bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Value Co-Creation on Public Social Media at Different Stages of the New Product Development Process. A Case Study of a Polish Clothes Manufacturer
Authors:   Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, Piątkowska Beata
Published: April 2022

This study contributes to the value co-creation theory in the context of the new product development process. The aim of this study is a comparison of interactions that lead to creation of value on public social media. The considered interactions are at diff erent stages of the new product development process: an idea generation and product development (crowdsourcing) and post-launch (product off erings). The place where interactions take place is Facebook fan page of a Polish clothes manufacturer. The DART model of value co-creation is the framework of the comparison. The results show that interactions at the stage of ideation and product development phase attracted more attention from the social media users than post-launch ones. Interactions at the stage of idea generation phase encouraged social media users to communicate with other social media users. It was rare with post-launch activities in the form of product off ering. The study is qualitative, based on a case study of a Polish clothes manufacturer with the use of an indepth interview and netnography.
Success and failure rates of new food and non-food products introduced on the market
Authors:   Poznan University of Economics and Business, Institute of Marketing, Poland, Rutkowski Ireneusz P.
Published: April 2022

Theoretical and empirical research reveals that despite implementing new product development and management best practices, many projects fail with new product strategies. But what if failure rates as high as 90% are true? This would mean that high costs of product innovation are incurred by many stakeholders who create a specifi c network of relationships, not just enterprises. The widespread belief that the new product failure rate is 90% is not supported by empirical evidence. The aim of the paper is to present the real market eff ects of new products, success and failure rates, from the point of view of food and non-food companies representing various industries. The research measures in the fi eld of marketing and sales eff ects of new products are also proposed. The method used in this paper is a literature review in the area of new product development and management. The author assumes that the review and conceptual nature of this research is dominant. Practical and social implications of the study, its originality concerns the results that provide the basis for the improvement of enterprises’ eff orts in the fi eld of a new product strategy. The limitations of the study include a complex character of considered theoretical constructs and they also concern the used secondary data sources on which the considerations in the article are based. The values of the paper refl ect the directions of enterprises’ conduct in the new food and nonfood product development process. Failure and success rates are in fact diffi cult to quantify. The research contribution to marketing sciences primarily includes the formulation of a set of real success and failure rates in food and non-food industries.
Review on modeling polar sea-ice acoustics waveguide
Authors: Yin Jing-Wei , Ma Ding-Yi , Zhang Yu-Xiang , Sheng Xue-Li ,   Acoustic Science and Technology Laboratory, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China,   Key Laboratory of Marine Information Acquisition and Security, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China,   College of Underwater Acoustic Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
Published: April 2022

With the continued global warming, polar science has become one of the research hotspots. Regarding polar acoustics, much progress has been made due to the efforts made by scientists in the world. With the enhancement of stereoscopic monitoring capacity in polar regions, the acoustic theory and technologies applicable to Arctic sea-ice, which have long been overlooked as a branch of acoustics, are now dawning more and more attention. The propagation of elastic waves in the Arctic sea-ice is governed by its waveguide, and the understanding of which faces a grave challenge due to the unique material properties and complex internal structure of sea-ice, along with the asymmetric fluid-solid coupling at its boundaries and the inaccessibility for in-situ experiments, which is caused by the extreme condition. Aiming at an effectively and precisely modeling technique of acoustic propagation in sea-ice, including its waveguide, in this paper, the progress, the development, and the status of corresponding researches are reviewed. For a better understanding of the modeling of sea-ice, Arctic sea-ice, i.e. its formation condition, geometries, mechanical properties, microstructures, and the acoustic propagation, is briefly introduced. Different approaches to modeling the propagation of elastic waves in ice-floe based on explicit/implicit boundary conditions are presented and explained in detail. The resulting transcendental characteristic equation describing the acoustic propagation needs to be solved in a complex space for the severe energy leakage at the water-ice interface, and the necessary numerical methods of solving this equation are then explained and compared with each other. Since accurate parameters are imperative in having a satisfactory fidelity for any physical model, the acoustic parameters of Arctic sea-ice, historical evolution and experimental results, along with its assessment techniques are also presented, and a set of sound velocity parameters of Arctic sea-ice are provided for modeling. The roughness of the ice-water interface is discussed case-by-case depending on its spatial scale in comparison with acoustic wavelength for its influence on the elastic waveguide. The perspectives and potential applications of the sea-ice acoustic waveguide within the frame of promoting sustainable development of the polar region are also discussed.
Deflection and manipulation of weak optical solitons by non-Hermitian electromagnetically induced gratings in Rydberg atoms
Authors: Gao Jie , Hang Chao ,   State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China,   NYU-ECNU Institute of Physics, New York University at Shanghai, Shanghai 200122, China,   Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Published: April 2022

