bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mortality among Care Home Residents in England during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of 4.3 million adults over the age of 65
Authors: Schultze Anna , Nightingale Emily , Evans David , Hulme William , Rosello Alicia , Bates Chris , Cockburn Jonathan , MacKenna Brian , Curtis Helen J , Morton Caroline E , Croker Richard , Bacon Seb , McDonald Helen I , Rentsch Christopher T , Bhaskaran Krishnan , Mathur Rohini , Tomlinson Laurie A , Williamson Elizabeth J , Forbes Harriet , Tazare John , Grint Daniel , Walker Alex J , Inglesby Peter , DeVito Nicholas J , Mehrkar Amir , Hickman George , Davy Simon , Ward Tom , Fisher Louis , Green Amelia CA , Wing Kevin , Wong Angel YS , McManus Robert , Parry John , Hester Frank , Harper Sam , Evans Stephen JW , Douglas Ian J , Smeeth Liam , Eggo Rosalind M , Goldacre Ben , Leon David A
Published: July 2021

Background

Residents in care homes have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe trends in risk of mortality among care home residents compared to residents in private homes in England.

Methods

On behalf of NHS England, we used OpenSAFELY-TPP, an analytics platform running across the linked electronic health records of approximately a third of the English population, to calculate monthly age-standardised risks of death due to all causes and COVID-19 among adults aged >=65 years between 1/2/2019 and 31/03/2021. Care home residents were identified using linkage to the Care and Quality Commission.

Findings

We included 4,329,078 people aged 65 years or older on the 1st of February 2019, 2.2% of whom were classified as residing in a care or nursing home. Age-standardised mortality risks were approximately 10 times higher among care home residents compared to non-residents in February 2019 residents (CMF = 10.59, 95%CI = 9.51, 11.81 among women, CMF = 10.82, 95%CI = 9.89, 11.84 among men). This increased to more than 17 times in April 2020 (CMF = 17.52, 95%CI = 16.38, 18.74 among women, CMF = 18.12, 95%CI = 17.17 – 19.12 among men) before returning to pre-pandemic levels in June 2020. CMFs did not increase during the second wave, despite a rise in the absolute age-standardised COVID-19 mortality risks.

Interpretation

The first COVID-19 wave had a disproportionate impact on care home residents in England compared to older private home residents. A degree of immunity, improved protective measures or changes in the underlying frailty of the populations may explain the lack of an increase in the relative mortality risks during the second wave. The care home population should be prioritised for measures aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/V015737/1
Deaths in Children and Young People in England following SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first pandemic year: a national study using linked mandatory child death reporting data
Authors: Smith C , Odd D , Harwood R , Ward J , Linney M , Clark M , Hargreaves D , Ladhani SN , Draper E , Davis PJ , Kenny SE , Whittaker E , Luyt K , Viner RM , Fraser LK
Published: July 2021

Background

Deaths in children and young people (CYP) following SARS-CoV-2 infection are rare. Quantifying the risk of mortality is challenging because of high relative prevalence of asymptomatic and non-specific disease manifestations. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between CYP who have died of SARS-CoV-2 and those who have died of an alternative disease process but coincidentally tested positive.

Methods

During the pandemic, the mandatory National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) was linked to Public Health England (PHE) testing data to identify CYP (<18 years) who died with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. A clinical review of all deaths from March 2020 to February 2021 was undertaken to differentiate between those who died of SARS-CoV-2 infection and those who died of an alternative cause but coincidentally tested positive. Then, using linkage to national hospital admission data, demographic and comorbidity details of CYP who died of SARS-CoV-2 were compared to all other deaths. Absolute risk of death was estimated where denominator data were available.

Findings

3105 CYP died from all causes during the first pandemic year in England. 61 of these deaths occurred in CYP who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. 25 CYP died of SARS-CoV-2 infection; 22 from acute infection and three from PIMS-TS. 99·995% of CYP with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test survived. The 25 CYP who died of SARS-CoV-2 equates to a mortality rate of 2/million for the 12,023,568 CYP living in England. CYP >10 years, of Asian and Black ethnic backgrounds, and with comorbidities were over-represented compared to other children.

Interpretation

SARS-CoV-2 is very rarely fatal in CYP, even among those with underlying comorbidities. These findings are important to guide families, clinicians and policy makers about future shielding and vaccination.

