bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The histone-like protein AlgP regulon is distinct in mucoid and nonmucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa and does not include alginate biosynthesis genes
Authors: Cross Ashley R. , Csatary Erika E. , Raghuram Vishnu , Diggle Frances L. , Whiteley Marvin , Wuest William M. , Goldberg Joanna B.
Published: July 2020

The opportunistic bacterial pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosacauses acute and chronic infections that are notoriously difficult to treat. In people with cystic fibrosis,P. aeruginosacan cause lifelong lung infections, and isolation of mucoidP. aeruginosa, resulting from the overproduction of alginate, is associated with chronic infection. The histone-like protein AlgP has previously been implicated in the control of alginate gene expression in mucoid strains, but this regulation is unclear. To explore AlgP in further detail, we deletedalgPin mucoid strains and demonstrated that the deletion ofalgPdid not result in a nonmucoid phenotype or a decrease in alginate production. We showed that thealgPpromoter is expressed by both the nonmucoid strain PAO1 and the isogenic mucoid strain PDO300, suggesting that there may be genes that are differentially regulated between these strains. In support of this, using RNA sequencing, we identified a small AlgP regulon that has no significant overlap between PAO1 and PDO300 and established that alginate genes were not differentially regulated by the deletion ofalgP. Of note, we found that deletingalgPin PAO1 increased expression of the nitric oxide operonnorCBDand the nitrous oxide reductase genesnosRZand subsequently promoted growth of PAO1 under anaerobic conditions. Altogether, we have defined a narrow regulon of genes controlled by AlgP and provided evidence that alginate production is not greatly affected by AlgP, countering the long-standing premise in the field.
Split ventilation with pressure regulators for patient-specific tidal volumes
Authors: “Ram” Srinivasan Lakshminarayan , Rishel Chris A. , Larson Barrett J. , Yoo Juhwan , Shelton Ned M.
Published: July 2020

As a measure of last resort during the COVID-19 pandemic, single mechanical ventilators have been repurposed to support multiple patients. In existing split-ventilator configurations using FDA-approved tubing adaptors, each patient receives the same inspiratory pressure, requiring careful matching of patients to avoid barotrauma. Progression of disease may cause tidal volumes to diverge from desired targets, and routine interventions (eg. suctioning) in one patient may adversely affect other patients. To overcome these limitations, we demonstrate a split-ventilator configuration that enables individualized patient management by incorporating a commonly available pressure regulator used for gas appliances. We validate this method by achieving various combinations of tidal volume in each of two synthetic lungs using a standard ventilator machine in combination with two gas flow analyzers. With further safety testing and instrumentation, pressure regulators may represent a viable path to substantially augment the capacity for ventilation in resource-constrained settings.
CGMTSA: An R package for continuous glucose monitoring time series data analysis
Authors: Shao Jian , Xu Tao , Zhou Kaixin
Published: July 2020

The R package CGMTSA was developed to facilitate investigations that examine the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data as a time series. Accordingly, novel time series functions were introduced to: 1) enable more accurate missing data imputation and outlier identification; 2) calculate recommended CGM metrics as well as key time series parameters; 3) plot interactive and 3D graphs that allow direct visualizations of temporal CGM data and time series model optimization. The software was designed to accommodate all popular CGM devices and support all common data processing steps.
Early defects in lysosomal storage diseases disrupt excitatory synaptic transmission
Authors: Pará de Aragão Camila de Britto , Bruno Luigi , Bose Poulomee , Pan Xuefang , Han Chanshuai , McPherson Peter S. , Freemantle Erika , Lacaille Jean-Claude , Bonneil Éric , Thibault Pierre , O’Leary Claire , Bigger Brian , Morales Carlos R. , DiCristo Graziella , Pshezhetsky Alexey V.
Published: July 2020

At least two thirds of patients affected with lysosomal storage disorders (LSD) exhibit neurological symptoms. For mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIC (MPS IIIC, Sanfilippo disease type C) caused by mutations in theHGSNATgene and lysosomal storage of heparan sulfate the major burden is progressive and severe neuropsychiatric problems, mental retardation, and dementia though to be mainly mediated by neurodegeneration. HGSNAT knockout mice match human clinical phenotype and develop hyperactivity followed by memory impairment and death.

In order to understand whether early clinical symptoms in MPS IIIC mice occurring before the onset of massive neurodegeneration are caused by neuronal dysfunction we studied synaptic transmission and morphology in cultured hippocampal and CA1 pyramidal neurons of MPSIIIC mice. Synaptic spines were also studied in other mouse LSD models and postsynaptic densities in post-mortem cortices of human neurological MPS patients.

