bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive friction compensation control of robotic pneumatic end-effector based on LuGre model
Authors: Dai Shijie , Li Shida , Ji Wenbin , Wang Ruiqin , Liu Shuyuan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Considering the response lag and viscous slip oscillation of the system caused by cylinder piston friction during automatic polishing of aero-engine blades by a robotic pneumatic end-effector, the purpose of this study is to propose a constant force control method with adaptive friction compensation.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the mathematical model of the pneumatic end-effector is established based on the continuous LuGre model, and the static parameters of the LuGre model are identified to verify the necessity of friction compensation. Second, aiming at the problems of difficult identification of dynamic parameters and unmeasurable internal states in the LuGre model, the parameter adaptive law and friction state observer are designed to estimate these parameters online. Finally, an adaptive friction compensation backstepping controller is designed to improve the response speed and polishing force control accuracy of the system.

Findings

Simulation and experimental results show that, compared with proportion integration differentiation, extended state observer-based active disturbance rejection controller and integral sliding mode controller, the proposed method can quickly and effectively suppress the polishing force fluctuation caused by nonlinear friction and significantly improve the blade quality.

Originality/value

The pneumatic force control method combining backstepping control with the friction adaptive compensation based on LuGre friction model is studied, which effectively suppresses the fluctuation of normal polishing force.
Media and ethical issues in terrorism reporting and the security implication in Nigeria
Authors: Bodunde Oluwafemi David , Layefa Goodluck Tamaramieye , Fasae Joseph Kehinde
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between media reporting and violent extremism to explain the ethical and security issues emanating from it in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on security and ethical literature, while a multimethod approach consisting of in-depth and focus group interviews was used. Content analysis was also relied upon from the interviews granted by media experts on terrorism, security and ethics.

Findings

Findings revealed that journalists are facing problems in areas of freedom of expression, framing, content selection and personal security. Again, this paper opines that elements of public awareness and issues of relevance also push the media to excessive reporting in which ethics and security must stand to play a restraining role.

Research limitations/implications

The first limitation of this paper is the inability to interview some terrorists and know their reaction to mass media reporting on their activities because nobody is ready to own up that he is a terrorist and to point to an individual as a terrorist is a dangerous phenomenon. Again, not all reporters are ready for interviews because of the fact that they are not prepared for the academic exercise but rather for assignments that can yield fat money such as selling secret information to those who can buy them with huge amounts of money like the politicians.

Practical implications

There is a threat to life on both sides of the government and terrorists. Favoring one side in their report is an offense from another side. There is also a violation of their human rights in freedom of speech as a result of the political situation in Nigeria where the government is faced with insecurity that hinders media from freedom of the press to publish reports. Moreover, where the ethical issue is suppressed, it makes the government unpopular all over the world because of the lack of press freedom.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is novel as being the first of its kind where media experts are involved in research attempts on media reporting and violent extremism in relation to security and ethical issues in Nigeria.
The nested and spillover effects of institutional environment on reporting standard convergence: a multilevel approach and an agglomeration economy perspective
Authors: Cao June
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The objective of this study is to examine how the heterogeneity of the institutional environments within a single country influences International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) convergence and earnings quality based on a meso- and multi-level approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to capture the between-group heteroskedasticity and within-cluster interdependence, this study investigates the simultaneous effect by incorporating institutional factors residing at different hierarchical levels and the interaction effects of factors within the same level on IFRS convergence and earnings quality in the largest IFRS adopter, China.

Findings

The results show that after IFRS convergence (i.e. 2007–2015), earnings quality decreases in terms of conservatism. However, the further analysis indicates that the strong institutional environment could mitigate the negative impact of IFRS on conservatism.

Originality/value

Consistent with the emphasis of heterogeneity within a country by Terraccianoet al.(Science, 2005, 310 (5745)), this study indicates that the heterogeneity in the institutional environments and the simultaneous effect of the multilevel institutional environments within a single country cannot be ignored. This study also indicates that, equally important, research methodology plays a substantial role in investigating the outcomes of IFRS convergence. Finally, this study, based on an integrated theory, adopts a meso-paradigm linking macro- and micro-level institutions to provide comprehensive insights into IFRS convergence and conservatism.
The relationships among the logic of value innovation, strategic decisions and market-driven factors
Authors: Ayar Şentürk Hayat , Özkan Kaan Tuğrul
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The logic of value innovation has received increased attention in the strategic marketing and innovation literature. Studies investigating how value innovation, as a firm’s strategic mindset, contributes to creating new market space through more proximal market-driven factors such as strategic decisions and customer value are still lacking, nevertheless. This study aim to investigate how the logic of value innovation influences creating new market space through quantum strategy and customer value creation.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data from a sample of 204 manufacturing and service firms was used to test the conceptual model and research hypotheses. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings reveal the direct and indirect effect of value innovation logic on the new market space through the mediation of quantum strategy and customer value creation. Besides, this study shows that quantum strategy does not directly contribute to customer value creation. A reason is that the quantum strategy as a both/and strategy is the more dominating factor in creating new market space.

