bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embedded big data in packaged foods: examining consumer sentiment during the purchasing process post-COVID-19
Authors: Yaşar Emre , Demir Mahmut , Taşdemir Turgay
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine consumers' purchasing and consumption behavior regarding big data embedded in packaged food post-Covid-19. The second purpose is to determine whether consumer purchasing behavior varies depending on the variety and volume of big data on food packages.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate consumer sentiment regarding big embedded data in packaged foods during purchasing. Based on samples from packaged foods sold in international chain stores, interview data collected from 24 participants were subjected to systematic analytical procedures.

Findings

The results revealed that before Covid-19, consumers had positive thoughts about the expiration date, brand, and product contents but did not care much about other data. At the same time, post-Covid-19, there were changes in their attitudes and behaviors on this issue. Post-Covid-19, it has been observed that consumers have positive attitudes and behaviors toward human health and food safety issues regarding unprocessed big data in packaged foods.

Originality/value

This study provides a different perspective on consumer purchasing behavior through big data on packaged foods post-Covid-19. Embedded information in packaged foods provides important data regarding consumer purchasing behavior. As a powerful source of consumer sentiment, this data also provides a reference for consumer purchasing decisions.
Research on the influence mechanism of government supervision and market environment on Chinese farmers' pesticide application behavior
Authors: Lv Xinye , Qin Shile
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of government supervision and market environment on farmers' pesticide application behavior, as well as the intermediary effect of farmers' literacy, and investigate the substitution effect between government supervision and market environment.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, logit and Poisson regression models were used to investigate the comprehensive impact of government supervision and market environment on farmers' pesticide application behavior, and the intermediary effect model is used to examine the intermediary effect of farmers' literacy.

Findings

Government supervision is an important constraint for the formation of individual behavior paradigm, but it has both positive and negative effects, depending on different instruments. The market subject constraint and market incentive are two important ways that the market environment affects Chinese farmers' pesticide application behavior. Farmers' literacy plays a partial mediating role in the influencing mechanism of government and market factors. The government supervision and market environment, two different constraint forces, have substitution effects in the process of regulating farmers' pesticide application behavior.

Originality/value

In the influence mechanism, farmers' literacy, such as values, responsibilities and skill requirement related to scientific pesticide use, was included into the analysis framework as intermediary variables. The authors found that government supervision and market environment not only directly affect farmers' pesticide application behavior but also indirectly affect farmers' pesticide application behavior through farmers' literacy.
How the digital library of the Università degli studi di Milano faced the COVID-19 crisis: a case study
Authors: Savarè Carla
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to discuss the case of the Università degli studi di Milano in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a point of departure for a new concept of digital library that is closer to users and publishers.

Design/methodology/approach

In this case study, processes and statistical data related to the library system and its usage and digitization at the Università degli studi di Milano during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed with focus on users’ behavior regarding access to and usage of digital library. The outcome of the innovative measures implemented by the university was analyzed, including the procedures for purchasing bibliographic material, the organization of work in libraries, the management system of bibliographic resources and their monitoring, teaching, communication and the organization of knowledge in general.

Findings

The library system of the Università degli studi di Milano has responded effectively and efficiently to the pandemic crisis by creating a collaborative network with publishers, teachers and students. The awareness of the central role of the Digital Library as the primary place for accessing content, an environment of carefully curated resources and a place for individual and collaborative studies to support learning has increased.

Originality/value

This analysis charters the effects of the lockdown, which has accelerated digital transformation and created an innovative model of academic libraries more connected to community goals. This study points toward the good practices resulting from the COVID-19 experience: closer relationship between users and publishers, change in organizational flow and the relevance of communication in creating a closer connection with users.
Tracking progress in the implementation of the Access to Information (ATI) Act
Authors: Chaputula Aubrey Harvey
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Parliament of Malawi passed the Access to Information (ATI) Bill in 2016 but was operationalised on 3 October 2020. The purpose of this study is to track progress in the implementation of the Act.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the survey research design. Data were collected through a questionnaire adapted from the Carter Centre’s Access to Information Implementation Assessment Tool (2009–2021). The questionnaire, mounted on Kobotoolbox, was administered to heads of ministries, departments, agencies, constitutional bodies and parastatal organisations through email and the WhatsApp mobile application. Data collected was analysed through Kobotoolbox and SPSS Version 19 to generate descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

