bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disrupted Peyer’s patch microanatomy in COVID-19 including germinal centre atrophy independent of local virus
Authors: Trevelin Silvia C. , Pickering Suzanne , Todd Katrina , Bishop Cynthia , Pitcher Michael , Mesa Jose Garrido , Montorsi Lucia , Spada Filomena , Petrov Nedyalko , Green Anna , Shankar-Hari Manu , Neil Stuart J.D. , Spencer Jo
Published: December 2021

Confirmed SARS-coronavirus-2 infection with gastrointestinal symptoms and changes in microbiota associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity have been previously reported, but the disease impact on the architecture and cellularity of ileal Peyer’s patches (PP) remains unknown. Here we analysed post-mortem tissues from throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of patients who died with COVID-19. When virus was detected by PCR in the GI tract, immunohistochemistry identified virus in epithelium and lamina propria macrophages, but not in lymphoid tissues. Immunohistochemistry and imaging mass cytometry (IMC) analysis of ileal PP revealed depletion of germinal centres (GC), disruption of B cell/T cell zonation and decreased potential B and T cell interaction and lower nuclear density in COVID-19 patients. This occurred independent of the local viral levels. The changes in PP demonstrate that the ability to mount an intestinal immune response is compromised in severe COVID-19, which could contribute to observed dysbiosis.
ILC homeostasis phenotyping in various tissues, aging, and sex differences
Authors: Mobley Alexis S , Garrido Jesus Bautista , Honarpisheh Pedram , d’Aigle John , McCullough Louise D , Aronowski Jaroslaw
Published: December 2021

Innate lymphoid cells are the innate counterpart to CD4+ T cells that are mediated by the same transcription factors and produce similar cytokines. ILCs are being investigated in many different disease states, but the field current lacks foundational information on ILC representation whether it be in tissues, between males and females, or in aging as these are all vital components in disease etiology and severity. Our descriptive study used flow cytometry to characterize ILCs compared to the entire CD45+ (e.g., lymphocyte) and lineage negative (e.g., ILC) compartments to understand their homeostatic balance and plasticity. Moreover, we defined ILC2 expression and subsets based on their cytokine production and created several mathematical models to elucidate the correlation of extra- and intra-cellular ILC2 markers from least to most complex. ILC studies would benefit from more unbiased, holistic experiments including RNA-seq and mass spectroscopy to further define ILCs in steady state before adding more complex pathways like different disease states to enhance translational value and therapeutic targeting of these cells.
DeepMed: A unified, modular pipeline for end-to-end deep learning in computational pathology
Authors: van Treeck Marko , Cifci Didem , Laleh Narmin Ghaffari , Saldanha Oliver Lester , Loeffler Chiara M. L. , Hewitt Katherine J. , Muti Hannah Sophie , Echle Amelie , Seibel Tobias , Seraphin Tobias Paul , Trautwein Christian , Foersch Sebastian , Luedde Tom , Truhn Daniel , Kather Jakob Nikolas
Published: December 2021

The interpretation of digitized histopathology images has been transformed thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). End-to-end AI algorithms can infer high-level features directly from raw image data, extending the capabilities of human experts. In particular, AI can predict tumor subtypes, genetic mutations and gene expression directly from hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained pathology slides. However, existing end-to-end AI workflows are poorly standardized and not easily adaptable to new tasks. Here, we introduce DeepMed, a Python library for predicting any high-level attribute directly from histopathological whole slide images alone, or from images coupled with additional meta-data (https://github.com/KatherLab/deepmed). Unlike earlier computational pipelines, DeepMed is highly developer-friendly: its structure is modular and separates preprocessing, training, deployment, statistics, and visualization in such a way that any one of these processes can be altered without affecting the others. Also, DeepMed scales easily from local use on laptop computers to multi-GPU clusters in cloud computing services and therefore can be used for teaching, prototyping and for large-scale applications. Finally, DeepMed is user-friendly and allows researchers to easily test multiple hypotheses in a single dataset (via cross-validation) or in multiple datasets (via external validation). Here, we demonstrate and document DeepMed’s abilities to predict molecular alterations, histopathological subtypes and molecular features from routine histopathology images, using a large benchmark dataset which we release publicly. In summary, DeepMed is a fully integrated and broadly applicable end-to-end AI pipeline for the biomedical research community.
Microtubule-mitochondrial attachment facilitates cell division symmetry and proper mitochondrial partitioning in fission yeast
Authors: Chacko Leeba Ann , Mikus Felix , Ariotti Nicholas , Dey Gautam , Ananthanarayanan Vaishnavi
Published: December 2021

