bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of the leaders of social and environmental enterprises in Latin America and the relationship with the success of their businesses
Authors: Ramirez Lozano Julianna Paola , Marquina Feldman Percy Samoel , Peñaflor Guerra Renato 
Published: February 2024

Purpose
This study aims to understand the leadership characteristics of founders of social and environmental enterprises in Latin America who have achieved business success with a focus on sustainability despite difficult social, economic, political and even health contexts in which they live.

Design/methodology/approach
This nonexperimental research is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with social/environmental entrepreneurs of the Kunan Network (an organization that groups the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Peru).

Findings
The study analyzes the leadership profile and characteristics of entrepreneurs who have created profitable businesses with a social/environmental focus that solve relevant social problems and contribute to improving people’s quality of life and caring for the environment.

Research limitations/implications
Although only 21 business leaders with outstanding participation and positive social and environmental impact were included in this study, they were supported and recognized by the Kunan Network.

Originality/value
The study contributed to the conceptualization and understanding of the profile of leaders of social and environmental enterprises, whose main challenges are to solve social or environmental problems of society and contribute to improving the quality of life of people and the environment. Knowing the profile of these entrepreneurs generates value to the knowledge of the subject and contributes to understand and propose strategies to improve the ecosystem of social-environmental entrepreneurship in emerging countries such as Peru. This will contribute to the creation of relationships and alliances with various social actors: public, private, third sector, academia, among others, for the management and promotion of sustainable business.
Microbe‐induced plant resistance against insect pests depends on timing of inoculation but is consistent across climatic conditions
Authors: Sanchez‐Mahecha Oriana , Klink Sophia , Rothballer Michael , Sturm Sarah , Weisser Wolfgang W. , Zytynska Sharon , Heinen Robin 
Published: February 2024

Abstract

To cope with abiotic and biotic stressors, plants have developed mutualistic associations with beneficial soil microbes, but little is known about how extreme abiotic conditions impact on microbe‐induce resistance to insect herbivores.

Extreme temperatures are often accompanied by extremes in plant water availability, which together reduce plant growth and change plant physiology. There are potential consequences for increasing plant susceptibility to biotic stresses, and this poses a real challenge for plant productivity.

We evaluated how the effects of beneficial soil bacteria (Acidovorax radicis N35e) on barley plant growth and resultant resistance against aphid infestation (Sitobion avenae) were impacted by a single heatwave event across a plant water availability gradient. We also tested if timing of bacterial inoculation (before or after the temperature treatment) affected bacteria‐plant interactions on aphids.

We found that heatwaves affected plant biomass allocation from above‐ground to below‐ground tissues. Inoculation with A. radicis led to reduction of aphid numbers, but depended on timing of inoculation, and led to stronger resistance when inoculations occurred closer to aphid infestation. Remarkably, microbe‐induced resistance against aphids was consistent across heatwave and water availability treatments.

This study provides evidence that beneficial plant‐bacteria interactions may represent a potential solution for sustainable agricultural practices to enhance plant growth and response to insect pests under climate change. Future field trials should investigate the consistency of beneficial effects reported here for a better understanding of multispecies interactions in the context of global change.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Overcoming Common Anxieties in Knowledge Translation: Advice for Scholarly Issue Advocates
Authors: KERSHAW PAUL , ROSSA‐ROCCOR VERENA 
Published: February 2024

