bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insights into interspecies protein binding variability using clindamycin as an example
Authors: Ahmed Hifza , Böhmdorfer Michaela , Jäger Walter , Zeitlinger Markus
Published: November 2024

Background

In the preclinical development of new drugs, animal models are often employed to predict their efficacy in humans, relying on translational pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies. We performed in vitro experiments focusing on the comparison of plasma protein binding (PPB) and bacterial growth dynamics of clindamycin, a commonly used antimicrobial agent, across a range of drug concentrations and plasma environments.

Methods

Human, bovine and rat plasma were used for determining PPB of clindamycin at various antibiotic concentrations in buffer and media containing 20% to 70% plasma or pure plasma using ultrafiltration (UF) and equilibrium dialysis (ED). Also bacterial growth and time–kill assays were performed in Mueller–Hinton broth (MHB) containing various percentages of plasma.

Results

Protein binding of clindamycin correlated well between UF and ED. Notably, clindamycin exhibited substantially lower protein binding to rat plasma compared with human and bovine plasma. Staphylococcus aureus growth was significantly reduced in 70% human, bovine, and rat plasma after 4, 8 and 24 h compared with standard MHB. Time–kill data demonstrated that bacterial counts at both 20% and 70% plasmas were less when compared with MHB at drug concentrations lower than MIC after 4 and 8 h of incubation. For rat plasma, the difference was maintained over 24 h of incubation. Furthermore, a complete bacterial killing at 16 mg/L was observed after 24 h in 20% and 70% human and bovine plasma, but not for rat plasma.

Conclusions

Recognizing interspecies differences in PB might be essential for optimizing the translational relevance of preclinical studies.
Giant mesenteric lipoma in a pre-school child: a case report
Authors: Rwomurushaka Evance Salvatory , Amsi Patrick , Lodhia Jay
Published: November 2024

Lipomas are common benign tumors, typically affecting subcutaneous tissues in the head, neck, trunk, and upper limbs, particularly in individuals over 40 years old. However, visceral involvement, such as mesenteric lipomas, is exceedingly rare, with fewer than 50 pediatric cases reported in the English literature. Mesenteric lipomas are generally asymptomatic but may present with non-specific symptoms like abdominal distension or signs of partial or complete intestinal obstruction. Imaging modalities such as abdominal ultrasound and CT scan often reveal a well-differentiated fatty tumor, but histological confirmation is essential for diagnosis and management. We present a case of a 3-year-old female who experienced progressive abdominal distension over the course of a year. Imaging identified a large lipomatous tumor, which was surgically excised. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a mesenteric lipoma.
Overestimation of clinical N-staging in microsatellite instable gastric cancers is associated with VEGF-C signaling and CD8+ T-cell dynamics
Authors: Tsai Chun-Yi , Tai Tzong-Shyuan , Huang Shih-Chiang , Chen Tsung-Hsing , Hsu Jun-Te , Yeh Chun-Nan , Lai Ying-Chieh , Lin Gigin , Yeh Ta-Sen
Published: November 2024

Background

Microsatellite instable (MSI) gastric cancers exhibit reduced lymph node (LN) metastasis and improved survival compared to microsatellite stable (MSS) counterparts. However, to our longstanding observation, clinical N-staging (cN) is frequently overestimated in MSI cases. The clinical implications and underlying mechanisms of this discrepancy warrant further investigation.

Materials and methods

We conducted a comprehensive review of clinicopathological data from a 141 MSI and 1119 MSS gastric cancer patients. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and its receptor VEGFR-3 were assessed using qPCR and immunohistochemistry. High-parameter flow cytometry was employed to analyze subsets of CD8+ T cells within the tumors.

Results

Multivariate analysis revealed that MSI status was an independent prognostic factor, alongside the LN ratio and AJCC8 pathology staging. MSI gastric cancers exhibited a reduced LN ratio, particularly at advanced T-staging, compared to MSS counterparts, while maintaining an equivalent LN yield. Overestimation of cN by computed tomography preoperatively was frequent in MSI gastric cancers but was more commonly underestimated in MSS counterparts. VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression were lower in MSI tumors. MSI gastric cancers showed an increased total number of CD8+ T cells, albeit with a lower proportion of effector memory cells expressing CD45RA (EMRA) and CD8+ CXCR4+ T cells, compared to MSS counterparts.

