bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chinese SMEs in Germany: an exploratory study on OFDI motives and the role of China’s institutional environment
Authors: Hänle Fabian , Weil Stefanie , Cambré Bart
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to use the institutional perspective to jointly explore the underlying motives that drive Chinese private small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in the developed economy of Germany and the role China’s institutional environment is playing in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the lack of recent in-depth studies, the authors use multiple case study method to present rich insights from elite interviews with executives belonging to seven Chinese SMEs and industry experts, as well as the study of firm documents, social media and the latest governmental policies.

Findings

The results indicate not only market-, resource- and strategic asset-seeking motives, but contrary to the literature, also efficiency-seeking goals. Further driving factors are the integration in global value chains and high degrees of entrepreneurial orientation. The second major finding is that China’s institutional environment induces widely divergent effects. Its ministries established new outward foreign direct investments (OFDI) support measures that are beneficial for some SMEs’ post-entry operations. However, some firms are not aware of any support measures or suffer from discrimination that hinders innovation and from which they try to escape by investing abroad.

Originality/value

This paper considers different levels of analysis (firm, entrepreneur, institutional environment) to investigate Chinese SMEs’ motives in Europe’s largest market. By examining why and how these firms use OFDI to a developed economy, the authors address an essential question for China’s economy that is of primary political and academic concern (“How can China get that improved innovation that often seeds entrepreneurial growth?”). In addition, the study contributes to the growing discussion of institutional escapism in emerging markets by revealing five institutional hardships Chinese SMEs are facing and how this relates to their internationalization.
Auditors’ perceptions of integrated reporting assurance: insights from Italy
Authors: Borgato Barbara , Marchini Pier Luigi
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the practice of integrated reporting (IR) assurance from the auditors’ point of view, including the main challenges to be addressed and insights on evolution and potential new assurance approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an exploratory research design, the paper conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 expert auditors, accounting assurance providers and non-accounting assurance providers, in the Italian context, combining an open coding approach with an axial coding approach, and using a three-stage process to organize data.

Findings

Respondents confirmed that current IR practices do not represent a real paradigm shift and that the need for in-depth changes in the assurance approach will depend on how these practices evolve. The main challenges highlighted are the absence of suitable criteria, the difficulty of assuring narratives and future-oriented information, and the low level of maturity of internal systems and processes of companies and stakeholders. Proposals for overcoming these challenges are framed mainly within current assurance models, although some respondents pointed out the need for a shift towards new assurance approaches.

Research limitations/implications

The paper relies on a small sample of well-informed subjects active in Italy; thus, the results may not represent the views of all auditors.

Practical implications

The findings identify areas that practitioners and assurance provider firms should focus on, looking to IR assurance and its growing importance and application as a future business area. They may be useful to standard setters and regulators to better understand limits and opportunities of requiring IR assurance on specific information not strictly related to financial information, and for the development of guidance or standards for IR assurance.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the currently underexplored area of IR assurance. Relatively few studies have investigated this topic from an empirical point of view, and no study involving auditors has been carried out in the Italian context.
Quality and bioaccessibility of antioxidants of bread enriched with naranjilla (solanum quitoense) fruit
Authors: Andrade-Cuvi María José , Guijarro-Fuertes Michelle , Concellón Analía , Vernaza María Gabriela , Bravo-Vásquez Juan
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to develop a loaf bread enriched with naranjilla (lulo) fruit (shells, seeds and pulp) and determine the technical quality, sensory acceptability and bioavailability (by in vitro digestion) of antioxidant components.

Design/methodology/approach

Loaf bread was prepared by using a no-time bread-making process. The crumb moisture, specific volume, crust and crumb color, texture profile analysis, analysis of the crumbs' alveoli, sensory evaluation, in vitro simulation of gastrointestinal digestion and antioxidant capacity were determined. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA (α = 0.05).

Findings

The specific volume was reduced by 21% (4.62 cm3/g, p < 0.0001), and the hardness was increased by 70% (2.9 N, p < 0.0001). Enrichment of the bread with naranjilla fruit (NF) contributes a yellowish coloration to the bread, which was very well accepted by the consumers and could be considered a natural colorant alternative. Moreover, the sensory evaluation indicated that the analyzed attributes (appearance, color, odor, taste, firmness and overall quality) of the naranjilla bread presented scores higher than 6.5 of 9 points hedonic scale. Naranjilla in the bread formulation had good acceptability by consumers. Naranjilla-enriched bread had an increase in total phenolic (TP)compounds and total carotenoids. In the product without digestion, naranjilla bread increased 1.7 times for TP, 50 times for CT and 1.3 times for TEAC, compared to the control bread (p < 0.0001). The percentage of bioaccessibility for fresh bread without digestion was 39.2 and 53.9% for the control and naranjilla bread, respectively. The addition of NF contributes to a higher TP compounds content and favors its bioavailability.

Practical implications

For bread production, fruits that do not meet the quality standards to be consumed as a natural fruit can be used. In this way, these fruits can contribute as a potential use to reduce agro-industrial waste and as a natural colorant.