Funding

RH is in receipt of a fellowship from Kidney Research UK. JW is in receipt of a Medical Research Council Fellowship. LF is in receipt of funding from Martin House Childrens Hospice.
Inside Information: Systematic within-node connectivity changes observed across tasks or groups
Authors: Luo Wenjing , Constable R. Todd
Published: July 2021

Mapping the human connectome and understanding its relationship to brain function holds tremendous clinical potential. The connectome has two fundamental components: the nodes and the connections between them. While much attention has been given to deriving atlases and measuring the connections between nodes, there have been no studies examining the networks within nodes. Here we demonstrate that each node contains significant connectivity information, that varies systematically across task-induced states and subjects, such that measures based on these variations can be used to classify tasks and identify subjects. The results are not specific for any particular atlas but hold across different atlas resolutions. To date, studies examining changes in connectivity have focused on edge changes and assumed there is no useful information within nodes. Our findings illustrate that for typical atlases, within-node changes can be significant and may account for a substantial fraction of the variance currently attributed to edge changes.
Simulations of dynamically cross-linked actin networks: morphology, rheology, and hydrodynamic interactions
Authors: Maxian Ondrej , Peláez Raúl P. , Mogilner Alex , Donev Aleksandar
Published: July 2021

Cross-linked actin networks are the primary component of the cell cytoskeleton and have been the subject of numerous experimental and modeling studies. While these studies have demonstrated that the networks are viscoelastic materials, evolving from elastic solids on short timescales to viscous fluids on long ones, questions remain about the duration of each asymptotic regime, the role of the surrounding fluid, and the behavior of the networks on intermediate timescales. Here we perform detailed simulations of passively cross-linked non-Brownian actin networks to quantify the principal timescales involved in the elastoviscous behavior, study the role of nonlocal hydrodynamic interactions, and parameterize continuum models from discrete stochastic simulations. To do this, we extend our recent computational framework for semiflexible filament suspensions, which is based on nonlocal slender body theory, to actin networks with dynamic cross linkers and finite filament lifetime. We introduce a model where the cross linkers are elastic springs with sticky ends stochastically binding to and unbinding from the elastic filaments, which randomly turn over at a characteristic rate. We show that, depending on the parameters, the network evolves to a steady state morphology that is either an isotropic actin mesh or a mesh with embedded actin bundles. For different degrees of bundling, we numerically apply small-amplitude oscillatory shear deformation to extract three timescales from networks of hundreds of filaments and cross linkers. We analyze the dependence of these timescales, which range from the order of hundredths of a second to the actin turnover time of several seconds, on the dynamic nature of the links, solvent viscosity, and filament bending stiffness. We show that the network is mostly elastic on the short time scale, with the elasticity coming mainly from the cross links, and viscous on the long time scale, with the effective viscosity originating primarily from stretching and breaking of the cross links. We show that the influence of nonlocal hydrodynamic interactions depends on the network morphology: for homogeneous meshworks, nonlocal hydrodynamics gives only a small correction to the viscous behavior, but for bundled networks it both hinders the formation of bundles and significantly lowers the resistance to shear once bundles are formed. We use our results to construct three-timescale generalized Maxwell models of the networks.
Subspace alignment as a mechanism for binding
Authors: Fine Justin M. , Michael Yoo Seng Bum , Ebitz R. Becket , Hayden Benjamin Y.
Published: July 2021

To choose between options, we must solve two important binding problems. First, the features that determine each options’ values must be appropriately combined and kept separate from the corresponding features of other options. Second, options must be associated with the specific actions needed to select them. We hypothesized that the brain solves these problems through use of aligned (for bound dimensions) and orthogonal (for separated dimensions) population subspaces. We examined responses of single neurons in six putative value-coding regions in rhesus macaques performing a risky choice task. In all areas, single neurons encode the features that define the value of each option (stakes and probability) but only very weakly encode value per se. However, the coding dimensions associated with these features are aligned on a single subspace, from which a strong emergent value signal can be read out. Moreover, all six regions use nearly orthogonal subspaces for the left and right options, thereby linking options to their position in space, implementing functional partitioning, and reducing the possibility of misbinding. These results provide a new solution to the neuroeconomic binding problems and suggest that other forms of binding may work through similar principles.
Astrocyte-secreted glypican-4 drives APOE4-dependent tau pathology
Authors: Saroja Sivaprakasam R. , Gorbachev Kirill , TCW Julia , Goate Alison M. , Pereira Ana C.
Published: July 2021

