bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Off-axis multilayer zone plate with 16 nm × 28 nm focus for high-resolution X-ray beam induced current imaging
Authors: Soltau Jakob , Chayanun Lert , Lyubomirskiy Mikhail , Wallentin Jesper , Osterhoff Markus
Published: July 2021

Using multilayer zone plates (MZPs) as two-dimensional optics, focal spot sizes of less than 10 nm can be achieved, as we show here with a focus of 8.4 nm × 9.6 nm, but the need for order-sorting apertures prohibits practical working distances. To overcome this issue, here an off-axis illumination of a circular MZP is introduced to trade off between working distance and focal spot size. By this, the working distance between order-sorting aperture and sample can be more than doubled. Exploiting a 2D focus of 16 nm × 28 nm, real-space 2D mapping of local electric fields and charge carrier recombination using X-ray beam induced current in a single InP nanowire is demonstrated. Simulations show that a dedicated off-axis MZP can reach sub-10 nm focusing combined with reasonable working distances and low background, which could be used for in operando imaging of composition, carrier collection and strain in nanostructured devices.
Hybridity and the use of performance measurement: facilitating compromises or creating moral struggles? Insights from healthcare organizations
Authors: Morinière Agathe , Georgescu Irène
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study aims to understand whether and how the use of performance measures in the context of healthcare organizations facilitates the dynamics of compromise or whether it creates moral struggles among a wide variety of actors. It offers novel insights into the concept of hybridity by investigating its underlying moral dimension. Drawing upon the sociology of worth theory (Boltanski and Thévenot, 1991, 2006), this paper examines how actors negotiate and compromise over time concerning issues of justice, involving the use of performance measures on a day-to-day basis.

Design/methodology/approach

The article presents a single case study of a medical unit in a French public hospital. Data were obtained through the ethnographic method, semi-structured interviews and internal financial and accounting documents.

Findings

Unlike earlier accounting studies, the authors analyze whether, and how, accounting, on one hand, contributes to the dynamics of compromise between actors with divergent values that characterize hybrid organizations, and, on the other hand, increases tensions among actors with convergent values involved in caregiving. This offers practical insights into three relational mechanisms underlying the dynamics of compromise and their limits through the time dimension.

Research limitations/implications

The authors use a single case study in a country-specific context.

Practical implications

This study helps managers of healthcare organizations to understand the relationships between the use of performance measures and their impact on the evaluation of worth in practice.

Originality/value

In terms of theoretical contribution, the authors show how the sociology of worth (Boltanski and Thévenot, 1991, 2006) complements the analysis of hybridity and develop an original approach to understanding the ambivalent role of performance measures in bringing together divergent values within French public hospitals.
Data literacy and the cognitive challenges of a data-rich business environment: an analysis of perceived data overload, technostress and their relationship to individual performance
Authors: Giudice da Silva Cezar Bibiana , Maçada Antônio Carlos Gastaud
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Considering the cognitive challenges associated with a data-rich business environment, this research aims to investigate the relationship between data literacy (DL), perceived data overload (PDO), and technostress (TS), besides the effect of these constructs on professional's individual performance (IP).

Design/methodology/approach

Through survey research, the authors collected data from 321 professionals who work in data-rich and highly technological business environments. To test the hypotheses proposed, the authors developed the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) procedures.

Findings

The results showed that DL is positively associated with IP and negatively with PDO. PDO is positively associated with TS and negatively with IP. The authors found no significant negative association between TS and IP.

Research limitations/implications

With this research, the authors seek to contribute to the gap in the literature concerning two cognitive challenges associated with data-rich business environments: PDO and TS, analyzing from the point of view of the individual, and highlighting the importance of DL in this context.

Practical implications

The results can assist managers in effectively being concerned with the DL level of their workforce. This is important considering not only the professionals' IP but also the cognitive challenges such as PDO and TS.

Originality/value

The innovation of this study lies in the empirical analysis of DL in the business context and its relationship with two cognitive challenges inherent in data-rich environments: PDO, and TS. Besides, the authors highlight the importance of understanding such phenomena in terms of IP.
Country-related future research agenda of Lean Manufacturing–A systematic literature review
Authors: Psomas Evangelos
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Many future research proposals of Lean Manufacturing (LM) are presented in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to determine these future research proposals of LM which are country-related and classify them.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed journal articles in LM was conducted. A total of 145 articles published in 34 journals during 2010–2020 were collected from four major management science publishers namely, Emerald Online, Elsevier/Science Direct, Springer Link and Taylor and Francis. The country-related future research proposals of LM identified in the literature were classified according to, firstly, the continent of the country of reference, and secondly, some form of natural affinity of these proposals creating meaningful themes. The quality tool “affinity diagram” was applied to classify the country-related future research proposals of LM.

