bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green human resource management practices as a strategic choice for enhancing employees' environmental outcomes: an affective events theory perspective
Authors: Iqbal Rimsha , Shahzad Khurram , Chaudhary Richa
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Drawing on affective events theory (AET), this study aims to examine how green human resource management (GHRM) practices influence employees' environmental commitment (EEC) and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) through the mediating role of harmonious environmental passion (HEP).

Design/methodology/approach

Time-lagged and multisource data were collected from employee–coworker dyads (n = 231) working in manufacturing companies. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.

Findings

Results revealed that GHRM practices predicted both EEC and OCBE significantly. Further, HEP partially mediated the relationship of GHRM practices with EEC and OCBE.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights towards the unattended affective processes that underlie the link between GHRM practices and green employee outcomes through a coherent theoretical lens of AET. It spotlights that implementing GHRM practices as a strategic choice helps evoke HEP among employees, which is an essential determinant of employees' eco-friendly attitude and behavior.
“From strategic weapon to underperformer”—leader perceptions on human resource management in Finnish municipalities
Authors: Kantola Jenni , Lehto Kirsi , Viitala Riitta
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study explores municipal leaders' perceptions on strategic human resource management in their local government organization. Previous studies on companies demonstrate that the top manager's perceptions of the importance of human resource management (HRM) for the organization are reflected in the quality of human resource management and its strategic role. The authors are interested in how leaders in municipalities perceive HRM.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors interviewed 30 leaders of Finnish municipalities for this qualitative study focused on municipal leaders' perceptions of HRM. The authors applied a discourse analytical approach in the analysis.

Findings

The authors recognized four discourses that frame perceptions of HRM: HRM as a strategic weapon, HRM as an underperformer, HRM as a matter of formality and HRM as a cost generator. In addition, the authors recognized that the discourses reflected leaders' self-positioning in relation to the power to impact issues related to HRM. Shifting between distinct roles demonstrated that municipal leaders' emphasis on HRM and its strategic alignment reflects the power relations in the municipality and the attitudes to the importance of HRM.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the academic discussions on HRM in municipalities and provides views on the municipal leader's role and impact on valuing and investing in HRM. From a practical point of view, the study will increase municipal leaders' knowledge of HRM's impact on the performance of the organization and also of the possible means of HRM.
Cash and in-kind transfers in India: contexts, preferences and evidence
Authors: Das Aurolipsa , Sethi Narayan
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Since the last decade, debates regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the forms of transfer, i.e. in the form of in-kind or cash transfers, have been gaining momentum. This paper aims to explore the preferences revealed by the beneficiaries, the role of contextual conditions in moulding these preferences, factors associated with the transfer scheme that defines the preferences and the rationale behind such responses.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted involves primary data collected from an Indian state, Odisha. 308 beneficiaries of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) were interviewed concerning specific objectives in a rural district (Mayurbhanj) and another highly urbanised district (Khordha).

Findings

The comparative results show that the strength of the contextual conditions significantly influences the preferences of the beneficiaries in the rural district as compared to the effect on the beneficiaries of the urban district. Education seems to have an insignificant impact in rural areas. However, income and standard of living have positive significant effects on shaping the preferences for cash or in-kind transfers.

Originality/value

Examining the strength of the contextual conditions and emphasising beneficiaries' perspectives would stimulate a better understanding of the implementation of the proposed quasi-Universal Basic Income. The study would hence, be instrumental in dealing with the transition towards cash transfers in the Indian context where the co-responsibility of both stakeholders, the government and the beneficiaries, should be given equal weightage.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2023-0158
Music sentiment and the stock market in Vietnam
Authors: Can Thu Le , Le Minh Duy , Yu Ko-Chia
Published: October 2023

Purpose

By extending Edmans et al.’s (2021) music sentiment measures to the Vietnam market, the authors aim to investigate the impacts of music sentiment on stock market returns and volatility.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted Edmans et al.’s (2021) music-based sentiment to proxy for investor mood. The current study uses linear regression analysis.

Findings

The authors find that music sentiment is significantly and positively related to both stock returns and stock market volatility. The authors also show that music sentiment has a contagious effect: Global music sentiment and those in the United States, France and Hong Kong are significant drivers of the Vietnamese stock market. The authors also examine the effect on different industry returns and find that returns on stocks of firms in the communication services, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials, healthcare, real-estate, information technology and utility sectors are significantly related to music sentiment. In addition to valence, the authors find that other Spotify audio features can be used to quantify music sentiment.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the behavioral finance literature that focuses on investor sentiment. The authors address this topic in Vietnam using high-frequency data.
Pseudocide: dying to get away with it
Authors: Nash Jonathan , Brody Richard G. , Perri Frank S.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

When an individual leaves evidence to suggest that they are dead to mislead others, they are committing “pseudocide.” This study aims to examine pseudocides performed for the purpose of committing or concealing a financial crime.

