bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of hotel website browsing activity: the power of informatics and data analytics
Authors: Chan Irene Cheng Chu , Ma Jing , Law Rob , Buhalis Dimitrios , Hatter Richard
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the temporal dynamics of users browsing activity on a hotel website in order to derive effective marketing strategies and constantly improve website effectiveness. Users' activities on the hotel's website on yearly, monthly, daily and hourly basis are examined and compared, demonstrating the power of informatics and data analytics.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 29,976 hourly Weblog files from 1 August 2014 to 31 December 2017 were collected from a luxury hotel in Hong Kong. ANOVA and post-hoc comparisons were used to analyse the data.

Findings

Users' browsing behaviours, particularly stickiness, on the hotel website differ on yearly, monthly, daily and weekly bases. Users' activities increased steadily from 2014 to 2016, but dropped in 2017. Users are most active from July to September, on weekdays, and from noon to evening time. The month-, day-, and hour-based behaviours changed through years. The analysis of big data determines strategic and operational management and marketing decision-making.

Research limitations/implications

Understanding the usage patterns of their websites allow organisations to make a range of strategic, marketing, pricing and distribution decisions to optimise their performance. Fluctuation of website usage and level of customer engagement have implications on customer support and services, as well as strategic partnership decisions.

Originality/value

Leveraging the power of big data analytics, this paper adds to the existing literature by performing a comprehensive analysis on the temporal dynamics of users' online browsing behaviours.
Narrative ephemera: documents in storytelling worlds
Authors: Urban Alex C.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Some virtual, immersive stories are filled with documents that users must locate and interact with to experience a narrative. Exploring a new area of inquiry in the information science field, this study focuses on individuals' experiences with documents in a particular 3D storytelling world.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative approach, this study examined user interactions with virtual documents to better understand the relationship between information behavior and narrative spaces. This study employed observations of users in a story-rich world, followed by semistructured interviews using virtual artifacts and stimulated recall.

Findings

Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study found that (1) environmental and personal influences, (2) the search and the narrative experience and (3) expectation and confirmation events surround a user's experiences with documents in storytelling worlds. These influences and experiences determine the user's relationship with these documents, which may be considered narrative ephemera – objects that a user accumulates to create and structure a story. This model of narrative ephemera depicts the user's search for narrative cadence, fulfillment of competence needs and visions of story events or the user's own lived experiences. Individuals may experience these phenomena from a single document, shifting back and forth between the designers' intentions and the users' own realities.

Originality/value

This study represents a first attempt to investigate information behavior in a distributed narrative space: a virtual world filled with documents. This study reveals that commonly employed information behavior theories, as well as literary and motivation theories, may be well suited for investigating story worlds. Continued research in this area of inquiry may benefit educators as well as designers of digital stories.
Self-employment by US county: key predictors
Authors: Bignall Nichole M. , Debbage Keith G.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Some US counties are more likely to generate entrepreneurial opportunities than others. This paper aims to determine the linkages between US counties with disproportionately high shares of entrepreneurs and specific attributes of the entrepreneurial support system.

Design/methodology/approach

Non-farm proprietorship (NFP) has been used as a proxy for entrepreneurship and self-employment. NFP employment data were collected from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis by county. Data on all independent variables were obtained from the US Census and Bureau of Economic Analysis by county and subject to stepwise linear regression analysis.

Findings

Results revealed a strong positive relationship between the percent of NFP employment by county and the percent real estate, rental and leasing employment and construction employment as well as percent Hispanic and median age.

Practical implications

In attempting to encourage NFP employment, policymakers should be more aware of the key predictors that shape county-wide entrepreneurial ecosystems to enhance competitive advantage. Better understanding of the needs and experiences of different types of entrepreneurs and ecosystems can enhance overall quality of life and economic opportunity levels in a community.

Originality/value

The explicit spatial context of this paper has sometimes been overlooked in the traditional entrepreneurship literature, as such, this paper helps fill that gap. The findings provide a disaggregated analysis that can help better understand the key predictors that can drive the local choices of entrepreneurs and help local policymakers to build more competitive communities.
Multiple organizational identities and change in ambivalence: the case of a Chinese acquisition in Europe
Authors: Lupina-Wegener Anna Aleksandra , Liang Shuang , van Dick Rolf , Ullrich Johannes
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Building on social identity theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine how European managers construct their multiple identities after being acquired by a Chinese firm and to determine the key factors contributing to the changing dynamics of multiple organizational identities.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a qualitative, single case study of a Chinese acquisition of a European manufacturing firm at two points in time.

Findings

We find that multiple identities initially trigger ambivalence toward the acquisition, but over time, the ambivalence diminishes. The reduction of ambivalence results from concurrent integration and separation: a newly constructed boundary spanning the organization separates positive identities from negative ones, and integration interventions foster the development of a new, shared identity.

