bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structures of PKA-phospholamban complexes reveal a mechanism of familial dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Qin Juan , Zhang Jingfeng , Lin Lianyun , Haji-Ghassemi Omid , Lin Zhi , Woycechowsky Kenneth J. , Petegem Filip Van , Zhang Yan , Yuchi Zhiguang
Published: November 2021

Several mutations identified in phospholamban (PLN) have been linked to familial dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure, yet the underlying molecular mechanism remains controversial. PLN interacts with sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and regulates calcium uptake, which is modulated by the protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation of PLN during the fight-or-flight response. Here, we present the crystal structures of the catalytic domain of PKA in complex with wild-type and DCM-mutant PLNs. Our structures, combined with the results from other biophysical and biochemical assays, reveal a common disease mechanism: the mutations in PLN reduce its phosphorylation level by changing its conformation and weakening its interactions with PKA. In addition, we demonstrate that another more ubiquitous SERCA-regulatory peptide, called another-regulin (ALN), shares a similar mechanism mediated by PKA in regulating SERCA activity.

Significance

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common type of heart disease. Familial DCM is associated with mutations on phospholamban (PLN), but the mechanism remains elusive. Phosphorylation of PLN is known to influence its physiological function. We hypothesize that the connection between such mutations and DCM may involve decreased PLN phosphorylation levels due to less efficient binding to protein kinase A. We utilize x-ray crystallography, SPR, enzyme kinetic assays, thermal melt assays, and NMR to examine the structural and energetic consequences for PKA-catalyzed phosphorylation of PLN variants containing DCM-associated mutations. Our results provide a foundation to understand the general working mechanism of PKA and the physiological regulation of PLN by PKA, and also provide important insight into the pathological mechanism of DCM.
Assembly variation analysis of the non-rigid assembly with a deformation gradient model
Authors: Ajani Ibrahim , Lu Cong
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a mathematical method to analyze the assembly variation of the non-rigid assembly, considering the manufacturing variations and the deformation variations of the non-rigid parts during the assembly process.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this paper proposes a deformation gradient model, which represents the deformation variations during the assembly process by considering the forces and the self-weight of the non-rigid parts. Second, the developed deformation gradient models from the assembly process are integrated into the homogenous transformation matrix to model the deformation variations and manufacturing variations of the deformed non-rigid part. Finally, a mathematical model to analyze the assembly variation propagation is developed to predict the dimensional and geometrical variations due to the manufacturing variations and the deformation variations during the assembly process.

Findings

Through the case study with a crosshead non-rigid assembly, the results indicate that during the assembly process, the individual deformation values of the non-rigid parts are small. However, the cumulative deformation variations of all the non-rigid parts and the manufacturing variations present a target value (w) of −0.2837 mm as compared to a target value of −0.3995 mm when the assembly is assumed to be rigid. The difference in the target values indicates that the influence of the non-rigid part deformation variations during the assembly process on the mechanical assembly accuracy cannot be ignored.

Originality/value

In this paper, a deformation gradient model is proposed to obtain the deformation variations of non-rigid parts during the assembly process. The small deformation variation, which is often modeled using a finite-element method in the existing works, is modeled using the proposed deformation gradient model and integrated into the nominal dimensions. Using the deformation gradient models, the non-rigid part deformation variations can be computed and the accumulated deformation variation can be easily obtained. The assembly variation propagation model is developed to predict the accuracy of the non-rigid assembly by integrating the deformation gradient models into the homogeneous transformation matrix.
Systematic review of manufacturing strategy studies focusing on congruence aspect
Authors: Dohale Vishwas , Akarte Milind M. , Verma Priyanka
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study provides a systematic review of the literature within the manufacturing strategy (MS) domain focusing on the congruence aspect of different strategic functions to determine the state-of-the-art research progression and the trend of publications.

Design/methodology/approach

We have adopted a five-stage review methodology consisting - 1) Article Identification; 2) Inclusion/Exclusion; 3) Review of the Articles; 4) Literature Analysis; 5) Future research directions. 121 articles focusing on congruence aspects and specific to the MS domain are identified and reviewed. Bibliometric analysis comprising keyword co-occurrence using a VOSviewer© software, and citation analysis is performed. Further, content analysis is carried out to categorize articles based on the type of research methodology, type of tool/method used, and aspects considered for congruence study.

Findings

Based on the research gaps identified in the existing literature on the congruence aspect within the MS domain, this study offers future research directions. Majorly, the work found is an empirical survey. Literature scants to develop a framework that helps to quantify the congruence between two strategic functions.

Research limitations/implications

This study facilitates researchers and practitioners to understand the congruence between different strategic aspects studied in the literature and the level of fit between them. Further, the identified research directions can encourage researchers and practitioners to conceive novel approaches to conduct future works on congruence theme.

