bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food selection behaviour of university students with food allergies and celiac disease
Authors: Laheri Zainab , Soon Jan Mei , Dillon Stephanie
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Food allergies (FA) and celiac disease (CD) are becoming increasingly prevalent among Late Adolescents (LA) (18–24 years). This period is a challenging developmental stage, whereby individuals transition from parental supervision to the self-management of their FA and CD. Hence, poor food selection behaviour (FSB) is common among these individuals. This study attempted to understand which factors influenced FSB in first-year university students with FA and CD.

Design/methodology/approach

A food selection survey was conducted among participants with FA and CD to determine how influential five factors (cost, taste, convenience, health and labelling) were. Descriptive statistics were conducted for the demographic results. The Mann–Whitney U test determined which factors were the most influential, along with sex differences. A comparison was made between FA and CD.

Findings

Taste and cost were the most influential determinants of food selection in both groups of participants. Labelling was the least influential factor. Significant differences were found between the sexes. Females were more likely to be influenced by cost, whereas for males, taste was a greater determinant of food choice.

Originality/value

This is the first study to explore FSB in late adolescents with FA and CD. The present study confirms previous findings in relation to the FSB of late adolescents. This study contributes evidence suggesting that individuals with and without FA and CD, are influenced by the same determinants of food selection.
Demographic diversity, perceived workplace discrimination and workers' well-being: context matters
Authors: Boulet Maude , Lachapelle Marie , Keiff Sebastien
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The main objective of this article is to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge on the determinants of perceived workplace discrimination and its consequences on workers' well-being in Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a representative sample of 7,706 workers aged 18 to 65 based on data from the 2016 General Social Survey of Canadians at Work and Home to conduct logistic regression models.

Findings

Women and visible minorities are at greater risk of perceiving that they have experienced workplace discrimination, but immigrants' perceived workplace discrimination risk is no different from that of non-immigrants. This risk is higher in public administration than in other industries and varies between provinces. Perceived workplace discrimination increases stress and is associated with a lower level of self-reported mental health.

Practical implications

Since perceived discrimination has a detrimental effect on workers' well-being, organizations should pay special attention to their employees’ perceptions. Relying only on official complaints of discrimination can lead organizations to underestimate this issue because many employees are not inclined to file an official complaint, even if they believe they have been discriminated against.

Originality/value

The authors findings are original because they suggest that visible socio-demographic characteristics (gender and visible minority) affect perceived workplace discrimination, which is not the case for invisible socio-demographic characteristics (immigrant). They point out that the province of residence is an element of the context to be considered and they indicate that workers in the public sector are more likely to perceive discrimination than those in other industries. These empirical contributions highlight that, despite anti-discrimination laws and government efforts to promote equity, diversity and inclusion, perceived workplace discrimination persists in Canada, particularly among women and visible minorities and it has tangible impacts on the workers' well-being.
The relationship between the incorporation of sustainability in higher education and the student’s behavior: self-reported sustainable behavior scale
Authors: Avelar Aline Bento Ambrósio , Farina Milton Carlos
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aims to describe the development and validation of a scale that measures the self-reported sustainable behavior of students in higher education institutions (HEIs) regarding their knowledge on incorporating sustainability into education, research and outreach, mediated by the attitude toward the triple bottom line.

Design/methodology/approach

The scale was applied to students from HEIs, with a total of 759 valid cases and respondents from various countries. The technique used was structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis using the SmartPLS software.

Findings

Respondents’ self-reported sustainable behavior scale was affected by their economic attitude and the knowledge about sustainability that they assimilated. However, the economic dimension received more attention from the participating students. Both for the total sample and for respondents older than the study average, environmental attitude and social attitude did not affect the self-reported sustainable behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s limitations can offer opportunities for future research, as more constructs should be inserted into the model to check the existence of differences in relation to self-reported sustainable behavior, such as beliefs in the affective stage.

Practical implications

The practical implication is on the fact that HEIs can use the scale of self-reported sustainable behavior to evaluate the incorporation of sustainability in the students behavior. Thus, with appropriate guidelines, HEIs will be able to analyze the results looking for to achieve balance in the incorporation of sustainability in education, research and outreach in a transdisciplinary way, improving HEI program and preparing future decision-makers to collaborate for sustainable development.

