bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An improved particle filtering to locate the crop boundary of an unharvested region using vision
Authors: Wang Lihui , Qin Chengshuai , Li Yaoming , Chen Jin , Xu Lizhang
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Accurately, positioning is a fundamental requirement for vision measurement systems. The calculation of the harvesting width can not only help farmers adjust the direction of the intelligent harvesting robot in time but also provide data support for future unmanned vehicles.

Design/methodology/approach

To make the length of each pixel equal, the image is restored to the aerial view in the world coordinate system. To solve the problem of too much calculation caused by too many particles, a certain number of particles are scattered near the crop boundary and the distribution regularities of particles’ weight are analyzed. Based on the analysis, a novel boundary positioning method is presented. In the meantime, to improve the robustness of the algorithm, the back-projection algorithm is also used for boundary positioning.

Findings

Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method could well meet the precision and real-time requirements with the measurement error within 55 mm.

Originality/value

In visual target tracking, using particle filtering, a rectangular is used to track the target and cannot obtain the boundary information. This paper studied the distribution of the particle set near the crop boundary and proposed an improved particle filtering algorithm. In the algorithm, a small amount of particles is used to determine the crop boundary and accurate positioning of the crop boundary is realized.
From educating agents to change agents: experience of using foresight in accounting education
Authors: Bourmistrov Anatoli
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the author’s personal use of scenario planning methodology in accounting classes and how it can be useful for creating accounting graduates who are better prepared to face greater uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the author’s self-ethnography.

Findings

Accounting education is criticized for its inability to educate graduates capable of advising current and future business in an extremely uncertain environment. Scenario planning as a compulsory component in accounting courses can be a potential remedy.

Originality/value

The author encourages accounting educators to find an appropriate balance in their training programs between professional skills and the skills required of accounting graduates to be change agents.
Support, cohabitation and burden perception correlations among LGBTQA+ youth in Spain in times of COVID-19
Authors: Platero R. Lucas , López-Sáez Miguel Ángel
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the situation of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer and asexual (LGBTQA+) youth in Spain, pre-examining the links between the people they live with, their support networks and their perception of being a burden.

Design/methodology/approach

This study traces some brushstrokes through the preliminary results of the LGBTQA+ population between 13 and 21 years old (n = 445). These data are part of a larger project with 2,800+ respondents.

Findings

This study’s data highlight the connections between places of cohabitation, support and vulnerability in a crisis situation. In general, gender identity, age, support and feelings of acceptance have been key variables in identifying psychosocial factors related to the health of this population. Lastly, the authors offer some future guidelines to improve the situation of young people in the face of new situations of confinement, incorporating good practices for children and youth services.

Research limitations/implications

The use of the snowball technique for data collection may limit the representativeness of the sample. In the same way that data collection is used through access to an online questionnaire, it can limit access to certain people.

Practical implications

Address the psychosocial needs of LGBTQA+ youth, especially in crisis situations. With our data, we can improve services for future situations of confinement due to coronavirus, planning actions that include the youngest members of this population group, as well as those with non-normative sexualities and identities.

Social implications

Encourage and diversify support for LGBTQA+ youth from their families, peers, teachers and other professionals working in the youth field. This support would be congruent with the anti-discriminatory and trans-specific legislation existing in most Spanish regions. Furthermore, it would propose a social change that not only benefits LGTBQA+ people, as it allows for a more inclusive cultural change for all in terms of gender and sexuality.

Originality/value

New data obtained within the time frame of the state of alarm are provided, concerning a social group that has been little researched and that finds itself in an unprecedented health crisis.
Intra-transfer of ownership factors and external transfer of ownership effects: evidence from the Gauteng enterprising community, South Africa
Authors: Khosa Risimati Maurice
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to determine the perceptions of family-owned small enterprises on the external transfer of ownership and intra-transfer of ownership using empirical data. This permitted the research to successfully point out the factors that influence the internal transfer of ownership, and also, the effects of intra-transfer of ownership from a viewpoint of both family members and non-family members in small family-owned enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design was used to conduct this research, where primary data was gathered from a sample of 257 respondents using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Data was collected through a survey instrument distributed via internet-based surveys (SurveyMonkey) and through a drop-off method. The gathered data was then captured, coded and analysed using Stata (version 15) statistical software.

Findings

The results divulged that intra or internal transfer of ownership is the preferred avenue compared to external transfer of ownership. This is because, when a family business is transferred to the next generation, it presents some benefits to family members working in the business and to the family at large. As a result, the empirical results show that factors that influence the internal transfer of ownership include: favouritism; security, stability and growth; a formal and structured succession plan. Business improvement and organisational change are then the effects of external transfer ownership. Although these effects make business sense, family members will advocate for internal transfer of ownership for them not to lose the benefits that come with the internal transfer of ownership.