Originality/value

The unicity of the current review lies in its theme, i.e. congruence aspect within MS. To the best of author's knowledge, no comparable study is observed to review the congruence aspect in any other domain.
Past, present and future of bank marketing: a bibliometric analysis of International Journal of Bank Marketing (1983–2020)
Authors: Kumar Satish , Xiao Jing Jian , Pattnaik Debidutta , Lim Weng Marc , Rasul Tareq
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to provide an overview of bank marketing through a retrospection of the International Journal of Bank Marketing (IJBM), the leading journal for bank marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts a bibliometric analysis to analyze the performance and intellectual structure of bank marketing literature curated through IJBM between 1983 and 2020.

Findings

This study sheds light on the growing influence and impact of IJBM on the field of bank marketing through six major clusters (themes): relationship marketing and service quality in banking and financial services, consumer behavior in banking and financial services, customer satisfaction and loyalty in banking and financial services, electronic or online banking and financial services, Islamic banking and financial services, and service failure and recovery in banking and financial services.

Research limitations/implications

Though this study offers a state-of-the-art overview of bank marketing through the lens of IJBM, the insights remain limited to the accuracy and availability of bibliographic data of the journals from Scopus.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first objective assessment of bank marketing and IJBM. Thus, this study should be useful to past and prospective authors, editorial board members, editors, readers and reviewers to gain a one-stop understanding about bank marketing through the contributions of IJBM.
Laser vision seam tracking system based on proximal policy optimization
Authors: Zou Yanbiao , Zhou Hengchang
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a weld seam tracking method based on proximal policy optimization (PPO).

Design/methodology/approach

By constructing a neural network based on PPO and using the reference image block and the image block to be detected as the dual-channel input of the network, the method predicts the translation relation between the two images and corrects the location of feature points in the weld image. The localization accuracy estimation network (LAE-Net) is built to update the reference image block during the welding process, which is helpful to reduce the tracking error.

Findings

Off-line simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has strong robustness and performs well on the test set of curved seam images with strong noise. In the welding experiment, the movement of welding torch is stable, the molten material is uniform and smooth and the welding error is small, which can meet the requirements of industrial production.

Originality/value

The idea of image registration is applied to weld seam tracking, and the weld seam tracking network is built on the basis of PPO. In order to further improve the tracking accuracy, the LAE-Net is constructed and the reference images can be updated.
Revisiting earnings quality and bank efficiency among East African developing economies: do systemic banking and financial crises matter?
Authors: Mathuva David Mutua , Nyangu Moses Nzuki
Published: November 2021

Purpose

In this paper, the authors investigate whether the systemic local banking crises (LBCs) and global financial crisis (GFC) impact the association between bank profit efficiency and earnings quality in developing economies.

Design/methodology/approach

Using panel data spanning 29 years over the period 1991–2019 for 169 banks drawn from five East African countries, the authors perform difference-in-difference multivariate analyses using the generalised method of moments (GMM) system estimator on a sample consisting of 2,261 bank-year observations.

Findings

The results, which are robust for endogeneity and other checks, show that banks with higher profit efficiency consistently report higher quality earnings. The authors further establish that whereas systemic LBCs contribute negatively to bank earnings quality, the GFC tends to have a positive impact. These results are upheld when the joint impacts of both systemic LBCs, GFC and profit efficiency on earnings quality are considered. The positive influence of profit efficiency and GFC on earnings quality is pronounced under income-decreasing earnings management. The impacts of profit efficiency, LBCs and GFC on earnings quality appear to be non-monotonic and vary across the sampled countries.

Research limitations/implications

The study's findings are based on banks in five developing countries within a regional economic bloc. Additional studies could focus on other economic blocs for enhanced generalisability of the findings. In addition, some of the variables examined are studied at bank-level, while other variables are at country-level. Finally, the study establishes an association between the variables of interest, and this does not necessarily imply causation.

Practical implications

The results provide useful insights to bank regulatory and supervisory agencies on the need to exercise increased risk-based scrutiny over bank loan loss provisioning and minimum loan loss reserve requirements. From an audit perspective, auditors need to be cautious and apply an enhanced risk-based audit especially when auditing banks during and after a financial, banking or systemic crisis. Credit rating agencies need to pay closer attention to the LLPs of distressed banks. Finally, bank investors and customers should be cautious when using bank financial statements, since bank managers of poorly performing banks might engage in aggressive earnings management.

