bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A critical evaluation of research associated with carers’ organisations since the start of the Carers' Movement
Authors: Crossdale Rachel , Buckner Lisa
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Since the start of the Carers’ Movement research into unpaid care and carers has been used to advocate for policy change. The purpose of this paper is to address the changes in research into unpaid care and carers since the start of the Carers’ Movement and to explore the relationship between these changes and social policy.

Design/methodology/approach

This research paper is based on a qualitative study of documents within the Carers UK archive.

Findings

Research into unpaid care and carers has changed focus from caregiving as an identity and lifestyle to an interruption to “normal” life and employment. Changes in research are intertwined with changes in policy, with research evidencing advocation for policy change and policy change fuelling further research. Changes in the methodology of this research exposes transition points in the Carers’ Movement and in social research more broadly.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to critical understandings of the relationship between research into unpaid care and caring and policy. The paper also contributes to debates on methodology, exploring how the methodological zeitgeist presents in archived research.

Social implications

Understanding how current research into unpaid care and carers has been developed and acknowledging the role of policy in research development brings available data on unpaid care and caring under scrutiny.

Originality/value

This paper is original in developing a critical analysis of the relationship between research into unpaid care and carers and social policy.
Destination social responsibility drives destination brand loyalty: a case study of domestic tourists in Danang city, Vietnam
Authors: Tran Phuong Kim Thi , Nguyen Hue Kim Thi , Nguyen Loc Thi , Nguyen Hong Thi , Truong Thanh Ba , Tran Vinh Trung
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to identify how perceived destination social responsibility (DSR) drives destination brand loyalty through a jointly and independently mediated mechanism of cognitive and affective components (e.g. tourist-destination identification, cognitive image, affective image and tourist satisfaction) and to examine the moderating role of individual-level collectivist values in linking perceived DSR and tourist behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey is conducted to collect the data of 351 domestic tourists visiting an urban tourism destination (e.g. Danang City) in Vietnam. A serial multiple mediation model and moderation model were examined by applying covariance-based structural equation modeling.

Findings

This research’s results highlight the leading factors of perceived DSR in the process of forming destination brand loyalty and confirm the vital role of the intermediary mechanism of tourists' cognition and affect during this process. The chain of causal relationships DSR → TDI → CI → AI → TS → DBL confirms the role of perceived DSR as an essential prerequisite factor of DBL, creating a close connection to tourists' cognition and affect and contributing to improving destination brand loyalty. Individual-level collectivist values were found to positively moderate the links between perceived DSR and tourist-destination identification, affective image and destination brand loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

Future research would provide insights into the links between perceived DSR and tourist behaviors by considering moderating variables (e.g. cultural distance and tourist types) and uncovering specific insights into each destination stakeholder's DSR activities.

Originality/value

A new integrated model of destination brand loyalty development is proposed to explore a new path for destination brand loyalty formation through cognitive, affective and cognitive-affective pathways. This moderating stream of examining individual-level collectivist values can make a significant contribution to the extant tourism literature by promoting a more positive tourist perception of DSR, thereby increasing tourists' knowledge, beliefs and emotions and enhancing destination brand loyalty.
The applicability of machine learning algorithms in accounts receivables management
Authors: Kureljusic Marko , Metz Jonas
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The accurate prediction of incoming cash flows enables more effective cash management and allows firms to shape firms' planning based on forward-looking information. Although most firms are aware of the benefits of these forecasts, many still have difficulties identifying and implementing an appropriate prediction model. With the rise of machine learning algorithms, numerous new forecasting techniques have emerged. These new forecasting techniques are theoretically applicable for predicting customer payment behavior but have not yet been adequately investigated. This study aims to close this research gap by examining which machine learning algorithm is the most appropriate for predicting customer payment dates.

Design/methodology/approach

By using various machine learning algorithms, the authors evaluate whether customer payment behavior patterns can be identified and predicted. The study is based on real-world transaction data from a DAX-40 firm with over 1,000,000 invoices in the dataset, with the data covering the period 2017–2019.

Findings

The authors' results show that neural networks in particular are suitable for predicting customers' payment dates. Furthermore, the authors demonstrate that contextual and logical prediction models can provide more accurate forecasts than conventional baseline models, such as linear and multivariate regression.

Research limitations/implications

Future cash flow forecasting studies should incorporate naïve prediction models, as the authors demonstrate that these models can compete with conventional baseline models used in existing machine learning research. However, the authors expect that with more in-depth information about the customer (creditworthiness, accounting structure) the results can be even further improved.