Originality/value

The findings reveal that organizational identity change is facilitated by the aligning of a post-merger identity with the acquired organization's historical identity and by creating an ambivalent boundary spanning identity.
Research Note: A workaround for the corner problem in numerically exact non‐reflecting boundary conditions
Authors: Mulder W.A.
Published: July 2020

Simulations of wave propagation in the Earth usually require truncation of a larger domain to the region of interest to keep computational cost acceptable. This introduces artificial boundaries that should not generate reflected waves. Most existing boundary conditions are not able to completely suppress all the reflected energy, but suffice in practice except when modelling subtle events such as interbed multiples. Exact boundary conditions promise better performance but are usually formulated in terms of the governing wave equation and, after discretization, still may produce unwanted artefacts. Numerically exact non‐reflecting boundary conditions are instead formulated in terms of the discretized wave equation. They have the property that the numerical solution computed on a given domain is the same as one on a domain enlarged to the extent that waves reflected from the boundary do not have the time to reach the original truncated domain. With a second‐ or higher‐order finite‐difference scheme for the one‐dimensional wave equation, these boundary conditions follow from a recurrence relation. In its generalization to two or three dimensions, a recurrence relation was only found for a single non‐reflecting boundary on one side of the domain or two of them at opposing ends. The other boundaries should then be zero Dirichlet or Neumann. If two non‐reflecting boundaries meet at a corner, translation invariance is lost and a simple recurrence relation could not be found.

Here, a workaround is presented that restores translation invariance by imposing classic, approximately non‐reflecting boundary conditions on the other sides and numerically exact ones on the two opposing sides that otherwise would create the strongest reflected waves with the classic condition. The exact ones can also be applied independently. As a proof of principle, the method is applied to the two‐dimensional acoustic wave equation, discretized on a rectangular domain with a second‐order finite‐difference scheme and first‐order Enquist–Majda boundary conditions as approximate ones. The method is computationally costly but has the advantage that it can be reused on a sequence of problems as long as the time step and the sound speed values next to the boundary are kept fixed.
Working with Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in large‐scale ecological assessments: Reviewing the experience of the IPBES Global Assessment
Authors: McElwee Pamela , Fernández‐Llamazares Álvaro , Aumeeruddy‐Thomas Yildiz , Babai Dániel , Bates Peter , Galvin Kathleen , Guèze Maximilien , Liu Jianguo , Molnár Zsolt , Ngo Hien T. , Reyes‐García Victoria , Roy Chowdhury Rinku , Samakov Aibek , Shrestha Uttam Babu , Díaz Sandra , Brondízio Eduardo S.
Published: July 2020

There have been calls for greater inclusion of Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in applied ecosystems research and ecological assessments. The Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment (GA) is the first global scale assessment to systematically engage with ILK and issues of concern to Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC). In this paper, we review and reflect on how the GA worked with ILK and lessons learned.

The GA engaged in critical evaluation and synthesis of existing evidence from multiple sources, using several deliberative steps: having specific authors and questions focus on ILK; integrating inputs from ILK across all chapters; organizing dialogue workshops; issuing calls for contributions to identify other forms and systems of knowledge; and encouraging IPLC to be key stakeholders and contributors.

We identify content areas where attention to ILK was particularly important for questions in applied ecology. These include: (a) enriching understandings of nature and its contributions to people, including ecosystem services; (b) assisting in assessing and monitoring ecosystem change; (c) contributing to international targets and scenario development to achieve global goals like the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals and (d) generating inclusive and policy‐relevant options for people and nature. However, challenges in engaging different knowledge systems were also encountered.

Policy implications. The Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment (GA) demonstrated the importance of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC) to global biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Initiatives seeking to engage Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) can learn from the experience of the GA. Successfully bringing ILK into assessment processes and policy arenas requires a deliberate framework and approach from the start that facilitates recognition of different knowledge systems, identifies questions relevant at various scales, mobilizes funding and recognizes time required and engages networks of stakeholders with diverse worldviews. In turn, fostering inclusion of ILK and partnering with IPLC can help future assessments understand how natural and cultural systems co‐produce each other, identify trends of change through diverse biocultural indicators and improve sustainable development goals and policies.
Three suggested teaching strategies for students who are deaf or hard of hearing
Authors: Herring Tina J. , Woolsey M. Lynn
Published: July 2020

This paper addresses current issues in deaf education including poor academic progress and employment outcomes of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) as well as provides suggestions for improving overall academic achievement of this population. Specifically, three instructional strategies are recommended for teachers: choral responding, response cards, and peer tutoring. These three strategies have been shown to increase active student responding in classrooms for children who are typically developing and children who have disabilities. For international deaf students in countries that may rely on volunteers who lack basic requisite skills these general education teaching strategies are easy to use even by novice teachers. Recommendations are tendered for how teachers can include these simple teaching strategies in classrooms serving students who are D/HH.
Racial Disparities in Police Stops in US Cities
Authors: Rivera Roberto , Rosenbaum Janet
Published: July 2020

Following the death of George Floyd, and protests against systemic racism, Roberto Rivera and Janet Rosenbaum assess evidence for racial disparities in police traffic stop data in San Diego and San Francisco
Intraabdominal pressure and its relation with organ dysfunction in patients scheduled for elective cesarean section: Effect of supine vs left lateral tilt position
Authors: Garg Devansh , Tyagi Asha , Kumar Mahendra
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Intraabdominal pressure (IAP) is related to clinical outcome of patients. It is measured as intravesical pressure through a Foley catheter in the supine position. During pregnancy, there are data showing elevated IAP and also a suggestion that it may be a false increase due to pressure on the urinary bladder by the gravid uterus in the supine position. Additionally, it is not known whether the elevated IAP during pregnancy is merely a physiological change or is associated with impairment of organ functions. We thus aimed to establish a normal value of IAP in supine (IAPsupine) as well as 10° left lateral (IAPlateral‐tilt) positions, and their association with organ functions as well as certain maternal risk characteristics.

