bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Harnessing Empathy to Scale a Healthtech Startup During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Case Study Of myICUvoice, a Communication Tool Designed for Critical Care
Authors: POHRAN NADYA , BAKER TIMOTHY , PULMAN‐JONES SIMON , WEATHERUP AMY
Published: December 2020

This case study explores the scaling experience of an early‐stage healthtech startup company called myICUvoice. During the Covid‐19 pandemic, myICUvoice rapidly scaled from a single intensive care environment to being widely used nationally (UK) as well as globally. We explore why and how so many volunteers were motivated to donate their time and expertise to help scale this early stage startup. Specifically, we examine the roles that empathy played throughout the scaling process. There are three distinct types of empathy that we have identified in our story: em‐pathos, empathetic understanding, and mass‐empathy. These each had a distinct role in driving the startup forward. Importantly, we note that human‐centered design (which often focuses almost exclusively on achieving empathetic understanding) will immensely benefit from considering the multiple types, and multi‐faceted powers, of empathy.
Dissent at Scale
Authors: Agafonoff Nick , Ferris Lindsay , Steager Tabitha , Taylor Erin
Published: December 2020

Dissent assumes a common ground, a common purpose. How do we push back against scaled‐up discrimination and disinformation when they come from different cultural logics?
Toxicity v. toxicity: How Ethnography Can Inform Scalable Technical Solutions
Authors: SHERMAN JAMIE , MCCLARD ANNE PAGE
Published: December 2020

While a number of scholars have studied online communities, research on games has been mostly focused on the business, experience, and content of gameplay. Interactions between players within games has received less attention, and toxic behavior is a newer area of investigation in academia. Inquiry into toxicity in gaming is part of a larger body of literature and public interest emerging around disruptive and malicious social interactions online, cyberbullying, child‐grooming, and extremist recruiting). Through our research we reaffirmed that toxicity in gaming is a problem at a global scale, but we also discovered that on a micro scale, what behavior gamers perceive as toxic, or how toxicity is enacted in gaming is different depending on cultural context amongst other things. The generalized problem at scale, and its particular manifestations on the micro level raise philosophical and technology design questions, which we address through examples from our own research and its applications in the industrial settings.
Impact at Human Scale
Authors: Agafonoff Nick , Ferris Lindsay , Steager Tabitha , Taylor Erin
Published: December 2020

Enacting change in the world is fraught with obstacles. How can individuals have a meaningful impact at a global scale? How do institutions, with their own decision‐making logics and biases, impact individuals?
Scaling Through Meaning to Action: What the Australian Bushfires Taught Me about Ethnography
Authors: COCHRANE CHARLIE
Published: December 2020

This pecha kucha gives a personal perspective on the ethical dilemmas around the impact of an individual's actions, and the meaning of an ethnographer's projects in the context of the scale where these play out. The story begins with the spectacle of the 2020 Australian bushfires and reflects on their enormous scale. Within this context what is the meaning of individual actions to limit global warming?

The story shifts to the work context and explores the dichotomy of human impacts vs. the marketing metrics that typically measure success. Using an example of a research project with an overtly purposeful aim we explore the tension between ethnography as a tool for understanding the problem and the question of whether the scaled result truly addresses the end‐users’ problem.

Returning to the bushfires, we again look at the scaled government response and the question of how successfully this met the needs of those impacted. We explore the different ways that initiatives can be scaled and recognize that smaller initiatives, tuned to end‐users’ needs may be those that produce the most human impact. We conclude with the challenge to expand the remit of ethnography beyond problem diagnosis through to end‐results.
From the Space Station to the Sofa: Scales of Isolation at Work
Authors: AIKEN JO , RAMER ANGELA
Published: December 2020

Since March 2020, many employees around the world have been forced to work from home due to the COVID‐19 global pandemic. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have experience in working in isolation and confinement. This paper focuses on a comparison of astronauts on the ISS and Earth‐bound architects and interior designers restricted to working from home (i.e. their sofas) due to the pandemic. Isolation at work emerges as a complex phenomenon characterized by the measured and perceived distances between physical, social, and temporal spaces. By examining the scale‐making activities of NASA and HKS, analogs provide a possible means for studying and predicting the complex dimensions of isolation. The work ecosystem is a useful tool in conceptualizing and operationalizing the employee experience to design the future of work and workspaces.
Plasma l‐indospicine and 3‐nitropropionic acid in ponies fed creeping indigo: Comparison with results from an episode of presumptive creeping indigo toxicosis
Authors: Darby Shannon , Sanchez L. Chris , Mallicote Martha F. , House Amanda M. , Plummer Caryn E. , Nadruz Veridiana , Benmoha Rachel H. , Roberts Stephen M. , Derendorf Hartmut , Silva‐Sanchez Cecilia , Claire Jami , MacKay Robert J.
Published: December 2020

Background

Creeping indigo (Indigofera spicata) toxicosis is an emerging problem among horses in Florida and bordering states.

Objectives

To quantify the putative toxins l‐indospicine (IND) and 3‐nitropropionic acid (NPA) in creeping indigo collected from multiple sites and to measure plasma toxin concentrations in ponies fed creeping indigo and horses with presumptive creeping indigo toxicosis.

