bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the GENE-UP® Listeria spp. Method for the Detection of Listeria Species in a Variety of Foods and Select Environmental Surfaces: Collaborative Study, First Action 2019.10
Authors: Johnson Ronald , Mills John , Pittet Jean-Louis , Mathia Olivier , Bird Patrick , Nelson Maria
Published: September 2020

Background

The GENE-UP®  Listeria spp. 2 (LIS 2) assay (Performance Tested MethodSM 121803) is a real-time PCR molecular detection method for the rapid detection of Listeria species (Listeria monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. ivanovii, L. seeligeri, and L. welshimeri) in a variety of foods and environmental surfaces.

Objective

The purpose of this validation was to evaluate the method’s interlaboratory performance and submit the results to AOAC INTERNATIONAL for adoption as First Action Official MethodSM for the detection of Listeria species in a variety of foods and select environmental surfaces.

Method

The GENE-UP method was evaluated in a multi-laboratory study as part of the AFNOR NF VALIDATION certification process using unpaired test portions for one food matrix, full-cream goat milk cottage cheese (8.4% fat). The candidate method was compared to the ISO 11290–1/Amd.1 reference method. Sixteen participants from 15 laboratories throughout the European Union participated. Three levels of contamination were evaluated: a non-inoculated control level (0 CFU/test portion), a low contamination level (∼2 CFU/test portion), and a high contamination level (∼10 CFU/test portion). Data from that study were analyzed according to the probability of detection (POD) statistical model.

Results

The dLPODC values with 95% confidence intervals between the candidate and reference method results were −0.02 (−0.07, 0.03), −0.08 (−0.31, 0.16), and 0.00 (−0.03, 0.03) for the non-inoculated, low, and high contamination levels, respectively.

Conclusions

The dLPODC results demonstrate no difference in performance between the candidate method and reference method for the matrix evaluated.

Highlights

Data from a singular collaborative study was used to achieve adoption as an AOAC First Action Official Method for the detection of Listeria species in a variety of foods and select environmental surfaces.
COVID-IP: staring down the Bayh–Dole Act with 2020 vision
Authors: Paradise Jordan
Published: September 2020

As the human and economic toll of the COVID-19 coronavirus steadily escalates, there is extreme uncertainty regarding the timeframe for prevention, detection, and treatment. 1 There is also concern about the eventual costs associated with approved products and the barriers to access created by the patent system. Industry, government, and academic collaborations are leading the charge in the discovery race, partnerships which have triggered calls for the activation of the federal governments so–called ``march–in rights'' established in the Bayh–Dole Act. 2 The Bayh–Dole Act dramatically altered the patent protections available to federally funded institutions and initiated a 40-year debate over appropriate incentives for innovation and the scope of the government's authority. The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to reflect on the purpose and impact of the historic legislation as well as contemplate the implications for our public health future. Patent rights for therapeutic compounds, methods of delivery, and medical diagnostics will significantly impact access to and cost of life-saving innovations. This article examines current calls for the U.S. government to utilize governmental march–in rights to quell concerns about patent monopolization and product pricing in the face of our current pandemic.
Lessons for Future Excessive Pricing Cases From Economics and the Court of Appeal Judgment In Pfizer/Flynn†
Authors: Davis Peter
Published: September 2020

I consider the lessons that can be drawn from economics and the recent Court of Appeal (CoA) judgment in Pfizer/Flynn for future excessive pricing cases under TFEU Article 102. In future, defendants will ask their economic experts to develop reliable evidence under both limbs of the United Brands test. The required economic analysis will involve developing a suitable price benchmark, describing what prices would have been under ‘normal and sufficiently competitive’ conditions. The benchmark can be based on various types of evidence including cost-plus and/or comparator evidence. The CoA highlights that the cellophane fallacy is a legitimate concern for competition agencies. They also accept the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT’)s conclusion that ‘some’ economic value might be relevant beyond the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA’)s cost-plus benchmark—without being prescriptive about whether or indeed how a competition agency should further take it into account. I provide a suggestion for doing so. Finally, I note that economists consider that competitive markets can result in economically efficient market outcomes but these can be consistent with high degrees of inequality. As a result, a competitive benchmark in excessive pricing cases will necessarily involve Article 102 only taking fairness into account to a limited extent.
Elite Competition, Local Extraction, and Social Unrest: Understanding Mass Protest in Authoritarian Regimes
Authors: Liu Howard
Published: September 2020