Material and methods

This prospective cross‐sectional cohort study included 100 consenting parturients with term gestation posted for elective cesarean section under single‐shot subarachnoid block. IAP was measured via an indwelling Foley catheter with a transducer connected to it, as per the recommended technique. Organ dysfunction was defined as Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) subscore ≥1 for the particular system. Trial registration: ctri.gov.in (CTRI/2017/11/010527).

Results

The IAPsupine was significantly higher than IAPlateral‐tilt (13.8 ± 2.4 vs 12 ± 2.3 mm Hg) (P < .001). The incidence of intraabdominal hypertension as per conventional definition, that is, IAP ≥12 mm Hg, was also higher in the supine position (77% vs 55%) (P < .001). None of the patients had dysfunction of the cardiovascular, renal or central nervous system. The incidence of respiratory, hepatic and hematologic dysfunction was 2%, 15% and 32%, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed insignificant association of IAPsupine and IAPlateral‐tilt with various organ dysfunctions (P > .05). There was a significant correlation of intraabdominal hypertension when considering IAPsupine or IAPlateral‐tilt, with obesity (P = .004 and .000, respectively), as well as preeclampsia (P = .006 and .000, respectively).

Conclusions

In nonlaboring patients undergoing elective cesarean section, IAP is significantly higher in the supine vs 10° left lateral position. In neither position is IAP significantly associated with organ dysfunction. Thus, the usual recommendation of a supine position for measuring IAP to diagnose intraabdominal hypertension, formulated consequent to its pathological effects on organ functions, may not be applicable to pregnant patients and needs urgent validation studies.
Laparoscopy‐assisted repair with Ventralex ST Hernia Patch for a small subcostal hernia: A case report
Authors: Tazaki Tatsuya , Okamoto Nobuyuki , Sasaki Masaru , Kohyama Mohei , Sugiyama Yoichi , Takahashi Shinya , Nakamitsu Atsushi
Published: July 2020

A 55‐year‐old woman with a history of right hepatic lobectomy via a Benz incision presented for evaluation of a new abdominal bulge in the right upper quadrant. We diagnosed an incisional hernia, but because we could neither reduce the hernia contents nor locate the orifice, we performed a laparoscopic evaluation. Laparoscopy revealed subcostal herniation of the greater omentum via a 2‐cm defect on the caudal side of the right ribs, which we repaired using a Ventralex ST Hernia Patch. Laparoscopic placement of this mesh with straps allowed for reliable deployment, fixation, and confirmation of defect closure, including the cranial aspect—often a major challenge in subcostal hernia repair.
Acacia invasion is facilitated by landscape permeability: The role of habitat degradation and road networks
Authors: Heringer Gustavo , Thiele Jan , do Amaral Cibele Hummel , Meira‐Neto João Augusto Alves , Matos Fabio Antonio Ribeiro , Lehmann Jan Rudolf Karl , Buttschardt Tillmann Konrad , Neri Andreza Viana
Published: July 2020

Context

The sandy‐savanna ecosystem “Mussununga”, a natural ecosystem that occurs as patches throughout the Atlantic Forest domain, is threatened by anthropogenic factors and biological invasions of Australian Acacia species. Habitat degradation in the Atlantic Forest domain and extensive road networks could facilitate Acacia invasion into Mussununga.

Objectives

We investigated whether: (a) landscape permeability (measured by effective conductance) facilitates Acacia invasion; (b) forest fragments are barriers, and roads and highways are corridors for invasive spread of Acacia; and (c) size and shape of Mussununga patches play a role in biological invasion.

Methods

Acacia invasion was investigated in 32 Mussununga sites within the Atlantic Forest domain. We tested the effect of a set of landscape permeability scenarios based on circuit analysis and nine other metrics of landscape structure on Acacia occurrence using three buffer‐zone sizes (0.5, 1, and 2 km).

Results

The likelihood of Acacia invasion significantly increased with landscape permeability. The best‐fitting landscape permeability scenario designated road networks as corridors, intact forests and water surfaces as barriers, and degraded habitats as non‐barriers. We also found that Mussununga areas within a 0.5 km buffer negatively affected the biological invasion by Acacia.

