bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cost-Utility Analysis of Midurethral Sling Timing Among Women Undergoing Prolapse Surgery
Authors: Sassani Jessica C. , Giugale Lauren E. , Lavelle Erin Seifert , Shepherd Jonathan P. 
Published: July 2023

Importance
There are no guidelines regarding the ideal timing of midurethral sling (MUS) placement following prolapse repair.

Objective
The objective of this study was to estimate the cost-utility of concomitant MUS versus staged MUS among women undergoing apical suspension surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.

Study Design
Cost-utility modeling using a decision analysis tree compared concomitant MUS with staged MUS over a 1-year time horizon. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Six scenarios were modeled to estimate cost-utilities for women with preoperative overt, occult, or no stress urinary incontinence (SUI) who underwent either minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy or vaginal native tissue apical suspension. Possible complications of de novo overactive bladder, urinary retention requiring sling lysis, mesh exposure, and persistent SUI were included. Costs from a third-party payer perspective were derived from Medicare 2022 reimbursements. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results
Among women without preoperative SUI, staged MUS was the dominant strategy for both surgical routes with higher utility and lower costs. For women with either occult or overt SUI undergoing sacrocolpopexy or vaginal repair, concomitant MUS was cost-effective (ICER = $21,114–$96,536 per quality-adjusted life-year). Therefore, concomitant MUS is preferred for patients with preoperative SUI as higher costs were offset by higher effectiveness. One-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated that ICERs were most affected by probability of cure following MUS.

Conclusions
A staged MUS procedure is the dominant strategy for women undergoing apical prolapse repair without preoperative SUI. In women with either overt or occult SUI, the ICER was below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life-year, suggesting that concomitant MUS surgery is cost-effective.
Early Detection of Optic Nerve Changes on Optical Coherence Tomography Using Deep Learning for Risk-Stratification of Papilledema and Glaucoma
Authors: Li Anfei , Tandon Anika K. , Sun Grace , Dinkin Marc J. , Oliveira Cristiano 
Published: July 2023

Background:
The use of artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalence in medicine with numerous successful examples in ophthalmology. However, much of the work has been focused on replicating the works of ophthalmologists. Given the analytical potentials of artificial intelligence, it is plausible that artificial intelligence can detect microfeatures not readily distinguished by humans. In this study, we tested the potential for artificial intelligence to detect early optic coherence tomography changes to predict progression toward papilledema or glaucoma when no significant changes are detected on optical coherence tomography by clinicians.

Methods:
Prediagnostic optical coherence tomography of patients who developed papilledema (n = 93, eyes = 166) and glaucoma (n = 187, eyes = 327) were collected. Given discrepancy in average cup-to-disc ratios of the experimental groups, control groups for papilledema (n = 254, eyes = 379) and glaucoma (n = 441, eyes = 739) are matched by cup-to-disc ratio. Publicly available Visual Geometry Group-19 model is retrained using each experimental group and its respective control group to predict progression to papilledema or glaucoma. Images used for training include retinal nerve fiber layer thickness map, extracted vertical tomogram, ganglion cell thickness map, and ILM-RPE thickness map.

Results:
Trained model was able to predict progression to papilledema with a precision of 0.714 and a recall of 0.769 when trained with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness map, but not other image types. However, trained model was able to predict progression to glaucoma with a precision of 0.682 and recall of 0.857 when trained with extracted vertical tomogram, but not other image types. Area under precision–recall curve of 0.826 and 0.785 were achieved for papilledema and glaucoma models, respectively.

Conclusions:
Computational and analytical power of computers have become an invaluable part of our lives and research endeavors. Our proof-of-concept study showed that artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have the potential to detect early changes on optical coherence tomography for prediction of progression that is not readily observed by clinicians. Further research may help establish possible AI models that can assist with early diagnosis or risk stratification in ophthalmology.
Characterization and in vitro antibacterial activity of sulfated polysaccharides from freshwater alga Cladophora crispata
Authors: Jasem Mohanad Khaled , Merai Abd-Alwahab , Nizam Adnan Ali 
Published: July 2023

