bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the evaluation: policies and practices involved in assessing school principals’ effectiveness
Authors: Alajmi Munirah , AlShammari Iqbal
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study investigated public school principals’ perceptions of the policies and practices involved in their evaluation. The processes, impacts and challenges of the principals’ evaluation practices were identified within the Kuwaiti context.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this qualitative study were drawn from semi-structured interviews with 32 Kuwaiti government high school principals.

Findings

These findings point to inefficient evaluation policies and practices that do not determine the level of effectiveness of school principals. In addition, the results identify limited awareness of the system of principals’ evaluations among school districts.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to the perceptions of government school principals in Kuwait, and the results are based on semi-structured interviews with school principals.

Practical implications

This study presents implications for policymakers and school principals to improve principals’ evaluation processes and impacts, especially in educationally centralized systems.

Originality/value

The novelty and significance of the present study reside in the scarcity of research undertaken on the evaluation of school principals despite the importance of their position. Furthermore, there is a tendency to prioritize the assessment of learners and teachers while disregarding the evaluation and methodologies used to evaluate school principals. Hence, the objective of this study is to address this gap, specifically within a centralized educational framework.
Have new post-pandemic perspectives affected collaboration, sharing and risk decision-making in the supply chain?
Authors: Vivaldini Mauro , de Sousa Paulo Renato
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To explain the perception of post-pandemic managers concerning two critical factors of collaborative management in the supply chain – information exchange and risk sharing – and how these factors affect risk management (RM) and decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used correlational research supported by information collected through a survey applied to 243 companies. We analysed adherence to a theoretical model proposed through structural equation modelling. This method made it possible to examine multiple dependency and independence relationships between latent variables through observed variables.

Findings

Collaborative management was strongly perceived as influencing the exchange of information, while risk sharing demonstrated only a weak influence. Exchanging information about the consequences of RM had a representative impact, while risk sharing indicated little influence. Risk sharing should thus possibly be viewed more carefully in terms of its relationship with supply chain management, as it had a restrictive impact on decision-making.

Originality/value

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed the perception and ways companies relate to and manage their risks. This change may have affected collaboration, sharing and RM while imposing new perspectives and transforming managers’ decision-making behaviour. Given the limitations of research with this focus, the moment is opportune to explore and better understand the effects of this event on management.
Enhanced identification of equipment failures from descriptive accident reports using language generative model
Authors: Ray Unmesa , Arteaga Cristian , Ahn Yonghan , Park JeeWoong
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Equipment failure is a critical factor in construction accidents, often leading to severe consequences. Therefore, this study addresses two significant gaps in construction safety research: (1) effectively using historical data to investigate equipment failure and (2) understanding the classification of equipment failure according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

Design/methodology/approach

Our research utilized a multi-stage methodology. We curated data from the OSHA database, distinguishing accidents involving equipment failures. Then we developed a framework using generative artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) to minimize manual processing. This framework employed a two-step prompting strategy: (1) classifying narratives that describe equipment failures and (2) analyzing these cases to extract specific failure details (e.g. names, types, categories). To ensure accuracy, we conducted a manual analysis of a subset of reports to establish ground truth and tested two different LLMs within our approach, comparing their performance against this ground truth.

Findings

The tested LLMs demonstrated 95% accuracy in determining if narratives describe equipment failures and 73% accuracy in extracting equipment names, enabling automated categorical identifications. These findings highlight LLMs’ promising identification accuracy compared to manual methods.

Research limitations/implications

The research’s focus on equipment data not only validates the research framework but also highlights its potential for broader application across various accident categories beyond construction, extending into any domain with accessible accident narratives. Given that such data are essential for regulatory bodies like OSHA, the framework’s adoption could significantly enhance safety analysis and reporting, contributing to more robust safety protocols industry-wide.

Practical implications

Using the developed approach, the research enables us to use accident narratives, a reliable source of accident data, in accident analysis. It provides deeper insights than traditional data types, enabling a more detailed understanding of accidents at an unprecedented level. This enhanced understanding can significantly inform and improve worker safety training, education and safety policies, with the potential for broader applications across various safety-critical domains.

Originality/value

This research presents a novel approach to analyzing construction accident reports using AI and LLMs, significantly reducing manual processing time while maintaining high accuracy. By identifying equipment failures more efficiently, our work lays the groundwork for developing targeted safety protocols, contributing to overall safety improvements in construction practices and advancing data-driven analysis processes.
I see therefore we are: the potential for aggregating individual future visions into a collective imaginary through artificial intelligence (AI)
Authors: Symons Jessica
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This analysis draws on ethnographic research in a Northern UK city where a series of engagement activities produced hand-drawn sketches about the future. This paper shows how different groups revealed contradictory aspirations for the area with growth-focused politicians and planners projecting affluent prosperity rather than the modest, family-oriented social stability sought by local people.

