bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decision dilemma at Biziga
Authors: Mahapatra Sabita , Basak Shubhadeep
Published: March 2022

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are as follows: introduce the concept of the decision-making process, decision-making unit and hierarchy of effects and marketing strategy; identify the critical aspect of segmentation, targeting and positioning; and highlight the critical element of pricing and communication media.

Case overview/synopsis

In early January 2017, Mr Ashish and Mr Rahul, co-founders of Biziga, a company engaged in training through simulation for management education, was at crossroads. Keeping in view the challenges of the emerging Indian market, Biziga envisioned creating participant-centric business learning simulations. The initial responses and feedback received from several top B-schools were promising. However, the euphoria did not last long. Biziga retained only a few of its initial clients from the Tier-1 B-schools who had adopted the product. But the response received from other categories of B-schools was not very encouraging. Acquiring new clients from these institutes was the major challenge. The founders of Biziga had differences in their thought about the strategic path they should pursue to achieve future growth. There were several options to achieve the goal of a target revenue of INR 1bn in the next five years and be known as a virtual gamification company with a complete bundle of business simulation products. They had to finalize for the financial year 2017-18 the most feasible and promising option/s that would have a long-term impact on the company’s future growth and success in the upcoming meeting scheduled in the last week of February 2017.

Complexity academic level

Postgraduate students and executive students.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing.
Influence of dynamic capabilities on novelty-centered business model design: a moderated mediating effect analysis
Authors: Pang Changwei , Wang Qiong , Wu Songqiang
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying mediating mechanism and contextual conditions in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and novelty-centered business model design (NCBMD).

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 146 firms in China and the process conditional modeling, the authors acquire evidence supporting the hypothesized moderated mediation.

Findings

The authors find that interfunctional coordination plays a crucial mediator role in the relationship between dynamic capabilities and NCBMD. Environmental dynamism positively moderates the mediating effect of interfunctional coordination on the relationship of dynamic capabilities and NCBMD.

Research limitations/implications

First, the research setting focuses on a specific intermediary mechanism of dynamic capabilities on NCBMD. Second, dynamic capabilities are considered as an integrative construct in the study. Future research could further examine the effect mechanism of dynamic capabilities' sub-dimensions, which might provide more theoretical findings. Third, the impact of public policies, an important source of environmental dynamism, on NCBMD needs a fine-grained analysis. Fourth, the sample data restricts the popularity of the conclusion.

Practical implications

First, firms should be aware of the irreplaceable role of dynamic capabilities in the process of designing a novel business model. Second, firms promoting the design of business models should pay more attention to interfunctional coordination. Third, the significant moderating mediation effect reveals that the importance of interfunctional coordination for the relationship between dynamic capabilities and NCBMD under a highly dynamic environment.

Originality/value

First, the authors reveal how a firm's dynamic capabilities can promote NCBMD. By focusing on the influence of dynamic capabilities on NCBMD, the authors elucidate the source of value creation from the perspective of organizational capability. Second, the analysis of mediating effect delineates the bridging mechanism of dynamic capabilities and NCBMD. These findings emphasize the important role of interfunctional coordination in designing a novel business model. Third, given the context of this research, the results present implications for the role of a dynamic environment. For the methodology of theoretical research, the different findings indicate that scholars could further refine the manipulation of moderators, which contributes to elucidate new conclusions ignored in the past studies. Accordingly, this research extends both theoretical research and methodology.
Weight-related teasing as a source of consumer motivation for impulsive purchase intention of weight loss dietary supplements: insights from generation Z
Authors: Bharadwaj Samrat
Published: March 2022

Purpose

As no prior attempt has been made to investigate the role of weight-related teasing (WRT) as a source of motivation towards impulsive purchase intention of weight loss dietary supplements, this study aims to investigate the factors of devalued self-esteem, weight concerns, dysfunctional eating cognitions, depressive symptoms, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control from a generation Z perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study and a cross-sectional survey design has been used along with passive research deception approach where data has been obtained from 377 obese and overweight participants from eight major Indian cities using intercept approach. Besides, verifying the questionnaire using principal component analysis and internal consistency, the provided hypotheses are evaluated by structural equation modelling and its related tests. Inductive content analysis method has also been applied for the qualitative analysis.

Findings

The findings indicate that the hypothesized factors have a considerable influence on one another, implying acceptance of all 12 proposed hypotheses. Additionally, this study suggests that generation Z individuals are swayed more by price and impulsiveness than by product quality. Even though people prefer purchasing such supplements primarily for quicker results, people fear potential health hazards in the future.

