bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The inverted curvilinear effects of business relationships on institutional success: the moderating role of global role complexity
Authors: Sharma Revti Raman , Raskovic Matevz (Matt) , Singh Balwinder
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Contrary to the widely held belief in the linear positive effects of business relationships (BRELs) on performance outcomes, the authors posit that the quality of a manager's BRELs with a foreign business partner has an inverted curvilinear effect on managing challenges arising out of institutional differences between two countries, which the authors define as institutional success. The authors further propose that managers' global role complexity (GRC) negatively impacts institutional success and dampens the inverted curvilinear effects of BRELs on institutional success.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model is tested using questionnaire survey data from 186 senior Indian managers doing business with New Zealand.

Findings

The authors find significant support for the inverted curvilinear effects of BRELs and the negative effects of GRC on institutional success. They did not find significant results for the moderating role of GRC on the inverted curvilinear relationship between BRELs and institutional success. However, significant linear interactive effects of GRC and BREL are evident.

Practical implications

The key managerial implication is that managers should focus on building BRELs of appropriate quality with their overseas counterparts to keep producing relational rents. They should, however, also be sensitive to when such relational rents start to be eroded by internal and external factors and treat them as a dynamic equilibrium rather than a static one.

Originality/value

The study findings challenge the assumption of linear positive effects of BRELs within the relational view. They highlight the significance of BRELs, even for emerging economy managers doing business in advanced economies.
Ethical education and its impact on the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competency
Authors: Vázquez-Parra José Carlos , García-González Abel , Ramírez-Montoya María Soledad
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to discuss the importance of multidisciplinary training in the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence. By means of a sample of an ethics class, this study seeks to argue the relevance of new social entrepreneurs having a broad training, beyond the knowledge they receive from the business area.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a quantitative analysis methodology. Based on the application of a validated questionnaire measuring the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence, a longitudinal measurement was carried out at two points in time, at the beginning and at the end of an ethics course, in a sample population of 132 undergraduate students. Based on these results, a multifactorial diagnosis was made using a Z-test.

Findings

Overall, the sample results did not show a significant improvement in their level of perception of students' development of the social entrepreneurship competence. However, the individual results of the perceived development of sub-competences that make up this competence did reflect some development, especially the sub-competence of social innovation. Thus, this study demonstrates that there is a measurable impact of the contribution of other disciplines, in this case the ethical education, in the training of new entrepreneurs, arguing the importance of multidisciplinary training.

Practical implications

The results of this study contribute to the work of universities in developing social entrepreneurship competence. Based on its findings, institutions will be able to recognize the relevance of multidisciplinary training in the generation of new social entrepreneurs, valuing other disciplinary areas, such as humanities and social sciences, beyond training based exclusively on business knowledge. A key point to capitalize on in training practices for social entrepreneurship is “social innovation”, due to the sense of transcendence and impact that universities should seek, precisely because of their social responsibility to create value.

Originality/value

This research provides empirical evidence of the impact of ethics education on social entrepreneurship education. It argues the importance of reflecting on multidisciplinary education as a complementary element in the perceived development of social entrepreneurship competence in students.
Information disclosure and credit card repayments: evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Sahul Hamid Fazelina , Loke Yiing Jia
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study analyzes the role of information disclosure in influencing credit card repayments by focusing on three intervention methods for improving repayment decisions among credit cardholders.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the survey method to collect data. Four questionnaires are designed to identify which types of disclosure elicit better repayment decisions among credit cardholders. The participants were approached using the mall intercept method, and a total of 1,775 responses were obtained.

Findings

Estimations using means comparison tests show that not providing minimum payment information improves repayments. The expected benefits are not delivered by the provision of higher minimum payment information or additional information that highlights the negative effects of making the minimum repayment only. Further analysis using logit estimation reconfirms the benefit of not providing minimum payment information. However, when such information is given, low minimum payment information elicits better repayment decisions than high minimum payment information or additional information. Repayment worsens under the additional information condition compared to the high minimum payment condition.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study have a bearing on the decisions of policy makers, credit card issuers and consumers.

Originality/value

This paper clarifies the role of information in improving debt repayment decisions.
Investigating the role of social identification on impulse buying in mobile social commerce: a cross-cultural comparison
Authors: Chen Shang , Min Qingfei , Xu Xuefei
Published: August 2021

Purpose

As social commerce migrates to the mobile platform, mobile social commerce (ms–commerce), an emerging way of conducting social commerce in the mobile environment, is gaining popularity among mobile users. Although impulse buying in social commerce has been the focus of scholars in recent years, individuals' impulse-buying behavior in ms–commerce has not been highlighted and therefore is worth investigating. This study addressed that gap by differentiating and monitoring the impacts that three key targets of social identification in ms–commerce exerted on impulse buying. Furthermore, previous studies had highlighted the importance of culture in impulse buying in other contexts, so the authors examined how the effects of the key identification targets differed across cultures, as a result of cultural diversity among the ms–commerce users. Finally, the authors drew upon the lens of information technology (IT) affordances to explore how different combinations of ms–commerce affordances influenced each target of identification.

