bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the Covid-19 pandemic: a case study of experiences and challenges of lecturers
Authors: Wong Teik Aun , Cheah Wei Chieh , Dorai Brian John
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate the lived experiences, challenges and coping mechanisms of lecturers during the emergency remote teaching (ERT) situation induced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study on lecturers in colleges and universities in Penang, Malaysia is selected. A qualitative research approach is adopted with semi-structured interviews as the data-gathering tool. Purposive sampling is used for diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, subject or discipline taught and teaching experience.

Findings

The findings are composed into four (4) themes – Theme 1: Lecturers down-shift to lower levels of satisfaction and well-being, Theme 2: Wide diversity of experience with various intervening variables, Theme 3: Lecturers accept and adapt toward the situation and Theme 4: Socialization is compromised.

Research limitations/implications

Despite this being a case study on Malaysia, it is postulated that the findings and recommendations have global relevancy as ERT is a worldwide phenomenon.

Practical implications

Practical education management and public-policy implications are evident and recommendations are made based on the emergent themes.

Social implications

The findings in the form of emergent themes have considerable social implications in terms of social sustainability of education practices and policies.

Originality/value

This research is novel as lecturers' experience of ERT in Malaysia has not been specifically addressed to date. Even though the fieldwork is conducted in Malaysia, the findings and recommendations have global relevancy.
Can Confucian culture promote enterprise total factor productivity? Evidence from China
Authors: Xiong Ni , Du Longzheng
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study examines whether Confucian culture can promote enterprise total factor productivity (TFP), and it also studies how transmission mechanism works on enterprise TFP.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the data of A-share listed companies on Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2008 to 2019, this study measures the influence of Confucian culture on enterprise TFP by the number of Confucian academies and Confucian temples within three radius ranges of a company's registered address.

Findings

The empirical results show that Confucian culture has a positive effect on the enterprise TFP. The transmission mechanism test shows that Confucian culture can promote the TFP of Chinese enterprises through reducing agency cost, improving agency efficiency and enhancing innovation.

Practical implications

The findings in this study provide implications for policymakers, scholars and enterprises. The results show that Confucian culture can enhance the TFP of Chinese enterprises. Especially in emerging markets including China, the Confucian culture, as an informal institution, can effectively complement formal institutions, promoting enterprise TFP.

Originality/value

This study expands the literature on Confucian culture in two aspects: the influence of Confucian culture on TFP and its transmission mechanism. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to identify a link between Confucian culture and enterprise TFP.
Does overconfidence blur out the investment efficiency? The managerial overconfidence and internal financing effect on investment efficiency: evidence from MENA region
Authors: El-Ansary Osama , Ahmed Aya M.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether managerial overconfidence has an impact on investment inefficiency beyond its influence on the use of internal financing or whether internal financing behaves as a full intermediary.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed three dependent variables, namely business investment scale, overinvestment and underinvestment, and analyzed data from 282 firms across five different industries listed in 11 Middle East/North Africa (MENA) countries between 2013 and 2019 using regression analysis via least square dummy variable (LSDV).

Findings

The findings indicate that while internal financing can provide funding for investment opportunities and address capital shortages, it may also result in overinvestment, particularly in companies led by overconfident managers.

Practical implications

Stakeholders, including shareholders and board of directors, should pay attention to the chief executive officer (CEO)'s behavioral aspects such as overconfidence in decision-making while undertaking new investment projects. Additionally, regulators and policymakers in emerging markets like MENA should re-evaluate the corporate governance framework, devise a corporate governance index and promote boardroom gender diversity as it can significantly reduce risk.

Originality/value

This study adds to the limited research on the impact of managerial overconfidence on investment efficiency in the MENA region. By focusing on this region, which has unique economic, political and social characteristics, the study provides new insights into the role of behavioral biases in investment decision-making in emerging markets.
A multi-disciplinary review of enablers and barriers to Cloud ERP implementation and innovation outcomes
Authors: Ali Imran , Nguyen Ngoc Dang Khoa , Gupta Shivam
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Due to the unprecedented disruptions in business operations, many organisations are turning to Cloud ERP implementation to ensure employees can access real-time business information from anywhere, enabling the continuity of business activities. As a result, over the past decades, literature on Cloud ERP implementation has seen significant growth across different subject areas. This paper aims to present a systematic literature review (SLR) that consolidates the literature scattered across various multidisciplinary subject areas, explores recent developments and identifies knowledge gaps for more impactful future research.

Design/methodology/approach

An SLR approach has been applied to a sample of 73 articles published until 1 February 2022.

Findings

Our SLR identifies and consolidates a set of critical enablers and barriers to the implementation of Cloud ERP. What is particularly interesting is that this study established a link between these enablers and barriers and four key innovation outcomes: product, service, process and business model innovations. A rigorous framework has been devised that demonstrates the nexus between enablers and barriers to Cloud ERP implementation and innovation outcomes in an organisation. In addition, this study has recognised several organisational theories from information systems literature that have the potential for future research in this emerging area.

