bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ct2vl: Converting Ct Values to Viral Loads for SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Test Results
Authors: Hill Elliot D. , Yilmaz Fazilet , Callahan Cody , Cheng Annie , Braun Jasper , Arnaout Ramy 
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACTRT-qPCR is the de facto reference method for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genomic material in infected individuals (1). Although RT-qPCR is inherently quantitative and despite SARS-CoV-2 viral loads varying by 10 orders of magnitude and therefore being potentially highly clinically informative, in practice SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR results are usually reported qualitatively as simply positive or negative. This is both because of the mathematical complexity of converting from Ct values to viral loads and because the same Ct value can correspond to orders-of-magnitude differences in viral load depending on the testing platform (2, 3, 4). To address this problem, here we present ct2vl, a Python package designed to help individual clinical laboratories, investigators, and test developers convert from Ct values to viral loads on their own platforms, using only the data generated during validation of those platforms. It allows any user to convert Ct values to viral loads and is readily applicable to other RT-qPCR tests. ct2vl is open source, has 100% code coverage, and is freely available via the Python Package Index (PyPI).IMPORTANCEUp to now, COVID-19 test results have been reported as positive vs. negative, even though “positive” can mean anywhere from 1 copy of SARS-CoV-2 virus per milliliter of transport media to over 1 billion copies/mL, with attendant clinical consequences. Democratizing access to this quantitative data is the first step toward its eventual incorporation into test development, the research literature, and clinical care.
The creative industries effects on economic performance in the time of pandemic
Authors: Che Arshad Noraziah , Irijanto Tubagus Thresna 
Published: June 2022

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate empirically whether creative industries are boosting the economic performance of the ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam) during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper applied a random effect and fixed effect estimation approach to investigate the impact of creative industries’ development (government expenditure on education, export of creative industries, trade openness, innovation index, sukuk issuances) on the economic performance spanning from 2010 to 2020.

Findings
The economic performance was proxied by two dependent variables, namely, the gross domestic product and the Misery Index. On top of containment and vaccination measures, the findings demonstrated that creative industries are enhancing economic growth in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, supported by the significant role of the sukuk market as a vital contributor to economic growth.

Originality/value
This study is unique because it provides novel and empirical results of the creative industries’ development on economic performance in the ASEAN countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resilience of an evolved retail agglomeration: case of rural periodic markets in emerging economies
Authors: Satyam Satyam , Aithal Rajesh K. , Pradhan Debasis 
Published: June 2022

PurposeThe objective of the study is to understand the reasons for the resilience of rural periodic markets. Small retailers patronise these markets, and by identifying the reasons for their continued market participation, an attempt has been made to explain the continued existence of these traditional evolved retail agglomerations.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design was adopted for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 small retailers, and responses were used to identify the reasons for their continued market participation. A mix of purposeful and snowball sampling was used to select the respondents.FindingsIn a novel endeavour, this study presents rural periodic markets as an evolved retail agglomeration. It identifies six factors responsible for the continued participation of small retailers in these markets. Seven attributes of the rural periodic market, an evolved retail agglomeration, were also identified which contribute to the resilience of these markets.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the literature on retail agglomerations and identifies the reasons for the continued market participation of small retailers, suggesting some trends about their future in emerging economies.Social implicationsRural periodic markets have affected the overall well-being of surrounding villages by providing opportunities to participate in many ways. This has been identified as a reason for the economic growth of the area.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore the resilience of periodic markets from the perspective of small retailers by identifying the reasons for their continued market participation.
Income inequality in Pakistan
Authors: Islam Tanweer Ul , Abrar Mahnoor , Arshad Ramsha , Akram Noor 
Published: June 2022

PurposeIn most developing countries like Pakistan, the gap between rich and poor has widened over time. This polarization in the society hinders economic growth and acts as a barrier for development and well-being. The proportion of income distribution varies across the population sub-groups in Pakistan. Therefore, it is important to study the income distribution effects across the four provinces of Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachThis study attempts to explore the root causes of income inequality and its changes in a dynamic context across the four provinces of Pakistan over a decade (2005–2006 to 2015–2016) by using a regression-based inequality decomposition method.FindingsAge, gender and higher education are the most prominent factors explaining the level of inequality across the four provinces of Pakistan. Higher education enhances the level of inequality in all provinces but contributes negatively to its changes except for Balochistan. Skilled agricultural and fishery workers in Balochistan have contributed significantly to reducing the level of inequality over the decade but not to its changes. Healthy contribution of the unpaid family workers in economic activities has reduced the level of inequality in Punjab and Balochistan and contributed positively to the change in income inequality. Employer or self-employed workers enhance the level of income inequality but contribute negatively to its changes for Punjab and Balochistan.Originality/valueTo date, inequality literature on Pakistan focuses on economic growth and poverty. A handful studies focus on the determinants of income inequality in a static context. This study goes beyond the static decomposition tools and attempts to explore the determinants of inequality in a dynamic context.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2021-0573.
Does occupational gender composition affect women's chances of becoming managers? Evidence from France, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK
Authors: di Paola Vanessa , Dupray Arnaud , Moullet Stéphanie 
Published: June 2022

