to the environment. Therefore, diversity patterns should differ across taxonomic groups depending on differences in traits associated with dispersal, metabolism, and foraging. We compared the distribution of rodents and marsupials in the Atlantic forest and investigated how species traits direct their responses to climate, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation. To understand the effect of historic processes associated with dispersal and environmental filters, we also tested for the association of the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic dissimilarities with spatial distance and differences in climate and habitat loss. We hypothesise that marsupials would be more limited by the temperature gradient than rodents, which are more cold‐tolerant and dispersal‐limited. We compiled a database of 73 sites with data on small‐mammal species occurrences and conducted multiple regression analyses to determine the influence of the environment on species richness and trait measures. Multiple regressions on distance matrices (MRM) were used to assess the relationship of species taxonomic, functional, or phylogenetic dissimilarities with geographical and environmental distances. Species with higher tail/body ratio and arboreality were found in warmer temperatures, but species richness increased mostly in areas with low precipitation and large forest fragments. Taxonomic dissimilarity was mostly associated with geographic distance and the distance‐decay relationship was steeper for taxonomic than for phylogenetic or functional dissimilarities. As predicted, temperature had a stronger effect on the trait distribution of marsupials than of rodents. However, for both groups, spatial distance was the most important predictor of species dissimilarity. These results might suggest that, at broad scales, dispersal shaped the distribution of Neotropical small‐mammal regardless of species adaptations to climatic conditions.
Delays to essential surgery at four faith based hospitals in rural Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Sund Gregory , Huang Andrew H. , Mascha Edward J. , Miburo Césarie , Machemedze Solomon , Razafimanantsoa Mirana , Tankombo Roger , Brown James A , Watts Edward , O'Connor Zachary
Published: December 2021

Background

Data regarding delays for emergency surgery in Sub‐Saharan Africa is limited. We have therefore decided to undertake an evaluation of delays in patients seeking care, reaching care and receiving care for emergency surgery at four rural faith‐based hospitals in this region over a 3 month period.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional, multi‐center, international study at four rural faith‐based hospitals in Madagascar, Gabon, Cameroon and Burundi. All patients presenting at these hospitals between 10 February and 1 May 2020 for one of the three Bellwether procedures (caesarean delivery, emergency laparotomy, management of open fracture) were to be enrolled in this study. Data was collected in the form of a questionnaire administered to the patient or the patient's caregiver within 24 h of admission to the hospital.

Results

After analysis of data for 148 patients, we found that the median [quartiles] delay in seeking care overall was 3.5 [0.5, 17.6] h, in reaching care 7.6 [2.3, 33.6] h and in receiving care 3.6 [1.7, 6.8] h. In 72% (107/148) of cases, the second delay was more than 2 h. Sixty‐five percent of patients who were delayed reported that their delay was because care was sought elsewhere before arrival at one of our Bellwether‐capable sites.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the majority of patients needing emergency surgical care in the rural areas of Sub‐Saharan Africa where our study was conducted are frequently delayed, with the largest delay being in reaching care. Further investigations into the reasons for these delays should be conducted.
The impact of sarcopenia on outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease undergoing colorectal surgery
Authors: Trinder Matthew W. , Clifford Matthew , Jones Aimee Lee , Shepherd Talia , Jacob Abraham O.
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Sarcopenia is an independent predictor of poor post‐operative outcomes following major surgery. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consists of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), which are chronic inflammatory conditions involving the gastrointestinal system. Evidence demonstrates that up to 60% of patients with IBD have sarcopenia. Despite advances in medical management, more than 15% of patients with UC and 80% with CD eventually require surgical intervention. The primary aim of the study was to assess the impact of sarcopenia on post‐operative anastomotic leak rates.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of patients at Royal Perth Hospital who underwent major abdominal surgery for management of IBD between January 2010 and December 2020 was performed. Sarcopenia was assessed according to the skeletal muscle index at the level of the third lumbar vertebrae using the cut off 52.4 and 38.5 cm2/m2 for men and women, respectively.

