bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Choosing between the formal and informal economy: how do managers decide?
Authors: Abi Aad Amine , Combs James G.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

We raise and address an unexamined research question: Why do managers place some business activities in the formal economy and others in the informal? This firm-level managerial choice is most visible in emerging economies and is important due to its performance implications.

Design/methodology/approach

We theorize that managers use social ties with formal institutions (e.g. parliament, central bank) to protect against (1) being singled out for enforcement and (2) opportunistic business partners, and that these protections allow managers to conduct more activities in the informal economy. Based on regulatory focus theory, we also submit that managers with a promotion (prevention) focus mindset are more (less) prone to use their social ties with formal institutions to emphasize the informal economy. Hypotheses are tested using survey data from 362 Lebanese top managers.

Findings

Managers' social ties with formal institutions relate positively to their propensity to use the informal economy, and managers with a promotion mindset are more willing and those with a prevention mindset are less willing to leverage their social ties with formal institutions to conduct activities in the informal economy.

Originality/value

Our study raises an important new research question at the intersection of strategic and international management and offers an initial answer. Working within the informal economy requires informal social ties among informal actors, but for formally registered firms, entry into the informal economy requires informal ties with formal actors.
Fusion microfinance: expansion with information technology
Authors: Garg Adarsh
Published: May 2021

Learning outcomes

After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to understand the following: the functioning of the microfinance institutions (MFIs); how the importance of using information technology (IT) can generate a competitive edge; and how emergent technologies, business analytics play a significant role in the expansion of business by helping in decision-making and meet up the corporate social responsibility by ethical disposal of electronic waste.

Case overview/synopsis

Fusion Microfinance Private Limited is a start-up company with a vision to build a professionally managed MFI that can achieve a healthy amalgamation of social and financial sustainability. It is operational in the less penetrated North Central part of India spread across four states (Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi). Fusion appreciated the importance of IT and gradually leveraged IT to help the automation of various functions. Fusion wants to further optimize the organizational outreach to its rural clients by integrating its core function with IT. IT facilitates its huge client network conveniently with the usage of IT. Fusion also aims further to reduce its carbon footprint, thus moving towards the goal of achieving environmental sustainability through IT.

Complexity academic level

Undergraduate- or graduate-level course on management information systems, environmental sustainability or emergent technologies.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.
Yes bank: an untold story
Authors: Ramchandani Kumar , Jethwani Kinjal
Published: May 2021

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are as follows: understand the mechanism of sourcing and allocation of funds in the Indian banking industry; compare financial indicators of Yes bank with the industry average and interpret the hidden stress; understand the role of NPAs in the banking industry and analyze Yes bank’s performance; and identify the possible red signals in the business model of Yes bank.

Case overview/synopsis

The case narrated the story of Yes bank which was considered as one of the most promising and rising banks of India. The stock of Yes bank had been the preferred investment choice for many investors because of its outstanding performance in almost all the important parameters of the industry since 2005. Since its inception, investors favored the stock with an assumption that this new generation bank had a unique as well as a sustainable banking model. However, after the year 2016, Reserve Bank of India (Indian central bank and banking regulator) found huge under-reporting of non-performing assets (NPAs) in the three (i.e. 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2018–19) out of its four annual regulatory inspections, casting doubt in the way Yes bank functioned. Risk and aggression seemed to be the two most important aspects of Yes bank’s culture and this case tried to narrate the same through various financial indicators. The ratio comparison with the industry average indicated the possible gray areas of Yes bank, which was once considered as the most promising bank of India. Unfortunately, even the change of guard at the helm of Yes bank did not change the fate of the bank.

Complexity academic level

MBA/PGDBA/Executive MBA.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.
Retail post-COVID growth strategy – is omni channel the way?
Authors: Srivastava Ritu , Yadav Yogesh
Published: May 2021

Learning outcomes

To enable the students to appreciate the importance of the retail business environment and identification of opportunities set in the context of an emerging market. To make students understand how a value proposition (product) is crafted in a retail organisation. To introduce the technique of developing a service blueprint for designing the retail consumption experience. To induce students to analyse on what criteria should retail business models be evaluated. To introduce the students to the concept of omnichannel retail strategy.