Originality/value

Naranjilla is a native fruit from the subtropical Andean regions, which has high ascorbic acid concentrations, making it a fruit rich in antioxidants. Naranjilla-enriched bread contributes with beneficial compounds for the consumer.
How is the hospitality and tourism industry in India responding to the dynamic digital era?
Authors: Singh Anjana , Munjal Sandeep
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce the background with the theme issue question: How is the hospitality and tourism industry in India responding to the dynamic digital era?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper has discussed the importance of digital technologies and its scope in customer engagement and marketing of hospitality and tourism products; nevertheless, it also identifies the role of human touch and traditional marketing by suggesting the appropriate mix. This paper has examined the role of influencers and online reviews in impacting the purchase tech decisions related to travel and tourism.

Findings

This paper highlights the current digital trends in hospitality and tourism of India and highlights the contribution of authors toward the strategic question.

Practical implications

The theme issues draw extensively from industry leaders, digital agencies, restaurant owners and tech consumers to offer relevant and varied perspectives.

Originality/value

India is making significant progress in the adoption of digital technologies; yet, there is limited research in providing insights and barriers about hospitality and tourism services. This theme issue will identify the untapped potential and issues with respect to the Indian context.
Epidemiological Susceptibility Risk, Adaptive Management and Firm Performance
Authors: Mertzanis Charilaos
Published: June 2021

This paper uses firm‐level information to analyse the impact of epidemic outbreak risk on individual firms’ performance. Its impact on performance materializes mainly through consumer perception of risk and the resilience of the supply chain networks. The extent to which countries are prepared to identify and respond to these risks adequately is a critical factor. We therefore construct an index of epidemiological susceptibility risk (ESR), which we use to predict business performance around the world. The index captures the role of infrastructure, demographics, economic activity and institutional governance. It proves a significant predictor of corporate sales growth. It also fares well in explaining business performance during the Covid‐19 pandemic. The results remain robust to various sensitivity and endogeneity tests and after controlling for different non‐economic and institutional factors. The ESR captures diverse conditions, which may amplify or contain the contagion of epidemiological risk, and therefore it could potentially be a useful tool for predicting and managing epidemic outbreaks and their consequences on business sustainability.
When biographical disruption meets HIV exceptionalism: Reshaping illness identities in the shadow of criminalization
Authors: Orsini Michael , Kilty Jennifer M.
Published: June 2021

Drawing on interviews with civil society actors in the AIDS Service Organization (ASO) sector in Canada, this article explores how these actors contribute to shaping the illness identities of people living with HIV/AIDS in the shadow of efforts to criminalize exposure to HIV. While the biographically disruptive qualities associated with an HIV diagnosis have been addressed in the medical sociology literature, we turn our attention to the key role played by ASOs as interlocutors in this process. Paying specific attention to the intersection of processes of medicalization and criminalization, we ask how they are re‐stigmatizing a condition that has shifted in the public consciousness from its earlier association with deviance and moral culpability. One important implication of our findings concerns the need to take greater account of how the illness identity and experience can be shaped by a ‘biography of telling’, of a renewed pressure to disclose intimate details of one's health status as a way to perform responsible practices of citizenship.
Evidence on clean energy consumption and business cycle: A global perspective
Authors: Yan Meng , Shi Kai
Published: June 2021

This paper aims to investigate the heterogeneous patterns of clean energy consumption at business cycle frequencies from 1970 to 2017. Specifically, the paper provides a systematic analysis of this relationship in a comprehensive cross‐country panel by extracting the cyclical components of the clean energy consumption and gross domestic product (GDP) series based on the Hodrick–Prescott filter. Focusing on the cyclical components, we conclude the stylised facts as follows: (a) clean energy consumption is procyclical in advanced economies and developing economies, but acyclical in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); (b) clean energy consumption is cyclically more volatile than GDP in a typical country; (c) the correlation between cyclicality of clean energy consumption and GDP per capita is more intricate in different country groups; and (d) clean energy consumption is positively correlated with the oil price in advanced economies and developing economies, and negatively correlated in OPEC. These stylised facts are potentially important for establishing empirical and theoretical models to exploit the consequences and impacts of clean energy consumption.
Trichoderma harzianum cerato‐platanin enhances hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials
Authors: Pennacchio Anna , Pitocchi Rossana , Varese Giovanna Cristina , Giardina Paola , Piscitelli Alessandra
Published: June 2021

