bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing leadership in women’s health research
Authors: Bogner Hillary R. , Abbuhl Stephanie , Tuton Lucy Wolf , Dougherty Bridget , Zarowin Diana , Guevara Alejandra , McClintock Heather
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Recruiting medical students into women’s health and gender-based medical research is important internationally. Medical student research training is critical for developing future women’s health leaders who are adept at conducting high-impact research. This paper aims to describe a six-month medical student research fellowship in women’s health in terms of fellowship recipients’ publications related to their research project and future academic careers.

Design/methodology/approach

Targeted searches of fellowship recipients and their fellowship mentors were conducted in PubMed and Scopus from 2001–2017. Prior student fellows were also e-mailed and called to assess whether they held academic positions.

Findings

Since 2001, funds have been secured to support a total of 83 students (69 women, 14 men) in a mentored research experience in women’s health and gender-based medicine. In total, 48 out of the 83 (57.8%) medical student fellowship recipients published at least one peer-reviewed research paper or scientific review related to their research project. Of the 50 prior recipients with a least five years of follow-up data (41 women, 9 men), 26 (52%) were in academic careers.

Research limitations/implications

Because this is an observational study and only medical students interested in women’s health applied to be a student fellow, there is an inability to infer causality.

Practical implications

Following completion of the medical student research training fellowship in women’s health, more than half of recipients published in peer-reviewed medical journals on their research project.

Originality/value

This study explores the association of an innovative medical student experience in women’s health research on subsequent fellowship-related publications and career outcomes, contributing to the body of knowledge on the influence of a mentored research leadership program for medical students on academic professional development.
Beyond agency and stewardship theory: shareholder–manager relationships and governance structures in family firms
Authors: Löhde Ann Sophie K. , Campopiano Giovanna , Calabrò Andrea
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Challenging the static view of family business governance, we propose a model of owner–manager relationships derived from the configurational analysis of managerial behavior and change in governance structure.

Design/methodology/approach

Stemming from social exchange theory and building on the 4C model proposed by Miller and Le Breton-Miller (2005), we consider the evolving owner–manager relationship in four main configurations. On the one hand, we account for family businesses shifting from a generalized to a restricted exchange system, and vice versa, according to whether a family manager misbehaves in a stewardship-oriented governance structure or a nonfamily manager succeeds in building a trusting relationship in an agency-oriented governance structure. On the other hand, we consider that family firms will strengthen a generalized exchange system, rather than a restricted one, according to whether a family manager contributes to the stewardship-oriented culture in the business or a nonfamily manager proves to be driven by extrinsic rewards. Four scenarios are analyzed in terms of the managerial behavior and governance structure that characterize the phases of the relationship between owners and managers.

Findings

Various factors trigger managerial behavior, making the firm deviate from or further build on what is assumed by stewardship and agency theories (i.e. proorganizational versus opportunistic behavior, respectively), which determine the governance structure over time. Workplace deviance, asymmetric altruism and patriarchy on the one hand, and proorganizational behavior, relationship building and long-term commitment on the other, are found to determine how the manager behaves and thus characterize the owner's reactions in terms of governance mechanisms. This enables us to present a dynamic view of governance structures, which adapt to the actual attitudes and behaviors of employed managers.

Research limitations/implications

As time is a relevant dimension affecting individual behavior and triggering change in an organization, one must consider family business governance as being dynamic in nature. Moreover, it is not family membership that determines the most appropriate governance structure but the owner–manager relationship that evolves over time, thus contributing to the 4C model.

Originality/value

The proposed model integrates social exchange theory and the 4C model to predict changes in governance structure, as summarized in the final framework we propose.
Effect of HIP process and subsequent heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of direct metal laser sintered AlSi10Mg alloy
Authors: Ertuğrul Onur , Öter Zafer Çağatay , Yılmaz Mustafa Safa , Şahin Ezgi , Coşkun Mert , Tarakçı Gürkan , Koç Ebubekir
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of post process combinations, e.g. hot isostatic pressing (HIP) only, HIP + T6 heat treatments, and T6 only, with different aging time, on surface properties, microstructure and mechanical properties of stress-relieved AlSi10Mg parts produced by direct laser metal sintering.

Design/methodology/approach

HIP process and HIP + T6 heat treatments were applied to as stress-relieved direct laser metal sintered (DMLS) AlSi10Mg parts. Aging times of 4 and 12 h are selected to examine the optimum duration. To analyze the advantages of HIP process, a T6 heat treatment with 4 h of aging was also applied. Densities, open porosities and roughness values of as stress-relieved, HIPed, HIP + T6, and T6-only samples were measured. The samples were characterized by OM and SEM together with EDX analysis. An image analysis study was made to evaluate the inner pore structure, thereby to understand the mechanical behavior.

