bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prioritizing distribution centers in humanitarian logistics using type-2 fuzzy MCDM approach
Authors: Yılmaz Hafize , Kabak Özgür
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Locating disaster response centers is one of the key elements of efficient relief operations. The location and infrastructure of the candidate facilities usually conform to the required criteria at different levels. This study aims to identify the criteria for the main and local distribution center location problem separately and prioritize each candidate distribution center using a hybrid multiple criteria decision-making approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model incorporates analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solutions (TOPSIS) under interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2FSs) to overcome the uncertainty of experts` judgments and expressions in the evaluations of candidate distribution centers. In the proposed approach, weights of the criteria are determined using type-2 fuzzy AHP and the candidate distribution centers are prioritized using type-2 fuzzy TOPSIS.

Findings

Transportation, cost, infrastructure and security are determined as the main criteria for the main distribution center location criteria. Cost, warehouse facilities and security are the main criteria for local distribution center location selection. Prioritization enables decision-makers to assess each alternative accordingly to be able to select the best locations/facilities for efficient disaster response operations.

Originality/value

This study proposes new multi-criteria decision support models for prioritizing disaster response distribution centers. IT2FSs are used to be able to reflect both the complexity and vagueness of disaster environment and expert opinions. Different support models are suggested for main and local distribution centers considering their different missions. The proposed methodology is applied in Istanbul city, Turkey, where a high-magnitude earthquake is expected.
Institutional quality and access to financial services: evidence from European transition economies
Authors: Corrado Germana
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper outlines an analytical framework for estimating households' access to formal credit across European transition economies shortly after the onset of the global financial crisis. This study, along with the individual-level socio-economic and demographic characteristics also considers the perceived quality of the institutions. The author wants to assess whether an adequate policy-level intervention to promote financial inclusion should account for the individuals' subjective evaluation of the political situation in their own country as well as their personal experience of corruption.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper identifies the main determinants of financial inclusion using European microdata (Life in Transition SurveyII, LiTS II). In order to estimate individuals' access to formal financial markets, the author constructs a bivariate probit model to account for joint access to short-term and long-term credit products (Mohieldin and Wright, 2000).

Findings

The results show that improving people's access to financial markets across European regions requires a set of interventions at the institutional and local levels to link-up policies of financial inclusion and financial integrity.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the existing literature by identifying a number of key causes of financial inclusion and the role of institutional (corruption crimes) factors in determining the levels of financial access in a country.
Expert cues: how expert reviewers are perceived online
Authors: Naujoks Anna , Benkenstein Martin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore different types of source expertise and how they influence perceived message quality. Consumers face the challenge to identify valuable online reviews. Source expertise as a signal of message quality can be displayed differently, depending on website layout, operator and review author.

Design/methodology/approach

Two scenario-based experiments were conducted questioning 135 and 275 participants. They investigate the effect of different types of expert reviewers on perceived message quality and also examine the interplay of source expertise and source trustworthiness.

Findings

The findings reveal that the different types of expert reviewers differ in perceived expertise and their impact on perceived message quality. Claims of expertise induce the highest perceived expertise compared to the other expert types and non-experts, but are perceived as less trustworthy.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should examine the influence of the expert types across different product and service categories and could also include moderating influences that reflect how consumers process expert cues differently.

Practical implications

Cues that signal high expertise and high trustworthiness are likely to deliver the most valuable online reviews. This should be incorporated in the website's layout to help consumers find valuable information.

Originality/value

The approach of this research is novel in that it undertakes comparisons between three types of expert cues and non-experts. It also addresses the interplay of source expertise and trustworthiness and examines the effect on message quality.
Malaysian residential mortgage loan default: a micro-level analysis
Authors: Abdul Adzis Azira , Lim Hock Eam , Yeok Siew Goh , Saha Asish
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study investigates factors contributing to residential mortgage loans default by utilizing a unique dataset of borrowers' default data from one of the pioneer lending institutions in Malaysia that provides home financing to the public. Studies on mortgage loan default have been extensively examined, but limited studies utilize the individual borrower's data, as financial institutions generally hesitant to reveal their customers' data due to confidentiality issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses logistic regression model to analyze 47,158 housing loan borrowers' data for the year 2016.

Findings

The findings suggest that male borrowers, Malay and other type of ethnicity, guarantor availability, loan original balance, loan tenure, loan interest rate and loan-to-value (LTV) ratio are the significant factors that influence mortgage loans default in Malaysia.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies may expand the sample by employing data from other types of financial institutions that would give greater insights as findings might vary due to differences in objectives, functions and regulations. In addition, the findings are subjected to the censoring bias where future studies could perform the survival analysis to control for censoring bias and re-validating the findings of the present study.

