bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying the factors that affect the knowledge of mortgage loans' total cost
Authors: Farías Pablo
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study identifies the factors that affect the knowledge of mortgage loans' total cost.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical research utilizing a survey administered through in-home interviews was conducted. This study adopts the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) theory to analyze the influence of information shortcuts and borrowers' abilities and motivations on the knowledge of mortgage loans' total cost.

Findings

The results support that the use of the price–quality cue and brand credibility have negative and positive effects, respectively, on the knowledge of mortgage loans' total cost. Households' primary income earners have a higher knowledge of mortgage loans' total cost. The results also show that the household's primary income earners who are price conscious and brand nonbelievers have more knowledge of mortgage loans' total cost.

Originality/value

Price knowledge studies in financial services, especially in the mortgage loan industry, are scarce. Consequently, understanding the price knowledge level for mortgage loans and its potential antecedents has been insufficient.
Australian Government failure and the VET FEE-HELP loan programme
Authors: Fellows Caillan John , Dollery Brian
Published: October 2020

Purpose

In an effort to boost participation in vocational education and training (VET), in 2009, the Australian Government launched its VET FEE-HELP income-contingent loan programme for VET students. The programme was terminated in 2016 following numerous failed attempts to arrest its escalating costs and improve its performance. In an effort to shed light on the failure of the VET FEE-HELP programme, in this paper, the authors offer estimates of the aggregate costs involved and the quantum of graduates.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors examined the VET FEE-HELP programme through the analytical lens offered by Marsh and McConnell’s (2010) framework, which offered a broad, “big-picture” view covering three dimensions of policy success or failure.

Findings

By identifying the causes of the failure, the authors concluded that the features of the scheme designed to improve accessibility of VET also allowed for exploitative behaviour on the part of VET providers, causing deterioration in training quality and leading to a substantial amount of wasteful public expenditure.

Originality/value

The authors seek to illuminate the demise of the hitherto neglected programme to contribute towards the literature on Australian Government failure.
Hate speech detection in Twitter using hybrid embeddings and improved cuckoo search-based neural networks
Authors: Ayo Femi Emmanuel , Folorunso Olusegun , Ibharalu Friday Thomas , Osinuga Idowu Ademola
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Hate speech is an expression of intense hatred. Twitter has become a popular analytical tool for the prediction and monitoring of abusive behaviors. Hate speech detection with social media data has witnessed special research attention in recent studies, hence, the need to design a generic metadata architecture and efficient feature extraction technique to enhance hate speech detection.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a hybrid embeddings enhanced with a topic inference method and an improved cuckoo search neural network for hate speech detection in Twitter data. The proposed method uses a hybrid embeddings technique that includes Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) for word-level feature extraction and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) which is a variant of recurrent neural networks architecture for sentence-level feature extraction. The extracted features from the hybrid embeddings then serve as input into the improved cuckoo search neural network for the prediction of a tweet as hate speech, offensive language or neither.

Findings

The proposed method showed better results when tested on the collected Twitter datasets compared to other related methods. In order to validate the performances of the proposed method, t-test and post hoc multiple comparisons were used to compare the significance and means of the proposed method with other related methods for hate speech detection. Furthermore, Paired Sample t-Test was also conducted to validate the performances of the proposed method with other related methods.

Research limitations/implications

Finally, the evaluation results showed that the proposed method outperforms other related methods with mean F1-score of 91.3.

Originality/value

The main novelty of this study is the use of an automatic topic spotting measure based on naïve Bayes model to improve features representation.
Roman to Gurmukhi Social Media Text Normalization
Authors: Kaur Jagroop , Singh Jaswinder
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Normalization is an important step in all the natural language processing applications that are handling social media text. The text from social media poses a different kind of problems that are not present in regular text. Recently, a considerable amount of work has been done in this direction, but mostly in the English language. People who do not speak English code mixed the text with their native language and posted text on social media using the Roman script. This kind of text further aggravates the problem of normalizing. This paper aims to discuss the concept of normalization with respect to code-mixed social media text, and a model has been proposed to normalize such text.

Design/methodology/approach

The system is divided into two phases – candidate generation and most probable sentence selection. Candidate generation task is treated as machine translation task where the Roman text is treated as source language and Gurmukhi text is treated as the target language. Character-based translation system has been proposed to generate candidate tokens. Once candidates are generated, the second phase uses the beam search method for selecting the most probable sentence based on hidden Markov model.

Findings

Character error rate (CER) and bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU) score are reported. The proposed system has been compared with Akhar software and RB\_R2G system, which are also capable of transliterating Roman text to Gurmukhi. The performance of the system outperforms Akhar software. The CER and BLEU scores are 0.268121 and 0.6807939, respectively, for ill-formed text.