Association with microtubules inhibits the fission of mitochondria in Schizosachharomyces pombe. Here we show that this attachment of mitochondria to microtubules is an important cell intrinsic factor in determining division symmetry. By comparing mutant cells that exhibited enhanced attachment and no attachment of mitochondria to microtubules (Dnm1Δ and Mmb1Δ respectively), we show that microtubules in these mutants displayed aberrant dynamics compared to wild-type cells, which resulted in errors in nuclear positioning. This translated to cell division asymmetry in a significant proportion of both Dnm1Δ and Mmb1Δ cells. Asymmetric division in Dnm1Δ and Mmb1Δ cells resulted in unequal distribution of mitochondria, with the daughter cell that received more mitochondria growing faster than the other daughter. Taken together, we show the existence of homeostatic feedback controls between mitochondria and microtubules in fission yeast, which directly influence mitochondrial partitioning and thereby, cell growth.
Continuous ergonomic risk perception for manual assembly operations using wearable multi-sensor posture estimation
Authors: Fang Wei , Fu Mingyu , Zheng Lianyu
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to perform the real-time and accurate ergonomics analysis for the operator in the manual assembly, with the purpose of identifying potential ergonomic injuries when encountering labor-excessive and unreasonable assembly operations.

Design/methodology/approach

Instead of acquiring body data for ergonomic evaluation by arranging many observers around, this paper proposes a multi-sensor based wearable system to track worker’s posture for a continuous ergonomic assessment. Moreover, given the accurate neck postural data from the shop floor by the proposed wearable system, a continuous rapid upper limb assessment method with robustness to occasional posture changes, is proposed to evaluate the neck and upper back risk during the manual assembly operations.

Findings

The proposed method can retrieve human activity data during manual assembly operations, and experimental results illustrate that the proposed work is flexible and accurate for continuous ergonomic assessments in manual assembly operations.

Originality/value

Based on the proposed multi-sensor based wearable system for posture acquisition, a real-time and high-precision ergonomics analysis is achieved with the postural data arrived continuously, it can provide a more objective indicator to assess the ergonomics during manual assembly.
Space for accounting and accountability: realising potential management accounting research contributions to the space sector
Authors: Tucker Basil P. , Alewine Hank C.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The contribution of accounting research to the space sector has arguably been less discernible, less visible and less appreciated than that made by STEM disciplines. This paper aims to ascertain the nature and extent to which management accounting can contribute to interdisciplinary advancements of the space sector. This is accomplished by investigating possible contributions realised by management accounting research to the space sector and identifying the opportunities and challenges facing interdisciplinary accounting researchers in making a contribution.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative empirical study draws on interviews with 25 academic researchers and practitioners from Australia, the USA, the UK, Canada, Europe, India and China, with research or practitioner experience on accounting issues germane to the space sector. The purpose is to seek their perceptions of how interdisciplinary management accounting research can solve contemporaneous problems in the space sector.

Findings

The potential contribution that management accounting research can make in the space sector is grounded in the inherent interdisciplinary of the discipline. The propensity to draw on other disciplines, theories, methodologies and methods is a strength of management accounting, as it is arguably by such interdisciplinarity that “wicked problems’ such as those presented by space exploration, policy and research can be solved.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers to explore the role and contribution management accounting research can offer to what has traditionally been a STEM-dominated field. In so doing, it underscores the central importance and value-added by an interdisciplinary approach to management accounting research.
Does autonomy support matter for intern well-being in Malaysia? A self-determination theory approach
Authors: Gu Manli , Liu Li , Bolt Ester Ellen Trees
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Research has shown that autonomy support is a powerful predictor of employee well-being in the West. Despite this importance in the West, the role of autonomy in relation to employee well-being remains relatively understudied in other contexts, such as Malaysia. This is presumably so due to the assumption that employees in a country of excessive hierarchy, like Malaysia, do not value autonomy. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this paper aims to investigate the relationship between employee perceived autonomy support and well-being in the context of Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose that employee-perceived autonomy support is positively related to employee well-being (measured as work engagement and emotional exhaustion) mediated by basic psychological need satisfaction. The authors also hypothesize that the positive relationship is even stronger when employees are less autonomy-oriented. The authors tested this moderated mediation model using a survey of 125 interns in Malaysia.

Findings

The results provide strong evidence for the mediating role of need satisfaction when intern well-being is measured as work engagement, while the evidence is less conclusive when employee well-being is measured as emotional exhaustion. Moreover, the moderating effect of autonomy orientation is insignificant.

Originality/value

This paper enhances understanding of the cross-culture applicability of SDT and thereby provided a nuanced understanding of the boundary conditions of autonomy support.
Impact of corporate network position on strategic risk and company’s performance – evidence from Poland
Authors: Światowiec-Szczepańska Justyna , Stępień Beata
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the links between a company’s position in a corporate network with its financial performance and strategic risk in the context of the largest Central European stock market.

Design/methodology/approach

This study integrates the theory of social network analysis (SNA) with corporate governance theory with a special focus on resource dependence theory. Using the framework of network social analysis, the authors use network measures of social capital and embeddedness.

