bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From teachers to students: a correlational analysis of the pro-environmental behavior in a private university in the Philippines
Authors: Lapuz Mark Chris Maglanque , Manlapaz Christopher Rivera
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study aims to address the following objectives: determine the pro-environmental behavior of students and professors engaged in the course Sustainable Tourism; determine the pro-environmental behavior component of the professor that has the highest influence on the pro-environmental behavior of students; and formulate a model describing the components of the pro-environmental behavior of the professor with significant influence on the pro-environmental behavior of students. It also evaluates the norm-activation-theory-aligned pro-environmental behavior of the course's instructor and the students taking the course after they participated in the course Sustainable Tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

A correlational analysis using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach was conducted in the survey results to determine the specific components of the professor's pro-environmental behavior that influenced the students' pro-environmental behavior.

Findings

Situational responsibility, efficacy and denial of responsibility were proven more influential in shaping students' pro-environmental behavior. This implies that students learn and adopt a pro-environmental orientation through role modeling and practical application, not by knowledge acquisition.

Originality/value

This could improve the body of knowledge on pro-environmental behavior by analyzing the reciprocal relationships between the person who delivers the course that instills pro-environmental behavior and students who learn from their professors using the norm activation theory.
Small firm internationalization using digital platforms: an assessment and future research directions
Authors: Da Rocha Angela , Neves da Fonseca Luiza , Kogut Clarice Secches
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study investigates how the extant literature approached the issue of small firms’ international market entry enabled by digital platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a systematic literature review of the internationalization of small firms using digital platforms. It includes only empirical papers from Scopus and Web of Science databases, covering 2016 to mid-2023.

Findings

The study provides both (1) a descriptive analysis of the selected papers, encompassing their temporal and spatial distribution, methods, theoretical perspectives and the type of platform examined and (2) a qualitative analysis of the articles’ content in a narrative review structure, culminating in an integrated framework of key findings and suggested research questions on the role of digital platforms in small firm internationalization.

Originality/value

There is still a very limited number of studies addressing the phenomenon, with several scholars recently calling for further research. This paper compiles, synthesizes, analyzes and integrates the empirical literature on SME internationalization enabled by digital platforms, offering possible future avenues to advance research.
Scale diseconomies and capacity in fund management: variation across equity markets
Authors: O’Neill Michael , Sun Jie (Felix) , Warren Geoffrey , Zhu Min
Published: August 2024

Purpose

We model the relation between excess returns, fund size and industry size for active equity funds.

Design/methodology/approach

We study and contrast four markets – global equities, emerging markets, Australia core and Australia small caps – and use the results to investigate the extent to which funds deviate from estimated capacity.

Findings

We uncover a significantly negative relation between returns and both fund size and industry size across all markets. The estimated percentage of funds operating above versus below capacity varies both across markets and over time, as does the role played by fund size versus industry size. We find a greater prevalence of funds operating significantly below than above capacity, in contrast to findings for US equity mutual funds. Significant deviations from estimated capacity persist for a median of between two and six quarters.

Originality/value

Our main contribution is to show that the dynamics governing deviations from capacity for active equity funds vary across markets.
Does B2B salespeople’s love of money attitude mediate the relationships between a growth mindset, a fixed mindset, grit, and job performance?
Authors: Iyer Pramod , Nikolov Atanas Nik , Stewart Geoffrey T. , Srivastava Rajesh V. , Tang Thomas
Published: August 2024

Purpose

To most people, money is a motivator, which is robustly true for salespeople. A high love of money attitude predicts university students’ poor academic performance in a business course and cheating in laboratory experiments and multiple panel studies, but money (income) itself does not predict dishonesty. Extrinsic reward undermines intrinsic motivation. Very little research has incorporated the grit construct in the sales literature and explored the relationship between grit and the love of money. Further, a growth mindset and a fixed mindset may also impact salespeople’s job performance. This study aims to explore a brand-new theoretical structural equation model (SEM) and investigate the relationships between individual characteristics (growth and fixed mindsets and grit orientation) and job performance directly and indirectly through a mediator – salespeople’s love of money attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses Qualtrics and collects data from 330 business-to-business (B2B) salespeople across several industries in the USA. This study uses a formative SEM model to test this study’s hypotheses.

Findings

First, there are significant correlations among grit, a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, revealing no construct duplication or redundancy. Second, both a growth mindset and grit indirectly enhance job performance through the love of money attitude – a mediator, offering a brand-new discovery. Third, counter-intuitively, a growth mindset and grit do not directly improve job performance. Fourth, grit is significantly and negatively related to the love of money attitude, adding a new twist to this study’s theoretical model. Fifth, a fixed mindset undermines job performance directly but is unrelated to the love of money. Overall, B2B salespeople’s love of money attitude (employee demand) undermines sales personnel’s self-reported job performance (organization demand) in the organization and employee’s supply and demand exchange relationship.

