bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advances in the management of breast cancer brain metastases
Authors: Sammons Sarah , Van Swearingen Amanda E D , Chung Caroline , Anders Carey K
Published: December 2021

The development of breast cancer (BC) brain metastases (BrM) is a common complication of advanced disease, occurring in up to half of the patients with advanced disease depending on the subtype. The management of BCBrM requires complex multidisciplinary care including local therapy, surgical resection and/or radiotherapy, palliative care, and carefully selected systemic therapies. Significant progress has been made in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) BCBrM population due to novel brain penetrable systemic therapies. Increased inclusion of patients with BCBrM in clinical trials using brain-penetrant systemic therapies recently led to the first FDA approval of a HER2-directed therapy specifically in the BCBrM population in the last year. Advances for the treatment of HR+/HER2− and TNBC BCBrM subgroups continue to evolve. In this review, we will discuss the diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of BCBrM. We focus on recent advances in neurosurgery, radiation therapy, and systemic treatment therapies with intracranial activity. We also provide an overview of the current clinical trial landscape for patients with BCBrM.
Surgical advances in the management of brain metastases
Authors: Ng Patrick R , Choi Bryan D , Aghi Manish K , Nahed Brian V
Published: December 2021

As the epidemiological and clinical burden of brain metastases continues to grow, advances in neurosurgical care are imperative. From standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences to functional neuroimaging, preoperative workups for metastatic disease allow high-resolution detection of lesions and at-risk structures, facilitating safe and effective surgical planning. Minimally invasive neurosurgical approaches, including keyhole craniotomies and tubular retractors, optimize the preservation of normal parenchyma without compromising extent of resection. Supramarginal surgery has pushed the boundaries of achieving complete removal of metastases without recurrence, especially in eloquent regions when paired with intraoperative neuromonitoring. Brachytherapy has highlighted the potential of locally delivering therapeutic agents to the resection cavity with high rates of local control. Neuronavigation has become a cornerstone of operative workflow, while intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) and intraoperative brain mapping generate real-time renderings of the brain unaffected by brain shift. Endoscopes, exoscopes, and fluorescent-guided surgery enable increasingly high-definition visualizations of metastatic lesions that were previously difficult to achieve. Pushed forward by these multidisciplinary innovations, neurosurgery has never been a safer, more effective treatment for patients with brain metastases.
Dyskeratosis congenita: rare case report of Syria
Authors: Hussein Firas , Omar Zainab
Published: December 2021

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited disease characterized by the triad of abnormal skin pigmentation, nail dystrophy and mucosal leukoplakia. Non-cutaneous abnormalities (dental, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, neurological, ophthalmic, pulmonary and skeletal) have also been reported. Bone marrow failure (BMF) is the main cause of early mortality, with an additional predisposition to malignancy. DC results from an anomalous progressive shortening of telomeres resulting in DNA replication problems inducing replicative senescence. Men are more affected than women are and X-linked recessive, autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive forms of the disease are recognized. There are no targeted therapies for DC. Patients treated with androgens had a hematological response. We herein describe case of a 32-year-old man, presented with several characteristic systemic features of this condition, including the classic triad of lesions, dysplastic bone marrow, epiphora and liver cirrhosis with grade I esophageal varices. Therefore, a prophylactic propranolol was started in additional to danazol. Three-week later, the patient had subsequent increases in his platelet, red cell and white cell counts.
Epigenomic features of DNA G-quadruplexes and their roles in regulating rice gene transcription
Authors: Feng Yilong , Tao Shentong , Zhang Pengyue , Sperti Francesco Rota , Liu Guanqing , Cheng Xuejiao , Zhang Tao , Yu Hengxiu , Wang Xiu-e , Chen Caiyan , Monchaud David , Zhang Wenli
Published: December 2021

A DNA G-quadruplex (G4) is a non-canonical four-stranded nucleic acid structure involved in many biological processes in mammals. The current knowledge on plant DNA G4s, however, is limited; whether and how DNA G4s impact gene expression in plants is still largely unknown. Here, we applied a protocol referred to as BG4-DNA-IP-seq followed by a comprehensive characterization of DNA G4s in rice (Oryza sativa L.); we next integrated dG4s (experimentally detectable G4s) with existing omics data and found that dG4s exhibited differential DNA methylation between transposable element (TE) and non-TE genes. dG4 regions displayed genic-dependent enrichment of epigenomic signatures; finally, we showed that these sites displayed a positive association with expression of DNA G4-containing genes when located at promoters, and a negative association when located in the gene body, suggesting localization-dependent promotional/repressive roles of DNA G4s in regulating gene transcription. This study reveals interrelations between DNA G4s and epigenomic signatures, as well as implicates DNA G4s in modulating gene transcription in rice. Our study provides valuable resources for the functional characterization or bioengineering of some of key DNA G4s in rice.
Boron uptake in rice is regulated post-translationally via a clathrin-independent pathway
Authors: Huang Sheng , Konishi Noriyuki , Yamaji Naoki , Shao Ji Feng , Mitani-Ueno Namiki , Ma Jian Feng
Published: December 2021

