bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The implications of COVID-19 on ESG performance and financial reporting quality in Egypt
Authors: ElHawary Engy , Elbolok Rasha 
Published: May 2024

Purpose
This examine the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance on financial reporting quality (FRQ) before and during COVID-19 in the Egyptian market.

Design/methodology/approach
This study uses quarterly data from 2017 to 2021 to draw conclusions, with a sample consisting of 486 firm-year observations for 27 Egyptian companies listed on the Standard and Poor’s/Egyptian Stock Exchange ESG index. This study uses both firms’ ESG scores and the Beneish Model, an earnings detection model, as proxies for FRQ. COVID-19 effects on ESG performance and FRQ were examined by using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and two-stage least squares.

Findings
COVID-19 has a significant impact on the link between ESG and FRQ. This implies that corporations with high ESG performance are less likely to manipulate earnings (having a low M-score) and thus provide high FRQ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, there is a significant positive relationship between firm size, leverage and M-Score, indicating that large firms typically present a high FRQ.

Research limitations/implications
The sample size and data availability are the main research limitations. Additionally, this study only considers the effects of firms’ ESG performance on FRQ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, future research should consider other factors associated with investors’ corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Practical implications
This research has practical implications for market regulators seeking to establish a legislative framework and enhance guidance to mandate managers to provide ESG data and CSR reports appropriate for Egypt and other developing economies in times of crisis.

Social implications
Promoting the adoption of ESG practices in business, particularly during crises, has the potential to effectively provide high-quality and reliable financial reporting required for investment.

Originality/value
This study aspires to address notable deficiencies in the pertinent literature concerning the relationship between ESG performance and FRQ during COVID-19. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, little is known about how ESG performance changes in response to pandemics in emerging markets. To address this gap, this study examines the effects of COVID-19 on the relationship between ESG performance and FRQ in Egyptian-listed firms from 2017 to 2021.
Phygital customer journey: a practice-based approach
Authors: Mele Cristina , Di Bernardo Irene , Ranieri Angelo , Russo Spena Tiziana 
Published: May 2024

Purpose
The study aims to delve into the “phygital customer journey” (PCJ), which merges physical and digital interactions in customer experiences, using a practice-based lens to reveal the underlying dynamics of these blended encounters.

Design/methodology/approach
Feedback from 60 individuals established the groundwork for a qualitative analysis. They chronicled customer journeys through diaries and used UXPressia software for journey mapping. This strategy enabled a detailed exploration of the PCJ, focusing on customers’ lived experiences and perceptions.

Findings
The study presents an integrative framework for the PCJ, identifying four key elements: hybrid artefacts (the melding of digital and physical tools/interfaces), blended contexts (the seamless integration of digital and physical spaces), circular actions (the non-linear paths of customer engagement) and intertwined emotions (the complex emotional responses to phygital experiences). These elements underscore the intricate and interconnected nature of the PCJ.

Originality/value
This study advances the field by applying a practice-based approach to unravel the complexities of the PCJ, illuminating the nuanced interplay between digital and physical realms. This innovative lens foregrounds the significance of practices in consumer experiences, thereby contributing to a deeper academic and practical understanding of phygital integration.
Thermal plasticity has higher fitness costs among thermally tolerant genotypes of Tigriopus californicus
Authors: Bogan Samuel N. , Porat Olivia I. , Meneses Michael J. , Hofmann Gretchen E. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Under climate change, ectotherms will likely face pressure to adapt to novel thermal environments by increasing their upper thermal tolerance and its plasticity, a measure of thermal acclimation. Ectotherm populations with high thermal tolerance are often less thermally plastic, a trade‐off hypothesized to result from (i) a phenotypic limit on thermal tolerance above which plasticity cannot further increase the trait, (ii) negative genetic correlation or (iii) fitness trade‐offs between the two traits. Whether each hypothesis causes negative associations between thermal tolerance and plasticity has implications for the evolution of each trait.