Case overview/synopsis

The case is about a value-retail chain We Mart India facing the sudden lockdown situation in April 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic hitting India. Shailesh Mehta, the Chief Operating Officer of We Mart is wondering what he should do post the lockdown to bring back the retail chain to its pre-Covid fast-paced growth of 25% YOY in June 2019. We Mart focussed on physical stores as a part of its strategy with an emphasis on the in-store experience. The company catered to the aspirations in fashion for the youth through a series of fashion apparel and accessories in Tiers 2 and 3 cities. The company had grown successfully in two decades and had expansion plans for 2020, which now seemed hazy because of this unpredicted biological disruption impacting businesses. Mehta’s worries were intensified by the change in the consumer trend that was witnessing a shift from offline to online. He wondered about how to incorporate this change and also realign the corporate growth plans in amidst of a challenging situation. To add to his woes were thoughts about established competitors online already apart from the existing offline ones. Research methods: This case is based on primary and secondary data gathered through interviews and publicly available secondary sources. The name of the company and protagonist have been disguised.

Complexity academic level

The case is suitable for post-graduate (masters in buisness administration) level courses on retail management. The length of the case enables the participants to even read in the class.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing
Unveiling business school interns' satisfaction toward online summer internship program amid COVID-19
Authors: Maini Rashmi , Sachdeva Sanandi , Mann Guneet Kaur
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The objective of this research is to explore factors that influence interns' satisfaction (is) toward the e-internship program, an alternate adopted by management institutesin lieuof the regular summer internship amidst the global pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional research design with a self-reported questionnaire was conducted on business school (B-school) interns to rate the factors that contribute to their e-internship satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the responses obtained from 203 B-school interns with a diverse demographic background belonging to a government university of North India. Convenience sampling was employed to get valid responses from interested respondents.

Findings

Results revealed that although all the four factors under consideration, faculty mentors' preparedness (FMP), industry mentors' preparedness (IMP), interns' readiness toward online internship and interns' Internet efficacy (IIE) are significantly related to IS, industry mentors' role was found to have a major impact on the IS. The study unravels that industry mentors' interaction has a potential role in the successful implementation of e-internships.

Research limitations/implications

The study has implications for the university as well as the companies to ponder on factors that satisfy interns during the virtual internship and designing an effective internship program by having a collaborative approach.

Originality/value

There is a dearth of empirical studies on internships in general and e-internship in particular, so this study fills the gap and contributes to the existing literature and provides ways to satisfy B-school interns toward e-internship by addressing the key factors.
Somali’s perceptions, beliefs and barriers toward breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening: a socioecological scoping review
Authors: Ali Muhanad Ahmed , Ahmad Farah , Morrow Marina
Published: May 2021

Purpose

While there is literature that examines factors associated with low participation in cancer screening among Canadian ethnic groups, there is limited understanding of black visible minorities, particularly Somalis. Thus, the purpose of this study is to synthesize knowledge pertaining to the perceptions, beliefs and barriers of Somali women and men toward screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers in countries such as Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

The scoping review methodology was used to search for peer-reviewed articles that explicitly examined perceptions, beliefs and barriers among Somalis toward screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers in developed countries. The following electronic databases were searched without time frame restrictions, namely, OVID Medline, Embase, CINHAL, PubMed, Scopes and ProQuest. A total of 402 peer-reviewed articles were identified and screened. Three articles were identified through reference list screening (one eligible) and consultation with experts in the networks (two eligible). In total, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria for synthesis. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the selected articles for key themes and the synthesis was informed by the socio-ecological model.

Findings

The majority of studies originated from the USA and focused primarily on Somali women and cervical cancer screening. Themes that emerged from the literature include individual-level negative experiences and socio-cultural perceptions/beliefs; community-level barriers in cancer screening; and systemic challenges in navigating the health-care system. Many of the studies focused on individual and community-level determinants of cancer screening, with little attention to systemic level determinants. Other gaps identified include factors influencing Somali men’s low participation in cancer screening; limited studies on colorectal cancer and Somali women; and specific cancer-screening barriers faced by Somalis within the Canadian context.

Originality/value

The findings of the review reveal multiple cancer screening challenges for Somali communities and the gained insights should inform both health and social care practitioners and policymakers.
Public sector financial management reforms in Ghana: insights from institutional theory
Authors: Tetteh Lexis Alexander , Agyenim-Boateng Cletus , Simpson Samuel Nana Yaw , Susuawu Daniel
Published: May 2021

Purpose

In this study, we use neoinstitutional sociology to explore how institutional pressures exerted on Ghana influenced the government’s decision to adopt, implement and use integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) for the management of public financial resources.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a case study of Ghana’s Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), the study uses a qualitative interpretive case approach as the methodological stance, and some key officials involved in the implementation of the IFMIS project were interviewed and documentary evidence was also analyzed to achieve triangulation of data and results.

