bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Food labelling and safety consciousness of consumers in Ghana: the case of tinned tomatoes
Authors: Bannor Richard Kwasi , Amfo Bismark , Oppong-Kyeremeh Helena 
Published: August 2022

PurposeWith the empirical evidence on the purchase behaviour of tinned tomatoes, food labelling and the safety consciousness of consumers in Ghana were examined.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were obtained from 130 consumers. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and multinomial probit analysis were applied.FindingsConsumers use tinned tomatoes for cooking because of its easy accessibility in nearby shops, guaranteed constant supply, attractive package, it being affordable/cheaper, its better colour, advertisement/promotion, and longer shelf life. There is a low level of food safety consciousness among consumers since only one-fifth read labels on tinned tomatoes very often, and one-fifth do not read labels at all. Consumers frequently check on tinned tomatoes' most essential information: brand/type, manufacturing and expiry dates, and weight/volume. Age, residential status, contact information, nutritional benefits and affordability influence the choice of retail brand of tinned tomatoes. The health label consumer segment and conventional label consumer segment were identified, with the majority being the former.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size used for the study could be improved in terms of number and geographical coverage. This is because the study was limited to only one main urbanised area in Ghana. Therefore, it will be worthwhile for a further study to be conducted by comparing urban and rural consumers in Ghana and other countries within Africa, to either validate or reveal a different trajectory of consumer behaviour relevant to marketing, policy and practice.Originality/valueTomato paste (tinned tomatoes) is consumed in almost all homes in Africa, but there are food scare concerns about tinned tomatoes due to reported cases of adulteration with unhealthy materials such as starch and food colour, leading to negative health implications on consumers. This makes the reading of tinned tomato labels very crucial. Thus, it is of policy relevance to investigate consumers' reading behaviour of label information on tinned tomatoes in Ghana. However, previous studies on food labelling focussed on food and nutrition labelling and implications of food labelling on consumers' purchase behaviour, with most of them outside Africa.
International portfolio investment: does the uncertainty matter?
Authors: Nguyen Phuc Canh , Schinckus Christophe , Nguyen Binh Quang , Tran Duyen Le Thuy 
Published: August 2022

PurposeThis study investigates the effect of global and domestic uncertainty on the dynamics of portfolio investment in 21 economies (mostly advanced and larger emerging economies) from 2001–2016.Design/methodology/approachSpecifically, the evolution of the net portfolio equity investment inflows (FPI net inflows) and the evolution of net portfolio investment (FPI net) are investigated in a context in which the degree and the volatility of domestic economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and world uncertainty index (WUI) varied. The authors provide an empirical analysis through the sequential (two-stage) estimation of linear panel data models for unbalanced panel data.FindingsAn increase in the degree and volatility of domestic EPU has a significant negative influence on FPI net inflows, while an increase in WUI has a significant positive one. Notably, a simultaneous increase in the domestic EPU and WUI enhances the net inflows of FPI, whereas a simultaneous increase in the volatility of these indicators reduces the net inflows of FPI. An increase in the degree and volatility of both domestic EPU and WUI have a significant positive effect on the net portfolio investment, implying that a significant net portfolio investment is going out of the country.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study encourage international investors to consider uncertainty indicators (and, more specifically, their variations) in their portfolio strategy to optimize their position on the international markets. The findings of this study invite policy-makers from large countries to reduce the perceived domestic uncertainty since this parameter can influence international investors' sensitivity and willingness to diversify their position out of the country.Originality/valueThe authors' approach focuses on the variations of uncertainty (existing literature mainly works with the indicators). While the results confirm the role played by large markets in international portfolio investment management, it nuances the changes in the portfolio management behaviors toward other markets when facing a changing uncertainty.
Toward sustainable agriculture: the case of a sustainable farm in Egypt
Authors: Abdelrazek Nour Adham , El Khafif Mahmoud Khairat 
Published: August 2022