Design/methodology/approach

This manuscript summarizes information from both academic and nonacademic publications. To provide evidence related to the conclusions made by prior authors and identify the risk factors that are often indicative of pseudocide, this manuscript examines the characteristics of pseudocides that received media coverage.

Findings

Pseudocides that receive media coverage often involve a prominent figure or a compelling story. These stories are not representative of the average pseudocide, which receives no publicity because it occurs in a less developed nation and is committed by a nonpublic figure. Common characteristics include the absence of a corpse and paperwork procured through bribery.

Originality/value

One of the only academic papers focused on pseudocide, this manuscript provides readers with information related to the scope of the issue, common methodologies and factors indicative of pseudocide. This should be of interest to several parties including forensic accountants, insurers, regulators and academics.
Research on the tail risk contagion in the international commodity market on the China's financial market: based on a network perspective
Authors: Liao Xin , Li Wen
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Considering the frequency of extreme events, enhancing the global financial system's stability has become crucial. This study aims to investigate the contagion effects of extreme risk events in the international commodity market on China's financial industry. It highlights the significance of comprehending the origins, severity and potential impacts of extreme risks within China's financial market.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the tail-event driven network risk (TENET) model to construct a tail risk spillover network between China's financial market and the international commodity market. Combining with the characteristics of the network, this study employs an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to examine the factors influencing systemic risks in China's financial market and to explore the early identification of indicators for systemic risks in China's financial market.

Findings

The research reveals a strong tail risk contagion effect between China's financial market and the international commodity market, with a more pronounced impact from the latter to the former. Industrial raw materials, food, metals, oils, livestock and textiles notably influence China's currency market. The systemic risk in China's financial market is driven by systemic risks in the international commodity market and network centrality and can be accurately predicted with the ARDL-error correction model (ECM) model. Based on these, Chinese regulatory authorities can establish a monitoring and early warning mechanism to promptly identify contagion signs, issue timely warnings and adjust regulatory measures.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights into predicting systemic risk in China's financial market by revealing the tail risk spillover network structure between China's financial and international commodity markets.
Legend of leagues: heterogeneity in the revenue structure of European national leagues
Authors: Havran Zsolt , Kajos Attila , Mazzag Bálint
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The environmental characteristics of international football can vary significantly from one country to another. As a result, the economic and market possibilities and the objectives of each national league are very heterogeneous. This article aims to examine the differences in revenue structures amongst European national football leagues (n = 50) and cluster them based on these structures. It also investigates which revenue structure would be more effective for similar leagues, considering the previously mentioned varying environmental characteristics of international football.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilises a theoretical framework of business modelling, applied in a unique way to league organisers of national championships. Data on sports and business aspects were collected from sources such as the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Financial Benchmarking Reports, transfermarkt.de and related sources for the period 2015 to 2018. K-means cluster analysis, using the Euclidean distance approach, was employed to develop clusters based on revenue sources over a four-year average.

Findings

The paper presents the characteristics and year-to-year changes of nine developed clusters. Throughout the analysis, variables such as average overpayment and inequality between player values amongst leagues were prioritised. The study's practical implications can assist league organisers in enhancing the competitiveness of their leagues, supported by short case studies that provide illustrative examples.

Originality/value

The novelty of the current article lies in introducing innovative variables such as the variance of player value whilst focussing on meso-level analysis, providing a fresh contribution to the existing literature in the field for understanding revenue structures and performance in European national football leagues.
Analysing user well-being in ridehailing services
Authors: Shaikh Aijaz A. , Liebana-Cabanillas Francisco , Alharthi Majed , Alamoudi Hawazen , Karjaluoto Heikki
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Although the sharing economy improves comfort and convenience, it is yet unclear how it affects subjective well-being. This study aims to offer a conceptual model for understanding the linkages between the antecedents and consequences of subjective well-being in ridehailing services.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a non-probabilistic sampling method and a pre-tested survey instrument, 450 responses were collected from January to March 2020. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

Experience quality and perceived convenience are correlated with subjective well-being. Perceived value and personal innovativeness were not correlated with subjective well-being, as the former does not contribute to the latter’s development. Continuous usage intention significantly correlated with subjective well-being, followed by customer relationship proneness and advocacy. Regarding gender and age differences, men place higher value on customer relationship proneness than women, while women place higher value on subjective well-being than men. Older users value perceived convenience and customer relationship proneness in ridehailing services more than younger users.

Practical implications

Understanding key factors contributing to user well-being in ridehailing would promote a more affordable mobility sector globally. This understanding would enable ridehailing businesses to create more effective business and marketing plans while prioritising user well-being, thus enhancing user happiness and reducing turnover rates.

