bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Successful Implementation of Single Urine Polymerase Chain Reaction Test for Evaluating Suspected Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
Authors: Manzar Shabih , Pichilingue-Reto Patricia , Bhat Ramachandra
Published: August 2022

Introduction:

Overuse of laboratory investigations is viewed as medical waste. In the past, to diagnose congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, consecutive urine culture samples were obtained. With the advent of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, 1 urine specimen should be enough. We conducted this quality improvement study to look at the effect of a practice change from 3 to 1 urine specimen for PCR testing.

Methods:

The authors instituted a single PCR urine test for CMV in their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in May 2021. We reviewed the data on all the urine CMV PCRs obtained on neonates for 1 year, May 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021 (Epoch 1), and compared it with the data obtained from May 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022 (Epoch 2).

Results:

A total of 3,612 neonates were born during the study period—1,816 infants were born during Epoch 1 and 1,796 infants during Epoch 2. A total of 97 neonates (5.3%) were evaluated for congenital CMV infection during Epoch 1 and 149 infants (8.2%) during Epoch 2. The single urine sample CMV evaluation rate during Epoch 1 was 53.6% (52 infants out of 97 infants evaluated), which increased to 98.6% in Epoch 2 (147 infants out of 149 infants), P < 0.001. The monthly average cost per infant declined from a mean value of 70.1 dollars to a mean value of 39.5 dollars.

Conclusions:

We increased the single specimen urine CMV PCR test from 53.6% to 98.6%. The intervention resulted in reducing waste and improving resource utilization.
Micro-cracks and micro-fractures reveal radular tooth architecture and its functional significance in the paludomid gastropodLavigeria grandis
Authors: Krings Wencke , Brütt Jan-Ole , Gorb Stanislav N.
Published: August 2022

Most molluscan taxa forage with their radula, a chitinous membrane with embedded teeth. The teeth are the actual interfaces between the animal and its ingesta and serve as load-transmitting regions. During foraging, these structures have to withstand high stresses without structural failure and without a high degree of wear. Mechanisms contributing to this failure- and wear-resistance were well studied in the heavily mineralized teeth of Polyplacophora and Patellogastropoda, but for the rather chitinous teeth of non-limpet snails, we are confronted with a large gap in data. The work presented here on the paludomid gastropodLavigeria grandisaims to shed some light on radular tooth composition and its contribution to failure- and wear-prevention in this type of radula. The teeth were fractured and the micro-cracks studied in detail by scanning electron microscopy, revealing layers within the teeth. Two layers of distinct fibre densities and orientations were detected, covered by a thin layer containing high proportions of calcium and silicon, as determined by elemental dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Our results clearly demonstrate the presence of failure- and wear-prevention mechanisms in snail radulae without the involvement of heavy mineralization—rendering this an example of a highly functional biological lightweight structure.

This article is part of the theme issue 'Nanocracks in nature and industry'.
Experimental and numerical investigations on the impact behaviour of pristine and patch-repaired composite laminates
Authors: Liu H. , Brooks R. A. , Hall Z. E. C. , Liu J. , Crocker J. W. M. , Joesbury A. M. , Harper L. T. , Blackman B. R. K. , Kinloch A. J. , Dear J. P.
Published: August 2022

The present paper investigates the impact behaviour of both pristine carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) composite laminates and repaired CFRP laminates. For the patch-repaired CFRP specimen, the pristine CFRP panel specimen has been damaged by cutting out a central disc of the CFRP material and then repaired using an adhesively bonded patch of CFRP to cover the hole. Drop-weight, impact tests are performed on these two types of specimens and a numerical elastic-plastic, three-dimensional damage model is developed and employed to simulate the impact behaviour of both types of specimen. This numerical model is meso-scale in nature and assumes that cracks initiate in the CFRP at a nano-scale, in the matrix around fibres, and trigger sub-micrometre intralaminar matrix cracks during the impact event. These localized regions of intralaminar cracking then lead to interlaminar, i.e. delamination, cracking between the neighbouring plies which possess different fibre orientations. These meso-scale, intralaminar and interlaminar, damage processes are modelled using the numerical finite-element analysis model with each individual ply treated as a continuum. Good agreement is found between the results from the experimental studies and the predictions from the numerical simulations.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Nanocracks in nature and industry’.
Nano-samples give higher brittle strength by the Griffith energy principle
Authors: Kendall Kevin
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this paper is to show that brittle test samples give a huge size effect that can take several different forms depending on the sample geometry, crack position and mode of force application. Sometimes crack equilibrium force depends on sample dimension
d
or
d
1/2
and sometimes the force is independent of area, for example in peel or lap joint cracking. This big size effect arises from the potential energy term in the conservation theory, not considered by Griffith but dominating certain cracks. These examples illustrate the fact that strength of a brittle material containing a crack is an unsatisfactory concept because the cracks absorb surface energy driven by volume energy terms or by potential energy terms or a mixture of the two, leading to a disconnection between applied cracking force and sample cross-section area. The flaw statistics argument mentioned by Griffith is unnecessary, though strength can be affected in certain circumstances by the presence of random flaws. An unusually large size effect is shown experimentally for thermal shock of ceramic tubes, in which the cracking force increases as the cube of diameter goes down. This thermal shock resistance of fine tubes has proved important for application of ceramic fuel cells but cannot be explained by fracture mechanics theory at present. The conclusion is that experimental results show the Griffith energy criterion for cracking is correct whereas the Galilean stress criterion fails. The concept ‘strength of brittle materials’ is therefore untenable for most crack testing geometries.