Originality/value

There is still a lack of a systematic understanding of how value innovation, as a firm’s strategic mindset, contribute to creating new market space through a firm’s strategic choices and superior customer value creation, as more proximal market-driven factors. This study empirically attempted to address this research problem. This study contributes to the strategic marketing literature by providing a model for the interwoven relationships between value innovation, quantum strategy, customer value and new market space.
Developing a collaborative research agenda for Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina
Authors: Aguilar Graciela Edith , Conti Alfredo , García Raquel Elisabet , Mallo Josefina , Millón Valentina , Morello Andrea , Pasin Sebastián Matías
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This article presents a process of building a practice-driven research agenda for Quebrada de Humahuaca, a World Heritage cultural landscape in northern Argentina, developed under the framework of the Heritage Place Lab (2021–2022) led by the World Heritage Leadership Programme. The research agenda aims to improve the property's management and governance structures through an inclusive approach that considers the participation of all stakeholders and rights holders.

Design/methodology/approach

Through collaborative work, a step-by-step methodology was employed that included identifying the property's values and attributes, the involvement of different actors in its management and their specific roles, and the factors that might cause real or potential impacts. The systematisation and analysis of this information served to define research priorities and a practice-driven research agenda.

Findings

A range of conflicts and threats were identified, and the values and attributes that define the property were recognised. The collaborative process helped define research priorities and allowed the development of a preliminary research agenda, which, in the long term, can meet the needs of the property's World Heritage Management Unit.

Originality/value

The originality of this work lies in the collaborative work undertaken by the research and practice teams to define a new research agenda based on practical needs to improve the management and governance structures of the World Heritage property.
Consumers’ purchase intention of rapid COVID-19 tests
Authors: Cortez Klender , Rodríguez-García Martha del Pilar , Reich Christian
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This research aims to analyse the variables related to the purchase intention of COVID-19 rapid tests in Monterrey, Mexico's metropolitan area.

Design/methodology/approach

The chosen method was probit regression. The results show that purchase intention depends on the consumer's perceived value and the perception of having a potential contagion and/or presenting symptoms related to the virus. Regarding limitations, the sampling method used in this investigation is a nonprobabilistic convenience approach delivered through a digital platform, which may not be the first option in other contexts.

Findings

The findings indicate that the probability of the purchase intention of rapid COVID tests increases when consumers perceive symptoms of the disease and when they have higher education or are female rather than concerning price or income, as suggested by classical demand theory.

Research limitations/implications

Probabilistic sampling was impossible due to the difficulty of collecting surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a nonprobabilistic sample of a representative random selection of different zip codes from the responses received was considered.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper is its contribution to consumer behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Latin American context.
Leadership transition and survival strategies for family-owned SMEs in an emerging economy
Authors: Nwuke Okey , Adeola Ogechi
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study explores the different survival strategies employed by family-owned small and medium-sized businesses in Nigeria. The study delves into the dynamics of ensuring business continuity from founders to successors and identifies the success factors that can facilitate seamless leadership transition outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilised a qualitative multiple-case study approach, with the population consisting of founders from three medium-sized family businesses in Nigeria. Semi-structured interviews were the primary data collection tool used in the study. Furthermore, company documents were analysed to gain further insights into the leadership transition strategies employed in the selected businesses.

Findings

Successful transition and survival of family businesses are dependent on the founder's desire and support for transition, successor preparation, building trust and credibility in successors, and instilling a clear vision for the business.

Research limitations/implications

The study's findings will provide valuable insights to leaders of family-owned SMEs, specifically in the development of effective leadership transition action plans. It should be noted that the study is limited to three family-owned businesses in two locations in Nigeria, which may restrict the generalisability of the findings. Despite this, the study offers novel contributions to the current literature by presenting practical strategies for achieving the survival of family businesses in an emerging economy.