Research limitations/implications

It was observed that the system produces dialectical variations of a word or the word with minor errors like diacritic missing. Spell checker can improve the output of the system by correcting these minor errors. Extensive experimentation is needed for optimizing language identifier, which will further help in improving the output. The language model also seeks further exploration. Inclusion of wider context, particularly from social media text, is an important area that deserves further investigation.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this study are: (1) development of parallel dataset containing Roman and Gurmukhi text; (2) development of dataset annotated with language tag; (3) development of the normalizing system, which is first of its kind and proposes translation based solution for normalizing noisy social media text from Roman to Gurmukhi. It can be extended for any pair of scripts. (4) The proposed system can be used for better analysis of social media text. Theoretically, our study helps in better understanding of text normalization in social media context and opens the doors for further research in multilingual social media text normalization.

Originality/value

Existing research work focus on normalizing monolingual text. This study contributes towards the development of a normalization system for multilingual text.
Searching, sharing and singing: understanding the information behaviors of choral directors
Authors: Fena Christine
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This article aims to help music librarians and other information professionals effectively understand and support communities of choral directors and other groups dependent on networking and serendipitous information encounters. In addition, through discussion and comparison of theories of information behavior, research articles and analysis of events and experiences, the article encourages thoughtful and practical applications of information behavior research.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper uses different theories of information behavior to outline three distinct modes of learning and knowing within communities of choral directors: individual searching, community expertise and serendipitous encounters.

Findings

The choral directing community is one that benefits not only from information support systems that emphasize individual information seeking, but also collaborative networking and serendipitous encounters with other community members. Librarians and other information professionals can best help this group discover new repertoire, plan concert programs, improve rehearsals and support other relevant activities through understanding and helping to provide access to professional music networks and being creative in providing opportunities for serendipitous information discovery.

Originality/value

Little information behavior research and discussion have focused specifically on the information practices of choral directors and how the format and schedule of a professional choral conference illuminate such practices and needs.
White tea drink (Camellia sinensis) improves endurance and body weight maintenance of rats
Authors: Aditya Rifqi Mahmud , Setyaningtyas Stefania Widya , Rachmah Qonita
Published: October 2020

Purpose

White tea is an unfermented tea made from young shoots of Camellia sinensis protected from sunlight to avoid polyphenol degradation. White tea contains a high level of polyphenolic compounds known as catechins. Several types of evidence have suggested that tea consumption has benefits in body weight and endurance maintenance. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of white tea on body weight and endurance of animal models.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was an intervention design using 20 Wistar white rats (Rattus Norvegicus) in body weight between 150 and 200 g. The rats were randomized into four groups, three groups receiving white tea drink (WTD) with different doses and the other group receiving plain water in equal volume as a control group for four weeks. The forced swim test (FST) was done to measure their struggling capacity, and digital bodyweight to measure the weight.

Findings

Intervention (WTD Groups and Control) caused weight gain among except G3 with the highest doses of white tea. The result showed that WTD intake in G3 had a significant difference (p < 0.05) on body weight gain compared to control. The authors found that WTD in a specific dose (G3: 0.22 mg) tends to maintain the body weight of animals (219.2 ± 41.96; 212.6 ± 46.90, respectively), while other doses caused weight gain. WTD also significantly increased the swimming and struggling capacity of rats that represented improvements the endurance along with the test. There was a statistically significant difference in endurance among all groups (p < 0.05).

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study can be followed as human intervention research as an input for nutritionists and sports scientists to explore the beneficial effect of white tea.

Practical implications

The results of this study can be followed as human intervention research as an input for nutritionists and sports scientists to explore the beneficial effect of white tea.

Originality/value

This study adds more evidence and information about the advantages of white tea as potential beverages in future healthy lifestyles.
Factors influencing Generation Y’s tourism-related social media activity: the case of Polish students
Authors: Kowalczyk-Anioł Joanna , Nowacki Marek
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aims to identify the factors which affect Generation Y’s activity in social media (SM) while traveling. It draws on and extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) and social influence theory. It examines the effects of social influence processes (compliance, identification and internalization), perceived enjoyment (PE), perceived risk, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness on tourism-related SM activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study tested the model with a sample of 420 Polish Y’s who had traveled in the preceding 12 months and used SM. The verification of the hypotheses and the analysis of relationships between the variables were performed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

Out of the four variables of the TAM, only PE has significantly and directly affected Ys’ tourism-related activity in SM. From among the three processes of social influence, only internalization has had a significant impact on the enjoyment of SM use and, consequently, on the SM activity of Generation Y.

Research limitations/implications

This study covered only Polish Y’s. In the future, the formulated hypotheses should be verified in other generational cohorts, in sub-cohorts of Y’s and in other cultural contexts. Furthermore, limitations include lack of randomization of the survey distribution.

