bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benchmarking the economic and environmental performance of water utilities: a comparison of frontier techniques
Authors: Molinos-Senante Maria , Maziotis Alexandros , Sala-Garrido Ramon
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate and compare the efficiency of several water utilities using three frontier techniques. Moreover, this study estimates the impact of several qualities of service variables on water utilities’ performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilizes three frontier techniques such as data envelopment analysis (DEA), stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and stochastic non-parametric envelopment of data (StoNED) to estimate efficiency scores.

Findings

Efficiency scores for each methodological approach were different being on average, 0.745, 0.857 and 0.933 for SFA, DEA and StoNED methods, respectively. Moreover, it was evidenced that water leakage had a statistically significant impact on water utilities’ costs.

Research limitations/implications

The choice of an adequate and robust method for benchmarking the efficiency of water utilities is very relevant for water regulators because it affects decision making process such as water tariffs and design incentives to improve the performance and quality of service of water utilities.

Originality/value

This paper evaluates and compares the performance of a sample of water utilities using three different frontier methods. It has been revealed that the choice of the efficiency assessment method matters. Unlike SFA and DEA, a lower variability was shown in the efficiency scores obtained from the StoNED method.
A system dynamic model for assessing the level of BIM implementation in construction phase: a China case study
Authors: Tu Bocun , Zuo Jian , Chang Rui-Dong , Webber Ronald J. , Xiong Feng , Dong Na
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Building information modeling (BIM) is recognized as one of the technologies to upgrade the informatization level of the architecture engineering and construction (AEC) industry. However, the level of BIM implementation in the construction phase lags behind other phases of the project. Assessing the level of BIM implementation in the construction phase from a system dynamics (SD) perspective can comprehensively understand the interrelationship of factors in the BIM implementation system, thereby developing effective strategies to enhance BIM implementation during the construction phase. This study aims to develop a model to investigate the level of BIM implementation in the construction phase.

Design/methodology/approach

An SD model which covered technical subsystem, organizational subsystem, economic subsystem and environmental subsystem was developed based on questionnaire survey data and literature review. Data from China were used for model validation and simulation.

Findings

The simulation results highlight that, in China, from 2021 to 2035, the ratio of BIM implementation in the construction phase will rise from 48.8% to 83.8%, BIM model quality will be improved from 27.6% to 77.2%. The values for variables “BIM platform”, “organizational structure of BIM” and “workflow of BIM” at 2035 will reach 65.6%, 72.9% and 72.8%, respectively. And the total benefits will reach 336.5 billion yuan in 2035. Furthermore, the findings reveal five factors to effectively promote the level of BIM implementation in the construction phase, including: policy support, number of BIM standards, owners demand for BIM, investment in BIM and strategic support for BIM.

Originality/value

This study provides beneficial insights to effectively enhance the implementation level of BIM in the construction phase. Meanwhile, the model developed in this study can be used to dynamically and quantitatively assess the changes in the level of BIM implementation caused by a measure.
Academic leadership and research performance: a study among engineering academicians in emerging nations
Authors: Hungund Sumukh , Annigeri Anandkumar R. , Pandey Ishita , Hiremath Gurubasavarya
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The performance of an academic institution is widely measured by their research performance. In this regard, the role played by leaders in an academic institution is vital. The focus of this paper is on the role played by academic leadership towards research performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study is designed, and data are collected from 267 faculty members from various technical institutes across India through an online survey. A snowball sampling is adopted to reach the data point, and structural equation modeling is used to analyze the relationship using Smart PLS (partial least squares).

Findings

The study indicates that leadership in academic setup in developing countries does not directly influence research performance among the faculty members. To enhance research performance, institutes should promote collaboration and facilitate knowledge acquisition and individual development.

Practical implications

The proposed model aids the leadership in devising strategies and approaches to encourage collaborations and individual initiatives in an academic setup.

Social implications

The study identifies the importance of Individual initiative in Research Performance and knowledge acquisition for Higher Educational Institutions (HEI).

Originality/value

This research study is unique because it investigates the relationships between Academic Leadership and Research Performance of engineering faculty in emerging nations.
The effect of type of company doing home delivery during a pandemic on consumers' quality perceptions and behavior
Authors: Movarrei Reza , Rezaee Vessal Sara , Rezaee Vessal Saeedeh , Aspara Jaakko
Published: December 2021

Purpose

In the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increasingly opt for, or are forced to, use home delivery services. The authors study retailers' decisions regarding “delivery mode”, which is about outsourcing (vs. insourcing) the delivery service to a traditional delivery company or an unbranded carrier and its effects on consumers' perceived overall quality, perceived hygienic quality, and subsequently, willingness to stay with the firm beyond the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A pre-test, an experiment and a post-test were conducted with participants from the UK (TotalN = 380).

