bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Point-of-care ultrasound for treatment and triage in austere military environments
Authors: Dubecq Christophe , Dubourg Olivier , Morand Gabriel , Montagnon Romain , Travers Stéphane , Mahe Pierre
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND

Assessment and triage in an austere environment represent a major challenge in casualty care. Modern conflicts involve a significant proportion of multiple wounds, either superficial or penetrating, which complicate clinical evaluation. Furthermore, there is often poor accessibility to computed tomography scans and a limited number of surgical teams. Therefore, ultrasound (US) represents a potentially valuable tool for distinguishing superficial fragments or shrapnels from penetrating trauma requiring immediate damage-control surgery.

METHODS

This retrospective observational multicenter study assessed casualties treated for 8 months by five medical teams deployed in Africa and Middle East. Two experts, who were experienced in military emergency medicine but did not take part in the missions, carried out an independent analysis for each case, evaluating the contribution of US to the following five items: triage categorization, diagnosis, clinical severity, prehospital therapeutic choices, and priority to operation room. Consensus was obtained using the Delphi method with three rounds.

RESULTS

Of 325 casualties, 189 underwent US examination. The mean injury severity scale score was 25.6, and 76% were wounded by an improvised explosive device. Ultrasound was useful for confirming (23%) or excluding (63%) the suspected diagnosis made in the clinical assessment. It also helped obtain a diagnosis that had not been considered for 3% of casualties and was responsible for a major change in procedure or therapy in 4%. Ultrasound altered the surgical priority in 43% of cases. For 30% of cases, US permitted surgery to be temporarily delayed to prioritize another more urgent casualty.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound is a valuable tool for the management of mass casualties by improving treatment and triage, especially when surgical resources are limited. In some situations, US can also correct a diagnosis or improve prehospital therapeutic choices. Field medical teams should be trained to integrate US into their prehospital protocols.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Case series (no criterion standard), level V.
Extremity trauma exacerbates acute kidney injury following prolonged hemorrhagic hypotension
Authors: Xiang Lusha , Calderon Alfredo S. , Klemcke Harold G. , Hudson Ian L. , Hinojosa-Laborde Carmen , Chung Kevin K. , Ryan Kathy L.
Published: June 2021

BACKGROUND

The incidence of and mortality due to acute kidney injury is high in patients with traumatic shock. However, it is unclear how hemorrhage and trauma synergistically affect renal function, especially when timely volume resuscitation is not available.

METHOD

We hypothesized that trauma impairs renal tolerance to prolonged hemorrhagic hypotension. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into six groups: control, extremity trauma (ET), hemorrhage at 70 mm Hg (70-H), hemorrhage at 55 mm Hg (55-H), ET + 70 mm Hg (70-ETH), and ET + 55 mm Hg (55-ETH). Animals were anesthetized, and ET was induced via soft tissue injury and closed fibula fracture. Hemorrhage was performed via catheters 5 minutes after ET with target mean arterial pressure (MAP) clamped at 70 mm Hg or 55 mm Hg for up to 3 hours. Blood and urine samples were collected to analyze plasma creatinine (Cr), Cr clearance (CCr), renal oxygen delivery (DO2), urinary albumin, and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1).

RESULTS

Extremity trauma alone did not alter renal hemodynamics, DO2, or function. In 70-H, CCr was increased following hemorrhage, while Cr, renal vascular resistance (RVR), KIM-1, and albumin levels remained unchanged. Compared with 70-H, ET + 70 mm Hg exhibited increases in Cr and RVR with decreases in CCr and DO2. In addition, ET decreased the blood volume loss required to maintain MAP = 70 mm Hg by approximately 50%. Hemorrhage at 55 mm Hg and ET + 55 mm Hg exhibited a marked and similar decrease in CCr and increases in RVR, Cr, KIM-1, and albumin. However, ET greatly decreased the blood volume loss required to maintain MAP at 55 mm Hg and led to 50% mortality.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that ET impairs renal and systemic tolerance to prolonged hemorrhagic hypotension. Thus, traumatic injury should be considered as a critical component of experimental studies investigating outcomes and treatment following hemorrhagic shock.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