Originality/value

This study links WRT from a psychosocial perspective by focusing on youth consumer behaviour. With the limited number of works on concerned variables, this study addresses vital issues concerning generation Z individuals’ health attitude.
In their own words: Experiences of emergency health care workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Blanchard Janice , Messman Anne M. , Bentley Suzanne K. , Lall Michelle D. , Liu Yiju Teresa , Merritt Rory , Sorge Randy , Warchol Jordan M. , Greene Christopher , Diercks Deborah B. , Griffith James , Manfredi Rita A. , McCarthy Melissa
Published: March 2022

Background

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, a substantial number of emergency health care workers (HCWs) have screened positive for anxiety, depression, risk of posttraumatic stress disorder, and burnout. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the impact of COVID‐19 on emergency care providers' health and well‐being using personal perspectives. We conducted in‐depth interviews with emergency physicians, emergency medicine nurses, and emergency medical services providers at 10 collaborating sites across the United States between September 21, 2020, and October 26, 2020.

Methods

We developed a conceptual framework that described the relationship between the work environment and employee health. We used qualitative content analysis to evaluate our interview transcripts classified the domains, themes, and subthemes that emerged from the transcribed interviews.

Results

We interviewed 32 emergency HCWs. They described difficult working conditions, such as constrained physical space, inadequate personnel protective equipment, and care protocols that kept changing. Organizational leadership was largely viewed as unprepared, distant, and unsupportive of employees. Providers expressed high moral distress caused by ethically challenging situations, such as the perception of not being able to provide the normal standard of care and emotional support to patients and their families at all times, being responsible for too many sick patients, relying on inexperienced staff to treat infected patients, and caring for patients that put their own health and the health of their families at risk. Moral distress was commonly experienced by emergency HCWs, exacerbated by an unsupportive organizational environment.

Conclusions

Future preparedness efforts should include mechanisms to support frontline HCWs when faced with ethical challenges in addition to an adverse working environment caused by a pandemic such as COVID‐19.
Empty laws and empty forests: Reconsidering rights and governance for sustainable wildlife management in the Republic of the Congo
Authors: Mavah Germain , Child Brian , Swisher Marilyn E.
Published: March 2022

Like their ancestors, forest dwellers in the Republic of the Congo depend heavily on bushmeat for their livelihoods. National regulations and enforcement are ineffective, yet undermine indigenous institutions. In common with many forest communities globally, this is creating an open‐access resource at the same time that demand for bushmeat is increased by roads, towns, markets and new harvesting technology (guns, wire). We argue that the intractability and contradictions of the bushmeat problem globally reflect outdated institutions of exclusionary conservation and that the disempowerment of local people can be framed as an ‘empty laws’ open‐access syndrome in which neither national nor local controls are working. We propose that this is an institutional predicament that needs to be resolved by re‐establishing local tenure and rights, and drawing on the commons literature, New Institutional Economics and the long experience with private and community wildlife in southern Africa to design alternative governance regimes. In proposing measures to re‐build local commons (private‐community ownership), this review highlights community rights, the controversial issue of commercial use and markets, and the substantial advantages of participatory face‐to‐face community governance relative to the representational committee‐based governance associated with development projects.
The effect of semen collection at home on intrauterine insemination outcomes
Authors: Vagios Stylianos , Sacha Caitlin R. , Hammer Karissa C. , Fitz Victoria W. , Dimitriadis Irene , Souter Irene , Bormann Charles L.
Published: March 2022

Background

The WHO 2010 guidelines recognize at‐home semen collection as an acceptable alternative to standard collection at the clinic in “exceptional circumstances.” There is lack of sufficient data to determine the need for revisiting these recommendations for treatment purposes.

Objectives

To determine whether at‐home semen collection has any effect on intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycle outcomes.

Materials and methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of 729 IUI treatment cycles (382 patients) performed at an academic fertility center from September 19, 2019 to December 31, 2020. Semen collected at the “clinic” was used for 343 cycles before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic (September 19, 2019 to March 21, 2020), and “at‐home” collected specimens were used for 386 cycles following revised protocols with COVID‐19‐driven changes (May 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020). Logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the effect of “at‐home” semen collection on achieving a positive pregnancy test (PPT) and a clinical pregnancy (CP).

Results

Male and female partners’ age, ovarian reserve biomarkers, and stimulation regimens used were similar in the “clinic” and “at‐home” groups. In unadjusted models, “at‐home” collection had no significant effect on the odds for a PPT [OR (95%CI): 0.733 (0.503‐1.069)] or CP [0.816 (0.543‐1.226)]. These results persisted even when adjusting for maternal age and anti‐Müllerian hormone: PPT [0.739 (0.505‐1.081)] and CP [0.826 (0.547‐1.248)]. Of the semen analysis parameters under evaluation, only motility appeared to significantly impact the odds of achieving a PPT [1.014 (1.004‐1.025)] and a CP [1.017 (1.006‐1.029)]. This effect was slightly attenuated for samples collected “at‐home” [1.012 (0.997‐1.027) and 1.015 (0.999‐1.031), respectively, for PPT and CP].