The study concluded that information holders in Malawi had performed fairly well in the implementation of the ATI Act over the past two years. This determination was made after noting progress registered in the appointment of information officers, setting up a functional record management function to aid operationalisation of the Act and that information holders were receiving and positively responding to requests for information.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study undertaken in the country to determine progress in the implementation of the ATI Act from the time the Act was operationalised. Its findings would assist in shaping practical interventions to deal with challenges standing in the successful implementation of the Act. Additionally, the findings of the study could assist in policy formulation on matters related to implementation of the ATI Act.
Launching a new brand in the multi-brand portfolio: real world observational study evaluating mediating role of detailing priority and detailing time on physicians’ prescription behavior
Authors: Kulkarni Girish Ramesh , Agrahari Suraj , Sen Sankar
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Launching a new product successfully in a multi-brand portfolio is one of the major challenges a pharmaceutical marketer faces. This study aims to examine the role of detailing of new brands on physicians’ prescription behaviour as compared to established brands. Further, the study explores mediating role of detailing priority and detailing time on the relationship between detailing of new versus established brands and physician’s prescription behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted as a real-world observational study involving field research. In total, 338 physicians, 90 PSRs and 44 field managers participated in this study. A serial mediation model (Hayes, Model 6) was used to examine the relationship. Regression analysis with bootstrapping was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Detailing of new versus established brands has a differential effect on physicians’ prescription behaviour. In addition, this relationship is serially mediated by detailing priority and detailing time.

Research limitations/implications

Results suggest that detailing priority and detailing time positively and significantly alter the relationship between the detailing of new brands and physicians’ prescription behaviour as compared to established brands. While, in the absence of mediators, established brands generate higher prescriptions than new brands, the serial mediating effect helps new brands to generate more prescriptions as compared to established brands.

Practical implications

This research highlights the importance of detailing priority and detailing time for the successful launch of the new products. It presents compelling evidence for practicing managers to effectively use a “predetermined detailing plan” vis-à-vis “individualized detailing strategy” during the launch of a new brand.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the role of detailing priority and detailing time as mediators between the relationship of detailing and physicians’ prescription behaviour. This is also one of the rare studies to use real-world observational study methodology for conducting research.
Barriers and facilitators of B2B degree of digital use and brand engagement: an integration of technology and behavioral perspectives
Authors: Ghosh Deviprasad , Dash Satyabhusan
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the determinant factors as barriers and facilitators of the B2B degree of digital use and customer–brand engagement in travel services by applying technology and behavioral theories.

Design/methodology/approach

A face-to-face survey was administered to retail travel agencies offering offline and online services (N = 301). Structural equation modeling using the partial least square method was conducted using Smart PLS 3.0 software to examine the proposed hypotheses in the research model.

Findings

The results revealed that the integrated composite model significantly predicts the B2B degree of digital use and brand engagement. The study established that facilitators had positive effects, and barriers negatively impacted the degree of digital use, which positively impacted brand engagement. However, the facilitator perceived cost and barrier lack of critical mass showed the opposite influence. The effects of facilitator customer pressure and barriers, information and communication technology infrastructure problems and security risks were insignificant. The results also established that the buyer firm size moderated the relationships between barriers and facilitators with the degree of digital use.

Originality/value

This study combined technology and behavioral theories to explain the buyer–seller relationship. The expanded framework contributed to understanding B2B digital usages and brand engagement in the seller–intermediary relationship. This study conceptualized firm size as a contingency variable and established its moderating effect. The study defined cost as a formative construct and an organizational factor. The study suggested practical implications for travel agencies and online travel service sellers.
Antecedents of viewers’ watch behavior toward YouTube videos: evidence from the most populous Muslim-majority country
Authors: Keni Keni , Wilson Nicholas , Teoh Ai Ping
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to determine the impact of attitude toward content creators, subjective norm and perceived content quality in affecting people’s intention and behavior to watch videos posted on YouTube in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

Using questionnaire, data from the total of 112 individuals living in Indonesia were gathered in this study, and these respondents are individuals who have been watching YouTube contents at least 3 h a day for the past eight months. Moreover, all of these data were processed and analyzed using PLS method to determine the impact given by one variable toward the other.

Findings

Based on the results of the analysis, the authors concluded that both factors, namely, content credibility and perceived content quality, play significant and positive roles in determining people’s intention to watch – and ultimately behavior to watch – contents or videos published on YouTube, with the former turned out to be the stronger predictor.

Originality/value

The current study attempts to modify and merge both the concept of theory of reasoned action and product quality theory to explain Indonesians’ behavior toward watching contents published on YouTube, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this type of studies is still in rarity.
“Look before you leap”: comparing the turnover intention of nurses as public servants and private employees
Authors: Freire Carla , Azevedo Adriano
Published: June 2023

Purpose

In recent decades, human resource management (HRM) in health organizations has faced several problems associated with employees' efficiency and happiness, which has been particularly exacerbated after the pandemic crisis. In this scenario, this study seeks to analyze nurses' turnover intention by comparing Portuguese public and private healthcare organizations. As determining factors, transformational leadership, perceived organizational support and organizational commitment were considered.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was digitally applied to 277 nurses from Portuguese public and private healthcare organizations.

