bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating good village governance: an effort to prevent village corruption in Indonesia
Authors: Putri Caesar Marga , Argilés-Bosch Josep Maria , Ravenda Diego
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how the village government implements internal control, accountability, transparency and participation in the good governance practice for corruption prevention and detection in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is qualitative research by conducting a semi-structured interview with village staff, village consultative council members and auditors.

Findings

The findings highlight three major issues contributing to poor governance and the failure to prevent and detect corruption.

Practical implications

The regulator should urgently provide accounting standards, audit standards and internal control regulations for the village to create good governance for eradicating corruption.

Originality/value

This paper is a ground-breaking study that investigates the governance practice in the village as an anchor to solve the chronic corruption problem and offers a new direction of research in the village government.
Relationship between forensic vigilance and personality traits, work experience, burnout symptoms, workplace stress and satisfaction in forensic mental healthcare professionals
Authors: Clercx Maartje , Keulen-de Vos Marije , Craig Leam A. , Didden Robert
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Forensic mental health care is a unique field that poses complex demands on professionals. Forensic vigilance is a hypothesized specialty of forensic mental health professionals, allowing them to meet the complex demands of working in forensic settings. Forensic vigilance consists of theoretical and experiential knowledge of mental disorders, theory of offending behavior, the criminal history of patients and environmental observations and clinical judgment. Although this concept has only been recently described and defined, it is still unknown which professional and individual factors are related to forensic vigilance, and if forensic vigilance is related to job stress and burnout symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between forensic vigilance and several professional and individual factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study investigated whether forensic vigilance is predicted by years of work experience and the Big Five personality traits by means of an online survey among forensic mental health professionals and whether forensic vigilance is associated with work-related stress, burnout and workplace satisfaction.

Findings

The 283 forensic mental health professionals who responded to the survey indicated that forensic work experience, but not general experience, positively predicted forensic vigilance. Forensic vigilance was negatively associated with Neuroticism and positively associated with Openness to experience and Conscientiousness. Forensic vigilance did not predict work-related stress, burnout symptoms and workplace satisfaction. Personal accomplishment was positively related to forensic vigilance.

Practical implications

Findings of the present study increase the understanding of the construct of forensic vigilance. The findings presented here highlight the importance of differences between professionals in terms of experience and personality. Training programs should capitalize on experience, while taking personality differences in consideration. Personality differences are relevant in hiring policies and team composition. Finally, to reduce workplace-related stress and burnout symptoms, institutions should consider known factors that influence work-related symptoms (e.g. experienced autonomy) rather than forensic vigilance.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first effort to study forensic vigilance in relation to personality, work experience and experienced workplace-related stress and satisfaction.
Corporate ESG performance as good insurance in times of crisis: lessons from US stock market during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Moalla Mouna , Dammak Saida
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The COVID-19 outbreak and its confinement resulted in an unexpected stock market crash, hence the interest in environmental, social and governance (hereafter, ESG) policies. This paper aims to examine the association between ESG performance and stock market volatility before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examined 500 US companies listed in the S&P 500. The window period volatility refers to March 18, 2020, when the US President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Here, the Thomson Reuters database was used to collect ESG data and daily market information.

Findings

The findings suggest that companies with high ESG performance have lower stock price volatility than companies with poor ESG performance. In other words, strong ESG performance reduces stock price volatility resulting from the COVID-19 shock and promotes resilience and stock price stability.

Practical implications

This research contributes to current debates on emerging pandemics and unexpected risks and highlights the need to invest more in improving corporate sustainability.

Originality/value

The results have substantial implications for managers and investors, as it highlights the relevance of customer and investor loyalty to the durability of ESG stocks.
Are cohesive and mindful employees in India more likely to hoard knowledge? The mediating effect of meaning-making through work
Authors: Dash Sanket , Saini Garima
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Knowledge sharing is increasingly important in today’s information age and extant literature considers knowledge hoarding as an undesirable form of knowledge-withholding behavior. As knowledge hoarding is a generic, nonintentional behavior, specific attitudes and organizational processes are unlikely to curb it. Hence, the study postulates that reflection, awareness and group identification are necessary to combat innate tendencies toward knowledge hoarding. To test these hypotheses, this study aims to explore the role of mindfulness and relational systems in reducing employees’ knowledge hoarding by increasing their meaning-making through work.

Design/methodology/approach

The study results are based on a cross-sectional survey of 203 employees in India working for different organizations. Standardized scales were used for capturing data, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for analysis.

Findings

Mindfulness and team cohesion were positively related to an increase in meaning-making through work. Supervisor support improved perceptions of team cohesion. However, contrary to expectations, team cohesion and meaning-making through work were positively, rather than negatively, related to knowledge hoarding.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional nature of the study prevents strong inference of causal relationships. Future studies may use a longitudinal design to test the relationships.

