bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultivating coffee experiences in the Eje Cafetero, Colombia
Authors: Bowen Robert
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the potential for developing a unique coffee tourism experience in the Eje Cafetero region of Colombia, considering unique local traditions of coffee production, as well as local tourism infrastructure.

Design/methodology/approach

With the aim of observing coffee tourism experiences in-place, this paper uses an analytical auto-ethnographic methodology, where the researcher observes the coffee tourism experience, considering both the tourism providers and tourists. This represents an emerging method in tourism research with data collected through a reflective diary and photographic documentation.

Findings

Coffee tourism has already established itself in the Eje Cafetero region, and with increasing tourism in Colombia, there is potential for further interest in coffee tourism in the region. With an established infrastructure and positive reputation for coffee, Colombia is well placed to provide various coffee tourism offerings, including unique experiences based on local traditions.

Originality/value

Coffee tourism is an under-researched area, with few studies based on primary data to understand the potential for coffee tourism experiences. This study advances knowledge on this while also promoting innovative auto-ethnographic research methods. Findings help places understand how to leverage competitive advantage through unique offerings.
Advances in robotic prostheses
Authors: Bogue Rob
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to provide details of recent advances in robotic prostheses with the emphasis on the control and sensing technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a short introduction, this paper first discusses the main robotic prosthesis control strategies. It then provides details of recent research and developments using non-invasive and invasive brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). These are followed by examples of studies that seek to confer robotic prostheses with sensory feedback. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.

Findings

A significant body of research is underway involving electromyographic and BCI technologies, often in combination with advanced data processing and analysis schemes. This has the potential to yield robotic prostheses with advanced capabilities such as greater dexterity and sensory feedback.

Originality/value

This illustrates how electromyographic, BCI, signal processing and sensor technologies are being used to create robotic prostheses with enhanced functionality.
A new approach for hybrid (PID + MRAC) adaptive controller applied to two-axes McKibben muscle manipulator: a mechanism for human-robot collaboration
Authors: Bomfim Marcelo Henrique Souza , Lima II Eduardo José , Monteiro Neemias Silva , Sena Vinícius Avelino
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present a new approach, called hybrid model reference adaptive controller or H-MRAC, for the hybrid controller (proportional-integral-derivative [PID + MRAC]) that will be used to control the position of a pneumatic manipulator.

Design/methodology/approach

It was developed a McKibben muscle using nautical mesh, latex and high-density polyethene connectors and it was constructed an elbow manipulator with two degrees of freedom, driven by these muscles. Then it was presented the H-MRAC control law based on the phenomenological characteristics of the plant, aiming at fast response and low damping. Lyapunov's theory was used as the project methodology, which ensures asymptotic stability for the control system.

Findings

It was developed a precise control system for a pneumatic manipulator and the results were compared to previous research.

Research limitations/implications

In collaborative robotics, human and machine occupy the same workspace. This research promotes the development of safer and more complacent mechatronic systems in the event of collisions.

Practical implications

As a practical implication, the research allows the substitution of electric motors by McKibben muscles in industrial robots with high accuracy.

Social implications

The pneumatic manipulator will make the human-robot physical interaction safer as it can prevent catastrophic collisions causing victims or equipment breakdown.

Originality/value

When compared to results in the literature, the present research showed a 37.51% and 36.74% lower global error in position tracking than MRAC and Adaptive proportional-integral-derivative (A-PID), respectively, validating its effectiveness.
Workplace information literacy: a bridge to the development of innovative work behaviour
Authors: Middleton Lyndsey , Hall Hazel
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Organisational culture and leadership, employee skills and aptitudes, access to resources, and training are regularly cited as important determinants of the development of innovative work behaviour (IWB). The purpose of the work reported in this paper was to investigate a further set of possible determinants of the development of IWB: those that are information-related.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods approach was adopted. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected by questionnaire, interview and focus groups in three large public sector case study organisations in Scotland, Finland and England.

Findings

A set of information-related determinants of the development of IWB is evidenced, adding to the list of determinants that are already well documented. Notably workplace information literacy (IL) appears to furnish a bridge between determinants of the development of IWB and workplace learning.

Originality/value

That information-related determinants may be valuable to the development of IWB has not previously merited specific consideration, nor been recognised, in the wider IWB literature. The identification of these determinants in this research should encourage researchers and professionals beyond the domain of information science to pay serious attention to IL. This is particularly important in respect of the role of workplace IL in processes that lead to new knowledge creation and innovation.
The asymmetric influence of corruption on financial development: fresh evidence from BRICS economies
Authors: Alsagr Naif , van Hemmen Stefan
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the asymmetric impact of corruption on financial development in BRICS economies context.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have adopted the novel panel non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (PNARDL) model of Shin et al. (2014), covering the period 1991–2018.

