bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Employee time theft: Conceptualization, measure development, and validation
Authors: Harold Crystal M. , Hu Biyun , Koopman Joel 
Published: August 2021

AbstractDespite its prevalence, high cost, and practical import, employee time theft has received scant research attention. To facilitate future scholarship on this important topic, the present research endeavors to clarify the conceptualization of time theft and advance understanding regarding the range of its behavioral manifestations, develop and validate an instrument to assess time theft, and provide preliminary insights into its nomological net. Results, gathered across nine samples of employees who are paid on an hourly wage scale, suggest that time theft is a multidimensional formative construct, is distinct from other deviant work behaviors (e.g., withdrawal, property theft), and is influenced by instrumental (e.g., pay satisfaction) and expressive motives (e.g., boredom). Finally, time theft explained incremental variance in criterion variables (e.g., receipt or enactment of interpersonal help) controlling for the effects of other discrete manifestations of deviance (e.g., withdrawal). Implications for future scholarship and managerial practice are discussed.
Impact of COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions on the cardio‐respiratory health of New Zealanders
Authors: Fairweather Sarah M. , Chang Catherina L. , Mansell Christopher J , Shafuddin Eskandarain , Hancox Robert J. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackground and objectiveThe COVID‐19 pandemic has caused disruption to health, social interaction, travel and economies worldwide. In New Zealand, the government closed the border to non‐residents and required all arrivals to quarantine for 14 days. They also implemented a strict contact‐restriction system to eliminate COVID‐19 from the community. These measures also reduced the circulation of other respiratory viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. We assessed the impact of these measures on hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiac diseases.MethodsNational data on hospital admissions for each week of 2020 were compared to admissions for the previous 5 years. Analyses were curtailed after week 33, when a COVID‐19 outbreak in Auckland led to different levels of pandemic restrictions making national data difficult to interpret.ResultsThe numbers of acute infectious respiratory admissions were similar to previous years before the introduction of COVID‐19 restrictions, but then fell lower and remained low after the pandemic restrictions were eased. The usual winter peak in respiratory admissions was not seen in 2020. Other than small reductions during the period of the strictest contact restrictions, non‐infectious respiratory and cardiac admissions were similar to previous years and the usual winter peak in heart failure admissions was observed.ConclusionThe observed patterns of hospital admissions in 2020 are compatible with the hypothesis that circulating respiratory viruses drive the normal seasonal trends in respiratory admissions. By contrast, these findings suggest that respiratory viruses do not drive the winter peak in heart failure.
Autophagy mutants show delayed chloroplast development during de‐etiolation in carbon limiting conditions
Authors: Wijerathna‐Yapa Akila , Signorelli Santiago , Fenske Ricarda , Ganguly Diep R. , Stroeher Elke , Li Lei , Pogson Barry J. , Duncan Owen , Millar A. Harvey 
Published: August 2021

