bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Diana project: a legacy for research on gender in entrepreneurship
Authors: Brush Candida G. , Greene Patricia G. , Welter Friederike
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief history of the evolution of the Diana Project and the Diana International Research Conference. The authors examine the impact of the publications, conferences and research contributions and consider key factors in the success of this collaborative research organization. They discuss the ongoing legacy, suggesting ways to extend this into the future.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses an historical narrative and a citation analysis.

Findings

The Diana Project was founded by five women professors in 1999 with the purpose of investigating women’s access to growth capital. Following a series of academic articles, and numerous presentations, the first Diana International Conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden. At this convening, 20 scholars from 13 countries shared their knowledge of women’s entrepreneurship, venture creation and growth, culminating in the first volume of the Diana Book Series. Since then, 14 international conferences have been held, resulting in 10 special issues of top academic journals and 11 books. More than 600 scholars have attended or participated in Diana conferences or publications.

Research limitations/implications

Contributions from the Diana International Conferences’ special issues of journals and books have advanced theory across topics, levels, geographies and methods. Articles emerging from Diana scholars are some of the top contributions about women’s entrepreneurship and gender to the field of entrepreneurship. Future research directions are included.

Practical implications

This analysis demonstrates the success of a unique woman-focused collaborative research initiative and identifies key success factors, suggesting how these might be expanded in the future.

Social implications

To date, more than 600 scholars have participated in the Diana International Conferences or publications. Diana is the only community dedicated to rigorous and relevant research about gender and women’s entrepreneurship. Going forward, efforts to expand work on education for women’s entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurship faculty and careers, and women entrepreneurs, gender and policy will take place to extend this legacy.

Originality/value

The paper is unique in that it is the first to show the substantial legacy and impact of the Diana project since its inception in 1999. Further, it demonstrates how a feminist approach to entrepreneurial principles can yield insights about this unique research initiative and collaborative organization.
Strengthening the contribution of scholarship to equity in practice for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship
Authors: Nelson Teresa
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the ways to strengthen the contribution of scholarship to gender equity in practice for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. Research that spotlights gender construction and enactment, including its origins and its discriminatory effects on people, is inherently social action to the degree that it motivates institutional change. For this 10th year recognition of the founding of the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, the four waves of feminism framework is used to consider our conceptual domain and select practitioners in the gender × entrepreneurship field are interviewed for input on-field needs. Findings are that academics can boost equity in practice by doing original research and promoting research that is more representative, sharing specialized scholarship skills in activist arenas, making the results of academic research available to practitioners and policymakers, and reviewing and validating (or discrediting) information circulating in public spheres.

Design/methodology/approach

This reflective essay is designed to consider the relevance of scholarship in gender and entrepreneurship to practitioners who participate in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. The concept of the temporal waves of feminism, plus interviews with international practitioners, are used to inform the issues.

Findings

Findings are that academics can boost equity in practice by doing original research and promoting research that is more representative, sharing specialized scholarship skills in activist arenas, making the results of academic research available to practitioners and policymakers, and reviewing and validating (or discrediting) information circulating in public spheres.

Originality/value

Scholars of gender and entrepreneurship can look for and create access and meaning for their work with and for practitioners. Bridges to scholarship on gender (e.g. in psychology, anthropology, gender studies, social psychology) can be built to stay current and effective.
Determinants driving Takaful and cooperative insurance financial performance in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hemrit Wael
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effect of insurance specific characteristics, corporate governance and risk reporting attributes, Shari’ah board and inflation rate on the financial performance of Takaful and cooperative insurance industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a dynamic panel generalized method of moment’s system estimation, the author investigates determinants of financial performance as measured by the net premium written, earning ratio and profit margin.

Findings

Company size, insurance penetration, risk reporting and board size significantly explain the financial performance of both types of insurance companies. The effect of Shari’ah board and capital intensity on the financial performance of Takaful insurance is overall positive. The non-executive directors may negatively affect the financial performance. Additionally, positive relationship was also found between inflation rate and financial performance of cooperative insurance.

Research limitations/implications

The typical shortcomings of a content analysis-based research apply to the measurement of operational risk reporting variable. Some modifications need to be made if it were to be used for exploring the financial performance of other Islamic financial institutions. The structural model used in this paper can be used as a generic platform to develop a specific framework for other types of organizations.

Practical implications

Some suggestions may be functional for Islamic insurance regulatory authorities to intensify the transparency, and for insurers to channel an additional source of investment funding toward economic sectors.

