bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3MO-AHP: an inconsistency reduction approach through mono-, multi- or many-objective quality measures
Authors: Floriano Carla Martins , Pereira Valdecy , Rodrigues Brunno e Souza
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Although the multi-criteria technique analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has successfully been applied in many areas, either selecting or ranking alternatives or to derive priority vector (weights) for a set of criteria, there is a significant drawback in using this technique if the pairwise comparison matrix (PCM) has inconsistent comparisons, in other words, a consistency ratio (CR) above the value of 0.1, the final solution cannot be validated. Many studies have been developed to treat the inconsistency problem, but few of them tried to satisfy different quality measures, which are minimum inconsistency (fMI), the total number of adjusted pairwise comparisons (fNC), original rank preservation (fKT), minimum average weights adjustment (fWA) and finally, minimum L1 matrix norm between the original PCM and the adjusted PCM (fLM).

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is defined in four steps: first, the decision-maker should choose which quality measures she/he wishes to use, ranging from one to all quality measures. In the second step, the authors encode the PCM to be used in a many-objective optimization algorithm (MOOA), and each pairwise comparison can be adjusted individually. The authors generate consistent solutions from the obtained Pareto optimal front that carry the desired quality measures in the third step. Lastly, the decision-maker selects the most suitable solution for her/his problem. Remarkably, as the decision-maker can choose one (mono-objective), two (multi-objective), three or more (many-objectives) quality measures, not all MOOAs can handle or perform well in mono- or multi-objective problems. The unified non-sorting algorithm III (U-NSGA III) is the most appropriate MOOA for this type of scenario because it was specially designed to handle mono-, multi- and many-objective problems.

Findings

The use of two quality measures should not guarantee that the adjusted PCM is similar to the original PCM; hence, the decision-maker should consider using more quality measures if the objective is to preserve the original PCM characteristics.

Originality/value

For the first time, a many-objective approach reduces the CR to consistent levels with the ability to consider one or more quality measures and allows the decision-maker to adjust each pairwise comparison individually.
Dual-process model for the influence of taxes and fees inclusion on price perceptions
Authors: Mukherjee Sudipta
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This research aims to study whether consumers differ in their attitudes toward equivalent prices that include vs exclude taxes and fees. In addition, this research will study whether computation ease-based processing fluency and perceived price fairness mediate this relationship in parallel, and whether need for cognition and political beliefs and affiliation moderate the effect.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experiments were conducted in which participants evaluated two price formats and then responded to relevant measures.

Findings

This research shows that consumers perceive prices that include (vs exclude) taxes and fees to be easier to process, and a fairer price, and subsequently exhibit a higher willingness to buy. Additionally, this effect is moderated by need for cognition, and political beliefs and affiliation.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could investigate potential additional situational moderators (such as price type – total vs unit, consumption category, relative sizes of base price vs taxes and fees) and dispositional moderators (such as price sensitivity and tightwadism/spendthriftism).

Practical implications

This research provides insights to marketers regarding the downstream impact of pricing decisions – such as including vs excluding taxes and fees from total price. Further, depending on the product category and target customer characteristics (political affiliation), marketers can determine whether to include or exclude taxes and fees.

Social implications

This research highlights the tendency of conservatives to avoid taxes and fees. As such, it adds to the understanding of conservative consumer groups.

Originality/value

This research contributes to existing research on price-framing research by finding an interesting effect related to multi-dimensional pricing and partitioned pricing. Additionally, this research contributes to existing research on computation ease-based processing fluency and price fairness perception. Finally, this contributes to an increasingly important body of research: the effect of political affiliation on consumption. This also provides clear guidance to marketers with regard to deciding service pricing.
Impact of activity-based work environments on knowledge work performance – quasi-experimental study in governmental workplaces
Authors: Franssila Heljä , Kirjonen Aleksi
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Work environment change from the traditional cell- and open-space offices to activity-based work (ABW) generates many concerns among workforce and management. The purpose of this study is to observe impacts of ABW change on several knowledge work performance drivers and outputs.

Design/methodology/approach

A quasi-experimental design was applied to distinguish the impact of ABW on several dimensions of knowledge work performance in three governmental organizations. The empirical measures that were observed in the study were: perceptions of physical environment, virtual environment and social environment, individual ways of working, well-being at work and self-assessed productivity.

