bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional dissociations between prefrontal and parietal cortex during task switching: A combined fMRI and TMS study
Authors: Periáñez José A. , Viejo-Sobera Raquel , Lubrini Genny , Álvarez-Linera Juan , Rodríguez Toscano Elisa , Moreno María Dolores , Arango Celso , Redolar-Ripoll Diego , Muñoz Marrón Elena , Ríos-Lago Marcos 
Published: December 2022

AbstractPreparatory control in task-switching has been suggested to rely upon a set of distributed regions within a frontoparietal network, with frontal and parietal cortical areas cooperating to implement switch-specific preparation processes. Although recent causal evidences using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have generally supported this model, alternative evidences from both functional neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies have questioned the switch-specific role of both frontal and parietal cortices. The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of prefrontal and parietal areas supporting preparatory cognitive control in task-switching. Within this purpose, an fMRI study during task-switching performance was conducted to identify the specific brain areas involved in preparatory control during performance of a task-switching paradigm. Then, TMS was applied over the specific coordinates previously identified through fMRI, that is, the anterior portion of the inferior frontal junction (aIFJ) and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Results revealed that TMS over the aIFJ disrupted performance in both switch and repeat trails in terms of delayed responses as compared to Sham condition. In contrast, TMS over the IPS selectively interfered performance in switch trials. These findings support a multicomponent model of executive control with the aIFJ being involved in more general switch-unspecific process such as the episodic retrieval of goals, and the IPS being related to the implementation of switch-specific preparation mechanisms for activating stimulus-response mappings. The results help conciliating preceding evidences about the role of a frontoparietal network during task-switching, and support current models about a hierarchical organization within prefrontal cortex.Significance StatementA combined fMRI and TMS study was conducted to clarify the brain areas involved in the executive control of attention during a cueing task-switching paradigm.Functional dissociations were observed during TMS stimulation, with prefrontal and parietal areas playing different roles during task-switching preparation. While the anterior portion of the inferior prefrontal junction seemed to be involved in a general mechanism of memory retrieval for goal identification, the intraparietal sulcus seemed to be engaged in a switch-specific mechanism for the translation of abstract task goals into action rules.The results help conciliating preceding evidences about the role of a frontoparietal network during task-switching, and support current models about a hierarchical organization within prefrontal cortex.
Effectiveness of community non-pharmacological interventions for mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review of economic evaluations and a review of reviews
Authors: Eaglestone Gillian , Gkaintatzi Evdoxia , Stoner Charlotte , Pacella Rosana , McCrone Paul 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundDementia prevalence is increasing with no cure at present. Drug therapies have limited efficacy and potential side effects. People with dementia are often offered non-pharmacological interventions to improve quality of life and relieve symptoms. Identifying which interventions are cost-effective is important due to finite resources in healthcare services.AimsTo review published economic evaluations of community non-pharmacological interventions for people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and assess usefulness for decision making in health services.MethodsSystematic review (PROSPERO CRD42021252999) included economic evaluations of non-pharmacological interventions for dementia or mild cognitive impairment with a narrative approach to data synthesis. Exclusions: interventions for dementia prevention/early detection or end of life care. Databases searched: Academic search premier, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, Google Scholar, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Psychology and behavioural sciences collection, PsycArticles, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Business Source Premier and Regional Business News; timeframe 01 January 2011 to 30 June 2021 (13 September 2021 for Embase). Study quality assessed using CHEERS.ResultsIncluded thirty-two studies and five reviews, evaluating community dementia interventions worldwide across several distinct forms of care: physical activity, cognition, training, multi-disciplinary interventions and other (telecare/assistive technology, specialist dementia care, group living, home care versus care home). No single intervention was shown to be cost-effective across all economic evaluations.ConclusionMore economic evidence on the cost-effectiveness of specific dementia care interventions is needed, with consistency around measurement of costs and outcomes data. Better information and higher-quality studies could improve decision makers’ confidence to promote future cost-effective dementia interventions.
Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction with the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: von Bartheld Christopher S. , Wang Lingchen 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe omicron variant is thought to cause less olfactory dysfunction than previous variants of SARS-CoV-2, but the reported prevalence differs greatly between populations and studies. Our systematic review and meta-analysis provide information about regional differences in prevalence as well as an estimate of the global prevalence of olfactory dysfunction based on 62 studies reporting on 626,035 patients infected with the omicron variant. Our estimate of the omicron-induced prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in populations of European ancestry is 11.7%, while it is significantly lower in all other populations, ranging between 1.9% and 4.9%. When ethnic differences and population sizes are taken into account, the global prevalence of omicron-induced olfactory dysfunction in adults is estimated at 3.7%. Omicron’s effect on olfaction is twofold to tenfold lower than that of the alpha or delta variant, according to previous meta-analyses and our analysis of studies that directly compared prevalence of olfactory dysfunction between omicron and previous variants. The profile of prevalence differences between ethnicities mirrors the results of a recent genome-wide association study that implicated a gene locus encoding an odorant-metabolizing enzyme, UDP glycosyltransferase, to be linked to the extent of COVID-related loss of smell. Our analysis is consistent with the hypothesis that this enzyme contributes to the observed population differences.