Originality/value

The study is perhaps the first to examine the joint effects of systemic LBCs on the association between bank profit efficiency and the quality of earnings in a larger dataset of banks in a developing regional economic bloc. The authors also employ the GMM system estimator in the modelling, which helps address some weaknesses in prior studies.
Why do SMEs switch suppliers?
Authors: López-Jáuregui Angel , Martos-Partal Mercedes , Labeaga José María
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Combining a conceptual framework with empirical evidence, this study aims to offer insights into why small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the business-to-business beauty sector switch suppliers, due to pricing considerations.

Design/methodology/approach

Data gathered from 475 telephone surveys of Spanish hairdressers provide the input for discrete choice models for testing the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The SMEs that change suppliers tend to be sensitive to promotions, express less satisfaction with a current supplier’s offerings and serve fewer customers who buy professional products for their in-home use. If SMEs are satisfied with the supplier’s services though, they are less likely to change and more prone to negotiate with that supplier.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not address why dissatisfied SMEs might remain with their current suppliers. Further research might replicate this study using additional pricing data from suppliers.

Practical implications

Suppliers in business-to-business (B2B) sectors can leverage these findings to allocate their marketing budgets optimally and establish service strategies that will enable them to retain buyers and reduce their switching risk.

Originality/value

As an extension of extant literature, this study specifies switching drivers for SMEs in the B2B beauty sector. The findings should apply throughout this worldwide service sector, as well as to similar markets such as health, beauty and personal care and well-being services.
Ecological control strategy for cooperative autonomous vehicle in mixed traffic considering linear stability
Authors: Lu Chaoru , Liu Chenhui
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present a cooperative adaptive cruise control, called stable smart driving model (SSDM), for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in mixed traffic streams with human-driven vehicles.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering the linear stability, SSDM is able to provide smooth deceleration and acceleration in the vehicle platoons with or without cut-in. Besides, the calibrated Virginia tech microscopic energy and emission model is applied in this study to investigate the impact of CAVs on the fuel consumption of the vehicle platoon and traffic flows. Under the cut-in condition, the SSDM outperforms ecological SDM and SDM in terms of stability considering different desired time headways. Moreover, single-lane vehicle dynamics are simulated for human-driven vehicles and CAVs.

Findings

The result shows that CAVs can reduce platoon-level fuel consumption. SSDM can save the platoon-level fuel consumption up to 15%, outperforming other existing control strategies. Considering the single-lane highway with merging, the higher market penetration of SSDM-equipped CAVs leads to less fuel consumption.

Originality/value

The proposed rule-based control method considered linear stability to generate smoother deceleration and acceleration curves. The research results can help to develop environmental-friendly control strategies and lay the foundation for the new methods.
Consumers' perceptions of product quality and entrepreneurial survival: evidence from the craft brewery industry
Authors: Fernandez Jose Manuel , Gohmann Stephan F.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Most studies of entrepreneurial failure do not have good measures of consumers' perceptions of product quality. As a result, perceived quality in entrepreneurial success is often omitted. The craft brewery industry is comprised of small entrepreneurial firms selling an experience good making it an ideal study setting. Using online beer reviews, the authors examine how perceptions of beer quality and the size of brewery production influence entrepreneurial success of microbreweries and brewpubs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from the Brewers Association and over 12 million reviews from beeradvocate.com between 2002 and 2016, the authors examine the relationship between perceived product quality to firm survival. Perceived quality is measured using online beer reviews. The authors expect larger microbreweries will survive longer as will breweries with higher perceived quality. The authors use a conditional log-log hazard model to estimate survival for microbreweries and brewpubs.

Findings

A one standard deviation increase in the beer ratings reduces the probability of exit by 26% for a microbrewery and 19% for brewpubs. The authors find that larger microbreweries have a lower hazard of exiting.

Originality/value

Entrepreneurs in the brewing industry start as home brewers before beginning commercial enterprises. Scaling up production is difficult. The initial size of their brewery is an important determinant of their success. Likewise, the perception of the quality of their beer as measured by consumer ratings gives a good market indication about future survival. This research is one of the few studies to examine the influence of perceived quality on firm survival in a growing industry.
Vaccinating a billion people against COVID-19: India’s quest for systems leadership in exceptional times
Authors: Gulati Kamal , Busari Jamiu
Published: November 2021

Purpose

In January 2021, India launched the world’s most extensive vaccination campaign against COVID-19. It is estimated that India would need to vaccinate over a billion people to achieve herd immunity. Even though the Indian Government focuses on improving and delivering its vaccination programme, significant challenges still exist. This paper aims to discuss current challenges to scale up India’s vaccination campaign and addresses strategies for achieving this.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a review of secondary sources, including journal articles from scholarly and grey literature and information available in the public domain. The search focused explicitly on the COVID-19 scenario, vaccination programme, public health management and systems leadership in the Indian health care system.

Findings

The analysis revealed that various factors have disrupted India’s vaccination campaign, including shortage of vaccine doses, mandatory prior online registration, lack of infrastructure, safety concerns for older people, untrained workforce and absence of a solid public health framework. Furthermore, India appears to have struggled to reduce tensions and instill trust in its ability to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination programme due to a lack of cooperation between union government, state governments and other stakeholders, namely, policymakers, hospitals, industry and community.

Originality/value

The findings indicate that scaling up India’s anti-COVID vaccination programme would require system-level leadership strategies that work within the country’s limited resources. Deeper reforms in vaccine development, storage, delivery, training and regulatory frameworks are also needed to extend the world’s largest anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Data fusion analysis in the powder-bed fusion AM process monitoring by Dempster-Shafer evidence theory
Authors: Zhang Yingjie , Yan Wentao , Hong Geok Soon , Fuh Jerry Fuh Hsi , Wang Di , Lin Xin , Ye Dongsen
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to develop a data fusion method for powder-bed fusion (PBF) process monitoring based on process image information. The data fusion method can help improve process condition identification performance, which can provide guidance for further PBF process monitoring and control system development.

Design/methodology/approach

Design of reliable process monitoring systems is an essential approach to solve PBF built quality. A data fusion framework based on support vector machine (SVM), convolutional neural network (CNN) and Dempster-Shafer (D-S) evidence theory are proposed in the study. The process images which include the information of melt pool, plume and spatters were acquired by a high-speed camera. The features were extracted based on an appropriate image processing method. The three feature vectors corresponding to the three objects, respectively, were used as the inputs of SVM classifiers for process condition identification. Moreover, raw images were also used as the input of a CNN classifier for process condition identification. Then, the information fusion of the three SVM classifiers and the CNN classifier by an improved D-S evidence theory was studied.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the sensitivity of information sources is different for different condition identification. The feature fusion based on D-S evidence theory can improve the classification performance, with feature fusion and classifier fusion, the accuracy of condition identification is improved more than 20%.

Originality/value

An improved D-S evidence theory is proposed for PBF process data fusion monitoring, which is promising for the development of reliable PBF process monitoring systems.
Probabilistic environmental risk assessment of infectious agents transported by air and with community transmission
Authors: Fernández Casares Manuel Antonio , Galdón Ruiz José Antonio , Barbero Fresno Rubén , Pérez Ojeda Gracia
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The paper aims to apply the probabilistic analysis of risks, improve the prediction and control of infections and optimise the use of resources and the knowledge available at all times.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a model based on Bayesian inference, which can be solved with the WinBUGS (Windows interface Bayesian inference Using Gibbs Sampling) simulation software, is described to reduce the uncertainty of the parameter that most influences air transmission: the rate of quanta emitted by the infected. Second, a method for predicting the expected number of infections and combining available resources to reduce parameter is described.

Findings

The results indicate that it is possible to initiate a powerful learning process when all available knowledge is integrated alongside the newly observed data and that it is possible to quantify the interaction between the environment and the spaces, improving the communication process by providing the values in a format that facilitates the objective perception of danger.

Research limitations/implications

The implementation of the inference model requires access to the spaces where there were infected.

Practical implications

The current study provides a model and a method to improve the probabilistic analysis of risks, which allows the systematisation of the risk-based management approach to control community transmission caused by infectious agents that use the airway.

Social implications

The application of the risk assessment and treatment method requires collaboration between the parties that will help the effective implementation of the improvements, such as to verify whether the available resources are sufficient to achieve control.

Originality/value

A hierarchical Bayesian inference model is presented to control the uncertainty in the quanta rate. Bayesian inference initiates a learning process to better understand random uncertainty. A method to quantify and communicate risk was also presented, which proposes to decompose the risk into four components to predict the expected number of infected individuals, helping to implement improvement measures, with the resources and knowledge available.
Tacit knowledge sharing within project teams: an application of social commitments theory
Authors: Nguyen Ngoc Lan
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Applying social commitments theory, this paper aims to study the effect of shared responsibility as a structural characteristic of project teams to foster tacit knowledge sharing with the mediating role of affective bonding. Besides, the moderating effect of normative conformity is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative method was applied through surveying senior auditors representing 263 audit teams in Vietnam to examine the model.

Findings

This study found that in the joint projects, when team members perceive high shared responsibility for both success and failure, the affective bonding among them are generated. The affective bonding becomes salient to tacit knowledge sharing only when the team members perceive high obligations to conform the general knowledge sharing norms and the serial reciprocity norms.