Design/methodology/approach

This research first applied a qualitative methodology by using semi-structured interviews with 27 ms–commerce users to extract the relevant subdimensions of IT affordances in ms–commerce. Then, the authors tested their hypotheses with survey data collected from the United States and China.

Findings

The results clearly illustrate that three key targets of social identification had varying impacts on impulse buying in different cultural dimensions. In addition, nearly all of the proposed IT affordances in ms–commerce aided users in building multiple identifications, to various degrees.

Originality/value

This study extends social commerce research by examining the important role that social identification plays in impulse buying in the mobile environment. Moreover, unlike previous studies that mainly had focused on ordinary buying in social commerce across cultures, this study investigated the relative importance of the targets of social identification on impulse buying in different espoused cultural dimensions. Importantly, the authors used a technology affordance lens to also uncover the context-specific stimulators of separate identification targets, thus going beyond the existing body of knowledge that focused on general beliefs.
The effectiveness of using digital platforms to practice English during the COVID-19 crisis as perceived by Ecuadorian students
Authors: Estrella Felix
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This mixed-methods research aimed to investigate students’ opinions on the effectiveness of using digital platforms to carry on their learning process.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a mixed-methods research. One hundred students, registered in the last English course of their curriculum, took part in the investigation. They filled out a Likert-scale survey using the criteria for CALL evaluation. During the data analysis of the quantitative section of the research, a chi-square of 15.0672 and a p-value of 0.519719 were obtained, making this result not significant at p < 0.05. A Levene test of variance equality was performed on the resulting data to confirm the results. Personal interviews were carried out to triangulate the previous results.

Findings

This study determined that Ecuadorian undergraduate students have a negative perception of the usefulness of using a digital class to learn English. These results have important implications for teachers who must work harder during these times of COVID-19 to attain students' attention.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited by its conception of qualitative methods. This limitation also opens the door for further studies. The quantitative and mixed methods studies are suggested to confirm the results obtained here.

Practical implications

This study has practical implications for teachers and language center managers. They can use the information attained to adapt their teachings in order to improve these results. Managers will benefit from it as they can plan for teacher training considering the comments given by students.

Social implications

The social implication of this study is that the students, through their comments, have implied the need of having some sort of socialization and ERT does not permit such.

Originality/value

This paper has value as it closes the gap of information regarding the use of this new teaching modality attained from Latin American countries and more specifically from Ecuador.
Training characteristics and employees' performance among the nurses in Pakistan
Authors: Bhatti Mitho Khan , Soomro Bahadur Ali , Shah Naimatullah
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the training characteristics and employees' performance among the nurses in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed cross-sectional data through random sampling of trained health nurses from the Government sector hospitals of Pakistan. The survey questionnaire is applied as the primary tool to acquire data. In total, the authors utilized 306 valid cases to infer the final results.

Findings

The structural equation modeling (SEM) underlines a positive and significant impact of cognitive ability and performance goal on employees' performance. On the other hand, there is an insignificant impact of motivation to learn on performance among the nurses of Pakistan.

Practical implications

Broadly, the findings of the study would provide some new insights to understand the performance of nurses in the health care sector through the outcomes of the training characteristics. Further, the results would be a way out to make a better quality of health care enhanced with the support of training. It may contribute to the growth in quality of work and improve work productivity by boosting up and uplifting training characteristics. The research arena would enrich the inclusive theoretical framework of performance and contribute to the domain literature and methodological validation.

Originality/value

The study confirms the role of training characteristics towards performance among the nurses of the public health sector of Pakistan. The investigation would further validate the impact of cognitive ability and the motivation to learn and performance goals on performance globally.
The birth of intelligent passive room acoustic technology: a qualitative review
Authors: Burfoot Megan , Ghaffarianhoseini Amirhosein , Naismith Nicola , GhaffarianHoseini Ali
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Informed by acoustic design standards, the built environments are designed with single reverberation times (RTs), a trade-off between long and short RTs needed for different space functions. A range of RTs should be achievable in spaces to optimise the acoustic comfort in different aural situations. This paper proclaims a novel concept: Intelligent passive room acoustic technology (IPRAT), which achieves real-time room acoustic optimisation through the integration of passive variable acoustic technology (PVAT) and acoustic scene classification (ASC). ASC can intelligently identify changing aural situations, and PVAT can physically vary the RT.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative best-evidence synthesis method is used to review the available literature on PVAT and ASC.

Findings

First, it is highlighted that dynamic spaces should be designed with varying RTs. The review then exposes a gap of intelligently adjusting RT according to changing building function. A solution is found: IPRAT, which integrates PVAT and ASC to uniquely fill this literature gap.