Findings

The results of studying companies listed on the Polish stock exchange indicate that a company’s corporate network position has a significant negative impact on strategic risk while having no influence on its financial performance. The research also highlights the importance of a firm’s corporate governance model for both performance and strategic risk.

Research limitations/implications

The data collected, and SNA measures used made it possible to conduct a cross-sectional study. Compared to longitudinal studies, this type of study has a couple of disadvantages addressed in the paper. In the future, the dependencies observed in this study should be tested using longer-term data.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper integrating the corporate personal and capital networks to test risk and performance dependencies in the context of Poland’s corporate governance model. The findings and conclusions can also be applied to analyzing Central and Eastern Europe stock markets.
Families’ engagement in making activities related to aerospace engineering: designing for parents as learning partners in pop-up makerspaces
Authors: Zimmerman Heather Toomey , Grills Katharine Ellen , McKinley Zachary , Kim Soo Hyeon
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The researchers conducted a collective case study to investigate how families engaged in making activities related to aerospace engineering in six pop-up makerspace programs held in libraries and one museum. The purpose of this paper is to support families’ engagement in design tasks and engineering thinking, three types of discussion prompts were used during each workshop. The orienting design conjecture was that discussion prompts would allow parents to lead productive conversations to support engineering-making activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Within a collective case study approach, 20 consented families (22 adults, 25 children) engaged in making practices related to making a lunar rover with a scientific instrument panel. Data included cases of families’ talk and actions, as documented through video (22 h) and photographs of their engineering designs. An interpretivist, qualitative video-based analysis was conducted by creating individual narrative accounts of each family (including transcript excerpts and images).

Findings

Parents used the question prompts in ways that were integral to supporting youths’ participation in the engineering activities. Children often did not answer the astronomer’s questions directly; instead, the parents revoiced the prompts before the children’s engagement. Family prompts supported reflecting upon prior experiences, defining the design problem and maintaining the activity flow.

Originality/value

Designing discussion prompts, within a broader project-based learning pedagogy, supports family engagement in engineering design practices in out-of-school pop-up makerspace settings. The work suggests that parents play a crucial role in engineering workshops for youths aged 5 to 10 years old by revoicing prompts to keep families’ design work and sensemaking talk (connecting prior and new ideas) flowing throughout a makerspace workshop.
Corporate financial crimes in Pakistan – a review and analysis
Authors: Yasir Anam , Ahmed Alia , Anum Leena
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight those factors which involve elite class criminals in corporate financial crimes. This research implies the fact that the study of criminal behavior is pivotal for finding out the reasons behind such crimes.

Design/methodology/approach

By describing theories of criminology, researchers assess the nature of financial criminals in Pakistan from a theoretical perspective.

Findings

Elite-class people commit crimes upon perceiving high benefits and less punishment. Moreover, the social environment contributes greatly to inducing criminal behavior.

Research limitations/implications

Explanation of criminal behaviors provided in the study will be helpful in providing directions for the prevention of such criminal actions in the future.

Originality/value

This research examines the criminal behavior of elite class crimes from the theoretical perspective which will be significant in the prevention of such behaviors.
Can Latin America AML effectiveness impact corruption prevention?
Authors: Cruz Salazar Sarahí , Anselmo Marcio Adriano
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF’s) recommendations in Latin America in the fight against Money Laundering (ML) through the Immediate Outcomes 4 (Preventive Measures) and 6 (Financial Intelligence) and the relationship between anti-money laundering (AML) effectiveness and anti-corruption measures.

Design/methodology/approach

Through quantitative and quality methods measure the performance of the Immediate Outcomes’ levels in compliance with the established FATF’ standards; The objective is to analyze progress in the prevention and identification of ML.

Findings

The authors discuss the relationship between AML effectiveness and anti-corruption measures starting with the analysis of the best-ranked country in these indicators (IO4 and IO6).

Research limitations/implications

Mutual evaluations require a long process, which is why the authors do not have all the updated data for all the Latin American countries; only the updated Immediate Outcomes data up to September 16, 2021, are taken. This paper is part of the Research Project “The impacts of corruption in the Western Hemisphere and regional responses.”

Originality/value

Through a multidisciplinary analysis, the Immediate Results evaluation model is prioritized to measure the effectiveness of the methods applied in Latin America through the IO4 and IO6. The model that presents the best effectiveness is selected and the successes that this country is applying over its peers are analyzed. From this analysis, a quantitative and qualitative analysis can be appreciated.
Cricket, Englishness and Racial Thinking
Authors: Collins Michael
Published: December 2021

During 2021, long‐standing concerns about racism in English cricket rose to the surface to become very public, political questions. For the purposes of clarity, this article begins by drawing a distinction between racism on the one hand and ‘racial thinking’ on the other. It suggests that racial thinking is related to, but analytically distinct from, and in fact prior to racism. It then goes on to develop a wider analysis of the historical connections between cricket, Englishness and racial thinking. With this in mind, the final section of the article draws on the preceding historical analysis to explore some of the more recent examples of racial thinking in cricket, and their implications for how we might approach the problem of racism in English cricket today.
Incorporating patient perspectives in the science of uterus transplantation
Authors: Farrell Ruth M. , Falcone Tommaso
Published: December 2021