Originality/value

This research demonstrates how crucial it is for users’ well-being to have a positive experience and find the service convenient. It also highlights the importance of building strong customer relationships and examines how gender and age influence people’s adoption and use of these services.
Listening as activism: Re‐thinking resilience and justice‐doing as a response to trauma
Authors: Halliwell Carol , Shannahan Ben
Published: October 2023

Just as language is political, so too is the way we listen to people. Our listening shapes the way we witness and respond to others and the stories of life that are co‐constructed in the process. Co‐constructing resiliences includes returning the gaze on the political and social contexts in which harm to people takes place. In the process, we explore listening practices associated with therapeutic activism (D'Arrigo‐Patrick et al., 2017) and the generative potential offered by tuning into the meanings people attribute to their responses to violence and how people do resilience in their lives offers. We will demonstrate how our work with a family has led us to think about how we can all be jointly sustained in the work by making moments and practices of resistance and resilience visible. We will explore how these practices can enhance a sense of personal agency and create experiences of vicarious resilience (Hernandez‐Wolfe, 2018) that help people access more possibilities in their lives.
Recent advances in neoantigen vaccines for treating non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Su Shu , Chen Fungjun , Xu Mingyuan , Liu Baorui , Wang Lifeng
Published: October 2023

The breakthrough of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) blockade therapy has changed the clinical treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the past few years. The success of PD‐1 blockade therapy has been attributed to high tumor mutation burden and high immunogenicity of lung cancer cells. To further improve the efficacy of NSCLC immunotherapy and overcome the resistance of lung cancer cells to immune checkpoint blockade, new approaches that enhance the active immune response, such as neoantigen vaccines and cellular‐based therapies, are urgently required. Neoantigens are considered ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy because of their high immunogenicity and specificity. In this mini review, we first discuss the current advances in neoantigen vaccines for treating cancers and then review the results of preclinical studies and early‐phase human clinical trials of neoantigen‐based therapies for NSCLC. Finally, we focus on the identification of neoantigens in patients with NSCLC and review the candidate mutations reported by recent studies and our investigations. The review concludes that, in addition to immune checkpoint blockade, approaches targeting neoantigens are promising for improving the efficacy of NSCLC immunotherapy.
Causes of stillbirth in ethnically diverse women in a Perth metropolitan hospital: A retrospective study
Authors: Sharma Kriti , Bhat Saiuj , Bhat Sangeeta Malla
Published: October 2023

Background

Most published reports analysing the differences in causation of stillbirth between different ethnic groups focus on stillbirth risk factors, with a paucity of data comparing actual causes of stillbirth.

Aims

To determine whether causes of stillbirth differ between Caucasian and non‐Caucasian ethnic groups in an Australian context.

Materials and Methods

Data from all stillbirths occurring at 20 or more completed weeks of gestation between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020 at a secondary level, outer metropolitan hospital, were analysed in this retrospective case series. Causes of stillbirth as determined by perinatal autopsy and placental histopathology were categorised using the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Perinatal Death Classification and compared between Caucasian and non‐Caucasian groups.

Results

Ninety‐two stillbirths (0.7% of all births) were identified during the study period. A greater proportion of non‐Caucasian women had small for gestation age placentas compared to Caucasian women (n = 22/43 (51%) vs n = 12/49 (24%); P = 0.025). A greater proportion of stillbirths were caused by hypoxic peripartum death in non‐Caucasian than in Caucasian women (n = 4/43 (9%) vs n = 0/49 (0%); P = 0.044), and a greater prevalence of placental dysfunction was seen in the non‐Caucasian cohort compared to Caucasian women (n = 14/43 (33%) vs n = 8/49 (16%); P = 0.057).

Conclusions

The differences observed in causes of stillbirth between Caucasian and non‐Caucasian women are hypothesis generating and warrant further larger‐scale, multi‐centred studies using standardised definitions and classification systems to determine whether these differences persist in a more representative sample.
Penile fractures: the price of a merry Christmas
Authors: Pyrgidis Nikolaos , Chaloupka Michael , Volz Yannic , Pfitzinger Paulo , Apfelbeck Maria , Weinhold Philipp , Stief Christian , Marcon Julian , Schulz Gerald Bastian
Published: October 2023

Objectives

To explore whether Christmas might be a risk factor for penile fractures due to the Christmas spirit related to the intimacy and euphoria of these holly jolly days.

Patients and methods

We evaluated the incidence of penile fractures during Christmas and New Year's Eve through the GeRmAn Nationwide inpatient Data (GRAND) from the Research Data Center of the Federal Bureau of Statistics (Wiesbaden, Germany). Furthermore, we assessed the impact of COVID‐19 on penile fractures and their seasonality.

