bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Presence or absence of a prefrontal sulcus is linked to reasoning performance during child development
Authors: Willbrand Ethan H. , Voorhies Willa I. , Yao Jewelia K. , Weiner Kevin S. , Bunge Silvia A.
Published: March 2022

The relationship between structural variability in late-developing association cortices like the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the development of higher-order cognitive skills is not well understood. Recent findings show that the morphology of LPFC sulci predicts reasoning performance; this work led to the observation of substantial individual variability in the morphology of one of these sulci, the para-intermediate frontal sulcus (pimfs). Here, we sought to characterize this variability and assess its behavioral significance. To this end, we identified the pimfs in a developmental cohort of 72 participants, ages 6-18. When controlling for age, the presence or absence of the ventral component of the pimfs was associated with reasoning, as was the total surface area of pimfs. These findings show that multiple features of sulci can support the development of complex cognitive abilities and highlight the importance of considering individual differences in local morphology when exploring the neurodevelopmental basis of cognition.
A bivalent CMV vaccine formulated with human compatible TLR9 agonist CpG1018 elicits potent cellular and humoral immunity in HLA expressing mice
Authors: Dasari Vijayendra , Beckett Kirrilee , Horsefield Shane , Ambalathingal George , Khanna Rajiv
Published: March 2022

There is now convincing evidence that the successful development of an effective CMV vaccine will require improved formulation and adjuvant selection that is capable of inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses. Here, we have designed a novel bivalent subunit vaccine formulation based on CMV-encoded oligomeric glycoprotein B (gB) and polyepitope protein in combination with human compatible TLR9 agonist CpG1018. The polyepitope protein includes multiple minimal HLA class I-restricted CD8+ T cell epitopes from different antigens of CMV. This subunit vaccine generated durable anti-viral antibodies, CMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in multiple HLA expressing mice. Antibody responses included broad TH1 isotypes (IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3) and potently neutralized CMV infection in fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Furthermore, polyfunctional antigen-specific T cell immunity and antiviral antibody responses showed long-term memory maintenance. These observations argue that this novel vaccine strategy, if applied to humans, could facilitate the generation of robust humoral and cellular immune responses which may be more effective in preventing CMV-associated complications in various clinical settings.
Combining transgenesis with paratransgenesis to fight malaria
Authors: Huang Wei , Vega-Rodriguez Joel , Kizito Christopher , Cha Sung-Jae , Jacobs-Lorena Marcelo
Published: March 2022

Malaria is among the deadliest infectious diseases and Plasmodium, the causative agent, needs to complete a complex development cycle in its vector mosquito for transmission to occur. Two promising strategies to curb transmission are transgenesis, consisting of genetically engineering mosquitoes to express anti-malarial effector molecules and paratransgenesis, consisting of introducing into the mosquito, commensal bacteria engineered to express anti-malarial effector molecules. Although both approaches restrict parasite development in the mosquito, it is not known how their effectiveness compares. Here we provide an in-depth assessment of transgenesis and paratransgenesis and evaluate the combination of the two approaches. Using the Q-system to drive gene expression, we engineered mosquitoes to produce and secrete two effectors – scorpine and the MP2 peptide – into the mosquito gut and salivary glands. We also engineered Serratia, a commensal bacterium capable to spread through mosquito populations, to secrete the same two effectors into the mosquito gut. Whereas both mosquito-based and bacteria-based approaches strongly reduced the oocyst and sporozoite intensity, a substantially stronger reduction of P. falciparum development was achieved when transgenesis and paratransgenesis were combined. Most importantly, transmission of P. berghei from infected to naïve mice was maximally inhibited by the combination of the two approaches. Combining these two strategies promise to become a powerful approach to combat malaria.

Significance

Malaria kills hundreds of thousand persons yearly. Clearly, new approaches are needed to fight this disease. Two promising approaches are based on the concept of genetically modifying the mosquito to make it a poor vector for the parasite: 1) transgenesis (engineering the mosquito to deliver anti-malarial compounds) and 2) paratransgenesis (engineering mosquito symbiotic bacteria to deliver anti-malarial compounds). The key questions addressed by this manuscript are: which of the two is the most promising approach? And because transgenesis and paratransgenesis are not mutually exclusive, would the combination of both be the most effective strategy? Our results argue for the combination of the two, showing the additive impact that these two strategies may have in controlling malaria transmission in the field.
Distinct gene expression by expanded clones of quiescent memory CD4+ T cells harboring intact latent HIV-1 proviruses
Authors: Weymar Georg H J , Bar-On Yotam , Oliveira Thiago Y. , Gaebler Christian , Ramos Victor , Hartweger Harald , Breton Gaëlle , Caskey Marina , Cohn Lillian B , Jankovic Mila , Nussenzweig Michel C
Published: March 2022