Why do we observe mass protest in authoritarian regimes? How can we explain subnational variation within a country? This study provides an institutional approach to explain mass protest in nondemocracies. I propose that the pattern of social protest reflects the intensity of subnational elite competition within authoritarian institutions. In China, the cadre promotion system incentivizes local elites to compete in the fiscal and economic field by extracting local resources, and these efforts often trigger local protest. Using a protest dataset that records large-scale local resistance from China, I find that Chinese social protest is associated with local elite competition in a nonlinear pattern. A rising intensity in local competition encourages greater extraction efforts and triggers more resistance; however, intensified competition does not lead to excessive extraction because officials fear that too much social instability could hurt their careers. I also find that land expropriation by local governments becomes the main extractive mechanism that triggers social grievance in contemporary China. These findings highlight the important role of competitive local politics and how it shapes the subnational variation of protest in authoritarian regimes.
Longitudinal Trajectories of Neurocognitive Functioning in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Partanen Marita , Phipps Sean , Russell Kathryn , Anghelescu Doralina L , Wolf Joshua , Conklin Heather M , Krull Kevin R , Inaba Hiroto , Pui Ching-Hon , Jacola Lisa M
Published: September 2020

Objective 

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at risk for neurocognitive deficits, and examining individual variability is essential to understand these risks. This study evaluated latent longitudinal trajectories and risk factors of neurocognitive outcomes in childhood ALL.

Methods 

There were 233 participants with ALL who were enrolled on a phase 3, risk-stratified chemotherapy-only clinical trial (NCT00137111) and who completed protocol-directed neurocognitive assessments [47.6% female, mean (SD) = 6.6 (3.7) years]. Measures of sustained attention, learning/memory, and parent ratings of attention were completed during and after treatment. Longitudinal latent class analyses were used to classify participants into distinct trajectories. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of class membership.

Results 

Within the overall group, attention performance was below age expectations across time (Conners Continuous Performance Test detectability/variability, p < 0.01); memory performance and parent ratings were below expectations at later phases (California Verbal Learning Test learning slope, p < 0.05; Conners Parent Rating Scale, Revised attention/learning, p < 0.05). Most participants (80–89%) had stable neurocognitive profiles; smaller groups showed declining (3–6%) or improving (3–11%) trajectories. Older age (p = 0.020), female sex (p = 0.018), and experiencing sepsis (p = 0.047) were associated with greater attention problems over time. Lower baseline IQ was associated with improved memory (p = 0.035) and fewer ratings of attention problems (p = 0.013) over time.

Conclusions 

Most patients with ALL have stable neurocognitive profiles. Smaller groups have significant impairments shortly after diagnosis or have worsening performance over time. A tiered assessment approach, which includes consideration of individual and clinical risk factors, may be useful for monitoring neurocognitive functioning during treatment and survivorship.
Oscar Wilde’s Reading of Zhuangzi in ‘A Chinese Sage’
Authors: Jiang Jing , Li Chengjian
Published: September 2020

In 1889 the sinologist Herbert A. Giles published his English translation Chuang Tzŭ: Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer. The following year, Oscar Wilde wrote his long book review ‘A Chinese Sage’. This article analyses Wilde’s review and explores how Giles’ translation influences Wilde’s understanding of Zhuangzi. The article also considers the influence of Aubrey Moore, who provided some of the notes for Giles’ translations, on Wilde’s reception of Zhuangzi. Because Wilde is neither a sinologist nor a researcher of Taoism, his interpretation of Zhuangzi in ‘A Chinese Sage’ is mediated by Giles and Moore, and might be seen as a ‘misunderstanding of a misunderstanding’. Yet the influence of Zhuangzi can still be seen in Wilde’s review, and the episode raises interesting questions about the reception of Taoism in late 19th-century Britain.
A tissue-specific collaborative mixed model for jointly analyzing multiple tissues in transcriptome-wide association studies
Authors: Shi Xingjie , Chai Xiaoran , Yang Yi , Cheng Qing , Jiao Yuling , Chen Haoyue , Huang Jian , Yang Can , Liu Jin
Published: September 2020

Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs) integrate expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) studies with genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to prioritize candidate target genes for complex traits. Several statistical methods have been recently proposed to improve the performance of TWASs in gene prioritization by integrating the expression regulatory information imputed from multiple tissues, and made significant achievements in improving the ability to detect gene-trait associations. Unfortunately, most existing multi-tissue methods focus on prioritization of candidate genes, and cannot directly infer the specific functional effects of candidate genes across different tissues. Here, we propose a tissue-specific collaborative mixed model (TisCoMM) for TWASs, leveraging the co-regulation of genetic variations across different tissues explicitly via a unified probabilistic model. TisCoMM not only performs hypothesis testing to prioritize gene-trait associations, but also detects the tissue-specific role of candidate target genes in complex traits. To make full use of widely available GWASs summary statistics, we extend TisCoMM to use summary-level data, namely, TisCoMM-S2. Using extensive simulation studies, we show that type I error is controlled at the nominal level, the statistical power of identifying associated genes is greatly improved, and the false-positive rate (FPR) for non-causal tissues is well controlled at decent levels. We further illustrate the benefits of our methods in applications to summary-level GWASs data of 33 complex traits. Notably, apart from better identifying potential trait-associated genes, we can elucidate the tissue-specific role of candidate target genes. The follow-up pathway analysis from tissue-specific genes for asthma shows that the immune system plays an essential function for asthma development in both thyroid and lung tissues.
Light-driven directional ion transport for enhanced osmotic energy harvesting
Authors: Xiao Kai , Giusto Paolo , Chen Fengxiang , Chen Ruotian , Heil Tobias , Cao Shaowen , Chen Lu , Fan Fengtao , Jiang Lei
Published: September 2020

