bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technological innovation policy and Chinese heterogeneity enterprises' outward foreign direct investment
Authors: Zhao Jinjing , Lee Jongchul
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The study aims to analyze the role of the Made in China 2025 (MIC2025) initiative in China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) and the factors affecting the success or failure of Chinese enterprises' OFDI from the perspectives of the heterogeneity of home country enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on data on China's OFDI obtained from the China Global Investment Tracker (CGIT), the study uses the difference-in-differences model to analyze 2,670 completed OFDI deals and 211 failed OFDI deals by Chinese enterprises, from 2009 to 2018.

Findings

The study found that the effect of MIC2025 on Chinese enterprises' OFDI varies according to the ownership structure of the home country's enterprises. For successful OFDI, MIC2025 significantly impacted central state-owned enterprises (CSOEs), while it did not significantly influence local SOEs and privately owned enterprises. For failed OFDI, the MIC2025 plan only increased the failure of CSOEs' OFDI for the technology-seeking motivation in high-income host countries. Further, the investment options of local SOEs differ from those of CSOEs. Considering their aim to drive the local economy and seek profits, they are more similar to those of privately owned enterprises.

Originality/value

This study used a new database (i.e. the CGIT) to analyze Chinese enterprises' OFDI. It discussed the role of MIC2025 for different enterprises from the perspectives of successful and failed OFDI. It thus provided a new basis for analyzing policy affecting the OFDI of Chinese enterprises.
A comparative analysis of sports gambling in the United States
Authors: Dwyer Brendan , Hayduk Ted , Drayer Joris
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to explore differences in demographic, self-concept and fan behavior factors that predict sports fans who bet and those who do not in legal and illegal gambling jurisdictions in the United States (US).

Design/methodology/approach

Seven hundred and eighty-nine sports fans and bettors from 47 states were surveyed through a partnership with a major media provider in the US. A number of demographic items, theoretically defined factors and fan behaviors were measured, and several two-way MANOVAs with interaction effects were conducted to determine differences between those who gamble and those who do not in legal and illegal jurisdictions.

Findings

Statistically significant differences between those who bet and those who do not were found. Bettors look different and come from different backgrounds and locations. Psychographically, they were clearly more narcissistic. They also indicated a higher social identity and self-worth, yet perceived themselves as less worthy members of important social institutions. In general, sports bettors out consumed non-bettors as it relates sports spectatorship. In terms of differences between the groups across legal and illegal states, only a few factors were impacted. Self-worth and personal identity were factors that were found to be different between groups and jurisdictions as well as DFS participation.

Originality/value

The US sports gambling market is expected to grow US$6.5 billion in the next five years, yet very little is known, psychographically, about the US sports bettor. Sports gambling research, especially from a marketing perspective, has primarily been limited to Australia and the United Kingdom. This paper contributes to what we know about sports gambling and the emerging US market. In particular, the results uncovered fundamental trait, demographic and behavioral differences between US sports fans and sports bettors. The findings also provide similar foundational differences and similarities between those who bet in states with legal and illegal gambling.
Impacts of Sharīʿah supervision and corporate social responsibility on banks’ risk-taking behavior and profitability
Authors: Moudud-Ul-Huq Syed
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impacts of both Sharīʿah supervision and corporate social responsibility on banks’ risk-taking behavior and profitability. The analysis empirically uses dynamic and balanced panel data from 12 banks of Bangladesh for 2010–2019.

Design/methodology/approach

Dynamic panel generalized method of moments has been used primarily to examine the effects of Sharīʿah supervision and corporate social responsibility on risk-taking behavior and profitability. Later, the authors validate the core results using three-stage least squares and incorporates alternative risk and profitability measures in the baseline equation.

Findings

This study finds that Sharīʿah supervision heterogeneously derives benefits for Islamic banks and Islamic windows. Though there is no significant impact of female diversity on risk relying on board diversification, the bank can strengthen profitability. On the one hand, the annual changes in board composition reduce (increase) risk (financial and stability efficiency) but compromise profitability. Notably, socially responsible banks have been characterized as risk-averse and better stabilized (in terms of solvency and efficiency), more efficient and profitable.

Originality/value

Very few studies are available in the current literature which examine the impacts of Sharīʿah supervision and corporate social responsibility on either bank performance or risk-taking in the developing economy’s context.
Musical consumption, self-control and smartphone addiction: a dual-systems theory perspective and evidence from a survey study
Authors: Ning Weihong , Davis Fred D. , Riedl René
Published: December 2021

Purpose

In the past decade, smartphone adoption has reached almost 100% in industrialized countries, which is predominantly due to advancements in capabilities. Given the increasing number of people who are addicted to the smartphone and the significant growth of people who consume music via the smartphone, the purpose of the study is to explore the underlying mechanisms through which musical consumption affects smartphone addiction.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on dual-systems theory, a research model was developed to determine the impact of System 1 (emotion related to music) and System 2 (self-control) on smartphone addiction. A partial-least-squares approach was used to test the model with 294 survey participants.

