bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The secret ingredient? Uncovering the effect of organizational culture on quality management: a literature review
Authors: Palumbo Rocco , Douglas Alexander
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Although the debate about the interplay between quality management and organizational culture is long established, extant knowledge about their link is not consistent. This article attempts to fill such a gap by integrating current perspectives and insights through a literature review.

Design/methodology/approach

A domain-based literature review has been conducted, which followed the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews. The knowledge core consisted of 76 items, which were analysed through bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis. An interpretive approach was taken to articulate the study findings.

Findings

The current scholarly debate unfolds through four research streams, which emphasize the need for joint optimizing quality management and organizational culture embracing a longitudinal perspective. Similarly, the theoretical roots inspiring reviewed contributions are distributed in four clusters, which rely on the assumption that organizational excellence derives from the harmonization of quality management and organizational culture.

Practical implications

Quality management necessitates a supportive organizational culture to set the ground for excellence. At the same time, it modifies the inner traits of the organizational culture. Such cultural changes should be carefully handled to ensure a dependable quality orientation. Achieving organizational excellence involves mastering the interplay between quality management and organizational culture.

Originality/value

This article delivers an unprecedented systematization of the scientific literature. It identifies the main research streams through which the debate on quality management and culture evolves, shedding light on the main conceptual roots inspiring recent scholarly advancements. Alongside overcoming the fragmentation of the extant debate, this review enables the envisioning of an agenda for further developments.
Time-varying seismic resilience analysis of coastal bridges by considering multiple durability damage factors
Authors: Liang Yan , Wei Yingying , Li Panjie , Li Liangliang , Zhao Zhenghao
Published: May 2023

Purpose

For coastal bridges, the ability to recover traffic functions after the earthquake has crucial implications for post-disaster reconstruction, which makes resilience become a significant index to evaluate the seismic behavior. However, the deterioration of the material is particularly prominent in coastal bridge, which causes the degradation of the seismic behavior. As far, the research studies on resilience of coastal bridges considering multiple degradation factors and different disaster prevention capability are scarce. For further evaluating the seismic behavior of coastal bridge in the long-term context, the seismic resilience is conducted in this paper with considering multiple durability damage.

Design/methodology/approach

The fuzzy theory and time-varying fragility analysis are combined in this paper to obtain the life-cycle resilience of coastal bridges.

Findings

The results show that durability damage has a remarkable impact on the resilience. After 100 years of service, the seismic resilience of bridge with poor disaster-prevention capability has greatest reduction, about 18%. In addition, the improvement of the disaster prevention capability can stabilize the resilience of the bridge at a higher level.

Originality/value

In this paper, the time-varying fragility analysis of case bridge are evaluated with considering chloride ion erosion and concrete carbonization, firstly. Then, combining fuzzy theory and fragility analysis, the triangular fuzzy values of resilience parameters under different service period are obtained. Finally, the life-cycle resilience of bridge in different disaster prevention capability is analyzed.
Live-streaming shopping: the impacts of para-social interaction and local presence on impulse buying through shopping value
Authors: Fu Jen-Ruei , Hsu Chiung-Wen
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study examines factors influencing viewers' impulse buying intention in live streaming. The authors draw upon the value theory to theorize how the product (i.e., local presence) and para-social interaction (PSI) in live-streaming shopping improve customers' shopping values and how these values subsequently influence their urge to buy impulsively. In addition, the authors examine value differences in live-streaming shopping through gender differences and previous shopping experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted in this study. Members with browsing or shopping experience of live-streaming shopping sites were invited. The structural equation model was used to conduct confirmative factor analysis (CFA) to assess the convergent validity (item loadings), internal consistency (reliability), discriminant validity, causality hypotheses, and mediating effects.

Findings

Utilitarian value appears more important than hedonic value in influencing consumers' urge to buy impulsively. Moreover, PSI with the co-viewers is more influential than PSI with the streamer on utilitarian and hedonic values. Finally, gender differences and prior live-streaming shopping experience moderate the relationship between shopping values and the urge to buy impulsively.

Originality/value

The authors extend the concept of PSI from a celebrity (the streamer) to co-viewers and find that PSI with co-viewers is crucial to impulse buying in live streaming. Additionally, the authors’ finding reveals that consumers with individual differences may react differently to the same set of perceived values in determining the level of their impulse shopping intention.
Reconceptualizing principal well-being: state, measurement and consequences
Authors: Chen Junjun , Walker Allan David , Riley Philip
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Principals' well-being worldwide is under increasing threat due to the challenging and complex nature of their work and growing demands. This paper aimed at developing and validating a multidimensional Principal Well-being Inventory (PWI) and examining the state and consequences of principal well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper involves four independent samples of principals working in schools from Hong Kong and Mainland China. The research design consisted of four phases with four sequential empirical studies. Phase 1 was to establish the content validity (literature review and Study 1); Phase 2 was to test the construct validity (Study 2 and Study 3); Phase 3 was to build the criterion validity (re-use the data from Study 3) and Phase 4 was to test the cross-validity of the PWI (Study 4).