Cultured hippocampal and CA1 pyramidal neurons of MPS IIIC mice showed a drastic decrease or abnormal distribution of multiple pre- and postsynaptic proteins that could be rescued in vitro and in vivo by virus-mediated gene correction. Dendritic spine densities were immature in cultured hippocampal MPS IIIC mouse neurons and reduced in pyramidal neurons of mouse models of MPS IIIC and other (Tay-Sachs, sialidosis) LSD starting from postnatal day 10. MPS IIIC neurons presented alterations in frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents, sparse synaptic vesicles, reduced postsynaptic densities, disorganised microtubule network and partially impaired axonal transport of synaptic proteins. Postsynaptic densities were also reduced in post-mortem cotrees of human MPS I, II, IIIA, C and D patients suggesting that the pathology is common for these neurological LSD.

Together, our results demonstrate that lysosomal storage causes alterations in synaptic structure and abnormalities in neurotransmission originating from disrupted vesicular transport and preceding the first cognitive symptoms and suggest drugs known to affect synaptic transmission can be potentially applied to treat behavioral and cognitive defects in neurological LSD patients.
Identification of potent and safe antiviral therapeutic candidates against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Xiao Xia , Wang Conghui , Chang De , Wang Ying , Dong Xiaojing , Jiao Tao , Zhao Zhendong , Ren Lili , Dela Cruz Charles S , Sharma Lokesh , Lei Xiaobo , Wang Jianwei
Published: July 2020

COVID-19 pandemic has infected millions of people with mortality exceeding 300,000. There is an urgent need to find therapeutic agents that can help clear the virus to prevent the severe disease and death. Identifying effective and safer drugs can provide with more options to treat the COVID-19 infections either alone or in combination. Here we performed a high throughput screen of approximately 1700 US FDA approved compounds to identify novel therapeutic agents that can effectively inhibit replication of coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2. Our two-step screen first used a human coronavirus strain OC43 to identify compounds with anti-coronaviral activities. The effective compounds were then screened for their effectiveness in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2. These screens have identified 24 anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs including previously reported compounds such as hydroxychloroquine, amlodipine, arbidol hydrochloride, tilorone 2HCl, dronedarone hydrochloride, and merfloquine hydrochloride. Five of the newly identified drugs had a safety index (cytotoxic/effective concentration) of >600, indicating wide therapeutic window compared to hydroxychloroquine which had safety index of 22 in similar experiments. Mechanistically, five of the effective compounds were found to block SARS-CoV-2 S protein-mediated cell fusion. These FDA approved compounds can provide much needed therapeutic options that we urgently need in the midst of the pandemic.
cAMP bursts control T cell directionality by actin cytoskeleton remodeling
Authors: Simao Morgane , Régnier Fabienne , Taheraly Sarah , Fraisse Achille , Tacine Rachida , Fraudeau Marie , Benabid Adam , Feuillet Vincent , Lambert Mireille , Delon Jérôme , Randriamampita Clotilde
Published: July 2020

T lymphocyte migration is an essential step to mounting an efficient immune response. The rapid and random motility of these cells which favors their sentinel role is conditioned by chemokines as well as by the physical environment. Morphological changes, underlaid by dynamic actin cytoskeleton remodeling, are observed throughout migration but especially when the cell modifies its trajectory. Using dynamic cell imaging, we investigated the signaling pathways involved in T cell directionality control. We monitored cAMP variation concomitantly with actin distribution upon T lymphocyte migration and highlighted the fact that spontaneous bursts in cAMP starting from the leading edge, are sufficient to promote stable actin redistribution triggering trajectory modification.
Effect of expression of human glucosylceramidase 2 isoforms on lipid profiles in COS-7 cells
Authors: Jatooratthawichot Peeranat , Talabnin Chutima , Ngiwsara Lukana , Rustam Yepy Hardi , Svasti Jisnuson , Reid Gavin E. , Cairns James R. Ketudat
Published: July 2020