Practical implications

The knowledge of customers' future payment dates enables firms to change their perspective and move from reactive to proactive cash management. This shift leads to a more targeted dunning process.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study has yet been conducted that interprets the prediction of incoming payments as a daily rolling forecast by comparing naïve forecasts with forecasts based on machine learning and deep learning models.
Economic network dynamics: a structural analysis of the international connectivity of Chinese manufacturing firms
Authors: Lo Re Michele , Veglianti Eleonora , Parente Fabrizio , Monarca Umberto , Magazzino Cosimo
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper explores international trade of the Chinese manufacturing industries through the lenses of network analysis (NA) to visualise the world trade network of the Chinese economy, describe its topology and better explain the international organisation of Chinese manufacturing industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors built a dataset of 40,550 Chinese companies and their 107,026 subsidiaries in 118 countries from Orbis-BVD and used a NA to investigate the connection between China and other countries. In particular, the authors studied the connections between Chinese companies and their subsidiaries in order to build a network of Chinese industries.

Findings

The authors found that the network of Chinese companies is ramified but not wide and it can be divided into two clusters. Moreover, the relations between China and other peripheral countries are strongly mediated by a few leading locations (e.g. Hong Kong and the USA).

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the authors provide empirical evidence on the magnitude and ramifications of Chinese enterprises in the world. The existing studies generally focus on applying NA to sectoral insights (Mao and Yang, 2012; Shaikh et al., 2016; Zheng et al., 2016; Wanzenbö ck, 2018; Krichene et al., 2019), whereas in this work the authors take a comprehensive view of the entire Chinese manufacturing system. Second, this paper complements the existing literature identifying the difference between cluster levels in Chinese manufacturing (Wu and Jiang, 2011) by proposing a cluster centralisation method to analyse the international network of Chinese firms rather than just the national network. Finally, the results also shed light on the international trade relationship between China, Hong Kong and the USA.
Travellers’ online sharing across different platforms: what and why?
Authors: Nasution Reza Ashari , Windasari Nila Armelia , Mayangsari Lidia , Arnita Devi
Published: February 2023

Purpose

There is a limited understanding of experience revelation in tourism. This study aims to fill the gap by investigating the influence of review platforms’ characteristics, i.e. time-dimension and interactivity, on this issue to generate a holistic view of customer experience.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analysed data from Google Reviews, TripAdvisors and Twitter, consisting of 41,914 records within a three-year span, about Komodo National Park, Indonesia. An explanatory sequential mixed method was performed, adopting quantitative sentiment analysis with a naïve algorithm, opinion lexicon and Latent Dirichlet Allocation for topic modelling, followed by a qualitative analysis.

Findings

The findings support the proposed interaction between the characteristics of the platforms and the extent of customer experience shared through the platforms. Further elaboration of the data brought up five propositions on the relationship between the time dimension and interactivity characteristics of the review platforms and experience sharing on the platforms.

Originality/value

This study presents an original and initial effort to gather a holistic view on customer experience. It brings valuable implications to the theory and practice of customer experience management, especially in the tourism sector.
Education is social management: a review of International Models of Changemaker Education
Authors: Marine Jonathan
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This book review seeks to clarify the contribution of the (2022) edited collection, International Models of Changemaker Education, to the field of work-applied management. It proposes that the many international models of changemaker education described in this book offer management professionals an array of innovative methods which support workplace learning and change by fostering organizational and educational flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

This book review frames the collection's contribution in the context of work-applied management by systematically reviewing its chapter in order to present their relevance to conversations in and adjacent to the field.

Findings

This book review provides insights into how changemaker education might be conceived of and utilized in work-applied management contexts as drawn from the many innovative and demiurgic methods described in the collection and its chapters.

Research limitations/implications

Changemaker education is a wide-ranging theoretical perspective, which is often loosely defined across contexts. However, this lexical amorphousness provides important flexibility for an expanded range of theoretical application.

Practical implications

This review includes important implications for the development of work-applied management theories drawn from models of changemaker education that demonstrate methods for achieving organizational agility and flexibility.

Originality/value

This review provides new and innovate models of use to work-applied management theorists and professionals.
Enhancing sustainable supply chain performance by adopting sustainable lean six sigma-Industry 4.0 practices
Authors: Rana Jaypalsinh Ambalal , Jani Suketu Y.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The Sustainable Lean Six Sigma (SLSS) adoption approach, advancements in Internet technologies and the use of Industry4.0 technologies has resulted in faster customer need fulfilment. The Industry4.0 technologies have resulted in a new paradigm where strategic and operational decisions are in favour of profitability and long-term viability. The purpose of this study is to identify Industry4.0-SLSS practices and sustainable supply chain performance metrics, as well as to develop a framework for decision-makers and managers to make supply chains more sustainable.

Design/methodology/approach

The 33 Industry4.0-SLSS practices and 24 performance metrics associated with the sustainable supply chain are shortlisted based on extensive literature review and expert opinion. The Pythagorean Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (PF-AHP) approach is used to evaluate the weights of Industry4.0-SLSS practices after collecting expert panel opinions. The Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) methodology used these weights to rank performance metrics.

