bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping the International Valuation Standards ESG criteria and sustainability rating tools adopted at scale by the Australian commercial real estate market
Authors: Ghosn Cida , Warren-Myers Georgia , Candido Christhina
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The proliferation of environmental rating tools over the past two decades has endeavoured to assist the industry in measuring sustainability. Recent changes to the International Valuation Standards (IVS) have directed valuers to consider ESG. The purpose of this study aims to examine how commonly utilized sustainability tools, which have been employed to communicate building sustainability credentials, align with the IVS categories of ESG.

Design/methodology/approach

The research utilises the IVS categorisation of ESG and maps sustainability tools adopted at scale by the Australian Commercial Real Estate market. The approach identifies the various attributes within the commonly utilised rating tools that align with IVS defined ESG criteria.

Findings

The mapping provides insights into the coverage of the IVS ESG criteria in the mainstream tools used in Australia. Further, the research identifies existing sustainability criteria that are relevant to the built environment, that have not been clearly identified by the IVS, but have an important role in evaluating the sustainability of commercial real estate.

Practical implications

For investors, occupiers and valuers, this research provides insights on how the current, commonly utilised sustainability rating tools align with the IVS-defined ESG metrics. This research assists in providing greater clarity regarding the relationship between ESG criteria and existing rating tools, which have been recently identified as key considerations in valuation practice and help to provide transparency and understanding for property stakeholders.

Originality/value

The importance of monitoring, reporting and enhancing transparency in ESG disclosures has emerged as a central issue with significant implications for the property industry. This research provides the first evaluation of how existing sustainability rating tools map against ESG criteria as directed in the IVS.
Proactive framework for obsolescence management of electrical equipment in oil and gas industry
Authors: Ghaithan Ahmed , AlShamrani Osamah , Mohammed Awsan , Alshibani Adel
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Energy consumption has increased significantly since the 1970s, which has increased demand for sufficient infrastructure in the oil and gas industry. Many top-notch oil and gas companies invested in and equipped their facilities with high-capacity electrical equipment to meet high demand and benefit from high revenues. This is becoming a challenge nowadays for old facilities in the oil and gas industry, as most of the electrical equipment installed has reached or even exceeded its lifetime. Moreover, many of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for electrical equipment from the 1980s are no longer in market today. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop a proactive, cost-effective obsolescence management framework for electrical equipment in the oil and gas industry, considering the aging factor of the equipment.

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, the study begins with gathering available information and identifying criteria. Secondly, the data collection is evaluated by subject-matter-experts (SMEs) in asset management field to ensure compliance with updated international standards and relevant regulatory requirements. Thirdly, a multi-criteria decision-making process is used to rank criteria. Finally, a scoring system is developed to measure the electrical equipment obsoleteness.

Findings

The developed framework will assist decision-makers in making informed decisions about maintenance, replacement or upgrades, using knowledge from previous studies and experts’ input. The result finding indicates that considering aging correction factors when measuring equipment obsoleteness leads to accurately and correctly predicting the electrical equipment obsoleteness score.

Originality/value

Previous studies have addressed obsolescence management without taking equipment age into account, regardless of how the equipment is performing. Thus, the lack of a comprehensive obsolescence management framework that accounts for both cost-effectiveness and the aging factor in the oil and gas industry poses a critical challenge.
Sustainability of healthcare supply chain management: a panoramic approach through SLR and bibliometric
Authors: Acharjya Dipti , Dash Manoj Kumar
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The healthcare sector increasingly recognizes how critical sustainable supply chains are to lowering environmental impact, boosting productivity and satisfying public expectations for morally and responsibly provided healthcare. Consequently, the current study aims to thoroughly evaluate the literature on the sustainability of healthcare supply chain management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a systematic literature review (SLR) technique and bibliometric review to examine the benefactions of different authors, nations and organizations to healthcare sustainability through bibliometric and network analyses.

Findings

The study concludes that the healthcare industry may advance sustainability on all levels by incorporating technology into the fundamentals of sustainability. Patient care is given priority in this proposed approach, which can also help healthcare executives create strategies that support efficient healthcare supply chains.

Research limitations/implications

The research study can serve as a basis for future investigations into additional healthcare management domains, where integrating a sustainable supply chain can yield superior and observable results and bridge deficiencies in management protocols.

Originality/value

Using bibliometric visualization, this study shows the relevance of sustainability in the healthcare supply chain. By identifying its advantages, present-day circumstances, applications and prospective future research fields, the study took up the review and relevance of sustainability in many parts of the healthcare industry.
International business and organizational innovation: an agenda for future research
Authors: Juergensen Jill , Narula Rajneesh , Surdu Irina
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Organizational innovation (OI) is important for multinational enterprises to adapt to changes in their broader technological and market environments. Despite its power to transform organizations, OI has remained at the periphery of international business (IB) scholarship. The purpose of this paper is that IB is particularly equipped to further the understanding of OI. IB studies place significant value on “context” and how the context in which the firm operates can enable or hinder the evolution of internal routines and practices, leading (or not) to OI.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors identify the key challenges which have contributed to the seemingly less important role of OI in IB, notable among them being the ambiguity of concepts associated with OI across different research fields. The authors advance the research agenda by offering a comprehensive definition of OI. The authors then put forward an integrative framework where the authors discuss the importance, and contribution, of IB to OI and vice versa.

