bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing trends in remote teaching among instructors in higher education in the shadow of the coronavirus crisis
Authors: Barak Dikla , Aizenberg Merav , Zilka Gila Cohen
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine whether the remote teaching experience of instructors in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic has improved after one year.

Design/methodology/approach

The study involved 75 instructors teaching at an institution of higher education in Israel, who answered twice (once in 2020 and again in 2021) a quantitative questionnaire that examined their remote teaching experience.

Findings

The hypotheses about greater use of digital tools and about more positive attitudes of instructors toward remote teaching and learning at the second measurement than at the first one were confirmed. This hypothesis about lower levels of technical difficulties in remote teaching at the second measurement was not confirmed, but the level of reported difficulty was already low at the first measurement.

Practical implications

It is recommended that academic institutions continue the trend of deploying innovation in teaching with confidence in the ability of instructors to adapt to change. At the same time, instructors should be provided with mental and technical support.

Originality/value

Few studies have examined the change in attitudes of instructors toward remote teaching over time. In the present study, we used a repeated measures design, which made it possible to monitor the instructors’ adaptation to remote teaching. Adaptation to the new teaching method can contribute to innovation in teaching in academic institutions and to improvement in its quality.
Agreement and participants’ preferences comparing: self-rated falls risk questionnaire (FRQ) and activities-specific balance confidence (ABC) scale in community-dwelling older adults using the Bland–Altman method
Authors: Kooshiar Hadi , MacDermid Joy C. , Walton Dave M. , Grewal Ruby
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Screening for fall risks is an important part of fall and fracture prevention. This study aims to investigate cross-sectional inter-instrumental agreement and participants’ preferences of the self-rated Falls Risk Questionnaire (FRQ) and Activities Specific Balance Confidence 6 items (ABC-6). This study also aimed to compare FRQ and ABC-6 scores in older adults with and without a history of falls.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an online and snowball sampling survey, 114 respondents were recruited from six countries. Respondents were asked to perform FRQ and ABC-6 surveys.

Findings

The mean respondent age was 67 years, and 44.8% reported falls in the past year. The mean of rescored FRQ and ABC-6 scores were 68.6% and 66.2%, respectively. The FRQ and ABC-6 scores for fallers were lower than non-fallers. Bland and Altman’s method indicated the mean −2.6 and two standard deviations 20.9 differences between ABC-6 and FRQ, which means an overall agreement between these tools. Most of the respondents, 36% had no preference between ABC-6 and FRQ, 34% preferred none, 21% preferred the ABC-6 and 9% preferred the FRQ for screening future falls risk.

Originality/value

Both ABC-6 and FRQ can distinguish between fallers and non-fallers, and findings of this study can be used to support the use of the FRQ for falls screening in older adults.
The mediating role of investment image in the effect of country image on investment intention: an empirical study on Egypt
Authors: Izzularab Aya Mohamed , Radwan Farouk , Gad Ramadan , Björk Peter
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of country image on investment intention and the role of investment image as a mediating factor. Both cognitive and affective country image dimensions were addressed to assess the functional and emotional aspects of the country image and their effects on investment intention. The current study targeted Egypt, as one of the developing countries, from the point of view of Nordic investors.

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model using data collected from 124 top managers of different companies in the clean energy sector in Nordic countries.

Findings

The results showed that cognitive and affective country images are positively related to the investment image, and that investment image is positively correlated with the investment intention. The investment image has a full mediating role in the relationship between cognitive and affective country images and investment intention.

Originality/value

The past few decades have witnessed a growing interest in country image research; however, limited studies have investigated the impact of country image on foreign investment intention. This study adds to the understanding for the potential contribution of the investment image of developing countries in the decision-making process for the foreign direct investment.
The influence of cultural competency in accounting
Authors: Hannah Anthony L. , Norman Mario V. , Johnson Kimberly M.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the influence of culture in the accounting profession and introduce/advance a framework for cultural competence in the accounting field.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is written for academics and practitioners, focusing on strategies to promote cultural competency in the accounting profession. It includes professional rationales for accounting management and human resources practitioners recognizing the need for and the factors impeding cultural inclusiveness in the accounting profession.

Findings

Due to globalization, cross-border business operations are continuously growing. The need to understand and address cultural differences is imperative.