Study design

Experimental descriptive study with descriptive observational field investigation.

Methods

Air‐dried creeping indigo was assayed for IND and NPA content. Five ponies were fed chopped creeping indigo containing 1 mg/kg/day of IND and trace amounts of NPA for 5 days, then observed for 28 days. Blood samples from these ponies and from horses involved in a presumptive creeping indigo toxicosis were assayed for IND and NPA.

Results

IND in creeping indigo plants was 0.4‐3.5 mg/g dry matter whereas NPA was <0.01 to 0.03 mg/g. During creeping indigo feeding, clinical and laboratory signs were unchanged except for significant weight loss (median 6%, range 2%‐9%; p = .04) and significant increase from baseline plasma protein concentration (median 16 g/L, range 8‐25 g/L; p < .001). These changes could not definitively be ascribed to creeping indigo ingestion. Plasma IND rose to 3.9 ± 0.52 mg/L on day 6. Pharmacokinetic modelling indicated an elimination half‐life of 25 days and a steady state plasma concentration of 22 mg/L. Plasma IND concentration in sick horses during an incident of creeping indigo toxicosis was approximately twice that of clinically normal pasture mates. Plasma NPA was <0.05 mg/L in all samples.

Main limitations

Creeping indigo used in the feeding trial may not be representative of plants involved in creeping indigo toxicosis. There was no control group without creeping indigo in the feeding trial.

Conclusions

Indospicine can be detected in blood of horses consuming creeping indigo and the toxin accumulates in tissues and clears slowly. The role of NPA in the neurological signs of this syndrome is unclear.
Effect of laser heating on mechanical properties, residual stresses and retardation of fatigue crack growth in AA2024
Authors: Kashaev Nikolai , Groth Anne , Ventzke Volker , Horstmann Manfred , Riekehr Stefan , Staron Peter , Huber Norbert
Published: December 2020

Local laser heating treatment using a defocussed laser beam was applied to the surface of 2‐mm‐thick AA2024‐T3 sheets. Two different treatment designs—namely, lines and circles—as well as the positioning and number of treatments were investigated regarding their potential to retard the propagation of through‐thickness fatigue cracks. The highest fatigue crack growth life extension of 285% was achieved by the application of four laser heating lines or two circles on each specimen side. The induced compressive residual stress field through the LH process is primarily responsible for an improvement in fatigue crack growth life. An emphasis was placed on investigating the effect of the treatment on the possible reduction of tensile and fatigue strength (S‐N life). If only one line was applied transverse to the loading direction or only one circle was used, the reduction of fatigue strength was comparable to the reduction of fatigue strength resulting from the stress concentration introduced due to the presence of a rivet hole.
A Closed‐Form Consistent Estimator for Linear Models with Spatial Dependence
Authors: Smirnov Oleg A.
Published: December 2020

Common techniques for approximating the maximum likelihood estimator often lead to biased and inconsistent estimates when a systematic bias is introduced into the log‐likelihood function. This article proposes to replace the true scores in the likelihood equations with quasi‐scores that are easy‐to‐compute yet have an expected value of zero. This innovation would dramatically simplify the likelihood‐based estimation while preserving a majority of desirable statistical properties of maximum likelihood. Consequently, this article introduces an easy‐to‐compute consistent estimator for models with spatial dependence and documents its computational and statistical properties. To illustrate the quality and predictability of the closed form estimator in a practical setting we use Monte Carlo simulations that address both the spatial lag and spatial error settings. The estimated variance of the estimator is elevated relative to that of maximum likelihood’s asymptotic variance and actual method’s performance. However, it is shown that inflated confidence intervals are largely inconsequential to the analysis of spatial dependence in practice. The estimator is shown to be computationally superior to the true maximum likelihood for any tested matrix sizes and levels of spatial dependence.
Poroelastic Modeling of a Heterogeneous Geologic Medium: A Case Study from Kanto Basin in Japan
Authors: Joshi Ajit , Aichi Masaatsu , Tokunaga Tomochika
Published: December 2020

Vertical geological heterogeneity, such as clay content and grain size variation, may affect land subsidence caused by groundwater extraction. In order to test this hypothesis, one‐dimensional pore‐water mass balance and force balance equations of a water‐saturated poroelastic medium were solved under different heterogeneous geological conditions. Results showed that clay content and grain size variation in sandstone could affect subsidence rates by up to an order of magnitude due to the changes in stiffness and permeability of the medium, indicating the importance of small‐scale heterogeneity in subsidence simulation studies. Predicted values of subsidence were in good agreement with field measurements for two sites in the Kanto groundwater basin in Japan, showing the applicability of the model to other groundwater basins with clay‐rich aquifers.
The influence of EDTA‐2Na on microstructure and corrosion resistance of PEO coating for AA1060 alloy
Authors: Zhang Qing , Wang Dong‐dong , Wang Yan , Li Qing‐wen , Chen Han , Shen De‐jiu , Li Da‐long
Published: December 2020

