bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of management accounting on the relationship between corporate social responsibility and performance in SMEs
Authors: Ahmad Kamilah , Mohamed Zabri Shafie
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and examines the role of management accounting practices (MAPs) in the relationship between CSR and performance in SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,000 SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia, and 203 valid replies were received.

Findings

The results indicate that most SMEs are informed about their social responsibilities across several CSR dimensions. There is evidence that supports the significant direct relationship between CSR and firm performance, and MAPs significantly and indirectly contribute to the effect of CSR on firm performance.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to an understanding of how the integration of CSR and MAPs can amplify the effect of CSR implementation on performance in SMEs. The finding may be useful for the relevant policymakers to increase socially responsible activities among SMEs to spur further growth for SMEs and society. SMEs may acknowledge MAPs as a significant intermediary in making CSR activities financially and operationally feasible.
Country-level governance and sustainable development goals: implications for firms’ sustainability performance
Authors: Almaqtari Faozi A. , Elsheikh Tamer , Hussainey Khaled , Al-Bukhrani Mohammed A.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of country-level governance on sustainability performance, taking into account the effect of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and board characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses panel data analysis using fixed effect models to investigate the influence of country-level governance on sustainability performance while considering the effect of SDGs and board characteristics. The sample comprises 8,273 firms across 41 countries during the period spanning from 2016 to 2021. The sample is divided into two categories based on the score of SDGs.

Findings

The findings of this study show that countries with high SDGs score have better overall country-level governance and board attributes which have a statistically significant positive impact on sustainability performance. However, for those countries with low SDGs, political stability shows a statistically insignificant and negative impact on sustainability performance, while government effectiveness indicates a statistically insignificant positive impact on sustainability performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between country-level governance, SDGs, board characteristics and sustainability performance. The study also highlights the importance of considering the effect of SDGs on the relationship between country-level governance and sustainability performance. The findings of this study could be useful for policymakers and firms in improving their sustainability performance and contributing to sustainable development.
Scaling for social impact: understanding social innovation through local empowerment strategies
Authors: Rado Istvan , Nuchpiam Prapin
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a nuanced understanding of philosophies underpinning social innovation based on the action research strategies applied in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review was conducted to identify action research strategies referred to in the social innovation literature. Through stratified purposive sampling, the authors then selected nonprofit organizations, each closely associated with one of the strategies. Qualitative content analysis was applied to documents published by these organizations for an in-depth exploration of how the action research strategies frame the three dimensions of social innovation, namely, the product, process and empowerment dimensions.

Findings

The authors identified four broad action research strategies referred to in the social innovation literature. Each strategy inspires four distinct narratives of social innovation centered around key concepts: prototyping, evidence, asset-building and co-creation.

Research limitations/implications

The methodology used is characterized by depth rather than scope. Although diverse types of documents were used, the documents are limited to publications by four institutions. A deductive approach using the categories should be used in future empirical research.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the discussion about different schools and research agendas in the field of social innovation. In particular, the authors examine the action research strategies adopted in the field, shedding light on incompatible views and strategies within certain research clusters while identifying common ground between authors belonging to different schools.
The art and science of de‐weaponizing disinformation for the public good
Authors: Sierra Rodrigo A. , DeJong Justin , Zembik Joshua , Hood Joel
Published: December 2023

From the earliest days of the pandemic, the American Medical Association Enterprise Communications team was operating in the white space. Organisational development gurus define “white space” as places where “rules are vague, authority is fuzzy, budgets are nonexistent, and strategy is unclear–and where, as a consequence, entrepreneurial activity that helps reinvent and renew an organisation takes place,” according to the Harvard Business Review.
Phenibut screening and quantification with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and its application to driving cases
Authors: Dziadosz Marek , Rosenberger Wolfgang , Bolte Katarina , Klintschar Michael , Teske Jörg
Published: December 2023

An analytical strategy for identification by an LC–MS/MS multitarget screening method and a suitable LC–MS/MS based quantification were developed for the psychotropic drug phenibut. The samples analyzed were collected during traffic control and were associated with driving under the influence of drugs. A positive sample for phenibut was identified in a single case of driving under the influence. The quantification revealed a drug concentration of 1.9 μg/mL. An interaction with blood alcohol (BAC = 0.10%) was discussed as the explanation of the way of driving and deficit manifestations observed (swaying, nystagmus, quivering of the eyelid, and reddened eyes). According to the available information, the quantified phenibut concentration could be explained by an intake of four tablets (self‐reported) during the day containing 250 mg of the drug. Chromatography was performed with a Luna 5 μm C18 (2) 100 A, 150 mm × 2 mm analytical column, and a buffer system consisted of 10 mM ammonium acetate and 0.1% acetic acid (v/v) included in mobile phases marked as A (H2O/methanol = 95/5, v/v) and B (H2O/methanol = 3/97, v/v). An effective limit of detection (LOD = 0.002 μg/mL) could be achieved for the multitarget screening method. The quantification of phenibut was performed on a second LC–MS/MS system with LOD/LOQ values of 0.22/0.40 μg/mL. Since phenibut quantification data are rare, the presented information can be used with caution for evaluation of positive cases in the future.
Evolution and conservation genetics of pangolins
Authors: GU Tongtong , HU Jingyang , YU Li
Published: December 2023

