bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bis(4′-chloro-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine-κ3
N,N′,N′′)zinc(II) bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate)
Authors: Adrian Rafael A. , Ibarra Sara J. , Arman Hadi D.
Published: November 2022

In the title complex, [Zn(C15H10ClN3)2](CF3SO3)2, the ZnII metal center is sixfold coordinated by three nitrogen atoms of each 4-chloroterpyridine ligand in a distorted octahedral geometry with triflouromethanesulfonate ions completing the outer coordination sphere of the complex. π–π stacking interactions between the pyridyl rings in adjacent molecules contribute to the alignment of the complexes in layers along the c axis.
Adaptive neural prescribed performance control for switched pure-feedback non-linear systems with input quantization
Authors: Cao Zhongwen , Zhang Liang , Ahmad Adil M. , Alsaadi Fawaz E. , Alassafi Madini O.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate an adaptive prescribed performance control problem for switched pure-feedback non-linear systems with input quantization.

Design/methodology/approach

By using the semi-bounded continuous condition of non-affine functions, the controllability of the system can be guaranteed. Then, a constraint variable method is introduced to ensure that the tracking error satisfies the prescribed performance requirements. Meanwhile, to avoid the design difficulties caused by the input quantization, a non-linear decomposition method is adopted. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed control scheme is verified by a numerical simulation example.

Findings

Based on neural networks and prescribed performance control method, an adaptive neural control strategy for switched pure-feedback non-linear systems is proposed.

Originality/value

The complex deduction and non-differentiable problems of traditional prescribed performance control methods can be solved by using the proposed error transformation approach. Besides, to obtain more general results, the restrictive differentiability assumption on non-affine functions is removed.
Exploring behavioural bias affecting investment decision-making: a network cluster based conceptual analysis for future research
Authors: Bihari Anshita , Dash Manoranjan , Kar Sanjay Kumar , Muduli Kamalakanta , Kumar Anil , Luthra Sunil
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study systematically explores the patterns and connections in the behavioural bias and investment decisions of the existing literature in the Scopus database published between 2007 and 2022. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Findings

In the article it was determined which contributed documents were the most significant in this particular subject area along with the citations, publications and nations that were associated with them. The bibliographic coupling offered more in-depth insights into the papers by organizing them into distinct groups. The pattern of the publications has been brought to light, and the connection between different types of literature has provided insight into the path that future studies should take.

Research limitations/implications

This study considered only articles from the Scopus database. Future studies can be based on papers that have been published in other databases.

Originality/value

The outcome of this study provides valuable insights into the intellectual structure and biases of investors and adds value to existing knowledge. This review provides a road map for the future trend of research on behavioural bias and investment decisions.
An organizational digital footprint for interruption management: a data-driven approach
Authors: Kalliomäki-Levanto Tiina , Ukkonen Antti
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Interruptions are prevalent in knowledge work, and their negative consequences have driven research to find ways for interruption management. However, these means almost always leave the responsibility and burden of interruptions with individual knowledge workers. System-level approaches for interruption management, on the other hand, have the potential to reduce the burden on employees. This paper’s objective is to pave way for system-level interruption management by showing that data about factual characteristics of work can be used to identify interrupting situations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors provide a demonstration of using trace data from information and communications technology (ICT)-systems and machine learning to identify interrupting situations. They conduct a “simulation” of automated data collection by asking employees of two companies to provide information concerning situations and interruptions through weekly reports. They obtain information regarding four organizational elements: task, people, technology and structure, and employ classification trees to show that this data can be used to identify situations across which the level of interruptions differs.

Findings

The authors show that it is possible to identifying interrupting situations from trace data. During the eight-week observation period in Company A they identified seven and in Company B four different situations each having a different probability of occurrence of interruptions.

Originality/value

The authors extend employee-level interruption management to the system-level by using “task” as a bridging concept. Task is a core concept in both traditional interruption research and Leavitt's 1965 socio-technical model which allows us to connect other organizational elements (people, structure and technology) to interruptions.
Corporate sustainability commitment and cash holding: evidence from Islamic banks in Malaysia
Authors: Muhmad Siti Nurain , Mohamad Ariff Akmalia , Abd Majid Norakma , Muhamad Rusnah
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the association between corporate sustainability commitment and cash holding and whether the board’s leadership competency moderates the association.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of Islamic banks in Malaysia from 2017 to 2019. The sustainability commitment was measured based on the dimensions of the economic, social and environment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Findings

The sustainability commitment of the Islamic banks are low. The regression results are not supportive of the hypotheses on the association between corporate sustainability commitment and cash holding and the moderating effect of board’s leadership competency.