Linked article: This is a mini commentary on Wall et al., pp. 1095–1102 in this issue. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17052
Forensic documentation of non‐fatal strangulation
Authors: Reckdenwald Amy , Powell Karina M. , Martins Traccy A. W.
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine forensic documentation of non‐fatal strangulation (NFS) in domestic violence cases. Research has pointed to the importance of forensic evidence in the prosecution of strangulation offenders. However, limited research has examined the type of evidence that is gathered during a forensic examination for NFS that occurs during a domestic violence situation. To address this gap in the literature, this study analyzed 63 NFS forensic examination records and body sketches for victims who were referred by police during a domestic violence incident. Results reflect the seriousness of NFS with multiple strangulation attacks in the current incident recorded in 52% of the reports, loss of consciousness recorded in 13.1% of the reports, and a history of strangulation in the relationship recorded in 60% of the reports. It is argued that a forensic exam is essential to identify and mitigate serious symptoms and injuries, as well as to collect valuable evidence that can be used during legal proceedings. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.
The impact of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors on ileus and gut motility following abdominal surgery: a clinical review
Authors: Traeger Luke , Kroon Hidde M. , Bedrikovetski Sergei , Moore James W. , Sammour Tarik
Published: December 2021

Postoperative ileus is a common complication in the days following colorectal surgery occurring in up to 50% of patients. When prolonged, this complication results in significant morbidity and mortality, doubling the total costs of hospital stay. Postoperative ileus (POI) results from the prolonged inflammatory phase that is mediated in part by the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory pathway. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as neostigmine and pyridostigmine, delay the degradation of acetylcholine at the synaptic cleft. This increase in acetylcholine has been shown to increase gut motility. They have been effective in the treatment of acute colonic pseudo‐obstruction, but there is limited evidence for the use of these medications for reducing the incidence of POI. This review was conducted to summarise the evidence of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors' effect on gut motility and discuss their potential use as part of an enhanced recovery protocols to prevent or treat POI.
Review article: current and future treatment approaches for pain in IBS
Authors: Paine Peter
Published: December 2021

Background

Abdominal pain is a core symptom of IBS and a primary driver of care seeking. Visceral hypersensitivity is a key pathophysiological mechanism and therapeutic target for pain in IBS, with components of peripheral and central sensitisation and psychological factors.

Aim

To review current and future treatment approaches specifically for the pain component of IBS.

Methods

Pubmed search terms included combinations of irritable bowel, pain, visceral hypersensitivity, novel, new, emerging, future and advances.

Results

Established non‐pharmacological treatments for IBS pain include the low FODMAP diet, probiotics and psychological interventions, especially hypnotherapy. Tricyclics remain the best evidenced pharmacological approach with GCC agonists, tenapanor, lubiprostone, eluxadoline and 5HT3 antagonists second line according to patient characteristics and availability. Less well‐evidenced current options include anti‐spasmodics, peppermint oil, SSRIs, SNRIs, alpha 2 delta ligands, melatonin and histamine antagonists. Patients are vulnerable to iatrogenesis and harmful approaches to be avoided include opioids and unwarranted surgical interventions. For severe pain, the concept of augmentation with combined gut‐brain neuromodulators and psychotherapy in a multi‐disciplinary setting is considered. A plethora of molecular targets and ligands are emerging from pre‐clinical studies, together with early clinical evidence for a range of pharmacological, dietary, neurostimulation and novel psychological treatment delivery methods which are reviewed. The history of such emerging approaches, however, merits both caution and optimism in equal measure.

Conclusions

Despite good in‐roads and emerging options, the management of abdominal pain remains one of the biggest challenges and research priorities for patients with IBS.
Review Article: Current and future treatment approaches for IBS with diarrhoea (IBS‐D) and IBS mixed pattern (IBS‐M)
Authors: Nee Judy , Lembo Anthony
Published: December 2021

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome‐diarrhoea (IBS‐D) and IBS‐mixed stool pattern (IBS‐M) are disorders of gut‐brain interaction characterised by abdominal pain associated with diarrhoea or both diarrhoea and constipation respectively. The pathophysiology of IBS‐D/M is multifactorial and not completely understood; thus, treatment is aimed at multiple mechanisms such as altering gut microbiota, visceral hypersensitivity, intestinal permeability, gut‐brain interaction and psychological strategies.

Aim

The goal of this article was to provide an up‐to‐date review of the current evidence for both non‐pharmacological and pharmacological treatment options in IBS‐D and IBS‐M. Future treatments for IBS‐D and IBS‐M will also be discussed.

Methods

Medline and Embase database searches (through April 30 2021) to identify clinical studies in subjects with IBS‐D in which dietary modification, alternative treatments (probiotics, acupuncture, exercise) as well as FDA‐approved medications were used.

