bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design process of ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake: Nakahama Elementary School
Authors: Motoe Masashige
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study clarifies the design process for preserving and opening Nakahama Elementary School, damaged in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, to the public in 2020 as a museum facility that allows visitors to view the interior and learn about what was experienced here on March 11, 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

There are several unique aspects of the processes for preserving Nakahama Elementary School and the design for reopening it as a disaster ruins and museum facility. This paper explains the significances of the processes and results and provides detailed insights from involvement in the design process and includes a detailed chronology of the process. It also deals with important questions raised regarding the preservation of disaster remains and what lessons should be conveyed to visitors based on the reality of the disaster experience on this site.

Findings

Over 10 years, storytelling, committee recommendations, a master plan, regulations and renovation design were developed through a layered, step-by-step process to determine the meaning of the ruins. Rather than emphasizing earthquake threats or reconstruction achievements, it was important to understand the latent meaning of the site through stakeholder discussions, capture details of the disaster experience for visitors to relive and express the region’s unique disaster culture.

Originality/value

This original case study comprehensively describes administrative procedures and community relationships in preserving and utilizing disaster remains. As the author served on the initial study committee and continued to be responsible for the basic planning, architectural renovation design, exhibition planning and actual production of the guidebooks, the paper presents rare insights from the real experience of practical involvement in the planning and design process of the preservation of this heritage site.
The dark side of stock repurchases: do they affect marketing capabilities?
Authors: Wen Yuan , John-Mariadoss Babu , Umesh U.N. , Sa Vinhas Alberto , Kuzmich Daniel
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of stock repurchase – firms buying back their own stocks – on firm performance, focusing specifically on the role of marketing capability. The authors also investigate the moderating influence of competitive intensity on this effect. This research sheds light on how marketing capability explains the negative effect of stock repurchase on firm performance, and how this effect varies in different competitive intensity environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test their hypotheses using US firm-level longitudinal data collected from a sample set of firms obtained from the Compustat database for the 1989–2015 period. The authors specify a panel data regression model to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The authors find that adoption of stock repurchase ultimately results in a decrease in firm performance, through a decrease in marketing capability. The authors also find that the indirect effect of stock repurchase on firm performance is moderated by firm competitive intensity, such that at higher levels of competitive intensity, the negative relationship between stock repurchase and marketing capability will become amplified and at lower levels of competitive intensity, the negative relationship between stock repurchase and marketing capability will get attenuated.

Research limitations/implications

This study indicates that the risk from stock repurchase is the diversion of funds from other beneficial activities such as marketing budgets, leading to lowered marketing capability.

Practical implications

This study's results will help managers improve their understanding of the dark side of the stock repurchase strategy and help take corrective action.

Originality/value

The present study empirically tests the effects of stock repurchase on marketing capability and firm performance.
What drives viewers’ engagement in travel live streaming: a mixed-methods study from perceived value perspective
Authors: Chen Yuangao , Tao Liyan , Zheng Shuang , Yang Shuiqing , Li Fujun
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors influencing viewers’ engagement intention in travel live streaming (TLS) from a perceived value perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a mixed-methods approach. In Study 1, 48 semistructured interviews were analyzed based on grounded theory and perceived value theory, and a research framework was established to investigate the impact of viewers’ engagement intentions in TLS. In Study 2, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to empirically validate survey data from 255 TLS viewers.

Findings

Through an analysis of the interview content, it was found that the expertise and interaction of the live streamer in TLS as well as the immersion, aesthetics and novelty of the live streaming scene are key influencing factors that affect the engagement of TLS viewers. This finding was confirmed through empirical research.

Practical implications

This research provides practical suggestions for live streamers, TLS platforms and local government to increase viewer engagement. Specifically, it provides methods and directions for the individual improvement of live streamers, further promotes the development and construction of the platform and underscores the importance of government initiatives in policy support and regulatory framework development.

Originality/value

This study focuses on the less-researched field of TLS. Using a mixed-methods approach combining interviews and PLS-SEM, this study explores the key factors that affect the engagement of TLS viewers based on the characteristics of live streamers and live streaming scenes.
Beyond teaching: the extended role of informal entrepreneurship education and training in challenging contexts
Authors: Akullo Grace , Aracil Elisa , Mwaura Samuel , McMillan Carolyn
Published: October 2024

Purpose

We seek to understand how informal entrepreneurship education and training (EET) processes support marginalised women in challenging institutional contexts into gainful participation in entrepreneurial activities, facilitating empowerment and emancipation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs an inductive qualitative approach drawing on in-depth individual interviews, a focus group and observation of how female informal EET educators facilitate hands-on EET to marginalised female entrepreneurs in Uganda.