This is an original article on basic science and does not require a level of evidence.
Excitatory Deep Brain Stimulation Quenches Parkinsonian Signs in the Basal Ganglia and Thalamus
Authors: Alavi Seyed Mojtaba , Mirzaei Amin , Valizadeh Alireza , Ebrahimpour Reza
Published: June 2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with abnormal β band oscillations (13-30 Hz) in the cortico-basal ganglia circuits. Abnormally increased striato-pallidal inhibition and strengthening the synaptic coupling between subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus externa (GPe), due to the loss of dopamine, are considered as the potential sources of β oscillations in the basal ganglia. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the basal ganglia subregions is known as a way to reduce the pathological β oscillations and motor deficits related to PD. Despite the success of the DBS, its underlying mechanism is poorly understood and, there is controversy about the inhibitory or excitatory role of the DBS in the literature. Here, we utilized a computational network model of basal ganglia which consists of STN, GPe, globus pallidus interna (GPi), and thalamic neuronal population. This model can reproduce healthy and pathological β oscillations similar to what has been observed in experimental studies. Using this model, we investigated the effect of DBS to understand whether its effect is excitatory or inhibitory. Our results show that the excitatory DBS (EDBS) is able to quench the pathological synchrony and β oscillations, while, applying inhibitory DBS (IDBS) failed to quench the PD signs. In light of simulation results, we conclude that the effect of the DBS on its target is excitatory.
Case Study: End User Development of an Agent-based Model of Malaria Transmission to Support the Design of Late-Life-Acting Insecticides for the Control of Malaria Transmission and Delay of the Evolution of Insecticide Resistance
Authors: Heintzelman Jacob H , Madey Gregory R
Published: June 2021

We describe an end-user developed agent-based simulation of malaria transmission. The simulation’s development is a case study demonstrating an approach for non-technical investigators to easily develop useful simulations of complex public health problems. We focused on malaria transmission, a major global public health problem, and insecticide resistance (IR), a major problem affecting malaria control. Insecticides are used to reduce transmission of malaria caused by the Plasmodium parasite that is spread by the Anopheles mosquito. However, the emergence and spread of IR in a mosquito population can diminish the insecticide’s effectiveness. IR results from mutations that produce behavioral changes or biochemical changes (such as detoxification enhancement, target site alterations) in the mosquito population that provide resistance to the insecticide. Evolutionary selection for the IR traits reduces the effectiveness of an insecticide favoring the resistant mosquito population. It has been suggested that biopesticides, and specifically those that are Late Life Acting (LLA), could address this problem. LLA insecticides exploit Plasmodium’s approximate 10-day extrinsic incubation period in the mosquito vector, a delay that limits malaria transmission to older infected mosquitoes. Since the proposed LLA insecticide delays mosquito death until after the exposed mosquito has a chance to produce several broods of offspring, reducing the selective pressure for resistance, it delays IR and gives the insecticide longer effectivity. Such insecticides are designed to slow the evolution of IR thus maintaining their effectiveness for malaria control. For the IR problem, the simulation shows that an LLA insecticide could work as intended, but its operational characteristics are critical, primarily the mean-time-to-death after exposure and the associated standard deviation. We also demonstrate the simulation’s extensibility to other malaria control measures, including larval source control and policies to mitigate the spread of IR. The simulation was developed using NetLogo as a case study of a simple but useful approach to public health research.
Development of a rapid SARS-CoV-2 neutralisation test by detecting antibodies that block interaction of spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)
Authors: Richardson Ciaran , Gildea Sarah , Harkin Stephen , Gallagher Annie , Conroy Eimear , McClafferty Lorraine , McCole Eibhlin , Benchikh El Ouard , Reid Cherith N. , Dunlop Marshall , Savage Sharon , Lowry Philip , Curry Jim , McConnell Robert I. , Lamont John V. , FitzGerald Stephen P.
Published: June 2021

The urgent need for a rapid and reliable Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralising antibody detection test compatible with routine clinical laboratory testing currently exists. This is necessary to provide accurate estimates of immunity and to monitor vaccine effectiveness. Utilising Biochip Array Technology (BAT), the Randox SARS-CoV-2 Biochip proxy virus neutralisation test (pVNT) has been developed. Immobilising SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD on the Biochip surface, innovative assay design enables direct sample addition to the Biochip well without the need for off-board sample pre-incubation step. Results are reported within 1.5 hours and testing is carried out without the prerequisite of live virus or biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory facilities. In this study, assay validation is performed using recombinant antibodies and clinical samples and an excellent correlation against conventional virus neutralisation methods is established (100% clinical specificity and 98% clinical sensitivity). Serial dilution of samples with high neutralising antibody levels demonstrate end-point sample dilutions comparable with those obtained using the SARS-CoV-2 microneutralisation test. Species independent neutralising antibody detection capacity of the SARS-CoV-2 Biochip pVNT is also demonstrated. The findings of this study exemplify the utility of the SARS-CoV-2 Biochip pVNT as a robust and reliable method for the accurate measurement of neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and the availability of this test can now positively impact current testing deficiencies in this area.
Phenotyping of Klf14 mouse white adipose tissue enabled by whole slide segmentation with deep neural networks
Authors: Casero Ramón , Westerberg Henrik , Horner Neil R , Yon Marianne , Aberdeen Alan , Grau Vicente , Cox Roger D , Rittscher Jens , Mallon Ann-Marie
Published: June 2021

