bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dividend policy and shareholders’ wealth. A comparative analysis of Shariah-compliant and noncompliant nonfinancial firms in Pakistan
Authors: Akbar Saeed , Khan Shehzad , Haq Zahoor Ul , Amin Muhammad Yusuf 
Published: December 2023

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to comparatively analyze the effect of dividend policy on shareholders’ wealth in Shariah-compliant (SC) and noncompliant (NC) nonfinancial firms in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach
All the nonfinancial firms listed on the Pakistan stock exchange have been taken as a sample for 2016–2021. The Karachi Meezan index screening criteria were applied to screen SC firms. Based on the BPLM and Hausman test results, the authors used the fixed-effect and pooled OLS model for SC and NC firms, respectively. The F-test was used to compare the effect of each dividend policy variable on shareholders’ wealth for both firm types.

Findings
The findings reveal that the dividend policy does affect the shareholders’ wealth in both firm types. Dividend per share (DPS), dividend yield (DY) and earnings per share significantly affect the shareholders’ wealth in SC firms. For NC firms, the dividend payout, DPS and DY are critical. Moreover, the F-test results show that the DPS, DY and leverage effect on the shareholders’ wealth significantly differ for both firm types.

Research limitations/implications
This study fills the research gap in the Pakistani context specifically as well as globally by providing important insights into the relationship between a firm’s dividend policy and shareholders’ wealth for SC and NC firms. In addition, this study comprehensively compares the results for both firm types, which is also lacking in the existing literature. Because this study is based in Pakistan, the generalizability of the results would be limited.

Practical implications
The findings of this study are helpful for the management of SC and NC firms in devising their dividend policies that can maximize their shareholders’ wealth. This study also provides guidance and knowledge to investors in choosing companies for their investments that can maximize their wealth.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the relationship between dividend policy and shareholders’ wealth for SC firms in Pakistan. It is also the first study that comprehensively compares the dividend policy relationship with shareholders’ wealth for SC and NC firms. In addition, using the F-test for joint hypotheses to compare the specific effect of each dividend policy variable is a methodological contribution of the study.
Dividend announcements and stock returns: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Kumari Vineeta , Kumar Satish , Pandey Dharen Kumar , Gupta Prashant 
Published: December 2023

Purpose
This study aims to provide insights into different aspects of the extant literature on the effects of dividend announcements. Along with other outputs of a bibliometric study, this study provides deeper insights into the concentration of the extant literature and suggest future research agendas.

Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the bibliometric, network and content analysis of the dividend announcement literature indexed in Scopus. This study presents the temporal analysis, the network of authors, countries, author citations and the co-occurrence of author keywords. This study provides the concentration of the extant literature in three clusters and unearth some key future research areas. This study uses the latent Dirichlet allocation method for robustness.

Findings
A total of 54 documents examining the US sample have received 1,804 citations. Interestingly, the first article on emerging markets was published in 2002, when at least 34 articles on developed markets had already been published from 1982 to 2001. The content analysis of top-cited literature unveils diverse insights into dividend announcements’ effects on financial markets. Contagion effects negatively impact non-announcing banks, particularly larger ones. Dividend maintenance affects stock market momentum, influencing loser returns. While current dividend/earnings news may not predict future company performance, information content dominates bond market reactions to post-dividend announcements. Concomitantly, while financially constrained firms exhibit short-term gains but worse long-term performance following dividend increases, larger stock dividends send stronger market signals in China.

Originality/value
This study significantly contributes to the bibliometric and content analysis literature by analyzing the sample documents based on the sample examined. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous bibliometric study in this domain has been conducted to explore the markets (developed and emerging) to which the samples examined belong and the quality of publications from developed and emerging markets.
Exploring the value chain of organic pineapple of Assam, India
Authors: Das Naba Kumar , Roy Arup , Srivastava Saurabh Kumar 
Published: December 2023

Purpose
The global organic market is expanding, and India is in an advantageous position with the highest number of organic producers worldwide. Although many articles have been published on the value chain of organic products from India, no significant studies were found related to the value chain analysis of organic pineapple. This study aims to know the various aspects of the organic pineapple value chain, i.e. network structure, value addition at various stages of chain actors, value chain upgradation and governance structure.

Design/methodology/approach
The study is explorative in nature, and primary data from various actors involved in the chain is collected and analyzed. Primary data through a structured schedule and interviews are collected from farmers and traders. A multistage sampling plan has been adopted. A sample of 75 farmers was randomly selected from the study area. For traders, snowball sampling is used due to the nonavailability of the sampling frame. A total of 10 commission agents, 10 wholesalers and 20 retailers were thus selected for the study. For objectives 1 and 4, descriptive statistics are used. For objective 2, a modified formula described by (Murthy et al., 2007) is used to calculate farmer’s net price and marketing margin. For objective 3, Garrett’s ranking technique is used to identify various constraints in upgrading the organic pineapple value chain in Assam.

