bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guest editorialNovel and overlooked techniques for public management research questions
Authors: Malatesta Deanna , Smith Craig
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This article provides a snapshot of several innovative and underused methodological approaches employed by scholars from across public management.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative review of methodological approaches to public management research is used.

Findings

The authors find evidence of scholars applying numerous novel methodological approaches to study social science phenomena, including agent-based modeling, nonparametic approaches, social network analysis, Granger equations and techniques for correcting selection bias.

Research limitations/implications

The review does not cover all of the innovative methodological approaches used in social science. However, the methodological techniques showcased offer promise for advancing public management research, whether used as primary applications or as one of multiple methods (triangulation) to test the validity of research findings and/or to more comprehensively understand the phenomena being studied.

Originality/value

The techniques reviewed include example applications to aid researchers who may wish to apply them in their own research. The novel tools and methods already in use by public management researchers contradict the perception that public management methods have lagged behind other social science disciplines.
Improving the port selection process during military deployments
Authors: Longhorn Dave C. , Muckensturm Joshua R. , Baybordi Shelby V.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper recommends new criteria for selecting seaports of embarkation during military deployments. Most importantly, this research compares the current port selection criterion, which is to select the seaport with the shortest inland transport time from the deploying installation, to the proposed port selection criteria, which are to select the seaport based on the shortest combined inland and oceanic transit time to the destination theater.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors construct an original integer program to select seaports that minimize the expected delivery timeline for a set of notional, but realistic, deployment requirements. The integer program is solved considering the current as well as the proposed port selection criteria. The solutions are then compared using paired-samplest-tests to assess the statistical significance of the port selection criteria.

Findings

This work suggests that the current port selection criterion results in a 10–13% slower delivery of deploying forces as compared to the proposed port selection criteria.

Research limitations/implications

This work assumes deterministic inland transit times, oceanic transit times, and seaport processing rates. Operational fluctuations in transit times and processing rates are not expected to change the findings from this research.

Practical implications

This research provides evidence that the current port selection criterion for selecting seaports for military units deploying from the Continental United States is suboptimal. More importantly, logistics planners could use these recommended port selection criteria to reduce the expected delivery timelines during military deployments.

Originality/value

Several military doctrinal references suggest that planners select seaports based on habitual installation-to-port pairings, especially for early deployers. This work recommends a change to the military's current port selection process based on empirical analyses that show improvements to deployment timelines.
Financial constraints and tax planning activity: empirical evidence from Ghanaian banking sector
Authors: Seidu Baba Adibura , Queku Yaw Ndori , Carsamer Emmanuel
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper focused on financial constraints scenario and tax planning activities of banks in Ghana. The study explores how financial constraints could motivate the banks to pursue tax planning mechanism and the implication on tax revenue mobilisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper followed generalised method of moments and fixed effect estimators to investigate the financial constrained-tax planning activity nexus. Simulation approach is adopted to provide financially constrained bank scenario. Besides contemporaneous analysis, sensitivity analysis is conducted to determine time varying effect. Data from all the 20 commercial banks which have operated from 2008 to 2018 were used.

Findings

The paper found that when banks are faced with financial constraints, they exhibit lower cash-effective-tax-rate. The decomposition analysis also revealed that financially constrained banks are likely to take on both short- and long-term tax planning opportunities. The paper also found evidence of persistence in the tax planning activities under financial constrained scenario.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the few studies which have extended the tax planning literature to the Ghanaian banking sector. Further novelty is seen from the development of financial constraint scenario from liquidity and solvency. Liquidity and solvency are the anchors for continuity of banking operation and sensitive to regulatory watch and sanctions. Therefore, by applying simulation approach to trigger financial constraints scenarios from these fundamental indicators reveals the extent to which commercial banks rely on tax planning opportunities to mitigate the consequence of financial constraints.
Impact of personality factors on purchase and adoption of consumer durables with advanced technology
Authors: Bhat Ullal Manohar , Bapat Dhananjay , Mookerjee Amit
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify critical personality traits affecting and influencing buying behaviour in high involvement consumer durables. It also intends to guide practitioners in selecting appropriate marketing frameworks, consumer segments and processes considering the characteristics of consumer behaviour in developing economies.

Design/methodology/approach

It systematically reviews the literature on consumer personality traits, its measurement and related consumer buying behaviour. It uses data collected from potential car buyers at various car showrooms across the Indian subcontinent. The authors have worked with the online survey firm Qualtrics, to gather a data set of 328 car purchase intenders’ responses to their validated survey. The model was tested using the SmartPLS.