This article is part of the theme issue 'Nanocracks in nature and industry'.
10 years of research on toughness enhancement of structural ceramics by graphene
Authors: Ramírez Cristina
Published: August 2022

Over the past decade, a new family of ceramic matrix composites has been developed from the incorporation of homogeneously dispersed graphene-based fillers (graphene nanoplatelets/GNP, graphene oxide sheets/rGO or graphene nanoribbons/GNR) into the ceramic matrices. These composites have shown a significant increment of their fracture toughness accompanied by other electrical and thermal functionalities, which make them potentially attractive for a wide range of applications. Here, the main methods for testing the fracture toughness of these composites are described, then the principal observations on the reinforcing mechanisms responsible for this improvement are briefly reviewed, and we discuss the relation with graphene platelets type, morphology and alignment.

This article is part of the theme issue 'Nanocracks in nature and industry'.
Dissection of Drosophila Adult Brains for Patch-Clamping Neurons
Authors: Fernandez-Chiappe Florencia , Muraro Nara I.
Published: August 2022

The brain of adult flies (Drosophila melanogaster) has been studied in detail from several perspectives, including the anatomical and molecular characterization of hundreds of neuronal types. However, information regarding the electrophysiological properties of most neuronal types is lacking. This protocol provides detailed information on how to dissect the brain of adult flies to produce an ex vivo preparation in which central neurons can be patch-clamped. Immobilizing fresh and tiny tissues, such as fly brains, to perform successful patch-clamp recordings is a critical step; here, we explain how this can be achieved using cyanoacrylate glue.
Incivility experienced by immigrants struggling with acculturation: exploring buffering effects of holding behaviors by mentors
Authors: Ghosh Rajashi , Reio Jr Thomas G. , Manongsong Ague Mae
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Challenges with acculturation in organizations may make employees an easy target of workplace incivility and awareness of what constitutes uncivil behaviors at work can influence the association between acculturation and incivility. The current study examined the links between acculturation, incivility and tested mentor holding behavior as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data including responses to incivility vignettes were collected from 163 full-time first- and second-generation immigrant employees in the southeastern United States. The data were analyzed through moderated hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The results indicated that those experiencing separation or marginalization in trying to acculturate into the dominant culture reported experiencing uncivil behaviors from supervisors and coworkers. Also, one's awareness of incivility moderated the positive relationship between experience of separation and experiences of incivility, such that this relationship was stronger for those who had higher awareness of what constitutes uncivil behavior. Additionally, the effect of marginalization on reported incivility was dampened with higher levels of mentor holding behavior.

Originality/value

This study’s findings extend the application of the selective incivility theory beyond the minoritized categories of race and gender to the immigrants struggling with acculturation in organizations. Also, our study lends support to widening the theoretical lens for mentoring to include relational systems theory.
The larger, the fitter, the better: clans' evolution, social capital and effectiveness
Authors: Li Yiqi , Bartley Nathan , Sun Jingyi , Williams Dmitri
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Team social capital (TSC) has been attracting increasing research attention aiming to explore team effectiveness through within- and cross-team resource conduits. This study bridges two disconnected theories – TSC and evolutionary theory – to examine gaming clans and analyzes mechanisms of the clans' TSC building from an evolutionary perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This research draws longitudinal data from a sample of gaming teams (N = 1,267) from anonymized player data from the game World of Tanks spanning 32 months. The authors explored teams' evolutionary patterns using hidden Markov models and applied longitudinal multilevel modeling to test hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that teams of different sizes and levels of evolutionary fitness vary in team closure and bridging social capital. The authors also found that larger teams are more effective than smaller ones. The positive association between team-bridging social capital and effectiveness is more substantial for smaller teams.

Originality/value

This research advances the theoretical development of TSC by including the constructs of teams' evolutionary status when analyzing strategic social capital building. Adding to existing literature studying the outcome of TSC, this research also found a moderating effect of team size between TSC and effectiveness. Finally, this study also contributes to a longitudinal view of TSC and found significant evolutionary patterns of teams' membership, TSC, and effectiveness.
The impact of IFRS convergence on market liquidity: evidence from India
Authors: R. Saravanan , Firoz Mohammad
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effects of IFRS convergence on market liquidity and to analyze the firm-level heterogeneity in liquidity effects based on reporting incentive, firm size, ownership structure and firm leverage.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical analysis is based on firm-fixed effect regression using several proxies of market liquidity as dependent variables. The sample consists of 337 firms listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) who shifted to IFRS from the financial year 2016–2017.

