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This study aims to investigate the linkage of employee treatment and trade credit for a sample of 45 countries from 2003 to 2018. It explores the trade credit from a receivable perspective.

The estimations are performed using panel regression with fixed effects for both country and year. A batter of robustness tests is also performed to validate the findings.

The results reveal a positive and highly significant relation between employee treatment and trade credit. The authors observe that firms from labor-intensive and highly competitive industries are likelier to extend trade credit to their customers. The authors also find that firms from developed countries are more likely to extend trade credit to their customers.

First, to boost trade credit, the firms need to materialize fair employee treatment. Second, firms from labor-intensive firms and highly competitive industries need to care more about employee treatment which promotes trade credit.

The findings offer novel evidence of the relationship between employee treatment and trade receivables.

Adolescents with harmful sexual behaviors (AHSB) who drop out of treatment are more likely to continue offending than are those who complete treatment; therefore, it is important to identify factors that heighten the risk of dropout, so they can be detected early. The purpose of this paper is to present the predictors of treatment dropout derived from a community sample of AHSB in New Zealand.

Pretreatment data on 100 males (aged 12–16) in community-based treatment for harmful sexual behavior were analyzed. Data on 50 adolescents who dropped out were matched by age and ethnicity to 50 adolescents who completed treatment. Pretreatment variables were identified using the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offence Recidivism. The degree to which these variables influenced treatment dropout was tested using logistic regression.

Compared to those who completed treatment, adolescents who dropped out were more likely to have a prior history of personal victimization, to deny or minimize their behavior, to have been mandated to attend treatment and to have engaged in noncontact offences.

Screening for a prior history of personal victimization, denial or minimization, mandated treatment and noncontact offences may facilitate the prediction of dropout risk more confidently. Addressing these pretreatment risk variables has the potential to improve treatment completion rates.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to highlight treatment dropout predictors in a New Zealand community sample.

In this paper, the impact of the 2004 European Union accession on income inequalities within New Member States is analyzed.

An empirical analysis is conducted with nine New Member States over the period 1991–2015, with 55 economies serving as a control group. The newly introduced (by de Chaisemartin and D’Haultfœuille, 2023) method belonging to the family of difference-in-differences (DID) estimators is applied to allow for multiple non-binary treatments.

While accession to the European Union had a positive and significant impact on the market and net Gini coefficients in the treated countries, no evidence of the impact of accession on redistribution was found. Single-unit estimates signal that income inequalities rose due to EU membership in some member countries; the most convincing evidence shows that income distribution in Latvia was especially affected.

The author applied the method which addresses the presence of multiple non-binary treatments. Full-fledged membership was preceded by association status, and accession to the EU was accompanied or followed by engagement in other layers of integration (European Monetary Union and Schengen Area). Controlling for these features, the author was able to assess whether the pure EU effect contributed to increases in income inequalities.

Arab Americans experience higher rates of mental illness and lower rates of treatment compared to the general population. While some factors leading to this disparity have been proposed, data in the literature remains lacking. This study aims to explore the mental health perspectives of Arab Americans living in Southeastern Michigan regarding barriers to mental health treatment, treatment resource preferences and telemental health preferences.

Responses were collected through an anonymous bilingual Qualtrics survey from both Arab and non-Arab participants (n = 294, ages 18+) in Southeastern Michigan. Participants’ perceptions regarding mental health barriers, resource preferences and telemental health were assessed. Comparisons were performed between Arabs and non-Arabs, and among Arabs.

Compared to non-Arabs, Arabs were less likely to seek mental health treatment from a therapist or a primary care provider and were more likely to not seek treatment. Arabs were more likely than non-Arabs to list fear of being called crazy by others and cultural barriers. With regards to preferences on telemental health utilization, no significant differences between Arab and non-Arab participants were found.

The results provide insights into Arab-American mental health perspectives, especially pertaining to mental health barriers, resources and telemental health preferences, adding a novel perspective on the mental health preferences of Arab-American subgroups, especially regarding gender and age differences. This study highlights the Arab-American population as a nuanced and diverse group, emphasizing the importance of future studies to show a more complete picture of Arab-American mental health.

Depression and anxiety are the most common comorbidities in TB patients, adversely impacting TB treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of lay counselling in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and TB treatment completion.

The study used a pre-post interventional research design. Patients were screened for depression and anxiety. All symptomatic TB patients were followed up and offered four to six or more lay counselling sessions whenever necessary. The authors assessed changes in depression and anxiety symptoms before lay counselling intervention and after fourth lay counselling session or the completion of TB treatment, whichever occurred the last.

Approximately 6,974 TB patients were screened for symptoms of depression and anxiety. The mean age was 36.7 ± 14.7 years. Total 25.9% patients were symptomatic. About 99.8% were provided lay counselling and received at least one to two follow-up sessions, while two patients who screened with severe depression were referred to a mental health specialist. Nearly 96.9% TB patients did not report symptoms of depression or anxiety after four lay counselling sessions, and TB treatment completion rate was higher among symptomatic TB patients who completed at least four counselling sessions (92.5%).

Lay counselling services delivered by field coordinators offer a promising approach to address mental health comorbidities among TB patients in resource-limited settings.

It explores a novel approach – lay counselling delivered by field coordinators – in tackling depression and anxiety among TB patients, which is a potentially scalable solution in resource-limited settings.

Auditory hallucinations (“hearing voices”) are a relatively common experience, which is often highly distressing and debilitating. As mental health services are under increasing pressures, services have witnessed a transformative shift with the integration of technology into psychological care. This study aims to narratively synthesise evidence of technology-enhanced psychological assessment and treatment of distressing voices (PROSPERO 393831).

This review was carried out according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched until 30th May 2023. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool assessed methodological quality of studies.

