bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular characterization and risk factors of oral high‐risk human papillomavirus among females in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Minhas Sadia , Kashif Muhammad , Rehman Zobaria , Idrees Muhammad , Ansari Farheen
Published: May 2022

Background

The development of oral and oropharyngeal cancers is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. However, debate exists about the prevalence of high‐risk oral HPV (HR‐HPV) and its associated risk factors. This study evaluated the distribution of genotypes and associated risk factors of oral HR‐HPV infection in the normal oral mucosa of the Pakistani female population with general gynecological problems.

Methods

A total of 200 females from a regional gynecological hospital in Pakistan were included in this cross‐sectional study. A self‐administered questionnaire was carried out, followed by the study participants' oral and dental examinations. Whole saliva was collected by a drooling method. The viral DNA extraction and oral HR‐HPV genotyping were detected via real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Among the 200 females (mean age, 37.76 years), 22 females (11%) were positive for oral HR‐HPV DNA. Single oral HR‐HPV infection was seen in 8%, whereas co‐infection was observed in 3% with HPV16 and HPV18 most common genotypes. Comparison of the risk factors like oral sex history odds ratio (OR 8.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.85–28.16; p < 0.005), and open‐mouth kissing (OR, 5.17; 95% CI 1.48–27.41; p = 0.005) with oral HR‐HPV infection was found to be significantly associated.

Conclusion

In Pakistan, oral HR‐HPV‐positive infection is not uncommon; HPV16 and HPV18 are the most frequent genotypes. Furthermore, this study also provides data that oral HR‐HPV positive infection was significantly associated with sexual behaviors. Therefore, preventive health efforts, like health education and vaccination, should be practiced.
The influence of ruptured scar pattern of human anterior cruciate ligament remnant tissue on tendon‐bone healing in vivo
Authors: Takashima Yoshinori , Matsumoto Tomoyuki , Nakano Naoki , Kamenaga Tomoyuki , Kuroda Yuichi , Hayashi Shinya , Matsushita Takehiko , Niikura Takahiro , Kuroda Ryosuke
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the transplantation of human cells from a non‐reattached injured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) remnant could enhance tendon‐bone healing. Human ACL remnant tissue was classified into two groups based on the morphologic pattern as per Crain's classification: (1) non‐reattachment group (Crain Ⅳ) and (2) reattachment group (Crain Ⅰ–Ⅲ). Seventy‐five 10‐week‐old immunodeficient rats underwent ACL reconstruction followed by intracapsular administration of one of the following: (1) ACL‐derived cells from the non‐reattached remnant (non‐reattachment group) (n = 5), (2) ACL‐derived cells from the reattached tissue (reattachment group) (n = 5), or (3) phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) only (PBS group) (n = 5). Histological (Weeks 2, 4, and 8), immunohistochemical (Week 2), radiographic (Weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8), and biomechanical (Week 8) assessments were performed. Histological evaluation showed high and early healing, induction of endochondral ossification‐like integration, and mature bone ingrowth at Week 4 in the non‐reattachment group. Microcomputed tomography at Week 4 showed that the tibial bone tunnels in the non‐reattachment group were significantly reduced compared to those in the reattachment and PBS groups. Moreover, biomechanical testing showed that ultimate load‐to‐failure in the non‐reattachment group tended to be larger than that in the reattachment group, though not statistically significant. The enhanced healing potential in the non‐reattachment group was explained by the increase in intrinsic angiogenesis/osteogenesis. In the subacute phase, the ACL‐derived cells with the non‐reattached morphologic pattern showed greater and earlier tendon bone healing compared with the cells obtained from the reattached morphologic pattern.
Automated segmentation of the healed anterior cruciate ligament from T2* relaxometry MRI scans
Authors: Flannery Sean W. , Barnes Dominique A. , Costa Meggin Q. , Menghini Danilo , Kiapour Ata M. , Walsh Edward G. , BEAR Trial Team  , Kramer Dennis E. , Murray Martha M. , Fleming Braden C.
Published: May 2022

Collagen organization of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can be evaluated using T2* relaxometry. However, T2* mapping requires manual image segmentation, which is a time‐consuming process and prone to inter‐ and intra‐ segmenter variability. Automating segmentation would address these challenges. A model previously trained using Constructive Interference in Steady State (CISS) scans was applied to T2* segmentation via transfer learning. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in the model's segmentation performance between T2* and CISS, structural measures versus ground truth manual segmentation, and reliability versus independent and retest manual segmentation. Transfer learning was conducted using 54 T2* scans of the ACL. Segmentation performance was assessed with Dice coefficient, precision, and sensitivity, and structurally withT2* value, volume, subvolume proportions, and cross‐sectional area. Model performance relative to independent manual segmentation and repeated segmentation by the ground truth segmenter (retest) were evaluated on a random subset. Segmentation performance was analyzed with Mann–WhitneyUtests, structural measures with Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests, and performance relative to manual segmentation with repeated‐measures analysis of variance/Tukey tests (α = 0.05). T2* segmentation performance was not significantly different from CISS on all measures (p > 0.35). No significant differences were detected in structural measures (p > 0.50). Automatic segmentation performed as well as the retest on all segmentation measures, whereas independent segmentations were lower than retest and/or automatic segmentation (p < 0.023). Structural measures were not significantly different between segmenters. The automatic segmentation model performed as well on the T2* sequence as on CISS and outperformed independent manual segmentation while performing as well as retest segmentation.
Ethnic entrepreneurship: A bibliometric review and future research agenda
Authors: Guerra Fernandes José Afonso , Marques Carla Susana , Silva Rui , Martins Humberto
Published: May 2022