White adipose tissue (WAT) plays a central role in metabolism, with multiple diseases and genetic mutations causing its remodeling. Quantitative analysis of white adipocyte size is of great interest to understand physiology and disease, but previous studies of H&E histology have been limited to a subsample of whole depot cross-sections. In this paper, we present the deep learning pipeline DeepCytometer, that can segment mouse and human whole slides (≃40,000 cells per mouse slide on average) using an adaptive tiling method, correct for cell overlap and reject non-white adipocytes from the segmentation. Using quantile colour maps we show intra- and inter-depot cell size heterogeneity with local correlation; quantile estimates also suggest significant differences in population estimates from 75 whole slides compared to smaller data sets. We propose three linked levels (body weight BW, depot weight DW and cell area quartiles) for exploratory analysis of mouse Klf14 phenotypes in gonadal and subcutaneous depots. We find a rich set of phenotypes when stratifying by sex, depot and three genotype strata: (1) WTs/Hets with a Het father (Controls), (2) WTs with a Het mother, and (3) Hets with a Het mother (functional KOs or FKOs). Namely, at BW level, mean difference testing suggests that female FKOs are similar to Controls, but WTs with a Het mother are significantly larger. At DW and cell levels, linear models with interaction terms and BW or DW covariates, respectively, reveal phenotypes not shown by difference of means tests. For example, at DW level, gonadal and subcutaneous models are similar, and female FKOs have lower fat percentage than Controls due to both an offset and the DW/BW slope in the linear model. Meanwhile, female WTs with a Het mother have on average similar fat percentage to Controls, but as their slopes are close to zero, their DWs are uncorrelated to BW, suggesting that larger female WTs with a Het mother have lower fat percentage than smaller ones. In contrast to depot level, at cell level female gonadal phenotypes diverge from subcutaneous ones. Furthermore, male Controls and FKOs have similar average area values in subcutaneous depots, but area~DW slope flattening in FKOs suggests that larger DWs could be caused by cell size increase in Controls and by cell count increase in FKOs. Thus, DeepCytometer and associated exploratory analysis reveal new insights into adipocyte heterogeneity and phenotyping.
A novel tubulin binding molecule drives differentiation of acute myeloid leukaemia cells
Authors: Jackson Thomas R. , Vuorinen Aini , Josa-Culleré Laia , Madden Katrina S. , Conole Daniel , Cogswell Thomas J. , Wilkinson Isabel V. L. , Kettyle Laura M. , Zhang Douzi , O’Mahony Alison , Gracias Deanne , McCall Lorna , Westwood Robert , Terstappen Georg C. , Davies Stephen G. , Tate Edward W. , Wynne Graham M. , Vyas Paresh , Russell Angela J. , Milne Thomas A.
Published: June 2021

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) continues to have a poor prognosis, especially in the elderly. One reason for this is that many treatment regimens are not well tolerated by elderly patients. Much current focus is on the development of therapies that can target specific vulnerabilities of AML while having fewer toxic side effects. However, despite much recent progress in developing better drugs, many patients with AML still die within a year of diagnosis, partly due to the fact that it is difficult to identify therapeutic targets that are effective across multiple AML subtypes. One common factor across AML subtypes is the presence of a block in differentiation. Thus screening for compounds that can overcome this block in genetically diverse AML models should allow for the identification of agents that are not dependent on a specific mutation for their efficacy. Here, we used a phenotypic screen to identify novel compounds that stimulate differentiation in several AML cell lines. Lead compounds were shown to decrease tumour burden and to increase survivalin vivo. Using multiple complementary target deconvolution approaches, these compounds were revealed to be anti-mitotic tubulin disruptors that cause differentiation by inducing a G2-M mitotic arrest. Together, these results reveal a novel function for tubulin disruptors in causing differentiation of AML cells.
Western Amazon was a center of Neotropical fish dispersal, as evidenced by the continental-wide time-stratified biogeographic analysis of the hyper-diverseHypostomuscatfish
Authors: de Queiroz Luiz Jardim , Meyer Xavier , Cardoso Yamila P. , Bahechar Ilham A. , Covain Raphaël , Parente Thiago E. , Torrente-Vilara Gislene , Buckup Paulo A. , Montoya-Burgos Juan I.
Published: June 2021