Originality/value

The development, functionality, benefits and challenges of IPRAT offer a holistic understanding of the state-of-the-art IPRAT, and a use case example is provided. Going forward, it is concluded that IPRAT can be prototyped and its impact on acoustic comfort can be quantified.
Improving performance of the hospitalization process by applying the principles of Lean Thinking
Authors: Fiorillo Antonella , Sorrentino Alfonso , Scala Arianna , Abbate Vincenzo , Dell'aversana Orabona Giovanni
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The goal was to improve the quality of the hospitalization process and the management of patients, allowing the reduction of costs and the minimization of the preoperative Length of Hospital Stay (LOS).

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used to improve the quality of the hospitalization process and patient management was Lean Thinking. Therefore, the Lean tools (Value stream map and Ishikawa diagram) were used to identify waste and inefficiencies, improving the process with the implementation of corrective actions. The data was collected through personal observations, patient interviews, brainstorming and from printed medical records of 151 patients undergoing oral cancer surgery in the period from 2006 to 2018.

Findings

The authors identified, through Value Stream Map, waste and inefficiencies during preoperative activities, consequently influencing preoperative LOS, considered the best performance indicator. The main causes were identified through the Ishikawa diagram, allowing reflection on possible solutions. The main corrective action was the introduction of the pre-hospitalization service. A comparative statistical analysis showed the significance of the solutions implemented. The average preoperative LOS decreased from 4.90 to 3.80 days (−22.40%) with a p-value of 0.001.

Originality/value

The methodology allowed to highlight the improvement of the patient hospitalization process with the introduction of the pre-hospitalization service. Therefore, by adopting the culture of continuous improvement, the flow of hospitalization was redrawn. The benefits of the solutions implemented are addressed to the patient in terms of lower LOS and greater service satisfaction and to the hospital for lower patient management costs and improved process quality. This article will be useful for those who need examples on how to apply Lean tools in healthcare.
Can we teach race and equity?
Authors: Krause Inga‐Britt
Published: August 2021

This paper highlights the question, often asked, why does racism persist despite the many attempts to eradicate it? The paper provides some answers, first for social relations generally and second for systemic psychotherapy. Central to the answers is an acknowledgement of the obstacles in both spheres to address the structures, systems, organisation and processes which lie behind conceptualisations of race, racism, identity and relationships. It is in these structures and systems that the suffocating and inevitable effects of racism originate. The paper suggests that, if we want to begin to eradicate racism, we need to look in those places (mostly White) where we least suspect it, the places which seem ‘natural’ and therefore foundational. It concludes that we cannot teach race and equity, because by singling out this topic without looking behind it, we perpetuate a violence through which the very relations we want to eradicate are produced. This does not mean, however, that we should ignore the topic.

Practitioner points

Racism is deeply rooted in action and ideas.

The recent murders of Black persons demonstrate the slow, suffocating and strangling aspects of racist systems and structures in our society.

Ideas and concepts are difficult to address because they tend to be buttressed by basic assumptions about life and relationships.

Race, ethnicity and culture are processes rather than a list of items/things.

Tools such as the Social GRRRAAACCEEESSS and the cultural genogram are inadequate for training because the assumptions they are based on are rarely made transparent.
Association of prescription drug monitoring program laws with bedridden and missed work days
Authors: Wetzel Martha , Yarbrough Courtney R. , von Esenwein Silke A , Hockenberry Jason M.
Published: August 2021

Objective

To examine the relationship between optional and must‐use prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and markers of disability.

Data Sources

Nationwide data from the National Health Interview Survey for 2006–2015.

Study Design

Generalized difference‐in‐difference models with state‐specific time trends were used to assess the relationship between PDMPs and two outcomes: missed days of work and bedridden days.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

All respondents above the age of 18 years with complete data on key measures were included. A subpopulation of respondents who had a recent surgery or injury was identified.

Principal Findings

We found an increase of 3.3 and 5.9 bedridden days associated with optional and must‐use PDMPs, respectively, for respondents reporting a recent injury or surgery (p‐values <0.05; unadjusted population average 12.2 bedridden days). Increases in days of missed work were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Implementation of PDMPs was associated with negative unintended consequences in the injury/surgery subpopulation. The association between bedridden days and PDMPs suggests a gap between clinical trials showing equivalence of opioids and nonopioids for pain treatment and real‐world results. As increasingly tighter opioid restrictions proliferate, evidence‐based strategies to address pain without opioids in the acute pain population likely need to be more widely disseminated.
Within and across country variations in treatment of patients with heart failure and diabetes
Authors: Or Zeynep , Shatrov Kosta , Penneau Anne , Wodchis Walter , Abiona Olukorede , Blankart Carl Rudolf , Bowden Nicholas , Bernal‐Delgado Enrique , Knight Hannah , Lorenzoni Luca , Marino Alberto , Papanicolas Irene , Riley Kristen , Pellet Leila , Estupiñán‐Romero Francisco , van Gool Kees , Figueroa Jose F.
Published: August 2021

Objective

To compare within‐country variation of health care utilization and spending of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and diabetes across countries.