Extracellular vesicle cargo metabolome changes in response to the mesenchymal stromal cell microenvironment and influences cell quiescence and activation in a human breast cancer cell model
Authors: Bartlome Sara , Xiao Yinbo , Ross Ewan , Dalby Matthew John , Berry Catherine Cecilia 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBreast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide and commonly metastasizes to the bone marrow, drastically reducing patient prognosis and survival. In the bone marrow niche, metastatic cells can enter into a dormant state, thereby evading immune surveillance and treatment, and can be reactivated to enter a proliferative state due to poorly understood cues. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) maintain cells in this niche partly by secreting extracellular matrix and paracrine factors and by responding to regenerative cues. MSCs also produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) that carry a range of cargoes, some of which are implicated in cell signalling. Here, we investigate if the changing metabolic state of MSCs alters the cargoes they package into EVs, and how these changing cargoes act on dormant breast cancer cells (BCCs) using an in vitro BCC spheroid model and a scratch assay to create a regenerative demand on MSCs. Our findings show that EVs produced by standard MSCs contain glycolytic metabolites that maintain BCC dormancy. When MSCs are placed under a regenerative demand and increase their respiration to fuel differentiation, these metabolites disappear from the EV cargo and their absence encourages rapid growth in the BCC spheroids. This work implicates EVs in cancer cell dormancy in the bone marrow niche and indicates that pressures on the niche, such as regeneration, can be a driver of BCC activation.
Study of emerging avenues in supply chain resilience; the case of integration of additive manufacturing with spare parts procurement
Authors: Bhattacharyya Som Sekhar , Kulkarni Onkar , Mishra Ashutosh 
Published: December 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this research was to study the impacts of adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) for spare parts procurement, specifically in the context of supply chain resilience (SCR) especially regarding efficient spare parts inventory management. Furthermore, key narratives in the adoption of AM toward better SCR are explored.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews with semi-structured open-ended questionnaire were conducted to collect primary qualitative data from 24 supply chain management (SCM) experts. Respondents consisted of experts across various industries. The data were analyzed by thematic content analysis method.FindingsThe results indicated that AM could be a suitable tool to reduce dependence on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for spare parts procurement. Data analysis also revealed that AM adoption might lead to significant cost and lead time reduction. Designs protected as intellectual properties (IP), substantive post-processing requirements and material compatibility were revealed to be barriers in adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe impacts of utilizing AM for procurement of spare parts on the overall resilience of the supply chain were highlighted. Theoretical analysis of the findings was based on theoretical aspects of SCR. This was especially regarding efficient spare parts inventory management. The study results revealed the factors responsible adoption of the AM technology. A novel approach was undertaken to study the effect of AM adoption on “time-to-market” of newly launched products.Practical implicationsThe research provided insights regarding practical applications of AM adoption in spare parts procurement. The study could be beneficial to the early adopters of AM across industries for making managerial decisions. Unfamiliarity of supply chain managers with the AM technology was believed to be a major reason to adopt the technology. The study provided essential inputs regarding challenges and alternate adoption strategies of AM. Thus, the research was believed to be of potential value for creating awareness among supply chain managers regarding AM technology.Originality/valueThe research provided new insights on the impact of AM adoption in the context of SCR toward efficient spare parts inventory management. Various limiting and facilitating factors specific to Indian context were also explored.
The limited role of African strategic communication practitioners in ethical communication practices
Authors: Nhedzi Abyshey , Azionya Caroline Muyaluka 
Published: December 2022

PurposeThis study answers the call for research and theorising exploring ethical communication and brand risk from the African continent. The study's purpose was to identify the challenges that strategic communication practitioners face in enacting ethical crisis communication in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers conducted ten in-depth interviews with South African strategic communication professionals.FindingsThe dominant theme emerging from the study is the marginalisation and exclusion of the communication function in decision-making during crisis situations. Communicators were viewed as implementers, technicians and not strategic counsel. The protection of organisational reputation was done at the expense of the ethics and moral conscience of practitioners. Practitioners were viewed and deployed as spin doctors and tools to face unwanted media interactions.Originality/valueThe article sheds light on the concepts of ethical communication and decision-making in a multicultural African context using the moral theory of Ubuntu and strategic communication. It demonstrates the tension professionals experience as they toggle between unethical capitalist approaches and African values. The practitioner's role as organisational moral conscience is hindered, suppressed and undermined by organisational leadership's directives to use opaque, complex communication, selective transparency and misrepresentation of facts.
