bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indoor room temperature forecasting in buildings: a literature review (2001-21)
Authors: Pandey Kamal , Basu Bhaskar
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Building energy management systems use important information from indoor room temperature (IRT) forecasting to predict daily loads within smart buildings. IRT forecasting is a complex and challenging task, especially when energy demands are exponentially rising. The purpose of this paper is to review the relevant literature on indoor temperature forecasting in the past two decades and draw inferences on important methodologies with influencing variables and offer future directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The motivation for this work is based on the research work done in the field of intelligent buildings and energy related sector. The focus of this study is based on past literature on forecasting models and methodologies related to IRT forecasting for building energy management, with an emphasis on data-driven models (statistical and machine learning models). The methodology adopted here includes review of several journals, conference papers, reference books and PhD theses. Selected forecasting methodologies have been reviewed for indoor temperature forecasting contributing to building energy consumption. The models reviewed here have been earmarked for their benefits, limitations, location of study, accuracy along with the identification of influencing variables.

Findings

The findings are based on 62 studies where certain accuracy metrics and influencing explanatory variables have been reviewed. Linear models have been found to show explanatory relationships between the variables. Nonlinear models are found to have better accuracy than linear models. Moreover, IRT profiles can be modeled with enhanced accuracy and generalizability through hybrid models. Although deep learning models are found to have better performance for this study.

Research limitations/implications

This is accuracy-based study of data-driven models. Their run-time performance and cost implications review and review of physical, thermal and simulation models is future scope.

Originality/value

Despite the earlier work conducted in this field, there is a lack of organized and comprehensive evaluation of peer reviewed forecasting methodologies. Indoor temperature depends on various influencing explanatory variables which poses a research challenge for researchers to develop suitable predictive model. This paper presents a critical review of selected forecasting methodologies and provides a list of important methodologies along with influencing variables, which can help future researchers in the field of building energy management sector. The forecasting methods presented here can help to determine appropriate heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems for buildings.
Comfort perception of tight winter-based sportswear
Authors: Cheng Pengpeng
Published: November 2022

Purpose

In order to study the static and dynamic comfort of tight sportswear in winter, the subjective comfort was aimed to be evaluated by collecting sensory data such as humidity feeling, cold feeling and other perceptions. In this paper, the experiment was divided into standing, squatting, jumping, jogging, walking and so on.

Design/methodology/approach

Through particle swarm optimization-cuckoo search model, the sensory factors that affect the overall comfort were optimized, and it was found that there were great differences in the overall comfort factors under different motions. Then, analytic hierarchy process was used to sort the optimized sensory indicators in each experimental stage, and the influence degree of sensory indicators was studied. Finally, by the long short-term memory (LSTM) model, taking comfort senses of standing, squatting, jumping and jogging as input parameters, and regarding comfort senses of walking, lifting legs and resting as output parameters, the prediction model was founded.

Findings

The results showed that there were certain differences between the prediction value and the real subjective evaluation value, but most of the predicted values were consistent with the real values on the sensory level, and the overall prediction level was good, which meant that the LSTM model had more accurate prediction ability for subjective evaluation and could be extended to other sports.

Originality/value

The research results could provide scientific methods for the design of tight-fitting sportswear in winter.
Space economy: a new frontier of information systems, analytics and digital commerce
Authors: Lei Yang , Guo Yue , Li Xiaotong , Jing Zhe
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The space industry has experienced rapid development over the last few years. Activities such as building things in space, learning about our Earth and exploring outer space are satisfying people's fantasies and achieving humanity's ambitions. Such activities have also generated many issues that belong to several information systems (IS) research domains. In this article, the authors discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the space economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors discuss why the emerging space economy opens a new frontier of e-commerce and data analytics. Linking three important IS research areas (i.e. digital commerce, data analytics and information security) to the space economy, this study motivates scholars to pay close attention to this promising new frontier for IS research.

Findings

The authors identify new research opportunities within several IS research contexts (digital commerce, data analytics and information security). The authors highlight the potential for opening a robust, interdisciplinary field in the IS domain that could provide valuable insights for practitioners and academics.

Originality/value

Because of the unique characteristics of the space economy, this article presents some promising avenues, research opportunities and implications for several IS fields (digital commerce, data analytics, decision science, information sharing and information security and new business models). Indeed, many opportunities are interdisciplinary in scope, with overlaps occurring between IS and other disciplines.
Modeling academic performance through personality traits, self efficacy, disaffection among university students
Authors: Aarti  , Kadian Ravin
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Students’ performance in academic settings, to a great extent, is an outcome of personal determinants of individuals. So, it becomes necessary to understand the role of personality traits in gaining desired academic outcomes. This investigation attempts to study some selected personality traits’ contribution to students’ self-efficacy and disaffection and the further impact of these two variables on academic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To attain the target of the study, a sample of 455 university students from state-owned universities of Haryana, India, has been drawn based on the snowball sampling technique. The researcher used Google Forms to collect primary data. The structure equation modeling technique has been applied to analyze the relation between studied variables.