Findings

The findings confirm that corruption asymmetrically impacts financial development in BRICS economies. More precisely, long-run negative shocks of the control of corruption index have significant negative impacts on financial development. However, long-run positive shocks of the control of corruption index are insignificant. Moreover, both positive and negative shocks of corruption in short-run results are insignificant. Generally, the findings are robust having carried out several robustness checks and in favor of “sand in the wheels” hypothesis.

Originality/value

This study makes a novel contribution by developing insight on how corruption asymmetrically impacts financial development. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to use the PNARDL, which decompose the main independent variable (corruption) into positive and negative shocks. The PNARDL approach is a dynamic robust estimate that controls for the problem of endogeneity, which is a common phenomenon in such studies. Additionally, it is believed that the findings are important for policy makers, scholars and practitioners. Finally, the authors used the most recent available dataset covering the BRICS context.
Identity reconciliation and knowledge mobilization in a mandated community of practice
Authors: Ivcovici Adamina , McLoughlin Ian , Nand Alka , Bhattacharya Ananya
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are increasingly being created to facilitate knowledge mobilization in organizations. This paper aims to elucidate an underexplored aspect of participation in mandated CoPs – identity reconciliation. Specifically, the authors explore how actors reconcile their existing identities with becoming members of new knowledge mobilization CoPs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a longitudinal qualitative case study over a 12-month period to explore identity reconciliation practices during the formation of the “ED CoP” – mandated by policymakers to mobilize knowledge between process improvement advisors and clinicians from various hospitals. Observation and interviews allowed us to uncover “front stage” and “backstage” practices of identity reconciliation.

Findings

The findings reveal two key unexpected modes of identity reconciliation – “distancing” and “peripheral lurking”. These modes resulted in different trajectories of participation of two of the key participant groups – “veteran” improvement advisors and “veteran” clinicians.

Practical implications

Different modes of identity reconciliation of different participants impact the formation of CoPs and how knowledge mobilization occurs within them. This paper offers a sensitizing lens for practitioners creating CoPs which enhances awareness of hidden identity practices, and recommendations to enable practitioners to effectively facilitate CoP formation.

Originality/value

This study suggests that identity reconciliation is an integral aspect of CoP formation, and essential for knowledge mobilization within CoPs. Whereas studies on CoPs in the knowledge management literature have mostly assumed that collaboration produces beneficial knowledge mobilization outcomes, the findings build a more nuanced picture of the processes involved in producing these outcomes.
Professionals’ interpersonal communications style: does it matter in building client psychological comfort?
Authors: Roongruangsee Rawi , Patterson Paul , Ngo Liem Viet
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The inherent characteristics of professional services (i.e. high in credence properties, customized and featuring information asymmetry) often cause difficulties for clients to confidently evaluate technical outcomes before, during or even after service delivery. This results in considerable client psychological discomfort. This study aims to blend a revised social interaction model and uncertainty reduction theory to investigate the role that service provider’s interpersonal communication style plays in establishing client psychological comfort and satisfaction in a health-care context.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws on cross-sectional data collected from 355 hospital patients following visiting a physician plus an experimental design in an Eastern culture (Thailand).

Findings

The study reveals three key findings. First, an affiliative communication style is positively associated with psychological comfort, but not so a dominant communications style. When both styles are presented, the high-affiliative style overshadows the low-dominant style and creates the highest psychological comfort. Second, clients’ perceptions of professional’s affiliative and dominant styles influence psychological comfort differentially under varying conditions of clients’ cognitive social capital, collectivist value-orientation but not service criticality. Third, a competing model suggests psychological comfort acts as a partial mediator between affiliative communication style and satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

To generalize the findings, further studies might be conducted in other professional services and in individualist Western cultures.

Practical implications

The findings have important managerial implications for the appropriate use of communication style to build psychological comfort and engage clients of professional services firms.

Social implications

The findings shed light on the important role of an everyday social function – interpersonal communications and how this impacts client psychological comfort and satisfaction.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies in a services context that examines the impact of professionals’ communications style. Moreover, it examines the impact of cultural value-orientation, cognitive social capital, service criticality in moderating the communications style – client psychological comfort relationship.
How do servant leadership and self-esteem at work shape family performance in China? A resource gain development perspective
Authors: Li Diwan , Li Yanping , Hu Yanghong , Tu Yidong
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Drawing on the resource gain development (RGD) perspective, this study is aimed to examine how servant leadership as an environmental resource and general self-esteem as a personal resource influence employees' family performance through work-to-family facilitation (WFF) and explore the moderating effects of gender and Chinese traditionality on the relationship between servant leadership and WFF.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-wave data were collected from 369 employees in China. The structural equation model and path analysis were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results confirm that WFF mediates the effects of servant leadership and employees' general self-esteem on employees' family performance. Gender and Chinese traditionality moderate the relationship between servant leadership and WFF.

