bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
R&D intensity and firms dividend policy: evidence from BRICS countries
Authors: Hasan Fakhrul , Shafique Sujana , Das Bijoy Chandra , Shome Rajib 
Published: May 2022

PurposeGiven the importance of both research and development (R&D) investments and dividend policy in the growth of firms, this paper examines the moderating effects of investor protection and other country-level governance mechanisms on the relationship between R&D investments and dividend payments in the firms from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS countries).Design/methodology/approachThis empirical study uses a sample of 22,073 firm year observations from the BRICS countries over a period of 2008–2020 and employs both ordinary least squared (OLS) and system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation methods. The GMM estimation controls for unobservable heterogeneity and endogeneity and reduces estimation bias.FindingsThe findings indicate that although R&D intensity is negatively related with the cash dividend payments, with the interaction of investor protection and other country-level mechanisms the relationship between R&D intensity and dividend payments becomes positive. The results further show that investor protection has stronger impact on the relationship between R&D intensity and firm cash dividend payments than other selected country-level governance factors.Practical implicationsThe research findings should encourage the policy makers in BRICS countries to strengthen investor protection and enhance quality of their institutions to make a right balance between retaining their growth potential and maintaining the value of the firms.Originality/valueThis is the first study to provide evidence of the moderating effects of investor protection and other country-level governance mechanisms on the relationship between R&D investments and dividend payments using the data from BRICS countries.
Identifying the influential factors on the effectiveness of industrial parks and using an MCDM method to rank them: case study of Iran
Authors: Moghimi Farshad , Baradaran Vahid , Hosseinian Amir Hossein 
Published: May 2022

Purpose
This study aims to detect the influential factors and their respective variables that affect the effectiveness or demand-driven level of the industrial parks in Iran. A hybrid procedure is sought to be developed, which embraces both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to identify the aforementioned factors and variables.

Design/methodology/approach
This study is incorporated with both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. To implement the qualitative approach, the researchers used focus groups and the related literature. The quantitative methodology has been carried out via a reliable questionnaire that obtained the viewpoints of 700 experts. The reliability of the designed questionnaire has been investigated through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. By conducting several one-sample t-tests, it was confirmed that the identified factors and variables are significantly influential on the effectiveness of Iran’s industrial parks. The Kruskal–Wallis statistical test was used to determine the priorities of the factors. This research also used a multi-criteria decision-making method, namely, the weighted aggregates sum product assessment (WASPAS) to rank 15 industrial parks of Khorasan province in Iran according to the identified factors.

Findings
Comprehensive analyses have been conducted on the identified factors. Results indicate that the infrastructural facilities factor has the highest priority when it comes to affecting the effectiveness of the industrial parks. After that, industrial land and internal factors take the second and the third positions in terms of importance. A total of 15 industrial parks of the aforementioned province have been ranked by the WASPAS. The ranking offered by the WASPAS has been approved by the experts.

Originality/value
Based on the literature investigations, the authors were convinced that there is a scarcity of studies investigating the influential factors that affect the effectiveness or demand-driven level of industrial parks (especially in Iran). Hence, this research has been conducted to propose a procedure equipped with quantitative and qualitative techniques that detect these important factors and their subordinate variables. By means of the developed procedure of this research, it is possible to locate future industrial parks, plan for establishment of future industrial areas and plan for development of current industrial parks.
Librarian’s perception on data librarianship core concepts: a survey of motivational factors, challenges, skills and appropriate trainings platforms
Authors: Ashiq Murtaza , Warraich Nosheen Fatima 
Published: May 2022

Purpose Data librarianship, or data-driven librarianship, is the combination of information science, data science and e-science fields and is gaining gradual importance in the library and information science (LIS) profession. Hence, this study investigates the data librarianship core concepts (motivational factors, challenges, skills and appropriate training platforms) to learn and successfully launch data librarianship services.Design/methodology/approach A survey method was used and the data were collected through online questionnaire. Purposive sampling method was applied and 132 responses were received with 76 respondents from the public and 56 from the private sector universities of Pakistan. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 25) was used, and descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyzed the data.Findings LIS professionals understand the importance of data-driven library services and perceive that such services are helpful in evolving the image of the library, helping with the establishment of institutional data repositories/data banks, developing data resources and services for library patrons and especially researchers, and receiving appreciation and acknowledgment from the higher authorities. The major challenges that emerged from the data were: missing data policies, limited training opportunities for data librarianship roles, no additional financial benefits, lack of infrastructure and systems, lack of organizational support for the initiation of data-driven services, and lack of skills, knowledge and expertise. Data librarianship is in its early stages in Pakistan, and consequently, the LIS professionals are lacking basic, advanced and technical data-driven skills.Research limitations/implications The policy, theoretical and practical implications describe an immediate need for framing data policies. Such policies will help the libraries or any other relevant entities to store the data and assign metadata and documentation in such a way that it is easy to retrieve and reusable for others.Originality/value This is the first study in Pakistan to investigate the perceptions of LIS professionals about data librarianship core concepts: motivational factors, challenges, skills and appropriate training platforms to grasp data-driven skills and successfully launch library services.
Work from home during COVID-19: the role of perceived hope, intrinsic spirituality and perceived supervisor support on job involvement
Authors: Ullah Muhammad Shariat , Islam Muhaiminul , Ukil Minhajul Islam 
Published: May 2022

