bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single Injection Nerve Blocks Plus IV Lidocaine Infusions as an Alternative to Continuous Nerve Blocks for Perioperative Pain Management: A retrospective review
Authors: Gromov Dmitriy , Kearns Jeremy , Chelly Jacques E
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Continuous nerve blocks (CNBs) and intravenous lidocaine infusions (IV Lido) represent an effective approach to perioperative pain management. We hypothesized that a single injection nerve block (SNB) plus intravenous lidocaine infusion (IV Lido) would be as effective as CNBs. Furthermore, since recently, the use of facial plane blocks are increasingly advocated, we compared CNBs vs SNBs plus IV Lido in patients undergoing erector spinae plane (ESP) and quadratus lumborum (QL) blocks for video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and abdominal/retroperitoneal surgeries, respectively.

Patients and Method

Using our IRB approved registry (PRO10120146), we retrospectively reviewed the electronic record of 105 patients, including 51 patients who underwent VATS and received either single injection erector plane block (SESPB) plus IV lido or continuous erector spinae plane block (CESPB), and 54 patients who underwent major abdominal surgery and received either single injection quadratus lumborum block (SQLB) plus IV Lido or continuous quadratus lumborum block (CQLB). Demographics, verbal pain scores (0-10), and opioid consumption (morphine intravenous equivalent; MIVE), all in the context of the same multimodal approach (acetaminophen, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, and ketorolac) were collected at 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery. Alpha was set to 0.05.

Results

SNBs plus IV Lido were as effective as CNBs regarding pain control and total MIVE at 24, 48, or 72 hours after surgery. Subgroup analysis indicated similar findings were observed in patients who underwent VATS or major abdominal surgery.

Conclusions

This analysis suggests that SNBs plus IV Lido are as effective as CNBs for perioperative pain management when ESP or QL blocks are used for VATS or major abdominal surgery, respectively.
Spillover Benefit of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention: Evaluating the Importance of Effect Modification using an Agent-Based Model
Authors: Buchanan Ashley L. , Park Carolyn J. , Bessey Sam , Goedel William C. , Murray Eleanor J. , Friedman Samuel R. , Halloran M. Elizabeth , Katenka Natallia V. , Marshall Brandon D.L.
Published: February 2022

We developed an agent-based model using a trial emulation approach to quantify effect measure modification of key variables on spillover effects of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Atlanta, GA. PrEP may impact not only the individual prescribed, but also their partners and beyond, known as spillover. We simulated a two-stage randomized trial with eligible components (≥3 agents and ≥1 HIV+ agent) first randomized to intervention or control (no PrEP). Within intervention components, agents were randomized to PrEP with intervention coverage of 70%, providing insight into a high PrEP coverage strategy. We evaluated effect modification by component level characteristics and estimated spillover effects using an extension of randomization-based estimators. We observed an attenuation of the spillover effect when agents were in components with a higher prevalence of either drug use or bridging potential (if an agent acts as a mediator between ≥2 connected groups of agents). The estimated spillover effects were larger in magnitude among components with either higher HIV prevalence or greater density (number of existing compared to all possible partnerships). Consideration of effect modification is important when evaluating the spillover of PrEP among MSM.
Loss of E-cadherin Induces IGF1R Activation Revealing a Targetable Pathway in Invasive Lobular Breast Carcinoma
Authors: Elangovan Ashuvinee , Hooda Jagmohan , Savariau Laura , Puthanmadhomnarayanan Susrutha , Yates Megan E. , Chen Jian , Brown Daniel D. , McAuliffe Priscilla F. , Oesterreich Steffi , Atkinson Jennifer M. , Lee Adrian V.
Published: February 2022

No Special Type breast cancer (NST; commonly known as Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)) and Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) are the two major histological subtypes of breast cancer with significant differences in clinicopathological and molecular characteristics. The defining pathognomonic feature of ILC is loss of cellular adhesion protein, E-cadherin (CDH1). We have previously shown that E-cadherin functions as a negative regulator of the Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1R) and propose that E-cadherin loss in ILC sensitizes cells to growth factor signaling which thus alters their sensitivity to growth factor signaling inhibitors and their downstream activators. To investigate this potential therapeutic vulnerability, we generated CRISPR-mediatedCDH1knockout (CDH1KO) IDC cell lines (MCF7, T47D, ZR75.1) to uncover the mechanism by which loss of E-cadherin results in IGF pathway activation.CDH1KO cells demonstrated enhanced invasion and migration that was further elevated in response to IGF1, serum and Collagen I.CDH1KO cells exhibited increased sensitivity to IGF resulting in elevated downstream signaling. Despite minimal differences in membranous IGF1R levels between wildtype (WT) andCDH1KO cells, significantly higher ligand-receptor interaction was observed in theCDH1KO cells, potentially conferring enhanced downstream signaling activation. Critically, increased sensitivity to IGF1R, PI3K, Akt and MEK inhibitors was observed inCDH1KO cells and ILC patient-derived organoids, suggesting that these targets require further exploration in ILC treatment and thatCDH1loss may be exploited as a biomarker of response for patient stratification.
Systematic Elucidation and Pharmacological Targeting of Tumor-Infiltrating Regulatory T Cell Master Regulators
Authors: Obradovic Aleksandar , Ager Casey , Turunen Mikko , Nirschl Thomas , Khosravi-Maharlooei Mohsen , Jackson Christopher , Yegnasubramanian Vassan , DeMarzo Angelo , Kochel Christina , Allaf Mohamad , Bivalacqua Trinity , Lim Michael , Karan Charles , Drake Charles G. , Califano Andrea
Published: February 2022

