bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recovery experience of wellness tourism and place attachment: insights from feelings-as-information theory
Authors: He Mang , Liu Biqiang , Li Yaoqi
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study, guided by the feelings-as-information theory, aims to explore the effect of recovery experience of wellness tourism (REWT) on place attachment, alongside an examination into the mediating role of self-perceived health and the moderating role of health goal salience. The research site was traced for two years to monitor the evolution of the proposed model during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The successive independent samples data (in 2020 and 2021, respectively) were collected in Shizhu county, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used with a survey of 1,472 wellness tourists (N2020 = 494, N2021 = 978) to test research hypotheses empirically. Additionally, independent sample t-test and multi-group SEM analysis were used to compare the mean difference of variables and coefficients’ difference between 2020 and 2021.

Findings

This study reveals that REWT can increase self-perceived health, resulting in a positive influence on place attachment. By tracing the research site and comparing the successive independent samples data, we found a stronger recovery experience effect of wellness tourism on place attachment alongside a weaker effect on self-perceived health in 2021. The positive relationship between self-perceived health and place attachment is significantly strengthened when health goals are salient.

Originality/value

This study investigated the mechanism behind the formation of place attachment in the wellness tourism context and extended understanding on the dynamic nature of the REWTand ongoing evolving person-place relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also provided practical suggestions to benefit industry practitioners by enhancing current understanding of improving experience-based management in wellness destinations.
Housing affordability: an econometric framing for policy discussions
Authors: Coskun Yener
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze short- and long-run market-sensitive drivers of housing affordability. The study highlights an ongoing housing affordability crisis in an emerging market context by also providing an empirical tool to combat the crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate determinants of uniquely constructed effective housing affordability index and house price to income ratio index, the author uses a bound testing approach to cointegration and error correction models, besides causality tests, variance decompositions and impulse response functions. This study uses Turkish data for the period of 2007 M06 and 2017 M12.

Findings

The evidence suggests that the housing affordability crisis is mainly driven by credit expansion, rent and construction costs. A sensible housing policy response would target these variables. This evidence suggests that housing affordability mostly depends on housing market dynamics rather than policies because of the exogeneous/cyclical natures of the drivers.

Research limitations/implications

Data constraints shape the study. A regional or an aggregate-level panel study cannot be developed because of a lack of data. This limitation inevitably results in the exclusion of relevant socio-economic/political factors and is also the main reason for the lack of comparative analysis in a cross-country setting.

Practical implications

This study argues that dependency on neoliberal housing market practices seems the underlying reason for the lack of efficient policy answers and the ongoing affordability crisis. From a policymaking perspective, the study suggests that necessary policy measures to resolve the housing affordability crisis may give a specific emphasis on housing rent, housing credit volume and construction costs as the major components of the crisis.

Originality/value

This study develops a novel measure and presents a new conceptual framework by combining quantitative research methods and policymaking in housing affordability. In this respect, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first work to comparatively investigate the determinants of uniquely developed monthly housing affordability measurements.
Institutionalisation of sustainability in Indian megaprojects: an organisational field-based approach
Authors: Thounaojam Nicola , Devkar Ganesh , Laishram Boeing
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Megaprojects have a long-lasting impact on all three dimensions of sustainability-social, environmental and economic. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has further heightened the importance of sustainability due to its disastrous consequences on the global economy and business activities. This study aims to explore the interactions and interventions of various actors in the megaproject field to institutionalise sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study adopted the organisational field approach as the theoretical lens to understand the decision-making process amongst multiple actors with conflicting interests that come together to play an active role in addressing a common interest of sustainability in megaprojects. A single case study has been undertaken using an Indian metro rail megaproject with multiple sources of data (interviews, documents, media reports).

Findings

This study showed that the institutionalisation of sustainability is dependent on interactions of various organisations and influences from institutions. Various institutional measures organised within the field to enhance sustainability practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic are captured. Four institutional logics (instrumental, intrinsic, equivocal and political) that emerged from the case study are discussed. Finally, while not exhaustive, this study proposed recommendations that can help refine sustainability actions considering COVID-19 implications on megaprojects.

Research limitations/implications

This study's findings emerged from a single case study. The developed conceptual framework can help further research with multiple cases of megaprojects in various fields or countries.