Findings

The literature is characterized by terminological and empirical ambiguity. Some management scholars have coined the term “management innovation” with a clear element of invention and state-of-the-art attached to it. Others have referred to “organizational innovation,” when exploring incremental and targeted changes to extant team- and firm-level practices. In turn, IB scholars developed their own terminology, often (implicitly) referring to technological innovations as “asset-type firm-specific advantages” (FSAs) and associating OI with “transaction-type” FSAs.

Originality/value

The authors offer a new definition for OI – to address the challenges associated with terminological ambiguity. The authors put forward an integrative framework of OI in IB. The proposed framework of OI emphasizes the wider organizational context in which OI takes place, i.e. firm heterogeneity; and the broader external (IB) context of OI.
An overview of the migration status of bisphenol A from different food containers and packages
Authors: Madani Arghavan , Rashedinia Marzieh
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a compound commonly used in the production of plastic bottles and containers, where it is used as a plasticizer and can migrate into food. Its intake may impair the functioning of endocrine glands and have a negative impact on the health of human, especially infants. Because it is also found in baby bottles. Generally BPA can enter the body through daily, cumulative and long-term consumption of various foods. The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of BPA and its migration through some food containers and bottles. It also explains the potential risks associated with its consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, some of the research conducted in this field has been used by searching in various Web databases, including ScienceDirect, Scopus and PubMed. Therefore, this study provides an overview of the migration of BPA from different packages and compares the obtained values with standard ranges.

Findings

Most studies showed samples below the reference value. However, the use of containers made with BPA should be controlled and government policies should be implemented to eliminate or reduce the use of these containers.

Originality/value

This paper collects evidence of migration of BPA to some foods through bottles and food containers.
Employee behavior: the psychological gateway for cyberattacks
Authors: Aschwanden Rahel , Messner Claude , Höchli Bettina , Holenweger Geraldine
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Cyberattacks have become a major threat to small and medium-sized enterprises. Their prevention efforts often prioritize technical solutions over human factors, despite humans posing the greatest risk. This article highlights the importance of developing tailored behavioral interventions. Through qualitative interviews, we identified three persona types with different psychological biases that increase the risk of cyberattacks. These psychological biases are a basis for creating behavioral interventions to strengthen the human factor and, thus, prevent cyberattacks.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted structured, in-depth interviews with 44 employees, decision makers and IT service providers from small and medium-sized Swiss enterprises to understand insecure cyber behavior.

Findings

A thematic analysis revealed that, while knowledge about cyber risks is available, no one assumes responsibility for employees’ and decision makers’ behavior. The interview results suggest three personas for employees and decision makers: experts, deportees and repressors. We have derived corresponding biases from these three persona types that help explain the interviewees’ insecure cyber behavior.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides evidence that employees differ in their cognitive biases. This implies that tailored interventions are more effective than one-size-fits7-all interventions. It is inherent in the idea of tailored interventions that they depend on multiple factors, such as cultural, organizational or individual factors. However, even if the segments change somewhat, it is still very likely that there are subgroups of employees that differ in terms of their misleading cognitive biases and risk behavior.

Practical implications

This article discusses behavior directed recommendations for tailored interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises to minimize cyber risks.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study is that it is the first to use personas and cognitive biases to understand insecure cyber behavior, and to explain why small and medium-sized enterprises do not implement behavior-based cybersecurity best practices. The personas and biases provide starting points for future research and interventions in practice.
Perception of Spanish teachers on their initial training in the educational treatment of diversity
Authors: González-Fernández Raúl , García-Toledano Mayoral Eduardo , Domingo-Gómez Belinda
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the perception of graduates from teaching degree programs in Early Childhood and Primary Education carried out in Spain in accordance with the European Higher Education Area, who are currently working in classrooms, on their initial training in the educational treatment of diversity (ETD). In addition, potential differences were examined based on the teaching degree that was studied (Early Childhood or Primary).

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a mixed methodology including an ad hoc questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Participants were 140 working teachers who had previously earned their degree in Early Childhood or Primary Education programs. Data analysis was carried out from an integrative perspective, using a basic descriptive focus and content analysis.

