bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utility of human judgment ensembles during times of pandemic uncertainty: A case study during the COVID-19 Omicron BA.1 wave in the USA
Authors: Venkatramanan Srinivasan , Cambeiro Juan , Liptay Tom , Lewis Bryan , Orr Mark , Dempsey Gaia , Telionis Alex , Crow Justin , Barrett Chris , Marathe Madhav
Published: October 2022

Responding to a rapidly evolving pandemic like COVID-19 is challenging, and involves anticipating novel variants, vaccine uptake, and behavioral adaptations. Human judgment systems can complement computational models by providing valuable real-time forecasts. We report findings from a study conducted on Metaculus, a community forecasting platform, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, involving six rounds of forecasting during the Omicron BA.1 wave in the United States from November 2021 to March 2022. We received 8355 probabilistic predictions from 129 unique users across 60 questions pertaining to cases, hospitalizations, vaccine uptake, and peak/trough activity. We observed that the case forecasts performed on par with national multi-model ensembles and the vaccine uptake forecasts were more robust and accurate compared to baseline models. We also identified qualitative shifts in Omicron BA.1 wave prognosis during the surge phase, demonstrating rapid adaptation of such systems. Finally, we found that community estimates of variant characteristics such as growth rate and timing of dominance were in line with the scientific consensus. The observed accuracy, timeliness, and scope of such systems demonstrates the value of incorporating them into pandemic policymaking workflows.
Coverage and factor associated to the uptake of Intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) in Cameroun in 2018: an analysis from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic Health Survey data
Authors: Ken Dominique Guimsop , Talla Ange Faustine Kenmogne , Kodji Haoua , Ateudjieu Jerome
Published: October 2022

Malaria in pregnancy is a major public health issue, contributing to significantly increasing mother and children mortality and morbidity. Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria using Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) is one of the key interventions recommended by WHO and in Cameroon to reduce the morbidity of Malaria in Pregnancy. The present study aims to assess the distribution and determinants of poor uptake of IPTp-SP (< 3 doses) among pregnant women in Cameroon.

We conducted a secondary analysis of data extracted from the Cameroun Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2018. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered in face to face to mothers with at least one child under 5, selected using a 2-stage stratified sampling process. Frequencies of mothers exposed to less than 3 doses of IPTp-SP were estimated with a 95% CI. A case-control design was used to assess the association between key suspected determinants and being exposed to less than 3 doses of IPTp-SP. This was measured by estimating crude and adjusted Odd-Ratios (ORs).

A total of 13527 childbearing age women were interviewed, of which 5528 (40.9%) met our selection criteria. Among those, 845 (15.3%) had not attended any Antenatal care (ANC) visit, 1109 (20%) had attended 1 to 3 visits, 3379 (61.1%) had attended 4 to 7 visits and only 195 (3.5%) had attended at least 8 visits. In all, 3398 (61.5%, CI: 60.2-62.8) had received less than 3 doses of IPTp-SP. Maternal age below 26 years (aOR=1.17, CI: 1.01-1.35), residence in an area of lower malaria endemicity (aOR=1.26, CI: 1.00-1.58), residence in the Sahelian regions (aOR=5.81, CI: 2.46-13.69), and having attended less than 4 ANC visits (aOR=1.30, CI: 1.08-1.57) were predictors of poor uptake of IPTp-SP. Conversely, residence in major cities (aOR=0.65, CI: 0.50-0.84), having attended a first ANC visit at 3 months or less of pregnancy (aOR=0.66, CI: 0.57-0.78) and having been followed on ANC by a medical doctor (aOR=0.22, CI: 0.13-0.35), were preventing factors for poor uptake of IPTp3+. Highest level of education (aOR= 1.10, CI: 0.90-1.32) was not found associated with the uptake of IPTp-SP.

Therefore, only a third of pregnant women in Cameroon take an optimal dose of IPTp-SP. This proportion vary widely with the place of residence, being significantly low in the Sahelian regions. Interventions to address identified determinants of low coverage of IPTp-SP like maternal age below 26 years, ANC characteristics or being resident of area with lower malaria endemicity ought to be tested.
Spatiotemporal Correlation between Obesity Prevalence and the Percentage of Households using Air-conditioners in the United States
Authors: Li Evan , Wang Alexander , Xu Carter , Twum Felix , Zhang Jian
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The axiom that obesity epidemic was driven by steady increases in energy intake has been challenged by empirical evidence, including the failure to make meaningful progress either treating or preventing obesity. Adopting new paradigm were urgently needed. We aimed to collect ecological evidences to support an alternative hypotheses that increased usage of air-conditioners (AC) may contribute to obesity epidemic in the U.S.

Method

U.S. national survey data were retrieved from public domains, including the % of homes with AC units (AC ownership), dietary energy intake, and obesity prevalence. Correlation efficient were estimated, and Joint point regressions were ran to describe time segments and estimate annual percentage change (APC).