Findings

We specify a range of novel complementary practices that informal EET educators undertake during the main instructional EET stage and present the wraparound purposive work, both pre-and-post the instructional stage, they enact to support female empowerment processes for their disadvantaged learners. We then propose a grounded model capturing practices enacted by EET practitioners that illuminates ways in which informal EET can contribute to processes of empowerment and emancipation.

Originality/value

Our contributions are twofold. First, we conceptualise EET educators as institutional entrepreneurs undertaking institutional work beyond core teaching. Second, we specify a range of novel complementary practices they undertake before, during and after the conventional instructional part. This illuminates how EET can contribute to processes of empowerment and emancipation. Drawing on data from a unique institutional context, we illuminate novel practices enacted by informal EET educators thereby extending both the pedagogy and the realm of entrepreneurship education with implications for grander empowerment and emancipatory outcomes beyond the development of entrepreneurial competencies.
Cognition, horizon and practice: formation of the nonsynchronism in theoretical research of information science
Authors: Wang Fang , Zhu Hongzhi
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The nonsynchronism in theoretical research of information science (IS) is an interesting phenomenon that has not been sufficiently examined. This study is to reveal the mechanism of its formation from a microscopic perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research approach was adopted and 22 professors from different IS fields were interviewed. The data were analyzed with a six-step thematic analysis method.

Findings

The nonsynchronism in IS theoretical research is reflected in three dimensions. Theory cognition and theory practice shape each other under the constraint of theory horizon. Researchers with similar theory cognition and practice form a theoretical generation. The inter-generational gap may exist among IS researchers in different research areas, at different ages, or located in different countries or regions.

Research limitations/implications

This study reveals the formation mechanism of the nonsynchronism in IS theoretical research from a microscopic perspective of individual researcher’s theory using practice and offers new insights into the dynamics of the structural evolution of IS theoretical knowledge.

Practical implications

The results of this study can help to promote internal or external communication in IS and enhance theoretical education for doctoral students.

Originality/value

This study identifies and theoretically defines a few core themes, theory horizon, theory cognition, theory practice and theoretical generation, and reveals their relationships. On this basis, a conceptual model of nonsynchronism in theoretical research is developed.
Improving community vitality: spiritually informed entrepreneurial actions
Authors: Dissanayake Srinath , Pavlovich Kathryn , Kovács Gábor
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to depict how entrepreneurs improve community vitality in the economic, social and environmental dimensions. The paper joins the conversation of business spirituality as the study participants were Sri Lankan Buddhist entrepreneurs from the emerging venture context (i.e. from enterprises which are less than 1–10 years old). The aim of the paper is to introduce spiritually informed entrepreneurial actions, thus contributing to a better understanding of entrepreneurial impact on communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper involves a qualitative, interpretivist research design. Data was collected by conducting 28 semi-structured interviews with 18 Sri Lankan Buddhist entrepreneurs. Research participants were selected from diverse business sectors. The research applied inductive thematic analysis for structuring and interpreting data.

Findings

For Sri Lankan Buddhist entrepreneurs, improving community vitality is an essential altruistic goal of their business agenda. During the operations of their ventures, this altruistic goal is translated into altruistic actions that improve the economic, social and environmental vitalities of communities. Research findings highlight that in the case of Sri Lankan Buddhist entrepreneurs, altruistic actions are informed by compassion, which is a fundamental value in the Buddhist religion. Drawing on the findings, an integrated model of community vitality, which describes the role of compassion and the mechanisms of entrepreneurial actions in a Buddhist setting was developed inductively.

Originality/value

Studying entrepreneurial actions to focus on the motivations behind improving community vitality is a new research topic. The paper provides valuable knowledge on business spirituality regarding the compassionate motivations of Buddhist entrepreneurs. The integrated model of community vitality, which describes the mechanisms of entrepreneurial actions to improve community vitality in a Buddhist setting could be an essential compass not only to entrepreneurs but also research scholars in the field of business spirituality.
Service for sustainability and overall value for money: sequential mediation of customer-generated communication on social media and perceived value
Authors: Ahmed Saira , Ahmad Ashfaq , Abid Ghulam
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study investigated the predictors of overall value for money in the hospitality industry concerning routine practices reinforcing SDG goals. The sequential mediation underlines the mechanism of theoretical viability and sustainability relevance of restaurant environment factors and customer-generated communication on social media to influence the value impressions of hospitality customers.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-sectional design was utilized to obtain empirical data from customers of luxury restaurants in mega cities of Pakistan. Non-probability purposive sampling was deployed to collect data from 370 customers. The chained relationship of predictors was analyzed using Smart PLS.