Findings

The results of this study show that (1) in a pandemic, perceived hygienic quality overshadows perceived service quality as a key determinant of consumers' choices, and (2) while consumers have a relatively negative view of the hygienic level of unbranded carriers, they do not differentiate between traditional delivery carriers and retailer-branded carriers. Thus, they are equally interested in using the services of the latter ones.

Originality/value

This study shows that during a health crisis, consumers change their hierarchy of motivations to reflect the new protection motivations. The authors usher perceived hygienic quality as a variable that should be seriously considered as both a tactical and a strategic variable affecting the attractiveness of alternative home delivery methods and consumers' intentions to continue using them after the pandemic.
Listening and learning from the COVID-19 frontline in one US healthcare system
Authors: Cumberland Denise M. , Ellinger Andrea D. , Deckard Tyra G.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Understanding the perspectives and insights of frontline healthcare workers caring for and interacting with patients with COVID-19 represents a timely, topical, and important area of research. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to assist one US healthcare system that has an expansive footprint with the implementation of a needs assessment among its frontline healthcare workers. The leadership within this healthcare system wanted to obtain a deeper understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting the personal and professional lives of its workers. Further, the organisation wanted to solicit employees’ feedback about what they needed, understand the issues they were facing, and solicit their ideas to help the organisation know where to take action.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative research employed 45 focus groups, referred to as virtual listening calls (LCs) in this organisation, which were held over a four-week period. A total of 241 nursing staff, representing healthcare facilities across the country, attended 26 of the LCs. A total of 19 LCs were held with 116 healthcare workers who are employed in other clinical roles (e.g. therapists) or administrative functions.

Findings

Extending beyond the available research at the time, this study was initiated from within a US healthcare system and informed by the frontline healthcare employees who participated in the LCs, the findings of this study include the perspectives of both nursing and other healthcare workers, the latter of which have not received considerable attention. The findings underscore that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the personal and professional lives of all of these healthcare workers and has exacted an emotional toll as noted in other studies. However, this study also highlights the importance of listening to employees’ concerns, but more importantly, their recommendations for improving their experiences. Notably, the organisation is in the midst of making changes to address these frontline workers’ needs.

Originality/value

The study, inclusive of nursing and other healthcare staff, demonstrates how an organisation can adapt to a crisis by listening and learning from its frontline employees.
Digital platforms: customer satisfaction, eWOM and the moderating role of perceived technological innovativeness
Authors: Ruiz-Alba José L. , Abou-Foul Mohamad , Nazarian Alireza , Foroudi Pantea
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate how customer satisfaction can be achieved in the context of digital platform services, its influence on electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and how such relationships can be moderated by perceived technological innovativeness (PTI).

Design/methodology/approach

The research framework was developed and empirically tested using an online survey and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Data were gathered from 501 Uber customers in London, UK.

Findings

The study recognises and confirms that trust and cost saving enhanced customer satisfaction in Uber mobility services, which has a positive impact on eWOM. There are other findings regarding users who share rides vs those who do not share. Furthermore, it has been found that PTI moderates the relationship between customer satisfaction and eWOM.

Originality/value

The research draws on collaborative consumption literature and contributes to the antecedents of customer satisfaction in digital economy literature: trust, environmental impact, cost saving and utility. The study offers an empirical validation of the role of PTI in enhancing eWOM. The paper breaks new ground for a better understanding of how PTI can moderate the influence of customer satisfaction and eWOM in digital platforms.
Ten years ofJournal of Accounting in Emerging Economies: a review and bibliometric analysis
Authors: Najaf Khakan , Atayah Osama , Devi Susela
Published: December 2021

Purpose

TheJournal of Accounting in Emerging Economies(JAEE), established in 2011, aims to publish research on contemporary accounting issues in emerging economies. This study used the bibliometric and scientometric approaches to provide deeper insights into the journal performance, prominent topics, author's contributions and citation structure. Content analysis was conducted to provide insights on the major themes addressed inJAEE.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyses data from the Scopus database, Google Scholar and Journal website. The total number of documents analysed are 190. This study employs VOSviewer and RStudio to conduct the analysis which is categorised into four major parts: General performance indicators, citation structure, network analysis and content analysis.

