bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatial prediction of flood-susceptible zones in the Ourika watershed of Morocco using machine learning algorithms
Authors: Meliho Modeste , Khattabi Abdellatif , Driss Zejli , Orlando Collins Ashianga 
Published: March 2022

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to predict mapping of areas vulnerable to flooding in the Ourika watershed in the High Atlas of Morocco with the aim of providing a useful tool capable of helping in the mitigation and management of floods in the associated region, as well as Morocco as a whole.Design/methodology/approachFour machine learning (ML) algorithms including k-nearest neighbors (KNN), artificial neural network, random forest (RF) and x-gradient boost (XGB) are adopted for modeling. Additionally, 16 predictors divided into categorical and numerical variables are used as inputs for modeling.FindingsThe results showed that RF and XGB were the best performing algorithms, with AUC scores of 99.1 and 99.2%, respectively. Conversely, KNN had the lowest predictive power, scoring 94.4%. Overall, the algorithms predicted that over 60% of the watershed was in the very low flood risk class, while the high flood risk class accounted for less than 15% of the area.Originality/valueThere are limited, if not non-existent studies on modeling using AI tools including ML in the region in predictive modeling of flooding, making this study intriguing.
The DaimlerChrysler takeover failure revisited from a varieties-of-capitalism perspective
Authors: Riach John Rankin Wood , Schneider Martin R. 
Published: March 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to revisit the disastrous DaimlerChrysler AG takeover episode from 1998 to 2007 in order to arrive at a more comprehensive explanation of this and other merger and takeover failures based on institutional theory.Design/methodology/approachThe case study is based on various secondary sources of information and on the insights that one of the authors gained from working for 14 years in various positions for Daimler-Benz and DaimlerChrysler.FindingsDaimlerChrysler failed because top management made mistakes in trying to globalize the company. They were unable to realize possible synergies between the two companies, which brought complementary resources into the merger. Furthermore, they did not account for the institutional embeddedness of strategies when they adopted lean production globally, diffused the production system developed in Germany to other parts of the world and tried to implement a global stock enlisted in New York and Frankfurt. The underlying theoretical framework is relevant for other merger and acquisition cases. It features institutional embeddedness, path dependency and institutional arbitrage.Originality/valueThe paper develops an institutional perspective on DaimlerChrysler and on cross-border merger and acquisition failure more generally. The perspective is organized around the varieties-of-capitalism approach. This contribution is important because there is increasing dissatisfaction with the dominant explanation of cross-border merger and acquisition failure, which is based on the allegedly failed management of culture “clashes.”
“Police spatial knowledge” – Aspects of spatial constitutions by the police
Authors: Brauer Eva , Dangelmaier Tamara , Hunold Daniela 
Published: February 2022

PurposeThe article presents research results of an ethnographic survey within the German police. The focus is on practices of spatial production and the functions of spaces.Design/methodology/approachThe article draws on data from the DFG-funded research project KORSIT (Social Construction of security-related Spaces) based on an ethnographic survey in the German police force (https://www.dhpol.de/korsit). Participant observations were conducted in police stations in two large German cities (pseudonymised as “Dillenstadt” and “Rosenberg”). It involved 60 guided interviews with police officers at different levels of the hierarchy, as well as further interviews with local and societal actors for contrasting purposes. The data was analysed on the basis of grounded theory (Strauss and Cobin, 1996).FindingsThis paper shed light on institutional spatial knowledge, which is the basis of police practices, is preceded by experience-based narratives. In an expanded perspective, the paper argues that urban spaces themselves can be understood as materialisations of social practices that serve as social demarcation that legitimise unequal styles of action in the different precinct within the German police. In terms of a relational conceptualisation of space, it is shown that the categories of ethnicity and gender interrelate within the institutional production of space.Originality/valueThe article links organisational research with sociological spatial research and provides basic explanatory models on the conditions of emergence and the persistence of discriminatory practices within the police.
Examining the relationship between dimensions of supply chain integration, operational performance and firm performance: evidence from Ghana
Authors: Agyei-Owusu Benjamin , Asamoah David , Nuertey Dorcas , Acquah Ishmael Nanaba 
Published: March 2022