Pangolins (Pholidota, Manidae) are classified as an evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered mammal due to their unique morphology (nail‐like scales and a myrmecophagous diet) and being the victim of heavy poaching and worldwide trafficking. As such, pangolins serve as a textbook example for studying the special phenotypic evolutionary adaptations and conservation genetics of an endangered species. Recent years have demonstrated significant advancements in the fields of molecular genetics and genomics, which have translated to a series of important research achievements and breakthroughs concerning the evolution and conservation genetics of pangolins. This review comprehensively presents the hitherto advances in phylogeny, adaptive evolution, conservation genetics, and conservation genomics that are related to pangolins, which will provide an ample understanding of their diversity, molecular adaptation mechanisms, and evolutionary potentials. In addition, we highlight the priority of investigating species/population diversity among pangolins and suggest several avenues of research that are highly relevant for future pangolin conservation.
Metazoa‐level USCOs as markers in species delimitation and classification
Authors: Dietz Lars , Mayer Christoph , Stolle Eckart , Eberle Jonas , Misof Bernhard , Podsiadlowski Lars , Niehuis Oliver , Ahrens Dirk
Published: December 2023

Metazoa‐level universal single‐copy orthologs (mzl‐USCOs) are universally applicable markers for DNA taxonomy in animals that can replace or supplement single‐gene barcodes. Previously, mzl‐USCOs from target enrichment data were shown to reliably distinguish species. Here, we tested whether USCOs are an evenly distributed, representative sample of a given metazoan genome and therefore able to cope with past hybridization events and incomplete lineage sorting. This is relevant for coalescent‐based species delimitation approaches, which critically depend on the assumption that the investigated loci do not exhibit autocorrelation due to physical linkage. Based on 239 chromosome‐level assembled genomes, we confirmed that mzl‐USCOs are genetically unlinked for practical purposes and a representative sample of a genome in terms of reciprocal distances between USCOs on a chromosome and of distribution across chromosomes. We tested the suitability of mzl‐USCOs extracted from genomes for species delimitation and phylogeny in four case studies: Anopheles mosquitos, Drosophila fruit flies, Heliconius butterflies and Darwin's finches. In almost all instances, USCOs allowed delineating species and yielded phylogenies that corresponded to those generated from whole genome data. Our phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that USCOs may complement single‐gene DNA barcodes and provide more accurate taxonomic inferences. Combining USCOs from sources that used different versions of ortholog reference libraries to infer marker orthology may be challenging and, at times, impact taxonomic conclusions. However, we expect this problem to become less severe as the rapidly growing number of reference genomes provides a better representation of the number and diversity of organismal lineages.
Nighthawk: Acoustic monitoring of nocturnal bird migration in the Americas
Authors: Van Doren Benjamin M. , Farnsworth Andrew , Stone Kate , Osterhaus Dylan M. , Drucker Jacob , Van Horn Grant
Published: December 2023

Animal migration is one of nature's most spectacular phenomena, but migratory animals and their journeys are imperilled across the globe. Migratory birds are among the most well‐studied animals on Earth, yet relatively little is known about in‐flight behaviour during nocturnal migration. Because many migrating bird species vocalize during flight, passive acoustic monitoring shows great promise for facilitating widespread monitoring of bird migration.

Here, we present Nighthawk, a deep learning model designed to detect and identify the vocalizations of nocturnally migrating birds. We trained Nighthawk on the in‐flight vocalizations of migratory birds using a diverse dataset of recordings from across the Americas.

Our results demonstrate that Nighthawk performs well as a nocturnal flight call detector and classifier for dozens of avian taxa, both at the species level and for broader taxonomic groups (e.g. orders and families). It achieves an average precision score above 0.80 for 50 species and a mean average precision of 0.96 across 4 orders. The model accurately quantified nightly nocturnal migration intensity (80% variation explained) and species phenology (78% variation explained) and performed well on data from across North America. Incorporating modest amounts of additional annotated audio (50–120 h) into model training yielded high performance on target datasets from both North and South America (average precision on order Passeriformes >0.99).