Considering its worldwide abundance, cellulose can be a suitable candidate to replace the fossil oil‐based materials, even if its potential is still untapped, due to some scientific and technical gaps. This work offers new possibilities demonstrating for the first time the ability of a cerato‐platanin, a small fungal protein, to valorize lignocellulosic Agri‐food Wastes. Indeed, cerato‐platanins can loosen cellulose rendering it more accessible to hydrolytic attack. The cerato‐platanin ThCP from a marine strain of Trichoderma harzianum, characterized as an efficient biosurfactant protein, has proven able to efficiently pre‐treat apple pomace, obtaining a sugar conversion yield of 65%. Moreover, when used in combination with a laccase enzyme, a notable increase in the sugar conversion yield was measured. Similar results were also obtained when other wastes, coffee silverskin and potato peel, were pre‐treated. With respect to the widespread laccase pre‐treatments, this new pre‐treatment approach minimizes process time, increasing energy efficiency.
Application of a computational model in simulating an endovascular clot retrieval service system within regional Australia
Authors: Ren Yifan , Phan Michael , Luong Phillip , Wu Jamin , Shell Daniel , Barras Christen D , Chryssidis Steve , Kok Hong Kuan , Burney Moe , Tahayori Baham , Maingard Julian , Jhamb Ashu , Thijs Vincent , Brooks Duncan Mark , Asadi Hamed
Published: June 2021

Introduction

The global demand for endovascular clot retrieval (ECR) has grown rapidly in recent years creating challenges to healthcare system planning and resource allocation. This study aims to apply our established computational model to predict and optimise the performance and resource allocation of ECR services within regional Australia, and applying data from the state of South Australia as a modelling exercise.

Method

Local geographic information obtained using the Google Maps application program interface and real‐world data was input into the discrete event simulation model we previously developed. The results were obtained after the simulation was run over 5 years. We modelled and compared a single‐centre and two‐centre ECR service delivery system.

Results

Based on the input data, this model was able to simulate the ECR delivery system in the state of South Australia from the moment when emergency services were notified of a potential stroke patient to potential delivery of ECR treatment. In the model, ECR delivery improved using a two‐centre system compared to a one‐centre system, as the percentage of stroke patients requiring ECR was increased. When 15% of patients required ECR, the proportion of ‘failure to receive ECR’ cases for a single‐centre system was 17.35%, compared to 3.71% for a two‐centre system.

Conclusions

Geolocation and resource utilisation within the ECR delivery system are crucial in optimising service delivery and patient outcome. Under the model assumptions, as the number of stroke cases requiring ECR increased, a two‐centre ECR system resulted in increased timely ECR delivery, compared to a single‐centre system. This study demonstrated the flexibility and the potential application of our DES model in simulating the stroke service within any location worldwide.
Novel strategy to treat lung metastases: Hybrid therapy involving surgery and radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Hasegawa Takaaki , Kuroda Hiroaki , Sakakura Noriaki , Sato Yozo , Chatani Shohei , Murata Shinichi , Yamaura Hidekazu , Nakada Takeo , Oya Yuko , Inaba Yoshitaka
Published: June 2021

Background

This study was performed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of hybrid treatment involving surgical resection and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for patients with multiple lung metastases.

Methods

Seventeen patients (6 men, 11 women; median age, 52 years; range, 16–78 years) underwent hybrid treatment involving surgery and radiofrequency ablation to treat multiple lung metastases (median number, 4; range, 2–26) between May 2014 and February 2020. The primary lesions were colorectal carcinoma (n = 9), uterine endometrial carcinoma (n = 3), osteosarcoma (n = 2), renal cell carcinoma (n = 1), glottic carcinoma (n = 1), and fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 1). Twenty‐four sessions each of surgery and radiofrequency ablation were performed. Safety, disease‐free survival, and overall survival were evaluated. Safety was assessed according to the Clavien‐Dindo Classification.

Results

A grade IVa adverse event of empyema developed in one patient (4%, 1/24) after surgery. A grade IIIa adverse event of pneumothorax and a grade II adverse event of lung abscess occurred in four (17%, 4/24) and one session (4%, 1/24) after radiofrequency ablation, respectively. During the median follow up of 34 months (range, 8–67 months), 10 patients (59%, 10/17) developed new metastases. The 5‐year disease‐free survival rate was 32%. Four or fewer lung metastases (p = 0.008) and metastases from colorectal carcinoma (p = 0.02) were factors significantly associated with longer disease‐free survival. One patient (6%, 1/17) died of tumor progression 29 months after initial treatment. The 5‐year overall survival rate was 88%.

Conclusions

The strategy of hybrid treatment involving surgery and radiofrequency ablation may offer good outcomes for patients with multiple lung metastases.
Accuracy of the clinical indicators for Readiness for enhanced health management
Authors: Moreira Rafaella Pessoa , Ferreira Júlio César Vieira , Morais Huana Carolina Cândido , Felício Janiel Ferreira , de Oliveira Ferreira Glauciano , Rouberte Emília Soares Chaves , Rolim Isaura Leticia Tavares Palmeira , Cavalcante Tahissa Frota
Published: June 2021

Purpose

to analyze accuracy measures of the clinical indicators of Readiness for enhanced health management in patients with arterial hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus

Methods

prospective diagnostic accuracy study conducted with 359 patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus, followed up in primary healthcare. Stratified random sampling was used to recruit participants. An assessment form was applied with sociodemographic data, health conditions, and information related to the clinical indicators under investigation. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios were analyzed