Findings

SinceJAEEcommenced publication in 2011 and indexed in the Scopus in 2018, it achieved a 14.47% annual growth rate in document publication. It is encouraging to note that 88.4% of published documents were cited. In terms of total publication, the top contributing country is Malaysia; the USA is the primary contributor in citations. Five key themes emerged from the content analysis namely, international standards and earnings quality; audit quality and IFRS practices in emerging economies; corporate governance; financial reporting and earnings management; corruption and accounting disclosure; and ownership structure and firm performance.

Originality/value

This study offers a comprehensive assessment to the journal stakeholders about the past and current journal performance besides future trends and perspectives. Additionally,JAEEreaders can gain insight into the nature of academic contributions inJAEEfrom 299 authors of 273 affiliated institutions in 67 countries.
Coping mechanisms of Philippine tourism and hospitality family businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a non-parametric approach
Authors: Santiago Andrea , Roxas Fernando Martin , Rivera John Paolo , Gutierrez Eylla Laire
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Family businesses (FB), mostly small-sized, dominate the tourism and hospitality industry (THI), especially in the rural areas. While many would have been used to the impact of demand seasonality, it is unknown how these businesses would have survived through the restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as compared to non-family business (NFB) counterparts. This study aims to determine if there were differences on how family and non-family enterprises in the THI coped with government restrictions.

Design/methodology/approach

By subjecting the survey data from tourism enterprises to non-parametric techniques, the authors establish empirical evidence on similarities and differences of coping strategies adopted by FBs and NFBs; their required support from government and their perceptions of a post-pandemic THI.

Findings

The analysis revealed that family-owned tourism and hospitality businesses in the Philippines tended to collaborate with other businesses to manage the impact of the pandemic restrictions. Since they hired more seasonal workers prior to the restrictions, they tended to avoid hiring workers during the restricted period. NFBs, on the other hand, that were generally larger in size and more professionally managed with more regular employees, tended to streamline operations for greater efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

The study relied on survey results distributed and collected online. There is an innate bias against those firms that did not have access to the survey links.

Practical implications

The comparative study suggests that interventions to assist firms in the THI should consider the differences in firm ownership as “one size does not fit all.”

Social implications

The study provides evidence about how environmental factors impact the operations of family firms. Thus, it provides valuable insights for both the academic community and industry practitioners.

Originality/value

This is the first study in the Philippines that was able to capture response of family and non-family firms in the THI during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The link between networking behaviours and work outcomes: the role of political skills
Authors: Wanigasekara Saroja Kumari , Ali Muhammad , French Erica
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Networking behaviours are important for a range of work outcomes. Little empirical evidence of how internal vs external networking behaviours influence job commitment and job performance exists and whether political skills moderate these relationships. Using theories of social capital and personal initiative, this study examines the effect of internal and external networking behaviours on job commitment and job performance in the context of political skills.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a sequential mixed-method research design with a four-month time lag, Study 1 data on networking behaviours, political skills and work outcomes were collected via a survey of middle managers and their supervisors from ten private sector organisations operating in Sri Lanka. Study 2 data were collected via interviews of a set of middle managers and their supervisors.

Findings

Study 1 findings indicate a positive relationship between internal networking behaviours and both job commitment and job performance. The authors also found a moderating effect of political skills on internal networking behaviours and job commitment. Study 2 findings explained, strengthened and extended results of Study 1.

Practical implications

Middle managers can use these research findings to understand how internal networking behaviours improve their job commitment and job performance. These managers can use their political skills and internal networking behaviours to improve their job commitment. They can also advance their career through improved job commitment and job performance. Senior managers and human resource managers should facilitate and encourage internal networking behaviours. Training and development managers should develop middle managers' networking behaviours and political skills.

Originality/value

This study provides pioneering evidence of how internal networking behaviours impact middle managers' job performance and job commitment, and how internal networking behaviours improve job commitment for middle managers with high political skills.
The determinants of corporate cash holdings: evidence from Shariah-compliant and non-Shariah-compliant corporations
Authors: Alnori Faisal , Bugshan Abdullah , Bakry Walid
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference between the determinants of cash holdings of Shariah-compliant and non-Shariah-compliant firms, for non-financial corporations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Design/methodology/approach

The data include all non-financial firms listed in six GCC markets over a period 2005–2019. The IdealRatings database is used to identify Shariah-compliant firms in the GCC. To examine the determinants of cash holdings, a static model is used. To confirm the applicability of the method applied, the Breusch–Pagan Lagrange Multiplier (LM) and Hausman (1978) are used to choose the most efficient and consistent static panel regression.