Originality/value

The present study seeks to fill a demanding gap in the literature by providing new empirical evidence on the factors that influence the financial performance of the Islamic insurance sector. Moreover, the paper tries to distinguish and identify the determinants of the performance for Takaful and cooperative insurance companies operating in Saudi Arabia.
Predictors of users’ preferences for online health services
Authors: Islam Shahidul , Hoque Md Rakibul , Jamil Md Abdullah Al
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explain predictors that discriminate users’ preferences for online health services, focusing on a downtown area in a developing country.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on rational choice theory (RCT), the authors test a model that links the frequency of online health service usage to access-activators and access-inhibitors. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and the discriminant analysis model were used to analyze data from a sample of 215 internet users.

Findings

Results confirm the significance of responsiveness, user’s attitude, accessibility and perceived ease of use, indicating their discriminating role in the usage of online health services.

Research limitations/implications

The study demonstrates the relevance of RCT in measuring perceived online health service quality in an emerging context. Future research should consider the influence of electronic health (eHealth) literacy, norms and trustworthiness to increase the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can help enhance the eHealth service quality by encouraging service providers to improve the interactivity and ease of use of their platforms, thus delivering value to both consumers and firms and improving the well-being of the society at large.

Originality/value

Few existing studies draw attention to access-activators and access-inhibitors to predict users’ preferences for online health services. This study shows the applicability of RCT in preparing the instrumental dimensions of online health service quality.
Financial inclusion in Africa: does it promote entrepreneurship?
Authors: Ajide Folorunsho M.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Financial inclusion policy focuses on bringing the less privileged groups into the formal financial system. Financial inclusion has a lot of benefits in the society. It can reduce the level of poverty, inequality and encourage business startup. This study aims to examine the impact of financial inclusion on entrepreneurship in selected African countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines how financial inclusion impacts entrepreneurship in 13 selected African countries using data from World Bank Development Indicators, IMF’s International Financial Statistics, doing business and World Bank Entrepreneurship Survey for the period of 2005-2016. It uses panel data regression techniques such as random effect, IV estimation and robust least square.

Findings

The results show that financial inclusion has a significant and positive effect on entrepreneurship in Africa. This result is robust to both alternative measures of financial inclusion and alternative estimators.

Originality/value

The possible relationship between financial inclusion and entrepreneurial development has been an ongoing debate in other developing countries. However, this issue has been neglected in the African region. There are little or no evidence to support the possible relationship in Africa. This paper makes an important contribution in this respect and further provides insightful information in the ongoing debate.
Learning disability training and probation officer knowledge
Authors: Townsend Margaret , Henry Jayne , Holt Rachel R.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Knowledge about learning disabilities has found to be limited in both health and social care staff. To improve the treatment of individuals with learning disabilities and mental health problems within the criminal justice system (CJS), Lord Bradley recommends that professionals receive mental health and learning disability awareness training. However, little is known about the impact of training on the knowledge of professionals in the CJS. This study aims to investigate the impact of a 3-h learning disability training session on the knowledge of probation officers.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a repeated measures design, the impact of a 3-h learning disability training session on the knowledge of 12 probation officers was analysed.

Findings

In support of this study’s hypothesis, a repeated measurest-test revealed a significant difference between participants pre-training and post-training learning disability knowledge questionnaire (LDKQ) scores. Participants scored significantly higher on the LDKQ post-training compared to pre-training. A linear regression revealed that years worked in probation did not significantly predict participant’s difference scores.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this study and directions for future studies are discussed.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates that learning disability training can significantly improve the knowledge of probation officers.
Work, resilience and sustainable futures
Authors: Fergusson Lee , van der Laan Luke , Shallies Bradley , Baird Matthew
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper examines the relationship between work, resilience and sustainable futures for organisations and communities by considering the nature of work-related problems (WRPs) and the work-based research designed to investigate them. The authors explore the axis of work environment > work-related problem > resilience > sustainable futures as it might be impacted by work-based research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces two current real-world examples, one in Australia and one in Asia, of work-based research projects associated with higher education aimed at promoting resilience and sustainability, and discusses the research problems, questions, designs, methods, resilience markers and sustainability markers used by these projects.

Findings

Work-based research, when conducted rigorously using mixed methods, may contribute to increased resilience of organisations and communities and thereby seeks to promote more sustainable organisational and social futures.

Practical implications

Work-based research conducted in higher education seeks to investigate, address and solve WRP, even when such problems occur in unstable, changing, complex and messy environments.

Social implications

Resilience and sustainable futures are ambiguous and disputed terms, but if work-based research can be brought to bear on them, organisations and communities might better adapt and recover from challenging situations, thus reducing their susceptibility to shock and adversity.