Practical implications

It highlights the role of meditation sessions and supervisory support in improving employees’ perceptions of meaning-making through work. It exhorts managers to systematically assess the impact and societal perceptions regarding knowledge hoarding rather than automatically assume a negative attitude.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the impact of mindfulness, team cohesiveness and meaning-making through work on employees’ knowledge hoarding behaviors. The study results suggest that knowledge hoarding may be perceived positively in certain cultures. It highlights the inconsistencies in the conceptualization and operationalization of knowledge hoarding and suggests the need for better construct delineation and empirical studies related to knowledge hoarding.
Smarter city, less just destination? Mobilities and social gaps in Barcelona
Authors: Brandajs Fiammetta , Russo Antonio Paolo
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a critical framework to analyse how “smart” plays out in tourism places. Moving from a recognition of the strategies, expected impacts and imageries of Smart City, the authors engage with the mobilities literature to identify pitfalls in the quest of “smartening up” cities for hypermobile populations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a set of geoanalytical techniques to establish the potential relationship between the territorial upgrade of mobility and the socio-economic change processes the city of Barcelona is experiencing.

Findings

The paper suggests the effect of “smart” in cities could indeed be one of economic recovery; however, one triggering fundamental transformation of the social fabric of the city, whose most evident facet is the creation of globalised functional enclaves that may be forcefields of exclusion for the most vulnerable populations.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to a new stream of critical research on “smart” with a strong focus on the power of mobilities and mobility systems, whose digital enhancement plays out as a leveraging agent of new place connections and negotiations for short-term populations, but at the same time, may exclude disadvantaged subjects in their capacity to access and afford the system network.
Research protocol for a preliminary evaluation of a gamified tool for adult wellbeing
Authors: Gavin Jacob , Barnes Steven
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline a research protocol for an initial investigation into the efficacy of an early-development gamified intervention (“Wellbeing Town”) designed with potential end-users with the aim of improving adult wellbeing. Rationale for the proposed research is discussed along with a summary of the planned methodological approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Preliminary evaluation of “Wellbeing Town” is proposed to begin using a quasi-experiment, pre- vs post-intervention repeated-measures design with follow-up. Evaluation of changes in self-reported wellbeing will be supplemented with an investigation into the extent of self-directed play between post-intervention and follow-up, and its implications for follow-up outcome.

Findings

As this paper represents a protocol for future evaluation, no data is reported presently. The authors present the protocol for data analysis.

Originality/value

Once concluded, this study represents an initial evaluation of a gamified tool for adult wellbeing designed in conjunction with potential end-users. Should the game elicit significant improvements to wellbeing when played, proposals for further evaluation and possible future scalability are presented.
Print vs. electronic resources: influence of demographical characteristics of undergraduates on preferences and choices under diverse circumstances
Authors: Chohda Nirupma , Kumar Shiv
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This paper delineates the appraising and comparing the circumstances that may influence the choices and preferences of the undergraduates of National Institutes of Technology (NITs) of the north-western region of India for using library’s print versus electronic resources. The author investigated the circumstances in knowing whether different situations impact their choice for using print or electronic resources concerning their demographical characteristics for their academic learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a survey of undergraduates at six NITs in the north-western region of India. The responses were analysed using Chi-Square, Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis statistical analysis tests, via SPSS software.

Findings

The study revealed that respondents preferred a mix of both forms of sources for their academic studies under different circumstances. The results reveal that the institution of respondents affected the choice of print resources over e-resources and vice versa in many different circumstances. Respondents’ year of study affected the choice of using print over e-resources and vice versa in certain situations. The residential backdrop affects the choice of using e-resources over print in some situations. Gender of respondents affects the choice of using e-resources over print under some situations.

Practical implications

The study will further aid librarians at six NITs in the north-western region of India to know whether print resources still have the same importance among library users or their preference switched towards using electronic resources.

Originality/value

This study offers new perspectives on the use of print verses electronic resources among the undergraduates at six NITs in the north-western region of India so that the libraries can procure desired resources rather than moving with the market trends.
Initial public offering: a critical review of literature
Authors: Megaravalli Amith Vikram
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The main purpose of the paper is to critically review the studies in the area of management and entrepreneurship. Secondly, the study aims to identify various performance measures used by researchers to evaluate short and long-term IPO performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The author used systematic database survey procedures recommended in previous studies for the review (Short, 2009; Uberbacher, 2014). The review of the study includes articles published in top management and entrepreneurship journal published after 2008 (January 2009 to December 2020). The source of the collection of articles is the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The search included keywords: initial public offering(s) and IPO(s). The study considers the top journals in the area of management, which includesAdministrative Science Quarterly,Journal of Management,Journal of Management Studies,Organization ScienceandStrategic Management Journal. In entrepreneurship, the author included:Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,Journal of Business VenturingandJournal of Small Business Management. After careful consideration of each article, the search returned 104 articles, of which (92 articles) were empirical studies.