PurposeThis study aims to explore the influence of perceived hope, intrinsic spirituality and supervisor support on job involvement at the time of work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe sample included 263 employees working from home (WFH) for the first time in their careers due to COVID-19. The authors applied structural equation model and multigroup analysis (MGA) in SmartPLS3 to examine the hypothesized relationships, and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis to determine the relative influence of the antecedents.FindingsResults indicate that both personal (such as perceived hope and intrinsic spirituality) and job (supervisor support) resources determine job involvement during remote working, with a moderating impact of age on the relationship between intrinsic spirituality and job involvement. The ANN analysis shows that perceived hope is the most influential determinant of job involvement when employees work from home.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that when employees work remotely, organizations can generate higher job involvement by conveying a higher perception of hope and spirituality and providing supervisor support through planned hope interventions, promoting prosocial behavior and making changes in leadership style (check on instead of check-in).Originality/valueThis study extends the job demands-resources (JD-R) model with new insights into the impact of personal and job resources on job involvement during the new normal remote working era.
How AI affects the future relationship between corporate governance and financial markets: a note on impact capitalism
Authors: McBride Russ , Dastan Alireza , Mehrabinia Poorya 
Published: May 2022

PurposeThe authors discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) can facilitate and incentivize reform in corporate social responsibility (CSR), i.e. governance with regard to pledge for socially responsible investments (SRIs).Design/methodology/approachThe current essay examines the impacts of AI systems on the dynamics between corporate governance and financial markets in terms of promoting sustainability. Based on a qualitative review of over 100 pieces of literature, we offer an outlook into the mentioned dynamics through the lens of complex systems. Legal and ethical provisions for safe and robust AI systems are briefly discussed and integrated.FindingsIn a closed system, there is a reinforcing feedback loop between SRI and CSR. AI is a moderator to increase SRI and a mediator to incentivize CSR. If the legal and ethical provisions are involved in the AI systems, they could act as catalyst for corporate governance reform towards sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are based on a solely qualitative assessment of the prior literature in corporate governance, corporate law, AI and data governance, asset pricing, and asset allocation. The scopes and specifics of the relationship are yet to be found through quanatitative or quantitative/qualitative hybrid methods.Originality/valueThis is to certify that to the best of our knowledge, the content of this thesis is our own work. This paper has not been submitted for any degree or other purposes. The authors certify that the intellectual content of this research is the product of the authors’ own work and that all the assistance received in preparing this paper and sources have been acknowledged. Russ McBride Alireza Dastan Poorya Mehrabinia
Hyperoxia combined with the B‐cell antagonist rituximab led to intestinal dysbiosis in neonatal mice
Authors: Yang Kun , Xu Ya‐Ji , He Yan , Duan Cheng‐Xin , Wang Huai‐Fu , Ding Wei‐Jun 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe adverse factors impacting the intestinal microbiota of newborns remain to be elucidated. We put forward a hypothesis that hyperoxia in combination with rituximab exhibits a synergistic effect that interferes with neonatal intestinal microbiota. Six C57BL/6J mice, aged 12 weeks and pregnant 18 days, were purchased. Their pups were breastfed and raised under a 75% oxygen or conventional environment. Low‐ (20 mg/kg) and high‐dose (40 mg/kg) rituximab were intraperitoneally administered. Fecal genomic DNA was extracted and sequenced by a 16S rRNA platform. Severe intestinal dysbiosis in newborns were observed, whereas mild dysbiosis was caused by inducing hyperoxia alone, confirming the synergistic interference of the combination of hyperoxia and B‐cell antagonist (rituximab) in neonatal intestinal microbiota disruption. Slight dysbiosis was observed in the intestinal microbiota of dams, indicating their much robust ability to confront hyperoxic conditions. The abundance ofAkkermansia muciniphilawas significantly and extensively altered in both pups and dams after being subjecting them to hyperoxic conditions with or without rituximab administration. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that the synergistic effect of hyperoxia and rituximab led to severe intestinal dysbiosis in newborns. More studies are recommended to explore the precise regulatory mode between hyperoxia and rituximab in intestinal microbiota.
Forest loss and treeless matrices cause the functional impoverishment of sapling communities in old‐growth forest patches across tropical regions
Authors: Arasa‐Gisbert Ricard , Arroyo‐Rodríguez Víctor , Meave Jorge A. , Martínez‐Ramos Miguel , Lohbeck Madelon 
Published: May 2022