Originality/value

This article offers solutions to equip leaders in support of human capital management with engaging, retaining and diversity and equity competency for current and future employees and the globalization of their customer base. The research offers recommendations for cultural competencies to help strengthen business, and leadership address culture systematically in their highly complex roles.
Management Scholarship and the Russia–Ukraine War
Authors: Cumming Douglas
Published: October 2022

The Russia–Ukraine war requires management scholars to reflect on the interconnectedness of research themes across countries, and across management disciplines. This paper introduces the papers in this mini special section and discusses the interdisciplinary implications of the Russia–Ukraine war on themes that include – but are not limited to – management theory, banking, energy, culture, psychology and international entrepreneurship and innovation.
Durable response to afatinib rechallenge in a long‐term survivor of non‐small cell lung cancer harboring EGFR L858R and L747V mutations
Authors: Kanbe Mio , Sunaga Noriaki , Hara Kenichiro , Sawada Hiiru , Wakamatsu Ikuo , Hara Kentaro , Muto Sohei , Sawada Yuri , Masubuchi Hiroaki , Sato Mari , Miura Yosuke , Tsurumaki Hiroaki , Yatomi Masakiyo , Sakurai Reiko , Koga Yasuhiko , Ohtaki Yoichi , Nagashima Toshiteru , Okano Naoko , Kubo Nobuteru , Maeno Toshitaka , Hisada Takeshi
Published: October 2022

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors are standard therapeutic agents for non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with major EGFR mutations such as exon 19 deletions and a L858R mutation, whereas treatment strategies for cases with uncommon EGFR mutations remain to be fully established. Here, we report a long‐term (≥20 years from initial diagnosis) NSCLC survivor carrying EGFR L858R and L747V mutations. The patient received gefitinib monotherapy, systemic chemotherapy/chemoimmunotherapy, and local consolidative therapies for oligometastatic lesions, and responded to afatinib rechallenge with a progression‐free survival of 12 months. The current case suggests that afatinib is effective in NSCLC patients with EGFR L858R and L747V mutations and that a therapeutic approach combining appropriately timed systemic therapies with local consolidative therapies for oligometastatic lesions improves long‐term survival.
Cocaine falls into oblivion during volitional initiation of choice trials
Authors: Vandaele Youna , Augier Eric , Vouillac‐Mendoza Caroline , Ahmed Serge H.
Published: October 2022

When facing a choice, most animals quit drugs in favour of a variety of nondrug alternatives. We recently found, rather unexpectedly, that choice of the nondrug alternative is in fact inflexible and habitual. One possible contributing factor to habitual choice is the intermittency and uncontrollability of choice trials in previous studies. Here, we asked whether and to what extent volitional control over the occurrence of choice trials could change animals' preference by preventing habitual choice. To do so, rats were trained to nosepoke in a hole to trigger the presentation of two operant levers: one associated with cocaine, the other with saccharin. Rats were then free to choose among the two levers to obtain the corresponding reward, after which both levers retracted until rats self‐initiated the next choice trial. Overall, we found that volitional control over choice trials did not change preference. Most rats preferred saccharin over cocaine and selected this option almost exclusively. Intriguingly, after repeated choice and consumption of saccharin, rats transiently lost interest in this option (i.e., due to sensory‐specific satiety), but they did not switch to cocaine, preferring instead to pause during long periods of time before reinitiating a choice trial for saccharin. This finding suggests that during volitional initiation of a choice trial, rats fail to consider cocaine as an option. We discuss a possible associative mechanism to explain this perplexing behaviour.
The early diversification of ray‐finned fishes (Actinopterygii): hypotheses, challenges and future prospects
Authors: Henderson Struan , Dunne Emma M. , Fasey Sophie A. , Giles Sam
Published: October 2022

Actinopterygii makes up half of living vertebrate diversity, and study of fossil members during their Palaeozoic rise to dominance has a long history of descriptive work. Although research interest into Palaeozoic actinopterygians has increased in recent years, broader patterns of diversity and diversity dynamics remain critically understudied. Past studies have investigated macroevolutionary trends in Palaeozoic actinopterygians in a piecemeal fashion, variably using existing compendia of vertebrates or literature‐based searches. Here, we present a comprehensive occurrence‐based dataset of actinopterygians spanning the whole of the Palaeozoic. We use this to produce the first through‐Palaeozoic trends in genus and species counts for Actinopterygii. Diversity through time generally tracks metrics for sampling, while major taxonomic problems pervading the Palaeozoic actinopterygian record obscure diversity trends. Many described species are concentrated in several particularly problematic ‘waste‐basket’ genera, hiding considerable morphological and taxonomic diversity. This taxonomic confusion also feeds into a limited understanding of phylogenetic relationships. A heavy sampling bias towards Europe and North America exists in both occurrence databases and available phylogenetic matrices, with other regions underrepresented despite yielding important data. Scrutiny of the extent to which spatial biases influence the actinopterygian record is lacking, as is research on other forms of bias. Low richness in some time periods may be linked to geological biases, while the effects of taphonomic biases on Palaeozoic actinopterygians have not yet been investigated. Efforts are already underway both to redescribe poorly defined taxa and to describe taxa from underrepresented regions, helping to address taxonomic issues and accuracy of occurrence data. New methods of sampling standardisation utilising up‐to‐date occurrence databases will be critical in teasing apart biological changes in diversity and those resulting from bias. Lastly, continued phylogenetic work will enable the use of phylogenetic comparative methods to elucidate the origins of actinopterygian biogeography and subsequent patterns of radiation throughout their rise to dominate aquatic faunas.
Securing permanence for children in care: A cross‐country analysis of citizen's view on adoption versus foster care
Authors: Skivenes Marit , Benbenishty Rami
Published: October 2022