Graphical Abstract
Sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) from Cladophora crispata were extracted by ultrasonic bath: purify the crude SPs. Compounds of SPs were identified, and we investigated the effect of SPs as antibacterial agents.
Climate influences scrub typhus occurrence in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India: Analysis of a 15 year dataset
Authors: D’Cruz Solomon , Sreedevi Kotamreddy , Lynette Cheryl , Gunasekaran Karthik , Prakash JAJ 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBackgroundClimate is one of the major factors determining the prevalence and seasonality of vector borne diseases like scrub typhus (ST). We analyzed, the association of the meteorological factors like temperature, rainfall and humidity with scrub typhus using the 15 years scrub typhus data from a tertiary care hospital in Vellore, South India.MethodsDemographic data of permanent residents of Vellore, who had IgM ELISA results for scrub typhus for the time period of May 2005 to April 2020were included. Meteorological data was correlated with the monthly scrub typhus cases; negative binomial regression model was used to predict the relation between scrub typhus occurrence and climate factors.ResultsMaximum number of ST cases were reported between the months August and February with October recording the highest number of cases. Elderly people, farmers, agricultural workers and housewives were associated with ST positivity significantly. For an increase of 1°C in mean temperature, the monthly ST cases reduced by 18.78% (95% CI: −24.12, −13.15%). On the contrary, for 1 percent increase in mean relative humidity (RH), there is an increase of 7.57% (95% CI: 5.44, 9.86%) of monthly ST cases. Similarly, an increase of 1mm of rainfall contributed to 0.50 to 0.70% of monthly ST cases (after two months) depending on the variables included in the analysis.ConclusionThis study provides further information on the role of rainfall, temperature and humidity on the seasonality of scrub typhus in Vellore, South India. This baseline data will be useful for further analysis using spatio-temporal tools to better understand the seasonality in other parts of India.
A framework for quantifying the coupling between brain connectivity and heartbeat dynamics: Insights into the disrupted network physiology in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Candia-Rivera Diego , Vidailhet Marie , Chavez Mario , de Vico Fallani Fabrizio 
Published: July 2023

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) often shows disrupted brain connectivity and autonomic dysfunctions, progressing alongside with motor and cognitive decline. Recently, PD has been linked to a reduced sensitivity to cardiac inputs, i.e., cardiac interoception. Altogether, those signs suggest that PD causes an altered brain-heart connection whose mechanisms remain unclear. Our study aimed to explore the large-scale network disruptions and the neurophysiology of disrupted interoceptive mechanisms in PD. We focused on examining the alterations in brain-heart coupling in PD and their potential connection to motor symptoms. We developed a proof-of-concept method to quantify relationships between the co-fluctuations of brain connectivity and cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. We quantified the brain-heart couplings from EEG and ECG recordings from PD patients on and off dopaminergic medication, as well as in healthy individuals at rest. Our results show that the couplings of fluctuating alpha and gamma connectivity with cardiac sympathetic dynamics are reduced in PD patients, as compared to healthy individuals. Furthermore, we show that PD patients under dopamine medication recover part of the brain-heart coupling, in proportion with the reduced motor symptoms. Our proposal offers a promising approach to unveil the physiopathology of PD and promoting the development of new evaluation methods for the early stages of the disease.
Mammalian cells-based platforms for the generation of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles
Authors: Elfayres Ghada , Paswan Ricky Raj , Sika Laura , Girard Marie-Pierre , Khalfi Soumia , Letanneur Claire , Milette Kéziah , Singh Amita , Kobinger Gary , Berthoux Lionel 
Published: July 2023

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. Though many COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, most of them are delivered via intramuscular injection and thus confer relatively weak mucosal immunity against the natural infection. Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) are self-assembled nanostructures composed of key viral structural proteins, that mimic the wild-type virus structure but are non-infectious and non-replicating due to the lack of viral genetic material. In this study, we efficiently generated SARS-CoV-2 VLPs by co-expressing the four SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, specifically the membrane (M), small envelope (E), spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. We show that these proteins are essential and sufficient for the efficient formation and release of SARS-CoV-2 VLPs. Moreover, we used lentiviral vectors to generate human cell lines that stably produce VLPs. Because VLPs can bind to the virus natural receptors, hence leading to entry into cells and viral antigen presentation, this platform could be used to develop novel vaccine candidates that are delivered intranasally.HighlightsIdentification of protein requirements for SARS-CoV-2 VLP production by transient transfectionLentiviral transduction to create cells stably producing SARS-CoV-2 VLPsIsolation of cell clones for the production of SARS-CoV-2 VLPsNew putative platforms for vaccine development
RNA and FUS act in concert to prevent TDP-43 spatial segregation
Authors: Demongin Clément , Tranier Samuel , Joshi Vandana , Ceschi Léa , Desforges Bénédicte , Pastré David , Hamon Loïc 
Published: July 2023

