bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consequences of xenocentrism and ethnocentrism on brand image of Starbucks: moderating effects of national culture and perceived brand globalness between Colombia and Spain
Authors: Areiza-Padilla Jose Andres , Cervera-Taulet Amparo
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This research aims to contribute to the existing literature on the image of global and foreign brands, but analyzing the impact on these brands, both ethnocentrism (CE) and xenocentrism (XEN) in the consumer. It also analyses the effects of XEN, dogmatism and national identity in the CE.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-cultural and quantitative study was carried out, through a total sample of 778 valid questionnaires collected online of which 451 questionnaires were from a developing country (Colombia) and 327 questionnaires were from a developed country (Spain). The data were processed through PLS-SEM software 3.2.7, which is usually used in this type of predictive studies, also containing variables of formative and reflective type.

Findings

Results show that XEN has a positive impact on the image of global and foreign brands, whereas CE does not always have a negative effect on the image of global and foreign brands, as was believed. Both effects are moderated by the national culture and the perceived brand globalness. XEN also has a negative impact on CE while national identity and dogmatism influence positively CE.

Originality/value

This research performs the analysis of the effects of XEN together with CE on the perceptions of a service global brand, considering the moderating effects of the national culture and perceived brand globalness were taken into account, between a developed country and a developing country.
The knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Industry 4.0 between construction practitioners and academicians in Malaysia: a comparative study
Authors: Zabidin Nadia Safura , Belayutham Sheila , Che Ibrahim Che Khairil Izam
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of Industry 4.0 between the academicians and industry players in construction engineering, further suggesting a mechanism to narrow the gap between the distinct parties.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted through structured online and face-to-face interviews, using KAP survey, and semi-structured interviews. This constructive research was conducted among Malaysian construction industry players and academicians from the construction engineering department in public universities.

Findings

The findings exhibit the similarities and differences of KAP between academics and industry on Industry 4.0 in construction engineering. In general, both categories of respondents have displayed more similarities than differences in all aspects, except for knowledge. The better knowledge profile of Industry 4.0 among the academicians reflects the nature of the academic works that constantly seek new knowledge, thus suggesting the establishment of an industry-academic (I-A) knowledge equilibrium framework to leverage the knowledge profile between both parties.

Research limitations/implications

This exploratory study that showcases the perspective of the academia and industry practitioners on Industry 4.0 acts as a cornerstone for bridging the gap between the two distinct sectors within the same field.

Practical implications

The gap between the academic and industry was highlighted, further establishing the I-A knowledge equilibrium framework that could also be applied to other fields of study.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper was the profiling of the KAP of Industry 4.0 for the academicians and industry players in construction engineering, further distinguishing the gap between both parties.
Benchmarking of construction projects performance for comparative assessment and performance improvement: a statistical quantitative approach
Authors: Aboseif Eyad , Hanna Awad S.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The exact process of construction projects performance assessment and benchmarking still remains subjective relying on qualitative techniques, which does not allow stakeholders to address the issues and the drawbacks of their respective projects as effectively as possible for performance improvement purposes. Hence, this research aims to establish a unified project performance score (PPS) for assessing and comparing projects performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from Construction Industry Institute (CII) members and through University of Wisconsin active research projects. Exploratory data analysis was done to investigate the calculated performance metrics and the collected data characteristics. Data were converted into six performance metrics which were used as the independent variables in creating the PPS model. Logistic regression model was developed to generate the unified PPS equation in order to explain the variables that significantly affect construction projects successful post-completion performance. The PPS model was then applied on the collected dataset to benchmark projects in terms of project delivery systems, compensation types and project types in order to showcase the PPS capabilities and possible applications.

Findings

The model revealed that construction cost and schedule growth are the most important metrics in assessing projects performance, while RFIs’ processing time and change orders per million dollars were the features with the least effect on the PPS value. The authors found that integrated project delivery (IPD) and target value (TV) projects outperformed all other project delivery and compensation types. While, industrial projects showed the worst performance, as compared to commercial or institutional projects.

Originality/value

The PPS model can be used to assess the performance of any pool of executed projects, and introducing a novel addition to the field of construction business analytics which is a supplementary tool to successful decision making and performance improvement. Additionally, the bidding selection system can be revolutionized from a cost-based to a performance based one using the PPS model to improve the outcomes of the buyout process.
Why do EDI policies fail? An inhabited institutions perspective
Authors: Pizarro Milian Roger , Wijesingha Rochelle
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies have proliferated in recent decades, but studies have repeatedly noted their inefficacy and adverse effects. To understand the potential root causes of the inefficiency of EDI policies, this study examines how they are inhabited by individuals at the ground level.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws on data gathered through 23 in-depth interviews with instructors at Progressive U, a large research-intensive Canadian university.

