bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fused filament fabrication of continuous optic fiber reinforced polylactic acid composites
Authors: Yan Rui , Wang Yuye , Luo Pengjun , Li Yangbo , Lu Xiaochun
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The limited strength of polylactic acid (PLA) hinders its extensive engineering applications. This paper aims to enhance its strength and realize diverse applications.

Design/methodology/approach

Here, the continuous fiber reinforced PLA composites are fabricated by a customized fused filament fabrication three-dimensional printer. Uniaxial tensile and three-point flexural tests have been conducted to analyze the reinforcement effect of the proposed composites. To unveil the adhering mechanism of optic fiber (OF) and PLA, post failure analysis including the micro imaging and morphology have been performed. The underlying mechanism is that the axial tensile strength of the OF and the interfacial adhesion between PLA and OF compete to enhance the mechanical properties of the composite.

Findings

It is found that 10%–20% enhancement of strength, ductility and toughness due to the incorporation of the continuous OF.

Originality/value

The continuous OFs are put into PLA first time to improve the strength. The fabrication method and process reported here are potentially applied in such engineering applications as aerospace, defense, auto, medicine, etc.
Life on a leaf: The development of spatial structure in epiphyll communities
Authors: Mežaka Anna , Salazar Allen Noris , Mendieta‐Leiva Glenda , Bader Maaike Y.
Published: December 2021

The spatial structure of biotic communities can be shaped by niche‐based or stochastic processes, and the importance of both can change through time. Niche‐based processes include neighbour interactions, which can change in intensity and quality as communities develop in dependence of environmental conditions. Epiphylls, miniature communities of liverworts, lichens, algae and fungi on leaves, develop only in relatively moist forests, but their leaf‐surface habitat is still characterized by moisture stress, especially in more exposed parts of the forest. As neighbours may alleviate moisture stress, we expected that in forest gaps (dryer, brighter), epiphyll communities would show more positive neighbour interactions, resulting in more clustered spatial patterns, than in closed forest, in accordance with the stress‐gradient hypothesis.

To understand how the processes shaping epiphyll communities change through time and differ between gaps and closed forest, we examined the fine‐scale spatial structure within and between epiphyll functional groups (algae, fungi, lichens and liverworts) during 12 months on 60 leaves across 12 sites in a tropical rainforest in Panama. We analysed changes in spatial positions and spatial associations within and between functional groups using spatial point pattern analysis based on repeated photography.

Epiphyll densities increased through time for most epiphyll functional groups. However, although epiphyll groups changed their positions through time, the general types of spatial patterns remained similar for most groups: only lichen patterns shifted from mostly random to mostly aggregated through time. We found only random and aggregated spatial patterns within groups, while among groups we additionally found segregated spatial associations, but no consistent temporal trend. Patterns did not differ between gaps and closed forest, thus not supporting the stress‐gradient hypothesis.

Synthesis. Our results only weakly support the assumption that community‐shaping processes change from neutral to niche‐based as communities develop. We do provide empirical evidence that epiphyll communities are dynamic and exhibit different spatial association patterns within than among groups. Empirical evidence suggests different interactions and processes within than between groups. Experimental studies and monitoring of individual epiphyll patches are recommended to shed further light on what processes shape life on leaves.
Feral ecologies: the making of postcolonial nature in London
Authors: Barua Maan
Published: December 2021

Through an ethnography of parakeets and other denizens in London, this article expounds the concept of the feral and foregrounds its purchase for an anthropological inquiry into urban life. Ecological, cultural, and political connotations of ferality impinge upon evaluations of what counts and is allowed to flourish as metropolitan nature. Ferality is constructed through nativist and racial taxonomies which promote a biopolitics of eradicating parakeets. At the same time, parakeets trigger new ‘recombinant' ecological associations when they enter into relations with other avian life. They also foster affective alignments with people that create possibilities for a more just politics of dwelling. The feral recasts London's metropolitan nature as postcolonial and opens up novel ways of doing urban anthropology.
Microstructural changes in acid milk gels due to temperature‐controlled high‐intensity ultrasound treatment: Quantification by analysis of super‐resolution microscopy images
Authors: James Glover Zachary , Gregersen Sandra Beyer , Wiking Lars , Hammershøj Mariannne , Simonsen Adam Cohen
Published: December 2021

High‐intensity ultrasound (HIU) can be applied to food materials to create novel structures and textures, and as a method of processing. HIU treatment of milk modifies the gelation behaviour, but the microstructural impact is poorly understood. Milk samples were treated with HIU at three temperatures: 27°C, 50°C, and 70°C. Acid milk gels were formed from the milk and imaged using super‐resolution stimulated emission depletion and confocal microscopy. Quantitative image analysis was applied and demonstrated that HIU treatment leads to measurable changes in both protein network morphology and degree of association of the fat droplets with the protein network.
The impact of management on hospital performance
Authors: Asaria Miqdad , McGuire Alistair , Street Andrew
Published: December 2021