Research limitations/implications

This SLR makes several theoretical contributions to the literature on Cloud ERP implementation and its impact on innovation outcomes.

Practical implications

The review consolidates a wide range of literature to provide decision-makers with an integrated understanding of the most influential factors in Cloud ERP implementation.

Originality/value

SLR provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of research on the topic, offering unique perspectives on developments in theory and knowledge gaps, as well as identifying future research opportunities in the area.
Money laundering, media and European banks
Authors: Tiemann Markus
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to assess, from an empirical perspective, the research question if public media reports which relate concrete banks to concrete allegations of money laundering have an adverse impact on banks stock prices and what are the drivers of such impact?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper makes use of event study methodology and uses the constant mean and the market model. The event window is calibrated towards a five-day window, and the estimation window has a length of 90 days, in line with best academic practices. Drivers are identified by correlation analysis. and the market model uses ordinary least squares regression.

Findings

The application of event study methodologies yields the results that stock prices of affected banks generate, at the date of the news appearance, statistically significant negative abnormal returns under both the market model and the constant mean model. As negative abnormal returns have been mainly found at the date of the event itself, the findings confirm that the impacts of money laundering may be severe but short natured. In addition, the paper finds that the identified negative abnormal returns may be driven by the banks’ size in terms of total assets, by the bank’s profitability in terms of return on assets and by the bank’s sustainability risk.

Practical implications

The findings have implications in terms of banking and supervisory practices. In specific, the findings help to argue that banking consolidation is needed to lower the impacts of AML cases, as stock prices of larger banks show less sensitivity. In addition, the findings could be used to determine financial sanctions against banks violating AML regulation. Finally, the findings imply that AML news can have severe and fast-moving financial stability considerations and are, therefore, important in crisis situations.

Originality/value

As there appears to be no substantial research that applies event study methodology to the money laundering context, the combination of research question and methodology has an innovative character. In addition, there is no clear literature on media and money laundering.
Avoidance or trash talk: the differential impact of brand identification and brand disidentification on oppositional brand loyalty
Authors: Liao Junyun , Guo Rui , Chen Jiawen , Du Peng
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Oppositional brand loyalty (OBL) has become widespread and has thus received growing scholarly attention in recent years. Although opposition behaviors have distinct manifestations, their differential antecedents remain underexplored. Drawing from the identity-based motivation model, this article aims to examine the impact of brand identification and brand disidentification on the two distinct dimensions of OBL (i.e. brand avoidance and trash talk) according to their different intensity and activation levels (passive or active). In addition, article aims to examine the moderating role of perceived inter-group rivalry.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected survey data and obtained 392 valid questionnaires from smartphone users. Structural equation modeling was used for hypothesis testing.

Findings

The results show that brand identification has a significant positive effect on avoidance of rival brands, but not on trash talk; brand disidentification has a significant positive effect on both avoidance and trash talk of rival brands; and perceived inter-group rivalry positively moderates the relationship between brand disidentification and trash talk, but does not alter the relationship between brand disidentification and brand avoidance.

Originality/value

This study extends the literature on OBL by investigating differential antecedents of two distinct dimensions of brand opposition. It provides more complete understanding of the formation of OBL by examining the role of users’ relationship with a focal brand, its competing brand and inter-group relationship.
How does channel integration quality promote omnichannel customer citizenship behavior? The moderating role of the number of channels used and gender
Authors: Natarajan Thamaraiselvan , Veera Raghavan Deepak Ramanan , Jayapal Jegan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Building on stimulus organism response theory, the current study examines the influence of channel integration quality dimensions (channel service configuration and integrated interactions) on the omnichannel retail store's shoppers' satisfaction, trust and commitment, subsequently leading to customer citizenship behavior (CCB). It examines the relationships proposed against boundary conditions, the number of channels used during the purchase and gender.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional investigation. It was conducted using data from 451 Indian omnichannel shoppers using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The proposed conceptual model was tested using PLS-SEM and PLS-MGA.

Findings

The results indicate that channel service configuration positively impact the dimensions of relationship quality of the omnichannel shoppers. However, integrated interactions influence trust and commitment directly but affect satisfaction indirectly through trust. Subsequently, relationship quality significantly explains CCB. The model results show r2 = 0.402 for CCB; that is, 40.2% of CCB is explained by channel integration and relationship quality. The moderating effect of the number of purchase channels used and gender on all proposed relationships were tested. PLS-MGA results revealed channel service configuration led to shopper commitment, subsequently impacting CCB. The effect was more among shoppers who used more than 2 channels. The impact of channel service configuration on commitment was seen more among female shoppers. Male and female shoppers exhibited satisfaction-driven and trust-driven citizenship behavior, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The study is carried out in the Indian population, where omnichannel retailing is still in the nascent stage.