Findings

The personality traits of imagination, agreeableness and social factors positively influenced attitude towards automobiles with advanced technology. Further, in line with the theory of planned behaviour, it is seen that a positive attitude towards advanced technology and design for automobiles makes a person more willing to pay for the same.

Research limitations/implications

The study is confined to consumers intending to purchase a car, who are Indian residents.

Originality/value

It adds to the comparatively lesser body of study on the impact of personality traits on intentions and attitudes in high involvement consumer durable purchases. Further, it serves as an empirical examination of the adoption of new technologies, in the context of high involvement consumer durables. For practicing managers, it provides a reference for deciding future development directions and approaches related to the effective market launch strategies and commercialization of advanced technology automobiles in India.
Transcendent service management
Authors: Watson Richard Thomas , Pitt Leyland F.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This vision article alerts service managers to the potential of cognitive computing to reframe their value propositions. Humans are bounded in three ways: perception, rationality and physicality. Cognitive computing, hardware or software that transcends these three limits, offers many opportunities to improve the performance of service systems, in particular those focused on customer engagement. The intangibility spectrum is presented as a mental model for service managers to consider how to use cognitive computing to support augmenting their value proposition by moving across the spectrum.

Design/methodology/approach

Three frameworks are integrated: a five systems framework, a system's impact classification of types of cognitive computing and a tangibility spectrum.

Findings

Three examples illustrate the potential value of this integrative approach for service management.

Originality/value

This is the first integration of these frameworks, and two of them are the result of the first author's research.
Toward a diagnostic method of organizational health based on traditional Chinese medicine
Authors: Tarride Mario Iván , Contreras Mario Italo
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The paper aims to propose a model and a comprehensive diagnostic method of organizational health status based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is qualitative/interpretive and uses of the concept of functional homomorphism of WR Ashby is used, establishing similarities between the way in which this ancient medicine considers the human being and their condition as healthy to transfer it to an organization that produces goods and/or services.

Findings

A healthy organization is conceived as one constituted by an association of people regulated by a set of norms based on certain purposes in a state of harmonious balance of their physical and energetic dimensions. In that the physical refers to storage functions, regulation and allocation of resources; transformation of raw materials and inputs into goods and services; waste disposal, distribution and coordination and with information systems for management control, while energy is associated with the ability to act with its management and policies.

Research limitations/implications

The current paper is a first theoretical proposal, which should be enriched with practical applications that feedback its conceptual formulation, thus contributing to its validation.

Practical implications

A comprehensive organizational diagnostic method is made available.

Social implications

The proposed method allows a comprehensive organizational diagnosis, considering the participation of all the actors that make up this type of social systems.

Originality/value

Although the methodological resource is old, the way it is used here is considered original, and it is also part of an original investigative process by the authors, oriented toward the search for comprehensive organizational diagnostic methods.
Where do we grow from here? Assessing the perceived impact of a digital media commons on student success
Authors: Collins Armondo R. , Crowe Kathryn
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The project was conducted to learn how the services of the digital media commons (DMC) impact and support student success. Data were collected to learn how faculty perceive the instructional support program, how patrons perceive the quality of the services and how students use the services, technology and the space that the DMC occupies. The results will be used to improve services and instruction and to inform the future direction of our instruction support service post-COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

The project included three phases. First, a survey was sent to faculty who had brought their class for an instruction session to gain input on how they perceived the impact of the instruction and follow-up services on the quality of media projects. The second phase was a customer service survey implemented in the area to learn how patrons used the spaces and technology, what types of projects they completed in the DMC and their satisfaction with the assistance they received. The third phase employed student focus groups that followed up on the information from the survey to pinpoint how students perceive that the DMC impacts their academic success.

Findings

The data gained from the research indicated that (1) the teaching program provides important instruction for media projects, (2) the DMC provides important services and technology that contribute to student success and (3) The DMC space is an important destination for students as a learning space.

Research limitations/implications

The scope of this case study is limited by the size of sample groups surveyed and the presumed veracity of their responses. The implications of our results do, however, align with reported trends experienced by peer institutions.

Practical implications

This case study can be used by colleagues from other university's and learning environments to improve their space and instructional support offerings.

Social implications

Digital learning and work environments are increasing across the country due to society's demand for multimedia literacy instruction and technical support. This research will serve as a reference point for institutions starting and/or assessing the direct impact of digital spaces on student success and learning outcomes.

Originality/value

Although there are many studies on the impact of academic libraries' services, space and resources on student success, few specifically address the contributions of academic library digital media services on student achievement. This project fills that gap and will serve as a model for future research.
Bank credit allocation and productivity: stylised facts for Portugal
Authors: Azevedo Nuno , Mateus Márcio , Pina Álvaro
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The linkages between credit allocation and productivity have particular relevance in Portugal. This study aims to investigate whether credit extended by the Portuguese banking system has been allocated to the most productive firms within each sector.