Findings

HIP process does not cause a significant change in surface porosity; yet it has a positive influence on inner porosity. HIP process results in a microstructure of the aluminum matrix surrounded by a network of micron and nano size Si particles. Additional heat treatment results in larger particles and precipitation. After HIPing, ductility increases but strength decreases. Samples aged 4 h present improved yield and tensile strength but decreased elongation, yet samples aged for 12 h reach a combination of optimum strength and ductility. The lower level of tensile strength and ductility in T6-only condition indicates that HIP process plays a crucial role in elimination of the porosity thus improves the effectiveness of subsequent heat treatment.

Originality/value

The study investigates the effect of post-process conditions and optimizes the aging time of the T6 heat treatment after HIP process in order to obtain improved mechanical properties. The stress-relieved state was chosen as the reference to prevent distortion during HIPing or heat treatment.
Persuasion of tacit knowledge in teaching information technology and information systems
Authors: Mohamed Mona Ali
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine information technology and information systems (IT/IS) technology teaching and learning (T&L) as affected by three key factors of tacit knowledge (TK). These factors are the de-contextualization, the faculty and students’ mental model gap and the intrinsic inability of faculty to teach what they know (i.e. the know-how-know what gap).

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is based on intensive literature review and synthesis of Nonaka’s socialization, externalization, combination and internalization model and other relevant knowledge management (KM) principles applied to understand the effects of mobilization and nurturing of TK in pedagogical activities and strategies.

Findings

This paper demonstrated a holistic view of the role of TK in teaching IT/IS through deep learning activities. It differentiates between faculty and student mental models and the ability of the faculty to convey real-world know-how to students.

Research limitations/implications

This study is by no means comprehensive in exploring the TK contextual dimensions of IT/IS T&L milieus. However, some of the assumptions and factors in this paper are not pertinent to some pedagogical environments.

Practical implications

The activities in this paper introduced new propositions on IT/IS teaching by focusing on TK concepts in light of its challenges. The study could be used by institutes to place emphasis on accommodating TK within effective IT/IS T&L activities.

Originality/value

Drawing on the KM literature and experience, this paper offers new insight into how TK can be innovatively incorporated into a pedagogical landscape.
Sustainable tourism in the Corsican mountains: the mare to mares trail
Authors: Barthod-Prothade Mireille , Leroux Erick
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This study aims to develop a managerial contribution with actors whose mission is the development of sustainable tourism in the mountains. Lastly, they present and discuss the findings.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study was conducted on the third stage of Mare in Mares, where at the end of this stage, the village stage gîte located 850 m above sea level accommodates hikers. The study began in 2016 and included tourism professionals (bed and breakfast managers, stage gite managers and guides), local elected officials, as well as representatives of the Local Mediation Group, the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, the Corsican Environment Office, SIVOM de la Bravone, the Development Office and breeders in the pig and beef sector.

Findings

The results show that the hiker numbers at Mare a Mare (800 hikers over a short period) are not an obstacle to sustainable mountain tourism. In contrast, wild fishing, pig and cattle wandering and the deficit of waste water treatment plants in some of the villages of Mare a Mare, contribute to endangering the strategy of sustainable development and sustainable tourism in mountains.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the study are its focus on just one stage of the Mare-to-Mare sentier de grande randonnée footpath and, secondly, the possibility that the paths may not be usable in future as climate change impacts occur.

Originality/value

The purpose of this study is to make a managerial contribution in relation to the action that needs to be taken, beginning with a trial in Corsica. Specifically, managerial support would involve a training course on the actions needed for – decision-makers, managers, politicians – whose responsibility it is to develop sustainable tourism in the mountains. Given this broad recommendation, the content of the training and action needed should be based on the concept of territorial resilience, as well as aspects of complex thinking and planning based on a systemic approach.
Gene flow effects on populations inhabiting marginal areas: Origin matters
Authors: Morente‐López Javier , Lara‐Romero Carlos , García‐Fernández Alfredo , Rubio Teso María Luisa , Prieto‐Benítez Samuel , Iriondo José María
Published: June 2020

The evolutionary potential of populations inhabiting marginal areas has been extensively debated and directly affects their conservation value. Gene flow is one of the main factors influencing selection, adaptive potential and thus, local adaptation processes in marginal areas. The effects of differential gene flow provenance are still not well understood, since studies on gene flow between marginal populations have been underrepresented in the literature. This kind of gene flow can be especially beneficial because it can provide both adaptive allelic combinations originated under similar environmental conditions and genetic variation on which selection can act.

We conducted a study on the effects of different gene flow provenance on marginal populations of Mediterranean alpine Silene ciliata Pourret (Caryophyllaceae) replicated in three mountain ranges of Central Spain. The delineation of optimal and marginal areas of the species distribution was based on environmental differentiation and relied on the ecological definition of centrality and marginality. We experimentally tested the effect of three different types of pollen‐mediated gene flow on germination rate, seedling size and survival rate in marginal populations and assessed their effects by establishing in situ common gardens. To further assess the evolutionary potential of marginal populations, we performed a reciprocal sowing experiment and measured the same fitness components to determine the extent of local adaptation.