Findings

The results show that the IFMIS reform was instigated by two main forces. One is the pressure from external stakeholders like the World Bank related to funding relationships. The other is the indigenous pressures coming from internal stakeholders who felt dissatisfied with the outcomes of previous reforms. The findings also suggest that many contingencies for successful reforms to IFMIS were present in Ghana, such as the commitment of internal stakeholders, the training programs for improving the needed skills of employees, and the will to get inspired by best practices abroad. Nevertheless, ultimate users mostly were hesitant to use IFMIS due to fears of losing their jobs because of institutionalized practices and a lack of IT skills. The study further revealed that, even if many conditions for a successful reform, especially regarding adoption and implementation, are in place, the reform may ultimately fail due to the impact of other factors that particularly regard the use of the newly developed accounting repertoire.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can be considered as a blueprint to emerging economies yet to adopt and implement similar IT-based Public Financial Management Information System (PFMIS). Moreover, given that some ultimate users exhibited resistance to the use of the new system, the results will prompt emerging economies that have not yet implemented IT-based PFMIS to recognize that cultural change management is an inevitable condition for successful implementation and use of IT-based PFMIS.

Originality/value

This study contributes to studies on public sector accounting reform in emerging economies by highlighting how the adoption of public sector accounting reform was instigated by both development partners and indigenous institutions responsible for ensuring effective and transparent management of public funds. Furthermore, unlike previous studies, the implementation team imported business case ideas from the private sector to augment the IFMIS implementation.
Hedonic and utilitarian perspective of mobile phones purchase intention
Authors: Owusu Kwateng Kwame , Yobanta Amina Lambert , Amanor Kofi
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study sought to examine the differential effect of brand quality and brand prestige on brand purchase intentions of mobile phones by students in Ghana. The study also examined the moderating role of network effect, system quality and self-efficacy on the relationship between brand quality and prestige on purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research approach was adopted with data collection executed through the application of a questionnaire that was self-administered. A total of 518 completed questionnaires received from the respondents were used for the analysis. Statistical analysis was pursued using a sequential analytical procedure concentrating on purchasing intentions or actual purchases with respect to the choice of mobile phone brands.

Findings

The findings indicate that the network externality, system quality and self-efficacy can stimulate the choice of mobile phone brands. The moderating effect of network externality, self-efficacy and system quality were found to be mixed.

Practical implications

Mobile phone companies should skew their investments toward improving the quality of the brand whiles developing effective marketing and differentiation strategies to enhance the brand image and create prestigious brands.

Originality/value

This paper provides researchers with a contemporary perspective toward understanding the key factors that guide students to have informed purchase intentions and enable mobile phone companies to evaluate their strategies
Deliverables of student engagement: developing an outcome-oriented model
Authors: Malik Sahil , Hazarika Deepti Dabas , Dhaliwal Amandeep
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Student engagement is a multifaceted concept that directly impacts students and their education. The purpose of this paper is to discuss student engagement conceptually by offering a framework to better understand the deliverables of engagement in the form of generic and targeted outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The design of the study is based on a detailed literature review, to identify different types of engagement which graduates are expected to experience during their higher education studies. These types of engagement(s) are mapped with their outcomes.

Findings

The findings of this study would be an analysis of relevant studies to create an outcome-oriented conceptual framework for student engagement.

Practical implications

The practical implications of the study would be to provide a guide for enhancing student engagement through which both generic competencies and higher order competencies of students may be augmented.

Originality/value

The available literature suggests that many students lack focus when learning on campus, especially in meeting targeted outcomes, and do not engage in the community. The current study has incorporated generic and targeted outcomes expected as a result of the different types of engagement. The study has put forward certain propositions, suggesting new dimensions of research in the domain of student engagement.
A bi-dimensional classification and characterization of enterprise social media users
Authors: Kirchner Kathrin , Jørgensen Rasmus , Bolisani Ettore , Scarso Enrico
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Enterprise social media (ESM) platforms are rapidly diffusing in the business context because they can bring substantial benefits to companies by enhancing their knowledge management (KM) processes. However, such benefits materialize only if active employee participation is ensured. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how individual employees use an ESM platform to assist their knowledge-related activities. This paper contributes to this topic by proposing a classification of ESM users based on two dimensions: frequency and type (active or passive) of use.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents the results of a survey of 262 employees of an international engineering service company that has adopted an ESM platform to support its KM processes. Statistical methods (e.g. ANOVA, Tukey’s b) were applied to verify the usefulness of the proposed typology and identify the main aspects that characterize the different user groups.

Findings

The survey results confirm the existence of different types of ESM users and provide the empirical basis for developing a bi-dimensional classification from which four user groups were derived and characterized: frequent contributors, sporadic contributors, frequent lurkers and sporadic lurkers.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation is that only one company in one sector with specific knowledge needs and capabilities was investigated.