Based on a Rydberg-electromagnetically-induced-transparency (Rydberg-EIT) system, an electromagnetically induced grating (EIG) with parity-time (\begin{document}${\cal{PT}}$\end{document}) symmetry is realized. The formation of solitons before the probe laser field reaching the EIG as well as its deflection when passing through the EIG are both investigated. It is found that due to the enhanced nonlinear optical effect of the Rydberg-EIT system, stable optical soliton can be formed with a very weak input light energy. In addition, it is found that by changing the gain/absorption coefficient of EIG, the period of EIG, and the nonlocality degree of optical Kerr nonlinear of the system, the deflection degree of the optical soliton can be effectively changed and manipulated. The research results of this work can provide a theoretical basis for the future applications of \begin{document}${\cal{PT}}$\end{document}-symmetric EIG and may be useful in the fields of all-optical manipulation and optical information processing.
Drosophila TRPγ is required in neuroendocrine cells for post-ingestive food selection
Authors: Dhakal Subash , Ren Qiuting , Liu Jiangqu , Akitake Bradley , Tekin Izel , Montell Craig , Lee Youngseok
Published: April 2022

The mechanism through which the brain senses the metabolic state, enabling an animal to regulate food consumption, and discriminate between nutritional and non-nutritional foods is a fundamental question. Flies choose the sweeter non-nutritive sugar, L-glucose, over the nutritive D-glucose if they are not starved. However, under starvation conditions, they switch their preference to D-glucose, and this occurs independent of peripheral taste neurons. Here, we found that eliminating the TRPγ channel impairs the ability of starved flies to choose D-glucose. This food selection depends on trpγ expression in neurosecretory cells in the brain that express diuretic hormone 44 (DH44). Loss of trpγ increases feeding, alters the physiology of the crop, which is the fly stomach equivalent, and decreases intracellular sugars and glycogen levels. Moreover, survival of starved trpγ flies is reduced. Expression of trpγ in DH44 neurons reverses these deficits. These results highlight roles for TRPγ in coordinating feeding with the metabolic state through expression in DH44 neuroendocrine cells.
A mechano-osmotic feedback couples cell volume to the rate of cell deformation
Authors: Venkova Larisa , Vishen Amit Singh , Lembo Sergio , Srivastava Nishit , Duchamp Baptiste , Ruppel Artur , Williart Alice , Vassilopoulos Stéphane , Deslys Alexandre , Garcia Arcos Juan Manuel , Diz-Muñoz Alba , Balland Martial , Joanny Jean-François , Cuvelier Damien , Sens Pierre , Piel Matthieu
Published: April 2022

Mechanics has been a central focus of physical biology in the past decade. In comparison, how cells manage their size is less understood. Here, we show that a parameter central to both the physics and the physiology of the cell, its volume, depends on a mechano-osmotic coupling. We found that cells change their volume depending on the rate at which they change shape, when they spontaneously spread or when they are externally deformed. Cells undergo slow deformation at constant volume, while fast deformation leads to volume loss. We propose a mechanosensitive pump and leak model to explain this phenomenon. Our model and experiments suggest that volume modulation depends on the state of the actin cortex and the coupling of ion fluxes to membrane tension. This mechano-osmotic coupling defines a membrane tension homeostasis module constantly at work in cells, causing volume fluctuations associated with fast cell shape changes, with potential consequences on cellular physiology.
Protection of nascent DNA at stalled replication forks is mediated by phosphorylation of RIF1 intrinsically disordered region
Authors: Balasubramanian Sandhya , Andreani Matteo , Andrade Júlia Goncalves , Saha Tannishtha , Sundaravinayagam Devakumar , Garzón Javier , Zhang Wenzhu , Popp Oliver , Hiraga Shin-ichiro , Rahjouei Ali , Rosen Daniel B , Mertins Philipp , Chait Brian T , Donaldson Anne D , Di Virgilio Michela
Published: April 2022

RIF1 is a multifunctional protein that plays key roles in the regulation of DNA processing. During repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), RIF1 functions in the 53BP1-Shieldin pathway that inhibits resection of DNA ends to modulate the cellular decision on which repair pathway to engage. Under conditions of replication stress, RIF1 protects nascent DNA at stalled replication forks from degradation by the DNA2 nuclease. How these RIF1 activities are regulated at the post-translational level has not yet been elucidated. Here, we identified a cluster of conserved ATM/ATR consensus SQ motifs within the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of mouse RIF1 that are phosphorylated in proliferating B lymphocytes. We found that phosphorylation of the conserved IDR SQ cluster is dispensable for the inhibition of DSB resection by RIF1, but is essential to counteract DNA2-dependent degradation of nascent DNA at stalled replication forks. Therefore, our study identifies a key molecular feature that enables the genome-protective function of RIF1 during DNA replication stress.
Autoinhibition and regulation by phosphoinositides of ATP8B1, a human lipid flippase associated with intrahepatic cholestatic disorders
Authors: Dieudonné Thibaud , Herrera Sara Abad , Laursen Michelle Juknaviciute , Lejeune Maylis , Stock Charlott , Slimani Kahina , Jaxel Christine , Lyons Joseph A , Montigny Cédric , Pomorski Thomas Günther , Nissen Poul , Lenoir Guillaume
Published: April 2022