Originality/value

This study would be novel in advancing the organisational field approach in megaproject sustainability.
The concept of “non-standard marriages” in the theory of family law in Russia
Authors: Anisimov Aleksey , Eltanskaya Elena , Inshakova Agnessa O.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to classify and study the features of the types of non-standard marriages existing in Russia (de facto, sham, same-sex marriages), in order to adjust their legal regulation by the state.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors of the article examined the theoretical and practical problems of state recognition and regulation of non-standard marriages not recognized by the state, and justified a new strategy of support (in the case of de facto marriages) or counteraction (in the case of sham marriages) of these social phenomena by the state and law. In the light of the negative attitude of Russian citizens to same-sex marriages, the possibility of their support in the future is justified.

Findings

Having studied three types of non-standard marriages, the authors substantiate the need for a different approach of the state to further legal regulation of these social phenomena. It is proved, that in relation to same-sex marriages, the existing non-recognition and negative attitude of the legislator and society in Russia to their legalization will last until the attitude towards sexual minorities in general, changes in Russian society. De facto marriages should be introduced into the legal field, they should be given a normative definition and outline the general legal framework of the rights of de facto spouses and their children. As for sham marriages, it is proposed to consider the lack of intention to create a family and the selfish interest to be their main features pursued by one or both spouses entering into a sham marriage.

Originality/value

The originality and value of the research is stipulated by the consideration of the legal regulation of marriage and family issues in the historical context of the development of the Russian state, as well as the evolution of ideas about morality in Russian society. The changing attitude of society towards de facto marriages, the increase in the number of unregistered married couples indicates the transformation of the moral values of young people and the need for the state to promote the legal protection of such married couples without trying to prohibit or restrict them. Existing approaches to the legal regulation of sham marriages require adjustments, including incorporating the notion of “fictitious divorce” in family legislation.
Purpose vs mission vs vision: persuasive appeals and components in corporate statements
Authors: Fitzsimmons Alexis Bajalia , Qin Yufan Sunny , Heffron Eve R.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Purpose statements persuade stakeholders of companies' reasons for being. The goal of this study was to analyze how purpose-driven companies craft their purpose, mission and vision statements and whether and how purpose statements differ from mission and vision statements.

Design/methodology/approach

This quantitative content analysis explored the brand personality traits, mission statement components and corporate ethos appeals that purpose-driven companies included in their purpose, mission and vision statements.

Findings

Results provide implications for corporate leaders and communicators who write these statements as well as theoretical implications related to brand personality, rhetorical theory and corporate ethos.

Practical implications

This research provides practical implications for corporate leaders and communication professionals about how to craft these statements, what components they might include and the potential benefits and downfalls of not clearly differentiating among purpose, mission and vision statements.

Originality/value

While several studies have compared differences between mission and vision statements, there is a lack of academic literature on how companies craft purpose statements. This study added to this body of knowledge on corporate communication.
When librarians speak up: justifications for and legitimacy implications of librarians' engagement in social movements
Authors: Kann-Rasmussen Nanna
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This article presents a discussion of how librarians' engagement in certain social movements manifests itself in public libraries, how librarians justify their engagement with specifically the LGBT + movement and the climate movement and what it might entail in terms of legitimacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Besides an extensive international literature on libraries and climate/LGBT + issues, the article draws on data from an interview study with librarians from Denmark and Sweden. Theoretically, the article utilizes the orders of worth framework by French sociologists Boltanski and Thévenot. The framework is used to analyse librarians' justifications for engaging in certain agendas in society.

Findings

Active engagement in social and green agendas takes place through strategies of education, efforts to make the cause more visible in the library and by setting an example. Justifications for active engagement in social movement agendas draw on inspirational, civic, projective and green orders of worth (OoW).

Originality/value

Much of the existing research on librarians who engage themselves in either climate issues or in agendas concerning minorities has a normative character. However, this study shows that there is no causal (positive or negative) relation between active engagement in social movements' causes and legitimacy of libraries, but that the justifications for doing so might have an impact on legitimacy.
School leadership and achievement gaps based on socioeconomic status: a search for socially just instructional leadership
Authors: Gümüş Sedat , Bellibaş Mehmet Şükrü , Pietsch Marcus
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The research literature in this field demonstrates that instructional leadership provided by principals is essential for student learning, but the question of its impact on students with high and low socioeconomic status (SES) has remained largely unexplored. In the present study, the authors focus on the moderating role of instructional leadership in the relationship between SES and achievement at both the school and student levels.

Design/methodology/approach

Using cross-national Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 data, the authors fitted multilevel models to investigate whether the effect of instructional leadership on student achievement in math, science and reading varies across groups of students with the different individual as well as school SES levels.