Practical implications

The study provides useful suggestions for how to promote the use of an ESM and particularly for how to encourage less frequent and less active users to increase their participation in a platform.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to a better understanding of how employees approach ESM by identifying factors that characterize different user groups.
Integrating virtual reality technology into architecture education: the case of architectural history courses
Authors: Ibrahim Anwar , Al-Rababah Amneh Ibrahim , Bani Baker Qanita
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Virtual reality (VR) technology invaded various domains including architecture practice and education. Despite its high applications in architecture design education, VR has a high potential to be used in architectural history courses as well. This paper aims to examine the effect of using VR technology on the students’ learning abilities of history of architecture.

Design/methodology/approach

The experimental approach was used. Two experiments were designed by creating virtual environments for two selected architectural examples from the Modern Architecture course. The participants who were students of Modern Architecture class had to complete two questionnaires, one for each example. The first one was based on Bloom’s taxonomy, and the other was prepared to test the participants’ analytical and critical skills. Besides, participants had to fill out satisfaction and ease-of-use survey on a five-step Likert scale.

Findings

Participants in the VR condition achieved better grades in knowledge gain compared to those in the traditional conditions. Their analytical and critical thinking skills were improved in the VR conditions. Gender has a significant impact on analytical and critical thinking skills. Participants recorded a high level of satisfaction; however, male students were more satisfied than female students who reported concerns about the weight of the used tools and nausea symptoms.

Research limitations/implications

This study informs architecture education and provides insights into the potentials of using advanced technology in architectural history education. Teaching the various history of architecture courses will be improved, shifted toward a more student-centered curriculum, and may acquire more excitement and conscious curiosity.

Originality/value

Using VR in architectural education is rigorous in architectural design courses and students’ design projects’ presentations. This research expands architectural education research by examining other ways of teaching history of architecture courses and its effect on the students’ knowledge gain and performance.
Economical effect on doubling of COVID-19 cases: examples of rich versus poor countries
Authors: Ali Maher Osama , Mun Dmitry , Giha Fatma , Ali Mayouson , Bellizzi Saverio
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The paper aims to examine some economical, political and health system indicators on the transmission of the COVID-19 transmission within the national system. The main objective is to investigate what are the most effective indicators which have led to the declared numbers by countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study combined multiple sets of data to describe best the economical status of the health system including the government spending on the health system to draw some conclusion regarding the behavior of the pandemic.

Findings

Complex emergencies and internal conflicts negatively affected the quality of the reported cases and the size of the pandemic. The health work force was the most determinant factor of the health system. It can sometimes be impossible to understand the epidemic only with epidemiological data or health system one; economical aspects of health system and political situation have to be added to the equation.

Originality/value

The research according to the authors’ knowledge is the most comprehensive comparison so far that investigate the non-covid aspects from a political side in particular in complex emergencies and war situation added health system indicators.
Coupled support for sugar beet in the European Union: Does it lead to market distortions?
Authors: Haß Marlen
Published: May 2021

Under the EU Common Agriculture Policy, only 11 of 19 sugar beet producing EU Member States provide coupled direct payments for sugar beet. This paper analyses the market effects of this uneven implementation of an agricultural policy instrument along the sugar supply chain, focusing in particular on changes in sugar production in individual EU Member States. In addition to previous literature, the effects on the production of competing crops to sugar beet are also presented. Moreover, the effects of coupled support are investigated under two different yield levels to account for yield uncertainties arising from an application ban on certain insecticides that came into force in the EU in 2018. The simulation was carried out using the partial equilibrium model AGMEMOD. Results suggest that the market‐distorting effect of coupled support for sugar beet remains limited and tends to be higher under an optimistic yield development. Assuming unchanged yield growth, the simulated increase in sugar production of EU countries providing coupled support totals 258,000 tonnes of sugar (+5.7%), while sugar production in EU countries without coupled payments declines by only 21,000 tonnes (−0.2%) resulting in an overall increase in EU sugar production of 236,000 tonnes (+1.3%). Despite these rather limited market‐distorting effects, providing coupled support to sugar beet cannot be supported from an economic point of view because it contradicts the objective of a stronger market‐orientation of EU agricultural production.
Mass violence planned as ultimate leisure experience? Four diverse cases
Authors: Williams D J , Schaal Kaleigh
Published: May 2021

