bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Piloting GETCare
Authors: Einerson Jackie , Cardell Beth , Majersik Jennifer J. , Reblin Maija , Richards Lorie Gage , Terrill Alexandra L.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Many individuals with stroke require informal caregiver support. These caregivers are often unprepared and overwhelmed. This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of GETCare, a remote Goal-based Education and skills Training program for Caregivers caring for an individual poststroke.

Design

Single-arm mixed-methods pilot trial was performed.

Methods

The GETCare program is a 5-week remote, individually administered program for informal stroke caregivers that includes education, skills training, guided goal setting, and resource recommendations. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data via a deductive approach.

Results

Twenty-eight caregivers were recruited with 18 caregivers completing the program. These 18 caregivers reported high satisfaction, and over 75% reported program content was at least quite helpful. Caregivers suggested that the length of the program was appropriate, indicated that weekly check-ins were helpful, and supported this program for informal caregivers across the time trajectory poststroke. Eight of 10 caregivers who dropped out of the program were caring for someone 0–4 months poststroke.

Conclusions

Caregivers positively received the GETCare program, which was uniquely structured to provide resources and skills for this high-need population. This pilot study provides valuable insight for future remote interventions poststroke.

Clinical Relevance to Practice of Nursing

Results provide foundational knowledge in how to better support caregivers through guided goal setting and individualized education.
Benign Meningioma With Rare Radiological and Behavioral Features
Authors: Wen Donghui , Xu Dan , Wang Lu , Chen Yili , Ou Changjiang
Published: July 2022

Background:

Meningiomas are usually dura-based primary nonmalignant neoplasms of the central nervous system. It is extremely rare that a meningioma is located at the convexity of the brain, but shows no dura attachment and causes osteolysis of the skull.

Case Presentation:

A 57-year-old woman presented with an incidentally discovered scalp lump on the head. Neurological deficits were not found. Radiological examination revealed a localized osteolytic lesion in the right parietal bone, which was initially diagnosed as a bone tumor and was surgically resected. At surgery, a tumor mass was found located at the brain convexity without dura attachment. It was tightly attached to the brain parenchyma and had no distinct boundary from the brain. The mass was rather small, but resulted in significant osteolysis of the skull and destruction of the dura. Simpson grade I resection of the tumor was performed. Histological and immunohistochemical results indicated a meningothelial meningioma.

Conclusions:

Both preoperative and intraoperative diagnoses are difficult for this case. Knowledge of this case is crucial for clinicians to be aware of this entity because it can be easily confused with bone tumors. Further research on the relationship between meningioma and bone metabolism is required to investigate the mechanism of osteolysis.
Nonmetric Variants of Anatolian Crania: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Elbizim Deniz S. , Ortug Alpen , Liman Zafer , Ortug Gursel
Published: July 2022

Analysis of nonmetric cranial variants has been essential for identifying the human population through osteologic analysis and genetic affinities. This study aimed to examine the nonmetric cranial variants to evaluate differences among sex and side correlations in Anatolian dry skulls. This study was carried out on 50 Anatolian adult dry human skulls (22 males, 28 females) with suitable features (nonfractured and/or with necessary features) out of a total of 97 dry skulls. After sex analysis, each skull was photographed from the norma frontalis, lateralis, inferior, and superior. Eleven nonmetrical cranial variants were investigated. The cranial variants and side incidences were analyzed to determine their sex differences and interside correlations. After the classification, traits were marked as “present” or “absent” on the charts. Some variants in female crania were seen more frequently than in males. Most of the variants such as the supraorbital notch, infraorbital and zygomaticofacial foramen, showed high correlations between the right and left sides. Overall, there were no statistically significant sex or side differences found in the Anatolian crania.
Replantation of Pediatric Scalp Avulsions
Authors: Gur Ersin , Tiftikcioglu Yigit O. , Isık Yakup
Published: July 2022

Scalp avulsions are rare but can be quite morbid clinical manifestations. Pediatric patients are different from adults as they have not completed their physical, sexual, educational, or psychosocial development. Therefore, the devastation of a failed scalp replantation is much greater on these individuals, their whole future lives, and families. We present 2 consecutive pediatric cases retrospectively with the youngest successful replanted patient in Turkey and describe technical tips according to our experience.
The Role of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training on Low Anterior Resection Syndrome
Authors: Asnong Anne , D’Hoore André , Van Kampen Marijke , Wolthuis Albert , Van Molhem Yves , Van Geluwe Bart , Devoogdt Nele , De Groef An , Guler Caamano Fajardo Ipek , Geraerts Inge
Published: July 2022

Background and Objective:

Total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer (RC) often results in significant bowel symptoms, commonly known as low anterior resection syndrome (LARS). Although pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is recommended in noncancer populations for treating bowel symptoms, this has been scarcely investigated in RC patients. The objective was to investigate PFMT effectiveness on LARS in patients after TME for RC.