In this study, plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process was applied to AA1060 aluminum alloy in an alkaline‐based electrolyte with different concentrations of EDTA‐2Na. The investigation of coatings was concentrated on sparks, phase, structure, morphology, and corrosion resistance. The whole process presented a “soft spark” regime which proved by the reduction of light and acoustic emission with increase of current. The results of SEM and EDS showed that more discharge channels were found under surface and the proportion of silicon in the inner layer increased for the sample treated in solution with 5 g/L EDTA‐2Na, which was attributed to D type discharge causing some light emission invisible on sample surface. The polarization test presented a better corrosion resistance with the increase of EDTA‐2Na. However, EIS measurement showed a bigger corrosion resistance for outer layer of sample prepared with the addition concentration up to 3 g/L that meant outer layer played a more critical role in terms of corrosion resistance.
Study of thrombin generation with St Genesia to evaluate xaban pharmacodynamics: Analytical performances over 18 months
Authors: Foulon‐Pinto Geoffrey , Jourdi Georges , Perrin Julien , Abdoul Johan , Paris Guillaume , Gouin‐Thibault Isabelle , Curis Emmanuel , Lecompte Thomas , Siguret Virginie
Published: December 2020

Introduction

ST Genesia is a new automated system enabling quantitative standardized evaluation of thrombin generation (TG), for example, in patients receiving anti‐Xa direct inhibitors (xabans). Data on its analytical performances are scarce.

Methods

Over an 18‐month period, repeatability, reproducibility, and accuracy were assessed using STG‐ThromboScreen (without or with thrombomodulin) or STG‐DrugScreen reagents (corresponding to intermediate/high tissue‐factor concentration, respectively), and controls. Furthermore, reproducibility was assessed using commercialized lyophilized and frozen normal pooled plasmas. Rivaroxaban and apixaban impacts on TG parameters were assessed using spiking experiments. Finally, a comparison with the Calibrated Automated Thrombogram method (CAT) (PPP reagent) was performed using plasma from healthy volunteers enrolled in the DRIVING‐studyNCT 01627665) before and after rivaroxaban intake.

Results

For all dedicated quality control (QC) levels, inter‐series coefficients of variations (CV) were <7% for temporal TG parameters, peak height (PH), and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP), whether results were normalized with a dedicated reference plasma STG‐RefPlasma or not. Noteworthy, STG‐RefPlasma used for normalization displayed substantially high PH and ETP. Mean biases between the observed and manufacturer's assigned QC values were mostly <7%. Both rivaroxaban/apixaban plasma concentrations were significantly associated with TG parameters. Finally, Bland‐Altman plots showed a good agreement between ST Genesia‐STG‐ThromboScreen and CAT method within the explored range of values, although biases could be observed (PH: 16.4 ± 13.2%, ETP: 17.8 ± 11.9%).

Conclusion

ST Genesia® enables the reliable measurement of TG parameters in both in vitro and ex vivo xaban plasma samples using either STG‐ThromboScreen or STG‐DrugScreen according to xaban concentrations. The use of reference plasma, despite not completely reflecting a normal pooled plasma behavior, likely improves standardization and inter‐laboratory comparisons.
Nighttime sleep duration trajectories were associated with body mass index trajectories in early childhood
Authors: Zheng Miaobing , Hesketh Kylie D. , Wu Jason H. Y. , Heitmann Berit L. , Downing Katherine , Campbell Karen J.
Published: December 2020

Background

The respective contribution of total, daytime and nighttime sleep duration in childhood obesity remains unclear.

Objectives

To assess the longitudinal association between developmental trajectories of sleep duration and BMI z‐score in early childhood.

Methods

Data were from the Melbourne INFANT program, a prospective cohort with 4‐month‐old infants being followed‐up until age 60 months (n = 528). Sleep duration (total, daytime, nighttime) and BMI z‐score were measured using questionnaire at ages 4, 9, 18, 43 and 60 months. Group‐based trajectory modelling was used to describe longitudinal trajectories from ages 4 to 60 months. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between sleep duration and BMI z‐score trajectories.

Results

Three nighttime sleep duration trajectory groups were identified: “Long stable” (10.5 to 11.0 hours, 61%), “catchup long” (8.0 to 11.5 hours, 23%) and “short stable” (8.7 to 9.8 hours, 16%) nighttime sleepers. BMI z‐score trajectory groups were classified as “low‐BMIz” (−1.5 to −0.5 unit, 21%), “mid‐BMIz” (−0.5 to 0.5 unit, 58%) and “high‐BMIz” (0.8 to 1.4 unit, 21%). With adjustment for child and maternal covariates, both “catchup long” (OR 3.69 95%CI 1.74, 7.92) and “long stable” nighttime sleepers (OR 4.27 95%CI 2.21, 8.25) revealed higher odds of being in the “mid‐BMIz” than the “high‐BMIz” group. By contrast, total or daytime sleep duration trajectories were not associated with BMI z‐score trajectories.

