bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Committees’ diversity and firm performance: evidence from an emerging country
Authors: Tahir Kamran , Riaz Salman , Battisti Enrico , Ha Van Su 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between committee diversity and firm performance among non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on a comprehensive assessment of secondary data retrieved from annual reports of firms listed on the PSX and publications from the State Bank of Pakistan spanning the period from 2012 to 2021. The study used various statistical models, including pooled regression, fixed effects and random effects, to examine the relationship between diversity among committees and firm performance. Firm-specific variables such as return on assets, return on equity and market price per share were used as proxies for firm performance.

Findings
The results show that the presence of a female head of the committee on company performance does not show any significant correlation with diversity in board committees. This suggests that the investigation into gender diversity and the appointment of women to leadership positions on these committees is not supported by the findings of this particular sample.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the impact of committee diversity on firm performance in Pakistan, one of the Next Eleven countries.
Co-opetition strategies with reference quality effect
Authors: Yan Tianyu , Yang Weizhe , He Yanyan , Gou Qinglong 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effect of the reference quality on the optimal production strategy of a component manufacturer (CM), which mainly concerns whether to sell its high quality self-branded products and whether to supply critical components to a competitive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) who produces low quality products.

Design/methodology/approach
The study considers a supply chain comprising an OEM, a CM and a third-party component manufacturer (TCM), who produces components with uncertain quality. The OEM selects a supplier between the CM and the TCM to produce products. Anticipating the OEM’s supplier selection, the CM chooses among three alternative production strategies. For each alternative strategy of the CM, the authors derive the equilibrium solutions between the OEM and the CM with or without the reference quality effect. Then, the authors obtain the effect of the reference quality on the CM by comparing the CM’s optimal strategy between the two situations.

Findings
First, the reference quality has opposite effects on the CM’s production strategy depending on the competition results. A high reference quality effect motivates the CM to solely sell the self-branded products if the OEM can always enter the final product market when purchasing from the TCM, and to sell both self-branded products and components if the OEM cannot enter the market when using the TCM’s low quality components. Second, the reference quality effect motivates the OEM to accept a higher wholesale price from the CM. Third, the reference quality effect can make the CM benefit from a more stable TCM in competition.

Originality/value
This paper first considers the impact of the reference quality effect on the CM’s production strategy. By considering consumers’ behavior in a co-opetitive supply chain, this paper contributes to both literature and practice.
Impact of corporate climate change disclosure on firm performance: empirical evidence from an emerging economy
Authors: Ghose Biswajit , Gogoi Nivaj , Singh Premendra Kumar , Gope Kiran 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate climate change disclosure (CCD) on the financial performance of Indian firms.

Design/methodology/approach
The study is grounded in the principles of signalling theory, legitimacy theory and the cost-benefit analysis approach. The sample for the study includes 77 Indian firms from 2018–2019 to 2021–2022. Required data are collected from published annual reports, sustainability reports and the Ace Equity Database. The explanatory variable CCD is measured using content analysis based on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. The panel fixed-effects or random-effects models have been considered for hypotheses testing.

Findings
The disclosure level of CCD and its different components is found to be moderate with an average score of 0.364 among top Indian firms. Regression results reveal a significant positive association between CCD on firms’ market-based performance, suggesting its long-term benefits. Besides, additional analysis indicates the differential impact of CCD on financial performance based on firms’ CEO duality status, industry affiliation and pre-COVID and post-COVID period, thus establishing their moderating role in the observed relationship.

Practical implications
The study highlights the necessity of enhancing climate-related disclosure by Indian firms and strategically leveraging the same to boost their financial performance.

Originality/value
Few studies have examined the implications of CCD (based on the TCFD framework) on firm performance. Moreover, exploring the moderating role of CEO duality, industry type and COVID-19 in the CCD and firm performance relationship is a novel empirical contribution.
Pensions are boring: employee engagement with pensions, using the transtheoretical model of behavioural change
Authors: Butler Steve 
Published: November 2024

Purpose
This case study aims to review the impact of using the transtheoretical model of behavioural change in the design of a digital pension journey with the intension of increasing engagement by employees at the point of retirement in their pension choices.

