bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on the intention to adopt mobile payment systems in India
Authors: Raman Prashant , Aashish Kumar
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual framework which takes into account the perceived risk (PR) and the perceived benefits (PB) of using mobile payment systems (MPS) in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The study proposes a conceptual framework incorporating the uncertainties/risks associated with MPS like perceived technology uncertainty (PTU), perceived regulatory uncertainty (PRU), perceived service intangibility (PSI) and perceived information asymmetry (PIA), along with the benefits of using MPS such as trust, mobility, health consciousness (HC) and fear of Coronavirus (FOC). A survey comprising 1,253 participants was conducted in India. The proposed model was empirically examined through partial least square structural equation modelling.

Findings

The outcomes of the study revealed a significant positive influence of PTU, PRU, PIA and PSI on PR. On the other hand, HC and FOC were identified as the major antecedents having a significant positive influence on PB. Both PR and PB had a significant influence on the intention to adopt MPS, but the influence of PB was greater than the influence of PR.

Practical implications

The enablers and inhibitors play a crucial role in understanding the intention to adopt MPS. HC and fear of acquiring Coronavirus can be aggressively marketed by the government and service providers as a strategy to maintain social distancing. Government should address the regulatory concerns associated with the usage of MPS so as to alleviate any negative perception among the general public.

Originality/value

The current study is a novel attempt to understand the intention to adopt MPS in India as precautionary health behaviour to curb the transmission of Coronavirus pandemic. The study uses two constructs, HC and FOC, to better understand the behaviour of the people and explain the intention to adopt MPS during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The interrelationships between bank risk and market discipline in Southeast Asia
Authors: Nguyen Dat T. , Le Tu
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine whether a bidirectional relationship between bank risk and market discipline may exist in Southeast Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

A simultaneous equations model with a three-stage least squares estimator is used to examine the interrelationships between bank risk and market discipline using a sample of 79 listed banks in five countries in Southeast Asia (ASEAN-5) from 2006 to 2019.

Findings

The findings show a two-way relationship between bank risk and market discipline. In particular, market discipline has a negative impact on bank risk, while there is a positive relationship between bank risk and market discipline. A bidirectional relationship between them still holds when using an alternative measure of bank risk in subsamples, controlling for the global financial crisis and governance indicators.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that market discipline can reduce bank risk. Meanwhile, a positive impact of bank risk on market discipline reemphasizes that market discipline is a powerful tool to ensure banks do not have excessive risk-taking. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that further implementation of market discipline as the third pillar of the Basel framework is necessary for the banking systems in ASEAN-5.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to investigate the interrelationship between bank risk and market discipline in Southeast Asia.
Preparation and performance of CNTs-Pt formaldehyde sensor and CNTs-Au glucose sensor
Authors: Zhao Bin , Zhou Yawei , Qu Junfeng , Yin Fei , Yin Shaoqing , Chang Yongwei , Zhang Wu
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Since carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were discovered by Iijima in 1991, they have gained more and more attention by people because of their unique physical and chemical properties. The CNTs have one-dimensional nanostructure, high surface adsorption capacity, good conductivity and electronic ballistic transmission characteristics and therefore have excellent mechanical, electrical, physical and chemical properties. CNTs are ideal basic materials to make nanometer gas sensors. Nanometallic materials function as to enhance electrode activity and promote the electron transfer, so if composite nanometallic materials M (such as Au, Pt, Cu and Pd) and CNTs are used, all kinds of their characters of components would have coeffect. Electrochemical sensors by use of such composite as electrode would have a higher detection sensitivity.

Design/methodology/approach

CNTs were synthesized via chemical vapor deposition technique and were purified afterward. CNTs-M(Pt,Au) suspension was prepared by chemical deposition using spinning disc processor (SDP) and was coated on gold electrode. The modified electrodes were constructed, based on immobilization of glucose oxidase on an Au electrode by electrostatic effect. CNTs-Pt/ glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) electrodes were made by electrochemically deposition of platinum particles on GCE modified by CNTs. The microstructures of the harvested CNTs, CNTs-M (M = Au, Pt) were analyzed under scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The application of the sensor in medical detection has been evaluated.

Findings

The results shown that CNTs-Au biosensors exhibit good reproducibility, stability and fast response to glucose detection, it can be used in the clinic detection of glucose concentration in human serum. Using CNTs-Pt/GCE for formaldehyde detection exhibited high sensitivity and good reproducibility.

Originality/value

This study modified CNTs by using self-assembled techniques through SDP with nano Pt and Au by electrodeposition for the first time. CNTs-Pt/GCE electrode was prepared by depositing platinum particles electrochemically on GCE modified by CNTs. CNTs-Au-modified electrode was prepared by immobilization of glucose oxidase on an Au electrode first by electrostatic effect. Electrochemical behaviors of glucose at CNTs-Au and formaldehyde at CNTs-Pt/GCE were investigated by cyclic voltammetry.
Corporate social responsibility disclosures and profitability of Islamic banks: an empirical study
Authors: Mahmuda Naila Al , Muktadir-Al-Mukit Dewan
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and financial performance (FP) of Islamic banking sector from a developing country perspective. It also explores the present status of CSR activities performing by the listed Islamic banks (IBs) of Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

The secondary data from seven IBs’ annual reports for the years 2009–2018 are taken to obtain substantial measures of CSR activities. A corporate social responsibility disclosure index is constructed based on disclosure status on nine dimensions and 75 items as per the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions standards. To find the association between CSR disclosures and profitability, panel regression analysis has been performed.