The Amazon is probably the most diverse realm on Earth, and is considered to be the primary source of diversity and a center of dispersal for Neotropical terrestrial organisms. Yet, the assumption that the Amazon basin is a primordial place of fish species origination and dispersal into other drainages still need to be tested. We addressed this issue by inferring a time-stratified biogeographic history and reconstructing the ancestral habitat preference ofHypostomus, a continentally widespread and species-rich Neotropical genus. We found thatHypostomusemerged in the Western Amazon (∼14.7 Ma), when the Western Amazon River was flowing northwards and disconnected from the Eastern Amazon. We show that dispersal events in the first half ofHypostomusevolution occurred from the Western Amazon into adjacent basins, initiating its Neotropical radiation. The ancestral preferred habitat consisted in small rivers with running waters, a predominant habitat in river headwaters. Because of strong niche conservatism in the early evolution ofHypostomus, we suggest that most of the out-of-Western-Amazon dispersal occurred via headwater captures. The radiation ofHypostomuswas further promoted by major reconfigurations of river basins, which opened dispersal opportunities into new drainages. Diversification in habitat preference coincided with colonization of basins already occupied by congenerics, indicative of niche shifts triggered by inter-specific competition and species coexistence. By analyzing the evolutionary history ofHypostomus, we show that Western Amazon was the main center of fish dispersal in the Neotropical Region from Middle Miocene to the present, supporting the cradle hypothesis of fish origination and dispersal.
SmMIP-tools: a computational toolset for processing and analysis of single-molecule molecular inversion probes derived data
Authors: Medeiros Jessie J. F. , Capo-Chichi Jose-Mario , Shlush Liran I. , Dick John E. , Arruda Andrea , Minden Mark D. , Abelson Sagi
Published: June 2021

Single-molecule molecular inversion probes (smMIPs) provides a modular and cost-effective platform for high-multiplex targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). Nevertheless, translating the raw smMIP-derived sequencing data into accurate and meaningful information currently requires proficient computational skills and a large amount of computational work, prohibiting wide-scale adoption of smMIP-based technologies. To enable easy, efficient, and accurate interrogation of smMIP-derived data, we developed SmMIP-tools, a computational toolset that combines the critical analytic steps for smMIP data interpretation into a single computational pipeline. Here, we describe in detail two of the software’s major components. The first is a read processing tool that performs quality control steps, generates read-smMIP linkages and retrieves molecular tags. The second is an error-aware variant caller capable of detecting single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and short insertions and deletions (indels). Using a cell-line DNA dilution series and a cohort of blood cancer patients, we benchmarked SmMIP-tools and evaluated its performance against clinical sequencing reports. We anticipate that SmMIP-tools will increase accessibility to smMIP-technology, enabling cost-effective genetic research to push personalized medicine forward.
Differential regulation of alternative promoters emerges from unified kinetics of enhancer-promoter interaction
Authors: Wang Jingyao , Zhang Shihe , Lu Hongfang , Xu Heng
Published: June 2021

Many eukaryotic genes contain alternative promoters with distinct expression patterns. How these promoters are differentially regulated remains elusive. Here, we apply single-molecule imaging to quantify the transcriptional regulation of two alternative promoters (P1 and P2) of the Bicoid (Bcd) target gene hunchback in syncytial blastoderm Drosophila embryos. Contrary to the previous notion that Bcd only activates P2, we find that Bcd activates both promoters via the same two enhancers. P1 activation is less frequent and requires binding of more Bcd molecules than P2 activation. Using a theoretical model to relate promoter activity to enhancer states, we show that the two promoters follow common transcription kinetics driven by sequential Bcd binding at the two enhancers. Bcd binding at either enhancer primarily activates P2, while P1 activation relies more on Bcd binding at both enhancers. These results provide a quantitative framework for understanding the kinetic mechanisms of complex eukaryotic gene regulation.
Molecular evolution of the Angiotensin II receptors AT1 and AT2: Specificity of the sodium binding site in amniota
Authors: Tiss Asma , Boubaker Rym Ben , Henrion Daniel , Guissouma Hajer , Chabbert Marie
Published: June 2021

In vertebrates, the octopeptide angiotensin II (AngII) is an importantin vivoregulator of the cardiovascular system. It acts mainly through two G protein-coupled receptors, AT1 and AT2. To better understand the interplay between these receptors throughout the evolution of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), we combined a phylogenetic study to electrostatics computations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of AT1 and AT2 receptors from different species. The phylogenetic analysis reveals a mirror evolution of AT1 and AT2 that are both split in two clades, separating fish from terrestrian receptors. It also indicates that the unusual allosteric sodium binding site of human AT1 is specific of amniota. Other AT1 and AT2 receptors display a canonical sodium binding site with a serine at position 7.46 (Ballesteros numbering). Electrostatics computations and MD simulations support maintained sodium binding to human AT1 with ingress from the extracellular side. Comparison of the sodium binding modes in AT1 and AT2 from humans and eels indicates that the allosteric control by sodium in both AT1 and AT2 evolved during the transition from an aqueous to a terrestrial environment. The unusual S7.46N mutation in amniota AT1 is mirrored by a L3.36M mutation in amniota AT2. The S7.46N mutation increases the specificity of AT1 for AngII relative to Ang derivatives, whereas the L3.36M mutation might have the opposite effect on AT2. Both mutations should contribute to the split of the renin-angiotensin system into the classical (AngII/AT1) and counter-regulatory (Ang1-7/AT2, Mas) arms in amniota.