Essential? COVID-19 and highly educated Africans in Finland’s segmented labour market
Authors: Ndomo Quivine , Bontenbal Ilona , Lillie Nathan A. 
Published: December 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to characterise the position of highly educated African migrants in the Finnish labour market and to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on that position.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the biographical work stories of 17 highly educated African migrant workers in four occupation areas in Finland: healthcare, cleaning, restaurant and transport. The sample was partly purposively and partly theoretically determined. The authors used content driven thematic analysis technique, combined with by the biographical narrative concept of turning points.FindingsUsing the case of highly educated African migrants in the Finnish labour market, the authors show how student migration policies reinforce a pattern of division of labour and occupations that allocate migrant workers to typical low skilled low status occupations in the secondary sector regardless of level of education, qualification and work experience. They also show how the unique labour and skill demands of the COVID-19 pandemic incidentally made these typical migrant occupations essential, resulting in increased employment and work security for this group of migrant workers.Research limitations/implicationsThis research and the authors’ findings are limited in scope owing to sample size and methodology. To improve applicability of findings, future studies could expand the scope of enquiry using e.g. quantitative surveys and include other stakeholders in the study group.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the knowledge on how migration policies contribute to labour market dualisation and occupational segmentation in Finland, illustrated by the case of highly educated African migrant workers.
Institutional structures and strength of auditing and financial reporting standards in Africa
Authors: Adela Vincent , Abeka Mac Junior , Tackie George , Anipa Comfort Ama Akorfa , Mbir Deborah Esi Gyanba , Adorm-Takyi Cornelius 
Published: December 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of institutional structures on the strength of auditing and financial reporting standards.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs a panel data of 36 African countries over the period 2000–2018. System generalised method of moments (SGMM) was employed to estimate the relationship between institutional structures and the strength of auditing and financial reporting standards in Africa.FindingsThe findings of this paper indicate a positive and statistically significant relationship between institutional structures and the strength of auditing and financial reporting standards. As a further analysis, the study finds that the relationship between institutional structures and the strength of auditing and financial reporting standards is stronger for economies with common-law accounting traditions than those with civil-law origin.Practical implicationsThe paper has important implications for countries striving to adopt and implement auditing and financial reporting standards fully. Such efforts must begin with establishing strong institutional structures in those countries.Originality/valueThis study presents the first empirical panel data evidence on the effect of institutional structures on the strength of auditing and financial reporting standards in Africa. Further, the methodology employed in this study can be regarded as effective in testing the phenomenon in other regions, or it can be employed as a guiding model for future research in the area.
Women's access and perception of decent work: a case study on Egypt
Authors: Khairy Yasmine Hossam , Ghoneim Hebatallah 
Published: December 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the gender disparities in the workers' perception of whether “decent work” standards exist in their current job and workplace in the Egyptian context.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses quantitative data. A survey was utilised to assess workers' perceptions of decent work. The sample was selected based on age as the study aims to measure gender disparities in the perception among Generation Y and Z. Frequency table for each question and independent sample T-test were utilised in order to compare the variable means between females and males and whether any of those means are significantly different from each other.FindingsThe key findings of this research show that women in Egypt believe they have fewer opportunity to progress professionally and raise their salaries than males, particularly in male-dominated fields like engineering, construction and information technology. Furthermore, the women surveyed, particularly working mothers, emphasised that they struggle with their workload and working time more than men, affecting their work–life balance. However, there was no significant disparity between men and women in the other aspects of decent work examined in this article, which included social protection, health and safety, and meaningful compensation.Originality/valueTo the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first group of studies assessing the gender disparities in the workers' perception of whether “decent work” standards exist in the Egyptian workplace.
