bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decent work and employee performance: a conservation of resources perspective
Authors: Huang Wenyuan , Yuan Chuqin
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study explores the relationships of decent work (DW) with in-role performance (IRP) and organizational citizenship behavior toward the organization (OCBO) by focusing on the mediating role of career satisfaction (CS) and the moderating role of supervisor ostracism (SO).

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses were tested using latent moderated structural equations method with two-wave data from 376 employees in a South China industrial park.

Findings

DW is positively associated both directly and indirectly, via the mediation of CS, with IRP and OCBO; the positive relationship between DW and CS is negatively moderated by SO.

Practical implications

The findings show that employee performance can be improved by implementing discernible DW activities that foster CS, but that this effect can be weakened by SO. It is, therefore, critical to create a DW environment for employees and lessen the incidence of SO in the organization.

Originality/value

This research enriches the literature by addressing the previously unexplored relationship between DW and employee performance by focusing on the mediating role of CS and the moderating role of SO.
Unravelling the mechanism between despotic leadership and psychological distress: the roles of bullying behavior and hostile attribution bias
Authors: Chaudhary Arooba , Islam Talat
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Healthcare workers are considered to be the most vulnerable to face mental health. Therefore, this paper aims to examine how negative leadership (despotic leadership) affects employees' psychological distress. Specifically, the authors investigated bullying behavior as mediating mechanism and hostile attribution bias as boundary condition that trigger psychological distress.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from 252 nurses and their immediate supervisors (as a coping strategy for common method bias) through “Google Forms” from various public and private hospitals.

Findings

The authors applied structural equation modeling and noted that despotic leadership positively affects employees' psychological distress through bullying behavior. In addition, hostile attribution bias is identified as an important factor in amplifying the effect of bullying behavior on psychological distress.

Research limitations/implications

The authors collected data from high-power distance culture where negative leadership is more prevalent as compared to low-power distance culture. Their findings suggest management to discourage self-centered leaders (despotic) and employees with negative personality traits (hostile attribution bias) as these affect their mental health.

Originality/value

Drawing upon conservation of resources theory, this study is the first of its kind that has investigated how and when despotic leadership affects employees' psychological distress. In addition, the authors also highlighted the importance of negative personality traits (hostile attribution bias) that can amplify the association between bullying behavior and psychological distress.
Environmental protection investment and enterprise innovation: evidence from Chinese listed companies
Authors: Jiang Xinfeng , Akbar Ahsan , Hysa Eglantina , Akbar Minhas
Published: August 2022

Purpose

China has emerged as the world's second-largest economy due to rapid industrial expansion and phenomenal economic growth of China in recent decades. Though, this exponential economic turnaround has been fueled by widespread energy consumption, making China among the largest pollutant emitters in the world. Chinese enterprises have come under greater scrutiny and the Government has mandated Chinese companies to undertake environmental protection investment. This study aims to explore the relationship between environmental protection investment and enterprise innovation by taking evidence from Chinese listed firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The data of 2,568 Chinese A-share listed firm-year observations were collected from the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges during 2008–2016. This study employed ordinary least square and panel data fixed effects techniques to ascertain the association between proposed variables.

Findings

The authors' findings conjecture the crowding-out effects of environmental investments on enterprise innovation-related expenditures. Furthermore, additional empirical testing reveals that Research and Development (R&D) undertakings of state-owned and politically connected enterprises are not affected by environmental investments. Likewise, corporate innovation activities are not negatively influenced by environmental investments in polluting industries. The study findings offer fresh insights to regulators, corporate managers and stakeholders. The authors' results are robust to alternate econometric specifications and alternate variable specifications.

Originality/value

This study makes the following contributions toward the extant literature. First, the study investigates if there is a crowding-out effect of spending on environmental protection in the current period and the innovation expenditure in the upcoming period. Empirical results confirm that there exists a trade-off between both types of spending, implying that the spending on environmental protection will negatively influence the spending on innovation. Second, the study deepens the analysis in considering other influences in this relationship. For instance, the authors' separately consider the aforementioned trade-off in state-owned enterprises and non-state-owned enterprises. The study also examines the mediating influence of corporate political connections and industry attributes, whether or not these influence the relationship between the actual spending on environmental protection and the upcoming spending on innovation.
Exploring an inverted U-shaped relationship between top management team task-related faultlines and top executive hubris
Authors: Xie Qing , Li Wuwei , Lou Xu
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Top executive hubris is associated with positive/negative outcome. Little is known about the antecedent of hubris in top management team (TMT) and how they can be weakened to capitalize on TMT size and market complexity. This paper aims to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws on the social information processing theory. Subsequently, it proposes and tests an inverted U-shaped relationship between task-related faultlines and top executive hubris. Top management team size and complexity can weaken the relationship between them. Panel data were collected longitudinally from 2011 to 2016 on China's listed firm on growth enterprises board.

