bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Man of High Empire
Authors: Gibson Roy K.
Published: June 2020

Pliny the Younger (c. 60–112 CE)—senator and consul in the Rome of Domitian and Trajan, eyewitness to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE, early ‘persecutor’ of Christians on the Black Sea—remains the best documented Roman individual, other than emperors, between Cicero and Augustine. Standard biographical approaches rarely suit him. But no Roman writer, not even Vergil, ties his identity to the regions of Italy more successfully than Pliny. His individuality can be captured by focusing on the range of locales in which he lived, including Comum, Umbria and Rome. What is Pliny’s attachment or relationship to a region? What is his persona, and what does he do there? What does he see, or not see, in a landscape or its inhabitants? Why does he play Comum up or play Umbria down? A strong thread of linear narration is maintained. In his youth Pliny spent a period of time on the bay of Naples alongside his famous uncle, the Elder Pliny, author of the Natural History. It was while here he witnessed the catastrophe of 79. Pliny spent the last years of his life as governor in the province of Pontus-Bithynia in northwest Turkey, in a landscape and political milieu quite different from the one he had known in Italy. Four figures from the classical past, present, and future accompany Pliny: Cicero, Tacitus, Epictetus, and Augustine.
Campania
Authors: Gibson Roy K.
Published: June 2020

Pliny’s narrative of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 C.E. underpins almost all modern accounts. The story is rarely told from his point of view. Scrutiny of the meaning or reliability of Pliny’s details is likewise rarely undertaken. The August date of the eruption is also now contested. There is, in addition, a tension between the apparent trustworthiness of the ‘scientific’ details, and Pliny’s desire to present the Elder Pliny’s rescue mission as heroic rather than misguided. The addressing of Pliny’s epistolary narrative to Tacitus may account for the focus on the Elder Pliny rather than on the masses of other victims in the eruption. The youthful constantia of Pliny, the pyroclastic flows and surges, and the death of the Elder are also treated in the course of the chapter, as are the significant Flavian connections of the Elder, and his continuing role in Pliny’s life as a model to accept or reject, and the role of Pliny’s mother during the eruption.
Umbria and the Laurentine Shore
Authors: Gibson Roy K.
Published: June 2020

Pliny owned two important residences outside Rome: one on the Laurentine shore; the other in Umbria. Pliny calls the latter villa ‘Tuscan’: a reference to the ethnicity (rather than geography) of the locality. He was deeply embedded and widely connected in Umbria, but plays the region down, to give Comum prominence. A network of Umbrian friends can be documented, plus marriage to ‘Venuleia’: daughter of an established Umbro-Etruscan senatorial family. Pliny says little about her, to give the later marriage to Calpurnia of Comum more publicity. Pliny’s persona in Umbria is warm, and marked by an interest in religious sites. At the Laurentine villa, Pliny focuses on reading, writing, and improvement of the self. How does Pliny’s persona at his villas relate to ancient conceptions of the ‘true self’? Pliny’s leisure was based on the labour of those who worked his huge Umbrian estates. What were his record and practices as a wealthy landowner?
IDEAL ZETA FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED TO A FAMILY OF CLASS-2-NILPOTENT LIE RINGS
Authors: Voll Christopher
Published: June 2020

We produce explicit formulae for various ideal zeta functions associated to the members of an infinite family of class-$2$-nilpotent Lie rings, introduced in M. N. Berman, B. Klopsch and U. Onn (A family of class-2 nilpotent groups, their automorphisms and pro-isomorphic zeta functions, Math. Z. 290 (2018), 909935), in terms of Igusa functions. As corollaries we obtain information about analytic properties of global ideal zeta functions, local functional equations, topological, reduced and graded ideal zeta functions, as well as representation zeta functions for the unipotent group schemes associated to the Lie rings in question.
Genome Resources for the Endophytic Fungus Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa
Authors: Baroncelli Riccardo , Da Lio Daniele , Vannacci Giovanni , Sarrocco Sabrina
Published: June 2020

Paraphaeosphaeria genus includes plant pathogens or biocontrol agents as well as bioremediators and endophytic fungi. Paraphaeosphaeria sporulosa 10515 was isolated in 2013 as an endophyte of Festuca spp. collected on Mount Etna at 1,832 meters above sea level. Here, we present the first-draft whole-genome sequence of a P. sporulosa endophytic isolate. This data will be useful for future research on understanding the genetic bases of endophytism.
Faculty and Resident Engagement With a Workplace-Based Assessment Tool: Use of Implementation Science to Explore Enablers and Barriers
Authors: Young John Q. , Sugarman Rebekah , Schwartz Jessica , O’Sullivan Patricia S.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Implementation of workplace-based assessment programs has encountered significant challenges. Faculty and residents alike often have a negative view of these programs as “tick-box” or “jump through the hoops” exercises. A number of recommendations have been made to address these challenges. To understand the experience with a workplace-based assessment tool that follows many of these recommendations, the authors conducted a qualitative study using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify enablers and barriers to engagement with the tool.