Findings

The empirical findings indicate that IFRS convergence has contributed to the significant increase in market liquidity in a weaker enforcement country, i.e. India. Additionally, when the study performs the heterogeneity test of IFRS impact, the results indicate the presence of significant cross-sectional differences in such liquidity effects across firms. Thus, altogether the findings suggest that both accounting convergence and firm-level factors are likely to be the mechanism underlying the observed improvement in market liquidity.

Originality/value

In the current literature, there is an ongoing debate about whether the observed post-IFRS effects are driven by the change in accounting standard per se or by other related factors. Therefore, by studying the liquidity effects of IFRS convergence in India, this study provides evidence regarding the sources of the documented IFRS effects. Moreover, the study indicates the significance of firm-level factors in determining the observed liquidity outcomes around IFRS adoption, which is unique to the literature.
Dimensions of e-return service quality: conceptual refinement and directions for measurement
Authors: Saxena Shilpi , Chawla Vaibhav , Tähtinen Jaana
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Research regarding the quality of e-tailers’ service during product returns is sparse and the little that has been performed treats returns as recovery from failure. However, that view is outdated. E-tailers' product return practices have substantially evolved and customers' return behavior has considerably increased, in turn, influencing expectations of customers. Thus, a need arises to revise the understanding of how customers evaluate the quality of e-tailers' service during product returns. This study conceptualizes customer-perceived e-return service quality, identifies e-return's current dimensions, and offers directions for measurement.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is conducted in two stages. The first stage follows an abductive approach, with a continuous back-and-forth movement between existing theory and two qualitative data sets to identify the dimensions of e-return service quality. Scale development process is started in the second stage to offer directions for measurement based on the empirically grounded dimensions.

Findings

The conceptualization of e-return service quality identifies six dimensions: (1) owning of responsibility, (2) return convenience, (3) return remedies, (4) service team support, (5) site's return friendliness, and (6) returns diligence. The factor analysis supports the six-factor solution that can be employed for developing a valid scale in future.

Practical implications

The study suggests that e-tailers who are looking to differentiate themselves through superior e-return service quality should focus on customizing their service through excellent performance on these dimensions.

Originality/value

The paper updates and refines the understanding of service quality in the context of product returns service provided by e-tailers and thus offers a novel contribution.
Diagnostic significance of lactate dehydrogenase in measles virus reinfection cases
Authors: Nishijima Haruna , Ogawa Tomoko , Shirasawa Hiroshi
Published: August 2022

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in measles virus (MeV) reinfection cases for the diagnosis of measles have not been extensively studied. Thus, we evaluated the significance of serum LDH in the immune response of patients with MeV reinfection in comparison with those of patients with primary infection. Among 70 patients who tested positive for MeV‐RNA, 42 with high MeV–specific IgG avidity (HA) were suspected as cases of reinfection and 28 with low MeV–specific IgG (LA) were suspected as cases of primary infection. The viral loads in the HA group were also lower than those in the LA group (P < 0.001). The titers of MeV‐specific IgM and IgG in the HA group were significantly lower and higher, respectively, than those in the LA group (P < 0.001). The total LDH and LDH isozyme levels were elevated in the LA group compared with those in the HA group (P < 0.001). Through receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, we determined that the area under the curve of total LDH level was 0.87 (95% CI 0.74–1.00) and that the discriminatory accuracy was high for total LDH and all isozymes. By stepwise binary logistic regression analysis considering MeV‐specific IgG avidity, we developed a model using IgG, IgM, and total LDH as explanatory variables, which was optimal for distinguishing the LA and HA groups (adjusted R2 = 0.773, P < 0.001). Thus, the serum LDH level in addition to IgM and IgG may be useful parameters for differentiating MeV reinfection from primary infection.
An officer and an activist: Futuring, precarity and life after exile in Namibia
Authors: Larsen Rune , Van Wolputte Steven
Published: August 2022

This article explores the life histories of two Namibians who grew up in SWAPO's exile camps in Angola and their ‘futuring’ trajectories once they returned home to Namibia after independence. Presenting these actors’ life histories of navigating Namibian society helps challenge a one‐sided economic interpretation of precariousness. More critical than asserting dichotomies between ‘elite’ and ‘precariat’ are the stratagems and choices shaping lived experiences.
Biodegradable active materials containing phenolic acids for food packaging applications
Authors: Ordoñez Ramón , Atarés Lorena , Chiralt Amparo
Published: August 2022