Design/methodology/approach

With a data set covering 95% of total outstanding credit to non-financial corporations recorded in the Portuguese credit register, the authors investigate whether outstanding loans by resident banks to 64 economic sectors have been granted to the most productive firms. First, the authors estimate a baseline, reduced-form model of credit reallocation, where the parameter of interest gives the response of total credit granted to each firm to its level of productivity. Second, the authors assess how this response is affected by the share of credit allocated to unproductive firms. Third, the authors redo the analysis with credit granted to each firm by each banking group, instead of by the entire banking system, so that bank indicators can be taken on board.

Findings

The authors find evidence of misallocation, which reflects the joint effects of credit supply and credit demand decisions taken over the course of time, and the adverse cyclical developments following the accumulation of imbalances in the Portuguese economy for a protracted period. In 2008–2016, the share of outstanding credit granted to firms with very low productivity (measured or inferred) was always substantial, peaking at 44% in 2013, and declining afterwards with the rebound in economic activity and the growing allocation of new loans towards lower risk firms and away from higher risk firms. Furthermore, the authors find that misallocation is associated with slower reallocation. The responsiveness of credit growth to firm relative productivity is much lower in sectors with relatively more misallocated credit and when banks have a high share of such credit in their portfolios.

Originality/value

Banking system distortions are often mentioned as potential or likely culprits for capital misallocation, but they are not empirically analysed with credit data. The ability to explicitly analyse bank credit and link it to variables pertaining to both firms and banks is a novel feature relative to most previous studies, which largely rely on firm-level or sectoral data alone.
Genetically related Clostridium difficile from water sources and human CDI cases revealed by whole‐genome sequencing
Authors: Lim Su‐Chen , Hain‐Saunders Natasza M. R. , Imwattana Korakrit , Putsathit Papanin , Collins Deirdre A. , Riley Thomas V.
Published: October 2021

Clostridium difficile isolates from the environment are closely related to those from humans, indicating a possible environmental transmission route for C. difficile infection (CDI). In this study, C. difficile was isolated from 47.3% (53/112) of lake/pond, 23.0% (14/61) of river, 20.0% (3/15) of estuary and 0.0% (0/89) of seawater samples. The most common toxigenic strain isolated was C. difficile PCR ribotype (RT) 014/020 (10.5%, 8/76). All water isolates were susceptible to fidaxomicin, metronidazole, rifaximin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, moxifloxacin and tetracycline. Resistance to vancomycin, clindamycin, erythromycin and meropenem was detected in 5.3% (4/76), 26.3% (20/76), 1.3% (1/76) and 6.6% (5/76) of isolates, respectively. High‐resolution core‐genome analysis was performed on RT 014/020 isolates of water origin and 26 clinical RT 014/020 isolates from the same year and geographical location. Notably, both human and water strains were intermixed across three sequence types (STs), 2, 13 and 49. Six closely related groups with ≤10 core‐genome single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified, five of which comprised human and water strains. Overall, 19.2% (5/26) of human strains shared a recent genomic relationship with one or more water strains. This study supports the growing hypothesis that environmental contamination by C. difficile plays a role in CDI transmission.
Mapping the evidence‐based practice research field in nursing from 1995 to 2021: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Unal Aysun , Teskereci Gamze
Published: October 2021

Background

Evidence‐based nursing and its practices are increasing rapidly in the health and nursing literature. A holistic image of evidence‐based nursing research is needed to address evidence‐based studies and available information on nursing.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate evidence‐based nursing‐related research with bibliometric analysis in order to provide a structured macroscopic overview of its features and advances.

Methods

A bibliometric analysis of 4,159 publications from 1995 to 2021 was performed to map the literature of evidence‐based nursing studies and assess the structure of the scientific community. The studies' publication output and growth trend, authors and collaborations, publishing journals, terms, current trends, subject categories, global distribution and collaboration, and the authors' average number of citations were all assessed.

Results

It was found that the number of evidence‐based nursing publications increased until 2016, reaching the publication peak (n = 369), after which they began to decline. Most studies on the topic (n = 543) have been published in the journal Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing. Evidence‐based knowledge, dissemination, implementation, implementation barriers, and implementation and training curricula in particular fields have all evolved over time as the key concepts of research. The United States (6,218), Australia (1,247), and England (790) are the three nations with the highest number of publications. On the other hand, it is seen that the subject has yet to be discussed in a few developing or underdeveloped countries.

