bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Designer small molecule control system based on Minocycline induced disruption of protein-protein interaction
Authors: Jha Ram , Kinna Alexander , Hotblack Alastair , Bughda Reyisa , Bulek Anna , Gannon Isaac , Ilca Tudor , Allen Christopher , Lamb Katarina , Dolor Abigail , Parekh Farhaan , Sillibourne James , Cordoba Shaun , Onuoha Shimobi , Thomas Simon , Ferrari Mathieu , Pule Martin
Published: August 2023

A versatile, safe, and effective small-molecule control system is highly desirable for clinical cell therapy applications. Therefore, we developed a two-component small-molecule control system based on the disruption of protein-protein interactions using minocycline, an FDA-approved antibiotic with wide availability, excellent bio-distribution, and low toxicity. The system comprises an anti-minocycline single-domain antibody (sdAb) and a minocycline-displaceable cyclic peptide.

Here we show how this versatile system can be applied to OFF-switch split CAR systems (MinoCAR) and universal CAR adaptors (MinoUniCAR) with reversible, transient, and dose-dependent suppression; to a tunable T cell activation module based on MyD88/CD40 signaling; to a controllable cellular payload secretion system based on IL-12 KDEL retention and as a cell/cell inducible junction.

This work represents an important step forward in the development of a remote-controlled system to precisely control the timing, intensity, and safety of therapeutic interventions.
A framework for decolonising and diversifying biomedical sciences curricula: rediscovery, representation and readiness
Authors: Lu Tianqi , Bashir Zafar I. , Dalceggio Alessia , McKinnon Caroline M. , Miles Lydia , Mosley Amy , Burton Bronwen R. , Robson Alice
Published: August 2023

To date, most efforts to decolonise curricula have focussed on the arts and humanities, with many believing that science subjects are objective, unbiased, and unaffected by colonial legacies. However, research is shaped by cultural and historical context, and inequities exist in funding, publishing and acknowledging scientific achievements. Our curricula reflect these inequities, perpetuating bias to future generations of scientists. We examined attitudes and understanding towards decolonising and diversifying the curriculum among students and teaching staff in the biomedical sciences at the University of Bristol, to discover whether our current teaching practice is perceived as inclusive. We used a mixed methods study including surveys of staff (N=71) and students (N=121) and focus groups. Quantitative data showed that staff and students think decolonising the curriculum is important, but this is more important to female respondents (p<0.001). Students are less aware than staff of current efforts to decolonise the curriculum, while students from minority ethnic groups feel less represented by the curriculum than white students. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed three themes that are important for a decolonised curriculum: rediscovery, representation and readiness. We propose that this ‘3Rs framework’ could guide future efforts to decolonise and diversify the curriculum in the biomedical sciences and beyond.
Medulloblastoma-associated DDX3X mutants are oncogenic having a defect in translation-promoting activity but functional in stress granule formation and interferon signaling
Authors: Singh Satishkumar Vishram , Bharambe Harish Shrikrishna , Masurkar Shalaka Arun , Bapat Purna , Gadewal Nikhil , Shirsat Neelam Vishwanath
Published: August 2023

DDX3X, a DEAD box-containing RNA helicase, is known to play diverse roles in RNA metabolism, stress response, innate immunity, and cancer. Medulloblastoma is the single most common malignant brain tumor in children. DDX3X is recurrently mutated in the WNT and SHH subgroups of medulloblastoma. CRISPR-Cas9 mediated DDX3X knockout was successful in the HEK293FT cells but generated only non-truncating indels in the medulloblastoma cells suggesting DDX3X is necessary for the viability of the cells. Downregulation of DDX3X expression using shRNA also brought about a considerable reduction in proliferation, clonogenic potential, and anchorage-independent growth of the medulloblastoma cells. Thus, DDX3X expression was found to be essential for the survival, growth, and malignant potential of the medulloblastoma cells consistent with the non-truncating nature of medulloblastoma-associated DDX3X mutations. The medulloblastoma-associated DDX3X mutants were found to be defective in their ability to drive the translation of mRNAs with complex 5’-UTR that is dependent on the ATP-dependent helicase activity of DDX3X. These helicase defective DDX3X mutants could restore the expression of interferon signaling genes and malignant potential lost upon DDX3X knockdown in medulloblastoma cells. Their N-terminal domain is intact and was found to be functional in stress granule formation. DDX3X mutants upregulated expression of malignancy-related genes suggesting tumor suppressive role for the helicase activity in the medulloblastoma pathogenesis. Inhibitors of the N-terminal domain of DDX3X which is essential for the viability of medulloblastoma cells could have therapeutic potential in the treatment of WNT and SHH subgroup medulloblastomas.
Cell-type-specific nucleotide sharing through gap junctions impacts sensitivity to replication stress
Authors: Boumard Benjamin , Le Meur Gwenn , Stefanutti Marine , Maalouf Tania , El-Hajj Marwa , Bauer Reinhard , Bardin Allison J
Published: August 2023

