bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of ownership composition on corporate financial performance in the European frontier markets
Authors: Zahid R.M. Ammar , Taran Alina , Khan Muhammad Kaleem , Simga-Mugan Can
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study investigates the influence of ownership composition on market-based and accounting-based financial performance in the European frontier markets (EFMs), a target region for global investors.

Design/methodology/approach

Ownership composition is defined as shareholders' concentration and structure (i.e. foreign, domestic, state and free-float), whereas financial performance is measured as Tobin's Q and return on assets. The system generalised method of moments panel data estimation technique is employed on a sample of 241 companies.

Findings

Findings reveal that companies from European Union (EU) frontier markets are controlled, on average, by one to five large shareholders. Being a signal of expropriation rationale of majority shareholders regardless of the capital structure, this highly concentrated ownership and decision-making model negatively affects the market-based and accounting-based financial performance of the companies and thereby supports the agency theory in the frontier markets.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide empirical evidence for authorities, investors, analysts and corporations regarding the effect of ownership percentage and structure in the Eastern European region, assisting also other frontier and emerging markets in corporate governance and other regulatory decisions.

Originality/value

The ownership–performance relationship varies from developed to emerging markets with conflicting results. This study provides evidence on monitoring and expropriation effects of majority shareholders in the context of different categories of shareholders. In doing so, it combines the analysis of both ownership concentration and structure in the EFMs.
SanMove: next location recommendation via self-attention network
Authors: Wang Bin , Li Huifeng , Tong Le , Zhang Qian , Zhu Sulei , Yang Tao
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to address the following issues: (1) most existing methods are based on recurrent network, which is time-consuming to train long sequences due to not allowing for full parallelism; (2) personalized preference generally are not considered reasonably; (3) existing methods rarely systematically studied how to efficiently utilize various auxiliary information (e.g. user ID and time stamp) in trajectory data and the spatiotemporal relations among nonconsecutive locations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a novel self-attention network–based model named SanMove to predict the next location via capturing the long- and short-term mobility patterns of users. Specifically, SanMove uses a self-attention module to capture each user's long-term preference, which can represent her personalized location preference. Meanwhile, the authors use a spatial-temporal guided noninvasive self-attention (STNOVA) module to exploit auxiliary information in the trajectory data to learn the user's short-term preference.

Findings

The authors evaluate SanMove on two real-world datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that SanMove is not only faster than the state-of-the-art recurrent neural network (RNN) based predict model but also outperforms the baselines for next location prediction.

Originality/value

The authors propose a self-attention-based sequential model named SanMove to predict the user's trajectory, which comprised long-term and short-term preference learning modules. SanMove allows full parallel processing of trajectories to improve processing efficiency. They propose an STNOVA module to capture the sequential transitions of current trajectories. Moreover, the self-attention module is used to process historical trajectory sequences in order to capture the personalized location preference of each user. The authors conduct extensive experiments on two check-in datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the model has a fast training speed and excellent performance compared with the existing RNN-based methods for next location prediction.
Transient heat transfer and electro-osmotic flow of Carreau–Yasuda non-Newtonian fluid through a rectangular microchannel
Authors: Ghorbani Saeed , Emamian Amin , Amiri Delouei Amin , Ellahi R. , Sait Sadiq M. , Ben Hamida Mohamed Bechir
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate heat transfer and electrokinetic non-Newtonian flow in a rectangular microchannel in the developed and transient states.

Design/methodology/approach

The Carreau–Yasuda model was considered to capture the non-Newtonian behavior of the fluid. The dimensionless forms of governing equations, including the continuity equation for the Carreau–Yasuda fluid, are numerically solved by considering the volumetric force term of electric current (DC).

Findings

The impact of pertinent parameters such as electrokinetic diameter (R), Brinkman number and Peclet number is examined graphically. It is observed that for increasingR, the bulk velocity decreases. The velocity of the bulk fluid reaches from the minimum to the maximum state across the microchannel over time. At the electrokinetic diameter of 400, the maximum velocity was obtained. Temperature graphs are plotted with changes in the various Brinkman number (0.1 <Br< 0.7) at different times, and local Nusselt are compared against changes in the Peclet number (0.1 < ℘e< 0.5). The results of this study show that by increasing the Brinkman number from 0.25 to 0.7, the temperature along the microchannel doubles. It was observed that increasing the Peclet number from 0.3 to 0.5 leads to 200% increment of the Nusselt number along the microchannel in some areas along the microchannel. The maximum temperature occurs at Brinkman number of 0.7 and the maximum value of the local Nusselt number is related to Peclet number 0.5. Over time in the transient mode, the Nusselt number also decreases along the microchannel. By the increasing of time, the temperature increases at given value of Brinkman, which is insignificant at Brinkman number of 0.1. The simulation results have been verified by Newtonian and non-Newtonian flows with adequate accuracy.