Design/methodology/approach
This case study considers the employee engagement with an existing digital pension journey before and after the tool is redesigned using the transtheoretical model of behavioural change.

Findings
This case study highlights the positive impact of using the transtheoretical model of behavioural change in designing a digital pension journey, highlighting the benefit of supporting employees in the pre-contemplation and contemplation stages of their engagement with their pension.

Originality/value
The transtheoretical model of behavioural change has traditionally been used to help people overcome addictions and other problematic behaviours. This case study highlights how it can be used in other settings to support behavioural change.
A Decade‐Long Analysis of Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance in a Neurosurgical Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Basnet Ajaya , Shrestha Apurba , Sharma Gopal Raman , Shrestha Shila , Khanal Laxmi Kant , Rai Junu Richhinbung , Maharjan Rajendra , Basnet Bijaya , Rai Shiba Kumar 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTMultidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacteria cause infections with higher risks of morbidity, mortality, and financial burden. Understanding the antimicrobial resistance patterns of these pathogens is crucial for effective treatment and managing resistance. Therefore, this retrospective study examined the prevalence, causes, and trends in antimicrobial resistance in bacterial infections at a neurosurgical hospital in Nepal. We analyzed the demographics, bacteriological profiles, and antimicrobial susceptibility results in patients who visited Dirghayu Guru Hospital and Research Center, Kathmandu, Nepal, between January 2014 and January 2024, using SPSS, version 17.00. Among 4758 patients, 465 (9.77%) had infections caused by 571 bacteria. Of them, 435 (93.55%) patients had urinary tract infections, 89 (19.14%) had bloodstream infections, and 31 (6.67%) had respiratory tract infections. Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 172, 30.12%) was the predominant bacteria. Proportions of drug‐resistant Enterobacterales and gram‐positive cocci among drug‐resistant bacteria against tetracyclines were 83.33% and 45.83%, cephalosporins were 78.02% and 40.45%, quinolones were 72.25% and 50.00%, aminoglycosides were 65.14% and 43.53%, carbapenems were 62.96% and 30.00%, penicillins were 54.55% and 57.89%, and penicillin with beta‐lactamase inhibitors (PwBLIs) were 40.54% and 42.31%, respectively. Proportions of drug‐resistant nonfermenters among drug‐resistant bacteria showed 100.00% resistance to these antimicrobials. MDR isolates (n = 118, 20.67%) were 100.00% susceptible to piperacillin–tazobactam and 83.33% to polymyxin B. Over the years, resistance increased for cephalosporins (48.15%–60.53%) but decreased for carbapenems (50.00%–33.33%), penicillins (64.29%–42.31%), PwBLIs (50.00%–12.50%), aminoglycosides (60.00%–49.12%), tetracyclines (100.00%–16.67%), and polymyxins (76.22%–16.67%). One‐tenth of hospital‐visiting patients had bacterial infections, with three‐fourths involving Enterobacterales and one‐fifth involving MDR bacteria. In recent years, resistance to cephalosporins has increased, whereas resistance to other beta‐lactams, aminoglycosides, and polymyxins has decreased.
STRUGGLING WITH THE DIGITAL NOMAD: Transnational teleworkers as the new ‘creative class’ in the urban marketplace?
Authors: Sequera Jorge 
Published: November 2024