There is a prevailing popular belief that expenditure on management by health‐care providers is wasteful, diverts resources from patient care, and distracts medical and nursing staff from getting on with their jobs. There is little existing evidence to support either this narrative or counter‐claims. We explore the relationship between management and public sector hospital performance using a fixed effects empirical econometric specification on a panel data set consisting of all 129 non‐specialist acute National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in England for the financial years 2012/13 to 2018/19. Measures of managerial input and quality of management practice are constructed from NHS Electronic Staff Records and NHS Staff Survey data. Hospital accounts and Hospital Episode Statistics data are used to construct five measures of financial performance and of timely and high‐quality care. We find no evidence of association either between quantity of management and management quality or directly between quantity of management and any of our measures of hospital performance. However, there is some evidence that higher‐quality management is associated with better performance. NHS managers have limited discretion in performing their managerial functions, being tightly circumscribed by official guidance, targets, and other factors outside their control. Given these constraints, our findings are unsurprising.
Managing human resources in information technology and business process offshoring firms operating in Asia: a literature review toward theoretically and contextually grounded research
Authors: Presbitero Alfred , Teng‐Calleja Mendiola , Hechanova Ma. Regina M.
Published: December 2021

The information technology and business process (IT&BP) offshoring sector in Asia continues to experience internal challenges and pressures from the external environment that lead to employee attrition. Despite the many human resources (HR)‐related interventions and practices, there remains a considerable turnover rate, not just within individual firms but across the entire IT&BP offshoring industry. We therefore question the current state of HR management within the sector and review the literature from 2000 to 2020. Utilizing the antecedents, decisions, and outcomes (ADO) organizing framework, we synthesize the different HR practices, their antecedents, and their outcomes. Our synthesis enables us to identify areas for future research, guided by the ADO framework, such as strengthening the theoretical grounding for the investigation of HR practices, greater contextualization regarding Asian culture, and acknowledgement of recent and emerging trends. These avenues can both build knowledge and inform practice as to how to effectively manage HR in the IT&BP offshoring sector in Asia, thereby reducing the high employee attrition rates.
Comprehensive evaluation of natural enemy dominant species of Breuipalpus oboyats in tea garden in autumn and winter
Authors: Zhang Lin , Sun Jiazhao , Wu Xiaomeng , Xu Yu , Bi Shoudong , Zou Yunding
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the dominant natural enemies of Breuipalpus oboyats in autumn and winter tea gardens. The relationship between natural enemies and B.oboyats in time and space was studied by niche analysis and geostatistics combined with angular cosine coefficient method. According to the comparison of the sum of closeness index, it is found that the top three natural enemies (from large to small) that are most closely related to B.oboyats in the “Nongkangzao” tea garden are Plexippus paykulli, Clubiona japonicola, and Xysticus ephippiafus; “Pingyangtezao” tea garden are X.ephippiafus, Plexippus setipet, and Oxyopes sertatus. In front of the two tea gardens, one of the three natural enemies is the same. The evaluation of the comprehensive closeness index of the two tea gardens shows that the top three natural enemies most closely related to B.oboyats are X.ephippiafus, P.paykulli, and O.sertatus. X.ephippiafus is the most important natural enemy of B.oboyats in tea gardens in autumn and winter; the dominant natural enemies of the same pests in different varieties of tea gardens in the same area are often different.
Rates of diabetic retinopathy screening in pregnant patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in a predominantly Indigenous Central Australian population
Authors: Wicik Karolina , Bahrami Bobak , Halliday Megan , Henderson Tim , Roulston Tania , Ullrich Katja
Published: December 2021

Background

Pregnancy is a risk factor for the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in women with pre‐gestational diabetes. Australian screening guidelines recommend DR screening in the first trimester of pregnancy. The rates of DR screening in pregnant patients with pre‐gestational diabetes are unknown in Australia.

Aim

To determine the rates of DR screening in pregnant women with pre‐gestational diabetes at Alice Springs Hospital Diabetes Antenatal Care and Education (DANCE) clinic.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective review of women with pre‐gestational diabetes who attended the DANCE clinic between July 2016 and June 2020.

Results

There were 146 pregnancies in 144 individual women included in this review. There were 93% (n = 134) who identified as Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander. DR screening was performed in 23 (16%) pregnancies, in which DR was present in six (26%) and no retinal abnormality was found in 17 (74%). Of seven (5%) women who had a history of DR, only three had a screen during the pregnancy period. The location of the DR screen included Alice Springs Hospital (17%, n = 4), Alice Springs general practice clinics (35%, n = 8) and remote NT community clinics outside of Alice Springs (39%, n = 9). The trimesters in which women received their DR screens were: trimester 1, 45%, n = 10; trimester 2, 39%, n = 9; trimester 3, 17%, n = 4.