Findings

The result indicates that CSR disclosures have a significant and negative relation with FP (return on assets) of IBs. It also suggests the expansion of CSR practices and the communicative CSR reporting of IBs, as an ethical identity, toward the stakeholders and society.

Research limitations/implications

First, the samples used in this study are limited to IBs as ethical identities in Bangladesh. Second, the length of a time frame as the practice of CSR activities and its reporting is still ineffective following the enforcement of the central bank directive in 2008. Another limitation is that the study used a subjective measure, content analysis, of CSR activities that was self-reported disclosures, which may creep some biasness.

Practical implications

The practical involvement of this research includes the assistance for policy development regarding better understanding of expansion of CSR practices and trustworthiness of CSR reporting by the Islamic banking segments in developing country context. Future researchers can get a glimpse of what reputational impact CSR initiatives really have on consumers and investors, considering CSR activities as an indicator of greater transparency and honesty in operations and financial reporting.

Originality/value

This study makes an important contribution to the academic literature on CSR communication from developing country context where CSR activities are supported under Islamic banking system. In addition, its examination of the legitimacy of CSR disclosures elaborates the social obligations of corporate entities to their stakeholders and society.
Different types of semi‐natural habitat are required to sustain diverse wild bee communities across agricultural landscapes
Authors: Maurer Corina , Sutter Louis , Martínez‐Núñez Carlos , Pellissier Loïc , Albrecht Matthias
Published: August 2022

Semi‐natural habitats provide important resources for wild bees in agricultural landscapes. Landscapes under management are dynamic and floral resources fluctuate in space and time. Thus, promoting different semi‐natural habitat types within landscapes could be key to support diverse bee meta‐communities throughout the season.

Here, we integrate analyses of α‐diversity (species richness) and β‐diversity and species‐habitat networks to examine the relative contribution of all major semi‐natural habitats to wild bee meta‐communities in agricultural landscapes. We sampled extensively and conventionally managed meadows, flower strips, hedgerows and forest edges in spring, early and late summer in 25 landscapes in Switzerland.

Habitat types varied in their importance for wild bees throughout the season: While extensively managed meadows supported more rare species, habitat specialists and bee species overall than the other habitat types, flower strips were most important later in the season. Each of the five investigated habitat types harboured relatively unique sets of species with different habitats generally acting as distinct modules in the overall bee‐habitat network.

Not only flower richness in a habitat per se, but also flower‐habitat network properties (habitat strength and functional complementarity) were good predictors of wild bee richness. In addition to local floral richness, landscape composition and configuration interactively influenced β‐diversity patterns across habitats.

Synthesis and applications. Our study highlights the value of pollinator‐habitat network analysis to inform pollinator conservation management at the landscape scale, especially when combined with information on floral resources and flower‐habitat networks. Maintaining different types of semi‐natural habitats offers diverse and complementary resources throughout the season, which are crucial to sustain diverse wild bee meta‐communities in agricultural landscapes. Particularly meadow extensification schemes can play a key role in safeguarding rare and specialist species in these landscapes. While locally a high flower richness promoted bee abundance and richness in general, our results indicate that increasing connectivity between habitat patches in landscapes dominated by arable crops appears to improve species exchange between local bee communities of different habitats, thereby possibly increasing their resilience to disturbances.
Input subsidies and crop diversity on family farms in Burkina Faso
Authors: Ahmad Sibbir , Smale Melinda , Theriault Veronique , Maiga Eugenie
Published: August 2022

Since their independence, many countries in sub‐Saharan Africa have used input subsidies to increase agricultural productivity and improve food security. We analyse the effects of both a fertiliser and a seed subsidy on farming households' land allocation among crops and crop diversity in Burkina Faso. Although previous studies investigated either the impact of a fertiliser or a seed subsidy on targeted crops, few examined the effects of both subsidies combined. Applying a correlated random‐effects model with a control function approach to nationally representative, 2‐year panel data collected from farming households, we find that those with access to the fertiliser subsidy allocate more land to the crops it targets (rice, maize and cotton) than non‐targeted crops. Focusing on a minor crop with key agronomic and nutritional attributes, we conclude that land allocation to cowpea as the primary crop and intercrop declined with the fertiliser subsidy. The fertiliser subsidy also negatively affects crop diversity. However, we find that the cowpea seed subsidy offsets the bias of fertiliser subsidy toward fertiliser‐targeted crops and enhances diversity.
Timing of initiation of renal replacement therapy for patients with acute kidney injury: A meta‐analysis of RCTs
Authors: Li Yunjie , Zhang Yong , Li Rui , Zhang Ming , Gao Xiang
Published: August 2022

Purpose

To assess the effects of delayed versus early renal replacement therapy (RRT) initiation for patients with AKI.