Methods:

A multicenter, single-blind prospective randomized controlled trial comparing PFMT (intervention; n=50) versus no PFMT (control; n=54) 1 month following TME/stoma closure was performed. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants with an improvement in the LARS category at 4 months. Secondary outcomes were: continuous LARS scores, ColoRectal Functioning Outcome scores, Numeric Rating Scale scores, stool diary items, and Short Form 12 scores; all assessed at 1, 4, 6, and 12 months.

Results:

The proportion of participants with an improvement in LARS category was statistically higher after PFMT compared with controls at 4 months (38.3% vs 19.6%; P=0.0415) and 6 months (47.8% vs 21.3%; P=0.0091), but no longer at 12 months (40.0% vs 34.9%; P=0.3897). Following secondary outcomes were significantly lower at 4 months: LARS scores (continuous, P=0.0496), ColoRectal Functioning Outcome scores (P=0.0369) and frequency of bowel movements (P=0.0277), solid stool leakage (day, P=0.0241; night, P=0.0496) and the number of clusters (P=0.0369), derived from the stool diary. No significant differences were found for the Numeric Rating Scale/quality of life scores.

Conclusions:

PFMT for bowel symptoms after TME resulted in lower proportions and faster recovery of bowel symptoms up to 6 months after surgery/stoma closure, justifying PFMT as an early, first-line treatment option for bowel symptoms after RC.
Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Breast Cancer Patients Through Fluorescent Imaging Using Indocyanine Green
Authors: Bargon Claudia A. , Huibers Anne , Young-Afat Danny A. , Jansen Britt A.M. , Borel-Rinkes Inne H.M. , Lavalaye Jules , van Slooten Henk-Jan , Verkooijen Helena M. , van Swol Christiaan F.P. , Doeksen Annemiek
Published: July 2022

Objective:

The aim was to compare the (sentinel) lymph node detection rate of indocyanine green (ICG)-fluorescent imaging versus standard-of-care 99mTc-nanocoilloid for sentinel lymph node (SLN)-mapping.

Background:

The current gold standard for axillary staging in patients with breast cancer is sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) using radio-guided surgery using radioisotope technetium (99mTc), sometimes combined with blue dye. A promising alternative is fluorescent imaging using ICG.

Methods:

In this noninferiority trial, we enrolled 102 consecutive patients with invasive early-stage, clinically node-negative breast cancer. Patients were planned for breast conserving surgery and SLNB between August 2020 and June 2021. The day or morning before surgery, patients were injected with 99mTc-nanocolloid. In each patient, SLNB was first performed using ICG-fluorescent imaging, after which excised lymph nodes were tested with the gamma-probe for 99mTc-uptake ex vivo, and the axilla was checked for residual 99mTc-activity. The detection rate was defined as the proportion of patients in whom at least 1 (S)LN was detected with either tracer.

Results:

In total, 103 SLNBs were analyzed. The detection rate of ICG-fluorescence was 96.1% [95% confidence interval (95% CI)=90.4%–98.9%] versus 86.4% (95% CI=78.3%–92.4%) for 99mTc-nanocoilloid. The detection rate for pathological lymph nodes was 86.7% (95% CI=59.5%–98.3%) for both ICG and 99mTc-nanocoilloid. A median of 2 lymph nodes were removed. ICG-fluorescent imaging did not increase detection time. No adverse events were observed.

Conclusions:

ICG-fluorescence showed a higher (S)LN detection rate than 99mTc-nanocoilloid, and equal detection rate for pathological (S)LNs. ICG-fluorescence may be used as a safe and effective alternative to 99mTc-nanocoilloid for SLNB in patients with early-stage breast cancer.
Sex Disparities in Outcomes Following Major Liver Surgery
Authors: Birrer Dominique L. , Linecker Michael , López-López Víctor , Brusadin Roberto , Navarro-Barrios Álvaro , Reese Tim , Arbabzadah Sahar , Balci Deniz , Malago Massimo , Machado Marcel A. , Ardiles Victoria , Soubrane Olivier , Hernandez-Alejandro Roberto , de Santibañes Eduardo , Oldhafer Karl J. , Popescu Irinel , Humar Bostjan , Clavien Pierre-Alain , Robles-Campos Ricardo
Published: July 2022

Aim:

To explore potential sex differences in outcomes and regenerative parameters post major hepatectomies.

Background:

Although controversial, sex differences in liver regeneration have been reported for animals. Whether sex disparity exists in human liver regeneration is unknown.

Methods:

Data from consecutive hepatectomy patients (55 females, 67 males) and from the international ALPPS (Associating-Liver-Partition-and-Portal-vein-ligation-for-Staged-hepatectomy, a two stage hepatectomy) registry (449 females, 729 males) were analyzed. Endpoints were severe morbidity (≥3b Clavien-Dindo grades), Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores, and ALPPS interstage intervals. For validation and mechanistic insight, female-male ALPSS mouse models were established. t, χ2, or Mann-Whitney tests were used for comparisons. Univariate/multivariate analyses were performed with sensitivity inclusion.

