bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dual-class share structure and financial constraints
Authors: Ahamed Fatematuz Tamanna , Nurul Houqe Muhammad , van Zijl Tony
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of dual-class share structures, where share structure is measured by the existence of a dual-class structure and also by excess voting rights and the proximity of the superior class shareholders in such structures, on financial constraints.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applies regression analyses to a sample of 2,466 observations on non-financial US firms over the period 2002–2018. The methods include regression with industry and year fixed effects, “propensity score matching” approach to match the dual-class firms with non-dual class firms and alternative measures of financial constraints.

Findings

The result shows that irrespective of how dual-class share structure is measured, it increases the level of financial constraints, except where dual-class share structure is measured by the proximity of superior class shareholders. Among the additional tests, the HM index has been used as a measure of financial constraints, and the findings show that the impact of dual-class structures on financial constraints appears to be driven by their effect on debt constraints. Finally, the findings are robust when the authors address endogeneity issues and remain consistent when the authors use alternative measures and tests.

Practical implications

The study has important implications for investors, regulators and policymakers, as it could help an understanding of the effect of the potential for conflict between superior class shareholders and other shareholders.

Originality/value

The results from the study support earlier literature on the impact of dual-class share structure on financial constraints. However, the study also provides new evidence on the different dimensions of dual-class share structure and financial constraints. Furthermore, the hand-collected data set on dual-class firms and the values of their voting wedge and the proximity of superior class shareholders may be useful to other researchers.
Integrating Industry 4.0 and circular economy in the UAE construction sector: a policy-aligned framework
Authors: Flores Lara Juan Carlos , El Fadel Mutasem , Khalfan Malik Mansoor Ali
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study addresses the integration of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies with circular economy (CE) principles in the UAE construction sector, aligning with the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021–2031 (UAECEP). It explores how digital tools can facilitate sustainable construction practices by enhancing resource efficiency, reducing waste and supporting circularity across the building life cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to identify frameworks that integrate I4.0 technologies with CE principles. Based on the review, a conceptual framework was developed and refined to meet the UAE construction sector’s specific needs, focusing on applying digital tools at different stages of construction.

Findings

Integrating I4.0 tools, including building information modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), can enhance resource efficiency, reduce waste and promote sustainability in the UAE’s construction sector. The framework aligns digital transformation efforts with the UAECEP, indicating these technologies’ applicability in design, construction, operation and end-of-life stages. Key challenges include high initial costs, technical limitations and the need for regulatory support.

Originality/value

This study offers a novel framework tailored to the UAE construction sector, bridging the gap between policy objectives and practical implementation. It provides strategies to overcome local challenges through stakeholder collaboration and digital innovation, contributing to the UAE’s sustainability goals.
Ambiguity-driven asset price misalignment and its policy implications
Authors: Feghhi Kashani Mohammad , Ziyaee Zahra
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Implications of ambiguity for the dynamics of asset prices and wealth distribution are the chief concern of this study.

Design/methodology/approach

In a continuous-time stochastic macro setting characterized by heterogeneous agents and financial friction with perfect “skin-in-the-game” for productive agents, we derive analytically and then illustrate numerically how ambiguity aversion would impinge on the agents’ consumption share and precautionary motives, sowing the seeds for asset price misalignment and thereby calling for appropriate policy response.

Findings

The agents’ ambiguity-aversion triggers a low real risk-free rate, fewer consumption shares, higher precautionary savings and wealth redistribution, inducing misalignment in asset prices. The distortion entails welfare loss for all agents, making a case for conventional monetary and fiscal policy design and analysis. For a given degree of ambiguity aversion, the dividend and capital value taxations could mitigate the asset price misalignment though causing a welfare loss as they are distortionary in turn. However, conventional monetary policy could lessen the asset price distortion and improve the welfare of at least a subset of agents if it is fine-tuned well.

Originality/value

Characterizations of ambiguity-driven asset price misalignments along with redistributive implications of ambiguity and their reflections for asset price volatility, leverage, welfare and fiscal and monetary policy conduct and analysis are the key contributions of this study.
Oryx Desert Salt: grand ambitions for global growth
Authors: Urban Boris , Townsend Stephanie Althea
Published: January 2025

Learning outcomes

At the end of the case discussion, students should be able to trace the journey of launching a start-up by evaluating how opportunities and hurdles can be navigated throughout the international entrepreneurial process; assess the increasing trend towards internationalisation for start-ups and identify a range of factors contributing to the growth in global entrepreneurship; formulate an argument highlighting the role of the networking and partnerships when adopting a global strategy; propose how a firm could develop a unique mix of resources to obtain a sustained competitive advantage globally against other firms; and make an informed decision regarding various issues that entrepreneurs need to consider when going global and analyse how they can effectively deal with a crisis they may face.

