bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
War in the Middle East and the Incidence of Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Aldaghir Osamah M. , Aljumaily Hassanien A. , Al-khannaq Yassir R.
Published: May 2020

Purpose:

The aim of this retrospective study was to study the effects of the war against ISIS during period (2014–2018) on the incidence of cleft lip and palate and the appearance of different congenital anomalies.

Materials and Methods:

The collected sample consists of 320 newborn babies (160 patients and 160 infants as a control). The examined patients and controls were all included in this study, while the authors exclude those who born to relative parents, and if the mothers had taken any medications during pregnancy.

All newborn cases and controls were physically examined by the research team, and a questionnaire was completed after obtaining the informed consent of mothers and/or fathers.

Results:

In this study, the authors found that 160 patients out of 40,500 live births were born with cleft lip and/or cleft palate, so their percentage was 0.39% from population, that is mean approximately 4 infants affected per each 1000 live births. The risk of cleft development among children who born to fathers who participated in long fighting against the terrorists was (OR = 44.333, 95% CI: 20.176–97.417). The associated combined anomalies were found in 88 patients (79%) especially among those whom fathers participated in the war

Conclusion:

From this study the authors can conclude that the dramatic increase in the incidence of cleft lip and palate and the appearance of different associated anomalies in the south of Iraq is due to the direct effect and impact of the war and the used toxic bombs on the chromosomal changes of the parents and the developing fetus.
Simultaneous Placement of Endosseous Implants in Free Fibula Flap for Reconstruction of Mandibular Resection Defects
Authors: Datarkar Abhay N. , Daware Surendra , Kothe Sudhanshu , Oren Peleg , Eitan Mijiritsky
Published: May 2020

Functional reconstruction of the jaw defect due to tumor resection poses a challenging problem in maxillofacial surgery. Large bone defects in the mandible due to ablation for tumors may generate a series of problems, as far as function and esthetics of the patient is concerned. The use of free bone flaps for mandibular reconstruction has the obvious advantage of being a well vascularized tissue that can withstand the hostile environment of the oral cavity. Fibular bone presents favorable conditions for implant-supported prosthetic rehabilitation, due to its diameter and the good quality of its cortical bone. The outcome of current study supports the use of simultaneous placement of endosseous implants in free fibula flap for reconstruction of mandibular resection defects with better clinical, aesthetic, and functional outcomes.
Evacuation of Vulnerable and Critical Patients
Authors: Gray Megan M. , Thomas Anita Anne , Burns Brian , Umoren Rachel A.
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Virtual simulation (VS) is an adaptable medium for teaching critical disaster management skills such as efficient hospital evacuation. We aimed to compare VS and prerecorded narrated multimedia lecture–based training of pediatric nurses for evacuation of a sick newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric emergency department (ED) using live evacuation simulations.

Methods

Thirty neonatal intensive care unit and 30 ED nurses enrolled with 30 randomized to multimedia lecture and 30 randomized to VS, with equal block distribution of nurses from each unit. Pretraining/posttraining surveys were administered, and live evacuation simulations were scored for time to evacuation, items collected, and communication.

Results

Overall, disaster preparation and communication improved within the VS group as compared with the multimedia lecture group. Virtual simulation rated more immersive (P < 0.001), better at safety threat identification (P < 0.05), and better at evacuation preparation compared with multimedia lecture (P < 0.01). Virtual simulation participants felt more prepared in disaster response (P < 0.001) and patient evacuation (P < 0.001). Both groups packed equal essential items, but VS participants packed more equipment (mean, 19 vs. 15, P < 0.01) with no significant evacuation time difference between the VS group (145 ± 58 seconds) and multimedia lecture group (152 ± 59 seconds, P = not significant). Virtual simulation participants had better communication ratings with the charge nurse (P < 0.05) and family (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Virtual simulation was well received by nurses compared with multimedia lecture and may be an effective adjunct for training nurses on infant patient evacuation during a disaster.
COVID-19 Related Mortality: Is the BCG Vaccine Truly Effective?
Authors: Paredes Jan A. , Garduño Valeria , Torres Julian
Published: May 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a worldwide emergency. In the attempt to search for interventions that would improve outcomes, some studies have looked at the potential benefit of BCG vaccination. These past studies have found a statistically significant reduction in COVID-19 related mortality in countries with a current universal bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination policy. However, just as the authors themselves noted, the nature of ecological studies make them very prone to the presence of several confounders. This paper took into account demographic differences, economic differences and the different stages of the pandemic in each country; gathering data from publicly available sources. It was found that no statistically significant difference exists in mortality rates between countries with a current or prior BCG vaccination policy when compared to those that never had such a program. Nevertheless, the immunostimulatory potential of the BCG vaccine might still prove useful in the development of future vaccines or other prophylactic measures.
Development and Validation of a Convolutional Neural Network Model for ICU Acute Kidney Injury Prediction
Authors: Le Sidney , Allen Angier , Calvert Jacob , Palevsky Paul M. , Braden Gregory , Patel Sharad , Pellegrini Emily , Green-Saxena Abigail , Hoffman Jana , Das Ritankar
Published: May 2020