The aggregation of tau proteins into insoluble filaments and the spread of these filaments across brain regions are the major drivers of neurodegeneration in tauopathies, including in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4), a crucial genetic risk factor for late-onset AD, has been shown to exacerbate tau pathology in mouse models. However, the exact mechanisms through which APOE4 induces tau pathology remains unknown. Here, we report that the astrocyte-secreted protein glypican-4 (GPC-4), which we identify as a novel binding partner of APOE4, drives tau pathology. We discovered that GPC-4 preferentially interacts with APOE4 in comparison to APOE2, considered to be a protective allele to AD, and post-mortem APOE4-carrying AD brains highly express GPC-4 in neurotoxic astrocytes. The astrocyte-secreted GPC-4 induced both tau accumulation and propagation in vitro. CRISPR/dCas9 mediated activation of GPC-4 in a tauopathy mouse model robustly induced tau pathology. Using in vitro Tau FRET-biosensor cells, human iPSCs-derived astrocytes and an in vivo mouse model, we found that APOE4-induced tau pathology was greatly diminished in the absence of GPC-4. We further show that APOE4-mediated surface trafficking of APOE receptor low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) through GPC-4 can be a gateway to tau spreading. Together, our data comprehensively demonstrate that APOE4-induced tau pathologies are directly mediated by GPC-4.
Anti-tumor efficacy of an MMAE conjugated antibody targeting cell surface TACE/ADAM17-cleaved Amphiregulin in breast cancer
Authors: Lofgren Kristopher A. , Sreekumar Sreeja , Jenkins E. Charles , Ernzen Kyle J. , Kenny Paraic A.
Published: July 2021

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor ligand, Amphiregulin, is a key proliferative effector of estrogen receptor signaling in breast cancer and also plays a role in other malignancies. Amphiregulin is a single-pass transmembrane protein proteolytically processed by TACE/ADAM17 to release the soluble EGFR ligand, leaving a residual transmembrane stalk that is subsequently internalized. Here, we report the development of an antibody drug conjugate, GMF-1A3-MMAE, targeting an AREG neo-epitope revealed following ADAM17-mediated cleavage. The antibody does not interact with uncleaved Amphiregulin, providing a novel means of targeting cells with high rates of Amphiregulin shedding. Using fluorescent dye conjugation, we demonstrated that the antibody is internalized by cancer cells in a manner dependent on the presence of cell surface cleaved Amphiregulin. Antibodies conjugated with monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) were cytotoxic in vitro and induced rapid regression of established breast tumor xenografts in immunocompromised mice. We further demonstrate that these antibodies recognize the Amphiregulin neo-epitope in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumor tissue, suggesting their utility as a companion diagnostic for patient selection.
Sea Surface Temperatures Drive Historical Demography of Deep-Sea Fishes
Authors: Weber Max D. , Carter Joshua E. , Eytan Ron I.
Published: July 2021

Demographic histories are largely understood to be a product of their environment, as populations expand or contract in response to major environmental changes. Deep-pelagic fishes inhabit one of the most temporally and spatially stable habitats on the planet, so they may be resistant to the demographic instability commonly reported in other marine habitats, but their demographic histories are poorly understood. We reconstructed the demographic histories of thirteen species of deep-pelagic fishes using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. We uncovered widespread evidence of demographic expansion in our study species, a counterintuitive result bases on the nature of the deep-pelagic. The frequency-based methods detected potential demographic changes in eleven species, while the Extended Bayesian Skyline Plots were more conservative and identified population expansion in five species. The dates of expansion largely coincide with periods of warm sea-surface temperature at the northern and southern boundaries for the ranges these species inhabit. We suggest that this is the result of the pelagic larval phase shared by most deep-pelagic fishes, where the larvae inhabit the upper 200 meters. Changes in sea surface conditions likely alter the suitability of the habitat in a given region for the larval phase, affecting the species range and in turn population size. These results are critical to our understanding of how the deep-pelagic fish community will respond to future climatic changes.
Ovarian cysts and granulosa cell tumors develop after sublethal total body irradiation in mice
Authors: Xiao Shiyun , Xiao Yao , Xu Xiaohong , Zhang Wen , Murph Mandi M. , Manley Nancy R.
Published: July 2021

Background

Localized and total body irradiation are used to treat certain cancers and also used prior to transplantation of stem cells or organs. However, the use of radiation also induces collateral damage to the cells of healthy tissue. Although the acute damage of radiation to oocytes is well known, the long-term effects induced by radiation to stromal cells and their relationship with age are still unclear.

Methods

A total of 206 two-month-old female mice were whole-body exposed to gamma rays at doses of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, or 4 Gy, respectively. The mice were sacrificed at 3.5, 9, 12, or 18 months of age and pathological changes including cysts and tumors were assessed in the ovary and other organs.

Results

The overall incidence of visible pathological changes of mice receiving irradiation was 33.7% in the ovary, but much lower in the liver, spleen, lung, thymus, and skin. Among these, the ovarian cyst formation rate was 24.7%, and tumor lesions were 10.2%, respectively, compared to 5% cyst formation and no tumor lesions among control, unirradiated mice. Statistical analysis showed that cyst formation was age, but not dose-dependent, whereas the formation of tumor lesions was dependent on both age and radiation dose. Pathology analysis indicated that most ovarian cysts originated from follicles and both tumor lesions analyzed originated from granulosa cells.