Conclusion

The minority of pregnant women who attend the DANCE clinic at Alice Springs Hospital received DR screening in adherence with national guidelines.
Nothing like a good feud to spark competition: First use of the total artificial heart
Authors: Coselli Joseph S.
Published: December 2021

As a native Houstonian, the notoriety surrounding Dr. Denton A Cooley’s implantation of the total artificial heart on Good Friday, April 4, 1969, was inescapable. At the time, Drs. Cooley and Michael E. DeBakey were the two most famous surgeons in Houston and much of the world. They had worked together professionally for 18 years, revolutionizing cardiothoracic surgery and mastering aortic surgery from beginning to end. However, this working relationship ended abruptly, and one of the most famous feuds in medicine began. Little did I know at the time that I would train with both men, work in both their respective institutions (which are located on the most competitive block of the Texas Medical Center), and play a role four decades later as their relationship rekindled. Here, I recount what I have come to learn about these events.
Effects of soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, and raffinose on growth performance and cecal microbiota in broiler chickens
Authors: Zhu Xin , Liu Jizhe , Yang Guiqin
Published: December 2021

This study was conducted to examine the effects of soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, and raffinose on growth performance and cecal microbiota in broiler chickens. Three‐hundred 1‐day‐old Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments: a basal diet (control diet); diets supplemented with soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, or raffinose at levels of 0.6% total sugar content; and diet with soybean meals (positive control). Results showed that feed‐to‐gain ratio (F/G) was improved (p < 0.05) in broiler chickens that received stachyose, but not raffinose, while addition of soybean oligosaccharide to the diet significantly (p < 0.05) resulted in decreases in the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG). Supplementation with soybean oligosaccharide, stachyose, or raffinose had a positive effect (p < 0.05) on the nutrient digestibility, but not on the blood immune parameters (p > 0.05). The results of the gene sequencing indicated that, at the family level, Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Lactobacillaceae were comparatively present in all the treatments but the cecal microbial composition was changed after dietary addition of different oligosaccharides. Our study had led to a greater understanding of prebiotic effects of these oligosaccharides on growth and intestinal health.
Proteomics discovery of protein biomarkers linked to yak meat tenderness as determined by label‐free mass spectrometry
Authors: Li Shengsheng , Li Chunbao
Published: December 2021

Tenderness is one of the most important qualities in meat. A proteomic approach is a suitable way to ensure meat tenderness. Thirty‐six tenderloin samples from yak were classified as exhibiting high (n = 12) or low (n = 12) tenderness and were evaluated using label‐free proteomics for the identification of the proteins and pathways most influential in tenderness variability. Between the two groups, proteomic changes were mainly caused by 33 differentially expressed proteins as displayed in reference patterns in heat maps. The expression of ENO2, SUCLG2, ETFDH, PGM1, TNNT3, TNNT1, HSDL2, GPI, ALAD, and COL1A1 proteins was very different between yak meats with high and low tenderness, and therefore, they are candidate biomarkers of yak meat tenderness. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses revealed that the identified proteins are related to pentose phosphate, glycolysis, the citrate cycle, fatty acid metabolism, and the calcium signaling pathway.
Accrual Accounting at Different Levels of the Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Azhar Zubir , Alfan Ervina , Kishan Krishnen , Assanah Nurul Husna
Published: December 2021

This paper has two main objectives. Firstly, it reviews relevant literature on the experiences of different levels of governments worldwide in adopting public sector accrual accounting (PSAA). Secondly, it critically analyses these studies and seeks to identify gaps in the extant literature to provide suggestions for future research. We reviewed and analysed 136 peer‐reviewed journal articles on PSAA over a 23‐year period spanning different levels of government worldwide. Our review and analysis suggest that the adoption of PSAA by different levels of government worldwide has been a long and complex process requiring possibly substantial implementation costs that are undisclosed to the public. Owing to the absence of high‐quality research providing empirical evidence of the benefits of PSAA, we conclude that thus far, the benefits of PSAA to government and citizens have yet to be substantiated. A limitation of this paper is that it is confined to the keywords used in the literature search. Nonetheless, the approach of aggregating and analysing these articles collectively allows this paper to not only provide useful insights into understanding the determinants and outcomes of PSAA but also to offer meaningful directions for future research with regards to multi‐level PSAA.
Rhein regulates redox‐mediated activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in intestinal inflammation through macrophage‐activated crosstalk
Authors: Zhou Yangyang , Gao Caifang , Vong Chi Teng , Tao Hongxun , Li Hongyi , Wang Shengpeng , Wang Yitao
Published: December 2021

Background and Purpose

Macrophage infiltration and activation is a critical step during acute colitis. Redox‐mediated activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in macrophages plays a critical role in mediating colonic inflammatory responses. Rhein isolated from the rhizome of rhubarb exhibits anti‐inflammatory effects in various diseases. However, its role in regulating acute colonic inflammation is unexplored. Here, we investigated the protective mechanisms of rhein during acute gut inflammation and its regulation of macrophage activation.

