bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New tools for calibrating diffraction setups
Authors: Kieffer J. , Valls V. , Blanc N. , Hennig C.
Published: February 2020

New calibration tools in the pyFAI suite for processing scattering experiments acquired with area detectors are presented. These include a new graphical user interface for calibrating the detector position in a scattering experiment performed with a fixed large area detector, as well as a library to be used in Jupyter notebooks for calibrating the motion of a detector on a goniometer arm (or any other moving table) to perform diffraction experiments.
PyXAS – an open-source package for 2D X-ray near-edge spectroscopy analysis
Authors: Ge Mingyuan , Lee Wah-Keat
Published: February 2020

In the synchrotron X-ray community, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) is a widely used technique to probe the local coordination environment and the oxidation states of specific elements within a sample. Although this technique is usually applied to bulk samples, the advent of new synchrotron sources has enabled spatially resolved versions of this technique (2D XANES). This development has been extremely powerful for the study of heterogeneous systems, which is the case for nearly all real applications. However, associated with the development of 2D XANES comes the challenge of analyzing very large volumes of data. As an example, a single 2D XANES measurement at a synchrotron can easily produce ∼106 spatially resolved XANES spectra. Conventional manual analysis of an individual XANES spectrum is no longer feasible. Here, a software package is described that has been developed for high-throughput 2D XANES analysis. A detailed description of the software as well as example applications are provided.
Developing a building information modeling–based performance management system for public–private partnerships
Authors: Yuan Jingfeng , Li Xuewei , Ke Yongjian , Xu Wei , Xu Zhao , Skibnewski M.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Effective performance management (PM) in public–private partnership (PPP) projects is critical to realizing value for money (VFM). This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of problems existing in PPP PM and possible avenues for improvement, presenting an experimental system to verify that building information modeling (BIM) and other information communication technologies can improve PPP PM.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed research method adopted in this study combined empirical research with experimental research. Semistructured interviews were used to ascertain the current situation of PPP PM with the help of Nvivo software. A BIM-based performance management system (BPMS), which combines BIM with Web and Cloud technology, was then constructed to achieve performance monitoring, performance measurement, and performance-based payment. Finally, a case study was introduced to explain the function application of the proposed system.

Findings

The case demonstration verified is found to verify that the developed BIM-based execution framework for PPP PM can effectively guide stakeholders toward achieving mixed PM, promote effective PM, and improve work efficiency with the support of BIM and other information and communication technologies.

Originality/value

Through the development of a BPMS for PPP projects, the effectiveness and efficiency of PM are improved. Practical PM applications are also provided to different stakeholders, through which the key performance indicators and the behaviors of the government and private-sector partners can be monitored to form a more comprehensive and reasonable PM mechanism and promote the realization of VFM in PPP projects.
A general numerical algorithm for nonlinear differential equations by the variational iteration method
Authors: He Ji-Huan , Latifizadeh Habibolla
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a general numerical algorithm for nonlinear problems by the variational iteration method (VIM).

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, the Laplace transform technique is used to reconstruct the variational iteration algorithm-II. Secondly, its convergence is strictly proved. Thirdly, the numerical steps for the algorithm is given. Finally, some examples are given to show the solution process and the effectiveness of the method.

Findings

No variational theory is needed to construct the numerical algorithm, and the incorporation of the Laplace method into the VIM makes the solution process much simpler.

Originality/value

A universal iteration formulation is suggested for nonlinear problems. The VIM cleans up the numerical road to differential equations.
Evaluation of lean practices in warehouses: an analysis of Brazilian reality
Authors: Pereira Caroline Morito , Anholon Rosley , Rampasso Izabela Simon , Quelhas Osvaldo L.G. , Leal Filho Walter , Santa-Eulalia Luis Antonio
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This article aims to investigate the most applied lean warehouse practices in Brazilian warehouses.

Design/methodology/approach

To perform this research, three phases were conducted: a literature review, a multiple case study, and an analysis of lean warehouses practices implementation by an engineering committee. Thus, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Additionally, the study has an applied nature, with an exploratory and descriptive character.