Findings

The outcome of the study will recommend research gaps and questions for future studies. The review will also recommend prominent performance measures to evaluate IPO performance.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature of management and entrepreneurship in two folds. First, the study critically reviewed the three themes (“Corporate governance”, “Upper echelons” and “Social influence”). Second, the author also reviewed various IPO performance measures used the management and entrepreneurship scholars from IPO context. Finally, the study identifies the research gap/research question in the three themes as well as five new themes, which can be a valuable addition for future studies. The author hopes that this study will further help future scholars to enhance the understanding of IPO in the area of management and entrepreneurship.
The power of minority shareholders: evidence from voting on the related party transaction proposals in China
Authors: Lv Jiabing , Ye Yong , Luo Runmei
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of minority shareholders’ attendance at shareholders meetings on related party transaction (RPT) proposals.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper empirically examines the impact of minority shareholders’ attendance in shareholders’ meetings on the voting results of RPT proposals based on the hand-collected voting data of Chinese listed companies.

Findings

The empirical result shows a significant positive relationship between the attendance of minority shareholders and the nonagreeable vote rate of RPT proposals. Moreover, this positive relationship is strengthened when the corporate governance is poor, the negative media coverage is high, and the on-site attendance of minority shareholders is high. Conversely, good corporate governance and high positive media coverage can weaken this positive correlation. The additional analysis reveals that the number of RPTs and better market performance in the future can be significantly reduced when minority shareholders express their nonagreeable voice actively.

Originality/value

This paper analytically and empirically examines the impact of minority shareholders’ attendance in shareholders’ meetings on the voting results of RPT proposals based on the hand-collected voting data of Chinese listed companies. It provides direct and convincing evidence for the impact of minority shareholders’ attendance and exercise of voting rights in shareholders’ meetings on the outcome of RPT proposals. It complements the literature on the governance effects of minority shareholders’ attendance in shareholders’ meetings to exercise their voting rights in emerging capital markets. This study has practical value by guiding minority investors to participate actively in corporate governance.
The mediation model of learning organization, technology acceptance, and service innovation: accommodation purchase managers’ perceptions in Antalya, Turkey: Part II
Authors: Kalıpçı Mehmet Bahadır
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the theoretical complexity that underlies purchase managers’ perceptions of their ability to take part in the implementation of a new back-office service strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of purchasing department managers in the Antalya (Turkey) region was conducted. The purchasing managers of Antalya’s five-star accommodation businesses comprise the research sample.

Findings

Within the scope of the study, 205 questionnaires were gathered. Factor analysis, correlation and regression analysis were applied to the obtained data. The learning organization (LO) consists of three factors (organization, group/team and individual), service innovation (SI) consists of two factors (employee innovation behavior and new service development) and technology acceptance (TA) consists of four factors (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, facilitating situations and social factors), according to the findings of the factor analysis. According to correlation analysis, LO, SI and TA all have positive and significant relationships. The LO has been observed to play an intermediary function in the relationship between TA and SI as a consequence of the analysis that determines the mediation effect.

Originality/value

This study which dealt with the dimensions of SI, TA and LO showed a proposed model which gives a better understanding of how the development of back-office system strategies is affected by LOs.
Decent work in traditional tourism destinations: Tourism Agenda 2030 perspective article
Authors: Maggi Rico , Vroegop Eva
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Discussing tendencies and shortcomings in the current debate on promoting decent work in hospitality and tourism, this study aims to respond to recent calls for progress on improving employee well-being. It proposes elements of a productivity-based strategy embedded in a circular dynamic linking productivity, service quality, profitability and job quality to enhance tourism employees’ well-being in view of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on recent empirical work on gift exchange theory, this viewpoint article presents a possible scenario that should stimulate debate among scholars and local policymakers of how decent work and quality of life can be achieved in traditional tourism destinations. This would fill a gap in the current debate, which focuses on quantitatively marginal alternative forms of tourism, to overcome problems inherent to growth-based tourism.

Findings

This contribution proposes a productivity-based development strategy supported by an incentive regulation policy targeting employers who provide tourist services in mass tourism destinations, promoting job quality to raise productivity and enhance service quality and in the end profitability.