By monitoring the vocalizations of actively migrating birds, Nighthawk provides a detailed window onto nocturnal bird migration that is not presently attainable by other means (e.g. radar or citizen science). Scientists, managers and practitioners could use acoustic monitoring with Nighthawk for a number of applications, including: monitoring migration passage at wind farms; studying airspace usage during migratory flights; monitoring the changing migrations of species susceptible to climate change; and revealing previously unknown migration routes and behaviours. Overall, this work will empower diverse stakeholders to efficiently monitor migrating birds across the Western Hemisphere and collect data in aid of science and conservation.
Social determinants in prenatal antidepressant use and continuation: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Marr Ketevan , Maguet Charlotte , Scarlett Honor , Dray‐Spira Rosemary , Dubertret Caroline , Gressier Florence , Sutter‐Dallay Anne‐Laure , Melchior Maria , van der Waerden Judith
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Depression is one of the most common co‐morbidities during pregnancy; with severe symptoms, antidepressants are sometimes recommended. Social determinants are often linked with antidepressant use in the general population, and it is not known if this is the case for pregnant populations. Our objective was to determine if social determinants are associated with prenatal antidepressant intake via a systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Methods

A systematic search of five databases was conducted to identify publications from inception to October 2022 that reported associations with prenatal antidepressant intake (use/continuation) and one or more social determinants: education, race, immigration status, relationship, income, or employment. Eligible studies were included in random effects meta‐analyses.

Results

A total of 23 articles describing 22 studies were included. Education was significantly and positively associated with prenatal antidepressant continuation and heterogeneity was moderate. (Odds ratio = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.89; p < 0.00001; I2 = 53%). Meta‐analyses of antidepressant use and education, race, and relationship status, and antidepressant continuation and income were not significant with high levels of heterogeneity.

Discussion

While most social determinants in this review were not linked with prenatal antidepressant intake, lower maternal education level does seem to be associated with lower rates of prenatal antidepressant continuation.

Conclusions

Education appears to be linked with prenatal antidepressant intake. The low number of included studies precludes conclusive evidence for other social determinants.
Quantifying the benefits of early sublingual allergen immunotherapy tablet initiation in children
Authors: Hamelmann Eckard , Hammerby Eva , Scharling Katrine Skaarup , Pedersen Mikkel , Okkels Anna , Schmitt Jochen
Published: December 2023

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the upper airway, which progresses into allergic asthma (AA) in up to 45% of children. This analysis aimed to investigate clinical and economic benefits of sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT tablets) initiated early in childhood for the treatment of AR by quantifying the long‐term reduction in new cases of AA.

Methods

A Markov model was developed to estimate the long‐term effects of SLIT tablets on the risk of developing asthma. Key parameters were primarily based on data from the GRAZAX® Asthma Prevention trial and included the age‐ and treatment‐dependent risk of developing AA as well as annual probabilities of progression/remission in AR severity. Healthcare costs were estimated using data from the REACT study.

Results

In a modelled cohort of children with moderate‐to‐severe seasonal AR initiated on SLIT tablets at ages 7 and 12, 24% and 29%, respectively, develop AA during a 20‐year period. In comparison, when initiated at age 5, 19% develop AA. Additionally, initiation of SLIT tablets at age 5 is associated with a total healthcare cost of EUR 20,429 per patient, whereas initiation at ages 7 and 12 is associated with, respectively, EUR 21,050 and EUR 22,379 per patient 20 years after AR diagnosis.

Conclusion

Initiation of SLIT tablets in early childhood is associated with a clinically meaningful and permanent reduction in new cases of AA and lower healthcare costs among children with AR. This finding supports the clinical relevance of initiating SLIT tablets early for children with AR to obtain long‐term clinical benefits.
Numerical methods for hemolysis and thrombus evaluation in the percutaneous ventricular assist device
Authors: Xu Ke‐Wei , Liu Xing‐Li , He Bo , Gao Qi
Published: December 2023

Background

A percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD) is an effective method to treat heart failure, but its complications, mainly hemolysis and thrombus formation, cannot be ignored. Accurate evaluation of hemolysis and thrombus formation in pVAD is essential to guide the development of pVAD and reduce the incidence of complications.

Methods

This study optimized the numerical model to predict hemolysis and thrombus formation in pVAD. The hemolysis model is based on the power law function, and the multi‐component thrombus prediction model is improved by introducing the von Willebrand factor.

Results

The error between the numerical simulation and the hydraulic performance experiment is within 5%. The numerical results of hemolysis are in good agreement with those of in vitro experiments. Meanwhile, the thrombus location predicted by the numerical model is the same as that found in the in vivo experiment.

Conclusion

The numerical model suggested in this study may therefore accurately assess the possible hemolytic and thrombotic dangers in pVAD, making it an effective tool to support the development of pVAD.
Experimental validation of the power law hemolysis model using a Couette shearing device
Authors: Froese Vera , Goubergrits Leonid , Kertzscher Ulrich , Lommel Michael
Published: December 2023

Background

The study of blood trauma, such as hemolysis in blood‐carrying devices, is crucial due to the high incidence of adverse events like alteration of blood function, bleeding, and multi‐organ failure. The extent of flow‐induced hemolysis, predominantly influenced by stress duration and intensity, is described by established model parameters based on the power law approach. In recent years, various parameters were determined using different Couette shearing devices and donor species. However, they have not been validated due to limited experimental data.