Experimental Approach

Inhibitory effects of rhein on NLRP3 inflammasomes were evaluated in activated macrophages and a mouse model of colitis. Expression of inflammatory mediators, inflammasome complex and redox‐related signalling were analysed by ELISA, Western blots, immunofluorescence staining, and qRT‐PCR. The phenotype of macrophages was assessed by flow cytometry. Colonic inflammation was evaluated by histological analysis.

Key Results

Rhein significantly decreased IL‐1β secretion via NLRP3 inflammasomes by disturbing their assembly in macrophages. Rhein also activated the Nrf2‐HO1‐NQO1 pathway and inhibited expression of Nox2 subunits and translocation to regulate redox balance. Moreover, rhein attenuated inflammatory responses by mediating macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype. NF‐κB, AP‐1, and MAPK signalling were also involved in improving inflammatory conditions by rhein. In mice with acute intestinal inflammation, rhein treatment attenuated clinical features and reduced macrophage infiltration into damaged tissue to alleviate colonic inflammation.

Conclusion and Implications

Rhein regulated redox‐mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation to protect against acute colitis, by interfering with macrophage accumulation and polarization. These findings provide a promising strategy of novel compounds for regulating mucosal inflammation in gastrointestinal disorders.
The effects of maternal input on language in the absence of genetic confounds: Vocabulary development in internationally adopted children
Authors: Coffey Joseph R. , Shafto Carissa L. , Geren Joy C. , Snedeker Jesse
Published: December 2021

Previous studies have found correlations between parent input and child language outcomes, providing prima facie evidence for a causal relation. However, this could also reflect the effects of shared genes. The present study removed this genetic confound by measuring English vocabulary growth in 29 preschool‐aged children (21 girls) aged 31–73 months and 17 infants (all girls) aged 15–32 months adopted from China and Eastern Europe and comparing it to speech produced by their adoptive mothers. Vocabulary growth in both groups was correlated with maternal input features; in infants with mean‐length of maternal utterance, and in preschoolers with both mean‐length of utterance and lexical diversity. Thus, input effects on language outcomes persist even in the absence of genetic confounds.
Health economic aspects of implant‐supported restorative therapy
Authors: Karlsson Karolina , Derks Jan , Wennström Jan L. , Petzold Max , Berglundh Tord
Published: December 2021

Background

It is poorly understood how much additional dental care patients consume subsequent to implant therapy. The aim of the present study is to evaluate costs associated with implant‐supported restorative therapy during the long‐term follow‐up.

Material and Methods

Costs associated with preventive measures and complication‐related procedures over a mean follow‐up period of 8.2 years were assessed in patient files of 514 Swedish subjects provided with implant‐supported restorative therapy. The restorative therapy and each of the subsequent interventions were assigned a specific cost. Accumulated costs were calculated in three categories: (i) total cost including initial restorative therapy and complication‐related interventions, (ii) cost of preventive measures alone, and (iii) cost of complication‐related procedures alone. Potential differences by background variables were analyzed using growth curve models.

Results

In the whole sample, costs during follow‐up ranged from 878 € (95% CI 743; 1,014) for patients with single‐tooth restoration(s) to 1,210 € (95% CI 1,091; 1,329) for subjects with full‐jaw restoration(s). The majority of costs during follow‐up originated from preventive measures (741 € 95% CI 716; 766). Among individuals receiving ≥1 intervention dealing with a complication (n = 253), complication‐related costs amounted to 557 € (95% CI 480; 634). For patients with full‐jaw restorations, the corresponding amount was 769 € (95% CI 622; 916). Procedures related to peri‐implantitis and technical complications resulted in costs similar to each other. Implant loss generated greater costs than any other type of complication.

Conclusions

Costs related to implant‐supported restorative therapy during follow‐up were associated with the extent of initial therapy. The higher costs during follow‐up noted in patients provided with full‐jaw restorations were explained by complication‐associated procedures. Implant loss was the most costly type of complication.
Preoperative environment enrichment preserved neuroligin 1 expression possibly via epigenetic regulation to reduce postoperative cognitive dysfunction in mice
Authors: Min Jia , Lai Zhongmeng , Wang Hui , Zuo Zhiyi
Published: December 2021

Aims

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common and significant syndrome. Our previous studies have shown that surgery reduces dendritic arborization and spine density and that environment enrichment (EE) reduces POCD. Neuroligin 1 is a postsynaptic protein involved in the formation of postsynaptic protein complex. This study was designed to determine the role of neuroligin 1 in the protection of EE against POCD and the mechanisms for EE to affect neuroligin 1 expression.