Practical implications

The findings provide valuable insights for lending institutions and the government to formulate housing loan policy in Malaysia.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study in the context of emerging economies that uses financial institution's internal data to investigate factors of mortgage loan default.
Relating library user education to business students’ information needs and learning practices: a comparative study
Authors: Zhang Yifei , Lo Patrick , So Stuart , Chiu Dickson K.W.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate current library instruction programs to help business students make better use of library resources and improve their information. However, students’ information acquisition ability, library usage and their perception toward library user education are inevitably changing along with the rapidly evolving information landscape as well as the socio-cultural environment driven by information technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, 90 business students from three different majors at the Faculty of Business and Economics, the University of Hong Kong were invited to participate in the online survey for comparison.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that the subjects, in general, recognized the importance of library user instruction. However, when the subjects encountered difficulties in information searching, they preferred to use search engines (such as Google) and seek help from their classmates.

Practical implications

The results of this study show that there were distinctive differences in library usage and views toward library instruction among students of three different majors. This study sheds light on the feasible actions of academic libraries to enhance library user instruction services and improve the IL skills among business students.

Originality/value

Although there is much research about the library instruction of academic libraries, scant research focuses on library usage and views toward library instruction of business students, especially on the comparison among different business majors.
Lean Six Sigma: a clinical treatment for the recovery of Indian manufacturing sector from the after-effects of coronavirus
Authors: Sodhi Harsimran Singh
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Manufacturing industry is quite badly hit due to the coronavirus. Manufacturing has been stopped in every country. The present study will provide assistance to the practitioners to recover manufacturing sector from the after-effects of coronavirus.

Design/methodology/approach

A thorough review of the recent articles published in the newspaper and web has been done to make a viewpoint on the global industrial impact due to epidemic corona. Reports of WHO, IMF, World Bank, RBI and so forth are also reviewed. Further, Lean Six Sigma has been suggested which can be implemented to recover manufacturing industry from the ill effects of corona.

Findings

In present study the problem causd in the manufacturing sector due to corona virus has been identified and a clinical treatment for the same has been proposed by using the tools and techniques of Lean Six Sigma.

Originality/value

The impact of coronavirus has become a huge issue not only for the physical health of human beings but also for the economic health of most of the countries in the world, as it is pushing the world economy toward huge economic depression. Therefore, it becomes the moral responsibility of industrial experts to suggest the tools and techniques to the manufacturing industry for faster recovery.
COVID‐19 and human spermatozoa—Potential risks for infertility and sexual transmission?
Authors: Aitken Robert John
Published: July 2020

As COVID‐19 infections wreak havoc across the globe, attention has rightly been focused on the vital organ systems (lung, kidney and heart) that are vulnerable to viral attack and contribute to the acute pathology associated with this disease. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that COVID‐19 will attack any cell type in the body expressing ACE2 ‐ including human spermatozoa. These cells possess the entire repertoire of receptors (AT1R, AT2R, MAS) and ligand processing enzymes (ACE1 and ACE2) needed to support the angiotensin signalling cascade. The latter not only provides COVID‐19 with a foothold on the sperm surface but may also promote integration, given the additional presence of a range of proteases (TMPRSS2, TMPRSS11B, TMPRSS12, furin) capable of promoting viral fusion. This article reviews the roles played by these various cellular constituents in maintaining the vitality of human spermatozoa and their competence for fertilization. The reproductive consequences of a viral attack on these systems, in terms of fertility and the risk of sexual transmission, are currently unknown. However, we should be alive to the possibility that there may be reproductive consequences of COVID‐19 infection in young males that go beyond their capacity to survive a viral attack.
Machine learning approach for power consumption model based on monsoon data for smart cities applications
Authors: Sheik Mohideen Shah S. , Meganathan S.
Published: July 2020

In this modern world, electricity plays a vital role. It is essential for human life and also affects normal behavior of environment resulting in global warming. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), in particular machine learning (ML), have been significantly advancing smart city applications. Smart infrastructure, which is an essential component of smart cities, is equipped with power systems designed for optimizing smart devices. In this article, real domestic consumption data of 500 consumers from TANGEDCO are analyzed and clustered based on different seasons (consumption rate varies upon different weather conditions) for smart city applications. An efficient clustering algorithm k‐means integrates big data set for a period of 10 years and converts it into clustering graph with three seasons. By analyzing this data, the amount of consumption of electricity by humans in particular area (Pasupathikovil) of Papanasam taluk of Thanjavur district will be predicted. This article would be more useful for predicting changes in usage of electricity and take proper steps for analyzing the consumption accordingly and it will be more useful in smart city development. It gives an idea of which season needs more consumption and which needs less.
Comprehensive geriatric assessment in older adults with cancer: Recommendations by the Italian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SIGG)
Authors: Fusco Domenico , Ferrini Alessandro , Pasqualetti Giuseppe , Giannotti Chiara , Cesari Matteo , Laudisio Alice , Ballestrero Alberto , Scabini Stefano , Odetti Patrizio R. , Colloca Giuseppe F. , Monzani Fabio , Nencioni Alessio , Antonelli Incalzi Raffaele , Monacelli Fiammetta ,   the Oncogeriatrics Group of the Italian Society of Gerontology, Geriatrics
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Optimizing the approach to older adults with cancer is now a priority given the increasing frequency of new cancer diagnoses that are made in the older population. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) represents the gold‐standard for (1) defining prognosis and ability to withstand cancer treatments, (2) exploring the multiple aspects that define the complexity of frail older persons, and (3) designing person‐tailored interventions.