Findings

the sample was composed of 359 participants. The prevalence of Readiness for enhanced health management was 93.8%. There was a statistically significant association between the diagnosis and age under 60 years (p < 0.001), having only one chronic condition (p < 0.001), having normal blood pressure (p = 0.017) and blood glucose (p = 0.013) values, and having a nonsedentary (p = 0.026) and nonalcoholic (p = 0.044) lifestyle. All clinical indicators had high predictive values in predicting the nursing diagnosis under investigation. The indicator expresses desire to enhance management of symptoms was the most sensitive (99.7%) and specific (100%). The indicator expresses desire to enhance management of prescribed regimens was also highly specific (100%)

Conclusion

all clinical indicators were accurate in predicting Readiness for enhanced health management

Implications for Nursing Practice

knowing which clinical indicators and sociodemographic/clinical characteristics best predict Readiness for enhanced health management, nurses in primary care can better plan nursing interventions and direct their goals.
Translationally controlled tumour protein: A protein necessary for potyvirus intracellular multiplication that supports plant infection by unrelated viruses
Authors: Bruckner Fernanda Prieto , Andrade Patrícia Oliveira , de Souza Cascardo Renan , Laliberté Jean‐François , Alfenas‐Zerbini Poliane
Published: June 2021

The multifunctional protein translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP) was previously identified as necessary for infection by the potyvirus pepper yellow mosaic virus. Using turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) as a model to study potyvirus biology, we confirmed that TCTP has a positive effect on virus infection. Living cell confocal microscopy demonstrated that TCTP colocalises with 6K2‐tagged replication vesicles and with a perinuclear globular structure typically observed during potyvirus infection. Also, TCTP silenced protoplasts showed reduced virus accumulation, quantified by qRT‐PCR, which suggests an effect on virus replication, translation or other intracellular process. Finally, TCTP silencing in plants reduced the accumulation of two species belonging to Orthotospovirus and a Begomovirus genus, which are not closely related to potyviruses. The results suggest that TCTP is a general susceptibility factor to several unrelated viruses.
Stable isotope analysis as a tool to detect illegal trade in critically endangered cockatoos
Authors: Andersson A. A. , Gibson L. , Baker D. M. , Cybulski J. D. , Wang S. , Leung B. , Chu L. M. , Dingle C.
Published: June 2021

Legal wildlife trade creates opportunities for the sale of illegally procured animals and their derivatives, since it is difficult to differentiate legal from laundered items. This problem is common across many wildlife trade areas – exotic pets, ornaments, seafood – and involves a variety of taxa. Here, we tested the ability of bulk and compound‐specific stable isotope analysis to help monitor and regulate trade of the yellow‐crested cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea, a critically endangered species threatened by overexploitation for the pet trade. Global trade in wild‐caught yellow‐crested cockatoos was banned in 2002; sale of captive‐bred individuals, however, is still permitted. Our surveys in Hong Kong markets revealed more yellow‐crested cockatoos for sale in 2017–2018 than the total number recorded as legally imported over the previous 13 years, emphasizing the need for a forensic tool to identify the source of the individuals for sale in the markets. Stable isotope analysis was successful at distinguishing between captive and wild cockatoos; we found significant differences between wild and captive cockatoos in both stable carbon (P < 0.001) and stable nitrogen (P < 0.001) isotope values. Linear discriminant analysis allocated samples to the correct group with high reliability (Accuracy = 0.91, Kappa = 0.81), although reliability was lower for some individuals with values on the edge of the distribution. In cases where the bulk isotope analysis was ambiguous, compound‐specific stable isotope analysis, which provides carbon isotope values in specific amino acids, can be applied. We found six amino acids that differed significantly between captive and wild samples, with valine (P = 0.009) being the most informative. Together, stable and compound‐specific isotope analysis represents an important potential forensic tool to help combat illegal trade of cockatoos and could be expanded to other species threatened by wildlife trade.
Alcohol intake and total mortality in 142 960 individuals from the MORGAM Project: a population‐based study
Authors: Di Castelnuovo Augusto , Costanzo Simona , Bonaccio Marialaura , McElduff Patrick , Linneberg Allan , Salomaa Veikko , Männistö Satu , Moitry Marie , Ferrières Jean , Dallongeville Jean , Thorand Barbara , Brenner Hermann , Ferrario Marco , Veronesi Giovanni , Pettenuzzo Emanuela , Tamosiunas Abdonas , Njølstad Inger , Drygas Wojciech , Nikitin Yuri , Söderberg Stefan , Kee Frank , Grassi Guido , Westermann Dirk , Schrage Benedikt , Dabboura Salim , Zeller Tanja , Kuulasmaa Kari , Blankenberg Stefan , Donati Maria Benedetta , de Gaetano Giovanni , Iacoviello Licia
Published: June 2021

Aim

To test the association of alcohol consumption with total and cause‐specific mortality risk.

Design

Prospective observational multi‐centre population‐based study.

Setting

Sixteen cohorts (15 from Europe) in the MOnica Risk, Genetics, Archiving and Monograph (MORGAM) Project.

Participants

A total of 142 960 individuals (mean age 50 ± 13 years, 53.9% men).

Measurements

Average alcohol intake by food frequency questionnaire, total and cause‐specific mortality.