Findings

The results reveal that the new teachers considered that their initial training in the area of ETD was not as extensive as it should have been and as required by their daily teaching needs. They felt that they had acquired better education in the theoretical content as compared to the practical component. They mentioned a lack of training to attend to students entering the system at a later stage as well as for those with high intellectual abilities, noting that the initial training in ETD focused excessively on deficits and not enough on potentialities and other student diversities.

Originality/value

This study may be useful as it offers an improved adaptation to the reality of early education in ETD classrooms of future teachers, both for the competent education administrations and universities. It may also serve as a starting point to adjust the permanent training offer for teachers to their specific needs, making up for the deficiencies of their initial training.
The polyphony of deviance: the impact of deviant workplace behavior on digital transformation
Authors: Magnusson Johan , Carlsson Fredrik , Matteby Marcus , Ndanu Kisembo Pamela , Brazauskaite Daiva
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of deviant workplace behavior on digital transformation in the public sector. This contributes to the current literature on public sector digital transformation as well as to that of deviant workplace behavior in public sector contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct a qualitative case study of a digital transformation initiative in a Swedish municipality.

Findings

The authors identify three types of institutional drift related to digital transformation, i.e. decelerating digital transformation, maintaining infrastructural stability and accelerating digital transformation. The authors categorize mediators for said drift and theorize on the role of deviant workplace behavior as a strategic driver for digital transformation in public sector organizations.

Research limitations/implications

With the study being a qualitative case study, it is limited in terms of generalizability and transferability. Through this study, the authors sensitize the notion of digital transformation and show how deviant behavior results in strategic polyphony. Future studies are informed through offering a new perspective to public sector digital transformation strategy.

Practical implications

Practice should view deviant workplace behavior as simultaneously constructive and destructive in lieu of planned digital transformation, as well as see its presence as a potential sign of subpar prerequisites for digital transformation in the public sector.

Social implications

Through this study, deviant workplace behavior is highlighted as a source of strategic polyphony and hence an important aspect of public sector digital transformation strategy.

Originality/value

Through being the first paper, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to apply the theory of institutional drift to digital transformation settings as well as identifying the impact of deviant workplace behavior on digital transformation, the study offers novel insights.
Drinking as affective labour: A discussion of Australian men working in hospitality and corporate workplaces
Authors: Ralph Brittany , Duncan Tristan , Roberts Steven , Savic Michael , Robards Brady , Elliott Karla
Published: May 2024

In the public imaginary, drinking is often thought of as a behaviour separate from individuals’ formal labour practices, but studies increasingly highlight the complex ways alcohol is entwined with work. Building on recent conceptual developments in the sociological fields of youth, health and work, we illustrate how drinking can be productively understood as ‘affective labour’, and thus itself a form of work that generates valuable embodied states and atmospheres. To do so, we draw on data from six focus groups with men coworkers from three hospitality workplaces and three corporate workplaces in Victoria. For the corporate groups, work‐related drinking was tied to an unravelling of certain professional affects and facilitated harmonious and productive workplace relationships, but also introduced risks ranging from embarrassment to sexual harassment. For hospitality workers, drinking was more deeply enmeshed in workplace relationships and, for one group, drinking on‐shift was positively framed as creating an affect and atmosphere that appealed to clientele, despite taking a toll on workers’ wellbeing. In both settings not drinking risked limiting one’s ability to get on colleagues’ affective ‘level’. Our data deepens current understandings of how drinking cultures may be woven through occupational settings, produce value for organisations and introduce unique potential for exclusion.
Mapping out the interpersonal boundary stones in contemporary China: Guanxi network structure and its association with traditional culture endorsement
Authors: Hu Anning
Published: May 2024

Guanxi research would benefit from an empirical description of holistic guanxi network structures and consideration of sociologically meaningful antecedents such as one's cultural value endorsement. This study, inspired by the relational sociology and drawing on the reported trustworthiness of a rich array of referees in one's guanxi network collected from the Traditional Culture and Cognitive Pattern Survey, identifies two types of guanxi network structures in contemporary China: one is featured by the binary distinction between family and non‐family referees, and the other displays a fourfold classification scheme, respectively concerning parents, nuclear family members (children and spouse), other relatives and close friends, and acquaintances. Furthermore, traditional culture endorsement is positively correlated with the likelihood of being subject to the binary classification scheme, while some counter social forces, such as the establishment of quasi‐kinship relationships, encourage one to lean toward the more fine‐grained fourfold guanxi network partitioning.
Cost‐effectiveness analysis of an ambulance service‐operated specialised cardiac vehicle with mobile extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation capacity for out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Doan Tan N , Rashford Stephen , Bosley Emma
Published: May 2024

Objective

Extracorporeal CPR (E‐CPR) has been primarily limited to the in‐hospital setting. A few systems around the world have implemented pre‐hospital mobile E‐CPR in the form of a dedicated cardiac vehicle fitted with specialised equipment and clinicians required for the performance of E‐CPR on‐scene. However, evidence of the outcomes and cost‐effectiveness of mobile E‐CPR remain to be established. We evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of a hypothetical mobile E‐CPR vehicle operated by Queensland Ambulance Service in the state of Queensland, Australia.