Materials and methods

In this document, based on a comprehensive revision of the literature, the Italian Society for Geriatrics and Gerontology proposes a CGA model (ONCOGER CGA) to be adopted by oncology centers for their routine approach to older patients with cancer.

Results and discussion

A widespread use of this standardized CGA format will facilitate comparisons across institutions, promote studies based on a multidimensional patient assessment, and foster the inclusion of geriatric endpoints in oncological clinical trials. Furthermore, we predict that the use of a standardized CGA approach will increase the integration of geriatricians into oncology care teams with the final result of improving therapeutic choices and clinical outcomes.
Initial memory consolidation and the synaptic tagging and capture hypothesis
Authors: Okuda Kosuke , Højgaard Kristoffer , Privitera Lucia , Bayraktar Gülberk , Takeuchi Tomonori
Published: July 2020

Everyday memories are retained automatically in the hippocampus and then decay very rapidly. Memory retention can be boosted when novel experiences occur shortly before or shortly after the time of memory encoding via a memory stabilization process called "initial memory consolidation." The dopamine release and new protein synthesis in the hippocampus during a novel experience are crucial for this novelty‐induced memory boost. The mechanisms underlying initial memory consolidation are not well‐understood, but the synaptic tagging and capture (STC) hypothesis provides a conceptual basis of synaptic plasticity events occurring during initial memory consolidation. In this review, we provide an overview of the STC hypothesis and its relevance to dopaminergic signalling, in order to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying initial memory consolidation in the hippocampus. We summarize electrophysiological STC processes based on the evidence from two‐pathway experiments and a behavioural tagging hypothesis, which translates the STC hypothesis into a related behavioural hypothesis. We also discuss the function of two types of molecules, "synaptic tags" and "plasticity‐related proteins," which have a crucial role in the STC process and initial memory consolidation. We describe candidate molecules for the roles of synaptic tag and plasticity‐related proteins and interpret their candidacy based on evidence from two‐pathway experiments ex vivo, behavioural tagging experiments in vivo and recent cutting‐edge optical imaging experiments. Lastly, we discuss the direction of future studies to advance our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the STC process, which are critical for initial memory consolidation in the hippocampus.
Functional genetic diversity of domestic and wild American mink (Neovison vison)
Authors: Morris Kimberley Y. , Bowman Jeff , Schulte‐Hostedde Albrecht , Wilson Paul J.
Published: July 2020

The release of domestic organisms to the wild threatens biodiversity because the introduction of domestic genes through interbreeding can negatively impact wild conspecifics via outbreeding depression. In North America, farmed American mink (Neovison vison) frequently escape captivity, yet the impact of these events on functional genetic diversity of wild mink populations is unclear. We characterized domestic and wild mink in Ontario at 17 trinucleotide microsatellites located in functional genes thought to be associated with traits affected by domestication. We found low functional genetic diversity in both mink types, as only four of 17 genes were variable, yet allele frequencies varied widely between captive and wild populations. To determine whether allele frequencies of wild populations were affected by geographic location, we performed redundancy analysis and spatial analysis of principal components on three polymorphic loci (AR, ATN1 and IGF‐1). We found evidence to suggest domestic release events are affecting the functional genetic diversity of wild mink, as sPCA showed clear distinctions between wild individuals near mink farms and those located in areas without mink farms. This is further substantiated through RDA, where spatial location was associated with genetic variation of AR, ATN1 and IGF1.
Projected climate and land use change alter western blacklegged tick phenology, seasonal host‐seeking suitability and human encounter risk in California
Authors: MacDonald Andrew J. , McComb Sofie , O’Neill Craig , Padgett Kerry A. , Larsen Ashley E.
Published: July 2020