Discussion

This study adds important information to the limited literature regarding the effect of at‐home semen collection on IUI outcomes. Under adequate protocols, at‐home semen collection should be considered a safe alternative. Additional research is needed to optimize such protocols.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that at‐home semen collection does not negatively impact IUI pregnancy outcomes.
Controversies in implementing non‐invasive prenatal testing in a public antenatal care program
Authors: Salvesen Kjell Åsmund Blix , Glad Ragnhild , Sitras Vasilis
Published: March 2022

Women's autonomy and an inclusive society for all individuals are highly valued in Norway. The Norwegian Biotechnology Act changed in 2020 allowing first‐trimester screening and cell‐free DNA for common trisomies to all pregnant women. However, implementing non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in a public antenatal care program is difficult, because many patients, politicians, and medical professionals do not consider trisomy 21 a severe medical disease. Screening for trisomies at an early gestation might inevitably lead to an increase in pregnancy terminations and making cost–benefit calculations is ethically challenging. Moreover, offering NIPT to all pregnant women is debatable because of the lower prevalence of fetal trisomies in younger women. Therefore, appropriate genetic pre‐test counseling is essential. Furthermore, organizing the service between private institutions and public hospitals poses another debate and challenges both quality and equal access to health services for women across the country.
Intralymphatic immunotherapy with one or two allergens renders similar clinical response in patients with allergic rhinitis due to birch and grass pollen
Authors: Ahlbeck Lars , Ahlberg Emelie , Björkander Janne , Aldén Caroline , Papapavlou Georgia , Palmberg Laura , Nyström Ulla , Retsas Pavlos , Nordenfelt Patrik , Togö Totte , Johansen Pål , Rolander Bo , Duchén Karel , Jenmalm Maria C.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

There is a need for a fast, efficient and safe way to induce tolerance in patients with severe allergic rhinitis. Intralymphatic immune therapy has been shown to be effective.

Methods

Patients with severe birch and timothy allergy were randomized and received three doses of 0.1 ml of birch and 5‐grass allergen extracts (10,000 SQ units/ml, ALK‐Abelló), or birch and placebo or 5‐grass and placebo by ultrasound‐guided injections into inguinal lymph nodes at monthly intervals. Rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score, medication score and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire were evaluated before treatment and after each birch and grass pollen season during three subsequent years. Circulating proportions of T helper subsets and allergen‐induced cytokine and chemokine production were analysed by flow cytometry and Luminex.

Results

The three groups reported fewer symptoms, lower use of medication and improved quality of life during the birch and grass pollen seasons each year after treatment at an almost similar rate independently of treatment with one or two allergens. Mild local pain was the most common adverse event. IgE levels to birch decreased, whereas birch‐induced IL‐10 secretion increased in all three groups. IgG4 levels to birch and timothy and skin prick test reactivity remained mainly unchanged. Conjunctival challenge tests with timothy extract showed a higher threshold for allergen. In all three groups, regulatory T cell frequencies were increased 3 years after treatment.

Conclusions

Intralymphatic immunotherapy with one or two allergens in patients with grass and birch pollen allergy was safe, effective and may be associated with bystander immune modulatory responses.

Clinical Trial Registration: EudraCT (2013‐004726‐28).
The characteristics of urban governance in China: Evidence from best practices in the Yangtze River Delta Region
Authors: Chen Zitao , Wu Jiannan , Zhang Acheng
Published: March 2022

Post‐reform China has experienced rapid urbanization and received much academic attention. However, few studies have focused on the overall characteristics of urban governance from both institutional and practical perspectives. This paper discusses the results of a content analysis of 79 cases collected during the first Awards for Best Urban Governance Practice in the Yangtze River Delta. This region is a pioneer of urban governance practice in China. The coding for the content analysis focused on four variables, including domains, actors, digitality, and duration, which were applied to the application forms for the award selection process. The statistical results demonstrate the characteristics of China’s urban governance practices. (1) The government continues to dominate in China’s urban governance, but the role of social organizations has become increasingly significant. (2) The content of China’s urban affairs has transformed from economic growth to citizen‐oriented issues of livelihoods and livability. (3) New technology and digitality of new opportunities are leading China’s urban governance transformation. (4) China’s urban governance practices are a durable process for adaptation accumulation of experiences. This paper presents the characteristics and distribution of China’s urban governance practices to lay the groundwork for future comparative urban studies.
‘Opportunity to bond and a sense of normality’: Parent and staff views of cuddling babies undergoing therapeutic hypothermia in neonatal intensive care: ‘CoolCuddle’
Authors: Ingram Jenny , Beasant Lucy , Odd David , Chakkarapani Ela
Published: March 2022

Background

Currently, parents whose sick babies are undergoing three days of cooling therapy for hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are not permitted to cuddle their cooled babies, due to concerns of warming the baby or dislodging breathing tubes or vascular catheters. Parents want to stay and care for their cooled babies and have reported that bonding is adversely affected when they are not permitted to hold them.

Design and Participants

Qualitative interviews with 21 parents of cooled babies in NICU (11 mothers and 10 fathers) and 10 neonatal staff (4 consultants and 6 nurses) explored their views and experiences of an intervention to enable parents to cuddle their cooled babies (CoolCuddle). Thematic analysis methods were used to develop the themes and compare them between parents and staff.