Findings

Hierarchical regression analyses indicate that medium task-related faultlines experience stronger than weak and strong faultlines. TMT size and market complexity can weaken the inverted U-shaped relationship between them.

Originality/value

This study provides pioneering evidence for an inverted U-shaped relationship between task-related faultlines and top executive hubris. These findings inform practice by suggesting a tipping point of team faultlines.
Does the implementation of IFRS improve transparency regarding the company's financial conditions?: evidence from an emerging market
Authors: Ebaid Ibrahim El-Sayed
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether there are differences between financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and financial statements prepared in accordance with local accounting standards in terms of its ability to present the financial conditions of companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange as one of the emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on study variables were obtained from the published financial statements of 67 of listed companies in the Saudi Stock Exchange during the period 2014–2019. The study addressed the research hypotheses by using Altman Z-score model. Both the T-test and Wilcoxon rank test were used to investigate the significance of differences between the values of Z-score and the individual variables included in the model in the pre- and post-IFRS mandatory adoption periods.

Findings

The results revealed a decrease in the values of Z-score as well as the values of the individual variables included in the model in the period following the adoption of IFRS than it was before the adoption of IFRS, which indicates the ability of IFRS to show the financial conditions of companies more transparently than local accounting standards. However, the results of the T-test and Wilcoxon test showed that these decreases were not statistically significant.

Research limitations/implications

This study has some limitations, including the small sample size as a result of the small size of the Saudi Stock Exchange, As well as the reliance of this study only on the Altman model with its five variables in assessing financial conditions without examining the impact of other factors that may affect the financial conditions of companies.

Practical implications

Financial conditions of the companies have important implications for multiple parties such as management, government, investors and others as an early warning sign that enables them to take the necessary measures early before the actual bankruptcy occurs and what results in costs.

Originality/value

Although assessing financial conditions of the companies is one of the basic uses of accounting information, this topic has not received sufficient attention as a means to test the benefits of adopting IFRS, especially in emerging markets such as Saudi Stock Exchange. This is the first study to examine the impact of adopting IFRS on the transparency of financial reporting in assessing financial conditions in Saudi Arabia.
Nutrient balance and energy‐acquisition effectiveness: Do birds adjust their fruit diet to achieve intake targets?
Authors: Blendinger Pedro G. , Rojas Tobias N. , Ramírez‐Mejía Andrés F. , Bender Irene M. A. , Lomáscolo Silvia , Magro Julieta , Núñez Montellano M. Gabriela , Ruggera Román A. , Valoy Mariana , Ordano Mariano
Published: August 2022

According to diet‐regulation hypotheses, animals select food to regulate the intake of macronutrients or maximise energy feeding efficiency. Specifically, the nutrient balance model proposes that foraging is primarily a process of balancing multiple nutrients to achieve a nutritional intake target, while the energy maximisation model proposes that foraging aims to maximise energy.

Here, we evaluate the adjustment of fruit diets (the fruit‐derived component of the diets) to nutritional and energy intake targets, characterising the nutrient balance and energy maximisation strategies across fruit‐eating bird species with different fruit‐handling behaviours (‘gulpers’, which swallow whole fruits, and ‘mashers’, which process the fruit in the beak) in subtropical Andean forests. Food‐handling behaviour determines the food intake rate and, consequently, influences animal efficiency to obtain nutrients and energy.

We used extensive field data from the diet of fruit‐eating birds to test how species adjust their food intake. We used nutritional geometry to explore macronutrient balance and the effectiveness framework to explore energy‐acquisition effectiveness.

Observed diets showed a good fit with predictions of a diet balanced in macronutrient proportions. With few exceptions, diets clustered near an optimal macronutrient mixture and did not differ from each other in terms of maximising energy intake. Moreover, when comparing our results with a random diet based on local fruit availability, birds tended to fit better to the nutritional target, and less to the energy target, than expected from a random diet. Fruit‐handling behaviour did not affect the ability of bird species to reach a nutritional target but it affected species energy acquisition, which was lower in mashers than in gulpers.

This study explores for the first time different diet‐regulation strategies in wild fruit‐eating birds, and supports the argument that the diet reflects a specific regulation of macronutrients. Understanding why birds select fruits is a complex question requiring multiple considerations. The nutrient balance model explains the relevance of nutrient composition in the fruit selection by fruit‐eating birds, although it is still necessary to determine its relative importance with respect to other dietary drivers.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Knowledge, community and care: Digital biocitizenship in gestational diabetes
Authors: Elton Lotte
Published: August 2022