Findings

Well-being at work or productivity will not collapse because of ABW change. Most of the facets of self-assessed productivity and all of the well-being facets did not change because of the adoption of ABW. ABW change had a positive impact on group work effectiveness but negative effect on perceptions of the facilities as conducive for efficient working. ABW change had an enhancing effect on the routine of protecting one’s concentration from software-induced interruptions and decreasing effect on using mobile technologies to work during idle times and using technology to avoid unnecessary traveling. ABW change made telework more acceptable.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study was one the first studies following real-world change to ABW with quasi-experimental design. The difference-in-differences approach made it possible to isolate the causal impact of ABW change on the knowledge work performance drivers and outputs from other simultaneous changes taking place in the studied workplaces.
Accuracy of 3D printed dental casts for protective dental splints during general anesthesia
Authors: Park Kyeong-Mee , Cheong Jieun , Kim Seoyul , Park Wonse , Kim Kee-Deog
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to obtain the optimal three-dimensional (3D) printing condition through the accuracy evaluation of the protective dental splints (PDSs) produced using 3D printed dental casts under various conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The dental casts of dentiform were made using the conventional method and three digital methods. The three 3D printers used one or two materials for each, and the density of the material was varied to find the appropriate printing condition. PDSs were fabricated by the same method using vacuum former on conventional dental casts, and 3D printed dental casts. PDSs were mounted on a dentiform, and the accuracy was measured according to the criteria.

Findings

All of the PDSs fabricated using the traditional method showed the highest accuracy, whereas the PDSs made using 3D printed casts showed accuracies that varied with the type of printer, material characteristics and printing density. Achieving the accuracy required for 3D printed dental casts to be used as protective dental devices made with a vacuum former requires appropriate materials and 3D printing density. The findings of this study can be used when making 3D printed models and individual PDSs through intraoral scanning for patients in whom it is difficult to take impressions using traditional methods.

Originality/value

When a digital device is applied to the fabrication of PDSs, it has the advantage of saving time and materials and preventing damage to teeth and periodontal tissue that may occur during the conventional method.
Initial wood trait variation overwhelms endophyte community effects for explaining decay trajectories
Authors: Lee Marissa , Powell Jeff R. , Oberle Brad , Unda Faride , Mansfield Shawn D. , Dalrymple Rhiannon , Rigg Jessica , Cornwell William K. , Zanne Amy E.
Published: February 2022

Microbial organisms, environmental conditions and their interactions govern many ecosystem processes. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of priority effects, that is, the identity of potential decomposers present early in community assembly, in determining resulting decay rates especially for wood. In diverse forests, available woody substrates differ chemically and structurally with implications for their role as both habitats and resources for microbes. Both wood traits and microbial communities at the start of the decay process affect subsequent decay rates, but the relative magnitude of effects is not known. In this work, we sought to ask a simple question: what are the relative effects of microbial communities and wood traits?

We characterized fungal and oomycete endophytes with amplicon sequencing from stems of 22 woody species growing in woodlands near Richmond, NSW, Australia, and measured 11 traits to capture variation in the physical and chemical wood substrates. To evaluate the consequence of endophyte diversity and wood traits on the trajectory of decay, stem samples were sequentially harvested over 5 years to quantify the decay rate, its consistency and how it varies through time.

We did not find evidence to support particular initial endophyte compositions leading to faster decay. Instead, initial wood attributes were much more powerful in explaining decay trajectories with smaller, less dense stems with high water, low N and low lignin concentrations decomposing consistently faster.

These data show that initial wood traits have long‐lasting consequences on decay unlike natural variation in endophyte communities, supporting the idea that community member functions are highly redundant. Wood substrate‐driven environmental filtering, rather than endophyte‐driven priority effects, had a stronger effect on decay when real‐world levels of diversity in wood traits were considered.

Read the freePlain Language Summaryfor this article on the Journal blog.
Institutional Investor Heterogeneity and Corporate Response to the Covid‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Ataullah Ali , Le Hang , Wood Geoffrey
Published: February 2022

We examine the role of institutional investors in determining firms’ decisions whether to reduce dividends and share buybacks during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Our simple model predicts that the probability of cuts in payouts is linked to the holdings and types of institutions. We link our model to the attention‐based theories of the firm. We posit that the highlyproximatenature of the pandemic may encourage greater risk aversion in organizations. Consequently, the presence of institutions that actively engage with managers results in a reduction in shareholders’ payouts during the pandemic to enable firms to deal with increased uncertainty, while institutions that seek short‐term value releases reduce the probability of cuts. We test our hypotheses using novel hand‐collected data on shareholders’ payout cuts in the UK during the Covid‐19 lockdown. We find that in firms with larger institutional holdings, shareholders’ payouts are more likely to be reduced as a response to the pandemic. However, institutional heterogeneity matters as institutions with a view to improve firms’ long‐term growth are more likely to affect corporate payout decisions. In contrast, institutions that focus on regular income (e.g. pension funds) seem to resist cuts even in the aftermath of a severe exogenous shock like the Covid‐19 pandemic.
The Information Content of Corporate Earnings: Evidence from the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Authors: BINZ OLIVER , GRAHAM JOHN R.
Published: February 2022