The development of new materials for food packaging applications is necessary to reduce the excessive use of disposable plastics and their environmental impact. Biodegradable polymers represent an alternative means of mitigating the problem. To add value to biodegradable materials and to enhance food preservation, the incorporation of active compounds into the polymer matrix is an affordable strategy. Phenolic acids are plant metabolites that can be found in multiple plant extracts and exhibit antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Compared with other natural active compounds, such as essential oils, phenolic acids do not present a high sensorial impact while exhibiting similar minimal inhibitory concentrations against different bacteria. This study summarizes and discusses recent studies about the potential of both phenolic acids/plant extracts and biodegradable polymers as active food packaging materials, their properties, interactions, and the factors that could affect their antimicrobial efficiency. The molecular structure of phenolic acids greatly affects their potential antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity, as well as their specific interactions with polymer matrices and food substrates. These interactions, in turn, can lead to plasticizing or cross‐linking effects. In the present study, the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of different biodegradable films with phenolic acids have been described, as well as the main factors affecting the active properties of these films as useful materials for active packaging development. More studies applying these active materials in real foods are required.
A review of recent progress in improving the bioavailability of nutraceutical‐loaded emulsions after oral intake
Authors: Chen Xing , Chen Yan , Liu Yikun , Zou Liqiang , McClements David Julian , Liu Wei
Published: August 2022

Increasing awareness of the health benefits of specific constituents in fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other whole foods has sparked a broader interest in the potential health benefits of nutraceuticals. Many nutraceuticals are hydrophobic substances, which means they must be encapsulated in colloidal delivery systems. Oil‐in‐water emulsions are one of the most widely used delivery systems for improving the bioavailability and bioactivity of these nutraceuticals. The composition and structure of emulsions can be designed to improve the water dispersibility, physicochemical stability, and bioavailability of the encapsulated nutraceuticals. The nature of the emulsion used influences the interfacial area and properties of the nutraceutical‐loaded oil droplets in the gastrointestinal tract, which influences their digestion, as well as the bioaccessibility, metabolism, and absorption of the nutraceuticals. In this article, we review recent in vitro and in vivo studies on the utilization of emulsions to improve the bioavailability of nutraceuticals. The findings from this review should facilitate the design of more efficacious nutraceutical‐loaded emulsions with increased bioactivity.
Changes in scientific characteristics of abstracts accepted to the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting, 1990–2020
Authors: Camargo Carlos A. , Boggs Krislyn M. , Cash Rebecca E. , Doshi Vishal P. , Isaacson Henry H. , Hasegawa Kohei , Raja Ali S.
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Since its founding in 1989, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) has accepted thousands of abstracts for presentation at its annual meeting. We reviewed abstracts to characterize temporal changes in study design, abstract topics, quality scores, and proportion of abstracts published as manuscripts.

Methods

In this serial cross‐sectional study, we compiled accepted SAEM abstracts at 5‐year intervals (1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020) and then randomly selected 100 abstracts from each year for review by two investigators. We documented each abstract's study design, sample size, and whether it was a single‐center or multicenter study. We assigned each abstract to the most appropriate topic category. Applying SAEM's abstract scoring system from 2020, we calculated the mean overall quality score per year. Finally, we searched PubMed to determine if abstracts from 1990–2015 meetings were published as manuscripts.

Results

The number of accepted abstracts increased from 180 in 1990 to 879 in 2020 (+388%). The most common study design changed from laboratory study in 1990 (22%) to cohort study in 2020 (44%; p < 0.001). The median study sample size increased over time, from 105 (interquartile range [IQR] 25–389) in 1990 to 544 (IQR 102–2067) in 2020 (p < 0.001). Multicenter studies have become more common (19% in 1990 vs. 40% in 2020; p = 0.001). The most common topic categories also changed from cardiology/pulmonary/airway (40%) and orthopedic/trauma/burn (17%) in 1990 to health services research/health policy/operations (25%) and cardiology/pulmonary/airway (22%) in 2020. There was a 20% increase in overall quality scores (p < 0.001). Between 37% and 49% of the abstracts reviewed from each year were later published as manuscripts, with no significant change over time (p = 0.33).

Conclusions

Over the past 30 years, there have been significant changes to the study designs, topics, and quality scores of SAEM meeting abstracts. However, conversion of abstracts to published manuscripts remains a challenge.
Tax incentive and firm investment: Evidence from the Income Tax Revenue Sharing Reform in China
Authors: Fang Hongsheng , Su Yunqing , Lu Weijun
Published: August 2022

