bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The human GID complex engages two independent modules for substrate recruitment
Authors: Mohamed Weaam I. , Park Sophia L. , Rabl Julius , Leitner Alexander , Boehringer Daniel , Peter Matthias
Published: April 2021

The human GID (hGID) complex is an evolutionary conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase regulating diverse biological processes including glucose metabolism and cell cycle progression. However, the biochemical function and substrate recognition of the multi-subunit complex remains poorly understood. While the yeast GID complex recognizes Pro/N-end rule substrates via yeast Gid4, the human GID complex requires a WDR26/Gid7-dependent module to trigger proteasomal degradation of mammalian HBP1. Here, using biochemical assays, crosslinking-mass spectrometry and cryo-electron microscopy, we show that hGID unexpectedly engages two distinct modules for substrate recruitment, dependent on either WDR26 or GID4. WDR26 together with RanBP9 cooperate to ubiquitinate HBP1in vitro, while GID4 is dispensable for this reaction. In contrast, GID4 functions as an adaptor for the substrate ZMYND19, which surprisingly lacks a Pro/N-end rule degron. GID4 substrate binding and ligase activity is regulated by ARMC8α, while the shorter ARMC8β isoform assembles into a stable hGID complex that is unable to recruit GID4. Cryo-EM reconstructions of these hGID complexes reveal the localization of WDR26 within a ring-like, tetrameric architecture and suggest that GID4 and WDR26/Gid7 utilize different, non-overlapping binding sites. Together, these data advance our mechanistic understanding of how the hGID complex recruits cognate substrates and provide insights into the regulation of its ligase activity.
On the Non-uniqueness Problem in Integrated Information Theory
Authors: Hanson Jake R. , Walker Sara I.
Published: April 2021

Integrated Information Theory is currently the leading mathematical theory of consciousness. The core of the theory relies on the calculation of a scalar mathematical measure of consciousness, Φ, which is deduced from the phenomenological axioms of the theory. Here, we show that despite its widespread use, Φ is not a well-defined mathematical concept in the sense that the value it specifies is neither unique nor specific. This problem, occasionally referred to as “undetermined qualia”, is the result of degeneracies in the optimization routine used to calculate Φ, which leads to ambiguities in determining the consciousness of systems under study. As demonstration, we first apply the mathematical definition of Φ to a simpleAND+ORlogic gate system and show 83 non-unique Φ values result, spanning a substantial portion of the range of possibilities. We then introduce a Python package calledPyPhi-Spectrumwhich, unlike currently available packages, delivers the entire spectrum of possible Φ values for a given system. We apply this to a variety of examples of recently published calculations of Φ and show how virtually all Φ values from the sampled literature are chosen arbitrarily from a set of non-unique possibilities, the full range of which often includes both conscious and unconscious predictions. Lastly, we review proposed solutions to this degeneracy problem, and find none to provide a satisfactory solution, either because they fail to specify a unique Φ value or yield Φ = 0 for systems that are clearly integrated. We conclude with a discussion of requirements moving forward for scientifically valid theories of consciousness that avoid these degeneracy issues.
Impact of ecotourism on abundance, diversity and activity pattern of medium-large terrestrial mammals at Brownsberg Nature Park, Suriname
Authors: Ouboter Dimitri A. , Kadosoe Vanessa S. , Ouboter Paul E.
Published: April 2021

The impacts of ecotourism on biodiversity are poorly understood and the outcome of research is often contradictory. On the one hand ecotourism could impact the occurrence, survival or behavior of species, on the other hand ecotourism is often mentioned as providing a “human shield” by deterring negative practices like gold mining, logging and hunting.

Brownsberg Nature Park is easily the most visited protected area of Suriname, with a high number of ecotourists visiting from abroad. A four-year study on the impact of ecotourism on medium-large terrestrial mammals was carried out between 2013 and 2016 using 16 camera trapping stations. The area has a clear gradient of tourism pressure, with the pressure decreasing further away from the lodging facilities. Evidently, the impacts of human presence on the mammal communities were more significant in the busiest areas. Most species avoided areas with many hikers or switched to a more nocturnal activity pattern. In these areas the impact was not reflected in species numbers, however it was causing a significant lowering of the diversity of mammals. On the other hand, vehicles had little impact on species avoidance or diversity, but did increase nocturnality even more than hikers. A few species seemed to be “attracted” by hikers and/or traffic. Giant armadillos and spotted pacas used the pools in the road created by traffic. Ocelots, margays and red-rumped agoutis seemed to favor human disturbance probably because of predator release. Some of the most impacted species were the jaguar, puma and lowland tapir, all three species with significant contribution to ecosystem balance. Their avoidance or even disappearance from highly human frequented areas could easily result in ecosystem changes in these areas. Management measures should focus on lowering the number of hikers in popular places and limiting the number of vehicles in recreational or tourist areas.
Folate bioavailability in reconstructed skin models and effects of folate in a monolayer wound healing assay. Approaches on topic application
Authors: Dressler Dirk , Ulmann Martin , Wiesler Gerd
Published: April 2021