Conclusion

Frequent overestimation of clinical N-staging in MSI gastric cancers is associated with VEGF-C signaling and CD8+ T-cell dynamics and should be cautiously interpreted, as it might misguide therapeutic options.
Comparative RNA profiling identifies stage-specific phasiRNAs and coexpressed Argonaute genes in Bambusoideae and Pooideae species
Authors: Bélanger Sébastien , Zhan Junpeng , Yu Yunqing , Meyers Blake C
Published: November 2024

Phased, small interfering RNAs (PhasiRNAs) play a crucial role in supporting male fertility in grasses. Earlier work in maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa)—and subsequently many other plant species—identified premeiotic 21-nucleotide (nt) and meiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs. More recently, a group of premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs was discovered in the anthers of 2 Pooideae species, barley (Hordeum vulgare) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). Whether premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs and other classes of reproductive phasiRNAs are conserved across Pooideae species remains unclear. We conducted comparative RNA profiling of 3 anther stages in 6 Pooideae species and 1 Bambusoideae species. We observed complex temporal accumulation patterns of 21-nt and 24-nt phasiRNAs in Pooideae and Bambusoideae grasses. In Bambusoideae, 21-nt phasiRNAs accumulated during meiosis, whereas 24-nt phasiRNAs were present in both premeiotic and postmeiotic stages. We identified premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs in all 7 species examined. These phasiRNAs exhibit distinct biogenesis mechanisms and potential Argonaute effectors compared to meiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs. We show that specific Argonaute genes coexpressed with stage-specific phasiRNAs are conserved across Bambusoideae and Pooideae species. Our degradome analysis identified a set of conserved miRNA target genes across species, while 21-nt phasiRNA targets were species-specific. Cleavage of few targets was observed for 24-nt phasiRNAs. In summary, this study demonstrates that premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs are present across Bambusoideae and Pooideae families, and the temporal accumulation of other classes of 21-nt and 24-nt phasiRNA differs between bamboo and Pooideae species. Furthermore, targets of the 3 classes of phasiRNAs may be rapidly evolving or undetectable.
Consortia under the OHADA Law and the interest of wage earners
Authors: Ndangoh Medret Lekunga
Published: November 2024

The economic development of commercial companies, matched with the desire to modernize the size and structure of commercial companies and business units, is manifested by the multiplication of branches and the creation of subsidiaries, which leads to the creation and the multiplication of consortia. This may be a plus for the business world, but, for the wage earners, it is mostly characterized by the disregard of their interest. The aim of this article is to show the legal apprehension of the situation of wage earners in a consortium under OHADA law. What are the mechanisms put in place by the law to remedy the unpleasant legal situation of wage earners in the consortium? In conceiving the possibility for commercial companies to come together through various ties to form an entity called a consortium, the OHADA Treaty had to see in which way the interests of those who play a major role (wage earners) for the development of such companies will be safeguarded. This article has a double interest: socio-moral interest and a scientific interest—socio-moral interest, in that it tries to examine how the interest of wage earners, which is mainly alimentary and will not be abandoned in favour of capital interest; and a scientific interest as it endeavours to reconcile the application of two rules of law: that of company law and of labour law.
Meaningful Patient Participation in Health Care Education: A Theoretically Informed Study Exploring Boundaries and Identities
Authors: Bennett-Weston Amber , Gay Simon , Anderson Elizabeth S.
Published: November 2024

Purpose

After recent policy and practice changes, health care schools are expected to involve patients as partners in the management, design, and delivery of professional curricula. However, what these partnerships mean for academic communities and the processes needed to support them are not yet understood. This study examines what involving patients as partners within an academic community means for key stakeholders.

Method

A qualitative case study design with a social constructivist philosophical stance was used. Communities of practice served as the theoretical framework. Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients and educators from the University of Leicester between November 2021 and May 2022. Focus groups were held with penultimate-year students. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis informed by communities of practice.

Results

The sample comprised 40 participants. Ten patients and 10 educators participated in 40- to 60-minute interviews. Twenty students participated in 1 of 5 focus group discussions lasting 30 to 50 minutes. Two overarching themes were reported: “boundaries as (permeable) barriers to participation” and “identity as an interpretive lens.” Boundaries among patients, educators, and students can hinder patients’ meaningful involvement in health care education. Boundaries are marked through differences in knowledge, a lack of shared vision, and a lack of trust in patients. Patients, educators, and students have separate distinct identities. They experience tensions of identity when they meet across boundaries. These tensions reveal insights into the construction of the typical patient identity in health care education.