Light-driven ion (proton) transport is a crucial process both for photosynthesis of green plants and solar energy harvesting of some archaea. Here, we describe use of a TiO2/C3N4 semiconductor heterojunction nanotube membrane to realize similar light-driven directional ion transport performance to that of biological systems. This heterojunction system can be fabricated by two simple deposition steps. Under unilateral illumination, the TiO2/C3N4 heterojunction nanotube membrane can generate a photocurrent of about 9 μA/cm2, corresponding to a pumping stream of ∼5500 ions per second per nanotube. By changing the position of TiO2 and C3N4, a reverse equivalent ionic current can also be realized. Directional transport of photogenerated electrons and holes results in a transmembrane potential, which is the basis of the light-driven ion transport phenomenon. As a proof of concept, we also show that this system can be used for enhanced osmotic energy generation. The artificial light-driven ion transport system proposed here offers a further step forward on the roadmap for development of ionic photoelectric conversion and integration into other applications, for example water desalination.
Influence of sugar label formats on consumer understanding and amount of sugar in food choices: a systematic review and meta-analyses
Authors: Scapin Tailane , Fernandes Ana C , Curioni Cintia C , Pettigrew Simone , Neal Bruce , Coyle Daisy H , Rodrigues Vanessa M , Bernardo Greyce L , Uggioni Paula L , Proença Rossana P C
Published: September 2020

Context

Reducing population intakes of sugar has become a focus of many national and international public health policies. Packaged foods and beverages are key contributors to sugar intakes, and food labels can be an effective tool to reduce sugar consumption.

Objective

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the influence of sugar label formats on 2 outcomes: consumers’ understanding of sugar information, and the amount of sugar in consumers’ food choices.

Data Sources

Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CAB Abstracts, SciELO, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched up until February 4, 2020.

Study Selection

Randomized experiments or quasi-experiments were included if they investigated the influence of sugar label formats on consumers’ understanding of sugar information or on the amount of sugar in consumers’ food choices.

Data Extraction

Data were extracted independently by 2 authors. Mean differences (MDs), standardized mean differences (SMDs), and odds ratios (ORs) plus 95%CIs were used to describe between-group differences for intervention label formats using random-effects models.

Results

Twenty-three studies, which examined 39 comparisons, were included. Label formats using “high in sugar” interpretative texts (traffic light labels [MD 41.6; 95%CI 37.9–45.4] and warning signs [OR 1.33; 95%CI 1.0–1.78]) were most effective in increasing consumers’ understanding of the sugar content in packaged foods. Health warning messages (SMD −0.32; 95%CI −0.43 to −0.22), graphical depictions of sugar content in teaspoons (SMD −0.32; 95%CI −0.48 to −0.17), and warning signs (SMD −0.24; 95%CI −0.35 to −0.13) were most effective for influencing consumers to choose products with lower sugar content.

Conclusions

Formats that provide an interpretation of sugar information, particularly those indicating if a product is high in sugar, were more helpful than only numerical information for improving consumer understanding and promoting food choices with less sugar.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration number CRD42018081222.
The Effects of Police Violence on Inner-City Students*
Authors: Ang Desmond
Published: September 2020

Nearly 1,000 officer-involved killings occur each year in the United States. This article documents the large, racially disparate effects of these events on the educational and psychological well-being of Los Angeles public high school students. Exploiting hyperlocal variation in how close students live to a killing, I find that exposure to police violence leads to persistent decreases in GPA, increased incidence of emotional disturbance, and lower rates of high school completion and college enrollment. These effects are driven entirely by black and Hispanic students in response to police killings of other minorities and are largest for incidents involving unarmed individuals.
A standardized framework for testing the performance of sleep-tracking technology: step-by-step guidelines and open-source code
Authors: Menghini Luca , Cellini Nicola , Goldstone Aimee , Baker Fiona C , de Zambotti Massimiliano
Published: September 2020