Findings

Based on published literature and four successive empirical studies, a 24-item PWI was created via a theoretical-empirical approach of test construction. Validity was confirmed through construct-, content-, criterion- and cross-validity testing. The PWI covers the six important well-being dimensions – physical, cognitive, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual – to present a general picture of principals' occupational well-being associated with job nature, well-being literacy, leadership and context.

Research limitations/implications

The inventory will aid efforts to promote principal well-being as an essential component of schoolwide well-being, quality education and a wellness society.

Practical implications

During the post-COVID-19 period, this project is deemed both critical and timely so that quality education will not be sacrificed due to factors affecting principal well-being.

Originality/value

This theoretically and empirically validated inventory serves as a robust tool for comprehensively understanding principal well-being and a fuller exploration of their well-being literacy, drivers and outcomes.
Exploring interactions between commuters with disabilities and transport service providers
Authors: Mogaji Emmanuel , Nguyen Nguyen Phong
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the interactions between commuters with disabilities and transport services providers and to contribute to a better understanding of transformative service design, ensuring equitable access and the overall well-being of individuals.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected qualitative data through ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with commuters with disabilities and transport services providers. The data were thematically analysed using NVivo.

Findings

Evidence suggests that there are opportunities for service users to be included in the co-creation of transformative transport service at different stages of a journey: entering service interaction, transitioning through service interaction and exiting service interaction. However, the reluctance of service providers to transform their services was recognised, due to a lack of awareness, interest, regulator demands and financial capabilities.

Research limitations/implications

This study broadens the comprehension of procedures and strategies for engaging consumers experiencing vulnerabilities in transformative service design and pushes the limits of the current understanding to recognise the inherent challenges of unregulated service providers designing transformative services in an unregulated market.

Practical implications

This newfound knowledge is crucial for developing better approaches that cater to the needs of these individuals and further contributes towards developing transformative service initiatives, which are activities that serve people experiencing vulnerabilities and that try to improve their well-being. These include specialised training and social marketing campaigns for service providers in the informal market and new mobility start-ups or social enterprises with the potential to disrupt the informal economy and offer innovative solutions, such as assistive technologies, mobile apps and journey planners that provide exceptional customer service.

Originality/value

Previous studies on transformative service designs have focused on regulated service providers, such as health care and financial services. This study, however, explores the unregulated transport sector in a developing country and recognises how the intricate nature of informal service provision may jeopardise the prospects of developing a transformative service for consumers experiencing vulnerabilities.
The challenges and coping of Rohingya refugees: a comparative study of registered and nonregistered Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Authors: Sultana Neegar , Sultana Shahana , Saha Rahul , Alam Md. Monirul
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This research aims to determine to what degree registered and nonregistered Rohingyas differ in their difficulties and coping strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Kutupalong registered and one nonregistered camp (Camp 2E) were selected as the study area, and a mixed-methods approach was followed to collect the data. Six in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted first, and then the questionnaire survey was conducted on 315 Rohingyas, comprising 116 registered and 199 non-registered refugees.

Findings

The results indicate a substantial difference in the difficulties and coping techniques of registered and nonregistered refugees in food, residence, health and security. Except for the health and security issue, the registered Rohingyas (RRs) have a relatively better life than the nonregistered Rohingyas (NRRs). The main problem registered refugees undergo is economic, followed by health service, food, residence, social and security issue. For nonregistered refugees, economic and social issues receive maximum attention, while security is their last concern. The coping strategies show that all strategies against difficulties significantly differ between registered and nonregistered Rohingyas.

Practical implications

Based on their registration status, this research may assist humanitarian workers and policymakers in better understanding of Rohingya refugees' livelihood strategies and challenges in Bangladesh. The findings may also help practitioners and policymakers build new programs and services to assist complex and difficult refugee groups in improving their livelihoods and access to essential amenities.

Originality/value

Previous research shows little attention to the variations between registered and unregistered refugees. However, almost no studies have compared the challenges and coping methods of registered and unregistered Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and other regions. This research was meant to define and offer an in-depth analysis of the Rohingya refugees' livelihood strategies in the Kutupalong registered and nonregistered camp in Bangladesh to fill the knowledge gap.
Social franchising in the public health sector in Vietnam: a tale of two change pathways
Authors: Nguyen Hung M. , Dey Pascal
Published: May 2023

Purpose

That social franchising programs induce favorable outcomes is readily taken for granted, albeit lacking robust empirical support. Addressing this situation, this paper takes a closer look at a fractional social franchising program in the public health-care sector in Vietnam to better understand how such programs work. This paper aims to expand the nascent body of empirical research that has examined the inner workings of social franchising programs from the perspective of clients by focusing on the health professionals who work there.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an exploratory qualitative research design, the authors conducted 25 semistructured interviews with health professionals of a fractional franchising program called Sisterhood, which introduced reproductive health and family planning services into existing health facilities in Vietnam. Interviews were triangulated with Sisterhood’s internal documents as well as with publicly available reports.