Research limitations/implications

This paper adds to the current family business research in South Africa, thus reducing the shortage of such research. Moreover, the paper proposes further research that will provide tested, practical and detailed guidelines of survival in the next generation.

Practical implications

The paper empirically highlights the perils of selecting a successor based on favouritism rather than merit and possible consequences, thereby assisting those involved in family enterprise succession to make an informed decision when choosing a successor.

Originality/value

This research paper provides empirical evidence of the internal transfer of ownership factors and external transfer of ownership effects from a South African perspective.
Understanding and application of crime of sabotaging production and operation in internet era
Authors: Wang Huawei
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the understanding and application of crime of sabotaging production and operation in internet era, and, at the same time, discuss the basic position for criminal law interpretation in cyberspace.

Design/methodology/approach

Doctrinal analysis and case study.

Findings

Along with the advent of the internet era, how to apply the traditional crime of sabotaging production and operation in virtual space has attracted people’s attention. The controversy caused by the conviction of malicious application of fake transactions is a typical example. The legal interest protected here includes not only the property value of the means of production itself, but also the expectation interest that can be obtained by normal production and operation activities. There is no reliable basis to believe that overlap of articles between special provision and general laws occurs in crime of sabotaging production and operation and crime of intentional damage of property. The production and operation activities carried out online can also be covered by crime of sabotaging production and operation, without doubt. Ejusdem Generis Rule should be fully respected, but crime of sabotaging production and operation has a dual structure of means behavior and purpose behavior, where the purpose behavior, sabotaging production and operation, is the key to the conviction. However, it is not necessarily premised on physical damage and violent characteristics. The understanding and application of traditional crimes should keep pace with the times in the internet era, and we should not stick to a completely rigid subjective interpretation.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the possible application of crime of sabotaging production and operation in cyberspace, and clarifies many misunderstandings about this crime.
Women leaders' views on demand-side strategies
Authors: Byrne Alyson , Chadwick Ingrid C. , Hancock Amanda J.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine female leaders' attitudes toward demand-side strategies to close the gender-leadership gap and discuss implications for organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This article describes the process of knowledge co-creation that took place using an engaged scholarship epistemology over 23 interviews with North American women in senior leadership roles.

Findings

Five key themes related to women leaders' attitudes toward demand-side strategies are discussed. Some felt uncertain or opposed toward these strategies, whereas others supported them. Support for these strategies was dependent on perceptions of backlash regarding the implementation of these strategies and the participants' career stage. Finally, participants acknowledged that demand-side strategies are insufficient in isolation and require additional organizational supports.

Research limitations/implications

These findings enhance our understanding and provide theoretical refinement of the mechanisms that drive female leaders' reactions to demand-side strategies to close the gender-leadership gap.

Practical implications

Participants advocated for certain practices to be considered when organizations contemplate the adoption of demand-side strategies. Importantly, participants advocated that the implementation of demand-side strategies would be insufficient unless organizations encourage greater dialogue regarding the gender-leadership gap, that top management support more gender inclusive leadership, and that male colleagues act as allies for women in leadership.

Originality/value

This article extends past research and theory by integrating the pragmatic perspectives of successful female leaders with previous empirical evidence to illustrate different reactions to demand-side strategies and ways for organizations to manage those in their efforts to close the gender-leadership gap.
The role of self-transcending knowledge in Senge’s understanding of learning organizations towards an interdisciplinary taxonomy of self-transcending knowledge
Authors: Kaiser Alexander , Peschl Markus F.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of self-transcending knowledge as one of P. Senge’s common themes underpinning his five disciplines approach. It will be shown that the notions of vision, purpose and transcendence, especially self-transcendence are closely related to each other. However, the aspect of self-transcendence has not been covered well yet in the existing literature. That is why this paper is guided by the following research question: What does a consolidated, integrative and interdisciplinary concept of self-transcending knowledge look like, and what are its defining and unifying features and characteristics with respect to learning organizations?

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper draws on (both theoretical and empirical) interdisciplinary evidence from a wide variety of fields, such as organization studies, psychology, philosophy, learning organizations, cognitive science and innovation studies. Key authors from the field of self-transcending knowledge and their approaches will be discussed to develop a unified interdisciplinary concept of self-transcending knowledge and its possible applications, which will be demonstrated in a case study.

Findings

Self-transcending knowledge turns out to be central in the fields of learning (organizations) and innovation, as it deals with future-oriented knowledge that is “not yet”, that transcends the boundaries of existing knowledge. It is based on self-detachment, the notion of potentials and the insight that novel knowledge is not only the result of a creative agent (or organization) but also can be found and cocreated through an attentive search in an unfolding reality.