Results

Five themes were produced. Three themes were comparable between parents and staff: Closeness, a sense of normality and reassurance and support. An additional parent theme reflected their mixed feelings about initial participation as they were apprehensive, but felt that it was an amazing opportunity. Parents and staff described the closeness between parents and babies as important for bonding and breastfeeding. Fathers particularly appreciated the opportunity to hold and bond with their infants. Parents valued the reassurance and support received from staff, and the cuddles helped them feel more normal and more like a family at a very stressful time. In a final staff theme, they discussed the skills, number of staff and training needed to undertake CoolCuddle in NICU.

Conclusions

Parents cuddling their babies during cooling therapy enhanced parent–infant bonding and family‐centred care in NICU and was positively received. Adverse perinatal mental health, impaired mother–infant bonding and their effects on the establishment of breastfeeding may be ameliorated by introducing CoolCuddle.

Patient Contribution

Our parent advisors contributed to the interview topic guides and endorsed the themes from the analysis.
Living with restraint: Reactions of nurses and lived experience workers to restrictions placed on the use of prone restraint
Authors: Meehan Tom , McGovern Megan , Keniry Donnacha , Schiffmann Ian , Stedman Terry
Published: March 2022

Despite recent changes to mental health policy in Australia and overseas, physical restraint continues to be widely employed in mental health services. While mental health nurses have a critical role to play in supporting initiatives designed to reduce restraint, it is unclear how they feel about moves to restrict the use of prone restraint. In this qualitative study, focus group interviews were conducted with mental health nursing staff and lived experience workers (LEWs) to gain their perspectives on the use of physical restraint in general and the restrictions being placed on prone (‘face down’) restraint. Five themes emerged: justifying the need for restraint, reliance on the prone position, the position is not the issue, time limits, and the psychological impact. Although mental health nurses were concerned about the risks associated with physical restraint, they provided strong justification for continued use of the prone position. LEWs raised concerns about the psychological impact of prone restraint and noted the need for a greater emphasis on de‐escalation and other restraint avoidance strategies. The findings highlight the complexities and challenges to be considered when developing initiatives to reduce reliance on the use of restraint in general, and prone in particular.
Conventional HP sintering of asymmetric hexagonal structure Yb3+‐doped Sr5(PO4)3F transparent ceramic without additives
Authors: Liu Xinwen , Tan Guolong , Li Weiwei , Mei Bingchu
Published: March 2022

The 2 at.% Yb3+:Sr5(PO4)3F (S‐FAP) polycrystalline transparent ceramic with asymmetric hexagonal structures has been synthesized by vacuum hot‐pressing the nanoparticles prepared via coprecipitation method. X‐ray diffraction results of powder and ceramic indicate that their phase peaks are well matched to the crystal structure of S‐FAP. The average particle size of 35.5 nm has been exhibited by powder scanning electron microscopy images, and subsequent images of the ceramic cross section and surface morphology revealed a homogenous and compact microstructure with an average grain size of around 220 nm. The relationship between the optical loss caused by the scattering of anisotropic ceramic grains and the optical transmittance of ceramics was revealed in the hexagonal S‐FAP transparent ceramics with different thicknesses. The in‐line transmittance of hot‐pressed ceramics with 1.5‐mm thickness achieved 79.95% at 1100‐nm wavelength, and the room‐temperature absorption and emission spectra of Yb3+ in S‐FAP polycrystalline ceramic matrix were measured using a spectrofluorometer.
Meta-analysis of the antifungal activities of three essential oils as alternative therapies in dermatophytosis infections
Authors: Villar Rodríguez Julia , Pérez-Pico Ana María , Mingorance-Álvarez Esther , Mayordomo Acevedo Raquel
Published: March 2022

Aims

This work examines the available scientific evidence about the efficiency of essential oils (EO) as an alternative therapy to traditional treatment of fungal infections, including onychomycosis, assessing the effect of the three EO most frequently studied for their antifungal activity (thyme, cinnamon and tea tree EO) against three causative agents of fungal diseases in humans: Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex and Candida albicans.

Methods and Results

The PRISMA statement protocol was followed to conduct a bibliographical search and 54 articles that met all the inclusion criteria were retrieved. Differences were observed in the MIC and MFC values depending on the micro-organism strain and the EO used. The lowest MIC were observed with Cinnamomum zeylanicum EO (0.013–1120 μl ml−1) against the three micro-organisms. For MFC, the lowest value was found for Thymus vulgaris EO (4.2 μl ml−1) against Trichophyton rubrum.

Conclusions

The antifungal effects of EO could be a very promising solution to overcome the therapeutic shortcomings of antimycotic medication. More experiments are needed to examine the properties of these oils to devise effective and nonaggressive therapies for treatment of dermatophytosis.