How to stimulate enterprise investment is a dilemma facing most countries, and tax incentives are frequently used as a solution. This study explores how China's Income Tax Revenue Sharing Reform affected enterprises' fixed asset investment (FAI). This reform did not modify the nominal tax rate or depreciation allowance directly but changed the effective enterprise income tax (EIT) rate via switching tax administration indirectly. And the change in the effective EIT rate should affect firm investment. This paper uses a regression discontinuity (RD) design to conduct a quasi‐natural experiment of the reform in 2002 based on an enterprise‐level dataset from the Annual Survey of Industrial Enterprises (ASIE). After the reform, the effective EIT rate (ETR) of enterprises collected by the State Administration of Taxation (SAT) was 11% lower than that collected by the Local Administration of Taxation (LAT). FAI improves by 0.7% for every 1% decrease in ETR. Tax avoidance is a key channel for the ETR to affect FAI. The FAI of smaller companies, non‐state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) and companies with high size‐age (SA) indexes has responded more significantly to the change in ETR brought about by reform.
Prospective association between e‐cigarette use frequency patterns and cigarette smoking abstinence among adult cigarette smokers in the United States
Authors: Harlow Alyssa F. , Stokes Andrew C. , Brooks Daniel R. , Benjamin Emelia J. , Leventhal Adam M. , McConnell Rob S. , Barrington‐Trimis Jessica L. , Ross Craig S.
Published: August 2022

Aims

To estimate the association of longitudinal patterns of e‐cigarette use with cigarette smoking abstinence, after accounting for time‐dependent confounding and selection bias.

Design

Secondary analysis of longitudinal national cohort data. Using marginal structural models and four waves of the population assessment of tobacco and health (wave 1, 2013–14; wave 2, 2014–15; wave 3, 2015–16; wave 4, 2016–18), we estimated the association of vaping frequency across waves 2 and 3 with 12‐month sustained cigarette smoking abstinence at wave 4, adjusting for time‐dependent confounders at waves 1 and 2 and selection bias due to drop‐out with inverse probability of treatment and censoring weights.

Setting

United States.

Participants/cases

A total of 5699 adults (18+ years) who smoked cigarettes and did not vape at wave 1.

Measurements

The exposure was vaping frequency at waves 2 and 3 (non‐use, non‐daily use, daily use), representing nine possible combinations of vaping frequency across two waves. Non‐use at both waves was the exposure reference group. The primary outcome was sustained 12‐month cigarette smoking abstinence at wave 4.

Findings

Among 5699 adults who smoked cigarettes at wave 1, a total of 560 (9.8%) reported smoking abstinence at wave 4. Compared with nonuse at both waves, daily vaping at both waves [risk ratio (RR) = 3.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.59–5.64] and non‐use at wave 2 followed by daily vaping at wave 3 (RR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.66–3.77) were positively associated with smoking abstinence; non‐daily vaping at both waves was inversely associated with smoking abstinence (RR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.11–0.75). Results persisted after accounting for misclassification of e‐cigarette use and cigarette smoking abstinence and after restricting to participants with plans to quit smoking.

Conclusions

In a US cohort of adult smokers, longitudinal patterns of vaping frequency appear to predict smoking abstinence, even after accounting for several sources of systematic error. Consistent daily vaping is associated with increased chances of cigarette smoking abstinence, while consistent non‐daily vaping is associated with decreased chances of smoking abstinence.
Algal volatiles – the overlooked chemical language of aquatic primary producers
Authors: Saha Mahasweta , Fink Patrick
Published: August 2022

Volatiles are important ‘infochemicals’ that play a crucial role in structuring life on our planet, fulfilling diverse functions in natural and artificial systems. Algae contribute significant quantities to the global budget of volatiles, but the ecological roles of aquatic volatiles are not well understood. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of volatile compounds from freshwater and marine microalgae and marine macroalgae, with a focus on their ecological roles. We highlight the multiple reported functions of biogenic volatiles, ranging from intraspecific communication for reproduction, intra‐bloom signalling and antioxidant functions, to various interspecific signal exchanges that may allow herbivores to locate them and function in defence against competitors and predators. Beyond reviewing our current understanding, we specifically highlight major knowledge gaps and emerging questions for algal volatile research. These novel perspectives have the potential to improve our understanding of aquatic ecosystems and thus need to be addressed in future research. Filling these gaps and addressing these questions will facilitate humanity's efforts to exploit aquatic volatiles in various applications.
Successful re‐intervention of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided gallbladder drainage using a dual‐channel endoscope
Authors: Iwano Kosuke , Hayashi Tsuyoshi , Katanuma Akio
Published: August 2022

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Successful treatment of an aneurysmal bone cyst in the third metacarpal bone of a foal
Authors: Looijen Maty G.P. , Hawkins Alex , Berner Dagmar , Irving Jennifer Rose , Williams Jonathan , Farr Ricky , Smith Roger K. , Fiske‐Jackson Andrew
Published: August 2022

