bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal strategies for adapting open-source large language models for clinical information extraction: a benchmarking study in the context of ulcerative colitis research
Authors: Yim Richard P. , Silverman Anna L. , Wang Shan , Rudrapatna Vivek A.
Published: November 2024

Background

Closed-source large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4o have shown promise for clinical information extraction but are potentially limited by cost, data security concerns, and inflexibility. Open-source models have emerged as an attractive alternative, with many LLM adaptation strategies developed in the literature. However, it is currently unclear what adaptation strategies are optimal, and how they ultimately compare to closed-source models.

Methods

We studied the effects of three common LLM adaptation strategies: chain-of-thought prompting, few-shot prompting, and fine-tuning. Our target for information extraction was the Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES). We applied those strategies in all combinations to six open-source models (8-70 billion parameters) using an annotated set of colonoscopy procedure reports from two centers: the University of California, San Francisco (N=608) and San Francisco General Hospital (N=217). We analyzed the relationship of these strategies to several performance metrics with a mixed-effects model, accounting for the variability between centers and LLMs. GPT-4o was not subject to QLoRA due to its closed-source nature but was used as a comparator in our benchmarks. We also provide in-depth commentary on the cost-effectiveness of these open-source LLMs and GPT-4o for MES extraction.

Results

Across adaptation strategies, QLoRA statistically (p< 0.001) improves the performance of open-source LLMs by 8.3-15.6 percentage points across accuracy, precision and recall. However, GPT-4o with prompt engineering is superior to the best open-source model by a margin of 2.5-5.4%. Yet, a simple cost-effectiveness analysis suggests that GPT-4o is expensive compared to open-source models.

Conclusion

GPT-4o is currently the most performant LLM for MES extraction. If unavailable, open-source models optimized with QLoRA are a competitive alternative. However, our results also suggest that current instruction-following LLMs including GPT-4o do not fully follow user-provided instructions, leaving room for improvement. More work is needed to achieve consistent, near-perfect performance in clinical information extraction by LLMs.

Brief Description

In this study, we compare interactions of finetuning, chain-of-thought prompting, and few-shot prompting on open-source models to extract useful information from clinical notes. We conclude that QLoRA results in statistically and practically significant performance gains across several metrics while other strategies and their combinations have little impact.
Position Paper On Diagnostic Uncertainty Estimation from Large Language Models: Next-Word Probability Is Not Pre-test Probability
Authors: Gao Yanjun , Myers Skatje , Chen Shan , Dligach Dmitriy , Miller Timothy A , Bitterman Danielle , Chen Guanhua , Mayampurath Anoop , Churpek Matthew , Afshar Majid
Published: November 2024

Large language models (LLMs) are being explored for diagnostic decision support, yet their ability to estimate pre-test probabilities, vital for clinical decision-making, remains limited. This study evaluates two LLMs, Mistral-7B and Llama3-70B, using structured electronic health record data on three diagnosis tasks. We examined three current methods of extracting LLM probability estimations and revealed their limitations. We aim to highlight the need for improved techniques in LLM confidence estimation.
Hyper-k-mers: efficient streaming k-mers representation
Authors: Martayan Igor , Robidou Lucas , Shibuya Yoshihiro , Limasset Antoine
Published: November 2024

K-mers have become ubiquitous in modern bioinformatics pipelines. A key factor in their success is the ability to filter out erroneous k-mers by removing those with low abundances. However, large numbers of distinct k-mers make counting a memory-intensive step. Early tools addressed this issue by storing k-mers on disk. More recent solutions mitigate the excessive redundancy of overlapping k-mers by partially reassembling them into super-k-mers. Nevertheless, consecutive super-k-mers still overlap by k-1 bases, leading to some degree of inefficiency. Here we present hyper-k-mers as an alternative, less redundant, representation of super-k-mers. Our contributions are three-fold. First, we propose hyper-k-mers, a new k-mer representation that asymptotically decreases duplication compared to super-k-mers. Second, we present a theoretical analysis comparing the space efficiency of super-k-mers, syncmers, and hyper-k-mers. Our approach offers significant advantages compared to super-k-mers, by reducing the asymptotic lower bound from 6 to 4 bits per nucleotide. Third, we present KFC, a k-mer counting algorithm leveraging hyper-k-mers. KFC offers significant practical advantages, including an order of magnitude improvement in memory usage compared to state-of-the-art tools. Notably, our experiments show that KFC is the only tool whose memory usage scales sub-linearly with k-mer size k, and is the fastest option when k is large. Availability: KFC is available at https://github.com/lrobidou/KFC with tests available at https://github.com/imartayan/KFC_experiments.
Differential KEAP1/NRF2 mediated signaling widens the therapeutic window of redox-targeting drugs in SCLC therapy
Authors: Samarin Jana , Nuskova Hana , Fabrowski Piotr , Malz Mona , Amtmann Eberhard , Taeubert Minerva J. , Pastor-Flores Daniel , Kazdal Daniel , Kurilov Roman , de Vries Nicole , Pink Hannelore , Deis Franziska , Hummel-Eisenbeiss Johanna , Kaushal Kamini , Dick Tobias P. , Hamilton Gerhard , Muckenthaler Martina , Mall Moritz , Lim Bryce , Kanamaru Taishi , Klinke Glynis , Sos Martin , Frede Julia , Miller Aubry K. , Alborzinia Hamed , Gunkel Nikolas
Published: November 2024