Results

Nationally, Obesity prevalence significantly associated with the increasing trend of AC ownership (partialr=0.046, andp< 0.05) not dietary energy intake (r < 0.0001, andp= 0.58). When stratified by region, the rank of obesity prevalence across regions was consistent with that of AC ownership throughout the study period; the South led the increasing trends for both AC ownership and obesity prevalence. The climbing national trend of obesity slowed down around 2002 (before 2002 APC=4.38, and APC=2.22 after) following the saturation of AC penetration in the South (before 1994, APC=1.04,p< 0.05, and APC=0.05 after 1994,p> 0.05.

Conclusions

Spatiotemporal correlations support the hypothesis that penetration of AC may contribute to the obesity epidemic. Further investigation may lead to novel therapies and a new avenue to explore the strategies addressing twin clusters of pandemics, obesity, and climate change.
Impact of COVID-19 on mortality in coastal Kenya: a longitudinal open cohort study
Authors: Otiende M , Nyaguara A , Bottomley C , Walumbe D , Mochamah G , Amadi D , Nyundo C , Kagucia EW , Etyang AO , Adetifa IMO , Brand SPC , Maitha E , Chondo E , Nzomo E , Aman R , Mwangangi M , Amoth P , Kasera K , Ng’ang’a W , Barasa E , Tsofa B , Mwangangi J , Bejon P , Agweyu A , Williams TN , Scott JAG
Published: October 2022

Background

There is uncertainty about the mortality impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa because of poor ascertainment of cases and limited national civil vital registration. We analysed excess mortality from 1stJanuary 2020-5thMay 2022 in a Health and Demographic Surveillance Study in Coastal Kenya where the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence reached 75% among adults in March 2022 despite vaccine uptake of only 17%.

Methods

We modelled expected mortality in 2020-2022 among a population of 306,000 from baseline surveillance data between 2010-2019. We calculated excess mortality as the ratio of observed/expected deaths in 5 age strata for each month and for each national wave of the pandemic. We estimated cumulative mortality risks as the total number of excess deaths in the pandemic per 100,000 population. We investigated observed deaths using verbal autopsy.

Finding

We observed 16,236 deaths among 3,410,800 person years between 1stJanuary 2010 and 5thMay 2022. Across 5 waves of COVID-19 cases during 1st April 2020-16thApril 2022, population excess mortality was 4.1% (95% PI -0.2%, 7.9%). Mortality was elevated among those aged ≥65 years at 14.3% (95% PI 7.4%, 21.6%); excess deaths coincided with wave 2 (wild-type), wave 4 (Delta) and wave 5 (Omicron BA1). Among children aged 1-14 years there was negative excess mortality of -20.3% (95% PI -29.8%, -8.1%). Verbal autopsy data showed a transient reduction in deaths from acute respiratory infections in 2020 at all ages. For comparison with other studies, cumulative excess mortality risk for January 2020-December 2021, age-standardized to the Kenyan population, was 47.5/100,000.

Interpretation

Net excess mortality during the pandemic was substantially lower in Coastal Kenya than in many high income countries. However, adults, aged ≥65 years, experienced substantial excess mortality suggesting that targeted COVID-19 vaccination of older persons may limit further COVID-19 deaths by protecting the residual pool of naive individuals.

Funding

Wellcome Trust
Recombinant Human Proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) Downregulates TNFα-Stimulated NFκB Activity and FAT10 Expression in Human Corneal Epithelial Cells
Authors: Menon Nikhil G , Suhail Yasir , Goyal Ruchi , Du Wenqiang , Tanguay Adam P , Jay Gregory D. , Ghosh Mallika , Kshitiz  , Schmidt Tannin A
Published: October 2022

Dry Eye Disease (DED) is a complex pathology affecting millions of people with significant impact on quality of life. Corneal inflammation, including via the NFκB pathway, plays a key etiological role in DED. Recombinant human proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) has been shown to be a clinically effective treatment for DED that has anti-inflammatory effects in corneal epithelial cells, but the underlying mechanism is still not understood. Our goal was to understand if rhPRG4 affects TNFα-stimulated inflammatory activity in corneal epithelial cells. We treated hTERT-immortalized corneal epithelial (hTCEpi) cells ±TNFα ±rhPRG4 and performed Western blotting on cell lysate and RNA sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that rhPRG4 had a significant effect on TNFα-mediated inflammation with potential effects on matricellular homeostasis. rhPRG4 reduced activation of key inflammatory pathways and decreased expression of transcripts for key inflammatory cytokines, interferons, interleu-kins, and transcription factors. TNFα treatment significantly increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65, and rhPRG4 significantly reduced both these effects. RNA sequencing identified FAT10, which has not been studied in the context of DED, as a key pro-inflammatory transcript increased by TNFα and decreased by rhPRG4. These results were confirmed at the protein level. In summary, rhPRG4 is able to downregulate NFκB activity in hTCEpi cells, suggesting a potential biological mechanism by which it may act as a therapeutic for DED.
Is brightfield all you need for mechanism of action prediction?
Authors: Gupta Ankit , Harrison Philip J , Wieslander Håkan , Rietdijk Jonne , Puigvert Jordi Carreras , Georgiev Polina , Wählby Carolina , Spjuth Ola , Sintorn Ida-Maria
Published: October 2022