Design/methodology/approach

Reconciling multiple perspectives is the greatest challenge of civic leadership. This paper considers how the emerging potential of artificial intelligence (AI) could support a structured imagining process for masterplanners to aggregate aspirational sketches at scale and so develop a closer relationship between citizen ideas for the future and civic decision makers’ own strategies and action plans.

Findings

This paper argues for a collective intelligence paradigm that aggregates individual futures thinking at city scale. Urban masterplanning strategies provide an organising structure to allow a city to emerge as a flourishing of multiple aspirations all at once.

Research limitations/implications

Rather than having individualism or collectivism as binary alternatives, generative AI offers an intriguing process for combining individual aspirations into a pluralist endeavour.

Practical implications

Engaging with citizens on the ground, in their homes and community spaces is the only way to uncover what is important to them. Ethnography provides that.

Social implications

Although AI’s use of aggregated data is collective, intelligence comes from nuanced and ethnographic engagement with the data.

Originality/value

The principle of the emergent city (Symons 2017) provides a conceptual approach to amalgamating the individual with the collective.
Tax policy and tobacco consumption in Botswana: an ARDL-EC approach
Authors: Seleka Tebogo Bruce , Agang Marang
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Botswana imposed a 30% ad valorem tobacco tax in 2014 to reduce tobacco use. The purpose of the paper is to assess the effectiveness of the tax in curtailing tobacco consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

An autoregressive distributed lag and equilibrium correction (ARDL-EC) framework is applied on data for the period 1975–2020 to estimate a dynamic tobacco demand model. The estimated price elasticity is then used to quantify the effects of the tax on tobacco consumption.

Findings

A 10% rise in the tobacco price results in a 6.6% decrease in tobacco consumption, suggesting an inelastic response. A 10% rise in income yields a 12% increase in tobacco consumption, reflecting that the rapid economic growth Botswana experienced post-independence yielded increased tobacco use. Tobacco consumption declined by 3.6% per year, possibly capturing the effects of increasing awareness of the adverse effects of tobacco use over time. The 30% tobacco tax yielded a 20% reduction in tobacco consumption, suggesting moderate effectiveness in curtailing consumption. The tax reduced annual tobacco consumption by 100 grams per capita or 151 metric tons nationally.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could explore the effects of non-price anti-tobacco measures and socioeconomic and demographic factors on tobacco use to provide further insights for guiding the development of targeted anti-smoking interventions.

Originality/value

Tobacco demand elasticities vary across countries and analytical methods. Therefore, country-specific empirical evidence is essential for policymaking. An existing study in Botswana employed cross-sectional analysis, which does not capture the addictive effects of tobacco. The ARDL-EC framework is employed to close this gap. Simulated effects of the tax are useful for policy reform in Botswana.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2024-0097
Online healthcare platform doctors’ fatigue and continuance use intention based on JD-R model
Authors: Yu Lingling , Zhong Yuewei , Chen Nan
Published: December 2024

Purpose

The online healthcare platform (OHP) has become an essential element of the healthcare system, representing a technological shift in the job responsibilities of medical professionals. Drawing on a technology-based job demands–resources (JD-R) model, this study aims to examine how the technological characteristics of OHP affect doctors’ OHP use psychology and behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical study was based on a survey conducted among 423 doctors with OHP use experience. The proposed model underwent assessment through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to reveal the effects of technology-based job demands (i.e. technology-based work overload and technology-based work monitoring) and resources (i.e. perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions and IT mindfulness) on doctors’ OHP fatigue and continuance use intention.

Findings

Results suggest that technology-based work monitoring, perceived usefulness and facilitation conditions have significant impacts on doctors’ psychological and behavioral responses to using OHP, whereas technology-based work overload and IT mindfulness have a single impact on continuance use intention and fatigue of OHP.

Research limitations/implications

It assists doctors, healthcare administrators, policymakers and technology developers in understanding OHPs’ technological characteristics, enabling them to harness its benefits and mitigate potential challenges. Additionally, given the self-reported cross-sectional data from China, future studies can improve generalizability and adopt experimental methods or longitudinal designs with objective data.

Originality/value

It extends the research on OHP by employing a technology-based JD-R model to explore work attributes and dual effects associated with OHP’s technological characteristics. It also enriches existing research by examining the role of OHP’s technological characteristics in doctors’ psychological and behavioral responses.
Faculty publications and students’ recognition: business school education in Japan
Authors: Sheng Dachen , Guyot Opale
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study discovers the faculty members’ publication incentive and the student’s willingness to learn and cooperate with faculty to gain project experience. The research further discusses the special tutorial structured seminar class in Japanese university and how it could efficiently introduce more project-based training to students.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses quantitative methods and analysis. The multiple regression, ordinary least square (OLS) method is used to understand the association between the faculty publication outcomes and the student’s recognition. Then, logit regression is used to confirm our finding using the OLS method and with the variable measurement changes.