Originality/value

This short article proposes a new perspective on promoting decent work in traditional tourism destinations based on gift exchange theory and discusses the scope for research essential to support a development based on the scenario described by a circular model.
Modelling harvest of Greenland barnacle geese and its implications in mitigating human–wildlife conflict
Authors: McIntosh Aimée L. S. , Bearhop Stuart , Hilton Geoff M. , Shaw Jessica M. , Johnson Fred A.
Published: January 2023

Arctic‐breeding goose populations have increased in recent decades and their expansion into agricultural areas has caused increasing conflict with farmers due to the damage they cause. Lethal control and scaring are common management strategies of conflict mitigation. Management typically focuses on local/national scales, making addressing the impact of localised control on the wider population challenging, particularly when populations move over large areas and cross international borders.

We construct an integrated population model (IPM) to assess the cumulative impact of all shooting harvest (hunting and derogation shooting) on the Greenland barnacle goose, Branta leucopsis. We use data from monitoring schemes throughout the migratory flyway and use population projections to evaluate the impact of potential future shooting strategies on abundance.

Our model suggests flyway abundance has declined since its 2012 peak, consistent with an increase in harvest rate and low productivity. Harvest rate increase was most pronounced on Islay (rising from 2% to 7% from 2011 to 2017), suggesting this was a probable cause of flyway abundance decline.

Islay abundance has declined since derogation shooting began in 2000, while abundance at other wintering sites has increased. This may indicate that declines in Islay abundance may be due to both shooting mortality and emigration from Islay.

Should future flyway‐level harvest rates increase, further declines in abundance could be expected, and are likely to be more pronounced if harvests are extended to the entire winter range. Conversely, should harvest rates decline, an increase in abundance is predicted. Projections can therefore be used to allocate flyway‐level harvest rates to alleviate local pressure without hindering flyway‐level management objectives.

Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate the impact of local harvests on global abundance, emphasising the importance of internationally coordinated monitoring and management strategies of migratory species. IPMs provide a framework for adaptation to incorporate additional data when they become available and enable comparisons of future harvest scenarios to inform management strategies throughout the flyway.
Sociology after the postcolonial: Response to Julian Go's ‘thinking against empire’
Authors: Valluvan Sivamohan , Kapoor Nisha
Published: January 2023

Julian Go's ‘Thinking Against Empire’ identifies the corpus of ‘anticolonial thought’ as being instructive for a wider rethinking of how sociology might rally its key conceptualisations of social relations. He insightfully identifies the marginalisation of such thinking from Sociology as an institutionalised discipline. In our response we take up some of the warnings Go provides in the closing sections of his essay—which concern the expanse of intellectual engagement being currently bracketed under or connected to the ‘anti‐colonial’, not least vis‐à‐vis the ‘decolonising/decolonial’ turn—to further unpack how the ‘anti‐colonial’ might be adapted for thinking through contemporary socio‐political dynamics. Offering, first, a precis of some particularities of British Sociology vis‐a‐vis the contributions of anticolonial social theory, this article then expands upon the dilemmas arising when anticolonial theory contemporaneous to the pre‐decolonisation era is transposed to contingencies of the present 21st century. Namely, whilst the anticolonial archive has proved invaluable to upending the omissions but also complicities of European social theory canons, allowing for a much more expansive sense of how the modern world and its violences were conjured and how we might accordingly escape its miseries, it is also clear that much of the postcolonial world has undergone sufficient shifts to warrant an adapted sense of how we consider the anti‐colonial for our current politics. We suggest that the important deviations which anti‐colonial theorisations might heed include the dangers of conflating the anticolonial with an affirmation of Global South, non‐white nativist identity; the need to recognise some key conjunctural premises by which the anticolonial is no longer geographically indexed to a straightforward Global North‐Global South distinction; and the need to acknowledge that, at its most radical, anticolonial thought is itself still invested in traversing both the dreams but also corruptions of those dreams as intrinsic to modernity.
RNA‐Seq‐Pop: Exploiting the sequence in RNA sequencing—A Snakemake workflow reveals patterns of insecticide resistance in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae
Authors: Nagi Sanjay C. , Oruni Ambrose , Weetman David , Donnelly Martin J.
Published: January 2023

