bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Audit partner workload, gender and audit quality
Authors: Mnif Yosra , Cherif Imen 
Published: January 2022

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate the relation between the auditor's workload (LogAPW) and audit quality. Further, it explores whether the presence of a female audit partner (hereafter FEM) influences the LogAPW effect on audit quality.Design/methodology/approachA dataset of 1,629 firm-year observations from 181 companies listed in the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm for the years 2010–2018 has been analyzed. The testable hypotheses have been tested using least squares regressions clustered at the Swedish public-listed companies (client-firm) level.FindingsThe research findings first indicate that overburdened audit partners (APS) are associated with lower-quality audits, consistent with the “busyness hypothesis.” Nevertheless, the adverse association turns to be positive for FEMs, supporting the thesis that FEMs have more tendency, as compared to their male counterparts, to preserve their partnership's position in the public-audit firms. Collectively, these results seem sound, as the results hold unchanged after controlling for the endogeneity concerns and provide the same conclusion for a host of additional measures for both the client-firms' discretionary accruals and the LogAPW.Research limitations/implicationsEven though a lower magnitude of the client-firms' discretionary accruals corresponds to a lower-opportunistic behavior of managers, the research is limited to by which lower values of earnings management reflect a better-quality financial reporting. Given that the empirical analysis has been confined to the Swedish Corporation, the regression results might not be generalizable for other countries with different contextual features.Practical implicationsThe study might participate to the ongoing debate about the introduction of more women to the public-audit firms' elite positions (e.g. partnership) by providing evidence for the favorable female auditor effect on the quality of the client-firms' financial reporting.Originality/valueThe regression results provide a preliminary evidence on how does the presence of a FEM mitigate the inverse relation between the LogAPW and audit quality, which is an issue that has not been examined before.
Sustainability assessment of crops' production in India: empirical evidence from ARDL-ECM approach
Authors: Chopra Rita Rani 
Published: January 2022

PurposeThe study aims to evaluate the long- vs short-run relationships between crops' production (output) and crops' significant inputs such as land use, agricultural water use (AWU) and gross irrigated area in India during the period 1981–2018.Design/methodology/approachThe study applied the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to estimate the co-integration among the variables. The study uses the error correction model (ECM), which integrates the short-run dynamics with the long-run equilibrium.FindingsThe ARDL bounds test of co-integration confirms the strong evidence of the long-run relationship among the variables. Empirical results show the positive and significant relationship of crops' production with land use and gross irrigated area. The statistically significant error correction term (ECT) validates the speed of adjustment of the empirical models in the long-run.Research limitations/implicationsThe study suggests that the decision-makers must understand potential trade-offs between human needs and environmental impacts to ensure food for the growing population in India.Originality/valueFor a clear insight into the impact of climate change on crops' production, the current study incorporates the climate variables such as annual rainfall, maximum temperature and minimum temperature. Further, the study considered agro-chemicals, i.e. fertilizers and pesticides, concerning their negative impacts on increased agricultural production and the environment.
Merton-type default risk and financial performance: the dynamic panel moderation of firm size
Authors: Mushafiq Muhammad , Sami Syed Ahmad , Sohail Muhammad Khalid , Sindhu Muzammal Ilyas 
Published: January 2022