Uptake of boron (B) in rice (Oryza sativa) is mediated by the Low silicon rice 1 (OsLsi1) channel, belonging to the NOD26-like intrinsic protein III subgroup, and the efflux transporter B transporter 1 (OsBOR1). However, it is unknown how these transporters cooperate for B uptake and how they are regulated in response to B fluctuations. Here, we examined the response of these two transporters to environmental B changes at the transcriptional and posttranslational level. OsBOR1 showed polar localization at the proximal side of both the exodermis and endodermis of mature root region, forming an efficient uptake system with OsLsi1 polarly localized at the distal side of the same cell layers. Expression of OsBOR1 and OsLsi1 was unaffected by B deficiency and excess. However, although OsLsi1 protein did not respond to high B at the protein level, OsBOR1 was degraded in response to high B within hours, which was accompanied with a significant decrease of total B uptake. The high B-induced degradation of OsBOR1 was inhibited in the presence of MG-132, a proteasome inhibitor, without disturbance of the polar localization. In contrast, neither the high B-induced degradation of OsBOR1 nor its polarity was affected by induced expression of dominant-negative mutated dynamin-related protein 1A (OsDRP1AK47A) or knockout of the mu subunit (AP2M) of adaptor protein-2 complex, suggesting that clathrin-mediated endocytosis is not involved in OsBOR1 degradation and polar localization. These results indicate that, in contrast to Arabidopsis thaliana, rice has a distinct regulatory mechanism for B uptake through clathrin-independent degradation of OsBOR1 in response to high B.
Diagnosing Physician Error: A Machine Learning Approach to Low-Value Health Care
Authors: Mullainathan Sendhil , Obermeyer Ziad
Published: December 2021

We use machine learning as a tool to study decision making, focusing specifically on how physicians diagnose heart attack. An algorithmic model of a patient’s probability of heart attack allows us to identify cases where physicians' testing decisions deviate from predicted risk. We then use actual health outcomes to evaluate whether those deviations represent mistakes or physicians’ superior knowledge. This approach reveals two inefficiencies. Physicians overtest: predictably low-risk patients are tested, but do not benefit. At the same time, physicians undertest: predictably high-risk patients are left untested, and then go on to suffer adverse health events including death. A natural experiment using shift-to-shift testing variation confirms these findings. Simultaneous over- and undertesting cannot easily be explained by incentives alone, and instead point to systematic errors in judgment. We provide suggestive evidence on the psychology underlying these errors. First, physicians use too simple a model of risk. Second, they overweight factors that are salient or representative of heart attack, such as chest pain. We argue health care models must incorporate physician error, and illustrate how policies focused solely on incentive problems can produce large inefficiencies.
Evaluation and Treatment of Low Back Pain in Adult Patients
Authors: Hemmer Christopher R.
Published: December 2021

It is estimated that over 80% of adults will have difficulty with low back pain during their lifetime. Back pain is generally described as acute, subacute, and chronic based on the duration of symptoms. Although most back pain complaints are self-resolved and not considered emergent, some do hold an increased level of urgency. Recognizing red flags early in the evaluation is crucial to expedite appropriate treatment. In the absence of red flags routine imaging should be avoided. A single standard of care for patients with low back pain has not been established. The myriad of diagnoses and treatment choices makes it difficult to develop a single algorithm for management. Nonspecific low back pain is a prevalent complaint in primary care and acute care settings. Most patients with acute/subacute low back pain will resolve regardless of the modality used or not used.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Correlates of Resilience Following Adolescent Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Schmidt Adam T. , Lindsey Hannah M. , Dennis Emily , Wilde Elisabeth A. , Biekman Brian D. , Chu Zili D. , Hanten Gerri R. , Formon Dana L. , Spruiell Matthew S. , Hunter Jill V. , Levin Harvey S.
Published: December 2021

Background:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with considerable mortality and morbidity in adolescents, but positive outcomes are possible. Resilience is the concept that some individuals flourish despite significant adversity.

Objective:

To determine if there is a relationship between resilience-promoting factors that are known to promote resilience and white matter (WM) microstructure 1 year after complicated mild TBI or moderate or severe TBI that is sustained by adolescents.

Method:

We examined the relationship between performance on a self-report measure of resilience-promoting factors and WM integrity assessed by diffusion tensor imaging in a group of adolescents who had sustained either a TBI (n = 38) or an orthopedic injury (OI) (n = 23).

Results:

Immediately following injury, the individuals with TBI and the OI controls had comparable levels of resilience-promoting factors; however, at 1 year post injury, the TBI group endorsed fewer resilience-promoting factors and exhibited WM disruption compared with the OI controls. The individuals with TBI who had more resilience-promoting factors at 1 year post injury exhibited increased WM integrity, but the OI controls did not. Findings were particularly strong for the following structures: anterior corona radiata, anterior limb of the internal capsule, and genu of the corpus callosum—structures that are implicated in social cognition and are frequently disrupted after TBI. Relationships were notable for caregiver and community-level resilience-promoting factors.

