bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-centre, multi-vendor 7 Tesla fMRI reproducibility of hand digit representation in the human somatosensory cortex
Authors: Driver Ian D , Sanchez Panchuelo Rosa M , Mougin Olivier , Asghar Michael , Kolasinski James , Clarke William T , Rua Catarina , Morgan Andrew T , Carpenter Adrian , Muir Keith , Porter David , Rodgers Christopher T , Clare Stuart , Wise Richard G , Bowtell Richard , Francis Susan T
Published: March 2021

Whilst considerable progress has been made in using ultra-high field fMRI to study brain function at fine spatial resolution, methods are generally optimized at a single site and do not translate to studies where multiple sites are required for sufficient subject recruitment. With a recent increase in installations of human 7 T systems, there is now the opportunity to establish a framework for multi-site 7 T fMRI studies. However, an understanding of the inter-site variability of fMRI measurements is required for datasets to be combined across sites. To address this, we employ a hand digit localization task and compare across-site and within-site reproducibility of 7 T fMRI to a hand digit localization task which requires fine spatial resolution to resolve individual digit representations. As part of the UK7T Network “Travelling Heads” study, 10 participants repeated the same hand digit localization task at five sites with whole-body 7T MRI systems to provide a measure of inter-site variability. A subset of the participants (2 per site) performed repeated sessions at each site for measurement of intra-site reproducibility. Dice’s overlap coefficient was used to assess reproducibility, with hand region inter-site Dice = 0.70±0.04 significantly lower than intrasite Dice = 0.76±0.06, with similar trends for the individual digit maps. Although slightly lower than intra-site reproducibility, the inter-site reproducibility results are consistent with previous single site reproducibility measurements, providing evidence that multi-site 7 T fMRI studies are feasible. These results can be used to inform sample size calculations for future multi-site somatomotor mapping studies.
Synergy between vesicular and non-vesicular gliotransmission regulates synaptic plasticity and working memory
Authors: Lalo Ulyana , Rasooli-Nejad Seyed , Bogdanov Alexander , More Lorenzo , Koh Wuhyun , Muller Jurgen , Wall Mark , Lee C. Justin , Pankratov Yuriy
Published: March 2021

Astrocytes are an active element of brain signalling, capable of release of small molecule gliotransmitters by vesicular and channel-mediated mechanisms. However, specific physiological roles of astroglial exocytosis of glutamate and D-Serine remain controversial. Our data demonstrate that cortical astrocytes can release glutamate and D-Serine by combination of SNARE-dependent exocytosis and non-vesicular mechanisms dependent on TREK-1 and Best1 channels. Astrocyte-derived glutamate and D-serine elicited complex multicomponent phasic response in neocortical pyramidal neurons, which is mediated by extra-synaptic GluN2B receptors. Impairment of either pathway of gliotransmission (in the TREK1 KO, Best-1 KO or dnSNARE mice) strongly affected the NMDAR-dependent long-term synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and neocortex. Moreover, impairment of astroglial exocytosis in dnSNARE mice led to the deficit in the spatial working memory which was rescued by environmental enrichment.

We conclude that synergism between vesicular and non-vesicular gliotransmission is crucial for astrocyte-neuron communication and astroglia-driven regulation of synaptic plasticity and memory.

Highlights

Astrocytesin siturelease glutamate via exocytosis and channel-mediated release.

Astroglia-derived glutamate and D-Serine activate phasic NMDAR currents in neurons

Both vesicular and non-vesicular gliotransmission are required for synaptic plasticity

Impaired exocytosis of gliotransmitters causes deficit in working memory
Interactions among Diameter, Myelination and the Na/K pump Affect Axonal Resilience to High Frequency Spiking
Authors: Zang Yunliang , Marder Eve
Published: March 2021

Axons reliably conduct action potentials between neurons and/or other targets. Axons have widely variable diameters and can be myelinated or unmyelinated. Although the effect of these factors on propagation speed is well studied, how they constrain axonal resilience to high frequency spiking is incompletely understood. Maximal firing frequencies range from ~ 1 Hz to > 300 Hz across neurons, but the process by which Na/K pumps counteract Na+influx is slow, and it is unclear the extent to which slow Na+removal is compatible with high frequency spiking. Modeling the process of Na+removal shows that large diameter axons are more resilient to high frequency spikes than small diameter axons, because of their slow Na+accumulation. In myelinated axons, the myelinated compartments between nodes of Ranvier act as a ‘reservoir’ to slow Na+accumulation and increase the reliability of axonal propagation. We now find that slowing the activation of K+current can increase the Na+influx rate, and the effect of minimizing the overlap between Na+- and K+-currents on spike propagation resilience depends on complex interactions among diameter, myelination and the Na/K pump density. Our results suggest that, in neurons with different channel gating kinetic parameters, different strategies may be required to improve the reliability of axonal propagation.