Findings

Instructional leadership significantly moderates the relationship between school-level SES and student achievement in math, while the moderation effect for individual SES and instructional leadership is not significant for any subject.

Research limitations/implications

This study calls for more research on the moderation role of leadership in the relationship between SES and student achievement, with a specific focus on the integrated models that include the social justice aspect of school leadership.

Originality/value

The authors conclude that while instructional leadership might be beneficial in reducing the achievement gaps between schools, it may not make much difference in terms of reducing the disparity between different SES groups within schools.
Cultural alignment and intergenerational succession in family firms: a game-theoretical experiment
Authors: Jayantilal Shital , Jorge Sílvia Ferreira , Lourenço Diogo , Botelho Anabela , Bañegil Tomás M.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the effect of cultural alignment and value congruency between children and founder on intergenerational succession and on the observation of family optimal outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A game-theoretical approach is used to develop a sequential game modeling the strategic interactions behind successor selection. The authors test its main predictions by conducting an experiment with 75 subjects.

Findings

A theoretical prediction that misalignment between children and founder leads to outcomes without intergenerational succession, or to outcomes with intergenerational succession that are not family optimal. These predictions are buttressed by our experiment, which also found evidence that the family optimal outcome is focal when there are multiple equilibria.

Research limitations/implications

No light is thrown on the sources of cultural (mis)alignment, but only on some of its consequences. Further studies of a different nature are needed to better understand the former.

Practical implications

Cultural diffusion and value congruency within the family should be timely fostered to promote harmony during the succession process and raise the chances of successful succession.

Originality/value

The cultural alignment and value congruency between incumbent and successors is treated as shaping the incentives that both types of agents face in the successor-selection process. Further, experimental techniques have not been used to test the results obtained in games exploring issues in family firm succession. This paper aims to begin filling this gap.
Investigating the impact of support through enhanced management (StEM) on safety measures within the women’s estate prisons – a matched control group study
Authors: Ramsay Laura , Smith Nicholas
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of support through enhanced management (StEM) on the safety of people who have committed offences, who reside in the women’s estate prisons in England.

Design/methodology/approach

A matched control study comprising 32 participants investigated the number of safety incidents before and after the implementation of StEM.

Findings

When comparing people in prison who had StEM, to those who had not, there were no significant differences in the number of safety incidents one month after StEM was implemented, compared to the one month before. There was a statistically significant reduction in safety incidents in the three months after StEM was completed, compared to the three months before it was implemented, compared to the matched control group.

Research limitations/implications

This study was not able to achieve the minimum number of StEM cases to obtain sufficient power. The matched control group limited the number of StEM cases that could be included.

Practical implications

StEM has a positive influence on the reduction of safety incidents longer term. Researchers hypothesised that adherence to the StEM policy, collaborative and joined up staff working and investment in the care of people in prison were central to successful outcomes.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the growing evidence about the effective use of the StEM consultancy process within women’s estate prisons. It is the first evaluation of StEM to introduce a matched control group.
Study of a transferring system for measurements in aircraft assembly
Authors: Li Shuanggao , Huang Zhichao , Zeng Qi , Huang Xiang
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Aircraft assembly is the crucial part of aircraft manufacturing, and to meet the high-precision and high-efficiency requirements, cooperative measurement consisting of multiple measurement instruments and automatic assisted devices is being adopted. To achieve the complete data of all assembly features, measurement devices need to be placed at different positions, and the flexible and efficient transfer relies on Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and robots in the large-size space and close range. This paper aims to improve the automatic station transfer in accuracy and flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

A transferring system with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and markers is established. The map coupling for navigation is optimized. Markers are distributed according to the accumulated uncertainties. The path planning method applied to the collaborative measurement is proposed for better accuracy. The motion planning method is optimized for better positioning accuracy.

Findings

A transferring system is constructed and the system is verified in the laboratory. Experimental results show that the proposed system effectively improves positioning accuracy and efficiency, which improves the station transfer for the cooperative measurement.

Originality/value

A Transferring system for collaborative measurement is proposed. The optimized navigation method extends the application of visual markers. With this system, AGV is capable of the cooperative measurement of large aircraft structural parts.
Behavior of hot-dip zinc-aluminum coated steel under elevated temperature in case of fire
Authors: Pinger Thomas , Mensinger Martin , Firan Maria-Mirabela
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Based on the advantages of conventional hot-dip galvanizing made from quasi-pure zinc melts in the event of fire, this article aims to perform a series of tests to verify whether a similar effect can be achieved with zinc-aluminum coatings.

