bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between pharmaceutical industry interactions and prescribing practices in chronic non-malignant pain management: A protocol for a systematic review
Authors: Gharbia Mohammed , Iladiva Lydia , Moriarty Frank , Fahey Tom , Larkin James
Published: January 2025

Introduction Chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP) represents a major global health issue and is a primary reason for disability worldwide. Managing CNMP often involves prescribing analgesics which carry risks such as dependency and adverse outcomes. Interactions between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and the pharmaceutical industry, including financial incentives, gifts, and sponsored education, may influence analgesic prescribing practices. Understanding these dynamics is essential for promoting ethical, evidence-based prescribing and ensuring patient safety. Therefore, the aim is to assess how pharmaceutical industry interactions with HCPs affect the prescribing of analgesics, specifically in the context of CNMP management. Methods This is a protocol for a systematic review, which is also prospectively registered on PROSPERO (Registration Number: CRD42024627184) and is reported according to PRISMA-P guidelines. A systematic search will be performed across MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Observational studies (e.g., cross-sectional, cohort) evaluating the association between pharmaceutical industry interactions and HCPs’ prescribing patterns for CNMP management will be included. Primary outcomes include analgesic prescribing patterns, such as rate, volume, and cost. Secondary outcomes involve patient safety measures and HCP attitudes towards prescribing. Titles, abstracts, and full texts will be screened according to the inclusion criteria. Data extraction will utilize a standardized form, and the methodological quality will be evaluated using the ROBINS-I tool. Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal will be conducted by two reviewers, independently, resolving any discrepancies with the help of a third reviewer. Should there be sufficient homogeneity in the results data, a meta-analysis will be conducted; if not, the findings will be presented in a narrative synthesis. The strength of evidence will be assessed using the GRADE approach. Discussion The findings could inform strategies to enhance unbiased and evidence-based prescribing in CNMP management, promoting better patient care.
SCIENTIFIC, ARTISTIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SPACE IN THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Authors: Vasilyeva Marina A.
Published: January 2025

The article is devoted to the study of the conceptualization of space in the Enlightenment. The author examines the scientific approach to space that developed in the New Age, the artistic understanding of space and the practices of vision that manifest themselves in painting, as well as a new assessment of the social significance of space and the emergence of the idea of public spaces. The article examines the general ideological foundations of the Enlightenment that influenced the new attitude to space and its social role. In particular, an assumption is made about the high significance of ancient images in the process of forming a single language and a common space of communication for different intellectual circles of the 18th century. The article examines the main positions that are important for the concept of “environmental design” that developed at that time: an instrumental attitude to space and the deliberate variability of forms, the projectivity of the environment, as well as the presence of social groups that have access to this design. The author suggests considering the Enlightenment (the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century) as the beginning of a great deal of work on creating effective methods and techniques for creating spaces in which social and political goals were realized through aesthetic techniques.
SELF-IDENTIFICATION FACTORS OF VISITORS TO THE MEMORIAL LANDSCAPE OF THE ARKAIM ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Authors: Safonov Andrey V. , Topchii Irina V.
Published: January 2025

The article uses the case of Arkaim archaeological site in Chelyabinsk Region to unravel the mechanisms of building a connective structure that determine the strategies for self-identification of various groups of actors in this memorial landscape. The term “connective structure” is used in the meaning assigned to it by Jan Assmann, creator of the concept of communicative and cultural memory that is central to this study. Contributors to the article also rely on the theory of historical and collective memory proposed by Maurice Halbwachs. The connective structure of Arkaim is explored as a multidimensional phenomenon whose conceptual facets are represented by the natural landscape and its history, the history of Arkaim settlement dating back to the Bronze Age, the historical facts, legends and tales, as well as the history of discovery and promotion of this archaeological monument. Extensive interviews with actors are used to single out the four key factors of self-identification: territorial, professional, cultural, and personal. The article describes how each of these factors manifests itself in relation to the features of the memorial landscape.
Therapies derived from psychoanalysis as empirically supported treatments
Authors: Szpak Marta
Published: January 2025

Artykuł ma na celu znalezienie odpowiedzi na pytanie, czy terapie wywodzące się z psychoanalizy, określane jako terapie psychoanalityczne i psychodynamiczne, można uznać za tzw. terapie wsparte empirycznie (empirically supported treatments). W pierwszej kolejności opisano charakterystyki terapii wywiedzionych z psychoanalizy, w tym wspólne założenia teoretyczne i cechy postępowania terapeutycznego. Następnie omówiono kryteria terapii wspartych empirycznie, które przedstawiło Amerykańskie Towarzystwo Psychologiczne (APA) w latach 1995 (pierwszy system ewaluacji, wymagający dwóch badań eksperymentalnych) i 2015 (aktualny system, oparty na analizie przeglądów systematycznych obejmujących wiele badań eksperymentalnych). Omówiono również znaczenie randomizowanych kontrolowanych badań klinicznych (RCT) w procesie oceny skuteczności oddziaływań psychologicznych. W dalszej części artykułu, przyjmując za punkt odniesienia bieżący system ewaluacji APA, przedstawiono najnowsze prace badawcze nad skutecznością terapii wywiedzionych z psychoanalizy. Zgodnie z prezentowanymi tam danymi, terapie psychoanalityczne i psychodynamiczne mogą być uznane za terapie wsparte empirycznie w przypadku leczenia osób dorosłych cierpiących na powszechnie występujące zaburzenia: depresyjne, lękowe, osobowości i pod postacią somatyczną. Ocena dostępnych dowodów stanowiła podstawę dla rekomendowania terapii psychoanalitycznych i psychodynamicznych w leczeniu tych zaburzeń.
Blockchain adoption factors
Authors: Bernardino Carlos , Cesário Francisco , Costa Carlos J. , Aparicio Manuela , Aparicio João Tiago
Published: January 2025