Practical implications

The presented results show a generational portrait of an increasingly important consumer group on the tourism market in relation to factors affecting their tourism-related activity in SM.

Originality/value

This is one of few studies (the first in the Central and Eastern Europe context) to examine Generation Y’s adoption of SM in tourism-related activity drawing on and extending the TAM and processes of social influence.
Building back better education systems: equity and COVID-19
Authors: Chapman Christopher , Bell Irene
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential to use this challenging global context as an opportunity to build back better and more equitable educations systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken involves drawing on the emerging literature to explore the relationship between COVID-19 and educational equity.

Findings

The analysis undertaken involves the presentation of a typology framed by the quality of educational offer and the opportunity for engagement in the offer accompanied by four reflective questions for further consideration.

Originality/value

The analysis presented here underpins the presentation of a heuristic typology designed to stimulate exploration and discussion relating to building back better, more equitable education systems after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Labors of love: service employees on customer participation
Authors: Choi Laee , Lawry Charles A.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Very few studies have considered how customer participation (CP) influences service employees' well-being. CP may lead employees to engage in emotional labor strategies (surface/deep acting), which can elevate their job stress. Whereas surface acting involves falsifying emotions, deep acting involves empathizing with others. Therefore, the current article examines how these emotional labor strategies arise from CP and create job stress.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 is an online survey of service employees' wellbeing during CP (n = 509). Study 2 compares service employees' responses within hedonic and utilitarian service settings through a scenario-based experiment (n = 440). PROCESS was used to analyze the data in both studies.

Findings

First, study 1 supports that perceived CP increases job stress. Secondly, surface acting mediates the link between CP and job stress, but deep acting does not. Thereafter, Study 2 shows that the link between CP and job stress decreases as employee-customer identification (ECI) increases only during surface acting. Additionally, the impact of surface acting on job stress during CP is greater for hedonic services than utilitarian services, but there is no significant difference for deep acting.

Originality/value

This article contributes an original perspective by comparing models of service employees' responses to CP and job stress in hedonic versus utilitarian settings. Moreover, the intervening effects of ECI and emotional labor strategies on job stress, as demonstrated through these employee-facing models, offer added value to the CRM and co-creation literature.
Are you talkin' to me?: the role of culture in crisis management sensemaking
Authors: Sherman W. Scott , Roberto Katherine J.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper considers the role of culture in crisis management narratives. The importance of sensemaking and sense-giving to crisis management is expanded by exploring how understanding organization culture may affect the plausibility of sense-giving narratives in crises.

Design/methodology/approach

The crisis management, sensemaking, sense-giving and organizational culture literature studies are briefly reviewed. The paper then explores how plausibility may be dependent on organizational culture and how different cultures may create different dependencies. Propositions are developed and the potential organizational interventions based on these propositions in the action research tradition are offered, as they are potential practical and research implications.

Findings

Organizational cultures as shared sensemaking mechanisms provide leaders with the framework for constructing crisis management messages. A plausible message must resonate within the shared cultural experiences of members to shape and direct behaviors during a crisis while maintaining necessary flexibility to evolve as the crisis progresses.

Research limitations/implications

Potential avenues of future research include empirically testing the effects of cultural alignment on crisis management messaging employing action research or other methods, how strength of culture affects the process and the malleability of plausibility.

Practical implications

Practical implications include an organization's understanding of how culture affects not only the messages sent but also how employees might receive the sense-giving narratives. The paper also highlights the importance of flexibility in sense-giving narratives to allow evolution of the message as the crisis changes. Additional practical implications are provided.

Originality/value

This manuscript considers the role of culture in crisis management sense-giving narratives, a topic that has received little research attention. The manuscript argues that aligning the narrative within the organization's shared cultural understanding will increase employee acceptance and adherence to the message. The paper further discusses the importance of flexibility in the sense-giving narratives as the crisis changes.
Design-based learning to enhance absorptive capacity for open innovation: the case of 3D Tune-In
Authors: Simeone Luca , Secundo Giustina , Messeni Petruzzelli Antonio , Schiuma Giovanni
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper explores how learning processes supported by intensive use of design can favour absorptive capacity in open innovation contexts characterised by the interaction of a high number of diverse stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper combines the insights from theory with the empirical evidence gathered by adopting a case study approach.

Findings

Findings provide evidence about the role of design-based learning to facilitate intra- and inter-organisational knowledge flows and to sustain absorptive capacity through processes of recognition, internalisation and adoption.

Research limitations/implications

The study integrates currently distinct research streams focussing on (1) design research, particularly on how design can support knowledge processes and specific learning processes and (2) open innovation, particularly regarding how to enhance absorptive capacity in those contexts in which a high number of diverse stakeholders interact.