Results

Dietary modification is often the first line of therapy. Furthermore, lifestyle treatments include complementary alternative medications (CAM), probiotics and peppermint oil are useful adjuncts but have not specifically been described in IBS‐D/M. Evidence strongly supports psychotherapy in the treatment of IBS. Beyond over‐the counter anti‐diarrhoeals, anti‐spasmodics and anti‐depressants, pharmacological treatment now includes treating for bile acid malabsorption and the FDA‐approved medications rifaximin, eluxadoline and alosetron.

Conclusions

The treatment of IBS‐D/M ideally involves a multidisciplinary approach of primary care, gastroenterologist and psychologist. Treatment often involves both non‐pharmacological and pharmacological therapies. Future therapies may include faecal microbial transplant, Crofelemer and serotonin antagonists, but further studies are needed.
Review article: the patients' experience with irritable bowel syndrome and their search for education and support
Authors: Ruddy Johannah
Published: December 2021

Background & aims

Methods

The author looked at the impact of IBS with a review of the scientific evidence with the following aims: a) to study the effect of IBS on a patient's quality of life, health care utilization rates and the importance of education on their condition and associated treatments b) to characterize the influence of sociocultural factors, health care literacy and the role that education has in improving clinical outcomes and c) to make recommendations of how to effectively provide education to patients about their diagnosis and treatment options in order to improve symptoms and clinical outcomes.

Results

Evidence supports the fact that interventions targeting patient‐provider interactions in order to provide validated and evidence based education options can improve health outcomes, the patient and provider experience, and reduce costs. Effectively communicating the rationale of the brain‐gut axis, as well as treatments such as the benefits of neuromodulators or behavioral health treatments can improve patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

Conclusions

The author concluded that effective patient education can improve the patient‐provider relationship and health outcomes. The author also provides info‐graphics and a listing of vetted, scientifically backed educational resources for patients to utilize for self management.
The gift of language: An anthropological approach to child language brokering in Barcelona
Authors: Romero‐Moreno Aran , Vargas‐Urpí Mireia
Published: December 2021

The phenomenon of child language brokering (CLB), that is, translation and interpreting tasks children take on to facilitate communication for their parents and other adults, is often invisible or neglected. The present article seeks to study CLB in the province of Barcelona (Spain) through the theoretical lens of Marcel Mauss's anthropological concept of the ‘gift’. The authors employ interviews with child language brokers, young mediators and parents to show that children's language competences circulate as a gendered gift that produces and reproduces social ties of different kinds—family, extended family, community, the public—and with different levels of reciprocity.
To exchange or not to exchange liquid food: is that the question for foraging leaf‐cutting ant workers?
Authors: Catalani Gabriela Christal , Camargo Roberto da Silva , Mota Filho Tarcisio Marcos Macedo , Andrade Sousa Kátia Kaelly , Matos Carlos Alberto Oliveira , Caldato Nádia , Nagamoto Nilson Satoru , Zanuncio José Cola , Forti Luiz Carlos
Published: December 2021

Leaf‐cutting ants forage fresh plants in the field to cultivate the symbiotic fungus in their nests. The trophallaxis rates in leaf‐cutting ants may be related to liquid foraging behavior and exchanging liquid food with other ants inside the nest. The liquid foraging and liquid food exchange in laboratory colonies of the leaf‐cutting ant Atta sexdens (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Attini) were studied to test whether liquid food is transferred to inside‐nest workers by foragers. The foragers commonly ingested liquid when provided with a liquid source and performed different behaviors, such as self‐ and allogrooming, but without food exchange (oral trophallaxis) to the workers inside the nest. The liquid foraging was not related to food exchange with workers inside the nest. We suggest that liquid foraging meets the individual worker needs without liquid exchange among ants inside their colonies.
Characterization of fatigue performance of the warm‐mix recycled asphalt mixture using different models
Authors: Li Qiang , Meng Yuanpeng , Li Nianhe , Li Guofen , Wang Jiaqing
Published: December 2021

The fatigue performance of different warm‐mix recycled asphalt mixtures was evaluated by the semicircular bend (SCB) test. A delayed oven heating (DOH) method was developed to simulate the long‐term ageing in the laboratory. The effects of recycling plans, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content, and ageing levels on the tensile strength and fatigue resistance were investigated. The fatigue life of the warm‐mix recycled asphalt mixture was characterized by the phenomenological, dissipated energy, and the ratio of dissipated energy change (RDEC) models, respectively. The results show that the use of the warm‐mix asphalt (WMA) technology causes a reduction of the fatigue performance for the recycled asphalt mixture, which can be compensated by the addition of styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) latex. As the RAP content or long‐term ageing time increases, the fatigue life significantly decreases. The dissipated energy model with the unified model coefficients can predict the fatigue lives for different warm‐mix recycled asphalt mixtures.
The acoustic playback technique in avian fieldwork contexts: a systematic review and recommendations for best practice
Authors: De Rosa Alberto , Castro Isabel , Marsland Stephen
Published: December 2021

