bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Burr distribution as a model for the delay between key events in an individual’s infection history
Authors: Jamieson Nyall , Charalambous Christiana , Schultz David M. , Hall Ian
Published: April 2024

Understanding the temporal relationship between key events in an individual’s infection history is crucial for disease control. Delay data between events, such as infection and symptom onset times, is doubly censored because the exact time at which these key events occur is generally unknown. Current mathematical models for delay distributions rely solely on heuristic justifications for their applicability. Here, we derive a new model for delay distributions, specifically for incubation periods, motivated by bacterial-growth dynamics that lead to the Burr family of distributions being a valid modelling choice. We also incorporate methods within these models to account for the doubly censored data. Our approach provides biological justification in the derivation of our delay distribution model, the results of fitting to data highlighting the superiority of the Burr model compared to currently used models in the literature. Our results indicate that the derived Burr distribution is 13 times more likely to be a better-performing model to incubation-period data than currently used methods. Further, we show that incorporating methods for handling the censoring issue results in the mean of the underlying continuous incubation-period model being reduced by a whole day, compared to the mean obtained under alternative modelling techniques in the literature.

Author summary

In public health, it is important to know key temporal properties of diseases (such as how long someone is ill for or infectious for). Mathematical characterisation of properties requires information about patients’ infection histories, such as the number of days between infection and symptom onset, for example. These methods provide useful insights, such as how their infectiousness varies over time since they were infected. However, two key issues arise with these approaches. First, these methods do not have strong arguments for the validity of their usage. Second, the data typically used is provided as a rounded number of days between key events, as opposed to the exact period of time. We address both these issues by developing a new mathematical model to describe the important properties of the infection process of various diseases based on strong biological justification, and further incorporating methods within the mathematical model which consider infection and symptom onset to occur at any point within an interval, as opposed to an exact time. Our approach provides more preferable results, based on AIC, than existing approaches, enhancing the understanding of properties of diseases such as Legionnaires’ disease.
Topology changes of the regeneratingHydradefine actin nematic defects as mechanical organizers of morphogenesis
Authors: Ravichandran Yamini , Vogg Matthias , Kruse Karsten , Pearce Daniel JG , Roux Aurélien
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Hydrais named after the mythological animal for its regenerative capabilities, but contrary to its mythological counterpart, it only regenerates one head when cut. Here we show that soft compression of head regenerating tissues induces the regeneration of viable, two headed animals. Topological defects in the supracellular nematic organization of actin were previously correlated with the new head regeneration site1. Soft compression creates new topological defects associated with additional heads. To test the necessity of topological defects in head regeneration, we changed the topology of the tissue. By compressing the head regenerating tissues along their body axis, topological defects of the foot and of the regenerating head fused together, forming a toroid with no defects. Perfectly ordered toroids did not regenerate over eight days and eventually disintegrated. Spheroids made from excised body column tissue partially lose their actin order during regeneration. Compression of spheroids generated toroids with actin defects. These tissues regenerated into toroidal animals with functional head and foot, and a bifurcated body. Our results show that topological defects in the actin order are necessary to shape the head of the regeneratingHydra,supporting the notion that actin topological defects are mechanical organizers of morphogenesis.
Maternal and Infant Research Electronic Data Analysis (MIREDA): A protocol for creating a common data model for federated analysis of UK birth cohorts and the life course
Authors: Seaborne MJ , Jones HE , Cockburn N , Durbaba S , Giles TC , González-Izquierdo A , Hough A , Mason D , Mendez-Villalon A , Sanchez-Soriano C. , Orton C. , Ford D , Quinlan P , Nirantharakumar K , Poston L. , Reynolds RM , Santorelli G , Brophy S
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Birth cohorts are valuable resources for studying early life, the determinants of health, disease, and development. They are essential for studying life course. Electronic cohorts are live, dynamic longitudinal cohorts using anonymised, routinely collected data. There is no selection bias through direct recruitment, but they are limited to health and administrative system data and may lack contextual information.

The MIREDA (Maternal and Infant Research Electronic Data Analysis) partnership creates a UK-wide birth cohort by aligning existing electronic birth cohorts to have the same structure, content, and vocabularies, enabling UK-wide federated analyses.

Objectives

Create a core dynamic, live UK-wide electronic birth cohort with approximately 100,000 new births per year using a common data model (CDM).

Provide data linkage and automation for long-term follow up of births from MuM-PreDiCT and the ‘Born in’ initiatives of Bradford, Wales, Scotland, and South London for comparable analyses.

