bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High seroconversion rate and SARS-CoV-2 Delta neutralization in PLWHIV vaccinated with BNT162b2
Authors: Pourcher Valérie , Belin Lisa , Soulie Cathia , Rosenzwajg Michelle , Marot Stéphane , Lacombe Karine , Valin Nadia , Pialoux Gilles , Calin Ruxandra , Malet Isabelle , Zafilaza Karen , Tubiana Roland , Valantin Marc-Antoine , Klatzmann David , Calvez Vincent , Simon-Tillaux Noémie , Marcelin Anne-Geneviève
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To assess the humoral and cellular responses against SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant after BNT162b2 vaccination in PLWHIV.

Design

Multicenter cohort study of PLWHIV, with a CD4 cell count <500/mm3 and a viral load <50 copies/ml on stable antiretroviral therapy for at least 3 months.

Methods

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain IgG antibodies (anti-RBD IgG) were quantified and their neutralization capacity was evaluated using an ELISA (GenScript) and a virus neutralization test (VNT), against historical strain, Beta and Delta variants before vaccination (day 0) and one month after a complete vaccination schedule (M1).

Results

97 patients were enrolled in the study: 85 received 2 vaccine doses (11 previous COVID-19 and 1 premature exit). The seroconversion rate in anti-RBD IgG was 97% CI95[90%; 100%] at M1. Median (IQR) anti-RBD IgG titer was 0.97 (0.97-5.3) BAU/ml at D0 and 1219 (602-1929) at M1. Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) capacity improved between D0 (15% CI95[8%; 23%]) and M1 (94% CI95[87%; 98%]) with the GenScript assay (p<0.0001). At M1, NAbs against historical strain, Beta and Delta variants were present in 82%, 77% and 84% patients respectively. The seroconversion rate and median anti-RBD IgG were 91% and 852 BAU/ml in patients with CD4<250/mm3 (n=13) and 98% and 1270 BAU/ml in patients with CD4>250/mm3 (n=64) (p=0.3994). 73% of patients with CD4<250 had NAbs and 97% of those with CD4>250 (p=0.0130). The NAbs against Beta variant was elicited in 50% in CD4<250 and in 81% in CD4>250 (p=0.0292). No change in CD4+ or CD8+ T cells count was observed while a decrease of CD19+ B cells count was observed (208 ±124 cells/mm3 at D0 vs 188 ±112 cells/mm3 at M1, p<0.01). No notable adverse effects or COVID-19 were reported.

Conclusions

These results show a high seroconversion rate with a Delta neutralization in PLWHIV patients after a complete BNT162b2 vaccination schedule.
Clinical Study Applying Machine Learning to Detect a Rare Disease: Results and Lessons Learned
Authors: Hersh William R. , Cohen Aaron M. , Nguyen Michelle M. , Bensching Katherine L. , Deloughery Thomas G.
Published: December 2021

Machine learning has the potential to improve identification of patients for appropriate diagnostic testing and treatment, including those who have rare diseases for which effective treatments are available, such as acute hepatic porphyria (AHP). We trained a machine learning model on 205,571 complete electronic health records from a single medical center based on 30 known cases to identify 22 patients with classic symptoms of AHP that had neither been diagnosed nor tested for AHP. We offered urine porphobilinogen testing to these patients via their clinicians. Of the 7 who agreed to testing, none were positive for AHP. We explore the reasons for this and provide lessons learned for further work evaluating machine learning to detect AHP and other rare diseases.
International risk of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant importations originating in South Africa
Authors: Bai Yuan , Du Zhanwei , Xu Mingda , Wang Lin , Wu Peng , Lau Eric H. Y. , Cowling Benjamin J. , Meyers Lauren Ancel
Published: December 2021

Omicron, a fast-spreading SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern reported to the World Health Organization on November 24, 2021, has raised international alarm. We estimated there is at least 50% chance that Omicron had been introduced by travelers from South Africa into all of the 30 countries studied by November 27, 2021.
MYH10 governs adipocyte function and adipogenesis through its interaction with GLUT4
Authors: Kislev N , Mor-Yossef Moldovan L , Barak R , Egozi M , Benayahu D
Published: December 2021