Originality/value

This study contributes to discovering the effects of transient flow of electroosmotic flow for non-Newtonian Carreau–Yasuda fluid and transient heat transfer through rectangular microchannel. To the authors’ knowledge, the said investigation is yet not available in existing literature.
Development of automatic 3D body scan measurement line generation method
Authors: Han Hyunsook
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This research aimed to develop an automatic 3D body measurement line generation method that reduces errors induced by diverse body shapes and incomplete scan areas.

Design/methodology/approach

Three-dimensional body scan data from the 5th Size Korea database were used. Measurement extraction methods were developed for each measurement; chest girth, underbust girth, armscye girth and neck base girth.

Findings

The research showed that the method adopted in this study enhanced the accuracy of the scan measurements for various body shapes and incomplete scan data. The authors verified the accuracy of the developed methods for various body shapes by comparing the scan measurement against manual measurement.

Originality/value

The automatic 3D body measurement line generation algorithms developed for various human body shapes will improve the reliability and accuracy of 3D body scan measurement program. Also. it will be of practical use in human-size-related production processes.
Collaboration, eco-innovation and economic performance in the automotive industry
Authors: Maldonado Guzmám Gonzalo , Pinzón Castro Sandra Yesenia
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Eco-innovation is emerging as one of the most important constructs that improve environmental sustainability of firms. However, it has been shown that companies alone cannot adequately develop eco-innovation activities, which is why they require the implementation of external collaboration activities with intermediaries, suppliers and stakeholders to achieve a higher level of eco-innovation activities and improve business performance of manufacturing firms. Therefore, this research fills this gap by exploring the importance of the relationship between collaboration and eco-innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is conducted through an extensive literature review with a research model consisting of 5 measurement scales, 24 items and 4 hypotheses. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 460 firms in Mexico, analyzing the data set through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models.

Findings

The results obtained from this study suggest that collaboration has significant positive effects both on the eco-innovation of products, processes and management, as well as on the business performance of companies in the automotive industry.

Practical implications

The findings of this study have important implications both for the public administration (e.g. development of policies to support companies and financing programs) and for the managers of companies in the automotive industry (e.g. training program for employees and collaboration with other firms).

Originality/value

This paper fills a research gap by expanding the limited body of knowledge that relates collaboration eco-innovation and business performance, which is why this research aims to fill this existing gap in the literature and explore the relationship between collaboration, eco-innovation and business performance.
Dynamic causality between oil prices and stock market indexes in Russia and China: does US financial instability matter?
Authors: Ghedira Amal , Nakhli Mohamed Sahbi
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the dynamic bidirectional causality between oil price (OIL) and stock market indexes in net oil-exporting (Russia) and net oil-importing (China) countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use monthly data for the period starting from October 1995 to October 2021. In this study, the bootstrap rolling-window Granger causality approach introduced by Balcilar et al. (2010) and the probit regression model are performed in order to identify the bidirectional causality.

Findings

The results show that the causal periods mainly occur during economic, financial and health crises. For oil-exporting country, the results suggest that any increase (decrease) in the OIL leads to an appreciation (depreciation) in the stock market index. The effect of the stock market on OIL is more relevant for the oil-importing country than that for the oil-exporting one. The COVID-19 consequences are demonstrated in the impact of oil on the Russian stock market. The probit regression shows that the US financial instabilities increase the probability of causality between OIL and stock market indexes in Russia and China.

Practical implications

The dynamic relationship between the variables must be taken into account in investment decisions. As financial instabilities in the USA drive the relationship between oil and stocks, investors should consider geopolitical, economic and financial elements when constructing their portfolios. Shareholders are required to include other assets in their portfolios since oil–stock relationship is highly risky.

Originality/value

This study provides further evidence of the bidirectional oil–stock causal link. Additionally, it examines the impact of financial instabilities on the probability that the OIL and the stock market index cause each other through the Granger effect.
Analyzing the barriers to sustainable procurement in an emerging economy: an interpretive structural modeling approach
Authors: Shaikh Abdul Rehman , Qazi Asad , Ali Imran , Appolloni Andrea
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to identify, using a literature review and expert panel input, what impedes organizations from implementing sustainable procurement, particularly in an emerging economy context.

Design/methodology/approach

The extant literature review was carried out to explore and identify the barriers to sustainable procurement. Using interpretive structural modeling (ISM), the authors established a contextual relationship among the 22 identified barriers. These barriers are then classified into different categories, using the matrice d’impacts cross-multiplication appliqúe an classment (MICMAC) technique, based on their driving and dependence power.

