bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring consumer purchase intention in cross-border e-commerce: evidence from ‘belt and road’ countries
Authors: Jian Jie , Lv Ling , Wan Li
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of consumer purchase intention (CPI) of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) in the countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a research model of the antecedents of CPI on CBEC in BRI countries. Study participants were consumers with CBEC shopping experience in BRI-associated countries (n = 278). Structural equation modeling was used to test the research model.

Findings

Trust has the greatest effect on CPI, while perceived security has the least effect. In addition, in BRI-associated countries, in contrast to the previous study, product presentation was found to have a significant positive influence on CPI in CBEC. Platform simplicity and logistic service have a significant positive influence on CPI.

Practical implications

These findings offer important implications for CBEC. Consumers' trust in product providers has the greatest impact on CPI. Simplicity, timely shipment tracking and the fast delivery speed of the platform will increase CPI. The results suggest a highly successful tactic for enhancing consumers' perceptions of product authenticity and interest. Finally, this study provides insights into BRI.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on CBEC. It explores the multilevel (i.e. product presentation, platform simplicity, logistic service, perceived security, and trust) determinants of CPI on CBEC. The study provides insights into the determinants of CPI in BRI countries.
Local sourcing and MNC subsidiary performance: a legitimacy perspective
Authors: Oki Kiyohiro , Kawai Norifumi
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Based on a legitimacy perspective, this study aims to investigate when local sourcing, as a strategic legitimacy action, improves or impairs subsidiary performance. The authors investigate the moderating role of regulatory/normative institutional distance in the relationship between local sourcing and subsidiary performance. Particularly, departing from prior relevant research, the authors reflect on the direction of institutional distance, categorizing it as either upward or downward institutional distance.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Japanese governmental data, this study performs a panel data analysis using a sample of 1,054 Japanese subsidiaries operating in 37 host countries over a 5-year observation period.

Findings

The authors reveal that downward regulatory/normative institutional distance more positively moderates the relationship between local sourcing and subsidiary performance than upward regulatory/normative distance.

Originality/value

There is little research that specifically discusses the performance effects of local sourcing while considering legitimacy concerns. Moreover, the results of analyses of the relationship between local sourcing and subsidiary performance in existing studies are inconsistent, suggesting that it is necessary to identify the boundary conditions under which local sourcing improves or impairs subsidiary performance. To fill these gaps, this study clarifies when local sourcing improves or impairs subsidiary performance based on a legitimacy perspective. The authors’ finding makes a clear contribution to the literature on strategic legitimacy actions and input localization in multinational corporations.
Framework for improving usage of library services and resources in the private higher education in South Africa
Authors: Muzvondiwa Ishewakatipa , Marutha Ngoako Solomon
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate a framework for improving library services and resource usage in a private higher education institution in South Africa. Marketing of library services and resources has a great impact on their usage. If marketing is not properly applied, libraries can turn into the unused institution, render useless or unused services, no matter how good their available services and resources are.

Design/methodology/approach

This multi-method study used questionnaires to collect data from both staff and students at the private higher education institution concerned. The questionnaire was augmented with data collected from staff using group interviews. It is unfortunate that the target institution approved the conducting of the study only on the condition that their name could not be disclosed or used in any study reports. On this basis, the institution is referred to as Campus A for the purposes of this paper.

Findings

The study discovered that Campus A lacked key marketing tools, such as a marketing policy for the library, and that it also failed to take advantage of new platforms such as social media and other available computer software and technologies. This has resulted in its users being unaware of certain important services and resources rendered by the library.

Originality/value

The study proposed a framework for library marketing practices to improve services and resources usage as a benchmark for libraries. The study also recommends that the management of Campus A library come together to gather information for the development of an appropriate library marketing policy and also ensure that their marketing strategies take advantage of the latest technology, including social media, by means of which their clients may be easily reached.
H-BIM applications for vernacular architecture: a historic rural house case study in Bursa, Turkey
Authors: Savaşkan Mustafa Onur , Özener Ozan Önder
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This article presents a case study on the Heritage Building Information Modeling (H-BIM) application in a historic village in Bursa, Turkey. The study addresses how tailor-made and highly structured H-BIM approaches can effectively be implemented in preservation applications for historic vernacular buildings in the rural architecture context.

Design/methodology/approach

Using inexpensive digital photogrammetry techniques tightly combined with an object-oriented BIM ontology, parametric meta-modeling and object/system propagation methods, the study employed a holistic H-BIM approach for capturing the materiality, building object behaviors and indigenous construction principles of a characteristic vernacular house that were synthesized in a parametric H-BIM model. The followed stages, steps and connected methods were systematized and articulated in a prototypical H-BIM implementation framework.