Design/methodology/approach

The emissivity of galvanized surfaces, which were applied to steel specimens by the batch hot-dip galvanizing process, was experimentally determined under continuously increasing temperature load. In addition to a quasi-pure zinc melt serving as a reference, a zinc melt alloyed with 500 ppm aluminum and thin-film galvanized with a melt of zinc and 5% aluminum were used. For the latter, variants of post-treatment measures in terms of a passivation and sealing of the galvanizing were also investigated.

Findings

The results show that lower emissivity can be achieved at higher temperatures by adding aluminum to the zinc melt and thereby into the zinc coating. The design values required for the structural fire design were proposed, and an exemplary calculation of the temperature development in the case of fire was carried out based on the values. The result of this calculation indicates that the savings potential becomes apparent, when using zinc-aluminum coatings.

Originality/value

The presented novel tests describe the behavior of zinc-aluminum coatings under the influence of elevated temperatures and their positive effect on the emissivity of steel components galvanized by this method. The results provide valuable insights and information on the performance in the event of fire and the associated potential savings for steel construction.
Sustainable agribusiness entrepreneurship during the Covid-19 crisis: the role of social capital
Authors: Lang Le Dang , Dong Nguyen Trung , Ferreira João J.M. , Behl Abhishek , Dao Le Trung
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The crucial action program of United Nations is sustainable development. In the context of lockdown and food supply chain disruptions in many developing countries due to COVID-19, sustainable agribusiness entrepreneurship (SAE) must be investigated to contribute to the global safe-food supply chain resilience. Furthermore, this pandemic might have changed cognitive social capital (i.e. perceived shared norms, civicness and community cohesiveness) and relational social capital (i.e. social trust). Therefore, this study aims to examine their role in forming agribusiness entrepreneurs’ SAE intentions under the lens of sustainable development in the pandemic context.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mixed-methods approach with resources for structural equation modeling. A sample of 499 Vietnamese agribusiness entrepreneurs to reconcile scales and test hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The study reconciles the existing constructs’ scales and develops a new scale measuring SAE intention. The findings show that the extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB) model is an ideal theoretical framework for predicting behavioral intentions in sustainability. The study also discovers the role of cognitive social capital and relational social capital in motivating SAE intentions. Also, some managerial implications are suggested for agribusinessmen to survive and succeed during the COVID-19 crisis.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is considered the first to investigate the role of cognitive social capital and relational social capital in motivating SAE in an emerging market using the ETPB. The findings will help emerging economies, where most farmers are family-business owners or micro-scaled entrepreneurs who have been facing the increasing trend of sustainable production and consumer.
Revisiting the gender gap in CEO compensation: rectifying conflictive findings by correcting Gupta, Mortal, and Guo’s (2018) misapplication of absorption in unbalanced panel
Authors: Hill Aaron , Upadhyay Arun , Beekun Rafik
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Many scholars and practitioners lament female pay gaps and the ethical issues they pose; yet several studies provide supporting evidence showing that the female CEOs earn more than men. However, other studies find an insignificant difference between male and female CEO pay. 10; The purpose of this study is to re-investigate this question to uncover the root of the divergent findings and thereby clarify our understanding of this important issue of CEOs’ gender pay gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

Evidence suggests the CEO position is at times a rare instance where typical pay gaps for female workers reverse such that these executives earn pay premiums. Recently, Guptaet al.(2018) called findings for female CEO pay premiums into question, failing to find differences despite using data similar to prior studies. The authors investigated the discrepant findings, identifying and showing that the use of an analytical approach to account for unobserved differences (i.e. fixed effects) are inappropriate for the data structure drives’ divergent findings. The authors also find that results are affected by the industries and time-frames used in the analyses.

Findings

The authors find that female CEOs outearn their male counterparts. However, the authors also show that the significance of results is affected by the industries and time-frames used in the analyses.

Originality/value

It is an original work that reexamines a somewhat controversial issue on the gender differences in CEO pay.
Investor sentiment: a retail trader activity approach
Authors: Berger Dave
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study creates a measure of investor sentiment directly from retail trader activity to identify misvaluation and to examine the link between sentiment and subsequent returns.

Design/methodology/approach

Using investor reports from a large discount brokerage that include measures of activity such as net buying, net new accounts and net new assets, this study creates a measure of retail trader sentiment using principal components. This study examines the relation between sentiment and returns through conditional mean and regression analyses.

Findings

Retail sentiment activity coincides with aggregate Google Trends search data and firms with the greatest sensitivity to retail sentiment tend to be small, young and volatile. Periods of high retail sentiment precede poor subsequent market returns. Cross-sectional results detail the strongest impact on subsequent returns within difficult to value or difficult to arbitrage firms.