Methods

We adapted our published mathematical model to estimate the cost‐effectiveness of pre‐hospital mobile E‐CPR relative to current practice. In the model, a specialised cardiac vehicle with mobile E‐CPR capability is deployed to selected OHCA patients, with eligible candidates receiving pre‐hospital E‐CPR in‐field and rapid transport to the closest appropriate centre for in‐hospital E‐CPR. For comparison, non‐candidates receive standard ACLS from a conventional ambulance response. Cost‐effectiveness was expressed as Australian dollars ($, 2021 value) per quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) gained.

Results

Pre‐hospital mobile E‐CPR improves outcomes compared to current practice at a cost of $27 323 per QALY gained. The cost‐effectiveness of pre‐hospital mobile E‐CPR is sensitive to the assumption around the number of patients who are the targets of the vehicle, with higher patient volume resulting in improved cost‐effectiveness.

Conclusions

Pre‐hospital E‐CPR may be cost‐effective. Successful implementation of a pre‐hospital E‐CPR programme requires substantial planning, training, logistics and operational adjustments.
Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and the risk of functional gastrointestinal disorders: A two‐sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Wu Yan Rui , Tan Zong Biao , Lu Yi , Liu Chuan , Dong Wei Guo
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). In this study we aimed to explore the causal association between physical activity or sedentary behavior and the risk of FD and IBS.

Methods

Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed. Candidate genetic instruments for physical activity and sedentary behavior were retrieved from the latest published Genome‐Wide Association Study (GWAS), which included up to 703 901 participants. Summary‐level GWAS data for FD (8 875 cases and 320 387 controls) and IBS (9 323 cases and 301 931 controls) were obtained from the FinnGen study. The causal effects were mainly estimated by inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochran's Q test, MR‐Egger intercept test, leave‐one‐out analysis, and the funnel plot.

Results

No significant association of moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), leisure screen time (LST), sedentary behavior at work (SDW), and sedentary commuting (SDC) with the risk of FD was found. However, there was a suggestive correlation between MVPA and the decreased risk of FD (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.99, P = 0.047). Genetically predicted MVPA decreased the risk of IBS (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.40–0.84, P = 0.004), while increased LST was positively associated with IBS risk (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.15–1.53, P < 0.001). No causal effects of SDW or SDC on IBS risk were observed.

Conclusion

MVPA and LST are causally linked to the development of IBS, which will facilitate primary prevention of IBS.
Maternal age is related to offspring DNA methylation: A meta‐analysis of results from the PACE consortium
Authors: Yeung Edwina , Biedrzycki Richard J. , Gómez Herrera Laura C. , Issarapu Prachand , Dou John , Marques Irene Fontes , Mansuri Sohail Rafik , Page Christian Magnus , Harbs Justin , Khodasevich Dennis , Poisel Eric , Niu Zhongzheng , Allard Catherine , Casey Emma , Berstein Fernanda Morales , Mancano Giulia , Elliott Hannah R. , Richmond Rebecca , He Yiyan , Ronkainen Justiina , Sebert Sylvain , Bell Erin M. , Sharp Gemma , Mumford Sunni L. , Schisterman Enrique F. , Chandak Giriraj R. , Fall Caroline H. D. , Sahariah Sirazul A. , Silver Matt J. , Prentice Andrew M. , Bouchard Luigi , Domellof Magnus , West Christina , Holland Nina , Cardenas Andres , Eskenazi Brenda , Zillich Lea , Witt Stephanie H. , Send Tabea , Breton Carrie , Bakulski Kelly M. , Fallin M. Daniele , Schmidt Rebecca J. , Stein Dan J. , Zar Heather J. , Jaddoe Vincent W. V. , Wright John , Grazuleviciene Regina , Gutzkow Kristine Bjerve , Sunyer Jordi , Huels Anke , Vrijheid Martine , Harlid Sophia , London Stephanie , Hivert Marie‐France , Felix Janine , Bustamante Mariona , Guan Weihua
Published: May 2024