Global environmental change is having profound effects on the ecology of infectious disease systems, which are widely anticipated to become more pronounced under future climate and land use change. Arthropod vectors of disease are particularly sensitive to changes in abiotic conditions such as temperature and moisture availability. Recent research has focused on shifting environmental suitability for, and geographic distribution of, vector species under projected climate change scenarios. However, shifts in seasonal activity patterns, or phenology, may also have dramatic consequences for human exposure risk, local vector abundance and pathogen transmission dynamics. Moreover, changes in land use are likely to alter human–vector contact rates in ways that models of changing climate suitability are unlikely to capture. Here we used climate and land use projections for California coupled with seasonal species distribution models to explore the response of the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus), the primary Lyme disease vector in western North America, to projected climate and land use change. Specifically, we investigated how environmental suitability for tick host‐seeking changes seasonally, how the magnitude and direction of changing seasonal suitability differs regionally across California, and how land use change shifts human tick‐encounter risk across the state. We found vector responses to changing climate and land use vary regionally within California under different future scenarios. Under a hotter, drier scenario and more extreme land use change, the duration and extent of seasonal host‐seeking activity increases in northern California, but declines in the south. In contrast, under a hotter, wetter scenario seasonal host‐seeking declines in northern California, but increases in the south. Notably, regardless of future scenario, projected increases in developed land adjacent to current human population centers substantially increase potential human–vector encounter risk across the state. These results highlight regional variability and potential nonlinearity in the response of disease vectors to environmental change.
COVID‐19 and Headache Medicine: A Narrative Review of Non‐Steroidal Anti‐Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) and Corticosteroid Use
Authors: Arca Karissa N. , Smith Jonathan H. , Chiang Chia‐Chun , Starling Amaal J. , Robertson Carrie E. , Halker Singh Rashmi B. , Schwedt Todd J. , Kissoon Narayan R. , Garza Ivan , Rozen Todd D. , Boes Christoper J. , Whealy Mark A. , VanderPluym Juliana H.
Published: July 2020

Objective

To summarize the current literature on non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug and corticosteroid use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, recognizing that these are commonly used treatments in the field of headache medicine.

Background

The use of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids in patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic has been a controversial topic within the medical community and international and national health organizations. Lay press and social media outlets have circulated opinions on this topic despite the fact that the evidence for or against the use of these medications is sparse. In the field of headache medicine, these medications are used commonly and both patients and clinicians may have questions or hesitations pertaining to their use during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

A detailed search of the scientific and popular literature was performed.

Results

There is limited literature pertaining to the safety of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids during the COVID‐19 pandemic. To date, there are no clear scientific data that preclude the use of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in the general population who may acquire COVID‐19 or in those acutely infected with the virus. Several health organizations have concluded that treatment with corticosteroids during active infection should be avoided due to concerns of prolonged viral shedding in the respiratory tract and the lack of survival benefit based on the data from past coronaviruses and influenza virus; specific exceptions exist including treatment for underlying asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, septic shock, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Conclusion

Scientific information regarding the COVID‐19 pandemic is constantly evolving, and limited or contradictory information can lead to confusion for both patients and clinicians. It is recommended that prior to prescribing non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and steroids for the treatment of headache, clinicians have open discussions with their patients about the potential risks and benefits of using these medications during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This manuscript summarizes the currently available evidence and understanding about these risks and benefits to help clinicians navigate such discussions.
Consumer guilt and green banking services
Authors: Burhanudin Burhanudin , Ronny Ronny , Sihotang Ellen Theresia
Published: July 2020

Banks offer loans to support many projects; however, some of these projects may not give adequate consideration to the environment. Little is known regarding the extent to which banking customers experience guilt when discovering that their bank supports projects that disregard the environment. An experiment with 313 participants was conducted, and the results showed that customers do experience guilt when discovering that their bank supports projects that do not give adequate consideration to the environment. This study found that guilt drives perceived consumer effectiveness and negative word‐of‐mouth regarding banking projects that neglect environmental considerations but not attitudes towards green banking. Negative word of mouth, but not the attitude towards green banking, mediates the effect of perceived consumer effectiveness on the intention to use green banking services. Negative word‐of‐mouth, rather than attitudes towards green banking and its perceived consumer effectiveness, drives the intention to use green banking services. These findings imply that banks need to encourage their customers to perceive that they are eco‐friendly to avoid a significant loss of customers.
Loss of lower extremity muscle strength based on diabetic polyneuropathy in older patients with type 2 diabetes: Multicenter Survey of the Isometric Lower Extremity Strength in Type 2 Diabetes: Phase 2 study
Authors: Nomura Takuo , Kawae Toshihiro , Kataoka Hiroaki , Ikeda Yukio
Published: July 2020

Aims/Introduction

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a factor that reduces lower extremity muscle strength (LEMS) in older type 2 diabetes patients. This relationship remains unclear in longitudinal studies. Therefore, we longitudinally investigated the apparent effects of DPN on changes in LEMS. Furthermore, we cross‐sectionally examined relationships among DPN, LEMS, mobility and health‐related quality of life.