Originality/value

This study contributes to existing research by revealing how specific environmental resources (servant leadership) and personal resources (general self-esteem) impact employee family performance through WFF; it also identifies gender and Chinese traditionality as demand characteristics which moderate the effect of environmental resources on WFF.
Influence of perceived quality on customer satisfaction in different stages of services
Authors: Xie Chunchang , Sun Ziqi
Published: July 2021

Purpose

In response to the call for research on customer experience across the customer journey, this study aims to analyze and compare the effects of perceived quality on customer satisfaction among the different stages of search, experience and credence services.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper constructs a formation model of customer satisfaction based on service stages. Data on perceived quality and customer satisfaction in different stages of search, experience and credence services was collected through experiments and practical survey and the model was empirically tested through multiple linear regression.

Findings

The results show that perceived quality in the preparation and departure stages of search and credence services has a greater influence on customer satisfaction than in the delivery stage. While compared to the preparation stage, the perceived quality in the delivery and departure stages of experience service has a greater influence on customer satisfaction.

Practical implications

This research will help service firms optimize the allocation of service resources according to the importance of different service stages within the three indicated service types, promoting customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

This is the first study of its kind to compare the effects of perceived quality on customer satisfaction among the stages of search, experience and credence services.
The homelessness research and action collaborative: case studies of the social innovation process at a university research center
Authors: Greene Jacen
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to determine whether a combined set of process models for university contributions to social innovation can be effectively used to describe how higher education institutions facilitate and disseminate research for social value.

Design/methodology/approach

The author applies Cunha and Benneworth’s (2013) social innovation process model, with additions from the Nichols et al. (2013) model of campus-community collaboration and the Jain et al. (2020) social value framework, to a pair of case studies at Portland State University about research projects on homelessness. Information was gathered through primary sources, observation and secondary texts.

Findings

Applying the models to the case studies provides additional detail on the types and value of Portland State University’s contributions to addressing homelessness through social innovation. The models are found to be effective in describing and providing guidance for social innovation research projects at other higher education institutions.

Research limitations/implications

The models may have widespread applicability in understanding or designing university contributions to social innovation, but additional case studies and analysis are needed to understand the full range of project types and institutional contexts to which they can be successfully applied.

Originality/value

The projects described in the paper’s case studies have not been analyzed elsewhere using social innovation frameworks and are valuable in their own right as social innovations worthy of replication. The findings of the paper extend the applicability of a process model for university contributions to social innovation.
Perception of cosmetics quality in China – comparison between young and older consumers
Authors: Hinčica Vít , Řezanková Hana , Qi Jingyi
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The aim of the paper is to explore how Chinese consumers perceive the quality of cosmetics products and if the Chinese youth differs in the perception from older generations. The paper fills the current research gap in revealing which intrinsic and extrinsic parameters are the most and least associated with cosmetic products’ quality by young and older Chinese consumers. It also inquiries about how other selected factors (e.g. type of store, store’s trade name, the use of influencers, etc.) contribute to the perceived quality of cosmetic products.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected from 423 Chinese respondents by an online questionnaire in their native language. Statistical tests of independence, correlation and cluster analysis were applied to reveal the relationships between variables.

Findings

The highest number of statistically significant dependencies of meritorious variables was associated with age groups of young and older consumers, thus suggesting greater differences in quality perception between younger and older Chinese generations. The paper also confirms that intrinsic cues prevail over extrinsic when consumers evaluate the quality of cosmetic products.

Practical implications

The results deepen the understanding of the current preferences of Chinese consumers of cosmetic products when assessing the quality of cosmetics and represent a solid basis for further research. Moreover, they may help companies from the cosmetics industry better comprehend how different categories of people determine cosmetic products’ quality.

Originality/value

The paper uses a large convenience sample of respondents from different Chinese regions and points to several differences between younger and older generations of Chinese consumers of cosmetics.
Freshwater reserves for fisheries conservation and enhancement of a widespread migratory fish
Authors: Watson Andrew S. , Hickford Michael J. H. , Schiel David R.
Published: July 2021

As management tools, freshwater reserves are under‐represented in protected area networks for fisheries conservation and enhancement. This is surprising considering that freshwater ecosystems, and the biodiversity they support, are among the most threatened worldwide.