As part of a larger project on contextual factors of mass murder, this paper identifies and discusses four cases that quite clearly suggest, based on the content of perpetrators’ personal communications and/or reports from those who knew them, that the perpetrators purposely planned and experienced their attacks as desired leisure experience. Leisure science, while consistent with the multidisciplinary roots of forensic behavioral science, has not yet been applied to better understand cases of mass violence. Together with traditional forensic behavioral science approaches, leisure theory may produce insights in cases of mass violence that are uncoerced, largely intrinsically motivated, and committed for personal enjoyment.
Chinese Overseas Investment Policy: Implications for Climate Change
Authors: Gallagher Kelly Sims , Qi Qi
Published: May 2021

President Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. In total capital, China is now the largest investor in least‐developed countries and in developing Asia, and the fifth‐largest investor in Africa. Motivated by concerns about the climate change consequences of China’s overseas investments, this paper identifies and evaluates Chinese policies governing China’s overseas investments and analyzes how those policies influence environmental outcomes in recipient countries. Policies governing domestic investments are analyzed in order to clarify inconsistencies between domestic and overseas policies. Key findings are that the Chinese government’s environmental policies governing domestic investments are more stringent than those governing overseas investments. Chinese environmental overseas investment policies are mostly voluntary in nature so long as firms comply with host country regulations. Disclosure and transparency of information about China’s investments is opaque. Even if there is a failure to comply with host country regulations, there do not appear to be serious enforcement consequences. Finally, China encourages overseas investments in clean energy as well as exploration and development of higher carbon industries and fails to specifically restrict or prohibit investment in carbon‐intensive and fossil fuel industries in its overseas investments, revealing a discrepancy between policy for domestic and overseas investment.
Brokers, Social Networks, Reciprocity, and Clientelism
Authors: Ravanilla Nico , Haim Dotan , Hicken Allen
Published: May 2021

Although canonical models of clientelism argue that brokers use dense social networks to monitor and enforce vote buying, recent evidence suggests that brokers can instead target intrinsically reciprocal voters and reduce the need for active monitoring and enforcement. Combining a trove of survey data on brokers and voters in the Philippines with an experiment‐based measure of reciprocity, and relying on local naming conventions to build social networks, we demonstrate that brokers employ both strategies conditional on the underlying social network structure. We show that brokers are chosen for their central position in networks and are knowledgeable about voters, including their reciprocity levels. We then show that, where village social networks are dense, brokers prefer to target voters who have many ties in the network because their votes are easiest to monitor. Where networks are sparse, brokers target intrinsically reciprocal voters whose behavior they need not monitor.
The impact of hydroxychloroquine–azithromycin combination on Tpeak‐to‐end and Tpeak‐to‐end/QT ratio during a short treatment course
Authors: Bakhshaliyev Nijad , Özdemir Ramazan
Published: May 2021

Background

Since there was no proven treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), hydroxychloroquine–azithromycin (HCQ‐AZM) combination is being used in different countries as a treatment option. Many controversies exist related to the safety and effectiveness of this combination, and questions about how HCQ‐AZM combination affects the ventricular repolarization are still unknown.

Objective

The aim of the study was to show whether the hydroxychloroquine–azithromycin (HCQ‐AZM) combination prolonged Tpeak‐to‐end (TpTe) duration and TpTe/QT interval ratio or not.

Methods

One hundred and twenty‐six consequent COVID‐19(+) patients meeting the study criteria were enrolled in this study. Baseline ECGs were obtained immediately after hospitalization and before commencing the HCQ‐AZM combination. On‐treatment ECG was obtained 24–48 hr after the loading dose of HCQ/AZM. ECG parameters including PR interval, QRS duration, QT interval, QTc interval, TpTe duration, and TpTe/QT interval ratio were assessed. Demographic and laboratory findings were collected from an electronic recording system.

Results

ECGs of 126 COVID‐19(+) patients who received HCQ‐AZM combination were assessed. Mean baseline QTc (by Fridericia formula), TpTe, and TpTe/QT ratio were 420.0 ± 26.5 ms, 82.43 ± 9.77 ms, and 0.22 ± 0.02, respectively. On‐treatment QTc, TpTe and TpTe/QT ratio were 425.7 ± 27.18 ms, 85.17 ± 11.17 ms, and 0.22 ± 0.03, respectively. No statistically significant acute impacts of HCQ‐AZM combination on TpTe duration and TpTe/QT interval ratio were observed compared with baseline values. No ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation and the significant conduction delays were seen during in‐hospital follow‐up.

Conclusion

HCQ‐AZM combination increased TpTe duration. However, no significant impact on TpTe/QT interval ratio was observed.
Could lymphocyte to C‐reactive protein ratio predict the prognosis in patients with gastric cancer?
Authors: Angin Yavuz Selim , Yildirim Murat , Dasiran Fatih , Okan Ismail
Published: May 2021

Background

Development or progression of inflammation in neoplastic diseases is known to be part of the disease. Lymphocyte to C‐reactive protein ratio (LCR) is a new indicator showing the inflammatory state. The aim of this study is to show the clinical importance of the relationship between the preoperative LCR and the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.