Findings

The study findings suggested that the developed parametric H-BIM approach can return effective results with the combined use of low-cost and practical digital photogrammetry with BIM methods. The flexibility and adaptability of the parametric H-BIM implementation framework facilitated the synthesis of a comprehensive H-BIM model and allowed an in-depth evaluation of local architectural heritage with its physical, spatial and environmental characteristics. The proposed H-BIM approach also provided significant documentation and system-specific assessment benefits for preserving the vernacular examples which are prone to extinction especially due to structural and systemic deterioration.

Originality/value

The study proposes a feasible, practical and replicable H-BIM implementation methodology for vernacular preservation applications. The knowledge-embedded H-BIM approach, flows and techniques presented in this study provide a holistic and systematic H-BIM framework – with the integrated use of digital photogrammetry and parametric meta-modeling methods – that has the potential for the democratization of H-BIM applications in education and practice.
Appropriately organized work and employees' concerns related to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case in Slovenia
Authors: Rožman Maja , Čančer Vesna
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The main aim of the paper is to establish the effects of appropriately organized work as well as the effects of the employees' concerns related to work during the COVID-19 pandemic on work efficiency and work satisfaction among employees working from home during this period. The empirical research includes 619 employees in Slovenia, who participated in the survey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was used in exploring the effects between constructs.

Findings

Based on the results, the authors found that appropriately organized work during the COVID-19 pandemic has a positive effect not only on the work efficiency of employees who work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia but also on their work satisfaction. Also, based on the results, the authors found that the employees' concerns related to work during the COVID-19 pandemic have a negative effect on the work efficiency and on the work satisfaction of employees who work from home during this period in Slovenia.

Originality/value

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way we live and work; therefore, this paper contributes to the creation of new working conditions and employee management during and also after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Extrinsic motivations behind mobile shopping: what drives regular and occasional shoppers?
Authors: De Canio Francesca , Fuentes-Blasco Maria , Martinelli Elisa
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This paper aims at shedding light on the competing extrinsic motivations behind the mobile shopping process of regular and occasional shoppers. Price and convenience, shopping security, order delivery and post-sale service are investigated as antecedents of the mobile shopping attitude-intention path.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical analysis is based on a multigroup structural equation model (SEM) developed on 903 online questionnaires collected among Chinese shoppers in a pre-Covid-19 pandemic retailing context.

Findings

Findings evidence contrary motivations behind the attitude – intention to shop using a mobile retail app of regular and occasional shoppers. While all the investigated aspects result to be positively relevant for regular m-shoppers, shopping security and post-sale service do not impact the attitude – intention path of occasional mobile shoppers. Results support retailers’ strategies in the context of mobile shopping growth.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the emerging retailing literature on mobile shopping by offering a comparison of the motivations behind the mobile shopping intention of regular and occasional shoppers. Extrinsic motivations before, during and after the transaction are jointly investigated in the study.
Reward or punish: investigating output controls and content generation in the multi-sided platform context
Authors: Lin Feiyan , Tian Hengqi , Zhao Jing , Chi Maomao
Published: May 2022

Purpose

E-commerce content platforms are a typical type of multi-sided platform that combines transactions with social media platforms. To solve the managerial dilemma of balancing the tension between control and autonomy of influencers' output performance, this study aims to investigate how exercising output controls through performance rewards and performance punishments impact the quantity and quality of influencers' content generation.

Design/methodology/approach

Choosing JD WeChat Shopping Circle as the research context and leveraging the introduction of a double commission subsidy policy and a removal policy as quasi-natural experiments, this study applied the difference-in-differences (DID) method to empirically test hypotheses.

Findings

Performance rewards incentivize influencers to generate high-quality content, but such incentivizing effects attenuate over time. Performance punishment drives influencers to generate expected pieces of high-quality content, and such safeguarding effects accentuate over time.

Originality/value

This study proposes output controls as an important form of governance mechanism in multi-sided platforms and substantiates how rewards and punishments as two facets of incentives affect complementors' behaviors. In addition, by distinguishing performance-contingent rewards from completion-contingent rewards, this study helps resolve the mixed findings on the effects of monetary rewards in the user-generated content (UGC) literature.
Governance quality and momentum returns: international evidence
Authors: Imran Zulfiqar Ali , Wong Woei Chyuan , Binti Ismail Rusmawati
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Momentum returns are considered an anomaly in the finance literature as their existence cannot be fully explained under the asset pricing paradigm. This study attempts to shed more light on this anomaly by investigating the determinants of momentum returns.

Design/methodology/approach

The panel data technique is applied to the sample of 40 countries worldwide from 1996 to 2018. The authors use the panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) model to estimate the coefficient of World Governance Indicators (WGI), whereas the fixed effect model is used to determine the coefficient for corporate governance indicators (CGIs). The choice of PCSE estimation methods is guided by the fact that WGI variables are subjected to serial correlation, heteroskedasticity and cross-sectional dependence problems while CGI variables are not. Furthermore, a composite WGI index is constructed using principal component analysis (PCA).