AbstractFUS and TDP-43 are two self-adhesive aggregation-prone mRNA-binding proteins whose pathological mutations have been linked to neurodegeneration. While TDP-43 and FUS form reversible mRNA-rich compartments in the nucleus, pathological mutations promote their respective cytoplasmic aggregation in neurons with no apparent link between the two proteins except their intertwined function in mRNA processing. By combining analyzes in cellular context and at high-resolutionin vitro, we unraveled that TDP-43 is specifically recruited in FUS assemblies to form TDP-43 rich sub-compartments but without reciprocity. The presence of mRNA provides an additional scaffold to promote the mixing between TDP-43 and FUS. Accordingly, we also found that the pathological truncated form of TDP-43, TDP-25, which has an impaired RNA binding ability, no longer mixes with FUS. Together, these results suggest that the binding of FUS along nascent mRNAs enables TDP-43, which is highly aggregation-prone, to mix with FUS phase in order to form mRNA-rich sub-compartments. A functional link between FUS and TDP-43 may explain their common implication in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Cobalt-sulfur coordination chemistry drives B12loading onto methionine synthase
Authors: Mascarenhas Romila , Guha Arkajit , Li Zhu , Ruetz Markus , An Sojin , Seravalli Javier , Banerjee Ruma 
Published: July 2023

AbstractCobalt-sulfur (Co-S) coordination is labile to both oxidation and reduction chemistry and is rarely seen in Nature. Cobalamin (or vitamin B12) is an essential cobalt-containing organometallic cofactor in mammals, and is escorted via an intricate network of chaperones to a single cytoplasmic target, methionine synthase. In this study, we report that the human cobalamin trafficking protein, MMADHC, exploits the chemical lability of Co-S coordination, for cofactor off-loading onto methionine synthase. Cys-261 on MMADHC serves as the β-axial ligand to cobalamin. Complex formation between MMADHC and methionine synthase is signaled by loss of the lower axial nitrogen ligand, leading to five-coordinate thiolato-cobalamin. Nucleophilic displacement by the vicinal thiolate, Cys-262, completes cofactor transfer to methionine synthase and release of a cysteine disulfide-containing MMADHC. The physiological relevance of this mechanism is supported by clinical variants of MMADHC, which impair cofactor binding and off-loading, explaining the molecular basis of the associated homocystinuria.
Steady state modeling of autotrophic membrane bioreactor – a new approach to quantify biomass
Authors: Gasmi Aicha , Heran Marc , Elboughdiri Noureddine , Kolsi Lioua , Ghernaout Djamel , Hannachi Ahmed , Grasmick Alain 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe main purpose of this study resides essentially in the development of a new tool to quantify the biomass in the bioreactor operating under steady state conditions.Design/methodology/approachModeling is the most relevant tool for understanding the functioning of some complex processes such as biological wastewater treatment. A steady state model equation of activated sludge model 1 (ASM1) was developed, especially for autotrophic biomass (XBA) and for oxygen uptake rate (OUR). Furthermore, a respirometric measurement, under steady state and endogenous conditions, was used as a new tool for quantifying the viable biomass concentration in the bioreactor.FindingsThe developed steady state equations simplified the sensitivity analysis and allowed the autotrophic biomass (XBA) quantification. Indeed, the XBA concentration was approximately 212 mg COD/L and 454 mgCOD/L for SRT, equal to 20 and 40 d, respectively. Under the steady state condition, monitoring of endogenous OUR permitted biomass quantification in the bioreactor. Comparing XBA obtained by the steady state equation and respirometric tool indicated a percentage deviation of about 3 to 13%. Modeling bioreactor using GPS-X showed an excellent agreement between simulation and experimental measurements concerning the XBA evolution.Originality/valueThese results confirmed the importance of respirometric measurements as a simple and available tool for quantifying biomass.
Analyzing the impact of GLSS implementation over sustainability in Pakistani SMEs
Authors: Wassan Rano Khan , Shaikh Shakeel Ahmed , Marri Hussain Bux , Memon Muhammad Saad , Shah Syed Feroz 
Published: July 2023

PurposeGreen, lean and six sigma (GLSS) practices are widely used and well accepted techniques that have the capability to improve the economic, social and environmental performance of Pakistani small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, implementation of these practices in an integrated approach has not yet been witnessed in Pakistani SMEs due to a variety of challenges. To overcome the implementation challenges, this study has analyzed the impact of GLSS implementation over the sustainability in Pakistani SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThis study consists of two phases. In phase 1, interviews were conducted to scrutinize the elements of GLSS implementation to simplify the model and in phase 2, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the data from the SMEs. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach is used to analyze the relationships among the latent variables and constructs.FindingsResults showed that, leadership for GLSS, understanding GLSS techniques and technology upgradation are considered the most important elements for GLSS implementation in Pakistani SMEs. The environmental and social perspectives have been given more weightage compared to economical perspective. This inferred that there is a need to focus more on environmental and social perspectives in SMEs as compared to economic perspectives to achieve sustainable growth. Moreover, the results of the hypothesis testing revealed that GLSS implementation has a significant positive impact over the sustainability in SMEs considering the Pakistani scenario (β = 0.529, STDEV = 0.078, t = 6.81, p = < 0.001).Originality/valueThis study is the first of its kind for Pakistani SMEs. The structural model developed in this study for Pakistani SMEs will help practitioners to understand the important elements of GLSS implementation and sustainability dimensions.
Corporate social responsibility, brand value and corporate governance: new evidence from a 3SLS model
Authors: Ke Di , Jia Ximeng , Li Yuanyuan , Wang Peipei 
Published: July 2023