We examine whether the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 increased the information content of corporate earnings disclosures. Prior research questions whether the Act improved disclosure quality but generally relies on long‐window tests and yields mixed results. We focus on whether the Act increased earnings informativeness, improving upon prior designs by focusing on short earnings announcement windows and employing a difference‐in‐differences design to control for potential contemporaneous structural changes. We document an increase in earnings informativeness following the Act, which is larger for treatment firms (which withheld disclosure before the Act) than for control firms. The increase in informativeness is more pronounced for firms that are subject to stronger enforcement.
Evaluating the outcomes of liver‐first approach for liver metastases due to colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Burasakarn Pipit , Thienhiran Anuparp , Hongjinda Sermsak , Fuengfoo Phusit
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Surgery is the mainstay treatment for colorectal cancer and offers a long‐term survival benefit for patients with liver metastases; however, the appropriate approach remains debatable. We aimed to systematically review and perform a meta‐analysis of liver‐first and classical (colon‐first) approaches.

Methods

The following electronic databases were searched for systematic literature: PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Studies that compared patients with liver metastases due to colorectal cancer and who underwent liver‐first and classical resections were selected. Primary outcomes were long‐term overall survival and disease‐free survival, and secondary outcomes were perioperative morbidity and mortality.

Results

Over 12 studies with 6344 patients were analysed; of the total patients, 1141 and 4552 underwent liver‐first resection and classical resection, respectively. The meta‐analysis showed no significant difference between the liver‐first resection group and classical resection group in terms of overall morbidity (risk ratio [RR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91‐1.74) and 90‐day mortality (RR  1.26, 95% CI 0.52‐3.04, P = .23). The classical resection group showed favourable overall survival and disease‐free survival than the liver‐first resection group in the nonpropensity score‐matched studies (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09‐1.3) but showed comparable results in the propensity score‐matched studies (RR  1.07, 95% CI 0.97‐1.18).

Conclusions

The perioperative and long‐term outcomes of the liver‐first and classical approaches were comparable. Selection of the appropriate approach that will be used for a patient depends on the characteristics of the primary colorectal tumour and the occurrence of liver metastases.
The prognostic significance of tumor spread through air space in stage I lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Huang Liling , Tang Le , Dai Liyuan , Shi Yuankai
Published: February 2022

Aim

There are still patients of stage I lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) suffering from local or distant recurrence. Herein we conducted a meta‐analysis to investigate the prognostic value of tumor spread through air space (STAS), a new form of invasion pattern, in patients with pathologically confirmed stage I lung ADC.

Methods

Related literature was searched using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases from the inception dates to September 4, 2021. Recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were set as primary outcome endpoints. In addition, subgroup analyses on operation mode, edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging, sample size, and research regions were also investigated.

Results

A total of 17 studies involving 9785 patients were included. The presence of STAS was detected in 31.2% of patients and was associated with poor RFS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.93, p < 0.001) and OS (HR = 2.02, p < 0.001). In subgroup analysis on operation mode, the prognostic value of STAS was prominently shown in patients who underwent limited resection (RFS: HR = 3.58, p < 0.001; OS: HR = 3.37, p < 0.001), while for patients who underwent lobectomy, adverse impact of STAS on RFS was observed (HR = 1.60, p = 0.019), but no significant difference was observed on OS (HR = 1.56, p = 0.061). The results fluctuated in different regions while other factors did not alter the independent predictive value of STAS.

Conclusion

Tumor STAS should be considered as an adverse prognostic indicator for patients with stage I lung ADC, especially for those under limited resection. More intensive medical care for those patients needs to be investigated in further studies.
Capital and labour distortion in China: a systematic literature review using HistCite
Authors: Liang Yidan
Published: February 2022

This paper shows a systematic literature review using HistCiteTM in the context of factor market misallocation in China. Four key research streams are identified: government intervention; misallocation explanation; market distortion and regional factor distortion. Further, the paper identifies three emerging research streams: endogeneity; legislation relating to factors of production; and knowledge management. Factor markets misallocation has been a lasting problem since the market‐oriented reform implemented by the Chinese Government. The academic literature review mainly focuses on the misallocation under Chinese national situation.
Patients with central serous chorioretinopathy not only have pachychoroidal disorders but also altered retinal metabolic function
Authors: Tschuppert Scott , Valmaggia Christophe , Todorova Margarita G.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The aim of our study was to compare metabolic (oxygen saturation; %) and anatomical (diameter; μm) retinal vessel parameters of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) to those of controls.

Methods

In this prospective cross‐sectional cohort study, 72 eyes of patients with CSC were compared with 21 eyes of healthy controls. Of the 72 patients, 52 had chronic, nonactive CSC (subgroup nCSC) and 20 had active CSC (subgroup aCSC), according to activity on fluorescein angiography. Retinal vessel oximetry (RO) was performed using the Oxymap T1 oximeter. Oxygen saturation in all major peripapillary retinal arterioles (A‐SO2) and venules (V‐SO2) was measured, and their difference (A‐V SO2) was calculated. In addition, we evaluated the corresponding diameter in retinal arterioles (D‐A) and venules (D‐V). For statistical evaluation, ANOVA‐based linear mixed‐effects models were calculated (SPSS®; p < 0.05).