Methods

Related RCTs of RRT initiated at different times published on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched.

Results

Fifteen RCTs studies with 5395 patients were included. The results showed that the 28‐day mortality (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.94 ~ 1.08; p = 0.80), 60‐day mortality (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.91 ~ 1.11; p = 0.93), 90‐day mortality (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.94 ~ 1.08; p = 0.80), dialysis dependence among survivors (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.40 ~ 1.13; p = 0.13), length of ICU stay (RR −1.32; 95% CI −3.26 ~ 0.62; p = 0.18) and length of hospital stay among survivors(RR −0.98; 95% CI −2.89 ~ 0.92; p = 0.31) were not significantly different between the two groups. In addition, early initiation of RRT increases the incidence of hypotension (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.23 ~ 1.63; p < 0.00001) and infectious (RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.03 ~ 1.80; p = 0.03) events.

Conclusion

Early initiation of RRT cannot improve the prognosis and benefit patients.
Mammary schistosomiasis: A rare case
Authors: Chen Samantha , Falkner Nathalie Marie , Hardie Mireille Julia , Wylie Elizabeth
Published: August 2022

Schistosomiasis is prevalent in some developing countries; however, it does not commonly affect the breast. Mammary schistosomiasis may present as suspicious microcalcification or a mass on mammography. Image‐guided biopsy is necessary to exclude malignancy and identify calcified Schistosoma ova on histology. We report a case of a patient born in the Philippines who was diagnosed with mammary schistosomiasis from incidental microcalcifications seen on mammography.
Management of non‐renal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic literature review for the APLAR consensus statements
Authors: Kasitanon Nuntana , Hamijoyo Laniyati , Li Meng Tao , Oku Kenji , Navarra Sandra , Tanaka Yoshiya , Mok Chi Chiu
Published: August 2022

The prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is higher in Asians than Caucasians, with higher frequency of renal and other major organ manifestations that carry a poorer prognosis. The outcome of SLE is still unsatisfactory in many parts of the Asia Pacific region due to limited access to healthcare systems, poor treatment adherence and adverse reactions to therapies. The Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR) SLE special interest group has recently published a set of consensus recommendation statements for the management of SLE in the Asia Pacific region. The current article is a supplement of systematic literature search (SLR) to the prevalence and treatment of non‐renal manifestations of SLE in Asian patients.
Why Do Women Remain Under‐Represented in International Affairs? The Case of Australia
Authors: Stephenson Elise
Published: August 2022

International affairs has a gender problem. Despite a rise in feminist‐informed foreign policy in some corners of the globe, gendered (and racialised, heteronormative, classist, and so on) power structures continue to impact women's representation internationally. This paper seeks to know why. Using Australia as a case study, it explores four premier international affairs agencies, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defence (inclusive of the Department of Defence and Australian Defence Force), Department of Home Affairs, and the Australian Federal Police, to answer: Why do women remain under‐represented in international affairs? Using feminist institutionalist theory, this article argues that three core reasons underline women's under‐representation: (1) historical legacies that maintain masculine supremacy in the field; (2) contemporary layering and duplication of gendered challenges across individual, agency, diplomatic field, and society contexts; and (3) the compounding effect of challenges at different stages of women's careers, lives, and posting cycles. In addition, this paper reveals surprising findings, including that more militaristic agency structures result in more proportional representation of women compared with more bureaucratic agency structures, inverting conventional theory on militaries as the most male‐dominated and patriarchal spheres of the state.
Editorial: Current Debates on Sacred Plants
Authors: Frenopoulo Christian , Goulart Sandra Lucia
Published: August 2022

The articles in this special edition exemplify three major issues in current debates on Sacred Plants: a) the wisdom of Indigenous understandings of sacred plants, b) beneficial emerging uses of sacred plants by non‐Indigenous people, c) the position of Indigenous wisdom for emerging uses of sacred plants.
A Festschrift for Geoff McLachlan
Authors: Nguyen Hien , Lee Sharon , Forbes Florence
Published: August 2022

This article introduces a special issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Statistics, dedicated as a Festschrift for Geoff McLachlan on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
Earnings during adulthood in patients with childhood‐onset inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide population‐based cohort study
Authors: Malmborg Petter , Everhov Åsa H. , Söderling Jonas , Ludvigsson Jonas F. , Bruze Gustaf , Olén Ola
Published: August 2022

Background

IBD with onset during childhood seems to represent a severe disease phenotype with increased morbidity. We have previously demonstrated that children with IBD have significantly lower final grades in compulsory school compared to healthy peers.

