bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effects of spiritual expression at work during the COVID-19 crisis: evidence from a private hospital
Authors: Anzengruber Johanna 
Published: July 2022

PurposeThis paper aims to explain the effects of spirituality at work on organizational commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In detail, it investigates whether the active part of spirituality at work, called spiritual expression, has a positive influence on organizational commitment in a hierarchically organized private hospital. In addition, it explores whether the sense of belonging at work mediates spiritual expressions and a person’s commitment toward the employer during times of severe crisis.Design/methodology/approachThis study tests the hypotheses on a range of health-care personnel, including doctors, nurses, physicians, administrators, managers and cleaning staff. This study draws on quantitative data of more than one third of the employees of that private Austrian hospital (n= 96) and on insights from 12 qualitative interviews conducted over a period of four months during spring 2021.FindingsThis study finds strong evidence that spiritual expression at work is directly related to belonging and indirectly related to organizational commitment through belonging. This study extracts eight concurrent themes impacting the effectiveness of spirituality at work in the hospital.Originality/valueThis study provides insights on how to facilitate spiritual expression at work to increase flexibility and resilience in the health-care sector. All in all, spirituality at work is better understood as a “multi-authored” process, in which all participants, including the patients, co-create its meaning and implications.
Islamic equity funds and stock market: dynamic relation and market timing during the COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Ben Khelifa Soumaya , Arsi Sonia 
Published: July 2022

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market timing skills of Islamic equity funds in Asia, Europe and North America.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a two-step process. First, a Granger causality test is applied to test the bivariate relationship between Islamic fund indices and stock market ones by highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, the methodology of Treynor and Mazuy (1966) is deployed to account for the market timing abilities skills of Islamic fund managers during the pandemic period.FindingsThe investigation revealed mixed results. The European Islamic funds were positively impacted by the stock market as well as by the COVID-19 pandemic context. Additionally, compared to their Asian and North American peers, only European Islamic fund managers have the ability to time the market during the health crisis period.Research limitations/implicationsDespite its contribution to the Islamic finance literature, this study has some flaws. Indeed, the selected sample of three regions, namely Asia, Europe and North America, precludes extrapolating these conclusions. Other regions should be investigated to further our understanding of Islamic equity funds. Furthermore, due to data availability and accessibility, the study period was limited to a specific time of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shortcoming can be addressed through a multiwave investigation, especially since each region was exposed differently to the pandemic.Practical implicationsThe paper provides scholars, portfolio managers and investors with insights regarding the investment dilemma during the COVID-19 pandemic period, especially for those wishing to hedge their pandemic risk exposure and/or diversify their portfolios. Equally, the depiction of potential market timing abilities of Islamic fund managers across the three regions would serve as a guide to identifying the most suitable internationally focused investment strategy.Social implicationsThe paper provides scholars, portfolio managers and investors with insights regarding the investment dilemma during the COVID-19 pandemic period, especially for those wishing to hedge their pandemic risk exposure and/or diversify their portfolios. Equally, the depiction of potential market timing abilities of Islamic funds managers across the three regions would serve as a guide to identify the most suitable internationally focused investment strategy.Originality/valueThe originality of this investigation is that it is the first to examine Islamic equity fund managers and their skills to time the stock markets during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Asia, Europe and North America. The current paper extends the Islamic finance literature.
Subcontracting and enterprise development in India's informal manufacturing sector
Authors: Shekar K. Chandra , Nataraj Manikantha 
Published: July 2022

