bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Volumetric quantification of wound healing by machine learning and optical coherence tomography in adults with type 2 diabetes: the GC-SHEALD RCT
Authors: Wang Yinhai , Ajjan Ramzi , Freeman Adrian , Stewart Paul , Galdo Francesco Del , Tiganescu Ana
Published: July 2021

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with impaired wound healing, which contributes substantially to patient morbidity and mortality. Glucocorticoid (stress hormone) excess is also known to delay wound repair. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging tool for monitoring healing by “virtual biopsy”, but largely requires manual analysis, which is labour-intensive and restricts data volume processing. This limits the capability of OCT in clinical research.

Using OCT data from the GC-SHEALD trial, we developed a novel machine learning algorithm for automated volumetric quantification of discrete morphological elements of wound healing (by 3mm punch biopsy) in patients with type 2 diabetes. This was able to differentiate between early / late granulation tissue, neo-epidermis and clot structural features and quantify their volumetric transition between day 2 and day 7 wounds. Using OCT, we were able to visualize differences in wound re-epithelialisation and re-modelling otherwise indistinguishable by gross wound morphology between these time points. Automated quantification of maximal early granulation tissue showed a strong correlation with corresponding (manual) GC-SHEALD data. Further, % re-epithelialisation was improved in patients treated with oral AZD4017, an inhibitor of systemic glucocorticoid-activating 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 enzyme action, with a similar trend in neo-epidermis volume.

Through the combination of machine learning and OCT, we have developed a highly sensitive and reproducible method of automated volumetric quantification of wound healing. This novel approach could be further developed as a future clinical tool for the assessment of wound healing e.g. diabetic foot ulcers and pressure ulcers.

Disclosure Summary

I certify that neither I nor my co-authors have a conflict of interest as described above that is relevant to the subject matter or materials included in this Work.
Adherence to the EAT-Lancet Healthy Reference Diet in relation to Coronary Heart Disease, All-Cause Mortality Risk and Environmental Impact: Results from the EPIC-NL Cohort
Authors: Colizzi Chiara , Harbers Marjolein C , Vellinga Reina E , Verschuren WM Monique , Boer Jolanda MA , Temme Elisabeth HM , van der Schouw Yvonne T
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To construct a diet-score measuring the level of adherence to the Healthy Reference Diet (HRD), to explore whether adherence to the HRD is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), all-cause mortality risk, and to calculate its environmental impact.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

The Dutch contribution to the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-NL).

Participants

37,349 adults (20-70y) without CHD at baseline.

Main outcome measures

Primary outcomes were incident CHD and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were greenhouse gas emission (GHGE), land use, blue water use, freshwater eutrophication, marine eutrophication, and terrestrial acidification.

Results

During a median 15.3-year follow-up, 2,543 cases of CHD occurred, and 5,648 individuals died from all causes. The average HRD-score was 73 (SD=10). High adherence to the HRD was associated with a 15% lower risk of CHD (hazard ratio 0.85, 95% confidence interval 0.75 to 0.96), as well as a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.77 to 0.90) in multivariable-adjusted models. Better adherence to the HRD was associated with lower environmental impact from GHGE (β= -0.10 kg CO2-eq, 95% confidence interval -0.13 to -0.07), land use (β= -0.11 m2per year, 95% confidence interval -0.12 to -0.09), freshwater eutrophication (β= -0.000002 kg P-eq, 95% confidence interval -0.000004 to -0.000001), marine eutrophication (β= -0.00035 kg N-eq, 95% confidence interval -0.00042 to -0.00029), and terrestrial acidification (β = -0.004 kg SO2-eq, 95% confidence interval -0.004 to -0.003), but with higher environmental impact from blue water use (β=0.044 m3, 95% confidence interval 0.043 to 0.045).

Conclusion

High adherence to the HRD was associated with lower risk of CHD and all-cause mortality. Additionally, increasing adherence to the HRD could lower some aspects of the environmental impact of diets, but attention is needed for the associated increase in blue water use.
The relationship between Lipoprotein A and other lipids with prostate cancer risk: A multivariable Mendelian randomisation study
Authors: Ioannidou Anna , Watts Eleanor L , Perez-Cornago Aurora , Platz Elizabeth A , Mills Ian G , Key Timothy J , Travis Ruth C ,   The PRACTICAL consortium, CRUK, BPC3, CAPS, PEGASUS, Tsilidis Konstantinos K , Zuber Verena
Published: July 2021

Background

Numerous epidemiological studies have investigated the role of blood lipids in prostate cancer (PCa) risk though findings remain inconclusive to date. The ongoing research has mainly involved observational studies which are often prone to confounding. This study aimed to identify the relationship between genetically predicted blood lipid concentrations and PCa.