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients frequently experience a remarkable response to first-line therapy. Follow up maintenance treatments aim to control residual tumor cells, but generally fail due to cross-resistance, inefficient targeting of tumor vulnerabilities, or dose-limiting toxicity, resulting in relapse and disease progression. Here, we show that SCLC cells, similar to their cells of origin, pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs), exhibit low activity in pathways protecting against reactive oxygen species (ROS). When exposed to a novel thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) inhibitor, these cells quickly exhaust their ROS-scavenging capacity, regardless of their molecular subtype or resistance to first-line therapy. Importantly, unlike non-cancerous cells, SCLC cells cannot adapt to drug-induced ROS stress due to the suppression of ROS defense mechanisms by multiple layers of epigenetic and transcriptional regulation. By exploiting this difference in oxidative stress management, we safely increased the therapeutic dose of TXNRD1 inhibitorsin vivoby pharmacological activation of the NRF2 stress response pathway. This resulted in improved tumor control without added toxicity to healthy tissues. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of TXNRD1 inhibitors for maintenance therapy in SCLC.

Graphical summary

Pharmacological induction of NRF2 leads to differential cyto-protection against TXNRD1 inhibitors in normal tissue but not in SCLC tumor cells. This results in a reduction of adverse effects, allowing to increase the therapeutic dose.
The conserved HIV-1 spacer peptide 2 triggers matrix lattice maturation
Authors: Stacey James C. V. , Hrebík Dominik , Nand Elizabeth , Shetty Snehith Dyavari , Qu Kun , Boicu Marius , Anders-Össwein Maria , Dick Robert A. , Mothes Walther , Kräusslich Hans-Georg , Müller Barbara , Briggs John A. G.
Published: November 2024

HIV-1 particles are released in an immature, non-infectious form. Proteolytic cleavage of the main structural polyprotein Gag into functional domains induces rearrangement into mature, infectious virions. In immature virus particles, the Gag membrane binding domain, MA, forms a hexameric protein lattice that undergoes structural transition upon cleavage into a distinct, mature MA lattice. The mechanism of MA lattice maturation is unknown. Here we show that released spacer peptide 2 (SP2), a conserved peptide of unknown function situated ∼300 residues downstream of MA, binds MA to induce structural maturation. By high-resolution in-virus structure determination of MA, we show that MA does not bind lipid into a side pocket as previously thought, but instead binds SP2 as an integral part of the protein-protein interfaces that stabilise the mature lattice. Analysis of Gag cleavage site mutants showed that SP2 release is required for MA maturation, and we demonstrate that SP2 is sufficient to induce maturation of purified MA on lipid layers in vitro. SP2-triggered MA maturation correlated with faster fusion of virus with target cells. Our results reveal a new, unexpected interaction between two HIV-1 components, provide a high-resolution structure of mature MA, establish the trigger of MA structural maturation, and assign function to the SP2 peptide.
The AMD-associated genetic polymorphism CFH Y402H confers vulnerability to Hydroquinone-induced stress in iPSC-RPE cells
Authors: Armento Angela , Sonntag Inga , Almansa-Garcia Ana-Cristina , Sen Merve , Bolz Sylvia , Arango-Gonzalez Blanca , Kilger Ellen , Sharma Ruchi , Bharti Kapil , Fernandez-Godino Rosario , de la Cerda Berta , Clark Simon J , Ueffing Marius
Published: November 2024

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative disease of the macula, is caused by an interplay of diverse risk factors (genetic predisposition, age and lifestyle habits). One of the main genetic risks includes the Y402H polymorphism in complement Factor H (FH), an inhibitor of complement system activation. There has been, and continues to be, much discussion around the functional consequences of this Y402H polymorphism, whether the soluble FH protein confers its risk association, or if the cells expressing the protein themselves are affected by the genetic alteration. In our study, we examined the cell characteristics of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, which play a major role in retinal homeostasis and stability and which are synonymously linked to AMD.

Here, we employ RPE cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) generated from donors, carrying either homozygous 402Y (low risk) or 402H (high risk) variants of theCFHgene. RPE cells were treated with Hydroquinone (HQ), a component of cigarette smoke, to induce oxidative damage. Intriguingly, RPE cells carrying high genetic risk proved more vulnerable to oxidative insult when exposed to HQ, as demonstrated by increased cytotoxicity, caspase activation, compared to the low-risk RPE cells.