Purpose
Taking a dynamic endogenous perspective, this study aims to examine neglected endogeneity issues in the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and brand value and the relationship’s moderation by corporate governance.

Design/methodology/approach
The study uses the three-stage least squares (3SLS) method on 990 samples of the 110 most valuable listed companies published by the World Brand Lab for 2013–2021 to empirically test the two-way interactive endogenous relationship between CSR and brand value.

Findings
The findings reveal that increasing investment in CSR increases brand value in the current period, which prompts companies to reduce investment in social responsibility, resulting in a decline in future brand value. Concerning the moderating effect of corporate governance variables, the size of the board of directors and the board’s proportion of independent directors positively regulate the relationship between CSR and brand value. By contrast, the proportion of executive shareholdings has a negative impact.

Originality/value
This study’s findings complement previous studies on endogeneity in the relationship between CSR and brand value, and enrich the literature on corporate governance, CSR and brand value as a whole. In addition, the study uses the 3SLS method, which avoids endogeneity problems and eliminates the one-sidedness of the subjective selection of instrumental variables.
A study on the key drivers of national construction project audit risk and evolvement mechanism
Authors: Yang Mianzhi , Hui Qing , Yang Qingru , Fan Mengwei , Li Xin 
Published: July 2023

PurposeChina has recently introduced a new audit law that aims to increase the scope of audit supervision and raise the standards for preventing risks in auditing national public projects. This paper presents a systematic research study on the causes of audit risks in national public projects and discusses the process by which these causes contribute to the emergence of such risks. Furthermore, the paper investigates the core risk sources in various types of national construction project audit. This paper aims to provide theoretical support for auditors of national construction projects in risk avoidance when conducting audits.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors carefully selected five national public audit projects from China and performed a comprehensive analysis of 85 relevant audit documentation. The textual analysis was conducted using Nvivo12 software, and the grounded theory approach was adopted for generalization purposes.FindingsBased on the research results, the findings suggest that there are five key causes contributing to the audit risk of national construction projects: professional competence, risk awareness, management capacity, level of attention and deliberate fraud. The most critical factor identified is management capability, with 59.93% of the data supporting this view. This conclusion was based on an analysis of state-owned enterprises, administrative organs and public institutions. Building upon this, a framework titled “the mechanism of audit risk factors with management capability as the core” was constructed.Originality/valueThis paper employs qualitative analysis methods to examine national construction projects in China, contributing new literature to the theoretical study of audit risk management. The article also provides practical recommendations for auditors on how to mitigate audit risks and improve the quality of audit services in national project governance.
Unsustainable competitive advantage: a case of Exalta
Authors: Agarwal Ruchi 
Published: July 2023

Learning outcomes
The case deals with the issue of gaining a sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) in the solar energy market. After completing the case, the student will be able to– develop and apply conventional models of competitive advantage and core competency;– comprehend each step of the business process from a core competency viewpoint;– consider the value of sustainability solutions from a strategic standpoint; and– offer practical templates for creating and implementing a strategy.

Case overview/synopsis
This case depicts the challenges faced by Exalta in gaining a SCA because of the imitation of its products by competitors. Exalta, formed in 2008, was among the well-known innovative companies in the solar energy industry in India. In the first 12 years, the company focused primarily on unmet customer demand and developed innovative solar products to address those demands. Overall, over 300 products were launched in the initial years to address the new emerging customer demands. Solar AC, bikes and ventilators were among the popular ones. However, all of its product technology was copied by competitors. In 2021, troubled Exalta was incubated at IIT-Kanpur primarily for a single product, “Magic Inverter,” with substantial funding and IP protection. Despite attempts, Exalta could not capture a recognized market share. In this case, the company’s founder and CEO, Ashutosh Verma, is contemplating two options to gain an SCA: hold the existing and new products or fold the old ones and continue with one or two flagship products, i.e. Magic Inverter and Solar AC.

Complexity academic level
Graduate, postgraduate level and executive-level courses.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code
CSS 11: Strategy.

Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/EEMCS-12-2022-0526/