bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the implementation of lesson study in Portugal and England through the lens of institutionalism
Authors: Seleznyov Sarah , Quaresma Marisa , Ehren Melanie , Goei Sui Lin , Fonseca Gorete
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study examines the challenges and successes of implementing and sustaining lesson study (LS) as an approach to in-service teacher professional development (PD) in primary schools in Portugal and England, highlighting the impact of institutional contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

Two schools that used LS as an approach to PD over a period of at least three years were identified. The theoretical framework of institutionalism guided the methodology and analysis of findings, seeking to explore relationships between institutionalised PD practices at national and school level, and how interactions between actors in schools helped or hindered the institutionalism of LS. The qualitative case studies included document analysis, observations of LS practices and interviews with teachers and leaders engaging in LS.

Findings

The findings reveal the importance of institutional entrepreneurs, who create a narrative to support LS, allocate resources to enable it and create a “relational space”, in which it can be tested and tweaked before sharing with others in the school. An institutional entrepreneur is particularly vital when national regulatory frameworks prescribe specific PD types that are not conducive to LS (such as in Portugal). However, even in more open frameworks, the entrepreneur needs to frame the LS model to fit institutionalised expectations.

Originality/value

This study, with its analysis of strategies that support sustained use of LS in schools, advances the growing field of LS research. This field of research is moving its focus from short-term LS projects that concentrate on immediate impact on teachers and students, to a sustainable approach that uses LS for in-service, school-based teacher PD, a practice with a long history in Japan.
Organisational culture as the antecedent of supply chain collaboration and its relationship with competitive advantage
Authors: Tran Dung Thi My , Thai Vinh Van , Duc Truong Ton Hien , Nguyen Thanh-Thuy
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This research aims to examine the effect of organisational culture on supply chain collaboration and firms’ competitive advantage in the garment industry in Vietnam.

Design/methodology/approach

Underpinned by the relational view and the organisational culture theories, the conceptual framework was proposed. This study obtained data from a survey of 192 managers in garment firms in Vietnam. A structural equation modelling was employed to examine the relationship between organisational culture, supply chain collaboration and competitive advantage.

Findings

There was a significant positive relationship between organisational culture in terms of group and development types and supply chain collaboration. Besides, the results revealed a significant positive relationship between supply chain collaboration and competitive advantage in terms of cost and differentiation. Furthermore, the cost competitive advantage was also found to have a significant positive effect on differentiation competitive advantage.

Originality/value

This study is perhaps one of the first empirical attempts to examine the relationship between organisational culture, supply chain collaboration and competitive advantage in the garment industry in Vietnam. Moreover, this study extends the application of the relational view and organisational culture theories in explaining these relationships in a new research context.
Contributory social security and employment-based social protection for informal workers: moderating role of regulatory framework
Authors: Dash Mohapatra Bighnesh , Sahoo Chandan Kumar
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study examines the role of contributory social security and the regulatory framework extending social protection for workers in the informal economy.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative investigation of social insurance, regulatory mechanisms and social protection is worth studying in a developing country like India. The mediating role of contributory social security and the moderating effect of the regulatory framework in the association between employment relations and employment-based social protection are examined using structural equation modelling with the help of smart PLS software.

Findings

The results ascertain the growing necessity of contributory insurance for workers in the informal economy as it plays a mediating role, while a robust regulatory framework strengthens the marriage between dimensions of employment relations and social protection in the informal economy.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to the literature on informal employment relations, informal economy and regulatory framework. The study results from the specific sector and region could raise questions about generalisability and suitability in other contexts.

Practical implications

The emergence of contributory social security in developing countries offers pathways for both government and private insurance providers. Further, it has potential implications for labour adminstration, policymakers and the state by establishing the effect of a robust regulatory framework to extend social security for the excluded working class in the informal economy.

Originality/value

This empirical study carried out an inclusive approach with the involvement of all employers, workers and governmental agencies is argued to be the solution for the social protection of the working poor.
Sustainable innovation practices: a single case study in a wine SME
Authors: Franco Mário , Rodrigues Margarida , Albuquerque Jaciara
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Sustainable innovation began to be addressed in academic circles in the early 2000s. However, there is still a gap in the adoption of innovative sustainable practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) context. Therefore, this study aims to identify the specific challenges and benefits that SMEs face when adopting innovative sustainable practices.

Design/methodology/approach

To fulfil this objective, a qualitative methodology was used, specifically a single case study in a wine SME. For data collection, the interview, based on the informal conversation method, was carried out personally with the firm’s entrepreneur-manager.

Findings

From the content analysis, the empirical evidence shows that by integrating sustainable innovation into their operations, SMEs can contribute to reducing their environmental impact and promoting sustainability at a local and global level.