Abstract

Landscape‐level disturbances, such as forest loss, can profoundly alter the functional composition and diversity of biotic assemblages. In fact, the landscape‐moderated functional trait selection (LMFTS) hypothesis states that landscape‐level disturbances may act as environmental filters that select a set of species with disturbance‐adapted attributes while causing the loss of species with disturbance‐sensitive attributes, ultimately compromising ecosystem functioning. However, the impact of landscape patterns on the functional composition and diversity of tropical regenerating trees (saplings) is unknown.

Using a multiscale approach to identify the best spatial scale (i.e. the scale of effect), we tested the effect of forest cover, matrix openness and forest patch density (fragmentation) on functional composition and functional diversity of tree saplings in old‐growth forest patches (n = 59) in three Mexican rainforest regions with different degree of deforestation. For 368 species and ~23,000 individuals, we compiled information from global and national databases on six functional traits related to seed dispersal and plant establishment and calculated their community abundance‐weighted mean (CWM) and three complementary functional diversity indices.

Forest loss and matrix openness reduced functional richness and evenness, but only in the two most deforested regions. Overall, fragmentation had contrasting effects on functional diversity and composition, but correlated negatively with some functional traits in the most deforested region. Importantly, in the regions with high‐to‐intermediate degree of deforestation, functional composition experienced major changes: maximum height, seed mass, fruit size and wood density decreased, and SLA increased, in forest patches surrounded by open matrices in highly deforested and fragmented landscapes. This caused a shift of community traits towards more disturbed‐adapted attributes.

Synthesis and applications. In agreement with the LMFTS hypothesis, our results confirm that landscape modifications in regions undergoing high and long‐lasting deforestation greatly impoverish the functional composition and diversity of sapling communities. The shift from communities composed mainly by conservative attributes towards communities with a higher prevalence of disturbance‐adapted attributes disrupts the future community structure and jeopardizes critical ecosystem functions. Management practices focused on preventing deforestation, increasing forest cover and promoting treed matrices are necessary to preserve the functionality of these species rich but increasingly threatened rainforests.
In vitro activity of rifabutin against Mycobacterium abscessus, clinical isolates
Authors: Chen Jianhui , Zhang Haonan , Guo Qi , He Siyuan , Xu Liyun , Zhang Zhemin , Ma Jian , Chu Haiqing 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe antibiotic options available for Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) infection are limited and no definitive therapeutic strategies have been formulated. The recent discovery that rifabutin is active against M. abscessus has raised interest in using rifabutin to treat this intractable disease. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro activity of rifabutin against 194 M. abscessus clinical isolates collected during 2012 January to 2017 December. As expected, rifabutin demonstrated considerably lower MICs against M. abscessus, with an MIC50 of 2 μg/mL and MIC90 of 4 μg/mL, respectively. Notably, the anti‐M.abscessus activity was even stronger among clarithromycin‐insusceptible strains. In addition, M. abscessus isolates with a rough morphotype were more sensitive to rifabutin compared with those forming smooth colonies when considered as a whole or in separate subspecies. Results from synergistic experiments revealed that the in vitro activity of rifabutin was significantly enhanced by the addition of amikacin, suggesting a promising strategy for M. abscessus infection combination treatment. Finally, five and three mutation patterns in rpoB and arr, respectively, were identified among the 194 strains through whole genome sequencing. However, none of them conferred rifabutin resistance. Our study is among the first to report the susceptibility of M. abscessus to rifabutin in vitro with a large amount of clinical isolates, suggesting that rifabutin is active, both alone and in combination, against M. abscessus and is worth considering as part of a combination treatment regimen for M. abscessus infections.
Female Directors' Foreign Experience and Environmental and Sustainable Performance*
Authors: Ullah Farid , Jiang Ping , Ntim Collins G. , Shahab Yasir , Jiang Xianling 
Published: May 2022