Findings

The empirical data confirmed the research model. Regarding System 1, musical emotion positively influenced smartphone addiction through musical consumption and musical response. Moreover, musical preference significantly affected musical response. Regarding System 2, self-control negatively predicted smartphone addiction.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited, as the participants were college students who are not representative of all populations.

Originality/value

The study extends the literature on the dark side of information technology use and complements a research agenda by Gefen and Riedl (2018) on consideration of music in information systems (IS) research.
Motivation to transfer soft skills training: a systematic literature review
Authors: Mishra Sumita , Sahoo Malabika
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to synthesize existing knowledge on trainee motivation to transfer (MTT) soft skills training through a systematic literature review (SLR).

Design/methodology/approach

By applying a rigorous reproducible process, this SLR identified a total of 33 peer-reviewed articles on MTT in soft skills training.

Findings

The systematic review offers several important findings. First, research on MTT has accelerated in the recent past with studies conducted in varied geographic contexts. Second, MTT has been operationalized and measured as an antecedent and mediator of training transfer as well as an outcome itself is sampled papers. Third, MTT is recognized as critical in facilitating the transfer of soft skills. Finally, an investigation of empirical studies helped locate gaps in research methodologies, measurement of MTT and finally its predictors.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited by the search string and its choice of peer-reviewed articles published in the English language only.

Originality/value

In the absence of systematic reviews on MTT in the context of soft skill, the study contributes immensely by providing an updated, cogent summarization of extant work and potential directions for future research/practice.
Reference genome of lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus Linnaeus provides evidence of male heterogametic sex determination through the AMH pathway
Authors: Holborn Melissa K. , Einfeldt Anthony L. , Kess Tony , Duffy Steve J. , Messmer Amber M. , Langille Barbara L. , Brachmann Matthew K. , Gauthier Johanne , Bentzen Paul , Knutsen Tim Martin , Kent Matthew , Boyce Danny , Bradbury Ian R.
Published: December 2021

Teleosts exhibit extensive diversity of sex determination (SD) systems and mechanisms, providing the opportunity to study the evolution of SD and sex chromosomes. Here we sequenced the genome of the common lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus Linnaeus), a species of increasing importance to aquaculture, and identified the SD region and master SD locus using a 70 K single nucleotide polymorphism array and tissue‐specific expression data. The chromosome‐level assembly identified 25 diploid chromosomes with a total size of 572.89 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 23.86 Mb and genome annotation‐predicted 21,480 protein‐coding genes. Genome‐wide association analysis located a highly sex‐associated region on chromosome 13, suggesting that anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) is the putative SD factor. Linkage disequilibrium and heterozygosity across chromosome 13 support a proto‐XX/XY system, with an absence of widespread chromosome divergence between sexes. We identified three copies of AMH in the lumpfish primary and alternate haplotype assemblies localized in the SD region. Comparison to sequences from other teleosts suggested a monophyletic relationship and conservation within the Cottioidei. One AMH copy showed similarity to AMH/AMHY in a related species and was also the only copy with expression in testis tissue, suggesting this copy may be the functional copy of AMH in lumpfish. The two other copies arranged in tandem inverted duplication were highly similar, suggesting a recent duplication event. This study provides a resource for the study of early sex chromosome evolution and novel genomic resources that benefits lumpfish conservation management and aquaculture.
Tools and applications for integrative analysis of DNA methylation in social insects
Authors: Morandin Claire , Brendel Volker P.
Published: December 2021

DNA methylation is a common epigenetic signalling tool and an important biological process which is widely studied in a large array of species. The presence, level and function of DNA methylation vary greatly across species. In some insects, DNA methylation systems are minimal, and overall methylation rates tend to be low in all studied insect species. Low methylation levels probed by whole‐genome bisulphite sequencing require great care with respect to data quality control and interpretation. Here, we introduce BWASP/R, a complete workflow that allows efficient, scalable and entirely reproducible analyses of raw DNA methylation sequencing data. Consistent application of quality control filters and analysis parameters provides fair comparisons among different studies and an integrated view of all experiments on one species. We describe the capabilities of the BWASP/R workflow by re‐analysing several publicly available social insect WGBS data sets, comprising 70 samples and cumulatively 147 replicates from four different species. We show that the CpG methylome comprises only about 1.5% of CpG sites in the honeybee genome and that the cumulative data are consistent with genetic signatures of site accessibility and physiological control of methylation levels.
Screening rates and prevalence of osteoporosis in a real‐world, Australian systemic sclerosis cohort
Authors: Bimal Gayathri , Sahhar Joanne , Savanur Monika , Ngian Gene‐Siew
Published: December 2021

Aim

Despite reports of decreased bone mineral density in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in international cohorts, the prevalence of osteoporosis in Australian SSc patients remains unknown. We report rates of dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning in an SSc cohort at a tertiary hospital specialized outpatient clinic and the prevalence and associations of osteoporosis in screened patients.