Findings

The results show that, for Shariah-compliant firms, the relevant determinants of cash holdings are leverage, profitability, capital expenditure, net working capital and operating cash flow. For non-Shariah-compliant firms, the only relevant determinants of cash holdings are leverage, net working capital and operating cash flow. The findings suggest that the cash holding decisions of Shariah-compliant firms can be best explained using the pecking order theory. This reveals that Shariah-compliant firms use liquid assets as their first financing option, due to the Shariah regulations.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies may investigate the optimal levels of cash holdings and compare the adjustment speeds toward target cash holdings of both the Shariah-compliant firms and their conventional counterparts.

Originality/value

This study is the first to investigate the difference between the determinants of cash holdings of Shariah-compliant and non-Shariah-compliant firms.
Library response to Black Liberation Collective: a review of student calls for change and implications for anti-racist initiatives in academic libraries
Authors: Bocko Amy Faye , Guth LuMarie , Broadnax Micha
Published: December 2021

Purpose

In September 2015 protests erupted at the University of Missouri following a series of racist incidents on campus and culminating in the resignation of the university president in November 2015. In solidarity with the protests student activists at universities across the United States and Canada organized into the Black Liberation Collective and held the first #StudentBlackoutOut day of protests on university campuses on November 15 followed by the publication of lists of demands to over 80 colleges in 28 states, the District of Columbia and Canada in the hopes of creating more-equitable and inclusive institutions. These demands shared similarity in requests for equity as those put forth during the Black Campus Movement of the late 1960s which led to the establishment of Black studies and cultural centers at colleges and universities. Academic libraries in particular were included with several demands to better serve the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community.

Design/methodology/approach

While librarianship has largely been a historically White profession, libraries have undertaken many diversity and inclusion initiatives over the years. This article will examine seven case studies concerning college and university libraries addressing demands collated by the Black Liberation Collective in 2015. Six years out from the publication of the lists, we will evaluate statements issued by the libraries and posted on their websites, the promises that have been made to address inequities and the ensuing actions the libraries have taken to create a welcoming, inclusive community.

Findings

The authors examine seven institutions where demands from student activists speak directly to the library. We examine the library's response to make changes and subsequent actions.

Originality/value

The authors take a journalist approach to their research and examination of library responses.
Antecedents of kaizen culture and its effect on operational performance: perspective of manufacturing companies in Malaysia
Authors: Siew Mui Kong , Muthuveloo Rajendran , Chan Josephine Ie Lyn
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of kaizen culture on innovation and operational performance of electrical and electronic manufacturing companies in Malaysia. A research framework, with underpinning theories of dynamic capabilities and socio-technical systems, was conceptualized to investigate the interplay of these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 123 manufacturing companies using an online survey and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 24.0 and the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (SmartPLS) version 3.2.8.

Findings

Ultimately, the findings proved that kaizen culture is crucial for organizations to optimize their operational performance and can be nurtured through the implementation of process innovation and organizational innovation.

Originality/value

Unlike past studies, this research examines the concepts of innovation, kaizen culture and operational performance in a single study; thus, provides further opportunities for new discoveries through such relationships. Also, the novelty is identifying that kaizen culture can be nurtured via innovation.
Red foxes in Japan show adaptability in prey resource according to geography and season: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Hisano Masumi , Evans Maldwyn J. , Soga Masashi , Tsunoda Hiroshi
Published: December 2021

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the world's most widespread member of the order Carnivora, occurring across a large range of latitudes and inhabiting multiple habitat types. There is no comprehensive study of how the diets of this flexible generalist vary across the whole Asian continent. We conducted a meta‐analysis of red fox diets in Japan, examining the patterns in food type selection and their associations with seasonality, regional climate, vegetation productivity, and human influences at the national scale. Using linear mixed models, we revealed significant seasonal effects on the frequency of occurrence of mammals in general, ungulate carcasses, birds, and invertebrates in the diets of red foxes. Furthermore, the frequency of occurrence of mammals significantly decreased with mean annual temperature and increased with vegetation productivity. The frequency of invertebrate occurrences increased with temperature, and that of anthropogenic foods increased with human population density. Trophic diversity and dietary niche breadth increased with annual temperature but decreased with vegetation productivity and population density. These results suggest that the red fox is a flexible predator in Japan that adapts its foraging patterns according to variations in resource availability and abiotic conditions, while persistently consuming a certain ratio of animal prey to meet its metabolic requirements. Modifications of predators' trophic niches can influence structures of prey communities and interactions with sympatric competitors. Our findings are important for informing ecosystem management practices under ongoing environmental and social changes in Japan.
A qualitative exploration of systemic training and practice for Muslim community leaders as part of an innovative project in an inner‐city area
Authors: Khan Nadir
Published: December 2021