Due to their immunosuppressive role, tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells (TI-Tregs) represent attractive therapeutic targets. Analysis of TI vs. peripheral Tregs (P-Tregs) from 36 patients, across four malignancies, identified 17 candidate Master Regulators (MRs), predicted to mechanistically regulate TI-Tregs transcriptional state. In vivo, pooled CRISPR-KO screening, using a hematopoietic stem cell transplant model, confirmed essentiality of 7 of 17 MRs in TI-Treg recruitment and/or retention to the TME, without affecting other T cell subtypes, while individual knockout of the most significant MR (TRPS1) significantly reduced tumor allograft growth. TI-Treg drug perturbation profile analysis identified drugs capable of inverting the TI-Treg-specific MR activity signature at low concentration. Low dose treatment with gemcitabine (top prediction) inhibited tumor growth in immunocompetent but not immunocompromised allografts, increased PD-1 inhibitor efficacy, and depleted TI-Tregs in vivo. The study provides key insight into Treg infiltration mechanism and a gene reporter assay to identify additional small molecule inhibitors.

Graphical Abstract
Impaired Lef1 activation accelerates iPSC-derived keratinocytes differentiation in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome
Authors: Mao Xiaojing , Xiong Zheng-Mei , Xue Huijing , Brown Markus A. , Gete Yantenew G. , Yu Reynold , Sun Linlin , Cao Kan
Published: February 2022

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a detrimental premature aging disease caused by a point mutation in the human LMNA gene. This mutation results in the abnormal accumulation of a truncated pre-lamin A protein called progerin. Among the drastically accelerated signs of aging in HGPS patients, severe skin phenotypes such as alopecia and sclerotic skins always develop with the disease progression. Here, we study the HGPS molecular mechanisms focusing on early skin development by differentiating patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to a keratinocyte lineage. Interestingly, HGPS iPSCs showed an accelerated commitment to the keratinocyte lineage than the normal control. To study potential signaling pathways that accelerated skin development in HGPS, we investigated the WNT pathway components during HGPS iPSCs-keratinocytes induction. Surprisingly, despite the unaffected β-catenin activity, the expression of a critical WNT transcription factor LEF1 was diminished from an early stage in HGPS iPSCs-keratinocytes differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiment further revealed strong bindings of LEF1 to the early-stage epithelial developmental markers K8 and K18 and that the LEF1 silencing by siRNA down-regulates the K8/K18 transcription. During the iPSCs-keratinocytes differentiation, correction of HGPS mutation by Adenine base editing (ABE), while in a partial level, rescued the phenotypes for accelerated keratinocyte lineage-commitment. ABE also reduced the cell death in HGPS iPSCs-derived keratinocytes. These findings brought new insight into the molecular basis and therapeutic application for the skin abnormalities in HGPS.
Introducing an argonaute-facilitated PCR platform
Authors: Gao Feng , Han Bojia , Chen Yin , Sun Fangfang , Yang Jianhui , Han Chun-Yu
Published: February 2022

Argonaute proteins are characterized by highly efficient guide DNA/RNA-directed binding to target nucleic acids with high fidelity. Employing this feature, we designed an argonaute-facilitated PCR platform by making use of an argonaute derived from Mesorhizobium japonicum (MejAgo) which does not carry nuclease activity and exposes the 3’ end of guide DNA when binding. Each reaction cycle of the MejAgo-PCR platform consists of a denaturing step and a polymerase-mediated extension step, omitting the annealing step required by the traditional PCR. More importantly, MejAgo-PCR could significantly improve the sensitivity of PCR in template detection due to the argonaute-facilitated pairing between guide DNA/primer and template. Thus, an argonaute-facilitated PCR has the potential to be developed as an advanced PCR platform with higher sensitivity and efficiency.
Systematic analysis of ADP-ribose detection reagents and optimisation of sample preparation to detect ADP-ribosylationin vitroand in cells
Authors: Weixler Lisa , Voorneveld Jim , Aydin Gülcan , Bolte Timo M. H. R. , Momoh Jeffrey , Bütepage Mareike , Golzmann Alexandra , Lüscher Bernhard , Filippov Dmitri V. , Žaja Roko , Feijs Karla L. H.
Published: February 2022