Conclusions

Applying communities of practice illuminated boundary and identity issues that patients, educators, and students experience when patients are involved in health care education. Health care schools should develop comprehensive training for patients, provide faculty development regarding patient involvement, support students to trust in patient teachers, and embed a distinctive strand of patient involvement across health care curricula.
Study on the Effect of Adipose Tissue on Neutron Dose Evaluation for the Human Body Using Voxel Phantoms with Different Weight
Authors: Xu Xu , Yuan Yong , Zhang Xiao-Min
Published: November 2024

When human body is irradiated by neutrons, the adipose content has a significant impact on the neutron dose and induced 24Na activity. To investigate the effect of human adipose content on the conversion coefficients from 24Na activity to neutron dose, five male adult reference computational phantoms with weights ranging from 73.5 kg to 136.5 kg were used. The Monte Carlo N-particle (MCNP) code was used to calculate the neutron absorbed dose and the yield of induced 24Na in the phantoms irradiated by 252Cf neutrons and monoenergetic neutrons. The results showed that the difference in the conversion coefficients from 24Na activity to neutron absorbed dose among the five phantoms irradiated by 252Cf neutrons with anterior posterior (AP) geometry was ≤23.30%, and this difference was attributed mainly to the neutron absorbed dose, which increases with increasing adipose content. Considering the self-absorption of gamma rays in the human body, the counts of 24Na characteristic gamma rays measured directly by the radiation detector outside of the body have no significant trend varying with adipose content, and the difference in the conversion coefficients from the measured counts to neutron dose among the five phantoms irradiated by 252Cf neutrons with AP geometry was ≤5.25%.
Pancreatic Cystic Lesions in Children
Authors: Mark Jacob A. , Zheng Yuhua , Franco Salvador Rodriguez , Khalaf Racha T. , Trout Andrew T. , Nathan Jaimie D. , Piester Travis L. , Del Chiaro Marco , Abu El-Haija Maisam , Wilsey Michael J.
Published: November 2024

Objective

Pediatric pancreatic cystic lesions (PPCLs) are uncommon and differ from adult pancreatic cystic lesions. Literature is limited on the etiologies, evaluation, and management of PPCL. A multidisciplinary working group formed to provide a comprehensive description of PPCL and recommend best available evidence-based evaluation and management.

Materials and Methods

The PPCL working group performed a scoping review by 2 methods: 1) a targeted literature review to describe PPCL and 2) a systematic literature review for management recommendations for PPCL. The systematic review was completed using a 2-stage sifting approach: title and abstract screening followed by a full text review.

Results

One hundred thirty-one studies were included in the systematic review and an additional 20 were included in the targeted search to complete a comprehensive list of PPCL. Five neoplastic PPCL and 10 nonneoplastic PPCL were identified, and prevalence of different cystic lesions differs widely in adults and children. Recommendations on evaluation and management of PPCL are presented based on best available evidence.

Conclusions

We present a comprehensive review and evidence-based management recommendations with management algorithms for pediatric pancreatic cystic lesions. Given the rarity of many of these entities, this review also highlights many aspects of PPCL, which are not adequately described in the current literature.
Predictors of Mortality and Neurological Complications in a Large Cohort of Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Moradi Choghakabodi Parastoo , Hosseinzadeh Mofid , Yakhchali Dehkordi Neda , Pouladzadeh Mandana , Shalilahmadi Davood
Published: November 2024

Objectives:

This study aimed to investigate the association between the baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with COVID-19 and their risk of subsequent development of neurological complications and mortality.

Methods:

This retrospective, single-center cohort study included patients with COVID-19 who presented to the Emergency Department of Razi Hospital. Patients’ charts were reviewed to collect baseline clinical and laboratory data.

Results:

Of 2205 patients with COVID-19, 1473 (66.8%) developed various neurological complications in addition to other symptoms. Among the 168 patients who died, 66.66%, 43.5%, and 25% had a history of neurological disorders, encephalopathy, and stroke, respectively. Disease severity was significantly associated with comorbidities, hypoxemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypophosphatemia, elevated ESR, hypomagnesemia, stroke, and encephalopathy (P<0.05). The risk of death remained strongly linked to older age, comorbidities, severe infection, ICU admission, and extended hospitalization (P<0.05), even after adjustments, indicating they are potential confounders for other variables. More importantly, in non–critically ill patients, there was no significant association between the risk of death and hypoxemia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hypomagnesemia, stroke, and encephalopathy (P>0.05). Moreover, the association between encephalopathy and other factors was greatly influenced by disease severity. Nonetheless, older age, comorbidities, and anemia remained significant predictors of stroke even after adjusting for confounders (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

The high rates of neurological disorders among deceased patients with COVID-19 underscores the need for early prediction and management of these complications. Moreover, neurological disorders were linked to an increased risk of death because they tend to be present in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU with extended hospitalization.
Case Management Consultant to Attorneys in Litigated Cases
Authors: Preston Karen
Published: November 2024

Rehabilitation nurses possess knowledge and skills that are ideally suited to a variety of roles. This article informs rehabilitation nurses about opportunities to work in private case management for medical-legal cases. A brief overview of the process of litigation gives nurses the context in which case management interventions are needed. Case examples illustrate the services that nurses provide to attorneys and their clients that help obtain needed care and aid in progressing litigation to resolution.
World Health Organization Rehabilitation 2030
Authors: Vaughn Stephanie , Cournan Michele
Published: November 2024