Antiretroviral therapy controls but does not cure HIV-1 infection due to a reservoir of rare CD4+ T cells harboring latent proviruses. Little is known about the transcriptional program of latent cells. Here we report a novel strategy to enrich clones of latent cells carrying intact, replication- competent HIV-1 proviruses from blood based on their expression of unique T cell receptors. Latent cell enrichment enabled single cell transcriptomic analysis of 1,050 CD4+ T cells belonging to expanded clones harboring intact HIV-1 proviruses from 6 different individuals. The analysis revealed that most of these cells are T effector memory cells that are enriched for expression of HLA-DR, HLA-DP, CD74, CCL5, Granzymes A and K, cystatin F, LYAR and DUSP2. We conclude that expanded clones of latent cells carrying intact HIV-1 proviruses persist preferentially in a distinct CD4+ T cell population opening new possibilities for eradication.

Graphical Abstract
Bioinformatic analyses of plasmid resistome changes in pOXA-48
Authors: Fordham Stephen , Mantzouratou Anna , Sheridan Elizabeth Anne
Published: March 2022

Infections caused by carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriales (CPE) represent a significant threat in clinical settings. blaOXA-48 is one of the most frequent carbapenemase genes among Enterobacteriales. The blaOXA-48 is typically encoded on the prototypical IncL conjugative pOXA-48 plasmid. The pOXA-48 plasmid encodes only the blaOXA-48 resistance gene. However, aminoglycoside and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) resistance genes have also been detected on the same pOXA-48 plasmid backbone. These pOXA-48 plasmids encoding additional antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes have been associated with both poor patient outcome and increased minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to antibiotics including broad-spectrum cephalosporins.

The blaOXA-48 gene was sourced from the pOXA-48 reference plasmid and set as a query using the BLASTn tool. Non-duplicate blaOXA-48 containing plasmids were downloaded, incompatibility typed and annotated for resistance genes using ResFinder 4.0. Bioinformatic analyses identified three distinct variants of the pOXA-48 plasmid encoding 4, 5, and 6 antimicrobial resistance genes. All plasmids encoded the ESBL blaCTX-M-14b, blaOXA-48 and either 2, 3 or 4 aminoglycoside resistance genes, in addition to conjugative transfer machinery. Plasmid variants 1 and 3 encoded aminoglycoside genes bracketed between IS26 and ISEc63 insertion elements, forming a potential transposon. The potential transposon structure had resemblance to the Tn5393 transposon (accession: M96392), including both aph(3’’)-Ib, aph(6)-Id genes, and a Tn3 resolvase. The IS element ISEcp1 lies upstream of blaCTX-M-14b. All three plasmid variants appear related. Notably, all pOXA-48 plasmid variants were identified in multiple countries. In particular, variant 1 including 6 AMR genes was detected in 7 unique countries.

Plasmids encoding additional AMR genes were associated with clinical/surveillance samples suggesting antibiotic pressure in clinical settings may promote changes in the resistome of pOXA-48. Acquisition of pOXA-48 resistant plasmids carrying additional AMR genes beyond blaOXA-48 can change the resistome of susceptible isolates in a single-step, rendering previously susceptible strains refractory to almost all available treatment options.
Functional characterization of the thrombospondin-related paralogous proteins rhoptry discharge factor 1 and 2 unveils phenotypic plasticity in Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry exocytosis
Authors: Possenti Alessia , Di Cristina Manlio , Nicastro Chiara , Lunghi Matteo , Messina Valeria , Piro Federica , Tramontana Lorenzo , Cherchi Simona , Falchi Mario , Bertuccini Lucia , Spano Furio
Published: March 2022