Findings

In comparison with life‐time abstainers, consumption of alcohol less than 10 g/day was associated with an average 11% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 7–14%] reduction in the risk of total mortality, while intake > 20 g/day was associated with a 13% (95% CI = 7–20%) increase in the risk of total mortality. Comparable findings were observed for cardiovascular (CV) deaths. With regard to cancer, drinking up to 10 g/day was not associated with either mortality risk reduction or increase, while alcohol intake > 20 g/day was associated with a 22% (95% CI = 10–35%) increased risk of mortality. The association of alcohol with fatal outcomes was similar in men and women, differed somewhat between countries and was more apparent in individuals preferring wine, suggesting that benefits may not be due to ethanol but other ingredients. Mediation analysis showed that high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol explained 2.9 and 18.7% of the association between low alcohol intake and total as well as CV mortality, respectively.

Conclusions

In comparison with life‐time abstainers, consuming less than one drink per day (nadir at 5 g/day) was associated with a reduced risk of total, cardiovascular and other causes mortality, except cancer. Intake of more than two drinks per day was associated with an increased risk of total, cardiovascular and especially cancer mortality.
Mortality in substance‐induced psychosis: a register‐based national cohort study
Authors: Hjorthøj Carsten , Madsen Trine , Starzer Marie , Erlangsen Annette , Nordentoft Merete
Published: June 2021

Aims

We aimed to analyze whether people with substance‐induced psychosis (SIP), both those who convert and do not convert to schizophrenia, have higher all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality when compared to the general population.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Nationwide Danish registers.

Participants/Cases

We included all people born in Denmark, living in Denmark on their 15th birthday, and age 15 or more during the study period from January 1, 1994, and August 10, 2017.

Measurements

Exposure was categorized as: (i) neither SIP nor schizophrenia; (ii) SIP without preceding schizophrenia; (iii) SIP converted to schizophrenia; and (iv) schizophrenia without preceding SIP. Any SIP and substance‐specific SIPS were examined regarding all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality.

Findings

The study included a total of 5 619 691 individuals. Compared to people with neither schizophrenia nor SIP, people with SIP without preceding schizophrenia had an increased risk of dying (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.23, 95% CI = 5.96–6.50), as had those with SIP converting to schizophrenia (HR = 9.77, 95% CI = 8.84–10.79) and those with only schizophrenia (HR = 3.07, 95% CI = 3.03–3.13). A similar pattern, albeit with higher HRs, was observed for suicides and accidental deaths. Other cause‐specific‐mortality groups also generally showed the same pattern, as did types of individual substances.

Conclusions

Substance‐induced psychosis was strongly associated with an increased risk of both all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality, even among cases who did not convert to schizophrenia. This provides a strong rationale for monitoring people with previous diagnosis of substance‐induced psychosis and developing and implementing interventions to reduce this excess mortality.
War as a Redistributive Problem
Authors: Davis Jason Sanwalka
Published: June 2021

War is commonly conceived of as the result of a bargaining process between states. However, war also has redistributive consequences within a state: certain groups face disproportionate costs (e.g., likely conscripts), whereas other groups may accrue most of the benefits (military contractors, politicians, etc.). War should thus be viewed simultaneously as the result of a bargaining process between domestic groups. This article presents a two‐level game in which the relative importance of domestic groups to a government can impact the likelihood of going to war, but only under certain conditions. In particular, a necessary condition for domestic distributive politics to matter for war onset is the existence of redistributive frictions between domestic parties. This allows the model to produce a new explanation for why war may occur despite the fact that it is Pareto inefficient: inability to costlessly redistribute value between war's beneficiaries and the beneficiaries of any peaceful bargain.
Development of the Meanings Of The Hijab (MOTH) Scale
Authors: Safdar Saba , Jassi Ashna
Published: June 2021

Previous research has examined the multiple meanings of hijab among Muslim women, but a quantitative scale to examine such meanings has yet to be developed. The present study was designed to develop and validate a new scale, Meanings Of The Hijab (MOTH), for measuring multiple meanings associated with wearing a headscarf for Muslim women living in countries where the majority of the population is non‐Muslim. The initial 64‐item scale was employed to 442 Canadian Muslim women, along with the Social Axiom Survey and the Cultural Identity Scale. An exploratory factor analysis led to the development of the MOTH scale with 35 items and five factors. The factors reflect meanings of the hijab in terms of: Expression of Faith Without Hijab, Expression of Modesty and Religiosity, Expression of Personal Identity, Challenges of Wearing Hijab, and Negative Symbolism of the Hijab in the West. The MOTH scale was found to have high internal validity and discriminant validity. In addition, convergent and discriminant validity of MOTH subscales were established by examining their relations with social axioms, ethnic identity, and national identity.
A novel flavonoid derivative of icariside II improves erectile dysfunction in a rat model of cavernous nerve injury
Authors: Gu Sheng‐ji , Li Meng , Yuan Yi‐ming , Xin Zhong‐cheng , Guan Rui‐li
Published: June 2021

Background

Icariside II (ICA II), an active flavonoid monomer, has been proven to restore post‐prostatectomy erectile dysfunction in rats; however, the high cost of extraction from natural plants limits the application of ICA II.