Originality/value

This study proposed strategies for business survival, continuity, sustainability and seamless leadership transition for small and medium-sized family-owned businesses. Importantly, the study recommends action plans for present and prospective family business leaders to deepen succession pathways.
Tax evasion and money laundering through crowdfunding: a comparative study of the laws of Mauritius, UK and US
Authors: Beebeejaun Ambareen
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The phenomenal proliferation of crowdfunding platforms raises concerns on the heightened occurrence of financial crimes since billions of funds are exchanged through these online systems frequently. Accordingly, some countries have implemented legislative responses to address these risks, although each countries’ laws have varying degrees of severity. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess the efficiency and robustness of Mauritian laws to combat financial crimes that may arise from a crowdfunding transaction with a particular emphasis on money laundering and tax evasion.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this research objective, the black letter approach was used to analyse Mauritian rules and regulations on the researched topic and a comparative analysis was carried out against the corresponding laws on crowdfunding in some other jurisdictions, notably the UK and the USA with the view of suggesting the policy recommendations to Mauritian authorities.

Findings

It was found that there is still scope for improving the existing legal and regulatory framework on crowdfunding in Mauritius to prevent instances of money laundering and tax evasion. The paper suggests that a crowdfunding operator must be categorised as a reporting person and must carry out regular due diligence checks. There must also be more collaboration in terms of information exchanges and training sessions among the tax authority of Mauritius, crowdfunding operators, fund seekers and investors to shed light on the tax treatment of income and deductions to avoid issues of tax evasion.

Originality/value

At present, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is amongst the first academic writings on the efficiency of Mauritian laws in dealing with the risk of financial crimes through crowdfunding, and also, because existing literature is quite scarce on assessing the adequacy of crowdfunding rules in developing countries, this research aims at filling in the gap in literature. The study is carried out with the aim of combining a large amount of empirical, theoretical and factual information that can be of use to various stakeholders and not only to academics.
Critical success factors for virtual hotel operator partnership with small- and medium-sized hotels: perspectives of owners and operators
Authors: Putra Fajar Kusnadi Kusumah , Law Rob
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper identifies the critical success factors (CSFs) of virtual hotel operator (VHO) in using hotel management system partnerships with small- and medium-sized hotels (SMSHs).

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative approach, with 25 semi-structured interviews with hotel owners and VHO management. Thematic analysis is used to determine themes to evaluate hotel owners and operators' perceptions.

Findings

CSFs for VHO partnership with SMSHs include marketing and promotion strategies, client relationships, training and human resources development, hotel operation management, innovation strategies, capital expenditures and property management systems (PMSs). VHOs also have a symbolic impact on the mutualistic relationship with SMSHs by increasing service and enhancing product competitiveness and profitability.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are beneficial for VHO in determining the most significant CSFs, thereby establishing additional metrics in business performance and increasing resilience in the accommodation sector. Further studies can measure the digital technology factors from VHO, including PMSs and mobile applications.

Originality/value

This study first identifies CSFs for VHO companies from the perspectives of hotel owners and management. This contribution adds to the literature on CSFs in the context of digital technology implementation in SMSHs. Moreover, implications are beneficial for VHO management in determining the most significant CSFs for companies to measure the business performance of the companies and increase resilience in the accommodation sector.
Estimating the magnitude of money laundering in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): evidence from the currency demand approach (CDA)
Authors: Aljassmi Mariam , Gamal Awadh Ahmed Mohammed , Abdul Jalil Norasibah , David Joseph , Viswanathan K. Kuperan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Despite the vulnerability of rapidly developing and emerging market economies, researchers have paid less attention to the determination of the size of money laundering (ML) in these economies, including the United Arab Emirates (the UAE). Therefore, this paper aims to estimate the magnitude of ML in the UAE between 1975 and 2020 based on the currency demand approach (CDA).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the Gregory–Hansen cointegration technique alongside the autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing procedure to estimate the CDA model.

Findings

The results illustrate that an amount equivalent to about 19.034% of the GDP is laundered in the UAE between 1975 and 2020, on average, with the value lying between 15.129% and 23.121%. In addition, the results demonstrate the importance of the real estate market, gold trade, remittance channels and the size of the underground economy in facilitating the laundering of illicit funds in the country.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is the pioneering attempt at estimating the amount of illicit funds laundered in the UAE. Besides, the adoption of a novel, yet robust, approach based on the modification of the CDA technique also sets the study apart as it ensures a correct, clear, unambiguous and indisputable estimate of the magnitude of ML is obtained. In addition, it is expected that the outcome of the study will expand the frontiers of knowledge among policy makers and relevant agencies and ensure the adoption of the most efficient and effective measures to curb the ML menace in the country.
How social are open-access debates: a follow-up study of tweeters' sentiments
Authors: Sotudeh Hajar
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Despite the widespread studies on the attitudes about OA, there exists little comparative evidence about the opinions of author and non-author parties at a global level in a social context. To bridge the gap, this study first investigated the opinions of the users who posted at least one tweet about OA in 2019. Then, it zoomed in to explore the views of the OA-interested tweeters, i.e. the users who have posted five or more tweets about OA.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a content analysis method, with an opinion-mining approach, this study examined a sample of 9,268 OA-related tweets posted by 5,227 tweeters in 2019. The sentiments were analyzed using SentiStrength. A threshold of at least five tweets was set to identify the OA-interested tweeters.