To gain access to the intracellular cytoplasmic niche essential for their growth and replication, apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii rely on the timely secretion of two types of apical organelles named micronemes and rhoptries. Rhoptry proteins are key to host cell invasion and remodelling, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the thight control of rhoptry discharge are poorly understood. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of two novel T. gondii thrombospondin-related proteins implicated in rhoptry exocytosis. The two proteins, already annotated as MIC15 and MIC14, were renamed rhoptry discharge factor 1 (RDF1) and rhoptry discharge factor 2 (RDF2) and found to be exclusive of the Coccidia class of apicomplexan parasites. Furthermore, they were shown to have a paralogous relationship and share a C-terminal transmembrane domain followed by a short cytoplasmic tail. Immunofluorescence analysis of T. gondii tachyzoites revealed that RDF1 presents a diffuse cytoplasmic localization not reminiscent of any know subcellular compartment, whereas RDF2 was not detected. Using a conditional knockout approach, we demonstrated that RDF1 loss caused a marked growth defect. The lack of the protein did not affect parasite gliding motility, host cell attachment, replication and egress, whereas invasion was dramatically reduced. Notably, while RDF1 depletion did not result in altered microneme exocytosis, rhoptry discharge was found to be heavily impaired. Interestingly, rhoptry secretion was partially reversed by spontaneous upregulation of the RDF2 gene in knockdown parasites grown under constant RDF1 repression. Collectively, our results identify RDF1 and RDF2 as additional key players in the pathway controlling rhoptry discharge. Furthermore, this study unveils a new example of compensatory mechanism contributing to phenotypic plasticity in T. gondii.
A novel quantitative trait locus implicates Msh3 in the propensity for genome-wide short tandem repeat expansions in mice
Authors: Maksimov Mikhail , Ashbrook David G. ,   BXD Sequencing Consortium, Villani Flavia , Colonna Vincenza , Mousavi Nima , Ma Nichole , Palmer Abraham A. , Gymrek Melissa
Published: March 2022

Short tandem repeats (STRs) are a class of rapidly mutating genetic elements characterized by repeated units of 1 or more nucleotides. We leveraged whole genome sequencing data for 152 recombinant inbred (RI) strains from the BXD family derived from C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice to study the effects of genetic background on genome-wide patterns of new mutations at STRs. We defined quantitative phenotypes describing the numbers and types of germline STR mutations in each strain and identified a locus on chromosome 13 associated with the propensity of STRs to expand. Several dozen genes lie in the QTL region, including Msh3, a known modifier of STR stability at pathogenic repeat expansions in mice and humans. Detailed analysis of the locus revealed a cluster of variants near the 5’ end of Msh3, including multiple protein-coding variants within the DNA mismatch recognition domain of MSH3, and a retrotransposon insertion overlapping an annotated exon. Additionally, gene expression analysis demonstrates co-localization of this QTL with expression QTLs for multiple nearby genes, including Msh3. Our results suggest a novel role for Msh3 in regulating genome-wide patterns of germline STR mutations and demonstrate that inherited genetic variation can contribute to variability in accumulation of new mutations across individuals.
Adaptive block backstepping control for a UAV performing lateral maneuvers under lateral c.g. uncertainty
Authors: Khanna Anukaran , Singh Neelaksh , Mukherjee Bijoy K.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have wide applications in surveillance and reconnaissance without risking human life. Due to unbalanced payload distribution or in-flight deployment, UAVs may undergo lateral center of gravity (c.g.) variations resulting in an asymmetric dynamic having significant longitudinal and lateral/directional coupling and hence more pronounced nonlinearity. Therefore, automatic control of UAVs becomes extremely difficult when it is forced to perform maneuvers under such imbalance in lateral mass distribution. The purpose of this paper is to design adaptive nonlinear control so that the UAV can perform some useful lateral/directional maneuver under lateral c.g. uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

First the nominal lateral/directional dynamics of a fixed-wing UAV is framed into strict feedback form and then the block backstepping approach is used to design the controller to execute horizontal turn and aileron roll maneuvers under no lateral c.g. variation. Thereafter, an adaptive block backstepping controller is designed to adapt to uncertainty in lateral c.g. position considering an approximate model of the asymmetric dynamics. The proposed adaptive scheme is validated against the same two maneuvers as considered for the nominal case.

Findings

First it is shown that the lateral/directional dynamics of a UAV can be converted to a block strict feedback form for executing some lateral/directional maneuvers. However, it was observed that the maneuver performance suffers significant performance degradation under lateral c.g. variations. To mitigate this issue, a simple and computationally inexpensive adaptive block backstepping scheme is proposed and validated. The adaptation law is further proved to be able to asymptotically estimate the actual c.g. location of the UAV.

Practical implications

The proposed control scheme allows the UAV to automatically adapt to lateral c.g. variations so that the intended maneuvers are performed without any noticeable loss in maneuver performance.

Originality/value

There are very few works available in the literature that address nonlinear control designs for executing specific lateral/directional maneuvers and, moreover, they consider symmetric UAVs or aircraft only. This paper addresses the practical problem of autonomous maneuvering for UAVs with unbalanced lateral mass distribution leading to shift of c.g. out of its plane of symmetry.
A case study on the effect of meteorological events on the efficiency of flight training organization
Authors: Tatli Ali , Bocu Erdogan , Filik Tansu , Karakoc Tahir Hikmet
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the meteorological events that affect flight training to make the training flight more efficient in a flight training organization (FTO) and to examine the effects of these events on FTO.