Findings

Results showed that regardless of the type of criterion used, the most implanted practices are those that do not involve investments in technology. On the other hand, practices like RFID and Cross Docking systems were not found in any of the operations, which shows numerous possibilities for improvement.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this article is to initiate a debate about the management and productivity of Brazilian warehouses, a theme still little explored by the academic community despite the importance that the logistic scenario represents for Brazil as an emerging country and leader in Latin America, participating actively in several global supply chains.
A combined AHP and TOPSIS approach for prioritizing the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing
Authors: Kumar Rahul , Singh Kanwarpreet , Jain Sanjiv Kumar
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The concept of agile manufacturing is becoming critically important to manufacturing industry due to rapid industrialization, fluctuating customer demand, and turbulent business environment. The aim of this study is to prioritize the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing using a combined analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach in Indian manufacturing industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study identifies eight agile manufacturing attributes through literature review and discussion with subject experts. The experts from different manufacturing industry have been asked to provide data for pairwise comparison of attributes. Afterward, an integrated AHP and TOPSIS approach is employed. The AHP is used to drive the priority weights of the attributes, and TOPSIS is used for prioritizing the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing.

Findings

“Information technology,” “human resource management-related issues,” “customer-related issues,” “leadership support,” and “organizationalc related-issues” have been ranked as the top five significant and contributing attributes, which can pave the path for top management to concentrate on the critical areas and allocate significant resources to ensure successful implementation of agile manufacturing.

Originality/value

This research integrates AHP and TOPSIS to prioritize the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing, which are further validated by comparing the ranks obtained through respective approach and sensitivity analysis.
The day of the week effects in stock markets of countries with predominantly Muslim populations
Authors: Yardımcı Bengü , Erdem Sabri
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the day of the week (DoW) effect in stock markets of 19 countries with a predominantly Muslim population over the world.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical research was conducted by using the descriptive statistical analysis and Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) method in 19 stock markets for the past decade.

Findings

The findings in this paper present the evidence of the DoW effect in the majority of the stock markets analyzed. The findings were also consistent with the results of some previous studies regarding the DoW effect in various countries but some were found to be surprisingly different.

Research limitations/implications

This study puts forward the view that investors may consider DoW diversities for their investment decisions regarding the countries with predominantly Muslim population. The authors conclude that additional factors affecting Islamic countries’ stock markets such as geographic proximity, trading days, market capitalization and ethnicity should be considered as well.

Originality/value

Researchers have shown an increased interest in calendar anomalies in stock exchanges of some individual Arab countries. This study contributes to the literature by examining Muslim country stock markets collectively.
Understanding leadership roles and competencies for public-private partnership
Authors: Mohd Som Rafedzah , Omar Zoharah , Ismail Ismi Arif , Alias Siti Noormi
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the roles of public–private partnership (PPP) leaders and the vital skills and competencies that PPP leaders should possess to ensure the success of PPP projects in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted an exploratory qualitative research design using an in-depth interview technique. Ten informants who were involved in the PPP projects from the public and the private sectors participated in this study. Data gathered from the in-depth interview were analysed using the constant comparative method.

Findings

The findings of this study show that among the main roles of PPP leaders are building a collaborative culture, leading and influencing the partnership process by developing trust and encouraging commitment and fairness. Key competencies were sensitivity of the cross-cultural issues between the public and the private sector, communication and PPP technical skills.

Practical implications

This paper outlines key competencies for the training and selection of PPP leaders and team members.

Originality/value

This paper enriches the existing body of knowledge on Malaysia’s PPP with regard to PPP leadership roles and their competencies.
The trapdoor in the platform: will corporate purpose be enough?
Authors: Hirsch Peter Buell
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to assess whether current corporate commitments to serve all stakeholders rather than just shareholders will protect corporate reputation during the coming economic downturn.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews recent corporate commitments to corporate purpose and sustainability as well as critiques of these commitments to determine the likely public and governmental responses in the context of declining middle-class purchasing power and record profits.