Conclusions

In the last 12 years, evidence‐based nursing has been a comprehensive area of research. In comparison with the research areas in its field, it can be speculated that it has a more practical focus. It was determined that the authors' keywords primarily began with research implementation, practice development, and knowledge utilization over time, and then evolved to specific areas, educational areas, process applications, and important current topics such as Covid19.
Official sources, news outlets, or search engines? Rumour validation on social media during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma
Authors: Yang Janet Z. , Chu Haoran , Liu Sixiao
Published: October 2021

This study, based on data collected from a representative sample of adults in the United States, explores the social cognitive variables that motivated Americans to validate rumours on social media about Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, both of which struck in August/September 2017. The results indicate that risk perception and negative emotions are positively related to systematic processing of relevant risk information, and that systematic processing is significantly related to rumour validation through search engines such as Google. In contrast, trust in information about the hurricane is significantly related to validation through official sources, such as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), and major news outlets such as The New York Times. Trust in information is also significantly related to systematic processing of risk information. The findings of this study suggest that ordinary citizens may be motivated to validate rumours on social media, which is an increasingly important issue in contemporary societies.
Understanding maternal resilience; Lesson learnt from rural mothers caring for a child with a chronic health condition
Authors: Bristow Sally , Usher Kim , Power Tamara , Jackson Debra
Published: October 2021

Aim

This study aimed to understand the lived experience of rural mothers caring for a child with a chronic health condition and to understand their perspectives on the support, services and resources they identify as necessary to effectively manage caregiving.

Background

Maternal caregivers in rural areas experience difficulty accessing specialist health care for their child and can also experience geographical and social isolation. Understanding the factors that enable these maternal caregivers to overcome the challenges and adversities faced is crucial to help nurses identify and facilitate avenues for support and resources.

Design

This study employed a phenomenological design. The study is reported in line with Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research guidelines (COREQ).

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 17 maternal caregivers in rural New South Wales, Australia, who had at least one child with a chronic health condition aged between 2–18 years. Data were collected from March to June 2018. Thematic analysis was used to develop a thematic framework. This paper reports on one of the major themes identified in this research, specifically maternal resilience.

Results

Participants demonstrated maternal resilience by creating meaningful social connections, cultivating networks, developing problem‐solving skills, enhancing their self‐efficacy and finding a sense of purpose through hope and optimism. These strategies provide nurses insight into how some rural women overcome adversities associated with their maternal labour required in caring for a child with a chronic health condition.

Conclusion

This study found that participants overcame the challenges related to their caregiving work, emerging as resilient caregivers. Understanding maternal resilience assists nurses to provide the services rural mothers in Australia need to care for their child with a CHC.

Relevance to clinical practice

Findings from this study provide insight into the experiences of rural maternal caregivers of children with a chronic health condition and identify the strategies they adopt to overcome caregiver challenges. Understanding these strategies allows nurses to improve care and support for rural mothers using a strength‐based approach to build maternal resilience.
COVID‐19 in children. II: Pathogenesis, disease spectrum and management
Authors: Howard‐Jones Annaleise R , Burgner David P , Crawford Nigel W , Goeman Emma , Gray Paul E , Hsu Peter , Kuek Stephanie , McMullan Brendan J , Tosif Shidan , Wurzel Danielle , Bowen Asha C , Danchin Margie , Koirala Archana , Sharma Ketaki , Yeoh Daniel K , Britton Philip N
Published: October 2021

The global disruption of the COVID‐19 pandemic has impacted the life of every child either directly or indirectly. This review explores the pathophysiology, immune response, clinical presentation and treatment of COVID‐19 in children, summarising the most up‐to‐date data including recent developments regarding variants of concern. The acute infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 is generally mild in children, whilst the post‐infectious manifestations, including paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 (PIMS‐TS) and ‘long COVID’ in children, are more complex. Given that most research on COVID‐19 has focused on adult cohorts and that clinical manifestations, treatment availability and impacts differ markedly in children, research that specifically examines COVID‐19 in children needs to be prioritised.
Tea crude extracts effectively inactivate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Authors: Ishimoto K. , Hatanaka N. , Otani S. , Maeda S. , Xu B. , Yasugi M. , Moore J.E. , Suzuki M. , Nakagawa S. , Yamasaki S.
Published: October 2021