Results

A total of 3,421 patients with a median, interquartile range (IQR) age of 42 (32–51) years had a penile fracture requiring a hospital stay from 2005 to 2021. In all, 40 (1.2%) penile fractures occurred in 51 days of Christmas (from 24/12 to 26/12 in each year). The daily incidence of penile fractures during Christmas was 0.78 with an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.43 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–1.95, P = 0.02). If every day was like Christmas, 43% more penile fractures would have occurred in Germany from 2005 on. Interestingly, only 28 (0.82%) penile fractures occurred during the New Year's Eve period (31/12 to 02/01 from 2005 to 2021). This resulted in an IRR of 0.98 (95% CI 0.69–1.5, P = 0.98) in the New Year's Eve period. Most patients with penile fractures were admitted to hospital at the weekend (n = 1,322; IRR 1.58, 95% CI 1.48–1.69; P < 0.001). Summer was also associated with more penile fractures (n = 929; IRR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.19; P = 0.008). Both the COVID‐19 pandemic (n = 385; IRR 1.06, 95% CI 0.95–1.18, P = 0.29) and its lockdown period (n = 93; IRR 1, 95% CI 0.82–1.23; P = 0.96) did not affect the incidence of penile fractures.

Conclusion

The incidence of penile fractures displays a seasonality. Last Christmas penile fractures occurred more often. This year to save us from tears, we will NOT do something special (the new Christmas hit of the year).
Prenatal Di‐methoxyethyl phthalate exposure impairs cortical neurogenesis and synaptic activity in the mice
Authors: Ko Moon Yi , Park Heejin , Chon Sun‐Hwa , Lee Byoung‐Seok , Cha Sin‐Woo , Hyun Sung‐Ae , Ka Minhan
Published: October 2023

Di‐methoxyethyl phthalate (DMEP) is a well‐known environmentally prevalent endocrine disruptor and may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and intellectual disability. However, the regulatory mechanisms leading to these neurodevelopmental disorders are still poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that prenatal DMEP exposure causes abnormal brain morphology and function in the mice. DMEP (50 mg/kg) was chronically administered to pregnant mice orally once a day starting on embryonic day 0 (E0) to breast‐feeding cessation for the fetus. We found that prenatal DMEP exposure significantly reduced the number of neurons in the parietal cortex by impairing neurogenesis and gliogenesis during the developing cortex. Moreover, we found that prenatal DMEP exposure impaired dendritic spine architectures and synaptic activity in the parietal cortex. Finally, prenatal DMEP exposure in mice induces hyperactivity and reduces anxiety behaviors. Altogether, our study demonstrates that prenatal DMEP exposure leads to abnormal behaviors via impairment of neurogenesis and synaptic activity.
Does subsidized orthodontic treatment reduce inequalities in access? Evidence from Norway based on population register data
Authors: Jiang Nan , Kinge Jonas Minet , Skau Irene , Grytten Jostein
Published: October 2023

Objective

An important part of Norwegian welfare policy is to provide subsidized orthodontic treatment for children and adolescents. The objective of this policy is that dental services should be allocated according to children's need for treatment, and not according to parents' ability to pay. The probability of receiving orthodontic treatment independent of parent's household income was examined.

Methods

The study population encompassed children and adolescents aged 10–18 years in 2019 (n = 354 439). Information about whether they had started orthodontic treatment was obtained from the Norwegian Health Economics Administration. The key independent variable was net equalized household income. Inequalities were measured using concentration indices, which were estimated according to the severity of the malocclusion (very great need, great need, obvious need and no need). Two indices were used to measure relative inequality: the unstandardized concentration index and the partial concentration index. Absolute inequality was measured using the corrected concentration index. Relevant control variables were included in some of the analyses.

Results

The unstandardized indices were in the range 0.04 (very great need) to 0.05 (obvious need). For all three groups of severity, the 95% confidence intervals overlapped. The values of the partial indices were significantly lower than the values of the unstandardized indices. The partial indices were in the range 0.008 (very great need) to 0.03 (obvious need). The 95% confidence intervals for the partial indices did not overlap with the 95% confidence intervals of the unstandardized indices. For all three groups of severity, the indices that measured absolute inequality were close to zero.

Conclusions

It is possible to achieve the egalitarian aim of equality in service provision by subsidizing orthodontic treatment. This is possible within a system where the cost of orthodontic treatment is reimbursed according to the criteria of need. These criteria function in such a way that patients with the greatest need for orthodontic treatment are given the highest priority.
Combating Spurious Correlations in Loose‐fitting Garment Animation Through Joint‐Specific Feature Learning
Authors: Diao Junqi , Xiao Jun , He Yihong , Jiang Haiyong
Published: October 2023

We address the 3D animation of loose‐fitting garments from a sequence of body motions. State‐of‐the‐art approaches treat all body joints as a whole to encode motion features, which usually gives rise to learned spurious correlations between garment vertices and irrelevant joints as shown in Fig. 1. To cope with the issue, we encode temporal motion features in a joint‐wise manner and learn an association matrix to map human joints only to most related garment regions by encouraging its sparsity. In this way, spurious correlations are mitigated and better performance is achieved. Furthermore, we devise the joint‐specific pose space deformation (PSD) to decompose the high‐dimensional displacements as the combination of dynamic details caused by individual joint poses. Extensive experiments show that our method outperforms previous works in most indicators. Moreover, garment animations are not interfered with by artifacts caused by spurious correlations, which further validates the effectiveness of our approach. The code is available at https://github.com/qiji77/JointNet.
Sharing Model Framework for Zero‐Shot Sketch‐Based Image Retrieval
Authors: Ho Yi‐Hsuan , Way Der‐Lor , Shih Zen‐Chung
Published: October 2023