Method

We performed retrospective chart review to determine if patients underwent DXA scanning between 2007 and 2018 and extracted lumbar spine and femoral neck T‐scores, fracture history, and osteoporosis therapy.

Results

Of 244 patients, 104 (42.6%) underwent DXA scanning and among patients in whom T‐scores were available (n = 91), 30 (33.0%) had osteoporosis and 48 (52.7%) had osteopenia. Screened patients were more likely to have longer disease duration (19.9 vs 15.2 years, P = 0.002), calcinosis (50.5% vs 36.4%, P = 0.028), myositis (12.6% vs 0.7%, P < 0.001), synovitis (42.7% vs 28.6%, P = 0.022), ever used prednisolone (76.7% vs 47.1%, P < 0.001) or fractures (23.0% vs 0.0%, P < 0.001). Patients with osteoporosis more commonly had a history of nasogastric feeding, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding or intravenous total parenteral nutrition (6.9% vs 0.0%, P = 0.038) and, unexpectedly, less commonly ever used prednisolone (58.6% vs 85.2%, P = 0.005) compared with patients with osteopenia or normal bone density.

Conclusion

We identified high rates of osteoporosis among screened Australian SSc patients. Further assessment in larger, prospective studies is needed to establish guidelines for formal osteoporosis screening in SSc patients.
A case of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma with preexisting interstitial pneumonia successfully treated with pembrolizumab
Authors: Sako Masahiro , Nokihara Hiroshi , Kondo Kensuke , Mitsuhashi Atsushi , Ozaki Ryohiko , Yabuki Yohei , Abe Akane , Yoneda Hiroto , Ogino Hirokazu , Otsuka Kenji , Uehara Hisanori , Nishioka Yasuhiko
Published: December 2021

Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma is often refractory to chemotherapy and follows an aggressive clinical course. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of advanced lung cancer, and a few cases with pleomorphic carcinoma have been reported to show tumor shrinkage after therapy with ICIs. When treating patients with ICIs, patient selection is essential, and monitoring and management of immune‐related adverse events, including pneumonitis, are needed. We herein report a case of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma with preexisting interstitial pneumonia treated with pembrolizumab, antiprogrammed cell death 1 antibody. Our report highlights important considerations necessary when treating advanced pleomorphic carcinoma patients complicated with interstitial pneumonia. We also review the literature regarding the use of ICIs in such patients.
Addressing methodological issues in a study of impulsivity and vulnerability for transition to alcohol use disorder
Authors: Poulton Antoinette , Eastwood Oliver , Bruns Loren Richard , Sinnott Richard O. , Hester Robert
Published: December 2021

Background

Heightened behavioral impulsivity has been advocated as a preexisting risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Nonetheless, studies investigating impulsivity in adolescent/young adult at‐risk drinkers—who are at increased risk of developing AUD—report mixed findings. This may be due to methodological limitations related to definitions of at‐risk drinking, the retrospective assessment of alcohol intake, and/or the relatively modest sample size of some studies.

Methods

Healthy individuals (N = 814, Mage = 22.50) completed online surveys and a measure of choice impulsivity. Of these, a number of participants also undertook an online measure of response inhibition (n = 627, Mage = 22.66), and a further subgroup submitted real‐time alcohol consumption information for a period of 21 days using an app (n = 543, Mage = 22.96). Differences in behavioral impulsivity were assessed as a function of various at‐risk alcohol intake categories. Hierarchical multiple regression was employed to determine whether impulsivity predicted alcohol use in the form of a continuous index comprising variables related to intake and consequences of use.

Results

Significantly greater impulsivity was not evident in heavy, standard binge, high binge, harmful, or hazardous alcohol drinkers as compared to controls, regardless of the criteria employed to categorize these at‐risk drinkers. Neither choice impulsivity nor reduced response inhibition significantly predicted the alcohol use index.

Conclusions

While results could be attributed to the online nature of this research, it is possible that more sensitive measures of behavioral impulsivity are required when assessing nondependent drinkers.
Genetic liability for prescription opioid use and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a multivariable Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Cai Jiahao , He Lei , Wang Hongxuan , Rong Xiaoming , Chen Ming , Shen Qingyu , Li Xiangpen , Li Mei , Peng Ying
Published: December 2021

Background and aims

Observational studies have yielded conflicting results on the association of prescription opioid use (POU) with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Residual confounding and potential reverse causality are inevitable in such conventional observational studies. This study used Mendelian randomization (MR) design to estimate the causal effect of POU on the risk of CVD, including coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke (IS), as well as their common risk factors.

Design

We estimated the causal effect of genetic liability for POU on CVD in a two‐sample MR framework. Complementary sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the robustness of our results.

Setting

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) that were based on predominantly European ancestry.