The exposure of RPE cells to RPE conditioned medium, normal human serum (NHS) and inactivated NHS (iNHS) had minimal impact on cell cytotoxicity and caspase activation, nor did the presence of purified soluble FH rescue the observed effects. This suggests that the degree of cellular susceptibility to oxidative stress is not conferred by soluble FH protein and other complement sources, but intercellularly because of the corresponding genetic risk predisposition. Considering the known connection of oxidative stress to proteotoxic stress and degrading processes, we investigated the unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy. When exposed to HQ, RPE cells showed an increase in autophagy markers, however iPSC-RPE cells carrying high genetic risk showed an overall reduced autophagic flux. Our data support the hypothesis that RPE cells carrying high genetic risk are less resilient to oxidative stress.
Community conservatism is widespread throughout microbial phyla and environments
Authors: Malfertheiner Lukas , Tackmann Janko , Rodrigues João F Matias , von Mering Christian
Published: November 2024

Evolution gives rise to various long-term phenomena, includingPhylogenetic signal,which describes the tendency of related biological taxa to resemble each other in morphology and function. Related taxa tend to also live in similar ecological niches – this trend is termedNiche conservatism. Both concepts are widely used to understand crucial aspects of evolu1on and specia1on and are well-established in animals and plants. The extension of these concepts to microorganisms is however challenging and thus far only assumed. Here, we hypothesize that two closely related microbial species, if indeed similar in both their morphology and their ecological niche, should be found in samples with similar community compositions. We propose “community conservatism” to refer to this, and leverage a database with millions of samples and hundreds of thousands of pairs of microbial taxa to assess their relatedness and the similarity of the communities they occupy.

Our findings reveal that community conservatism can be observed globally in all environments and phyla tested, to varying extents. Ecologically specialized taxa show a stronger community conservatism signal than generalists, and the signal can be discerned over nearly all taxonomic ranks. Analyzing community conservatism shows promise to advance our understanding of evolution, speciation, and the mechanisms governing community assembly in microorganisms. Furthermore, we propose it can be used to reintegrate ecological parameters into Operational Taxonomic Unit delimitation.
Ophiostomatalean fungi associated with bark beetles infestingPinus koraiensis, including the description ofCeratocystiopsis fushunensissp. nov. in China
Authors: Ran Yutong , Chen Minjie , Liu Congwang , Liu Kun , Lin Tong , Yin Mingliang
Published: November 2024

Fungi of Ophiostomatales (Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota) always have a symbiotic relationship with bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytinae). In this study, we investigated the fungi associated withCryphalus piceaeandHylastessp in Fushun. Based on the four gene fragments of TUB, ITS, LSU, and TEF and morphological characteristics, 206 strains of Ophiostomatales were identified to be distributed in 21 taxa; these included an undescribed taxon. Here, we described it asCeratocystiopsis fushunensissp. nov. The results of this study provided valuable information on the relationship between fungi and bark beetles.
Construction of an embryonic caudal organizer by BMP4
Authors: Xing Yan-Yi , Huang Ying , Cheng Tao , Luo Tao , Dong Yang , Jin Zi-Xin , Tian Yi-Meng , Liu Xiang , Ma Jun , Ji Jun-Feng , Xu Peng-Fei
Published: November 2024

The caudal part of a vertebrate embryo consists of somites, neural tube, lateral plate mesoderm derivatives and the tailbud. However, the minimal conditions and factors sufficient to induce the caudal region, particularly in humans, remain unresolved. Here, we show that BMP4 alone, when administered at appropriate dosage, is sufficient to induce the formation of an organizer for caudal induction. This organizer induces caudal cell fate specification and morphogenesis in zebrafish embryos. In 3D human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) aggregates, BMP4 can induce an elongated embryonic structure characterized by caudal fates. Importantly, hPSCs instructed by BMP4 are sufficient to induce a secondary caudal region when grafted into the animal pole of the zebrafish embryo. Our study thus uncovers BMP4 as the inducer in the formation of a caudal organizer in the vertebrate embryo.