Conclusion

Ovaries are highly susceptible to the effects of radiation. Long-term damage is increased after total body irradiation in mice, manifested by higher incidences of cyst formation and tumor lesions. The ovarian stromal-derived granulosa cells might play an essential role in these changes.
Citizen-science surveillance of triazole-resistantAspergillus fumigatusin UK residential garden soils
Authors: Shelton Jennifer M. G. , Collins Roseanna , Uzzell Christopher B. , Alghamdi Asmaa , Dyer Paul S. , Singer Andrew C. , Fisher Matthew C.
Published: July 2021

Compost is an ecological niche forAspergillus fumigatusdue to its role as a decomposer of organic matter and its ability to survive the high temperatures associated with the composting process. Subsequently, composting facilities are associated with high levels ofA. fumigatusspores that are aerosolised from compost and cause respiratory illness in workers. In the UK, gardening is an activity enjoyed by individuals of all ages and it is likely that they are being exposed toA. fumigatusspores when handling commercial compost or compost they have produced themselves. In this study, 246 citizen scientists collected 509 soil samples from locations in their garden in the UK, from which were cultured 5,174A. fumigatusisolates. Of these isolates, 736 (14%) were resistant to tebuconazole: the third most-sprayed triazole fungicide in the UK, which confers cross-resistance to the medical triazoles used to treatA. fumigatuslung infections in humans. These isolates were found to contain the common resistance mechanisms in theA. fumigatus cyp51Agene TR34/L98H or TR46/Y121F/T289A, and less common resistance mechanisms TR34, TR53, TR46/Y121F/T289A/S363P/I364V/G448S and (TR46)2/Y121F/M172I/T289A/G448S. Regression analyses found that soil samples containing compost were significantly more likely to grow susceptible and tebuconazole-resistantA. fumigatusthan those that did not, and that compost samples grew significantly higher numbers ofA. fumigatusthan other samples.

Importance

These findings highlight compost as a potential health hazard to individuals with pre-disposing factors toA. fumigatuslung infections, and a potential health hazard to immunocompetent individuals who could be exposed to sufficiently high numbers of spores to develop infection. This raises the question of whether compost bags should carry additional health warnings regarding inhalation ofA. fumigatusspores, whether individuals should be advised to wear facemasks whilst handling compost or whether commercial producers should be responsible for sterilising compost before shipping. The findings support increasing public awareness of the hazard posed by compost and investigating measures that can be taken to reduce the exposure risk.
Allele-specific expression links diverse cis-regulatory mutations to recurrent gene dysregulation in high-risk neuroblastoma
Authors: Sen Arko , Huo Yuchen , Elster Jennifer , Zage Peter E. , McVicker Graham
Published: July 2021

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric malignancy with a high frequency of metastatic disease at initial diagnosis. Neuroblastoma tumors have few protein-coding mutations but contain extensive somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) suggesting that mutations that alter gene dosage are important drivers of tumorigenesis. Here we analyze allele-specific expression (ASE) in 96 high-risk neuroblastoma tumors to discover genes with cis-acting mutations that alter dosage. We identify 1,049 genes with recurrent, neuroblastoma-specific ASE, 68% of which lie within common SCNA regions. However, many genes exhibit ASE in copy neutral samples and are enriched for mutations that cause nonsense-mediated decay, indicating that neuroblastoma tumors select for multiple types of mutations that alter gene expression. We also find 24 genes with reduced expression in stage 4 disease that have neuroblastoma-specific ASE that is independent of SCNAs. At least two of these genes have evidence for tumor suppressor activity including the transcription factor TFAP2B and the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPRH. In summary, our ASE analysis discovers genes that are recurrently dysregulated by both large SCNAs and other cis-acting mutations in high-risk neuroblastoma.
Global analysis of the specificities and targets of endoribonucleases from E. coli toxin-antitoxin systems
Authors: Culviner Peter H. , Nocedal Isabel , Fortune Sarah M. , Laub Michael T.
Published: July 2021

Toxin-antitoxin systems are widely distributed genetic modules typically featuring toxins that can inhibit bacterial growth and antitoxins that can reverse inhibition. Although Escherichia coli encodes 11 toxins with known or putative endoribonuclease activity, the target of most of these toxins remain poorly characterized. Using a new RNA-seq pipeline that enables the mapping and quantification of RNA cleavage with single-nucleotide resolution, we characterize the targets and specificities of 9 endoribonuclease toxins from E. coli. We find that these toxins use low-information cleavage motifs to cut a significant proportion of mRNAs in E. coli, but not tRNAs or the rRNAs from mature ribosomes. However, all the toxins, including those that are ribosome-dependent and cleave only translated RNA, inhibit ribosome biogenesis. This inhibition likely results from the cleavage of ribosomal protein transcripts, which disrupts the stoichiometry and biogenesis of new ribosomes and causes the accumulation of aberrant ribosome precursors. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive, global analysis of endoribonuclease-based toxin-antitoxin systems in E. coli and support the conclusion that, despite their diversity, each disrupts translation and ribosome biogenesis.