Methods

This study provides hemolysis measurements in a Couette shearing device and evaluates the suitability of different power law parameters. The revised Couette shearing device generates well‐defined dynamic stress loads that are repeatedly applied to blood samples at a defined temperature. Human blood samples with an adjusted hematocrit of 30%, were tested with varying repetitions (20 to 80 times). The half‐sinusoidal stress loads had amplitudes of 73 to 140 Pa and exposure times of 24 msec per repetition. The parameters of five common power law hemolysis approaches were then compared with the experimental data.

Results

The prediction with the power law model parameters C = 3.458 × 10−6, α = 0.2777 and β = 2.0639 showed a good agreement with the experimental results.

Conclusion

The effect of multiple short‐time stresses on hemolysis was investigated to validate the power law hemolysis model with the Couette shearing device of this study.
Long‐term effects of pollen allergoid tyrosine‐adsorbed subcutaneous immunotherapy on allergic rhinitis and asthma
Authors: Vogelberg Christian , Klimek Ludger , Kruppert Silvia , Becker Sven
Published: December 2023

Background

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) may have a long‐term disease‐modifying effect. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the long‐term effects of pollen allergoid tyrosine‐adsorbed subcutaneous AIT on allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma (AA) in clinical practice.

Methods

This retrospective study, funded by an AIT manufacturer, analysed the impact of AIT on AR progression and onset of need for AA medication, using a German database covering ~35% of national prescriptions during 2008–2020. Anonymized prescription data of AR patients aged 5–65 years treated with grass or tree pollen AIT between 2009 and 2013 and followed for at least 2 years after AIT cessation were compared with matched control patients with seasonal AR.

Results

181,496 patients received AIT prescriptions. 5959 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The median AIT treatment duration was 1092 days and the follow‐up duration was 6.4 years. Less patients treated with AIT received prescriptions for symptomatic AR medication in the follow‐up versus controls (AIT: OR: 0.37; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.34, 0.40; p < .001, tyrosine‐adsorbed AIT: OR: 0.27; 95% CI 0.20, 0.35 p < .001). Less asthmatic patients under AIT received prescriptions for AA medications versus controls (AIT: OR: 0.48; 95% CI 0.41, 0.55; p < .001, tyrosine‐adsorbed AIT: OR: 0.48; 95% CI 0.29, 0.79; p = .004). AR and AA medication prescriptions for AIT patients were reduced in the follow‐up versus baseline and controls (AIT: AR: 20.0%; 1.5 vs. 0.2 prescriptions; AA: 29.1%; 2.0 vs. 0.6 prescriptions, p < .001; tyrosine‐adsorbed AIT: AR: 24.2%, 1.4 vs. 0.2 prescriptions; AA: 35.6%, 2.1 vs. 0.6 prescriptions, p < .001). The probability of AA medication onset in non‐asthmatic patients during follow‐up was reduced for AIT patients compared to controls (OR: 0.77, 95% CI 0.66, 0.90; p = .001). All endpoints were significant for children/adolescents and adults in stratified analyses.

Conclusions

We found evidence for long‐term effects up to 9.5 years for tyrosine‐adsorbed AIT.
Lipids from ocular meibum and tears may serve as biomarkers for depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Gary Ashlyn A. , Prislovsky Amanda , Tovar Arianna , Locatelli Elyana , Felix Elizabeth R. , Stephenson Daniel , Chalfant Charles E. , Lai James , Kim Colin , Mandal Nawajes , Galor Anat
Published: December 2023

Background

There is a need to develop biomarkers for diagnosis and prediction of treatment responses in depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods

Cross‐sectional study examining correlations between tear inflammatory proteins, meibum and tear sphingolipids, and symptoms of depression and PTSD‐associated anxiety. Ninety individuals filled depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9, PHQ‐9) and PTSD‐associated anxiety (PTSD Checklist‐Military Version, PCL‐M) questionnaires. In 40 patients, a multiplex assay system was used to quantify 23 inflammatory proteins in tears. In a separate group of 50 individuals, liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry was performed on meibum and tears to quantify 34 species of sphingolipids, encompassing ceramides, monohexosyl ceramides and sphingomyelins.

Results

The mean age of the population was 59.4 ± 11.0 years; 89.0% self‐identified as male, 34.4% as White, 64.4% as Black, and 16.7% as Hispanic. The mean PHQ‐9 score was 11.1 ± 7.6, and the mean PCL‐M score was 44.3 ± 19.1. Symptoms of depression and PTSD‐associated anxiety were highly correlated (ρ =0.75, p < 0.001). Both PHQ9 and PCL‐M scores negatively correlated with multiple sphingolipid species in meibum and tears. In multivariable models, meibum Monohexosyl Ceramide 26:0 (pmol), tear Ceramide 16:0 (mol%), meibum Monohexosyl Ceramide 16:0 (mol%), and tear Ceramide 26:1 (mol%) remained associated with depression and meibum Monohexosyl Ceramide 16:0 (mol%), meibum Monohexosyl Ceramide 26:0 (pmol), tear Sphingomyelin 20:0 (mol%), and tear Sphingosine‐1‐Phosphate (mol%) remained associated with PTSD‐associated anxiety.