P4-ATPases flip lipids from the exoplasmic to the cytosolic leaflet, thus maintaining lipid asymmetry in eukaryotic cell membranes. Mutations in several human P4-ATPase genes are associated with severe diseases, for example in ATP8B1 causing progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, a rare inherited disorder progressing toward liver failure. ATP8B1 forms a binary complex with CDC50A and displays a broad specificity to glycerophospholipids, but regulatory mechanisms are unknown. Here, we report functional studies and the cryo-EM structure of the human lipid flippase ATP8B1-CDC50A at 3.1 Å resolution. We find that ATP8B1 is autoinhibited by its N- and C-terminal tails, which form extensive interactions with the catalytic sites and flexible domain interfaces. Consistently, ATP hydrolysis is unleashed by truncation of the C-terminus, but also requires phosphoinositides, most markedly phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-phosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3), and removal of both N- and C-termini results in full activation. Restored inhibition of ATP8B1 truncation constructs with a synthetic peptide mimicking the C-terminal segment further suggests molecular communication between N- and C-termini in the autoinhibition and demonstrates that the regulatory mechanism can be interfered with by exogenous compounds. A recurring (G/A)(Y/F)AFS motif of the C-terminal segment suggests that this mechanism is employed widely across P4-ATPase lipid flippases in plasma membrane and endomembranes.
Neuronal origins of reduced accuracy and biases in economic choices under sequential offers
Authors: Shi Weikang , Ballesta Sebastien , Padoa-Schioppa Camillo
Published: April 2022

Economic choices are characterized by a variety of biases. Understanding their origins is a long-term goal for neuroeconomics, but progress on this front has been limited. Here, we examined choice biases observed when two goods are offered sequentially. In the experiments, rhesus monkeys chose between different juices offered simultaneously or in sequence. Choices under sequential offers were less accurate (higher variability). They were also biased in favor of the second offer (order bias) and in favor of the preferred juice (preference bias). Analysis of neuronal activity recorded in the orbitofrontal cortex revealed that these phenomena emerged at different computational stages. Lower choice accuracy reflected weaker offer value signals (valuation stage), the order bias emerged during value comparison (decision stage), and the preference bias emerged late in the trial (post-comparison). By neuronal measures, each phenomenon reduced the value obtained on average in each trial and was thus costly to the monkey.
Windborne migration amplifies insect-mediated pollination services
Authors: Jia Huiru , Liu Yongqiang , Li Xiaokang , Li Hui , Pan Yunfei , Hu Chaoxing , Zhou Xianyong , Wyckhuys Kris AG , Wu Kongming
Published: April 2022

Worldwide, hoverflies (Syrphidae: Diptera) provide crucial ecosystem services such as pollination and biological pest control. Although many hoverfly species exhibit migratory behavior, the spatiotemporal facets of these movement dynamics, and their ecosystem services implications are poorly understood. In this study, we use long-term (16-year) trapping records, trajectory analysis, and intrinsic (i.e., isotope, genetic, pollen) markers to describe migration patterns of the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus in northern China. Our work reveals how E. balteatus migrate northward during spring–summer and exhibits return (long-range) migration during autumn. The extensive genetic mixing and high genetic diversity of E. balteatus populations underscore its adaptive capacity to environmental disturbances, for example, climate change. Pollen markers and molecular gut analysis further illuminate how E. balteatus visits min. 1012 flowering plant species (39 orders) over space and time. By thus delineating E. balteatus transregional movements and pollination networks, we advance our understanding of its migration ecology and facilitate the design of targeted strategies to conserve and enhance its ecosystem services.
Genetic variation of putative myokine signaling is dominated by biological sex and sex hormones
Authors: Velez Leandro M , Van Cassandra , Moore Timothy , Zhou Zhenqi , Johnson Casey , Hevener Andrea L , Seldin Marcus M
Published: April 2022

Skeletal muscle plays an integral role in coordinating physiological homeostasis, where signaling to other tissues via myokines allows for coordination of complex processes. Here, we aimed to leverage natural genetic correlation structure of gene expression both within and across tissues to understand how muscle interacts with metabolic tissues. Specifically, we performed a survey of genetic correlations focused on myokine gene regulation, muscle cell composition, cross-tissue signaling, and interactions with genetic sex in humans. While expression levels of a majority of myokines and cell proportions within skeletal muscle showed little relative differences between males and females, nearly all significant cross-tissue enrichments operated in a sex-specific or hormone-dependent fashion; in particular, with estradiol. These sex- and hormone-specific effects were consistent across key metabolic tissues: liver, pancreas, hypothalamus, intestine, heart, visceral, and subcutaneous adipose tissue. To characterize the role of estradiol receptor signaling on myokine expression, we generated male and female mice which lack estrogen receptor α specifically in skeletal muscle (MERKO) and integrated with human data. These analyses highlighted potential mechanisms of sex-dependent myokine signaling conserved between species, such as myostatin enriched for divergent substrate utilization pathways between sexes. Several other putative sex-dependent mechanisms of myokine signaling were uncovered, such as muscle-derived tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) enriched for stronger inflammatory signaling in females compared to males and GPX3 as a male-specific link between glycolytic fiber abundance and hepatic inflammation. Collectively, we provide a population genetics framework for inferring muscle signaling to metabolic tissues in humans. We further highlight sex and estradiol receptor signaling as critical variables when assaying myokine functions and how changes in cell composition are predicted to impact other metabolic organs.
Free spermidine evokes superoxide radicals that manifest toxicity
Authors: Kumar Vineet , Mishra Rajesh Kumar , Ghose Debarghya , Kalita Arunima , Dhiman Pulkit , Prakash Anand , Thakur Nirja , Mitra Gopa , Chaudhari Vinod D , Arora Amit , Dutta Dipak
Published: April 2022