Case overview/synopsis

Oryx Desert Salt is sourced from ancient, unpolluted, sustainable underground salt lakes in the pristine and remote uninhabitable Kalahari semi-desert of South Africa. Samantha Skyring is the founding CEO of Oryx Desert Salt. Her inspiration for the name was her 120-km, one-week walk through the Namib Desert in 2000, when she had several close encounters with the Oryx Gazelle, becoming the symbol of that Kalahari experience. Oryx products currently feature on the tables of between 1,500 and 2,500 local restaurants country-wide, and in the retail sector, Oryx salt is on the shelves of about 1,000 stores of retailers, plus in several health shops and deli’s countrywide. Regarding the business’s global footprint, Oryx Desert Salt currently exports to 23 countries and is also available on Amazon.com. Notwithstanding that Samantha Skyring has succeeded in making Oryx Desert Salt the well-known local household brand she had intended; she is contemplating greater international expansion and reach. She has envisioned Oryx salt to become a respected global household brand, in the same way Himalayan pink salt gained popularity worldwide as a gourmet salt. Given Samantha’s challenge of finding suitable speciality distributors in the different countries to help get her product in restaurants and retail, what would be the best approach to achieve her vision of becoming a global brand? To what extent could she capitalise and leverage various resources to further globalise Oryx’s business operations? How could she ensure that the extent and diversity of global reach provides Oryx Desert Salt with a sustained competitive advantage?

Complexity academic level

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Management, Executive Education

Supplementary material

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Audit and financial communication quality: the moderating role of internal governance mechanisms
Authors: Zouari-Hadiji Rim , Mroua Wafa
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of audit quality (auditor expertise and discretionary accruals) on financial communication quality and to distinguish the moderating role of corporate governance mechanisms (board size, CEO duality, board gender diversity and block ownership) on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Linear regression is used to analyze the annual reports of 150 nonfinancial firms that belong to the CAC All-tradable index for the period 2015–2023.

Findings

The empirical results show that auditor expertise has a positive and significant effect on financial communication quality. Furthermore, board size reinforces the negative effect of discretionary accruals on financial communication quality. However, CEO duality and block ownership attenuate the positive effect of auditor expertise on the dependent variable.

Research limitations/implications

Our research covers three areas of research, i.e. audit quality, corporate governance and financial communication research. It presents the moderator role of some governance mechanisms on the relation between audit and financial communication quality. Furthermore, it aims to identify best practices in the governance system that attempt to facilitate and improve the positive impact of audit quality on the quality of financial communication, which increases stakeholder confidence in the firm. We caution readers from generalizing the findings of this study, as our study is based on a well-developed sample. Also, it is limited only to annual reports to measure the financial communication index without looking at other information transmission channels.

Originality/value

This study investigates the moderating role of internal governance mechanisms in the relationship between audit quality and financial communication quality in the French context.
External leadership knowledge integration and AI readiness in family firms: exploring the mediation effects of professionalization
Authors: Kárpáti Zoltán Soma , Szüle Borbála
Published: January 2025

Purpose

As the knowledge-based theory of the firm suggests, integrating leadership knowledge from non-family sources may be paramount in building competitive advantage, and leadership knowledge is an invaluable resource in building successful firms. In the volatile business environment, AI developments are among the key drivers of several thorough transformations, so the possible relationship between top management business talent and AI readiness has become essential. Our paper examines this link in the family business context, analyzing the possible mediation role of firm professionalization.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopted a quantitative research approach. Data about Hungarian family firms were collected during March and April 2024. The authors used structural equation modeling, and results with and without controlling for a firm size and sector effect were compared. The final sample size contained 112 family firms.

Findings

The research findings suggest that the identified personal professionalization subdimensions have different mediation roles in the relationship between external knowledge integration in top management teams and AI readiness. Without including the control variables, the personal development and competence absorption subdimensions fully mediate this relationship, and the delegation subdimension does not have a significant mediation role. These two mediation effects become significantly weaker with the inclusion of firm size and sector control variables.

Research limitations/implications

The results highlight the importance of competence absorption and development in family firms, especially when preparing for AI integration into business processes. In addition, the findings also emphasize that firm size may have a significant role in creating an AI-compatible business environment.