Objective

To investigate the therapeutic effect and possible mechanism of action of YS‐10, a new flavonoid compound, which was designed and synthesized based on the structure of ICA II in a rat model in of cavernous nerve injury.

Materials/methods

Eight of 32 adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats were selected as the normal control (NC) group and received vehicle treatment. The remaining rats were subjected to bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI) and randomized into three groups: BCNI group, BCNI + ICA II group (2.5 mg/kg/day), and BCNI + YS‐10 group (2.5 mg/kg/day). The total procedure lasted for 21 days, followed by a washout period of 3 days. All animals were evaluated for erectile function, and tissues were harvested for histopathological analyses.

Results

It was observed that in YS‐10 group, the ratio of intracavernous pressure (ICP) to mean arterial pressure (MAP) and the area under the ICP/MAP curve were effectively enhanced. The maximum ICP/MAP increased by 30% in the YS‐10 group (0.86 ± 0.085) compared with the BCNI group (0.66 ± 0.058), which is close to 82% of the NC group (1.05 ± 0.033). Histopathological changes demonstrated significant reduction of smooth muscle atrophy, collagen deposition, and endothelial and neural dysfunction after YS‐10 treatment, which have no statistical differences compared with ICA II group. Additionally, high‐protein expression levels of β‐Catenin and cyclin D1 were observed in the treatment groups.

Conclusion

YS‐10, a novel synthesized flavonoid compound, could effectively improve erectile dysfunction in rats after BCNI by alleviating pathological impairments; this effect may associate with the upregulation of β‐Catenin and cyclin D1 in Wnt signaling pathway.
Gender‐specific prevalence of pilonidal sinus disease over time: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Luedi Markus M. , Schober Patrick , Stauffer Verena K. , Diekmann Maja , Andereggen Lukas , Doll Dietrich
Published: June 2021

Background

Gender‐specific risk factors have been suggested to promote a fourfold higher incidence of pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) in male as compared to female patients. However, in recent decades there has been an apparent shift towards an increasing prevalence of PSD in women, as body weight and other risk factors influence the disease. We aimed at determining whether PSD prevalence actually changed in men and women over time.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID: 42016051588), databases were systematically searched. Papers reporting on PSD published between 1833 and 2018 in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish containing precise numbers of male and female participants were selected for analysis. Gender‐specific prevalence of PSD over several decades was the main outcome measure.

Results

We screened 679 studies reporting on 104 055 patients and found that the male/female ratio in patients with PSD has remained constant over time, with women being affected in about 20% of all PSD cases (I2 = 96.18%; meta‐regression p < 0.001).

Conclusion

While the prevalence of PSD has risen over the past decades, the ratio between affected males and affected females has remained constant, with women invariably representing about 20% of patients despite wide ranging socioeconomic and behavioural changes.
Closed‐loop artificial endocrine pancreas from Japan
Authors: Hanazaki Kazuhiro , Tanioka Nobuhisa , Munekage Masaya , Uemura Sunao , Maeda Hiromichi
Published: June 2021

The development of a closed‐loop artificial pancreas (AP) in the Western countries and Japan is different. In Western countries, wearable AP with a closed‐loop glycemic control system has been developed as a treatment for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. On the contrary, in Japan, bedside closed‐loop AP explored by a Japanese company (Nikkiso, Tokyo, Japan) has developed as perioperative glycemic control device in surgical patients and acute care patients with emergency. In this article, we reviewed the scientific evidence in the past and present and future prospects of perioperative glycemic control using bedside AP with a closed‐loop system in Japan. Conventional perioperative strict glycemic controls have three major problems: hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and variability in blood glucose concentrations. In Japan, perioperative strict glycemic control using the current bedside AP STG‐55 (Nikkiso, Tokyo, Japan) has been developed since 2010. This novel glycemic control method achieved not only stable glycemic control without hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and less variability of blood glucose concentrations but also reduced postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing major surgeries. Among the rapidly increasing number of surgical or emergency patients with diabetes, frailty, and sarcopenia of intrinsic glucose intolerance, more sophisticated and smaller AP available easily in operating rooms and intensive care units will be warranted to promote improved therapeutic outcomes in such critically ill patients.
Effects of maternal mental health on prenatal movement profiles in twins and singletons
Authors: Reissland Nadja , Einbeck Jochen , Wood Rebecca , Lane Alison
Published: June 2021

Aim

Prenatal experiences, including maternal stress, depression and anxiety, form crucial building blocks affecting the maturation of the foetal central nervous system. Previous research has examined foetal movements without considering effects of maternal mental health factors critical for healthy foetal development. The aim of this research is to assess the effects of maternal mental health factors on foetal twin compared with singleton movement profiles.

Method

We coded foetal touch and head movements in 56 ultrasound scans, from a prospective opportunity sample of 30 mothers with a healthy pregnancy (mean gestational age 27.8 weeks for singleton and 27.2 for twins). At the ultrasound scan appointment, participants completed questionnaires assessing their stress, depression and anxiety.