Methods

We will establish core data content and collate linkable data. Use a suite of extraction, transformation, and load (ETL) tools will be used to transform the data for each birth cohort into the CDM. Transformed datasets will remain within each cohort’s trusted research environment (TRE). Metadata will be uploaded for the public to theHealth Data Research (HDRUK) Innovation Gateway. We will develop a single online data access request for researchers. A cohort profile will be developed for researchers to reference the resource.

Ethics

Each cohort has approval from their TRE through compliance with their project application processes and information governance.

Dissemination

We will engage with researchers in the field to promote our resource through partnership networking, publication, research collaborations, conferences, social media, and marketing communications strategies.
Meta-analysis on safety of standard vs prolonged infusion of beta-lactams
Authors: Rolain Hunter , Schwartz Zachary , Jubriail Raymond , Downes Kevin , Hong Lisa , Ravari Alireza Fakhri , Rhodes Nathaniel J. , Scheetz Marc H.
Published: April 2024

Background

Efficacy for prolonged infusion beta-lactam dosing schemes has been previously described, but there has been less focus on the safety of standard vs prolonged infusion protocols of beta-lactams. This study explored differences in adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported for beta-lactams between each of these infusion protocols.

Methods

A systematic review of MEDLINE literature databases via PubMed was conducted and references were compiled. Articles were compiled and assessed with specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. We included randomized and nonrandomized, prospective, and retrospective cohort studies that reported adverse effects due to either standard (30-60 mins) or prolonged (≥3 hours) infusions of beta-lactam infusions. Total ADRs between strategies were analyzed by infusion methodology. The most consistently reported ADRs were subject to meta-analysis across studies.

Results

13 studies met inclusion/exclusion criteria with data for 4184 patients. There was insufficient data to systematically analyze neurotoxicity or cytopenias. Eight studies reported on nephrotoxicity outcomes with no significant difference in event rates between standard (n=440/2117, 20.8%) vs prolonged infusion (n=264/1284, 20.6%) of beta-lactams (OR=1.09, 95% CI [0.91, 1.30]). Six studies reported on rates of diarrhea with no significant difference in event rates between standard (n=21/359, 5.8%) vs prolonged infusion (n=25/330, 7.6%) of beta-lactams (OR=1.33, 95% CI [0.71,2.47).

Conclusion

Prolonged and standard infusion schemes for beta-lactams demonstrated adverse effects at similar rates for both infusion schemes. Future research should focus on improved standardization of adverse effect definitions and a priori aim to study neurotoxicity and cytopenias. Consistent recording of ADRs and standardized definitions of these reactions will be paramount to further study of this subject.
Microstructural asymmetry in the human cortex
Authors: Wan Bin , Saberi Amin , Paquola Casey , Schaare H. Lina , Hettwer Meike D. , Royer Jessica , John Alexandra , Dorfschmidt Lena , Bayrak Şeyma , Bethlehem Richard A.I. , Eickhoff Simon B. , Bernhardt Boris C. , Valk Sofie L.
Published: April 2024

While macroscale brain asymmetry and its relevance for human cognitive function have been consistently shown, the underlying neurobiological signatures remain an open question. Here, we probe layer-specific microstructural asymmetry of the human cortex using intensity profiles frompost-mortemcytoarchitecture. An anterior-posterior cortical pattern of left-right asymmetry was found, varying across cortical layers. A similar anterior-posterior pattern was observed usingin vivomicrostructural imaging, within vivoasymmetry showing the strongest similarity with layer III. Microstructural asymmetry varied as a function of age and sex and was found to be heritable. Moreover, asymmetry in microstructure corresponded to asymmetry of intrinsic function, in particular in sensory areas. Last, probing the behavioral relevance, we found differential association of language and markers of mental health with asymmetry, illustrating a functional divergence between inferior-superior and anterior-posterior microstructural axes anchored in microstructural development. Our study highlights the layer-based patterning of microstructural asymmetry of the human cortex and its functional relevance.
Measuring the burden of hundreds of BioBricks defines an evolutionary limit on constructability in synthetic biology
Authors: Radde Noor , Mortensen Genevieve A. , Bhat Diya , Shah Shireen , Clements Joseph J. , Leonard Sean P. , McGuffie Matthew J. , Mishler Dennis M. , Barrick Jeffrey E.
Published: April 2024