Adipocyte differentiation is dependent on cytoskeletal remodeling processes that determine and maintain cellular shape and function. In turn, cytoskeletal proteins contribute to the filament-based network responsible for controlling adipocyte’s shape and promoting the intracellular trafficking of key cellular components. Currently, our understanding of these mechanisms remains incomplete. In this study, we identified the non-muscle myosin 10 (MYH10) as an important regulator of adipogenesis and adipocyte function through its interaction with the insulin dependent, Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). MYH10 depletion in preadipocytes resulted in impaired adipogenesis, with knockdown cells exhibiting disrupted morphology and reduced molecular adipogenic signals. MYH10 was shown to be in complex with GLUT4 in adipocytes, an interaction regulated by insulin induction. The missing adipogenic capacity of MYH10-KD cells was restored when they uptook GLUT4 vesicles up from neighbor wild-type cells in a co-culture system. Our results provide the first demonstration that MYH10 interacts with GLUT4 in cells and adipose tissue through the insulin pathway. The signaling cascade is regulated by the protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ), which interacts with MYH10 to modify the localization and interaction of both GLUT4 and MYH10 in adipocytes as PKCζ inhibition resulted in reduced GLUT4 and MYH10 translocation and interactions. Overall, our study establishes MYH10 as an essential regulator of GLUT4 translocation, affecting both adipogenesis and adipocyte function, highlighting its importance in future cytoskeleton-based studies in adipocytes.
The m6A reader YTHDF2 is a negative regulator for dendrite development and maintenance of retinal ganglion cells
Authors: Niu Fugui , Han Peng , Zhang Jian , She Yuanchu , Yang Lixin , Yu Jun , Zhuang Mengru , Tang Kezhen , Shi Yuwei , Yang Baisheng , Liu Chunqiao , Peng Bo , Ji Sheng-Jian
Published: December 2021

The precise control of growth and maintenance of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendrite arborization is critical for normal visual functions in mammals. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we find that the m6A reader YTHDF2 is highly expressed in the mouse RGCs. Conditional knockout (cKO) of Ythdf2 in the retina leads to increased RGC dendrite branching, resulting in more synapses in the inner plexiform layer. Interestingly, the Ythdf2 cKO mice show improved visual acuity compared with control mice. We further demonstrate that Ythdf2 cKO in the retina protects RGCs from dendrite degeneration caused by the experimental acute glaucoma model. We identify the m6A-modified YTHDF2 target transcripts which mediate these effects. This study reveals mechanisms by which YTHDF2 restricts RGC dendrite development and maintenance. YTHDF2 and its target mRNAs might be valuable in developing new treatment approaches for glaucomatous eyes.

Impact statement

The m6A reader YTHDF2 negatively regulates RGC dendrite branching through destabilizing its m6A-modified target mRNAs encoding proteins controlling dendrite development and maintenance. Ythdf2 cKO improves visual acuity and alleviates acute ocular hypertension-induced glaucoma in mice.
Improvement of beef cattle cow’s pregnancy rate using an effective dose of Galectin-1
Authors: Morani Erika da Silva Carvalho , Penha Helen Alves , Rey Fernando Sebastián Baldi , Rácoletta Marcelo
Published: December 2021

Galectins are mentioned in the literature as multifunctional molecules that participate in several biological processes such as adhesion, cell proliferation, and cycle, apoptosis, RNA processing, inflammatory process control, and reproductive physiological mechanisms. Galectin-1 has been referred to as a mediator involved in the prevention of early embryonic mortality in mammals. Exogenous GAL-1 (eGAL-1) can be found in Tolerana®. The objective of the study was to evaluate whether eGAL-1 can increase the pregnancy rate when used in an AI procedure (in a complementary artificial insemination procedure, using a second AI gun). The pregnancy rate was determined by the pregnancy condition through an ultrasound exam performed 25 to 35 days after the fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) of breeding cows (n=3,469 beef cows). The efficacy of GAL-1 was evaluated by comparing the pregnancy rate of the two groups (Treatment and Control Groups) in 107 contemporary groups (YG) established by the created statistical model. Based on the obtained results, it can be confirmed that the correct administration of a single dose of eGAL-1 can increase the probability of obtaining pregnancy in beef cows by up to 8.68% (p < 0.0001). The recommendation of the use of eGAL-1 during the FTAI procedure was reasonable in the beef cattle AI routine. On average, the complete procedure, using eGAL-1, took about 10 ± 5 seconds more time than the conventional procedure.
Atypical B cells upregulate co-stimulatory molecules during malaria and secrete antibodies with T follicular helper cell support
Authors: Hopp Christine S. , Skinner Jeff , Anzick Sarah L. , Tipton Christopher M. , Peterson Mary E. , Li Shanping , Doumbo Safiatou , Kayentao Kassoum , Ongoiba Aissata , Martens Craig , Traore Boubacar , Crompton Peter D.
Published: December 2021

Several infectious and autoimmune diseases are associated with an expansion of CD21-CD27- atypical B cells (atBCs). The function of atBCs remains unclear and few studies have investigated the biology of pathogen-specific atBCs during acute infection. Here, we performed longitudinal RNA-sequencing and flow cytometry analyses of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf)-specific B cells before and shortly after febrile malaria, with simultaneous analysis of influenza hemagglutinin (HA)-specific B cells as a comparator. B cell receptor-sequencing showed that Pf-specific atBCs, activated B cells (actBCs) and classical memory B cells share clonality and have comparable somatic hypermutation. In response to malaria, Pf-specific atBCs and actBCs expanded and upregulated molecules that mediate B-T cell interactions, suggesting that atBCs respond to T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Indeed, in the presence of Tfh cells and Staphylococcal enterotoxin B, atBCs of malaria-exposed individuals differentiated into CD38+ antibody-secreting cells in vitro, suggesting that atBCs may actively contribute to humoral immunity to infectious pathogens.

