Score Methodology Research Articles

The Quality of Environmental KPI Disclosure in ESG Reporting for SMEs in Hong Kong

Since 2016, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (“HKEx”) has required listed companies to issue Environment, Social and Governance (“ESG”) reports annually. The purpose of ESG reports is to inform stakeholders and the general public of listed companies’ performance in ESG aspects. For big corporations, issuing ESG reports and reporting their key performance indicators (“KPIs”) are not a problem because they have been doing so voluntarily for years. Rather, it is a challenge for small and medium-sized listed companies (“SMEs”) to report properly because they may be lacking in knowledge, skills and motivation, etc. In particular, the quality of quantitative measurements on ESG data disclosure remains variable. This research effort adopted a scoring methodology to assess the relevance and completeness of the environmental KPIs, which are semi-mandatory to disclose. A total of 138 SMEs were proportionately selected by a stratified sampling method based on the 11 categories of industries set by the Hang Seng Industry Classification System. The disclosure quality of these selected sample companies’ environmental KPIs was assessed by scoring. We found that the average disclosure quality score was a low 1.98. “Energy Use Efficiency” was the highest-performing KPI, while “The Environment and Natural Resources” was the lowest-performing KPI. Across the different industries, Industrial Goods achieved the highest disclosure quality score, while the Telecommunication industry had the worst score. This research also explored some of the common problems faced whilst reporting environmental KPIs.

GROWTH OUTCOMES OF IV ANTI-TNF BIOSIMILARS IN PEDIATRIC INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Abstract BACKGROUND Biosimilars are biologic products similar in safety and efficacy to the originator product. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (anti-TNFs) are used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). There are limited studies evaluating the long-term outcomes of anti-TNF biosimilars in children with IBD. Growth is an important clinical outcome, especially in childhood-onset IBD. However, no study to date has compared growth outcomes in patients initiated on the IV anti-TNF originator as compared to a biosimilar. METHODS This was a single-center retrospective review of patients with IBD, younger than 16 years old, and initiated on the IV anti-TNF originator or a biosimilar between April 2016 and February 2021 at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. To be eligible for the study and evaluate the primary outcome, patients must remain on the IV anti-TNF therapy for at least 12-months. We used propensity score methodology to identify 37 pairs of matched patients based on baseline characteristics (age of anti-TNF initiation, disease (CD vs UC/IC), behavior, location, perianal type, race). Demographic data, laboratory values, disease activity scores, and growth values (z-scores were recorded for weight, height, and BMI) were collected at baseline (prior to anti-TNF initiation) and 6-months and 12-months post initiation. Linear mixed models with random intercepts accounting for within patient correlation of measurements were fit to test differences in measures over time and between study groups. Hypothesis testing was conducted at an alpha of 0.05 to be used for all statistical analyses. RESULTS There were 113 patients on the originator and 39 patients on a biosimilar who met our eligibility criteria. Nineteen percent of patients on the originator and 16% of patients on a biosimilar were excluded from analysis due to discontinuing the IV anti-TNF agent prior to 12 months. Weight, height, and BMI z-scores increased over time (from baseline to 12-months) for both groups (p<0.05). There was not a significant difference in the rate of change for weight, height, or BMI z-scores between study groups. Clinical outcomes of lab values (albumin, c-reactive protein, and hemoglobin) were not statistically different in the rate of change from baseline to 12-months between patients initiated on the originator or biosimilar. There also was not a significant difference in the pediatric Crohn’s disease activity index, pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index, or the physician global assessment between patients initiated on the biosimilar or originator from baseline to 12-months. CONCLUSIONS There were similar improvements in growth and clinical outcomes in patients initiated on the IV anti-TNF originator compared to a biosimilar agent. This is the first study to evaluate whether anti-TNF biosimilars have similar growth outcomes in children with IBD.

Measuring flexibility: A text-mining approach.

In creativity research, ideational flexibility, the ability to generate ideas by shifting between concepts, has long been the focus of investigation. However, psychometric work to develop measurement procedures for flexibility has generally lagged behind other creativity-relevant constructs such as fluency and originality. Here, we build from extant research to theoretically posit, and then empirically validate, a text-mining based method for measuring flexibility in verbal divergent thinking (DT) responses. The empirical validation of this method is accomplished in two studies. In the first study, we use the verbal form of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) to demonstrate that our novel flexibility scoring method strongly and positively correlates with traditionally used TTCT flexibility scores. In the second study, we conduct a confirmatory factor analysis using the Alternate Uses Task to show reliability and construct validity of our text-mining based flexibility scoring. In addition, we also examine the relationship between personality facets and flexibility of ideas to provide criterion validity of our scoring methodology. Given the psychometric evidence presented here and the practicality of automated scores, we recommend adopting this new method which provides a less labor-intensive and less costly objective measurement of flexibility.