Engineered DNA will slow the growth of a host cell if it redirects limiting resources or otherwise interferes with homeostasis. Populations of engineered cells can rapidly become dominated by “escape mutants” that evolve to alleviate this burden by inactivating the intended function. Synthetic biologists working with bacteria rely on genetic parts and devices encoded on plasmids, but the burden of different engineered DNA sequences is rarely characterized. We measured how 301 BioBricks on high-copy plasmids affected the growth rate ofEscherichia coli. Of these, 59 (19.6%) negatively impacted growth. The burden imposed by engineered DNA is commonly associated with diverting ribosomes or other gene expression factors away from producing endogenous genes that are essential for cellular replication. In line with this expectation, BioBricks exhibiting burden were more likely to contain highly active constitutive promoters and strong ribosome binding sites. By monitoring how much each BioBrick reduced expression of a chromosomal GFP reporter, we found that the burden of most, but not all, BioBricks could be wholly explained by diversion of gene expression resources. Overall, no BioBricks reduced the growth rate ofE. coliby >45%, which agreed with a population genetic model that predicts such plasmids should be “unclonable” because escape mutants will take over during growth of a bacterial colony or small laboratory culture from a transformed cell. We made this model available as an interactive web tool for synthetic biology education and added our burden measurements to the iGEM Registry descriptions of each BioBrick.
Ribosome cooperativity promotes fast and efficient translation
Authors: Madern Maximilian F. , Yang Sora , Tanenbaum Marvin E.
Published: April 2024

The genetic information stored in mRNA is decoded by ribosomes during mRNA translation. mRNAs are typically translated by multiple ribosomes simultaneously, but it is unclear if different ribosomes translating the same mRNA functionally interact with each other. Here, we combine single-ribosome imaging and simulations to compare translation dynamics of individual ribosomes in either monosomes or polysomes to determine how ribosomes interact during translation. We find that ribosomes frequently undergo transient collisions, but that transient collisions, unlike persistent collisions, escape detection by cellular quality control pathways. Instead, our results indicate that transient ribosome collisions promote productive translation by suppressing ribosome pausing when ribosomes encounter problems, a process we term ribosome cooperativity. Ribosome cooperativity also suppresses ribosome recycling on problematic sequences, likely by reducing pause duration, thus stimulating processive translation. Together, our results show that ribosomes cooperate during translation to ensure fast and efficient translation.
Anyon condensation and confinement transition in a Kitaev spin liquid bilayer
Authors: Hwang Kyusung
Published: April 2024

Transitions between quantum spin liquids (QSLs) are fundamental problems lying beyond the Landau paradigm and requiring a deep understanding of the entanglement structures of QSLs called topological orders. The novel concept of anyon condensation has been proposed as a theoretical mechanism, predicting various possible transitions between topological orders, but it has long been elusive to confirm the mechanism in quantum spin systems. Here, we introduce a concrete spin model that incarnates the mechanism of the anyon condensation transition. Our model harbors two topological QSLs in different parameter regions, a non-Abelian Kitaev spin liquid (KSL) bilayer state and a resonating valence bond (RVB) state. The bilayer-KSL-to-RVB transition indeed occurs by the mechanism of anyon condensation, which we identify by using parton theories and exact diagonalization studies. Moreover, we observe “anyon confinement” phenomena in our numerical results, akin to the quark confinement in high-energy physics. Namely, non-Abelian Ising anyons of the bilayer KSL are confined in the transition to the RVB state. Implications and extensions of this study are discussed in various aspects such as (i) anyon-condensed multilayer construction of Kitaev's 16-fold way of anyon theories, (ii) an additional vison condensation transition from the RVB to a valence bond solid in the Kitaev bilayer system, (iii) dynamical anyon condensation in a non-Hermitian Kitaev bilayer, (iv) generalizations of our model to other lattice geometries, and (v) experimental realizations. This work puts together the two fascinating QSLs that are extensively studied in modern condensed matter and quantum physics into a concrete spin model, offering a comprehensive picture that unifies the anyon physics of the Kitaev spin liquids and the resonating valence bonds.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
An empirical evaluation of the performance of Nigerian pension fund managers
Authors: Ajadi Adedeji David
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This paper evaluates the risk-adjusted returns, selectivity, market timing skills and persistence of the performance of Nigerian pension funds.

Design/methodology/approach

Annual return data of 23 pension funds that operated in Nigeria between 2018 and 2022 were obtained from the National Pension Commission (PenCom). Risk-adjusted return was appraised using the Treynor ratio, Sharpe ratio and Jensen alpha, while the Treynor–Mazuy and Henriksson–Merton multiple regression models were applied to decompose selective and timing skills. Performance persistence was assessed using the contingency table and rank correlation models.

Findings

Evidence shows that pension funds deliver excess risk-adjusted returns and exhibit selective skills. However, the evidence does not support the presence of timing skills, and there is overwhelming evidence that good (bad) performance does not repeat.

Practical implications

An evaluation of the investment performance of pension funds is crucial for ensuring the financial stability of retirees, maintaining economic stability and making informed investment decisions. It serves the interests of pensioners, pension fund managers, regulators and the broader economy. Our evidence that pension funds generate positive excess returns is a departure from most of the literature on managed funds. We recommend that more Nigerians should leverage the pension fund industry to grow their wealth and prepare for retirement.