We provide a reproducible and scalable Snakemake workflow, called RNA‐Seq‐Pop, which provides end‐to‐end analysis of RNA sequencing data sets. The workflow allows the user to perform quality control, perform differential expression analyses and call genomic variants. Additional options include the calculation of allele frequencies of variants of interest, summaries of genetic variation and population structure, and genome‐wide selection scans, together with clear visualizations. RNA‐Seq‐Pop is applicable to any organism, and we demonstrate the utility of the workflow by investigating pyrethroid resistance in selected strains of the major malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. The workflow provides additional modules specifically for An. gambiae, including estimating recent ancestry and determining the karyotype of common chromosomal inversions. The Busia laboratory colony used for selections was collected in Busia, Uganda, in November 2018. We performed a comparative analysis of three groups: a parental G24 Busia strain; its deltamethrin‐selected G28 offspring; and the susceptible reference strain Kisumu. Measures of genetic diversity reveal patterns consistent with that of laboratory colonization and selection, with the parental Busia strain exhibiting the highest nucleotide diversity, followed by the selected Busia offspring, and finally, Kisumu. Differential expression and variant analyses reveal that the selected Busia colony exhibits a number of distinct mechanisms of pyrethroid resistance, including the Vgsc‐995S target‐site mutation, upregulation of SAP genes, P450s and a cluster of carboxylesterases. During deltamethrin selections, the 2La chromosomal inversion rose in frequency (from 33% to 86%), supporting a previous link with pyrethroid resistance. RNA‐Seq‐Pop is hosted at: github.com/sanjaynagi/rna‐seq‐pop. We anticipate that the workflow will provide a useful tool to facilitate reproducible, transcriptomic studies in An. gambiae and other taxa.
Repeat dose steroid in high pain responders after total knee arthroplasty: A study protocol
Authors: Springborg Anders H. , Varnum Claus , Nielsen Niklas I. , Rasmussen Lasse E. , Kjærsgaard‐Andersen Per , Pleckaitiene Lina , Gromov Kirill , Troelsen Anders , Kehlet Henrik , Foss Nicolai B.
Published: January 2023

Pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a well‐known clinical problem potentially delaying ambulation and recovery. Perioperative glucocorticoids reduce pain and facilitate early recovery, but the optimal timing and dose are still unknown. High pain catastrophizers have an increased risk of poorly controlled postoperative pain, and moderate to severe pain at 24 h is associated with a risk of pain relapse at 48 h. To evaluate the effect of a repeat moderate dose of glucocorticoids after TKA in high pain catastrophizers presenting with moderate to severe pain 24 h postoperatively, having received preoperative high‐dose glucocorticoids. High pain catastrophizers (Pain Catastrophizing Scale > 20) undergoing TKA are screened 24 h postoperatively and are included if they experience moderate to severe pain (VAS > 30) during a 5 m walk test. The included patients will receive either oral 24 mg dexamethasone (n = 55) or placebo (n = 55) on the evening of Day 1 (~30–37 h) after surgery. In addition, patients receive a standard multimodal analgesic regimen, including paracetamol, celecoxib, local infiltration analgesia, and preoperative dexamethasone (1 mg/kg). Patients will fill out a pain diary for 7 days after surgery. The primary outcome is moderate to severe pain (VAS > 30) during a 5 m walk test on the morning of Day 2 after surgery. The secondary outcomes include cumulated pain at rest and during ambulation, cumulated use of rescue analgesics, quality of sleep, lethargy, dizziness, nausea, satisfaction with the analgesic regimen, length of stay, morbidity, mortality, and reasons for readmissions. Follow‐up is at 8 and 30 days. The data from this study will provide evidence for the effect of a repeated dose of dexamethasone as an analgesic adjuvant in patients undergoing TKA with a high risk of postoperative pain.
Staged treatment of placenta accreta spectrum: A combined surgical and radiological approach
Authors: West Simon , Martin Amy , Copping Ross , Gard Greg , Maher Richard , Seeho Sean
Published: January 2023

Background

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a rare but serious complication of pregnancy.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine maternal and neonatal outcomes following a combined surgical and interventional radiology (IR) approach to managing PAS, and the risks associated with this technique.

Methods and Materials

Retrospective cohort study of all cases of PAS in a tertiary maternity centre between January 2001 and July 2020. Women who underwent caesarean hysterectomy for histologically confirmed PAS with a staged surgical and IR approach were compared with those who underwent caesarean hysterectomy without IR. Maternal, neonatal outcomes, surgical and radiological complications were assessed.

Results

Forty‐six women were included in the study, and 30/46 (65.2%) underwent the staged surgical and IR approach. Women in the staged group had less overall blood loss (1794 mL vs 3713 mL; P < 0.001), less requirement for blood transfusion (40% vs 75%; P < 0.001), and a lower mean volume of packed red cells transfused (2.5 vs 6.1 units). Anaesthetic and operative times were longer for the staged group (468 vs 189 min: 272 vs 141 min P < 0.001), respectively. There were no differences in rates of neonatal or maternal complications between the two groups.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that a staged procedure combining surgery and IR for PAS results in a considerable reduction in blood loss, need for transfusion, and units of packed red cells transfused compared with surgery alone. The staged procedure required significantly longer anaesthetic and operative times; however, there were no differences in maternal and neonatal morbidity.
Environmental risk assessment of propofol in wastewater: a narrative review of regulatory guidelines
Authors: Waspe J. , Orr T.
Published: January 2023