Worldwide trends to delay childbearing have increased parental ages at birth. Older parental age may harm offspring health, but mechanisms remain unclear. Alterations in offspring DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns could play a role as aging has been associated with methylation changes in gametes of older individuals. We meta‐analyzed epigenome‐wide associations of parental age with offspring blood DNAm of over 9500 newborns and 2000 children (5–10 years old) from the Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics consortium. In newborns, we identified 33 CpG sites in 13 loci with DNAm associated with maternal age (PFDR < 0.05). Eight of these CpGs were located near/in the MTNR1B gene, coding for a melatonin receptor. Regional analysis identified them together as a differentially methylated region consisting of 9 CpGs in/near MTNR1B, at which higher DNAm was associated with greater maternal age (PFDR = 6.92 × 10−8) in newborns. In childhood blood samples, these differences in blood DNAm of MTNR1B CpGs were nominally significant (p < 0.05) and retained the same positive direction, suggesting persistence of associations. Maternal age was also positively associated with higher DNA methylation at three CpGs in RTEL1‐TNFRSF6B at birth (PFDR < 0.05) and nominally in childhood (p < 0.0001). Of the remaining 10 CpGs also persistent in childhood, methylation at cg26709300 in YPEL3/BOLA2B in external data was associated with expression of ITGAL, an immune regulator. While further study is needed to establish causality, particularly due to the small effect sizes observed, our results potentially support offspring DNAm as a mechanism underlying associations of maternal age with child health.
Inequities in naloxone administration among fatal overdose decedents by race and ethnicity in Pennsylvania, 2019–21
Authors: Takemoto Erin , Bolton Ashley , Goetz Carrie Thomas
Published: May 2024

Aims

The aim of this study was to characterize the circumstances of drug overdose deaths and determine whether naloxone administration differed by overdose decedent race and ethnicity.

Design and setting

Analysis of data on unintentional and undetermined intent drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania (2019–21) was collected from death certificates and the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System. Multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for overdose death circumstances and the odds of naloxone administration were estimated by race/ethnicity and year.

Cases

The analytical sample included 3386 fatal overdose decedents in 2019, 3864 in 2020 and 3816 in 2021.

Measurements

Evidence of naloxone administration (yes/no) was defined using scene evidence and toxicology reports from coroner and medical examiner records, while race/ethnicity (Hispanic, non‐Hispanic Black, non‐Hispanic White) was based on the death certificate.

Findings

In the analytic sample, overdose death rates were the highest among Black people and increased over time (rate per 10 000 population, 2019: 4.3; 2020: 6.1; 2021: 6.5); rates were lowest among White people and remained constant over time (rate per 10 000 population, 2019: 2.6; 2020: 2.7; 2021: 2.6). Throughout all years, Black decedents had approximately 40–50% lower odds of naloxone administration compared with White decedents as referent [2019: odds ratio (OR) = 0.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.5–0.9; 2020: OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.4–0.7; 2021: OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.5–0.8], while Hispanic decedents had similar odds of naloxone administration to that of White decedents.

Conclusion

After controlling for overdose circumstances in drug overdose deaths in Pennsylvania, USA, from 2019 to 2021, Black people had lower odds of naloxone administration compared with White people, while there were no differences between Hispanic and White people.
Foveal thickness and its association with visual acuity in adults born preterm with very low birth weight: A two‐country birth cohort study
Authors: Jørgensen Anna P. M. , Kulmala Maarit , Austeng Dordi , Evensen Kari Anne I. , Kajantie Eero , Majander Anna , Morken Tora Sund
Published: May 2024

Purpose

To explore foveal and parafoveal thickness in adults born preterm with very low birth weight (VLBW) and its association with best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and gestational age (GA) compared to adults born at term.

Methods

In a joint study of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults (Finland) and the NTNU Low Birth Weight Life study (Norway), 106 VLBW and 143 term‐born controls were examined with spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography and BCVA at age 31–43 years. Thickness of retinal layers was segmented in the foveal and parafoveal areas of the macula.

Results

The total retinal thickness in the foveal area was thicker in VLBW adults compared with controls; mean (SD): 292.5 μm (28.2) and 272.4 μm (20.2); p < 0.001, and thinner in the parafoveal areas of the macula. These findings could be explained by a thicker inner retinal layer in the foveal area found in VLBW adults compared with controls (mean difference 20.4 μm; CI: 15.0 to 25.9), where a thicker fovea was associated with lower GA, but not BCVA.

Conclusion

Adults born preterm with VLBW had a thicker retina in the foveal area than controls and this was associated with GA, but not with BCVA. These changes seem to be related to a thicker inner retinal layer in VLBW adults. The findings imply that signs of macular underdevelopment are still present in adulthood, but not necessarily related to reduced visual function.
Actual electrolyte intake during the first week of life and morbidity in very‐low‐birthweight infants
Authors: Mäkelä Pauliina M. , Immeli Lotta , Leskinen Markus , Rinta‐Koski Olli‐Pekka , Sund Reijo , Andersson Sture , Luukkainen Päivi
Published: May 2024

Aim

To describe sodium and potassium intake, their sources and plasma concentrations, and the association between intake and morbidity in very‐low‐birthweight (VLBW, <1500 g) infants during the first week of life.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study comprised 951 VLBW infants born at <32 weeks. Infants were divided into three groups according to gestational age: 23–26 (n = 275), 27–29 (n = 433) and 30–31 (n = 243) weeks. Data on fluid management and laboratory findings were acquired from an electronic patient information system.

