bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A bicomplex finite element method for wave propagation in homogeneous media
Authors: Reum Thomas , Toepfer Hannes
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the advantageous applicability of the bicomplex analysis in the context of the Finite Element Method (FEM). This method can be applied for wave propagation problems in various environments.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the bicomplex number system is introduced and accordingly the differential equation for time-harmonic Maxwell’s equations in homogeneous media is derived in detail. Besides that, numerical simulations of wave propagation are performed and compared to the traditional approach based on classical FEM related to the Helmholtz equation. The appropriate error norm is investigated for different discretizations.

Findings

The results show that the use of bicomplex analysis in FEM leads to the higher accuracy of the electromagnetic field determination compared to the traditional Helmholtz approach. By using the bicomplex-valued formulation, the complex-valued electric and magnetic fields can be found directly and no additional FEM calculations are necessary to get the whole field.

Originality/value

The direct bicomplex formulation overcomes the use of the second order derivatives, which leads to the higher accuracy. In general, accurate calculations of the wave propagation in FEM is still an open problem and the approach described in this paper is a contribution to this class of problems.
Model order reduction techniques applied to magnetodynamic T-Ω-formulation
Authors: Müller Fabian , Crampen Lucas , Henneron Thomas , Clénet Stephane , Hameyer Kay
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to use different model order reduction techniques to cope with the computational effort of solving large systems of equations. By appropriate decomposition of the electromagnetic field problem, the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) can be efficiently reduced. In this contribution, the Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD) and the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) are used in the frame of the T-Ω-formulation, and the feasibility is elaborated.

Design/methodology/approach

The POD and the PGD are two methods to reduce the model order. Particularly in the context of eddy current problems, conventional time-stepping algorithms can lead to many numerical simulations of the studied problem. To simulate the transient field, the T-Ω-formulation is used which couples the magnetic scalar potential and the electric vector potential. In this paper, both methods are studied on an academic example of an induction furnace in terms of accuracy and computational effort.

Findings

Using the proposed reduction techniques significantly reduces the DOF and subsequently the computational effort. Further, the feasibility of the combination of both methods with the T-Ω-formulation is given, and a fundamental step toward fast simulation of eddy current problems is shown.

Originality/value

In this paper, the PGD is combined for the first time with the T-Ω-formulation. The application of the PGD and POD and the following comparison illustrate the great potential of these techniques in combination with the T-Ω-formulation in context of eddy current problems.
Managing open innovation from a knowledge flow perspective: the roles of embeddedness and network inertia in collaboration networks
Authors: Shi Xiaoxiao , Lu Lu , Zhang Wei , Zhang Qingpu
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Building on theories of inter-organizational knowledge flows and social network, we explored how two types of collaboration network embeddedness (NE) (i.e. structural embeddedness (SE) and relational embeddedness (RE)) drive firms' inbound and outbound open innovation (OI) practices from a knowledge flow perspective, and further examined these relationships are to what extent contingent on network inertia (NI).

Design/methodology/approach

In this empirical research, the authors collected a sample of patents in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the period of 2000–2018. Then the authors examined the direct roles of SE and RE in collaboration networks on firms' inbound and outbound OI practices from a knowledge flow perspective, and the moderating role of NI by using negative binomial regression.

Findings

Empirical results from our study of 96 firms showed that both bridging structural holes position in collaboration networks (i.e. SE) and having stronger tie strength (i.e. RE) would positively affects firms' inbound OI practices, whereas only having stronger tie strength in collaboration networks (i.e. RE) would facilitate outbound OI practices. In addition, NI strengthens the relationships between SE and firm OI practice, but weakens the positive roles of RE on firm OI practice.

Originality/value

This empirical research provides new insights into whether and how firms can grasp the benefits of collaboration NE to conduct OI activities by exploring NI contingencies. It further sheds lights on the scope of the NE–OI issue from a knowledge flow perspective by extending its research context to UAV industry.
Prescribers’ and dispensers' views about generic medicines and international non-proprietary name prescribing – a mixed methods study in Portugal
Authors: Pinho Micaela
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the views of pharmacy professionals (PPs) in Portugal about generic medicines and international non-proprietary name (INN) prescribing and compare them with the views of general practitioners (GPs).

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 185 community PPs and 85 GPs. Their perceptions were examined using a five-point Likert scale applied to statements focusing on five main topics of interest: motivation, safety, users’ perceptions and knowledge, advantages and disadvantages of generic medicines and INN prescribing. Daily experiences and suggestions for decreasing health and pharmaceutical expenses were explored through open-ended questions. Nonparametric tests were used to compare attitudes between both groups and to explore associations between the level of agreement and respondents’ demographic characteristics. Content analysis was used to categorize the answers to the open-ended questions.