Significance Statement

The reliability of spike propagation in axons is determined by complex interactions among ionic currents, ion pumps and morphological properties. We use compartment-based modeling to reveal that interactions of diameter, myelination and the Na/K pump determine the reliability of high frequency spike propagation. By acting as a ‘reservoir’ of nodal Na+influx, myelinated compartments efficiently increase propagation reliability. Although spike broadening was thought to oppose fast spiking, its effect on spike propagation is complicated, depending on the balance of Na+channel inactivation gate recovery, Na+influx and axial charge. Our findings suggest that slow Na+removal influences axonal resilience to high frequency spike propagation, and that different strategies may be required to overcome this constraint in different neurons.
Temporal attention selectively enhances target features
Authors: Ramirez Luis D. , Foster Joshua J. , Ling Sam
Published: March 2021

How does directing attention to a moment in time augment vision? Here, we examined the computations by which temporal attention – the allocation of attention to a moment in time – improves perception, under a divisive normalization framework. Under this framework, attention can improve perception of a target signal in three ways:stimulus enhancement(increasing gain across all sensory channels),signal enhancement(selectively increasing gain in channels that encode the target stimulus), orexternal noise exclusion(reducing the gain in channels that encode irrelevant features). These mechanisms make diverging predictions when a target is embedded in varying levels of noise: stimulus enhancement improves performance only when noise is low, signal enhancement improves performance at all noise intensities, and external noise exclusion improves performance only when noise is high. To date, temporal attention studies have used noise-free displays. Therefore, it is unclear whether temporal attention acts via stimulus enhancement (amplifying both target features and noise) or signal enhancement (selectively amplifying target features) because both mechanisms predict improved performance in the absence of noise. To tease these mechanisms apart, we manipulated temporal attention using an auditory cue while parametrically varying external noise in a fine-orientation discrimination task. Temporal attention improved performance across all noise levels. Formal model comparisons revealed that this cueing effect was best accounted for by a combination of signal enhancement and stimulus enhancement, suggesting that temporal attention improves perceptual performance, in part, by selectively increasing gain for target features.
Quantifying isolation-by-resistance and connectivity in dendritic ecological networks
Authors: Chafin Tyler K. , Mussmann Steven M. , Douglas Marlis R. , Douglas Michael E.
Published: March 2021

A central theme in landscape ecology is the translation of individual movements within a population by deconstructing/interpreting the components of its topographical environment. Most such endeavors rely heavily on the concept of ’landscape resistance’ – a composite of an arbitrary number of features/covariates that, when identified/compiled, yield a ‘surface’ inversely related to net movement. However, the statistical methodologies underlying this compilation have limited applicability when applied to dendritic ecological networks (DENs), including riverscapes.

Herein we provide an analytical framework (ResistNet) that more appropriately annotates DEN segments by first aligning individual genetic distances with environmental covariates within a graph structure, then employing a genetic algorithm to optimise a composite model.

We evaluated the efficacy of our method by first testing itin silicoacross an array of sampling designs, spatial trajectories, and levels of complexity, then applying it in an empirical case study involving 13,218 ddRAD loci from N=762 Speckled Dace (Leuciscidae:Rhinichthys osculus), sampled across N=78 Colorado River localities. By doing so, we underscored the utility of ResistNet within a large-scale conservation study, as well as identified prerequisites for its appropriate application.

Our contemporary framework not only allows an interpretation of meta-population/meta-community structure across DENs, but also highlights several innovative applications. These are: (a) Expanding an ongoing study design, and thus its hypotheses, into yet unsampled temporal and/or spatial arenas, and; (b) Promoting multi-species management through comparative analyses that extend across species and/or drainages.
Prevalence, incidence and risk factors for myopia among urban and rural children in southern China: protocol for a school-based cohort study
Authors: Chen Xin , Ye Guofang , Zhong Yuxin , Jin Ling , Liang Xiaoling , Zeng Yangfa , Zheng Yingfeng , Morgan Ian , Liu Yizhi
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Myopia is the common cause of reduced uncorrected visual acuity among school-age children. It is more prevalent in urban than in rural areas. Although many myopia studies have focused on the effect of urbanization, it remains unclear how visual experience in urban regions could affect childhood myopia. This study aims to investigate the incidence and prevalence of myopia among school-age children in urban and rural settings, thereby identifying the environmental factors that affect the onset and progression of myopia.

Methods and analysis

A school-based cohort study will be conducted. We will enroll all first-grade students from an urban (10 primary schools) and a rural (10 primary schools) regions of Zhaoqing City, China. Over the 3-year follow-up period, students will receive detailed eye examinations annually and complete questionnaires about living habits and environment. In a 5% random subsample of the cohort, physical activity, light intensity, and eye-tracking data will be obtained using wearable devices. The primary outcome is incident myopia, defined as myopia detected during follow up among those without myopia at baseline.