Practical implications

This empirical study shows that SMEs do not face unique challenges, such as responding to the limited resources they have and competitive pressures, with the use of innovative sustainable practices in their operations being one of the most promising responses.

Originality/value

This study is innovative because it shows the importance of SMEs recognising and integrating social responsibility associated with environmental awareness into their business strategies and that innovation is an essential requirement for implementing sustainable practices. A framework about sustainable innovation practices within SME is also proposed.
Towards environmentally just supply chains: from harm reduction to transformative sustainability actions
Authors: Matthews Lee , Silva Minelle E. , Figueiredo Marina D. , Lai Jia Yen
Published: February 2025

Purpose

In response to the worsening environmental crisis, there have been multiple calls for sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) scholars and practitioners to adopt a “business-not-as-usual” approach based on justice, fairness, equity and sustainability. We add to this literature by proposing environmental justice (EJ) as a key concept for the theory and practice of SSCM.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual article builds SSCM theory on EJ and contributes to supply chain justice research and practice by introducing the concept of the “environmentally just supply chain” and presenting pathways for operationalizing it in practice.

Findings

Three pathways are proposed to leverage transformative SSCM to create environmentally just supply chains: human rights due diligence, resilience thinking and coproduction of environmentally just supply chains.

Practical implications

The three pathways can be used by actors within a supply chain to create environmentally just supply chains.

Originality/value

This article extends transformative, non-instrumental perspectives on environmental sustainability within SSCM scholarship to provide insights into how supply chains can be transformed through EJ. Not only does the article show the relevance of EJ for SSCM theory and practice, but it elaborates pathways for moving from harm reduction to transformative sustainability actions.
Facilitating episodic recall for repeated events: insights from a diverse range of professionals
Authors: Deck Sarah L. , Powell Martine B. , Brubacher Sonja P. , Paterson Helen M. , Fisher Ronald P.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

When an event unfolds in a similar way on multiple occasions, investigators often need information about specific episodes. This study aims to gain new insights into strategies for eliciting episodic details about a repeated event by exploring the perspectives and approaches of experienced professionals sampled across a diverse range of fields.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors sampled 16 professionals from various fields, including medicine, law and other groups (e.g., airline investigator), who were highly experienced in their roles and who regularly interview people about repeated events. The professionals were asked about their approach to eliciting episodic details, and their responses were subjected to thematic qualitative analysis.

Findings

The professionals’ approach was broadly consistent with evidence-based recommendations; however, some promising avenues for further research exploration emerged – particularly the use of external evidence as retrieval cues and mental context reinstatement.

Originality/value

This research uses a relatively novel methodological approach by sampling professionals with extensive experience across diverse professional fields. The findings highlight the widespread applicability of repeated-event research and the need to broaden the current research scope to enhance its relevance and impact in the field.
Do public sector banks achieve technical efficiency through mergers and acquisition in India? Insights from DEA, Malmquist and SFA
Authors: Maani Jasmine , Dunstan Rajkumar A. , Barik Nirakar
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are increasingly being adopted as a strategic approach to consolidating financial institutions and banks, with a focus on enhancing capital strength, broadening business operations and maintaining financial stability. Operational efficiency within the banking sector is crucial for effective functioning and delivering quality services to customers. This study analyzes the efficiency of large-scale mergers involving several Indian public sector banks announced between 2016 and 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Logistic Regression, Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) and Stochastic Frontier Analysis for the analysis purpose.

Findings

The results from DEA indicate that the average efficiency of merged public sector banks improved post-merger, with four out of six banks achieving technical efficiency in the post-merger period. However, efficiency varied, with OTE scores ranging from 65.8 to 100%. The SFA analysis shows that loanable funds are key drivers of both interest and non-interest income, while significant inefficiencies, particularly in labor, require attention. Physical capital plays a secondary role in income generation. The Malmquist productivity index analysis reveals a 1.6% average productivity growth in the post-merger year Y+1, driven by technological change, with positive TFP in Y+1 and Y+2 and a decline in Y+3. Only four of the six merged banks, namely Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank, achieved positive TFP growth, primarily due to improvement in technical efficiency. Additionally, the logistic regression analysis indicates that asset quality and size have statistically significant regression coefficients in predicting operational technical efficiency (OTE).

Originality/value

This paper will contribute to the existing literature of banking, mergers and acquisitions and financial economies.
Can sustainable activities improve current and future financial performance: an empirical study of Islamic banks in Asia
Authors: Prayoga Angga Septian , Siswantoro Dodik
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between sustainable activities and financial performance under the moderation of the Shariah supervisory board (SSB) of Islamic banks (IBs).