Findings

The country-related future research proposals of LM, which are increasing in the literature over time, refer mostly to studies to be conducted in several continents/countries and to multinational studies. Conducting studies specifically in Asia, Europe, South and North America, Africa and Australia–New Zealand is also suggested. The plethora of the country-related future research proposals of LM were classified, based on the affinity of their content, into 18 meaningful themes. These themes were also classified based on their affinity into two broad categories, namely “themes concerning the LM approach itself” and “themes concerning factors outside the LM approach”.

Research limitations/implications

The restricted number of the databases searched and the subjectivity of classifying the large number of the country-related future research proposals into themes are the main limitations of the present SLR. Based on these limitations, future literature review studies can be carried out.

Practical implications

Useful proposals are provided to researchers of several countries for conducting original and country-specific research studies which can enrich the knowledge of the implementation of LM under the specific circumstances of a country for the benefit of practitioners.

Originality/value

This study goes beyond previous literature review studies on LM by focusing exclusively on the LM future research agenda which is country related. The analytical presentation of the country-related future research proposals as well as the formulation of clusters of these proposals make the present SLR study substantially different from those carried out worldwide so far.
Sustainable service supply chain management: from a systematic literature review to a conceptual framework for performance evaluation of service only supply chain
Authors: Nagariya Ramji , Kumar Divesh , Kumar Ishwar
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Despite increasing attentions to sustainable service supply chain management (SSSCM), a framework for performance evaluation of sustainable service only supply chain management (SSOSCM) is still missing. This paper tries to fill this gap and provides a novel conceptual framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The articles related to SSSCM are fetched from the databases of SCOPUS and Web of Science. Analysis of 174 articles identified by the systematic literature review is further carried out.

Findings

This research identifies the sustainable practices for service only supply chain (SOSC) as environmental management, social management, economic management, customer management, health, safety and risk management, technical sustainability, institutional sustainability, information and technology management as well as two performance measurement criteria as operational performance and organizational performance. This paper provides a novel conceptual framework for the performance evaluation of SSOSCM. The results call for future exploration in the following three broad directions-(1) customer's perception, involvement and their behaviour towards sustainability in SOSC context; (2) trade-off, incentive mechanism and multilevel evaluation for achieving sustainability in SOSC and (3) sustainability in SOSC from various point of views.

Practical implications

The managers can use the framework to assess the performance of the organization while researchers can explore the discussed research gaps.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that provides a novel conceptual framework for the performance evaluation of SSOSCM as well as potential future research directions.
Governors' pro-market ideology as institutional enablement of firm internationalization
Authors: Zhou William Chongyang , Sun Sunny Li
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Extant literature has indicated that government support is one of the main drivers of international expansion of Chinese multinational enterprises. However, research on the influence of governors on firm internationalization is still limited. Drawing upon the institution-based view, we theorize a novel concept of institutional enablement to illustrate the influence of a governor's pro-market ideology on Chinese firms' internationalization.

Design/methodology/approach

We analyze the relationship between a governor's pro-market ideology (consisting of a pro-market political ideology, an overseas educational background and a business background) and firm internationalization with a sample of Chinese public companies during 2014–2017.

Findings

We find a direct and positive effect of a governor's pro-market ideology on firm internationalization. We also find an indirect and positive effect of a governor's pro-market ideology through regional, inward foreign direct investment.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to investigate an underexplored question of the impact of governors on firm internationalization and to develop a novel concept of institutional enablement, based on discursive institutionalism.
I see you but you don’t see me: the “two-way mirror effect” of gender and disability in employment
Authors: Bend Gemma , Fielden Sandra
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to prior gender-based conceptual models within organisational and management studies by incorporating an additional lens of disability. The authors present a context specific and embodied based model that we call the “two-way mirror effect” which accounts for the environmental and discursive effects of gender and disability within the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews existing literature on gender, disability and employment and uses that literature to construct and support the concept of a two-way mirror effect.

Findings

By drawing on organisation and management-based studies, the authors have shown how previous models do not currently account for the experiences of disabled women within the workplace. Disabled workers, and especially disabled women face a myriad of unique barriers, including masculine and able-bodied employment practices (e.g. performative expectations) and exclusionary physical spaces (e.g. access, location to required facilities), that exclude them from full employment participation.

Practical implications

The review of existing literature and conceptual models reveal the gaps in research that academics and practitioners can build upon and the paper identifies the dominant norms that are embedded within organisational practices, which can be challenged to promote inclusion and equality.