Results

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) patients had significantly higher A‐SO2 and V‐SO2 compared to that of controls (p = 0.031 and p = 0.018 respectively). Especially, the subgroup of aCSC patients showed significantly higher A‐SO2 and V‐SO2 values (p = 0.027 and p = 0.034, respectively). In addition, superotemporal and superonasal quadrant location showed significant interactions with A‐SO2 and V‐SO2 (p ≤ 0.03). Diameter in retinal arterioles (D‐A), an venules (D‐V) and A‐V SO2 findings showed no significant differences (p > 0.096).

Conclusion

These data indicate that patients with CSC have altered metabolic function. The presence of disease activity showed the greatest influence on RO measurement, both compared to controls and to those with inactive chronic CSC disease.
Diverse more‐than‐human approaches to climate change adaptation in Thai Binh, Vietnam
Authors: Do Thi Huong , Dombroski Kelly
Published: February 2022

Climate change adaptation is a key shared endeavour of our time. In Thai Binh Province of Vietnam, rice farmers have been adapting to environmental change for generations and have developed sophisticated strategies of paying attention to non‐human entities. Such strategies stand in stark contrast to modernist, developmentalist climate change adaptation interventions prioritising mastery and control over the environment. In this article, we think about farmers and other species ‘surviving well’ in the context of climate change adaptation in Thai Binh. We examine the strategies for adaptation already present and the implications of such strategies for climate change adaptation approaches in Vietnam and further afield. We argue that local practices of listening to non‐human entities and imagining them as kin can challenge modernist developmentalist approaches to adaptation, providing innovative locally appropriate adaptations. Beyond this, such practices can lead the way in developing non‐exploitative and mutually beneficial relationships in ‘more‐than‐human’ ecological communities for long‐term survival.
Antonia's story: Bringing the past into the future
Authors: Barden Owen , Walden Steven J. , Bennett Davey , Bird Nicole , Cairns Stella , Currie Rhiannon , Evans Lynne , Jackson Stephen , Oldnall Emily , Oldnall Sarah , Price Dawn , Robinson Tricia , Tahir Amber , Taylor Samantha , Wright Christine , Wright Claire
Published: February 2022

Background

This paper reports on a participatory project on the history of learning disability. The paper makes contributions to discourses on using participatory research methods with people labelled with learning disabilities, on the nature of research impact in participatory research, and on the lived experience of learning disability today.

Methods

We used a two‐step methodology. The first step involved searching for and selecting archive material relating to the history of learning disability. The second step involved a series of participatory workshops. We worked collectively to systematically analyse the case history of Antonia Grandoni. Then we responded to it in a variety of creative ways. In doing so, we made connections between Antonia's life and our own.

Findings

Many of Antonia's experiences seem very similar to what people labelled with learning disabilities often encounter today. These include discrimination, segregation and dehumanisation. Despite this, we very much enjoyed doing the research. As well as finding out about the history, some of us learned new skills, some of us grew in confidence, and we also made new friends.

Conclusions

Participatory methods are an effective way of making digital archive material more accessible to people labelled with learning disabilities. In this project, using participatory methods revealed a lot of parallels between how we think somebody experienced learning disability in the mid‐19th century, and how it is experienced today. They also resulted in significant impact on the people doing the research.
Debt‐relief programs and money left on the table: Evidence from Canada's response to COVID‐19
Authors: Allen Jason , Clark Robert , Li Shaoteng , Vincent Nicolas
Published: February 2022

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of debt‐relief programs targeting short‐run household liquidity constraints implemented in Canada in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. These programs allowed individuals to push off mortgage and credit card payments and cut in half interest rates on credit card debt. Using credit bureau data, we document that, despite potential savings above $4 billion, enrolment was limited: 24% for mortgages and 7% for credit cards. By exploiting the richness of our data set, we provide evidence that close to 80% of individuals were unaware of the credit card relief program while others faced important fixed non‐monetary costs preventing uptake.
From indirect to direct contacts on Facebook: A big‐data approach to the making of triadic network closure
Authors: Lee Hsuan‐Wei , Chang Ming‐Yi , Chou Wan‐Yu , Hwang Jing‐Shiang , Fu Yang‐Chih
Published: February 2022