Originality/value

This study provides the evidence for partial confirmation and expansion of the social commitments theory. The practical takeaways are provided for managers of project-based organizations in the social aspects for facilitating sharing culture.
Woodland, cropland and hedgerows promote pollinator abundance in intensive grassland landscapes, with saturating benefits of flower cover
Authors: Alison Jamie , Botham Marc , Maskell Lindsay C. , Garbutt Angus , Seaton Fiona M. , Skates James , Smart Simon M. , Thomas Amy R. C. , Tordoff George , Williams Bronwen L. , Wood Claire M. , Emmett Bridget A.
Published: November 2021

Pollinating insects provide economic value by improving crop yield. They are also functionally and culturally important across ecosystems outside of cropland. To understand landscape‐level drivers of pollinator declines, and guide policy and intervention to reverse declines, studies must cover (a) multiple insect and plant taxa and (b) a range of agricultural and semi‐natural land uses. Furthermore, in an era of woodland restoration initiatives and rewilding ideologies, the contribution of woodland and woody linear features (WLFs; e.g. hedgerows) to pollinator abundance demands further investigation.

We demonstrate fine‐scale analysis of high‐quality, co‐located measurements from a national environmental survey. We relate pollinator transect counts to ground‐truth habitat and WLF maps across 300 1 km squares in Wales, UK. We look at effects of habitat type, flower cover, WLF density and habitat diversity on summer abundance (July and August) of eight insect groups, representing three insect orders (Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera).

Compared with improved grassland (the dominant habitat in Wales), pollinator abundance is consistently higher in cropland and woodland—especially broadleaved woodland. For mining bees and two hoverfly groups, abundance is predicted to be at least 1.5× higher in woodland ecosystems than elsewhere. Furthermore, we estimate contributions of WLFs to abundance in agriculturally improved habitats to be up to 14% for honeybees and up to 21% for hoverflies.

The abundance of all insect groups increases with flower cover, which is a key mechanism through which woodland, cropland and grassland support pollinators. Importantly, we observe diminishing returns of increasing flower cover for abundance of non‐Apis pollinator groups, expecting roughly twice the increase in abundance per % flower cover from 0% to 5%, as compared with 10% to 15%. However, the shape of the relationship was inverted for honeybees, which showed steeper increases in abundance at higher flower cover.

Synthesis and applications. We provide a holistic view of the drivers of pollinator abundance in Wales, in which flower cover, woodland, hedgerows and cropland are critical. We propose a key role for woodland creation, hedge‐laying and farmland heterogeneity within future land management incentive schemes. Finally, we suggest targeting of interventions to maximise benefits for non‐Apis pollinators. Specifically, increasing floral provision in areas where existing flower cover is low—for example, in flower‐poor improved grasslands—could effectively increase pollinator abundance and diversity while prioritising wild over managed species.
Impact of clinical placement sites on general practice as a career preference for Australian medical students
Authors: Yeoh Alexandra , Sathiakumar Angeline Kavitha , Leung Cynthia Nga Yu , Hoffman Rebekah , Gosbell Andrew , Tan Kang Ning
Published: November 2021

Objective

This study investigates whether General Practice placement experience or locations (urban/metropolitan vs non‐metropolitan) promote student interest in pursuing general practice.

Design

SurveyMonkey was used in the design of the survey.

Setting

The study was conducted online.

Participants

A total of 520 and 705 clinical‐year students were surveyed in 2009 and 2019, respectively. The study was conducted online, using SurveyMonkey, and the participants were mostly non‐indigenous Australian medical students, between the ages of 18 and 30.

Interventions

Students were recruited from the General Practice Students' Network membership database to complete the survey online. Chi‐squared testing, Pearson's correlation and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the correlation between general practice placements and intention to become a general practice.

Main outcome measures

The association and causation between general practice placement location, student experience and students' intended career outcomes.

Results

In 2009, majority of students rated their general practice experience ‘mostly positive’ while most metropolitan participants and majority of non‐metropolitan placement participants in the 2019 survey responded with ‘mostly positive’ in 2019. Based on 2009 and 2019 data, general practice placement location had no association with the likelihood of pursuing general practice as a career, while student experience had a stronger positive correlation with the likelihood of pursuing general practice as a career.

Conclusion

Our study shows that students' overall experience with their general practice placements significantly encourages medical students to pursue the general practice pathway. As such, increasing both metropolitan and non‐metropolitan placement experiences can potentially overcome general practice shortage.
BNPdensity: Bayesian nonparametric mixture modelling in R
Authors: Arbel J. , Kon Kam King G. , Lijoi A. , Nieto‐Barajas L. , Prünster I.
Published: November 2021