Findings

Results suggested that there are differences in nurses' turnover intentions: there is a greater likelihood of nurses in the private sector planning to leave the healthcare organizations the nurses work for when compared to public hospital nurses. Furthermore, nurses in public hospitals perceive lower levels of transformational leadership, organizational support and organizational commitment than those in the private sector. The underlying cause as to the intention of leaving the public sector resides in normative commitment. On the other hand, lower affective commitment explains the intention to abandon the private sector.

Practical implications

This study is relevant for human resource managers and administrators in public and private hospitals since it enables a diagnosis of the situation, as well as a definition of the most appropriate policies for each of the sectors as a strategy to attract and retain health professionals.

Originality/value

This study is significant as the study provides a better understanding of the reasons which lead nurses to consider leaving the organization where the nurses work and the difference between nursing professionals in public and private hospitals.
“Exploring unchartered territories”: fieldwork experiences from researching street traders
Authors: Bandauko Elmond , Arku Godwin
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Doing qualitative research with vulnerable urban populations such as street traders present significant methodological challenges, which many researchers may not be prepared to handle. This paper aims to provide a reflective account of the authors' fieldwork experiences while conducting a study with street traders in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws data from a qualitative case study conducted with street traders in Harare's Central Business District (CBD). In this study, mixed qualitative methods were used including focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and photovoice.

Findings

The study’s findings suggest that researching street traders is a complex process that requires flexibility, adaptability and creativity of researchers across the following aspects: gaining access in unfamiliar research contexts, building rapport and trust with participants, managing ethical dilemmas and addressing power imbalances between researchers and participants.

Originality/value

While there is a growing body of empirical research on street trading in the global south, there are limited studies that discusses the practical fieldwork experiences associated with conducting primary research with such vulnerable and dynamic urban populations. The authors highlight strategies and practical steps that can be taken to address these challenges. This paper emphasizes the need for flexibility and adaptability in researching street traders, as it is akin to exploring uncharted territories where conventional methodological templates may not be effective.
Pre-loved or hatred? Consumers’ perception of value towards second-hand fashion consumption in Sri Lanka
Authors: Geegamage Thamoda , Ranaweera Achini , Halwatura Rangika
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The fashion industry has been accused of being the second largest environmental polluter in the world. Millions of tons of post-consumer waste are dumped in landfills and garbage disposal sites each year. However, environmental concerns are emerging as a mainstream issue among modern-day consumers. This critical problem has prompted fashion retailers and brands to embrace sustainable practices to address consumers’ environmental concerns by reducing pollution. Given this background, this research aims to understand consumer’s perceptions of value towards second-hand fashion consumption in the context of Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study uses a qualitative approach to understand consumers’ perceptions of value towards second-hand fashion consumption.

Findings

This research uses the theoretical model of the means-end chain model and shows five consumer’s values of second-hand consumers: price-consciousness, consciousness on emotional bonds, comfortability consciousness, quality and brand consciousness and social and environmental consciousness. Furthermore, the authors show non-second-hand fashion consumers’ values as social status consciousness, hygienic consciousness, comfortability consciousness, quality and brand consciousness and self-expressive consciousness.

Originality/value

This research sheds some light on the emerging knowledge of second-hand consumption. This research further points out certain practical implications by drawing attention to a few opportunities and challenges associated with the second-hand fashion business within the Sri Lankan fashion retail sector, in particular when launching new fashion brands catering to second-hand fashion consumers.
Marketing education for sustainable development
Authors: Hübscher Chiara , Hensel-Börner Susanne , Henseler Jörg
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Given the pressing global challenges underpinning the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, marketing managers can no longer focus only on purely economic outcomes but must simultaneously respond to social and environmental concerns. This requires the teaching of new competencies in marketing education, as also reflected in today’s accreditation requirements for business schools. Therefore, this paper aims to explore how current research into marketing education incorporates sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a bibliometric literature review – examining 71 publications using the bibliographic coupling method – the current research front in marketing education is analysed.

Findings

This paper identifies seven trending topics in marketing education research that both highlight a currently prevalent sustainability gap in marketing education research and – when combined into a framework – help marketing education researchers and educators to address this gap.