Findings
This study shows that the value chain of organic pineapple is in the initial stage and proper value addition is required to have a complete regulated value chain. Six marketing channel is identified, and products are sold through farmer producer company only in case of export and trade with distant buyers. The marketing efficiency for channels II and III is 1.69 and 0.99, respectively. The degree of value addition for channel II in the hands of the commission agent, wholesaler and retailer is 11.65%, 4.56% and 12.60%, respectively. In the various constraints in upgrading the value chain, farmers rank “policy support” as a major constraint. In the governance structure, trade with distant traders and exports is done formally and through written contracts.

Research limitations/implications
The study performs value chain analysis of organic pineapple in Cachar district of Assam, India for the year January 2022–January 2023. Future studies are encouraged related to various aspects of the supply chain and value chain of organic pineapple from various northeastern states of India and other states.

Practical implications
The study will help policymakers and key actors to know the existing chain and frame a well-coordinated and regulated value chain.

Originality/value
This study is one of the first study to explore the value chain of organic pineapple of Cachar district of Assam, India. Implementation of these findings can help various actors to strengthen the existing value chain.
Rates of subjective and objective cure, satisfaction, and pain 10–20 years after tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) surgery: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Solhaug Berit Rein , Nyhus Maria Øyasæter , Svenningsen Rune , Volløyhaug Ingrid 
Published: December 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate rates of subjective and objective cure, treatment satisfaction, pain, and the correlation between cure and body mass index (BMI), at 10 and 20 years after tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) surgery.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingMulticentre study including 19 units in Norway.PopulationWomen undergoing TVT surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) during 2001–2006 (20‐year cohort) and 2011–2012 (10‐year cohort).MethodsThe Norwegian Female Incontinence Registry was used to identify women eligible for the study, who answered validated questionnaires about urinary incontinence, pain and satisfaction.Main outcome measuresSubjective cure of SUI (with stress index of <3, range 0–12), objective cure (<3 g on stress test) and persisting pain and satisfaction after TVT (scored on a five‐point Likert scale).ResultsIn total, 1210 of 1903 (64%) patients responded. The subjective cure rate was 68% after 10 years, versus 59% after 20 years, and did not significantly differ after adjusting for age, BMI, parity and preoperative stress index (adjusted OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.82–1.94). The objective cure rate was 100% versus 93% (P < 0.001), with 89% versus 76% reporting subjective satisfaction (P < 0.001), and with 4.7% versus 2.7% reporting persisting pain (P < 0.001), after 10 versus 20 years, respectively. Women in obesity classes I and II, compared with women of normal weight, had an increased risk of not being subjectively cured (crude OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.42–2.90; OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.60–5.46, respectively).ConclusionsTension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) provided high rates of subjective and objective cure at 10 and 20 years after surgery, with no significant difference between the two cohorts. Although 3%–5% of women experienced persisting pain, most women were satisfied with TVT surgery. Obesity was associated with a lower cure rate.
Efficacy and safety of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics for the prevention of colorectal cancer and precancerous lesion in high‐risk populations: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Kan Hao Xuan , Cao Yang , Ma Ye , Zhang Yue Lun , Wang Jing , Li Ji , Li Jing Nan 
Published: December 2023

ObjectivesColorectal cancer (CRC) is highly prevalent worldwide and is a leading cause of cancer‐related death. Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics have recently attracted attention as preventive measures against colorectal neoplasms. We aimed to analyze the findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in patients at a high risk of CRC, outlining the challenges and future prospects of using probiotics to prevent colorectal tumors and providing evidence for clinical physicians in particular.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies published up to January 7, 2022. RCTs conducted on populations with a high risk of CRC who received probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics in comparison with placebo, candidate agent or no treatment were included. The primary outcome was the incidence or recurrence of any colorectal neoplasms. Additional outcomes included their effects on the diversity of gut microbiota and relevant inflammatory biomarkers. Safety outcomes were also analyzed. Two authors independently screened and selected studies based on pre‐specified eligible criteria, performed data extraction and risk‐of‐bias assessment independently.ResultsNine RCTs were included in the systematic review and meta‐analysis. Probiotic supplementation significantly reduced adenoma incidence, but no significant benefit was observed in CRC incidence. Additionally, probiotics modulated gut microbiota and inflammatory biomarkers.ConclusionProbiotics may have beneficial effects in the prevention of CRC. More RCTs with larger sample sizes are warranted to further confirm these findings.
Evo‐Scope: Fully automated assessment of correlated evolution on phylogenetic trees
Authors: Godfroid Maxime , Coluzzi Charles , Lambert Amaury , Glaser Philippe , Rocha Eduardo P. C. , Achaz Guillaume 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Correlated evolution describes how multiple biological traits evolve together. Recently developed methods provide increasingly detailed results of correlated evolution, sometimes at elevated computational costs.