We compared freshwater reserve types established to prevent overexploitation of migratory galaxiids (mostly īnangaGalaxias maculatus) from fishing and evaluated their performance as reproductive reservoirs. We studied 10 streams classified into three a priori types: (a) closed, (b) partially closed and (c) open streams.

Closed streams had greater abundances, biomasses and egg production ofG. maculatusdespite having a greater proportion of smaller fish compared to partially closed and open streams. Community‐level analyses indicated differences in fish assemblages between closure types. Large, native, predatory fish (longfin eelAnguilla dieffenbachii, shortfin eelAnguilla australisand giant kōkopuGalaxias argenteus) were more common in closed streams.

Overall, there were notable reserve effects related to closed streams. There was slight evidence that partially closed streams conferred some fisheries benefits compared to streams open to fishing. While the limited number of reserve streams warrants some caution in conclusions, partial closures may still be worthwhile as a management tool where complete closure to fishing is not feasible.

Closures can be effective in increasing fish numbers, albeit at a cost of smaller sized individuals, most likely because of density‐dependent processes relating to food and habitat. Despite clear benefits in total egg production of populations in closed streams, it remains unclear how these benefits may translate across the full life history of the annualG. maculatus.

Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that freshwater reserves have many of the ‘reserve effects’ observed in more common marine reserves, but there are also important differences. Stream closure should be considered as one potential management tool that is unlikely to be effective unless stream habitats are returned to more pristine states. Our effort to evaluate the explicit effects of different reserve types across different spatial scales is the first we know of for migratory freshwater fishes, providing useful insights for adjusting the current reserve network and establishing new reserves.
Determining the Regional Carrying Capacity of the Wuhan City Circle Based on the Improved Ecological Footprint Method
Authors: Xiao Yi , Ou YuQi , Qu XiaoYang , Zhang Liping , Zhang Xiang , Jun Xia
Published: July 2021

This study builds upon the traditional ecological footprint model by adding two new accounts of resource flows and using two new calculating method. This first account concerns water resources and accounts for water consumption in cities. The second account tracks basic types of pollutant accounts. Energy theory and net primary productivity were used to calculate the ecological footprint. Aiming at the problem of application in city, a city hectare spatial scale was used and a regional carrying capacity correction parameter was referenced. This framework provides insight into calculations of the bearing capacity of certain areas. The Wuhan City Circle was used as a case study with the objectives of calculating the ecological footprint and regional carrying capacity and analyzing its spatiotemporal evolution and capacity for sustainable development. The results indicated that from 2000 to 2015, the average annual rate of decline of the carrying capacity of the Wuhan City Circle was 9.18%, and from 2015 to 2017, the average annual rate of increase was 38.91%. The ecological footprints of fossil energy and build‐up land accounts increased over the years, exposing problems with land and energy utilization in the Wuhan City Circle. The continuous decline of the water resources carrying capacity reminds policy makers to pay attention to the protection of water areas. These results can help policy makers integrate historical data to adjust existing plans and make more specific future plans.
Do Higher‐Quality Regional Trade Agreements Improve the Quality of Export Products from China to “One‐Belt One‐Road” Countries?*
Authors: Sun Jin
Published: July 2021

The paper examines the impact of the quality of regional trade agreements (RTA) on the quality of China's exports to the ‘Belt and Road' countries. We use enterprise and product data from China and from 11 Belt and Road countries that have signed RTA with China. The quality of the RTA, as measured by clause coverage and law commitment indexes, significant impact in the quality of export products. In RTAs, the commitment rate plays an overall important role; however, the clause coverage rate of the new generation of WTO‐X agreements has a greater effect than for WTO+ agreements, especially for medium and high‐technology products, which must meet the high standards. The effect of high‐quality RTA is greater in improving the quality of Chinese state‐owned enterprises' products exported to Belt and Road countries when compared with those of private and foreign‐holding companies.
Contribution of membrane transporters to chemotherapy‐induced cardiotoxicity
Authors: Uddin Muhammad Erfan , Moseley Angie , Hu Shuiying , Sparreboom Alex
Published: July 2021

Membrane transporters play a key role in determining the pharmacokinetic profile, therapeutic safety, and efficacy of many chemotherapeutic drugs by regulating cellular influx and efflux. Rapidly emerging evidence has shown that tissue‐specific expression of transporters contributes to local drug accumulation and drug–drug interactions and that functional alterations in these transporters can directly influence an individual's susceptibility to drug‐induced toxicity. Comprehending the complex mechanism of transporter function in regulating drug distribution in tissues, such as the heart, is necessary in order to acquire novel therapeutic strategies aimed at evading unwanted drug accumulation and toxicities and to ameliorate the safety of current therapeutic regimens. Here, we provide an overview of membrane transporters with a role in chemotherapy‐induced cardiotoxicity and discuss novel strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes.
Purine adducts as a presumable missing link for aristolochic acid nephropathy‐related cellular energy crisis, potential anti‐fibrotic prevention and treatment
Authors: Kocic Gordana , Gajic Mihajlo , Tomovic Katarina , Hadzi‐Djokic Jovan , Anderluh Marko , Smelcerovic Andrija
Published: July 2021