Conclusions

Certain meibum and tear sphingolipid species were related to mental health indices. These interactions present opportunities for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for mental health disorders.
Consistency and Variation in Reasoning About Physical Assembly
Authors: McCarthy William P. , Kirsh David , Fan Judith E.
Published: December 2023

The ability to reason about how things were made is a pervasive aspect of how humans make sense of physical objects. Such reasoning is useful for a range of everyday tasks, from assembling a piece of furniture to making a sandwich and knitting a sweater. What enables people to reason in this way even about novel objects, and how do people draw upon prior experience with an object to continually refine their understanding of how to create it? To explore these questions, we developed a virtual task environment to investigate how people come up with step‐by‐step procedures for recreating block towers whose composition was not readily apparent, and analyzed how the procedures they used to build them changed across repeated attempts. Specifically, participants (N = 105) viewed 2D silhouettes of eight unique block towers in a virtual environment simulating rigid‐body physics, and aimed to reconstruct each one in less than 60 s. We found that people built each tower more accurately and quickly across repeated attempts, and that this improvement reflected both group‐level convergence upon a tiny fraction of all possible viable procedures, as well as error‐dependent updating across successive attempts by the same individual. Taken together, our study presents a scalable approach to measuring consistency and variation in how people infer solutions to physical assembly problems.
Artificial intelligence control for trust‐based detection of attackers in 5G social networks
Authors: Kaur Davinder , Uslu Suleyman , Durresi Mimoza , Durresi Arjan
Published: December 2023

This study introduces a comprehensive framework designed for detecting and mitigating fake and potentially threatening user communities within 5G social networks. Leveraging geo‐location data, community trust dynamics, and AI‐driven community detection algorithms, this framework aims to pinpoint users posing potential harm. Including an artificial control model facilitates the selection of suitable community detection algorithms, coupled with a trust‐based strategy to effectively identify and filter potential attackers. A distinctive feature of this framework lies in its ability to consider attributes that prove challenging for malicious users to emulate, such as the established trust within the community, geographical location, and adaptability to diverse attack scenarios. To validate its efficacy, we illustrate the framework using synthetic social network data, demonstrating its ability to distinguish potential malicious users from trustworthy ones.
A pragmatic approach for integrating molecular tools into biodiversity conservation
Authors: Bertola Laura D. , Brüniche‐Olsen Anna , Kershaw Francine , Russo Isa‐Rita M. , MacDonald Anna J. , Sunnucks Paul , Bruford Michael W. , Cadena Carlos Daniel , Ewart Kyle M. , de Bruyn Mark , Eldridge Mark D. B. , Frankham Richard , Guayasamin Juan M. , Grueber Catherine E. , Hoareau Thierry B. , Hoban Sean , Hohenlohe Paul A. , Hunter Margaret E. , Kotze Antoinette , Kuja Josiah , Lacy Robert C. , Laikre Linda , Lo Nathan , Meek Mariah H. , Mergeay Joachim , Mittan‐Moreau Cinnamon , Neaves Linda E. , O'Brien David , Ochieng Joel W. , Ogden Rob , Orozco‐terWengel Pablo , Páez‐Vacas Mónica , Pierson Jennifer , Ralls Katherine , Shaw Robyn E. , Sogbohossou Etotépé A. , Stow Adam , Steeves Tammy , Vernesi Cristiano , Watsa Mrinalini , Segelbacher Gernot
Published: December 2023

Molecular tools are increasingly applied for assessing and monitoring biodiversity and informing conservation action. While recent developments in genetic and genomic methods provide greater sensitivity in analysis and the capacity to address new questions, they are not equally available to all practitioners: There is considerable bias across institutions and countries in access to technologies, funding, and training. Consequently, in many cases, more accessible traditional genetic data (e.g., microsatellites) are still utilized for making conservation decisions. Conservation approaches need to be pragmatic by tackling clearly defined management questions and using the most appropriate methods available, while maximizing the use of limited resources. Here we present some key questions to consider when applying the molecular toolbox for accessible and actionable conservation management. Finally, we highlight a number of important steps to be addressed in a collaborative way, which can facilitate the broad integration of molecular data into conservation.
Understanding the multiple architectural modernities in colonial and postindependence Nigeria
Authors: Adeyemo Adekunle , Amole Bayo
Published: December 2023