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to evaluate the probability of default and examine the relationship between default risk and financial performance, with dynamic panel moderation of firm size.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes a total of 1,500 firm-year observations from 2013 to 2018 using dynamic panel data approach of generalized method of moments to test the relationship between default risk and financial performance with the moderation effect of the firm size.FindingsThis study establishes the findings that default risk significantly impacts the financial performance. The relationship between distance-to-default (DD) and financial performance is positive, which means the relationship of the independent and dependent variable is inverse. Moreover, this study finds that the firm size is a significant positive moderator between DD and financial performance.Practical implicationsThis study provides new and useful insight into the literature on the relationship between default risk and financial performance. The results of this study provide investors and businesses related to nonfinancial firms in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) with significant default risk's impact on performance. This study finds, on average, the default probability in KSE ALL indexed companies is 6.12%.Originality/valueThe evidence of the default risk and financial performance on samples of nonfinancial firms has been minimal; mainly, it has been limited to the banking sector. Moreover, the existing studies have only catered the direct effect of only. This study fills that gap and evaluates this relationship in nonfinancial firms. This study also helps in the evaluation of Merton model's performance in the nonfinancial firms.
A review of literature on risk prediction tools for hospital readmissions in older adults
Authors: Gatt Michelle Louise , Cassar Maria , Buttigieg Sandra C. 
Published: January 2022

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse the readmission risk prediction tools reported in the literature and their benefits when it comes to healthcare organisations and management.Design/methodology/approach Readmission risk prediction is a growing topic of interest with the aim of identifying patients in particular those suffering from chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, who are at risk of readmission. Several models have been developed with different levels of predictive ability. A structured and extensive literature search of several databases was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis strategy, and this yielded a total of 48,984 records.Findings Forty-three articles were selected for full-text and extensive review after following the screening process and according to the eligibility criteria. About 34 unique readmission risk prediction models were identified, in which their predictive ability ranged from poor to good (c statistic 0.5–0.86). Readmission rates ranged between 3.1 and 74.1% depending on the risk category. This review shows that readmission risk prediction is a complex process and is still relatively new as a concept and poorly understood. It confirms that readmission prediction models hold significant accuracy at identifying patients at higher risk for such an event within specific context.Research limitations/implications Since most prediction models were developed for specific populations, conditions or hospital settings, the generalisability and transferability of the predictions across wider or other contexts may be difficult to achieve. Therefore, the value of prediction models remains limited to hospital management. Future research is indicated in this regard.Originality/value This review is the first to cover readmission risk prediction tools that have been published in the literature since 2011, thereby providing an assessment of the relevance of this crucial KPI to health organisations and managers.
Moral urban citizenship and the youth problem in a Danish ghetto
Authors: Bach Jonas Strandholdt , Schneidermann Nanna 
Published: January 2022

PurposeThis article examines the interventions from municipality, state and other actors in the Gellerup estate, a Danish “ghetto” by focusing on the youth problem and its construction, by examining a cross-disciplinary academic workshop intending to “solve the youth problem” of the estate.Design/methodology/approachThe article is based on the two authors' participation in the academic workshop, as well as their continued engagement with the Gellerup estate through separate project employments and ethnographic research projects in the estate, consisting of both participant observation and interviews.FindingsIn the article the authors suggest that the 2015 workshop reproduced particularly the category of idle urban young men as problematic. The authors analyze this as a form of “moral urban citizenship”. The article also analyzes some of the proposed solutions to the problem, particularly architectural transformations, and connects the Danish approach to the problems of the “ghetto” to urban developments historically and on a global scale.Originality/valueCross-disciplinary academic attempts to solve real-world problems are rarely incorporated as ethnographic data. In this article the authors attempt to include part of their own practice as academics as valuable data that opens up new perspectives on a field and their own involvement and analysis of it.
Accessible services in academic libraries: a content analysis of library accessibility webpages in the United States
Authors: Ezell Jon , Pionke J.J. , Gunnoe Jeremy 
Published: January 2022