Findings

Regression analysis shows a negative and significant relationship between WGI index and momentum returns. The negative coefficient value of WGI supports the prediction of the overreaction hypothesis, which postulates a lower behavioral bias in the market with high governance quality. Breaking down of the WGI by their six indicators reveals that four of the indicators (control over corruption, government effectiveness, stability and avoidance of violence) are negative statistically significant with momentum returns while two indicators are not significant. As for CGIs, only one (strength of investor protection) of the four tested indicators is negative and significantly related to momentum returns.

Originality/value

The study fills the gap in economic literature by highlighting the association between governance quality at the country (WGI) and firm level (CGI) on stock momentum returns.
Two sides of the same coin: accessibility practices and neurodivergent users' experience of extended reality
Authors: Lukava Tamari , Morgado Ramirez Dafne Zuleima , Barbareschi Giulia
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This paper explores the accessibility barriers faced by neurodivergent individuals regarding the use of Extended Reality (XR) technologies and the difficulties faced by developers in creating neurodivergent inclusive XR experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors carried out a survey with neurodivergent participants, and a series of semi-structured interviews with neurodivergent adults and XR developers.

Findings

Neurodivergent individuals experience sensory overload when using XR technologies; these negative experiences are exacerbated by excessive multisensory stimulation. Allowing for the customization of sensory settings was seen as the only way to potentially limit negative experiences. The authors found that XR developers lacked awareness of accessibility requirements and struggled to integrate them in current software development practices.

Social implications

Accessibility understanding regarding neurodivergence is increasingly available and the time has come to bring computing and information services within the reach of all neurodivergent individuals. The power in the design of XR, which is crucial, is decentralized from neurotypical XR developing practices to avoid artificial barriers that decrease the quality of life.

Originality/value

There is a lack of studies exploring how neurodivergent individuals experience XR considering their different sensory processing patterns. There is also no research exploring XR developers' awareness of accessibility needs of neurodivergent individuals. This paper presents an account of the challenges faced by neurodivergent XR users, the difficulties faced by XR developers to integrate neurodivergent accessibility requirements, and proposes specific strategies to overcome challenges.
From ambiguity to action: integrating collective sensemaking and rational decision making in management pedagogy and practice
Authors: Awati Kailash , Nikolova Natalia
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Managers are increasingly presented with complex, ambiguous decision problems that affect multiple stakeholder groups. Such problems cannot be tackled solely by classical approaches that prescribe rational methods to weigh evidence and select an optimal course of action. Yet most courses on decision making still focus on these methods. This paper draws attention to the complementary nature of rational decision making and sensemaking techniques in management decision making, and describes a practical pedagogy that demonstrates how the two can be integrated into management curricula.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an in-depth review of relevant research, the authors propose a conceptual model that highlights the complementary nature of rational and sensemaking methods for making decisions relating to complex and ambiguous problems. They then describe a course on decision making as an illustration of how the model can inform decision making pedagogy.

Findings

Decision makers need to think of their decision problems in terms of two distinct types of uncertainty: those for which uncertainty can be quantified and those for which it cannot. When faced with the latter, decisions are best made by working with relevant stakeholders to collectively frame the problem using practical sensemaking tools prior to applying rational decision making techniques to address it. Decision making under ambiguity is an iterative, social process requiring a combination of rational decision making methods and sensemaking techniques.

Practical implications

The paper seeks to increase awareness about the complementary nature of sensemaking and rational decision making. It emphasizes the need to integrate the two in management curricula and provides details on how this can be done via an example of a course implemented at an Australian Business School. The techniques described will also be of interest to practitioners.

Originality/value

The paper describes a practical pedagogy that blends rational decision making and collective sensemaking techniques in a way that fosters managers’ decision making skills in contexts characterized by ambiguity.
High toughness, thermal resistance and excellent dielectric properties phenolic epoxy vinyl ester resin modified by hyperbranched polyimide
Authors: Gao Feng , Zhang Xiaorui , Weng Ling , Cheng Yujun , Shi Jiahao
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Phenolic epoxy vinyl ester resin (PEVER) is an advanced resin matrix, which has excellent heat resistance, electrical insulation. However, the brittleness and poor toughness of its curing product limited its application, so this paper aims to modify the PEVER with hyperbranched polyimide (HBPI), so as to enhance the toughness, heat resistance and dielectric properties of PEVER.