Findings

The analysis highlights two pathways through which the social franchising program brought about positive change. On the one hand, the analysis suggests that many of the positive outcomes reported by public health professionals were consistent with the stated goals and measures used by the Sisterhood program, providing evidence that improving the quality of health care for disadvantaged communities can be achieved through careful design and execution. On the other hand, the analysis revealed beneficial outcomes that were outside the scope of the Sisterhood program and, in this sense, “unexpected.” Specifically, the paper sheds light on unintended knowledge spillover effects in which nonfranchised health professionals began to adopt new practices and principles introduced by the social franchising program.

Originality/value

The paper taps into a largely under-researched phenomenon – fractional social franchising – from the perspective of health professionals. Unpacking how the social franchising program created favorable outcomes, some by design and others by accident, the paper opens new empirical and policy insights into how social franchising can improve public health in hard-to-reach communities in the global South. Based on the findings, the authors argue for the intentional promotion and institutionalization of knowledge transfers from franchised to nonfranchised health facilities to reinforce and scale up the positive impact of social franchising. The authors conclude by emphasizing the need for future research to adopt a complexity-sensitive approach that accounts for the dynamic, nonlinear adoption pathways social franchising can take. Such an approach is essential to uncover the beneficial outcomes that can result from social franchising programs but cannot be readily predicted by program design.
Experimental arena settings might lead to misinterpretation of movement properties
Authors: Scharf Inon , Hanna Kimberley , Gottlieb Daphna
Published: May 2023

Movement is an important animal behavior contributing to reproduction and survival. Animal movement is often examined in arenas or enclosures under laboratory conditions. We used the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) to examine here the effect of the arena size, shape, number of barriers, access to the arena's center, and illumination on six movement properties. We demonstrate great differences among arenas. For example, the beetles moved over longer distances in clear arenas than in obstructed ones. Movement along the arena's perimeter was greater in smaller arenas than in larger ones. Movement was more directional in round arenas than in rectangular ones. In general, the beetles stopped moving closer to the perimeter and closer to corners (in the square and rectangular arenas) than expected by chance. In some cases, the arena properties interacted with the beetle sex to affect several movement properties. All these suggest that arena properties might also interact with experimental manipulations to affect the outcome of studies and lead to results specific to the arena used. In other words, instead of examining animal movement, we in fact examine the animal interaction with the arena structure. Caution is therefore advised in interpreting the results of studies on movement in arenas under laboratory conditions and we recommend paying attention also to barriers or obstacles in field experiments. For instance, movement along the arena's perimeter is often interpreted as centrophobism or thigmotaxis but the results here show that such movement is arena dependent.
Predator–prey encounters: deciphering the robbery relationship between highwayman flies and their ant victims
Authors: ZHAO Ying , YU Yulong , CHEN Zhi , LI Ying , TENG Huidan , CHOMICKI Guillaume , ZHANG Chuntian , CHEN Gao
Published: May 2023

Examples of predator–prey interactions in which flies rob ants are uncommon. To date, this behavior has only been recorded in the genus Bengalia Robineau‐Desvoidy (Bengaliinae, Diptera, Calliphoridae). These predatory flies ambush ants, and rob them of the food or offspring that they are carrying. However, because of the rarity of this behavior, the reasons and consequences (evolutionary advantages) are unknown, and indeed, the behavior has been sometimes considered anecdotal. In this study, we employed field investigations and behavioral analyses to investigate whether the sex of the fly Bengalia varicolor, or the weight and quality of the food carried by Pheidole nodus ants influenced fly–ant interactions in their natural habitats. We show that food weight and quality influenced the behavior of B. varicolor independent of the fly's sex. Robbing behavior by the flies was more successful when the food robbed was of high‐quality and light in weight. Furthermore, the weight of the food robbed modulated the escape distance the flies could carry it. This then may affect the food quality and weight transported by the ants. This is a novel example of deciphering the relationship between highwayman flies and their ant victims. Given the widespread distribution of Bengalia flies, we suggest that such interspecific predator–prey encounters may shape the robbery interactions and the carrying behavior of further ant species in nature.
Antifertility effects of quinestrol in male lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis, and potential in managing rodent population under field conditions
Authors: SIDHU Ajooni , SINGLA Neena
Published: May 2023