Findings

According to the results of PF-AHP, “Product development competencies (PDC)” are first in the class of major criteria, followed by “Advanced technological competencies (ATC)” second, “Organisational management competencies (OMC)” third, “Personnel and sustainable competencies (PSC)” fourth and “Soft Computing competencies (SCC)” fifth. The performance metric “Frequency of NPD” was ranked first by the WASPAS method.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed paradigm helps practitioners to comprehend Industry4.0 technology and SLSS practices well. The identified practices have the potential to boost the sustainability and supply chain's performance. Organizational effectiveness will benefit from practices that promote a sustainable supply chain and the use of developing technology. Managers can evaluate performance using performance metrics that have been prioritized.

Originality/value

The present study is one of the unique attempts to establish a framework for enhancing the performance of the sustainable supply chain. The idea of establishing Industry4.0-SLSS practices and performance measures is the authors' original contribution.
Simplified rating tool to evaluate sustainable practices of small-scale infrastructure projects in Australia – a comparative review
Authors: Sandanayake Malindu Sasanka , Vrcelj Zora , Bouras Yanni , Chau Hing-Wah , Hastings Patrick
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The present study aims to inform the requirements for developing a sustainable rating tool for small-scale infrastructure projects (SSIPs) through research findings.

Design/methodology/approach

A review-based comparative study of existing infrastructure sustainability (IS) rating tools for assessment of SSIPs is presented. Key stakeholder participants of the existing IS rating tools, are interviewed to identify existing barriers and requirements for sustainability rating. The study further presents possible rating tool options to optimise the sustainable performance evaluation of SSIPs.

Findings

Findings of this study indicated that prevalent IS rating tools are majorly applied to large-scale infrastructure projects and sustainability of SSIPs are seldom assessed. Based on a literature review and series of interviews, it was found that user friendliness, efficient structure, training and technical support, cost effectiveness and stakeholder recognition are the five key requirements of a sustainability rating tool for SSIPs. Additionally, six sustainability assessment options were proposed for SSIPs which range from pathways for existing tools through to new, customisable tools. Upon comparison, a new modified tool with verification process and revised tool with defined grouping of sustainable criteria was more effective for evaluation of SSIPs.

Research limitations/implications

Use of case specific information for validation and framework development may lack generalisation. However, methodology can be used for future decision-making by making necessary adjustments to suit different local regional requirements.

Originality/value

Despite lack of generalisation, the findings can lead to future general studies on sustainability of SSIPs. Findings of the study provide foundation knowledge and awareness for sustainability evaluation of SSIPs.
Occupational therapy in adults with chronic respiratory conditions: A scoping review
Authors: McCowan Amanda , Gustafsson Louise , Bissett Michelle , Sriram Bajee Krishna
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Chronic respiratory diseases have a clear impact on occupational performance and engagement. Although occupational therapists have long provided services to this population, evidence regarding the unique role and true impact of occupational therapy is emerging.

Aims/objectives

The purpose of this scoping review was to explore the range, context, and outcomes of occupational therapy services for adults with chronic respiratory conditions.

Methods

A scoping review guided by the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley was completed. To be included articles needed to be peer reviewed primary studies published in English between 2000 and September 2022 describing occupational therapy service delivery for people with chronic respiratory conditions.

Results

Twenty‐six articles met inclusion criteria including 12 cohort studies, seven randomised control trials, four qualitative, two case reports, and one service evaluation. Interventions were targeted at body functions and structures (n = 18), activities and participation (n = 17), and environmental factors (n = 14). Ten studies reported impacts of occupational therapy ranging from physiological responses through to quality of life.

Conclusion

Occupational therapy service delivery is common for this population, often occurring as part of multidisciplinary programs, and is inclusive of a range of assessments and interventions. Further details in future primary research are needed to describe the mode and unique occupational nature of service delivery.
The role of verbal short‐term memory in complex sentence comprehension: An observational study on aphasia
Authors: Gilardone Giulia , Viganò Mauro , Costantini Giulio , Monti Alessia , Corbo Massimo , Cecchetto Carlo , Papagno Costanza
Published: February 2023

Background

The comprehension profile of people with agrammatism is a debated topic. Syntactic complexity and cognitive resources, in particular phonological short‐term memory (pSTM), are considered as crucial components by different interpretative accounts.

Aim

To investigate the interaction of syntactic complexity and of pSTM in sentence comprehension in a group of persons with aphasia with and without agrammatism.

Methods & Procedures

A cohort of 30 participants presenting with aphasia was assessed for syntactic comprehension and for pSTM. A total of 15 presented with agrammatism and 15 had fluent aphasia.

Outcomes & Results

Linear nested mixed‐model analyses revealed a significant interaction between sentence type and pSTM. In particular, participants with lower pSTM scores showed a reduced comprehension of centre‐embedded object relatives and long coordinated sentences. Moreover, a significant interaction was found between sentence type and agrammatism, with a lower performance for passives within the agrammatic group.

