bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Auditors' narcissism and their professional skepticism: evidence from Iran
Authors: Safarzadeh Mohammad Hossein , Mohammadian Mohammad Amin
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the association between Iranian auditors' narcissism and the auditors' professional skepticism.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' sample is comprised of 355 professional auditors working in the private and public sectors in Iranian firms in 2022. The authors use cross-sectional multivariate regression as the main methodology, along with the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.

Findings

The authors find that a higher level of narcissism leads to a greater level of professional skepticism among auditors, which ultimately can enhance the quality of the audit process. The results provided via the robustness tests also supported this finding.

Originality/value

The authors' findings further the understanding of the role of narcissistic personality traits in improving professional skepticism among auditors of an Islamic and emerging country. In addition, audit firms and audit partners can also consider the findings of this study and enhance the effectiveness of audit processes by assigning appropriate employees with certain personalities to specific tasks.
Intensifying materialism through buy-now pay-later (BNPL): examining the dark sides
Authors: Raj Vijay Amrit , Jasrotia Sahil Singh , Rai Siddharth Shankar
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) services can put consumers into a debt trap by encouraging consumers to buy things they cannot afford, leading to a culture of materialism and consumerism. Therefore, this research aims to investigate how materialism can influence BNPL use and impulsive and compulsive buying. Additionally, the authors examine if BNPL use and impulsive buying mediate between materialism and compulsive buying.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 556 participants were collected through a structured questionnaire via an online survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using SMART PLS 4 was employed to analyze the relationship between variables and to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Materialism impact BNPL use and increases the inclination for impulse buying, precipitating compulsive buying behavior. However, BNPL use does not directly influence compulsive buying. The mediating relationship was identified, where BNPL use, and impulsive buying mediate the relationship between materialism and compulsive buying.

Practical implications

BNPL use alone does not inevitably lead to compulsive buying. The only way BNPL use could lead to compulsive buying is through impulsive buying. Therefore, BNPL service providers need to foster responsible buying habits due to the rise in impulsive buying, which, if not controlled, could lead to a debt trap resulting from compulsive buying.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the limited BNPL literature because there is speculation, but the scarcity of empirical evidence to substantiate, how materialism influences BNPL use and increases the inclination for impulse buying, precipitating compulsive buying behavior.
An investigation of the relationship between subordinate–manager conflict and job satisfaction in a cross-cultural context: An affective events theory approach
Authors: Küçük Burcu Aydin , Konuk Hizir
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to reveal the association between task conflict and job satisfaction with the mediating role of incivility and the moderating role of self-esteem. In addition, the data collected from the UK and Turkey were analyzed separately, and the aim was to contribute to the literature in this field by analyzing the research model in a cultural context.

Design/methodology/approach

This research focuses on the relationship between managers and subordinates in organizations. In this study, a survey method was applied to 708 subordinates, both UK and Turkish citizens, working in nine different industries. The obtained data were first analyzed in combination; then, the data of both countries were analyzed separately, and the effect of cultural differences on the research model was investigated.>

Findings

According to the results obtained, the relationship between task conflict and job satisfaction is negative, and subordinates’ perceptions of incivility play a mediating role in this relationship. In addition, subordinates’ self-esteem level has a moderating role in the effect of task conflict on job satisfaction through incivility. However, there is no evidence of an effect of culture on this model.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by presenting new evidence on the antecedents of job satisfaction. In addition, it is one of the pioneering studies that provides evidence of the impact of the perceptions and personal characteristics of disputants in a task conflict on task conflict outcomes. Furthermore, this study contributes to the limited cross-cultural studies in the conflict and job satisfaction literature.
Strength in numbers: collaborative procurement and competitiveness of craft breweries
Authors: Ramjaun Timothy I. , Pullman Madeleine , Kumar Maneesh , Sanchez Rodrigues Vasco
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This article aims to investigate collaborative procurement as a sourcing strategy amongst competing small enterprises in an effort to reduce their material supply costs through increased efficiencies, bargaining power and economies of scale.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study approach is applied to a network of breweries that are regionally clustered. Interview data from producers, suppliers and industry experts is inductively interpreted to understand the viability, organisational impact and benefits/limitations of joint procurement activities.

Findings

The craft brewing industry follows a market place strategy of differentiation to achieve competitive advantage. This has supply chain implications that promote raw material diversity, which is in conflict with standardisation – a necessary factor for collective buying. Competition impacts information sharing and governance mechanism, while the structural factors of size asymmetry along and across the supply chain influence returns. These issues impact the potential economic benefits of collaborative procurement.

Research limitations/implications

The research propositions have been developed in a specific industry but are generalisable to other companies with a differentiation strategy, especially in the consumer packaged goods sector.