Findings

Findings of the study showed a significant positive association of personality traits named agreeableness, conscientiousness and extraversion with self-efficacy that further contributes to academic performance. Also, students’ agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with students’ disaffection, discouraging an individual’s academic performance. Extraversion did not show any significant association with students’ disaffection.

Originality/value

Studies are available exploring variables like personality traits, student disaffection and self-efficacy. This study attempts to study all these variables together to understand their impact on academic performance.
Enhancing universities students' performance through level advisers' leadership qualities
Authors: Awodiji Omotayo Adewale , Naicker Suraiya R.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Teachers at all levels of the education system are expected to model leadership qualities to students. Leadership qualities of level advisers (LAs) are regarded as charismatic, pragmatic, ideological and innovative (CPII) in this study. This study compared the leadership qualities of LAs in universities in Nigeria as perceived by students. The purpose of this paper is to compare the leadership qualities of LAs in universities in Nigeria as perceived by students.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey-comparative design of a quantitative research approach was used. Two universities were purposively selected and the convenience sampling method was applied to select 207 participants.

Findings

Findings revealed that LAs of the private university exhibit a slightly higher level of leadership qualities than those from the public university based on the students' assessment (t (207) = 2.19 and ρ = 0.029 < 0.05).

Research limitations/implications

The study concluded that universities should organise regular workshops for LAs on innovative leadership to stimulate 21st-century learners to achieve their educational objectives.

Practical implications

It is therefore recommended that universities should organise a regular workshop for LAs on an innovative leadership model that promotes 21st century students to achieve their educational objectives.

Originality/value

In practice, the study of this kind is timely, given that academic advisers or advisers are very influential on student achievement and success. Thus, the outcome will educate the academic advisers on the leadership qualities that will enhance their role in the 21st century. In addition, it will add to the literature on university LAs' leadership skills in Nigeria and other nations of Africa. Most literature available in the context is mainly from America.
“Contingency”, an overlooked factor by school leadership: evidence from primary urban schools in Chile
Authors: Muñoz Gonzalo , Weinstein José , Sembler Matías
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the levels and type of contingency faced by school principals in Chile and the way certain aspects of the Chilean school system result in a greater or lesser presence of these contingencies.

Design/methodology/approach

The results reported here are based on the application of a structured questionnaire to 381 elementary school principals in Chile. A “Leadership Contingency Index” was created to analyze the extent and characteristics of this phenomenon, which was complemented with a multiple regression analysis to observe the variables that influence the levels of contingency.

Findings

This study has shown that the main contingencies faced by school leaders in Chile revolve around the relationship between actors: assist families, relationship with and among students and resolution of school staff problems. Also shows that the level of contingency faced by principals is strongly conditioned by the socio-educational context of the school and is not related to the individual characteristics of the leaders. This level of contingencies is significantly higher in the public system, although the most recurrent contingencies are the same in each type of school administration (public, private subsidized and privately funded schools).

Originality/value

This paper addresses an important but relatively unexplored dimension in specialized research on leadership: variable contingencies under which the leadership role is performed daily, including significant gaps between schools. Understanding and analyzing school leadership from the perspective of the complexity of tasks currently faced by principals, many of them highly unpredictable, ensures a realistic view of the possibilities and limitations of leadership in action and, consequently, provides better tools to strengthen the school leadership role and its contribution to improving student learning.
Air pollution, health expenditure and economic growth in MINT countries: a trivariate causality test
Authors: Ibukun Cleopatra Oluseye , Omisore Wuraola Mahrufat
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper examines the long-run and dynamic causal relationship among air pollution, health expenditure and economic growth in Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey (MINT countries).

Design/methodology/approach

The bounds test approach to cointegration and causality test was employed on data covering 1995–2018.

Findings

The study shows evidence of a long-run relationship among the variables in MINT countries and the causality test confirms the existence of a bidirectional causal nexus between health expenditure and economic growth in the four countries. It also confirms that there is a bidirectional causal relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and economic growth, except in Nigeria where a unidirectional causal relationship was found running from CO2 emissions to economic growth. In addition, a bidirectional causal relationship was found between air pollution and health expenditure in Turkey, while no causal relationship was found among these variables in Nigeria.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by available data and it only focuses on four emerging economies. To address this, future studies can expand this scope to more emerging economies with severe air pollution and also extend the scope when more recent data becomes available.

Practical implications

This study suggests that pollution standards in MINT countries should be monitored and enforced with transparency so as to mitigate its health implications and ensure the sustainability of economic growth.