PurposeSubcontracting is a crucial cause behind the simultaneous existence of formal and informal entrepreneurship in India. This article aims to provide an over-time comparative analysis between the subcontracted and the non-subcontracted enterprises within the informal sector. Further, it also brings to fore the contribution of subcontracting towards ensuring sustainability of the informal enterprises.Design/methodology/approachBy constructing a panel data from two rounds of NSS Unincorporated Enterprise Survey Data (2010 and 2015), and employing a PSM-DID method, considering labour productivity and net retained earnings as two critical indicators of growth and development of the informal sector firms, this study has made some broad claims regarding the differences in immediate and long run performances between the subcontracted and non-subcontracted informal sector enterprises in India.FindingsThis study finds that subcontracted enterprises have not only been performing at a much lower level than the non-subcontracted enterprises, they are also growing much slowly than their counterparts. However, it has been observed that for the establishments, who are capital abundant and also have a larger production capacity, subcontracting is showing the prospect for deriving sustainable gains.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the existing literature in the following two ways. Firstly, it provides an over-time comparative analysis between the subcontracted and the non-subcontracted enterprises within the informal sector. Secondly, it brings to fore the contribution of subcontracting towards ensuring sustainability of the informal enterprises.
Restoring the balance between humanity and nature through tourism entrepreneurship: a conceptual framework
Authors: Lupton Katie , Samy Christine 
Published: July 2022

PurposeFor years, there has been an appalling crisis developing – that of the state of our planet. Humanity has become disconnected from nature, with devastating consequences. We are in an emergency state: a crisis of perception (HRH et al., 2010, p. 6). This paper puts forward a conceptual model for harmony restoration through tourism entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachIn developing the proposed framework, the authors have adopted the seven core principles of Richard Dunne of the Harmony Project, inspired by HRH The Prince of Wales’s vision set out in his book “Harmony: A new way of looking at our world”. The authors propose that developing entrepreneurial tourism in respect of the harmony principles would enhance the industry and act as a platform to educate those that engage with it.FindingsIn this conceptual viewpoint paper, the authors draw upon the harmony principles to provide a cohesive framework for restoring harmony through entrepreneurship in tourism. The premise of our framework is that for the tourism industry to become more regenerative and transformative, it requires the continuing contributions of the entrepreneurs involved (De Lange and Dodds, 2017; Kirby, 2020).Originality/valueThe suggested framework builds on the work of David Kirby (2020) and epitomises a step toward harmony restoration through tourism and entrepreneurship, thus contributing to future research seeking to explore a novel and encircling approach to regeneration and tourism entrepreneurship. The paper provides a foundation for policy making to promote harmonious entrepreneurship practices in the tourism field.
Effects of equity, perceived organizational support and job satisfaction on organizational commitment in Macao's gaming industry
Authors: To Wai Ming , Huang Guihai 
Published: July 2022

PurposeThis study explores the relationships between equity, perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and counterproductive work behavior in Macao's gaming industry. Additionally, it investigates whether the Covid-19 outbreak has effects on employees' perceptions and behaviors.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from two surveys using convenience sampling, one involving 260 casino employees in 2019 and another involving 250 employees in 2020 after the outbreak of Covid-19.FindingsNo significant difference was observed between mean scores from respondents in the first and second surveys on job equity, pay equity, perceived organizational support and job satisfaction (p > 0.05). However, significant changes were found in mean scores for three organizational commitment items (negative changes;p < 0.05) and three counterproductive work behavior items (positive changes;p < 0.05). Results of structural equation modeling indicated that job equity and pay equity affected perceived organizational support and job satisfaction while perceived organizational support impacted organizational commitment directly and indirectly through job satisfaction, all withR2values greater than 0.6. Organizational commitment negatively influenced counterproductive work behavior.Research limitations/implicationsThe Covid-19 impact on casino employees' perceptions and behaviors was contingent upon the duration of pandemic.Originality/valueThe study is one of the first empirical studies to integrate social exchange theory and equity theory to organizational commitment in Macao's gaming industry. Job equity and pay equity were found to influence organizational commitment through perceived organizational support and job satisfaction. Additionally, the Covid-19 did not have significant effects on employees' equity, perceived organizational support and job satisfaction perceptions.
Health‐related quality of life in patients with neurofibromatosis 1 in Japan: A questionnaire survey using EQ‐5D‐5L
Authors: Yoshida Yuichi , Ehara Yuko , Koga Monji , Imafuku Shinichi 
Published: July 2022

AbstractNeurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder characterized by various symptoms including dermatological, neurological, and osseous manifestations. These complications often cause cosmetic or functional disturbances, resulting in a significant impact on quality of life (QOL). However, there are limited data on QOL of individuals with NF1 in Japan. Therefore, we studied health‐related QOL in patients with NF1 compared with that in general populations and the association with severity grade using EQ‐5D. A cross‐sectional study was conducted for 73 adult NF1 patients (26 males and 47 females; mean age, 44.16 years). The EQ‐5D‐5L values and visual analog scale (VAS) in patients with NF1 were 0.738 ± 0.137 and 69.93 ± 19.14, respectively. Both scores were significantly lower in patients with NF1 than in healthy volunteers (p < 0.0001). The score for anxiety/depression was the highest among the five items of EQ‐5D. Although we investigated differences in the index value and VAS between stage 2 or less and stage 3 or higher, there was no difference in the scores between groups related to certification criteria for the public medical expenses subsidy system. EQ‐5D‐5L is a valuable assessment tool for health‐related QOL in patients with NF1, but it might not be sufficient for severity certification of NF1 in Japan. We would need the revision of the current certification based on the patients' demand in the future. Our findings might be useful for assessment of therapeutic effects and appropriate resource allocation in the care of patients with NF1.
Virtual reality as a spatial prompt in geography learning and teaching
Authors: Roelofsen Maartje , Carter‐White Richard 
Published: July 2022

AbstractWe examine the claim that virtual reality (VR) holds significant potential for pedagogical applications in geography. We do so with reference to results from a two‐year research‐teaching project embedded in a postgraduate course on “Heritage and Its Management.” We reflect on the implementation of a VR field trip to the Auschwitz‐Birkenau State Museum enabled by the high‐immersive Inside Auschwitz guided documentary, drawing on surveys and interviews held with students after their participation in the field trip. We found that VR technology may work as a (dis)inhibitor and provided users with a sense of social and temporal freedom to explore sites but in combination with a new set of spatial and perceptual constraints. The VR field trip generated curiosity about the “details” of the site, but we argue that learning with and through VR technology only became possible via active bodily adaptations and renewed understandings of bodily capacities and their inequalities. We conclude that VR works most effectively if conceived not as a journey into a self‐contained virtual realm but instead as a spatial prompt designed to provoke new questions for students already on the path to developing geographical understandings and imaginations related to specific sites.
Monocotyledon‐like Leaves from the Middle Jurassic of East Siberia (Russia)
Authors: FROLOV Andrey , ENUSHCHENKO Ilya 
Published: July 2022