Findings

The data gathered/analyzed suggest that the implementation of EDI policies at Progressive U is hindered by the absence of coercive enforcement mechanisms, skepticism about their authenticity, the over-regulation of work and unresponsive bureaucratic structures.

Originality/value

This study examines the implementation of EDI policies through the prism of the inhabited institutions perspective in organizational sociology, producing insights that help to explain why EDI policies typically fail. In doing so, it produces insights relevant to both academic researchers and practitioners in the field.
Supporting diverse health leadership requires active listening, observing, learning and bystanding
Authors: Decady Guijarro Ruth , Bourgeault Ivy Lynn
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Fostering diversity in health leadership is imperative as that not only enhances the quality of health care itself, but improves an organization's effectiveness and responsiveness to address the needs of a diverse population. Inequitable structures entrenched in health care such as sexism, racism and settler colonialism undermine efforts made by women from diverse backgrounds to obtain leadership roles. This paper identifies leading practices which support diverse health leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-methodological approach involving a targeted published and gray literature search undertaken through both traditional means and a systematic social media search, focused particularly on Twitter. A literature and social media extraction tool was developed to review and curate more than 800 resources. Items chosen included those which best highlighted the barriers faced by diverse women and those sharing tools of how allies can best support the diverse women.

Findings

Four core promising practices that help to disrupt the status-quo of health leadership include (1) active listening to hear and amplify voices that have been marginalized, (2) active learning to respond to translation exhaustion, (3) active observing and noticing microaggressions and their consequences and (4) active bystanding and intervention.

Social implications

When implemented, these practices can help to dismantle racism, sexism, ableism and otherwise challenge the status-quo in health leadership.

Originality/value

This paper provides an original and value-added review of the published literature and social media analysis of heretofore disparate practices of allyship, all while amplifying the voices of health leaders from marginalized communities.
Active methodologies and curricular sustainability in teacher training
Authors: Martínez Valdivia Estefanía , Pegalajar Palomino Maria del Carmen , Burgos-Garcia Antonio
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Changes in society, the economy and health require a response from higher education regarding the training of professionals, specifically, future teachers. In this sense, active methodologies constitute, in line with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, a key strategic element in teacher training, given the need to educate for sustainability and social responsibility (SR). This study aims to examine innovative teaching-learning experiences based on the use of active methodologies and the interaction with sustainability and SR on the part of university students in Education.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology constitutes a systematic review of the qualitative, inductive and exploratory literature, on the basis of the PRISMA declaration principles. The sample is composed of research published between 2011 and 2021 in the world’s most important scientific databases in the educational context (WoS, Scopus and Eric-ProQuest).

Findings

This study reveals the methodologies that are most commonly used in ecological literacy, their implications for the acquisition of competencies in terms of curriculum sustainability and their relationship with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and SR. Higher education must reflect and demonstrate awareness of its social mission and pedagogical effectiveness, to transform education, taking as a reference the sustainability and SR in the university student’s curriculum.

Research limitations/implications

One of the main limitations of this study is the scarcity of research studies that include, jointly, the key descriptors analysed in this contribution such as teacher training, active methodologies, sustainability and SR. Another limitation to observe in this work is related to having considered as inclusion criteria solely research published in open access journals, since other research published in closed access journals is omitted.

Originality/value

This work demonstrates the usefulness of active methodologies in the training and professional development of future Education students in “sustainability”.
Mobile health community loyalty development process in China: an empirical study from information seeking perspective
Authors: Yang Xuejie , Gu Dongxiao , Li Honglei , Liang Changyong , Jain Hemant K. , Li Peipei
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the process of developing loyalty in the Chinese mobile health community from the information seeking perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A covariance-based structural equation model was developed to explore the mobile health community loyalty development process from information seeking perspective and tested with LISREL 9.30 for the 191 mobile health platform user samples.

Findings

The empirical results demonstrate that the information seeking perspective offers an interesting explanation for the mobile health community loyalty development process. All hypotheses in the proposed research model are supported except the relationship between privacy and trust. The two types of mobile health community loyalty—attitudal loyalty and behavioral loyalty are explained with 58 and 37% variance.