Originality/value

The originality of the study is on the verification of the influence of sustainability teaching in higher institutions through self-reported sustainable behavior scale, based on the sustainable development goals in three dimensions – cognitive, affective and conative.
Multiaxial fatigue life prediction for metallic materials considering loading path and additional hardening effect
Authors: Ma Muzhou , Liu Xintian
Published: May 2022

Purpose

A large number of data have proved that under the same von Mises equivalent strain condition, the fatigue life under multiaxial non-proportional loading is often much lower than the life under multiaxial proportional loading. This is mainly due to the influence of the non-proportional loading path and the additional hardening effect, which lead to a sharp decrease in life.

Design/methodology/approach

The modulus attenuation effect is used to modify the static hardening coefficient, and the predicted value obtained is closer to the additional hardening coefficient obtained from the experiment. A fatigue life model can consider non-proportional paths, and additional hardening effects are proposed. And the model uses multiaxial fatigue test data to verify the validity and adaptability of the new model. The life prediction accuracy and material application range are satisfactory.

Findings

Because loading path and additional hardening of the material affect fatigue life, a new multiaxis fatigue life model based on the critical plane approach is proposed. And introducing a non-proportional additional damage coefficient, the joint influence of the load path and the additional hardening can be considered. The model's life prediction accuracy and material applicability were verified with multiaxial fatigue test data of eight materials and nine loads compared with the prediction accuracy of the Kandil–Brown–Miller (KBM) model and Fatemi–Socie (FS) model.

Originality/value

The physical meaning of the new model is clear, convenient for practical engineering applications.
Web of science-based virtual brand communities: a bibliometric review between 2000 and 2020
Authors: Zheng Jian , Liu Renjing , Zhong Xingju , Zhang Ru
Published: May 2022

Purpose

With the continuous development of Internet technology, virtual brand communities (VBCs) have increasingly become essential fronts for enterprises and consumers to carry out professional communication and the leading platform for consumers and other consumers to engage in social and brand discussion. Meanwhile, numerous scholars began to pay attention to VBCs as their research topic. However, there is no systematic understanding of the existing literature on the VBCs research. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of VBCs research over the past twenty years.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on HistCite and CiteSpace software, descriptive statistics and bibliometric analysis were conducted in this study. Specifically, by adopting research cooperation network analysis, co-citation analysis of literature, cluster analysis and co-word analysis, the authors analyzed 1,157 articles on VBCs in the Web of Science database from 2000 to 2020.

Findings

This study summarizes the research of VBCs from three aspects. First, the general characteristics of VBCs literature are analyzed. Second, knowledge bases, research contents, theoretical foundations and theoretical contributions of VBCs are dug and integrated into a knowledge framework. Third, the evolution and trend of VBCs research topics are visualized and analyzed in two phases (from 2005 to 2012 and from 2013 to 2020).

Originality/value

This study describes the research status, knowledge structure and famous topics of VBCs research over the past twenty years. Further, the research topics for VBCs have maintained continuity in the last twenty years. Furthermore, the research topics have also been evolving with the development of network technology and changes in the external environment. These results also provide valuable clues about this field's future directions and practical implications.
Creating value via R&D, marketing costs and financial matters
Authors: Rababah Abedalqader , Molavi Homa , Farhang Doust Shayan
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of financial leverage impact on customer satisfaction and marketing costs including research and development (R&D) and advertisement costs. Furthermore, the authors aim to investigate whether customer satisfaction as well as financial distress moderates the effect of financial leverage impact on customer satisfaction and marketing costs including R&D and advertisement costs.

Design/methodology/approach

The statistical population of this study consists of listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange manually obtained from different industries in 2017. Multivariate regression based on data compilation methodology is used to test research hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that financial leverage is negatively and significantly associated with customer satisfaction and this negative relationship is more pronounced in companies with lower sale growth. Furthermore, the authors' results suggest that customer satisfaction negatively (positively) and significantly affects firm value in companies with lower (higher)-financial leverage. The authors also demonstrate that there is no significant relationship between financial leverage caused by financial flexibility and firm value caused by customer's satisfaction (CS). The authors' findings also suggest that financial distress significantly affects the relationship between financial leverage and customer satisfaction. Finally, the authors' find that financial leverage significantly affects firms' R&D and advertisement costs.

Research limitations/implications

Since the fundamental institutional assumptions underpinning the Western and even East Asia financial models are not valid in the institutional environment of Iran, the authors' findings could provide substantial implications for the authors' understanding of the relationship between finance and R&D costs and contribute substantially to customer satisfaction and firm value literature as well. The sample country of the present paper has recently experienced a spate of financial collapses that somewhat contributes, indirectly, to financial distress incurred by the Iranian firms. Moreover, R&D costs are growing among the Iranian quoted firms.