PurposeWith less than ten years left to accomplish the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, there is a pressing need to develop innovative sustainable methods and/or techniques that agriculture and food businesses can apply to improve natural resource efficiency. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to review sustainable agriculture in one of the developing Arab countries by presenting a real-life example of a sustainable farm.Design/methodology/approachThe current study aims to showcase a sustainable farm in one of the developing Arab countries, utilizing a case study methodology. The case study methodology is particularly appropriate within the current research context to provide an in-depth and multi-faceted understanding of sustainable agriculture practices.FindingsThe findings of the current study delineate the different dimensions of sustainable agriculture which includes water savings, less usage of artificial fertilizers, reduction of pesticides and use of renewable energy. In addition, the current study shows that the application of the different sustainable agriculture practices results in substantial savings on the economic levels as well as the environmental levels.Originality/valueThere are two valuable outcomes from this research. The first is a framework for understanding the different dimensions of sustainable agriculture. The second outcome is highlighting various implications for sustainable entrepreneurs who wish to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture.
Healthcare Professionals’ Perceptions of Stabilized Edible Foam with Adults with Severe Dysphagia; an exploratory study
Authors: Hepper Elizabeth C. , Patterson Joanne M. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractBackgroundImproving the quality of life for individuals with severe dysphagia is a priority when considering new areas of dysphagia management, especially if this increases opportunities to participate in social activities associated with eating and drinking. Edible foam is widely researched and available in the food industry; however, the use of edible foam within the field of dysphagia remains unexplored. Despite no research published on effectiveness and safety, a commercial product currently on the market is widely distributed across both Europe and the UK, including 28 NHS Trusts, suggesting that it is increasingly being used in clinical practice.AimsTo explore the perceptions and experiences of healthcare professionals on the use of stabilized edible foam (SEF) with adults with severe dysphagia in order to inform areas for future research in this novel dysphagia intervention.Methods & ProceduresHealthcare professionals were recruited using purposeful sampling and snowballing technique. A total of 56 healthcare professionals were initially approached, of which 10 completed the semi‐structured interviews. Interview questions were developed from a topic guide and a pilot questionnaire.Outcomes & ResultsThematic analysis was used to identify three themes: potential impact, consideration of risk and perceived experiences. Overarching each of these themes was the element of the unknown.Conclusions & ImplicationsUse of SEF with adults with dysphagia is in its infancy. Whilst results indicate that some clinicians are embracing this novel approach, others express concerns. Therefore, further research is needed, particularly in relation of direct experience of individuals and contra‐indications.What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subject
The use of SEF with individuals with swallowing problems is a relatively novel area of dysphagia intervention in the UK. There are currently no published studies on its effectiveness and safety profile.What this paper adds to existing knowledge
This study provides valuable preliminary work into the area of SEF and adults with severe dysphagia, capturing the experience and perceptions of healthcare professions who have an awareness of SEF.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?
Increasing clinicians and researcher's awareness of this novel area of dysphagia management.
Rise of the Androids: The Reflection of Developers’ Characteristics in Computerized Systems
Authors: Sobolev Daphne 
Published: August 2022