Originality/value

This paper has brought out the information seeking perspective in the loyalty formation process in mobile health community and identified several important constructs for this perspective for the loyalty formation process including information quality, communication with doctors and communication with patients.
Workforce management in operations: what enterprising communities can learn from this?
Authors: Fernandes Cristina , Ferreira João , Veiga Pedro Mota
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is use a bibliometric analysis to explore the relational nature of knowledge creation in WFM in operations. Companies live under constant pressure to find the best ways to plan their workforce, and the workforce emangement (WFM) is one of the biggest challenges faced by managers. Relevant research on WFM in operations has been published in a several range of journals that vary in their scope and readership, and thus the academic contribution to the topic remains largely fragmented.

Design/methodology/approach

To address this gap, this review aims to map research on WFM in operations to understand where it comes from and where it is going and, therefore, provides opportunities for future work. This study combined two bibliometric approaches with manual document coding to examine the literature corpus of WFM in operations to draw a holistic picture of its different aspects.

Findings

Content and thematic analysis of the seminal studies resulted in the extraction of three key research themes: workforce cross-training, planning workforce mixed methods and individual workforce characteristics. The findings of this study further highlight the gaps in the WFM in operations literature and raise some research questions that warrant further academic investigation in the future.

Originality/value

Likewise, this study has important implications for practitioners who are likely to benefit from a holistic understanding of the different aspects of WFM in operations.
CEO masculine behavior and earnings management: does ethnicity matter?
Authors: Elsheikh Tamer , Hashim Hafiza Aishah , Mohamad Nor Raihan , Youssef Mayada Abd El-Aziz , Almaqtari Faozi A.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs’) masculinity, CEO characteristics (accounting background, turnover and ethnicity/race) and earnings management (EM) in Malaysia. It also examined the moderating effect of the CEOs’ ethnicity/race (Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera) on the relationship between CEO masculinity and EM.

Design/methodology/approach

The analyses were based on a panel data set of 260 corporates listed on the Bursa Malaysia from 2009 to 2019. Python/code was used to calculate the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), while testosterone (TESTN) was calculated based on CEO age and fWHR. To estimate the results, panel data analysis with a fixed effect model was used.

Findings

The result shows that fWHR and TESTN have a significant positive effect on EM. CEO race has a significant impact on EM, implying that non-Bumiputera CEOs are more likely to be associated with EM. There was no statistically significant evidence that race moderates the relationship between CEO masculinity and EM.

Research limitations/implications

The research contributes to the growing evidence in the field of neuroscience that it is possible to infer aspects of an individual’s behavior based on their facial structure and their TESTN levels. The findings provide new evidence supporting Malaysian Government policies in reducing masculinity on boards of directors and senior executive positions, which will positively affect the integrity of financial reports.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first research to explain whether the ethnicity/race of CEOs is related to EM and whether it has a significant moderate effect on the relationship between masculinity and EM.
Satisfaction or delight? A cross-cultural study of loyalty formation linked to two restaurant types
Authors: Rodríguez-López María Eugenia , Alcántara-Pilar Juan Miguel , Del Barrio-García Salvador
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study is to analyse the moderating roles of restaurant type and client long-term orientation (LTO) on the loyalty building process. In addition, this analysis delves into the role of customer satisfaction and delight in the dining experience on the development of loyalty to a restaurant.

Design/methodology/approach

This study advances a moderator mediation model stemming from self-administered online questionnaires presented to clients subsequent to their gastronomic experiences. The analysis comprised a sample of 250 customers of moderate restaurants and 290 of midscale restaurants.

Findings

The results reveal that customer satisfaction and delight are two key antecedents to the process of building loyalty towards restaurants and that the responses depended on restaurant type and client LTO.

Practical implications

The study advances recommendations to restaurant managers and gastronomic marketing specialists. Moderate restaurants should satisfy the customer without offering additional services while medium-scale establishments should design actions perceived as an extra that surprise the client. Moreover, it is more important to offer delight to short-term oriented clients than to long-term oriented clients.

Originality/value

The global character of the hospitality industry implies that achieving customer loyalty requires going further than generating favourable attitudes. This has led the academic world to place more interest on the issue of delight perceived by the client. In this sense, the present study examines exclusively the long-term cultural dimension due to the little attention it has received in hospitality literature. Finally, the advances offered by the PROCESS software in analysing indirect conditional effects renders it possible to identify the different levels of customer LTO towards different types of restaurants.
The impact of gender diversity on corporate social responsibility knowledge: empirical analysis in European context
Authors: Paoloni Paola , Lombardi Rosa , Principale Salvatore
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated social risks around the world, highlighting inequalities and eroding social cohesion in and between nations. The challenges posed by this global crisis to world governments can be overcome with cooperation between the public and private sectors. Several studies support the importance of external corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in sharing knowledge with citizens and external stakeholders, with benefits for the company and for society. Few studies have investigated the relationship between knowledge management (KM) and sustainability. This work aims to investigate the influence of the gender variable in the sharing of CSR knowledge, focusing on the area of human rights.