Findings

The findings improve our understanding of the critical barriers and their direct and indirect effect on each other in obstructing sustainable procurement practices. The study is the first of its kind in identifying the barriers to sustainable procurement and developing a hierarchical relationship among barriers using an integrated ISM–MICMAC methodology based on data from an emerging economy (Pakistan). With a focus on sustainable practices, this study also responds to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Practical implications

The results of the hierarchical model help understand which barriers are the most crucial to be fixed immediately (i.e. absence of environmental laws and lack of consumer pressure) and how different barriers could influence each other, specifically in emerging economies. The practitioners can use the findings to make more informed decisions to mitigate the crucial barriers that could impede their goals of sustainable procurement.

Originality/value

The study is the first of its kind to identify the barriers to sustainable procurement and develop a contextual relation and hierarchical framework in the Pakistani context.
Environmental behavior of university students
Authors: Torroba Diaz Macarena , Bajo-Sanjuan Anna , Callejón Gil Ángela María , Rosales-Pérez Ana , López Marfil Lidia
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to build a model for the analysis of the environmental behavior of university students.

Design/methodology/approach

A partial least square method was adopted, and a questionnaire on intelligence, knowledge, attitude and environmental behavior was performed on 480 Spanish university students.

Findings

The results indicate that environmental intelligence positively affects university students’ environmental behavior through environmental knowledge and attitude.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions of the present study are based on a sample drawn from Spanish university students. Therefore, new studies are needed to cover other educational institutions and cultural contexts.

Practical implications

Many university students’ environmental behavior depends on implementing educational actions that improve their environmental intelligence and knowledge.

Social implications

The study suggests that educational programs should implement strategies that maintain a sense of responsibility toward the sustainable development of university students, ensuring that future generations can live a quality life in a sustainable and safe environment.

Originality/value

The present study identifies the mechanism through which the environmental behavior of university students is formed.
Social media fashion influencer eWOM communications: understanding the trajectory of sustainable fashion conversations on YouTube fashion haul videos
Authors: Haines Shelley , Fares Omar H. , Mohan Myuri , Lee Seung Hwan (Mark)
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine YouTube comments relevant to sustainable fashion posted on fashion haul videos over the past decade (2011–2021). It is guided by two research questions: (1) How have sustainable fashion-related comments posted on YouTube fashion haul videos changed over time? and (2) What themes are relevant to sustainable fashion in the comments posted on fashion haul videos?

Design/methodology/approach

A data set of comments from 110 fashion haul videos posted on YouTube was refined to only include comments with keywords related to sustainable fashion.Leximancer, a machine learning technique, was employed to identify concepts within the data and co-occurrences between concepts.Linguistic Inquiry and Word Countsoftware was employed to assess the prevalence of concepts and identify sentiment over time.

Findings

Over the decade, the authors identified increased comments and conversations relevant to sustainable fashion. For instance, conversations surrounding sustainable fashion were linked to “waste” and “addicted” between 2011 and 2013, which evolved to include “environment” and “clothes” between 2014 and 2016, to “buy” and “workers” between 2017 and 2019 and “sustainable” between 2020 and 2021, demonstrating the changes in conversation topics over time.

Practical implications

With increasing engagement from YouTube viewers on sustainable fashion, retail-affiliated content that promotes sustainable fashion is proposed as one approach to engage viewers and promote sustainable practices in the fashion industry, whereby content creators can partner with retailers to feature products and educate viewers on the benefits of sustainable fashion.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that consumers are becoming more aware of and responsive to sustainable fashion. The originality of this research stems from identifying the source of this interest.
Closing the gender gap in the business classroom: focus on finance
Authors: Ramirez Andres , Lofgren Joan
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Finance is a male-dominated field of work. This study aims to understand if learning in finance follows the same pattern. Furthermore, the authors want to understand if foreign female students are subject to the same cultural norms and sorting mechanisms as their counterparts from the USA or Finland.

Design/methodology/approach

In the context of a capstone course, students of two well-known international business programs (one in the USA, the other in Finland) participate in a business simulation. The authors surveyed the students on their learning experience across different business functions. The authors collected 440 responses over five years.