AbstractIn this article I examine the emergence of digital nomads as the ‘new creative class’ in urban marketing strategies that highlight these workers’ technological proficiency and hypermobility and blur the lines between work, leisure and travel in a globalized digital context. I explore the evolution of neoliberal urban marketing strategies and entrepreneurial urbanism—where cities compete to attract this mobile, knowledge and tech‐savvy workforce, challenging traditional workspaces and altering the socio‐economic landscape of cities. First, I review the widely criticized concepts of ‘creative class’ and ‘creative cities’. I then examine the literature on digital nomadism and the need for a spatial and urban studies perspective. Finally, I propose new critical research questions around the sociospatial impact of digital nomad politics in cities. In summary, this article posits that digital nomadism is an aspirational rhetorical concept based on technological skills and global mobility, representing a new strategy in urban marketing and competition and a new challenge for urban scholars.
Recent and emerging food packaging alternatives: Chemical safety risks, current regulations, and analytical challenges
Authors: Lacourt Charlene , Mukherjee Keya , Garthoff Jossie , O'Sullivan Aaron , Meunier Leo , Fattori Vittorio 
Published: November 2024

AbstractFood contact materials should not release their constituent substances into food at levels harmful to human health nor change the food composition, taste, or odor unacceptably. The historical evolution of food packaging shows that the use of plastics has increased dramatically, because of its convenience, lightweight, and cost effectiveness, but carries a significant environmental impact. Influenced by trends such as growing awareness of the environmental footprint and stricter safety requirements, conventional packaging is now progressively evolving toward new alternatives. All stakeholders in the agrifood system are involved in the journey to transform food packaging to more sustainable alternatives, while maintaining the important functionalities of suitable food packaging. The current most promising food packaging alternatives are presented in this review with their benefits, limitations, and associated potential safety hazards, with a focus on chemical hazards. Although some potential hazards are common to conventional packaging, others are specific to the new alternatives. Identification of potential chemical hazards associated with these new packaging alternatives is important to anticipate any risks posed to consumer safety. With much diversity in packaging types and rules aimed at ensuring safety drastically varying between jurisdictions, it is not always easy to determine the best way to assess the safety of food packaging. International guidance on principles for safe food packaging could help drive global harmonization and would play a crucial role in ensuring a consistent and science‐based framework for the safety and compliance of new and emerging food packaging.
Farnesylthiosalicylic Acid Through Inhibition of Galectin‐3 Improves Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer Disease via Multiple Pathways
Authors: Qiu Qing , Li Cui , Zhao Xiaoli , Yang Mengting , Ding Shushu , Liang Haiying , Chen Tingting 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTAimsMany factors affect the neuroinflammatory response in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Galectin‐3 (Gal‐3) is closely related to microglial activation in the nervous system and can promote the aggregation of cancer cells in tumors. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS) affects neuroinflammation in Aβ1–42 mice through Gal‐3.MethodsWe used the Morris water maze, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), Western blotting, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunofluorescence to conduct our study.ResultsFTS reduced the levels of proinflammatory factors and microglial activation in Aβ1–42 mice. FTS inhibited total and membrane expression levels of Gal‐3 in Aβ1–42 mice, and the anti‐inflammatory effect of FTS was reversed by Gal‐3–adeno‐associated viral (AAV). FTS reduced the expression levels of toll‐like receptors (TLRs), effects that were reversed by Gal‐3‐AAV. Moreover, FTS ameliorated Aβ oligomerization and accumulation in Aβ1–42 mice, effects that were also reversed by Gal‐3‐AAV. FTS, through the inhibition of the Gal‐3–c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, reduced PS1 expression; in addition, inhibition of Gal‐3 increased the Aβ‐degrading enzymes in Aβ1–42 mice. FTS‐induced improvements in cognition in Aβ1–42 mice were reversed by Gal‐3‐AAV.ConclusionFTS may through inhibiting Gal‐3 reduce the expression of TLR4 and CD14 and alleviate Aβ pathology, downregulating Aβ‐stimulated TLR2, TLR4, and CD14 expression, and thus alleviate neuroinflammation in Aβ1–42 mice.