Methods and Patients

We evaluated gastric cancer patients, who underwent surgery between 2010 and 2015. LCR and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were calculated from pre‐treatment of complete blood counts. Both ratios were compared to the perioperative outcomes and median survival times. Association between LCR and postoperative tumour stage was studied by using multivariate analysis with other clinicopathological variables.

Results

A total of 123 patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 65.36 ± 10.08. Preoperative low LCR value was associated with advanced tumour stage, adjacent organ invasion, lymph node metastasis and postoperative early complications. The receiver operating characteristic analysis results showed that LCR and NLR parameters were significant (CI 0.718–0.886; 95%); P < 0.001, CI 0.534–0.732; 95%). Cut‐off value being 193, the mean survival of patients who had LCR values of overcut‐off value was found to be significantly higher compared with the patients with lower LCR values (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

LCR, a simple calculated ratio of values obtained from easy and widely available serum indicators could be an effective prognostic marker with gastric cancer.
Proposed quality performance indicators of sentinel lymph node biopsy for cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Wen Daniel , Martin Richard C.W.
Published: May 2021

Background

Melanoma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand has the highest melanoma incidence in the world alongside Australia at 54 per 100 000 persons. The aim of this study is to conduct a retrospective quality audit of sentinel lymph nodal biopsy (SLNB) practices from 2007 to 2019 of a high‐volume melanoma surgeon. Primary outcome was false negative rate (FNR). Secondary outcomes were sentinel node (SN) identification and removal rate, and complication rates.

Methods

A database was maintained, containing n = 553 consecutive SLNB's for cutaneous melanoma from 31 August 2007 to 31 August 2019. Patient characteristics and details of the primary lesion, sentinel lymph node biopsy, recurrence and complications were recorded.

Results

SN's were successfully identified in 444 (99.6%) out of 446 patients with an FNR of 9.1%. Positive SN's were identified in 70 (12.7%) SLNB's. Complications occurred in 76 out of 553 (13.7%) SLNB's. A review of internationally published literature reveals an SN identification rate of 94.4–99.5% with an FNR of 4.0–37.5%. SLNB is the best staging tool for melanoma and gives potential access to adjuvant systemic treatment if >1 mm deposits are found. It is a day‐stay procedure with a low‐complication rate.

Conclusion

SLNB is a safe and reliable procedure utilized for cutaneous melanoma. We propose our data should be used alongside international SN series to establish Quality Performance Indicators to improve melanoma management.
Transfusion management of severe anaemia in African children: a consensus algorithm
Authors: Maitland Kathryn , Kiguli Sarah , Olupot‐Olupot Peter , Opoka Robert O. , Chimalizeni Yami , Alaroker Florence , Uyoga Sophie , Kyeyune‐Byabazaire Dorothy , M’baya Bridon , Bates Imelda , Williams Thomas N. , Munube Deogratias , Mbanya Dora , Molyneux Elizabeth M. , South Annabelle , Walker A. Sarah , Gibb Diana M. , George Elizabeth C. ,   TRACT Stakeholders meeting group
Published: May 2021

The phase III Transfusion and Treatment of severe anaemia in African Children Trial (TRACT) found that conservative management of uncomplicated severe anaemia [haemoglobin (Hb) 40–60 g/l] was safe, and that transfusion volume (20 vs. 30 ml/kg whole blood equivalent) for children with severe anaemia (Hb <60 g/l) had strong but opposing effects on mortality, depending on fever status (>37·5°C). In 2020 a stakeholder meeting of paediatric and blood transfusion groups from Africa reviewed the results and additional analyses. Among all 3196 children receiving an initial transfusion there was no evidence that nutritional status, presence of shock, malaria parasite burden or sickle cell disease status influenced outcomes or modified the interaction with fever status on volume required. Fever status at the time of ordering blood was a reliable determinant of volume required for optimal outcome. Elevated heart and respiratory rates normalised irrespective of transfusion volume and without diuretics. By consensus, a transfusion management algorithm was developed, incorporating three additional measurements of Hb post‐admission, alongside clinical monitoring. The proposed algorithm should help clinicians safely implement findings from TRACT. Further research should assess its implementation in routine clinical practice.
Toward a Precision Science of Word Learning: Understanding Individual Vocabulary Pathways
Authors: Samuelson Larissa K.
Published: May 2021