Significance statement

We demonstrate that BMP4 alone can induce the formation of a caudal organizer, a critical structure that guides the development of the caudal region in vertebrates. Using zebrafish embryos, embryonic explants, human pluripotent stem cell xenografts, and 3D human stem cell aggregates, we show that this organizer replicates morphogenesis and key differentiation pathways seen in natural development. Our findings uncover a novel role for BMP4 and define the minimal requirements for inducing this organizer, offering new insights into vertebrate development and potential applications in regenerative medicine.
CIFR (Clone–Integrate–Flip-out–Repeat): a toolset for iterative genome and pathway engineering of Gram-negative bacteria
Authors: Federici Filippo , Luppino Francesco , Aguilar-Vilar Clara , Mazaraki Maria Eleni , Petersen Lars Boje , Ahonen Linda , Nikel Pablo I.
Published: November 2024

Advances in genome engineering enable precise and customizable modifications of bacterial species. Toolsets for metabolic engineering that exhibit broad-host compatibility are particularly valued owing to their portability. Tn5transposon vectors have been widely used to establish random integrations of desired DNA sequences into bacterial genomes. However, the iteration of the procedure remains challenging because of the limited availability of selection markers. Here, we present CIFR, a mini-Tn5integration system for iterative genome engineering. The pCIFR vectors incorporateattPandattBsites flanking an antibiotic resistance marker used to select for the insertion. Subsequent removal of these antibiotic determinants is facilitated by the Bxb1 integrase, and a user-friendly counter-selection marker, both encoded in auxiliary plasmids. Hence, CIFR delivers engineered strains harboring stable DNA insertions and free of any antibiotic resistance cassette, allowing for the reusability of the tool. The system was validated inPseudomonas putida, Escherichia coli, andCupriavidus necator, underscoring its portability across diverse industrially-relevant hosts. The CIFR toolbox was calibrated through combinatorial integrations of chromoprotein genes inP. putida, generating strains displaying a diverse colorpalette. Next, we introduced a carotenoid biosynthesis pathway inP. putidain a two-step engineering process, showcasing the potential of the tool for pathway balancing. The broad utility of the toolbox expands the synthetic biology toolkit for metabolic engineering, allowing for the construction of complex phenotypes, while opening new possibilities in bacterial genetic manipulations.
Analysis of students’ conceptual change in learning Newton’s third law with an integrated framework of model analysis and knowledge integration
Authors: Ding Yi , Zhu Guangtian , Bian Qiuxin , Bao Lei
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this study is to examine how students may hold coexisting and competing conceptual ideas and how students’ uses of such ideas may evolve during the process of conceptual change by combining two complementary methods including model analysis and the conceptual framework model of knowledge integration. Conceptual change is fundamental to science learning, highlighting the processes of students’ transitions from predominantly relying on alternative views to using scientific ones. Recent studies suggest a growing consensus that alternative views and scientific conceptions coexist and compete in students’ learning. However, explicit research on how the states of coexistence and competition evolve during the process of conceptual change is underdeveloped. Building on existing research, the model analysis provides a quantitative framework to represent the different consistent and coexisting/competing states through probabilities of consistent and/or mixed (coexisting) use of incorrect and scientific ideas. Meanwhile, the conceptual framework model of knowledge integration provides content-specific, cognitive explanations for the developmental levels and processes of conceptual change from novice to expert. By combining these two methods, researchers can gain insights into how the coexistence and competition among different conceptual ideas may evolve as conceptual change progresses. To target the research goal, a model-based knowledge integration assessment of Newton’s third law is developed to measure students’ levels of knowledge integration and model states in a single test. Quantitative data were collected from Chinese high school students, supplemented by interviews with a subgroup from the same population. The model analysis results show the heterogeneity of conceptual development and the evolving competition across novice, intermediate, and expert students, as well as across different concept dimensions. The interviews provide cognitive explanations for the observed model states, framed from the lens of knowledge integration. These insights can inform the development of effective assessments and instructional strategies to facilitate favorable conceptual change in student learning.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Multimode squeezed state for reconfigurable quantum networks at telecommunication wavelengths
Authors: Roman-Rodriguez Victor , Fainsin David , Zanin Guilherme L. , Treps Nicolas , Diamanti Eleni , Parigi Valentina
Published: November 2024

Continuous variable encoding of quantum information requires the deterministic generation of highly correlated quantum states of light in the form of quantum networks, which, in turn, necessitates the controlled generation of a large number of squeezed modes. In this paper, we present an experimental source of multimode squeezed states of light at telecommunication wavelengths. Generation at such wavelengths is especially important as it can enable quantum information processing, communication, and sensing beyond the laboratory scale. We use a single-pass spontaneous parametric down-conversion process in a nonlinear waveguide pumped with the second harmonic of a femtosecond laser. Our measurements reveal significant squeezing in more than 21 frequency modes, with a maximum squeezing value exceeding 2.5 dB. We demonstrate multiparty entanglement by measuring the state's covariance matrix. Finally, we show the source reconfigurability by preparing few-node cluster states and measure their nullifier squeezing level. These results pave the way for a scalable implementation of continuous variable quantum information protocols at telecommunication wavelengths, particularly for multiparty, entanglement-based quantum communications. Moreover, the source is compatible with additional pulse-by-pulse multiplexing, which can be utilized to construct the necessary three-dimensional entangled structures for quantum computing protocols.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
The risk of clustering of deprivations in Spain: a tale of two crises
Authors: García-Gómez César , Pérez Ana , Prieto-Alaiz Mercedes
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The At Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion (AROPE) rate is a key indicator for monitoring poverty in Europe. However, it is not sensitive to the degree to which individuals face multiple deprivations simultaneously. This paper aims to fill this gap by studying the relationship between the three dimensions of the AROPE rate at the lower tail of their joint distribution in Spain in the period 2009–2022.