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to an understanding of current accessibility efforts and practice in librarianship by providing a broad overview of the information about services, resources and facilities on academic library accessibility pages. By compiling and analyzing data from 85 libraries, this study seeks to facilitate comparisons between current and past accessibility practice and to provide perspective on how libraries communicate to users about accessibility efforts across libraries.Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a content analysis of 85 library accessibility pages from a sample population of 98 institutions, consisting of all members institutions of four US academic library consortia. Pages were coded for content elements regarding services, facilities, collections, staffing, assistive technologies and general information. Webpage features, architecture and accessibility/functionality were also assessed.Findings Libraries have broadened and strengthened efforts to publicize/provide services and resources to functionally diverse users. Pages most commonly prioritize information about assistive technologies, services and facilities. Pages varied greatly in size, complexity and detail, but public institutions' pages were more prevalent and informative than their private counterparts. Libraries can work to foreground accessibility pages and increase transparency and evidence of currency to improve communication to their users.Originality/value This study provides a large-scale content analysis of library accessibility webpages. It allows for comparison of the features and information most commonly featured on these important online points of service.
Cuticular compounds inhibit cannibalism of early‐instar spiderlings by pulli‐carrying Pardosa pseudoannulata females
Authors: Yu Na , Chen Yunru , Xu Guangming , Yang Zhiming , Wang Shijie , Lu Tianyu , Zhang Yixi , Liu Zewen 
Published: January 2022

AbstractCannibalism is common in spiders. Wolf spider (Lycosidae) females, which exhibit extensive maternal care, have been reported to cannibalize less when they are carrying egg sacs and juveniles. In a laboratory experiment, we demonstrated that cannibalism of early‐instar spiderlings (EIS) by a wolf spider (Pardosa pseudoannulata) mother was almost completely inhibited when she was carrying spiderlings. Compared with virgin and mated‐females, mother spiders tolerated more and predated fewer spiderlings, including gregarious pulli and newly dispersed spiderlings (NDS). Cannibalism of EIS by females during their reproductive period exhibited a V‐shaped pattern, with a gradual decrease from the egg sac‐carrying to pulli‐carrying (PC) stage, and a recovery from the PC stage to post‐reproductive (PR) stage. Notably, there was 0 cannibalism at the PC stage. PC females exhibited no interest in pulli, while PR females were attracted to and predated pulli and NDS as they did their natural prey, Nilaparvata lugens. Interestingly, PC females captured and released NDS in a foraging assay, although attraction was observed from olfactometer measurements. PC mothers possessed a cuticular volatile profile that was closer to that of pulli and NDS than to that of PR females. Moreover, NDS cuticular extract provoked an electrophysiological response in legs of PC females. Therefore, cuticular compound‐mediated chemical communication may be involved in inhibiting cannibalism of EIS by spider mothers, and especially in eliminating cannibalism by PC mothers. Future studies will aim to characterize the specific cuticular compounds and chemoreception mechanism in females, which will facilitate our understanding of intraspecific recognition and cannibalism in spiders.
The genome of low‐chill Chinese plum “Sanyueli” (Prunus salicina Lindl.) provides insights into the regulation of the chilling requirement of flower buds
Authors: Fang Zhi‐Zhen , Lin‐Wang Kui , Dai He , Zhou Dan‐Rong , Jiang Cui‐Cui , Espley Richard V. , Deng Cecilia , Lin Yan‐Juan , Pan Shao‐Lin , Ye Xin‐Fu 
Published: January 2022

AbstractChinese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is a stone fruit that belongs to the Prunus genus and plays an important role in the global production of plum. In this study, we report the genome sequence of the Chinese plum “Sanyueli”, which is known to have a low‐chill requirement for flower bud break. The assembled genome size was 282.38 Mb, with a contig N50 of 1.37 Mb. Over 99% of the assembly was anchored to eight pseudochromosomes, with a scaffold N50 of 34.46 Mb. A total of 29,708 protein‐coding genes were predicted from the genome and 46.85% (132.32 Mb) of the genome was annotated as repetitive sequence. Bud dormancy is influenced by chilling requirement in plum and partly controlled by DORMANCY ASSOCIATED MADS‐box (DAM) genes. Six tandemly arrayed PsDAM genes were identified in the assembled genome. Sequence analysis of PsDAM6 in “Sanyueli” revealed the presence of large insertions in the intron and exon regions. Transcriptome analysis indicated that the expression of PsDAM6 in the dormant flower buds of “Sanyueli” was significantly lower than that in the dormant flower buds of the high chill requiring “Furongli” plum. In addition, PsDAM6 expression was repressed by chilling treatment. The genome sequence of “Sanyueli” plum provides a valuable resource for elucidating the molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of chilling requirements, and it is also useful for the identification of the genes involved in the control of other important agronomic traits and molecular breeding in plum.
NAP1L2 drives mesenchymal stem cell senescence and suppresses osteogenic differentiation
Authors: Hu Meilin , Xing Liangyu , Zhang Li , Liu Fan , Wang Sheng , Xie Ying , Wang Jingjing , Jiang Hongmei , Guo Jing , Li Xin , Wang Jingya , Sui Lei , Li Changyi , Liu Dayong , Liu Zhiqiang 
Published: January 2022