Recent evidence suggests that modification of substrates with a single ADP-ribose (ADPr) is important in for example antiviral immunity and cancer. However, the endogenous substrates and the extent of mono-ADP-ribosylation are still largely unclear. Several reagents were developed to detect ADP-ribosylation but it is unknown whether they recognise only ADPr, amino acid-ADPr linkages or a combination of ADPr with a protein backbone. We screened the affinity of selected reagents for enzymatically, chemically and in cell generated ADP-ribosylation on glutamate, cysteine, serine, arginine, threonine and RNA by blotting, as well as analysed the subcellular sites of ADP-ribosylation using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. We furthermore observed that the modification is heat-labile and optimised sample preparation procedures. Our comparison of the available reagents, as well as optimisation of sample preparation, will allow future work further dissecting the function of ADP-ribosylation in cells, both on protein and on RNA substrates.
Structure-based design and characterization of Parkin activating mutations
Authors: Stevens Michael U. , Croteau Nathalie , Eldeeb Mohamed A. , Zeng Zhi Wei , Toth Rachel , Durcan Thomas M. , Springer Wolfdieter , Fon Edward A. , Muqit Miratul M. K. , Trempe Jean-François
Published: February 2022

Human autosomal recessive mutations in the Parkin gene are causal for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Parkin encodes a ubiquitin E3 ligase that functions together with the PD associated kinase, PINK1, in a mitochondrial quality control pathway. Structural studies reveal that Parkin exists in an inactive conformation mediated by multiple autoinhibitory domain interfaces. Here we have performed comprehensive mutational analysis of both human and rat Parkin to unbiasedly determine Parkin activating mutations across all major autoinhibitory interfaces. Out of 31 mutations tested, we identify 11 activating mutations clustered near the RING0:RING2 or REP:RING1 interfaces, which reduce the thermal stability of Parkin. Of these, we demonstrate that three mutations, V393D, A401D, and W403A located at the REP:RING1 interface were able to completely rescue a Parkin S65A mutant, defective in mitophagy, in cell-based studies. Overall our data extends previous analysis of Parkin activation mutants and suggests that small molecules that mimic REP:RING1 destabilisation offer therapeutic potential for PD patients harbouring select Parkin mutations.

Summary blurb

Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in Parkinson’s disease, is inactive in the basal state and is activated by PINK1 to mediate mitophagy. Here we characterized 31 mutations and discovered three that activate Parkin and rescue loss of PINK1 phosphorylation.
Cell cycle progression requires repression by Groucho during S-phase and its relief at G2-phase
Authors: Bar-Cohen Shaked , Paroush Ze’ev
Published: February 2022

The cell cycle depends on a sequence of steps that are triggered and terminated via the synthesis and degradation of phase-specific transcripts and proteins. While much is known about how stage-specific transcription is activated, less is understood about how inappropriate gene expression is suppressed. In this paper we demonstrate that Groucho, the Drosophila orthologue of TLE1 and other related human transcriptional corepressors, regulates cell cycle progression in vivo. We show that although Groucho is expressed throughout the cell cycle, its activity is selectively inactivated by phosphorylation, except during S-phase when it represses e2f1 expression. Misregulated Groucho activity causes cell cycle arrest; in particular, both constitutive Groucho activity and failure to repress e2f1 cause cell cycle arrest phenotypes. We also show that the Cdk1 kinase is responsible for stage-specific phosphorylation of Groucho in vivo. We propose that Groucho and its orthologues play key roles in the metazoan cell cycle that may explain the links between TLE corepressors and several types of human cancer.
Long-term ketogenic diet increases expression of SOX2-dependent oligodendrocyte- and myelination-associated genes in the aged mouse brain
Authors: Stratton Matthew S. , Lopez-Dominguez Jose Alberto , Canella Alessandro , Ramsey Jon J. , Cortopassi Gino A.
Published: February 2022

Aging is associated with multiple neurodegenerative conditions that severely limit quality of life and shorten lifespan. Studies in rodents indicate that in addition to extending lifespan, the ketogenic diet improves cognitive function in aged animals, thus improving healthspan. To broadly investigate what mechanisms might be activated in the brain in response to ketogenic diet, we conducted transcriptome wide analysis on whole brain samples from 13-month-old mice, 26-month-old mice, and 26-month-old mice fed a ketogenic diet. We observed clear activation of inflammation and complement system pathways in the 26-month-old mice relative to the younger animals. Interestingly, ketogenic diet caused a modest but significant increase in the expression of SOX2-dependent oligodendrocyte/myelination markers.
Identification of a CCG-enriched expanded allele in DM1 patients using Amplification-free long-read sequencing
Authors: Tsai Yu-Chi , de Pontual Laure , Heiner Cheryl , Stojkovic Tanya , Furling Denis , Bassez Guillaume , Gourdon Geneviève , Tomé Stéphanie
Published: February 2022