Results

A total of 147 patients were included. The prevalence of sarcopenia within the study population was 36.1%. Patients with sarcopenia were significantly taller (P = 0.025) and were more likely to be on pre‐operative steroid medications (P = 0.045). There was no difference in the remaining baseline characteristics between sarcopenic and non‐sarcopenic patients. Patients with sarcopenia were more likely to develop a post‐operative anastomotic leak (OR:11.303, 95% CI, 1.53–83.51, P = 0.017), grade IV complications (OR:6.79, 95%CI:1.1–43.6, P = 0.044) and require total parenteral nutrition (TPN) (OR:3.212, 95% CI:1.3–8.1, P = 0.013).

Conclusions

Sarcopenia significantly increases the risk of major post‐operative complications for patients with IBD undergoing colorectal surgery.
Evaluation of readability and reliability of online patient information for intracranial aneurysms
Authors: Patel Cheerag Bharatbhai , Kerr Neal , Ahmadi Omid , Muthu Thirayan
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Intracranial aneurysms are common. Receiving this diagnosis can have a profound impact on patients and their families and this is compounded by the nuanced complexities around their management. An overwhelming majority of patients research health information using the internet. Patient‐centred care and informed consent requires patients to have access to information that is readable and reliable. The aim of this study was to assess the readability and reliability of online health information about intracranial aneurysms.

Method

A Google search was conducted using the terms ‘brain aneurysm’, ‘cerebral aneurysm’, and ‘intracranial aneurysm’ and the first 75 websites were screened for assessment. The readability of each website was assessed using the Flesch reading ease score (FRE), the Flesch–Kincaid grade level (FKGL), the gunning fog index (GFI) and the simple measure of gobbledygook (SMOG) indices. Reliability was assessed using the DISCERN instrument and the Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria (JAMA).

Results

Following exclusion, 36 websites were analyzed. The websites collectively scored as ‘difficult’ readability and ‘poor’ reliability on average. Statistically significant differences in readability were observed between websites categorized as patient health information and commercial compared with academic and physician. Differences in readability were also observed between search results of ‘brain aneurysm’ compared with ‘intracranial aneurysm’.

Conclusion

The readability and reliability of online health information about intracranial aneurysms is suboptimal. Health professionals must ensure their patients are well informed which includes directing them to high quality resources which are readable and reliable and use layperson‐oriented language during the consultation.
Tissue engineered endothelial keratoplasty in rabbit: tips and tricks
Authors: Crouzet Emmanuel , He Zhiguo , Ben Moussa Olfa , Mentek Marielle , Isard Pierre‐Francois , Peyret Benjamin , Forest Fabien , Gain Philippe , Koizumi Noriko , Okumura Naoki , Thuret Gilles
Published: December 2021

Purpose

To report a detailed surgical procedure of tissue engineered endothelial keratoplasty (TEEK) in a rabbit model and its postoperative evaluation.

Methods

TEEKs were prepared 7 days before transplantation by seeding human or rabbit corneal endothelial cells on either femtosecond laser‐cut ultrathin human stromal lamellae (fs‐UTSL) or femtosecond laser‐cut human anterior lens capsule (fs‐HALC). Thirty transplantations were performed on aphakic eyes. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) was used throughout the surgery. The native endothelium was removed by full‐surface scraping and central descemetorhexis. The transplantation was performed as a human Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty. Controls included Descemetorhexis only and transplantation of carrier alone. Postoperative follow‐up was performed by slit lamp and optical coherence tomography, followed by histology.