Method

The Psychopharmacotherapy-Structured Clinical Observation (P-SCO) is a direct observation tool designed to assess resident performance during a psychiatric medication management visit. From August 2017 to February 2018, the P-SCO was implemented in the outpatient continuity clinics for second- and third-year residents at Zucker Hillside Hospital/Northwell Health. In February and March 2019, the authors conducted semistructured interviews of participating faculty and residents. Interview guides based on the CFIR were used to capture the enablers and barriers to engagement. Interview transcripts were independently coded. Codes were then organized into themes relevant to the domains of the CFIR.

Results

Ten faculty and 10 residents were interviewed. Overall, participants had a positive experience with the P-SCO. Enabling factors for faculty and residents included the ongoing training, design features of the P-SCO, predisposing beliefs, dedicated faculty time, and the perception that the P-SCO improved verbal feedback quality. Barriers for faculty included checklist length and discomfort with feedback that threatens identity, and barriers for residents included faculty variability in timeliness and quality of feedback and minimal review of the feedback after initial receipt.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the negative experience of faculty and residents with workplace-based assessment tools shown in prior studies can be overcome, at least in part, when specific implementation strategies are pursued. The findings provide guidance for future research and implementation efforts.
Personalized Positive End-Expiratory Pressure in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Comparison Between Optimal Distribution of Regional Ventilation and Positive Transpulmonary Pressure
Authors: Scaramuzzo Gaetano , Spadaro Savino , Dalla Corte Francesca , Waldmann Andreas D. , Böhm Stephan H. , Ragazzi Riccardo , Marangoni Elisabetta , Grasselli Giacomo , Pesenti Antonio , Volta Carlo Alberto , Mauri Tommaso
Published: June 2020

Objectives:

Different techniques exist to select personalized positive end-expiratory pressure in patients affected by the acute respiratory distress syndrome. The positive end-expiratory transpulmonary pressure strategy aims to counteract dorsal lung collapse, whereas electrical impedance tomography could guide positive end-expiratory pressure selection based on optimal homogeneity of ventilation distribution. We compared the physiologic effects of positive end-expiratory pressure guided by electrical impedance tomography versus transpulmonary pressure in patients affected by acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Design:

Cross-over prospective physiologic study.

Setting:

Two academic ICUs.

Patients:

Twenty ICU patients affected by acute respiratory distress syndrome undergoing mechanical ventilation.

Intervention:

Patients monitored by an esophageal catheter and a 32-electrode electrical impedance tomography monitor underwent two positive end-expiratory pressure titration trials by randomized cross-over design to find the level of positive end-expiratory pressure associated with: 1) positive end-expiratory transpulmonary pressure (PEEPPL) and 2) proportion of poorly or nonventilated lung units (Silent Spaces) less than or equal to 15% (PEEPEIT). Each positive end-expiratory pressure level was maintained for 20 minutes, and afterward, lung mechanics, gas exchange, and electrical impedance tomography data were collected.

Measurements and Main Results:

PEEPEIT and PEEPPL differed in all patients, and there was no correlation between the levels identified by the two methods (R

s
= 0.25; p = 0.29). PEEPEIT determined a more homogeneous distribution of ventilation with a lower percentage of dependent Silent Spaces (p = 0.02), whereas PEEPPL was characterized by lower airway—but not transpulmonary—driving pressure (p = 0.04). PEEPEIT was significantly higher than PEEPPL in subjects with extrapulmonary acute respiratory distress syndrome (p = 0.006), whereas the opposite was true for pulmonary acute respiratory distress syndrome (p = 0.03).

Conclusions:

Personalized positive end-expiratory pressure levels selected by electrical impedance tomography– and transpulmonary pressure–based methods are not correlated at the individual patient level. PEEPPL is associated with lower dynamic stress, whereas PEEPEIT may help to optimize lung recruitment and homogeneity of ventilation. The underlying etiology of acute respiratory distress syndrome could deeply influence results from each method.
Pharmacogenomics as the Foundation for Precision Medicine
Authors: Diamond Joel
Published: June 2020

Leaders who fail to develop a precision medicine strategy and undertake initial steps immediately are likely to find themselves woefully behind as others in the industry accelerate their efforts. Late adopters will put themselves at a disadvantage in their own markets, which grow more and more competitive each year, and miss a critical opportunity to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction with the care received.
Assessing Security Operations in Healthcare to Ensure Quality Patient Care
Authors: Carder James
Published: June 2020

Many healthcare organizations lack the necessary visibility to prevent cyberthreats and struggle to reduce the amount of time it takes to detect and respond to threats. This strain can significantly cripple patient care, risk patient safety and trust, compromise sensitive clinical data, and cause costly damages.
The genetic variations in SAP97 gene and the risk of schizophrenia in the Chinese Han population: a further study
Authors: Xu Xusan , Wang Yajun , Zhou Xia , Yin Jingwen , Yu Huajun , Wen Xia , Lv Dong , Zhu Dongjian , Xiong Susu , Yan Haifeng , Dai Zhun , Lin Zhixiong , Lin Juda , Zhao Bin , Liang Chunmei , Li You , Luo Xudong , Ma Guoda
Published: June 2020

Background and Methods

Based on our previous discovery that SAP97 rs3915512 polymorphism significantly affects the cognitive function of schizophrenia, we further genotyped the other 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) capturing the known common haplotype variations of this gene in a sample including 1014 patients with schizophrenia and 1078 matched controls.