Spermidine and other polyamines alleviate oxidative stress, yet excess spermidine seems toxic to Escherichia coli unless it is neutralized by SpeG, an enzyme for the spermidine N-acetyl transferase function. Thus, wild-type E. coli can tolerate applied exogenous spermidine stress, but ΔspeG strain of E. coli fails to do that. Here, using different reactive oxygen species (ROS) probes and performing electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we provide evidence that although spermidine mitigates oxidative stress by lowering overall ROS levels, excess of it simultaneously triggers the production of superoxide radicals, thereby causing toxicity in the ΔspeG strain. Furthermore, performing microarray experiment and other biochemical assays, we show that the spermidine-induced superoxide anions affected redox balance and iron homeostasis. Finally, we demonstrate that while RNA-bound spermidine inhibits iron oxidation, free spermidine interacts and oxidizes the iron to evoke superoxide radicals directly. Therefore, we propose that the spermidine-induced superoxide generation is one of the major causes of spermidine toxicity in E. coli.
First DNA barcode library for the ichthyofauna of the Jos Plateau (Nigeria) with comments on potential undescribed fish species
Authors: Popoola Michael Olaoluwa , Schedel Frédéric Dieter Benedikt , Hebert Paul DN , Schliewen Ulrich Kurt
Published: April 2022

Located in the central region of northern Nigeria, the Jos Plateau covers approximately 9,400 km² with an average altitude of 1,280 m and constitutes a unique terrestrial ecoregion known as the Jos Plateau forest-grassland mosaic. The biota of the Jos Plateau include endemic elements, but very limited information is available on its ichthyofauna. This is despite the fact that the ancient plateau contributes to several large rivers spanning multiple major drainage systems including the Niger and Benue Rivers, and Lake Chad. This study provides the first species list for the fishes of the Jos Plateau based mainly on 175 DNA barcoded museum voucher specimens representing 20 species, and another three species without a DNA barcode. In total, 23 species from eight families and 17 genera were collected from the Jos Plateau including five putatively new species, four in the family Cyprinidae and one in the Clariidae. With ten species, the Cyprinidae is the most diverse fish family on the Jos Plateau, followed by Clariidae and Cichlidae, each with three species. The study also provides data on species distribution and habitat parameters including information on water chemistry that strongly suggests that selected water bodies are heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities. Urgent management steps are required to preserve the unique and diverse fish communities of the Jos Plateau and their habitats.
Identifying and characterizing Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum causing spot blight on Pinellia ternata in China
Authors: Zhou Jia , Xu Jiawei , Xu Rong , Chen Qiaohuan , Wang Yunhan , Huang Bisheng , Liu Dahui , Miao Yuhuan
Published: April 2022

Background

Pinellia ternata (Thunb.), a perennial herbal plant in the Araceae family, has great medicinal value and market demand. In August 2020, an outbreak of severe leaf spot blight disease resulted in a huge yield loss of P. ternata. It is necessary to isolate and identify the pathogens that cause spot blight on P. ternata.

Methods

In this study, we isolated and identified the pathogens by fulfilling Koch’s postulates. Disease samples with typical spot blight symptoms were collected and pathogens were isolated from the diseased tissues. The pathogen was identified based on its biological characteristics and molecular analysis of internal transcribed (rDNA-ITS) and large subunit (LSU) sequences. Phylogenetic tree were constructed using MEGA7 software and pathogenicity tests were performed using in vivo inoculation. Finally, the pathogen was recovered and identified from the inoculated plants.

Results

Based on Koch’s postulates, we identified the pathogen causing spot blight on P. ternata as Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore spot blight on P. ternata caused by S. cucurbitacearum in China.
PipeCoV: a pipeline for SARS-CoV-2 genome assembly, annotation and variant identification
Authors: Oliveira Renato R. M. , Costa Negri Tatianne , Nunes Gisele , Medeiros Inácio , Araújo Guilherme , de Oliveira Silva Fabricio , Estefano Santana de Souza Jorge , Alves Ronnie , Oliveira Guilherme
Published: April 2022

Motivation

Since the identification of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the scientific community has made a huge effort to understand the virus biology and to develop vaccines. Next-generation sequencing strategies have been successful in understanding the evolution of infectious diseases as well as facilitating the development of molecular diagnostics and treatments. Thousands of genomes are being generated weekly to understand the genetic characteristics of this virus. Efficient pipelines are needed to analyze the vast amount of data generated. Here we present a new pipeline designed for genomic analysis and variant identification of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Results

PipeCoV shows better performance when compared to well-established SARS-CoV-2 pipelines, with a lower content of Ns and higher genome coverage when compared to the Wuhan reference. It also provides a variant report not offered by other tested pipelines.