A 4‐week‐old Warmblood foal presented with a rapidly growing firm mass on the dorsomedial aspect of the distal left third metacarpal bone. The initial examination revealed no pain on palpation or associated lameness. Radiography demonstrated a solitary expansile large osseous cyst‐like lesion with a coarse intra‐luminal trabecular pattern associated with the cortical bone. Computed tomographic imaging was performed prior to surgery and revealed a monostotic, eccentric, diaphyseal and likely periosteal nonaggressive osseous lesion. A transcutaneous surgical approach was used to excise the mass followed by curettage of the parent bone. The foal recovered uneventfully and no re‐occurrence of the mass was noted after 12 months. Histopathology of the mass revealed a reactive process consisting of trabecular bone, haemosiderophages, granulation tissue and mesenchymal tissue proliferation consistent with an aneurysmal bone cyst. Aneurysmal bone cysts should be included in the differential diagnosis of rapidly growing masses on long bones in foals and are amenable to surgical resection.
Targeting the Hippo/YAP/TAZ signalling pathway: Novel opportunities for therapeutic interventions into skin cancers
Authors: Howard Alexander , Bojko Jodie , Flynn Benjamin , Bowen Sophie , Jungwirth Ute , Walko Gernot
Published: August 2022

Skin cancers are by far the most frequently diagnosed human cancers. The closely related transcriptional co‐regulator proteins YAP and TAZ (WWTR1) have emerged as important drivers of tumour initiation, progression and metastasis in melanoma and non‐melanoma skin cancers. YAP/TAZ serve as an essential signalling hub by integrating signals from multiple upstream pathways. In this review, we summarize the roles of YAP/TAZ in skin physiology and tumorigenesis and discuss recent efforts of therapeutic interventions that target YAP/TAZ in in both preclinical and clinical settings, as well as their prospects for use as skin cancer treatments.
From the plantation to the deep blue sea: Naturalising debt, ordinary disasters, and postplantation ecologies in the Caribbean
Authors: Perry Keston K.
Published: August 2022

This paper critically assesses debt as a response to ecological, fiscal, and climate disasters that have emerged within the ‘blue economy’ agenda in the Caribbean. Caribbean countries routinely suffer major losses of life, internal social and economic displacement, increased debt burdens, and significant economic damages due to hurricanes and ecological disasters in the context of an ongoing fiscal crisis. In response, regional public and national agencies have proposed ‘blue economy’ initiatives to address the regional need for finance, to rejuvenate financial flows, and to compensate for extremely constrained fiscal resources and externally imposed austerity (or debt bondage). Major recent hurricanes and ecological shocks illustrate uneven and interconnected spatial histories of anti‐Black dispossession, disenfranchisement, and deprivation, offering important empirical terrain from which to appreciate how contemporary ‘disasters’ have become new means to extend hierarchical plantation formations to the seascape through debt‐driven finance and austerity. The paper demonstrates the ways in which coercive financial instruments like catastrophe insurance, debt swaps, ‘blue bonds’, and traditional public debt constitute tools to further integrate these societies differentially into racialised financial geographies and entrench a coloniality of being. As traditional plantation structures become exhausted and lack capacity to effectively ensure growth, these innovative finance mechanisms are required for ‘blue’ accumulation. We situate spiralling debt burdens and these new instruments spurred by socially produced and postcolonial disasters within postplantation ecologies that describe socio‐political relations and spatial dependencies linked to interwoven logics of disaster‐based financial capitalism that seek to extend the extractive capacity of the plantation anew. These arrangements tend to naturalise and render disaster, death, and debt as ordinary events and obligations arising from postcolonial statehood, and take for granted their origins in racialised plantation structures.
The effects of self‐regenerating annual clovers on plant species composition and heifer performance in an irrigated pasture in western Oregon, USA
Authors: Anderson Jordan D. , Ochoa Carlos G. , Sahin Muhammet , Ates Serkan
Published: August 2022

The addition of self‐regenerating annual legumes into permanent pastures can benefit rapid forage growth in early spring, leading to increased pasture production and animal live weight gain (LWG). The objective of this 2‐year grazing study was to evaluate the effects of balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum) and subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) on pasture and animal production in an irrigated dairy system in western Oregon, USA. Study results showed that balansa clover has a high potential to increase legume content of establishing pastures in early spring. Legume content of pastures sown with annual legumes increased by 25.3% in early spring compared to pastures sown without annual legumes. However, no significant increase in legume content was observed past the initial year of establishment. The persistence of balansa clover and subterranean clover was low in 2021, at <1% of the botanical composition. The overall benefits of balansa clover in early spring in 2020 were offset by reduced perennial forbs, white clover (Trifolium repens) and chicory (Cichorium intybus), in paddocks that were sown with annual legumes. However, this did not negatively affect the LWGs of heifers. This study found no significant difference between pastures sown with and without annual clovers pastures on dry matter production and animal production. Balansa clover was competitive in the establishment year; however, further research into improving its persistence past establishment is warranted.
Targetability of the neurovascular unit in inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system
Authors: Smith Brandon C. , Tinkey Rachel A. , Shaw Benjamin C. , Williams Jessica L.
Published: August 2022