Conclusion:

The current findings are some of the first to indicate neurobiological evidence of previously noted buffering effects of resilience-promoting factors in individuals with TBI.
Annual precipitation predicts the phylogenetic signal in bat–fruit interaction networks across the Neotropics
Authors: Corro Erick J. , Villalobos Fabricio , Lira-Noriega Andrés , Guevara Roger , Guimarães Paulo R. , Dáttilo Wesley
Published: December 2021

Closely related species tend to be more similar than randomly selected species from the same phylogenetic tree. This pattern, known as a phylogenetic signal, has been extensively studied for intrinsic (e.g. morphology), as well as extrinsic (e.g. climatic preferences), properties but less so for ecological interactions. Phylogenetic signals of species interactions (i.e. resource use) can vary across time and space, but the causes behind such variations across broader spatial extents remain elusive. Here, we evaluated how current and historical climates influence phylogenetic signals of bat–fruit interaction networks across the Neotropics. We performed a model selection relating the phylogenetic signals of each trophic level (bats and plants) with a set of current and historical climatic factors deemed ecologically important in shaping biotic interactions. Bat and plant phylogenetic signals in bat–fruit interaction networks varied little with climatic factors, although bat phylogenetic signals positively covaried with annual precipitation. These findings indicated that water availability could increase resource availability, favouring higher niche partitioning of trophic resources among bat species and hence bat phylogenetic signals across bat–fruit interaction networks. Overall, our study advances our understanding of the spatial dynamics of bat–fruit interactions by highlighting the association of current climatic factors with phylogenetic patterns of biotic interactions.
Fishes regulate tail-beat kinematics to minimize speed-specific cost of transport
Authors: Li Gen , Liu Hao , Müller Ulrike K. , Voesenek Cees J. , van Leeuwen Johan L.
Published: December 2021

Energetic expenditure is an important factor in animal locomotion. Here we test the hypothesis that fishes control tail-beat kinematics to optimize energetic expenditure during undulatory swimming. We focus on two energetic indices used in swimming hydrodynamics, cost of transport and Froude efficiency. To rule out one index in favour of another, we use computational-fluid dynamics models to compare experimentally observed fish kinematics with predicted performance landscapes and identify energy-optimized kinematics for a carangiform swimmer, an anguilliform swimmer and larval fishes. By locating the areas in the predicted performance landscapes that are occupied by actual fishes, we found that fishes use combinations of tail-beat frequency and amplitude that minimize cost of transport. This energy-optimizing strategy also explains why fishes increase frequency rather than amplitude to swim faster, and why fishes swim within a narrow range of Strouhal numbers. By quantifying how undulatory-wave kinematics affect thrust, drag, and power, we explain why amplitude and frequency are not equivalent in speed control, and why Froude efficiency is not a reliable energetic indicator. These insights may inspire future research in aquatic organisms and bioinspired robotics using undulatory propulsion.
Calibrating phylogenies assuming bifurcation or budding alters inferred macroevolutionary dynamics in a densely sampled phylogeny of bivalve families
Authors: Crouch Nicholas M. A. , Edie Stewart M. , Collins Katie S. , Bieler Rüdiger , Jablonski David
Published: December 2021

Analyses of evolutionary dynamics depend on how phylogenetic data are time-scaled. Most analyses of extant taxa assume a purely bifurcating model, where nodes are calibrated using the daughter lineage with the older first occurrence in the fossil record. This contrasts with budding, where nodes are calibrated using the younger first occurrence. Here, we use the extensive fossil record of bivalve molluscs for a large-scale evaluation of how branching models affect macroevolutionary analyses. We time-calibrated 91% of nodes, ranging in age from 2.59 to 485 Ma, in a phylogeny of 97 extant bivalve families. Allowing budding-based calibrations minimizes conflict between the tree and observed fossil record, and reduces the summed duration of inferred ‘ghost lineages’ from 6.76 billion years (Gyr; bifurcating model) to 1.00 Gyr (budding). Adding 31 extinct paraphyletic families raises ghost lineage totals to 7.86 Gyr (bifurcating) and 1.92 Gyr (budding), but incorporates more information to date divergences between lineages. Macroevolutionary analyses under a bifurcating model conflict with other palaeontological evidence on the magnitude of the end-Palaeozoic extinction, and strongly reduce Cenozoic diversification. Consideration of different branching models is essential when node-calibrating phylogenies, and for a major clade with a robust fossil record, a budding model appears more appropriate.
A Randomized Trial of a Wearable UV dosimeter for Skin Cancer Prevention
Authors: Dumont Emmanuel LP , Kaplan Peter D , Do Catherine , Banerjee Shayak , Barrer Melissa , Ezzedine Khaled , Zippin Jonathan H , Varghese George I
Published: December 2021

Background

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most prevalent cancer in the United States. Despite guidelines on ultraviolet (UV) avoidance, it remains difficult for people to assess their exposure, as UV is invisible and the onset of UV-induced symptoms is delayed.