Practical implications

This study can help companies, research institutions and other organisations leveraging open innovation to reflect on the potential of design-based learning processes and on how to deliberately facilitate such processes in their projects.

Originality/value

The original contribution provided by this study is to explore open innovation through some analytical categories elaborated in design research concerning materially grounded forms of design-based learning. In particular, the study investigates how design supports knowledge transfer, sharing, translation and creation.
Impact of wholesale price discrimination by the manufacturer on the profit of supply chain members
Authors: TM Rofin , Mahanty Biswajit
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of wholesale price discrimination by a manufacturer in a retailer–e-tailer dual-channel supply chain for different product categories based on their online channel preference.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers a dual-channel supply chain comprising of a retailer and an e-tailer engaged in competition. Game-theoretic models are developed to model the competition between the retailer and e-tailer and to derive their optimal price, optimal order quantity and optimal profit under (1) equal wholesale price strategy and (2) discriminatory wholesale price strategy. Further, a numerical example was employed to quantify the results and to capture the variation with respect to online channel preference of the product.

Findings

It is beneficial for the manufacturer to adopt a discriminatory wholesale price strategy for products having both high online channel preference and low online channel preference. However, equal wholesale price strategy is beneficial for the e-tailer and the retailer in the case of products having high online channel preference and in the case of products having low online channel preference, respectively.

Practical implications

The study helps the manufacturers to maximize their profit by adopting the right wholesale price strategy considering the online channel preference of the product when the manufacturers are supplying to heterogeneous retailers.

Originality/value

There is scant literature on the wholesale price strategy of the manufacturer considering the heterogeneous downstream retailers. This paper contributes the literature by bridging this gap. In addition, the study establishes a link between the wholesale price strategy and online channel preference of the product.
Cucurbitacin IIb improved active chromatin‐induced systemic lupus erythematosus via balancing the percentage of Th17 and Treg cells
Authors: Wu Dongke , Dong Dasheng , Bi Xiongjie , Liu Yuping , Ma Yunqing
Published: October 2020

The pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is closely associated with aberrant immune system. Here, the aim of our study was to explore the regulation of cucurbitacin IIb (CuIIb) to Th17/Treg cells in SLE. Compared with normal mice, the percentage of Treg cells was downregulated in SLE mouse model, and Th17 was upregulated. Meantime, the production of Treg‐related transcription factor (foxp3) in SLE model mouse was reduced, and the production of Th17‐related transcription factor (RORγt) was increased. After treatment with CuIIb, the percentage of Treg cells in SLE mice was partly upregulated, and Th17 cells percentage was downregulated. The expression of foxp3 and RORγt in SLE mice were promoted and inhibited by CuIIb treatment, respectively. SLE‐induced kidney injury also was improved by CuIIb treatment. In vitro, we demonstrated again that CuIIb upregulated the percentage of Treg cells in lymphocytes from SLE mice, and downregulated the percentage of Th17 cells. Highly expressed IL‐6 and IL17, and lowly expressed IL‐10 and TGF‐β in lymphocytes from SLE mice were repressed and facilitated by CuIIb treatment, respectively. Overall, our data proved that CuIIb improved kidney injury in SLE mice through balancing the percentage of Th17 and Treg cells. Our data provided a reliable evidence to support the potential of CuIIb in SLE treatment.
Populists and Referendums in Europe: Dispelling the Myth
Authors: Gherghina Sergiu , Silagadze Nanuli
Published: October 2020

Many researchers, journalists and politicians are inclined to connect populism and referendums. While in theory the two rest on similar principles, in practice this is not the case. This article shows that populist political elites make limited use of referendums compared both to their rhetoric and to non‐populists. Our findings indicate that the use of referendums is not a reflection of populist politics. They also illustrate how populists may initiate referendums strategically, and they win them quite often. The analysis draws on all sixty‐four national level referendums in Europe initiated by political elites between 2000 and 2019.
Line manager implementation and employee HR attributions mediating mechanisms in the HRM system—Organizational performance relationship: A multilevel and multipath study
Authors: Katou Anastasia A. , Budhwar Pawan S. , Patel Charmi
Published: October 2020

Drawing on the attribution and social exchange theories, this study by proposing an integrated multilevel and multipath framework examines the impact of HRM content on organizational performance, through the serially mediating mechanisms of HR strength, line manager HR implementation, and employee HR attributions. Using a sample of 158 Greek private organizations and having data from senior managers, line managers, and employees, we conducted a multilevel path analyses via Mplus. We found that between organizations (a) HR strength fully mediates the relationship between HRM content and line manager HR implementation, (b) line manager HR implementation fully mediates the relationship between HR strength and employee HR attributions, and (c) employee HR attributions fully mediate the relationship between line manager HR implementation and organizational performance. Accordingly, this study advances prior knowledge by examining an integrated research pathways framework that has largely been investigated in isolation.
Risk factors for overt hepatic encephalopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation in patients with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Tong Huan , Gan Can , Wei Bo , Wang Zhi Dong , Li Xiao Dan , Qian Shuai Jie , Huan Hui , Zhang Lin Hao , Yang Zhu , Chen Yi Long , Gu Yong Hong , Chen Liu Xiang , Yang Yu Hang , Wu Hao , Tang Cheng Wei
Published: October 2020

Objective

This study aimed to determine the risk factors and establish a risk score for post‐transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE).