Importance

Toxin-antitoxin systems are widespread genetic modules found in almost all bacteria that can regulate their growth and may play prominent roles in phage defense. Escherichia coli encodes 11 TA systems in which the toxin is a known or predicted endoribonuclease. The targets and cleavage specificities of these endoribonucleases have remained largely uncharacerized, precluding an understanding of how each impacts cell growth and an assessment of whether they have distinct or overlapping targets. Using a new and broadly applicable RNA-seq pipeline, we present a global analysis of 9 endoribonulease toxins from E. coli. We find that each uses a relatively low-information cleavage motif to cut a large proportion of mRNAs in E. coli, but not tRNAs or mature rRNAs. Notably, although the precise set of targets varies, each toxin efficiently disrupts ribosome biogenesis, primarily by cleaving the mRNAs of ribosomal proteins. In sum, the analyses presented provide new, comprehensive insights into the cleavage specificities and targets of almost all endoribonuclease toxins in E. coli. Despite different specificities, our work reveals a striking commonality in function as each toxin disrupts ribosome biogenesis and translation.
Are patrons using the research books? A new approach to approval plan assessment
Authors: Attebury Ramirose Ilene
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present findings of an approval plan assessment project, which analyzed circulation statistics for four Gobi Select designations: research essential, research recommended, basic essential and basic recommended.

Design/methodology/approach

This study approaches approval plan assessment by analyzing three years of circulation statistics to determine which, if any, of the Gobi Select designations circulated the most.

Findings

This study reveals that books designated as “basic essential” have circulated at higher rates than other designations.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, no other studies have made use of Gobi Select designations to analyze circulation statistics for books obtained on an approval plan.
Analytical prediction of electromagnetic performance of dual-stator consequent-pole PM machines based on subdomain model accounting for tooth-tips
Authors: Zhu Minchen , Wu Lijian , Wang Dong , Fang Youtong , Tan Ping
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analytically predict the on-load field distribution and electromagnetic performance (induced voltage, electromagnetic torque, winding inductances and unbalanced magnetic force) of dual-stator consequent-pole permanent magnet (DSCPPM) machines using subdomain model accounting for tooth-tip effect. The finite element (FE) results are presented to validate the accuracy of this subdomain model.

Design/methodology/approach

During the preliminary design and optimization of DSCPPM machines, FE method requires numerous computational resources and can be especially time-consuming. Thus, a subdomain model considering the tooth-tip effect is presented in this paper. The whole field domain is divided into four different types of sub-regions, where the analytical solutions of vector potential in each sub-region can be rapidly calculated. The proposed subdomain model can accurately predict the on-load flux density distributions and electromagnetic performance of DSCPPM machines, which is verified by FE method.

Findings

The radial and tangential components of flux densities in each sub-region of DSCPPM machine can be obtained according to the vector potential distribution, which is calculated based on the boundary and interface conditions using variable separation approach. The tooth-tip effect is investigated as well. Moreover, the phase-induced voltage, winding inductances, electromagnetic torque and X-axis/Y-axis components of unbalanced magnetic forces are calculated and compared by FE analysis, where excellent agreements are consistently exhibited.

Originality/value

The on-load field distributions and electromagnetic performance of DSCPPM machines are analytically investigated using subdomain method, which can be beneficial in the process of initial design and optimization for such DSCPPM machines.
Design and mathematical analysis of a 7T SRAM cell with enhanced read SNM using PMOS as an access transistor
Authors: Mishra Alok Kumar , D. Vaithiyanathan , Pal Yogesh , Kaur Baljit
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This work is proposed for low power energy-efficient applications like laptops, mobile phones, and palmtops. In this study, P-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor (PMOS)’s are used as access transistor in 7 transistors (7 T) Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) cell, and the theoretical Static Noise Margin (SNM) analysis for the proposed cell is also performed. A cell is designed using 7 T which consists of 4 PMOS and 3 NMOS. In this paper write and hold SNM is addressed and read SNM is also calculated for the proposed 7 T SRAM cell.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have replaced N-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor (NMOS) access transistors with the PMOS access transistors, which results in proper data line recovery and provides the desired coupling. An error is likely to occur, if the read operation is performed too often probably by using the NMOS pass gate. It results in an improper recovery of the data line. Instead, by using PMOS as a pass gate, the time required for read operation can be brought down. As we know the mobility (µ) of the PMOS transistor is low, so the authors have used this property into the proposed design. When a low signal is applied to its control gate, the PMOS transistor come up with the desired coupling, when working as a pass gate.