Aim

To evaluate the association of childhood‐onset IBD with a later professional career and subsequent earnings

Methods

We identified 5404 individuals diagnosed with childhood‐onset (<18 years) IBD between 1990 and 2014 (2818 with ulcerative colitis and 2328 with Crohn's disease) in the Swedish National Patient Register. Patients were matched with 10 general population reference individuals by sex, birth year, and place of residence (n = 51,295). Data on earnings during 1992–2017 were obtained through the longitudinal integration database for health insurance and labour market studies. Earnings were converted into Euros (inflation‐adjusted to 2019). The differences in earnings between patients and general population reference individuals were calculated through quantile regression.

Results

Patients with childhood‐onset IBD had significantly lower annual taxable earnings from ages 20 to 30 (adjusted median annual income difference (AMAID) at age 30: −5.4% [95% CI −9.1% to −1.8%]). In particular, annual taxable earnings through early adult age were lower in patients who, during childhood, had had surgery or long‐term inpatient treatment for IBD (AMAID at age 30: −16.3% [95% CI ‐24.7% to −7.9%]).

Conclusions

Overall, the negative influence of disease on earnings in early adult age was modest for patients with childhood‐onset IBD. The markedly larger negative income gap from ages 20 to 30 in patients with more severe IBD during childhood should be recognised.
Colorectal cancer in elderly‐onset inflammatory bowel disease: a 1969–2017 Scandinavian register‐based cohort study
Authors: Everhov Åsa H. , Erichsen Rune , Järås Jacob , Pedersen Lars , Halfvarson Jonas , Askling Johan , Ekbom Anders , Ludvigsson Jonas F. , Sørensen Henrik Toft , Olén Ola
Published: August 2022

Background

Previous research indicates that the increased relative risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is limited to young‐onset IBD.

Aim

To estimate risks of incident CRC and death from CRC in elderly‐onset IBD

Methods

Patients diagnosed with IBD at age ≥ 60 years between 1969 and 2017 were identified using Danish and Swedish National Patient Registers and histopathology data. We linked data to Cancer and Causes of Death Registers and used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for CRC diagnosis and death compared to matched (by sex, age, and region) IBD‐free individuals.

Results

Among 7869 patients with Crohn's disease followed for 54,220 person‐years, and 21,224 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) followed for 142,635 person‐years, 2.10% and 1.90% were diagnosed with CRC, compared to 2.26% and 2.34% of reference individuals (median follow‐up 6 and 7 years). The incidence of CRC was elevated during the first year after IBD diagnosis: 4.36 (95% CI = 3.33–5.71) in Crohn's disease and 2.48 (95% CI = 2.03–3.02) in UC, but decreased after the first year of follow‐up: 0.69 (95% CI = 0.56–0.86) and 0.78 (95% CI = 0.69–0.88). Once diagnosed with CRC, the risk of CRC death was similar for IBD patients and the general population.

Conclusion

The excess risk of CRC in elderly‐onset IBD was probably due to bias and not observed beyond the first year. From 2010, the HR for CRC diagnosis more than 1 year after initial IBD diagnosis was lower than in the largely unscreened reference population, supporting the benefit of endoscopic screening and surveillance in patients with IBD.
Listed peers' giving and corporate philanthropy: The motivations to imitate
Authors: Yang Xia , Gu Xin , Yang Xue
Published: August 2022

The impact of industrial peers' donations on firms' charitable practices has been tested and verified in existing literatures. This paper further studies the motivations and scenarios of non‐listed companies to imitate their listed counterparts in the same industry to formulate charitable policies. Deeply rooted in institutional isomorphism theory, uncertainty and professional networks are employed as philanthropic motives for unlisted companies to mimic their listed peers. Managerial decision mechanisms and network status perceptions enhance imitation by reinforcing decision uncertainty and network effect. Institutional environment heterogeneity can amplify or reduce the imitative stimulus of managers' decision mechanisms and status perceptions. Our empirical tests are based on a unique dataset of 14,873 unlisted firms and their corresponding listed counterparts in China from 2006–2016, and use Tobit regression methods. The results show a significantly positive association between listed peers' giving and non‐listed firms' donation. The peer effects are intensified when non‐listed firms' decentralized decision‐making and higher managers' status identification are present. Furthermore, when the institutional environment changes from weak to strong, the impetus of decentralized decision‐making and status identification will be weakened. These findings contribute to the corporate philanthropy literature and facilitate the development of effective corporate charity policies and government promotion of philanthropic responsibility.
United we stand: Double targeting of CD79B and CD20 in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Tarantelli Chiara , Bertoni Francesco
Published: August 2022

Polatuzumab vedotin is antibody‐drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CD79B approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma when given in combination with bendamustine and rituximab. The report by Kawasaki et al. provide hints on what might be happening in lymphoma cells exposed to polatuzumab vedotin and to rituximab and on potential mechanism of resistance to the ADC.