Originality/value

This is the first study to demonstrate channel integration quality may influence customer citizenship behavior through relationship quality dimensions, tested against boundary conditions, the number of channels used during the purchase and gender. The findings from this research would help retail store managers design their omnichannel operations to encourage firm-beneficial value co-creation behaviors among omnichannel shoppers.
Does religiosity have a dark side? Evidence from board gender diversity
Authors: Guo Xiaohu , Yang Lukai
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This research aims to investigate whether local religious norms influence corporate attitudes toward board gender diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

The data are collected from American Religion Data Archive (ARDA) website and Boardex. The analysis used in this paper is ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and two-stage least squares (2SLS) models.

Findings

The authors find that firms headquartered in religious areas are negatively associated with corporate board gender diversity initiatives, proxied by the change in the total number of female directors, the share of directors that are newly hired females and the percentage of female directors on the board. The results remain robust when the authors employ alternative econometric specifications, including propensity score matching (PSM) and instrumental variable (IV) analysis. Furthermore, through quasi-experiments, the authors find that two exogenous shocks, the Vatican Leaks scandal and the Big Three board gender diversity campaign, attenuate the negative association between religiosity and diversity.

Research limitations/implications

This study unveils an important but previously unidentified factor that restrains firms from exercising one of their socially responsible activities – board gender diversity and provides new insight into the emerging literature on the influence of local culture on corporate behaviors.

Originality/value

The lack of existing literature on factors that contribute to corporate board gender diversity presents opportunities for further study.
Development of an ultrasonic linear encoder
Authors: Chang Chung-Ping , Hong Song-Fu , Chen Tzu-Guang
Published: May 2023

Purpose

In this investigation, a linear encoder system based on the ultrasonic transducer has been proposed. Ultrasonic transducers are usually designed for distance measurements, such as the time of flight method and sonar system. These applications are defined as discrete-length measurement technologies. The purpose of this study is to develop a continuous displacement measurement system using ultrasonic transducers.

Design/methodology/approach

A modified signal processing based on heterodyne signaling is implemented in this system. In the proposed signal processing, there is an automatic gain control module, a phase-shifting module, a phase detection module, an interpolation module and especially a frequency multiplication module, which can enhance the resolution and reduce the interpolation error simultaneously.

Findings

The proposed system can generate the encoding signals and is compatible with most motion control systems. For the experimental result, the maximum measurement error and standard deviation are about −0.027 and 0.048 mm, respectively. It shows that the proposed encoder system has the potential for displacement measurement tasks.

Originality/value

This study reveals an ultrasonic linear encoder that is capable of generating an incremental encoding signal, accompanied by a corresponding signal processing methodology. In contrast to the conventional heterodyne signal processing approach, the proposed multiplication method effectively reduces the interpolation error that arises because of multiple reflections.
Do countries capture their inclusive growth, sustainability, and poverty correctly? A study on statistical performance indicators defined by World Bank
Authors: Rastogi Shailesh , Singh Kuldeep , Kanoujiya Jagjeevan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Nowadays, informed decision-making is catching up. Technological advancements and computing ability further fuel and facilitate this tilt toward informed decision-making. In such a scenario, data is cynosure. Therefore, the ability to gather data by a nation (incredibly accurate public data) becomes equally important and relevant, as measured by statistical performance indicators (SPI). This study aims to explore the association of financial inclusion (FI); environmental, social and governance (ESG); poverty; and SPI.

Design/methodology/approach

The panel data of 140 nations for nine years are gathered to explore the association of FI, ESG and poverty with the SPI. Panel data estimation is conducted to arrive at the results.

Findings

The findings of this study highlight mixed outcomes for FI. ESG is positively associated with SPI, but poverty is not associated with SPI. These findings imply that an increase in FI may reduce the statistical capacity of the nations. An increase in ESG increases the capacity. However, change in poverty does not influence the SPI. The recommendation based on this study’s outcome suggests auditing the FI and poverty vis-à-vis SPI to ensure SPI’s veracity and robustness in the long run.