AbstractWe examine the impact of female directors' foreign experience on environmental and sustainable (ES) performance in Chinese listed firms from 2010 to 2016. We find that female directors' foreign experience, especially work experience, significantly positively impacts firms' ES performance. The results are robust, and self‐selection concerns are addressed using the Heckman two‐step model and propensity score matching. Also, female directors' foreign experience impacts ES performance more significantly when female directors gain foreign experience from a Scandinavian law country or a civil law country. Overall, our results reveal that female directors with foreign experience transmit ES knowledge and practices to Chinese firms.
Effectiveness of alternative prenatal genetic counselling methods in a cohort of pregnant women from a low socio‐economic population
Authors: Battese Ellis Katie 
Published: May 2022

BackgroundThere are concerns about the capacity of healthcare providers to adequately counsel women on the implications of noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS). Studies suggest that more resource‐efficient counselling methods are needed for broad adoption.AimsWe prospectively examined the effectiveness of alternative methods of prenatal counselling on a patient's knowledge and understanding of prenatal testing choices, with a focus on NIPS. We also evaluated prenatal test choice and emotional well‐being after making this decision.MethodsWomen from a low socio‐economic population were offered NIPS at no additional cost along with typical prenatal screening and diagnosis. Study participants underwent prenatal counselling via a web‐based video consultation or a telephone consultation with a genetic counsellor. Participants were asked to complete pre‐counselling and post‐counselling questionnaires.ResultsOf 1000 women enrolled, 600 completed both surveys in full and were included in the analysis. Of these, 354 (59%) underwent counselling via a telephone consultation and 246 (41%) via the web‐based video consultation. Both counselling methods led to a significant increase in patient knowledge (P < 0.01). NIPS uptake was equivalent between groups. Patients expressed a high level (90%) of satisfaction with their prenatal screen choice, with no significant difference (P > 0.10) between telephone and web participants.ConclusionsAlternative methods of counselling such as a web‐based education portal can be highly effective and should be considered to enable informed decision‐making prior to undergoing prenatal screening such as NIPS. Further, web‐based education tools could be beneficial for those in rural areas with limited access to healthcare providers and non‐native speakers.
Human pharmacokinetics of XBD173 and etifoxine distinguish their potential for pharmacodynamic effects mediated by translocator protein
Authors: Owen David R. , Phillips Alexandra , O’Connor Desmond , Grey Gabrielle , Aimola Lina , Nicholas Richard , Matthews Paul M. 
Published: May 2022

XBD173 and etifoxine are translocator protein (TSPO) ligands that modulate inflammatory responses in preclinical models. Limited human pharmacokinetic data is available for either molecule, and the binding affinity of etifoxine for human TSPO is unknown. To allow for design of human challenge experiments, we derived pharmacokinetic data for orally administered etifoxine (50 mg 3 times daily) and XBD173 (90 mg once daily) and determined the binding affinity of etifoxine for TSPO. For XBD173, maximum plasma concentration and free fraction measurements predicted a maximal free concentration of 1.0 nM, which is similar to XBD173 binding affinity. For etifoxine, maximum plasma concentration and free fraction measurements predicted a maximal free concentration of 0.31 nM, substantially lower than the Ki for etifoxine in human brain derived here (7.8 μM, 95% CI 4.5–14.6 μM). We conclude that oral XBD173 dosing at 90 mg once daily will achieve pharmacologically relevant TSPO occupancy. However, the occupancy is too low for TSPO mediated effects after oral dosing of etifoxine at 50 mg 3 times daily.
Effect of dexmedetomidine on oxytocin‐induced uterine contraction during optimal caesarean section anaesthesia
Authors: Zhang Quanyun , Zhen Jin , Hui Zhang , Meng Xiangxue , Guan Jinping , Zhang Hongjin , Zhang Junlong 
Published: May 2022

AbstractNumerous drugs are used during caesarean sections to provide regional and general anaesthesia. Dexmedetomidine has been used in some recent obstetric trials, but there are concerns about postpartum changes in uterine contractions. This study evaluated the effect of dexmedetomidine on oxytocin‐induced uterine contractions in women undergoing caesarean section. Sixty women undergoing caesarean section in Lianyungang Second People's Hospital were randomly assigned to dexmedetomidine (group D, n = 30) or saline (group C, n = 30) groups. Equal volumes of saline or dexmedetomidine were administered intravenously (IV). During the intraoperative delivery of the foetus and placenta, oxytocin was administered to promote contractions. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were compared. The Ramsay scale was used to assess sedation, while the Tsai and Chu methods assessed shivering. Adverse intraoperative events were observed. All variables fluctuated significantly after anaesthesia onset in both groups but were most pronounced in group D. The VAS, Ramsay and shivering scores were significantly lower in group D compared to group C. During rapid IV infusion of oxytocin after foetal delivery, the incidence of nausea, vomiting, chest tightness and hypotension was significantly lower in group D than in group C.