PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the key determinants of green human resource management (GHRM) and investigate its impact on environmental performance (EP) and business performance ...(BP).Design/methodology/approachThe research employed SmartPLS 3 and follows a cross-sectional research design. Data from 179 employees were collected using a convenience sampling technique from the firms that adopted GHRM practices.FindingsThe research found a significant relationship of GHRM with EP and also reported the significant relationship between EP and BP. Moreover, EP significantly mediates the relationship of GHRM with BP.Research limitations/implicationsA relatively small sample size of employees was used that may suggest the need for a diverse and more representative sample. The paper is based on data collected from the Malaysian manufacturing industry – other economic sectors and Asian countries may offer different results.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies the need for incorporating GHRM practices and culture at the workplace to encourage positive green behavior in employees which will increase the EP and BP of the firm.Originality/valueThis paper reported the initial empirical findings after the March 7th incident on EP of businesses in Malaysia, where businesses have initiated the adoption of GHRM practices.
Incorporating selenium into high-surface-area carbon with hierarchical pores, derived from red kidney bean peels via simple carbonization/activation, yields a superior Li–Se battery cathode material. ...This method produces a carbon framework with 568 m2 g−1 surface area, significant pore volume, and improves the composite’s electronic conductivity and stability by mitigating volume changes and reducing lithium polyselenide dissolution. The Se@ACRKB composite, containing 45 wt% selenium, shows high discharge capacities (609.13 mAh g−1 on the 2nd cycle, maintaining 470.76 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at 0.2 C, and 387.58 mAh g−1 over 1000 cycles at 1 C). This demonstrates exceptional long-term stability and performance, also applicable to Na–Se batteries, with 421.36 mAh g−1 capacity after 200 cycles at 0.1 C. Our study showcases the potential of using sustainable materials for advanced battery technologies, emphasizing cost-effective and scalable solutions for energy storage.
Risk stratification for complex procedures such as microsurgical reconstruction of the lower extremities is an important part of preoperative planning and counseling. The aim of this study was to ...determine the effectiveness of the modified five-item frailty index (5-mFI) score, a validated tool for assessing risk in surgical patients, in predicting postoperative complications after lower extremity (LE) free flap reconstruction.
A retrospective review of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was conducted from 2010 to 2020 on patients who underwent LE free-flap reconstruction. 5-mFI scores were calculated and patients were categorized as 5-mFI ≥2 or <2. The primary endpoint was the presence of 30-day overall complications. The secondary endpoints included 30-day readmission, need for reoperation, and need to discharge to a care facility. Comparisons were made using one-way analysis of variances, Pearson's chi-squared test, or Fisher's extract test. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed for sex, age, BMI, smoker status, operative time, and ASA classification.
Total of 294 (61.6% males) patients were identified. Univariate analysis showed 5-mFI ≥2 had higher rates of overall complications (p = .043) and hematologic complications (p = .033). In this population, there were also higher rates of reoperation (p = .003) and discharge to care facility (p < .001). Multivariable regression models further substantiated that 5-mFI ≥2 was independently associated with increased overall complications 2.46, CI: 1.10-5.59, p = .031, hematologic complications 2.55, 1.02-6.35, p = .046, reoperation 4.55, 1.54-13.3, p = .006, and discharge to facility 2.86, 1.27-6.45, p = .011.
There is a strong association of 5-mFI ≥2 with adverse post-operative outcomes in male patients undergoing LE free-flap reconstruction. This can be a valuable adjunct in the counsel of patients for whom lower extremity salvage is feasible.
There is a growing call globally for corporations to improve transparency in corporate reporting, along with the surge of enhancing disclosure of non-financial information. Companies are seen as ...agents for contributing to a better future, and hence could assist in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) 2030, via transparent non-financial disclosure. This review paper is premised on the fact that laws on non-financial disclosure may be useful in enhancing the transparency of companies’ conducts. Hence, this systematic review aims to synthesize the literature from 2014 to 2021 on the patterns and trends relating to regulations on non-financial disclosure in corporate reporting by companies. A keyword search followed by filters provided by the Web of Science Core Collection and SCOPUS databases resulted in a total of 369 documents being found. A total of 62 articles were reviewed after manual filtering and exclusion. A thematic review of these 62 articles identified 20 initial codes, which were then grouped into eight clusters: Directive 2014/95/EU, disclosure approaches, fiduciary duties of directors, stakeholder engagement, the effectiveness of disclosure regulations, the impacts of rules, the role of different actors and corporate accountability. The paper finds that the patterns and trends in the review set the path for future research on laws of non-financial disclosure, as they serve as a guideline for researchers for future studies.
Retrospective review.
To review the experience of a single institution with degenerative lumbar surgery and to identify cases of incidental dural tears (DTs); and to report on the efficacy of our ...postoperative management protocol for DT, which relies on early mobilization.
DTs are a common complication of degenerative lumbar spine surgery. However, the management strategies for this complication vary from one surgeon to another.
A total of 3,183 degenerative lumbar spine cases (decompression and/or fusion) were reviewed. Cases complicated by an incidental DT were identified. Patients who required a return to the operating room for a second procedure were identified and the operative findings were reviewed.
The incidence of DT during primary lumbar surgeries was 7.6% (153 of 2,024 cases), which compares to an incidence of 15.9% for revision cases (185 of 1,159 cases). If recognized during the index procedure, all DTs were repaired using a 4-0 silk suture. Six patients (4 primary, 2 revisions) who did not improve despite our postoperative management protocol were taken to the operating room for irrigation and debridement, repair of the defect, and placement of a subfascial drain to closed suction. All 6 patients went on to do well and did not have any further complications.