Practical implications

Enabling conditions and constraints are captured in a framework and capability matrix, which can be used by practitioners to assess industry and product feasibility for collaborative procurement.

Originality/value

Previous studies of collaborative procurement have been in the public sector amongst large organisations. This work focusses on coopetition in the context of small businesses to identify the viability and cost-benefit of this strategy.
Toward a design theory of strategic enterprise management business intelligence (SEMBI) capability maturity model
Authors: Luo Xin (Robert) , Chang Fang-Kai
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that Strategic Enterprise Management (SEM) and Business Intelligence (BI) have the potential to integrate management decisions vertically through an organization’s hierarchy. This study also aims to present a design theory framework and build a model dimension using eight principles serving as mid-range theories.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a design science perspective to posit how organizations can successfully implement SEMBI (a union of SEM and BI). This study then completes the design theory by building the method dimension using two principles. Finally, the study presents testable hypotheses for the theory and an evaluation using stakeholder attitudes and judgments as proxies for objective measures.

Findings

In the search for a prescription for SEMBI success, this study finds that the notion of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a good artifact with which to organize the principles the authors are seeking. CMM has since been adapted to suit different contexts by incorporating relevant principles from those domains. Hereafter, this study refers to SEMBI–CMM as the adapted solution for SEMBI's success.

Originality/value

This study coins and uses the term SEMBI to represent the union of SEM and BI. This term retains its distinct identities and principles and forms a holistic and integrated view of SEM and BI implementation strategies. In an effort to advance this line of research, this study employs a design science perspective to address the question of how an organization can successfully implement SEMBI.
Toward a typology of entrepreneurial bricolage and its capabilities
Authors: Bhardwaj Rohit , Bindra Sunali , Singh Tejasvita , Sahay Arunaditya
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The extant literature emphasizes that the perspective of bricolage is significantly augmenting the core of entrepreneurship research, and, per se, it has made considerable contributions to understanding resource mobilization and organizational processes in entrepreneurial ventures. Entrepreneurial bricolage literature lacks a unified and holistic conceptual framework that could represent a coherence of diverse bricolage forms and their related capabilities in entrepreneurship. To address this issue, this study aims to develop a comprehensive typology framework of entrepreneurial bricolage based on the theoretical synthesis of the prior research.

Design/methodology/approach

By comparing and synthesizing the existing bricolage forms into a holistic and persistent typology, the authors present an integrated framework of 13 bricolage capabilities that contributes to resource acquisition and resource mobilization as well as facilitate the entrepreneurial processes of opportunity recognition and opportunity exploitation in firms.

Findings

The study synthesizes a wide array of research on entrepreneurial bricolage for shaping the resource acquisition and resource mobilization processes in entrepreneurial ventures and presents a typology-based framework for further discussion and research. By mapping the existing research and relevant dimensions into a typology-based entrepreneurial bricolage framework, the study extends and contributes to the current theorizing and conceptual building.

Research limitations/implications

The study would help practitioners and researchers to recognize bricolage capabilities and the common ties among them, leading to further advances in entrepreneurship theory and practice.

Originality/value

As the body of knowledge regarding entrepreneurial bricolage has grown, so has the number of its different forms, concepts and constructs. The authors recognize that there is distinctiveness as well as overlaps among diverse forms, concepts and constructs of entrepreneurial bricolage. Further, the authors identify a new bricolage capability that has not until now been positioned in the extant frameworks.
What is real estate? Five ontological questions for the discipline
Authors: K'Akumu O.A.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The study seeks to identify and document definitional challenges that hamper the delineation of the scope of real estate as a discipline and as an industry. Through literature review the article distils the perception of body of knowledge (BOK) of real estate within the academia. Two main issues are flagged up: the problem of undefined BOK and the collegiate dilemma. Later the study looks at the standard economic classification documents to capture the occupational domains of real estate professionals or real estate activities. These steps are necessary to help define an alternative academic, practical and social meaning of real estate that is sufficient and precise.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses literature review and, as primary method, qualitative document analysis (QDA). The study has made a special appeal for the application of qualitative strategy in real estate research other than following the methodological orthodoxy of quantitative causal research designs. Further, it has argued for the recognition of QDA as a legitimate research method in the context of real estate studies. Consequently, the study performed QDA procedures on international economic classification standards.

Findings

From literature review and QDA, the study identified five definitional problems in the meanings or understandings of real estate: undefined body of knowledge, collegiate dilemma, inadequate classification of real estate occupations, inadequate industry classification and inadequate economic sector positioning. These are aspects that lead to misconceptions of the true boundary of knowledge in society and in the academia. The paper offers clarity and insights for the redrawing of these boundaries to give real estate its rightful place in the academia and in the real world.