Use of a real-world synthetic control arm for direct comparison of lisocabtagene maraleucel and conventional therapy in relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma

This study used a real-world population as a synthetic comparator for the single-arm TRANSCEND NHL 001 study (TRANSCEND; NCT02631044) to evaluate the efficacy of lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) compared with conventional (noncellular) therapies in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the real-world study closely matched the enrollment criteria in TRANSCEND. The analytic comparator cohort was created by matching and balancing observed baseline characteristics of real-world patients with those in TRANSCEND using propensity score methodology. Efficacy outcomes comparing liso-cel– (n = 257) and conventional therapy–treated (n = 257) patients, respectively, significantly favored liso-cel: overall response rate (74% vs 39%; p < 0.0001), complete response rate (50% vs 24%; p < 0.0001), median overall survival (23.5 vs 6.8 months; p < 0.0001), and median progression-free survival (3.5 vs 2.2 months; p < 0.0001). These results demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit of liso-cel in patients with third- or later-line R/R LBCL relative to conventional therapies. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02631044

A High Throughput Screen with a Clonogenic Endpoint to Identify Radiation Modulators of Cancer.

Clonogenic assays evaluate the ability of single cells to proliferate and form colonies. This process approximates the regrowth and recurrence of tumors after treatment with radiation or chemotherapy, and thereby provides a drug discovery platform for compounds that block this process. However, because of their labor-intensive and cumbersome nature, adapting canonical clonogenic assays for high throughput screening (HTS) has been challenging. We overcame these barriers by developing an integrated system that automates cell- and liquid-handling, irradiation, dosimetry, drug administration, and incubation. Further, we developed a fluorescent live-cell based automated colony scoring methodology that identifies and counts colonies precisely based upon actual nuclei number rather than colony area, thereby eliminating errors in colony counts caused by radiation induced changes in colony morphology. We identified 13 cell lines from 7 cancer types, where radiation is a standard treatment module, that exhibit identical radiation and chemoradiation response regardless of well format and are amenable to miniaturization into small-well HTS formats. We performed pilot screens through a 1,584 compound NCI Diversity Set library using two cell lines representing different cancer indications. Radiation modulators identified in the pilot screens were validated in traditional clonogenic assays, providing proof-of-concept for the screen. The integrated methodology, hereafter "clonogenic HTS", exhibits excellent robustness (Z' values > 0.5) and shows high reproducibility (>95%). We propose that clonogenic HTS we developed can function as a drug discovery platform to identify compounds that inhibit tumor regrowth following radiation therapy, to identify new efficacious pair-wise combinations of known oncologic therapies, or to identify novel modulators ofapproved therapies.

Fuzzy set scoring methodology for multi-objective sustainability assessment of algal biofuel pathways

This work implements a multi-objective scoring methodology based on fuzzy set theory to evaluate and compare the sustainability metrics of microalgal biorefining concepts. Fuzzy membership functions are developed for three key metrics: minimum fuel selling price, global warming potential, and net energy ratio. Membership functions yield satisfaction scores ( λ ) between 0 and 1 for each objective; achieving λ = 1 indicates a sustainability metric has fully met its target, while λ = 0 is unacceptable for the standards of that metric. The individual λ are combined into an overall satisfaction score, λ o , also ranging from 0 to 1, which is used here to simplify the comparison of sustainability metrics. In addition to baseline biorefining conditions, uncertainties across the algal biofuel production system are assessed through a Monte Carlo analysis of λ o . A case study is developed to compare Combined Algal Processing (a biochemical conversion pathway) against hydrothermal liquefaction (a thermochemical conversion pathway). Baseline results show that lipids are always heavily favored for fuel production, but no practical cultivation operations would be able to achieve such lipid-heavy biomass. The Monte Carlo analysis reveals that current algal fuel conversion technologies cannot simultaneously satisfy all key sustainability objectives. If biomass productivity is doubled and the feedstock is high in lipids, hydrothermal liquefaction can achieve a mean λ o = 0.53 ± 0.12 , still well below a desirable λ o of 1. Combined Algal Processing struggles to achieve high satisfaction scores even in optimistic scenarios and requires a high-lipid feedstock to achieve a mean λ o = 0.10 ± 0.03 . Hydrothermal liquefaction can be integrated downstream of Combined Algal Processing to increase fuel yield and optimistically can achieve a mean λ o = 0.48 ± 0.07 . A combination of system improvements, including biomass productivity, feed composition, fuel yield, and implementation of co-product pathways must work together to satisfy all the relevant sustainability metrics for algal biofuels. The scoring methodology developed here can be readily applied to other microalgal biorefinery concepts and, more broadly, to sustainable fuel development and production. • Holistic evaluation of algal based biofuel systems. • Sustainability assessed through economic and environmental metrics. • Fuzzy set scoring system is applied to holistically assess algae fuel pathways. • Overall satisfaction of sustainability targets depends on algae composition. • Thermochemical pathway outscores biochemical pathway when biofuels are sole product.