Methods and Findings

Data for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein A (apoA) and B (apoB), lipoprotein A (Lp(a)) and PCa were acquired from genome-wide association studies in UK Biobank and the PRACTICAL consortium, respectively. We used a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach with both univariable and multivariable (MVMR) models and utilised a variety of robust methods and sensitivity analyses to assess the possibility of MR assumptions violation. No association was observed between genetically predicted concentrations of HDL, TG, apoA and apoB and PCa risk. Genetically predicted LDL concentration was positively associated with total PCa in the univariable analysis but adjustment for HDL, TG and Lp(a) led to a null association. Genetically predicted concentration of Lp(a) was associated with higher total PCa risk in the univariable (ORweighted median per sd = 1.091; 95% CI 1.028-1.157; P=0.004) and MVMR analyses after adjustment for the other lipid traits (ORIVW per sd = 1.068; 95% CI 1.005-1.134; P = 0.034). Genetically predicted Lp(a) was also associated with advanced (MVMR ORIVW per sd = 1.078; 95% CI 0.999-1.163; P=0.055) and early age onset PCa (MVMR ORIVW per sd = 1.150; 95% CI 1.015,1.303; P = 0.028). Although multiple estimation methods were utilized to minimize the effect of pleiotropic traits, the presence of any unmeasured pleiotropy cannot be excluded and may limit our findings.

Conclusions

We observed that genetically predicted Lp(a) concentrations are associated with an increased PCa risk. Future studies are required to understand the underlying biological pathways of this finding, as it may inform PCa prevention through Lp(a)-lowering strategies.
Altered DNA methylation pattern characterizes the peripheral immune cells of patients with autoimmune hepatitis
Authors: Zachou Kalliopi , Arvaniti Pinelopi , Lyberopoulou Aggeliki , Sevdali Eirini , Speletas Matthaios , Ioannou Maria , Koukoulis George K. , Renaudineau Yves , Dalekos George N.
Published: July 2021

Objective

AIH is a chronic liver disease of unknown aetiology with favourable response to immunosuppression. Little is known about the impact of methylation modifications on disease pathogenesis.

Design

10 patients with AIH at diagnosis (time-point 1; tp1), 9 with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and 10 healthy controls (HC) were investigated. 8/10 AIH patients were also investigated following biochemical remission (time-point 2; tp2). Peripheral CD19(+)- and CD4(+)-cells were isolated to study global DNA methylation (5mC)/hydroxymethylation (5hmC) by ELISA and mRNA of DNA methylation (DNMT1/3A/3B)/hydroxymethylation enzymes (TET1/2/3) by quantitative RT-PCR. Epigenome wide association study (EWAS) was performed in CD4(+)-cells (Illumina HumanMethylation 850K array) in AIH and HC. Differences in total 5mC/5hmC state between AIH-tp1 and HC were also assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on paraffin embedded liver sections.

Results

Reduced TET1 and increased DNMT3A mRNA levels characterized CD19(+) and CD4(+) lymphocytes from AIH-tp1 patients compared to HC and PBC respectively, without affecting global DNA 5mC/5hmC. In AIH-tp1, CD4(+) DNMT3A expression was negatively correlated with serum IgG (p=0.03). In remission (AIH-tp2), DNMT3A decreased in both CD19(+) and CD4(+)-cells (p=0.02, p=0.03, respectively). EWAS in CD4(+)-cells from AIH patients confirmed important modifications in genes implicated in immune responses (HLA-DP, TNF, lnRNAs and CD86). IHC confirmed increased 5hmC staining of periportal infiltrating lymphocytes in AIH-tp1.

Conclusion

Altered expression of TET1 and DNMT3A, characterizes peripheral immune cells in AIH. DNMT3A is associated with disease activity and decreased following therapeutic response. Gene specific DNA methylation modifications affect immunologic pathways that may play an important role in AIH pathogenesis.

Summary box

What is already known?

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a non-resolving chronic liver disease of unknown aetiology and favourable response to immunosuppression. Since the interplay between the genetic background and the environment seems to be fundamental for AIH pathogenesis, epigenetic modifications may be of particular importance.

What are the new findings?

We found characteristic alterations of DNA methylation in peripheral immune cells of AIH patients, which were associated with disease activity and modified by immunosuppressive treatment.

How might it impact on clinical practice in the foreseeable future?