We empirically tested the limit and trade‐off hypotheses by leveraging the experimental tractability and thermal biology of the intertidal copepod Tigriopus californicus. Using populations from four latitudinally distributed sites in coastal California, six lines per population were reared under a laboratory common garden for two generations. Ninety‐six full sibling replicates (n = 4–5 per line) from a third generation were developmentally conditioned to 21.5 and 16.5°C until adulthood. We then measured the upper thermal tolerance and fecundity of sibships at each temperature.

We detected a significant trade‐off in fecundity, a fitness corollary, between baseline thermal tolerance and its plasticity. Tigriopus californicus populations and genotypes with higher thermal tolerance were less thermally plastic. We detected negative directional selection on thermal plasticity under ambient temperature evidenced by reduced fecundity. These fitness costs of plasticity were significantly higher among thermally tolerant genotypes, consistent with the trade‐off hypothesis. This trade‐off was evident under ambient conditions, but not high temperature.

Observed thermal plasticity and fecundity were best explained by a model incorporating both the limit and trade‐off hypotheses rather than models with parameters associated with one hypothesis. Effects of population and family on tolerance and plasticity negatively covaried, suggesting that a negative genetic correlation could not be ruled as contributing to negative associations between the traits. Our study provides a novel empirical test of the fitness trade‐off hypothesis that leverages a strong inference approach. We discuss our results' insights into how thermal adaptation may be constrained by physiological limits, genetic correlations, and fitness trade‐offs between thermal tolerance and its plasticity.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Beta‐hCG–producing malignant phyllodes tumour
Authors: Leung Laura Lok Wa , Marabi Monalyn , Tsoi Violet Yee Kei 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPhyllodes tumours (PTs) of the breasts are rare fibroepithelial tumours accounting for less than 1% of all breast tumours. They have a wide range of presentations, ranging from benign‐natured tumours that behave similarly to fibroadenomas, to aggressive malignant tumours that can rapidly advance both locally and distally. Histologically, PTs are classified into benign, borderline, or malignant based on a combination of the following five features: degree of stromal cellularity, stromal cell atypia, mitotic activity, infiltrative or circumscribed margins, and presence or absence of stromal overgrowth. Malignant tumours demonstrate high levels of stromal cellularity and atypia, infiltrative margins, high mitotic rate (>10 mitoses per 10 high‐power fields), and the presence of stromal overgrowth. Treatment predominantly relies on complete excision of the lesion, although treatment regimens for malignant PTs with adjuvant chemoradiation lack standardization as a result of its rarity. Malignant tumours are also often associated with paraneoplastic syndromes such as recurrent hypoglycaemia and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. Here, we report a case of recurrent malignant PT with serum beta‐human chorionic gonadotrophin secretion.
Threat, safety, safeness and social safeness 30 years on: Fundamental dimensions and distinctions for mental health and well‐being
Authors: Gilbert Paul 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn 1993, the British Journal of Clinical Psychology published my paper titled ‘Defence and safety: Their function in social behaviour and psychopathology’. The paper highlights that to understand people's sensitivity to threat, we also need to understand their ability to identify what is safe. This paper offers an update on these concepts, highlighting distinctions that were implicit but not clearly defined at the time. Hence, the paper seeks to clarify distinctions between: (i) threat detection and response, (ii) safety and safety seeking, (iii) safeness and (iv) their social and non‐social functions and forms. Threat detection and response are to prevent or minimize harm (e.g., run from a