Comparative Effectiveness of Lisocabtagene Maraleucel (Liso-cel) in PILOT in Patients (Pt) with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Large B-Cell Lymphoma (LBCL) for Whom Transplant Was Not Intended (TNI) Versus Conventional Second-Line (2L) Chemotherapy Regimens in the Real World

Background: Pts with LBCL that is refractory to or has relapsed after 1L therapy and who are not intended for HSCT have poor outcomes and limited treatment options. Liso-cel is an autologous CD19-directed CAR T cell product administered at equal target doses of CD8+ and CD4+ CAR+ T cells. In PILOT (NCT03483103), an open-label, single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 study in TNI pts with 2L R/R LBCL, liso-cel demonstrated high response rates and durable responses, with no new safety signals identified in 2L (Sehgal et al. Lancet Oncol 2022). In the current study, we assessed the comparative effectiveness of liso-cel in PILOT versus an external control cohort of pts with R/R LBCL who received conventional 2L chemotherapy regimens in the real-world clinical setting. Methods: PILOT enrolled pts with R/R LBCL at any time after only 1L of chemoimmunotherapy containing an anthracycline and a CD20-targeted agent and with confirmed PET-positive disease, who were considered TNI by their physician, and who met ≥ 1 prespecified TNI criterion. The primary endpoint for PILOT was ORR. Secondary endpoints included CR rate, duration of response (DOR), PFS, event-free survival (EFS), and OS. The real-world external control cohort was derived from a global, noninterventional, retrospective, observational study using multiple sources (COTA, Guardian Network, and clinical sites via electronic case report forms) representing pts with R/R LBCL across academic and community clinical settings in the US, Europe, and Japan. In the real world, intention to receive HSCT or not was not documented and was substituted with receipt of HSCT in this analysis. The real-world qualifying comparator cohort (QCC) included pts with R/R LBCL who received 1L treatment containing an anthracycline and CD20-targeted agent and any 2L treatment except HSCT and met PILOT eligibility criteria. The primary endpoint for this study was ORR in the PILOT cohort versus the QCC. EFS was defined in this study as time from index date to first documentation of disease progression/relapse, start of new anticancer therapy, or any-cause death, whichever occurred first. The index and data cut-off dates, respectively, were the day of liso-cel infusion and 09/24/2021 for the PILOT cohort and the start of 2L therapy and 12/31/2020 for the QCC. The study period was Jul 2018 to Sept 2021. Endpoint analyses were performed with adjustment using the propensity score methodology of trimmed stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting to balance pts in the QCC to the PILOT cohort according to baseline characteristics. Highly prognostic baseline characteristics (based on literature and medical review) with ≤ 30% missing values in both PILOT and the real-world cohort were included in balancing: age, sex, years from initial diagnosis to index date, ECOG performance status, Ann Arbor disease stage, refractory versus relapsed, duration of CR after 1L therapy, and bulky disease. All tests were conducted assuming a 2-tailed test of significance and alpha level set a priori at 0.05, with no adjustment for multiplicity. Results: In the PILOT cohort (n = 61) and QCC (n = 273), respectively, median (range) age was 74 (53‒84)/74 (21‒93) years, 79%/77% of pts were aged ≥ 70 years, 26%/24% had ECOG performance status of 2, 23%/8% had CrCl (Cockcroft and Gault) < 60 mL/min, 3%/2% had left ventricular ejection fraction < 50%, 2%/5% had aspartate aminotransferase > 2 × upper limit of normal (ULN), 0%/3% had alanine aminotransferase > 2 × ULN, and 66%/53% had Stage III or IV disease. In the QCC, the most common conventional 2L chemotherapy regimens were rituximab plus ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (R-ICE; 15%), bendamustine plus rituximab (12%), and rituximab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (11%). Pts who received R-ICE might have been intended to proceed to HSCT but did not because of lack of response to R-ICE; however, intention to receive HSCT cannot be verified based on retrospective real-world data. There was a statistically significant difference in adjusted ORR, CR rate, median DOR, EFS, PFS, and OS in favor of the PILOT cohort versus the QCC (Table). Conclusions: In pts with R/R LBCL who met prespecified TNI criteria, the difference in efficacy outcomes with liso-cel in PILOT versus conventional 2L chemotherapy regimens in the real world was statistically significant in favor of liso-cel, further supporting liso-cel as a new 2L therapy for pts with R/R LBCL who are not intended for HSCT. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Evaluation of Automated Alert and Activation of Medical Emergency Team in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Using Early Warning Score at Tertiary Level Hospital in North India.