Whilst there is increasing interest in spiritual and religious narratives in the field of family therapy, little has been written regarding how these constructs intersect in training and practice. This study explores the experiences of three Muslim community leaders who completed two years of systemic training as part of an innovative project in an inner‐city area. Semi‐structured interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), resulting in the emergence of three themes: (i) the self of the systemic practitioner, (ii) experience of systemic training and (iii) application in the community. Participants recognised that most systemic principles and interventions were complementary to religious constructs and could be applied in their community work. Being part of a Muslim cohort, the skilful management of cultural sensitivity by the instructors and opportunities for faith‐based perspectives to be appreciated and engaged with as part of the meaning‐making process all contributed to a positive learning experience.

Practitioner points

Muslim community leaders in this study recognised that most systemic principles and interventions were complementary to religious constructs and could be applied in their community work.

Being part of a Muslim cohort, the skilful management of cultural sensitivity by the instructors and opportunities for faith community perspectives to be heard and articulated all contributed to a positive learning experience.

They expressed a need for systemic training and knowledge to be disseminated to support community leaders and Imams as well as the communities they serve.

Opportunities for the expression of the subjugated discourses held by faith‐based communities are required to help identify gaps in research and training that could lead to the establishment of service provisions that do not denigrate the core beliefs of these populations.

The incorporation of faith community understandings of the self, family and society into systemic practice would enable institutions, trainers, supervisors and therapists to be more responsive to the needs of these communities, as well as identify opportunities for the co‐creation of knowledge.
Reducing bias in preference elicitation for environmental public goods*
Authors: Brent Daniel A. , Gangadharan Lata , Leroux Anke D. , Raschky Paul A.
Published: December 2021

The recent stated preference literature emphasises the importance of incentive compatible elicitation methods, which depend on respondent beliefs that payment can be collected if provision occurs. We investigate this condition in a randomised field experiment where stated choices are incentivised financially. The objective of the treatment was to make choices salient by making each decision financially relevant and to increase the respondents' beliefs that future payments will be enforced. Our results show that the treatment increases estimates of the marginal utility of income, with the effect being economically and statistically significant for low‐income respondents. We develop a stylised theoretical framework that allows us to quantify the bias that is implied by the observed differences between the treated and control groups. We find that failure to account for respondents' doubts about payment coercion in an otherwise well‐designed survey inflates the marginal willingness to pay among low‐income respondents by a factor of at least 1.72.
‘We came here to stay’: Making biobanks worth maintaining in Spain
Authors: Argudo‐Portal Violeta , Domènech Miquel
Published: December 2021

The oscillation between the promise and the disappointment of biobanks as techno‐scientific infrastructures for contemporary biomedical research is frequent in the literature. In this article, we analysed how the precariousness of biobanks is leading to shifts in the focus of biobanking in Spain, where there are calls for some practices to be rearticulated. Drawing upon fieldwork and interviews with biobankers, we looked at which practices are highlighted for change to make biobanks worth maintaining and keep them afloat. We analysed these practices to unpack the values biobankers deploy to make sense of biobanking and turn it into two worthiness criteria: social return and dynamism. These criteria are intertwined and revolve around ethically calibrating the accumulation and sharing practices, ‘sharing but not too much’. The porosity of biobanking practices and legislation, not to mention over a decade of austerity measures make biobanks fragile scientific infrastructures in Spain. We examine how biobanking practices are shifting in Spain to stay in the precarious techno‐scientific present while challenging assumptions on cryopreservation and preparedness. Our local account highlights the relevance of further inquiries on shifts in biobanking to attend to which kinds of biomedical research and knowledge might be coproduced by such infrastructural reconfigurations.
Hospital‐cardiologist integration often occurs without a practice acquisition
Authors: Post Brady , Nallamothu Brahmajee K. , Hollenbeck Brent
Published: December 2021

Objective

To describe how much of the recent increase in hospital‐cardiologist integration has come from acquisitions of physician practices compared to individual employment decisions. While the role of physician practice acquisitions has received considerable attention in the news, integration may also be driven by individual physicians accepting employment at hospital‐based practices.

Data Sources

American Medical Association Physician Masterfile and Medicare data.

Study Design

Analysis of changes in hospital‐cardiologist integration from 2011 to 2018. We measured increases in integration and changes in the number of independent and hospital‐owned practices.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Not applicable.

Principal Findings

In 2011, 18% of cardiologists were integrated, rising to 25% in 2016. Of this rise, 48% occurred with no acquisitions. Physicians who had completed residencies in the past 5 years (early career physicians) had higher rates of integration that also increased over time: the percentage of early career physicians joining hospital systems rose from 25% to 32%, indicating rapid growth in the number of physicians who began their careers working in hospital‐based sites.