Fluorescence staining techniques, such as Cell Painting, together with fluorescence microscopy have proven invaluable for visualizing and quantifying the effects that drugs and other perturbations have on cultured cells. However, fluorescence microscopy is expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, and the stains applied can be cytotoxic, interfering with the activity under study. The simplest form of microscopy, brightfield microscopy, lacks these downsides, but the images produced have low contrast and the cellular compartments are difficult to discern. Nevertheless, by harnessing deep learning, these brightfield images may still be sufficient for various predictive purposes. In this study, we compared the predictive performance of models trained on fluorescence images to those trained on brightfield images for predicting the mechanism of action (MoA) of different drugs. We also extracted CellProfiler features from the fluorescence images and used them to benchmark the performance. Overall, we found comparable and correlated predictive performance for the two imaging modalities. This is promising for future studies of MoAs in time-lapse experiments.
Human serum induces daptomycin tolerance inEnterococcus faecalisand viridans group streptococci
Authors: Tickle Alicia R. H. , Ledger Elizabeth V. K. , Edwards Andrew M.
Published: October 2022

Daptomycin is a membrane-targeting lipopeptide antibiotic used in the treatment of infective endocarditis caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria such asStaphylococcus aureus, enterococci and viridans group streptococci. Despite demonstrating excellentin vitroactivity and a low prevalence of resistant isolates, treatment failure is a significant concern, particularly for enterococcal infection. We have shown recently that human serum triggers daptomycin tolerance inS. aureus, but it was not clear if a similar phenotype occurred in other major infective endocarditis pathogens. We found thatEnterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus gordoniiorStreptococcus mutansgrown under standard laboratory conditions were efficiently killed by daptomycin, whereas bacteria pre-incubated in human serum survived exposure to the antibiotic, with >99% cells remaining viable. Incubation of enterococci or streptococci in serum led to peptidoglycan accumulation, as shown by increased incorporation of the fluorescent D-amino analogue HADA. Inhibition of peptidoglycan accumulation using the antibiotic fosfomycin resulted in a >10-fold reduction in serum-induced daptomycin tolerance, demonstrating the important contribution of the cell wall to the phenotype. We also identified a small contribution to daptomycin tolerance inE. faecalisfrom cardiolipin synthases, although this may reflect the inherent susceptibility of cardiolipin-deficient mutants. In summary, serum-induced daptomycin tolerance is a consistent phenomenon between Gram-positive infective endocarditis pathogens, but it may be mitigated using currently available antibiotic combination therapy.
Matrix Softening Controls Stretch-Induced Cellular Memory and Fibroblast Activation
Authors: Hong Yuan , Peng Xiangjun , Yu Haomin , Jafari Mohammad , Shakiba Delaram , Huang Yuxuan , Qu Chengqing , Melika Ermia E. , Tawadros Andrew K. , Mujahid Aliza , Sandler Jacob , Pryse Kenneth M. , Sacks Justin M. , Elson Elliot L. , Genin Guy M. , Alisafaei Farid
Published: October 2022

Mechanical stretching of living tissues can activate long-lived changes in tissue cells such as fibroblasts, increasing their contractility and initiating phenotypic transformations. Increased mechanical stimulus typically leads to monotonically increasing activation of fibroblasts cultured in 2D, but activation levels are difficult to predict for cells in 3D fibrous tissues, leading to variable outcomes in procedures such as skin grafting. Here we report that the source of this variation is cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions and their variation with the duration and magnitude of applied stretch, and present a model that can predict the degree to which stretch will either increase or decrease long-term activation levels of fibroblasts cultured within a stretched, three-dimensional collagen matrix. Combining experimental and mathematical approaches across multiple scales, we show that the viscoplasticity of the ECM regulates this nonmonotonic, long-term cell activation. Results demonstrate that feedback between cell and ECM determines how cells retain memory of mechanical stretch.
An optimized Tet-On system for conditional control of gene expression in sea urchins
Authors: Khor Jian Ming , Ettensohn Charles A.
Published: October 2022