Research limitations/implications

The Islamic banks in Malaysia are still in their early stages to achieve the SDGs, but the trend of disclosure suggests that they are gradually embracing the commitment to sustainability practices. It is in support of the agency theory, with findings indicating greater agency cost that is perceived upon companies with greater sustainability commitments.

Originality/value

This paper integrates the dimensions of the SDG with the value-based intermediation guideline by Bank Negara Malaysia in measuring sustainability commitment of Islamic banks.
Feeling psychologically close: examining the determinants of branded app engagement
Authors: Hsieh Sara H. , Tseng Timmy H. , Lee Crystal T.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Enabled by pronounced advancement in technology, branded apps have dramatically changed how consumers communicate with brands. However, despite the proliferation of mobile apps, brands are struggling to engage users. Without engagement, a mobile app is unable to attract continued usage and brands are unable to establish relationships with consumers. Grounded in construal level theory, this study aims to adopt a fresh perspective to examine the determinants of psychological distance, which plays a key role in branded app engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey with valid data from 396 app users of UberEats, Foodpanda, 7-11 and FamilyMart in Taiwan was conducted.

Findings

Perceived synchronicity, localization, homophily, ease of use and design aesthetics are the key determinants that drive branded app engagement, which, in turn, facilitates continuous app usage intention, a positive brand attitude and brand loyalty.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by revealing the five determinants of psychological distance that exert impacts on the establishment of branded app engagement. This research provides valuable findings that practitioners can emphasize to drive branded app engagement.
Carbohydrate content and ingredient profile of supposedly “low-carb” food products in Brazil
Authors: Junco Rodrigo Cavalcante , Prates Sarah Morais Senna , Anastácio Lucilene Rezende
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the carbohydrate content, ingredient profile and degree of processing of supposedly “low-carb” foods in the Brazilian market.

Design/methodology/approach

Information was collected from physical supermarkets in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais and on websites throughout Brazil between July and September/2020. The carbohydrate content was assessed in g/100 g, and ingredient lists were investigated for the presence of carbohydrate-rich ingredients. The degree of processing of the products was evaluated by NOVA classification to determine whether the term “low carb” had been translated into Portuguese.

Findings

This study evaluated a total number of 164 products, the most frequent were bakery products (34.7%), granola and cereal bars (19.5%) and candies and desserts (14.0%). This claim was also found in low-carb foods such as cheese and chicken. Most food products evaluated (56.0%) were classified as ultra-processed, with the group having the highest carbohydrate content (20.0; 3.0–47.5g/100g), compared to products classified as processed foods (p < 0.01). The ingredient lists showed items rich in carbohydrates, such as cassava and corn derivatives. In 162 products, a low-carb claim was displayed without translation into Portuguese. These data demonstrate that most of these products are ultra-processed and have a high glycidic content.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study was a pioneer investigation of the ingredients of “low-carb” foods, their carbohydrate composition and their degree of processing based on the NOVA classification.
Will adoption of blockchain technology be challenging: evidence from Indian banking industry
Authors: Khanna Preeti , Haldar Arunima
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Blockchain technology is predicted by many to be the most disruptive technology which might bring accessibility, efficiency and transparency in the financial industry. This study aims to understand the challenges likely to be faced by the Indian banking industry while adopting the technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the challenges faced by the banking industry in India. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with senior executives and academicians in the finance and the information technology industries helped gain explorative insights about the challenges.

Findings

Thematic analysis suggested a framework comprising five challenges while adopting blockchain technology. These challenges relate to technology, organisation, operation, regulator and environmental context.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the limited literature on the nascent blockchain technology adoption in banking industry in an emerging country context.
Commentary on “Developing and refining a process to improve teacher engagement with the performance management system in a school setting”
Authors: Rodriguez Manuel
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on “Developing and Refining a Process to Improve Teacher Engagement with the Performance Management System in a School Setting” and to extend the conversation around the use of organisational behavioural management in services.

Design/methodology/approach

This commentary focuses on the work conducted by Hawkins et al. (2022) in a school for autistic students who are also diagnosed with a learning disability.

Findings

The strengths and limitations of this research study are highlighted, and some suggestions are provided for future research.

Originality/value

This paper offers a valuable account of how organisational behavioural management can be used to help educational services produce better outcomes for the students while also empowering teachers.
Predict financial text sentiment: an empirical examination
Authors: Kejriwal Ruchi , Garg Monika , Sarin Gaurav
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Stock market has always been lucrative for various investors. But, because of its speculative nature, it is difficult to predict the price movement. Investors have been using both fundamental and technical analysis to predict the prices. Fundamental analysis helps to study structured data of the company. Technical analysis helps to study price trends, and with the increasing and easy availability of unstructured data have made it important to study the market sentiment. Market sentiment has a major impact on the prices in short run. Hence, the purpose is to understand the market sentiment timely and effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The research includes text mining and then creating various models for classification. The accuracy of these models is checked using confusion matrix.