Conclusions

A large and growing portion of hospital‐cardiologist integration came from hospital employment at the individual physician level. Future policies focused on preserving competition and affordability may benefit from better understanding this form of consolidation.
Medicaid long‐term care workforce training intervention and value‐based payment metrics
Authors: Fong Mei‐Chia , Russell David , Brickner Carlin , Gao Oude , Vito Sandi , McDonald Margaret
Published: December 2021

Objective

To examine the impact of a scaled implementation of workforce training intervention on value‐based payment measures in a large home‐based Medicaid managed long‐term care plan population in New York.

Data Sources

Managed long‐term care clients' health assessments from the Uniform Assessment System of New York merged with paid claims, home health aide operational visit data, and workforce training rosters between 2018 and early‐2020.

Study Design

A quasi‐experimental design was used. Exposure and control groups were constructed using the proportion of service hours delivered by trained aides between clients' baseline and follow‐up/outcome assessments. Multivariate logistic generalized linear and additive models were estimated to examine associations between exposure to trained aides and value‐based payment measures.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

The analytic sample consisted of 19,212 pairs of assessments from 13,320 long‐term care clients continuously enrolled in the plan between baseline and follow‐up/outcome assessments. Matched assessment pairs were 6–10 months apart.

Principal Findings

Over 27% of the study population (n = 3656 clients) received services from one or more of 8683 trained aides. Statistically significant associations were observed for four of seven value‐based payment measures; however, the presence and magnitudes of positive training effects differed by client service needs. With covariate adjustment, workforce training had the largest estimated positive impacts on rates of flu vaccination among average‐need clients (1.60%, standard error [SE] = 0.01), not experiencing uncontrolled pain among above‐average‐need clients (0.69%, SE = 0.001), stable/improved pain intensity among heavy‐need clients (1.25%, SE = 0.01), and stable/improved shortness of breath among light‐need clients (0.88%, SE = 0.003).

Conclusion

Although we found mixed associations between scaled workforce training implementation and value‐based payment metrics, we noted workforce training could benefit high‐need long‐term care recipients. Health indicators more sensitive to the daily support provided by direct care workers should be integrated into value‐based health care models.
Risk factors for early death in urgent‐start peritoneal dialysis patients: A multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Meng Lingfei , Yang Liming , Zhu Xueyan , Sun Zhanshan , Zhang Xiaoxuan , Li Xinyang , Cheng Siyu , Guo Shizheng , Zhuang Xiaohua , Zou Hongbin , Luo Ping , Cui Wenpeng
Published: December 2021

Background

Assess risk factors for early death in patients who underwent urgent‐start peritoneal dialysis (USPD).

Methods

Patients who initiated USPD in five peritoneal dialysis centers from 2013 to 2019 were screened in this multicenter retrospective cohort study. Risk factors for all‐cause mortality within 3 months were explored.

Results

A total of 1265 USPD patients with 43 early deaths were included. Cox regression analyses showed that age older than 60 years (hazard ratio [HR], 3.054; 95% CI [1.597, 5.842]; p = 0.001), albumin less than 30 g/L (HR, 2.234; 95%CI [1.207, 4.136]; p = 0.011), blood glucose greater than 7 mmol/L (HR, 2.766; 95%CI [1.477, 5.180]; p = 0.001), higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; HR, 1.121; 95%CI [1.071, 1.172]; p = 0.000), and poor stages of heart failure (class IV compared with class 0‐I; HR, 5.165; 95%CI [2.544, 10.486]; p = 0.000) were independent predicting factors for early death.

Conclusions

Risk factors for early death were older age, hypoproteinemia, hyperglycemia, higher eGFR, and severe heart failure.
Cell reprogramming in liver with potential clinical correlations
Authors: Wang Yi Chuan , Wang Zhi Jie , Zhang Cheng , Ning Bei Fang
Published: December 2021

The theory of cell reprogramming has developed rapidly during the past decades. Cell reprogramming has been widely used in the construction of experimental models and cytotherapy for certain diseases. Hepatocyte‐like cells that are important for the treatment of end‐stage liver disease can now be obtained with a variety of reprogramming techniques. However, improving the differentiation status and physiological function of these cells remains challenging. Hepatocytes can transdifferentiate into other types of cells directly, whereas other types of cells can also transdifferentiate into hepatocyte‐like cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, cell reprogramming is to some extent similar to malignant cell transformation. During the initiation and progression of liver cancer, cell reprogramming is always associated with cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. In this review, we summarized the research related to cell reprogramming in liver and highlighted the potential effects of cell reprogramming in the pathogenesis and treatment of liver diseases.
Linguistic Tensions in a Professional Accounting Field: English Linguistic Capital, Hierarchy, Prestige, and Distinction Among Accountants†
Authors: Aburous Dina , Kamla Rania
Published: December 2021