SUMMARYAutophagy is a conserved catabolic process that plays an essential role under nutrient starvation conditions and influences different developmental processes. We observed that seedlings of autophagy mutants (atg2, atg5, atg7, and atg9) germinated in the dark showed delayed chloroplast development following illumination. The delayed chloroplast development was characterized by a decrease in photosynthetic and chlorophyll biosynthetic proteins, lower chlorophyll content, reduced chloroplast size, and increased levels of proteins involved in lipid biosynthesis. Confirming the biological impact of these differences, photosynthetic performance was impaired in autophagy mutants 12 h post‐illumination. We observed that while gene expression for photosynthetic machinery during de‐etiolation was largely unaffected in atg mutants, several genes involved in photosystem assembly were transcriptionally downregulated. We also investigated if the delayed chloroplast development could be explained by lower lipid import to the chloroplast or lower triglyceride (TAG) turnover. We observed that the limitations in the chloroplast lipid import imposed by trigalactosyldiacylglycerol1 are unlikely to explain the delay in chloroplast development. However, we found that lower TAG mobility in the triacylglycerol lipase mutant sugardependent1 significantly affected de‐etiolation. Moreover, we showed that lower levels of carbon resources exacerbated the slow greening phenotype whereas higher levels of carbon resources had an opposite effect. This work suggests a lack of autophagy machinery limits chloroplast development during de‐etiolation, and this is exacerbated by limited lipid turnover (lipophagy) that physically or energetically restrains chloroplast development.
Ambidirectional cohort study on the agreement of ultrasonography and surgery in the identification of parathyroid pathology, and predictors of postoperative hypocalcemia in 47 dogs undergoing parathyroidectomy due to primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Burkhardt Samuel J. , Sumner Julia P. , Mann Sabine 
Published: August 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate (1a) agreement of ultrasonographic, surgical, and histopathologic findings in the diagnosis of a neoplastic etiology underlying primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), (1b) the ability of ultrasonographically determined parathyroid gland size to distinguish between malignant (carcinoma) and non‐malignant (hyperplasia, adenoma) pathology, and (2) variables associated with postoperative hypocalcemia in dogs undergoing surgical treatment of PHPT.Study DesignAmbidirectional cohort study.AnimalsForty‐seven client owned dogs with PHPT (34 retrospective; 13 prospective).MethodsData were extracted from medical records. Method agreements were explored using Cohen's Kappa statistic. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine a cut‐off separating parathyroid pathologies. Univariable and multivariable models assessed associations between postoperative hypocalcemia and potential risk factors.ResultsAgreement of ultrasound and surgery for number and side of affected glands was 31/47 (65.9%) and 34/47 (72.3%), respectively. In 37/47 (78.7%) cases, parathyroid tissue was correctly assessed as pathologic by the surgeon. An ultrasonographic cut‐off of ≥8.0 mm (ROC AUC = 0.82) best distinguished malignant from benign pathologies. Dogs with a preoperative serum ionized calcium (iCa) concentration ≥1.75 mEq/L had 7.5 times greater odds of becoming hypocalcemic postoperatively.ConclusionA fair agreement existed between ultrasonographic and surgical findings in dogs with PHPT. A parathyroid mass ≥8.0 mm on ultrasonographic examination was suggestive of malignancy, while dogs with a preoperative serum iCa concentration ≥1.75 mEq/L were at increased risk for postoperative hypocalcemia in this study.Clinical significanceThis study supports the use of bilateral cervical surgical exploration to identify abnormal parathyroid glands for the treatment of PHPT.
Restoring an old concept of Pholeuonopsis (=Blattodromus syn. nov.) and new recombination for one species from the Balkan Peninsula (Insecta, Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae, Leptodirini)
Authors: ČEPLÍK DÁVID 
Published: August 2021

After morphological study and comparison with related material, the following synonymy is proposed: Pholeuonopsis Apfelbeck, 1901 (=Blattodromus Reitter, 1904 syn. nov.). A redescription of the genus Pholeuonopsis Apfelbeck, 1901 is given.
Institutional Innovations in India: An Assessment of Producer Companies as New-Generation Co-operative Companies
Authors: Singh Sukhpal 
Published: August 2021