Findings

The author believes that unless corporations make deeper commitments to productivity growth, higher wages and strengthening employment, there will be meaningful restrictions imposed upon their freedom to operate.

Research limitations/implications

This review of corporate commitments and critiques is selective and not comprehensive. To the extent that the findings relate to events in the future, they are, by definition, non-verifiable.

Practical implications

If corporations begin to address the concerns discussed here before the next sharp economic downturn, they may be able to escape significant new obligations imposed by the governments. If not, they are likely to lose both freedom of action and reputation.

Social implications

Depending on the flow of events, large segments of the population could turn against big corporations, representing a significant shift in the cultural and political environment.

Originality/value

Much has been written about the intersection of stagnation in productivity growth, decline in middle-class purchasing power and income inequality. However, the author believes that there has been little attention given to the possible implications from the perspective of corporate reputation.
A review of the literature on DEA models under common set of weights
Authors: Contreras Ignacio
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a mathematical method for the evaluation of the relative efficiency of a set of alternatives, which produces multiple outputs by consuming multiple inputs. Each unit is evaluated on the basis of the weighted output over the weighted input ratio with a free selection of weights and is allowed to select its own weighting scheme for both inputs and outputs so that the individual evaluation is optimized. However, several situations can be found in which the variability between weighting profiles is unsuitable. In those cases, it seems more appropriate to consider a common vector of weights. The purpose of this paper is to include a systematic revision of the existing literature regarding the procedures to determine a common set of weights (CSW) in the DEA context. The contributions are classified with respect to the methodology and to the main aim of the procedure. The discussion and findings of this paper provide insights into future research on the topic.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper includes a systematic revision of the existing literature about the procedures to determine a CSW in the DEA context. The contributions are classified with respect to the methodology and to the main aim of the procedure.

Findings

The discussion and findings of the literature review might insights into future research on the topic.

Originality/value

This papers revise the state of the art on the topic of models with CSW in DEA methodology and propose a systematic classification of the contributions with respect to several criteria. The paper would be useful for both theoretical and practical future research on the topic.
Contesting the dominant narrative: expanding the multistory cultural change approach
Authors: van Ooijen Martijn , Nistelrooij Antonie van , Veenswijk Marcel
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to expand the theory on multistory cultural change by showing how a dominant narrative on construction safety dynamically interrelates and is contested on multiple intertextual levels in an organizational field of organizations contributing to the recovery of houses in an earthquake region.

Design/methodology/approach

An ethnoventionist research approach was adopted in which interpretation of data to find narratives and designing interventions went hand-in-hand.

Findings

We found four distinctive composite narratives besides the dominant narrative to which five actors refer in their accounts, thereby contributing to three types of story patterns. These narratives disclose the taken-for-granted ideas and beliefs that characterize the challenge of changing organizational culture. One intervention, which intended multiple stories to touch the surface, was highlighted as a multistory intervention.

Research limitations/implications

Further research could extend the knowledge on other change interventions that contribute to multistory cultural change processes.

Originality/value

Adopting an ethnoventionist approach to provide deep insights on an unfolding cultural change process for both scholars and practitioners.
An optimization method for determining the emergency action by considering compatibilities and collaborative relationship
Authors: Liang Haiming , Zhang Xiao , Fang Fang , Chen Xi
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to propose an optimization method for determining the emergency action, in which the compatibility between emergency alternatives and the collaborative relationship between departments are considered.

Design/methodology/approach

The individual emergency cost and individual emergency effect of each emergency alternative are calculated. And the collaborative emergency cost and collaborative emergency effect associated with a pair of emergency alternatives are calculated. Then, a bi-objective programming model maximizing the total emergency effect and minimizing the total emergency cost is constructed. A novel nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NNSGA II) is designed to solve the constructed model, subsequently. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the use of the proposed method, and the performance of NNSGA II is evaluated through a simulation experiment.