Participants

The sample sizes of the GWAS used in this study ranged from 69 033 to 757 601 participants.

Measurements

Genetic variants predictive of the POU and their corresponding summary‐level information in the outcomes were retrieved and extracted from the respective GWAS.

Findings

Using univariable MR, we found evidence for a causal effect of genetic liability for POU on an increased risk of CHD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.16; P = 0.008] and MI (OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.04–1.22; P = 0.002). In multivariable MR, the association remained after accounting for comorbid pain conditions, but was attenuated with adjustment for potential mediators, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Conclusion

Mendelian randomization estimates provide robust evidence for the causal effects of genetic liability for prescription opioid use on an increased risk of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, which might be mediated by obesity‐related traits.
Longer‐term impacts of trading restrictions on alcohol‐related violence: insights from New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Athanasopoulos George , Sarafidis Vasilis , Weatherburn Don , Miller Rohan
Published: December 2021

Background and Aims

In February 2014, the government of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, introduced new restrictions (known as the ‘lockout laws’) on the sale of alcohol in licensed premises in two of Sydney's most prominent entertainment districts, Kings Cross (KX) and the central business district (CBD). This study aimed to determine: (i) whether the introduction of the lockout laws was the point at which the time pattern of the assault series in the KX and CBD entertainment precincts changed; (ii) whether the apparent reduction in assault in these precincts persists when we control for common variations in assault across the entire state of NSW; (iii) whether the reduction in assault in the KX and CBD entertainment precincts resulted in a displacement of the assault problem into other areas; and (iv) whether there is a net reduction in assault after taking any spill‐over or displacement effects into account.

Design

Structural break analysis was used to determine the date at which the time pattern of assaults changed. Interrupted time series analysis with a rest‐of‐NSW comparator was used to assess the change in assault.

Setting, cases and measurements

The monthly totals of incidents of non‐domestic assaults reported to the NSW Police between January 2009 and March 2019 (n = 123).

Findings

The structural break in assaults occurred in January 2014 rather than in February 2014, when the lockout laws were introduced. The reduction in assault persists even when we control for common influences across NSW as a whole. In particular, from January 2014 onwards, assaults fell immediately by 22% (a downward step) in KX (90% confidence interval [CI] = 15–28) and by 33% in the CBD (90% CI = 19–47). Assaults continued declining in KX (trend‐break coefficient = −0.094, 90% CI = −0.192 to 0.005). The reduction in assault in the KX and CBD precincts is associated with a rise in assault in areas surrounding these precincts. The net effect, nonetheless, remains a lower level of assault. In particular, we estimate that the net reduction over the three areas combined was 1670 assaults (i.e. 27 per month).

Conclusion

Some of the initial reduction in assault in KX and the CBD of Sydney, Australia, previously attributed to the February 2014 introduction of lockout laws may have been a response to publicity surrounding recent deaths connected with alcohol‐related violence.
Comparative analysis of origin and branches of phrenic nerve in the diaphragm of the crab‐eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) and domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
Authors: Silva Érica Augusta dos Anjos Cerqueira da , Lantyer‐Araujo Nayone Lima , Adami Marta , Silva Ricardo Diniz Guerra e , Almeida Ana Elisa Fernandes de Souza , Martins‐Filho Emanoel Ferreira , Costa‐Neto João Moreira da , Dantas de Faria Marcia Maria M.
Published: December 2021

The crab‐eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) is a canid widely distributed throughout South America, considered the only representative of the gender. There is a lack of information about anatomical aspects of the species, mainly regarded of nervous system anatomy. For clinical and surgical approaches of these animals, the domestic dog is adopted as anatomophysiological model. So, the aim of the present study was to analyse origin and branches of the phrenic nerve in the diaphragm of crab‐eating fox compared to domestic dog. Four specimens of Cerdocyon thous and four of Canis lupus familiaris were used. The phrenic nerve originated from the ventral branches of the fifth (C5), sixth (C6) and seventh (C7) cervical spinal nerves. Phrenic nerves were distributed in the diaphragm as lumbocostal trunk and sternal branch (100%) in the crab‐eating fox, and in costosternal trunk and lumbar branch (75%) and lumbocostal trunk and sternal branch (25%) in the domestic dog. In both species, the lumbar branch innervates the diaphragm pillars, the costal branch addresses all costal region, and the sternal branch distributes in the costal ventrolateral region and the sternal part of the diaphragm, to the left and to the right.
The effect of Zhang’s guideline vs the WHO partograph on childbirth experience measured by the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire in the Labor Progression Study (LaPS): A cluster randomized trial
Authors: Rozsa Daniella Judit , Dalbye Rebecka , Bernitz Stine , Blix Ellen , Dalen Ingvild , Braut Geir Sverre , Eggebø Torbjørn M. , Øian Pål , Sande Ragnar Kvie
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Childbirth experience is an increasingly recognized and important measure of quality of obstetric care. Previous research has shown that it can be affected by intrapartum care and how labor is followed. A partograph is recommended to follow labor progression by recording cervical dilation over time. There are currently different guidelines in use worldwide to follow labor progression. The two main ones are the partograph recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) based on the work of Friedman and Philpott and a guideline based on Zhang’s research. In our study we assessed the effect of adhering to Zhang’s guideline or the WHO partograph on childbirth experience. Zhang’s guideline describes expected normal labor progression based on data from contemporary obstetric populations, resulting in an exponential progression curve, compared with the linear WHO partograph. The choice of labor curve affects the intrapartum follow‐up of women and this could potentially affect childbirth experience.