Robust statistical data modelling under potential model mis‐specification often requires leaving the parametric world for the nonparametric. In the latter, parameters are infinite dimensional objects such as functions, probability distributions or infinite vectors. In the Bayesian nonparametric approach, prior distributions are designed for these parameters, which provide a handle to manage the complexity of nonparametric models in practice. However, most modern Bayesian nonparametric models seem often out of reach to practitioners, as inference algorithms need careful design to deal with the infinite number of parameters. The aim of this work is to facilitate the journey by providing computational tools for Bayesian nonparametric inference. The article describes a set of functions available in theRpackageBNPdensityin order to carry out density estimation with an infinite mixture model, including all types of censored data. The package provides access to a large class of such models based on normalised random measures, which represent a generalisation of the popular Dirichlet process mixture. One striking advantage of this generalisation is that it offers much more robust priors on the number of clusters than the Dirichlet. Another crucial advantage is the complete flexibility in specifying the prior for the scale and location parameters of the clusters, because conjugacy is not required. Inference is performed using a theoretically grounded approximate sampling methodology known as the Ferguson & Klass algorithm. The package also offers several goodness‐of‐fit diagnostics such as QQ plots, including a cross‐validation criterion, the conditional predictive ordinate. The proposed methodology is illustrated on a classical ecological risk assessment method called the species sensitivity distribution problem, showcasing the benefits of the Bayesian nonparametric framework.
Increased serum amiodarone concentration in hypertriglyceridemic patients: Effects of drug distribution to serum lipoproteins
Authors: Hashimoto Naoaki , Doki Kosuke , Kawano Satoru , Aonuma Kazutaka , Ieda Masaki , Homma Masato
Published: November 2021

Amiodarone and its main metabolite, desethylamiodarone (DEA), are highly distributed to serum lipoproteins such as very‐low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), which are the carriers of triglyceride and cholesterol. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum concentrations of amiodarone and DEA with the levels of serum lipids in terms of drug distribution to lipoprotein fractions in patients with hyperlipidemia. Total serum concentrations of amiodarone and DEA were examined in 116 patients receiving amiodarone for tachyarrhythmias. The concentration‐to‐dose (C/D) ratio of amiodarone positively correlated with the level of serum triglyceride (rs = 0.541, p < 0.001) and was higher in the hypertriglyceridemic state than in normotriglyceridemic state (479 ± 211 vs. 320 ± 161, p < 0.001). No correlation was found between the C/D ratio of DEA and serum triglyceride levels (rs = 0.272), although higher values were observed in the hypertriglyceridemic state (322 ± 125 vs. 285 ± 143, p < 0.001). In the hypertriglyceridemic state, the distribution of amiodarone increased in LDL/VLDL fraction and decreased in high‐density lipoprotein and albumin fractions. The ratio of serum amiodarone to serum DEA, a metabolic ratio of amiodarone, positively correlated with serum triglyceride levels (rs = 0.572, p < 0.001) and was higher in the hypertriglyceridemic state, suggesting that amiodarone metabolism decreased in hyperlipidemia. The results of this study reveal that serum concentrations of amiodarone increase in the hypertriglyceridemic state through the increased lipoprotein‐binding and decreased metabolism of amiodarone.
Development and assessment of a community‐based screening tool for mental health disorders among people who inject drugs
Authors: Le Sao M. , Trouiller Philippe , Duong Thi H. , Khuat Thi H. O. , Pham Minh K. , Vallo Roselyne , Rapoud Delphine , Quillet Catherine , Nguyen Thuy L. , Nguyen Quang D. , Nham Thi Tuyet T. , Hoang Thi G. , Feelemyer Jonathan , Vu Hai V. , Moles Jean‐Pierre , Doan Hong Q. , Laureillard Didier , Des Jarlais Don C. , Nagot Nicolas , Michel Laurent ,   for the DRIVE Study Team
Published: November 2021

Introduction

The prevalence of mental health disorders among people who use drugs is high and well documented. This hard‐to‐reach population faces a very low awareness and access to mental health care, especially in developing countries. The objectives of this study were to design and assess a quick screening tool (QST) that community‐based organisations (CBO) could routinely apply to a Vietnamese population of people who inject drugs (PWID), in order to refer them appropriately to mental health specialists.

Methods

We devised a tool that included nine questions covering anxiety, depression, suicide risk and psychotic symptomatology. Its use required no specific background and 2 h training. Specificity and sensitivity of the QST were assessed in a population of 418 PWID recruited via respondent driven sampling, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview questionnaire plus clinical evaluation as a reference standard. Acceptability was assessed using a self‐administered anonymous questionnaire submitted to all CBO members who used the QST.

Results

CBO members considered the QST easy to use, relevant and helpful to deal with mental health issues. Area under the curve for detection of any symptom using the QST was 0.770. The maximum sensitivity and specificity were reached with a cut‐off of 2 [sensitivity was 71.1% (95% confidence interval 62.4, 78.8), specificity was 75.9% (70.5, 80.7)].