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of IBs in Asia from 2015 to 2018. Sustainable activities were collected from sustainability and annual reports, while additional data were sourced from Orbis, Thomson Reuters, and Euromonitor. Weighted content analysis measures sustainable activities, and general least square regression was used to test the hypothesis.

Findings

Sustainable activities are positively correlated to IBs’ financial performance in the current and following year. However, the SSB cannot strengthen this relationship.

Practical implications

IBs should integrate sustainable financing or green banking into their strategies and operations, as shareholders are increasingly drawn to investing in banks that demonstrate strong social and environmental responsibility.

Social implications

First, policymakers can improve guidelines related to sustainability in IBs in line with Islamic concepts and perspectives. Second, regulation can optimize the role of SSB in terms of sustainability based on maqasid shariah.

Originality/value

This study examines sustainable activities per the concept of maqasid shariah. Financial performance testing is carried out not only in the current period but also in one subsequent year. Limited research exists in this area, especially with a large sample in the Asian region.
Efficiency of APEC region ports: an approach introducing weights restrictions in DEA
Authors: Delfin Odette
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This paper introduces a revenue efficiency DEA model with weight restrictions and variable returns to scale, designed to evaluate the efficiency of 38 ports in the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used is the analysis of the data envelope, where the technical, cost and allocative efficiency is calculated with the incorporation of weight restrictions aimed at preventing the generation of unrealistically high efficiency scores.

Findings

The findings indicate that the implementation of weight restrictions successfully eliminated outliers. However, there was a general decrease in efficiency across three key measures: technical, revenue and allocative. In the realm of allocative efficiency, none of the ports reached a perfect score.

Practical implications

The major contribution of this research is that despite numerous studies on port efficiency utilizing DEA methodology, none have integrated weight restrictions into overall efficiency assessments. Therefore, the study’s objective is to gauge revenue efficiency, dissected into technical and allocative efficiency, across 38 ports in the APEC region. This is achieved through the implementation of weight restrictions alongside variable returns to scale.

Originality/value

The major contribution of this research is that despite numerous studies on port efficiency utilizing DEA methodology, none have integrated weight restrictions into overall efficiency assessments.
Women in accounting research: a review of gender diversity, equity and inclusion
Authors: Mehnaz Laura , Yang Cherrie
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to provide a systematic literature review on contemporary women-centric accounting research through the lens of gender diversity, equity and inclusion.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reviewed 210 papers published in 44 accounting journals between 2015 and 2023, using a modified version of Shields (1997) framework that profiles a detailed analysis of gender accounting topics across research settings, sample settings, jurisdiction, theories, research methods and data analysis techniques.

Findings

The review highlights an imbalance in research attention, with a predominant focus on gender diversity in governance, followed by gender equity, leaving gender inclusion relatively underexplored. The studies show notable progress in gender diversity within corporate leadership, demonstrating its positive impact on performance, audit quality, reporting and environmental, social and governance considerations. Nonetheless, women in the accounting profession continue to face challenges to equitable opportunities and inclusion, predominantly driven by gender stereotypes, patriarchal systems and motherhood impacts.

Practical implications

This research offers valuable insights that extend beyond academia, with practical implications for policy and corporate practice. The findings highlight the pressing need to reassess corporate cultures that devalue feminine occupational norms and inclusivity, particularly for women balancing family responsibilities. The authors recommend that firms go beyond increasing gender representation to actively address challenges and adopt policies that foster a genuine equitable and inclusive workplace in accounting.

Originality/value

This research adds to the current gender accounting dialogue by providing an in-depth profiling analysis of existing studies. The authors highlight often-overlooked barriers to gender equity and inclusion, emphasising the need to address them to fully realise the benefits of gender diversity at workplace.
Emerging trends in mental health and work performance research: a bibliometric analysis and future research agenda
Authors: Islam Md Asadul , Xin Baogui
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to explore emerging trends in mental health and work performance research, identifying key themes and future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed 743 relevant documents downloaded from Scopus database published between 2014 and 2024 using VOSviewer software for co-citation and co-occurrence analyses.

Findings

Findings reveal significant growth in research focusing mental health and work performance research. The western countries, such as USA, United Kingdom and Australia, emerge as leading contributors to the field, with medicine and psychology dominating the subject areas. The analysis highlights a complex interplay between employee mental health and work performance, underscoring the need for more interdisciplinary research. The results emphasize the necessity for customized interventions, long-term impact studies, cross-cultural research, technological innovations and policy advocacy to effectively address mental health issues in the workplace.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of current research trends on mental health and work performance for the first time in the literature and provides a foundation for future investigations. This comprehensive analysis offers valuable insights for researchers, practitioners and policymakers seeking to enhance employee well-being and optimize work performance in contemporary organizational settings.
Perceptions and attitudes toward police among justice-involved youths’ parents: a scoping review
Authors: Rasoal Chato , Blomqvist Mickelsson Tony
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This scoping review mapped the extant literature on parents with a justice-involved youth and their attitudes and perceptions toward police. The study aimed to explore two research questions: (1) How do perceptions between parent and youth correspond? and (2) What factors affect the parental perception of police?