Social implications

The study confirms the importance of keeping air pollution as low as possible because of its negative effect on health and economic output.

Originality/value

The study accounts for the complexity of each MINT country instead of providing a general discussion on the relationship between air pollution, health expenditure and economic growth in MINT countries.
Reimagining the SME failure phenomenon: incorporating regenerative effects and predicting enterprise regenerative capacity
Authors: Sanhokwe Hamfrey
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Exposure to a public health threat of significant proportions made current models inadequate to explain the failure phenomenon in small businesses. Hence, the need to reimagine the phenomenon. Borrowing from the principles of biology, this study extended theoretical and empirical perspectives on the failure phenomenon by unpacking its constituent elements and the measurement metrics using the regeneration lens.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a cohort tracked over time, the study estimated the survival probabilities of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) with and without regeneration using the Kaplan–Meier method. The study investigated the factors that predict enterprise regenerative capacity using the multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratios.

Findings

Rates of interruption in business activity, by month, ranged between 0% and 18% during the follow-up period. True mortality rates hovered between 0% and 4% over the same period. Over three in five SMEs that experienced interruption in business activity without ceasing operations regenerated at some point in time during the follow-up period. The survival probabilities beyond the follow-up period were 0.85 and 0.44 with and without regeneration effects, respectively. Fresh capital injection (+), the introduction of new/improved processes or products/services (+), perceived business outlook (+) and the presence of debt (−) influenced the capacity to regenerate.

Research limitations/implications

The cohort was followed for only six months. There is a need to continue interrogating the failure phenomenon in other contexts over longer periods using the regeneration lens. Bringing on board academia, financial institutions and other SME-related ecosystem players will be strategic.

Practical implications

The approach provides a more nuanced understanding of the life and well-being of enterprises under conditions of disruption. Improving the precision and validity of failure-related statistics enhances their utility in policy and remediation-related discussions.

Social implications

The results did not show significant differences in SME mortality rates between male and female-owned enterprises. The results provide further evidence that the failure phenomenon is ungendered. As such, financial institutions and the SME ecosystem at large must eliminate perceptual gender biases in the financing and other support to SMEs.

Originality/value

The study used the principles of biology to reimagine the failure phenomenon in small businesses. The approach breathes life into entrepreneurship research and policy.
What makes an economic sanction effective?
Authors: Teichmann Fabian Maximilian Johannes , Wittmann Chiara
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to elucidate the practical and theoretical mechanisms which contribute to the perception of an economic sanction’s effectiveness as a foreign policy tool.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is divided into three sections, the first two of which are heavily based on the current academic literature and media presentation of sanctions. The third section is rooted in the empirical approach presented in the first author’s exploratory work, Methods of Money Laundering (2021).

Findings

Economic sanctions cannot be perceived as effective when the standard for efficacy remains undefined and sanction circumvention remains feasible. The public perception of sanctions is characterized by a series of assumptions as well as conflict foreign policy objectives, which cultivate an economic theory that is benefited by a practical exploration of the routes of circumvention.

Originality/value

The efficacy of economic sanctions is not a stable equation, but rather the application of an economic tool which is dependent on its context. Paths of sanction circumvention remain open due to weaknesses in compliance regulation. These paths continue to undermine the credibility of sanctions and, ultimately, their efficacy.
Do air quality and green space reduce propensity to crime?: an empirical investigation of OECD countries
Authors: Demir Caner , Ozcan Süleyman Emre
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study investigates the impacts of green space and air quality on crime rates for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries over the 2003–2017 period.

Design/methodology/approach

By building an international data set, including both green space and air pollution at the same time in the model, and considering the potential endogeneities between variables, the study brings some novelties to the existing literature. Using the United Nations Crime Trends Survey and World Development Indicators databases, a panel data set of 37 OECD countries for 2003–2017 period was collected. To avoid the potential endogenous relationships between variables, the system-Generalized Method of Moments (system-GMM) method was applied.

Findings

The findings suggest that increases in green space reduce the crime rate, while increases in air pollution raise it. Additionally, the estimated control variables show that there are many statistically significant factors that determine the crime rate. In all the additional models, the effects of green space and air pollution were estimated consistently, which can be taken as a sign that the findings are robust.