Findings

The SDGs' integration with predictors provided theoretical insights into the role of physical spaces in achieving SDG 14 of sustainable consumption and production. The role of social media communication explains the mechanism of online discourse, which shapes perceptions of sustainable dining experiences.

Practical implications

This study explained sustainable consumption's relation to consumers' psychological undertakings and reinforced the dinners' decision-making processes to evaluate expectations influencing dining choices. This study helps to understand how sustainability issues transformed consumers' value perception and helps them take measures to minimize the environmental impact of their dining choices.

Originality/value

The sequential mediation model investigated with the lens of expectation disconfirmation theory provided relational clarity, which is difficult to achieve when comparing the perception of customers with performance variables. Distinguishing overall value for money from perceived value is essential for making data-driven decisions to utilize monetary resources efficiently.
Archetypes of integrated care
Authors: Bird Marissa , Shaw James , Brinton Christopher D. , Wright Vanessa , Steele Gray Carolyn
Published: October 2024

Purpose

A synthesis of integrated care models classified by their aims and central characteristics does not yet exist. We present a collection of five “archetypes” of integrated care, defined by their aims, to facilitate model comparison and dialogue.

Design/methodology/approach

We used a purposive literature search and expert consultation strategy to generate five archetypes. Data were extracted from included articles to describe the characteristics and defining features of integrated care models.

Findings

A total of 25 examples of integrated care models (41 papers) were included to generate five archetypes of integrated care. The five archetypes defined include: (1) whole population models, (2) life stage models, (3) disease-focused models, (4) identity group-based models and (5) equity-focused models.

Research limitations/implications

The five presented archetypes offer a conceptual framework for academics, health system decision makers and patients, families, and communities seeking to develop, adapt, investigate or evaluate models of integrated care.

Originality/value

Two cross-cutting themes were identified, including (1) minimal reporting of patient, caregiver and community engagement efforts in integrated care development, implementation and evaluation, and (2) the nuanced emphasis and implementation of electronic data sharing methods across archetypes, and the need for further definition of the role of these data sharing methods.
Examining the effects of national intellectual capital on economic growth: does digital services trade restrictiveness matter?
Authors: Vo Duc Hong , Warkentin Merrill , Tran Ngoc Phu
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The moderating role of digital services trade restrictiveness to the effects of national intellectual capital on economic growth has been largely ignored in the existing literature. As such, this paper aims to examine how national intellectual capital and digital services trade restrictiveness affect economic growth. In addition, the moderating role of digital services trade restrictiveness in the relationship between national intellectual capital and economic growth is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a sample comprising 62 countries worldwide is used. The national intellectual capital for each country is computed using the index of national intellectual capital. Data pertaining to digital services trade restrictiveness are extracted from the digital services trade restrictiveness index (OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services database). To ensure the robustness of the findings, the generalized method of moments (GMM) is used in the analysis.

Findings

The findings of this study confirm that national intellectual capital supports economic growth. Accumulating intellectual capital at the national level plays an essential role in supporting economic growth. The authors also find evidence to confirm that digital services trade restrictiveness negatively affects economic growth, particularly for high-income and lower-middle-income countries. Interestingly, digital services trade restrictiveness deteriorates economic growth across countries globally, except for upper-middle-income countries, with a weak effect. The empirical results also confirm that the joint effects between national intellectual capital and digital services trade restrictiveness are negative and significant. As such, findings from our analysis suggest that digital services trade restrictiveness moderates the relationship between national intellectual capital and economic growth.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide valuable implications for policymakers to formulate and implement policies aiming to improve national intellectual capital to support sustainable economic growth. In addition, limiting digital services trade restrictiveness across countries appears to provide both direct and indirect effects in enhancing sustainable economic growth.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study conducted to examine the moderating role of digital services trade restrictiveness on the national intellectual capital – economic growth nexus.
Numerical analysis of FRP retrofitting in RC beam-column exterior joints at high temperatures and predictive modeling using artificial neural networks
Authors: Surya Prakash R. , Parthasarathi N.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to perform a numerical analysis of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) retrofitting in reinforced concrete (RC) joints at high temperatures and predict models using artificial neural networks (ANN). The aim was to gain insights into their structural behavior across a range of loading conditions from room temperature to 800°C. Additionally, the research assessed the efficiency of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) and aramid fiber reinforced polymer (AFRP) strengthening in enhancing the structural performance of the critical sections.