Findings

Generally, GPs expressed more negative opinions toward generics and INN prescribing than PPs. GPs perceived generics as less effective, less safe, inferior in quality, more likely to cause side effects and believed that users do not trust them. Both groups believed that patients remain very confused and ill-informed about generics, only adhering to them because of their low cost and expressed concerns about the existence of an excessive number of generic medicines and the lack of patients’ responsibility toward medicines costs.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to elicit and compare Portuguese GPs and PPs opinions concerning INN prescribing.
Spending privately for education despite having a free public education policy: evidence from Sri Lankan household surveys
Authors: Pallegedara Asankha , Sisira Kumara Ajantha
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Compared to other neighbouring South Asian countries, Sri Lanka performs well in terms of education outcomes. Education is provided by the government for free from primary school level to the first-degree University level, yet households’ private education expenses are steadily increasing over time. Thus, this paper analyses trends and determinants of household private education expenditures using the country-wide micro-data from 1990 to 2013.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 1990/91, 2002 and 2012/13 data along with annual school census data, this paper examines the relationship between private education expenditure patterns and the observed changes of reported both demand-side and supply-side factors. In particular, the present paper analyses determinants of household private education expenditures within the two-part model econometric framework by taking into account location and time fixed-effects.

Findings

The results show that trend of spending privately for education is increasing over time with rising household income. Rural, Tamil and Islamic households and those headed by less-educated members are less likely to spend privately for education. The results also confirm that improved-supply-side factors can significantly lower the household burden arising from out-of-pocket education expenditure.

Research limitations/implications

Unavailability of panel data and missing data on several districts due to security concerns are limitations of the study.

Social implications

The trend of increasing private education expenses has implications on equity concerns of education in Sri Lanka, and it can undermine the purpose of free public education policy.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, this is the first study for Sri Lanka that examines patterns and determinants of private education expenditures using nationwide data for last two decades. This paper applies novel econometric techniques to account for various issues in household survey data analysis.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-07-2019-0445
The family grilling consumption experience in Mexico
Authors: Morton Flor , Treviño Teresa , Quintanilla Claudia
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the ritual, roles and symbolic meanings of family grilling consumption experiences in northeast Mexico.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a phenomenological approach and conducted 73 in-depth interviews and in situ observations during family grilling experiences.

Findings

Based on an examination of the phases, symbolic meanings, and ritual elements of grilling events in Mexico, the results of this study identify a third type of family food consumption ritual, the escape ritual, which has different characteristics than routine and festive family food consumption rituals.

Practical implications

The findings indicate the emergence of a more sophisticated family grilling experience that uses new accessories and products. Companies could align their marketing strategies for grilling products and segment their communication messages based on the roles of participants and the symbolic meanings identified in this study.

Originality/value

This research studies an experience in light of both ritual and escapism literature.
Women’s participation in the offshore and inshore fisheries entrepreneurship
Authors: Uduji Joseph Ikechukwu , Okolo-Obasi Elda Nduka , Asongu Simplice
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on women involved in offshore and inshore fisheries entrepreneurship in the coastal communities of the Niger Delta region.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a survey research technique, aimed at gathering information from a representative sample of the population, as it is essentially cross-sectional, describing and interpreting the current situation. A total 800 respondents were sampled across the coastal communities of the Niger Delta region.

Findings

The results from the use of a combined propensity score matching and logit model indicate that the GMoU model is gender insensitive, as extensive inequality restrains fisherwomen’s participation in the offshore and inshore fisheries entrepreneurship, often due to societal norms and customs that greatly frustrate women’s development in fisheries.

Practical implications

This implies that if fisherwomen continue in this unfavourable position, their reliance on menfolk would remain while trying to access financial support and decision-making regarding fisheries entrepreneurship development.

Social implications

The inshore and offshore fisheries entrepreneurship development can only succeed if cluster development boards of GMoUs are able to draw all the resources and talents and if fisherwomen are able to participate fully in the GMoUs intervention plans and programme.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the gender debate in fisheries entrepreneurship development from a CSR perspective in developing countries and rationale for demands for social projects by host communities. It concludes that business has an obligation to help in solving problems of public concern, and that CSR priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa should be aimed towards addressing the peculiarity of the socio-economic development challenges of the countries and be informed by socio-cultural influences.
Analysis of free vibrations in transradially isotropic spherically symmetric thermoelastic spheres
Authors: Sharma Nivedita
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this manuscript is to study the vibration characteristics of the spherically symmetric solid and hollow spheres poised of a homogeneous thermoelastic material, based on the three dimensional coupled thermoelasticity.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, matrix Fröbenius series solution is used to derive the frequency equations, for the field functions. Results have been applied on rigidly fixed boundary conditions.