Blockchain technology is a distributed ledger that promises transformative changes across various sectors, yet its adoption and integrations in small and medium-sized organizations remain limited. This study investigates the factors that influence the adoption of blockchain technology, emphasizing the significance of Trust and Security as key moderators. Using a questionnaire distributed to a diverse group of employees and analyzing responses through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS), we constructed a predictive model of blockchain adoption. Our analysis reveals that Performance Expectancy and Social Influence positively affect the intention to adopt blockchain, indicating that perceived effectiveness and peer support drive adoption. Trust significantly enhances this intention, underscoring the importance of confidence in the technology's reliability and security. Environmental Concerns present a barrier, suggesting sustainability perceptions can deter adoption. This study conclusively demonstrates that promoting trust, addressing environmental sustainability, and leveraging social influence are pivotal for accelerating blockchain adoption in small and medium-sized organizations.
Partilhas sensíveis em São Félix do Paraguaçu-BA: juventude e resistências a partir de formatos audiovisuais
Authors: Matos Daniela
Published: January 2025

O artigo analisa a produção audiovisual do grupo juvenil “Equipe Iskalifá” tendo como referência uma perspectiva que considera a potencialidade da comunicação comunitária em produzir dissenso e reorganização das partilhas do sensível, a partir da proposição de Jacques Rancière. Nosso olhar interpretativo está atento, prioritariamente, aos processos comunicativos que contribuem para a emergência do sentido de território e de emancipação, assim como as referências ao global e ao embrutecimento, que compõem os materiais expressivos.
Território e deslocamento: a infância em cenário de fronteira no cinema latino-americano do século XXI
Authors: Bragança Maurício de
Published: January 2025

A representação da infância no cinema latino-americano tem uma larga tradição ao problematizar questões sociais específicas da nossa realidade. Neste artigo, a criança e o adolescente são situados em relação ao cenário da fronteira entre o México e Estados Unidos em três filmes: Al otro lado, de Gustavo Loza (México, 2004); La misma luna, de Patricia Riggen (Méx/EUA, 2007) e La jaula de oro, de Diego Quemada-Díez (Méx/Espanha, 2013). Para isso, elaboramos uma discusão sobre território, mobilidade e fronteira como forma de pensarmos como a criança e o adolescente encarnaram uma espécie de lugar de falência das políticas públicas e diagnosticaram as distopias construídas no audiovisual em torno da ideia da “infância abandonada”.
Narrativas e imagens de corpos e subjetividades na mídia contemporânea: empatia e alteridade no jornalismo e na ficção seriada
Authors: Budag Fernanda Elouise , Lobato José Augusto Mendes
Published: January 2025

Este texto propõe uma discussão sobre o potencial de gêneros e formatos midiáticos tradicionais – a telenovela e o jornalismo – como instrumentos de visibilidade, construção de empatia e revisão das imagens do outro, comunicando experiências de alteridade por meio de histórias de vida que enfatizam silenciamentos e o (não) lugar atribuído a esses sujeitos no espaço público, bem como aspectos de subjetividade e identidade sociocultural. Para isso, orientamo-nos pelos estudos culturais e pela análise do discurso e propomos a leitura crítica de dois conteúdos midiáticos contemporâneos: a produção da jornalista Eliane Brum a respeito de vítimas de contaminação por amianto, e a representação de uma transexual na teledramaturgia de Glória Perez. Ao fim, somos reconhecemos uma força revisionista nas narrativas contemporâneas de alteridade.
Cenas de dissenso e dispositivos interacionais na resistência insurgente criada pelos secundaristas
Authors: Altheman Francine , Salgueiro Marques Angela Cristina
Published: January 2025

Este artigo analisa, em dois momentos do movimento de ocupação de escolas em São Paulo, que ocorreu em 2015, o encadeamento das ações, discussões, reações e resistências que envolveram a insurgência dos secundaristas, a partir da construção conceitual de “dispositivo” de Foucault e suas derivações para questões comunicacionais. A proposta é observar como as cenas enunciativas insurgentes representadas e narradas pelos estudantes no ato da ocupação da escola e no confronto com a polícia configuram um sujeito político que aponta para um modo de estar no acontecimento. Esse processo, inspirado também no método da igualdade de Rancière, mostra que a narrativa de si se configura como um instrumento político da ação política, fruto do empenho coletivo dos secundaristas, cujo arranjo se transforma em um potente dispositivo interacional.
Escândalo como narrativa útil: repensando a relação entre jornalismo e democracia
Authors: Câmara Clara BEZERRIL , Melo Seane
Published: January 2025