Design/methodology/approach

The linear numerical simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of RC beam-column joints using finite element modelling (FEM) analysis. The ANN model demonstrated exceptional effectiveness in predicting the stiffness of frames with openings, establishing itself as the premier machine learning algorithm for frame stiffness estimation. In the conventional model, 300°C was proven to be an effective temperature approach. Subsequently, maintaining a constant temperature of 300°C, an in-depth analysis of nearly 30 models of three retrofitting techniques was conducted under thermomechanical loading.

Findings

The CFRP retrofits yielded 15% less deflection and 30% more stress than the remaining FRPs, and the ANN models predicted the deflection, main stresses, bending moment and shear force. The ANN model results were compared with those of other frequently used models. The R thresholds (R = 0.954, 0.981, 0.986, 0.968, 0.978 and 0.936) for training, testing and validation indicated that the ANN model achieved data variability. The findings indicate that the ANN model is more accurate because of the strong connection between the numerical model and the prediction.

Originality/value

To identify the pinpoint of critical segments within the rehabilitation section and determine the most effective wrapping method among the three laminates.
An experimental design of the blockchain business model using a soft system dynamics modeling approach
Authors: Purusottama Ambara , Simatupang Togar Mangihut , Sunitiyoso Yos
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The growing discussion on blockchain and business models often falls short of demonstrating and evaluating systems consistently exposed to settings of dynamic complexity. Therefore, in practicing systems thinking, this study aims to provide a depiction of dynamic complexity in blockchain business models and develop policy-based scenarios to enhance blockchain-based systems behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

This study integrated the soft system dynamic (SD) methodology approach, which focuses on a situation analysis and SDs in policy design. This single case study chose a firm engaged in the content industry, where the adoption of blockchains is a solution to tackle the industry’s significant challenges. Data were collected using a qualitative approach and then adapted into a simulation model.

Findings

The study pinpointed key parameters significantly affecting the system through a sensitivity analysis. Then, this experimental study found that all improvement initiatives delivered better system performance. At the same time, the study also identified counterintuitive findings, where the interventions using multiple value subsystems had insignificant effects on the system compared to a single advent.

Originality/value

This study illuminates the growing field of blockchain and business models through system modeling and experimentation, using an integrative approach like soft system dynamics methodology. It also identifies and demonstrates value distribution and the dynamic complexity inherent in the blockchain business model.
Navigating the PhD journey: a collective consideration of junior academics in qualitative accounting and management research
Authors: DeMott Kai , Repenning Nathalie , Almersson Fanny , Chimenti Gianluca , Delfino Gianluca F. , Duenas Nelson , Fredriksson Cecilia , Guo Zhengqi , Holde Skinnerup Thomas , Sokolovskyy Leonid , Xu Xiaoyu
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper revolves around the informal coming together of various doctoral students in the area of qualitative accounting and management research and the attempt to learn from their respective experiences. Together, the authors share personal reflections and valuable insights in revealing their vulnerabilities, aspirations and how they make sense of the PhD journey and their becoming as academics.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper builds on an open discussion and written reflections among the authors, who represent a diverse set of both doctoral students at various levels and recent graduates from different countries, schools and backgrounds.

Findings

The discussion highlights the struggles the authors experience as doctoral students, how they learn to cope with them as well as how they are socialized throughout their PhD journey. This allows them to take a critical stance towards increased productivity demands in academia and to embrace doctoral students as a powerful collective, whose aspirations may inspire a change of academic reality for the better.

Originality/value

While guidance on how to succeed as doctoral students is common, we seldom hear about doctoral students as particularly “fragile selves” (Knights and Clarke, 2014) who, as opposed to more established scholars, are more actively experiencing difficulties with finding their ways in academia. The authors are thus motivated to create a rare common voice of a group of doctoral students here by providing a more intimate account of the PhD journey.
Engaging with discursive complexities in mental health accessibility: Implications for acquired brain injury
Authors: Lin Nancy X. Y.
Published: October 2024

The psychosocial needs of people with acquired brain injury (ABI) have been neglected based on ableist assumptions of incapability to participate in mental health treatment. Although people without disabilities benefit from evidence‐based mental health supports, these treatments remain inaccessible for those with disabilities after ABI. Discursive simplifications used in dominant conceptualisations of health and disability may maintain this inaccessibility. This paper examines the role of discursive constraints in concealing the complexities of ABI recovery, undermining the gradients of mental health exclusion among different ABI subpopulations, and muddying possibilities for enhancing mental health accessibility. An alternate discourse that challenges disabling societies in service of centring the whole person is proposed. Discursive opportunities are thus created by conceptualising the objective and subjective dimensions of disability as intermeshed, providing both the motivation to incentivise mental health inclusion, as well as a method to achieve it. By recognising the unavoidable impact of bodily impairments on social participation, participatory ideals can be actualised by accommodating ABI‐related disabilities in mental health treatments. The possibilities for transformative research and practice are illuminated through examples of mental health treatments that have been preliminarily adapted using accommodations, and a research agenda for realising these possibilities is proposed.
A Reassessment of the Military Careers and Writings of Sir John Peyton (1579–1635) and Sir Henry Peyton (c.1580–1623)
Authors: SHAW DANNIELLE
Published: October 2024