Results:

Following major hepatectomy (Hx), males had more severe complications (P=0.03) and higher liver dysfunction (MELD) P=0.0001) than females. Multivariate analysis established male sex as a predictor of complications after ALPPS stage 1 (odds ratio=1.78; 95% confidence interval: 1.126–2.89; P=0.01), and of enhanced liver dysfunction after stage 2 (odds ratio=1.93; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–3.69; P=0.045). Female patients displayed shorter interstage intervals (<2 weeks, 64% females versus 56% males, P=0.01), however, not in postmenopausal subgroups. In mice, females regenerated faster than males after ALPPS stage 1, an effect that was lost upon estrogen antagonism.

Conclusions:

Poorer outcomes after major surgery in males and shorter ALPPS interstage intervals in females not necessarily suggest a superior regenerative capacity of female liver. The loss of interstage advantages in postmenopausal women and the mouse experiments point to estrogen as the driver behind these sex disparities. Estrogen’s benefits call for an assessment in postmenopausal women, and perhaps men, undergoing major liver surgery.
“Digital Tomosynthesis” As a Technique for the Evaluation of Endobronchial Stents in Lung Transplant Recipients
Authors: Banifadel Momen , Vonau Martin , Young Benjamin , Panchabhai Tanmay , Gilkeson Robert C. , Schilz Robert , Matta Maroun
Published: July 2022

Lung transplant patients often suffer from posttransplant airway pathologies that require placement of endobronchial stents. In addition to surveillance bronchoscopy, patients often undergo radiographic stent evaluations. Chest x-rays are extremely limited in their ability to diagnose stent complications, so many patients require chest computed tomography (CT) scans for stent evaluation. Chest CT scans are costly and expose patients to higher cumulative radiation doses. Digital tomosynthesis (DTS) is an imaging modality that provides high-resolution images using limited angle tomography. The costs and radiation doses are comparable to conventional x-ray. We present a series of 4 postlung transplant patients with bronchial stents in whom we performed DTS and chest x-ray simultaneously. The DTS images were far superior to chest x-ray and comparable with CT in evaluating the placement and patency of the stents, especially in the case of silicone stents. Furthermore, the improved resolution provided clinically relevant diagnostic information that resulted in therapeutic bronchoscopy for suctioning of mucus impaction in one of the patients.
Association Between Maintenance Immunosuppressive Regimens and COVID-19 Mortality in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Gérard Alexandre O. , Barbosa Susana , Anglicheau Dany , Couzi Lionel , Hazzan Marc , Thaunat Olivier , Blancho Gilles , Caillard Sophie , Sicard Antoine ,   French SOT COVID Registry
Published: July 2022

Background.

Solid organ transplant recipients are at high risk for fatal forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a cohort study among kidney transplant (KT) recipients from the French Solid Organ Transplant COVID-19 Registry to investigate the association between maintenance immunosuppressive drugs and 60-d mortality.

Methods.

Data from all KT recipients with COVID-19 included in the French Solid Organ Transplant COVID-19 Registry between February 28, 2020, and December 30, 2020, were retrieved. We evaluated associations between immunosuppressive drugs and death within 60 d using logistic regression, with all baseline characteristics considered to influence outcome or immunosuppressive regimen. The Benjamini-Hochberg correction was used for controlling false positive rate; 40 multiple imputations were performed. Adjusted P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results.

There were 1451 KT recipients included. Median age was 58 y, and 66.4% were men. Most frequent comorbidities were hypertension (81.9%), diabetes (34.5%), and cardiovascular disease (29.5%). Median time since transplant was 71 mo. Maintenance immunosuppression regimens included calcineurin inhibitors (1295, 89.2%), antimetabolites (1205, 83%), corticosteroids (1094, 75.4%), mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (144, 9.9%), and belatacept (58, 4.0%). Among 1451 transplant recipients, 201 (13.9%) died within 60 d. Older age and higher baseline serum creatinine were associated with mortality (odds ratios, 1.09 [1.07-1.11] and 1.01 [1.005-1.009], P < 0.001). Corticosteroid-free regimens were associated with a significantly lower risk of death (odds ratio, 0.48 [0.31-0.76]; P = 0.011).

Conclusions.