Sleep-tracking devices, particularly within the consumer sleep technology (CST) space, are increasingly used in both research and clinical settings, providing new opportunities for large-scale data collection in highly ecological conditions. Due to the fast pace of the CST industry combined with the lack of a standardized framework to evaluate the performance of sleep trackers, their accuracy and reliability in measuring sleep remains largely unknown. Here, we provide a step-by-step analytical framework for evaluating the performance of sleep trackers (including standard actigraphy), as compared with gold-standard polysomnography (PSG) or other reference methods. The analytical guidelines are based on recent recommendations for evaluating and using CST from our group and others (de Zambotti and colleagues; Depner and colleagues), and include raw data organization as well as critical analytical procedures, including discrepancy analysis, Bland–Altman plots, and epoch-by-epoch analysis. Analytical steps are accompanied by open-source R functions (depicted at https://sri-human-sleep.github.io/sleep-trackers-performance/AnalyticalPipeline_v1.0.0.html). In addition, an empirical sample dataset is used to describe and discuss the main outcomes of the proposed pipeline. The guidelines and the accompanying functions are aimed at standardizing the testing of CSTs performance, to not only increase the replicability of validation studies, but also to provide ready-to-use tools to researchers and clinicians. All in all, this work can help to increase the efficiency, interpretation, and quality of validation studies, and to improve the informed adoption of CST in research and clinical settings.
CRAGE-mediated insertion of fluorescent chromosomal markers for accurate and scalable measurement of co-culture dynamics in Escherichia coli
Authors: Noonan Avery J C , Qiu Yilin , Ho Joe C H , Ocampo Jewel , Vreugdenhil K A , Marr R Alexander , Zhao Zhiying , Yoshikuni Yasuo , Hallam Steven J
Published: September 2020

Monitoring population dynamics in co-culture is necessary in engineering microbial consortia involved in distributed metabolic processes or biosensing applications. However, it remains difficult to measure strain-specific growth dynamics high-throughput formats. This is especially vexing in plate-based functional screens leveraging whole-cell biosensors to detect specific metabolic signals. Here we develop an experimental high-throughput co-culture system to measure and model the relationship between fluorescence and cell abundance, combining chassis-independent recombinase-assisted genome engineering (CRAGE) and whole-cell biosensing with a PemrR-green fluorescent protein (GFP) monoaromatic reporter used in plate-based functional screening. CRAGE was used to construct E. coli EPI300 strains constitutively expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) and the relationship between RFP expression and optical density (OD600) was determined throughout the EPI300 growth cycle. A linear equation describing the increase of normalized RFP fluorescence during deceleration phase was derived and used to predict biosensor strain dynamics in co-culture. Measured and predicted values were compared using flow cytometric detection methods. Induction of the biosensor lead to increased GFP fluorescence normalized to biosensor cell abundance, as expected, but a significant decrease in relative abundance of the biosensor strain in co-culture and a decrease in bulk GFP fluorescence. Taken together, these results highlight sensitivity of population dynamics to variations in metabolic activity in co-culture and the potential effect of these dynamics on the performance of functional screens in plate-based formats. The engineered strains and model used to evaluate these dynamics provide a framework for optimizing growth of synthetic co-cultures used in screening, testing and pathway engineering applications
Can Jobs Programs Build Peace?
Authors: Brück Tilman , Ferguson Neil T N , Izzi Valeria , Stojetz Wolfgang
Published: September 2020

In the last decade, well over $10 billion has been spent on employment programs designed to contribute to peace and stability. Despite the outlay, whether these programs perform, and how they do so, remain open questions. This study conducts three reviews to derive the status quo of knowledge. First, it draws on academic literature on the microfoundations of instability to distill testable theories of how employment programs could affect stability at the micro level. Second, it analyses academic and grey literature that directly evaluates the impacts of employment programs on peace-related outcomes. Third, it conducts a systematic review of program-based learning from over 400 interventions. This study finds good theoretical reasons to believe that employment programs could contribute to peace. However, only very limited evidence exists on overall impacts on peace or on the pathways underlying the theories of change. At the program level, the review finds strong evidence that contributions to peace and stability are often simply assumed to have occurred. This provides a major challenge for the justification of continued spending on jobs for peace programs. Instead, systematic and rigorous learning on the impacts of jobs for peace programs needs to be scaled up urgently.
PF627 SERUM CEREBLON LEVELS PREDICT FIVE‐ YEAR POST LEALIDOMIDE/DEXAMETHASONE (RD) SURVIVAL IN MULTIPLE MYELOMA (MM) PATIENTS AND CORRELATE WITH DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: Gkioka A.I. , Papaioannou P. , Tryfou?.  , Niki R. , Dimou M. , Theodoros I. , Pardalis V. , Bitsani A. , Koudouna A. , Grafakos I. , Panayiotidis P. , Kyrtsonis M.‐C.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Cereblon (CRBN) was identified as target protein of Immunomodulatory Drugs (ImiDs). It was shown that its decreased expression was related to ImiDs resistance and carcinogenesis. However, very little is known about the importance of serum CRBN concentrations.

Aims:

To determine serum CRBN in MM patients treated with RD (lenalidomide‐dexamethasone) and to study eventual correlations with disease characteristics.

Methods:

We studied 91 MM patients from RD initiation until last follow up or death; their files were reviewed after patients’ informed consent was obtained, while clinical and laboratory characteristics were collected. Frozen patients’ sera, drawn at the time of RD treatment (68 patients), best response (59 patients) and at relapse/refractoriness to Rd (54 patients) were retrospectively analyzed. CRBN was measured by commercially available ELISA kit (cloud clone), according to the manufacturer's instructions. Twenty healthy individuals (HI) were also tested. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS v24.0. software.

