bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shariah-compliance and IPO underpricing: evidence from Pakistan Stock Exchange
Authors: Mehmood Waqas , Mohd-Rashid Rasidah , Tajuddin Ahmad Hakimi , Saleem Hassan Mujtaba Nawaz 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effect of Shariah-compliant status and Shariah regulation on initial public offering (IPO) underpricing in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach
Besides the ordinary least square’s method, this study used quantile least squares as a robust approach and stepwise regression for further analysis to investigate the underpricing phenomenon in Pakistan. Data of 84 IPOs listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange from January 2000 to December 2018 were collected to determine the impact of Shariah-compliant status and Shariah regulation on IPO underpricing.

Findings
Results of the study show that Shariah-compliant status has a negative relationship but Shariah regulation has a positive relationship with IPO underpricing. Hence, it is contended that Shariah-compliant firms have lower asset volatility and uncertainty than non-Shariah-compliant firms because of less information asymmetry, resulting in lower underpricing. These Shariah-compliant firms provide signals of high-quality IPOs as they must comply with the strict guidelines issued by the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan in addition to being considered as amicable by investors. Further, this study suggests that investors are more attracted to Shariah-compliant firms than non-Shariah-compliant ones.

Research limitations/implications
This study’s offers limited consideration of nonfinancial and financial characteristics that could influence the decision of investors to subscribe to IPOs. Besides, future studies could consider the screening benchmarks; for instance, debt and cash may explain the intensity of IPO initial return in Pakistan.

Originality/value
The present work empirically investigated the influence of Shariah-compliant status and Shariah regulation on IPO underpricing in Pakistan’s IPO market, which has been scarcely covered in the existing literature.
Further investigation of behavioural intention towards LCAs: multi-group analyses of air traveller behaviouristics
Authors: Wungrotjanarut Chawannuch , Racela Olimpia C. 
Published: July 2021

PurposeThis study investigated an appended belief-attitude-intention (BAI) model, which included two antecedent beliefs of attitude and two marketing factors as additional determinants of air traveller behavioural intentions towards low-cost airlines (LCAs). The hypothesized relationships were compared across different behaviouristic groups based on flying frequency, travel purpose and travel party size.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data from 331 air travellers intercepted at a major international airport in Thailand were analysed using structural equation modelling and bootstrapping multiple-group comparisons to investigate the hypothesized mediation and moderation effects.FindingsResults indicate that behavioural intention towards LCAs is largely influenced by perceived price, followed by attitude towards LCAs and subjective norm and not determined by airport accessibility. Antecedent beliefs of perceived service quality and uncertainty avoidance influence behavioural intention, as mediated by attitude towards LCAs. The role of subjective norm varied among air traveller groups.Practical implicationsManagers can manage price perceptions by focusing on LCA affordability and they should closely scrutinize these air traveller behaviouristic groups to identify opportunities to appeal to the distinctive cognitive responses of traveller segments.Originality/valueThis study tested an appended BAI model across three different air traveller behavioural characteristics, a multi-group analytical approach that can reveal meaningful implications, yet has been underused in LCA research.
Strengths and weaknesses of forensic accounting: an implication on the socio-economic development
Authors: Alshurafat Hashem , Al Shbail Mohannad Obeid , Mansour Ebrahim 
Published: July 2021

PurposeThis review aims to provide an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of forensic accounting education and profession.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews published forensic accounting studies to explore forensic accounting strengths and weaknesses.FindingsThe strengths of forensic accounting are its benefits to students and accounting professionals, the significant need and increasing demand, the new career channels and the reduction of fraud. The weakness factors are the lack of regulation, the lack of control over the profession entry, the lack of agreement on how to teach forensic accounting, the lack of specialized research journals, the misconception of its intrinsic aim, the lack of highly qualified practitioners and educators and the lack of public recognition and occupation reputation.Practical implicationsIt is hoped that this structured investigation of the factors relevant to the current and future status of forensic accounting education and profession will provide a sufficient overview of the critical issues and concerns that are important to be known for understanding and advancing the vital application of forensic accounting on the Socio-Economic Development. It is anticipated that this paper has an impact on future policy that ultimately contributes to improving business and limit fraud incidents, thus, it can contribute to business and socio-economic development.Originality/valueThe literature on forensic accounting is extensive and varied. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of forensic accounting. This study provided policymakers with a comprehensive understanding of forensic accounting.
Singapore variable capital companies: the many uses and benefits
Authors: Koh Jerry , Lee Jonathan 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
To show different ways the Singapore Variable Capital Company (“VCC”) can be employed and utilized.

Design/methodology/approach
Describes how the Singapore VCC can be used in master-feeder structures, umbrella structures, a “plug-and-play” model, sub-fund structures with different assets and different investors, open-ended structures, and structures that allow for tokenization of securities and the offering of VCC shares as digital securities.