Acoustic playback is commonly used to study wild birds, with applications as diverse as investigating behaviours, ascertaining the presence of rare and elusive species, and attracting individuals to a location. The number of studies employing playback is growing larger every year because it is easy to apply, increasingly affordable and very effective. However, the way that it is used and reported varies significantly across researchers and species. This lack of a protocol for reporting acoustic playbacks inevitably slows the progress of the field, as studies cannot be easily compared. In 1991, some of the most knowledgeable researchers in the field of animal communication met at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) at Thornbridge Hall in the UK to consider the design of playback experiments. The proceedings of the meeting were published in 1992 and contain crucial guidelines regarding this use of playback. In this paper we review the literature for papers published since that milestone that use acoustic playback in ornithological fieldwork contexts. We use the RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES) to evaluate the description of the methods used. The main goal of this review paper is to identify a shared set of rules for employing and reporting the playback technique in such contexts to promote reproducibility and comparability. We found 625 peer‐reviewed articles in three on‐line databases, of which 419 reported field (rather than captive) studies employing avian playback. The biggest hindrance to reproducibility is the availability of the acoustic tracks used by authors; 4% (15 articles) of our sample made their tracks publicly available. We found that only one article provided enough details for their playback application to be fully reproducible. Further, only five articles (0.92%) provided enough information for reproducibility, even if we assume information about track preparation and recording details to be unnecessary when tracks are available. Based on our synthesis of the literature, we provide a set of recommendations for the reporting of playback uses to promote reproducibility, including sample paragraphs of description as supplementary material. We strongly recommend that tracks used for such experiments are deposited in dedicated on‐line repositories for the use of other researchers. While our focus is avian fieldwork applications of the playback technique, we believe that our findings can be easily transferred to other animal systems subject to acoustic playback.
The Breadth–Depth Trade‐Off and Varieties of Preferential Trade Agreements
Authors: Chacha Mwita , Nussipov Adil
Published: December 2021

The varieties of preferential trade agreements have increased in recent decades. Regional blocs concluding deals with third‐party actors have contributed immensely to these changes in trade agreements. These varieties have motivated our reexamination of the breadth–depth trade‐off in trade agreements. We argue that a breadth–depth trade‐off is present in initial plurilateral agreements. Large groups of states at this initial stage exhibit greater preference heterogeneity that discourages deeper cooperation. Conversely, we expect the breadth–depth trade‐off to be absent in follow‐up plurilateral agreements and region‐to‐third‐party agreements. For the former, the initial pacts serve a learning function that enables deeper cooperation. For the latter, institutional mechanisms lessen preference heterogeneity and transforms negotiations to approximate bilateral trade talks that alleviate the breadth–depth trade‐off. Our test on 234 trade agreements finds support for our argument. Our paper highlights the importance of distinguishing trade negotiation configurations to better understand how membership affects the depth of agreements.
Underestimation of impaired glucose tolerance and usefulness of a continuous glucose monitoring system in chronic liver disease
Authors: Ogawa Yutaro , Nakahara Takashi , Ono Masafumi , Kawaguchi Takumi , Isoda Hiroshi , Hiramatsu Akira , Uchikawa Shinsuke , Fujino Hatsue , Murakami Eisuke , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Yamauchi Masami , Tsuge Masataka , Munekage Kensuke , Ochi Tsunehiro , Hayes C Nelson , Imamura Michio , Aikata Hiroshi , Takahashi Hirokazu , Torimura Takuji , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: December 2021

Background and Aim

The prevalence of glucose intolerance in chronic liver disease patients is high, but glucose intolerance may be overlooked in a single blood test. The purpose of this study is to evaluate blood glucose variability in patients with chronic liver disease by a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) and to examine the discrepancy between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels estimated from average blood glucose levels and HbA1c.

Methods

This study included 335 patients with chronic liver disease associated with glucose intolerance. A fasting blood test and 72‐h CGMS were performed. The estimated HbA1c was calculated from the average blood glucose level, and the correlation between hepatic functional reserve and blood glucose‐related parameters was analyzed. From the obtained data, we created a new formula to calculate HbA1c without using CGMS.

Results

As hepatic functional reserve decreased, average blood glucose and insulin resistance increased while HbA1c decreased (P < 0.0001). The discrepancy between the estimated HbA1c calculated from the mean blood glucose level and the serum HbA1c (ΔHbA1c) increased as the liver reserve decreased. Using multiple regression analysis, a formula based on fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, body mass index, albumin, and liver function was constructed, and its validity was demonstrated in a study using a different control group.