Originality/value

While resilience and sustainability are commonly referred to in the research literature, their association to work, and specifically problems associated with work, have yet to be examined. This paper goes some of the way to addressing this need.
Sustainable urban innovations: digital co-creation in European living labs
Authors: Mačiulienė Monika , Skaržauskienė Aelita
Published: January 2020

Purpose

An increasingly urbanized global population is facing multiple, inter-related and inter-connected challenges. By applying the so-called Living Lab concept, the authors open up innovation processes through online and offline collaborations between urban policymakers, non-profit organizations, citizens and other stakeholder groups. However, much of the current research being conducted on Living Labs is lacking in empirically tested methodologies for the co-creation of sustainable urban innovations in defined contexts. This research is intended to fill this gap by presenting a systemic approach to digital co-creation processes in Living Labs. The purpose of this paper is to present the first evaluation results of European Living Labs by applying the new developed digital co-creation monitoring technique.

Design/methodology/approach

By emphasizing the interplay between places, technology and people, the Digital Co-Creation Index (DCCI) calculation methodology provides a systemic understanding of the basic factors shaping the co-creative processes in Living Labs. DCCI has been used to evaluate such labs in four different European cities: Aukštamiestis in Vilnius, Lithuania; Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal; Città Studi in Milano, Italy and Zuid Park in Ghent, Belgium. The empirical data for assessment and index calculation were collected by using a mixed-method approach (i.e. qualitative and quantitative analysis).

Findings

While the findings are complex and varied, the case studies in this paper share several characteristics and patterns – the attractiveness of physical spaces, opportunities for experimentation, the density and diversity of stakeholders involved and the emergence of creative communities that co-design novel initiatives. The results show that digital technologies are underused in the evaluated Living Labs.

Research limitations/implications

The results are limited to a comparison of the European Living Labs in the research sample. In the absence of an index that was obtained, designed and tested in other territorial contexts, the comparative value of the outcomes of this research can be established between only four case studies. The authors anticipate that the implementation of the C3Places project and other research activities will yield even more scientific results. The findings and their implications should be discussed and tested in the broadest context possible. By focusing on creative synergy between places, technology and people, this paper presents a unified and empirically validated systemic approach to assessing digital co-creation efforts in urban planning.

Originality/value

Unlike previous research, this paper presents a unified and empirically based approach to assessing digital co-creation efforts in urban planning by emphasizing interplay between place, technology and people.
The disillusion of calculative practices in academia
Authors: Argento Daniela , Dobija Dorota , Grossi Giuseppe
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight and compare insights from research conducted in different disciplines on the effects of the use of calculative practices in academia. It also acts as an introduction to the special issue on “governing by numbers: audit culture and contemporary tales of universities’ accountability”.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the findings and reflections provided in academic literature on the various types of consequences stemming from the diffusion of the “audit culture” in academia. In so doing, it draws upon insights from previous literature in education, management and accounting, and other papers included in this special issue of Qualitative Research in Accounting and Management.

Findings

The literature review shows that a growing number of studies are focussing on the hybridization of universities, not only in terms of calculative practices (e.g. performance indicators) but also in relation to individual actors (e.g. academics and managers) who may have divergent values, and thus, act according to multiple logics (business and academic logics). It highlights many areas in which further robust academic research is needed to guide policy and practice developments in universities.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides academics, regulators and decision-makers with relevant insights into the critical issues of using calculative practices in academia. Despite the negative effects have been observed in various disciplines, there is an evident perpetuation in the use of those practices.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the ongoing debates on the disillusion of calculative practices in academia. Yet, positive changes can be achieved within the complex settings of “hybrid” universities when the apparent class division between academics and managers is bridged.
How management is being transformed: Drucker Forum insights
Authors: Denning Stephen
Published: January 2020

Purpose

A report on a management conference with a notable history of showcasing world leading firms—the Global Peter Drucker Forum—which met in the Imperial Palace in Vienna Austria for its eleventh annual get-together, this time on the overall theme of “the power of ecosystems.”

Design/methodology/approach

The report presents the highlights of the presentations by a number of the top leaders of the world's leading companies, all of which are experimenting with new ways of transforming management to foster innovation.

Findings

The most important things about ecosystems are their stability, their inter-operability and their ability to adapt to and accept change.

Practical implications

In a world where the life expectancy of competitive advantage was getting shorter, innovation and strategy—once very separate—are joining hands.

Originality/value

The report encourages managers at all levels to pay attention to the management experiments going on at leading firms which are adopting the ecosystem model.
Oxidative damage to lipids is rapidly reduced during migratory stopovers
Authors: Eikenaar Cas , Winslott Erica , Hessler Sven , Isaksson Caroline
Published: January 2020

Most migrating birds need to stopover in between flights in order to refuel. Lately, additional purposes of stopover have been suggested, including physiological recovery from metabolically demanding migratory flight. One apparently unavoidable, but harmful physiological effect of migratory flight is increased oxidative damage to lipids and proteins.

We here, for the first time, tested whether migrating birds are able to reduce their oxidative damage during stopover. To be able to collect longitudinal data on a large number of individual birds, we temporarily caged wild northern wheatears, a long‐distance migrant which does not suffer stress when caged during migration. Around noon on the first and third day at stopover, the birds were blood‐sampled to determine malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, a commonly used marker of oxidative damage to lipids.