Design/methodology/approach

The panel regression analysis was performed on a sample of 660 European companies listed over the years 2017–2020. The hypotheses tested in panel regression were then corroborated by a further test.

Findings

The results show a positive influence of women directors in the external disclosure of human rights. Evidence would assign a positive role to gender in sharing knowledge.

Practical implications

The findings offer new insights into the role of gender on KM and sharing. The results show that gender can be a factor that stimulates CSR knowledge. The presence of women directors can be a useful tool to increase the relational capital of the companies and to share knowledge outside the company.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the poor literature between knowledge sharing and sustainability. Evidence would assign a positive role to gender in sharing knowledge.
Synthesis, characterization and flocculation efficiency of unique hybrid natural-synthetic smart flocculants based on poly (MAam)-chitosan nanoparticles graft copolymers
Authors: Mostafa Khaled , Ramadan Mohamed , El-Sanabary Azza
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the authors' previously prepared and fully characterized poly (methacrylamide)-chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) graft copolymer having 50.2% graft yield with respect to flocculation efficiency for ferric laurate aqueous dispersions. This was done to compare the ability of the latter cheap, biodegradable and ecofriendly hybrid natural-synthetic polymeric substrate as a flocculant in comparison with higher cost, nonbiodegradable and harmful polyacrylamide as a well-known synthetic flocculant counterpart.

Design/methodology/approach

The graft copolymerization process was carried out at 450°Cfor 120 min using (1.0 g) CNPs, methacrylamide (1.5 g), 100 mmol/l potassium chromate and 80 mmol/l mandelic acid. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis and specific viscosity were used to characterize and analyze the resultant copolymer. The flocculation efficiency was conferred in terms of transmittance % and weight removal %. The main factors influencing the flocculation process, such as flocculent dose, flocculation medium pH, stirring speed, flocculation temperature and grafting extent, were comprehensively discussed.

Findings

The flocculation efficiency of the prepared copolymers revealed the following findings: increased by increasing the flocculant dose, pH, temperature and stirring speed to a maximum values denoted at 30 ppm, 6.0, 30°C and 50 r/min, respectively, then decreased thereafter; increased by increasing the extent of grafting within the range studied; showed a comparable flocculation efficiency in comparison with polyacrylamide as a synthetic polymeric flocculent; and, finally, a preliminary bridging mechanism representing the attraction between the anionic suspended particles ferric laurate and cationic poly (MAam)-CNPs graft copolymer has been projected.

Originality/value

The advancement addressed here is undertaken with using the authors’ poly (MAam)-CNPs graft copolymers having different extent of grafting (a point which is not cited in the literature especially for the authors’ prepared copolymer) as a hybrid natural-synthetic polymeric substrate as a flocculant for ferric laurate aqueous dispersions in comparison with the high cost and nondegradable polyacrylamide synthetic flocculant.
Disparities in ESG reporting by emerging Chinese enterprises: evidence from a global financial center
Authors: Ng Artie W. , Leung Tiffany Cheng Han , Yu Tao-Wang , Cho Charles H. , Wut Tai Ming
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the potential disparities in environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting among emerging Chinese enterprises (ECEs). ECEs are subject to a set of internationally oriented ESG requirements imposed by the regulator of a global financial center that is exposed to diverse stakeholders. The authors also consider ECEs’ underlying institutional ownership, which exhibits influence over governance as a salient component of ESG.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a random sample of 500 ECEs listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) – the global financial center of China. ESG reporting is measured by using the key performance indicators of the SEHK’s ESG Reporting Guide. The data are collected from annual reports that contain ESG disclosures or standalone ESG/sustainability reports published during the 2018–2019 fiscal year. The authors adopt binary logistic regressions and Chi-square tests to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The authors find that ECEs’ heterogeneous institutional ownership and the extent of overseas development are associated with their disclosures on climate change. ECEs with international institutional ownership are found to be a significant factor for reporting aligned with the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), using external assurance and stakeholder engagement, rather than state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private companies. The authors also document that the presence of independent nonexecutive directors (INEDs) is significantly associated with reporting on meeting the SDGs and its use of external assurance, while the presence of female directors is a significant factor influencing disclosure emphasis on energy-saving initiatives.

