bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Potentially harmful elements in mining sites in Ghana: assessment of their carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks for children and adults
Authors: Mensah Albert Kobina , Samuel Obeng Apori , Addai Prince , Owusu-Ansah Alexander , Owusu-Ansah De-Graft Emmanuel Johnson 
Published: December 2024

PurposePotentially harmful elements (PHEs) in the soil at gold mining sites can endanger the health and sustainability of the local community. We examined the potential health risks associated with the presence of PHEs (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Sb, Se and Ti) in the soils of active, closed/abandoned/former and profile gold mine sites in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachWe collected 102 soil samples from these mine sites, analysed them for their total element contents and calculated the geo-accumulation index, enrichment factor, contamination factor and pollution load index (PLI) (Igeo). We calculated the risks to human health by utilizing the hazard index (HI) and hazard quotient (HQ) for adult males, adult females and children who may ingest contaminated soil particles.FindingsThe average total Cd concentration in the soils was above the global average of 0.2 mg/kg for abandoned (2.86 mg/kg), active (3.93 mg/kg) and profile (4.04 mg/kg) areas. Mercury was detected at elevated concentrations in the soil of active mines (0.92 mg/kg), profiles (0.89 mg/kg) and abandoned mines (0.87 mg/kg). In the active, abandoned and profile soils, titanium concentrations were 14.18, 6.74 and 4.82 mg/kg, respectively, in several folds above the global average of 0.57 mg/kg. The majority of the sites were contaminated with Cd, Hg and Ti based on the calculated PLI values (active = 2.04, abandoned = 1.77 and profile = 2.7). Cadmium, mercury, lead and titanium in mine spoils were found to be correlated with aluminium, iron, manganese, pH, total carbon, clay content and phosphorus in a multivariate analysis using correlation and principal component analysis.Research limitations/implicationsBoth natural and anthropogenic processes contributed to the elevated metal contents in the mining sites, as indicated by the investigation’s results. The children’s hazard index values exceeded the threshold of 1.0, indicating the presence of non-carcinogenic risks.Practical implicationsGreen space technology (e.g. revegetation) may thus be critical for preserving public health and reviving the ecological integrity of the contaminated sites.Originality/valueThis study highlights health risks to local communities in southwest Ghana by investigating the presence of potentially harmful elements in soils from gold mining sites for the first time. It assesses non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks using a methodology recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency for soil-to-human health risk assessment, especially for children. The study highlights how contamination has been found, making green space technology essential for preserving ecological integrity and protecting public health. The inclusion of geospatial distribution mapping of PTEs offers a visual depiction of the spread of contamination at both active and closed mining sites.
Nonaka and Takeuchi knowledge management model based on institutional and infrastructure factors
Authors: Zahedi Mohamad Reza 
Published: December 2024

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the knowledge management (KM) model of Nonaka and Takeuchi, focusing on institutional and infrastructure factors in a specific field of design offices in a product-oriented organization. In other words, this research does not intend to recreate the model of Nonaka and Takeuchi, but seeks to expand and modify this model according to the specific context and institutional and infrastructure factors that may specifically affect the effectiveness of the model.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used two distinct questionnaires, administered to the same set of respondents, to comprehensively address different dimensions of KM. The first questionnaire, focused on KM components, assessed aspects such as knowledge creation, sharing and utilization. The second questionnaire evaluated institutional and infrastructural factors critical to KM, covering dimensions like organizational culture, values, leadership, context, hardware, software and network systems. This dual-questionnaire approach is justified, as it allows for a detailed and differentiated analysis: one tool captures the operational aspects of KM, while the other explores the supporting infrastructure. This methodology ensures that the study accurately measures both the effectiveness of KM practices and the adequacy of the supporting environment, thus providing a robust assessment of the KM system.

Findings
This study identifies seven key factors influencing KM processes: organizational culture, values, leadership, context, hardware, software and network systems. These factors shape how knowledge is created, shared and used, and support proposed modifications to the Nonaka and Takeuchi KM model. Using the TOPSIS method, this study found that organizational context, culture and values rank above average, while KM policies are moderate, and information technology is below average in the design offices of a product-oriented organization in Tehran. Further research in different sectors could help validate these findings.