Findings

Academics and scholars, library and information professionals, and journals and publishers were the main OA-interested tweeters, implying that OA debates have not been widely propagated from its traditional audience to the general public. Despite an overall positive attitude, the tweeters showed negative perspectives about the gold and hybrid models, validity and quality, and costs and funds. The negativity depended on the OA features tweeted, the tweeters' occupations and gender, as well as the trends.

Research limitations/implications

The low societal impact of the OA debates calls for solutions to attract the public's attention and to exploit their potential to achieve the OA ideals. The OA stakeholders' divergence necessitates finding solutions to remedy the pitfalls. It also underlines the need for scrutiny into social layers when studying society's opinions and behaviors in a social network.

Originality/value

This is the first study in estimating the extent of the societal impact of OA debates, comparing the social OA stakeholders' opinions and their dependence on the OA features tweeted, the tweeter roles and gender and the tweet trending status.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-09-2022-0502
The bailiff’s services in the electronic judicial era in Indonesia
Authors: Syahr Zulfia Hanum Alfi , Sally Novian Uticha , Albana Muhamad Zaky
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The electronic judicial consists of applications supporting cases handling until the court makes a legal decision. The electronic judicial will not only include case administration but also be able to accommodate bailiff's services. At the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic, many bailiff's tasks had to be delayed due to the implementation of movement restrictions and lockdowns, thus hampering the execution process. The impact is that a buildup of cases cannot be completed. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the bailiff's service into the judicial digitalization services so that transparency and accountability in the electronic judicial can be achieved.

Design/methodology/approach

The method used is qualitative, with the data collected through in-depth interviews with bailiffs in court. Then it was analyzed through triangulation technique by doing literature studies, discussions and observations.

Findings

This study shows that the bailiff's service needs to be developed and integrated into the electronic judicial in Indonesia, which consists of a case tracking information system, e-court and electronic execution supervision.

Originality/value

This research focuses on bailiff services in Indonesia. The bailiff's assistance in Indonesia must be integrated with applications supporting e-court as electronic judicial in Indonesia. This integration will help solve the case faster in court.
Ecological strategies of microbes: Thinking outside the triangle
Authors: Treseder Kathleen K.
Published: May 2023

I asked whether Grime's triangle of competitive, stress tolerance and ruderal ecological strategies—which was originally developed for plants—applies to microbes.

I conducted a synthesis of empirical studies that tested relationships among microbial traits presumed to define the competitive, stress tolerance and ruderal, and other ecological strategies.

There was broad support for Grime's triangle. However, the ecological strategies were inconsistently linked to shifts in microbial communities under environmental changes like nitrogen and phosphorus addition, warming, drought, etc. We may be missing important ecological strategies that more closely influence microbial community composition under shifting environmental conditions.

We may need to start by documenting changes in microbial communities in response to environmental conditions at fine spatiotemporal scales relevant for microbes. We can then develop empirically based ecological strategies, rather than modifying those based on plant ecology.

Synthesis. Microbes appear to sort into similar ecological strategies as plants. However, these microbial ecological strategies do not consistently predict how community composition will shift under environmental change. By starting ‘from the ground up’, we may be able to delineate ecological strategies more relevant for microbes.
Spatial modeling of road collisions of striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Israel
Authors: Hadad Ezra , Kosicki Jakub Z. , Yosef Reuven
Published: May 2023

The striped hyena is an enigmatic species that is little studied. It is mainly found in semiarid and arid regions and is described as elusive, cryptic, nocturnal, and solitary. The global distribution is disjunct, and the species suffers from human persecution. However, specific communities consider them to be commensals. Owing to their scavenging behavior, striped hyenas are disproportionately involved in vehicular‐wildlife incidents, most of which are fatal. By combining data collected by the Scientific Data Department of the Israel Nature Parks Authority with information from remote sensing imaging, we illustrate the distribution of the striped hyena, identify critical habitats in which they occur, and illustrate the zones with the highest conflicts in the whole of Israel and the West Bank. The scale of striped hyena mortality (44.3/year) suggests that populations are much higher than previous estimates. We found more striped hyena carcasses on road/highway networks and urban areas than in natural surroundings. Our results should help focus the efforts to mitigate wildlife road kills by implementing conservation measures in urban areas and inter‐city highways, with a stress on striped hyena mortality.
The detection of clandestine graves in an arid environment using thermal imaging deployed from an unmanned aerial vehicle
Authors: Alawadhi Abdullah , Eliopoulos Constantine , Bezombes Frederic
Published: May 2023