Design/methodology/approach

Hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer was used as the central reactant. Methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride was used as the branching unit, stannous octoate was used as the catalyst and hydroquinone was prepared as the inhibitor. Then, the hyperbranched structure of HBPI was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and 13C-NMR. Next, PEVER was mixed with different contents of HBPI, and then the authors tested its curing product.

Findings

It is found that with the addition of HBPI, the free volume of the system was increased and the content of polar groups was decreased in each unit space, so the dielectric constant (ε) and the dielectric loss (tanδ) were decreased. In addition, PEVER could be well toughened by HBPI and the thermal stability of PEVER was improved.

Originality/value

HBPI has excellent heat resistance. The addition of hyperbranched polymer increases the free volume of the system so it can slow down the transfer of stress and its nearly circular structure can absorb the impact energy from all directions. Moreover, an appropriate amount of free volume can decrease the dielectric constant of PEVER by reducing the content of polar groups.
Heterocyclic aromatic amine contents and quality characteristics of bacon as influenced by NaCl concentration of brine
Authors: Du Hongzhen , Wang Qiang , Liu Qian , Chen Qian , Liu Haotian , Xu Ming , Kong Baohua
Published: May 2022

Bacon usually have a high salt content. Excessive intake of salt could cause a harm to human health. Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are carcinogenic and mutagenic heterocyclic compounds formed by the reactions of precursor substances at high temperature. This study investigated the influence of different levels of NaCl on the HAA contents and quality characteristics of bacon. Moisture, aw, L* value, b* value, thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance (TBARS), and carbonyl content increased significantly with a decrease in the NaCl concentration of the brine (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between treatments for a* value, pH, creatine content, sensory redness, bitterness, or off‐odor (p > 0.05). Sensory evaluation showed that saltiness in bacon increased significantly with increased NaCl concentrations in brine. The increased NaCl concentrations decreased the total HAAs in fried bacon (p < 0.05). Moreover, the nonpolar HAA contents in bacon were higher than the polar HAA contents; salt concentration mainly affected the nonpolar HAA content. In summary, salt content had a significant influence on the HAA content and the quality characteristic of bacon.
Estimating occupancy from autonomous recording unit data in the presence of misclassifications and detection heterogeneity
Authors: Clement Matthew J. , Royle J. Andrew , Mixan Ronald J.
Published: May 2022

Autonomous recording units (ARUs) are now widely used to survey communities of species. These surveys generate spatially and temporally replicated counts of unmarked animals, but such data typically include false negatives and misclassified detections, both of which may vary across sites in proportion to abundance. These data challenges can bias estimates of occupancy, and the typical approach of verifying individual detections is expensive.

We developed a Bayesian implementation of a two‐species, false‐positive N‐mixture model for estimating occupancy from ARU data or other counts of unmarked animals that does not require manual verification. The model accounts for species misclassification and abundance‐induced detection heterogeneity, as well as false negatives. To evaluate this model, we simulated 200 datasets for each of 29 scenarios, including scenarios in which misclassifications outnumbered correct classifications for rare species. We also applied the model to acoustic surveys of bats conducted on Fort Carson Army Post and Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado, USA.

In the simulation study, bias, coverage and root mean square error for occupancy estimates obtained from the two‐species false‐positive N‐mixture model were superior to metrics obtained from two competing two‐species false‐positive occupancy models. Across 29 scenarios, absolute bias was consistently low (range: −0.03 to 0.07), while coverage averaged 93% (range: 74%–98%). For alternative occupancy models, absolute bias was often high (range: −0.36 to 0.39), and coverage averaged from 47% to 65%. Although our model included an abundance parameter, abundance estimates were not reliable. For two species of Myotis bats, we estimated that 1%–5% of field‐recorded detections were misclassified. Estimated occupancy (0.91 and 0.76) was lower than naïve estimates (1.00 and 0.94). Competing occupancy models implausibly estimated local occupancy of 0.00 at sites with numerous detections.

Our two‐species, false‐positive N‐mixture model is significant because it accounts for detection heterogeneity and improves occupancy estimates without expensive manual verification of detections. Our field application indicated that misclassifications were not common, yet affected occupancy inferences. Given that ARUs are increasingly used to survey a broad range of taxa, such an occupancy model could be widely useful.
Evaluation of resistance to black bean aphid (Aphis fabae) in selected varieties and mutant genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Authors: Zimba Kennedy J. , Sohati Philemon H. , Munyinda Kalaluka , Kamfwa Kelvin , Roberts Joe M. , Pope Tom W.
Published: May 2022