Design/methodology/approach

To capture how the different dimensions of poverty are related at the lower tail of their joint distribution, this paper proposes a multivariate left tail concentration function based on copulas. This function quantifies lower tail dependence at a finite scale, which, for practical purposes, is more suitable than estimating asymptotic measures, and can be represented in a 2D graph, facilitating interpretation and temporal comparisons. This function also provides information on overall dependence, as it is closely related to the Blomqvist’s beta.

Findings

There is a considerable risk of clustering of deprivations in Spain, with low positions in one poverty dimension extending to others. This risk increased after the Great Recession but did not decrease with the economic recovery that followed. The crisis linked to COVID-19 did not have a significant impact on the risk of clustering of deprivations. Lower tail dependence provides new valuable insights on the dependence structure of poverty dimensions beyond the analyses based on overall dependence.

Originality/value

This paper provides new theoretical results and a pioneering application of multivariate lower tail dependence measures in welfare economics using non-parametric methods.
Getting the deal: a qualitative inquiry into the task and developmental i-deal obtainment process
Authors: Garg Swati , Sinha Shuchi
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Idiosyncratic deals, or i-deals, are customizations that employees make to their jobs with the consent of their organization. This study investigates how employees obtain their task and developmental (T&D) i-deals by using qualitative data obtained from professionals in India.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 27 professionals employed in diverse services firms in India. Data was analysed using the Gioia guidelines (Gioia et al., 2013).

Findings

The findings show a four-stage i-deal obtainment process that highlights how the desire for a T&D i-deal emerges, strengthens and materializes into an actual discussion or negotiation, and the routes employees take depending upon the success or failure of the i-deal discussion.

Originality/value

I-deals obtainment is a four-stage cyclical process, encompassing several factors, including attempts at credibility building by the i-dealer, assessing the availability of the i-deal within the organization and using influence tactics during the i-deal discussion. The application of social learning theory accentuates understanding of the i-deal obtainment process, particularly how employees develop and recognize the desire for an i-deal and how they progress through the four stages.
Employee experience, well-being and turnover intentions in the workplace
Authors: Nair Sridevi , Hawaldar Aparna , Kumar Arti
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of employee experience in influencing employee well-being and turnover intentions within organizations. The mediating role of well-being will also be investigated, along with an exploration of whether these relationships differ across genders, specifically in the Indian corporate context.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive, quantitative study was conducted using structured questionnaires to gather data from 111 employees in the Indian corporate sector. The study used a non-probability judgment sampling method. Data was analyzed through SPSS for descriptive and inferential statistics, and partial least squares was used to explore mediation and model fit.

Findings

The study found a significant impact of employee experience on well-being, as well as a negative correlation between both employee experience and turnover intention and well-being and turnover intention. Well-being was found to partially mediate the relationship between employee experience and turnover intention. Gender-based analysis revealed no significant differences in the relationships between these variables for men and women.

Originality/value

This research highlights the universal applicability of employee experience as a predictor of well-being and turnover intention, irrespective of gender. By establishing that gender does not moderate these relationships, this study provides new insights challenging traditional assumptions about gender disparities in workplace outcomes.
Did you notice us? An eye-tracking investigation of sponsorship at the US Olympic swim trials
Authors: Mondt Ali B. , Morse Alan , Evans Zachary
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the ecological validity of sponsorship effectiveness by examining the visual attention paid to sponsorship at a live sporting event and the subsequent impact of that attention on cognitive outcomes using eye tracking in a natural, real-world environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Two logistic regression analyses (i.e. sponsor recall and sponsor recognition) were conducted to evaluate the impact of sponsorship exposure time, fixation duration and fixation frequency on viewer attention.

Findings

The preliminary investigation unveiled that longer exposure, strategic placement and brand repetition led to more frequent and extended fixations. The statistical examination demonstrated that a greater fixation frequency yielded a higher probability of explicit memory. However, the amount of time did not appear to influence viewers’ explicit memory. Further, females exhibited a higher probability of explicit memory compared to their male counterparts. Finally, age emerged as a significant determinant of explicit memory.