This research note shines new light on previously misinterpreted and incorrectly catalogued key information about the role‐holder of the Lieutenant‐Governor of Brill in 1612. It identifies that a source for this information previously attributed to Sir John Peyton (1579–1635) was actually written by Sir Henry Peyton (c.1580–1623) and discusses the significance and impact of the newly discovered identification. It reveals Henry Peyton to be a prolific letter writer and collector of military maps and shows how he shared his research with Sir Robert Cotton. It also identifies that further research is needed into the military career of Henry Peyton and the significant role he played in early modern military history, with particular attention to be given to his martial reports from Venice and the Low Countries.
The Self in the Consulting Room1
Authors: Stein Leslie
Published: October 2024

The realization of the Self, although the absolute basis of Jungian psychology, has internal inconsistencies, is difficult to understand, and offers a promise of realization that cannot be fulfilled. This has weakened it, and its existence is now one of speculation. If this is the case, what is to be done with it in the consulting room? How should it be introduced and accounted for, if at all? This paper suggests some alternatives but concludes that the myth of the Self has gravitas in other established traditions, and it is those that offer a more coherent framework for the emergence of the Self.
Effects of the continuous Medicaid coverage provision of the family first coronavirus response act on postpartum Medicaid coverage, depression symptoms, and birth control use
Authors: Ejughemre Ufuoma , Lyu Wei , Wehby George L.
Published: October 2024

Objective

The 2020 Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) extended Medicaid coverage for enrollees without rechecking eligibility. Before that, women were eligible for Medicaid coverage up to 60 days postpartum. We examine the FFCRA's effect on Medicaid postpartum coverage, depression symptoms, and birth control use beyond 60 days after delivery.

Data Sources and Setting

We use data from the 2016–2021 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). The primary sample includes 56,828 women who were income eligible up to 60 days postpartum or beyond in their state.

Study Design

We employ a difference‐in‐differences design comparing outcomes before and after the FFCRA between women who were not income eligible for Medicaid coverage beyond 60 days postpartum in their state and those who were income eligible. We estimate models without and with controlling for state‐specific trends in outcomes over time.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

N/A.

Principal Findings

There is an 8.1 percentage‐point increase in the likelihood of having Medicaid coverage without controlling for state‐specific trends, and 5.4 percentage‐points when controlling for state‐specific trends (both p < 0.05). There is a decline in likelihood of being uninsured by 3 percentage‐points (p < 0.05) without state‐specific trends and a smaller and non‐significant decline when including state‐specific trends. Estimated effects on depression symptoms and birth control use are small and statistically non‐significant.

Conclusion

Following the FFCRA, there was an increase in Medicaid coverage beyond 60 days postpartum among women who would have been income ineligible for Medicaid after 60 days. However, there is a less pronounced effect on likelihood of being uninsured, which might be partly due to some switching from private to Medicaid coverage. There were no discernable effects on depression symptoms and birth control use. Examining additional health and health care utilization measures over a longer postpartum period is needed to further understand the FCCRA effects on these outcomes.
A preliminary study of the manufacturing of breech faces
Authors: Franklin Veronica L. , Morris Keith B.
Published: October 2024

Firearm examiners may face challenges with subclass characteristics. Subclass characteristics have the potential to be confused with individual characteristics if a careful analysis for the presence of subclass characteristics is not performed. Several case studies are reported in the literature that discuss the presence of subclass characteristics and advise firearm examiners to disregard these characteristics for identification purposes. As far as can be determined, no fundamental study has been performed that explores the various methods used in firearm manufacturing and assess the potential of subclass characteristics being produced. In this study broaching, plunge milling, and lathe turning were used to produce consecutively manufactured breech faces for a Thompson/Center® (T/C®) Contender® G2 pistol. The breech faces were finished by tumbling or glass bead blasting. The 3D topographical scans of the breech faces were collected using a confocal microscope and then compared using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) congruent matching cells (CMC) algorithm. The results of this study demonstrated the presence of subclass characteristics after manufacturing by broaching and plunge milling. Lathe turning did not produce any subclass characteristics. ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis H tests were used to determine significant differences between finishing methods within each manufacturing method. Significant differences were found in glass bead blasting versus tumbling and glass bead blasting versus no finish. No significant differences were found in no finish versus tumbling.
Reputational Costs as a Tax Avoidance Deterrent in Small to Medium Enterprises
Authors: Compagnie Vincent , Torsin Wouter
Published: October 2024