PurposeThe authors aim to explore the link between the gender composition of occupations and women's access to managerial positions in four societal contexts.Design/methodology/approachUsing EU-LFS data for 2015, the authors measure the relative gender equality performance of France, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK regarding women's access to managerial positions, defined as levels 1 and 2 of the 2008 ISCO classification coupled with the exercise of managerial responsibilities.FindingsWhile gender-mixed working environments offer the largest number of managerial positions, they are also where women are least likely to reach such a position. Overall, except in Switzerland, women fare best in male-dominated occupations. Women do not appear to fare worse than men in female-dominated occupations, except in France.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings question the relevance of policies aimed simply at reducing occupational gender segregation without providing safeguards against the deleterious effects that gender mixing may have on women's career advancement.Originality/valueThe disparities between countries found here show that individual career advancement towards a managerial position may be driven by the social policies, gender ideology and institutions of the societal context. Examining how the societal dimensions involved in the poor performance of women in France and Switzerland are likely to differ sheds light on mechanisms behind the gender gap in management.
Linking managerial capital with explorative strategy and growth in China
Authors: Neill Stern , Wu Minhua , Noel Terry W. 
Published: June 2022

Purpose
This study aims to consider the effect of managerial capital (psychological, intellectual and social) on business strategy and growth. Per upper echelon theory, managerial capital enables high-level managers to drive firm performance in uniquely personal ways. The authors test the effects of managerial capital on a manager’s dominant regulatory focus (promotion and prevention balance) and whether having an explorative strategy mediates the relationship between dominant regulatory focus and the percentage of business unit growth expected from new lines of business.

Design/methodology/approach
Survey data from a sample of 211 Chinese executives were used to assess measurement and test hypotheses by means of structural equation modeling.

Findings
Results indicate that the direction of business strategy is influenced by the balance between promotion and prevention focus, which is shaped by managers’ risk propensity, product-market familiarity and bonding tie diversity. Explorative strategy, in turn, mediates the relationship between dominant regulatory focus and expectations of innovative growth.

Originality/value
Examining the effects of managerial capital on innovative firm strategy reveals the role of psychosocial traits of decision-makers.
Evaluating delays in patients treated with post‐operative radiation therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Marwah Ravi , Goonetilleke Daniel , Smith Justin , Chilkuri Madhavi 
Published: June 2022

AbstractIntroductionDelays in commencing post‐operative radiation therapy (PORT) and prolongation of overall treatment times (OTT) are associated with reduced overall survival and higher recurrence rates in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The objective of this study was to evaluate treatment delays, factors contributing to those delays and to explore strategies to mitigate them.MethodsThis retrospective study included patients with mucosal HNSCC at Townsville University Hospital treated with curative intent surgery and PORT between June 2011 and June 2019. The proportion of patients who experienced delays in commencing PORT (>6 weeks) and OTT were evaluated and reasons for these delays were explored.ResultsThe study included 94 patients of which 70% experienced PORT delay. Surgery at an external facility (81% vs 56%, P = 0.006) and longer post‐operative length of stay (P = 0.011) were significantly associated with a higher incidence of PORT delay. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients had a higher rate of PORT delay (89% vs 68.2%, P = 0.198). Significant delays were noted from time of surgery to radiation oncology (RO) consult and from RO consult to commencement of radiation treatment.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the prevalence of PORT delay for patients with HNSCC remains high with room for improvement. Potential strategies to improve delays include developing effective care coordination, addressing specific needs of Indigenous patients, implementing reliable automated tracking and communication systems between teams and harnessing existing electronic referral systems.
Lithuania: Political Developments and Data in 2021
Authors: JASTRAMSKIS MAŽVYDAS , RAMONAITĖ AINĖ 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe main political developments in Lithuania in 2021 were mayoral elections in three municipalities, tensions in the Cabinet related to management of the COVID‐19 pandemic and a conflict between Lithuania and China, splits in the parliamentary political groups, and party leadership changes. Much of the article is devoted to issue politics, including the migration crisis, and social unrests directed against both the government's pandemic measures and the progressive agenda of the ruling parties.
Surveys of clinician and patient attitudes to an add‐on for in vitro fertilisation
Authors: Anderson Karyn , Blaxall Michelle , Lensen Sarah , Farquhar Cindy 
Published: June 2022