In chronic and degenerative diseases impacting the skin folates play an important metabolic role improving wound healing and reducing skin irritations. In contrast to systemic folate administration little is known on skin penetration of folates after topical application. Here the penetration of simple aqueous solutions of reduced folates have been investigated with in-vitro reconstructed skin models mimicking the barrier of native human skin. For up to 24 h, penetration of the epidermis by newly developed folate salts and formulations were investigated. Aqueous and lipophilic solutions of L-formyltetrahydrofolate and L-mefolinate salts were able to penetrate the epidermis. Even more importantly, the skin model revealed the metabolic conversion of L-folinate to L-methyltetrahydrofolate. Exemplarily the effects of these new folate salts have been tested on wound healing in a scratch assay with primary human keratinocytes. All folates applied were able to enhance wound healing compared to the control.

Bioavailability, metabolic conversion and physiologic effectiveness of new folate formulation have been shown successfully in in vitro applications providing evidence for the potent applicability of the new folates in preparations for topic application.
Identifying SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Compounds by Screening for Small Molecule Inhibitors of nsp5 Main Protease
Authors: Milligan Jennifer C , Zeisner Theresa U , Papageorgiou George , Joshi Dhira , Soudy Christelle , Ulferts Rachel , Wu Mary , Lim Chew Theng , Tan Kang Wei , Weissmann Florian , Canal Berta , Fujisawa Ryo , Deegan Tom , Nagara Hema , Bineva-Todd Ganka , Basier Clovis , Curran Joseph F , Howell Michael , Beale Rupert , Labib Karim , O’Reilly Nicola , Diffley John F.X
Published: April 2021

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), spread around the world with unprecedented health and socio-economic effects for the global population. While different vaccines are now being made available, very few antiviral drugs have been approved. The main viral protease (nsp5) of SARS-CoV-2 provides an excellent target for antivirals, due to its essential and conserved function in the viral replication cycle. We have expressed, purified and developed assays for nsp5 protease activity. We screened the nsp5 protease against a custom chemical library of over 5,000 characterised pharmaceuticals. We identified calpain inhibitor I and three different peptidyl fluoromethylketones (FMK) as inhibitors of nsp5 activityin vitro, with IC50values in the low micromolar range. By altering the sequence of our peptidomimetic FMK inhibitors to better mimic the substrate sequence of nsp5, we generated an inhibitor with a subnanomolar IC50. Calpain inhibitor I inhibited viral infection in monkey-derived Vero E6 cells, with an EC50 in the low micromolar range. The most potent and commercially available peptidyl-FMK compound inhibited viral growth in Vero E6 cells to some extent, while our custom peptidyl FMK inhibitor offered a marked antiviral improvement.
Identifying SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Compounds by Screening for Small Molecule Inhibitors of Nsp13 Helicase
Authors: Zeng Jingkun , Weissmann Florian , Bertolin Agustina P. , Posse Viktor , Canal Berta , Ulferts Rachel , Wu Mary , Harvey Ruth , Hussain Saira , Milligan Jennifer C. , Roustan Chloe , Borg Annabel , McCoy Laura , Drury Lucy S. , Kjaer Svend , McCauley John , Howell Michael , Beale Rupert , Diffley John F.X
Published: April 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global public health challenge. While the efficacy of vaccines against emerging and future virus variants remains unclear, there is a need for therapeutics. Repurposing existing drugs represents a promising and potentially rapid opportunity to find novel antivirals against SARS-CoV-2. The virus encodes at least nine enzymatic activities that are potential drug targets. Here we have expressed, purified and developed enzymatic assays for SARS-CoV-2 nsp13 helicase, a viral replication protein that is essential for the coronavirus life cycle. We screened a custom chemical library of over 5000 previously characterised pharmaceuticals for nsp13 inhibitors using a FRET-based high-throughput screening (HTS) approach. From this, we have identified FPA-124 and several suramin-related compounds as novel inhibitors of nsp13 helicase activityin vitro. We describe the efficacy of these drugs using assays we developed to monitor SARS-CoV-2 growth in Vero E6 cells.
PFKFB3 Depletion Activates β-Cell Replication by Cell Competitive Culling of Compromised β-Cells Under Stress
Authors: Min Jie , Ma Feiyang , Pellegrini Matteo , Greeff Oppel , Moncada Salvador , Tudzarova Slavica
Published: April 2021

Highly conserved hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α) and its target 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) play a critical role in the survival of damaged β-cells in type 2 diabetes (T2D) while rendering β-cells non-responsive to glucose stimulation by mitochondrial suppression. HIF1α-PFKFB3 is activated in 30-50% of all β-cells in diabetic islets, leaving an open question of whether targeting this pathway may adjust β-cell mass and function to the specific metabolic demands during diabetogenic stress.