Aristolochic acid nephropathy is a progressive exposome‐induced disease characterized by tubular atrophy and fibrosis culminating in end‐stage renal disease and malignancies. The molecular mechanisms of the energy crisis as a putative cause of fibrosis have not yet been elucidated. In light of the fact that aristolochic acid forms DNA and RNA adducts by covalent binding of aristolochic acid metabolites to exocyclic amino groups of (deoxy)adenosine and (deoxy)guanosine, we hypothesize here that similar aristolochic acid adducts may exist with other purine‐containing molecules. We also provide new insights into the aristolochic acid‐induced energy crisis and presumably a link between already known mechanisms. In addition, an overview of potential targets in fibrosis treatment is provided, which is followed by recommendations on possible preventive measures that could be taken to at least postpone or partially alleviate aristolochic acid nephropathy.
“Being one, but not being the same”: A dyadic comparative analysis on ethnic socialization in transcultural foster families in the Netherlands
Authors: Degener Clementine J. , van Bergen Diana D. , Grietens Hans W. E.
Published: July 2021

To gain insight into ethnic socialization by ethnic majority foster parents who take care of ethnic minority foster youth, we conducted a comparative dyadic analysis, based on 16 foster parent‐foster youth dyads. Outcomes show that foster parents' first concern was providing a safe environment for their foster youth, and not ethnic minority socialization. Foster parents seem to strive to belong together as one family with their foster youth. As part of those efforts, they would incorporate ethnicity differences, and/or struggles with how to address them. This occurred in a reciprocal socialization process with their foster youth. Next, although foster youth could experience discrimination, there seems to exist a relative silence about this issue in foster families. Results furthermore show that birth parents may play a role as connectors with the ethnic backgrounds of the foster youth. Foster parents may need guidance by foster care agencies in learning how to address ethnicity issues openly, teaching their foster youth how to survive in a society where ethnic minority discrimination occurs, and involving birth parents in the ethnic socialization of the youth.
Uncovering asset stripping during China's privatization
Authors: Long Cheryl , Zhang Jing , Yang Jin
Published: July 2021

This paper empirically studies the occurrence and extent of asset stripping via undervaluing public assets during the mass privatization of state‐owned and collectively owned enterprises in China. Using three waves of a national survey of private firms, we provide evidence that state‐owned and collectively owned assets were substantially underpriced, indicating the presence of corruption during privatization. Further analysis shows that the extent of underpricing is more severe in regions with less market competition or weaker property rights protection, and more pronounced for intangible assets such as intellectual property rights and land use rights. When comparing firm efficiency between privatized firms and de novo private firms, we find that the former group continues to enjoy considerable preferential treatments, yet significantly underperforms the latter, possibly due to continued government control and intervention. Finally, we provide evidence that insider privatization is an important source of corruption during the privatization process.
Influence of cutting height on biomass yield and quality of miscanthus genotypes
Authors: Magenau Elena , Kiesel Andreas , Clifton‐Brown John , Lewandowski Iris
Published: July 2021

Commercially achieved biomass yields are often lower than those obtained in scientific plot trials and estimated by crop models. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the ‘commercial yield gap’. It needs to be understood and managed to achieve the yield expectations that underpin business models. Cutting height at harvest is one of the key factors determining biomass yield and quality. This study quantifies the impacts of cutting heights of diverse genotypes with different morphologies and in years with contrasting weather conditions before and during harvest. Harvests were made in March 2015 and March 2018 of six diverse miscanthus genotypes planted as part of the ‘OPTIMISC project’ in 2013 near Stuttgart, Germany. Biomass yield, dry matter content and nutrient concentrations were analysed in four 10 cm fractions working upwards from the ground level and a fifth fraction with the shoot biomass higher than 40 cm. As stems are slightly tapered (i.e. diameter decreases slightly with increasing cutting height), it was hypothesized that low cutting may lead to yield gains, but that these may be associated with lower quality biomass with higher moisture and higher nutrient offtakes. We calculated average yield losses of 270 kg ha−1 (0.83%) with each 1 cm increase in cutting height up to 40 cm. Although whole shoot mineral concentrations were significantly influenced by both genotype and year interactions, total nitrogen (1.89 mg g−1), phosphorus (0.51 mg g−1), potassium (3.72 mg g−1) and calcium (0.89 mg g−1) concentrations did not differ significantly from the concentrations in the lower basal sections. Overall, cutting height had a limited influence on nutrient and moisture content. Therefore, we recommend that cutting is performed as low as is practically possible with the available machinery and local ground surface conditions to maximize biomass yield.
Vulnerable relational knowing that matters
Authors: Meriläinen Susan , Salmela Tarja , Valtonen Anu
Published: July 2021