Policy Points
Faced with urgent threats to human health and well‐being such as climate change, calls among the academic community are getting louder to contribute more effectively to the implementation of the evidence generated by our research into public policy.
As interest in knowledge translation (KT) surges, so have a number of anxieties about the field's shortcomings. Our paper is motivated by a call in the literature to render useful advice for those beginning in KT on how to advance impact at a policy level.
By integrating knowledge from fields such as political science, moral psychology, and marketing, we suggest that thinking and acting like marketers, lobbyists, movements, and political scientists would help us advance on the quest to bridge the chasm between evidence and policy.
Responsibilities of geographers: Are we role models or hypocrites?
Authors: Burton Alexander Luke 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIt is no longer enough, if it ever was, for geographers to publish research with no mind to practising it in their daily lives. This essay is quasi‐polemical, calling for us to consider both our responsibilities as geographers and our futures outside of research and to more consciously think about how to be role models of our discipline in both our professional and private lives. Such labours include asking how we can act sustainably in hosting, travelling to, and catering for conferences and how we can address our need to help build community and accommodate diversity, which are often present in calls to action in our research. Acknowledging the potential for hypocrisy also means being engaged citizen scientists and Anthropoceneans. Let us start a conversation: are we only communicators, or can we be role models, too?
Bidirectional association between breast cancer and meningioma: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Goh Chia Qi , Kaur Rajneesh , Ayeni Femi E. , Eslick Guy D. , Edirimanne Senarath 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundAn association between breast cancer and meningioma has been suggested in cohort studies. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis to determine whether there is an association between initial breast cancer and subsequent meningioma diagnosis and vice versa.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed on Medline, Embase, Scopus and Google scholar from inception up to April 2023. A meta‐analysis of selected studies was performed using Review Manager 5.4.ResultsThere were eight studies included in the systematic review. Seven had reported Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) for female patients and were suitable for the meta‐analysis. Only one study reported SIR for male patients. For the association between initial breast cancer and subsequent meningioma, in 795 000 female patients with follow‐up ranging from 7 to 13 years, the SIR was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.20–1.34, P‐value <0.00001). For the association between initial meningioma and subsequent breast cancer, in 28 000 female patients with follow‐up ranging from 6 to 15 years, the SIR was 1.32 (95% CI: 1.21–1.45, P‐value <0.00001). There were low heterogeneity and no significant publication bias.ConclusionThere was a small but significant association between initial breast cancer and subsequent meningioma as well as initial meningioma and subsequent breast cancer in female patients. The potential underlying mechanisms and risk factors were unclear from current literature and would be a potential area for future research.
Efficacy and safety of avatrombopag in Chinese children with persistent and chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia: A multicentre observational retrospective study in China
Authors: Wang Zhifa , Zhang Aijun , Xu Zhongjin , Wang Nan , Zhang Jialu , Meng Jinxi , Dong Shuyue , Ma Jingyao , Hu Yu , Ouyang Juntao , Chen Zhenping , An Qi , Cheng Xiaoling , Wu Runhui 
Published: February 2024

SummaryAvatrombopag (AVA) is a novel thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO‐RA) that has been recently approved as a second‐line therapy for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in adults; however, its safety and efficacy data in children are lacking. Here, we demonstrated the efficacy and safety of AVA as second‐line therapy in children with ITP. A multicentre, retrospective, observational study was conducted in children with persistent or chronic ITP who did not respond to or relapsed from previous treatment and were treated with AVA for at least 12 weeks between August 2020 and December 2022. The outcomes were the responses (defined as achieving a platelet count ≥30 × 109/L, twofold increase in platelet count from baseline and absence of bleeding), including rapid response within 4 weeks, sustained response at weeks 12 and 24, bleeding control and adverse events (AEs). Thirty‐four (18 males) patients with a mean age of 6.3 (range: 1.9–15.3) years were enrolled. The median number of previous treatment types was four (range: 1–6), and 41.2% patients switched from other TPO‐RAs. Within 4 weeks, overall response (OR) was achieved in 79.4% patients and complete response (CR, defined as a platelet count ≥100 × 109/L and the absence of bleeding) in 67.7% patients with a median response time of 7 (range: 1–27) days. At 12 weeks, OR was achieved in 88.2%, CR in 76.5% and sustained response in 44% of patients. At 24 weeks, 22/34 (64.7%) patients who achieved a response and were followed up for 24 weeks were evaluated; 12/22 (54.55%) achieved a sustained response. During AVA therapy, median platelet counts increased by week 1 and were maintained throughout the treatment period. The proportion of patients with grade 1–3 bleeding decreased from 52.95% at baseline to 2.94% at 12 weeks, while concomitant ITP medications decreased from 36.47% at baseline to 8.82% at 12 weeks, with only 9 (26.47%) patients receiving rescue therapy 23 times within 12 weeks. There were 61.8% patients with 59 AEs: 29.8% with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 1 and the rest with grade 2. These findings show that AVA could achieve a rapid and sustained response in children with persistent or chronic ITP as a second‐line treatment, with good clinical bleeding control and reduction of concomitant ITP therapy, without significant AEs.
The Connected We St@nd programme: A feasibility pilot study of an online self‐management intervention for adults on in‐centre haemodialysis and family caregivers
Authors: Sousa Helena , Ribeiro Oscar , Bártolo Ana , Costa Elísio , Ribeiro Fernando , Rodrigues Mário , Paúl Constança , Figueiredo Daniela 
Published: February 2024