Originality/value

This paper aims to integrate the evolving field of firm professionalization with research on the effects of family involvement in corporate leadership. Professionalization dimensions are defined, and mediation roles of personal professionalization subdimensions are examined concerning the relationship between external knowledge integration in top management teams and AI readiness. The paper also highlights several new research directions that may enhance understanding the relationship between family leadership involvement and corporate outcomes.
Global warnings and the role of national filters in shaping formal governance of university performance
Authors: Bourmistrov Anatoli , Haldma Toomas , Kallio Kirsi-Mari , Pettersen Inger Johanne , Skoog Matti
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to assess the continuing relevance of Olson et al.’s (1998) four primary concerns regarding the future development of New Public Financial Management (NPFM) in public service organizations. A particular focus is on understanding changes in the formal systems governing the performance management of universities across different “soft-NPFM” national contexts as well as the identification of successful strategies to mediate those four concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

Changes in the formal systems governing the performance management of universities in three European countries – Estonia, Finland and Norway – are reviewed in their historical contexts. Methodologically, this article is based on a content-driven analysis of documents, reports and scientific literature, supplemented by the collective memory of the co-authors.

Findings

“Warnings” have materialized quite differently in the three countries due to unique “national filters.” These filters are represented by different understandings of how universities are defined in terms of their governance and ownership, such as whether the universities are agents of the state or independent accounting entities with their own legal rights. These “national filters” seem to affect how NPFM is translated into the formal systems governing the performance management of universities.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the literature by examining how some countries and their governments manage to achieve “selective complementarity” of different reforms and trends. This complementarity helps to avoid the “dysfunctional effects” and “extremes” of NPFM.
Unveiling the role of brand engagement in brand extension for masstige brands: functionality matters as much as fit
Authors: Özer Alper , Özer Mehmet , Buran İrem , Genç Esra
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of brand engagement on consumer responses to brand extensions, particularly in terms of value perception, attitude and purchase intention in a masstige context. The study examines low-fit/high-functionality and high-fit/low-functionality products. It also explores the crucial role of self-congruence in enhancing brand engagement, which leads to positive consumer responses towards brand extensions.

Design/methodology/approach

After establishing the theoretical foundations, pre-tests identified the product types and their fit level. In this quantitative study, 464 questionnaires were administered. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling validated the model and tested the hypotheses for low-fit/high-functionality and high-fit/low-functionality products of a masstige brand.

Findings

Data analysis shows that brand engagement positively affects value perception, attitude and purchase intention. However, consumers’ responses to brand extension differed for low-fit versus high-fit products. Moreover, social self-congruence and actual and ideal self-congruence positively impact consumers’ active engagement with masstige brands.

Originality/value

This research shows that low-fit extensions of masstige brands can succeed with high functionality, while high-fit extensions mitigate the negative effects of low functionality, a key attribute of masstige brands. The study adds to the limited literature on self-congruence and engagement by identifying actual and ideal self-congruence as determinants of brand engagement. It is also among the first to demonstrate that social self-congruence drives brand engagement for masstige brands.
Integrating sustainability into PMM systems of small businesses: some future research directions
Authors: Buonasera Alessandra , Noto Guido , Rappazzo Nicola
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This work aims to provide, from the perspective of small businesses, a state-of-the-art of management and accounting literature concerning the development of performance measurement and management (PMM) systems addressing sustainability and traditional measures of business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review of the literature was developed by using Scopus and ISI Web of Science as sources of data. After a careful screening of the results, 61 articles have been selected and analysed in depth.

Findings

The article highlights the key theoretical frameworks adopted by articles focussing on PMM and sustainability in SMEs, as well as the methods used, and the key re-sults obtained. Moreover, the article provides several insights for future studies on this emerging topic.

Practical implications

This contribution provides important elements to design PMM systems aimed at ad-dressing sustainability in SMEs. As such, the results obtained may supports SMEs’ managers in implementing such systems as well as in putting in place reporting ac-tivities

Originality/value

The topic of measuring and managing sustainability performance in SMEs has re-mained largely underexplored both in theory and in practice. This contribution offers a comprehensive exploration of this theme, while also outlining future research direc-tions for scholars interested in analyzing this research area from the perspective of small businesses.
Thermal radiation and Cattaneo–Christov heat flux effect on heat transfer inside a porous square enclosure by using LTNE model
Authors: Sreedevi P. , Sudarsana Reddy P. , Chamkha A.J.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This article presents a numerical study of the heat transfer properties of a nanofluid created using engine oil as the common fluid and Fe3O4 nanoparticles within a square cavity embedded with porous media using the LTNE model in the presence of a Cattaneo–Christov heat flux. To obtain the governing boundary layer equations, the Boussinesq approximation and Darcy model are employed.

Design/methodology/approach

By applying the Finite Element method, the modeling equations for dimensionless vorticity, stream function and temperature contours with conforming boundary and initial conditions are scrutinized.

Findings

One important finding is that streamlines create a core vortex that is oriented centrally and has longer thermal relaxation times. In contrast, solid state isotherms are hardly affected by growth in thermal relaxation parameter values when compared to fluid state isotherms.