Practical implications

The authors provide an empirical study of ECEs beyond the focus on SOEs that are expected to produce comprehensive ESG reporting in addressing a broader international community of stakeholders apart from the regime of their home country. The authors document the pertinence of ECEs’ institutional ownership and governance diversity to ESG reporting. In particular, international stakeholders need to recognize such underlying differences among ECEs rather than viewing them as a homogeneous group.

Social implications

The authors suggest that policymakers and practitioners in Asian countries consider increasing the presence of INEDs and gender diversity on ECE boards to enhance ESG reporting, which reinforces the findings of prior international studies suggesting such governance practices.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge about ESG reporting by documenting the underlying heterogeneity within ECEs, which are subject to a set of internationally oriented standards, as evidenced by their disparities in ESG reporting.
Applying the stimulus-organism-response theory to investigate determinants of students’ social entrepreneurship: moderation role of perceived university support
Authors: Duong Cong Doanh
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to integrate the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory with Mair and Noboa’s (2006) model to evaluate the stimulating role of education-related stimuli (i.e. entrepreneurial education, curriculum and lecturer competency) and the moderation impact of perceived university support on students’ emotional and cognitive processes of social entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 401 university students in Vietnam and a three-step analysis approach via SPSS 28.0 and AMOS 25.0 were used to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

This study revealed that while entrepreneurship education and lecturer competency are positively associated with psychological organisms, then in turn affect social entrepreneurial intention and behaviors, the curriculum seems to be less significant. Social entrepreneurial intention was positively affected by social entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived social support, but not significantly influenced by empathy or moral obligation. As expected, the higher the perceived university support, the stronger the relationship between social entrepreneurial intention and social start-up behavior.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can be valuable for educators, policymakers and practitioners to inspire students’ entrepreneurial activities.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by adopting SOR theory to investigate the importance of education-related stimuli, exploring the underlying mediation mechanism of emotional and cognitive organism and explaining the moderation role of perceived university support in the fostering of students’ social entrepreneurship.
High‐intensity fires may have limited medium‐term effectiveness for reversing woody plant encroachment in an African savanna
Authors: Strydom Tercia , Smit Izak P. J. , Govender Navashni , Coetsee Corli , Singh Jenia , Davies Andrew B. , van Wilgen Brian W.
Published: February 2023

Woody thickening or ‘bush encroachment’ is a growing concern in savannas worldwide, and can reportedly be reversed by applying high‐intensity fires. Preliminary findings following experimental fires in 2010 and 2013 indicated that woody plant cover declined 1 year after high‐intensity fires, but increased after low‐intensity fires. However, the longer‐term outcomes of high‐intensity fires are largely unknown.

To establish longer‐term outcomes, we re‐assessed sites subjected to low, medium and high‐intensity fire treatments 10 years after the initial experimental fires. We compared woody vegetation structure in 2010 with that in 2020 using both ground surveys and airborne LiDAR.

Ground surveys revealed increases in the number of stems and individual shrubs (<10 m tall) over 10 years, and decreases in shrub height, with no significant differences between treatments. Large trees (≥10 m) declined by about 65% in number due to ongoing high mortality across treatments over 10 years.

LiDAR surveys revealed significant but very small differences in woody plant height and cover between treatments after 10 years. Median height was around 2 m in all treatments, and 90th percentile tree height was moderately taller in the low fire treatment. Mean canopy cover was about 55% in all treatments. The treatments therefore did not result in a meaningful reversal of woody encroachment with no discernible difference between the treatment sites after 10 years.

Synthesis and applications. The application of high‐intensity fires did not reverse woody encroachment in the longer term. In addition, the application of such treatments would be impractical at a large scale. Within a framework of strategic adaptive management, the next logical step would be to attempt a different approach. In this case, it is intended to use early or late wet season burns to increase the mortality of shrubs when they are in a more vulnerable phenological state. This study illustrates the importance of ongoing long‐term monitoring, review and adaptation for finding practical ways to achieve desired ecological outcomes.
Research Methods and Management
Authors: Croucher Richard
Published: February 2023

This editorial introduces a virtual special issue containing a selection of innovative and highly cited papers on methodological questions recently published in the British Journal of Management. In an initial context section, it is argued that, while management research has drawn on methods from the core social sciences, it has cast its net wider to adopt methods from subjects and fields on the edge of the social sciences as they are normally conceived. These have also been important. It has, in turn, made significant methodological contributions both to those subjects and fields and, indeed, more widely. The contributions of the papers selected for inclusion in the special issue are delineated within this broad context.
COLLECTIVELY GARDENING THE URBAN PUBLIC SPACE IN MEXICO CITY: When Informal Practices Interact with the State
Authors: El Ouardi Martine , Montambeault Françoise
Published: February 2023