Cell proliferation underlying tissue growth and homeostasis, requires high levels of metabolites such as deoxynucleotides (dNTPs). The dNTP pool is known to be tightly cell-autonomously regulated via de novo synthesis and salvage pathways. Here, we reveal that nucleotides can also be provided to cells non-autonomously by surrounding cells within a tissue. Using Drosophila epithelial tissues as models, we find that adult intestinal stem cells are highly sensitive to nucleotide depletion whereas wing progenitor cells are not. Wing progenitor cells share nucleotides through gap junction connections, allowing buffering of replication stress induced by nucleotide pool depletion. Adult intestinal stem cells, however, lack gap junctions and cannot receive dNTPs from neighbors. Collectively, our data suggest that gap junction-dependent sharing between cells can contribute to dNTP pool homeostasis in vivo. We propose that inherent differences in cellular gap junction permeability can influence sensitivity to fluctuations of intracellular dNTP levels.
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Regulates Nucleolar Organization and Function in Innate Immune Response
Authors: Zhou Xuan , Yuan Baolei , Tian Yeteng , Zhou Juexiao , Wang Mengge , Shakir Ismail , Zhang Yingzi , Bi Chongwei , Aljamal Bayan Mohammed , Hashem Mais O. , Abuyousef Omar Imad , Abdulwahab Firdous Mohammed , Ali Afshan , Dunn Sarah , Moresco James J. , Yates John R. , Frassoni Francesco , Gao Xin , Alkuraya Fowzan S. , Belmonte Juan Carlos Izpisua , Li Mo
Published: August 2023

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a primary immunodeficiency disorder caused by the dysfunction of the WAS protein (WASP). Using an isogenic macrophage model derived from genome edited induced pluripotent stem cells we demonstrated that WASP functions in the nucleolus, which plays important roles in immune regulation. The absence of WASP resulted in smaller and misshapen nucleoli, decreased fibrillar center territory, and impaired ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription. The nucleolar and rRNA phenotypes were confirmed in WAS patient samples. Furthermore, WASP interacts with nucleolar proteins, including nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) and fibrillarin (FBL). NPM1 deficiency is known to cause elevated cytokine expression following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Consistently, WASP deficient cells displayed lower levels of NPM1 and a heightened inflammatory cytokine response to LPS, which was rescued by overexpressing NPM1. Together, our research provides novel insights into the critical role of WASP in nucleolar function and the modulation of inflammatory cytokine production.
An atypical basement membrane forms a midline barrier during left-right asymmetric gut development in the chicken embryo
Authors: Demler Cora , Lawlor John Coates , Yelin Ronit , Llivichuzcha-Loja Dhana , Shaulov Lihi , Kim David , Stewart Megan , Lee Frank , Shylo Natalia A. , Trainor Paul A. , Schultheiss Thomas , Kurpios Natasza A.
Published: August 2023

Correct intestinal morphogenesis depends on the early embryonic process of gut rotation, an evolutionarily conserved program in which a straight gut tube elongates and forms into its first loops. However, the gut tube requires guidance to loop in a reproducible manner. The dorsal mesentery (DM) connects the gut tube to the body and directs the lengthening gut into stereotypical loops via left-right (LR) asymmetric cellular and extracellular behavior. The LR asymmetry of the DM also governs blood and lymphatic vessel formation for the digestive tract, which is essential for prenatal organ development and postnatal vital functions including nutrient absorption. Although the genetic LR asymmetry of the DM has been extensively studied, a divider between the left and right DM has yet to be identified. Setting up LR asymmetry for the entire body requires aLefty1+ midline barrier to separate the two sides of the embryo, without it, embryos have lethal or congenital LR patterning defects. Individual organs including the brain, heart, and gut also have LR asymmetry, and while the consequences of left and right signals mixing are severe or even lethal, organ-specific mechanisms for separating these signals are poorly understood. Here, we uncover a midline structure composed of a transient double basement membrane, which separates the left and right halves of the embryonic chick DM during the establishment of intestinal and vascular asymmetries. Unlike other basement membranes of the DM, the midline is resistant to disruption by intercalation of Netrin4 (Ntn4). We propose that this atypical midline forms the boundary between left and right sides and functions as a barrier necessary to establish and protect organ asymmetry.
EWSR1’s visual modalities are defined by its association with nucleic acids and RNA polymerase II
Authors: Rajan Soumya Sundara , Ebegboni Vernon J. , Pichling Patricio , Ludwig Katelyn R. , Jones Tamara L. , Chari Raj , Tran Andy , Kruhlak Michael J. , Loncarek Jadranka , Caplen Natasha J.
Published: August 2023