Results

Maternal depression increased foetal self‐touch significantly. In foetal twins, maternal stress significantly decreased and maternal depression significantly increased other twin touch. Maternal mental health factors affected the head movements of twins significantly more than singletons, with maternal depression decreasing head movement frequency for twins significantly.

Conclusion

These results indicate that maternal mental health might have an impact on types of body schemata formed in utero, in twin compared with singleton pregnancies. Future research needs to examine whether these prenatal effects affect postnatal differences in body awareness.
Progress, challenges and global approaches to rare diseases
Authors: Groft Stephen C. , Posada Manuel , Taruscio Domenica
Published: June 2021

Rare diseases occur globally at every stage of life. Patients, families and caregivers have many unmet medical and social needs leading to extraordinary psychosocial and economic burdens. Efforts to improve diagnostic capabilities and to develop therapies for an estimated 7000 rare diseases have met with considerable success. In the United States, a rare disease or condition is one affecting fewer than 200,000 people. In the European Union (EU), a rare disease is any disease affecting fewer than 5 people in 10,000 (less than 1 in 2000 people). However, there are no effective treatments for 90 per cent of rare diseases. There is a need to expand awareness, advocacy and outreach to everyone including those with low incomes, poor literacy, minority ethnic status and living in underserved and marginalised populations in urban and rural areas as well as in developing nations throughout the world. The acceptance of patients as research partners complements the increased research emphasis and major regulatory initiatives leading to expedited review and approval programmes for products for serious or life‐threatening conditions. The pipeline of new therapies provides hope to untreated patients. Advances in medical bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and machine learning with access to big data continue to identify novel therapeutics for screening and evaluation. Advanced analytics can identify the patterns of disease occurrence, predict disease progression, identify patient response to treatments, establish optimal care guidelines and generate research hypotheses with the narrowly identified research patient populations.
Utilising recorded music to reduce stress and enhance infant neurodevelopment in neonatal intensive care units
Authors: Mikulis Nicole , Inder Terrie E. , Erdei Carmina
Published: June 2021

Aim

This paper summarises published evidence on the use of recorded music in high‐risk infants to reduce stress and improve neurodevelopment, forming recommendations for proposed clinical applications in neonatal intensive care units.

Methods

We searched two comprehensive library catalogues and two databases for articles evaluating the impact of recorded music interventions on hospitalised preterm infants. Original and review papers published in English in the 10 years prior to this search were selected if the study included a component of recorded music interventions.

Results

Most original studies (80.95%) and all literature reviews (100%) reported positive effects of recorded music interventions for preterm infants, primarily in the short term. No negative effects were reported. Evidence is emerging regarding the neurobiological mechanisms of recorded music on longer‐term effects on preterm infant neurodevelopment. Clinical applications were suggested drawing upon available evidence. Due to generally small sample sizes and variability in study design, unanswered questions remain.

Conclusion

Carefully designed recorded music interventions appear to be safe, feasible and effective in reducing stress and improving neurodevelopment of hospitalised infants. Additional rigorous, well‐powered trials with relevant outcomes are needed to further refine specific elements for recorded music interventions to better inform practice.
How capital markets assess the credibility and accuracy of CSR reporting: Exploring the effects of assurance quality and CSR restatement issuance
Authors: Martínez‐Ferrero Jennifer , Ruiz‐Barbadillo Emiliano , Guidi Michele
Published: June 2021

This research examines how the credibility and accuracy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures enhance market confidence by exploring their effect on the cost of capital. How do capital markets react to higher‐quality assurance of CSR reporting? Can the hypothetical reduction in the cost of capital that assurance quality produces be explained by restatements of previous information given in these CSR reports? We explore the relationship between assurance quality, as a proxy for credibility and market confidence, and the mediating effect of CSR restatements as indicators of accuracy. We propose regression models with a sample of CSR reports issued by European companies. Building upon the signalling and legitimacy theories, the results support the positive effect of higher assurance quality statements on market confidence by confirming a decrease in the cost of capital; assurance quality gives an indication of credibility to the capital market and restatements related to methodological updates signal accuracy. The reduction in the cost of capital brought on by higher assurance quality appears to be determined by the issuance of CSR restatements, which create legitimacy for both client companies and assurance providers. CSR reporting and assurance have reached a greater level of maturity as demonstrated by the evolution of these practices and financial market perceptions.
‘No Soy un Activista, Soy un Artista’: Representations of the Feminicide at the Intersections of Art and Activism
Authors: Cooper Jennifer
Published: June 2021

Raising questions of the disposability of victims of feminicide in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Teresa Margolles' installationLote Bravo(2005) is compared with the grassroots activist group Voces Sin Eco's Cross Campaign and Humberto Macías Martínez's Muralist Movement. These responses to thefeminicidioare considered as interrogating and negating the ideas and ideals of art‐activism. Exploring the problematics ofLote Bravo, a new reading of the installation as an ‘artivist’ work is offered, identifying a certain potential beyond Mexico.
Exploring the causes and consequences of cooperative behaviour in wild animal populations using a social network approach
Authors: Gokcekus Samin , Cole Ella F. , Sheldon Ben C. , Firth Josh A.
Published: June 2021