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a selectively permeable barrier separating the periphery from the central nervous system (CNS). The BBB restricts the flow of most material into and out of the CNS, including many drugs that could be used as potent therapies. BBB permeability is modulated by several cells that are collectively called the neurovascular unit (NVU). The NVU consists of specialized CNS endothelial cells (ECs), pericytes, astrocytes, microglia, and neurons. CNS ECs maintain a complex “seal” via tight junctions, forming the BBB; breakdown of these tight junctions leads to BBB disruption. Pericytes control the vascular flow within capillaries and help maintain the basal lamina. Astrocytes control much of the flow of material that has moved beyond the CNS EC layer and can form a secondary barrier under inflammatory conditions. Microglia survey the border of the NVU for noxious material. Neuronal activity also plays a role in the maintenance of the BBB. Since astrocytes, pericytes, microglia, and neurons are all able to modulate the permeability of the BBB, understating the complex contributions of each member of the NVU will potentially uncover novel and effective methods for delivery of neurotherapies to the CNS.
Transitioning to the clinical research nurse role – A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Lönn Beatrice Backman , Hörnsten Åsa , Styrke Johan , Hajdarevic Senada
Published: August 2022

Background

Studies have reported on the important role of the clinical research nurse in clinical studies. Yet, there is no international consensus about the role's competencies and tasks. Furthermore, the literature offers a little description of the career pathway from a ward‐based registered nurse to a clinical research nurse. More knowledge about this specific role could benefit the nursing profession as well as increase the quality of clinical research.

Aim

The aim of the study was to explore Swedish registered nurses' experiences transitioning into the clinical research nurse role.

Design

The study had a qualitative design. Data were collected via semi‐structured interviews. Inductive qualitative content analysis was employed.

Methods

Ten participants (i.e., clinical research nurses) were interviewed in the spring of 2017. A semi‐structured interview guide was used to address the transition into the clinical research nurse role, experience working in a new role, experience of ethical dilemmas and experience of organizational and professional issues related to the role. The interviews were analysed inductively using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The registered nurses described experiencing reality shock when they became clinical research nurses; that is, it was a challenging and transforming experience. The main theme, a challenging transition, was developed from the four subthemes highlighting that it defied their previous nursing role. They experienced an unclear professional identity, extended professional mandate, increased professional status and growing ethical consciousness in their new role.

Conclusion

The results highlight that registered nurses who became clinical research nurses had needs that were both distinct from and overlapped with those of their former professional role as registered nurses. To avoid reality shocks, the development of clear competence pathways for nurses to become clinical research nurses, including introduction, mentorship and continued support, is necessary. Making their professional title more homogeneous, nationally and internationally, would facilitate role identification and comparisons in research.
Financial development and income inequality: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Chletsos Michael , Sintos Andreas
Published: August 2022

The voluminous empirical research on the effect of financial development on income inequality has yielded mixed results. In this paper, we collect 2127 estimates reported in 116 published studies that investigate the effect of financial development on income inequality. Although our initial tests for publication bias (which do not account for moderator variables) show that the current literature does not suffer from publication selectivity, once we control for a set of moderator variables, we find evidence of mild publication bias in favor of positive estimates (i.e., the current literature favors the publication of studies that find that financial development increases income inequality). In addition, our results suggest that the overall effect of financial development on income inequality is on average zero, but that its sign and magnitude depend systematically on various study characteristics. The characteristics of data and estimation methods, whether endogeneity is taken into account, the different measures of financial development and the inclusion of financial openness, inflation and income variables in the regressions matter significantly for the effect of financial development on inequality.
Pathogenic variant of DYNC2H1 associated with lingual hamartoma in a Chinese pedigree
Authors: Zhao Wenquan , Ye Guanchen , Li Qi , Zhou Yu , Yu Xiaowen , Li Yining , Yu Mengfei , Wang Huiming
Published: August 2022

Background

Molecular etiology of lingual hamartoma is poorly understood. This study aims to identify potentially deleterious mutations for lingual hamartoma and analyze its molecular profile by a combination of whole‐exome sequencing and RNA‐sequencing.

Methods

Whole‐exome sequencing was conducted on the proband presenting lingual hamartoma and patient's unaffected family members. Potentially pathogenic mutations were identified after filtration. The pathogenicity of the identified variants was predicted by in silico algorithms and conservative analysis. RNA‐sequencing was performed to further explore the molecular profile of lingual hamartoma.

Results

Whole‐exome sequencing of the proband and patients' unaffected brother and parents identified a de novo mutation c.931C>T_p.Pro311Ser in the DYNC2H1 gene (NM_001080463.2). The DYNC2H1 mutation was predicted to be disease‐causing for affecting highly conserved amino acid by PolyPhen2 and Mutation Taster. RNA‐sequencing analysis showed that the DYNC2H1 gene was significantly down‐regulated in lingual hamartoma. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed cilium assembly and Hedgehog signaling pathway were significantly affected.