Findings

The main finding of this paper is that the frequency of vibration of spherically symmetric sphere (structure is independent of theta and phi) increases with the increase of radius, for solid spheres and for hollow spheres with thickness to mean radius ratio. Deformation in the given materials increases with thickness to mean radius ratio of the hollow sphere.

Originality/value

A numerical simulation has been done with the help of functional iteration method for solid and hollow thermoelastic spheres made of zinc and poly methyl meth acrylate materials for different boundary conditions. The computer simulated results in contempt of frequency, damping of vibration modes and displacement have been obtained graphically and compared with the existed results.
Comparison of test methods for measuring the net buoyant force of buoyant materials
Authors: Li Nga-wun , Ho Chu-po , Yick Kit-lun , Zhou Jin-yun
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Net buoyant force is a crucial factor affecting the functional performance of clothing for water safety. This study aims to develop an alternative method for measuring the net buoyant force of various buoyant materials such as buoyant fabrics, on a small scale in a more accurate and efficient way than the existing method.

Design/methodology/approach

The net buoyant forces of buoyant materials with different thicknesses and forms were determined and compared using three methods. In Method 1, the traditional method involving mathematical calculations was used; Method 2 involved using the buoyancy-measuring device from the study of Jin et al. (2018) and Method 3 involved using an alternative buoyancy-measuring system that simulates the actual situation of using buoyant swimwear by measuring the force needed to submerge the buoyant material in water at a standard depth. The net buoyant forces of 22 buoyant materials were measured and compared to test these three methods. The accuracy, reproducibility, sensitivity and validity of these methods were then statistically compared.

Findings

The results obtained with the alternative buoyancy-measuring system had higher accuracy, reproducibility and validity than the results obtained through mathematical calculations. The sensitivity of the buoyancy-measuring system (Methods 2 and 3) was higher than that of the traditional method involving calculations (Method 1).

Originality/value

An alternative method is proposed to measure the net buoyant force of buoyant materials on a small scale with higher accuracy, reproducibility and sensitivity.
Destructive construction
Authors: Chan Kwun-fu
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the problems encountered during the establishment of the Central Police Academy (CPA) under the Nationalist regime from 1936 to 1949. While the authoritarian party-state unified the police academies by forceful means, this catalyzed the cleavage between the schools of police studies and resulted in power struggles over police education, intellectual thought, collectivity and even the national reform of police administration. More than narrating the progress of power consolidation, this study attempts to identify the problems underlying the factional strife and to reveal the interwoven pattern of these power struggles, exploring the confusion regarding what the police is, a question that troubled Chinese policemen from the mainland to Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explains the emergence of the factional strife from the beginning of the preliminary growth of the Police Academies in Nanking and Chekiang. It widely makes use of the official archives from Japan Center for Asian Historical Records and Historica Academia to show the dynamic situation in police education and administration. Rather, the official publications of the Police Academies and their affiliated associations reveal the hidden political agenda behind a unified framework as the party-state claimed. Moreover, official gazettes, memorials and newspapers are also used to strengthen the core argument of this study.

Findings

This paper examines the impact of the factional strife between the police leaders Dai Li and Li Shizhen on the CPA from 1936 to 1949. It illustrates that the establishment of the CPA ostensibly unified the nationwide police force but triggered power struggles over the control of the police administration. More importantly, it also shows how the factions strove for larger shares of power under the supreme doctrines that Chiang Kai-shek and the party-state imposed.

Originality/value

The failure of police education to become powerful was a special case among other more typical institutions. The governors coercively merged the police academies and created robust conditions for growth under the shelter of state authority. The police force did not follow the same path of national monopoly as what recent studies found but drifted apart with its vested interests and incompatible beliefs. Hence, the greater the demand for centralized control by the state, the greater the tension of the factional strife.
Phenological diversity of freshwater migration can prolong assemblage‐level migration period in amphidromous fishes in a temperate river system in Japan
Authors: Tanaka Ryosuke , Hirashima Kentaro , Kunishima Taiga , Uno Hiromi , Sato Takuya
Published: May 2020