Findings

Feedback switched transistor is used in the proposed circuit, which plays an important role in the write operation. This transistor is in OFF state and PMOS’s work as access transistor, when the proposed cell operating in read mode. This helps in the reduction of power. This work is simulated using UMC 40 nm technology node in the cadence virtuoso environment. The simulated result shows that, write power saving of 51.54% and 61.17%, hold power saving of 25.68% and 48.93% when compared with reported 7 T and 6 T, respectively.

Originality/value

The proposed 7 T SRAM cell provides proper data line recovery at a lower voltage when PMOS works as the access transistor. Power consumption is very less in this technique and it is best suitable for low power applications.
Gamification, motivation, and engagement at work: a qualitative multiple case study
Authors: Miri Daniel Hank , Macke Janaina
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the application of gamification promotes employee motivation and engagement in the workplace. This study sought to identify gamification characteristics, examine motivation and engage at work to relate them to different game designs.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative exploratory study of multiple cases involving four companies located in Brazil’s southern region. These companies use gamification with their employees or companies whose business offers gamification solutions focused on people management.

Findings

This multiple case study presented aspects and different approaches to gamification and serious games. Of the four case studies, the Bravi Quiz application was the most satisfactory case because of its attractive design.

Research limitations/implications

The research instruments prioritized the topic of gamification with its tools and applicability. The themes of motivation and engagement at work have been addressed but need further research.

Practical implications

The planning and application of gamification with the appropriate score, feedback and rewards are necessary to promote motivation and engagement in the workplace. Gamification must be linked to its systems and processes on its excellent progress because it is taken in isolation; it does not increase engagement and motivation.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies dealing with gamification in human resource management by involving developers/instructors, managers and employees/users and different companies’ tools. This study served as a comparison between the tools of gamification and serious games.
Analytical approach for the temperature distribution in the casting-mould heterogeneous system
Authors: He Kaiyu , Nadeem Muhammad , Habib Siddra , Sedighi H.M. , Huang Duohui
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to calculate the analytical solution or a closed-form solution for the temperature distribution in the heterogeneous casting-mould system.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors formulate and analyze the mathematical formulation of heat conduction equation in the heterogeneous casting-mould system, with an arbitrary assumption of the ideal contact at the cast-mould contact point. Then, He-Laplace method, based on variational iteration method (VIM), Laplace transform and homotopy perturbation method (HPM), is used to elaborate the analytical solution of this system. The main focus of He-Laplace method is to find the Lagrange multiplier with an easy approach which enables the implementation of HPM very smoothly and provides the series solution very close to the exact solution.

Findings

An example is considered to show that He-Laplace method provides the efficient results for calculating the temperature distribution in the casting-mould heterogeneous system. Graphical representation and error distribution represents that He-Laplace method is very simple to implement and effective for casting-mould heterogeneous system.

Originality/value

The work in this paper is original and advanced. Specially, calculation of Lagrange multiplier for casting-mould system has not been reported in the literature for this work.
Case study evaluation: PIEER internship program and its impact on interns’ self-reported attitudes and behaviors regarding environmental health equity
Authors: Williams Dionna , Zeman Catherine
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Environmental health disparities case studies are explored through a combination of lens including the naturome/nurturome, exposome [nature vs nurture] and multiple exposure-zone [place as predictor of health and wellbeing] concepts. This work places the educational program and experience within a theoretical framework using all these grounding theories. This provides an approach to experiential and transformative education in environmental equity/sustainability that we are calling transformative, trans-theoretical equity education, T2E2. This paper aims to describe this model, its grounding theories and provide real-world examples of this model in action through PIEER.

Design/methodology/approach

The University of Northern Iowa’s environmental equity internship, Panther Initiative for Environmental Equity and Resilience, PIEER, engages students on multiple levels to view sustainability from an equity perspective. The experience seeks to immerse the student in an understanding of equity while also having a tangible impact in the community. Systems analysis of issues, through formal systems thinking approaches, inculcating practices that allow students to work through difficult equity and social justice implications, high vs. low context communication and leadership styles are discussed.

Findings

Findings of the first evaluation of program impact indicate long-lasting benefits to this immersive experience. Findings of an evaluation survey of current and past PIEER interns (N = 30, n = 22/21; response ∼0.73/72) indicate that participants consistently rank the experience in the upper 25th percentile of benefit for their personal growth in understanding equity and environmental issues. They also note that the experience has led them to be more likely to engage in behaviors supporting both social justice and environmental concerns.

Research limitations/implications

This evaluation consists of a small sample size which prevents the use of a mixed methods approach to evaluate the consistencies among the data.

Practical implications

If society is to truly achieve equitable sustainability, we must accomplish this through both transformative theory and transformative experiences.

Social implications

Providing both transformative theory and transformative experiences to students is an important foundational step in achieving equitable sustainability.