We found that MDA concentrations significantly decreased during stopover, a result unchanged when correcting for the peroxidizability of the substrate. The extent of the decrease was unrelated to the amounts of food consumed or of fuel accumulated.

Our findings support the hypothesis that stopovers serve reduction of oxidative damage, warranting re‐thinking of how birds accomplish their migrations. They also highlight the need to include physiological recovery as a driver of the (temporal) organization of migration.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Semi‐auto horizon tracking guided by strata histograms generated with transdimensional Markov‐chain Monte Carlo
Authors: Cho Yongchae , Jeong Daein , Jun Hyunggu
Published: January 2020

Although horizon interpretation is a routine task for building reservoir models and accurately estimating hydrocarbon production volumes, it is a labour‐intensive and protracted process. Hence, many scientists have worked to improve the horizon interpretation efficiency via auto‐picking algorithms. Nevertheless, the implementation of a classic auto‐tracking method becomes challenging when addressing reflections with weak and discontinuous signals, which are associated with complicated structures. As an alternative, we propose a workflow consisting of two steps: (1) the computation of strata histograms using transdimensional Markov‐chain Monte Carlo and (2) horizon auto‐tracking using waveform‐based auto‐tracking guided by those strata histograms. These strata histograms generate signals that are vertically sharper and more laterally continuous than original seismic signals; therefore, the proposed workflow supports the propagation of waveform‐based auto‐picking without terminating against complicated geological structures. We demonstrate the performance of the novel horizon auto‐tracking workflow through seismic data acquired from the Gulf of Mexico, and the Markov‐chain Monte Carlo inversion results are validated using log data. The auto‐tracked results show that the proposed method can successfully expand horizon seed points even though the seismic signal continuity is relatively low around salt diapirs and large‐scale faults.
Novel tobacco products including electronic cigarette and heated tobacco products increase risk of allergic rhinitis and asthma in adolescents: Analysis of Korean youth survey
Authors: Chung Soo Jie , Kim Byung‐Keun , Oh Ji Hyun , Shim Ji‐Su , Chang Yoon‐Seok , Cho Sang‐Heon , Yang Min‐Suk
Published: January 2020

Background

The effect of novel tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes (EC) and heated tobacco products (HTP), on allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma is not well known.

Objective

To evaluate the health effect of novel tobacco products on asthma and AR.

Methods

This study was conducted using large survey data on Korean middle and high school students. The relationship between current asthma/AR and novel tobacco products user status was evaluated. In order to compare the combined effects of conventional cigarette (CC), EC, and HTP use on current allergic diseases, the participants were classified into 18 groups based on CC (current, former, and never), EC (current, former, and never), and HTP (ever and never) status.

Results

A total of 60,040 participants representing 2,850,118 Korean adolescents were analyzed. Of all participants, 6.7%, 2.7%, and 2.9% were current CC, current EC, and ever HTP users, respectively. Current CC and ever HTP use was significantly associated with current asthma and AR in adjusted models. Current EC showed association with current AR but the association with asthma disappeared in the adjusted model. Among 18 groups, the groups including current CC use showed higher risk of current AR and asthma than never HTP‐never EC‐never CC group. The odds ratio of current asthma especially increased more in those who used EC and/or HTP with CC concurrently than those in the never HTP‐never EC‐current CC user group.

Conclusion

Using EC and/or HTP in adolescents might enhance the adverse effect of CC on AR and asthma.
Large size and haemorrhage are not contraindications to laparoscopic resection of hepatocellular adenoma
Authors: McKay Bartholomew , Webber Laurence , Manoharan Bavahuna , Miller Gregory , Clouston Andrew , Bryant Richard , Cavallucci David , O'Rourke Nicholas
Published: January 2020

Background

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a hepatocyte derived neoplastic lesion with an increasing incidence and a strong association with oestrogen therapy. Laparoscopic resection has proven safe for small, non‐ruptured lesions whilst its use for large adenomas (≥10 cm) and cases of haemorrhage requires further investigation.

Methods

All patients undergoing liver resection for HCA at the Royal Brisbane Hospital between January 2003 and April 2018 were analysed. Ethics approval was obtained.

Results

Thirty‐three laparoscopic and three open resections were performed in 35 patients, all female, with a median age of 35 years (range 14–75). Nine laparoscopic resections were performed for large adenomas (≥10 cm) and 17 laparoscopic resections were performed for adenomas of intermediate size (5–9.9 cm). Only one conversion to open surgery was required for an intermediate sized tumour. Haemorrhage, either intratumoural, intraparenchymal or free intraperitoneal was the indication for resection in six of the 33 laparoscopic cases. Median operative time was 143 and 266 min for laparoscopically resected intermediate and large lesions, respectively. The median length of stay was 5 days (range 4–9) and no major complications were observed in the laparoscopic group. β‐catenin mutation was seen in four of nine large adenomas whereas the inflammatory subtype constituted 11 of 17 intermediate sized lesions.