Materials and Methods

Bodyweight‐normalized (relative) knee extension force (KEF) was examined in 51 DPN and 54 non‐DPN patients (68.9 ± 5.6 and 70.2 ± 5.9 years, respectively) at baseline and follow up at 3.6 ± 0.6 years. At follow up, mobility was measured using a 25‐question geriatric locomotive function scale. Health‐related quality of life was assessed using the five‐dimensions of EuroQol for quality‐adjusted life years calculation.

Results

Relative KEF in the DPN group was significantly lower at follow up (1.22 ± 0.47 Nm/kg) than at baseline (1.31 ± 0.47 Nm/kg; P < 0.05). DPN significantly affected changes in relative KEF. Mobility decreased by 41 and 65% in the non‐DPN and DPN groups, respectively. Quality‐adjusted life years were significantly lower in the DPN group (0.856 ± 0.131) than in the non‐DPN group (0.920 ± 0.105; P < 0.01). Relative KEF was a significant independent variable that explained quality‐adjusted life years.

Conclusions

DPN clearly reduced LEMS in older type 2 diabetes patients within 4 years. Furthermore, DPN resulted in a loss of LEMS and decrease in mobility. Therefore, DPN development should be monitored closely, with glycemic control and LEMS kept at a high level to maintain health‐related quality of life in older patients with type 2 diabetes.
Effects of hot air, vacuum infrared, and vacuum microwave dryers on the drying kinetics and quality characteristics of orange slices
Authors: Bozkir Hamza
Published: July 2020

The present study aimed to dry orange slices at 50, 60, and 70°C using vacuum microwave dryer (VMD), vacuum infrared dryer (VID), and tray dryer (TD) and to compare the effects of different drying techniques on drying kinetics and product qualities. For this purpose, drying kinetics, total phenolic content, vitamin C, pH, total titratable acidity, bulk density, and color values of dried orange slices were evaluated. The VMD significantly increased the drying rates and the effective moisture diffusivities of orange slices compared with the VID and the TD. The drying times of orange slices for the VMD, the VID, and the TD at 70°C were detected as 69, 92, and 180 min, respectively. The experimental data were fitted to six thin‐layer drying models with R2 range between .929 and 1.000. The results showed that the VMD had the smallest change in total phenolic content, vitamin C, pH, total titratable acidity, bulk density, and color values (L*, a*, b*, ΔE, ΔC, and Hue°) of dried orange slices, whereas the TD had the highest changing.

Practical applications

Drying is a common preservation technique used for the long‐term durability of fruits and vegetables. This technique decreases the cost of storage, packaging, and transport of fruits and vegetables. Nevertheless, the traditional drying technique has some disadvantages, such as low energy efficiency, long process times, and a reduction in quality characteristics. The vacuum microwave dryer (VMD) and the vacuum infrared dryer (VID) have advantages such as higher drying rate, lower drying time, homogeneous temperature, high‐energy efficiency, and good product quality. In the industry, the VMD and the VID can be used as an alternative to the hot air drying, making the drying process faster for the fruits and vegetables.
Translation of recent discoveries in cardiovascular disease research to novel therapeutic strategies
Authors: Hedin Ulf
Published: July 2020

Content List ‐ Read more articles from the symposium: “Cardiovascular program and cardiovascular retreat”.
Ideology and the Direction of Causation in the Acquisition and Maintenance of Shared Belief Systems
Authors: Munger Michael C.
Published: July 2020

Preferences and beliefs are more widely and systematically shared than might be predicted by a subjective, idiosyncratic view arising out of neoclassical economics. Two works were published twenty five years ago on just this question, contesting conceptions of belief acquisition: Denzau and North (1994) and Hinich and Munger (1994). Denzau and North argued that beliefs are simplified representations of reality that provide conventional means of interpreting the world around us; Hinich and Munger agreed. But Denzau and North argued that beliefs were essentially self‐perpetuating, and not subject to optimizing revision based on feedback, while Hinich and Munger followed the orthodox Downsian notion of a heuristic that economizes (in equilibrium) on the cost of becoming informed about politics. The big difference is that the Hume‐Denzau‐North conception follows the “Folk Theorem,” making no claim about the optimality of the belief systems that a society comes to share.
Oral microbiota alteration associated with oral cancer and areca chewing
Authors: Zhong Xiaohuan , Lu Qin , Zhang Qi , He Yuan , Wei Wenjuan , Wang Yimin
Published: July 2020