Rationale and objectives

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common among hospitalized patients and has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. While early prediction of AKI has the potential to reduce adverse patient outcomes, it remains a difficult condition to predict and diagnose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of a machine learning algorithm to predict for AKI KDIGO Stage 2 or 3 up to 72 hours in advance of onset using convolutional recurrent neural nets (CNN) and patient Electronic Health Record (EHR) data.

Methods

A CNN prediction system was developed to continuously and automatically monitor for incipient AKI. 7122 patient encounters were retrospectively analyzed from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database.

New Predictors and Established Predictors

New predictor - CNN machine learning-based AKI prediction model. Established predictors - XGBoost AKI prediction model and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scoring system.

Outcomes

AKI onset.

Analytical Approach

The model was trained on routinely-collected patient EHR data. Measurements included Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curve, positive predictive value (PPV), and a battery of additional performance metrics for 72 hour advance prediction of AKI onset.

Results

On a hold-out test set, the algorithm attained an AUROC of 0.85 and PPV of 0.25, relative to a cohort AKI prevalence of 5.21%, for long-horizon AKI prediction at a 72-hour window prior to onset.

Conclusions

A CNN machine learning-based AKI prediction model outperforms XGBoost and the SOFA scoring system, demonstrating superior performance in predicting acute kidney injury 72 hours prior to onset, without reliance on changes in serum creatinine.
Time-adjusted Analysis Shows Weak Associations Between BCG Vaccination Policy and COVID-19 Disease Progression
Authors: Bod’ová Katarína , Boža Vladimír , Brejová Broňa , Kollár Richard , Mikušová Katarína , Vinař Tomáš
Published: May 2020

In this study, we ascertain the associations between BCG vaccination policies and progression of COVID-19 through analysis of various time-adjusted indicators either directly extracted from the incidence and death reports, or estimated as parameters of disease progression models. We observe weak correlation between BCG vaccination status and indicators related to disease reproduction characteristics. We did not find any associations with case fatality rates (CFR), but the differences in CFR estimates are at present likely dominated by differences in testing and case reporting between countries.
Internet search patterns reveal clinical course of COVID-19 disease progression and pandemic spread across 32 countries
Authors: Lu Tina , Reis Ben Y.
Published: May 2020

Effective public health response to novel pandemics relies on accurate and timely surveillance of pandemic spread, as well as characterization of the clinical course of the disease in affected individuals. We sought to determine whether Internet search patterns can be useful for tracking COVID-19 spread, and whether these data could also be useful in understanding the clinical progression of the disease in 32 countries across six continents. Temporal correlation analyses were conducted to characterize the relationships between a range of COVID-19 symptom-specific search terms and reported COVID-19 cases and deaths for each country during the period of January 1 through April 20, 2020. Increases in COVID-19 symptom-related searches preceded increases in reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by an average of 18.53 days (95% confidence interval 15.98 to 21.08) and 22.16 days (20.33 to 23.99), respectively. Cross-country ensemble averaging was used to derive average temporal profiles for each search term, which were combined to create a search-data-based view of the clinical course of disease progression. Internet search patterns revealed a clear temporal pattern of disease progression for COVID-19: Initial symptoms of fever, dry cough, sore throat and chills were followed by shortness of breath an average of 5.22 days (95% confidence interval 3.30 to 7.14) after initial symptom onset, matching the clinical course reported in the medical literature. This is the first study to show that Internet search data can be useful for characterizing the detailed clinical course of a disease. These data are available in real-time and at population scale, providing important benefits as a complementary resource for tracking the spread of pandemics, especially during the early stages before widespread laboratory testing is available.
Post-exposure Prophylaxis or Preemptive Therapy for SARS-Coronavirus-2: Study Protocol for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lother Sylvain A , Abassi Mahsa , Agostinis Alyssa , Bangdiwala Ananta S , Cheng Matthew P , Drobot Glen , Engen Nicole , Hullsiek Kathy H , Kelly Lauren E , Lee Todd C , Lofgren Sarah M , MacKenzie Lauren J , Marten Nicole , McDonald Emily G , Okafor Elizabeth C , Pastick Katelyn A , Pullen Matthew F , Rajasingham Radha , Schwartz Ilan , Skipper Caleb P , Turgeon Alexis F , Zarychanski Ryan , Boulware David R
Published: May 2020

Background

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in December 2019 causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Currently, there are a lack of evidence-based therapies to prevent COVID-19 following exposure, or to prevent worsening of symptoms following confirmed infection. We describe the design of a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine for post-exposure prophylaxis and pre-emptive therapy for COVID-19.