BackgroundAdd‐ons at the time of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) have become commonplace, despite a general lack of evidence that they are effective and safe. The ‘Colorado Protocol’ is a commonly used add‐on consisting of aspirin, steroid and an antibiotic. Before commencing planning for a clinical trial evaluating the Colorado Protocol, researchers and funders need evidence that the Colorado Protocol is being prescribed, and to be assured that sufficient numbers of participants can be recruited for a clinical trial.AimsTo survey fertility clinicians and patients on attitudes toward use of add‐ons during IVF, willingness of patients to be randomly assigned to an add‐on trial treatment or placebo, and what would be the clinically meaningful outcomes, using the Colorado Protocol as a test case.Materials and methodsTwo online surveys were conducted: clinicians from fertility clinics across the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand; and patients from Auckland‐based clinics and NZ patient support groups.ResultsOf 58 clinicians, 44 (75%) had recommended an add‐on within the preceding year. Thirty‐nine (67%) clinicians were aware of the Colorado Protocol, with 17 (29%) having recommended it within the preceding year. Of the 289 patients, 80% indicated willingness to take trial medications during IVF, and 68% were willing to be randomly assigned to the placebo arm of a trial. The median perceived minimum clinically important difference in live births in both samples was 5%.ConclusionsA future trial of this add‐on in IVF would be supported by patients in the context of the New Zealand fertility healthcare system.
Extinct species identification from late middle Pleistocene and earlier Upper Pleistocene bone fragments and tools not recognizable from their osteomorphological study by an enhanced proteomics protocol
Authors: Bray Fabrice , Flament Stéphanie , Abrams Grégory , Bonjean Dominique , Rolando Christian , Tokarski Caroline , Auguste Patrick 
Published: June 2022

AbstractAncient preserved molecules offer the opportunity of gaining a deeper knowledge on their biological past. However, the development of a proteomic workflow remains a challenge. The analysis of fossils must involve a low quantity of material to avoid damaging the samples. In this study an enhanced proteomic protocol was applied to 5‐milligram samples of about 130,000‐year‐old mammalian bones ranging from the end of the Middle Pleistocene up to the earlier Upper Pleistocene, excavated from Scladina Cave (Sclayn, Belgium). Using sequence homology with modern sequences, a biological classification was successfully achieved and the associated taxonomic ranks to each bone were identified consistently with the information gained from osteomorphological studies and palaeoenvironmental and palaeodietary data. Amino acid substitutions on collagens were identified, thus providing new information on extinct species sequences and helping in taxonomy‐based clustering. Considering samples with no osteomorphological information, such as two fragments of bone retouchers, proteomics successfully identified the families providing paleontologists new information on these objects. Combining osteomorphology studies and amino acid variations identified by proteomics, one of the retouchers was potentially identified as belonging to the Ursus spelaeus species.
Robot‐assisted vs ultrasonography‐guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block vs local anaesthesia in urology: results of the UROTAP randomized trial
Authors: Rosen Daniel C. , Winoker Jared S. , Mullen Greg , Moshier Erin , Sim Alan , Pathak Prachee , Wagaskar Vinayak , Sfakianos John P. , Reddy Avinash , Palese Michael , Badani Ketan K. , Wiklund Peter , Tewari Ashutosh , Mehrazin Reza 
Published: June 2022

ObjectivesTo prospectively analyse robotically administered transperitoneal transversus abdominis plane (robot‐assisted transversus abdominis plane [RTAP]) compared with both ultrasonography‐guided transversus abdominis plane (UTAP) and local anaesthesia (LA) with regard to pain control and narcotic use in patients undergoing robot‐assisted prostatectomy (RARP) or robot‐assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN).Subjects/Patients and MethodsPatients undergoing RARP or RAPN were randomized in a single‐blind 2:2:1 fashion to RTAP:UTAP:LA, with the study powered to evaluate superiority of UTAP to LA and non‐inferiority of RTAP to UTAP. We compared time to deliver the block, operating room time, postoperative pain scores using the visual analogue scale, and intra‐operative and postoperative analgesia consumption.ResultsA total of 143 patients were randomized and received treatment. There was no significant difference in patient baseline characteristics. UTAP did not demonstrate superiority to LA in terms of pain control. RTAP and LA were faster to administer than UTAP (time to perform block 2.5 vs 2.5 vs 6.25 min; P < 0.001). There was no difference in postoperative narcotic, acetaminophen, ketorolac or ondansetron requirements among the three groups (P > 0.05). The study was terminated early due to the unexpected efficacy of LA.ConclusionThis study showed that UTAP and RTAP do not provide superior pain control to LA. The efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of administration of LA make it an excellent option for first‐line therapy for postoperative analgesia.
Consuming and consumed: Biotic interactions of African mistletoes across different trophic levels
Authors: Krasylenko Yuliya , Kinge Tonjock Rosemary , Sosnovsky Yevhen , Atamas Natalia , Tofel Katamssadan Haman , Horielov Oleksii , Rambold Gerhard 
Published: June 2022