Material and methods

The Labor Progression Study (LaPS) study was a prospective, cluster randomized controlled trial conducted at 14 birth centers in Norway. Birth centers were randomized to either follow Zhang’s guideline or the WHO partograph. Nulliparous women in active labor, with one fetus in cephalic presentation at term and spontaneous labor onset were included. At 4 weeks postpartum, included women received an online login to complete the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). Total score on the CEQ, the four domain scores on the CEQ, and scores on the individual items on the CEQ were compared between the two groups.

Results

There were 1855 women in the Zhang group and 1749 women in the WHO partograph group. There was no difference in the total or domain CEQ scores between the two groups. We found statistically significant differences for two individual items; women in the Zhang group scored lower on positive memories and feeling of control.

Conclusions

Based on our findings on childbirth experience there is no reason to prefer Zhang’s guideline over the WHO partograph.
Opioid misuse in community pharmacy patients with chronic non‐cancer pain
Authors: Philip Camille , Roy Sophie , Eiden Céline , Soler Marion , Georgin François , Müller Agnès , Picot Marie‐Christine , Donnadieu‐Rigole Helene , Peyriere Hélène
Published: December 2021

Aims

Community pharmacists could contribute to identify people misusing prescription opioids, which may be associated with hospitalizations, substance use disorders and death. This study investigated prescription opioid misuse in community pharmacy patients and the factors potentially associated with high Prescription Opioid Misuse Index (POMI) scores.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, pharmacy students asked patients with opioid prescriptions to fill in a questionnaire (including the POMI) in community pharmacies in a French region, in April 2019. Eligible patients were adults with chronic non‐cancer pain who consented to participate.

Results

In total, 414 patients (62.4% women; mean age: 58.00 years ± 16.00) were included. The prescribed opioids were mainly weak opioids (73.2%; paracetamol/tramadol: 35%). Strong opioids (32.6%) included oxycodone (11.95%), fentanyl (9%) and morphine (9%). The median morphine milligram equivalent (MME) was 40 mg/day (IQR25–75: 20–80). The POMI score (0 to 6) was ≥4 in 16% of patients who were younger (P < .01), more urban (P = .03), with higher pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score (P < .01) and MME (P < .01), and treated more frequently with strong opioids (P = .04). In multivariate analysis, age (ORfor 10y: 0.68 (95% CI: 0.56–0.82, P < .0001)), VAS (OR2units: 1.78 (95% CI: 1.26–2.40, P = .0008)), and MME (>100 mg, OR: 2.65 (95% CI: 1.14–4.41, P = .0194)) were significantly associated with POMI scores ≥4.

Conclusions

The high proportion of patients with high POMI scores underlines the interest of prescription opioid misuse screening in community pharmacies, in order to help these patients and refer them to pain specialists, if needed.
Contributing indications to intrapartum and prelabor cesarean births in Iceland 1997‐2015
Authors: Einarsdóttir Kristjana , Steingrímsdóttir Þóra
Published: December 2021

Background

More research is needed on the relative contributions of different indications for cesarean birth and how they vary with maternal age and across time. We aimed to assess how the relative contribution of various indications varied with age and by time period in a study of intrapartum and prelabor singleton, term cesarean births (CB) in Iceland.

Methods

The study was restricted to all singleton, term cesarean births in Iceland between 1997 and 2015 identified from the Icelandic Medical Birth Registry (n = 10 856). The contribution of indications was calculated according to maternal age‐ and birth‐year groups for primiparas and multiparas. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

For intrapartum cesarean births, the relative contribution of fetal distress (AOR = 1.35 [95% CI = 1.12‐1.63]) and failed induction (1.53 [1.15‐2.00]) increased with increasing maternal age, whereas dystocia decreased (0.70 [0.58‐0.83]). For prelabor cesarean births, the contribution of malpresentation (0.83 [0.76‐0.91]) and maternal‐fetal‐obstetric indications (0.59 [0.47‐0.74]) decreased with both birth year and maternal age, whereas the contribution of fear of childbirth (1.80 [1.27‐2.54]) and adverse obstetric history (1.24 [1.12‐1.37]) increased. Previous CB as an indication for cesarean increased until the 2007‐2011 time period, after which it decreased.