Findings

A gender gap exists in learning finance. Females surveyed reported learning less (9%–15%) than males. However, foreign females reported learning more (11%–17%). Additionally, the authors find no gender gap in learning of other business functions (i.e. marketing and strategy). Foreign females seem to bypass traditional roles and sorting mechanisms.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to document the moderating effect of foreignness on the gender gap in learning.
Vertical line extension: a systematic review of research on upward and downward line extension
Authors: Schmitz Anna-Karina , Brexendorf Tim Oliver , Fassnacht Martin
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Vertical line extension is an attractive growth strategy that allows brands to address heterogeneous consumer needs and react to competitive pressure. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and summarize vertical line extension research to derive general insights into vertical upward and downward line extension.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a systematic review of 536 academic articles and predefined inclusion criteria, this research identifies and evaluates all articles that add knowledge to the topic of vertical line extension (n = 64).

Findings

This research derives general insights in several vertical line extension-specific issues. Different forms of vertical line extension, conceptual differences between upward and downward extensions, as well as the role of perceived fit, extension degree and the parent brand are crucial for the study and evaluation of extension and parent brand feedback effects. Those effects are complex and often work in opposing directions not only for the parent brand but also for the extension. Future research needs to face that complexity as well as methodological issues and different research contexts to further advance the literature stream.

Originality/value

This paper provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of vertical line extension research characteristics and results. It provides new insights on the characteristics and effects of vertical line extensions and guides future research on the topic.
Fracture mechanism and failure criterion of S-07 steel for liquid rocket engine
Authors: Gao Yushan , Jiang Wei , Huo Shihui
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The fracture mechanism of S-07 steel was investigated by observing the fracture surface of the specimens with scanning electron microscope (SEM). Furthermore, the overall elastic–plastic behaviors and the stress state evolution during the loading procedure of all specimens were simulated by FE analysis to obtain the local strain at crack nucleated location and the average triaxiality of each type of specimen.

Design/methodology/approach

Three types of tests under various stress states were performed to study the ductile fracture characteristics of S-07 high strength steel in quasi-static condition.

Findings

Under tensile and torsion loading conditions, S-07 steel exhibits two distinctive rupture mechanisms: the growth and internal necking of voids governs the rupture mechanism in tension dominated loading mode, while the change of void shape and internal shearing in the ligaments between voids dominants for shear conditions.

Originality/value

The failure criterion for S-07 steel considering the influence of the triaxial stress state was established.
Family social capital and career advancement: the mediating role of family-to-work enrichment and the moderating role of perceived organizational politics
Authors: Su Chang , Zhou Mingjian , Yang Yixin
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Drawing on social capital theory, this study investigated the effects of structural, cognitive and relational family social capital on employees' career advancement through the mechanism of family-to-work enrichment (FWE), taking perceived organizational politics (POP) as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 252 full-time employees working in public institutions and government departments in China, a collectivist cultural context. Hierarchical regression and path analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

FWE significantly mediated the positive relationships between the three subtypes of family social capital and career advancement. The effects of structural and cognitive family social capital, but not relational family social capital (RFSC), on FWE were stronger when POP was low (vs high).

Research limitations/implications

FWE is arguably a promising mechanism for explaining the links between family social capital and career outcomes. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, conclusions regarding causality remain limited.

Practical implications

Family social capital may enrich the careers of employees in collectivist cultures. Managers should mitigate their organization's political climate to promote employees' career advancement.

Originality/value

This study contributes to career research by linking family social capital to career outcomes through the lens of FWE for the first time and by identifying organizational politics as an important moderator that can influence the dynamics of resource enrichment in a collectivist culture.
A comprehensive review on surface quality improvement methods for additively manufactured parts
Authors: Hashmi Abdul Wahab , Mali Harlal Singh , Meena Anoj
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the functionality of additively manufactured (AM) parts, mainly depending on their dimensional accuracy and surface finish. However, the products manufactured using AM usually suffer from defects like roughness or uneven surfaces. This paper discusses the various surface quality improvement techniques, including how to reduce surface defects, surface roughness and dimensional accuracy of AM parts.

Design/methodology/approach

There are many different types of popular AM methods. Unfortunately, these AM methods are susceptible to different kinds of surface defects in the product. As a result, pre- and postprocessing efforts and control of various AM process parameters are needed to improve the surface quality and reduce surface roughness.

Findings

In this paper, the various surface quality improvement methods are categorized based on the type of materials, working principles of AM and types of finishing processes. They have been divided into chemical, thermal, mechanical and hybrid-based categories.

Research limitations/implications

The review has evaluated the possibility of various surface finishing methods for enhancing the surface quality of AM parts. It has also discussed the research perspective of these methods for surface finishing of AM parts at micro- to nanolevel surface roughness and better dimensional accuracy.

Originality/value

This paper represents a comprehensive review of surface quality improvement methods for both metals and polymer-based AM parts.