Originality/value

This paper extends the already established concept of education for sustainable development to include the concept of marketing education for sustainable development (MESD) for the first time. The MESD framework combines its raison d’être with guidance on how sustainable development should be taught and what the learning objectives should be for future marketing managers.
Comparative study on the reasons for failure factors of sustaining operational improvement methodologies in manufacturing enterprises
Authors: Minh Nguyen Dat , Quyen Nguyen Thi Hanh
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims to present the results of a comparative study on the most key reasons for the failure of sustaining activities of operational improvement (OI) methodologies from the different types of manufacturing enterprises that located in Vietnam.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents survey results from 30 local manufacturing enterprises and 21 foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises located in Vietnam – a developing country. The authors utilize a combination method to collect data, including online and direct survey. The targeted interviewees selected to answer the questionnaire are manufacturing managers and top managers working in productivity, quality, engineering and other departments in respective firms. The developed questionnaire is verified by five experts to ensure the validity and soundness.

Findings

The study uncover that 21 local enterprises (70%) have not issued standard forms for OI deployment and supervision, while 17 foreign enterprises (81%) have adopted a systematic management and clearly indicators for evaluation of OI outputs. In addition, the top three reasons for OI failure are differences between local and foreign enterprises. In term of OI methodologies, most of participated enterprises implemented Lean tools and principles while only 7.8% of the participated enterprises applied Six Sigma. Three vital findings are uncovered, including, first, 30% of local enterprises standardize and supervise forms of OI.

Research limitations/implications

There is a limitation in sample size, with the number of participants of 51 enterprises. Among the participants, 27% of local enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while 60% of FDI enterprises from large-sized group. This was limited to making a generated conclusion in the comparison of failure factors between two types of enterprises. This partly affects the radical comparison of failure factors between local and FDI enterprises.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' view, this is the first empirical study that compares the reasons for the failure for sustaining OI between local and foreign enterprises in a developing country. The result from this study will make contributions for further research in considering OI failure factors and then enhance effectiveness of OI methodologies in manufacturing companies.
Impacts of enterprise zones on local households in Vietnam
Authors: Vu Tien Manh , Yamada Hiroyuki
Published: June 2023

We examine the possible impacts of enterprise zones (EZs) on local Vietnamese households between 2002 and 2008, using differences‐in‐differences and a panel‐event study. We layer four waves of household surveys using a census of EZs in 2007, based on the same commune identity for our household and individual analyses. Within 5 years of EZ establishment, we find they are associated with higher household incomes, an increase in private property prices, and an increase in working hours. However, we do not find a significant impact on household living expenditure or school attendance/working probabilities among members aged between 7 and 17 years. Neither do we find a significant impact on health outcomes.
Reconciling Contract Law's Objective and Subjective Standards
Authors: Sage Nick
Published: June 2023

Although the common law of contract is often said to favour ‘objectivity’, it sometimes seems to adopt a ‘subjective’ standard. The apparent tendency to switch between rival standards troubles many contract scholars. In response, some seek to vindicate objectivity alone as the one true standard. Others propose a single abstract theoretical rationale that can allegedly encompass both standards. I suggest a different approach. I try to develop a fuller appreciation of what the objective and subjective standards are and what they seek to achieve. I conclude that each is a substantive ethical ideal that specifies certain minimal requirements of decency in business dealing. On this view, the two standards are not rivals but complementary. Nor need we invoke any more abstract theoretical rationale to understand them.
An interlaboratory study to evaluate the utility of gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry and gas chromatography‐infrared spectroscopy spectral libraries in the forensic analysis of fentanyl‐related substances
Authors: Ferguson Kimiko , Perr Jeannette , Tupik Sherri , Gilbert Michael , Newman Reta , Winokur Agnes , Vallejo Ivette , Hokanson Stephen , Pothier Matthew , Knapp Brook , Icard Misty , Kramer Kevin , Almirall Jose
Published: June 2023

Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl account for over 71,000 of the approximately 107,000 overdose deaths reported in the United States in 2021. Fentanyl remains the fourth most identified drug by state and local forensic laboratories, and the second most identified drug by federal laboratories. The unambiguous identification of fentanyl‐related substances (FRS) is challenging due to the absence or low abundance of a molecular ion in a typical gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis and due to a low number of fragment ions that are similar among the many potential isomers of FRS. This study describes the utility of a previously reported gas chromatography‐infrared (GC‐IR) library for the identification of FRS within a blind, interlaboratory study (ILS) involving seven forensic laboratories. Twenty FRS reference materials, including those with isomer pairs in the library, were selected based on either their presence in the NIST library and/or some similarity of the mass spectra information produced. The ILS participants were requested to use the Florida International University (FIU) GC‐MS and GC‐IR libraries supplied by FIU to search for matches to their unknown spectra generated from in‐house GC‐MS and GC‐IR analysis. The laboratories reported improvement in the positive identification of unknown FRS from ~75% using GC‐MS alone to 100% correct identification using GC‐IR analysis. One laboratory participant used solid phase IR analysis, which produced spectra incompatible with the vapor phase GC‐IR library to generate a good comparison spectrum. However, this improved when searched against a solid phase IR library.
Expenditures on human resource development and firm financial performance: from the resource orchestration perspective
Authors: Kim Kwang‐Ho
Published: June 2023