AbstractObjectiveThe ‘Connected We St@nd’ is an online self‐management intervention programme for people receiving in‐centre haemodialysis and family caregivers that combines an educational and psychosocial support component. This study aimed to evaluate its feasibility and acceptability before proceeding to a large‐scale trial.DesignThis was a pre‐post single‐arm feasibility pilot study conducted with adults undergoing in‐centre haemodialysis and family caregivers.MethodsFeasibility was based on eligibility, consent, retention, completion and intervention adherence rates, while acceptability was assessed in post‐intervention focus group interviews.ResultsTwenty‐six people (16 adults on haemodialysis and 10 family caregivers) recruited through social networks completed the intervention. Consent, retention and completion rates were excellent (>90%) and eligibility (77.5%) and intervention adherence were satisfactory (69% for the psychosocial support sessions). Qualitative findings revealed that participants shared positive feelings regarding their participation in the programme. The valuable interactions with group peers and health psychologists during the support sessions, the perception of the adequacy and coherence of the programme's contents and materials and the participants' confidence in using the platform developed to deliver the intervention were some of the aspects highlighted as facilitators of intervention acceptability. Additionally, people on haemodialysis and caregivers reported that participation in the programme brought several educational and emotional benefits (e.g., additional disease‐related knowledge, improved communication and coping skills, greater confidence in managing dialysis complications or caregiving demands) that helped increase their self‐management skills and psychosocial adjustment to the demands of kidney failure and renal therapies.ConclusionsThe results suggested that the ‘Connected We St@nd’ programme is likely to be feasible and acceptable for adults on haemodialysis and family caregivers, thus representing a promising resource for the future of interdisciplinary renal rehabilitation. Suggestions were made to fine‐tune the intervention design to proceed with a large‐scale trial.
The nexus of ESG requirements and industry concentration
Authors: Tai Yenpo , Lee Mei‐Yu , Lo Chu‐Ping , Hsu Su‐Ying 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis paper examines the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements for an industry in an n‐oligopolistic model and investigates the relationship between the degree of industry concentration and the degree of ESG requirements. It is shown that the factors influencing the degree of ESG requirements include the number of firms, the elasticity of market demand, and the market concentration ratio. In the case of linear market demand, the degree of requirements is negatively affected by firm number only, regardless of the elasticity of market demand or market concentration ratio. In addition, the degree of ESG requirements is positively (negatively) related to the industry profit/concentration, when market demand is convex (concave). This paper demonstrates that the degree of ESG requirements is sensitive to firm number, market demand, and market concentration ratio and serves as a pragmatic reference for the government.
Reintegration of street‐connected children in Kenya: Evaluation of Agape Children's Ministry's Family Strengthening Programme
Authors: Greeson Johanna K. P. , Gyourko John R. , Wasch Sarah , Page Christopher S. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractIn Kenya, the number of street‐involved children continues to grow each decade, with most recent estimates as high as 250 000 to 300 000. Despite efforts by local government, nongovernmental organizations, and community‐based organizations to address this problem, most children who receive services end up returning to the streets. Since 2021, Agape Children's Ministry has provided time‐limited, crisis‐oriented services to families recently reintegrated through its Family Strengthening Programme (FSP). We conducted an exploratory programme evaluation of Agape's FSP to ascertain whether it is achieving the intended outcomes. Thirty families (n = 30 children; n = 38 caregivers) were enrolled in the FSP during the study window and participated in the evaluation. Family functioning and child well‐being increased to a statistically significant and large extent from before to after the intervention. All but two children remained reintegrated at the end of the study period. Results highlight the importance of using a holistic family‐based programme that reunites children with their healthiest possible family environment with a plan specifically tailored to their individual needs and unique family situations. Results also bring to the fore the need for broad governmental attention to basic needs of families as an important part of improving family functioning.
Severe isolated exudative vitreoretinopathy caused by biallelic FZD4 variants
Authors: Hoem Gry , Pastore Arianna , Bratland Eirik , Christoffersen Terje , Stornaiuolo Mariano , Douzgou Sofia 
Published: February 2024

AbstractFamilial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is linked to disruption of the Norrin/Frizzled‐4 signaling pathway, which plays an important role in retinal angiogenesis. Severe or complete knock‐down of proteins in the pathway also causes syndromic forms of the condition. Both heterozygous and biallelic pathogenic variants in the FZD4 gene, encoding the pathway's key protein frizzled‐4, are known to cause FEVR. However, it is not clear what effect different FZD4 variants have, and whether extraocular features should be expected in those with biallelic pathogenic FZD4 variants. Biallelic FZD4 variants were found in a young boy with isolated, severe FEVR. His parents were heterozygous for one variant each and reported normal vision. In‐vitro studies of the two variants, demonstrated that it was the combination of the two which led to severe inhibition of the Norrin/Frizzled‐4 pathway. Our observations demonstrate that biallelic FZD4‐variants are associated with a severe form of FEVR, which does not necessarily include extraocular features. In addition, variants causing severe FEVR in combination, may have no or minimal effect in heterozygous parents as non‐penetrance is also a major feature in dominant FZD4‐FEVR disease. This underscores the importance of genetic testing of individuals and families with FEVR.
Correlation between neck circumference and hepatic steatosis determined by controlled attenuation parameter
Authors: Chirapongsathorn Sakkarin , Jinatongthai Pakapop , Sirichana Sudatip , Boonyavarakul Apussanee , Treeprasertsuk Sombat , Sansanayudh Nakarin 
Published: February 2024