Significance and Impact of Study

The results indicate that EO remain good candidates for future treatments and could provide a solution for failed medications and/or adverse reactions to current pharmacological treatments.
Multilocus sequence analysis and identification of mating-type idiomorphs distribution in Magnaporthe oryzae population of Karnataka state of India
Authors: Chittaragi Amoghavarsha , Pramesh Devanna , Naik Ganesha R. , Naik Manjunath K. , Yadav Manoj K. , Ngangkham Umakanta , Siddepalli Manjunatha E. , Nayak Anusha , Prasannakumar Muthukapalli K. , Eranna Chidanandappa
Published: March 2022

Aims

To investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and mating-type distribution among the eco-distinct isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae from Karnataka, India.

Methods and Results

A set of 38 isolates of M. oryzae associated with leaf blast disease of rice were collected from different rice ecosystems of Karnataka, India, and analysed for their diversity at actin, β-tubulin, calmodulin, translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF-1-α), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genes/region. The isolates were grouped into two clusters based on the multilocus sequence diversity, the majority being in cluster-IA (n = 37), and only one isolate formed cluster-IB. Population structure was analysed using 123 SNP data to understand the genetic relationship. Based on K = 2 and ancestry threshold of >70%, blast strains were classified into two subgroups (SG1 and SG2) whereas, based on K = 4 and ancestry threshold of >70%, blast strains were classified into four subgroups (SG1, SG2, SG3 and SG4). We have identified 13 haplotype groups where haplotype group 2 was predominant (n = 20) in the population. The Tajima's and Fu's Fs neutrality tests exhibited many rare alleles. Further, the mating-type analysis was also performed using MAT1 gene-specific primers to find the potentiality of sexual reproduction in different ecosystems. The majority of the isolates (54.5%) had MAT1-2 idiomorph, whereas 45.5% of the isolates possessed MAT1-1 idiomorph.

Conclusions

The present study found the genetically homogenous population of M. oryzae by multilocus sequence analysis. Both mating types, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, were found within the M. oryzae population of Karnataka.

Significance and impact of study

The study on the population structure and sexual mating behaviour of M. oryzae is important in developing region-specific blast-resistant rice cultivars. This is the first report of MAT1 idiomorphs distribution in the M. oryzae population in any Southern state of India.
Low voltage‐guided ablation of posterior wall improves 5‐year arrhythmia‐free survival in persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Cutler Michael J. , Sattayaprasert Prasongchai , Pivato Erica , Jabri Ahmad , AlMahameed Soufian T. , Ziv Ohad
Published: March 2022

Introduction

The posterior wall (PW) has been proposed as a standard target for ablation beyond pulmonary vein antral isolation (PVI) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, studies have shown inconsistent outcomes with the addition of PW ablation. The presence or absence of low voltage on the PW may explain these inconsistencies. We evaluated whether PW ablation based on the presence or absence of low voltage improves long‐term arrhythmia‐free outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 5‐year follow‐up in 152 consecutive patients who received either standard ablation (SA) with PVI alone or PVI + PW ablation (PWA) based on physician discretion (n = 77) or voltage‐guided ablation (VGA) with PVI and addition of PWA only if low voltage was present on the PW (n = 75).

Results

The two groups were well matched for baseline characteristics. At 5‐year follow‐up, 64% of patients receiving VGA were atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT)/AF free compared to 34% receiving SA (HR 0.358 p < .005). PWA had similar AF recurrence in SA and VGA groups (0.30 vs. 0.27 p = .96) but higher AT recurrence when comparing SA and VGA groups (0.39 vs. 0.15 p = .03). In multivariate analysis, both VGA and PWA predicted AF arrhythmia‐free survival (HR 0.33, p = .001 and HR 0.20, p = .008, respectively). For AT, VGA predicted arrhythmia‐free survival (HR 0.22, p = .028), while PWA predicted AT recurrence (HR 4.704, p = .0219).

Conclusion

VGA of the posterior wall ablation beyond PVI in persistent AF significantly improves long‐term arrhythmia‐free survival when compared with non‐voltage‐guided ablation. PW ablation without voltage‐guidance reduced AF recurrence but at the cost of a higher incidence of AT.
Right atrium to left ventricle puncture for VT ablation in patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves: A step‐by‐step approach
Authors: Santangeli Pasquale
Published: March 2022

In patients with mechanical valves in the aortic and mitral positions, percutaneous access to the left ventricle (LV) for catheter ablation (CA) of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is challenging. We have recently described a novel percutaneous trans‐right atrial (RA) access to the LV via a femoral venous approach for CA of VT in patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves. With this approach, an iatrogenic Gerbode‐type of ventricular septal defect is created with direct puncture of the inferior and medial aspect of the RA anatomically adjacent to the inferior‐septal LV. The technique involves the use of steerable sheaths, dedicated radiofrequency wires, and intracardiac echocardiography guidance. The procedure has been documented feasible and safe in a series of consecutive patients with aortic and mitral mechanical valves and VT related to LV substrate. In this study, the procedural details of this novel approach are described in a step‐by‐step fashion.
Diagnosis of proteinuria using a random urine protein‐creatinine ratio and its correlation with adverse outcomes in pregnancy with preeclampsia characterized by renal damage
Authors: Xiao Jiangbo , Fan Weimin , Zhu Qingyi , Shi Zhonghua
Published: March 2022