Originality/value

The way in which the individual social, economic and environmental indicators influence the SPI needs to be tested to establish the veracity and robustness of the SPI, which is barely researched as observed in the literature.
His(Tory): why British History needs Conservatives
Authors: Kowol Kit
Published: May 2023

British academia today is overwhelmingly left‐leaning in its political orientation and especially pro‐Labour. This article examines what impact this is having on British political history. It begins by demonstrating just how recent this left‐wing preponderance is and how, as late as the 1990s, there remained a strong grouping of right‐leaning political historians. This, the article argues, helps in part explain the relative vibrancy of political history in that era compared to today. Turning to the advantages a larger number of conservative voices would bring to the sub‐discipline, the article identifies how those on the right are more likely to subscribe to different methodological approaches, have different historical interests and be interested in different kinds of political questions from their left‐leaning colleagues. Most of all, it stresses how political diversity would help historians of every persuasion better recognise the ideological frameworks that inform their own work.
The Girl as Mistress in Renaissance Italy: Gender and Power in Leonardo da Vinci's Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani
Authors: McCall Timothy
Published: May 2023

This article centres on Cecilia Gallerani, the so‐called Lady with an Ermine (which is referred to as The Girl with an Ermine), and re‐examines the very young age at which Leonardo da Vinci painted this mistress of Ludovico Sforza, lord of Milan. It examines Gallerani's navigation of regional networks of power well beyond her time at court. Exploring inter‐related constructions of femininity and masculinity, moreover, the article critically examines visual representation and relations between sex, power and dominance. Crucially, ‘The Girl as Mistress in Renaissance Italy’ both reveals and interrogates the sexual violence and coercion on plain display (though long ignored by scholars) in this most familiar and canonical of Italian Renaissance paintings.
Geographic variation in the rate and route of hysterectomy for benign disease in the USA: A retrospective cross‐sectional study
Authors: Albright Benjamin B. , Heyward Quetrell D. , Erkanli Alaattin , Loehrer Andrew P. , Myers Evan R. , Havrilesky Laura J. , Moss Haley A.
Published: May 2023

Objectives

To describe population rate of hysterectomy for benign disease in the USA, including geographic variation across states and Hospital Service Areas (HSAs; areas defined by common patient flows to healthcare facilities).

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Four US states including 322 HSAs.

Population

A total of 316 052 cases of hysterectomy from 2012 to 2016.

Methods

We compiled annual hysterectomy cases, merged female populations, and adjusted for reported rates of previous hysterectomy. We assessed small‐area variation and created multi‐level Poisson regression models.

Main Outcome Measures

Prior‐hysterectomy‐adjusted population rates of hysterectomy for benign disease.

Results

The annual population rate of hysterectomy for benign disease was 49 per 10 000 hysterectomy‐eligible residents, declining slightly over time, mostly among reproductive‐age populations. Rates peaked among residents ages 40–49 years, and declined with increasing age, apart from an increase with universal coverage at age 65 years. We found large differences in age‐standardised population rates of hysterectomy across states (range 42.2–69.0), and HSAs (range: overall 12.9–106.3; 25th–75th percentile 44.0–64.9). Among the non‐elderly population, those with government‐sponsored insurance had greater variation than those with private insurance (coefficient of variation 0.61 versus 0.32). Proportions of minimally invasive procedures were similar across states (71.0–74.8%) but varied greatly across HSAs (27–96%). In regression models, HSA population characteristics explained 31.8% of observed variation in annual rates. Higher local proportions of government‐sponsored insurance and non‐White race were associated with lower population rates.

Conclusions

We found substantial variation in rate and route of hysterectomy for benign disease in the USA. Local population characteristics explained less than one‐third of observed variation.
Optimal management decisions are robust to unknown dynamics in an amphibian metapopulation plagued by disease
Authors: Gerber B. D. , Mosher B. A. , Bailey L. L. , Muths E. , Crockett H. J. , Converse S. J.
Published: May 2023

Identifying conservation actions to recover threatened species can be challenging due to many ecological uncertainties. For example, major threats to a species' conservation are commonly known or suspected, but the specific impacts on population or metapopulation dynamics can be uncertain. This is frequently the case with emerging infectious diseases, including chytridiomycosis, a global driver of amphibian population declines caused by the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. While these diseases are known to cause amphibian declines and extirpations, the mechanisms of their landscape‐scale spread are still largely unknown. Such uncertainty can lead to inaction which may jeopardize timely recovery of a species. Decision analysis is a pragmatic approach to making transparent and defensible decisions while dealing with uncertainties. We investigated whether optimal actions aimed at recovering boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) metapopulations in the southern Rocky Mountains are robust to the unknown dynamics of Bd spread using value of information and regret analyses. Value of information is a decision‐analytic tool for calculating the value of new information in terms of performance on management objectives, while regret measures the cost of acting under incorrect information. We further conducted a stochastic sensitivity analysis to identify the relative effects of metapopulation parameters on system dynamics. We found optimal actions were robust to the unknown dynamics of Bd spread. While boreal toad breeding occurrence is highly sensitive to Bd distribution, the optimal decision is not. Resolving the unknown dynamics of Bd spread would lead to a minimal gain of less than one breeding toad subpopulation at the end of 50 years, given the currently available management actions. Applying a decision‐analytic framework coupled with value of information and regret analyses can help frame how uncertainties affect decisions in a way that empowers decision makers.
Assessing and minimizing risk of bias in randomized controlled trials of tobacco cessation interventions: Guidance from the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group
Authors: Hartmann‐Boyce Jamie , Lindson Nicola
Published: May 2023