Methods

Eight‐week‐old C57BL/6J male mice with or without EE for 3, 7, or 14 days had right carotid artery exposure under isoflurane anesthesia. An anti‐neuroligin 1 antibody at 1.5 µg/mouse was injected intracerebroventricularly at one and two weeks before the surgery. Mice were subjected to the Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests from one week after the surgery. Cerebral cortex and hippocampus were harvested after surgery.

Results

Mice with surgery had poorer performance in the Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests than control mice. EE for 2 weeks, but not EE for 3 or 7 days, improved the performance of surgery mice in these tests. Surgery reduced neuroligin 1 in the hippocampus. Preoperative EE for 2 weeks attenuated this reduction. The anti‐neuroligin 1 antibody worsened the performance of mice with surgery plus EE in the Barnes maze and fear conditioning tests. Surgery increased histone deacetylase activity and decreased the acetylated histone in the hippocampus. EE attenuated these surgery effects.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that preoperative EE for 2 weeks reduces POCD. This effect may be mediated by preserving neuroligin 1 expression via attenuating surgery‐induced epigenetic dysregulation in the brain.
A Social Interpolation Model of Group Problem‐Solving
Authors: Sloman Sabina J. , Goldstone Robert L. , Gonzalez Cleotilde
Published: December 2021

How do people use information from others to solve complex problems? Prior work has addressed this question by placing people in social learning situations where the problems they were asked to solve required varying degrees of exploration. This past work uncovered important interactions between groups'connectivityand the problem'scomplexity: the advantage of less connected networks over more connected networks increased as exploration was increasingly required for optimally solving the problem at hand. We propose the Social Interpolation Model (SIM), an agent‐based model to explore the cognitive mechanisms that can underlie exploratory behavior in groups. Through results from simulation experiments, we conclude that “exploration” may not be a single cognitive property, but rather the emergent result of three distinct behavioral and cognitive mechanisms, namely, (a) breadth of generalization, (b) quality of prior expectation, and (c) relative valuation of self‐obtained information. We formalize these mechanisms in the SIM, and explore their effects on group dynamics and success at solving different kinds of problems. Our main finding is that broad generalization and high quality of prior expectation facilitate successful search in environments where exploration is important, and hinder successful search in environments where exploitation alone is sufficient.
Reliability of lumbar multifidus ultrasound assessment during the active straight leg raise test
Authors: Plaza‐Manzano Gustavo , Navarro‐Santana Marcos J. , Valera‐Calero Juan Antonio , Fabero‐Garrido Raúl , Fernández‐de‐las‐Peñas César , López‐de‐Uralde‐Villanueva Ibai
Published: December 2021

Background

Previous evidence showed altered lumbar multifidus (LM) activation in populations with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP). We aimed to investigate the test–retest and inter‐examiner reliability of ultrasound imaging (US) for assessing LM thickness at rest and activation during the active straight leg raise test (ASLR) and the association between thickness changes with clinical outcomes.

Methods

Fifty‐two patients with LBP and two examiners (one experienced and one novice) participated in this study. A total of 18 B‐mode images at L4–L5 or L5–S1 level (both sides, 3 at rest and 6 during ASLR) were collected. For assessing test–retest reliability, the experienced examiner repeated the procedure after 7 days. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurements (SEM) and minimal detectable changes (MDC) were calculated.

Results

Inter‐examiner agreement was good to excellent (ICC3,2 = 0.71–0.92) and test–retest reliability was excellent (ICC3,1 = 0.91–0.98). Mean average of multiple measurements improved the agreement. Greater LM thickness at rest (p < .05) and greater thickness change after 3 s (p < .01) and 10 s (homolateral side, p < .01; contralateral side, p < .05) were associated with less pain intensity.

Conclusions

US is a reliable method to assess the LM thickness at rest and contracted during the ASLR in patients with LBP. The measurement at 3 s after maintaining ASLR, as well as the use of the mean of three measurements, has been shown to be the most reliable method for measuring LM muscle thickness during ASLR.
Design of a communication skills course in dentistry: Applying active‐learning strategies to improve educational outcomes
Authors: Berry Maria , Rodrigues Vandilson , Evans Jane L. , de Souza Maria Isabel de Castro , Reher Vanessa
Published: December 2021

Purpose/Objective

Effective communication, between patient and dentist, is a core clinical skill that commands dedicated pedagogy similar to that of developing scientific knowledge and psychomotor skills. This study aimed to describe active‐learning strategies in a dental communication skills course, which sits within a broader foundation dental course and evaluate students’ educational outcomes.