These results provide the first evidence that epigenetics play a role in AIH pathogenesis, which may have therapeutic implications for the management of the disease.
Diversity and distribution of sulfur metabolism in the human gut microbiome and its association with colorectal cancer
Authors: Wolf Patricia G. , Cowley Elise S. , Breister Adam , Matatov Sarah , Lucio Luke , Polak Paige , Ridlon Jason M. , Gaskins H. Rex , Anantharaman Karthik
Published: July 2021

Microbial sulfidogenesis produces genotoxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the human gut using inorganic (sulfate) and organic (taurine/cysteine/methionine) substrates, however the majority of studies have focused on sulfate reduction using dissimilatory sulfite reductases (Dsr). Recent evidence implicates microbial sulfidogenesis as a potential trigger of colorectal cancer (CRC), highlighting the need for comprehensive knowledge of sulfur metabolism within the human gut. Here we show that microbial sulfur metabolism is more abundant and diverse than previously studied and is statistically associated with CRC. Using ~17,000 bacterial genomes from publicly available stool metagenomes, we studied the diversity of sulfur metabolic genes in 667 participants across different health statuses: healthy, adenoma, and carcinoma. Sulfidogenic genes were harbored by 142 bacterial genera and both organic and inorganic sulfidogenic genes were associated with carcinoma. Significantly, anaerobic sulfite reductases were twice as abundant as dsr. We identified twelve potential pathways for reductive taurine metabolism including novel pathways, and prevalence of organic sulfur metabolic genes indicate these substrates may be the most abundant source of microbially derived H2S. Our findings significantly expand knowledge of microbial sulfur metabolism in the human gut, and highlight key gaps that limit understanding of its potential contributions to the pathogenesis of CRC.
SARS-CoV-2 Nsp14 mediates the effects of viral infection on the host cell transcriptome
Authors: Zaffagni Michela , Harris Jenna M , Patop Ines L , Pamudurti Nagarjuna Reddy , Nguyen Sinead , Kadener Sebastian
Published: July 2021

Viral infection involves complex set of events orchestrated by multiple viral proteins. To identify functions of SARS-CoV-2 proteins, we performed transcriptomic analyses of cells expressing individual viral proteins. Expression of Nsp14, a protein involved in viral RNA replication, provoked a dramatic remodeling of the transcriptome that strongly resembled that observed following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, Nsp14 expression altered the splicing of more than 1,000 genes and resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of circRNAs, which are linked to innate immunity. These effects were independent of the Nsp14 exonuclease activity and required the N7-guanine-methyltransferase domain of the protein. Activation of the NFkB pathway and increased expression of CXCL8 occurred early upon Nsp14 expression. We identified IMPDH2, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step of guanine nucleotides biosynthesis, as a key mediator of these effects. Nsp14 expression caused an increase in GTP cellular levels, and the effect of Nsp14 was strongly decreased in presence of IMPDH2 inhibitors. Together, our data demonstrate an unknown role for Nsp14 with implications for therapy.
A multi-gene region targeted capture approach to detect plant DNA in environmental samples: A case study from coastal environments
Authors: Foster Nicole R. , van Dijk Kor-jent , Biffin Ed , Young Jennifer M. , Thomson Vicki , Gillanders Bronwyn M. , Jones Alice , Waycott Michelle
Published: July 2021

Metabarcoding of plant DNA recovered from environmental samples, termed environmental DNA (eDNA), has been used to detect invasive species, track biodiversity changes and reconstruct past ecosystems. The P6 loop of the trnL intron is the most widely utilized gene region for metabarcoding plants due to the short fragment length and subsequent ease of recovery from degraded DNA, which is characteristic of environmental samples. However, the taxonomic resolution for this gene region is limited, often precluding species level identification. Additionally, targeting gene regions using universal primers can bias results as some taxa will amplify more effectively than others. To increase the ability of DNA metabarcoding to better resolve flowering plant species (angiosperms) within environmental samples, and reduce bias in amplification, we developed a multi-gene targeted capture method that simultaneously targets 20 chloroplast gene regions in a single assay across all flowering plant species. Using this approach, we effectively recovered multiple chloroplast gene regions for three species within artificial DNA mixtures down to 0.001 ng/µL of DNA. We tested the detection level of this approach, successfully recovering target genes for 10 flowering plant species. Finally, we applied this approach to sediment samples containing unknown compositions of environmental DNA and confidently detected plant species that were later verified with observation data. Targeting multiple chloroplast gene regions in environmental samples enabled species-level information to be recovered from complex DNA mixtures. Thus, the method developed here, confers an improved level of data on community composition, which can be used to better understand flowering plant assemblages in environmental samples.
Consistent changes in the intestinal microbiota of Atlantic salmon fed insect meal diets
Authors: Li Yanxian , Gajardo Karina , Jaramillo-Torres Alexander , Kortner Trond M. , Krogdahl Åshild
Published: July 2021