Concerns relating to the negative environmental impacts of anaesthesia are increasing, and in recent years, there has been an environmentally motivated trend towards greater use of propofol‐based total intravenous anaesthesia. Consequently, the environmental burden of propofol waste and disposal, particularly into wastewater, has gained attention. Current literature reporting levels of propofol in wastewater are scarce and the threat this presents to the environment is unclear. We review the regulatory requirements for conducting an environmental risk assessment, with a focus on the process for analysing whether drugs or drug metabolites cause harm to aquatic species. Furthermore, we present a profile for the aquatic toxicity of propofol based on available data and discuss the implications of this for future practice.
Time trends, projections, and spatial distribution of low birthweight in Australia, 2009–2030: Evidence from the National Perinatal Data Collection
Authors: Huda M. Mamun , Callaway Leonie K. , Jackson Greg , Fatima Yaqoot , Cumming Janet , Biswas Tuhin , Paz Gonzalo R. , Boyle Fran , Sly Peter D. , Mamun Abdullah Al
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Infants with low birthweight (LBW, birthweight <2500 g) have increased in many high‐resource countries over the past two decades. This study aimed to investigate the time trends, projections, and spatial distribution of LBW in Australia, 2009–2030.

Methods

We used standard aggregate data on 3 346 808 births from 2009 to 2019 from Australia's National Perinatal Data Collection. Bayesian linear regression model was used to estimate the trends in the prevalence of LBW in Australia.

Results

Wefound that the prevalence of LBW was 6.18% in 2009, which has increased to 6.64% in 2019 (average annual rate of change, AARC = +0.76%). If the national trend remains the same, the projected prevalence of LBW in Australia will increase to 7.34% (95% uncertainty interval, UI = 6.99, 7.68) in 2030. Observing AARC across different subpopulations, the trend of LBW was stable among Indigenous mothers, whereas it increased among non‐Indigenous mothers (AARC = +0.81%). There is also an increase among the most disadvantaged mothers (AARC = +1.08%), birthing people in either of two extreme age groups (AARC = +1.99% and +1.53% for <20 years and ≥40 years, respectively), and mothers who smoked during pregnancy (AARC = +1.52%). Spatiotemporal maps showed that some of the Statistical Area level 3 (SA3) in Northern Territory and Queensland had consistently higher prevalence for LBW than the national average from 2014 to 2019.

Conclusion

Overall, the prevalence of LBW has increased in Australia during 2009–2019; however, the trends vary across different subpopulations. If trends persist, Australia will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of a 30% reduction in LBW by 2030. Centering and supporting the most vulnerable subpopulations is vital to progress the SDGs and improves perinatal and infant health in Australia.
Australian women's views concerning non‐medical egg freezing and factors motivating freezing decisions
Authors: Arendt Molly , Oxlad Melissa
Published: January 2023

Objective

We aimed to determine women's views about egg freezing for non‐medical reasons and the factors motivating freezing decisions.

Design

In this study, 514 women aged 18–44 years completed an online cross‐sectional survey exploring fertility knowledge, reproductive intentions and views concerning non‐medical egg freezing.

Methods

Data were analysed descriptively. Additionally, 14 variables noted as potential motivators in prior literature were entered into a multinomial regression to explore factors that would motivate women to consider freezing their eggs for non‐medical reasons.

Results

Views concerning non‐medical egg freezing were generally positive, with 61.3% of participants reporting that they would consider egg freezing (‘Yes’ or ‘Maybe’). Factors motivating decisions to freeze varied among women who responded ‘Yes’, ‘Maybe’ and ‘I don't know’ to whether they would consider freezing. The availability of Medicare subsidization and the procedure not affecting future fertility were significant predictors for all three groups of women.

Conclusions

Acceptability of egg freezing for non‐medical reasons was moderate to high. However, there is a need for targeted fertility information to educate women about fertility and optimal times to conceive and freeze their eggs. Future research about views concerning non‐medical egg freezing among diverse populations and examining the health economics of this procedure would be beneficial.
Protocol for the TRANSLATE prospective, multicentre, randomised clinical trial of prostate biopsy technique
Authors: Bryant Richard J. , Yamamoto Hide , Eddy Ben , Kommu Sashi , Narahari Krishna , Omer Altan , Leslie Tom , Catto James W. F. , Rosario Derek J. , Good Daniel W. , Gray Rob , Liew Matthew P. C. , Lopez J. Francisco , Campbell Teresa , Reynard John M. , Tuck Steve , Barber Vicki S. , Medeghri Nadjat , Davies Lucy , Parkes Matthew , Hewitt Aimi , Landeiro Filipa , Wolstenholme Jane , Macpherson Ruth , Verrill Clare , Marian Ioana R. , Williams Roxanne , Hamdy Freddie C. , Lamb Alastair D.
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Primary objectives: to determine whether local anaesthetic transperineal prostate (LATP) biopsy improves the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), defined as International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade Group ≥2 disease (i.e., any Gleason pattern 4 disease), compared to transrectal ultrasound‐guided (TRUS) prostate biopsy, in biopsy‐naïve men undergoing biopsy based on suspicion of csPCa. Secondary objectives: to compare (i) infection rates, (ii) health‐related quality of life, (iii) patient‐reported procedure tolerability, (iv) patient‐reported biopsy‐related complications (including bleeding, bruising, pain, loss of erectile function), (v) number of subsequent prostate biopsy procedures required, (vi) cost‐effectiveness, (vii) other histological parameters, and (viii) burden and rate of detection of clinically insignificant PCa (ISUP Grade Group 1 disease) in men undergoing these two types of prostate biopsy.