Originality/value

The evidence of the study explicitly reveals that environmentally friendly policies provide benefits in terms of reducing crime rates as well as other known benefits. On the other hand, to represent the environmental dimension, this is the first study which uses a cross-country data set including both green space and air pollution in the model at the same time. Second, the issue has not been previously dealt with for OECD countries. Thirdly, the study considered the potential endogeneity between variables, and to check the robustness of the findings, some prominent factors affecting the crime rate were used as control variables.
Analyzing critical factors of strategic alignment between operational excellence and Industry 4.0 technologies in smart manufacturing
Authors: Ozbiltekin-Pala Melisa , Kazancoglu Yigit , Kumar Anil , Garza-Reyes Jose Arturo , Luthra Sunil
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The manufacturing sector is highly competitive and operationally complex. Therefore, the strategic alignment between operational excellence methodologies and Industry 4.0 technologies is one of the issues that need to be addressed. The main aim of the study is to determine the critical factors of strategic alignment between operational excellence methodologies and Industry 4.0 technologies for manufacturing industries and make comparative analyses between automotive, food and textile industries in terms of strategic alignment between operational excellence methodologies and Industry 4.0 technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

First, determining the critical factors based on literature review and expert opinions, these criteria are weighted, and analytical hierarchy process is run to calculate the weights of these criteria. Afterward, the best sector is determined by the grey relational analysis method according to the criteria for the three manufacturing industries selected for the study.

Findings

As a result of AHP, “Infrastructure for Right Methodology, Techniques and Tools, is in the first place,” Organizational Strategy, is in the second place, while the third highest critical factor is “Capital Investment”. Moreover, based on grey relational analysis (GRA) results, the automotive industry is determined as the best alternative in terms of strategic alignment between operational excellence (OPEX) methodologies and I4.0 technologies.

Originality/value

This study is unique in that it is primarily possible to obtain the order of importance within the criteria and to make comparisons between three important manufacturing industries that are important for the economies of the world.
Penalty Shootouts: Are Exstimates on the Spot?
Authors: Jackson James
Published: November 2022

James Jackson analyses England's painful defeat against Italy in the 2020 Euros. Could a more statistically rigorous approach to picking penalty takers have led to a different result?
Seeing Red: Challenging Football's “Red Card Myth”
Authors: Dowsett Matthew
Published: November 2022

Football fans, pundits and even managers have long debated whether having a player sent off can actually make a team stronger. Matthew Dowsett takes a Neymaresque dive into the data
Beautiful Game, Ugly Truth?
Authors: Price Megan
Published: November 2022

The human cost of the FIFA World Cup 2022 troubles human rights groups and football fans alike. However, measuring it is extremely difficult due to elusive, vague and misleading data sources on worker deaths, as Megan Price explains
Can Machine Learning Save Children at Risk?
Authors: Sanders Michael , Clayton Vicky
Published: November 2022

The idea that machine learning can improve children's social care is attractive, but fraught with challenges – the veil of secrecy around predictive analytics in public services must be lifted, say Michael Sanders and Vicky Clayton
Introducing the Metalog Distributions
Authors: Nestler Scott , Keelin Tom
Published: November 2022

Scott Nestler and Tom Keelin provide an overview of a new family of distributions, originally developed for the decision analysis field, that may have virtually unlimited applicability in any field
Why Data Analytics is an Art
Authors: Charles Vincent , Emrouznejad Ali , Gherman Tatiana , Cochran James
Published: November 2022

Data analytics projects can be like throwing darts in the dark. Problem-centric thinking is vital, argue Vincent Charles, Ali Emrouznejad, Tatiana Gherman, and James Cochran
Economic evaluation of applying the Canadian Syncope Risk Score in an Australian emergency department
Authors: Brain David , Yan Alan , Morel Doug , Ballard Emma , Hunter Jonathan , Hocking Julia , Chan Jason
Published: November 2022

Objective

To evaluate the Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS) in syncope patients presenting to the ED from an economic perspective, using very‐low and low‐risk patients (CSRS −3 to 0) as a threshold for avoiding hospital admissions.

Methods

A decision‐analytic model, specifically a decision‐tree, was developed to evaluate application of the CSRS. A hypothetical cohort of 1000 patients was modelled based on characteristics and outcome of patients enrolled in a clinical validation study performed alongside this evaluation. Several analytic based approaches were used to handle model outputs and uncertainties.

Results

For a cohort of 1000 patients, applying the CSRS was associated with 169 less inpatient admissions from the ED, when compared to usual care. There was also a cost‐saving of $8255 per admitted patient, when the CSRS was applied, compared to usual care. Adopting the CSRS was the optimal approach in all scenario analyses and was robust to changes in model parameters. More than three‐quarters (78.6%) of all model simulations showed that applying the CSRS is a cost‐saving approach to managing syncope. There was high confidence in all results, with the approach using the CSRS reducing the costs and number of syncope‐related hospital admissions.