Conclusions

Extensive habitat degradation by deforestation and dense road networks facilitate Acacia invasion into sandy‐savanna Mussununga ecosystems. Landscape permeability may be used as a risk‐assessment tool for biological invasion by Acacia species. Mussununga patches can be protected from Acacia invasion through preserving or restoring forest belts around them and disconnecting them from the road network.
Concrete People? Modes of Imagination in Psychotherapy, Fiction, and Neuroscience
Authors: Robinson Benjamin L.
Published: July 2020

Imagining people is crucial to the work of psychotherapists and fiction writers. By analysing how practitioners of both crafts use the word ‘concrete’, however, I find that writing and therapy diverge widely in their modes of imagining others. Therapists apply concrete to patients who are thought unable to symbolize, hard to treat, and lacking in imaginative capacity, whilst writers use concrete to denote quite the opposite: symbolic potency and meaning‐making. By analysing this use of concrete, and exploring the rich history of the word – including the introduction of material concrete into the modern world, and the alchemists’ use of the word in their search for the philosophers' stone – I find that the current application of concrete by therapists denies a great wealth of potential which is much‐needed in our demanding work. Driven by research in sensory neuroscience, I suggest we consider mind, brain, and person to encompass both polarities of concrete, and thus two different forms of imagination. By using both forms with ‘concrete’ patients, we may discover new ways of imagining others and responding to them, going beyond the concrete fixities of our own theories to pay due reverence to the concrete realities of another person.
In vitro and in silico characterization of the inhibition of Kir4.1 channels by aminoglycoside antibiotics
Authors: Morán‐Zendejas Rita , Delgado‐Ramírez Mayra , Xu Jie , Valdés‐Abadía Belkis , Aréchiga‐Figueroa Iván A. , Cui Meng , Rodríguez‐Menchaca Aldo A.
Published: July 2020

Background and Purpose

Aminoglycoside antibiotics are positively charged molecules that are known to inhibit several ion channels. In this study, we have shown that aminoglycosides also inhibit the activity of Kir4.1 channels. Aminoglycosides inhibit Kir4.1 channels by a pore‐blocking mechanism, plugging the central vestibule of the channel.

Experimental Approach

Patch‐clamp recordings were made in HEK‐293 cells transiently expressing Kir4.1 channels to analyse the effects of gentamicin, neomycin and kanamycin. In silico modelling followed by mutagenesis were realized to identify the residues critical for aminoglycosides binding to Kir4.1.

Key Results

Aminoglycoside antibiotics block Kir4.1 channels in a concentration‐ and voltage‐dependent manner, getting access to the protein from the intracellular side of the plasma membrane. Aminoglycosides block Ki4.1 with a rank order of potency as follows: gentamicin ˃ neomycin ˃ kanamycin. The residues T128 and principally E158, facing the central cavity of Kir4.1, are important structural determinants for aminoglycosides binding to the channel, as determined by our in silico modelling and confirmed by mutagenesis experiments.

Conclusion and Implications

Kir4.1 channels are also target of aminoglycoside antibiotics, which could affect potassium transport in several tissues.
Bromo‐ and extraterminal domain protein inhibition improves immunotherapy efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Liu Chen , Miao Xiaolong , Wang Yao , Wen Liang , Cheng Xiawei , Kong Deqiang , Zhao Pengwei , Song Dandan , Wang Xinyi , Ding Xianfeng , Xia Hongguang , Wang Weilin , Sun Qiming , Gong Weihua
Published: July 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the majority of liver cancer and is the fourth most common cause of cancer‐related death. Although advances in molecular targeted therapy have shown promise, none of these agents has yet demonstrated significant clinical benefit. Bromo‐ and extraterminal domain (BET) protein inhibitors have been considered potential therapeutic drugs for HCC but the biological activity remains unclear. This study found that BET protein inhibition did not effectively suppress the progression of HCC, using a transgenic HCC mouse model. Mechanistically, the BET protein inhibitor JQ1 upregulated the expression of programmed cell death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) on the plasma membrane in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, JQ1 enhanced the expression of Rab8A, which upregulated the expression of PD‐L1 on the plasma membrane. This study also showed that JQ1 combined with anti‐PD‐L1 Ab effectively suppressed HCC progression, and this benefit was obtained by enhancing the activation and cytotoxic capabilities of CD8 T cells. These results revealed the crucial role and regulation of BET protein inhibition on the expression of PD‐L1 in HCC. Thus, combining BET protein inhibition with immune checkpoint blockade offers an efficient therapeutic approach for HCC.
Hypoxia‐inhibited miR‐338‐3p suppresses breast cancer progression by directly targeting ZEB2
Authors: He Juanjuan , Wang Jing , Li Songchao , Li Teng , Chen Kunlun , Zhang Shaojin
Published: July 2020