The Rehabilitation 2030: Call to Action initiative highlighted the global unmet need for rehabilitation services and the importance for enhancing health systems in low- and middle-income countries to deliver these services. Dedicated interprofessional volunteers, such as Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) nurse leaders, have been integral in working with the technical groups to develop the World Health Organization Rehabilitation Competency Framework and the Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation. These resources are available for countries to “adopt and adapt.” The recent launch of the World Rehabilitation Alliance is important to note as they support the Rehabilitation 2030’s mission through advocacy activities and offers an opportunity for further ARN involvement.
Postinsertion Management of Cholecystostomy Tubes for Acute Cholecystitis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Spota Andrea , Shahabi Ali , Mizdrak Emma , Englesakis Marina , Mahbub Fabiha , Shlomovitz Eran , Al-Sukhni Eisar
Published: November 2024

Background:

Percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PGD) is indicated to treat high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis. Trends suggest increasing use of PGD over time as the population ages and lives longer with multiple comorbidities. There is no consensus on the management of cholecystostomies tube once inserted. This review aims to synthesize and describe the most common protocols in terms of the need and timing of follow-up imaging, management of a destination tube, timing of tube removal, and optimal interval time from tube positioning to delayed cholecystectomy.

Methods:

The study protocol has been registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews–PROSPERO. Studies on adult patients diagnosed with acute cholecystitis who underwent a PGD from 2000 to November 2023 were included. The databases searched were MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane. The quality assessment tools provided by the NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) were applied and descriptive statistics were performed.

Results:

We included 22,349 patients from 94 studies with overall fair quality (6 prospective and 88 retrospective). In 92.7% of papers, the authors checked by imaging all patients with a PGD (41 studies included). Depending on protocol time, 30% of studies performed imaging within the first 2 weeks and 35% before tube removal (40 studies included). In the case of a destination tube, 56% of studies reported removing the tube (25 studies included). In the case of tube removal, the mean time after insertion was more than 4 weeks in 24 of the 33 included studies (73%). Interval cholecystectomies are more frequently performed after 5 weeks from PGD (32/38 included studies, 84%). Limitations included high clinical heterogeneity and prevalent retrospective studies.

Conclusions:

A standard management for percutaneous cholecystostomy after insertion is difficult to define based on existing evidence, and currently we can only rely on the most common existing protocols.
Assessing the association between elements of health inequalities and the risk of bacterial infection in high-income countries: a systematic scoping review
Authors: Obed-Arthur Nketia , Casale Ella , Harvey Eleanor J , DeBrun Caroline , Finistrella Viviana , Gilham Ellie , Ashiru-Oredope Diane
Published: November 2024

Introduction
There is sufficient evidence to support the notion that the rate of infection is higher in vulnerable groups than in the wider population. This scoping review sought to further elucidate the relationship between health inequalities and the risk of bacterial infections in high-income countries.
Methods
Factors associated with health inequalities were defined as socioeconomic status and deprivation (employment status, income levels, deprivation categories); protected characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability); inclusion health groups (migration status, sex workers, people who inject drugs, the homeless) and geography (urban or rural dwelling).
The search was conducted on Embase, Google and Medline. Exclusion criteria were defined as papers that were either published pre-2010, set in low- or middle-income countries, or that covered viral, parasitic, or fungal pathogens. Key pathogens and infections to include were determined by review of the UK antimicrobial resistance (AMR) National Action Plan.
Results
The search yielded 293 papers; of which, 70 were eligible for review. The most frequently reported infections were sexually transmitted infections (STIs), infectious diseases e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosisand sexually transmitted blood-borne infections. Most papers reviewed cited multiple health inequalities factors, most notably ethnicity (21/70), race (18/70), age (14/70), sex (13/70) and socio-economic status and deprivation and inclusion health groups (especially sex workers and people experiencing drug and alcohol dependence).
 
Conclusion
Evidence has emerged highlighting a important association between factors commonly associated with health inequalities and the increased risk of bacterial infections within high-income countries. Notably, ethnic populations, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people experiencing homelessness and those of a poor socioeconomic status are at a higher risk of bacterial infection.
Evolution of the CRISPR-Cas9 defence system in Mycoplasma gallisepticum following colonization of a novel bird host
Authors: Ipoutcha Thomas , Tsarmpopoulos Iason , Gourgues Géraldine , Baby Vincent , Dubos Paul , Hill Geoffrey E. , Arfi Yonathan , Lartigue Carole , Thébault Patricia , Bonneaud Camille , Sirand-Pugnet Pascal
Published: November 2024