Originality/value
This study introduces a novel enhancement to the Nonaka and Takeuchi KM model by incorporating a comprehensive analysis of institutional and infrastructural factors. Unlike existing models, which primarily focus on generalized KM principles, this research uniquely integrates specific factors such as organizational culture, leadership and technological infrastructure. The originality of this work lies in its tailored approach for product-oriented organizations, offering a more precise and actionable framework for improving KM practices. This advancement not only deepens theoretical insights but also provides practical value by addressing the specific needs and dynamics of the target organizations.
Dense afforestation reduces plant–pollinator network diversity and persistence
Authors: Pérez‐Gómez Álvaro , Godoy Oscar , Ojeda Fernando , Repeto‐Deudero Irene , Kaiser‐Bunbury Christopher , Simmons Benno I. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Tree plantations are considered as a solution to reduce the impacts of climate change and can enhance biodiversity. Consequently, many tree planting schemes around the world have been started to achieve these dual objectives.

However, many of these tree plantations are being implemented without proper design or post‐plantation management, often overlooking potential long‐term effects on biodiversity. Therefore, it is essential to identify which aspects of tree plantations can negatively impact biodiversity. Such knowledge is vital to design new plantations and manage existing ones, such that they do not pose threats or additional costs to the conservation of natural ecosystems.

To this end, we conducted an observational study in the Mediterranean heathland habitat of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula. This treeless habitat, locally known as herriza, has been planted with pine trees until the onset of the 21st century. This historical tree plantation presents a unique natural experiment to assess the long‐term effect of tree cover, measured as canopy openness, on several community properties of plant, pollinators and their network of interactions.

Our results reveal a strong positive relationship between canopy openness and floristic diversity and abundance. This means that, as we increase tree cover, plant diversity is reduced. We found this has consequences for pollinator diversity and plant–pollinator networks, the latter exhibiting declines in stability. Furthermore, we reveal the importance of woody blooming plants in comparison to non‐woody ones which, despite their greater importance for pollinators, they are the most impacted. These findings underscore the importance of tree cover for severely affecting multiple properties of plant–pollinator networks at different levels of organization.