Conclusions

Compared to usual care, applying the CSRS appeared as a cost‐effective strategy. This new evidence will help decision‐makers choose cost‐effective approaches for the management of patients presenting to the ED with syncope, as they search for efficient ways to maximise health gain from a finite budget.
Large‐scale genetic screens identify BET‐1 as a cytoskeleton regulator promoting actin function and life span
Authors: Garcia Gilberto , Bar‐Ziv Raz , Averbukh Maxim , Dasgupta Nirmalya , Dutta Naibedya , Zhang Hanlin , Fan Wudi , Moaddeli Darius , Tsui C. Kimberly , Castro Torres Toni , Alcala Athena , Moehle Erica A. , Hoang Sally , Shalem Ophir , Adams Peter D. , Thorwald Max A. , Higuchi‐Sanabria Ryo
Published: November 2022

The actin cytoskeleton is a three‐dimensional scaffold of proteins that is a regulatory, energyconsuming network with dynamic properties to shape the structure and function of the cell. Proper actin function is required for many cellular pathways, including cell division, autophagy, chaperone function, endocytosis, and exocytosis. Deterioration of these processes manifests during aging and exposure to stress, which is in part due to the breakdown of the actin cytoskeleton. However, the regulatory mechanisms involved in preservation of cytoskeletal form and function are not well‐understood. Here, we performed a multipronged, cross‐organismal screen combining a whole‐genome CRISPR‐Cas9 screen in human fibroblasts with in vivo Caenorhabditis elegans synthetic lethality screening. We identified the bromodomain protein, BET‐1, as a key regulator of actin function and longevity. Overexpression of bet‐1 preserves actin function at late age and promotes life span and healthspan in C. elegans. These beneficial effects are mediated through actin preservation by the transcriptional regulator function of BET‐1. Together, our discovery assigns a key role for BET‐1 in cytoskeletal health, highlighting regulatory cellular networks promoting cytoskeletal homeostasis.
‘REDI TO CHAT?’ Evaluating the effect of two structured tools on the confidence of nursing and care staff working in residential aged care facilities in Australia: A pre‐post survey design
Authors: Montgomery Amy , Kearns Mary , Bolton Sharon , Gill Aneesha , De Jayita , Smerdely Peter
Published: November 2022

Objective

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of two self‐designed structured clinical tools on overall self‐perceptions of confidence in the assessment, management and communication of acutely unwell residents in nursing and care staff of residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

Methods

Quasi‐experimental pre‐post design using surveys in 22 RACFs in Metropolitan Sydney, Australia. A convenience sample of 254 nursing and care staff were recruited. Two structured tools were developed to enhance confidence: (1) RACF Emergency Decision Index (REDI) and (2) Clinical Handover Assessment Tool (CHAT). The REDI is a clinical decision guide for treatment implementation and escalation, and the CHAT is a structured communication aid. Surveys were administered to participating nursing and care staff working within the RACFs prior to the implementation of the two structured tools (T0) and 6 months later (T1).

Results

There was a significant increase in reported overall confidence in assessing and managing acutely unwell residents 6 months after the implementation of the REDI and CHAT (p = 0.003 andp = 0.006, respectively). Baseline Confidence in Assessment Scale and Confidence in Management Scale scores differed significantly 6 months following the implementation of the REDI and CHAT tools (p < 0.001). There was improvement across all surveyed communication domains.

Conclusions

Preliminary data suggested that the two structured tools are effective in increasing confidence in the assessment, management and communication of acutely unwell residents for nursing and care staff working in RACFs.
A comparison of reconstructive outcomes following rotation flap approach (RoFA) versus standard mastectomy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Baxter Claire R. , Crittenden Tamara A. , Yip Jia Miin , Smallman Andrea , Dean Nicola R.
Published: November 2022

Background

The rotation flap approach (RoFA) mastectomy is a skin‐sparing technique that actively imports skin to the centre of the skin envelope and therefore aids in achieving natural ptosis to the reconstructed breast. The objective of this study was to compare clinical outcomes, aesthetics, patient satisfaction and health‐related quality of life between the ROFA mastectomy and standard mastectomy approach.

Methods

This study is a prospective randomised controlled trial of participants undergoing mastectomy using either the RoFA technique or standard technique with breast reconstruction. The BREAST‐Q was administered pre‐operatively and at 3‐, 6‐, 9‐ and 12‐months following mastectomy. A panel assessment of clinical photographs was conducted to score aesthetics and outcomes of reconstruction.

Results

A total of 100 participants were enrolled in the study; of these, 51 underwent RoFA incision, 47 underwent standard incision and 2 were lost to follow up. There were no statistically significant differences in BREAST‐Q scores or panellist assessment between the mastectomy groups following breast reconstruction. The post‐operative incidence of mastectomy skin flap tip necrosis was high in the RoFA incision group, with rates of other complications such as seroma being similar.