Findings

Out of the six machine learning techniques used to create the classification model, kernel support vector machine gave the highest accuracy of 68%. This model can be now used to analyse the tweets, news and various other unstructured data to predict the price movement.

Originality/value

This study will help investors classify a news or a tweet into “positive”, “negative” or “neutral” quickly and determine the stock price trends.
Spelling problems after early oral language difficulties
Authors: Buil‐Legaz Lucía , Suárez‐Coalla Paz , Santamarina‐Rabanal Liliana , Martínez‐García Cristina , Rodríguez‐Ferreiro Javier , Cuetos Fernando
Published: November 2022

Recent research has stated that early oral language acquisition difficulties are related to reading and writing difficulties. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) experience difficulties with several dimensions of language. In this study we focus on the specific difficulties of children with DLD in spelling. We examine the impact of lexicality and length in written production of Spanish‐speaking children with DLD. A total of 18 children with language difficulties (Mage = 8;4) were compared with age‐matched children (Mage = 8;2). Participants completed a spelling‐to‐dictation task of words and pseudo‐words, where length was manipulated. A digital tablet was used to collect data and obtain measures of accuracy, latencies and total writing durations. Results showed that children with DLD produced more errors, longer latencies and longer writing durations than age‐matched children. Regarding accuracy, analysis of the errors shows that children in the control group produce few errors, most being substitutions, while children with DLD made more errors and of more varied categories. Moreover, they were more affected by length on writing accuracy than the control group.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

What is already known on this subject

Children with language difficulties are more likely to present reading difficulties. There are fewer studies analysing the impact of oral language difficulties in writing skills.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge

The study suggests that children with oral language difficulties also have impairments in spelling, impacting on accuracy, duration and reaction time, possibly related to poor phonological working memory.

What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?

This study highlights the need to emphasize early oral intervention and language‐related processing skills to help prevent written language difficulties.
CLAIMING SPACE, LAND AND ECOLOGY: Mapping Geographies of Indigenous and Decolonial Urbanisms in Taipei
Authors: Sugimoto Tomonori
Published: November 2022

The city is often understood as the antithesis of Indigeneity. In Taiwan, a settler colony where the Han Chinese have colonized Austronesian Indigenous peoples, dominant understandings and representations situate Indigenous vibrancy outside large cities such as Taipei and Kaohsiung, despite the large‐scale urbanization of Indigenous peoples over the past several decades. This essay is based on long‐term ethnographic research in Taipei and explores how urbanized Indigenous people in the Taiwanese metropolis persist in claiming the city's space, land and ecology despite both cartographic and physical displacements of their presence. It maps out emerging Indigenous and decolonial urbanisms in Taiwan, discussing the work of Indigenous artists and the spatial and ecological practices of urban Indigenous community residents.
THE CITIES WE CALL HOME: Indigeneity, Race andSettler‐ColonialUrbanisms
Authors: Mays Kyle T.
Published: November 2022

The connection between Indigeneity and urban spaces remains on the margins of urban studies and Indigenous studies, even as the majority of Indigenous people in the United States live in cities. Scholars have recently begun to think about the connection between settler colonialism and racial capitalism and the urban. In this essay I examine how the dispossession of Indigenous peoples has shaped modern urban development and, importantly, how Indigenous peoples and culture have contributed to reclaiming and challenging urban dispossession through their engagement with Black people and culture. In this essay I use a few examples of Indigenous expressive culture in Detroit, Michigan, during the Emergency Management Era and urban Indigenous youth activism, to urge for us to move beyond simply demonstrating that Indigenous peoples live in urban contexts. Instead, I call for an urban Indigenous studies that explores the connections between dispossession and the possibilities of a radical Indigenous resurgence in cities, and describe how this can be done through solidarity with African Americans in a predominantly Black city.
Applying cognitive task analysis to health services research
Authors: Graham Laura A. , Gray Caroline , Wagner Todd H. , Illarmo Samantha , Hawn Mary T. , Wren Sherry M. , Iannuzzi James , Harris Alex H. S.
Published: November 2022

Objective

Designing practical decision support tools and other health care technology in health services research relies on a clear understanding of the cognitive processes that underlie the use of these tools. Unfortunately, methods to explore cognitive processes are rarely used in health services research. Thus, the objective of this manuscript is to introduce cognitive task analysis (CTA), a family of methods to study cognitive processes involved in completing a task, to a health services research audience. This methods article describes CTA procedures, proposes a framework for their use in health services research studies, and provides an example of its application in a pilot study.