Animal migration mediates many ecological processes by transferring materials and organisms across ecosystems. Migration period in each species is often limited in relatively short‐term. However, interspecific variations in migration phenology may prolong migration period at assemblage‐level. In this study, we tested (a) whether and how much degree the timing and duration of freshwater migration differ among amphidromous fish species; (b) in what extent the species diversity prolongs the assemblage‐level migration period. Diverse amphidromous species migrated up the studied river system (Arida River, Japan), with species‐specific migration timing and duration. The large variation in the peak time of migration was found among species within a genus; that is, more than 2‐month difference among fourRhinogobiusspecies. In addition to the within‐genus variation, there was much higher variation across genera (≈4‐month difference in maximum inSicyopterus japonicusvs.Rhinogobius nagoyae). Collectively, we observed migrating fish over 10 months from March to December in Arida River. The species diversity positively and nonlinearly increased the assemblage‐level migration period, suggesting the importance of species diversity on prolonging resource transfer from marine to freshwater ecosystems.
To Let or For Lease: ‘Small, but Genteel’ Lodgings for Bachelors in and about the Late Georgian Town
Authors: Metcalfe Helen
Published: May 2020

This article draws from several sets of archival and published life‐writings to uncover the domestic experiences of bachelors from middling to elite backgrounds who lived in temporary accommodation. It offers an alternative assessment of single men's domestic lives, one that challenges claims that bachelors made little material, psychological or emotional investment in their homes. By moving away from conclusions centred on the normative familial home this article offers a new interpretation of late Georgian domestic life and contributes to the widening literature on histories of the home, family and gender, material culture studies and the comfort infrastructure of the home.
Unravelling the integrated information systems and management control paradox: enhancing dynamic capability through business intelligence
Authors: Elbashir Mohamed Z. , Sutton Steve G. , Mahama Habib , Arnold Vicky
Published: May 2020

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the interactive effects of integrated information systems (IIS) and business intelligence (BI)‐enabled management control system (MCS) lead to the assimilation of integrated management control information into business processes and whether this assimilation enhances organisational performance. Data were gathered through a large survey and included 419 senior and middle managers representing 347 Australian organisations. The respondents were from organisations that use a single international vendor’s BI software designed to provide integrated MCS capability. As hypothesised, the results confirm the positive influence of the interaction between IIS and BI‐enabled MCS on assimilation of integrated management control information at the business process level, the positive relationship between business process level assimilation and business process performance, and finally the positive relationship between business process performance and overall organisational performance. The results also show that the interaction term has a significant indirect relationship with business process improvement and organisational performance.
How generalist are these forest specialists? What Sweden’s avian indicators indicate
Authors: Lindbladh M. , Hedwall P.‐O. , Holmström E. , Petersson L. , Felton A.
Published: May 2020

Monitoring of forest biodiversity and habitats is an important part of forest conservation, but due to the impossible task of monitoring all species, indicator species are frequently used. However, reliance on an incorrect indicator of valuable habitat can reduce the efficiency of conservation efforts. Birds are often used as indicators as they are charismatic, relatively easy to survey, and because we often have knowledge of their habitat and resource requirements. In the Swedish government’s environmental quality goals, there are a number of bird species identified as being associated with ‘older’ and ‘high natural value’ forests. Here we evaluate the occurrence of four of these indicator species using data from 91 production forest stands and 10 forest reserves in southern Sweden. The bird species assessed are willow titPoecile montanus, coal titPeriparus ater, European crested titLophophanes cristatusand Eurasian treecreeperCerthia familiaris. For the production stands assessed, these indicator species exhibited no significant preferences regarding forest composition and structure, indicating a wider range of habitat associations than expected. These species frequently showed territorial behavior in forest stands <60 and even 40 years of age; much younger than the 120‐year threshold for ‘older forest’ as defined by governmental environmental goals. As almost 80% of the production stands ≥10 years old included at least one of the four indicator species, this raises questions regarding the suitability of these species as indictors of forests of high conservational value in southern Sweden. Notably, besides the four species assessed here, none of the additional indicator taxa identified by the government, were recorded in the 10 reserves. This outcome may reflect the difficulties involved in finding bird indicator species indicative of high natural values in this region. Our results highlight the importance of coupling bird surveys with quantified assessments of proximate vegetation cover.
Evaluating a low‐intensity cognitive behavioural program for young people in regional Australia
Authors: Fox Rachael , Nic Giolla Easpaig Brona , Roberts Russell , Greig Jenni , Burmeister Oliver , Dufty Janelle , Thomas Shane
Published: May 2020