If children in child protection cannot be cared for by their natural parents, should they be adopted or live in foster home? Results from a study of representative samples of populations (n = 12 330), in eight European countries—Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway and Spain—and California, USA, reveal that people would recommend adoption over foster care, if a child in public care cannot grow up with their natural parent(s). There are cross‐country differences between populations, and examining if institutional context such as type of child protection system explains differences, we find that child maltreatment‐oriented systems are more supportive of adoption than other types of systems. Citizens having little confidence in the child protection system were only weakly correlated with preference for adoption. In conclusion, people prefer adoption as placement options for children in care are more than foster homes, and possible this finding reflects a sort of refamalialization of children into the private sphere.
Brain Energy Metabolism: Astrocytes in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Chen Zhenlei , Yuan Ziqi , Yang Shangchen , Zhu Yufei , Xue Maoqiang , Zhang Jie , Leng Lige
Published: October 2022

Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the brain. They have many important functions in the central nervous system (CNS), including the maintenance of glutamate and ion homeostasis, the elimination of oxidative stress, energy storage in glycogen, tissue repair, regulating synaptic activity by releasing neurotransmitters, and participating in synaptic formation. Astrocytes have special highly ramified structure. Their branches contact with synapses of neurons inwardly, with fine structure and wrapping synapses; their feet contact with blood vessels of brain parenchyma outward, almost wrapping the whole brain. The adjacent astrocytes rarely overlap and communicate with each other through gap junction channels. The ideal location of astrocytes enables them to sense the weak changes of their surroundings and provide the structural basis for the energy supply of neurons. Neurons and astrocytes are closely coupled units of energy metabolism in the brain. Neurons consume a lot of ATPs in the process of neurotransmission. Astrocytes provide metabolic substrates for neurons, maintain high activity of neuron, and facilitate information transmission of neurons. This article reviews the characteristics of glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism of astrocytes. The metabolic interactions between astrocytes and neurons, astrocytes and microglia were also detailed discussed. Finally, we classified analyzed the role of metabolic disorder of astrocytes in the occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Cannabis use for pain relief in the context of health service barriers: Accounts of street‐involved Nigerian women suffering chronic pain
Authors: Nelson Ediomo‐Ubong E. , Kitchen Chenai
Published: October 2022

Introduction

This study explored cannabis use for pain relief among socially marginalised Nigerian women in the context of barriers to pain management.

Methods

The study was designed as a qualitative exploratory study of pain experience and management. Sixteen in‐depth, individual interviews were conducted with street‐involved women who use drugs and had chronic pain. Transcripts were coded and analysed thematically.

Results

Pain was experienced as a pervasive feature of everyday life that disrupted daily routines, affected economic activities, strained social relationships and had adverse effects on health and wellbeing. Participants sought treatment in health facilities, but faced social and health system barriers to service utilisation including financial cost of services, dismissal of symptoms by providers, stigma due to physical appearance, substance use and lack of social support. These barriers encouraged disengagement from services and reliance on cannabis (along with heroin and diverted prescription opioids) for pain management. Cannabis use relieved pain and improved daily functioning, enabling participants to undertake economic activities. However, using cannabis to enhance the effects of opioids and heavy and long‐term use owing to pain chronicity and disability generated concerns about harms.

Discussion and Conclusions

Findings show the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in the face of barriers to pain management. This support calls to explore the potentials of cannabis for pain management for socially marginalised populations and to develop medical guidelines to reduce the risk of adverse health consequences. Therapeutic cannabis, provided based on medical guidance, could improve pain management for socially marginalised populations.
A gendered analysis of trends in the faith‐based provision of social services: Evidence from Egypt and Turkey
Authors: Çavdar Gamze
Published: October 2022

The involvement of faith‐based organizations in the provision of social welfare has been popular in discourse and policy over the last several decades. This policy is often recommended as a remedy to the underfunded and underdeveloped social welfare system in late industrializing countries. This paper aims to discuss the implications of this recommended policy on women in the MENA region. This question is significant because women in the MENA region need social services as they have the lowest labor market participation in the world and they have been disproportionately affected by poverty over the last decade, a trend exacerbated during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Based on fieldwork and utilizing both qualitative and quantitative sources, this paper discusses evidence from two country cases in the MENA region, Egypt and Turkey. The paper argues that the provision of social welfare by faith‐based organizations falls short in providing a substitute or alternative to publicly funded and universally provided social services for women because the provision of these services is inconsistent and unreliable and could be coopted by the government. Egypt represents a case in which the al‐Sisi regime adopted a confrontational strategy toward the Muslim Brotherhood and dismembered its services, while Turkey represents a case in which government coopts faith‐based organizations for political gain.
Implementation of occupational therapy within early intervention in psychosis services: Results from a national survey
Authors: Thomas Elizabeth C. , Read Halley , Neumann Nuriya , Zagorac Sarah , Taylor Caitlin , Kramer Ilyse , Fisher Ruth Marie , De Angelis Tina
Published: October 2022