Toddlers vary widely in the rate at which they develop vocabulary. This variation predicts later language development and school success at the group level; however, we cannot determine which children with slower vocabulary development in the second year will continue to have difficulty. In this article, I argue that this is because we lack theoretical understanding of how multiple processes operate as a system to create individual children’s pathways to word learning. I discuss the difficulties children face when learning even a single concrete noun, the multiple general cognitive processes that support word learning, and some evidence of rapid development in the second year. I present work toward a formal model of the word learning system and how this system changes over time. The long‐term goal of this work is to understand how individual children’s strengths and weaknesses create unique vocabulary pathways, and to enable us to predict outcomes and identify effective interventions.
When a typical jumper skips: itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands
Authors: Piersma Theunis , Kok Eva M. A. , Hassell Chris J. , Peng He‐Bo , Verkuil Yvonne I. , Lei Guangchun , Karagicheva Julia , Rakhimberdiev Eldar , Howey Paul W. , Tibbitts T. Lee , Chan Ying‐Chi
Published: May 2021

The ecological reasons for variation in avian migration, with some populations migrating across thousands of kilometres between breeding and non‐breeding areas with one or few refuelling stops, in contrast to others that stop more often, remain to be pinned down. Red Knots Calidris canutus are a textbook example of a shorebird species that makes long migrations with only a few stops. Recognizing that such behaviours are not necessarily species‐specific but determined by ecological context, we here provide a description of the migrations of a relatively recently described subspecies (piersmai). Based on data from tagging of Red Knots on the terminal non‐breeding grounds in northwest Australia with 4.5‐ and 2.5‐g solar‐powered Platform Terminal Transmitters (PTTs) and 1.0‐g geolocators, we obtained information on 19 route‐records of 17 individuals, resulting in seven complete return migrations. We confirm published evidence that Red Knots of the piersmai subspecies migrate from NW Australia and breed on the New Siberian Islands in the Russian Arctic and that they stage along the coasts of southeastern Asia, especially in the northern Yellow Sea in China. Red Knots arrived on the tundra breeding grounds from 8 June onwards. Southward departures mainly occurred in the last week of July and the first week of August. We documented six non‐stop flights of over c. 5000 km (with a maximum of 6500 km, lasting 6.6 days). Nevertheless, rather than staging at a single location for multiple weeks halfway during migration, piersmai‐knots made several stops of up to a week. This was especially evident during northward migration, when birds often stopped along the way in southeast Asia and ‘hugged’ the coast of China, thus flying an additional 1000–1500 km compared with the shortest possible (great circle route) flights between NW Australia and the Yellow Sea. The birds staged longest in areas in northern China, along the shores of Bohai Bay and upper Liaodong Bay, where the bivalve Potamocorbula laevis, known as a particularly suitable food for Red Knots, was present. The use of multiple food‐rich stopping sites during northward migration by piersmai is atypical among subspecies of Red Knots. Although piersmai apparently has the benefit of multiple suitable stopping areas along the flyway, it is a subspecies in decline and their mortality away from the NW Australian non‐breeding grounds has been elevated.
Rural–urban connectivity strengthens agrarian peace: Evidence from a study of gender and motorcycle taxis in Sierra Leone
Authors: Jenkins Jack , Mokuwa Esther , Peters Krijn , Richards Paul
Published: May 2021

Rural‐based insurgencies disrupted the forest margins of Upper West Africa in the 1990s. A subsequent return to peace was accompanied by strong growth in small‐scale trade in foodstuffs and other agrarian produce in high demand in towns. Motor cycle taxis are a feature of this increased rural–urban market integration. It was a mode of transport pioneered by ex‐combatants. Where rural women were once attacked by rural young men without job prospects press ganged into fighting for the rebels, bike taxi riders now carry them to rural periodic markets, many of which are new since the end of conflict. The study provides an analytical account of these developments, drawing on discussions with villagers in three heavily war‐affected localities of Sierra Leone. The evidence indicates that communities divided by conflict have quietly built new cooperative links conducive to peace based on local agricultural production and petty trade.
Towards the Spoken World Theory: The contribution of Rom Harré to advancing social theory
Authors: Van Langenhove Luk
Published: May 2021