Originality/value

The University of Northern Iowa has a unique environmental equity internship which is training students to revision sustainability from an equity perspective.
The “glocalisation” of Istanbul's retail property market
Authors: Eren Fatih , Henneberry John
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The continuation of globalisation and liberalisation processes has prompted the restructuring of many national and local property markets. The research examines the evolution of Istanbul's retail property market to identify how global and local agents engage with one another to produce a unique “glocalized” outcome.

Design/methodology/approach

The morphogenetic approach is adapted and applied to analyse the dynamics of market change. The focus is on the character and behaviour of national and international market actors and how they interact with the wider political economy. The research uses a combination of elite interviews, document analysis and corporate case studies to obtain empirical evidence.

Findings

The liberalisation of the Turkish economy heralded the entry of the first international companies into Istanbul's retail property market in the 1990s. International involvement expanded rapidly after 2004, accelerating the process of market re-structuring. However, while the number of global buy-outs increased, the expansion of local property companies–and the establishment of some international/national corporate partnerships–was even more marked. This resulted in a “glocalised” market with a strong and distinctive local culture.

Originality/value

Istanbul has been a major centre of trade for millenia. This is the first substantive analysis of the recent restructuring of the city's retail property market. Previous research on market maturity and market evolution has paid limited attention to the dynamics of change. The paper describes the use of a process-based theoretical framework (morphogenesis) that was explicitly designed to analyse structural shifts in socio-economic conditions through an examination of the characteristics and behaviours of the actors involved.
Influence of religiosity on ethical consumption: the mediating role of materialism and guilt
Authors: Adil Mohd
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of religiosity on ethical consumption of consumers. It also aims to measure the mediating effect of materialism and guilt.

Design/methodology/approach

The study collected data from 360 Indian consumers through an online survey.

Findings

Religiosity was found to have a strong and significant influence on consumers’ ethical consumption behaviour. It was also found that materialism and guilt mediate the relationship between religiosity and ethical consumption. Findings reveal that a higher level of religiosity in consumers guides them to avoid unwanted behaviour such as unethical consumption.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides an insight into the significance of values in ethical consumption decisions. It examines the mediational effect of materialism and guilt between religiosity and ethical consumption.

Practical implications

Marketers can formulate more successful communication strategies by taking into account the level of religiosity of Indian consumers and underlying cultural foundations within the society. Marketers can also use taglines or promotional messages to promote sacrifice for the well-being of the environment.

Originality/value

This research is a guiding step towards studying the influence of religiosity on ethical consumption through guilt and materialism of consumers in an emerging nation.
An integrated mathematical model of dynamic production and maintenance planning in pumped-storage hydroelectricity
Authors: Asgari Farid , Jolai Fariborz , Movahedisobhani Farzad
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH) is considered as an effective method to moderate the difference in demand and supply of electricity. This study aims to understanding of the high capacity of energy production, storage and permanent exploitation has been the prominent feature of pumped-storage hydroelectricity.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the optimization of energy production and maintenance costs in one of the large Iranian PSH has been discussed. Hence, a mathematical model mixed integer nonlinear programming developed in this area. Minimizing the difference in supply and demand in the energy production network to multiple energies has been exploited to optimal attainment scheme. To evaluate the model, exact solution CPLEX and to solve the proposed programming model, the efficient metaheuristics are utilized by the tuned parameters achieved from the Taguchi approach. Further analysis of the parameters of the problem is conducted to verify the model behavior in various test problems.

Findings

The results of this paper have shown that the meta-heuristic algorithm has been done in a suitable time, despite the approximation of the optimal answer, and the consequences of research indicate that the model proposed in the studied power plant is applicable.

Originality/value

In pumped-storage hydroelectricity plants, one of the main challenges in energy production issues is the development of production, maintenance and repair scheduling concepts that improves plant efficiency. To evaluate the mathematical model presented, exact solution CPLEX and to solve the proposed bi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model, set of efficient metaheuristics are used. Therefore, according to the level of optimization performed in the case study, it has caused the improvement of planning by 7%–12% and effective optimization processes.
A system dynamics approach to COVID-19 pandemic control: a case study of Iran
Authors: Abdolhamid Mohammad Ali , Pishvaee Mir Saman , Aalikhani Reza , Parsanejad Mohammadreza
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a system dynamics approach based on Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Recovered (SEIR) model to investigate the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of therapeutic and preventive interventions on epidemic disaster.

Design/methodology/approach

To model the behavior of COVID-19 disease, a system dynamics model is developed in this paper based on SEIR model. In the proposed model, the impact of people's behavior, contact reduction, isolation of the sick people as well as public quarantine on the spread of diseases is analyzed. In this model, data collected by the Iran Ministry of Health have been used for modeling and verification of the results.

Findings

The results show that besides the intervening policies, early application of them is also of utmost priority and makes a significant difference in the result of the system. Also, if the number of patients with extreme conditions passes available hospital intensive care capacity, the death rate increases dramatically. Intervening policies play an important role in reducing the rate of infection, death and consequently control of pandemic. Also, results show that if proposed policies do not work before the violation of the hospital capacity, the best policy is to increase the hospital’s capacity by adding appropriate equipment.