Ethics and Dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (number: 2019KYPJ171). Study findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

NCT04219228

ARTICLE SUMMARY

Strengths and limitations of this study

This is a longitudinal, school-based cohort study to assess the incidence and prevalence of myopia among school-age children in both urban and rural settings.

Large sample size and the representative study population.

Light exposure and daily activities will be measured using wearable devices in a random subsample of the cohort.

A myopia prediction model will be established using a deep learning algorithm based on the collected data.
Increased angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, sRAGE and immune activation, but lowered calcium and magnesium in COVID-19: association with chest CT abnormalities and lowered peripheral oxygen saturation
Authors: Al-Hakeim Hussein Kadhem , Al-Jassas Hawraa Kadhem , Morris Gerwyn , Maes Michael
Published: March 2021

Background

The characterization of new biomarkers of COVID-19 is extremely important. Few studies measured the soluble receptor for advanced glycation end product (sRAGE), angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), calcium and magnesium in COVID-19.

Aims

To measure sRAGE, ACE2, interleukin (IL) -6, IL-10, CRP, calcium, magnesium, and albumin in COVID-19 patients in association with peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and chest CT scan abnormalities (CCTA) including ground glass opacities.

Methods

This study measured sRAGE, ACE2, IL-6, IL-10, CRP using ELISA techniques, and calcium, magnesium, and albumin using a spectrophotometric method in 60 COVID-19 patients and 30 healthy controls.

Results

COVID-19 is characterized by significantly increased IL-6, CRP, IL-10, sRAGE, ACE2, and lowered levels of SpO2, albumin, magnesium and calcium. Neural networks showed that a combination of calcium, IL-6, CRP, and sRAGE yielded an accuracy of 100% in detecting COVID-19 patients with calcium being the most important predictor followed by IL-6, and CRP. COVID-19 patients with CCTAs showed lower SpO2 and albumin levels than those without CCTAs. SpO2 was significantly and inversely correlated with IL-6, IL-10, CRP, sRAGE, and ACE2, and positively with albumin, magnesium and calcium. Patients with positive IgG results showed a significant elevation in the serum level of IL-6, sRAGE, and ACE2 compared to the negatively IgG patient subgroup.

Conclusion

The results show that immune-inflammatory and RAGE pathway biomarkers may be used as external validating criterion for the diagnosis COVID-19. Those pathways coupled with lowered SpO2, calcium and magnesium are drug targets that may help to reduce the consequences of COVID-19.
Positive selection on mitochondria may eliminate heritable microbes from arthropod populations
Authors: Fenton Andy , Camus M Florencia , Hurst Gregory D D
Published: March 2021

The majority of arthropod species carry facultative heritable microbes, bacteria that are passed from mother to offspring, and which may contribute to host function. These symbionts are coinherited down the maternal line with mitochondria, and selection favouring either new symbionts, or new symbiont variants, is known to drive loss of mitochondrial diversity as a correlated response. More recently, evidence has accumulated of episodic directional selection on mitochondria. We therefore examined the reciprocal interaction and model the impact of selection on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) on symbiont frequency. We performed this for three generic scenarios: a fixed benefit to the host carrying the symbiont, a benefit that decreased with symbiont frequency, and a benefit that increased with symbiont frequency. We find that direct selection on mtDNA can drive symbionts out of the population under some circumstances. Symbiont extinction occurs where the positively selected mtDNA mutation occurs initially in an individual that is uninfected with the symbiont, and the symbiont is initially at low frequency. When, in contrast, the positively selected mtDNA mutation occurs in a symbiont infected individual, the mutation becomes fixed and in doing so removes symbiont variation from the population. Given low frequency symbiont infections are common in natural populations, and selection on mtDNA is also considered to occur frequently, we conclude that mtDNA driven loss of symbionts represents a novel mechanism driving loss of facultative heritable microbes. We conclude further that the molecular evolution of symbionts and mitochondria, which has previously been viewed from a perspective of selection on symbionts driving the evolution of a neutral mtDNA marker, should be reappraised in the light of positive selection on mtDNA. Where low mtDNA and symbiont genetic diversity are observed, it should not be assumed to be a consequences of selection acting on the symbiont.
Spatial-frequency features of radiation produced by a step-wise tapered undulator
Authors: Trebushinin Andrei , Serkez Svitozar , Veremchuk Mykola , Rakshun Yakov , Geloni Gianluca
Published: March 2021

A scheme to generate wide-bandwidth radiation using a step-wise tapered undulator with a segmented structure is proposed. This magnetic field configuration allows to broaden the undulator harmonic spectrum by two orders of magnitude, providing 1 keV bandwidth with spectral flux density exceeding 1016 photons s−1 mm−2 (0.1% bandwidth)−1 at 5 keV on the sample. Such a magnetic setup is applicable to superconducting devices where magnetic tapering cannot be arranged mechanically. The resulting radiation with broadband spectrum and flat-top shape may be exploited at a multipurpose beamline for scanning over the spectrum at time scales of 10–100 ms. The radiation from a segmented undulator is described analytically and derivations with numerical simulations are verified. In addition, a start-to-end simulation of an optical beamline is performed and issues related to the longitudinally distributed radiation source and its image upon focusing on the sample are addressed.
The lower energy diffraction and scattering side-bounce beamline for materials science at the Canadian Light Source
Authors: Leontowich Adam F. G. , Gomez Ariel , Diaz Moreno Beatriz , Muir David , Spasyuk Denis , King Graham , Reid Joel W. , Kim Chang-Yong , Kycia Stefan
Published: March 2021