Methods

We will conduct two nested multicenter international double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine for: 1) post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) of asymptomatic household contacts or healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19 within the past four days, and 2) pre-emptive therapy (PET) for symptomatic outpatients with COVID-19 with a total symptom duration of less than 4 days. We will recruit 1500 patients for each the PEP and PET trials. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive 5 days of hydroxychloroquine or placebo. The primary PEP trial outcome will be the incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 disease. The primary PET trial outcome will be an ordinal scale of disease severity (not hospitalized; hospitalized without intensive care, hospitalization with intensive care, or death). Participant screening, informed consent, and follow up will be exclusively internet-based with appropriate regulatory and research ethics board approvals in Canada and the United States.

Discussion

These complementary randomized control trials are innovatively designed and adequately powered to rapidly answer urgent questions regarding the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine to reduce transmission and disease severity of COVID-19 during a pandemic. In-person participant follow-up will not be conducted in order to facilitate social distancing strategies and reduce risks of exposure to study personnel. Innovative trial approaches are needed to urgently assess therapeutic options to mitigate the global impact of this pandemic.

Trials Registration

clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04308668); 16 March 2020.
Psychophysical Olfactory Findings of Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 Patients: Preliminary Report
Authors: Lechien Jerome R. , Cabaraux Pierre , Chiesa-Estomba Carlos M. , Khalife Mohamad , Hans Stéphane , Martiny Delphine , Saussez Sven
Published: May 2020

Since the onset of the COVID-19 infection, many patients reported sudden loss of smell (SLS). However, due to the lack of psychophysical testings, it remains difficult to know if these patients really have hyposmia or anosmia. Our group investigated the prevalence of anosmia and hyposmia in 28 COVID-19 patients and the potential association with nasal complaints.
Accounting for underreporting in mathematical modelling of transmission and control of COVID-19 in Iran
Authors: Saberi Meead , Hamedmoghadam Homayoun , Madani Kaveh , Dolk Helen M. , Morgan Andrei S. , Morris Joan K. , Khoshnood Kaveh , Khoshnood Babak
Published: May 2020

Background

Iran has been the hardest hit country by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in the Middle East with 74,877 confirmed cases and 4,683 deaths as of 15 April 2020. With a relatively high case fatality ratio and limited testing capacity, the number of confirmed cases reported is suspected to suffer from significant under-reporting. Therefore, understanding the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 and assessing the effectiveness of the interventions that have taken place in Iran while accounting for the uncertain level of underreporting is of critical importance. We use a mathematical epidemic model utilizing official confirmed data and estimates of underreporting to understand how transmission in Iran has been changing between February and April 2020.

Methods

We developed a compartmental transmission model to estimate the effective reproduction number and its fluctuations since the beginning of the outbreak in Iran. We associate the variations in the effective reproduction number with a timeline of interventions and national events. The estimation method also accounts for the underreporting due to low case ascertainment by estimating the percentage of symptomatic cases using delay-adjusted case fatality ratio based on the distribution of the delay from hospitalization-to-death.

Findings

Our estimates of the effective reproduction number ranged from 0.66 to 1.73 between February and April 2020, with a median of 1.16. We estimate a reduction in the effective reproduction number during this period, from 1.73 (95% CI 1.60 – 1.87) on 1 March 2020 to 0.69 (95% CI 0.68-0.70) on 15 April 2020, due to various non-pharmaceutical interventions including school closures, a ban on public gatherings including sports and religious events, and full or partial closure of non-essential businesses. Based on these estimates and given that a near complete containment is no longer feasible, it is likely that the outbreak may continue until the end of the 2020 if the current level of physical distancing and interventions continue and no effective vaccination or therapeutic are developed and made widely available.

Interpretation

The series of non-pharmaceutical interventions and the public compliance that took place in Iran are found to be effective in slowing down the speed of the spread of COVID-19 within the studied time period. However, we argue that if the impact of underreporting is overlooked, the estimated transmission and control dynamics could mislead the public health decisions, policy makers, and general public especially in the earlier stages of the outbreak.