Originality/value

The significance of conducting eye-tracking studies within an authentic sport environment enhances ecological validity, leading to the development of practical and realistic approaches to boost consumers' explicit memory of sponsors. Further, the tangible evidence of how sponsorship information is processed can inform and modify sport marketing strategies to enhance the effectiveness of sponsorships.
Beyond a simple yes or no: using signal detection theory to measure sponsorship identification accuracy
Authors: Madrigal Robert , King Jesse
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Sponsorship identification accuracy is typically assessed as the percentage of consumers answering “yes” when asked if a brand is a sponsor (hits). However, this fails to consider misattribution (answering “yes” for a non-sponsor brand; false alarms). Misattribution reflects consumer confusion and dilutes the benefits of an official sponsorship, offers an advantage to a non-sponsoring rival and reduces a brand’s return on sponsorship investment. Informed by signal-detection theory (SDT), we show how hits may be disentangled from false alarms using a measure of sensitivity called d-prime (d’). A related measure of response bias (c) is also discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1, we report the results of an experiment. In Study 2, we rely on a field study involving actual sponsors and fans.

Findings

The use of d’ and c is superior to tallying “yes” responses because they account for accurate sponsor attribution and misattribution to non-sponsor competitors.

Originality/value

In the context of sponsorship, we demonstrate how d’ and c can be easily calculated using Excel. Our research also includes an experimental study that establishes the hypothesized effects and then replicate results in a field setting.
Managerial incentives and accounting quality: the role of ownership in banking
Authors: Gupta Mayank
Published: November 2024

Purpose

The study investigates the influence of managerial discretion over accruals on banks' financial reporting quality. Furthermore, it examines the role of ownership in shaping managerial incentives to manipulate banks’ reporting quality in a developing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample includes 37 Indian public- and private-sector banks from the fiscal year 2001–2022. The discretionary LLP (DLLP) is used to examine various managerial incentives and accounting quality. The models are estimated using panel fixed-effect regression and the system generalized method of moments. The results survive several sensitivity checks.

Findings

The results exhibit a low quality of financial reporting in public-sector banks, which is evident through the higher use of DLLP for income smoothing and signaling. In contrast, the low-capitalized private-sector banks employ DLLP to manage capital.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s sample size is relatively small and focuses on a single country. Future researchers can investigate other emerging economies to better generalize the findings of this study.

Practical implications

The study highlights the influential role of ownership in shaping managerial incentives in the banking industry. Moreover, the study is of utmost importance for governments, regulators and policymakers in devising policies that reduce agency conflicts and improve financial stability in emerging economies.

Originality/value

The study subscribes to the growing literature on the role of ownership in influencing the banks’ financial reporting quality. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the limited studies in the context of government-owned vs private-owned banks in an emerging economy.
Sustainability tweeting triumphs during the COP events: analysing environmental, social and governance (ESG) communication on twitter
Authors: ElAlfy Amr , Quigley John , Tang Leilei , Al Hariri Youssef , Weber Olaf
Published: November 2024

Purpose

With the recent conclusion of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) 28 in the United Arab Emirates, this study aims to investigate the tweeting behaviour of firms surrounding COP events. The authors analyse the environmental, social and governance (ESG) tweets from the COP 26 and COP 27 events, aiming to deepen the understanding of the complex relationships between social media communication, industry characteristics and financial performance. This timely analysis is critical for assessing how the latest global discussions on climate change are influencing corporate communication strategies on sustainability, offering fresh insights into the evolving dynamics of ESG engagement in the context of these pivotal international meetings.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the authors embrace a grounded theory approach to gain insights into the ESG and sustainability initiatives presented by companies on social media, with an intensified focus on climate change discourse. Leveraging advanced social media analytics, this study expands its scope by conducting a thorough examination of ESG-related tweets from Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 500 companies. In addition, the authors explore the relationships between such communication efforts and financial performance, applying an advanced cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) model. This methodological enhancement enables a more sophisticated understanding of how ESG communication on Twitter correlates with, and potentially influences, a firm’s market valuation and financial health, offering invaluable insights into the strategic importance of digital sustainability discourse.

Findings

The research findings introduce four novel distinct groups – Unengaged, Catalysts, Cautious and Shapers – based on firms’ proactive or reactive sustainability communication patterns. The results explore the potential impact of COP event locations on tweeting behaviour, proposing that conferences held in different regions, such as Asia versus Europe, may elicit varied reactions from S&P 500 firms. Despite no significant inter-industry differences in tweeting habits, the authors discover a significant link between firms’ financial metrics, specifically CARs, and their categorised communication styles. The results challenge the simplistic view that higher social media engagement leads to positive financial outcomes, suggesting instead that lower financial performance may drive firms to adopt more extreme communication patterns, possibly as a strategic move to enhance corporate legitimacy.