The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group has created risk of bias tools, which are topic‐agnostic. In 2012 the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group created guidance specific to considerations for reviews of randomized controlled trials of tobacco cessation interventions, building on existing Cochrane tools. The guidance covers issues relating to selection bias, performance bias, detection bias, attrition bias and selective reporting. In this paper, we set out to make this guidance publicly available, so that others can use and cite it. We provide advice for using this tool to appraise trials critically as a systematic reviewer. We also provide guidance for triallists on ways to use this tool to improve trial design and reporting.
Effect of perioperative high‐dose transdermal nicotine patch on pain sensitivity among male abstinent tobacco smokers undergoing abdominal surgery: A randomized controlled pilot study
Authors: Zhu Chengcheng , Bi Yanzhi , Wei Kai , Tao Kunming , Hu Li , Lu Zhijie
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims

Previous studies have focused on the role of perioperative nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in improving the success rate of long‐term smoking cessation in tobacco smokers. This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of high‐dose NRT in alleviating postoperative pain for male abstinent smokers receiving abdominal surgery.

Design

This was a parallel‐group, randomized, double‐blind and controlled pilot trial.

Setting and participants

In total, 101 male smoking‐abstinent patients from the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, China, from 8 October 2018 to 10 December 2021.

Interventions

Patients started smoking cessation on admission to the hospital ward. Patients received 24‐hour transdermal nicotine patches (n = 50) or placebo (n = 51) every day from admission until 48 hours after surgery.

Measurements

The primary outcomes were pre‐surgery pain thresholds and total consumption of analgesics within the first 48 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain and sedation scores, nausea, vomiting and fever frequency within the treatment period.

Findings

Both pre‐surgery electrical and mechanical pain thresholds in the NRT group were higher than those in the placebo group (P = 0.004 and P = 0.020, respectively). The 48‐hour postoperative analgesic consumption was significantly lower for smoking‐abstinent patients receiving NRT than those receiving placebo (standardized morphine equivalent requirement, median [interquartile range], 1.80 [1.47, 2.32] mg/kg vs 2.22 [1.62, 2.82] mg/kg, P = 0.011). Postoperative pain intensity was significantly lower in the NRT group than that in the placebo group at 1st hour and 24th hour post‐surgery (P < 0.001 and P = 0.012, respectively). The incidence of treatment‐related adverse events was not significantly different between groups.

Conclusions

Perioperative high‐dose nicotine replacement therapy may help to relieve postoperative pain among male smoking‐abstinent patients undergoing abdominal surgery.
Breast cancer characteristics and pathological prognostic determinants in indigenous Australians: Retrospective cohort study in the Northern Territory
Authors: Mencel Justin , Hong Hooi Wen , Charakidis Michail , Pokorny Adrian , Aldridge Emily , Karanth Narayan
Published: May 2023

Background

There is a disparity in health outcomes between indigenous and nonindigenous Australians, with higher chronic disease burden and shorter life expectancy in this minority population. Although rates of breast cancer among indigenous women are lower than nonindigenous women, they face a higher breast cancer‐associated mortality, which may not entirely be explained by socio‐economic disadvantage.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study investigated previously described pathologic prognostic factors in indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory.

Results

Data analyzed confirmed that indigenous women were more likely to have poorer prognostic disease features, including ER/PR negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 amplified tumors, larger tumors, and higher stage disease.

Conclusion

These pathologic features portend to a poor prognosis, raising the possibility these factors contribute to the disparity in health outcomes between indigenous and nonindigenous women with breast cancer, in addition to known socio‐economic factors.
Predictive value of D‐dimer in patients with unexplained recurrent implantation failure during freeze‐thaw embryo transfer cycles
Authors: Li Xin , Zeng Cheng , Wu Peili , Shang Jing , Xue Qing
Published: May 2023

Background

This study aimed to evaluate whether D‐dimer can predict the clinical outcomes of patients with unexplained recurrent implantation failure (URIF) during freeze‐thaw embryo transfer (FET) cycles.

Methods

Our study was divided into two parts. The first part was a retrospective study that included 433 patients. Plasma D‐dimer levels were monitored in all patients before FET, and the patients were classified into two groups according to whether they delivered at least one live infant or not. D‐dimer was compared between groups, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to analyze the impact of D‐dimer on live birth. The second part was a prospective study that included 113 patients who were categorized into high and low D‐dimer groups based on the ROC curve analysis from the retrospective study. Clinical outcomes were compared between these two groups.