Originality/value

This study links a rich measure of retail trader activity to subsequent market and cross-sectional returns. These results deepen our understanding of noise trader risk and aggregate investor sentiment.
Cellular manufacturing at Scania-Vabis; continuity and discontinuity in management thought
Authors: Benders Jos , Stjernberg Torbjörn
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to document the development of cellular manufacturing at Scania-Vabis, thereby contributing to the history of an organizational idea.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw on published sources and interviews to reconstruct the development of cellular manufacturing at Scania-Vabis and its traces.

Findings

Cellular manufacturing was applied and further developed at Scania-Vabis in the 1940s and 1950s. Nevertheless, it seems to have fallen into oblivion. The key idea resurfaced in the 1970s.

Practical implications

The authors argue that such “proven technology” should be considered a classical insight in organization design rather than old and thus outdated.

Originality/value

The authors demonstrate that this form of flow-based organizing is much older than commonly assumed and point to barriers in accumulating knowledge on organizing.
Cross‐sectional diagnostic accuracy study of self‐testing for proteinuria during hypertensive pregnancies: The UDIP study
Authors: Jakubowski Bethany Ellen , Stevens Richard , Wilson Hannah , Lavallee Layla , Brittain Lesley , Crawford Carole , Hodgkinson James , Hinton Lisa , Mackillop Lucy , Chappell Lucy C. , McManus Richard J. , Tucker Katherine Louise
Published: April 2022

Objective

To determine the accuracy of self‐testing for proteinuria during pregnancy.

Design

Diagnostic accuracy study.

Setting

Antenatal clinics, maternity assessment units and inpatient wards at three hospital sites.

Population or Sample

345 pregnant women.

Methods

Pregnant women self‐tested in‐clinic for urinary protein using visually read dipsticks with samples then sent for laboratory estimation of the spot protein‐creatinine ratio (PCR) (primary reference test). Secondary index tests included testing by antenatal healthcare professionals and an automated colorimetric reader.

Main outcome measures

Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and likelihood ratios were calculated for self‐testing (primary index test) along with healthcare professional and colorimetric testing compared to the primary reference test (PCR).

Results

335/345 (97%) had sufficient data to be included in the analysis. Self‐testing had a sensitivity of 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–0.79) and a specificity of 0.89 (95% CI 0.84–0.92) compared to PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of testing by healthcare professionals and the colorimetric reader were similar: sensitivity 0.73 (95% CI 0.64–0.80) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.69–0.85), respectively; specificity 0.88 (95% CI 0.82–0.92) and 0.83 (95% CI 0.78–0.88), respectively.

Conclusion

Pregnant women can visually read a dipstick for urinary protein with similar accuracy to antenatal healthcare professionals. Automated colorimetric testing was not significantly different, in contrast to some previous studies. Self‐testing has the potential to form part of a self‐monitoring regime in pregnancy.
Molecular marketing, personalised information and willingness‐to‐pay for functional foods: Vitamin D enriched eggs
Authors: Panzone Luca , Garrod Guy , Adinolfi Felice , Di Pasquale Jorgelina
Published: April 2022

Increasingly, the health claims made by food products focus on the marketing of specific molecular enrichments. Research exploring consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for health claims assumes that individuals hold perfect information on the benefits of the enrichment, and that their valuations depend solely on whether or not they need to improve their health. While health interventions are aimed at individuals at higher health risk, consumers may be unaware of the health risks that they face, limiting the effectiveness of a generic targeting strategy. Using an orthogonal experimental design, we explore the impact of two factors on the WTP for vitamin D enrichment in eggs: whether the information is person‐specific or generic; and the presence of a health claim explaining the vitamin D enrichment. Results indicate that it is the provision of information, not the health claim, that influences WTP. Both generic and personalised information lead to similar increases in the WTP for vitamin D enrichment. While we only observe a direct effect of generic information on the WTP for vitamin D enrichment, personal information may also operate by increasing the perceived risk of vitamin D deficiency. Our results support the use of personalised health information during the choice task as a means of increasing the sales of healthy products.
Water and lipid migration in salted duck eggs during storage with different packaging conditions as studied using LF‐NMR and MRI techniques
Authors: Dong Xue , Zhang Tan , Cheng Shasha , He Xiu , Wang Haitao , Tan Mingqian
Published: April 2022