Results:

The median age of patients was 70 years (56% men, 44% women). Ig type was IgG in 64%, IgA in 22%, light‐chain in 11% and IgD or biclonal in 3%. Thirty percent of patients were staged ISS 1, 20% ISS 2 and 51% ISS 3. RD was administered in 1st line in 8% of patients, second in 37%, third in 26%, forth in 16% and in 5th to 9th line in 13%. Median serum CRBN levels at RD initiation were 247 pg/ml (0–9760), 148,8 pg/ml (0 ‐9940) at best response and 294 pg/ml (0–9840) at relapse/resistance to RD. In HI CRBN ranged from 0 to 580 pg/ml. CRBN values at RD initiation were negatively correlated with paraprotein levels (τ = −0,204, p = 0,05). At best response they marginally correlated with quality of response (τ = −0,250, p = 0,055). Median serum CRBN level was used as a cut‐off point in survival analysis. Median overall survival was 70 months (range, 7–345) and time until next treatment was 14 months (range, 1–110). Five‐year survival was improved in patients with CRBN levels below median at the time of RD initiation (p = 0,03), during best response (p = 0,035), and in relapse/refractory patients to Rd (p = 0,05) while time to next treatment was significantly shorter in patients with CRBN levels above median at best response (p = 0,026).

Summary/Conclusion:

serum CRBN levels below median were related to a better 5‐year survival post RD and to time to next treatment. Mechanisms leading to protein release in the serum possibly explain this apparent discrepancy with the reported impact of low CRBN expression.
Impact of a Dedicated Advanced Practice Provider Model for Pediatric Trauma and Burn Patients
Authors: Noffsinger Dana Lee , Wurster Lee Ann , Wheeler Krista K. , Thakkar Rajan , Fabia Renata , Shi Junxin , Xiang Henry , Groner Jonathan I.
Published: September 2020

Background:

A free-standing, academic Level 1 pediatric trauma and verified pediatric burn center created a dedicated trauma and burn service advanced practice provider role, and restructured rounds. The changes were implemented to improve patient care.

Methods:

A pre and postintervention study using historical controls was performed to compare 18 months prior (preintervention) and 18 months following (postintervention) practice changes. Data collection included demographics, injury characteristics, length of stay (LOS), complications, and patient satisfaction results.

Results:

When compared with the preintervention period, the postintervention period had a higher patient volume and an increased number of severely injured patients. Mean LOS was stable for all patients and trauma patients, as were the complication rates related to trauma and burns. However, the mean LOS/total body surface area (TBSA) burned decreased from 1.36 to 1.04 days/TBSA (p = .160) in burn patients and from 0.84 to 0.62 days/TBSA (p = .060) in those with more than 5% TBSA. Patient satisfaction scores were stable in the categories of nursing care and the child's physician. Despite an increase in the volume and severity of patients, there was a clinically meaningful decrease in burn patient LOS/TBSA.

Conclusion:

The addition of a dedicated advanced practice provider and restructured trauma service appears to provide a benefit to pediatric burn patients.
A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Perioperative Hypothermia Rates in the NICU Utilizing Checklists
Authors: Hanna Morcos , Htun Zeyar , Islam Shahidul , Hanna Nazeeh , Kothari Ulka , Nayak Amrita
Published: September 2020

Background:

Premature infants are at high risk for heat loss. Infants undergoing surgical procedures outside of the neonatal intensive care unit have an increased risk of hypothermia. Hypothermia can lead to delayed recovery, hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, sepsis, and emotional stress for the parents. We aimed to reduce the incidence of hypothermia for infants undergoing surgical procedures from a baseline of 44.4% to less than 25% over 3 years (2016–2018) with the utilization of a checklist and education.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective chart review for all infants undergoing surgical procedures from 2014 to 2015 and prospective data for 2016–2018. Next, we created a multidisciplinary team, educated staff members, and instituted a checklist comprising 9 tasks. We conducted Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles quarterly and audited checklist compliance monthly.

Results:

From 2014 to 2015, the total incidence of perioperative hypothermia was 44.4% (n = 54). After the initiation of the checklist, the overall incidence of hypothermia decreased to 23.4% (n = 124, P = 0.007). Hypothermia occurred most frequently while the patient was in the operating room. Furthermore, we noticed that hypothermia was significantly associated with neonates requiring emergency procedures. There was an inverse correlation between overall compliance with checklist usage and the incidence of hypothermia.