Findings
The flexibility of the VCC allows it to be used across different fund strategies, investor classes and asset classes.

Originality/value
Practical analysis, guidance and market commentary from experienced investment funds lawyers.
Proximity to broad bond rating change and CEO power
Authors: Bajaj Akhilesh , Sun Li 
Published: July 2021

PurposeBorderline firms whose bond rating has a plus or minus specification by a rating agency face a greater potential for an upgrade or downgrade by the agency. The authors examine the level of chief executive officer (CEO) power in firms with a plus or minus bond rating. The authors test whether CEOs of these firms become more or less powerful, along with the effect of corporate governance and existing bond rating.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a panel sample with 16,429 observations from 1992 to 2016 from the ExecuComp database.FindingsThe authors find that CEOs of borderline-rated firms tend to be less powerful, relative to firms with a non-proximate rating. This result is largely present in firms with a plus rating. The authors also find that our primary findings are mainly driven by firms with low bond ratings (i.e. below investment grade) or by firms with weak corporate governance. Lastly, the authors document that CEO personal characteristics (i.e. CEO age, gender and tenure) impact our findings.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, firms in our sample are large public companies, and the external validity of our results to smaller firms that may also be private is unknown. Second, the Compustat database discontinued reporting bond rating data (i.e. S&P bond ratings) in 2017. Hence, the authors are unable to analyze the CEO power of borderline firms in years after 2016.Practical implicationsThe study contributes to the larger debate on whether having powerful CEOs is beneficial to an organization or not, because prior research has examined the consequences of CEO power with mixed results. The authors document evidence to support the research stream that links CEO power to negative consequences.Social implicationsThe authors find that our primary results are enhanced in firms with weak corporate governance, which is consistent with prior research that finds effective governance may mitigate CEO power and agency problems between the CEO and the Board.Originality/valuePrior research primarily uses CEO power as a driver for performance. Our study focuses on CEO power as a dependent variable, with the bond rating change proximity as a driver of CEO power. The authors believe that this helps develop a more comprehensive understanding of CEO power.
Blockholders and corporate governance: evidence from China’s split-share-structure reform
Authors: Qian Xiaolin , Tam Lewis 
Published: July 2021

Purpose
Proper empirical tests of the effect of blockholders’ monitoring incentives on corporate governance are scant in the literature because the relationship between ownership structure and enforcement of corporate governance mechanisms is bidirectional. This study aims to address the endogeneity issue by examining the effect of blockholding on executive turnover–performance sensitivity, using the split-share-structure (SSS) reform in China as an exogenous shock to blockholders’ monitoring incentives.

Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a logit model for estimating the change in executive turnover–performance sensitivity around the SSS reform. Sub-sample analysis is conducted to examine whether the impact of SSS reform on the turnover-performance sensitivity is stronger for firms with more contestable blockholders who might consider stock liquidity, risk sharing and diversification in their monitoring/trading decisions.

Findings
Top executive turnover, defined as CEO or board chair turnover, becomes less sensitive to firm operating performance after the reform, mainly for firms with contestable blockholders prior to the reform. Stock liquidity and blockholders’ demand for diversification can explain the impact of contestable blockholding. Moreover, blockholding is sensitive to firm operating performance after the reform but not before it.

Originality/value
With few exceptions, most studies in the blockholding literature focus on the effect of blockholder monitoring on firm value. Examining an exogenous shock to blockholding, this paper provides a set of new evidence for the impact of blockholding on executive turnover–performance sensitivity. The results call for more evidence of the impact of blockholding on executive turnover from other markets.
Microbial metabolism and adaptations in Atribacteria‐dominated methane hydrate sediments
Authors: Glass Jennifer B. , Ranjan Piyush , Kretz Cecilia B. , Nunn Brook L. , Johnson Abigail M. , Xu Manlin , McManus James , Stewart Frank J. 
Published: July 2021