Conclusion

Laparoscopic surgery has been demonstrated to be safe for the resection of HCA in this group of patients. Importantly, haemorrhage and/or large size were not barriers to laparoscopic resection.
One‐year visual outcomes and optical quality of femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction and Visian Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL V4c) implantation for high myopia
Authors: Niu Lingling , Miao Huamao , Tian Mi , Fu Dan , Wang Xiaoying , Zhou Xingtao
Published: January 2020

Purpose

To compare one‐year visual outcomes and optical quality after femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and Visian Implantable Collamer Lens with a central hole (ICL V4c) implantation for high myopia.

Methods

This prospective non‐randomized study included 37 eyes of 20 patients who underwent SMILE (G‐S) and 39 eyes of 20 patients who underwent ICL V4c implantation (G‐V). Spherical equivalent (SE), uncorrected distance visual acuity, corrected distance visual acuity, retinal image quality and intraocular scattering were evaluated at one year after surgery. Each model was adjusted for age, gender, eye and preoperative SE during treatment.

Results

At the one‐year follow‐up, G‐S and G‐V showed similar safety index (1.13 ± 0.13 and 1.11 ± 0.15, respectively) and efficacy index (1.05 ± 0.14 and 1.06 ± 0.15, respectively). All 21 eyes with Toric ICL (TICL) had a postoperative astigmatism of ≤0.5 dioptres (D), while the astigmatism was ≤0.5 D in all G‐S eyes. Thirty‐six G‐S eyes (97%) and 35 G‐V eyes (90%) were within ± 0.5 D of the target SE. The changes in the modulation transfer function cut‐off frequency (MTFcut‐off) and the objective scatter index from before operation to one year following the operation were not significantly different between the groups (p = 0.523 and 0.826, respectively).

Conclusion

Both SMILE and ICL V4c implantation provide good safety, efficacy, predictability, and stability in correcting high myopia. Optical quality including intraocular scattering was great and relatively stable in both groups during the one‐year observation period.
Palaeogeographical reconstruction and hydrology of glacial Lake Purcell during MIS 2 and its potential impact on the Channeled Scabland, USA
Authors: Peters Jared L. , Brennand Tracy A.
Published: January 2020

Large, ice‐marginal lakes that were impounded by the maximally extended Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) provided source waters for the extraordinarily large floods that formed the Channeled Scabland of Washington and Idaho, USA. However, flood flows that drained CIS meltwater and contributed to landscape evolution during later stages of deglaciation have hitherto been poorly investigated. This paper provides the first evidence for such a late deglacial floodwater source: glacial Lake Purcell (gLP). Sedimentary evidence records the northward extension of gLP from Idaho, USA into British Columbia, Canada and establishes its minimum palaeogeographical extent. Sedimentary evidence suggests that the deglacial Purcell Lobe was a capable ice dam that impounded large volumes of gLP water. A review of glacio‐isostatically affected lakes during CIS deglaciation suggests that gLP could have been subjected to tilts ranging from 0 to >1.25 m km−1. Sedimentary evidence suggests high lake plane tilts (⪆1.25 m km−1) are the most likely to have affected gLP. Using this, the palaeogeography and volume of gLP are modelled, revealing that ~116 km3 of water was susceptible to sudden drainage into the Channeled Scabland via the Columbia River system. This calculation is supported by sedimentary and geomorphic evidence compatible with energetic flood flows along the gLP drainage route and suggests gLP drained suddenly, causing significant landscape change.
Approach to High Volume Enrollment in Clinical Research: Experiences from an All of Us Research Program Site
Authors: Ilori Titilayo O. , Viera Emma , Wilson Jillian , Moreno Francisco , Menon Usha , Ehiri John , Peterson Rachele , Vemulapalli Tejo , StimsonRiahi Sara C. , Rosales Cecilia , Calhoun Elizabeth , Sokan Amanda , Karnes Jason H. , Reiman Eric , Ojo Akinlolu , Theodorou Andreas , Ojo Tammy
Published: January 2020