This paper explores vulnerable relational knowing, and in it we open up our own embodied habits and experiences as feminist academics. We discuss how displaying our academic bodies as naked, both symbolically and physically, enhances and appreciates—instead of hiding—vulnerability. We also discuss how our academic bodies entangle with a range of more‐than‐human creatures and material surroundings to highlight the multispecies and material nature of vulnerable relational knowing. Two detailed stories, “Intimate sharing of academic knowledge: A recumbent study circle” and “Keropirtti: A place and space to work differently” provide unique examples of the enactment of alternative ways of working in academia, and their analysis demonstrates the potential of vulnerability for embodied relational knowing in academia, which has, to date, been commonly analyzed in the context of writing.
Predialysis serum phosphate and intradialytic hypotension
Authors: Ravi Katherine Scovner , Reeves Patrick B. , Correa Simon , Neves João Sérgio , Waikar Sushrut S. , Mothi Suraj S. , Mc Causland Finnian R.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a common complication of hemodialysis (HD) and is associated with excess morbidity and mortality. Higher serum phosphate is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in maintenance HD patients; however, its association with IDH has not previously been assessed.

Methods

This is an analysis of a prospective cohort of 969 HD patients (80,968 HD sessions) receiving HD at a large dialysis organization (LDO) and a post‐hoc analysis of 1838 HD patients (10,594 HD sessions) in the Hemodialysis study (HEMO), a multicenter randomized controlled trial that examined standard or high‐dose HD and low‐flux or high‐flux membranes. Unadjusted and adjusted mixed effects regression models were fit to determine the association of pre‐HD serum phosphate with IDH, defined as a nadir intra‐HD systolic blood pressure (SBP) <90 mmHg.

Findings

In the LDO cohort, baseline mean pre‐HD serum phosphate was 5.2 ± 1.7 mg/dl. IDH occurred in 15.6% of HD sessions. In the adjusted model, higher pre‐HD serum phosphate (per 1 mg/dl) was associated with a 12% increased risk of IDH (aOR 1.12, 95% CI 1.10–1.13, p <0.001). In exploratory models where pre‐HD laboratory values were available, the effect estimate was attenuated but remained statistically significant (aOR 1.05; 95% CI 1.02–1.08; p <0.01). Participants in the highest (compared with the lowest) quartile of pre‐HD serum phosphate had a 56% greater risk of IDH in the adjusted model (aOR Q4:Q1 1.56; 95% CI 1.44–1.68, p <0.001). The association of higher phosphate with IDH was consistent in the HEMO data.

Discussion

Higher pre‐HD serum phosphate is independently associated with an increased risk of IDH. As HD may cause an acute decline in serum phosphate, future studies to investigate the mechanisms of this association are warranted.
Interrogating theoretical and empirical approaches to employability in different global regions
Authors: Fakunle Omolabake , Higson Helen
Published: July 2021

This special issue expands the scope of a panel presentation at the Society for Research into Higher Education Annual Conference 2019 and makes two identified contributions to the field. First, drawing from existing literature, this introductory paper proposes three categorisations of employability as: outcomes approach, process approach and conceptual approaches. This moves beyond normative conceptualisation of employability from mostly the outcomes approach. The applicability of the categorisation is further enumerated by the diversity of contributions in this special issue that highlights (a) the complexity in the field and (b) the interrelatedness of the categories. Second, the special issue puts together a rarely combined collection of global perspectives on conceptualisations of employability, and insights from research on little studied groups in Western and non‐Western contexts (the UK, Portugal, Australia, the Indo‐Pacific Region, Germany, Kenya and Kazakhstan). The papers, therefore, illustrate the need to widen our scope of understanding employability beyond current dominant perspectives. The broadening that is required in employability discourses is further needed in view of unprecedented disruption brought on higher education during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This suggests the need to rethink our conceptualisations of employability amidst uncertainty and potential disruption to the future of work.
Improving the efficiency of the autoverification workflow for nucleated red blood cell reporting in the hematology laboratory
Authors: Chinudomwong Pawadee , Khongjaroensakun Narin , Chatachote Benjarat , Chaothai Nutdanai , Paisooksantivatana Karan
Published: July 2021

Objective

Although the microscopic manual count is considered the standard method for NRBC enumeration, modern hematology analyzers can perform this task automatically with reliable accuracy and efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Sysmex XN hematology analyzer and to construct the optimal workflow for accurate and efficient NRBC reporting.