This study examines the processes by which English linguistic capital is legitimized as integral to professional accountants' distinction, prestige, and status in Jordan. Drawing on 27 interviews, the study reveals the dynamic and mutual interdependency of social hierarchies and Jordanian accountants' agency in embedding the English language in everyday practices and routines. Accountants in senior positions employ English linguistic practices and strategies linked to the global structures of the profession (e.g., IFRS, enterprise resource planning [ERP] systems, Big 4 firms). Typically, these respondents already have a good command of English due to their elite, socially and economically privileged upbringing. By comparison, less powerful accountants, not drawn from the elite, tend to accept and internalize the need for English in their field, despite being more proficient in Arabic. They employ coping strategies that largely reinforce their marginalization, although occasionally they are able to open up spaces for hybrid linguistic practices, as they adapt the use of Arabic and English to their practical, daily requirements. The data also suggest that all Jordanian accountants in this study, regardless of social background, experience emotional ramifications linked to the tensions between the global demand for English in their field and meanings associated with English and Arabic due to colonial history. Through the lens of Bourdieu's sociolinguistic and practice theory(s), Jordanian accountants experience frictions and internal contradictions, “split habitus/habitus clivé,” driving them to compartmentalize (decouple) their Arab and professional identities in a global accountancy context. Insights emanating from the study have implications for understanding and addressing unequal power and marginalization in professional accounting settings in Jordan and beyond.
Bos taurus haplotypes segregating in Nellore (Bos indicus) cattle
Authors: Utsunomiya Y. T. , Fortunato A. A. A. D. , Milanesi M. , Trigo B. B. , Alves N. F. , Sonstegard T. S. , Garcia J. F.
Published: December 2021

Brazil is the largest exporter of beef in the world, and most of that beef derives from Nellore cattle. Although considered a zebu breed (Bos indicus), the history of Nellore cattle in Brazil is marked by the importation of bulls from India, the use of a Creole taurine (Bos taurus) maternal lineage to quickly expand the herds and backcrossing to Nellore bulls to recover zebu ancestry. As a consequence, the current Brazilian Nellore population carries an average taurine ancestry of approximately 1%. Although that percentage seems small, some taurine variants deviate substantially from that average, with the better‐known cases being the PLAG1‐Q haplotype involved with body size variation and the Guarani (PG) polled variant producing hornless animals. Here, we report taurine haplotypes in 9074 Nellore animals genotyped for 539 657 imputed SNP markers. Apart from PLAG1‐Q and PG, our analysis further revealed common taurine haplotypes (>3%) spanning genes related to immunity, growth, reproduction and hair and skin phenotypes. Using data from 22 economically important traits, we showed that many of the major QTL previously reported in the breed are at least partially driven by taurine haplotypes. As B. taurus and B. indicus haplotypes are highly divergent, presenting widely different sets of functional variants, our results provide promising targets for future scrutiny in Nellore cattle.
Digital information and communication technologies on histology learning: What to expect?—An integrative review
Authors: Joaquim Davide Carlos , Hortsch Michael , Silva Andrea Soares Rocha da , David Priscila Barros , Leite Ana Caroline Rocha de Melo , Girão‐Carmona Virgínia Cláudia Carneiro
Published: December 2021

This integrative review summarizes the scientific evidence about the use of information and communication technologies in the teaching of histology and discusses its implications. The authors used the descriptors ‘Educational Technology’, ‘Information Technology’, ‘Histology’, ‘Teaching’, ‘Learning’, and their corresponding Portuguese translation for a comprehensive search of the published literature. This research was performed in May 2020 and targeted the PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, WOS, and SCOPUS databases. Studies published between 2010 and 2020 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish were included in the analysis. After excluding dissertations, reports, and duplicate reviews, 11 articles were identified for an in‐depth analysis, which discussed the use of different technologies, such as digital platforms, mobile apps, virtual microscopy, and video classes for the teaching of histology. All studies concluded that these technologies could have a considerable impact, both positive and negative, on academic performance, the correct interpretation of histological structures, as well as students’ motivation and satisfaction. The authors’ analysis indicates that the use of the above‐mentioned technologies in combination with traditional methods has the potential of transforming the teaching and learning process for histology. However, how such technologies impact students’ learning success needs to be carefully considered.
Measuring the outcomes for aged care residents’ participation in physical activity interventions: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Wootten Steven , Wiseman Nicola , Harris Neil
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Lack of physical activity presents substantial health risks to older adults living in residential aged care facilities. The objective of this review was to examine the suitability of physical activity outcome measurement instruments among cognitively sound residents.