Methods

In a prospective randomized trial, ninety-seven elderly patients with a history of actinic keratoses (AK) were enrolled and followed over six months. Fifty patients received UV counseling by a dermatologist and a wearable UV dosimeter that provided real-time and cumulative UV exposure. Forty-seven patients solely received UV counseling by a dermatologist.

Results

Over 75% of participants recorded UV exposure at least once a week during the summer. After 6 months of intervention, when comparing the device group to the control group, we observed a non-significant 20% lower ratio of incidence rates of AKs (95% CI = [-41%, 55%], p-value = 0.44) and a significant 95% lower ratio of incidence rates of NMSCs (95% CI = [33%, 99.6%], p-value = 0.024). Self-reported surveys demonstrated that the control group’s score in self-perceived ability to participate in social activities significantly increased by 1.2 (p-value = 0.04), while in the device group, this score non-significantly decreased by 0.9 (p-value = 0.1). Finally, we did not observe changes, or between-group differences, in self-reported anxiety and depression surveys.

Conclusion

This pilot clinical trial has a short duration and a small sample size. However, device adherence and quality of life questionnaires suggest a smartphone-connected wearable UV dosimeter is well accepted by an elderly population. This trial also indicates that a wearable UV dosimeter may be an effective behavioral change tool to reduce NMSC incidence in an elderly population with a prior history of AKs.

Trial Registration

The trial was registered onclinicaltrials.govunder the identificationNCT03315286.
Transcriptional adaptation of sensory neurons to GPCR identity and activity
Authors: Horgue Luis Flores , Assens Alexis , Fodoulian Leon , Archinto Leonardo Marconi , Tuberosa Joël , Haider Alexander , Boillat Madlaina , Carleton Alan , Rodriguez Ivan
Published: December 2021

Sensory adaptation is critical to extract information from a changing world. Taking advantage of the extensive parallel coding lines present in the olfactory system, we explored the potential variations of neuronal identities before and after olfactory experience. We found that at rest, the transcriptomic profiles of olfactory sensory neuron populations are already highly divergent, specific to the olfactory receptor they express, and are surprisingly associated with the sequence of these latter. These divergent profiles further evolve in response to the environment, as odorant exposure leads to massive reprogramming via the modulation of transcription. Adenylyl cyclase 3, but not other main elements of the olfactory transduction cascade, plays a critical role in this activity-induced transcriptional adaptation. These findings highlight a broad range of sensory neuron identities that are present at rest and that adapt to the experience of the individual, thus providing a novel layer of complexity to sensory coding.
SARS-CoV-2 Virus like Particles produced by a single recombinant baculovirus generate potent neutralizing antibody that protects against variant challenge
Authors: Sullivan Edward , Sung Po-Yu , Wu Weining , Berry Neil , Kempster Sarah , Ferguson Deborah , Almond Neil , Jones Ian M. , Roy Polly
Published: December 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection has highlighted the need for the rapid generation of efficient vaccines for emerging disease. Virus-like particles, VLPs, are an established vaccine technology that produces virus-like mimics, based on expression of the structural proteins of a target virus that can stimulate strong neutralizing antibody responses. SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus where the basis of VLP formation has been shown to be the co-expression of the spike, membrane and envelope structural proteins. Here we describe the generation of SARS-CoV-2 VLPs by the co-expression of the salient structural proteins in insect cells using the established baculovirus expression system. VLPs were heterologous ∼100nm diameter enveloped particles with a distinct fringe that reacted strongly with SARS-CoV-2 convalescent sera. In a Syrian hamster challenge model, a non-adjuvanted VLPs induced neutralizing antibodies to the VLP-associated Wuhan S protein, reduced virus shedding following a virulent challenge with SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.7 variant) and protected against disease associated weight loss. Immunized animals showed reduced lung pathology and lower challenge virus replication than the non-immunized controls. Our data, using an established and scalable technology, suggest SARS-CoV-2 VLPs offer an efficient vaccine that mitigates against virus load and prevents severe disease.
Development of PRPK Directed Phthalimides
Authors: Seo Hyuk-Soo , Mizutani Takashi , Hideshima Teru , Vangos Nicholas E. , Zhang Tinghu , Anderson Kenneth C. , Gray Nathanael S. , Dhe-Paganon Sirano
Published: December 2021

Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide (Pom) bind to cereblon (CRBN) and trigger proteasomal degradation of neo-substrates IKZF1/3 leading to multiple myeloma (MM) cell apoptosis. Pomalidomide (Pom) also binds albeit weakly to p53-related protein kinase (PRPK, aka TP53RK), an understudied kinase reported to be associated with poor prognosis in MM patients. Here, we developed a series of IMiDs based on Pom and conducted a structure-activity relationship (SAR) study to identify a potent and selective PRPK binder. Structural analysis showed that IMiDs bind PRPK in a fundamentally different way from CRBN, and suggested specific derivatization to improve affinity. We employed a structure-guided strategy to develop compound TXM-02-118, which exhibited nanomolar affinityfor PRPK in binding assays, and showed high selectivity for PRPK over CRBN. Overall, the work represents an initial effort to develop tool compounds for studying PRPK. Moreover, it illustrates how a single class of molecules can use different recognition elements to bind diverse targets using fundamentally different binding poses. This has broad implications for chemical probe and lead compound selectivity profiling, and argues for more wide-spread use of global proteomics or similar methodologies.
Communication determines population-level fitness under cation stress by modulating the ratio of motile to sessile B. subtilis cells
Authors: Steinfeld Benedikt K. , Cui Qinna , Schmidt Tamara , Bischofs Ilka B.
Published: December 2021

Bacterial populations frequently encounter potentially lethal environmental stress factors. Growing Bacillus subtilis populations are comprised of a mixture of “motile” and “sessile” cells but how this affects population-level fitness under stress is poorly understood. Here, we show that, unlike sessile cells, motile cells are readily killed by monovalent cations under conditions of nutrient deprivation – owing to elevated expression of the lytABC operon, which codes for a cell-wall lytic complex. Forced induction of the operon in sessile cells also causes lysis. We demonstrate that population composition is regulated by the quorum sensing regulator ComA, which can favor either the motile or the sessile state. Specifically social interactions by ComX-pheromone signaling enhance population-level fitness under stress. Our study highlights the importance of characterizing population composition and cellular properties for studies of bacterial physiology and functional genomics. Our findings open new perspectives for understanding the functions of autolysins and collective behaviors that are coordinated by chemical and electrical signals, with implications for multicellular development and biotechnology.
Skeletal muscle releases extracellular vesicles with distinct protein and miRNA signatures that accumulate and function within the muscle microenvironment
Authors: Watanabe Sho , Sudo Yuri , Kimura Satoshi , Tomita Kenji , Noguchi Makoto , Sakurai Hidetoshi , Shimizu Makoto , Takahashi Yu , Sato Ryuichiro , Yamauchi Yoshio
Published: December 2021

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain various regulatory molecules and mediate intercellular communications. Although EVs are secreted from various cell types, including skeletal muscle cells, and present in the blood, their identity is poorly characterized in vivo, limiting the identification of their origin in the blood. Since the skeletal muscle is the largest organ in the body, it could substantially contribute to circulating EVs as their source. However, due to the lack of defined markers that distinguish SkM-EVs from others, whether the skeletal muscle releases EVs in vivo and how much the skeletal muscle-derived EVs (SkM-EVs) account for plasma EVs remain poorly understood. In this work, we perform quantitative proteomic analyses on EVs released from C2C12 cells and human iPS cell-derived myocytes and identify potential marker proteins that mark SkM-EVs. These markers we identified apply to in vivo tracking of SkM-EVs. The results show that skeletal muscle makes only a subtle contribution to plasma EVs as their source in both control and exercise conditions in mice. On the other hand, we demonstrate that SkM-EVs are concentrated in the skeletal muscle interstitium. Furthermore, we show that interstitium EVs are highly enriched with the muscle-specific miRNAs and repress the expression of the paired box transcription factor Pax7, a master regulator for myogenesis. Taken together, our findings reveal that the skeletal muscle releases exosome-like small EVs with distinct protein and miRNA profiles in vivo and that SkM-EVs mainly play a role within the muscle microenvironment where they accumulate.
Topological conditions for propagation of spatially-distributed neural activity
Authors: Tudoras Àlex , Reyes Alex D.
Published: December 2021

An important task of the nervous system is to transmit information faithfully and reliably across brain regions, a process that involves the coordinated activity of a relatively large population of neurons. In topographically organized networks, where the entering and exiting axons of neurons terminate in confined areas, successful propagation depends on the spatial patterns of activity: the firing neurons in a presynaptic or source layer must be located sufficiently close to each other to ensure that cells in the postsynaptic or target layer receive the requisite number of convergent inputs to fire. Here, we use principles of topology to define the conditions for transmitting information across layers. We show that simplicial complexes formed by source neurons can be used to: 1) determine whether target neurons receive suprathreshold inputs; 2) identify neurons within the active population that contribute to firing; and 3) discriminate between single and multiple active clusters of neurons.
Variations of Staining Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate–Polyacrylamide Gels with Coomassie Brilliant Blue
Authors: Kielkopf Clara L. , Bauer William , Urbatsch Ina L.
Published: December 2021

Many variations of the original Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining procedure are in use. This protocol describes some selected variations on the standard procedure that give comparable and consistent staining results for proteins in the 20- to 200-kDa range.
Developing Industry 4.0 accountants: implications for higher education institutions in Namibia
Authors: Akande Joseph Olorunfemi , Atiku Sulaiman Olusegun
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the accounting skills required in Industry 4.0 to assist higher education institutions in developing Industry 4.0 accountants in Namibia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a qualitative approach for data collection and analysis. The participants (accountants and finance consultants) were selected using a purposive sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire (open-ended) was administered to 120 participants. Useful information was retrieved from 99 participants in the participating accounting firms in Namibia. The data was analyzed using non-numerical content analysis via Atlas.ti, version 9.0.