Originality/value

The authors present a new intersectional-based conceptual model to fill a gap in organisational and management-based studies that accounts for the unique employment experiences of disabled employees, specifically disabled women.
A case study to explore the synergy between HBIM and BEM for maintenance of historical buildings
Authors: De Oliveira Ana Carolina Franco , Carmo Cristiano Saad Travassos do , Cruz Alexandre Santana , Faisca Renata Gonçalves
Published: July 2021

Purpose

In developing countries, such as Brazil, the construction sector is consistently focused on the construction of new buildings, and there is no dissemination of the preservation, restoration and maintenance of historic buildings. Idle buildings, due to the use and lack of maintenance, present pathological manifestations, such as moisture problems that compromise specially their thermal and energy performance. With this in mind, the purpose of this work is to create a digital model using terrestrial photogrammetry and suggest retrofit interventions based on computer simulation to improve the thermal and energy performance of a historical building.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed methodology combined terrestrial photogrammetry using common smartphones and commercial software for historical buildings with building information modeling (historic building information modeling (HBIM)) and building energy modeling (BEM). The approach follows five steps: planning, site visit, data processing, data modeling and results. Also, as a case study, the School of Architecture and Urbanism of the Fluminense Federal University, built in 1888, was chosen to validate the approach.

Findings

A digital map of pathological manifestations in the HBIM model was developed, and interventions considering the application of expanded polystyrene in the envelope to reduce energy consumption were outlined. From the synergy between HBIM and BEM, it was concluded that the information modeled using photogrammetry was fundamental to create the energy model, and simulations were needed to optimize the possible solutions in terms of energy consumption.

Originality/value

Firstly, the work proposes a reasonable methodology to be applied in development countries without sophisticated technologies, but with acceptable precision for the study purpose. Secondly, the presented study shows that the use of HBIM for energy modeling proved to be useful to simulate possible solutions that optimize the thermal and energy performance.
Identifying the effect of green human resource management practices on lean-agile (LEAGILE) and prioritizing its practices
Authors: Alavi Somaieh , Aghakhani Hamid
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The present study attempted to identify, measure and prioritize key green human resource management (GHRM) practices to achieve the lean-agile mindset in the steel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Following an in-depth review of the literature, this study identifies GHRM practices. Then, the effect of green HRM practices on the lean-agile mindset was evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM). In the next step, using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), prioritization of practices that have significant effects on lean-agile mindset were discussed.

Findings

The present study introduced eight GHRM practices. The results of SEM showed a significant and positive effect of all GHRM practices on lean-agile mindset. Prioritization of GHRM practices by the FAHP was defined as green reward management, green education and development, green performance evaluation, green discipline management, green employment, green safety and health management, green selection and green career design.

Research limitations/implications

The present study suffers from some limitations. First, the research was conducted at a temporal section. Second, this research has been conducted in a particular industry.

Practical implications

The present study encourages human resource managers to increase their efforts to achieve green employees and put employee greenery in their strategic goals.

Social implications

Successful implementation of GHRM programs has positive consequences at the individual, organizational and community levels. Implementation of the identified actions increases employee vitality at the individual level. At the organizational level, the work environment of environmentally friendly organizations is also more attractive to job seekers. Finally, at the social and extra-organizational level, a green lifestyle is spread in the community, which will lead to a healthy and green environment.

Originality/value

Emphasizing environmental principles on the one hand and creating the lean-agile mindset on the other are effective factors on maintaining the competitive advantage of industries. In this regard, the present study presented two innovations in HRM literature: (1) assessing the effect of GHRM practices on lean-agile mindset and (2) prioritizing GHRM practices based on the lean-agile mindset.
Analysis of multi-factors affecting the performance of Nigeria's refineries: a systems thinking approach
Authors: Iheukwumere Obinna , Moore David , Omotayo Temitope
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The challenges facing the productivity of Nigeria's refineries have generated much academic discourse. This study was carried out to develop a causal loop model showing the interrelationships of the multiple factors driving the poor performance of the refineries. Using a framework of political, economic, social and technical (PEST) factors, the developed model helped identify leverage points for policy intervention in the system.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach was adopted to collect quantitative data from 118 refinery workers and qualitative data from 14 participants polled from the various Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) subsidiaries. The quantitative data were analysed through structural equation modelling (SEM) to prioritise the more significant factors, while the qualitative data were analysed by content analysis to further validate the questionnaire findings and provide clearer contexts for the operationalisation of the factors.