Originality/value

The article follows up on the academic and social misconceptions on the BOK of real estate as a discipline and an economic activity domain to identify the contribution of real estate to the welfare of mankind. Ontology or the organization of academic or social knowledge is used to map out or catalogue real estate against competing domains and to show that the role of real estate is grossly understated and misunderstood. From the findings, the study makes recommendations to university curriculum developers, and international organizations like ILO, and UN-DESA to revise their conceptions of real estate to give the discipline its rightful position in society.
Innovation and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises: evidence from the Colombian manufacturing sector
Authors: Albis Salas Nadia , Mora Holguin Henry , Lucio-Arias Diana , Sánchez Erika Celene , Villarreal Nelson
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the factors that influence innovation and productivity in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manufacturing enterprises in Colombia, in comparison with larger firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was based on firm-level panel data extracted from a census of Colombian manufacturing firms between 2007 and 2014. The authors used an adapted version of the Crepon-Duguet-Mairesse (CDM) sequential approach that interrelates R&D intensity, innovation outputs and productivity.

Findings

This study's findings indicate that investing in R&D has a positive impact on innovation in both SMEs and larger firms. However, the effect on productivity is significantly higher for SMEs. Evidence also suggests that the innovation performance of SMEs and larger firms is influenced by co-evolution among the firm's resources and capabilities, knowledge flows with external organizations, access to funding and knowledge appropriability conditions. However, highly qualified personnel, internal and commercial sources of funding, and market knowledge sourcing are crucial for innovation in SMEs. These conclusions are especially relevant for the design of industrial and innovation policies in developing economies, where innovation is a prerequisite for catching up and economic advancement.

Originality/value

The paper provides new empirical evidence on the determinants of innovation in SMEs, the mechanisms by which innovation capabilities and outputs affect its productive performance, and how the relationship between these dimensions varies with firm size in the context of a developing country.
Helping the organization but harming customers: a social identity perspective of unethical pro-organizational behavior
Authors: Yan Hongmin , Solnet David , Okimoto Tyler G.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a special type of unethical behaviors among frontline service employees – unethical pro-organizational behaviors (UPB). Building on social identity theory, the paper examines how social identifications with the organization and customers interactively affect employees' engagement in UPB. The paper also explores the underlying psychological mechanisms that explain this effect.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a multistage, sequential research design to test the hypothesized model. Studies 1A and 1B use scenario-based experiments with a randomized between-subjects design. Study 2 uses a survey design to replicate and expand the findings from Study 1 by collecting survey data from frontline service employees in various service sectors.

Findings

The results across two studies reveal that high organizational identification will motivate employees to engage in UPB when the opportunity arises, while employees who also identify with customers will more likely abstain from committing UPB. Findings from the survey study also show that this interactive effect on UPB is achieved by devaluing customers as tools or placing fault upon them.

Originality/value

This research provides a deeper exploration of the UPB at the organizational frontline. From a social identity theoretical perspective, this research examines how identification with customers and with the organization jointly shape frontline employees' engagement in UPB. In doing so, this research provides insight into the contextual limitations of existing UPB research while also offering practically relevant implications for managing UPB in frontline service contexts.
Uncovering risk professionals' intentions to use artificial intelligence: empirical evidence from the Italian setting
Authors: Ferri Luca , Maffei Marco , Spanò Rosanna , Zagaria Claudia
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to ascertain the intentions of risk managers to use artificial intelligence in performing their tasks by examining the factors affecting their motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs an integrated theoretical framework that merges the third version of the technology acceptance model 3 (TAM3) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) based on the application of the structural equation model with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) estimation on data gathered through a Likert-based questionnaire disseminated among Italian risk managers. The survey reached 782 people working as risk professionals, but only 208 provided full responses. The final response rate was 26.59%.

Findings

The findings show that social influence, perception of external control and risk perception are the main predictors of risk professionals' intention to use artificial intelligence. Moreover, performance expectancy (PE) and effort expectancy (EE) of risk professionals in relation to technology implementation and use also appear to be reasonably reliable predictors.

Research limitations/implications

Thus, the study offers a precious contribution to the debate on the impact of automation and disruptive technologies in the risk management domain. It complements extant studies by tapping into cultural issues surrounding risk management and focuses on the mostly overlooked dimension of individuals.