Conclusion

The study expanded our knowledge on the clinical and genetic spectrum of lingual hamartoma by identifying causal variants in a Chinese pedigree. DYNC2H1 is likely to participate in tongue development and its pathologic mutation may underlie the etiology of lingual hamartoma.
Effect of sipping method on sensory response to single and multiple sips of vanilla milkshake using temporal‐check‐all‐that‐apply
Authors: Weerawarna N.R.P Maheeka , Godfrey A. Jonathan R. , Ellis Ashling , Hort Joanne
Published: August 2022

Whether drinking from a cup versus through a straw effects sensory perception is inconclusive, as is whether such differences hold across and within multiple sips. This study aimed to determine if product profiles and product discrimination varied depending on whether a product was sipped from a cup or through a straw. An expert panel (n = 9) investigated differences in temporal profiles of six milkshakes across sipping methods. Temporal discrimination across eight attributes was analyzed on selected time slices, across eight sips using generalized linear model Analysis of Deviance. Sweetness, vanilla, astringency, and liquorice attributes were cited significantly more often sipping through a straw, however sipping from a cup showed more significant attribute discriminations across products. Attribute discrimination was increased across multiple sips compared to sip one. Multiple sip TCATA analysis showed significant effects of sipping method within‐sips and over multiple sips emphasizing the effects of sipping method on multiple sip TCATA product discriminations.

Practical Applications

Milkshakes are often sold in bottles (enabling consumption either directly from the bottle or from a cup) or as on‐the‐go packs with a straw. This study showed that the sensory profile of milkshake varied depending on whether sipped from a cup or through a straw. However, often‐sensory evaluations of beverages are performed by tasting from a cup. This indicates an important practical consideration in terms of sensory study design regarding evaluating products in the intended consumption format or formats. The findings also highlighted the importance of evaluating product volume (or weight) equivalent to single serving size to capture consumer experience closer to actual consumption occasions, as differences in response to one sip changed across multiple sips.
Decentralized coordination for truck platooning
Authors: Zeng Yikai , Wang Meng , Rajan Raj Thilak
Published: August 2022

Coordination for truck platooning refers to the active formation of a group of heavy‐duty vehicles traveling at close spacing to reduce the overall truck operations costs. Conventionally, this coordination is achieved by optimizing various truck‐related parameters, such as schedules, velocities, and routes, based on an objective function that minimizes a certain cost, for example, fuel usage. However, prevalent algorithms for the coordination problem are typically integer‐constrained, which are not only hard to solve but are not readily scalable to increasing fleet sizes and networks. In this paper, to overcome these limitations, we propose a centralized formulation to optimize the truck parameters and solve a multidimensional objective cost function including fuel, operation time costs and preferential penalty. Furthermore, to improve the scalability of our proposed approach, we propose a decentralized algorithm for the platoon coordination problem involving multiple fleets and objectives. We perform both theoretical and numerical studies to evaluate the performance of our decentralized algorithm against the centralized solution. Our analysis indicates that the computation time of the proposed decentralized algorithms is invariant to the increasing fleet size, at the cost of a small relative gap to the optimum cost given by the centralized method. We discuss these results and present future directions for research.
Methionine sulfoxide reductase B5 plays a key role in preserving seed vigor and longevity in rice (Oryza sativa)
Authors: Hazra Abhijit , Varshney Vishal , Verma Pooja , Kamble Nitin Uttam , Ghosh Shraboni , Achary Rakesh Kumar , Gautam Shikha , Majee Manoj
Published: August 2022

Oxidation of methionine leads to the formation of methionine S‐sulfoxide and methionine R‐sulfoxide, which can be reverted by two types of methionine sulfoxide reductase (MSR): MSRA and MSRB. Though the role of MSR enzymes has been elucidated in various physiological processes, the regulation and role of MSR in seeds remains poorly understood.

In this study, through molecular, biochemical, and genetic studies using seed‐specific overexpression and RNAi lines of OsMSRB5 in Oryza sativa, we demonstrate the role of OsMSRB5 in maintaining seed vigor and longevity.

We show that an age‐induced reduction in the vigor and viability of seeds is correlated with reduced MSR activity and increased methionine sulfoxide (MetSO) formation. OsMSRB5 expression increases during seed maturation and is predominantly localized to the embryo. Further analyses on transgenic lines reveal the role of OsMSRB5 in modulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis to preserve seed vigor and longevity. We show that ascorbate peroxidase and PROTEIN l‐ISOASPARTYL METHYLTRANSFERASE undergo MetSO modification in seeds that affects their functional competence. OsMSRB5 physically interacts with these proteins and reverts this modification to facilitate their functions and preserve seed vigor and longevity.

Our results thus illustrate the role of OsMSRB5 in preserving seed vigor and longevity by modulating ROS homeostasis in seeds.