Results

In the first part, we found that plasma D‐dimer levels in patients with live birth were significantly lower than those in patients without live birth. According to the ROC curve, 0.22 mg/L was the cutoff value for D‐dimer in the prediction of the live birth rate (LBR) (AUC 0.806, 95% CI: 0.763, 0.848). The second part of the study confirmed that clinical pregnancy rate (50.98% vs. 32.26%, P = .044) and LBR (41.18% vs. 22.58%, P = .033) of patients with D‐dimer ≤0.22 mg/L were all significantly higher than those of patients with D‐dimer > 0.22 mg/L.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that D‐dimer > 0.22 mg/L is a useful index for predicting URIF during FET cycles.
Minimally invasive adrenalectomy: a cohort study of surgical approach and outcomes
Authors: Birtwistle Lucy , Leong David , Aniss Ahmad , Glover Anthony , Sidhu Stan , Papachristos Alexander , Sywak Mark
Published: May 2023

Background

In the context of minimally invasive adrenal surgery, there remains debate about whether the transperitoneal adrenalectomy (TPA) and posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (PRA) approach have equivalent indications. This study aims to examine complication and conversion rates associated with three surgical approaches for adrenal tumours over the last 17 years in a specialized endocrine surgical unit.

Methods

All adrenalectomy cases performed in the period 2005–2021 were identified within a prospectively maintained surgical database. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken with patients divided into two cohorts (2005–2013 and 2014–2021). Surgical approach (open adrenalectomy (OA), TPA, PRA), tumour size, histopathology, complication and conversion rates were compared.

Results

During the study period, 596 patients underwent adrenalectomy with 31 and 40 cases each year per cohort. The dominant surgical approach per cohort significantly changed from TPA (79% versus 17%) to PRA (8% versus 69%, P < 0.001), whilst the frequency of OA remained stable (13% versus 15%). TPA removed larger tumours (3.0 ± 2.9 cm) than PRA (2.8 ± 2.2 cm, P = 0.02), with the median size increasing from 3.0 ± 2.5 to 4.5 ± 3.5 cm per cohort (P < 0.001). The maximum tumour sizes treated by TPA and PRA were 15 and 12 cm, respectively. Adrenocortical adenoma was the commonest pathology treated by either laparoscopic technique. Complication rates were greatest for OA (30.1%) with no significant difference between minimally invasive approaches (TPA 7.3%, PRA 8.3%, P = 0.7). Both laparoscopic techniques had equivalent conversion rates (3.6%). PRA was preferably converted to TPA (2.8%) over OA (0.8%).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the transition from TPA to PRA, offering similarly low complication and conversion rates.
Effect of child benefit payments on child outcome expenditures in South Korea
Authors: Lee Jinwoo , Pollard Michael S. , Dossani Rafiq
Published: May 2023

Extensive research has shown the positive impact of conditional child benefits on child outcomes. However, there is limited work on the impact of universal child benefit payments on how families spend on child outcomes. Our study explores this issue. This study examined the relationship between child benefit payments on child outcome expenditures using longitudinal data from the Korean National Survey of Tax and Benefit (N = 3681 households) and a household‐ and year‐fixed effects regression model. We found that child benefit payments are positively associated with child outcome expenditures across family income groups. Furthermore, the analysis results suggest that compared to high‐income family groups, low‐ and middle‐income family groups increase spending on child outcome expenditures in response to child benefit payments. Finally, the policy implications of this are discussed.
Kazakhstan's implementation of international conventions on the protection of children's rights (juvenile responsibility)
Authors: Duissenkyzy Elmira , Baideldinov Daulet , Zhatkanbayeva Aizhan , Akhatov Ualikhan , Zhumagulov Marat
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this article is to analyze international experience and legislation on the protection of children's rights, to assess the state of this issue in the national space of Kazakhstan, to conduct a comparative analysis and the level of implementation of the provisions of international conventions. To achieve the set goals and tasks, to ensure the reliability of the results and conclusions obtained, a system of methods of scientific cognition was used, which, in conjunction with general logical methods and techniques, made it possible to comprehensively and effectively investigate the administrative and legal support for the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of child protection. The formation of the international legal framework for the formation of a system for the protection of children's rights is studied. The level of Kazakhstan's accession to the implementation of international documents in the field of children's rights protection has been determined. The main directions of non‐compliance with international regulations in Kazakhstan according to the conclusions of the UN (United Nations) committees are described. The level of priority of this direction of state policy for the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its normative regulation is assessed. The system of juvenile justice in the country and the situation of children in the Republic of Kazakhstan is analyzed according to the reports of the relevant authorities.
Pathological Imaging-Assisted Cancer Gene–Environment Interaction Analysis
Authors: Fang Kuangnan , Li Jingmao , Zhang Qingzhao , Xu Yaqing , Ma Shuangge
Published: May 2023