Funding

Nil.
Treatment effect variation in brain stimulation across psychiatric disorders
Authors: Winkelbeiner Stephanie , Muscat Whitney , Joanlanne Andrea , Marousis Nikolaos , Vetter Stefan , Seifritz Erich , Dierks Thomas , Homan Philipp
Published: May 2020

Noninvasive brain stimulation methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are promising add-on treatments for a number of psychiatric conditions. Yet, some of the initial excitement is wearing off. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) have found inconsistent results. This inconsistency is suspected to be the consequence of variation in treatment effects and solvable by identifying responders in RCTs and individualizing treatment. However, is there enough evidence from RCTs that patients do indeed respond differently to treatment? This question can be addressed by comparing the variability in the active stimulation group with the variability in the sham group across studies.

We searched MEDLINE/PubMed and included all double-blinded, sham-controlled RCTs and crossover trials that used TMS or tDCS in adults with a unipolar or bipolar depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines to ensure data quality and validity, we extracted a measure of variability of the primary outcome.

A total of 114 studies with 5005 patients were considered in the analysis. We calculated variance-weighted variability ratios for each comparison of active versus sham stimulation and entered them into a random-effects model. We hypothesized that treatment effect variation in TMS or tDCS would be reflected by increased variability after active compared with sham stimulation, or in other words, a variability ratio greater than one.

Across diagnoses, we found a slight increase in variability after active stimulation compared with sham (variability ratio = 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.11, P = 0.012). This effect was likely driven by studies in patients with schizophrenia who received rTMS compared with sham (variability ratio = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.2, P = 0.007).

In conclusion, this study found evidence for treatment effect variation in brain stimulation, particularly for studies in schizophrenia. The extent of this variation, however, was modest, suggesting that the need for personalized or stratified medicine is still an open question.
The diversity and multiplexity of edge communities within and between brain systems
Authors: Jo Youngheun , Esfahlani Farnaz Zamani , Faskowitz Joshua , Chumin Evgeny J. , Sporns Olaf , Betzel Richard F.
Published: May 2020

The human brain is composed of regions that can be grouped into functionally specialized systems. These systems transiently couple and decouple across time to support complex cognitive processes. Recently, we proposed an edge-centric model of brain networks whose elements can be clustered to reveal communities of connections whose co-fluctuations are correlated across time. It remains unclear, however, how these co-fluctuation patterns relate to traditionally-defined brain systems. Here, we address this question using data from the Midnight Scan Club. We show that edge communities transcend traditional definitions of brain systems, forming a multiplexed network in which all pairs of brain systems are linked to one another by at least two distinct edge communities. Mapping edge communities back to individual brain regions and deriving a novel distance metric to describe the similarity of regions’ “edge community profiles”, we then demonstrate that the within-system similarity of profiles is heterogeneous across systems. Specifically, we find that heteromodal association areas exhibit significantly greater diversity of edge communities than primary sensory systems. Next, we cluster the entire cerebral cortex according to the similarity of regions’ edge community profiles, revealing systematic differences between traditionally-defined systems and the detected clusters. Specifically, we find that regions in heteromodal systems exhibit dissimilar edge community profiles and are more likely to form their own clusters. Finally, we show show that edge communities are highly personalized and can be used to identify individual subjects. Collectively, our work reveals the pervasive overlap of edge communities across the cerebral cortex and characterizes their relationship with the brain’s system level architecture. Our work provides clear pathways for future research using edge-centric brain networks to investigate individual differences in behavior, development, and disease.
Prevalence of Diversified Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria within Sanitation Related Facilities of Human Populated Workplaces in Abbottabad
Authors: Ali Jawad , Ullah Awan Malik Owais , Akca Gulcin , Zeb Iftikhar , Amin Bilal AZ , Ahmed Rafiq , Shah Muhammad Maroof , Nazir Rashid
Published: May 2020

Antibiotics discovery was a significant breakthrough in the field of therapeutic medicines, but the over (mis)use of such antibiotics (n parallel) caused the increasing number of resistant bacterial species at an ever-higher rate. This study was thus devised to assess the multi-drug resistant bacteria present in sanitation-related facilities in human workplaces. In this regard, samples were collected from different gender, location, and source-based facilities, and subsequent antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed on isolated bacterial strains. Four classes of the most commonly used antibiotics i.e., β-lactam, Aminoglycosides, Macrolides, and Sulphonamides, were evaluated against the isolated bacteria.