Aim

Occupational therapy plays an important role in fostering community participation in areas such as education, employment, leisure, and social relationships, yet its added value within early intervention in psychosis services, especially in the United States, remains poorly understood. The purpose of this research was to conduct a national survey of early intervention in psychosis programs to: (1) understand the role and unique contributions of occupational therapists to early intervention teams, and (2) identify barriers and supports to the implementation of occupational therapy services within these programs.

Methods

Fifty‐one senior leaders from U.S.‐based early intervention in psychosis programs participated in the national survey. The survey consisted of a series of closed and open‐ended questions related to program staffing, the presence of specific services that fall within the occupational therapy scope of practice, and implementation barriers and supports.

Results

Despite there being strong interest in employing occupational therapists, a small proportion of programs (31%) reported having them on staff. Occupational therapists supported clients across multiple life areas and were significantly more likely than other team members to promote daily living activities (e.g., cooking) and to address sensory processing needs and challenges. Implementation was influenced by environmental/organizational and staff factors; the primary barrier was funding.

Conclusions

Findings support the role occupational therapists may play in facilitating the community participation of clients of early intervention services, but significant barriers to implementation of occupational therapy services remain. Additional research is needed to further identify the impact of occupational therapy services within the early intervention model.
Are genetic variation and demographic performance linked?
Authors: Carley Lauren N. , Morris William F. , Walsh Roberta , Riebe Donna , Mitchell‐Olds Tom
Published: October 2022

Quantifying relationships between genetic variation and population viability is important from both basic biological and applied conservation perspectives, yet few populations have been monitored with both long‐term demographic and population genetics approaches. To empirically test whether and how genetic variation and population dynamics are related, we present one such paired approach. First, we use eight years of historical demographic data from five populations of Boechera fecunda (Brassicaceae), a rare, self‐compatible perennial plant endemic to Montana, USA, and use integral projection models to estimate the stochastic population growth rate (λS) and extinction risk of each population. We then combine these demographic estimates with previously published metrics of genetic variation in the same populations to test whether genetic diversity within populations is linked to demographic performance. Our results show that in this predominantly inbred species, standing genetic variation and demography are weakly positively correlated. However, the inbreeding coefficient was not strongly correlated with demographic performance, suggesting that more inbred populations are not necessarily less viable or at higher extinction risk than less inbred populations. A contemporary re‐census of these populations revealed that neither genetic nor demographic parameters were consistently strong predictors of current population density, although populations showing lower probabilities of extinction in demographic models had larger population sizes at present. In the absence of evidence for inbreeding depression decreasing population viability in this species, we recommend conservation of distinct, potentially locally adapted populations of B. fecunda rather than alternatives such as translocations or reintroductions.
Major league baseball and the exploitation of Latin American children: Confronting baseball's greatest sin
Authors: Shimshi Stephen
Published: October 2022

On April 1, 2021, Major League Baseball celebrated its 145th Opening Day. Across the 30 clubs, 256 players represented 20 different countries and territories outside of the United States. The 256 players accounted for 28.3% of total players on Opening Day rosters and inactive lists. This number of foreign‐born players marked the second highest all‐time total on Opening Day rosters for a full season. Like never before, baseball has become global. Fans are routinely enthralled by the passion and flare these players bring to the game, but few are aware of the childhood exploitation they must overcome along the way.
Leadership development, gender and race: Intersectional insights from South Africa
Authors: Lewis Clif P
Published: October 2022

This research explores the existence of differential group‐level experiences in a South African retail group's leadership development programme (LDP). Primary data were collected with semistructured intersectional focus groups. Findings were triangulated with secondary data from organizational document analysis. Emerging themes were identified with Thematic and Axial coding. Gender‐ and race identity shape how content, development needs, peer interactions, and support are experienced within the LDP. Additionally, certain findings also contradict existing knowledge of LDPs, such as the prevalence of mistrust between participants in a mixed‐group programme. Findings indicate a need for further research to explore the differential effects of intersectional identities on the experience of LDPs. Findings challenge psychologically and behaviourally focused conceptions of leadership development by demonstrating how multiple identities interdependently influence the experience of an LDP. Concurrently, the study challenges existing knowledge of group dynamics within mixed‐group development programmes by highlighting essentialist assumptions about gender and race in the context of leadership development. An analysis of the qualitative data also produced the counterintuitive finding that intersecting bases of privilege might actually result in negative outcomes within a learning context. Finally, the study also contributes to the body of knowledge of intersectionality by demonstrating its utility in leadership development research.
Ph5GT silencing alters flower color and flavonoids metabolome profile in petunia
Authors: Li Xin , Cao Jiahao , Zhao Huina , Jiang Guiyun , Liu Juanxu , Yu Yixun
Published: October 2022