Methods

Specimens containing different levels of NRBC were included. Analytical performance was evaluated via method comparison with flow cytometry (FCM) and manual count (MC). Clinical sensitivity was analyzed by ROC analysis using manual count as the standard method.

Results

Correlation study of %NRBC with FCM and MC demonstrated an r value of 0.925 (95% CI 0.905 to 0.942) and 0.990 (95% CI 0.987 to 0.992) with a mean difference of −0.8 (95%CI: −6.7 to +5.0) and +0.50 (95% CI: −6.7 to +7.7), respectively. When the automated NRBC count was equal to zero and >0.07 × 109/L, the false‐negative rate and false‐positive rate were 100%, respectively; hence, manual slide review could be omitted. A false‐positive rate of 72.7% was noted in specimens containing NRBC count less than 0.07 × 109/L.

Conclusion

The Sysmex XN can help improve the efficiency of NRBC enumeration owing to its accuracy, rapidity, and automation. However, further studies are required to improve the accuracy of detection in specimens containing a very low level of NRBC.
A retrospective analysis of discordances between international normalized ratio (INR) self‐testing and INR laboratory testing in a pediatric patient population
Authors: Bitan Joan , Bajolle Fanny , Harroche Annie , Cannet Pauline , Braems Alice , Taleb Sofiane , Bonnet Damien , Borgel Delphine , Lasne Dominique
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The lack of quality control procedures for home point‐of‐care (POC) international normalized ratio (INR) devices is a concern. Concomitant laboratory and POC INR testing may be proposed to overcome the lack of quality control. However, a difference between the POC INR and the laboratory INR is not necessarily due to failure of the POC device. This study aimed to identify variables associated with a significant deviation between the POC INR and the laboratory INR.

Methods

Children included in this retrospective cohort study performed at least one concomitant laboratory and POC INRs. Clinical and laboratory variables were assessed for an association with significant deviation within pairs of INR.

Results

A significant deviation was noted for 30 (15.3%) of the 196 pairs of INR measurements from 124 children. Relative to patients without deviations, patients with deviations were younger (odds ratio =0.91; P = .020), less experienced in the use of POC INR devices (odds ratio =0.89; P = .098), and more likely to have received an INR result from a laboratory using animal thromboplastin (odds ratio =2.81 vs. 0.37 for laboratories using human thromboplastin; P = .016). In a multivariate analysis, younger age and the laboratory's use of animal thromboplastin were associated with significant deviations.

Conclusions

Although most children had coherent pairs of INR values, the occurrence of deviations raises the question of the origin of the thromboplastin used in the laboratory and emphasizes the need to provide specific quality control procedures for POC INR devices.
Factors influencing initiation of health behaviour conversations with patients: Cross‐sectional study of nurses, midwives, and healthcare support workers in Wales
Authors: Bright Diana , Gray Benjamin J. , Kyle Richard G. , Bolton Sian , Davies Alisha R.
Published: July 2021

Aim

To identify factors influencing healthcare professionals’ engagement in health behaviour conversations with patients.

Design

Cross‐sectional survey.

Methods

Between April and June 2019, an online survey of 1338 nurses, midwives and healthcare support workers was conducted. The survey assessed whether staff felt comfortable initiating health behaviour conversations with patients about five behaviours (reducing alcohol intake; stop smoking; being more active; reducing their weight; and improving their diet) and barriers to conversation initiation. Health professionals’ own health‐related behaviours, self‐rated health and mental wellbeing, and socio‐demographic characteristics were recorded. Logistic regression models were built to assess factors associated with feeling comfortable initiating health behaviour conversations for each topic.

Result

Less than 50% of respondents reported feeling comfortable initiating health behaviour conversations with patients. Female staff, young professionals (18 to 29 years), those in lower staff grades and those with poorer health and low mental wellbeing were less likely to report feeling comfortable having health behaviour conversations across all topics. Those who did not adhere to physical activity and dietary guidelines were less likely to initiate a conversation about being more active and having a healthy diet, respectively. Not having time to discuss the topic, suitable space to hold a conversation, and feeling worried about offending/upsetting patients were the main barriers reported.