This article provides a bibliometric review based on 267 articles obtained from the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases. The objectives defined for this study were (1) to describe how the publications in this scientific area are organized concerning authors and the evolution of scientific production in the period under analysis; (2) to identify the most cited publications and authors; (3) to understand which scientific journals and countries have the highest scientific production in this area; and (4) to identify future research opportunities. To achieve the defined objectives, the database analysis focused on bibliometric indicators in the first phase. We conclude that ethnic entrepreneurship is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon, having implications in different communities and territories. Therefore, in addition to identifying and analyzing the main streams of the identified literature, this paper not only provides an overview of the state of the art and contributes to understanding ethnic entrepreneurship but also identifies an agenda for future research.
Combined Conventional Ultrasound and Contrast‐Enhanced Computed Tomography for Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis Prediction in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Zhao Shanshan , Yue Wenwen , Wang Hui , Yao Jincao , Peng Chanjuan , Liu Xiatian , Xu Dong
Published: May 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate conventional ultrasound (US) combined with contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the neck to predict central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in clinical lymph‐negative patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), establish a simple preoperative risk‐scoring model, and validate its effectiveness in a two‐center dataset.

Methods

A total of 423 patients with PTC preoperatively evaluated by US and contrast‐enhanced CT were included in the modeling group, and 102 patients from two hospitals were enrolled in the validation group. Independent predictive factors were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Results

The independent predictive factors for CLNM were age ≤45 years (odds ratio [OR] = 3.950), nodule presence in the non‐upper pole (OR = 2.385), nodule size >12.5 mm (OR = 2.130), Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System score ≥9 (OR = 2.857), normalized enhancement CT value ≥0.75 (OR = 3.132), central enhancement (OR = 0.222), and capsular invasion (OR = 3.478). The area under the curve (AUC) of the model was 0.790 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.747–0.834), and the sensitivity and specificity were 70.4% and 73.9%, respectively. The AUC in the validation group was 0.827 (95% CI: 0.747–0.907), and the sensitivity and specificity were 88.9% and 63.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

We found conventional US combined with contrast‐enhanced CT of the neck to be useful in predicting CLNM preoperatively and established a simple risk‐scoring model that might help surgeons with appropriate surgical plans and prognostic evaluation.
1‐Year Results of Combined Modified Wendler Glottoplasty with Voice Therapy in Transgender Women
Authors: Rapoport Sarah K. , Park Christopher , Varelas Eleni A , Chang Joseph , Brown Sarah K. , Kinberg Eliezer , Goldberg Leanne , Courey Mark S.
Published: May 2022

Background

To date, 1‐year evaluation of pitch elevation in patients undergoing modified Wendler glottoplasty (WG) in combination with VT has not been assessed.

Objectives

To determine whether 1‐year pitch elevation is sustained in patients who undergo modified WG in combination with VT for voice feminization.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients who underwent WG in combination with voice therapy (VT) was performed from 2016 to 2020. Charts were reviewed for sustained vowel fundamental frequency (F0/a/), speaking fundamental frequency (SF0), and Trans Woman Voice Questionnaire (TWVQ) at preoperative, initial postoperative (3–6 months after surgery), and 12‐month postoperative visits.

Results

Change in average F0/a/, SF0 and TWVQ was 50.25 Hz, 32.96 Hz, and 32.6 at 12‐months postoperatively compared to preoperative values. Initial and 12‐month postoperative SF0 were significantly higher than preoperative SF0 (Mann–Whitney U test p = 0.0042, p = 0.0010). There was no difference in initial postoperative and 12‐month postoperative SF0 (p = 0.50). TWVQ at 12 months was significantly lower than preoperative TWVQ (ANOVA p < 0.001, Tukey honestly significant difference HSD p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Pitch elevation remains sustained at one year in patients undergoing modified WG in combination with VT. Modified Wendler glottoplasty combined with VT results in relatively long‐term improvements in voice‐related quality of life and is possibly a beneficial addition in the long‐term management of patients who desire voice feminization.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 133:615–620, 2023
Surgeon Volume and Laryngectomy Outcomes
Authors: Saraswathula Anirudh , Austin J. Matthew , Fakhry Carole , Vosler Peter S. , Mandal Rajarsi , Koch Wayne M. , Tan Marietta , Eisele David W. , Frick Kevin D. , Gourin Christine G.
Published: May 2022

Objective

To examine the relationship between surgeon volume and operative morbidity and mortality for laryngectomy.