In recent years, a growing number of citizen‐led gardens have appeared in the urban public spaces of large cities across the world. While many of these projects are initially launched informally without any support from the state, they gradually become integrated into the social fabric of the city. To understand the evolution of the formal–informal boundaries of the practice, we argue that we should be paying attention to the specific institutional contexts that frame gardeners’ interactions with public authorities. Drawing from a study of citizen‐led gardens in Mexico City, we show that informal urban gardening becomes a disconnected‐from‐the‐state practice. On the one hand, the Mexico City government has shown a growing interest in regulating urban agriculture. On the other hand, gardeners are increasingly trying to find their own ways to formalize and perennate their practice. We suggest that this disconnection between gardeners and the state is best explained by the weakness of the institutional context in which their interactions take place. A top‐down policymaking process, along with the incapacity and unwillingness of the multi‐leveled city government to implement policies effectively, reinforces norms of mistrust and generates low expectations among gardeners as they interact with local authorities.
Are economists overconfident? Ideology and uncertainty in expert opinion
Authors: Kozlowski Austin C. , Van Gunten Tod S.
Published: February 2023

Economics frequently serves as an advisory discipline to policymakers, bolstered in part by its claims to a unified intellectual framework and high disciplinary consensus. Recent research challenges this perspective, providing empirical evidence that economists' professional opinions are divided by ideological commitments to either free markets on one hand or state intervention on the other. We investigate the influence of ideology in economics by examining the relation between economists' ideological commitments and the certainty with which they express their expert opinions. To examine this relationship, we analyze data from the Initiative on Global Markets Economic Experts Panel, a unique survey of 51 economists at seven elite American universities. Our results suggest that economists with ideologically patterned views report higher levels of certainty in their opinions than their less ideologically consistent peers, but this boost in confidence is limited to topics that closely pertain to the free market versus interventionism divide.
The role of trust in government in crisis management: Fear of COVID‐19 and compliance with social distancing
Authors: Awwad Mohammad S. , Awwad Raneen M. , Awwad Rawan M.
Published: February 2023

This study examines the mediating role of trust in government on the relationship between fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and compliance with social distancing. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 740 Jordanian citizens, and path analysis (SmartPLS 2.0) was conducted to analyze the data. Results show that fear of COVID‐19 has a positive effect on both compliance with social distancing (t = 6.777, p = .000) and trust in government (t = 7.968, p = .000); trust in government has a positive effect on compliance with social distancing (t = 8.502, p = .000); and trust in government partially mediates the relationship between fear of COVID‐19 and compliance with social distancing (Sobel test = 6.17, p = .000). The effect of fear of COVID‐19 on compliance with social distancing, with trust in the government as a mediating variable, is greater than the direct effect without the mediating variable. Therefore, it is suggested that for social distancing measures imposed by the government on citizens to be effective, policymakers must work to enhance citizens' trust in the government and its measures aimed at curbing the outbreak of COVID‐19. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
A Timely Application—Temporal methods, past, present, and future
Authors: Keefer Heather R. M. , Rovai Dominic , Drake MaryAnne
Published: February 2023

Eating is a dynamic experience, and temporal sensory methods have been proposed to document how products change over the course of consumption or use (nonfood). A search of online databases yielded approximately 170 sources related to temporal evaluation of food products that were compiled and reviewed. This review summarizes the evolution of temporal methodologies (past), offers guidance in selecting appropriate methods (present), and provides insights into the future of temporal methodologies in the sensory space. Temporal methods have evolved to document a variety of characteristics in food products including how the intensity of a specific attribute changes over time (Time–Intensity), which specific attribute is dominant at each time during evaluation (Temporal Dominance of Sensations), which attributes are present at each time point during evaluation (Temporal Check‐All‐That‐Apply), and many others (Temporal Order of Sensations, Attack–Evolution–Finish, and Temporal Ranking). In addition to documenting the evolution of temporal methods, this review considers the selection of an appropriate temporal method based on the objective and scope of research. When choosing a temporal method, researchers should also consider the selection of panelists to perform the temporal evaluation. Future temporal research should focus on validation of new temporal methods and explore how methods can be implemented and improved to add to the usefulness of temporal techniques for researchers.
Cross‐sectional evaluation of gut microbial–host cometabolites in patients with chronic pancreatitis
Authors: Xu Jia Jia , Meng Yu Ting , Zou Wen Bin , Zhao Jiu Long , Fang Xue , Zhang Yao , Zhou Wei , Zhang Ling , Wang Kai Xuan , Hu Liang Hao , Liao Zhuan , Zhou Chun Hua , Zou Duo Wu
Published: February 2023

Objectives

Gut bacteria facilitate nutrient metabolism and generate small molecules that form part of the broader “metabolome”. It is unclear whether these metabolites are disturbed in chronic pancreatitis (CP). This study aimed to evaluate the gut microbial–host cometabolites and their relationship in patients with CP.