Purpose
The study aims to examine the relationship between dimensions of supply chain integration (SCI), operational performance and firm performance of firms. The study proposes that internal integration serves as the basis for supplier integration and customer integration and all three dimensions directly enhance operational performance and firm performance. Additionally, operational performance is proposed to mediate the effect of dimensions of SCI on firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach
A research model grounded on the resource-based view and the extended resource-based view was developed to examine the proposed relationships between the dimensions of SCI, operational performance and firm performance. A survey of manufacturing and service firms in Ghana was conducted, with 120 usable responses received. The research model was analysed by using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Robustness tests were conducted by using logistic regression and the Kruskal Wallis test.

Findings
The findings showed that internal integration had positive and significant effects on customer integration and supplier integration. Internal integration had a positive and significant effect on firm performance whilst customer integration had positive and significant effects on operational performance and firm performance. Additionally, operational performance mediated the effect of customer integration on firm performance.

Originality/value
This is one of the few studies that examine the interrelationships between dimensions of SCI. Additionally, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first study to empirically examine the mediating role of operational performance in the relationship between dimensions of SCI and firm performance.
Tools the board can use to prevent an M&A synergy trap
Authors: Sirower Mark L. , Weirens Jeffery M. 
Published: March 2022

Purpose
Negative market reactions to a deal are often driven by a gap between what management believes and what investors perceive, so boards need useful tools to stress test deal economics, the messages CEOs give the market and the level of preparation required to immediately begin delivering on market expectations.

Design/methodology/approach
Four simple analytical tools and a set of questions can help boards drive more informed discussions about potential M&A deals.

Findings
Before committing to a major deal, both parties will need to assess the effect on each company’s shareholder value should the synergy expectations embedded in the premium fail to materialize.

Practical/implications
Empowered Post Merger Integration teams must be created with clear roles, responsibilities and reporting relationships to make effectual recommendations for top management to ratify.

Originality/value
Before approving a deal and recommending it to shareholders, directors should ensure that senior management offers a clear business case and has an operating model’and a plan’ in place. Four simple analytical tools and a set of questions can help boards drive more informed discussions about potential M&A deals.
Moderate climate warming scenarios during embryonic and post‐embryonic stages benefit a cold‐climate lizard
Authors: Liu Wan‐li , Liu Peng , Cui Luo‐xin , Meng Yu , Tao Shi‐ang , Han Xing‐zhi , Sun Bao‐jun 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Warming temperatures caused by climate change are predicted to vary temporally and spatially. For mid‐ and high‐latitude reptiles, the seasonal variation in warming temperatures experienced by embryos and hatchlings may determine offspring fitness, yet this has remained largely unexplored.

To evaluate the independent and interactive influence of seasonal variation in warming temperatures on embryonic and hatchling development, we incubated eggs and reared hatchlings of a cold‐climate oviparous ectothermic species, the Heilongjiang grass lizard (Takydromus amurensis), following a 2 × 2 factorial design (present climate versus warming climate for embryos × present climate versus warming climate for hatchlings). We then evaluated embryonic and hatchling development, including hatching success, incubation period, initial hatchling body size, hatchling metabolic rate, growth rate and survival in the mesocosms.

We found that warming temperatures shortened the incubation period and produced hatchlings with higher survival rates than those incubated under the present climate conditions. Similarly, hatchlings reared under a warming climate had similar growth rates and resting metabolic rates, but higher survival rates than those reared under the present climate. Hatchlings that experienced both warming incubation and warming growth conditions had the highest survival rates.