NewAccess is a low‐intensity cognitive behavioural program which was recently trialled for the first time in Australia for clients aged under 18. Given that accessing support earlier tends to result in better outcomes for people with mild‐to‐moderate mental health issues, having NewAccess available for young people has the potential to reduce the likelihood of mild‐to‐moderate mental health concerns developing into more serious, or chronic mental illness over time for some clients, while also freeing up resources for those with more severe support needs. This mixed methods approach presents the findings of an independent evaluation of the program delivered out of two regional headspace centres in 2017‐2019. From an initial sample of 165 young participants aged between 12 and 25, 109 completed the program. Of those who completed the program 60 were under the age of 18. The standardised assessment and outcome measures indicated a very good response to the program, with the majority showing significant improvements in their depression, anxiety and psychological distress scores. The overall ‘reliable improvement’ and ‘recovery rates’ were 64.2% and 72.3% respectively. Overall, the results indicated this program was an acceptable and efficacious intervention for young people in rural settings, when delivered in a ‘youth‐friendly’ service environment.
High expression of PSF1 promotes drug resistance and cell cycle transit in leukemia cells
Authors: Hsieh Han‐Yun , Jia Weizhen , Jin Ze‐cheng , Kidoya Hiroyasu , Takakura Nobuyuki
Published: May 2020

Escape of cancer cells from chemotherapy is a problem in the management of cancer patients. Research on chemotherapy resistance has mainly focused on the heterogeneity of cancer cells, multiple gene mutations, and quiescence of malignant cancer cells. However, some studies have indicated that interactions between cancer cells and vascular cells promote resistance to chemotherapy. Here, we established mouse leukemia models using the cell lines THP‐1 or MEG‐1. These were derived from acute and chronic myeloid leukemias, respectively, and highly expressed DNA replication factor PSF1, a member of the GINS complex. We found that, after anti‐cancer drug administration, surviving GFP‐positive leukemia cells in the bone marrow were located adjacent to blood vessels, as previously reported in a subcutaneous solid tumor transplantation model. Treating THP‐1 and MEG‐1 cells with anti‐cancer drugs in vitro revealed that those most strongly expressing PSF1 were most chemoresistant, suggesting that PSF1 induces not only cell cycle progression but also facilitates cell survival. Indeed, when PSF1 expression was suppressed by shRNA, the growth rate was reduced and cell death was enhanced in both cell lines. Furthermore, PSF1 knockdown in leukemia cells led to a change in their location at a distance from the blood vessels in a bone marrow transplantation model. These findings potentially reflect a mechanism of escape of leukemic cells from chemotherapy and suggest that PSF1 may be a possible therapeutic target to enhance the effect of chemotherapy.
The Melbourne Mastoidectomy Scale: Validation of an end‐product dissection scale for cortical mastoidectomy
Authors: Talks Benjamin James , Lamtara Jesslyn , Wijewickrema Sudanthi , Gerard Jean‐Marc , Mitchell‐Innes Alistair Macleold , O'Leary Stephen
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Cortical mastoidectomy is a common otolaryngology procedure and represents a compulsory part of otolaryngology training. As such, a specific validated assessment score is needed for the progression of competency‐based training in this procedure. Although multiple temporal bone dissection scales have been developed, they have all been validated for advanced temporal bone dissection including posterior tympanotomy, rather than the task of cortical mastoidectomy.

Methods

The Melbourne Mastoidectomy Scale, a 20‐item end‐product dissection scale to assess cortical mastoidectomy, was developed. The scale was validated using dissections by 30 participants (10 novice, 10 intermediate and 10 expert) on a virtual reality temporal bone simulator. All dissections were assessed independently by three blinded graders. Additionally, all procedures were graded with an abbreviated Welling Scale by one grader.

Results

There was high inter‐rater reliability between the three graders (r = .9210, P < .0001). There was a significant difference in scores between the three groups (P < .0001). Additionally, there was a large effect size between all three groups: the differences between the novice group and both the intermediate group (P = .0119, η2 = 0.2482) and expert group (P < .001, η2 = 0.6356) were significant. The difference between the intermediate group and expert group again had a large effect size (η2 = 0.3217), but was not significant. The Melbourne Mastoidectomy Scale correlated well with an abbreviated Welling Scale (r = .8485, P < .0001).