predator or fire). Safety checking relates to monitoring for the absence and avoidance of threat, while safety seeking links to the destination of the defensive behaviour (e.g., running home). Safety seeking also relates to maintaining vigilance to the appearance of potential harms and doing things believed to avoid harm. Threat‐defending and safety checking and seeking are regulated primarily through evolved threat processing systems that monitor the nature, presence, controllability and/or absence of threat (e.g., amygdala and sympathetic nervous system). Safeness uses different monitoring systems via different psychophysiological systems (e.g., prefrontal cortex, parasympathetic system) for the presence of internal and external resources that support threat‐coping, risk‐taking, resource exploration. Creating brain states that recruit safeness processing can impact how standard evidence‐based therapies (e.g., exposure, distress tolerance and reappraisal) are experienced and produce long‐term change.
Digitisation of Sibling and Social Relationships of Vulnerable Children in the Czech Republic: Implications for Digital Social Work
Authors: Bražinová Ivana , Caletková Lenka 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACTThe aim of the research was to determine the impacts of digital technology use on the sibling and other social relationships of vulnerable children from their perspective as well as from the perspective of their parents and social workers. The research employed a qualitative research strategy and thematic analysis. We carried out semi‐structured interviews with 10 children and their parents (7) and 10 social workers. The main topics related to the impact of digital technology use were identified as (1) children's addiction to digital technology, (2) digital technology and the online environment as an unlimited leisure and socialisation tool, (3) the shift of risky behaviours to the online environment and the threat of other online ‘risks’ and (4) digital technology as a modern tool for communication with children or their parents. Discussion provides recommendations on how digital technology can be used in social work practice with vulnerable children and their families.
Primary localized cutaneous lichen myxedematosus with light chain‐restricted plasma cells: A distinct variant of the localized form of lichen myxedematosus
Authors: Liu Shuo S. , Park Lily , Karim Rehan , Serralta Victoria , Ciocca Giovanna , Susa Joseph S. , Hanly Andrew , Karai Laszlo J. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractLichen myxedematosus (LM) is a chronic cutaneous mucinosis that can present as a localized skin lesion or as a generalized systemic disease termed scleromyxedema. The differential diagnosis is determined by a combination of clinical presentation, serological studies, and histopathological examination. Currently, well‐established and accepted histopathological features to distinguish localized LM from scleromyxedema have not been elucidated. Our recent publication, together with a retrospective literature review, suggests that the presence of groups of light chain‐restricted plasma cells represents a distinct histopathological clue for the diagnosis of localized LM. In this report, we provide two additional cases of localized LM with lambda light chain‐restricted plasma cells, together with clinical and histopathological findings that are similar to our previous publication. These cases support our theory that the light chain‐restricted plasmacytic microenvironment is primarily attributed to the pathogenesis of localized LM. Therefore, we consider these cases to constitute a clinically and pathologically new variant of localized LM and name it primary localized cutaneous LM with light chain‐restricted plasma cells.
Risk factors for postgastric endoscopic submucosal dissection bleeding in direct oral anticoagulant users
Authors: Kagawa Tomo , Ishikawa Shigenao , Hidaka Yu , Colvin Hugh Shunsuke , Nakanishi Akira , Ohkawa Jumpei , Negishi Shin , Yasutomi Eriko , Yamauchi Kenji , Okamoto Kunio , Sakakihara Ichiro , Izumikawa Koichi , Yamamoto Kumiko , Takahashi Sakuma , Tanaka Shigetomi , Matsuura Mihoko , Wato Masaki , Hasui Toshimi , Inaba Tomoki 
Published: May 2024

ObjectivesBleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric tumors in patients taking antithrombotic drugs, in particular direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), remains unresolved; therefore, we evaluated the risk factors for post‐ESD bleeding and drug differences in patients taking DOACs.MethodsWe included 278 patients taking antithrombotic drugs who underwent gastric ESD between January 2017 and March 2022. Antithrombotic drugs were withdrawn following the 2017 guidelines (Appendix on anticoagulants including DOACs). To further clarify differences in antithrombotic agents' effects, the peri‐cancerous mucosa in the resected specimen was pathologically evaluated according to the Updated Sydney System. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the risk of post‐ESD bleeding.ResultsThe incidence of post‐ESD bleeding in patients taking DOACs was 19.6% (10/51). Among patients taking antithrombotic drugs, DOACs were identified as a possible factor involved in post‐ESD bleeding (odds ratio [OR] 4.92). Among patients taking DOACs, possible factors included resection length diameter ≥30 mm (OR 3.72), presence of neutrophil infiltration (OR 2.71), lesions occurring in the lower third of stomach (OR 2.34), and preoperative antiplatelet use (OR 2.22). Post‐ESD bleeding by DOAC type was 25.0% of patients (4/16) receiving apixaban, in 20.0% (3/15) receiving edoxaban, in 21.4% (3/14) receiving rivaroxaban, and in none of those receiving dabigatran.ConclusionsThe administration of DOACs was shown to be a possible factor involved in post‐ESD bleeding, and risk factors for patients taking DOACs included neutrophil infiltration. The pharmacological differences in the effects of DOACs contributing to bleeding in gastric ulcers suggest comparatively less bleeding with dabigatran after ESD.
A novel animal model for understanding secondary traumatic stress and visceral pain in male rats
Authors: Lannon Adam S. , Brocka Marta , Collins James M. , Fitzgerald Patrick , O'Mahony Siobhain M. , Cryan John F. , Moloney Rachel D. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractEmpathetic relationships and the social transference of behaviours have been shown to occur in humans, and more recently through the development of rodent models, where both fear and pain phenotypes develop in observer animals. Clinically, observing traumatic events can induce ‘trauma and stressor‐related disorders’ as defined in the DSM 5. These disorders are often comorbid with pain and gastrointestinal disturbances; however, our understanding of how gastrointestinal – or visceral – pain can be vicariously transmitted is lacking. Visceral pain originates from the internal organs, and despite its widespread prevalence, remains poorly understood. We established an observation paradigm to assess the impact of witnessing visceral pain. We utilised colorectal distension (CRD) to induce visceral pain behaviours in a stimulus rodent while the observer rodent observed. Twenty four hours post‐observation, the observer rodent's visceral sensitivity was assessed using CRD. The observer rodents were found to have significant hyperalgesia as determined by lower visceral pain threshold and higher number of total pain behaviours compared with controls. The behaviours of the observer animals during the observation were found to be correlated with the behaviours of the stimulus animal employed. We found that observer animals had hypoactivity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, highlighted by reduced corticosterone at 90 minutes post‐CRD. Using c‐Fos immunohistochemistry we showed that observer animals also had increased activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, and decreased activation of the paraventricular nucleus, compared with controls. These results suggest that witnessing another animal in pain produces a behavioural phenotype and impacts the brain–gut axis.
Time‐dependent interaction modification generated from plant–soil feedback
Authors: Zou Heng‐Xing , Yan Xinyi , Rudolf Volker H. W. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractPairwise interactions between species can be modified by other community members, leading to emergent dynamics contingent on community composition. Despite the prevalence of such higher‐order interactions, little is known about how they are linked to the timing and order of species' arrival. We generate population dynamics from a mechanistic plant–soil feedback model, then apply a general theoretical framework to show that the modification of a pairwise interaction by a third plant depends on its germination phenology. These time‐dependent interaction modifications emerge from concurrent changes in plant and microbe populations and are strengthened by higher overlap between plants' associated microbiomes. The interaction between this overlap and the specificity of microbiomes further determines plant coexistence. Our framework is widely applicable to mechanisms in other systems from which similar time‐dependent interaction modifications can emerge, highlighting the need to integrate temporal shifts of species interactions to predict the emergent dynamics of natural communities.
Impact of root canal disinfection on the bacteriome present in primary endodontic infection: A next generation sequencing study
Authors: Alquria Theeb Abdullah , Acharya Aneesha , Tordik Patricia , Griffin Ina , Martinho Frederico C. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractAimTo investigate the bacteriome present in teeth with primary endodontic infection (PEI) and apical periodontitis (AP) and to determine quantitatively and qualitatively the impact of chemomechanical preparation (CMP) using 2.5% sodium hypochlorite NAOCl on the bacteriome found in PEI with AP using the Illumina MiSeq platform.MethodologyThirty‐six paired samples from 18 patients were successfully sequenced and analysed. Samples were collected at two sampling times: before (s1) and after (s2) CMP using 2.5% NaOCl. The DNA was extracted from s1 and s2 samples and quantified using quantitative PCR (qPCR). All 36 samples were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Raw V3–V4 amplicon sequencing data were processed with the DADA2 pipeline to generate amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). Alpha diversity metrics representing abundance (Chao1) and diversity and evenness (Shannon, Simpson) were computed. The paired‐sample Wilcoxon's test was used to compare alpha diversity metrics and qPCR counts between s1 and s2. The PERMANOVA method (with 999 permutations) was applied to compare community composition between sample types (s1 versus s2) and between patient IDs. ALDEx2 (ANOVA‐like differential expression tool for high‐throughput sequencing data) to investigate differentially abundant taxa between s1 and s2. A paired‐sample Wilcoxon's test was used to compare alpha diversity metrics and qPCR counts between s1 and s2.ResultsThe qPCR counts were significantly higher in s1 compared to s2 (p = .0007). The Chao1 index indicated no difference in alpha diversity (p < .7019); whereas Shannon (p = .0056) and Simpson (p = .02685) indexes showed higher values in s2. The PERMANOVA test using Adonis2 showed a significant effect of sample time on community composition (R2 = .0630, p = .012). Patient ID also showed a significant effect on community composition (R2 = .6961, p = .001). At the genus level, Dialister, Mogibacterium, Prevotella, and Olsenella were differentially enriched at s1, while Actinomyces, Stenotrophomonas_unclassified, Enterococcus_unclassified, and Actinomyces_unclassified were differentially enriched in s2.ConclusionThe bacteriome present in teeth with PEI with AP is complex and diverse. CMP using 2.5% NaOCl showed a high quantitatively and qualitatively disinfectant impact on the bacteriome present in PEI with AP.
Second‐order cone programming models for the unitary weighted Weber problem and for the minimum sum of the squares clustering problem
Authors: Linhares Marcella Braga de Assis , Pinto Renan Vicente , Maculan Nelson , Negreiros Marcos 
Published: May 2024