Data Sources and Study Setting

Observations and interviews of health care providers involved in discharge planning at six hospitals in the Veterans Health Administration.

Study Design

Qualitative study of discharge planning using CTA.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Data were collected from structured observations and semi‐structured interviews using the Critical Decision Method and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Principal Findings

We developed an adaptation of CTA that could be used in a clinical environment to describe clinical decision‐making and other cognitive processes. The adapted CTA framework guides the user through four steps: (1) Planning, (2) Environmental Analysis, (3) Knowledge Elicitation, and (4) Analyses and Results. This adapted CTA framework provides an iterative and systematic approach to identifying and describing the knowledge, expertise, thought processes, procedures, actors, goals, and mental strategies that underlie completing a clinical task.

Conclusions

A better understanding of the cognitive processes that underly clinical tasks is key to developing health care technology and decision‐support tools that will have a meaningful impact on processes of care and patient outcomes. Our adapted framework offers a more rigorous and detailed method for identifying task‐related cognitive processes in implementation studies and quality improvement. Our adaptation of this underutilized qualitative research method may be helpful to other researchers and inform future research in health services research.
Mid‐Arm Point in PAEDiatrics (MAPPAED): An effective procedural aid for safe pleural decompression in trauma
Authors: Quinn Nuala , Ward Grantley , Ong Cyril , Krieser David , Melvin Robert , Makhijani Allya , Grindlay Joanne , Lynch Catherine , Colleran Gabrielle , Perry Victoria , O'Donnell Sinead M , Law Ian , Varma Dinesh , Fitzgerald John , Mitchell Hannah J , Teague Warwick J
Published: November 2022

Objective

Life‐threatening thoracic trauma requires emergency pleural decompression and thoracostomy and chest drain insertion are core trauma procedures. Reliably determining a safe site for pleural decompression in children can be challenging. We assessed whether the Mid‐Arm Point (MAP) technique, a procedural aid proposed for use with injured adults, would also identify a safe site for pleural decompression in children.

Methods

Children (0–18 years) attending four EDs were prospectively recruited. The MAP technique was performed, and chest wall skin marked bilaterally at the level of the MAP; no pleural decompression was performed. Radio‐opaque markers were placed over the MAP‐determined skin marks and corresponding intercostal space (ICS) reported using chest X‐ray.

Results

A total of 392 children participated, and 712 markers sited using the MAP technique were analysed. Eighty‐three percentage of markers were sited within the ‘safe zone’ for pleural decompression (4th to 6th ICSs). When sited outside the ‘safe zone’, MAP‐determined markers were typically too caudal. However, if the site for pleural decompression was transposed one ICS cranially in children ≥4 years, the MAP technique performance improved significantly with 91% within the ‘safe zone’.

Conclusions

The MAP technique reliably determines a safe site for pleural decompression in children, albeit with an age‐based adjustment, the Mid‐Arm Point in PAEDiatrics (MAPPAED) rule: ‘in children aged ≥4 years, use the MAP and go up one ICS to hit the safe zone. In children <4 years, use the MAP.’ When together with this rule, the MAP technique will identify a site within the ‘safe zone’ in 9 out of 10 children.
Water management infrastructure alters plant species composition, functional diversity and soil condition in a livestock‐impaired mosaic of wetlands
Authors: Aquino Diego Sebastian , Gavier‐Pizarro Gregorio Ignacio , Quintana Rubén Darío
Published: November 2022

Aims

Wetlands are key ecosystems due to their economic, social and environmental contributions. Because of their highly productive habitats and their dependence on hydro‐meteorologic regimes, they are threatened worldwide by land use and climate change. In most wetlands, intensification of productive activities has been mostly accompanied by the implementation of a water management infrastructure, disrupting water and nutrient dynamics. Our aim was to analyze whether intensification of livestock raising erodes the structure and function of plant communities, as well as the quality and fertility of soils in wetlands.

Location

Non‐insular portion of the Lower Delta of the Paraná River, Argentina.

Methods

Plant communities were characterized on the basis of their floristic composition, structural and functional diversity. Soil samples were also collected to assess soil fertility, texture and quality.Generalized mixed linear modelswere used to contrast these attributes across livestock management practices characterized by differing water management infrastructure (polders and channelizations) and livestock type (bovine, bubaline).