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas systems are bacterial defences that target bacteriophages and mobile genetic elements. How these defences evolve in novel host environments remains largely unknown. We studied the evolution of the CRISPR-Cas system in Mycoplasma gallisepticum (also named Mycoplasmoides gallisepticum), a bacterial pathogen of poultry that jumped into a passerine host ~30 years ago. Over the decade following the host shift, all isolates displaying a functional CRISPR-Cas system were found not only to harbour completely new sets of spacers, but the DNA protospacer adjacent motif recognized by the main effector M. gallisepticum Cas9 (MgCas9) was also different. These changes in CRISPR-Cas diversity and specificity are consistent with a change in the community of phages and mobile elements infecting M. gallisepticum as it colonized the novel host. In the years following the host shift, we also detected a gradual rise in isolates displaying non-functional MgCas9. After 12 years, all circulating isolates harboured inactive forms only. This loss of CRISPR-Cas function comes at a time when the passerine host is known to have evolved widespread resistance, which in turn drove the evolution of increasing M. gallisepticum virulence through antagonistic coevolution. Such striking concordance in the rise of inactivated forms of CRISPR-Cas and the evolution of host resistance suggests that the inactivation of the CRISPR-Cas system was necessary for enabling adaptive bacterial responses to host-driven selection. We highlight the need to consider both host and pathogen selection pressures on bacteria for understanding the evolution of CRISPR-Cas systems and the key factors driving the emergence of a pathogenic bacterium in a novel host.
The founder missense mutation ofWFDC2in Koreans leads to severe respiratory distress accompanied by bronchiectasis and rhinosinusitis
Authors: Roh Jae Won , Oh Jiyoung , Kim Se Jin , Hong Ji Won , Ohk Jiyeon , Shim Hyo Sup , Cho Hyung-Ju , Woo Ala , Kim Song Yee , Kang Young Ae , Jung Hosung , Kim Kyung Won , Park Moo Suk , Gee Heon Yung
Published: November 2024

Background

Chronic airway diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF) and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) pose substantial clinical challenges. This study explores the p.C97W variant inWFDC2, proposed as a new genetic origin of respiratory distress, especially among Koreans.

Methods

Whole-exome/genome sequencing (WES/WGS) were performed on 64 patients from 62 families presenting with severe bronchiectasis and chronic rhinosinusitis.In vitroanalyses and protein modeling were utilized to evaluate the functional implications of theWFDC2variant.

Results

Pathogenic variants were found in 11.3% of families, including a novel homozygousWFDC2missense variant (c.291C>G, p.Cys97Trp) in five unrelated families, confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The variant, rare globally but more frequent in Koreans, caused persistent wet cough, chronic rhinosinusitis, and bronchiectasis in affected patients. Lung tissue pathology showed chronic inflammation and interstitial fibrosis. The p.C97W variant impaired WFDC2 protein folding, secretion, and function.

Conclusions

The p.C97W variant inWFDC2is a critical genetic factor in severe chronic airway disease that shares clinical features with CF and PCD. Given its implications for diagnosis and treatment, genetic testing forWFDC2mutations in individuals with CF or PCD-like symptoms is recommended.
Predicting Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Outcomes: A Machine Learning Approach Leveraging a Large Administrative Claims Database
Authors: Liu Yijun , Oloko-Oba Mustapha , Wood Kathryn , Lloyd Michael S. , Ho Joyce C. , Hertzberg Vicki Stover
Published: November 2024

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is an effective treatment for reducing episodes and improving quality of life in patients with AF. However, in some patients there are only modest long-term AF-free rates after AF ablation. There is a need to address the limited benefits some patients experience by developing predictive algorithms to improve AF ablation outcomes.

Objective

The authors aim to utilize machine learning models on claims data to explore if innovative coding models may lead to better patient outcomes than use of traditional stroke risk score prediction.

Methods

The Merative MarketScan® Research Medicare data was used to examine claims for AF ablation. To predict 1-year AF-free outcomes after AF ablation, logistic regression and XGBoost models were used. Model predictions were compared with established risk scores CHADS2and CHA2DS2-VASC. These models were also assessed on subgroups of patients with paroxysmal AF, persistent AF, and both AF and atrial flutter from October 2015 onwards.

Results

The sample included 14,521 patients with claims for AF ablation. XGBoost achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.525, 0.521, and 0.527 for the entire AF ablation population, female, and male, respectively. Within the subgroups, machine learning models performed the best for the paroxysmal AF subgroup using ICD codes, demographic information, and comorbidity indexes, achieving an AUC of 0.546.