Data Sources

Patient‐level linked data sources compiled by the International Collaborative on Costs, Outcomes, and Needs in Care across nine countries: Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.

Data Collection Methods

Patients were identified in routine hospital data with a primary diagnosis of CHF and a secondary diagnosis of diabetes in 2015/2016.

Study Design

We calculated the care consumption of patients after a hospital admission over a year across the care pathway—ranging from primary care to home health nursing care. To compare the distribution of care consumption in each country, we use Gini coefficients, Lorenz curves, and female–male ratios for eight utilization and spending measures.

Principal Findings

In all countries, rehabilitation and home nursing care were highly concentrated in the top decile of patients, while the number of drug prescriptions were more uniformly distributed. On average, the Gini coefficient for drug consumption is about 0.30 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27–0.36), while it is, 0.50 (0.45–0.56) for primary care visits, and more than 0.75 (0.81–0.92) for rehabilitation use and nurse visits at home (0.78; 0.62–0.9). Variations in spending were more pronounced than in utilization. Compared to men, women spend more days at initial hospital admission (+5%, 1.01–1.06), have a higher number of prescriptions (+7%, 1.05–1.09), and substantially more rehabilitation and home care (+20% to 35%, 0.79–1.6, 0.99–1.64), but have fewer visits to specialists (−10%; 0.84–0.97).

Conclusions

Distribution of health care consumption in different settings varies within countries, but there are also some common treatment patterns across all countries. Clinicians and policy makers need to look into these differences in care utilization by sex and care setting to determine whether they are justified or indicate suboptimal care.
Allicin inclusions with α‐cyclodextrin effectively masking its odor: Preparation, characterization, and olfactory and gustatory evaluation
Authors: Zhou Yong , Feng Jing , Peng Hui , Guo Tao , Xiao Jian , Zhu Weifeng , Qian Wei , Zhang Jiwen , Wu Li
Published: August 2021

Allicin, a chemical found in functional foods, has a variety of beneficial bioactivities but the unpleasent odor and unstability hinder its applications. Isolating products from cyclodextrin (CD) complexation, using β‐CD and its derivatives, is usually a time and energy‐consuming process. Herein, a high‐efficiency and eco‐friendly preparation method of an inclusion (allicin@α‐CD) formed by allicin and α‐CD was designed, which turned liquid allicin into crystal particles with high‐speed stirring (10,000 r/min) at 25°C for 10 min in water. In vivo and in vitro masking evaluations showed that the inclusion particles could decrease the unpleasant odor of allicin. Molecular docking and experimental characterization results illustrated that the main reason of odor masking was due to the disulfide and thiocarbonyl groups of allicin being partially encapsulated by the cavity of α‐CD. Compared with the physical mixture, the stability of allicin in allicin@α‐CD at 60°C for 10 days was 33‐fold improved. Overall, this efficient strategy of inclusion provided a promising approach for the industrialization of allicin‐related formulations.

Practical Application

In this study, an environmentally friendly method of α‐CD inclusion without the use of organic reagents was designed to solidify and stabilize allicin, which effectively masked the unpleasant odor and taste of allicin. It has contributed greatly to improving the compliance of consumers and provided a new and effective approach to broaden the application of allicin.
Synaptic dysregulation and hyperexcitability induced by intracellular amyloid beta oligomers
Authors: Fernandez‐Perez Eduardo J. , Muñoz Braulio , Bascuñan Denisse A. , Peters Christian , Riffo‐Lepe Nicolas O. , Espinoza Maria P. , Morgan Peter J. , Filippi Caroline , Bourboulou Romain , Sengupta Urmi , Kayed Rakez , Epsztein Jérôme , Aguayo Luis G.
Published: August 2021

Intracellular amyloid beta oligomer (iAβo) accumulation and neuronal hyperexcitability are two crucial events at early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, to date, no mechanism linking iAβo with an increase in neuronal excitability has been reported. Here, the effects of human AD brain‐derived (h‐iAβo) and synthetic (iAβo) peptides on synaptic currents and action potential firing were investigated in hippocampal neurons. Starting from 500 pM, iAβo rapidly increased the frequency of synaptic currents and higher concentrations potentiated the AMPA receptor‐mediated current. Both effects were PKC‐dependent. Parallel recordings of synaptic currents and nitric oxide (NO)‐associated fluorescence showed that the increased frequency, related to pre‐synaptic release, was dependent on a NO‐mediated retrograde signaling. Moreover, increased synchronization in NO production was also observed in neurons neighboring those dialyzed with iAβo, indicating that iAβo can increase network excitability at a distance. Current‐clamp recordings suggested that iAβo increased neuronal excitability via AMPA‐driven synaptic activity without altering membrane intrinsic properties. These results strongly indicate that iAβo causes functional spreading of hyperexcitability through a synaptic‐driven mechanism and offers an important neuropathological significance to intracellular species in the initial stages of AD, which include brain hyperexcitability and seizures.
Multiomic analysis reveals decidual‐specific transcriptional programing of MAIT cells
Authors: Vazquez Jessica , Chavarria Melina , Chasman Deborah A. , Welch Schwartz Rene , Tyler Chanel T. , Lopez Gladys , Fisher Rachel C. , Ong Irene M. , Stanic Aleksandar K.
Published: August 2021

Problem

Mucosal‐Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells have been recently identified at the maternal‐fetal interface. However, transcriptional programming of decidual MAIT cells in pregnancy remains poorly understood.