Improved patient safety for those undergoing treatment of head and neck cancers depends on prompt identification of warning indicators from severely critical patients and appropriate treatment. As a result, many hospitals all around the world have implemented quick response techniques, including medical emergency teams (MET), which have systems and personnel that are highly trained to deal with patients who are deteriorating. Nowadays, automated activation and alert programs are also being discussed. To compare the patient outcomes in two conditions: one before the application of the automated MET alert and activation program and the other after the application of the automated MET alert and an activation programwas used. There was an examination of clinical data on MET-managed patients before and after the computerized alert and activation approach was put in place. The study comprised all adult head and neck cancer patients who were treated by the MET between March 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021. The physiologic abnormalities of the patient at the moment of the MET initiation were recorded as causes for MET activation when the MET was alerted by the computerized alert, and activation system.From activation through deactivation, the MET intervention lasted. Hospital mortality served as the study's primary outcome. The duration of stay at the hospital and unscheduled ICU hospitalizations were secondary outcomes. Medical records from hospitals were examined retrospectively to get information on clinical outcomes. The percentage of unplanned admissions in ICU was greater in the pre-implementation stage (22.34%) as compared to that in the post-implementation stage (13.56%) (p value<0.001). The duration of stay of patients at the hospital also got reduced in the post-implementation phase (13.23 ±1.47 days) as compared to the pre-implementation stage (24,76± 1.12 days) (p<0.001). The median time of derangement of activation of MET was greater in the pre-implementation stage (62 minutes) as compared to the post-implementation stage (34 minutes) (p-value <0.001). The most common complications leading to MET activation in a pre-implementation phase were neurological and respiratory complications. On the other hand, overall deterioration was the most common cause of MET activation. The mortality rate of patients in the pre-implementation stage was 36.23% as compared to 22.12% in the post-implementation stage (p<0.001). The hospital experienced improved clinical outcomes with the adoption of an automated alarm and activation system using a cumulative weighted scoring methodology, which significantly reduced the time from disruption to MET activation.

Fewer COVID-19 Neurological Complications with Dexamethasone and Remdesivir.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of treatment with dexamethasone, remdesivir or both on neurological complications in acute coronavirus diease 2019 (COVID-19). We used observational data from the International Severe Acute and emerging Respiratory Infection Consortium World Health Organization (WHO) Clinical Characterization Protocol, United Kingdom. Hospital inpatients aged ≥18 years with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection admitted between January 31, 2020, and June 29, 2021, were included. Treatment allocation was non-blinded and performed by reporting clinicians. A propensity scoring methodology was used to minimize confounding. Treatment with remdesivir, dexamethasone, or both was assessed against the standard of care. The primary outcome was a neurological complication occurring at the point of death, discharge, or resolution of the COVID-19 clinical episode. Out of 89,297 hospital inpatients, 64,088 had severe COVID-19 and 25,209 had non-hypoxic COVID-19. Neurological complications developed in 4.8% and 4.5%, respectively. In both groups, neurological complications were associated with increased mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, worse self-care on discharge, and time to recovery. In patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with dexamethasone (n=21,129), remdesivir (n=1,428), and both combined (n=10,846) were associated with a lower frequency of neurological complications: OR=0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.69-0.83), OR=0.69 (95% CI=0.51-0.90), and OR=0.54 (95% CI=0.47-0.61), respectively. In patients with non-hypoxic COVID-19, dexamethasone (n=2,580) was associated with less neurological complications (OR=0.78, 95% CI=0.62-0.97), whereas the dexamethasone/remdesivir combination (n=460) showed a similar trend (OR=0.63, 95% CI=0.31-1.15). Treatment with dexamethasone, remdesivir, or both in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was associated with a lower frequency of neurological complications in an additive manner, such that the greatest benefit was observed in patients who received both drugs together. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:88-102.