Conclusion

Machine learning models outperformed CHADS2and CHA2DS2-VASC in all AF ablation patient groups (whole population, female, and male). Using patient data for those who had their AF ablation on or after October 2015, machine learning models performed best in all subgroups and the population, indicating that including ICD codes in machine learning models may improve performance.
Safety and Efficacy of Adjunctive Intra-arterial Tenecteplase following Successful Thrombectomy in Patients with Large Vessel Occlusion: A Phase 1/2 Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Hou Xianhua , Huang Jiacheng , Guo Changwei , Wang Li , He Yuxuan , Chen Lin , Liu Qu , Wu Junhua , Wu Min , Nguyen Thanh N. , Nogueira Raul G. , Wang Duolao , Saver Jeffrey L. , Zi Wenjie , Zhou Zhenhua
Published: November 2024

Background

Adjunct intra-arterial thrombolysis has been shown to potentially improve clinical outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke who have undergone successful endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Tenecteplase, known for its enhanced fibrin specificity and extended activity duration, may be a better choice than alteplase for intra-arterial thrombolysis. However, the optimal dose, safety and efficacy of intra-arterial tenecteplase remain unclear.

Objective

To evaluate the optimal dose, safety and efficacy of adjunctive intra-arterial tenecteplase following successful EVT in LVO patients.

Methods and design

This study is a two-part, phase Ib/IIa, multicenter, open-label, 14+8 dose-escalation (Part I) and dose-expansion (Part II) trial conducted in China involving patients LVO patients who achieved successful EVT (defined as the expanded Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction [eTICI] grade of 2b50 or higher) within 24 hours of last known well. In Part Ib, the dose escalation will be conducted in up to four tiers of 14+8 patients, starting at 0.03125 mg/kg, to a planned maximum of 0.1875mg/kg, and the primary outcome is symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 24 hours. In Part IIa, 157 patients will be randomized among two selected safe doses and a placebo, and the primary outcome will be the proportion of patients with nondisabled outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1) at 90 days.

Discussions

This pivotal trial will provide important data on adjunctive intra-arterial tenecteplase following successful EVT in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to LVO and may support advance of treatment standards.

Trial registry number

ChiCTR2300073787 and ChiCTR2400080624 (www.chictr.org.cn).
Dividend payout in GCC: the role of board composition and ownership structure
Authors: Tawfik Omar Ikbal , Queiri Abdelbaset , Reyad Sameh
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the extent to which board composition and ownership structure (OS) affect a firm’s dividend payout (DP) policy.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises a total of 1,432 firm-year observations for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nonfinancial firms. Total 179 firms were analyzed from 2009 to 2016. To test the research hypotheses, the paper used panel data analysis (i.e. fixed effects model) and instrumental variable method to ensure the robustness of results against endogeneity effects.

Findings

Corporate governance (CG) variables were found to significantly impact DP. Specifically, independent directors on board, institutional ownership and royal ownership were positively associated with DP. In contrast, board size, management, government and family ownership had a negative association with DP. The empirical evidence presented in this study supports that CG elements can be both an outcome and substitute of DP as a disciplinary mechanism.

Research limitations/implications

This study excluded financial firms from the sample list. Future studies should carry out on financial firms to observe if the findings are different. Future research is suggested to incorporate more CG mechanisms. Future studies are suggested to use a dynamic panel regression due to its advantages.

Practical implications

Practitioners, such as investors and lenders operating in GCC markets, can derive valuable insights from this study regarding the influence of board components on DP policy. The study also provides information about the investment and business environment in GCC.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study lies in providing empirical evidence regarding the impact of CG mechanisms and OS on DP in GCC countries.
Mayora: launching Coffee Joy
Authors: Ghosh Dastidar Surajit
Published: November 2024

Learning outcomes

This case is written to help students understand the concept of segmentation, targeting and positioning in the context of the biscuit industry. The primary learning objectives can be identified as follows: understand the different categorisation in the biscuit market; analyse the basis of consumer segmentation in the biscuit market; analyse the marketing mix strategy of a firm; and highlight the importance of positioning.

Case overview/synopsis

Rao, the Director (Marketing) of Mayora India Private Limited, was in dilemma as to how to position Coffee Joy biscuits in the Indian market. The Indian market was intensely competitive with major players like Britannia, Parle and ITC capturing a major share of the market. Should he consider the only the south Indian market based on geography?” Or “Should he target the modern aspirational youth of the country who frequent “Starbucks”?

Complexity academic level

This case is appropriate for the use in postgraduate course on Marketing particularly on “Segmenting-Targeting-Positioning” (STP) module. The science of STP lies in the collection and analysis of market knowledge and research to understand consumer’s mind, whereas its art lies in generating various implementable alternatives so that the brand can find a place in the hearts and minds of consumers.