Method of study

We employed a multiomic approach to address this question. Mononuclear cells from the decidua basalis and parietalis, and control PBMCs, were analyzed via flow cytometry to investigate MAIT cells in the decidua and assess their transcription factor expression. In a separate study, both decidual and matched peripheral MAIT cells were analyzed using Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing (CITE‐seq) coupled with gene expression analysis. Lastly, decidual MAIT cells were stimulated with E.coli and expression of MR1 by antigen presenting cells was measured to evaluate decidual MAIT cell function.

Results

First, we identified MAIT cells in both the decidua basalis and parietalis. CITE‐seq, coupled with scRNA‐seq gene expression analysis, highlighted transcriptional programming differences between decidual and matched peripheral MAIT cells at a single cell resolution. Transcription factor expression analysis further highlighted transcriptional differences between decidual MAIT cells and non‐matched peripheral MAIT cells. Functionally, MAIT cells are skewed towards IFNγ and TNFα production upon stimulation, with E.coli leading to IFNγ production. Lastly, we demonstrate that MR1, the antigen presenting molecule restricting MAIT cells, is expressed by decidual APCs.

Conclusion

MAIT cells are present in the decidua basalis and obtain a unique gene expression profile. The presence of MR1 on APCs coupled with in vitro activation by E.coli suggests that MAIT cells might be involved in tissue‐repair mechanisms at the maternal‐fetal interface.
Does a Mother's Early Return to Work after Childbirth Improve Her Future Employment Status?*
Authors: Kureishi Wataru , McKenzie Colin , Sakata Kei , Wakabayashi Midori
Published: August 2021

We examine whether a mother's early return to work after her first birth improves her employment status in the short term and the long term (3 and 10/12 years after the child's birth). Specifically, this research investigates whether a mother is more likely to be in full‐time employment if she returns to work within 1 year of childbirth (i.e. without using her allowable parental leave to the full). We estimate recursive bivariate probit models for a mother's early return to work and her subsequent employment status using July births as an instrument. Our approach is unique in that we shed light on the relationship between the timing of a birth (birth month) and the timing of a mother's return to work after childbirth. The birth month affects the cut‐off dates for admission into a licensed childcare facility in Japan, which, in turn, affects the timing of a mother's return to work. Our empirical evidence reveals that a mother's early return to work after her first birth has a positive causal effect on the likelihood of her being in full‐time employment in the long term (10 and 12 years after childbirth). We do not find any causal effect of an early return to work on working full time in the short term (3 years after childbirth).
Utilization and long‐term persistence of direct oral anticoagulants among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and liver disease
Authors: Douros Antonios , Cui Ying , Platt Robert W. , Filion Kristian B. , Sebastiani Giada , Renoux Christel
Published: August 2021

Aims

We characterized the utilization and long‐term treatment persistence of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and liver disease.

Method

Using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, we assembled a population‐based cohort of NVAF patients with liver disease initiating oral anticoagulants between 2011 and 2020. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the association between patient characteristics and initiation of DOACs vs vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of the association between patient characteristics and the switch from VKAs to DOACs vs remaining on VKAs. We also assessed the 5‐year treatment persistence with DOACs vs VKAs, and whether ischemic stroke or bleeding preceded treatment discontinuation.

Results

Our cohort included 3167 NVAF patients with liver disease initiating DOACs (n = 2247, 71%) or VKAs (n = 920, 29%). Initiators of DOACs were more likely to have prior ischemic stroke (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.12‐1.85) than VKA initiators but less likely to have used antiplatelet agents (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.53‐0.82). Patients switching to DOACs were more likely to have used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.13‐2.37) than those remaining on VKAs. At 5 years, 31% of DOAC initiators and 9% of VKA initiators remained persistent. Only few patients were diagnosed with ischemic stroke or bleeding prior to treatment discontinuation.