Originality/value

Since the fundamental institutional assumptions underpinning the Western and even East Asia financial models are not valid in the institutional environment of Iran, the authors' findings could provide substantial implications for our understanding of the relationship between finance and R&D costs and contribute substantially to customer satisfaction and firm value literature as well. The sample country of the present paper has recently experienced a spate of financial collapses that somewhat contributes, indirectly, to financial distress incurred by the Iranian firms. Moreover, R&D costs are growing among the Iranian quoted firms.
Organizations in the knowledge economy. An investigation of knowledge-intensive work practices across 28 European countries
Authors: Koster Ferry
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether the shift towards the knowledge economy (e.g. an increasing reliance in knowledge in the production of goods and services) is related to the work practices of organizations (aimed at the provision of autonomy, investments in training and the use of technology).

Design/methodology/approach

The analyses are based on data about over 20,000 companies in 28 European countries. National level indicators of knowledge intensity are related to the work practices of these organizations. Multilevel analysis is applied to test hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that there is a strong and positive relationship between the knowledge intensity of the economy and the use of knowledge intense work practices.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first papers to test whether knowledge intensity at the national level is related to the work practices of organizations.
Service user experiences of a psychologically enhanced resettlement service [PERS] in an English open prison
Authors: Jarvis Dannii , Shaw Jake , Lovell Tamsin
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of adult male prisoners presenting with personality difficulties in an open (Category D) prison in the UK and their experience of a pilot offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway Psychologically Enhanced Resettlement Service (PERS) in the prison.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirteen participants who had engaged with PERS were interviewed about their experiences of open conditions and the service. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

Two superordinate themes were identified relating to participants’ experience of open conditions, highlighting the challenges they faced. These were “the impact of institutionalization” and “relational barriers”. Two superordinate themes were identified relating to participants’ experiences of PERS; these were “relationships with staff” and “service structure”. Each superordinate theme had subordinate themes.

Research limitations/implications

Analysis is based on a small number of interviews in one male prison, and only qualitative data were collected. A mixed-methods approach would enable the triangulation of results.

Practical implications

Clinical importance for the pilot service is established, and there should be consideration for the rollout of PERS to other open establishments.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the experiences of Category D prisoners within the open estate engaging with a pilot OPD pathway service. Findings illustrate the difficulties OPD service users encounter managing the transition into open prison conditions and highlight elements of the PERS model that can support this process. Clinical and research implications are identified.
Money laundering in Ethiopia: an analysis of typologies and techniques
Authors: Gobena Messay Asgedom
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify money laundering typologies and techniques in Ethiopia.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a descriptive study that relies on primary data generated from interviewees drawn from the Ethiopian Financial Intelligence Center, Ethiopian Customs Commission, selected commercial banks and law enforcement agencies, as well as secondary data from government reports, media press, statutes and other online and offline sources.

Findings

According to this study, criminals in Ethiopia used several laundering techniques, the most common of which are money laundering using financial institutions, trade-based money laundering, cash-based money laundering, money laundering through illegal hawala, shell companies, or anonymous beneficiaries. Criminals have recently been suspected of using financial technologies and virtual currencies to launder the proceeds of their illicit activities. The laundering strategies are extremely intertwined and their distinction remains highly blurred. Moreover, the typologies are operated transnationally, despite being highly tailored to Ethiopia’s political economy.

Originality/value

This is one of the very few papers to date that provides the typologies and techniques of money laundering, specifically in the context of cash-intensive economies.
Effects of ethnicity and gender on ethically driven small business performance
Authors: Olivas Denisse , Mukhopadhyay Somnath , Frankwick Gary L.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The authors test several hypotheses to analyze the influences of community-mindedness, ethical and social responsibility, culture, and gender on performance and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Using PLS-SEM the authors employ data gathered from a survey administered to a panel of 192 small business owners from across the US We compare the findings across ethnic groups, which result in significant path coefficients.

Findings

Greater community mindedness and corporate social responsibility (CSR) lead to better performance, and that leads to greater satisfaction. Collectivism enhances these relationships, while female owners who are more community minded experience greater performance.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of the current study is the self-reporting nature of all the questionnaire items. In an effort to limit the potential negative effects of self-reporting, the authors conduct necessary validation to help ensure that our instrument measures what it is supposed to measure conceptually.