Findings

The structural equation model identified several PEST factors such as government interference, political indecision, funding issues, spare parts costs, pipeline vandalism, oil theft, maintenance issues as some of the significant factors affecting the performance of the refineries. The interviews validated these findings and provided richer contexts on how these factors operate within system. A causal loop model was developed based on these findings to identify key leverage points upon which policy intervention through best practice, management autonomy and stakeholder satisfaction was proposed to address these challenges.

Research limitations/implications

The study uncovers that the factors which affect the performance of the refineries have significant multiple interrelationships, the understanding of which is crucial for developing effective solutions by policymakers.

Practical implications

The findings of this study lay important foundations for a deeper understanding of how PEST factors interact to drive suboptimal performance across NNPC refineries.

Originality/value

The causal loop model developed in this study provides a new approach to viewing and analysing the associated factors affecting the performance of Nigeria's refineries from a non-linear perspective.
Risk perceptions, on-farm handling, and food safety practices among egg producing farmers in Thailand
Authors: Thongpalad Kwanhatai , Koirala Sushil , Anal Anil Kumar
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Safe food from animal origins rely on preventive measures adopted at the farm level. However, farmers' awareness on the food safety risk is limited, affecting their on-farm activities. Thus, this study was conducted to assess and compare the farmers' perceptions on food safety issues and risks caused by the management and practices at layer farms.

Design/methodology/approach

Farmers from 143 farms certified by National Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standard and 59 non-GAP farms were interviewed using a structured questionnaire for risk perception evaluation. Their level of perceived risk was compared using a scoring system.

Findings

The food safety hazards in eggs seem to be fairly recognized by both groups of farmers. GAP farmers demonstrated a higher risk of food safety incidences caused by inappropriate management and practices in farms than non-GAP farmers (p < 0.001). Although the results did not confirm the strong connection between risk perception and risk reduction behavior, these findings are beneficial to the food safety policy implementers to evaluate the critical issues for risk communication and for knowledge dissemination activities. The influence of other internal and external factors on farmers' food safety-related behavior should be further investigated.

Research limitations/implications

The impact limitation was identified due to the restriction of scope on a specific population and region. The target respondents did not cover all scales, especially the backyard and smallholder farmers nor other rearing systems, such as free-range productions.

Originality/value

The knowledge regarding the food safety practices by egg producing farmers in Thailand is limited. Notably, this study contributes to the literature in elucidating the preventive behavior of food handlers and all stakeholders in the Thai food supply chain. The implementations of food safety preventive measures by two groups of farmers, GAP-certified and non-GAP-certified farmers, will guide policymakers to intervene more successfully regarding the appropriate changes needed.
Modelling exchange-driven fish price dynamics
Authors: Xiang Rui , Jones Colin , Mamon Rogemar , Chavez Marierose
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to put forward and compare two accessible approaches to model and forecast spot prices in the fishing industry. The first modelling approach is a Markov-switching model (MSM) in which a Markov chain captures different economic regimes and a stochastic convenience yield is embedded in the spot price. The second approach is based on a multi-factor model (MFM) featuring three correlated stochastic factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The two proposed approaches are analysed in terms of parameter-estimation accuracy, information criteria and prediction performance. For MSM’s calibration, the quasi-log-likelihood method was applied directly while for the MFM’s parameter estimation, this paper designs an enhanced multi-variate maximum likelihood method with the aid of moments matching. The numerical experiments make use of both simulated and actual data compiled by the Fish Pool ASA. Data on both the Fish Pool’s forwards and Norwegian T-bill yields were additionally used in the MFM’s implementation.

Findings

Using simulated data sets, the MSM estimation gives more accurate results than the MFM estimation in terms of the norm in ℓ2 between the “true” and “computed” parameter estimates and significantly lower standard errors. With actual data sets used to evaluate the forecast values, both approaches have similar performances based on the error analysis. Under some metrics balancing goodness of fit and model complexity, the MFM outperforms the MSM.

Originality/value

With the aid of simulated and observed data sets examined in this paper, insights are gained concerning the appropriateness, as well as the benefits and weaknesses of the two proposed approaches. The modelling and estimation methodologies serve as prelude to reliable frameworks that will support the pricing and risk management of derivative contracts on fish price evolution, which creates price risk transfer mechanisms from the fisheries/aquaculture sector to the financial industry.
How inefficient is an inefficient credit process? An analysis of the Italian banking system
Authors: Cincinelli Peter , Piatti Domenico
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The paper aims to disentangle the physiological credit risk from the credit risk coming from the inefficient screening and monitoring management process. The analysis is conducted on a sample of 338 Italian banks–56 joint-stock banks (SpA), 23 cooperative banks (Popolari) and 259 mutual banks (BCCs)–over the time period 2006–2017.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the maximum likelihood method to estimate the efficient frontier, as a set of best management credit practices, which minimises the credit risk defined on the basis of the level of loans granted, the technical structure of the loan portfolio (such as credit lines, mortgages, consumer loans and other technical loan categories) and the interest rate charges.