Reputational concerns are considered a disincentive to tax avoidance. Prior literature examining tax avoidance in the context of large and listed firms attributes this relationship to the scrutiny to which large firms are subject. This begs the question if reputational concerns are a relevant tax avoidance deterrent in the setting of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) because SMEs have fewer stakeholders, lower disclosure requirements, and are subject to less media attention. Using survey data from Belgian SMEs, we find that SMEs with reputational concerns report an effective tax rate that is 8.57 percentage points higher than that of SMEs with low reputational concerns. We further examine which firm characteristics moderate the deterrent effect of reputational concerns on tax avoidance. We find that potential reputation damage is more important to the tax avoidance decision of firms with less financial freedom and firms with a higher need to maintain creditor relations. Finally, we document that reputational concerns act as a corporate tax avoidance deterrent against aggressive positions.
Dynamic Narrowing of the Diaphragmatic Vena Cava in Ovis aries
Authors: Schwartzman William E. , Turner Mackenzie E. , Spiess J. Logan , Jimenez Michael , Watanabe Tatsuya , Hama Rikako , Che Jingru , Kelly Gracie L. , Yimit Asigul , Baker Peter B. , Arsuaga‐Zorrilla Carmen , Kelly John , Breuer Christopher K. , Best Cameron A. , Reinhardt James W.
Published: October 2024

Dorset sheep (Ovis aries) are common models in translational cardiovascular research due to physiologic and anatomic similarities to humans. While employing ovine subjects to study single‐ventricle physiology, we repeatedly observed position‐based changes in central venous pressure (CVP) which could not be explained by hydrostatic (gravitational) effects. Inferior vena cava (IVC) narrowing or compression has been demonstrated in numerous species, and we hypothesised that this phenomenon might explain our observations in O. aries. This study aimed to characterise position‐dependent morphology of the IVC in O. aries using catheter‐based hemodynamic and dimensional measurements, three‐dimensional MRI reconstruction and histological analysis. Baseline measurements revealed a significant reduction in IVC dimensions at the level of the diaphragm (dVC) compared to the abdominal vena cava (aVC) and thoracic vena cava (tVC). We also observed a transdiaphragmatic pressure gradient along the IVC, with higher pressures in the aVC compared to the tVC. We found that variation of position and fluid status altered IVC haemodynamics. Histological data showed variable muscularity along the length of the IVC, with greater smooth muscle content in the aVC than the tVC. These findings will improve understanding of baseline ovine physiology, help refine experimental protocols and facilitate the translation of findings to the clinic.
Associations between non‐anaemic iron deficiency and outcomes following elective surgery for colorectal cancer: a prospective cohort study*
Authors: Miles Lachlan F. , Luu Sarah , Ong Ian , Pac Soo Vanessa , Braat Sabine , Burgess Adele , Heritier Stephane , Tan Nicole , Parker Anna , Richards Toby , Burbury Kate L. , Story David A. ,   the NATO Investigators,   the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network
Published: October 2024

Background

Iron deficiency is present in up to 75% of patients presenting for colorectal cancer surgery. It is unclear whether iron deficiency without anaemia is associated with worse postoperative outcomes. We hypothesised that, in adults without anaemia undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer, iron deficiency would be associated with worse postoperative outcomes relative to an iron‐replete state.

Methods

We performed a prospective, observational study, recruiting adults (aged ≥ 18 y) without anaemia who were undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer in 16 hospitals across Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Anaemia was defined as a haemoglobin concentration < 130 g.l‐1 for men and < 120 g.l‐1 for women. Iron deficiency was defined primarily as transferrin saturation < 20%. The primary endpoint was days alive and at home on postoperative day 90. The primary endpoint analysis was adjusted for surgical risk based on recruiting institution; sex; Charlson comorbidity index; CR‐POSSUM score; surgical approach; and requirement for neoadjuvant therapy.

Results

Of 420 patients, 170 were iron deficient and 250 were iron replete. The median (IQR [range]) days alive and at home in the iron‐deficient group was 84.0 (80.7–85.9 [0–88.2]) days and in the iron‐replete group was 83.1 (78.7–85.1 [0–88.9]) days. The unadjusted difference in medians between groups was 0.9 (95%CI 0–1.8, p = 0.047) days and the adjusted difference was 0.9 (95%CI 0–1.80, p = 0.042) days, favouring the iron‐deficient group.