Rom Harré was a philosopher of science who is especially known for his contributions to psychology. But a lot of his writings can also be regarded as exercises in social theorizing and in tackling issues of the social ontology. This paper will argue that he introduced three innovations in the thinking about social ontology: (i) the primacy of conversations and speech acts as the ‘substance’ of the social world; (ii) the distinction between different epistemological realms when dealing with the social ontology and (iii) the introduction of a new way to think about the levels of the social reality. Moreover, it will be argued that throughout the many concepts and models Harré used to explain and understand the social reality, lays a remarkable unity and consistency in how he pictures and theorizes the society and social phenomena. Using the conceptual scheme developed by Maddi, a Harré inspired general social theory is presented that can also be read as an attempt to provide a synthesis/summary of his social theory, complemented with some insights developed by other scholars. It is proposed to label this theory as the Spoken World Theory. One of the distinct features of that theory is that it demonstrates that social and psychological phenomena are so entangled that it makes no sense to separate them and study them from a single social science’s disciplinary perspective.
The maternal health study: Study design update for a prospective cohort of first‐time mothers and their firstborn children from birth to age ten
Authors: Brown Stephanie J. , Gartland Deirdre , Woolhouse Hannah , Giallo Rebecca , McDonald Ellie , Seymour Monique , Conway Laura , FitzPatrick Kelly M. , Cook Fallon , Papadopoullos Sandra , MacArthur Christine , Hegarty Kelsey , Herrman Helen , Nicholson Jan M. , Hiscock Harriet , Mensah Fiona
Published: May 2021

Background

Maternal health is critical to the health and well‐being of children and families, but is rarely the primary focus of pregnancy and birth cohort studies. Globally, poor maternal health and the exposure of women and children to family violence contribute to the perpetuation and persistence of intergenerational health inequalities.

Objectives

The Maternal Health Study was designed to investigate the contribution of social and obstetric risk factors to common maternal physical and psychological morbidities. Over time, our focus has expanded to include mother‐child pairs and investigation of intergenerational trauma and family violence.

Population

A total of 1507 first‐time mothers were recruited in early pregnancy from six public hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003‐2005.

Methods

Women completed questionnaires or telephone interviews in early pregnancy (≤24 weeks); at 32 weeks’ gestation; at three, six, nine, 12 and 18 months postpartum; and at four and ten years. At ten years, women and children were invited to participate in face‐to‐face interviews, which included direct assessment of children's cognitive and language development. A wide range of obstetric, social and contextual factors have been measured, including exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) (1‐year, 4‐year and 10‐year follow‐up).

Results

1507 eligible women were recruited at a mean gestation of 15 weeks. At one year, four years and ten years postpartum, 90.0%, 73.1% and 63.2% of the original cohort took part in follow‐up. One in three women in the study (34.5%) reported exposure to IPV in the first ten years of motherhood: 19% in the first 12 months postpartum, 20% in the year prior to four‐year follow‐up and 18.3% in the year prior to ten‐year follow‐up.

Conclusion

The study affords a unique opportunity to examine patterns of maternal and child health and health service use associated with exposure to IPV.
Evidence of under‐reporting of early‐onset preeclampsia using register data
Authors: Simard Julia F. , Rossides Marios , Wikström Anna‐Karin , Falasinnu Titilola , Palmsten Kristin , Arkema Elizabeth V.
Published: May 2021

Background

Early‐onset preeclampsia, traditionally defined as presenting before 34 gestational weeks, is associated with even higher risks of perinatal death, placental abruption, and stroke, than late‐onset preeclampsia.

Objective

We estimated the degree of misclassification in a high‐risk population of lupus pregnancies and a general population comparator when gestational age at delivery defined preeclampsia phenotype compared to first preeclampsia diagnosis.

Methods

Patients with lupus and general population comparators from Sweden with ≥1 singleton pregnancy in the Medical Birth Register with a documented ICD code for preeclampsia were included (2002‐2016). We used gestational age at delivery (<34 versus ≥34 weeks) to phenotype preeclampsia early‐ versus late‐onset and then reclassified based on first preeclampsia diagnosis date in the Patient Register. We cross‐tabulated the two definitions and calculated sensitivity using the visit‐based definition as the reference standard for general population and lupus pregnancies, overall and among nulliparous women.

Results

331 pregnancies were diagnosed with preeclampsia, of which 322 were in both registers. Of those, 58 were early‐onset based on gestational age at delivery (n = 29 in lupus pregnancies). Overall, 9% of early‐onset preeclampsia in lupus (sensitivity 91%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 75, 98) was misclassified as late‐onset compared to 19% in the general population (sensitivity 81%, 95% CI 64, 92). We noted similar misclassification (4% vs 22%) among nulliparous women.

Conclusions

In the general population, early‐onset preeclampsia was more likely misclassified as late‐onset than in the high‐risk lupus population. Relying on gestational age at delivery to phenotype preeclampsia, this way underestimates the occurrence of early‐onset preeclampsia. This also suggests that the burden of early‐onset preeclampsia as a public health concern may be under‐reported, although this may be more applicable to milder preeclampsia where expectant management is employed. Research of biological and maternal predictors of early‐onset preeclampsia may be dealing with differentially misclassified outcomes or samples.