AUTHOR SUMMARY

The analysis of protein sequences from different species can reveal interesting trends in the structural and functional evolution of a protein family. Here, we analyze the evolution of two G protein-coupled receptors, AT1 and AT2, which bind the angiotensin II peptide and are important regulators of the cardiovascular system. We show that these receptors underwent a mirror evolution and that specific mutations of the sodium binding pocket in both AT1 and AT2 occurred in amniota. We underwent electrostatics computations and molecular dynamics simulations to decipher the details of the sodium binding mode in eel and human receptors, as prototype of fish and amniota receptors. Our results suggest that evolution favored an increased specificity of AT1 and a decreased specificity of AT2 for angiotensin II as compared to its derivatives. In turn, these data suggest that mutations in the sodium binding pocket of G protein-coupled receptors might be an efficient way to gain functional evolution.
Macromolecular crowding limits growth under pressure
Authors: Alric Baptiste , Formosa-Dague Cécile , Dague Etienne , Holt Liam J. , Delarue Morgan
Published: June 2021

Cells that grow in confined spaces eventually build up mechanical compressive stress. This growth-induced pressure (GIP) decreases cell growth. GIP is important in a multitude of contexts from cancer[1–3], to microbial infections[4], to biofouling, yet our understanding of its origin and molecular consequences remains limited. Here, we combine microfluidic confinement of the yeast Saccha-romyces cerevisiae[5],with rheological measurements using genetically encoded multimeric nanoparticles (GEMs)[6] to reveal that growth-induced pressure is accompanied with an increase in a key cellular physical property: macromolecular crowding. We develop a fully calibrated model that predicts how increased macromolecular crowding hinders protein expression and thus diminishes cell growth. This model is sufficient to explain the coupling of growth rate to pressure without the need for specific molecular sensors or signaling cascades. As molecular crowding is similar across all domains of life, this could be a deeply conserved mechanism of biomechanical feedback that allows environmental sensing originating from the fundamental physical properties of cells.
Self-transfecting GMO-PMO and PMO-GMO chimeras enable gene silencingin vitro and in vivozebrafish model and NANOG Inhibition Induce the Apoptosis in Breast and Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Kundu Jayanta , Das Ujjal , Bose Chandra , Bhadra Jhuma , Sinha Surajit
Published: June 2021

Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligonucleotides (PMOs)-based antisense reagents cannot enter inside cells by itself without the help of any delivery technique which is the last hurdle for their clinical applications. To overcome this limitation, a self-transfecting GMO-PMO or PMO-GMO chimeras has been explored as a gene silencing reagent where GMO stands for guanidinium morpholino oligonucleotides which linked either at the OH- or NH-end of PMOs. GMO not only facilitates cellular internalization of such chimeras but also participates in Watson-Crick base pairing during gene silencing in ShhL2 cells when designed against mGli1and compared with scrambled GMO-PMO where mutations were made only to the GMO part. GMO-PMO-mediated knockdown ofno tailgene resulted no tail-dependent phenotypes in zebrafish and worked even after the delivery at 16-, 32- and 64-cell stages which were previously unachievable by regular PMO. Furthermore, GMO-PMO chimeras has shown the inhibition ofNANOG, a key regulator of self-renewal and pluripotency of both embryonic and cancer stem cells. Its inhibition influences on the expression of other cancer related proteins and the respective phenotypes in breast cancer cells and increases the therapeutic potential of taxol. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the self-transfecting antisense reagents since the discovery of guanidinium linked DNA (DNG) and most effective among the all cell-penetrating PMOs reported till date expected to solve the longstanding problem of PMO delivery. In principle, this technology could be useful for the inhibition of any target gene without using any delivery vehicle and should have applications in the fields of antisense therapy, diagnostic and nanotechnology area.

Abstract Figure
Tricalbin proteins regulate plasma membrane phospholipid homeostasis
Authors: Thomas Ffion B. , Omnus Deike J. , Bader Jakob M. , Chung Gary H. C. , Kono Nozomu , Stefan Christopher J.
Published: June 2021

The evolutionarily conserved extended synaptotagmin (E-Syt) proteins are calcium-activated lipid transfer proteins that function at contacts between the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane (ER-PM contacts). However, roles of the E-Syt family members in PM lipid organisation remain unclear. Among the E-Syt family, the yeast tricalbin (Tcb) proteins are essential for PM integrity upon heat stress, but it is not known how they contribute to PM maintenance. Using quantitative lipidomics and microscopy, we find that the Tcb proteins regulate phosphatidylserine homeostasis at the PM. Moreover, upon heat-induced membrane stress, Tcb3 co-localises with the PM protein Sfk1 that is implicated in PM phospholipid asymmetry and integrity. The Tcb proteins also promote the recruitment of Pkh1, a stress-activated protein kinase required for PM integrity. Phosphatidylserine has evolutionarily conserved roles in PM organisation, integrity, and repair. We suggest that phospholipid regulation is an ancient essential function of E-Syt family members in PM integrity.
Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, interaction energy, and DFT studies of cholesteryl heptanoate
Authors: Akduran Nurcan , Karakurt Tuncay , Hökelek Tuncer
Published: June 2021