There are many types of innovations such as technological, social, product, process, marketing and organizational, and institutional innovation is one type. The producer companies (PCs), which are a case of legal institutional innovation in the Indian domain of primary producer organization are more market-oriented co-operative companies and can help farmers buy and sell more effectively. They have gained currency across India during the past 15 years since the amendment to the Companies Act made this possible in 2003, and India now has thousands of such PCs, with many of them being supported by state agencies. This article examines the uniqueness of these entities as an institutional form wherein principles of co-operation and corporate entity have been combined so that they could be more relevant entities in a globalized and liberalized market environment. It discusses their competitive edge over other forms of producer organizations like co-operative societies in India and farmer companies in Sri Lanka, and new-generation co-operatives in other parts of the world. After discussing some innovations in their governance and management, it concludes by making suggestions for augmenting this institutional innovation for inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development.
Dyslipidaemia pattern and prevalence among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on lipid-lowering therapy at a tertiary hospital in central South Africa
Authors: Pitso Lebohang , Mofokeng Thabiso Rafaki Petrus , Nel Riette 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundAtherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a major cause of death worldwide. A large number of deaths due to ASCVD occurs among people with diabetes mellitus (DM). One of the important modifiable risk factors associated with ASCVD is dyslipidaemia and its prevalence is not known in central South Africa (SA). This study aimed to determine the pattern and prevalence of dyslipidaemia among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients on lipid-lowering therapy.MethodsThis descriptive, retrospective study of patients’ records was conducted at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, SA. The study population included 143 consecutive T2DM patients of any age that attended the Diabetes Clinic from 1 January to 31 March 2019. The patients had to be on lipid-lowering therapy for a minimum duration of 3 months. Data were sourced from the clinic files and included the patient’s lipid profile, anthropometric and demographic data. Dyslipidaemia was defined using the 2018 SA dyslipidaemia guidelines.ResultsThe median age of the participants was 63 years (interquartile range [IQR] 52–71 years). The majority of the participants were female (n = 92; 64.3 %). The median duration since the DM diagnosis was 18 years (IQR 13–23 years). The prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 86.7 % (n = 124). Combined dyslipidaemia, namely either triglycerides (TG) + low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) + TG or HDL + LDL, was the most common pattern (n = 51; 42.5 %) largely due to raised TG + LDL contributing 37.2 % (n = 19) to this pattern. The second and third most common patterns were isolated (either LDL, HDL or TG) and mixed dyslipidaemia (TG + HDL + LDL) at 40.8 % (n = 49) and 16.7 % (n = 20), respectively. The most frequent lipid abnormality (n = 84; 70.0 %) was LDL of ≥ 1.8 mmol/L. Of the 140 participants on statin therapy, only 5 % were on high-intensity therapy.ConclusionsA high prevalence of dyslipidaemia among DM patients was observed, despite the use of lipid-lowering therapy in this small observational study. Our findings highlight the need to better educate healthcare providers regarding the intensification of lipid-lowering therapy, along with improved strategies to address poor glycaemic control and other modifiable lifestyle factors.
Divergent patterns of confrontation with death using the Anticipated Farewell to Existence Questionnaire (AFEQT): a cross-sectional comparative study of four samples with increasing proximity to death
Authors: Valdés-Stauber Juan , Stabenow Ursula , Böttinger Jakob , Kramer Sarah , Kilian Reinhold 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundBased on the concept of “Daseinsverabschiedung”, an anthropological theory of “Anticipated Farewell to Existence” (AFE) was suggested on the basis of six grounding dimensions: selfhood, interpersonality, temporality, corporeality, worldliness, and transcendence, which are activated in a genuine manner facing death. The purpose of the study is to quantitatively compare the extent of confrontation with death between dying people in palliative care and those in other stages of life by means of the Anticipated Farewell to Existence Questionnaire” (AFEQT), based on these dimensions.MethodsThe sample (N = 485) consists of dying individuals in palliative wards and hospices (n = 121); old people living in nursing homes not suffering from a mortal disease (n = 62); young adults (n = 152), and middle-aged adults (n = 150). The design is cross-sectional and analytical. The relevance of anticipated farewell to existence was measured by means of the AFEQT. The internal consistency of the AFEQT was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and convergent validity by means of dimensions of the Life Attitude Profile-Revised (LAP-R). Differences between groups and associations with control variables were estimated by means of multiple regression models, including propensity scores.ResultsCronbach’s alpha for AFEQT was > 0.80 for the whole test and all subsamples, but < 0.70 for most dimensions in dying people. Correlations between each dimension and corresponding two factors was almost overall r > 0.80, p < 0.001. Good convergent validity between dimensions of AFEQT and of Life Attitude Profile-Revised in young and middle-aged participants showed correlations for superordinate indices between -0.23 and 0.72, and an overall p < 0.001. Dying people scored significantly higher for all dimensions, especially “altruistic preoccupation” and “reconciliation with existence” than people in other life stages (p < 0.01- < 0.001). Personality traits of “openness” and “agreeableness” are positively associated with higher scoring of AFEQT dimensions. About 77% of dying participants reported a personal benefit through the interview questions.ConclusionsWith proximity to death, the anthropological dimensions proposed scored significant higher than in other stages of life, reflecting a stronger awareness, confrontation and reconciliation with the end of their own life. These dimensions, especially preoccupation for related persons and coexistence of acceptance and struggle with death have to be taken into account in a sensitive way by supporting dialogues with dying people and their relatives.Trial registrationObservational cross-sectional study.
Establishment of a novel CNV-related prognostic signature predicting prognosis in patients with breast cancer
Authors: Hu Wei , Li Mingyue , Zhang Qi , Liu Chuan , Wang Xinmei , Li Jing , Qiu Shusheng , Li Liang 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
Copy number variation (CNVs) is a key factor in breast cancer development. This study determined prognostic molecular characteristics to predict breast cancer through performing a comprehensive analysis of copy number and gene expression data.

Methods
Breast cancer expression profiles, CNV and complete information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset were collected. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) chip data sets (GSE20685 and GSE31448) containing breast cancer samples were used as external validation sets. Univariate survival COX analysis, multivariate survival COX analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), Chi square, Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were applied to build a gene signature model and assess its performance.

Results
A total of 649 CNV related-differentially expressed gene obtained from TCGA-breast cancer dataset were related to several cancer pathways and functions. A prognostic gene sets with 9 genes were developed to stratify patients into high-risk and low-risk groups, and its prognostic performance was verified in two independent patient cohorts (n = 327, 246). The result uncovered that 9-gene signature could independently predict breast cancer prognosis. Lower mutation of PIK3CA and higher mutation of TP53 and CDH1 were found in samples with high-risk score compared with samples with low-risk score. Patients in the high-risk group showed higher immune score, malignant clinical features than those in the low-risk group. The 9-gene signature developed in this study achieved a higher AUC.