Findings

This paper proposes an effective method to manage complex emergency events that requires the coordinations of multiple departments. Also, this paper provides a new algorithm to determine an appropriate emergency action that performs well in managing both the emergency cost and emergency effect.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the current methods in the field of emergency management. The method is used for dealing with the individual information of emergency alternatives and the collaborative information associated with a pair of alternatives.
Ethical leadership, emotional leadership, and quitting intentions in public organizations
Authors: Ouakouak Mohammed Laid , Zaitouni Michel Georges , Arya Bindu
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Motivation constitutes a central topic for business management, because of its critical impact on job performance. Therefore, understanding whether and how the style of leadership adopted by leaders in organizations promotes and maintains employee motivation is of great interest to both scholars and practitioners. Drawing on self-determination theory, this study investigates how ethical and emotional styles of leadership influence employee motivation and thus job performance.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study was conducted in the public sector in Kuwait. About 607 employees participated in this study. Structural equation modeling techniques were used for testing the causal relationships between constructs.

Findings

Results of our study indicate that both ethical and emotional leaderships enhance employee motivation. Furthermore, employee motivation has a positive impact on job performance. The results also show that job performance exerts a negative effect on quitting intentions. Finally, interest in the private sector moderates the job performance–quitting intentions relationship.

Practical implications

These findings provide theoretical contributions to the extant literature, as well as important practical implications for managers.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the role of both ethical and emotional leaderships in shaping employee behaviors. To the best of our knowledge, this research is among the few that provides initial evidence regarding quitting intentions as an outcome of the impact of ethical and emotional leaderships on employee motivation and individual performance in Kuwait.
Researchers' judgment criteria of high-quality answers on academic social Q&A platforms
Authors: Li Lei , Zhang Chengzhi , He Daqing , Du Jia Tina
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Through a two-stage survey, this paper examines how researchers judge the quality of answers on ResearchGate Q&A, an academic social networking site.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first-stage survey, 15 researchers from Library and Information Science (LIS) judged the quality of 157 answers to 15 questions and reported the criteria that they had used. The content of their reports was analyzed, and the results were merged with relevant criteria from the literature to form the second-stage survey questionnaire. This questionnaire was then completed by researchers recognized as accomplished at identifying high-quality LIS answers on ResearchGate Q&A.

Findings

Most of the identified quality criteria for academic answers—such as relevance, completeness, and verifiability—have previously been found applicable to generic answers. The authors also found other criteria, such as comprehensiveness, the answerer's scholarship, and value-added. Providing opinions was found to be the most important criterion, followed by completeness and value-added.

Originality/value

The findings here show the importance of studying the quality of answers on academic social Q&A platforms and reveal unique considerations for the design of such systems.
Combining participatory action research with sociological intervention to investigate participatory place branding
Authors: Ripoll Gonzalez Laura , Gale Fred
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Place branding research has recently focused on developing more inclusive models to better capture the co-creation of place identities. This paper aims to investigate stakeholder communication interactions in place branding processes to inform alternative, participatory, network governance models of stakeholder engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature on stakeholder engagement in place branding processes is sparse. Through a regional case study of the Australian island state of Tasmania, the paper combines participatory action research (PAR) with the method of sociological intervention (SI) to investigate how participants individually and collectively reflect on their practices and patterns of engagement.

Findings

By combining PAR with SI, participants were enabled to gain a greater appreciation of how cooperation and collective self-reflection enhance effective place branding practices. Furthermore, by facilitating participants to compile a list of impediments to collaboration, the research informs efforts to develop more inclusive governance models for place branding. Finally, the PAR/SI method itself served as a practical tool to encourage enhanced stakeholder engagement in applied settings.

Research limitations/implications

The approach is based on a single case study in a particular regional context and the findings require replication in other jurisdictions.

Practical implications

PAR/SI is a practical tool to achieve greater stakeholder engagement and enhance collaborative social action through a process of collective, critical reflection in applied settings.