Integrating fertility control techniques using steroid hormones after lethal control can help reduce post control rebuildup of rodent populations. The current study is the first to assess the antifertility effects of quinestrol in male lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis which is the predominant rodent pest species in Southeast Asia. Rats in different groups were fed bait containing 0.00%, 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.03% quinestrol for 10 days in laboratory and evaluated immediately, and 15, 30, and 60 days after treatment discontinuation for effect on reproduction and other antifertility parameters. Effect of 0.03% quinestrol treatment for 15 days was also observed in managing rodent populations in groundnut crop fields. Treatment resulted in average consumption of 19.53 ± 1.80, 67.63 ± 5.50, and 246.67 ± 1.78 mg/kg bwt active ingredient by three treated groups of rats, respectively. No reproduction was observed in female rats mated with male rats treated with 0.03% quinestrol, even 30 days after cessation of treatment. Post‐mortem examination showed a significant (P < 0.0001) effect of treatment on organ weights (testis, cauda epididymis, seminal vesicles, and prostate gland) and different sperm parameters (sperm motility, sperm viability, sperm count, and sperm abnormality) in the cauda epididymal fluid with partial reversibility after 60 days. A significant (P < 0.0001) effect of quinestrol on the histomorphology of testis and cauda epididymis was observed, suggesting its effect on spermatogenesis. Affected cell association and cell count in seminiferous tubules did not fully recover within 60 days of stopping treatment. Evaluation of the effects of quinestrol treatment in groundnut fields showed greater reductions in rodent activity in fields treated with 2% zinc phosphide followed by 0.03% quinestrol treatment as compared to fields treated with 2% zinc phosphide alone. Research concludes that quinestrol has the potential to reduce fecundity and post control rebuildup of B. bengalensis populations, but long‐term studies of the effectiveness of quinestrol under large‐scale field conditions are needed to use it as part of an integrated pest control program for rodents.
Pressure‐dependent growth controls 3D architecture of Pseudomonas putida microcolonies
Authors: Kim Juhyun , de Lorenzo Víctor , Goñi‐Moreno Ángel
Published: May 2023

Colony formation is key to many ecological and biotechnological processes. In its early stages, colony formation involves the concourse of a number of physical and biological parameters for generation of a distinct 3D structure—the specific influence of which remains unclear. We focused on a thus far neglected aspect of the process, specifically the consequences of the differential pressure experienced by cells in the middle of a colony versus that endured by bacteria located in the growing periphery. This feature was characterized experimentally in the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida. Using an agent‐based model we recreated the growth of microcolonies in a scenario in which pressure was the only parameter affecting proliferation of cells. Simulations exposed that, due to constant collisions with other growing bacteria, cells have virtually no free space to move sideways, thereby delaying growth and boosting chances of overlapping on top of each other. This scenario was tested experimentally on agar surfaces. Comparison between experiments and simulations suggested that the inside/outside differential pressure determines growth, both timewise and in terms of spatial directions, eventually moulding colony shape. We thus argue that—at least in the case studied—mere physical pressure of growing cells suffices to explain key dynamics of colony formation.
Lymphedema is associated with CELSR1 in Phelan–McDermid syndrome
Authors: Smith Marie S. , Sarasua Sara M. , Rogers Curtis , Phelan Katy , Boccuto Luigi
Published: May 2023

Lymphedema is a troubling condition present in many disorders including the rare genetic disorder known as Phelan–McDermid syndrome (PMS). The neurobehavioral features of PMS, also known as 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, have been investigated, but little research exists on lymphedema in PMS. In this investigation, clinical and genetic data from 404 people with PMS were reviewed from the PMS‐International Registry revealing a prevalence of 5% with lymphedema. Lymphedema was reported in 1 out of 47 people (2.1%) with PMS due to a SHANK3 variant and 19 out of 357 people (5.3%) with PMS due to 22q13.3 deletions. Lymphedema was more common among those in their teens or adulthood (p = 0.0011) and those with deletions >4 Mb. People with lymphedema had significantly larger deletions (mean 5.375 Mb) than those without lymphedema (mean 3.464 Mb, p = 0.00496). Association analysis identified a deletion of the CELSR1 gene to be the biggest risk factor (OR = 12.9 95% CI [2.9–56.2]). Detailed assessment of 5 subjects identified all had deletions of CELSR1, developed symptoms of lymphedema starting at age 8 or older, and typically responded well to standard therapy. In conclusion, this is the largest assessment of lymphedema in PMS to date and our results suggest that individuals with deletions >4 Mb or those with CELSR1 deletions should be assessed for lymphedema.
Exploring separated children's experience of migration in Nepal
Authors: Kay‐Flowers Susan , Lama Nalini , Kadambari Pradipta
Published: May 2023

Most Nepalese children live in rural areas where poverty, employment and education act as key drivers in their decision to migrate to urban centres. This paper reports on a study which researched the experiences of separated children who migrated, as reported through interviews with 20 practitioners working in NGOs in Kathmandu. It describes children's motivations, migratory journeys and situations, when ‘promises of work’ often failed to materialise. Having seen more children migrating to Kathmandu and recently fearful that the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic may lead to further increase, practitioners identify the need for an urgent, coherent and multi‐faceted response.
Featured Cover
Authors: Zhou Qi
Published: May 2023

The cover image is based on the Editorial Building the future of synthetic organ manufacturing and healthcare by Qi Zhou https://doi.org/10.1111/cpr.13497.