Anthocyanins are important pigments in plants and glycosylation plays an important role in the stability of anthocyanins. Anthocyanin 5‐O‐glucosyltransferase (5GT) can glycosylate anthocyanin at the 5‐O‐position. Till now, the enzymatic activity characteristics of 5GT had been studied in vitro in a variety of plants. However, the subcellular localization of 5GT protein still remained unclear, and little genetic evidence on the roles of 5GT in plants has been reported. The full‐length Ph5GT gene from petunia (Petunia hybrida) was isolated in this study. Green fluorescent fusion protein assays revealed that Ph5GT protein was localized to the cytoplasm. Ph5GT was found to be highly expressed in flowers, with highest levels of expression occurring during the coloring stage of flower development. Furthermore, Ph5GT silencing led to the change in flower color from purple to light purple and a significant reduction in total anthocyanin content. The metabolome analysis revealed that the content of malvidins and petunidins modified by glycosylation at the 5‐O‐position was significantly reduced, while the content of their precursor without glycosylation was significantly increased, implying that Ph5GT could glycosylate malvidin and petunidin derivatives and that the substrate types of Ph5GT were expanded in comparison to previous studies.
Optimal Approximate Choice Designs for a Two-step Coffee Choice, Taste and Choice Again Experiment
Authors: Nikiforova Nedka Dechkova , Berni Rossella , López-Fidalgo Jesús Fernando
Published: October 2022

This work deals with consumers' preferences about coffee. Firstly, a choice experiment is performed on a sample of potential consumers. Following this, a sensory test involving the tasting of two varieties of coffee is carried out with the respondents, after which the same choice experiment is supplied to them again. An innovative approach for building heterogeneous choice designs is specifically developed for the case-study, based on approximate design theory and compound design criterion. Panel Mixed Logit models are used, thereby allowing for the inclusion of correlation among consumers' responses; choice-sets are supplied to a proportion of respondents according to optimal weights. The estimation results of the Panel Mixed Logit model are satisfactory, confirming the validity of the proposed approach.
Special issue: Nationalism and the integration of migrant children
Authors: Gornik Barbara
Published: October 2022

When it comes to academic debates about the integration of migrant children, the field is thoroughly heterogeneous in terms of the methods used and topics discussed. Research ranges from questions of belonging, acculturation, and hybrid identities to a focus on education, religion, family, well‐being and mental health, peer dynamics, integration support measures, nationalism, xenophobia, and discrimination. The initiative to publish a special issue on the integration of migrant children emerged from the project Migrant Children and Communities in a Transforming Europe (MiCREATE), a Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action, which aimed to identify effective child‐centred integration approaches for use in education and at the policy level across the European Union. The overarching goal of this special issue is to reflect on how nationalism manifests itself at different levels of social life and how it is reproduced in integration practices. The articles collected here examine how migrant children, education professionals, and policy‐makers understand, navigate, and experience the processes of integration, and how these processes are in turn influenced by discourses on nationalism and multiculturalism.
(Methodological) nationalism and academic debates on the integration of migrant children
Authors: Gornik Barbara
Published: October 2022

The article takes up current academic debates on the integration of migrant children and reflects on how they accommodate the discourse of nationalism; it discusses how nationalism functions as a practical category, as a classification scheme, and as a cognitive framework, as well as what counter‐hegemonic views can be found in the existing scholarship. The article shows that academic debates about the integration of migrant children are firmly situated on the conceptual map of nationalism, but navigate this field in different ways. Principally, these debates 1) maintain migrant identity as the main analytical category; 2) focus on the gap exhibited by migrant children in various aspects where non‐migrant children are used as the standard of ‘normality’; 3) view ethnic diversity as a ‘problem’ and therefore approach it as something ‘pathological’; and 4) examine migrant children in relation to nationalizing practices that touch on issues of identity, language, community, and belonging; yet also 5) offer critical counter‐hegemonic views concerning the integration of migrant children and deconstruct the power relations and commonly held classification schemes within the discourse of nationalism.
Analysis of the effect of social capital on rural household poverty
Authors: Wu Yichao , Guo Zhenli , Qi Di
Published: October 2022