Conclusion

The Melbourne Mastoidectomy Scale offers a validated score for use in the assessment of cortical mastoidectomy.
Measuring impacts on species with models and metrics of varying ecological and computational complexity
Authors: Hallam Christopher D. , Wintle Brendan A. , Kujala Heini , Whitehead Amy L. , Nicholson Emily
Published: May 2020

Approaches to assess the impacts of landscape disturbance scenarios on species range from metrics based on patterns of occurrence or habitat to comprehensive models that explicitly include ecological processes. The choice of metrics and models affects how impacts are interpreted and conservation decisions. We explored the impacts of 3 realistic disturbance scenarios on 4 species with different ecological and taxonomic traits. We used progressively more complex models and metrics to evaluate relative impact and rank of scenarios on the species. Models ranged from species distribution models that relied on implicit assumptions about environmental factors and species presence to highly parameterized spatially explicit population models that explicitly included ecological processes and stochasticity. Metrics performed consistently in ranking different scenarios in order of severity primarily when variation in impact was driven by habitat amount. However, they differed in rank for cases where dispersal dynamics were critical in influencing metapopulation persistence. Impacts of scenarios on species with low dispersal ability were better characterized using models that explicitly captured these processes. Metapopulation capacity provided rank orders that most consistently correlated with those from highly parameterized and data‐rich models and incorporated information about dispersal with little additional computational and data cost. Our results highlight the importance of explicitly considering species’ ecology, spatial configuration of habitat, and disturbance when choosing indicators of species persistence. We suggest using hybrid approaches that are a mixture of simple and complex models to improve multispecies assessments.
Occupational and non‐occupational allergic contact dermatitis to hair dyes in Greece. A 10‐year retrospective study
Authors: Gregoriou Stamatis , Mastraftsi Styliani , Hatzidimitriou Eleni , Tsimpidakis Antonis , Nicolaidou Electra , Stratigos Alexander , Katsarou Alexandra , Rigopoulos Dimitrios
Published: May 2020

Background

Oxidative hair dyes are an important source of chemical exposure and a major risk factor for the development of occupational and non‐occupational allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) worldwide.

Objective

To identify the frequency of common allergens associated with occupational and non‐occupational ACD to hair dyes during the last 10 years, in Greece.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with suspected ACD to hair dyes from 2010–2019. All patients with patch‐test‐confirmed ACD to hair dyes were evaluated.

Results

Out of 501 patients with suspected ACD to hair dyes, 362 had at least one positive reaction to hair dye allergens (62.4% were customers and 37.6% were hairdressers). The mean age of customers and hairdressers was 43.8 years and 30.8 years, respectively. Of the customers, 58.9% were exposed to dyes for >10 years and 61% of hairdressers for <5 years. The most common site of ACD among customers was the scalp (85%) and among hairdressers the hands (90%). p‐Phenylenediamine (PPD) was the most common contact allergen (52.2%), followed by toluene‐2,5‐diamine, p‐aminophenol, m‐aminophenol, and ammonium persulfate.

Conclusions

Sensitization prevalences for PPD and cross‐reacting allergens have increased in Greece during the last decade, regardless of occupational or non‐occupational exposure to hair dyes.
Diabetes and COVID‐19: psychosocial consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic in people with diabetes in Denmark—what characterizes people with high levels of COVID‐19‐related worries?
Authors: Joensen L. E. , Madsen K. P. , Holm L. , Nielsen K. A. , Rod M. H. , Petersen A. A. , Rod N. H. , Willaing I.
Published: May 2020

Aim

To map COVID‐19‐specific worries and overall psychosocial health among people with diabetes in the initial phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Denmark, and to explore characteristics of people with diabetes and high levels of worries related to the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey was conducted by distributing online questionnaires to 2430 adult members (> 18 years) of two user panels consisting of people with diabetes who have volunteered to share information about their life with diabetes. The questionnaire included items on COVID‐19‐specific worries as well as such worries related to diabetes, sociodemographic and health status, social relations, diabetes‐specific social support, diabetes distress and changes in diabetes‐specific behaviours. Responses were analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regressions.

Results

People with diabetes have COVID‐19‐specific worries related to their diabetes. More than half were worried about being overly affected due to diabetes if infected with COVID‐19, about one‐third about being characterized as a risk group due to diabetes and not being able to manage diabetes if infected. Logistic regressions showed that being female, having type 1 diabetes, diabetes complications and diabetes distress, feeling isolated and lonely, and having changed diabetes behaviours were associated with being more worried about COVID‐19 and diabetes.