Conclusion

The RoFA skin‐sparing mastectomy incision showed no significant difference in results across patient‐reported outcomes or aesthetics when compared to the standard approach, however, did rate higher for skin flap tip necrosis.
Insights into the underlying choroid in different stages of idiopathic epiretinal membranes after Viteromacular surgery
Authors: Wang Xinglin , Yang Jiarui , Li Zihan , Hou Qingyi , Wang Changguan , Li Xuemin
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to longitudinally investigate the correlation between choroidal morphologic and vascular parameters and postoperative visual outcome in different stages of idiopathic epiretinal membranes (iERMs).

Methods

A prospective, observational, institutional case series of 102 consecutive patients diagnosed with unilateral iERMs were recruited at Peking University Third Hospital and were followed up for 12 months after surgical treatment with vitrectomy. Participants were classified into four stages according to current staging scheme. All eligible subjects underwent standardized imaging evaluation of choroidal parameters including subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), choroidal vascularity index (CVI), and choroidal capillary perfusion (CCP) at baseline and each follow‐up by enhanced depth optical coherence tomography (EDI‐OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Longitudinal follow‐up of choroidal parameters over 12 months was analysed, and their correlations with best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were also assessed for predictive prognostic value.

Results

CVI and CCP were significantly correlated with BCVA at each follow‐up examination (all p < 0.05). However, SFCT exhibited no variation among different stages of iERMs at baseline (p = 0.981) or during follow‐up (p = 0.520). The preoperative CVI correlated with 12‐month postoperative BCVA (p < 0.001) and its predictive prognostic effect on BCVA was validated in multiple regression analysis (p = 0.006).

Conclusion

CVI varied among different stages of iERM and was significantly correlated with visual outcomes after the surgery. CVI could serve as a predictive prognostic marker in iERMs, which further indicates the underlying choroid should be taken into consideration in clinical evaluation of iERMs.
International students' experiences of living temporarily abroad: Sense of belonging toward community well‐being
Authors: Pazil Nur Hafeeza Ahmad , Hashim Intan Hashimah Mohd , Aziya Julia Abyana , Mohd Nasir Nur Farah Wani
Published: November 2022

This article unveils the voices of the international students of the Universiti Sains Malaysia by exploring their belongingness and community well‐being in Malaysia. This study was conducted with 14 international students (seven males and seven females) studying at the Universiti Sains Malaysia for at least a year. A qualitative approach was employed using in‐depth case interviews to examine the socio‐cultural challenges they experienced while studying abroad. The specific challenges reported among the international students are their well‐being in distinct aspects such as physical, mental, and emotional. This study seeks to explore the international students' reliability on conational communities for social support. When achieving belongingness with their conational friends, international students can flourish well in their current community in Malaysia, thus achieving social community well‐being although they are far away. Besides maintaining established close friendships, the international students develop a sense of comfort and familiarity by forming new friendships with conational and other international students. Sharing similar backgrounds and nationalities, as well as experiences and struggles, are significant for international students in maintaining close friendships and situational harmony. This study highlighted the meaning behind physical and emotional distance, as well as the situation of “being temporarily abroad” and its relations to intimacy practices and belongingness in close friendships. The results presented in this article contribute to an increasing understanding of international students' challenges and the future of social harmony and community well‐being while temporarily living in Malaysia. Correspondingly, as a result of this study, students will be more deferential of cultural differences and cross‐cultural sensitivity, which will also help to decrease prejudice and discrimination.
Analysis of the kinetics of the eyelids of little owl Athene noctua
Authors: Mahmoud Fatma Abdel‐Regal , Shawki Nahed Ahmed , Abdel‐Mageed Amany Mohamed , Al‐Nefeiy Fatma A.
Published: November 2022

This study gives a comprehensive description of eyelids movement in little owl and discusses the impact of some surrounding conditions in their kinetic performance. The present study used the video's recording technique to record the kinetic activity of eyelids, besides the anatomical and histological studies of the eyelid's structure. The fundamental eyelid movements can be uniquely and reliably characterized by their anatomical relationship that was confirmed via video recording for their kinetic activity. The levator palpebrae muscle is considered a main generating motor for the upper eyelid; in the little owl, this muscle splits into multiple directions and is distinguished from the levator palpebrae superioris (Lps) and the levator anguli oculi (Lao) muscle. That anatomical pattern of insertion increases the movement of the upper lid. On the other side, the contraction of depressor palpebrae inferioris (Dpi) muscle and the active upward forces of levator palpebrae muscle help in increasing the opening of the eye's fissure. However, the closure process is produced from the passive downward forces and relaxation of the levator palpebrae superioris (Lps), levator anguli oculi (Lao), and depressor palpebrae inferioris muscle, as well as the contraction of retractor anguli oculi lateralis (Raol) and medialis (Raom) muscle. The present results also recorded that nictitating membrane's (Nm) movement is reversely proportionate to the level of kinetic of other eyelids. The mobility of Nm in little owl occurs under the effect of artificial external stress. These anatomical data and sequence video recordings have confirmed that the upper eyelid moves more compared to other eyelids. The authors also suggest that the mobility of eyelids may get stimulated through external pressure force of some surrounding structure like the periorbital sheet. Also, the histological study exhibited that the structure of two eyelids is very similar in the little owl and the variability is showing in the number of cell layers that forms their epithelium of skin and palpebral surfaces, the distribution of pigment granules, and degree of keratinization on their surface. That variability in the histological characters of eyelids may counteract the abrasive forces occurring during the opening and closing processes.
Mundo de Pólus serious game for people with bipolar disorder
Authors: Miasso Adriana Inocenti , Castilho Ellen Carolina Dias , Fonseca Luciana Mara Monti , Giacchero Vedana Kelly Graziani , Baes Cristiane Von Werne , Telles Filho Paulo Celso Prado , Hallak Jaime Eduardo Cecílio , Hegadoren Kathleen Mary
Published: November 2022