The antibiotic resistance profile of different (70) bacterial strains showed that the antibiotic resistance-based clusters also followed the grouping based on their isolation sources, mainly the gender. Twenty-three bacterial strains were further selected for their 16s rRNA gene based molecular identification and for phylogenetic analysis to evaluate the taxonomic evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Moreover, the bacterial resistance to Sulphonamides and beta lactam was observed to be the most and to Aminoglycosides and macrolides as the least. Plasmid curing was also performed for MDR bacterial strains, which significantly abolished the resistance potential of bacterial strains for different antibiotics. These curing results suggested that the antibiotic resistance determinants in these purified bacterial strains are present on respective plasmids. Altogether, the data suggested that the human workplaces are the hotspot for the prevalence of MDR bacteria and thus may serve the source of horizontal gene transfer and further transmission to other environments.
CDNF rescues motor neurons in three animal models of ALS by targeting ER stress
Authors: De Lorenzo Francesca , Lüningschrör Patrick , Nam Jinhan , Pilotto Federica , Galli Emilia , Lindholm Päivi , von Collenberg Cora Rüdt , Mungwa Simon Tii , Jablonka Sibylle , Kauder Julia , Petri Susanne , Lindholm Dan , Saxena Smita , Sendtner Michael , Saarma Mart , Voutilainen Merja H.
Published: May 2020

The role of chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the pathophysiology of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as a potential drug target, has received increasing attention. Here, we investigated the mode of action and therapeutic effect of the ER resident protein cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) in preclinical models of ALS harboring different genetic mutations. We identify that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of CDNF significantly halts the progression of the disease and improves motor behavior in TDP43-M337V and SOD1-G93A rodent models of ALS. CDNF rescues motor neurons (MNs)in vitroandin vivofrom ER stress associated cell death and its beneficial effect is independent of genetic disease etiology. Notably, CDNF regulates the unfolded protein response (UPR) initiated by transducers IRE1α, PERK, and ATF6, thereby enhancing MN survival. Thus, CDNF holds great promise for the design of new rational treatments for ALS.
UPREGULATION OF SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE 2 BY ASTROCYTES IN THE SIV/MACAQUE MODEL OF HIV-ASSOCIATED NEUROLOGIC DISEASE
Authors: Sullivan Michelle N. , Brill Samuel A. , Mangus Lisa M. , Jeong Yea Ji , Solis Clarisse V. , Knight Audrey C. , Colantuoni Carlo , Keceli Gizem , Paolocci Nazareno , Queen Suzanne E. , Mankowski Joseph L.
Published: May 2020

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain prevalent despite implementation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Development of HAND is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the brain; therefore, upregulation of antioxidant defenses is critical to curtail neuronal damage. Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) is a mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme essential for maintaining cellular viability. We hypothesized that SOD2 was upregulated during retroviral infection. Using a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaque model of HIV, quantitative PCR showed elevatedSOD2mRNA in cortical gray (GM, 7.6-fold for SIV vs. uninfected) and white matter (WM, 77-fold for SIV vs. uninfected) during SIV infection. Further, SOD2 immunostaining was enhanced in GM and WM from SIV-infected animals. Double immunofluorescence labeling illustrated that SOD2 primarily co-localized with astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in SIV-infected animals. Interestingly, in ART-treated SIV-infected animals, brainSOD2RNA levels were similar to uninfected animals. Additionally, using principal component analysis in a transcriptomic approach,SOD2andGFAPexpression separated SIV-infected from uninfected brain tissue. Projection of these data into a HIV dataset revealed similar expression changes, thereby validating the clinical relevance. Together, our findings suggest that novel SOD2-enhancing therapies may delay the onset or reduce severity of HAND seen in ART-treated HIV-infected patients.
AAV9 gene therapy restores lifespan and treats pathological and behavioral abnormalities in a mouse model of CLN8-Batten disease
Authors: Johnson Tyler B. , White Katherine A. , Cain Jacob T. , Langin Logan , Pratt Melissa A. , Brudvig Jon , Booth Clarissa D. , Timm Derek J. , Davis Samantha S. , Meyerink Brandon , Likhite Shibi , Meyer Kathrin , Weimer Jill M.
Published: May 2020

CLN8 disease is a rare form of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis caused by biallelic mutations in theCLN8gene, which encodes a transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum protein involved in trafficking of lysosomal enzymes. CLN8 disease patients present with myoclonus, tonic-clonic seizures, and progressive declines in cognitive and motor function, with many cases resulting in premature death early in life. There are currently no treatments that can cure the disease or substantially slow disease progression. Using a mouse model ofCLN8disease, we tested the safety and efficacy of an intracerebroventricularly (ICV)-delivered self-complementary AAV9 (scAAV9) gene therapy vector driving expression of humanCLN8. A single neonatal injection was safe and well-tolerated, resulting in robust transgene expression throughout the brain and spinal cord from 4 to 24 months, reducing histopathological and behavioral hallmarks of the disease and completely restoring lifespan from 10 months in untreated animals to beyond 24 months of age in treated animals. These results demonstrate, by far, the most successful rescue reported in an animal model of CLN8 disease, and supports gene therapy as a promising therapeutic strategy for this disorder.
DuringAspergillusinfection, neutrophil, monocyte-derived DC, and plasmacytoid DC enhance innate immune defense through CXCR3-dependent crosstalk
Authors: Guo Yahui , Kasahara Shinji , Jhingran Anupam , Tosini Nicholas L. , Zhai Bing , Aufiero Mariano A. , Mills Kathleen A.M. , Gjonbalaj Mergim , Espinosa Vanessa , Rivera Amariliz , Luster Andrew D. , Hohl Tobias M.
Published: May 2020