Firms spend enormous amounts of resources for human resource development (HRD) based on the belief that HRD contributes to firm performance by enhancing employees' capabilities. However, whether investment in HRD actually creates value to firms is inconclusive. We explore whether and when a firm's HRD investment pays off by investigating the relationship between the monetary amount spent for HRD and a firm accounting‐based performance measure (ROE). Using a representative sample of 309 Korean firms from the Human Capital Corporate Panel database between 2009 and 2017, this study finds that HRD expenditures do not have any significant impact on ROE, while its impact is dependent on decoupling in HRD programs and the presence of an HRD department. These findings suggest that without appropriate use, HRD investment would fail to generate superior returns.
Leachate Lithium Characteristics of Loess‐paleosol Sequences on the Chinese Loess Plateau and their Paleoclimatic Significance
Authors: JIA Peng , FU Chaofeng , HE Maoyong , LIU Junfeng , LIU Na , LI Yulong , YANG Kaiyuan
Published: June 2023

The geochemical components of the leachate from loess‐paleosol deposits can provide information about climate‐related post‐depositional processes. For example, leachate lithium ([Li]leachate) is a potential paleoclimate proxy because lithium is a typical lithophile element that is readily adsorbed by clay minerals during weathering and pedogenesis, and thus stratigraphic variations in [Li]leachate can reflect these processes. We investigated the [Li]leachate values of two loess‐paleosols profiles (the Luochuan and Weinan sections), on a north–south climatic gradient on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Independent paleoclimate information was provided by measurements of magnetic susceptibility, grain size, Rb/Sr ratios, and clay mineral content. During the last glacial‐interglacial period, [Li]leachate increased from 0.39 to 1.97 μg/g at Luochuan and from 0.67 to 2.45 μg/g at Weinan, mainly due to increasing pedogenesis. Based on these results we developed a conceptual model to explain the variations in [Li]leachate. Li+ within loess layers is mainly derived from dust input and the decomposition of primary minerals, influenced by the East Asian winter monsoon, while in paleosol layers Li+ is mainly derived from clay mineral adsorption during pedogenic processes, influenced by the East Asian summer monsoon.
Two New Species of Eretmophyllum (Ginkgoales) from the Jurassic of Eastern Siberia
Authors: FROLOV Andrey , MASHCHUK Irina
Published: June 2023

Two new species of Eretmophyllum Thomas are described from the lower (Toarcian) and upper (Aalenian) Prisayan Formation of the Irkutsk Basin, Eastern Siberia, Russia based on distinct morphological and cuticular features of the leaves that distinguish them from other species of the genus. Eretmophyllum polypapillosum sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of 2–3 papillae on the lower and upper epidermis of ordinary cells. Taphonomically, the leaf burials of E. polypapillosum sp. nov. indicate that it preferred mesophilic forests developed on river terraces and/or low watersheds. Eretmophyllum yershowskiensis sp. nov. is represented exclusively by leaf cuticles extracted by coal maceration, and it probably inhabited the low banks of peat bogs. The presence of the genus Eretmophyllum in the Early Jurassic of France and Eastern Siberia shows that it was already widespread in the territory of Eurasia, distributed from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia. This indicates the possible existence of Eretmophyllum species elsewhere in the Early Jurassic such as Central Asia and Northwest China.
IDEAcology: An interface to streamline and facilitate efficient, rigorous expert elicitation in ecology
Authors: Courtney Jones Stephanie K. , Geange Sonya R. , Hanea Anca , Camac James , Hemming Victoria , Doobov Ben , Leigh Andrea , Nicotra Adrienne B.
Published: June 2023

Here, we demonstrate how IDEAcology aids in preparing for and implementing a structured expert elicitation using the IDEA protocol, an iterative quantitative expert elicitation framework.

Expert judgement is used to inform decision‐making on environmental assessment and management when imminent decisions are required, and quantitative data are absent or uninformative. Structured elicitation protocols can help improve the final judgements derived from experts, but they can also be administratively heavy and time‐consuming, requiring manual collation of experts' estimates and rationales, construction and dissemination of summary plots for discussion and collating final estimates post‐discussion. These challenges highlight the need for a centralised portal that enables synchronous access by all contributors, real‐time structured facilitation of discussion, whether in person or online, and streamlined data management.