A new diffraction beamline for materials science has been built at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron. The X-ray source is an in-vacuum wiggler with a 2.5 T peak magnetic field at 5.2 mm gap. The optical configuration includes a toroidal mirror, a single side-bounce Bragg monochromator, and a cylindrical mirror, producing a sub-150 µm vertical × 500 µm horizontal focused beam with a photon energy range of 7–22 keV and a flux of 1012 photons per second at the sample position. Three endstations are currently open to general users, and the techniques available include high-resolution powder diffraction, small molecule crystallography, X-ray reflectivity, in situ rapid thermal annealing, and SAXS/WAXS. The beamline design parameters, calculated and measured performance, and initial experimental results are presented to demonstrate the capabilities for materials science.
Drivers of social responsibility disclosure: the moderation of the president director's busyness and political connections
Authors: Yudhanti Ceicilia Bintang Hari , Tjahjadi Bambang
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of company size on social responsibility disclosure. In addition, this study examines the president director's busyness and political connections in moderating the association between company size and disclosure of corporate social responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this study were secondary data which included 1,165 observations (company-year). The analysis technique used was multiple regression method and the analysis was carried out by employing STATA software.

Findings

Researchers found that company size has a positive effect on social responsibility disclosure. The busyness of the president directors and companies connected to politics significantly weakens the association between company size and disclosure of social responsibility.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses only one measure of the driving force of social responsibility disclosure

Practical implications

This study contributes to the social responsibility literature by examining the effect of company size on social responsibility. Information on social responsibility disclosure has been carried out by companies in Indonesia; however, it is indicated that only large companies provide sufficient information on social responsibility.

Social implications

Stakeholders can find out information on social responsibility carried out by the company.

Originality/value

Companies with busy CEOs and politically connected firms weaken the association between company size and disclosure of social responsibility.
Rural–urban drift: labour migration, health-seeking behaviour disparity in the urban slum of Madina, Ghana
Authors: Afeadie Ransford Kwaku
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The health challenges that characterise most of the migrants' urban slums raises a lot of concern for their well-being. Health-seeking behaviour becomes an important step towards maintaining a healthy life. The importance of contextual issues is necessary to help meet specific community health needs and programmes. Therefore, this study aims to bridge the knowledge gap by investigating health-seeking behaviour disparity among rural–urban labour migrant's slum dwellers before and after migration to the urban slums of Madina in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The author used explanatory sequential approach of research investigation. Questionnaire and interview guides were used to collect data from the respondents however, in the absence of an existing reliable sampling frame, the various communities were selected by the use of cluster sampling proportional to size. At the second stage, a simple random sampling was used to select the various household heads. A total of 241 questionnaires were retrieved from the respondents representing a response rate of 100%. The author used purposive sampling technique to conduct eight in-depth interviews and six key informants' interviews.

Findings

The author found various discrepancies in many of the activities that could fulfil substantial health-seeking behaviour in the slum as compared to migrant's places of origin. The reason for coming to the slum amidst many settlements needs and low education background are the factors that accounted for this. This study, therefore, contradicts the proposition held by the health belief model. It is, therefore, important to note that contextual issues are key, in this case, rural–urban migrant slums present a different dynamic that must be taken into account when designing health programmes for such settings.

Originality/value

Many, if not all the, studies on health-seeking behaviour have focused on urban slums without taking into account urban migrants' slums. Such a failure to take into account the variations of the health needs of migrants' urban slum settings can eventually lead to a mismatch of health programmes meant to address their challenges. Therefore, this study brings to the fore such variations that must be taken into account when designing health programmes. The study also indicates that even with the same people, there were disparities in terms of health-seeking behaviour in the slum and at places of origin.
Do digital literacies matter in employee engagement in digitalised workplace?
Authors: Chan Ai Joo , Hooi Lai Wan , Ngui Kwang Sing
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aims to understand the role of digital literacies as a moderator between employee engagement and its antecedents, namely, workplace digitalisation and innovative culture.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 256 valid samples were used in the analysis. The respondents were individuals used as management-level executives in companies located in Selangor/Kuala Lumpur. The model was tested using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The findings reveal that there exists a significant association between employee engagement and its antecedents, namely, workplace digitalisation and innovative culture. Digital literacies are found to moderate the relationships between workplace digitalisation-employee engagement and innovative culture-employee engagement.