Online patient communities have proliferated rapidly, as has literature exploring the role such communities play in allowing patients to share knowledge, offer support to one another, and advocate for better medical care. Yet there has been limited scholarly engagement with patient community in gestational diabetes (GDM). Drawing on a grounded theory analysis of 18 semi‐structured interviews with women with GDM, I explore how participating in an online GDM support community shaped these women’s experiences of pregnancy and illness. Women’s interactions with one another prompted them to appraise, contest, and co‐create knowledge claims about GDM. Those in the community supported each other through the difficulties of GDM, but also held each other accountable to their regimes of self‐management, often to a greater extent than their health professionals. The networks of peer support within the community engendered new ethics of care and responsibility, reframing GDM as a condition worthy of more personalised treatment and increased medical attention. These findings attest to the emergence of patient‐led biocitizenship in GDM, although a caveat is given that these participants all had access to resources that facilitated their engagement with self‐care practices. Further research should explore GDM patient community in marginalised populations.
Cutting down, quitting and motivation to stop smoking by self‐reported COVID‐19 status: Representative cross‐sectional surveys in England
Authors: Cox Sharon , Tattan‐Birch Harry , Jackson Sarah E. , Dawkins Lynne , Brown Jamie , Shahab Lion
Published: August 2022

Aim

To examine the association of self‐reported COVID‐19 disease status with cutting down, past‐month and past‐year quit attempts and motivation to stop smoking.

Design and setting

Repeat cross‐sectional survey, representative of the adult population in England.

Participants

Past‐year smokers, n = 3338 (aged ≥ 18 years) responding between May 2020 and April 2021.

Measurements

Outcomes were (i) currently cutting down, (ii) having made a quit attempt in the past month, (iii) having made a quit attempt in the past year and (iv) motivation to stop smoking. The explanatory variable was self‐reported COVID‐19 disease status (belief in never versus ever had COVID‐19). Covariates included age, sex, occupational grade, region, children in the household, alcohol use and survey month.

Findings

Of past‐year smokers, 720 (21.6%) reported past‐COVID‐19 infection and 48 (1.4%) reported current COVID‐19 infection. In adjusted analyses, rates of currently cutting down [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.93–1.34], past‐year quit attempts (aOR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.82–1.19) and motivation to stop smoking (aOR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.89–1.23) were comparable in those who did and did not report ever having had COVID‐19. People who reported ever having had COVID‐19 had 39% higher odds than those without of attempting to quit in the past month, but the confidence interval contained the possibility of no difference (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI = 0.94–2.06) and for some the quit attempt may have occurred before they had COVID‐19.

Conclusion

During the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic in England, rates of reducing smoking and attempting to quit in the past year were similar in smokers who did or did not self‐report ever having had COVID‐19. There was also little difference in motivation to stop smoking between groups. However, causal interpretation is limited by the study design, and there is potential misclassification of the temporal sequence of infection and changes to smoking behaviour.
Opium tincture versus methadone for opioid agonist treatment: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Nikoo Mohammadali , Kianpoor Kiana , Nikoo Nooshin , Javidanbardan Sanam , Kazemi Alireza , Choi Fiona , Vogel Marc , Gholami Ali , Tavakoli Saeed , Wong James S. H. , Moazen‐Zadeh Ehsan , Givaki Reza , Jazani Majid , Mohammadian Fatemeh , Moghaddam Nader Markazi , Schütz Christian , Jang Kerry , Akhondzadeh Shahin , Krausz Michael
Published: August 2022

Aim

To test if opium tincture (OT) was non‐inferior to methadone in retaining participants in opioid agonist treatment (OAT).

Design

A Phase III, multi‐centre, parallel‐group, non‐inferiority, double‐blind randomized controlled trial with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Participants were provided treatment and followed for a period of 85 days.

Setting

Four OAT clinics in Iran.

Participants

Two hundred and four participants with opioid use disorder [mean age (standard deviation) = 37.4 (9.3); female 11.3%] recruited between July 2017 and January 2018.

Interventions

Participants were assigned to either OT (102) or methadone (102) using a patient‐centred flexible dosing strategy.

Measurements

Treatment retention over 85 days was the primary outcome. Self‐reported opioid use outside treatment and occurrence of adverse events (AEs) were the secondary outcomes.

Findings

Remaining in treatment at the end of the follow‐up were 68.6% in the methadone arm and 59.8% in the OT arm. The relative retention rate of methadone to OT was 1.15 (0.97, 1.36) in both intent‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses; non‐inferiority was not supported statistically, as the upper bound of the confidence interval exceeded our pre‐specified non‐inferiority margin (1.25). Opioid use outside treatment was reported by 30.3% of OT (n = 152) and 49.4% of methadone (n = 168) patients, a difference in proportions of −19%: 90% confidence interval (−28%, −10%). The total count of AEs in the OT arm (22 among nine individuals) was significantly higher (P = 0.04) than that in the methadone arm (three among two individuals). Nausea was the most common side effect.