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) exhibits highly heterogeneous clinical manifestations caused by an unstable CTG repeat expansion reaching up to 4,000 CTG. The clinical variability depends on CTG repeat number, CNG repeat interruptions and somatic mosaicism. Currently, none of these factors are simultaneously and accurately determined due to the limitations of gold standard methods used in clinical and research laboratories. An amplicon method for targeting DM1 locus using Single-Molecule Real-Time sequencing was recently developed to accurately analyze expanded alleles. However, amplicon-based sequencing still depends on PCR and the inherent bias towards preferential amplification of smaller repeats can be problematic in DM1. Thus, an amplification-free long-read sequencing method was developed using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in DM1. This method was used to sequence the DM1 locus in patients with CTG repeat expansion ranging from 130 to > 1000 CTG. We showed that elimination of PCR amplification improves the accuracy of measurement of inherited repeat number and somatic repeat variations, two important key factors in the DM1 severity and age at onset. For the first time, an expansion composed of over 85% CCG repeats was identified using this innovative method in a DM1 family with an atypical clinical profile. No-Amplification targeted sequencing represents a promising method that can overcome research and diagnosis shortcomings, with translational implications for clinical and genetic counseling in DM1.
Egg-laying by female Aedes aegypti shapes the bacterial communities of breeding sites
Authors: Mosquera Katherine D. , Martínez Villegas Luis Eduardo , Fernandes Gabriel Rocha , David Mariana Rocha , Maciel-de-Freitas Rafael , Moreira Luciano A. , Lorenzo Marcelo G.
Published: February 2022

Aedes aegypti, the main vector of multiple arboviruses, is highly associated with human dwellings. Females exhibit an opportunistic oviposition behavior, seldomly laying eggs on natural containers, but rather distributing them among human-generated breeding sites. Bacterial communities associated with such sites, as well as the compositional shifts they undergo through the development of larval stages, have been described. Some bacteria can play a direct role in supporting the success of mosquito development. Additionally, exposure to different bacteria during larval phases can have an impact on life-history traits. Whether the larvae acquire symbionts from aquatic niches, or just require bacteria as food, is still debated. Based on these facts, we hypothesized that female Ae. aegypti shape the bacterial communities of breeding sites during oviposition as a form of niche construction to favor offspring fitness. Our study presents a series of experiments to address whether gravid females modify bacterial consortia present in larval habitats. For this, we first verified if females can mechanically transfer bacteria into culture media. As evidence of mechanical transmission was obtained, we then elaborated an experimental scheme to dissect effects from factors related to the act of oviposition and mosquito-egg-water interactions. The DNA samples obtained from breeding site water belonging to five treatments were subjected to amplicon-oriented sequencing to infer their bacterial community structure. Microbial ecology analyses revealed significant differences between treatments in terms of diversity. Particularly, between-treatment shifts in abundance profiles were detected, also showing that females induce a significant decrease in alpha diversity through oviposition. In addition, indicator species analysis pinpointed bacterial taxa with significant predicting values and fidelity coefficients for the samples in which single females laid eggs. Furthermore, we provide evidence regarding how one of these indicator taxa, Elizabethkingia, exerts a positive effect upon the development and fitness of mosquito larvae, thus suggesting that the developmental niche construction hypothesis may hold in this model.
Euchromatin activity enhances segregation and compaction of heterochromatin in the cell nucleus
Authors: Mahajan Achal , Yan Wen , Zidovska Alexandra , Saintillan David , Shelley Michael J.
Published: February 2022

The large-scale organization of the genome inside the cell nucleus is critical for the cell’s function. Chromatin – the functional form of DNA in cells – serves as a substrate for active nuclear processes such as transcription, replication and DNA repair. Chromatin’s spatial organization directly affects its accessibility by ATP-powered enzymes, e.g., RNA polymerase II in the case of transcription. In differentiated cells, chromatin is spatially segregated into compartments – euchromatin and heterochromatin – the former being largely transcriptionally active and loosely packed, the latter containing mostly silent genes and densely compacted. The euchromatin/heterochromatin segregation is crucial for proper genomic function, yet the physical principles behind it are far from understood. Here, we model the nucleus as filled with hydrodynamically interacting active Zimm chains – chromosomes – and investigate how large heterochromatic regions form and segregate from euchromatin through their complex interactions. Each chromosome presents a block copolymer composed of heterochromatic blocks, capable of crosslinking that increases chromatin’s local compaction, and euchromatic blocks, subjected to stochastic force dipoles that capture the microscopic stresses exerted by nuclear ATPases. These active stresses lead to a dynamic self-organization of the genome, with its coherent motions driving the mixing of chromosome territories as well as large-scale heterochromatic segregation through crosslinking of distant genomic regions. We study the stresses and flows that arise in the nucleus during the heterochromatic segregation, and identify their signatures in Hi-C proximity maps. Our results reveal the fundamental role of active mechanical processes and hydrodynamic interactions in the kinetics of chromatin compartmentalization and in the emergent large-scale organization of the nucleus.
Experimental study on corrosion of 20# steel in oil-water stratified liquids based on wire beam electrode technique
Authors: Kou Jie , Ma Dongxu , Yang Le
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Oil-water two-phase flow is the most prevalent medium in oil field gathering pipelines, and the corrosion of pipelines is often highly localized. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the corrosion behavior of 20# pipeline steel in the oil-water stratified liquids, vary the water content of the upper emulsion and study the difference of the corrosion process.