Conclusions

Longer nighttime, but not total or daytime, sleep duration was associated with lower BMI z‐score trajectories in early childhood. Our findings reinforce the importance of nighttime sleep for healthy body‐weight development in early childhood.
Bank herding in loan markets: Evidence from geographical data in Japan
Authors: Nakagawa Ryuichi
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates whether Japanese banks followed herd behavior in loan markets during 1980–2000. Using data categorized by bank type and geographical area, we examine leader–follower relationships between the behavior of different bank types. We find evidence of their herding that is not explained by macroeconomic conditions. In particular, regional types of banks always followed banks that had large loan shares in individual areas. Such herding was observed more frequently in regional areas. Unusual herding by major banks was observed from immediately before the Japanese asset‐price bubble in the late 1980s to its bursting in the early 1990s. During the bubble period, the estimated amount of loans raised by major banks' herding in urban areas was greater than 2% of the average annual nominal GDP in the period, overwhelming that of herding by other types.
Achieving fabrication of highly transparent Y2O3 ceramics via air pre‐sintering by deionization treatment of suspension
Authors: Fu Zhongchao , Li Xiaodong , Zhang Mu , Zhu Qi , Li Ji‐Guang , He Jiao , Wang Xing'an , Sun Xudong
Published: December 2020

An easy albeit quite effective deionization suspension treatment was adopted to alleviate the detrimental effects related to the hydrolysis of Y2O3 in an aqueous medium. Fabrication of highly transparent Y2O3 ceramics with a fine grain size via air pre‐sintering and post–hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment without using any sintering additive was achieved using the treated suspensions. The hydrolysis issue of Y2O3 powder in an aqueous medium was effectively alleviated by using deionization treatment, and a well‐dispersed suspension with a low concentration of dissolved Y3+ species was obtained. The dispersed suspensions were consolidated by the centrifugal casting method, and the green bodies derived from the suspension of 35.0 vol% solid loading showed an improved homogeneity with a relative density of 52.1%. Fully dense Y2O3 transparent ceramic with high transparency was obtained by pre‐sintering consolidated green compacts at a low temperature of 1400°C for 16 h in air followed by a post‐HIP treatment at 1550°C for 2 h under 200 MPa pressure. The sample had a fine average grain size of 690 nm. The in‐line transmittance of the sample reached 83.3% and 81.8% at 1100 nm and 800 nm, respectively, very close to the theoretical values of Y2O3.
The impact of Fe dosage on the ettringite formation during high ferrite cement hydration
Authors: Wan Dawei , Zhang Wenqin , Tao Yong , Wan Zonghua , Wang Fazhou , Hu Shuguang , He Yongjia
Published: December 2020

Illustrating the influence of Fe dosage and temperature on the formation of sulfoaluminate hydrates is of great significance to understand the early hydration process of high ferrite cement under steam curing. Herein, the impact of Fe dosage on the ettringite formation at different temperatures was revealed through the combination of experiments and computational simulations. A Fe dosage no more than 20% conspicuously accelerated the crystal growth of ettringite by increasing the surface energy in the (0 0 1) direction, whereas a higher dosage suppressed the formation of ettringite as the high incorporation of Fe ions into the ettringite crystal was energetically unstable. The chemical environment analysis of Fe in products shows that Fe(OH)63−, compared with Al(OH)63−, prefers to participate in the formation of Al2O3‐Fe2O3‐mono than ettringite, which is also confirmed by the calculated thermodynamic properties’ results. The understanding of the impact and mechanism of Fe on the formation of ettringite under steam curing conditions plays a pivotal role in the utilization of high ferrite cement.
Eco‐friendly Mn‐doped CsPbCl3 perovskite nanocrystal glass with blue‐red emission for indoor plant lighting
Authors: Chen Ya , Shen Linli , Liu Jianming , Liang Xiaojuan , Xiang Weidong
Published: December 2020

Mn‐doped CsPbCl3 perovskite nanocrystal (PeNC) glass was prepared by melt quenching and in situ crystallization. Under the protection of robust glass, PeNCs exhibit excellent moisture resistance and thermal stability. The combination effect of thermal quenching and energy transfer of exciton to Mn2+ enables its promising applications in the field of temperature sensor. Interestingly, by matching with ultraviolet chips, all‐inorganic blue‐red emitting conversion device consisting of PeNC glass was prepared for light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), which can meet the light requirements of plant growth. The cultivation results indicated that the growth of cabbages using PeNC plant cultivation LEDs was greater than those cultivated using commercial w‐LEDs (white light‐emitting diodes). Therefore, Mn‐doped CsPbCl3 PeNCs can be used as a new generation of solid fluorescent materials in the field of indoor plant cultivation LEDs.
Shear wave generation by mode conversion in picosecond ultrasonics: Impact of grain orientation and material properties
Authors: Wang Yuzhou , Khafizov Marat
Published: December 2020