Glucosylceramide (GlcCer) is a major membrane lipid and the precursor of gangliosides. It is continuously formed and degraded in glycosphingolipid metabolism. GlcCer is mainly degraded by two enzymes, lysosomal acid β-glucosidase (GBA) and nonlysosomal β-glucosidase (GBA2). Deficiencies of GBA and GBA2 affect glycosphingolipid metabolism, resulting in neurological diseases, such as Gaucher Disease and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. To understand which GBA2 isoforms are active and how they affect glycosphingolipid levels in cells, we expressed nine human GBA2 isoforms in COS-7 cells, confirmed their expression by qRT-PCR and western blotting, and assayed their activity to hydrolyze 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (4MUG) in cell extracts. Human GBA2 isoform 1 showed high activity, while the other isoforms had activity similar to the background. Comparison of sphingolipid levels by ultra-high resolution/ accurate mass spectrometry (UHRAMS) analysis showed that isoform 1 overexpression increased ceramide and decreased hexosylceramide levels compared to control and other isoforms. Comparison of ratios of glucosylceramides to the corresponding ceramides in the extracts indicated that GBA2 isoform 1 has broad specificity for the lipid component of glucosylceramide. These studies suggest that only one GBA2 isoform 1 is active and affects sphingolipid levels in the cell, acting on glucosylceramides with a wide range of lipid components. Our study provides new insights into how increased breakdown of GlcCer affects cellular lipid metabolic networks.
Astrocytes express DMT1 and transferrin receptors, which transport iron thus activating Ca2+signalling: possible role in neuroprotection against iron overload?
Authors: Xia Maosheng , Guan Wenzheng , Ji Ming , Li Shuai , Li Zexiong , Chen Beina , Zhang Manman , Liang Shanshan , Chen Binjie , Gong Wenliang , Dong Chengyi , Wen Gehua , Zhan Xiaoni , Zhang Dianjun , Li Xinyu , Verkhratsky Alexei , Li Baoman
Published: July 2020

Iron is the fundamental element for numerous physiological functions. Reduced ferrous (Fe2+) and oxidized ferric (Fe3+) are the two ionized iron states in the living organisms. In the cell membrane, divalent metal ion transporter 1 (DMT1) is responsible for cellular uptake of Fe2+, whereas transferrin receptors (TFR) carry transferrin (TF)-bound Fe3+. In this study we performed, for the first time, detailed analysis of the action of Fe ions on cytoplasmic free calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) in astrocytes. Using qPCR and immunocytochemistry we identified DMT1 and TFR in astrocytes in primary cultures, in acutely isolated astrocytes and in brain tissue preparations;in situboth DMT1 and TFR are concentrated in astroglial perivascular endfeet. Administration of Fe2+or Fe3+in low μM concentrations evoked Ca2+signals in astrocytesin vitroand invivo. Iron ions triggered increase in [Ca2+]iby acting through two distinct molecular cascades. Uptake of Fe2+by DMT1 inhibited astroglial Na+-K+-ATPase (NKA), which led to an elevation in cytoplasmic Na+concentration (as measured by SBFI probe), thus reversing Na+/Ca2+exchanger (NCX) thereby generating Ca2+influx. Uptake of Fe3+by TF-TFR stimulated phospholipase C to produce inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3), thus trigering InsP3receptor-mediated Ca2+release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Iron-induced Ca2+signals promote astroglial release of arachidonic acid and prostaglandin E2 cytokines by activating cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and NF-κB signalling cascade. In summary, these findings reveal new mechanisms of iron-induced astrocytic signalling operational in conditions of iron overload, in response to which astrocytes actively accumulate excessive iron and activate neuroprotective pathways.
Early Diagnosis and Clinical Significance of Acute Cardiac Injury - Under the Iceberg: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 619 Non-critically Ill Hospitalized COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients
Authors: Xie Yang , Chen Sichun , Wang Xueli , Li Baige , Zhang Tianlu , He Xingwei , Sun Ningling , Wang Luyan , Zeng Hesong , Shen Yin
Published: July 2020

Rationale

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause a viral pneumonia together with other extrapulmonary complications. Acute cardiac related injury (ACRI) is common in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Objective

To explain the pathological mechanism of ACRI and improve the treatment strategy by retrospectively observing the factors associated with ACRI and factors affecting the prognosis of ACRI with COVID-19 at an early stage.

Methods

619 COVID-19 patients were from Tongji Hospital, Wuhan. Student’s t test was used for continuous variables while Pearson χ2 test for categorical factors. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were applied to estimate odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Among the 619 OOS Level-I hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 102 (16.5%) were defined as ACRI (stage-1: 59 cases, stage-2: 43 cases). 50% of ACRI patients developed into severe cases and 25 patients died(CFR=24.5%), 42 times that of non-ACRI patients. Elderly (OR=2.83, P<0.001), HTN (OR=2.09, P=0.005), γ-globulin (OR=2.08, P=0.004), TCM (OR=0.55, P=0.017), PLT (OR=2.94, P<0.001) and NLR (OR=2.20, P=0.004) were independently correlated with ACRI. SBP ⩾ 140, dyspnea, DM, smoking history were correlated with ACRI-stage2 only. In the prognostic subgroup analysis of ACRI patients, γ-globulin treatment could prolong LOS (29.0 ± 7.2 days Vs 23.5 ± 8.1 days, P=0.004). TCM (OR=0.26, P=0.006), SBP ⩾ 160 (OR= 22.70, P=0.005), male (OR=2.66, P=0.044) were associated with severe illness while corticosteroids treatment (OR=3.34, P=0.033) and male (OR=4.303, P=0.008) with death. Surprisingly, we found the mortality of non-elderly patients is higher than elderly (32.4% VS 20.0%, P=0.164), and both IKF and RASI treatment were not correlated with any prognostic indicators including severe, death and LOS.