Herein, the water and lipid migration of salted duck eggs during storage were systematically explored in three different packaging conditions of long‐term salting, no packaging, and vacuum packaging. Bound water, multilayer bound water, lipid, and bulk water were observed in the whole duck egg by low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF‐NMR) relaxation. Five weeks of salting process led to the redistribution of water and lipid due to the watery state of egg white and the gelation of egg yolk due to the permeation of salt, and boiling mainly caused an obvious decrease in the mobility of bulk water due to the gelation of egg white. Among these three conditions, long‐term salting with 6 months storage caused the most serious redistribution of water and lipid as well as the rupture of the vitelline membrane, but could prevent the oxidation of egg yolk. Vacuum packaging had the least influence on the water and lipid distribution, mass change, and water content but led to lipid oxidation with high degree in egg yolk. However, the most obvious mass loss was observed in the salted duck eggs during the storage without packaging. In addition, principal component analysis of Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill data suggested that LF‐NMR could distinguish the salted duck eggs with different storage times during the early stage of the storage.

Practical Application

Water and lipid migration of salted duck eggs during storage with three packaging conditions were explored by using low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging. Understanding the impacts of packaging conditions on water and lipid migration of salted duck eggs during storage could provide a new method for the quality identification.
Changes in alcohol use during the COVID‐19 pandemic and previous pandemics: A systematic review
Authors: Sohi Ivneet , Chrystoja Bethany R. , Rehm Jürgen , Wells Samantha , Monteiro Maristela , Ali Shehzad , Shield Kevin D.
Published: April 2022

The objective of this study is to summarize the research on the relationships between exposure to the COVID‐19 pandemic or previous pandemics and changes in alcohol use. A systematic search of Medline and Embase was performed to identify cohort and cross‐sectional population studies that examined changes in alcohol use during or following a pandemic compared to before a pandemic occurred. Outcomes examined included differences in the volume and frequency of alcohol consumption and the frequencies of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol‐related problems during a pandemic compared to before a pandemic. Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Nonrandomized Studies. This study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. The search yielded 672 articles; 27 were included in the narrative review, of which 6 were cohort studies (all from high‐income countries). A total of 259,188 participants were included. All cohort studies examined the impact of COVID‐19 and associated pandemic‐related policies, including social distancing and alcohol‐specific policies, on alcohol use. Cohort studies demonstrated a consistent significant decrease in total alcohol consumption (Australia) and a significant increase in the frequency of alcohol use (United States). A significant decrease in the frequency of HED was observed in Australia and Spain but not in the United States. A significant increase in the proportion of people with problematic alcohol use was observed in the United Kingdom. Initial insights into changes in alcohol use indicate substantial heterogeneity. Alcohol use may have decreased in some countries, while HED and the proportion of people with problematic alcohol use may have increased. The lack of high‐quality studies from low‐ and middle‐income countries reflects a dearth of information from countries inhabited by most of the world's population.
Model‐based prediction of the potential geographical distribution of the invasive coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) based on MaxEnt
Authors: Aidoo Owusu Fordjour , da Silva Ricardo Siqueira , Santana Junior Paulo Antônio , Souza Philipe Guilherme Corcino , Kyerematen Rosina , Owusu‐Bremang Felix , Yankey Ndede , Borgemeister Christian
Published: April 2022

The coconut mite Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae), is a destructive mite pest of coconut, causing significant economic losses. However, an effective pest management strategy requires a clear understanding of the geographical areas at risk of the target pest.

Therefore, we predicted the potential global distribution A. guerreronis using a machine learning algorithm based on maximum entropy.

The potential future distribution for A. guerreronis covered the 2040 and 2060 periods under two climate change emission scenarios (SSP1‐2.6 and SSP5‐8.5) in the context of the sixth assessment report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The MaxEnt model predicts the habitat suitability for A. guerreronis outside its present distribution, with suitable habitats in Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The habitat suitability for the pest will decrease from 2040 to 2060.

The areas with the highest risk of A. guerreronis are those with an annual average temperature of around 25°C, mean annual precipitation of about 1459 mm, mean precipitation seasonality close to 64%, an average variation of daytime temperature of about 8.6°C, and mean seasonality of temperature of about 149.7°C.