Findings

Findings revealed the need to teach soft, technical and digital skills by higher education institutions in Namibia to enhance accounting graduates’ employability in Industry 4.0. The practical implication for higher education in Namibia is to do more in curriculum retooling.

Originality/value

There is a shortage of literature on the competency framework for Industry 4.0 accountants, particularly in Namibia. The outcomes of this study contribute to the extant literature and assist higher education institutions with helpful information for accounting programs review and enhance graduates’ employability in Namibia.
Factors affecting maintenance cost of public buildings: case study of Tanzania Buildings Agency and National Housing Corporation
Authors: Zeni Kassim Slim , Kikwasi Geraldine John
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The state of public buildings in Tanzania exhibits evidence of a lack of maintenance and repair. Despite efforts to raise the performance of public buildings, little emphasis is placed on maintenance works and related factors affecting maintenance costs of public buildings, which are often high. This study aims to examine factors affecting maintenance costs of public buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a case study involving two government building agencies – Tanzania Buildings Agency (TBA) and National Housing Corporation (NHC). A total of 387 tenants and 29 experts participated in the study. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using Stata version 16 – descriptive statistics feature reporting absolute numbers and frequencies.

Findings

Both tenants and experts ranked building age, poor quality control, building material used, execution of work when it is urgent and inadequate financial resources as major factors affecting maintenance costs of public buildings. In the distinctive rating, tenants ranked resource management as a major factor, while experts ranked ignorance about the property of materials, misuse of buildings and faulty maintenance as major factors.

Research limitations/implications

The study has some limitations such as geographical coverage which is limited to Dar es Salaam and Dodoma regions, hence missing information from other regions may have different experiences. Additionally, data were collected in a self-reported manner which could bring about information bias.

Practical implications

Findings of this study provide an insight on recent developments on the factors affecting maintenance cost of buildings using two cases of NHC and TBA which are single entities owning a substantial amount of housing units in Tanzania. Factors affecting the maintenance cost of public buildings identified in this study is a threshold for experts to devise strategies for minimizing maintenance costs.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that assessed factors affecting maintenance cost in public buildings run by TBA and NHC from the tenant and expert perspectives.
Human governance a pathway to integrity in counteracting corruption
Authors: Ramli Nor Azmi , Abdul Mohsin Ainul Mohsein , Salleh Arfah , Mat Akhir Noor Shakirah
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Corruption is a global phenomenon. The 2016 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Report and the 2019 Malaysia National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) Report stated that the government sector most prone to corruption is procurement. The purpose of this study is to explore what drives the government procurement practitioners to commit corruption or uphold integrity. The novelty of this research is it focusses on the human aspect based on a human model which comprises both the physical and non-physical dimensions. It incorporated four theories which are the virtue theory, transaction cost theory (TCT), human governance (HG) philosophy and Al-Ghazali theory of the soul to design the research framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This approach to counteract corruption is through the inner “Self” (spirituality) and is not limited or bound to processes, procedures, rules, regulations, systems and structures.

Findings

The findings obtained through the phenomenological method suggest that the Inciting Soul is the driver behind corruption. This happens when intellect (‘Aql) becomes submissive to appetition (Shahwa) and self-assertion (Ghadab) resulting in vice characters. In upholding integrity, Soul-at-Peace is the driver where intellect dominates appetition and self-assertion leading to virtue characters. The HG philosophy is what encapsulates the taxonomy of virtue character.

Research limitations/implications

This research concentrates only on understanding why corruption happens among those with authority. Nevertheless, this research did not delve into the inculcation of HG. Therefore, the authors would suggest for future research is to explore techniques to inculcate the ability of an individual to exercise all the necessary inner “Self” functions (to curb corruption) without having intervention from an external authority.

Practical implications

Corruption is a global phenomenon. The 2016 OECD Report and the 2019 Malaysia NACP Report found that procurement is the government sector most prone to corruption.

Originality/value

The novelty of this research is its focus on the human aspect based on the model of a human comprising both the physical and non-physical dimensions. The theoretical framework integrates the virtue theory, TCT, HG philosophy and Al-Ghazali theory of the Soul.
Reconfigurable manufacturing system: a systematic bibliometric analysis and future research agenda
Authors: Pansare Rajesh , Yadav Gunjan , Nagare Madhukar R.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic bibliometric analysis of reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) articles using VOSviewer to identify their research themes and future research trends and investigate their interconnectivity. This paper also aims to identify prominent authors, publishers, organizations, countries and their collaborations in the RMS domain.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the Scopus database is used to retrieve 454 RMS articles published between 1988 and 2020. These articles are then investigated using VOSviewer to determine their interconnectedness, clusters and citations, as well as to generate a map based on text data. The network visualization diagrams and clusters obtained for documents, authors, sources, organizations and countries are explored to determine the current state and future trends in RMS research.