Findings

The incentive of business students to explore the econometric methods and project experience becomes very strong under the background of more businesses and firms using models to explain consumer behaviours and consumption patterns in Japan. The higher faculty member’s publication outcomes could increase student recognition and enrolment competition. First authorship contributes prominently to recognition. Such results show the importance of research for faculty members and remind seminar class instructors that students’ participation in academic research motivates them to learn. Finally, we propose that collaboration between faculty and students in research efficiently improves student satisfaction and contributes to university recognition.

Originality/value

Unlike most past education research involving surveys, this research uses public information and more general data to be objective and avoid sampling bias. The research further discusses the efficient pedagogies of delivering econometrics to business students who are less involved in math.
The role of religiosity on blockholders involvement in earnings management: evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Hanafi Rustam , Rohman Abdul , Ratmono Dwi
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Prior studies on blockholders involvement in earnings management behavior have given rise to alignment and entrenchment perspectives. The alignment perspective states that blockholders are an effective control to reduce earnings management behavior. In contrast, the entrenchment perspective states that blockholders act opportunistically and encourage earnings management behavior. Firms in Indonesia generally have concentrated shares, which is probably in line with the entrenchment perspective. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of blockholders on earnings management and the role of religiosity as a moderator of the influence of blockholders on earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses multiple linear and multi-group regression to analyze 2,238 firm-year observations for firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange period 2015–2021. Multi-group regression is used to test the effect of religiosity on the relationship between blockholders and earnings management.

Findings

The finding of this study is that religiosity can mitigate the involvement of blockholders in earnings management, where blockholders positively influence earnings management in non-religious but not religious firms. This finding is expected to solve the agency problem between management with shareholders and the majority with minority shareholders.

Practical implications

Firms should apply religious values in their business activities to prevent or minimize profit manipulation. Another implication is that investors can glance at Sharia stocks when investing because they have lower earnings management or higher-quality financial reports.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study may be the first to investigate the role of religiosity by comparing the effect of blockholders on earnings management between religious and non-religious firms. This study proves that religiosity is a new alternative to mitigating blockholders involvement in earning management and agency problems.
Disc mower versus bar mower: Evaluation of the direct effects of two common mowing techniques on the grassland arthropod fauna
Authors: von Berg Lea , Frank Jonas , Betz Oliver , Steidle Johannes L. M. , Böttinger Stefan , Sann Manuela
Published: December 2024

In Central Europe, species‐rich grasslands are threatened by intensive agriculture with frequent mowing, contributing to the reduction of arthropods such as insects and spiders. However, comprehensive and standardised studies on the direct effects of the two most agriculturally relevant mowing techniques, e.g., double‐blade bar mower versus disc mower, are lacking.

In a 2‐year experiment, we have investigated the direct effect of mowing on eight abundant arthropod groups in grassland, covering two seasonal mowing events in both years, using a randomised block design. We compared (a) an unmown control, (b) a double‐blade bar mower and (c) a disc mower.

For most of the taxonomic groups studied, a significantly lower number of individuals was found in the experimental plots immediately after mowing, regardless of the mowing technique, compared to an unmown control. This was not the case for Orthoptera and Coleoptera, which did not show a significant reduction in the number of individuals for both mowing techniques (Orthoptera) or only for the double‐blade bar mower (Coleoptera).

Between both mowing techniques, no significant differences were found for all taxonomic groups investigated.

Synthesis and applications. Our findings suggest that mowing in general has a negative impact on abundant arthropod groups in grassland, regardless of the method used. Tractor‐driven double‐blade bar mowers do not seem to be a truly insect‐friendly alternative to a conventional disc mower. Other factors such as cutting height and mowing regimes should be seriously considered to protect spiders and insects from the negative effects of mowing. In addition, we strongly recommend the maintenance of unmown refugia. Insects and spiders that are spared by mowing can take refuge in these unmown areas to avoid subsequent harvesting and thermally unfavourable conditions that arise on mown areas. Further, unmown refugia are basic habitat structures for a subsequent recolonisation of mown areas once the flora has recovered.
Evaluating the impact of 2011 tort reform limiting noneconomic damages in North Carolina and Tennessee on testing, imaging, and procedure utilization
Authors: Ellenbogen Michael I. , Kaplan Scott , Niknam Bijan A. , Kachalia Allen B. , Brotman Daniel J.
Published: December 2024

Objective

To evaluate the impact of tort reform laws passed in 2011 capping noneconomic damages in North Carolina and Tennessee on rates and adjusted per user costs of tests, imaging, and procedures in the Medicare fee‐for‐service population.

Study Setting and Design

State‐level synthetic difference‐in‐differences, adjusting for the percent of FFS Medicare beneficiaries in the state who were female, had ever been on Medicare Advantage, were eligible for Medicaid for at least 1 month of the year, and total state risk‐adjusted, standardized per‐capita costs. Analyses of North Carolina and Tennessee were performed separately. We measured the average treatment effect on the treated.