Este trabalho discute o escândalo político como um recurso narrativo de autoridade no jornalismo. Para tal, argumenta-se que os escândalos políticos têm sido uma ferramenta imprescindível no jornalismo para legitimar o seu lugar institucional de accountability e de reforço da norma democrática, e que reconhecer essa utilidade dos escândalos para o jornalismo pode ser um caminho promissor de análise. Nesse sentido, este artigo apresenta alguns indícios da naturalização da associação entre a publicização de escândalos e o compromisso democrático que o jornalismo autoproclama exercer. Esses indícios de naturalização são apontados, principalmente, a partir de um emblemático escândalo da década de 1950 e de trabalhos acadêmicos voltados para o estudo do jornalismo. A pretensão é ampliar as possibilidades de análise em torno da publicização do escândalo político no jornalismo.
“Vem pro baile, vem pra rua”: Territorialidades, estilos e identidades em um baile black no Rio de Janeiro
Authors: De Oliveira Luciana Xavier
Published: January 2025

A proposta desse artigo é compreender como uma festa de rua carioca se configura como um território agenciador de sociabilidades alternativas e de processos de identificação tensivos, utilizando conceitos como estilo (Hebdige, 1979) e cena musical (Straw, 2006). Para isso, foi realizado o estudo de caso do Baile Black Bom, evento musical realizado periodicamente na zona portuária do Rio de Janeiro. A partir dessa análise, busca-se compreender o estabelecimento de novas territorialidades em um espaço em disputa na cidade, diante da formação de alianças em torno do consumo coletivo da música e de formulações identitárias negras que configuram diferentes estratégias político-culturais e estabelecem territorialidades alternativas no espaço urbano.
The necessity of ulnar nerve exploration and translocation in open reduction of medial humeral epicondyle fractures in children
Authors: Liu Shaoshan , Su Yuxi
Published: January 2025

Aims

Medial humeral epicondyle fractures (MHEFs) are common elbow fractures in children. Open reduction should be performed in patients with MHEF who have entrapped intra-articular fragments as well as displacement. However, following open reduction, transposition of the ulnar nerve is disputed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the need for ulnar nerve exploration and transposition.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of patients who underwent surgical treatment of MHEF in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2022 were collected. The patients were allocated to either transposition or non-transposition groups. Data for sex, age, cause of fracture, duration of follow-up, Papavasiliou and Crawford classification, injury-to-surgery time, preoperative ulnar nerve symptoms, intraoperative exploration of ulnar nerve injury, surgical incision length, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms, complications, persistent ulnar neuropathy, and elbow joint function were analyzed. Binary logistic regression analysis was used for statistical analysis.

Results

A total of 124 patients were followed up, 50 in the ulnar nerve transposition group and 74 in the non-transposition group. There were significant differences in ulnar nerve injury (p = 0.009), incision length (p < 0.001), and blood loss (p = 0.003) between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative ulnar nerve symptoms (p = 0.012) were risk factors for postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms. In addition, ulnar nerve transposition did not affect the occurrence of postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms (p = 0.468).

Conclusion

Ulnar nerve transposition did not improve clinical outcomes. It is recommended that the ulnar nerve should not be transposed when treating MHEF operatively.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(2):212–218.
Estudo da avaliação em larga escala e o processo de avaliação da aprendizagem sob a ótica das leis do Brasil
Authors: Ruth Cunha dos Santos Ruth , Almeida dos Santos Souza Leila Damiana
Published: January 2025

Este artigo tem o objetivo de analisar as avaliações em larga escala, considerando o contexto histórico das normatizações da educa-ção brasileira e sua relação com as práticas avaliativas na escola. Os estudos foram desenvolvidos em pesquisas documentais e bibliográficas e partem do pressuposto de que a avaliação em larga escala está atre-lada a orientação das políticas públicas do Brasil. Assim, esta pesquisa em uma perspectiva histórica segue dando centralidade ao que está instituído na Lei da Constituição Federal do Brasil, apresentado no Art. 205 – Capítulo II sobre a educação como direito de todos e discute a avaliação em larga escala nas dimensões avaliativas escolares por meio dos modelos de avaliação educacional para assegurar o cumprimento da lei, mas os estudos apontam que na maioria das vezes atende e afirma aos interesses neoliberais capitalistas.
Observation of sodium D-line quantum beat in laser-induced fluorescence using stepwise fs excitation
Authors: Vilmart Gautier , Scherman Michael , Chiabaut Anais , Dorval Nelly
Published: January 2025

We report a direct observation of quantum beating between
3P1/2 and 3P3/2 levels of atomic sodium using
ultrashort laser pulses in a stepwise excitation scheme. Two broadband
femtosecond laser pulses are used to excite the 6S level from the 3S
ground level in sodium vapor. The first one is simultaneously resonant
with the D1 and D2 lines of the 3S→3P transition, and the second one
with the 3P→6S transition. The delay between the two pulses is scanned
in order to probe the dephasing between the two excited intermediate
levels. Quantum beating is observed by monitoring the fluorescence
signals at 330 nm and 515 nm, namely transition 4P→3S and 6S→3P,
respectively. Signals are compared to a semi-classical model that
reproduces the oscillations with a very good agreement.
Multi-megawatt pulses from 1030 to 1300 nm based on soliton self-frequency shifting in a nitrogen-filled fiber
Authors: Eisenberg Yishai , Wang Wenchao , Chen Yi-Hao , Enrique Antonio-Lopez Jose , Amezcua-Correa Rodrigo , Xu Chris , Wise Frank W.
Published: January 2025