Based on a limited number of studies, a random urine protein‐creatinine ratio (uPCR) value of ≥ 0.3 indicates abnormal proteinuria in preeclampsia with renal damage. However, current guidelines do not recommend a reasonable diagnostic threshold of uPCR for severe preeclampsia with renal damage. Furthermore, the correlation between the uPCR value and clinical adverse outcomes remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the value of uPCR in the diagnosis of significant proteinuria and to assess its correlation with adverse pregnancy outcomes in preeclampsia characterized by renal damage. In all, 1837 women were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Eventually, 961 women were enrolled under the exclusion criteria. First, the authors found that uPCR and 24‐hour proteinuria showed a significant association (r = 0.901). The optimal threshold of uPCR for diagnosing preeclampsia was 0.295, and for diagnosing severe preeclampsia the cut‐off was 0.625. Meanwhile, the adjusted odds ratio per 1 unit increase in ln (uPCR) was 1.679 (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.142–2.469) for severe adverse perinatal outcomes; 1.456 (95% CI: 1.242–1.705) for small for gestational age; 1.380 (95% CI: 1.051–1.811) for severe small for gestational age; 1.672 (95% CI: 1.210–2.310) for very early preterm birth; 1.989 (95% CI 1.726–2.293) for severe hypertension; and 2.279 (95% CI 1.906–2.724) for preterm birth. This study indicated that there was a significant and positive correlation between uPCR and 24‐hour urine protein. For neonatal and maternal adverse outcomes, uPCR is an independent predictor of prognosis.
Improving flash flood risk assessment using a simple approach for extreme rainfall scaling and storms transposition
Authors: Lompi Marco , Caporali Enrica , Mediero Luis , Mazzanti Bernardo
Published: March 2022

Flash flood risk management is among the key topics of the European Flood Directive. Design hydrographs of small river basins could underestimate the hydraulic risk in case of intense and short‐duration events because of the intensification of hourly rainfall and the design rainfall depths uncertainty in often ungauged river basins. The use of synthetic hyetographs obtained from past observed events can be useful for a better evaluation of the flash flood hazard at the river basin scale. For this reason, a simple approach based on rainfall scaling and storms transposition of occurred events is presented to identify areas where design discharges underestimate the flash flood risk. The methodology considers the spatial distribution of the observed storms over a specific zone and the areal reduction factors to scale the observed hyetographs for different river basins extensions. Hyetographs of past observed events are used as input of a hydrological model in a set of river basins located in Northern Tuscany (Italy). The results show how peak discharges of short‐duration events are usually greater than the design floods of the small river basins with an area generally less than 30 km2.
T‐cell activation is associated with high‐grade serous ovarian cancer survival
Authors: Wang Lei , Sun Wenjie , Zhang Guoan , Huo Jingrui , Tian Yi , Zhang Yan , Yang Xiaohui , Liu Yingfu
Published: March 2022

Aim

High‐grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is an aggressive disease that is largely resistant to today's immunotherapies. Here, we aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of CTLA4, PD‐1, and T‐cell activation status in HGSOC.

Methods

Using a publicly accessed microarray dataset including 260 HGSOC samples, we calculated Kaplan–Meier survival curves for overall survival (OS), evaluated associations with multivariate Cox regression models to evaluate the associations, and summarized using a hazard ratio (HR). The correlations between PD‐1 gene expression and that of other genes were calculated by Pearson correlation.

Results

Multivariate survival analyses showed that high PD‐1 expression but not CTLA4 was associated with longer OS (HR = 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52–0.91; p = 0.01), and that higher T‐cell activation score was associated with better outcome (HR = 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58–0.95; p = 0.02). The top three PD‐1 highly correlated genes were SIRPG (r = 0.90, p < 2E‐16), FASL (r = 0.89, p < 2E‐16), and CD8a (r = 0.87, p < 2E‐16). HGSOC patients' OS is positively associated T‐cell activation score and PD‐1 expression but not CTLA4.