Results

There were no significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and alleles of the 12 SNPs of SAP97 between the patients and the controls (all P > 0.05). But, in the evaluation of the phenotypic effects of these SNPs on the patients’ clinical symptoms and cognitive functions. While patients with minor allele in the rs9843659 polymorphism had higher N5 (difficulty in abstract thinking) scores than that with the main genotype (P = 0.002, Pcor = 0.014), the patients with minor allele in the rs6805920, rs4916461 and rs7638423 had lower verbal memory scores (P = 0.003, 0.003, 0.001, Pcor = 0.021, 0.021, 0.007, respectively) and the P values of these SNPs were still significant after the Bonferroni correction.

Conclusion

Our data are further to indicate that the SAP97 gene polymorphisms may affect neurocognitive function especially verbal memory and the first to suggest that the SAP97 rs9843659 polymorphism may influence abstract thinking of schizophrenic patients in the southern Han Chinese population.
Gemmobacter serpentinus sp. nov., isolated from conserved forages
Authors: Lim Kahao , Kannan Arvind D. , Shobnam Nusrat , Mahmood Maheen , Lee Jaejin , Im Jeongdae
Published: June 2020

A Gram-stain-negative, long-rod-shaped and facultative aerobic bacterium, designated HB-1T, was isolated from a round hay bale at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. The results of phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain HB-1T clustered within the genus

Gemmobacter

and its closest relatives were

Gemmobacter aquaticus

A1-9T (98.0 %),

Gemmobacter lutimaris

YJ-T1-11T (98.0 %),

Gemmobacter fontiphilus

JS43T (97.8 %),

Gemmobacter aquatilis

DSM 3857T (97.5 %) and

Gemmobacter lanyuensis

Orc-4T (96.9 %). Additional phylogenomic analysis also indicated that strain HB-1T belongs to the genus

Gemmobacter

. The draft genome of strain HB-1T had a total length of 4.23 Mbp and contained 4071 protein-coding genes. The average nucleotide identity values between the genomes of strain HB-1T and the three most-related type strains ranged from 77.5 to 78.1 %. The DNA G+C content of strain HB-1T was 63.7 mol%. The novel strain grew at 10–37 °C, pH 5–10 and with 0–2 % NaCl. Oxidase and catalase activities were positive. Cells were 0.3–0.4 µm wide, 3.0–7.0 µm long and usually found in pairs or chains of cells. The major respiratory quinone of strain HB-1T was Q-10 (90 %), with a minor amount of Q-9 (10 %). The major fatty acids were C18 : 1
 ω7c (54.6 %) and C16 : 0 (18.2 %). On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic data, strain HB-1T (=DSM 109828T=ATCC TSD-211T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus

Gemmobacter

, for which the name Gemmobacter serpentinus sp. nov. is proposed.
Mouse thy1-positive spermatogonia suppress the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells by Extracellular vesicles in vitro
Authors: Lin Yu , Fang Qian , He Yue , Gong Xiaowen , Wang Yinjuan , Liang Ajuan , Wang Guishuan , Gong Shengnan , Wu Ji , Sun Fei
Published: June 2020

The self-renewal of mammalian spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) supports spermatogenesis to produce spermatozoa, and this is precisely controlled in a stem niche microenvironment in the seminiferous tubules. Although studies have revealed the role of the surrounding factors in SSCs, little is known about whether the division of SSCs is controlled by extracellular vesicles. Here, extracellular vesicles were found in the basal compartment of seminiferous tubules in mouse, rat, rabbit and human testes. In the mice, the testicular extracellular vesicles are secreted by spermatogonia and are taken up by SSCs. Further, the extracellular vesicles from thy1-positive spermatogonia were purified by anti-Thy1-coupled magnetic beads, and which suppress their proliferation of SSCs but not lead to the apoptosis in vitro.
State-wise estimates of current hospital beds, intensive care unit (ICU) beds and ventilators in India: Are we prepared for a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations?
Authors: Kapoor Geetanjali , Hauck Stephanie , Sriram Aditi , Joshi Jyoti , Schueller Emily , Frost Isabel , Balasubramanian Ruchita , Laxminarayan Ramanan , Nandi Arindam
Published: June 2020

Background

The rapid spread of COVID-19 globally has prompted policymakers to evaluate the capacity of health care infrastructure in their communities. Many hard-hit localities have witnessed a large influx of severe cases that strained existing hospitals. As COVID-19 spreads in India, it is essential to evaluate the country’s capacity to treat severe cases.