Picosecond ultrasonics has seen wide application in the investigation of interfaces in semiconductors and 3D imaging in biological systems. Shear ultrasonic waves are important for elastic constant and grain orientation measurement in ceramic materials. In this study, we investigate the impact of grain orientation and material's elastic properties on the generation efficiency of shear waves by mode conversion at a transducer thin film/substrate interface. The solution of acoustic wave equations suggests that crystal grain orientation has a strong impact on the generated shear wave amplitude. This dependence is found to be closely related to the magnitude of longitudinal component of wave displacements. The applicability of analytical model is validated by the experimental results from time‐domain Brillouin scattering. Moreover, material properties determine acoustic wave amplitudes based on the acoustic mismatch model and, particularly, large elastic anisotropy defined by Zener ratio favors strong shear waves. In the light of this analysis, several recommendations on suitable grain orientations and film materials are made to facilitate shear wave detection.
Electrically conductive and thermally stable SiC‐TiC containing nanocomposites via flash pyrolysis
Authors: Zheng Jiaqi , Lu Kathy
Published: December 2020

Flash pyrolysis, which combines conventional pyrolysis with flash sintering, was first conducted to produce polymer derived SiC‐TiC nanocomposites. Pre‐pyrolysis at 800℃ allows the conversion from titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) modified polysiloxane to an amorphous SiTiOC ceramic. The subsequent application of an electric field gives rise to the formation of turbostratic carbon and creates Joule heating to obtain a sample internal temperature of ~1400℃. The precipitation of β‐SiC, TiC, as well as titanium oxides is realized upon carbothermal reduction of extensively phase separated SiO2 and TiO2 with carbon. Increasing TTIP content embodies the nanocomposites with prominent electrical percolation behaviors. The electrical transport of the synthesized ceramics follows an amorphous semiconductor mechanism. High thermal stability in air is guaranteed, thanks to the in‐situ formed TiC nanocrystals and preferentially reduced amorphous carbon. Flash pyrolyzed nanocomposite with a Ti:Si molar ratio of 0.20 exhibits the highest electrical conductivity (0.696 S/cm) and minimum mass change (~2%) at 1000℃, serving as a competitive candidate for electro‐discharge machining (EDM) applications or self‐standing conducting devices that must withstand high temperature conditions.
In situ characterization of ceramic cold sintering by small‐angle scattering
Authors: Allen Andrew J. , Levin Igor , Maier Russell A. , Witt Suzanne E. , Zhang Fan , Kuzmenko Ivan
Published: December 2020

The first in situ characterization of the pore morphology evolution during the cold sintering process (CSP) is presented using small‐angle X‐ray scattering methods. For practical reasons, measurements have been made on a model system, KH2PO4 (KDP). The scattering signal revealed a striking behavior that could be modeled with nanoscale structural features associated with the dissolution and reprecipitation of KDP close to the grain/pore interface during CSP. The prospects for future more quantitative experiments under a range of temperature and pressure conditions, as well as for studies of more technologically important materials such as ZnO are considered.
High electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness in MgO composites reinforced by aligned graphene platelets
Authors: Wang Wei , Cui Ruopeng , Zhang Peng , Wan Chunlei , Pan Wei
Published: December 2020

Graphene has been considered as an excellent filler to reinforce ceramics with enhanced properties. However, the uniform dispersion and controlled orientation of graphene sheets in a ceramic matrix have become major challenges toward higher performance. In this paper, we prepared MgO matrix composites with parallel graphene layers through the intercalation of the precursor into expandable graphite. We obtained a high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of ~30 dB, due to the multiple reflections and absorptance of electromagnetic waves between the parallel graphene layers. The hardness and strength of the MgO composite were also increased by introducing parallel graphene layers. All these properties suggest that the graphene/MgO composite represents a promising electromagnetic shielding material.
Unpacking the black‐box of students' visual attention in Mathematics and English classrooms: Empirical evidence using mini‐video recording gadgets
Authors: Farsani Danyal , Radmehr Farzad , Alizadeh Mohadaseh , Zakariya Yusuf Feyisara
Published: December 2020

With the technological improvements of innovative portable recording gadgets, augmented researchers' interest in exploring students' visual attention in their natural and normal occurring classrooms. The purpose of this study was to gauge students' visual attention in their Mathematics and English classrooms. This article reports on a study conducted in three schools in Santiago, Chile, where a sample of 113 randomly selected students wore a mini‐video camera mounted on eyeglass in their Mathematics and English lessons. Using Google images, we automatically and objectively examined 723,600 frames from the recordings where the classroom teacher appeared in the students' visual field. The results show that students' visual attention varies depending on four factors: (a) gender of the student, (b) age of the students, whether students are low/high attainers and (d) whether students are in English or Mathematics lessons. Surprisingly, students significantly paid more visual attention in their Mathematics than in English lessons. High attainers were more visually engaged than their low attainers counterparts. Students appeared to be visually engaged differently at different stages in their education. Furthermore, girls were more visually engaged than boys. The results of this study can have enormous practical implications for teachers and teacher education, in order to be better visually engaged with students during teaching.
Access to Environmental Information in the EU: A Great Policy No‐One Needs?
Authors: Hillebrandt Maarten
Published: December 2020