Data Sources and Analytic Sample

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Geographic Variation Public Use File, 2007–2019.

Principal Findings

Our analysis showed no economically significant impact of these laws in either state, though we found a small but statistically significant increase (average treatment effect on the treated: $46, 95% confidence interval: $6–$87) in adjusted per user cost of procedures in Tennessee.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that caps on noneconomic damages alone may be insufficient to modify physician practice habits and impact utilization. Future work should attempt to better understand the economic and noneconomic incentives that shape physician ordering decisions.
Clinical validation of the excessive sedentary behavior nursing diagnosis in university students
Authors: Fernandes Renata M. , Carino Ana C. C. , Dantas Juliane R. , Fernandes Maria I. C. D. , de Oliveira Lopes Marcos Venícios , de Carvalho Lira Ana Luisa Brandão
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the accuracy of clinical indicators and etiological factors associated with the nursing diagnosis of excessive sedentary behavior among university students.

Method

This study employed a cross‐sectional diagnostic accuracy design. The sample comprised 108 students from a Brazilian public university. Fisher's exact and chi‐square tests were utilized to determine associations. A latent class analysis model was applied to assess the sensitivity and specificity of clinical indicators and the prevalence of the diagnosis. The odds ratio for etiological factors was calculated using univariate logistic regression. The research ethics committee of the responsible institution approved the study.

Results

The prevalence of the nursing diagnosis excessive sedentary behavior among university students was 16.3%. The sensitive clinical indicators identified were ‘inadequate sleep quality’ (0.9999), while the specific indicators included ‘lack of physical fitness’ (0.9998) and ‘cardiovascular alterations’ (0.9557). The etiological factor ‘physical activity in frequency, intensity and duration lower than recommended’ was associated with the diagnosis. Additionally, statistical associations were found between the diagnosis and the following variables: body composition, muscle capacity, flexibility, scores from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (with emphasis on the days of the week of vigorous physical activity), minutes per week of vigorous activity, days of the week of walking, hours of sleep per night, and average sleep quality.

Conclusion

There is evidence of construct validity for the nursing diagnosis excessive sedentary behavior in university students, supported by one sensitive clinical indicator and two specific indicators.

Implications for nursing practice

Increased knowledge of the nursing diagnosis Excessive sedentary behavior in university students can enhance clinical reasoning among nurses and contribute to the elevation of evidence levels and the continuous improvement of the NANDA‐I taxonomy.
Genotype‐Guided Asthma Treatment Reduces Exacerbations in Children: Meta‐Analysis of Two RCTs
Authors: Slob Elise M. A. , Vijverberg Susanne J. H. , Ruffles Tom , Noij Lieke C. E. , Biermann Jacqueline , Brouwer Alwin F. J. , van den Brink Kristel , de Bruin‐Kok Annette , Van Ewijk Bart E. , Haarman Eric , Hammer Sanne C. , Hashimoto Simone , Hogarth Fiona , Jones Christina J. , Kamps Arvid W. A. , Kersten Elin T. G. , de Kleer Ismé , Lipworth Brian J. , Littleford Roberta , Mérelle Marieke , Moeller Alexander , Palmer Colin N. A. , Pilvinyte Kristina , Rutjes Niels W. , van Schaik Ron H. N. , Smith Helen E. , Tavendale Roger , Terheggen‐Lagro Suzanne W. J. , Turner Steve , Twisk Jos W. R. , Vaessen‐Verberne Anja , Verwaal Mariël , de Vries Tjalling , Wesseling Judit , Pijnenburg Mariëlle W. , Koppelman Gerard H. , Mukhopadhyay Somnath , Maitland‐van der Zee Anke H.
Published: December 2024

Background

Long‐acting beta2‐agonists (LABA) in combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used to treat asthma, however, some children lack response to the addition of LABA. This might be partially due to the presence of the Arg16Gly polymorphism, encoded by rs1042713 G>A in the ADRB2 gene. Carrying the A allele (Arg16) at this variant has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations despite LABA treatment. We investigated whether genotype‐guided treatment improved asthma‐related outcomes.

Methods

We conducted an individual participant data meta‐analysis of two randomised controlled trials: PUFFIN (Dutch and Swiss 6–18 year‐olds) and PACT (English and Scottish 12–18 year‐olds). Children with uncontrolled asthma despite ICS who required a step‐up in treatment were included. Participants were randomised to genotype‐guided treatment or the control group with a follow‐up of at least 6 months. Genotype‐guided treatment consisted of adding LABA for children with ADRB2 Gly16/Gly16, whilst children with ADRB2 Arg16/Arg16 or Arg16/Gly16 were treated with double dose ICS (PUFFIN) or add‐on montelukast (PACT). The primary outcome was a change in asthma control; secondary outcomes included exacerbation rate and time to exacerbation. Repeated measures mixed models and Cox regression were used.