Conclusions

In adult patients without anaemia undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer, iron deficiency defined by transferrin saturation < 20% was not associated with worse patient outcomes and appeared to be associated with more days alive and at home on postoperative day 90.
Bidirectional relationship between self‐compassion and psychological richness: A two‐wave longitudinal study
Authors: Liu Yuening , Yang Xiaoni , Liu Yifan , Wei Cangpi , Zhao Jingjing , Kong Feng
Published: October 2024

Previous research has found that self‐compassion enhances well‐being outcomes such as happiness and meaning in life. However, little is known about the link between self‐compassion and psychological richness, a recently introduced concept of well‐being. Thus, an exploration of the relationship between self‐compassion and psychological richness is necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of the association between self‐compassion and well‐being. To address this issue, this study investigated the temporal directionality of their relationship within a cohort of Chinese college students, utilizing a two‐wave longitudinal approach. Using a cross‐lagged model, the results revealed that the self‐compassion could predict psychological richness 3 months later, and conversely, psychological richness could also predict subsequent self‐compassion. This research provides new insights into the bidirectional relationship between self‐compassion and psychological richness, broadening our understanding of the association between self‐compassion and well‐being. Future interventions should focus on the important effect of self‐compassion interventions in the development of psychological richness. In addition, future research could consider interventions on increasing psychological richness to improve the level of self‐compassion among college students.
Evidence of glass bead‐making in the early Islamic Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Boschetti Cristina , de Juan Ares Jorge , Gilotte Sophie , Guerrot Catherine , Schibille Nadine
Published: October 2024

Glass beads from two Islamic archaeological sites in the Tagus valley in central Spain were selected and analysed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS), and a subset of samples (n = 6) was analysed for Pb isotopes by multicollector thermal ionization mass spectrometry (MC‐TIMS). The analytical and isotopic data of the beads from Ciudad de Vascos (Toledo) and Albalat (Cáceres) demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that glass beads were produced in the Iberian Peninsula during the Islamic period using local Pb‐silica and soda‐rich plant‐ash glass. The bead workshops in al‐Andalus were evidently part of an efficient system of glass collection and recycling, and used only relatively simple bead‐making techniques such as winding and folding. At present it is unclear to what extent the Islamic bead‐makers in the Iberian Peninsula were involved in the international trade in glass beads or whether their products were mainly destined for a regional market. Despite local production, some samples show compositional and typological features that suggest the import of finished glass beads, perhaps from Central Asia.
A majority group perspective on the association between perceived national identification of minority groups and minority helping
Authors: Mashuri Ali , Minza Wenty Marina , Rahmi Tuti
Published: October 2024

Previous research has shown that majority group members are more willing to help minority group members of the same nation, particularly when the majority group members strongly identify with the national group. However, existing research has overlooked the extent to which the majority group's perception of how strongly minority groups identify with the national group (i.e., the perceived national identification of minority groups) explains minority helping (i.e., the majority group's intentions to help minority groups). To fill this void, we conducted a correlational survey among 980 Javanese, the ethnic majority in Indonesia. The results revealed that the perceived national identification of non‐Javanese minorities positively corresponded with the majority group's national identification. More perceived national identification of the minority groups and the majority group's national identification significantly correlated with more positive attitudes, liking, and helping intentions toward the minority groups. Finally, the perceptions that the non‐Javanese rejected the majority group's aspiration to exert control over them (i.e., the perceived denial of the need for power) negatively predicted the perceived national identification of the minority groups and minority helping. The perceived national identity of minority groups can influence minority helping; however, the perceived denial of the need for power may hinder it.
Efficacy of decision aid delivery modes in prostate cancer screening: umbrella review and network meta‐analysis
Authors: Ang Zen Yang , Kong Yuke‐Lin , Md Nesran Zarith Nameyrra , Lee Shaun Wen Huey
Published: October 2024

Objective

To review and compare the efficacy of different delivery modes of decision aids (DAs), including computer‐based, print‐based, multimedia‐based, video‐based, and website‐based on decision‐making outcomes for prostate cancer screening compared to usual care (UC) and among the delivery modes.

Methods

PubMed, the Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Advanced Search, and Turning Research Into Practice (TRIP) Database were systematically searched from inception to August 2023. The primary outcomes were knowledge level, knowledge scores, participation in shared decision‐making (SDM), decisional conflict, and preference for SDM participation. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of subjects who underwent screening (actual screening utilisation) and the proportion of subjects who intended to be screened (intention to undergo screening). Network and pairwise meta‐analyses were performed using random‐effects models.