Conclusion:

A checklist is a useful and simple tool for maintaining an optimal temperature for postsurgical neonates. Frequent re-education and enforcement of the protocol is necessary. Overall, implementation of the checklist, along with regular education, decreased the total incidence of perioperative hypothermia in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Focal Hepatic Lesions
Authors: Park Soyoung , You Myung-Won , Kang Hyo-Jin , Moon Sung Kyoung , Park Seong Jin
Published: September 2020

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be used effectively to evaluate focal hepatic lesions and offers unique advantages over computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Serial vascular filling patterns of focal hepatic lesions during arterial, portal, and late phases can provide unique information on lesion characterization and differentiation. Sensitive depiction of arterial hypervascularity and analysis of washout pattern are clues for differentiation of several indeterminate hepatic nodules on conventional ultrasound and computed tomography/magnetic resonance. In this report, we present cases demonstrating clinical applications of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of focal hepatic lesions.
Doppler Velocimetry of the Ophthalmic Artery Behavior in Twin Pregnancy
Authors: Monteiro Viviane Nascimento Pereira , Moreira de Sá Renato Augusto , de Oliveira Cristiane Alves , Vellarde Guillermo
Published: September 2020

Our main objective was to evaluate the ophthalmic artery Doppler behavior in twin pregnancies and compare with singleton pregnancies. We studied 64 healthy twin pregnant women between 12 to 38 weeks of gestation. Resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and peak ratio (PR) were determined. The control group consisted of 289 singletons. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between gestational age and the ophthalmic indexes. Student t test was used to compare the means and standard deviation of the Doppler indexes. There was a decrease in RI and PI and an increase in PR with advancing gestational age (ρ < 0.0001, 0.0052, and 0.0033). The means ± SDs for RI, PI, and PR were 0.77 ± 0.07, 1.79 ± 0.46, and 0.53 ± 0.12, in women with twin pregnancies and 0.75 ± 0.05, 1.88 ± 0.43, and 0.52 ± 0.10 in singletons. No significant difference was found between the PI and PR values, but significant difference was found in the RI values between the groups (P = 0.0332). We concluded that there are no significant differences in ophthalmic artery behavior in twins and the same reference values established in singleton pregnancies can be applied for PI and PR indexes in the evaluation of twin pregnancies. These indexes were the best to evaluate twin pregnancies.
Reclaiming Hands-on Ultrasound for Radiology With a Simulation-Based Ultrasound Curriculum for Radiology Residents
Authors: Suarez-Weiss Krista Elise , Yang Heejae , Beland Michael D.
Published: September 2020

Hands-on ultrasound training is included in the curriculum of many medical specialties and is increasingly incorporated into medical school curricula. Despite published curricula for ultrasound training in these specialties, there remains a dearth of such programs for radiology residency programs. At our institution, there has been a perceived decline in ultrasound scanning comfort and skill in trainees. The purpose of this project was to assess the utility and efficacy of a hands-on simulation-based ultrasound course for radiology residents.

First-year radiology residents were enrolled in a 2-week simulation-based course for the instruction of hands-on ultrasound training. With the use of a customizable commercial simulation software platform, residents completed didactic modules, virtual simulations, and phantom scans for a 2-week rotation. A dedicated simulation center with scanning models and computer-based software was provided to all residents. Self-assessments and assignments provided benchmarks of performance. All radiology residents were surveyed at the start of the academic year to assess prior experience and comfort with ultrasound scanning. First-year residents were surveyed a second time upon course completion.

Presurvey and postsurvey responses suggest that participation in the 2-week ultrasound scanning course contributed to an improvement in perceived scanning knowledge and comfort for participating residents. Based on our initial experience, the scanning curriculum presented here provides a comprehensive introductory course for first-year radiology residents both for ultrasound anatomy and for scanning technique. Continued education in hands-on ultrasound skills is a crucial factor in maintaining radiology's dominance in the modality.
A Theoretical Paradigm for Evaluating Risk–Benefit of Status Epilepticus Treatment
Authors: Amorim Edilberto , McGraw Chris M. , Westover M. Brandon
Published: September 2020

Aggressive treatment of status epilepticus with anesthetic drugs can provide rapid seizure control, but it might lead to serious medical complications and worse outcomes. Using a decision analysis approach, this concise review provides a framework for individualized decision making about aggressive and nonaggressive treatment in status epilepticus. The authors propose and review the most relevant parameters guiding the risk–benefit analysis of treatment aggressiveness in status epilepticus and present real-world–based case examples to illustrate how these tools could be used at the bedside and serve to guide future research in refractory status epilepticus treatment.
An Evolutionary Process Without Variation and Selection
Authors: Gabora Liane , Steel Mike
Published: September 2020

Natural selection successfully explains how organisms accumulate adaptive change despite that traits acquired over a lifetime are eliminated at the end of each generation. However, in some domains that exhibit cumulative, adaptive change—e.g., cultural evolution, and earliest life—acquired traits are retained; these domains do not face the problem that Darwin’s theory was designed to solve. Lack of transmission of acquired traits occurs when germ cells are protected from environmental change, due to a self-assembly code used in two distinct ways: (i) actively interpreted during development to generate a soma, and (ii) passively copied without interpretation during reproduction to generate germ cells. Early life and cultural evolution appear not to involve a self-assembly code used in these two ways. We suggest that cumulative, adaptive change in these domains is due to a lower-fidelity evolutionary process, and model it using Reflexively Autocatalytic and Foodset-generated networks. We refer to this more primitive evolutionary process as Self–Other Reorganisation (SOR) because it involves internal self-organising and self-maintaining processes within entities, as well as interaction between entities. SOR encompasses learning but in general operates across groups. We discuss the relationship between SOR and Lamarckism, and illustrate a special case of SOR without variation.
Interrogation of the Perturbed Gut Microbiota in Gouty Arthritis Patients Throughin silicoMetabolic Modeling
Authors: Henson Michael A.
Published: September 2020