Aspergillus fumigatus, a ubiquitous mold, is a common cause of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients. Host defense against IA relies on lung-infiltrating neutrophils and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCs). Here, we demonstrate that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), which are prototypically anti-viral cells, participate in innate immune crosstalk underlying mucosal antifungal immunity.Aspergillus-infected murine Mo-DCs and neutrophils recruited pDCs to the lung by releasing the CXCR3 ligands, CXCL9 and CXCL10, in a Dectin-1/Card9- and type I and III interferon-signaling dependent manner, respectively. During aspergillosis, circulating pDCs entered the lung in response to CXCR3-dependent signals. Via targeted pDC ablation, we found that pDCs were essential for host defense in the presence of normal neutrophil and Mo-DC numbers. Although interactions between pDC and fungal cells were not detected, pDCs regulated neutrophil NADPH oxidase activity and conidial killing. Thus, pDCs act as positive feedback amplifiers of neutrophil effector activity against inhaled mold conidia.
BRI projects: the “rules of engagement”
Authors: Wong Wilson Kia Onn
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper establishes the “Rules of Engagement” (i.e. being “Long-Term Greedy”, adopting a “Caesar's Wife Approach” and promoting “Inclusive Growth”), which aim to strengthen the chances of success of “Belt and Road Initiative” (“BRI”) projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This study deploys a case-study approach, supported by research on the economic and political development of developing countries.

Findings

Despite the professed altruism of BRI projects, many of these projects have been bedevilled by corruption scandals, financial overruns and spurious accusations of them being used as politically driven “debt-traps”. These problems present an urgent need for an overarching overseer to implement the “rules of engagement” needed to enhance the prospect of long-term success in BRI projects.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few academic research papers on the BRI.
Modeling the electric field at interfaces and surfaces in high-voltage cable systems
Authors: Jörgens Christoph , Clemens Markus
Published: May 2020

Purpose

In high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable systems, space charges accumulate because of the constant applied voltage and the nonlinear electric conductivity of the insulating material. The change in the charge distribution results in a slowly time-varying electric field. Space charges accumulate within the insulation bulk and at interfaces. With an operation time of several years of HVDC systems, typically the stationary electric field is of interest. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of interfaces on the stationary electric field stress and space charge density.

Design/methodology/approach

An analytic description of the stationary electric field inside cable insulation is developed and numerical simulations of a cable joint geometry are applied, considering spatial variations of the conductivity in the vicinity of the electrodes and interfaces.

Findings

With increasing conductivity values toward the electrodes, the resulting field stress decreases, whereas a decreasing conductivity results in an increasing electric field. The increased electric field may cause partial discharge, resulting in accelerated aging of the insulation material. Thus, interfaces and surfaces are characterized as critical areas for the reliability of HVDC cable systems.

Research limitations/implications

This study is restricted to stationary electric field and temperature distributions. The electric field variations during a polarity reversal or a time-varying temperature may result in an increased electric conductivity and electric field at interfaces and surfaces.

Originality/value

An analytical description of the electric field, considering surface effects, is developed. The used conductivity model is applicable for cable and cable-joint insulations, where homo- and hetero-charge effects are simulated. These simulations compare well against measurements.
Actionable knowledge with the help of method repositories
Authors: Khezri Hero , Rezaei-Hachesu Peyman , Ferdousi Reza
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Nowadays, there is a rapid growth in different sciences that has led to thousands of publications in the form of scientific research papers. The readers of these papers are generally the people that are involved in science (i.e. researchers, students, teachers and professors). On the other hand, practitioners rarely use these articles as a resource to learn and apply new methods. They prefer an easy to understand, step-by-step guide (i.e. cookbook) helping them skip over the difficult scientific terms and structures. Therefore, because of a shortage of tools in this space, it takes practitioners many years to use newly developed methods.

Design/methodology/approach

The purpose of this study is to review the literature on verified repositories and presents the necessity of method repositories.