Practical implications

This paper provides new insight to the practitioners about the role of digital literacies in raising employee engagement in the digital workplace.

Originality/value

These findings enrich the literature on employee engagement, whereby, improving employee digital literacies strengthens employee acceptance to workplace digitalisation and benefit from the innovative culture to stay engaged.
Allegation of diversion of recovered proceeds of crime: defect in the EFCC Act 2004 and the need for amendment
Authors: Yakubu Sirajo
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the Economic and Financial Crime Act 2004 to investigate whether there are defects in the 2004 Acts which enable abuse of the system by those who are responsible for fighting corruption and other economic crimes in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts qualitative methods of research. The research studied the laws and regulations relevant to the recovery and management of proceeds of crime. However, personal experience of the author in the civil service, security and law enforcement accounts significantly.

Findings

The paper finds that the provisions of the EFCC Act 2004 relevant to the recovery of proceeds of crime and management of recovered assets are defective. The 2004 Act contains loopholes that enable mismanagement and diversion of recovered assets for personal use. Although the EFCC Act empowers the Minister of Justice to issue Regulations to regulate the activities of the EFCC, the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations 2019 the Minister of Justice issued cannot be used to close the loopholes. Thus, there is an urgent need to amend the EFCC Act 2004.

Research limitations/implications

Non-availability of data on the mismanagement of seized and recovered assets is a severe limitation. Thus, analysis in this research focuses on the laws and regulations to illustrates the defects in the 2004 Act. Also, the study could only use reported cases and incidence of corruption among the security and law enforcement to illustrate unsuitability of security and law enforcement for the position of the chairman of the EFCC.

Originality/value

There is no comprehensive work that examines the defects of the provisions of the 2004 Act that breeds lack of transparency in the recovery of proceeds of crime as well as mismanagement of recovered assets. Therefore, this paper is of value to the Nigerian Government and the National Assembly in considering amendments to the EFCC Act 2004. The paper is also of importance to researchers.
The COVID-19 response: considerations for future humanitarian supply chain and logistics management research
Authors: Thompson Denise D.P. , Anderson Renata
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is three-fold: (1) this editorial viewpoint gives context to the manuscripts included in this special issue on pandemics and epidemics. (2) The viewpoint frames a research agenda for the vital work necessary to understand and make the humanitarian supply chain more resilient. (3) The authors hope that the viewpoint as well as the included papers contribute to the dialogue and facilitate a research program over the short- to medium-term about mass complex disasters, including epidemics and pandemics, and their effects on the humanitarian supply chain and logistics.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines COVID-19 response by focusing on the USA as a mini case study. It utilizes contemporaneous reporting in USA newspapers between February and July of 2020. Reports made during an incident or event provide some of the most accurate records of that event and point to gaps in our understanding of research in the humanitarian supply chain.

Findings

The novel COVID-19 pandemic highlights unanticipated ways that pandemics and epidemics impact HLSCM and display the supply chain's fragility in stark terms. The paper layouts some of the thematic issues that emerged from COVID-19 that could point the way for future research in the field in the short run.

Research limitations/implications

The articles accessed for the paper dated February–July 2020. With the pandemic ongoing, many more thematic areas or more enduring ones might surface that could change the direction of the findings or recommendations. In addition, relying on secondary sources like newspapers for this research largely depends on the quality of the reports. Moreover, newspaper articles are not as scientifically robust as are academic journals as some. The viewpoints could be biased. It is also difficult to verify the best news sources, if they are not knowna priori.

Practical implications

Thematic lessons from America's COVID-19 impact set the stage for future research agenda in the humanitarian supply chain and logistics response over the next few years. There will be other pandemics. The question is not if, but when.

Social implications

The COVID-19 pandemic makes it impossible for us to ignore the link between the global supply chain, natural and human-made disasters, including epidemics and pandemics, environmental degradation and deforestation.

Originality/value

The paper's originality lies it being one of the first, if not the first, to deal with this topic within the operations/logistics/supply chain management field. It therefore helps to pave the way for other perspectives and approaches to understand and advance the field of humanitarian logistics and supply chain management.
Robust contractor evaluation criteria classification for modern technology public construction projects
Authors: Khoso Ali Raza , Md Yusof Aminah , Chai Changsaar , Laghari Muhammad Aslam
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The emergence of massive modern technology construction projects is seen to be a real occurrence in Pakistan’s construction industry, which in turn demands a better and systematic way of undertaking the project. Hence, this requires capable contractors to perform the task. A plethora of research studies are carried in the past three decades on the identification of evaluation criteria of contractor’s selection, but the road of modern technology construction projects is still unpaved.

Design/methodology/approach

This study strives for the most essential but exhaustive criteria, especially for modern technology construction projects in Pakistan. A pilot survey followed by an exhaustive questionnaire survey was carried out alongside with one-on-one interactions with professional experts serving in various public organizations under public procurement department. A total of 87 attributes were analyzed, correlated, rotated and weighted using exploratory factor analysis for identification of evaluation criteria.