Conclusion

While this study could not conclude the non‐inferiority of opium tincture (OT) to methadone for retaining patients in opioid agonist treatment, OT retained 60% of participants to end of follow‐up (85 days) and was superior to methadone in reducing self‐reported opioid use outside treatment.
The impact of fire severity from the 2019 to 2020 mega‐fires on roosting ecology of a rainforest‐dependent bat (Phoniscus papuensis)
Authors: Law Bradley S. , Madani George , Gonsalves Leroy , Brassil Traecey , Hall Lachlan , Sujaraj Adrian , Lloyd Anna , Turbill Christopher
Published: August 2022

The 2019–2020 megafires in southeastern Australia extensively burnt forests including fire‐sensitive rainforests. Assessments of species' responses typically consider differences in occupancy or density between burnt and unburnt forest, but here we focus on how these fires influenced roost selection by a rainforest‐dependent bat. We radio‐tracked golden‐tipped bats Phoniscus papuensis in fire grounds to investigate whether roost location or type was influenced by fire severity one‐year post‐fire. Overall, we tracked 19 bats for a total of 117 roost‐days. Bats roosted (including maternity colonies) in the suspended nests of yellow‐throated scrub‐wrens and brown gerygone, typically in gully rainforest. No bats were captured, or roosts located, where fire severity was high. In the burnt portion of the northern study area, P. papuensis displayed a significant preference for roosting in unburnt rainforest compared to its availability along adjacent gullies. Patches of rainforest burnt by low–moderate severity fire were ranked as second preference. In the burnt portion of the southern study area, most roosts were in rainforest mapped as burnt by low–moderate fire severity, however, no selection was evident relative to availability of rainforest and mapped fire severity. Actual roost locations in the southern study area revealed that 62% were in small pockets of unburnt rainforest, with burnt areas nearby. We recorded early breeding and signs of a second litter in late summer, suggesting a post‐fire resource pulse in their prey (spiders). A higher than usual reproductive output may assist in recovery, along with the bat's mobility to aid finding remaining pockets of unburnt or low severity burnt rainforest with suitable bird nests for roosting. However, recolonization of rainforest burnt by high severity fire will first require recovery of structural complexity, microclimate and the recolonization of host bird‐built nests. We recommend ongoing monitoring to assess the recovery of this specialist bat.
Ocular changes of non‐segmental vitiligo: A case‐control study
Authors: Ezzeldine Shaker M. , Hasan Mohamed S. , Abdelmaksoud Ghada I. , Ibrahim Ezzat N. , Rageh Mahmoud A.
Published: August 2022

Background/Objectives

Vitiligo is a skin disorder in which the melanocytes are destroyed. Melanocytes can be destroyed anywhere in the body, compromising the function of the organs where they are found. Melanocytes in the epidermis and the uveal tract share a common embryological origin in addition to physiological and morphological similarities. Our aim was to detect ocular changes in non‐segmental vitiligo patients.

Methods

This study included 40 non‐segmental vitiligo patients and 40 healthy volunteers as a control. Visual acuity testing, slit lamp examination and optical coherence tomography were performed on all patients as well as controls.

Results

Patients with non‐segmental vitiligo had a considerably greater incidence of ocular alterations than controls, although there was no significant difference in visual acuity.

Conclusions

Vitiligo is a systemic condition that can affect the activity of melanocytes in organs besides the skin. The depigmentation process can influence ocular melanocytes. Ocular problems may be closely connected to vitiligo. Because ocular melanocytes aren't involved in the detection or transmission of visual pathway, there is no vision impairment.
Copper fabric improves the metabolic profile of obese mice: Potential role of the gut microbiota
Authors: Song Erfei , Vu Vivian , Varin Thibault V. , Botta Amy , Marette André , Sweeney Gary
Published: August 2022

Copper and copper alloys have antimicrobial activity through the rapid contact killing of viruses, bacteria and yeasts on their surface. Dysregulation of host microbiota can contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Anecdotal evidence noted improved overall well‐being in individuals sleeping on copper‐containing fabric bedding. We hypothesized that the beneficial effect of copper‐infused fabric bedding on cardiometabolic health is linked to changes in gut microbiota composition. This study utilized a mouse model of diet‐induced obesity to assess the beneficial effects of copper‐infused fabric bedding on metabolic health. Body composition, inflammatory markers, metabolic and cardiovascular status and changes in the faecal microbiota composition were evaluated for up to 2 months in mice fed with a normal chow diet or high fat high cholesterol diet in the presence of bedding made with and without copper‐infused fabric. Results showed that mice subjected to diet‐induced obesity and housed in cages with copper‐infused fabric liner displayed less body weight gain than mice in cages with control fabric. Mice housed with copper‐infused fabric also displayed improved glucose tolerance and reduced inflammation biomarker lipocalin‐2. We also observed a beneficial shift in gut bacterial composition of obese mice housed with copper fabric bedding. Taken in conjunction, our study provides direct animal‐based evidence supporting the beneficial effects of copper fabric on metabolic health.
Prevalence of skin sensitization and dermatitis among epoxy-exposed workers in the wind turbine industry
Authors: Christiansen Alexandra G. , Carstensen Ole , Sommerlund Mette , Clausen Per A. , Bønløkke Jakob H. , Schlünssen Vivi , Isaksson Marléne , Schmidt Sigrun A. J. , Kolstad Henrik A.
Published: August 2022

Background

A high prevalence of skin sensitization and dermatitis has been reported among workers exposed to epoxy components.