Discussion and Conclusions

The QST appeared to be both efficient and well accepted. Given the burden of mental health problems among hard‐to‐reach PWID in developing countries, community‐based screenings such as this one could be a particularly appropriate response.
Incorporated in Westminster: Channels and Returns to Political Connection in the United Kingdom
Authors: Green Colin P. , Homroy Swarnodeep
Published: November 2021

In 2002, an amendment to UK parliamentary regulations removed restrictions on the participation of Members of Parliament (MPs) in parliamentary proceedings related to their corporate interests. Using this amendment, we demonstrate higher equity returns for FTSE 350 firms connected to an MP due to the increase in the expected value of political access. Following the amendment, MPs with corporate connections are more likely to be members of parliamentary select and joint committees where legislative bills are drafted. They also attend more committee meetings relative to MPs without corporate connections. Firms react to the increased value of direct political access by rebalancing their political activities. We demonstrate that firms shift board appointments towards sitting MPs, away from other politicians, and reduce their political donations. The benefits of higher political access are greater for firms with family ownership and lower accounting transparency.
Chemical properties of key metabolites determine the global distribution of lichens
Authors: Schweiger Andreas H. , Ullmann G. Matthias , Nürk Nicolai M. , Triebel Dagmar , Schobert Rainer , Rambold Gerhard
Published: November 2021

In lichen symbioses, fungal secondary metabolites provide UV protection on which lichen algae such as trebouxiophycean green algae—the most prominent group of photobionts in lichen symbioses—sensitively depend. These metabolites differ in their UV absorbance capability and solvability, and thus vary in their propensity of being leached from the lichen body in humid and warm environments, with still unknown implications for the global distribution of lichens. In this study covering more than 10,000 lichenised fungal species, we show that the occurrence of fungal‐derived metabolites in combination with their UV absorbance capability and their probability of being leached in warm and humid environments are important eco‐evolutionary drivers of global lichen distribution. Fungal‐derived UV protection seems to represent an indirect environmental adaptation in which the lichen fungus invests to protect the trebouxiophycean photobiont from high UV radiation in warm and humid climates and, by doing this, secures its carbon source.
MIFAS: Multi‐source heterogeneous information fusion with adaptive importance sampling for link prediction
Authors: Jiang Tingting , Wang Hao , Luo Xiangfeng , Xie Shaorong , Wang Jingchao
Published: November 2021

Link prediction plays an important role in constructing knowledge graph. Recently, graph representation learning models yield state‐of‐the‐art results. However, existing models concentrate merely on triples or graph structures and mostly ignore textual descriptions, resulting in incomplete or partial information. In this paper, we propose a novel graph representation learning model to address this challenge, namely multi‐source heterogeneous information fusion with adaptive importance sampling. Our model leverages multiple sources, such triple, graph structure and textual description, and generate rich‐attribute embeddings for entities, encapsulating relations simultaneously. We also propose an adaptive importance sampling algorithm to boost aggregation of useful features from local neighbours. Additionally, we also boost node aggregation of useful features from local neighbours by adaptive importance sampling algorithm in our model. Experimental results on two benchmark datasets show that our proposed model significantly outperforms state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Port removal in patients receiving emicizumab prophylaxis: A single centre experience and review of the literature
Authors: Swan Dawn , Paran Sri , Nolan Beatrice
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Treatment of patients with Haemophilia A has improved significantly in recent years since the advent of novel therapeutic agents such as emicizumab. The low annualised bleeding rates associated with emicizumab have liberated many patients from the need for central venous access devices (CVAD). Optimal peri‐operative management of CVAD removal is not currently known and there are no specific formal recommendations available.

Aim

We reviewed outcomes in a paediatric cohort in our centre undergoing CVAD removal without pre‐operative factor or bypassing agent and reviewed the literature regarding port removal in patients on Emicizumab.

Methods

Ten male patients with severe Haemophilia A underwent CVAD removal without planned administration of factor concentrate or bypassing agent. Patients were monitored in hospital for 24 h with routine laboratory testing pre‐ and post‐operatively.

Results

No significant bleeding episodes occurred in any patient, no patient required factor concentrate or bypassing agent and no patients were readmitted due to bleeding within 7 days of surgery.