Practical implications

As hypothesized, the influences are mostly positive relationships. Stronger community-mindedness leads to stronger business performance for Hispanic owners. On the contrary, White owners' performance significantly decreases.

Social implications

The findings recommend that collectivism is the way to go. Small business owners should have a collective feeling for the community they live in and do business with. This generally leads to better business performance and subsequent satisfaction in life.

Originality/value

One major contribution of this study is to compare and contrast the findings across the two largest ethnic groups in the US – Whites and Hispanics. Another contribution of the study is to determine how social and ethical responsibilities affect business performance and satisfaction.
Social media content, customer engagement and brand equity: US versus Korea
Authors: Lee Jungwon , Park Cheol
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study analyzes the relationship between the characteristics of social media content, customer engagement (CE) and brand equity and investigates whether these relationships differ between national cultures.

Design/methodology/approach

We collect data from a variety of sources, including Interbrand, Facebook and financial statements, to validate the research model using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results revealed that owned media content had a stronger positive effect on CE than did earned media content. In addition, information richness was found to have a positive effect on CE, but links to additional information had a negative effect. In addition, CE positively affected brand equity. The national comparison analysis revealed a difference in the coefficients between the United States and Korea for most paths.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the relevant literature by finding evidence that OM has a stronger effect on CE than does EM. In addition, this study expands the related literature by clarifying the effects of information richness in a CE context and exploring differences determined by cultural dimensions. Most importantly, this study expands CE and international marketing literature by finding that the relationship between CE determinants and outcomes in a social media environment differs between national cultures.

Originality/value

This study explores the relationship between CE and social media content, which has not been sufficiently investigated in previous studies, by collecting actual social media data. In addition, unlike previous survey-based studies, we find evidence that CE contributes to brand equity at a corporate level. Finally, our exploratory analysis indicates that the relationship between the characteristics of social media content, CE and brand equity differs between national cultures.
Criticism does not constrain: testing for evidence of de-policing following the murder of George Floyd
Authors: Koslicki Wendy M.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Following the shooting of Michael Brown, much scholarly attention has been paid to the so-called “Ferguson effect” resulting from rhetoric that public scrutiny of the police will lead to de-policing. The present study tests this effect due to similar rhetoric that has re-emerged in public and media dialogue in response to Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Open Minneapolis' Police Use of Force dataset, the study employs interrupted time series analysis models of weekly use of force events against all citizens, as well as use of force against Black citizens specifically. Two models for each population are conducted due to data concerns: a set from January 2019 to June 2021, and a set from January 2019 to September 2020, with the week of George Floyd's death as the interruption point.

Findings

Both models using September 2020 as the cutoff show no statistically significant variance in police use of force against subjects overall or against Black citizens following the immediate aftermath of protests. However, both models using June 2021 as the cutoff demonstrate a statistically significant rise in use of force against both populations following the interruption point.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to examine de-policing following the George Floyd protests, and among the first to examine use of force rates beyond fatal force. Implications for research and practice are discussed, such as data availability and quality, as well as diverse perspectives surrounding de-policing and their implications for police practice.
The circular economy and Industry 4.0: synergies and challenges
Authors: Hennemann Hilario da Silva Tiago , Sehnem Simone
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The proposal is to answer the following question: based on previous studies, which are the new paths and challenges related to the circular economy (CE) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0)? To answer this question, the research objective is to analyze studies approaching the interface between CE and I4.0.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted on previously published studies pertaining to Scopus and Web of Science bases, and 63 articles were found.

Findings

The authors present five new paths and challenges amid the relationship between CE and I4.0: applying those technologies to clean production, using blockchain and big data in the circular supply chain, raising additive manufacturing impact on the CE, seek for a better understanding on how I4.0 technologies can properly support the CE in the stakeholders' view and discerning the factors for implementing those theoretical fields onto supply chains.

Research limitations/implications

Previous studies' sample basis is still recent, lacking research depth. Search strings might have minimized the number of selected studies: there could be a bigger sample.

Practical implications

Practical contributions of this study lay on the applicability of the raised propositions into several sectors' industries.

Social implications

The authors suggest a transition agenda towards CE, using I4.0 technologies for operational, tactical and strategic personnel within organizations, as well as potential utilization strategies in specific study fields, like supply chain management and product manufacturing per se.