Results

The median sodium intake was highest in the 23–26 week group, peaking at 6.4 mmol/kg/day. A significant proportion of sodium derived from intravascular flushes; it reached 27% on day 1 in the 23–26 week group. High cumulative sodium intake in the first postnatal week was associated with weight gain from birth to day 8 in the 23–26 week group. High intake of sodium associated with an increased risk of surgically ligated patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), bronchopulmonary dysplasia and intraventricular haemorrhage, whereas low intake of potassium associated with an increased risk of PDA.

Conclusion

Sodium intake in the most premature infants exceeded recommendations during the first postnatal week. Saline flushes accounted for a significant proportion of the sodium load.
Reframing acute kidney injury as a pathophysiological continuum of disrupted renal excretory function
Authors: Docherty Neil G. , Delles Christian , López‐Hernández Francisco J.
Published: May 2024

Surrogate measures of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) continue to serve as pivotal determinants of the incidence, severity, and management of acute kidney injury (AKI), as well as the primary reference point underpinning knowledge of its pathophysiology. However, several clinically important deficits in aspects of renal excretory function during AKI other than GFR decline, including acid–base regulation, electrolyte and water balance, and urinary concentrating capacity, can evade detection when diagnostic criteria are built around purely GFR‐based assessments. The use of putative markers of tubular injury to detect “sub‐clinical” AKI has been proposed to expand the definition and diagnostic criteria for AKI, but their diagnostic performance is curtailed by ambiguity with respect to their biological meaning and context specificity. Efforts to devise new holistic assessments of overall renal functional compromise in AKI would foster the capacity to better personalize patient care by replacing biomarker threshold‐based diagnostic criteria with a shift to assessment of compromise along a pathophysiological continuum. The term AKI refers to a syndrome of sudden renal deterioration, the severity of which is classified by precise diagnostic criteria that have unquestionable utility in patient management as well as blatant limitations. Particularly, the absence of an explicit pathophysiological definition of AKI curtails further scientific development and clinical handling, entrapping the field within its present narrow GFR‐based view. A refreshed approach based on a more holistic consideration of renal functional impairment in AKI as the basis for a new diagnostic concept that reaches beyond the boundaries imposed by the current GFR threshold‐based classification of AKI, capturing broader aspects of pathogenesis, could enhance AKI prevention strategies and improve AKI patient outcome and prognosis.
On the nature of ceramics technology: from Empedocles to Dawkins
Authors: Heimann Robert B.
Published: May 2024

This contribution discusses salient aspects of the development of ceramics technology from its invention to the present, and the role ceramics have played during the cultural development and technological progress of ancient and modern societies. The conjecture is being advanced that the transformation of ceramic production modes from holistic, that is, individualistic processes to prescriptive, that is, cooperative industrially determined technologies had a profound and lasting impact on the social, economic, and cultural fabric of all societies. In addition, the chaotic and thus, nondeterministic interaction of ceramic technology and society, and the transfer of information among potters will be described in terms of the concept of strange attractors as well as sets of self‐normalizing ‘memes’ (ideas) in a Lamarckian and/or Darwinian mode. Such specific ideas drive cultural and, by inference, technological evolution of societies.
Online discussion or authentic dialogue? How design affects discussions in two alternative types of online forums
Authors: Smith Glenn G. , Sherry Michael B.
Published: May 2024

Authentic dialogue demands that we respond, interpret and sometimes disagree with others' ideas—a key component of participation in a democratic society. Yet the sharing and uptake of different ideas can be hampered by traditional online platforms which divide students into isolated threads. To tackle this issue, we introduce two novel online forums designed to foster engagement and idea exchange: a linear chat, akin to SMS, and a collaborative writing forum we call CREW. Seventy‐three graduate students, divided into 18 small groups, tested these forums. We used discourse analysis to measure idea uptake and other dialogic features. From this analysis, seven discussions emerged as particularly interactive and engaging, exhibiting a high uptake‐to‐turn ratio. We noticed linear chat encouraged a high proportion of uptake, but also produced ‘tangles’—breaks in related post chains. CREW discussions sparked similar engagement but resolved most tangles since they required a collaborative written response. This study offers fresh insights in both research and teaching for improving online discussions.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

A vital practice for scholarly dialogue and democratic discourse is uptake: building on what others have written or said.

Instead of encouraging uptake of others' words and ideas, typical online discussions in Learning Management Systems (LMSs) can inadvertently isolate students in separate threads.

What this paper adds

We introduce and analyse two new, innovative types of online discussions that may encourage more uptake of others' words and ideas.

To eliminate isolation and encourage uptake, a linear chat forum makes all posts visible, but may produce interruptions, or ‘tangles’.

A forum that includes collaborative responsive writing requires participants to converge on a collective response, encouraging dialogue and overcoming tangles.