Originality/value

This study, to our knowledge, is the first to appraise all the key facets of the investment performance of pension funds in the Nigerian context.
Cultural variation in hiring people with disabilities: a theory and preliminary test
Authors: Thomas David , Muibi Aminat , Hsu Anna , Ekelund Bjørn , Wasvik Mathea , Barzantny Cordula
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The goal of this study is to propose and test a model of the effect of the socio-cultural context on the disability inclusion climate of organizations. The model has implications of hiring people with disabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the model, we conducted a cross-sectional study across four countries with very different socio-cultural contexts. Data were gathered from 266 managers with hiring responsibilities in Canada, China, Norway and France. Participants responded to an online survey that measured the effect of societal based variables on the disability inclusion climate of organizations.

Findings

Results indicated support for the theoretical model, which proposed that the socio-cultural context influenced the disability inclusion climate of organizations through two distinct but related paths; manager’s value orientations and their perception of the legitimacy of legislation regarding people with disabilities.

Originality/value

The vast majority of research regarding employment of people with disabilities has focused on supply side factors that involve characteristics of the people with disabilities. In contrast, this research focuses on the less researched demand side issue of the socio-cultural context. In addition, it responds to the “limited systematic research examining and comparing how country-related factors shape the treatment of persons with disability” (Beatty et al., 2019, p. 122).
Governance requirements in supply chain finance: the need for a dual-layered semipermeable boundary
Authors: Phraknoi Nichapa , Stevenson Mark , Jia Meng
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to define and investigate the governance requirements of supply chain finance (SCF).

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative analysis of 849 news articles published in UK newspapers (2000–2022) using the Gioia method.

Findings

SCF governance relies on developing capacities for reflexive scrutiny at two stages: (1) prior to entering into an SCF relationship and (2) during its operation. Based on the notion of SCF as a complex adaptive system, we theorise SCF governance requirements as a dual-layered semipermeable boundary. The semipermeability of the two layers allows for a dynamic exchange between the SCF system and its environment. The first layer is the capacity to selectively enable or control the entry and access of certain actors and practices into the SCF system. The second layer is a capacity for ongoing scrutiny of the SCF operation and its development. Further, we identify five aspects of governance to be enabled, i.e. enhancing adaptability, building confidence, improving efficiency, advancing technology and promoting transparency; and four aspects to be controlled, i.e. preventing abuse of power, curbing fraud risk, constraining operational risk and restricting risky extensions to SCF practices.

Practical implications

Our dynamic framework can guide supply chain (SC) members in making decisions about whether to participate, or continue to operate, in an SCF relationship. Moreover, the findings have implications for policymakers and authorities who oversee entry/access and the involvement of SCF providers, particularly, fintech firms.

Originality/value

The study contributes to both the SC and governance literature by providing a systematic analysis of what SCF governance has to accomplish. Our novel contribution lies in its analysis of SCF governance based on a complex adaptive system approach, which expands the existing literature where SCF is described in rather static terms. More specifically, it suggests a need for a dynamic duality of SCF governance through the semipermeable boundary that selectively enables and controls certain SCF actors and practices.
Reinforming memes: a literature review of the status of memetic information
Authors: Smith Alexander O. , Hemsley Jeff , Tacheva Zhasmina Y.
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Our purpose is to reconnect memetics to information, a persistent and unclear association. Information can contribute across a span of memetic research. Its obscurity restricts conversations about “information flow,” the connections between “form” and “content,” as well as many other topics. As information is involved in cultural activity, its clarification could focus memetic theories and applications.

Design/methodology/approach

Our design captures theoretical nuance in memetics by considering a long standing conceptual issue in memetics: information. A systematic review of memetics is provided by making use of the term information across literature. We additionally provide a citation analysis and close readings of what “information” means within the corpus.

Findings

Our initial corpus is narrowed to 128 pivotal memetic publications. From these publications, we provide a citation analysis of memetic studies. Theoretical directions of memetics in the informational context are outlined and developed. We outline two main discussion spaces, survey theoretical interests and describe where and when information is important to memetic discussion. We also find that there are continuities in goals which connect Dawkins’s meme with internet meme studies.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, this is the broadest, most inclusive review of memetics conducted, making use of a unique approach to studying information-oriented discourse across a corpus. In doing so, we provide information researchers areas in which they might contribute theoretical clarity in diverse memetic approaches. Additionally, we borrow the notion of “conceptual troublemakers” to contribute a corpus collection strategy which might be valuable for future literature reviews with conceptual difficulties arising from interdisciplinary study.
The contradictory effect of lean and industry 4.0 synergy on firm performance: a meta-analysis
Authors: Biondo Diego , Kai Dalton Alexandre , Pinheiro de Lima Edson , Benitez Guilherme Brittes
Published: April 2024

Purpose

While previous operations management literature acknowledges the positive influence of Lean and Industry (I4.0) on performance, recent studies examining the synergy between these two factors have produced inconsistent and contradictory results. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effect of Lean and I4.0 synergy on firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilised a meta-analysis approach, examining 23 empirical studies exploring multiple effects of the Lean and I4.0 synergy on firm performance. Multiple subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the contradictory outcomes and identify in what conditions such synergy may achieve performance.