Design/methodology/approach

Combine the wire beam electrodes (WBE) technique and the corrosion weight loss method to investigate the corrosion behavior of 20# steel in produced water simulation fluid and oil-water stratified liquids, and a corrosion mechanism model was established for analysis and explanation.

Findings

The results of mass loss experiments showed that the average corrosion rate increased with the increase in the water content of the upper emulsion. The corrosion current distribution maps indicated that the most serious corrosion occurred in the produced water simulation liquid, and the corrosion process showed the law of waterline corrosion. In addition, it was also found that the corrosion of the WBE in the stratified liquids had obvious non-uniformities. The electrode wires at the oil-water interface suffered from severe corrosion, caused by the dissolution of crude oil acids in water and the uneven distribution of oxygen in the corrosive medium.

Originality/value

The WBE technique provides a deep insight into the corrosion phenomena at the oil-water interface, which is helpful for characterization of the non-uniformity of corrosion parameters and evaluating the risks of multiphase corrosive media.
Employee emotional intelligence, organizational citizen behavior and job performance: a moderated mediation model investigation
Authors: Liao Shu-Hsien , Hu Da-Chian , Huang Yi-Ching
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Emotional intelligence (EI) affect behavior and thinking patterns are linked to physical and mental health, employee interpersonal relationships and job performance. Regarding individual EI, workplace employees expect high organizational support with positive employee relations, because they regard employee relations as a perceived support from the organization, which reflects a positive organization's citizenship behavior. Thus, in terms of human resource management, enhancing organizational citizen behavior can ensure that employees continue to improve job performance by maintaining a positive psychological state and employee relations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a questionnaire survey and structural equation modeling, this study aims to investigate the relationships between EI, psychological capital, job performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and perceived organizational support. The research subjects (N = 536) were in life insurance companies in Taiwan.

Findings

The results showed that psychological capital plays a mediating role in the effect of EI on OCB. Perceived organizational support is used to determine the existence of the effect of moderated mediation in the proposed research model.

Originality/value

This is the first study to find that the indirect effect of EI on organizational citizen behavior through psychological capital is stronger when there are higher levels of perceived organizational support than when there are lower levels of perceived organizational support. In addition, in terms of employee relation development, employee perceived organizational support from organizations is a critical influence which bridges employees' EI and organizational citizen behavior through psychological capital on the human resource management.
Vulnerability assessment of Balikpapan (Indonesia) for climate change-induced urban flooding
Authors: Ariyaningsih   , Sukhwani Vibhas , Shaw Rajib
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the inter- and intra-relationships between climate change and urban flood risk in Balikpapan city.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a qualitative method by applying the driver–pressure–state–impact–response (DPSIR) framework, which helps to determine the strategies for reducing flood vulnerability in response to drivers, pressures, states and impacts. A secondary survey was conducted to understand the DPSIR.

Findings

The key drivers are identified as the population growth, land-use change, climate change and urbanization. Secondary data show that population growth due to urbanization in Balikpapan city is very high, which means that there is a lot of demand for land in the city, and the city’s current responses are mostly focused on building flood control and prevention infrastructures like detention ponds, zero Q technology policies and green open space. The study reveals that the responses that have been implemented in Balikpapan are mostly ineffective problem-solving, which cannot reduce vulnerability to flooding for the long term.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first instance of the DPSIR framework being applied to Balikpapan city. It is, therefore, hoped that the study results will provide feasible directions to the city government for managing the future flood risks
Obtaining the effects of unobservable firm-specific characteristics on cost stickiness by the one-way error component regression model
Authors: Shirzad Ali
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This research attempts to obtain the effect of unobservable firm-specific characteristics on selling, general and administrative (SG&A) cost stickiness by using panel data.

Design/methodology/approach

For this purpose, first, the authors describe the one-way error component regression model in panel data and presented that unobservable individual effect how could be estimated. Then the authors tested this panel data’s ability by estimating the effect of unobservable firm-specific characteristics on SG&A stickiness.

Findings

The authors find, for 195 firm-year of the industrial sector over 5 years, the SG&A costs increase on average at a rate of 0.76% per 1% increase in sales but decrease only 0.51% per 1% decrease in sales. In addition, the authors find that the unobservable characteristics of each company have different effects on SG&A cost stickiness.