We found that gene flow between marginal populations improved germination rate and seedling survival with regard to gene flow from optimal to marginal populations and within marginal populations. In reciprocal sowing experiments, seedling survival rate was higher when the seed source was from marginal areas than when it was from optimal areas in both marginal and optimal sowing sites.

Synthesis. Our results suggest that gene flow between marginal populations from similar environmental conditions increases the fitness of the recipient population by increasing genetic diversity and simultaneously providing adaptive alleles generated under similar selective pressures. Results also highlight the adaptive potential of marginal populations as genetic diversity from marginal areas may provide a fitness advantage to the populations in optimal areas. In this context, the adaptive value of marginal populations increases their relevance and potential use in conservation management.
The diversity of post‐fire regeneration strategies in the cerrado ground layer
Authors: Pilon Natashi A. L. , Cava Mário G. B. , Hoffmann William A. , Abreu Rodolfo C. R. , Fidelis Alessandra , Durigan Giselda
Published: June 2020

Disentangling species strategies that confer resilience to natural disturbances is key to conserving and restoring savanna ecosystems. Fire is a recurrent disturbance in savannas, and savanna vegetation is highly adapted to and often dependent on fire. However, although the woody component of tropical savannas is well studied, we still do not understand how ground‐layer plant communities respond to fire, limiting conservation and management actions.

We investigated the effects of prescribed fire on community structure and composition, and evaluated which traits are involved in plant community regeneration after fire in the cerrado ground layer. We assessed traits related to species persistence and colonization capacity after fire, including resprouter type, underground structure, fire‐induced flowering, regeneration strategy and growth form. We searched for functional groups related to response to fire, to shed light on the main strategies of post‐fire recovery among species in the ground layer.

Fire changed ground‐layer community structure and composition in the short term, leading to greater plant species richness, population densities and increasing bare soil, compared with unburned communities. Eight months after fire, species abundance did not differ from pre‐disturbance values for 86% of the species, demonstrating the resilience of this layer to fire. Only one ruderal species was disadvantaged by fire and 13% of the species benefited. Rapid recovery of soil cover by native vegetation in burned areas was driven by species with high capacity to resprout and spread vegetatively. Recovery of the savanna ground‐layer community, as a whole, resulted from a combination of different species traits. We summarized these traits into five large groups, encompassing key strategies involved in ground‐layer regeneration after fire.

Synthesis. Fire dramatically changes the ground layer of savanna vegetation in the short term, but the system is highly resilient, quickly recovering the pre‐fire state. Recovery involves different strategies, which we categorized into five functional groups of plant species: grasses, seeders, bloomers, undergrounders and resprouters. Knowledge of these diverse strategies should be used as a tool to assess conservation and restoration status of fire‐resilient ecosystems in the cerrado.
Gender earnings gap among the youth in Malawi
Authors: Kim Sung‐Bou
Published: June 2020

While young women's engagement in economic activities is an essential component of development, gender gaps are still commonly observed worldwide and especially in developing countries like Malawi. This study introduces recent data to provide new evidence for a sub‐Saharan country that has yet been closely examined. Using the International Labour Organization's School‐to‐Work Transition Survey (ILO SWTS) individual‐level data, I examine the gender earnings gap among the youth in Malawi by conducting Mincer earnings regressions with Heckman selection correction and applying Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition methods. I find that young women in Malawi earn significantly less than young men and that women are significantly less likely to engage in income‐generating work activities. Also, substantial unadjusted gender earnings difference in Malawi is overwhelmingly due to differences in returns. Moreover, detailed decomposition results show that gender differences in work‐related individual characteristics and firm characteristics also contribute to the gender earnings gap. The results suggest that any effort to reduce the gender earnings gap should involve improved access to education as well as better workplaces for women.
Women's empowerment and child health outcomes in Ghana
Authors: Essilfie Gloria , Sebu Joshua , Annim Samuel Kobina
Published: June 2020

This study investigates whether women's empowerment, measured by education attainment relative to her partner, decision‐making, and domestic violence is related to nutritional status of children in Ghana. Using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, the study examines the effect of women empowerment on child's nutritional status at different points in its conditional distributions using ordinary least squares and quantile regression estimation technique. The study observes that women's empowerment is associated with improvement in the nutritional status of children with Z‐scores less than −4 and −3 standard deviations, for acutely and severely malnourished children respectively in the long run. The study recommends that the Ministry for Gender and Social Protection should educate male partners on the need for women participation in decision‐making at the household level as well as make formal education accessible to women.
Is it an issue before it’s a problem? Investigating men’s talk about fertility
Authors: Bodin Maja , Käll Lisa
Published: June 2020