This paper investigates the multiple architectural modernities in colonial and postindependence Nigeria. After examining the theoretical basis for multiple modernities and the use of architecture as a vehicle to study modernity, it identifies the colonial, tropical, and postcolonial modern as multiple architectural modernities that existed in colonial and postcolonial Nigeria. The criteria with which the multiple modernities were delineated were historical settings, key participants, distinguishing features, and meanings. This provides a plausible framework to understand modernities in other contexts beyond architecture and opens the possibility of elucidating various modernities and enriching the repository of modern heritage. Devising such broad definitions of modern heritage responds to the call of the Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage for expanded definitions of what constitutes the modern, while enabling the accounting for and stratification of multiple memories and narratives, and the inclusion of many types of modern architecture in conservation conversations.
Decolonizing African (hi)stories through visual arts: African contemporary art as a way of looking back and moving ahead
Authors: Barry Alyssa K.
Published: December 2023

Considered for a long time by the art world as “primitive,” African art has always been used by Africans as a way of telling the story of their time, of establishing a connection between the visible and the invisible, the here and the hereafter. With colonization and then Independence, the notion and forms of African art have evolved through complex and diverse encounters with modernity to a contemporary art form that reflects the multiple identities of the continent and its diasporas. While the notion of modern art was initially strongly influenced by the West, as evidenced by the first schools of arts established on the continent, it gradually asserted its place and identity as both universal and specific to the continent and its history. This (r)evolution is taking place through two parallel movements, both within and outside Africa, supported by the organization of major international and regional events and the establishment of dedicated art spaces in Africa and globally.
Vaccine Hesitancy among Informal Workers: Gendered Geographies of Informality in Lahore
Authors: Mohmand Shandana , Boogaard Vanessa van den , Gallien Max , Javed Umair
Published: December 2023

What is the relationship between trust in the state and vaccine hesitancy among a marginalized sub‐population? This article explores attitudes towards COVID‐19 vaccination programmes of informal workers in the context of Lahore, Pakistan, and draws on in‐depth conversations with informal workers across four sectors in 2021. It finds a surprising disconnect between vaccine scepticism and actual decisions to have the vaccination. Those that were vaccinated did not necessarily believe in its effectiveness, while trust in the state did not critically shape health‐seeking behaviour. The article observes striking sectoral variation in perceptions of the pandemic and willingness to get vaccinated, with greater scepticism and hesitancy among male‐dominated street vendors and transport workers relative to females working as home‐based sub‐contractors and domestic workers. It argues that this is driven by workers’ heterogeneous access to and interaction with work and public space, which shaped how they experienced lockdowns, interacted with the state and other actors during the pandemic and perceived the risks of the pandemic. The article's findings highlight heterogeneous dynamics within the informal economy, which it refers to as the gendered geographies of work and movement, and how these can play a critical role in shaping responses to public health measures beyond the context of the informal economy.
Drivers and mechanisms that contribute to microbial β‐diversity patterns and range sizes in mountains across a climatic variability gradient
Authors: Zhang Yazhou , Aaron Hogan J. , Crowther Thomas W. , Xu Shijia , Zhao Rensheng , Song Pengfei , Cui Mufeng , Song Xiaoyang , Cao Min , Yang Jie
Published: December 2023

Microbial communities are highly diverse, yet the mechanisms underlying microbial community assembly are not well understood. Janzen's mountain passes hypothesis proposed that climatic barriers and dispersal limitation shape communities to a greater extent in mountains with lower climatic variability and overlap, permitting higher levels of species coexistence. Here, we investigate changes in microbial community dissimilarities, distributional range sizes and ecological processes along elevational gradients in three montane ecosystems representing a climatic variability gradient. We found that climate, climatic variability and spatial distance play dominating roles in affecting microbial β‐diversity patterns and range sizes along elevational gradients. Janzen's mountain passes hypothesis can be applied to microbial community assembly: mountains with lower climatic variability and higher climatic difference between elevations exhibited higher β‐diversity, higher endemism, lower range sizes and steeper distance–decay trends. However, microbial communities experience clear climate‐driven limited range sizes and dispersal processes, and show typical endemic patterns, in all mountain ecosystems. Our results emphasize the importance of dispersal and climatic niche processes in shaping montane biodiversity. As a result, changes in climate may significantly impact soil biodiversity in montane ecosystems by altering the effects of dispersal limitation and climatic variability on bacterial and fungal community composition along elevational gradients.

Keywords: community assembly, dispersal limitation, β‐diversity, montane biodiversity, microbial community
Adaptation, Activism, and the Looming Climate Disaster†
Authors: Warnick Bryan R.
Published: December 2023

It is likely that the process of global climate change will continue to accelerate. There is a lack of political will to confront the problem and the consequences for humanity — including widespread suffering and institutional destabilization — will be disastrous. How should educators respond to a catastrophic future? Here, Bryan Warnick argues that two criteria should guide the educational response. The response should not (1) undermine efforts to find an “unprecedented solution” to climate change, or (2) leave students unprepared to adapt to a global catastrophe. Using these criteria, he analyzes several possible ways to help students adapt to disaster, including teaching survivalism, encouraging forms of emotional resilience (like the Stoic apatheia), and helping students to appreciate the current moment. These adaptive responses seem to violate the first criterion. At the same time, an educational response focused entirely on climate activism seems to violate the second criterion. Warnick ends by exploring ways to accommodate the need for both adaptation and social engagement, finding promise in the idea of a tragic activism.
The Child as the Medium of Education
Authors: Luhmann Niklas
Published: December 2023