Commentary on: Kawasaki et al. The molecular rationale for the combination of polatuzumab vedotin plus rituximab in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma. Br J Haematol 2022;199:245‐255.
The stock market and NO2 emissions effects of COVID‐19 around the world
Authors: Klose Jens , Tillmann Peter
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we study the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in estimated panel vector autoregression models for 92 countries. The large cross‐section of countries allows us to shed light on the heterogeneity of the responses of stock markets and nitrogen dioxide emissions as high‐frequency measures of economic activity. We quantify the effect of the number of infections and four dimensions of policy measures: (1) containment and closure, (2) movement restrictions, (3) economic support, and (4) adjustments of health systems. Our main findings show that a surprise increase in the number of infections triggers a drop in our two measures of economic activity. Propping up economic support measures, in contrast, raises stock returns and emissions and, thus, contributes to the economic recovery. We also document vast differences in the responses across subsets of countries and between the first and the second wave of infections.
Identifying genes associated with genetic control of color polymorphism in the pearl oysterPinctada margaritiferavar.cumingii(Linnaeus 1758) using a comparative whole genome pool‐sequencing approach
Authors: Stenger Pierre‐Louis , Ky Chin‐Long , Vidal‐Dupiol Jeremie , Planes Serge , Reisser Céline
Published: August 2022

For hundreds of years, the color diversity of Mollusca shells has been a topic of interest for humanity. However, the genetic control underlying color expression is still poorly understood in mollusks. The pearl oysterPinctada margaritiferais increasingly becoming a biological model to study this process due to its ability to produce a large range of colors. Previous breeding experiments demonstrated that color phenotypes were partly under genetic control, and while a few genes were found in comparative transcriptomics and epigenetic experiments, genetic variants associated with the phenotypes have not yet been investigated. Here, we used a pooled‐sequencing approach on 172 individuals to investigate color‐associated variants on three color phenotypes of economic interest for pearl farming, in three wild and one hatchery populations. While our results uncovered SNPs targeting pigment‐related genes already identified in previous studies, such as PBGD, tyrosinases, GST, or FECH, we also identified new color‐related genes occurring in the same pathways, like CYP4F8, CYP3A4, and CYP2R1. Moreover, we identified new genes involved in novel pathways unknown to be involved in shell coloration forP. margaritifera, like the carotenoid pathway, BCO1. These findings are essential to possibly implement future breeding programs focused on individual selection for specific color production in pearl oysters and improve the footprint of perliculture on the Polynesian lagoon by producing less but with a better quality.
Effects of natural RNA modifications on the activity of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase
Authors: Petushkov Ivan , Esyunina Daria , Kulbachinskiy Andrey
Published: August 2022

RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays a key role in the replication of RNA viruses, including SARS‐CoV‐2. Processive RNA synthesis by RdRp is crucial for successful genome replication and expression, especially in the case of very long coronaviral genomes. Here, we analysed the activity of SARS‐CoV‐2 RdRp (the nsp12–nsp7–nsp8 complex) on synthetic primer–templates of various structures, including substrates with mismatched primers or template RNA modifications. It has been shown that RdRp cannot efficiently extend RNA primers containing mismatches and has no intrinsic RNA cleavage activity to remove the primer 3′‐end, thus necessitating the action of exoribonuclease for proofreading. Similar to DNA‐dependent RNA polymerases, RdRp can perform processive pyrophosphorolysis of the nascent RNA product but this reaction is also blocked in the presence of mismatches. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that several natural post‐transcriptional modifications in the RNA template, which do not prevent complementary interactions (N6‐methyladenosine, 5‐methylcytosine, inosine and pseudouridine), do not change RdRp processivity. At the same time, certain modifications of RNA bases and ribose residues strongly block RNA synthesis, either prior to nucleotide incorporation (3‐methyluridine and 1‐methylguanosine) or immediately after it (2'‐O‐methylation). The results demonstrate that the activity of SARS‐CoV‐2 RdRp can be strongly inhibited by common modifications of the RNA template suggesting a way to design novel antiviral compounds.
‘We are a people’: Sovereignty and disposability in the context of Puerto Rico's post‐Hurricane Maria experience
Authors: Robinson Stacy‐ann , Vega Troncoso Andrea , Roberts J. Timmons , Peck Matilda
Published: August 2022

The 2017 North Atlantic hurricane season brought many of the injustices faced by non‐sovereign Caribbean States to the fore. These injustices, which positioned Caribbean people as expendable to colonial powers, highlighted the impact of historically enduring colonial structures of non‐sovereignty on post‐hurricane response and recovery efforts across the region. In this paper, we argue that Puerto Rico's status as a Commonwealth of the United States (U.S.) influenced the nature and outcome of the U.S. Federal Government's response to Hurricane Maria in 2017. Its response was marked by unnecessary delays, silence, and the withholding of information, and the prioritisation of bureaucracy, evidencing the disposability of Black and brown lives and bodies, and signalling the need to collectively leverage the power of an environmental justice agenda. For this to be achieved, we further argue, a people's right to sovereignty and indispensability must be centred.
River contracts in north‐east Italy: Water management or participatory processes?
Authors: Venturini Federico , Visentin Francesco
Published: August 2022