Objectives

To estimate the risk of skin sensitization and dermatitis among workers exposed to epoxy components during production of wind turbine blades while using comprehensive safety measures.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 180 highly epoxy-exposed production workers and 41 nonexposed office workers was conducted at two wind turbine blade factories in Denmark. Participants underwent a skin examination, were tested with a tailored patch test panel including epoxy-containing products used at the factories, and answered a questionnaire.

Results

Sixteen production workers (8·9%) were sensitized to an epoxy component compared with none of the office workers. Skin sensitization was more frequent within the first year of exposed employment. Strong selection bias by atopic status was indicated. Among nonatopic workers, the prevalence of dermatitis was higher among production workers (16·4%) than among office workers [6·5%, odds ratio (OR) 2·3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·6–9·1] and higher among the sensitized workers (43·8%) than the nonsensitized workers (14·6%, OR 4·5, 95% CI 1·6–12·7). Resins based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and F were the most frequent sensitizers. One of the four workers sensitized to epoxy components used at the factories did not react to the epoxy resin of the TRUE test® panel.

Conclusions

Despite comprehensive skin protection, sensitization and dermatitis are prevalent among highly epoxy-exposed workers in the wind turbine industry in Denmark. Our findings document the need for intensified preventive efforts and emphasize the importance of tailored patch testing.

What is already known about this topic?  Epoxy components are well-known sensitizers of the skin.A high prevalence of skin sensitization and dermatitis has been reported among workers exposed to epoxy components.Comprehensive protective equipment is recommended when working with epoxy components.

What does this study add?  Despite comprehensive skin protection, skin sensitization and dermatitis are prevalent among epoxy-exposed workers.We found that 40% of workers sensitized to epoxy products had dermatitis.Only 75% of the sensitized workers were detected by the epoxy resin of the TRUE test®, which emphasizes the importance of tailored testing.
The Emergence of Cultural Attractors: How Dynamic Populations of Learners Achieve Collective Cognitive Alignment
Authors: Falandays J. Benjamin , Smaldino Paul E.
Published: August 2022

When a population exhibits collective cognitive alignment, such that group members tend to perceive, remember, and reproduce information in similar ways, the features of socially transmitted variants (i.e., artifacts, behaviors) may converge over time towards culture‐specific equilibria points, often called cultural attractors. Because cognition may be plastic, shaped through experience with the cultural products of others, collective cognitive alignment and stable cultural attractors cannot always be taken for granted, but little is known about how these patterns first emerge and stabilize in initially uncoordinated populations. We propose that stable cultural attractors can emerge from general principles of human categorization and communication. We present a model of cultural attractor dynamics, which extends a model of unsupervised category learning in individuals to a multiagent setting wherein learners provide the training input to each other. Agents in our populations spontaneously align their cognitive category structures, producing emergent cultural attractor points. We highlight three interesting behaviors exhibited by our model: (1) noise enhances the stability of cultural category structures; (2) short ‘critical’ periods of learning early in life enhance stability; and (3) larger populations produce more stable but less complex attractor landscapes, and cliquish network structure can mitigate the latter effect. These results may shed light on how collective cognitive alignment is achieved in the absence of shared, innate cognitive attractors, which we suggest is important to the capacity for cumulative cultural evolution.
Knapperer Resektionsrand bei Plattenepithelkarzinomen mit hohem oder sehr hohem Risiko: eine retrospektive multizentrische Studie mit 1000 Patienten
Authors: Baba Natsuki , Kato Hiroshi , Nakamura Motoki , Matsushita Shigeto , Aoki Megumi , Fujimoto Noriki , Kato Takeshi , Iino Shiro , Saito Shintaro , Yasuda Masahito , Asai Jun , Ishikawa Masashi , Yatsushiro Hiroshi , Kawahara Yu , Matsuya Taisuke , Araki Ryuichiro , Teramoto Yukiko , Hasegawa Minoru , Tokunaga Takahiro , Nakamura Yasuhiro
Published: August 2022

Hintergrund und Ziele

Bei kutanen Plattenepithelkarzinomen (PEK) ist die Einhaltung der in Leitlinien empfohlenen festen Resektionsränder oft schwierig und knappere Ränder sind wünschenswert. Ziel dieser Studie war die Bewertung des Auftretens von Rezidiven und krankheitsspezifischen Todesfällen bei knapperen Resektionsrändern für PEK mit hohem oder sehr hohem Risiko.