The Middle East is one of the world regions that has frequently suffered from armed conflicts that resulted in mass burials. However, the detection of clandestine graves in such an arid environment by deploying remote sensing payload on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has received little attention. The present study used a UAV equipped with a thermal sensor aimed at narrowing down the search area of possible gravesites in the arid climate of Kuwait. The enclosed research area, which includes both control and experimental mass graves, was imaged for 18 months. The variation in topsoil temperature and soil moisture between the graves and their surroundings was evaluated. The results of the analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of thermal imaging techniques in detecting heat produced from buried sheep carcasses and detecting the change in grave soil moisture for our research environment for 7 and 10 months, respectively. The buried animals significantly influenced the topsoil temperature (p = 0.044), while the height from which the images were captured had an insignificant effect on the measured temperature within the range tested (p = 0.985). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation (−0.359) between grave temperature and the calculated soil moisture. The results from these cost‐ and time‐effective search methods presented in this study confirm their potential for the detection of burial sites in an arid environment.
Structure, antioxidant properties, and protective effects on DNA damage of exopolysaccharides from Clostridium butyricum
Authors: Cai Guolin , Geng Yongzhe , Liu Yifan , Yang Shaojie , Li Xiaomin , Sun Haiyan , Lu Jian
Published: May 2023

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) of probiotics are naturally nontoxic antioxidants with some interesting biological activities. This research aims to explore the structural and antioxidant properties of the EPS from Clostridium butyricum, a probiotics widely existed in human and animal intestines. EPS of C. butyricum RO‐07 was purified through a combination of anion‐exchange column chromatography and gel chromatography and determined to be composed of glucosamine, arabinose, galactosamine, galactose, glucose, and xylose in a molar ratio of 1:1:1:2:1:1 with a molecular weight 1.23 × 104 Da. It exhibited a stronger antioxidant activity than ascorbic acid, with scavenging activities up to 75.2% and 95.0% against hydroxyl radical (•OH) and superoxide radical (O2−•), respectively. It also performed protective effects on DNA against radiation destruction by ultraviolet and reactive oxygen species generated oxidation stress. With these superior advantages in oxidants and radiation resistance, the EPS from C. butyricum RO‐07 therefore has great potential to be applied in food and cosmetic industry.
Geochronology, Petrogenesis and Tectonic Setting of the Late Jurassic I‐type Granites in the North Qinling Orogenic Belt, Central China
Authors: HUANG Yanna , LI Dunpeng , XIAO Aifang , XU Songming
Published: May 2023

The North Qinling Orogenic Belt (NQOB) is a composite orogenic belt in central China. It started evolving during the Meso–Neoproterozoic period and underwent multiple stages of plate subduction and collision before entering intra‐continental orogeny in the Late Triassic. The Meso–Cenozoic intra‐continental orogeny and tectonic evolution had different responses in various terranes of the belt, with the tectonic evolution of the middle part of the belt being particularly controversial. The granites distributed in the Dayu and Kuyu areas in the middle part of the NQOB can provide an important window for revealing the geodynamic mechanisms of the NQOB. The main lithology of Dayu and Kuyu granites is biotite monzogranite, and the zircon U‐Pb dating yielded intrusive ages of 151.3 ± 3.4 Ma and 147.7 ± 1.5 Ma, respectively. The dates suggest that the biotite monzogranite were formed at the end of the Late Jurassic. The whole‐rock geochemistry analysis shows that the granites in the study areas are characterized by slightly high SiO2 (64.50–68.88 wt%) and high Al2O3 (15.12–16.24 wt%) and Na2O (3.55–3.80 wt%) contents. They are also enriched in light rare earth elements, large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Ba, K, La, Pb and Sr), and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) (e.g., Ta, Nb, P and Ti). Additionally, the granites have weakly negative–slightly positive Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.91–1.19). Zircon Lu‐Hf isotopic analysis showed εHf(t) = –6.1—‐3.8, and the two‐stage model age is T2DM(crust) = 1.5–1.6 Ga. The granites in the study areas are analyzed as weak peraluminous high‐K calc‐alkaline I‐type granites. They formed by partial melting of the thickened ancient lower crust, accompanied by the addition of minor mantle‐derived materials. During magma ascent, they experienced fractional crystallization, with residual garnet and amphibole for a certain proportion in the magma source region. Comprehensive the geotectonic data suggest that the end of the Late Jurassic granite magmatism in the Dayu and Kuyu areas represents a compression–extension transition regime. It may have been a response to multiple tectonic mechanisms, such as the late Mesozoic intra‐continental southward subduction of the North China Craton and the remote effect of the Paleo‐Pacific Plate subduction.
Detrital Zircon Geochronology and Provenance of Metasedimentary Rocks from the Susong Complex Zone in the Dabie Orogen
Authors: WU Zheng , YANG Yang , LIU Yican , ZHANG Chengwei
Published: May 2023