Originality/value

Yet, thanks to its quite novel theoretical approach; it also extends the field of studies on artificial intelligence acceptance by offering fresh insights into the perceptions of risk professionals and valuable practical and policymaking implications.
Bricolage as an expression of self and of cultural and familial foodways among people living in prison—‘You make what you can with anything you can get’
Authors: Woods‐Brown Clair , Hunt Kate , Sweeting Helen
Published: August 2023

In this article, we use Lévi‐Strauss’s (1962, The savage mind, University of Chicago Press) concept of ‘bricolage’ to explore informal food preparation among men in Scottish prisons. The art of ‘making do with whatever is at hand’, in innovative and creative ways, to give new functions to everyday items has recently been reimagined and applied to the field of food. It has been used to explore the practice of informal food networks in resource poor environments; investigate how small food businesses come up with new and innovative recipes ideas; and study the way Michelin‐starred chefs responded to the COVID‐19 pandemic through philanthropic activities. Our aim is to use bricolage as a lens through which to answer questions about whether more autonomy over food might contribute to overall health and wellbeing in prisons. Drawing on in‐depth empirical data from qualitative interviews with 20 men in Scottish prisons, we explore how bricolage is used to escape the monotony of prison‐issued meals and the tedium of the prison regime; counter threats to self and identity; create and maintain social relationships through joint enterprise and commensality; and create culinary experiences that afford a sense of control and normality in an environment synonymous with ‘spoiled identity’ (Goffman, 1961, Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates, Penguin.).
HemiPy: A Python module for automated estimation of forest biophysical variables and uncertainties from digital hemispherical photographs
Authors: Brown Luke A. , Morris Harry , Leblanc Sylvain , Bai Gabriele , Lanconelli Christian , Gobron Nadine , Meier Courtney , Dash Jadunandan
Published: August 2023

Digital hemispherical photography (DHP) is widely used to derive forest biophysical variables including leaf, plant, and green area index (LAI, PAI and GAI), the fraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (FIPAR), and the fraction of vegetation cover (FCOVER). However, the majority of software packages for processing DHP data are based on a graphical user interface, making programmatic analysis difficult. Meanwhile, few natively support analysis of RAW image formats, while none incorporate the propagation or provision of uncertainties.

To address these limitations, we present HemiPy, an open‐source Python module for deriving forest biophysical variables and uncertainties from DHP images in an automated manner. We assess HemiPy using simulated hemispherical images, in addition to multiannual time‐series and litterfall data from several forested National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) sites, as well as comparison against the CAN‐EYE software package.

Multiannual time‐series of PAI, FIPAR and FCOVER demonstrate HemiPy's outputs realistically represent expected temporal patterns. Comparison against litterfall data reveals reasonable accuracies are achievable, with RMSE values close to the error of ~1 unit typically attributed to optical LAI measurement approaches. HemiPy's PAI, FIPAR and FCOVER outputs demonstrate good agreement with CAN‐EYE. Consistent with previous studies, when compared to simulated hemispherical images, better agreement is observed for PAI derived using gap fraction near the hinge angle of 57.5° only, as opposed to values derived using gap fraction over a wider range of zenith angles.

HemiPy should prove a useful tool for processing DHP images, and its open‐source nature means that it can be adopted, extended and further refined by the user community.
Autoreactive IgE: Pathogenic role and therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases
Authors: Charles Nicolas , Kortekaas‐Krohn Inge , Kocaturk Emek , Scheffel Jörg , Altrichter Sabine , Steinert Carolin , Xiang Yi‐Kui , Gutermuth Jan , Reber Laurent L. , Maurer Marcus
Published: August 2023

Autoimmunity is the break of tolerance to self‐antigens that leads to organ‐specific or systemic diseases often characterized by the presence of pathogenic autoreactive antibodies (AAb) produced by plasmablast and/or plasma cells. AAb are prevalent in the general population and not systematically associated with clinical symptoms. In contrast, in some individuals, these AAb are pathogenic and drive the development of signs and symptoms of antibody‐mediated autoimmune diseases (AbAID). AAb production, isotype profiles, and glycosylations are promoted by pro‐inflammatory triggers linked to genetic, environmental, and hormonal parameters. Recent evidence supports a role for pathogenic AAb of the IgE isotype in a number of AbAID. Autoreactive IgE can drive the activation of mast cells, basophils, and other types of FcεRI‐bearing cells and may play a role in promoting autoantibody production and other pro‐inflammatory pathways. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on the pathogenicity of autoreactive IgE in AbAID and their status as therapeutic targets. We also highlight unresolved issues including the need for assays that reproducibly quantify IgE AAbs, to validate their diagnostic and prognostic value, and to further study their pathophysiological contributions to AbAID.
Does fetal size affect maternal perception of fetal movements? Evidence from an individual participant data meta‐analysis
Authors: Thompson John M. D. , Heazell Alexander E. P. , Cronin Robin S. , Wilson Jessica , Li Minglan , Gordon Adrienne , Askie Lisa M. , O'Brien Louise M. , Raynes‐Greenow Camille , Stacey Tomasina , Mitchell Edwin A. , McCowan Lesley M. E. , Bradford Billie F.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Maternal perception of fetal movements during pregnancy are reassuring; however, the perception of a reduction in movements are concerning to women and known to be associated with increased odds of late stillbirth. Prior to full term, little evidence exists to provide guidelines on how to proceed unless there is an immediate risk to the fetus. Increased strength of movement is the most commonly reported perception of women through to full term, but perception of movement is also hypothesized to be influenced by fetal size. The study aimed to assess the pattern of maternal perception of strength and frequency of fetal movement by gestation and customized birthweight quartile in ongoing pregnancies. A further aim was to assess the association of stillbirth to perception of fetal movements stratified by customized birthweight quartile.