Originality/value

The research work carried out in this work is original and no part is copied from others.
Age Is Just a Number? A Retrospective Review of Cause of Death in Patients 85 Years and Over Receiving Lung Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy
Authors: Morgan Patrick , Siva Shankar , Pahoff Carl , Tiong Eve , Newman St. John , Oar Andrew
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Patients aged > 85 years are under‐represented in research that has established stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as the standard of care in early stage non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) not suitable for or refusing surgery. With an ageing population in Australia, it is important to assess SBRT and cause of death (COD) in elderly patients receiving curative intent lung SBRT.

Methods

This is a multi‐centre retrospective review of eligible patients treated across Australia from 2016 to 2022 with curative intent lung SBRT for early stage primary NSCLC, and aged 85 years or over. The primary outcomes were estimated 2‐year overall survival (OS) and COD. Secondary outcomes include cancer‐specific survival (CSS), progression‐free survival (PFS) and local PFS following SBRT. Univariate Cox regression was used to determine factors associated with survival outcomes or progression.

Results

In the study, 103 patients were identified, treated with 109 courses of SBRT. Median age was 87.6 years (range 85–97.1) with 52.4% male (n = 54). Median follow‐up was 19.6 months (range 0.2–55.6). The estimated 2‐year survival was 78.7% (95% CI 67.8–86.3). Of the 27.2% (n = 28) of patients deceased, COD was established in 89.3% (n = 25) of cases. In addition, 39.2% (n = 11) of deaths were related to lung cancer. Univariate analysis demonstrated that survival varied significantly with poorer performance status.

Conclusion

This study increases knowledge of efficacy of lung SBRT in the very elderly, suggests similar outcomes to the general patient population and supports the use of lung SBRT in those aged 85 years or over. Prospective data including outcomes, comorbidities, pulmonary function and toxicity are required to help inform clinicians and patients about decisions regarding treatment.
Brain‐derived textiloma post glioblastoma resection and application of oxidized regenerated cellulose: A pilot, bedside‐to‐bench, translational study
Authors: Kra Joshua A. , Markosian Christopher , Tang Fenny H. F. , de León Ada Baisre , Chundury Anupama , Agarwalla Pankaj K. , Staquicini Daniela I. , Pasqualini Renata , Arap Wadih
Published: January 2025

Oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC; marketed as Surgicel® and Tabotamp®) is routinely used as an intraoperative hemostatic agent. Rarely, residual ORC has been associated with a foreign body reaction generating cystic or granulomatous lesions (i.e., textilomas) at the surgical site. Here, we report a bedside‐to‐bench, translational report of an intracranial mass after neurosurgical resection of glioblastoma with ORC application. As part of patient care, we performed magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological analysis of the mass. We then performed in vitro studies to evaluate the effect of ORC on cytokine production and viability of BV‐2 murine microglial cells by using quantitative PCR along with live cell microscopy and crystal violet staining, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a recurrent mass pressing on the adjacent right ventricle, which was removed in a second surgery for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Unexpectedly, histopathological examination of the resected mass revealed abundant ORC arising from the site with inflammation, microglial activation, and collagenization. Mechanistically, we show an ORC‐induced modest increase in inflammatory cytokines with a subsequent decrease in microglial cell viability. These findings suggest that ORC may mediate microglial immune response and viability, and serve to raise awareness and guide interpretation of post‐treatment surveillance imaging findings in the instance of foreign body reaction.
Financializing Maternal and Newborn Care: Temporal Tensions within a Development Impact Bond in India
Authors: Bärnreuther Sandra
Published: January 2025

Since the 1980s, multilateral agencies and governments in many parts of the world have curtailed public spending for the health sector. The same period also witnessed the emergence of ‘innovative’ health financing approaches which combine social service provision with financial return. This article discusses one such mechanism, the first health‐focused development impact bond (DIB) implemented in India in 2018–21. Drawing on interviews with key actors and analyses of documents and reports, the article examines the transformation of maternal and newborn care into an investment opportunity. It argues that DIBs introduce the prospect of financial return in the provision of social services while at the same time imbuing financial investments with the promise of moral value. After situating the impact bond within broader global trends in health financing and India's specific history, the article illustrates the processes of valuation involved in converting maternal and newborn care into a financial asset. In doing so, it highlights the tensions that emerge when healthcare is made amenable to the logic and time horizon of finance capital. The article concludes with a discussion of the possible long‐term consequences of financialization in the health sector, emphasizing the new vulnerabilities and inequalities that DIBs generate, particularly outside financial centres in the Global North.
Effect of pet therapy on sleep and life quality of elderly individuals
Authors: Yilmaz Cansu , Tekinsoy Kartin Pınar
Published: January 2025

Aim

The study aimed to determine the sleep and life quality of elderly individuals living in a nursing home using pet therapy, a complementary and supportive therapy.