Clinical trials and cohort studies are required to meet target recruitment of study participants within stipulated timelines, especially when the priority is to include populations traditionally unrepresented in biomedical research. By the third quarter of 2019, the University of Arizona‐Banner Health Provider Organization (UA‐Banner HPO) has enrolled > 30,000 core participants into the All of Us Research Program (AoURP), the research cohort of the Precision Medicine Initiative. The majority of enrolled participants meet the criteria for individuals under‐represented in biomedical research. The enrollment goals were calculated based on a target of 20,000 as set by the National Institutes of Health and our health provider organization achieved enrollment numbers between 17% and 86% above the targeted daily enrollment. We evaluated enrollment methods and challenges to enrollments encountered by the UA‐Banner Health Provider Organization into the AoURP. Challenges to enrollment centered around the need for high‐touch engagement methods, time investment necessary for stakeholder inclusion, and the use of purely digital enrollment methods especially in populations under‐represented in biomedical research. These challenges occurred at the level of the individual, provider, institutions, and community, and cumulatively impacted participant enrollment. Successful strategies for engagement and enrollment leveraged provider partners as advocates for the program. For high‐volume enrollment in clinical research, it is important to engage leaders in the healthcare setting, patient providers, and tailor engagement and enrollment to potential participant needs. We emphasize the need for precision engagement and enrollment methods tailored to individual needs.
Host engulfment pathway controls inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Sayed Ibrahim M. , Suarez Katherine , Lim Eileen , Singh Sujay , Pereira Matheus , Ibeawuchi Stella‐Rita , Katkar Gajanan , Dunkel Ying , Mittal Yash , Chattopadhyay Ranajoy , Guma Monica , Boland Brigid S. , Dulai Parambir S. , Sandborn William J. , Ghosh Pradipta , Das Soumita
Published: January 2020

Chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) urgently need new biomarkers as a significant proportion of patients, do not respond to current medications. Inflammation is a common factor in these diseases, and microbial sensing in the intestinal tract is critical to initiate the inflammation. We have identified ELMO1 (engulfment and cell motility protein 1) as a microbial sensor in epithelial and phagocytic cells that turns on inflammatory signals. Using a stem cell‐based ‘gut‐in‐a‐dish’ coculture model, we studied the interactions between microbes, epithelium, and monocytes in the context of IBD. To mimic the in vivo cell physiology, enteroid‐derived monolayers (EDMs) were generated from the organoids isolated from WT and ELMO1−/− mice and colonic biopsies of IBD patients. The EDMs were infected with the IBD‐associated microbes to monitor the inflammatory responses. ELMO1‐depleted EDMs displayed a significant reduction in bacterial internalization, a decrease in pro‐inflammatory cytokine productions and monocyte recruitment. The expression of ELMO1 is elevated in the colonic epithelium and in the inflammatory infiltrates within the lamina propria of IBD patients where the higher expression is positively correlated with the elevated expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, MCP‐1 and TNF‐α. MCP‐1 is released from the epithelium and recruits monocytes to the site of inflammation. Once recruited, monocytes require ELMO1 to engulf the bacteria and propagate a robust TNF‐α storm. These findings highlight that the dysregulated epithelial ELMO1 → MCP‐1 axis can serve as an early biomarker in the diagnostics of IBD and other inflammatory disorders.
Engagement and subjective well‐being in alternative food networks: The case of Hungary
Authors: Neulinger Agnes , Bársony Fanni , Gjorevska Natasha , Lazányi Orsolya , Pataki György , Takács Sándor , Török Anna
Published: January 2020

An alternative food network (AFN) is a comprehensive concept that aims to capture new and socially innovative networks of consumers and producers in short supply chains. The objective of this study is to understand the relationship of users to AFNs using subjective well‐being (SWB), which is a relevant concept connected to eating and alternative consumption. This paper explores the engagement and nature of SWB by qualitative data collected through in‐depth interviews of new and experienced members of different AFNs. The results suggest that membership in AFNs is able to increase SWB, while certain characteristics of these networks can also decrease it. Differences according to the level of engagement have been found for the studied AFNs. The results contribute to a better understanding of consumers in alternative consumption networks and also indicate some of the limitations of this business model.
Antibody effector functions in malaria and other parasitic diseases: a few needles and many haystacks
Authors: Aitken Elizabeth H , Mahanty Siddhartha , Rogerson Stephen J
Published: January 2020