One Sentence Summary

This study shows that atypical B cells actively respond to acute malaria and have the capacity to produce antibodies with T cell help.
Characterization of mutations causing steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency in Brazilian and Portuguese populations
Authors: Prado Mayara J. , Singh Shripriya , Ligabue-Braun Rodrigo , Meneghetti Bruna V. , Rispoli Thaiane , Kopacek Cristiane , Monteiro Karina , Zaha Arnaldo , Rossetti Maria L. R. , Pandey Amit V.
Published: December 2021

Deficiency of Cytochrome P450 Steroid 21-hydroxylase (CYP21A2) represents 90% of cases in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), an autosomal recessive disease caused by defects in cortisol biosynthesis. Computational prediction along with functional studies are often the only way to classify variants to understand the links to disease-causing effects. Here we investigated the pathogenicity of uncharacterized variants in the CYP21A2 gene reported in the Brazilian and Portuguese populations. Physicochemical alterations, residue conservation, and effect on protein structure were accessed by computational analysis. The enzymatic performance was obtained by functional assay with the wild-type and mutant CYP21A2 proteins expressed in HEK293 cells. Computational analysis showed that p.W202R, p.E352V, and p.R484L have severely impaired the protein structure, while p.P35L, p.L199P, and p.P433L have moderate effects. The p.W202R, p.E352V, p.P433L, and p.R484L variants showed residual 21OH activity consistent with the simple virilizing phenotype. The p.P35L and p.L199P variants showed partial 21OH efficiency associated with the non-classical phenotype. Additionally, p.W202R, p.E352V and p.R484L also modified the protein expression level. We have determined how the selected CYP21A2 gene mutations affect the 21OH activity through structural and activity alteration contributing to the future diagnosis and management of 21OH deficiency.
MacroH2A impedes metastatic growth by enforcing a discrete dormancy program in disseminated cancer cells
Authors: Sun Dan , Filipescu Dan , Hasson Dan , Singh Deepak K. , Carcamo Saul , Khalil Bassem , Miles Brett A. , Westra William , Sproll Karl Christoph , Bernstein Emily , Aguirre-Ghiso Julio A.
Published: December 2021

Abstract

MacroH2A variants have been associated with tumor suppression through inhibition of proliferation and metastasis, as well as their role in cellular senescence. However, their role in regulating the dormant state of disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) remains unclear. Here we reveal that solitary dormant DCCs display increased levels of macroH2A variants in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma PDX models and patient samples compared to proliferating primary or metastatic lesions. We further demonstrate that microenvironmental and stress adaptive signals such as TGFβ2 and p38α/β, which induce DCC dormancy, upregulate macroH2A expression. Functionally, we find that overexpression of macroH2A variants is sufficient to induce tumor cells into dormancy and notably, inducible expression of the macroH2A2 variant suppresses the growth of DCCs into overt metastasis. However, this dormant state does not require well-characterized dormancy factors such as DEC2 and NR2F1, suggesting alternate pathways. Our transcriptomic analyses reveal that macroH2A2 overexpression inhibits E2F, RAS and MYC signaling programs, while upregulating inflammatory cytokines commonly secreted by senescent cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that macroH2A2 enforces a stable dormant phenotype in DCCs by activating a select subset of dormancy and senescence genes that limit metastasis initiation.
Scalable image-based visualization and alignment of spatial transcriptomics datasets
Authors: Preibisch Stephan , Innerberger Michael , León-Periñán Daniel , Karaiskos Nikos , Rajewsky Nikolaus
Published: December 2021

We present STIM, an imaging-based computational framework focused on visualizing and aligning high-throughput spatial sequencing datasets. STIM is built on the powerful, scalable ImgLib2 and BigDataViewer (BDV) image data frameworks and thus enables novel development or transfer of existing computer vision techniques to the sequencing domain characterized by datasets with irregular measurement-spacing and arbitrary spatial resolution, such as spatial transcriptomics data generated by multiplexed targeted hybridization or spatial sequencing technologies. We illustrate STIM’s capabilities by representing, interactively visualizing, 3D rendering, automatically registering and segmenting publicly available spatial sequencing data from 13 serial sections of mouse brain tissue, and from 19 sections of a human metastatic lymph node.
A slow dynamic RNA switch regulates processing of microRNA-21
Authors: Shortridge Matthew D. , Yang Wen , Walker Matthew J. , Varani Gabriele
Published: December 2021