Conclusion

People with diabetes have COVID‐19‐specific worries related to their diabetes which is associated with poorer psychosocial health. These worries should be addressed through support targeting specific questions and needs of individuals with diabetes as well as frequent updates on new knowledge regarding COVID‐19 and diabetes.
Income distribution and economic development: Insights from machine learning
Authors: Dutt Pushan , Tsetlin Ilia
Published: May 2020

We draw upon recent advances that combine causal inferences with machine learning, to show that poverty is the key income distribution measure that matters for development outcomes. In a predictive framework, we first show that LASSO chooses only the headcount measure of poverty from 37 income distribution measures in predicting schooling, institutional quality, and per capita income. Next, causal inferences with post‐LASSO models indicate that poverty matters more strongly for development outcomes than does the Gini coefficient. Finally, instrumental variable estimates in conjunction with post‐LASSO models show that compared to Gini, poverty is more strongly causally associated with schooling and per capita income, but not institutional quality. Our results question the literature's overwhelming focus on the Gini coefficient. At the least, our results imply that the causal link from inequality (as measured by Gini) to development outcomes is tenuous.
Sorafenib induces pigmentation via the regulation of β‐catenin signalling pathway in melanoma cells
Authors: Kim Kyung‐Il , Jung Kyung Eun , Shin Young‐Bin , Kim Chang‐Deok , Yoon Tae‐Jin
Published: May 2020

We conducted large‐scale screening test on drugs that were already approved for other diseases to find pigmentation‐modulating agents. Among drugs with potential for pigmentation control, we selected sorafenib and further investigated the effect on pigmentation using HM3KO melanoma cells. As a result of treating melanoma cells with sorafenib, pigmentation was promoted in terms of melanin content and tyrosinase activity. Sorafenib increased mRNA and protein levels of pigmentation‐related genes such as MITF, tyrosinase and TRP1. To uncover the action mechanism, we investigated the effect of sorafenib on the intracellular signalling pathways. Sorafenib reduced phosphorylation of AKT and ERK, suggesting that sorafenib induces pigmentation through inhibition of the AKT and ERK pathways. In addition, sorafenib significantly increased the level of active β‐catenin, together with activation of β‐catenin signalling. Mechanistic study revealed that sorafenib decreased phosphorylation of serine 9 (S9) of GSK3β, while it increased phosphorylation of tyrosine 216 (Y216) of GSK3β. These results suggest that sorafenib activates the β‐catenin signalling through the regulation of GSK3β phosphorylation, thereby affecting the pigmentation process.
Climate and mating systems as drivers of global diversity of parental care in frogs
Authors: Vági Balázs , Végvári Zsolt , Liker András , Freckleton Robert P. , Székely Tamás
Published: May 2020

Aim

Amphibians exhibit unusually diverse reproductive modes, including a wide array of parental care strategies. The evolutionary drivers of this diversity, however, remain unclear. Here, we investigate three major factors that might predict interspecific variation in parental care strategies: climate, intrasexual selection and social environment. We hypothesize that some forms of care evolved to cope with harsh conditions, such as dry or unpredictable habitats. We contrast this prediction with the hypothesis that parental roles have co‐evolved with the social environment and mating systems.

Location

Global.

Major taxa studied

Frogs and toads (Amphibia: Anura).

Time period

Extant taxa that represent c. 220 Myr of evolutionary history.

Methods

Using geographical and behavioural data for 971 species of frogs and toads that represent 45 anuran families, we quantified the global distribution of four forms of parenting separately for males and females: nest building, nest and/or tadpole attendance, carrying and nourishment. We used phylogenetic comparative analyses to investigate whether climate, social environment and mating systems predicted interspecific variation in parental care.

Results

Our results showed that climatic effects contribute to parental care diversity: in cool and humid climates the males provide offspring attendance, whereas in predictable temperatures endotrophy occurs, whereby the female provides all nutrients for the offspring until metamorphosis. In addition, we found other associations between mating systems and forms of parental care: uniparental clutch attendance by males is present in species with territorial defence, whereas cooperative nest building co‐occurs with sperm competition. The type of parental care is not associated with adult sex ratios.

Main conclusions

No specific form of care is associated with hostile environments; in fact, some forms of care occur in beneficial conditions, whereas others are used independently from the climate. Instead, parenting diversity has co‐evolved closely with mating systems in frogs.
In vitro ruminal fermentation parameters and methane production of Marandu palisadegrass (Urochloa brizantha) in a silvopastoral system associated with levels of protein supplementation
Authors: Santos Alyce Raiana Monteiro dos , Barros Lívia Vieira de , Abreu Matheus Lima Côrrea , Pedreira Bruno C.
Published: May 2020