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A retrospective analysis of secondary cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer
Authors: Yang Dong , Zhang Yanbin , Gong Ping , Liu Feiran , Gan Yale , Bai Wenpei
Published: May 2023

Aim

To evaluate the effect of secondary cytoreductive surgery (SeCRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed a prospective database. We collected information of 389 patients who were diagnosed with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. All patients underwent SeCRS with or without HIPEC. Overall survival and progression‐free survival (PFS) were used to evaluate the treatment effectiveness.

Results

Of the 389 patients collected, 123 underwent primary or interval cytoreductive surgery at initial treatment and SeCRS at recurrence (Group A), 130 underwent primary or interval cytoreductive surgery at initial and SeCRS plus HIPEC at recurrence (Group B), and 136 underwent primary or interval cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC at initial and SeCRS plus HIPEC at recurrence (Group C). The median overall survival for Groups A, B, and C were 49.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 47.6–50.5), 56.0 months (95% CI: 54.2–57.7), and 64.4 months (95% CI: 63.1–65.6), respectively. The median PFS for Groups A, B, and C were 13.1 months (95% CI: 12.6–13.5), 15.0 months (95% CI: 14.2–15.7), and 16.8 months (95% CI: 16.1–17.4), respectively. There were no significant difference in incidence and grade of adverse events among groups.

Conclusions

This study suggested that SeCRS plus HIPEC followed by chemotherapy resulted in longer overall survival and PFS than only SeCRS followed by chemotherapy in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, especially in patients who were treated with repeat HIPEC.
Karmic Opacity and Ethical Formation in a Tibetan Pilgrim's Diary
Authors: Hartmann Catherine
Published: May 2023

How do abstract doctrinal ideas become visible and meaningful in the lives of religious practitioners? This article approaches this question by examining the diary of the Tibetan pilgrim Khatag Zamyak (kha stag 'dzam yag) (1896–1961) to explore how he engages with the idea of karma. Scholars of Buddhism often define karma as a law of cause and effect that is fundamental to Buddhist ethics, but this third‐person approach to understanding karma can lead scholars to overlook what it feels like to live in a world structured by karma. This article explores how Khatag Zamyak confronts the fact that he does not know his own karma and how he undertakes specific practices to be able to see and tell stories about his own karma. It further argues that Khatag Zamyak's process of engaging with karma is integral to his formation as an ethical subject.
Extraterrestrial dust flux monitoring at Antarctic Vostok station: New collection of extraterrestrial spherules fallen from May to September 2017
Authors: Chetverikov Y. O. , Ezhov V. F. , Glukhov M. S. , Ivankova E. M. , Loshachenko A. S. , Kalganov V. D. , Yakubovich O. V.
Published: May 2023

Dust particles obtained by filtering fresh snow collected from May to September 2017 in the vicinity of Vostok station in Antarctica were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The collection of dust particles contains 197 spherules ranging from 0.5 to 117 μm in diameter, the most abundant ones (n = 188) by far being iron oxide spherules. Analyses of meteorological and human activity data suggest an extraterrestrial origin of most of the spherical particles. The particle size distribution histogram showed a smooth increase in their number with decreasing size and a dramatic drop at sizes smaller than 3 μm. The number of spherical particles has an uneven distribution over time, with an intense peak in July 27–28, 2017 which correlates by dates with the peak of the Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower. The size distribution of the particles collected during the same period indicates the presence of a mechanism that accelerates their fall to the Earth. We propose that they are effective centers of condensation of ice crystals in stratospheric clouds. Our data indicate that collection of micrometeorites with sizes of several microns from the fresh snow is possible, opening a new way for sampling micrometeorites, including separate meteor showers.
Recruitment of both the ESCRT and autophagic machineries to ejecting Mycobacterium marinum
Authors: Gerstenmaier Lilli , Colasanti Ombretta , Behrens Hannah , Kolonko Margot , Hammann Christian , Hagedorn Monica
Published: May 2023

