Financial Reasons Research Articles

This study examines how gender diversity affects the information technology sector's firm ‎performance. “It explores the impact of women on boards on long-term revenue, business ‎development, good governance, and competitive edge. The originality of this research lies in ‎its focus on how female directors can enhance board performance in the IT sector, building on ‎existing studies that link gender diversity to financial success and company performance. Our ‎focus is only on the IT sector, which is the unique contribution of our study. The study ‎analysed 649 research papers using a PRISMA systematic literature review to explore how ‎gender diversity affects firm performance in the information technology sector. It suggests ‎that firms increase women’s board representation for ethical, social, and financial reasons. However, ‎challenges remain, such as the traditional male-dominated network limiting women's access to ‎corporate boards, and achieving a critical mass (a sufficient number to influence board ‎dynamics) of females is crucial to reap the benefits of gender diversity”‎.

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors have been shown to effectively lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. However, despite these benefits, some patients are unable to continue PCSK9 inhibitor therapy due to financial or other non-medical reasons. Clinical evidence regarding outcomes following discontinuation of PCSK9 inhibitors remains limited. Purpose: This study aims to investigate patients who were unable to continue PCSK9 inhibitor therapy, with particular emphasis on those who discontinued treatment due to financial or other non-medical reasons. The primary objective is to evaluate the impact of therapy discontinuation on the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Methods: This study included 201 Japanese patients with coronary artery disease who received PCSK9 inhibitor therapy between July 2016 and December 2023. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients who continued therapy and those who discontinued. The primary endpoint was MACE, defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, coronary revascularization, target lesion revascularization (TLR), fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and hospitalization for heart failure. Results: Among the 201 patients (median age: 69 years; interquartile range [IQR]: 59–75; 73% male), the median follow-up duration was 4.7 years (IQR: 2.2–6.4). At one year, the median LDL-C was 42 mg/dL, with 82% achieving LDL-C <70 mg/dL. During follow-up, 111 patients (55.2%) continued therapy, while 90 (44.8%) discontinued. Among those who discontinued, 33% cited financial difficulties, 23% clinical stability, and 21% patient preference. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that those who discontinued therapy had a significantly higher incidence of MACE compared to those who continued (hazard ratio: 1.76; 95% confidence interval: 1.03–3.02; p=0.039). Conclusions: Discontinuation of PCSK9 inhibitors—particularly for financial or other non-medical reasons—is associated with an increased risk of MACE. These findings underscore the need for strategies to support long-term adherence and address socioeconomic barriers to therapy continuation. This insight has important implications for clinical decision-making and healthcare policy.

This paper examines the entrepreneurial minds among the business graduates of government and non-government colleges, affiliated with National University in Bangladesh, in regard to the entrepreneurial intentions and institutional support, and the perceived barriers. The graduates (50 people, 100 total) of different types of colleges were used to collect the data with the help of the structured questionnaire. The research reveals that, in general, the intention to engage in entrepreneurship is moderate and that there is no marked difference between government and non-government graduates in their intention and institutional support. Nevertheless, the perceived barriers are even higher among graduates of government colleges, as they include the lack of practical exposure, mentoring, and financial reasons. Correlation provides that there are minor positive relationships between entrepreneurial intentions and conviction in entrepreneurship as a profession, mentorship, and internships. According to regression analysis, the type of college is the only important predictor of entrepreneurial intentions. The results indicate that the two kinds of institutions should enhance field exposure, mentoring, and creative courses of study to nurture entrepreneurial thinking and economic prosperity.

In 2019, France implemented a large-scale reform aimed at reducing out-of-pocket health care expenditures, with the objective of preventing the forgoing of dental care for financial reasons. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of this reform on dental care utilization, with a focus on full dentures as prosthetic care, which was the main target of the reform. The study was based on analyses of large-volume administrative data from the French social health insurance funds and comprised >1 billion dental treatments encountered in the years 2014 to 2023. Drawing from a quasi-experimental research design and segmented negative binomial regression, controlled interrupted time series analyses were conducted with a "control outcome" approach. Controlled interrupted time series analyses compared utilization rates for various types of care whose coverage was differentially affected by the reform. Models were adjusted for COVID-19 and seasonality covariates and stratified by socioeconomic status. Following the removal of out-of-pocket payments for resin-based full dentures, their utilization was 58.85% higher (95% CI, 37.18% to 83.95%) as compared with the control scenario. The utilization of other types of dental care, largely unaffected by the reform, remained unchanged. Prophylactic care use increased only slightly during the study period. These findings suggest that the removal of out-of-pocket expenditures through the French 100% santé reform led to higher utilization of full dentures. However, as the reform focuses on specific treatment items and mainly concerns patients with voluntary health insurance, the impacts of the reform should be carefully monitored in the future, particularly its effects on vulnerable populations.