Methods

Search terms were used to explore health, nursing and social science databases to identify applicable English‐language research from January 2000 to July 2020.

Results

Sixteen papers met the inclusion criteria. The findings show that a diverse range of outcome measurement instruments have been used to evaluate physical activity intervention effectiveness. Most were found not to be validated for use specifically with residential aged care populations.

Conclusions

A range of Outcome Measurement Instruments (OMI) appear to effectively measure physical activity intervention outcomes among residential aged care older adults. Results highlighted the need for greater rigour in study design and selection of valid and population‐appropriate instruments for use with this population.
Protein microarray analysis of amniotic fluid proteins associated with spontaneous preterm birth in women with preterm labor
Authors: Park Kyo Hoon , Kim Hyeon Ji , Lee Young Eun , Kim Yu Mi , Lee Ji Eun , Hong Subeen
Published: December 2021

Problem

To identify proteins present in the amniotic fluid (AF) that could be associated with spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB; delivery < 7 days) in women with preterm labor (PTL).

Method of study

First, the AF proteome of 20 women with PTL and SPTB was compared with that of 20 matched women with term deliveries using an antibody microarray. Next, nine identified candidate biomarkers of SPTB were further validated in 267 singleton pregnant women with PTL who underwent amniocentesis at 26–33 weeks of gestation using ELISA, and whether the degree of expression of these proteins was associated with the risk severity for subsequent SPTB was retrospectively assessed.

Results

Of the 507 proteins evaluated in the microarray analysis, 27 displayed significant intergroup differences. In particular, ELISA quantification confirmed that the expression of EN‐RAGE, IL‐6, IL‐8, IP‐10, lipocalin‐2, MMP‐8, MMP‐9, S100 A8/A9, and TNFR2 were all increased in the AF of women spontaneously delivering within 7 days of sampling compared with those delivering after 7 days. Moreover, the odds of SPTB within 7 days, even upon adjusting for confounders, tended to significantly increase with each increasing quartile of baseline AF levels of each protein (P‐value for trend < .05).

Conclusion

Nine AF proteins were found to be independently associated with higher risk of subsequent SPTB in women with PTL, all of which were immune‐, inflammation‐, and extracellular matrix‐related proteins. Moreover, risk severity for this subsequent SPTB is closely related to the degree of expression of each of these proteins.
The impact on obstetric and perinatal outcomes in term infants following the introduction of a colour‐coded, hierarchical cardiotocography classification system: A retrospective non‐inferiority study
Authors: Willis Meg , Dunn Liam , Okano Satomi , Janssens Sarah , Kumar Sailesh
Published: December 2021

Background

Queensland introduced a colour‐coded cardiotocograph (CTG) classification system (green, blue, yellow and red) to complement the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists prose‐based classification system of ‘low, unlikely, maybe or likely’ fetal compromise.

Aims

The aim of the study was to determine the clinical impact of the introduction of the colour‐coded CTG classification system compared to the prose‐based system. We hypothesised there would be no change in the rate of operative delivery for intrapartum fetal compromise (OD‐IFC).

Materials and methods

This retrospective non‐inferiority study from November 2014 to May 2018 used routinely collected data from the Mater Mother’s Hospital. Non‐insured women with a singleton, non‐anomalous, cephalic fetus at term, attempting a vaginal birth with continuous intrapartum CTG were included. The primary outcome was OD‐IFC. Secondary outcomes included various obstetric and perinatal outcomes. Non‐inferiority analysis was performed with a pre‐specified non‐inferiority margin of 2% risk difference.

Results

Eleven thousand seven hundred and twenty‐seven participants were included. The OD‐IFC rate was similar across the study groups (prose‐based 15.1% vs colour‐coded 15.3%, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.02, 95% CI 0.93–1.13) with the adjusted risk difference of 0.29% (95% CI −0.98 to 1.56), which did not exceed the inferiority margin. There were more spontaneous (aOR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04–1.19) and fewer instrumental (aOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80–0.95) vaginal births in the colour‐coded cohort. There were no differences in neonatal outcomes.

Conclusions

Reassuringly, the colour‐coded CTG classification system was non‐inferior to the prose‐based system, did not influence OD‐IFC but was associated with more spontaneous vaginal deliveries.