Conclusion

This study observed that several non-traditional issues were associated with early cardiac injury in COVID-19 while many traditional cardiovascular risk factors were not. Besides elderly and male, hypertension was confirmed to be the most important risk factor.
Causally Associations of Blood Lipids Levels with COVID-19 Risk: Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Zhang Kun , Guo Yan , Wang Zhuo-Xin , Ding Jing-Miao , Yao Shi , Chen Hao , Zhu Dong-Li , Zhang Kun , Huang Wei , Dong Shan-Shan , Yang Tie-Lin
Published: July 2020

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2). It has been found that coronary artery disease (CAD) is a comorbid condition for COVID-19. As the risk factors of CAD, whether blood lipids levels are causally related to increasing susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 is still unknown.

Design

We performed two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analyses to explore whether dyslipidemia, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were causally related to COVID-19 risk and severity. The GWAS summary data of blood lipids involving in 188,578 individuals and dyslipidemia in a total of 53,991 individuals were used as exposures, respectively. Two COVID-19 GWASs including 1,221 infected patients and 1,610 severe patients defined as respiratory failure were employed as outcomes. Based on the MR estimates, we further carried out gene-based and gene-set analysis to explain the potential mechanism for causal effect.

Results

The MR results showed that dyslipidemia was casually associated with the susceptibility of COVID-19 and induced 27% higher odds for COVID-19 infection (MR-IVW OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.49, p-value = 3.18 × 10−3). Moreover, the increasing level of blood TC will raise 14 % higher odds for the susceptibility of COVID-19 (MR-IVW OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.25, p-value = 5.07 × 10−3). Gene-based analysis identified that ABO gene was associated with TC and the gene-set analysis found that immune processes were involved in the risk effect of TC.

Conclusions

We obtained three conclusions: 1) Dyslipidemia is casually associated with the susceptibility of COVID-19; 2) TC is a risk factor for the susceptibility of COVID-19; 3) The different susceptibility of COVID-19 in specific blood group may be partly explained by the TC concentration in diverse ABO blood groups.
One molecule, three crystal structures: conformational trimorphism of N-[(1S)-1-phenylethyl]benzamide
Authors: Flores Manuel Fermin , Sosa Rivadeneyra Martha , Bernès Sylvain
Published: July 2020

The title compound, C15H15NO, is an enantiopure small molecule, which has been synthesized many times, although its crystal structure was never determined. By recrystallization from a variety of solvent mixtures (pure acetonitrile, ethanol–water, toluene–ethanol, THF–methanol), we obtained three unsolvated polymorphs, in space groups P21 and P212121. Form I is obtained from acetonitrile, without admixture of other forms, whereas forms II and III are obtained simultaneously by concomitant crystallizations from alcohol-based solvent mixtures. All forms share the same supramolecular structure, based on infinite C
1
1(4) chain motifs formed by N—H...O intermolecular hydrogen bonds, as usual for non-sterically hindered amides. However, a conformational modification of the molecular structure, related to the rotation of the phenyl rings, alters the packing of the chains in the crystal structures. The orientation of the chain axis is perpendicular and parallel to the crystallographic twofold screw axis of space group P21 in forms I and II, respectively. As for form III, the asymmetric unit contains two independent molecules forming parallel chains in space group P212121, and the crystal structure combines features of monoclinic forms I and II.
Crystal structure of 2,3-dimethoxy-meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)morpholinochlorin methylene chloride 0.44-solvate
Authors: Churchill Serena B. S. , Sharma Meenakshi , Brückner Christian , Zeller Matthias
Published: July 2020

The title morpholinochlorin, C46H16F20N4O3, was crystallized from hexane/methylene chloride as its 0.44 methylene chloride solvate, C46H16F20N4O3·0.44CH2Cl2. The morpholinochlorin was synthesized by stepwise oxygen insertion into a porphyrin using a `breaking and mending strategy': NaIO4-induced diol cleavage of the corresponding 2,3-dihydroxychlorin with in situ methanol-induced, acid-catalyzed intramolecular ring closure of the intermediate secochlorins bisaldehyde. Formally, one of the pyrrolic building blocks was thus replaced by a 2,3-dimethoxymorpholine moiety. Like other morpholinochlorins, the macrocycle of the title compound adopts a ruffled conformation, and the modulation of the porphyrinic π-system chromophore induces a red-shift of its optical spectrum compared to its corresponding chlorin analog. Packing in the crystal is governed by interactions involving the fluorine atoms of the pentafluorophenyl substituents, dominated by C—H...F interactions, and augmented by short fluorine...fluorine contacts, C—F...π interactions, and one severely slipped π-stacking interaction between two pentafluorophenyl rings. The solvate methylene chloride molecule is disordered over two independent positions around an inversion center with occupancies of two × 0.241 (5) and two × 0.199 (4), for a total site occupancy of 88%.
Investigating academic library responses to predatory publishing in the United States, Canada and Spanish-speaking Latin America
Authors: Buitrago Ciro Jairo , Bowker Lynne
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This is a comparative investigation of how university libraries in the United States, Canada and Spanish-speaking Latin America are responding to predatory publishing.