SummaryGas hydrates harbour gigatons of natural gas, yet their microbiomes remain understudied. We bioprospected 16S rRNA amplicons, metagenomes, and metaproteomes from methane hydrate‐bearing sediments under Hydrate Ridge (offshore Oregon, USA, ODP Site 1244, 2–69 mbsf) for novel microbial metabolic and biosynthetic potential. Atribacteria sequences generally increased in relative sequence abundance with increasing sediment depth. Most Atribacteria ASVs belonged to JS‐1‐Genus 1 and clustered with other sequences from gas hydrate‐bearing sediments. We recovered 21 metagenome‐assembled genomic bins spanning three geochemical zones in the sediment core: the sulfate–methane transition zone, the metal (iron/manganese) reduction zone, and the gas hydrate stability zone. We found evidence for bacterial fermentation as a source of acetate for aceticlastic methanogenesis and as a driver of iron reduction in the metal reduction zone. In multiple zones, we identified a Ni‐Fe hydrogenase‐Na+/H+ antiporter supercomplex (Hun) in Atribacteria and Firmicutes bins and in other deep subsurface bacteria and cultured hyperthermophiles from the Thermotogae phylum. Atribacteria expressed tripartite ATP‐independent transporters downstream from a novel regulator (AtiR). Atribacteria also possessed adaptations to survive extreme conditions (e.g. high salt brines, high pressure and cold temperatures) including the ability to synthesize the osmolyte di‐myo‐inositol‐phosphate as well as expression of K+‐stimulated pyrophosphatase and capsule proteins.
The next generation of protein super‐fibres: robust recombinant production and recovery of hagfish intermediate filament proteins with fibre spinning and mechanical–structural characterizations
Authors: Oliveira Paula E. , Chen Dong , Bell Brianne E. , Harris Thomas I. , Walker Caleb , Zhang Haixia , Grob Brittany , Lewis Randolph V. , Jones Justin A. 
Published: July 2021

SummaryNative hagfish intermediate filament proteins have impressive mechanical properties. However, using these native fibres for any application is impractical, necessitating their recombinant production. In the only literature report on the proteins (denoted α and ɣ), heterologous expression levels, using E. coli, were low and no attempts were made to optimize expression, explore wet‐spinning, or spin the two proteins individually into fibres. Reported here is the high production (~8 g l−1 of dry protein) of the hagfish intermediate filament proteins, with yields orders of magnitude higher (325–1000×) than previous reports. The proteins were spun into fibres individually and in their native‐like 1:1 ratio. For all fibres, the hallmark α‐helix to β‐sheet conversion occurred after draw‐processing. The native‐like 1:1 ratio fibres achieved the highest average tensile strength in this study at nearly 200 MPa with an elastic modulus of 5.7 GPa, representing the highest tensile strength reported for these proteins without chemical cross‐linking. Interestingly, the recombinant α protein achieved nearly the same mechanical properties when spun as a homopolymeric fibre. These results suggest that varying the two protein ratios beyond the natural 1:1 ratio will allow a high degree of tunability. With robust heterologous expression and purification established, optimizing fibre spinning will be accelerated compared to difficult to produce proteins such as spider silks.
Concurrent carbogen and nicotinamide with radiation therapy in muscle invasive bladder cancer: A report on feasibility in the Australian setting
Authors: Anzela Anzela , Min Myo , Knesl Marcel , Buddle Nicole , Azzopardi Maree , Hooshmand Riaz , Barrett Salena , Notman Andria , Woolls Helen , Wilson Jennifer , Vignarajah Dharman Dinesh 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIntroductionThe incidence of bladder cancer increases with age, and elderly patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) are significantly undertreated. Bladder preservation trimodality therapy (BPTT) is an alternative to radical cystectomy in the curative setting. The use of concurrent carbogen and nicotinamide (CON) with radiation therapy (RT) as radiosensitisers have shown significant improvement in the overall survival and local relapse in the UK BCON Trial and is part of the standard of care for patients with MIBC in the UK. This is the first study in the Australian setting to demonstrate the feasibility in setting up a CON radiation oncology department.MethodsBased on the UK BCON trial, circuit systems for carbogen gas delivery were set up in consultation with the anaesthetics and respiratory teams. TGA exemption was obtained for 98% oxygen and 2% carbon dioxide carbogen gas mixture and delivery apparatus for each patient. Seven patients with histological locally advanced bladder cancer were recruited into this study.ResultsThe establishment of a CON department took approximately 24 months. Development of trial protocol was based on the equipment availability in Australia and proper transport, storage and handling of the equipment was guided by local occupational, health and safety (OHS) regulations. All patients received full of dose of CON. Increased urinary frequency, urgency and diarrhoea were the most commonly reported acute bladder and bowel toxicities.ConclusionsThis is the first study in Australia to demonstrate the feasibility of concurrent CON with radiation therapy. It is a safe and cost‐effective treatment that provides a new therapeutic option in the treatment of patients with MIBC, particularly those with limited treatment options.
Bacteriophage therapeutics to confront multidrug‐resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ‐ a global health menace
Authors: Rai Sandhya , Kumar Amod 
Published: July 2021