Originality/value

The findings reveal that a growth mindset, a fixed mindset and grit contribute differently to sales personnel’s love of money attitude and job performance in this study’s theoretical model. The love of money serves as a mediator. A commonly accepted belief is that money is a motivator. Money (income) itself and the love of money attitude are two separate constructs. This study’s novel discoveries provide the essential missing monetary-aspirations-to-job-performance link in the literature – ardent monetary aspiration undermines self-reported job performance. This study offers inspiration to help decision-makers make happy, healthy and wealthy decisions and improve performance.
Employee burnout in the tourism industry during a cultural shift: the role of change uncertainty, change information and meaning-making
Authors: Katsaros Kleanthis K.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Based on the job demands-resources theory, the objective of the current research is to investigate the influence of contextual (i.e. change information), as well as, personal (i.e. meaning-making) change resources on the perceived change uncertainty (PCU) and employee burnout (i.e. emotional exhaustion, cynicism, professional efficacy) relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines (1) whether PCU is related to burnout, (2) the extent to which change information and meaning-making are directly associated with burnout and (3) whether change information and meaning-making moderate the relationship between PCU and employee burnout. The research data were collected (in three sequential phases) from 293 employees of a group of Luxury Hotels and Resorts located in Southern Greece that has undergone a major cultural change.

Findings

The research findings suggest that change information is related to exhaustion and cynicism, as well as, that meaning-making is directly related to all of the burnout components. Change information buffered the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion and between PCU and cynicism. Meaning-making moderated the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion.

Practical implications

The results support that leaders and managers will benefit significantly if they realize how important is to ensure that these change resources (i.e. change information and meaning-making) are in place during organizational changes and constantly evaluate the factors that can increase their employees’ well-being.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in the finding that change information moderated the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion, as well as, PCU and cynicism; and that meaning-making moderated the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion. Further, the study refers to the Greek tourism industry (9th in the word in terms of international tourist arrivals) which plays a pivotal role to the Greek economy. Finally, the research findings contribute to the uncertainty reduction theory, as well as, other related notions.
The moderation effect of strategic alignment on the relationship between plant investment decisions and operational performance
Authors: Ehie Ike C. , Ferreira Luis Miguel D.F.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Given the sudden increase in plant investments across the manufacturing sector due to recent disruptions in the global supply chain caused by the COVID pandemic, the Ukraine/Russian war, ocean piracy incidents, and others, there is a need to strategically align the investments decisions with the overall business strategy. This study aims to establish whether strategic alignment enhances the effect of plant investments on operational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the fifth version of the Global Manufacturing Research Group (GMRG V) dataset, we employ a structural equation model (SEM) to establish the moderating role of strategic alignment in plant investments-operational performance relationships.

Findings

The results suggest that strategic alignment enhances the positive effect of plant investments on operational performance, especially in cost, delivery, flexibility, and innovation. However, we found partial support for the moderating role of strategic alignment on quality performance.

Research limitations/implications

Although the study was based on the GMRG global dataset and numerous papers have been published using the same dataset, the use of a convenience sample on a select group of companies may limit the generalizability of the results. With the increase in new plant investments in computer chip manufacturing, electronics, and electrical in recent years, the findings could help corporate executives maximize the benefits of their investment decisions. Companies should ensure that their plant investment decisions are strategically aligned with their overall business strategy to achieve optimal outcomes.

Practical implications

With the increase in new plant investments in computer chip manufacturing, electronics, and electrical in recent years, the findings could help corporate executives maximize the benefits of their investment decisions. Companies should ensure that their plant investment decisions are strategically aligned with their overall business strategy to achieve optimal outcomes.

Originality/value

The study comprehensively demonstrates that the extent of improvement in operational performance depends on how closely plant investment decisions align with the overall company strategy. Manufacturers should align major investment decisions with competitive priorities driven by market requirements to enhance operational performance.
When creation becomes fixation: venture obsession and agentic relationships
Authors: Peat Daniel Michael , Perrmann-Graham Jaclyn
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of entrepreneurial passion, specifically venture obsession, in agentic relationships within entrepreneurial contexts. It aims to develop a new conceptualization of the role of the venture in these relationships and explore the negative impacts that can arise from the obsessive passion for the venture. The paper contributes to the literature by shedding light on the complexities of agency outside of large for-profit firms, unpacking components of self-interest in the agentic relationship and challenging the assumption that entrepreneurial passion is always beneficial for both the entrepreneur and the venture.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs theoretical framework development and conceptual mapping to explore the role of entrepreneurial passion, specifically venture obsession, in agentic relationships within entrepreneurial contexts. We conducted a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of existing research on agency theory, entrepreneurial passion and venture obsession. By integrating these insights, we developed a new conceptual framework that theorizes the negative impacts of venture obsession on agentic relationships and venture performance. This approach allows us to propose a nuanced model that highlights the complexities and potential maladaptive behaviors associated with obsessive passion in entrepreneurship.