Corticosteroid-free regimens were associated with a lower risk of death in KT recipients with COVID-19. Long-term exposure to corticosteroids impairs immune functions and may predispose solid organ transplant recipients to severe forms of COVID-19.
Artificial light at night reverses monthly foraging pattern under simulated moonlight
Authors: Tidau Svenja , Whittle Jack , Jenkins Stuart R. , Davies Thomas W.
Published: July 2022

Mounting evidence shows that artificial light at night (ALAN) alters biological processes across levels of organization, from cells to communities. Yet, the combined impacts of ALAN and natural sources of night-time illumination remain little explored. This is in part due the lack of accurate simulations of the complex changes moonlight intensity, timing and spectra throughout a single night and lunar cycles in laboratory experiments. We custom-built a novel system to simulate natural patterns of moonlight to test how different ALAN intensities affect predator–prey relationships over the full lunar cycle. Exposure to high intensity ALAN (10 and 50 lx) reversed the natural lunar-guided foraging pattern by the gastropod mesopredator
Nucella lapillus
on its prey
Semibalanus balanoides
. Foraging decreased during brighter moonlight in naturally lit conditions. When exposed to high intensity ALAN, foraging increased with brighter moonlight. Low intensity ALAN (0.1 and 0.5 lx) had no impact on foraging. Our results show that ALAN alters the foraging pattern guided by changes in moonlight brightness. ALAN impacts on ecosystems can depend on lunar light cycles. Accurate simulations of night-time light cycle will warrant more realistic insights into ALAN impacts and also facilitate advances in fundamental night-time ecology and chronobiology.
Structural mechanics of filamentous cyanobacteria
Authors: Faluweki Mixon K. , Goehring Lucas
Published: July 2022

Filamentous cyanobacteria, forming long strands of connected cells, are one of the earliest and most successful forms of life on Earth. They exhibit self-organized behaviour, forming large-scale patterns in structures like biomats and stromatolites. The mechanical properties of these rigid structures have contributed to their biological success and are important to applications like algae-based biofuel production. For active polymers like these cyanobacteria, one of the most important mechanical properties is the bending modulus, or flexural rigidity. Here, we quantify the bending stiffness of three species of filamentous cyanobacteria, of orderOscillatoriales, using a microfluidic flow device where single filaments are deflected by fluid flow. This is complemented by measurements of Young’s modulus of the cell wall, via nanoindentation, and the cell wall thickness. We find that the stiffness of the cyanobacteria is well-captured by a simple model of a flexible rod, with most stress carried by a rigid outer wall. Finally, we connect these results to the curved shapes that these cyanobacteria naturally take while gliding, and quantify the forces generated internally to maintain this shape. The measurements can be used to model interactions between cyanobacteria, or with their environment, and how their collective behaviour emerges from such interactions.
Mapping molecular complexes with super-resolution microscopy and single-particle analysis
Authors: Mendes Afonso , Heil Hannah S. , Coelho Simao , Leterrier Christophe , Henriques Ricardo
Published: July 2022

Understanding the structure of supramolecular complexes provides insight into their functional capabilities and how they can be modulated in the context of disease. Super-resolution microscopy (SRM) excels in performing this task by resolving ultrastructural details at the nanoscale with molecular specificity. However, technical limitations, such as underlabelling, preclude its ability to provide complete structures. Single-particle analysis (SPA) overcomes this limitation by combining information from multiple images of identical structures and producing an averaged model, effectively enhancing the resolution and coverage of image reconstructions. This review highlights important studies using SRM–SPA, demonstrating how it broadens our knowledge by elucidating features of key biological structures with unprecedented detail.
Opinion: PARP inhibitors in cancer—what do we still need to know?
Authors: Wicks Andrew J. , Krastev Dragomir B. , Pettitt Stephen J. , Tutt Andrew N. J. , Lord Christopher J.
Published: July 2022

PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have been demonstrated to exhibit profound anti-tumour activity in individuals whose cancers have a defect in the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway. Here, we describe the current consensus as to how PARPi work and how drug resistance to these agents emerges. We discuss the need to refine the current repertoire of clinical-grade companion biomarkers to be used with PARPi, so that patient stratification can be improved, the early emergence of drug resistance can be detected and dose-limiting toxicity can be predicted. We also highlight current thoughts about how PARPi resistance might be treated.
Endocrine cybernetics: neuropeptides as molecular switches in behavioural decisions
Authors: Nässel Dick R. , Zandawala Meet
Published: July 2022

Plasticity in animal behaviour relies on the ability to integrate external and internal cues from the changing environment and hence modulate activity in synaptic circuits of the brain. This context-dependent neuromodulation is largely based on non-synaptic signalling with neuropeptides. Here, we describe select peptidergic systems in the
Drosophila
brain that act at different levels of a hierarchy to modulate behaviour and associated physiology. These systems modulate circuits in brain regions, such as the central complex and the mushroom bodies, which supervise specific behaviours. At the top level of the hierarchy there are small numbers of large peptidergic neurons that arborize widely in multiple areas of the brain to orchestrate or modulate global activity in a state and context-dependent manner. At the bottom level local peptidergic neurons provide executive neuromodulation of sensory gain and intrinsically in restricted parts of specific neuronal circuits. The orchestrating neurons receive interoceptive signals that mediate energy and sleep homeostasis, metabolic state and circadian timing, as well as external cues that affect food search, aggression or mating. Some of these cues can be triggers of conflicting behaviours such as mating versus aggression, or sleep versus feeding, and peptidergic neurons participate in circuits, enabling behaviour choices and switches.
Genome-resolved metagenomics reveals novel archaeal and bacterial genomes from Amazonian forest and pasture soils
Authors: Venturini Andressa M. , Gontijo Júlia B. , Mandro Jéssica A. , Paula Fabiana S. , Yoshiura Caio A. , da França Aline G. , Tsai Siu M.
Published: July 2022