Results

Seven systematic reviews were included. Network meta‐analysis found that multimedia (relative risk [RR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–2.24), print (RR 1.82, 95% CI 1.23–2.69), and website‐based (RR 1.99, 95% CI 1.32–3.01) DAs significantly increased participation in SDM compared to the computer‐based DA. There was a significant reduction in the actual screening utilisation in the computer DA arm compared to the other delivery modes. No significant differences between all delivery modes were noted on knowledge levels, knowledge scores, decisional conflict, preference for SDM participation, and intention to undergo screening. The highest mean surface under the cumulative ranking curve for all primary outcomes showed that website‐based was the most effective delivery mode, followed by print‐based DA. The pairwise meta‐analysis showed a significant increase in participants’ knowledge level, knowledge scores, a reduced intention to undergo screening and actual screening utilisation compared to UC.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that different types of DAs have varying levels of effectiveness in increasing knowledge level, knowledge scores, participation in SDM, and influencing screening behaviours. While website‐based DA appeared the most effective, employing the print‐based DA could be a practical solution in settings with limited resources.
miR‐210 as a therapeutic target in diabetes‐associated endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Collado Aida , Jiao Tong , Kontidou Eftychia , Carvalho Lucas Rannier Ribeiro Antonino , Chernogubova Ekaterina , Yang Jiangning , Zaccagnini Germana , Zhao Allan , Tengbom John , Zheng Xiaowei , Rethi Bence , Alvarsson Michael , Catrina Sergiu‐Bogdan , Mahdi Ali , Carlström Mattias , Martelli Fabio , Pernow John , Zhou Zhichao
Published: October 2024

Background and Purpose

MicroRNA (miR)‐210 function in endothelial cells and its role in diabetes‐associated endothelial dysfunction are not fully understood. We aimed to characterize the miR‐210 function in endothelial cells and study its therapeutic potential in diabetes.

Experimental Approach

Two different diabetic mouse models (db/db and Western diet‐induced), miR‐210 knockout and transgenic mice, isolated vessels and human endothelial cells were used.

Key Results

miR‐210 levels were lower in aortas isolated from db/db than in control mice. Endothelium‐dependent relaxation (EDR) was impaired in aortas from miR‐210 knockout mice, and this was restored by inhibiting miR‐210 downstream protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), mitochondrial glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase 2 (GPD2), and mitochondrial oxidative stress. Inhibition of these pathways also improved EDR in both diabetic mouse models. High glucose reduced miR‐210 levels in endothelial cells and impaired EDR in mouse aortas, effects that were reversed by overexpressing miR‐210. However, plasma miR‐210 levels were not affected in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) following improved glycaemic status. Of note, genetic overexpression using miR‐210 transgenic mice and pharmacological overexpression using miR‐210 mimic in vivo ameliorated endothelial dysfunction in both diabetic mouse models by decreasing PTP1B, GPD2 and oxidative stress. Genetic overexpression of miR‐210 altered the aortic transcriptome, decreasing genes in pathways involved in oxidative stress. miR‐210 mimic restored decreased nitric oxide production by high glucose in endothelial cells.

Conclusion and Implications

This study unravels the mechanisms by which down‐regulated miR‐210 by high glucose induces endothelial dysfunction in T2D and demonstrates that miR‐210 serves as a novel therapeutic target.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue Non‐coding RNA Therapeutics. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v182.2/issuetoc
Pharmacology of PIEZO1 channels
Authors: Kinsella Jacob A. , Debant Marjolaine , Parsonage Gregory , Morley Lara C. , Bajarwan Muath , Revill Charlotte , Foster Richard , Beech David J.
Published: October 2024

PIEZO1 is a eukaryotic membrane protein that assembles as trimers to form calcium‐permeable, non‐selective cation channels with exquisite capabilities for mechanical force sensing and transduction of force into effect in diverse cell types that include blood cells, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts and stem cells and diverse systems that include bone, lymphatics and muscle. The channel has wide‐ranging roles and is considered as a target for novel therapeutics in ailments spanning cancers and cardiovascular, dental, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, infectious, musculoskeletal, nervous system, ocular, pregnancy, renal, respiratory and urological disorders. The identification of PIEZO1 modulators is in its infancy but useful experimental tools emerged for activating, and to a lesser extent inhibiting, the channels. Elementary structure–activity relationships are known for the Yoda series of small molecule agonists, which show the potential for diverse physicochemical and pharmacological properties. Intriguing effects of Yoda1 include the stimulated removal of excess cerebrospinal fluid. Despite PIEZO1's broad expression, opportunities are suggested for selective positive or negative modulation without intolerable adverse effects. Here we provide a focused, non‐systematic, narrative review of progress with this pharmacology and discuss potential future directions for research in the area.