Methods

The study was conducted with elderly individuals in a nursing home in Tokat province in Turkey. The study sample consisted of 59 elderly individuals, with 30 in the intervention group and 29 in the control group, who met the inclusion criteria. Pet therapy was applied to elderly individuals twice a week for 6 weeks for a total of 12 sessions as a randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of pet therapy on sleep and life quality. While pet therapy was applied to the individuals in the intervention group, the control group was no pet theraphy.

Results

It was determined that the sleep and life quality of the individuals in the intervention group increased statistically and significantly. There was no statistically significant difference in the change in sleep and life quality of individuals in the control group. A statistically significant difference was determined between the intervention and control groups regarding sleep and life quality.

Conclusion

Pet therapy was determined to significantly improve the sleep and life quality of elderly individuals living in a nursing home. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; ••: ••–••.
Conspiracy beliefs and democratic backsliding: Longitudinal effects of election conspiracy beliefs on criticism of democracy and support for authoritarianism during political contests
Authors: Thomas Emma F. , O'Donnell Alexander , Osborne Danny , Bird Lucy , Yip Lisette , Buonaiuto Eliana , Lizzio‐Wilson Morgana , Skitka Linda , Wenzel Michael
Published: January 2025

There are widespread concerns that conspiracy theories undermine democracies. But do conspiracy beliefs increase criticism of democracy and/or support for authoritarianism? Or are antidemocratic people more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs? To answer these important questions, we collected longitudinal data during two concurrent democratic elections—the 2020 US Presidential Election (N = 609) and the 2020 General Election in New Zealand (N = 603). Random intercept cross‐lagged panel models tested whether conspiracy beliefs affect criticism of democracy in general, as well as support for authoritarianism, and both direct and representative democracy, specifically. There was little evidence that conspiracy beliefs temporally preceded changes in attitudes toward democracy or support for any specific form of government. Instead, people who supported authoritarianism more subsequently endorsed stronger conspiracy beliefs. The results suggested that, in the context of electoral contests (e.g., elections), antidemocratic people are more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs rather than conspiracy beliefs fostering antidemocratic views.
The use of generative AI in statistical data analysis and its impact on teaching statistics at universities of applied sciences
Authors: Schwarz Joachim
Published: January 2025

This study explores the use of generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, in statistical data analysis and its implications for statistics education at universities of applied sciences. This paper begins with first discussing the future division of labor between humans and machines in the context of statistical data analyses following the widespread adoption of ChatGPT. By analyzing artificially generated data sets, the capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT in performing statistical analyses are demonstrated. The results show that generative AI can facilitate data analysis for individuals with minimal knowledge of statistics, mainly by generating appropriate code, but only partly by following standard procedures. Therefore, human oversight and a good statistical knowledge remains critical. The study suggests that the focus of statistics education should shift from teaching software‐specific skills to fostering a deeper understanding of statistical concepts. This shift will prepare students to effectively use AI tools while maintaining rigorous standards of data analysis.
A Violent History
Authors: Macola Giacomo
Published: January 2025

Since the early nineteenth century, political and military violence has played an exceptionally significant role in the territory corresponding to the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo. By emphasising the periodic re-occurrence of “warlordism” and the economy of plunder that characterises it, the author Giacomo Macola offers new analytical tools to interpret the history of the societies of the Congo Basin over the past two hundred years. In the concluding chapters, Macola dwells on more recent events, detailing the collapse of Mobutu’s Zaire, the “Great African War” and the reasons for the continuing armed instability in the east of the country. Supplementing analyses of the contemporary dimension of African conflicts, Macola makes a case for the enduring importance of studying precolonial history.
Architecture in Oceania (1840-1970)
Authors: Falser Michael
Published: January 2025

Knowledge of colonial architecture in the South Pacific remains sparse, with often-overlooked connections to para-colonial settings and postcolonial continuities. This edited volume seeks to address these gaps, focusing on the period from 1840 to 1970 across the broader South Pacific region. Through in-depth architectural case studies of buildings, ensembles and urban projects, the essays reflect on the complex interactions between locals and foreigners, colonisers and the colonised, and their shifting allegiances, even across changing political powers. With a rare focus on German colonial influences in the region, the contributions go beyond the predominant narratives of British and French colonial influence. This volume is a valuable resource for students and researchers of architectural history and colonial history in Oceania.
Regional changes in cerebral blood flow between the upright and supine posture and over 3 days of bed rest
Authors: Possnig Carmen , Marume Kyohei , Babu Gautam , Janssen Sylvan L. J. E. , Hearon Christopher M. , Dias Katrin A. , Sarma Satyam , Lawley Justin S. , Levine Benjamin D.
Published: January 2025

A reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF) has been observed during spaceflight and bed rest. We aimed to examine the magnitude and regional heterogeneity of the decrease in CBF during bed rest compared to posture changes on Earth. Seventeen participants (age, 29 ± 9 years, 7 females) were studied in the upright and supine posture and over 3 days of bed rest. We assessed blood flow via duplex ultrasonography in the internal carotid (ICA) and vertebral arteries (VA), and via transcranial Doppler of the middle cerebral artery (MCAv). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and end‐tidal CO2 () were assessed at all time points. By day 3, total CBF (1078 ± 302 to 853 ± 245 mL min−1, P < 0.0001) and MCAv (61 ± 15 to 49 ± 12 mL min−1, P < 0.0001) were decreased compared to the supine posture. CBF values did not fall below the upright posture (all P > 0.05) but were lower than a calculated 24‐h mean baseline (P = 0.0132). MAP remained stable (P = 0.971), as did (P = 0.0803), while VA blood flow decreased after 24 h and again after 72 h (P = 0.0024). These findings indicate that CBF decreases during short‐term bed rest, but not below values observed in the upright posture.
Free wave propagation in pretensioned 2D textile metamaterials
Authors: Arena Andrea , Lepidi Marco
Published: January 2025

A parametric lattice model is formulated to describe the dispersion properties of harmonic elastic waves propagating in two-dimensional textile metamaterials. Within a weak nonlinear regime, the free undamped motion of the textile metamaterial, starting from a spatially periodic prestressed configuration, is governed by nonlinear differential difference equations, where nonlinearities arise from the elastic contact between plain woven yarns. Within the linear field, the linear dispersion properties characterizing the regime of small oscillation amplitudes are obtained, by applying the Bloch's theorem. Parametric analyses are carried out to study the influence of the mechanical parameters on wavefrequencies, waveforms and group velocities. As major outcome, the dispersion spectrum is found to possess two distinct passbands, covering the low- and the high-frequency ranges, respectively, while a complete mid-frequency bandgap exists for large parameter regions. Within the nonlinear field, the nonlinear wavefrequencies and the multi-harmonic non-resonant response in the time domain are described, by means of perturbation techniques. As interesting finding, the free wave are shown to propagate with a systematic softening behavior. The wave polarization exalts the nonlinear effects in the high-frequency passband.
Distributed representations of temporally accumulated reward prediction errors in the mouse cortex
Authors: Makino Hiroshi , Suhaimi Ahmad
Published: January 2025

Reward prediction errors (RPEs) quantify the difference between expected and actual rewards, serving to refine future actions. Although reinforcement learning (RL) provides ample theoretical evidence suggesting that the long-term accumulation of these error signals improves learning efficiency, it remains unclear whether the brain uses similar mechanisms. To explore this, we constructed RL-based theoretical models and used multiregional two-photon calcium imaging in the mouse dorsal cortex. We identified a population of neurons whose activity was modulated by varying degrees of RPE accumulation. Consequently, RPE-encoding neurons were sequentially activated within each trial, forming a distributed assembly. RPE representations in mice aligned with theoretical predictions of RL, emerging during learning and being subject to manipulations of the reward function. Interareal comparisons revealed a region-specific code, with higher-order cortical regions exhibiting long-term encoding of RPE accumulation. These results present an additional layer of complexity in cortical RPE computation, potentially augmenting learning efficiency in animals.
Miniaturized spectral sensing with a tunable optoelectronic interface
Authors: Cui Xiaoqi , Nigmatulin Fedor , Wang Lei , Reduto Igor , Liapis Andreas C. , Du Mingde , Uddin Md Gius , Abde Mayeen Shafi , Ahmed Faisal , Zhang Yi , Yoon Hoon Hahn , Lipsanen Harri , Honkanen Seppo , Aalto Timo , Yang Zongyin , Hasan Tawfique , Cai Weiwei , Sun Zhipei
Published: January 2025

Reconstructive optoelectronic spectroscopy has generated substantial interest in the miniaturization of traditional spectroscopic tools, such as spectrometers. However, most state-of-the-art demonstrations face fundamental limits of rank deficiency in the photoresponse matrix. In this work, we demonstrate a miniaturized spectral sensing system using an electrically tunable compact optoelectronic interface, which generates distinguishable photoresponses from various input spectra, enabling accurate spectral identification with a device footprint of 5 micrometers by 5 micrometers. We report narrow-band spectral sensing with peak accuracies of ∼0.19 nanometers in free space and ∼2.45 nanometers on-chip. In addition, we implement broadband complex spectral sensing for material identification, applicable to organic dyes, metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics. This work advances high-performance, miniaturized optical spectroscopy for both free-space and on-chip applications, offering cost-effective solutions, broad applicability, and scalable manufacturing.
Association of poultry vaccination with interspecies transmission and molecular evolution of H5 subtype avian influenza virus
Authors: Li Bingying , Raghwani Jayna , Hill Sarah C. , François Sarah , Lefrancq Noémie , Liang Yilin , Wang Zengmiao , Dong Lu , Lemey Phillipe , Pybus Oliver G. , Tian Huaiyu
Published: January 2025