Amazonian soil microbial communities are known to be affected by the forest-to-pasture conversion, but the identity and metabolic potential of most of their organisms remain poorly characterized. To contribute to the understanding of these communities, here we describe metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) recovered from 12 forest and pasture soil metagenomes of the Brazilian Eastern Amazon. We obtained 11 forest and 30 pasture MAGs (≥50% of completeness and ≤10 % of contamination), distributed among two archaeal and 11 bacterial phyla. The taxonomic classification results suggest that most MAGs may represent potential novel microbial taxa. MAGs selected for further evaluation included members of

Acidobacteriota

,

Actinobacteriota

, Desulfobacterota_B, Desulfobacterota_F, Dormibacterota,

Eremiobacterota

, Halobacteriota,

Proteobacteria

, and

Thermoproteota

, thus revealing their roles in carbohydrate degradation and mercury detoxification as well as in the sulphur, nitrogen, and methane cycles. A methane-producing Archaea of the genus

Methanosarcina

was almost exclusively recovered from pasture soils, which can be linked to a sink-to-source shift after the forest-to-pasture conversion. The novel MAGs constitute an important resource to help us unravel the yet-unknown microbial diversity in Amazonian soils and its functional potential and, consequently, the responses of these microorganisms to land-use change.
Local electrochemical corrosion performance of nano-SiC/MAO composite coating on 6061-Al alloy
Authors: Liu Yida , Zhao Jie , Yang Xiaoyu , Gu Yanhong , Yang Zihao
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve the corrosion resistance of the 6061-Al alloy as the battery pack material for electric vehicles, and the nano-SiC/MAO composite coating was prepared.

Design/methodology/approach

The corrosion resistance of coatings was evaluated by the global electrochemical test, and the local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (LEIS) was used to study the local corrosion mechanism. The laser confocal microscope, scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were used to characterise coatings.

Findings

Results showed that the impedance of nano-SiC/MAO coating was 1–2 times higher than MAO coating, and the main corrosion product was Al(OH)3. LEIS results showed that the impedance of the nano-SiC/MAO coating was two times higher than the MAO coating. The defective SiC/Micro-arc oxidation coating still had high corrosion resistance compared to the MAO coating.

Originality/value

The physical model of the local corrosion mechanism for SiC/MAO composite coating in “cavity-fracture collapse” mode was proposed.
Fuzzy control of a landing gear system with oleo-pneumatic shock absorber to reduce aircraft vibrations by landing impacts
Authors: Arık Ahmet Enes , Bilgiç Boğaç
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to control a landing gear system with an oleo-pneumatic shock absorber with the fuzzy controller.

Design/methodology/approach

The landing gear system with an oleo-pneumatic shock absorber is modeled mathematically. A fuzzy controller is designed for reducing aircraft vibrations. Stroke velocity and main mass velocity parameters were used to decide variable gas pressure with the fuzzy controller.

Findings

The fuzzy controller, designed according to stroke velocity and main mass velocity, reduces aircraft vibrations by the landing impacts. The controller can provide strong robustness because it shows similar good performance for different descent speeds.

Research limitations/implications

This study was carried out through simulations in a computer environment and has not been experimentally tested in a real environment. In addition, signal and measurement delays are not taken into account. In future models, the effects of these signal delays can be added, and the controller can be tested on a real model.

Originality/value

In this study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, the gas pressure for the landing gear system using an oleo-pneumatic shock absorber was controlled by a fuzzy controller that adjusts the stroke velocity and the main mass velocity. Although the oleo-pneumatic shock absorber model contains high nonlinearities, the designed fuzzy controller gave successful results as robust.
The role of information architecture in the automation of records in Botswana in an e-government setting
Authors: Mosweu Olefhile , Bwalya Kelvin Joseph
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Government entities often implement automated records management systems, often without a clear governing framework to facilitate such automation. This study aims to explore the role played by information architecture (IA) in records automation in Botswana and propose a guiding framework in the context of e-government.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study uses a focused literature review to study the importance of IA in records automation in e-government.

Findings

Without proper IA, information organization including retrieval/access to records becomes difficult. Practically, this would practically and negatively affect process automation in e-government solutions.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed framework can guide e-government record automation in Botswana. However, its limitation lies in the fact that it has not been tested, thereby limiting its practicality until tested empirically.