The title compound, C34H58O2, consists of cholesteryl and heptanoate units, in which the six-membered rings adopt chair and twisted-boat conformations while the five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation. In the crystal, the molecules are aligned along the a-axis direction and stacked along the b-axis direction. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H...H (92.4%) and H...O/O...H (6.1%) interactions. van der Waals interactions are the dominant interactions in the crystal packing. Density functional theory (DFT) optimized structures at the B3LYP/ 6–31 G(d) level are compared with the experimentally determined molecular structure in the solid state. The HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap, and the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) of the compound was investigated.
1,1′-(Ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(4-{(E)-2-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]ethenyl}pyridin-1-ium) dibromide ethanol 0.67-solvate
Authors: Wang Shengnan , Liu Gang , Wu Zhichao
Published: June 2021

The asymmetric unit of the title solvated molecular salt, 3C32H36Br2N4
2+·6Br−·2C2H5OH, consists of 1.5 cations, three bromide anions and one ethanol solvent molecule of crystallization. The half-cation is completed by crystallographic inversion symmetry. In the crystal, O—H...Br hydrogen bonds and weak C—H...Br interactions link the components.
The impact of audit committee characteristics on internal audit professionalization: empirical evidence from Greece
Authors: Vadasi Christina , Bekiaris Michalis , Koutoupis Andreas G.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence of the association between audit committee characteristics and internal audit quality through internal audit professionalization.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation of the research question was based on 45 usable responses that were received from a survey of chief audit executives from firms listed on the Athens Stock Exchange and combined with publicly available information from annual reports.

Findings

The results indicate that audit committee characteristics (independence, diligence through frequent meetings and interaction with internal audit through valuation) influence internal audit professionalization. In addition, they demonstrate that internal audit professionalization is also influenced by CEO duality and firm’s external auditor.

Practical implications

The findings of this study have implications for audit committees wishing to improve their overall effectiveness, by identifying areas with substantial impact on internal audit quality. Moreover, regulators of corporate governance bodies can also benefit from the results to strengthen audit committee’s efficiency regarding internal audit function oversight.

Originality/value

The results add to the literature on the discussion of internal audit professionalization and complement the work of other researchers in the field of audit committee’s impact on internal audit quality/effectiveness. This study attempts to fill a gap in the literature on the effect of audit committee characteristics on internal audit professionalization, an element introduced from an institutional theory perspective.
Initial coin offerings: an emergent research area
Authors: Brochado Ana , Troilo Michael Louis
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main insights current literature offers regarding initial coin offerings (ICOs) and the avenues for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach consists of a systematic literature review of 130 papers from the SCOPUS database published in English between January 2018 and December 2020, with supplemental semantic analysis of the abstracts to obtain key themes and concepts.

Findings

Regulation and the determinants of ICO success are the main themes for current research and represent fruitful areas of continued scholarship. The research agenda in ICOs is just beginning and several topics and questions merit future inquiry: the behaviour of issuers and investors, the importance of human capital, the role of intermediaries and infomediaries and the use of signalling.

Originality/value

To the knowledge, this is one of the first systematic studies of current literature in ICOs. It provides a roadmap for future work on a phenomenon that will only grow in significance.
I regret to hide knowledge: a coping strategy model
Authors: Islam Talat , Chaudhary Arooba , Aziz Muhammad Faisal
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of knowledge hiding (KH) on organizational citizenship behavior toward individuals (OCBI) through the mediation of self-conscious emotions (SCE), namely, shame and guilt. This paper further considers the supervisor’s Islamic work ethics (IWE) as a conditional variable.

Design/methodology/approach

In this quantity-based research, this paper collected data from 473 employees working in various service and manufacturing organizations through Google form at two-lags.

Findings

The study applied structural equation modeling and identified that employees experience SCE due to KH. More specifically, rationalized hiding was found to have a negative effect, whereas playing dumb and evasive hiding was found to have a positive effect on shame and guilt. The results also revealed SCE (shame and guilt) as mediators between KH and OCBI. Further, the supervisor’s IWE was found to be a conditional variable to strengthen the association between KH and SCE.

Research limitations/implications

The study collected data from a single source. However, the issue of common method variance was tackled through time-lags.

Practical implications

The study suggests that supervisors must communicate with employees about the negative outcomes of KH. They must create such an environment that discourages the engagement of employees in KH and encourages the employees to engage themselves in helping behaviors to maintain a productive and creative work environment.