Hypoxia plays an essential role in the development of various cancers. The biological function and underlying mechanism of microRNA‐338‐3p (miR‐338‐3p) under hypoxia remain unclarified in breast cancer (BC). Herein, we performed bioinformatics, gain and loss of function of miR‐338‐3p, a luciferase reporter assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) in vitro and in a tumor xenograft model. We also explored the potential signaling pathways of miR‐338‐3p in BC. We detected the expression levels and prognostic significance of miR‐338‐3p in BC by qRT‐PCR and in situ hybridization. MiR‐338‐3p was lowly expressed in BC tissues and cell lines, and BC patients with underexpression of miR‐338‐3p tend to have a dismal overall survival. Functional experiments showed that miR‐338‐3p overexpression inhibited BC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, whereas miR‐338‐3p silencing abolished these biological behaviors. Zinc finger E‐box‐binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) was validated as a direct target of miR‐338‐3p. ZEB2 overexpression promoted while ZEB2 knockdown abolished the promoted effects of miR‐338‐3p knockdown on cell biological behaviors through the NF‐ĸB and PI3K/Akt signal pathways. HIF1A can transcriptionally downregulate miR‐338‐3p under hypoxia. In total, miR‐338‐3p counteracts hypoxia‐induced BC cells growth, migration, invasion, and EMT via the ZEB2 and NF‐ĸB/PI3K signal pathways, implicating miR‐338‐3p may be a promising target to treat patients with BC.
Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of piperidinyl‐substituted [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine derivatives as potential anti‐HIV‐1 agents with reduced cytotoxicity
Authors: Huang Boshi , Kang Dongwei , Tian Ye , Daelemans Dirk , De Clercq Erik , Pannecouque Christophe , Zhan Peng , Liu Xinyong
Published: July 2020

Taking the previously reported compound BH‐7d as the lead, we designed and synthesized a series of piperidinyl‐substituted [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidines, and their anti‐HIV activities as well as cytotoxicities were evaluated. Several compounds exhibited moderate anti‐HIV (IIIB) potency, among which 2b was the most active one (EC50 = 4.29 μM). Structure–activity relationships derived from the antiretroviral results were analyzed. Additionally, most compounds demonstrated reduced cytotoxicity (CC50 > 200 μM) compared with those of BH‐7d and etravirine. Molecular docking study further revealed the binding conformation of 2b in the binding pocket of HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase.
Children Hold Leaders Primarily Responsible, Not Entitled
Authors: Stavans Maayan , Diesendruck Gil
Published: July 2020

Do children construe leaders as individuals whose position of power entails primarily more responsibility or more entitlement, compared with nonleaders? To address this question, 5‐year‐old children (n = 128) heard a story involving a hierarchical dyad (a leader and a nonleader) and an egalitarian dyad (two nonleaders), and then assessed protagonists’ relative contributions to a collaborative endeavor (Experiments 1 and 2) or relative withdrawals from a common resource pool earned jointly (Experiment 3). Children expected a leader to contribute more toward a joint goal than its nonleader partner, and to withdraw an equal share (not more) from a common pool. Children thus gave evidence that they construed leaders as more responsible, rather than more entitled, relative to nonleaders.
The stability of initial tacrolimus concentration following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation reduces the risk of acute GVHD
Authors: Okabe Motohito , Morishita Takanobu , Ichiki Tomoe , Kawaguchi Yuka , Lee Yoonha , Ohbiki Marie , Goto Miyo , Osaki Masahide , Araie Hiroaki , Goto Tatsunori , Ozawa Yukiyasu , Miyamura Koichi
Published: July 2020

Background

Early tacrolimus (TAC) concentrations correlate with the risk of acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD); however, whether the variability of early TAC concentrations after allo‐HSCT governs the occurrence of aGVHD remains unknown. Here, we evaluate the correlation between the intrapatient variability (IPV) of initial TAC concentrations and the development of aGVHD.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed 202 patients who underwent allo‐HSCT and received standard GVHD prophylaxis by continuous intravenous (iv) infusion of TAC and iv methotrexate. IPV was calculated by using the % coefficient of variation in the initial 4 weeks.

Results

With median follow‐up duration of 20.7 months, 24 patients were diagnosed with grades II‐IV aGVHD. Overall survival (OS) and relapse at 12 months after allo‐HSCT were 70.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 63.7%‐76.4%) and 18.9% (95% CI, 13.0%‐24.4%), respectively. When IPV was categorized into two groups (high: ≥9.5%; low: <9.5%), the cumulative incidence of grades II‐IV aGVHD was greater in the IPV‐high group at week 3 (odds ratio: 4.15; 95% CI, 1.37%‐12.6%, P = .01). No significant differences were observed in OS and relapse between the two groups.

Conclusion

We concluded that adjusting early TAC concentration stable may reduce aGVHD after allo‐HSCT without affecting the relapse rate.
Contrasting effects of exotic plant invasions and managed honeybees on plant–flower visitor interactions
Authors: Corcos Daria , Cappellari Andree , Mei Maurizio , Paniccia Dino , Cerretti Pierfilippo , Marini Lorenzo
Published: July 2020

Aim

To explore how a highly invasive plant species (Buddleja davidii Franch.), managed honeybees and flower diversity affected plant–flower visitor interactions over the whole elevational range distribution of the exotic plant.

Location

Italian Alps.

Methods

We selected nine pairs of sites (one invaded and one non‐invaded by B. davidii) across gradients in honeybee abundance and diversity of flower resources. We observed plant–flower visitor interactions every three weeks, for a total of five surveys covering the full flowering season of B. davidii (June–August). We tested how B. davidii, honeybee abundance and flowering plant diversity affected network robustness, overlap in flower resource use of wild flower visitors with honeybees and flower visitor specialization. We also tested for an interaction between B. davidii presence and honeybee abundance, and tested whether the effects of the two variables changed among insect orders.