This study revealed that moderate warming temperatures (Representative Concentration Pathway, RCP 4.5, 1.1–2.6°C) experienced by embryos and hatchlings interact to benefit hatchling fitness in cold‐climate oviparous ectotherms. Our study also highlighted the importance of integrating seasonal variation in warming temperatures when evaluating the responses to climate warming in multiple developmental stages in oviparous ectotherms.
Thermal plasticity and evolution shape predator–prey interactions differently in clear and turbid water bodies
Authors: Wang Ying‐Jie , Tüzün Nedim , Sentis Arnaud , Stoks Robby 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWarming and eutrophication negatively affect freshwater ecosystems by modifying trophic interactions and increasing water turbidity. We need to consider their joint effects on predator–prey interactions and how these depend on the thermal evolution of both predator and prey.We quantified how 4°C warming and algae‐induced turbidity (that integrates turbidity per se and increased food for zooplankton prey) affect functional response parameters and prey population parameters in a common‐garden experiment. We did so for all combinations of high‐ and low‐latitude predator (damselfly larvae) and prey (water fleas) populations to assess the potential impact of thermal evolution of predators and/or prey at a high latitude under warming using a space‐for‐time substitution. We then modelled effects on the system stability (i.e. tendency to oscillate) under different warming, turbidity and evolutionary scenarios.Warming and turbidity had little effect on the functional response parameters of high‐latitude predators. In contrast, warming and turbidity reduced the handling times of low‐latitude predators. Moreover, warming increased the search rates of low‐latitude predators in clear water but instead decreased these in turbid water.Warming increased stability (i.e. prevented oscillations) in turbid water (except for the ‘high‐latitude predator and high‐latitude prey’ system), mainly by decreasing the prey’s carrying capacity and partly also by decreasing search rates, while it did not affect stability in clear water. Algae‐induced turbidity generally decreased stability, mainly by increasing the prey’s carrying capacity and partly also by increasing search rates. This resembles findings that nutrient enrichment can reduce the stability of trophic systems. The expected stability of the high‐latitude trophic system under warming was dependent on the turbidity level: our results suggest that thermal plasticity tends to destabilize the high‐latitude trophic system under warming in clear water but not in turbid water, and that thermal evolution of the predator will stabilize the high‐latitude system under warming in turbid water but less so in clear water.The extent to which thermal plasticity and evolution shape trophic system stability under warming may strongly differ between clear and turbid water bodies, with their contributions having a more stabilizing role in turbid water.
Indigenous brigades change the spatial patterns of wildfires, and the influence of climate on fire regimes
Authors: Oliveira Maxwell R. , Ferreira Bruno H. S. , Souza Evaldo B. , Lopes Aline A. , Bolzan Fábio P. , Roque Fábio O. , Pott Arnildo , Pereira Alexandre M. M. , Garcia Letícia C. , Damasceno Geraldo A. , Costa Ademilson , Rocha Mesaque , Xavier Silvio , Ferraz Rubens A. , Ribeiro Danilo B. 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Indigenous people have been managing fire‐prone landscapes for millennia, especially in tropical savannas, thereby maintaining carbon stocks and pyrodiversity and ensuring food security. In some indigenous lands in Brazil, fire brigades are composed of indigenous people, integrating their traditional knowledge in Brazilian fire management policies; however, the effectiveness of their management is largely undocumented. Nevertheless, we need to know the effectiveness of indigenous fire brigades and their influence on fire patterns.

Here, we evaluate an 18‐year historical series of fire patterns and burn scars, comparing periods with and without indigenous brigade activity, to describe the role of indigenous fire brigades in the Kadiwéu Indigenous Territory. In this Indigenous Territory, fire brigades composed of indigenous people have been instituted, trained and maintained by the National Center of Prevention and Combat of Wildfire (PREVFOGO/IBAMA) since 2009. These brigades are responsible for fire management throughout the Kadiwéu Indigenous Territory using controlled burning, prescribed burning and combating wildfires.

We found that fire management by the indigenous brigades has reduced fire frequency by 80% in the areas with high fire frequency (over 70% of the analysed time). Management also reduced the size of the area burned by 53% and the influence of climate over the total area burned. According to our models, the area affected by fires is mainly influenced by annual rainfall in the absence of indigenous brigades; in contrast, climatic factors could not explain the variation in the burned area in the period without indigenous brigades.