Originality/value

The study presents new paths and challenges amid technologies pertaining to I4.0 and its interfaces with the CE. In the result presentation and analysis, the existing interfaces are described.
The influence of the country governance environment on corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance
Authors: Mooneeapen Oren , Abhayawansa Subhash , Mamode Khan Naushad
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of companies is influenced by the barriers and opportunities created by three factors characterising a country’s governance landscape: democracy, political stability and regulatory quality. Additionally, this study separately explains the influence of the three country governance factors on the ESG performance of companies and how they are affected by the profitability of the company.

Design/methodology/approach

Fixed effects multiple linear regression is performed on 6,035 firm-year observations drawn from 27 countries relating to 1,207 unique constituents of the S&P Global 1200 index for a five-year period from 2015 to 2019. Clustered standard errors robust to heteroscedasticity and serial correlation are estimated for a specification that includes Refinitiv ESG scores as the dependent variable, selected Worldwide Governance Indicators as the independent variables and several country- and firm-level controls.

Findings

The study finds that companies’ ESG performance is higher in countries with a lower level of democracy and political stability, and corporate governance performance is higher in countries with higher regulatory quality. A component-level analysis finds significant variation in the results across the different ESG pillars. Firm profitability moderates the relationship between country-level governance factors and companies’ ESG performance.

Practical implications

The study reveals that national governments can prompt companies to enhance their governance performance, invariably leading to greater engagement in sustainability by improving their regulatory environment and enforcement mechanisms. Thus, the implementation of regulations targeting corporate environmental and social performance is not always needed to prompt better corporate ESG performance.

Social implications

This study shows that internationalised companies proactively work towards achieving sustainability in countries where the country governance landscape is ineffective and inadequate to enable it.

Originality/value

This study addresses the association between country-level governance and firm-level ESG performance, in contrast to firm-level corporate social responsibility disclosure that has been the focus of prior research. As disclosures can be symbolic and may not reflect actual ESG performance, the results of prior studies examining the relationship between country-level governance performance and corporate social responsibility disclosure is inappropriate to explain the factors affecting the ESG performance of companies.
Ouchi’s management model relevance to healthcare management efficiency among government tertiary hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic season in Lagos state, Nigeria
Authors: Akinwale Olusegun Emmanuel , Kuye Owolabi Lateef
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Healthcare management efficiency has become a golden goal in the operations of modern healthcare organisations across zones and cultures. This study aims to investigate five dimensions of Ouchi’s theory Z approach, mutual organisational trust, long-term employment/job security, employee participatory decision-making, employee well-being and generalised career path, concerning healthcare efficiency in government tertiary hospitals during COVID-19 period.

Design/methodology/approach

The probability sampling strategy was adopted among 300 participants of the hospitals in the healthcare workforce of the study population. The study adopted multiple scales on the identified variables of theory Z and employed principal component analysis to evaluate the components of Ouchi’s Theory Z in relation to healthcare efficiency among the workforce of tertiary hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Findings

The outcome of this study shows that all the dimensions were significantly related to healthcare efficiency in the study hospitals. It depicts that mutual trust among employees has a positive influence on the efficiency of healthcare management in government tertiary hospitals, and long-term employment opportunity has a significant impact on the efficiency of healthcare management in government tertiary hospitals. Employee participatory decision-making is essential to the efficiency of healthcare management in government tertiary hospitals. Employee well-being is fundamental to the efficiency of healthcare management in government tertiary hospitals. Generalised career path of healthcare personnel has a tremendous impact on the efficiency of healthcare management in government tertiary hospitals.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to healthcare employees in Lagos State, Nigeria. The implication is that as old as Ouchi’s theory, its relevance remains green in the heart of contemporary organisations today even in healthcare facilities in Nigeria which aids the management of the global pandemic, COVID-19 outbreak.

Originality/value

The study shows that Ouchi’s theory Z approach that combines the Japanese and American patterns of organisational management is highly relevant in the operations and management of government hospitals in Nigeria to date even in the era of COVID-19, the global pandemic season.
Endothelin‐1 dependent expression of GAG genes involves NOX and p38 mediated Smad linker region phosphorylation
Authors: Babaahmadi‐Rezaei Hossein , Mohamed Raafat , Dayati Parisa , Mehr Reyhaneh Niayesh , Seif Faezeh , Sharifat Narges , Khedri Azam , Kamato Danielle , Little Peter J.
Published: May 2022

Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) is implicated in the development of atherosclerosis and mediates glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain hyperelongation on proteoglycans. Our aim was to identify the ET‐1‐mediated signalling pathway involving NADPH oxidase (NOX), p38 MAP kinsae and Smad2 linker region phosphorylation (phospho‐Smad2L) regulate GAG synthesising enzymes mRNA expression (C4ST‐1 and ChSy1) involved in GAG chains hyperelongation in human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Signalling intermediates were detected and quantified by Western blotting and the mRNA levels of GAG synthesising enzymes were assessed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). ET‐1 treatment of human VSMCs resulted in an increase in phospho‐Smad2L level. The TGF‐β receptor antagonist, SB431542 and the mixed ETA and ETB receptor antagonist bosentan, inhibited ET‐1‐mediated phospho‐Smad2L level. In the presence of apocynin and diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) (NOX inhibitors) and SB239063 (p38 inhibitor) ET‐1‐mediated phospho‐Smad2L levels were inhibited. The gene expression levels of GAG synthesising enzymes post‐ET‐1 treatment were increased compared to untreated controls (p < 0.01). The ET‐mediated the mRNA levels of these enzymes were blocked by the bosentan, SB431542, SB239063, DPI, apocynin and antioxidant N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC). ET‐1‐mediated signalling to GAG synthesising enzymes gene expression occurs via transactivation‐dependent pathway involving NOX, p38 MAP kinsae and Smad2 linker region phosphorylation.
Catholic Intimacies: Negotiating Contraception in Late Communist Poland
Authors: Kościańska Agnieszka , Ignaciuk Agata , Chełstowska Agata
Published: May 2022

The majority of people in Poland self‐identified as Catholic throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Despite the Polish Episcopate's unanimous rejection of contraception as immoral and sinful, a considerable proportion of Polish Catholics utilized family planning techniques and technologies explicitly banned by their institutional Church. This article uses personal narratives to show how Polish Catholics negotiated their use of Church‐authorized and Church‐banned family planning methods with their lived experiences of faith in a communist state where both abortion and contraception were legal. We explore the strategies of interpretation, relativisation, and (selective) rejection through which Catholics who self‐identified as “practising” approached birth control as a social issue and an individual practice and show how communist secular approaches to birth control contributed to extending the scope of Catholics' agency in the realm of reproductive decision making.
Emergency department adult presentations from the COVID‐19 hotel quarantine program in Victoria, Australia: A retrospective cohort study of admissions and presenting complaints
Authors: Melvin Robert , O'Reilly Gerard M , Underhill Andrew , Stokes Larissa , Tant Sophie , Look Alison
Published: May 2022

Objective

The present study aims to describe presentations to the designated ED from the Victorian COVID‐19 hotel quarantine program.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted between 7 December 2020 and 6 June 2021 at The Alfred Emergency and Trauma Centre, a major adult quaternary referral teaching hospital. Participants included adult patients (>18 years old) who were quarantining as part of Victoria's COVID‐19 quarantine program. The primary outcome was discharge destination from the ED (admission to hospital vs discharge from ED).

Results

Notably, 164 patients presented to The Alfred Emergency and Trauma Centre during the study period. The mean (SD) age was 50.9, with most patients being male (n = 96 [58.5%]). Most patients were referred from a quarantine hotel (n = 83 [50%]). Thirty‐four percent (n = 56) of ED presentations were admitted to hospital (31.5% to a ward, 2.5% to intensive care unit). Forty‐six percent (n = 75) were discharged to the complex care hotel to be looked after by Alfred Health, with only 16% (n = 26) being discharged to a standard quarantine hotel. The most common presenting complaint categories were: cardiovascular (n = 33 [20%]), miscellaneous (n = 25 [25%]), gastrointestinal (n = 19 [11.5%]) and mental health (n = 18 [11%]).

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that the number of ED presentations from quarantine was low (<1 presentation/day). COVID Quarantine Victoria and Alfred Health put significant resources into the program to allow most returned international travellers to be safely cared for within a hotel and thus reduce the burden on the public hospital system.
Alcohol use trajectories among U.S. adults during the first 42 weeks of the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Leventhal Adam M. , Cho Junhan , Ray Lara A. , Liccardo Pacula Rosalie , Lee Brian P. , Terrault Norah , Pedersen Eric , Lee Jungeun Olivia , Davis Jordan P. , Jin Haomiao , Huh Jimi , Wilson John P. , Whaley Reid C.
Published: May 2022

Background

This study characterized the prevalence, drinking patterns, and sociodemographic characteristics of U.S. adult subpopulations with distinct drinking trajectories during the COVID‐19 pandemic's first 42 weeks.