Methods

Altogether 299 and 62 cirrhotic patients receiving TIPS from January 2015 to March 2018 were divided into the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The data of the derivation cohort were analyzed for risk factors of post‐TIPS OHE. A risk score was established from the derivation cohort and verified by the validation cohort.

Results

During a median follow‐up of 112.6 weeks, 52 (17.4%) patients in the derivation cohort experienced post‐TIPS OHE. Logistic regression showed that alcoholic cirrhosis (odds ratio [OR] 3.068, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.423‐6.613, P = 0.004), stent diameter of 10 mm (OR 12.046 [95% CI 2.308‐62.862], P = 0.003), portal pressure gradient (PPG) decrement ≥60% (OR 3.548 [95% CI 1.741‐7.230], P < 0.001), model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) score ≥10 (OR 2.695 [95% CI 1.203‐6.035], P = 0.016), blood ammonia (OR 1.009 [95% CI 1.000‐1.018], P = 0.043) and notable hydrothorax (OR 4.393 [95% CI 1.554‐12.415], P = 0.005) were associated with an increased risk of post‐TIPS OHE. The risk score reached a promising risk evaluation of post‐TIPS OHE when verified by the validation cohort (sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 70.7%, accuracy 71.0%).

Conclusions

Alcoholic cirrhosis and notable hydrothorax are independent risk factors for post‐TIPS OHE in liver cirrhosis, together with the stent diameter of 10 mm, PPG decrement ≥60%, MELD score ≥10 and blood ammonia. The established risk score is reliable to identify high‐risk individuals of developing post‐TIPS OHE.
Endoscopic treatment of gastric antral vascular ectasia in real‐life settings: Argon plasma coagulation or endoscopic band ligation?
Authors: Fábián Anna , Bor Renáta , Szabó Ella , Kardos Viktor , Bálint Anita , Farkas Klaudia , Milassin Ágnes , Rutka Mariann , Szántó Kata , Molnár Tamás , Szűcs Mónika , Lőrinczy Katalin , Orbán‐Szilágyi Ákos , Gyökeres Tibor , Gyimesi György , Szepes Attila , Kovács Valéria , Rácz István , Szepes Zoltán
Published: October 2020

Objective

The efficacy of argon plasma coagulation (APC) on gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) may be impaired over time and depends greatly on the application settings. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) may be an alternative, but study on its efficacy is limited. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy of APC and EBL in treating GAVE.

Methods

Changes in the need for blood transfusion, number of treatment sessions and hospitalizations were retrospectively assessed in 63 transfusion‐dependent patients with GAVE (mean age: 67.1 y, 54.0% female) treated with either APC or EBL (45 and 18 patients, respectively) in four tertiary endoscopic centers.

Results

Both methods substantially increased hemoglobin levels and decreased patients' need for a transfusion (22.0 ± 4.0 g/L and −5.62 ± 2.30 units of packed red blood cells [RBC] with APC, and 27.4 ± 6.1 g/L and −4.79 ± 2.46 units of packed RBC with EBL), without a significant statistical difference between the methods. However, fewer EBL sessions were required both for the cessation of need for a transfusion compared with those for the resolution of GAVE lesions (0.90 ± 0.10 vs 1.69 ± 0.31, P = 0.028).

Conclusions

Both APC and EBL are effective in GAVE treatment. EBL may be superior in terms of number of treatment sessions, but not in its influence on hemoglobin level and need for transfusion. Further prospective studies with large, homogeneous sample size and standardized APC settings are needed.
The strategy and efficacy of prophylaxis against hepatitis B virus recurrence after liver transplantation for HBV‐related diseases in the era of potent nucleos(t)ide analogues: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Ming Shu , Hou Zhou Hua , Yao Guo Zhu , Tan De Ming
Published: October 2020

Objectives

This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome of liver transplant (LT) recipients under potent nucleoside or nucleotide analogue (NA)‐based regimens and investigate different prophylactic schemes.