The rise of the Big Data paradigm has made it more feasible to track how personal networks evolve on social media, where auto‐generated contact records and fine‐grained temporal data sequences help capture how and when interpersonal ties and contacts change their roles. Using a sample of matched survey data and social media records, we investigated the mechanisms by which indirect contacts (“degree‐2 alters”) transform into direct contacts (“degree‐1 alters”) from a Facebook user's (ego's) point of view. To highlight the temporal sequences, we assigned different roles to the same alters depending on how each of them is connected with ego at different periods of time. Multilevel event history analyses pinpoint several online actions and network features of ego, degree‐1 alters, and degree‐2 alters, as the key factors that contribute to the transformation from indirect contacts into direct contacts.
Cultural Evolution of Precise and Agreed‐Upon Semantic Conventions in a Multiplayer Gaming App
Authors: Morin Olivier , Müller Thomas F. , Morisseau Tiffany , Winters James
Published: February 2022

The amount of information conveyed by linguistic conventions depends on their precision, yet the codes that humans and other animals use to communicate are quite ambiguous: they may map several vague meanings to the same symbol. How does semantic precision evolve, and what are the constraints that limit it? We address this question using a multiplayer gaming app, where individuals communicate with one another in a scaled‐up referential game. Here, the goal is for a sender to use black and white symbols to communicate colors. We expected that the players’ mappings between symbols and colors would grow more specific over time, through a selection process whereby precise mappings are preferentially copied. We found that players become increasingly more precise in their use of symbols over the course of their interactions. This trend did not, however, result from selective copying of precise mappings. We explore the implications of this result for the study of lexical ambiguity, Zipf's Law of Meaning, and disagreements over semantic conventions.
Intralesional traction‐assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric neoplasm using the ProdiGI traction wire
Authors: Shoguchi Yoshihisa , Esaki Mitsuru , Minoda Yosuke
Published: February 2022

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Effect of levetiracetam on the gene expression of placental transporters in a murine model
Authors: Blanco‐Castañeda Ricardo , Zapata‐Vázquez Yessica , Lazalde‐Ramos Blanca P. , Enríquez‐Mendiola Daniel , Lares‐Asseff Ismael , Galaviz‐Hernández Carlos , Martínez Gerardo , Sosa‐Macías Martha
Published: February 2022

Objective

Levetiracetam (LEV) is an antiseizure medication prescribed to women during childbearing age. The impact of LEV on placental transporters is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the effect of LEV exposure on the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of placental transporters for hormones and nutrients and to correlate their expression with the drug's serum concentration in pregnant mice.

Methods

Studies were conducted on gestational days (GD) 13 and 18, following oral treatment with 100 mg/kg LEV or the vehicle every 24 h after weaning. Serum LEV measurements were performed by High‐performance liquid chromatography with a UV detector (HPLC‐UV). The weight, height, and width of the fetuses were also analyzed. In addition, the placental expression of transporters xCt, Lat1, Oatp4a1, Fr‐α, Rfc, and Snat4 was evaluated through semi‐quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The Kruskal‐Wallis and the Mann‐Whitney U tests were used to determine the statistical significance (p < .05). The correlation between serum LEV concentration and placental gene expression was evaluated using the Spearman test.

Results

The weight, height, and width were lower in the fetuses exposed to LEV compared with the control group (p < .05). The number of fetuses was lower in the LEV‐exposed group than in the control GD 13 group (p < .001). No significant differences were detected in the mRNA expression level at GD 13. At GD 18, the expression of Lat1, Oatp4a1, xCT, and Snat4 was higher in the group treated with LEV compared with the control group (p < .05), whereas the expression of Rfc was lower (p < .05). No correlation was identified between serum LEV concentrations and gene expression levels.

Significance

The repression of the Rfc transcript by LEV at GD 18 suggests that the protein expression would be abolished contributing to the observed intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Furthermore, the significant increase in mRNA of xCt, Snat4, Oatp4a1, and Lat1 might be a compensatory mechanism for fetal survival at GD 18.
Training with growing sets: A comparative study
Authors: Yeğin Melike Nur , Kurttekin Ömer , Bahşi Serkan Kaan , Amasyali Mehmet Fatih
Published: February 2022

Being similar to and inspired from the process of human education, curriculum learning methods ‐or CL methods‐sort the input examples from easy to difficult, then add them to the training set in that order. Considering the fact that CL research is most concerned with determining the direction (from easy to difficult vs. from difficult to easy) and the criteria of this sorting, vast and various studies have emerged in the literature addressing both types of sorting. However, this results in a contradiction that demands finding a common aspect of ordering in both directions. This study argues that this required common aspect lies in the gradual enlargement of training. In other words, it is claimed that the success of CL methods does not depend on which criteria or in which direction the ordering is made. Extensive experiments have been conducted on various datasets using different deep learning models in order to test this claim. It was observed that random ordering had achieved competitive results with CL methods. Moreover, random ordering proved to be faster than other CL methods as it eliminates the cost of sorting computation. Based on these results, using random ordered growing sets as a baseline in future CL studies is recommended. Moreover, the possibly to improve the optimization performance via training with growing sets in theoretical perspective is also explained.
Elastoplastic fracture analysis of thin notched AA7075‐AA2024 dissimilar friction‐stir‐welded plates under mixed mode I/II loading
Authors: Torabi Ali Reza , Saboori Behnam , Mirzavand Moslem
Published: February 2022