Conclusions & Implications

These results confirm that pSTM is involved in the comprehension of complex structures with an important computational load, in particular coordinated sentences, and long‐distance filler gap dependencies. On the contrary, the specific deficit of the agrammatic group with passives is a pure syntactic deficit, with no involvement of pSTM.
Public works programmes and agricultural risk: Evidence from India
Authors: Taraz Vis
Published: February 2023

The agricultural sectors in many low‐ and middle‐income countries remain highly vulnerable to weather risk, a vulnerability that will only intensify under climate change. The globally trending public works programmes have the potential to impact weather‐related agricultural risk. I explore the impact of India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) on weather‐related agricultural risk. My empirical strategy explores the staggered roll‐out of NREGA and random weather fluctuations. Using a nationwide panel of data, I find that NREGA makes crop yields more sensitive to low rainfall shocks. I posit that these results are consistent with a labour market channel, by which NREGA increases nonfarm labour supply in low rainfall years, and an income channel, by which NREGA leads to riskier agricultural practices. These results highlight the importance of understanding how social protection programmes shape agricultural risk.
Daughter, mother, widow: The making of the identities of Isabella d'Aragona
Authors: von Güttner‐Sporzyński Darius
Published: February 2023

This article examines performances of identity (as daughter, mother and widow) by Isabella d'Aragona (1470–1524) in three of her letters. Isabella's construction of self, drew on her status as a dynast of the House of Aragon and aimed at securing her future and promote the interests of her children. The analysis of the language of letters, their context and their outcomes will contribute to the understanding of the use of letter‐writing as an effective rhetorical device, thus demonstrating that the epistolary genre was used by women to engage their male recipients in a persuasive negotiation.
Greenhouse Gas Disclosure and Emissions Benchmarking
Authors: TOMAR SORABH
Published: February 2023

I examine the effects of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program, which requires thousands of industrial facilities to measure and report their GHG emissions. I show that facilities reduce their GHG emissions by 7.9% following the disclosure of emissions data. The evidence indicates that benchmarking—whereby facilities use the disclosures of their peers to assess their own relative GHG performance—spurs emission reductions. Firms' concerns about future legislation appear to motivate this behavior and measurement alone (without disclosure) seems not to reduce emissions. My study highlights how mandatory GHG disclosure can create real effects for peers.
Characterization and phylogenetic implication of complete mitochondrial genome of theCataglyphis aenescens(Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Genomic comparisons in Formicinae
Authors: Li Ting , Xu Zheng‐Hui , Liu Xia , Xiong Zhong‐Ping , Zhang Xin‐Min
Published: February 2023

Ants are the most widely distributed social insects in terrestrial ecosystems with the largest number of species and quantities; their ecological function is very significant and they have certain medicinal value. Because mitochondria have their own DNA (mtDNA) and genetic system, so the complete mitochondrial genome has been used more and more in molecular phylogeny, population genetics, molecular diagnosis, and evolution of insects. In this study, the mitochondrial genome ofCataglyphis aenescens(Nylander, 1849) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was sequenced and annotated. The results showed that the total length of the mitochondrial genome ofC. aenescens(Nylander, 1849) was 17,197 bp; it contained 37 genes, including 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes (tRNAs), 2 rRNA genes (rRNAs) and a non‐coding region. All PCGs ofC. aenescenswere initiated with ATN codons and terminated with the TAA codon. The overall nucleotide composition ofC. aenescenswas AT‐biased (81.74%).CataglyphisandFormicaclustered together.C. aenescensis closely related toFormica sinae,Formica. fuscaandFormica selysi. This work enhances the genetic data of Formicidae and contributes to our understanding of their phylogenic relationship, evolution, and utilization.
Consumer preferences for the color of unprocessed animal foods
Authors: Altmann Brianne Andrea , Trinks Anna , Mörlein Daniel
Published: February 2023

Consumer choices for food products are often based on appearance; one important aspect being product color. We systematically review the literature on consumer preferences for the color of raw beef, pork, poultry, bee honey, cow milk, and chicken eggs to inform future food technology and marketing research; a total of 40 studies were identified. Consumer preferences for pork color vary widely globally and can depend on other demographic factors. A trend toward light and bright beef was observed in six out of eight studies. A pink color was preferred in chicken by consumers in Northern Ireland and Brazil; muscle color uniformity was also related to higher acceptance. Contrarily, a diverse selection of honey colors is preferred; dark golden, yellow, and amber products were liked by consumers across the globe. One study observed a preference for white (over yellowish) milk. Worldwide, white and brown eggshells are preferred nearly equally with considerable differences between continents and regions. Our review highlights the heterogeneity of color preferences for animal products, worldwide; research methods should focus on quantifying colors associated with preferences so that food producers can accurately market their diverse products in regions with corresponding color preferences.
Congenital male genital malformations and paternal health: An analysis of the US claims data
Authors: Yu Bo , Zhang Chiyuan Amy , Chen Tony , Mulloy Evan , Shaw Gary M. , Eisenberg Michael L.
Published: February 2023

Objective

To investigate the potential association between paternal health and male genital malformations in the offspring.