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 14 studies were identified and analyzed. The review focused on understanding the relationship between parental and youth perceptions of police, as well as identifying factors that influence parental attitudes.

Findings

In short, parents’ perception of police strongly corresponds to that of youths’ perception of police and parents with negative views of the police significantly impact how their children perceive law enforcement. Parental perceptions were found to be influenced by demographic, interpersonal and contextual factors. Notably, police officers’ communicative skills, transparency and ability to interact with parents of justice-involved youth without stigmatizing them were critical in shaping positive perceptions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on a geographically limited number of studies. Future research should further explore these dynamics in different sociocultural contexts and expand the sample size for broader conclusions.

Practical implications

The study underscores the importance of police officers developing strong communication skills and engaging with parents in a manner that avoids stigmatization. Improved interactions between law enforcement and families are essential for supporting justice-involved youth.

Originality/value

This review highlights the role of parental attitudes in shaping youth perceptions of law enforcement that may inform police training aimed at fostering cooperation with families.
Mapping initial teacher education program courses with professional standards of teachers: implications for professional learning
Authors: Getenet Seyum
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the alignment of initial teacher education (ITE) courses with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs), drawing on Shulman’s (1986) categories of teacher competencies for teaching and Grossman’s (1990) model for sources of teacher competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted at a School of Education at a regional university in Australia. Data were collected from relevant accreditation documents and course specifications, comprising 96 course specifications and three accreditation documents.

Findings

The findings revealed that the ITE courses primarily focused on “Professional Knowledge” while placing less emphasis on “Professional Engagement”. The courses strongly emphasised planning for and implementing effective teaching and learning competencies. Additionally, the study found no significant difference in the preference for the APSTs across different programs or within a program.

Originality/value

This study highlights the importance of evaluating the alignment of ITE courses with APSTs and suggests the need for additional professional learning opportunities for graduate teachers to enhance their professional engagement competencies.
Technology and evolution of occupational employment in Egypt (1998–2018): a task-based framework
Authors: Elsayed Mona Mohamed , Nazier Hanan
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Following a task-based framework, this paper investigates the impact of technology on occupational employment in Egypt (1998–2018) by examining the employment implications of the Routine-biased Technological Change (RBTC) hypothesis.

Design/methodology/approach

The study estimates quadratic ordinary least squares and kernel-smoothing regressions to explore changes in occupational employment. Decomposition analysis and logistic regression are then applied to assess the role of occupational task content against other occupation-specific factors in accounting for these changes. Additionally, a transition probability matrix is calculated to validate the presumption that routine workers are more likely to switch their occupational task category, predominantly to manual occupations.

Findings

The RBTC hypothesis is partially supported. First, employment evolution is closer to a downgrading pattern than a polarizing one. Second, routine employment experiences an overall decline and is dominated by middle-skilled workers. However, the low routinization exposure makes it not dominant in the middle-skill distribution. Third, task content significantly explains the decline in routine employment relative to abstract rather than manual employment. Finally, routine workers have the highest transition probability, moving mostly to abstract occupations.

Originality/value

This study is the first in Egypt to address the technology-employment nexus by directly applying a task-based framework. It fills the gap in the existing literature by addressing the relationship over a relatively longer period and employing direct measures of task content of detailed occupations, classified based on the most recent occupational classification (ISCO-08).
Validation of Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis (LRINEC) score and establishment of novel score in Japanese patients with necrotizing fasciitis (J‐LRINEC score)
Authors: Norimatsu Yuta , Fukasawa Takemichi , Ohno Yuki , Norimatsu Yurie , Matsuda Kazuki M. , Hisamoto Teruyoshi , Kotani Hirohito , Kuzumi Ai , Yoshizaki‐Ogawa Asako , Miyagawa Takuya , Oba Koji , Sato Shinichi , Yoshizaki Ayumi
Published: February 2025

The Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis (LRINEC) score is widely used to distinguish between necrotizing fasciitis and cellulitis. However, LRINEC scores are not as sensitive or specific as initially reported, possibly due to differences in patient backgrounds in different countries. Here, we examined the validity of LRINEC scores in Japanese patients. We also investigated the possibility of developing a new scoring system. Patients with necrotizing fasciitis (n = 56) and cellulitis (n = 209) were retrospectively evaluated. The data were split into training (n = 199) and validation (n = 66) datasets. A logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the C‐statistics of the LRINEC scores. A new equation was formulated using logistic regression analysis with an appropriate variable selection (Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis for Japanese Patients [J‐LRINEC] score). The J‐LRINEC score had a C‐statistic of 0.9683, sensitivity of 91.4%, and specificity of 84.8%. The LRINEC score had a C‐statistic of 0.914 and specificity of 96%; however, its usefulness was limited by its sensitivity of 68.9%. Our results suggest that the LRINEC score is valid for Japanese patients; however, the J‐LRINEC score showed higher sensitivity and specificity, suggesting that it may be a useful tool for differentiating cellulitis from necrotizing fasciitis among Japanese patients.
PHD3‐Mediated Inhibition of Retinal Neovascularization in Retinopathy of Prematurity
Authors: Yu Jiawei , Liu Haifeng , Xing Yue , Gao Yuan
Published: February 2025

Retinopathy of prematurity is characterised by abnormal retinal neovascularization in response to hypoxia stress. Prolyl 4‐hydroxylase domain protein 3 (PHD3) is a well‐known molecular oxygen sensor. However, the role that PHD3 plays in retinopathy of prematurity remains unclear. In this work, a mouse model of oxygen‐induced retinopathy (OIR) was used for in vivo studies. Compared with the mice in room air, OIR mice showed sprouting of retinal neovascularization and increased level of PHD3. It was further found that PHD3 overexpression weakened OIR‐induced retinal neovascularization and promoted cell apoptosis in the retina, indicating a mitigative effect on retinopathy. More importantly, OIR‐induced upregulation of hypoxia inducible factor‐1 alpha (HIF‐1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) was offset by PHD3 overexpression. In in vitro experiments, mouse retinal microvascular endothelial cells (MRMECs) were cultured under hypoxic conditions. The functions of endothelial cells including cell proliferation, cell migration, and tube formation ability were suppressed by PHD3, suggesting an anti‐angiogenesis effect of PHD3. In line with in vivo experiments, the expression of HIF‐1α and VEGFA levels declined in endothelial cells when PHD3 was overexpressed. Taken together, PHD3 alleviates retinopathy of prematurity through anti‐angiogenesis, and the core mechanism may involve cell apoptosis of retina endothelial cell and HIF‐1α–VEGFA axis. These findings provide exciting new insights into the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity, and could offer new treatment directions.
Unequal Academy: The Struggle and Challenges of Token Black Academics in the United Kingdom
Authors: Ajibade Adisa Toyin , Gbadamosi Gbolahan , Chang Kirk
Published: February 2025

In this study, we tackle the under‐explored issue of racial inclusion for Black academics in UK universities, thus exposing the harsh reality of ‘tokenism’. We amplify the voices of these academics and thereby reveal the disturbing prevalence of tokenism within UK higher education institutions. Drawing on organizational justice theory, we leverage a mixed‐methods approach (24 interviews and 201 questionnaires) to examine their lived experiences, perceptions of belonging, interpretations of fairness within academia and the roadblocks hindering their career progression. We uncover evidence of covert racism, the pressure to outperform non‐Black colleagues and epistemic injustice – the invalidation of their knowledge contributions. Interestingly, work prejudice and discrimination are not found to be associated with gender or work mode but rather with citizenship status. Our respondents, all British academics, report higher fairness perceptions, while non‐British academics face greater discrimination. Our findings highlight the crucial role of procedural and distributive justice in mitigating prejudice in the workplace for Black academics, underlining the importance of residency status in human resources practices. This research strengthens organizational justice theory and calls for interventions promoting racial equity within UK universities. Our research demonstrates the detrimental impact of tokenism and highlights how it perpetuates racial disadvantages and prevents Black academics from achieving true equality within their institutions.
Can Fecal T3 Metabolite Level Fluctuations in European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) Give Insights on Body Condition and Thermal Stress?
Authors: Pasciu Valeria , Chirichella Roberta , Sotgiu Francesca D. , Nieddu Maria , Baralla Elena , Apollonio Marco , Berlinguer Fiammetta
Published: February 2025