Being part of fish’s natural diets, insects have become a realistic, sustainable feed ingredient for aquaculture. While nutritional values of insects have been extensively studied in various fish species, their impact on the fish microbiota remains to be fully explored. In an 8-week freshwater feeding trial, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were fed either a commercially relevant reference diet or an insect meal diet wherein black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal comprised 60% of total ingredients. Microbiota of digesta and mucosa origin from the proximal and distal intestine were collected and profiled along with feed and water samples. The insect meal diet markedly modulated the salmon intestinal microbiota. Overall, the microbial diversity was lower in the digesta of salmon fed the insect meal diet but higher in the mucosa. A group of bacterial genera, dominated by members of theBacillaceaefamily, was enriched in salmon fed the insect meal diet, which confirms our previous findings in a seawater feeding trial. We also found that microbiota in the intestine closely resembled that of the feeds but was distinct from the water microbiota. Notably, bacterial genera associated with the diet effects were present in the feeds as well. In conclusion, our results show consistent changes in the intestinal microbiota of Atlantic salmon fed diets containing black soldier fly larvae meal.
Cystathionine-β-synthase is essential for AKT-induced senescence and suppresses the development of gastric cancers with PI3K/AKT activation
Authors: Zhu Haoran , Chan Keefe T. , Huang Xinran , Blake Shaun , Trigos Anna S. , Anderson Dovile , Creek Darren , De Souza David P. , Wang Xi , Fu Caiyun , Jana Metta , Sanij Elaine , Pearson Richard B , Kang Jian
Published: July 2021

Hyperactivation of oncogenic pathways downstream of RAS and PI3K/AKT in normal cells induces a senescence-like phenotype that acts as a tumor-suppressive mechanism that must be overcome during transformation. We previously demonstrated that AKT-induced senescence (AIS) is associated with profound transcriptional and metabolic changes. Here, we demonstrate that human fibroblasts undergoing AIS display increased Cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) expression and consequent activation of the transsulfuration pathway controlling hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and glutathione (GSH) metabolism. Activated transsulfuration pathway during AIS maintenance enhances the antioxidant capacity, protecting senescent cells from ROS-induced cell death via GSH and H2S. Importantly, CBS depletion allows cells that have undergone AIS to escape senescence and re-enter the cell cycle, indicating the importance of CBS activity in maintaining AIS. Mechanistically, we show this restoration of proliferation is mediated through suppressing mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and increasing GSH metabolism. These findings implicate a potential tumor-suppressive role for CBS in cells with inappropriately activated PI3K/AKT signaling. Consistent with this concept, in human gastric cancer cells with activated PI3K/AKT signaling, we demonstrate that CBS expression is suppressed due to promoter hypermethylation. CBS loss cooperates with activated PI3K/AKT signaling in promoting anchorage-independent growth of gastric epithelial cells, while CBS restoration suppresses the growth of gastric tumors in vivo. Taken together, we find that CBS is a novel regulator of AIS and a potential tumor suppressor in PI3K/AKT-driven gastric cancers, providing a new exploitable metabolic vulnerability in these cancers.
Tactile suppression stems from sensation-specific sensorimotor predictions
Authors: Führer Elena , Voudouris Dimitris , Lezkan Alexandra , Drewing Knut , Fiehler Katja
Published: July 2021

The ability to sample sensory information with our hands is crucial for smooth and efficient interactions with the world. Despite this important role of touch, tactile sensations on a moving hand are perceived weaker than when presented on the same but stationary hand.1–3 This phenomenon of tactile suppression has been explained by predictive mechanisms, such as forward models, that estimate future sensory states of the body on the basis of the motor command and suppress the associated predicted sensory feedback.4 The origins of tactile suppression have sparked a lot of debate, with contemporary accounts claiming that suppression is independent of predictive mechanisms and is instead akin to unspecific gating.5 Here, we target this debate and provide evidence for sensation-specific tactile suppression due to sensorimotor predictions. Participants stroked with their finger over textured surfaces that caused predictable vibrotactile feedback signals on that finger. Shortly before touching the texture, we applied external vibrotactile probes on the moving finger that either matched or mismatched the frequency generated by the stroking movement. We found stronger suppression of the probes that matched the predicted sensory feedback. These results show that tactile suppression is not limited to unspecific gating but is specifically tuned to the predicted sensory states of a movement.
Gut microbial diversity in stingless bees is linked to host wing size and is influenced by geography
Authors: Liu Hongwei , Hall Mark A. , Brettell Laura E. , Halcroft Megan , Wang Juntao , Nacko Scott , Spooner-Hart Robert , Cook James M , Riegler Markus , Singh Brajesh
Published: July 2021