Findings

The empirical results show that the increase in non-performing loans (NPLs) is related both to the severe and protracted recession in Italy, which significantly reduced borrowers' capacity to service their debt, and to other factors, such as banks' lending monitoring policies with limited capacity to work-out defaulted loans.

Originality/value

The authors propose a new approach to the study of the performance of the credit process. With the stochastic frontier, the physiological credit risk, assumed by the bank according to its lending activity and management choices, is separated from the credit risk resulting from an inefficient management of the screening and monitoring process. In addition, the authors analyse the determinants of the excess of NPLs. This aspect is considered particularly original because the scientific contributions which consider the causes of NPLs have largely focused on the level of NPLs not considering the physiological part, linked to the structure of the bank's loan portfolio and its operational strategy and therefore not compressible and in any case not attributable to mismanagement or moral hazard.
Modeling view count dynamics for YouTube videos: a multimodal perspective
Authors: Anand Adarsh , Irshad Mohammed Shahid , Dwivedi Yogesh K.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

YouTube allows its users to upload and view videos on its platform. YouTube provides notification to the subscribers whenever a channel uploads a new video thereby making the channel subscribers the potential viewers of the video. And thus, they are the first to come to know about any new offering. But later on, the view count also increases due to virality, that is, mass sharing of the content by the users on different social media platforms similar to word-of-mouth in the field of marketing. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine different diffusion patterns as they can help to inflate traffic and generate revenue.

Design/methodology/approach

YouTube's view count grows majorly through virality. The pattern of view count growth has generally been considered unimodal in most of the available research in the field of YouTube. In the present work, the growth process due to views through the subscribers and views due to word-of-mouth (virality) is presented. Considering that the impact of virality in view count growth comes later in the video life cycle; the viewing patterns of both the segments have been mathematically modeled; independently.

Findings

Different models have been proposed to capture the view count growth pattern and how the impact of virality changes the view count growth curve and thereby results in a multimodal curve structure. The proposed models have been verified on various view count data sets of YouTube videos using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), and their ranks have been determined using a weighted criteria–based approach. The results obtained clearly depict the presence of many modes in the life cycle of view counts.

Originality/value

Till now, the literature is evident of the video life cycle following a bell shape curve. This study claims that the initial thrust is by subscribers and then the contribution in the view count by people watching via word-of-mouth comes into picture and brings in another hump in the growth curve.
Purpose-driven leadership and organizational success: a case of higher educational institutions
Authors: Hong Paul C. , Chennattuserry Joseph Chacko , Deng Xiyue , Hopkins Margaret M.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationships between organizational purpose, leadership practices and sustainable outcomes for universities in emerging economies. We propose that a strong sense of purpose is a fundamental and defining feature in the leadership practices of these institutions, which ultimately contributes to their success.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors present a research model that defines the relationships between a sense of purpose, leadership practices, student success outcomes, alumni involvement outcomes and societal reputation outcomes. Over 200 higher education administrators in India participated in the study.

Findings

The institutions' sense of purpose directly relates to their leadership engagement practices and their student success outcomes. Student success outcomes are a crucial linkage between leadership engagement practices and alumni involvement outcomes to achieve their societal reputation.

Practical implications

As competitiveness intensifies, educational institutions under resource constraints must differentiate their organizational practices. This paper demonstrates how their core purpose and leadership actions result in achieving effective outcomes and overall sustainable societal reputation.

Originality/value

There is a significant difference between having an organizational purpose and enacting that purpose through their leadership practices. These results highlight the cascading effect from the institution's fundamental sense of purpose to their leadership practices and the positive outcomes of student success, alumni involvement and societal reputation.
Main factors affecting perceived quality in healthcare: a patient perspective approach
Authors: Bellio Elena , Buccoliero Luca
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Delivering patient-centered healthcare is now seen as one of the basic requirements of good quality care. In this research, the impact of the perceived quality of three experiential dimensions (Physical Environment, Empowerment and Dignity and Patient–Doctor Relationship) on patient's Experiential Satisfaction is assessed.

Design/methodology/approach

259 structured interviews were performed with patients in private and public hospitals across Italy. The research methodology is based in testing mediation and moderation effects of the selected variables.