Conclusion

We propose that, in the era of emicizumab, prophylactic factor administration pre‐operatively for elective CVAD removal is not required in the majority of cases.
Effects of SiC whisker addition on mechanical, thermal, and permeability properties of porous silica‐bonded SiC ceramics
Authors: Lucio Maria Dolores Sosa , Kultayeva Shynar , Kim Young‐Wook , Song In‐Hyuck
Published: November 2021

The effects of SiC whisker addition into nano‐SiC powder‐carbon black template mixture on flexural strength, thermal conductivity, and specific flow rate of porous silica‐bonded SiC ceramics were investigated. The flexural strength of 1200°C‐sintered porous silica‐bonded SiC ceramics increased from 9.5 MPa to 12.8 MPa with the addition of 33 wt% SiC whisker because the SiC whiskers acted as a reinforcement in porous silica‐bonded SiC ceramics. The thermal conductivity of 1200°C‐sintered porous silica‐bonded SiC ceramics monotonically increased from 0.360 Wm–1K–1 to 1.415 Wm–1K–1 as the SiC whisker content increased from 0 to 100 wt% because of the easy heat conduction path provided by SiC whiskers with a high aspect ratio. The specific flow rate of 1200°C‐sintered porous SiC ceramics increased by two orders of magnitude as the SiC whisker content increased from 0 to 100 wt%. These results were primarily attributed to an increase in pore size from 125 nm to 565 nm and secondarily an increase in porosity from 49.9% to 63.6%. In summary, the addition of 33 wt% SiC whisker increased the flexural strength, thermal conductivity, and specific flow rate of porous silica‐bonded SiC ceramics by 35%, 133%, and 266%, respectively.
Preparation study for the low thermal expansion spodumene/mullite composites
Authors: Wu Yaqun , Tian Yuming , Wu Yaqiao , Qing Mei , Feng Ming , Ye Dongcheng , Zhu Baoshun
Published: November 2021

In this work, spodumene/mullite ceramics with low thermal expansion were successfully prepared from spodumene, quartz, talc, and clay. The effects of spodumene content and sintering temperature on the mechanical properties of spodumene/mullite ceramics were investigated. The formed phases were then detected by X‐ray diffraction analysis and the microstructures of the sintered bodies were determined by scanning electron microscopy. The interaction effects of the spodumene content and sintering temperature on the apparent porosity and bulk density were studied by response surface methodology. The results demonstrate that an appropriate sintering temperature and spodumene content can promote densification, improve the mechanical properties, and reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of spodumene/mullite ceramics. At the spodumene content of 40 wt.%, the sintering temperature of 1270°C, and the holding time of 90 min, the bending strength was 60.45 MPa, the CTE was 1.73 × 10–6/°C (α[25–650°C] < 2 × 10–6/°C), the bulk density was 2.28 g cm‐3, and the apparent porosity was 0.43%. Therefore, this study was of guiding significance for reducing the production cost of spodumene low thermal expansion ceramics and improving product quality.
Guidance for establishing a factor VIII testing protocol for the myriad of factor VIII products
Authors: Marlar Richard A. , Gausman Jana N. , Rollins‐Raval Marian A.
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Management of hemophilia A has changed significantly in the past few years with the expansion of new and/or modified products as treatment options. Unfortunately, many of the standard factor VIII assays do not always accurately measure all available treatment products; therefore, the laboratory must investigate various assay algorithms to ensure the reporting of the correct results.

Methods

Requirements for factor testing, diagnosis and severity levels, product testing, factor VIII inhibitor detection and titers, are evaluated, and potential algorithms are created for optimal assessment of patients with hemophilia A.

Results

The potential for inaccurate result reporting for patients with hemophilia A or those being treated with the myriad of products has left many laboratories uncertain as to which assay algorithm to implement to ensure reporting the correct results for all products used in their hemophilia program. Algorithms for using either One‐stage Clotting assays or Chromogenic assays or a combination of both types of assays are presented for each laboratory to implement based on their clinical situation.

Conclusions

Several algorithms are considered based on the needs of the clinical providers and their patients. Each laboratory must select a testing algorithm that is cost‐effective and within available resources, yet that encompasses the needs of their providers and patients. Laboratory personnel must consider all assay uses (factor VIII levels, different products, interfering products, and inhibitor titers) in determining the best algorithm for their laboratory. This paper is a starting guide for developing the best factor VIII testing assays and protocols for your laboratory.
Illuminating the shadows of skilled migration: Highly qualified immigrants from Latin America in Spain
Authors: Mendoza Cristóbal
Published: November 2021

This paper analyses the labour incorporation of skilled Latin American immigrant workers into Spain. It is based on in‐depth interviews with 24 Latin American immigrants and it explores reasons for migration into Spain, showing that the interviewees migrated for a great variety of reasons, not necessarily for work. Subsequently, the paper analyses the interviewees’ labour incorporation in Spain and defines three paths into skilled work in Spain. In two of the three paths, on first arrival in Spain, a mismatch was observed between education and labour market outcomes. For some, migration even represented a break in their career, implying occasionally a temporary de‐skilling process. For this reason, an extended university–work transition was sometimes observed, in order to secure skilled jobs in Spain. Theoretically, human capital hardly explains this migration since it is not associated with upward career movement, although wages might be higher than in the countries of origin.