bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A fast, scalable, MinHash-based k-mer tool to assess Sequence Read Archive next generation sequence submissions
Authors: Katz Kenneth S. , Shutov Oleg , Lapoint Richard , Kimelman Michael , Brister J. Rodney , O’Sullivan Christopher 
Published: February 2021

AbstractSequence Read Archive submissions to the National Center for Biotechnology Information often lack useful metadata, which limits the utility of these submissions. We describe a scalable k-mer based tool for fast assessment of taxonomic diversity intrinsic to submissions, independent of metadata. We show that our MinHash-based k-mer tool is accurate and scalable, offering reliable criteria for efficient selection of data for further analysis by the scientific community, at once validating submissions while also augmenting sample metadata with reliable, searchable, taxonomic terms.
Comparing world regional sustainable supply chain finance using big data analytics: a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Tseng Ming-Lang , Bui Tat-Dat , Lim Ming K. , Tsai Feng Ming , Tan Raymond R. 
Published: February 2021

PurposeSustainable supply chain finance (SSCF) is a fascinated consideration for both academics and practitioners because the indicators are still underdeveloped in achieving SSCF. This study proposes a bibliometric data-driven analysis from the literature to illustrate a clear overall concept of SSCF that reveals hidden indicators for further improvement.Design/methodology/approachA hybrid quantitative and qualitative approach combining data-driven analysis, fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), entropy weight method (EWM) and fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (FDEMATEL) is employed to address the uncertainty in the context.FindingsThe results show that blockchain, cash flow shortage, reverse factoring, risk assessment and triple bottom line (TBL) play significant roles in SSCF. A comparison of the challenges and gaps among different geographic regions is provided in both advanced local perspective and a global state-of-the-art assessment. There are 35 countries/territories being categorized into five geographic regions. Of the five regions, two, Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, show the needs for more improvement, exclusively in collaboration strategies and financial crisis. Exogenous impacts of wars, natural disasters and disease epidemics are implied as inevitable attributes for enhancing the sustainability.Originality/valueThis study contributes to (1) boundary SSCF foundations by data driven, (2) identifying the critical SSCF indicators and providing the knowledge gaps and directions as references for further examination and (3) addressing the gaps and challenges in different geographic regions to provide advanced assessment from local viewpoint and to diagnose the comprehensive global state of the art of SSCF.
Mechanisms and challenges in financing renewable energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa: a Ghanaian perspective
Authors: Owusu-Manu De-Graft , Mankata Lawrence Martin , Debrah Caleb , Edwards David John , Martek Igor 
Published: February 2021

Purpose
Ghana has set an objective of achieving 10% of its energy requirements through renewable sources, by 2020. However, to date, the renewable energy (RE) sector has attracted only marginal investor interest. This paper aims to identify the challenges faced in financing RE in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive review of literature in renewable energy finance was conducted and 12 financing challenges were identified. From this list, a questionnaire was developed asking to rank barriers. This was distributed to experts within financial institutions and 32 were returned. A factor analysis and severity index analysis were performed to identify a ranking of challenges impeding RE project financing in Ghana.

Findings
The challenges to RE financing fall into the three broad categories, namely, “economic, commercial and regulatory” challenges. Within these broad constraints, “long payback periods,” “limited track record” and “high upfront cost” are the most severe impediments to obtaining financing for RE.

Practical implications
Identifying the specific conditions that make an investment in RE unattractive, give policymakers set on achieving the 10% RE goal, a way forward in developing a targeted policy that would mitigate identified investor disincentives.