Methods

We combined data on public and private sector hospitals in India to produce state level estimates of hospital beds, ICU beds, and mechanical ventilators. Based on the number of public sector hospitals from the 2019 National Health Profile (NHP) of India and the relative proportions of public and private health care facilities from the National Sample Survey (NSS) 75th round (2017-2018), we estimated capacity in each Indian state and union territory (UT). We assumed that 5% of all hospital beds were ICU beds and that 50% of ICU beds were equipped with ventilators.

Results

We estimated that India has approximately 1.9 million hospital beds, 95,000 ICU beds and 48,000 ventilators. Nationally, resources are concentrated in the private sector (hospital beds: 1,185,242 private vs 713,986 public; ICU beds: 59,262 private vs 35,699 public; ventilators: 29,631 private vs. 17,850 public). Our findings suggest substantial variation in available resources across states and UTs.

Conclusion

Some projections shave suggested a potential need for approximately 270,000 ICU beds in an optimistic scenario, over 2.8 times the estimated number of total available ICU beds in India. Additional resources will likely be required to accommodate patients with severe COVID-19 infections in India.
Detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein in both serum and saliva enhances detection of infection
Authors: Faustini Sian E. , Jossi Sian E. , Perez-Toledo Marisol , Shields Adrian M. , Allen Joel D. , Watanabe Yasunori , Newby Maddy L. , Cook Alex , Willcox Carrie R , Salim Mahboob , Goodall Margaret , Heaney Jennifer L. , Marcial-Juarez Edith , Morley Gabriella L. , Torlinska Barbara , Wraith David C. , Veenith Tonny V. , Harding Stephen , Jolles Stephen , Ponsford Mark J. , Plant Tim , Huissoon Aarnoud , O’Shea Matthew K. , Willcox Benjamin E. , Drayson Mark T. , Crispin Max , Cunningham Adam F. , Richter Alex G.
Published: June 2020

Background

Detecting antibody responses during and after SARS-CoV-2 infection is essential in determining the seroepidemiology of the virus and the potential role of antibody in disease. Scalable, sensitive and specific serological assays are essential to this process. The detection of antibody in hospitalized patients with severe disease has proven straightforward; detecting responses in subjects with mild disease and asymptomatic infections has proven less reliable. We hypothesized that the suboptimal sensitivity of antibody assays and the compartmentalization of the antibody response may contribute to this effect.

Methods

We systemically developed an ELISA assay, optimising different antigens and amplification steps, in serum and saliva from symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects.

Results

Using trimeric spike glycoprotein, rather than nucleocapsid enabled detection of responses in individuals with low antibody responses. IgG1 and IgG3 predominate to both antigens, but more anti-spike IgG1 than IgG3 was detectable. All antigens were effective for detecting responses in hospitalized patients. Anti-spike, but not nucleocapsid, IgG, IgA and IgM antibody responses were readily detectable in saliva from non-hospitalized symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Antibody responses in saliva and serum were largely independent of each other and symptom reporting.

Conclusions

Detecting antibody responses in both saliva and serum is optimal for determining virus exposure and understanding immune responses after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Funding

This work was funded by the University of Birmingham, the National Institute for Health Research (UK), the NIH National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the University of Southampton.
Co-movement of astral microtubules, organelles and F-actin suggests aster positioning by surface forces in frog eggs
Authors: Pelletier James , Field Christine , Fürthauer Sebastian , Sonnett Matthew , Mitchison Timothy
Published: June 2020

How bulk cytoplasm generates forces to separate post-anaphase microtubule (MT) asters inXenopus laevisand other large eggs remains unclear. Previous models proposed dynein-based organelle transport generates length-dependent forces on astral MTs that pull centrosomes through the cytoplasm, away from the midplane. InXenopusegg extracts, we co-imaged MTs, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, acidic organelles, F-actin, keratin, and fluorescein in moving and stationary asters. In asters that were moving in response to dynein and actomyosin forces, we observed that all cytoplasmic components moved together, i.e., as a continuum. Dynein-mediated organelle transport was restricted by interior MTs and F-actin. Organelles exhibited a burst of dynein-dependent inward movement at the growing aster surface, then mostly halted inside the aster. Dynein-coated beads were slowed by F-actin, but in contrast to organelles, beads did not halt inside asters. These observations call for new models of aster positioning based on surface forces and internal stresses.
The innate sensor ZBP1-IRF3 axis regulates cell proliferation in multiple myeloma
Authors: Ponnusamy Kanagaraju , Tzioni Maria Myrsini , Begum Murshida , Robinson Mark E , Caputo Valentina S , Katsarou Alexia , Trasanidis Nikolaos , Xiao Xiaolin , Kostopoulos Ioannis V , Iskander Deena , Roberts Irene , Trivedi Pritesh , Auner Holger W , Naresh Kikkeri , Chaidos Aristeidis , Karadimitris Anastasios
Published: June 2020