AbstractLeaf fragments of Herbifolia antiqua A. Frolov et Enushchenko gen. et sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic (Aalenian) of the Irkutsk Coal Basin (Eastern Siberia, Russia) are reported. The following features are characteristic of H. antiqua gen. et sp. nov.: the presence of leaf sheaths, linear smooth‐edged leaves with parallel venation, anastomoses between the veins, anomocytic stomata, rhomb‐shaped ordinary epidermal cells. Such a combination of characters is widespread in modern monocotyledonous plants and is absent in fossil and modern cryptogam and gymnosperms. Due to the lack of evidence of an enclosed ovule in H. antiqua gen. et sp. nov., we attribute it to a typological angiosperm, based on its unique leaf structure characteristic of monocotyledons. The leaf epidermal structure of Herbifolia gen. nov. is most similar to those of modern Asparagales and Liliales.
Clinical outcomes of hyperprogression based on volumetry in non‐small cell lung cancer after immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment
Authors: Kim Jehun , Kim Taeyun , Jang Tae Won , Kang Hee , Kim Mi Hyun , Yoon Seong Hoon , Son Choon‐Hee , Lee Hyun‐Kyung , Kim Hyun‐Kuk , Lee Shin Yup , Shin Kyeong Choel , Han Ji‐Yeon , Kang Eun‐Ju 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundHyperprogressive disease (HPD) is a novel pattern of the treatment course after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and associated factors of HPD using a semiautomatic volume measurement.MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled patients with recurrent and/or metastatic NSCLC treated with ICIs between January 2015 and August 2019 at eight tertiary centers in Korea. HPD was defined according to the tumor growth kinetics and time to treatment failure. Tumor volume was measured using a semiautomatic software.ResultsA total of 219 NSCLC patients with 35 HPD by volumetric measurement (HPDv) (15.9%) were enrolled. The median duration of overall survival (OS) and OS after ICI treatment (ICI‐OS) were 34.5 and 18.4 months, respectively. HPDv patients had significantly worse progression‐free survival (PFS) than progressive disease patients without HPDv (1.16 vs. 1.82 months, p‐value <0.001). ICI‐OS did not significantly differ between patients with HPDv and those without HPDv (2.66 vs. 5.4 months, p = 0.105). PD‐L1 expression lower than 50%, more than three metastatic sites, neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio equal to or higher than 3.3, and hemoglobin level lower than 10 were found to be associated with HPDv.ConclusionsThere is no standardized definition of HPD. However, defining HPD in NSCLC patients treated with ICI using a semiautomatic volume measurement software is feasible.
Oxidative stress‐related effects on various aspects of endometriosis
Authors: Ansariniya Hossein , Yavari Abolfazl , Javaheri Atiyeh , Zare Fateme 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundEndometriosis is a chronic and relatively common disease in women of childbearing age. Complications of this disease include a wide range of disorders. The cause of this disease is not known for sure, but several hypotheses have been proposed for it.AimIn this review, an attempt has been made to discuss the effects of oxidative stress on various complications of endometriosis.ContentIn endometriosis, the entry of endometrial tissues into the peritoneal cavity causes oxidative stress through the Fenton reaction and inflammation in this site. Fenton reaction can produce reactive oxygen species through a catalytic form of iron. This process can provoke inflammatory responses and oxidative injury. As a result, the activity of macrophages and expression of nuclear factor‐kappa B increase. Oxidative stress can be associated with many complications of endometriosis. It has been reported that in the peritoneal fluid of endometriosis patients, there are activated macrophages, growth factors, and high concentrations of cytokines. These conditions act as a toxic to embryo survival and sperm function.ImplicationsNovel therapeutic strategies must regulate intracellular ROS signaling to inhibit the adverse effects of ROS‐induced endometriosis‐promoting events. According to features of antioxidants, they may inhibit early events of the development of endometriosis.
In vitro storage of boar spermatozoa increases the demand of adenosine triphosphate for reactivation of motility
Authors: Henning Heiko , Nguyen Quynh Thu , Luther Anne‐Marie , Wallner Ulrike , Beyerbach Martin , Waberski Dagmar 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundProlonging the shelf‐life of liquid‐preserved semen without compromising its fertilizing capacity may increase the efficiency of artificial insemination in pigs. Many fertilization‐relevant processes are adenosine triphosphate dependent. The impact of semen storage and rewarming to body temperature on the energy status of spermatozoa is as yet unknown.ObjectivesTo investigate the energy status of boar spermatozoa during storage and subsequent rewarming and to reveal the potential role of mitochondrial function for reactivation and maintenance of sperm motility.Materials and methodsExtended semen samples (n = 7 boars) were used. Spermatozoa were challenged by storage at 17°C for 7 days and incubation at 38°C for 180 min. The adenosine triphosphate concentration and energy charge in semen samples and lactate concentration in the extracellular medium were assessed. Viability and mitochondrial activity were determined by flow cytometry, and clustered single‐cell analysis of motility parameters was performed.ResultsThe energy status was not affected by semen storage (p > 0.05). Rewarming resulted in a net reduction in adenosine triphosphate concentration, which increased with storage time (maximum Day 5: ‐24.2 ± 10.3%) but was not accompanied by a loss in viability, motility, or mitochondrial activity. Blocking glycolysis with 2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose prevented the re‐establishment of motility and mitochondrial activity after rewarming. Mitochondrial activity gradually subsided in virtually all spermatozoa during incubation at 38°C, while adenosine triphosphate and energy charge remained high. Concomitantly, extracellular lactate levels rose, and sperm populations with lower velocity, increased linearity, and low lateral head displacement grew larger. Size changes for major sperm subpopulations correlated with the percentage of viable spermatozoa with high mitochondrial activity (r = 0.44–0.70 for individual subpopulations, p < 0.01).ConclusionStorage of boar spermatozoa increases the demand of adenosine triphosphate for reactivation of spermatozoa towards fast, non‐linear, and hyperactivation‐like motility patterns upon rewarming. Maintenance of glycolysis seems to be decisive for sperm function after long‐term storage in vitro.
Left ventricular strain in neonates using 2‐dimensional speckle tracking: Normal range and relation with bi‐plan ejection fraction
Authors: Nahili Khaled Al , Saleem Irfan , Ahmad Salim , Ahmed El Tayeb , Rajaa Najlaa Al 
Published: July 2022