Availability

https://github.com/alvesrco/pipecov.
Analgesic effects of nerve growth factor‐directed monoclonal antibody on diabetic neuralgia in an animal model
Authors: Dong Xingchen , Li Huanhuan , Pei Min , Tan Jie , Chen Ganjun , Li Santai , Xie Zuobin , Wang Qi , Wang Guifeng , Chen Yi‐Li , Wang Chunhe
Published: April 2022

Current treatment options for diabetic neuralgia are limited and unsatisfactory. Tanezumab, a monoclonal antibody that blocks nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling, has been shown to be effective in relieving the clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis pain, chronic low back pain, cancer pain induced by bone metastasis, and diabetic neuralgia. However, the clinical development of tanezumab has been terminated due to the risk of induction of rapidly progressive osteoarthritis (RPOA), and no other NGF antibodies have been examined for their ability to treat diabetic neuralgia in either animal models or clinical trials. In this study, a humanized high‐affinity NGF monoclonal antibody (mAb), huAb45 that could neutralize the interaction between NGF and its high‐affinity receptor TrkA. In a mouse diabetic neuralgia model, it effectively relieved neuropathic pain. This study may serve as the necessary foundation for future studies of huAb45 to potentially treat diabetic neuralgia.
Cetacea (Whales, Porpoises and Dolphins)
Authors: Marx Felix G , Fordyce R Ewan
Published: April 2022

Whales and dolphins (cetaceans) are streamlined mammals that spend all their lives in water. Their earliest ancestors evolved more than 50 million years ago from even‐toed hoofed mammals like hippos and cows. Modern cetaceans range through all oceans and from the tropics to the polar regions. Even so, they belong to just two major clades: baleen whales (mysticetes) and toothed whales (odontocetes). Mysticetes include the largest animals on Earth and are characterised by keratinous, comb‐like baleen plates which they use to filter feed on tiny prey. By contrast, odontocetes use a form of biosonar (echolocation) to target single fish and squid. The vast majority of the 92 recognised living species belong to just three families: oceanic dolphins, beaked whales and rorquals.

Key Concepts

Whales and dolphins evolved from even‐toed hoofed mammals.

They spend all their lives in water and show key aquatic adaptations like streamlined bodies, baleen, echolocation and suction feeding.

They include the largest and, apart from humans, the brainiest animals on Earth.

Most belong to just three major families: oceanic dolphins, beaked whales and rorquals.

Advances in fossil sampling are beginning to reveal global patterns in whale evolution, including a major turnover event around 23 Ma.
Supported Sub‐Nanometer Clusters for Electrocatalysis Applications
Authors: Zhang Bingxing , Chen Yaping , Wang Jianmei , Pan Hongge , Sun Wenping
Published: April 2022

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted great attention in the field of electrocatalysis due to their exceptional activity, selectivity, 100% atom utilization, and tailorability of active sites at atomic level. The metal–support interactions and interatomic synergies, however, are severely limited due to the isolation of active sites in SACs which hinder their applications in some complex reactions. To this end, supported sub‐nanometer cluster catalysts (SNCCs, <2 nm) with nearly fully exposed active atoms may outperform the SACs in some specific catalytic reactions. The presence of abundant chemical bonds in the clusters can flexibly regulate the support–cluster interaction and build ensemble effect in the sub‐nanometer clusters for different electrocatalysis applications. In this review, recent advances of supported SNCCs in electrocatalysis applications are summarized and discussed for the first time. In particular, the importance of the support–cluster interactions and ensemble effect of the clusters in determining the catalytic performance of SNCCs are highlighted. Lastly, challenges and opportunities in SNCCs electrocatalysis are prospected.
Toward Understanding Chalcopyrite Solar Cells via Advanced Characterization Techniques
Authors: Bae Soohyun , Kim Joo‐Hyun , Lee Hae‐Seok , Min Byoung Koun
Published: April 2022

In response to global environmental concerns, the importance of renewable energy, especially photovoltaic technology, is widely emphasized. As such, various efforts are made to improve the efficiency of solar cells, leading to significant technological advances supported by effective analysis and characterization techniques. Understanding these characterization techniques is important when looking to overcome technological limits and set the direction of technological development. Because the electrical properties of device, such as the carrier lifetime, doping density, energy levels, and surface potential, are generally determined based on the crystallographic phase, morphology, and compositional distribution, characterization techniques are developed to provide quantitative information on the absorber, surface, and interfaces of solar cells in order to improve their overall performance. In this review, basic to advanced characterization techniques for chalcopyrite solar cells are introduced. Because chalcopyrite solar cells exhibit high efficiency and are already commercialized, this can be a good lesson for studying the technological development history regarding efficiency improvement with characterization of thin‐film solar cells. Based on the various characterization techniques reviewed in this paper, structure−property relationships are established, thus providing a foundation for the development of strategies to improve processing conditions and thus increase the efficiency of solar cells.
Enhancing the Light Output‐Coupling of Inverted Top‐Emitting Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes by Using the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance of Ag Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhao Yunping , Niu Yixiao , Shi Wei , Zhang Zhen , Yang Xuyong , Wei Bin , Pang Yudong , Wong Wai‐Yeung
Published: April 2022