The microRNAs are non-coding RNAs which post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of a majority of eukaryotic genes, and whose dysregulation is a driver of many human diseases. Here we report the discovery of a very slow (0.1 sec) conformational rearrangement at the Dicer cleavage site of pre-miR-21 which regulates the relative concentration of readily processed and inefficiently processed structural states. We show this dynamic switch is affected by single nucleotide mutations and can be biased by small molecule and peptide ligands, which can direct the microRNA to occupy the inefficiently processed state and reduce processing efficiency. This result reveals a new mechanism of RNA regulation and suggests a chemical approach to suppressing or activating pathogenic microRNAs by selective stabilization of the unprocessed or processed state.
Live imaging of the Cryptosporidium parvum lifecycle reveals direct development of male and female gametes from type one meronts
Authors: English Elizabeth D. , Guérin Amandine , Tandel Jayesh , Striepen Boris
Published: December 2021

Cryptosporidium is a leading infectious cause of diarrhea around the world associated with waterborne outbreaks, community spread, or zoonotic transmission. The parasite has significant impact on early childhood mortality, and infection is both consequence and cause of malnutrition and stunting. There is currently no vaccine, and treatment options are very limited. Cryptosporidium is a member of the Apicomplexa, and as typical for this protist phylum relies on asexual and sexual reproduction. In contrast to other Apicomplexa, like malaria parasite Plasmodium, Cryptosporidium’s entire lifecycle unfolds in a single host in less than three days. Here we establish a model to image lifecycle progression in living cells, and observe, track, and compare nuclear division of asexual and sexual stage parasites. We establish the length and sequence of the cell cycles of all stages and map the developmental fate of parasites across multiple rounds of invasion and egress. We determine that the parasite executes an intrinsic program of three generations of asexual replication, followed by a single generation of sexual stages that is independent of environmental stimuli. We find no evidence for a morphologically distinct intermediate stage (the tetraploid type II meront) but demonstrate direct development of gametes from 8N type I meronts. The progeny of each meront is collectively committed to either asexual or sexual fate, but importantly, meronts committed to sexual fate give rise to both males and females. We define a Cryptosporidium lifecycle matching Tyzzer’s original description and inconsistent with the coccidian lifecycle now shown in many textbooks.
A predictive microfluidic model of human glioblastoma to assess trafficking of blood-brain barrier penetrant nanoparticles
Authors: Straehla Joelle P. , Hajal Cynthia , Safford Hannah C. , Offeddu Giovanni S. , Boehnke Natalie , Dacoba Tamara G. , Wyckoff Jeffrey , Kamm Roger D. , Hammond Paula T.
Published: December 2021

The blood-brain barrier represents a significant challenge for the treatment of high-grade gliomas, and our understanding of drug transport across this critical biointerface remains limited. To advance preclinical therapeutic development for gliomas, there is an urgent need for predictive in vitro models with realistic blood-brain barrier vasculature. Here, we report a vascularized human glioblastoma (GBM) model in a microfluidic device that accurately recapitulates brain tumor vasculature with self-assembled endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes to investigate the transport of targeted nanotherapeutics across the blood-brain barrier and into GBM cells. Using modular layer-by-layer assembly, we functionalized the surface of nanoparticles with GBM-targeting motifs to improve trafficking to tumors. We directly compared nanoparticle transport in our in vitro platform with transport across mouse brain capillaries using intravital imaging, validating the ability of the platform to model in vivo blood-brain barrier transport. We investigated the therapeutic potential of functionalized nanoparticles by encapsulating cisplatin and showed improved efficacy of these GBM-targeted nanoparticles both in vitro and in an in vivo orthotopic xenograft model. Our vascularized GBM model represents a significant biomaterials advance, enabling in-depth investigation of brain tumor vasculature and accelerating the development of targeted nanotherapeutics.

Significance Statement

The blood-brain barrier represents a major therapeutic challenge for the treatment of glioblastoma, and there is an unmet need for in vitro models that recapitulate human biology and are predictive of in vivo response. Here we present a new microfluidic model of vascularized glioblastoma featuring a tumor spheroid in direct contact with self-assembled vascular networks comprised of human endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes. This model was designed to accelerate the development of targeted nanotherapeutics, and enabled rigorous assessment of a panel of surface-functionalized nanoparticles designed to exploit a receptor overexpressed in tumor-associated vasculature. Trafficking and efficacy data in the in vitro model compared favorably to parallel in vivo data, highlighting the utility of the vascularized glioblastoma model for therapeutic development.
Financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in Africa: emerging perspectives and research agenda
Authors: Kuada John
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purposes of the paper are to review the stream of studies that link financial inclusion to small enterprise growth in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) to identify the research gaps they provide and to prepare an agenda for future research in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs systematic literature search method to identify relevant literature from journals. The study then adopts a narrative approach for the review, highlighting the findings from the prior studies and gaps requiring research attention.

Findings

The discussions reveal that there is a need for future studies that can unpack small enterprise growth determinants, identify growth-enabling entrepreneurial characteristics and examine the contextual variabilities that shape their effectiveness.