AbstractObjectivesEchocardiographic assessment of Left ventricular systolic function is traditionally being performed by estimation of fractional shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF). Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a promising tool for assessment of myocardial function. The aim of this study is to evaluate the global longitudinal strain (GLS) using 2D‐STE in healthy neonates to establish normal reference ranges.MethodIt is a retrospective study through an analysis of transthoracic echocardiogram of normal healthy neonates. We enrolled all neonates in our institution from January 1st, 2021 to February 28th, 2021. 2‐D STE was used to assess left ventricular GLS from the apical views.Results185 neonates were enrolled. Mean value for left ventricle GLS (%) was ‐19.9 ± 1.2, GLS‐derived EF (%) was 60.0 ± 2.7; while the left ventricle EF by biplane Simpson's method (%) was 61.0 ± 3. There is a good positive correlation between the Left Ventricle EF by biplane Simpson's method and EF by 2‐D STE, which was statistically significant (r = .294, n = 102, p = .003). Apical 4‐chamber longitudinal strain and strain‐derived EF is significantly correlated with GLS and bi‐plan EF respectively.Conclusion2‐STE is feasible technique for analyzing newborn myocardial systolic function. The normal range of GLS in neonates is not much different than reported for the pediatric. There is a good positive correlation between the Left Ventricle EF by 2‐D STE and EF by biplane method.
Effect of behavioural practice targeted at the motor action selection network after stroke
Authors: Stewart Jill Campbell , Baird Jessica F. , Lewis Allison F. , Fritz Stacy L. , Fridriksson Julius 
Published: July 2022

AbstractMotor action selection engages a network of frontal and parietal brain regions. After stroke, individuals activate a similar network, however, activation is higher, especially in the contralesional hemisphere. The current study examined the effect of practice on action selection performance and brain activation after stroke. Sixteen individuals with chronic stroke (Upper Extremity Fugl–Meyer motor score range: 18–61) moved a joystick with the more‐impaired hand in two conditions: Select (externally cued choice; move right or left based on an abstract rule) and Execute (simple response; move same direction every trial). On Day 1, reaction time (RT) was longer in Select compared to Execute, which corresponded to increased activation primarily in regions in the contralesional action selection network including dorsal premotor, supplementary motor, anterior cingulate and parietal cortices. After 4 days of practice, behavioural performance improved (decreased RT), and only contralesional parietal cortex significantly increased during Select. Higher brain activation on Day 1 in the bilateral action selection network, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and contralesional sensory cortex predicted better performance on Day 4. Overall, practice led to improved action selection performance and reduced brain activation. Systematic changes in practice conditions may allow the targeting of specific components of the motor network during rehabilitation after stroke.