Design/methodology/approach

Within the scope of this study, the flight training given at Eskisehir Technical University Pilotage Department (ESTU-P) is discussed, and the effect of meteorological events on flight training in this FTO is evaluated.

Findings

When the two-year (2019–2020) flight training process of ESTU-P is examined, 45% of the flights planned for 2019, 25% of the flights planned for 2020 and 33% of the total flights in the two-year period could not be realized due to meteorological events. It is determined that this result naturally affects the efficiency of the FTO negatively. Meteorological events such as high temperature, fog and snow are among the main meteorological events that cause flight training to be interrupted.

Originality/value

This study will create a framework for FTOs that have been or will be established.
The green bond market and its use for energy efficiency finance in Africa
Authors: Taghizadeh-Hesary Farhad , Zakari Abdulrasheed , Alvarado Rafael , Tawiah Vincent
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This study presents the state of green bond markets in Africa and green bond funds by some countries in the continent.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt a case study approach on four different kinds of countries, namely oil-rich economy, green bond innovator, renewable energy user and carbon vulnerability.

Findings

The authors found that Africa's green bond is still at the early stages. However, countries are using innovative ways that are adaptable to their current economic conditions and investment attractiveness in issuing green bonds. While some countries focus on central and local government bonds, others use corporate bonds, few combine government and corporate green bonds. Interestingly, the first green bond globally certified by the Climate Bonds Standard was issued by an Africa country in Africa. In some selected countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Namibia and Kenya, green bond markets have seen massive growth and have contributed to numerous infrastructural energy efficiency projects. To expand this market further in these countries, the authors recommend fostering a public–private partnership backed by policies and political will.

Originality/value

This study provides an original contribution to the green bond and its likelihood of driving energy efficiency in a continent that has attracted little to no attention in the literature.
Happiness at work through spiritual leadership: a self-determination perspective
Authors: Srivastava Shalini , Mendiratta Aparna , Pankaj Prabhat , Misra Richa , Mendiratta Rajat
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Upholding congruency with self-determination theory (SDT), the study intends to analyze the impact of spiritual leadership (SL) on happiness at work (HAW) via affective commitment (AC) and prosocial behavior (PSB) in the Indian service sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 324 employees belonging to the service sector of north India. The study utilized AMOS and PROCESS (Hayes, 2013) to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

The findings provided considerable support for the hypothesized relationships between SL, AC, PSB and HAW. The findings advocate the positive association between SL and HAW routing through mediators such as AC and PSB.

Research limitations/implications

Future research studies have the potential to dwell on the topic from a leader's perspective, i.e. the benefits derived through practicing spirituality. The present work in this field is focused on quantitative tools; more studies can be conducted through qualitative analysis. Future works can attempt to compare the differences amongst cultures and sectors concerning SL and its outcomes.

Practical implications

The paper provides some relevant inputs for the Indian service sector to comprehend the criticality of SL in building long-lasting relationships amongst peers leading to creating sustainable and happy workplaces.

Originality/value

The study explores the relationship between SL and HAW which has neither been explored theoretically nor tested empirically.
The syntheses of static and mobile wayfinding information: an empirical study of wayfinding preferences and behaviour in complex environments
Authors: Iftikhar Hassan , Luximon Yan
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The efficient delivery of environmental information to wayfinders in complex environments is a challenge for information designers. Wayfinding tasks can be quite strenuous and frustrating in the visual absence of dedicated wayfinding information. This study aims to explore the behaviour regarding the use of wayfinding information by navigators in complex environments.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment has been conducted in which participants have performed wayfinding tasks in a spatially complex university campus. The participants were instructed to use the think-aloud protocol during the experiment. The behaviour has been recorded using the head-mounted video recorder (GoPro), mobile phone screen (audio\video) recorder and interview. Twelve university students have been selected based on the equal level of spatial ability using the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction scale. Each participant performed three wayfinding tasks to locate the unknown locations inside the campus using a mobile wayfinding application and other information sources.

Findings

The results of this study demonstrated significant behavioural preferences in acquiring wayfinding information. Most of the participants synthesised the static and mobile wayfinding information sources, while some preferred only the static ones. Gender differences have also been found for planning and route finding. This study recommends the syntheses of static and mobile wayfinding information for designing an efficient institutional wayfinding system.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size has been kept small because of the qualitative exploration of the wayfinding behaviour regarding the wayfinding information syntheses behaviour. The experiment findings can be further explored with larger data set and controlled behavioural metrics. This study can help understand the user requirements in facilities management for spatially complex institutional environments.

Practical implications

The current findings can be further used to develop a framework for wayfinding information designers to assist them in understanding the current practices and incorporate them for improving institutional wayfinding systems. The management of the offered facilities within an institution can be further improved to make the space more efficient by saving users’ time and efforts.