River contracts (RCs) are voluntary agreements between stakeholders for managing water bodies and involve participatory, evidence‐based action plans. Increasingly, European authorities recognise that effective water policies require bottom‐up, inclusive decision‐making. Despite widely held assumptions about the benefits of including stakeholders in river basin management and encouraging participatory mechanisms of decision‐making, the growing rhetoric about the need for public engagement implies that this ‘new’ paradigm of water management remains filled with ambiguities. Adopting ethnographic methods and drawing on a variety of primary and secondary sources, this paper analyses three RCs in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy. These case studies reveal the potential for RCs as tools not only for water management, but also for increasing stakeholder involvement through place‐making activities conceived as potential hydrophilic encounters. In order to understand whether RCs contribute to a fluvial sense of place, we looked at the effects of top‐down versus participatory processes. We asked whether RCs were considered participatory processes designed to achieve a co‐designed outcome or simply territorial management projects that objectify the river as something to be developed. We found that ratifying an RC was not, in itself, proof of an effective process; rather the nature and quality of an RC was determined by the degree and type of participation. We contend that participatory events and sharing information are not sufficient in themselves to achieve the active involvement of all stakeholders. We argue that the best framework for enabling place‐making and enhancing a sense of place is to develop RCs within a process that includes a high degree of participation. This enables citizens to shift from simply being passive recipients of plans to becoming effective territorial actors.
Experiences of dog theft and spatial practices of search/ing
Authors: Allen Daniel , Arathoon Jamie , Selby‐Fell Helen
Published: August 2022

Public responses to an ‘upward trend’ in recorded dog theft offences in England and Wales led to the creation of the Pet Theft Taskforce in May 2021, followed by a policy paper recommending the development of a new ‘pet abduction’ offence. Despite this, the experiential nature of dog theft, what impact this has on victims, and how they go about searching for their stolen dogs have been overlooked. Building on interdisciplinary research on dog theft, and wider literature on the impact of absence and loss on human victims, this paper explores the experiential dimension of this crime and the spatial and temporal practices of search/ing. Drawing on 15 semi‐structured interviews with victims of dog theft (10) and community resolution groups (5), key themes emerged from our analyses: (i) more‐than‐human families and (ii) spatial and temporal practices of search/ing. The dogs in this study occupy an absent presence, their bodies not visibly present but occupying a space in the minds and words of their humans. From the realisation of loss through to ongoing searches to possible reunite, participant experiences are filled with emotions that reflect a traumatic experience and ‘ambiguous absence’. With expectations of police support rarely met, victims started physically searching themselves, moving from the local to regional and national, while connecting with animal professionals and community resolution groups. Virtual space was seen as vital, with social media amplifying the virtual presence of specific stolen dogs. Conceived as a more‐human‐focused animal geography, the research brings together an empirical example at the potential intersection of animal geographies and policing. The experiential evidence in this paper suggests changes to organisational practices (standardised police approach; centralised microchip database; mandatory microchip‐scanning by animal professionals) and national government policy interventions (‘pet abduction’ offence) might have a positive impact on victim experiences.
Characterisation of Reference Materials forIn SituRb‐SrDating byLA‐ICP‐MS/MS
Authors: Jegal Yujin , Zimmermann Catherine , Reisberg Laurie , Yeghicheyan Delphine , Cloquet Christophe , Peiffert Chantal , Gerardin Marie , Deloule Etienne , Mercadier Julien
Published: August 2022

We present Rb and Sr mass fraction and87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio measurement results for four reference materials (RMs) obtained from the Service d'Analyse des Roches et des Minéraux (SARM), Nancy, France: Mica‐Mg, Mica‐Fe, GL‐O and FK‐N. These four RMs have different chemical compositions spanning the range of those of most K‐bearing feldspars and micas, making them potential calibration materials forin situRb‐Sr dating of natural minerals by LA‐ICP‐MS/MS. Selected grains and flakes from the four RMs present variable degrees of heterogeneity observable by SEM‐EDS and EPMA imaging, and chemical mapping. This heterogeneity is mainly related to inclusions of minerals within flakes and grains and to chemical substitutions linked to crystallographic control and alteration processes. The Mica‐Mg RM is the least affected. The powders available at the SARM were analysed by ID‐TIMS (87Sr/86Sr and Sr) and ID‐MC‐ICP‐MS (Rb) after digestion and separation. The mean87Rb/86Sr ratios are 155.6 ± 4.7% (2s, as for other RMs) for Mica‐Mg, 1815 ± 14% for Mica‐Fe, 36.2 ± 11% for GL‐O and 69.9 ± 5.9% for FK‐N. The mean87Sr/86Sr ratios are 1.8622 ± 0.36% (2s, as for other RMs) for Mica‐Mg, 7.99 ± 13% for Mica‐Fe, 0.75305 ± 0.12% for GL‐O, and 1.2114 ± 0.17% for FK‐N. The four RMs each show dispersion in87Sr/86Sr and Rb and Sr mass fractions, to degrees that differ between RMs and that reflect the heterogeneity of their original crystals. The most heterogeneous RMs are GL‐O and Mica‐Fe. The calculated mean Rb‐Sr isotopic ages are 521 ± 24 Ma for Mica‐Mg, 287 ± 55 Ma for Mica‐Fe, 89.2 ± 9.9 Ma for GL‐O and 512 ± 30 Ma for FK‐N. The proposed age for Mica‐Fe may be unreliable due to the elevated dispersion of individual analysis linked to the highly radiogenic composition of the biotite and to the presence of numerous mineral inclusions. We recommend use of these proposed working values of87Sr/86Sr and87Rb/86Sr ratios and associated uncertainties when using the four RMs forin situRb‐Sr dating by LA‐ICP‐MS/MS. The availability of these four well‐characterised RMs will allow progress in the development and application of the Rb‐Sr dating approach by LA‐ICP‐MS/MS.
Interspecific competition and facilitation coexist in mixed‐species bird flocks of montane coniferous forests in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chao‐Chieh , Liao Chun‐Chieh , Walther Bruno Andreas
Published: August 2022