Recent studies have shown perturbed gut microbiota associated with gouty arthritis, a metabolic disease in which an imbalance between uric acid production and excretion leads to the deposition of uric acid crystals in joints. To mechanistically investigate altered microbiota metabolism in gout disease, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence data from stool samples of gout patients and healthy controls were computationally analyzed through bacterial community metabolic modeling. Patient-specific models were used to cluster samples according to their metabolic capabilities and to generate statistically significant partitioning of the samples into aBacteroides-dominated, high gout cluster and aFaecalibacterium-elevated, low gout cluster. The high gout cluster samples were predicted to allow elevated synthesis of the amino acids D-alanine and L-alanine and byproducts of branched-chain amino acid catabolism, while the low gout cluster samples allowed higher production of butyrate, the sulfur-containing amino acids L-cysteine and L-methionine and the L-cysteine catabolic product H2S. The models predicted an important role for metabolite crossfeeding, including the exchange of acetate, D-lactate and succinate fromBacteroidestoFaecalibacteriumto allow higher butyrate production differences than would be expected based on taxa abundances in the two clusters. The surprising result that the high gout cluster could underproduce H2S despite having a higher abundance of H2S-synthesizing bacteria was rationalized by reduced L-cysteine production fromFaecalibacteriumin this cluster. Model predictions were not substantially altered by constraining uptake rates with differentin silicodiets, suggesting that sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism generally and H2S more specifically could be novel gout disease markers.
Early detection of seasonality and second waves prediction in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Watanabe Márcio
Published: September 2020

Seasonality plays an essential role in the dynamics of many infectious diseases. In this study, we use statistical methods to show how to detect the presence of seasonality in a pandemic at the beginning of the seasonal period and that seasonality strongly affects SARS-coV-2 transmission. We measure the expected seasonality effect in the mean transmission rate of SARS-coV-2 and use available data to predict when a second wave of the COVID-19 will happen. In addition, we measure the average global effect of social distancing measures. The seasonal force of transmission of COVID-19 increases in October in the Northern hemisphere and in April in the Southern hemisphere. These predictions provide critical information for public health officials to plan their actions to combat the new coronavirus disease and to identify and measure seasonal effects in a future pandemic.
Multiple rationalities of participatory budgeting in indigenous communities: evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Jayasinghe Kelum , Adhikari Pawan , Carmel Simon , Sopanah Ana
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper analyses participatory budgeting (PB) in two Indonesian indigenous communities, illustrating how the World Bank sponsored neo-liberal model of “technical rational” PB is overshadowed by local values and wisdom, consisting of sophisticated, pre-existing rationalities for public participation.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a qualitative and interpretive case study approach, the study draws on data from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and periods of participant observation. The paper utilises Weber's characterisations of rationality to analyse the PB process in indigenous communities.

Findings

The co-existence of both formal (technical) and substantive rationalities leads two Indonesian indigenous communities to execute participatory budgeting pragmatically. The formal budgetary mechanisms (Musrenbang), cascaded down from central and local governments, are melded with, and co-exist alongside, a tradition of public participation deriving from local cultural values and wisdom (Rembug warga). Reciprocal relationships and trust based on a pre-existing substantive rationality result in community members adapting budget practices while also preserving their local culture and resisting the encroachment of neo-liberal initiatives. The paper offers deeper analysis of the unintended consequences of attempting to implement technical rational accounting reforms and practices in indigenous settings.

Originality/value

The paper provides important insights into the way the interplay between formal and substantive rationality impacts on accounting and budgeting practices in indigenous communities. Our study also presents a unique case in emerging economy contexts in which neoliberal initiatives have been outmanoeuvred in the process of preserving indigenous values and wisdom. The informal participatory mechanism (Rembug warga) retained the community trust that neoliberalism systematically erodes.
Monitoring and analysis of the recovery rate of Covid-19 positive cases to prevent dangerous stage using IoT and sensors
Authors: K.R. Kumar , M. Iyapparaja , V.R. Niveditha , Magesh S. , Magesh G. , Marappan Shanmugasundaram
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper has used the well-known machine learning (ML) computational algorithm with Internet of Things (IoT) devices to predict the COVID-19 disease and to analyze the peak rate of the disease in the world. ML is the best tool to analyze and predict the object in reasonable time with great level of accuracy. The Purpose of this paper is to develop a model to predict the coronavirus by considering majorly related symptoms, attributes and also to predict and analyze the peak rate of the disease.