Graphical abstract of surface quality improvement methods
Women and partners’ experience of major postpartum haemorrhage: a qualitative study
Authors: Rosvig Lena , Steffensen Ellen , Brogaard Lise , Hvidman Lone , Kierkegaard Ole , Kjeldsen Anne Cathrine , Taastrøm Katja , Uldbjerg Niels , Lou Stina
Published: February 2023

Objective

To examine women and their partners’ experience of major postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).

Design

A qualitative interview study.

Setting

Two Labour and Delivery Units in Denmark.

Population

Women who experienced major PPH (≥1 litre within 2 hours after vaginal birth).

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 women and nine partners (nine joint interviews, six individual interviews). Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

Main outcome measures

A qualitative description of women and their partners’ experiences.

Results

Three major themes were identified. (1) ‘From birth to emergency’ included factors that increased concern in women and their partners, such as ‘incomprehensible’ medical terminology, a tense atmosphere, and alarm call. Transfer to the operating theatre was experienced as the most devastating part of major PPH. (2) ‘Feeling safe during an emergency’ described factors that supported the women and their partners’ management of the situation such as brief explanations from a few healthcare professionals and reassurance that the healthcare professionals were in control of the situation. The pain was experienced as severe, but acceptable. (3) ‘Family unity challenged’ described how family bonding was supported by positioning the partner at the head of the bed and by keeping the baby on the woman's chest.

Conclusions

Several factors such as small gestures from healthcare professionals and appropriate organisation of the PPH can make a difference to the woman and her partner's experience of major PPH. Particularly, efforts that support family bonding are greatly valued by women and their partners.
Is mid‐gestational uterine artery Doppler still useful in a setting with routine first‐trimester pre‐eclampsia screening? A cohort study
Authors: Meroni Anna , Mascherpa Margaret , Minopoli Monica , Lambton Benjamin , Elkalaawy Rawan , Frick Alexander , Thilaganathan Basky
Published: February 2023

Objective

To evaluate whether routine mid‐gestational uterine artery Doppler (UtAD) modifies the risk for preterm pre‐eclampsia after first‐trimester combined pre‐eclampsia screening.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

London Tertiary Hospital.

Population

A cohort of 7793 women with singleton pregnancies, first‐trimester pre‐eclampsia screening using the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) algorithm and UtAD pulsatility index (PI) assessment at the mid‐gestation ultrasound.

Methods

Pregnancies were divided into four groups: high risk in both trimesters (H1H2), high risk in the first but not in the second trimester (H1L2), low risk in the first but high risk in the second trimester (L1H2) and low risk in both trimesters (L1L2).

Main outcome measures

Small for gestational age (SGA), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and stillbirth.

Results

In this cohort, 600 (7.7%) and 620 (7.9%) women were designated as being at high risk in the first and second trimesters, respectively. Preterm pre‐eclampsia was more prevalent in the H1L2 group (4.5%) than in women considered at low risk in the first trimester (0.4%, p < 0.0001). The prevalence of preterm pre‐eclampsia in the L1H2 group (3.3%) was significantly lower than that in women considered at high risk in the first trimester (7.0%, p = 0.0076), and was higher than that observed in the L1L2 group (0.2%, p < 0.0001). The prevalence of SGA and term HDP followed similar trends.

Conclusions

Pre‐eclampsia risk after first‐trimester FMF pre‐eclampsia screening may be stratified through mid‐gestational routine UtAD assessment. Pregnancy care should not be de‐escalated for low mid‐gestational UtAD resistance in women classified as being at high risk in the first trimester. The escalation of care may be justified in women at low risk but with high mid‐gestational UtAD resistance.
The role of animal breeding in productivity growth: Evidence from Wisconsin dairy farms
Authors: Hutchins Jared , Gong Yating , Du Xiaodong
Published: February 2023

We examine the relationship between investments in animal breeding and productivity growth on Wisconsin dairy farms using a control function approach. We incorporate farm‐level annual investment in breeding and genetics into the law of motion of productivity as in De Loecker (2013) to test the relationship between these investments and realized productivity. Our unique dataset also allows us to look at the effect of choosing bulls with high milk yield potential on productivity. Our results indicate that breeding investments made 3 years prior are associated with higher productivity of the current cohort. However, the farms with the highest level of productivity reap the lowest benefits from breeding investments, suggesting that there are diminishing returns to investing in genetics. When milk output is not quality adjusted, the contribution of breeding to productivity is undetectable, suggesting that breeding and investments in milk quality are related. We conclude that investments in breeding and genetics significantly contribute to dairy farm productivity, especially in terms of milk quality.
Comparative analysis of pre‐operative ultrasound and histopathology in small papillary thyroid carcinoma in the era of active surveillance
Authors: Fung Yuen Yin , Chung David , Clark Jonathan R. , Low Tsu‐Hui (Hubert) , Palme Carsten E. , Wykes James , Elliott Michael S.
Published: February 2023

Background

Contemporary management of small papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) includes active surveillance (AS) as a number of these tumours are indolent. Overseas studies have reported AS in tumours up to 15 mm. This study aims to look at an Australian cohort of patients who have had surgery for non‐incidental PTCs and analyse their pre‐operative ultrasound and histopathology data to investigate potential issues that might arise in the era of AS.