Stingless bees are globally important social corbiculate bees, fulfilling critical pollination roles in many ecosystems; however, their gut microbiota, especially fungal communities, are not well characterized to date. We collected 121 bee samples from two species,Tetragonula carbonariaandAustroplebeia australis, across a distance of 1,200 km of eastern Australia, and analysed their gut microbiomes. We found that the gut bacterial richness ofT. carbonariawas influenced by geography (latitude and longitude) and positively correlated to an established fitness indicator in insects; namely, host forewing length/size that relates to flight capacity of stingless bees. We characterized the core microbiomes of the two bees and found that they consisted of the bacterial taxaSnodgrassella, Lactobacillus, Acetobacteraceae andBombella, and the fungal taxa Didymellaceae,Monocilium mucidum, Malassezia restrictaandAureobasidium pullulans. Both host species identity and management (wild or managed) significantly influenced the gut microbial diversity and composition, and similarity between colonies declined as the geographical distance between them increased. This result was also supported by our co-existing network analyses. Overall, we have thoroughly analysed stingless bee gut microbiomes, and provided novel evidence thatT. carbonariabees with larger wings or from more southern populations have higher microbial diversity in their guts.

Originality-Significance Statement

Beneficial interactions between insects and their microbial symbionts are pivotal for their fitness. In this study, we analysed the gut microbiomes of two stingless bee species,Tetragonula carbonariaandAustroplebeia australis, that are widespread and important pollinators in Australia. We characterized their gut microbiomes and detected a significant positive correlation between gut bacterial richness and host forewing size forT. carbonaria; the first time that gut microbial diversity has been linked to a morphological trait in stingless bees. Furthermore, we found that host species’ identity, management type (wild or managed) and geography all significantly influenced bee gut microbial diversity and composition, and were able to describe both bacterial and fungal core microbial taxa. This study reveals novel understandings of stingless bee gut microbiomes and provides the basis for utilizing microbial strategies to maintain colony health.
Isolation and characterization of a Cyprinid herpesvirus strain YZ01 from apparently healthy goldfish after rising water temperature
Authors: Wang Fengzhi , Xu Ye , Zhou Yi , Ding Chao , Duan Hongan
Published: July 2021

A Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) strain YZ01 was isolated from an apparently healthy goldfish with history of exposure to CyHV-2 when the water temperature was heated from 3-6□ to 25□. Brain, kidney, spleen (referred to as BKS) and intestine of sick and dead fish as well as crucian carp (CrCB) or goldfish brain cell (GFB) suspensions inoculated with above tissue homogenate were collected for PCR assay.Infected cell layers were prepared into ultrathin sections for transmission electron microscopy. Virus DNA were purified from cell suspensions for whole genome sequencing and analysis. Intestine and mixed brain, kidney and spleen fluid (BKS) of dead goldfish and BKS-infected CrCB suspensions as well as their subsequent passages were tested positive by PCR. Nucleus deformation, lattice-like arrangement of inclusion bodies and various forms of immature and mature virions in the nucleus, cytoplasm and outside of cell membranes were observed. Whole genome analysis of 7 CyHV-2 strains available in GeneBank showed that all strains’ genomes share very high homology while YZ01 was more close to CyHV-2 CNDF-TB2015 and SY-C1 which are classified as C genotype.
Crystal structure or chemical composition of salt–sugar-based metal–organic frameworks: what are the nonlinear optical properties due to?
Authors: Marabello Domenica , Antoniotti Paola , Benzi Paola , Beccari Fabio , Canepa Carlo , Cariati Elena , Cioci Alma , Lo Presti Leonardo
Published: July 2021

In the last few decades optical imaging techniques based on nonlinear optical properties have been of interest for biosensing applications. This work focuses on two isostructural and isomorphous sugar-derived metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with second-harmonic generation (SHG) properties, in order to investigate their possible application as biosensors in view of their high biocompatibility. Combining 2-deoxy-D-galactose with the metal halogenides CaX
2 (X = Br, I), two new isomorphous MOFs of formula [Ca(C6H12O5)2]X
2 were obtained and characterized through single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The first-order static hyperpolarizability and second-order susceptibility were estimated by in vacuo and in-crystal density functional theory calculations, and compared with the experimental SHG response of powdered samples. The parameters influencing the SHG response of these compounds were investigated by comparison with similar previously analysed MOFs, to understand how to design more efficient materials to be used as nanoprobes by exploiting crystal engineering techniques.
Solid-state electronegativity of atoms: new approaches
Authors: Batsanov Stepan S. , Batsanov Andrei S.
Published: July 2021

Electronegativities (EN) of 65 elements (H to Bi, except lanthanides and noble gases, plus U and Th) in solids were derived from various observed parameters, namely, bond energies in solids, structural geometry, work functions and force constants, yielding a set of internally consistent values. The solid-state electronegativities are generally lower than the conventional (`molecular') values, due to different coordination numbers and electronic structure in a solid versus a molecule; the decrease is stronger for metals than for non-metals, hence binary compounds have a wider EN difference and higher bond polarity (ionicity) in the solid than in the molecular (gaseous) state. Under high pressure, the ENs of metals increase and those of non-metals decrease, the binary solid becomes less polar and can ultimately dissociate into elements.
Accounting conservatism and income smoothing practices in EU food and drink industry
Authors: Paolone Francesco , Albahloul Mohammad , Tiscini Riccardo
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the application of the fundamental principle of accounting conservatism within the EU food and drink industry. Furthermore, the authors would also investigate in-depth the above relationship in two different subsamples (income smoothers and non-income smoothers).