While fatherhood and male involvement in family life have been the focus of much research during the past few decades, we know less about men’s involvement in the stage that precedes fatherhood and reproductive decision‐making, their awareness of and sense of responsibility for reproductive health and fertility. This article draws attention to how men talk about fertility and reproductive intentions, focusing on how their perceptions and knowledge of fertility and procreation are structured around social norms and expectations. The study was based on interviews with 25 men in reproductive age with no prior history of infertility, including men with as well as without children and men of different sexual orientations and gender diversity. Our findings indicate a tension between, on the one hand, a general tendency among the men to take their fertility for granted and neither think nor talk about it, and, on the other hand, a latent concern about possible infertility which seemed to be activated in the interview situation. These findings raise questions of how conversations about fertility might impact men’s thinking about their own fertility that call for further exploration and that are of significance in considerations of how to promote fertility awareness and reproductive health.
Risk factors for sinistral portal hypertension and related variceal bleeding in patients with chronic pancreatitis
Authors: Ru Nan , He Chao Hui , Ren Xin Lu , Chen Jia Yun , Yu Fei Fei , Yan Zi Jun , Guo Ji Yao , Zhu Jia Hui , Wang Yuan Chen , Qian Yang Yang , Pan Jun , Hu Liang Hao , Li Zhao Shen , Zou Wen Bin , Liao Zhuan
Published: June 2020

Objectives

Sinistral portal hypertension (SPH) is an uncommon complication of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and can result in severe gastrointestinal bleeding. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the potential risk factors for SPH and related gastrointestinal variceal bleeding in patients with CP.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed all patients with SPH due to CP admitted to our hospital from July 2014 to June 2019 in this case‐control study. Patients with CP without SPH were randomly selected as controls during the study period (case: control  =  1:2). The characteristics, medical history, course of CP, characteristics associated with SPH, and follow‐up evaluations of the patients were documented in detail. The prevalence rate of SPH in patients with CP and related gastrointestinal bleeding was calculated. Risk factors for SPH and related variceal bleeding were analyzed using univariate or multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

The prevalence of SPH was 2.7% (89/3358) in patients with CP. Independent risk factors for SPH included alcohol consumption (P = 0.030), history of acute pancreatitis (P = 0.010), diabetes mellitus (P < 0.001), and pseudocysts (P < 0.001). Overall 17 (19.1%) patients suffered from related gastrointestinal bleeding. Between the bleeding and non‐bleeding groups, there were significant differences in the types of CP, existence of stones, gastric varices diagnosed before bleeding, splenomegaly and hypersplenism by univariate analysis.

Conclusion

SPH is a rare complication of CP that is associated with a relatively low risk of variceal bleeding.
SAFE Acoustics: An open‐source, real‐time eco‐acoustic monitoring network in the tropical rainforests of Borneo
Authors: Sethi Sarab S. , Ewers Robert M. , Jones Nick S. , Signorelli Aaron , Picinali Lorenzo , Orme Christopher David L.
Published: June 2020

Automated monitoring approaches offer an avenue to unlocking large‐scale insight into how ecosystems respond to human pressures. However, since data collection and data analyses are often treated independently, there are currently no open‐source examples of end‐to‐end, real‐time ecological monitoring networks.

Here, we present the complete implementation of an autonomous acoustic monitoring network deployed in the tropical rainforests of Borneo. Real‐time audio is uploaded remotely from the field, indexed by a central database, and delivered via an API to a public‐facing website.

We provide the open‐source code and design of our monitoring devices, the central web2py database, and the ReactJS website. Furthermore, we demonstrate an extension of this infrastructure to deliver real‐time analyses of the eco‐acoustic data.

By detailing a fully functional, open source, and extensively tested design, our work will accelerate the rate at which fully autonomous monitoring networks mature from technological curiosities, and towards genuinely impactful tools in ecology.
The Search for Contributors to Low Rates of Recognition of Paternal Alcohol Use Disorders in Offspring From the San Diego Prospective Study
Authors: Schuckit Marc A. , Clarke Dennis F. , Smith Tom L. , Mendoza Lee Anne , Schoen Lara
Published: June 2020

Background

The most efficient approach for establishing family histories (FHs) asks informants about disorders in their relatives (a Family History Method [FHM]). However, FHMs underestimate family diagnoses. We evaluated if accuracies of young adult offspring report of their father’s alcohol use disorders (AUDs) related to the age, sex, education, and/or substance‐related patterns/problems of either the young adult informants or their AUD fathers.

Methods

Data from the San Diego Prospective Study (SDPS), a multigenerational 35‐year investigation, compared father/offspring pairs where the proband father’s alcohol problems were correctly (Group 1) or incorrectly (Group 2) noted by offspring. In the key analysis, Group 1 versus 2 results were entered into bootstrapped backward logistic regression analyses predicting Group 1 membership.