We report systematic analysis of endogenous EWSR1’s cellular organization. We demonstrate that EWSR1, which contains low complexity and nucleic acid binding domains, is present in cells in faster and slower-recovering fractions, indicative of a protein undergoing both rapid exchange and longer-term interactions. The employment of complementary high-resolution imaging approaches shows EWSR1 exists in in two visual modalities, a distributed state which is present throughout the nucleoplasm, and a concentrated state consistent with the formation of foci. Both EWSR1 visual modalities localize with nascent RNA. EWSR1 foci concentrate in regions of euchromatin, adjacent to protein markers of transcriptional activation, and significantly colocalize with phosphorylated RNA polymerase II. Interestingly, EWSR1 and FUS, another FET protein, exhibit distinct spatial organizations. Our results contribute to bridging the gap between our understanding of the biophysical and biochemical properties of FET proteins, including EWSR1, their functions as transcriptional regulators, and the participation of these proteins in tumorigenesis and neurodegenerative disease.

Rajan et al. report the visualization of endogenous EWSR1. EWSR1 exists in two visual modalities in the nucleoplasm, one distributed and one as foci. Both EWSR1 modalities localize with nascent RNA. EWSR1 foci concentrate in regions of euchromatin and colocalize with phosphorylated RNA polymerase II.
Angpt1 binding to Tie1 regulates the signaling required for lymphatic vessel development in zebrafish
Authors: Morooka Nanami , Gui Ning , Ando Koji , Sako Keisuke , Fukumoto Moe , Hußmann Melina , Schulte-Merker Stefan , Mochizuki Naoki , Nakajima Hiroyuki
Published: August 2023

Development of the vascular system is regulated by multiple signaling pathways mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Among them, Angiopoietin (Ang)/Tie signaling regulates lymphatic and blood vessel development in mammals. Of the two Tie receptors, Tie2 is well known as a key mediator of Ang/Tie signaling, but unexpectedly, recent studies reveal that theTie2locus has been lost in many vertebrate species, while theTie1gene is more commonly present. However, Tie1-driven signaling pathways, including ligands and cellular functions, are not well understood. Here, we performed comprehensive mutant analyses of Angiopoietins and Tie receptors in zebrafish and found that onlyangpt1andtie1mutants show defects in trunk lymphatic vessel development. Among zebrafish Angiopoietins, only Angpt1 binds to Tie1 as a ligand. We indirectly monitored Ang1/Tie1 signaling and detected Tie1 activation in sprouting endothelial cells (ECs), where Tie1 inhibits nuclear import of EGFP-Foxo1a. Angpt1/Tie1 signaling functions in EC migration, proliferation, and lymphatic specification during early lymphangiogenesis, at least in part by modulating Vegfc/Vegfr3 signaling. Thus, we show Angpt1/Tie1 signaling to constitute an essential signaling pathway for lymphatic development in zebrafish.

Brief Summary Statement

Zebrafish Angpt1/Tie1 signaling is characterized as an essential signaling pathway for trunk lymphatic development, with Tie1 regulating Foxo1 localization and modulating Vegfc/Vegfr3 signaling.
Is Internal Marketing a declining field? If so, why? A literature exploration from a hermeneutic perspective
Authors: Richardson Neil , Gosnay Ruth M.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper reflects on antecedents that may cause academic fields to decline or stagnate. It uses a hermeneutic review to consolidate and critique the Internal Marketing (IM) field. Seminal studies of IM and its related construct Internal Marketing orientation (IMO) are identified. IMO is then juxtaposed with contemporary studies from a communications journal identified as core as part of the hermeneutic process.

Design/methodology/approach

This study critiques the IMO literature in a hermeneutic review. It draws on the auto-ethnographic tradition to compare IMO with contemporary, related communications articles.

Findings

Two antecedents are addressed. There is interest in IM but less so in IMO. Aspects from the IMO literature align with two broad areas, namely customer-centric and company-centric communications. Some IMO aspects have been developed further therein.

Research limitations/implications

This paper recognizes further research opportunities for IMO and communications scholars with a greater focus on boundary spanning employees in national, sectoral and organizational settings. Being conceptual means it lacks empirical testing; being hermeneutic means it contributes to methodological plurality.

Practical implications

Despite having potentially profound organizational effects, IMO lacks awareness and adoption. Recommendations are made throughout to facilitate the adoption of improved communications apropos improving IMO.

Social implications

The paper identifies employee/employer benefits of adopting good internal communications (IC). IM(O) provides a rationale for sound IC practices.