Materials and methods

We analyzed data from 2007 to 2016 derived from the IBM MarketScan Research database, which reports on reimbursed private healthcare claims in the United States. The association between paternal comorbidities (defined as individual and combined measures) and genital malformations in male offspring was analyzed.

Results

Of 376,362 male births, 22% of fathers had at least one component of metabolic syndrome (≥1) prior to conception. Totals of 2880 cases of cryptorchidism (0.77%) and 2651 cases of hypospadias (0.70%) were identified at birth. While 0.76% of sons born to fathers with no metabolic syndrome components were diagnosed with cryptorchidism, 0.82% of sons with fathers with multiple metabolic syndrome components had cryptorchidism. Similarly, 0.69% versus 0.88% of sons had hypospadias when fathers had 0 or 2+ components of metabolic syndrome. After adjusting for maternal and paternal factors, the odds of a son being diagnosed with hypospadias increased with two or more paternal metabolic syndrome components (Odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.27 [1.10–1.47]). Specific components of paternal metabolic syndrome were not generally more associated with a son's genital malformations. When we performed a subgroup analysis where genital malformations were defined based on surgical correction, the association with hypospadias persisted.

Conclusions

Fathers with multiple components of metabolic syndrome in the preconception period were observed to be at increased risk for having sons born with hypospadias. The results support the association between a man's andrological and overall health.
A single dose of exercise stimulates skeletal muscle mitochondrial plasticity in myotonic dystrophy type 1
Authors: Mikhail Andrew I. , Manta Alexander , Ng Sean Y. , Osborne Aislin K. , Mattina Stephanie R. , Mackie Mark R. , Ljubicic Vladimir
Published: February 2023

Aim

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the second most common muscular dystrophy after Duchenne and is the most prevalent muscular dystrophy in adults. DM1 patients that participate in aerobic exercise training experience several physiological benefits concomitant with improved muscle mitochondrial function without alterations in typical DM1‐specific disease mechanisms, which suggests that correcting organelle health is key to ameliorate the DM1 pathology. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial turnover and dynamics in DM1 skeletal muscle is lacking.

Methods

Skeletal muscle tissue was sampled from healthy and DM1 mice under sedentary conditions and at several recovery time points following an exhaustive treadmill run.

Results

We demonstrate that DM1 patients exhibit an imbalance in the transcriptional apparatus for mitochondrial turnover and dynamics in skeletal muscle. Additionally, DM1 mice displayed elevated expression of autophagy and mitophagy regulators. A single dose of exercise successfully enhanced canonical exercise molecular pathways and skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis despite failing to alter the cellular pathology in DM1 mice. However, treadmill running stimulated coordinated organelle fusion and fission signaling, as well as improved alternative splicing of Optic atrophy 1. Exercise also evoked autophagy and mitophagy pathways in DM1 skeletal muscle resulting in the normalized expression of autophagy‐ and lysosome‐related machinery responsible for the clearance of dysfunctional organelles.

Conclusion

Collectively, our data indicate that mitochondrial dynamics and turnover processes in DM1 skeletal muscle are initiated with a single dose of exercise, which may underlie the adaptive benefits previously documented in DM1 mice and patients.
Case–control study of the concurrence of coeliac disease with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Sonnenberg Amnon , Genta Robert M.
Published: February 2023

Background and Aims

Previous studies suggested that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increased prevalence of comorbid coeliac disease. Our case–control study aimed to test this association using a large histopathology database.

Methods

The Inform Diagnostics database is a repository of histopathologic records from patients distributed throughout the United States. In a case–control study among patients with bidirectional endoscopy, we compared the occurrence of coeliac disease in case subjects with IBD or microscopic colitis (MC) and control subjects without inflammatory colitis, calculating odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted to the varying age, gender and ethnic distributions of case and control subjects.

Results

The study population was split into 12,816 IBD cases and 6486 MC cases, who were compared to 345,733 control subjects without colitis. A total of 2892 patients were diagnosed with coeliac disease. Of 12,816 IBD patients, 57 patients (0.4%) harboured coeliac disease compared to 0.7% (2548/345,733) in the control population. The prevalence of coeliac disease among MC patients was 4.4% (288/6486). The corresponding ORs were significantly decreased in IBD (OR: 0.50, CI: 0.38–0.64) and significantly increased in MC patients (6.78, 5.96–7.69). Further stratification of the case populations into subtypes of IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) and MC (collagenous or lymphocytic colitis) similarly revealed significantly decreased and increased ORs for each subtype.