Material and methods

This analysis was an individual participant data meta‐analyses of five case–control studies investigating factors associated with stillbirth. The dataset included 851 cases of women with late stillbirth (>28 weeks' gestation) and 2257 women with ongoing pregnancies who then had a liveborn infant.

Results

The frequency of prioritized fetal movement from 28 weeks' gestation showed a similar pattern for each quartile of birthweight with increased strength being the predominant perception of fetal movement through to full term. The odds of stillbirth associated with reduced fetal movements was increased in all quartiles of customized birthweight centiles but was notably greater in babies in the lowest two quartiles (Q1: adjusted OR: 9.34, 95% CI: 5.43, 16.06 and Q2: adjusted OR: 6.11, 95% CI: 3.11, 11.99). The decreased odds associated with increased strength of movement was present for all customized birthweight quartiles (adjusted OR range: 0.25–0.56).

Conclusions

Increased strength of fetal movements in late pregnancy is a positive finding irrespective of fetal size. However, reduced fetal movements are associated with stillbirth, and more so when the fetus is small.
How to convince the vaccine‐hesitant? An ease‐of‐access nudge, but not risk‐related information increased Covid vaccination‐related behaviors in the unvaccinated
Authors: Giese Helge , Neth Hansjörg , Wegwarth Odette , Gaissmaier Wolfgang , Stok F. Marijn
Published: August 2023

In this study, we contrast how different benefit and harm information formats and the presence or absence of an ease‐of‐access nudge may facilitate COVID vaccination uptake for a sample of 620 unvaccinated Dutch adults at a timepoint when the vaccine had been widely available for more than a month. Using a 2 × 2 between‐subjects factorial design, we varied the information format on mRNA COVID vaccination statistics (generic text vs. facts box) and an affirmative nudge emphasizing the ease of making a vaccination appointment (absent vs. present). We assessed the acceptance of the vaccination information provided, perceptions on the vaccination, and whether participants directly visited a COVID vaccination appointment website. Whereas the facts box did not significantly affect participants' information acceptance, vaccination attitudes, intentions, and link clicking, the affirmative nudge alongside an online link systematically increased the likelihood of clicking on the link to make a vaccination appointment. A verbal nudge emphasizing the ease of vaccine accessibility is more likely to increase vaccination uptake in an unvaccinated population than informational campaigns on vaccine effectiveness.
Restoration of invaded temperate grasslands: species phenology adds to microsite and seed availability
Authors: Molina Cecilia D. , Tognetti Pedro M. , Graff Pamela
Published: August 2023

Questions

Restoring diversity in temperate grasslands requires eliminating invaders and recovering different native phenological groups. Clipping and seed addition promote native grass recovery, but these effects could depend on the phenological overlap between invaders and native species. We evaluated the importance of the interaction between two types of clipping, species phenology and sowing to restore temperate grasslands invaded by the cool‐season forage species Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue).

Location

Flooding Pampa grassland (Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Methods

We applied selective and non‐selective clipping on tall fescue during the peak growing season, combined with the sowing of native cool‐ and warm‐season grasses. Plant species cover was estimated visually for 3 years; species were categorized by functional groups. Moreover, through emergence trials, we evaluated whether the soil seed bank had been impoverished by invasion.

Results

Regardless of selectivity, clipping decreased tall fescue cover by 12%/year, which reduced microsite limitation. Consequently, total native richness increased by 5 spp./year and cover increased from 3% to 50% by the last experimental year, independent of clipping type. Moreover, native warm‐season grasses, the group with the least phenological overlap with invaders, increased by nearly 25% in cover and by 5 spp./m2 with clipping and independently of sowing. Contrarily, native cool‐season grasses, with more phenological overlap with invaders, increased 5% with propagule addition. Furthermore, the seed bank was enriched with tall fescue and depleted of cool‐season grasses.