Results

Fifty‐nine out of 102 (PUFFIN) and 59 out of 91 (PACT) children had at least one Arg (A allele). Amongst all 193 children, no difference was observed in asthma control between the study groups. However, genotype‐guided treatment resulted in lower asthma exacerbation rates (−0.08 (95%CI −0.16 to −0.00, p = 0.04)) compared to the control group.

Conclusion

Genotype‐guided step‐up treatment for children with uncontrolled asthma on ICS may lower asthma exacerbation rates and may be useful for personalising asthma care.
Maternal Allergic Disease Phenotype and Infant Birth Season Influence the Human Milk Microbiome
Authors: Ma Jie , Palmer Debra J. , Geddes Donna , Lai Ching Tat , Rea Alethea , Prescott Susan L. , D'Vaz Nina , Stinson Lisa F.
Published: December 2024

Early infancy is a critical period for immune development. In addition to being the primary food source during early infancy, human milk also provides multiple bioactive components that shape the infant gut microbiome and immune system and provides a constant source of exposure to maternal microbiota. Given the potential interplay between allergic diseases and the human microbiome, this study aimed to characterise the milk microbiome of allergic mothers. Full‐length 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on milk samples collected at 3 and 6 months postpartum from 196 women with allergic disease. Multivariate linear mixed models were constructed to identify the maternal, infant, and environmental determinants of the milk microbiome. Human milk microbiome composition and beta diversity varied over time (PERMANOVA R2 = 0.011, p = 0.011). The season of infant birth emerged as the strongest determinant of the microbiome community structure (PERMANOVA R2 = 0.014, p = 0.011) with impacts on five of the most abundant taxa. The milk microbiome also varied according to the type of maternal allergic disease (allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy). Additionally, infant formula exposure reduced the relative abundance of several typical oral taxa in milk. In conclusion, the milk microbiome of allergic mothers was strongly shaped by the season of infant birth, maternal allergic disease phenotype, and infant feeding mode. Maternal allergic disease history and infant season of birth should therefore be considered in future studies of infant and maternal microbiota.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ACTRN12606000281594
Allergen Specific IgE is a Stronger Predictor of Remission Following Peanut Oral Immunotherapy Than Age in Children Aged 1–10 Years
Authors: Ashley Sarah E. , Lloyd Melanie , Loke Paxton , Orsini Francesca , Lozinsky Adriana C. , O'Sullivan Michael D. , Quinn Patrick , Gold Michael , Tang Mimi L. K.
Published: December 2024

Background

Remission is the desired outcome following OIT as it allows individuals to discontinue treatment and eat the allergen freely. Early initiation of OIT in infants and toddlers has been embraced as an approach to increase the likelihood of remission. However, there is no high‐quality evidence supporting younger age as an independent factor driving remission; available studies are limited by small samples of younger subjects and lack of adjustment for confounding covariates, particularly peanut‐specific IgE (sIgE) levels which is closely correlated with age.

Methods

This study examined relationships between peanut sIgE and age at baseline and remission, in children aged 1–10 who completed 18 months of OIT in the PPOIT‐003 RCT (n = 162). Remission was defined as absence of clinical reactivity to peanut after 8 weeks of allergen avoidance/treatment discontinuation. Age and sIgE were examined as continuous variables in univariate and multivariate regression models.

Results

Higher peanut sIgE was consistently predictive of lower likelihood of remission, independent of age. In contrast, there was no independent association between age and remission after adjusting for baseline sIgE (OR 0.94 [0.79–1.12], p = 0.5).

Conclusions

Findings do not support age as an independent predictor of remission following OIT. Additional studies examining safety and efficacy of OIT in infants and younger children are urgently needed, ahead of widespread adoption of early intervention.
Exposure Profiles for the Long‐Term Use of Disinfectants and Cleaning Products and Asthma
Authors: Pacheco Da Silva Emilie , Weinmann Tobias , Gerlich Jessica , Weinmayr Gudrun , Genuneit Jon , Nowak Dennis , von Mutius Erika , Vogelberg Christian , Radon Katja , Forster Felix
Published: December 2024

Background

Using disinfectants and cleaning products (DCPs) at home and work is known to influence both the onset and course of asthma, but most epidemiological studies did not consider the multiplicity and correlations of exposures to DCPs. We aimed to identify exposure profiles for the long‐term weekly use of DCPs by latent class analysis (LCA) and assess their associations with asthma.

Methods

LCA was conducted on data from 1143 young adults initially recruited in the German centers of Phase II of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) and followed up three times. In our LCA model, we included the use of cleaning sprays, disinfectant sprays, and nonspray disinfection methods, measured at ages 19–24 (first assessment) and 29–34 years (second assessment). Associations between identified exposure profiles and current as well as incident asthma/wheeze were evaluated by logistic regression.