Findings

The results affirm the prevailing positivist perspective among most scholars regarding the positive influence of the Lean and I4.0 synergy on firm performance. However, the overall effect size derived from the studies indicates a weak relationship, suggesting that this synergy alone is not the sole determinant factor of firm performance. In addition, the subgroup analyses reveal the presence of contingent conditions that may affect the performance outcomes when integrating Lean and I4.0, as most effects exhibit a weak relationship.

Originality/value

This study represents the first meta-analysis investigating the relationship between the Lean and I4.0 synergy on firm performance. By shedding light on the contradictory effects often depicted in the operations management literature, this study provides a critical reflection for researchers who tend to adopt an overly optimistic view of such synergy.
Time perspectives and collaborative performance in creative tasks
Authors: Auer Thorsten , Hoppe Julia Amelie , Thommes Kirsten
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The relationship between variation in time perspectives and collaborative performance is scarcely explored, and even less is known about the respective mechanisms that lead to varying task performance. Thus, we aim to further the literature on time perspectives and collaborative performance, shedding light on the underlying behavioral patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

We report a quasi-experiment analyzing the impact of past, present and future orientation variation in dyads (N = 76) on their quantitative and qualitative performance when confronted with a simple incentivized creative task with constraints. Subsequently, we offer a qualitative analysis of comments given by the participants after the task on the collaboration.

Findings

Results indicate that a dyad's elevation of past orientation and diversity in future orientation negatively affect collaborative performance. At the same time, there is a positive effect of elevation of future orientation. The positive effect is driven by clear communication and agreement during the task, while the negative effect arises from work sharing and complementation.

Practical implications

This study provides insights for organizations on composing individuals regarding their temporal focus for collaborative tasks that should be executed rapidly and require creative solutions.

Originality/value

Our study distinguishes by considering the composition of past, present and future time perspectives in dyads and focuses on a creative task setting. Moreover, we explore the mechanisms in the dyads with a substantial elevation of/diversity in future orientation, leading to their stronger/weaker performance.
A multi-stage integrated model based on deep neural network for credit risk assessment with unbalanced data
Authors: Wang Lu , Zheng Jiahao , Yao Jianrong , Chen Yuangao
Published: April 2024

Purpose

With the rapid growth of the domestic lending industry, assessing whether the borrower of each loan is at risk of default is a pressing issue for financial institutions. Although there are some models that can handle such problems well, there are still some shortcomings in some aspects. The purpose of this paper is to improve the accuracy of credit assessment models.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, three different stages are used to improve the classification performance of LSTM, so that financial institutions can more accurately identify borrowers at risk of default. The first approach is to use the K-Means-SMOTE algorithm to eliminate the imbalance within the class. In the second step, ResNet is used for feature extraction, and then two-layer LSTM is used for learning to strengthen the ability of neural networks to mine and utilize deep information. Finally, the model performance is improved by using the IDWPSO algorithm for optimization when debugging the neural network.

Findings

On two unbalanced datasets (category ratios of 700:1 and 3:1 respectively), the multi-stage improved model was compared with ten other models using accuracy, precision, specificity, recall, G-measure, F-measure and the nonparametric Wilcoxon test. It was demonstrated that the multi-stage improved model showed a more significant advantage in evaluating the imbalanced credit dataset.

Originality/value

In this paper, the parameters of the ResNet-LSTM hybrid neural network, which can fully mine and utilize the deep information, are tuned by an innovative intelligent optimization algorithm to strengthen the classification performance of the model.
Cyber-physical metaverse learning in cultural sustainable education
Authors: Lai Ying-Hsun , Lin Yu-Shan , Chang Yao-Chung , Chen Shih-Yeh
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a developing educational concept that aims to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability through education. Cultural sustainability education aims to cultivate awareness and protection of cultural assets, promote sustainable development and foster environmental responsibility. This study establishes a cyber-physical metaverse of cultural sustainability learning to cultivate students' motivation, multicultural identity, critical thinking and sustainability thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing technologies were utilized to create a cyber-physical metaverse learning environment. This learning environment is designed to allow elementary school children to learn about indigenous cultures and the architecture of slate houses, as well as socio-architectural issues. Learners will be able to experience first-hand the plight of the indigenous tribal areas and the exploration of related cultural knowledge.