Results

Buddleja davidii and honeybees had contrasting effects on network robustness and on several species‐level metrics. Network robustness increased with increasing honeybee abundance and flower diversity. Increasing honeybee abundance generally increased specialization of lepidopterans and dipterans that tended to switch to less visited plant species, possibly in order to avoid competition. Specialization of flower visitors declined in sites invaded by B. davidii, indicating that the invasive plant attracted pollinators, which in turn also visited co‐occurring species in the neighbourhood.

Main conclusions

Although increasing honeybee abundance was associated with higher network stability, it also modified plant–flower visitor interactions by forcing species to shift their diet irrespective of floral diversity. The effect was particularly strong for non‐bee flower visitors. The consequences of these changes in plant–flower visitor interactions for the reproductive success of flowering plants are still largely unknown.
Focused echocardiography in cardio‐oncology
Authors: Keramida Kalliopi , Farmakis Dimitrios , López Fernández Teresa , Lancellotti Patrizio
Published: July 2020

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the cornerstone of imaging in patients with a malignancy in all stages of their treatment—before, during, and after the completion of it—to identify most of the cardiotoxic complications. However, the restricted time and resources of cardio‐oncology services and the high volume of oncological patients and survivors on the other hand limit the access of this population to this modality. Focused Echo in Cardio‐Oncology (FECO) in proportion to other focused cardiac protocols is proposed as a valuable tool after the initial standard complete TTE to: (a) identify the potential toxicity expected by the specific cancer therapy applied; (b) assess sequentially the pre‐existing abnormality, if any, in relation to therapy; (c) assess the effect of any cardio‐protective intervention; (d) identify any cardiac origin of patient complaints during or after therapy; (e) assess cardiac function in asymptomatic patients who develop significant changes in cardiac biomarkers during cancer therapy. Four different protocols of FECO are proposed according to the type of cardiotoxicity anticipated: FECOm (in patients on chemotherapeutics that cause myocardial dysfunction), FECOv (in patients at risk of valvular heart disease), FECOpd (in patients at risk of pericardial disease), and FECOph (in patients at risk of pulmonary hypertension). The application of FECO protocols is aimed to ensure accuracy, reliability, and effectiveness in the early identification of cardiovascular complications, improving quality of life, and being at the same time cost‐effective.
Organic cation transporter 3 and the dopamine transporter differentially regulate catecholamine uptake in the basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens
Authors: Holleran Katherine M. , Rose Jamie H. , Fordahl Steven C. , Benton Kelsey C. , Rohr Kayla E. , Gasser Paul J. , Jones Sara R.
Published: July 2020

Regional alterations in kinetics of catecholamine uptake are due in part to variations in clearance mechanisms. The rate of clearance is a critical determinant of the strength of catecholamine signaling. Catecholamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) is of particular interest due to involvement of these regions in cognition and motivation. Previous work has shown that catecholamine clearance in the NAcc is largely mediated by the dopamine transporter (DAT), but clearance in the BLA is less DAT‐dependent. A growing body of literature suggests that organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) also contributes to catecholamine clearance in both regions. Consistent with different clearance mechanisms between regions, catecholamine clearance is more rapid in the NAcc than in the BLA, though mechanisms underlying this have not been resolved. We compared the expression of DAT and OCT3 and their contributions to catecholamine clearance in the NAcc and BLA. We found DAT protein levels were ~ 4‐fold higher in the NAcc than in the BLA, while OCT3 protein expression was similar between the two regions. Immunofluorescent labeling of the two transporters in brain sections confirmed these findings. Ex vivo voltammetry demonstrated that the magnitude of catecholamine release was greater, and the clearance rate was faster in the NAcc than in the BLA. Additionally, catecholamine clearance in the BLA was more sensitive to the OCT3 inhibitor corticosterone, while clearance in the NAcc was more cocaine sensitive. These distinctions in catecholamine clearance may underlie differential effects of catecholamines on behavioral outputs mediated by these regions.
Microstructural‐based strain accumulation during cyclic loading of Ni‐based superalloys: The role of neighboring grains on interconnected slip bands
Authors: Rotella John , Sangid Michael D.
Published: July 2020

Cyclic loading of polycrystalline materials results in the localization of strain relative to microstructural features. In this work, strains characterized from digital image correlation were used to calculate a value for the incremental slip on the active slip systems and identify cases of slip transmission. Interconnected slip bands, between neighboring grains, were shown to accumulate more incremental slip (and associated strain) compared with slip bands confined to a single grain, where slip transmission did not occur. These results rationalize the role of grain clusters leading to intense strain accumulation and thus serving as potential sites for fatigue crack initiation.
Using structured eradication feasibility assessment to prioritize the management of new and emerging invasive alien species in Europe
Authors: Booy Olaf , Robertson Pete A. , Moore Niall , Ward Jess , Roy Helen E. , Adriaens Tim , Shaw Richard , Van Valkenburg Johan , Wyn Gabrielle , Bertolino Sandro , Blight Olivier , Branquart Etienne , Brundu Giuseppe , Caffrey Joe , Capizzi Dario , Casaer Jim , De Clerck Olivier , Coughlan Neil E. , Davis Eithne , Dick Jaimie T. A. , Essl Franz , Fried Guillaume , Genovesi Piero , González‐Moreno Pablo , Huysentruyt Frank , Jenkins Stuart R. , Kerckhof Francis , Lucy Frances E. , Nentwig Wolfgang , Newman Jonathan , Rabitsch Wolfgang , Roy Sugoto , Starfinger Uwe , Stebbing Paul D. , Stuyck Jan , Sutton‐Croft Mike , Tricarico Elena , Vanderhoeven Sonia , Verreycken Hugo , Mill Aileen C.
Published: July 2020