Results

We identified five long‐term exposure profiles to DCPs (latent classes): no weekly use of DCPs (55% of participants), use in first assessment (7%), use in second assessment (18%), persistent use (8%), and persistent cleaning sprays use (12%). Compared to “no weekly use,” being in the “persistent use” profile was associated with both current asthma (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = [0.48–5.88]) and current wheeze (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = [0.75–3.90]). For incident asthma/wheeze, interval estimates were very wide.

Conclusions

Our study identified five distinct long‐term exposure profiles to DCPs. Among those, only a persistent weekly use of multiple DCPs over time seemed to have an adverse effect on asthma. However, large confidence intervals indicate considerable uncertainty.
The generalized Hausman test for detecting non‐normality in the latent variable distribution of the two‐parameter IRT model
Authors: Guastadisegni Lucia , Cagnone Silvia , Moustaki Irini , Vasdekis Vassilis
Published: December 2024

This paper introduces the generalized Hausman test as a novel method for detecting the non‐normality of the latent variable distribution of the unidimensional latent trait model for binary data. The test utilizes the pairwise maximum likelihood estimator for the parameters of the latent trait model, which assumes normality of the latent variable, and the maximum likelihood estimator obtained under a semi‐non‐parametric framework, allowing for a more flexible distribution of the latent variable. The performance of the generalized Hausman test is evaluated through a simulation study and compared with other test statistics available in the literature for testing latent variable distribution fit and an overall goodness‐of‐fit test statistic. Additionally, three information criteria are used to select the best‐fitted model. The simulation results show that the generalized Hausman test outperforms the other tests under most conditions. However, the results obtained from the information criteria are somewhat contradictory under certain conditions, suggesting a need for further investigation and interpretation. The proposed test statistics are used in three datasets.
Clinical performance of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided tissue acquisition for perivascular soft‐tissue cuffing suspected to be extravascular migratory metastases of pancreatic or bile duct cancer (with video)
Authors: Maehara Kosuke , Hijioka Susumu , Nagashio Yoshikuni , Maruki Yuta , Yamashige Daiki , Okamoto Kohei , Agarie Daiki , Yagi Shin , Fukuda Soma , Kuwada Masaru , Komori Yasuhiro , Koga Takehiko , Kanno Atsushi , Imamura Tsunao , Saito Yutaka , Okusaka Takuji
Published: December 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance and safety of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided tissue acquisition (EUS‐TA) for perivascular soft‐tissue cuffing (PSTC).

Methods

This single‐center, retrospective study evaluated patients in whom EUS‐TA was performed for PSTC in pancreatic or bile duct cancer lesions between October 2017 and March 2024. PSTC was defined as a perivascular soft‐tissue area contiguous with nearby blood vessels from the suspected primary tumor. EUS‐TA procedures and outcomes, including technical success, diagnostic performance, adverse events, and comparison with contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CECT), were analyzed.

Results

Of 1803 patients, 53 underwent EUS‐TA for PSTC. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 92.1%, 100%, and 92.5%, respectively. The technical success rate was 98.1% (52/53). The adverse event rate was 1.9%. EUS‐TA for PSTC was significantly superior to CECT for PSTC in terms of diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, the diagnostic performance and adverse event rates for EUS‐TA for PSTC were comparable to those for TA in solid tumors. Shorter puncture lengths were associated with lower accuracy.

Conclusion

EUS‐TA for PSTC in pancreatic or bile duct cancer demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy and a low rate of adverse events, showing superior diagnostic performance compared to CECT. These findings suggest that EUS‐TA for PSTC can be performed safely and is a clinically beneficial procedure. Despite the technical challenges, EUS‐TA for PSTC can influence clinical judgment and should be considered in skilled institutions for future patient treatment decisions. Prospective multicenter studies are warranted to further evaluate its efficacy and safety.
Longer‐run equilibrium interest rates: evidence from the United Kingdom
Authors: Kaykhusraw Omar
Published: December 2024

The natural rate of interest () has recently been in decline, yet little is known about its historical variation. This paper estimates over more than three centuries for the United Kingdom, between 1700 and 2019. Results suggest that the longer‐run equilibrium interest rate rose persistently during much of the 18th and 19th centuries, and only began to decline around the turn of the 20th. Historical decompositions suggest that structural changes in productivity, demography, and risk are largely responsible for this reduction. I argue that secular stagnation is unique to contemporary history, insofar as ascended across much of the Late Modern Era.
Unsupervised clustering of a deeply phenotyped cohort of adults with idiopathic generalized epilepsy
Authors: Gavnholt Line , Gesche Joanna , Cerulli Irelli Emanuele , Krøigård Thomas , Mangaard Sofie Bloch , Di Bonaventura Carlo , Rubboli Guido , Röttger Richard , Beier Christoph Patrick
Published: December 2024

Objective

Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) in adults comprise juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE), and epilepsy with generalized tonic–clonic seizures alone (EGTCS), which are defined by their seizure types but also cover a broad endophenotype of symptoms. Controversy exists on whether adult IGE is a group of distinct diseases or a clinical spectrum of one disease. Here, we used a deeply phenotyped cohort to test the hypothesis that IGE comprises three distinct clinical entities.