Methods

We followed PRISMA statement to conduct this study. Two reviewers independently searched relevant literature via PubMed, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science and Insightmeme. Studies were included if they evaluated hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence under potent NA‐based regimens in patients who received HBV‐related LT. Primary and secondary outcomes were HBV recurrence, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence, all‐cause and HBV recurrence‐related mortality. Incidences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated and assessed by fixed and random effects models. Subgroup analyses were used to examine the impact of different treatment strategies.

Results

Altogether 25 studies (N = 2327) were included, with a pooled HBV recurrence rate of 1.01% (95% CI 0.53%‐1.59%). HBV viremia or hepatitis D virus superinfection did not influence HBV recurrence significantly (P = 0.23 and 0.71, respectively). The recurrence rate under an indefinite combination of potent NA and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) was lower than that under potent NA monotherapy (P = 0.000) and similar to that under NA plus a finite course of HBIG (P = 0.48). The pooled HCC recurrence rate was 5.34% (95% CI 0.78%‐12.48%). HBV recurrence‐related mortality and all‐cause mortality were 0% and 6.95% (95% CI 4.30%‐10.08%), respectively.

Conclusions

Potent NA‐based regimens provide satisfactory HBV antiviral prophylaxis and improve long‐term outcomes for LT recipients. A finite combination of potent NA and HBIG is an alternative to life‐long dual therapy.
Spotlight on microRNAs in allergy and asthma
Authors: Weidner Julie , Bartel Sabine , Kılıç Ayse , Zissler Ulrich M. , Renz Harald , Schwarze Jürgen , Schmidt‐Weber Carsten B. , Maes Tania , Rebane Ana , Krauss‐Etschmann Susanne , Rådinger Madeleine
Published: October 2020

In past 10 years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have gained scientific attention due to their importance in the pathophysiology of allergic diseases and their potential as biomarkers in liquid biopsies. They act as master post‐transcriptional regulators that control most cellular processes. As one miRNA can target several mRNAs, often within the same pathway, dysregulated expression of miRNAs may alter particular cellular responses and contribute, or lead, to the development of various diseases. In this review, we give an overview of the current research on miRNAs in allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma. Specifically, we discuss how individual miRNAs function in the regulation of immune responses in epithelial cells and specialized immune cells in response to different environmental factors and respiratory viruses. In addition, we review insights obtained from experiments with murine models of allergic airway and skin inflammation and offer an overview of studies focusing on miRNA discovery using profiling techniques and bioinformatic modeling of the network effect of multiple miRNAs. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of research into miRNA function in allergy and asthma to improve our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of this heterogeneous group of diseases.
Centralized standards and local taxation in municipal waste management
Authors: Di Liddo Giuseppe , Vinella Annalisa
Published: October 2020

In the EU, standards for municipal waste sorting and recycling are established by the European central institutions, being mostly based on the available estimates of recyclable materials. In a simple model of co‐production in municipal waste management with local taxation, we assess that central bodies enjoy more discretion and can set more ambitious targets in jurisdictions with stronger environmental preferences and/or lower expenditure needs. Incentives to engage in waste sorting and recycling are found to be less powerful with citizens who are less sensitive to the environmental preservation, and all the more when the public input has a high cost. This points to the conclusion that standards should be differentiated across jurisdictions, with due consideration of the local preferences and costs of waste management.
Methyl Palmitate—A suitable adjuvant for Sorafenib therapy to reduce in vivo toxicity and to enhance anti‐cancer effects on hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Authors: Breeta Raja David Isac Evangeline , Grace Viswanathan Mariammal Berlin , Wilson Devarajan David
Published: October 2020

This study focused on evaluating the potency of Methyl Palmitate in reducing in vivo toxicity with enhancement of anti‐cancer effects of Sorafenib. In vitro anti‐cancer effects on human Hep‐G2 cell line were analysed by MTT, Trypan blue, clonogenic, wound scratch migration and TUNEL assays. An in vivo study for anti‐angiogenesis effect, toxicity and teratogenicity was analysed in Zebrafish embryos. The combination of Sorafenib (4.5 µmol/L) with Methyl Palmitate (3 mmol/L) significantly enhanced anti‐cancer effects on Hep‐G2 cell line by increasing cytotoxicity (P ≤ .05 in MTT assay; P ≤ .01 in Trypan blue assay), apoptosis (P ≤ .05) and decreasing the metastatic migration (P ≤ .01) than Sorafenib alone treatment. A prominent inhibition of angiogenesis in vivo was observed for combination treatment. At 5 dpf, only <20% toxicity was observed for 3 mmol/L Methyl palmitate while it was 65.75% for Sorafenib treatment which implies that it is a safer dose for in vivo treatments. A highly significant (P ≤ .001) reduction (43.20%) in toxicity was observed in combination treatment. Thus, the Sorafenib‐Methyl Palmitate combination showed a promising treatment effect with significantly reduced in vivo toxicity when compared with Sorafenib alone treatment, and hence the Methyl Palmitate may serve as a good adjuvant for Sorafenib therapy.
Informal carers’ experiences of caring for someone with Multiple Sclerosis: A photovoice investigation
Authors: Topcu Gogem , Buchanan Heather , Aubeeluck Aimee , Ülsever Hatice
Published: October 2020

Objectives

This study explores the lived experiences of carers of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), specifically in relation to their quality of life (QoL), through the use of images and narratives, with the aim of gaining a nuanced insight into the complex nature of QoL in the MS caregiving context.