Our previous studies of β-cells under amyloidogenic stress by human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) revealed that PFKFB3 is a metabolic execution arm of the HIF1α pathway with potent implications on Ca2+homeostasis, metabolome, and mitochondrial form and function.

To discriminate the role of PFKFB3 from HIF1αin vivo, we generated mice with conditional β-cell specific disruption of thePfkfb3gene on a hIAPP+/-background and a high-fat diet (HFD) [PFKFB3βKO+ diabetogenic stress (DS)].

PFKFB3 disruption in β-cells under diabetogenic stress led to selective purging of hIAPP-damaged β-cells and the disappearance of bihormonal insulin- and glucagon-positive cells, thus compromised β-cells. At the same time, PFKFB3 disruption led to a three-fold increase in β-cell replication resembling control levels as measured with minichromosome maintenance 2 protein (MCM2). PFKFB3 disruption depleted bihormonal cells while increased β-cell replication that was reflected in the increased β-/α-cell ratio and maintained β-cell mass. Analysis of metabolic performance indicated comparable glucose intolerance and reduced plasma insulin levels in PFKFB3βKODS relative to PFKFB3WTDS mice. In the PFKFB3βKODS group, plasma glucagon levels were reduced compared to PFKFB3WTDS mice and were in line with increased insulin sensitivity. Glucose intolerance in PFKFB3βKODS mice could be explained by the compensatory expression of HIF1α after disruption of PFKFB3. Our data strongly suggest that the replication and functional recovery of β-cells under diabetogenic stress depend on selective purification of HIF1α and PFKFB3-positive β-cells. Thus, HIF1α-PFKFB3-dependent activation of cell competition and purging of compromised β-cells may yield functional competent β-cell mass in diabetes.
Motivational learning biases are differentially modulated by genetic determinants of striatal and prefrontal dopamine function
Authors: Richter Anni , de Boer Lieke , Guitart-Masip Marc , Behnisch Gusalija , Seidenbecher Constanze I. , Schott Björn H.
Published: April 2021

Dopaminergic neurotransmission plays a pivotal role in appetitively motivated behavior in mammals, including humans. Notably, action and valence are not independent in motivated tasks, and it is particularly difficult for humans to learn the inhibition of an action to obtain a reward. We have previously observed that the carriers of the DRD2/ANKK1 TaqIA A1 allele, that has been associated with reduced striatal dopamine D2 receptor expression, showed a diminished learning performance when required to learn response inhibition to obtain rewards, a finding that was replicated in two independent cohorts. In the present study, we first report a replication of this finding in a third independent cohort of 99 participants. Interestingly, after combining all three cohorts (total N = 281), exploratory analyses regarding the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism suggest that homozygotes for the Met allele, which has been linked to higher prefrontal dopaminergic tone, show a lower learning bias. Our results corroborate the importance of genetic variability of the dopaminergic system in individual learning differences of action-valence interaction and, furthermore, suggest that motivational learning biases are differentially modulated by genetic determinants of striatal and prefrontal dopamine function.
Volumetric morphometry reveals mitotic spindle width as the best predictor of spindle scaling
Authors: Kletter Tobias , Reusch Sebastian , Dempewolf Nils , Tischer Christian , Reber Simone
Published: April 2021

The function of cellular structures at the mesoscale is dependent on their geometry and proportionality to cell size. The mitotic spindle is a good example why length and shape of intracellular organelles matter. Spindle length determines the distance over which chromosomes will segregate and spindle shape ensures bipolarity. While we still lack a systematic and quantitative understanding of subcellular morphometrics, new imaging techniques and volumetric data analysis promise novel insights into scaling relations across different species. Here, we introduce Spindle3D, an open-source plug-in that allows for the quantitative, unbiased, and automated analysis of 3D fluorescent data of spindles and chromatin. We systematically analyse different cell types, including somatic cells, stem cells and one-cell embryos across different phyla to derive volumetric relations of spindle, chromatin, and cell volume. Taken together, our data indicate that mitotic spindle width is a robust indicator of spindle volume, which correlates linearly with chromatin and cell volume both within single cell types and across metazoan phyla.
AGO HITS-CLIP reveals distinct miRNA regulation of white and brown adipose tissue identity
Authors: O'Connor Sean , Murphy Elisabeth A. , Szwed Sarah K. , Kanke Matt , Marchildon François , Sethupathy Praveen , Darnell Robert B. , Cohen Paul
Published: April 2021