AbstractDue to their speed and accuracy, computerized decision‐making and data‐analysis systems are often perceived to be close to the ideal of unbounded rationality. Challenging this perception, this study explores the possibility that computerized systems reflect the individual characteristics of the developers who have designed and realized them. Through the analysis of interviews with high‐frequency trading system developers and a survey of software developers working in diverse industries, it shows that developers’ characteristics, which have been related to bounded rationality (e.g. experience and expertise), influence their codes’ performance and errors. Computer codes also reflect the personal circumstances of the developers (e.g. deadlines and stress), and their values. However, whereas some developers value code characteristics that are congruent with the ideal of unbounded rationality, including speed and accuracy, others aim to achieve characteristics that could be incongruent with it (e.g. code readability and modularity). Developers’ roles and organizational practices, such as testing procedures and code reviews, limit the expression of their characteristics in their codes. Nevertheless, developers can be often identified by reading the codes. Highlighting that developers transfer some of their characteristics to their codes, this study identifies elements of bounded rationality in decision‐making systems and extends organizational decision‐making research.
Guidelines for standardizing the application of discriminant analysis of principal components to genotype data
Authors: Thia Joshua A. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractDespite the popularity of discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) for studying population structure, there has been little discussion of best practice for this method. In this work, I provide guidelines for standardizing the application of DAPC to genotype data sets. An often overlooked fact is that DAPC generates a model describing genetic differences among a set of populations defined by a researcher. Appropriate parameterization of this model is critical for obtaining biologically meaningful results. I show that the number of leading PC axes used as predictors of among‐population differences, paxes, should not exceed the k−1 biologically informative PC axes that are expected for k effective populations in a genotype data set. This k−1 criterion for paxes specification is more appropriate compared to the widely used proportional variance criterion, which often results in a choice of paxes ≫ k−1. DAPC parameterized with no more than the leading k−1 PC axes: (i) is more parsimonious; (ii) captures maximal among‐population variation on biologically relevant predictors; (iii) is less sensitive to unintended interpretations of population structure; and (iv) is more generally applicable to independent sample sets. Assessing model fit should be routine practice and aids interpretation of population structure. It is imperative that researchers articulate their study goals, that is, testing a priori expectations vs. studying de novo inferred populations, because this has implications on how their DAPC results should be interpreted. The discussion and practical recommendations in this work provide the molecular ecology community with a roadmap for using DAPC in population genetic investigations.
Not just the Big Five: African ecotourists prefer parks brimming with bird diversity
Authors: Eyster H. N. , Naidoo R. , Chan K. M. A. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractEcotourism helps sustain protected areas (PAs) that in turn conserve Africa's declining fauna. Identifying ecotourist preferences and which species and landscapes benefit from ecotourism could therefore support African biodiversity conservation efforts. Due to historic associations with trophy hunting and subsequent ecotourism marketing efforts, ecotourist preferences have been thought to traditionally center around the ‘Big Five’: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. But these preferences may be evolving. Here, we ask two questions, one about the drivers and one about the consequences of ecotourism: (1) Which species and landscapes do ecotourists most prefer based on realized visitation data? And (2), differently, which species and landscapes benefit most from ecotourism? We gathered data on average annual tourist visits, the occurrence of nine mammals, bird species richness, forest cover, national wealth, local human population and accessibility for 164 Sub‐Saharan African PAs. To address our first question, we used a Bayesian multivariable model to identify whether bird and megafaunal diversity explain visits to PAs while controlling for other factors. To address our second question, we used Bayesian univariate models to analyze the relationships between park visitation and each species/landscape. We found that tourist preferences extend beyond the Big Five to include bird diversity. We also observed that ecotourism may be well suited to conserve bird diversity, lion, cheetah, black and white rhinoceros, African wild dog and giraffe species. Collectively, our results may help inform how to leverage ecotourism to conserve African fauna.
Cholinergic signaling impairs cardiomyocyte cohesion
Authors: Yeruva Sunil , Körber Lars , Hiermaier Matthias , Egu Desalegn T. , Kempf Ellen , Waschke Jens 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAimCardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation is a hallmark of several cardiovascular diseases. Adrenergic signaling enhanced cardiomyocyte cohesion via PKA‐mediated plakoglobin phosphorylation at serine 665, referred to as positive adhesiotropy. This study investigated cholinergic regulation of cardiomyocyte cohesion using muscarinic receptor agonist carbachol (CCH).MethodsDissociation assays, Western blot analysis, immunostaining, atomic force microscopy (AFM), immunoprecipitation, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), triton assays, and siRNA knockdown of genes were performed in either HL‐1 cells or plakoglobin (PG) wild type (Jup+/+) and knockout (Jup−/−) mice, which served as a model for arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.ResultsIn HL‐1 cells grown in norepinephrine (NE)‐containing medium for baseline adrenergic stimulation, and murine cardiac slice cultures from Jup+/+ and Jup−/− mice CCH treatment impaired cardiomyocyte cohesion. Immunostainings and AFM experiments revealed that CCH reduced desmoglein 2 (DSG2) localization and binding at cell borders. Furthermore, CCH reduced intercalated disc plaque thickness in both Jup+/+ and Jup−/−mice, evidenced by TEM analysis. Immunoprecipitation experiments in HL‐1 cells revealed no changes in DSG2 interaction with desmoplakin (DP), plakophilin 2 (PKP2), PG, and desmin (DES) after CCH treatment. However, knockdown of any of the above proteins abolished CCH‐mediated loss of cardiomyocyte cohesion. Furthermore, in HL‐1 cells, CCH inhibited adrenergic‐stimulated ERK phosphorylation but not PG phosphorylation at serine 665. In addition, CCH activated the AKT/GSK‐3β axis in the presence of NE.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that cholinergic signaling antagonizes the positive effect of adrenergic signaling on cardiomyocyte cohesion and thus causes negative adhesiotropy independent of PG phosphorylation.
A stewardship program to facilitate anticholinergic and sedative medication deprescribing using the drug burden index in electronic medical records
Authors: Masnoon Nashwa , Lo Sarita , Hilmer Sarah 
Published: August 2022