Originality/value

This paper partially addresses the paucity of research into IMO including BSEs. It improves conceptualization by consolidating the key IMO research on the development and measurement of the construct, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses within the literature.
A weakly supervised pairwise comparison learning approach for bearing health quantitative evaluation and remaining useful life prediction
Authors: Zhao Fanshu , Cui Jin , Yuan Mei , Zhao Juanru
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a weakly supervised learning method to perform health evaluation and predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of rolling bearings.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the principle that bearing health degrades with the increase of service time, a weak label qualitative pairing comparison dataset for bearing health is extracted from the original time series monitoring data of bearing. A bearing health indicator (HI) quantitative evaluation model is obtained by training the delicately designed neural network structure with bearing qualitative comparison data between different health statuses. The remaining useful life is then predicted using the bearing health evaluation model and the degradation tolerance threshold. To validate the feasibility, efficiency and superiority of the proposed method, comparison experiments are designed and carried out on a widely used bearing dataset.

Findings

The method achieves the transformation of bearing health from qualitative comparison to quantitative evaluation via a learning algorithm, which is promising in industrial equipment health evaluation and prediction.

Originality/value

The method achieves the transformation of bearing health from qualitative comparison to quantitative evaluation via a learning algorithm, which is promising in industrial equipment health evaluation and prediction.
Job crafting intervention for job burnout and work engagement among young construction project management practitioners in China
Authors: Yang Fan , Fei Yifan , Guo Lin , Bai Xiuxiu , Li Xiaodong
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Young construction project management practitioners (CPMPs) have unique, complex, and notable occupational mental health problems. However, there were few studies about the intervention for occupational mental health of CPMPs, and traditional intervention modes often failed to achieve significant effects. Therefore, this study aims to propose a new and effective intervention method.

Design/methodology/approach

Job crafting intervention was used to design an intervention experiment. A total of 72 CPMPs participated in a 10-week randomized controlled trial in China. Descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance were used to verify the effectiveness of job crafting intervention (JCI) on job crafting behaviors, job burnout, and work engagement with consideration of the impact of time.

Findings

Results showed that the intervention increased social resources, thus effectively reducing job burnout and promoting work engagement. Time also had a significant impact on cynicism, dedication, and social resources.

Practical implications

The authors should promote the habit of job crafting in CPMPs. Furthermore, in order to facilitate their job crafting, the authors should increase structural and social resources for them, and the authors can also encourage them to undertake challenging demands to increase their self-efficacy and the sense of achievement.

Originality/value

The authors bring into light a new psychological intervention approach among CPMPs, which integrates the advantages of the guidance in traditional organized intervention methods and the proactivity in individual spontaneous job crafting. The authors verify the efficacy of the JCI among CPMPs and help propose countermeasures and suggestions to improve the occupational mental health of CPMPs.
CFD-DEM coupled simulation of fluidized beds with improved lumped formulation for heat transfer
Authors: de Almeida Lucilla Coelho , Aguirre Oliveira Junior Joao Americo , Su Jian
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to present a novel approach for computing particle temperatures in simulations coupling computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) to predict flow and heat transfer in fluidized beds of thermally thick spherical particles.

Design/methodology/approach

An improved lumped formulation based on Hermite-type approximations for integrals to relate surface temperature to average temperature and surface heat flux is used to overcome the limitations of classical lumped models. The model is validated through comparisons with analytical solutions for a convectively cooled sphere and experimental data for a fixed particle bed. The coupled CFD-DEM model is then applied to simulate a Geldart D bubbling fluidized bed, comparing the results to those obtained using the classical lumped model.

Findings

The validation cases demonstrate that ignoring internal thermal resistance can significantly impact the temperature in cases where the Biot number is greater than 0.1. The results for the fixed bed case clearly demonstrate that the proposed method yields significantly improved outcomes compared to the classical model. The fluidized bed results show that surface temperature can deviate considerably from the average temperature, underscoring the importance of accurately accounting for surface temperature in convective heat transfer predictions and surface processes.

Originality/value

The proposed approach offers a physically more consistent simulation without imposing a significant increase in computational cost. The improved lumped formulation can be easily and inexpensively integrated into a typical DEM solver workflow to predict heat transfer for spherical particles, with important implications for various industrial applications.
Encapsulation of helichrysum oil with inclusion complex and investigation of antibacterial activities in cotton fabrics
Authors: Kartal Gülşah Ekin
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study was to prepare antibacterial capsules and transfer them to cotton fabrics using the impregnation method.

Design/methodology/approach

For this purpose, helichrysum oil was encapsulated by ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) using the kneading method at three different molar ratios. The products were then applied to 100% cotton fabric through the impregnation method.