Results

Five proband and one offspring characteristic were associated with correct identification of their father’s alcohol problems. None of these related to age, education, or sex. Characteristics associated with correct FHM diagnoses included the father’s FH of AUDs, self‐report of drinking despite social/interpersonal or physical/psychological alcohol‐related problems, spending much time related to alcohol, and his having a religious preference. The single offspring item predicting correct identification of the father’s problems was the number of DSM alcohol problems of the offspring.

Conclusions

In the SDPS, FHM sensitivity was most closely related to the father’s drinking characteristics, not the offspring characteristics. While unique aspects of SDPS families potentially limit generalizability of results, the data demonstrate how the FHM can offer important initial steps in the search for genetically related AUD risks in a subset of families.
Dental fluorosis in the Australian adult population
Authors: Do Loc G , Ha Diep H , Roberts‐Thomson Kaye F , Spencer A John
Published: June 2020

Background

The use of fluoride involves a balance between protection against caries and risk of dental fluorosis. Prevalence and trend of dental fluorosis in the adult population are not frequently reported.

Objective

To describe the prevalence of dental fluorosis in the Australian adult population.

Method

Data from the National Study of Adult Oral Health (NSAOH) 2004–06 and 2017–18 were used. Prevalence of fluorosis was reported using data from the NSAOH 2017–18. Case definitions of fluorosis were as follows: having a TF score of 2+ (TF2+) or a TF score of 3+ (TF3+) on one or more maxillary central incisors. Synthetic cohorts were constructed by year of birth allowing for time trend analysis.

Results

One in ten Australian adults were found to have dental fluorosis at TF2+. The prevalence of TF3 + was low. Time trend analysis revealed an increase in the prevalence and severity of fluorosis among those born during 1970s to 1980s decade. Such prevalence declined among those who were born after measures were introduced in early 1990s to reduce exposure to discretionary fluorides.

Conclusion

The prevalence of dental fluorosis in the Australian adult population was found to be related to population‐level changes in fluoride exposure.
Use of dental services among Australian adults in the National Study of Adult Oral Health (NSAOH) 2017–18
Authors: Brennan David S , Luzzi Liana , Chrisopoulos Sergio
Published: June 2020

Background

This study examines last dental visit (visiting within the last 12 months, having a last visit 5 or more years ago, attending a private dental practice) and usual visit (usually visiting for a check‐up, having a dentist they usually attend).

Methods

Explanatory variables include age, gender, region, income, area‐based SES and dental insurance. The data were collected in the Interview in NSAOH 2017–18.

Results

There was a dental visiting gradient by region, with lower percentages visiting in the last 12 months in remote (44.9%) and regional areas (50.8%) than major cities (58.7%). A higher percentage of the higher‐income tertile made visits (63.8%) than the middle (53.7%) and lower tertiles (49.9%). There was a visiting gradient by area‐based SES, with higher percentages in the higher (63.8%) and middle SES tertiles (55.2%) than the lower tertile (50.2%). Uninsured persons had lower percentages visiting (43.3%) than insured (69.7%).

Conclusions

Persons in remote locations, those with low socioeconomic status and those uninsured were disadvantaged in terms of access. They had lower percentages visiting in the last 12 months, usually visiting for a check‐up, having a dentist they usually attend and higher percentages visiting 5 or more years ago.
Cognitive remediation therapy for patients with bipolar disorder: A randomised proof‐of‐concept trial
Authors: Strawbridge Rebecca , Tsapekos Dimosthenis , Hodsoll John , Mantingh Tim , Yalin Nefize , McCrone Paul , Boadu Janet , Macritchie Karine , Cella Matteo , Reeder Clare , Fish Jessica , Wykes Til , Young Allan H.
Published: June 2020

Objectives

Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) may benefit people with bipolar disorder type I and II for whom cognitive impairment is a major contributor to disability. Extensive research has demonstrated CRT to improve cognition and psychosocial functioning in people with different diagnoses, but randomised trials of evidenced therapy programmes are lacking for bipolar disorders. The Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar (CRiB) study aimed to determine whether an established CRT programme is feasible and acceptable for people with bipolar disorders.

Methods

This proof‐of‐concept, single‐blind randomised trial recruited participants aged 18‐65 with bipolar disorder, not currently experiencing an episode. They were 1:1 block randomised to treatment‐as‐usual (TAU) with or without individual CRT for 12 weeks. The partly computerised CRT programme (“CIRCuiTS”) was therapist‐led and is evidence‐based from trials in those with psychotic illnesses. Data were collected and analysed by investigators blinded to group allocation. The main outcomes (week 13 and 25) examined participant retention, intervention feasibility and putative effects of CRT on cognitive and psychosocial functioning via intention‐to‐treat analyses. Trial registration: ISRCTN ID32290525.