Practical implications

The proposed framework can be used to inform record automation management processes in the realm of Botswana’s e-government project.

Originality/value

The proposed framework contributes to the body of knowledge on the automation of records and e-government in Botswana specifically and Africa in general.
Are Chinese MNEs more strongly attracted to global cities and knowledge intensive city clusters than developed market MNEs when undertaking greenfield strategic asset seeking related FDI?
Authors: Wu Ludan , Sutherland Dylan , Peng Xinghao , Anderson John
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Cities are host to many of the world’s knowledge intensive research and innovation clusters. As such, they are likely to be attractive locations for emerging market multinational enterprises (MNEs) seeking to engage in knowledge seeking “springboard” type firm-level catch-up strategies. The purpose of this study is to therefore explore whether city-based research-intensive clusters containing deep pools of location bounded (i.e. “sticky”) knowledge are a stronger driver for greenfield research and development (R&D)-related FDI projects for Chinese MNEs than they are for developed market MNEs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use logistic modelling on 97,163 worldwide greenfield FDI projects to explore the relative likelihoods of Chinese MNEs engaging in R&D-related greenfield (i.e. “strategic asset seeking”) FDI projects as well as how city type (global or research-intensive cluster city) moderates this relationship for Chinese MNEs.

Findings

The authors find that Chinese MNEs are more likely to engage in overseas R&D FDI projects (compared with other types of project) than DMNEs and that research-intensive city clusters hold a stronger attraction for Chinese MNEs than developed market MNEs.

Research limitations/implications

The authors discuss how the research contributes to the debate on emerging market MNE catch-up theory, as well as that on sub-national city location choice, by highlighting the growing importance of sub-national geography to understanding strategic asset seeking related greenfield FDI.

Practical implications

Sub-national city location choice is an important driver of strategic asset seeking FDI for Chinese MNEs, one that both national and local city level policymakers should pay attention to.

Social implications

Chinese FDI via aggressive mergers and acquisitions to acquire key technologies has been restricted in recent years. Policymakers must consider whether they may also wish to restrict Chinese greenfield FDI in R&D-related projects, which now exhibit a pronounced upward trend.

Originality/value

The authors highlight the growing importance of sub-national geography to understanding strategic asset seeking related greenfield FDI in Chinese MNEs (and how it plays, more generally, a central role in their strategies).
Open education resources’ benefits and challenges in the academic world: a systematic review
Authors: Adil Hafiz Muhammad , Ali Shahbaz , Sultan Mussarat , Ashiq Murtaza , Rafiq Muhammad
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Open educational resources (OERs) are internet-based digital content that is used for academic purposes by instructors, students and researchers in the era of the information economy. Hence, this study aims to systematically review the literature, focusing on OERs’ benefits and challenges in the academic world.

Design/methodology/approach

The relevant literature systematically reviewed following the preferred reporting items for systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The pertinent literature was obtained from four main scholarly databases, and finally, 21 papers that met the inclusion criteria were included in this study.

Findings

The findings revealed that the key benefits of OERs include expanded access to knowledge, supporting lifelong learning, pedagogical benefits and enhancing students’ learning outcomes. However, the key challenges include lack of time to find appropriate resources, lack of awareness about the usage and copyrights, quality assurance and technological limitations and lack of organizational support.

Practical implications

The practical and policy implications highlight the joint venture of academia and library professionals to help the students evaluating OERs, quality assurance, copyright issues and lifelong learning.

Originality/value

Earlier studies missed few significant insights of OERs, such as they did not address the quality assurance of OERs; the issue of understanding of copy right (creative common license) challenges related with OERs; and lack of time for finding suitable resources. Hence, this study identified significance insights related with OERs.
Impact of commercial, financial and corporate affairs on operational excellence of the Indian mining industry
Authors: Mishra Padma Charan , Panigrahi Rashmi Ranjan , Samantaray Alaka
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aims to identify the impact of commercial issues (CIs), financial issues (FIs) and corporate affairs (CAs) on operational excellence (OE) of the mining industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A purposive sample of size 321 was collected from Indian mining executives with more than ten years of exposure to the mining field. Factors are identified and confirmed with the use of confirmatory factor analysis. The structural equation modeling technique was then applied to understand the unique as well as the complex relationships between FI, CI, CA and OE.

Findings

The results indicate that all three issues, CI, FI and CA, have an influence on OE in the Indian mining industry. Among the variables of the issues considered in this study, marketing products and size and quality of products (from CI); scale of economies (from FI); risk management (from CA); and transportation and machine operation (from OE) are the highest influencing variables.

Research limitations/implications

This study has its limitations in sampling, the timing of sample collection and their mode. The samples were collected from only massively deposited large mines.