Searching identified 9,254 titles. Fourteen studies (two assessment studies, twelve treatment studies, published 2010–2022, n = 1,578) were included in the review. Most studies were conducted in the UK, the USA or Canada. Technologies included avatar therapy, mobile apps, virtual reality, a computerised Web-based programme and a mobile-assisted treatment. Overall, technology-enhanced psychological assessments and treatments appear feasible, acceptable and effective, with avatar therapy the most used intervention. EPHPP ratings were “strong” (n = 8), “moderate” (n = 5) and “weak” (n = 1).

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review to investigate these technologies, specifically for distressing voices. Despite the relatively small number of studies, findings offer promising evidence for the clinical benefits of these technologies for enhancing mental health care for individuals with distressing voices. More high-quality research on a wider range of technologies is warranted.

Metal laser-powder-bed-fusion using laser-beam parts are particularly susceptible to contamination due to particles attached to the surface. This may compromise so-called technical cleanliness (e.g. in NASA RPTSTD-8070, ASTM G93, ISO 14952 or ISO 16232), which is important for many 3D-printed components, such as implants or liquid rocket engines. The purpose of the presented comparative study is to show how cleanliness is improved by design and different surface treatment methods.

Convex and concave test parts were designed, built and surface-treated by combinations of media blasting, electroless nickel plating and electrochemical polishing. After cleaning and analysing the technical cleanliness according to ASTM and ISO standards, effects on particle contamination, appearance, mass and dimensional accuracy are presented.

Contamination reduction factors are introduced for different particle sizes and surface treatment methods. Surface treatments were more effective for concave design features, however, the initial and resulting absolute particle contamination was higher. Results further indicate that there are trade-offs between cleanliness and other objectives in design. Design guidelines are introduced to solve conflicts in design when requirements for cleanliness exist.

This paper recommends designing parts and corresponding process chains for manufacturing simultaneously. Incorporating post-processing characteristics into the design phase is both feasible and essential. In the experimental study, electroless nickel plating in combination with prior glass bead blasting resulted in the lowest total remaining particle contamination. This process applied for cleanliness is a novelty, as well as a comparison between the different surface treatment methods.

Material extrusion-based additive manufacturing is a prominent manufacturing technique to fabricate complex geometrical three-dimensional (3D) parts. Despite the indisputable advantages of material extrusion-based technique, the poor surface and subsurface integrity hinder the industrial application of this technology. The purpose of this study is introducing the hot air jet treatment (HAJ) technique for surface treatment of additive manufactured parts.

In the presented research, novel theoretical formulation and finite element models are developed to study and model the polishing mechanism of printed parts surface through the HAJ technique. The model correlates reflow material volume, layer width and layer height. The reflow material volume is a function of treatment temperature, treatment velocity and HAJ velocity. The values of reflow material volume are obtained through the finite element modeling model due to the complexity of the interactions between thermal and mechanical phenomena. The theoretical model presumptions are validated through experiments, and the results show that the treatment parameters have a significant impact on the surface characteristics, hardness and dimensional variations of the treated surface.

The results demonstrate that the average value of error between the calculated theoretical results and experimental results is 14.3%. Meanwhile, the 3D plots of Ra and Rq revealed that the maximum values of Ra and Rq reduction percentages at 255°C, 270°C, 285°C and 300°C treatment temperatures are (35.9%, 33.9%), (77.6%,76.4%), (94%, 93.8%) and (85.1%, 84%), respectively. The scanning electron microscope results illustrate three different treatment zones and the treatment-induced and manufacturing-induced entrapped air relief phenomenon. The measured results of hardness variation percentages and dimensional deviation percentages at different regimes are (8.33%, 0.19%), (10.55%, 0.31%) and (−0.27%, 0.34%), respectively.

While some studies have investigated the effect of the HAJ process on the structural integrity of manufactured items, there is a dearth of research on the underlying treatment mechanism, the integrity of the treated surface and the subsurface characteristics of the treated surface.

Studies evaluating the external validity of theoretically informed (risk-need-responsivity [RNR]) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs have not systematically assessed antisocial personality traits as a source of variability in outcomes. The purpose of this brief report is to examine antisocial traits as a potential source of variability in outcomes.

Using longitudinal, program-evaluation data (a sample of incarcerated men who were exposed to RNR-informed CBT), the authors examined how antisocial personality traits, attitudes toward treatment and dosage impacted treatment outcomes. A linear regression assessed the relationship between antisocial personality traits and attitudes toward treatment. A latent profile analysis identified participants with elevated antisocial traits and negative attitudes toward treatment. Treatment dosage groups (0, 5, 10 and 15 weeks) were used to assess treatment response per pro-criminal attitudes, skills and rates of recidivism.

Antisocial traits predicted negative attitudes toward treatment. Elevated antisocial traits and negative treatment attitudes predicted less change in criminal attitudes among those who completed 15 weeks of treatment; higher dosage did not significantly improve rates of recidivism. Variable-centered post hoc analyses largely corroborated these findings. These results suggest RNR-informed CBT may need to be modified for justice-involved persons with elevated antisocial traits.

Few studies have empirically examined the sources of variability in treatment effects for justice-involved persons with antisocial personality traits. This brief report provides a structured examination of factors that may impact treatment outcomes in this population, and therefore aims to inform future research on the effectiveness of empirically supported interventions for people in the legal system.

In this study, we examine the relation between employee treatment and annual report readability, which is measured as a reading difficulty score.

We use regression analysis to explore the impact of employee treatment on annual report reading difficulty.

We find a significant negative relation between employee treatment and reading difficulty, which suggests that annual reports of firms with better employee treatment are easier to read and understand (i.e. more readable).

Our study contributes to a more thorough knowledge of annual report readability and our findings may be of relevance to accounting standard setters and investors.