Mammals can use a variety of physiological mechanisms to adapt to changes in their environment. Thyroid hormones (THs) are key modulators of growth and mediators of environmental conditions by regulating developmental processes and metabolism in animals. In recent years, advancements in non‐invasive sampling have allowed monitoring of the fluctuations of THs and their metabolites in wild mammals. Triiodothyronine (T3) represents the major metabolite of THs excreted in feces so that it can be monitored in fecal samples. In this study, fecal samples collected during the hunting season from legally culled European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus; n = 160) were assayed to investigate the potential fluctuations of fecal TH metabolites (FTMs) in response to environmental (e.g., the temperature, local densities) and individual (e.g., sex, age, body, and nutritional conditions) variables. For this aim, we validated a TH enzyme immunoassay in the feces of roe deer. Our results show that FTMs can be successfully measured with satisfactory accuracy and precision. Extraction recovery (70%–120%), intra‐ and inter‐day repeatability (<15%), linearity dilutions (80%–120%), and parallelism (<20%) were consistent with international guidelines. Environmental temperature (p < 0.001) showed a strong inverse correlation with FTM levels. THs can thus represent a reliable indicator in studying animals’ adaptative responses to environmental temperature changes, providing perspectives for the study of the impact of climate change on ungulates and mammals. Further analyses, comparing samples collected all year round, are needed to investigate the correlations of TH values versus the other investigated variables.
Bioregionalization analyses with the bioregion R package
Authors: Denelle Pierre , Leroy Boris , Lenormand Maxime
Published: February 2025

Bioregionalization consists in the identification of spatial units with similar species composition and is a classical approach in the fields of biogeography and macroecology. The recent emergence of global databases, improvements in computational power and the development of clustering algorithms coming from the network theory have led to several major updates of the bioregionalizations of many taxa.

A typical bioregionalization workflow involves five different steps: formatting the input data, computing a (dis)similarity matrix, selecting a bioregionalization algorithm, evaluating the resulting bioregionalization and mapping and interpreting the bioregions. For most of these steps, there are many options available in the methods and R packages.

Here, we present bioregion, a package that includes all the steps of a bioregionalization workflow under a single architecture, with an exhaustive list of the bioregionalization algorithms used in biogeography and macroecology. These algorithms include (non‐)hierarchical algorithms as well as community detection algorithms coming from the network theory. Some key methods from the literature, such as the network community detection algorithm Infomap or OSLOM (Order Statistics Local Optimization Method) that were not available in the R language are included in bioregion.

By combining different methods coming from different fields to communicate easily, bioregion will allow a reproducible and complete comparison of the different bioregionalization methods, which is still missing in the literature.
Public Perspectives Around Prenatal Screening of Chromosomal Abnormalities: A Focus Group Study Comparing Metropolitan and Rural/Regional Areas in Australia
Authors: Salisbury Amber , Winston Hovea , Johnson Alexis , Pearce Alison , Howard Kirsten , Norris Sarah
Published: February 2025

Background

The widespread and rapid adoption of private payments for non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in Australia has introduced complexities to the decision‐making process for the public regarding prenatal screening. NIPT has the potential to be a useful screening tool, but concerns have been raised about its cost, the psychological consequences of testing and the information available to support informed decision‐making.

Objective

To explore the attitudes, values and beliefs around prenatal screening in Australia, and how perspectives may differ between people living in metropolitan locations versus rural/regional locations.

Materials and Methods

Three focus groups were conducted in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Participants (N = 25) were recruited by a market research group. Focus groups took place face‐to‐face in metropolitan and rural/regional areas, and online via videoconference. Discussions were transcribed and analysed thematically.

Results

Participants generally expressed interest in undertaking prenatal screening but held misconceptions about the purpose of NIPT (i.e. screening, not diagnosis) and the conditions assessed. There were varied opinions among participants on expanding the scope of screening: some felt additional information provided reassurance, whilst others thought it would increase stress due to the decreased accuracy. People living in rural/regional areas had greater concerns over access to screening (cost, wait times and distance) than people living in metropolitan areas.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate different approaches are needed to improve understanding of NIPT (to ensure informed consent), and to improve access to NIPT for people living in rural/regional areas. The pre‐test information needs to account for the range of perspectives observed across geographic locations.
Ethnicity Variations in Pathways to Care and Diagnosis of Endometriosis and Persistent Pelvic Pain in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Dunning Jessica , Burrows Amy , Wynn‐Williams Michael , Edmonds Simon , Harlow Keryn , Rowland Whitney , Sadler Lynn
Published: February 2025

Background

In Aotearoa New Zealand, there are limited data on ethnicity‐specific prevalence and management of endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain. In the international literature, there appears to be a wide variation in both diagnosis and treatment access for these common conditions.

Aims

To explore ethnicity‐specific referral data for people with symptoms of endometriosis and pelvic pain referred to two tertiary hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Materials and Methods

Referrals to two gynaecology departments, in the North and South Islands of New Zealand, for women aged 16–52 during 2021 were screened and included if the primary referral reason was pelvic pain > 3 months, abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis or dyspareunia. Denominator data were obtained from Statistics NZ.