BackgroundBy the end of 2020, several vaccines aimed at combating COVID-19 were authorized for widespread immunization. The aim of this study was to assess the factors that were associated with COVID-19 Vaccine refusal in Bamenda I.MethodThis was a retrospective study carried out in the subdivision of Bamenda I, from March to June 2024, through interviews and questionnaires in which participants were asked to recall important events during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to ensure diverse representation in the community study. The questionnaire comprised four sections: socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge about COVID-19 and vaccines, attitudes toward COVID-19, and beliefs about the vaccine. Data were collected during community gatherings, such as focus group discussions and training sessions, and also through Google Forms via the Kobo tool for participants with Android phones. Data were then transferred to SPSS for analysis, using the Pearson chi-square test to examine associations, with p-values <0.05 deemed significant.ResultsOur results show that 42.40% participants had high knowledge about COVID-19, 39.40% had moderate knowledge while 18.20% had low knowledge. Their vaccination status, showed that, just 12.10% were vaccinated, and 87.90% were unvaccinated. Socio-demographic factors like age, gender, and education recorded significant associations with respect to vaccine refusal p-value < 0.05. Participants of the study (80.8%) were concerned about the potential side effects of vaccines, while 19.2% said they were not. Some participants (53.5%) mentioned that vaccines were not necessary now that the pandemic has slowed down, while 43.5% disagreed. When asked if they will advise their family and friends to get vaccinated, 9.1% strongly agreed, 21.2% agreed, 40.4% were neutral, 17.2% disagreed, and 12.1% strongly disagreed. A total of 17.2% had underlying health conditions which prevented them from receiving the vaccine while 82.8% had no underlying health conditions. Many believed that the vaccines were promoted for financial reasons. Also, when asked if they knew some preventive measures of the disease, 17.2% said taking COVID-19 vaccine could help in prevention, 13.1% said hand washing could help, 17.2% said wearing of nose masks, 14.1% believed herbal remedies were most suitable and a majority, 38.4% believed in the combination of all of the above measures to prevent the disease.ConclusionThe study highlights significant knowledge gaps and widespread concerns about vaccine safety among the population in Bamenda I, indicating a need for targeted educational interventions to improve vaccination rates.

81 Background: Pembrolizumab was approved by the FDA in 2014 at a dose of 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks (Q3W). The FDA-labeled dose was changed to 200 mg Q3W in 2017, and 400 mg Q6W was added in 2020. Despite these changes, fixed dosing has not proven superior to weight-based dosing, and retrospective evaluations strongly suggest equivalence between strategies. For clinical, logistical, and financial reasons, we launched a collaborative immunotherapy stewardship program. Efforts were focused on implementing dose-banded pembrolizumab and increasing Q6W adoption. Methods: The program began on July 1, 2024. It consisted of dedicated education sessions on pembrolizumab dosing for hematology/oncology fellows, quarterly reminders and educational updates for attending oncologists, and modifications to chemotherapy order templates incorporating dose bands that stratified patients by weight to provide the smallest whole-vial dose that exceeds the weight-based dose (Table). Dose selection was audited quarterly, and barriers to adoption were solicited during quarterly meetings with attending oncologists and team members. Outcomes of interest were pembrolizumab vial utilization, Q6W dosing adoption, and healthcare contact hours averted. Data cutoff was March 31, 2025. Results: In the program’s first 9 months, 63 unique patients received 286 total pembrolizumab doses, of which 107 (37.4%) were Q6W and 179 (62.6%) were Q3W. 741 total vials were utilized, which was a 5.7% reduction from the expected 786 vials. The program realized 86.5% of theoretical maximum savings. Q6W’s share of all doses rose from 27.3% in July 2024 to 53.8% in March 2025. Amongst monotherapy doses, Q6W’s share rose from 60.0% in July 2024 to 86.7% in March 2025. Using mean time of healthcare encounter (calculated post hoc as time from laboratory study collection to end of pembrolizumab infusion), Q6W adoption led to 381 patient-healthcare contact hours being averted, not including roundtrip travel time. Conclusions: This intervention demonstrates the potential of a collaborative stewardship program to reduce clinically redundant pembrolizumab administration, improve efficiency, and preserve patients’ time as well as facility resources. Future directions of the program include applying commonly accepted dose-rounding thresholds, extension of dose-banding to other immunotherapies, development of order templates combining Q3W chemotherapy dosing with Q6W pembrolizumab dosing, and regional expansion. Pembrolizumab dose bands in the immunotherapy stewardship program. Patient Weight Q3W Dosing Q6W Dosing &lt; 50 kg 100 mg 200 mg 51-75 kg 200 mg 300 mg &gt; 75 kg 200 mg 400 mg