Our findings provide information for quarantine measures and policymaking, especially where A. guerreronis is presently still absent.
Gender and mechanization: Evidence from Indian agriculture
Authors: Afridi Farzana , Bishnu Monisankar , Mahajan Kanika
Published: April 2022

Technological change in production processes with gendered division of labor across tasks, such as agriculture, can have a differential impact on women's and men's labor. Using exogenous variation in the extent of loamy soil, which is more amenable to deep tillage than clayey soil and therefore more likely to see adoption of tractor‐driven equipment for primary tilling, we show that mechanization led to significantly greater decline in women's than men's labor on Indian farms during 1999–2011. Reduced demand for labor in weeding, a task often undertaken by women, explains our findings. The estimates suggest that a 10% increase in mechanized tilling led to a 5% fall in women's farm labor use, with no accompanying increase in their non‐farm sector employment. Our results highlight the gendered impact of technological change in contexts where there is task based gender division of labor with limited opportunities for women to diversify their workforce participation.
Impact of an outpatient telestroke clinic on management of rural stroke patients
Authors: Garcia‐Esperon Carlos , Chew Beng Lim Alvin , Minett Fiona , Cheah Joseph , Rutherford Jennifer , Wilsmore Bradley , Parsons Mark W. , Levi Christopher R. , Spratt Neil J.
Published: April 2022

Objective

Report on feasibility, use and effects on investigations and treatment of a neurologist‐supported stroke clinic in rural Australia.

Design

Data were collected prospectively for consecutive patients referred to atelehealth stroke clinic from November 2018 to August 2021.

Settings, participants and interventions

Patients attended the local hospital, with a rural stroke care coordinator, and were assessed by stroke neurologist over videoconference.

Main outcome measures

The following feasibility outcomes on the first appointments were analysed: (1) utility (a) change in medication, (b) request of additional investigations, (c) enrolment/offering clinical trials or d) other; (2) acceptability (attendance rate); and (3) process of care (waiting time to first appointment, distance travelled).

Results

During the study period, 173 appointments were made; 125 (73.5%) were first appointments. The median age was 70 [63–79] years, and 69 patients were male. A diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack was made by the neurologist in 106 patients. A change in diagnosis was made in 23 (18.4%) patients. Of the first appointments, 102 (81.6%) resulted in at least one intervention: medication was changed in 67 (53.6%) patients, additional investigations requested in 72 (57.6%), 15 patients (12%) were referred to a clinical trial, and other interventions were made in 23 patients. The overall attendance rate of booked appointments was high. The median waiting time and distance travelled (round‐trip) for a first appointment were 38 [24–53] days and 60.8 [25.6–76.6] km respectively.

Conclusion

The telestroke clinic was very well attended, and it led to high volume of interventions in rural stroke patients.
Anatomical features of inferior mesenteric and left colic arteries and surgery in colorectal cancer patients with persistent descending mesocolon
Authors: Nozawa Hiroaki , Okamoto Kazuaki , Kawai Kazushige , Sasaki Kazuhito , Emoto Shigenobu , Murono Koji , Sonoda Hirofumi , Ishihara Soichiro
Published: April 2022

Background

Persistent descending mesocolon (PDM) is a fetal abnormality in which the left‐sided colon is not fused to the retroperitoneum, and it is often accompanied by the adhesion between the mesocolon and small bowel mesentery. Due to its rarity, whether PDM exhibits anatomical characteristics of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) and left colic artery (LCA), and how the anomaly affects laparoscopic surgery are largely unknown. We investigated the branches of these arteries and outcomes of patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery.

Methods

Based on computed tomography (CT) and three‐dimensional CT angiography, branching patterns of the IMA, LCA and branches originating from the LCA were analysed in 954 patients with left‐sided colon or rectal cancer. PDM was diagnosed by preoperative CT colonography, and confirmed at time of surgery. The anatomical features of the vessels and short‐term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery were compared between patient groups stratified by PDM.

Results

Twelve patients (1.3%) were diagnosed with PDM. No branching pattern of the IMA specific to PDM was noted. On the other hand, patients with PDM had fewer branches (mean: 1.0) from the LCA than those without PDM (mean: 1.8, p = 0.009). In patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery, outcomes such as operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and number of harvested nodes were comparable between the two patient groups.

Conclusion

Few branches of the LCA characterize PDM. PDM does not complicate laparoscopic surgery of the left‐sided colon and rectum. However, the above anatomical feature increases the risk of poor colonic perfusion when dividing the LCA.
Preventive treatment of allograft rejection after endothelial keratoplasty: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Magnier Florent , Dutheil Frédéric , Pereira Bruno , Watson Stephanie L. , Baker Julien S. , Chiambaretta Frédéric , Navel Valentin
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of preventive treatment against allograft rejection after endothelial keratoplasty (EK), we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Method

PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and ScienceDirect databases were searched until May 2021. We computed a random‐effect meta‐analysis on graft rejection rate stratified by the intervention (i.e. Descemet membrane EK (DMEK) and Descemet stripping (Automated) EK (DS(A)EK) or ultrathin (UT)‐DSAEK), and postoperative treatment. Meta‐regressions were performed to compare intervention, treatment and influence of putative confusion factors.