The Susong complex zone is a relatively low‐grade metamorphic unit located in the southern part of the Dabie orogen and preserves a variety of metasedimentary rocks, mostly with epidote–amphibolite facies. However, their depositional age, provenance and tectonic setting of sedimentary protolith remain controversial due to the lack of fossils, precise dating and integrated geochemical investigation. This study has conducted whole‐rock elemental, and zircon U‐Pb SHRIMP dating and Lu‐Hf isotope analyses on three types of representative metasedimentary rocks including garnet‐bearing mica‐quartz schist, graphite‐muscovite‐quartz schist and dolomitic marble from the Susong complex zone. The U‐Pb SHRIMP dating data indicate that the sedimentary protolith of these rocks have the maximum depositional ages of less than 840–750 Ma and have various sedimentary provenances. In combination with zircon Lu‐Hf isotope compositions, the provenance of the metasedimentary rocks in the region is for the first time documented to be mainly derived from four groups of magmatic rocks formed at ∼2.5 Ga, ∼2.0 Ga, ∼1.4 Ga and ∼0.8 Ga in response to four episodes of igneous activity in the northeastern margin of the Yangtze Block. The conventional geothermobarometry combined with rare metamorphic zircon ages indicate that the studied rocks underwent the Late Triassic continental subduction‐related metamorphism with peak epidote–amphibolite facies conditions at P = 0.34–0.91 GPa and T = 427–532°C. In addition, results of the elemental contents (i.e., La, Ce, Th and ΣREE) and ratios (i.e., Eu/Eu* and LaN/YbN) suggest that the protoliths of the metasedimentary rocks were mainly shales, wackes and limestones, most probably related to the Rodinia supercontinent rifting along the northern margin of the Yangtze Block during the Neoproterozoic.
Environmental Effects on Differential Organic Matter Enrichment of the Lower Cambrian Shale, Tarim Basin, NW China
Authors: ZHAO Yawen , WU Guanghui , YI Yan , CHEN Yongquan , WU Yonghong , JING Bing , WANG Jian
Published: May 2023

Early Cambrian shale is an important petroleum source rock around the world. Because of little drilling data and poor seismic data, until recently, organic matter enrichment of the Lower Cambrian Yuertusi and Xishanbulake formations shale is still an enigma in the Tarim Basin, northwestern China. Total organic carbon (TOC), major and trace element data of Cambrian shale samples from five boreholes have been analyzed to decipher the mechanism of the organic matter enrichment. The results show that the shales deposited in the western restricted intraplatform have much higher TOC contents (3.2%–19.8%, on average 11.0%) than those from the eastern basin (2.2%–10.2%, on average 4.5%). The paleoproductivity proxies (Ba, Ba/Al, P/Al) in the western restricted platform are much higher than those in the eastern basin. The trace element indicators such as V/Cr, Ni/Co, Mo–TOC and MoEF–UEF suggest an anoxic environment across the basin, but a more restricted environment in the western intraplatform. The paleoproductivity rather than anoxic condition and hydrothermal activity are concluded to have resulted in the differentiation of the organic matter enrichment from the western intraplatform to eastern basin in the early Cambrian shales; the restricted environment was favorable for paleoproductivity and preservation of organic matter.
Efficacy of certolizumab pegol across baseline rheumatoid factor subgroups in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Post‐hoc analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Tanaka Yoshiya , Takeuchi Tsutomu , Haaland Derek , Hall Stephen , Inanc Nevsun , Li Zhanguo , Xavier Ricardo M. , Cara Carlos , Tilt Nicola , Taylor Peter C.
Published: May 2023

Aim

Certolizumab pegol (CZP), an Fc‐free, PEGylated tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), has shown rapid and sustained reduction in signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Elevated rheumatoid factor (RF) level has been associated with RA disease progression and poorer TNFi response. We assessed the efficacy of CZP in patients with early and established RA across baseline RF levels.

Methods

This post‐hoc analysis included data from 6 trials: C‐OPERA (NCT01451203), pooled RAPID trials (RAPID‐1 [NCT00152386], RAPID‐2 [NCT00160602], J‐RAPID [NCT00791999], RAPID‐C [NCT02151851]), and EXXELERATE (NCT01500278). Patients who received CZP or placebo/comparator with methotrexate (MTX) were categorized by baseline RF quartiles. Efficacy was assessed with Disease Activity Score‐28 erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28‐ESR).