Soliton formation and soliton self-frequency shift are investigated in
a hollow-core fiber filled with N2 gas. With 10-µJ and
80-fs input pulses at 1030 nm, solitons with greater than 500-nJ
energy and duration less than 100 fs can be generated between 1090 and
1310 nm. With peak powers above 5 MW, we expect that these pulses will
be useful for applications such as nonlinear microscopy.
100 W orbital angular momentum laser at 2 µm
Authors: Ding Heng , Tong Zihao , Zheng Changsheng , Meng Tianxiang , Wei Wenlong , Zhu Lei , Wang Yinyin , Lu Dazhi , Zhao Yongguang , Yu Haohai , Zhang Huaijin
Published: January 2025

Direct power scaling of an at-source scalar orbital angular momentum (OAM) laser is demonstrated in a Ho:YAG single-crystal fiber (SCF). Benefiting from the long gain region and the large surface-to-volume ratio of this fiber-like geometric structure, a 100 W optical vortex laser (OAM = ℏ) with a high slope efficiency of 66.0% is achieved at 2.1 µm, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the record power of the at-source OAM laser in the 2 µm spectral range and opens a new route for direct generation of high-power, high-efficiency structure light beams.
Crafting platforms: Student rebellion, gender struggles and collectivism in Danish crafts 1969–77
Authors: Lenskjold Tau , Munch Anders V. , Riisberg Vibeke
Published: January 2025

During the 1960s and 1970s, Denmark experienced a significant shift in arts and crafts, driven in particular by younger women. This paper examines how such upheavals took place across different platforms, such as the 1969 student rebellion at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts, the initiation of a collective crafts shop, and the staging of an international feminist art exhibition. Despite challenges posed by patriarchal hierarchies in art and craft, female practitioners, especially in textiles, leveraged these platforms to foster collaborative practices, reshape their status and secure livelihoods. Drawing on archives, interviews and feminist theory, the paper explores tensions between tradition and innovation, focusing on how craft evolved from decorative to critical practice, gaining institutional recognition. These struggles highlight the dynamic intersections of gender, art/craft hierarchies and societal change, offering insights into how Danish studio craft challenged conventions and inspired new frameworks for education, collaboration and feminist expression.
Silence and resistance: A theoretical turn
Authors: Antony Neethu P.
Published: January 2025

This research article explores two decisive sociological ideas, ‘Silence’ and ‘Resistance’, as seen through the theoretical lenses of communication and voice studies. Both are complex concepts with multiple interpretations moulded by their social and cultural contexts. The purpose of the article is to examine silence as a dynamic concept often misinterpreted as the mere absence of sound but consists of a wide spectrum of underlying meanings and connotations making it a powerful tool for communication. Silence can express emotions and thoughts more intensely than spoken words and plays a crucial role in spiritual practices, formal events and personal contemplation. Silence is self-sufficient and complete within itself; therefore, it becomes an effective communication channel. Similarly, resistance, conventionally interpreted as disagreement or disapproval, has a dual nature, acting both as a destructive force and as a catalyst for constructive social change. The article affirms that silence becomes politicized when it is linked to resistance, which means refusal. Both silence and resistance have a substantial role in determining societal dynamics, which contribute to transformative social change. Research on these concepts can offer profound insights into the realms of sociology and voice studies.
López de Gómara y la desdicha mediterránea de Hernán Cortés. Fuentes clásicas y trascendencia narrativa del relato de la batalla de Argel de 1541
Authors: Molina Villeta Javier
Published: January 2025

El objetivo de este artículo es estudiar desde una perspectiva historiográfica y retórica la participación de Cortés en la batalla de Argel en 1541 según la narración de Francisco López de Gómara. El relato del soriano nos dará pistas para entender la relación del conquistador con el emperador y con la aristocracia castellana. Nuestra hipótesis apunta a que, sin proponérselo, Gómara inspiró a los autores antiespañoles que elaboraron el relato embrionario de lo que más tarde se llamaría la Leyenda Negra. Como demostraremos en este trabajo, la primera versión antiespañola de su relato fue alentada por el milanés Girolamo Benzoni. Nos proponemos analizar las obras que se inspiraron en el soriano para construir la imagen del conquistador.
Rules and Practices: Builders’ Examinations in Early Modern Lisbon (17th-18th Centuries)
Authors: Pinto Sandra M.G.
Published: January 2025

This article explores the taking of examinations in Lisbon by those involved in the building trade in the early modern period. It contrasts rules with examination practices based on information gathered from regulatory documents and over two thousand records of craftsmanship examinations conducted between the mid-seventeenth and mid-eighteenth centuries. While the former documents are well known in Portuguese historiography concerning craft guilds, the latter were taken from two handwritten books which have not previously been researched. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of this data set shows that examination practices complied with the main rules and formalities, although there were exceptions resulting from historical circumstances. This analysis also reveals various aspects of the examination which are not possible to discover using only regulations, as well as offering an unprecedented insight into the characteristics and patterns of the masons and carpenters of Lisbon in the early modern period.
Secretarios, música y diplomacia cultural: el inventario post mortem de Juan de Castro Laurel (Roma, 1709)
Authors: Domínguez José María 
Published: January 2025