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding RNAs that associate with Argonaute (AGO) to influence mRNA stability and translation, thereby regulating cellular determination and phenotype. While several individual miRNAs have been shown to control adipocyte function, including energy storage in white fat and energy dissipation in brown fat, a comprehensive analysis of miRNA activity in these tissues has not been performed. We used high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by cross-linking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) to comprehensively characterize the network of high-confidence, in vivo mRNA:miRNA interactions across white and brown fat, revealing >20,000 unique AGO binding sites. When coupled with miRNA and mRNA sequencing, we found an inverse correlation between depot-enriched miRNAs and their targets. To illustrate the functionality of our HITS-CLIP data set in identifying specific miRNA:mRNA interactions, we show that miR-29 is a novel regulator of leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone that coordinates food intake and energy homeostasis. Two independent miR-29 binding sites in the leptin 3′ UTR were validated using luciferase assays, and miR-29 gain and loss of function modulated leptin mRNA and protein secretion in primary adipocytes. This work represents the only experimentally generated miRNA targetome in adipose tissue and identifies multiple regulatory pathways that may specify the unique identities of white and brown fat.
Bloom syndrome in a Mexican American family with rhabdomyosarcoma: evidence of a Mexican founder mutation
Authors: Sybouts Erin H. , Brown Adam D. , Falcon-Cantrill Maria G. , Thomas Martha H. , DeNapoli Thomas , Voeller Julie , Chen Yidong , Tomlinson Gail E. , Bishop Alexander J.R.
Published: April 2021

Bloom syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with less than 300 cases reported in the literature. Bloom syndrome is characterized by chromosome instability, physical stigmata, growth deficiency, immunodeficiency, and a predisposition to cancer, most commonly leukemias, although solid tumors are reported as well. Bloom syndrome occurs in multiple ethnic groups with a higher incidence in persons of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. Few patients of Hispanic ethnicity have been reported. We report here a Mexican American family with a BLM pathogenic variant, c.2506_2507delAG, previously reported in a single patient from Mexico. In this family of four siblings, three have phenotypic features of Bloom syndrome, and BLM gene mutation was homozygous in these affected individuals. Our proband developed a rhabdomyosarcoma. Analysis of surrounding markers in the germline DNA revealed a common haplotype, suggesting a previously unrecognized founder mutation in the Hispanic population of Mexican origin.
Effect of iron on the composition and structure of corrosion product film formed in 70/30 copper-nickel alloy
Authors: Zhu Yanbo , Chen Xiaohong , Liu Ping , Fu Shaoli , Zhou Honglei , Wu Jiayan
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of changes in iron content in 70/30 copper–nickel alloy on the corrosion process.

Design/methodology/approach

70Copper–30Nickel-xFe-1Mn (x = 0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0 Wt.%) alloy were prepared by the high frequency induction melting furnace. The scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to analyze the morphology and component of the corrosion product film.

Findings

The results show that the corrosion resistance of 70/30 copper–nickel alloy added with 1.0%Fe is the best, and the film is divided into inner dense Cu2O composite film and outer hydration loose layer; XRD showed that after adding 1.0% Fe, the content of Cu2(OH)3Cl in the corrosion product film was significantly reduced, while the content of Cu2O remained unchanged; XPS showed that nickel accumulates in the inner layer of corrosion product film; the stage growth mode of the film, the role of nickel in it and the enrichment mechanism of iron in the inner film were summarized and discussed.

Originality/value

The changes in the composition and structure of the corrosion product film caused by the iron content are revealed, and the mechanism of the difference in corrosion resistance is discussed.
Effect of Zn concentration on microstructure and corrosion resistance of Mg-Zn alloys microalloyed with Ca and Ce
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Peng Cheng , Huang Jin , Zhao Yanchun , Huang Guangsheng , Wu Liang , Wang Guangang , Zhang Hua
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The influence of Zn concentration on microstructure and corrosion performance of the Mg–xZn alloys microalloyed with Ca and Ce was investigated through optic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, hydrogen evolution, dynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, Mg–xZn alloys (x = 0.5∼2.0 Wt.%) microalloyed with Ca and Ce (0.2 Wt.% each) were prepared.

Findings

As the increase of Zn concentration, the number of second phase particles (Mg-Zn-Ca, Mg-Zn-Ce and Mg-Ce phases) increased, and when the Zn concentration increased to 2.0 Wt.%, the new second phase Mg-Zn phase was precipitated.