Originality/value

This study adds to the limited literature on the emotional consequences of KH from knowledge hiders’ perspective and unfolds the behavior-emotion-behavior sequence through the emotional pathway. More specifically, this study examined the negative emotional effect of hiding the knowledge that leads to compensatory strategy (organizational citizenship behavior) through SCE (shame and guilt). Finally, zooming into SCE, this study elucidates the supervisor’s IWE as a conditional variable.
Cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing in developing countries
Authors: Kintonova Aliya , Vasyaev Alexander , Shestak Viktor
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to consider modern internet phenomena such as cyberbullying and cybermobbing. The emphasis in the paper is placed on the problematic issues of the legal practice of combating cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing in developing countries as these phenomena are still insufficiently studied. The subject of this paper is modern internet phenomena such as cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing. The emphasis in the paper is placed on the problematic issues of the legal practice of combating cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing in developing countries as these phenomena are still insufficiently studied.

Design/methodology/approach

The legislation of developing countries is compared with doctrinal and practical developments in the fight against the studied problem in developed countries of the West, as well as countries of the former USSR. Moreover, experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of methods to combat cyberbullying using social networks. Thus, 40 random accounts of people (presumably from 18 to 30 years old) were analyzed.

Findings

This paper indicates the concepts of cyber-mobbing and cyberbullying, as well as their varieties that exist in the modern world. This study examines statistical data, programs and measures of different states in the fight against cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing. Results of experiments showed that Instagram users are aware of the availability of built-in extensions of the social network to protect against cyberbullying and use them relatively frequently. With that, female segment of Instagram users is more concerned about the content of the comments under their photos than the male one.

Originality/value

Measures have been developed to prevent and counteract cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing, the introduction of which into the policies of states might help in the fight against these social phenomena.
Gastronomy tourism through tea and coffee: travellers’ museum experience
Authors: Seyitoğlu Faruk , Alphan Eda
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The main aim of the present research is to investigate the tea and coffee experience of travellers around the world and clutch the dimensions of tea and coffee museum experience.

Design/methodology/approach

Travellers who had experienced tea and coffee museums were purposefully selected as a sample group for the study. As tea and coffee museums that are benefiting from user-generated content (UGC) are limited, a qualitative multiple case study method has been chosen to enrich more comments and obtain more data. For the data gathering, as a UGC platform, TripAdvisor was benefited.

Findings

According to an inductive content analysis of reviews, the model of dimensions of tea and coffee museum experience that consist of nine main categories revealed: educational experience, authentic experience, memorable experience, participatory experience, shopping experience, atmosphere, facilities, employees and tour guides and negative experiences (negative staff attitudes and skills, lack of foreign language explanations and cleanliness).

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the tea and coffee museum experience of travellers around the world. It contributes to the gastronomy literature by providing the dimensions of the tea and coffee museum experience.
Bolstering innovative work behaviours through leadership, affective commitment and organisational justice: a three-way interaction analysis
Authors: Khaola Peter Phomane , Musiiwa Douglas
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The effects of transformational leadership, affective commitment and organisational justice on innovative work behaviours (IWBs) have been widely published in extant literature. Yet, despite extensive scholarly publications in these areas, little is known about the joint effects of these factors on IWBs. The purpose of this study is to examine if the effects of transformational leadership on IWBs are moderated by affective commitment and organisational justice.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on data collected from 263 respondents, this paper uses social exchange, job demands-resources, information processing and broaden-and-build theories to explore these relationships. This study further deploys Hayes’s (2013) PROCESS Macro to analyse data.

Findings

Of the three independent variables in this study, the results suggest that only transformational leadership has the main effects on IWB. More importantly, the results further suggest that transformational leadership has the largest impact on IWB when both affective commitment and organisational justice are high rather than low. The impact of transformational leadership is also significant when affective commitment is high and organisational justice is low.

Practical implications

This paper submits that organisations can boost IWBs through engendering employee affective commitment and concomitantly assisting supervisors to acquire transformational leadership and fairness skills.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse the effects on IWBs, of a three-way interaction between transformational leadership, affective commitment and organisational justice; with substantial potential to advance theory and practice in leadership and innovation sciences.
Understanding the impact of the relationship quality on customer loyalty: the moderating effect of online service recovery
Authors: Tseng Shu-Mei
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the relationship quality on customer loyalty. The moderating role played by online service recovery in this study is further discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative Web-based survey study was conducted to statistically test these relationships among relationship quality, service recovery and customer loyalty. Data collected from 183 respondents were taken for analysis through partial least squares.