Conclusions

The previously reported positive association between coeliac disease and IBD may have been possibly biased by the inclusion of MC cases in the IBD patient population.
Who wins and who loses from state subsidies?
Authors: Du Jun , Girma Sourafel , Görg Holger , Stepanok Ignat
Published: February 2023

China is perceived to rely on subsidizing firms in targeted industries to improve their performance and stay competitive. We implement an approach that allows for the joint estimation of direct and indirect effects of subsidies on subsidized and non‐subsidized firms. We find that firms that receive subsidies experience a boost in productivity. However, our approach highlights the importance of indirect effects, which are generally neglected in the literature. We find that, in general but not always, non‐subsidized firms experience reductions in their productivity growth if they operate in a cluster where other firms are subsidized. These negative externalities depend on the share of firms that receive subsidies in the cluster. Aggregating direct and indirect effects into a (weighted) total effect shows that this negative indirect effect tends to dominate. We interpret our results in light of a simple heterogenous firm model, which highlights that subsidization in a competitive environment of firms may potentially harm non‐subsidized firms.
Influence of drilling sequence and guide‐hole design on the accuracy of static computer‐assisted implant surgery in extraction sockets and healed sites—An in vitro investigation
Authors: Raabe Clemens , Dulla Fabrice Alain , Yilmaz Burak , Chappuis Vivianne , Abou‐Ayash Samir
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of drilling sequence, guide‐hole design, and alveolar ridge morphology on the accuracy of implant placement via static computer‐assisted implant surgery (sCAIS).

Materials and Methods

Standardized maxillary bone models including single‐tooth gaps with fresh extraction sockets or healed alveolar ridge morphologies were evaluated in this study. Implants were placed using different drilling sequences (i.e., complete [CDS] or minimum [MDS]), and guide‐hole designs (i.e., manufacturer's sleeve [MS] or sleeveless [SL] guide‐hole designs). The time for implant placement via sCAIS procedures was also recorded. The angular, crestal, and apical three‐dimensional deviations between planned and final implant positions were digitally obtained. Statistical analyses were conducted by a non‐parametric three‐way ANOVA (α = .05).

Results

Based on a sample size analysis, a total of 72 implants were included in this study. Significantly higher implant position accuracy was found at healed sites compared to extraction sockets and in SL compared to MS guide‐hole design in angular, crestal, and apical 3D deviations (p ≤ .048). A tendency for higher accuracy was observed for the CDS compared to the MDS, although the effect was not statistically significant (p = .09). The MDS required significantly shorter preparation times compared with CDS (p < .0001).

Conclusion

Implant placement via sCAIS resulted in higher accuracy in healed sites than extraction sockets, when using SL compared to MS guides, and tended to be more accurate when using CDS compared to MDS. Therefore, even though surgery time was shorter with MDS, its use should be limited to strictly selected cases
Could meeting the standards of the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer in the National Cancer Database improve patient outcomes?
Authors: Brady Justin T. , Bingmer Katherine , Bliggenstorfer Jonathan , Xu Zhaomin , Fleming Fergal J. , Remzi Feza H. , Monson John R. T. , Wexner Steven D. , Dietz David W. ,   the Consortium for Optimizing the Treatment of Rectal Cancer (OSTRiCh)
Published: February 2023

Aim

The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) was developed to improve rectal cancer patient outcomes in the United States. The NAPRC consists of a set of process and outcome measures that hospitals must meet in order to be accredited. We aimed to assess the potential of the NAPRC by determining whether achievement of the process measures correlates with improved survival.

Methods

The National Cancer Database was used to identify patients undergoing curative proctectomy for non‐metastatic rectal cancer from 2010 to 2014. NAPRC process measures identified in the National Cancer Database included clinical staging completion, treatment starting <60 days from diagnosis, carcinoembryonic antigen level measured prior to treatment, tumour regression grading and margin assessment.

Results

There were 48 669 patients identified with a mean age of 62 ± 12.9 years and 61.3% of patients were men. The process measure completed most often was assessment of proximal and distal margins (98.4%) and the measure completed least often was the serum carcinoembryonic antigen level prior to treatment (63.8%). All six process measures were completed in 23.6% of patients. After controlling for age, gender, comorbidities, annual facility resection volume, race and pathological stage, completion of all process measures was associated with a statistically significant mortality decrease (Cox hazard ratio 0.88, 95% CI 0.81–0.94, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Participating institutions provided complete datasets for all six process measures in less than a quarter of patients. Compliance with all process measures was associated with a significant mortality reduction. Improved adoption of NAPRC process measures could therefore result in improved survival rates for rectal cancer in the United States.
Investigation into the development of novel lanthanide‐based luminescent colorants for application to textiles and paper materials
Authors: Lewis D. M. , Broadbent P. J. , Rigout M. L. A. , Carr C. M. , Seaton C. C. , Swift T.
Published: February 2023