Results

Remarkably fertile hydromorphic soils supported a structurally rich and functionally diverse species composition. Nevertheless, most dominant populations were terrestrial, perennial, invasive species, partially adapted to conditions of temporary flooding. Polderized livestock fields exhibited not only the lowest quality, least fertile, most compacted soils, but also lower species richness and diversity, as well as the lowest values in all non‐redundant components of functional diversity. Channelized livestock fields exhibited lower species richness and taxonomic diversity as well as reduced soil quality and fertility, yet an overall increase in most non‐redundant components of functional diversity.

Conclusions

Promoting the loss of native flora, water management infrastructure impairs the sustainability of anthropic activities and thwarts biodiversity conservation efforts. Traditional and sustainable practices that embrace the periodicity of the flood pulse are required to preserve the taxonomic and functional diversity of plant communities, as well as the quality and fertility of soils.
Wild goose chase: Geese flee high and far, and with aftereffects from New Year's fireworks
Authors: Kölzsch Andrea , Lameris Thomas K. , Müskens Gerhard J. D. M. , Schreven Kees H. T. , Buitendijk Nelleke H. , Kruckenberg Helmut , Moonen Sander , Heinicke Thomas , Cao Lei , Madsen Jesper , Wikelski Martin , Nolet Bart A.
Published: November 2022

In the present Anthropocene, wild animals are globally affected by human activity. Consumer fireworks during New Year (NY) are widely distributed in W‐Europe and cause strong disturbances that are known to incur stress responses in animals. We analyzed GPS tracks of 347 wild migratory geese of four species during eight NYs quantifying the effects of fireworks on individuals. We show that, in parallel with particulate matter increases, during the night of NY geese flew on average 5–16 km further and 40–150 m higher, and more often shifted to new roost sites than on previous nights. This was also true during the 2020–2021 fireworks ban, despite fireworks activity being reduced. Likely to compensate for extra flight costs, most geese moved less and increased their feeding activity in the following days. Our findings indicate negative effects of NY fireworks on wild birds beyond the previously demonstrated immediate response.
Using an animal model to predict the effective human dose for oral multiple sclerosis drugs
Authors: Liu Wei , Yu Zhiheng , Wang Ziyu , Waubant Emmanuelle L. , Zhai Suodi , Benet Leslie Z.
Published: November 2022

The objective of this study was to determine the potential usefulness of an animal model to predict the appropriate dose of newly developed drugs for treating relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Conversion of the lowest effective dose (LEffD) for mice and rats in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model was used to predict the human effective dose utilizing the body surface area correction factor found in the 2005 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidance for Industry in selecting safe starting doses for clinical trials. Predictions were also tested by comparison with doses estimated by scaling up the LEffD in the model by the human to animal clearance ratio. Although initial proof‐of‐concept studies of oral fingolimod tested the efficacy and safety of 1.25 and 5 mg in treating RRMS, the EAE animal model predicted the approved dose of this drug, 0.5 mg daily. This approach would have also provided useful predictions of the approved human oral doses for cladribine, dimethyl fumarate, ozanimod, ponesimod, siponimod, and teriflunomide, drugs developed with more than one supposed mechanism of action. The procedure was not useful for i.v. dosed drugs, including monoclonal antibodies. We maintain that drug development scientists should always examine a simple allometric method to predict the therapeutic effective dose in humans. Then, following clinical studies, we believe that the animal model might be expected to yield useful predictions of other drugs developed to treat the same condition. The methodology may not always be predictive, but the approach is so simple it should be investigated.
Pollen specialisation is associated with later phenology in Osmia bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)
Authors: Pelletier Daniel , Forrest Jessica R. K.
Published: November 2022

Species exhibit a range of specialisation in diet and other niche axes, with specialists typically thought to be more efficient in resource use but more vulnerable to extinction than generalists. Among herbivorous insects, dietary specialists seem more likely to lack acceptable host plants during the insect's feeding stage, owing to fluctuations in host‐plant abundance or phenology. Like other herbivores, bee species vary in host breadth from pollen specialisation (oligolecty) to generalisation (polylecty).

Several studies have shown greater interannual variation in flowering phenology for earlier‐flowering plants than later‐flowering plants, suggesting that early‐season bees may experience substantial year‐to‐year variation in the floral taxa available to them.

It was therefore reasoned that, among bees, early phenology could be a more viable strategy for generalists, which can use resources from multiple floral taxa, than for specialists. Consequently, it was expected that the median dates of collection of adult specimens to be earlier for generalist species than for specialists. To test this, phenology data and pollen diet information on 67 North American species of the bee genus Osmia was obtained.

Controlling for latitude and phylogeny, it was found that dietary generalisation is associated with significantly earlier phenology, with generalists active, on average, 11–14 days earlier than specialists.