Data Sources

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify 45,156 patients who underwent laryngectomy procedures for laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer between 2001 and 2011. Hospital and surgeon laryngectomy volume were modeled as categorical variables.

Methods

Relationships between hospital and surgeon volume and mortality, surgical complications, and acute medical complications were examined using multivariable regression.

Results

Higher‐volume surgeons were more likely to operate at large, teaching, nonprofit hospitals and were more likely to treat patients who were white, had private insurance, hypopharyngeal cancer, low comorbidity, admitted electively, and to perform partial laryngectomy, concurrent neck dissection, and flap reconstruction. Surgeons treating more than 5 cases per year were associated with lower odds of medical and surgical complications, with a greater reduction in the odds of complications with increasing surgical volume. Surgeons in the top volume quintile (>9 cases/year) were associated with a decreased odds of in‐hospital mortality (OR = 0.09 [0.01–0.74]), postoperative surgical complications (OR = 0.58 [0.45–0.74]), and acute medical complications (OR = 0.49 [0.37–0.64]). Surgeon volume accounted for 95% of the effect of hospital volume on mortality and 16%–47% of the effect of hospital volume on postoperative morbidity.

Conclusion

There is a strong volume‐outcome relationship for laryngectomy, with reduced mortality and morbidity associated with higher surgeon and higher hospital volumes. Observed associations between hospital volume and operative morbidity and mortality are mediated by surgeon volume, suggesting that surgeon volume is an important component of the favorable outcomes of high‐volume hospital care. Laryngoscope, 133:834–840, 2023
Systematic Study of Enzymatic Degradation and Plasmid DNA Complexation of Mucus Penetrating Star‐Shaped Lysine/Sarcosine Polypept(o)ides with Different Block Arrangements
Authors: Skoulas Dimitrios , Fattah Sarinj , Wang Dandan , Cryan Sally‐Ann , Heise Andreas
Published: May 2022

8‐Arm star polypep(o)ides comprising cationic polylysine and hydrophilic polysarcosine blocks with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 30 per block are synthesized. Two different block sequences with polylysine as the inner and polysarcosine as the outer block and vice versa are obtained in addition to a statistical copolymer. Analysis of the enzymatic hydrolysis by the proteolytic enzyme trypsin demonstrates a strong dependence on structural arrangements. While polypept(o)ide disintegration is detectible after 24 h by Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), significant hydrolysis of the lysine blocks is only monitored after 48 h by fluorescamine labeling of the produced lysine and clearly accelerated in structures with more accessible polylysine blocks. All structures are capable of complexing plasmid DNA and form gene nanomedicines at sizes around or below 200 nm as determined by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), and Transition Electron Microscopy (TEM). The polyplex formation is slightly enhanced for both block structures over the random copolypept(o)ide. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the polyplexes can transport through mucus. The results highlight the importance of structural control in compartmentalized polymeric gene vector candidates with hydrophilic domains for potential mucosal delivery.
A comparative study between deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap breast reconstruction and DIEP flap breast reconstruction coupled with vascularized lymph node transfer: Improving the quality of life of patients with breast cancer related lymphedema without affecting donor site outcomes
Authors: Di Taranto Giuseppe , Coleman Grant J. , Hardwicke Joseph , Wallis Katy L. , Skillman Joanna
Published: May 2022

Background

Despite simultaneous microvascular breast reconstruction (MBR) and vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) gaining wide popularity as a potential treatment for breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL), there is a lack of evidence supporting the procedure. There are few reports in the literature, and no study has compared simple deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) to simultaneous DIEP flap and VLNT.

Patients and methods

A retrospective analysis of our series of DIEP flaps was conducted. Patients presenting with BCRL who had delayed MBR and simultaneous VLNT were selected. Thirty‐two patients were included and compared with a control group of delayed MBR with DIEP flap alone. Clinical evaluation, circumference reduction rate, and LYMQOL questionnaire were used to compare preoperative and postoperative findings in the study group. A digital version of BREAST Q questionnaire was administered to all patients.

Results

Thirty‐two patients were enrolled in the study group, with a mean follow‐up of 42.5 ± 25.7 months and mean age of 54.1 ± 7.8 years. The mean circumference reduction rate was 46.1 ± 52.3, 39 ± 42.3, 47.5 ± 53.5, 39.2 ± 52.4, 33.6 ± 50.1 at the deltoid insertion, above the elbow, below the elbow, at the mid‐forearm and wrist respectively. Postoperative LYMQOL scores significantly improved (function 1.21, appearance 1.15, symptoms 1.34, mood 1.33, overall QOLscore 8.6) from preoperative baseline (p < .001). There was no significant difference in term of outcomes and complications rate of the donor site between the study and control groups.

Conclusions

Simultaneous DIEPandVLNT improves the HRQOL of patients with lymphedema. Coupling VLNT with abdominal flap does not increase the morbidity of donor site.
Dihydromyricetin Improves High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Hyperglycemia through ILC3 Activation via a SIRT3‐Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Zhou Jie , Hou Pengfei , Yao Yu , Yue Jing , Zhang Qianyong , Yi Long , Mi Mantian
Published: May 2022

Scope

Previous studies indicate that dihydromyricetin (DHM) effectively improved glucose homeostasis and alleviated insulin resistance in population‐intervened trials, yet the underlying mechanism remains obscure.