Oral cancer is among most common neoplasm of oral cavity; in many cases, it develops at the site of premalignant lesion. Areca nut has been identified as a carcinogen, which was proved to promote the inflammation level and contributes to oral malignancy. Chewing areca nut is the main cause of the premalignant disease oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Bacterial alterations were suggested to be assonated with oral cancer progression. Therefore, the present study was carried out to determine the changes of microbiota in the mucosa along stage of development of oral cancer with areca nut chewing. 162 participants, reporting to department of oral medical center, were enrolled into the study which includes 45 patients each of OSF, 42 of oral cancer, 29 healthy controls (HC) with areca nut chewing, and 46 healthy controls (HC) never chewing areca nut. Oral swabbing of tongue dorsum, buccal mucosa, and gingiva was evaluated by MiSeq platform of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. These data revealed microbial changes that may mirror oral cancer progression and reflect clinical preconditions such as areca nut chewing. Consequently, revealing microbial changes in patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas and the premalignant disease oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) with areca nut chewing might improve our understanding of the pathobiology of the disease and help in the design of novel diagnostic and treatment strategies.
The Collins’ monster, a spinous suspension‐feeding lobopodian from the Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia
Authors: Caron Jean‐Bernard , Aria Cédric
Published: July 2020

Lobopodians, a paraphyletic group of rare but morphologically diverse Palaeozoic vermiform animals bearing metameric appendages, are key to the origin of extant panarthropods. First discovered in 1983 on Mount Stephen (Yoho National Park, British Columbia), the Cambrian (Wuliuan) Burgess Shale lobopodian nicknamed ‘Collins’ monster’ is formally described as Collinsovermis monstruosus gen. et sp. nov. A formal systematic treatment of the comparable and poorly known lobopodian Acinocricus stichus from Utah is also provided. The body of Collinsovermis is plump and compact but shows the diagnostic suspension‐feeding characters of luolishaniid lobopodians. It possesses 14 contiguous pairs of lobopods, lacking space between them. The 6 anterior pairs are elongate, adorned with about 20 pairs of long and slightly curved ventral spinules arranged in a chevron‐like pattern. These appendages terminate in a pair of thin claws and their dorsal surfaces are covered in minute spines or setae. The 8 posterior lobopod pairs, which attach to a truncated body termination, are stout and smooth, each terminated by a single strong recurved claw. Each somite bears a pair of dorsal spines; somites 4 and posteriad bear an additional median spine. The spines on somites 1–3 are much shorter than the spines on the remaining somites. The head is short, bears a terminal mouth and a pair of antenniform outgrowths, and is covered by an oblong sclerite. Collinsovermis, plus Collinsium and Acinocricus, are found to comprise a sub‐group of stout luolishaniid lobopodians with remarkably long spinules on the front lobopods, interpreted here as a clade (Teratopodidae fam. nov.) This clade is distinct from both the comparatively slenderer Luolishania and a sub‐group composed of Facivermis and Ovatiovermis lacking body sclerites. Luolishaniids were mostly sessile forerunners of arthropods that had coupled efficient suspension‐feeding devices and, as in Collinsovermis, strong defensive or deterrent features.
Black magic and respecting persons—Some perplexities
Authors: Smilansky Saul , Räikkä Juha
Published: July 2020

Black magic (henceforth BM) is acting in an attempt to harm human beings through supernatural means. Examples include the employment of spells, the use of special curses, the burning of objects related to the purported victim, and the use of pins with voodoo dolls. For the sake of simplicity, we shall focus on attempts to kill through BM. The moral attitude towards BM has not been, as far as we know, significantly discussed in contemporary analytic philosophy. Yet the topic brings up interesting questions and poses challenges, occasionally even reaching the level of paradoxes. Ideas of respecting persons, in particular, will be seen to be challenged by this form of magic. The notion of respecting persons will be treated here broadly and pluralistically. Indeed part of the interest in the discussion will be the unfolding of the diverse ways in which this term should be understood, and the contrasts between its various uses. Often, as we shall see, respect for persons and disrespect for them, in different senses, will co‐exist, and the dilemma will be one where avoiding some forms of disrespect will involve us in disrespect in other senses.
Numerical simulations of near-field head-related transfer functions: Magnitude verification and validation with laser spark sources
Authors: Prepeliţă Sebastian T. , Bolaños Javier Gómez , Pulkki Ville , Savioja Lauri , Mehra Ravish
Published: July 2020