Methods

Adult respondents (n = 8130) in a nationally representative prospective longitudinal study completed 21 biweekly web surveys (March 2020 to January 2021). Past‐week alcohol drinking frequency (drinking days [range: 0 to 7]) and intensity (binge drinking on usual past‐week drinking day [yes/no]) were assessed at each timepoint. Growth mixture models identified multiple subpopulations with homogenous drinking trajectories based on mean drinking days or binge drinking proportional probabilities across time.

Results

Four drinking frequency trajectories were identified: Minimal/stable (72.8% [95% CI = 71.8 to 73.8]) with <1 mean past‐week drinking days throughout; Moderate/late decreasing (6.7% [95% CI = 6.2 to 7.3) with 3.13 mean March drinking days and reductions during summer, reaching 2.12 days by January 2021; Moderate/early increasing (12.9% [95% CI = 12.2 to 13.6) with 2.13 mean March drinking days that increased in April and then plateaued, ending with 3.20 mean days in January 2021; and Near daily/early increasing (7.6% [95% CI = 7.0 to 8.2]) with 5.58 mean March drinking days that continued increasing without returning to baseline. Four drinking intensity trajectories were identified: Minimal/stable (85.8% [95% CI = 85.0% to 86.5%]) with <0.01 binge drinking probabilities throughout; Low‐to‐moderate/fluctuating (7.4% [95% CI = 6.8% to 8%]) with varying binge probabilities across timepoints (range:0.12 to 0.26); Moderate/mid increasing (4.2% [95% CI = 3.7% to 4.6%]) with 0.39 April binge drinking probability rising to 0.65 during August–September without returning to baseline; High/early increasing trajectory (2.7% [95% CI = 2.3% to 3%]) with 0.84 binge drinking probability rising to 0.96 by June without returning to baseline. Males, Whites, middle‐aged/older adults, college degree recipients, those consistently working, and those above the poverty limit were overrepresented in various increasing (vs. minimal/stable) frequency trajectories. Males, Whites, nonmarried, those without college degree, 18 to 39‐year‐olds, and middle aged were overrepresented in increasing (vs. minimal/stable) intensity trajectories.

Conclusions

Several distinct U.S. adult sociodemographic subpopulations appear to have acquired new drinking patterns during the pandemic's first 42 weeks. Frequent alcohol use assessment in the COVID‐19 era could improve personalized medicine and population health efforts to reduce drinking.
Urban restoration of common species: population genetics of reintroduced native bush rats Rattus fuscipes in Sydney, Australia
Authors: Wright A. L. , Anson J. R. , Leo V. , Wright B. R. , Newsome T. M. , Grueber C. E.
Published: May 2022

Common species play a disproportionate role in shaping ecosystem structure and function, but are currently under‐represented in conservation translocation initiatives. This represents a missed opportunity because common species are typically easier to source for restoration projects, and larger numbers of common species can feasibly be translocated without substantially impacting source populations. Reintroduction of common species is an important first step in the faunal restoration of severely impacted habitats, such as urban spaces. Common species typically retain higher genetic diversity than threatened species, but this also means that they may have more to lose via population bottlenecks that can occur from translocation. To inform efforts to translocate common species, we assessed genetic impacts of a reintroduction of the common native bush rat Rattus fuscipes to an urban reserve at North Head, Sydney (Australia). Using single‐nucleotide polymorphism diversity, we found that differentiation between source populations was low. Nevertheless, admixture during reintroduction and follow‐up translocations initially increased standardized observed heterozygosity of North Head‐born bush rats and population NE, with a subtle corresponding decrease in within‐population kinship. For 3 years following the last translocation, we detected a small decline in genetic diversity in the North Head population, although final statistics remained similar to the source populations. Our results indicate that no short‐term interventions are necessary to further promote bush rat genetic diversity at North Head, but that continued genetic monitoring will be important to determine whether a trend in declining diversity continues as the population stabilizes. We conclude that translocation of a large number of individuals from multiple sources presents a suitable option for restoring an extirpated small mammal population whilst minimizing genetic effects typically associated with such management actions. Common species present viable candidates for translocations aiming to return biodiversity to disturbed or fragmented urban ecosystems.
Perceptions of NZ orthodontists and periodontists on the management of gingival recession in orthodontic patients
Authors: Wang T , Zhao R , Yang R , Li Y , Lien HL , Mei L , Nogueira G
Published: May 2022

Background

This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and opinions of orthodontists and periodontists on the management of gingival recession in orthodontic patients.