Sea urchins and other echinoderms are important experimental models for studying developmental processes. The lack of approaches for conditional gene perturbation, however, has made it challenging to investigate the late developmental functions of genes that have essential roles during early embryogenesis and genes that have diverse functions in multiple tissues. The doxycycline-controlled Tet-On system is a widely used molecular tool for temporally and spatially regulated transgene expression. Here, we optimized the Tet-On system to conditionally induce gene expression in sea urchin embryos. Using this approach, we explored the roles the MAPK signaling plays in skeletogenesis by expressing genes that perturb the pathway specifically in primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) during later stages of development. We demonstrated the wide utility of the Tet-On system by applying it to a second sea urchin species and in cell types other than the PMCs. Our work provides a robust and flexible platform for the spatio-temporal regulation of gene expression in sea urchins, which will considerably enhance the utility of this prominent model system.
Endosomal removal and disposal of dysfunctional, immunostimulatory mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Newman Laura E. , Tadepalle Nimesha , Novak Sammy Weiser , Schiavon Cara R. , Rojas Gladys R. , Chevez Joshua A. , Lemersal Ian , Medina Michaela , Rocha Sienna , Towers Christina G. , Grotjahn Danielle A. , Manor Uri , Shadel Gerald S.
Published: October 2022

Maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes essential subunits of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system, but is also a major damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) that engages innate immune sensors when released into the cytoplasm, outside of cells or into circulation1. This function of mtDNA contributes to antiviral resistance, but unfortunately also causes pathogenic inflammation in many disease contexts2. Cells experiencing mtDNA stress due to depletion of the mtDNA-packaging protein, Transcription Factor A, Mitochondrial (TFAM), or HSV-1 infection exhibit elongated mitochondria, mtDNA depletion, enlargement of nucleoids (mtDNA-protein complexes), and activation of cGAS/STING innate immune signaling via mtDNA released into the cytoplasm3. However, the relationships between altered mitochondrial dynamics and mtDNA-mediated activation of the cGAS-STING pathway remain unclear. Here, we show that entire enlarged nucleoids are released from mitochondria that remain bound to TFAM and colocalize with cGAS. These nucleoids arise at sites of mtDNA replication due to a block in mitochondrial fission at a stage when endoplasmic reticulum (ER) actin polymerization would normally commence, which we propose is a fission checkpoint to ensure that mtDNA has completed replication and is competent for segregation into daughter mitochondria. Released nucleoids also colocalize with the early endosomal marker RAB5 as well as the late endosomal marker RAB7 in TFAM-deficient cells and in response to mtDNA stress caused by the HSV-1 UL12.5 protein. Loss of RAB7 increases interferon stimulated gene (ISG) expression. Thus, we propose that defects in mtDNA replication and/or segregation enact a late mitochondrial fission checkpoint that, if persistent, leads to selective removal of dysfunctional nucleoids by a mitochondrial-endosomal pathway. Early steps in this pathway are prone to mtDNA release and cGAS-STING activation, but the immunostimulatory mtDNA is ultimately disposed of through a mechanism involving RAB7-containing late endosomes to prevent excessive innate immune signaling. This mtDNA quality control pathway might represent a therapeutic target to prevent mtDNA-mediated inflammation and associated pathology.
HDAC8-mediated inhibition of EP300 drives a neural crest-like transcriptional state that increases melanoma brain metastasis
Authors: Emmons Michael F. , Bennett Richard L. , Riva Alberto , Zhang Chao , Macaulay Robert , Dupéré-Richér Daphne , Fang Bin , Seto Edward , Koomen John M. , Li Jiannong , Chen Y. Ann , Forsyth Peter A. , Licht Jonathan D. , Smalley Keiran S.M.
Published: October 2022

Melanomas are heterogeneous and adopt multiple transcriptional states that can confer an invasive phenotype and resistance to therapy. Little is known about the epigenetic drivers of these cell states, limiting our ability to regulate melanoma heterogeneity and tumor progression. Here we identify stress-induced HDAC8 activity as the driver of a neural crest stem cell (NCSC)-like transcriptional state that increased the formation of melanoma brain metastases (MBM). Exposure of melanocytes and melanoma cells to multiple different stresses led to HDAC8 activation, a switch to a NCSC gene expression signature and the adoption of an amoeboid, invasive phenotype. This cell state enhanced the survival of melanoma cells under shear stress conditions and increased the formation of metastases in the brain. scRNA-seq analyses showed that HDAC8 expression was correlated with the NCSC cell state in clinical MBM specimens. ATAC-Seq and ChIP-Seq analysis showed HDAC8 to alter chromatin structure by increasing H3K27ac and accessibility at c-Jun binding sites without changing global histone acetylation. The increased accessibility of Jun binding sites was paralleled by decreased H3K27ac and accessibility at MITF binding sites and loss of melanoma-lineage gene expression. Mass spectrometry-based acetylomics demonstrated that HDAC8 deacetylated the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) EP300 leading to its enzymatic inactivation. This, in turn, led to an increased binding of EP300 to Jun-transcriptional sites and decreased binding to MITF-transcriptional sites. Increased expression of EP300 decreased invasion and increased the sensitivity of melanoma cells to multiple stresses while inhibition of EP300 function increased invasion and resistance to stress. We identified HDAC8 as a novel mediator of transcriptional co-factor inactivation and chromatin accessibility that increases MBM development.
Coil shape defects prediction algorithm for hot strip rolling based on Siamese semi-supervised DAE-CNN model
Authors: Jing Fengwei , Zhang Mengyang , Li Jie , Xu Guozheng , Wang Jing
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Coil shape quality is the external representation of strip product quality, and it is also a direct reflection of strip production process level. This paper aims to predict the coil shape results in advance based on the real-time data through the designed algorithm.