In this study, a light out‐coupling layer (LOCL) composed of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and MoOx is introduced on top of the inverted top‐emitting organic light‐emitting diode (OLED). The full width at half maximum (FWHM) is narrowed to 50 nm due to the micro‐cavity effect of the top‐emitting structure and the turn‐on voltage is as low as 2.6 V. The AgNPs in the LOCL significantly improves the light output‐coupling of the OLED owing to the localized surface plasmon resonance, and the MoOx in the LOCL effectively protects the water‐ and oxygen‐sensitive electron injection material. As a result, the performance of the OLED with the LOCL is significantly enhanced. The maximum current efficiency and external quantum efficiency of the device are increased by 53% and 30% to 28.27 cd A−1 and 13.09%. The enhanced electroluminescent performance of the OLED, together with the narrowed FWHM and the low turn‐on voltage, provides a new way to realize ultra‐high‐definition display and micro‐display.
Ni‐CeO2 Heterostructures in Li‐S Batteries: A Balancing Act between Adsorption and Catalytic Conversion of Polysulfide
Authors: Kong Yang , Ao Xin , Huang Xiao , Bai Jinglong , Zhao Shangquan , Zhang Jinyong , Tian Bingbing
Published: April 2022

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have attracted considerable attention over the last two decades because of a high energy density and low cost. However, the wide application of Li–S batteries has been severely impeded due to the poor electrical conductivity of S, shuttling effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), and sluggish redox kinetics of S species, especially under high S loading. To address all these issues, a Ni–CeO2 heterostructure‐doped carbon nanofiber (Ni‐CeO2‐CNF) is developed as an S host that combines the strong adsorption with the high catalytic activity and the good electrical conductivity, where the LiPSs anchored on the heterostructure surface can directly gain electrons from the current collector and realize a fast conversion between S8 and Li2S. Therefore, Li–S batteries with S@Ni‐CeO2‐CNF cathodes exhibit superior long‐term cycling stability, with a capacity decay of 0.046% per cycle over 1000 cycles, even at 2 C. Noteworthy, under a sulfur loading up to 6 mg cm−2, a high reversible areal capacity of 5.3 mAh cm−2 can be achieved after 50 cycles at 0.1 C. The heterostructure‐modified S cathode effectively reconciles the thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of LiPSs for adsorption and conversion, furthering the development of high‐performance Li–S batteries.
COVID‐19 breakthrough infections and hospitalizations among vaccinated patients with dementia in the United States between December 2020 and August 2021
Authors: Wang Lindsey , Davis Pamela B. , Kaelber David C. , Xu Rong
Published: April 2022

Introduction

There is lack of data on COVID‐19 breakthrough infections in vaccinated patients with dementia in the United States.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of 262,847 vaccinated older adults (age 73.8 ± 6.81 years old) between December 2020 and August 2021.

Results

Among the fully vaccinated patients with dementia, the overall risk of COVID‐19 breakthrough infections ranged from 8.6% to 12.4%. Patients with dementia were at increased risk for breakthrough infections compared with patients without dementia, with the highest odds for patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) (adjusted odds ratio or AOR: 3.06, 95% confidence interval or CI [1.45 to 6.66]), followed by vascular dementia (VD) (AOR: 1.99, 95% CI [1.42 to 2.80]), Alzheimer's disease (AD) (1.53, 95% CI [1.22 to 1.92]), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (AOR: 1.78, 95% CI [1.51 to 2.11]). The incidence rate of breakthrough infections among fully vaccinated patients with dementia increased since December 2020 and accelerated after May 2021. The overall risk for hospitalization after breakthrough infections in patients with dementia was 39.5% for AD, 46.2% for VD, and 30.4% for MCI.

Discussion

These results highlight the need to continuously monitor breakthrough severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infections and outcomes in vaccinated patients with dementia.
Technical failure of the EZ‐blocker™ causing serious adverse events during one lung ventilation: a case series
Authors: Dillemans J. , Van Gompel C. , Wouters P. , Vanpeteghem C.
Published: April 2022

We present a case series of intra‐operative adverse events while using a specific type of bronchial blocker, designed to facilitate device positioning and minimise the risk of dislocation. The Rüsch® EZ‐blocker™ (Teleflex Life Sciences Ltd., Athlone, Ireland) is a Y‐shaped catheter equipped with two separately inflatable cuffs at the tip – one for each bronchial lumen. In this report, we describe four cases where the use of the EZ‐blocker was associated with the development of high airway pressures, hypoxaemia and expansion of the non‐dependent lung. Bronchoscopic evaluation showed spontaneous inflation of the cuff within the dependent (i.e. ventilated) bronchus, causing bronchial obstruction, and volume loss of the cuff within the non‐dependent (i.e. unventilated) bronchus, causing unintended expansion of the non‐dependent lung. After removal of the bronchial blocker, the catheter showed no visible defect, but a bench test revealed a functional connection inside the catheter which allowed air to pass slowly from one bronchial cuff to the other. This technical defect relates to the unique design of the EZ‐blocker as it is the only bronchial blocker equipped with two bronchial cuffs. Clinicians should be aware of this inherent risk since complications may develop insidiously and affect both lungs simultaneously. Early recognition and prompt intervention can prevent life‐threatening intra‐operative deterioration.
A systematic and major review of proactive environmental strategies in hospitality and tourism: Looking back for moving forward
Authors: Elkhwesky Zakaria
Published: April 2022