Design/methodology/approach

COVID-19 or coronavirus disease threatens the human lives in various ways, which leads to deaths in most of the cases. It affects the respiratory organs slowly and this penetration leads to multiple organ failure, which causes death in some cases having poor immunity system. In recent times, it has drawn the international attention because of the pandemic threat that is harder to control the spreading of infection around the world.

Findings

This proposed model is implemented by support vector machine classifier and Bayesian network algorithm, which yields high accuracy. The K-means algorithm has been applied for clustering the data set models. For data collection, IoT devices and related sensors were used in the identified hotspots. The data sets were collected from the selected hotspots, which are placed on the regions selected by the government agencies. The proposed COVID-19 prediction models improve the accuracy of the prediction and peak accuracy ratio. This model is also tested with best, worst and average cases of data set to achieve the better prediction rate.

Originality/value

From that hotspots, the IoT devices were fixed and accessed through wireless sensors (802.11) to transfer the data to the authors’ database, which is dedicated in data collection server. The data set and the proposed model yield good results and perform well with expected accuracy rate in the analysis and monitoring of the recovery rate of COVID-19.
A company performance index for motor vehicle manufacturers: company performance measurement with environmental concerns
Authors: Zeng Qinqin , Beelaerts van Blokland Wouter , Santema Sicco , Lodewijks Gabriel
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Current literature presents limited measurement methods of quantifying manufacturers' performance with environmental concerns. The purpose of this paper is to construct a company performance index for benchmarking motor vehicle manufacturers (MVMs) with environmental concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

Methods of constructing the index include regression analysis, a modified linear method for normalizing variables and a geometric mean for aggregating variables into a single index IMVM (index for MVMs). A case study is conducted in 12 MVMs from 2008 to 2017. A sensitivity analysis with the simple additive weighting method is performed to analyze how different aggregation methods affect the final value. The index IMVM is assessed through a benchmark with three existing indices.

Findings

Three realistic considerations are identified from MVMs, based on which proper and transparent methods are chosen to construct the IMVM. The construction of the index IMVM has been assessed through a benchmark against the methodologies of three other indices. The results indicate that the new measurement is feasible and effective for MVMs to measure their company performance from an environmental perspective.

Practical implications

The construction of the index IMVM can support policymakers with accurate statistics for decision-making. As a response to current imperative climate policies, this paper raises awareness of CO2 emissions in vehicles' production. For statistical organizations and stakeholders in the investment world, this paper provides available and reliable statistics for trend analysis of different MVMs.

Originality/value

A new method is designed for constructing a company performance index for MVMs. Three environmental variables are identified based on literature, their environmental impact as well as their data availability from public documents. A ranking by manufacturer with environmental concerns is generated. This index can contribute with available statistics and useful insights toward decision-making.
The effect of effectuation set of means on new venture performance: flexibility principle as a mediating factor
Authors: Pacho Frida Thomas , Mushi Hellena
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of the effectuation set of means on new venture performance in the context of Tanzania’s emerging economy. To determine how new ventures, benefit from the effectuation set of means experienced entrepreneurs possess, this study examines the role of the flexibility principle of effectuation as a key mediator.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is quantitative in nature, and a survey questionnaire was used to get data from five cities of Tanzania. In total, 350 samples obtained for analysis. The hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling were used for testing the hypotheses.

Findings

The effectuation set of means is affirmed to have a positive effect on new venture performance. The flexibility principle plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between the effectuation set of means and new venture performance.

Originality/value

This empirical evidence contributes to the progress of the theory of effectuation and also provides managerial guidelines for entrepreneurs who operate their new ventures and face uncertain business environments.
The relation between religiosity, family cohesion and ethical leadership: a study of family firms in Turkey
Authors: Çetin Mehmet
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the links among different forms of religiosity, family cohesion and ethical leadership in family firms operating in Turkey.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted with 210 respondents working in 51 family firms operating in Istanbul. Data regarding ethical leadership perceptions were collected separately from employees (non-family member) and managers (family member), and responses were matched in firm level to investigate the relations between variables calculated separately as perceptions of managers and employees. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability statistics were used for ascertaining the dimensionality and factor structures of the constructs. Correlation analysis, structural equation modeling and bootstrapping method were used for investigating the relationships among variables.

Findings

Results of the study demonstrated that family cohesion, intrinsic religiosity and spiritual well-being-oriented religiosity were positively, while secular religiosity was negatively related with ethical leadership levels rated by family member managers. Although none of these variables showed significant correlations with ethical leadership perceptions of non-family member employees, ethical leadership perceptions of the family managers and ethical leadership perceptions of employees were positively correlated, and intrinsic religiosity and spiritual well-being-oriented religiosity had significant indirect effects on ethical leadership perceptions of employees.

Originality/value

Given the lack of studies addressing the links between different forms of religiosity with ethical leadership especially in the Turkish context and the gap regarding research designs analyzing these relationships from the perspectives of managers and employees, the study provides important contributions.