Design/methodology/approach

Aiming at the strip production scale and coil shape application requirements, this paper proposes a strip coil shape defects prediction algorithm based on Siamese semi-supervised denoising auto-encoder (DAE)-convolutional neural networks. The prediction algorithm first reconstructs the information eigenvectors using DAE, then combines the convolutional neural networks and skip connection to further process the eigenvectors and finally compares the eigenvectors with the full connect neural network and predicts the strip coil shape condition.

Findings

The performance of the model is further verified by using the coil shape data of a steel mill, and the results show that the overall prediction accuracy, recall rate and F-measure of the model are significantly better than other commonly used classification models, with each index exceeding 88%. In addition, the prediction results of the model for different steel grades strip coil shape are also very stable, and the model has strong generalization ability.

Originality/value

This research provides technical support for the adjustment and optimization of strip coil shape process based on the data-driven level, which helps to improve the production quality and intelligence level of hot strip continuous rolling.
Stifled from the start: biased allocation of developmental opportunities and the underrepresentation of lesbian women and gay men in leadership
Authors: Webster Jennica R. , Adams Gary A.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The goal of this study was to help explain the underrepresentation of lesbian women and gay men (LG) in senior leadership positions by examining bias in the allocation of developmental opportunities (sponsorship/coaching and challenging work assignments). It further sought to test stigma-by-association as one reason for the biased allocation of developmental opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

An online experimental vignette study (N = 273) using a 2 (target gender: male vs female) by 2 (sexual orientation: LG vs heterosexual) design was conducted.

Findings

LG workers were less likely to be allocated developmental opportunities than heterosexual workers overall and relative to their same-sex heterosexual counterparts. Further, lesbian women were least likely to be allocated developmental opportunities. These effects also operated indirectly via participants concerns about stigma-by-association.

Originality/value

Sexual orientation and gender identity minority workers remain underrepresented in senior leadership positions and oftentimes despite having better objective qualifications. Research has begun examining bias in leader selection. This study, however, directs attention to the biased allocation of developmental opportunities which make one competitive for senior leadership positions and occur prior to leader selection. In doing so, the authors provide a baseline understanding of an important reason why LG might be underrepresented in leadership positions.
Investor attention, analysts coverage and idiosyncratic volatility puzzle: based on behavioral perspective
Authors: Tian Xinmin , Zhang Zhiqiang , Zhang Cheng , Gao Mingyu
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Considering the role of analysts in disseminating information, the paper explains the idiosyncratic volatility puzzle of China's stock market. As the largest developing country, China's research can provide meaningful reference for the research of financial markets in other new countries.

Design/methodology/approach

From the perspective of behavior, establishing a direct link between individual investor attention and stock price overvaluation.

Findings

The authors find that there is a significant idiosyncratic volatility puzzle in China's stock market. Due to the role of mispricing, individual investor attention significantly enhances the idiosyncratic volatility effect, that is, as individual investor attention increases, the greater the idiosyncratic volatility, the lower the expected return. Attention can explain the idiosyncratic volatility puzzle in China's stock market. In addition, due to the role of information production and dissemination, securities analysts can reduce the degree of market information asymmetry and enhance the transparency of market information.

Originality/value

China is the second largest economy in the world, and few scholars analyze it from the perspective of investors' attention. The authors believe this paper has the potential in contributing to the academia.
Profit, cash flow, and leverage: the case of ASEAN stock market performance during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Abbas Yulianti , Nainggolan Yunieta Anny
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the first quarter of 2020 has caused a severe decline in stock markets worldwide. While prior studies in developed markets found that workplace closure can negatively impact the capital market (e.g. Ozili and Arun, 2020), lesser is known about how it impacts emerging capital markets, which may have different characteristics and behaviour (Harjoto et al., 2021). Hence, this study seeks to uncover stock performance around workplace closure dates of firms incorporated in ASEAN countries and investigates the role of accounting fundamentals in mitigating workplace closure policy's effects on stock performances.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an event study methodology, the authors measure the cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) around workplace closure dates. The authors then use cross-sectional analysis to analyse whether the accounting fundamentals, specifically profitability, cash flow, and leverage, are associated with the CAR. This cross-sectional study involves 1,720 firms that are incorporated in the ASEAN countries.