Despite possessing an increased perceptual significance, near-field head-related transfer functions (nf-HRTFs) are more difficult to acquire compared to far-field head-related transfer functions. If properly validated, numerical simulations could be employed to estimate nf-HRTFs: the present study aims to validate the usage of wave-based simulations in the near-field. A thorough validation study is designed where various sources of error are investigated and controlled. The present work proposes the usage of a highly-omnidirectional laser-induced breakdown (LIB) of air as an acoustic point source in nf-HRTF measurements. Despite observed departures from the linear regime of the LIB pressure pulse, the validation results show that asymptotically-estimated solutions to a lossless model (wave-equation and rigid boundaries) agree in magnitude with the LIB-measured nf-HRTF of a rigid head replica approximately within 1–2 dB up to about 17 kHz. Except a decreased reliability in notch estimation, no significant shortcoming of the continuous model is found relative to the measurements below 17 kHz. The study also shows the difficulty in obtaining accurate surface boundary impedance values for accurate validation studies.
Effect of a single lateral diffuse reflection on spatial percepts and speech intelligibility
Authors: Visentin Chiara , Pellegatti Matteo , Prodi Nicola
Published: July 2020

This study examines the influence of an early lateral reflection on spatial perceptual attributes and speech reception. To this aim, a diffuse reflection is compared with a specular one. Although diffusive surfaces have widespread applications in room acoustics design, the knowledge of the perceptual and behavioral outcomes of these surfaces has yet to be fully developed. Two experiments were conducted to investigate how the reflection type, its temporal delay, and its azimuth affect spatial percepts (source distance, width, and focus) and speech intelligibility (SI) in diffuse stationary noise. The experimental setup included ecological elements: field measurements, a speaker-like source directivity, and real flat and diffusive surfaces. The results indicate that the presence of a single diffuse reflection reduces the perceived distance of a frontal speech source and makes it clearer. SI is higher with a diffuse reflection than with a specular one. Perceptual and behavioral outcomes both depend on the angle of reflection given the frequency- and angular-dependent properties of the diffusing surface and the directivity of the speech source. The results are interpreted with reference to loudness and binaural cues and to the precedence effect. Implications of the findings for acoustic design are also discussed.
Thermorheological complexity of poly(vinyl alcohol)/borax aqueous solutions
Authors: Li Jingjing , Cao Xiao , Liu Yonggang , Chen Quan
Published: July 2020

Thermorheological behavior was examined for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and borax aqueous solutions. The PVA content was fixed to be approximately four times the entanglement concentration, and the borax concentration Cborax was varied in a wide range of 0–10.4 mM. In this system, borate ions yielded from the hydrolysis of borax can crosslink the PVA chains to form a reversible network. At low Cborax = 2.5 mM, the network strands are larger than the precursor chains. The stress relaxation is governed by the effective breakup, and the time temperature superposition (tTs) fails only slightly. In contrast, at high Cborx ≥ 4.0 mM, the network strands are dense and each chain is divided averagely into several network strands. For this case, the stress relaxation is governed by chain relaxation activated by continuous ion dissociations, where tTs fails significantly. Analysis of the thermorheological behavior provides rich information on the temperature-dependent structural evolution. Particularly, analyzing the high frequency data attributed to the ion dissociation process indicates that the failure of tTs is owing to a reduction of the degree of gelation with increasing T, which leads to an acceleration of the chain relaxation with respect to the ion dissociation.
Detection of response to tumor microenvironment–targeted cellular immunotherapy using nano-radiomics
Authors: Devkota Laxman , Starosolski Zbigniew , Rivas Charlotte H. , Stupin Igor , Annapragada Ananth , Ghaghada Ketan B. , Parihar Robin
Published: July 2020

Data mining of nanoparticle contrast–enhanced 3D images reveals phenotypes indicative of tumor response to cellular immunotherapy.
Simulation perspective on new latent safety threats in high-risk patient care
scenarios during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Love Benbow Melissa , Kant Shruti , Werner Heidi , Glomb Nicolaus
Published: July 2020

The Code Simulation team at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Benioff Children’s Hospital-San Francisco is presenting a perspective on COVID-19
related simulation in a paediatric emergency department (PED) setting. The primary
focus was personal protective equipment (PPE) usage in the setting of new latent
safety threats in high-risk scenarios in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We
addressed communication challenges and trialled new workflows in relation to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The perspective details the objectives, themes and lessons
learnt during this process. The simulation practice occurred multiple times over
multiple days with an interpersonal, interdisciplinary and inclusive approach. The
results of this work were implemented into practice in the PED at UCSF Benioff
Children’s Hospital-San Francisco setting and influenced hospital-wide education
on PPE usage during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guide to hibernating Mediterranean and Horsfield's tortoises
Authors: Pellett Sarah , Varga Molly , Stocking Donna
Published: July 2020

Background: Hibernation is encouraged for healthy Mediterranean and Horsfield's tortoises. A controlled hibernation is essential to reduce posthibernation complications or deaths. Suboptimal husbandry before hibernation and incorrect hibernation techniques may increase the risk of posthibernation complications.