Prioritizing the management of invasive alien species (IAS) is of global importance and within Europe integral to the EU IAS regulation. To prioritize management effectively, the risks posed by IAS need to be assessed, but so too does the feasibility of their management. While the risk of IAS to the EU has been assessed, the feasibility of management has not. We assessed the feasibility of eradicating 60 new (not yet established) and 35 emerging (established with limited distribution) species that pose a threat to the EU, as identified by horizon scanning. The assessment was carried out by 34 experts in invasion management from across Europe, applying the Non‐Native Risk Management scheme to defined invasion scenarios and eradication strategies for each species, assessing the feasibility of eradication using seven key risk management criteria. Management priorities were identified by combining scores for risk (derived from horizon scanning) and feasibility of eradication. The results show eradication feasibility score and risk score were not correlated, indicating that risk management criteria evaluate different information than risk assessment. In all, 17 new species were identified as particularly high priorities for eradication should they establish in the future, whereas 14 emerging species were identified as priorities for eradication now. A number of species considered highest priority for eradication were terrestrial vertebrates, a group that has been the focus of a number of eradication attempts in Europe. However, eradication priorities also included a diverse range of other taxa (plants, invertebrates and fish) suggesting there is scope to broaden the taxonomic range of attempted eradication in Europe. We demonstrate that broad scale structured assessments of management feasibility can help prioritize IAS for management. Such frameworks are needed to support evidence‐based decision‐making.
Inulin added electrospun composite nanofibres by electrospinning for the encapsulation of probiotics: characterisation and assessment of viability during storage and simulated gastrointestinal digestion
Authors: Duman Dilan , Karadag Ayse
Published: July 2020

The probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum was encapsulated in the electrospun nanofibres composed of polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate and three different inulin. The addition of inulin did not have a significant effect on electrical conductivity and surface tension of electrospinning solutions. Nanofibres showed uniform morphology with an average diameter between 200 and 400 nm. The encapsulation efficiency of probiotics was between 74.26% and 80.63%. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of bacteria in the nanofibres. The addition of inulin improved the tensile strength and elongation at break values. Compared to free cells, encapsulated bacteria showed higher viability during the storage at 25, 4 and −18 °C up to 8 weeks. The survivability of cells especially encapsulated into inulin added composite nanofibres showed higher viability against simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. This study suggested that obtained composite nanofibres present a great delivery system to improve the viability of encapsulated cells against adverse conditions.
Labour Market Integration of Refugee Health Professionals in Germany: Challenges and Strategies
Authors: Khan‐Gökkaya Sidra , Mösko Mike
Published: July 2020

Refugee health professionals are a vulnerable group in a host country’s labour market as they experience several barriers on their path to labour market integration. This study aims to identify challenges refugee health professionals and their supervisors experience at their workplaces and strategies they have developed to overcome these barriers. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with refugee health professionals who have been living in Germany for an average of four years and their supervisors (n = 24). The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Nine themes were identified: (1) recognition of qualifications, (2) language competencies, (3) differing healthcare systems, (4) working culture, (5) challenges with patients, (6) challenges with team members, (7) emotional challenges, (8) discrimination and (9) exploitation. Results indicate the need to implement structural changes in order to improve the labour market experiences of refugee health professionals.
Nanocrystallization of lead‐free Cs3Sb2Br9 perovskites in chalcogenide glass
Authors: Long Nengbing , Lin Changgui , Chen Feifei , Jiao Qing , Liu Xueyun , Nie Qiuhua
Published: July 2020

Lead‐free halide perovskite nanocrystals (HPNCs) are an emergent alternative of lead‐based halide perovskites owing to their environmentally benign nature. In this work, lead‐free Cs3Sb2Br9 HPNCs were precipitated firstly in chalcogenide glass through an elaborated composition design and appropriate crystallization process. The microstructural evolution and nanocrystallization behavior of the Cs3Sb2Br9 crystallized glass‐ceramics were analyzed by employing advanced characterization techniques. It is revealed that the crystallization process is temperature‐dependent and can be described as two stages. At the first crystallization stage, the nucleation and crystal growth of Cs3Sb2Br9 HPNCs occur due to the presence of structural similarity of [Sb2Br9]3− dioctahedral clusters in the precursor glass. And then the second crystalline phase of GeS2 is successively separated from the residual glassy matrix under high‐temperature treatment. This work should be of great guiding significance for developing novel glass‐ceramic materials embedded with lead‐free HPNCs.
Sintering behavior of a nanostructured thermal barrier coating deposited using electro‐sprayed particles
Authors: Xing Chen , Yi Meiyu , Shan Xiao , Wang Xin , Zhao Xiaofeng , Guo Fangwei
Published: July 2020