Synthesis and applications. The fire management realized by the indigenous brigades can modify the fire regime. These changes in the fire regime can include: changes in spatial patterns, the magnitude of fires and reduction in the influence of climate on fire regimes. Hence, the management carried out by the indigenous brigades can be considered an important tool for fire management. In addition to demonstrating the importance of programs that integrate traditional indigenous knowledge with fire management policies, such as the Integrated Fire Management (IFM), to construct effective management strategies.
Influence of species functional strategy on leaf stoichiometric responses to fertilizer in a Bornean heath forest
Authors: Sellan Giacomo , Thompson Jill , Majalap Noreen , Brearley Francis Q. 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

The distribution of Bornean heath forest on white sand soils is believed to be due to element limitation and soil acidity.

To determine the impact of both element limitation and soil acidity on tropical heath forest, we established a soil fertilization experiment to investigate the impact that increased soil N availability and reduced soil pH (using lime/CaCO3) had on a range of elements in tree leaves. We hypothesized that alterations in soil resource availability would cause changes in the tree leaf N:P ratio and concentrations of other elements and these changes would be influenced by species' functional strategies.

The experiment was carried out in a Bornean heath forest on infertile soil over a 2‐year period. We selected 10 common tree species, spanning acquisitive to conservative strategies and tested whether tree species functional strategies influenced tree leaf elemental concentrations after the fertilization.

Leaf N:P ratios showed considerable differences among co‐occurring species. Overall, we found that soil N addition treatments increased leaf N concentration, although leaf N:P ratios were not affected. Changes in leaf Al, Fe and S concentrations were correlated with species functional strategy: conservative species showed a greater increase in leaf Fe compared with acquisitive species, whereas acquisitive species showed a greater increase in leaf Al but a decrease in leaf S compared with conservative species.