Originality/value

The paper advances understanding of ways to operationalize participatory place branding through more inclusive, multistakeholder governance arrangements.
US rebalance strategy to Asia and US-China rivalry in South China Sea from the perspective of the offensive realism
Authors: Alenezi Danah Ali
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the nexus of the US rebalance strategy to Asia and the US–China rivalry in the South China Sea (SCS) from the perspective of the offensive realism theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The study depends on the descriptive approach that deals with the analysis and description of the phenomenon. Also, the study uses the qualitative method to analyze the primary sources concerning the rebalance.

Findings

The study has found four results: first, the rebalance strategy to Asia is a comprehensive strategy to contain China’s rise. Second, China’s offensive strategy in the SCS since 2008 has been the main driver of launching the rebalance. Third, offensive realism presents a convenient analysis to understand the rebalance, China’s offensive strategy in the SCS, and the US–China rivalry in the SCS. Forth, SCS is one of the most important venues of the US–China rivalry for global hegemony.

Research limitations/implications

Limited to the period from 2009 to 2016. The Obama Era.

Originality/value

This study highlights the centrality of the SCS in the US–China global rivalry that has not been yet well researched.
Loyalty motivations for religious tourism: Indonesian Muslim travelers umrah participating in umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Wu Cedric Hsi-Jui , Mursid Ali
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how motivation aspects including expected organizational rewards (EOR) and enjoyment in helping others (EHO) drive umrah travelers’ participation. Furthermore, it verifies the effect of umrah travelers’ participation on loyalty and assesses the perceived value and umrah travelers’ satisfaction emerging in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey uses the purposive sampling method. Data analysis uses confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with a total sample of 438 umrah travelers.

Findings

The results show that EOR and EHO affect umrah travelers’ participation; umrah travelers’ participation has a direct effect on umrah travelers’ loyalty; and all the relationships between umrah travelers’ participation, perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty are significant.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the theory of religious tourism particularly in identifying the motivation aspects as the antecedents of umrah travelers’ participation beyond religiosity. Furthermore, this study provides the theory of umrah travelers’ participation and loyalty and proposes that perceived value and satisfaction emerge in this relationship.
Social learning within and across predator species reduces attacks on novel aposematic prey
Authors: Hämäläinen Liisa , Mappes Johanna , Rowland Hannah M. , Teichmann Marianne , Thorogood Rose
Published: February 2020

To make adaptive foraging decisions, predators need to gather information about the profitability of prey. As well as learning from prey encounters, recent studies show that predators can learn about prey defences by observing the negative foraging experiences of conspecifics. However, predator communities are complex. While observing heterospecifics may increase learning opportunities, we know little about how social information use varies across predator species.

Social transmission of avoidance among predators also has potential consequences for defended prey. Conspicuous aposematic prey are assumed to be an easy target for naïve predators, but this cost may be reduced if multiple predators learn by observing single predation events. Heterospecific information use by predators might further benefit aposematic prey, but this remains untested.

Here we test conspecific and heterospecific information use across a predator community with wild‐caught blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and great tits (Parus major). We used video playback to manipulate social information about novel aposematic prey and then compared birds’ foraging choices in ‘a small‐scale novel world’ that contained novel palatable and aposematic prey items.

We expected that blue tits would be less likely to use social information compared to great tits. However, we found that both blue tits and great tits consumed fewer aposematic prey after observing a negative foraging experience of a demonstrator. In fact, this effect was stronger in blue tits compared to great tits. Interestingly, blue tits also learned more efficiently from watching conspecifics, whereas great tits learned similarly regardless of the demonstrator species.

Together, our results indicate that social transmission about novel aposematic prey occurs in multiple predator species and across species boundaries. This supports the idea that social interactions among predators can reduce attacks on aposematic prey and therefore influence selection for prey defences.
Responses of plant–pathogen interactions to precipitation: Implications for tropical tree richness in a changing world
Authors: Milici Valerie R. , Dalui Dipanjana , Mickley James G. , Bagchi Robert
Published: February 2020

Tropical tree‐species richness is positively correlated with annual precipitation, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Phytopathogens promote tree‐species coexistence by disproportionately afflicting seedlings of locally abundant species, generating a rare species advantage. We consider whether increased plant–pathogen interactions in humid conditions favourable for phytopathogens could drive the precipitation‐richness relationship by accentuating the rare species advantage.