Findings

Venture obsession can have detrimental outcomes, such as escalation of commitment and ignoring external feedback, due to the intense focus on protecting the venture at all costs.

Originality/value

The study highlights the impact of venture obsession on agentic relationships, emphasizing the balance between autonomy, competence and relatedness that entrepreneurs strive to maintain for their well-being. While previous research has explored the role of entrepreneurial passion and its effects on venture performance, this study extends the understanding by delving into the darker side of passion when it transforms into obsessive agency. By emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in agentic relationships and considering the psychological well-being of entrepreneurs, this study adds nuance and depth to the existing knowledge on the subject.
Integrating threat mapping and animal movement data to identify high‐risk areas for endangered mobile species
Authors: Curk T. , Melzheimer J. , Aschenborn O. , Amar A. , Kolberg H. , Garbett R. , Maude G. , Reading R. P. , Selebatso M. , Berzaghi F. , Hempson G. P. , Botha A. , Thomson R. L. , Tate G. , Spiegel O. , Santangeli A.
Published: August 2024

Given the current biodiversity crisis, understanding how animals move across a landscape dotted with different anthropogenic threats and the consequences of those threats for animals is paramount to devising evidence‐based conservation interventions. Vultures roam across large areas and are highly exposed to poisoning, which represents a particularly damaging form of wildlife crime. In this study, we introduce a framework for quantifying the exposure to threats and illustrate an example of poisoning risk as a threat in an endangered African vulture species, the Lappet‐faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos). We combined GPS tracking data of 19 individuals collected between 2012 and 2022 with food availability and spatial threat maps of both intentional (poachers directly targeting vultures) and unintentional (farmers aiming to kill carnivores, with vultures being secondarily affected) poisoning across most of Southern Africa. We identified poisoning hotspots in northern Botswana and south‐eastern Namibia. These areas were also associated with a high number of vulture mortalities, providing additional support for poisoning risk. Northern Botswana and areas at the border between Botswana and South Africa were characterized by high food availability, potentially amplifying the mortality rate by attracting vultures from surrounding areas. Our results offer valuable insights for regional vulture conservation, together with a methodological framework for quantifying and mapping the spatial exposure to threats for mobile species of conservation concern, enabling improved targeting of conservation actions.
Policy uncertainty and non‐performing loans in Greece
Authors: Papadamou Stephanos , Pitsilkas Konstantinos
Published: August 2024

Based on the growing interest in understanding the impact of uncertainty on various aspects of the economy, this study investigates the long‐run relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU), its components, unemployment, capital adequacy, liquidity risk, and non‐performing loans (NPLs) in Greece. Our findings indicate several key results: (1) There exists a negative, long‐term co‐integrating relationship between EPU and its components with financial stability. (2) Unemployment and capital adequacy also exert long‐term negative effects on financial stability. (3) These results hold robustly even after decomposing the total NPL ratio into mortgage, consumer, and business NPLs. (4) Consumer NPLs exhibit the slowest adjustment to long‐run equilibrium among the NPL sub‐categories, with mortgages presenting the fastest rate of adjustment. The findings underscore important policy implications: initiatives aimed at reducing fiscal and banking policy uncertainties and fostering a stable environment for businesses and households could effectively manage NPLs more efficiently, as uncertainty influences NPLs not only in the short run but also in the long run.
Chapter 6. Found field: Encountering a ridged garden bed archaeological site, Wing Reach, in Wisconsin, USA
Authors: McLeester Madeleine , Casana Jesse , Geraci Peter , Anastasio Alison
Published: August 2024

Raised garden beds were once among the most common Native American earthworks in eastern North America. Typically located on prime agricultural land, they are now among the rarest. However, previously unrecorded archaeological raised beds can still be uncovered, especially in more marginal agricultural settings. This chapter details the discovery of a previously unrecorded ancestral Native American ridged agricultural field site in Juneau County, Wisconsin, USA. The site was first identified in 2020 by the authors using publicly available historical aerial imagery and a recent lidar survey. Here we describe its confirmation as a ridged field archaeological site and emplace it within broader anthropogenic landscapes of Wisconsin. Methods described herein can be employed globally to locate and document raised bed agriculture.
Domestic and family violence and associated maternal and perinatal outcomes: A population‐based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Baird Kathleen Marion , Phipps Hala , Javid Nasrin , Stephen de Vries Bradley,
Published: August 2024

Background

Domestic family violence (DFV) is a global health concern affecting one in three women worldwide. Women are vulnerable to DFV throughout their life; however, pregnancy introduces an increased risk of experiencing DFV for millions of women and birthing people.