Methods and results

Wild‐type male mice and recombinase activating gene 1(Rag1)–/– mice (lacking adaptive immunity lymphocytes) are fed with control, high‐fat diet (HFD), or HFD+DHM diets for 8 weeks. DHM effectively protects HFD feeding mice against hyperglycemia by promoting group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) cells proliferation and interleukin 22 (IL‐22) production. Furthermore, IL‐22 secretion induced by DHM increases the expression levels of the tight junction (TJs) molecules to protect the intestinal barrier integrity, thereby decreasing the level of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), an endotoxin that is involved in the regulation of chronic tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. In addition, silent mating‐type information regulation 2 homolog 3 (SIRT3) deficiency results in more serious obesity and intestinal barrier damage following HFD feeding and abolished DHM‐mediated increase in IL‐22 expression levels of ILC3 cells in SIRT3 knockout (SIRT3KO) mice. DHM reduces metabolic stress and enhances mitochondrial respiratory capacity to promote cell proliferation and IL‐22 secretion by activating SIRT3 in ILC3 cells

Conclusions

DHM improves IL‐22 production of ILC3 cells and subsequently inhibits intestinal barrier dysfunction to alleviate hyperglycemia partially mediated by SIRT3.
Non‐dystrophic myotonia: 2‐year clinical and patient reported outcomes
Authors: Fullam Timothy R. , Chandrashekhar Swathy , Farmakidis Constantine , Jawdat Omar , Pasnoor Mamatha , Dimachkie Mazen M. , Statland Jeffrey M. ,   the CINCH Consortium
Published: May 2022

Introduction/Aims

Consistency of differences between non‐dystrophic myotonias over time measured by standardized clinical/patient‐reported outcomes is lacking. Evaluation of longitudinal data could establish clinically relevant endpoints for future research.

Methods

Data from prospective observational study of 95 definite/clinically suspected non‐dystrophic myotonia participants (six sites in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada) between March 2006 and March 2009 were analyzed. Outcomes included: standardized symptom interview/exam, Short Form‐36, Individualized Neuromuscular Quality of Life (INQoL), electrophysiological short/prolonged exercise tests, manual muscle testing, quantitative grip strength, modified get‐up‐and‐go test. Patterns were assigned as described by Fournier et al. Comparisons were restricted to confirmed sodium channelopathies (SCN4A, baseline, year 1, year 2: n = 34, 19, 13), chloride channelopathies (CLCN1, n = 32, 26, 18), and myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2, n = 9, 6, 2).

Results

Muscle stiffness was the most frequent symptom over time (54.7%–64.7%). Eyelid myotonia and paradoxical handgrip/eyelid myotonia were more frequent in SCN4A. Grip strength and combined manual muscle testing remained stable. Modified get‐up‐and‐go showed less warm up in SCN4A but remained stable. Median post short exercise decrement was stable, except for SCN4A (baseline to year 2 decrement difference 16.6% [Q1, Q3: 9.5, 39.2]). Fournier patterns type 2 (CLCN1) and 1 (SCN4A) were most specific; 40.4% of participants had a change in pattern over time. INQoL showed higher impact for SCN4A and DM2 with scores stable over time.

Discussion

Symptom frequency and clinical outcome assessments were stable with defined variability in myotonia measures supporting trial designs like cross over or combined n‐of‐1 as important for rare disorders.
Melt electrowriting: A study of jet diameters and jet speeds along the spinline
Authors: Ashour Sherry , Xu Huaizhong
Published: May 2022

An experimental study on jet dynamics of melt electrowriting is firstly investigated. High‐definition images of jet piling up to 15 layers are recorded. The most notable finding is that despite the variation of jet diameter along the spinline it remained constant at the landing point as the layers elevated. Jet speeds along the spinline can be accurately deduced from the jet diameter, which facilitates the high‐precision printing of melt electrowriting.
Utilization of Mucuna atropurpurea stem fiber as a reinforcement in fiber reinforced plastics
Authors: Senthamaraikannan P. , Saravanakumar S. S.
Published: May 2022