Originality/value

Existing literature in the field of P. Senge’s five disciplines (and beyond) does not offer a comprehensive concept of self-transcending knowledge. This paper addresses this issue by bringing together approaches from a wide range of fields related to this concept; it develops an interdisciplinary and coherent notion and taxonomy of self-transcending knowledge and shows its impact for learning organizations and innovation.
We are now omnidextrous to sustain! Story of CERA India
Authors: Bhattacharyya Dipak Kumar
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aims to help students to relate their theoretical knowledge in managing change in a crisis. It is more relevant in today’s pandemic situation and could be a morale booster for many entrepreneurs who are struggling to sustain.

Design/methodology/approach

It is based on managing real-life change situation in organization, and it is presented in narrative form.

Findings

CERA India could successfully transform and sustain in Covid-19 pandemic situation with an inclusive approach, without losing their identity.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on consulting experience and success story of one organization in pandemic situation. Important message is in a crisis, organizations can sustain partnering with people. But, this depends on the prevalent culture of the organization. Also, other organizations before replication need to ascertain the problem of their brand dilution, for shifting their focus to other product lines.

Practical implications

This story can be used in organizational change management classes, and students may be assigned to document their lessons. At the end of the story, some possible areas of investigation for students are listed for getting appropriate direction.

Social implications

In this pandemic situation, this study is socially relevant, as it shows how organizations can sustain with a human face.

Originality/value

This study is original and based on real-life experience in managing organizational transformation in a crisis situation. The name of the organization is imaginary, as organization did not like their name in public. This is one reason of not using their data for tabular presentation.
Biological Flora of the British Isles:Tilia platyphyllos
Authors: Pigott C. Donald
Published: October 2020

This account presents information on all aspects of the biology ofTilia platyphyllosScop. subsp.cordifolia(Besser) C.K. Schneid (Large‐leaved Lime) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour: all British native material is this subspecies. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of theBiological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history, and conservation.

Tilia platyphyllosis a tall, shade‐tolerant tree of old relict woods. It is rare as a native and restricted to England and Wales, where it is often found on calcareous and brown soils of low phosphate status, withFagus sylvaticaorFraxinus excelsiorandQuercus petraea.

In contrast toTilia cordata, with which it hybridizes, it was mainly planted, probably first in monastic times then more widely since the Middle Ages. After 1650, it has often been accompanied by the hybrid (T. xeuropaea) in parks, towns and gardens throughout lowland parts of the British Isles. Hybrids and backcrosses have led to difficulties with identification and significant over‐recording ofT. platyphyllosin the British Isles.

The flowers are entomophilous, and rich in nectar.Tiliaplatyphyllosis fertile, regenerating sparsely from seed in many localities. Germination of pollen occurred at temperatures as low as 7–9°C (several degrees lower than forT. cordata), which probably explains its relatively high fertility in the north of England. It has ectotrophic mycorrhiza. Different parts of the tree are palatable to birds, mammals and many invertebrates.

Evidence presented in this account alleviates doubts about the native status ofT. platyphyllos; previously, it was believed that it might have been introduced from France by Premonstratensians (White Canons) in Medieval times.Tiliacordata, however, was widely native but also planted, mainly as coppice.
Employee voice in the Asia Pacific
Authors: Wilkinson Adrian , Sun Jian‐Min (James) , K Mowbray Paula
Published: October 2020

This introduction introduces the special issue on employee voice in the Asia Pacific. Whilst there is an extensive literature on employee voice in western countries in regions such as Europe and the United States, we know less about the state of employee voice in the Asia Pacific regions. One of these gaps relates to how the institutional factors as well as national cultural factors influence the employee voice arrangements and mechanisms. While we have some understanding of how national contextual factors can influence employee voice behaviour, such as through leadership behaviour and supervisor‐subordinate relationships, there is still much to be understood with regard to how the different Asia Pacific cultural characteristics will influence voice. With governance and representative structures of voice embedded in particular institutional contexts there are significant differences not only between Asia Pacific economies and the rest of the world, but also between and within the Asia Pacific economies themselves.
Internet Fragmentation, Political Structuring, and Organizational Concentration in Transnational Engineering Networks
Authors: Weyrauch David , Winzen Thomas
Published: October 2020

Is the internet at risk of fragmentation? Whereas the literature has examined this question with a focus on domestic policies, communication standards, and internet governance institutions, we analyze fragmentation and alternative outcomes in transnational engineering networks. These networks constitute the social foundations of the unified or ‘global’ internet. Our contributions include: (1) broadening the debate beyond fragmentation‐related network outcomes to include political structuring and organizational concentration; and (2) new evidence from an important engineering network around the Internet Engineering Task Force comprising thousands of participants and over four decades. Our analyses reveal fast and continuous network growth as well as clear signs of growing concentration of the network around a few major companies. A key implication is that, at the level of engineering networks, concerns about internet fragmentation might be unfounded and might distract from more salient developments such as organizational concentration.
Water, Policy, and Productivity in Egyptian Agriculture
Authors: Fuglie Keith , Dhehibi Boubaker , El Shahat Ali Ahmed Ibrahim , Aw‐Hassan Aden
Published: October 2020