Conclusions

Hemoglobin A1c may be underestimated because of decreased hepatic functional reserve. CGMS was useful in assessing accurate glycemic control of blood glucose and in detecting postprandial hyperglycemia and nocturnal hypoglycemia. Patients with chronic hepatic impairment should be corrected for hepatic functional reserve before glycemic control.
The roles of kisspeptin and neurokinin B in GnRH pulse generation in humans, and their potential clinical application
Authors: Anderson Richard A. , Millar Robert P.
Published: December 2021

The delivery of gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) in a pulsatile mode to the gonadotropes has long been known to be essential for normal reproductive function. There have been numerous studies aimed at dissecting out the mechanisms underlying GnRH pulse generation. The discovery of kisspeptin as an upstream regulator of GnRH attracted the possibility that pulsatile kisspeptin governed the pulsatile secretion of GnRH. Subsequent studies have shown the importance of the neurokinin B (NKB) system in modulating kisspeptin secretion and this GnRH. A number of studies in laboratory rodents have supported this notion. By contrast, we present data from clinical studies in men and women, in a range of contexts, showing that continuous infusion of kisspeptin 10 at receptor‐saturating levels gives rise to an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) (GnRH) pulse frequency. This has been demonstrated in normal healthy and hypogonadal men, in normal women during the mid‐cycle LH surge, in men and women with mutations in the genes encoding NKB or its receptor, neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R), in women with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with NK3R antagonist, and in women treated with NK3R antagonist during the LH surge. These finds indicate that pulsatile secretion and action of kisspeptin on GnRH neurons is not required for the generation of LH (GnRH) pulses in humans. We also report that there is an absence of desensitization in humans exposed to continuous infusion of kisspeptin‐10 at receptor‐saturating concentrations over 22 h and briefly review GnRH, kisspeptin and NKB analogs and their clinical application.
mHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia: A scoping review
Authors: Edney Sarah , Chua Xin Hui , Müller Andre Matthias , Kui Kiran Yan , Müller‐Riemenschneider Falk
Published: December 2021

mHealth interventions can promote healthy movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep). However, recent reviews include few studies from Asia, despite it being home to over 60% of the world population. The aim is to map the current evidence for mHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia. Six databases were searched up until August 2021. Included studies described an mHealth intervention targeting one or more movement behaviors, delivered in a country/territory in Asia, to a general population. A total of 3986 unique records were screened for eligibility in duplicate. Eighty studies with 1,413,652 participants were included. Most were randomized (38.8%) or quasi‐experimental (27.5%) trials. Studies were from 17 countries/territories (out of 55); majority were high‐ (65.0%) or upper middle‐income (28.7%). Physical activity was targeted most often (93.8%), few targeted sedentary behavior (7.5%), or sleep (8.8%). Most targeted one movement behavior (90.0%), and none targeted all three together. Interventions typically incorporated a single mHealth component (70.0%; app, pedometer, text messages, wearable) and were delivered remotely (66.3%). The average intervention length was 121.8 (SD 127.6) days. mHealth interventions in Asia have primarily targeted physical activity in high‐ and upper middle‐income countries. There are few interventions targeting sedentary behavior or sleep, and no interventions in low‐income countries.
Creating and Redirecting Threats
Authors: Mardellat Victor
Published: December 2021

In the third volume of On What Matters, Derek Parfit argued that the distinction between imposing a newly created threat on someone and making what threatens some people instead threaten someone else has no genuine moral significance. This article's central thesis is that although there is much to learn from Parfit's arguments, they are ultimately unsuccessful at establishing that the redirected versus newly created threats distinction is morally irrelevant. In particular, I show that my Causal Sequences Principle specifies this distinction in such a way that it is immune to Parfit's objections against the Redirection Principle. It follows that any moral theory that can provide a sound rationale for the Causal Sequences Principle can solve the trolley problem.
Ultrasound‐guided tenoscopic decompression of digital sheath synoviocoeles in 10 horses
Authors: Hawkins Alex , Chapman Lucy , Meter Mark , Smith Roger K.
Published: December 2021

Objective

To report the diagnostic features and clinical outcome of horses with digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) synoviocoeles treated tenoscopically under ultrasonographic guidance.

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Animals

Client‐owned horses (n = 10).

Methods

Medical records were searched for horses with lameness localized to the region of the DFTS and clinical evidence of a fluid‐filled mass (synoviocoele) associated with the DFTS. Diagnostic imaging and surgical findings, together with long‐term outcome, were reported.

Results

Lameness and synoviocoeles were unilateral (5 forelimbs, 5 hindlimbs; 3 lateral and 2 medial in both) and located proximal to the palmar/plantar annular ligament. Synoviocoeles had a firm consistency and focal pain with inability to deflate on non–weight‐bearing examination. Intrathecal DFTS anesthesia was positive in 7/8 horses in which it was performed, with the remainder localized to the region of the synoviocoele using perineural and/or intralesional anesthesia. Communication between the DFTS and synoviocoele was suspected ultrasonographically in all cases and confirmed on contrast tenography (6/6). Tenoscopic fenestration of the communication between the DFTS and synoviocoele under ultrasonographic guidance, with treatment of concurrent intrathecal injury (4/10), resolved the lameness in all horses re‐evaluated by a veterinarian (9/9) and allowed return to full athletic function in all cases at long‐term follow up (median 5 years; range 1.25‐9 years).