Results

Overall, 316, 1537, and 908 patients were included in C‐OPERA, pooled RAPID trials, and EXXELERATE, respectively. Patient demographics and baseline disease characteristics were similar between treatment groups and across RF quartiles. DAS28‐ESR low disease activity (LDA) and remission (REM) rates were numerically higher in the CZP + MTX group than PBO + MTX group at weeks 12 and 24, across RF quartiles. LDA and REM rates in the CZP + MTX groups were comparable across RF quartiles at weeks 12 and 24. Mean DAS28‐ESR decreased from week 0 to week 24 in the CZP + MTX groups, across RF quartiles.

Conclusion

CZP showed steady efficacy across baseline RF quartiles in patients with early and established RA, over 24 weeks. CZP treatment may be considered in patients with RA irrespective of baseline RF levels and time from diagnosis.
EvoPhylo: An r package for pre‐ and postprocessing of morphological data from relaxed clock Bayesian phylogenetics
Authors: Simões Tiago R. , Greifer Noah , Barido‐Sottani Joëlle , Pierce Stephanie E.
Published: May 2023

Relaxed clock Bayesian evolutionary inference (BEI) enables the co‐estimation of phylogenetic trees and evolutionary parameters associated with models of character and lineage evolution. Fast advances in new model developments over the past decade have boosted BEI as a major macroevolutionary analytical framework using morphological and/or molecular data across vastly different study systems. However, there is limited availability of bioinformatic tools to pre‐ and postprocess data from BEI, such as identifying morphological data partitions, or statistically testing and creating publication quality plots of evolutionary hypotheses.

Here, we introduce EvoPhylo, an r package to perform automated morphological character partitioning and analyse macroevolutionary parameter from relaxed clock (time‐calibrated) BEI outputted by the programs Mr.Bayes and BEAST2. These include rates of evolution and mode of selection for each character partition, diversification rate parameters, and handling fossil‐only posterior trees.

We present the theoretical background behind EvoPhylo's functions and analytical tools for evolutionary hypothesis testing, its potential uses, and interpretation of its results with a series of vignettes and links to a step‐by‐step tutorial using examples from two empirical datasets.

EvoPhylo will facilitate the use of Bayesian relaxed clocks as a tool for macroevolutionary inference across a wide range of users and fields of research, especially those that make usage of morphological datasets, from paleontological to total evidence dating analyses.
Whole genome sequencing identifies candidate genes and mutations that can explain diluted and other colour varieties of domestic canaries (Serinus canaria)
Authors: Bovo Samuele , Ribani Anisa , Utzeri Valerio Joe , Taurisano Valeria , Bertarini Gianmaria , Fontanesi Luca
Published: May 2023

The domestic canary (Serinus canaria) is one of the most common pet birds and has been extensively selected and bred over the last few centuries to constitute many different varieties. Plumage pigmentation is one of the main phenotypic traits that distinguish canary breeds and lines. Feather colours in these birds, similarly to other avian species, are mainly depended on the presence of two major types of pigments: carotenoids and melanins. In this study, we exploited whole genome sequencing (WGS) datasets produced from five canary lines or populations (Black Frosted Yellow, Opal, Onyx, Opal × Onyx and Mogno, some of which carrying different putative dilute alleles), complemented with other WGS datasets retrieved from previous studies, to identify candidate genes that might explain pigmentation variability across canary breeds and varieties. Sequencing data were obtained using a DNA pool‐seq approach and genomic data were compared using window‐based FST analyses. We identified signatures of selection in genomic regions harbouring genes involved in carotenoid‐derived pigmentation variants (CYP2J19, EDC, BCO2 and SCARB1), confirming the results reported by previous works, and identified several other signatures of selection in the correspondence of melanogenesis‐related genes (AGRP, ASIP, DCT, EDNRB, KITLG, MITF, MLPH, SLC45A2, TYRP1 and ZEB2). Two putative causative mutations were identified in the MLPH gene that may explain the Opal and Onyx dilute mutant alleles. Other signatures of selection were also identified that might explain additional phenotypic differences between the investigated canary populations.
Enhancing economic freedom via school choice and competition: Have state laws been enabling enough to generate broad‐based effects?
Authors: Garen John
Published: May 2023