Originality/value

This study offers new insights into how companies use social media during significant climate change events, namely, COP events. By classifying firms according to their ESG communication approaches, the results reveal uncharted correlations between how companies communicate on social media, namely, Twitter, and the correlation to financial performance.
E-tail format, cognitive orientation and device: shaping variety’s impact on online cart abandonment
Authors: Das Sarma Agnitra , Sarkar Juhi Gahlot , Sarkar Abhigyan
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impact of perceived variety on consumers’ online shopping cart abandonment (OSCA). It also discerns how e-tail format (single- vs multi-brand), the cognitive processing styles of consumers (System 1 vs System 2) and device type (mobile vs laptop) influence shopping cart abandonment asymmetrically.

Design/methodology/approach

Three studies were conducted. Data were analysed using Hayes’ Process macro.

Findings

Perceived variety increases the likelihood of OSCA via the mediation of cognitive load. The consumer is likely to experience a greater (lesser) cognitive load for a multi-brand (single-brand) e-tailer. System 1–oriented thinkers tend to experience lesser cognitive load, thus diminishing the effect of cognitive load on OSCA compared to individuals who rely on System 2 processing. Furthermore, the impact of perceived variety on cognitive load decreases significantly when a laptop is used rather than a mobile phone.

Originality/value

This paper establishes linkages between OSCA and choice overload literature to demonstrate how an excess of choice may be detrimental to e-retailers’ prospects and the asymmetries of single-brand vs multi-brand e-tail formats for this effect.
Community-based interventions on the social determinants of mental health in the UK: an umbrella review
Authors: Williams Nia , Kirkbride James B.
Published: November 2024

Purpose

There is growing evidence that several social determinants influence mental health outcomes, but whether or not community-based prevention strategies are effective in intervening on these social determinants to improve mental health is unclear. The purpose of this study was to synthesise the state of knowledge on this topic in the UK context, by conducting an umbrella review of the relevant systematic review literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors searched five electronic databases for systematic reviews of community-based interventions that addressed any social determinant of mental health (SDOMH) in the UK, provided that mental health outcomes were measured. They also reported the results according to PRISMA guidelines and synthesised narratively.

Findings

The search yielded 1,101 citations, of which 10 systematic reviews met inclusion criteria. These reviews included 285 original studies, of which 147 (51.6%) were from the UK. Two reviews focussed on children and young people, with the remainder based on working-age adult populations. The authors identified five categories of SDMOH, where financial insecurity and welfare advice interventions were addressed by the largest number of reviews (n = 4), followed by reviews of interventions around social isolation and support (n = 3) and housing regeneration initiatives (n = 2). Results across all social determinants and mental health outcomes were highly heterogenous, but evidence most consistently supported the effectiveness of interventions addressing financial and welfare support on mental health outcomes.

Originality/value

This review highlights the paucity of high quality, causal evidence from the UK and beyond on the effectiveness of interventions on the social determinants of mental health; severe methodological heterogeneity hampers progress to identify scalable interventions to improve population mental health.
Fabrication of highly efficient cationic flocculant based on rice straw plant waste using microwave initiation technique: synthesis, characterization and flocculation performance
Authors: Mostafa Khaled , Elnagar Khaled , El-Sanabary Azza
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to describe the conversion of rice straw (RS) as an agricultural plant waste to high-performance cationic flocculant for kaolin clay suspension in wastewater treatment as an alternative to synthetic ones.

Design/methodology/approach

This was done by grafting rice straw after pretreatment with acrylamide (Aam) using microwave irradiation technique without using an initiator in an open vessel container for wastewater treatment. Radiation time, monomer and rice straw pulp concentration as well as microwave power were scrutinized to examine their impact on maximizing the graft yield %. Application of the resultant copolymers as flocculants for kaolin clay suspension was willful by studying the foremost influences inducing the flocculation process, for instance, flocculent dose, pH, stirring speed and extent of grafting.

Findings

It is seen from the obtained results that both FTIR, SEM, X-Ray diffraction, Thermo gravimetric analysis and Zeta potential confirmed the formation of the cationic amide group onto the graft copolymer chain in comparison with the ungrafted one; the microwave initiation method proved to be a very efficient tool concerning maximizing the graft yield % with no harsh chemicals used for initiating grafting; the flocculation efficiency of the prepared copolymers augmented by increasing the flocculant dose, pH and stirring speed to a maximum value signified at 2.0 g, 6.0 and 75 r/min, respectively, then decreased thereafter while increased by increasing the extent of grafting within the range studied; the flocculant reserved high flocculation efficiency even after five cycles of flocculation/regeneration; preliminary bridging mechanism demonstrating the attraction between the kaolin anionic suspended particles and cationic poly (Aam)-rice straw graft copolymer has been predicted.