In this research, fracture of friction‐stir welding (FSW) of AA2024‐T3 and AA7075‐T6 aluminum alloys weakened by notches is studied. In the experimental part, a rectangular specimen, called U‐notched diagonally loaded square plate (UNDLSP) and made of welded AA2024‐T3 and AA7075‐T6 aluminum alloys, is used for fracture tests under pure mode I and mixed mode I/II loading conditions. For fracture tests, different notch tip radii and different ratios of loading mode combinations are considered. In the theoretical part, due to ductility of the material under test, combination of the equivalent material concept (EMC) with two brittle fracture criteria (maximum tangential stress and mean stress criteria) is used to predict the load‐bearing capacity (LBC) of the samples. By comparing the experimental and theoretical results, it is revealed that both criteria in combination with EMC are able to predict the LBC of the U‐notched samples well and with high accuracy.
Synergistic effect of Abraxane that combines human IL15 fused with an albumin‐binding domain on murine models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Hsu Fei‐Ting , Tsai Chang Liang , Chiang I‐Tsang , Lan Keng‐Hsueh , Yueh Po‐Fu , Liang Wen‐Yi , Lin Chi‐Shuo , Chao Yee , Lan Keng‐Li
Published: February 2022

Nab‐paclitaxel (Abraxane), which is a nanoparticle form of albumin‐bound paclitaxel, is one of the standard chemotherapies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This study determined the effect of Abraxane in combination with a fusion protein, hIL15‐ABD, on subcutaneous Panc02 and orthotopic KPC C57BL/6 murine PDAC models. Abraxane combined with hIL15‐ABD best suppressed tumour growth and produced a 40%–60% reduction in the tumour size for Panc02 and KPC, compared to the vehicle group. In the combination group, the active form of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ)‐secreting CD8+ T cells and CD11b+CD86+ M1 macrophages in tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were increased. In the tumour drainage lymph nodes (TDLNs) of the combination group, there was a 18% reduction in CD8+IFN‐γ+ T cells and a 0.47% reduction in CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells, as opposed to 5.0% and 5.1% reductions, respectively, for the control group. Superior suppression of CD11b+GR‐1+ myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and the induction of M1 macrophages in the spleen and bone marrow of mice were found in the combination group. Abraxane and hIL15‐ABD effectively suppressed NF‐κB‐mediated immune suppressive markers, including indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO), Foxp3 and VEGF. In conclusion, Abraxane combined with hIL15‐ABD stimulates the anticancer activity of effector cells, inhibits immunosuppressive cells within the tumour microenvironment (TME) of PDAC, and produces a greater inhibitory effect than individual monotherapies.
In Vivo reflectance confocal microscopy of cutaneous acute graft‐versus‐host disease: concordance with histopathology and interobserver reproducibility of a glossary with representative images
Authors: Saknite I. , Gill M. , Alessi‐Fox C. , Zwerner J.P. , Lehman J.S. , Shinohara M.M. , Novoa R.A. , Chen H. , Byrne M. , Gonzalez S. , Ardigo M. , Tkaczyk E.R.
Published: February 2022

Background

The reliability to non‐invasively identify features of inflammatory dermatoses by reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) remains unknown. Lack of formal training among RCM readers can result in inconsistent assessments, limiting clinical utility. Specific consensus terminology with representative images is necessary to ensure consistent feature‐level interpretation among RCM readers.

Objectives

(1) Develop a glossary with representative images of RCM features of cutaneous acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD) for consistent interpretation among observers, (2) assess the interobserver reproducibility among RCM readers using the glossary, and (3) determine the concordance between RCM and histopathology for aGVHD features.

Methods

Through an iterative process of refinement and discussion among five international RCM experts, we developed a glossary with representative images of RCM features of aGVHD. From April to November 2018, patients suspected of aGVHD were imaged with RCM and subsequently biopsied. 17 lesions from 12 patients had clinically and pathologically confirmed cutaneous aGVHD. For each of these lesions, four dermatopathologists and four RCM readers independently evaluated the presence of aGVHD features in scanned histopathology slides and 1.5 × 1.5 mm RCM submosaics at 4 depths (blockstacks) respectively. RCM cases were adjudicated by a fifth RCM expert. Interobserver reproducibility was calculated by mean pairwise difference (U statistic). Concordance between modalities was determined by fraction of assignments with agreement.

Results

We present a glossary with representative images of 18 aGVHD features by RCM. The average interobserver reproducibility among RCM readers (75%, confidence interval, CI: 71–79%) did not differ significantly from dermatopathologists (80%, 76–85%). The concordance between RCM and histopathology was 59%.