Los secretarios de los ministros de la Italia española a finales del siglo XVII fueron importantes agentes de diplomacia cultural. Tanto ellos como los oficiales de secretaría, gracias a su dominio de las lenguas, conformaban redes comparables a las de los embajadores y virreyes, aunque subordinadas a estas. Además de servir como eslabones entre los campos de erudición italiano y español, algunos de ellos desarrollaron una notable actividad poética escribiendo textos per musica (cantatas y óperas) y actuando como traductores o como preceptores en la transmisión de fuentes, temas y argumentos para las óperas. Los casos de Gianvincenzo Gravina y el deán Emanuel Martí son paradigmáticos de esos dos campos en la Roma a caballo entre los siglos XVII y XVIII. Pero hay otros menos conocidos, ligados a la suerte de sus respectivos señores y al periodo de inestabilidad que se abre para la embajada en 1696, como Juan de Uriarte, secretario del conde de Altamira, otros secretarios como Pedro Echenique y Aguirre o Diego Ortiz de Zárate. El artículo propone una reconsideración de estos nombres sobre la base de documentación inédita. En este contexto, el caso de Juan de Castro Laurel, secretario ligado a la figura del melómano cardenal Giudice, aporta nueva luz sobre los usos culturales de esta clase de hombres de letras y sobre su imitación de los gustos de sus respectivos señores. Laurel murió en Roma en julio de 1709. En este artículo se publica su inventario de bienes post mortem, documento inédito conservado en el Archivio Storico Capitolino. En él se incluyen cuadros e instrumentos musicales susceptibles de ser analizados desde una triple perspectiva que conjugue los estudios sobre mecenazgo musical, el estudio de la materialidad y del «gusto delle cose» propuesto por Renata Ago y, por último, la topografía de la música en el interior de los palacios y la reconstrucción del público asistente.
Resource Mobilisation Strategy for the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan of Grenada, 2023-2030
Authors: Secretariat Commonwealth
Published: January 2025

Access to international financial resources is crucial for developing countries and small island developing states (SIDS) to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). For SIDS such as Grenada, ability to deliver on climate targets depends heavily on ability to access global climate financing. Grenada, in its Second NDC, submitted on 30 November 2020, established a target to reduce emissions by 40 per cent from 2010 levels. There is a need now to develop a strategy to streamline funding movement, as the proposed climate mitigation and adaptation target is conditional on external financing.

Considering that the investment needed in low-carbon and climate-resilient growth in Grenada is substantial, a forward-looking Resource Mobilisation Strategy (RMS) guiding the investment and financing approach for Grenada to achieve its target is of paramount importance. This report aims to fill this need.
Beyond Trade and GDP: Exploring the Wealth of the Commonwealth
Authors: Ali Salamat , Vickers Brendan
Published: January 2025

Gross domestic product (GDP) and the value of trade in goods and services are macroeconomic indicators that are widely used to assess a country’s level of development, economic wellbeing and growth prospects. Both GDP and trade are constructs developed by economists and may not necessarily align with the way citizens perceive the world.

GDP is a one-dimensional measure of economic activity that captures only market transactions and disregards distributional inequalities. It also overlooks the role played by other valuable assets such as natural resources, land, water, minerals and ecosystem services in the development process. Taken in isolation, these two macro indicators may not provide a complete picture of a country’s actual wealth or growth prospects in the medium and long run.

This issue of Trade Hot Topics explores the composition of Commonwealth countries’ collective wealth, and the implications of these assets for inclusive and sustainable growth and resilience in the face of shocks.
Enhancing Intra-Commonwealth Trade and Investment: An International Business Research Agenda
Authors: Buckley Peter , Clegg Jeremy , Khorana Sangeeta , Munjal Surender , Sewak Mayank , Bahl Mona , Zaman Arif
Published: January 2025

International business (IB), whether cross-border activities by multinational enterprises (MNEs) or non-equity forms of investment, and the international environment it operates in are heavily influenced by the historical legacies of countries and their international relations.

This issue of Trade Hot Topics considers IB and the Commonwealth and international business policy.
Energising Africa's Digital Economy: Cross-Border Data Flows and the African Continental FTA
Authors: de Klerk Kyle
Published: January 2025

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the largest free trade agreement in the world by number of members and geographical area covered. It spans 54 African countries, 2 with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3.5 trillion and 1 billion consumers. Although initial trading under the agreement officially commenced in 2021, there are still ongoing negotiations on several outstanding protocols.

This issue of Trade Hot Topics provides an overviewof the ongoing debate regarding cross-border data flows and their restriction. It examines this debate in light of Africa’s digital needs and explores how cross-border data flows are regulated in the multilateral trading system and other large regional trade agreements, as well as by different African countries. It concludes with some recommendations for the negotiations on the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol.
Assessing the Impact of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reforms in Commonwealth Developing Countries
Authors: Zhuawu Collin , Garg Kartikeya
Published: January 2025

In 2021, the world spent more than US$520 billion to subsidise fossil fuels.1 This could have paid for COVID-19 vaccinations for every person in the world or provided three times the annual amount needed to eradicate poverty (Africa Renewal, 2021). By encouraging demand and excessive consumption of cheaper fossil fuels, these subsidies distort markets, shield people from price signals and contribute to several macroeconomic imbalances, including higher global inflation (Gilmour, 2022).