Cluster Predictive Model Using Affinity Propagation Algorithm to Group Mushroom 5.8s rRNA Sequences

Background: The main emphasis of the article is biological information on a distinct species of mushroom (Phylum Basidiomycota) data collection of 5.8s rRNA sequences. Macrofungi from the phylum Basidiomycota are predominantly used as therapeutic mushrooms in several countries. During the rainy season, hundreds of macrofungal basidiocarps were discovered in Tamilnadu. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 5.8S rRNA gene sequence markers, which have been collected from NCBI, were used to isolate at least thirty of these strains that fall under the Basidiomycota kingdom (suborders of Polyporales, Hymenochataeles, and Russuales), which have the therapeutic properties of the Basidiomycota kingdom. Objectives: This article’s main objective is to organise the sequences according to similarity utilising multiple sequence alignment and an algorithmic perspective. Methods: In this paper, we use 30  30 pairwise similarity matrix data of these thirty 5.8s rRNA mushroom sequences obtained using the clustal omega tool to develop an affinity propagation approach. As a continuation of earlier work, this will be evaluated against k-means, hierarchical clustering based on the ideal cluster, and time and space complexity. Findings: The affinity propagation algorithm typically discourages providing the initial number of clusters; therefore, the optimal number of cluster values and grouping of clustered results obtained from the affinity propagation algorithm are also the same as the results obtained from the previous existing research work using the kmeans, hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm. Novelty: The overall suggested technique involves applying the cluster validation metrics Silhouette score, Calinski-Harabasz Index, and Davies-Bouldin Index methodologies to find the ideal number of clusters. The CD-hit Clustering tool does not offer these metrics, and the Cluster Omega tool does not support this kind of extension work. This follow-up work assists bioinformatics researchers in obtaining favourable results by utilising the existing software prior to working in wet laboratories; rather than wasting a lot of chemical resources, this result will open the door for a targeted approach. Keywords: Affinity propagation; Cluster metrics; Kmeans; mushroom sequences; Bioinformatics; Data science; Silhouette score; Calinski-Harabasz index; Davies-Bouldin index

To Be, or Not to Be: The Role of Self-Perception in European Countries’ Performance Assessment

Performance evaluation is commonly based on objective indicators which do not explicitly consider the role of perceptions. Especially when evaluating countries’ performance, citizens’ perceptions can influence public debate and socio-economic narratives. Since these may influence policy making and countries’ performance, perceptions should not be ignored. The objective of this article is to investigate the presence of discrepancies between objective performance and self-perception (subjective performance) among European Union countries. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of recognizing biases in performance perception as factors that may hamper European debate, countries’ relations and, thus, the political and social sustainability of the European project. The article considers five spending areas that may influence the public opinion’s assessment about countries’ performance (education, environmental protection, health, public order and safety and social protection) and compares objective and subjective indicators for 28 EU countries from 2007 to 2017 using the distance-to-frontier score methodology. The results indicate that the discrepancies are significant, with a generalized tendency toward overestimation, especially among some Central and Northern European countries. The opposite occurred in Greece and some Eastern European countries. These results represent a starting point for grasping an undervalued aspect of the complexity of the European socio-economic environment.

Analyses of the TCU drug screen 5: using an item response theory model with a sample of juvenile justice youth

It is important to identify substance use disorders among youth who enter the juvenile justice system using a validated screener, such as the Texas Christian University Drug Screen 5 (TCU DS 5), so that necessary services can be provided to youth in need of treatment. While the TCU DS 5 is a valid, evidence-based screener, the use of an Item Response Theory model may better differentiate between mild, moderate, and severe forms of substance use disorders. The current study analyzed the feasibility and incremental value gained in using an Item Response Theory model to compute drug use severity scores as compared to its current scoring methodology. Results showed that while Item Response Theory may not be worthwhile as the standard method of scoring, item level analyses revealed there are benefits to using Item Response Theory to determine which items on a screener are most suggestive of severe substance use problems.