Findings

The study collected pre- and post-test data through questionnaires, using covariates to analyze learners' perceptions of learning. The results of this study showed that cyber-physical metaverse learning environment had a significant impact on learning motivation, multicultural identity and sustainability thinking for culturally sustainable education. However, this study’s impact on critical thinking skills in students remains to be confirmed.

Research limitations/implications

This is a quasi-experimental study of a single country’s elementary school children in the indigenous area, so its findings cannot be extrapolated to other areas or to learners of different ages.

Originality/value

This study introduces a framework for incorporating both virtual and real cultures to promote sustainable learning. The cyber-physical metaverse learning is used to supplement teaching activities to enhance learners' motivation in learning multicultural knowledge. Students were able to recognize and protect cultural assets, as well as emphasize the importance of sustainable development.
Enterprise chatbots in managers' perception: a strategic framework to implement successful chatbot applications for business decisions
Authors: Savastano Marco , Biclesanu Isabelle , Anagnoste Sorin , Laviola Francesco , Cucari Nicola
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The contemporary business environment is characterised by an increasing reliance on artificial intelligence, automation, optimisation, efficient communication and data-driven decision making. Based on the limited academic literature that examines the managerial perspective on enterprise chatbots, the paper aims to explore organisational needs and expectations for enterprise chatbots from a managerial perspective, assesses the relationship between managerial knowledge and managerial opinion regarding enterprise chatbots, and delivers a framework for integrating chatbots into the digital workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a quantitative design. An online, self-administered survey yielded 111 valid responses from managers in service and manufacturing organisations based on convenience and snowball sampling strategies. Given the nature of the data and the research questions, the research was conducted using principal component analysis, parallel analysis, correlation, internal consistency and difference in means tests.

Findings

This research explores the managerial perspective on enterprise chatbots from multiple perspectives (i.e., adoption, suitability, development requirements, benefits, barriers, performance and implications), presents a heat map of the average level of chatbot need across industries and business units, highlights the urgent need for education and training initiatives targeted at decision makers, and provides a strategic framework for successful chatbot implementation.

Practical implications

This study equips managers and practitioners dealing with enterprise chatbots with knowledge to effectively leverage the expected benefits of investing in this technology for their organisations. It offers direction for developers in designing chatbots that align with organisational expectations, capabilities and skills.

Originality/value

Insights for managers, researchers and chatbot developers are provided. The work complements the few academic studies that examine enterprise chatbots from a managerial perspective and enriches related commercial studies with more rigourous statistical analysis. The paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on decision-making in the context of technology development, integration and education.
Integrating functional traits into trophic rewilding science
Authors: Atkinson Joe , Gallagher Rachael , Czyżewski Szymon , Kerr Matthew , Trepel Jonas , Buitenwerf Robert , Svenning Jens‐Christian
Published: April 2024

Trophic rewilding is gaining rapid momentum as a means of restoration across the world. Advances in research are elucidating the wide‐ranging effects of trophic rewilding and megafauna re‐establishment on ecosystem properties and processes including resilience, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, productivity and plant richness.

A substantial gap remains in trophic rewilding research on how rewilding affects the frequency and expression of plant functional traits, a key hypothesised avenue by which megafauna can affect biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Yet, there is extensive literature examining the effects of mammal herbivory and exclusion on plant traits from which we may infer potential effects of megafauna reintroductions.

Here, we synthesise the literature to show the multifaceted ways that plant functional composition responds to mammalian herbivory and explore how these responses are modulated by the density and identity of herbivores as well as resource availability, ecosystem productivity and historical contingency. We further explore these interactions in a quantitative analysis on European plant species. In addition, we link these broad patterns between mammal herbivory and traits to literature on plant invasions to predict how trophic rewilding may be able to reduce invasive plant dominance, as ecosystems around the world are transitioning towards novel states, occupied by a mix of native and introduced species.

Expanding current research on herbivore effects (and their implications for trophic rewilding) beyond plant species richness and towards measurable functional traits can help assess and quantify processes that were not previously possible. Trait approaches can help to test mechanistic hypotheses on the top‐down impacts of large herbivores on plant communities to reveal links between trophic rewilding and ecosystem processes and properties.