Design

Real‐time qualitative design using the photovoice method.

Methods

Twelve MS carers (aged 30–73 years) took photographs of objects/places/events that represented enhancement or compromise to their QoL and composed written narratives for each photograph based on their experiences of caregiving. In total, 126 photographs and their corresponding narratives were analysed using content analysis.

Results

Seven inter‐related themes were identified. MS caregiving‐related challenges, sense of loss (e.g., loss of activities), emotional impact (e.g., feeling lonely), urge to escape, and sense of anxiety over the unpredictability of MS carer role were discussed in relation to the negative experiences that compromised their QoL. The themes precious moments (e.g., time spent with loved ones or hobbies) and helpful support (e.g., family and pets) encompassed participants’ positive experiences that enhanced their QoL.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrated the multi‐faceted and complex nature of MS caregiver’s QoL and highlighted that although the experiences of MS carers were mostly negative, there were also some positive aspects to caregiving, that helped enhance carers’ QoL by ameliorating these negative experiences. These findings can be used to inform support programmes and enhance service provision for MS carers.
Functional and genetic diversity changes through time in a cloud forest ant assemblage
Authors: Warne Connor P. K. , Hallwachs Winnie , Janzen Daniel H. , Smith M. Alex
Published: October 2020

Climate change in the Neotropics is causing upslope range shifts. We used arrays of ant species collected in a cloud forest at 1,500 m in Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica, collected in two time periods (1998–2000 and 2008–2011) to measure changes in species richness and diversity over a decade. Using metrics of community structure, we found that the species assemblage in the collections from the 1990s was significantly phylogenetically clustered and functionally less diverse as compared to collections from the early 2000s. At both time points, the assemblages were significantly phylogenetically clustered and while the difference in functional diversity between the time points was not significant, the ant assemblage has become lighter in color (on average) over time. When individual species are considered, the overall pattern of replacement is consistent with the cloud forest ant assemblage being colonized by arrivals from lower elevation forests. The invertebrate communities on cloud forested mountain tops are especially vulnerable to a changing climate as there are two factors working together; no higher terrain to which they can move and the invasion of more and more taxa from lower downslope. This vulnerability is already measurable.
Pathophysiological significance of N‐myc downstream‐regulated gene 2 in cancer development through protein phosphatase 2A phosphorylation regulation
Authors: Morishita Kazuhiro , Nakahata Shingo , Ichikawa Tomonaga
Published: October 2020

N‐myc downstream‐regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is a candidate tumor suppressor in various cancers, including adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). NDRG2, as a stress‐responsive protein, is induced by several stress‐related signaling pathways and NDRG2 negatively regulates various signal transduction pathways. Although it has not been found to function alone, NDRG2 binds serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), generating a complex that is involved in the regulation of various target proteins. The main function of NDRG2 is to maintain cell homeostasis by suppressing stress‐induced signal transduction; however, in cancer, genomic deletions and/or promoter methylation may inhibit the expression of NDRG2, resulting in enhanced tumor development through overactivated signal transduction pathways. A wide variety of tumors develop in Ndrg2‐deficient mice, including T‐cell lymphoma, liver, lung and other tumors, the characteristics of which are similar to those in Pten‐deficient mice. In particular, PTEN is a target molecule of the NDRG2/PP2A complex, which enhances PTEN phosphatase activity by dephosphorylating residues in the PTEN C‐terminal region. In ATLL cells, loss of NDRG2 expression leads to the failed recruitment of PP2A to PTEN, resulting in the inactivation of PTEN phosphatase with phosphorylation, ultimately leading to the activation of PI3K/AKT. Thus, NDRG2, as a PP2A adaptor, regulates the global phosphorylation of important signaling molecules. Moreover, the downregulation of NDRG2 expression by long‐term stress‐induced methylation is directly correlated with the development of ATLL and other cancers. Thus, NDRG2 might be important for the development of stress‐induced leukemia and other cancers and has become an important target for novel molecular therapies.
c‐Myc promotes lymphatic metastasis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor through VEGFC upregulation
Authors: Chang Tsung‐Ming , Chu Pei‐Yi , Hung Wen‐Chun , Shan Yan‐Shen , Lin Hui‐You , Huang Kuo‐Wei , Chang Jeffrey S. , Chen Li‐Tzong , Tsai Hui‐Jen
Published: October 2020