Conclusions

Our results reveal that overcoming microsite limitation is a necessary condition to restore plant diversity in grassland invaded by tall fescue. Nevertheless, seed limitation and phenological overlap may be particularly important to restore the diversity of some native functional groups of plants. Considering the phenology of species can help to identify either clipping targets or phenological groups to be sown when restoring native diversity.
Disability and trade union membership in the UK
Authors: Jones Melanie
Published: August 2023

Using data from two national surveys, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey and the Workplace Employment Relations Survey, we establish evidence of a robust disability‐related trade union membership differential in the UK. After controlling for differences in other personal and work‐related characteristics, disabled employees are found to be 3.6 percentage points (12–14 per cent) more likely to be union members than non‐disabled employees. While the differential is consistent with evidence that disabled employees have stronger preferences for union representation, we do not find evidence that union membership is associated with disproportionate benefits for disabled employees in terms of a reduction in disability‐related labour market inequality.
Evaluating the performance of large language models: ChatGPT and Google Bard in generating differential diagnoses in clinicopathological conferences of neurodegenerative disorders
Authors: Koga Shunsuke , Martin Nicholas B. , Dickson Dennis W.
Published: August 2023

This study explores the utility of the large language models (LLMs), specifically ChatGPT and Google Bard, in predicting neuropathologic diagnoses from clinical summaries. A total of 25 cases of neurodegenerative disorders presented at Mayo Clinic brain bank Clinico‐Pathological Conferences were analyzed. The LLMs provided multiple pathologic diagnoses and their rationales, which were compared with the final clinical diagnoses made by physicians. ChatGPT‐3.5, ChatGPT‐4, and Google Bard correctly made primary diagnoses in 32%, 52%, and 40% of cases, respectively, while correct diagnoses were included in 76%, 84%, and 76% of cases, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT in neuropathology, suggesting they may facilitate more comprehensive discussions in clinicopathological conferences.
Se nourrir autrement : quelle différence dans l'accès aux systèmes alimentaires alternatifs selon la taille de la ville et ses conditions géographiques?
Authors: Cantin Lafrance Mélodie , Pham Thi‐Thanh‐Hiên
Published: August 2023

Les systèmes alimentaires alternatifs (SAA), reconnus pour leurs circuits alimentaires réduits, aux retombées positives pour la santé, l'environnement et les communautés locales, offriraient une alternative au système conventionnel en aliments de qualité. Cependant, plusieurs études s'interrogent sur l'accessibilité aux SAA, notamment quand l'insécurité alimentaire persiste dans de nombreuses communautés en Amérique du Nord. Cet article étudie l'accessibilité aux SAA chez les populations à plus faible revenu en prenant en compte le contexte urbain, notamment l'environnement alimentaire et la proximité aux zones de production. Utilisant les cas d'un arrondissement de Montréal et de la ville moyenne de Victoriaville (Québec), nous avons employé une méthodologie mixte combinant la cartographie, l'observation de l'environnement alimentaire ainsi que des entretiens semi‐dirigés. Nous montrons que le prix des SAA est influencé par des facteurs propres à chaque territoire tels que la temporalité, les rapports aux aliments et à l'agriculture et la proximité des producteur·rice·s. Les deux cas se distinguent également par leur façon de (re)connecter aux producteur·rice·s agricoles. Ces résultats pourraient contribuer à optimiser les politiques publiques qui misent sur l'accès à des aliments de qualité et ainsi rendre les SAA plus accessibles.
Impact of COVID‐19 on clinical practice of UK‐based speech and language therapists working with school‐aged children with neurodisability and oropharyngeal dysphagia: A survey
Authors: Morgan Sally , Weir Kelly A. , Mulligan Kathleen , Jacobs Sonja , Hilari Katerina
Published: August 2023

Background

The COVID‐19 pandemic and response changed clinical service delivery and practice for speech and language therapists (SLTs) in the United Kingdom. SLTs work with children with neurodisability regarding both difficulties with their communication and eating and drinking skills (oropharyngeal dysphagia). This survey aimed to specifically explore the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on SLT practice for school‐aged children with dysphagia.

Methods

UK‐based SLTs working with school‐aged children with neurodisability and oropharyngeal dysphagia were recruited to share their perceptions on the impact of COVID‐19 on practice. Four questions focusing on COVID‐19 impact were part of a larger online survey exploring SLT clinical practice regarding mealtime management of children with neurodisability and oropharyngeal dysphagia, which included demographic information, service delivery, assessment and intervention practices. COVID‐19 impact questions were a mixture of multiple choice and free text responses. The survey was disseminated using professional networks and social media, between 14 May and 30 July 2021. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.