Findings

The study finds that for modern technology construction projects basic format of contractor’s selection attributes is not extensive. Henceforth, the most robust, comprehensive and precise assessment is required for such modern technology construction projects. Consequently, four inimitable sets of evaluation criteria groups are designed keeping in view the growing demands of public projects around the globe.

Research limitations/implications

The research work added a novel contribution in this research area which is in quest of resolutions from the past three decades. This research opens the novel avenues in the future in terms of designing the evaluation criteria while keeping the project demands and scope in mind.

Social implications

The research is a blueprint for the construction organizations and other authorities especially to those agencies involved in the modern construction technology projects. This eye-opening work will further stimulate the clients to focus on not only the designing phase but also the execution part of such advanced construction projects which turn in the successful project outcome.

Originality/value

The larger number of past studies addressed so for from the last couple of decades is very useful to a certain extend for instance for small to medium-sized traditional construction projects. This research delineates the future to call upon the most alarming future issues and consequences of selecting the traditional contractors for their advanced projects. Being premier research in this realm, the study filled the gap of evaluating the contractors inimitably compared to what was practiced in the past.
Where are the higher education institutions from knowledge protection: a systematic review
Authors: Alghail Adnan , Abbas Mohammed , Yao Liu
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Knowledge protection (KP) is one of the main knowledge management (KM) processes that aim to protect the organization’s knowledge from any inside and outside force leakage. In higher education institutions (HEIs), KP is rarely being discussed and covered in contrast to knowledge sharing (KS) in terms of its determinants. The purpose of this paper is to provide a deep analysis of previous research articles from 1980 to 2019 and examine the associated institutional factors on KP determinants within HEIs as a research objective.

Design/methodology/approach

The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis was a well-established approach for analyzing the systematic literature review methodology. Several articles were published over the past decades collected from 5 different databases, but after the screening, 101 articles were reviewed and only 22 articles were relevant to the research objective.

Findings

The findings indicated that KP is under academic research topic in KM and has received minimal attention in HEIs compared to KS, which has been frequently studied in HEIs. The literature categorized KP determinants into four areas: technological, organizational structure, behavioral and ethics and organizational culture. It will open the door for academics to investigate further into the factors, theories and models of KP in general and HEIs from a particular perspective.

Practical implications

As evident from the paper finds, with few pieces of literature covered in this topic, HEIs have to protect the knowledge from any illegal usage or any expert’s knowledge loss after leaving the institutions. This study can help university leaders to understand how the different KP determinants can maximize KP without affecting the KS and develop the KP phenomenon for a strategic fit to enhance their institutions’ safe knowledge usage.

Originality/value

This is the first research of its type which has extensively examined the literature on KP related to HEIs. Also, this paper provides theoretical and practical insights through understanding the determinants that affect KP practices among academic staff.
Development of a prediction model of treatment response in patients with cutaneous arteritis: Insights from a cohort of 33 patients
Authors: Matsuda Kazuki Mitsuru , Yoshizaki Ayumi , Kotani Hirohito , Kuzumi Ai , Fukayama Maiko , Ebata Satoshi , Fukasawa Takemichi , Yoshizaki‐Ogawa Asako , Sato Shinichi
Published: March 2021

Cutaneous arteritis (CA) is necrotizing vasculitis invading the small‐ to medium‐sized arteries of the skin. The majority of patients can be favorably managed by low‐ to medium‐dose systemic corticosteroids (prednisolone, <0.5 mg/kg/day) or other oral medications such as non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, dapsone, and azathioprine. Meanwhile, some patients require more intensive therapy including high‐dose systemic corticosteroids (prednisolone, ≥0.5 mg/kg/day), i.v. immunoglobulin, and i.v. cyclophosphamide therapy. Although predicting such treatment response among CA patients is critical in clinical decision‐making, prediction rules have not yet been established. Herein, we retrospectively reviewed 33 patients regularly visiting our clinic to reveal predictive factors of their treatment response. Clinical data were collected from electronic medical records. Association between each factor and treatment response was examined by logistic regression analysis. Progression‐free time was calculated by Kaplan–Meier’s method and analyzed by log–rank test and Cox progression hazard model. Potential predictive factors were selected, given 1 point for each, and integrated into a classification model. Discrimination of the model was examined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. In total, 33 CA patients were enrolled in our study. Of these, 11 patients required intensive therapy, classified as treatment non‐responders. Logistic analyses revealed that treatment response was significantly associated with male sex, presence of skin ulcers, and elevated serum levels of C‐reactive protein at the initial work‐up. Kaplan–Meier analyses also demonstrated that those factors are predictive of progression‐free time. The area under the ROC curve of our classification model was 0.92 (95% confidence interval, 0.83–1.00), which classified non‐responders from the others with a sensitivity of 90.9% and specificity of 81.8% at the cut‐off point of 2 or more. Collectively, treatment response of CA could be predictable by a combination of sex, presence of skin ulcers, and serum levels of C‐reactive protein.
SARS‐CoV‐2 biology and variants: anticipation of viral evolution and what needs to be done
Authors: Luo Ruibang , Delaunay‐Moisan Agnès , Timmis Kenneth , Danchin Antoine
Published: March 2021