ZBP1 is an inducible, non-constitutively expressed cellular nucleic acid sensor that triggers type I interferon (IFN) responses via phosphorylation and activation of the transcription factor (TF) IRF3 by TBK1. However, the role of the ZBP1-IRF3 axis in cancer is not known. Here we show that ZBP1 is selectively and constitutively expressed in late B cell development and it is required for optimal T cell-dependent humoral immune responses. In the plasma cell (PC) cancer multiple myeloma, interaction of constitutively expressed ZBP1 with TBK1 and IRF3 results in IRF3 phosphorylation. Notably, rather than IFN type I response genes, IRF3 directly activates, in part through co-operation with the PC lineage-defining TF IRF4, cell cycle genes thus promoting myeloma cell proliferation. This generates a novel, potentially therapeutically targetable and relatively selective myeloma cell addiction to the ZBP1-IRF3 axis. These data expand our knowledge of the role of cellular immune sensors in cancer biology.
Effect of evacuation of Japanese residents from Wuhan, China, on preventing transmission of novel coronavirus infection: a modelling study
Authors: Asai Yusuke , Tsuzuki Shinya , Kutsuna Satoshi , Hayakawa Kayoko , Ohmagari Norio
Published: June 2020

Objective

In late January 2020, the Japanese government carried out three evacuations by aircraft from Wuhan, China, to avoid further cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Wuhan’s Japanese residents. Evacuation by aircraft may be an effective countermeasure against outbreaks of infectious diseases, but evidence of its effect is scarce. This study estimated how many COVID-19 cases were prevented among the Japanese residents of Wuhan by the evacuation countermeasure.

Results

Eleven imported COVID-19 cases were reported on Feb 1 from among the total 566 evacuees who returned to Japan. In the case of no evacuations being made, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases among Wuhan’s Japanese residents was estimated to reach 25 (95% CI [20, 29]) on Feb 8 and 34 (95% CI [28, 40]) on Feb 15. A 1-week delay in the evacuation might be led to 14 additional cases and a 2-week delay to 23 additional cases. Evacuation by aircraft can contribute substantially to reducing the number of infected cases in the initial stage of the outbreak.
Principal leadership preparation towards high-performing school leadership in Malaysia
Authors: Adams Donnie , Yoon Mooi Ashley Ng , Muniandy Vasu
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the Malaysian National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL), a principal leadership preparation programme and the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025, a comprehensive plan for a rapid and sustainable transformation of our education system through to 2025 to ensure high-performing school leaders in every school.

Design/methodology/approach

In understanding how the NPQEL operates and its effectiveness in preparing high performing school leaders, a research instrument of open-ended questions were administered to 102 principals from government-funded secondary schools, to establish how they were prepared for their leadership roles and their views of their leadership practices.

Findings

The NPQEL programme provides evidence of strong outcomes in preparing school leaders towards high-performing school leadership in Malaysia in combination of a variety of approaches with respect to its designs and competency standards. Findings indicate that the NPQEL contributes towards the development of the school leaders' attributes or skills for their leadership roles; and the NPQEL fulfils the aspirations set out in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025.

Originality/value

This paper explores the potential influence of Malaysian NPQEL and the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025 on preparing high-performing school leaders in every school.
Nexus between running costs and building characteristics of commercial buildings: hedonic regression modelling
Authors: Geekiyanage Devindi , Ramachandra Thanuja
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Traditionally, early-stage investment decisions on buildings purely based initial capital costs and simply ignored running costs and total lifecycle cost. This was basically due to the absence of estimating models that yield running costs at the early design stage. Often, when the design of a building, which is responsible for 10–15% of its total cost, is completed, 80% of the total cost is committed. This study aims to develop a building characteristic-based model, which is an early-stage determinant of running costs of buildings, to predict the running costs of commercial buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

A desk study was carried out to collect running costs data and building characteristics of 35 commercial buildings in Sri Lanka. A Pareto analysis, bivariate correlation analysis and hedonic regression modelling were performed on collected data.

Findings

According to Pareto analysis, utilities, services, admin work and cleaning are four main cost constituents, responsible for 80% of running costs, which can be represented by highly correlated building characteristics of building height, number of floors and size. Approximately 94% of the variance in annual running costs/sq. m is expressed by variables of number of floors, net floor area and working hours/day together with a mean prediction accuracy of 2.89%.

Research limitations/implications

The study has utilised a sample of 35 commercial buildings due to non-availability and difficulty in accessing running cost data.