Support for this mechanism requires that increases in disease under humid conditions disproportionately affect locally abundant species without spreading to rarer species. This criterion would be augmented by either increased phytopathogen host‐specificity under humid conditions, or increased asynchronicity in germination of different tree species.

Research suggests that precipitation increases the rare species advantage. Increased precipitation enhances phytopathogen transmission, making escape from specialist pathogens more difficult. Additionally, drought stress predisposes plants to disease, especially by opportunistic pathogens. As seasonality in wet forests decreases, scope for asynchronous germination among species increases, potentially concentrating disease transmission within species.

Synthesis. The pathways we identify could drive the precipitation‐richness relationship, but finding direct evidence for them remains a priority. Researching these pathways is especially important because decreasing precipitation due to climate change could disrupt key species coexistence mechanisms and erode tree‐species richness.
Knockdown of CTRP6 inhibits high glucose‐induced oxidative stress, inflammation and extracellular matrix accumulation in mesangial cells through regulating the Akt/NF‐κB pathway
Authors: Xu Erdi , Yin Chunyan , Yi Xiaoqing , Liu Yuesheng
Published: February 2020

C1qTNF‐related protein 6 (CTRP6) is a member of the CTRP family and exerts a key role in the progression of diabetes mellitus. However, the role of CTRP6 in diabetic nephropathy remains unknown. The present study was designed to examine the roles of CTRP6 in diabetic nephropathy and explore the potential molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that the expression level of CTRP6 was significantly increased in high glucose (HG)‐stimulated glomerular mesangial cells (MCs). The following loss/gain‐of‐function assays demonstrated that CTRP6 knockdown significantly inhibited HG‐induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in MCs. CTRP6 knockdown caused significant decreases in tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐6 production levels in HG‐induced MCs. Moreover, knockdown of CTRP6 inhibited HG‐stimulated extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in MCs characterized by decreased expression and production levels of fibronectin (FN) and collagen IV (Col IV). Furthermore, CTRP6 knockdown suppressed HG‐induced the activation of Akt/NF‐κB pathway in MCs, while overexpression of CTRP6 exhibited the opposite effects. Treatment with LY294002, an inhibitor of Akt, reversed the induction effects of CTRP6 overexpression on ROS production, inflammation and ECM accumulation in MCs. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that CTRP6 knockdown inhibits HG‐induced ROS production, inflammation and ECM accumulation in MCs, which were mediated by the inactivation of the Akt/NF‐κB pathway. The roles of CTRP6 in diabetic nephropathy provided evidence for its therapeutic potential for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.
Brexit, the 2019 General Election and the Realignment of British Politics
Authors: Cutts David , Goodwin Matthew , Heath Oliver , Surridge Paula
Published: February 2020

The outcome of the 2019 general election—a resounding Conservative majority and an unprecedented defeat for Labour—delivered a decisive electoral verdict for the first time in recent years following a period where British politics has been characterised by instability and indecision. In this article, we draw on aggregate‐level data to conduct an initial exploration of the vote. What was the impact of Brexit on the 2019 general election result? How far has Brexit reshaped electoral politics? Was 2019 a ‘realignment election’? And, if so, what are the implications? With a focus on England and Wales we show that, although the Conservatives made gains deep into Labour’s working class heartlands, these gains have been a long time coming, reflected in Labour’s weakening relationship with working class Britain. As such, 2019 is not a critical election but a continuation of longer‐term trends of dealignment and realignment in British politics.
Squeezed Out? The Liberal Democrats and the 2019 General Election
Authors: Sloman Peter
Published: February 2020