Conclusion

Most NVAF patients with liver disease initiated treatment with DOACs. Long‐term persistence with DOACs was higher than with VKAs but remained relatively low.
Translational aspects of cytochrome P450‐mediated drug–drug interactions: A case study with clopidogrel
Authors: Tornio Aleksi , Filppula Anne M. , Backman Janne T.
Published: August 2021

Multimorbidity, polypharmacotherapy and drug interactions are increasingly common in the ageing population. Many drug–drug interactions (DDIs) are caused by perpetrator drugs inhibiting or inducing cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, resulting in alterations of the plasma concentrations of a victim drug. DDIs can have a major negative health impact, and in the past, unrecognized DDIs have resulted in drug withdrawals from the market. Signals to investigate DDIs may emerge from a variety of sources. Nowadays, standard methods are widely available to identify and characterize the mechanisms of CYP‐mediated DDIs in vitro. Clinical pharmacokinetic studies, in turn, provide experimental data on pharmacokinetic outcomes of DDIs. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling utilizing both in vitro and in vivo data is a powerful tool to predict different DDI scenarios. Finally, epidemiological studies can provide estimates on the health outcomes of DDIs. Thus, to fully characterize the mechanisms, clinical effects and implications of CYP‐mediated DDIs, translational research approaches are required. This minireview provides an overview of translational approaches to study CYP‐mediated DDIs, going beyond regulatory DDI guidelines, and an illustrative case study of how the DDI potential of clopidogrel was unveiled by combining these different methods.
Deep Reflectance Scanning: Recovering Spatially‐varying Material Appearance from a Flash‐lit Video Sequence
Authors: Ye Wenjie , Dong Yue , Peers Pieter , Guo Baining
Published: August 2021

In this paper we present a novel method for recovering high‐resolution spatially‐varying isotropic surface reflectance of a planar exemplar from a flash‐lit close‐up video sequence captured with a regular hand‐held mobile phone. We do not require careful calibration of the camera and lighting parameters, but instead compute a per‐pixel flow map using a deep neural network to align the input video frames. For each video frame, we also extract the reflectance parameters, and warp the neural reflectance features directly using the per‐pixel flow, and subsequently pool the warped features. Our method facilitates convenient hand‐held acquisition of spatially‐varying surface reflectance with commodity hardware by non‐expert users. Furthermore, our method enables aggregation of reflectance features from surface points visible in only a subset of the captured video frames, enabling the creation of high‐resolution reflectance maps that exceed the native camera resolution. We demonstrate and validate our method on a variety of synthetic and real‐world spatially‐varying materials.
Risk factors for developing peritoneal metastases after curative surgery for colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Yuanxin , Qin Xiusen , Chen Wenle , Liu Duo , Luo Jian , Wang Huaiming , Wang Hui
Published: August 2021

Aim

Proactive detection and treatment strategies have achieved encouraging survival outcomes for patients with early peritoneal metastases (PM), but these costly and invasive approaches can only be applied to selected high‐risk patients. This meta‐analysis aimed to identify the risk factors for metachronous PM after curative surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Method

The study was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42020219187). Databases were searched for studies comparing clinical and histopathological characteristics between patients with metachronous peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer (pmCRC) and patients without (non‐pmCRC).

Results

Thirty‐six studies were included. Metachronous PM were positively associated with perforation (OR 1.920; 95% CI 1.144–3.223; P = 0.014), poor differentiation (OR 2.291; 1.603–3.275; P < 0.001), T4 (OR 2.897; 1.248–6.726; P = 0.013), N1–2 (OR 3.429; 2.684–4.381; P < 0.001), mucinous adenocarcinoma (OR 4.175; 1.798–9.692; P = 0.001), obstruction (OR 4.467; 1.919–10.398; P = 0.001), synchronous ovarian metastases (OR 5.005; 1.140–21.977; P = 0.033), positive peritoneal carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA (OR 9.472; 3.643–24.631; P < 0.001), elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (preoperative group, OR 3.545, 1.486–8.459, P = 0.004; postoperative group, OR 13.673, 2.222–84.129, P = 0.005), elevated serum cancer antigen 19‐9 (preoperative group, OR 5.281, 2.146–12.994, P < 0.001; postoperative group, OR 18.646, 6.429–54.083, P < 0.001) and positive peritoneal cytology (OR 25.884; 11.372–58.913; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

These evidence‐based risk factors are conducive to designing early detection and proactive treatment strategies, enabling precision medicine.
Evolution of lbx spinal cord expression and function
Authors: Juárez‐Morales José Luis , Weierud Frida , England Samantha J. , Demby Celia , Santos Nicole , Grieb Ginny , Mazan Sylvie , Lewis Katharine E.
Published: August 2021