Successfully reforming fossil fuel subsidies requires wider economic policy reforms alongside systematic changes to climate and energy policies. This issue of Trade Hot Topics assesses the possible economic, social and environmental impacts of such reforms in Commonwealth developing countries, especially small states, least developed countries (LDCs) and countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using data on explicit subsidies,2 it highlights the need for Commonwealth developing countries to maximise their renewable energy potential. It also suggests measures that may be adopted to minimise any adverse impacts of the fossil fuel subsidy reforms.
Strengthening Resilience in Commonwealth Small States: Economic Diversification and Climate Adaptation as Key Drivers
Authors: Gregory James , Oyadeyi Olajide , Shaaran Attila
Published: January 2025

Despite their limited landmasses and populations, Commonwealth small states possess distinctive and diverse economies. While some depend heavily on natural resource extraction, others focus on services sectors like tourism and finance. However, a common thread uniting them is their susceptibility to economic shocks and the effects of climate change.

Because of their compact sizes and often vulnerable geographic locations, these nations are disproportionately sensitive to economic disruptions and environmental changes, including rising sea levels and extreme weather events. It is thus imperative for them to proactively enhance resilience by diversifying their economies and adapting to climate change impacts.
Graduating with Momentum: Intellectual Property Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for Least Developed Countries
Authors: Pengelly Tom
Published: January 2025

This paper explores the potential for LDCs, including those that will soon graduate from the category, to benefit from intellectual property rights (IPRs). It argues that a more pro-development intellectual property (IP) agenda is needed for LDCs, tailored to their specific context and development goals. The paper provides evidence-based analysis to assist LDCs to navigate potential IPR-related challenges upon graduation and to develop IP regimes and systems that support the development of productive capacities, technological upgrading and innovation as part of broader efforts to achieve inclusive growth and structural transformation. While acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, the paper proposes a range of forward-looking solutions, innovations, capacity-building options, policy positions and legislative steps, which can be adapted to specific country contexts and circumstances as appropriate, to help LDCs attenuate the negative impact of the loss of LDC-specific flexibilities and possibly unlock IPR-related benefits both before and after graduation.
Challenges and Opportunities for Renewable Energy Technology Transfer in Least Developed Countries
Authors: Zhuawu Collin , Balchin Neil , de Klerk Kyle
Published: January 2025

This paper, the second of a two-part series, focuses on the role of trade and investment in enabling the diffusion of green technologies to least developed countries (LDCs) to help their transition to renewable energy. LDCs are already making progress in expanding their use of clean energy sources: the total renewable energy generated by all LDCs more than doubled between 2010 and 2020 and, on average across the LDC group, more than half (51.6 per cent) of their total energy generation in 2020 came from renewable sources, compared to a global average of 27.7 per cent. Recognising this potential in the renewable energy sector, this paper argues that LDCs could benefit from the transfer of technology through trade and investment, which would enable them to make greater use of their existing resource endowments and accelerate their energy transitions, while also contributing to their economic transformation and to mitigating climate change.
Produção de catalisadores suportados com ferro para aplicação na síntese de Fischer Tropsch
Authors: Eduardo Raphael da Silva , Rodrigues Jocielys Jovelino , Araújo Alfredina dos Santos , Fernandes Filho Antônio , Medeiros Lorena Lucena de , Gomes Filipe Tawã , Jovelino Josevânia Rodrigues
Published: January 2025

Processos de síntese utilizando compostos simples tornam-se atrativos por oferecerem rotas alternativas de produção de combustíveis. Catalisadores à base de ferro têm ampla aplicabilidade no processo Fischer Tropsch. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o catalisador Fe/Cu/K/SBA-15 na síntese de Fischer Tropsch. O catalisador foi preparado com a peneira molecular SBA-15 sintetizada pelo método hidrotérmico com cinzas de casca de arroz, tratadas por processos térmicos e químicos, como fonte de sílica e incorporação simultânea de metais por impregnação úmida. O catalisador foi submetido a tratamento térmico sob fluxo de nitrogênio e ar sintético. A síntese Fischer Tropsch foi realizada em reator de leito de lama operando a 240ºC, 10 atm e razão molar H2:CO variando de 1:2. O SBA-15 e o catalisador foram caracterizados por DRX, EDX e adsorção de nitrogênio, SBA- 15 pela SEM e o catalisador da RTP. O SBA-15 apresentou traços morfológicos típicos de materiais mesoporosos com pequena área específica de 112m2/g. O catalisador apresentou a composição pré-definida, mantendo a estrutura, mas com redução de área após impregnação (92m2/g). Pelos resultados do RTP foram encontradas as faixas de redução de temperatura típicas das fases de óxidos de ferro. O catalisador apresentou conversão moderada em hidrocarbonetos líquidos C5+ (54,47%) na razão molar H2/CO de 1:1.
Long-term Prognosis of Nonceliac Enteropathies and a Score to Identify Patients With Poor Outcomes: A 30-year Multicenter Longitudinal Study
Authors: Schiepatti Annalisa , Maimaris Stiliano , Scalvini Davide , Raju Suneil A. , Ingham Katerina E. , Johnson Calvin M. , Rubio-Tapia Alberto , Maruggi Chiara , Malamut Georgia , Lenti Marco Vincenzo , Di Sabatino Antonio , Caio Giacomo , Volta Umberto , Zingone Fabiana , Marasco Giovanni , Barbara Giovanni , Makharia Govind , Mehra Lalita , Das Prasenjit , Lundin Knut E.A. , Cross Simon S. , Sanders David S. , Biagi Federico
Published: January 2025

INTRODUCTION:

Long-term prognosis of nonceliac enteropathies (NCEs) is poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate long-term outcomes and develop a prognostic score for NCEs.