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an important food crop across sub‐Saharan Africa. In Zambia, actual common bean yields are typically lower than potential yields because of the impact of invertebrate pests and plant diseases. Black bean aphids (Aphis fabae) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) negatively impact bean productivity directly by ingesting plant assimilates and indirectly by vectoring diseases such as bean common mosaic virus. Current breeding programmes aim to develop bean cultivars with improved yield and tolerance to pests. The objective of this study was to screen five common bean varieties (Rozi Koko, Mwezi Moja, Majesty, KK25 and AO‐1012‐29‐3A) and four mutation‐derived genotypes (CA 3, CA 15, CA 24 and CA 38) for resistance to black bean aphid. Commercial bean cultivars such as Kabulangeti and Carioca (variety from which all mutants were derived) were used as controls for the selected varieties and mutant genotypes, respectively. Several parameters of aphid resistance traits were assessed. Deterrence to aphid was assessed by settling preference while physical barriers to aphid feeding were evaluated by nymph survival. Reduction in palatability of phloem sap was evaluated by nymph development and mean relative growth rate. Electrical penetration graph recordings of feeding behaviour were performed in order to localise aphid‐resistant factors. Nymph development was significantly longer on AO‐1012‐29‐3A compared to Kabulangeti despite the fact that there were significantly fewer glandular trichomes on this line. The variety AO‐1012‐29‐3A can be used in genetic improvement of common bean for aphid resistance.
Interventions to improve consultations in the emergency department: A systematic review
Authors: Voaklander Britt , Gaudet Lindsay A. , Kirkland Scott W. , Keto‐Lambert Diana , Villa‐Roel Cristina , Rowe Brian H.
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Emergency department (ED) consultations with specialists are necessary for safe and effective patient care. Delays in the ED consultation process, however, have been shown to increase ED length of stay (LOS) and contribute to ED crowding. This review aims to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to improve the ED consultation process.

Methods

Eight primary literature databases and the gray literature were searched to identify comparative studies assessing ED‐based interventions to improve the specialist consultation process. Two independent reviewers identified eligible studies, assessed study quality, and extracted data. Individual or pooled meta‐analysis for continuous outcomes were calculated as mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random‐effects model was conducted.

Results

Thirty‐five unique comparative intervention studies were included. While the interventions varied, four common components/themes were identified including interventions to improve consultant responsiveness (n = 11), improve access to consultants in the ED (n = 9), expedite ED consultations (n = 8), and bypass ED consultations (n = 7). Studies on interventions to improve consult responsiveness consistently reported a decrease in consult response times in the intervention group with percent changes between 10% and 71%. Studies implementing interventions to improve consult responsiveness (MD −2.55, 95% CI −4.88 to –0.22) and interventions to bypass ED consultations (MD −0.99, 95% CI −1.43 to –0.56) consistently reported a decrease in ED LOS; however, heterogeneity was high (I2 = 99%). Evidence on whether any of the interventions were effective at reducing the proportion of patients consulted or subsequently admitted varied.

Conclusions

The various interventions impacting the consultation process were predominately successful in reducing ED LOS, with evidence suggesting that interventions improving consult responsiveness and improving access to consultants in the ED also improve consult response times. Health care providers looking to implement interventions to improve the ED consultation process should identify key areas in their setting that could be targeted.
Top‐quality embryo transfer is associated with lower odds of ectopic pregnancy
Authors: Anzhel Simona , Mäkinen Sirpa , Tinkanen Helena , Mikkilä Tiina , Haltia Anni , Perheentupa Antti , Tomás Candido , Martikainen Hannu , Tiitinen Aila , Tapanainen Juha S. , Veleva Zdravka
Published: May 2022

Introduction

The incidence of ectopic pregnancy is up to four times higher after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) than in spontaneous pregnancies, and the risk of ectopic pregnancy is increased by tubal factor infertility and the transfer of multiple embryos. However, the effect of embryo quality on the probability of ectopic pregnancy has not been investigated until now and it is not clear whether ovarian stimulation parameters affect the incidence of ectopic pregnancy.

Material and Methods

An historical cohort study of 15 006 clinical pregnancies (diagnosed by ultrasound at 6–8 gestational weeks) after non‐donor IVF/ICSI with fresh embryo transfer (n = 8952) or frozen–thawed embryo transfer (n = 6054). Treatments were performed during 2000–2017 in Finland. A total of 9207 (61.4%) single and 5799 (38.6%) double embryo transfers of no more than one top‐quality embryo were evaluated. We analyzed the effects of multiple factors on ectopic pregnancy by logistic regression, including type of cycle (fresh vs frozen embryo transfer), female age, number and quality of embryos transferred, tubal factor infertility and factors of ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation.