Synthesis. Given the rapid, much‐needed expansion of restoration and rewilding activities across the world, trait‐based ecology offers a pathway to generalisable predictions of the ecosystem impacts of rewilding, particularly in the context of both the unique landscape processes associated with rewilding (e.g. landscape scale spatiotemporal variability, dispersal) and of widely emerging novel ecosystems.
The consistency principle: Crisis perceptions, partisanship and public support for democratic norms in comparative perspective
Authors: DRISCOLL AMANDA , KREHBIEL JAY , NELSON MICHAEL J. , KIM SANGYEON
Published: April 2024

A growing body of research theorizes that partisanship can undermine democracy as citizens prioritize their political interests over abstract norms and values. We argue that crises might counteract intense partisanship by giving citizens clarity on the threats posed by rule of law violations. Examining the differential application of a law – a breach of democratic norms – we draw on an experiment embedded in representative surveys of Germany, the United States, Hungary and Poland to examine citizens’ sense of appropriate punishment for elites’ violation of a municipal mask‐wearing ordinance. We find evidence of partisan bias in citizens’ willingness to support punishment in all four countries. But, in the two consolidated democracies, we find that concern about the Covid‐19 crisis diminishes partisan biases in punishment preferences: citizens who are most concerned about the crisis also model the most consistency in their willingness to hold copartisans into account.
Patterns of democracy and democratic satisfaction: Results from a comparative conjoint experiment
Authors: PAPP ZSÓFIA , NAVARRO JULIEN , RUSSO FEDERICO , NAGY LAURA EMŐKE
Published: April 2024

This study presents the results from a series of conjoint experiments evaluating how the various components of political systems affect citizens’ satisfaction with democracy (SWD). Compared to earlier studies, our approach is unique in that we were able to disentangle the effects of otherwise highly collinear variables corresponding to three defining features of any political system, namely (1) access to power, (2) the policy‐making process and (3) performance. We fielded identical conjoint experiments in countries with significant variations across the key independent variables: France, Hungary and Italy. Overall, our study supports the view that citizens are more satisfied with democracy in consensus systems than in majoritarian democracies, while it also contributes to identifying the respective weight of the specific components of political systems. Respondents across all countries recognize that proportionality and party system fragmentation magnify their voices by creating a more representative political climate. With regard to output legitimacy, we find that respondents identify good economic performance and public probity as important features of a well‐performing democracy. The positive effect of the legislators’ constituency orientation on SWD is a particularly noteworthy result that is currently understudied in the literature. Moreover, the state of the economy has by far the biggest impact on SWD, which indicates a highly materialistic view of democracy in all three countries.
Exploring the linkage of higher education and attitudes towards European integration: The British case
Authors: McNEIL ANDREW , SIMON ELIZABETH
Published: April 2024

While cross‐sectional research has consistently shown graduates are less Eurosceptic than non‐graduates, little is known about the causal role of university study in determining these attitudes, as few longitudinal studies have explored this. This study does so, providing robust causal estimates of higher education's effect on Euroscepticism through applying individual‐ and sibling fixed‐effect modelling techniques to British Household Panel and Understanding Society data from 1999–2022. Both specifications provide consistent results; suggesting university study does little to decrease Euroscepticism in the short‐run but has substantial long‐run effects. This alludes to an ‘allocation’ effect, whereby it is largely not the experience of obtaining a degree itself, but the opportunities afforded by virtue of doing so that shape attitudes towards Europe. Our novel findings not only demonstrate that within‐sibling estimates of higher education's effect can be generalised to the wider British population but also advance our understanding of the mechanisms linking education with Euroscepticism.
Attempting to reduce traffic stop racial disparities: An experimental evaluation of an internal dashboard intervention
Authors: Carter Travis , Wolfe Scott , Knode Jed , Henry Grace
Published: April 2024

Research Summary

We conducted a group randomized‐controlled trial of an internal dashboard system deployed by the Michigan State Police to determine its effectiveness in reducing traffic stop racial disparities. Informed by a difference‐in‐differences design, analyses of traffic stop data from 2019–2022 indicated that the dashboard had no impact on traffic stop racial disparities. Additional analyses of traffic stops, crashes, and crime revealed that the dashboard had no “de‐policing” effect on traffic patrols, nor were there any significant changes in traffic safety or crime in treatment patrol areas relative to control patrol areas. Qualitative analyses of interview data from more than 40 troopers in the agency revealed unique barriers to program implementation and opportunities for future improvement.