The effectiveness of poultry vaccination in preventing the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (AIVs) has been debated, and its impact on wild birds remains uncertain. Here, we reconstruct the movements of H5 subtype AIV lineages among vaccinated poultry, unvaccinated poultry, and wild birds, worldwide, from 1996 to 2023. We find that there is a time lag in viral transmission among different host populations and that movements from wild birds to unvaccinated poultry were more frequent than those from wild birds to vaccinated poultry. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the HA (hemagglutinin) gene of the AIV lineage that circulated predominately in Chinese poultry experienced greater nonsynonymous divergence and adaptive fixation than other lineages. Our results indicate that the epidemiological, ecological, and evolutionary consequences of widespread AIV vaccination in poultry may be linked in complex ways and that much work is needed to better understand how such interventions may affect AIV transmission to, within, and from wild birds.
Elucidating assembly and function of VirB8 cell wall subunits refines the DNA translocation model in Gram-positive T4SSs
Authors: Maffo-Woulefack Robine , Ali Abbas Mohamad , Laroussi Haifa , Cappèle Julien , Romero-Saavedra Felipe , Ramia Nancy , Robert Emilie , Mathiot Sandrine , Soler Nicolas , Roussel Yvonne , Fronzes Rémi , Huebner Johannes , Didierjean Claude , Favier Frédérique , Leblond-Bourget Nathalie , Douzi Badreddine
Published: January 2025

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are widespread nanomachines specialized in the transport across the cell envelope of various types of molecules including mobile genetic elements during conjugation. Despite their prevalence in Gram-positive bacteria, including relevant pathogens, their assembly and functioning remain unknown. This study addresses these gaps by investigating VirB8 proteins, known to be central components of conjugative T4SSs in Gram-positive bacteria. However, the functional packing and precise role of VirB8 in T4SSs biology remain undefined. Our findings elucidate the nature of VirB8 proteins as cell wall components, where they multimerize and exhibit a conserved assembly pattern, distinct from VirB8 in Gram-negative bacteria. We also demonstrate that VirB8 proteins interact with other T4SS subunits and DNA, indicating their pivotal role in the building of the DNA translocation channel across the cell wall. We lastly propose a distinct architecture for conjugative T4SSs in Gram-positive bacteria compared to their Gram-negative counterparts, possibly attributed to the differences in the cell wall structure.
Advancing efficiency in deep-blue OLEDs: Exploring a machine learning–driven multiresonance TADF molecular design
Authors: Kim Hyung Suk , Cheon Hyung Jin , Lee Sang Hoon , Kim Junho , Yoo Seunghyup , Kim Yun-Hi , Adachi Chihaya
Published: January 2025

The pursuit of boron-based organic compounds with multiresonance (MR)–induced thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is propelled by their potential as narrowband blue emitters for wide-gamut displays. Although boron-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in MR compounds share common structural features, their molecular design traditionally involves iterative approaches with repeated attempts until success. To address this, we implemented machine learning algorithms to establish quantitative structure-property relationship models, predicting key optoelectronic characteristics, such as full width at half maximum (FWHM) and main peak wavelength, for deep-blue MR candidates. Using these methodologies, we crafted ν-DABNA-O-xy and developed deep-blue organic light-emitting diodes featuring a Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage y of 0.07 and an FWHM of 19 nm. The maximum external quantum efficiency reached ca. 27.5% with a binary emission layer, which increased to 41.3% with the hyperfluorescent architecture, effectively mitigating efficiency roll-off. These findings are expected to guide the systematic design of MR-type TADF clusters, unlocking their full potential.
Microplastics in the bloodstream can induce cerebral thrombosis by causing cell obstruction and lead to neurobehavioral abnormalities
Authors: Huang Haipeng , Hou Jiaqi , Li Mingxiao , Wei Fangchao , Liao Yilie , Xi Beidou
Published: January 2025

Human health is being threatened by environmental microplastic (MP) pollution. MPs were detected in the bloodstream and multiple tissues of humans, disrupting the regular physiological processes of organs. Nanoscale plastics can breach the blood-brain barrier, leading to neurotoxic effects. How MPs cause brain functional irregularities remains unclear. This work uses high-depth imaging techniques to investigate the MPs within the brain in vivo. We show that circulating MPs are phagocytosed and lead these cells to obstruction in the capillaries of the brain cortex. These blockages as thrombus formation cause reduced blood flow and neurological abnormalities in mice. Our data reveal a mechanism by which MPs disrupt tissue function indirectly through regulation of cell obstruction and interference with local blood circulation, rather than direct tissue penetration. This revelation offers a lens through which to comprehend the toxicological implications of MPs that invade the bloodstream.
Metal-organic cages improving microporosity in polymeric membrane for superior CO
2
capture
Authors: Guan Jian , Du Jingcheng , Sun Qian , He Wen , Ma Ji , Hassan Shabi UI , Wu Ji , Zhang Hongjun , Zhang Sui , Liu Jiangtao
Published: January 2025