Conclusions

By using the glossary, the interobserver reproducibility among RCM readers was similar to the interobserver reproducibility among dermatopathologists. There was reasonable concordance between RCM and histopathology to visualize aGVHD features. The implementation of RCM can now be advanced in a variety of inflammatory conditions with a validated glossary and representative image set.
Long‐term, durable, absolute Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and health‐related quality of life improvements with risankizumab treatment: a post hoc integrated analysis of patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis
Authors: Gooderham M. , Pinter A. , Ferris L.K. , Warren R.B. , Zhan T. , Zeng J. , Soliman A.M. , Kaufmann C. , Kaplan B. , Photowala H. , Strober B.
Published: February 2022

Background

Risankizumab has demonstrated durable, high rates of efficacy in patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis as assessed by the achievement of relative Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) improvement and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1.

Objectives

The aim of this post hoc analysis is to assess the achievement of absolute PASI thresholds and related improvements in health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis treated with (i) risankizumab compared with ustekinumab, and (ii) long‐term (>52 weeks to 172 weeks) risankizumab.

Methods

Data from patients randomised to 150 mg risankizumab or 45 or 90 mg ustekinumab in replicate randomised controlled trials UltIMMa‐1 and UltIMMa‐2 were analysed for the achievement of absolute PASI thresholds PASI ≤ 3, PASI ≤ 1, and PASI = 0, time to achieve these thresholds, and combined PASI and DLQI endpoints. Data from pat ients initially randomised to risankizumab who continued on risankizumab in the open‐label extension study LIMMitless were analysed for the achievement of absolute PASI levels, mean DLQI scores, and DLQI 0/1.

Results

Significantly greater proportions of patients treated with risankizumab compared with ustekinumab achieved PASI ≤ 3, PASI ≤ 1, and PASI = 0, as well as combined endpoints for absolute PASI and DLQI [(PASI ≤ 3 and DLQI ≤ 5) or (PASI ≤ 1 and DLQI 0/1)]. The median time to first achieve PASI ≤ 3, PASI ≤ 1, and PASI = 0 was significantly lower for risankizumab‐treated patients compared with ustekinumab‐treated patients. Among patients treated with long‐term risankizumab, more than 90% achieved PASI ≤ 3 though week 172 and more than 80% achieved DLQI 0/1. Low absolute PASI scores corresponded with low mean absolute DLQI scores through week 172 of continuous risankizumab treatment.

Conclusions

Risankizumab treatment demonstrated high rates of rapid and durable efficacy as measured by absolute PASI thresholds and improvements in patient HRQoL.
Biogenesis and metabolic homeostasis of trypanosomatid glycosomes: New insights and new questions
Authors: Michels Paul A. M. , Gualdrón‐López Melisa
Published: February 2022

Kinetoplastea and Diplonemea possess peroxisome‐related organelles that, uniquely, contain most of the enzymes of the glycolytic pathway and are hence called glycosomes. Enzymes of several other core metabolic pathways have also been located in glycosomes, in addition to some characteristic peroxisomal systems such as pathways of lipid metabolism. A considerable amount of research has been performed on glycosomes of trypanosomes since their discovery four decades ago. Not only the role of the glycosomal enzyme systems in the overall cell metabolism appeared to be unique, but also the organelles display remarkable features regarding their biogenesis and structural properties. These features are similar to those of the well‐studied peroxisomes of mammalian and plant cells and yeasts yet exhibit also differences reflecting the large evolutionary distance between these protists and the representatives of other major eukaryotic lineages. Despite all research performed, many questions remain about various properties and the biological roles of glycosomes and peroxisomes. Here, we review the current knowledge about glycosomes, often comparing it with information about peroxisomes. Furthermore, we highlight particularly many questions that remain about the biogenesis, and the heterogeneity in structure and content of these enigmatic organelles, and the properties of their boundary membrane.
Comment on: Clinical benefits of empagliflozin in very old patients with type 2 diabetes hospitalized for acute heart failure
Authors: Ismayilov Rashad , Balcı Cafer
Published: February 2022

See the Reply by Pérez-Belmonte et al.
Mobile Collateral versus Immobile Collateral
Authors: GORTON GARY , LAARITS TOOMAS , MUIR TYLER
Published: February 2022

The financial architecture prior to the recent financial crisis was a system of mobile collateral. Safe debt, whether government bonds or privately produced bonds, that is, asset‐backed securities, could be traded, posted as collateral, and rehypothecated, moving to their highest value use. Since the financial crisis, regulatory changes to the financial architecture have aimed to make collateral immobile, most notably with the BIS liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) for banks that requires that (net) short‐term (uninsured) bank debt (e.g., repo) be backed one‐for‐one with high‐quality bonds. We evaluate this immobile capital system with reference to a previous structurally identical regime that also required that short‐term bank debt be backed by Treasury debt one‐for‐one: the U.S. National Banking Era. The experience of the U.S. National Banking Era suggests that the LCR is unlikely to reduce financial fragility and may increase it.
Effects of repeated use of a commercial topical lotion on subcutaneous fat thickness in resistance‐trained male athletes
Authors: Peos Jackson J , Ong Julian
Published: February 2022