Practical implications

Business managers of the mining industry will be more vigilant and aware of those indirect variables such as marketing products, size and quality of products, scale of economies and risk management, which can influence OE apart from major influencing variables such as transportation and machine operations and production scheduling.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in the mining industry to evaluate the impact of these three issues on OE. The originality of this research lies in testing the CI, FI and CA of the mining industry with OE, which is completely new to this field.
Exploring the role of relationship management and relationship quality in B2B: empirical insights and future research directions
Authors: Lasrado Flevy , Thaichon Park , Nyadzayo Munyaradzi W.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

In the past few decades, relationship management (RM) theory and RM strategies in business-to-business (B2B) contexts have evolved tremendously, driven by constant innovation. Hence, the purpose of this study is to understand the trends and evolution of RM and relationship quality (RQ) in B2B contexts and empirical insights on RM and RQ in B2B, which in turn would provide insights into trends and future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded on the industrial marketing and purchasing group, this study adopts a critical systematic literature review to provide a comprehensive analysis of the past, current and future trends in empirical research insights of RM and RQ in B2B markets.

Findings

This study provides some novel insights into RM in B2B context by using a multidimensional approach to RM and RQ and analyzing prior marketing research from three perspectives: the evolution of RM and RQ in B2B context; prior empirical research; and practical business insights. Overall, these perspectives inform the development of an evolving side of RQ in B2B contexts, leading to some predictions regarding the future of RM in B2B markets.

Practical implications

The exploratory results of this study shed light on the key factors that drive RQ and the importance of RM in B2B markets in the digital age where customers still long for human interaction regardless of the prevalence of advanced technology.

Originality/value

In the wake of advanced technologies and particularly, B2B companies had to turn to virtual platforms and embrace digital transformation to establish and manage their customer relationships. Yet, managing relationships via digital channels has its own challenges for both B2B practitioners and scholars. This indicates that there is still a huge need for attuned RM strategies that align with the changing environments – mainly driven by technological advancement – in B2B markets.
Textual analysis of the annual report and corporate performance: evidence from China
Authors: Alduais Fahd
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between the readability of annual reports and corporate performance in Chinese listed firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This research examined the annual report readability factors of Chinese listed companies by using a textual analysis method using Python to extract the text from the annual reports, convert it into numerical form to facilitate statistical analysis and then merge the results with data from the Chinese stock market to explain the impact on corporate performance and predict future earnings in the Chinese financial markets from 2008 to 2021.

Findings

Study findings indicate that firms with better financial reporting readability are more profitable, incur lower agency costs and have low earnings in the Chinese stock markets when readability is low (i.e. more complexity and length of annual reports). It was also found that when a listed company has a good performance, it prefers to use a short space to explain its operating and financial status. More generally, the means of the report length are short, and accounting terms are used less frequently; in the case of a poor company, the annual report is particularly long and accounting terms are more frequently used. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, this study served as a proxy measure of returns prior to the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, an instrumental variable approach is used, which helps results to remain robust and control for fixed effects and potential endogeneity problems.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study’s results cannot be generalised globally because of their limited scope, they can still be generalised across non-English speaking countries. Thus, future cross-country research is encouraged to examine the textual analysis of financial reports across those countries.

Practical implications

This study conveys two messages to investors and policymakers within the Chinese market. First, investors ought to pay greater attention to the nonfinancial information contained in annual reports to improve the accuracy of their predictions regarding future firm performance. Second, Chinese policymakers are encouraged to instate a policy for the use of plain English in annual reports to make them more readable by international investors.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the paucity of research that examines English-written annual reports in non-English speaking countries by examining the readability of annual reports in the Chinese market.
The push, pull, and mooring effects toward switching intention to halal cosmetic products
Authors: Al-Banna Hasan , Jannah Syayyidah Maftuhatul
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate the push, pull and mooring effects towardswitching intention to halal cosmetic products.

Design/methodology/approach

The rapid growth of the halal industry in Muslim and non-Muslim countries opens a new market for cosmetic companies. For Muslims, using halal cosmetics is one of the religious orders, which their behavior relies on religious values. However, consuming nonhalal cosmetic products is still popular among Muslim consumers. The data are gathered through an online self-administered questionnaire. The total sample is 220 Indonesian females with an 88% response rate. Then, partial least squares structural equation modeling is used to analyze the data.

Findings

The result showed that regret, perceived value and religious beliefs influence the switching intention behavior to use halal cosmetics products. While dissatisfaction influences regret, and the brand also influences perceived value.

Originality/value

The paper provides several factors that are still rarely investigated previously in the context of halal cosmetics literature, such as perceived value and brand image (Handriana et al., 2020). Hence, these factors contribute significantly to the intention of Muslim consumers to switch to halal cosmetics.
Designing for resistance: epistemic justice, learning design, and open educational practices
Authors: D. Wallis Peter , Rocha Tomas
Published: July 2022

Purpose

To encourage more just open educational practices, the purpose of this paper is to describe Jose Medina’s theory of epistemic justice and develop a framework applying this conception of epistemic justice to OEP through learning design. The authors hope this framework will help researchers and practitioners develop more equitable learning experiences in open educational contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is conceptual and design-oriented. This paper seeks to draw relationships between José Medina’s work in The Epistemology of Resistance, recent empirical studies in learning design and OEP. By analyzing relationships between these works, this paper lays out design principles that can empower educators seeking to create equitable open learning experiences.