THE EFFECTS OF R&amp;D AND ITS DIFFERENT TYPES ON FIRM PRODUCTIVITY: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA

This paper employs the Olley and Pakes [(1996). The dynamics of productivity in the telecommunications equipment industry. Econometrica, 64(6), 1263–1297.] method and the generalised propensity score (GPS) methodology to estimate the effects of R&amp;D and its different types, including research activity and development activity, on productivity. Our research sample is an unbalanced panel data consisting of 1808 Chinese listed manufacturing firms from the period 2006–2015. Our analysis reveals how R&amp;D and its different types impact firm productivity: (1) there exists an S-shaped relationship between firm R&amp;D intensity and productivity, which implies the existence of the threshold and diminishing marginal return of R&amp;D for productivity growth. Due to the unbalanced composition of R&amp;D in China, after R&amp;D intensity reaches a critical level (around 50%) a negative marginal effect of R&amp;D presents; (2) an increase of research intensity can improve firm productivity. However, research intensity reaches a saturation point (around 65%) beyond which firm productivity plateaus; (3) there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship between firm development intensity and productivity. The marginal effect of development on firm productivity is negative when development intensity is over 28%. Our empirical evidence implies that firms need to optimise the composition of R&amp;D expenditure in order to realise sustained productivity growth.

A Comparative Analysis of Automatic Text Summarization (ATS) Using Scoring Technique

Abstract: The millions of words or sentences on the Internet and in literally hundreds of archives—literary works, published research, legal documentation, as well as other data—have enabled Automatic Text Summarization (ATS), which has become exceedingly well known over the past 10 years. Word-based summarizing is time-consuming, affordable, and unsustainable when interacting with vast volumes of literary texts. It's why we prefer utilizing textual data snippets: it saves time, we acquire accurate data rapidly, and computer scientists have been attempting to create ATS replacements since the 1950s. In this research, we will compare alternative rating systems and offer the best summary based on the scoring methodology implemented. We will also clearly define a wide range of methods, techniques, and scoring algorithms.

The pitfalls of (non-definitive) Environmental, Social, and Governance scoring methodology

Evaluating companies' sustainability performance embraces environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities. Data providers assign companies ESG scores as a quantitative measure based on available information. Refinitiv (previously ASSET4) is a key data provider whose scores are used extensively by researchers and companies; however, their ESG scoring methodology allows the scores from the five most recent years to change post-publication without any announcements. Such ESG scores are called non-definitive. Then, ESG research findings and companies' sustainability performance using the ESG data from the same data provider might be inconsistent. Optimization and exploratory data mining approaches show that it is possible to change ESG scores to exhibit stronger risk dependence. We discuss how the initial disclosure of ESG information and updating the published ESG information alter the way ESG scores are computed in a given industry group, impacting ESG research findings significantly. Moreover, the initial disclosure of ESG information and an update in the published ESG information might allow some companies to appear more sustainable, even though nothing has changed. Finally, our work indicates the criticality that should be addressed to improve comparability within research studies and companies' sustainability performance relying on data from the same ESG providers.

Standardized Interview Scoring Methodology for Neurosurgical Residency Applicant Selection.

Interviews are critical to the neurosurgery resident application process. The COVID-19 pandemic forced residency interview activities are conducted virtually. To maintain a degree of control during a period of uncertainty, our department implemented a standardized survey for interviewers to evaluate the noncognitive attributes and program compatibility of applicants. Our objective was to assess the reliability and biases associated with our standardized interviewer survey implemented in neurosurgical residency interviews. A 5-question interviewer survey to assess applicant interview performance and program compatibility was implemented during the 2020 to 2021 interview season. After the application cycle, survey metrics were retrospectively reviewed. Multiple cohort analyses were performed by dividing interviewers into cohorts based on status (faculty or resident) and sex. Applicant scores were assessed within sex subgroups for each aforementioned interviewer cohort. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess survey reliability. Fifteen interviewers (8 faculty and 7 residents) and 35 applicants were included. Female applicants (17%) and interviewers (20%) comprised the minority. There were no differences between resident and faculty reviewer scores; however, female reviewers gave higher overall scores than male reviewers ( P = .003). There was no difference in total scores between female and male applicants when evaluating all reviewers or subgroups of faculty, residents, females, or males. ICC analysis demonstrated good (ICC 0.75-0.90) or excellent (ICC > 0.90) reliability for all questions and overall score. The standardized interviewer survey was a feasible and reliable method for evaluating noncognitive attributes during neurosurgery residency interviews. There was no perceptible evidence of sex bias in our single-program experience.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Budd-Chiari Syndrome: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