Inquiries into the medium of education take up a question that has so far usually been answered teleologically or psychologically. The coherence of educational endeavors has been illustrated by their objective, and this again has been illustrated by the changes in the state of the educatees. The difficulty of such an approach is that no educator is able to know the inner state of the educatee, i.e., that which the latter really experiences, remembers, and expects during the process of education. Moreover, the drawback of all teleology is that it does not provide a concept for understanding the frequent failure of these efforts. Here, Niklas Luhmann demonstrates that this kind of teleological theory can be replaced by the distinction between medium and form.
Scaffolding competence‐based learning design in the dental simulation curriculum
Authors: Foxton Richard , San Diego Jonathan P. , Lu Emily , Rajadurai Susha , Bartlett Anitha , McIlwane Clare , Austin Rupert , Srisontisuk Pinsuda , Sagoo Anika K. , Piper Kim
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Learning in a clinical domain in dentistry is complex and learners may face uncertain clinical scenarios. A simulation curriculum can be designed to have simple clinical scenarios and learning activities which progress in complexity and employ competence assessments of simulated clinical practice before students can undertake authentic practice on patients. This paper presents how scaffolding of competence can be used for designing learning with simulators (haptics and phantom head) demonstrated in a specific domain in restorative dentistry.

Methods

A collaborative workshop as a research approach was undertaken to inform the iterative analysis, development, and discussion on scaffolding the learning design with respect to competence assessments of learning cavity preparation with simulation‐based learning technologies. A workshop was conducted, which was collaborative and involved design negotiations between researchers, technologists, and teachers/practitioners in developing the simulation curriculum.

Results

A competence assessment with feedback in a specific domain in preparing interproximal caries was used as a context to describe how the learning activities and outcomes were designed to meet assessment of competence with varied levels of simple to complex learning activities and structured sessions.

Conclusion

Simulation curriculum can be designed and implemented by scaffolding the level of competence that can be learned using simulation between haptics and phantom‐head. This brings impetus to the need in meeting the relevant competence criteria in context to a specific affordance of the simulation‐based learning technologies to provide optimal patient‐centred holistic care.
Perceived double reduction policy, perception of educational involution: Exploring the mediating role of parental educational anxiety and the moderating influence of gender—Insights from a survey conducted in a City in China
Authors: Zhang Shuyang , Sulong Rose Manisah Binti , Hassan Norlizah Binti Che
Published: December 2023

Education policies align with evolving needs and changes in education. Two years ago, the double reduction policy was widely welcomed. But new challenges have emerged now, it is necessary to examine whether it still meets parental expectations, and whether adjustments in details are needed. We investigated parents' perception of policy implementation intensity; and its relationship with parents' perception of educational involution; and parents' educational anxiety, as well as the roles played by gender. Findings highlight parents who perceive a stronger policy implementation intensity experience higher levels of educational anxiety and are more likely to feel educational involution; education anxiety acts as a mediator, while gender plays a moderating role. We highlighted policy's advantages while emphasizing the necessity to avoid policy rigidity and one‐size‐fits‐all. We recommend establishing a flexible, real‐time parental feedback mechanism and promoting continuous monitoring and evaluation. This approach would enable it to meet the changing demands of education.
Effect of ST36 electroacupuncture on the switch of skeletal muscle fibres in mice with sciatic nerve dissociation
Authors: Wang Jinghua , Yao Xiuhua , Xiong Xiaoyue , Liu Yumei , Zhao Wei , Zhang Xiaoyu , Li Xinrong , Wang Jiaqi , Lei Cheng , Jiang Wei , Zhang Kefan , Li Xiangyang , Weng Yuting , Li Jie , Zhang Ran , Zhang Zhaonan , Li Hulun , Kong Qingfei , Tian Sijia , Lv Yanhua , Mu Lili
Published: December 2023

Skeletal muscle is striated muscle that moves autonomously and is innervated by peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerve injury is very common in clinical treatment. However, the commonly used treatment methods often focus on the regeneration of the injured nerve but overlook the pathological changes in the injured skeletal muscle. Acupuncture, as the main treatment for denervated skeletal muscle atrophy, is used extensively in clinical practice. In the present study, a mouse model of lower limb sciatic nerve detachment was constructed and treated with electroacupuncture Stomach 36 to observe the atrophy of lower limb skeletal muscle and changes in skeletal muscle fibre types before and after electroacupuncture Stomach 36 treatment. Mice with skeletal muscle denervation showed a decrease in the proportion of IIa muscle fibres and an increase in the proportion of IIb muscle fibres, after electroacupuncture Stomach 36. The changes were reversed by specific activators of p38 MAPK, which increased IIa myofibre ratio. The results suggest that electroacupuncture Stomach 36 can reverse the change of muscle fibre type from IIb to IIa after denervation of skeletal muscle by inhibiting p38 MAPK. The results provide an important theoretical basis for the treatment of clinical peripheral nerve injury diseases with electroacupuncture, in addition to novel insights that could facilitate the study of pathological changes of denervated skeletal muscle.
Further data on the establishment of Coptodisca lucifluella (Clemens, 1860) (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae) in Romania
Authors: Mustățea Roxana‐Violeta , Chireceanu Constantina
Published: December 2023