Methods

Routinely collected data from two hospitals in one local health district in New South Wales, Australia, were examined to determine the prevalence of DFV from 2010 to 2019. Demographics and outcome factors were compared by a reported history of DFV. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess for predictors of DFV and to assess DFV as a predictor of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Results

One percent of women (538/52,469) experienced DFV in the past year. Women experiencing domestic violence were more likely to be younger and have previous children, and had higher Edinburgh Depression Scores. These women were more likely to experience stillbirth (1.5% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.005). Maternal age < 25 years, cigarette smoking, alcohol use in pregnancy, mental health issues, and place of birth were associated with a recent history of DFV after adjusting for confounders. Recent DFV was associated with preterm birth and mental health issues but was not associated with admission to the neonatal nursery, small‐for‐gestational‐age birthweight, or caesarean section after adjusting for confounders.

Conclusion

There was a relationship between DFV and poorer health outcomes for both women and their babies. This study highlighted that stillbirth is high among the population of women who experience DFV when compared to women who do not experience DFV.
The CALR mutations enhance the expression of the immunosuppressive proteins GARP and LAP on peripheral blood lymphocytes through increased binding of activated platelets
Authors: Holmström Morten Orebo , Ruders Josephine Hallundbæk , Riley Caroline Hasselbalch , Larsen Morten Kranker , Grauslund Jacob Handlos , Kjær Lasse , Skov Vibe , Ellervik Christina , Guo Belinda B. , Linden Matthew , Hasselbalch Hans Carl , Andersen Mads Hald
Published: August 2024

Recently, an antibody which inhibits the glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP)‐mediated release of active transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) from the TGFβ propeptide latency‐associated peptide (LAP) showed preclinical activity in a murine model of the chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Consequently, we investigated the expression of the immunosuppressive molecules LAP and GARP on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 56 MPN patients and 11 healthy donors (HD). We found that lymphocytes from patients with MPN express higher levels of LAP and GARP with no strong differences found between the different MPN diagnoses. The impact of clinical parameters on the expression of LAP and GARP by lymphocytes showed that patients with calreticulin (CALR)mut MPN have increased expression compared with HD and patients with the Januskinase2 (JAK2) mutation. The fraction of lymphocytes bound to activated platelets (aPLT) strongly correlate to LAP and GARP expression suggesting that it is not the lymphocytes themselves but aPLT, which confer the increased expression of GARP and LAP on MPN patient lymphocytes. Notably, no differences in neither platelet counts nor anti‐thrombotic therapy was identified between patients with JAK2‐ and CALRmut patients. Analysis of platelet gene expression failed to identify differences in expression of relevant genes between JAK2‐ and CALRmut patients.
Biased receptor signalling and intracellular trafficking profiles of structurally distinct formylpeptide receptor 2 agonists
Authors: Peng Cheng , Vecchio Elizabeth A. , Nguyen Anh T. N. , De Seram Mia , Tang Ruby , Keov Peter , Woodman Owen L. , Chen Yung‐Chih , Baell Jonathan , May Lauren T. , Zhao Peishen , Ritchie Rebecca H. , Qin Cheng Xue
Published: August 2024

Background

There is increasing interest in developing FPR2 agonists (compound 43, ACT‐389949 and BMS‐986235) as potential pro‐resolving therapeutics, with ACT‐389949 and BMS‐986235 having entered phase I clinical development. FPR2 activation leads to diverse downstream outputs. ACT‐389949 was observed to cause rapid tachyphylaxis, while BMS‐986235 and compound 43 induced cardioprotective effects in preclinical models. We aim to characterise the differences in ligand‐receptor engagement and downstream signalling and trafficking bias profile.

Experimental Approach

Concentration‐response curves to G protein dissociation, β‐arrestin recruitment, receptor trafficking and second messenger signalling were generated using FPR2 ligands (BMS‐986235, ACT‐389949, compound 43 and WKYMVm), in HEK293A cells. Log(τ/KA) was obtained from the operational model for bias analysis using WKYMVm as a reference ligand. Docking of FPR2 ligands into the active FPR2 cryoEM structure (PDBID: 7T6S) was performed using ICM pro software.

Key Results

Bias analysis revealed that WKYMVm and ACT‐389949 shared a very similar bias profile. In comparison, BMS‐986235 and compound 43 displayed approximately 5‐ to 50‐fold bias away from β‐arrestin recruitment and trafficking pathways, while being 35‐ to 60‐fold biased towards cAMP inhibition and pERK1/2. Molecular docking predicted key amino acid interactions at the FPR2 shared between WKYMVm and ACT‐389949, but not with BMS‐986235 and compound 43.