Understanding why individuals carry out behaviours that benefit others, especially genetically unrelated others, has been a major undertaking in many fields and particularly in biology. Here, we focus on the cooperation literature from natural populations and present the benefits of a social network approach in terms of how it can help to identify and understand factors that influence the maintenance and spread of cooperation, but are not easily captured when solely considering independent dyadic interactions. We describe how various routes to cooperation can be tested within the social network framework. Applying the social network approach to data from natural populations can help to uncover the evolutionary and ecological pressures that lead to differences in cooperation and other social processes.
The CD226‐ERK1/2‐LAMP1 pathway is an important mechanism for Vγ9Vδ2 T cell cytotoxicity against chemotherapy‐resistant acute myeloid leukemia blasts and leukemia stem cells
Authors: Wu Kangni , Wang Li‐mengmeng , Liu Meng , Xiu Yanghui , Hu Yongxian , Fu Shan , Huang He , Xu Bing , Xiao Haowen
Published: June 2021

Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are attractive effector cells for immunotherapy with potent cytotoxic activity against a variety of malignant cells. However, the effect of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells on chemotherapy‐resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts, especially highly refractory leukemia stem cells (LSCs) is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of cytotoxicity of allogeneic Vγ9Vδ2 T cells on chemotherapy‐resistant AML cell lines, as well as on primary AML blasts and LSCs obtained from refractory AML patients. The results indicated that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells can efficiently kill drug‐resistant AML cell lines in vitro and in vivo, and the sensitivity of AML cells to Vγ9Vδ2 T cell–mediated cytotoxicity is not influenced by the sensitivity of AML cells to chemotherapy. We further found that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells exhibited a comparable effect of cytotoxicity against LSCs to primary AML blasts. More importantly, we revealed that the CD226–extracellular signal–regulatory kinase1/2 (ERK1/2)–lysosome‐associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) pathway is an important mechanism for Vγ9Vδ2 T cell–induced cytotoxicity against AML cells. First, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells recognized AML cells by receptor‐ligand interaction of CD226–Nectin‐2, which then induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation in Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. Finally, triggering the movement of lytic granules toward AML cells induced cytolysis of AML cells. The expression level of Nectin‐2 may be used as a novel marker to predict the susceptibility/resistance of AML cells to Vγ9Vδ2 T cell treatment.
Synergistic interaction of N‐3‐Br‐benzyl‐noscapine and docetaxel abrogates oncogenic potential of breast cancer cells
Authors: Dash Shruti Gamya , Kantevari Srinivas , Pandey Swaroop Kumar , Naik Pradeep Kumar
Published: June 2021

Noscapine, an opium alkaloid, was discovered to bind tubulin, arrest dividing cells at mitosis, and selectively induce apoptosis to cancer cells. N‐3‐Br‐Benzyl‐Noscapine (Br‐Bn‐Nos), one of the derivatives of noscapine, was demonstrated to have improved anticancer potential compared with noscapine. We approached to evaluate the single and combined effect of Br‐Bn‐Nos and docetaxel (DOX) based on molecular modeling and cellular study. The individual predicted free energy of binding (∆Gbind,pred) for Br‐Bn‐Nos and DOX with tubulin was found to be −28.89 and −36.07 kcal/mol based on molecular mechanics generalized Born solvation area (MM‐GBSA) as well as −26.21 and −34.65 kcal/mol based on molecular mechanics Poisson Boltzmann solvation area (MM‐PBSA), respectively. However, the ∆Gbind,pred of Br‐Bn‐Nos was significantly reduced (−33.02 and −30.24 kcal/mol using MM‐GBSA and MM‐PBSA) in the presence of DOX on its binding pocket. Parenthetically, the ∆Gbind,pred of DOX was significantly reduced (−37.17 and −32.80 kcal/mol using MM‐GBSA and MM‐PBSA) in the presence of Br‐Bn‐Nos on its binding pocket. The reduced ∆Gbind,pred in the presence of Br‐Bn‐Nos and DOX together indicated a combination effect of both the ligands. The combined interaction of both the agents onto tubulin dimmer was also determined experimentally using purified tubulin, in which a combination regimen of Br‐Bn‐Nos and DOX reduced the fluorescence intensity of tubulin to a higher value (68%) compared with the single regimen. Further, isobologram analysis revealed the synergistic effect of Br‐Bn‐Nos and DOX in antiproliferative activity using MCF‐7 cell line at 48 hr (sum FIC = 0.49) and at 72 hr (sum FIC = 0.62). The combination dose regimen of Br‐Bn‐Nos and DOX blocks the cell cycle progression at the G2/M phase and induces apoptosis to cancer cells more effectively compared with the single regimen. Taken together, our study provides compelling evidence that the anticancer potential of noscapine derivatives may be substantially improved when it is used in a combined application with DOX for breast cancer.