The global propagation of SARS‐CoV‐2 and the detection of a large number of variants, some of which have replaced the original clade to become dominant, underscores the fact that the virus is actively exploring its evolutionary space. The longer high levels of viral multiplication occur – permitted by high levels of transmission –, the more the virus can adapt to the human host and find ways to success. The third wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic is starting in different parts of the world, emphasizing that transmission containment measures that are being imposed are not adequate. Part of the consideration in determining containment measures is the rationale that vaccination will soon stop transmission and allow a return to normality. However, vaccines themselves represent a selection pressure for evolution of vaccine‐resistant variants, so the coupling of a policy of permitting high levels of transmission/virus multiplication during vaccine roll‐out with the expectation that vaccines will deal with the pandemic, is unrealistic. In the absence of effective antivirals, it is not improbable that SARS‐CoV‐2 infection prophylaxis will involve an annual vaccination campaign against ‘dominant’ viral variants, similar to influenza prophylaxis. Living with COVID‐19 will be an issue of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants and evolution. It is therefore crucial to understand how SARS‐CoV‐2 evolves and what constrains its evolution, in order to anticipate the variants that will emerge. Thus far, the focus has been on the receptor‐binding spike protein, but the virus is complex, encoding 26 proteins which interact with a large number of host factors, so the possibilities for evolution are manifold and not predictable a priori. However, if we are to mount the best defence against COVID‐19, we must mount it against the variants, and to do this, we must have knowledge about the evolutionary possibilities of the virus. In addition to the generic cellular interactions of the virus, there are extensive polymorphisms in humans (e.g. Lewis, HLA, etc.), some distributed within most or all populations, some restricted to specific ethnic populations and these variations pose additional opportunities for/constraints on viral evolution. We now have the wherewithal – viral genome sequencing, protein structure determination/modelling, protein interaction analysis – to functionally characterize viral variants, but access to comprehensive genome data is extremely uneven. Yet, to develop an understanding of the impacts of such evolution on transmission and disease, we must link it to transmission (viral epidemiology) and disease data (patient clinical data), and the population granularities of these. In this editorial, we explore key facets of viral biology and the influence of relevant aspects of human polymorphisms, human behaviour, geography and climate and, based on this, derive a series of recommendations to monitor viral evolution and predict the types of variants that are likely to arise.
The effect of pH and NaCl on the diafiltration performance of camel milk
Authors: Kashaninejad Morteza , Razavi Seyed M A
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to investigate the effect of pH levels (5.8, 6.3 and 6.8) and NaCl concentrations (0, 75 and 150 mM) on the camel milk diafiltration performance in terms of pseudo‐steady‐state permeate flux, total fouling resistance and compositions of retentate (protein, lactose, ash, total solids and 11 minerals). The results showed that the camel milk diafiltration performance can be enhanced by controlling the pH and NaCl concentrations. In this research, the optimum ultrafiltration performance conditions with the lowest fouling, lactose and ash, and the highest flux and protein were pH 6.6 and 110 mM NaCl.
The impact of health‐related supports in senior housing on ambulance transfers and visits to emergency departments: The Right Care, Right Place, Right Time Project
Authors: Nadash Pamela , Cohen Marc A. , Tavares Jane , Miller Edward Alan
Published: March 2021

Objective

To test the impact of placing a wellness team (nurse and social worker) in senior housing on ambulance transfers and visits to emergency departments over 18 months.

Data sources/study setting

Intervention sites included seven Boston‐area buildings, with five buildings at comparable settings acting as controls. Data derive from building‐level ambulance data from emergency responders; building‐level Medicare claims data on emergency department utilization; and individual‐level baseline assessment data from participants in the intervention (n = 353) and control (n = 208) sites.

Study design

We used a pre/postdifference in difference quasi‐experimental design applying several analytic methods. The preintervention period was January 2016‐March 2017, while the intervention period was July 2017‐December 2018.

Data collection/extraction methods

Emergency responders provided aggregate transfer data on a daily basis for intervention and control buildings; the Quality Improvement Organization provided quarterly aggregate data on emergency department visit rates; and assessment data came from a modified Vitalize 360 assessment and coaching tool.

Principal findings

The study found an 18.2% statistically significant decline in ambulance transfers in intervention buildings, with greater declines in buildings that had fewer services available at baseline, compared to other intervention sites. Analysis of Medicare claims data, adjusted for the proportion of residents over 75 per building, found fewer visits to emergency departments in intervention buildings.