To meet this need, we developed the IDEAcology interface (www.ideacology.com) to support data collation, summary, interactions and ultimately the deployment of structured expert elicitation using the IDEA protocol. The IDEAcology interface is designed to be a central portal for scientists and practitioners to easily implement structured expert elicitation projects, while also facilitating data management by providing a reliable and efficient way for elicitation managers to design and run an elicitation, and for experts to input, visualise and cross‐examine estimates.

The key advantages that IDEAcology provides include an easy‐to‐use interface with synchronous access to a single platform, reducing logistic difficulties, facilitating transparent discussion, improving the accuracy of estimates, enabling fast and efficient reporting by providing analysis‐ready data outputs and lastly, flexibility in the types of elicitation questions that can be accommodated in the interface.
Sex differences in the subjective and reinforcing effects of smoked cannabis
Authors: Lake Stephanie , Haney Margaret , Cooper Ziva D.
Published: June 2023

Preclinical studies have shown sex‐based differences in the reinforcing effects of cannabinoid 1 receptor agonists such as delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This study sought to test whether these sex differences translate to humans by assessing the subjective and reinforcing effects of smoked cannabis in male and female volunteers. We pooled data (n = 68; 55M, 13F) from two within‐subject randomized controlled trials of healthy, ≥weekly cannabis users comparing the subjective and reinforcing effects of smoked active (~25 mg THC) versus placebo cannabis (0‐mg THC). Subjective ratings of drug effects and mood were measured using visual analogue scales, and reinforcing effects were measured with a cannabis self‐administration task. Sex‐dependent outcomes were explored using generalized linear mixed models. Under active cannabis conditions, female participants reported greater reductions from baseline in cannabis craving and significantly higher cannabis‐specific ratings of strength, liking, willingness to take again and good effect, compared with males (interaction p < 0.05). Placebo and active cannabis were self‐administered by 22% and 36% of male participants, respectively, and by 15% and 54% of female participants, respectively. Receipt of active cannabis significantly increased likelihood of self‐administration (p = 0.011), but a sex difference was not detected (p = 0.176). Although females were more sensitive to certain positive subjective effects of active cannabis, they were not more likely than males to self‐administer it. These findings highlight the need to test sex differences as a primary objective in experimental studies and may shed light on accelerated trajectories from initiation to cannabis use disorder observed among women.
Lifestyle factors and incident functional disability among a rural ageing population in South Africa
Authors: Pengpid Supa , Peltzer Karl
Published: June 2023

Objective

The study aimed to assess the relationship between lifestyle factors and incident functional disability in South Africa.

Methods

Longitudinal data (N = 4113) from two consecutive waves in 2014/2015 and 2018/2019 in Agincourt, South Africa, were analysed.

Results

Moderate sedentary behaviour (AOR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.31–2.58) and being overweight (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.10–2.36) increased the odds of incident functional disability among men. Moderate and high sedentary behaviour (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.31, 2.57, and AOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.08–3.10) increased the odds, and frequent fruit intake (AOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19–0.91) and moderate physical activity (AOR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.30–0.75) decreased the odds of incident functional disability among women.

Conclusions

Sedentary behaviour and being overweight increased odds, and physical activity and frequent fruit intake decreased odds of incident functional disability among ageing men and/or women in South Africa.
Australian dermatologists' prescribing behaviours for male androgenetic alopecia
Authors: Willems Anneliese , Moussa Anthony , Sinclair Rodney
Published: June 2023

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is highly prevalent among Australian men and can have significant psychological impacts. Despite its prevalence, treatment options have traditionally been limited. In this study, we examined the current prescribing patterns of Australian dermatologists for male AGA.
Development and initial validation of the Multidimensional Empathy Scale for Adolescents
Authors: Jung Sujong , Kim Eunha
Published: June 2023

Adolescence is a transitional phase in psychosocial development in which individuals learn to navigate their social worlds. The need to socialize, connect with, and empathize with others is especially pronounced in this phase. This study aimed to develop and validate a self‐report empathy measure for adolescents, the Multidimensional Empathy Scale for Adolescents (MESA). Based on the theories and research on empathy, we created 24 items to measure six dimensions of empathy (cognitive, affective, positive, negative, majority, and minority). The dimensional structure of the MESA was examined in two independent samples of adolescents. The hypothesized six‐factor model of the MESA showed a good fit for both samples. Reliability analyses demonstrated that the MESA had high internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Furthermore, the MESA showed high convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity, as indicated by positive correlations with existing measures of empathy, idiocentrism–allocentrism, and social interest scales. The MESA, as a unique measure of six types of empathy, can be a valuable tool to assist adolescents in developing a balanced sense of empathy.
Strategic generosity among local patrons: Place belonging and ethnic exclusion in a transforming lower‐income neighborhood of Tel Aviv
Authors: Shamur Tal
Published: June 2023