AbstractIn this work, new mixed integer nonlinear optimization models are proposed for two clustering problems: the unitary weighted Weber problem and the minimum sum of squares clustering. The proposed formulations are convex quadratic models with linear and second‐order cone constraints that can be efficiently solved by interior point algorithms. Their continuous relaxation is convex and differentiable. The numerical experiments show the proposed models are more efficient than some classical models for these problems known in the literature.
Macrophage M2 polarization promotes pulpal inflammation resolution during orthodontic tooth movement
Authors: Li Jichang , Ren Huiying , Zhang Zijie , Zhang Jin , Wei Fulan 
Published: May 2024

AbstractMechanical force induces hypoxia in the pulpal area by compressing the apical blood vessels of the pulp, triggering pulpal inflammation during orthodontic tooth movement. However, this inflammation tends to be restorable. Macrophages are recognized as pivotal immunoreactive cells in the dental pulp. Whether they are involved in the resolution of pulpal inflammation in orthodontic teeth remains unclear. In this study, we investigated macrophage polarization and its effects during orthodontic tooth movement. It was demonstrated that macrophages within the dental pulp polarized to M2 type and actively participated in the process of pulpal inflammation resolution. Inflammatory reactions were generated and vascularization occurred in the pulp during orthodontic tooth movement. Macrophages in orthodontic pulp show a tendency to polarize towards M2 type as a result of pulpal hypoxia. Furthermore, by blocking M2 polarization, we found that macrophage M2 polarization inhibits dental pulp‐secreting inflammatory factors and enhances VEGF production. In conclusion, our findings suggest that macrophages promote pulpal inflammation resolution by enhancing M2 polarization and maintaining dental health during orthodontic tooth movement.
MIDAS and dividend growth predictability: Revisiting the excess volatility puzzle
Authors: Quaye Enoch , Tunaru Radu , Voukelatos Nikolaos 
Published: May 2024

AbstractWe examine dividend growth predictability and the excess volatility puzzle across a large sample of international equity markets using a mixed‐frequency data sampling (MIDAS) regression approach. We find that accounting for dividend seasonality under the MIDAS framework significantly improves dividend growth predictability compared to simple regressions with annually aggregated data. Moreover, variance bounds tests that allow for nonstationary dividends consistently fail to reject the market efficiency hypothesis across all countries. Our findings suggest that the common rejection of market efficiency in the literature is most likely driven by the annual aggregation of dividend data as well as by the assumption of stationary dividends.