Supplementary material

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS8: Marketing.
Main path analysis: a methodological framework for knowledge diffusion trajectories in scientometrics studies
Authors: Elangovan Nishavathi , Jeyshankar Ramalingam
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose an analytical framework for generating main path analysis (MPA) and demonstrate the process involved in identifying, analyzing the MPA on a citation network and empirically testing in the research field chromosome anomalies (CA).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed methodological structure involves five phases of the process. Search path method is used to measure the weights of each citation link from a source vertex to a sink vertex. The key route local main path and global main path are generated to identify the knowledge diffusion trajectories and validated by cross-referencing with existing literature, co-citation analysis and centrality measures of social network analysis.

Findings

The empirical validation of this framework within CA research demonstrates its potential for tracing knowledge diffusion and technological development trajectories over three decades. This approach elucidates two major intellectual knowledge flows. The first key-route main path identified the primary diagnostic protocols. The second key-route main path revealed that cancer or carcinogenesis is identified as one of the mainstream of CA.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the data and coverage period restrict the scope of this study. MPA was applied exclusively to the most influential sub network and disregarded other sub networks. MPA identified the seminal papers that provided a historical development in diagnostic protocol and their interconnectedness of disorders and diseases. This helps the researchers to develop targeted therapies and interventions, especially in cancer treatment.

Social implications

Exploiting MPA on CA research provides valuable insights to stakeholders in developing evidence-based public health policies. This is crucial for preventing the birth of children with birth defects or genetic diseases, promoting public health and reducing the socioeconomic burden on a country through enhanced surveillance and prevention efforts.

Originality/value

The study suggests that in addition to traditional scientometrics measures, MPA can be used to trace the evolution of knowledge and technological advancements. It also highlights the role of social network analysis measures in extracting main paths.
Navigating crisis through digitalisation and its impact on firm formality: the case of microenterprises in India
Authors: Shahid Muhammad Shehryar , Salvi Esther , Sajjad Mehak
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Using an institutional lens and drawing on the arguments of the external enabler perspective, this study aims to examine the role of digital technology adoption on the performance of microenterprises, with a focus on their level of formality. It further explores these relationships in the context of an external crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses data from 7,510 Indian microenterprises collected by the World Bank and applies a mediated-moderation model to analyse the relationship between digital technology adoption, formality and microenterprise performance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The results reveal a significantly positive relationship between digital technology adoption and microenterprise performance. Importantly, we argue that this relationship between digital technology and microenterprise performance is strongly mediated by the level of a firm’s formality. Moreover, this study also finds that the relationship between digital technology adoption and microenterprise performance will be positively moderated by the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has on the microenterprise, suggesting that the pandemic enhanced the benefits of digital technology adoption for microenterprises.

Originality/value

This study expands on the positive relationship between technology adoption and microenterprise performance by investigating the moderating role of COVID-19 impact and the mediating role of firm formality. The key contribution of this research is the mediating role of formality between digitalisation and firm performance. By testing this novel mediating relationship, we theorise that the adoption of digital technology helps microenterprises to overcome certain institutional voids in an emerging market context, serving as a viable conduit for formalisation. In turn, higher levels of formality lead to higher microenterprise performance. We also contribute to the emerging stream of literature discussing the role of an external enabler, such as the COVID-19 pandemic in entrepreneurship. In the end, the study offers novel policy implications.
Exploring the mediating role of attitude in ESG investment intentions: insights from the Fogg behavior model
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Hu Chunling , Chen Shih-Chih
Published: November 2024

Purpose

With the growing global emphasis on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, it is crucial to investigate the factors that influence individuals' intentions to invest in ESG and to understand the underlying mechanisms at play. This study constructs a theoretical model, grounded in the Fogg behavioral model (FBM), and explores the mediating role of ESG investment attitudes in shaping individuals' ESG investment behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted among ESG investors and potential ESG investors in China, resulting in 613 valid responses regarding ESG investment. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was utilized to evaluate the proposed model and test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results reveal that future orientation, ESG investment bias and perceived ESG investment performance are significant determinants of ESG investment intentions, with attitude playing a partially mediating role. Furthermore, government support moderates the relationship between perceived ESG investment performance and investment intention.

Originality/value

This study expands the application of the FBM to the context of ESG investment and introduces a novel conceptual framework for understanding ESG investment behavior. The findings provide valuable insights for enterprises and institutions involved in ESG investment, aiding them in identifying and targeting potential investors more effectively. Additionally, the study offers a foundation for policymakers to devise strategies that promote sustainable development.
Improving halalness and food safety management systems in the Indonesian broiler supply chain: an interpretive structural modeling and Bayesian network approach
Authors: Wahyuni Hana Catur , Vanany Iwan , Gunawan Ivan , Mulyono Julius
Published: November 2024

Purpose

By exploring the halalness and food safety risks from the perspective of technology and the relationship among them, this study aims to make quantitative predictions of such risks in the broiler supply chain to determine the critical control points (CCPs) in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).