Many parasitic infections stimulate antibody responses in their mammalian hosts. The ability of these antibodies to protect against disease varies markedly. Research has revealed that functional properties of antibodies determine their role in protection against parasites. Investigations of antibodies against Plasmodium spp. have demonstrated a variety of functional activities, ranging from invasion inhibition and parasite growth inhibition to antibody‐dependent cellular phagocytosis and antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity. These activities have been demonstrated with a large variety of parasite molecules at multiple life cycle stages, highlighting the importance of functional antibody responses in malaria. Other parasitic infections have not yet been investigated in similar detail, but these mechanisms are likely to operate in nonmalarial parasitic infections as well. In this report, we review data on the role of functional antibody responses in protection from parasitic infections, highlighting discoveries in malaria, a parasite for which our knowledge base is the most advanced.
Peritoneal M2 macrophage transplantation as a potential cell therapy for enhancing renal repair in acute kidney injury
Authors: Mao Ruiwen , Wang Chengshi , Zhang Fuping , Zhao Meng , Liu Shuyun , Liao Guangneng , Li Lan , Chen Younan , Cheng Jingqiu , Liu Jingping , Lu Yanrong
Published: January 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical condition that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Inflammation is reported to play a key role in AKI. Although the M2 macrophages exhibit antimicrobial and anti‐inflammatory activities, their therapeutic potential has not been evaluated for AKI. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of peritoneal M2 macrophage transplantation on AKI in mice. The macrophages were isolated from peritoneal dialysates of mice. The macrophages were induced to undergo M2 polarization using interleukin (IL)‐4/IL‐13. AKI was induced in mice by restoring the blood supply after bilateral renal artery occlusion for 30 minutes. The macrophages were injected into the renal cortex of mice. The changes in renal function, inflammation and tubular proliferation were measured. The M2 macrophages were co‐cultured with the mouse primary proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) under hypoxia/reoxygenation conditions in vitro. The PTEC apoptosis and proliferation were analysed. The peritoneal M2 macrophages effectively alleviated the renal injury and inflammatory response in mice with ischaemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) and promoted the PTEC proliferation in vivo and in vitro. These results indicated that the peritoneal M2 macrophages ameliorated AKI by decreasing inflammatory response and promoting PTEC proliferation. Hence, the peritoneal M2 macrophage transplantation can serve as a potential cell therapy for renal diseases.
Down‐regulation of endothelial protein C receptor promotes preeclampsia by affecting actin polymerization
Authors: Wang Hao , Wang Pan , Liang Xiaoling , Li Wenjing , Yang Mo , Ma Jihong , Yue Wei , Fan Shangrong
Published: January 2020

Preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy‐related disease that is found in 3%–5% of pregnancies worldwide and is primarily related to the decreased proliferation and invasion of trophoblast cells and abnormal uterine spiral artery remodelling. However, studies on the pathogenesis of placental trophoblasts are insufficient, and the aetiology of PE remains unclear. Here, we report that endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR), a transmembrane glycoprotein, was down‐regulated in placentas from preeclamptic patients. Moreover, lack of EPCR significantly reduced the trophoblast cell proliferation, invasion and tube formation capabilities. Microscale thermophoresis analysis showed that EPCR directly bound to protease‐activated receptor 1 (PAR‐1), a G protein‐coupled receptor. This change resulted in a substantial reduction in active Rac1 and caused excessive actin rearrangement. Our findings reveal a previously unidentified role of EPCR in the regulation of trophoblast proliferation, invasion and tube formation through promotion of actin polymerization, which is required for normal placental development.
Rapid neural categorization of angry and fearful faces is specifically impaired in boys with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Van der Donck Stephanie , Dzhelyova Milena , Vettori Sofie , Mahdi Soha Sadat , Claes Peter , Steyaert Jean , Boets Bart
Published: January 2020

Background

Difficulties with facial expression processing may be associated with the characteristic social impairments in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Emotional face processing in ASD has been investigated in an abundance of behavioral and EEG studies, yielding, however, mixed and inconsistent results.

Methods

We combined fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) with EEG to assess the neural sensitivity to implicitly detect briefly presented facial expressions among a stream of neutral faces, in 23 boys with ASD and 23 matched typically developing (TD) boys. Neutral faces with different identities were presented at 6 Hz, periodically interleaved with an expressive face (angry, fearful, happy, sad in separate sequences) every fifth image (i.e., 1.2 Hz oddball frequency). These distinguishable frequency tags for neutral and expressive stimuli allowed direct and objective quantification of the expression‐categorization responses, needing only four sequences of 60 s of recording per condition.

Results

Both groups show equal neural synchronization to the general face stimulation and similar neural responses to happy and sad faces. However, the ASD group displays significantly reduced responses to angry and fearful faces, compared to TD boys. At the individual subject level, these neural responses allow to predict membership of the ASD group with an accuracy of 87%. Whereas TD participants show a significantly lower sensitivity to sad faces than to the other expressions, ASD participants show an equally low sensitivity to all the expressions.

Conclusions

Our results indicate an emotion‐specific processing deficit, instead of a general emotion‐processing problem: Boys with ASD are less sensitive than TD boys to rapidly and implicitly detect angry and fearful faces. The implicit, fast, and straightforward nature of FPVS‐EEG opens new perspectives for clinical diagnosis.
Risks, time trends, and mortality of colonoscopy‐induced perforation in hospitalized patients
Authors: Garg Rajat , Singh Amandeep , Ahuja Keerat R , Mohan Babu P , Ravi Shri J K , Shen Bo , Kirby Donald F , Regueiro Miguel
Published: January 2020

Background and Aim

Colonic perforation is a rare complication of colonoscopy and ranges from 0% to 1% in all patients undergoing colonoscopy. The aim of this study was to assess the time trends, risk factors, and mortality associated with colonoscopy‐induced perforation (CIP) in hospitalized patients as the data are limited.