Results

Sixty participants were recruited (02/2016‐06/2018) and randomised to CRT (n = 29) or TAU (n = 31). Trial withdrawals were equivalent (CRT n = 2/29; TAU n = 5/31). CRT satisfaction indicated high acceptability. Intention‐to‐treat analyses (N = 60) demonstrated greater improvements for CRT‐ than TAU‐randomised participants: at both week 13 and 25, CIRCuiTS participants showed larger improvements in the following domains (week 25 effect sizes reported here): IQ (SES = 0.71, 95% CI [0.29,1.13]), working memory (SES = 0.70, 95% CI [0.31,1.10]), executive function (SES = 0.93, 95% CI [0.33,1.54]), psychosocial functioning (SES = 0.49, 95% CI [0.18,0.80]) and goal attainment (SES = 2.02, 95% CI [0.89,3.14]). No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

CRT is feasible for individuals with bipolar disorders and may enhance cognition and functioning. The reported effect sizes from this proof‐of‐concept trial encourage further investigation in a definitive trial.
Wildlife collection for scientific purposes
Authors: Fukushima Caroline , West Rick , Pape Thomas , Penev Lyubomir , Schulman Leif , Cardoso Pedro
Published: June 2020

Illegal transfer of wildlife has 2 main purposes: trade and scientific research. Trade is the most common, whereas scientific research is much less common and unprofitable, yet still important. Biopiracy in science is often neglected despite that many researchers encounter it during their careers. The use of illegally acquired specimens is detected in different research fields, from scientists bioprospecting for new pharmacological substances, to taxonomists working on natural history collections, to researchers working in zoos, aquariums, and botanical gardens. The practice can be due to a lack of knowledge about the permit requirements in different countries or, probably most often, to the generally high level of bureaucracy associated with rule compliance. Significant regulatory filters to avoid biopiracy can be provided by different stakeholders. Natural history collection hosts should adopt strict codes of conduct; editors of scientific publications should require authors to declare that all studied specimens were acquired legally and to cite museum catalog numbers as guarantee of best practices. Scientific societies should actively encourage publication in peer‐reviewed journals of work in which specimens collected from the wild were used. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature could require newly designated types based on recently collected specimens to be accompanied by statements of deposition in recognized scientific or educational institutions. We also propose the creation of an online platform that gathers information about environmental regulations and permits required for scientific activities in different countries and respective responsible governmental agencies and the simplification of the bureaucracy related to regulating scientific activities. This would make regulations more agile and easier to comply with. The global biodiversity crisis means data need to be collected ever faster, but biopiracy is not the answer and undermines the credibility of science and researchers. It is critical to find a modus vivendi that promotes compliance with regulations and scientific progress.
Toward classifying small lung nodules with hyperparameter optimization of convolutional neural networks
Authors: Lima Lucas L. , Ferreira Junior José R. , Oliveira Marcelo C.
Published: June 2020

Among all cancer‐related deaths, lung cancer leads all indicators, accounting for approximately 20% of all types. Patients diagnosed in the early stages have a 1‐year survival rate of 81% to 85%, while in an advanced stage have 15% to 19% chances of survival. The primary manifestation of this cancer is through pulmonary nodule on computed tomography images. In the early stages, it is a complex task even for experienced specialists and presents some challenges to classify these nodules in benign or malignant. So, to assist specialists, computer‐aided diagnosis systems have been used to improve the accuracy in the diagnosis. In this article, we explored and compared the use of random search, simulating annealing, and Tree‐of‐Parzen‐estimators algorithms of hyperparameter tuning to find the best architecture of a convolutional neural network to classify small pulmonary nodules in benign or malignant with a diameter of 5 to 10 mm. Our best model used result was the model using the simulating annealing algorithm and yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.95, the sensitivity of 82%, the specificity of 94%, and accuracy of 88% using a balanced data set of nodules. Therefore, our model is capable of classifying early lung nodules, where the patients have bigger chances of survival.
A Pooled Analysis of Three Randomized Phase I/IIa Clinical Trials Confirms Absence of a Clinically Relevant Effect on the QTc Interval by Umibecestat
Authors: Vormfelde Stefan Viktor , Pezous Nicole , Lefèvre Gilbert , Kolly Carine , Neumann Ulf , Jordaan Pierre , Ufer Mike , Legangneux Eric
Published: June 2020