Sketch‐based image retrieval (SBIR) is an emerging task in computer vision. Research interests have arisen in solving this problem under the realistic and challenging setting of zero‐shot learning. Given a sketch as a query, the search goal is to retrieve the corresponding photographs in a zero‐shot scenario. In this paper, we divide the aforementioned challenging work into three tasks and propose a sharing model framework that addresses these problems. First, the weights of the proposed sharing model effectively reduced the modality gap between sketches and photographs. Second, semantic information was used to handle different label spaces during the training and testing stages. The sketch and photograph domains share semantic information. Finally, a memory mechanism is used to reduce the intrinsic variety in sketches, even if they all belong to the same class. Sketches and photographs dominate the embeddings in turn. Because sketches are not limited by language, our ultimate goal is to find a method to replace text searches. We also designed a demonstration program to demonstrate the use of the proposed method in real‐world applications. Our results indicate that the proposed method exhibits considerably higher zero‐shot SBIR performance than do other state‐of‐the‐art methods on the challenging Sketchy, TU‐Berlin, and QuickDraw datasets.
Fabricatable 90° Pop‐ups: Interactive Transformation of a 3D Model into a Pop‐up Structure
Authors: Fujikawa J. , Ijiri T.
Published: October 2023

Ninety‐degree pop‐ups are a type of papercraft on which a three‐dimensional (3D) structure pops up when the angle of the base fold is 90°. They are fabricated by cutting and creasing a single sheet of paper. Traditional 90° pop‐ups are limited to 3D shapes only comprising planar shapes because they are made of paper. In this paper, we present novel pop‐ups, fabricatable 90° pop‐ups that employ the 90° pop‐up mechanism, consist of components with curved shapes, and can be fabricatable using a 3D printer. We propose a method for converting a 3D model into a fabricatable 90° pop‐up. The user first interactively designs a layout of pop‐up components, and the system automatically deforms the components using the 3D model. Because the generated pop‐ups contain necessary cuts and folds, no additional assembly process is required. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method, we designed and fabricated various 90° pop‐ups using a 3D printer.
Integrating High‐Level Features for Consistent Palette‐based Multi‐image Recoloring
Authors: Xue D. , Corral J. Vazquez , Herranz L. , Zhang Y. , Brown M. S.
Published: October 2023

Achieving visually consistent colors across multiple images is important when images are used in photo albums, websites, and brochures. Unfortunately, only a handful of methods address multi‐image color consistency compared to one‐to‐one color transfer techniques. Furthermore, existing methods do not incorporate high‐level features that can assist graphic designers in their work. To address these limitations, we introduce a framework that builds upon a previous palette‐based color consistency method and incorporates three high‐level features: white balance, saliency, and color naming. We show how these features overcome the limitations of the prior multi‐consistency workflow and showcase the user‐friendly nature of our framework.
Perspective from single‐cell sequencing: Is inflammation in acute ischemic stroke beneficial or detrimental?
Authors: Deng Xinpeng , Hu Ziliang , Zhou Shengjun , Wu Yiwen , Fu Menglin , Zhou Chenhui , Sun Jie , Gao Xiang , Huang Yi
Published: October 2023

Background

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a common cerebrovascular event associated with high incidence, disability, and poor prognosis. Studies have shown that various cell types, including microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, neurons, and neutrophils, play complex roles in the early stages of AIS and significantly affect its prognosis. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of action of these cells will be beneficial for improving stroke prognosis. With the rapid development of single‐cell sequencing technology, researchers have explored the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying AIS at the single‐cell level.

Method

We systematically summarize the latest research on single‐cell sequencing in AIS.

Result

In this review, we summarize the phenotypes and functions of microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, neurons, neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, as well as their respective subtypes, at different time points following AIS. In particular, we focused on the crosstalk between microglia and astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons. Our findings reveal diverse and sometimes opposing roles within the same cell type, with the possibility of interconversion between different subclusters.