Findings

The findings reveal that relationship quality has significant influence on customer loyalty, whereas service recovery has moderated effect on the relationship between relationship quality and customer loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

The respondents of this study were recruited from online panels; thus, a purposive sample could be a biased indication of the characteristics of the actual population. Therefore, it is suggested that future researchers enroll subjects from a statistical population that accurately represents the entire population and, in addition, that they collect more responses to increase the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

Because failures in service delivery are inevitable, recovery of such encounters thus represents a significant challenge for service firms. Hence, this study proposes concrete suggestions for firms to manage and operate e-commerce websites, as well as to enhance relationship quality and customer loyalty.

Originality/value

Service failures have been the bane of e-commerce, compelling customers to either abandon transactions entirely or switch to a physical competitor. Many firms have realized the importance of maintaining strong relationships with customers to enhance their loyalty. However, previous literature has a few studies conducted on the relationships among service recovery, relationship quality and customer loyalty in the e-commerce context. Therefore, it is meaningful to identify these relationships.
Capabilities and skills to orchestrate innovation networks
Authors: Toigo Taisson , Wegner Douglas , Silva Silvio B. da , Zarpelon Felipe de Mattos
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to present a theoretical analysis on the capabilities (at the organizational) and skills (at the individual level) of the hub organization (orchestrator) in an innovation network.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted literature reviews on the orchestration of innovation networks; and networking capabilities.

Findings

This study presents a theoretical model and a research agenda.

Originality/value

In interorganizational relations, a central actor can stand out the role of intentionally creating, extracting and distributing value in the network, generating gains for all members. Literature recognizes this set of intentional and deliberate actions as the “orchestration” of resources in the network. Despite the increasing interest regarding the theme, the phases and specific capabilities for orchestration still lack further investigation.
Client opportunism in agency-client relationship: the role of information asymmetry, agency response and calculative commitment
Authors: Jayasimha Kambalor Ramakrishna
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The focus is on how agencies can mitigate client opportunism in an agency-client relationship (ACR), particularly during the agency selection stage involving a pitch. This paper aims to empirically investigate the moderating effects of organizational mechanisms (particularly informational cues) and the agency’s past behavior on client opportunism. In a moderated moderation, this paper tests the effects of calculative commitment, informational cue and agency’s past behavior on the main effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is in the context of ACR involving a pitch at the agency selection stage. A mixed-method approach is used. In depth interviews with senior level executives were used to design the experimental vignettes. The main study uses experimental vignettes in a survey.

Findings

The study finds the prevalence of client opportunism during the pitch. The study reveals a significant relationship between information asymmetry and client opportunism. The findings of the study support the effectiveness of organizational mechanisms in mitigating client opportunism. The findings indicate that a proactive approach such as using informational cues mitigates client opportunism as it signals to the client that the agency cares for its intellectual property. Clients also take a cue from agencies past behavior. Third-party complaints and voice complaint deters client opportunism. Moderated moderation reveals that the client’s calculative commitment impacts client opportunism.

Originality/value

The study is novel in empirically examining client opportunism during the agency selection stage involving a pitch. The study re-emphasizes that information asymmetry is the primary reason for client opportunism in ACR at the agency selection stage. The role of organizational mechanism and agency response in mitigating client opportunism is a welcome addition. Moderated moderation effects involving calculative commitment is a novel addition.
Earnings management and audit quality at Damascus securities exchange: does managerial ownership matter?
Authors: Mardnly Zukaa , Badran Zinab , Mouselli Sulaiman
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the individual and combined effect of managerial ownership and external audit quality, as two control mechanisms, on earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies ordinary least squares estimates on fixed-time effects panel regression model to test the impact of the investigated variables on earnings management for the whole population of banks and insurance companies listed at Damascus Securities Exchange (DSE) during the period from 2011 to 2018.

Findings

The empirical evidence suggests a negative non-linear relationship between managerial ownership (as proxied by board of directors’ ownership) on earnings management. However, neither audit quality nor the simultaneous effect of the managerial ownership and audit quality (Big 4) affects earnings management.

Research limitations/implications

DSE is dominated by the financial sector and the number of observations is constrained by the recent establishment of DSE and the small number of firms listed at DSE. In addition, the non-availability of data on executive directors’ and foreign ownerships restrict our ability to uncover the impact of different dimensions of ownership structure on earnings management.

Practical implications

First, it stimulates investors to purchase stocks in financial firms that enjoy both high managerial ownership, as they seem enjoying higher earnings quality. Second, the findings encourage external auditors to consider the ownership structure when choosing their clients as the financial statements’ quality is affected by this structure. Third, researchers may need to consider the role of managerial ownership when analyzing the determinants of earnings management.

Originality/value

It fills the gap in the literature, as it investigates the impact of both managerial ownership and audit quality on earnings management in a special conflict context and in an unexplored emerging market of DSE. It suggests that managerial ownership exerts a significant role in controlling earnings management practices when loose regulatory environment combines conflict conditions. However, external audit quality fails to counter earnings management practices when conditions are fierce.