This article describes the synthesis and application of lanthanide‐based luminophores for visualisation under short wavelength ultraviolet (UV) activation (typically 254 nm). Luminophores are chemical compounds which re‐emit light of longer wavelength than typical fluorescence and phosphorescence, following photoexcitation, because of efficient energy transfer from the ligands to the lanthanide ion emission levels. The luminophores described in this article are all derived from europium and terbium metal complexes and cover the complete colour gamut. Selection of appropriate ligands allows for water solubility or water insolubility (if required pigment or disperse “dye” applications). Similar to dyeing or printing processes, the anionic complexes can be applied to polyamide fibres or to cellulosic fibres, whereas dispersions of the non‐ionic complexes are suitable for polyester or cellulose acetate fibre application. The water‐soluble derivatives are also suitable for ink‐jet printing and the water‐insoluble derivatives are suitable for lithographic or intaglio paper printing. The novel complexes are excited by radiation below 300 nm and thus cannot be activated by sunlight (the earth's atmosphere prevents light below about 300 nm reaching the surface). Accordingly, the photo‐stability of the dyed materials and prints obtained is excellent. These materials could be used in security marking applications, for example bank‐notes and passports, where they could replace the current fluorophores that are rendered visible under near UV light (typically 365 nm) illumination but exhibit relatively poor photo‐stability. The development of an RGB (red, green and blue) colour palette for inkjet printing based on these innovative luminophores will significantly support the design of digitally printed security features.
S3 Guideline Urticaria. Part 2: Treatment of urticaria – German‐language adaptation of the international S3 guideline
Authors: Zuberbier Torsten , Altrichter Sabine , Bauer Sabine , Brehler Randolf , Brockow Knut , Dressler Corinna , Fluhr Joachim , Gaskins Matthew , Hamelmann Eckard , Kühne Kathrin , Merk Hans , Mülleneisen Norbert K. , Nast Alexander , Olze Heidi , Ott Hagen , Pleimes Marc , Ruëff Franziska , Staubach‐Renz Petra , Wedi Bettina , Maurer Marcus
Published: February 2023

This publication is the second part of the German‐language S3 guideline on urticaria. It covers the management of urticaria and should be used together withPart 1of the guideline on classification and diagnosis. This publication was prepared according to the criteria of the AWMF on the basis of the international English‐language S3 guideline with special consideration of health system conditions in German‐speaking countries. Chronic urticaria has a high impact on the quality of life and daily activities of patients. Therefore, if causal factors cannot be eliminated, effective symptomatic treatment is necessary. The recommended first‐line treatment is to administer new generation, non‐sedating H1 antihistamines. If the standard dose is not sufficiently effective, the dose should be increased up to fourfold. For patients who do not respond to this treatment, the second‐line treatment in addition to antihistamines in the treatment algorithm is omalizumab and, if this treatment fails, ciclosporin. Other low‐evidence therapeutic agents should only be used if all treatments in the treatment algorithm agreed upon by the guideline group fail. Both the benefit‐risk profile and cost should be considered. Corticosteroids are not recommended for long‐term treatment due to their inevitable severe side effects.
Ndst1, a heparan sulfate modification enzyme, regulates neuroectodermal patterning by enhancing Wnt signaling in Xenopus
Authors: Yamamoto Takayoshi , Kambayashi Yuta , Tsukano Kohei , Michiue Tatsuo
Published: February 2023

Neural tissue is derived from three precursor regions: neural plate, neural crest, and preplacodal ectoderm. These regions are determined by morphogen‐mediated signaling. Morphogen distribution is generally regulated by binding to an extracellular matrix component, heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycan. HS is modified by many enzymes, such as N‐deacetyl sulfotransferase 1 (Ndst1), which is highly expressed in early development. However, functions of HS modifications in ectodermal patterning are largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the role of Ndst1 using Xenopus embryos. We found that ndst1 was expressed in anterior neural plate and the trigeminal region at the neurula stage. ndst1 overexpression expanded the neural crest (NC) region, whereas translational inhibition reduced not only the trigeminal region, but also the adjacent NC region, especially the anterior part. At a later stage, ndst1 knocked‐down embryos showed defects in cranial ganglion formation. We also found that Ndst1 activates Wnt signaling pathway at the neurula stage. Taken together, our results suggest that N‐sulfonated HS accumulates Wnt ligand and activates Wnt signaling in ndst1‐expressing cells, but that it inhibits signaling in non‐ndst1‐expressing cells, leading to proper neuroectodermal patterning.
Luspatercept in combination with recombinant erythropoietin in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with ring sideroblasts: Stimulating early and late‐stage erythropoiesis
Authors: Fattizzo Bruno , Versino Francesco , Bortolotti Marta , Rizzo Lorenzo , Riva Marta , Barcellini Wilma
Published: February 2023