Originality/value
The broad range of potential barriers to investment are known. However, this study combines a specific governmental ambition – encouraging the financing of RE – with a specific set of identified barriers inhibiting that ambition. In this regard, this study identifies exactly where the government needs to act if it is to facilitate investment in RE, as is required for Ghana to reach its 10% RE target.
Estimating worldwide costs of premature mortalities caused by COVID-19
Authors: Teixeira da Silva Jaime A. , Tsigaris Panagiotis 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an estimate of the costs of premature mortality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachUsing COVID-19 pandemic-derived mortality data for November 9, 2020 (globally 1,303,215 deaths) and applying a country-based value of statistical life (VSL), the worldwide cost of premature mortality was assessed. The cost was assessed based on income groups until November 9, 2020 and projected into the future until March 1, 2021 using three scenarios from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).FindingsThe global cost of premature mortality is currently estimated at Int$5.9 trillion. For the high-income group, the current estimated cost is Int$ $4.4 trillion or $3,700 per person. Using IHME projections until March 1, 2021, global premature mortality costs will increase to Int$13.7 trillion and reach Int$22.1 trillion if policies are relaxed, while the cost with 95% universal masks is Int$10.9 trillion. The richest nations will bear the largest burden of these costs, reaching $15,500 per person by March 1, 2021 if policies are relaxed.Originality/valueThe cost of human lives lost due to the pandemic is unprecedented. Preparedness in the future is the best policy to avoid many premature deaths and severe recessions in order to combat pandemics.
Capital structure determinants of small and medium-sized enterprises: evidence from Central and Eastern Europe
Authors: Czerwonka Leszek , Jaworski Jacek 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe main aim of the paper is to examine the small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) capital structure determinants in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania).Design/methodology/approachThe authors used panel models to analyze financial data of 15,253 companies operating in the years 2014–2017.FindingsThe authors confirmed the dominant role of firm-specific factors. Industry and country variables explain only 4% of debt variability of the surveyed companies. The direction of influence of the diagnosed firm-specific factors is consistent with the pecking order theory. About one-fourth of SMEs in CEE hold a stock of debt capacity. It negatively affects the share of debt in the capital. The authors did not confirm the influence of the systematic industry business risk.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of the study are (1) the inclusion of only six CEE countries in the sample; (2) the exclusion of microenterprises from the sample; (3) the capital structure relationships are observed following the applications of static panel; (4) the endogeneity issue has not been addressed in the model.Practical implicationsThis study shows that business-friendly institutional environment is an important factor influencing the indebtedness of companies. It increases the leverage and, consequently, the return on equity, especially in CEE countries.Originality/valueSME analyses in CEE countries are not as frequent as for other regions. Despite the classical determinants of the SMEs' capital structure, the authors have included debt capacity and systematic industry business risk in this study.
Zebras showing their stripes: a critical sense-making study of women CSR leaders
Authors: Cherneski Jennifer 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to reveal the gendered nature of social arrangements in order to bring to the surface the hidden discourses that mediate the opportunities of women leaders in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThe author uses critical sense-making (CSM) to analyze interviews with CSR leaders toward understanding the interconnected layers of influences they draw from as they make sense of their experiences.FindingsDespite the positioning of women as being untapped resources within CSR, the reality within CSR leadership indicates that resilient, stereotypical social constructions of gender are being (re)created. However, cues can disrupt the ongoing process of sense-making and create shocks that represent opportunities for resistance as discriminatory practices are revealed.Research limitations/implicationsApplying CSM as a methodology and to the field of CSR adds a component to CSR and gender scholarship that is currently missing. CSM as a methodology bridges broader sociocultural discourses and the local site of sense-making, making visible the structures and processes that enable some narratives to become legitimized by the formative context and protect the status quo.Social implicationsIf these leaders are able to use their discursive power to establish an alternate, dominant narrative throughout their organizations – a culture of emotional empathy within CSR – alternate meanings about the nature and purpose of CSR may emerge while highlighting the need for change.Originality/valueApplying CSM as a methodology and to the field of CSR adds a component to CSR and gender scholarship that is currently missing. CSM as a methodology bridges broader sociocultural discourses and the local site of sense-making, making visible the structures and processes that enable some narratives to become legitimized by the formative context and protect the status quo.
Unravelling the role of guanxi in the formation and management of international joint ventures – a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Zhao Xiaoli , Castka Pavel 
Published: February 2021