Findings

Morphological assessment showed that the inclusion complex had smooth surfaces and spherical shapes. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimeter analysis results confirmed the formation of the inclusion complex between ß-CD and the active agent at mole ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 for helichrysum oil. According to the analyses, it was determined that the highest complexing rate was between 9.72% and 1:2 in capsules containing ß-CD:helichrysum oil and the sizes of particles which is 1:2 are determined to be between 2 and 25 µm. The presence of capsules on the fabrics was determined after 5 washing cycles. Antibacterial activity was evaluated againstStaphylococcusaureusandEscherichiacolibacteria. The antibacterial analysis results showed that the inclusion complex provided a reduction of over 96% against bothS. aureusandE. colibacteria, and the fabrics exhibited antibacterial effects even after 5 washing cycles. The major constituents of the oil were decreased after 5 washes, but significant peaks were remained according to the gas chromatography analyses. These results indicate that helichrysum oil can be used for its antibacterial properties, and it has been observed that this activity continues up to 5 washes when transferred to the fabric in the form of an inclusion complex.

Originality/value

Although helichrysum oil is widely used in cosmetics, there is a lack of studies on its application in textiles. Therefore, this study investigated the potential use of helichrysum oil, which has a wide range of applications, in textiles for its antibacterial properties through molecular encapsulation. The use of naturally sourced substances such as helichrysum oil in the textile industry can offer an environmental and sustainable alternative. This study can be considered as a step toward the development of innovative and naturally sourced antibacterial products in the textile industry.
Digital proctoring in higher education: a systematic literature review
Authors: Han Shengnan , Nikou Shahrokh , Yilma Ayele Workneh
Published: August 2023

Purpose

To improve the academic integrity of online examinations, digital proctoring systems have recently been implemented in higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper aims to understand how digital proctoring has been practised in higher education (HE) and proposes future research directions for studying digital proctoring in HE.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was conducted. The PRISMA procedure was adapted for the literature search. The topics were identified by topic modelling techniques from 154 relevant publications in seven databases.

Findings

Seven widely discussed topics in literature were identified, including solutions for detecting cheating and student authentication, challenges/issues of uptakes and students' performance in different proctoring environments.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides insights for academics, policymakers, practitioners and students to understand the implementation of digital proctoring in academia, its adoption by HEIs, impacts on students' and educators' performance and the rapid increase in its use for digital exams in HEIs, with particular emphasis on the impacts of the systems on digitalising examinations in HE.

Originality/value

This review paper has systematically and critically described the state-of-the-art literature on digital proctoring in HE and provides useful insights and implications for future research on digital proctoring, and how academic integrity in online examinations can be enhanced, along with digitalising HE.
The factors obstructing the blockchain adoption in supply chain finance: a hybrid fuzzy DELPHI-AHP-DEMATEL approach
Authors: Sahoo P.S. Biswa Bhusan , Thakur Vikas
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Supply chain finance (SCF) is an advanced financing solution for medium and small organizations. However, due to its nascent stage, SCF is still struggling with its application in the supply chain. The blockchain application in SCF can bring lots of opportunities and smart techniques to deal with financing to organizations. However, some factors restrict the proper adoption of blockchain in SCF. Therefore, this study aims to identify and analyze the factors obstructing blockchain adoption in SCF.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study applied a hybrid fuzzy DELPHI-AHP-DEMATEL to validate and analyze the factors. The fuzzy Delphi techniques were adopted to validate the identified factors. Thereafter, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been used to prioritize the validated factors. Further, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method has opted to classify the factors into cause-and-effect groups.

Findings

The result of the study revealed that lack of technological competence and confidentiality leaking are the most prioritized factors and act as the prime factors for the obstacles in the blockchain application in the SCF. The application of the DEMATEL method revealed that the highest causing factor is authenticity, and the highest effecting factor is high cost.

Practical implications

The current study enhances the knowledge and information of managers and policymakers about the challenges associated with the blockchain application in SCF as well as provides better insight to deal with various factors obstructing blockchain adoption in SCF.

Originality/value

The current study is the first of its kind, where factors obstructing blockchain adoption in SCF are identified and validated with the help of experts and practitioners by incorporating the fuzzy Delphi method. Thereafter, the validated factors are prioritized by using fuzzy AHP and fuzzy DEMATEL techniques helps to identify the cause-and-effect group, which opens the door for future research work.
Influences of the Covid-19 pandemic on the impact factor of a sample of environment/sustainability-related journals
Authors: Leal Filho Walter , Dinis Maria Alzira Pimenta , Lange Salvia Amanda , Fritzen Gomes Bárbara Maria , Vasconcelos Claudio Ruy Portela de , Albrecht Clarissa Ferreira
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in academic routines. These changes have also contributed to an increase in the number of papers submitted to journals, citations and, ultimately, to changes in metrics. This study aims to address a gap between theory and practice, analysing the changes in the impact factor (IF) of a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used an expert-driven literature analysis and an assessment of a selected sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals’ increased trends.

Findings

The unprecedented trend observed when analysing the results obtained in the IF of environment/sustainability-related journals contribute to the body of knowledge on this topic, allowing us to understand how specifically the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced scientific publishing, despite the restrictions imposed by lockdowns and access to research knowledge and facilities.