Conclusions

For intrapartum cesarean births, the relative contribution of fetal distress and failed induction increased with maternal age, whereas dystocia decreased. For prelabor cesarean births, the relative contribution of more objective indications decreased, whereas more subjective indications increased with time and with increasing maternal age.
Oxygen gradient ektacytometry does not predict pain in children with sickle cell anaemia
Authors: Nardo‐Marino Amina , Petersen Jesper , Brewin John N. , Birgens Henrik , Williams Thomas N. , Kurtzhals Jørgen A. L. , Rees David C. , Glenthøj Andreas
Published: December 2021

The loss of red blood cell (RBC) deformability in sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is considered the primary factor responsible for episodes of acute pain and downstream progressive organ dysfunction. Oxygen gradient ektacytometry (Oxygenscan) is a recently commercialised functional assay that aims to describe the deformability of RBCs in SCA at differing oxygen tensions. So far, the Oxygenscan has been evaluated only by a small number of research groups and the validity and clinical value of Oxygenscan‐derived biomarkers have not yet been fully established. In this study we examined RBC deformability measured with the Oxygenscan in 91 children with SCA at King’s College Hospital in London. We found a significant correlation between Oxygenscan‐derived biomarkers and well‐recognised modifiers of disease severity in SCA: haemoglobin F and co‐inherited α‐thalassaemia. We failed, however, to find any independent predictive value of the Oxygenscan in the clinical outcome measure of pain, as well as other important parameters such as hydroxycarbamide treatment. Although the Oxygenscan remains an intriguing tool for basic research, our results question whether it provides any additional information in predicting the clinical course in children with SCA, beyond measuring known markers of disease severity.
Paclitaxel‐based supramolecular hydrogel loaded with mifepristone for the inhibition of breast cancer metastasis
Authors: Zhao Cui‐Cui , Zhang Chuan‐Gui , Sun Xuan , Guo Qingxiang , Liu Jinjian , Liu Yan , Hao Ya‐Nan , Feng Guowei , Yang Lijun , Liu Hong , Liu Jianfeng
Published: December 2021

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women and almost all of the breast cancer‐caused mortality is related to metastasis. It has been reported that glucocorticoid facilitates the metastasis of breast cancer in mice, and mifepristone can antagonize the effect of glucocorticoid. Paclitaxel is one of the important drugs in the treatment of breast cancer. Mifepristone combined with paclitaxel could be an effective strategy for inhibiting breast cancer metastasis. However, their inherent defects, in terms of short blood circulation half‐life and lack of tumor targeting, not only limit their effectiveness but also cause adverse reactions. Therefore, our aim is to explore a novel protocol against breast cancer metastasis, further optimize its therapeutic efficacy by a nanodelivery system, and explore its mechanism. Herein, a paclitaxel‐conjugated and mifepristone‐loaded hydrogel (PM‐nano) was prepared by self‐assembly. Its characterizations were studied. The antimetastatic effect was evaluated in vitro and in vivo and its mechanism was also explored by western blot assay. The resultant PM‐nano was developed with favorable water solubility and good biocompatibility. Moreover, PM‐nano displayed increased cell uptake properties and stimulated drug release in the tumor micro‐acidic environment. The PM‐nano was more effective in inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer than other groups in vitro and in vivo. The PM‐nano might inhibit metastasis through glucocorticoid receptor/receptor tyrosine kinase‐like orphan receptor 1 and MMPs. Taken together, PM‐nano showed superior antimetastatic effects against breast cancer and excellent biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo, providing a new option for limiting metastasis.
Hygiene‐related knowledge, attitude and practice: An imperative study among primary caregivers of the under three aboriginal children in Malaysia
Authors: Minhat Halimatus Sakdiah , Zakaria Liyanatul Najwa
Published: December 2021

Background

Parental and caregivers' hygiene‐related knowledge, attitude and practice are compelling factors in the prevention of stunting and malnutrition among the aboriginal children in Malaysia, which are highly modifiable. This study was conducted to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene among primary caregivers of the under three aboriginal (known as Orang Asli) children community in Malaysia.

Methods

A total of 166 primary caregivers of the under three children of the aboriginal community in Kuala Langat district, Selangor were recruited. Data related to caregivers', child's and environmental factors were collected using a validated and reliable questionnaire, with knowledge, attitude and practice being the dependent variables. IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to analyse the data. Pearson's correlation was conducted to identify the relationship between continuous data. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene, as well as the predictors.

Results

The mean scores for knowledge, attitude and practice related to hygiene were 6.91 (2.12), 23.67 (3.16), 29.97 (3.55) and 43.05 (4.41), respectively. Significant moderate positive correlations were found between attitude and hygiene practice (r = 0.445, P < 0.001). Self‐efficacy was significantly correlated with attitude (r = 0.442, P < 0.001) and practice (r = 0.557, P < 0.001), with every unit increase in self‐efficacy will predict 0.281 and 0.536 increase in attitude (B = 0.281, 95% CI: 0.126–0.435) and practice (B = 0.536, 95% CI: 0.348–0.725) scores respectively.