It is well known that black and green tea extracts, particularly polyphenols, have antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microbes including viruses. However, there is limited data on the antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged rapidly in China in late 2019 and which has been responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic globally. In this study, 20 compounds and three extracts were obtained from black and green tea and found that three tea extracts showed significant antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, whereby the viral titre decreased about 5 logs TCID50 per ml by 1·375 mg ml−1 black tea extract and two-fold diluted tea bag infusion obtained from black tea when incubated at 25°C for 10 s. However, when concentrations of black and green tea extracts were equally adjusted to 344 µg ml−1, green tea extracts showed more antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. This simple and highly respected beverage may be a cheap and widely acceptable means to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral burden in the mouth and upper gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts in developed as well as developing countries.
Eating disorder symptoms, including avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, in patients with disorders of gut‐brain interaction
Authors: Burton Murray Helen , Riddle Megan , Rao Fatima , McCann Barbara , Staller Kyle , Heitkemper Margaret , Zia Jasmine
Published: October 2021

Background

Previous studies show some patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (disorders of gut‐brain interaction) may be at risk for or already have an eating disorder (ED). Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) (ED not primarily motivated by body shape/weight concerns) may be particularly relevant but previous studies have been unable to fully apply diagnostic criteria. This study aimed to determine the frequency and nature of the full spectrum of ED symptoms, among adults with disorders of gut‐brain interaction.

Methods

Adults with disorders of gut‐brain interaction (n = 99, 77.1% female, ages 18–82 years) from academic medical center gastroenterology clinics completed a modified ARFID Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program Questionnaire, the ED Examination Questionnaire (EDE‐Q), and other self‐report measures of depression, generalized anxiety, and pain interference.

Key Results

Of the 93 participants who completed the measures, 37 (39.8%) had ARFID symptoms and 12 (12.9%) had clinically significant shape/weight‐motivated ED symptoms (EDE‐Q‐Global ≥4.0). Exploratory comparisons among ARFID, shape/weight‐motivated ED, and no‐ED groups revealed that ARFID symptom presence was associated with lower body mass index (BMI), and shape/weight‐motivated ED presence was associated with higher depression, anxiety, and pain interference. However, the majority (86%) of patients with ARFID symptoms had a BMI >18.5 kg/m2.

Conclusions & Inferences

The full spectrum of ED symptoms was frequent among patients with disorders of gut‐brain interaction, particularly ARFID symptoms. Further research is needed to understand risk and maintenance factors to inform prevention and intervention efforts.
Antidepressant treatment trajectories and suicide attempt among Australians aged 45 years and older: A population study using individual prescription data
Authors: Carter Gregory , Sperandei Sandro , Chitty Kate M. , Page Andrew
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Meta‐analyses show antidepressant initiation has increased risk of suicidal behavior <25 years, no difference 25–64 years and reduced risk 65+ years. Estimating risks from RCTs has limitations and real‐world population estimates are uncommon.

Methods

A self‐controlled case series reporting incidence rate ratio (IRR) between exposed and control periods for antidepressants associated with suicide attempt, in Australian older age adults. We included all cases with suicide attempt [hospital data for ICD codes (X60–X84)] and any antidepressant use (n = 689) by participants in the “45 and Up Study”.

Results

For all antidepressants the IRR for suicide attempt was elevated across all exposures, declining from 7.44 (95%CI 5.57–9.94) during the first 30 days, to 2.21 (1.73–2.81) at 91+ days. All four antidepressant sub‐groups had higher IRRs for the first 30 day exposure: 2.43 (1.37–4.29) for TCAs, 4.06 (2.78–5.93) for SSRIs, 4.15 (2.65–6.50) for other antidepressants, and 4.92 (3.30–7.34) for SNRIs. Increased IRR persisted for 61‐ to 90‐day exposures for SSRIs 2.42 (1.18–4.98) and SNRIs 2.66 (1.34–5.27).

Conclusion

Some older adults have increased risk of suicide attempt with antidepressant exposure, which may persist for months. Clinical guidelines should recommend a period of monitoring for treatment‐emergent suicidal thoughts and behaviors in older adult patients.
Geological record of a Cretaceous seismic event paired with multiple volcanic eruptions
Authors: Jeong Jong Ok , Jeon Yongmun , Sohn Young Kwan
Published: October 2021

Explosive volcanic eruptions can occur within days to years after an earthquake, suggesting a causal relation between them. Such paired seismic–volcanic events in the past, which occurred on a human timescale, can only be confirmed by field relationship of eruptive products. The Southern Kusandong Tuff (SKT) is an ignimbrite in a Cretaceous backarc basin of Korea, which shows north‐to‐south variations in grain componentry, chemical composition, magnetic properties and palaeoflow patterns, suggesting that the tuff originated from two volcanic sources. Here we shows that the tuff resulted from two pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), which were generated by synchronous eruptions of two volcanoes in the nearby volcanic arc, most likely triggered by a regional seismic event, and then collided with each other in the backarc region within minutes. The paired seismic–volcanic event raises concerns for intensified volcanic hazards over large areas in regions of clustered volcanoes.
Increasing yield on dry fields: molecular pathways with growing potential
Authors: Tenorio Berrío Rubén , Nelissen Hilde , Inzé Dirk , Dubois Marieke
Published: October 2021