Originality/value

Early-stage supportive running costs estimation model proposed by the study would enable construction professionals to benchmark the running costs and thereby optimise the building design. The developed hedonic model illustrated the variance of running costs concerning the changes in characteristics of a building.
Opt-out stories: women’s decisions to leave corporate leadership
Authors: Frkal Robin Ayers , Criscione-Naylor Noel
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the challenges to women’s authentic leadership identities contribute to their decisions to abandon leadership positions mid-career. It examines the critical career moments and underlying themes behind these women’s decisions to leave.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on semi-structured interviews (n = 9) with women between the ages of 32-53 who had opted-out of mid-level corporate leadership positions.

Findings

The study found that work–life balance was not the primary factor in women’s decisions to leave. Instead, the women in the study reflected on their inability to be themselves and contribute perceived value to the organization as triggering their decisions to leave.

Research limitations/implications

There are limitations in using a small sample of women selected through the researchers’ social media networks resulting in limited cultural and racial diversity.

Practical implications

Misconceptions about women’s decisions to leave corporate leadership mid-career misleads human resource (HR) practices and initiatives focused on retaining female talent. Organizations need to recognize and reshape the organizational environment to support women to be their authentic self and make the value of their contributions more transparent.

Originality/value

The paper is original in that it examines opt-out from the lens of women’s leadership identities in corporate contexts. There are limited studies that have examined the connections between identity and women’s career decisions beyond work–ife balance. It provides practical value to HR practitioners and organizations focused on retaining female talent.
Employee performance and corporate cash holdings
Authors: Flugum Ryan , Harper Joel , Sun Li
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effect employee performance has on subsequent corporate cash holdings.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors utilize panel data estimation, including an instrumental variable approach, to identify the relation between employee performance and subsequent corporate cash holdings. These panel data consist of 11,087 firm-year observations over the period 1992 to 2015.

Findings

The authors document a positive and statistically significant relation between firm employee performance and subsequent cash balances. A one standard deviation increase in employee performance is associated with an increase in cash holdings ranging from 1 to 2 percent. The findings support the view that firms seek to accommodate the preferences of better performing employees, thereby requiring greater levels of cash. This positive relation is most evident among firms with low bond ratings and firms with low managerial ability – characteristics that are indicative of a firm's ability to access capital markets.

Originality/value

Better corporate governance of the firm is commonly associated with lower levels of cash. The findings of this paper, however, suggest that holding greater levels of cash may be a consequence of corporate efforts to accommodate the needs of their employees. The predictive content of employee performance is orthogonal to existing determinants of corporate cash holdings shown in the literature. Furthermore, this paper shows the potential for firm cash balances to be an alternative and transparent measure that signals better employee performance and more socially responsible firm behavior.
Social consequences of economic globalization: experience of developed and developing countries and perspectives of optimization
Authors: Zankovsky Sergey , Bezbakh Vitali , Inshakova Agnessa , Rusakova Ekaterina P.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the research is to determine the social consequences of economic globalization based on experience of developed and developing countries and to determine the perspectives of optimization of this process through regulation.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method is correlation analysis, for it allows determining dependencies between the indicators without requirements to their close mutual dependence. The research objects are top ten developed and top ten developing countries as to the KOF globalization index in 2019.

Findings

It is determined that, contrary to high economic risks, social risks of globalization are very low. Instead of this, in the course of globalization the social advantages increase – they are expressed in the form of harmonization of the labor market, development of digital society and increase of population's quality of life – in particular, provision of balance of the global society by leveling the social disproportions between developed and developing countries. It is substantiated that consequences that stimulate the increase of population's quality of life in developing countries are more expressed than in developed countries. This means that developing countries, which are traditionally more inclined to limiting the influence of globalization on them due to economic reasons, have to reconsider their foreign economic policy and include the measures on stimulation of globalization in the interests of social development. Other than that, the differences in consequences for developed and developing countries are minimal. There is no imbalance of consequences that is peculiar for the economic sphere, in which the main advantages are obtained by developed countries, and developing countries bear most of the costs. From the social point of view, globalization could be characterized as a positive phenomenon of modern times.

Originality/value

The offered authors' recommendations will allow optimizing the influence of globalization on the social environment in developed and developing countries and ensuring usage of economic globalization as a mechanism of implementation of the global goals in the sphere of sustainable development.
Political instability and services of GCC banks: how important is the Yemen War?
Authors: Saif-Alyousfi Abdulazeez Y.H.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the Yemen War on banking services (deposits and loans) at the aggregate and at the level of conventional and Islamic banks in GCC countries. The author also tests hypotheses of direct and indirect impacts of the Yemen War on bank services.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises a total of 70 banks (45 conventional and 25 Islamic banks) over the period 2000–2018. The static and dynamic panel generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimation techniques are applied.