Research limitations/implications

The authors also had some limitations in the study including the lack of access to precise data regarding the epidemic of coronavirus, as well as accurate statistics of death rate and cases in the onset of the virus due to the lack of diagnostic kits in Iran. These parameters are still part of the problem and can negatively influence the effectiveness of intervening policies introduced in this paper.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper includes the development of SEIR model by adding more policymaking details and considering the constraint of the hospital and public health capacity in the rate of coronavirus infection and death within a system dynamics modeling framework.
AI-based audit of fuzzy front end innovation using ISO56002
Authors: Khan Rizwan , Adi Erwin , Hussain Omar
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) audit tool for auditing text-based evidence and determine its efficiency and effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A manual audit checklist and an AI audit tool are developed with fuzzy front-end (FFE) from Innovation Management System Standard (IMSS) as the audit scope, First, a manual audit of five organisations is conducted to determine their compliance scores. The transcripts of the audit are recorded which are used by the AI audit tool to assign compliance scores for the same organisations. The effectiveness and efficiency of the AI audit tool are determined by comparing their results with the manual audit.

Findings

This paper demonstrates the development of the FFE AI audit tool which led to 92% improved efficiency while being 95% effective compared to a human auditor.

Practical implications

The publication of new financial and non-financial standards (such as ISO56002: IMSS) have implications for internal auditing (IA). The scope of IA must expand to include new standards while remaining efficient. Emerging technologies, such as AI help achieve this. Even though the use of AI in financial auditing is widely studied, it has not received similar attention in non-financial auditing. This paper develops a non-financial AI audit tool to audit an essential component of the IMSS, the FFE of innovation and determine its efficiency and effectiveness.

Originality/value

The study develops an FFE AI audit tool for the first time. The methodology used has practical and academic implications for the use of AI in non-financial auditing.
Does Shariah compliance affect corporate cash holdings and cash adjustment dynamics? Evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Guizani Moncef , Abdalkrim Gaafar
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of Shariah compliance status on corporate cash holding decision.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies ordinary least square and generalized method of moments regression models for a sample of 178 Malaysian listed firms over the period 2008–2017.

Findings

The results show that Shariah compliance has positive impact on the level of cash reserves of firms. It is also found that Shariah-compliant (SC) firms quickly adjust their level of cash holdings toward a target level than non–Shariah-compliant (NSC) firms. These results can be explained by the restrictions imposed by Shariah rules on firms to sustain their compliance status. Further, the results reveal that SC firms are likely to hold more cash out of their cash flows. This is the expected result, as the firms operating within the ambit of Shariah rulings and regulations face external financing constraints.

Practical implications

This study has important implications for managers, policymakers and regulators. For managers, the study is an important reference to understand and design cash management policies by considering restrictions imposed by Shariah regulations. In particular, managers should pay more attention to periods of credit crunch and weak economic conditions in which SC firms may be exposed to greater bankruptcy risks. For policymakers and regulators, this study may be useful in assessing the effect of the restrictions imposed by Shariah law on firm’s cash holding decision. Therefore, in an effort to increase the supply of external financing available to SC firms, policymakers should encourage the issuing of Islamic financial products.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on SC firms where financial constraints are bound to be more stringent than for NSC firms. It explores the implications of relevant Islamic principles on corporate cash holdings.
Exploring impacts on students as givers of teaching feedback
Authors: Lane Murray , Meth Deanna
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Feedback is usually given for the primary benefit of the feedback recipient and often involves the unidirectional delivery of information. The purpose of this paper is to reverse this emphasis and examines the impacts on students of giving feedback to staff as an ongoing dialogue in the delivery of a teaching unit.

Design/methodology/approach

This novel study uses surveys and focus groups for an in-depth case study of the impact of students giving feedback to staff. It examines different aspects of students’ experiences related to their sense of being supported and valued, together with issues of relevance, timeliness and the actionability of feedback.

Findings

Results show that the regular giving of feedback by students and their subsequent academic actions can help increase students’ sense of being supported and valued. The strongest correlations occurred between the responses of those who felt valued and supported and their perception that their own feedback was acted upon during the semester. There is also some evidence suggesting that students felt valued when observing that other students’ feedback was acted upon either immediately or in the future.

Research limitations/implications

The single case study approach to this research means that only one cohort of students was tested. Research on further cohorts would help to validate the findings.

Practical implications

This study could have implications for teaching quality and practice in better directing, communicating, engaging and following up on student feedback.

Originality/value

Whilst the benefit to the staff of student feedback is well documented, there is little evidence documenting benefits to students. This study addresses this gap in existing research.