This research investigated the scope of using a fiber harvested from Mucuna atropurpurea (MAF) plant as reinforcement in fiber‐reinforced plastics. An optical microscope and a pycnometer were used to calculate the diameter (289 ± 21 μm) and density (1082 ± 29 kg/m3) of the MAF. Using chemical compositional analysis, 58.74 ± 5.74 wt% cellulose and 16.31 ± 3.21 wt% hemicellulose, and 14.22 ± 3.36 wt% lignin and 0.38 ± 0.08 wt% wax components were found in the MAF. Numerous chemical stretching in the MAF were checked using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Briodo analysis (68.08 kJ/mol) showed the kinetic activation energy of the MAF. Surface morphological inspections suggested surface treatments of MAF due to contaminations and wax on the fiber surface. The statistical analysis conducted for determining the tensile properties of MAF revealed that MAF is a suitable candidate to produce fiber‐reinforced plastics. Characterization of MAF‐reinforced polyester composites showed that 40 mm fiber length and 30 wt% fiber enhanced tensile strength (109.51 ± 2.1 MPa), flexural strength (156.62 ± 3.1 MPa), and hardness (94 ± 4 HRRW). Fractography images of composites with fiber pull‐outs in the MAF‐reinforced plastics were taken for analysis. Less cavities and voids in the 30 wt% MAF‐reinforced composites were found along with reduced water absorption.
Conversion rates in robotic thyroid surgery: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Martino Barbara , Nitro Letizia , De Pasquale Loredana , Lozza Paolo , Maccari Alberto , Castellani Luca , Piazzoni Matilde , Cardellicchio Matteo , Bulfamante Antonio Mario , Pipolo Carlotta , Felisati Giovanni , Saibene Alberto Maria
Published: May 2022

Objective

To define the conversion risk to open procedure during robot‐assisted thyroid surgery (RATS) identifying potential specific subclasses of procedures or accesses at higher conversion risk.

Methods

In a PRISMA‐compliant framework, all original prospective studies providing RATS conversion rates from multiple databases were pooled in a random‐effects meta‐analysis. Conversion rates were compared between different typologies of thyroid surgery and robotic access.

Results

13 studies were deemed eligible. Four conversions from two studies were reported out of 398 procedures. No significant heterogeneity was observed (Cochran's Q p = 0.932; I2 = 0%). The pooled conversion rate was 1% (95% confidence interval, 0.1%–2%). The ANOVA‐Q test failed to show significant differences when comparing type of thyroid surgery or robotic access (respectively p = 0.766 and p = 0.457).

Conclusion

While the conversion rate appears consistently low across studies, prospective data collection and systematic reporting of procedural complications are required for framing high‐risk procedures and accesses.
Succession of metabolically active Anaeromyxobacter community in flooded paddy soil owing to organic carbon input
Authors: Li Lina , Qu Zhi , Jia Rong , Li Tingliang , Qu Dong
Published: May 2022

Anaeromyxobacter spp. are prevalent and can make important contribution to microbial Fe(III) reduction in flooded paddy soils, which could be greatly regulated by exogenous organic C input. In this study, dynamics in the abundance and structure of metabolically active Anaeromyxobacter community based on RNA level were investigated by a 40‐d anaerobic incubation of paddy soils amended with glucose at 0.1 and 0.5 mol C kg−1 soil, respectively. Compared with the control treatment, glucose additions generally showed obvious inhibitory effect on the Anaeromyxobacter growth; glucose addition at low concentration decreased the abundance of Anaeromyxobacter by 3.56 × 106 to 4.06 × 107 copies g–1 soil within the first 5 d of incubation, whereas a remarkable decrease by 4.54 × 106 to 7.71 × 107 copies g–1 soil occurred after paddy soils were amended with high glucose concentration. Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans‐like OTU_1 (where OTU stands for operational taxonomic unit) was dominant in the metabolically active Anaeromyxobacter community and showed significant and positive relationship with Fe(III) reduction process. The structure of Anaeromyxobacter community was greatly altered by glucose additions, and divergences mainly occurred after 5 d of incubation. Additionally, glucose additions could enhance interactions within the Anaeromyxobacter community, especially for positive correlations. In general, glucose addition could greatly inhibit the abundance and alter the structure of Anaeromyxobacter community by jointly decreasing soil pH; however, it could promote the final Fe(III) reduction by enhancing the utilization of Anaeromyxobacter to crystalline Fe oxide.
Face‐to‐face interactions and the returns to acquisitions: Evidence from smartphone geolocational data
Authors: Testoni Marco , Sakakibara Mariko , Chen M. Keith
Published: May 2022

Research Summary

We examine the effect of face‐to‐face interactions between acquirers and targets before the acquisition announcements on acquisition returns. We argue that frequent interactions increase the target management's trust in the acquirer and benefit the acquirer by mitigating competition in the bidding process. For a sample of U.S. domestic acquisitions, we use smartphone geolocational data to measure the movement of people between merging companies in the months before the announcement. We find that with more frequent interactions, acquirers earn higher stock market returns at the announcement and targets receive fewer later bids from other bidders. Moreover, more frequent interactions are associated with lower returns to public targets vis‐à‐vis their acquirers. The effect of interactions is weaker when shareholder‐manager agency problems in the target are less severe.