Methods

Fecal samples were collected from 40 patients with CP and 38 healthy family members. Each sample was examined with 16S rRNA gene profiling and gas chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry to estimate the relative abundances of specific bacterial taxa between the two groups and to profile any changes in the metabolome, respectively. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the differences in metabolites and gut microbiota between the two groups.

Results

The abundance of Actinobacteria was lower at the phylum level, and that of Bifidobacterium was lower at the genus level in the CP group. Eighteen metabolites had significantly different abundances and the concentrations of 13 metabolites were significantly different between the two groups. Oxoadipic acid and citric acid levels were positively correlated with Bifidobacterium abundance (r = 0.306 and 0.330, respectively, both P < 0.05), while the 3‐methylindole concentration was negatively correlated with Bifidobacterium abundance (r = −0.252, P = 0.026) in CP.

Conclusions

Gut microbiome and host microbiome metabolic products might be altered in patients with CP. Evaluating gastrointestinal metabolite levels may further enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis and/or progression of CP.
A randomised controlled trial of dexmedetomidine for delirium in adults undergoing heart valve surgery
Authors: Wang H.‐B. , Jia Y. , Zhang C.‐B. , Zhang L. , Li Y.‐N. , Ding J. , Wu X. , Zhang Z. , Wang J.‐H. , Wang Y. , Yan F.‐X. , Yuan S. , Sessler D. I.
Published: February 2023

Dexmedetomidine might reduce delirium after cardiac surgery. We allocated 326 participants to an infusion of dexmedetomidine at a rate of 0.6 μg kg−1 for 10 min and then at 0.4 μg.kg−1.h−1 until the end of surgery; 326 control participants received comparable volumes of saline. We detected delirium in 98/652 (15%) participants during the first seven postoperative days: 47/326 after dexmedetomidine vs. 51/326 after placebo, p = 0.62, adjusted relative risk (95%CI) 0.86 (0.56–1.33), p = 0.51. Postoperative renal impairment (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes stages 1, 2 and 3) was detected in 46, 9 and 2 participants after dexmedetomidine and 25, 7 and 4 control participants, p = 0.040. Intra‐operative dexmedetomidine infusion did not reduce the incidence of delirium after cardiac valve surgery but might impair renal function.
Transcriptional regulation of spatiotemporal gene expression within the seminiferous epithelium: Mouse Acrv1 gene as a model
Authors: Reddi Prabhakara P.
Published: February 2023

Precise spatiotemporal expression of cohorts of differentiation markers unique to spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids punctuates spermatogenesis and ensures its completion. For example, genes coding for the synaptonemal complex or the acrosome or flagellum are expressed sequentially in a developmental stage‐ and germ cell‐specific manner. But the transcriptional mechanisms governing the spatiotemporal order of gene expression within the seminiferous epithelium are poorly understood. Using the round spermatid‐specific Acrv1 gene, which codes for the acrosomal protein SP‐10 as a model, we learned that (1) the proximal promoter itself contains all the necessary cis‐regulatory sequences, (2) an insulator prevents somatic cell expression of the testis‐specific gene, (3) RNA II polymerase is loaded on the Acrv1 promoter but paused in spermatocytes, thus ensuring precise transcriptional elongation in round spermatids, and that (4) a transcriptional repressor binding protein of 43 kilodaltons (TDP‐43) plays a role in maintaining the paused state in spermatocytes. Although the Acrv1 enhancer element has been narrowed down to 50 bp and its binding to a 47 kDa testis‐abundant nuclear protein shown, the identity of the putative transcription factor responsible for activation of round spermatid‐specific transcription remains elusive. Human male infertility is idiopathic with limited treatment options. Understanding transcriptional regulation of spermatogenesis has the potential to lead to future therapies for male infertility.
Virtual reality digital surgical planning for jaw reconstruction: a usability study
Authors: Manzie Timothy , MacDougall Hamish , Cheng Kai , Venchiarutti Rebecca , Fox Richard , Sharman Ashleigh , Charters Emma , Seyfi Doruk , Dunn Masako , Mukherjee Payal , Clark Jonathan
Published: February 2023

Background

Digital surgical planning (DSP) has revolutionized the preparation and execution of the management of complex head and neck pathologies. The addition of virtual reality (VR) allows the surgeon to have a three‐dimensional experience with six degrees of freedom for visualizing and manipulating objects. This pilot study describes the participants experience with the first head and neck reconstructive VR‐DSP platform.