Findings

The study shows that: perceived quality of Physical Environment has a positive impact on patient's Experiential Satisfaction; perceived quality of Empowerment and Dignity and perceived quality of Patient–Doctor Relationship mediate this relationship reinforcing the role of Physical Environment on Experiential Satisfaction; educational level is a moderator in the relationship between perceived quality of Patient–Doctor Relationship and overall Satisfaction: more educated patients pay more attention to relational items. Subjective Health Frailty is a moderator in all the tested relationships with Experiential Satisfaction: patients who perceive their health as frail are more reactive to the quality of the above-mentioned variables.

Originality/value

Physical Environment items are enablers of both Empowerment and Dignity and Patient–Doctor Relationship and these variables must be addressed all together in order to improve the value proposition provided to patients. Designing a hospital, beyond technical requirements that modern medicine demands and functional relationships between different medical departments, means dealing with issues like the anxiety of the patient, the stressful working environment for the hospital staff and the need to build a sustainable and healing building.
Cyclic thermal fluctuations can be burden or relief for an ectotherm depending on fluctuations’ average and amplitude
Authors: Vajedsamiei Jahangir , Melzner Frank , Raatz Michael , Morón Lugo Sonia C. , Pansch Christian
Published: July 2021

Predicting the implications of ongoing ocean climate warming demands a better understanding of how short‐term thermal variability impacts marine ectotherms, particularly at beyond‐optimal average conditions during summer heatwaves.

Using a globally important model species, the blue mussel Mytilus, in a 5‐week‐long experiment, we (a) assessed growth performance traits under 12 scenarios, consisting of four thermal averages (18.5, 21, 23.5 and 26℃) imposed as constant or daily fluctuating regimes with amplitudes of 2 or 4℃. Additionally, we conducted a short‐term assay using different mussel individuals to (b) test for the species capacity for suppression and recovery of metabolic performance traits (feeding and aerobic respiration) when exposed to a 1‐day thermal fluctuation regime (16.8–30.5℃). Using this high‐resolution data, we (c) generated short‐term thermal metabolic performance curves to predict and explain growth responses observed in the long‐term experiment.

We found that daily high‐amplitude thermal cycles (4℃) improved mussel growth when fluctuations were imposed around an extreme average temperature of 26℃, representing end‐of‐century heatwaves. In contrast, thermal cycles negatively affected mussel growth at a less extreme average temperature of 23.5℃, resembling current peak summer temperature scenarios. These results suggest that fluctuations ameliorate heat stress impacts only at critically high average temperatures. The short‐term assay demonstrated that during the warming phase, animals stopped feeding between 24 and 30℃ while gradually suppressing respiration. In the subsequent cooling phase, feeding and respiration partially and fully recovered to pre‐heating rates respectively. Furthermore, nonlinear averaging of short‐term feeding responses (upscaling) well‐predicted longer term growth responses to fluctuations.

Our findings suggest that fluctuations can be beneficial to or detrimental for the long‐term performance of ectothermic animals, depending on the fluctuations' average and amplitude. Furthermore, the observed effects can be linked to fluctuation‐mediated metabolic suppression and recovery. In a general framework, we propose various hypothetical scenarios of fluctuation impacts on ectotherm performance considering inter‐ or intra‐species variability in heat sensitivity. Our research highlights the need for studying metabolic performance in relation to cyclic abiotic fluctuations to advance the understanding of climate change impacts on aquatic systems.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation complicating diagnosis of ROS1‐mutant non‐small cell lung cancer: A case report and literature review
Authors: Woodford Rachel , Lu Michel , Beydoun Nadine , Cooper Wendy , Liu Qin , Lynch Jodi , Kasherman Lawrence
Published: July 2021

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare paraneoplastic complication in advanced solid malignancies, with success of treatment and survival dependent on treatment of the underlying malignancy. Best estimates suggest an incidence of 1.6–6.8% in cancer, with risk factors being advanced disease, older age, and adenocarcinoma, especially of lung origin. Few cases, however, have reported on an association between DIC and oncogene‐addicted lung cancers, especially those containing ROS proto‐oncogene 1 (ROS1) mutations, however precedent exists to suggest increased prothrombotic rates in tumors harboring this mutation. We present a young woman with ROS1‐mutant non‐small‐cell lung cancer who presented in DIC and subsequently developed complications of both hemorrhage and thrombosis. Following initiation of targeted treatment, rapid resolution of laboratory coagulation derangement was observed and clinical improvement quickly followed. This event underscores the need for rapid evaluation of lung molecular panels and the dramatic resolution of life‐threatening illness that can occur with institution of appropriate therapy. This case contributes to growing evidence for a possible underlying link between oncogene addicted tumors and abnormalities of coagulation.
Percolation threshold analyses can detect community assembly processes in simulated and natural tree communities
Authors: Quebbeman Andrew , Davis Richard , Thompson Jill , Zimmerman Jess K. , Uriarte María
Published: July 2021

Studies of spatial point patterns (SPPs) are often used to examine the role that density‐dependence (DD) and environmental filtering (EF) play in community assembly and species coexistence in forest communities. However, SPP analyses often struggle to distinguish the opposing effects that DD and EF may have on the distribution of tree species.