Design/methodology/approach

All EU-listed companies of the food and drink industry were identified covering the year 2019. Eckel's model was used to classify listed companies as smoothing or non-smoothing, and Basu's model was adopted to test the degree of conditional conservatism.

Findings

The results indicate that conservatism is strongly present in food and drink industry and also in its subindustries. We also showed that non-smoothing firms had higher levels of conditional conservatism in terms of more opportunity to recognize future economic losses because the market could use the stock return data to anticipate future losses contained in the information regarding profits.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of this work is the small size of the investigated companies. The authors demonstrate that the likely increased use of conservatism produces better credibility in the EU markets. Practical implications indicate a higher degree of monitoring of the accounting practices adopted by firms. Regulators have to set accounting policies to enhance the quality of the informational environment, investors and shareholders might exercise control over executives' decisions, and lenders might impose contractual clauses requiring the timely disclosure of “bad news.”

Originality/value

This industry is “belted” from any external speculations. This research made it possible also to observe theoretical relationships between the financial information provided by the EU food and drink industry that contributes to the market distinction between smoothers and non-smoothers.
A matter of time? Sustainability and digital media use
Authors: Görland Stephan Oliver , Kannengießer Sigrid
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to unfold and emphasise the relevance of sustainability and time as research topics in media and communication research and discusses the relation of both phenomena with a focus on processes of media appropriation and media consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

The submission argues theoretically. Firstly, theories on sustainability and media and media and time are presented. Secondly, previous approaches from research on sustainable media use will be discussed. Finally, the authors call for a stronger accentuation of research on digital media, time, and sustainability.

Findings

The submission shows that previous research on sustainable media use does sufficiently take individual and social time experience into account. Moreover, research is too much focussed on the individual level. The authors therefore argue for three major conceptual changes in research on digital sustainability: time is a sustainable human resource; a shift of perspective from individual to relations is needed; and consideration of the cultural condition of capitalism is necessary.

Practical implications

This paper includes implications for the future research on digital media, time and sustainability.

Originality/value

According to the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first one that connects perspectives on time with digital sustainability.
Using new artificial bee colony as probabilistic neural network for breast cancer data classification
Authors: Shah Habib
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Breast cancer is an important medical disorder, which is not a single disease but a cluster more than 200 different serious medical complications.

Design/methodology/approach

The new artificial bee colony (ABC) implementation has been applied to probabilistic neural network (PNN) for training and testing purpose to classify the breast cancer data set.

Findings

The new ABC algorithm along with PNN has been successfully applied to breast cancers data set for prediction purpose with minimum iteration consuming.

Originality/value

The new implementation of ABC along PNN can be easily applied to times series problems for accurate prediction or classification.
Thermal performance of optimum exponential fin profiles subjected to a temperature jump
Authors: Turkyilmazoglu Mustafa
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to seek purely analytical results relying on the physical parameters including the temperature jump parameter.

Design/methodology/approach

The exponential fin profiles and heat transfer enhancement influenced by a temperature jump at the base are the main targets of this paper.

Findings

The introduced temperature slip at the base penetrates through the surface of the fin and reorganizes the distribution of temperature all over the surface. The overall impact of the temperature jump on the fin efficiency is such that it acts to lower the fin efficiency. However, the efficiency of the exponential fin is increasing for growing shape exponential fins as compared to the rectangular and decaying ones. Hence, exponential fins amenable to certain temperature jump has significance in technological cooling processes. Finally, the optimum dimensions regarding the base fin thickness and the fin length of the exponential profiles are assessed by means of optimizing the base heat transfer rate given a cross-sectional area.

Originality/value

Exact solutions are provided for optimum exponential type fins subjected to a temperature jump. The optimum dimensions regarding the base fin thickness and the fin length of the exponential profiles are assessed.
The role of Islamic social finance in societal welfare: a case study of selected IFBOs in southwest Nigeria
Authors: Shuaib Abdullahi A. , Sohail M.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of Islamic social finance (ISF) instruments such as Zakah, Sadaqah and Waqf in the provision of social services by Islamic faith-based organizations (IFBOs) in Southwest Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts exploratory approach based on field interviews conducted with leaders of IFBOs, whereas purposive sampling technique was used to select three case study organizations. Data collected from interviews and documents of case study organizations was analyzed using content and narrative analyses.