SummaryWe have already entered the post‐antibiotic era as the outbreaks of numerous multidrug‐resistant strains in the community as well as hospital‐acquired infections are ringing alarm bells in the health sector. Acinetobacter baumannii is one such pathogen that has been considered a worldwide threat as it acquires multidrug resistance. It is one of the most challenging hospital‐acquired pathogens as World Health Organization has listed carbapenem‐resistant A. baumannii as a critical priority pathogen with limited therapeutic options. There is an urgent need to develop novel strategies against such pathogens to tackle the global crisis. Bacteriophages (phages), especially the lytic ones have re‐emerged as a potential therapeutic approach. This review encompasses vast majority of phages against A. baumannii strains with special references related to single phage or monophage therapy, use of phage cocktails, combination therapy with antibiotics, use of phage‐derived enzymes like endolysins and depolymerases to combat the pathogen and explore their therapeutic aspects. The concurrent ecological as well as evolutionary interplay between the phages and host bacteria demands in depth‐research and knowledge, so as to utilize the maximum potential of the bacteriophage therapy.
Intracranial haemorrhage associated with Vitamin K deficiency in Egyptian infants
Authors: Elalfy Mohsen , Eltonbary Khadiga , Elalfy Omar , Gadallah Mohsen , Zidan Ashraf , Abdel‐Hady Hesham 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAimIntracranial haemorrhage (ICH) in infancy is a rare life‐threatening event. The aim of this review is to highlight the association of ICH and potentially preventable vitamin K deficiency and to describe risk factors, presentation and outcome.MethodsOriginal published data on ICH related to vitamin K deficiency during 2008–2012 were extracted from records of participating centres in Egypt (Cairo and Delta region). Full data on 70 infants (0–24 weeks) have been reported in three publications.ResultsThe first study involved premature infants where ICH was potentially preventable with administration of parenteral vitamin K prophylactic doses to mothers ahead of imminent preterm delivery. The other 2 studies involved term newborns and infants. ICH due to early or classic vitamin K deficiency was reported in nine patients while 44 were due to late vitamin K deficiency. Main risk factors for late onset were exclusive breastfeeding, persistent diarrhoea and/or prolonged antibiotic therapy.ConclusionVitamin K deficiency bleeding is a relatively frequent problem underlying ICH in infancy. Prophylactic vitamin K to mothers when anticipating preterm labour or a vitamin K boost in exclusively breast‐fed infants with prolonged antibiotic usage and, or, persistent diarrhoea might have an impact on prevention and outcome.
Pathogenesis, risk factors and therapeutic options for autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in the post‐transplant setting
Authors: Gabelli Maria , Ademokun Christine , Cooper Nichola , Amrolia Persis I. 
Published: July 2021

SummaryAutoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) is a rare complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), observed with an incidence of 1–5%. Paediatric age, diagnosis of non‐malignant disease, lympho‐depleting agents in the conditioning regimen, use of unrelated donor, graft versus host disease and infections have been associated with a higher risk of AIHA post HSCT. Post‐HSCT AIHA is associated with high mortality and morbidity, and it is often very difficult to treat. Steroids and rituximab are used with a response rate around 30–50%. These and other therapeutic strategies are mainly derived from data on primary AIHA, although response rates in post‐HSCT AIHA have been generally lower. Here we review the currently available data on risk factors and therapeutic options. There is a need for prospective studies in post‐HSCT AIHA to guide clinicians in managing these complex patients.
Activation of AMP kinase ameliorates kidney vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation in rodent models of obesity
Authors: Rodríguez Claudia , Sánchez Ana , Sáenz‐Medina Javier , Muñoz Mercedes , Hernández Medardo , López Miguel , Rivera Luis , Contreras Cristina , Prieto Dolores 
Published: July 2021

Background and PurposeObesity is a risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease independent of diabetes, hypertension and other co‐morbidities. Obesity‐associated nephropathy is linked to dysregulation of the cell energy sensor AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK). We aimed here to assess whether impairment of AMPK activity may cause renal arterial dysfunction in obesity and to evaluate the therapeutic potential of activating renal AMPK.Experimental ApproachEffects of the AMPK activator A769662 were assessed on intrarenal arteries isolated from ob/ob mice and obese Zucker rats and then mounted in microvascular myographs. Superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production were measured by chemiluminescence and fluorescence, respectively, and protein expression was analysed by western blotting.Key ResultsEndothelium‐dependent vasodilation and PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway were impaired in preglomerular arteries from genetically obese rats and mice, along with impaired arterial AMPK activity and blunted relaxations induced by the AMPK activator A769662. Acute ex vivo exposure to A769662 restored endothelial function and enhanced activity of PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway in obese rats, whereas in vivo treatment with A769662 improved metabolic state and ameliorated endothelial dysfunction, reduced inflammatory markers and vascular oxidative stress in renal arteries and restored redox balance in renal cortex of obese mice.Conclusion and ImplicationsThese results demonstrate that AMPK dysregulation underlies obesity‐associated kidney vascular dysfunction and activation of AMPK improves metabolic state, protects renal endothelial function and exerts potent vascular antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects. The beneficial effects of vascular AMPK activation might represent a promising therapeutic approach to the treatment of obesity‐related kidney injury.