Drought stress constitutes one of the major constraints to agriculture all over the world, and its devastating effect is only expected to increase in the following years due to climate change. Concurrently, the increasing food demand in a steadily growing population requires a proportional increase in yield and crop production. In the past, research aimed to increase plant resilience to severe drought stress. However, this often resulted in stunted growth and reduced yield under favorable conditions or moderate drought. Nowadays, drought tolerance research aims to maintain plant growth and yield under drought conditions. Overall, recently deployed strategies to engineer drought tolerance in the lab can be classified into a ‘growth‐centered’ strategy, which focuses on keeping growth unaffected by the drought stress, and a ‘drought resilience without growth penalty’ strategy, in which the main aim is still to boost drought resilience, while limiting the side effects on plant growth. In this review, we put the scope on these two strategies and some molecular players that were successfully engineered to generate drought‐tolerant plants: abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, cytokinins, ethylene, ROS scavenging genes, strigolactones, and aquaporins. We discuss how these pathways participate in growth and stress response regulation under drought. Finally, we present an overview of the current insights and future perspectives in the development of new strategies to improve drought tolerance in the field.
Use of dirty plastic waste as precursors for activated carbon production—A contribution to the circular economy
Authors: Cansado Isabel Pestana da Paixão , Mourão Paulo Alexandre Mira , Nabais João Manuel Valente , Tita Bárbara , Batista Teresa , Rocha Telmo , Borges Cátia , Matos Gilda
Published: October 2021

The production of activated carbons (ACs) from dirty plastic wastes derived from the mechanical/biological treatment of urban solid wastes, disposable plastics and plastics used in agriculture is reported. The use of these precursors is innovative and contributes to the circular economy by the valorization of dirty plastics that are usually disposed in landfills. ACs were produced by physical activation, with air or CO2, and chemical activation, with KOH or K2CO3. ACs presented a BET (N2) area and pore volume up to 723 m2/g and 0.32 cm3/g. Selected samples were tested for the 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and 4‐chloro‐2‐methyl‐phenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D) removal from the liquid phase. PB‐K2CO3‐1:1–700 presented an apparent maximum adsorption capacity of 245 and 289 mg g−1 for MCPA and 2,4‐D, respectively.
Investigation on the Propulsion of a Pump-Jet Propulsor in an Effective Wake
Authors: Li Han , Huang Qiaogao , Pan Guang
Published: October 2021

The propulsion and vortical flow of a preswirl pump-jet propulsor (PJP) under effective wake conditions are numerically investigated by improved delayed detached eddy simulation. The numerical results agree well with the experiments. The effects of the interaction between the hull and PJP on the propulsion performance and flow characteristics are discussed in detail, particularly the effects on the flows around the duct and the stator. Results show that the PJP performance changes noticeably owing to the hull-retarded flow. The rotor forces are mainly changed due to the effective velocity magnitude of the PJP oncoming flow, while the flow direction does not show notable effects as the duct and stator notably improve the rotor oncoming flow. The appendage wake notably increases the thrust fluctuation of the rotor, causing dominant fluctuation components at low frequencies. The thrusts on the duct and stator are sensitive to the direction of the PJP oncoming flow, as the flows around them change considerably when the flow direction changes. The flow direction affects the velocity and pressure distribution of the duct and the generation and evolution of vortices in the stator region. The forward stagnation point on the duct plays a crucial role in duct thrust, around flow, and in the flow into the duct. The stator improves the uniformity of the rotor inflow during preswirling of the flow under effective wake conditions, which is very important for a submarine-applied PJP. The interaction between the hull and PJP is very complex.
Using the inelastic background in hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for a depth-resolved analysis of the CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 interface
Authors: Hauschild Dirk , Steininger Ralph , Hariskos Dimitrios , Witte Wolfram , Tougaard Sven , Heske Clemens , Weinhardt Lothar
Published: October 2021

The inelastic background of hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data is analyzed to paint a depth-resolved picture of the CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CdS/CIGSe) layer structure. The CdS/CIGSe interface is the central component in next-generation chalcopyrite thin-film photovoltaic devices. By analyzing both, the (unscattered) core-level peaks and the inelastic background, and by varying the excitation photon energy from 2.1 up to 14 keV, we can derive photoemission information over a broad range of electron kinetic energies and, hence, sampling depths. With this complementary information, the CdS film thickness of a CdS/CIGSe interface can be accurately determined as a function of the CdS deposition time. For the thinner CdS films, the film thickness can be shown to vary laterally. Furthermore, small amounts of Se and process-related Rb can be detected in a thin (∼2 nm) surface layer of all investigated CdS films.
Accuracy and cue use in word segmentation for cochlear-implant listeners and normal-hearing listeners presented vocoded speech
Authors: Heffner Christopher C. , Jaekel Brittany N. , Newman Rochelle S. , Goupell Matthew J.
Published: October 2021