Results

Controls remained oedematous. No fibrin occurred during surgery. All but three TEEKs adhered immediately. One/6 fs‐UTSL and 9/16 fs‐HALC cleared perfectly (p = 0.161). All failures could be explained by at least one of the following causes intraoperative bleeding, vitreous prolapsus, early partial detachment, postoperative irido corneal synechiea/angle closure. Presumed immune rejection was observed in three rabbits only after 4 weeks. Immunostaining with anti‐human CD166 allowed to perfectly differentiate human cells from rabbit cells. In successful TEEK at 3 or 4 weeks, human cells formed a normal endothelium and started migrating outside the carrier.

Conclusion

Though the transplantation of a TEEK in rabbits is a complex model with many causes of failure, established procedure including use of rTPA allows reliable preclinical study. In addition, we suggest that fs‐HALC might be a potential carrier for TEEK.
Teaching psychiatry in a low‐income country during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A hybrid collaborative psychiatry course
Authors: Virani Sanya , Handuleh Jibril I. M. , Pereira‐Sanchez Victor , Wolde‐Giorgis Daniel Fekadu
Published: December 2021

Amoud University in Borama is located in the self‐declared state of Somaliland, in the Horn of Africa. Past conflicts and resulting economic hardship have led to a lack of local academic psychiatry faculty and resources. Amoud has been for some years partnering with voluntary faculty in the United Kingdom to teach psychiatry to its medical students through in‐person “teaching missions.” This was recently led by a Borama‐native psychiatry resident in Ethiopia. COVID‐19 added further hardships due to restrictions to travel and in‐person gatherings. These challenges also created the opportunity for the development of an innovative, international, hybrid (online onsite), self‐sustaining partnership model which has been successful in improving psychiatry teaching for undergraduate students in 2020–2021 and will continue in 2021–2022. An international, ‘online‐connected’ department of psychiatry comprising a primary care physician in Somaliland, three postgraduate trainees in Ethiopia and the United States, and three senior psychiatrists in the United Kingdom developed a local faculty‐led, hybrid‐delivered, dynamic curriculum (bedside teaching, in person and online lecturing) that adapted to the needs, resources, faith and culture of Somaliland. While 2020–2021 has been the pilot year for the program, the overall experience has been enriching for students and faculty, leading to valuable cross‐cultural conversations with impact on teaching and research. While learning about Somalilanders' and trauma, the program leads, also the authors of this article, have identified ways to harness the resilience and faith of students to bring about improvements in global mental health.
Romanian psychiatric residents' opinions on factors that influence their decision to emigrate: A 5‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Mihai Adriana , Trandafir Silvia Maria , Duica Lavinia , Mihai Alex , Lungu Cosmin , Pirlog Mihail Cristian
Published: December 2021

Introduction

To evaluate the situation of migration of psychiatrists from Romania and a prioritization exercise of main factors related with psychiatric residents' decision to emigrate could be a starting point of elaboration of a strategy of reforms. Important changes have been done in economic status of residents in 2018. The impact of these measures in changing opinions was checked.

Methods

This is a cross sectional evaluation study on a randomized selected sample of Romanian psychiatric residents' opinions on factors that influence decision of migration in EU countries in two time points, 2015 and 2020.

Results

Thirty‐eight percent of residents intend to work abroad comparing with 78% before the economic changes (25.8% vs. 71.7% for a limited period of time and 15.7% vs. 28.3% intend to emigrate) and 2% vs. 5% intend to leave the specialty. The important factors for decision to emigrate changed from “Better working conditions” (15.7% vs. 37.3% residents) to “Better training”; the factor “respect and appreciation by colleagues” remained important for 19.1% versus 17.9%. “Lack of working place for partner” was considered by 26.7% of responders as an important disadvantage of working abroad. “Being far from family members”, which was considered 5 years ago by 64.2% of responders as an important disadvantage of working abroad, nowadays concerns only 6.7%, probably because it seems easier to go abroad together with the family members.