Originality/value

Information syntheses or symbiosis of environmental information with the beacon-based digital wayfinding system is a new concept. This study explores the potential of such information syntheses for enhancing the legibility of complex institutional environments.
The impact of design on workflow: a comparative case study of level I trauma rooms
Authors: Bayramzadeh Sara , Chiu Leong Yin Tanya
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine trauma room staff’s perception of factors that influence workflow in trauma care from a physical environment standpoint.

Design/methodology/approach

A semi-structured focus group method was used. Trauma team members, representative of various roles within a team, were recruited from five Level I trauma centers in the USA, through a convenience sampling method. A total of 53 participants were recruited to participate in online focus groups. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model was used to analyze the findings.

Findings

In addition to factors directly related to the physical environment, aspects of people and technology, such as crowding and access to technology, were found to be related to the physical environment. Examples of factors that improve or hinder workflow are layout design, appropriate room size, doors, sink locations, access to resources such as X-ray or blood and access to technology. Seamless and uninterrupted workflow is crucial in achieving efficient and safe care in the time-pressured environments of trauma rooms. To support workflow, the physical environment can offer solutions through effective layout design, thoughtful location of resources and technology and room size.

Originality/value

Trauma rooms are time-pressured and complex environments where seconds matter to save a patient’s life. Ensuring safe and efficient care requires seamless workflow. However, the literature on workflow in trauma rooms is limited.
Gender differences in leisure reading habits: a systematic review of literature
Authors: Jabbar Abdul , Warraich Nosheen Fatima
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Providing equal opportunities in class as well as at home does not ensure equal promotion of leisure reading among girls and boys. Gender differences have wider impacts on their reading development. The purpose of this paper is to find out gender differences in leisure reading habits among children.

Design/methodology/approach

The search process was conducted during Aug.–Sept. 2019 using Scopus database. A total of 41 studies were selected for the review. The systematic review used Cochrane Methodologies reported as per preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for identification, evaluation and selection of studies. The studies that dealt with leisure reading, reported gender difference of reading, had age group of 4–18-year children, were in English language and were accessible to the researchers were selected for review.

Findings

The results were presented in terms of identified reading factors including reading frequency, reading choice, reading time, reading media, reading influence, reading value and library use. The girls were more frequent readers than boys. The girls were in favor of fiction, while boys were interested in reading nonfiction. Girls preferred online materials but boys were in favor of printed materials. The boys were influenced by their fathers and peer groups’ reading, while girls were influenced by their mothers’ reading habits.

Research limitations/implications

The study provided better understanding of boys’ and girls’ reading differences and required the librarians, teachers and academic policymakers to deal with them accordingly.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first kind of systematic review reporting difference of reading on the basis of gender and inferred reading factors. It will be helpful for librarians, teachers and academic policymakers to consider these differences while dealing with boys’ and girls’ reading choices and interests.
Examining the antecedents and consequences of pricing capability: evidence from SMEs
Authors: Ranjan Piyush , Nayak Jogendra Kumar
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to highlight the need for developing pricing capability (PC) for business-to-business firms to effectively manage and execute the pricing activities in the organization and succeed in a competitive market. Using the firms’ resource-based view, organizational learning theory and organizational capabilities literature, this study develops a conceptual framework in which market-focused learning and firm innovativeness are potential antecedents of PC and pricing value and business performance (BP) are consequences.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an online e-mail-based survey to collect primary cross-sectional data from the 127 Indian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was used to empirically validate a conceptual framework as well as the research hypotheses.

Findings

The findings indicate that market-focused learning and firm innovativeness have a substantial influence on PC, which in turn positively affects both pricing value and BP. Moreover, pricing value demonstrates a partial mediating effect on the link between PC and BP.

Research limitations/implications

This research has certain limitations, namely, using cross-sectional data and limited sample size. More empirical research on the antecedents of PC is required.

Practical implications

The empirical findings enlighten the SMEs on the significance of developing specialized PC in delivering superior pricing value to customers and achieving greater BP.

Originality/value

The existing literature lacks empirical data on the development and antecedents of PC, particularly in the SME context. The current study empirically examines the impact of market-focused learning and firm innovativeness on PC.
Open and social: portraying the resilient, social and competitive, upcoming enterprise
Authors: Vendrell-Herrero Ferran , Opazo-Basáez Marco , Marić Josip
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This article seeks to characterize and assess a new type of resilient, socially conscious and competitive enterprise that simultaneously encompasses open and social innovation – aligning both business and social outcomes – and which will gain increasing importance in post-pandemic competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method approach based on sequential deductive triangulation analysis (QUAN/qual) is used. First, data gathered from the Chilean innovation survey is used to quantify the percentage of firms implementing open and social innovation simultaneously, and to assess their relative performance in relation to other types of innovative firms. Second, a qualitative multiple-case study analysis reveals the perceptions of senior managers regarding the applicability of this approach in terms of building resilience and strengthening future competitiveness in line with sustainable development goals.