Conclusion

Moderate mean scores for hygiene related knowledge, attitude and practice were observed in this study, with self‐efficacy being a significant predictor for both hygiene‐related attitude and practice but not knowledge. The self‐efficacy of the caregivers should be sustained through continuous health education and counselling, to ensure improved hygiene practice. Future related research should consider the mediating role of self‐efficacy on attitude and practice.
From research ‘on’ to research ‘with’ children about their family lives: A scoping review of ethical and methodological challenges
Authors: Dubois Anne‐Catherine , Lahaye Magali , Aujoulat Isabelle
Published: December 2021

Background

Since the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, interest in the ethical and methodological challenges involved in conducting research with children has increased considerably. Researchers who work with children have to take into account children's intrinsic physical, mental and emotional vulnerability as well as their interdependence with other family members, particularly their parents. This is especially challenging in research that seeks to explore children's lived experience in relation to aspects of their family lives.

Objective

We aimed to identify specific ethical issues and ways of overcoming challenges in conducting research with children on some aspects of their family lives.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review according to the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. Seventeen publications were selected for data extraction and synthesis, 4 of which were original studies and 13 reflexive papers.

Results

Our results confirm that a research project that asks children about aspects of their family lives leads to a number of ethical tensions: While children depend on their parents and family to ensure that their safety and physical needs are met, they also greatly contribute to the development of family dynamics. We highlight methodological strategies that allow researchers to mitigate the ethical challenges that are inherent to this type of research.

Discussion/conclusion

A promising approach is to use participative methods at each stage of research, including developing a trusting and triadic partnership that includes parents, children, a multidisciplinary research team and professional gatekeepers. Benefits as well as possible risks for participants should also be considered when children and their parents are engaged in a study.
The parenting skill development and education service: Telehealth support for families at risk of child maltreatment during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Fogarty Alison , Jones Andi , Seymour Monique , Savopoulos Priscilla , Evans Kirsty , O'Brien Jacquie , O'Dea Liz , Clout Peter , Auletta Sarah , Giallo Rebecca
Published: December 2021

Children are at heightened risk of maltreatment during community wide crises. The Parenting Skill Development and Education (PSDE) Service is a 6‐week telehealth intervention designed and implemented during the COVID‐19 pandemic to support families with young children in Australia at risk of child maltreatment. This study aimed to conduct a formative review of the PSDE service to (a) describe families accessing the PSDE during the pandemic, (b) determine parent and referrers' satisfaction of the service and (c) explore clinicians' experiences of service delivery. A mixed‐method study design incorporating the analysis of routinely collected data, and qualitative interviews with clinicians was conducted. Participants were 11 families displaying child maltreatment risk and 11 clinicians. Parents accessing the service were experiencing considerable risk factors for child maltreatment. The service was deemed acceptable by parents and referrers; however, several challenges in telehealth delivery were documented including parent engagement, technology difficulties and assessing child safety. Our findings highlighted the importance of ensuring adequate support and monitoring of families where there is child maltreatment risk during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In addition, these findings highlight the acceptability of telehealth services to support families at risk of child maltreatment for families, clinicians, and referrers.
Retracted: IoT incorporated deep learning model combined with SmartBin technology for real‐time solid waste management
Authors: Sivakumar Muthuramalingam , Renuka Perumal , Chitra Pandian , Karthikeyan Sundararajan
Published: December 2021

With a view of the massive human resources and time requirements, the need for an automated, more accurate, and quicker method for handling the classification of solid wastes is felt more than ever worldwide. In this work, an attempt has been made to develop a model named SmartBin. Two different approaches have been followed to classify solid wastes as biodegradable and non‐biodegradable efficiently. The first approach is based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and Internet of Things (IoT), while the second approach adds several sensors to the model developed using the first approach. CNN‐based IoT is applied on datasets collected using three methods. The first one is Images from Kaggle; the second method adopted searches through Google and Bing, whereas the third one involved captured manually under a controlled environment. It is observed that the second approach has proved to be better, with an accuracy level of 98.57, which is a significantly improved performance over the first approach with an accuracy of 95.24%.
Tri‐transformer Hawkes process via dot‐product attention operations with event type and temporal encoding
Authors: Song Zhi‐yan , Liu Jian‐wei
Published: December 2021