Results

Ectopic pregnancy was observed in 2.3% of cycles. There was no significant difference in ectopic pregnancy rate after fresh embryo transfer and frozen embryo transfer (2.2% vs 2.4%, p = 0.3). The ectopic pregnancy rate was lower in cycles with top‐quality embryo transfer (1.9%) than of those where only non‐top quality embryos were transferred (2.7%, p < 0.0001). Tubal factor infertility was diagnosed more often in ectopic pregnancy than in intrauterine pregnancies (21.2% vs 11.0%, p < 0.0001). Logistic regression revealed lower odds for ectopic pregnancy after a top‐quality embryo transfer than after transfer of a non‐top quality embryo (odds ratio [OR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56–0.92, p = 0.007). Transfer of two vs one embryo (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.05–1.70, p = 0.02) and tubal factor infertility (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.68–2.91, p < 0.0001) significantly increased the risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Conclusions

Transfer of non‐top quality embryos is associated with a higher rate of ectopic pregnancy. This is particularly important to keep in mind in treatments with only non‐top embryos available even in the absence of tubal factor infertility. To minimize the risk of ectopic pregnancy, the number of embryos transferred should be as low as possible.
A novel nonlinear afterload for ex vivo heart evaluation: Porcine experimental results
Authors: Pigot Henry , Soltesz Kristian , Paskevicius Audrius , Liao Qiuming , Sjöberg Trygve , Steen Stig
Published: May 2022

Background

Existing working heart models for ex vivo functional evaluation of donor hearts often use cardiac afterloads made up of discrete resistive and compliant elements. This approach limits the practicality of independently controlling systolic and diastolic aortic pressure to safely test the heart under multiple loading conditions. We present and investigate a novel afterload concept designed to enable such control.

Methods

Six ∼70 kg pig hearts were evaluated in vivo, then ex vivo in left‐ventricular working mode using the presented afterload. Both in vivo and ex vivo, the hearts were evaluated at two exertion levels: at rest and following a 20 μg adrenaline bolus, while measuring aortic pressure and flow, left ventricular pressure and volume, and left atrial pressure.

Results

The afterload gave aortic pressure waveforms that matched the general shape of the in vivo measurements. A wide range of physiological systolic pressures (93 to 160 mm Hg) and diastolic pressures (73 to 113 mm Hg) were generated by the afterload.

Conclusions

With the presented afterload concept, multiple physiological loading conditions could be tested ex vivo, and compared with the corresponding in vivo data. An additional control loop from the set pressure limits to the measured systolic and diastolic aortic pressure is proposed to address discrepancies observed between the set limits and the measured pressures.
Comparison of short‐term outcomes of robotic‐assisted and conventional laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer: A propensity score‐matched analysis
Authors: Yamanashi Takahiro , Miura Hirohisa , Tanaka Toshimichi , Watanabe Akiko , Goto Takuya , Yokoi Keigo , Kojo Ken , Niihara Masahiro , Hosoda Kei , Kaizu Takashi , Yamashita Keishi , Sato Takeo , Kumamoto Yusuke , Hiki Naoki , Naitoh Takeshi
Published: May 2022

Introduction

The advantages of robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) for rectal cancer remain controversial. This study clarified and compared the short‐term outcomes of RALS for rectal cancer with those of conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS).

Methods

The records of 303 consecutive patients who underwent RALS or CLS for rectal adenocarcinoma between November 2016 and November 2021 were analyzed using propensity score‐matched analysis. After matching, 188 patients were enrolled in our study to compare short‐term outcomes, such as operative results, postoperative complications, and pathological findings, in each group.

Results

After matching, baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. Although operative time in the RALS group was significantly longer than in the CLS group (p < 0.0001), the conversion rate to open laparotomy and the postoperative complication rate in the RALS group were significantly lower than in the CLS group (p = 0.0240 and p = 0.0109, respectively). Blood loss was comparable between groups. In the RALS group, postoperative hospital stay and days to soft diet were significantly shorter than those in the CLS group (p = 0.0464 and p < 0.0001, respectively). No postoperative mortality was observed in either group and significant differences were observed in resection margins and number of lymph nodes harvested.

Conclusion

Robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer was safe, technically feasible, and had acceptable short‐term outcomes. Further studies are required to validate long‐term oncological outcomes.
Volunteering and psychological wellbeing in college students in China
Authors: Geng Yun , Huang Chien‐Chung , Deng Guosheng , Cheung Shannon P. , Liao Jinyu
Published: May 2022

This study used data from 1871 college students across China to examine the relations among volunteering and PWB in 2020. Results of regression analysis indicate that volunteering had positive effects on the PWB of the students. Students whose motivation to volunteer was public interest had greater PWB, regardless of the degree to which they also reported private gain as a motivation. The significant interaction results indicate that students whose volunteer motivation included both public interest and private gains and who had high frequency of volunteering were more likely to have higher PWB. Policy and practice implications were discussed.
More home births during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Netherlands
Authors: Verhoeven Corine J. M. , Boer José , Kok Marjolein , Nieuwenhuijze Marianne , de Jonge Ank , Peters Lilian L.
Published: May 2022

Background

The aim of this observational study was to examine whether the course of pregnancy and birth and accompanying outcomes among low‐risk pregnant women changed in the COVID‐19 pandemic compared to the prepandemic period.