Findings

Social innovation is a relatively rare event (7.2% of firms in the sample). While social innovation occurs equally in monopolistic and perfectly competitive industries, the authors’ findings suggest that in order to adopt social and open innovation effectively, firms need to set entry barriers such as economies of scale. On the other hand, open innovation is a more common event (15.4% of firms in the sample), which correlates closely with absolute and relative performance indicators. Moreover, the results suggest that open innovation enables a greater understanding of societal needs, thus making social innovation more effective.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretical developments coupled with descriptive and qualitative evidence reveal the innovative capabilities that up-and-coming enterprises may possess. The findings suggest that at times of far-reaching technological, social and political change, enterprises should share some of their knowledge and resources with wider society. Only then will more equal, resilient and cohesive societies be built.

Originality/value

This article combines two seemingly unrelated literature streams (open and social innovation) in order to elucidate the enterprise of tomorrow, which will be capable of achieving sustainable development whilst reaching high levels of competitiveness.
Climate financing barriers and strategies: the case of Sri Lanka
Authors: Dasandara Miyami , Ingirige Bingunath , Kulatunga Udayangani , Fernando Terrence
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Climate change mitigation and adaptation play an important role in overcoming the climate change challenges facing Sri Lanka today. Many initiatives have been undertaken to implement different policies and plans in this regard, which require considerable mobilisation of national and international financing. In acquiring climate finance, many barriers can be identified. This paper aims to investigate such barriers to climate financing in Sri Lanka and proposes strategies to address them.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative research approach was undertaken in this study by conducting ten semi-structured interviews with experts who are involved in climate change policy implementation activities in Sri Lanka. The collected data were analysed using the content analysis method via Nvivo software.

Findings

The empirical findings unveil six key barriers and the corresponding root causes to climate financing in Sri Lanka. Inadequate domestic funding for climate actions was captured as the dominant barrier in this direction. This study also revealed that barriers and their root causes are interconnected, leading to many financial limitations in implementing climate actions. The importance of playing a leading role by the government and enabling an integrated approach between the private and public sector organisations were identified as key strategies to combat climate finance barriers.

Originality/value

Despite there being studies focusing on climate change and related policies, limited research has been carried out with regard to climate financing. Within this context, this study makes an original contribution in the area of climate financing with particular reference to a developing country like Sri Lanka. Further, the identification of barriers to climate financing, their root causes and strategies to address them also provides an original contribution to theory and practice.
Artificial intelligence in healthcare: a comprehensive review of its ethical concerns
Authors: Kooli Chokri , Al Muftah Hend
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Nowadays, the digitized economy and technological advancements are increasing at a faster pace. One such technology that is gaining popularity in the healthcare sector is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has been debated much, searched so well due to the implications, issues and for its benefits in terms of ease, it will offer. The following research has focused on examining the ethical dilemmas associated with AI when it will be introduced in the healthcare sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative review method focusing on content analysis has been used in the research. The authors have employed a deductive approach to determine the ethical facets of adopting AI in the healthcare sector. The current study is complemented by a review of related studies. The secondary data have been collected from authentic resources available on the Internet.

Findings

Patient privacy, biased results, patient safety and Human errors are some major ethical dilemmas that are likely to be faced once AI will be introduced in healthcare. The impact of ethical dilemmas can be minimized by continuous monitoring but cannot be eliminated in full if AI is introduced in healthcare. AI overall will increase the performance of the healthcare sector. However, we need to address some recommendations to mitigate the ethical potential issues that we could observe using AI. Technological change and AI can mimic the overall intellectual process of humans, which increases its credibility and also offers harm to humans.

Originality/value

Patient safety is the most crucial ethical concern because AI is a new technology and technology can lead to failure. Thus, we need to be certain that these new technological developments are ethically applied. The authors need to evaluate and assess the organizational and legal progress associated with the emergence of AI in the healthcare sector. It also highlights the importance of covering and protecting medical practitioners regarding the different secondary effects of this artificial medical progress. The research stresses the need of establishing partnerships between computer scientists and clinicians to effectively implement AI. Lastly, the research highly recommends training of IT specialists, healthcare and medical staff about healthcare ethics.
Commentary on “Empowering caregivers of children with learning and developmental disabilities: from situation analysis to community-based inclusive development in Kilifi, Kenya”
Authors: Leadbitter Kathy , Divan Gauri
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This paper is a commentary which aims to address themes arising from the article by Bunning et al. entitled “Empowering caregivers of children with learning and developmental disabilities: from situation analysis to community-based inclusive development in Kilifi, Kenya”.