Conclusion

Tenoscopic decompression was an effective treatment for DFTS synoviocoeles, which, along with treatment of concurrent intrathecal injury, carried an excellent prognosis and avoided the need for resection via an extrasynovial approach.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ORAL TOXICITY ASSESSMENT OF R-38TM: A TRADITIONAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT FOR ARTHRITIS
Authors: Mohamad Anis Amirah , Abdul Majid Fadzilah Adibah , Assaw Suvik , Zainal Abidin Fadhilah , Fadhlina Anis , Kumar Aluru Sudheer , Zainol Siti Nurazwa , Ahmed Najat Jabbar
Published: December 2021

R-38TM is a traditional herbal supplement for treating arthritis-related conditions. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was performed for identification and quantification of rosmarinic acid in the R-38TM water extract. The anti-arthritic potential of the R-38TM water extract was investigated by measuring the production of IL-6 and TNF-α in inflamed cells. Xanthine oxidase (XO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition assays were also conducted. The cytotoxic effect of R-38TM water extract was investigated on HSF1184 cell line. Acute and subacute oral toxicity studies were conducted on female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The rosmarinic acid was identified at 1.208 min (3.61 %w/w). The inflamed cells showed a decrease in the production of IL-6 (55.9%) and TNF-α (52.13%). The COX-2 and XO enzymes were moderately inhibited by R-38TM water extract. The cytotoxicity analysis showed no cytotoxic effect on the cell. The acute and subacute oral toxicity studies revealed no mortality and normal body weight at all doses. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in organ weight, hematological and biochemical parameters, and histology of liver and kidneys with the control group. In conclusion, R-38TM water extract exhibited no toxic effect orally and may possess potential therapeutic properties against pro-inflammatory diseases including arthritis.
ALL-DIGITAL PHASE LOCKED LOOP (ADPLL) TOPOLOGIES FOR RFID SYSTEM APPLICATION: A REVIEW
Authors: Ishak S. N. , Sampe J. , Yusoff Z. , Faseehuddin M.
Published: December 2021

An all-digital phase locked loop (ADPLL)-based local oscillator (LO) of RF transceiver application such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) system has gained popularity by accessing the benefits in complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process technology. This paper reviews some state-of-art of the ADPLL structures based on their applications and analyses its major implementation block, which is the digital-controlled oscillator (DCO). The DCO is evaluated based on its CMOS scaling and its performance in ADPLL, such as the power consumption, the chip area, the frequency range, the supply voltage, and the phase noise. Based on the review, the reduction in CMOS scaling decreases the transistor size in ADPLL design which leads to a smaller area and a low power dissipation. The combination of the time-to-digital (TDC) and the digital-to-time converter (DTC) that is used as the phase-frequency detector (PFD) in ADPLL is proposed to reduce the power and phase noise performance due to their high linearity design. The delay cell oscillator is found to consume more power at higher operating frequency, but it has an advantage of having less complexity and consuming less power and area in the circuit compared to the LC tank oscillator. For future work, it is recommended that an ADPLL-based LO of RFID transceiver with lowest voltage supply implementation is chosen and the use of the TDC-less as the PFD is selected due to its small area. While for the DCO, the delay cell will be designed due to its simpler implementation and occupy small area.
Online (Remote) Teaching for Laboratory Based Courses Using “digital Twins” of the Experiments
Authors: Deniz Sabri , Müller Ulf Christian , Steiner Ivo , SERGI Thomas
Published: December 2021

Covid-19 pandemic has introduced radical changes to the engineering education so that most of the teaching moved to the off-campus setting of online classes. However, conducting the laboratory classes, a fundamental part of engineering education has remained to be a challenge. To address to this situation, an ambitious approach is taken to re-establish the laboratory experience entirely online with the help of digital twins of the laboratory experiments.

Laboratory based undergraduate courses are important parts of the curriculum at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences (HSLU), Switzerland. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was necessary to adapt to the new environment of remote learning and modify the laboratory experiments so that they can be carried out online. The approach was to develop digital twins of each laboratory experiment with web applications and to provide an environment together with supporting videos and interactive problems so that the laboratory experiments can be carried out remotely.

This paper explains the development of the digital twins of the laboratory experiments and provides information about the selected experiments such as potential vortex, linear momentum equation, diffuser flow, radial compressor, fuel cell, and pump test rig.

A remote or distance learning has many hurdles, a major one being how to teach hands-on laboratory courses outside of an actual laboratory. The experience at the HSLU showed that teaching online laboratories using the digital twins of the experiments can work and the students can take part in remote laboratories that meet the learning objectives.