Design/methodology/approach

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings was used to identify the top ten universities from each of the US and Canada, as well as the top 20 Spanish-language universities in Latin America. Each university library's website was scrutinized to discover whether the libraries employed scholarly communication librarians, whether they offered scholarly communication workshops, or whether they shared information about scholarly communication on their websites. This information was further examined to determine if it discussed predatory publishing specifically.

Findings

Most libraries in the US/Canada sample employ scholarly communication librarians and nearly half offer workshops on predatory publishing. No library in the Latin America sample employed a scholarly communication specialist and just one offered a workshop addressing predatory publishing. The websites of the libraries in the US and Canada addressed predatory publishing both indirectly and directly, with US libraries favoring the former approach and Canadian libraries tending towards the latter. Predatory publishing was rarely addressed directly by the libraries in the Latin America sample; however, all discussed self-archiving and/or Open Access.

Research limitations/implications

Brazilian universities were excluded owing to the researchers' language limitations. Data were collected between September 15 and 30, 2019, so it represents a snapshot of information available at that time. The study was limited to an analysis of library websites using a fixed set of keywords, and it did not investigate whether other campus units were involved or whether other methods of informing researchers about predatory publishing were being used.

Originality/value

The study reveals some best practices leading to recommendations to help academic libraries combat predatory publishing and improve scholarly publishing literacy among researchers.
Simulation of induction thermography NDT technique using SIBC
Authors: Ba Abdoulaye , Bui Huu Kien , Berthiau Gérard , Trichet Didier , Wasselynck Guillaume
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to present a lightened 3D finite element model (FEM) for coupled electromagnetic thermal simulation of the induction thermography non-destructive testing (NDT) technique to reduce the computation time.

Design/methodology/approach

The time harmonic electromagnetic problem is expressed in A – ϕ formulation and lightened by using the surface impedance boundary condition (SIBC) applied to both the massive induction coil surface and the surface of conductor workpiece including open cracks. The external circuit is taken into account by using the impressed voltage or the impressed current formulation. The thermal diffusion in the workpiece is solved by using surface electromagnetic power density as thermal source.

Findings

The accuracy and the usefulness of the method for the design of the induction thermography NDT technique have been shown with acceptable deviation compared with a full FEM model. It is also observed that at high frequency, when the ratio between the local radius of the conductor and the skin depth is high, a very good accuracy can be obtained with the SIBC methods. At lower frequency, the effect of the curvature of the surface becomes significant. In this case, the use of the Mitzner’s impedance can help to correct the error.

Originality/value

The SIBC can be used for both massive coil and workpieces with open cracks to alleviate 3D FEMs of the coupled electrothermal model. The implementation in matrix form of the coupled electrothermal formulation is given in details. The comparisons with reference analytical solution and full 3D FEM show the accuracy and performance of the method. In the test case presented, the computation time is 6.6 times lower than the classical model.
Knowledge adoption in post-disaster housing self-recovery
Authors: Hendriks Eefje , Opdyke Aaron
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore communication of hazard-resistant construction techniques after disaster in the absence of outside influence. It further aims to unpack the barriers and drivers in the adoption of knowledge processes to identify strategic recommendations to enlarge adoption of safer construction practices by local construction actors.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on an analysis of stakeholders’ perspectives during post-disaster reconstruction in the Philippines in the province of Busuanga after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Data were collected from six communities that received no external housing assistance, analyzing surveys from 220 households, 13 carpenters, 20 key actors coordinating reconstruction or recovery efforts, as well as 12 focus group discussions.

Findings

This research argues for a stronger role of governmental agencies, vocational training schools and engineers. Current communication of typhoon-resistant construction knowledge is ineffective to stimulate awareness, understanding and adoption by local construction actors and self-recovering households.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis in this study focuses on a small sample of communities in the west of the Philippines that are not frequently affected by typhoons.