Cytosolic Mycobacterium marinum are ejected from host cells such as macrophages or the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum in a non‐lytic fashion. As described previously, the autophagic machinery is recruited to ejecting bacteria and supports host cell integrity during egress. Here, we show that the ESCRT machinery is also recruited to ejecting bacteria, partially dependent on an intact autophagic pathway. As such, the AAA‐ATPase Vps4 shows a distinct localization at the ejectosome structure in comparison to fluorescently tagged Vps32, Tsg101 and Alix. Along the bacterium engaged in ejection, ESCRT and the autophagic component Atg8 show partial colocalization. We hypothesize that both, the ESCRT and autophagic machinery localize to the bacterium as part of a membrane damage response, as well as part of a “frustrated autophagosome" that is unable to engulf the ejecting bacterium.
When conscientiousness differentially pays off: The role of incongruence between conscientiousness and black stereotypes in pay inequality
Authors: Park Hee Man , Judge Timothy A. , Lee Hun Whee , Chung Seunghoo , Zhan Yuhan
Published: May 2023

In this research, we argue that conscientiousness can be a key factor in accounting for the racial pay gap among Black and White workers. Drawing from shifting standard and status characteristics theories and the literature on occupations, we propose that conscientiousness yields differential rewards for Blacks and Whites because of the incongruence between stereotypes about Black workers and conscientiousness. We further suggest the occupational value of status as an occupational‐level boundary condition that affects the relationships between conscientiousness, race, and pay. We first tested our model with a large national panel dataset, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97 (NLSY97), and occupational characteristics scores in the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), finding that the positive effects of conscientiousness on pay were greater for Whites compared to Blacks and that such pay inequality is more pronounced in occupations with high‐status values than in those with low‐status values. A follow‐up experimental study that recruited 202 managers working in the U.S. produced similar results, suggesting that our findings were not attributable to the levels of job performance. Thus, our research demonstrates the role of conscientiousness in generating pay differentials based on race and sheds light on the importance of considering a discrete occupational context that contributes to organizational inequality.
Xiao San, Intermediary between Soviet Literature and Leftist Chinese Literature
Authors: Clark Katerina
Published: May 2023

This article engages the issue of whether communist internationalist culture in Asia evolved vertically, from directives, models, and so on, emanating from Soviet officialdom or the Comintern in particular, or whether it was generated horizontally, through laterally articulated networks and individual contacts. It addresses this question by looking at the case of Emi Siao (Xiao San), a Chinese communist poet and political activist whose career took him to France, Germany, Soviet Russia, and ultimately back to China during the Sino‐Japanese War, and who changed both wives and national party memberships as he moved from country to country. Throughout his life and travels Xiao developed and adhered to a firm conception of what a socialist internationalist literature should be and what it should accomplish, a conception shaped by his close association with revolutionary Russian culture and his efforts to translate that culture to his compatriots. To what degree Xiao succeeded can be measured in part by how well they were reflected in Mao’s Theses on Literature, which were promulgated in 1942 and which became canonical for communist China. Did these theses follow the tenets of Soviet Socialist Realism (in other words, were they derived vertically)? Or did they present a distinctive and more nationally inflected, and thus horizontally generated, version of socialist literature?
Testing a relationship between special districts and nonprofits: Do they substitute or complement?
Authors: Park HyungGun
Published: May 2023

Objective

As similar modes of public service delivery on behalf of general‐purpose governments, a relationship between special districts(SD) and nonprofit organization are empirically tested.

Methods

Using U.S. data from the Census of Government Finance and the National Center for Charitable Statistics databases between 1997 and 2017, this study regress counts and spending level of SDs on the nonprofits’ counterparts.

Results

For both counts and spending level, there are positive association between SDs and nonprofit organizations.

Conclusion

SDs and nonprofit organizations complement each other even when their service domains overlap.
Identification of two new HLA‐DRB1*07 alleles: HLA‐DRB1*07:143N and HLA‐DRB1*07:144
Authors: Devriese Magali , Da Silva Sephora , Carmagnat Maryvonnick , Taupin Jean‐Luc
Published: May 2023

HLA‐DRB1*07:143N and HLA‐DRB1*07:144 differ from DRB1*07:01:01:01 by single mismatches in exons 3 and 2 respectively.
Recent trends in molecular testing and maintenance targeted therapies in ovarian cancer
Authors: Darwish Ahmed , Elyashiv Osnat , Graham Radha , Miller Rowan E
Published: May 2023

Key content

Surgical cytoreduction and platinum‐based chemotherapy are the mainstays of ovarian cancer treatment, but 70% of patients with advanced‐stage disease will relapse after responding to first‐line chemotherapy.

Recent randomised controlled trials have shown significant improvement in progression‐free survival by adding maintenance therapy including either PARP inhibitors (PARPi), bevacizumab (VEGF‐A inhibitor), or both.

Homologous recombination repair is a pathway to repair DNA breaks; homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) is encountered in approximately 50% of ovarian high‐grade serous cancers (HGSC).

Patients with HRD tumours demonstrate better progression‐free survival outcomes with PARPi.

HRD testing is now approved for patients with high‐grade ovarian cancers including HGSC.

Learning objectives

To understand available molecular testing in ovarian cancer in England and its implications for maintenance treatment strategies.