It is commonly argued that public institutions resist the advance of transparency, while civil society organisations (CSOs) are expected to advocate for more generous transparency laws that allow them to better participate in decision‐making. Remarkably, the way in which transparency developed in the Environment Council at least partially contradicts both claims. Here, the Council oversaw a steady expansion in the formal transparency policy framework, without notable resistance from the Council or its members. Yet from the outset, CSOs hardly made use of their transparency rights to obtain access. This article seeks an explanation for this apparently anomalous development in informal norms. Applying a qualitative case‐study analysis of multiple data sources, it demonstrates how informal norms develop alongside the formal access regime, implicating external actors, serving diverse and at times contradictory objectives, and showing a dynamic character over time. The findings highlight the indispensability of informality for understanding formal transparency policies.
Poptella fuscata, a new Stethaprionini from the upper Amazon basin, Peru (Characiformes: Characidae)
Authors: Garcia‐Ayala James R. , Benine Ricardo C.
Published: December 2020

A new species of Poptella is described from the Río Putumayo, Upper Río Amazon basin, Peru. The new species is distinguished from congeners by having a dense field of dark chromatophores homogeneously spread over the posterior half of the body, posterior humeral blotch extending to three to four horizontal scale rows below the lateral line, and a higher number of branched dorsal‐fin rays. The new species can be readily distinguished from P. paraguayensis by having a comparatively shorter predorsal spine.
A multi‐level assessment of the bidirectional relationship between aging and the circadian clock
Authors: Buijink M. Renate , Michel Stephan
Published: December 2020

The daily temporal order of physiological processes and behavior contribute to the wellbeing of many organisms including humans. The central circadian clock, which coordinates the timing within our body, is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Like in other parts of the brain, aging impairs the SCN function, which in turn promotes the development and progression of aging‐related diseases. We here review the impact of aging on the different levels of the circadian clock machinery—from molecules to organs—with a focus on the role of the SCN. We find that the molecular clock is less effected by aging compared to other cellular components of the clock. Proper rhythmic regulation of intracellular signaling, ion channels and neuronal excitability of SCN neurons are greatly disturbed in aging. This suggests a disconnection between the molecular clock and the electrophysiology of these cells. The neuronal network of the SCN is able to compensate for some of these cellular deficits. However, it still results in a clear reduction in the amplitude of the SCN electrical rhythm, suggesting a weakening of the output timing signal. Consequently, other brain areas and organs not only show aging‐related deficits in their own local clocks, but also receive a weaker systemic timing signal. The negative spiral completes with the weakening of positive feedback from the periphery to the SCN. Consequently, chronotherapeutic interventions should aim at strengthening overall synchrony in the circadian system using life‐style and/or pharmacological approaches.

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Comparing neuropathy in multiple myeloma and AL amyloidosis
Authors: Ballegaard Martin , Nelson Lærke Marie , Gimsing Peter
Published: December 2020

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is frequent in patients with monoclonal gammopathy due to plasma cell dyscrasia, but little is known about the comparative impact of nerve dysfunction in different disorders. We compared clinical and laboratory results between two diagnostic groups. We recruited 76 untreated multiple myeloma (MM) and 27 AL amyloidosis (ALA) patients for evaluation of symptoms, clinical findings and nerve conduction studies (NCS). We diagnosed significant PN using total neuropathy scores (TNS > 7) in 17.6% of MM and 48.1% of ALA patients and in 27.7% of MM and 35.7% of ALA patients using NCS findings. TNS score grades were significantly higher in the AL amyloidosis patients (Fisher's exact test: P = .02) but a NCS based PN diagnosis was not significantly different (Fisher's exact test: P = .13). A significantly higher TNS vibration (P = .04) and pin (P = .02) sensory sign and TNS reflex (P = .04) sign score was found in amyloidosis patients. Likewise, quantitative sensory thresholds for vibration was higher in amyloidosis patients (Welsh ANOVA: P = .01). NCS revealed signs of more frequent axonal tibial neuropathy with significantly lower motor response amplitudes (P = .02) and resulting higher TNS scores (P = .002), while sural nerve sensory response amplitudes were without significant difference (P = .86). We found more severe TNS grades of PN in AL amyloidosis patients compared with MM patients. We also found higher sensory symptoms scores and higher thresholds for vibration but similar sensory involvement using NCS. The NCS exclusively showed signs of an axonal neuropathy.
What is a clinical academic? Qualitative interviews with healthcare managers, research‐active nurses and other research‐active healthcare professionals outside medicine
Authors: Newington Lisa , Alexander Caroline M. , Wells Mary
Published: December 2020

Aims and objectives

To explore the concept of “clinical academic” from the perspectives of healthcare managers and research‐active healthcare professionals outside medicine.

Background

Clinical academics are understood to be healthcare professionals who combine clinical and research responsibilities within their role. However, there is no agreed definition for this term either within or across nursing, midwifery and the other healthcare professions outside medicine.

Design

Qualitative service evaluation, reported using the COREQ checklist.

Methods

Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of eight healthcare managers and 12 research‐active clinicians within a UK hospital group. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework method.

Results

Clinical academics were described in four themes. Two themes explored the components of the role and the contribution of these individuals to their profession: combining clinical practice, research and education; and pushing boundaries. The third theme identified the clinical academic label as: a title that doesn't fit. The final theme examined a characteristic mindset of research‐active clinicians. There were no clear differences in the perceptions of managers and research‐active clinicians.