Originality/value

This is one of the few scholarly works in the Philippines focused on adoption of safer construction practices by community-based construction actors when technical housing assistance is absent.
When the mountain broke: disaster governance in Sierra Leone
Authors: Melis Samantha , Hilhorst Dorothea
Published: July 2020

Purpose

When a major landslide and floods devastated Freetown, Sierra Leone had just overcome the Ebola crisis, which had left its mark on socio-political relations between different disaster response actors. With international disaster response frameworks increasingly shifting to local ownership, the national government was expected to assume a coordinating role. However, in “post-conflict” settings such as Sierra Leone, intra-state and state–society relations are continuously being renegotiated. This study aimed to uncover the complexities of state-led disaster response in hybrid governance setting at national and community levels in the response to the 2017 landslide and floods.

Design/methodology/approach

During the four months of fieldwork in Freetown in 2017, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with various state, aid and societal actors were conducted.

Findings

The findings show that a response to policy building on the idea of a uniform state response did not take into account intra-state power politics or the complexity of Sierra Leone's hybrid governance.

Practical implications

This paper argues for a more nuanced debate in humanitarian governance and practice on the localisation of aid in post-conflict and fragile settings.

Originality/value

The study's findings contribute to the literature on the disaster–conflict nexus, identifying paradoxes of localised disaster response in an environment with strong national–local tensions. The study highlights intra-local state dynamics that are usually overlooked but have a great impact on the legitimacy of different state authorities in disaster response.
Lumped parameter magnetic equivalent circuit model for design of segmented PM consequent pole flux switching machine
Authors: Ullah Wasiq , Khan Faisal , Umair Muhammad
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate an alternative simplified analytical approach for the design of electric machines. Numerical-based finite element method (FEM) is a powerful tool for accurate modelling and electromagnetic performance analysis of electric machines. However, computational complexity, magnetic saturation, complex stator structure and time consumption compel researchers to adopt alternate analytical model for initial design of electric machine especially flux switching machines (FSMs).

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, simplified lumped parameter magnetic equivalent circuit (LPMEC) model is presented for newly developed segmented PM consequent pole flux switching machine (SPMCPFSM). LPMEC model accounts influence of all machine parts for quarter of machine which helps to reduce computational complexity, computational time and drive storage without affecting overall accuracy. Furthermore, inductance calculation is performed in the rotor and stator frame of reference for accurate estimation of the self-inductance, mutual inductance and dq-axis inductance profile using park transformation.

Findings

The developed LPMEC model is validated with corresponding FEA using JMAG Commercial FEA Package v. 18.1 which shows good agreement with accuracy of ∼98.23%, and park transformation precisely estimates the inductance profile in rotor and stator frame of reference.

Practical implications

The model is developed for high-speed brushless AC applications.

Originality/value

The proposed SPMCPFSM enhance electromagnetic performance owing to partitioned PMs configuration which make it different than conventional designs. Moreover, the developed LPMEC model reduces computational time by solving quarter of machine.
Music education and cultural and national values
Authors: Ho Wai-Chung , Law Wing-Wah
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine music teachers' perceptions of teaching cultural and national values (also defined as national cultural values) to explore the tensions facing school music education in the choice of music types to be delivered in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach

With specific regard to music teachers' perceptions of “values,” “music cultures” and “nationalism,” data were drawn from a survey questionnaire given to 343 music teachers (155 preservice and 188 in-service music teachers) and semistructured interviews with 36 of these respondents.

Findings

The findings of the study showed that though many respondents in Hong Kong and Taiwan felt comfortable teaching traditional Chinese music, they did not want to teach contemporary Mainland Chinese music and other political or patriotic forms in the school music curriculum. The data also demonstrated some shortcomings in introducing a balance of music types into the curriculum, as well as limitations in promoting national education in response to the respective sociopolitical situations in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Research limitations/implications

This study was subject to limitations regarding the potential generalizability of the findings on school music teachers' perceptions in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Practical implications

The implications for teachers and student teachers regarding the development of cultural and national values related to the political processes in Hong Kong and Taiwan are complicated, because of not only their relationship with Mainland China and its education based on nationalism but also the extent of teachers' professional training to help create an enabling environment for national and cultural development.

Originality/value

The findings of this study revealed that there are fundamental gaps in the overt and operational curricula in Hong Kong and Taiwan concerning the sociopolitical function of values in school music education in response to their respective sociopolitical situations.
Entrepreneurship Education Centres in universities: evidence and insights from Italian “Contamination Lab” cases
Authors: Secundo Giustina , Mele Gioconda , Sansone Giuliano , Paolucci Emilio
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Entrepreneurship Education (EE) is increasing throughout the world. In 2012, the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) financed Contamination Labs (CLabs), which are laboratories that are aimed at developing entrepreneurial mindsets in all university students. This study analyses the entrepreneurial learning process mechanisms adopted in these CLabs.

Design/methodology/approach

An ethnographic case study was performed in two Italian CLabs from October 2017 to December 2019.