Originality/value

There is currently no comprehensive/integrated review exploring the link between financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in SSA. The review, therefore, provides insights that contribute to the development of this stream of research.
Online multidisciplinary integrated rural healthcare education programs during the COVID-19 pandemic for students from different universities: experiences and guidelines
Authors: Barraclough Frances , Pit Sabrina
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to “forced innovation” in the health education industry. High-quality training of the future rural health workforce is crucial to ensure a pipeline of rural health practitioners to meet the needs of rural communities. This paper describes the implementation of an online multidisciplinary teaching program focusing on integrated care and the needs of rural communities.

Design/methodology/approach

A multidisciplinary teaching program was adapted to allow students from various disciplines and universities to learn together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contemporary issues such as the National Aged Care Advocacy Program for Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Project were explored during the program.

Findings

This case study describes how the program was adopted, how learning needs were met, practical examples (e.g. the Hand Hygiene Advocacy within a Rural School Setting Project), the challenges faced and solutions developed to address these challenges. Guidelines are proposed for remote multidisciplinary learning among health professional students, including those in medical, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and allied health disciplines.

Originality/value

The originality of this program centers around students from multiple universities and disciplines and various year levels learning together in a rural area over an extended period of time. Collaboration among universities assists educators in rural areas to achieve critical mass to teach students. In addition it provides experiences and guidance for the work integrated learning sector, rural health workforce practitioners, rural clinical schools, universities, policy makers, and educators who wish to expand rural online multidisciplinary learning.
Building dynamic capabilities for international marketing knowledge management
Authors: Scuotto Veronica , Nespoli Chiara , Palladino Rosa , Safraou Imen
Published: December 2021

Purpose

By using the lens of knowledge-based view (KBV) and focusing on individual loci of knowledge, the present study addresses whether marketing knowledge management (MKM) is rooted in individual dynamic capabilities (DCs) and consequently whether it has a close relationship with the three main DCs, namely, the ability to solve a problem (substantive capability); the adaptation to rapid changes (adaptative capability); and the ability to change the way individuals solve problems (change capability).

Design/methodology/approach

The present study aimed to examine the effects of MKM (the quantitative variable) on DCs (the quantitative variables). Drawing on the relevant literatures, the researchers have developed a model that defines the subjects of the empirical test. To do this, the authors opted for a hypothetico-deductive approach, which is commonly used in quantitative studies. The empirical analysis involved a linear regression and a sample of 105 managers of Italian companies operating in the knowledge intensive sector.

Findings

Substantive, adaptive and change capabilities were all positively correlated with MKM. The results indicate the significant need for individual DCs to improve business performance in terms of creativity, innovation, and flexibility in response to market changes.

Originality/value

The authors show that individual MKM has a strong relationship with individual DCs when the employees have the capacity to solve problems, adapt, and change. In turn, managers are strategically creative and imagine future possibilities in the international marketing sphere. This includes procedures and routines to learn in local markets. The study also stresses the fact that individuals represent the primary loci of knowledge.
The effect of network structure on the purchase of virtual goods on social networking services
Authors: Lee Hee-Tae , Cha Moon-Kyung
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the effect of social structure variables on the purchase of virtual goods. Using field data, it also tests whether their effects on a social networking service are dynamic.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the research objectives, the authors have applied the random effects panel Tobit model with actual time-series corporate data to explain a link between network structure factors and actual behavior on social networking services.

Findings

The authors have found that various network structure variables such as in-degree, in-closeness centrality, out-closeness centrality and clustering coefficients are significant predictors of virtual item sales; while the constraint is marginally significant, out-degree is not significant. Furthermore, these variables are time-varying, and the dynamic model performs better in a model fit than the static one.

Practical implications

The findings will help social networking service (SNS) operators realize the importance of understanding network structure variables and personal motivations or the behavior of consumers.

Originality/value

This study provides implications in that it uses various and dynamic network structure variables with panel data.
Emergent affordances and potential challenges of mobile learning apps: insights from online reviews
Authors: Gholizadeh Mehran , Akhlaghpour Saeed , Isaias Pedro , Namvar Morteza
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Through a data-driven theory development approach, this study builds on affordance theory and demonstrates how online mobile app reviews can be analyzed to understand the drivers of informal mobile learning success.

Design/methodology/approach

Textual big data provide a wealth of information regarding user–app relationships and various facets of user engagement. Adopting structural topic modeling and sentiment analysis, the authors extract latent topics from reviews of two educational apps: Duolingo and Photomath.

Findings

The findings suggest that the quality of the relationship between users and mobile learning apps is significantly reliant on how underlying affordances have been actualized. While affordances can leverage satisfaction, they may also be a source of frustration in case of any failure in their design or integration. The analysis reveals eight emergent affordances: practicality, affordability, information reliability, instruction integrity, hedonic experience, user-friendliness, interactive input and iterative upgrading.