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET) is a pancreatic neoplasm with neuroendocrine differentiation. pNET in early stage can be treated with surgical resection with long‐term survival, whereas the prognosis of pNET with locoregional or distant metastasis is relatively poor. Lymphangiogenesis is essential for tumor metastasis via the lymphatic system and may overhead distant metastasis. c‐Myc overexpression is involved in tumorigenesis. The role of c‐Myc in lymphangiogenesis is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the mechanism and effect of c‐Myc on lymphangiogenesis of pNET via interaction of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and pNET cells. Lymph node metastasis was evaluated in pNET xenograft mice. Potential target agents to inhibit lymph node metastasis were evaluated in an animal model. We found that vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) expression and secretion was increased in pNET cell lines with c‐Myc overexpression. c‐Myc transcriptionally upregulates VEGFC expression and the secretion of pNET cells by directly binding to the E‐box of the VEGFC promoter and enhances VEGF receptor 3 phosphorylation and the tube formation of LECs. c‐Myc overexpression is associated with lymph node metastasis in pNET xenograft mice. Combinational treatment with an mTOR inhibitor and c‐Myc inhibitor or VEGFC‐neutralizing chimera protein reduced lymph node metastasis in the mice with c‐Myc overexpression. The mTOR inhibitor acts on lymphangiogenesis by reducing VEGFC expression in pNET cells and inhibiting the tube formation of LECs. In conclusion, mTOR and c‐Myc are important for lymphangiogenesis of pNET and are potential therapeutic targets for prevention and treatment of lymph node metastasis in pNET.
Revisional ileoanal pouch surgery: a systematic literature review assessing outcomes over the last 40 years
Authors: Carpenter Holly , Hotouras Alexander , English William J. , Taylor Fiona G. M. , Andreani Stefano
Published: October 2020

Aim

Failure of primary ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) occurs in up to 15% of patients. Revision surgery may be offered to patients wishing to maintain gastrointestinal continuity. This paper explores the literature relating to IPAA revision surgery, focusing on pouch function after revision and factors associated with pouch failure.

Methods

Search of PubMed database was carried out for ‘ileal pouch anal anastomoses’, ‘ileoanal pouch’, ‘restorative proctocolectomy’, ‘revision surgery’, ‘redo surgery’, ‘failure’, ‘refashion surgery’, ‘reconstruction surgery’ and ‘salvage surgery’. Papers were screened using the PRISMA literature review strategy. Studies of adults published after 1980 in English with an available abstract were included. Case reports and studies that were superseded using the same data were excluded.

Results

Nineteen papers (1424 patients) were identified. Bowel motion frequency doubled following revision surgery compared to primary IPAA although the increase was not always statistically significant. In patients failing primary IPAA, frequency of daytime bowel motions improved following revision in three studies but only reached significance in one (12.1 vs. 6.9, P = 0.021). Risk of pouch failure is increased in patients who develop pelvic sepsis after the primary procedure with the largest study demonstrating a four‐fold increased risk (hazard ratio 3.691, P < 0.0001). A final diagnosis of Crohn's causes a four‐fold increased risk of pouch failure (n = 81; OR 3.92, 95% CI 1.1–15.9, P = 0.04).

Conclusions

In patients undergoing revisional surgery, improved outcomes are observed but are inferior compared to primary IPAA patients. Pelvic sepsis after primary IPAA and a final diagnosis of Crohn's are associated with increased risk of pouch failure.
LPX: Overlapping community detection based on X‐means and label propagation algorithm in attributed networks
Authors: Ge Jinhuan , Sun Heli , Xue Chenhao , He Liang , Jia Xiaolin , He Hui , Chen Jiyin
Published: October 2020

Traditional community detection methods in attributed networks (eg, social network) usually disregard abundant node attribute information and only focus on structural information of a graph. Existing community detection methods in attributed networks are mostly applied in the detection of nonoverlapping communities and cannot be directly used to detect the overlapping structures. This article proposes an overlapping community detection algorithm in attributed networks. First, we employ the modified X‐means algorithm to cluster attributes to form different themes. Second, we employ the label propagation algorithm (LPA), which is based on neighborhood network conductance for priority and the rule of theme weight, to detect communities in each theme. Finally, we perform redundant processing to form the final community division. The proposed algorithm improves the X‐means algorithm to avoid the effects of outliers. Problems of LPA such as instability of division and adjacent communities being easily merged can be corrected by prioritizing the node neighborhood network conductance. As the community is detected in the attribute subspace, the algorithm can find overlapping communities. Experimental results on real‐attributed and synthetic‐attributed networks show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is excellent with multiple evaluation metrics.