Methods

Retrospective review of 82 patients who had surgical removal of PTCs ≤15 mm in diameter. Pre‐operative ultrasound imaging was reviewed by an experienced sonologist and histopathology data was obtained from medical records. The AS risk stratification framework by Brito et al. was used to determine those who were feasible for AS based on ultrasound findings.

Results

Review of pre‐operative ultrasounds demonstrated there were 68 (82.9%) patients who were shown to be either appropriate or ideal for AS. On review of histopathology, 49 (69%) patients had at least one adverse pathological risk factor. This is more than half of the patients that were originally identified as candidates for AS.

Conclusion

Our study has revealed a large proportion were suitable for AS but when compared with histopathological guidelines there was a high incidence of adverse pathological features found. This discrepancy indicates that although the guidelines are important, there are unknown pathological variables that need to be considered in patients selected for AS.
Queer Global Displacement: Social Reproduction, Refugee Survival, and Organised Abandonment in Nairobi, Cape Town, and Paris
Authors: Bhagat Ali
Published: February 2023

Queer refugees are misfits in the global political economy of migration. While international human rights law has provided some room for queer acceptance, queer refugees face organised abandonment—marginality, erasure, and invisibility—as they attempt to survive in the face of ongoing displacement. This paper explores queer refugee survival in Nairobi, Cape Town, and Paris, and examines the netted practices of the state, non‐state actors, and civil society embedded in a landscape of heteronormativity and anti‐migrant sentiment. In so doing, this paper emphasises queerness as a form of precarity inseparable from the overarching violence of race, class, and capital. With this critique in mind, queer refugee survival is constrained by the lack of access to shelter, community, and work‐related social reproduction. In short, queer refugees face deeper marginality than their cis‐gendered and heterosexual counterparts as they attempt to survive in the city.
NICU parents' mental health: A comparative study with parents of term and healthy infants
Authors: Persson Christine , Ericson Jenny , Salari Raziye , Eriksson Mats H. , Flacking Renée
Published: February 2023

Aim

To compare mental health in parents of preterm/ill infants and parents of term and healthy infants before birth and 1 month after hospital discharge.

Methods

A comparative cohort design was used. In total 439 parents from six neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and 484 parents from four maternity units (MUs) in Sweden answered a survey 1 month after discharge.

Results

Parents in neonatal units experienced significantly more psychologically traumatic births and rated their health and the health of their infants less favourably the first week after delivery than parents in MUs. In the neonatal units, both parents had better possibilities to stay together with the infant during hospital stay. There was no difference between the NICU and MU groups in postpartum depressive symptoms 1 month after discharge. Experiencing a traumatic birth was not related to an increased risk of perinatal depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ≥13) for mothers in NICUs. In contrast, the risk of depression increased for mothers in MUs.

Conclusion

Family togetherness, parent–infant closeness and emotional support at NICUs may contribute to the positive outcome. Further studies are needed to assess the long‐term effects of how family togetherness and closeness influence families long term.
First evidence of the production of Ginalski E5 button spurs from copper alloy in Central Europe
Authors: Jílek Jan , Kaňáková Ludmila , Rybářová Klára , Nosek Vojtěch , Zeman Tomáš , Krejčí Petra , Kmošek Jiří , Kučera Lukáš
Published: February 2023

Ginalski‐type E5 button spurs made from a Cu alloy are a characteristic attribute of the Middle Roman period in barbarian Europe. The find of part of a mould made of non‐ferrous metal at the Luleč site in the district of Vyškov, Czech Republic, provided key evidence for explaining the issue of their production. The discovery of this unique artefact showed that based on current knowledge, the spurs made from a Cu alloy were also produced in the Middle Danube region and not only in Northeast Europe as had previously been thought.
Effect of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genotypes on atomoxetine serum levels: A study based on therapeutic drug monitoring data
Authors: Smith Robert Løvsletten , Molden Espen , Bernard Jean‐Paul
Published: February 2023

Aims

Atomoxetine is mainly metabolized by CYP2D6 while CYP2C19 plays a secondary role. It is known that patients carrying genotypes encoding decreased/absent CYP2D6 metabolism obtain higher atomoxetine concentrations and are at increased risk of adverse effects. Here, we aimed to investigate the added effects of reduced‐function CYP2C19 genotype on atomoxetine concentrations in real‐world settings.