We tested percolation threshold analysis on simulated tree communities as a method to distinguish the importance of thinning from DD EF on SPPs. We then compared the performance of percolation threshold analysis results and a Gibbs point process model in detecting environmental associations as well as clustering patterns or overdispersion. Finally, we applied percolation threshold analysis and the Gibbs point process model to observed SPPs of 12 dominant tree species in a Puerto Rican forest to detect evidence of DD and EF.

Percolation threshold analysis using simulated SPPs detected a decrease in clustering due to DD and an increase in clustering from EF. In contrast, the Gibbs point process model clearly detected the effects of EF but only identified DD thinning in two of the four types of simulated SPPs. Percolation threshold analysis on the 12 observed tree species' SPPs found that the SPPs for two species were consistent with thinning from DD processes only, four species had SPPs consistent with EF only and SPP for five reflected a combination of both processes. Gibbs models of observed SPPs of living trees detected significant environmental associations for 11 species and clustering consistent with DD processes for seven species.

Percolation threshold analysis is a robust method for detecting community assembly processes in simulated SPPs. By applying percolation threshold analysis to natural communities, we found that tree SPPs were consistent with thinning from both DD and EF. Percolation threshold analysis was better suited to detect DD thinning than Gibbs models for clustered simulated communities. Percolation threshold analysis improves our understanding of forest community assembly processes by quantifying the relative importance of DD and EF in forest communities.
The geodiv r package: Tools for calculating gradient surface metrics
Authors: Smith Annie C. , Dahlin Kyla M. , Record Sydne , Costanza Jennifer K. , Wilson Adam M. , Zarnetske Phoebe L.
Published: July 2021

The geodiv r package calculates gradient surface metrics from imagery and other gridded datasets to provide continuous measures of landscape heterogeneity for landscape pattern analysis.

geodiv is the first open‐source, command line toolbox for calculating many gradient surface metrics and easily integrates parallel computing for applications with large images or rasters (e.g. remotely sensed data). All functions may be applied either globally to derive a single metric for an entire image or locally to create a texture image over moving windows of a user‐defined extent.

We present a comprehensive description of the functions available through geodiv. A supplemental vignette provides an example application of geodiv to the fields of landscape ecology and biogeography.

geodiv allows users to easily retrieve estimates of spatial heterogeneity for a variety of purposes, enhancing our understanding of how environmental structure influences ecosystem processes. The package works with any continuous imagery and may be widely applied in many fields where estimates of surface complexity are useful.
Disclosures About Key Value Drivers in M&A Announcement Press Releases: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Filip Andrei , Lobo Gerald J. , Paugam Luc , Stolowy Hervé
Published: July 2021

We investigate the association between disclosures about key value drivers (i.e., growth, synergies, human capital, brands, customers, and technology) in press releases announcing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals and acquirer stock returns upon the announcement. We find that, after controlling for the main characteristics of the deal, acquirers that use more terms about these value drivers in press releases exhibit more negative market returns around the M&A announcement. An increase of 10% in the number of terms used about generic value drivers is associated with a decrease in announcement market‐adjusted returns of approximately 43 basis points. The negative association between terms about value drivers and acquirer stock returns is stronger for larger deals. We also find that disclosures about these value drivers in M&A announcement press releases are consistent with the subsequent subjective valuation of intangible assets recognized in acquirers’ financial statements through the purchase price allocation. Our findings are relevant for investors attempting to interpret early signals about the performance of M&A and for managers communicating about these strategic investment decisions.
Knockdown of astrocytic Grin2a aggravates β‐amyloid‐induced memory and cognitive deficits through regulating nerve growth factor
Authors: Du Zunshu , Song Yizhi , Chen Xinyue , Zhang Wanning , Zhang Guitao , Li Hui , Chang Lirong , Wu Yan
Published: July 2021