Here, we present evo‐scope, a fast and fully automated pipeline with minimal input requirements to compute correlation between discrete traits evolving on a phylogenetic tree. Notably, we improve two of our previously developed tools that efficiently compute statistics of correlated evolution to characterize the nature, such as synergy or antagonism, and the strength of the interdependence between the traits.

Furthermore, we improved the running time and implemented several additional features, such as genetic mapping, Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo estimation, consideration of missing data and phylogenetic uncertainty.

As an application, we scan a publicly available penicillin resistance data set of Streptococcus pneumoniae and characterize genetic mutations that correlate with antibiotic resistance.

The pipeline is accessible both as a self‐contained Github repository (https://github.com/Maxime5G/EvoScope) and through a graphical galaxy interface (https://galaxy.pasteur.fr/u/maximeg/w/evoscope).
Model‐based and model‐free mechanisms in methamphetamine use disorder
Authors: Robinson Alex H. , Mahlberg Justin , Chong Trevor T.‐J. , Verdejo‐Garcia Antonio 
Published: December 2023

AbstractPeople with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) struggle to shift their behaviour from methamphetamine‐orientated habits to goal‐oriented choices. The model‐based/model‐free framework is well suited to understand this difficulty by unpacking the computational mechanisms that support experienced‐based (model‐free) and goal‐directed (model‐based) choices. We aimed to examine whether 1) participants with MUD differed from controls on behavioural proxies and/or computational mechanisms of model‐based/model‐free choices; 2) model‐based/model‐free decision‐making correlated with MUD symptoms; and 3) model‐based/model‐free deficits improved over six weeks in the group with MUD. Participants with MUD and controls with similar age, IQ and socioeconomic status completed the Two‐Step Task at treatment commencement (MUD n = 30, Controls n = 31) and six weeks later (MUD n = 23, Controls n = 26). We examined behavioural proxies of model‐based/model‐free decisions using mixed logistic regression, and their underlying mechanisms using computational modelling. At a behavioural level, participants with MUD were more likely to switch their choices following rewarded actions, although this pattern improved at follow up. At a computational level, groups were similar in their use of model‐based mechanisms, but participants with MUD were less likely to apply model‐free mechanisms and less likely to repeat rewarded actions. We did not find evidence that individual differences in model‐based or model‐free parameters were associated with greater severity of methamphetamine dependence, nor did we find that group differences in computational parameters changed between baseline and follow‐up assessment. Decision‐making challenges in people with MUD are likely related to difficulties in pursuing choices previously associated with positive outcomes.
Satellite‐derived prefire vegetation predicts variation in field‐based invasive annual grass cover after fire
Authors: Anthony Christopher R. , Applestein Cara V. , Germino Matthew J. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAimsInvasion by annual grasses (IAGs) and concomitant increases in wildfire are impacting many drylands globally, and an understanding of factors that contribute to or detract from community resistance to IAGs is needed to inform postfire restoration interventions. Prefire vegetation condition is often unknown in rangelands but it likely affects variation in postfire invasion resistance across large burned scars. Whether satellite‐derived products like the Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) can fulfill prefire information needs and be used to parametrize models of fire recovery to inform postfire management of IAGs is a key question.MethodsWe used random forests to ask how IAG abundances in 669 field plots measured in the 2‐3 years following megafires in sagebrush steppe rangelands of western USA responded to RAP estimates of annual:perennial prefire vegetation cover, the effects of elevation, heat load, postfire treatments, soil moisture–temperature regimes, and land‐agency ratings of ecosystem resistance to invasion and resilience to disturbance.ResultsPostfire IAG cover measured in the field was % and RAP‐estimated prefire annual herbaceous cover was %. The random forest model had an R2 of 0.36 and a root‐mean‐squared error (RMSE) of 4.41. Elevation, postfire herbicide treatment, and prefire estimates from RAP for the ratio of annual:perennial and shrub cover were the most important predictors of postfire IAG cover. Threshold‐like relationships between postfire IAG cover and the predictors indicate that maintaining annual:perennial cover below 0.4 and shrub cover below <10% prior to wildfire would decrease invasion, at low elevations below 1400 m above sea level.ConclusionDespite known differences between RAP and field‐based estimates of vegetation cover, RAP was still a useful predictor of variation in IAG abundances after fire. IAG management is oftentimes reactive, but our findings indicate impactful roles for more inclusively addressing the exotic annual community, and focusing on prefire maintenance of annual:perennial herbaceous and shrub cover at low elevations.
What entrepreneurial skillsets support responsible value creation in health and social care? A mixed methods study
Authors: Lehoux P. , Silva H. P. , Denis J.‐L. , Morioka S. N. , Harfoush N. , Sabio R. P. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAlthough various scholars underscore the importance of innovating responsibly in view of today's societal challenges, less attention has been paid to the entrepreneurial skillset, that is, the range of individual skills and organizational capabilities, that innovation‐based organizations mobilize to deliver new responsible products and services. This paper thus explores the relationships between the entrepreneurial skillsets of 16 Canadian and Brazilian for‐profit and not‐for‐profit organizations producing Responsible Innovations in Health (RIH) and their degree of responsibility. Our mixed methods study includes interviews with entrepreneurs (n = 23) and fieldnotes as well as quantitative results from the RIH Assessment Tool. Our findings identify four skillset orientations—Technical, Technical + Business, Social, and Social + Business—that not only reflect (co)founders' training and entrepreneurial motivations but also a proclivity toward the consolidation of either “Technical” or “Social” skills and capabilities. Such consolidation is made possible by recruiting high‐level executives with diverse backgrounds or by tapping on external knowledge sources (e.g., boards of directors, incubators, or volunteers). As five enterprises had no formal business skills, patterns associated to their overall RIH score (ranging from 1 to 5) reveal intriguing results. Organizations with a Social + Business skillset have a slightly lower RIH score (4.1) than those with a Social skillet (4.4) and those with a Technical + Business skillset have a slightly higher score (3.5) than those with a Technical skillset (3.0). The presence of business skills thus appears to mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial skillsets and the degree of responsibility, which may be linked to the distinct roles of ordinary (“doing things right”) and dynamic capabilities (“doing the right things”). These exploratory findings have scholarly and practical implications. First, the tensions and synergies characterizing responsible value creation should be approached by examining the complementary skills and capabilities that need to be assembled and consolidated. Second, the eight cases with a Social + Business skillset clarify the unique capabilities needed to produce highly responsible health innovations. Third, entrepreneurs with a scientific or engineering background should recognize that a Technical skillset is not enough. Fourth, recognizing that “falling in love with the cause” of RIH is not sufficient, investors and boards of directors should adequately support responsible entrepreneurs towards the proper orchestration of skills and capabilities that can reconcile economic and social goals.
Rare forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Authors: Gurpinar Tosun Busra , Guran Tulay 
Published: December 2023

AbstractCongenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders due to pathogenic variants in genes encoding enzymes and cofactors involved in adrenal steroidogenesis. Although 21‐hydroxylase, 11β‐hydroxylase, 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, 17α‐hydroxylase/17,20‐lyase, P450 oxidoreductase, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, cholesterol side‐chain cleavage enzyme deficiencies are considered within the definition of CAH, the term ‘CAH’ is often used to refer to ‘21‐hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD)’ since 21OHD accounts for approximately 95% of CAH in most populations. The prevalence of the rare forms of CAH varies according to ethnicity and geographical location. In most cases, the biochemical fingerprint of impaired steroidogenesis points to the specific subtypes of CAH, and genetic testing is usually required to confirm the diagnosis. Despite there are significant variations in clinical characteristics and management, most data about the rare CAH forms are extrapolated from 21OHD. This review article aims to collate the currently available data about the diagnosis and the management of rare forms of CAH.
Screening for multidrug‐resistant organisms in high‐risk hospitalized patients with hematologic diseases
Authors: Delanote Valentine , Callens Rutger , Vogelaers Dirk , Deeren Dries 
Published: December 2023

AbstractObjectivesPatients treated for hematologic malignancies are at higher risk for blood stream infections (BSI) and multidrug‐resistant organisms (MDRO) are increasingly involved. Studies showed a significant association between rectal colonization status and a higher risk of subsequent MDRO BSI. The objective of our study was to probe the practice of surveillance cultures in Belgian hematology centers.MethodsA questionnaire was sent to the 13 hematology centers participating in the acute leukemia board of the Belgian Hematology Society. 21 questions probed for the method of surveillance cultures, MDRO screened, antimicrobial prophylaxis, and empirical therapy and their relationship with colonization status.ResultsAll centers completed the questionnaire in full. Routine gastrointestinal surveillance cultures in hematologic patients are taken in 10 hospitals. Organisms tested for included mostly ESBL (n = 9) and carbapenem‐resistant (n = 8) Enterobacterales. All centers with a screening strategy adapt empiric antibiotic therapy based on MDRO colonization. Prophylaxis strategies are variable, only two centers adapt prophylaxis upon documentation of fluoroquinolone resistance.ConclusionsThe majority of the Belgian centers perform routine surveillance cultures and adapt empiric therapy for neutropenic fever accordingly. Other reasons for testing include to gain insight into local epidemiology and to prevent in‐hospital transmission. In general, there was significant variability in surveillance dimensions.