Design/methodology/approach

This study integrates Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Bayesian Network (BN) to achieve the objectives. Data were collected from focus group discussions (FGDs) with experts and direct observations at the broiler supply chain.

Findings

This paper identified 19 risks in the Indonesian broiler supply chain. The risk for halalness and food safety reached 30.92%, indicating that assuring halalness and food safety remains improbable or unlikely. The two CCPs of halalness and food safety are the knife’s sharpness and the vehicle’s storage temperature.

Research limitations/implications

This study quantifies the halalness and food safety risks in the Indonesian broiler supply chain, but it only involves one step forward and one step backward in the slaughterhouse’s chain.

Practical implications

The findings can provide insights for stakeholders, such as business owners, employees, management system auditors and consumers, regarding the critical control points of halalness and food safety in the broiler supply chain to improve the halalness and food safety management systems.

Originality/value

This study’s novelty lies in the examination of halalness and food safety risks using a risk prediction model to determine CCPs for the HACCP plan in the broiler supply chain in Indonesia.
Digital knowledge management in agile self-tuning organisations: a multiple case study
Authors: Centobelli Piera , Cerchione Roberto , Oropallo Eugenio , Papa Armando , Palermo Stefano
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Given the evolution that knowledge management (KM) has undergone since the advent of the digital transition, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate how KM processes have changed as a result of agile organisations’ adoption of digital technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Years have passed since the onset of the fourth industrial revolution, and the technologies unique to this revolution have permeated every organisation to varying degrees. Whether organisations have been at the forefront of technological innovation or have had to adapt to much more advanced digitised processes, they have had to change how they manage operations internally and with the remainder of the supply chain they serve. These changes have been much more significant for agile organisations, which rely heavily on digital systems and have strong supplier and customer interactions. Due to the large amount of data generated, these organisations are referred to as knowledge-intensive businesses, and as a result, their KM processes are of the utmost importance. For this reason, a multiple case study with a grounded theory approach has been implemented to carry out a field analysis.

Findings

The results show that Industry 4.0 technological advances can be included in the scientific debate on KM and agile innovation, given the effects that such technologies have on organisations.

Originality/value

In today’s increasingly connected world, these findings have the potential to generate significant economic value by improving coordination and collaboration in KM processes.
An empirical analysis of user intention to use chatbots for airline tickets consultation
Authors: Alotaibi Mohammed , Hidayat-ur-Rehman Imdadullah
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to empirically analyze the factors influencing users’ intention to use chatbots for airline ticket consultation. It seeks to introduce a comprehensive framework based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) that integrates key factors alongside traditional TAM constructs to understand what drives behavioral intention to use chatbots in the context of airline ticket consultation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach to validate the proposed model empirically. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire distributed to potential users in Saudi Arabia, with 393 valid responses from a total of 409 received being included in the analysis.

Findings

The empirical analysis confirms the significance of perceived usefulness and user satisfaction as direct determinants of behavioral intention. Additionally, it reveals that factors such as perceived ubiquitous access, perceived completeness, perceived accuracy, perceived unbiased response and perceived convenience have both direct and indirect significant impacts on the behavioral intention to use chatbots for airline ticket consultation.

Originality/value

This research advances theoretical understanding and holds practical implications for designing and implementing effective chatbot services. By investigating the complex interplay of these factors, the study makes substantive contributions to both theoretical advancements and practical applications in the field, particularly in enhancing the user experience and acceptance of chatbots for airline ticket consultations.
In the heart of B2B branding: exploring the link between brand-specific transformational leadership, employer branding andemployee-based brand equity
Authors: Sousa Bianca , Ferreira Pedro
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationships between brand-specific transformational leadership (TFL), employer branding and employee-based brand equity (EBBE) in the business-to-business (B2B) context. Additionally, the study investigates the mediating role of employer branding in the relationship between brand-specific TFL and EBBE, shedding light on the mechanisms through which brand-specific leaders impact EBBE via employer branding initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

The study takes a quantitative approach. Data collection was conducted using a questionnaire in B2B service sectors. The PLS method was applied in Smart PLS (V. 3.0) to test the established relationships between constructs.

Findings

The findings reveal significant positive associations between brand-specific TFL and employer branding, as well as between employer branding and EBBE. The relationship between brand-specific TFL and EBBE is partial mediated by employer branding.

Originality/value

This study contributes to theoretical understanding by advancing knowledge on the mechanisms driving EBBE within B2B firms. It offers practical insights for managers and researchers by highlighting the importance of leadership and employer branding strategies in enhancing EBBE in the B2B context.