Methods

We analyzed data from the Dutch Midwifery Case Registration System (VeCaS). Differences in the course of pregnancy and birth, and accompanying maternal and neonatal outcomes, were calculated between women pregnant during the initial months of the COVID‐19 pandemic (March 1 to August 3, 2020) and the prepandemic period (March 1–August 3, 2019). We also conducted a stratified analysis by parity.

Results

We included 5913 low‐risk pregnant women of whom 2963 (50.1%) were pregnant during the first surge of the COVID‐19 pandemic, and 2950 (49.9%) in the prepandemic period. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, more women desired and had a home birth. More women used pain medication and fewer had an episiotomy in the COVID‐19 period than prior. Multiparous women had a higher suspected rate of fetal growth restriction during COVID; however, the actual rate of small for gestational age infants was not significantly increased. We observed no differences for onset and augmentation of labor or for mode of birth, though the rate of vaginal births increased.

Conclusions

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, there was a higher rate of planned and actual home birth, and suspected growth restriction and a lower rate of episiotomy among low‐risk pregnant women in the Netherlands.
The prevalence of sleep disorders in adults with learning disabilities: A systematic review
Authors: Shanahan Paul , Ahmad Shahnaz , Smith Kimberley , Palod Swapnil , Fife‐Schaw Chris
Published: May 2022

Background

Previous research indicated a high prevalence of disordered sleep among adults with learning disabilities, however issues with design impacted findings. The current systematic review aims to: (a) present how disordered sleep and sleep disorders amongst adults with learning disabilities are described in the literature, and (b) report on the prevalence of disordered sleep and sleep disorders among adults with learning disabilities.

Methods

Five databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO and PubMed) were searched for articles published from 1900 to October 2021 that examined the prevalence of disordered sleep and/or sleep disorders in adults aged 18 or older with learning disabilities. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for prevalence studies was used to assess study quality and prevalence is described and reported as ranges. The study was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42019134550).

Findings

A total of 27 studies were selected. Twenty studies (n = 8043 participants) examined the prevalence of disordered sleep and identified prevalence ranging from 6.1% to 74.2% across a range of sleep parameters. Twelve studies examined sleep‐related breathing disorders (n = 2558 participants) and identified prevalence which ranged from 0.5% to 100%. There was notable heterogeneity between studies in terms of quality, definition of disordered sleep, measurement of sleep, and study design.

Conclusion

There was a variable prevalence of disordered sleep among people living with learning disabilities. There were problems in meaningfully synthesising results due to heterogeneity in measurement, diagnosis, study design and study quality. Based on these limitations, we suggest that future studies should seek to utilise objective, replicable and consistent measures of sleep in this population and control for physical health factors which could influence prevalence such as epilepsy and iatrogenic effects.
Patient willingness to receive full-body skin exams based on the sex and/or gender and training level of provider: a survey study
Authors: Perche Patrick O. , Ranpariya Varun K. , Swali Ritu N. , Clarey Dillon D. , Wysong Ashley , Feldman Steven R.
Published: May 2022

Full-body skin examinations (FBSEs) involve examination of the patient’s skin from head to toe, and may be uncomfortable for some patients. While many patients prefer same-sex providers for pelvic, genital and rectal exams, desire for same-sex providers for FBSEs is not well characterized. This may be further magnified when FBSE is performed by medical trainees. We surveyed 566 subjects using Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT), an online crowdsourcing platform, to assess the public’s willingness to receive FBSEs based on the sex and/or gender and the level of training of the healthcare provider (HCP). The overall willingness by all respondents to undergo FBSE performed by a dermatologist, dermatology resident and medical student was 84.3%, 77.5% and 65.7%, respectively, if the HCP was the same sex/gender, compared with 60.6%, 54.8% and 45.7% if the HCP was a different sex/gender (P < 0.001). In our cohort, unwillingness for FBSEs was greater if the patient was female, if the HCP was a different gender/sex from the patient and if the HCP was a medical student.
A three‐in‐one alveolar process reconstruction protocol for maxillary molar sites with severe residual bone height deficiency: A proof‐of‐concept pilot study
Authors: Duan Deng‐Hui , Wang En‐Bo , Zhang Jian‐Yun , Yuan Qiao , Wang Hom‐Lay
Published: May 2022

Background

Implant placement in maxillary molar sites with severe height deficiency often requires multiple surgeries, which was time‐consuming, invasive, and subject to serious postoperative complications.

Purpose

To introduce and assess a three‐in‐one technique (extraction, alveolar ridge preservation [ARP], and sinus elevation) for augmenting deficiency maxillary molar alveolar ridges.