Synapse degeneration correlates strongly with cognitive impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Soluble Amyloid‐beta (Aβ) oligomers are thought as the major trigger of synaptic malfunctions. Our earlier studies have demonstrated that Aβ oligomers interfere with synaptic function through N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Our recent in vitro study found the neuroprotective role of astrocytic GluN2A in the promotion of synapse survival and identified nerve growth factor (NGF) derived from astrocytes, as a likely mediator of astrocytic GluN2A buffering against Aβ synaptotoxicity. Our present in vivo study focused on exploring the precise mechanism of astrocytic GluN2A influencing Aβ synaptotoxicity through regulating NGF. We generated an adeno‐associated virus (AAV) expressing an astrocytic promoter (GfaABC1D) shRNA targeted to Grin2a (the gene encoding GluN2A) to perform astrocyte‐specific Grin2a knockdown in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, after 3 weeks of virus vector expression, Aβ were bilaterally injected into the intracerebral ventricle. Our results showed that astrocyte‐specific knockdown of Grin2a and Aβ application both significantly impaired spatial memory and cognition, which associated with the reduced synaptic proteins PSD95, synaptophysin and compensatory increased NGF. The reduced astrocytic GluN2A can counteract Aβ‐induced compensatory protective increase of NGF through regulating pNF‐κB, Furin and VAMP3, which modulating the synthesis, mature and secretion of NGF respectively. Our present data reveal, for the first time, a novel mechanism of astrocytic GluN2A in exerting protective effects on synapses at the early stage of Aβ exposure, which may contribute to establish new targets for AD prevention and early therapy.
Cumulative effects of low‐height barriers on distributions of catadromous Japanese eels in Japan
Authors: Yokouchi K. , Itakura H. , Wakiya R. , Yoshinaga T. , Mochioka N. , Kimura S. , Kaifu K.
Published: July 2021

Fish distributions in river systems are known to be affected by large dams and other artificial cross‐river structures such as weirs that prevent their movements and migrations. However, little is known about the cumulative effect of low‐height barriers on fish distributions. Although fishes like eels and lampreys, which include endangered species, have a unique type of ability to climb or attach to obstacles, the strength of their anguilliform swimming locomotion style is generally lower than in other fishes. To investigate the cumulative effects of small barriers irrespective of their distances from the river mouth on riverine distributions of endangered eels, the individual density of Japanese eels and habitat characteristics of five model river systems having differences in numbers, size and positional patterns of small barriers were surveyed and analysed using a generalized linear mixed model approach. The results clearly showed that a continuum of small barriers and the distance from the river mouth affected the riverine distributions of Japanese eels, and that these effects were eel size‐ or stage‐dependent. The density of small eels decreased as the cumulative height of barriers downstream of each station increased, while that of large eels decreased as the distance from the river mouth increased. Small individuals dispersed in a wide range of habitats before the end of their upstream migration phase, suggesting that small barriers have an impact on their ideal distributions, life‐history patterns (becoming residents or nomads shifting growth habitats to estuaries) and sex differentiation. This study and existing information indicate that conservation/restoration actions are needed to maintain or improve riverine connectivity for migratory species, especially those having lower swimming ability and a benthic growth phase in freshwater ecosystems that are at risk even when migration barriers are not very high.
Phenotypic plasticity of clonal populations of the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii (Lankester, 1880) in Southern Hemisphere lakes (Chile) and the potential role of the zooplankton diet
Authors: Caputo Luciano , Fuentes Romina , Woelfl Stefan , Castañeda Luis E. , Cárdenas Leyla
Published: July 2021

The freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii (Lankester, 1880) is a global invader of lakes. Empirical and experimental evidence indicate that the environmental factors that govern the global expansion of Craspedacusta and the development of jellyfish blooms are temperature, meso‐eutrophic character and food availability in lakes. In newly colonised lakes, the medusa stage of C. sowerbii feeds preferentially on medium‐sized (0.2–2.0 mm in diameter) microcrustaceans, for example Daphnids and copepods. Clonal populations of this invader have recently been recorded in several Andean lakes of northern Patagonia (40°S). Here, we report for the first‐time synchronous blooms of clonal populations of C. sowerbii in two nordpatagonian lakes with similar habitat and water quality but with different types of zooplankton as food supply for jellyfish. Jellyfish populations in these lakes showed notable differences in body size, as well as in the colour of the gonads. We speculate that the observed differences of the medusa populations reflect phenotypic plasticity and could be mediated by the quality of the diet, which was the main environmental factor that differed between the studied lakes. Both lakes are inhabited by microcrustaceans, but in one lake, the highly coloured symbiotic ciliate Stentor amethystinus was also present, amounting to almost 52% of total zooplankton biomass. This type of food source for jellyfish blooms of C. sowerbii is for the first time reported in the world. The invasion process of clonal jellyfish in north Patagonian lakes represents a unique opportunity to study the potential role of diet quality in inducing plasticity responses to environmental stress derived from climate change.