Originality/value

As the present study is the pioneer study on describe the one-way error component regression model in panel data and presented the unobservable individual effects. The findings of this study can contribute to the realm of this study and the related literature.
The impact of anxiety levels on destination visit intention in the context of COVID-19: the mediating role of travel intention
Authors: Şengel Ümit , Genç Gökhan , Işkın Merve , Çevrimkaya Mustafa , Zengin Burhanettin , Sarıışık Mehmet
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of tourists' anxiety levels regarding pandemic on their intention to travel and intention to destination visit as a reflection of risk perception.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a quantitative research design. Multivariate statistical methods were used because they predict cause and effect relationships. The data collection process was completed in 32 days between March 20 and April 20, 2020. Smart-PLS software was used for data analysis.

Findings

According to the study results, the level of concern tourists have about the COVID-19 outbreak directly affected their intention to travel and indirectly affected their intention to visit destinations.

Research limitations/implications

According to the results of the study, people's anxiety levels about COVID-19 will negatively affect their travel behavior after the pandemic. Such results suggest that when potential travelers' pandemic-induced anxiety levels increase, their travel intention after the pandemic will decrease. In addition, there is a positive relationship between people's intention to travel and post-COVID-19 touristic visit intentions. Therefore, as people's travel intentions increase, so do their destination visit intentions. Another important theoretical implication of this research is that people's pandemic-induced anxiety levels have been shown to negatively affect their destination visit intention through the mediating variable of travel intention.

Practical implications

A multidimensional and stakeholder engagement process needs to be followed to decrease the influences of the pandemic on destinations. Destination management organizations (DMOs) can take an active role in crisis periods to encourage stakeholder participation while attracting tourism demand in the post-COVID-19 era.

Originality/value

This study is important for its topical relevance and for providing specific theoretical and practical implications concerning tourists' travel behavior.
Assessing the impact of ICT adoption on residents' self-rated health: evidence from China
Authors: Zhong Shunbin , Shen Xiaohua , Shen Weiteng , Xin Chongchong
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Utilizing data from the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS2017), the paper aims to investigate the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) adoption on residents' self-rated health and reveals the mechanisms behind ICT.

Design/methodology/approach

In the study, ICT adoption is defined as a dummy variable, which takes the value of one if respondents adopt the computers or mobile phone. Meanwhile, respondents' perceptions on five categories of self-rated health are used to construct the dependent variable. Then, based on a fixed-effects regression model, the ordinary least squares (OLS) and ordered probit approaches are applied to estimate their association. Moreover, the two-stage least squares (2SLS) and instrumental variable (IV)-oprobit methods are used to tackle the potential endogeneity of ICT adoption. Finally, the heterogeneity across individuals and regions as well as the underlying mechanisms are discussed.

Findings

The results indicate that ICT adoption significantly improves residents' self-rated health, which confirms the health utility model with ICT adoption. The conclusion is robust after overcoming the endogeneity issues with IV. In addition, heterogeneity analysis shows that ICT adoption is more beneficial to the health of residents who are male, young, better educated and those who live in the rural areas and in central and western China. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that ICT adoption for searching health-related information and improving social capital are two crucial mechanisms underlying its health effects.

Practical implications

The findings of this research can help Chinese Government improve population health by issuing corresponding digital and health policies at the regional and individual level.

Originality/value

First, the study provides fresh microscopic evidence on health outcomes of ICT adoption based on data from the latest wave of CGSS2017. Second, individual and regional heterogeneity is extensively discussed in contrast to most related macro studies that consider average effects. Third, the study addresses underlying mechanisms that have not been thoroughly tested or studied primarily on a theoretical level.
Predictive model of the solder paste stencil printing process by response surface methodology
Authors: Chen Chun-Sheng , Wang Hai , Kao Yung-Chin , Lu Po-Jen , Chen Wei-Ren
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to establish the predictive equations of height, area and volume of printed solder paste during solder paste stencil printing (SPSP) process in surface mount technology (SMT) to better understand the effect of process parameters on the printing quality.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment plan is proposed based on the response surface method (RSM). Experiments with 30 different combinations of process parameters are performed using a solder paste printer. After printing, the volume, area and height of the printed SAC105 solder paste are measured by a solder paste inspection machine. Using RSM, the predictive equations associated with the printing parameters and the printing quality of the solder paste are formed.

Findings

The optimal printing parameters are 175.08 N printing pressure, 250 mm/s printing speed, 0.1 mm snap-off height and 15.7 mm/s stencil snap-off speed if the target height of solder paste is 100 µm. As the target printing area of solder paste is 1.1 mm × 1.3 mm, the optimized values of the printing parameters are 140.29 N, 100.52 mm/s, 0.63 mm and 20.25 mm/s. When both the target printing height and area are optimized together, the optimal values for the four parameters are 86.67 N, 225.76 mm/s, 0.15 mm and 1.82 mm/s.