Methods

Patients (>18 years old) with IGE were recruited between 2016 and 2020 at Odense University Hospital and the Danish Epilepsy Center. Complete data were available for basic demographics, imaging, social status, and treatment response. Subjects were offered neuropsychological screening (including symptoms of psychiatric disease). Electroencephalograms (EEGs) were reanalyzed, and missing data were imputed. After selecting the features and normalizing the data, the dataset and an identical randomized dataset were subjected to k‐means cluster analysis.

Results

The dataset comprised 502 patients and 22 distinct nonoverlapping clinical features. Elbow and gap analyses revealed an optimal number of clusters of 1; the features with the highest eigenvalues were age at diagnosis and self‐reported executive dysfunction. Applying k‐means clustering yielded three low‐quality clusters as assessed by silhouette score (mean = .400 ± .01). The corresponding mean silhouette score for the randomized control dataset was .390 (±.002). Age at diagnosis was associated with the epileptic discharges on EEG and treatment response. Self‐reported executive dysfunction showed associations with psychiatric symptoms and impulsivity. JME, JAE, and EGTCS were loosely associated with the clusters (k = .088, p = .002) but showed a specific distribution within a matrix defined by age at diagnosis and self‐reported executive dysfunction.

Significance

IGE in adults is best described as a continuum of symptoms, where age at diagnosis and executive dysfunction are two main factors explaining most of its clinical variability. The seizure‐defined syndromes cover different patient groups within the clinical spectrum.
Fast activity chirp patterns in focal seizures from patients and animal models
Authors: Lévesque Maxime , Gnatkovsky Vadym , Li Fei Ran , Scalmani Paolo , Uva Laura , Avoli Massimo , de Curtis Marco
Published: December 2024

Time–frequency analysis of focal seizure electroencephalographic signals performed with depth electrodes in human temporal lobe structures has revealed the occurrence at onset of oscillations at approximately 30–100 Hz that feature a monotonic rapid decay in frequency content. This seizure onset pattern, referred to as chirp, has been identified as a highly specific and sensitive marker of focal seizures that are characterized by low‐voltage fast activity. We report that this chirp pattern is also observed in animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy in both in vivo and in vitro preparations. We propose here that chirps mirror the involvement of synchronous interneuron firing that is known to represent a specific cellular mechanism leading to the initiation of focal seizures, in particular those characterized by low‐voltage fast activity.
The European Political Community in the EU's wider neighbourhood: A new element of the differentiated pan Euro‐Mediterranean integration framework
Authors: Lannon Erwan
Published: December 2024

The contribution explores the implications of the creation of the European Political Community (EPC) and of its potential enlargement to the EU's Southern neighbourhood. After an overview of the federal roots of internal and external differentiated integration, and those of the EPC, the future of the pan Euro‐Mediterranean economic integration will be tackled. Following this, the question of geopolitical divergence and convergence with the EU's neighbours shall be addressed. The potential institutionalisation of the EPC, in the light of the analysis of the four first summits held in 2022, 2023 and 2024, is taken into consideration in order to make proposals.

Among the key recommendations are: the potential role of the EPC to better associate neighbouring countries with the EU's decision shaping; the possibility to use the EPC to modernise old association agreements and deepen regulatory convergence; the EPC could help to launch a reflection on a new European security architecture and on new provisions devoted to security in some association agreements; the EPC could reactivate the objective of a Euro‐Mediterranean security Charter; the use of reinforced and enhanced cooperation, as well as PESCO, to deepen integration with third countries is also relevant, as is their association with EU CSDP missions and operations, which should be encouraged. The need for the EU to improve consistency when referring to different sets of values, and to continue to promote peace and democracy aspirations, as a universal value, in the pan‐Euro‐Mediterranean area is put forward.

A proposal to amend and supplement Article 8 TEU is made at the end of the Article.
Review of intra‐articular 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel, a new concept in the management of osteoarthritis
Authors: Tnibar A.
Published: December 2024

Recent observational and experimental trials have demonstrated that intra‐articular 2.5% injectable polyacrylamide hydrogel (2.5 iPAAG) is highly effective, lasting and safe for the treatment of equine osteoarthritis (OA). Over the last decade, intra‐articular 2.5 iPAAG has shown to be a potent and promising drug in the medication of OA in horses, as no other single medical treatment for OA has such prolonged efficacy. Preliminary observations on the mechanisms of action of intra‐articular 2.5 iPAAG support a mechanical effect through integration into the synovial membrane, an increase in joint elasticity possibly reducing overall joint capsule stiffness, and provision of lasting viscosupplementation which contributes to protecting articular surfaces. Because 2.5 iPAAG is an inert and biocompatible hydrogel, no effects on arthrocentesis cytology parameters have been observed. Studies also suggest that the positive effects of 2.5 iPAAG occur in the absence of intra‐articular neurotoxicity or fibrosis, with a low‐level macrophage‐driven foreign body response. The effect on the synovial membrane and joint capsule and the long‐acting viscosupplementation represent new concepts in the management of equine OA.
The Mechanical Performance of Resistance Welded Thermoplastic Composite Double Overlap Joint Tested Under Static and Fatigue Loading
Authors: Kowalczyk Piotr , Sienicki Jarosław , Galińska Anna
Published: December 2024