Results

One hundred and two participants answered at least one of the four COVID‐19 questions. Eighty‐two per cent of SLTs either agreed or strongly agreed that COVID‐19 impacted on service delivery to children and families. Negative impacts on service delivery included school absences/closures, home visiting restrictions, families declining input and/or having barriers to telehealth use and the impact of mask wearing on interactions. Positive impacts included increased telehealth access and skills, increased contact with families and focus on children's eating and drinking function within the home environment. Participants aimed to maintain the increased contact with families alongside a hybrid service delivery approach of in‐person and virtual appointments.

Conclusions

This survey provides novel information capturing SLT practice change across two waves of COVID‐19 and return to in‐person practice for UK children with neurodisability.
Determinants of unintentional injuries in preschool age children in high‐income countries: A systematic review
Authors: Gallagher Laura , Breslin Gavin , Leavey Gerard , Curran Emma , Rosato Michael
Published: August 2023

Background

Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in preschool children who are subject to specific risk factors. We sought to clarify the determinants of unintentional injuries in children aged 5 years and under in high‐income countries and report on the methodological quality of the selected studies.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted of observational studies investigating determinants of unintentional injury in children aged 0–5. Searches were conducted in Web of Science, Medline, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL. All methods of data analysis and reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA 2021) guidelines. Determinants are reported at the child, parental, household and area level.

Results

An initial search revealed 6179 records. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria: 17 cohort studies and 2 case control studies. While studies included longitudinal surveys and administrative healthcare data analysis, the highest quality studies examined were case–control designs. Child factors associated with unintentional injury include male gender, age of the child at the time of injury, advanced gross motor score, sleeping problems, birth order, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and below average score on the standard strengths and difficulties scale. Parental factors associated with unintentional injuries included younger parenthood, poor maternal mental health, hazardous or harmful drinking by an adult within the home, substance misuse, low maternal education, low paternal involvement in childcare and routine and manual socioeconomic classification. Household factors associated with injury were social rented accommodation, single‐parent household, White ethnicity in the United Kingdom, number of children in the home and parental perception of a disorganised home environment. Area‐level factors associated with injury were area‐level deprivation and geographic remoteness.

Conclusion

Child factors were the strongest risk factors for injury, whereas parental factors were the most consistent. Further research is needed to examine the role of supervision in the relationships between these risk factors and injury. Injury intent should be considered in studies using administrative healthcare data. Prospective research may consider utilising linked survey and administrative data to counter the inherent weaknesses of these research approaches.
Prevalence of dental visits in older Japanese adults receiving public assistance
Authors: Kino Shiho , Ueno Keiko , Nishioka Daisuke , Kondo Naoki , Aida Jun
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Exemption from paying dental care costs among recipients of public assistance contributes to universal health care coverage. Although this system might reduce the financial barriers to dental care among patients, there are still several other barriers for public assistance recipients. Therefore, this study examined whether receiving public assistance was associated with a higher prevalence of dental visits for any reason, treatment and prevention.

Methods

Data were obtained from 16 366 respondents from the 2019 wave of a nationwide cohort study on older adults in Japan. Poisson regression analyses with robust error variance were used to examine the associations between receiving public assistance and dental visits, adjusting for number of teeth, dental pain, periodontal conditions, age, sex, number of family members, education, equivalent household income, working status, instrumental activities of daily living, medical conditions, depressive symptoms, instrumental support and geographical variations.

Results

More than half of the non‐recipients of public assistance visited a dentist for some reason in the past 6 months. Meanwhile, only 37% of the recipients visited a dentist. In addition, almost half of the non‐recipients had treatment visits, while only 34% of the recipients visited. Furthermore, 46% of the non‐recipients had dental visits for prevention, while 32% of the recipients had preventive visits. In the fully adjusted models, compared to non‐recipients, public assistance recipients were 24% (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 0.76, 95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: 0.64, 0.90), 23% (PR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.92) and 21% (PR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.95) less likely to have dental visits for any reason, treatment, and prevention, respectively.

Conclusions

Although recipients were exempted from dental treatment fees, receiving public assistance was associated with a lower prevalence of dental visits for any reason, treatment and prevention. Future studies should identify the barriers to accessing dental care among public assistance recipients to improve dental visits.
Growth hormone therapy is associated with improved uterine dimensions in girls with Turner syndrome prior to oestrogen replacement
Authors: Mondal Sunetra , Gargari Piyas , Nagendra Lakshmi , Mandal Santanu , Kumar Rathin C. , Shah Pooja , Haldar Mandira , Chowdhury Subhankar , Mukhopadhyay Satinath
Published: August 2023

Background

Adult women with Turner syndrome (TS) have high rates of miscarriage, presumably due to the abnormal size and shape of the uterus. There is a paucity of data regarding the determinants of uterine volume (UtVol) in young girls with TS before the initiation of oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT).