Findings

This paper aims to introduce method repositories as new tools to bridge the gap between science and practice.

Originality/value

Method repositories presented in this paper act as an easy to understand guide for newly developed methods in specific fields.
Understanding the role of trade unions in improving construction productivity through the institutional framework
Authors: Gao Shang , Low Sui Pheng , Simin Ng Serene
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Sluggish performance in construction productivity (CP) is a common occurrence worldwide. This phenomenon is also observed in Singapore. In this context, the role of trade unions (TUs) has also been mentioned but appears to be little understood. Hence, this study evaluates the role of TUs in contributing to CP. The key issue is to determine whether TUs have a role to play in contemporary society in improving CP.

Design/methodology/approach

This study takes on multiple research methodologies; more specifically, the mixed-method of survey questionnaires and interviews is used. Firstly, a survey questionnaire was employed to obtain broad viewpoints on the general understanding of the target groups towards the CP issues in Singapore. The survey questionnaire also attempts to study the TUs in greater depth by examining their existing strategies of and hindrances to improving CP. Once findings were gathered from the survey questionnaire, the interviews were carried out to probe deeper into the phenomena in the results.

Findings

The research findings showed there is a generally positive outlook that TUs have the ability to contribute to CP. The study finds that the TU respondents possess strong attributes within the normative pillar, but weak attributes in the regulative and cultural–cognitive pillars.

Originality/value

This study uses the Institutional Theory as a general framework, which identifies a union's functions and activities in three pillars that underpin the institutional theory and defines its impact on construction productivity.
Business intelligence systems and operational capability: an empirical analysis of high-tech sectors
Authors: Yiu L.M. Daphne , Yeung Andy C.L. , Jong Abe P.L.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

In this research, we empirically examine the impact of Business Intelligence (BI) systems on operational capability in high-tech sectors. We also seek to understand the contextual factors that facilitate the adoption of BI systems.

Design/methodology/approach

We adopt Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and event study methodology, and analyze the financial data for a sample of 144 US firms which adopted BI systems from 2005–2014, and compare them to control firms without BI systems.

Findings

We find that the implementation of BI systems leads to higher operational capability, particularly for large high-tech firms with high technology intensity. We further show that technology intensity and firm size are important contextual factors for firms to reap the benefits of BI systems.

Practical implications

We demonstrate how benefits from the adoption of BI systems are likely to be strengthened. The benefits of BI systems depend on firms' technology intensity and firm size of high-tech firms. Accessing relevant and timely reports for decision-making is particularly important in the highly dynamic, volatile and competitive high-tech sectors.

Originality/value

We contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence that the adoption of BI systems can improve firms' operational capability and show that technology intensity and firm size are important contextual factors for firms to reap the benefits of BI systems. We advance the understanding regarding the contextual factors in which firms are more likely to gain additional benefits from their adoptions of BI systems.
Female audit partners and accruals quality: evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Soepriyanto Gatot , Krisky Pamela , Indra Yanto , Zudana Arfian
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study examines the association between accruals quality and gender of the firm's audit engagement partner in Indonesia. Specifically, prior studies provide evidence that gender-based difference in diligence, conservatism and risk tolerance, it is plausible that female auditors may improve audit quality. Indonesia provides a valuable research setting to investigate the issue, as it is mandatory to disclose the identity of the audit partners in the audit reports.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs multivariate regression model to test the hypothesis, which examines the association between accruals quality and audit partners gender. Using a sample of Indonesian publicly listed firms, we run a panel of regression of audit quality measure proxied by abnormal accruals on female auditor variable and firm-specific controls. To triangulate the results, we also conduct sensitivity analysis using high and low category of abnormal accruals, an alternative measure of accruals quality (i.e. Beneish's M score) and propensity score matching (PSM).

Findings

We find that firms with female audit engagement partners are not associated with smaller abnormal accruals, thereby implying that female auditors may not constrain effects on earnings management. In other words, gender is not an important predictor for audit quality in Indonesia.

Research limitations/implications

We are not able to use broader measures of audit quality such as GAAP violations/restatement, litigation or audit fee. This is because the Indonesian setting somewhat limits us to collect them due to lack of regulatory actions and/or database availability.

Practical implications

This study will contribute to the regulators (such as Financial Service Authorities/OJK) and professionals, on the effectiveness of female audit partners in improving audit quality. The study can be used as an evidence to support the gender equality in the accounting and audit industry.

Social implications

Our findings suggest that auditor gender does not lead to the improvement of accruals quality in Indonesia. Given the fact that only 14% of firms in our sample audited by female audit partners, it is plausible that the positive traits of female top managers may not transmit to the overall audit process. As such, it is important to encourage more female involvement in top position of auditing and accounting industry is required to advance the profession and its positive impact to the society.