Material and Methods

Fourteen patients with severe posterior maxillary ridge height deficiency underwent extraction, sinus elevation via an intrasocket window and ARP using sticky bone and then covered with acellular dermal matrix (ADM). Primary closure was intentionally not obtained. Cone‐beam computed tomography and periapical radiography were used to measure dimensional ridge changes over time. Bone biopsies were taken at implant placement 7–21 months after surgery, which proceeded without additional grafting. Peri‐implant soft tissue was assessed after 8–12 months of functional loading.

Results

Maxillary molar sites (13 first molars, 1 second molar) with a mean sinus floor height of 1.73 ± 0.86 mm and mean buccal plate thickness of 1.62 ± 1.15 mm were elevated and grafted. Immediately after surgery, the mean sinus floor height was 14.03 ± 1.97 mm and the alveolar thickness at virtual implant platform level was 12.99 ± 1.88 mm. After 5–9 months healing, those measurements decreased by 2.45 ± 1.73 mm (p = 0.000) and 3.88 ± 3.95 mm (p = 0.006), respectively. Healed ridges were composed of 18.74% ± 4.34% mean vital bone and 19.08% ± 9.10% mean residual graft. After 8–12 months of functional loading, the peri‐implant tissue appeared healthy, and there was a mean marginal bone loss of 0.12 ± 0.11 mm.

Conclusions

For maxillary first molar sites with severe sinus floor height deficiency, this minimally invasive three‐in‐one treatment allows for uncomplicated implant placement and short‐term functional stability.
A two‐stage deep learning framework for image‐based android malware detection and variant classification
Authors: Yadav Pooja , Menon Neeraj , Ravi Vinayakumar , Vishvanathan Sowmya , Pham Tuan D.
Published: May 2022

With the popularity of the internet and smartphones, malware on smartphones has increased dramatically. In addition, the ubiquity and openness of the Android operating system have made it a lucrative platform for cybercriminals to develop malware. Traditional malware detection techniques require a lot of time and manual effort to classify malware accurately. Recently, deep learning (DL) based malware detection and classification techniques have been developed to solve this issue. This article proposes a DL‐based two‐stage framework that detects Android malware and classifies its variants using image‐based malware representations of the Android DEX files. The framework uses the EfficientNetB0 convolutional neural network (CNN) to extracts relevant features from the malware color images. The extracted features are then passed through a global average pooling layer and fed into a stacking classifier. The stacking classifier employs linear support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) algorithms as base‐level classifiers and logistic regression as the meta‐level classifier. This method obtained an accuracy of 100% in the binary classification of Android malware images and a 92.9% accuracy in 5‐class (Adsware, Adware + Adware, Clicker + Trojan, Spyware, and Benign) classification, and an 88.6% accuracy in 4‐class (Adsware, Adware + Adware, Clicker + Trojan, and Spyware) classification. We compared our method with 26 state‐of‐the‐art pretrained CNN models (including the original EfficientNetB0) and large‐scale learning classifiers such as EfficientNetB0‐SVM and EfficientNetB0‐RF. The proposed framework outperformed the compared methods in all performance metrics. Experiments also demonstrate that substituting the softmax layer of CNNs with a large‐scale learning classifier or stacking classifier results in an enhanced performance over the original network.
Foreign institutional ownership and corporate risk‐taking: International evidence
Authors: Huang Garland , An Zhe , Li Donghui
Published: May 2022

Research Question/Issue

This study aims to investigate the role of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) on corporate risk‐taking in an international context. We conjecture that FIIs play a role in encouraging firms to take risks and can substitute country‐level corporate governance in determining corporate risk‐taking.

Research Findings/Insights

Employing a large sample of 17,698 firms across 42 economies, we show that foreign institutional ownership positively influences corporate risk‐taking. This positive relation is achieved through the monitoring channel and the insurance channel. Furthermore, we show that FIIs substitute country‐level corporate governance in determining corporate risk‐taking, indicating that FIIs play a significant role in promoting risk‐taking in economies with weaker governance. In addition, debtholders view FIIs' risk‐promoting role negatively and use more restrictive covenants to protect themselves.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

This study provides empirical support for the role of FIIs on corporate investment decisions, thus complementing the existing literature. In addition, our paper documents that country‐level corporate governance and FIIs are substitutes in determining corporate risk‐taking, thus shedding additional light not only on the role of country‐level corporate governance but also on its controversial joint role with FIIs.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

FIIs from economies with stronger corporate governance are particularly effective at promoting corporate risk‐taking in economies with weaker corporate governance, providing a new channel through which foreign investments can influence economic growth in developing economies. Therefore, policymakers should carefully consider and trade off the costs and benefits of foreign investment when proposing relevant policies.