METHODS:

NCEs patients from an international multicenter cohort (4 Italian centers, 1 United Kingdom, 1 French, 1 Norwegian, 1 United States, 1 Indian) followed-up over 30 years were enrolled. Complications and mortality were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves, standardized mortality ratios (SMR), and multivariate Cox regression. A clinical score to identify patients at risk of poor outcomes was developed.

RESULTS:

Two hundred sixty-one patients were enrolled (144 female, mean age at diagnosis 49 ± 18 years, median follow-up 70 months, interquartile range 24–109). The most common etiologies were idiopathic villous atrophy (39%), drug related (17%), common variable immune deficiency (15%), infectious (10%), and autoimmune enteropathy (9%). Five-year and 10-year complication-free survival were 89% and 77%, respectively, whereas 5-year and 10-year overall survival were 88% and 74%, respectively. Causes of death included sepsis/major infections (22%), lymphoproliferative disorders (22%), solid-organ malignancies (12%), cardiovascular/metabolic disease (10%), and was unknown in 33%. Mortality was increased in NCEs compared with the general population (SMR 3.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.24–4.34). Older age at diagnosis (P < 0.001), anemia (hazard ratio [HR] 2.53, 95% CI 1.33–4.80, P < 0.01), and lack of clinical (HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.68–6.18, P < 0.01) and histological response (HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.08–4.23, P = 0.04) were independent predictors of mortality at Cox regression. A 5-point score was developed to identify high-risk patients: very low risk (0 pts), low risk (1–2 pts), intermediate risk (3 pts), and high risk (4–5 pts), with 10-year survival rates of 100%, 87%, 62%, and 16%, respectively.

DISCUSSION:

Mortality in NCEs is increased because of complications and lack of response to current therapies. We developed a clinical score to personalize follow-up. Targeted treatments are needed to improve outcomes.
Fact or Myth? Black Patients Do Not Want to Participate in Clinical Trials
Authors: Mills Krystal , Figueroa Francisco , Knight RaKetra , Ekpo Emem , Lee Lilian C. , Baldo Lance , Xu Chuanbo , Wang Siqi , Adelman Robert M. , Pemu Priscilla , Levin Theodore , Shaukat Aasma , Liu Julia J.
Published: January 2025

Objectives:

To assess strategies for optimizing participation of underserved minorities in a blood-based early CRC detection test study (PREEMPT CRC; NCT04369053) at a hospital serving primarily Black patients.

Methods:

Culturally sensitive, racially congruent research staff approached patients undergoing average-risk screening colonoscopy. Consent/study procedures were synchronized with clinical appointments. Enrolled and not-enrolled patient characteristics were compared. Recruitment was compared with other study sites.

Results:

247/509 eligible participants enrolled; most identified as Black (88.7%). No baseline characteristics were associated with participation. Recruitment was high compared to other sites (11th centile).

Conclusions:

Recruitment barriers for Black individuals can be overcome when easy, culturally sensitive access is facilitated.
The Sylvia Townsend Warner and Valentine Ackland Archive at the Dorset History Centre: Current and Future Plans
Authors: Johnston Sam
Published: January 2025

The archive of Sylvia Townsend Warner and Valentine Ackland transferred on deposit from the Dorset Museum and Art Gallery (formerly the Dorset County Museum) to the Dorset History Centre in 2018. In this article, County Archivist Sam Johnston describes the Centre’s work with the archive and the plans to bring about a project to fully catalogue the materials and make the archive available online for the first time.
La Economía de los Aeropuertos
Authors: Rendeiro Martín-Cejas Roberto
Published: January 2025

La evolución de los modelos de propiedad de los aeropuertos y su influencia en la gestión de esta clase de infraestructura es determinante para el desarrollo económico tanto a nivel local como global. El análisis de la capacidad y su relación con la demanda de servicios aéreos es otro de los aspectos de gran importancia desarrollado en el libro. La función básica de un aeropuerto es permitir el desplazamiento de personas y bienes a lo largo de la geografía mundial y, por tanto, incide de forma directa en el desarrollo del transporte aéreo en el mundo. El sistemas de tarificación y regulación son otras dos herramientas que resultan imprescindibles para gestionar la capacidad aeroportuaria disponible de forma eficiente. Las inversiones en capacidad aeroportuaria adicional debe ser valorada desde enfoques rigurosos que permitan señales correctas del binomio precio del servicio-capacidad disponible. Otro aspecto relevante es valorar el impacto económico de esta clase de infraestructura. El benchmarking aeroportuario proporciona una idea del impacto que tiene en la sociedad esta tipo de infraestructura dado que, desde una perspectiva interna, un aeropuerto, además de permitir el intercambio entre diferentes modos de transporte, genera un flujo de actividades económicas con un claro efecto multiplicador sobre la economía de su entorno. Por tanto, el análisis de la realidad económica de los aeropuertos constituye un aspecto fundamental dentro del entramado productivo de un país o región. Se determina que el entorno físico, social y económico que rodea a los aeropuertos condicionan el éxito o el fracaso de esta clase de infraestructura. Por último, pero no por ello menos importante, describir el sector de la carga aeroportuaria resulta primordial toda vez que el objetivo principal de los aeropuertos es la de permitir establecer vínculos internacionales fomentando las relaciones sociales y económicas entre las naciones contribuyendo al desarrollo del comercio internacional y a la mejora del bienestar social.