Overall, this knowledge indicates that high tree cover in plantations conducted 50 years ago is incompatible with maintaining and conserving plant–pollinator networks in natural treeless habitats, at least in the herriza. Actions that want to avoid negative long‐term effects of tree plantations on plant–pollinator communities should consider existing biodiversity before planting and refrain from achieving high tree cover values.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
CEO–CFO Compatibility and Audit Risk
Authors: Bowen Robert M. , Jollineau S. Jane , Lyon Sarah C. , Malhotra Shavin , Zhu Pengcheng 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis study examines the influence of CEO–CFO compatibility (proxied by the similarity of their personalities) on audit risk (proxied by audit fees). Relying on similarity‐attraction theory, we posit that alignment between the CEO's and CFO's personalities − specifically their ‘Big Five’ traits − enhances internal communication, information sharing and decision‐making processes within the organization. This alignment, in turn, reduces audit risk associated with the firm's financial reporting. We test our theory using firm fixed effects and find that greater CEO–CFO personality similarity is associated with reduced audit fees. Further, we find that the tenure of the CEO–CFO relationship partially explains the relation between their personality similarity and audit fees. Finally, we find that the effect of CEO–CFO personality similarity on audit fees is stronger when corporate governance allows greater managerial autonomy, that is, CEO–CFO compatibility is more important for reducing audit risk when corporate governance is weak. Our results are robust after controlling for many other characteristics of the CEO and CFO and potential endogeneity related to CEO turnover.
Future‐Making Power: A Study of Competing Imagined Futures in Healthcare
Authors: Hungnes Tonje , Hoholm Thomas , Clegg Stewart 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis paper presents a conceptual model of strategies of power in future‐making, informed by a case study in the healthcare sector. In zooming out from investigating the future‐making activities of an organizational innovation project team and tracing competing imagined futures enacted by medical professionals and strategic management, this study explains how and why the project struggled to realize its mandate. In this case, we identify three strategies of power, namely mobilization, discipline and discretion, and discuss their potential controversies and combinations. Moreover, we contribute to theories on discretionary power, demonstrating how it is produced by combining interdiscursivity with management control and nondecision. Strategies of discretion are productive in the realm of future‐making, particularly in exploiting forces of discipline and mobilization to enable parallel imagined futures to be created and maintained over time. On the downside, this may keep competing imagined futures hostage, potentially serving non‐transparent agendas.
The temporality of memory politics: An analysis of Russian state media narratives on the war in Ukraine
Authors: Khlevniuk Daria , GN  , Noordenbos Boris 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis paper seeks to enhance memory studies' conceptual toolkit by reconsidering established perspectives on “memory politics.” The paper theorizes various modes of temporal connectivity cultivated through politicized references to a shared past. Our empirical case is focused on a collection of roughly 5.000 recent articles about the war in Ukraine from major Russian state‐aligned news outlets. We analyze and typologize the narrative and rhetorical gestures by which these articles make the Soviet “Great Patriotic War” and the post‐Soviet “special military operation” speak to one another, both prior to and following the full‐scale invasion of Ukraine. The analysis demonstrates that even in contemporary Russia's tightly controlled, propagandistic mass media ecology, politicized uses of memory foster diverse temporal structures within the propaganda narratives. We present a typology of these relations, mapping the distinct modes and intensities of connections between past and present. At one end of the spectrum, we identify a mode of temporal organization that presents past events and figures as fully detached from the present, available solely for historiographic reflection. At the other end, we find narratives that entirely collapse historical distance, addressing contemporary audiences as participants in a timeless war drama, with stakes that transcend any specific historical period. We propose that the presented typology may be applicable beyond our specific case. As a tool for analyzing the hitherto understudied organization of time in politicized articulations of memory, it could be employed in various cultural and political contexts. Furthermore, our approach can serve as a foundation for future research into the actual persuasive and affective impact that specific temporal modalities may have on their target audiences.
Pre‐Existing and Gestational Diabetes and Risk of Maternal Venous Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Orrin Molly , Barber Emilia , Grainge Matthew J. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundWomen who are pregnant are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which persists for up to 3 months following childbirth. Diabetes is known to increase the risk of serious cardiovascular outcomes.ObjectiveTo comprehensively review literature on the extent to which pre‐existing or gestational diabetes influences the risk of VTE in both pregnancy and postpartum.Search StrategyWe used Medline, Embase and Google Scholar to identify observational studies published up to 2 November 2023.Selection CriteriaStudies which quantified the relationship between diabetes on antepartum and/or postpartum VTE, and which provide separate data for pre‐existing and gestational diabetes.Data Collection and AnalysisResults were pooled, where appropriate, using random‐effects meta‐analysis.Main ResultsTwenty one studies from Europe, the United States and Asia were included. There was an increased risk of antepartum VTE in women with gestational diabetes (RR = 2.48, 95% CI 1.47 – 4.16, I2= 45%, 4 studies) but not pre‐existing diabetes (RR = 1.71, 0.43 – 6.77, I2= 68%, 2 studies). For postpartum VTE, there was no clear association with either pre‐existing (RR = 1.28, 0.73 – 2.24, I2= 73%, 6 studies) or gestational (RR = 1.39, 0.77 – 2.51, I2= 70%, 10 studies) diabetes.ConclusionsOur results will provide some reassurance for pregnant women with pre‐existing or gestational diabetes, owing to no clear evidence of an increased risk of maternal VTE. While some studies report a raised risk of VTE during antepartum specifically, results must be interpreted in light of high levels of heterogeneity.
Improving perinatal depression screening uptake: The impact of Medicaid reimbursement policy in Massachusetts
Authors: Jeung Chanup , Attanasio Laura B. , Geissler Kimberley H. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of the Massachusetts Medicaid program's reimbursement policy change for perinatal depression screening on utilization rates.Study Setting and DesignThis study employed a difference‐in‐differences design to compare insurance‐paid prenatal and postpartum depression screening rates as well as postpartum antidepressant receipt rates between Medicaid and privately insured individuals before and after policy implementation in May 2016.Data Sources and Analytic SampleData are from the 2014–2020 Massachusetts All‐Payer Claims Database. The study included individuals with a live birth from October 10, 2014, to December 31, 2019, who were continuously insured either by Medicaid or private insurance.Principal FindingsAmong 141,085 births, 42.6% were covered by Medicaid. Among those with Medicaid, 1.9% had a paid postpartum depression screening prior to the policy and 16.9% after (1.5% vs. 12.3% for prenatal screening); among privately insured, 3.8% had a paid postpartum screening prior to the policy and 10.6% after (0.9% vs. 6.7% for prenatal screening). Antidepressant receipt rose from 6.9% to 8.3% among Medicaid enrollees and from 3.3% to 4.9% among privately insured individuals after the policy. After regression adjustment, implementation of the Massachusetts Medicaid reimbursement policy was positively associated with perinatal depression screening rates with a differential increase of 10.0 percentage points (p < 0.001) for postpartum screening and 3.5 percentage points (p < 0.001) for prenatal screening among Medicaid enrollees versus privately insured. Despite increased depression screening, the policy was not associated with a statistically significant change in antidepressant receipt among Medicaid enrollees compared to privately insured individuals.ConclusionsSeparate payment for perinatal depression screening significantly improved screening rates among Medicaid beneficiaries, highlighting Medicaid's critical role in identifying mental health needs for vulnerable populations. However, the persistence of sub‐optimal screening rates among perinatal individuals underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to ensure universal screening and effective treatment for perinatal depression.
Development of a LAMP protocol to identify the parasitoid Carcelia iliaca from oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processioneae) larval tissue to understand and enhance biocontrol management plans
Authors: Miller Kyle Alexander , Boonham Neil , Evans Darren Mark , Hoppit Andrew , Morris Jake , Kitson James John Neil 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) (OPM) Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) is a serious forestry pest and risk to public health in the UK. The economic and environmental cost of chemical pesticides in managing OPM has driven the need for sustainable, strategies which fit into integrated pest management frameworks, including the use of novel biocontrol methods such as conservation biocontrol.
Carcelia iliaca Ratzeburg, 1840 (Diptera: Tachinidae), a specific parasitoid of OPM, is currently the main biocontrol agent of the UK OPM population. However, basic information on C. iliaca life history and rates of parasitism are currently lacking, partly driven by the risks OPM pose to human health, making both study and incorporation of biocontrol into management plans difficult.
Here, we design and validate a molecular diagnostic assay based on loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to detect C. iliaca from OPM larval tissue samples collected in the field, overcoming the challenges of studying problematic invasive species such as these.
To assess assay performance, diagnostic sensitivity, which was 91%, and specificity, which was 75%, are used alongside limit of detection (600 pg). We discuss the wider applications for LAMP as a cost‐effective tool for studying the natural enemies of insect pests which can be used to inform conservation biocontrol management strategies.
Knowledge of dementia: A cross‐sectional survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and health‐care workers providing care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Authors: Bryant Jamie , Freund Megan , McGhie Alexandra , Walsh Justin , Rumbel Jennifer , Davis Robert , Leigh Lucy , Leask Sarah 
Published: December 2024