Conclusion and Implications

In vitro characterisation demonstrated that WKYMVm and ACT‐389949 differ from BMS‐986235 and compound 43 in their signalling and protein coupling profile. This observation may be explained by differences in the ligand‐receptor interactions. In vitro characterisation provided significant insights into identifying the desired bias profile for FPR2‐based pharmacotherapy.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Quinoline (Quinolinone) Derivatives as NADPH Oxidase (NOX) Inhibitors
Authors: Zhang Lei , Yang Xinliang , Yi Rui , Wu Siming , Li Qianbin , Hu Gaoyun , Chen Zhuo
Published: August 2024

NADPH oxidases (NOXs) are the sole enzyme in the human body that can directly produce reactive oxygen species. Recent studies have shown that NOXs is a very promising target for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Here, a series of quinoline(quinolinone) derivatives have been designed based on pharmacophore strategy, synthesized and evaluated. Among them, 19d exhibits potent antiproliferative and NOXs inhibitory activities, and is worthy for further investigation.
Myelin endocytosis by brain endothelial cells causes endothelial iron overload and oligodendroglial iron hunger in hypoperfusion‐induced white matter injury
Authors: Liu Yuxin , Kang Xinmei , Lin Jiahao , Liu Yixin , Liu Sanxin , Li Chunyi , Deng Xiaohui , Huang Huipeng , Li Tiemei , Wang Shisi , Lu Danli , Jiang Yuxuan , Lu Zhengqi , Cai Wei , Lu Tingting
Published: August 2024

Aims

Hypoperfusion induces significant white matter injury in cerebral vascular disorders, including arteriosclerotic cerebral small vessel disease (aCSVD), which is prevalent among the elderly. Iron transport by blood vessel endothelial cells (BVECs) from the periphery supports oligodendrocyte maturation and white matter repair. This study aims to elucidate the association between iron homeostasis changes and white matter injury severity, and explore the crosstalk between BVECs and oligodendroglial lineage cells.

Methods

In vivo: C57BL/6 mice were subjected to unilateral common carotid artery occlusion (UCCAO). In vitro: BVECs with myelin pretreatment were co‐cultured with oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) or organotypic cerebellar slices subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation.

Results

Circulatory iron tends to be stored in aCSVD patients with white matter injury. Myelin debris endocytosis by BVECs impairs iron transport, trapping iron in the blood and away from the brain, worsening oligodendrocyte iron deficiency in hypoperfusion‐induced white matter injury. Iron accumulation in BVECs triggers ferroptosis, suppressing iron transport and hindering white matter regeneration. Intranasal holo‐transferrin (hTF) administration bypassing the BBB alleviates oligodendrocyte iron deficiency and promotes myelin regeneration in hypoperfusion‐induced white matter injury.

Conclusion

The iron imbalance between BVECs and oligodendroglial lineage cells is a potential therapeutic target in hypoperfusion‐induced white matter injury.
Exploring How Generating Metaphor Via Insight Versus Analysis Affects Metaphor Quality and Learning Outcomes
Authors: Yu Yuhua , Krebs Lindsay , Beeman Mark , Lai Vicky T.
Published: August 2024

Metaphor generation is both a creative act and a means of learning. When learning a new concept, people often create a metaphor to connect the new concept to existing knowledge. Does the manner in which people generate a metaphor, via sudden insight (Aha! moment) or deliberate analysis, influence the quality of generation and subsequent learning outcomes? According to some research, deliberate processing enhances knowledge retention; hence, generation via analysis likely leads to better concept learning. However, other research has shown that solutions generated via insight are better remembered. In the current study, participants were presented with science concepts and descriptions, then generated metaphors for the concepts. They also indicated how they generated each metaphor and rated their metaphor for novelty and aptness. We assessed participants’ learning outcomes with a memory test and evaluated the creative quality of the metaphors based on self‐ and crowd‐sourced ratings. Consistent with the deliberate processing benefit, participants became more familiar with the target science concept if they previously generated a metaphor for the concept via analysis compared to via insight. We also found that metaphors generated via analysis did not differ from metaphors generated via insight in quality (aptness or novelty) nor in how well they were remembered. However, participants’ self‐evaluations of metaphors generated via insight showed more agreement with independent raters, suggesting the role of insight in modulating the creative ideation process. These preliminary findings have implications for understanding the nature of insight during idea generation and its impact on learning.
Dealing with the risk of fire in carbon sequestration strategies: Diverse forests or plantation monocultures?
Authors: Smith Warwick J. S. , Bekessy Sarah A. , Ward Michelle , Wintle Brendan A.
Published: August 2024