Originality/value

The influence of Zn concentration on corrosion mechanism of Mg-xZn alloys microalloyed with Ca and Ce was revealed. Increasing of the Zn concentration resulted in the intensification of galvanic corrosion. When Zn concentration was 0.5 Wt.%, the alloy showed the lowest corrosion rate (0.61 mm y-1), which was about 1/2 of that of Mg-2.0Zn-0.2Ca-0.2Ce alloy.
Effect of the incorporation of apricot pulp powder on physicochemical, functional, rheological and nutraceutical properties of wheat flour based cookies
Authors: Nisar Aaqib , Jan Nusrat , Gull Amir , Masoodi Farooq Ahmad , Amin Tawheed , Bashir Omar , Wani Sajad Mohd
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The demand for functional foods has been increasing tremendously throughout the globe and keeping in view the health beneficial properties of apricot fruit. The purpose of this study is to develop wheat flour based cookies enriched with apricot pulp powder in order to improve nutraceutical properties of cookies and dilution of gluten at the same time.

Design/methodology/approach

Cookies were prepared from wheat flour blended with apricot pulp powder at 0, 10, 15, 20 and 25% level and evaluated for proximate, functional, rheological, nutraceutical and sensory properties.

Findings

Fibre content of apricot powder-incorporated cookies (3.23%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 25% level than control (1.64%). The water absorption and oil absorption capacities decreased significantly (p < 0.05) upon increasing level of apricot pulp powder. The ß-carotene content, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content increased significantly (p < 0.05) upon incorporation of apricot pulp powder. The thickness of cookies increased, however, diameter and spread ratio decreased with increase in the levels of apricot pulp powder. Lightness (L*) value decreased, while redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) increased when incorporated with apricot pulp powder. Cookies having 25% apricot pulp powder showed maximum hardness and overall acceptability.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, the scientific literature on incorporation of apricot pulp powder in bakery products is scanty. As such the present research has a tremendous scope for the food industries to produce functional bakery products with antioxidant properties and diluted the gluten content at the same time.
Evidence of improved students’ perceptions towards online research: pre and post assessment study of information literacy and research support
Authors: Shoeb Md. Zahid Hossain
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present how the library’s information literacy (IL) sessions and research support programmes can change students' perceptions towards their research practice.

Design/methodology/approach

To reach the aim of this study, the author carried out survey through the structured questionnaire before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the session of instructions. Then, the author compared the scores statistically using paired sample t-test to see the differences.

Findings

The findings and review suggested that the need for the continued development and implementation of IL and research support sessions should not be ignored. The students may be benefitted from a well-designed programme. This sort of training session improved learners' attitudes significantly towards research practice and behaviour.

Originality/value

IL and research support have not been addressed much in the country where the study took place. Though not new, however, these initiatives may make the educators rethink concerning their curriculum. Moreover, a collaborative effort between librarians and faculty members may result in an active driving force for effective learning.
Awareness about plagiarism and the effectiveness of library literacy programme towards its deterrence: a perspective of postgraduate resident doctors
Authors: Khan Asad , Richardson Joanna , Izhar Muhammad
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Awareness about plagiarism is essential for the evasion of intellectual mendacity, inculcation of academic integrity and assurance of quality research. Maintaining high standards regarding academic integrity is a major challenge for higher education and research organizations. In Pakistan, resident doctors are required to submit a dissertation to the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The purpose of this study is to examine this cohort’s awareness of plagiarism and to determine the effectiveness of the library literacy (IL) programme towards the prevention of plagiarism.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the quantitative approach, a cross-sectional survey method was used. A convenience sample of postgraduate resident doctors was randomly recruited from two hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses.

Findings

The findings revealed that while resident doctors were aware of the concept of plagiarism, there were variations in their definition of the term. That said, they perceived plagiarism as an unethical practice and supported the implementation of anti-plagiarism policies. However, the respondents’ knowledge was not strong regarding citation styles, specific anti-plagiarism policies and plagiarism penalties. Likewise, this cohort was unfamiliar with library IL activities and their role in the prevention of plagiarism. Finally, collaboration was absent among key stakeholders, e.g. resident doctors, research supervisors and librarians, to deter plagiarism.

Research limitations/implications

This study recommends collaboration among the key stakeholders to ensure the delivery of consistent messages and to reinforce the importance of plagiarism prevention. As this study was limited to two hospitals, similar research could be undertaken using a larger sample of resident doctors. It would also be useful to survey the librarians providing support for this cohort.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to examine the effectiveness of hospital library IL programmes in the prevention of plagiarism among resident doctors in Pakistan. The findings are applicable to other health libraries worldwide that wish to address the challenge of plagiarism among health researchers in general.
Measuring the impact of COVID-19 papers on the social web: an altmetric study
Authors: Edakar Metwaly Ali Mohamed , Shehata Ahmed Maher Khafaga
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The rapid spread and severity of the coronavirus (COVID-19) virus have prompted a spate of scholarly research that deals with the pandemic. The purpose of this study is to measure and assess the coverage of COVID-19 research on social media and the engagement of readers with COVID-19 research on social media outlets.