Findings

Findings demonstrate that the CLabs in Italy are promising Entrepreneurship Education Centres which create programmes to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in students with different educational backgrounds and levels. Interdisciplinarity in the composition of the student teams, virtuous contamination of knowledge and experience between the students and the stakeholders from the entrepreneurial ecosystem are the key pillars to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in all the students.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this work regard the need to expand the analysis to all the other CLabs created in Italian universities.

Practical implications

The findings provide indications that may be used to guide a university faculty in the design and management of Entrepreneurship Education Centres in collaboration with entrepreneurs, corporations, student clubs, incubators and representatives of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Moreover, the results point out a need to develop interdisciplinary entrepreneurial programmes.

Originality/value

The originality resides in the analysis of a novel type of Entrepreneurship Education Centre in Italian Universities created as the result of an ad-hoc Italian policy.
Large-scale economic load dispatch using squirrel search algorithm
Authors: V.P. Sakthivel , M. Suman , P.D. Sathya
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Economic load dispatch (ELD) is one of the crucial optimization problems in power system planning and operation. The ELD problem with valve point loading (VPL) and multi-fuel options (MFO) is defined as a non-smooth and non-convex optimization problem with equality and inequality constraints, which obliges an efficient heuristic strategy to be addressed. The purpose of this study is to present a new and powerful heuristic optimization technique (HOT) named as squirrel search algorithm (SSA) to solve non-convex ELD problems of large-scale power plants.

Design/methodology/approach

The suggested SSA approach is aimed to minimize the total fuel cost consumption of power plant considering their generation values as decision variables while satisfying the problem constraints. It confers a solution to the ELD issue by anchoring with foraging behavior of squirrels based on the dynamic jumping and gliding strategies. Furthermore, a heuristic approach and selection rules are used in SSA to handle the constraints appropriately.

Findings

Empirical results authenticate the superior performance of SSA technique by validating on four different large-scale systems. Comparing SSA with other HOTs, numerical results depict its proficiencies with high-qualitative solution and by its excellent computational efficiency to solve the ELD problems with non-smooth fuel cost function addressing the VPL and MFO. Moreover, the non-parametric tests prove the robustness and efficacy of the suggested SSA and demonstrate that it can be used as a competent optimizer for solving the real-world large-scale non-convex ELD problems.

Practical implications

This study has compared various HOTs to determine optimal generation scheduling for large-scale ELD problems. Consequently, its comparative analysis will be beneficial to power engineers for accurate generation planning.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this manuscript is the first research work of using SSA approach for solving ELD problems. Consequently, the solution to this problem configures the key contribution of this paper.
Research on hospital-based shared governance: a scoping review
Authors: Kyytsönen Maiju , Tomietto Marco , Huhtakangas Moona , Kanste Outi
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to review research on hospital-based shared governance (SG), focussing on its core elements.

Design/methodology/approach

A scoping review was conducted by searching the Medline (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Medic, ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest) and SveMed+ databases using SG and related concepts in hospital settings as search terms (May 1998–February 2019). Only original research articles examining SG were included. The reference lists of the selected articles were reviewed. Data were extracted from the selected articles by charting and then subjected to a thematic analysis.

Findings

The review included 13 original research articles that examined SG in hospital settings. The studied organizations had implemented SG in different ways, and many struggled to obtain satisfactory results. SG was executed within individual professions or multiple professions and was typically implemented at both unit- and organization-levels. The thematic analysis revealed six core elements of SG as follows: professionalism, shared decision-making, evidence-based practice, continuous quality improvement, collaboration and empowerment.

Practical implications

An SG framework for hospital settings was developed based on the core elements of SG, the participants and the organizational levels involved. Hospitals considering SG should prepare for a time-consuming process that requires belief in the core elements of SG. The SG framework can be used as a tool to implement and strengthen SG in organizations.

Originality/value

The review resumes the tradition of systematically reviewing SG literature, which had not been done in the 21st century. General tendencies of the research scene and research gaps are pointed out.
A large-group peer mentoring programme in an under-resourced higher education environment
Authors: Olivier Cindy , Burton Catherine
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The transition from school to higher education is a complex process. Peer mentoring is often used by institutions to facilitate this process. The purpose of this research, which was conducted at a South African university, was to determine whether a peer mentoring programme, which involved a large number of students and a limited number of mentors, could successfully assist students to adapt to the academic and psychosocial demands of university life.

Design/methodology/approach

A sequential explanatory mixed method design was implemented. In the first phase, a questionnaire was used to collect data to establish participants' experience of the programme. The findings from the questionnaire were used to inform the qualitative phase, in which the participants' perceptions of the benefits of the mentor programme were further explored by means of group interviews. The qualitative data were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The results indicate that a structured peer mentoring programme, in which a mentor works with up to 70 mentees in a group setting, can be a useful tool to assist with students' transition to university. The research found that the peer mentoring programme contributed to the students' academic, social and personal integration into the higher education environment.