Implications for practice/policy

Teachers and other stakeholders might consider how discussion forum designs in LMSs can support or limit authentic dialogue.

Practitioners might consider how to incorporate deliberation about a shared focus into online discussions.

Instructors might avoid tangles by aligning assignment purposes with dialogic principles: posing authentic questions that invite multiple interpretations and require uptake of others' responses.
Prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia in pediatric heart transplant recipients
Authors: Newland David M. , Spencer Kathryn L. , Do Long D. , Knorr Lisa R. , Palmer Michelle M. , Albers Erin L. , Friedland‐Little Joshua M. , Hong Borah J. , Kemna Mariska S. , Hartje‐Dunn Christina , Mark Dominique G. , Nemeth Thomas L. , Ravi‐Johnson Sara , Law Yuk M.
Published: May 2024

Introduction

The prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia in the setting of modern‐day maintenance immunosuppression in pediatric heart transplant (HTx) recipients is unclear. The primary aim was to determine the prevalence of iron deficiency (serum ferritin < 30 ng/mL ± transferrin saturation < 20%) and anemia per World Health Organization diagnostic criteria and associated risk factors.

Methods

Single‐center, cross‐sectional analysis of 200 consecutive pediatric HTx recipients (<21 years old) from 2005 to 2021. Data were collected at 1‐year post‐HTx at the time of annual protocol biopsy.

Results

Median age at transplant was 3 years (IQR .5–12.2). The median ferritin level was 32 ng/mL with 46% having ferritin < 30 ng/mL. Median transferrin saturation (TSAT) was 22% with 47% having TSAT < 20%. Median hemoglobin was 11 g/dL with 54% having anemia. Multivariable analysis revealed lower absolute lymphocyte count, TSAT < 20%, and estimated glomerular filtration rate <75 mL/min/1.73 m2 were independently associated with anemia. Ferritin < 30 ng/mL in isolation was not associated with anemia. Ferritin < 30 ng/mL may aid in detecting absolute iron deficiency while TSAT < 20% may be useful in identifying patients with functional iron deficiency ± anemia in pediatric HTx recipients.

Conclusion

Iron deficiency and anemia are highly prevalent in pediatric HTx recipients. Future studies are needed to assess the impact of iron deficiency, whether with or without anemia, on clinical outcomes in pediatric HTx recipients.
Impact of P‐gp inhibition on systemic exposure of pralsetinib and dosing considerations
Authors: Suchomel Julia , Agarwal Priya , Anders Doreen , Hughes Kevin , Tang Yang , Sane Rucha , Scalori Astrid , Sharma Sunil , Cheeti Sravanthi
Published: May 2024

A study to determine the impact of cyclosporine (Neoral), an inhibitor of P‐gp, on the pharmacokinetics of pralsetinib (trade name GAVRETO®) was conducted in 15 healthy adult volunteers. A single 200 mg dose of pralsetinib was administered orally alone and in combination with cyclosporine with a 9‐day washout between treatments. Co‐administration with cyclosporine resulted in a clinically relevant increase in pralsetinib maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve extrapolated to infinity (AUC0–∞) with associated geometric mean ratios (GMRs) and 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of 148% (109, 201) and 181% (136, 241), respectively. These findings provide insight into concomitant dosing of pralsetinib with inhibitors of P‐gp given the increases in pralsetinib exposure observed when administered with cyclosporine. Based on these results, co‐administration of pralsetinib with P‐gp inhibitors is not recommended. In the event that co‐administration cannot be avoided, it is recommended that the dose of pralsetinib be reduced.
The estimation and translation uncertainties in applying NOAEL to clinical dose escalation
Authors: Chen Chao , Lavezzi Silvia Maria , McDougall David
Published: May 2024

The systemic exposure at the no‐observed‐adverse‐effect‐level (NOAEL) estimated from animals is an important criterion commonly applied to guard the safety of participants in clinical trials of investigational drugs. However, the discrepancy in toxicity profile between species is widely recognized. The objective of the work reported here was to assess, via simulation, the level of uncertainty in the NOAEL estimated from an animal species and the effectiveness of applying its associated exposure value to minimizing the toxicity risk to human. Simulations were conducted for dose escalation of an investigational new chemical entity with hypothetical exposure‐response models for the dose‐limiting toxicity under a variety of conditions, in terms of between‐species relative sensitivity to the toxicity and the between‐subject variability in the key parameters determining the sensitivity and pharmacokinetics. Results show a high uncertainty in the NOAEL estimation. Notably, even when the animal species and humans are assumed to have the same sensitivity, which may not be realistic, limiting clinical dose to the exposure at the NOAEL that has been identified in the animals carries a high risk of either causing toxicity or under‐dosing, hence undermining the therapeutic potential of the drug candidate. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the mechanism of the toxicity profile and its cross‐species translatability, as well as the importance of understanding the dose requirement for achieving adequate pharmacology.
“Justification by Faith” and “Justification by Sincerity”: A comparative study of Martin Luther's theory of faith and ancient Chinese Emotionalism
Authors: Li Rui , Fang Weilin
Published: May 2024