PurposeThe formation of international joint ventures (IJVs) is one of the prevalent approaches for Western companies to conduct business in China. Yet, doing business in China is difficult for many firms, partially because of the institutional voids that are created by weak formal institutions. The paper aims to focus on the role of guanxi (an informal institution and a company capability that fills such institutional void) in the formation and management of IJVs.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review on the role of guanxi in IJV formation and management is conducted based on papers published in top international business journals between 2005 and 2020 – in total, 47 papers are included in the review.FindingsThe findings of the study are presented in four themes, namely, the role of guanxi as social capital in IJV formation, the role of trust in guanxi-based IJVs, the role of control mechanisms in balancing high reliance on trust in guanxi-based IJVs and the role of guanxi in managing inconsistencies in the regulatory environment. The analysis also reveals that guanxi has a positive effect on the development of IJVs if control between the parent firms is well balanced; otherwise, guanxi can trigger opportunism and leads to failures.Practical implicationsThe study unravels how guanxi leads to successful outcomes in IJV formation and management, which assist managers who operate IJVs with their decision-making.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous paper has critically analysed the literature on IJVs using a guanxi perspective at micro (personal), meso (business) and (macro) governmental levels. This approach allows for providing more nuanced view of the role of guanxi in the formation and management of IJVs and aligns more closely with managerial decision-making.
Treatment outcomes and safety of afatinib in advanced squamous cell lung cancer progressed after platinum‐based doublet chemotherapy and immunotherapy (SPACE study)
Authors: Lee Seung Hyeun , Park Cheol‐Kyu , Lee Sung Yong , Choi Chang‐Min 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAfatinib is an ErbB family blocker approved for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation‐positive nonsmall‐cell lung cancer. A pivotal trial demonstrated significant clinical benefits with manageable toxicity of afatinib as a second‐line treatment option in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCC) which led to approval in >60 countries. However, these results were derived from a controlled study conducted in selected patients and are not necessarily representative of the real‐world use of this drug. In addition, data on afatinib use after immunotherapy in this clinical setting are lacking. The aim of this study is to evaluate the treatment outcomes and safety of afatinib as a second‐ or later‐line treatment for SCC and to identify potential predictive biomarkers. As a real‐world observational study, 130 eligible patients with advanced SCC, who progressed after platinum‐based chemo‐ and immunotherapy, will be enrolled. Treatment outcomes and safety data will be collected for both the retrospective and prospective cohorts, and molecular profiling using tissue and plasma will be performed for the prospective cohort. The primary endpoint is time to treatment failure, and the secondary endpoints are objective response rate, progression‐free survival, overall survival, and safety. Comparison of clinical outcomes with respect to the different programmed death‐ligand 1 expression and molecular characteristics will also be carried out. This study will provide additional evidence on the usefulness of afatinib as a subsequent treatment, as well as feasible molecular biomarkers to predict its efficacy in this clinical setting.
Survey coverage, recording duration and community composition affect observed species richness in passive acoustic surveys
Authors: Wood Connor M. , Kahl Stefan , Chaon Philip , Peery M. Zachariah , Klinck Holger 
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Bioacoustic assessments of species richness are rapidly becoming attainable, but uncertainty regarding the optimal acoustic survey design remains. Selecting the duration of recording and the number of recording units are critical decisions, and we used both simulated and empirical data to quantify the trade‐offs those choices present.

We evaluated the performance of 30 hypothetical acoustic survey designs (e.g. continuous recording, every other 5 min, etc.). Simulated bird species' (n ≤ 60) abundance across the study area, probability of daily availability and time‐dependent probability of vocal activity varied randomly within ranges of realistic values. Field data, collected in central New York, USA (747 hr) and in the northern Sierra Nevada, USA (1,090 hr), was analysed with a novel machine‐learning algorithm, BirdNET. All three datasets were subsampled at 5‐min intervals, observed species richness was compared across survey designs, and detection probability was calculated for each species.

Observed species richness increased with survey coverage (number of recording units) and with recording duration in all three datasets. The impact of differences in survey coverage decreased as recording duration decreased. Species' detection probabilities were negatively affected by reducing the number of days of recording and by reducing the daily recording duration. The more rare species a community had, the more species richness was underestimated as survey coverage decreased. Rarefaction curves indicated that increasing recording time has diminishing marginal utility but that the asymptote varies among communities. The cost per species observed decreased with increasing recording duration.

Discontinuous and reduced‐coverage sampling may still yield fairly accurate assessments of biodiversity but reducing recording duration or coverage will result in different species remaining undetected. Whether the performance of a study design is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depends on researchers' constraints and scientific questions to be answered. More hardware and longer recording durations are not always better, but we caution researchers against doing the bare minimum required for their present needs without pressing financial reasons to do so.
Aligned electrospun nerve conduits with electrical activity as a strategy for peripheral nerve regeneration
Authors: Castro Vanessa Oliveira , Merlini Claudia 
Published: February 2021