Besides competition, positive interactions also play an important role in shaping the social structure of mixed‐species bird flocks. This study aimed to illuminate the interspecific interactions of competition and facilitation in mixed‐species bird flocks. We recorded the foraging behavior and microhabitat use of flocking species in montane coniferous forests of Taiwan under different social contexts. Foraging niche breadth and niche‐overlap with other flocking species were compared between individuals inside and outside of mixed flocks. For the three microhabitat variables (foraging locations, vertical strata and horizontal strata), relationships between niche‐overlaps of heterospecific pairs of these flocking species and their corresponding interspecific associations were determined using a simple linear regression. While in mixed flocks, two understory species, Taiwan fulvetta Fulvetta formosana and yellowish‐bellied bush warbler Horornis acanthizoides, shifted their foraging from shrubs upwards into coniferous trees. Meanwhile, flamecrests Regulus goodfellowi moved downwards vertically within the canopy, and black‐throated tits Aegithalos concinnus spread out horizontally along branches. In addition, flamecrests applied many more sally‐hovers inside of mixed flocks than outside of flocks. All four species are insectivores which might find it more difficult to obtain sufficient food during the colder winters when food resources become scarcer. Therefore, they may be using the increased vigilance afforded by the flock to expand their foraging niches and thus to increase their foraging opportunities inside mixed flocks. Furthermore, niche‐overlaps of heterospecific pairs of the 11 common flocking species were positively correlated with their corresponding interspecific associations on all three microhabitat variables. These results indicate that a greater foraging niche‐overlap between two flocking species would result in higher coexistence of the two species in mixed flocks. Consequently, facilitative interactions occurred in these mixed‐species flocks in addition to competitive interactions.
Changes in accounting estimates: An update of priors or an earnings management strategy of “last resort”?
Authors: Beaulieu Philip , Hayes Louise , Timoshenko Lev M.
Published: August 2022

Evidence from prior research is mixed about whether accounting estimate changes are strategically motivated, on average, or whether they reflect new or updated information. To interpret this difference, we investigate, by category of material changes in accounting estimates, the association between estimate changes and subsequent restatements. We also explore the determinants of both income‐increasing and income‐decreasing estimate changes for different categories of estimate changes. We find that the motivations for and the determinants of estimate changes depend on the type of change and on whether the changes in estimates are income‐increasing or income‐decreasing. Overall, we conclude that when companies are motivated to bias earnings and they cannot do so by manipulating other within generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) accruals, they sometimes resort to using estimate changes. Our more detailed investigation of estimate changes at the account level suggests a more nuanced view of the determinants of changes in accounting estimates. We develop a more complete model of the determinants of changes in accounting estimates than those used in this emerging literature, which should be of interest to accounting academics, regulators, audit practitioners and audit committee members.
6‐Monoacetylmorphine‐antibody distribution in tissues from heroin‐related death cases: An experimental study to investigate the distributive response
Authors: Maiese Aniello , La Russa Raffaele , David Maria Chiara , Cantatore Santina , Manetti Alice Chiara , De Matteis Alessandra , Ciallella Costantino , Frati Paola , Fineschi Vittorio
Published: August 2022

Heroin, a semisynthetic opioid drug synthesized from morphine, is the 3,6‐diacetyl ester of morphine (diacetylmorphine). The post‐mortem diagnosis of heroin‐related death could be an issue and usually rely on a combination of investigations, including the autopsy, histological and toxicological analysis. We conducted the present study to evaluate the correlation between the heroin concentration in biological fluids (peripheral blood, bile and urine) and the post‐mortem anti‐6‐MAM antibody expression in various tissues (brain, heart, lung, liver and kidney) using immunohistochemical staining. A quantitative analysis of the immunohistochemical reaction was carried out. 45 cases of heroin‐related death investigated at the Forensic Pathology Institutes of the University of Rome, Foggia and Pisa were included. The control group was composed of 15 cases of death due to other causes, without brain lesions and negative toxicological analysis for drugs. We found a positive immunohistochemical reaction in different organs and it was related to the timing of heroin metabolization. No reaction was found in the control group. Our findings show that immunohistochemistry can be a valuable tool for the post‐mortem diagnosis of acute heroin abuse. A better understanding of the timing of heroin's metabolism can be useful in the forensic field and for future therapeutic applications.
Tabloid Tales: How the British Tabloid Press Shaped the Brexit Vote
Authors: Simpson Kathryn , Startin Nick
Published: August 2022