This study tested whether subcutaneous fat loss is enhanced via application of a popular topical fat loss lotion. Twenty resistance‐trained men (mean ± SD age of 26.3 ± 6.3 years and weight of 86.8 ± 11.1 kg) had a topical fat‐loss lotion containing Coleus forskholii, Silybin, Eucommia ulmoides leaf, Paullinia cupana seed, caffeine, and black pepper essential oil applied twice daily for 8 weeks to the front and lateral thigh of one of the participant's leg, and a placebo control lotion was applied to the same sites on the other leg. After 8 weeks, there were no significant differences between the placebo and treatment legs for the change in subcutaneous fat thickness of the front thigh (p = 0.73) or for leg fat percentage (p = 0.52). However, there was a slight, yet significant difference in the change in subcutaneous fat thickness of the lateral thigh favoring the treatment leg (−0.42 vs +0.75 mm, p = 0.029), but with this difference disappearing depending on the statistical tests being used. Only 2/19 participants perceived a difference in fat loss in response to each condition. Although the topical lotion tested here resulted in statistically significantly greater subcutaneous fat loss at the lateral but not front thigh, this effect was very small, contingent upon the statistical test being used, and unperceivable by the participants themselves.
Nail and hair findings developing in patients treated for COVID‐19 infection fluorescence of keratinized tissues on Wood’s lamp in COVID‐19 disease
Authors: Çoban Kübra , Durusoy Çiçek
Published: February 2022

Background

The new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐Cov‐2) is the causative agent of coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐2019) disease. A wide variety of symptoms of the disease has been frequently reported in the literature in recent years. However, information on the findings in keratinized tissues is still limited. Data on changes in keratinized tissues such as nails, teeth and hair, and oral mucousa due to drugs used in the treatment of this disease are also extremely insufficient.

Aim

With this study, it was aimed to evaluate the changes in the keratinized tissues of our patients with COVID‐19, who are frequently encountered in the Ear Nose and Throat outpatient clinic.

Materials and Method

The study was carried out on patients who applied to Başkent University Ear Nose and Throat clinic. There were 3 groups. The first group consisted of patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 and received relevant medical treatments, the second group included individuals who have never experienced COVID‐19 infection but have been vaccinated against COVID‐19, and the third group is the control group with normal healthy individuals who have never been diagnosed with COVID‐19 infection and have not been vaccinated so far. With the Wood's lamp, fluorescent changes in nails, hair, tooth, and the oral mucousa were recorded.

Results

A total of 124(75 females, 49 males) patients were included in the study. Positive Wood's finding was significantly higher in COVID‐19 group(Group 1) who received Favipravir when compared with individuals who did not receive Favipravir (p < 0.001). Wood's positivity was not detected in any of the individuals who did not use favipravir. The rate of determining Wood's positivity in favipravir users decreases after 58 days.

Discussion

Accordingly, Favipravir accumulation in the kretainized tissues manifest positive Wood's sign in our study.

Conclusion

The adverse effects of the accumulation of the drugs—mainly Favipravir—used in the treatment of COVID‐19 disease, have not yet been clearly demonstrated so far. Revealing the findings in these tissues with this study will pave the way for investigating changes or drug sequestrations in other organs in the long term.
Implementation Factors and Teacher Experience of the Integrated Nutrition Education Program: A Mixed Methods Program Evaluation
Authors: Bergling Emily , Pendleton Divyani , Shore Emily , Harpin Scott , Whitesell Nancy , Puma Jini
Published: February 2022

Background

School‐based programs are widely implemented to address childhood obesity. Despite the promise of these programs, evidence on their effectiveness is mixed. Adopting a dissemination and implementation (D&I) science focus utilizing mixed methods can provide a broader understanding and more robust details about these programs. The goal of this evaluation is to understand how implementation factors and teacher experience influence implementation success and outcomes of the Integrated Nutrition Education Program (INEP), an elementary school‐based nutrition program, using a mixed‐methods design.

Methods

Reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance (RE‐AIM) framework guided the development of the evaluation and multiple methods were deployed. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the association between D&I construct variables within levels of influence and teacher perception of INEP impact from a quantitative end‐of‐year teacher survey. Follow‐up qualitative interviews with teachers were analyzed using constant comparison analysis.

Results

Workload and burden emerged as significant factors related to implementation in the quantitative analysis. The follow‐up qualitative data collection identified other factors teachers found important to the adoption, implementation, and maintenance of INEP.

Conclusion

Results of this evaluation can be used to inform program improvement efforts for INEP and provide information on ways to promote reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of similar school‐based health promotion programs.