Human anatomy is one of the oldest subjects in the medical curriculum. Its study is traditionally carried out through the dissection of cadavers and the study of anatomical specimens from dissection. However, there is an increase in the difficulty of acquiring cadavers, whether for financial or ethical reasons, and it is necessary to acquire other resources for the teaching of this subject. This article aims to report the learning experience through a cardiac anatomy skill station using plasticated parts, macro models, virtual reality, case discussion, and a checklist. The activity was built and developed for medical students from a federal university in the interior of northeastern Brazil in the year 2022. The activity was developed from three stages, namely: Stage 1: a flipped classroom; Stage 2: guidance on the dynamics of the activity; Stage 3: small group case resolution; and Step 4: feedback and closure of the activity. Three groups achieved all the proposed learning objectives, and one group obtained 80% of satisfactory answers. The developed station was successful. Achieved the expected learning objectives. The methodological strategy shared here may be a promising path for improving the teaching of human anatomy in competency-based medical curricula.

The objective of this paper is to identify the significance of the green economy for a sustainable future and compare the situation and developments in achieving the European Green Deal (EGD) in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. To achieve this objective, the paper focuses on the challenges, risks and opportunities of implementing green economy policies. Comprehensive data analysis is conducted, and a European Green Deal Index (EGDI) for the V4 countries is developed. The Eurostat database is used to monitor 18 key indicators in the V4 countries from 2015 to the latest year available. The results show that Slovakia is the best-performing V4 country with the highest EGDI score, while Poland shows the most significant improvement, mainly in the category Enabling a green and just transition. Between 2015 and 2023, Slovakia and Czechia experienced negative trends in the percentage of the population unable to keep their home adequately warm for financial reasons. The paper highlights the social dimension of the EGD and the green economy as well as the importance of a just transition concept across the whole European Union since increased household spending on the green transition could affect public support.

Access to novel cancer medicines in Europe: inequities across countries and their drivers

ABSTRACT Students who withdraw from their courses before finishing their studies impact almost all universities in many different contexts. There can be varied reasons for students who leave their courses, ranging from having chosen the wrong course to feelings of not belonging in a course or university institution. To investigate this further we wanted to compare two universities in very different cultural contexts (UK and Morocco) to explore whether there were commonplace factors. Using thematic analysis to analyse the semi-structured interviews and a focus group, we found that there were indeed similarities across these different contexts for students who left their courses early. The reasons given included financial reasons, mental and psychological issues, physical challenges and most notably course-related difficulties. We make several recommendations based on our findings that would help students and universities to better support struggling students to have more successful higher education experiences.

Rare diseases collectively affect approximately 30 million people in the United States. Despite advances in genomic medicine, early diagnosis is challenging because of limited awareness of, accessibility to, and disparities in health care resources. We assessed the real-world experiences of patients with rare diseases in Pennsylvania and evaluated the effect of delayed diagnosis on psychosocial and financial burdens. The Pennsylvania Rare Disease Advisory Council conducted a Rare Disease Needs Assessment Survey from September 2020 through January 2023. The survey, distributed through multiple channels, collected responses from patients, caregivers, and rare disease advocates in Pennsylvania. We analyzed quantitative and qualitative data on diagnosis, health care access, financial burden, and psychosocial support. A total of 1214 respondents participated, representing a diverse spectrum of rare diseases and demographic groups. More than half (57.8%) of respondents indicated diagnostic delays of ≥1 year, which were associated with additional misdiagnoses, increased annual spending, out-of-state travel, and reduced work and school hours; however, diagnostic delays were not associated with disease category. Many respondents (48.5%) reported >$5000 in annual spending related to care for their rare disease, and 24.9% were unable to access medications because of financial reasons. Diagnostic delays were associated with worse perspectives on the efficacy of care across multiple domains even after a correct diagnosis was achieved. Patients aged 0 to 20 years had a faster time to diagnosis than patients aged >20 years did. Patients with rare diseases in Pennsylvania face substantial barriers to diagnosis, specialized care, and financial support. Despite policy initiatives, gaps remain in genetic testing access, specialist availability, and psychosocial resources. Addressing these issues through improved diagnostics, expanded access to care, and targeted policy changes is essential to enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life.