Research limitations/implications

Since affordances of a technology entail both enablement and constraint and are best studied as a bundle of connected elements influencing each other reciprocally, the authors discuss how to address potential challenges from technical aspects to the added value of using mobile learning apps.

Originality/value

The results demonstrate that qualitative information in online reviews about mobile learning app experiences is of significant value. The approach demonstrates how advanced analytics can provide business value by addressing the evolving nature of customer needs and expectations. It proves the value of online reviews in discovering underlying technology affordances and their potential boundaries and challenges.
The novelty-centered business model: a transition mechanism between exploration and exploitation in SMEs
Authors: Karmeni Kerim , Uhlaner Lorraine , Lucianetti Lorenzo
Published: December 2021

Purpose

As the transition between exploration and exploitation is a unique challenge for SMEs, what mechanism(s) might facilitate this transition? Building on the entrepreneurship literature's entrepreneurial opportunity identification and development framework, this study hypothesizes that the novelty-centered business model (NCBM) may serve as such a mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on cross-sectional survey data collected from 169 Italian SMEs in various sectors, this study tests the mediation, moderation and moderated mediation relationships using the statistical PROCESS procedure.

Findings

Supporting the hypotheses that exploration and exploitation are positively associated within SMEs, that NCBM mediates this relationship and that the indirect relationship between exploration and exploitation by way of NCBM is stronger for SMEs with employees of medium to high creative human capital, the results suggest that SMEs can more effectively exploit new ideas identified in the exploration phase by developing an NCBM and accessing their creative human capital.

Research limitations/implications

Although the robustness checks confirm the direction of the proposed hypotheses, given the cross-sectional nature of the dataset used, a longitudinal study would further validate the proposed framework.

Practical implications

SMEs can successfully achieve the transition between exploration and exploitation by reinventing their business model to compensate for their limited resources in terms of financial or relational capital. They can further enhance their ability to reinvent their business model and, in turn, to exploit innovations by hiring and retaining employees with greater creative human capital.

Originality/value

This study draws on the entrepreneurial opportunity, ambidexterity (exploration-exploitation) and business model literature to enhance our understanding of the role of the NCBM design concept (business model innovation) as a mechanism to achieve temporal ambidexterity in SMEs.
Does agricultural development affect environmental quality? The case of carbon dioxide emission in Ghana
Authors: Kwakwa Paul Adjei , Acheampong Vera , Aboagye Solomon
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Agricultural development still constitutes an integral part of Ghana's drive towards job creation, industrial development and economic growth with various growth policies placing the agricultural sector at the core. While there are likely environmental effects of agricultural activities, evidence in Ghana remains scanty. The study focused on examining, empirically, the effects of the development of the agricultural sector on carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employed the Stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology (STIRPAT) framework to test for the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for agriculture and carbon dioxide emission as well as the effect that the changing structure of Ghana's agricultural development has on carbon dioxide emission for the 1971–2018 period. Regression analysis, variance decomposition and causality analysis were performed.

Findings

The regression results revealed a U-shaped relationship between agricultural development and carbon emission, implying a rejection of the EKC hypothesis between the two variables. In addition, the Structural Adjustment Programme was found to positively moderate the effect agriculture has on carbon emission.

Practical implications

The study recommends the need for policy-makers to facilitate the large-scale adoption and use of modern technology and environmentally friendly agricultural methods.

Originality/value

The study is among the few works to assess the EKC hypothesis between agriculture and carbon dioxide emission in Africa. The direct and indirect effect of structural adjustment programme on carbon emission is estimated.
How far do they go?: A spatial examination of missing persons from hospitals
Authors: Ferguson Lorna , Koziarski Jacek
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Missing person cases are a global issue impacting policing. Among these, those who abscond from hospitals are especially concerning because these reports require collaboration across services, often strain already limited police and hospital resources and present an elevated level of possible harm due to high prevalence of mental illness, disability and/or addiction. Despite this, to-date, there has been a lack of scholarly attention on this phenomenon from a policing perspective. The present study aims to fill this gap by exploring how far missing hospital patients travel and where they are commonly found.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 731 closed case files (2014–2018) from one police service, we identify spatial behaviour patterns specific to this group of missing persons.

Findings

Results suggest that most do not leave the hospital grounds or stay within a 5-km radius. Others were found close to the hospital, within city limits and/or returned of their own volition. By identifying these spatial behaviour patterns associated with missing hospital patients, police can refine probable search areas, allocate resources more efficiently, find the missing faster and develop better-informed responses and collaborative policies.