Background

Serious games are play‐based technologies designed to teach users a wide range of concepts and skills applicable in the non‐virtual environment.

Objectives

This paper describes the process of developing a serious game for people with bipolar disorder to promote symptom recognition and the safe use of medications.

Methods

This study was based on the User‐Centered Design methodological model and the theoretical framework for Participatory Design. We conducted interviews with health professionals and discussion circles with people with bipolar disorder and their family members in order to identify the learning needs related to symptom recognition and safe medication use. A categorical analysis was completed of the participants' reports and the scientific literature and formed the basis for the design of Mundo de Pólus.

Results

The game development process had three pillars (detailed in this manuscript): missions, simulation, and journal. The serious game focuses on the users' perceptions about their experience with the disorder, their interpersonal relationships, coping strategies, use of medications, and non‐pharmacological treatments.

Conclusions

These scientific and technological outcomes are useful to promote literacy and safety in medication therapy for people with bipolar disorder.
Lithium in breast milk transiently affects the renal electrolytic balance of infants
Authors: Ahmed Irfan , Khan Muhammad Shehzad , Ma Victor , Magsi Hina , Gunawan Renardi , Ilyas Abdul‐Mojeed Olabisi , Lashari Najeeb ur Rehman , Wassan Naveed , Paidi Santosh , Ali Zulfiqar , Law Alan W. L. , Zhang Yanpeng , Cho William C. , Alda Martin , Bergink Veerle , Barman Ishan , Lau Condon
Published: November 2022

Background

The use of lithium during breast‐feeding has not been comprehensively investigated in humans due to concerns about lithium toxicity.

Procedure

We analyzed lithium in the kidneys of nursed pups of lithium medicated mothers, using analytical spectroscopy in a novel rat model. The mothers were healthy rats administered lithium via gavage (1000 mg/day Li2CO3 per 50 kg body weight).

Results

Lithium was detected in the breast milk, and in the blood of pups (0.08 mM), of lithium‐exposed dams at post‐natal day 18 (P18), during breast‐feeding. No lithium was detected after breast‐feeding, at P25 (4 days after cessation of nursing). The lithium pups blood had elevated urea nitrogen at P18 and reduced total T4 at P18 and P25, indicating a longer‐term effect on the kidneys and the thyroid gland. Multivariate machine‐learning analysis of spectroscopy data collected from the excised kidneys of pups showed elevated potassium in lithium‐exposed animals both during‐ and after breast‐feeding. The elevated renal potassium was associated with low nephrin expression in the kidneys measured immunohistochemically during breast‐feeding. After lithium exposure is stopped, the filtration of lithium from the kidneys reverses these effects. Our study showed that breastfeeding during lithium use has an effect on the kidneys of the offspring in rats.
Understanding the mechanisms of sustainable capitalism: The 4S model
Authors: John Anna , Coetsee Johan , Flood Patrick C.
Published: November 2022

Neo‐capitalistic approaches to value creation have sometimes developed a bad reputation in terms of sustainability and care for the environment. Yet, there are examples to the contrary emphasising a concern for sustainable capitalism. Our literature synthesis suggests that there is a lack of understanding of the sustainability mechanisms—ways of working helping companies to achieve their leadership in sustainability and maintain it over time. We contribute by addressing this deficiency and specifying four discrete mechanisms which we call the 4S model. Specifically, we apply this model to the cases of two leading exponents of sustainability—Unilever and Patagonia—to explain how companies can operate as forces to change business practice and improve sustainability having regard to people, planet, and profits.
Why should intramuscular anti‐D be different from intravenous anti‐D?
Authors: Bussel James B.
Published: November 2022

For reasons of safety the use of intravenous anti D to treat ITP has largely been abandoned because of the risk it incurs of intravascular haemolysis. Intramuscular delivery of anti‐D could be a safer approach and deserves to be further evaluated. IV anti‐D was a mainstay of ITP treatment in the United States in the 1990’s until the development of intravascular hemolysis (IVH) and its serious even fatal consequences was appreciated. Subsequently, treatment of patients with ITP with IV anti‐D has become very rare given other alternatives and the IVH risk. IM anti‐D does not carry a risk for IVH and it should be re‐evaluated and reconsidered as an option for D+ DAT‐negative not splenectomized adults who do not have a long duration of ITP and require maintenance treatment.