Patienten/Methoden

PEK‐Patienten mit hohem oder sehr hohem Risiko, bei denen eine Tumorexzision durchgeführt wurde, wurden retrospektiv untersucht. Die Patienten wurden in eine Gruppe mit Standardrand gemäß Leitlinienempfehlung (standard margin group, SMG) und eine Gruppe mit knapperen Rändern (narrower‐margin group, NMG) eingeteilt. Gemeinsame primäre Endpunkte waren lokales Rezidiv, PEK‐Rezidiv und PEK‐bedingter Tod. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines PEK‐bedingten Tods und konkurrierender Mortalitätsrisiken wurde mittels kumulativer Inzidenzfunktion (CIF) beschrieben. Unterschiede bei der CIF zwischen den Gruppen wurden mit dem Test nach Gray verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt wurden 1.000 Patienten mit PEK (hohes Risiko, 570; sehr hohes Risiko, 430) eingeschlossen. In der Kohorte mit hohem Risiko gab es keine signifikanten Unterschiede bei der unvollständigen Exzisionsrate (IER) zwischen SMG und NMG (2,6 % vs. 3,0 %, P > 0,99). In der Kohorte mit sehr hohem Risiko war die IER in der SMG jedoch signifikant geringer als in der NMG (8.9 % vs. 16.2 %, P = 0,03). Keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen SMG und NMG wurden für Lokalrezidiv (hohes Risiko, P = 0.56; sehr hohes Risiko, P = 0,70), PEK‐Rezidiv (hohes Risiko, P = 0,30; sehr hohes Risiko, P = 0,47) und PEK‐bedingtem Tod (hohes Risiko, P = 0,23; sehr hohes Risiko, P = 0,83) beobachtet.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Größe des Resektionsrands hat einen begrenzten Einfluss auf Randkontrolle, Rezidive und krankheitsspezifischen Tod bei PEK mit hohem Risiko.
DNA‐Chip‐basierte Diagnose der Onychomykose und Tinea pedis
Authors: Bieber Katja , Harder Melanie , Ständer Sascha , Boch Katharina , Kridin Khalaf , Köhler Birgit , Anemüller Waltraud , Ernst Anna Lara , Zillikens Detlef , Cavalar Markus , Ludwig Ralf J.
Published: August 2022

Hintergrund und Ziele

Onychomykose (OM) und Tinea pedis (TP) sind häufige Pilzinfektionen der Haut. Aktuell basiert die Diagnose vornehmlich auf mikroskopischem Direktnachweis und/oder Kultur. Beide Methoden haben jedoch eine geringe bis mäßige Sensitivität und benötigen teilweise mehrere Wochen, bis endgültige Laborergebnisse vorliegen. Um die Diagnose kutaner Pilzinfektionen zu verbessern, wurden PCR‐basierte Methoden entwickelt. Hier haben wir hier die Sensitivität und Spezifität einer Chip‐basierten Multiplex‐PCR mit mikroskopischen Direktnachweis und verglichen.

Patienten und Methodik

In einer monozentrischen, prospektiven Studie wurden bei Patienten mit Verdacht auf OM (n  =  67) oder TP (n  =  73) Schuppenpräparate entnommen und mittels mikroskopischem Direktnachweis, Kultur und DNA‐Chip‐Technologie der Erregernachweis durchgeführt. In einem weiteren Ansatz wurde überprüft, ob Abstriche als Alternative zur Entnahme eines Schuppenpräparates verwendet werden können. Hierfür wurden 24 weitere OM/TP‐Patienten rekrutiert und die Ergebnisse der DNA‐Chip‐Technologie aus Abstrichen mit denen aus den Schuppenpräparaten verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Im Vergleich aller Methoden hatte die DNA‐Chip‐Technologie die höchste Sensitivität, eine Kombination von DNA‐Chip‐Technologie mit mikroskopischem Direktnachweis erhöhte dies weiter. Ergebnisse dieser kombinierten Labordiagnostik sind innerhalb von 24 Stunden verfügbar. Der Vergleich der Probenentnahmetechniken (Abstrich beziehungsweise Schuppenpräparat) zeigte vergleichbare Ergebnisse.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die molekulare Diagnostik (mittels DNA‐Chip‐Technologie) hat eine hohe Sensitivität für die OM‐ und TP‐Diagnostik, insbesondere in Kombination mit dem mikroskopischen Direktnachweis.
Antiseizure medication reduction and withdrawal in children with drug‐resistant epilepsy after starting the ketogenic diet
Authors: Gogou Maria , Pujar Suresh , Nemani Tarishi , Chiang Chunyi , Simpson Zoe , Hardy Isobel , Schoeler Natasha , Cross J. Helen , Eltze Christin
Published: August 2022

Aim

To investigate the rate of successful withdrawal of antiseizure medication (ASM) after starting the ketogenic diet in children and identify predictive factors.

Method

We retrospectively reviewed data of children with epilepsy, who were treated with the ketogenic diet for 6 months or longer at our institution, over a 5‐year period. We defined successful withdrawal of one or more medications as a time period of 3 months or more off this medication without restarting it or starting a new agent. Predictive clinical factors were investigated using binary multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Seventy‐one children were included (28 females, 43 males; median age at seizure onset 5 months, median age at diet initiation 58.5 months, median duration of ketogenic diet 27.7 months). Reduction of one or more ASMs was attempted in 54 out of 71 (76%) children and was successful in 34 out of 54 (63%), including discontinuation of all ASMs in 13. Younger age at the start of the ketogenic diet was associated with higher odds of successful ASM withdrawal. ASM withdrawal was successful in 11 out of 19 children with less than 50% seizure reduction at 3 months.