Methods

This is a two‐phase retrospective, mono‐centred study, completed in 2019 at an Australian dental school. Phase I, a case report, describes the Communication Skills for Oral Health (CSOH) course design and its active‐learning strategies. Phase II analysed data from the course using Kirkpatrick's evaluation model to objectively measure the impact of the course and provide feedback to education designer. Students’ perception (Level 1) was evaluated with an institutional, validated online survey. Descriptive and statistical analysis, included paired tests and Spearman's correlation analyses, used to investigate learning effect (Level 2) and student behaviour change (Level 3). To assess the impact of the CSOH course design (Level 4) the student grades from the course were analysed.

Results

The CSOH course encompasses three major topics: Essentials of Communication Skills, Professional‐Patient Relationship and Managing Difficult Situations. Each topic included didactic content complimented with a variety of active‐learning strategies to teach and assess students. Positive outcomes were recorded across all Kirkpatrick levels.

Conclusions

This study suggests an efficient communication skills course design, which may assist in the development of communication skills courses in other dental education institutions.
Impact of an interdisciplinary curriculum for dental students (GeriDent‐Cologne) on attitudes and awareness towards older people and geriatric conditions
Authors: Wighton Henrietta , Derman Sonja Henny Maria , Wicht Michael Jochen , Scharfenberg Isabel , Röhrig Gabriele , Noack Michael Johannes , Barbe Anna Greta
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Training of dental students in the treatment of older patients must also consider the multiple chronic medical conditions that may be present. We developed an interdisciplinary gerodontology training curriculum for dental students (GeriDent‐Cologne) to investigate its influence on the attitudes and expectancies of dental students towards the treatment of older patients.

Materials and methods

The curriculum (given to fourth‐year students) comprised five clinical examination stations that simulated different medical conditions affecting older people. Students were able to experience related issues first hand, express their fears and problems concerning dental treatment in older people and, through discussion with the supervisor, develop strategies to overcome these difficulties and enhance treatment. An extended version of the Los Angeles Geriatric Attitudes Scale was given to fourth‐ and fifth‐year students (who acted as controls) over one semester.

Results

Dental students had a positive attitude towards older people, and their attitude did not change after attending the curriculum. However, participating in GeriDent‐Cologne had a significant beneficial impact on the feeling of being prepared to treat older people, led to a significantly greater understanding of the impact of medical issues and resulted in a considerably higher level of geriatric clinical knowledge over time.

Conclusions

GeriDent‐Cologne led to positive and semester‐long changes in awareness and knowledge of specific geriatric problems that influence dental treatment. We recommend the curriculum as a blueprint for the module of senior dentistry implemented in the new German dental licencing regulations.
Observable and efficient rearing system for wood‐feeding cockroaches
Authors: Osaki Haruka
Published: December 2021

Plant decomposition is an essential component of forest ecosystems. Wood‐feeding cockroaches are responsible for the decomposition of rotten logs. However, the ecology of wood‐feeding cockroaches is not well understood. To understand how they decompose rotten logs in the gallery inside the logs, it is necessary to observe them in laboratories. Here, I present an observable and cost‐effective for rearing these log decomposers using a culture dish and an artificial fungal meal. The culture dish is traditionally used to cultivate fungi or bacteria with the lid on. The artificial fungal meal is a commercial product for stage beetle larvae, which are a kind of log decomposers. These let researchers easy to deal with wood‐feeding cockroaches. In the course of keeping over 1,000 individuals of the wood‐feeding cockroaches, I have developed effective techniques to rear them under the observable system for several years. I present these techniques along with several tips to keep the wood‐feeding cockroaches healthy and observe them using video cameras. These techniques remove many of the limitations for study on the plant decomposers. When researchers use this observable rearing system, we can conduct rearing experiments easily and well understand the ecology of wood‐feeding cockroaches and insects associating with them.
Computer‐aided diagnosis ofCOVID‐19 disease from chest X‐ray images integrating deep feature extraction
Authors: Aziz Sumair , Khan Muhammad Umar , Rehman Abdul , Tariq Zain , Iqtidar Khushbakht
Published: December 2021

The novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) has an enormous impact on the daily lives and health of people residing in more than 200 nations. This article proposes a deep learning‐based system for the rapid diagnosis of COVID‐19. Chest x‐ray radiograph images were used because recent findings revealed that these images contain salient features about COVID‐19 disease. Transfer learning was performed using different pre‐trained convolutional neural networks models for binary (normal and COVID‐19) and triple (normal, COVID‐19 and viral pneumonia) class problems. Deep features were extracted from a fully connected layer of the ResNET50v2 model and feature dimension was reduced through feature reduction methods. Feature fusion of feature sets reduced through analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mutual information feature selection (MIFS) was fed to Fine K‐nearest neighbour to perform binary classification. Similarly, serial feature fusion of MIFS and chi‐square features were utilized to train Medium Gaussian Support Vector Machines to distinguish normal, COVID‐19 and viral pneumonia cases. The proposed framework yielded accuracies of 99.5% for binary and 95.5% for triple class experiments. The proposed model shows better performance than the existing methods, and this research has the potential to assist medical professionals to enhance the diagnostic ability to detect coronavirus disease.
CHINA'S HOUSING BUBBLE, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Authors: Jiang Shenzhe , Miao Jianjun , Zhang Yuzhe
Published: December 2021