When water scarcity restricts agricultural production, expanding water resources is only one option to increase or maintain output; investments in research to raise productivity can also release constraints on growth. In this paper, we construct a model of optimal resource allocation with both public and private inputs in production—the public sector invests in research and irrigation infrastructure to supply technology and water, respectively, whereas the private sector supplies other inputs. The model is used to derive shadow values for water that suggest “crop per drop” valuations are likely to significantly overstate the marginal value of water in agriculture. We apply our model to analyze sources of growth in Egyptian agriculture, which is almost entirely dependent on publicly supplied irrigation water, over 1961–2016. We construct two indexes of total productivity: total factor productivity treats resources from a producer perspective, where water is free and resource rents accrue to land. Total resource productivity takes a social perspective, where government subsidies for irrigation are included as a cost of production, and resource rents are assigned to water withdrawals for agriculture. Our results find that technological innovations and efficiency gains contributed significantly more to agricultural growth in Egypt than expansion of irrigated area or water use. Productivity growth accelerated in the 1980s following the transition from a socialist to a market‐oriented economy. Including social costs of irrigation provision reduces the implied rate of total productivity growth only marginally. Nonetheless, the rise in total resource productivity significantly increased the value of natural resource rents in Egyptian agriculture.
Influence of self‐concept clarity on advice seeking and utilisation
Authors: Duan Jinyun , Xu Yue , Van Swol Lyn M.
Published: October 2020

Decision‐makers often fail to seek or utilise advice. This study examined how the extent to which individuals perceive that they know themselves influences advice seeking and taking. Drawing from uncertainty‐identification theory, the heuristic‐systematic model, and insights from the literature on advice, we asked participants (n = 313) to rate their self‐concept clarity, and then 4 weeks later rate their confidence and completed decision scenarios in which they indicated their desire to seek out and take advice (71.6% female, M age = 20.52 years, SD = 1.50). Decision‐makers with an unclear self‐concept were more likely to seek and take advice from others, and this effect was mediated by low confidence. In addition, involvement with the decision context positively moderated the negative influence of self‐concept clarity on advice seeking and taking. That is, decision‐makers with a more unclear self‐concept sought and accepted more advice, and the effect was weaker in high‐involvement contexts. Results are explained in terms of need for information processing and sufficiency threshold within the heuristic‐systematic model.
New Municipalism and the State: Remunicipalising Energy in Barcelona, from Prosaics to Process
Authors: Angel James
Published: October 2020

Bertie Russell’s 2019 Antipode paper documents the emergence of a “new municipalist” movement, which approaches the city as a strategic entry point for a radically democratic politics. Given this movement’s aspirations towards the transformation of the municipal state, how might state theory inform research and practice on new municipalism going forward? This is the question with which Russell concludes his paper and the question taken up here. The paper focuses on municipalist initiative Barcelona En Comú’s endeavours towards the remunicipalisation of energy, and the ways in which the radical vision underpinning this has been frustrated. Putting these experiences into conversation with the theoretical work of Gill Hart, I develop an “open dialectical” account of the state, which understands the processes that constitute the state as articulated through the contingent mediations of “prosaic” practices. This state theory, I argue, sheds new light on the possibilities and frustrations facing new municipalist movements.
How Does the Understanding, Experience, and Enactment of Self‐Regulation Behaviour Change Techniques Vary with Age? A Thematic Analysis
Authors: French David P. , Banafa Rehab , Williams Stefanie , Taylor Claire , Brown Laura J.E.
Published: October 2020

Background

Self‐regulatory behaviour change techniques (BCTs) appear less effective in promoting physical activity amongst older than younger adults. This study aimed to identify reasons for this by examining how participants of different ages understand, experience, and use these BCTs.

Methods

Twelve participants (aged 39–75) in a walking intervention study were interviewed twice: immediately post‐intervention and 3 months later to examine understanding and enactment of self‐regulation BCTs. Thematic analysis was used, organised using the framework approach.

Results

Participants acknowledged the importance of setting realistic goals and found pedometers useful. In older adults, the use of goal setting was influenced by previous experience in work settings of this BCT. Occupational status appeared to influence the participants' responses to action planning, irrespective of age, with retired participants preferring not to restrict themselves to specific times. Self‐monitoring with diaries appeared to be more useful in assisting the memory of older adults. For most BCTs, differences in understanding and enactment were apparent according to participant age.