Research limitations/implications

Based on a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, this study can highlight lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting specific measures which may be addressed to contribute to upkeep levels of publishing in the environment/sustainability field covered in this study.

Practical implications

This study will contribute to setting the stage for additional research on the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific publishing’s impact in environment/sustainability areas of knowledge. The implications of this research will allow us to set the basis for more extensive research in other areas of knowledge.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique, as it addresses the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in 30 considered exemplary environment/sustainability-related journals, the main research area of all the authors involved in this publication.
International price earnings and country risk model in an Asian context
Authors: Arayssi Mahmoud , Yassine Noura
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to estimate a statistical model of the country risk determination as represented by the country price earnings ratio (PE) to identify potentially mispriced countries. It uses the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate and a dummy indicator for market-related events (i.e. financial crises), both approximating the business cycle. The model is used to compare a major Asian country’s (i.e. Japan) risk with Western countries’ risk.

Design/methodology/approach

The model used finance variables such as the systemic, non-diversifiable, risk and foreign direct investments to characterize any country risk. A random effects model with panel data estimated the effects of macroeconomic and financial variables on PE. The simultaneity problem was checked using two stage least squares and some lagged independent variables.

Findings

The results explained to investors the country risk contributing factors: PE was positively correlated with variables that may increase dividends and market risk premia similar to GDP growth rates and total risk and negatively correlated with variables that increase market risk, namely, nominal risk-free interest rates and financial crises. Japan’s PE seemed to exceed most of the Western countries considered here, implying lower risks, lower interest rates and higher growth in the major Asian country Japan.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the effectiveness of country risk measures in predicting periods of intense instability, similar to financial crises. This study contributes a model to measure market risk premium, using PE (or inversely, the earnings yield) as a proxy variable. Investors can use this risk measure in picking less risky stocks to include in their portfolio, calling for liberalizing Asian countries’ financial markets to improve their stock market capitalization.
Economic effects of interaction. The neglected economy of connectivity
Authors: Hakansson Hakan , Snehota Ivan
Published: August 2023

Purpose

With a start in the observation that there is a large variation in how companies interact with each other, the paper aims to anlayse the economic consequences of this variation. As the more extensive interaction is costly, the variation also indicates a variation in the economic dimension.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper.

Findings

Three different economic streams can be identified. Firstly, the interaction costs can be reduced by taking advantage of time and scope. Interaction over time give opportunity to use some of the costs as investments through creation of relationships. By using the same counterpart for several products, scope can be used to reduce interaction costs. Secondly, developed business relationships can be used to create relation revenues. The counterparts can use each other for developing better solutions and for development of knowledge. Finally, the actors can also get positive network effects. One example is the joint development with third parties such as sub-suppliers or customer’s customer.

Research limitations/implications

The discussion ends in two major implications. One is the central role of managers and the other the crucial role of economic deals. Managers are crucial both to identify relevant cost and revenue items as well as to exploit them. Deals are important as it is only with direct counterparts where there are monetary streams. In all other relationships, there is only indirect consequences.

Originality/value

It is obvious that the type of cost and revenue streams identified above will require new and different economic tools. A base for this is given here.
“I’ll live better, stay away from crime”: exploring the reintegration of former prisoners into the community through a music programme
Authors: Hopley Rachel , Caulfield Laura , Jolly Andrew
Published: August 2023

Purpose

There is evidence that music programmes can have a positive impact on people in contact with the criminal justice system. However, little attention has been paid to the potential role of music programmes as people leave prison and re-enter the community. Providing support for former prisoners “through-the-gate” is important to aid resettlement and reduce the risk of reoffending. This paper aims to present research on a programme called Sounding Out: a two-year, London-based programme providing ex-prisoners with longer-term rehabilitative opportunities upon their release to bridge the gap between life inside and outside of prison.

Design/methodology/approach

The study aimed to understand the impact of the Sounding Out programme on ex-prisoners from the perspective of participants, staff and family members. Semi-structured interviews took place with 17 people: ten participants across two Sounding Out projects; six members of staff – three from the Irene Taylor Trust, two musicians and one former prison worker; and one family member of a participant.

Findings

The research provides an understanding of the impact of involvement in a carefully designed programme of music creation, skills development and work placements. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in three key themes: personal impact, focus and direction and interpersonal relationships. The findings are consistent with the body of research that demonstrates the impact of music programmes on prisoners.

Originality/value

The current study adds to the relatively limited body of evidence on the role of music programmes in the reintegration of former prisoners into the community.
Customer value, customer engagement, and customer-based brand equity in the context of a digital payment app
Authors: Bapat Dhananjay , Hollebeek Linda D.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The objective of the paper is to explore the relationship among perceived quality value, hedonic value, social value, price value, customer engagement and customer-based brand equity using stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R), customer engagement and customer-perceived value theories for digital payment apps. In addition, the study examines the mediating role of customer engagement between customer value dimensions and customer-based brand equity and analyzes the moderating role of age.