Managerial Summary

Previous research shows that while acquisitions can create synergistic gains, the presence of potentially competing bidders forces acquirers to pay a high price for their targets, which makes acquisitions generally unprofitable for acquirers. We provide evidence suggesting that frequent social interactions between the acquirer's and the target's management in the pre‐acquisition phase increase the target management's trust in the acquirer, making it more willing to cede control to the acquirer and less eager to seek alternative bidders. By mitigating competition in the bidding process, social interactions make acquisitions more profitable for acquirers vis‐à‐vis targets. Social interactions are less effective when the target's management owns a larger share of the target or is better monitored by shareholders (e.g., in companies with concentrated ownership or private companies).
Artificial intelligence leads the reform of education models
Authors: Qu Jianjing , Zhao Yanan , Xie Yongping
Published: May 2022

Artificial intelligence has become a new engine to achieve innovation‐driven development. Integrating artificial intelligence and education will lead to a new education development model and promote better education. Analysing the development trends in artificial intelligence education in various countries shows the demands for training and platform construction of artificial intelligence education. Artificial intelligence education presents the characteristics of diversified technology, personalized instruction, and intelligent student assessment.
Thermo‐mechanical experiments on reinforced concrete beams: Assessing thermal, mechanical, and mixed impacts on fiber optic measurements
Authors: Clauß Felix , Ahrens Mark Alexander , Mark Peter
Published: May 2022

Strain and temperature measurements on reinforced concrete structures with Rayleigh‐based fiber optic sensors (FOS) promise dense data networks of crucial structural parameters. In this context, the measurement of temperature and mechanical strain is invariably intertwined, precipitating in a frequency shift recorded via FOS. Consecutive experiments were carried out on reinforced concrete beams under mechanical, thermal, and thermo‐mechanical loading. Basic analysis of fiber optics equations indicates the sensitivities toward both influences. These are quantified and juxtaposed in experiments, first separately and subsequently combined. As concerns temperature measurement, the slightest tensile forces exerted onto the FOS may engender distortions of several degrees Celsius. Conversely, strain measurements are affected by temperature changes to a lesser degree. Nevertheless, the level of strain to be sensed and the severity of corrupting temperature shifts must be carefully weighted. The article raises awareness for the coupling of temperature and strain and enables the practitioner to identify and assess perturbations.
Mitigation of membrane fouling of alginate with combined actions of aeration and powdered activated carbon: Fouling behaviors and mechanisms
Authors: Liu Ya‐Juan
Published: May 2022

A laboratory‐scale flat‐sheet ceramic microfiltration membrane system was developed to investigate the membrane fouling behaviors and mechanisms of sodium alginate (SA) in the presence of aeration and powdered activated carbon (PAC). When the SA concentration increased from 20 to 500 mg/L, the permeate flux decreased by 81.7%, and the transmembrane pressure (TMP) and resistance increased 1.7 and 24.5 times, respectively. At an SA concentration of 500 mg/L, it was found that the membrane fouling tended to decrease with the increase in the aeration rate, indicating high control of the fouling by air scouring, while PAC–aeration scouring produced a significant improvement in the permeate flux with substantially reduced fouling. In the microfiltration of 500 mg/L SA at an air flow rate of 2.2 L/min and PAC concentrations of 40, 100, and 250 mg/L, the flux increased by 179.3%, 238.0%, and 302.7%, the TMP decreased by 32.6%, 34.8%, and 45.7%, and the cake and pore blocking resistance decreased by 78.0%, 85.1%, and 87.9%, respectively, compared to the corresponding values without PAC–aeration scouring. Intermediate blocking and complete blocking models were confirmed to elucidate the effect of aeration scouring and PAC–aeration scouring on the mitigation of membrane fouling by SA.

Practitioner Points

Air scouring was effective at mitigating membrane fouling of sodium alginate.

The addition of PAC could alleviate membrane fouling of SA.

Synergistic scouring by aeration and PAC offers a promising means for more‐efficient and cost‐effective control of membrane fouling.

The fouling mechanisms in various scenarios were elucidated.
Experiences of Mozambican Migrant Children in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Authors: Chiyangwa Betty , Rugunanan Pragna
Published: May 2022

Second-generation migrant children have difficulties in accessing education in rural areas. This chapter considers the intersection of migration and education in rural contexts in South Africa, often an under-researched area. The research adopted a qualitative approach paradigm. Ten semi-structured, child-centred interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted with ten migrant children and their caregivers in Hluvukani village, rural Bushbuckridge, South Africa. Through a Rational approach, this chapter discovered that second-generation Mozambican migrant children aged from 13-18 years strongly value education access. Some of the challenges experienced result from a lack of identity documentation, experiences of xenophobia, discrimination and social exclusion. This chapter argues that, despite the multiple vulnerabilities, migrant children are not passive recipients. Instead, they are capable beings who sometimes act against various challenges by employing direct, proxy or collective agency.
Apartheid Racism and Post-apartheid Xenophobia: Bridging the Gap
Authors: Kaziboni Anthony
Published: May 2022