Methods

We performed a cross‐sectional study on premenarchal girls with TS, aged 5–15 years, pubertal stage B1–B3, not having received ERT (n = 73) and 50 age‐matched healthy controls. Anthropometric parameters and a history of growth hormone (GH) therapy (≥1 year) were noted. Uterine length (UtL), UtVol, and mean‐ovarian‐volume (MOV) standard‐deviation scores (SDS) were determined from transabdominal ultrasonography data.

Results

Girls with TS had lower median UtVol‐SDS (−1.07 vs. 0.86; p < .001), UtL‐SDS (−3.72 vs. −0.41; p < .001) and MOV‐SDS (−5.53 vs. 1.96; p < .001) compared to age‐matched controls. Among TS girls, recipients of GH (n = 38) had higher UtVol‐SDS (−0.63 vs. −1.39; p = .0001), UtL‐SDS (−1.73 vs. −6.49; p < .0001) but similar MOV‐SDS compared to nonrecipients (n = 35). Those with normal uterine volume for age (NUVA, n = 29) had earlier initiation (7.8 vs. 9.3 years; p = .03) and a longer duration of GH (3.71 vs. 2.14 years; p = .002) than those with low UtVol for age (n = 44). UtVol‐SDS correlated with duration of GH (ρ = 0.411, p = .01) and negatively with age at GH initiation (ρ = −0.479, p = .003). In a model adjusted for pubertal status, karyotype and height‐SDS, GH use could independently predict having NUVA (odds ratio: 5.09, confidence interval: 1.63–15.94, p = .005).

Conclusion

GH therapy has a stimulatory effect on uterine dimensions in pre‐and peripubertal girls with TS. Earlier initiation and longer duration of GH is important in TS girls before ERT.
Genetic testing and gene therapy in retinal diseases: Knowledge and perceptions of optometrists in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Britten‐Jones Alexis Ceecee , Mack Heather G. , Vincent Andrea L. , Hill Lisa J. , Edwards Thomas L. , Ayton Lauren N.
Published: August 2023

With advances in gene‐based therapies for heritable retinal diseases, primary eye care clinicians should be informed on ocular genetics topics. This cross‐sectional survey evaluated knowledge, attitudes, and concerns regarding genetic testing and gene therapy for retinal diseases among optometrists in Australia and New Zealand. Survey data included practitioner background, attitudes and practices towards genetic testing for monogenic inherited retinal disease (IRDs) and age‐related macular degeneration, and knowledge of ocular genetics and gene therapy. Responses were received from 516 optometrists between 1 April and 31 December 2022. Key perceived barriers to accessing genetic testing were lack of clarity on referral pathways (81%), cost (65%), and lack of treatment options if a genetic cause is identified (50%). Almost all respondents (98%) believed that ophthalmologists should initiate genetic testing for IRDs and fewer understood the role of genetic counsellors and clinical geneticists. This study found that optometrists in Australia and New Zealand have a high level of interest in ocular genetics topics. However, knowledge gaps include referral pathways and awareness of genetic testing and gene therapy outcomes. Addressing perceived barriers to access and promoting sharing of knowledge between interdisciplinary networks can set the foundation for genetic education agendas in primary eye care.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation improves working memory in temporal lobe epilepsy: A randomized double‐blind study
Authors: Pan Liping , Wang Jiajing , Wu Wenjuan , Wang Yunfan , Zhu Yujing , Song Yijun
Published: August 2023

Aims

This study investigated the impact of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on working memory (WM) in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (rTLE) and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

In this randomized double‐blind study, 28 rTLE patients were subjected to an active or sham taVNS (a/s‐taVNS) protocol for 20 weeks (a‐taVNS group, n = 19; s‐ta VNS group, n = 9). Patients performed visual WM tasks during stimulation and neural oscillations were simultaneously recorded by 19‐channel electroencephalography.

Results

Compared with the baseline state, reaction time was significantly shorter after 20 weeks of taVNS in the a‐taVNS group (p = 0.010), whereas no difference was observed in the s‐taVNS group (p > 0.05). The power spectral density (PSD) of the theta frequency band in the Fz channel decreased significantly after a‐taVNS during WM‐encoding (p = 0.020), maintenance (p = 0.038), and retrieval (p = 0.039) phases, but not in the s‐taVNS group (all p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Neural oscillations during WM were altered by taVNS and WM performance was improved. Alterations in frontal midline theta oscillations may be a marker for the effect of taVNS on cognitive regulation.