Findings

Empirical results indicate that the Yemen War has a significant negative direct impact on deposits and loans of GCC banks. The results lend support for the direct channel hypothesis, but not for the indirect channel hypothesis. The negative direct impact is most prominent on banks in GCC countries that are directly involved in the Yemen War, although the war has an asymmetric effect on conventional and Islamic banks, the former being more vulnerable. The overall conclusion is that the Yemen War exerts an asymmetric impact on the GCC region, across both banks and countries.

Practical implications

These results are a warning to policymakers to be cautious when formulating a strategy for macroeconomic stability.

Originality/value

It is widely recognized that the Yemen War has a significant impact on the economies of the GCC countries. However, the possible impact of the war on GCC bank services has not so far been subjected to robust empirical analysis. This paper therefore seeks to fill this gap by providing an in-depth quantitative analysis of this impact. It distinguishes between direct and indirect channels through which the Yemen War may affect bank services. It is also the first to examine the asymmetric impact of the Yemen War on the GCC region, across both banks (Islamic and conventional banks) and countries (whether or not involved in the war). The study uses both static panel and dynamic panel GMM estimation techniques to analyze the data.
Analysis of cyber-crime effects on the banking sector using the balanced score card: a survey of literature
Authors: Akinbowale Oluwatoyin Esther , Klingelhöfer Heinz Eckart , Zerihun Mulatu Fekadu
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the effect of cybercrime in the banking sector.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a survey of literature and the balanced scorecard (BSC) to analyse the effect of cybercrime on the banking sector.

Findings

The literature reviewed confirms an increasing wave of cybercrime that has impacted negatively on the good will and economic growth of financial institutions, indirectly through loss of trust in the digital infrastructure or directly through fraud and extortion in both developing and developed countries.

Research limitations

This study is limited to the application of BSC to analyse the effect of cybercrime in the banking sector only.

Practical implications

To avert on going massive losses owing to cybercrime, the authors quest for development of an alert system that can create the awareness of both the banks and the customers by effectively implementing and integrating big data technology into their system to mitigate the negative impacts of cybercrime.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study lies in the fact that this study uses the BSC for the analysis of cybercrime in the banking sector, a problem that has not been sufficiently highlighted in the existing literature.
Corporate crime: a logical misconception, but with one analytical point
Authors: Alalehto Tage
Published: June 2020

Purpose

In 1988, Donald Cressey published a previously overlooked article. According to Cressey, there was a lack in the agenda of corporate crime research concerning theory and conceptual precision of what exactly the scientific object was and how it could reinforce our understanding of white-collar criminality. Cressey stated the idea that a fictitious person, like a corporation, upon which were bestowed properties such as a will of its own (intentions and motivations) and a consciousness to act morally and ethically have a responsibility to follow the order of law, leads to a fundamental theoretical problem in terms of discovering the causes of crimes committed by such a fictitious person. I follow this line of thought about the arguments made by representatives of corporate crime. Specifically, I follow the concept of “decoupling”, by using various techniques of formal logic. The conclusion is that the concept of corporate crime is a logical contradiction (an eternal false statement), but the research has one analytical point which must be incorporated into the research of white-collar criminality: how structural conditions of a corporation’s policy and strategy “produce” or influence the individuals within the corporation to make decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a research paper based on the technic of formal logic. The design of this research is sentence and modal logic.

Findings

The concept of corporate crime is logically a contradiction. Thereby it has no value in the research agenda of white-collar criminality.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, no one has done a formal logical analysis based on modal logic to investigate the consistence of the concept corporate crime.
Effects of green construction on project’s economic performance
Authors: Onubi Hilary Omatule , Yusof Nor’Aini , Hassan Ahmad Sanusi
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of green construction site practices on the economic performance of projects executed by “class A” contractors in Nigeria. The effects of stormwater management, materials management waste management and energy management on economic performance were examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected through a survey of class A contractors in Nigeria, and 168 usable responses were received. The partial least-squares structural equation modelling technique was used to analyse the collected data.

Findings

It was observed that all the green construction practices studied had significant effects on the economic performance of construction projects with the greatest effect from energy management.

Practical implications

The results imply that green construction practices generally lead to economic performance. The study has both theoretical and practical implications, as it helps both policymakers and contractors better understand the relationships between these variables of green construction practices and economic performance to better plan for their projects and for the government to formulate appropriate policies.

Originality/value

The study’s findings makes significant contributions to the ongoing discussion on the relationship between green construction practices and economic performance. The relationship established between stormwater management, waste management, materials management, energy management and economic performance in this study is different when compared with those in other similar studies.
Digital divide in light of religion, gender, and women’s digital participation
Authors: Tsuria Ruth
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to argue for the importance of considering religious and cultural background as informing participant's access and attitudes towards digital media.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes a socio-cultural theoretical approach. In terms of methodology, it refers to case studies based on discourse analysis of online content.

Findings

The paper argues that the online discourse in the case studies presented discourages women from using digital media for their own empowerment.