Proactive environmental strategies (PESs) are dynamic environmental capabilities that stimulate competitive advantage in the hospitality and tourism (H&T) industries. PESs legitimize environmental goals, policies, budgets, and reports, allowing for environmentally friendly actions and behaviors. In order to highlight measures, antecedents, and outcomes of PESs in the H&T industries, 287 articles were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. Only 78 articles were identified as eligible for the final analysis, spanning a period of more than 26 years (1996 till 2022). The current review demonstrates that PESs in H&T have advanced over the last 26 years. There are many PESs in H&T, with no unified set of measurement tools of PESs. Additionally, there are many antecedents and outcomes of PESs in H&T. However, there has been a paucity of research on H&T PESs, necessitating a thorough investigation of several issues. This review discusses implications and recommendations for H&T and presents a strategy for extending future studies through theoretical advancement and empirical development. The current research is the first to conduct a systematic review of PESs in an H&T context.
“Scare the Bear” with these tips for dealing with workplace bullying
Authors: Hodges Dawn Z.
Published: April 2022

Not long ago, I had lunch with a former colleague. She was recounting an incident that happened at her vacation home in Florida when she was cooking a rather fragrant meal. She looked out on the patio to see a black bear tear through the screen and come look in her back door. She called animal control. They said they don't relocate the bears because “they don't do well in the wild.” So, what was she to do? “Scare the bear,” they told her.
Controllable automatic generation of non‐player characters in 3D anime style
Authors: Li Ruizhe , Oji Ryo , Fujishiro Issei
Published: April 2022

Game creators always use prefabricated models as non‐player characters (NPCs) to create an atmosphere for game scenes. However, players are likely to see different NPCs with the same 3D models because creators usually cannot prepare a high number of NPC models for big game scenes. In this article, we present an anime‐like character customization system, where each customizing parameter can adjust the shape or color for the corresponding part of the character model. Based on this system, we propose an improved approach for generating a rich variety of 3D anime‐like NPCs including body models and clothing items in different styles. We introduce a neural network to control the facial appearances, Gaussian mixture models to control the colors of hair and clothes, and a Bayesian network to control the outfits of clothing items. We demostrate that the proposed approach can maintain the variety and stability of the generated characters.
Porokeratotic adnexal ostial nevus: A paradigm of cutaneous mosaicism
Authors: Kiely Lisa , Ni Mhaolcatha Sarah , Fitzgibbon Jim , Murphy Lesley‐Ann , O’Connor Cathal
Published: April 2022

Porokeratotic adnexal ostial nevus (PAON) is a term encompassing porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct naevus (PEODDN) and porokeratotic eccrine and hair follicle naevus (PEHFN). We present the case of a 7‐year‐old girl who presented with hyperkeratotic verrucous papules in a blaschkolinear distribution on the sole of her left foot.
Predictors of cultural humility in counselors‐in‐training
Authors: Kondili Elvita , Isawi Dana , Interiano‐Shiverdecker Claudia , Maleckas Olivia
Published: April 2022

We utilized a correlational design to investigate the role of multicultural training, intellectual humility, and a quiet ego on predicting cultural humility in counselors‐in‐training. Moreover, we explored facets of intellectual humility and the quiet ego as predictors for domains of cultural humility and provide implications for counselor educators based on the findings.
Cancer‐related inflammation and depressive symptoms: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: McFarland Daniel C. , Doherty Meredith , Atkinson Thomas M. , O’Hanlon Robin , Breitbart William , Nelson Christian J. , Miller Andrew H.
Published: April 2022

Background

Depressive symptoms in patients with cancer are associated with poor quality of life and decreased survival. Although inflammation is reliably associated with depression in otherwise healthy individuals, the association in patients with cancer remains unclear. Given the high prevalence of cancer‐related inflammation, the authors aimed to establish the relationship between inflammation and depression in cancer patients based on extant literature.

Methods

A systematic review and meta‐analysis was performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses 2020 guidelines and registered under Prospero ID CRD42021226743. Three databases were searched including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO using the following criteria for inclusion: 1) measurement of a peripheral inflammatory marker, 2) use of a validated tool/scale to measure depression, and 3) a cancer diagnosis. Risk of publication bias was assessed by Funnel plot and Egger test.

Results

Seventy‐three studies were included in the systematic review and 54 studies (n = 5017) were included in meta‐analyses. Associations with depressive symptoms were significant for peripheral blood interleukin (IL)‐6 (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35‐0.82), I2 = 57.9%; tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (SMD = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.35‐1.11), I2 = 74.1%; and C‐reactive protein (CRP) (SMD = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.27‐0.87), I2 = 0%. IL‐5, IL‐13, albumin, and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio were associated with depressive symptoms but based on fewer studies. Most cancer settings were represented; the number of studies per inflammatory marker varied from 1 to 52.