Research limitations/implications

The perspectives of mentors and faculty were not included. No comparative study with students who did not participate in the programme was conducted.

Practical implications

This research illustrates that it is possible to mentor large groups of disadvantaged and vulnerable students notwithstanding limited resources.

Originality/value

In contrast to the existing literature on peer mentoring in higher education, which focuses on one-on-one or small-group mentoring, this research suggests that peer mentoring of larger groups can also play an important role in assisting students to transition to higher education. The description of the programme and the benefits students derived from it offer other institutions with limited resources some ideas about how a peer mentoring programme can be implemented.
The preventive effect of hedge fund activism: investment, CEO compensation and payout policies
Authors: Zhu Caroline Heqing
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of hedge fund activism (HFA) in preventing corporate policy deviations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper identifies HFA interventions through a hand-collected sample of Schedule 13D filings between 1994 and 2016, and uses mechanical mutual fund fire sales as the instrument variable (IV) for the likelihood of such interventions. Armed with the instrument, this paper estimates firm's distribution, managerial compensation and investment policies in response to a change in the perceived likelihood of HFA interventions.

Findings

An increase in the HFA intervention likelihood leads to increases in shareholder distribution, decreases in CEO pay and investments and increases in operating performance. Compared to the sample average, a one standard deviation increase in the intervention likelihood leads to a 9.29% increase in the firm's payout ratio, a 7.42% decrease in CEO compensation, a 2.67% decrease in capital expenditures and a 4.96% decrease in R&D expenses. These changes are consistent with the threat of intervention curbing managerial empire-building behaviors and improving firm operation. The relationships are causal, significant and robust to a variety of alternative specifications and sample divisions.

Originality/value

Results of this paper suggest that as a mechanism for corporate governance, the threat of HFA is effective in preventing corporate policy deviations. They also demonstrate a stronger and broader impact of HFA on corporate policy than previously documented. By showing that HFA is an effective and viable mechanism for corporate governance, this study allows policymakers to make more informed decisions to whether increase hedge fund regulations or not.
Design quality in building behavioral intention through affective and cognitive involvement for e-learning on smartphones
Authors: Faisal Chaudhry Muhammad Nadeem , Fernandez-Lanvin Daniel , De Andrés Javier , Gonzalez-Rodriguez Martin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study examines the effect of design quality (i.e. appearance, navigation, information and interactivity) on cognitive and affective involvement leading to continued intention to use the online learning application.

Design/methodology/approach

We assume that design quality potentially contributes to enhance the individual's involvement and excitement. An experimental prototype is developed for collecting data used to verify and validate the proposed research model and hypotheses. A partial-least-squares approach is used to analyze the data collected from the participants (n = 662).

Findings

Communication, aesthetic and information quality revealed to be strong determinants of both cognitive and affective involvement. However, font quality and user control positively influence cognitive involvement, while navigation quality and responsiveness were observed as significant indicators of affective involvement. Lastly, cognitive and affective involvement equally contribute to determining the continued intention to use.

Research limitations/implications

This study will draw the attention of designers and practitioners towards the perception of users for providing appropriate and engaging learning resources.

Originality/value

Prevalent research in the online context is focused primarily on cognitive and utilization behavior. However, these works overlook the implication of design quality on cognitive and affective involvement.
An innovative approach in combating economic crime using forensic accounting techniques
Authors: Akinbowale Oluwatoyin Esther , Klingelhöfer Heinz Eckart , Zerihun Mulatu Fikadu
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an innovative approach of combating economic crime using the forensic accounting techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach considered the identification of the effective forensic accounting techniques from the available literature and also explored the anti-economic crime policy, capable of assisting in the combating of economic crime. This brought about the development of two conceptual models, which incorporate all the requirements for the implementation of forensic accounting and the integration of forensic accounting technique into the organizational control system for effective fraud mitigation.

Findings

The analysis of the literature review indicated that one of the drawbacks, which has continue to mitigate the implementation of forensic accounting as a tool for combating fraud is lack of a suitable framework. This was the major focal point of this work, which produced two simplified conceptual models suitable for effective fraud mitigation.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to the development of conceptual models for fraud mitigation only.

Practical implications

The simplified model can easily be adopted into the structure of an organization to provide a sustainable solution to mitigate fraud occurrences.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study lies in the development of two simplified conceptual models. The first model addressed the incorporation of forensic accounting into the organization structure while the second captured the detailed investigation and comprehensive data analysis processes of uncovering fraud. The development of conceptual models with all these peculiarities for fraud mitigation has not been widely reported by the existing literature.