Mixed matrix membranes, with well-designed pore structure inside the polymeric matrix via the incorporation of inorganic components, offer a promising solution for addressing CO
2
emissions. Here, we synthesized a series of novel metal organic cages (MOCs) with aperture pore size precisely positioned between CO
2
and N
2
or CH
4
. These MOCs were uniformly dispersed in the polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1). Among them, the MOC-Ph cage effectively modulated chain packing and optimized the microporous structure of the membrane. Remarkably, the PIM-Ph-5% membrane shows superior performance, achieving an excellent CO
2
permeability of 8803.4 barrer and CO
2
/N
2
selectivity of 59.9, far exceeding the 2019 upper bound. This approach opens opportunities for improving the porous structure of polymeric membranes for CO
2
capture and other separation applications.
A neuromechanics solution for adjustable robot compliance and accuracy
Authors: Abadía Ignacio , Bruel Alice , Courtine Grégoire , Ijspeert Auke J. , Ros Eduardo , Luque Niceto R.
Published: January 2025

Robots have to adjust their motor behavior to changing environments and variable task requirements to successfully operate in the real world and physically interact with humans. Thus, robotics strives to enable a broad spectrum of adjustable motor behavior, aiming to mimic the human ability to function in unstructured scenarios. In humans, motor behavior arises from the integrative action of the central nervous system and body biomechanics; motion must be understood from a neuromechanics perspective. Nervous regions such as the cerebellum facilitate learning, adaptation, and coordination of our motor responses, ultimately driven by muscle activation. Muscles, in turn, self-stabilize motion through mechanical viscoelasticity. In addition, the agonist-antagonist arrangement of muscles surrounding joints enables cocontraction, which can be regulated to enhance motion accuracy and adapt joint stiffness, thereby providing impedance modulation and broadening the motor repertoire. Here, we propose a control solution that harnesses neuromechanics to enable adjustable robot motor behavior. Our solution integrates a muscle model that replicates mechanical viscoelasticity and cocontraction together with a cerebellar network providing motor adaptation. The resulting cerebello-muscular controller drives the robot through torque commands in a feedback control loop. Changes in cocontraction modify the muscle dynamics, and the cerebellum provides motor adaptation without relying on prior analytical solutions, driving the robot in different motor tasks, including payload perturbations and operation across unknown terrains. Experimental results show that cocontraction modulates robot stiffness, performance accuracy, and robustness against external perturbations. Through cocontraction modulation, our cerebello-muscular torque controller enables a broad spectrum of robot motor behavior.
Ecological study of the association between the English national vaccination programme and area deprivation inequalities in COVID-19 mortality
Authors: Bennett Natalie , Bambra Clare , Sinclair David , Todd Adam , Matthews Fiona
Published: January 2025

Objective

To understand how area deprivation inequalities in COVID-19 mortality changed during the national vaccination programme in England and to identify the extent to which these inequalities might be explained by unequal vaccination uptake.

Design

Ecological study.

Setting

307 Lower Tier Local Authorities in England, March 2020 – December 2022.

Main outcome measure

Inequality in age-standardised mortality rates 28 days after a positive COVID-19 test by area-level deprivation from March 2020 to December 2022. We employ three different measures of this inequality: the disparity index, the concentration and generalised concentration index, and absolute and relative measures of inequality. We use the 2019 edition of the Index of Multiple Deprivation, transformed into quintiles.

Results

Relative inequalities in age-standardised mortality rates 28 days after a positive COVID-19 test reduced substantially (from around 6.9 times higher in most deprived to least deprived to 1.2 times higher) in the 25 months after the national vaccination rollout began. Vaccination uptake between the most and least deprived quintiles widened with each dose. Inequalities in cumulative mortality rates developed quickly, and while they stabilised and reduced, they did not disappear. We estimate that if vaccination rates in the most deprived areas had been the same as those in the least deprived, absolute disparity inequality would have been reduced from 118.9 per 100 000 (95% CI 117.0 to 120.7) to 40.2 (95% CI 3.7 to 76.7) at the end of 2022.

Conclusions

National COVID-19 vaccination strategies offer the potential to significantly reduce inequalities in COVID-19 mortality rates. However, more could be achieved if barriers to vaccination uptake in the most deprived areas are overcome.