Focusing on rural household poverty in China, this article takes social capital as an entry point and uses the 2018 CFPS database to study the effects and mechanisms of social capital on absolute income, relative income, absolute poverty, and relative poverty of rural households. The results find that social capital can significantly increase the income of rural households and reduce the probability of poverty; also, the householder's education has a certain substitution effect on social capital, which can significantly weaken the income increasing effect of social capital; social capital has a more significant role in increasing the income of poor families and helps to narrow the income gap; social capital can promote income diversification, however, income diversification shows a negative impact on household income and poverty; poverty acceptance has a significant mediating effect in the process of social capital's influence on household poverty, and social capital can further promote household income increase and poverty reduction by suppressing poverty acceptance. In this regard, the government can strengthen rural infrastructure construction, inclination of educational resources and labour skills training, and promote positive rural culture, to increase the social capital of rural households, help them increase their income, achieve poverty alleviation, and prevent them from returning to poverty again.
Identification of three novel HLA class I alleles, A*11:428, B*37:105, and C*08:249, found in Chinese cord bloods
Authors: Li Xingjie , Zou Hai , Li Mengdan , Yang Qin , Chen Qiang
Published: October 2022

The HLA‐A*11:428, ‐B*37:105, and ‐C*08:249 alleles were identified in Chinese cord blood units.
Poisson boundaries of II1 factors
Authors: Das Sayan , Peterson Jesse
Published: October 2022

We introduce Poisson boundaries of II$_1$ factors with respect to density operators that give the traces. The Poisson boundary is a von Neumann algebra that contains the II$_1$ factor and is a particular example of the boundary of a unital completely positive map as introduced by Izumi. Studying the inclusion of the II$_1$ factor into its boundary, we develop a number of notions, such as double ergodicity and entropy, that can be seen as natural analogues of results regarding the Poisson boundaries introduced by Furstenberg. We use the techniques developed to answer a problem of Popa by showing that all finite factors satisfy his MV property. We also extend a result of Nevo by showing that property (T) factors give rise to an entropy gap.
Características de la investigación en enfermería publicada en Colombia, 2016-2021
Authors: Bernal Ordoñez Lina Karina , Ramírez-Girón Natalia , Alba-Alba Corina Mariela , Reyes Vázquez María de las Mercedes Nuri , Galicia-Aguilar Rosa María , Landeros-Olvera Erick
Published: October 2022

Introducción: la producción científica nacional en enfermería ha tenido una tendencia creciente, lo que favorece el fortalecimiento de la disciplina; es necesario conocer el estado actual de las publicaciones en enfermería para continuar con esta tendencia. Objetivo: describir las características temáticas y metodológicas de la producción científica de enfermería publicada en Colombia entre el 2016 y 2021. Método: estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo y transversal. Se analizaron seis revistas nacionales, que fueron publicadas del segundo semestre del 2016 al segundo semestre del 2021. La muestra correspondió a 285 artículos originales y/o de investigación. El análisis de resultados se realizó con estadística descriptiva, en el que se utilizaron frecuencias y porcentajes. Resultados: predominan los artículos publicados en el 2020 (20,7 %), mediante la metodología cuantitativa (65,3 %); el grado del primer autor es la maestría (39,3 %), sin colaboración de otras disciplinas (53 %) ni estudiantes (49,8 %). El tema central fue el cuidado en el adulto (29,8 %), especialmente en el tercer nivel de atención (29,8 %). Conclusión: el crecimiento de la publicación científica en enfermería colombiana es innegable, sin embargo, es necesario realizar mayores esfuerzos por alcanzar mejores niveles metodológicos que permitan trascender en la construcción del conocimiento disciplinar.
Neural Network Approaches for Soft Biological Tissue and Organ Simulations
Authors: Sacks Michael S. , Motiwale Shruti , Goodbrake Christian , Zhang Wenbo
Published: October 2022

Given the functional complexities of soft tissues and organs, it is clear that computational simulations are critical in their understanding and for the rational basis for the development of therapies and replacements. A key aspect of such simulations is accounting for their complex, nonlinear, anisotropic mechanical behaviors. While soft tissue material models have developed to the point of high fidelity, in-silico implementation is typically done using the finite element (FE) method, which remains impractically slow for translational clinical time frames. As a potential path toward addressing the development of high fidelity simulations capable of performing in clinically relevant time frames, we review the use of neural networks (NN) for soft tissue and organ simulation using two approaches. In the first approach, we show how a NN can learn the responses for a detailed meso-structural soft tissue material model. The NN material model not only reproduced the full anisotropic mechanical responses but also demonstrated a considerable efficiency improvement, as it was trained over a range of realizable fibrous structures. In the second approach, we go a step further with the use of a physics-based surrogate model to directly learn the displacement field solution without the need for raw training data or FE simulation datasets. In this approach we utilize a finite element mesh to define the domain and perform the necessary integrations, but not the finite element method (FEM) itself. We demonstrate with this approach, termed neural network finite element (NNFE), results in a trained NNFE model with excellent agreement with the corresponding “ground truth” FE solutions over the entire physiological deformation range on a cuboidal myocardium specimen. More importantly, the NNFE approach provided a significantly decreased computational time for a range of finite element mesh sizes. Specifically, as the FE mesh size increased from 2744 to 175,615 elements, the NNFE computational time increased from 0.1108 s to 0.1393 s, while the “ground truth” FE model increased from 4.541 s to 719.9 s, with the same effective accuracy. These results suggest that NNFE run times are significantly reduced compared with the traditional large-deformation-based finite element solution methods. We then show how a nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS)-based approach can be directly integrated into the NNFE approach as a means to handle real organ geometries. While these and related approaches are in their early stages, they offer a method to perform complex organ-level simulations in clinically relevant time frames without compromising accuracy.
Solderability and Reliability of Sintered Nano-Ag Bond Pads of Printed Re-Distribution Layer
Authors: Lo J. C. C. , Jiang Q. , Qiu X. , Tu N.
Published: October 2022