Findings

This paper finds several generative intersections between the social justice centered epistemology presented by Medina, empirical learning design studies and OEP. This study finds that structured learning designs which integrate well-researched principles may provide guidance for further practice and research in ways not generally discussed in open education literature. This paper builds on these findings by describing practical ways these intersections can be implemented in OEP.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first theoretical analysis of the relationship between epistemic justice and OEP.
Conceptualizing nation branding: the systematic literature review
Authors: Rojas-Méndez José I. , Khoshnevis Mozhde
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an integrated model of nation branding, propose a comprehensive definition of this concept and differentiate between nation branding and other related constructs.

Design/methodology/approach

To analyze nation branding academic literature, this paper used a systematic literature review approach to investigate academic studies related to nation and country branding. All relevant studies on the nation and country branding between 1996 and mid-2021 were extracted from six selected databases, including Elsevier’s Science Direct, Emerald, Sage, Wiley, Springer and Jstor, by using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis process. The reviewed papers were coded and analyzed to extract themes and concepts.

Findings

The results of this paper show that nation branding is influenced by six main factors, namely, business and marketing, political, social and cultural, economic and labor, international and environmental factors; it comprises one key component, that is, nation branding; it results in five major consequences, including social, economic and financial, business, international and political consequences, and is moderated mainly by socio-demographic variables. Additional contributions of this paper are the proposal of a comprehensive definition of nation branding based on the extant literature and identifying nation branding differences with other constructs that sometimes have been previously used interchangeably with nation branding. This paper concludes with suggestions for future research in the field.

Originality/value

This paper uses the themes and concepts uncovered by the analysis to conceptualize nation branding, provides an integrated model of nation branding and distinguishes it from other related branding concepts. This paper also summarizes what nation branding is versus what it is not.
Audit fee premium for national and local level of industry expertise in Italy
Authors: Mazza Tatiana , Azzali Stefano , Simonov Andrey
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether national industry expertise in Italy is more dominant than local expertise. Prior studies from Australia, USA and UK show that audit fees for industry experts are priced at a higher premium at the local level than the national level. These countries have voluntary audit firm rotation, while Italy has mandatory audit firm rotation (MAFR). The authors predict that Italy has a stronger national than local level of industry expertise, to better retain and transfer industry expertise.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors compare audit fee premiums of national industry experts to local levels, using quantitative (multivariate tests) and qualitative (interviews) methodology.

Findings

Using hand-collected audit fees, the authors find that the audit fee premium for industry expertise is greater at the national level than the local level. The authors find corroborating results with audit hours. To provide further support, the authors conduct analysis for a neighboring country that does not have audit firm rotation. Using hand-collected data from Germany, the authors find that audit fee premiums from national industry expertise are no different from local industry expertise.

Originality/value

The present study study has theoretical and practical implications, for European Union countries, which recently adopted MAFR and for countries considering adoption in the future.
UV-Vis spectroscopic investigation on color change kinetics of lac dye as influenced by some food spoilage metabolites: validation for milk quality monitoring
Authors: Sakare Priyanka , Giri Saroj Kumar , Mohapatra Debabandya , Tripathi Manoj Kr
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to study the color change kinetics of lac dye in response to pH and food spoilage metabolites (ammonia, lactic acid and tyramine) for its potential application in intelligent food packaging.

Design/methodology/approach

UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to study the color change of dye solution. Ratio of absorbance of dye solution at 528 nm (peak of ionized form) to absorbance at 488 nm (peak of unionized form) was used to study the color change. Color change kinetics was studied in terms of change in absorbance ratio (A528/A488) with time using zero- and first-order reaction kinetics. An indicator was prepared by incorporating lac dye in agarose membrane to validate the result of study for monitoring quality of raw milk.

Findings

Dye was orange-red in acidic medium (pH: 2 to 5) and exhibited absorbance peak at 488 nm. It turned purple in alkaline medium (pH: 7 to10) and exhibited absorbance peak at 528 nm. The change in absorbance ratio with pH followed zero-order model. Acid dissociation constant (pKa) of dye was found to be 6.3. Color change of dye in response to ammonia and tyramine followed zero-order reaction kinetics, whereas for lactic acid, the first-order model was found best. In the validation part, the color of the indicator label changed from purple to orange-red when the milk gets spoiled.

Originality/value

The study opens a new application area for lac dye. The results suggest that lac dye has potential to be used as an indicator in intelligent food packaging for detection of spoilage in seafood, meat, poultry and milk.