Conclusions

Problems with using self‐regulation BCTs were apparent, which appeared more common with older adults. Occupational status, cognitive status, or a perceived lack of value of physical activity or of some BCTs are all promising explanations that warrant further investigation.
Combined thoraco‐laparoscopic surgery for neonatal alimentary tract duplication
Authors: Liao Jianyi , Wu Bin , Li Xin , Ran Xudong , Shen Weijia , Yuan Hongliang , Huang Hongjuan
Published: October 2020

Transdiaphragmatic duplication of digestive tract in infants is very rare. Open surgery is the main surgical treatment. We report the clinical data of a child with gastrointestinal duplication across the diaphragm who underwent thoraco‐laparoscopic surgery at 12 days were retrospectively analyzed, and to explore the experience of thoraco‐laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of alimentary tract duplication across the diaphragm in children, we believe minimally invasive surgical resection using thoracolaparoscopy is safe, effective and clinically feasible, focusing on the skilled use of the technique to achieve the ideal surgical effect and appearance.
Best served deep: The seedbank from salvaged topsoil underscores the role of the dispersal filter in restoration practice
Authors: Waryszak Paweł , Standish Rachel J. , Ladd Philip G. , Enright Neal J. , Brundrett Mark , Fontaine Joseph B.
Published: October 2020

Questions

Globally, ecological restoration is required to restore degraded landscapes and to contribute to biodiversity conservation. Ecological theory suggests that manipulating dispersal, abiotic and biotic filters limiting plant re‐establishment will improve restoration outcomes. Here, we manipulated spread depth of soil containing a salvaged soil seedbank (dispersal filter), soil compaction (abiotic filter) and herbivore grazing (biotic filter) in a topsoil transfer experiment to test their effects on restoration success.

Location

Banksiawoodland of the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia.

Methods

Topsoil (upper ~7 cm) with its seedbank was removed from a donor site (20 ha) of recently cleared native vegetation and transferred to six recipient restoration sites (16 ha). Deep (10 cm thick) and shallow (5 cm thick) layers of topsoil were applied in a fully factorial experiment, with and without soil ripping and fencing, respectively. We analysed emergence, survival and functional types (alien/native, life form, fire response) of all vascular plant species for two consecutive years after topsoil transfer.

Results

The most successful restoration treatment was deep topsoil with a mean density of 14.3 m−2native perennial germinants in year one and 7.3 m−2in year two. Application of deep topsoil increased native seedling emergence by 34% and decreased weed density by 21% compared with shallow topsoil. Overall seedling survival across the two‐year period was unaffected by filter treatments (range 0.6%–5%). After two years, the resulting plant community was 6%–38% weed species and of native perennial species, 12%–48% were capable of resprouting.

Conclusions

Manipulation of the dispersal filter alone, that is deep topsoil application, can lead to near‐equivalent native species number emerging on restoration sites as compared to pre‐cleared woodland. However, more research is required to test additional restoration tools to improve survival of biodiverse plant communities. For example, targeted herbicide application coupled with soil ripping to improve weed management and native seedling establishment.
Rethinking ‘need’ for clinical support in transgender and gender non‐conforming children without clinical classification: Learning from ‘the paper I almost wrote’
Authors: Horowicz Edmund
Published: October 2020

There have been ongoing debates as to how, or even whether, we should clinically classify gender diversity in children through clinical classification manuals. So‐called ‘depathologizing’ is argued as being vital to address the stigma that these children are somehow disordered or sick. Yet one argument in favour of continued clinical classification for transgender and gender non‐conforming children is that it better facilitates access to specialist psychological support. I argue that whilst continued clinical classification offers a seemingly pragmatic solution to ensuring access, it does in fact obscure our understanding of the individual needs of these children. In this paper I address fundamental issues that aim to better our understanding of need and thus why a child may benefit from specialist support. I do so by critiquing a paper I nearly wrote, which argued for the ongoing continued classification of gender incongruence in children. Ultimately, I argue that specialist psychological support and care should be driven by the needs of the individual child, as determined by the child and those involved with their care. By bettering our understanding as to why specialist psychological support may be beneficial for some, we move past the focus of such specialist support being provided because of the child’s gender diversity. Methodologically the paper may be unusual, in comparison to traditional normative counter‐argumentative bioethical position papers, but by presenting an argument for depathologization of gender diversity of children in this way there is also an alternative insight into the methods of bioethics.
Canopy structure and forest understory conditions in a wet Amazonian forest—No change over the last 20 years
Authors: Nabe‐Nielsen Jacob , Valencia Renato
Published: October 2020