DTs are common during degenerative lumbar spine surgery. Revision surgery is twice as likely as primary surgery to result in this complication. Our postoperative early mobilization protocol appears to be an effective and safe management strategy for treating this complication (98.2% success rate). Very few patients (6 of 338, or 1.8%) needed a reoperation.
The structural modification of dendritic spines plays a critical role in synaptic plasticity. CaMKII is a pivotal molecule involved in this process through both kinase-dependent and independent ...structural functions, but the respective contributions of these two functions to the synaptic plasticity remain unclear. We demonstrate that the transient interplay between the kinase and structural functions of CaMKII during the induction of synaptic plasticity temporally gates the activity-dependent modification of the actin cytoskeleton. Inactive CaMKII binds F-actin, thereby limiting access of actin-regulating proteins to F-actin and stabilizing spine structure. CaMKII-activating stimuli trigger dissociation of CaMKII from F-actin through specific autophosphorylation reactions within the F-actin binding region and permits F-actin remodeling by regulatory proteins followed by reassociation and restabilization. Blocking the autophosphorylation impairs both functional and structural plasticity without affecting kinase activity. These results underpin the importance of the interplay between the kinase and structural functions of CaMKII in defining a time window permissive for synaptic plasticity.
•CaMKII stabilizes F-actin by limiting access of actin modulators within the spine•CaMKII detaches from F-actin by autophosphorylation right after LTP induction•Actin regulators modify actin cytoskeleton upon CaMKII detachment•CaMKII quickly reassociates and stabilizes F-actin during LTP maintenance
Kim et al. demonstrate autophosphorylation-mediated F-actin regulation of CaMKII during synaptic plasticity of a dendritic spine. Its enzymatic and structural functions are linked to regulate the modification of actin cytoskeleton to prevent unnecessary change in spine structure and synaptic transmission.
This study examines the antecedents of environmental sustainability in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of a developing country and explores the specific internal and external factors for ...environmental sustainability. The study focused on SMEs in Balochistan, Pakistan, utilizing convenience and purposive sampling techniques to select a sample size of 30 SMEs. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that lack of finance and education are major barriers to recognizing and addressing environmental sustainability issues, along with the lack of government support and regulations to ensure compliance with environmental safety laws, hence leading to low concern for sustainability practices among SMEs. Awareness and attitude of SME owners/managers, along with customer demand and government policies, influence the adoption of environmental sustainability practices. Overcoming financial constraints and promoting cooperation among stakeholders are key to fostering sustainable practices in SMEs. This research makes an important contribution to the sustainable management literature by providing new and in-depth insights into the barriers that impede environmental sustainability in SMEs of developing countries.
Carbon–selenium composite positive electrode (CSs@Se) is engineered in this project using a melt diffusion approach with glucose as a precursor, and it demonstrates good electrochemical performance ...for lithium–selenium batteries. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDS analysis are used to characterize the newly designed CSs@Se electrode. To complete the evaluation, electrochemical characterization such as charge–discharge (rate performance and cycle stability), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests are done. The findings show that selenium particles are distributed uniformly in mono-sized carbon spheres with enormous surface areas. Furthermore, the charge–discharge test demonstrates that the CSs@Se cathode has a rate performance of 104 mA h g−1 even at current density of 2500 mA g−1 and can sustain stable cycling for 70 cycles with a specific capacity of 270 mA h g−1 at current density of 25 mA g−1. The homogeneous diffusion of selenium particles in the produced spheres is credited with an improved electrochemical performance.
An equitable distribution of economic benefits from the recent growth of e-commerce in Pakistan requires inclusive adoption of formal digital marketplaces. The available literature and focused ...discussions reveal that most women-led businesses rely on informal e-commerce managed through social media applications and have incomplete and often incorrect information on the benefits and choices related to the formal platforms. To inform and motivate women-led micro, small and medium enterprises, this study deploys an information treatment through a randomised control trial of 300 women entrepreneurs in large urban centres of Pakistan. Results show that women entrepreneurs were responsive to the information, as the treated businesses were 10 percentage points more likely to opt for formal e-commerce than the control group. The study is policy relevant as the methodology allows simple and inexpensive replication to scale up the treatment for better business growth for women entrepreneurs in Pakistan.
To explore gender discrepancies in publications at general surgery departments, we performed a cross-sectional comparing the number of women and men at each academic rank and their number of first ...author (FA), middle author (MA), last author (LA), and total publications.
Thirty academic general surgery departments were randomly selected. For each faculty, we tabulated: first, middle, last names, gender, academic rank, educational leadership, year of medical school graduation, and additional graduate degrees. Bibliography, H-index, and citations were downloaded from the Scopus database.
One thousand three hundred twenty-six faculty sampled, 881 (66.4%) men and 445 (33.5%) women. Men outnumbered women at all ranks, with increasing disparity at higher ranks. Men outnumbered women in all subspecialties—largest difference in transplant surgery (84.4% versus 15.6%, P < 0.001). Men at all ranks had more MA publications: assistant professor (rate ratio 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.43, P = 0.024), associate professor (1.65; 1.31-2.06, P < 0.001), and professor (1.50; 1.20-1.91, P = 0.008). Men associate professors had more LA publications (1.74; 1.34-2.37, P < 0.001). No differences found in FA publications at any rank, nor LA publications at assistant professor and professor ranks. At subspecialty level, men in surgical oncology (1.95; 1.55-2.45, P < 0.001) and transplant surgery (1.70; 1.09-2.66, P = 0.02) had more MA publications.
While FA and LA publications did not differ significantly across genders, the largest difference lies in MA publications, beginning at junior ranks and persisting with seniority. Discrepancies in MA publications may reflect gender discrepancies in collaborative opportunities, hence total publications should be used cautiously when determining academic productivity.
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