AbstractSenescence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) impairs stemness and osteogenic differentiation, but the key regulators for senescence and the related osteogenesis are not well defined. Herein, we screened the gene expression profiles of human BMSCs from young and old donors and identified that elevation of the nucleosome assembly protein 1‐like 2 (NAP1L2) expression was correlated with BMSC senescence and impaired osteogenesis. Elevated NAP1L2 expression was observed in replicative cell senescence and induced cell senescence in vitro, and in age‐related senescent human and mouse BMSCs in vivo, concomitant with significantly augmented chromatin accessibility detected by ATAC‐seq. Loss‐ and gain‐of‐functions of NAP1L2 affected activation of NF‐κB pathway, status of histone 3 lysine 14 acetylation (H3K14ac), and chromatin accessibility on osteogenic genes in BMSCs. Mechanistic studies revealed that NAP1L2, a histone chaperone, recruited SIRT1 to deacetylate H3K14ac on promoters of osteogenic genes such as Runx2, Sp7, and Bglap and suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Importantly, molecular docking analysis showed a possible bond between NAP1L2 and an anti‐aging reagent, the nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), and indeed, administration of NMN alleviated senescent phenotypes of BMSCs. In vivo and clinical evidence from aging mice and patients with senile osteoporosis also confirmed that elevation of NAP1L2 expression was associated with suppressed osteoblastogenesis. Taken together, our findings suggest that NAP1L2 is a regulator of both BMSC cell senescence and osteogenic differentiation, and provide a new theoretical basis for aging‐related disease.
Activation of dopamine D2 receptors in the medial shell region of the nucleus accumbens increases Per1 expression to enhance alcohol consumption
Authors: Sharma Rishi , Parikh Meet , Mishra Vaibhav , Sahota Pradeep , Thakkar Mahesh 
Published: January 2022