Ladybird homeobox (Lbx) transcription factors have crucial functions in muscle and nervous system development in many animals. Amniotes have two Lbx genes, but only Lbx1 is expressed in spinal cord. In contrast, teleosts have three lbx genes and we show here that zebrafish lbx1a, lbx1b, and lbx2 are expressed by distinct spinal cell types, and that lbx1a is expressed in dI4, dI5, and dI6 interneurons, as in amniotes. Our data examining lbx expression in Scyliorhinus canicula and Xenopus tropicalis suggest that the spinal interneuron expression of zebrafish lbx1a is ancestral, whereas lbx1b has acquired a new expression pattern in spinal cord progenitor cells. lbx2 spinal expression was probably acquired in the ray‐finned lineage, as this gene is not expressed in the spinal cords of either amniotes or S. canicula. We also show that the spinal function of zebrafish lbx1a is conserved with mouse Lbx1. In zebrafish lbx1a mutants, there is a reduction in the number of inhibitory spinal interneurons and an increase in the number of excitatory spinal interneurons, similar to mouse Lbx1 mutants. Interestingly, the number of inhibitory spinal interneurons is also reduced in lbx1b mutants, although in this case the number of excitatory interneurons is not increased. lbx1a;lbx1b double mutants have a similar spinal interneuron phenotype to lbx1a single mutants. Taken together these data suggest that lbx1b and lbx1a may be required in succession for correct specification of dI4 and dI6 spinal interneurons, although only lbx1a is required for suppression of excitatory fates in these cells.
Income inequality and famine mortality: Evidence from the Finnish famine of the 1860s
Authors: Voutilainen Miikka
Published: August 2021

This article examines whether economic inequality intensified the adverse effects of harvest, price, and income shocks during a famine. Using a parish‐level longitudinal dataset from the Finnish famine of the 1860s, it shows that a substantial proportion of the excess mortality experienced during the famine resulted from a decline in agricultural production, a decline in incomes, and a surge in food prices. The findings indicate that the adverse effects of food output fluctuations were intensified by increasing income inequality and decreasing average income, while the market‐transmitted shocks were weakened by a contraction of disposable income. The results are corroborated with multiple alternative estimation techniques, including the introduction of spatial spill‐overs. The results show that even a pre‐industrial famine affecting an impoverished society was meaningfully defined by the distribution of incomes.
Role of Leptospira spp. testing and ocular examination in horses with equine recurrent uveitis: A retrospective study of 63 horses
Authors: Himebaugh N. E. , Gilger B. C.
Published: August 2021

Background

There is little information on the correlation between equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) and leptospiral infection status as it relates to ocular examination findings and testing recommendations.

Objective

To evaluate the role of leptospiral testing in horses with ERU by correlating results to signalment, clinical findings and visual outcome.

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

Records of horses presenting for ERU at NC State University Veterinary Health Complex (NCSU‐VHC) between 2014 and 2019 were reviewed. Signalment, initial visual status, ocular examination findings, treatments and visual outcome were collected. Serum and aqueous humour (AH) leptospiral titres were assessed for six different leptospirosis serovars and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Goldmann‐Whitmer (C) values were calculated.

Results

Records of 63 horses and 78 eyes with ERU were evaluated. Horses with a positive aqueous humour PCR were significantly younger in age (mean 9.25 ± 1.14) than PCR negative horses (mean 13.3 ± 0.95) (p = 0.01). A positive aqueous humour titre of any serotype was significantly correlated to blindness at presentation (p = 0.04). A positive serum titre was significantly correlated to presence of ocular posterior segment disease (p = 0.01). Positivity to L. bratislava in the serum correlated to posterior segment disease (p = 0.04) and AH positivity correlated to blindness at presentation (p = 0.002).

Main limitations

Limitations of this study include that it is a retrospective and information gathered relies on data included within medical records.

Conclusions

Positive leptospiral testing results were associated with younger horses and ocular posterior segment clinical disease. Horses with aqueous humour titres to any leptospiral serotype, especially L. bratislava serovar, were correlated to poor prognosis for vision.
Clinical efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of a novel long‐acting intramuscular omeprazole in performance horses with gastric ulcers
Authors: Lehman M. L. , Bass L. , Gustafson D. L. , Rao S. , O’Fallon E. S.
Published: August 2021

Oral omeprazole is used in the management of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). However, its use may have limitations with regard to individual variation in absorption and the impact of dietary management on bioavailability. The objective of this study was to determine whether a novel compounded long‐acting injectable omeprazole (LAO‐USA) formulation would provide consistent serum omeprazole concentrations and to determine whether it was clinically safe and efficacious in the reduction of EGUS. Twenty‐three horses with EGUS described as having evidence of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and/or equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) received a 5 mg/kg bwt intramuscular injection of LAO‐USA once every 7 days for four doses. Gastroscopy was performed prior to the study and at Days 14 and 28. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed to determine omeprazole concentrations over 7 days. Safety was measured by monitoring injection site reactions daily and bloodwork screening prior to and following the study. Of the horses with ESGD, 78% had improvement by Day 14 (p = 0.0035), with no further improvement from Day 14 to 28 (p > 0.99). ESGD grades from Day 0 to 28 decreased significantly (95% CI −1.92 to −0.91 grades) (p = 0.0002). Out of the horses (6/23) that had glandular lesions, 5/6 healed over time; however, this was not a significant change (p = 0.75). Injection reactions included oedema, heat and pain at the injection site. Considering the total number of injections across the whole study, 23% of horses experienced an injection site reaction. The number of injection site reactions increased following each dose (8%, 13%, 22% and 48%, respectively). The formulation did not appear to have adverse systemic effects. Serum omeprazole meanCmaxwas 46.2 ng/ml (±17.4 ng/ml), and these concentrations maintained at approximately 9.6 ng/ml (±4.6 ng/ml) for 7 days following dosing. This formulation is compounded and has not completed FDA investigation, which may increase formulation variability as it is produced or stored. The lack of control groups and potential bias in lesion grading are additional recognised limitations. The results of this study provide preliminary safety and efficacy data with regard to a novel LAO‐USA formulation. Future study is warranted to describe safety and efficacy for both ESGD and EGGD and would support further FDA investigation.
Machine learning and finite element analysis: An integrated approach for fatigue lifetime prediction of adhesively bonded joints
Authors: Silva Giovanni C. , Beber Vinicius C. , Pitz Diogo B.
Published: August 2021