Results

There was a significantly lower referral rate at the North Island unit for Māori, Pacific and Asian people compared to European/MELAA; and a significantly lower referral rate in the South Island unit for Pacific and Asian people compared to European/MELAA and Māori, per 1000 women aged 16–52 years per year. Similar patterns occurred in the rates of waitlisting for surgery.

Conclusions

European women are privileged in Aotearoa compared to Māori, Pacific and Asian people in secondary referral and population waitlisting for surgery. This privilege was not evident in waitlisting for surgery from the gynaecology clinic. We suggest that a nationally consistent approach to the management of endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain is required.
Application of Veno‐Arterial ECMO Combined With Hemoperfusion in the Treatment of a Patient With Yunaconitine Poisoning: A Case Report
Authors: Jiang Zhuo , Zhuang Yue , Hu Xueting , Chen Wei , Xia Fei , Hu Xiaoxia , Yang Aixiang , Tao Weiyi
Published: February 2025

A 40‐year‐old man, after accidentally ingesting aconitine in a herbal remedy, suffered severe poisoning symptoms and was diagnosed with multiple arrhythmias. He quickly received veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA‐ECMO) and hemoperfusion in the ICU, along with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) to stabilize his internal environment. The treatment controlled the arrhythmias, restored heart function, and alleviated acidosis. The patient was discharged feeling well after 9 days. This combined therapy is valuable for severe aconitine poisoning, especially when specific antidotes are lacking, as it provides critical life support and effectively removes toxins.
Consciousness as a cultivated faculty that develops according to social and historical conditions
Authors: Frenopoulo Christian
Published: February 2025

The articles in this issue of the journal support the claim that consciousness is a circumstantially cultivated faculty of the self. This is contrary to a widespread assumption held by numerous scholars, researchers, and religious doctrines that consciousness is a self‐sustaining unoriginated faculty given to the subject and which at all times is subjectively experienced with wholeness. The articles in this issue counter the belief that consciousness exists in a state of independence from societal, personal, and historical circumstances.
Frequency of fetal blood sampling, delivery mode and neonatal outcome after revised CTG‐classification and updated lactate meter in Sweden: An observational study
Authors: Gröndal Klara , Gyllencreutz Erika , Wretler Stina , Johansson Kari , Holzmann Malin
Published: February 2025

Introduction

A revised cardiotocography (CTG) classification was implemented in Sweden in 2017. Simultaneously, an updated version of the lactate meter, Lactate Pro 2™, proved to measure 50% higher than the previous, necessitating new cutoffs for fetal blood sampling (FBS). We aimed to investigate frequencies of FBS, delivery modes, and neonatal outcomes. We hypothesized that with the revised CTG classification, which accepts more fetal heart rate patterns as normal than the previous, the frequency of FBS would be lower, the proportion of acidemia at FBS and adverse neonatal outcomes would be higher among sampled fetuses, but not among the entire laboring population, and the higher lactate readings might increase the proportion of cesarean delivery in general anesthesia and cesarean delivery above vacuum extraction.

Material and Methods

A population‐based cohort study of electronic medical records of labors in Stockholm‐Gotland during 2014–2015 and 2018–2019, including singleton pregnancies >34 weeks, cephalic presentation, with spontaneous or induced start of labor. Outcome measures were FBS frequency, proportion of fetal acidemia, delivery modes, and neonatal outcomes with comparison between the two periods among sampled and nonsampled fetuses.

Results

There were 28 841 and 30 192 births during the two periods. In the latter period, the FBS frequency was lower (8.2% vs. 11.9% [p < 0.001]), and the proportion of acidemia at FBS was higher, both among sampled fetuses (12.5% vs. 7.1% [p < 0.001]), and in the total population (1.0% vs. 0.8% [p = 0.022]). Immediate cesareans in general anesthesia due to fetal distress were more frequent among sampled fetuses (3.1% vs. 2.0% [p = 0.006]) but not among nonsampled fetuses (0.4 vs. 0.4%). Incidence of Apgar scores < 4 at 5 min was unchanged after FBS (p = 0.66) but higher among nonsampled newborns (0.2 vs. 0.1 [p = 0.033]). Apgar scores <7 at 5 min were more frequent among both sampled and nonsampled groups.

Conclusions

After implementation of a revised CTG classification and a differently calibrated lactate meter in Sweden, the use of FBS was substantially lower. Acidemia at FBS and immediate cesarean due to fetal distress were more frequent among sampled fetuses but still low in the total laboring population. Low Apgar scores were more frequent among newborns both with and without FBS.
Extremely asymmetric ectasia: Tomographically unilateral keratoconus
Authors: Shabani Hasan , Ramdas Wishal D. , Meester‐Smoor Magda A. , Rizopoulos Dimitris , Klaver Caroline C. W. , van Dooren Bart T. H. , Geerards Annette J. M.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

To investigate the characteristics of apparently stable forms of tomographically unilateral keratoconus (KC).