Redistribution layer (RDL) is one key enabling technology for advanced packaging. RDL is usually fabricated at wafer level by a photolithography process. An alternative approach for implementing RDL by additive manufacturing (AM) method is proposed in this study. This allows RDL to be fabricated on a singulated chip. Nanosilver (nano-Ag) ink is printed on the silicon chip to form routing traces and bond pads. However, the Ag pad may be consumed by the solder quickly if the reflow process is not properly controlled. The mechanical integrity of the solder joint was evaluated by both solder ball shear and die shear tests. A high temperature storage test and humidity test were carried out to evaluate the solder joint reliability. Experiment results showed that the Ag pad fabricated by AM is compatible with surface mount technology (SMT). Reliable solder joints on the Ag pad were achieved. There was no significant change in the Ag3Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) layer thickness and mechanical strength after aging at high temperature and high humidity conditions. There was no early solder joint failure observed. The finding of the present study will serve as a very useful reference for the future practice of forming solder joints on sintered nano-Ag pads.
A new species and new records of ptyctimous mites (Acari, Oribatida) from Ethiopia
Authors: Niedbala Wojciech , Ermilov Sergey G.
Published: October 2022

The present study is based on ptyctimous mite materials collected from 19 forest localities in Ethiopia during 2012–2020. A list of identified taxa, including 21 species from nine genera and four families is provided; of these, ten species are recorded for the first time in the Ethiopian fauna, among which one species is recorded for the first time in the Afrotropical region. One new species of Euphthiracaridae—Euphthiracarus (Pocsia) debreberhanensis Niedbała sp. nov.—is described. Morphological additions to descriptions of Acrotritia rustica, Plonaphacarus machadoi, P. ecphylus, and Notophthiracarus subitus are presented.
Aerial dispersal of Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae): Influence of biotic and abiotic factors, dispersal potential and colonization rate
Authors: Azevedo Adria Oliveira De , Gondim Jr Manoel Guedes Corrêa , Melo José Wagner Da Silva , Barbosa Vaneska Monteiro , Melo Débora Barbosa De Lima , Calvet Érica Costa
Published: October 2022

Aerial dispersal can occur in response to both internal state of individuals and environmental conditions and probably contributed to the expansion of red palm mite Raoiella indica throughout the American continent within a decade. We report here experiments using wind tunnel in the laboratory and adhesive traps in the field to identify general aspects and precursors of R. indica’s aerial dispersal. Wind tunnel analyses indicated that dispersal rates increased with increasing wind speed up to 15 m/s and decreased with increasing population density. Although adult male and immature were dispersed by wind, adult females showed the highest frequency of dispersal. Mating status and 24 h food deprivation had no significant influence on the aerial dispersal of this species. In the field, the dispersal was also mainly observed among adult females. The number of captured mites increased progressively with height, up to the highest assessed state (4.8 m), and up to a distance of 48 m from infested coconut palms, at which colonization rates were equivalent to 1.4 × 105 mites/plant, although it was lower at the distance of 64 m (farthest assessed distance) from the source. The results identify conditions that elicit R. indica’s dispersal, and characterize its dispersal potential and colonization rates, allowing an ecological understanding of this invasive mite species.
A new genus and two new species of Tegonotini (Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) from Guangxi, China with a redescription of Gongella carpini Kuang, 2005
Authors: Tan Meng-Chao , Huang Jing-Hui , Wei Guang-Ren , Li Kong-Ling , Yang Qing-Lian
Published: October 2022

A new genus and two new species of Tegonotini (Acari: Eriophyidae) from China are described and illustrated. They are Latuannulus engelhardiae gen. nov. and sp. nov. on Engelhardia roxburghiana Wall. (Juglandaceae) and Phyllocoptacus nepalensus sp. nov. on Alnus nepalensis D. Don (Betulaceae). Additionally, we provided more generic characters to Gongella Kuang, 2005 and redescribed Gongella carpini Kuang, 2005. All three species are vagrant on the lower leaf surface and no symptom to the host was observed.
Description of a new species of Raphignathus Dugès (Acari: Prostigmata: Raphignathidae), with a key to the Iranian species of the genus
Authors: Mohammad-Doustaresharaf Mojtaba , Kazemi Shahrooz
Published: October 2022