Roberto Rendeiro Martín-Cejas Es profesor titular en la Facultad de Economía, Empresa y Turismo de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Es Máster en Ingeniería Industrial y doctorado en Economía Aplicada por la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Máster en Economía del Transporte por la Universidad de Leeds. Ha publicado artículos sobre aeropuertos y transporte en revistas nacionales e internacionales y ha ejercido como revisor para varias revistas internacionales. Ha trabajado como consultor para el Banco Mundial y en proyectos de ámbito nacional e internacional. Ha impartido cursos sobre los aspectos reguladores en los aeropuertos en varias universidades de Latinoamérica. En la actualidad centra su actividad investigadora sobre los impactos ambientales del transporte aéreo y como eso afecta a la gestión de los aeropuertos.
ANALISIS KINERJA KEUANGAN BANK MUAMALAT INDONESIA (BMI)	TAHUN 1994-1998 DAN TAHUN 1999-2003
Authors: Muharam Harjum , Handayani Suyati
Published: January 2025

Using paired sample t-test this research analyze financial performance of Bank Muamalat Indonesia between 1994-1998 and 1999-2003. Profitability ratios, liquidity tsuos, solvability ratios, and commitment to economy and Moslem community ratio are used as financial performance. The results show there are no significance different financial performance during 1994-1998 and 1999-2003 period except  commitment to economy and Moslem community ratio.
LAMPU HIJAU DAN KUNING UNTUK BANK SYARIAH DI INDONESIA
Authors: Sawarjuwono Tjiptohadi , Mooduto M. Arie
Published: January 2025

Berkembangnya perbankan syariah di Indonesia menyiratkan bahwa kahadiran bank ini memang sangat diharapkan oleh masyarakat. Hal tersebut tercermin pada kenaikan, baik jumlah nasabah bank maupun kenaikan jumlah simpanan pihak ketiga yang sangat berarti (significant). Namun dalam perkembangannya, perbankan syariah menghadapi dua kendala mendasar. Kendala pertama berasal dari internal perbankan, yaitu berupa terbatasnya skala dan volume bisnis dibandingkan dengan potensi perbankan nasional. Kendala kedua berasal dari eksternal perbankan, yaitu berupa pemahaman masyarakat akan bank syariah yang terbatas, beberapa regulasi yang belum sepenuhnya menunjang, serta belum terintegrasinya dengan berbagai insitusi pemerintah yang terkait.Memperhatikan hal tersebut, dua hal akan menjadi tinjauan utama tulisan ini, yaitu bahwa guna memicu atau mempercepat perkembangan perbankan syariah, maka pengelola dan semua pihak yang tekait perlu memperhatikan dua hat. Pertsme segala sesuatu yang mendukung perkembangan perbankan syariah yang diistilahkan dengan lampu hijau. Kedua, berbagai signal negatif yang perlu dikaji secara lebih seksama yang diistilahkan dengan lampu kuning. Dengan memperhatikan kedua signal ini, ditambah dengan segala upaya terhadap upaya perbalkan kualitas akhlaq, maka diharapkan perkembangan perbankan syariah bukan hanya akan terpacu, tetapi juga akan semakin sempurna.
INCORPORATING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE STRATEGY INTO COMPANY FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Authors: Ciptono Wakhid Selamet
Published: January 2025

The objective of this research is to test the effect of Quality Management Practices (QMP) based on Deming's 14 points, Operational Excellence Strategy (OE), on company financial pettotmsnce (CFP). Conceptual model of Deming's Principle is used with  operational excellence strategy (operational excellence dimensions and investment level) as mediating variables between the independent variables of Quality Management Practices and the dependent variable of company financial pertormance. The survey instrument usede comprehensive set of 81  importance and performance questions that were directly tied to the eight  constructs of the study.In summary, eight causal paths specified in the hypothesized model were found to be positive and statistically significant. Furthermore empirical results suggest that quality management practices have a positive and significant indirect effect on company financial performance through its direct effect on operational excellence strategy. The results also show that a complete model ftt and the acceptable parameter level which indicate the overall parameter are good fit between the hypothesized model and the observed data. By concentrating on a single industry (oil and gas) is that Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)  specification of the sequentialrelationship model between eight research constructs can be more complete and specific because unique characteristics of the oil and gas industry can be included (e.g. upstream and downstream chain activities). Finally, the particular design of the research and the findings suggest that the final structural model of the study has a great potential for replication to manufacturing as well as service operations.Based on the oil and gas managers (the SBU level), operational excellence strategy (five meaningful factors of operational excellence) can be viewed as the effective use of production and operations capability and technology for achieving business and corporate goals. Operational excellence strategy, therefore, is to help a company's operations organization define the common ground where it can play a proactive and collaborative role with other company functions or cross-functional relationships.Oil and gas managers in Indonesia can use these meaningful factors of operational excellence in concert with other critical quality management practices to help them in their  word-class company initiatives. Researchers can also use these factors to build structural model linking such factors to various organizational performance measures (i.e., non-financial or value- gain and financial or monetary-gain performances).