Originality/value

Our research represents the first empirical investigation into missing persons from hospital settings through a spatial perspective. Through descriptive statistical and spatial analyses, we determine the distance between the hospital a given individual was reported missing from and the location of where they were ultimately found.
The prediction of optimal conditions for the surface grafting ofβ-cyclodextrin onto silk fabrics by an artificial neural network (ANN)
Authors: Zare Abolfazl , Payvandy Pedram
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is the chemical grafting ofβ-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) onto silk fabrics by the use of butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) as a crosslinking agent and nano-TiO2(NTO) as a catalyst. The effects of different parameters involved in this particular process, e.g.β-CD, BTCA and NTO concentrations, are examined using the artificial neural network (ANN). The method is evaluated for its ability to predict certain properties of treated fabrics, including grafting yield, dry crease recovery angle (DCRA) and wet crease recovery angle (WCRA), tensile strength, elongation at break and methylene blue dye absorption.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted to describe the cross-linking of silk with 1,2,3,4-BTCA as a crosslinking agent in a wet state at low temperatures using NTO catalyst to improve the dry and wet wrinkle recovery (DCRA and WCRA) of silk fabrics. An ANN was also used to model and analyze the effects of BTCA,β-CD and NTO concentrations on the grafting percentage and some properties of the treated samples.

Findings

According to the results, the wet and dry wrinkle recovery of the silk fabrics was improved for about 38% and 11%, respectively, as compared to the non-cross-linked fabrics, without significantly affecting the tensile strength retention of the fabrics.

Originality/value

This research model and analyze the effects of BTCA,β-CD and NTO concentrations on the grafting percentage and some properties of the treated samples for the first time.
Capital budgeting practices and political risk: evidence from Lebanon
Authors: Bakri Ahmed , Fifield Suzanne G.M. , Power David M.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how capital investment projects are appraised in Lebanon; whether the risk is incorporated into this process by Lebanese firms and the impact of political risk on the capital budgeting process.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a questionnaire survey to investigate the capital budgeting practices of companies located in Lebanon, which is a country characterised by a high level of political risk.

Findings

Lebanese companies tend to use more than one method of investment appraisal and, increasingly, they are using sophisticated discounted cashflow techniques alongside the payback period. The most widely used methods to evaluate risk include scenario and sensitivity analysis. Finally, political risk plays an important role in the capital budgeting processes of Lebanese companies.

Originality/value

The paper reports on whether the methods of capital investment appraisal used throughout advanced Western economies are used in the context of an emerging economy. In addition, Lebanon is an ideal research site to study capital budgeting as the conflicts in the country of the past 50 years have required sizeable new expenditure on capital projects; the country is characterised by high levels of political risk which may lead corporate managers to use different approaches to investment appraisal and it provides an opportunity to study capital budgeting decisions by private, unlisted firms.
Is the ACRL Framework a teaching tool? Undergraduates’ interpretations of its language and concepts
Authors: Jarson Jennifer , Hamelers Rachel
Published: December 2021

Purpose

While many librarians have celebrated the pedagogical inspiration offered by the ACRL Framework, some have raised concerns about the comprehensibility and accessibility of its language, particularly for students. The authors sought to understand if introducing the language of the frames explicitly – in addition to using them as the implicit foundation of our teaching – resonated with these undergraduates. This case study investigates how undergraduates at a liberal arts institution interpreted the Framework’s language and concepts in relation to their independent research.

Design/methodology/approach

In this case study, the authors analyzed 25 undergraduates’ reflections on their information literacy learning guided by recommendations for thematic analysis of qualitative data from Braun and Clarke (2006) and Castleberry and Nolen (2018). These steps included closely reading the reflections, disassembling and reassembling by frame, coding for themes, and finding trends and patterns.

Findings

The authors’ analysis of students’ reflections offers insight into how these students interpreted the Framework’s language and related it to their own experience. By noting language that seemed to resonate in this instance, the authors suggest ways in which educators could effectively use the Framework’s language with undergraduates.

Originality/value

Other studies in this area have generally been conducted with semester-long general education courses. This case study explores if explicit use of the Framework’s language outside of the classroom setting can resonate with undergraduates. Expanding research into different academic contexts enhances our understanding of how librarians may use the Framework as an explicit pedagogical tool.
The sound of recovery: Coral reef restoration success is detectable in the soundscape
Authors: Lamont Timothy A. C. , Williams Ben , Chapuis Lucille , Prasetya Mochyudho E. , Seraphim Marie J. , Harding Harry R. , May Eleanor B. , Janetski Noel , Jompa Jamaluddin , Smith David J. , Radford Andrew N. , Simpson Stephen D.
Published: December 2021

Pantropical degradation of coral reefs is prompting considerable investment in their active restoration. However, current measures of restoration success are based largely on coral cover, which does not fully reflect ecosystem function or reef health.

Soundscapes are an important aspect of reef health; loud and diverse soundscapes guide the recruitment of reef organisms, but this process is compromised when degradation denudes soundscapes. As such, acoustic recovery is a functionally important component of ecosystem recovery.