Findings

A bibliometric analysis of selected articles is performed, and current research hotspots in this domain are identified. This work also investigates the current status and future research trends in this domain. The work presented also identifies top researchers, journals, countries and documents in RMS.

Practical implications

This paper can provide academics, researchers and practitioners with additional research insights. At the same time, the research trends identified here can help to direct research and benefit researchers.

Originality/value

The study is the first attempt to review selected documents in the RMS domain using bibliometric analysis tools, and it presents a method for collecting articles, organizing them and analyzing the data.
Immunosenescence in the wild? A longitudinal study in a long‐lived seabird
Authors: Bichet Coraline , Moiron Maria , Matson Kevin D. , Vedder Oscar , Bouwhuis Sandra
Published: December 2021

Longitudinal studies of various vertebrate populations have demonstrated senescent declines in reproductive performance and survival probability to be almost ubiquitous. Longitudinal studies of potential underlying proximate mechanisms, however, are still scarce.

Due to its critical function in the maintenance of health and viability, the immune system is among the potential (mediators of) proximate mechanisms that could underlie senescence.

Here, we studied three innate immune parameters—haemagglutination titre, haemolysis titre and haptoglobin concentration—in a population of common terns (Sterna hirundo) known to undergo actuarial senescence. We repeatedly sampled birds of known sex and age across 11 years and used random regression models to (a) quantify how immune parameters vary among individuals and (b) describe within‐individual age‐specific changes in, and potential trade‐offs between, immune parameters.

Our models revealed no differences between males and females in haemagglutination titre and haptoglobin concentration, and very low among‐individual variation in these parameters in general. Within individuals, haemagglutination titre increased with age, while haptoglobin concentration did not change. We found no indication for selective (dis)appearance in relation to haemagglutination titre or haptoglobin concentration, nor for the existence of a trade‐off between them. Haemolysis was absent in the majority (76%) of samples.

Common terns do not exhibit clear senescence in haemagglutination titre and haptoglobin concentration and show very little among‐individual variation in these parameters in general. This may be explained by canalisation of the immune parameters or by the colonial breeding behaviour of our study species, but more longitudinal studies are needed to facilitate investigation of links between species’ characteristics and immunosenescence in wild animals.
Towards decentralized anthropological scholarship: Some ethical considerations
Authors: Ninkova Velina
Published: December 2021

This article outlines the future of decentralized blockchain scholarship and some ethical questions we must consider in its wake. What is the role of research participants in a decentralized publishing ecosystem? And how do we move towards more just values and practices in intellectual creation and dissemination?
A note on inequality measures for mixtures of double Pareto–lognormal distributions
Authors: Griffiths William , Chotikapanich Duangkamon , Hajargasht Gholamreza
Published: December 2021

Formulas are derived for the Gini, Theil and Pietra coefficients for a population‐weighted mixture of double Pareto–lognormal (dPLN) distributions; they are applied to South America for 2 years. Results are also provided for the special case Pareto–lognormal and lognormal distributions. The formulas are useful for measuring regional or global inequality in large‐scale projects that utilise dPLN distributions or their special cases.
IMAGINARIES AND EXPULSION: How 1,000 Temporary Accommodation Units for Refugees in the City of Gothenburg Became 57
Authors: Grange Kristina
Published: December 2021

From September to November 2015, more than 100,000 people applied for asylum in Sweden. Societal solidarity was unmistakable during this period, but six months later, when the refugees were to be accommodated, the situation had changed. In this analysis of imaginaries of migrants as strangers I scrutinize the city of Gothenburg's plan to build 1,000 temporary housing units to accommodate refugees. The project failed, resulting in only 57 units being built. In this article I analyse the societal imaginations the project revealed, including those embedded in political and public conflicts of opinion. In an attempt to understand why people sometimes refuse to share social space, I draw on a combination of Sara Ahmed's theories on the figure of ‘the stranger’ and Julia Kristeva's theories on how the stranger emanates from an ontological lack. I also outline in the article how different techniques of expulsion can be used to create spatial and temporal estrangement. In the subsequent analysis I demonstrate how practices of exclusion worked to expel migrants from urban development plans in the city of Gothenburg. The conclusion emphasizes the urgent need to scrutinize imaginaries among majority populations, and draws attention to the fact that the ‘foreigner is within us’.
Barriers to inclusion: insights of special and general educators from the US and St. Lucia
Authors: Lubin Jacqueline , Fernal Fabienne S.
Published: December 2021