The results of testing resistance welded joints using double lap shear (DLS) specimens are presented. The welded joints of polyetheretherketone reinforced with carbon 5‐harness satin weave (CF/PEEK) were made using two steel meshes with wire diameters of 0.04 mm and 0.1 mm. Additionally, the impact of welding with thin glass fabric (48 gsm) as an electrical insulator on joint strength was investigated. The specimens with selected process parameters were then fatigue‐tested at various percentages of their static shear strengths at a load ratio R = 0.1 and frequency f = 10 Hz. The performances of resistance welded DLS‐B specimens were compared with the current state of art, especially in the context of the use of SLS specimens. The failure modes of the specimens were presented, and a linear stress‐life (S–N) curve was drawn and analyzed.
The Once and Future Fish: Assessing a Millennium of Atlantic Herring Exploitation Through Mixed‐Stock Analysis and Ancient DNA
Authors: Atmore Lane M. , van der Jagt Inge , Boilard Aurélie , Häberle Simone , Blevis Rachel , Dierickx Katrien , Quinlan Liz M. , Orton David C. , Hufthammer Anne Karin , Barrett James H. , Star Bastiaan
Published: December 2024

Small pelagic fish support profitable fisheries and are important for food security around the world. Yet, their sustainable management can be hindered by the indiscriminate impacts of simultaneous exploitation of fish from multiple distinct biological populations over extended periods of time. The quantification of such impacts is greatly facilitated by recently developed molecular tools—including diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels for mixed‐stock analysis (MSA)—that can accurately detect the population identity of individual fish. However, the biological relevance of such tools over longer periods of time remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that diagnostic SNP panels designed for contemporary MSA in Atlantic herring have a millennium‐long biological relevance and applicability. We assign the population identity of ancient Atlantic herring specimens—obtained through famously profitable historic fisheries—up to 1300 years old from eight archaeological sites across Europe. Analyzing contemporary and ancient whole‐genome data, we obtain evidence for the long‐term mixed‐stock exploitation of Atlantic herring. Despite such mixed‐stock exploitation, we exclusively identify autumn‐spawning herring amongst these archaeological remains, indicative of a specific biological availability or cultural preference for certain herring ecotypes in the past. Moreover, our results show that herring demographic patterns were relatively stable until the dramatic disruptions and stock collapses during the 20th century. We find small but significant reductions in genetic diversity over time, indicating long‐term evolutionary consequences from 20th‐century stock declines. The long‐term applicability of diagnostic SNP panels underscores their biological relevance and cost‐effective application for the genetic monitoring of herring stocks and highlights the utility of ancient DNA to obtain insights in herring ecology and population dynamics.
Interferon‐Dependent Expression of the Human STAT1 Gene Requires a Distal Regulatory Region Located Approximately 6 kb Upstream for Its Autoregulatory System
Authors: Yuasa Katsutoshi , Masubuchi Aimi , Okada Tomo , Shinya Miho , Inomata Yui , Kida Honoka , Shyouji Sayoko , Ichikawa Hirona , Takahashi Tetsuyuki , Muroi Masashi , Hijikata Takao
Published: December 2024

We previously suggested that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) gene is autoregulated in an interferon (IFN)‐dependent manner via a distal regulatory region approximately 5.5–6.2 kb upstream of the murine and human STAT1 promoters (designated 5.5URR). Here, we examined whether this IFN‐dependent positive feedback mechanism of the STAT1 gene actually functions in cells. First, we created human embryonic kidney 293 cell mutants lacking the IFN‐responsive transcription factor binding sites (IFN‐stimulated response element and IFN‐gamma‐activated sequence) within the 5.5URR and stimulated them with IFN‐α/γ. The mutants showed a loss of response to IFN, indicating that the 5.5URR is essential for IFN‐induced transcriptional enhancement in STAT1 gene expression. Second, we cloned the full‐length 11 kb human STAT1 promoter, including the region upstream of the 5.5URR, from the start codon and linked it to a luciferase gene. Reporter assays showed that IFN‐α/γ significantly activated the STAT1 promoter via the 5.5URR. Furthermore, recombinant DNA linking the full‐length STAT1 promoter to STAT1 cDNA was introduced into STAT1‐deficient cells. In vitro reconstitution experiments showed that IFN‐α/γ stimulation increased STAT1 protein levels via the 5.5URR. These results demonstrate that the 5.5URR confers IFN‐dependent autoregulation of the STAT1 promoter.