In the absence of any implant-based prosthetic solution, whether for anatomical, medical, psychological, or financial reasons, piezography is ideally suited to optimize chewing, phonation, and swallowing functions, and therefore to better psychological integration of the prosthesis. The aim of this article is to demonstrate through a case report the benefits of phonetic piezographic impression especially in resorbed mandibular ridges.

This study aimed to explore and understand the lived experiences of non-teaching personnel transitioning to teaching position in Carmen District, Division of Davao del Norte. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used in the study. Twelve teachers, who were non-teaching personnel s in their previous work, were chosen purposively had undergone in-depth interviews regarding their challenges, strategies and motivation, and insights on their transition to teaching roles. There were three research questions with five probing questions for each main question had been asked to the participants regarding their challenges, strategies and motivations, and insights. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, guided by three main research questions with five probing sub-questions each. To ensure validity, the interview guide was reviewed by qualitative research experts and pilot-tested prior to actual data collection. Results on the responses of the participants on experiences include adjustment challenges, professional growth, and commitment and passion. For strategies and motivation, responses from participants include personal motivation and financial reasons, mentorship and peer support, and adaptation and skill application. For the insights, results from the participants include realization of teaching purpose, discovery of personal strengths, and adaptation to professional expectations. Future studies may concentrate on information regarding the transition experiences, challenges, and support mechanisms not only for non-teaching personnel but also for other career shifter s and other professionals entering the education sector.

Objective This study aimed to describe the living conditions of households that had experienced arrears in school lunch fees for economic reasons and compile basic data to devise measures to address the problem of arrears in school lunch fees and child poverty.Methods We used data from the JACSIS study (2023), focusing on households with at least one school-age child. A state of arrears in school lunch fees was defined as "experiencing arrears" if the participants reported that they had experienced being unable to pay their children's school lunch fees for financial reasons, and "not experiencing arrears" otherwise. We employed a set of indicators to evaluate the poverty and living conditions of guardians and children, such as deprivation, household income, changes in income, and food insecurity for household poverty status, and items related to adverse childhood experiences of guardians and children's living conditions. The number and percentage of respondents for each indicator were calculated by school lunch payment status.Results Of the 1,919 participants, 88 (4.6%) had experienced arrears in school lunch fees, while 1,831 (95.4%) had not. Among those who had experienced arrears, 97.7% were in a state of deprivation, compared to 9.1% of those who had not experienced arrears. Additionally, those who had experienced arrears had a higher percentage of households with an income of less than four million yen (10.0% without experience of arrears vs. 17.1% with experience), reduced income (48.4% vs. 85.2%), and higher food insecurity (11.2% vs. 26.1%). Children from households with arrears were more likely to be respond "I do not know" or "I do not want to answer" by their guardians on all items related to childhood adverse experiences. They were also more likely to have guardians with mental illness (7.4% vs. 27.3%) and to experience domestic violence (14.4% vs. 80.7%).Conclusion The findings suggest that households with school lunch fee arrears were likely to be experiencing severe poverty and situations suggestive of child maltreatment. Therefore, identifying arrears in school lunch fees as a sign of poverty may reduce the incidence of such arrears and help protect children's right to a healthy upbringing by connecting families to appropriate support.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have replaced conventional bio-fuel cars over the past ten years. Electric vehicles, or EVs, have become popular for both financial and environmental reasons. One of the most significant challenges facing humanity today is environmental degradation. From both an economic and ecological perspective, it would be highly beneficial if electric automobiles could be charged using renewable energy. The use of EVs in Northern Cyprus remains in its early stages. Thus, the viability of charging from renewable sources is investigated. In addition to comparing fuel-based and electric vehicles and determining the economic viability of charging using renewable sources, the study explains ways to charge electric vehicles using hybrid wind and solar power systems. The costs of the required components have been obtained from manufacturers, and the average cost is then taken into account. The results demonstrated that the developed system achieved a maximum monthly energy output of 13,500 kWh in March and ensured stable production throughout the seasons by utilizing solar and wind resources in combination. Additionally, it has the capacity to support 58 EV chargers per day, which can charge approximately 1,700 EVs per month, including the GÜNSEL B9 model. Economically, the system was extremely viable with a payback time of just 3.34 years when electricity was sold at $0.31/kWh. Moreover, the proposed system offered a significant 96% reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional grid electricity. These results demonstrate the hybrid system's success in facilitating sustainable, high-capacity EV charging, yielding significant environmental and economic benefits. Additionally, compared to fuel vehicles, EVs are almost twice as advantageous and environmentally friendly.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of Semaglutide in weight reduction in non-diabetic obese patients. Study Design: Quasi experimental study Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the OPDs of Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad/Jamshoro &amp; Saddar Hyderabad from 1st July 2024 to 31st March 2025. Methods: Two hundred and sixty nine patients from either gender, age range between 27 and 45 and body mass index &gt;24.5 were enrolled. Fifty patients were drooped at 2nd week and 6th week due to financial reasons. The sampling technique was non-probability. The Semaglutide started at 0.25 mg weekly for 1st month, 0.5 mg sub cutaneous on 2nd month and 1mg on 3rd month. The reduction of weight &gt;3 % from the baseline at 4thweek and &gt;5% at 3rd month was considered as good efficacy. The body mass index reduced 0.5% from base line to end of third month was considered significant effect of Semaglutide. Results: There were 105 (48%) males and 114 (52%) females with urban 118 (54%) and rural 101 (46%). The age range was 25-49 years with median ~35 years. The pre-semaglutide body mass index of mean 33 and range was 25-42%. After 3 months of treatment, mean body mass index was 32.5 and significant (p&lt;0.0001) indicates a statistically significant reduction in body mass index after Semaglutide treatment. Average weight loss was 4.3 kgover 3 months. Side effects were most common in the youngest group (65%), driven by nausea/vomiting (30%). Visual problems increased with age (10% to 20%), while gastrointestinal symptoms declined. Conclusion: Semaglutide demonstrates potent weight-reduction efficacy in non-diabetic populations, particularly among younger individuals. However, age, gender, and regional factors significantly influence tolerability, necessitating personalized approaches to optimize outcomes.