Conclusions

The factors (better training in psychiatry and psychotherapy, better supervision, more involvement in research) that influence the residents' decision to emigrate represent the starting points for future reforms in educational and medical system in psychiatry.
Phasing the history of ancient buildings through PCA on mortars’ mineralogical profiles: the example of the Sarno Baths (Pompeii)
Authors: Dilaria Simone , Previato Caterina , Secco Michele , Busana Maria Stella , Bonetto Jacopo , Cappellato Jessica , Ricci Giulia , Artioli Gilberto , Tan Ping
Published: December 2021

A total of 83 wall joint mortar samples collected from the Sarno Baths complex in Pompeii (Naples, Italy) were analysed by optical microscopy (OM) and X‐ray powder diffraction‐quantitative phase analysis (XRPD‐QPA) in order to scan the ancient construction phases and modern restorations to which the building was subject. The major issue to overcome in the research depended on the fact that the most part of the analysed mortars was taken from undated structures, while only 35 were collected from dated ones. In order to observe correlations in sample distribution which could reflect ancient building phases and modern restorations, we then processed XRPD‐QPA data of the mortars through principal component analysis (PCA). A rational subdivision of the full dataset into a smaller one before performing PCA was a useful step for a proper enucleation of coherent groups. The presence in most of the resulting groups of dated samples also allowed us to place in a precise timeframe the undated ones. This study demonstrates that our approach, integrating the traditional archaeological analysis with archaeometrical methods and statistics, could be adopted as a tool with which to frame the constructive episodes in other ancient buildings in Pompeii as well as at other archaeological sites.
Starch grain analysis of two different types of grinding stones from the Neolithic Shuangdun site (ca. 7.3–6.8 ka BP) in eastern China
Authors: Yang Yuzhang , Yao Ling , Zhang Dong , Liao Jingwen , Kan Xuhang , Zhang Juzhong
Published: December 2021

Two different types of grinding stones, grinding slabs and rollers, as well as mortars and pestles from the Shuangdun site (ca. 7.3–6.8 ka BP) in the middle Huai River region, were subjected to starch grain analysis to investigate the evolution of plant food processing tools during the transition period from a gathering–fishing–hunting economy to farming. The results suggest that both types of grinding stones were used to process various plant species, including Triticeae, Job's tears (Coix lacryma‐jobi), lotus root (Nelumbo nucifera), and bean (Vigna spp.). However, starch grains of rice (Oryza sativa) were only discovered from mortar and pestle tools, indicating that mortars and pestles might have become a fixed combination tool for rice processing. Damage characteristics analysis for different kinds of starches indicated that mortars and pestles were also used for grinding plant foods besides dehusking rice, whereas some roughly made slabs no longer had a grinding function and were used only for pounding some specific plant foods. The functional degeneration of grinding slabs coincides with the rise of farming in Neolithic China around 7,000 BP. This study provides new evidence for understanding the evolution of prehistoric human plant food processing tools in Neolithic Eastern China.
Non‐GAAP Earnings Disclosure Trends in New Zealand
Authors: Carvajal Mariela , Lont David H. , Scott Tom
Published: December 2021

Non‐generally accepted accounting practice (non‐GAAP) earnings provoke mixed opinions on their usefulness. We provide evidence over a 15‐year period that captures changes to accounting standards, economic conditions and regulatory guidance notes on non‐GAAP earnings. First, many firms do not use non‐GAAP earnings measures, with its popularity peaking at almost 59% in 2012 compared to below 33% in 2004, before decreasing to under 48% by 2018. The most common adjustments are tax, interest and depreciation, consistent with the preference for operating performance metrics. We document an improvement in the frequency of ‘Unknown’ adjustments (those that cannot be reconciled), reaching 32% in 2007, but it was not until 2013 that a significant improvement occurred. As this coincides with the timing of a Financial Markets Authority (FMA) guidance note requiring non‐GAAP earnings reconciliations, implying greater disclosure transparency needs clear regulatory guidelines. Second, we find an elevated use of asset impairment, restructuring and fair value adjustments around the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), which suggests managers perceive GAAP earnings have to be supplemented during major economic shocks.
Questioning the Ability of the Discussion Paper Business Combinations under Common Control in Improving Decision Usefulness
Authors: El Barnoussi Aziz , van Beest Ferdy
Published: December 2021