Conclusions

Although peripheral inflammatory markers were unevenly studied, the most studied markers (IL‐6, TNF, and CRP) were associated with depressive symptoms in cancer patients and may be useful for management of depressive symptoms in the cancer setting.

Lay Summary

Peripheral blood inflammatory markers (IL‐6, TNF, and CRP) were associated with depressive symptoms in various cancer settings.

Although further studies are warranted, these findings may help identify and manage depressive symptoms in patients with cancer.
Financial toxicity impact on younger versus older adults with cancer in the setting of care delivery
Authors: Corrigan Kelsey L. , Fu Shuangshuang , Chen Ying‐Shiuan , Kaiser Kelsey , Roth Michael , Peterson Susan K. , Shih Ya‐Chen T. , Jagsi Reshma , Giordano Sharon H. , Volk Robert J. , Yabroff K. Robin , Banegas Mathew P. , Acquati Chiara , Conti Rena M. , Ma Hilary Y. , Ku Kimberly , You Y. Nancy , Smith Grace L.
Published: April 2022

Background

Young adults and other working‐age adults with cancer are at risk for cancer‐related financial toxicity (FT), including material hardships, depletion of coping resources, and psychological burden. This study compares FT domains in young adults (18‐39 years old) (YAs), other working‐age adults (40‐64 years old), and older adults (≥65 years old) receiving cancer care.

Methods

A total of 311 adults were surveyed using the multi‐domain Economic Strain and Resilience in Cancer instrument measuring FT (0‐10 score indicating least to greatest FT; score ≥5 severe FT). Participants were receiving ambulatory care from March‐September 2019. Associations of age with overall FT and material hardship, coping resource depletion, and psychological burden FT domains were tested using Kruskal‐Wallis and χ2 tests and multivariable generalized linear models with gamma distribution.

Results

YAs (median age, 31.5 years) comprised 9.6% of the sample; other working‐age adults comprised 56.9%. Overall, material, coping, and psychological FT scores were worse in younger age adults versus older adults (P < .001 in all multivariable models). Compared with older adults, younger age adults demonstrated worse material hardship (median scores, 3.70 vs 4.80 vs 1.30 for YAs, other working‐age, and older adults, respectively; P < .001), coping resource depletion (4.50 vs 3.40 vs 0.80; P < .001), and psychological burden (6.50 vs 7.00 vs 1.00; P < .001). Fifty percent of YAs had severe overall FT versus 40.7% of other working‐age adults and 9.6% of older adults (P < .001).

Conclusions

Younger age adults with cancer bore disproportionate FT. Interventions to address unmet needs are critical components for addressing FT in this population.
Positron emission tomography molecular imaging‐based cancer phenotyping
Authors: Jin Chentao , Luo Xiaoyun , Li Xiaoyi , Zhou Rui , Zhong Yan , Xu Zhoujiao , Cui Chunyi , Xing Xiaoqing , Zhang Hong , Tian Mei
Published: April 2022

During the past several decades, numerous studies have provided insights into biological characteristics of cancer cells and identified various hallmarks of cancer acquired in the tumorigenic processes. However, it is still challenging to image these distinctive traits of cancer to facilitate the management of patients in clinical settings. The rapidly evolving field of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has provided opportunities to investigate cancer's biological characteristics in vivo. This article reviews the current status of PET imaging on characterizing hallmarks of cancer and discusses the future directions of PET imaging strategies facilitating in vivo cancer phenotyping.
Significance of KRAS mutation testing in biliary brushing cytology specimens: A 10‐year retrospective review
Authors: Sun Tong , Zuo Tao , Hui Pei , Cai Guoping
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Biliary strictures can be caused by benign and malignant conditions. A biliary duct brushing diagnosis can be challenging because of low cellularity and overlapping morphology among different entities, leading to a variable reported sensitivity. This study aimed to assess the value of KRAS mutation testing in adding cytological diagnosis of biliary duct brushings.

METHODS

With institutional review board approval, biliary duct brushing cytology specimens were collected from 269 patients with extrahepatic biliary stenosis between August 2011 and July 2021. The results of cytology and KRAS mutational analyses were evaluated in view of corresponding cytology examination and histopathological/clinical follow‐up.

RESULTS

KRAS mutations were identified in 50 of 269 biliary stricture brushing cases (19%). Among the cases with available follow‐up, 72% (34 of 47) of biliary brushings had confirmed malignancy when there were KRAS mutations. The overall specificity and sensitivity of KRAS mutation testing was 92% and 36%, respectively. KRAS mutation was significantly more enriched in pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma than in cholangiocarcinoma (66% vs 5%, P < .001). The absolute risk of malignancy was 3%, 28%, and 71%, respectively, in negative, atypical, and suspicious cytological diagnostic categories and the risks increased to 14%, 68%, and 95% in corresponding categories with KRAS mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that KRAS mutational analysis can be considered supplementary to cytology diagnosis of biliary duct brushing for patients with extrahepatic biliary stenosis in clinical practice.;