Current situation and progress of diabetic foot care in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Covering medical care costs for participants in the eMERGE Network: Challenges for equity and implementation.

This research was made for passenger flow modelling in urban transport system. There are some new methods to solve this task, but they require some special programs like ArcGIS or some data like phone cells usage. This is a matter of privacy, and sometimes it is not desired to be used in research due to financial reasons. This study is focused on publicly distributed information like master plan materials. There are five steps to perform the result. The first is a building category prediction through logistic regression. The next one is construction elevation modelling through linear regression. Its levels were used as elevation metrics. After that is population distribution across the city using volume of building. The fourth is workplace distribution across buildings in the city using their volume and category. Finally, there is loading estimation which consists of creating correspondence matrix. This methodology was probed in Kazan and Nizhniy Novgorod cities, RF. As a result, overloaded places were identified. They are near city center in the route from outskirts

The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, has given individual states more capacity to legislate abortion. State legislators have and continue to design and pass laws that restrict or ban abortion, often naming exceptions based on specific reasons (i.e., fetal health, woman's health, rape). Given that these reasons often do not align with those reported by abortion-seekers, it is crucial to assess whether the U.S. public accurately understands why people seek abortions. This study explored a sample of U.S. adults' perceptions of the three most common reasons why someone might get an abortion. We analyzed open-ended data from two waves of a 2022 longitudinal survey (n = 681 participants; n = 2,043 responses per wave; n = 4,086 total responses) collected before and after the Dobbs decision in English and Spanish via Ipsos's KnowledgePanel®. We explored three main research questions: (1) What does the U.S. public perceive to be the most common reasons for someone to seek abortion? (2) Are there differences in perceived reasons before and after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision? (3) Are there differences in perceived reasons across languages? Findings indicated that people perceive the three most common reasons to seek abortion to be: unwanted/unplanned pregnancy reasons, violence-related reasons, and health reasons. After the Dobbs decision, there was an increase in respondents mentioning that people have abortions for health reasons and financial reasons, and a decrease in responses related to unwanted/unplanned pregnancy reasons, not ready/unprepared reasons, and partner-related reasons. Additionally, we found significant differences in perceptions between languages (i.e., English and Spanish). We also note discrepancies between perceived reasons among our sample and reasons reported by abortion patients in national studies. This study underscores the public's misconceptions of reasons for seeking abortion and the importance of correcting such misunderstandings to ensure alignment of public sentiment and legislative and judicial policy post-Dobbs.