This paper makes a number of observations on the International Accounting Standards Board's Discussion Paper DP/2020/2 Business Combinations under Common Control. We address issues associated with the approach for applying acquisition accounting and discuss the practicality of the proposed criteria. We question the ability of this new DP to contribute to either decision usefulness or comparability in the presence of non‐controlling shareholders. We also address issues related to cost–benefit considerations and (unintended) earnings management opportunities, and propose some adjustments to properly reflect economic substance.
On Sanders, Trump, and rhinoceroses: Quantifying subjective construals helps predict political attitudes
Authors: Ponizovskiy Vladimir
Published: December 2021

People with different worldviews may have different interpretations for the same object. Freedom fighters for some are terrorists for others; immigrants can be seen as a threat or being threatened. To incorporate differences in interpretations into quantitative models, I propose the construct of value‐instantiating beliefs, or perceived consequences of actions for basic human values. I hypothesize that these beliefs moderate the relationship between personal values and attitudes. In a preregistered mixed‐methods study (N = 2038) I assess personal value priorities, attitudes, and perceived consequences of four political behaviours. Beliefs about consequences of the behaviours differed with political affiliation: for example, liberals saw voting for Trump in light of negative consequences for universalistic values, while conservatives stressed positive consequences for self‐direction and security. The moderation hypothesis was confirmed. Including value‐instantiating beliefs in the models significantly improved the predictions of attitudes towards and intentions to perform the behaviours.
An aging‐related signature predicts favorable outcome and immunogenicity in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Wenjing , Li Yuting , Lyu Juncheng , Shi Fuyan , Kong Yujia , Sheng Chao , Wang Suzhen , Wang Qinghua
Published: December 2021

Aging has been demonstrated to play vital roles in the prognosis and treatment efficacy of cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). This novel study aimed to construct an aging‐related risk signature to evaluate the prognosis and immunogenicity of LUAD. Transcriptomic profiles and clinical information were collected from a total of 2518 LUAD patients from 12 independent cohorts. The risk signature was developed by combining specific gene expression with the corresponding regression coefficients. One cohort treated with the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) was also used. Subsequently, a risk signature was developed based on 21 aging‐related genes. LUAD patients with low‐risk scores exhibited improved survival outcomes in both the discovery and validation cohorts. Further immunology analysis revealed elevated lymphocyte infiltration, decreased infiltration of immune‐suppressive cells, immune response‐related pathways, and favorable ICI predictor enrichment in the low‐risk subgroup. Genomic mutation exploration indicated the enhanced mutation burden and higher mutation rates in significantly driver genes of TP53, KEAP1, SMARCA4, and RBM10 were enriched in patients with a low‐risk signature. In the immunotherapeutic cohort, it was observed that low‐risk aging scores were markedly associated with prolonged ICI prognosis. Overall, the estimated aging signature proved capable of evaluating the prognosis, tumor microenvironment, and immunogenicity, which further provided clues for tailoring prognosis prediction and immunotherapy strategies, apart from promoting individualized treatment plans for LUAD patients.
Overcoming Barriers to Including Agricultural Workers in the Co‐Design of New AgTech: Lessons from a COVID‐19‐Present World
Authors: Burch Karly Ann , Legun Katharine
Published: December 2021