Findings

This analysis indicates that, on average, ASEAN capital markets react negatively to workplace closure policies. The authors then find that the CARs around workplace closure dates are positively associated with the current ratios and are negatively associated with long-term debt ratios. This study’s results thus indicate that firms with a higher liquidity and a higher solvency experience a less adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic than other firms. The authors also find that the associations are more robust for (1) firms in industries more affected by COVID-19 and (2) firms located in countries with more severe cases. Additionally, contrary to this study’s expectation, the authors do not find meaningful associations between CARs around workplace closure dates and firms' cash flow from operation and profit respectively. This study’s results suggest that investors view prior performances related to firms' ability to generate operating cash flow and profit as less relevant to measure firm performance around the workplace closure event.

Research limitations/implications

This study’s results contribute to studies examining fundamental accounting roles during the COVID-19 era, specifically in emerging economies. The findings are critical for investors in understanding the company fundamentals associated with stock price performance in emerging markets during the recent health-related crisis.

Originality/value

Most studies analysing cross-sectional differences in stock returns during the COVID-19 era focus on industry-level differences and use observations from developed markets (Sinagl, 2020; Ramelli and Wagner, 2020). Studies using firm-level analysis in emerging markets are still limited. The authors expand prior studies by using firm-level analysis that spans six countries in ASEAN.
Digital transformation in a cross-laminated timber business network
Authors: Hamalainen Mervi , Salmi Asta
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate two current transformation processes in the construction industry: the adoption of a novel material, cross-laminated timber (CLT), and the enhancement of digital transformation. This paper depicts the actors and interaction in the business network that is emerging around CLT construction and, in particular, how digital transformation (that is, the deployment of Construction 4.0 solutions) occurs in this business network.

Design/methodology/approach

Digital transformation is a relatively new phenomenon in CLT construction, and the authors, therefore, adopt a qualitative inductive research approach and rely on semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The findings of this paper suggest that it is critical for actors to adopt an interorganizational perspective in CLT construction, instead of only focusing on internal operations. An interorganizational perspective supports successful CLT construction, as well as the deployment of Construction 4.0 solutions. This will bring about the benefits of digital transformation in the construction industry.

Research limitations/implications

This paper investigates the network created around CLT construction in Finland but more generally illustrates the change toward Construction 4.0 solutions.

Practical implications

For managers, this paper explicates the importance of networking, instead of focusing on the internal development of the company, when adopting novel solutions emerging from both construction and information technology-related advancements.

Originality/value

Stability and traditions are characteristic of the construction industry. New technical solutions and materials, together with calls for sustainability, have challenged the traditional ways of constructing, and for example, the development of CLT construction has led to an emergence of new business networks. This material-related process and the ongoing digital transformation of business form an interesting context for an empirical-based analysis of changing interaction and networks. This paper gives the first insights into how digital transformation can benefit the evolution of the network.
Impact of COVID-19 and government interventions on Bursa Malaysia sectors
Authors: Chow Yee Peng , Tan Young Han
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the daily growth in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Malaysia and government interventions on the daily returns of financial times stock exchange Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBMKLCI) and eight selected Bursa Malaysia sectorial indices for the period January 29, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts the multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity model to determine the effects for the entire study period and four sub-periods, i.e. pre-government intervention, movement control order (MCO), conditional MCO (CMCO) and recovery MCO phases.

Findings

This paper finds no evidence of the effect of the daily growth in confirmed COVID-19 cases on the returns of FBMKLCI and eight Bursa Malaysia sectorial indices for the full study period. However, the former has exerted different effects over the four sub-periods. Sectors that are positively affected for the MCO period are financial services and real estate investment trust. Yet, these sectors are negatively affected for the CMCO period along with the industrial products and services and technology sectors. Sectors that consistently demonstrate statistically insignificant results are construction, energy, plantation and utilities.

Originality/value

This study makes an initial attempt to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the returns of Bursa Malaysia sectorial indices over different phases of government interventions in Malaysia.
Time varying intra/inter quantile developing relationship of Islamic stock returns: empirical evidence from Indonesia using QBARDL
Authors: Fianto Bayu Arie , Shah Syed Alamdar Ali , Sukmana Raditya
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the determinants of Islamic stock returns listed on Jakarta Islamic Index (Indonesia) between 2008 and 2018.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantile bounded autoregressive distributed lag (QBARDL) model to uncover relevant relationships.

Findings

This study finds that the Dow Jones Islamic Market Index, gold returns, world oil prices and exchange rates are the determinants of the Indonesia’s Islamic stock returns. However, the relationship is time varying developing intra-/inter-quantile bounded.

Practical implications

Integration of the Islamic stock returns with the real economic indicators changes over time. The findings have important implications for the policymakers, the fund managers and the investors to anticipate consequences when considering the macroeconomic conditions before participating in the Indonesian Islamic stock market.