Since fatigue investigations are expensive and time consuming, models capable of predicting lifetime by leveraging existing experimental data are desirable. Here, this task is accomplished by combining machine learning (ML) and finite element analysis (FEA). The dataset contains 365 points comprising four adhesives with four different joint types. The model is fed with four input parameters: stress ratio and stress amplitude (functions of the applied load), and stress concentration factor and multiaxiality, which are obtained from FEA. An extremely randomized trees (ERT) algorithm, capable of dealing with small and noisy datasets, is used to design the model. After calibration, the model's performance was assessed on unseen data and compared with a linear regression model. The ERT predictions yield a significantly smaller error factor (ER) of 2.13 than that of the linear model (ER = 5.89). A relevance analysis shows that at least one FEA‐based parameter must be fed into the model.
Multiple‐strain Lactobacillus‐fermented soymilk with antioxidant capacity and delicate flavour
Authors: Wang YiWen , Guo Haocheng , Wu Andi , Ju Changxin , Jiang Jing , Chen JianChu
Published: August 2021

Soymilk is a high‐quality fermentation substrate, but its flavour is not accepted by many consumers. In this study, soymilk was fermented under different fermentation conditions by different Lactobacillus strains. The antioxidant activity of the soymilk was explored using TOPSIS and the changes in flavour during fermentation were investigated by e‐nose using PCA. The results of TOPSIS showed that Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) ranked first (0.734) and L. acidophilus (LA) ranked second (0.651). In addition, L. bulgaricus (LB) was the only strain that could increase ABTS antioxidant activity (by around 11%). The LP, LA and LB mixed fermentation sample (w/w/w, 1 : 1 : 1) provided 10 new kinds of flavour compounds and stronger antioxidant ability than the unfermented sample. In addition, storage at 4 °C after fermentation elicited beneficial changes in the content of key flavour substances. Therefore, multiple‐strain Lactobacillus‐fermentation of soymilk not only improved the antioxidant activity but also provided a delicate flavour.
The ethics of action research participation
Authors: Davison Robert M. , Martinsons Maris G. , Wong Louie H. M.
Published: August 2021

Action research (AR) involves one or more researchers and a client organisation. Many guidelines for and reports of the research method have been published. However, the ethical issues associated with AR have been largely neglected. Our review of the AR literature found that ethical dilemmas and their resolution are rarely and inconsistently reported. Stimulated by this neglect and our personal experiences, we aim to raise awareness and understanding about the ethics of planning, conducting and reporting AR. We identify and discuss four issues of concern that merit specific ethical attention when conducting AR: collaboration, competence, persistence and consent. We draw on these four issues in an analysis that augments the principles and criteria for canonical AR (CAR), recently reified as Integrated Action Research (IAR). Our guidance includes an additional principle of AR and 10 associated criteria to address the ethics of AR participation.
Models for the behavior of boron carbide in extreme dynamic environments
Authors: Ramesh K. T. , Graham‐Brady Lori , Goddard William A. , Hurley Ryan C. , Robbins Mark , Tonge Andrew L. , Bhattacharjee Amartya , Clemmer Joel T. , Zeng Qinglei , Li Weixin , Shen Yidi , An Qi , Mitra Nilanjan
Published: August 2021

We describe models for the behavior of hot‐pressed boron carbide that is subjected to extreme dynamic environments such as ballistic impact. We first identify the deformation and failure mechanisms that are observed in boron carbide under such conditions, and then review physics‐based models for each of these mechanisms and the integration of these models into a single physics‐based continuum model for the material. Atomistic modeling relates the composition and stoichiometry to the amorphization threshold, while mesoscale modeling relates the processing‐induced defect distribution to the fracture threshold. The models demonstrate that the relative importance of amorphization and fracture are strongly dependent on the geometry and impact conditions, with the volume fraction of amorphized material being unlikely to be significant until very high velocities (~3 km/s) are reached for geometries such as ball impact on plates. These connections to the physics thus provide guidelines for the design of improved boron carbide materials for impact applications.