Collaborative design (co‐design) is a design strategy for generating relevant and socially acceptable technologies, and is inherently political by nature of its inclusion of particular groups and interests. This paper explores how to ethically and responsibly prepare for, notice and overcome barriers to including agricultural workers in the co‐design of new agricultural technologies. Drawing from feminist science and technology studies (STS), we offer response‐able mattering as an analytic tool to explore how the COVID‐19 pandemic caused and illuminated existing barriers to inclusion within an Aotearoa New Zealand‐based co‐design project. We argue that addressing barriers to inclusion requires prioritizing relationships and relationship building in technology design projects. This prioritization must account for a multiplicity of relationship building tempos (e.g., the time/pace necessary to ethically establish and maintain research relationships), temporal tensions (e.g., the pace of technology development versus the ability to meaningfully include collaborators), and un/intended relational cuts (e.g., boundaries or barriers affecting relationship building).
Investigating constraints on direct seeding for native revegetation in the Tasmanian Midlands
Authors: Bailey Tanya G. , Harrison Peter A. , Hanusch Yolanda , Ranyard Claire , Hooghkirk Charles , J. Davidson Neil , Pinkard Elizabeth A. , Potts Brad M.
Published: December 2021

Direct‐seeding trials in Tasmania tested the effectiveness of five treatments: a clear polymer film removed at three time intervals; insecticide; wetting agent; irrigation; and caging to exclude all mammal herbivores. The most effective treatment in improving early establishment of 15 native species across 2 years and at five sites was the application of the insecticide Bifenthrin to reduce seed predation by ants. The polymer film removed after 10 weeks also improved germination of a range of shrubby but not tree species. However, these early advantages were eroded over time at the first trial site due to damage from herbivores and at subsequent sites due to weed competition and mortality of seedlings over summer. Caging was beneficial to the ongoing persistence of tree and shrub species but also protected weeds. Further work on seed testing and timely weed control is needed.
The association between anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibody level and clinical improvement in myasthenia gravis
Authors: Marcuse Florit , Brandts Lloyd , Moens Daan , Damoiseaux Jan , Hochstenbag Monique , Hoeijmakers Janneke G. J. , Maessen Jos G. , De Baets Marc
Published: December 2021

Background and purpose

Anti‐acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies (ab) in the serum are detected in most patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) and used as a diagnostic tool. The aim of this study was to analyse a possible association between anti‐AChR‐ab serum levels and clinical improvement of MG.

Methods

The Maastricht University Medical Center is a centre of expertise for the treatment of MG. Between 1997 and 2020, more than 4000 anti‐AChR‐ab blood samples were measured for clinical care using a quantitative radioimmunoassay technique. These results, in combination with clinical status obtained from the patients’ electronic patient files, were retrospectively analysed by a single blinded clinician. Symptoms of MG were classified using the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) scale.

Results

In total, 90 anti‐AChR‐ab‐positive MG patients with 837 blood samples were included. The median follow‐up time was 72 months. The majority of the included patients were women (61.1%), were on immunosuppressive drug therapy (88.9%), and underwent a thymectomy (54.4%). Multilevel logistic regression analysis showed a significantly inverse association between change in anti‐AChR‐ab level and the odds of MGFA improvement (per 10% decrease of anti‐AChR‐ab level: odds ratio 1.21, 95% confidence interval 1.12–1.31; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

A change in anti‐AChR‐ab serum level is associated with clinical status in patients with MG. Analyses of anti‐AChR‐ab are not only useful for diagnostics but also in follow‐up of adult symptomatic patients with MG. The use of repetitive anti‐AChR‐ab serum levels might be valuable in long‐term monitoring for clinical improvement in patients with MG, however, further research is required for specific recommendations.
Late onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with anti‐aquaporin 4 and anti‐myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies
Authors: Wang Liang , Tan Hongmei , Huang Wenjuan , Chang Xuechun , ZhangBao Jingzi , Zhou Lei , Lu Chuanzhen , Wang Min , Lu Jiahong , Zhao Chongbo , Quan Chao
Published: December 2021

Background and purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of late onset (≥50 years) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (LO‐NMOSD), and compare them with those of early onset (<50 years) NMOSD (EO‐NMOSD) and NMOSD with various antibody serostatuses.