Methods

Data are obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database to identify hospitalized patients between 2005 and 2014 that had CIP. Various factors like age and gender were assessed for association with CIP, followed by univariate and multivariate regression analyses.

Results

A total of 2 651 109 patients underwent inpatient colonoscopy between 2005 and 2014, and 4567 (0.2%) of the patients had CIP. Overall, incidence of CIP has increased from 2005 to 2014 (0.1% to 0.3%) (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for CIP was highest in Caucasian race (OR: 1.49 [1.09, 2.06]), followed by after polypectomy, history of inflammatory bowel disease, end‐stage renal disease, and age > 65 years (OR [95% CI] of 1.35 [1.23, 1.47], 1.34 [1.17, 1.53], 1.28 [1.02, 1.62], and 1.21 [1.11, 1.33], respectively) (all P < 0.05). CIP group had 33% less obesity (OR [95% CI]: 0.77 [0.65–0.9], P = 0.002) and 13‐fold higher mortality (0.5% vs 8.1%) (P < 0.001) as compared to patients without CIP. The CIP‐associated mortality ranged from 2% to 8% and remained stable throughout the study period.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that the risk of CIP was highest in elderly patients, Caucasians, those with inflammatory bowel disease, end‐stage renal disease, and after polypectomy. Recognizing the factors associated with CIP may lead to informed discussion about risks and benefits of inpatient colonoscopy.
Life cycle assessment comparison of wooden and plastic pallets in the grocery industry
Authors: Anil Sebastian K. , Ma Junfeng , Kremer Gül E. , Ray Charles David , Shahidi Shirin M.
Published: January 2020

Wooden and plastic pallets are used extensively in global trade to transport finished goods and products. This article compares the life cycle performance of treated wooden and plastic pallets through a detailed cradle‐to‐grave life cycle assessment (LCA), and conducts an analysis of the various phytosanitary treatments. The LCA investigates and evaluates the environmental impacts due to the resources consumed and emissions of the product throughout its life cycle. The environmental impacts of the pallets are compared on a one‐trip basis and a 100,000‐trips basis. Impact categories are chosen with respect to environmental concerns. The results show that on a one‐trip basis, wooden pallets with conventional and radio frequency (RF) heat treatment incur an overall carbon footprint of 71.8% and 80.3% lower, respectively, than plastic pallets during their life cycle; and in comparison with wooden pallets treated with methyl bromide fumigation, they incur 20% and 30% less overall carbon footprint. Theoretical calculations of the resource consumption and emissions of RF treatment of pallets suggest that dielectric technology may provide a lower‐carbon alternative to both current ISPM 15‐approved treatments and to plastic pallets. Methyl bromide fumigation (15.95 kg CO2 equivalent [eq.]) has a larger carbon footprint than conventional heat treatment (12.69 kg CO2 eq.) of pallets. For the 100,000‐trips basis, the differences are even more significant. The results recommend that wooden pallets are more environmentally friendly than plastic pallets, and conventional and RF heat treatment for wooden pallets is more sustainable than methyl bromide fumigation treatment.
Comparing urban food system characteristics and actions in US and Indian cities from a multi‐environmental impact perspective: Toward a streamlined approach
Authors: Boyer Dana , Ramaswami Anu
Published: January 2020

Food action plans in many global cities articulate interest in multiple objectives including reducing in‐ and trans‐boundary environmental impacts (water, land, greenhouse gas (GHG)). However, there exist few standardized analytical tools to compare food system characteristics and actions across cities and countries to assess trade‐offs between multiple objectives (i.e., health, equity) with environmental outcomes. This paper demonstrates a streamlined model applied for analysis of four cities with varying characteristics across the United States and India, to quantify system‐wide water, energy/GHG, and land impacts associated with multiple food system actions to address health, equity, and environment. Baseline diet analysis finds key differences between countries in terms of meat consumption (Delhi 4; Pondicherry 16; United States 59, kg/capita/year), and environmental impact of processing of the average diet (21%, 19%, <1%, <1% of community‐wide GHG‐emissions for New York, Minneapolis, Delhi, and Pondicherry). Analysis of supply chains finds city average distance (food‐miles) varies (Delhi 420; Pondicherry 200; United States average 1,640 km/t‐food) and the sensitivity of GHG emissions of food demand to spatial variability of energy intensity of irrigation is greater in Indian than US cities. Analysis also finds greater pre‐consumer waste in India versus larger post‐consumer accumulations in the United States. Despite these differences in food system characteristics, food waste management and diet change consistently emerge as key strategies. Among diet scenarios, all vegetarian diets are not found equal in terms of environmental benefit, with the US Government's recommended vegetarian diet resulting in less benefit than other more focused targeted diet changes.