Asynchronous event sequences widely exist in the real world, such as social networks, electronic medical records, financial data, and genome analysis. For modeling asynchronous event sequences in the continuous time domain, point process has become the underpinning. In the initial research stage, Hawkes process is widely used because it can capture the self‐triggering and mutual triggering modes between different events in a variety of point process functions. In recent years, due to the development of neural networks, deep point process (also known as neural point process) can learn models with the stronger fitting ability and reduce the dependence on prior knowledge by using the powerful capacity of neural networks. The proposal of the transformer Hawkes process (THP) has led to a huge performance improvement, so a new climax of the transformer‐based deep Hawkes process is set off. However, THP does not make full use of the event and temporal information underlying the asynchronous event sequence, meanwhile, if we simply take the event type encoding and temporal encoding as the sequence encoding, a single transformer may suffer from learning bias. In order to circumvent these problems, we propose a tri‐transformer Hawkes process model (TTHP), in which the event and temporal information are introduced to the dot‐product attention operations as auxiliary information to form different multihead attention, respectively, and are utilized to build three heterogeneous learners. A series of well‐designed experiments on synthetic and real‐world datasets validate the effectiveness of the proposed TTHP.
Current status of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided antegrade stone removal for patients with a surgically altered anatomy
Authors: Shiomi Hideyuki
Published: December 2021

This Editorial refers to the article by T. Ogura et al., p 234‐237 of this issue.
How to get rid of diploid bumblebee males – variability in wing size and shape does not allow within‐colony ploidy discrimination
Authors: Bogo Gherardo , Cejas Diego , De la Rúa Pilar , Bortolotti Laura
Published: December 2021

The bumblebee Bombus terrestris L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is an effective pollinator of both wild and cultivated plants and essential for the pollination of various important greenhouse crops. Because of its sex determination mechanism, homozygosity of the complementary sex determination (csd) locus due to inbreeding causes fertilized eggs to develop into diploid males, which represent a serious disadvantage for the colonies as their presence decreases colony growth and survival. The identification of diploid males is thus important from both ecological and economic points of view. In the present study, we applied the geometric morphometrics method on wing shape and size of B. terrestris diploid and haploid males at overall and intra‐colony levels to investigate wing changes between the two groups. We found that changes in wing shape concerned almost all cells investigated and male diploidy resulted in a narrower and slightly longer configuration. In addition, diploid male wings presented a very high variation both in size and shape, likely due to sub‐optimal temperature of incubation and food availability during their larval development. This strong variation of diploid male wings makes the ploidy discrimination by wing geometric morphometrics inaccurate based on small reference samples at the intra‐colony level even with allometric data correction, whereas it is accurate (precision >90%) at the overall level, in which sample size is high enough (i.e., 500 individuals). Therefore, our results indicated the need to create a large dataset to allow the analysis of few samples, as is the case with studies of wild bumblebee populations, small rearing companies, or preserved museum specimens. For this reason, we provide a large database of B. terrestris wing Procrustes coordinates (500 samples) to the bumblebee scientific community for use in the analysis of the determination of diploid male individuals.
Fatigue and fracture of ultrasonically welded aluminum alloys to carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics
Authors: Staab Florian , Balle Frank
Published: December 2021

This work evaluates the fatigue behavior of ultrasonically welded aluminum AA5024) to fiber reinforced thermoplastic (PEEK) joints at a stress ratio of R > 0. Initial load increase tests were carried out and, based on a detected material reaction caused by fatigue damage, the load horizon for subsequent constant amplitude tests was derived. After identifying characteristic stress level, microscopic investigations of hybrid fracture surfaces were carried out. Damage behavior and failure mechanisms in comparison to monotonic tensile tests were investigated and discussed in detail. For a fatigue limit of 2·106 cycles, the applied maximum force corresponds to 35% of the maximum lap shear force for monotonic testing. A drop in stiffness to 88% close to failure was observed.
Redox proteomics analysis of hair shaft proteins upon hydrothermal and alkaline insult
Authors: Maes Evelyne , Deb‐Choudhury Santanu , Clerens Stefan , Davis Stephanie L. , Davis Michael G. , Marsh Jennifer M. , Willicut Robert J. , Dyer Jolon M.
Published: December 2021

Objective

Human hair is regularly subjected to chemical and physical insults, such as heat, UV‐irradiation and alkaline hair care products. These insults result in molecular modifications at the hair protein level that underpin mechanical and sensory property changes in the fibres. These changes can manifest itself in reduced hair quality and performance attributes observable to the consumer. In this work, changes in protein modification as a result of heat and alkaline treatments are determined.

Methods

Redox proteomic profiling using high‐resolution mass spectrometry was applied to map and evaluate amino acid residue modifications in human hair exposed to a combination of thermal treatments and alkali exposure with the aim to understand the underlying chemical processes.

Results

Our results show that an increase in redox‐related modifications is associated with exposure to higher levels of hydrothermal and alkaline insult. Post‐translational modification profiling at the protein primary structural level delivered some further insights into the site‐specificity of these modifications, with a clear increase in the number of cysteic acid modifications noticed in samples subjected to more extreme insults.

Conclusion

Pinpointing modification sides within proteins and the hair shaft proteome can be used as a basis for employing mitigation or repair strategies of hair protein damage caused by environmental or hair treatment‐related insults.