Methods

From January 2015 to December 2020, 360 anti‐aquaporin 4 antibody (AQP4‐ab)‐positive and 130 anti‐myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody (MOG‐ab)‐positive patients presented to the Huashan Hospital, China. We retrospectively reviewed their medical records, including the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score at each visit and the annualized relapse rate (ARR). Prognostic outcomes included the time to first relapse, blindness, motor dysfunction, severe motor dysfunction, and death. Correlations between the age at onset, lesion location, and clinical parameters were analyzed.

Results

This study included 122 (24.9%) patients with LO‐NMOSD, 101 with AQP4‐ab and 21 with MOG‐ab. Compared with EO‐NMOSD patients, those with LO‐NMOSD had higher EDSS scores and more frequent disease onset with transverse myelitis, blindness, motor dysfunction, and severe motor dysfunction. Compared with LO‐NMOSD patients with MOG‐ab, those with AQP4‐ab had a worse prognosis. Age at disease onset had a significantly positive correlation with EDSS score at the last follow‐up of all NMOSD patients, but a negative correlation with ARR‐1 (ARR excluding the first attack, calculated from disease onset to final follow‐up) in NMOSD patients with AQP4‐ab.

Conclusions

Patients with LO‐NMOSD, especially those with AQP4‐ab, had a worse prognosis compared with patients with EO‐NMOSD. Age at disease onset and antibody serostatus predicted blindness and motor dysfunction.
Personalization of the collaborator recommendation system in multi‐layer scientific social networks: A case study of ResearchGate
Authors: Roozbahani Zahra , Rezaeenour Jalal , Katanforoush Ali , Jalaly Bidgoly Amir
Published: December 2021

The development of knowledge sharing platforms, like scientific social networks encourages researchers to establish international collaboration in scientific projects. After reviewing the previous methods for collaborator detection in social networks, gaps in the earlier models are investigated, and the present study aims at filling the gaps by introducing a new scientific collaborator recommendation system. Accordingly, in the present paper, an integrated model is presented based on multilayer networks that can personalize the proposing scientific collaborators. Our proposed model involves various types of collaboration features based on researchers' needs. In our method a scientific social network is modelled as a multi‐relational network (MRN), in which collaborators are determined by a community detection algorithm. It provides us with an approach to integrate the personalized features into the collaborator detection model that is due to the essence of semi‐supervisory learning of our community detection algorithm. This MRN helps us prevent information loss in the network. We considered two techniques for examining the models. The first one was General Collaborator Recommendation, and the second one was a Collaborator with Personalization Ability. The proposed method is applied to the data of the ResearchGate (RG) social network and is evaluated by criteria, such as F index and NMI.
Exploring mental health clinicians' perceptions of the Zero Suicide Prevention Initiative
Authors: Porter Joanne E. , Dabkowski Elissa , Connolly Owen , Prokopiv Valerie
Published: December 2021

Suicide continues to impact rural and regional families and communities across Australia and has become a key focus of healthcare, research, and government policy in recent years. The challenge for healthcare organizations is to translate policy visions and research for clinicians to effectively embed in day to day practice when supporting people who experience suicidal crisis. This study explored the introduction of an evidence‐based Zero Suicide framework that includes a suicide prevention pathway and training package to a rural and regional community mental health team in Victoria, Australia. A qualitative semi‐structured interview technique was used to explore the perceptions of mental health clinicians of the Zero Suicide approach, the training package and the barriers to inform its implementation across a specialist mental health service. Clinicians were complimentary of the intent of Zero Suicide and the training package and felt they had increased confidence in delivering suicide safe care. Four major themes were identified through thematic analysis: (i) Minimizing risk with realistic expectations; (ii) A good approach to making a difference; (iii) Lessons learnt; and (iv) Barriers to implementation needing to change culture. Overall participants identified the importance of continued regular suicide prevention training for all staff but also in tailoring it to different consumer and clinician needs. In addition, organizational structure and adequate staff resourcing were important to participants as was working within a safety culture.