Working at the intersection of exchange theory, urban anthropology, and ethnic and racial studies, this article offers an original perspective on the role of local patrons’ exchange networks in constructing place belonging during racial urban change. Inspired by a middle‐ground approach to reciprocity, embodying both solidarity and distrust within the same ethnic community, and manifested in an interracial context, the article proposes the integrative term of strategic generosity. The concept includes two interlinked layers: the combination of altruism and self‐interest in local patrons’ exchange practices within the same ethnic community, and patron exchange circles as mechanisms for the exclusion of racial Others reproducing boundaries between social groups. The case study is HaTikva—a lower‐income neighborhood in downtown Tel Aviv originally inhabited almost exclusively by disadvantaged Mizrahi Jews (of Middle Eastern origin), and more recently transformed by the arrival of African asylum seekers. Based on fieldwork conducted from 2010 to 2013 among long‐term Mizrahi residents, I argue that although local Mizrahi patrons use parental metaphors to describe their unconditioned giving to their own community; in fact, altruist and instrumental actions intermingle in the management of their reciprocity network. The exchange networks help vulnerable agents and enhance Mizrahi place attachment, but at the same time buttress the patrons’ own standing in the neighborhood and exclude the non‐Jewish African Others. These findings are discussed in the context of everyday life in a marginalized ethnic community as well as a barrier to integration and the concept's contribution to exchange theory more broadly. [strategic generosity, ethnic exclusion, exchange theory, place belonging, Mizrahi Jews, Tel Aviv]
Cells of the renin lineage promote kidney regeneration post‐release of ureteral obstruction in neonatal mice
Authors: Nagalakshmi Vidya K. , Li Minghong , Liang Xiuyin , Medrano Silvia , Belyea Brian C. , Gomez R. Ariel , Sequeira‐Lopez Maria Luisa S.
Published: June 2023

Aim

Ureteral obstruction leads to significant changes in kidney renin expression. It is unclear whether those changes are responsible for the progression of kidney damage, repair, or regeneration. In the current study, we aimed to elucidate the contribution of renin‐producing cells (RPCs) and the cells of the renin lineage (CoRL) towards kidney damage and regeneration using a model of partial and reversible unilateral ureteral obstruction (pUUO) in neonatal mice.

Methods

Renin cells are progenitors for other renal cell types collectively called CoRL. We labeled the CoRL with green fluorescent protein (GFP) using genetic approaches. We performed lineage tracing to analyze the changes in the distribution of CoRL during and after the release of obstruction. We also ablated the RPCs and CoRL by cell‐specific expression of Diphtheria Toxin Sub‐unit A (DTA). Finally, we evaluated the kidney damage and regeneration during and after the release of obstruction in the absence of CoRL.

Results

In the obstructed kidneys, there was a 163% increase in the renin‐positive area and a remarkable increase in the distribution of GFP+CoRL. Relief of obstruction abrogated these changes. In addition, DTA‐expressing animals did not respond to pUUO with increased RPCs and CoRL. Moreover, reduction in CoRL significantly compromised the kidney's ability to recover from the damage after the release of obstruction.

Conclusions

CoRL play a role in the regeneration of the kidneys post‐relief of obstruction.
Population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic target attainment of ceftriaxone 2 g once daily in non‐critically ill hospitalized adult patients during the acute phase of infection
Authors: van den Broek Annemieke K. , van Schip Anne , Visser Caroline E. , Bos Jeannet C. , Prins Jan M. , van Hest Reinier M.
Published: June 2023

Aims

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic target attainment of ceftriaxone is compromised in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and non‐ICU hospitalized patients in Beira, Mozambique. Whether this also accounts for non‐ICU patients in a high‐income setting is unknown. We therefore assessed the probability of target attainment (PTA) of the currently recommended dosing regimen of 2 g every 24 h (q24h) in this patient group.

Methods

We performed a multicentre population pharmacokinetic study in hospitalized non‐ICU adult patients empirically treated with intravenous ceftriaxone. During both the acute phase of infection (i.e. first 24 h of treatment) and convalescence, a maximum of 4 random blood samples were obtained per patient for ceftriaxone total and unbound concentration measurements. PTA was calculated using NONMEM and was defined as the percentage of patients of which the unbound ceftriaxone concentration exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for >50% of the first dosing interval of 24 h. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine PTA for different estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR; CKD‐EPI) and MICs. PTA >90% was considered adequate.