Climate change is altering forest dynamics in the tropics, with large potential impacts on forest structure and understory conditions. However, we found that canopy height distribution and openness remained stable over two decades in the western Amazon, and that gap creation rates would need to increase 300% before affecting equilibrium.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material
FMS‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) amplification in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Hasegawa Hiroko , Taniguchi Hiroya , Nakamura Yoshiaki , Kato Takeshi , Fujii Satoshi , Ebi Hiromichi , Shiozawa Manabu , Yuki Satoshi , Masuishi Toshiki , Kato Ken , Izawa Naoki , Moriwaki Toshikazu , Oki Eiji , Kagawa Yoshinori , Denda Tadamichi , Nishina Tomohiro , Tsuji Akihito , Hara Hiroki , Esaki Taito , Nishida Tomohiro , Kawakami Hisato , Sakamoto Yasutoshi , Miki Izumi , Okamoto Wataru , Yamazaki Kentaro , Yoshino Takayuki
Published: October 2020

FMS‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) plays a key role in hematopoiesis. However, the oncogenic role of FLT3 amplification in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains unclear. Here, we aimed to evaluate the characteristics, prognosis, and treatment efficacy of an FLT3 inhibitor (regorafenib) in patients with mCRC with FLT3 amplifications. Tumor tissue samples from 2329 patients were sequenced using NGS in the Nationwide Cancer Genome Screening Project in Japan. The effects of clinicopathological features, co‐altered genes, prognosis, and efficacy of regorafenib were investigated. Between April 2015 and June 2018, 85 patients with mCRC with FLT3 amplification were observed. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between patients with or without FLT3 amplification. The frequency of RAS or other gene co‐alterations was inversely correlated with the copy number status. Median survival time in patients with FLT3 amplification was significantly shorter compared with those with non‐FLT3 amplification. Further investigations of FLT3 amplification as a potential treatment target in mCRC are warranted.
Contrast Is in the Eye of the Beholder: Infelicitous Beat Gesture Increases Cognitive Load During Online Spoken Discourse Comprehension
Authors: Morett Laura M. , Roche Jennifer M. , Fraundorf Scott H. , McPartland James C.
Published: October 2020

We investigated how two cues to contrast—beat gesture and contrastive pitch accenting—affect comprehenders' cognitive load during processing of spoken referring expressions. In two visual‐world experiments, we orthogonally manipulated the presence of these cues and their felicity, or fit, with the local (sentence‐level) referential context in critical referring expressions while comprehenders' task‐evoked pupillary responses (TEPRs) were examined. In Experiment 1, beat gesture and contrastive accenting always matched the referential context of filler referring expressions and were therefore relatively felicitous on the global (experiment) level, whereas in Experiment 2, beat gesture and contrastive accenting never fit the referential context of filler referring expressions and were therefore infelicitous on the global level. The results revealed that both beat gesture and contrastive accenting increased comprehenders' cognitive load. For beat gesture, this increase in cognitive load was driven by both local and global infelicity. For contrastive accenting, this increase in cognitive load was unaffected when cues were globally felicitous but exacerbated when cues were globally infelicitous. Together, these results suggest that comprehenders' cognitive resources are taxed by processing infelicitous use of beat gesture and contrastive accenting to convey contrast on both the local and global levels.
Mechanistic Modeling of Intra‐Tumor Spatial Distribution of Antibody‐Drug Conjugates: Insights into Dosing Strategies in Oncology
Authors: Weddell Jared , Chiney Manoj S. , Bhatnagar Sumit , Gibbs John P. , Shebley Mohamad
Published: October 2020

Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) provide targeted delivery of cytotoxic agents directly inside tumor cells. However, many ADCs targeting solid tumors have exhibited limited clinical efficacy, in part, due to insufficient penetration within tumors. To better understand the relationship between ADC tumor penetration and efficacy, previously applied Krogh cylinder models that explore tumor growth dynamics following ADC administration in preclinical species were expanded to a clinical framework by integrating clinical pharmacokinetics, tumor penetration, and tumor growth inhibition. The objective of this framework is to link ADC tumor penetration and distribution to clinical efficacy. The model was validated by comparing virtual patient population simulations to observed overall response rates from trastuzumab‐DM1 treated patients with metastatic breast cancer. To capture clinical outcomes, we expanded upon previous Krogh cylinder models to include the additional mechanism of heterogeneous tumor growth inhibition spatially across the tumor. This expansion mechanistically captures clinical response rates by describing heterogeneous ADC binding and tumor cell killing; high binding and tumor cell death close to capillaries vs. low binding, and high tumor cell proliferation far from capillaries. Sensitivity analyses suggest that clinical efficacy could be optimized through dose fractionation, and that clinical efficacy is primarily dependent on the ADC‐target affinity, payload potency, and tumor growth rate. This work offers a mechanistic basis to predict and optimize ADC clinical efficacy for solid tumors, allowing dosing strategy optimization to improve patient outcomes.
Diversifying Factors of Income Inequality in the Rural Mekong Delta: Evidence of Commune‐Level Heterogeneity
Authors: Kojin Emi
Published: October 2020