Originality/value

Using a QBARDL, this study finds that the Islamic stock returns have on net and “time-varying intra-/inter-quantile developing” relationship with its determinants as data quantiles progressed from 25% to 75%.
The impact of digital leadership on sustainable performance: a systematic literature review
Authors: Khaw Tze Yin , Teoh Ai Ping , Abdul Khalid Siti Nabiha , Letchmunan Sukumar
Published: October 2022

Purpose

In today's constantly changing workplace, leaders encounter new challenges consequent to rising digitization. Tackling these problems effectively requires digital leadership, a prominent idea in discussions about what abilities the managers need to be developed in the digital age. The study analyses the leadership elements needed and determines the impact of digital leadership on sustainable performance. The aim of this systematic literature review (SLR) is to identify the relationship between digital leadership concepts and leadership development by proposing digital leadership for management development to ensure sustainable performance in an organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

ROSES (RepOrting Standards for Systematics Evidence Syntheses) was used as the publication standard for this systematic literature review, which incorporated a variety of research approaches. For this study's article selection, one of the most important scientific databases, Scopus, was used. Only articles published between 2001 and 2021 were reviewed. The focus of the article was on digital leadership and performance.

Findings

This review identified five main themes: leadership styles, measurements of leadership, antecedents to good leadership, outcomes of good leadership and gaps in current research areas. An additional ten sub-themes were derived from the five primary topics.

Originality/value

This paper systematically reviewed two decades of literature related to digital leadership and its impact on sustainable performance. The findings allow leaders to better understand the leadership trend and develop appropriate leadership practices to overcome future challenges for sustainable performance.
Academic library services extension during the COVID-19 pandemic: considerations in higher education institutions in the Gauteng Province, South Africa
Authors: Dube Tinyiko Vivian , Jacobs Lorette
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This paper aimed to determine the extent to which academic libraries and information services were extended due to the emergence of COVID-19 in the Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

Founded on a pragmatism paradigm, the sequential explanatory research design was adopted to engage with participants and respondents on their experience of library services extensions to support users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected using online questionnaires and interviews. Cluster and purposive sampling were used and data for the quantitative part were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), whilst qualitative data were analyzed manually.

Findings

Findings revealed that academic libraries operating in a higher education environment provided extensive support to remote users during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was done through the utilization of a variety of technology utilization, ranging from traditional e-mail support to the use of technology related to Artificial Intelligence such as the BOTsa, which is a Chatbot aimed to assist users in receiving speedy responses to library-related inquiries.

Originality/value

This study is unique in that it focuses on academic libraries that operate in higher education environments where support for achieving academic endeavors becomes imperative to ensure the smooth execution of teaching and learning activities within the restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adaptions and improvements to academic library services during and post-COVID-19 era were successful in ensuring that remote users could obtain similar services and access to information as was the case before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mediation and moderated mediation in the relationship between sanction threats, type of rank and officer attitudes toward misconduct
Authors: Nam Yongjae
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether officers' perceptions of the probability of suffering informal sanctions mediate the relationship between formal sanction threats and attitudes toward misconduct. Most importantly, the study examines whether the potential mediating effect of informal sanction threats varies by the type of rank.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study utilizes data collected from a mail survey of 480 police officers over a period of six weeks from 20 police stations across two cities in South Korea.

Findings

Officers' fear of legal sanctions on the attitudes toward misconduct was entirely mediated by the fear of extralegal forms of punishment. However, this mediation effect was held only for the officers in supervisory positions.

Originality/value

Probing a moderated mediation between the type of rank and sanction threats on police integrity advances the literature by moving beyond simply exploring the additive effects of sanction threats and adds clarity to existing concerns about exactly how rank-related cultural differences matter.
A rough set approach for classification of fabric defects
Authors: Das Subhasis , Ghosh Anindya
Published: October 2022

Purpose

In recent years, rough set theory has evolved as one of the most promising classification techniques. One of the cardinal uses of rough set theory is its application for rule generation. The purpose of this paper is to propose a real-time fabric inspection technique. This work deals with the multi-class classification of fabric defects using rough set theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This technique focuses on the classification of fabric defects using the effective decision rules envisaged by rough set theory. In the proposed work, the six features of 50 images have been used for multiclass classification of fabric defects.

Findings

In this work, 40 images were used for generation of decision rules and 10 unseen images were used for validation out of which nine images are accurately predicted by the proposed technique.