Conclusion

Around 6 in 10 members of the nursing, midwifery and healthcare support workforce in Wales potentially do not feel comfortable to initiate a health behaviour conversation with patients about health and wellbeing. Feeling less comfortable to initiate a conversation was associated with staff demographics and organizational factors.

Impact

We identified those less likely to initiate health behaviour conversations as well as personal and organizational barriers to initiation. This will help to target and tailor interventions to ensure staff are equipped and enabled to hold health behaviour conversations with patients.
Application of the Haddon matrix to COVID‐19 prevention and containment in nursing homes
Authors: Fritch William M. , Agnew Jacqueline , Rosman Lori , Cadorette Maureen A. , Barnett Daniel J.
Published: July 2021

COVID‐19 has exacted a disproportionate toll on the health of persons living in nursing homes. Healthcare providers and other decision‐makers in those settings must refer to multiple evolving sources of guidance to coordinate care delivery in such a way as to minimize the introduction and spread of the causal virus, SARS‐CoV‐2. It is essential that guidance be presented in an accessible and usable format to facilitate its translation into evidence‐based best practice. In this article, we propose the Haddon matrix as a tool well‐suited to this task. The Haddon matrix is a conceptual model that organizes influencing factors into pre‐event, event, and post‐event phases, and into host, agent, and environment domains akin to the components of the epidemiologic triad. The Haddon matrix has previously been applied to topics relevant to the care of older persons, such as fall prevention, as well as to pandemic planning and response. Presented here is a novel application of the Haddon matrix to pandemic response in nursing homes, with practical applications for nursing home decision‐makers in their efforts to prevent and contain COVID‐19.
Development of a Family Support Scale for Diet Therapy for Male Workers with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Kitagawa Mai , Inagaki Michiko , Okuwa Mayumi , Tasaki Keiko , Horiguchi Tomomi , Asada Yuya , Nagamune Mizuyo
Published: July 2021

Aim

Dietary self‐care for patients with type 2 diabetes can be improved with family support. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to assess family support for diet therapy for male workers with type 2 diabetes and to examine its reliability and validity.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, we collected data from 110 Japanese male workers with type 2 diabetes. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, reliability testing, and validity testing.

Results

The resultant Family Support Scale for Diet Therapy for Male Workers (FSS‐DMW) with type 2 diabetes consisted of 31 items and a six‐factor structure. The six factors explained 72.9% of the variance, and Cronbach's alpha for the total scale was .964. The scale correlated as expected with the Social Support Scale for Chronic Illness and the dietary subscale of the Japanese version of the Summary of Diabetes Self‐Care Activities Measure.

Conclusion

The FSS‐DMW is a reliable and valid measure which can be used to assess family support for diet therapy for male workers with type 2 diabetes and has the potential to be used as a clinical instrument for family guidance.
The missing role of moral values in anti‐vaping messaging
Authors: Minton Elizabeth A. , Gardiner Paige
Published: July 2021

Vaping‐related illnesses are on the rise. Various anti‐vaping campaigns have been launched, but these marketing campaigns may be missing a core component of the reason that consumers vape—consumers perceive vaping as more moral than alternatives. Our research builds off belief congruence theory to examine this conjecture and accompanying solutions through three studies. Studies 1 and 2 show positive relationships between vaping morality perceptions and vaping attitudes/behavior in addition to identifying religiosity as an explanatory factor. Study 3 then experimentally manipulated marketing messaging to show that morality‐based messaging was most effective at increasing immorality perceptions and decreasing positive affect toward vaping, particularly for higher religiosity consumers.
Pancreatic incidentalomas: Investigation and management
Authors: Del Chiaro Marco , Torphy Robert J. , Schulick Richard D.
Published: July 2021

The incidence of pancreatic incidentalomas (PIs) detected in otherwise asymptomatic patients is growing with the increasing quality and use of advanced imaging techniques. PI can present as isolated main pancreatic duct dilation or as a solid or cystic lesion. Although historically thought to be relatively rare, PIs are rather common, particularly cystic lesions of the pancreas, which can be detected in up to 49% of the general population. With the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, PIs are an opportunity for prevention and early diagnosis, but when managed poorly, they can also lead to overtreatment and unnecessary morbidity. The management of PI should begin with a dedicated pancreas protocol computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to accurately characterize duct size, lesion characteristics and establish an accurate baseline for subsequent follow up. Diagnosis and subsequent management depends on the extent of main duct dilation and solid versus cystic appearance. Solid lesions are highly concerning for malignancy. Cystic lesions can be further categorized as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas (IPMNs) or mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs), both of which harbour malignant potential, or as serous cystic neoplasms (SCNs) that are benign. In this paper, we summarize the major challenges related to PI and present pragmatic suggestions for management.