The addition of protein supplementation in a silvopastoral system can contribute to improved forage intake and digestibility. Our objective was to evaluate in vitro ruminal parameters, digestibility and gas production of Marandu palisadegrass [Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) R. D. Webster] in a silvopastoral system and compare this to parameters obtained from diets with protein supplementation. Forage was sampled during the growing season (November to April) in 2016/17 and 2017/18. In vitro incubation treatments consisted of four levels of protein supplement (20% of crude protein; CP) in the diet (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 g/kg of body weight). The neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and indigestible neutral detergent fibre concentrations were highest in the first year. In the second year, CP concentration was 21% greater than in the first year. There was a linear increase for digestion rate, a quadratic effect for lag time and a linear decrease for average digestion time as supplementation levels were increased. The least lag time and digestion time occurred in the second year. There was no supplementation effect on ruminal pH, acetate and butyrate concentrations. Second‐year in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was greater than in the first year. Increases in supplementation levels linearly enhanced IVDMD and reduced methane (CH4) production. The inclusion of a protein supplement contributed to reduced CH4 and increased volatile fatty acids production; therefore, we recommended the supplement inclusion of >0.28 g/kg of BW for animals grazing in well‐managed palisadegrass pastures.
Performative contortions: How White women and people of colour navigate elite leadership roles
Authors: Glass Christy , Cook Alison
Published: May 2020

How do non‐traditional leaders negotiate their entrance and inclusion in elite leadership roles? This study explores the intentional strategies used by non‐traditional leaders to obtain and sustain elite leadership positions. While previous research has documented the barriers that limit the advancement of White women and people of colour, this study extends our understanding to the deliberate, intentional strategies outsiders use to negotiate their entrance to and inclusion in elite leadership roles. We use Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and Puwar’s bodies out of place perspective to analyse the ‘performative contortions’ of outsiders who occupy elite roles. Our analysis relies on 32 in‐depth interviews with White women and men and women of colour who occupy senior leadership positions in large organizations. Our findings uncover a range of embodied, cultural and interactional strategies outsiders employ to gain entrance to top positions and thus reveal the ways gender and race are embedded in the ‘hidden curriculum’ of elite organizations. The ongoing labour required of organizational outsiders to negotiate their own inclusion sheds light on the continuing failure of current efforts to achieve equity and inclusion among elite leadership ranks.
Isolation
Authors: O'Shea Saoirse Caitlin
Published: May 2020

This article is a messy account not of the COVID‐19 pandemic but one written during the pandemic. Although written over several successive evenings it is not a linear narrative that builds on a chain of passing moments teleologically to an end. It is not a diary, just a collection of scattered thoughts about living during COVID‐19, the (lack of) care that many elderly people receive and how we, or perhaps only I, struggle to cope in these exceptional times. This is not a typical autoethnography, it is not reflexive writing and there is no conclusion albeit that the article ends.
Effect of GPS tagging on behaviour and marine distribution of breeding Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea
Authors: Seward Adam , Taylor Rachel C. , Perrow Martin R. , Berridge Richard J. , Bowgen Katharine M. , Dodd Stephen , Johnstone Ian , Bolton Mark
Published: May 2020

Tracking tags have been used to map the distributions of a wide variety of avian species, but few studies have examined whether the use of these devices has impacts on the study animals that may bias the spatial data obtained. As Global Positioning System (GPS) tags small enough for deployment on terns (family: Laridae) have only recently become available, until now tracking of this group has been conducted by following unmanipulated individuals by boat, which offers a means of comparing distributions obtained from GPS‐tracking. We compared the utilization distributions (UDs) of breeding Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea obtained by GPS‐tracking 10 individuals over 2 weeks, with UDs derived from contemporaneous visual boat tracks from 81 individuals. The 50% and 95% UDs of both methods had high similarity scores, indicating good agreement in the density distributions derived from the two methods. The footprints of the UDs of tagged birds were ~ 75–80% larger, which may reflect an effect of tagging on foraging range or the occasional inability to follow by boat individuals which roamed further from the colony. We also compared the nest attendance and chick provisioning rates of adults that were (1) fitted with a GPS tag and leg‐flag, (2) handled and marked with a leg‐flag but not tagged and (3) fitted with a leg‐flag in a previous year but unhandled in the year of the study. There was some evidence that birds fitted with both a GPS tag and leg‐flag spent slightly less time at the nest compared with unhandled birds and those fitted with a leg‐flag only. Both treatments where birds were fitted with a leg‐flag in the year of the study had similarly lower provisioning rates to those of unhandled control birds > 48 h after handling, suggesting that negative effects on provisioning are due to capture and handling or leg‐flag attachment rather than to GPS tag attachment/loading per se. Overall brood‐provisioning rate was compensated for by the increased effort by the unhandled partner. Our study suggests that despite slight effects of GPS‐tagging on behaviour, the estimates of marine density distribution obtained were very similar to those of unmanipulated birds.