Originality/value

The proposed method accurately identified 9 out of 10 testing defects. The obtained decision rules provide an insight about the classification method which ensures that the prediction accuracy can be improved further by framing more robust decision rules with the help of a large training data set. Thus, with the support of modern computational systems this method is potent in getting recognition from the textile industry as a real-time classification technique.
Oil price dynamics and firms' stock returns in the Nigeria stock market
Authors: Akachukwu Stanley Uche
Published: October 2022

Existing studies have investigated the impact of oil price risk (OPR) on firms' stock returns (FSRs) at the aggregate level; little attention has been devoted to firms' stock returns (FSRs) given the firm's size. This study was designed to investigate the effects of OPR on FSRs while considering the sizes of these firms in Nigeria. A nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag econometric model that captures OPR (positive and negative oil price change) was explored, in which short‐run and long‐run nonlinearities are estimated in both symmetric and asymmetric models. One hundred firms in the Nigeria Stock Exchange were partitioned into four quartiles using their market capitalization. The results showed that a positive OPR increased stock returns in the first quartile, third quartile and fourth quartile while anegative OPR reduced the returns in the first quartile, but the second, third and fourth quartile stock returns gained in the long‐run. Generally, the quartiles responded to asymmetric oil price change. The OPR had differential impacts on stock returns depending on the size of the firm in Nigeria but negative OPR impacts most capitalized firms more.
Rostrum abnormalities in the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) in South Africa
Authors: FRAINER Guilherme , ELWEN Simon , DINES Sasha , JAMES Bridget , VERMEULEN Els , PENRY Gwenith , VARGAS‐FONSECA O. Alejandra , ATKINS Shanan , CONRY Danielle , GRIDLEY Tess
Published: October 2022

Morphological abnormalities in wild animals can be indicators of the underlying health of a population and may be determined through routine photographic surveys. Here, we assess unusual rostrum conditions in Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) inhabiting South African coastal waters to understand the rate of prevalence of abnormal rostrums and formulate hypotheses on potential causes. Photographic data were collated from systematic boat surveys and opportunistic sightings, obtained between April 1998 and March 2021 in various regions along the South African coast. Overall, 31 unique individuals were found with abnormal rostrum conditions, varying from slight misalignments to severe wounds and/or aberrant morphologies. In most cases, injuries were likely caused by natural events during the animal's life history such as interactions with sharks and/or reef‐associated hunting strategies. Mark–recapture data indicated that individuals had survived with these injuries for up to 10 years. This study reports the highest incidence of rostrum abnormalities in the species. As numbers reflect only those that have survived their injuries, they are considered a minimum estimate. A better understanding of the cause(s) of these injuries is important given the endangered status of this species.
Latitudinal gradients in body size and sexual size dimorphism in fleas: males drive Bergmann's pattern
Authors: KRASNOV Boris R. , SURKOVA Elena N. , SHENBROT Georgy I. , KHOKHLOVA Irina S.
Published: October 2022

We tested for the effects of latitude and geographic range size (GRS) on body size, leg length, and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) across 103 species of fleas, taking into account phylogenetic between‐species relationships. When the data on body size were combined for males and females, the positive correlation between body size and latitude, but not GRS, was revealed. When the analysis was restricted to one sex only, the effect of latitude appeared to be non‐significant for females, whereas male body size increased with an increase in latitude. Intraspecific body size variation was not associated with either the latitude or the latitudinal span of the geographic range, independently of which data subset was analyzed. No evidence of association between size‐independent tibia length and latitude was found for either females, males, or both sexes combined. The degree of SSD decreased with a decrease in latitude but was not affected by GRS. We conclude that macroecological patterns might be manifested differently in males and females. This should be kept in mind while searching for these patterns.
Ecotourist trail‐use affects the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of mammals in a protected area: lessons for conservation management
Authors: LEI Boyu , ZHENG Zhenfei , CUI Jifa , ZHAO Jin , NEWMAN Chris , ZHOU Youbing
Published: October 2022

Ecotourism, by definition, aims to engage peoples’ interest in wildlife and the environment. The use of tourist roads and trails to access sites within protected areas (PAs) can detrimentally affect the behavior and distribution of species. The way mammals respond to anthropogenic pressures may differ across taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic groups; nevertheless, how ecotourist trail‐use affects these different diversity remains under‐investigated. Here, we assessed 6 metrics of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity for a mammal community in a PA in central China, recording how Trail use (using Trail type as a proxy) and habitat variables affected sightings and signs of mammals across 60 replicate 0.5 km transects. We then examined how Trail use affected the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity indices of species (>1 kg). Using generalized liner mixed modeling, we identified that more used trail types had a greater adverse effect on all diversity richness indices than did less used trail types. Consequently, tourist pressure was associated with a general tendency to homogenize the site's mammal community. In contrast, the effects of Trail Types on all diversity evenness indices were non‐significant. Furthermore, more developed and more heavily used trail types had a greater, significant negative effect on taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic richness, whereas these richness indices were unaffected by minor trail types, used less intensively. As a general principle, lower biodiversity indices reduce ecosystem resilience, and so it is vital to better understand these responses to balance public access against biodiversity management in PAs.