Methods

Serum atomoxetine concentrations and CYP2D6/2C19 genotypes were included from a therapeutic drug monitoring service. Patients were first subgrouped according to CYP2D6 encoding normal, reduced or absent CYP2D6 metabolism, referred to as normal (NM), intermediate (IM) or poor metabolizers (PM). Then, the effect of reduced‐function CYP2C19 genotypes was investigated. Genotyping of the CYP2D6 nonfunctional or reduced variant alleles comprised CYP2D6*3‐*6, *9‐*10 and *41. For CYP2C19, the CYP2C19*2 was analysed to define metabolizer phenotype. Dose‐adjusted serum atomoxetine concentration was the exposure measure.

Results

Using a patient cohort (n = 315), it was found that CYP2D6 IM and PM patients had 1.9‐fold (95% confidence interval: 1.4–2.7) and 9.6‐fold (5.9–16) higher exposure of atomoxetine compared with CYP2D6 NMs. CYP2C19*2 carriers had 1.5‐fold (1.1–2.2) higher atomoxetine exposure than noncarriers regardless of CYP2D6 genotype.

Conclusion

CYP2D6 genotype has a great impact on atomoxetine exposure, where our real‐world data suggest atomoxetine dose requirements to be around half and 1/10 in CYP2D6 IM and PM vs. NM patients, respectively. When adding CYP2C19 genotype as a factor of relevance for personalized atomoxetine dosing, CYP2C19*2 carriers should further reduce the dose by a third. These findings suggest that pre‐emptive CYP2D6/CYP2C19 genotyping should be performed to individualize atomoxetine dosing and prevent adverse effects.
Causal Mediation Analysis Using High-Dimensional Image Mediator Bounded in Irregular Domain with an Application to Breast Cancer
Authors: Jiang Shu , Colditz Graham A.
Published: February 2023

Mammography is the primary breast cancer screening strategy. Recent methods have been developed using the mammogram image to improve breast cancer risk prediction. However, it is unclear on the extent to which the effect of risk factors on breast cancer risk is mediated through tissue features summarized in mammogram images and the extent to which it is through other pathways. While mediation analysis has been conducted using mammographic density (a summary measure within the image), the mammogram image is not necessarily well described by a single summary measure and, in addition, such a measure provides no spatial information about the relationship between the exposure risk factor and the risk of breast cancer. Thus, to better understand the role of the mammogram images that provide spatial information about the state of the breast tissue that is causally predictive of the future occurrence of breast cancer, we propose a novel method of causal mediation analysis using mammogram image mediator while accommodating the irregular shape of the breast. We apply the proposed method to data from the Joanne Knight Breast Health Cohort and leverage new insights on the decomposition of the total association between risk factor and breast cancer risk that was mediated by the texture of the underlying breast tissue summarized in the mammogram image.
Abundance and composition of forest‐dwelling anurans in cashew plantations in a tropical semi‐evergreen forest landscape
Authors: Komanduri Krishna Pavan Kumar , Sreedharan Gayathri , Vasudevan Karthikeyan
Published: February 2023

Plantation crops in tropical human‐modified landscapes provide alternative habitats to biodiversity outside protected areas. The Western Ghats of India are home to a mosaic of closely spaced habitats, including forests and agroecosystems. Cashew is a widely grown plantation crop in the northern Western Ghats and is known to provide economic and societal benefits. However, its role as a supplementary habitat for anurans is not well understood. We assessed the factors that influence understorey anuran composition and abundance in cashew plantations, forest edges, and forest interiors in Tillari Conservation Reserve, Maharashtra. Species composition of cashew plantations differed significantly from forests and was positively influenced by understorey and canopy cover. Cashew plantations had a near equal abundance of anurans as that of forest edges and interiors, which could be due to the preponderance of habitat generalists. Understorey positively influenced anuran abundance while ambient temperature had a negative influence. Reduced understorey and low canopy cover represent habitat modifications that occur in cashew plantations. Such structural changes could lead to reduced environmental refuges for anurans, thereby exposing them to large variations in temperature and moisture. Cashew plantations in Tillari Conservation Reserve serve as supplementary habitats for anurans. That said, cashew cultivation practices and markets must be understood before biodiversity‐friendly plantation practices are proposed.
Anterior gradient‐2 regulates cell communication by coordinating cytokine–chemokine signaling and immune infiltration in breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Shichao , Liu Qin , Wei Yimei , Xiong Yu , Gu Yan , Huang Ya , Tang Fuzhou , Ouyang Yan
Published: February 2023