Cochlear-implant (CI) listeners experience signal degradation, which leads to poorer speech perception than normal-hearing (NH) listeners. In the present study, difficulty with word segmentation, the process of perceptually parsing the speech stream into separate words, is considered as a possible contributor to this decrease in performance. CI listeners were compared to a group of NH listeners (presented with unprocessed speech and eight-channel noise-vocoded speech) in their ability to segment phrases with word segmentation ambiguities (e.g., “an iceman” vs “a nice man”). The results showed that CI listeners and NH listeners were worse at segmenting words when hearing processed speech than NH listeners were when presented with unprocessed speech. When viewed at a broad level, all of the groups used cues to word segmentation in similar ways. Detailed analyses, however, indicated that the two processed speech groups weighted top-down knowledge cues to word boundaries more and weighted acoustic cues to word boundaries less relative to NH listeners presented with unprocessed speech.
Auditory salience using natural scenes: An online study
Authors: Kothinti Sandeep Reddy , Huang Nicholas , Elhilali Mounya
Published: October 2021

Salience is the quality of a sensory signal that attracts involuntary attention in humans. While it primarily reflects conspicuous physical attributes of a scene, our understanding of processes underlying what makes a certain object or event salient remains limited. In the vision literature, experimental results, theoretical accounts, and large amounts of eye-tracking data using rich stimuli have shed light on some of the underpinnings of visual salience in the brain. In contrast, studies of auditory salience have lagged behind due to limitations in both experimental designs and stimulus datasets used to probe the question of salience in complex everyday soundscapes. In this work, we deploy an online platform to study salience using a dichotic listening paradigm with natural auditory stimuli. The study validates crowd-sourcing as a reliable platform to collect behavioral responses to auditory salience by comparing experimental outcomes to findings acquired in a controlled laboratory setting. A model-based analysis demonstrates the benefits of extending behavioral measures of salience to broader selection of auditory scenes and larger pools of subjects. Overall, this effort extends our current knowledge of auditory salience in everyday soundscapes and highlights the limitations of low-level acoustic attributes in capturing the richness of natural soundscapes.
RamAp Is an Efflux Pump Regulator Carried by an IncHI2 Plasmid
Authors: Hong Yu-Ping , Wang You-Wun , Chen Bo-Han , Song Hui-Yung , Chiou Chien-Shun , Chen Ying-Tsong
Published: October 2021

In investigating the epidemiological trends of
Salmonella enterica
serovar Goldcoast, we previously identified several closely related strains with different MICs to azithromycin and quinolones. Genome sequencing and comparison of two very similar multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, R18.0877 and R18.1656, has led to the identification of an extra plasmid-borne
ramA
gene,
ramAp
, on the large IncHI2 plasmid carried by R18.0877.
Novel Pneumococcal Protein-Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine Based on Biotin-Streptavidin
Authors: Guo Mengze , Guo Xiaonan , Zhang Chenxing , Zhu Shidong , Zhang Yue , Gu Tiejun , Kong Wei , Wu Yongge
Published: October 2021

Pneumococcal disease is a serious public health problem worldwide and an important cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adults in developing countries. Although vaccination is among the most effective approaches to prevent and control pneumococcal diseases, approved vaccines have limited protective effects.
Rid7C, a Member of the YjgF/YER057c/UK114 (Rid) Protein Family, Is a Novel Endoribonuclease That Regulates the Expression of a Specialist RNA Polymerase Involved in Differentiation in Nonomuraea gerenzanensis
Authors: Damiano Fabrizio , Calcagnile Matteo , Pasanisi Daniela , Talà Adelfia , Tredici Salvatore Maurizio , Giannotti Laura , Siculella Luisa , Alifano Pietro
Published: October 2021

The YjgF/YER057c/UK114 family includes many proteins with diverse functions involved in detoxification, RNA maturation, and control of mRNA translation. We found that Rid7C is an endoribonuclease that is involved in processing of
rpoB(R)
mRNA, coding for a specialized RNA polymerase beta subunit that oversees morphological differentiation and A40926 antibiotic production in
Nonomuraea gerenzanensis
.
Overabundance of
Asaia
and
Serratia
Bacteria Is Associated with Deltamethrin Insecticide Susceptibility in
Anopheles coluzzii
from Agboville, Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Pelloquin Bethanie , Kristan Mojca , Edi Constant , Meiwald Anne , Clark Emma , Jeffries Claire L. , Walker Thomas , Dada Nsa , Messenger Louisa A.
Published: October 2021