Ethical issues

Patient consent is required if testing involves germline BRCA1/2 mutation (gBRCA1/2mut) assessment. A positive BRCA1/2mut result might have implications for the patient and their family.
Leukemia Classification using a Convolutional Neural Network of AML Images
Authors: A. Kadhim Karrar , H Najjar Fallah , Waad Ali Abdulhussein , Al-Kharsan Ibrahim H , Khudhair Zaid Nidhal , Salim Ali Aqeel
Published: May 2023

Among the most pressing issues in the field of illness diagnostics is identifying and diagnosing leukemia at its earliest stages, which requires accurate distinction of malignant leukocytes at a low cost. Leukemia is quite common, yet laboratory diagnostic centres often lack the necessary technology to diagnose the disease properly, and the available procedures take a long time. They are considering the efficacy of machine learning (ML) in illness diagnostics and that deep learning as a machine learning method is becoming critical. This study proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN) deep learning model for leukemia diagnosis utilizing the AML (acute myeloid leukemia) dataset. The classification using the proposed method achieved results that exceeded 98% accuracy, the sensitivity of 94.73% and specificity of 98.87%.
Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease using Convolutional Neural Network-based MRI
Authors: Kadhim Karrar A , Mohamed Farhan , Sakran Ammar AbdRaba , Adnan Myasar Mundher , Salman Ghalib Ahmed
Published: May 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative ailment that causes cognitive deterioration due to changes in brain structure. Individuals usually see diagnostic symptoms after irreversible brain damage has occurred. In order to slow the course of the illness and enhance the quality of life for AD patients, early diagnosis is crucial. Recent advances in machine learning and scanning have made the use of these methods to detect AD in its earliest stages possible. This article uses deep learning using CNN methods to extract picture characteristics from ADNI (Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative) datasets to improve Alzheimer's disease diagnosis techniques. This descriptor will be used in conjunction with the CNN to categorize the illness and add new characteristics that are more accurate, quicker, and stable than the current features. In this process, an Alzheimer's detection System will be implemented to mitigate the adverse effects of data imbalance on recognition performance, and an integrated multi-depth architectural technology will be introduced to boost recognition quality. Using the suggested model of the convolution neural network (CNN) technique, classification accuracy results were obtained above 97%.
Automatic Car Number Plate Detection using Morphological Image Processing
Authors: Alsudani Mustafa Qahtan , Waheed Safa Riyadh , Kadhim Karrar A , Adnan Myasar Mundher , Al-khaykan Ameer
Published: May 2023

One of the most common uses of computer vision, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) is also a pretty well-explored subject with numerous effective solutions. Due to regional differences in license plate design, however, these solutions are often optimized for a specific setting. Number plate recognition algorithms are often dependent on these aspects, making a universal solution unlikely due to the fact that the image analysis methods used to develop these algorithms cannot guarantee a perfect success rate. In this research, we offer an algorithm tailor-made for use with brand-new license plates in Iraq. The method employs edge detection, Feature Detection, and mathematical morphology to find the plate; it was developed in C++ using the OpenCV library. When characters were found on the plate, they were entered into the Easy OCR engine for analysis.
A strengthening of Freiman's 3k−4$3k-4$ theorem
Authors: Bollobás Béla , Leader Imre , Tiba Marius
Published: May 2023

In its usual form, Freiman's theorem states that if and are subsets of of size with small sumset (of size close to ), then they are very close to arithmetic progressions. Our aim in this paper is to strengthen this by allowing only a bounded number of possible summands from one of the sets. We show that if and are subsets of of size such that for any four‐element subset of the sumset has size not much more than , then already this implies that and are very close to arithmetic progressions.
Influence of Needs and Lifestyles on the Bop Consumer:
Authors: Aguilar Rodríguez Iliana Elizabeth , Artieda Cajilema Carlos  Hernán , Acosta Aguinaga Andrés Gonzalo , Tapia Andino Geovanni Fernando
Published: May 2023

The study is conducted in families of a rural population of the Republic of Ecuador, classified based on their social, cultural, and economic characteristics in the BOP market. Fifty groups were selected from these populations. Two hundred eighteen participants underwent detailed interviews and natural observation. The findings indicated a strong preference for national and traditional products, although also a preference for regional and global developments, showing differences in lifestyle and a combination of consumer needs. It is found that these consumers can be loyal to brands representing different social statuses. Therefore, companies should design more effective marketing strategies to target this market, whose growth is attractive for the development and increase of their sales volume.
Increased 3-
O
-sulfated heparan sulfate in Alzheimer’s disease brain is associated with genetic risk gene
HS3ST1
Authors: Wang Zhangjie , Patel Vaishali N. , Song Xuehong , Xu Yongmei , Kaminski Andrea M. , Doan Vivien Uyen , Su Guowei , Liao Yien , Mah Dylan , Zhang Fuming , Pagadala Vijayakanth , Wang Chunyu , Pedersen Lars C. , Wang Lianchun , Hoffman Matthew P. , Gearing Marla , Liu Jian
Published: May 2023