Following its first report in Romania in August 2022, more data regarding the walnut shield bearer Coptodisca lucifluella was collected. The leafminer moth is an invasive species of North American origin that entered Europe in 2010 (in Italy), and then spread to Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania. It is not an economically important pest alone but in association with other stresses affecting walnut trees, over time, it could contribute to their premature decline. In Romania, C. lucifluella was identified in 24 localities in eight counties and in Bucharest. The main host is the common walnut, Juglans regia (L.), while secondary hosts include the black walnut Juglans nigra (L.), Caucasian walnut Pterocarya fraxinifolia (Lam.) Spach and the pecan nut tree Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh & K. Koch). All walnut trees inspected in 2022 were affected by the leafminer to a greater or lesser extent. The proportion of attacked leaves per tree, evaluated in Northern Bucharest and Moara Domnească in the south of the country respectively, was 40% and 41% in August and increased to 69 and 93%, in October. Inside the mines, our team discovered a significant number of parasitoid larvae and pupae. These were kept in the laboratory until the emergence of adults which were photographed, but so far remain unidentified. The rate of parasitism was 17.4% in N. Bucharest and 31.8% in Moara Domnească.
Antimalarial activities of benzothiazole analogs: A systematic review
Authors: Tran Linh , Tu Vo Linh , Dadam Mohammad Najm , Aziz Jeza Muhamad Abdul , Duy Tran Le Dinh , Ahmed Hajer Hatim Hassan , Kwaah Patrick Amanning , Quoc Hoang Nghia , Van Dat Truong , Mizuta Satoshi , Hirayama Kenji , Huy Nguyen Tien
Published: December 2023

Background

Benzothiazole derivatives have been reported to possess a wide range of biological activities, including antimalarial activity. This systematic review aims to summarize and evaluate the antimalarial activities of benzothiazole analogs.

Methods

We conducted an electronic search using nine databases in October 2017 and subsequently updated in September 2022. We included all original in vitro and in vivo studies that documented the antimalarial activities of compounds containing benzothiazole analogs with no restriction. The risk of bias of each included study was assessed by ToxRTool.

Results

Twenty‐eight articles were included in our study, which are in vitro, in vivo, or both. Of these, 232 substances were identified to have potent antiplasmodial activity against various strains of the malaria parasite. Benzothiazole analogs show different antimalarial mechanisms, including inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum enzymes in in vitro studies and inhibition of blood parasites in in vivo studies.

Conclusions

Benzothiazole derivatives are promising substances for treating malaria. The structure–activity relationship studies suggest that the substitution pattern of the benzothiazole scaffold plays a crucial role in determining the antimalarial activity of the analog.
Integration of a dental hygienist into the interprofessional long‐term care team
Authors: Villacorta‐Siegal Nelly , Joseph Karen , Gardner Sandra , Smith Jagger , Gallucci Christina E. , Aleong Rosanne , Chvartszaid David
Published: December 2023

Background

To address poor oral health of residents in long‐term care homes (LTCH), this study explored the process of integrating an educational resource and a dental hygienist on the interprofessional care team.

Methods

This convergent mixed‐methods study took place at a 472‐bed LTCH in Toronto, Canada from February to August 2018. Nurses employed at the LTCH participated in the study. During the study period, a dental hygienist was integrated into an interprofessional LTCH team. Nurses completed an online eLearning module about using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) when referring residents' oral health concerns to a. Pre/post knowledge quizzes, module feedback and satisfaction surveys were administered. A retrospective chart review examined OHAT use and compared nurse and dental hygienist oral health assessments. Two cycles of semi‐structured interviews with five nurses explored experiences with the eLearning module, OHAT and integration of the dental hygienist into the team.

Results

Nurses scored well on the knowledge quizzes and reported comfort in using the OHAT to refer oral concerns to a dental hygienist; however, actual use was minimal. oral health issues were under‐reported by nurses on the Resident Assessment Instrument–Minimum Data Set (RAI‐MDS); the dental hygienist reported significantly more debris, teeth lost and carious teeth (all P < 0.0001). Qualitative analysis indicated that the nurses valued dental hygienist integration into the team. Using knowledge mobilisation practices, a new oral health referral tool was developed.

Conclusions

This study highlights the feasibility and desirability of an oral health eLearning module, practical assessment tools and participation of a dental hygienist on the LTCH interprofessional care team.