AbstractPeripheral nerve injuries affect the quality of life of people worldwide. Despite advances in materials and processing in recent decades, nerve repair remains a challenge. The autograft is considered the most effective nerve repair in cases of serious injuries in which direct suture is not applied. However, the autograft causes the loss of functionality of the donor site, and additionally, there is a limited availability of donor nerves. Nerve conduits emerge as an alternative to the autograft and nowadays some conduits are available for clinical use. Nevertheless, they still need to be optimized for better functional nerve response. This review proposes to analyze the use of aligned electrospun nerve conduits with electrical activity as a strategy to enhance a satisfactory nerve regeneration and functional recovery.
Valuing high‐seas ecosystem conservation
Authors: Xuan Bui Bich , Armstrong Claire W. , Ankamah‐Yeboah Isaac , Hynes Stephen , Needham Katherine 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe high seas provide a variety of ecosystem services that benefit society. There have, however, been few attempts to quantify the human welfare impacts of changes to the delivery of these benefits. We assessed the values of several key ecosystem service benefits derived from protecting ecosystems in the high seas of the Flemish Cap through choice experiments conducted in Canada, Norway, and Scotland. Rather than solely eliciting public willingness to pay, we also explored the determinants of variance in the estimates of willingness to pay. We aimed to determine how much respondents were willing to pay for high‐seas ecosystems conservation, which factors influence individuals’ willingness to pay, and whether individuals in Canada had a higher willingness to pay relative to those living in Norway and Scotland. This latter point captures distance‐decay effects. On average, the public placed positive value on conserving high‐seas ecosystems and on developing economic activities related to the exploitation and exploration of marine resources, despite a lack of awareness and familiarity with these environments. Distance‐decay effects on willingness to pay were not clear. Scots had the highest willingness to pay and the Norwegians the lowest willingness to pay for all attributes, with the only exception being willingness to pay for a large increase in new jobs, in which case Canadians’ willingness to pay was higher than Scots’. The public's willingness to pay was influenced by sociodemographic characteristics and their perceptions of high‐seas ecosystems. Our results provide evidence of the impacts of high‐seas governance on human welfare and that improved governance could increase the value people place on high‐seas ecosystems and the services they produce.
Artificial intelligence/neural network system for the screening of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Okanoue Takeshi , Shima Toshihide , Mitsumoto Yasuhide , Umemura Atsushi , Yamaguchi Kanji , Itoh Yoshito , Yoneda Masato , Nakajima Atsushi , Mizukoshi Eishiro , Kaneko Shuichi , Harada Kenichi 
Published: February 2021

AbstractAimWe aimed to develop a novel noninvasive test using an artificial intelligence (AI)/neural network (NN) system (named nonalcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]‐Scope) to screen nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and NASH.MethodsWe enrolled 324 and 74 patients histologically diagnosed with NAFLD for training and validation studies, respectively. Two independent pathologists histologically diagnosed patients with NAFLD for validation study. Additionally, 48 subjects who underwent a medical health checkup and did not show fatty liver ultrasonographically and had normal serum aminotransferase levels were categorized as the non‐NAFLD group. NASH‐Scope was based on 11 clinical values: age, sex, height, weight, waist circumference, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ‐glutamyl transferase, cholesterol, triglyceride, and platelet count.ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of NASH‐Scope for distinguishing NAFLD from non‐NAFLD in the training study and validation study were 99.7% versus 97.2%, 97.8% versus 97.8%, 99.7% versus 98.6%, 97.8% versus 95.7%, and 0.999 versus 0.950, respectively. Those for distinguishing NASH with fibrosis from NAFLD without fibrosis were 99.5% versus 90.7%, 84.3% versus 93.3%, 94.2% versus 98.0%, 98.6% versus 73.7%, and 0.960 versus 0.950. These results were excellent, even when the output data were divided into two categories without any gray zone.ConclusionsThe AI/NN system, termed as NASH‐Scope, is practical and can accurately differentially diagnose between NAFLD and non‐NAFLD and between NAFLD without fibrosis and NASH with fibrosis. Thus, NASH‐Scope is useful for screening nonalcoholic fatty liver and NASH.
Determinants of flood adaptation: Parametric and semiparametric assessment
Authors: Pathak Santosh 
Published: February 2021

AbstractFlood adaptation measures are indispensable to offset agricultural losses emanating from the increasing frequency and intensity of floods. Therefore, it is necessary to identify key precursors of adaptation for the success of flood‐related adaptation programs. Using cross‐sectional household survey data from rice farmers of eastern Nepal, this study explores existing adaptation practices along with the factors influencing farmers' adaptation strategies. Both parametric and semiparametric forms of the binary choice model are employed to assess key determinants of flood adaptation. The results reveal that existing adaptation practices are limited to conventional seed storage and few (bio)engineering techniques. Both household and farm characteristics, including flood impact indicators, significantly influence farmers' adaptation to flooding hazards. Thus, consideration of these multiple factors in adaptation‐related programs is anticipated to cope with future floods. Prioritising crop insurance over disaster relief programs and revitalization of existing adaptation measures are suggested. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the semiparametric approach offers a better alternative by lifting the basic assumptions of parametric models. Findings from this article could aid in developing localised adaptation strategies that would ultimately contribute to the resiliency of farming households and the flood‐prone communities as a whole.