Gene–environment (G–E) interactions have important implications for cancer outcomes and phenotypes beyond the main G and E effects. Compared to main-effect-only analysis, G–E interaction analysis more seriously suffers from a lack of information caused by higher dimensionality, weaker signals, and other factors. It is also uniquely challenged by the “main effects, interactions” variable selection hierarchy. Effort has been made to bring in additional information to assist cancer G–E interaction analysis. In this study, we take a strategy different from the existing literature and borrow information from pathological imaging data. Such data are a “byproduct” of biopsy, enjoys broad availability and low cost, and has been shown as informative for modeling prognosis and other cancer outcomes/phenotypes in recent studies. Building on penalization, we develop an assisted estimation and variable selection approach for G–E interaction analysis. The approach is intuitive, can be effectively realized, and has competitive performance in simulation. We further analyze The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The outcome of interest is overall survival, and for G variables, we analyze gene expressions. Assisted by pathological imaging data, our G–E interaction analysis leads to different findings with competitive prediction performance and stability.
Monitoring status and trends in genetic diversity for the Convention on Biological Diversity: An ongoing assessment of genetic indicators in nine countries
Authors: Hoban Sean , da Silva Jessica M. , Mastretta‐Yanes Alicia , Grueber Catherine E. , Heuertz Myriam , Hunter Margaret E. , Mergeay Joachim , Paz‐Vinas Ivan , Fukaya Keiichi , Ishihama Fumiko , Jordan Rebecca , Köppä Viktoria , Latorre‐Cárdenas María Camilla , MacDonald Anna J. , Rincon‐Parra Victor , Sjögren‐Gulve Per , Tani Naoki , Thurfjell Henrik , Laikre Linda
Published: May 2023

Recent scientific evidence shows that genetic diversity must be maintained, managed, and monitored to protect biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. Three genetic diversity indicators, two of which do not require DNA‐based assessment, have been proposed for reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity and other conservation and policy initiatives. These indicators allow an approximation of the status and trends of genetic diversity to inform policy, using existing demographic and geographic information. Application of these indicators has been initiated and here we describe ongoing efforts in calculating these indicators with examples. We specifically describe a project underway to apply these indicators in nine countries, provide example calculations, address concerns of policy makers and implementation challenges, and describe a roadmap for further development and deployment, incorporating feedback from the broader community. We also present guidance documents and data collection tools for calculating indicators. We demonstrate that Parties can successfully and cost‐effectively report these genetic diversity indicators with existing biodiversity observation data, and, in doing so, better conserve the Earth's biodiversity.
Glycated albumin and risk of cardiovascular diseases and mortality in patients with and without dialysis: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhao Huilei , Hu Qingwen , Chen Jiawei , Ling Qin , Yan Zhiwei , Yu Peng , Zhang Jing , Liu Xiao
Published: May 2023

Background

Several studies have shown that glycated albumin (GA) is a more accurate measure of short‐term blood sugar control in patients with dialysis. We aim to investigate the relationship between GA and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and mortality in patients both with and without dialysis.

Materials and Methods

We searched cohort studies of associations between GA level and CVD and mortality in PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase databases. The effect size was summarized by the random effects model, and the dose‐response association was determined by robust error meta‐regression method.

Results

This meta‐analysis included data from 80 024 participants in 17 cohort studies, 12 of which were prospective and five were retrospective. The results showed that higher levels of GA were associated with increased risk of CV mortality [hazard ratio = 1.90; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22‐2.98], all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.64; 95% CI 1.41‐1.90), major adverse cardio‐cerebral events (risk ratio = 1.41; 95% CI 1.17‐1.71), coronary artery disease (odds ratio = 2.24; 95% CI 1.75‐2.86) and stroke (risk ratio = 1.72; 95% CI 1.24‐2.38). The dose‐response analysis showed that GA levels were positively and linearly associated with the risk of CV mortality (p = .38), all‐cause mortality (p = .57) and coronary artery disease (p = .18). Subgroup analysis showed that high levels of GA were associated with the risk of CV and all‐cause mortality, regardless of dialysis status, with significant differences between subgroups of dialysis (CV mortality: p = .02; all‐cause mortality: p = .03).

Conclusion

High GA levels are associated with an increased risk of CVDs and mortality, regardless of dialysis status.
Virtual counselling of tobacco cessation during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A qualitative study on the experiences and perceptions of Malaysian dental undergraduates and their patients
Authors: Roslan Nurliyana , Yusof Norashikin , Md Bohari Nor Faezah , Md Sabri Budi Aslinie , Mohd Radzi Nawwal Alwani , Bakri Noor Nazahiah , Mohd Yani Azri Aliah
Published: May 2023

Introduction

When dental institutions had to close down during the Movement Control Order (MCO) implementation due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, dental students were faced with delays in completing their tobacco cessation schedule. An alternative was to allow students to conduct virtual counselling (VC) for smoking cessation for their patients to address their clinical requirements. This study aimed to explore Malaysian dental undergraduates' and patients' experiences undergoing smoking cessation counselling through virtual platforms.