HS3ST1
is a genetic risk gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and overexpressed in patients, but how it contributes to the disease progression is unknown. We report the analysis of brain heparan sulfate (HS) from AD and other tauopathies using a LC-MS/MS method. A specific 3-
O
-sulfated HS displayed sevenfold increase in the AD group (
n
= 14,
P
< 0.0005). Analysis of the HS modified by recombinant sulfotransferases and HS from genetic knockout mice revealed that the specific 3-
O
-sulfated HS is made by 3-
O
-sulfotransferase isoform 1 (3-OST-1), which is encoded by the
HS3ST1
gene. A synthetic tetradecasaccharide (14-mer) carrying the specific 3-
O
-sulfated domain displayed stronger inhibition for tau internalization than a 14-mer without the domain, suggesting that the 3-
O
-sulfated HS is used in tau cellular uptake. Our findings suggest that the overexpression of
HS3ST1
gene may enhance the spread of tau pathology, uncovering a previously unidentified therapeutic target for AD.
Use of eco-mapping in health services research: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Saragosa Marianne , Singh Hardeep , Steele Gray Carolyn , Tang Terence , Orchanian-Cheff Ani , Nelson Michelle L A
Published: May 2023

Introduction

People with complex health and social needs often require care from different providers and services. Identifying their existing sources of support could assist with addressing potential gaps and opportunities for enhanced service delivery. Eco-mapping is an approach used to visually capture people’s social relationships and their linkages to the larger social systems. As it is an emerging and promising approach in the health services field, a scoping review on eco-mapping is warranted. This scoping review aims to synthesise the empirical literature that has focused on the application of eco-mapping by describing characteristics, populations, methodological approaches and other features of eco-mapping in health services research.

Methods and analysis

This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. From the date of database construction to 16 January 2023, the following databases in English will be searched: Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, CINAHL Ultimate (EBSCOhost), Emcare (Ovid), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Ovid) and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Ovid) Study/Source of Evidence selection. The inclusion criteria consist of empirical literature that uses eco-mapping or a related tool in the context of health services research. Two researchers will independently screen references against inclusion and exclusion criteria using Covidence software. Once screened, the data will be extracted and organised according to the following research questions: (1) What research questions and phenomena of interest do researchers address when using eco-mapping? (2) What are the characteristics of studies that use eco-mapping in health services research? (3) What are the methodological considerations for eco-mapping in health services research?

Ethics and dissemination

This scoping review does not require ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated through publications, conference presentations and stakeholder meetings.

Trial registration number

https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GAWYN.
Opioid prescriptions and patients’ health services utilization and cost before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory population-based administrative data analysis
Authors: Lopatina Elena , Thanh Nguyen X. , Tanguay Robert , Pereira John X. , Wasylak Tracy
Published: May 2023

The objective was to explore percentages of the population treated with prescribed opioids and costs of opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits among individuals treated with prescription opioids and costs of all opioid-related hospitalizations and ED visits in the province (i.e., provincial costs) before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Alberta, Canada. In administrative data, we identified individuals treated with prescription opioids and opioid-related hospitalizations and ED visits among those individuals and among all individuals in the province between 2015/16 and 2021/22 fiscal years. Services used were counted on an item-by-item basis and costed using case-mix approaches. Annually, from 9.98% (2020/21–2021/22) to 14.52% (2017/18) of the provincial population was treated with prescription opioids. Between 2015/16 and 2021/22, annual costs of opioid-related hospitalizations and ED visits among individuals treated with prescription opioids were ∼$5 and ∼$2 million, respectively. In 2020/21–2021/22, the provincial costs of opioid-related hospitalizations (∼$14 million) and ED visits (∼$7.0 million) were almost twice the costs observed in 2015/16 and immediately before the pandemic (2019/20). Our findings suggest that increases in the opioid-related utilization of inpatient and ED services between 2015/16 and 2021/22, including the drastic increases observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, were likely driven by unregulated substances.
On the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer interaction in quantum graphs
Authors: Romeo Francesco
Published: May 2023

We introduce a real-space version of the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer interaction allowing the investigation of the non-trivial interplay between many-body physics and particles confinement on a quantum graph. When the two-body problem is considered, we find that the two-particle wavefunction is solution of an integro-differential Schrödinger equation. The solution of the two-body eigenproblem shows the presence of a two-particle bound state whose stability is enhanced in graphs with peculiar topology. We demonstrate that the enhancement effect is robust against many-body effects, which can be studied by means of the Richardson exact solution of the many-body problem. These findings suggest that the effective pairing interaction can be enhanced in quantum graphs with appropriate connectivity. Experimental evidences in Josephson junctions arrays are also discussed in connection with the microscopic mechanism described in the present work.