Climate and land‐use change pose unprecedented threats to ecosystems, economies, and communities worldwide. To help mitigate the climate crisis, restoration is a rapidly growing industry used to offset carbon emissions. The most common approach is to plant fast‐growing monocultures with the aim of sequestering as much carbon as possible in the shortest time. However, there has been little economic analysis of planting options that explicitly address short and long‐term ecological risks such as fire, disease, and environmental change. Here we develop a method for quantifying ecological risks from fire to sequestration investments and show how these risks can be factored into an analysis of long‐term financial returns relative to opportunity costs. In the case study presented, we find that the apparent advantage of fast‐growing monoculture plantations is likely to be outweighed by the long‐term fire risks to the carbon stored in them. Our analytical framework provides a widely applicable approach to comparing planting options against each other and other land uses, considering key uncertainties. With climate change already manifesting through extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and shifting wildlife populations, our framework can be used to make informed decisions about the best solutions to increase carbon sequestration, reduce ecological risks, and reduce climate impacts with greater certainty.
An empirically based typology of temporary alcohol abstinence challenge participants using latent class analysis
Authors: Kools Nathalie , Rozema Andrea D. , Vermunt Jeroen K. , Bovens Rob H. L. M. , van de Mheen Dike , Mathijssen Jolanda J. P.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Identifying subgroups of Temporary (alcohol) Abstinence Challenge (TAC) participants may offer opportunities to enhance intervention effectiveness. However, knowledge about such subgroups is missing. This study aimed to (i) describe a TAC population; (ii) identify subgroups of participants based on determinants of changes in drinking behaviour; and (iii) characterise subgroups in terms of sociodemographic and other characteristics.

Methods

Data from 3803 Dutch TAC participants were analysed to identify subgroups using three‐step Latent Class Analysis. Classes were based on determinants of changes in drinking behaviour (i.e., drinking refusal self‐efficacy, craving and behavioural automaticity) and were characterised by sociodemographic characteristics, drinking behaviour, previous participation in TACs, self‐reported health and life satisfaction.

Results

The majority of TAC participants were female, highly educated, employed, 53 years old on average, participated in previous TACs and reported relatively high alcohol use. Four classes of participants were identified: (i) ‘ordinary drinkers’ (49.0%); (ii) ‘drinkers in control’ (21.4%); (iii) ‘habitual drinkers with perceived control to refuse’ (18.4%); and (iv) ‘drinkers not in control’ (11.2%). Class 2 drank least often and non‐excessive volumes, while other classes typically drank 4 or more days per week and 3 to 4 glasses per drinking day, with the highest alcohol use found in class 4.

Discussion and Conclusions

Different configurations of determinants in this study's four subgroups may require different intervention approaches and might inform personalised support. Future research is needed to examine the predictive value of these subgroups on post‐challenge drinking behaviour to assess support needs and participation value.
Pay for digitalization: The relationship between digital transformation and payment disparity
Authors: Sun Changling , Lin Ziang , Dai Zixuan , Dong Shidi , Zhang Zixi
Published: August 2024

Using a sample of China's A‐share listed firms from 2016 to 2021, this study empirically examines the influence of digital transformation on the pay gap within firms. Based on the optimal salary contract theory, we posit that digital transformation widens within‐firm pay gap. Conversely, based on the managerial power theory, we posit the competing hypothesis that digital transformation is negatively correlated with the pay gap. Our findings support the optimal salary contract theory, suggesting that digital transformation is positively related to the pay gap, as evidenced by an increase in executive compensation rather than a decrease in the pay of rank‐and‐file employees. These findings are robust to various checks, including alternative measurements, quantile regression model, Heckman selection model, and IV‐2SLS method. Further tests reveal that the positive relationship between digital transformation and the pay gap is more pronounced in labor‐intensive enterprises and those with lower risk‐taking abilities. This study argues that a widening internal pay gap in the digital era is a rational market choice, as evidenced by the positive impact of the within‐firm pay gap resulting from digital transformation on firms' performance. This study extends our understanding of the impact of digital transformation and enriches the literature on compensation contract design.
The role of stock liquidity in blockholder governance: Evidence from corporate social responsibility
Authors: Freund Steven , Phan Hieu V. , Sun Lingna S. , Vo Hong
Published: August 2024

We use decimalization of the tick size, which exogenously increases stock liquidity and thereby heightens blockholder governance, to identify its effect on corporate social responsibility (CSR). We find that enhanced blockholder governance after decimalization leads to lower excessive CSR performance and higher firm value. Compared to active blockholders, passive blockholders, relying on the threat of selling shares and exiting, drive our results. The inverse relationship between blockholder governance and CSR is more pronounced for firms with poor corporate governance prior to decimalization. Our evidence suggests that blockholder exit threat can serve as a governance device to alleviate agency‐driven CSR.
Educational Exit and the Pursuit of a Happy Childhood Among Singaporean Middle‐Class Families
Authors: Göransson Kristina
Published: August 2024

On the basis of ethnographic fieldwork in Singapore, the article explores the tension between children's academic success and emotional wellbeing, and the ways in which middle‐class parents navigate these conflicting aspirations. It delves into families with young children who pursue alternative lifestyles by moving abroad to a presumably less stressful environment or by homeschooling their children. The study aims to understand how parents who ‘opt out’ perceive their children's future and the sacrifices they make in pursuing alternative education for their children. Decisions were made to ‘protect’ the child from the potentially negative effects of a competitive education system, while pursuing an alternative childhood and school–life balance. East Asian education systems are globally renowned for their high academic standards and for producing students who score at the top on international assessment tests and rankings. In this context, alternative educational pursuits are both less established and less well understood, yet they are central to understanding emerging aspirations of wellbeing as well as the reconfiguration of conventional ideals of upward social mobility.
Influence of adolescent sexual communication on respect for sexual and gender diversity and its impact on the meaning of life
Authors: Quiceno Anlly Melissa Patiño , Boza Malena Portal , Martínez Gabriel Alfonso Pacheco
Published: August 2024