Materials and Methods

The study consisted of qualitative, semi‐structured Focus Group Discussions (for students, n = 23) and in‐depth interviews (for patients, n = 9); to phenomenologically describe the perceptions of participants involved in the VC. Each session was recorded with the participants' permission. The recorded session was transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using the qualitative data analysis software, NVivo™.

Results

The major themes that emerged were: (1) General opinions and experiences, (2) Content of VCs, (3) Remote access to counselling, (4) Patient‐clinician relationships, (5) Technical issues, (6) Changes after VCs, and (7) Future application. Most students and patients were quite comfortable with VC as it is convenient, allowing students to be creative and avoid the hassle of transport and traffic. However, some of the students felt that it lacked the personal touch and guidance from lecturers who would normally be present during physical class.

Conclusion

Virtual counselling enables remote access to counselling, but it is also subjected to some limitations, especially regarding lack of clinical assessments, human touch and internet issues. Though participants were optimistic about adapting it in the future, multiple factors must be considered. Ultimately, the behavioural change will depend on the patient's motivation in making a difference.
Voice pathology identification system using a deep learning approach based on unique feature selection sets
Authors: Abdulmajeed Nuha Qais , Al‐Khateeb Belal , Mohammed Mazin Abed
Published: May 2023

Voice pathology diagnosis requires extracting significant features from voice signals, and classical machine learning models can overfit to the training data, which can cause difficult issues and pose challenges. The study aimed to develop a reliable and efficient system for identifying voice pathologies utilizing the long short‐term memory (LSTM) method. The study combined unique feature sets such as the mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs), zero crossing rate (ZCR), and mel spectrograms, which have not been used together in previous works. Voice pathology identification improved the accuracy rate using the LSTM approach on the Saarbruecken voice database (SVD) samples. The best results achieved by the proposed system showed an accuracy rate of 99.3% for /u/ vowel samples in neutral pitch, 99.2% for /a/ vowel samples in high pitch, 99% for /i/ vowel samples in neutral pitch, and 99.2% for sentence samples. The experimental results were evaluated utilizing accuracy, precision, specificity, sensitivity, and F1 measures. Additionally, the study compared the performance of LSTM with that of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and found that LSTM achieved better outcomes.
Ultrastructural and biochemical changes of sarcoplasmic reticulum in spotted mackerel (Scomber australasicus Cuvier, 1832) muscle during cold storage at 5 °C
Authors: Liang Jia , Wang Zhuolin , Zhou Lijun , Niu Yabin , Yuan Chunhong , Tian Yuanyong , Takaki Koichi
Published: May 2023

Spotted mackerel were stored at 5 °C for 0–5 days. To reveal changes in freshness and provide the fundamental knowledge of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), structural and biochemical changes were investigated by optical microscope, transmission electron microscopy and biochemical detection, including pH, myosin Ca2+‐ATPase activity, adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) content, SR recovery field and SR Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA) activity. The result exhibited that SR swelled on day 1 and ruptured after 2 days. Muscle structure showed significant changes from day 0 to day 5. SERCA activity and SR recovery field were 0.46 μm Pi/min/mg and 1.05 mg/g at day 0 and 0.106 μm Pi/min/mg and 0.109 mg/g at day 2, respectively, highly corresponding to the decline of pH, myosin Ca2+‐ATPase activity and ATP content with a significant difference from day 0 to days 1 and 2. The biochemical properties of SERCA exhibited the maximum activity at pH 6.8–7.0 (0.408 μmol Pi/min/mg). Treated at pH 5.5 for 80 min or incubated at 35 °C for 40 min inactivated SERCA of 80%. Therefore, keeping at a freezing temperature of 5 °C and maintaining SR functionality was essential to delay freshness decrease.
Impact of increased alcohol consumption during the COVID‐19–related lockdowns on admissions with liver disease, gastrointestinal bleeding and pancreatitis in Melbourne, Victoria
Authors: Ngu Natalie L. Y. , Boyd David T. , Morgan Beth , Surampudi Anusha , Brown Imogen , Bykersma Chloe , Kennett Grace , Yesmin Anika , Peng Yuhong , Bell Sally , Le Suong
Published: May 2023

This audit collates data on alcohol‐related gastrointestinal (GI) admissions at Monash Health, Victoria, during the prolonged, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)–related lockdown July to October 2020 compared with the same periods in 2019 and 2021. We found a 58% increase in admissions in 2020 and a 16% increase in 2021, which also increased disproportionately to overall health service emergency presentations. Self‐reported alcohol consumption increased by 2.5‐fold and was greatest in 2020. Clinical severity was unchanged and cirrhosis was the only factor associated with severe disease. This study suggests an association between the pandemic‐related lockdown, alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related GI hospitalisation. Our study provides support for resourcing and adapting alcohol and other drug services during and beyond the COVID‐19 lockdown.