This result is consistent with the generalist strategy being more viable than the specialist strategy for species active in early spring, suggesting that dietary specialisation may constrain the evolution of bee phenology—or vice versa.
Economic burden of Huntington disease in Europe and the USA: Results from the Huntington's Disease Burden of Illness study
Authors: Rodríguez‐Santana Idaira , Mestre Tiago , Squitieri Ferdinando , Willock Rosa , Arnesen Astri , Clarke Alison , D'Alessio Barbara , Fisher Alex , Fuller Rebecca , Hamilton Jamie L. , Hubberstey Hayley , Stanley Cath , Vetter Louise , Winkelmann Michaela , Doherty Maria , Wu Yunchou , Finnegan Alan , Frank Samuel
Published: November 2022

Background and purpose

The prevalence of Huntington disease (HD) has increased over time; however, there is a lack of up‐to‐date evidence documenting the economic burden of HD by disease stage. This study provides an estimate of the annual direct medical, nonmedical, and indirect costs associated with HD from participants in the Huntington's Disease Burden of Illness (HDBOI) study in five European countries and the USA.

Methods

The HDBOI is a retrospective, cross‐sectional study. Data collection was conducted between September 2020 and May 2021. Participants were recruited by their HD‐treating physicians and categorized as early stage (ES), mid stage (MS), or advanced stage (AS) HD. Data were collected via three questionnaires: a case report form, completed by physicians who collected health care resource use associated with HD to compute direct medical cost, and optional patient and caregiver questionnaires, which included information used to compute nondirect medical and indirect costs. Country‐specific unit cost sources were used.

Results

HDBOI cost estimates were €12,663 (n = 2094) for direct medical costs, €2984 (n = 359) for nondirect medical costs, and €47,576 (n = 436) for indirect costs. Costs are higher in patients who are at later stages of disease; for example, direct medical costs estimates were €9220 (n = 846), €11,885 (n = 701), and €18,985 (n = 547) for ES, MS, and AS, respectively. Similar trends were observed for nondirect and indirect costs. Costs show large variations between patients and countries.

Conclusions

Cost estimates from the HDBOI study show that people with HD and their caregivers bear a large economic burden that increases as disease progresses.
Co‐designing an intervention to improve the process of deprescribing for older people living with frailty in the United Kingdom
Authors: Silcock Jonathan , Marques Iuri , Olaniyan Janice , Raynor David K. , Baxter Helen , Gray Nicky , Zaidi Syed T. R. , Peat George , Fylan Beth , Breen Liz , Benn Jonathan , Alldred David P.
Published: November 2022

Background

In older people living with frailty, polypharmacy can lead to preventable harm like adverse drug reactions and hospitalization. Deprescribing is a strategy to reduce problematic polypharmacy. All stakeholders should be actively involved in developing a person‐centred deprescribing process that involves shared decision‐making.

Objective

To co‐design an intervention, supported by a logic model, to increase the engagement of older people living with frailty in the process of deprescribing.

Design

Experience‐based co‐design is an approach to service improvement, which uses service users and providers to identify problems and design solutions. This was used to create a person‐centred intervention with the potential to improve the quality and outcomes of the deprescribing process. A ‘trigger film’ showing older people talking about their healthcare experiences was created and facilitated discussions about current problems in the deprescribing process. Problems were then prioritized and appropriate solutions were developed. The review located the solutions in the context of current processes and procedures. An ideal care pathway and a complex intervention to deliver better care were developed.

Setting and Participants

Older people living with frailty, their informal carers and professionals living and/or working in West Yorkshire, England, UK. Deprescribing was considered in the context of primary care.

Results

The current deprescribing process differed from an ideal pathway. A complex intervention containing seven elements was required to move towards the ideal pathway. Three of these elements were prototyped and four still need development. The complex intervention responded to priorities about (a) clarity for older people about what was happening at all stages in the deprescribing process and (b) the quality of one‐to‐one consultations.

Conclusions

Priorities for improving the current deprescribing process were successfully identified. Solutions were developed and structured as a complex intervention. Further work is underway to (a) complete the prototyping of the intervention and (b) conduct feasibility testing.