There are unique technical and management challenges associated with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for Budd-Chiari Syndrome (BCS). The outcomes of LDLT for BCS in comparison to other indications remain unclear and warrant elucidation. Data of 24 BCS patients who underwent LDLT between January 2012 and June 2019 were analyzed. There were 20 adults and 4 children. The early and long-term outcomes of adult LDLT BCS patients were compared to a control group of LDLT patients for other indications and matched using propensity scoring methodology. Primary BCS was observed in 18 (90%) patients. Caval replacement was performed in 7 (35%) patients. Early and late hepatic venous outflow tract (HVOT) complications were seen in 1 (5%) and 3 (15%) patients. Preoperative acute kidney injury was identified as a risk factor for mortality in the BCS cohort (p = 0.013). On comparison, BCS recipients were younger with fewer comorbidities, more large volume ascites and higher rates of PVT. They also had longer cold ischemia time, increased blood loss and transfusion requirements, increased hospital stay, and higher late outflow complications. The 1-year and 3-year survivals were similar to non-BCS cohort (84.2% vs. 94% and 71.3% vs. 91.9%, respectively, log rank test p = 0.09). LDLT is a good option for symptomatic BCS who have failed non-transplant interventions. The clinical and risk factor profile of BCS recipients is distinct from non-BCS recipients. By following an algorithmic management protocol, we show on propensity-score matched analysis that outcomes of LDLT for BCS are similar to non-BCS indications.

Patterns of behavioural preferences in innovation and project activities

PurposeIn today’s world, high-quality economic development is possible through innovative entrepreneurial activity, which has led to the creation of various kinds of innovation infrastructure facilities that support future high-tech projects. However, the system of selecting start-ups to populate and produce for such organisations does not take into account several factors that exert strong influence on the success of an innovative entrepreneurial project. In this article, the author presents the developed multi-factor methodology of project scoring, which is recommended for use both at the initial stage and in the process of development and implementation of innovative idea.Design/methodology/approachThe suggested multi-factor methodology is both a qualitative and quantitative methodology that allows evaluation of proposed projects by taking into account individual goals of the innovation infrastructure, serving as a flexible tool for analysing project potential and taking into account the model of human behavioural preferences as a key driver of economic activities.Findings As a result of the first (qualitative) stage of the study, the author confirmed the hypothesis that the theoretical model of behavioural preferences corresponds to the demonstrated behavioural characteristics of reference respondents. As a result of the second (quantitative) phase of the research, the author conducted a survey of business incubator residents claiming one of the four models of behavioural preferences, followed by quantitative analysis to determine the extent to which the demonstrated behavioural traits of the respondents correspond to those presented in the theoretical model. The results of the second stage of the study were used in the final scoring of start-ups to identify the most promising projects in terms of development.Originality/value The project scoring methodology was tested in two of the largest business incubators in St. Petersburg and clearly demonstrated that the use of qualitative indicators significantly increases the ability of incubator experts to make decisions regarding incoming project information.

Access to ICT at Argentine elementary school children's homes and its impact on school achievements.

This article analyzes the relationship between access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and school performance. It contributes to the empirical literature in the area since there is no consensus yet. Moreover, the context associated with COVID-19 pandemic also considers the analysis as the most relevant. The goal of this article is to study the impact of ICT on school performance at elementary level. The hypothesis set forth is that having both a computer and connection to Internet at the students' homes, improves their school related achievements. To contrast it, we propose an econometric model using the Propensity Matching Score (PSM) methodology with data from the Learning 2018 (Aprender 2018) campaign of students at the last year of elementary school in Argentina and in each of the regions that conform it. Finally, there is evidence in favor of the hypothesis.

Development and appropriateness of a scoring method for International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities, and Health assessment in older patients with heart failure: a Delphi survey of expert panel in Japan

ObjectiveThe number of older patients with heart failure (HF) is increasing in Japan and has become a social problem. There is an urgent need to develop a comprehensive assessment methodology...