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least squares-based structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses through a sample of 316 respondents who used digital payment apps.

Findings

The findings indicate that customer engagement mediates the relationship between customer value dimensions and customer-based brand equity. Age does not moderate the relationship between customer value dimensions and customer engagement. The study confirmed the pronounced effect of specific paths for various age groups.

Originality/value

This study contributes novel insight to S-O-R, customer engagement, and customer value research.
‘Not in it for huge profits but because it’s right’: The contested moral economies of UK–India exports in health worker education and training
Authors: Merz Sibille , Hunter Benjamin , Bisht Ramila , Murray Susan Fairley
Published: August 2023

While the growth of global markets in health‐related services may have significant consequences for healthcare provisioning and training, it has received relatively little attention from the social sciences. This article examines UK–India, and specifically England–India, exports in health worker education and training as one such global market, drawing on sociological scholarship on moral economies to understand how trading in this field is constructed and legitimated by the individuals and organisations involved, what tensions evolve, and what is at stake in them. We employ a qualitative mixed methods approach using publicly available materials on existing UK–India collaborations and primary data from interviews with key stakeholders in India and the UK, including government departments, arms‐length bodies, NHS Trusts, trade associations and private providers. Our analysis illustrates the key discursive strategies used to legitimate engagement in these markets, and the complex and contested moral economies unfolding between and across these stakeholders and contexts. Not least, we demonstrate the conflicting moral sentiments and the boundary work required to realise commodification. Situating cross‐border trade in health worker education and training in a moral economy framework thus illuminates the social context and moral worlds in which this evolving trade is embedded.
Social capital and flourishing of left‐behind children in rural China: How basic psychological needs mediate?
Authors: Guo Sijia , Zhang Liwei , Lu Heng
Published: August 2023

Flourishing, as an integrated conceptualization, is a specific perspective of well‐being which focuses on one's emotional status and psychosocial functioning. As flourishing is a vital determinant for the development of adolescents, this study aims to better understand extent and quality of the flourishing of left‐behind children in rural China from a strength‐based orientation rather than the traditional deficit approach. In line with an ecological system perspective, one's flourishing is intertwined with microfactors and macrofactors. Herein, this study combines social capital theory and self‐determination theory to construct an integrative framework to explore how two specific microfactors and macrofactors influence the flourishing of left‐behind children. Altogether, 995 Chinese rural adolescent respondents (57.2% [N = 573] male and 52.3% [N = 520] LBC, Mage = 12.56 years) filled out a self‐report questionnaire that included the Social Capital Scale, Basic Psychological Needs Scale and Flourishing Scale. This study performed bivariate correlation analysis, regression analysis and mediation effect analysis through SPSS 26 and PROCESS 3.2 macro. Results indicate that (1) left‐behind children with more social capital experience higher levels of flourishing and (2) basic psychological needs have an indirect effect on the relationship between social capital and flourishing. The findings underscore the importance of constructing a synthetic framework to support the flourishing left‐behind children. They also indicate that the social networks and social resources for left‐behind children be expanded. Finally, results suggest that more attention should be given to fostering left‐behind children's innate growth through fulfilling their basic psychological needs.
Amantadine in unvaccinated patients with early, mild to moderate COVID‐19: A randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind trial
Authors: Rejdak Konrad , Fiedor Piotr , Bonek Robert , Łukasiak Jacek , Chełstowski Waldemar , Kiciak Sławomir , Dąbrowski Piotr , Gala‐Błądzińska Agnieszka , Dec Mateusz , Papuć Ewa , Zasybska Adriana , Kaczor Marcin , Grieb Paweł ,   COV‐PREVENT Study Group
Published: August 2023

Background and purpose

Adamantanes were listed as an interesting option as an early intervention against COVID‐19. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of amantadine in preventing the progression of COVID‐19 and its neurological sequelae.

Methods

Unvaccinated patients with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection within 5 days were enrolled. Subjects were randomized (50:50) to amantadine (AMD; 100 mg twice daily) or placebo (PLB) for 14 days. The Ordinal Scale for Clinical Improvement of the World Health Organization (OSCI‐WHO) was the primary measure. Secondary endpoints included assessment for fatigue; depression, disorders of smell and taste, and sleepiness on Days 1 and 15.

Results

We enrolled 99 patients (49 AMD and 50 PLB). Disease progression (OSCI‐WHO = 4) was observed in 6% (AMD) and 8% (PLB) patients (p > 0.05) with further deterioration (OSCI‐WHO〉4) in 0% (AMD) and 8% (PLB) patients (p > 0.05). Complete recovery on Day 15 was 60% higher in the AMD compared with the PLB group (p = 0.025). There was improvement in taste (AMD: p = 0.003; PLB: p = 0.0001) and smell (AMD: p = 0.005; PLB: p = 0.0004) but not in fatigue in both groups. Improvement was observed in the AMD (p = 0.010) but not in the PLB group (p = 0.058) when assessing depression as well as sleepiness (AMD: p = 0.0002; PLB: p = 0.341). There was one death in the PLB group (2.0%) and none in the AMD group (p > 0.05) until Day 210. Overall, the drug was well tolerated.