China's housing prices have been growing rapidly over the past few decades, despite low growth in rents. We study the impact of housing bubbles on China's economy, based on the understanding that local governments use land‐sale revenue to fuel infrastructure investment. We calibrate our model to the Chinese data over the period 2003–13 and find that our calibrated model can match the declining capital return and GDP growth, the average housing price growth, and the rising infrastructure to GDP ratio in the data. We conduct two counterfactual experiments to estimate the impact of a bubble collapse and a property tax.
Unmet informatics needs of nurses regarding the use of personal smartphones in the workplace
Authors: Cho Insook , Min Yul Ha , Park Seyeon , Park Jeongyun , Song Mira , Ahn Meejung , Park Myonghwa , Im Yeonsook
Published: December 2021

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the differences in practices, policies, and perceptions of nurses regarding work‐related utilization of smartphones in acute‐care settings.

Background

Mobile devices utilizing emerging technology are widely used in acute‐care settings; however, concerns such as potential distraction, improper use, and negative impact on the nursing image in clinical practice remain valid.

Methods

Nurse managers (n = 8) and nurses (n = 181) were enrolled from eight academic tertiary hospitals that have comprehensive electronic medical record systems and mobile versions. Between October 2018 and February 2019, participants completed a questionnaire designed to explore their use of smartphones. The reporting guide for self‐administered surveys of clinicians was applied.

Results

Approximately 80% of nurses carried personal smartphones while working, with 70% using their devices for work. The prevalence of work‐related smartphone use ranged from 3% to 43% by functionality, which was lower than that estimated by managers. Frequent uses included taking pictures/videos and internet browsing. Nurses were more positive than managers about the benefits of smartphone use and less burdened by related concerns. Novice and junior nurses were more optimistic than senior nurses. Only one hospital had a policy on nurses’ use of personal devices at work.

Conclusion

Two unmet needs in the current clinical information system were identified: information supporting task‐related knowledge at the bedside and security of data capture and communication.

Implication for nursing policy

The unintended perception gaps between nurses and managers regarding work‐related smartphone use can be closed by nursing leadership. Unmet nursing informatics, particularly for information‐seeking purposes, can be addressed in the context of quality assurance. Nurse leaders can advocate secure and proper use of smartphones in clinical practice.
Antecedents of and outcomes after finance committee use
Authors: Basu Sudipta , Lee Eunju (Ivy)
Published: December 2021

We study why firms voluntarily create and use finance committees and whether firms realize benefits. Firms are more likely to have a finance committee when they have defined benefit pension plans, debt equity issuance and active dividend payout. Capital expenditures, restructuring, material weaknesses in internal controls and restatements are drivers of creating a finance committee. While we find a weak association between finance committee use and financial performance on average, we find that finance committees that are highly independent have better‐performing investments. Finance committees contribute to lowering the cost of debt for firms with small audit committees.
New drivers of the evolution of mimetic accuracy in Batesian ant‐mimics: size, habitat and latitude
Authors: Pekár Stano
Published: December 2021

Aim

The evolution and maintenance of accurate Batesian mimicry has been explained by several hypotheses built upon relaxed selection. However, selection can be influenced by ecological factors, such as habitat type or geographical distribution, which have not been considered.

Location

Worldwide.

Taxon

Araneae.

Methods

I gathered data on body size, geographical area of distribution (temperate, subtropical, tropical), and habitat stratification (ground, low vegetation, bush, tree) from literature on more than 400 ant‐mimicking (myrmecomorphic) spider species from 18 spider families. I ranked them into four accuracy levels based on morphology, from poor inaccurate mimics to very accurate ones. I used regression to study the effect of body size, distribution, and habitat on mimetic accuracy while controlling for phylogeny.

Results

Mimetic accuracy increased with spider body size but differently depending on habitat type. On the ground and in low vegetation, smaller species were inaccurate; whereas on shrubs and trees even smaller species were accurate. Accuracy increased from temperate to tropical locations, again differently depending on habitat. In the temperate zone, only species occurring on bushes were accurate, but in the tropical zone even ground‐living species were accurate.