Interpretation

Reduction of ASM was achieved in two‐thirds of patients after the start of the ketogenic diet, where attempted, and can be successful even with little or unchanged seizure frequency while on the diet.
Pulmonary complications with complex chronic neurological disorders
Authors: Zielinski David
Published: August 2022

This commentary is on the original article by Difazio et al. on pages 232‐242 of this issue.
Tooth auto‐transplantation: A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most‐cited articles
Authors: Abdou Ahmed , Matoug‐Elwerfelli Manal , Nagendrababu Venkateshbabu , Nazzal Hani , Duggal Monty
Published: August 2022

Background/Aim

Tooth auto‐transplantation has recently gained high clinical acceptance. The aim of this study was to identify the top 100 most‐cited articles regarding tooth auto‐transplantation, to analyse multiple citations and publication metrics and to outline the historical scientific advancements in this field.

Materials and Methods

An advanced search of the Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science ‘Core Collection’ and Elsevier's Scopus databases utilising specific keywords related to tooth auto‐transplantation between 1971 and 2021 was performed. The retrieved articles were ranked in descending order based on their Web of Science citation counts and further cross‐matched with citation data from Scopus. The extracted data included citation counts, citation density, level of evidence, year of publication, contributing authors names and institutes, corresponding author's address, journal of publication, journal local citations index, cumulative growth index, keywords and keywords Plus. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and graphical mapping.

Results

A total of 1290 articles were retrieved. The top 100 most‐cited articles received a total of 4899 (Web of Science) and 5250 (Scopus) citations. Among these, cohort studies (29%) and case series (18%) were the most common study designs. Scandinavian countries produced major contributions in defining the top 100 most‐cited articles and ranked within the top 5 countries based on the number of publications and citations per year. The greatest contributing authors were Schwartz O (n = 12), Andreasen JO (n = 8) and Paulsen HU (n = 6), and they were affiliated with Copenhagen, Denmark. The top contributing journals were American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral Radiology, European Journal of Orthodontics, Dental Traumatology and Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Conclusion

This bibliometric analysis revealed a large geographical scientific interest and broad development in the field of tooth auto‐transplantation spanning multiple dental disciplines.
Retrospective analysis of the outcomes of pulpotomies in traumatised permanent anterior teeth
Authors: Yu Lucy , Kahler Bill , Nanayakkara Shanika , Prabhu Neeta
Published: August 2022

Background/Aim

Complicated crown fractures are frequently encountered in the paediatric population and pulpotomy procedures (either partial or coronal) are recommended to maintain the pulp. The aim of this study was to determine the pulp outcomes of permanent teeth with complicated crown fractures treated with pulpotomy in a hospital‐setting and to identify potential factors which may influence the outcomes.

Material and Methods

Data for this retrospective study were extracted from dental records of patients with complicated crown fractures and treated with pulpotomies at a single centre between 1 January 2015 and 30 August 2019. Pulp outcomes were determined, and the associations between the outcome and independent variables were assessed using the Chi‐Square test of independence and the Point‐Biserial Correlation Test. Predictors of outcome were identified using the binary logistic regression model.

Results

The overall success of pulpotomy in managing traumatised permanent teeth was 61%, which was lower than those previously reported. Pulp healing was seen in 54.1% and 73.7% of teeth treated with partial pulpotomies and coronal pulpotomies, respectively. The presence of a radiographically detectable dentine bridge (p < .01) and longer clinical experience of the clinician (p < .04) was significantly associated with successful outcomes. The history of pain and the stage of root development were identified as significant predictors of the outcome.

Conclusion

Pulpotomy is a viable treatment modality for complicated crown fractures in the paediatric population. However, appropriate case selection and further training may be required to ensure improved pulp healing outcomes. A longer follow‐up period should be considered to identify late‐stage complications.
Serbia on the path to modern economic growth
Authors: Mijatović Boško , Zavadjil Milan
Published: August 2022

Given the scanty and inadequate studies on Serbia's growth performance before the First World War, this paper presents production‐side GDP estimates for Serbia for six years between 1867 and 1910. It probes into the growth dynamics, assessing convergence with the more developed countries of north‐western Europe, as well as progress towards achieving modern economic growth. Although the economy showed some dynamism in terms of overall GDP, per capita GDP in pre‐First World War Serbia grew by only 0.28 per cent per annum, as much of the overall GDP growth was eroded by rapid population growth. Far from converging with north‐western Europe, Serbia continued to fall behind. Sluggish structural transformation and slow income per capita growth suggest that Serbia's transition to modern economic growth was in its infancy. Growth in the dominant agricultural sector was extensive, driven by expanding arable land and population growth. Land was affordable and easy to obtain; hence, peasants invested little in new technologies. Meanwhile, the modern industrial and service sectors were below a threshold that could sustain rapid growth. Nevertheless, this study also highlights the rapid expansion of a small modern sector and export diversification that reflected emergent ‘green shoots’ in 1905–10.
Playful designs: Multiliteracies and literariness in the beginning language classroom
Authors: Warner Chantelle
Published: August 2022