This paper examines factors affecting income inequality in rural Vietnam with a special focus on the Mekong Delta. A case study reveals that there is heterogeneity in the factors of rural inequality at the commune level. While the inequality in one survey commune correlates with nonagricultural income rather than landholdings, the inequality in the other survey commune is determined by landholdings and characterized by a fixed structure. However, at the same time, the increasing importance of education in economic advancement is also observed in both communes under rural livelihood diversification conditions.
Time in range: A best practice guide for UK diabetes healthcare professionals in the context of the COVID‐19 global pandemic
Authors: Wilmot E. G. , Lumb A. , Hammond P. , Murphy H. R. , Scott E. , Gibb F. W. , Platts J. , Choudhary P.
Published: October 2020

The emergence of continuous glucose monitoring has driven improvements in glycaemic control and quality of life for people with diabetes. Recent changes in access to continuous glucose monitoring systems within UK health services have increased the number of people able to benefit from these technologies. The COVID‐19 pandemic has created an opportunity for diabetes healthcare professionals to use continuous glucose monitoring technology to remotely deliver diabetes services to support people with diabetes. This opportunity can be maximized with improved application and interpretation of continuous glucose monitoring‐generated data. Amongst the diverse measures of glycaemic control, time in range is considered to be of high value in routine clinical care because it is actionable and is visibly responsive to changes in diabetes management. Importantly, it is also been linked to the risk of developing complications associated with diabetes and can be understood by people with diabetes and healthcare professionals alike. The 2019 International Consensus on Time in Range has established a series of target glucose ranges and recommendations for time spent within these ranges that is consistent with optimal glycaemic control. The recommendations cover people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, with separate targets indicated for elderly people or those at higher risk from hypoglycaemia, as well as for women with type 1 diabetes during pregnancy. The aim of this best practice guide was to clarify the intent and purpose of these international consensus recommendations and to provide practical insights into their implementation in UK diabetes care.
An ethics of temptation: Schelling's contribution to the freedom controversy
Authors: Smith Daniel J.
Published: October 2020

In the period following the publication of Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and Critique of Practical Reason, there was a wide‐ranging debate in German philosophy about the concept of freedom. It drew in not only Kant and the so‐called “popular philosophers” of his generation, but also many of those who would go on to be the leading lights of post‐Kantian idealism, including Reinhold, Fichte, and Schelling. Building on recent scholarship that brings Fichte's ethics into contemporary discussions of this freedom controversy, this article introduces Schelling's contribution, found in the seventh installment of his “General Overview of the Most Recent Philosophical Literature.” This article first reconstructs the conflict between Kant and Reinhold as Schelling understood it, which forms the background to this text. Then, it outlines the original position he stakes out in this debate, which is termed an “ethics of temptation.”
Interparental Hostility Interacts with Interparental Cooperative Conflict to Predict Adolescent Social Competence Through Parent–Child Relationship Quality
Authors: Zhou Nan , Li Xiaomin , Zang Ning , Buehler Cheryl , Cao Hongjian , Liang Yue , Deng Linyuan
Published: October 2020

An emerging (yet still scant) body of research has linked interparental hostility to youth compromised social competence over time among adolescents. Moreover, little is known about the conditions under which and the processes through which this association might occur. Using prospective data from 878 youth (50.23% females) and their parents and teachers, this study examined how interparental hostility and cooperative conflict might work in conjunction with each other to predict youth social competence over time via parent–child relationship quality. Results demonstrated that interparental cooperative conflict at grade 5 buffered the negative association between interparental hostility at grade 5 and mother–child but not father–child relationship quality at grade 6. Mother–child relationship quality, in turn, was associated positively with youth social competence at age 15. As such, interparental hostility at grade 5 was negatively related to youth social competence at age 15 via mother–child relationship quality at grade 6 only when interparental cooperative conflict at grade 5 was low. This study represents a more nuanced and specific examination of the implications of interparental hostility for child later social development by highlighting underlying moderating and mediating mechanisms. Relevant implications for the development of more targeted and effective interventions are also discussed.
Effect of contact stress on fretting fatigue behaviour of 35CrMoA steel under multiaxial nonproportional paths
Authors: Zhou Zhiqiang , Liu Xiaoshan , He Guoqiu , Ge Bin , Le Peiwen , Li Jingquan , Pan Jiaqi , Yang Yang
Published: October 2020