Prognostic Factors Associated With Increased Mortality in Pediatric Veno‐Occlusive Disease Following Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Zaidman Irina , Barsoum Natalie , Even‐Or Ehud , Daher Miriam , Aran Adi Avniel , Stepensky Polina , Gefen Aharon 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundHepatic veno‐occlusive disease (VOD) is a life‐threatening complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and is categorized as a transplant‐related, systemic endothelial disease. Severe VOD can lead to multi‐organ dysfunction (MOF) and is associated with a high mortality rate.ObjectiveTo evaluate the incidence of VOD in children after HCT and analyze the outcomes and risk factors associated with increased mortality.Study DesignA retrospective cohort study of 1243 children with malignant and non‐malignant diseases who underwent HCT at two large pediatric centers over 20 years.ResultsOne hundred one patients (8%) developed VOD post HCT. Most patients developed VOD post allogeneic HCT (76%) versus autologous (24%). The incidence of VOD was twice as high in children with malignant diseases compared to non‐malignant (68% vs. 32%). A much higher incidence of VOD occurred in patients after a busulfan‐based regimen versus total body irradiation‐based and treosulfan‐based, 73%, 18%, and 1%, respectively. The 100‐day survival rate of HCT patients with VOD was 69%. The overall survival rate of the entire group was 50%, showing improvement over the span of the study years, from 40% between 2000 and 2009 to 63% between 2010 and 2021 (p = 0.022). Factors associated with increased mortality included infections before transplant (p = 0.013), conditioning regimen (p = 0.01), abnormal liver function (p = 0.019), presence of ascites (p = 0.008), MOF (p < 0.001), and the need for admission to a pediatric intensive care unit (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in survival rates between children treated with defibrotide alone or with those treated with defibrotide and steroids (61% and 65%, respectively; p = 0.685).ConclusionsSevere VOD in pediatric patients following HCT remains a life‐threatening complication with a high mortality rate. Early diagnosis and treatment with defibrotide are critical for managing this condition. In our cohort, the addition of steroids to defibrotide was not associated with improved outcomes.
Population pharmacokinetic analysis of quizartinib in patients with newly diagnosed FLT3‐internal‐tandem‐duplication‐positive acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Vaddady Pavan , Glatard Anaïs , Smania Giovanni , Nakayama Shintaro , Inoue Hiroyuki , Kurumaddali Abhinav , Abutarif Malaz , Zheng Ming 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe population pharmacokinetics (PK) of quizartinib and its pharmacologically active metabolite AC886 have been previously described in healthy volunteers (HV) and relapsed/refractory (R/R) FLT3‐internal‐tandem‐duplication‐positive (FLT3‐IDT‐positive) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients receiving quizartinib monotherapy. In this analysis, we characterized the population PK of quizartinib and AC886 in newly diagnosed FLT3‐ITD‐positive AML patients receiving standard induction and consolidation chemotherapy as background treatment, using data from the Phase 3 QuANTUM‐First trial and 12 earlier studies. Quizartinib PK were best described by a three‐compartment model with sequential zero‐ and first‐order absorption and first‐order elimination. A two‐compartment model with first‐order metabolite formation and first‐order elimination best fitted AC886 data. The PK of both moieties showed large interindividual variability (approximately 70% coefficient of variation for systemic clearances). The use of strong cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) inhibitors had the largest impact on exposure, increasing the steady‐state area under the curve during the dosing interval (AUCss) by 1.8‐fold. This is consistent with observations in HV and R/R AML patients and confirms the need for dose adjustments during coadministration. A novel finding in newly diagnosed AML patients was the phase‐dependent change in steady‐state quizartinib exposure: dose‐normalized AUCss values were 0.6‐fold during induction, similar during consolidation, and 1.4‐fold during continuation compared to R/R AML patients receiving quizartinib monotherapy. The present analysis highlighted the comparison of quizartinib and AC886 PK between newly diagnosed AML patients and previously studied populations, informed dose modifications needed with strong CYP3A inhibitors, and supported the use of derived individual exposure metrics in separate exposure‐response analyses.
The World Bank and Rural Land Titling in Africa: The Case of Tanzania