Findings

The first findings indicate faith in the Unseen God, scriptural texts and socio-economic factors as major motivation that accounted for the IFBOs’ concern for social services. The second finding shows that the ISF strategies used by the IFBOs to improve access to social services include Zakah, Awqaf, Sadaqah and gifts. The third finding reveals that the IFBOs have efficient stand-alone and windows operational structures that align with IFBOs corporate governance. The fourth finding also reveals the challenges facing the IFBOs such as inadequate funding, dearth of manpower, lukewarm and uncooperative attitude of Muslims and attitudinal behaviour of givers and takers.

Research limitations/implications

Absence of documented directory about the role IFBOs usage of ISF in providing social services in Southwest Nigeria affected the study. Many IFBOs were eliminated during the process of selection because of lack of records to indicate their social services relevant to the study. As such, information that could have been collected from the eliminated IFBOs could have contributed significantly to the study.

Practical implications

The major implications of the study are that ISF has been reinvented as an ethical social welfare framework for supporting the disadvantaged members of the society with ISF instruments and also highlighted the dichotomy existing between IFBOs in the North and Southwest Nigeria with respect to the legal and operational activities of IFBOs usage of ISF.

Originality/value

This study has contributed to a better understanding of the role of ISF instruments in the provision of social services in an area that is largely under-researched in Nigeria.
Corruption, impunity and mistrust: moving beyond police gatekeepers for researching gangs
Authors: Van Damme Ellen
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the importance of having several entry points into the field, via gatekeepers who do not belong to law enforcement agencies, in contexts where the police cannot be defined as trustworthy.

Design/methodology/approach

The argumentation of this paper is based on qualitative research on women and gangs in Honduras. An ethnographical methodology was implemented, which included over a year of observations, 65 interviews and two focus groups in gang-controlled communities and detention centers in Central America (with a focus on Honduras), between 2017 and 2020. The paper implements a feminist reflexive approach, focusing on patriarchy, positionality and silence.

Findings

Collaborating with the police as gatekeepers in gang research needs to be reevaluated. In countries such as Honduras, the police are riddled with corruption and impunity, which eventually leads to mistrust among gang members and other citizens. Hence, it is recommended to approach other, non-law enforcement, gatekeepers, who often stand much closer to the gangs and have a less conflicted or biased position toward them and toward other people living in gang areas.

Research limitations/implications

A feminist reflexive approach is recommended for researching women and gangs, and thus also for choosing the right gatekeepers in the field, taking into account researchers’ and gatekeepers’ positionality.

Originality/value

Police corruption in relation to gangs and gang-related crimes often goes unreported and silences people living in gang-controlled areas. This paper exposes these conflicted roles, not only regarding police abusevis-à-visgangs and people living in gang areas but also in relation to gang researchers in the field.
De-scripting office design: exploring design intentions in use
Authors: Søiland Elisabeth
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how users respond to office design through their use of space. Intentions for how office spaces should be used can be not only understood as sociomaterial scripts that are inscribed into the architecture by designers but also communicated through organisational change processes. The paper elaborates on how users de-script office spaces, that is, how they respond to these scripts through use.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a case study of an office design intervention in a public organisation. Taking a sociomaterial approach, the paper uses the concepts of scripting and de-scripting to analyse the data.

Findings

The findings show that users subscribe to, repair, resist or re-script design scripts. This suggests that users can enact agency in use through creative acts of appropriation. Further, both materiality and user participation play equivocal roles in user responses.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is based on a single case study where the design process was studied retrospectively. The case is regarded as typical of contemporary office design processes, but more studies that follow projects from design into use are needed.

Practical implications

This suggests that design solutions should be better adapted to the work practices instead of applying generic concepts to specific situations and that design and use should be understood as overlapping processes.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in linking aspects of the design process with user responses and in taking a sociomaterial approach to examine design and use.
Integrated technologies toward sustainable agriculture supply chains: missing links
Authors: Nayal Kirti , Raut Rakesh , Lopes de Sousa Jabbour Ana Beatriz , Narkhede Balkrishna Eknath , Gedam Vidyadhar V.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This article sheds light on the missing links concerning the study of using integrated enabling technologies toward sustainable and circular agriculture supply chains by examining the available literature and proposing future research possibilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The relevant literature was researched through online databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, Emerald, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, World Scientific Net and Springer-Link Journals, covering a period from 1999 to 2020. A systematic literature review based on 75 papers analyzed the integration of the concepts of enabling technologies, sustainability, circular economy and supply chain performance in agriculture supply chains.