Policy Implications

In an era of policing where the capacity and demand for data‐driven decision‐making is on the rise, evidence‐based policy and practice can provide police agencies with informed solutions for addressing traffic stop racial disparities. Yet, the increased demand for evidence‐based reform is fueled by a relatively low supply of evidence‐based research. This study adds to this evidence base by providing unique insights into the effectiveness of a program built specifically to reduce racial disparities in traffic stops, while also highlighting implementation challenges.
Incidence and disease burden of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases after non‐pharmaceutical interventions in the COVID‐19 era: A nationwide observational study in Korea
Authors: Shin Je Hee , Pyo Jung Yoon , Han Minkyung , Lee Myeongjee , Lim Sung Min , Baek Jee Yeon , Lee Ji Young , Kang Ji‐Man , Jung InKyung , Ahn Jong Gyun
Published: April 2024

Background

Infections are considered risk factors for autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), the incidence of which is considered to have been impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The impact of non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on the incidence of AIRDs and their associated health care services and medical expenses in Korea was investigated.

Methods

We included all AIRD cases reported between January 2016 and February 2021 based on the National Health Insurance Service data. We evaluated changes in incidence trends for each AIRD before and after NPI implementation (Feb 2020 to Feb 2021) using segmented regression analysis. Changes in health care utilization and medical costs for each AIRD before and after NPI implementation were also investigated.

Results

After NPI implementation, monthly incidence rates declined significantly by 0.205 per 1 000 000 (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.308 to −0.101, p < .001) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No significant changes in the incidence of all AIRDs other than SLE were observed before and after implementation. Further, annual outpatient department visits per patient were lower during implementation for all diseases, except juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The prescription days per outpatient visit increased significantly during implementation for all diseases, except JIA and ankylosing spondylitis. During implementation, the total annual medical costs per patient tended to decrease for all diseases, except JIA and mixed connective tissue disease.

Conclusion

Implementation of NPIs to contain the pandemic led to a reduction in the incidence of SLE and changed patterns of medical care utilization and treatment cost for most AIRDs.
Nitrate and oxygen significantly changed the abundance rather than structure of sulphate‐reducing and sulphur‐oxidising bacteria in water retrieved from petroleum reservoirs
Authors: Tian Huimei , Gao Peike , Qi Chen , Li Guoqiang , Ma Ting
Published: April 2024

Sulphate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) are the main culprits of microbiologically influenced corrosion in water‐flooding petroleum reservoirs, but some sulphur‐oxidising bacteria (SOB) are stimulated when nitrate and oxygen are injected, which control the growth of SRB. This study aimed to determine the distributions of SRB and SOB communities in injection–production systems and to analyse the responses of these bacteria to different treatments involving nitrate and oxygen. Desulfovibrio, Desulfobacca, Desulfobulbus, Sulfuricurvum and Dechloromonas were commonly detected via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Still, no significant differences were observed for either the SRB or SOB communities between injection and production wells. Three groups of water samples collected from different sampling sites were incubated. Statistical analysis of functional gene (dsrB and soxB) clone libraries and quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the SOB community structures were more strongly affected by the nitrate and oxygen levels than SRB clustered according to the sampling site; moreover, both the SRB and SOB community abundances significantly changed. Additionally, the highest SRB inhibitory effect and the lowest dsrB/soxB ratio were obtained under high concentrations of nitrate and oxygen in the three groups, suggesting that the synergistic effect of nitrate and oxygen level was strong on the inhibition of SRB by potential SOB.
Proton pump inhibitors for gastrointestinal bleeding prophylaxis in critically ill patients: A systematic review protocol
Authors: Wang Ying , Heels‐Ansdell Diane , Ge Long , Parpia Sameer , Ibrahim Quazi , Cook Deborah , Deane Adam , Lauzier Francois , Hammond Naomi , Møller Morten H. , Krag Mette , Perner Anders , Guyatt Gordon H.
Published: April 2024

Background

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the most commonly prescribed drugs for preventing upper gastrointestinal bleeding in critically ill patients. However, concerns have arisen about the possible harms of using PPIs, including potentially increased risk of pneumonia, Clostridioides difficile infection, and more seriously, an increased risk of death in the most severely ill patients. Triggered by the REVISE trial, which is a forthcoming large randomized trial comparing pantoprazole to placebo in invasively mechanically ventilated patients, we will conduct this systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PPIs versus no prophylaxis for critically ill patients.

Methods

We will systematically search randomized trials that compared gastrointestinal bleeding prophylaxis with PPIs versus placebo or no prophylaxis in adults in the intensive care unit (ICU). Pairs of reviewers will independently screen the literature, and for those eligible trials, extract data and assess risk of bias. We will perform meta‐analyses using a random‐effects model, and calculate relative risks for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences for continuous outcomes, and the associated 95% confidence intervals. We will conduct subgroup analysis to explore whether the impact of PPIs on mortality differs in more and less severely ill patients. We will assess certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach.

Discussion

This systematic review will provide the most up‐to‐date evidence regarding the merits and limitations of stress ulcer prophylaxis with PPIs in critically ill patients in contemporary practice.