Synthesis. We show that soil elements uptake differs between acquisitive and conservative species and that acquisitive species may not take up soil elemental resources more effectively than conservative species. We suggest that the greater Fe acquisition by conservative species, in comparison to acquisitive species, might be due to a stress tolerance strategy. The overall increase in leaf N showed that, in this nutrient‐poor forest, N is a fundamental requirement irrespective of species functional strategies. Given the increased leaf Al and Fe concentration after liming, we also suggest that these elements are important, and possibly limiting (Fe), in this heath forest.
Face Value: Trait Impressions, Performance Characteristics, and Market Outcomes for Financial Analysts
Authors: PENG LIN , TEOH SIEW HONG , WANG YAKUN , YAN JIAWEN 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACTUsing machine learning–based algorithms, we measure key impressions about sell‐side analysts using their LinkedIn photos. We find that impressions of analysts’ trustworthiness (TRUST) and dominance (DOM) are positively associated with forecast accuracy, especially after recent in‐person meetings between analysts and firm managers. High TRUST also enhances stock return sensitivity to forecast revisions, especially for stocks with high institutional ownership. In contrast, the impression of analysts’ attractiveness (ATTRACT) is only positively associated with accuracy for new analysts or when a firm has a new CEO or CFO. Furthermore, while high DOM helps male analysts’ chances of attaining All‐Star status, it reduces female analysts’ accuracy and the likelihood of winning the All‐Star award. In addition, the relation between TRUST and accuracy is modulated by the disclosure environment and is attenuated by Regulation Fair Disclosure. Our results suggest that face impressions influence analysts’ access to information and the perceived credibility of their reports.
Accuracy of presenting symptoms, physical examination, and imaging for diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Fernando Shannon M. , Tran Alexandre , Cheng Wei , Rochwerg Bram , Strauss Shira A. , Mutter Eric , McIsaac Daniel I. , Kyeremanteng Kwadwo , Kubelik Dalibor , Jetty Prasad , Nagpal Sudhir K. , Thiruganasambandamoorthy Venkatesh , Roberts Derek J. , Perry Jeffrey J. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractObjectivesRuptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is a life‐threatening condition, and rapid diagnosis is necessary to facilitate early surgical intervention. We sought to evaluate the accuracy of presenting symptoms, physical examination signs, computed tomography with angiography (CTA), and point‐of‐care ultrasound (PoCUS) for diagnosis of rAAA.MethodsWe searched six databases from inception through April 2021. We included studies investigating the accuracy of any of the above tests for diagnosis of rAAA. The primary reference standard used in all studies was intraoperative diagnosis or death from rAAA. Because PoCUS cannot detect rupture, we secondarily assessed its accuracy for the diagnosis of AAA, using the reference standard of intraoperative or CTA diagnosis. We used GRADE to assess certainty in estimates.ResultsWe included 20 studies (2,077 patients), with 11 of these evaluating signs and symptoms, seven evaluating CTA, and five evaluating PoCUS. Pooled sensitivities of abdominal pain, back pain, and syncope for rAAA were 61.7%, 53.6%, and 27.8%, respectively (low certainty). Pooled sensitivity of hypotension and pulsatile abdominal mass were 30.9% and 47.1%, respectively (low certainty). CTA had a sensitivity of 91.4% and specificity of 93.6% for diagnosis of rAAA (moderate certainty). In our secondary analysis, PoCUS had a sensitivity of 97.8% and specificity of 97.0% for diagnosing AAA in patients suspected of having rAAA (moderate certainty).ConclusionsClassic clinical symptoms associated with rAAA have poor sensitivity, and their absence does not rule out the condition. CTA has reasonable accuracy, but misses some cases of rAAA. PoCUS is a valuable tool that can help guide the need for urgent transfer to a vascular center in patients suspected of having rAAA.
Corporate social responsibility and litigation risk: Evidence from securities class action lawsuits
Authors: Chakraborty Atreya , Gao Lucia S. , Musa Prianka 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis study examines whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) is associated with the likelihood and outcomes of securities class action lawsuits. We find a lower likelihood of securities litigation for firms with higher CSR. This effect is larger for companies with lower levels of financial distress, companies with larger proportions of institutional investors, and for internal CSR. Additionally, CSR has a mitigating effect on negative market assessments around the filing dates of securities litigation. The results suggest that higher CSR firms are less likely to engage in financial misconduct, and investors are less likely to penalise them for such occurrences.
Does mRNA SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine in the follicular fluid impact follicle and oocyte performance in IVF treatments?
Authors: Odeh‐Natour Rasha , Shapira Maanit , Estrada Daniela , Freimann Sarit , Tal Yana , Atzmon Yuval , Bilgory Asaf , Aslih Nardin , Abu‐Raya Yasmin Shibli , Shalom‐Paz Einat 
Published: February 2022

AbstractProblemThe COVID‐19 pandemic has many clinical manifestations. Rapid vaccine development raised concerns and speculations about future fertility outcomes and vaccine safety. We evaluated the effect of Pfizer‐BioNTech mRNA SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine on IVF treatment, oocyte and embryo quality, and pregnancy outcomes.Method of studyThis prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in a referral IVF Unit, 3/2021‐5/2021. We aimed to recruit all women undergoing IVF/ICSI cycles from 3/1–4/30/2021, 2‐8 weeks after the second vaccination, and to analyze 50–60 samples in the 2‐month period. Patients were categorized according to serum antibody levels: positive for spike (S), positive for nucleotide (N), or negative for both. On the day of ovum pick‐up, follicular fluid and blood samples were analyzed for anti‐nucleotide (anti‐N) antibodies, and anti‐spike (anti‐S) antibodies, hormonal profile, C‐reactive protein (CRP) and other metabolic parameters.ResultsOf 59 women enrolled, 37 reported being vaccinated and 22 were not. We found 97% correlation between anti‐S and anti‐N in the blood and the follicular fluid. Follicular fluid was analyzed based on antibody categorization. All IVF treatment parameters in the follicular fluids and serum were comparable, except CRP was significantly elevated among patients with anti‐N antibodies (2.29 [1.42–6.08] vs. 4.11 [1.62–5.75] vs. 1.44 [.36–8.33]; p < .001). Pregnancy outcomes were comparable (44% vs. 33% vs. 50%; p = .97).ConclusionmRNA SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine did not appear to affect treatment outcomes or ovarian reserves in the subsequent IVF cycle.