Methods

An original VR‐DSP platform has been developed for planning the ablation and reconstruction of head and neck pathologies. A prospective trial utilizing this platform involving reconstructive surgeons was performed. Participants conducted a simulated VR‐DSP planning session, pre‐ and post‐questionnaire as well as audio recordings allowing for qualitative analysis.

Results

Thirteen consultant reconstructive surgeons representing three surgical backgrounds with varied experience were recruited. The majority of surgeons had no previous experience with VR. Based on the system usability score, the VR‐DSP platform was found to have above average usability. The qualitative analysis demonstrated the majority had a positive experience. Participants identified some perceived barriers to implementing the VR‐DSP platform.

Conclusions

Virtual reality‐digital surgical planning is usable and acceptable to reconstructive surgeons. Surgeons were able to perform the steps in an efficient time despite limited experience. The addition of VR offers additional benefits to current VSP platforms. Based on the results of this pilot study, it is likely that VR‐DSP will be of benefit to the reconstructive surgeon.
Variable selection in heterogeneous panel data models with cross‐sectional dependence
Authors: Mei Xiaoling , Peng Bin , Zhu Huanjun
Published: February 2023

This paper studies the Bridge estimator for a high‐dimensional panel data model with heterogeneous varying coefficients, where the random errors are assumed to be serially correlated and cross‐sectionally dependent. We establish oracle efficiency and the asymptotic distribution of the Bridge estimator, when the number of covariates increases to infinity with the sample size in both dimensions. A BIC‐type criterion is also provided for tuning parameter selection. We further generalise the marginal Bridge estimator for our model to asymptotically correctly identify the covariates with zero coefficients even when the number of covariates is greater than the sample size under a partial orthogonality condition. The finite sample performance of the proposed estimator is demonstrated by simulated data examples, and an empirical application with the US stock dataset is also provided.
Laparoscopic surgery of large adnexal masses (>12 cm): Single port or conventional?
Authors: Güngördük Kemal , Gülseren Varol , Özdemir İsa Aykut
Published: February 2023

Introduction

We aimed to compare single‐port laparoscopic surgery (SPLS) and conventional multiport laparoscopic surgery (CMLS) for large adnexal mass (AM).

Methods

Patients undergoing laparoscopy (LS) due to huge AMs (≥12 cm) between 2016 and 2021 were evaluated retrospectively. The SPLS procedure was applied in 25 cases, and CMLS was performed in 32 cases. The premier result was the grade of the postoperative improvement according to the Quality of Recovery (QoR)‐40 questionnaire score (24 h after the surgical procedure; postoperative day 1). Observer Scar Assessment Scale (OSAS) and Patient Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS) were also evaluated.

Results

A total of 57 cases undergoing SPLS (n = 25) or CMLS (n = 32) due to a large AM (≥12 cm) were analyzed. No meaningful distinctions in age, menopausal status, body mass index, or mass size were observed between the two cohorts. The operation time was shorter in the SPLS than CPLS cohort (42.2 ± 3.3 vs. 47.6 ± 6.2; p < 0.001). Unilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy was performed in 84.0% of cases in the SPLS cohort and 90.6% of patients in the CMLS cohort (p = 0.360). The QoR‐40 points were significantly higher in the SPLS than the CMLS group (154.9 ± 12.0 vs. 146.2 ± 17.1; p = 0.035). The OSAS and PSAS scores were lower in the SPLS than the CMLS group.

Conclusion

LS can be used for large cysts that are not considered to be at risk of malignancy. The postoperative recovery time was shorter in patients undergoing SPLS compared to CMLS.
Modeling COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Using the Ratio Regression Capture–Recapture Approach
Authors: Böhning Dankmar , Lerdsuwansri Rattana , Sangnawakij Patarawan
Published: February 2023

Contact-tracing is one of the most effective tools in infectious disease outbreak control. A capture–recapture approach based upon ratio regression is suggested to estimate the completeness of case detection. Ratio regression has been recently developed as flexible tool for count data modeling and has proved to be successful in the capture–recapture setting. The methodology is applied here to Covid-19 contact tracing data from Thailand. A simple weighted straight line approach is used which includes the Poisson and geometric distribution as special cases. For the case study data of contact tracing for Thailand, a completeness of 83% could be found with a 95% confidence interval of 74%–93%.