Commentary on: Lakhwani, et al. Intramuscular Anti‐D treatment for immune thrombocytopenia: A single centre experience. Br J Haematol 2023;200:353‐357.
Un‐Fare: “Local” Share‐Auto Rickshaw Drivers and the Work of Belonging in the Midst of Urban Change in India's “IT Capital”
Authors: Kalyanaraman Jananie
Published: November 2022

In Bengaluru, India's “IT capital,” global capital and processes of world city‐making valorize specific kinds of work and workers as “formal” while categorizing others as “informal,” “chaotic” and “unregulated.” This article draws attention to the work of share‐auto rickshaw driving among local men from formerly farmland‐owning households in a rapidly urbanizing pocket in peripheral Bengaluru. Why do these drivers, whose work is situated outside of visions of world‐classness, engage in the practices that they do? How do processes of urbanization shape how they see and situate themselves and their work in the city? This article argues that the drivers construct themselves as urban laboring subjects through their deep ties with place. Their identity as “local” refers to new manifestations of their ties to agrarian land and life, their place‐based knowledge in providing transport services, their selfhood, and their logic of operation. Local is also a discursive strategy that differentiates their work from that of non‐locals (or “outsiders”), and situates their work as neither formal nor informal. In illuminating the experiences of urban transformation among members of this driving community, this article asserts that local is the drivers’ way of co‐opting the urban present.
Private landowners perceive positive impacts to their land stewardship following involvement in a conservation research program
Authors: Green Rachael E. , Dayer Ashley A. , Johnson Amy E. M.
Published: November 2022

Conservation research programs can encourage conservation of biodiversity of working landscapes by influencing the conservation behaviors of private landowners who participate in the program. However, specific conservation behavior outcomes following landowner participation in a conservation research program, as well as the drivers that influence their engagement in these behaviors, remain unclear. We interviewed landowners that had provided property access to a Smithsonian conservation research program to conduct ecological research. We investigated (a) how landowners perceived participation in a conservation research program influenced their engagement in conservation behaviors and (b) how landowners perceived characteristics of the program influenced their engagement in conservation behaviors. We found that interviewees' perceived participation in a conservation research program influenced their engagement in land stewardship behaviors more commonly than social environmentalism or environmental citizenship behaviors. Interviewees perceived that program characteristics such as events, on‐site survey interactions, and landowner reports most frequently influenced their engagement in conservation behaviors. Our findings suggest that conservation programs may increase their influence on landowner conservation behavior engagement through fostering direct interactions among landowners, their peers, and researchers; training staff and citizen scientists in effective science communication skills; and tailoring program communications to their target audience.
Attendance at pre‐pregnancy care clinics for women with type 1 diabetes: A scoping review
Authors: Ferry Pauline , Dunne Fidelma P. , Meagher Catherine , Lennon Roisin , Egan Aoife M. , Newman Christine
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Type 1 diabetes mellitus occurs in one in every 275 pregnancies and can result in increased morbidity and mortality for both mother and baby. Several pregnancy complications can be reduced or prevented by attendance at pre‐pregnancy care (PPC). Despite this, less than 40% of pregnant women with pre‐gestational diabetes receive formal PPC. The aim of this scoping review is to identify the barriers to PPC attendance among women with type 1 diabetes.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review by searching five databases (Ebsco, Embase, Ovid and PubMed for literature and the ProQuest for any grey/unpublished literature) for studies in English between 2000 and 2022. Studies that evaluated attendance at PPC for women with type 1 diabetes were included.

Results

There are multiple barriers to PPC attendance, and many of these barriers have been unchanged since the 1990s. Identified barriers can be grouped under patient‐centered and clinician‐centered headings. Patient factors include knowledge and awareness, unplanned pregnancies, negative perceptions of healthcare and communication issues, unclear attendance pathways and logistical issues including time off work and childcare. Clinician factors include physician knowledge, time constraints and lack of comfort discussing pregnancy/contraception.

Conclusion

This review highlights the ongoing problem of poor attendance at PPC and identifies key barriers to be addressed when developing and implementing PPC programs for women with type 1 diabetes.