Authors: Stein Howard , Odgaard Rie , Askew Kelly , Maganga Faustin 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTIn 2021, the World Bank, in association with the Tanzanian Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, added yet another chapter to the long and contentious history of land tenure reform in Tanzania. It approved US$ 150 million for the second phase of a village‐wide individual titling pilot programme that employs new technologies for surveying under the rubric of a private sector competitiveness project. This article assesses the nature, evolution and impact of the World Bank project in Tanzania within the context of its broader titling agenda in Africa. It provides an overview of the formation of the World Bank's land policy agenda in Africa, followed by an evaluation of the titling project in Tanzania. The final part of the article critically examines the arrival of new actors and players in Tanzania and assesses the new World Bank project.
Cucumber beetles negatively impact pollinator visitation to cucurbit flowers
Authors: Leach Ashley , Kaplan Ian 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Herbivorous pests in agricultural systems are often characterised by their direct impact on crops, however indirect effects can compromise critical agroecosystem services like pollination. Cucurbit production relies on pollinators, but also suffers from cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum and Diabrotica spp.) that have an affinity for cucurbit flowers, which may reduce pollination.
Over four field seasons, we observed pollination in two cucurbit crops, watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) and assessed the impact of flower‐infesting cucumber beetles on the identity, number, and duration of pollinator visits.
In all years of the study and across both crops, pollinator visitation decreased as cucumber beetle density increased. Wild bees disproportionately supplied pollination services to infested flowers and were responsible for the majority (60%–70%) of visitation at higher floral infestations (>5 beetles/flower). Supplemented pollinators spent >50% less time on flowers infested with beetles compared to flowers without beetles, however this was only noted in 1 year in watermelon.
While herbivory is known to impact pollination in cucurbits, we demonstrate that the presence of herbivores in cucurbit flowers can also impact pollinator activity. Further, these changes may have important implications to the pollination and pest management programs used in these systems.
Risk‐Taking in Bluebirds After Exposure to a Nest Predator Relates to Parental Roles and Shows Little Cooperation Between Partners
Authors: Wiebe Karen L. , Tkaczyk Simon P. 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTParents may experience a trade‐off between caring for offspring and protecting themselves from predators. The reproductive value hypothesis predicts that parents should take more risks for older, more valuable offspring, whereas the harm to offspring hypothesis predicts that parents should risk more for vulnerable offspring that would suffer most from a lack of parental care at the moment. After exposing parent mountain bluebirds (Sialia, currucoides) to a model predator, we recorded latency times for them to touch, to look into, and to enter their nestbox and the number of times they inspected the box across three breeding stages: nest‐building, incubation and nestling‐rearing. Females took greater risks than males during the nest‐building and incubation stages by inspecting and entering boxes sooner and more times, consistent with their role in parental care at those early breeding stages that requires them to enter the box. Risk‐taking in males was consistent with the reproductive value hypothesis, increasing across breeding stages. In contrast, females took the greatest risk during incubation, consistent with the harm to offspring hypothesis. Furthermore, the riskiest behaviours were not correlated between pair members, and both sexes assumed the risk to first inspect the nestbox approximately equally. This suggests there is not a ‘war of attrition’ between mates over risk‐taking, but neither was there cooperation by the male to facilitate the rapid resumption of parental care by his mate. The results highlight that patterns of investment in nest defense in birds may be sex‐specific.
Executive Equity‐Based Compensation and Tournament Incentives
Authors: Lasfer Meziane , Ye Xiaoke 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTWe find that the losers in CEO promotion tournaments sell their equity holdings profitably to mitigate the reductions in the promotion‐based component of their contracts. They avoid selling before losing the contest to maximize their promotion probabilities. Those who are more likely to compete in the tournament and to face a greater forgone tournament prize trade more aggressively. Our results suggest that tournament losers consider their trading opportunities as outside options to compensate themselves ex‐post. This strategy weakens the relationship between tournament incentives and firm performance and highlights new implications for tournament incentives models, compensation committees, and insider trading regulations.