Originality/value

A simple RSM-based experimental method is proposed to formulate the predictive polynomial equations for height, area and volume of printed solder paste in terms of important SPSP parameters. The predictive equation model can be applied to the actual SPSP process, allowing engineers to quickly predict the best printing parameters during parameter setting to improve production efficiency and quality.
Can “organizational unlearning” be the normalizer for purposeful routines in any learning organization? An interview with Prof Eric Tsang
Authors: Acharya Abhilash , Mishra Bijaya
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper was developed with the objective of unravelling the concepts and their applications in the broad areas of organizational learning (OL) and learning organization (LO). The same altogether was captured by the academic lens of Professor Eric Tsang. Through the interview, Prof Tsang helped in tracing the progressive path of his academic journey, understanding his ideas and perspectives from the space of OL and LO as well as his contributions related to those. Overall, this study aims to add to the ongoing knowledge-intensive process of redefining the ways in which organizations ‘learn’.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a detailed conversation with the distinguished academician, Prof. Eric Tsang.

Findings

How OL can follow the continuum of “purposeful organizational routines (ORs)” and that changes in such ORs will happen if shared work experiences of employees are put together. Also, organizational unlearning (OU) as a phenomenon is hard to ignore for successful organizations, especially large multinational companies.

Originality/value

The discussions with Prof Eric Tsang reflected his thoughts and critique pertaining to the core theme of OU and the significance of “purposeful organizational routines.” In the near future, other researchers and professionals can use the scope of verifying some of the assertions made in different contexts of conducting business across LOs.
Strategies for successful deployment and sustainment of Lean Six Sigma in healthcare sector in India: a multi-level perspective
Authors: Bhat Shreeranga , Gijo E.V. , Antony Jiju , Cross Jennifer
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to present Lean Six Sigma (LSS) deployment and sustainment strategies for the healthcare sector from a multi-level perspective. The objective is to present LSS implementation insights to enable policymakers, practitioners and academicians to test and develop an LSS framework for healthcare sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

The strategies identified are the result of a multi-method research design involving literature review, action research (AR) and Delphi study. Further, the AR portion of the study involved more than 10 years of projects focused on the deployment of LSS in the healthcare sector.

Findings

The strategies include a holistic view from the multi-level perspective, considering the Top Management Level, Middle Management Level and Operational Level. The authors ascertained 27 strategies across the three levels of organizational structure for the effective deployment of LSS. Further, the authors present a customized LSS “pocket guide” from the healthcare perspective for quick reference.

Research limitations/implications

The strategies delineated in this study are based on the Indian healthcare section only; thus, further research in additional geographic contexts is needed. Also, further research is necessary to provide additional empirical validation of the effects of the identified strategies on LSS program outcomes and to verify that the strategies operate at the proposed organizational levels. Future research should also focus on identifying the interrelationships between strategies within and across levels, developing a “road map” for LSS implementation in hospitals and designing the LSS curriculum for medical schools and other medical training programs.

Practical implications

Observations of this study can contribute to developing a holistic framework for successful LSS implementation in the healthcare sector for academicians, practitioners and policymakers. This, in turn, ensures an enhanced value proposition, improved quality of life and reduced healthcare operational costs. Thus, it ensures a win-win situation among all the stakeholders of the healthcare sector.

Originality/value

The strategies put forth will enable the LSS researchers, academicians and, more particularly, practitioners to delve deeper into specific enablers and safeguard the LSS deployment from backlash. The research has two significant benefits. Firstly, it enhances the understanding of LSS from the healthcare perspective. Secondly, it provides direction for future studies with specific components for hospitals’ LSS framework, which can be further tested, refined and improved.
Artificial intelligence-based method for forecasting flowtime in job shops
Authors: Modesti Paulo , Ribeiro Jhonatan Kobylarz , Borsato Milton
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a method based on artificial intelligence capable of predicting the due date (DD) of job shops in real-time, aiming to assist in the decision-making process of industries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper chooses to use the methodological approach Design Science Research (DSR). The DSR aims to build solutions based on technology to solve relevant issues, where its research results from precise methods in the evaluation and construction of the model. The steps of the DSR are identification of the problem and motivation, definition of the solution’s objectives, design and development, demonstration, evaluation of the solution and the communication of results.

Findings

Along with this work, it is possible to verify that the proposed method allows greater accuracy in the DD definition forecasts when compared to conventional calculations.

Research limitations/implications

Some limitations of this study can be pointed. It is possible to mention questions related to the tasks to be informed by users, as they could lead to problems in the performance of the artifact as the input data may not be correctly posted due to the misunderstanding of the question by part of the users.