AbstractMistletoes, as perennial hemiparasitic angiosperms that parasitize woody plants, are an important component of the highly diverse, endemically rich and mosaic African flora, which is attributed to the Holarctic, Paleotropical, and Cape Floristic kingdoms. The richness of African mistletoes from the Loranthaceae and Viscaceae, along with many aspects of their biology and ecology, was covered in the comprehensive monograph of Polhill and Wiens (1998,Mistletoes of Africa, Royal Botanic Gardens). The present review is devoted to the taxonomic and functional diversity of symbionts associated with mistletoes in Africa and adjacent islands that contribute to the major biological functions of mistletoes, such as establishment and growth, nutrition and fitness, resistance to external stresses, as well as pollination and dispersal. These functions are favored by more or less distinct sets of associated bionts, including host plants, animal herbivores, frugivorous birds, nectar‐ and pollen‐feeding insects, and endophytic microorganisms. A separate section is devoted to mistletoe epiparasitism as a special case of host selection. All these organisms, which are components of the mistletoe‐associated community and multitrophic network, define the role of mistletoes as keystone species. Some aspects of the symbiont communities are compared here with patterns reported for mistletoes from other continents, particularly to identify potential relationships that remain to be explored for the African species. In addition, properties of endophytic mistletoe associates that contribute to the plant's communication with coexisting organisms are considered. We also highlight the important gaps of knowledge of the functioning of mistletoe‐associated communities in Africa and indicate some applied issues that need future attention.Abstract in French is available with online material.
Insights into human‐wildlife coexistence through temporal activity pattern overlaps in a neglected tropical forest in India
Authors: Aditya Vikram , Ganesh Thyagarajan 
Published: June 2022

AbstractTropical forests experience high levels of anthropogenic pressure from human activities for the collection of forest products, hunting, and movement of domestic animals that affect circadian temporal activity patterns of mammals. Areas with different protection statuses might show differences in mammal circadian activity because of variation in human use intensity. In this study, we assess if human activity could be a predictor shaping the mammal circadian activity patterns in the Eastern Ghats, a neglected tropical forest landscape in India that experiences high human activity. We present results from camera trap surveys of mammal circadian temporal activity patterns in Papikonda National Park (PNP) and its buffer in the Northern Eastern Ghats hill region. We observed a high overlap between human and mammal activity patterns, particularly with herbivorous species. Mammals displayed high crepuscular activity, particularly herbivores; carnivores, however, were also active during the day. This study provides the first insights on circadian temporal activity patterns of mammals in a protected area and its buffer in India's poorly known Eastern Ghats. We discuss these findings in the context of hunting pressure by humans, protection status, and its implications for mammal behavior in the Eastern Ghats and tropical forests across India.Abstract in Telugu is available with online material.
Most lichens are rare, and degree of rarity is mediated by lichen traits and biotic partners
Authors: Manzitto‐Tripp Erin A. , Lendemer James C. , McCain Christy M. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractAimUnderstanding ecological distributions of global biodiversity is stymied by incomplete knowledge of drivers of species rarity. These include trade‐offs among life‐history traits that impact dispersability, competition, reproductive output and speciation and extinction. In this study, we aim to understand potential drivers of rarity in North American lichens.Location and methodsWith nearly 5500 species and a third of global species richness, North America is a hotspot for lichen biodiversity. Here, we employ a continental‐scale dataset on North American lichens to test potential drivers of species rarity. For all species, we determined coarse‐scale geographical distribution along with the mode of reproduction, substrate, growth form and photobiont type.ResultsOur analyses found that most lichens are rare and known only from one or two ecoregions. Rare species are not equally distributed across ecoregions: the Eastern temperate hardwood forests and wet tropical forests of southern Florida harbour the vast majority of rare species. Wet to seasonally wet ecoregions of western North America are home to most remaining narrowly distributed lichen species. In contrast, northern ecoregions along with drier ecoregions including the Great Plains and deserts harbour primarily widespread species. Lichen rarity is significantly associated with species that live on bark or leaves, those with aTrentepohliaphotobiont, those that are small, crustose and live closely appressed to their substrates, and those that reproduce sexually, dispersing only the mycobiont. North American lichens are represented unevenly across trait categories, with 65% of them having a crustose growth form, 73% bearing aTrebouxiaor other green algal photobiont, 78% living on bark or rock and 77% reproducing sexually.Main conclusionsOur study, spanning an entire continental‐scale biota, helps to establish a generalized relationship among life‐history traits and rarity in lichens and highlights the significance of biotic interactions in structuring biogeographical distributions.