Results

We included 49 studies and 12 893 EK (6867 DMEK and 6026 DS(A)EK/UT‐DSAEK). Topical steroids were merged in two efficacy regimens: standard steroids (prednisolone acetate 1% or dexamethasone 0.1%) and soft steroids (fluorometholone 0.1% or loteprednol etabonate 0.5%). Globally, DMEK had a lower graft rejection rate than DS(A)EK/UT‐DSAEK (coefficient − 3.3, 95 CI, −4.60 to −1.90; p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between standard and soft steroids to prevent graft rejection after DMEK. After EK, the rate of ocular hypertension was 20% (95 CI, 14 to 26%) with the use of standard steroids and 7% (5 to 9%) with soft steroids. Comparisons of treatments were not feasible in DS(A)EK/UT‐DSAEK due to a lack of studies.

Conclusions

Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) has less risk of graft rejection compared with DS(A)EK/UT‐DSAEK. Furthermore, soft steroids seemed to be a valuable alternative to standard steroids to prevent graft rejection after DMEK, involving a safe profile against ocular hypertension. Further studies are needed to compare other drugs in the prevention of graft rejection after EK.
Primary intraocular lens implantation in infants with unilateral congenital cataract operated before 12 weeks of age
Authors: Sand Mari Kathrine , Cholidis Symira , Kristianslund Olav , Drolsum Liv
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to report visual outcome and safety after cataract surgery with primary intraocular lens implantation before 12 weeks of age.

Methods

Infants with visually significant unilateral congenital cataract having primary IOL implantation in the capsular bag before 12 weeks of age in 2007–2016 were enrolled for a prospective study examination in 2017. The medical records were also reviewed.

Results

In total, 23 patients with a median age at cataract surgery of 32 days (range, 12–75 days) were included. Seventeen (74%) eyes had persistent foetal vasculature (PFV). After a median follow‐up of 6.3 years (range, 1.4–10.9 years), the corrected distance visual acuity was 0.8 logMAR (range, 3.0–0.1 logMAR). All, except one eye, required surgery for visual axis opacification (VAO), with a median of two (range 0–5) additional surgical procedures. Four (17%) eyes developed secondary glaucoma.

Conclusion

Cataract surgery with primary IOL implantation before 12 weeks of age resulted in a high number of VAO operations, and the visual outcome varied considerably, showing the range in outcome for this challenging patient group. Co‐existent PFV in these young patients was common. The incidence of secondary glaucoma was similar to other studies, despite the young age at surgery, high percentage of PFV and number of surgical procedures for VAO.
Understanding the experience of rumination and worry: A descriptive qualitative survey study
Authors: Joubert Amy E. , Moulds Michelle L. , Werner‐Seidler Aliza , Sharrock Maria , Popovic Bojana , Newby Jill M.
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Rumination and worry have been implicated in the onset, severity, maintenance and relapse risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Despite this, little research has examined individuals' personal experiences of these processes. This study investigates how individuals experience these processes, which will provide insight into these common features of mental disorders and inform the development of an online intervention specifically targeting rumination and worry.

Design

An online qualitative survey was conducted to gain insight into people's personal definitions, experiences with and understandings of rumination and worry.

Methods

Participants answered open‐ and close‐ended questions about their personal understanding of rumination and worry, typical thought content, triggers, frequency, duration and coping strategies. Participant responses were coded into themes. Participants also completed self‐report questionnaires of depression, anxiety and stress and repetitive negative thinking.

Results

Two hundred and seven adults completed the online survey (76% female; mean age = 28.2 years, range = 17–71), 51% of whom reported previously experiencing depression and anxiety. All participants were familiar with the concept of worry, whereas 28% of participants indicated they had never heard of rumination. Participants reported most commonly ruminating and/or worrying about personal relationships, past mistakes, negative experiences and conversations/social interactions. The most commonly reported triggers for rumination and/or worry were social situations/interpersonal interactions (25%) and negative events/experiences (24%). Distraction was the most common coping strategy (48%); however, 21% reported being unable to stop themselves from ruminating and/or worrying.

Conclusions

The results provide a unique insight into the personal experiences and understandings of rumination and worry of potential end users of treatment programs targeting these processes.