SummaryNeck circumference is an attractive method for determining metabolic profiles and has many advantages over waist circumference. However, the correlation between neck circumference and hepatic fibrosis has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between neck circumference and hepatic fibrosis and define the optimal cut‐off point for neck circumference to determine hepatic fibrosis. A cross‐sectional study (n = 333) was conducted among Thai healthcare workers at Phramongkutklao Hospital who received an annual health maintenance program. Neck circumference was measured at the lower margin of the laryngeal prominence. Fibroscan® with a controlled attenuation parameter was used to measure the degree of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis by an experienced, well‐trained operator. In the cross‐sectional analysis, it was found that the large circumference of the neck was associated with hepatic fibrosis (r = 0.19, p = .001) and hepatic steatosis (r = 0.58, p < .001). Hepatic fibrosis (r = 0.15, p = .004) and steatosis (r = 0.53, p < .001) were also associated with waist circumference. The neck circumferences of 40 and 34 cm were the best cut‐offs for male and female participants, respectively.Neck circumference is closely related to hepatic fibrosis and steatosis, which should be promoted and has a better advantage than waist circumference in the screening of hepatic steatosis.
The ELECLA trial: A multicentre randomised control trial on outcomes of neoadjuvant treatment on locally advanced colon cancer
Authors: Arredondo Jorge , Almeida Ana , Castañón Carmen , Sánchez Carlos , Villafañe Amaya , Tejedor Patricia , Simó Vicente , Baixauli Jorge , Rodríguez Javier , Pastor Carlos 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundColon cancer (CC) is a public health concern with increasing incidence in younger populations. Treatment for locally advanced CC (LACC) involves oncological surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) to reduce recurrence and improve overall survival (OS). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a novel approach for the treatment of LACC, and research is underway to explore its potential benefit in terms of survival. This trial will assess the efficacy of NAC in LACC.MethodsThis is a multicentre randomised, parallel‐group, open label controlled clinical trial. Participants will be selected based on homogenous inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to two treatment groups: NAC, surgery, and AC or surgery followed by AC. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the 2‐year progression‐free survival (PFS), with secondary outcomes including 5‐year PFS, 2‐ and 5‐year OS, toxicity, radiological and pathological response, morbidity, and mortality.DiscussionThe results of this study will determine whether NAC induces a clinical and histological tumour response in patients with CCLA and if this treatment sequence improves survival without increasing morbidity and mortality.Registration numberNCT04188158.
The development of a cryptoglandular anal fistula quality of life scale (AF‐QoL)
Authors: Iqbal Nusrat , Alrubaiy Laith , Hart Ailsa , Siviter Rachel , Wilson Lynsay , Tozer Phil 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAimQuality of life (QoL) is a crucial and core outcome in assessing the effectiveness of treatments for cryptoglandular anal fistula. Despite its extensive impact, there is a lack of patient‐centred, disease‐specific QoL measurement instruments of adequate quality. The aim of this study is to develop a disease‐specific measurement instrument that can accurately measure QoL for patients with cryptoglandular anal fistula.MethodSemi‐structured qualitative patient interviews and a systematic review of current instruments were used to generate items for the draft instrument. This underwent successive rounds of cognitive interviews to refine its wording and structure. Individual item and overall scale content validity were determined by asking experts to rate the relevance of each item and those deemed irrelevant were removed. The final instrument then underwent psychometric testing and test–retest analysis to determine its sensitivity and stability.ResultsA total of 148 patients were involved in item generation, scale development and psychometric testing. A 22‐item measurement instrument has been developed; it is scored on a scale of 0–100, where 0 indicates the worst QoL and 100 demonstrates perfect QoL. The scale demonstrates excellent internal consistency (Cronbach‐α = 0.927), strong content and construct validity [correlation with Perianal Disease Activity Index = −0.713, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Anxiety (−0.659) and Depression (−0.673) subscales and Short Form‐12 physical (0.609) and mental (0.589) component scales] and strong reliability and responsiveness.ConclusionWe have developed a cryptoglandular Anal Fistula Quality of Life scale (AF‐QoL), a comprehensive, disease‐specific patient reported outcome measure assessing QoL in patients with cryptoglandular anal fistula.