This article, which addresses the relationships between the meaning in life, sexual communication in adolescence and respect for sexual and gender diversity, is based on theories that suggest connections between the underlying constructs. The methodology employed uses microdata from the National Survey on Sexual and Gender Diversity ENDISEG 2021, conducted by INEGI in Mexico, which are analyzed through structural equation modeling. When the structural model was validated using the bootstrapping technique, the results showed that the estimate of the relationship between sense of life and sexual communication in adolescence was 0.642, indicating that this relationship is not statistically significant. Similarly, the relationship between respect for sexual and gender diversity and sexual communication in adolescence showed a value of 0.099, reflecting that this relationship is not statistically significant. In contrast, the relationship between sense of life and respect for sexual and gender diversity obtained a value of 0.000, showing the existence of an effect, that is, that the relationship is statistically significant. In conclusion, the tensions inherent in adolescence, as well as cultural and social factors, introduce important debates that need to be considered when addressing these phenomena. This complexity highlights the need for a holistic approach that distinguishes the diversity of experiences and contexts that influence adolescent development and impact on adulthood.
The Good Death in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Klestinec Cynthia , Manning Gideon
Published: August 2024

The inevitability of death does not change its variability. In The Hour of Our Death (1981), Philippe Ariès positioned the sudden, unexpected, mass death of epidemics (especially from the Black Death) against the personalized, domesticated death for which one had time to prepare. The domesticated death, so he argued, appeared during a specific epoche of European history and was an historical inflection point, coinciding with the 18th century Enlightenment. Ariès looked unfavorably at this climax for what he saw as a process of de‐spiritualization, waning of faith, and the beginnings of commercialization and medicalization of death. Since his publications, scholars from a range of fields—history, anthropology, literature, religion, and art—have sought to address the omissions, exaggerations, and misleading claims in Ariès' account and, in doing so, have developed a rich field studying the cultural history and significance of death. Now situated in a transdisciplinary space, studying the good death and the tradition of ars moriendi (the art of the dying well) offers new perspectives and answers new questions about death. Although there is much that could be discussed, the focus here will be on recent trends in scholarship on the tradition of ars moriendi and its relationship to the interrelated histories of burial, the role of clerical and lay comforters, and the role of physicians as well as the historical and religious‐philosophical problems of the prolongation of life and sudden death.
Hydration mechanism of hydrated magnesium citrate: The effects of MgCl2
Authors: Chen Jianjun , Xiao Guoqing , Ding Donghai
Published: August 2024

In this study, the evolutions of kinetic parameters, such as hydration temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity, were observed to investigate the hydration mechanism of hydrated magnesium citrate (HMC). Additionally, the effects of MgCl2 on the hydration behavior of HMC and the working performance of its bonded castables were also investigated. The results show that the hydration mechanism of HMC is dissolution–precipitation, and its hydration product is magnesium citrate tetrahydrate [Mg(H2O)6] [MgC6H5O7(H2O)n]2∙(8‐2n)H2O. The hydration process of HMC is controlled by the concentration of the C6H6O72− ions. MgCl2 could inhibit the ionization of HMC, thereby delaying the hydration progress of HMC. The second exothermic peak was delayed from 1 to 4.8 h with increased MgCl2 content to 1.0 wt.%. The working performance of HMC‐bonded castables could be improved by adding MgCl2. After adding MgCl2, the setting time, flow value, and cold modulus of rupture of HMC‐bonded castables increased by 26.7%, 25.2%, and 8.8%, respectively, while the porosity decreased by 12%.
Microstructure and tribological properties of CrVN thin film coated WC‐Co tool after boriding process
Authors: Lalaoui Khokha , Belaid Mounia , Beliardouh Nasser Eddine , Bouzid Kheireddine , Tlili Samira , Kahloul Latifa , Boudjeda Karima , Ramoul Chems Eddine
Published: August 2024

The tribological performance of the tungsten carbide substrate (WC‐Co), improved by ceramic coatings, is still being reported in new studies that have been carried out to date. It has become a hot research topic that are widely applied in hard material research, especially in the tools manufacturing fields. This study was conducted to investigate the wear characteristics of a commercial cemented carbide tool (WC‐Co) coated with a physical vapor deposition chromium‐vanadium nitride film (CrVN), followed by a boriding process as a final thermochemical treatment. Tested in dry sliding contact against an alumina ball as a static partner, the tribological responses of the specimen were analyzed and compared with an uncoated specimen. Friction coefficients, calculated from volume loss, were around .58 for all specimens except the uncoated specimen at 10 N of applied load. Wear scar analyses revealed the occurrence of several wear mechanisms that is polishing, oxidation, wear debris formation, surface binder removal, grain fragmenting, and grain pull‐out.
Materials for improved lifetime of saggar in production of Li‐ion cathode powders
Authors: Waetzig Katja , Hutzler Thomas , Zschippang Eveline
Published: August 2024