During high temperature service, a series of microstructure and phase evolutions occur in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), which result in degradation of thermal insulation and durability. In this study, the sintering behavior of an air plasma sprayed 8 wt% YSZ coating deposited using electro‐sprayed nanostructured particles (ESP) as feedstock powder was investigated and compared with conventional YSZ coating deposited using hollow spherical powders (HOSP). Due to the distinct asymmetric porous structure formed by nanosized YSZ particles, the ESP powder was partially melted in the plasma jet during the deposition, which resulted in the formation of a nanostructured coating that consisted of porous nanozones and dense zones. The ESP coating not only shows a significantly lower initial thermal conductivity of 0.70 W/mK, but also exhibits a stronger sintering resistance in terms of phase stability and thermal insulation compared to the conventional coating. When subjected to prolonged sintering at 1400°C for 128 hours, the thermal conductivity of the ESP coating would gradually increase to about half that of the HOSP coating at 1.29 W/mK. These differences are ascribed to the interaction among different sintering behavior between nanozones and dense zones.
Potassium supplementation blunts the effects of high salt intake on serum retinol‐binding protein 4 levels in healthy individuals
Authors: Liu Fuqiang , Zhang Ronghuai , Zhang Wei , Zhu Ling , Yu Qi , Liu Zhongwei , Zhang Yong , Pan Shuo , Wang Yang , Chu Chao , Hu Li , Wang Qingyu , Yu Jiadong , Mu Jianjun , Wang Junkui
Published: July 2020

Aims/Introduction

Excessive dietary salt or low potassium intakes are strongly correlated with insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In epidemiological and experimental studies, increased serum retinol‐binding protein 4 (RBP4) contributes to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Herein, we hypothesized that RBP4 might be an adipocyte‐derived “signal” that plays the crucial role in salt‐related insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to assess whether salt consumption and potassium supplementation influence serum RBP4 levels in healthy individuals.

Materials and Methods

A total of 42 participants (aged 25–50 years) in a rural area of Northern China were successively provided normal (3 days at baseline), low‐salt (7 days; 3 g/day NaCl) and high‐salt (7 days; 18 g/day) diets, and a high‐salt diet with potassium additive (7 days; 18 g/day NaCl and 4.5 g/day KCl). Urinary sodium and potassium were measured to ensure compliance to dietary intervention. Then, RBP4 levels were evaluated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

High salt intake significantly raised serum RBP4 levels in healthy participants (17.5 ± 0.68 vs 28.6 ± 1.02 µg/mL). This phenomenon was abrogated by potassium supplementation (28.6 ± 1.02 vs 17.6 ± 0.88 µg/mL). In addition, RBP4 levels presented positive (r = 0.528, P < 0.01) and negative (r = −0.506, P < 0.01) associations with 24‐h urinary sodium‐ and potassium excretion levels.

Conclusions

RBP4 synthesis is motivated by high salt intake and revoked by potassium supplementation. Our pioneer work has contributed to the present understanding of salt‐induced insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The evolution of sexually dimorphic cuticular hydrocarbons in blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)
Authors: Butterworth Nathan J. , Wallman James F. , Drijfhout Falko P. , Johnston Nikolas P. , Keller Paul A. , Byrne Phillip G.
Published: July 2020

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are organic compounds found on the cuticles of all insects which can act as close‐contact pheromones, while also providing a hydrophobic barrier to water loss. Given their widespread importance in sexual behaviour and survival, CHCs have likely contributed heavily to the adaptation and speciation of insects. Despite this, the patterns and mechanisms of their diversification have been studied in very few taxa. Here, we perform the first study of CHC diversification in blowflies, focussing on wild populations of the ecologically diverse genus Chrysomya. We convert CHC profiles into qualitative and quantitative traits and assess their inter‐ and intra‐specific variation across 10 species. We also construct a global phylogeny of Chrysomya, onto which CHCs were mapped to explore the patterns of their diversification. For the first time, we demonstrate that blowflies express an exceptional diversity of CHCs, which have diversified in a nonphylogenetic and punctuated manner, are species‐specific and sexually dimorphic. It is likely that both ecological and sexual selection have shaped these patterns of CHC diversification, and our study now provides a comprehensive framework for testing such hypotheses.
HOW DID THE FINANCIAL CRISIS AFFECT SMALL‐BUSINESS LENDING IN THE UNITED STATES?
Authors: Cole Rebel A. , Damm Jason
Published: July 2020

We analyze changes in lending by U.S. banks to businesses from 1994 to 2011. We find that lending to businesses, and in particular to small businesses, declined precipitously following onset of the financial crisis. We also examine the relative changes in business lending by banks that did, and did not, receive Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds from the U.S. Treasury, and find that banks receiving capital injections from the TARP failed to increase their small‐business lending. Finally, we find strong and significant positive relations of both bank capital adequacy and profitability with small‐business lending.