AbstractObjectivesTo examine (1) the knowledge of dementia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and health‐care workers providing care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; (2) the factors associated with higher levels of knowledge about dementia.MethodsAn online cross‐sectional survey was conducted. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members were recruited through social media advertisements and an online market research platform. Health‐care workers (general practitioners, nurses, Aboriginal health workers and allied health professionals) were recruited via emailed invitations from a peak body and a community service organisation. Participants answered an online survey containing 34 true/false items examining knowledge of dementia. Separate linear regressions were used to examine the factors associated with higher levels of knowledge about dementia among community members and health‐care workers.ResultsTwo hundred and twenty individuals (74 community members and 146 health‐care workers) participated. The overall mean knowledge of dementia score for all participants was 26.80 (SD = 4.43). Health‐care workers had higher knowledge (M = 27.23, SD = 4.66) than community members (M = 25.96, SD = 3.82, p = .04). Community members with higher levels of education answered 6% (95% CI 1%–11%) more items correctly than participants with lower levels of education. General practitioners and nurses had significantly higher knowledge of dementia; however, health‐care workers who provided care to a family member or friend living with dementia had significantly lower knowledge of dementia.ConclusionNovel approaches are needed to increase knowledge of dementia amongst both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and health‐care workers who provide care to ensure culturally sensitive and effective support.
The effect of self‐control on impulsive consumption with the moderators of family socioeconomic status and peer feedback
Authors: Zhao Guojun , Liu Xinrui , Tan Haixin , Yang Songbin 
Published: December 2024

AbstractTo better understand the relationship between self‐control and impulsive consumption in different conditions of family SES and peer feedback among Chinese college students, we conducted longitudinal and experimental studies. In Study 1, a total of 326 participants completed the Chinese Consumer Impulsive Purchase Tendency Scale, the Chinese Self‐Control Scale and two types of family SES indicators. The results indicated that trait self‐control negatively predicts impulsive consumption tendency, with this effect being stronger in high family SES conditions compared to low family SES conditions. In Study 2, we recruited 148 participants who completed the Stroop task, the simulation method of peer feedback, the Impulsive Consumption Tendency Scale and the Impulsive Consumption Behaviour Scale. The findings revealed that the interaction of state self‐control and peer feedback has an impact on impulsive consumption. Specifically, when receiving rational peer feedback, participants with high‐state self‐control (i.e., in non–ego‐depletion condition) exhibited a weaker impulsive consumption tendency than those with low‐state self‐control (i.e., in ego‐depletion condition). Therefore, our study demonstrates the relationship between self‐control and impulsive consumption, as well as the moderative effects of family SES and peer feedback.