AbstractCircadian genes, including Per1, in the medial shell region of nucleus accumbens (mNAcSh), regulate binge alcohol consumption. However, the upstream mechanism regulating circadian genes‐induced alcohol consumption is not known. Since activation of dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) increases Per1 gene expression, we hypothesised that local infusion of quinpirole, a D2R agonist, by increasing Per1 gene expression in the mNAcSh, will increase binge alcohol consumption in mice. We performed two experiments on male C57BL/6J mice, instrumented with bilateral guide cannulas above the mNAcSh, and exposed to a 4‐day drinking‐in‐dark (DID) paradigm. The first experiment determined the effects of bilateral infusion of quinpirole (100 ng/300 nl/site) or DMSO (Vehicle group) in the mNAcSh on Per1 gene expression and alcohol consumption. The second experiment determined the effect of antisense‐induced downregulation of Per1 in the mNAcSh on the quinpirole‐induced increase in alcohol consumption. Control experiments were performed by exposing the animals to sucrose (10% w/v). After the experiment, animals were euthanised, brains removed and processed for localisation of injection sites and analysis of Per1 gene expression in the mNAcSh. As compared with the DMSO, local bilateral infusion of quinpirole significantly increased the expression of Per1 in the mNAcSh along with an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed in mice exposed to DID paradigm. In addition, local antisense‐induced downregulation of Per1 significantly attenuated the effects of intro‐accumbal infusion of quinpirole on alcohol consumption. Our results suggest that Per1 in the mNAcSh mediates D2R activation‐induced increase in alcohol consumption
A predictive tool for vaginal birth after caesarean success in an Australian cohort
Authors: Gerhardy Laura 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundWomen who have previously had a caesarean section often face the choice between planning for a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) or an elective repeat caesarean section (CS) for future pregnancies. Informing a woman of her individualised chance of a successful VBAC can aid her decision making.AimsThe aim is to create two VBAC prediction models using an Australian cohort – one for use in labour when labour variables are known, and one for use antenatally when labour characteristics are unknown.Materials and MethodsThis study was a retrospective analysis of perinatal data in Victoria, Australia, over a 10‐year period. During this time, 22 062 women were recorded as attempting a VBAC with a term singleton live birth. The data were separated into three parts. A ‘training set’ was used to build the complete VBAC prediction model and the antenatal VBAC prediction model using multivariate logistic regression. The models were then adjusted to only include the variables that contributed to model performance. The models were validated by testing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve within the ‘validation set’. Then the models were tested for accuracy within the ‘test set’.ResultsUsing a ‘test set’ of data, the models demonstrated an area under the ROC curve of 0.7887 and 0.7384 for the complete and antenatal models respectively, showing adequate performance of both models.ConclusionsWith these models, Australian women can be counselled about their predicted chance of VBAC success.
Signaling sizeism: An assessment of body size‐based threat and safety cues
Authors: Oswald Flora , Stevens Samantha M. , Kruk Mary , Murphy Catherine I. , Matsick Jes L. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractPervasive stigma against fat people and evidence for its harmful health consequences highlight the need for a better understanding of people's first‐hand experiences of navigating the world with a stigmatized body size. Drawing on social identity threat theory, we conducted a mixed‐method study with a qualitative examination of threat and safety cues as experienced by people who self‐identify as overweight. In an online survey, 48 people who self‐identified as overweight responded to open‐ended prompts to describe how situational features of a setting signal weight‐based threat and safety to them. Using thematic analysis, we identified several themes that characterized threat and safety cues. Particularly notable were inverse themes, such asstructural exclusionversusstructural accommodationandhomogeneity of othersversusgeneral diversity, that highlighted how physical features of, and the people in, an environment positively or negatively impact fat people's psychological experience. Moreover, we conducted exploratory deductive coding using a recent taxonomy of safety cues developed by Kruk and Matsick (in press). Results highlighted how weight‐based stigma both parallels and diverges from other cues of identity safety (e.g., by gender or race/ethnicity). We suggest knowledge about situational cues can inform interventions to mitigate threat and promote safety among both fat people and other stigmatized groups.
Paying people for getting vaccinated? A favorable solution for both vaccine‐hesitant persons and the public
Authors: Reese Alexander , Pies Ingo 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAssume a pandemic in which, despite all efforts of vaccine persuasion, too many people are hesitant toward vaccination for a laissez‐faire regime to reach herd immunity on a strictly voluntary basis. Then, basically four policy options are available—(a) moral appeals, (b) legal obligation, (c) monetary fines, and (d) monetary rewards. In this article, we demonstrate that the prevalent vaccination debate chooses the wrong starting point in discussing these options. Rather than asking how vaccine hesitancy can be overcome as a (bothersome) hindrance toward reaching herd immunity, we ask how one can reach herd immunity in due time while minimizing the (subjectively perceived) offense to the dignity of vaccine‐hesitant citizens. This change in perspective favors paying people for getting vaccinated instead of sanctioning them for not doing so. With respect to the COVID‐19 crisis, we show that a payment strategy is both feasible and advisable. This may be an important insight not only in the short term, but also with respect to future pandemics that are likely to come.