Here, we use acoustic recordings taken at one of the world's largest coral reef restoration projects to test whether successful restoration of benthic and fish communities is accompanied by a restored soundscape. We analyse recordings taken simultaneously on healthy, degraded (extensive historic blast fishing) and restored reefs (restoration carried out for 1–3 years on previously degraded reefs). We compare soundscapes using manual counts of biotic sounds (phonic richness), and two commonly used computational analyses (acoustic complexity index [ACI] and sound‐pressure level [SPL]).

Healthy and restored reef soundscapes exhibited a similar diversity of biotic sounds (phonic richness), which was significantly higher than degraded reef soundscapes. This pattern was replicated in some automated analyses but not others; the ACI exhibited the same qualitative result as phonic richness in a low‐frequency, but not a high‐frequency bandwidth, and there was no significant difference between SPL values in either frequency bandwidth. Furthermore, the low‐frequency ACI and phonic richness scores were only weakly correlated despite showing a qualitatively equivalent overall result, suggesting that these metrics are likely to be driven by different aspects of the reef soundscape.

Synthesis and applications. These data show that coral restoration can lead to soundscape recovery, demonstrating the return of an important ecosystem function. They also suggest that passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) might provide functionally important measures of ecosystem‐level recovery—but only some PAM metrics reflect ecological status, and those that did are likely to be driven by different communities of soniferous animals. Recording soundscapes represents a potentially valuable tool for evaluating restoration success across ecosystems, but caution must be exercised when choosing metrics and interpreting results.
Information sharing during cross‐border collaboration from a dialect continua perspective
Authors: Granholm Martina Eva , Holand Ivar S. , Mozelius Peter , Stjernström Olof
Published: December 2021

Emergencies sometimes cross the borders of nations making information sharing over national borders essential in emergency management. This type of information sharing is often mediated by some kind of technology. However, appropriate and efficient cross‐border communication is more than providing technology to mediate information exchange. This study note focuses on emergency services experience of terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA)‐mediated cross‐border communication across the Norwegian–Swedish border. We applied the theory of dialect continua to analyse how people from different dialect areas understood each other. The study was based upon data gathered from semi‐structured interviews. The findings show that indeed the technological solutions had opened up new opportunities for cross‐border communication but that during stressful conditions, the language differences between Norwegian and Swedish could lead to misunderstandings.
Primary pulmonary meningioma presenting as multiple lung nodules: A case report
Authors: Oh Ju H. , Cho Hong S. , Hwang Hee S. , Ji Wonjun
Published: December 2021

Primary pulmonary meningioma (PPM) is a very rare and mostly benign disease. Although PPM is incidentally detected as a solitary pulmonary nodule on X‐ray or chest computed tomography, it does not have unique radiological characteristics; thus, it is difficult to differentiate it from other lung tumors. A healthy 54‐year‐old man visited our hospital because of multiple variable‐sized lung nodules. He had no contributive medical history and no abnormality that was suggestive of extrapulmonary malignancy. Video‐assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection was undertaken for diagnosis, and the tumor cells were histopathologically confirmed as PPM. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed no intracranial tumor. The patient has been well and without any progression of the remaining lesions over 24 months. Here, we present the clinicopathological features of this case in which the patient's nodules were mistaken for multiple metastatic lung nodules.
Associations between electronic devices use and common mental traits: A gene–environment interaction model using the UK Biobank data
Authors: Ye Jing , Cheng Shiqiang , Chu Xiaomeng , Wen Yan , Cheng Bolun , Liu Li , Liang Chujun , Kafle Om Prakash , Jia Yumeng , Wu Cuiyan , Wang Sen , Wang Xi , Ning Yujie , Zhang Feng
Published: December 2021

Background

Electronic devices use has been reported to be associated with depression. However, limited effort has been provided to elucidate the associations between electronic devices use and mental traits in interaction with genetic factors.

Methods

We first conducted an observational study consisting of 138 976–383 742 participants for TV watching, 29 636–38 599 participants for computer using and 118 61–330 985 participants for computer playing in the UK Biobank cohort. A linear regression model was used to evaluate the associations between common mental traits and electronic devices use. Subsequently, a genome‐wide gene–environment interaction study (GWEIS) was performed by PLINK2.0 to estimate the interaction effects of genes and electronic devices use on the risks of the four mental traits.

Results

In the UK Biobank cohort, significant associations were observed between electronic devices use and mental traits (all P < 1.0 × 10−9), including depression score (B = 0.094 for TV watching), anxiety score (B = 0.051 for TV watching), cigarette smoking (B = 0.046 for computer using) and alcohol drinking (B = 0.010 for computer playing). GWEIS identified multiple mental traits associated loci, interacting with electronic devices use, such as DCDC2 (rs115986722, P = 4.10 × 10−10) for anxiety score and TV watching, PRKCE (rs56181965, P = 9.64 × 10−10) for smoking and computer using and FRMD4A (rs56227933, P = 7.42 × 10−11) for depression score and computer playing.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that electronic devices use was associated with common mental traits and provided new clues for understanding genetic architecture of mental traits.