Umibecestat, an orally active β‐secretase inhibitor, reduces the production of amyloid beta‐peptide that accumulates in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The echocardiogram effects of umibecestat, on QTcF (Fridericia‐corrected QT), on PR and QRS and heart rate (HR), were estimated by concentration‐effect modeling. Three phase I/II studies with durations up to 3 months, with 372 healthy subjects over a wide age range, including both sexes and 2 ethnicities, were pooled, providing a large data set with good statistical power. No clinically relevant effect on QTcF, PR interval, QRS duration, or HR were observed up to supratherapeutic doses. The upper bound of 90% confidence intervals of the ∆QTcF was below the 10 ms threshold of regulatory concern for all concentrations measured. Prespecified sensitivity analysis confirmed the results in both sexes, in those over and below 60 years, and in Japanese subjects. All conclusions were endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Early M‐Protein Dynamics Predicts Progression‐Free Survival in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Yan Xiaoyu , Xu Xu Steven , Weisel Katja C. , Mateos Maria‐Victoria , Sonneveld Pieter , Dimopoulos Meletios A. , Usmani Saad Zafar , Bahlis Nizar J. , Puchalski Thomas , Ukropec Jon , Bellew Kevin , Ming Qi , Sun Steven , Zhou Honghui
Published: June 2020

This study aimed to predict long‐term progression‐free survival (PFS) using early M‐protein dynamic measurements in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). The PFS was modeled based on dynamic M‐protein data from two phase III studies, POLLUX and CASTOR, which included 569 and 498 patients with relapsed/refractory MM, respectively. Both studies compared active controls (lenalidomide and dexamethasone, and bortezomib and dexamethasone, respectively) alone vs. in combination with daratumumab. Three M‐protein dynamic features from the longitudinal M‐protein data were evaluated up to different time cutoffs (1, 2, 3, and 6 months). The abilities of early M‐protein dynamic measurements to predict the PFS were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards survival models. Both univariate and multivariable analyses suggest that maximum reduction of M‐protein (i.e., depth of response) was the most predictive of PFS. Despite the statistical significance, the baseline covariates provided very limited predictive value regarding the treatment effect of daratumumab. However, M‐protein dynamic features obtained within the first 2 months reasonably predicted PFS and the associated treatment effect of daratumumab. Specifically, the areas under the time‐varying receiver operating characteristic curves for the model with the first 2 months of M‐protein dynamic data were ~ 0.8 and 0.85 for POLLUX and CASTOR, respectively. Early M‐protein data within the first 2 months can provide a prospective and reasonable prediction of future long‐term clinical benefit for patients with MM.
Disaster Financialization: Earthquakes, Cashflows and Shifting Household Economies in Nepal
Authors: Le Billon Philippe , Suji Manoj , Baniya Jeevan , Limbu Bina , Paudel Dinesh , Rankin Katharine , Rawal Nabin , Shneiderman Sara
Published: June 2020

The political economy literature on post‐disaster reconstruction tends to contrast ‘disaster capitalism’ narratives denouncing the predatory character of neoliberal rebuilding, and ‘building back better’ policies supporting market‐driven reconstruction. This article seeks to provide a more nuanced account, developing the concept of ‘disaster financialization’ through a case study of household‐level changes experienced through processes of post‐earthquake reconstruction in Nepal. The concept of disaster financialization describes not only the integration of disaster‐affected households into the cash‐based logic of reconstruction instituted by donors and government authorities, but also the financialization of their lives, social relations and subjectivities. It is a transitive process involving a shift into financialized mechanisms of disaster prevention, adaptation and recovery. Analysing contrasting experiences across three earthquake‐affected districts in Nepal, this study proposes disaster financialization as an integrative term through which to understand the simultaneous acceleration of monetization, the leveraging of cash incentives by donors and government to ‘build back better’, and the flurry of financial transactions associated with reconstruction processes. While some aspects of disaster financialization have had negative social impacts, such as debt‐related anxieties and a breakdown of voluntary labour exchanges hurting the most vulnerable, the process has taken on variegated forms, with equally variegated effects, reflecting household characteristics and interactions with financial institutions.
Value of Inventory Pooling with Limited Demand Information and Risk Aversion*
Authors: Xue Weili , Ma Lijun , Liu Yanchu , Lin Meiyan
Published: June 2020

In this article, we study the value of inventory pooling for a risk‐averse firm who manages locations, when the demand information is limited in the sense that only the mean and the variance of the demand distribution are known. We employ the distributionally robust optimization framework and derive the optimal worst‐case inventory policies when the firm's utility is measured by Conditional Value‐at‐Risk (CVaR). We analyze the value of inventory pooling in terms of CVaR, total inventory, and utility loss due to demand uncertainty and safety stock, and study the effect of system parameters, i.e., risk‐averse level, correlation coefficient, and location number, on the value of inventory pooling. We first study the case when the selling prices are given. We show that inventory pooling always benefits the firm in terms of CVaR but such benefits are bounded above. However, inventory pooling does not always reduce total inventory, especially when the firm's risk‐averse level is high. In terms of utility loss due to demand uncertainty and safety stock, we show that when demands are independent, the relative benefits of inventory pooling are of order . Then, we analyze the case when the selling prices are endogenously determined. We find that similar results can be obtained, except that inventory pooling will always reduce total inventory in this case. Our results enrich the existing literature on the benefits from inventory pooling by incorporating risk‐averse attitude, limited demand information, and pricing decisions.
Toward law–gospel harmony in Lutheran theology and ethics
Authors: King John B.
Published: June 2020