Methods

In this retrospective case–control study, strict unilaterality criteria were applied to select tomographically unilateral cases with ≥3 years of follow‐up. For comparison, a healthy cohort and two bilateral KC cohorts were matched to the tomographically unilateral cases. All patients were selected from The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, whereas healthy controls were selected from the population‐based Rotterdam Study. After cohort selection, several risk factors and 25 Pentacam features were assessed. Unaffected (i.e. tomographically non‐keratoconic) eyes from the tomographically unilateral cases were compared to matched healthy eyes, matched bilateral KC eyes and affected unilateral KC eyes. Furthermore, affected tomographically unilateral KC eyes were compared to matched bilateral KC eyes. Statistical analysis relied on Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests and conditional logistic regression.

Results

From 1006 assessed cases, 18 (1.8%) tomographically unilateral cases were selected. Their median (interquartile range) follow‐up was 5.7 (4.3–8) years. Eczema and asthma were more prevalent among tomographically unilateral patients (28% each) compared to bilateral patients (6% and 9%) (p = 0.01 and p = 0.05, signed‐rank test). We could not detect meaningful Pentacam differences between unaffected unilateral eyes and matched healthy eyes. Expectedly, significant differences were detected between unaffected unilateral eyes and affected (bilateral or unilateral) eyes. Lastly, the ectatic features of affected unilateral eyes seemed comparable to their bilateral counterparts, but their high‐order aberrations were significantly lower.

Conclusion

Our findings support the existence of tomographically unilateral KC. Understanding how tomographic unilaterality ensues may offer valuable insights into KC aetiology.
DeepFracture: A Generative Approach for Predicting Brittle Fractures with Neural Discrete Representation Learning
Authors: Huang Yuhang , Kanai Takashi
Published: February 2025

In the field of brittle fracture animation, generating realistic destruction animations using physics‐based simulation methods is computationally expensive. While techniques based on Voronoi diagrams or pre‐fractured patterns are effective for real‐time applications, they fail to incorporate collision conditions when determining fractured shapes during runtime. This paper introduces a novel learning‐based approach for predicting fractured shapes based on collision dynamics at runtime. Our approach seamlessly integrates realistic brittle fracture animations with rigid body simulations, utilising boundary element method (BEM) brittle fracture simulations to generate training data. To integrate collision scenarios and fractured shapes into a deep learning framework, we introduce generative geometric segmentation, distinct from both instance and semantic segmentation, to represent 3D fragment shapes. We propose an eight‐dimensional latent code to address the challenge of optimising multiple discrete fracture pattern targets that share similar continuous collision latent codes. This code will follow a discrete normal distribution corresponding to a specific fracture pattern within our latent impulse representation design. This adaptation enables the prediction of fractured shapes using neural discrete representation learning. Our experimental results show that our approach generates considerably more detailed brittle fractures than existing techniques, while the computational time is typically reduced compared to traditional simulation methods at comparable resolutions.
Advances in the Study of Necroptosis in Vascular Dementia: Focus on Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuroinflammation
Authors: Qiu Yuemin , Cheng Lin , Xiong Yinyi , Liu Ziying , Shen Chunxiao , Wang Liangliang , Lu Yujia , Wei Shufei , Zhang Lushun , Yang Seung Bum , Zhang Xiaorong
Published: February 2025

Background

Vascular dementia (VaD) includes a group of brain disorders that are characterized by cerebrovascular pathology.Neuroinflammation, disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, white matter lesions, and neuronal loss are all significant pathological manifestations of VaD and play a key role in disease progression. Necroptosis, also known asprogrammed necrosis, is a mode of programmed cell death distinct from apoptosis and is closely associated with ischemic injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have shown that necroptosis in VaD exacerbates BBB destruction, activates neuroinflammation, promotes neuronal loss, and severely affects VaD prognosis.

Results and Conclusions

In this review, we outline the significant roles of necroptosis and its molecular mechanisms in the pathological process of VaD, with a particular focus on the role of necroptosis in modulating neuroinflammation and exacerbating the disruption of BBB permeability in VaD, and elaborate on the molecular regulatory mechanisms and the centrally involved cells of necroptosis mediated by tumor necrosis factor‐α in neuroinflammation in VaD. We also analyze the possibility and specific strategy that targeting necroptosis would help inhibit neuroinflammation and BBB destruction in VaD. With a focus on necroptosis, this study delved into its impact on the pathological changes and prognosis of VaD to provide new treatment ideas.