Conclusion

This review offers a pioneering exploration of the functions of various glial cells and cell subclusters after AIS, shedding light on their regulatory mechanisms that facilitate the transformation of detrimental cell subclusters towards those that are beneficial for improving the prognosis of AIS. This approach has the potential to advance the discovery of new specific targets and the development of drugs, thus representing a significant breakthrough in addressing the challenges in AIS treatment.
Phase I crossover study of DNA‐protein kinase inhibitor peposertib in healthy volunteers: Effect of food and pharmacokinetics of an oral suspension
Authors: Becker Andreas , Krebs‐Brown Axel , Vetter Claudia , Reuter Tanja , Rodriguez‐Gutierrez Almudena , You Xiaoli , Lissy Michael
Published: October 2023

Peposertib is an orally administered inhibitor of DNA‐dependent protein kinase. We evaluated the effect of food on its pharmacokinetics, and examined the pharmacokinetics of an oral suspension (OS) of disintegrated tablets, in a phase I, open‐label, crossover three‐period study (NCT04702698). Twelve healthy volunteers were randomized to one of six treatment sequences. They received a single dose of peposertib 100 mg as film‐coated tablets under fasted or fed conditions (“tablet fasted” or “tablet fed”) or as an OS under fasted conditions (“OS fasted”), with washout between treatments. Using healthy volunteers was possible because, despite its mechanism of action being suppression of DNA repair, peposertib has shown no genotoxic effect in animals. A mild food effect was observed with peposertib tablets. Fed‐to‐fasted ratios were: area under the curve from time 0 to time t (AUC0–t), 123.81% (90% confidence interval [CI]: 108.04, 141.87%); AUC from zero to infinity (AUC0–∞), 110.28% (90% CI 100.71, 120.77%); and maximum concentration (Cmax) 104.47% (90% CI: 79.15, 137.90%). Cmax was delayed under fed conditions (median time to maximum concentration [Tmax] was 3.5 h [tablet fed] vs. 1 h [tablet fasted]). OS‐to‐tablet (fasted) ratios were: AUC0–t, 124.83% (90% CI: 111.50%, 139.76%); AUC0–∞, 119.05% (90% CI: 104.47, 135.67%); and Cmax 173.29% (90% CI: 135.78, 221.16%). Median Tmax was 0.5 h (OS fasted) versus 1 h (tablet). All treatments were well‐tolerated in healthy volunteers. Peposertib tablets can be taken with or without food; if combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, the delay in Cmax must be considered to optimize the chemo‐ or radiosensitizing effect. The peposertib OS form represents an alternative route of administration in patients with specific cancers causing dysphagia. However, the OS form should be part of future dose optimization strategies in relevant settings.
Evolutions in machine learning technology for financial distress prediction: A comprehensive review and comparative analysis
Authors: El Madou Kaoutar , Marso Said , El Kharrim Moad , El Merouani Mohamed
Published: October 2023

In recent years, financial distress prediction (FDP), also known as corporate failure prediction or bankruptcy prediction, has gained significant importance due to its impact on organizations, especially during unexpected events like pandemics and wars. Machine learning (ML) models have emerged as innovative and essential tools in predicting financial distress, leveraging the ever‐increasing volume of databases and computing power. This study utilizes bibliographic techniques to contribute to the field's literature review to address the disorganized nature of the existing literature on FDP, reduce confusion, and provide clarity to domain researchers. These techniques enable identifying the progress of articles published over the years, influential authors, and highly cited articles. Additionally, the study examines crucial aspects of data preprocessing, such as missing data, imbalanced data, feature selection, and outliers, as they significantly impact the robustness and performance of ML models. Furthermore, it discusses essential models employed in FDP, focusing on recent advancements that represent promising trends. In conclusion, this study contributes to the field by uncovering novel trends and proposing possible directions for advancing FDP research. These findings will guide researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders in their quest for improved prediction and decision‐making in financial distress.
Hybrid evolutionary intelligent network for sentiment analysis using Twitter data during COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Kour Harnain , Gupta Manoj Kumar
Published: October 2023

COVID‐19 pandemic has impacted many nations, causing physical as well as mental health concerns globally. In most countries, governments enforced strict lockdowns and social distancing, thus affecting people's daily lives. People usually tweet their views on online platforms that is unstructured text with implicit meaning. With the evolution of artificial intelligence in the natural language processing domain, the prediction of sentiments accurately has become a challenge. To contribute as a solution to this, a hybrid approach is proposed for sentiment prediction with the use of an evolutionary‐based approach, transfer‐based learning and machine learning. The proposed approach uses bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) with genetic algorithm (GA) and support vector machine (SVM), namely, hybrid evolutionary intelligent model (GA‐BERT‐SVM). These approaches aid in extracting important features considering semantics and context present in the text. To avoid the limitations of the backpropagation approach, such as trapping in local minima and overfitting the data, the initial parameters (weights and biases) of the dense layers has been optimized using GA. Additionally, the pretrained BERT layers are utilized without any modification, following a standard transfer learning approach. The BERT embeddings are concatenated with the SVM for training and classification. GridSearchCV and GeneticSearchCV is used for obtaining optimal parameters of SVM. A multi‐classification problem is tackled using a benchmark COVID‐19 dataset, which comprises of Twitter data and is categorized into COVIDSENTI‐A, COVIDSENTI‐B, COVIDSENTI‐C and a combined dataset called COVIDSENTI. Experimental evaluation demonstrates promising results of the proposed model in terms of accuracy, F1‐score, precision and recall, surpassing state‐of‐the‐art approaches.
Human mobility and environmental degradation: Shaping rural Morocco
Authors: Ferreira Fernandes Carla Sofia , Alves Fátima , Loureiro João
Published: October 2023