Media images of Africa seems to suggest that the continent is characterised by mass exodus to the Global North. Most African migration actually occurs within the continent. Conflict and other governance challenges, as well as poverty and relative deprivation all contribute to human mobility within the continent, as well as overseas. On the continent, South Africa is the most preferred destination by immigrants – the country has a robust economy and constitutionalism firmly grounded in the respect for human rights. Xenophobic violence has continued to erupt in the “new” South Africa and I attribute this to a culture of violence in South Africa originating from apartheid. Immigrants in South Africa experience multiple forms of discrimination and oppression which manifest in covert and overt experiences of xenophobia. Looking at South to South migration, in this chapter I investigate the consequences of intra-African migration, and particularly how xenophobia in the post-apartheid state is grounded in South Africa’s racist past, and argue that immigrants are surviving in a “post-apartheid-apartheid” South Africa.
“We maZimba… There Is Nothing That We Cannot Do”: The Work Ethic of Undocumented Zimbabwean Day Labourers in eMalahleni, South Africa
Authors: Machinya Johannes
Published: May 2022

Between June 2015 and December 2016, I interacted with undocumented Zimbabwean day labourers in eMalahleni. These were predominantly men who congregated at strategic locations such as the local shopping mall, Isibindi Centre, and road intersections around the mall, waiting to be hired for a day’s work. Some of the men, such as Donald, would strategically isolate themselves to avoid competition from the other men and make themselves easily noticeable to prospective employers. One afternoon, in the sweltering heat of October 2015, on my way to Isibindi Centre, I noticed Donald sitting alone with his lawn mower on the roadside. I joined him, and after exchanging salutations, inquired:
Refugee Policy as Infrastructure: The Gulf Between Policy Intent and Implementation for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in South Africa
Authors: Moyo Khangelani , Botha Christine
Published: May 2022

This chapter engages the policy practices of the South African state in handling refugees and asylum seekers. The primary focus is on the articulation of migration policy concerning refugees and asylum seekers into physical infrastructure and the lived experiences of refugees in the urban context of Johannesburg. The research considers the decisionmaking timeline involved in developing the policy landscape and resulting migration infrastructure (or lack thereof) for refugees and asylum seekers. We explore policy as hard and soft infrastructure and note that, the refugee and asylum seeker policies in South Africa have at times been shaped to align to migration patterns retrospectively but in recent years - have taken a more restrictive position towards mobility more generally. In engaging these issues, the research draws on the existing literature and insights from key informant interviews with representatives of refugee protection NGOs, the City of Johannesburg migration unit and academic researchers.
Grammatical Structures and Stylistic Strategies
Authors: Luby Stephen , Southern Dorothy L.
Published: May 2022

A number of common grammatical mistakes and stylistic strategies risk undermining clear communication and a professional tone in your manuscript. Common grammatical errors to avoid include failing to use definite and indefinite articles, misplacing modifiers, and using nouns with awkward syntax in place of verbs. A manuscript represents work that was conducted at one time and will be read by scientists later. Therefore, it should be written in past tense. Scientific writing values precision. Active voice clarifies who did the action described in the paper. Science prioritizes observations in the external world and reasoning based upon these observations. A psychological perspective about how the authors feel is a less useful perspective to bring to scientific communication.
Introduction: Virchow Revisited on the Importance of Public Health Political Science
Authors: Fafard Patrick , de Leeuw Evelyne , Cassola Adèle
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the choices governments make to address infectious disease threats are necessarily and inherently informed by both scientific evidence and a host of other social, ethical, and economic considerations. Managing what are often competing goals is the stuff of politics. Because public health is political, it only makes sense to draw on the insights of political science, a discipline that seeks to systematically understand how politics and government work. However, what some have called public health political science is a relatively underdeveloped area, in part because of structural barriers that keep these two disciplines from engaging meaningfully. Thus, the major goals of this book are to provide examples of how political science perspectives can be used to better inform public health; to call on political scientists to learn from and engage in public health; and to advance the interconnection of public health and political science as scholarly disciplines. This chapter briefly explores the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of this emergent field and provides a summary sketch of the individual chapters.
How Can Policy Theory Help to Address the Expectations Gap in Preventive Public Health and ‘Health in All Policies’?
Authors: Cairney Paul , Denny Emily St. , Mitchell Heather
Published: May 2022

This chapter explores how to combine insights from public health and political science to explain and adapt to policymaking in preventive public health. First, it describes public health approaches to policy change, focusing on the social determinants of health and the need for high political commitment to health equity. Second, it suggests that, while governments often use the right language to describe public health aims, there is a major gap between commitment, policy, and policy outcomes. We draw on public policy theories to explain this gap, with reference to the ambiguity of preventive policy initiatives, exacerbated by policymaking complexity in which no actor or organisation has strong coordinative capacity. Third, it relates these insights to a qualitative systematic review of ‘Health in All Policies’ (HiAP) research. We compare two different ways to use policy theories for practical lessons: to improve the HiAP playbook and programme logic or to prompt critical reflection on policymaking dilemmas.
Public Health Policymaking, Politics, and Evidence
Authors: Kothari Anita , Smith Maxwell J.
Published: May 2022