Conclusion

The central effects of amantadine on the nervous system with reduction of sleepiness and depression might have had a supportive effect on faster recovery in early COVID‐19 patients.
BÜCHNER, BORDERS AND THE CONVERGING OF ‘CROWDS’: JACK THORNE'S WOYZECK (2017)
Authors: Prestwich Joseph
Published: August 2023

As an important site of cross‐cultural exchange, theatre translations performed in Britain form key routes for international writers to be introduced to, and to influence, British audiences and theatre‐makers. This article introduces Jack Thorne's 2017 adaptation of Woyzeck by Georg Büchner, performed at the Old Vic Theatre in London, as a case study to trace how British theatre practitioners and institutions frame and utilise German texts and playwrights to construct an image of German (theatrical) culture in Britain. I will focus on institutional practice in the first instance, tracing how the Old Vic Theatre framed this production as appealing to two different ‘crowds’ and how Woyzeck relates to the Old Vic's stated institutional aims. This will be combined with performance and textual analysis that draws out the ways in which the production thematises borders and cultural difference. While theatre in translation can be seen as a bridge between different national cultures, I ultimately argue that this Woyzeck adaptation highlights, and indeed propagates, divisions between British and German (theatrical) cultures.
Real‐world safety and effectiveness of recombinant porcine sequence factor VIII in acquired haemophilia A: A non‐interventional, post‐authorization safety study
Authors: Tarantino Michael D. , Hardesty Brandon , Metjian Ara , Ortel Thomas L. , Chen Jie , Badejo Kayode , Ma Alice , Cuker Adam , Rajasekhar Anita , Friedman Kenneth D. , Janbain Maissaa
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Recombinant porcine factor VIII (rpFVIII, susoctocog alfa) is indicated for the treatment of bleeding episodes in adults with acquired haemophilia A (AHA).

Aim

To provide long‐term real‐world safety and effectiveness data for rpFVIII in the management of AHA bleeding episodes.

Methods

US PASS (NCT02610127) was a multicentre, uncontrolled, open‐label, post‐marketing safety surveillance study conducted in adults with AHA. Data were collected retrospectively or prospectively for 180 days after rpFVIII treatment. The primary outcome was the incidence of treatment‐related serious adverse events (SAEs). Secondary outcomes included haemostatic effectiveness of rpFVIII and rpFVIII utilization.

Results

Fifty‐three patients were enrolled from December 2015 to June 2019 (prospective, n = 30; retrospective, n = 23). Six patients experienced seven treatment‐related SAEs (incidence 12.0%). The most common treatment‐related SAE was FVIII inhibition (inhibiting antibodies to rpFVIII; incidence 8.0%, 95% CI: 2.2–19.2). Five patients reported seven thromboembolic events; one was an SAE and possibly related to rpFVIII. Of bleeding events treated with rpFVIII, 80.3% (57/71) of bleeds resolved with rpFVIII. The median (range) dose of rpFVIII per infusion was 50 (10–300) units/kg, with a median (range) of 6.0 (1–140) infusions and a median (range) time from bleed onset to bleed resolution of 14.0 (2.0–132.7) days.

Conclusion

In this real‐world study of rpFVIII for AHA, no new safety signals were identified compared with previous clinical trial findings. Eighty percent of bleeds resolved with rpFVIII treatment.
Single‐grain‐based widely targeted metabolomics profiling of sixty‐four accessions of Japanese wild soybean (Glycin soja Sieb. Et Zucc.)
Authors: Nguyen Kieu‐Oanh Thi , Do Thi‐Nhung , Dang Khanh‐Phuong , Sato Muneo , Hirai Masami Yokota
Published: August 2023

Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) is a major crop worldwide, providing essential dietary proteins and edible oils for agriculture, food, animal feed and biofuel industries. However, its limited genetic variation makes it vulnerable to harsh environmental conditions, and its chemical diversity was strongly reduced after long domestication. Wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc.), the ancestor of the G. max, possesses a high level of genetic diversity and thus present a precious reservoir for improving cultivated soybean. Characterising metabolomes of different G. soja accessions is crucial in exploring metabolite accumulation patterns for developing metabolic breeding strategies. This study successfully revealed the metabolomes of sixty‐four seed lines of G. soja collected throughout Japan by a widely targeted metabolomics approach, therefore, providing a good source of information for further studies to induce the production of bioactive compounds and the defence mechanism to stress.