Patients and Methods

The TRANSLATE trial is a UK‐wide, multicentre, randomised clinical trial that meets the criteria for level‐one evidence in diagnostic test evaluation. TRANSLATE is investigating whether LATP biopsy leads to a higher rate of detection of csPCa compared to TRUS prostate biopsy. Both biopsies are being performed with an average of 12 systematic cores in six sectors (depending on prostate size), plus three to five target cores per multiparametric/bi‐parametric magnetic resonance imaging lesion. LATP biopsy is performed using an ultrasound probe‐mounted needle‐guidance device (either the ‘Precision‐Point’ or BK UA1232 system). TRUS biopsy is performed according to each hospital's standard practice. The study is 90% powered to detect a 10% difference (LATP biopsy hypothesised at 55% detection rate for csPCa vs 45% for TRUS biopsy). A total of 1042 biopsy‐naïve men referred with suspected PCa need to be recruited.

Conclusions

This trial will provide robust prospective data to determine the diagnostic ability of LATP biopsy vs TRUS biopsy in the primary diagnostic setting.
Stimulation of platelet P2Y1 receptors by different endogenous nucleotides leads to functional selectivity via biased signalling
Authors: Arkless Kate L. , Pan Dingxin , Shankar‐Hari Manu , Amison Richard T. , Page Clive P. , Rahman Khondaker Miraz , Pitchford Simon C.
Published: January 2023

Background and Purpose

Platelet function during inflammation is dependent on activation by endogenous nucleotides. Non‐canonical signalling via the P2Y1 receptor is important for these non‐thrombotic functions of platelets. However, apart from ADP, the role of other endogenous nucleotides acting as agonists at P2Y1 receptors is unknown. This study compared the effects of ADP, Ap3A, NAD+, ADP‐ribose, and Up4A on platelet functions contributing to inflammation or haemostasis.

Experimental Approach

Platelets obtained from healthy human volunteers were incubated with ADP, Ap3A, NAD+, ADP‐ribose, or Up4A, with aggregation and fibrinogen binding measured (examples of function during haemostasis) or before exposure to fMLP to measure platelet chemotaxis (an inflammatory function). In silico molecular docking of these nucleotides to the binding pocket of P2Y1 receptors was then assessed.

Key Results

Platelet aggregation and binding to fibrinogen induced by ADP was not mimicked by NAD+, ADP‐ribose, and Up4A. However, these endogenous nucleotides induced P2Y1‐dependent platelet chemotaxis, an effect that required RhoA and Rac‐1 activity, but not canonical PLC activity. Analysis of molecular docking of the P2Y1 receptor revealed distinct differences of amino acid interactions and depth of fit within the binding pocket for Ap3A, NAD+, ADP‐ribose, or Up4A compared with ADP.

Conclusion and Implications

Platelet function (aggregation vs motility) can be differentially modulated by biased‐agonist activation of P2Y1 receptors. This may be due to the character of the ligand‐binding pocket interaction. This has implications for future therapeutic strategies aimed to suppress platelet activation during inflammation without affecting haemostasis as is the requirement of current ant‐platelet drugs.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on Platelet purinergic receptor and non‐thrombotic disease. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.4/issuetoc
Salience and horizontal differentiation
Authors: Aytimur R. Emre
Published: January 2023

I study a horizontal differentiation model in which one of two attributes of a product, product fit and price, is more salient for a consumer than the other and different consumers can find a different attribute salient. The attribute that is more salient is determined by relative differences between the two products and is determined endogenously as a result of firms' pricing strategies. High (low) marginal costs soften (toughen) price competition between firms. Pass‐through rates are greater than 1 for some parameter values. Both industry‐ and firm‐level cost increases may be beneficial for firms.
Involvement of clusterin expression in the refractory response of pancreatic cancer cells to a MEK inhibitor
Authors: Amada Kohei , Hijiya Naoki , Ikarimoto Sawa , Yanagihara Kazuyoshi , Hanada Toshikatsu , Hidano Shinya , Kurogi Shusaku , Tsukamoto Yoshiyuki , Nakada Chisato , Kinoshita Keisuke , Hirashita Yuka , Uchida Tomohisa , Shin Toshitaka , Yada Kazuhiro , Hirashita Teijiro , Kobayashi Takashi , Murakami Kazunari , Inomata Masafumi , Shirao Kuniaki , Aoki Masahiro , Takekawa Mutsuhiro , Moriyama Masatsugu
Published: January 2023