Conclusion
The current research established a 5-CNV gene signature to evaluate prognosis of breast cancer patients, which may innovate clinical application of prognostic assessment.
Effectiveness and safety of Bifidobacterium and berberine in human hyperglycemia and their regulatory effect on the gut microbiota: a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, parallel-controlled study
Authors: Ming Jie , Yu Xinwen , Xu Xiaoqiang , Wang Li , Ding Chao , Wang Zhifeng , Xie Xuan , Li Sheli , Yang Wenjuan , Luo Shu , He Qingzhen , Du Yafang , Tian Zhufang , Gao Xiling , Ma Kaiyan , Fang Yujie , Li Chen , Zhao Jiajun , Wang Xiaokai , Ji Qiuhe 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundBerberine andBifidobacteriumhave been reported to improve glucose tolerance in people with hyperglycemia or other metabolic disorders. This study aimed to assess the hypoglycemic effect and the regulation of the gut microbiota caused by berberine andBifidobacteriumand the possible additive benefits of their combination.MethodsThis was an 18-week, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled study of patients newly diagnosed with hyperglycemia. After a 2-week run-in period, 300 participants were randomly assigned to the following four groups for 16 weeks of treatment: berberine (Be),Bifidobacterium(Bi), berberine andBifidobacterium(BB), and placebo group. The primary efficacy endpoint was the absolute value of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) compared with baseline after 16 weeks of treatment.ResultsBetween October 2015 and April 2018, a total of 297 participants were included in the primary analysis. Significant reductions of FPG were observed in the Be and BB groups compared with the placebo group, with a least square (LS) mean difference of − 0.50, 95% CI [− 0.85, − 0.15] mmol/L, and − 0.55, 95% CI [− 0.91, − 0.20] mmol/L, respectively. The Be and BB groups also showed significant reductions in 2-h postprandial plasma glucose. A pronounced decrease in HbA1c occurred in the BB group compared to the placebo group. Moreover, compared with the Bi and placebo groups, the Be and BB groups had more changes in the gut microbiota from the baseline.ConclusionsBerberine could regulate the structure and function of the human gut microbiota, andBifidobacteriumhas the potential to enhance the hypoglycemic effect of berberine. These findings provide new insights into the hypoglycemic potential of berberine andBifidobacterium.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03330184. Retrospectively registered on 18 October 2017
A Rasch-based validation of the Vietnamese version of the Listening Vocabulary Levels Test
Authors: Ha Hung Tan 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe Listening Vocabulary Levels Test (LVLT) created by McLean et al. Language Teaching Research 19:741-760, 2015 filled an important gap in the field of second language assessment by introducing an instrument for the measurement of phonological vocabulary knowledge. However, few attempts have been made to provide further validity evidence for the LVLT and no Vietnamese version of the test has been created to date. The present study describes the development and validation of the Vietnamese version of the LVLT. Data was collected from 311 Vietnamese university students and then analyzed based on the Rasch model using several aspects of Messick’s, Educational Measurement, 1989; American Psychologist 50:741–749, 1995 validation framework. Supportive evidence for the test’s validity was provided. First, the test items showed very good fit to the Rasch model and presented a sufficient spread of difficulty. Second, the items displayed sound unidimensionality and were locally independent. Finally, the Vietnamese version of the LVLT showed a high degree of generalizability and was found to positively correlate with the IELTS listening test at 0.65.
Understanding chronic feelings of emptiness in borderline personality disorder: a qualitative study
Authors: Miller Caitlin E. , Townsend Michelle L. , Grenyer Brin F. S. 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background
Chronic feelings of emptiness are significant in the lives of people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Feelings of emptiness have been linked to impulsivity, self-harm, suicidal behaviour and impaired psychosocial function. This study aimed to understand the experience of chronic emptiness, the cognitions, emotions and behaviours linked to emptiness, and clarify the differences between chronic emptiness and hopelessness, loneliness and depression.

Methods
This study interviewed people (n = 15) with BPD and used a template analysis qualitative approach to understand their experiences of chronic feelings of emptiness.

Results
Chronic feelings of emptiness were experienced as a feeling of disconnection from both self and others, and a sense of numbness and nothingness which was frequent and reduced functional capacity. Feelings of purposelessness and unfulfillment were closely associated with emptiness, and most participants experienced emptiness as distressing. Responses to feelings of emptiness varied, with participants largely engaging in either impulsive strategies to tolerate feelings of emptiness or distracting by using adaptive behaviours. Most participants distinguished chronic feelings of emptiness from loneliness, hopelessness, dissociation, and depression.

Conclusions
Feelings of chronic emptiness are an important and challenging symptom of BPD which require clinical intervention. Strengthening identity, sense of purpose and vocational and relationship functioning may reduce the intensity of emptiness.