Originality/value

There are no prior studies in Indonesia examining the effect of audit partner gender on accruals quality using archival data. As such, this research will be the first to document such evidence and therefore can improve our understanding on the role of auditor characteristic on audit quality. We also respond to the call from DeFond and Zhang (2014) to push analysis of audit quality to the individual auditor level by examining the gender of audit partner.
Interdependence between banking earnings, banking security and growth achievement: case study in the ASEAN community
Authors: Pham Minh Phu
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the existence of interdependence amongst banking earnings, banking security and growth performance across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilizes a panel autoregressive distributed lag method with the annual data of nine ASEAN members over 1996–2017.

Findings

Only the short-run Granger causal impact of banking profitability on economic expansion is supported, while the long-run Granger causality between all the variables is strongly recognized. Increased banking well-being supports economic development, while higher banking security might have inverse impacts. However, increasing the banking profit without the corresponding better soundness can be detrimental to the economic growth in the short run and much more in the long run. Thus, improving banking profitability and stability simultaneously has positive net effects on the economic development.

Research limitations/implications

This research is restricted to unavailable data and limited measurements of both banking profitability and stability. Further inclusion of other macro-economic variables, other banking development aspects or even non-banking indicators should also be considered.

Practical implications

National governments should emphasize a convenient financial environment, which can strongly enhance the positive relationship between banking earnings, banking safeness and output growth. Also, the relevant policies on higher banking well-being and stricter security obligations have to be simultaneously maintained.

Originality/value

Few papers have inspected the interrelationship between banking stability, banking profitability and economic growth, particularly in the ASEAN region. This causes the banking literature shortage, as well as insufficient insights for the financial policymakers into their endogenous dynamics. Thus, the study is the first attempt to fulfil the research gap.
A comparison of child development, growth and illness in home-care and day-care center settings
Authors: Limtrakul Darunnee , Ongprasert Krongporn , Ayood Pisittawoot , Sapbamrer Ratana , Siviroj Penprapa
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Childcare is an essential part of early life environment that has a significant influence on lifelong physical and mental health. This study aimed to examine the relationship between development, growth and frequency of illness in different types of care.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study recruited 177 children aged 30–36 months and their caregivers. Of these 66 were being cared for at home and 111 were attending out-of-home day-care facilities. An interview form, growth measurement and the Denver Developmental Screening Test II were collected. The association between child developmental, growth and illness variables was analyzed with Chi-square, Fisher's exact and Mann–Whitney U tests.

Findings

This study found that the development and growth results did not show statistically significant differences between the home-care and day-care groups. The number of minor illnesses was significantly lower in home-care children than in day-care children (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.15-0.72).

Research limitations/implications

This study indicated that the risk of infection is increased in the children attending day care. Provision of a healthy and safe childcare environment needs to be an essential health promotion strategy to improve family and child well-being.

Originality/value

As the number of women's participation in the labor market has increased rapidly over the past decades, so did the number of children in nonparental care. The study findings reflect that the development of a day-care center for children was unclear, whereas the risk of infection was increased. Therefore, provision of a healthy and safe childcare environment needs to be an essential health promotion strategy to improve family and child well-being.
Seeking economic cyber security: a Middle Eastern example
Authors: Gibbs Tanya
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The transformation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into an important global economic player has been accompanied by digitalization that has also left it at a risk to cybercrime. Concurrent with the rise in technology use, the UAE fast became one of the most targeted countries in the world. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the UAE has tried to cope with accelerating levels of cyber threat using legislative and regulatory efforts as well as public- and private-sector initiatives meant to raise cybersecurity awareness.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper surveys the UAE’s cybersecurity legislative, regulatory and educational initiatives from 2003 to 2019.

Findings

Because the human factor still remains the number one reason for security breaches, robust cyber laws alone are not enough to protect against cyber threats. Building public awareness and educating internet users about cyber risks and safety have become essential components of the UAE's efforts in building a more secure cyber environment for the country.

Research limitations/implications

The paper relies on English-language translations of primary sources (laws) originally in Arabic, as well as English-language studies from local media. This should not be considered a problem, as English is established as the language of business and commerce in the UAE.

Practical implications

The paper provides a detailed overview of the country’s cybersecurity environment to guide and aide practitioners with risk assessment and legal and regulatory compliance.

Originality/value

The paper presents a comprehensive overview of the UAE’s cybersecurity legislative, regulatory and educational environment. It also surveys government and private sector initiatives directed in protecting the country’s cyberspace.