Fretting fatigue often occurs in contact couples subjected to both bulk oscillatory loads and normal loads, which accelerates the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. This study explores the multiaxial fretting fatigue behaviour of 35CrMoA steel with different contact stresses under diamond and square loading paths by experimental methods. From experimental results, the fracture mechanisms with the increase of contact stress have been summarized by combining the analysis of macrorupture and microrupture surface. The strain response behaviour, characteristics of fretting region and crack propagation direction are also analysed and concluded considering the influence of loading path and contact stress in this paper, which have been rarely mentioned in the previous literature. In addition, debris composition of stick and slip regions is investigated as well.
A comparative whole genome analysis of Helicobacter pylori from a human dense South Asian setting
Authors: Qumar Shamsul , Nguyen Trang Hoa , Nahar Shamsun , Sarker Nishat , Baker Stephen , Bulach Dieter , Ahmed Niyaz , Rahman Motiur
Published: October 2020

Helicobacter pylori, a Gram‐negative bacterium, is associated with a wide range of gastric diseases such as gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and gastric cancer. The prevalence of H pylori and risk of disease vary in different parts of the world based on the prevailing bacterial lineage. Here, we present a contextual and comparative genomics analysis of 20 clinical isolates of H pylori from patients in Bangladesh. Despite a uniform host ethnicity (Bengali), isolates were classified as being part of the HpAsia2 (50%) or HpEurope (50%) population. Out of twenty isolates, eighteen isolates were cagA positive, with two HpEurope isolates being cagA negative, three EPIYA motif patterns (AB, AB‐C, and ABC‐C) were observed among the cagA‐positive isolates. Three vacA genotypes were observed with the s1m1i1dic1 genotype observed in 75% of isolates; the s1m2i1d1c2 and s2m2i2d2c2 genotypes were found to be 15% and 10% of isolates, respectively. The non‐virulent genotypes s2m2i2d2c2 was only observed in HpEurope population isolates. Genotypic analysis of oipA gene, present in all isolates, revealed five different patterns of the CT repeat; all HpAsia2 isolates were in “ON” while 20% of HpEurope isolates were genotypically “OFF.” The three blood group antigen binding adhesins encoded genes (bab genes) examined and we observed that the most common genotype was (babA/babB/‐) found in eight isolates, notably six were HpAsia2 isolates. The babA gene was found in all HpAsia2 isolates but present in only half of the HpEurope isolates. In silico antibiotic susceptibility analysis revealed that 40% of the strains were multi‐drug resistant. Mutations associated with resistance to metronidazole, fluoroquinolone, and clarithromycin were detected 90%, 45%, and 5%, respectively, in H pylori strain. In conclusion, it is evident that two populations of H pylori with similar antibiotic profiles are predominant in Bangladesh, and it appears that genotypically the HpAisa2 isolates are potentially more virulent than the HpEurope isolates.
Ror β expression in activated macrophages and dental pulp stem cells
Authors: Gopinath V. K. , Soumya S. , Mohammad M. G.
Published: October 2020

Aim

To assess the expression of Retinoic acid‐related orphan receptor beta (Ror β) in human inflamed dental pulp stem cells (hI‐DPSCs) and during macrophage phenotypic conversion.

Methodology

Commercially procured THP‐1 monocytes conversion to macrophages was judged by their morphology, the percentage of adherent cells and the expression of CD‐14 surface marker. THP‐1 macrophage cell viability following LPS, IFN‐γ/IL‐4, IL‐13 stimulus was evaluated at 24 and 48h. The phenotypic conversion of macrophages to M1 and M2 was confirmed by flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Cytokine release following polarization was estimated by the BD cytokine flex kit. The expression of Ror β in THP‐1 macrophages and hI‐DPSCs following LPS, IFN‐γ/IL‐4, IL‐13 stimulus was assessed by Western blot analysis. Statistical significance was analysed using one‐way Anova followed by Tukey’s Post hoc test.

Results

THP‐1 monocytes pretreated with PMA (100 ng mL−1) for 48 h followed by culturing in PMA‐free media for another 48 h yielded cells with morphological characteristics similar to macrophages with a high percentage of adherence capability and CD‐14 expression. Macrophages treated with LPS 100 ng mL−1 and IFN‐γ 20 ng mL−1 or IL‐4 20 ng mL−1 had high expression of the respective M1 and M2 CD markers in flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Cytokine release studies demonstrated the expression of IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IL‐10 in the M1‐polarized macrophages (P < 0.01), whilst TGF‐ β levels were seen in the M1 and M2‐polarized macrophages. Ror β expression was upregulated when macrophages and hI‐DPSCs were treated with anti‐inflammatory cytokines.

Conclusion

Ror β was expressed in THP‐1 macrophages and hI‐DPSCs during their resting stage. Upregulated expression of Ror β occurred following an anti‐inflammatory stimulus.