Lutheran antipathy toward the law is harmful to Christian ethics. This antipathy arises from the false notion that law and gospel are opposed. However, the Lutheran Confessions show that law–gospel distinction does not necessarily imply law–gospel opposition. When law and gospel are properly defined, they interrelate harmoniously within a multiperspectival model of Christian ethics. Moreover, the third use of the law then emerges as the basic and primary use.
Breaking the Crystal Methamphetamine Economy: Illegal Drugs, Supply‐side Interventions and Crime Responses
Authors: d'Este Rocco
Published: June 2020

This paper evaluates the effects on crime of supply‐side interventions that restricted access to pseudoephedrine‐based medications in the USA, drastically reducing the domestic production of methamphetamine. I find that these government interventions increased property and violent crime by around 3–4%, with criminogenic effects lasting for up to 7 months. Stronger evidence is detected in counties where laboratories producing methamphetamine were previously in operation. My findings suggest that policy interventions that have a limited effect on supply and no impact on the demand for drugs could open up the way to unwarranted crime responses. Timely policy implications are discussed.
Taxation, fiscal capacity, and credible commitment in eighteenth‐century China: the effects of the formalization and centralization of informal surtaxes†
Authors: Hao Yu , Liu Kevin Zhengcheng
Published: June 2020

This article explores a tax reform in eighteenth‐century China that formalized county‐level informal surtaxes and centralized control over them in the hands of provincial governors, in an effort to strengthen provincial fiscal capacity. The findings show that this reform increased the frequency of famine relief in cases of exceptional disaster relative to other weather conditions. The study shows that the effects were driven by the new fiscal revenues—public funds—at the governors’ discretion, not by the central government's relief actions, bureaucratic control over lower officials, or other concurrent fiscal reforms. Moreover, the reform facilitated intertemporal smoothing and inter‐regional risk sharing. However, the effects declined as soon as the central government broke its promise and began to appropriate provincial fiscal revenues. These findings not only provide evidence that fiscal centralization could enhance the provision of public goods in a premodern context, but also highlight that it was the lack of a credible commitment by the central government to the provincial governments that accounted for the short‐lived effects of the reform.
Environmental and social factors influencing wolf (Canis lupus) howling behavior
Authors: Ausband David E. , Bassing Sarah B. , Mitchell Michael S.
Published: June 2020

Animals communicate in a variety of ways and calls are used for a number of important behaviors. Temperature, wind, time of day, and human activities can affect animals’ use of calls, particularly over long distances. Effects of group size on the use of calls can be particularly influential in territorial social carnivores. Where gray wolves (Canis lupus) are hunted by humans, for example, howling may make it easier for hunters to locate individuals and ultimately increase mortality. We hypothesized that a suite of factors would affect wolves’ responses to simulated howling. Specifically, we predicted that howling behavior would increase with (a) group size, (b) pup age, and (c) during crepuscular time periods and howling behavior would decrease (a) where wolves were harvested and (b) when it was hot or windy. Contrary to our prediction, larger groups did not respond as quickly to simulated wolf howls as smaller groups did and minimum and maximum daily temperatures were not good predictors of wolf howling response rates. Individuals in small litters of pups may have responded more quickly to howls than those in large litters because they are eager to seek safety from and have socialization with adults returning from foraging bouts. Although harvest did not appear to affect vocal communication by wolves, group size, pup age, time of day, wind, and number of howls emitted greatly affected wolves’ behavior and responses during howling surveys. Howling responses did not change because of harvest; response rates from wolves were nearly identical with (2.2%) and without (2.3%) harvest. The year‐round benefits of long‐distance vocal communication may outweigh the costs of increased mortality arising from howling during harvest season.
Review of the use of transrectal ultrasonography for evaluation of the caudal lumbar – including lumbosacral – intervertebral discs and symphyses: Normal and abnormal ultrasonographic appearance
Authors: Vautravers G. , Coudry V. , Denoix J.‐M.
Published: June 2020

Transrectal ultrasonography of the lumbosacroiliac area is routinely performed for the diagnosis of the cause of low back pain and poor hindlimb impulsion and engagement. The ventral aspect of the caudal lumbar intervertebral discs and vertebrae can be easily assessed transrectally with ultrasound while other imaging modalities have limitations for diagnosis of intervertebral disc injuries. This paper is a review of the ultrasonographic procedure for imaging the ventral aspect of the caudal lumbar and lumbosacral symphyses, especially the intervertebral discs. Normal images, findings and lesions of the three caudalmost lumbar intervertebral discs are described (between the 4th lumbar and the 1st sacral vertebrae).