In a study on the mites of the near seashore of the southern areas of the Caspian Sea, three species belonging to the family Raphignathidae were collected, viz. Raphignathus caspicus sp. nov., R. gracilis (Rack) and R. zhaoi Hu, Jing & Liang. The new species, R. caspicus sp. nov. is described based on the females and larvae. Also, a key to the known species of Raphignathus from Iran is presented.
Influence of plasma species on the early-stage growth kinetics of epitaxial InN grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition
Authors: Woodward Jeffrey M. , Rosenberg Samantha G. , Boris David R. , Johnson Michael J. , Walton Scott G. , Johnson Scooter D. , Robinson Zachary R. , Nepal Neeraj , Ludwig Karl F. , Hite Jennifer K. , Eddy Charles R.
Published: October 2022

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) enables the epitaxial growth of ultrathin indium nitride (InN) films at significantly reduced process temperatures and with greater control of layer thickness compared to other growth methods. However, the reliance on plasma-surface interactions increases the complexity of the growth process. A detailed understanding of the relationship between the plasma properties and the growth kinetics is therefore required to guide the tuning of growth parameters. We present an in situ investigation of the early-stage PEALD growth kinetics of epitaxial InN within three different plasma regimes using grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS). The GISAXS data are supported by diagnostic studies of the plasma species generation in the inductively coupled plasma source as a function of the relative concentrations of the nitrogen/argon gas mixture used in the growth process. The growth mode is found to be correlated to the production of nitrogen species in the plasma, with high concentrations of the atomic N species promoting Volmer–Weber growth (i.e., island growth) and low concentrations promoting Stranski–Krastanov growth (i.e., layer-plus-island growth). The critical thickness for island formation, island center-to-center distance, and island radius are found to increase with ion flux. Furthermore, the island center-to-center distance and areal density are observed to change only during plasma exposure and to continue changing with exposure even after the methylindium adlayer is believed to have fully reacted with the plasma. Our results demonstrate the potential to control the growth kinetics during PEALD of epitaxial films by intentionally accessing specific regimes of plasma species generation.
SARS-CoV-2 3CL
pro
mutations selected in a VSV-based system confer resistance to nirmatrelvir, ensitrelvir, and GC376
Authors: Heilmann Emmanuel , Costacurta Francesco , Moghadasi Seyed Arad , Ye Chengjin , Pavan Matteo , Bassani Davide , Volland Andre , Ascher Claudia , Weiss Alexander Kurt Hermann , Bante David , Harris Reuben S. , Moro Stefano , Rupp Bernhard , Martinez-Sobrido Luis , von Laer Dorothee
Published: October 2022

Protease inhibitors are among the most powerful antiviral drugs. Nirmatrelvir is the first protease inhibitor specifically developed against the SARS-CoV-2 protease 3CL
pro
that has been licensed for clinical use. To identify mutations that confer resistance to this protease inhibitor, we engineered a chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that expressed a polyprotein composed of the VSV glycoprotein (G), the SARS-CoV-2 3CL
pro
, and the VSV polymerase (L). Viral replication was thus dependent on the autocatalytic processing of this precursor protein by 3CL
pro
and release of the functional viral proteins G and L, and replication of this chimeric VSV was effectively inhibited by nirmatrelvir. Using this system, we applied nirmatrelvir to select for resistance mutations. Resistance was confirmed by retesting nirmatrelvir against the selected mutations in additional VSV-based systems, in an independently developed cellular system, in a biochemical assay, and in a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 system. We demonstrate that some mutants are cross-resistant to ensitrelvir and GC376, whereas others are less resistant to these compounds. Furthermore, we found that most of these resistance mutations already existed in SARS-CoV-2 sequences that have been deposited in the NCBI and GISAID databases, indicating that these mutations were present in circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains.
Antibiofilm Activities of Borneol-Citral-Loaded Pickering Emulsions against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in Physiologically Relevant Chronic Infection Models
Authors: Wang Wen , Bao Xuerui , Bové Mona , Rigole Petra , Meng Xiaofeng , Su Jianyu , Coenye Tom
Published: October 2022

There is clearly an urgent need for novel formulations with antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity, but while there are plenty of studies investigating them using simple
in vitro
systems, there is a lack of studies in which (combinations of) phytochemicals are evaluated in relevant models that closely resemble the
in vivo
situation. Here, we examined the antibiofilm activity of borneol, citral, and their combination as well as Pickering emulsions (stabilized by solid particles) of these compounds.
A Phage Cocktail To Control Surface Colonization by Proteus mirabilis in Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
Authors: Mirzaei Arezoo , Wagemans Jeroen , Nasr Esfahani Bahram , Lavigne Rob , Moghim Sharareh
Published: October 2022

The rapid spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacterial strains and biofilm formation of bacteria have severely restricted the use of antibiotics and become a challenging issue in hospitals. Therefore, there is a necessity for alternative or complementary treatment measures, such as the use of virulent bacteriophages (phages), as effective therapeutic strategies.