AimsThe drug burden index (DBI) measures a person's total exposure to anticholinergic and sedative medications, which are commonly associated with harm. Through incorporating the DBI in electronic medical records (eMR) and implementing a DBI stewardship program, we aimed to determine (i) uptake of the steward's recommendations to deprescribe anticholinergic and/or sedative drugs by the medical team and (ii) whether accepted recommendations were actioned in hospital or recommended for follow‐up by the General Practitioner post‐discharge.MethodsA single‐arm, non‐randomised feasibility study was performed at an Australian tertiary referral metropolitan hospital. The stewardship pharmacist reviewed eMRs of patients aged ≥75 years with DBI scores > 0, during admission. The steward identified and discussed potential opportunities to deprescribe anticholinergic and/or sedative medications with the medical registrars.ResultsAmongst 256 patients reviewed, the steward made 170 recommendations for 117 patients. Registrars agreed with 141 recommendations (82.9%) for 95 patients (81.2%), and actioned 115 deprescribing recommendations for 80 patients, most commonly for antidepressants and opioids. The 115 actioned recommendations resulted in 125 changes, with 44 changes to the inpatient drug chart and 81 additional changes recommended post‐discharge in the discharge summary.ConclusionOpportunities exist for deprescribing anticholinergic and sedative medications in older inpatients and a DBI stewardship program may help implement these. It is important to capture different outcomes of deprescribing interventions, including in‐hospital medication changes, recommendations in the Discharge Summary, sustainability of deprescribing and clinical outcomes.
Does the size of foreign population in a city affect the level of labour‐market discrimination against job applicants of migrant origin?
Authors: Ahmad Akhlaq 
Published: August 2022

AbstractBased on a correspondence experiment, this article examines if the size of population of foreign background in a city exerts any significant effect on the extent of labour‐market discrimination faced by job applicants of migrant origin. The study results find neither any statistically significant relationship between the two, nor do they lend support to the group threat and group contact conceptual frameworks. Rather, they appear to corroborate the pure discrimination model, as discrimination seems to be uniformly spread over all cities and all types of jobs with different characteristics. However, the findings of this study do not exclude the possibility that there could be a threshold value in the share of foreign population after which the picture of discrimination would become richer in nuances and some of the theories would gain more explanatory power.
Condyloma and coincidental epidermodysplasia verruciformis acanthoma positive for human papillomavirus‐14 and ‐21
Authors: Bartley Brooke , Cho Woo Cheal , Rady Peter L. , Dai Julia , Curry Jonathan L. , Milbourne Andrea , Tyring Stephen K. , Torres‐Cabala Carlos A. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractEpidermodysplasia verruciformis (EDV) is a rare genodermatosis that predisposes individuals to persistent infection with β‐human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes. The term EDV acanthoma may be applied to lesions with incidental findings of EDV‐defining histopathological features without clinical signs of EDV. We report a case of HPV‐14‐ and ‐21‐positive EDV acanthoma arising in association with condyloma in a female patient with a history of low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion of the cervix positive for high‐risk HPV (non‐16/18), chronic kidney disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. The patient had no family or personal history of EDV, but the patient was on immunosuppressive therapy with mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone. A biopsy specimen from one of the perianal lesions revealed histopathologic changes consistent with EDV in the setting of condyloma. Molecular testing showed HPV‐14 and ‐21, which supported the coexistence of condyloma with EDV acanthoma.
The relation between aggression and theory of mind in children: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Yiyi , Shang Siyuan , Xie Wanze , Hong Skylar , Liu Zexi , Su Yanjie 
Published: August 2022

AbstractPrevious findings on the association between theory of mind (ToM) and aggression in children are mixed. The social skills deficit view regarded ToM as a single‐edged sword and proposed that a lack of ToM can lead to aggression, while the double‐edged sword view proposed that children with advanced ToM can still show much aggression because children can also leverage ToM to harm others. To resolve the dispute between the two views, we conducted a meta‐analysis combining cross‐sectional and longitudinal findings from 53 studies including a total of 11,579 children aged between 2 and 15 years. The overall negative correlation between ToM and aggression was small but significant (r = −0.08). The negative correlation was robust, with the magnitude of the correlation being similar across physical versus relational aggression, proactive versus reactive aggression, cognitive versus affective ToM, preschoolers versus school‐aged children, different aggression measurements, and different levels of societal individualism. Moreover, the negative correlation was found regardless of whether ToM and aggression were measured concurrently or at different time points, but the correlation was the largest when ToM was measured before aggression. Whether the aggression was bullying or not also moderated the association, with ToM only being negatively related to non‐bullying aggression but not bullying. Together, these findings suggest that ToM is a single‐edged sword to decrease general aggression and that aggression might also give rise to lower ToM capacity during development.Research Highlights
This study systemically reviewed the existing mixed findings on the association between aggression and ToM during childhood using a meta‐analysis.
There was a negative correlation between ToM and aggression in children aged between 2 and 15 years.
The negative correlation between aggression and ToM was stronger when ToM was measured first, followed by aggression, than vice versa.
There was a negative correlation between non‐bullying aggression and ToM, whereas there was no correlation between bullying and ToM.