Conclusion

T cell activation score may serve as a candidate for personalized immunotherapy in HGSOC. The application of anti‐PD‐1 therapy to HGSOC should be cautious.
Better to be optimistic, mindful, or both? The interaction between optimism, mindfulness, and task engagement
Authors: Bunjak Aldijana , Hafenbrack Andrew C. , Černe Matej , Arendt Johannes F. W.
Published: March 2022

This paper investigates the relationships between optimism, mindfulness, and task engagement. Specifically, we hypothesized that optimism, mindfulness, and their interaction would facilitate individuals’ task engagement. We tested our research model in four studies: two surveys among gig workers and two experiments. The results of the two surveys among gig workers indicated that optimism predicted higher task engagement, but trait mindfulness did not, and that a multiplicative interaction existed between high optimism and high mindfulness in stimulating task engagement. Our two experiments confirmed a significant interaction between optimism and induced state mindfulness and showed that the most engaging situation is being high in both mindfulness and optimism. Although optimism predicted task engagement, the experiments indicated that the effect of the state mindfulness manipulation was above and beyond that of optimism. Finally, we discuss the nuances of the interaction between optimism and mindfulness in predicting task engagement.
Hydrazone analogues with promising antibacterial profiles: Synthesis, morphology, in vitro and in silico approaches
Authors: Nabizadeh M. , Naimi-Jamal M.R. , Rohani M. , Azerang P. , Tahghighi A.
Published: March 2022

The emergence of resistance to antibacterial drugs remains an important global threat that necessitates an urgent need for the discovery of alternative drugs. This study was undertaken to synthesize some novel nitroaryl/heteroaryl hydrazone derivatives as potential antibacterial agents. After synthesizing by a simple reaction between quinoline/quinazoline hydrazine and nitroaryl/heteroaryl aldehydes, all the compounds were screened for their antibacterial activities, cytotoxicity and in silico investigations. The compound, 2-(4-nitrobenzylidene)-1-(quinazolin-4-yl)hydrazine (1b), displayed significant antimicrobial activity against several susceptible and resistant bacteria without any cytotoxicity. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the complete destruction of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli following exposure to this compound after 2 h exposure. The in silico studies confirmed the better binding energy of these compounds in comparison with the reference drugs in complex with topoisomerase IV and bacterial ribosomal receptor. Compound 1b can be considered a promising lead compound for the development of broad-spectrum antibacterial medications after further studies.
Control of pathogenic fungi on Panax notoginseng by volatile oils from the food ingredients Allium sativum and Foeniculum vulgare
Authors: Li Tian-Tian , Yang Jing , Huo Ying-Ying , Zeng Zi-Ying , Huang Heng-Yu , Xu Fu-Rong , Dong Xian
Published: March 2022

To screen natural drugs with strong inhibitory effects against pathogenic fungi related to P. notoginseng, the antifungal activities of garlic and fennel EOs were studied by targeting P. notoginseng disease-associated fungi, and the possible action mechanisms of garlic and fennel EOs as plant fungicides were preliminarily discussed. At present, the antifungal mechanism of EOs has not been fully established. Therefore, understanding the antifungal mechanism of plant EOs is helpful to address P. notoginseng diseases continuous cropping disease-related obstacles and other agricultural cultivation problems. First, the Oxford cup method and chessboard were used to confirm that the EOs and oxamyl had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of Fusarium oxysporum. F. oxysporum is the main pathogen causing root rot of P. notoginseng and the preliminary study on the antifungal mechanisms of the EOs against F. oxysporum showed that the inhibition of EOs mainly affects cell membrane permeability and cell processes and affects the enzyme activities of micro-organism, to achieve antifungal effects. Finally, an in vivo model verified that both two EOs could significantly inhibit the occurrence of root rot caused by F. oxysporum.
Neutrophils and schistosomiasis: a missing piece in pathology
Authors: Sanches Rodrigo C. O. , Mambelli Fábio , Oliveira Sergio C.
Published: March 2022

Schistosomiasis is a chronic human parasitic disease that causes serious health problems worldwide. The disease‐associated liver pathology is one of the hallmarks of infections by Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum, and is accountable for the debilitating condition found in infected patients. In the past few years, investigative studies have highlighted the key role played by neutrophils and the influence of inflammasome signalling pathway in different pathological conditions. However, it is noteworthy that the study of inflammasome activation in neutrophils has been overlooked by reports concerning macrophages and monocytes. This interplay between neutrophils and inflammasomes is much more poorly investigated during schistosomiasis. Herein, we reviewed the role of neutrophils during schistosomiasis and addressed the potential connection between these cells and inflammasome activation in this context.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐C*03:04:94 allele by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Gatouillat Grégory , Tonye‐Libyh Marcelle , Tabary Thierry , Pham Bach Nga , Giusti Delphine
Published: March 2022

HLA‐C*03:04:94 differs from HLA‐C*03:04:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at position 737 in exon 4.
Online Detection of Turning Tool Wear Based on Machine Vision
Authors: Dong Xinfeng , Li Yongsheng
Published: March 2022