Design/methodology/approach

This commentary provides discussion stimulated by the paper by Bunning et al., including important areas for consideration when developing and evaluating care pathways or solutions to providing support to families of children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries.

Findings

This commentary highlights issues such as: the value of transported and home-grown approaches; the importance of empowerment and advocacy; and the benefits of equitable collaborative partnerships between researchers in low- and middle-income countries and those in high-income countries.

Originality/value

This is the personal perspective of two collaborators who have been working in the field of service delivery of complex interventions for children with developmental disabilities in high- and low-income country settings.
The role of environmental design in enabling intergenerational support for people with dementia – what lessons can we learn from Japan
Authors: Gibson Grant , Quirke Martin , Lovatt Melanie
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Japan, the world’s “oldest” society, has adopted intergenerational care programmes as one solution to the challenges of caring for its growing population of people living with dementia. Many countries are drawing inspiration from these intergenerational programmes, but research exploring factors influencing intergenerational care practice and how far these programmes can be translated in other countries is more limited. This paper aims to explore how environmental design features are used to support intergenerational initiatives in Japan. By examining four case studies, the paper illustrates how intergenerational engagement can be enabled and supported through environmental design.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a qualitative methodology, using observations, workshops and photographic elicitations within four case study sites: two residential care facilities, a community centre and supported housing scheme and a restaurant staffed by people with dementia.

Findings

Two key themes emerge: encouraging community engagement through intergenerational shared spaces, and the role of intergenerationality in supporting social and economic participation. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the key principles through which other countries can translate lessons gained from the Japanese experience of intergenerational programmes into their own health and social care systems.

Originality/value

This paper provides international evidence of the role environmental design plays in supporting the development of intergenerational relationships among people with dementia and the wider community. Intergenerational engagement is community engagement; therefore, promoting community engagement is essential to promoting intergenerational care practice. Environmental design can play a key role in providing affordances through which such relationships can develop.
Do leaf nitrogen resorption dynamics align with the slow‐fast continuum? A test at the intraspecific level
Authors: Sartori Kevin , Violle Cyrille , Vile Denis , Vasseur François , de Villemereuil Pierre , Bresson Justine , Gillespie Lauren , Fletcher Leila Rose , Sack Lawren , Kazakou Elena
Published: March 2022

The links between internal nitrogen recycling through the process of resorption from senescing leaves, whole‐plant resource‐use strategies and performance remain elusive. Indeed, tests of such potential linkages are hampered by the classical evaluation of plant nitrogen resorption efficiency (REN) based on ‘snapshots’ of leaf nitrogen concentration from adult and senescent leaves.

We significantly increased the resolution for measuring leaf nitrogen resorption by non‐destructively tracking time courses of nitrogen concentration in leaves of 137 natural Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes native to a wide range of climates across Europe, grown in a greenhouse. In addition to the classical measurement of resorption efficiency, we computed the relative maximum resorption rate of nitrogen (RRN), that is, the amount of nitrogen remobilized by a leaf per unit time and per unit nitrogen, together with slow–fast syndrome traits at the leaf and whole‐plant levels.

Across genotypes, high rates and efficiencies of nitrogen resorption were associated with low specific leaf area and late flowering. The RRN showed significant heritability, genetic associations and was negatively correlated with the mean annual temperature of the native populations. By contrast, despite the evidence of a correlation with temperature, REN showed lower heritability and no evidence of genetic association, questioning the mechanisms of nitrogen resorption.

Overall, our results suggest a much stronger adaptive role for leaf nitrogen resorption than previously uncovered.

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Cryptic eco‐evolutionary feedback in the city
Authors: Ziter Carly D.
Published: March 2022