Over the past two decades, many scholars and practitioners in foreign language teaching have advocated for multiliteracies approaches, which envision language learning as the development of an expanding repertoire of linguistic and other semiotic resources for making meaning. Despite the attention to the role of learners as active designers of meaning inherent in this framework, creative literacy activities such as literary language use and their potential role in language learning remain under‐theorized. Grounded in a study from two collegiate German as a foreign language classes, this article uses a meta‐language for conceptualizing creative literacy activities based on play to show students’ complex engagements with literary texts in a beginning language classroom. An analysis of learner compositions from the classes suggests that the playful stance afforded by literariness may enable learners with an opportunity to notice and tinker with elements of design that are often neglected and suggests preliminary connections between design play and the selection of texts and corresponding instructional activities.
The biome inventory – Standardizing global biogeographical land units
Authors: Fischer Jan‐Christopher , Walentowitz Anna , Beierkuhnlein Carl
Published: August 2022

Motivation

The subdivision of the Earth's terrestrial surface into different biomes, ecozones, bio‐climatic realms or other large ecological land units is an essential reference for global biogeographical and ecological studies. Various classification schemes exist. These differ significantly in terms of the considered criteria for classification and the underlying methodology of class assignments. Evident divergences between global biome concepts are elusive, weakening hereon based analyses and assumptions. Compilation and standardization are essential for obtaining a framework that enables the comparison of different products. To address this need, we created a catalogue of standardized categorial biome maps comprising 31 different global products based on various methodological approaches. These products were processed individually to facilitate their use in large‐scale biogeographical and ecological analyses.

Main types of variables contained

We provide a unified RasterStack containing 31 terrestrial biome and land‐cover classifications in different layers. Additional ancillary and processing information is allocated.

Spatial location and grain

Global, 10 km × 10 km grain size in equal‐area Mollweide projection.

Major taxa and level of measurement

Biomes, ecozones, bio‐climatic zones, and ecological land units.

Software format

GeoTiff.
Effect of cryotherapy on paclitaxel‐induced peripheral neuropathy of the hand in female breast cancer patients: A prospective self‐controlled study
Authors: Yang Ting‐Ting , Pai Hsiang‐Chu , Chen Chiung‐Yao
Published: August 2022

Aims

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of cryotherapy with frozen gloves for the prevention of the chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy of the hand.

Background

Most breast cancer patients receive chemotherapy; consequently, patients frequently experience adverse effects of chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy.

Methods

A quasi‐experimental and prospective self‐controlled study was conducted. Breast cancer patients wore frozen glove on the dominant hand for 90 min during their weekly treatment with paclitaxel (80 mg/m2). Treatment of the dominant hand, the intervention group, was continued for 12 weeks. The non‐dominant hand was considered the control group.

Results

A total of 22 patients participated in this study, and only one patient did not reach the cumulative dose (960 mg/m2). Findings show that the incidences of sensory and motor symptoms of chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathies at the following times (Time 1 to Time 4) were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. However, although the incidences of motor symptoms were lower in the experimental group than in the control group, a significant difference was shown only at Time 4. Additionally, both groups of patients reported that their incidence of sensory symptoms were higher than those of motor symptoms.

Conclusion

Cryotherapy with frozen gloves is useful in reducing both the sensory and motor symptoms of the chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy of the hands.
Cross‐border regulatory enforcement and corporate voluntary disclosure
Authors: Tsang Albert , Xiang Yi , Yu Miao
Published: August 2022

In this study, we find that foreign firms cross‐listed in the US issue significantly more and better‐quality management earnings forecasts after their home countries sign the Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Consultation and Cooperation and the Exchange of Information (MMoU), a nonbinding arrangement established by the International Organization of Securities Commissions to enhance the cross‐border enforcement of securities laws. Specifically, we find that after the MMoU, relative to their domestic counterparts in the US, foreign firms cross‐listed in the US are not only more likely to issue management earnings forecasts but also issue them more frequently. They also tend to issue better‐quality earnings forecasts, as measured by lower surprise, higher precision, greater timeliness, more disaggregation, lower optimism and fewer errors. We find that the observed effects of the MMoU signing are stronger for cross‐listed firms from countries with weaker institutional environments, resulting in greater enforcement concerns after the MMoU, and for firms with less foreign institutional ownership before the MMoU. Collectively, our findings support the conjecture that after a US‐listed foreign firm's home country enters the MMoU, the firm has more incentives to engage in voluntary disclosure due to greater concerns about regulatory enforcement and increased information demand from investors.