Findings

It was identified that enabling technologies and agriculture supply chains alone have been explored further than integrated enabling technologies, sustainability, circular economy, supply chain performance and agriculture supply chains. Enabling technologies and agriculture supply chains' main findings are: enabling technologies have been studied to improve food safety, food quality and traceability in agriculture supply chains. The main results regarding integrated enabling technologies, sustainability, circular economy, supply chain performance and agriculture supply chains are: Internet of Things and information communication technology play an important role in addressing food security, traceability and food quality, which help achieve sustainable development goals.

Originality/value

This review study provides 13 research questions to underpin future trends regarding integrated technologies' application in agriculture supply chains for circular and sustainable growth.
Impact of religiosity and branding on SMEs performance: does financial literacy play a role?
Authors: Alharbi Raed Khamis , Yahya Sofri Bin , Kassim Salina
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between religiosity and branding on small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs’) performance in Saudi Arabia. It also examines the mediating role of financial literacy on the relationship among Islamic religiosity, branding and SMEs’ performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts the purposive sampling technique in three major commercial cities, namely, Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Qassim to sample 100 SMEs each, resulting in a total sampling of 300 SMEs in Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the hypotheses formulated in this study. The structural equation modeling is aided with the help of Smart-PLS software.

Findings

This study finds that Islamic branding (on customer, compliance and origin) significantly affect financial attitude, while Islamic religiosity affects financial awareness among the SMEs. Findings reveal that there is a mediating role of financial awareness on the relationship between Islamic branding and Islamic religiosity with the SMEs’ performance. No mediation effect was recorded for financial attitude and financial knowledge. Further investigation reveals that financial attitude, financial awareness, Islamic branding (compliance and origin) and Islamic religiosity were the most significant determinants of SMEs’ performance in the context of Saudi Arabia.

Research limitations/implications

This study is conducted on SMEs in Saudi Arabia only. Further studies are required to examine SMEs in other Islamic countries and regions to improve the explanatory power of financial literacy on Islamic religiosity and Islamic branding for improved SMEs performance.

Originality/value

This study establishes that Islamic religiosity and branding could further increase the predictive power of financial literacy on SMEs’ performance. This study concludes that efforts to improve financial literacy should be religion-based as well as culture-based depending on where the SMEs are located so that specific strategies can be implemented, to enable the conducive growth of the SMEs and maximize the contribution of the SMEs to economic growth.
The potential benefits of employee equity funds in the United States
Authors: Palladino Lenore
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The mainstream framework for corporate governance is that all corporate activity should be directed towards shareholder wealth maximization. This article posits that public policy should move away from shareholder primacy and instead recognize employees as key contributors to corporate value-creation. One way to implement this approach is to require the creation of Employee Equity Funds (EEFs) at large corporations, which would pay employees dividends alongside external shareholders and establish a collective employee voice in corporate governance. EEFs may reduce economic inequality while improving firm performance and macroeconomic stability. This article provides an original estimate of average employee dividends, illustrating the potential of employee equity funds.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis of employee dividends for Employee Equity Funds at large U.S. corporations, using publicly available corporate finance data.

Findings

Based on historic dividend payments and employee counts in public 10-K filings, I find that, if EEFs held 20% of outstanding equity, the average employee dividend across this sample would be $2,622 per year, while the median is $1,760. This indicates that employee dividends can be a small but meaningful form of redressing wealth inequality for the low-wage workforce, though it should emphatically not be seen as a replacement for fair wages.

Originality/value

Original data analysis of a proposed policy reform to increase the benefits of employee equity in the United States.
Tourism implications and challenges in Musina municipality: a case of the Big tree nature reserve and adjacent tourism ventures; Limpopo
Authors: Ramaano Azwindini Isaac
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study evaluates tourism implications and challenges around the Big Tree Nature Reserve with its adjacent tourism ventures and entities in Musina Municipality, Limpopo Province, in South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

Data got compiled by interviews and questionnaires in addition to focus group discussions and physical observation.

Findings

The study revealed many challenges associated with tourism undertakings around the Big Tree Nature Reserve and its nearby tourism entities. The benefits of tourism were not efficiently tapped into by the local communities within and around the study area. The factors contributing to the poor state of tourism running got delineated by the findings of the study. Hence, there was a potential obligation for a turnaround effective tourism strategy to improve tourism enterprises to benefits local communities within the area.

Originality/value

Musina Municipality is one of the remote regions in the North of Limpopo Province, in South Africa. It also has impoverished rural communities akin to many rural areas within the continent. Despite the mentioned, it considerably covers a mostly tourism-orientated area within the Vhembe District.