Martin Luther's theory takes “justification by faith” as its main feature. Ancient Chinese Emotionalism is characterized by “justification by Sincerity.” Both of them emphasize the sincere spirit of the individual, but have different emphasis on the attitude of faith and emotion. Luther's theory and Ancient Chinese Emotionalism both have the characteristics of “returning to the individual” and respecting individual freedom, and show a certain spirit of resistance and innovation against the social establishment.
Association between blood Pentraxin‐3 concentrations and rheumatic diseases: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Di Lorenzo Biagio , Zoroddu Stefano , Mangoni Arduino A. , Sotgia Salvatore , Paliogiannis Panagiotis , Erre Gian Luca , Carru Ciriaco , Zinellu Angelo
Published: May 2024

Background

Among the Pentraxins, the long Pentraxin‐3 (PTX‐3) is associated with several processes, particularly in the earliest phases of the innate humoral response. Increased blood PTX‐3 concentrations have been observed in a wide range of conditions, from infectious to cardiovascular disorders. Since its increase is more rapid than C‐reactive protein (CRP), PTX‐3 can be useful to detect and monitor early inflammation. To dissect its pathophysiological role in rheumatic diseases (RD), we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis comparing blood PTX‐3 concentrations in RD patients and healthy individuals and investigating possible associations with clinical, demographic, and study characteristics.

Methods

We performed a search of published evidence until April 2024 in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, which led to the selection of 60 relevant manuscripts from a total of 1072 records.

Results

Our synthesis revealed a statistically significant difference in PTX‐3 concentrations between RD patients and controls (standard mean difference, SMD = 1.02, 95% CI 0.77–1.26, p < .001), that correlated with CRP concentrations. The effect size was associated with geographical region of study conduction, RD type, with a reduction of the observed heterogeneity in patients with low LDL‐cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations.

Conclusions

Our study has shown a significant increase in blood PTX‐3 concentrations in RD patients, which was associated with specific patient characteristics. Nevertheless, additional studies are needed to better define the utility of measuring PTX‐3 in the early phase of RD. Our study was conducted in compliance with the PRISMA 2020 statement (study protocol available at PROSPERO CRD42024516600).
From high school to higher education: Is recreational marijuana a consumption amenity for US college students?
Authors: El Fatmaoui Ahmed
Published: May 2024

This paper examines how recreational marijuana legalization (RML) affects first‐time college enrollment in the US using a unique college‐level dataset and various estimation methods such as difference‐in‐differences and event study. I find that RML increases enrollments by approximately up to 9%, without compromising degree completion or graduation rate, and it boosts college competitiveness by offering a positive amenity, as evidenced by the rise in out‐of‐state enrollments relative to neighboring states. In addition, I find no evidence that RML affects college prices, quality, or in‐state enrollment. This effect is stronger for non‐selective public colleges in early‐adopting RML states.
Pond area and availability safeguard amphibian genetic diversity across Iberia's largest protected wetland
Authors: Sánchez‐Montes Gregorio , Martínez‐Solano Íñigo , Díaz‐Paniagua Carmen , Martínez‐Gil Helena , Arntzen Jan W. , Gomez‐Mestre Ivan
Published: May 2024

Wetland ecosystems worldwide are threatened by habitat alteration, climate change and the introduction of invasive species, even within protected areas. Unravelling the reliance of sensitive wetland‐dwelling species, such as amphibians, on habitat characteristics is thus essential to identify conservation targets.

Here we assess the distribution of genetic diversity of two strongly aquatic amphibians (Pelophylax perezi and Pleurodeles waltl) in association with habitat features across the most extensive, protected wetland of the Iberian Peninsula: Doñana National Park.

Despite inhabiting a protected area free from anthropogenic barriers, the genetic diversity of P. perezi and P. waltl is not homogeneously distributed across the wetland, but instead concentrates in core areas, mainly in the northern zone. Both genetic diversity and connectivity (as opposed to genetic differentiation) showed significant positive associations with the area of the breeding sites and the flooded area surrounding the breeding sites within the dispersal potential of either species, that is nearby pond availability.

Large water bodies connected to abundant temporary ponds are key for the maintenance of amphibian genetic diversity. Nevertheless, the core populations of our target species, which show markedly aquatic habits, are concentrated in areas colonised by invasive species, which could compromise their long‐term viability.

Our results highlight that maintaining widely connected arrays of ponds of different hydroperiods, including large breeding sites free from invasive predators and competitors, is paramount for amphibian conservation in Mediterranean wetlands.