Environmental degradation constitutes a disruptive force in man‐made and natural systems. The projected duplication of the frequency and duration of meteorological drought will contribute to a situation of water scarcity, which is expected to negatively impact the agricultural sector. This study focuses on Souss‐Massa, Morocco, a leading agricultural region, and it seeks to map how human mobility fits within a wider adaptation response to environmental degradation. Over 30 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with internal migrants and members of rural communities on the perceived impacts of environmental degradation and human mobility. Most of the interviewees perceive a reduction in the available water, and the agricultural sector is the most severely affected by those changes. Internal migration is the most frequent adaptation strategy mentioned, and the remittances it originates are supporting the communities of origin facing a deterioration of agricultural output.
RETRACTED: A meta‐analysis of the risk factors for surgical site infection in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Chen Yani , Guo Hua , Gao Tian , Yu Jiale , Wang Yujia , Yu Haiquan
Published: October 2023

The purpose of the meta‐analysis was to evaluate and compare the surgical site infection (SSI) risk factors in patients with colorectal cancer (CC). The results of this meta‐analysis were analysed, and the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using dichotomous or contentious random or fixed‐effect models. For the current meta‐analysis, 23 examinations spanning from 2001 to 2023 were included, encompassing 89 859 cases of CC. Clean‐contaminated surgical site wounds had significantly lower infections (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.20–0.64, p < 0.001) compared to contaminated surgical site wounds in patients with CCs. Males had significantly higher SSIs (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.12–1.24, p < 0.001) compared to females in patients with CC. American Society of Anesthesiology score ≥3 h had a significantly higher SSI (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.18–1.71, p < 0.001) compared to <3 score in patients with CCs. Body mass index ≥25 had significantly higher SSIs (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.11–2.14, p = 0.01) compared to <25 in patients with CCs. The presence of stoma creation had a significantly higher SSI rate (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.37–3.79, p = 0.001) compared to its absence in patients with CC. Laparoscopic surgery had significantly lower SSIs (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.59–0.78, p < 0.001) compared to open surgery in patients with CC. The presence of diabetes mellitus had a significantly higher SSI rate (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.15–1.33, p < 0.001) compared to its absence in patients with CCs. No significant difference was found in SSI rate in patients with CCs between <3 and ≥3 h of operative time (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.75–1.51, p = 0.72), between the presence and absence of blood transfusion (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.69–3.66, p = 0.27) and between the presence and absence of previous laparotomies (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 0.93–2.32, p = 0.10). The examined data revealed that contaminated wounds, male sex, an American Society of Anesthesiology score ≥3 h, a body mass index ≥25, stoma creation, open surgery and diabetes mellitus are all risk factors for SSIs in patients with CC. However, operative time, blood transfusion and previous laparotomies were not found to be risk factors for SSIs in patients with CC. However, given that several comparisons had a small number of chosen research, consideration should be given to their values.
Male recognition of conspecific female chemical cues in a diverse clade of freshwater fishes
Authors: Black Taylor N. , Rastogi Aakriti , Saegert Abby , Dib Joseph , Moran Rachel L.
Published: October 2023

Where orangethroat darters (Etheostoma: Ceasia) and rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) co‐occur, males prefer conspecific over heterospecific females. The cues males use to identify conspecific females remain unclear. We conducted behavioral trials to ask whether chemical cues function in conspecific recognition. We found that males from three orangethroat darter species preferentially associate with female scent over a control. Our results support the use of olfaction in conspecific identification in the orangethroat clade and contribute to our understanding of signals that may facilitate species recognition and underlie the evolution of behavioral isolation.
In vitro hair growth‐promoting effect of Lgr5‐binding octapeptide in human primary hair cells
Authors: Lee Eung Ji , Kim Min Woong , Gil Ha‐Na , Chung Yong Ji , Kim Eun Mi
Published: October 2023

Background

Hair loss occurs due to various biological and environmental causes, which can have psychosocial consequences. The Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is well‐known for its role in hair growth and regeneration, as it induces the proliferation and differentiation of hair cells. When the leucine‐rich G protein‐coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) interacts with the R‐spondins, the frizzled receptor (FZD), a Wnt receptor, becomes stabilized, resulting in an increased β‐catenin activity.

Aim

We investigated whether the octapeptide that binds to Lgr5 enhances proliferation and differentiation of human primary hair cells through the activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling.