Conclusions

Health‐related supports in senior housing sites can be effective in reducing emergency transfers and visits to emergency departments.
The biogeography of group sizes in humpback dolphins (Sousa spp.)
Authors: LIU Mingming , LIN Mingli , LUSSEAU David , LI Songhai
Published: March 2021

Humpback dolphins (Sousa spp.) are obligate shallow‐water and resident species, and they typically live in fission–fusion societies composed of small‐sized groups with changeable membership. However, we have scant knowledge of their behavioral ecology, starting with potential factors influencing inter‐population variability of their group sizes. Here, we compiled a new global dataset of humpback dolphin group sizes based on 150 published records. Our data indicated an inter‐specific consistency of group‐living strategy among the 4 species in the Sousa genus, as these species preferred living in small‐sized groups with a mean size of mostly no more than 10, a minimum size of single individual or small pairs, and a maximum size of several tens or ≈100. In addition, we clearly showed the geographic variations in group sizes of humpback dolphins at a global scale. We found that the geographic variations in humpback dolphin group sizes were primarily associated with the latitude, sea surface temperature, and abundance. To conclude, our findings provide insights into social dynamics and socioecological trade‐offs of humpback dolphins, and help better understand how these resident animals adapted to their shallow‐water habitats from the perspectives of biogeography and socioecology.
MR imaging features of multiple biliary hamartomas (Von Meyenburg Complex): A pictorial review and differential diagnosis
Authors: Boraschi Piero , Scalise Paola , Tarantini Gaia , Colombatto Piero , Donati Francescamaria
Published: March 2021

Biliary hamartomas (BHs) are rare malformative cystic/cystic‐like lesions of the liver affecting the biliary tree, named after Hanns von Meyenburg who described them for the first time and still known with this eponym to this day. They usually lack clinical symptoms, and abnormalities in liver function tests are unusual; thus, it is typically an incidental finding of liver imaging. Despite being benign lesions, BHs can pose clinical challenges; the first one is differential diagnosis with other more relevant pathological conditions. Therefore, knowledge of MR imaging findings of BHs is helpful for a prompt and correct diagnosis, avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures and/or an excessive number of radiological investigations. This pictorial review is aimed to depict the most typical MR imaging features of multiple biliary hamartomas (von Meyenburg Complex), in order to familiarize the diagnosis and facilitate the differentiation from other hepato‐biliary cystic diseases.
An atypically located pleomorphic adenoma: Radiological and pathological correlation
Authors: Teh Joelin , Dessauvagie Ben , Kessell Meredith , Dissanayake Deepthi , Wylie Elizabeth J
Published: March 2021

Pleomorphic adenoma is a common benign salivary gland neoplasm which very rarely occurs in the breast. Its radiologic and pathologic appearance may be mistaken for other benign or malignant lesions such as a fibroadenoma or invasive ductal carcinoma. Due to the risk of local recurrence and, rarely, malignant transformation, wide local excision with clear margins is recommended. As such, a correct diagnosis of this lesion is important to ensure appropriate surgical treatment. We report a case of an atypically located pleomorphic adenoma with radiologic‐pathologic correlation in an asymptomatic 63‐year‐old woman.
Cell‐type specific expression and behavioral impact of galanin and GalR1 in the locus coeruleus during opioid withdrawal
Authors: Foster Stephanie L. , Galaj Ewa , Karne Saumya L. , Ferré Sergi , Weinshenker David
Published: March 2021

The neuropeptide galanin is reported to attenuate opioid withdrawal symptoms, potentially by reducing neuronal hyperactivity in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) via galanin receptor 1 (GalR1). We evaluated this mechanism by using RNAscope in situ hybridization to characterize GalR1 mRNA distribution in the dorsal pons and to compare galanin and GalR1 mRNA expression in tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive (TH+) LC cells at baseline and following chronic morphine or precipitated withdrawal. We then used genetically altered mouse lines and pharmacology to test whether noradrenergic galanin (NE‐Gal) modulates withdrawal symptoms. RNAscope revealed that, while GalR1 signal was evident in the dorsal pons, 80.7% of the signal was attributable to TH− neurons outside the LC. Galanin and TH mRNA were abundant in LC cells at baseline and were further increased by withdrawal, whereas low basal GalR1 mRNA expression was unaltered by chronic morphine or withdrawal. Naloxone‐precipitated withdrawal symptoms in mice lacking NE‐Gal (GalcKO‐Dbh) were largely similar to WT littermates, indicating that loss of NE‐Gal does not exacerbate withdrawal. Complementary experiments using NE‐Gal overexpressor mice (NE‐Gal OX) and systemic administration of the galanin receptor agonist galnon revealed that increasing galanin signaling also failed to alter behavioral withdrawal, while suppressing noradrenergic transmission with the alpha‐2 adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine attenuated multiple symptoms. These results indicate that galanin does not acutely attenuate precipitated opioid withdrawal via an LC‐specific mechanism, which has important implications for the general role of galanin in regulation of somatic and affective opioid responses and LC activity.