Results

Forty‐one patients provided 252 ceftriaxone total and 253 unbound concentrations. The median eGFR was 65 mL/min/1.73 m2 (5th to 95th percentile 36–122). With the recommended dose of 2 g q24h, PTA >90% was achieved for bacteria with an MIC ≤2 mg/L. Simulations showed that PTA was insufficient for an MIC of 4 mg/L in case the eGFR was 122 mL/min/1.73 m2 (PTA 56.9%) and for an MIC of 8 mg/L regardless of eGFR.

Conclusion

The PTA of 2 g q24h ceftriaxone dosing is adequate for common pathogens during the acute phase of infection in non‐ICU patients.
Too hot to help or too cold to care? On the links between ambient temperature, volunteerism, and civic engagement
Authors: Ng Henry Kin Shing , Cheung Sing‐Hang
Published: June 2023

We investigated the relationship between ambient temperature and prosocial behaviour in real‐life settings. It was guided by two mechanisms of opposite predictions, namely (1) higher temperatures decrease prosociality by harming well‐being, and (2) higher temperatures increase prosociality by promoting the embodied cognition of social warmth. In Study 1, U.S. state‐level time‐series data (2002–2015) supported the first mechanism, with higher temperatures predicting lower volunteer rates through lower well‐being. Study 2 furthered the investigation by probing the relationship between neighbourhood temperature and civic engagement of 2268 U.S. citizens. The data partially supported the well‐being mechanism and reported findings contradictory to the social embodiment mechanism. Higher temperatures predicted lower interpersonal trust and subsequently lower civic engagement. The unexpected finding hinted at a cognitive effect of heat and a compensatory mechanism in social thermoregulation. We discussed the findings regarding their methodological strengths and weaknesses, with cautions made on ecological fallacies and alternative models.
Understanding the interaction between leukaemia stem cells and their microenvironment to improve therapeutic approaches
Authors: Martinez Leandro M. , Guzman Monica L.
Published: June 2023

Although chemotherapeutic regimens can eliminate blasts in leukaemia patients, such therapies are associated with toxicity and often fail to eliminate all malignant cells resulting in disease relapse. Disease relapse has been attributed to the persistence of leukaemia cells in the bone marrow (BM) with the capacity to recapitulate disease; these cells are often referred to as leukaemia stem cells (LSCs). Although LSCs have distinct characteristics in terms of pathobiology and immunophenotype, they are still regulated by their interactions with the surrounding microenvironment. Thus, understanding the interaction between LSCs and their microenvironment is critical to identify effective therapies. To this end, there are numerous efforts to develop models to study such interactions. In this review, we will focus on the reciprocal interactions between LSCs and their milieu in the BM. Furthermore, we will highlight relevant therapies targeting these interactions and discuss some of the promising in vitro models designed to mimic such relationship.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on Cancer Microenvironment and Pharmacological Interventions. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.2/issuetoc
De‐novo “germline second hit” loss‐of‐heterozygosity RBP3 deletion mutation causing recessive high myopia
Authors: Gombosh Maya , Yogev Yuval , Hadar Noam , Proskorovski‐Ohayon Regina , Aharoni Sarit , Gradstein Libe , Birk Ohad S.
Published: June 2023

Knudson's “two hit” hypothesis, mostly associated with cancer, relates to a primary heterozygous germline mutation complemented by a somatic mutation in the second allele. When the somatic “second hit” is a deletion mutation, the heterozygosity due to the first hit is lost (“loss of heterozygosity”). As the rate of germline mutations is almost two orders of magnitude lower than that of somatic mutations, de‐novo germline mutations causing autosomal recessive diseases in carriers of inherited heterozygous mutations are not common. We delineate a case of high myopia presenting at infancy with mild diminution of retinal responses. Exome sequencing identified a paternally inherited apparently homozygous missense mutation in RBP3. Chromosomal microarrays delineated a de‐novo germline heterozygous deletion encompassing RBP3, verified through revision of WES data. Thus, we demonstrate an inherited RBP3 missense mutation complemented by a de‐novo germline RBP3 deletion, causing loss of heterozygosity of the inherited mutation. We describe a novel RBP3 missense mutation, report the first isolated RBP3 deletion, and demonstrate infantile high myopia as an initial presentation of RBP3 disease. Notably, we highlight de‐novo germline deletion mutations causing “loss of heterozygosity” of inherited heterozygous mutations, culminating in autosomal recessive diseases, and discuss the scarce literature.