Ceramic saggars of mullite‐cordierite are currently used to produce cathode powders for lithium‐ion batteries. Strong interactions occur between the LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC) precursor in the temperature range of calcination (750–1000°C) leading to corrosion and formation of cracks in the saggar. The frequent failure of saggar causes a lot of waste, which could be reduced by choosing corrosion‐resistant materials. To understand the corrosion mechanism in the system MgO–Al2O3–SiO2, the materials MgO, Al2O3, MgAl2O4, and SiC (instead of SiO2) were embedded in premixed NMC precursor and calcined at T = 780°C for 50, 100, 150 and 200 h. The formed phases were determined by phase and microstructure analysis. Finally, the formation of LiAlO2 and Li5AlO4 is associated with a lower growth rate of the corrosion layer compared with Li4SiO4, while MgO is inert. The reactivity with NMC can be ordered as follows: SiO2 > Al2O3 > MgO.
Acacia seeds: compositional variation based on species, growing locations and harvest years
Authors: Chong Wei Shan Cassandra , Tilbrook Dale , Pereira Gavin , Dykes Gary A. , George Nicholas , Coorey Ranil
Published: August 2024

Three different Acacia seeds (A. retinodes, A. provincialis and A. tenuissima) harvested from different locations and in different years were analysed for their variations in proximate and mineral composition. Results showed no one species had the highest content across all proximate and mineral analyses, for example, A. retinodes Harmans 2020 had the highest ash (3.7%), A. retinodes Harmans 2022 had the highest protein content (31.3%), A. tenuissima Hindmarsh 2020 had the highest fat content (18.5%) and A. provincialis Tarrington 2022 had the highest magnesium content (469 mg/100 g). Principle component analysis was carried out to determine the effect of species, harvest locations and years on the chemical composition. A biplot of the first two principal components with a total of 60.5% variation showed clustering based on harvest years. The compositions of the Acacia seeds were determined to be affected by species, harvest location and year differences. However, a complete gene–environment interaction study is needed to validate this.
The first detailed annual record on the National Clinical Database Urology Division in Japan: A report on five surgical procedures
Authors: Kikuchi Eiji , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Yasui Takahiro , Hatakeyama Shingo , Mizuno Ryuichi , Sakamoto Shinichi , Mizuno Kentaro , Morizane Shuichi , Hayakawa Nozomi , Kobayashi Takashi , Kamoto Toshiyuki , Eto Masatoshi
Published: August 2024

Objectives

The National Clinical Database (NCD) Urology Division commenced registration in April 2018 in Japan. This is the first report to focus on five surgeries for which detailed information is registered.

Methods

We herein describe annual trends in and the complication grades of the following five surgeries: partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, radical cystectomy, radical prostatectomy, and pyeloplasty, using the NCD. A total of 149 417 patients treated with the five types of surgeries based on NCD data were enrolled in this report.

Results

The number of patients was 55 630 for partial/radical nephrectomy from April 2018 to December 2021, 83 653 for radical prostatectomy from April 2018 to December 2021, and 9342 for radical cystectomy from January 2020 to December 2021. In 2021, partial nephrectomy was performed on 7416 cases, radical nephrectomy on 7739 cases, radical prostatectomy on 22 692 cases, radical cystectomy on 4677 cases, and pyeloplasty on 792 cases.

Conclusions

The results obtained showed that a robot‐assisted or laparoscopic procedure has replaced open surgery as the common approach for all five surgeries. An analysis of NCD data may be useful for understanding trends in surgical procedures across the major field of urology.
Molecular dynamics simulations on ferroelectricity of AlN thin films
Authors: Deng Binghui , Shi Jian , Shi Yunfeng
Published: August 2024

The recent realization of ferroelectricity in scandium‐ and boron‐substituted AlN thin films has spurred tremendous research interests. Here we established a molecular dynamics simulation framework to model the ferroelectricity of AlN thin films. Through reparameterization of Vashishta potential for AlN, the coercive field strength and the AlN polarization were found to be close to experimental values. Furthermore, we examined the effects of film thickness, temperature, in‐plane strain on polarization‐electric field hysteresis loop, and the thickness‐dependent Curie temperature. Lastly, we incorporated electrodes towards atomic‐level modeling of ferroelectric device, by considering the induced charge at the interface between electrodes and ferroelectric film. We found that low dielectric contrast significantly lowers the coercive field for switching AlN.