Design/methodology/approach

An altmetric analysis was carried out in three phases. The first focused on retrieving all papers related to COVID-19. Phase two of the research aimed to measure the presence of the retrieved papers on social media using altmetric application programming interface (API). The third phase aimed to measure Mendeley readership categories using Mendeley API to extract data of readership from Mendeley for each paper.

Findings

The study suggests that while social media platforms do not give accurate measures of the impact as given by citations, they can be used to portray the social impact of the scholarly outputs and indicate the effectiveness of COVID-19 research. The results confirm a positive correlation between the number of citations to articles in databases such as Scopus and the number of views on social media sites such as Mendeley and Twitter. The results of the current study indicated that social media could serve as an indicator of the number of citations of scientific articles.

Research limitations/implications

This study’s limitation is that the studied articles’ altmetrics performance was examined using only one of the altmetrics data service providers (altmetrics database). Hence, future research should explore altmetrics on the topic using more than one platform. Another limitation of the current research is that it did not explore the academic social media role in spreading fake information as the scope was limited to scholarly outputs on social media. The practical contribution of the current research is that it informs scholars about the impact of social media platforms on the spread and visibility of COVID-19 research. Also, it can help researchers better understand the importance of published COVID-19 research using social media.

Originality/value

This paper provides insight into the impact of COVID-19 research on social media. The paper helps to provide an understanding of how people engage with health research using altmetrics scores, which can be used as indicators of research performance.
Conservative culture, innovative culture, and innovative performance: a multi-group analysis of the moderating role of the job type
Authors: Al-Khatib Ayman Wael , Al-Fawaeer Moayyad A. , Alajlouni Mohammed Iqbal , Rifai Firas A.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the effect of organisational culture by its two dimensions (innovative organisational culture and conservative organisational culture) on innovative performance and also investigate the moderating role of the job type on innovative performance in the relationship between innovative organisational culture and conservative organisational culture.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study’s purposes, 321 questionnaires from employees of Jordanian private universities were analysed. Convergent validity and discriminant validity tests were performed. Data reliability was confirmed. A bootstrapping technique was used to analyse the data. The multi-group analysis was performed to investigate the moderating role of job type.

Findings

The results of this study indicate that the innovative organisational culture will improve innovative performance and that a conservative culture reduces innovation opportunities. Moreover, innovative organisational culture promotes innovative performance for all employees regardless of who holds administrative positions.

Research limitations/implications

This cross-sectional study provides a snapshot at a given moment in time, a methodological limitation that affects the generalisation of its results. Moreover, this study adopted subjective measures and the results are limited to one country, Jordan.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to drawing the attention of senior management to the importance of innovation culture in the performance of innovation at Jordanian private universities surveyed, in particular, and other organisations in general.

Social implications

The social impact of this study is to respond to the challenge of building an innovation-based culture and to limit the effects of a conservative culture that limits the response to innovation.

Originality/value

This study has important implications for leaders in general. It also highlights the need for organisations to develop an orientation towards innovative organisational culture instead of the classic approach based on the conservative culture of all its members (both administrative and non-administrative employees) and to invest in training that supports this trend, thus increasing their innovative performance, which contributes to raising their capabilities to excel, compete and achieve high levels of performance.
Does the degree of debt obligations owed by a state’s pension plan affect a resident household’s utility?
Authors: Diosdado Leobardo , Lacombe Donald
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to examine whether the financial satisfaction (FS) of a state’s residents is affected by the funding ratio of the state’s public pension.

Design/methodology/approach

A multilevel hierarchal probit model that control for the funding ratio at the state level and its resident’s FS at the individual level was used to determine how a one-unit increase in funding ratio of a state’s pension plan affected the degree of FS experienced by the individual residing within that state.

Findings

The marginal effect from the probit model estimated suggest that a state’s pension plan funding ratio does affect the degree of FS experienced by its residents.

Research limitations/implications

This study only examined data from 2015, thus, future research should consider examining this question via longitude studies, perhaps a survivor model.

Practical implications

States that fail to address their pension plan’s funding ratio may be exposing their residents to negative externality that could potentially influence an individual’s choice to relocate to another state that is not facing similar issues.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, the current body of research has yet to address and/or research the externalities associated with the underfunding of public pension plans throughout the USA. This paper combined two unique sets of publicly available data from all 50 states along with a sample of its residents to examine how public policy associated with state and/or local government pension affect its residents.
Displacement and debt – the role of debt in returning to work after displacement
Authors: Bednarzik Robert , Kern Andreas , Hisnanick John
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the question of how household indebtedness impacts households’ incentives to search for and accept work after displacement.