Control of insecticide-resistant vector populations remains a significant challenge to global malaria control and while substantial progress has been made elucidating key target site mutations, overexpressed detoxification enzymes and alternate gene families, the contribution of the mosquito microbiota to phenotypic insecticide resistance has been largely overlooked. We focused on determining the effects of deltamethrin resistance intensity on
Anopheles coluzzii
microbiota and identifying any microbial taxa associated with phenotype.
Supplemental Material: A new geological map of the Lau Basin (southwestern Pacific Ocean) reveals crustal growth processes in arc-backarc systems
Authors: Stewart M.S. , al. et
Published: October 2021

Supplemental Material. Item S1: Geological map of the Lau Basin at 1:1,000,000 scale. Item S2: Geological map of the Mangatolu Triple Junction at 1:200,000 scale. Item S3: Cruise listing and data sources. Item S4: Ground-truthing dataset for the geological map of the Lau Basin.
Fifteen-minute consultation: An approach to the management of PIMS-TS in a district general hospital
Authors: Freitas Joana , Sanpera Julia , Dessouki Tareq , Rainsley Victoria , Nyirenda Maggie , Canet Tarrés Anna , Thomas Jessica
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disease across the globe but children seem to be much less affected than adults. Coincidentally with the first wave of the pandemic, a cluster of children with fever, hyperinflammation and shock were identified, and this was first described as paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Patients with this novel condition were transferred to tertiary centres for management, increasing the pressure in these hospitals that were already extremely busy. There are multiple challenges related to the identification of patients presenting with PIMS-TS given that they mimic multiple other well-known paediatric conditions, like Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome. Investigations and admission criteria to a district general hospital (DGH) need to be well established, and clear guidance should be available for easy decision making in a busy paediatric emergency department. Furthermore, these children can deteriorate suddenly and rapidly; close monitoring is vital, and any deterioration must be taken seriously and addressed immediately. All children who present severely ill, with shock and multiorgan failure, should be retrieved to a paediatric intensive care unit. As our knowledge of the condition has developed, more patients are now managed in a DGH, with virtual multidisciplinary team involvement. This paper outlines a structured approach to management of children presenting with suspected PIMS-TS in a DGH.
Modelling the effect of infection prevention and control measures on rate ofMycobacterium tuberculosistransmission to clinic attendees in primary health clinics in South Africa
Authors: McCreesh Nicky , Karat Aaron S , Baisley Kathy , Diaconu Karin , Bozzani Fiammetta , Govender Indira , Beckwith Peter , Yates Tom A , Deol Arminder K , Houben Rein M G J , Kielmann Karina , White Richard G , Grant Alison D
Published: October 2021

Background

Elevated rates of tuberculosis in healthcare workers demonstrate the high rate ofMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) transmission in health facilities in high-burden settings. In the context of a project taking a whole systems approach to tuberculosis infection prevention and control (IPC), we aimed to evaluate the potential impact of conventional and novel IPC measures onMtbtransmission to patients and other clinic attendees.

Methods

An individual-based model of patient movements through clinics, ventilation in waiting areas, andMtbtransmission was developed, and parameterised using empirical data from eight clinics in two provinces in South Africa. Seven interventions—codeveloped with health professionals and policy-makers—were simulated: (1) queue management systems with outdoor waiting areas, (2) ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) systems, (3) appointment systems, (4) opening windows and doors, (5) surgical mask wearing by clinic attendees, (6) simple clinic retrofits and (7) increased coverage of long antiretroviral therapy prescriptions and community medicine collection points through the Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) service.

Results

In the model, (1) outdoor waiting areas reduced the transmission to clinic attendees by 83% (IQR 76%–88%), (2) UVGI by 77% (IQR 64%–85%), (3) appointment systems by 62% (IQR 45%–75%), (4) opening windows and doors by 55% (IQR 25%–72%), (5) masks by 47% (IQR 42%–50%), (6) clinic retrofits by 45% (IQR 16%–64%) and (7) increasing the coverage of CCMDD by 22% (IQR 12%–32%).

Conclusions

The majority of the interventions achieved median reductions in the rate of transmission to clinic attendees of at least 45%, meaning that a range of highly effective intervention options are available, that can be tailored to the local context. Measures that are not traditionally considered to be IPC interventions, such as appointment systems, may be as effective as more traditional IPC measures, such as mask wearing.