Conclusions

Clinical academics were perceived as valuable members of their team and were able to push the boundaries to move their profession forward. Some research‐active clinicians did not identify with the term “clinical academic” and for some managers and research‐active clinicians, the term was viewed as jargonistic. A clear and accepted definition would aid development of clinical academic career pathways and identities. It would also assist in evaluating the impact of these roles.

Relevance to practice

As clinical academic roles and opportunities are being developed across the professions outside medicine, it is important to have a shared common understanding of “clinical academic” to support the creation of career pathways and curricula, and to enable the evaluation of these roles.
Signaling alterations in oral keratinocytes in response to shisha and crude tobacco extract
Authors: Babu Niraj , Patil Shankargouda , Mohan Sonali V. , Subbannayya Tejaswini , Advani Jayshree , Datta Keshava K. , Rajagopalan Pavithra , Bhat Firdous Ahmad , Sidransky David , Gowda Harsha , Chatterjee Aditi
Published: December 2020

Background

Tobacco consumption in smoking and non‐smoking forms has been consequential in the rise of oral cancer cases. Among different forms, epidemiological studies from Middle Eastern countries and rural parts of northern India have reported increasing association of oral cancer with waterpipe (hookah) smoking. However, molecular mechanisms and role played by waterpipe smoking in the onset of oral carcinogenesis remains unexplored.

Methods

In this study, immortalized normal human oral keratinocytes were chronically treated with extracts of two varieties of waterpipe tobacco—crude tobacco and processed shisha. Phenotypic changes and molecular aberrations were examined using cell culture‐based assays and mass spectrometry‐based quantitative proteomic analysis, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis was utilized to analyze proteomics data and identify dysregulated pathways.

Results

Our data indicate that chronic treatment with waterpipe tobacco extracts increased proliferation, invasion, migration, and significant dysregulation of protein expression in oral keratinocytes. Altered expression of proteins involved in interferon signaling pathway were observed with both varieties of tobacco. Overexpression of cholesterol metabolism and vesicle‐mediated transport proteins were identified exclusively in cells treated with crude tobacco extract. Bioinformatics analyses revealed different oncogenic response in oral cells based on the type of waterpipe tobacco used.

Conclusions

This study may serve as a useful resource in understanding the early onset of oral cancer attributed to waterpipe smoking.
SELF‐MAKING IN EXILE: MORAL EMPLACEMENT BY SYRIAN REFUGEE WOMEN IN JORDAN
Authors: Tobin Sarah A.
Published: December 2020

This article brings an anthropology of ethics to bear on a case of forced migration and displacement among Syrian refugee women in Jordan. The case reveals how projects of Islamic self‐making in displacement become “emplacement” processes within the new state‐mediated context. Syrian women in Jordan engage in Islamic self‐making as part of their wider emplacement practices in two primary ways: first, operating more publicly in the material world through Islamically‐inspired actions and rituals than in Syria. Second, utilizing narratives of Islamic histories to establish dignity in conditions of precarity in exile. Using two focus groups in urban Jordan and participant observation in two religion classes in a Syrian refugee camp, this article focuses on these practices of Islamic self‐making that serve an important role in the projects of moral emplacement for Syrian women in the Jordanian context.
MORAL COMMODITIES AND THE PRACTICE OF FREEDOM
Authors: Williams Sara A.
Published: December 2020

This essay explores an increasingly popular genre of organized group travel in white mainline and emerging evangelical US Christianity I call “journeys to the margins”: trips centered on learning from marginalized persons for the traveler’s ethical formation. Drawing on ethnographic research with one case study, “Come and See Tours” to Israel/Palestine, I interrogate how the commodified form of these trips shape possibilities for ethical subjectivation. First, I demonstrate ways in which journeys to the margins market ethical transformation to American Christian consumers in the form of packaged moral narratives. Second, I focus on the paradoxical nature of journeys to the margins as simultaneously packaged commodities and ethical encounters. Finally, I use reformulations of freedom emerging from the anthropology of ethics to argue that possibilities for ethical subjectivation occur in moments when tour ideals come into tension with lived realities.
A population‐based cross‐sectional study of the association between periodontitis and arterial stiffness among the older Japanese population
Authors: Iwasaki Masanori , Kimura Yumi , Yamaga Takayuki , Yamamoto Naomune , Ishikawa Motonao , Wada Taizo , Sakamoto Ryota , Ishimoto Yasuko , Fujisawa Michiko , Okumiya Kiyohito , Otsuka Kuniaki , Matsubayashi Kozo , Ogawa Hiroshi
Published: December 2020

Objective

To investigate the potential association between periodontitis and arterial stiffness among the older Japanese population.

Background

The prevalence of periodontitis is increasing in Japanese older adults. Arterial stiffness increases the risks of cardiovascular events and death, morbidity, and dementia.