Originality/value

The novelty addressed here is undertaken by preparing a very efficient cationic flocculant using rice straw waste with different degrees of grafting for the treatment of wastewater using this kind of microwave irradiation approach as an eco-friendly tool. As far as the authors are aware, no thorough investigation has been done in the literature until now dealing with the above-mentioned preparation process.
Comparative study of machine learning method and response surface methodology in BGA solder joint parameter optimization
Authors: Liu Fang , Duan Zhongwei , Gong Runze , Zhou Jiacheng , Wu Zhi , Yan Nu
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Ball grid array (BGA) package is prone to failure issues in a thermal vibration-coupled environment, such as deformation and fracture of solder joints. To predict the minimum equivalent stress of solder joints more accurately and optimize the solder joint structure, this paper aims to compare the machine learning method with response surface methodology (RSM).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduced a machine learning algorithm using Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) Support Vector Regression (SVR) to optimize solder joint parameters. The solder joint height, spacing, solder pad diameter and thickness were the design variables, and minimizing the equivalent stress of solder joint was the optimization objective. The three dimensional finite element model of the printed circuit board assembly was verified by a modal experiment, and simulations were conducted for 25 groups of models with different parameter combinations. The simulation results were employed to train GWO-SVR to build a mathematical model and were analyzed using RSM to obtain a regression equation. Finally, GWO optimized these two methods.

Findings

The results show that the optimization results of GWO-SVR are closer to the simulation results than those of RSM. The minimum equivalent stress is decreased by 8.528% that of the original solution.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates that GWO-SVR is more precise and effective than RSM in optimizing the design of solder joints.
Impact of the Astra Zeneca COVID‐19 vaccine on an emergency department
Authors: Deans Jamie , Burns Brian , Portas William , Hannah Clare , Buchanan Jack , Motashar Yasmine
Published: November 2024

Objective

To assess the impact of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine roll‐out on an ED. Primary outcomes are ED length of stay (LOS), investigation ordering and costs. Secondary measures are compliance with the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ) Vaccine‐Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopaenia Syndrome (VITT) guidelines.

Methods

This retrospective observational study examined a level 5 ED in Sydney, Australia. Triages mentioning the AZ vaccine between 7 July 2021 and 8 November 2021 were reviewed. Cases were limited to a single day of the week. Researchers reviewed clinical notes to identify patients that presented due to AZ vaccine concern and abstracted relevant data. Costings were calculated using an ED activity‐based funding algorithm.

Results

One thousand three hundred and fifty cases were identified, with 167 analysed (12%) and 97 presented (7%). Median LOS was 195 min (IQR: 152–232 min, 95% CI [184, 217]). Median age was 43 years (IQR: 35–65 years, 95% CI [44, 51]). Median Australian Triage Category was 4. Ninety‐eight percent were discharged directly home. Ninety‐four percent underwent pathology and 41% radiology. Compliance with the THANZ guidelines was 16%. No findings were related to VITT. AZ vaccine concern contributed 12% of August ED caseload. Over the 16‐week study period a cost of AUD$486 747.99 was extrapolated.

Conclusions

A high number of young, low acuity patients presented to the ED with AZ vaccine concerns and were associated with financial and workload implications. The quantity of ED presentations appears to be associated with vaccine administration rates. There was poor compliance with the THANZ guidelines, and they appear to have contributed to the high volume of investigations.
Genome reduction improves octanoic acid production in scale down bioreactors
Authors: Cordell William T. , Avolio Gennaro , Takors Ralf , Pfleger Brian F.
Published: November 2024

Microorganisms in large‐scale bioreactors are exposed to heterogeneous environmental conditions due to physical mixing constraints. Nutritional gradients can lead to transient expression of energetically wasteful stress responses and as a result, can reduce the titres, rates and yields of a bioprocess at larger scales. To what extent these process parameters are impacted is often unknown and therefore bioprocess scale‐up comes with major risk. Designing platform strains to account for these intermittent stresses before introducing synthesis pathways is one strategy for de‐risking bioprocess development. For example, Escherichia coli strain RM214 is a derivative of wild‐type MG1655 that has had several genes and whole operons removed from its genome based on their metabolic cost. In this study, we engineered E. coli strain RM214 (referred to as WG02) to produce octanoic acid from glycerol in batch‐flask and fed‐batch bioreactor cultivations and compared it to an octanoic acid‐producing E. coli MG1655 (WG01). In batch flask cultivations, the two strains performed similarly. However, in carbon limited fed‐batch bioreactor cultivations, WG02 provided a greater than 22% boost to biomass compared to WG01 while maintaining similar titres of octanoic acid. Reducing the biomass accumulation of WG02 with nitrogen limited fed‐batch cultivation resulted in a 16% improvement in octanoic acid titre over WG01. Finally, in a scale‐down system consisting of a stirred tank reactor (representing a well‐mixed zone) and plug flow reactor (representing an intermittent carbon starvation zone), WG02 again improved octanoic acid titre by almost 18% while maintaining similar biomass concentrations as WG01.