An aspect of economic freedom that varies across U.S. states is K‐12 educational freedom. Some states allow a degree of choice for families in selecting schools outside public schools for their children. However, the enabling laws for such programs are often quite restrictive and limited to few children. Can this limited degree of competition and choice have a noticeable effect on an entire state's overall K‐12 performance? I find strikingly large test score gains for states that have adopted voucher programs and/or Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), swamping the effect of per pupil K‐12 spending on test scores. Moreover, vouchers and ESAs are associated with less per pupil spending. These effects are robust to a host of specification checks. A key factor is the amount of a program's funding that “follows the student,” even if a small number of students are eligible. Overall, it seems that even a small measure of educational freedom has a large effect.
Dose–response of virtual reality training of paediatric emergencies in a randomised simulation‐based setting
Authors: Lietz Andrea , Kraller Julian , Hoffelner Alexander , Ritschl Valentin , Berger Angelika , Wagner Michael
Published: May 2023

Aim

To determine the effect of different virtual reality training intervals on individual performance to facilitate the optimal implementation of medical virtual reality training.

Methods

Emergency scenarios in virtual reality were performed by 36 medical students from the Medical University of Vienna. After baseline training, the participants were randomised into three groups of equal size and underwent virtual reality training at different time intervals (monthly, one training after 3 months, and no further training) before undergoing final assessment training after 6 months.

Results

Group A, with monthly training exercises, improved their performance score significantly by 1.75 mean score points compared with Group B, who repeated baseline training after 3 months. Statistically significant difference was indicated when comparing Group A with Group C, which was not further trained and served as the control group.

Conclusion

One‐month intervals are associated with statistically significant performance improvements compared with additional training after 3 months and to a control group without regular training. The results show that training intervals of 3 months or longer are insufficient to achieve high performance scores. Virtual reality training is a cost‐effective alternative to conventional simulation‐based training for regular practice.
Moral expertise revisited
Authors: Gordon John‐Stewart
Published: May 2023

In recent years, there has been a lively (bio‐)ethical debate on the nature of moral expertise and the concept of moral experts. However, there is currently no common ground concerning most issues. Against this background, this paper has two main goals. First, in more general terms, it examines some of the problems concerning moral expertise and experts, with a special focus on moral advice and testimony. Second, it applies the results in the context of medical ethics, especially in the clinical setting. By situating the debate in the clinical setting, one arrives at some important conclusions to better understand the relevant concepts and vital problems in the general discussion on moral expertise and the requirements of who counts as a moral expert.
Adolescent difficulties during parental deployment and anxiety: A focus on measurement and family processes
Authors: Sherman Haley , O'Neal Catherine Walker , Tidwell Allison , Lucier‐Greer Mallory
Published: May 2023

Approximately 60% of deployed service members leave behind immediate family members, and although military families tend to be adaptive and resilient, evidence suggests that deployments are challenging and difficulties can arise during transitions and family separation, especially for adolescents. Grounded in the family attachment network model and the ABC‐X model of family stress, the current study utilized a sample of 204 military families with an active‐duty father, civilian mother and adolescent and examined parents' perceptions of adolescents' difficulties during deployment in relation to all three family members' perceptions of the adolescents' mental health (i.e., anxiety symptoms) following deployment. First, analyses of measurement invariance indicated that service members and civilian parents were generally reporting on the same underlying construct of their adolescents' difficulties during parental deployment. Next, a structural equation model demonstrated considerable overlap in service member and civilian parent reports of their adolescents' difficulties during a parental deployment (r = 0.47). Finally, both parents' perceptions of adolescent difficulties during parental deployment were related to their own perceptions of the adolescent's current anxiety but not to the adolescents' reports of their own anxiety symptoms or to the other parent's report of the adolescents' anxiety symptoms. Findings provide support for utilizing these theories in combination, such that disruptions to the family system, and the attachment relationships within that system, in one stage of the deployment cycle, may imply that there are implications for individual‐level functioning, namely, anxiety, in the next stage of the deployment cycle. Findings also underscore the importance of examining our measurement tools and collecting data from multiple family members to understand family processes.
“An A is an A?” Maybe in North America, but less so elsewhere
Authors: Hiebl Martin R. W.
Published: May 2023

With reference to recent debate about the increasing “an A is an A” mentality at business schools, I provide evidence on the prevalence of this mentality in North America versus other regions of the world (RoW). The evidence presented is derived from the data selection procedures employed in conducting systematic reviews of management research because a focus on specific journals in this selection can be seen as an artifact of the “an A is an A” mentality. My findings suggest that this mindset is more widespread in North American business schools and less so elsewhere. This implies that in order to find remedies against the detrimental effects of the “an A is an A” mentality, North American business school leaders and academics might find inspiration in other countries. In addition, I suggest that a part of the solution could also be directing PhD students toward a more inclusive selection of journals and articles in reviews of management research.