To identify the tool wear in real time, this article builds the online detection system and proposes an integrated image processing method to measure the wear width for flank face of turning tool. First, the images of flank face wear are collected by the image acquisition system. Second, the collected images are cropped near the flank face wear, and the wear area and background for the cropped images are separated by k-means clustering algorithm. Then, the wear edge is identified by the grayscale transformation and edge detection algorithm, and the wear width is calculated by Hough transformation. Finally, the cutting experiment is carried out on MAG HTC200 CNC lathe to verify the validity of the proposed method, and the results show that the identified wear width by the proposed method and actual measured wear width for flank face of turning tool are in good agreement and show the proposed method is effective and have micron scale calculation accuracy.
COVID Shut-In Choices Across Unconventional Reservoirs: Evidence From the Bakken and the Marcellus
Authors: Kleit Andrew , Taleghani Arash Dahi
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 epidemic had unprecedented impacts on oil and gas markets. Vanishing energy demand in this sector led to significant drop of oil and gas prices over a short period of time. Some operators choose to curtail their production at particular wells, while others did not. In this paper, we look at two examples one from an unconventional gas play and the other from an unconventional oil play in the United States. Through public productions data, we tried to decipher the decision process of operators in these areas and compare the differences in shut-in choices.
Numerical Simulation Study on Boiler Combustion Characteristics With Different Volume Fraction of Ventilation Air Methane
Authors: Chen Xi , Liu Xiang , Deng Cunbao , Fan Chaonan
Published: March 2022

The combustion process of ventilation air methane (VAM) with air in a tangential coal-fired boiler was investigated by the component transport model. The influence of VAM with different volume fractions of methane (CH4) on the combustion characteristics of the boiler was analyzed. The results indicated that the maximum average temperature in the main combustion area increases to 102 K, with the increasing volume fraction of CH4 in the VAM. Under the same conditions, the distribution of oxygen (O2) volume fraction showed a trend of decay in the main combustion zone, while carbon monoxide (CO) started to increase. Meanwhile, the NO emission at the overfire air decreased from 974.8 mg/m3 to 436.3 mg/m3, with a reduction rate of 55.24%. When the VAM with the CH4 volume fraction of 0.75% was fed into the boiler for combustion in different ways, the furnace temperature would rise and the NO emission would decrease. The concentration of CH4 in the VAM should not be less than 0.01%. The analysis results demonstrated that adding the VAM into the boiler combustion cannot only save resources and protect the environment but also help to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides.
Development and Analysis of an Integrated Mild/Partial Gasification Combined Cycle
Authors: Wang Ting , Long Henry A.
Published: March 2022

Around 50% of the world’s electrical power supply comes from the Rankine cycle, and the majority of existing Rankine cycle plants are driven by coal. Given how unattractive coal is as an energy resource in spite of its high energy content, it becomes necessary to find a way to utilize coal in a cleaner and more efficient manner. Designed as a potential retrofit option for existing Rankine cycle plants, the integrated mild/partial gasification combined (IMPGC) cycle is an attractive concept in cycle design that can greatly increase the efficiency of coal-based power plants, particularly for retrofitting an old Rankine cycle plant. Compared with the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), IMPGC uses mild gasification to purposefully leave most of the volatile matters within the feedstock intact (hence, yielding more chemical energy) compared with full gasification and uses partial gasification to leave some of the remaining char un-gasified compared with complete gasification. The larger hydrocarbons leftover from the mild gasification process grant the resulting syngas a higher volumetric heating value, leading to a more efficient overall cycle performance. This is made possible due to the invention of a warm-gas cleanup process invented by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI), called the high-temperature desulfurization process (HTDP), which was recently commercialized. The leftover char can then be burned in a conventional boiler to boost the steam output of the bottom cycle, further increasing the efficiency of the plant up to 47.9% (based on lower heating value, or LHV). This paper will first analyze the individual concepts used to create the baseline IMPGC model, including the mild and partial gasification processes themselves, the warm-gas cleanup system, and the integration of the boiler with the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). This baseline will then be compared with four other common types of power plants, including subcritical and ultra-supercritical (USC) Rankine cycles, IGCC, and natural gas. The results show that IMPGC consistently outperforms all other forms of coal-based power. IMPGC is more efficient than the standard subcritical Rankine cycle by nine percentage points, more than a USC Rankine cycle by nearly four points, and more than IGCC by seven points.
Deep-learning geoacoustic inversion using multi-range vertical array data in shallow water
Authors: Liu Mingda , Niu Haiqiang , Li Zhenglin , Liu Yining , Zhang Qingqing
Published: March 2022

A multi-range vertical array data processing (MRP) method based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed to estimate geoacoustic parameters in shallow water. The network input is the normalized sample covariance matrices of the broadband multi-range data received by a vertical line array. Since the geoacoustic parameters (e.g., bottom sound speed, density, and attenuation) have different scales, the multi-task learning is used to estimate these parameters simultaneously. To reduce the influence of the uncertainty of the source position, the training and validation data are composed of the simulation data of different source depths. Simulation results demonstrate that compared with the conventional matched-field inversion (MFI), the CNN with MRP alleviates the coupling between the geoacoustic parameters and is more robust to different source depths in the shallow water environment. Based on the inversion results, better localization performance is achieved when the range-dependent environment is assumed to be a range-independent model. Real data from the East China Sea experiment are used to validate the MRP method. The results show that, compared with the MFI and the CNN with single-range vertical array data processing, the use of geoacoustic parameters from MRP achieves better localization performance.