Design/methodology/approach

To analyze the relationship between household indebtedness and unemployment duration, this paper applies standard proportional hazard models. For data, this paper relies on the longitudinal US National Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), covering the period between 2008 and 2012.

Findings

The findings show that a 10% increase in household debt increases the likelihood (hazard) of leaving unemployment by 0.2%–0.4% points. Independent of measuring a household's indebtedness and in light of a series of robustness tests, the results indicate that the pressure of servicing an existing debt burden forces individuals to return to work.

Social implications

From a policy perspective, the research findings support the notion that household indebtedness plays an important mediating role for labor market outcomes through influencing households’ incentives to return to work after displacement. This finding has important implications for the design of effective policy responses to mass layoffs during the current pandemic.

Originality/value

A key innovation of the research is that we can show that household indebtedness impacts the labor supply side. From a macroeconomic perspective, this insight is important in better understanding the role of increased indebtedness (and financialization) in amplifying aggregate macroeconomic dynamics.
An analysis of the economic viability of waste-to-energy generation in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana
Authors: Owusu-Manu De-Graft , Amo-Asamoah E. , Ghansah Frank Ato , Asumadu George
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Kumasi Metropolis, the second-largest city in Ghana is known to be bewildered with challenges relating to waste management. As a means of solving the waste management challenge, several suggestions are often made for the establishment of a waste-to-energy plant to manage the disposal of waste and generation of income. There have been no studies conducted to determine how economically viable such plants will be. This study aims to examine the economic viability of waste-to-energy generation in the Kumasi Metropolis to find out how economically viable such an approach will be.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this, a simple debt-equity ratio business model based on discounted cash flow technique was applied to estimate the internal rate of returns (IRR) as a measure of the economic viability and profitability of a modelled 50 MWH waste-energy generation plant in the Kumasi Metropolis. The analysis was performed using the RetScreen Expert Software.

Findings

The results show that the IRR and benefits cost ratio of the facility were 36% and 5.8%, respectively, indicating high levels of profitability and economic viability. The study concludes that waste-to-energy generation will be an economically viable venture in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Practical implications

It is, however, important for users of the findings of this study to take caution of the fact that the various assumptions although based on current knowledge and expert opinion may vary with time; therefore, the sensitive analysis on price and costs should always be considered. Practically, this study will contribute to solving the waste management situation in most cities, as well as generating revenue and helping close the energy deficit most developing countries are grabbling with.

Originality/value

The unique contribution of the study to knowledge is that it has professed an alternative analytical and methodological approach to measuring the financial viability of waste-to-energy plants in situations where there is none in the geographical jurisdiction of the proposed project.
Readmission after hospitalization for heart failure in elderly patients in Chapidze Emergency Cardiology Center, Georgia
Authors: Verulava Tengiz , Jorbenadze Revaz , Lordkipanidze Ana , Gongadze Ana , Tsverava Michael , Donjashvili Manana
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Heart Failure (HF) is one of the leading mortality causes in elderly people. The purpose of this study is to assess readmission rates and reasons in elderly patients with HF.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors explored medical records of elderly patients with HF (75 years and more) at Chapidze Emergency Cardiology Center (Georgia) from 2015 to 2019. The authors analyzed the structure of the cardiovascular diseases and readmission rates of hospitalized patients with HF (I50, I50.0 I50.1). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors, associated with readmission for any reason during 6–9 months after the initial hospitalization for HF.

Findings

The major complication of cardiovascular diseases in elderly patients is HF (68.6%). Hospitalization rates due to HF in elderly patients have increased in recent years, which is associated with the population aging process. This trend will be most likely continue. Despite significant improvements in HF treatment, readmission rates are still high. HF is the most commonly revealed cause of readmission (48% of all readmissions). About 6–9 months after the primary hospitalization due to HF, readmission for any reason was 60%. Patients had concomitant diseases, including hypertension (43%), myocardial infarction (14%), diabetes (36%) and stroke (8%), affecting the readmission rate.

Originality/value

HF remains an important problem in public health. During HF-associated hospitalizations, both cardiac and non-cardiac conditions should be addressed, which has the potential for health problems and disease progression. Some readmissions may be prevented by the proper selection of medicines and monitoring.
Systems and mechanisms to develop health volunteers to improve the health of the immigrant workforce in four Thailand provinces
Authors: Suvarnathong Preecha , Chai-Aroon Teeradej , Jiawiwatkul Uthaithip , Intoo-Marn Pasakorn
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the provincial-level systems and mechanisms to develop health volunteers to improve the health of the immigrant workforce in Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study obtained data from document research, in-depth interviews with 58 people involved at policy and provincial levels working to develop health volunteers to improve the health of the immigrant workforce. Data were collected from May–October 2017; then the content of the conceptual framework was analyzed, the research objectives were examined and summary and induction analysis interpreted data from documents, observations and interviews.