Globally, inclusion has been touted as best practice for working with students with disabilities. Despite the universal acceptance of inclusion, educators have identified several challenges in using inclusive practices. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of general and special educators from the United States and St. Lucia on barriers to inclusion. Using qualitative research methodology, 32 teachers were interviewed. Data were analyzed inductively and special and general educators’ perception of barriers emerged under six themes: inadequate resources and time, environmental and professional barriers, lack of administrative support, negative attitudes of stakeholders, differing interpretation on inclusion, and unsuitable curriculum and assessment. Analysis was also guided by Lewin’s (1947) theory of planned change. Results indicated that teachers across regions identified similar obstacles to inclusion with time and limited resources being the predominant problem. The main difference was that environmental and professional barriers were identified by more teachers from the US, while lack of administrative support was predominantly identified by teachers from St. Lucia. In analyzing the responses from both general and special educators, the researcher found that there were no major differences based on participants’ role. Recommendations and implications for practice are discussed.
Value‐destroying Mergers: Evidence from Korean Business Groups*
Authors: Bae Kee‐Hong , Kim Kyunghyun
Published: December 2021

In this study, we find evidence of tunneling in mergers among affiliated firms that belong to Korean business groups. Using a recent sample of Korean mergers during the 2000–2020 period, we find that control‐motivated mergers to enhance the controlling family’s control over the business group significantly decrease the target’s value and that of the value‐weighted combined portfolio of the acquirer and target. Our evidence indicates that tunneling persisted even after the implementation of several governance reforms in Korea following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, casting doubt on the effectiveness of those reforms in curbing the tunneling behaviors of Korean business groups.
A longitudinal investigation of COVID‐19 pandemic experiences and mental health among university students
Authors: Stamatis Caitlin A. , Broos Hannah C. , Hudiburgh Stephanie E. , Dale Sannisha K. , Timpano Kiara R.
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Previous studies have established a link between the COVID‐19 pandemic and poor mental health. They further suggest that young adults may be especially vulnerable to worsened mental health during the pandemic, but few studies have investigated which specific aspects of the COVID‐19 experience affect psychological well‐being over time. To better understand concrete predictors of poor mental health outcomes in this population, we identified several pandemic‐related experiences and evaluated their effects on mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress, alcohol, and substance use) in a sample of U.S. college students (N = 176).

Methods

Both mental health symptoms and pandemic‐related experiences were evaluated at the start of quarantine (March/April 2020, Time 1) and the end of the Spring 2020 semester (May 2020, Time 2). Given the limited literature on specific predictors of mental health during a pandemic, we used elastic net regression, a novel analytic method that helps with variable selection when theoretical background is limited, to narrow our field of possible predictors.

Results

While mental health symptoms were elevated at both timepoints, there were no clinically significant changes from Time 1 to Time 2 and few differences between sociodemographic groups. Both disruption due to the pandemic (β = .25, p = .021) and limited confidence in the federal government’s response (β = −.14, p = .038) were significant predictors of depression symptoms at the end of the semester, even when controlling for baseline depression. Further, predictions that the pandemic would continue to impact daily life further into the future were linked with pandemic stress response symptoms (β = .15, p = .032) at Time 2, beyond the effects of baseline symptoms. Alcohol (β = −.22, p = .024) and substance use (β = −.26, p = .01) were associated with reduced adherence to COVID‐19 guidelines.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that specific aspects of the pandemic experience may be influencing internalizing symptoms and alcohol/substance use in college students, pointing to potential avenues for targeted support and intervention.

Practitioner points

A range of factors may influence university student mental health during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Students who expect the pandemic will continue to impact daily life further into the future maybe more likely to report stress symptoms.

Disruption due to the pandemic and limited confidence in the federal government’s response may be associated with depression symptoms.

Alcohol and substance use are associated with lower COVID‐19 guideline adherence in university students.
Metabolic inflexibility in youth with obesity: Is it a feature of obesity or distinctive of youth who are metabolically unhealthy?
Authors: Gebara Nour Y. , Kim Joon Young , Bacha Fida , Lee SoJung , Arslanian Silva
Published: December 2021

Individuals with obesity have metabolic inflexibility with diminished fasting fat oxidation and blunted increase in respiratory quotient (RQ) in insulin‐stimulated states. However, it is unclear if metabolic inflexibility is a characteristic of obesity per se or is unique to youth who have metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) compared with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). We investigated metabolic flexibility in youth with MUO, MHO and normal weight (NW) and compared their metabolic characteristics. Youth (n = 188) were divided, based on cut‐off points for in vivo insulin sensitivity (IS) of adolescents with NW, into 137 with MUO and 51 with MHO. Fasting hepatic IS (HIS) from hepatic glucose production by [6,6‐2H2]glucose, adipose tissue IS (ATIS) from whole‐body lipolysis by [2H5]glycerol, RQ (indirect calorimetry) during fasting and a hyperinsulinemic (80 mU/m2/min)‐euglycemic clamp were measured. Youth with MUO versus MHO had blunted ΔRQ (p = .035) and lower HIS and ATIS (both p < .0001), while ΔRQ, HIS and ATIS were not different between youth with MHO and NW. In a pair‐matched sub‐analyses of 30 MUO and 30 MHO the results were similar to the total cohort. Metabolic inflexibility, does not appear to be a feature of obesity per se rather distinctive of youth with MUO, who also have worse HIS and ATIS compared with youth with MHO.