This chapter explores the gradient of public health engagement and relationships with politics and political science. On one hand, public health values evidence-based decision-making grounded in orthodox hierarchies of evidence, while on the other, by nature of the issues, there are challenges to obtaining this data and to omitting values and contextual considerations. Additionally, public health competes with other health sectors for time and funding which makes political spheres difficult to break into as public health researchers. Apart from some critical public health scholars, many public health researchers have limited knowledge of policy-related concepts. This chapter describes a gradual shift from evidence-based to evidence-informed decision-making in policy, and what this means for conceptualizing policymaking and politics from a public health lens. Most importantly, the chapter describes the importance of the community as the space from which issues are identified, evidence is generated, and solutions are contextually bound.
Shifting Cultural Paradigms in Global Education: Toward Decolonizing Knowledge
Authors: Rasiah Harun
Published: May 2022

This chapter surveys three educational policies that contend with cultural difference: cultural sensitivity, multiculturalism, and interculturality. Liberal paradigms such as these operate on the premise of good faith, in which sincere engagement with cultural differences promotes integration into the wider social order and aids in ameliorating racism and ethnic conflict. Critics, however, challenge policies of discursive inclusion for failing to address structural and systemic inequality, which requires more substantive interventions. The origins of educational inequality can be traced to class relations and coloniality, and therefore it is incumbent to question inherited myths and official histories as well as eurocentric concepts, categories, and methods. Decolonizing approaches provide alternative perspectives on culture that, in challenging existing governmental and social arrangements, seek to re-envision educational systems starting at the foundational level of knowledge construction. This contemporary approach is preceded by a long history of Muslim educationists seeking to promote religiosity through a universal outlook based in equality, expressed in “South-South” linkages predating concepts of the third world and global South. Examining education and culture over thelongue duréeprovides a useful context for contemporary debates that problematize eurocentrism and disparities in educational outcomes.
Does Religious Education Have a Future in 21th Century? An Anthropologist on the Continued Relevance of Islamic Education
Authors: Talib Mohammad
Published: May 2022

This article argues the Islamic education of the past to have a future in contemporary times. The faith-based resources the educational tradition provides have the potential to reconnect the moral and professional sides of education for various productive roles in modern society. In the contemporary scenario where moral conduct and professional-occupational performance are disunited both conceptually and institutionally, Islamic education faces a challenge to its own relevance. The paper attempts to correct the stereotyping of Islamic education by drawing examples from varied contexts of the transmission of sacred knowledge through different institutional forms. The analysis seeks to recover what the discourse on the reform of Islamic education has ignored. The challenge before Islamic education is how to provide its bearers the conceptual means to make sense of the environing world while remaining steadfast in harboring moral virtue as a skill in the making of modern civilization. One response is to attend to the tools of social science not only for making sense of the modern world but also for engaging in a conversation with scholarly traditions outside the religious sphere. This should help develop the mutual sharing of discursive resources for common purposes between religion and the modern public sphere.
A Theory of the Big Bang in McTaggart’s Time
Authors: Merriam Paul
Published: May 2022

There are long-standing questions about the Big Bang: What were its properties? Was there nothing before it? Was the universe always here? Many conceptual issues revolve around time. This paper gives a novel model based on McTaggart’s temporal distinction between the A-series (future-present-past) and B-series (earlier-times to later-times). These series are useful while situated in a Presentist and Fragmentalist account of quantum mechanics, one in which the consistency with the Special Relativity (in particular the relativity of simultaneity) will be made explicit (section 6). This allows us to make a fruitful distinction between two pertinent questions: what happens as we go to earlier times toward the Big Bang? And: what happens as we go further into the past toward the Big Bang?
DOM in the long arc of environmental science: looking back and thinking ahead
Authors: McDowell William H.
Published: May 2022

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of organic compounds that is produced through both microbial degradation and abiotic leaching of solid phase organic matter, and by a wide range of metabolic processes in algae and higher plants. DOM is ubiquitous throughout the hydrologic cycle and plays an important role in watershed management for drinking water supply as well as many aspects of aquatic ecology and geochemistry. Due to its wide-ranging effects in natural waters and analytical challenges, the focal research questions regarding DOM have varied since the 1920s. A standard catchment-scale model has emerged to describe the environmental controls on DOM concentrations. Modest concentrations of DOM are found in atmospheric deposition, large increases occur in throughfall and shallow soil flow paths, and variable concentrations in surface waters occur largely as a result of the extent to which hydrologic flow paths encounter deeper mineral soils, wetlands or shallow organic-rich riparian soils. Both production and consumption of DOM occur in surface waters but appear to frequently balance, resulting in relatively constant concentrations with distance downstream in most streams and rivers. Across biomes the concentration and composition of DOM in flowing waters is driven largely by soil processes or direct inputs to channels, but high levels can be found in streams and rivers from the tropics to the poles. Seven central challenges and opportunities in the study of DOM should frame ongoing research. These include maintaining or establishing long-term records of changes in concentrations and fluxes over time, capitalizing on the use of sensors to describe short-term DOM dynamics in aquatic systems, integrating the full carbon cycle into understanding of watershed and aquatic DOM dynamics, understanding the role of DOM in evasion of greenhouse gases from inland waters, unraveling the enigma of dissolved organic nitrogen, documenting gross versus net DOM fluxes, and moving beyond an emphasis on functional ecological significance to understanding the evolutionary significance of DOM in a wide range of environments.