Patient or Public Contribution

Older people living with frailty (and their informal carers) have made a central contribution, as collaborators, to ensure that a complex intervention has the greatest possible potential to enhance the experience of deprescribing medicines.
Native and modified biodegradable starch‐based packaging for shelf‐life extension and safety of fruits/vegetables
Authors: Bangar Sneh Punia , Scott Whiteside William , Suri Shweta , Barua Sreejani , Phimolsiripol Yuthana
Published: November 2022

Fruits/vegetables are perishable, and physical damage, moisture loss, metabolic changes and post‐harvest microbial deterioration are the main reasons for the quality loss and short shelf‐life. To address this issue, starch‐based packaging films always have been the subject of ongoing interest. The current review examines the advances in starch‐based materials, covering basic and applied research. The shelf‐life of foods can be increased by using starch‐based films with antimicrobial, antioxidant, ultraviolet resistance, oxygen and moisture barrier and pH‐reactive qualities as packaging materials. Various composites have been designed to address the shortcomings of pure starch‐based materials, including moisture sensitivity and inferior tensile qualities inherent in natural polymers. Practically, the development of entirely biodegradable starch‐based polymers is sensitive to the integration of any additives. The main challenge in commercialising starch‐based biodegradable packaging film is the structural changes in starch complex molecules that have a considerable impact on the functional qualities of films. This review also highlights using native, modified, nano‐composite and antimicrobial starch‐based films to enhance the shelf‐life and qualities of fresh produce.
The Internet, economic uncertainty, and the shadow economy: “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown”?
Authors: Nguyen Canh Phuc , Nguyen Binh Quang , Tran Duyen Thuy Le
Published: November 2022

This study investigates the influences of economic uncertainty and Internet usage on the informal economy. Notably, the study focuses on the effects of the association of economic uncertainty and Internet usage on the informal economy. The empirical analysis is carried out for a global sample of 124 economies from 1996 to 2017. Applying different estimates and different robustness checks, the results are consistent and robust. Internet usage leads to a decline in the shadow economy, while economic uncertainty has the effect of increasing the shadow economy. Interestingly, the positive influence of economic uncertainty on the shadow economy is likely exacerbated by Internet development. Lastly, analyses for several subsamples by time periods, income levels, and regions reveal additional findings. The negative impact of Internet usage on the shadow economy is consistent across income groups, regions, and time periods, except for a surprising positive impact in North America. The positive impact of economic uncertainty is also consistent in most income groups but more dominant in a period of low economic uncertainty. Interestingly, economic uncertainty is found to have a negative impact on the informal sector in low‐income economies and Sub‐Saharan Africa. Overall, the results have an important implication: Increases in economic uncertainty motivate economic agents to move to informal sectors, and this is supported by information technologies.
Health and safety concerns of female asylum seekers living in an informal migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico
Authors: Laughon Kathryn , Montalvo‐Liendo Nora , Eaton Sarah , Bassett Lucy
Published: November 2022

Background

Whilst increased numbers of people worldwide exercise their human right to seek asylum, the US has greatly reduced the number of asylum seekers able to enter its southern border, resulting in informal encampments. Women and children are uniquely vulnerable to violence and other health risks.

Aim

To describe the health and safety concerns of female asylum seekers living in an informal migrant camp, with a particular focus on the risks of violence against women and children.

Methods

For this qualitative descriptive study, female asylum seekers were purposively recruited in an informal tent encampment in Matamoros, Mexico (n = 43). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted in January and February 2020. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

The themes identified were constant vigilance, the effects of constant vigilance, lack of resources, and uncertainty. Women's unrelenting fears about their own safety and that of their children impacted their ability to access the camp's meagre resources and exacerbated negative effects on women and children.

Conclusion

Applying established guidelines and best practices for health and safety in humanitarian settings could mitigate threats to women and children. Additionally, camp conditions represent human rights violations. Nurses have an ethical duty to advocate for an end to the US policies creating and maintaining this humanitarian crisis.

Impact

As a result of changes to the United States immigration policy, individuals seeking asylum at the Southern border of the US have been largely prevented from entering the US since early 2018. Asylum seekers living in an informal encampment on the border awaiting entry describe a public health, humanitarian and human rights crisis. Women in this already vulnerable group lacked necessities, such as housing, food security, potable water, protection against gender violence and other forms of physical threats to themselves and their children. This created a heightened sense of vigilance and fear, with implications for their mental health and well‐being and that of their children. These findings highlight the need for governmental and international organizations to implement the best health and safety practices for humanitarian settings to ensure equity in relation to the social determinants of health. Nurses have an ethical obligation to be strong human rights advocates.