This article focuses on the role of the British tabloid press (BTP), and specifically the eurosceptic press, as a ‘supply‐side’ influence on the 2016 EU referendum. First, we focus on the BTP and its role as an ‘agenda‐setter’ in shaping eurosceptic discourse regarding the UK's relationship with the EU. Second, we use content analysis of five tabloid newspapers – The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express and The Daily Star to demonstrate the disproportionate pro‐Brexit discourse prior to, and during, the EU referendum campaign. Third, drawing on opinion poll data, we show how this ‘bombardment’ approach influenced the electorate in the referendum campaign. Given the ‘knowledge deficit’ about the EU in the UK, we conclude that the BTP had a significant bearing on tipping the referendum vote towards Brexit.
Editorial Perspective: On the need for clarity about attachment terminology
Authors: Verhage Marije L. , Tharner Anne , Duschinsky Robbie , Bosmans Guy , Fearon R. M. Pasco
Published: August 2022

Part of the appeal of attachment language is that it feels near to our everyday experience, as terms like ‘attachment’, ‘security’ or ‘disorganisation’ feel readily recognisable. Yet, not one of these terms is used by academic attachment researchers in line with ordinary language. This has hindered the evidence‐based use of attachment in practice, the feedback loop from practice to research and the dialogue between attachment researchers in developmental psychology and in social psychology. This paper pinpoints the difficulties arising from the existence of multiple versions of ‘attachment theory’ that use exactly the same terms, held by communities that assume that they are referring to the same thing and with little infrastructure to help them discover otherwise. When we talk past one another, the different communities with a stake in knowledge of attachment are obstructed from genuinely learning from one another, drawing on their respective strengths and pursuing collaborations. One factor contributing to this situation has been the use of attachment terminology with technical meanings, but often without setting out clear definitions. We here introduce a guide to attachment terminology used by the academic community, which has recently been published on the website of the Society for Emotion and Attachment Studies. The guide is meant for researchers, clinicians and everyone concerned with attachment to increase understanding of the technical meaning of important terminology used by researchers, and support the quality of discussions between researchers, and between researchers and clinicians and other publics.
Ideological bias in constitutional judgments: Experimental analysis and potential solutions
Authors: Kantorowicz‐Reznichenko Elena , Kantorowicz Jarosław , Weinshall Keren
Published: August 2022

Despite the importance and neutrality of constitutional rights, empirical research suggests that ideological inclinations unduly affect their assessment and application. In this study, we conducted two experiments in order to investigate the nature of the ideological bias in a constitutionally relevant decision (right‐to‐demonstration), and how to mitigate it. We find that ideological bias is driven by in‐group favoritism. In addition, we find that prior commitment, through a signed declaration, to be impartial or to prioritize constitutional rights encourages participants not to disfavor out‐groups. On the other hand, we do not find evidence that using a temporary blinding procedure mitigates the ideological bias.
p‐Mentha‐1,3‐dien‐9‐ol: A novel aggregation‐sex pheromone for monitoring longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) in Eurasia and North America
Authors: Molander Mikael A. , Eriksson Björn , Arriola Kyle , Richards Austin B. , Hanks Lawrence M. , Larsson Mattias C. , Millar Jocelyn G.
Published: August 2022

Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) are a diverse family of beetles that can cause considerable damage as forest pests and vectors of pathogens, as well as being important components of forest food webs and ecosystem functionality. In recent years, numerous cerambycid pheromones have been identified, revealing some broad general patterns in functionality in terms of sex or aggregation‐sex pheromones in different subfamilies and different types of compounds characterizing the pheromones of various cerambycid taxa. Here, we describe the identification of the aggregation‐sex pheromones of the Eurasian longhorn beetleAromia moschata moschata(L.) (Cerambycinae; tribe Callichromatini) and the North American speciesHolopleura marginataLeConte (Cerambycinae; Holopleurini), as part of an ongoing effort to extend the taxonomic coverage of identified cerambycid pheromones and to expand the prospects for cerambycid monitoring into the study of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Both species were found to use the novel pheromone compoundp‐mentha‐1,3‐dien‐9‐ol, which also attracted significant numbers of the longhorn beetleXestoleptura crassipes(LeConte) (Lepturinae; Lepturini) in trials in California.p‐Mentha‐1,3‐dien‐9‐ol represents a class of pheromone compounds novel to both tribes (Callichromatini and Holopleurini), further increasing the chemical space of identified pheromones within the subfamily Cerambycinae. This compound is also noteworthy because it represents an entirely different chemical class of pheromones than the monoepoxide (E)‐2‐cis‐6,7‐epoxynonenal, previously reported as an aggregation‐sex pheromone for the invasive Asian congenerAromia bungii(Faldermann).