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and ring sideroblasts (MDS RS) are clinically characterized by severe anemia and transfusion need. Erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs), which stimulate hemoglobin production and early maturation of erythroid precursors, are effective only in a portion of patients and for limited time. Luspatercept, an inhibitor of the TGF‐beta pathway, is beneficial in unblocking late‐stage erythropoiesis and has been approved for MDS RS patients failing or not‐candidate to ESAs. ESAs and/or luspatercept failure represents an unmet clinical need and most patients become life‐long transfusion dependent. Here, we describe the clinical combination of luspatercept with ESAs (subcutaneous epoetin alpha 40–80 000 IU/week) in seven MDS RS patients. Two patients had ESAs as pre‐existing therapy, while five were re‐challenged with ESAs as add‐on treatment due to luspatercept failure. Three patients achieved hematologic improvement, and one became transfusion independent. No adverse events were noted. This is the first clinical evidence that stimulating both early and late‐stage erythropoiesis may offer a further option for this challenging patient population.
The etiology and mortality of new‐onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) in adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Tharmaraja Thahesh , Ho Jamie Sin Ying , Neligan Aidan , Rajakulendran Sanjeev
Published: February 2023

New‐onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) is a devastating neurological presentation. There is a paucity of large studies on NORSE as it is a relatively new clinical syndrome. The aim of this review was to summarize the etiologies and establish a mortality rate for NORSE. Two independent authors systematically searched the following electronic databases from January 1, 2005 April 20, 2021: PubMed, Embase, OVID, Scopus, Web of Science, “Clinicaltrials.gov,” and the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) registry. We included all primary research studies of NORSE in adults and excluded commentaries, reviews, pre‐clinical studies, and pediatric populations. Etiology was extracted from all studies meeting eligibility criteria, whereas data relating to treatments, hospital stay, functional outcomes, and mortality were extracted from studies with sample size ≥5. We conducted a random‐effects meta‐analysis of mortality rate with meta‐regression testing for significant covariates. Of 1482 studies, 109 case reports and case series met our criteria, comprising 395 cases of NORSE. The most common etiology was cryptogenic in 197 cases (49.9%), followed by autoimmune in 143 cases (36.2%). The pooled mortality rate was 22% (95% confidence interval 17%–27%;  = 15), with low heterogeneity ( = 0%). Meta‐regression revealed that year of study, treatment with ketogenic diet or immunotherapy, percentage of cryptogenic cases, and length of intensive care unit stay were not significant covariates for mortality. Common treatments included antiseizure medications (median 5), general anesthesia, and immunotherapy such as corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasma exchange. Mean length of intensive care admission was 33.4 days, with 52% of cases diagnosed with epilepsy on discharge. Neurocognitive impairment was a common sequela of NORSE. NORSE is associated with a high mortality. Half of cases remain cryptogenic, which presents a diagnostic challenge. Future focus should be on elucidating the underlying neurobiology and determining the most effective therapeutic interventions.
Impact of regulatory restrictions on the use of valproic acid in women of childbearing age: An Italian study
Authors: Di Vito Lidia , Mazzoni Stefania , Belotti Laura Maria Beatrice , Poluzzi Elisabetta , Baldin Elisa , Zenesini Corrado , Bisulli Francesca , Tinuper Paolo , Mostacci Barbara
Published: February 2023

Objective

Due to significant risks to the offspring after intrauterine exposure, the European Medicines Agency issued recommendations in 2014 and 2018 restricting the use of valproate (VPA) in women of childbearing age (WOCA). We aimed to evaluate their impact in the Emilia‐Romagna region (ERR) of Northern Italy.

Methods

Using administrative databases, we identified all the ERR residents who received antiseizure medication (ASM) prescriptions from 2010 to 2020. Time series of incidence rates by sex and age group were evaluated for all ASMs. Focusing on VPA, an interrupted time series analysis was applied to assess the impact of the restrictions in WOCA with epilepsy (WOCA‐E) and WOCA with psychiatric disorders (WOCA‐P). We then evaluated the chronological order of ASM prescriptions with regard to the position of VPA.

Results

Incidence rates of VPA prescriptions overall decreased over time. A significant decrease was observed only for females. The effect was stronger for WOCA, after both the first (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = .85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .75–.96) and the second restriction (IRR = .67, 95% CI = .55–.82). The decrease was significant after the second restriction both for WOCA‐E (IRR = .43, 95% CI = .27–.68) and for WOCA‐P (IRR = .49, 95% CI = .35–.70), as well as VPA as a first prescription in both populations. VPA prescriptions as further choice did not show the same trend.

Significance

After the regulatory restrictions, an overall significant decline in the use of VPA in WOCA was observed in ERR. The second restriction has been effective in consolidating the prescription trend. However, VPA appears still to be a commonly used drug in WOCA when other ASMs have failed.