Findings

Thailand has four systems for developing health volunteers to improve the health of the immigrant workforce: recruitment, training and knowledge management, welfare and motivational and financial and other supportive resources. Development is driven through the mechanisms of the Provincial Public Health Office with Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and network partners. The health volunteer development exhibits two patterns: developing migrant workers to become migrant health volunteers and developing village health volunteers to perform health care for the immigrant workforce. All development patterns mainly rely upon the regular operating budget, which is often inadequate. Frequently, some provinces make attempts to seek other funding sources. In fact, health volunteer development is subjected to local authorities of the four provinces whose systems and mechanisms of development differ from one another.

Originality/value

The findings from this study could help develop health volunteers to significantly improve the health of the immigrant workforce in the Thai health service system.
The effects of empathy on support for Christmas music performance in public schools
Authors: Davis Mitchell R.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Despite an ever-diversifying student population, it is still commonplace for US public schools to present Christmas concerts. These concerts can force minority students to choose between their own religious convictions and school participation. For some students, participation in public-school Christmas concerts can damage their personal identity and assimilate them into ways of being that are not their own. This study aims to test a method for teaching preservice teachers to empathize with minority students.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the framework of action research, the study followed a one-group pretest-posttest design. Participants (N = 19), all of whom identified as some kind of Christian, were asked to perform a concert featuring Satanic Worship prayers and a children’s Christmas song. This intervention was meant to induce empathy for religious minority students who feel uncomfortable performing Christmas songs because they are antithetical to their own faiths. Participants’ perceptions of public-school Christmas music performance was measured before and after the intervention.

Findings

The intervention effectively increased empathy for minority students. As a result, participants expressed altered teaching philosophies that were inclusive of religious minority perspectives.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of empathy-fostering interventions as tools for teaching teachers to work with diverse student populations. The intervention tested in this study is of the researcher’s original design.
Control and autonomy: resource dependence relations and non-profit organizations
Authors: Arvidson Malin , Linde Stig
Published: April 2021

Purpose

For non-profit organizations (NPOs) external funding is an essential resource. Studies highlight how control is attributed to funders and so external funding threatens the autonomy of the recipient organization. The purpose of this study is to investigate how external control can be structured and exercised, and to explore how control interacts with organizational autonomy.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on interviews and participant observations with NPOs and their funders over a period of time. It reports from four different funding-relations: contract-based, social investment, gift-funded and civil society–public partnership. The concept of organizational discretion is used to analyse how control and autonomy are interconnected in these relationship.

Findings

The analysis illustrates the value in exposing the different discretionary boundaries related to external control and how control can become a sparring partner in the organization's striving for autonomy. A concluding argument is that control and autonomy are each other's companions rather than antagonists. The study leads us to question a general assumption that NPOs strive to avoid resource dependence and external control but instead may use such control to develop strategies for independence and self-realization.

Originality/value

The empirical material is unique as it includes voices of recipient organizations and funders, and offers a comparison of different controlling-relations. The study presents an innovative analytical framework based on the concepts of discretionary space and reasoning, which supports a critical discussion regarding the idea of external control as detrimental to the autonomy of NPOs.
Flame behaviour, fire hazard and fire testing approach for lightweight composite claddings – a review
Authors: Hossain Md Delwar , Hassan Md Kamrul , Yuen Anthony Chun Yin , He Yaping , Saha Swapan , Hittini Waseem
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to review and summarise the existing available literature on lightweight cladding systems to provide detailed information on fire behaviour (ignitibility, heat release rate and smoke toxicity) and various test method protocols. Additionally, the paper discusses the challenges and provides updated knowledge and recommendation on selective-fire mechanisms such as rapid-fire spread, air cavity and fire re-entry behaviours due to dripping and melting of lightweight composite claddings.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review on fire behaviour, fire hazard and testing methods of lightweight composite claddings has been conducted in this research. In summarising all possible fire hazards, particular attention is given to the potential impact of toxicity of lightweight cladding fires. In addition, various criteria for fire performance evaluation of lightweight composite claddings are also highlighted. These evaluations are generally categorised as small-, intermediate- and large-scale test methods.

Findings

The major challenges of lightweight claddings are rapid fire spread, smoke production and toxicity and inconsistency in fire testing.

Originality/value

The review highlights the current challenges in cladding fire, smoke toxicity, testing system and regulation to provide some research recommendations to address the identified challenges.