Originality/value

The proposed artifact is a method capable of contributing to the development of the manufacturing industry to improve the forecast of manufacturing dates, assisting in making decisions related to production planning. The use of real production data contributed to creating, demonstrating and evaluating the artifact. This approach was important for developing the method allowing more reliability.
Y‐shaped RNA secondary structure of a noncoding region in the genomic RNA of tick‐borne encephalitis virus affects pathogenicity
Authors: Nishiyama Shoko , Hirano Minato , Muto Memi , Kambara Mao , Ito Naoto , Kobayashi Shintaro , Kariwa Hiroaki , Yoshii Kentaro
Published: February 2022

Tick‐borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a zoonotic virus that causes encephalitis in humans. Various deletions have been reported in a variable region of the 3′ untranslated region of the TBEV genome. This study analyzed the role of a Y‐shaped secondary structure in the pathogenicity of TBEV by using reverse genetics. Deletion of the structure increased the mortality rate of virus‐infected mice but did not affect the virus multiplication in cultured cells and organs. The results indicate that the secondary structure is involved in the regulation of TBEV pathogenesis.
Retrospective bullying trajectories in adults with self‐reported oral language difficulties
Authors: Esteller‐Cano Àngels , Buil‐Legaz Lucía , López‐Penadés Raúl , Aguilar‐Mediavilla Eva , Adrover‐Roig Daniel
Published: February 2022

Background

Previous research has consistently evidenced that children with speech and language difficulties suffer more bullying victimisation during middle school years, whereas other educative stages remain less explored. Moreover, there are divergent results in previous evidence about the types of victimisation (physical, verbal, relational) youths may experience.

Aims

To examine the retrospective developmental trajectories of bullying victimisation in adults with and without self‐reported oral language difficulties across seven educational stages (preschool to university). Special attention was given to the prevalence and types of victimisation.

Methods & Procedures

A total of 336 participants (ages between 18 and 65, M = 30.3) from a sample of 2259 participants that fully answered an online survey were classified as having experienced oral language difficulties (LD) not associated with a biomedical condition. A comparable control group (n = 336; ages between 18 and 72, M = 30.0) was randomly selected for statistical between‐groups contrasts. Responses to the California Bullying Victimization Scale–Retrospective (CBVS‐R) were analysed by generalised estimating equations (GEE) including language groups, types of bullying, and educational stages as explanatory variables. Specific language group comparisons in terms of percentages were conducted using chi‐square tests.

Outcomes & Results

GEE results suggested that experiencing LD was associated with an overall increase in the likelihood of bullying victimisation, Wald's χ2 (1) = 8.41, p < 0.005 for the main effect of the LD group, along almost all educational stages, Wald's χ2 (6) = 3.13, p = 0.69 for the LD group × educational stage interaction. Finally, a higher proportion of participants in the LD group reported having suffered teasing behaviours at the second cycle of elementary, the first cycle of secondary, and baccalaureate. They also reported with a higher proportion being physically hurt at preschool and having received sexual comments at the second cycle of elementary, Wald's χ2 (93) = 259.87, p < 0.001 for the LD group × educational stage × type of bullying interaction.

Conclusions & Implications

People with oral language difficulties experience more bullying victimisation behaviours than their typically developing peers. Heightened bullying prevalence in children with language difficulties seems to emerge as early as 6–9 years old and persists along the rest of schooling. Not all victimisation forms seem to show differential increased rates in people with speech/language difficulties, evidencing important implications for bullying assessment. Results highlight the need to provide particular support to individuals with language difficulties against bullying during the entire schooling.
Positional responsibility in systemic‐dialogical therapy
Authors: Lini Claudia , Bertrando Paolo
Published: February 2022

Responsibility is a dimension often overlooked in systemic and family therapy, possibly because of its connection with blame, especially toward victims of violence or abuse. Systemic‐dialogical therapy, however, gives relevance to responsibility, in the form of positional responsibility; that is, the responsibility one may take regarding one’s position in the relevant systems and contexts one is embedded in, and the ability to find one’s place within them. To help clients in such efforts, therapists must, in turn, take responsibility for the development of the therapeutic process. The process of taking responsibility in therapy, therefore, is twofold: it concerns clients, of course, but it also involves the therapist. This article proposes a method for working on positional responsibility in clinical work, illustrating it with clinical examples.
New method for the absolute dating of paper by radiocarbon measurements
Authors: Pigorsch Enrico , Kiessler Birgit , Hüls Matthias
Published: February 2022

The absolute dating of documents is still one of the most important challenges for forensic document examiners (FDE). The potential difference between the date on a questioned document and the actual year of production of the used paper can be only 1 to 5 years. Until now, there was no analytical method with this accuracy available. This study demonstrates a method for an absolute dating of paper by using the 14C bomb peak and dating the starch in the paper. Accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS) radiocarbon measurements were performed on starch extracts and cellulose fibers from 50 paper samples with known production year from 1950 to 2018. For most of the paper samples, the measured 14C concentration values in the starch extracts were highly correlated with the data of the 14C bomb peak calibration curve. The differences between the calibrated ages and the actual harvest years of the starch‐containing plants were only up to 3 years. The 14C concentration in the paper fibers showed a lower but significant correlation with the production year of the papers and can be used to support the dating results of the starch extracts. In order to secure the accuracy of the dating, aside from the radiocarbon measurements of the extracted starch other analytical methods or data are used, like a detailed chemical analysis of the paper composition including fiber composition and the spectroscopic analysis of the purity of the starch extracts. In practice, only starch extracts without contaminations are used for the paper dating.