Methods

An online survey was sent to 29 periodontists and 80 orthodontists registered and currently practising in New Zealand. All participants answered questions about the timing and clinical indications of mucogingival surgeries in orthodontic patients diagnosed with mucogingival deformities.

Results

Most periodontists and orthodontists believed that gingival grafts should ideally be performed after orthodontic treatment. In clinical practice, 40% of periodontists indicated that they would receive referrals after completion of orthodontic treatment. However, 29.6% of orthodontists indicated that they would refer to a periodontist before orthodontic treatment in clinical practice. The most crucial factor that affected periodontists' decision‐making was 'evidence‐based guidelines' (35.0%), followed by 'clinical experience' (30.0%) and 'patient concerns' (15.0%). All four factors of 'gingival phenotype', 'presence of gingival recession', 'amount of keratinised tissue' and 'planning specific tooth movements' were equally considered by orthodontists regarding their decision‐making.

Conclusions

The majority of the surveyed New Zealand periodontists and orthodontists expressed a belief that the ideal timing for the management of gingival recessions would be after the completion of orthodontic treatment.
Poultry exposure and environmental protection against asthma in rural children
Authors: Xing Yuhan , Wang Maggie H. , Leung Ting‐Fan , Wong Chun‐Kwok , Roponen Marjut , Schaub Bianca , Li Jing , Wong Gary W. K.
Published: May 2022

Background

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, and the prevalence has been increasing over the past few decades. One of the most consistent epidemiological findings is that children living in a farming or rural environment are protected from development of asthma and allergies, but the protective factors in rural China are not clear.

Methods

A community‐based, cross‐sectional epidemiological study was performed in a total of 17,587 children aged 5–8 years, 3435 from Hong Kong (urban) and 14,152 from Conghua (rural county in southern China). Asthma and allergic symptoms as well as environmental exposures were ascertained by using a standardized and validated questionnaire.

Results

The prevalence of current wheeze was significantly lower in rural Conghua than that of urban Hong Kong (1.7% vs. 7.7%, p < 0.001). A lower rate of asthma ever was also reported in rural children compared with their urban counterparts (2.5% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, exposure to agricultural farming (adjusted odds ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval: 0.56–0.97) and poultry (0.75, 0.59–0.96) were the most important factors associated with the asthma‐protective effect in the rural area. Further propensity score‐adjusted analysis indicated that such protection conferred by living in the rural environment was mainly attributable to poultry exposure.

Conclusions

We confirmed that the prevalence of asthma and atopic disorders was significantly lower in rural children when compared with their urban peers. Exposure to poultry and agricultural farming are the most important factors associated with asthma protection in the rural area.
Effect of perioperative fluid volume restriction on the incidence of complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Park Jangho , Han Sung‐Sik , Park Sang‐Jae , Kang Mee Joo , Park Hyeong Min , Yu Jihye , Kim Sun‐Whe
Published: May 2022

Background

Perioperative fluid restriction has been suggested to reduce morbidity and length of stay. The purpose of this study was to compare the morbidity following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) between fluid restriction group and conventional management group.

Methods

Seventy‐two patients were enrolled for perioperative fluid restriction of PD. During the operation, main fluid was infused at a rate of less than 8 mL/kg/hr. Until POD#3, 10% dextrose and Hartmann's solution were administered at rates of 40 mL/h and {(1.5*body weight) − 42} mL/h, respectively. The historical control group consisted of 139 patients. We compared the rates of major complication (Clavien‐Dindo grade III to V) and clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR‐POPF), length of hospital stays (LOS), amount of urine output, and the rate of acute kidney injury (AKI).

Results

The rates of major complication (19.0% versus 18.7%; p > 0.999), CR‐POPF (15.5% versus 15.1%; p > 0.999), and LOS (19 days [range: 10–52] versus 19 days [range: 11–75]; p = 0.514) were comparable in the study and the control group, respectively. Amount of urine output during the operation and from POD#1 to POD#3 was more than minimal amount (0.5 mL/kg/hr) in the both groups. Incidence rate of AKI in the study group was not higher than the control group (Stage I: 1.7% versus 2.9%, p > 0.999; stage II: 0% versus 1.4%, p > 0.999).

Conclusion

There was no decrease in incidence of morbidity including POPF following PD with perioperative fluid restriction. Fluid restriction was feasible because it did not reduce urine output and did not increase incidence of AKI.