Methods

The binding affinity of the octapeptide to Lgr5 was evaluated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). We confirmed changes in proliferation and related factors like β‐catenin activation and growth factors (GFs) expression in human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HHFDPCs). Additionally, we observed the proliferation and the expression of differentiation markers in human hair follicle outer root sheath cells (HHFORSCs), human hair follicle germinal matrix cells (HHFGMCs), and human hair follicle stem cells (HHFSCs). We used three‐dimensional HHFDPC spheroid culture treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to create in vitro conditions that mimic androgenetic alopecia, and we studied the effects of octapeptide on Wnt expression and HHFSC differentiation.

Results

The binding of the octapeptide to Lgr5 was confirmed using SPR analysis. In HHFDPCs, treatment with octapeptide resulted in a concentration‐dependent increase in proliferation. We also observed increased nuclear translocation of β‐catenin and increased expression of its downstream targets. HHFDPCs treated with octapeptide exhibited increased expression of growth factors and phosphorylation of Akt and ERK. In addition, we confirmed that octapeptide increased proliferation and induced differentiation in HHFORSCs, HHFGMCs, and HHFSCs. Under the HHFDPC spheroid culture conditions, we found that octapeptide restored the inhibition of Wnt‐5a and Wnt‐10b expressions by DHT. In HHFSCs treated with HHFDPC spheroid culture media, we observed that octapeptide recovered the inhibition of differentiation by DHT.

Conclusion

We found that octapeptides activated the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling and induced the proliferation and differentiation of human primary hair cells by acting as an exogenous ligand for Lgr5. In addition, octapeptides recovered inhibited hair regeneration characters by DHT in androgenetic alopecia‐mimic in vitro model. These findings suggest that octapeptides may be a promising therapeutic option for treating hair loss.
Transcranial Doppler ultrasound to evaluate the risk of hyperperfusion after endovascular stroke thrombectomy
Authors: Katsanos Aristeidis H. , Srivastava Abhilekh , Sahlas Demetrios J. , Perera Kanjana , Ng Kelvin K. H. , Joundi Raed A. , Van Adel Brian , Larrazabal Ramiro , Ratnayake Kanchana , Tsivgoulis Georgios , Benavente Oscar , Hart Robert , Sharma Mukul , Shoamanesh Ashkan , Catanese Luciana
Published: October 2023

Background and Purpose

Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) has been reported in up to 50% of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with a large vessel occlusion (LVO) treated with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). HT may be driven by postrecanalization hyperperfusion injury and is independently associated with worse functional outcomes. Strategies to identify patients at risk for HT may assist in developing preventive therapies.

Methods

We prospectively included adult AIS patients with an anterior circulation LVO achieving successful recanalization after EVT. Consenting participants received transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) within 18 hours of procedure completion. We compared flow velocities according to the presence of HT on the computed tomography scan performed within the first 24±12 hours from the end of EVT. We also evaluated the association of flow velocities with systemic blood pressure (BP) readings at the time of insonation.

Results

A total of 48 patients consented to participate in the study. Six (12%) were excluded due to the absence of temporal windows. HT was detected in 20 participants (48%). Those with HT had higher peak systolic velocities on the middle cerebral arteries compared to those without HT for both the symptomatic (107±42 vs. 82±25 cm/second, p = .024) and asymptomatic (97±21 vs. 81±25 cm/second, p = .040) sides. No correlation of flow velocities on either the symptomatic or asymptomatic side and BP measurements at the time of insonation was detected.

Conclusion

TCD can identify patients at risk of HT following successful EVT. TCD could serve as an inexpensive ancillary test to guide participant selection for clinical trials targeting postprocedural reperfusion injury.
Oral health risk factors and overall dental treatment needs for incoming air force recruits
Authors: Ryan J. Brett , Scott Thayer , McDonough Robert , Schindler David , Irwin Scott P. , Badner Victor M.
Published: October 2023

Objective

To determine if relationships exist between the total dental treatment needs of incoming Air Force recruits and non‐clincal demographic and oral‐health related factors.

Methods

Data from the 2018 Air Force Recruit Oral Health Study (ROHS) was used, an anonymized sample of 1330 AF recruits that included a comprehensive oral exam and survey collecting demographic and oral health behavior information. The primary outcome variable was the total number of dental treatment needs for recruits, and independent predictor variables included select socio‐demographic factors and wellness behaviors. Along with descriptive statistics, a multivariable negative binomial regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between variables with a normalized weight making the final results representative of all incoming recruits.

Results

The final adjusted analysis showed that an incoming recruit's self‐rated oral health, dental coverage prior to enlistment, need for a dental visit within the last 12 months, sugar intake, and tobacco use increased their risk for dental treatment needs.

Conclusion

This is the first study to assess the relationship between specific risk indicators and increased dental treatment needs while adjusting other related covariates. Factors associated with dental treatment needs were identified that provide Air Force leaders with actionable information to directly improve recruit oral health and military readiness by identifying new airmen at the highest risk for excessive dental care needs while at basic military training.