Anterior gradient‐2 (AGR2) is crucial to breast cancer progression. However, its role in the tumor immune microenvironment remains unclear. RNA sequencing expression profiles and associated clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, respectively. The AGR2 expression patterns were verified using clinical samples of breast cancer. Based on single‐cell transcriptomic data, AGR2 expression patterns were identified and cell communication analysis was carried out. Furthermore, the roles of AGR2 in breast tumor progression were explored by a series of functional experiments. We found that DNA methylation was an important mechanism for regulating the expression patterns of AGR2. Patients with AGR2 low expression displayed an immune “hot” and immunosuppressive phenotype characterized by high abundance of tumor immune cell infiltration and increased enrichment scores for transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) and epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathways, whereas patients with AGR2 high expression showed an opposite immunologic feature with a lack of immune cell infiltration, suggestive of an immune “cold” and desert phenotype. Moreover, single‐cell analysis further revealed that AGR2 in malignant cells alters cell–cell interactions by coordinating cytokine–chemokine signaling and immune infiltration. Notably, two immunotherapy cohorts revealed that AGR2‐coexpressed genes could serve as prognostic indicators of patient survival. In conclusion, AGR2 could promote breast cancer progression by affecting the tumor immune microenvironment. Patients with AGR2 low expression could be suitable for combination treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor agents and TGF‐β blockers. Therefore, this study provides a theoretical foundation for developing a strategy for personalized immunotherapy to patients with breast cancer.
Caregiver speech predicts the emergence of children's emotion vocabulary
Authors: Nencheva Mira L. , Tamir Diana I. , Lew‐Williams Casey
Published: February 2023

Learning about emotions is an important part of children's social and communicative development. How does children's emotion‐related vocabulary emerge over development? How may emotion‐related information in caregiver input support learning of emotion labels and other emotion‐related words? This investigation examined language production and input among English‐speaking toddlers (16–30 months) using two datasets: Wordbank (N = 5520; 36% female, 38% male, and 26% unknown gender; 1% Asian, 4% Black, 2% Hispanic, 40% White, 2% others, and 50% unknown ethnicity; collected in North America; dates of data collection unknown) and Child Language Data Exchange System (N = 587; 46% female, 44% male, 9% unknown gender, all unknown ethnicity; collected in North America and the UK; data collection dates, were available between 1962 and 2009). First, we show that toddlers develop the vocabulary to express increasingly wide ranges of emotional information during the first 2 years of life. Computational measures of word valence showed that emotion labels are embedded in a rich network of words with related valence. Second, we show that caregivers leverage these semantic connections in ways that may scaffold children's learning of emotion and mental state labels. This research suggests that young children use the dynamics of language input to construct emotion word meanings, and provides new techniques for defining the quality of infant‐directed speech.
A small change approach on adiposity, lean mass and bone mineral density in adults with overweight and obesity: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Walc Azalea , Latimer‐Cheung Amy E. , Day Andrew G. , Brennan Andrea M. , Hill James O. , Ross Robert
Published: February 2023

We sought to determine whether small changes in physical activity and diet could prevent adverse changes in body composition over 2 years in adults with overweight and obesity. Previously inactive adults (N = 289) were included in a secondary analysis of data derived from a 3‐year, single‐centre, two‐arm, longitudinal randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized to a small change approach (N = 144, body mass index: 32.4 ± 4.2 [mean ± standard deviation], age: 52.3 ±. 10.6 years) or usual care (N = 145, body mass index: 32.4 ± 4.2, age: 53.1 ± 10.6 years). Small change approach participants were counselled to make small changes in diet and physical activity, while usual care participants were asked to maintain their usual lifestyle. Adiposity, lean mass and bone mineral density were measured by dual‐x‐ray absorptiometry. The change in total adiposity was significantly greater in the small change approach group than usual care at 6 and 12 months but did not remain significant at 24 months (mean change [standard error] −0.8 [0.4] vs. −0.7 [0.4] kg; difference 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.2 to 1.1). Changes in visceral fat were significantly greater in the small change approach than usual care at 6 and 12 months but did not remain significant at 24 months (−0.04 [0.03] vs. 0.02 [0.03] kg; difference 0.06, 95% CI: −1.5 to 0.3). Changes in lean mass or bone mineral density were not significantly different between groups at any time point (all p > 0.1). The small change approach did not prevent gains in adiposity or losses in lean mass compared to usual care at 2 years in adults with overweight or obesity. No difference from baseline in adiposity, lean mass or bone mineral density was observed in either arm of the trial.