Constitutive activation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is essential for tumorigenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To date, however, almost all clinical trials of inhibitor targeting this pathway have failed to improve the outcome of patients with PDAC. We found that implanted MIA Paca2, a human PDAC cell line sensitive to a MAPK inhibitor, PD0325901, became refractory within a week after treatment. By comparing the expression profiles of MIA Paca2 before and after acquisition of the refractoriness to PD0325901, we identified clusterin (CLU) as a candidate gene involved. CLU was shown to be induced immediately after treatment with PD0325901 or expressed primarily in more than half of PDAC cell lines, enhancing cell viability by escaping from apoptosis. A combination of PD0325901 and CLU downregulation was found to synergistically or additively reduce the proliferation of PDAC cells. In surgically resected PDAC tissues, overexpression of CLU in cancer cells was observed immunohistochemically in approximately half of the cases studied. Collectively, our findings highlight the mechanisms responsible for the rapid refractory response to MEK inhibitor in PDAC cells, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy that could be applicable to patients with PDAC using inhibitor targeting the MAPK signaling pathway and CLU.
Impact of salivary contamination during implant placement with different surface characteristics in native and augmented bone: An in vivo study in sheep calvaria model
Authors: Jinno Yohei , Stocchero Michele , Toia Marco , Papia Evaggelia , Ahmad Marianne , Becktor Jonas Peter
Published: January 2023

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether salivary contamination during placement of implants with different surface characteristics affects osseointegration in native and in augmented bone areas.

Materials and Methods

Forty eight implants with machined surface (MS) and 48 implants with moderately rough surface (RS) were tested in the calvaria of 12 sheep. At the first surgery, 64 bony critical defects were randomly created and were subsequently augmented with two materials (autogenous or bovine bone). After 5 weeks of graft healing, 8 implants were placed per sheep, in native bone and in the centre of the augmented defects. Forty eight implants were soaked with saliva before placement (contaminated group [CG]), while 48 implants were not (non‐contaminated group [NCG]). Five weeks after implant placement, bone‐to‐implant contact (BIC) and bone material area fraction occupancy (BMAFO) were calculated histomorphometrically.

Results

Saliva contamination showed a significant negative effect (p = .000) on BIC, especially in augmented areas. RS showed significant positive effect on BIC, compared to MS (p = .000), while there were no significant differences for different bone conditions (p = .103). For BMAFO, the contamination showed a significantly negative affect (p = .000), while there were no significant differences for surface characteristics (p = .322) and for bone condition (p = .538).

Conclusion

Saliva contamination during dental implant placement has a negative effect on osseointegration in augmented areas. Moderately rough surface has a possible advantage in the aspect of initial bone to implant contact. However, it seems to be advisable to avoid saliva contamination especially for implants placed in augmented bone areas.
Effect of a novel interocclusal recording method on occlusal accuracy of implant‐supported fixed prostheses: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Ding Qian , Pu Tingting , Tu Ya , He Mingzhu , Wang Shimin , Zhang Lei , Liu Jianzhang , Zhou Yongsheng
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To investigate the effect of a novel interocclusal recording method on the occlusal accuracy of implant‐supported fixed prostheses for partially dentate patients with distal extension.

Materials and Methods

Twenty patients with two or more adjacent teeth missing in the distal extension and scheduled to receive implant‐supported fixed prostheses were enrolled. Two interocclusal recording methods were used: placing polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) on the interocclusal recording caps (test), and placing PVS on healing abutments (control). The intraoral occlusal contacts in maximal intercuspal position (MIP) were compared with those in the mounted casts to calculate sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). Then, patients were randomly allocated into two groups to determine which interocclusal record would be used. The implant prostheses' evaluations mainly included occlusal adjustment height, volume, and time, occlusal contact score based on articulating paper examination. Paired‐samples t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test, and least squares regression analyzed the statistic differences.

Results

The test method had higher sensitivity to detect intraoral occlusal contacts than the control method (p = .002), but similar PPV (p = .10). During the prostheses' evaluations, the occlusal adjustment height in the test group was significantly lower than that in the control group [99.4 (53.2, 134.2) vs. 159.0 (82.3, 247.8) μm, p = .03], while the occlusal contact score before adjustment was higher (p = .006). The groups had similar occlusal adjustment volume and time.

Conclusions

The novel interocclusal recording method for implant‐supported fixed prostheses was more accurate and could reduce the occlusal adjustment.