Research Highlight: Brans, K. I., Tüzün, N., Sentis, A., De Meester, L., & Stoks, R. (2021). Cryptic eco‐evolutionary feedback in the city: Urban evolution of prey dampens the effect of urban evolution of the predator. Journal of Animal Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365‐2656.13601. Despite the strength and ubiquity of urban stressors on multiple taxa, there have been minimal attempts to determine the ecological consequences of urban evolution on multiple species. Brans & Tüzün et al. use a well‐known predator prey system—damselfly nymphs Ischnura elegans and water fleas Daphnia magna—to test whether scenarios in which both species evolve in response to urbanization differ from scenarios in which only the predator or prey evolves. The authors show that urban damselflies showed higher encounter and predation rates when paired with rural prey, but that the advantages conferred by urbanization‐driven adaptation disappeared when urban predators encountered urban prey. This represents a cryptic eco‐evolutionary feedback, where evolution of both predator and prey concealed the effect of evolution in each partner individually. Results suggest that mismatches in the evolutionary responses of interacting species may have significant ecological consequences, and highlight the importance of a multi‐species approach in eco‐evolutionary dynamics research.
Microbial phylogenetic relatedness links to distinct successional patterns of bacterial and fungal communities
Authors: Lin Qiang , Dini‐Andreote Francisco , Meador Travis B. , Angel Roey , Meszárošová Lenka , Heděnec Petr , Li Lingjuan , Baldrian Petr , Frouz Jan
Published: March 2022

The mechanisms underlying microbial community dynamics and co‐occurrence patterns along ecological succession are crucial for understanding ecosystem recovery but remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated community dynamics and taxa co‐occurrence patterns in bacterial and fungal communities across a well‐established chronosequence of post‐mining lands spanning 54 years of recovery. Bacterial community structures became increasingly phylogenetically clustered with soil age at early successional stages and varied less at later successional stages. The dynamics of bacterial community phylogenetic structures were determined by the changes in the soil vegetation cover along succession. The dynamics of fungal community phylogenetic structures did not significantly correlate with soil age, soil properties or vegetation cover, and were mainly attributed to stochastic processes. Along succession, the common decrease in the bacterial co‐occurrence complexity and in the average pairwise phylogenetic distances between co‐occurring bacteria implied a decrease in potential bacterial cooperation. The increased complexity of fungal co‐occurrence along succession was independent of phylogenetic relatedness between co‐occurring fungi. This study provides new sights into ecological mechanisms underlying bacterial and fungal community succession.
Displacing (in)formality: endangered species, endangered city, and unstable grounds of comparison
Authors: Ojani Chakad
Published: March 2022

In this article, which is based on ethnographic fieldwork among fog oasis conservationists in Lima, Peru, I show how emergent ethics of conservation become enmeshed with discourses on (in)formality. I demonstrate this by framing contemporary concerns about the endangerment of species endemic to Lima against the background of more long‐running understandings of informal urbanization as a threat to the city itself. However, whilst serving as a means to inhibit the proliferation of informal settlements, fog oasis conservation simultaneously affords a set of techniques for squatters to circumvent marginalization. Further, whereas actors engaged in land seizures are thought to mimic conservation practices to avoid eviction, conservation occasionally entails the adoption of illicit methods, which render conservationists themselves susceptible to denunciation by the very collectives they aim to marginalize. I argue that these momentary displacements of (in)formality unsettle the perspectivalist terms of comparison between self and other upon which anthropological analyses of informality sometimes rely.
Learning from the first 12 months of the Tasmanian Trauma Registry
Authors: Mahoney Adam , Collins Clare , Hawkins Jenni
Published: March 2022

The Tasmanian Trauma Registry began collecting data in April 2020 and in April 2021 the first 12 months' data were submitted to the Australia New Zealand Trauma Registry. In this perspective, we share the lessons we have learned in establishing a trauma registry and acknowledge how important support from the broader trauma community has been in allowing Tasmania to participate in national benchmarking and quality assurance processes.
Epiplakin1 promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by activating the PI3K‐AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Qiao Zhongshi , Dai Chengcheng , Wang Zhiqian , Wang Zifan , Wang Zheng , Zhang Tongsong , Niu Wenjing , Ma Xuezhen
Published: March 2022

Background

Epiplakin1 (EPPK1) has been associated with disease progression and unfavorable prognosis of many cancers, but its functional involvement in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains to be uncovered.

Methods

The Quantitative Real‐time PCR (qPCR) assay was employed to determine the expression of EPPK1 in ESCC tissues and cells. CCK‐8 assay, colony forming assay, wound healing assay, and transwell invasion assay were utilized to evaluate the effects of EPPK1 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity in ESCC cells using small interfering ribonucleic acids. Flow cytometry was performed to estimate the cell apoptotic rate caused by silencing of EPPK1. The proteins related to epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis, and activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/serine threonine protein kinase 1 (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway were measured by western blot.

Results

The expression of EPPK1 was dramatically increased in ESCC tissues and cells compared to that in relative controls. Additionally, silencing of EPPK1 suppressed ESCC cell growth, colony formation, migration, invasion, and EMT, while promoting ESCC cell apoptosis. Furthermore, EPPK1 induced ESCC cell progression via mediating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Conclusion

EPPK1 promotes ESCC progression by modulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and could serve as a potential target for ESCC treatment.