Aim of the article: This article provides a guide to hibernating Mediterranean and Horsfield's tortoises, covering the prehibernation, hibernation and posthibernation periods, and also outlines how to address any complications.
Growing up strong: The importance of physical, mental, and emotional strength during childhood and adolescence with focus on dietary factors
Authors: Leidy Heather J. , Gwin Jess A.
Published: July 2020

Childhood and adolescence are critical time periods for growth and development. Given the current physical and psychological health concerns affecting United States youth, an emerging area of interest exists supporting the importance of physical and psychological aspects of strength for health, resilience, and well-being through these life stages. This synopsis highlights the key concepts that were presented within the 2018 Strength Summit conference, entitled The Role of Strength in Optimal Health and Well-being. During the conference, strength was broadly defined as the ability to successfully respond to a challenge. Although much of the current research focuses on strength from a muscle function and performance perspective, mental and emotional strength are also important components of overall health and well-being, especially in children and adolescents. This paper provides a brief overview of the clinical and/or research-based strength outcomes, summarizes the relationship between strength and health, and discusses evidence-based dietary factors that promote strength in children and adolescents.

Novelty Building physical, mental, and emotional strength during childhood and adolescence lays the foundation for health and well-being. Emerging evidence indicate positive associations between diet quality and strength in children and adolescents. Promising areas include the promotion of family-based meals, with focus on breakfast, for improved strength in United States youth.
An individual-based mean-field model for fake-news spreading on PSO-based networks
Authors: Fan Dongmei , Wang Jinling
Published: July 2020

This paper proposes an individual-based mean-field model for fake news spreading on the PSO-based networks, assuming that ignorant individuals are more likely to believe and repost the fake news that are spread by the similar spreaders. Therefore, the spreading rate is related to the similarity between these individuals. Theoretical analysis shows that the critical threshold is in inverse proportion to both the maximum eigenvalue of the similarity matrix and the influence coefficient [Formula: see text]. Monte-Carlo simulations are performed on the PSO-based networks, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Single-state semi-quantum key distribution protocol and its security proof
Authors: Zhang Wei , Qiu Daowen , Mateus Paulo
Published: July 2020

Semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) can share secret keys by using less quantum resource than its fully quantum counterparts, and this likely makes SQKD become more practical and realizable. In this paper, we present a new SQKD protocol by introducing the idea of B92 protocol in fully quantum cryptography into SQKD. In this protocol, the sender Alice just sends one quantum state to the classical Bob and Bob just prepares a fixed state in the preparation process. It is much simpler than the existing SQKD and potentially much easier to be implemented. It can be seen as a semi-quantum version of B92 protocol, compared to the protocol BKM07 as the semi-quantum version of BB84 in fully quantum cryptography. We verify that it is more efficient than the existing single-state SQKD protocols by introducing an efficiency parameter. Specifically, we prove it is secure against a restricted collective attack by computing a lower bound of the key rate in the asymptotic scenario. Then we can find a threshold value of errors such that for all error rates less than this value, the secure key can be definitely established between the legitimate users definitely. We make an illustration of how to compute the threshold value in case the reverse channel is a depolarizing one with parameter [Formula: see text]. Though the threshold value is a little smaller than those of some existing SQKD protocols, it can be comparable to the B92 protocol in fully quantum cryptography.
Cohering and decohering power of Gaussian channels
Authors: Yao Huazhen , Zhang Jianwen , Wang Yangyang
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we generalized the concepts of the cohering power and decohering power to Gaussian channels for continuous-variable systems with respect to coherence measures based on the relative entropy and obtained some basic properties. In addition, the cohering power and decohering power of classical noise channels, thermal noise channels and amplifier channels are calculated.
Open Business Model Innovation via the Internet: How Wiki Technologies Can Improve the Quality of Business Models
Authors: Bretschneider Ulrich , Ebel Philipp Alexander , Leimeister Jan Marco
Published: July 2020

Increasingly, firms follow the strategy of open business model innovation via the Internet. In this form of digital innovation management, firms make use of Internet platforms that allow them to integrate external customers and other stakeholders for (re-)innovation of their business models. However, the used IT tools on these Internet platforms suffer from not being able to merge the content of multiple users in an adequate way, thus the resulting business models suffer from low degrees of quality. Against this backdrop, in this research, we propose to equip these Internet platforms with a wiki technology. This would allow users to add to each other’s content, to make changes or to correct mistakes. In our action design research (ADR), we could empirically validate that this leads to a higher quality in terms of business models’ degree of elaboration. Since research that focusses on the design of Internet-based open BMI is still neglected, our research contributes to the literature base by being the first that answers ongoing open calls for research on this phenomenon of interest.