Main conclusions

Higher accuracy at lower latitudes is likely due to stronger predation pressure from visually hunting predators. Lower accuracy in species occurring near the ground is presumably due to predation pressure by non‐visually hunting predators. Inaccurate myrmecomorphy in spiders appears to be further driven by smaller body size due to lower profitability to predators; and higher latitude due to increased occurrence of generalist predators.
Why Do some Labour Alliances Succeed in Politicizing Europe across Borders? A Comparison of the Right2Water and Fair Transport European Citizens' Initiatives
Authors: Szabó Imre G. , Golden Darragh , Erne Roland
Published: December 2021

Under what conditions can organized labour successfully politicize the European integration process across borders? To answer this question, we compare the European Citizens' Initiatives (ECIs) of two European trade union federations: EPSU's successful Right2Water ECI and ETF's unsuccessful Fair Transport ECI. Our comparison reveals that actor‐centred factors matter – namely, unions' ability to create broad coalitions. Successful transnational labour campaigns, however, also depend on structural conditions, namely, the prevailing mode of EU integration pressures faced by unions at a given time. Whereas the Right2Water ECI pre‐emptively countered commodification attempts by the European Commission in water services, the Fair Transport ECI attempted to ensure fair working conditions after most of the transport sector had been liberalized. Vertical EU integration attempts that commodify public services are thus more likely to generate successful transnational counter‐movements than the horizontal integration pressures on wages and working conditions that followed earlier successful EU liberalization drives.
Atypical cerebellar functional connectivity at 9 months of age predicts delayed socio‐communicative profiles in infants at high and low risk for autism
Authors: Okada Nana J. , Liu Janelle , Tsang Tawny , Nosco Erin , McDonald Nicole M. , Cummings Kaitlin K. , Jung Jiwon , Patterson Genevieve , Bookheimer Susan Y. , Green Shulamite A. , Jeste Shafali S. , Dapretto Mirella
Published: December 2021

Background

While the cerebellum is traditionally known for its role in sensorimotor control, emerging research shows that particular subregions, such as right Crus I (RCrusI), support language and social processing. Indeed, cerebellar atypicalities are commonly reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by socio‐communicative impairments. However, the cerebellum’s contribution to early socio‐communicative development remains virtually unknown.

Methods

Here, we characterized functional connectivity within cerebro‐cerebellar networks implicated in language/social functions in 9‐month‐old infants who exhibit distinct 3‐year socio‐communicative developmental profiles. We employed a data‐driven clustering approach to stratify our sample of infants at high (n = 82) and low (n = 37) familial risk for ASD into three cohorts—Delayed, Late‐Blooming, and Typical—who showed unique socio‐communicative trajectories. We then compared the cohorts on indices of language and social development. Seed‐based functional connectivity analyses with RCrusI were conducted on infants with fMRI data (n = 66). Cohorts were compared on connectivity estimates from a‐priori regions, selected on the basis of reported coactivation with RCrusI during language/social tasks.

Results

The three trajectory‐based cohorts broadly differed in social communication development, as evidenced by robust differences on numerous indices of language and social skills. Importantly, at 9 months, the cohorts showed striking differences in cerebro‐cerebellar circuits implicated in language/social functions. For all regions examined, the Delayed cohort exhibited significantly weaker RCrusI connectivity compared to both the Late‐Blooming and Typical cohorts, with no significant differences between the latter cohorts.

Conclusions

We show that hypoconnectivity within distinct cerebro‐cerebellar networks in infancy predicts altered socio‐communicative development before delays overtly manifest, which may be relevant for early detection and intervention. As the cerebellum is implicated in prediction, our findings point to probabilistic learning as a potential intermediary mechanism that may be disrupted in infancy, cascading into alterations in social communication.
A combined hydrological and hydraulic modelling approach for the flood hazard mapping of the Po river basin
Authors: Nogherotto Rita , Fantini Adriano , Raffaele Francesca , Di Sante Fabio , Dottori Francesco , Coppola Erika , Giorgi Filippo
Published: December 2021

The identification of flood prone areas is essential for a range of engineering, risk reduction and research applications. Here, we describe a combined hydrological and hydraulic modelling approach for the assessment of flood‐prone areas and we present the results obtained over the Po river (Northern Italy). Runoff and river discharges are calculated through the hydrological model CHyM driven by GRIPHO, a new precipitation dataset for Italy. River flow data are used to obtain flood hydrographs for the CA2D hydraulic model, which calculates flood hazard maps at a resolution of 90 m. Flood simulations are run over a re‐shaped HydroSHEDS digital elevation model that includes information of the channel geometry. Modeled flood hydrographs are compared with observed data for a choice of gauging stations, showing a good performance of the CHyM model. We validate the flood hazard maps against observed flood events and official hazard maps. For high return periods, modelled maps can correctly identify up to 67% of the flood extent, both on the Po River and on smaller tributaries, while performances are more variable for lower return periods. Overall, the proposed approach suggests a strong potential for further applications, such as flood hazard assessment under future climate scenarios.