Research limitations/implications

Some limitation include that this research focuses only on a case study from Judaism. Future research should examine how other religious traditions impact internet access and uses.

Originality/value

The paper's contribution is in its novel inclusion of religion as an element of the digital divide.
Convective heat transport in a heat generating MHD vertical layer saturated by a non-Newtonian nanofluid: a bidirectional study
Authors: Reddy M. Gnaneswara , Vijayakumari P. , Krishna L. , Kumar K. Ganesh , Prasannakumara B.C
Published: June 2020

Purpose

In this framework, the three dimensional (3D) flow of hydromagnetic Carreau nanofluid transport over a stretching sheet has been addressed by considering the impacts of nonlinear thermal radiation and convective conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Infinite shear rate viscosity impacts are invoiced in the modeling. The heat and mass transport characteristics are explored by employing the effects of a magnetic field, thermal nonlinear radiation and buoyancy effects. Rudimentary governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are represented and are transformed into ordinary differential equations by the use of similarity transformation. The nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs), along with the boundary conditions, are resolved with the aid of a Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg scheme (RKFS) based on the shooting technique.

Findings

The impact of sundry parameters like the viscosity ratio parameter (β*), nonlinear convection parameters due to temperature and concentration (βT, βC), mixed convection parameter (α), Hartmann number (M2), Weissenberg number (We), nonlinear radiation parameter (NR), and the Prandtl number (Pr) on the velocity, temperature and the concentration distributions are examined. Furthermore, the impacts of important variables on the skin friction, Nusselt number and the Sherwood number have been scrutinized through tables and graphical plots.

Originality/value

The velocity distribution is suppressed by greater values of the Hartmann number. The velocity components in the tangential and axial directions of the fluid are raised with the viscosity ratio parameter and the tangential slip parameter, but these components are reduced with concentration to thermal buoyancy forces ratio and stretching sheet ratio.
Investigating consumer experience in hybrid museums: a netnographic study
Authors: Passebois Ducros Juliette , Euzéby Florence
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Hybrid structures are emerging in the leisure sector that are neither museums nor amusement parks, but which borrow elements from both. Dedicated to the exploration of a cultural theme (cultural heritage, ecosystems and historic events), they use experiential marketing levers to entertain large publics while at the same time pursuing the cultural integrity of heritage. This study aims to examine how visitors perceive and experience the offer proposed by these hybrid museums and how they manage the dual (cognitive and sensorial) stimulation. The authors then consider the extent to which the experiential levers used to dramatize these venues help to deliver a unique experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed a qualitative approach based on a case study methodology. The authors first selected the case studies (the Cité du Vin – a wine museum in Bordeaux, France and the Cité de l’Océan – a museum dedicated to the ocean at Biarritz, France) and analysed them from two angles. The authors began by examining the managerial perspective from secondary data to identify the experiential levers used by providers and the promises made to visitors in terms of experience. The authors then analysed the visitors’ experiences through a netnographic approach. The data were drawn from visitor reviews of their experience as posted on Tripadvisor.

Findings

The authors show that hybrid museums manage to provide visitors with edutainment value, but the promise made by managers for a memorable experience by way of an immersive journey is not kept. The authors demonstrate that a hybrid museum environment contains certain elements that prevent visitors from enjoying immersion. More specifically, the authors note issues regarding the way the theme is expressed through spectacular buildings, the way visitors are free to choose their visit and the scenarization presented through digital devices. The authors also show that hybrid museums are perceived largely as traditional museums and so are subject to culturally-established preconceptions.

Originality/value

This contribution concerns a topic that has drawn little attention in the marketing literature, namely, hybrid museums. The authors adopted a qualitative methodology from the perspective of both the provider and the consumer to gain a global understanding of the hybrid museum. The data were analysed using a manual thematic analysis, completed with a QDAS to support the findings.
Cluster of pregnancy‐associated melanoma: A case report and brief update
Authors: Van Rooij Nicholas , Adams Agnieszka , De’Ambrosis Brian , Nathan Vaishnavi , Hayward Nicholas , Whiteman David
Published: June 2020

Melanoma incidence is increasing globally with Australia having the highest incidence in the world. Pregnancy‐associated melanoma is recognized in the published work; however, significant knowledge deficiencies exist. We present the case of a 34‐year‐old woman with dysplastic nevus syndrome who over a 15‐year period developed a total of nine melanomas, with eight clustered around an 18‐month peri‐ to post‐partum period. The first eight lesions were in situ with the ninth lesion invasive. No metastatic disease was observed over the 18‐year follow‐up period. This case identifies the potential sensitivity of a subset of melanomas to pregnancy‐related factors, with particular relevance to the development of lesions in the post‐partum period. We suggest that patients with a history of any documented melanoma risk factors, particularly dysplastic nevus syndrome, require close monitoring especially during pregnancy and early post‐partum.