Patient or Public Contributions

One member of the research team has extensive experience as an advocate for recently immigrated women experiencing intimate partner violence. The study procedures were reviewed with advocates providing direct services to migrant women and children.
The effect of unionization on firms’ earnings management and employee compensation: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design
Authors: Lin Guoyu , Brown Anna Bergman , Wu Wentao
Published: November 2022

This study examines the effect of unionization on US firms’ accruals‐based earnings management and future employee compensation expenses by employing a research design that overcomes the inherent endogeneity issue of the relationship between unionization and earnings management. First, by comparing firms that just pass unionization by a small number of votes to those that just barely lose elections, the regression discontinuity design estimations document significant downward accruals earnings management for firms that barely pass unionization, compared to those that barely fail to pass unionization. Second, the association between unionization and earnings management is only significant in US states without right‐to‐work legislation, where unions are more powerful. These findings are consistent with recently unionized firms’ incentives to report lower earnings in order to mitigate unions’ demands for greater employee compensation. Further, for firms that barely pass unionization, we find that: (1) unions cannot fully “undo” the effects of earnings management, that is, downward managed earnings depress future compensation expenses, and (2) firms cannot fully “undo” the effects of unionization, that is, compensation expenses increase after unionization despite the downward earnings management.
Environmental reputation and bank liquidity: Evidence from climate transition
Authors: Choi Daewoung , Gam Yong Kyu , Shin Hojong
Published: November 2022

This study empirically investigates how a bank's nonfinancial signals of environmental reputation affect its deposits and credit provision in US counties with severe climate transition risks. We find that banks with higher reputational risks associated with environmental issues tend to experience declining deposits in counties exposed to severe climate change risks. Banks with a poor environmental reputation also reduce mortgage origination in such counties and diminish liquidity creation if they have high deposit shares in counties sensitive to climate transition. This study suggests that a bank's reputation regarding environmental, social and governance practices is an important underlying cause of bank liquidity in areas sensitive to climate change.
CDS contract initiations: REIT board monitoring and corporate decision outcomes
Authors: Baulkaran Vishaal , Jain Pawan
Published: November 2022

In this article, we investigate whether the negative creditor governance shock due to the initiation of credit default swap (CDS) contracts results in monitoring substitution effects between bondholders and shareholders. Using several mechanisms to test increased shareholder monitoring such as board structure, CEO–chair duality, and institutional ownership, we show that shareholder monitoring increases post‐CDS contract initiation. We examine board decision outcomes and show that incentive compensation is higher for real estate investment trusts (REITs) post‐CDS initiation. Furthermore, we find that post‐CDS initiation, REITs undertake more acquisitions that are more likely to be paid for with stocks and take longer to complete than non‐REITs. Finally, we find that REITs industry‐adjusted cash holdings and dividend yield increases post‐CDS initiation.
Repeated metamorphism in the pelitic granulites of the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, Japan: Implications for the formation of the present‐day trench‐arc‐basin system in NE Asia
Authors: Zhang Jinrui , Xu Wenliang , Dong Yu , Ji Zheng , Wei Chunjing , Tang Shuang , Li Yibing , Niida Kiyoaki
Published: November 2022

The timing and mechanism of the tectonic transition from an active continental margin to a trench‐arc‐basin system in NE Asia are debated. In this study, we report the pressure–temperature–time (P–T–t) path of this transition based on petrographic observations, phase‐equilibrium modelling, and U–Pb ages of zircon and rutile from pelitic granulites in the Hidaka metamorphic belt (Hokkaido, Japan). The granulites contain an early phase mineral assemblage of staurolite + sillimanite + biotite + plagioclase + quartz + rutile/ilmenite, a peak phase granulite assemblage of garnet + biotite + cordierite + plagioclase + quartz + rutile/ilmenite and a symplectic intergrowth of spinel + cordierite ± sillimanite within garnet porphyroblasts. Phase‐equilibrium modelling indicates two phases of metamorphism with P–T conditions, respectively, of ~6 kbar/620–670°C and ~6 kbar/850°C. A clockwise P–T path was thus reconstructed for the granulites, showing a near‐isobaric temperature increase to the peak conditions and a post‐peak cooling. U–Pb dating of zircon and rutile in the granulites yielded two groupings of metamorphic ages at c. 37 Ma and 19 Ma, related to early phase amphibolite facies and late phase granulite facies metamorphism, respectively. The age of magmatism from the previous work at the NE Asian continental margin overlaps with these metamorphic ages, and the two phases of metamorphism in the pelitic granulites is attributed to discrete episodes of supra‐subduction‐zone magmatism (late Eocene, c. 37 Ma) and back‐arc extension (early Miocene, 24–19 Ma). Consequently, we suggest that the Hidaka metamorphic belt has undergone two phases of metamorphism, which represent two pulsed and separated thermal events. Moreover, we relate the granulites facies metamorphism to the underplating of mafic magma and lithospheric thinning during the opening of the Japan Sea at 24–19 Ma, which is attributed to slab rollback and trench retreat processes in NE Asia.