Methods

This secondary analysis of data from a cross‐sectional study evaluated the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA), reflecting the amount of inflamed periodontal tissue that was estimated by a full‐mouth periodontal examination. Severe periodontitis was defined per the parameters provided by the Centers for Disease Control/American Academy of Periodontology. The Cardio‐Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) was used for measuring the overall stiffness of the artery, and higher CAVI indicated increased arterial stiffness. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between periodontitis and arterial stiffness.

Results

The analysis included 185 Japanese adults [35% men; age, mean (standard deviation) 80.2 (4.4) years]. The average PISA and the prevalence of severe periodontitis were 64.4 mm2 and 27.6%, respectively; 54 (29.2%), 56 (30.3%), and 75 (40.5%) participants were stratified to the CAVI < 9, 9 ≤ CAVI <10, and CAVI ≥ 10 groups, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds ratio of the prevalence and severity of arterial stiffness evaluated using CAVI was 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 1.10] for PISA per 10 mm2 and 2.12 (95% CI 1.09 to 4.11) for severe periodontitis.

Conclusion

Periodontitis was associated with arterial stiffness among Japanese older adults. Further studies are needed to investigate whether arterial stiffness is an intermediate factor in the pathway between periodontitis and systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and dementia.
Assessing the sensitivity of divergence time estimates to locus sampling, calibration points, and model priors in a RAD‐seq phylogeny ofCarexsectionSchoenoxiphium
Authors: Villaverde Tamara , Maguilla Enrique , Luceño Modesto , Hipp Andrew L.
Published: December 2020

Restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) and related methods have become relatively common approaches to resolve species‐level phylogeny. It is not clear, however, whether RAD‐seq data matrices are well suited to relaxed clock inference of divergence times, given the size of the matrices and the abundance of missing data. We investigated the sensitivity of Bayesian relaxed clock estimates of divergence times to alternative analytical decisions on an empirical RAD‐seq phylogenetic matrix. We explored the relative contribution of secondary calibration strategies, amount of missing data, and the data partition analyzed to overall variance in divergence times inferred using BEAST MCMC analyses ofCarexsectionSchoenoxiphium(Cyperaceae)—a recent radiation for which we have nearly complete species sampling of RAD‐seq data. The crown node forSchoenoxiphiumwas estimated to be 15.22 (9.56–21.18) Ma using a single calibration point and low missing data, 11.93 (8.07–16.03) Ma using multiple calibration points and low missing data, and 8.34 (5.41–11.22) using multiple calibrations but high missing data. We found that using matrices with more than half of the individuals with missing data inferred younger mean ages for all nodes. Moreover, we have found that our molecular clock estimates are sensitive to the positions of the calibration(s) in our phylogenetic tree (using matrices with low missing data), especially when only a single calibration was applied to estimate divergence times. These results argue for sensitivity analyses and caution in interpreting divergence time estimates from RAD‐seq data.
The biogeography of alien plant invasions in the Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Cao Pinna Luigi , Axmanová Irena , Chytrý Milan , Malavasi Marco , Acosta Alicia T. R. , Giulio Silvia , Attorre Fabio , Bergmeier Erwin , Biurrun Idoia , Campos Juan Antonio , Font Xavier , Küzmič Filip , Landucci Flavia , Marcenò Corrado , Rodríguez‐Rojo Maria Pilar , Carboni Marta
Published: December 2020

Aims

Humans have deeply eroded biogeographic barriers, causing a rapid spread of alien species across biomes. The Mediterranean Basin is a biodiversity hotspot but is also known as a hub of alien plant invasions, particularly in its European part. Yet, a comprehensive inventory of alien species in the area is missing and understanding of the drivers of Mediterranean invasions is poor. Here, we aim to identify the main alien plant species in the European part of the Mediterranean Basin and quantify their invasion success in order to understand the plant species flows from other biomes of the world.

Location

The Mediterranean region of Europe, Anatolia and Cyprus.

Methods

We analyzed 130,000 georeferenced vegetation plots from the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and identified 299 extra‐European alien plant species. We identified their biomes of origin and quantified the mean geographic distance, trade exchange and climatic similarity from each biome to the study area. After estimating the invasion success of each species in the study area, we tested which biomes have donated more alien species than expected by chance and which drivers best explain these non‐random patterns.

Results

We found that other Mediterranean climatic regions, as well as temperate and xeric biomes of the world, are the main donors of successful alien species to Mediterranean Europe, beyond what would be expected by chance. Our results suggest that climatic matching, rather than geographic proximity or trade, has been the most important driver of invasion. However, climatic pre‐adaptation alone also does not appear to predict the invasion success of established species in the study area.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the need to pay special attention to alien plant species from the same or climatically similar biomes, but also suggest that further research is needed for early screening of the most problematic alien species.
Cryptocurrency shocks
Authors: Liu Jinan , Rahman Sajjadur , Serletis Apostolos
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we use a bivariate structural VAR to investigate risk spillovers from the cryptocurrency market to standard financial markets. We investigate the effects of cryptocurrency shocks on key financial markets, including the stock, bond, gold and foreign exchange markets. The results show that cryptocurrency shocks do not have statistically significant effects on standard financial markets except for the bond market. This is consistent with most of the existing literature that argues that cryptocurrencies are mostly a new and different asset class, not related to standard factors.