Disrupting ‘a man's world’: gender, technology, and class in Vietnam's global heavy industry
Authors: Rydstrom Helle 
Published: December 2022

AbstractOnly rarely is Vietnam's global heavy industry studied from an anthropological perspective in either its gender or its class dimensions. This article contributes new insights into the ways in which the interagential dynamics of gender and technology from shopfloor to engineer offices coproduce social orders in contesting and perpetuating essentializing notions of femininity and masculinity. Blue‐collar and white‐collar women working in heavy industrial workplaces represent a minority in ‘a man's world’, ambiguously both disidentifying and identifying with notions of a typical ‘female character’ vis‐à‐vis ‘male character’. Women working in heavy industry, the article shows, generate ‘disruption’ by reconfiguring conventions regarding gendered occupation, redefining gendered engagement with technology, and recalibrating images of femininity and masculinity. Doing so means carving out new opportunities and/or provoking crisis in a patrilineal universe. The article analyses the intricate ways in which women's engagement with technology is empowering while simultaneously reinforcing gender‐ and class‐specific inequalities in socialist Vietnam's global market economy.
Composition, processing, and quality control of whole flaxseed products used to fortify foods
Authors: Zhang Shan , Chen Yashu , McClements David Julian , Hou Tao , Geng Fang , Chen Peng , Chen Hongjian , Xie Bijun , Sun Zhida , Tang Hu , Pei Yaqiong , Quan Shuang , Yu Xiao , Deng Qianchun 
Published: December 2022

AbstractWhole flaxseed (flour) as a good source of omega‐3 fatty acid and phytochemicals with excellent nutritional and functional attributes has been used to enrich foods for health promotion and disease prevention. However, several limitations and contemporary challenges still impact the development of whole flaxseed (flour)‐enriched products on the global market, such as naturally occurring antinutritional factors and entrapment of nutrients within food matrix. Whole flaxseed (flour) with different existing forms could variably alter the techno‐functional performance of food matrix, and ultimately affect the edible qualities of fortified food products. The potential interaction mechanism between the subject and object components in fortified products has not been elucidated yet. Hence, in this paper, the physical structure and component changes of flaxseed (flour) by pretreatments coupled with their potential influences on the edible qualities of multiple fortified food products were summarized and analyzed. In addition, several typical food products, including baked, noodle, and dairy products were preferentially selected to investigate the potential influencing mechanisms of flaxseed (flour) on different substrate components. In particular, the altered balance between water absorption of flaxseed protein/gum polysaccharides and the interruption of gluten network, lipid lubrication, lipid–amylose complexes, syneresis, and so forth, were thoroughly elucidated. The overall impact of incorporating whole flaxseed (flour) on the quality and nutritional attributes of fortified food products, coupled with the possible solutions against negative influences are aimed. This paper could provide useful information for expanding the application of whole flaxseed (flour) based on the optimal edible and nutritional properties of fortified food products.
Repeated ethanol exposure and withdrawal alters angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 expression in discrete brain regions: Implications for SARS‐CoV‐2 neuroinvasion
Authors: Balasubramanian Nagalakshmi , James Thomas D. , Selvakumar Govindhasamy Pushpavathi , Reinhardt Jessica , Marcinkiewcz Catherine A. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundPeople with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may be at higher risk for COVID‐19. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) are required for cellular entry by SARS‐CoV‐2, but information on their expression in specific brain regions after alcohol exposure is limited. We sought to clarify how chronic alcohol exposure affects ACE2 expression in monoaminergic brainstem circuits and other putative SARS‐CoV‐2 entry points.MethodsBrains were examined for ACE2 using immunofluorescence after 4 weeks of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor inhalation. We also examined TMPRSS2, Cathepsin L, and ADAM17 by Western blot and RAS pathway mediators and pro‐inflammatory markers via RT‐qPCR.ResultsACE2 was increased in most brain regions following CIE including the olfactory bulb (OB), hypothalamus (HT), raphe magnus (RMG), raphe obscurus (ROB), locus coeruleus (LC), and periaqueductal gray (PAG). We also observed increased colocalization of ACE2 with monoaminergic neurons in brainstem nuclei. Moreover, soluble ACE2 (sACE2) was elevated in OB, HT, and LC. The increase in sACE2 in OB and HT was accompanied by upregulation of ADAM17, an ACE2 sheddase, while TMPRSS2 increased in HT and LC. Cathepsin L, an endosomal receptor involved in viral entry, was also increased in OB. Alcohol can increase Angiotensin II, which triggers a pro‐inflammatory response that may upregulate ACE2 via activation of RAS pathway receptors AT1R/AT2R. ACE2 then metabolizes Angiotensin II to Angiotensin (1‐7) and provokes an anti‐inflammatory response via MAS1. Accordingly, we report that AT1R/AT2R mRNA decreased in OB and increased in the LC, while MAS1 mRNA increased in both OB and LC. Other mRNAs for pro‐inflammatory markers were also dysregulated in OB, HT, raphe, and LC.ConclusionsOur results suggest that alcohol triggers a compensatory upregulation of ACE2 in the brain due to disturbed RAS and may increase the risk or severity of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.