The 2019 general election was a crushing disappointment for the Liberal Democrats, as Jo Swinson lost her East Dunbartonshire seat to the SNP and the party’s anti‐Brexit stance failed to deliver gains from the Conservatives. Although the Liberal Democrats’ poor performance can partly be blamed on a misfiring campaign strategy, it also reflected the structural difficulties which the party faces in an increasingly polarised political environment. The polarisation of public opinion along multiple axes over the last decade—over austerity, Brexit, and attitudes to Jeremy Corbyn—has fractured the broad coalition of support which the Liberal Democrats assembled during the 1990s and 2000s. Analysis of the 2019 results suggest that the party has made some progress towards developing a new core vote, particularly among suburban Remainers in south east England, but it is not clear whether this will be large or robust enough to have a significant impact on the future of British politics.
Corporate Disclosure as a Tacit Coordination Mechanism: Evidence from Cartel Enforcement Regulations
Authors: BOURVEAU THOMAS , SHE GUOMAN , ŽALDOKAS ALMINAS
Published: February 2020

We empirically study how collusion in product markets affects firms' financial disclosure strategies. We find that after a rise in cartel enforcement, U.S. firms start sharing more detailed information in their financial disclosure about their customers, contracts, and products. This new information potentially benefits peers by helping to tacitly coordinate actions in product markets. Indeed, changes in disclosure are associated with higher future profitability. Our results highlight the potential conflict between securities and antitrust regulations.
Trans‐resveratrol extraction from peanut sprouts cultivated using fermented sawdust medium and its antioxidant activity
Authors: Li Tong , Luo Li , Kim Suna , Moon Sung‐kwon , Moon BoKyung
Published: February 2020

Peanut sprouts are a functional food material rich in phytochemicals, including trans‐resveratrol. This study aimed to optimize the recovery of trans‐resveratrol from peanut sprouts using a combination of peanut varieties and sawdust medium through accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and the response surface method (RSM). We also aimed to determine the antioxidant activity of this trans‐resveratrol extract. Optimal fermentation periods of sawdust and peanut variety for cultivating peanut sprouts were determined on the basis of trans‐resveratrol content via high‐performance liquid chromatography. The extraction variables temperature, static time, and ethanol concentration were used to create a 20‐sample set fit to a second‐order polynomial equation through multiple regression analysis (R2 = 0.8787, P < 0.01). Trans‐resveratrol content (19.62 ± 2.33 µg/g) peaked in the Palgwang variety cultured in sawdust medium fermented for 45 days. Optimal conditions for ASE were determined regarding the extraction temperature (90.29 °C), static time (3.95 min), and solvent (81.54% EtOH/water), and the predicted trans‐resveratrol content under optimal conditions was 30.23 µg/g. Sawdust medium was more effective in increasing the trans‐resveratrol content than conventional hydroponics, and the optimized process of combining fermented sawdust cultivation for harvesting peanut sprouts with ASE has potential as an efficient method of obtaining mass quantities of trans‐resveratrol from peanut sprouts with improved nutritional and functional properties.

Practical Application

This study showed that sawdust medium is more effective than hydroponics in increasing the trans‐resveratrol content in peanut sprouts. The recovery of trans‐resveratrol from peanut sprouts and its antioxidant activity were optimized via accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and the response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized process of combining fermented sawdust cultivation for harvesting peanut sprouts with ASE potentially provides an efficient method to obtain mass quantities of trans‐resveratrol from peanut sprouts with improved nutritional and functional properties.
Efficacy of pulsed‐ultraviolet light for inactivation of Salmonella spp on black peppercorns
Authors: Xie Jing , Hung Yen‐Con
Published: February 2020

Efficacy of pulsed ultraviolet (PUV) to inactivate Salmonella pure culture and on inoculated black peppercorns was evaluated. Black peppercorns inoculated with Salmonella were subjected to PUV treatment (0.28 J/cm2/pulse) using two different sample holders, on a traditional flat surface or on a wave‐shaped surface to increase surface exposure of peppercorns to PUV through light reflection. The temperature change on black peppercorns surface during treatment was recorded, and the effect of cooling period during PUV treatment was studied. PUV treatment of two pulses reduced Salmonella population by more than 6 log CFU/mL in phosphate‐buffered saline. Continuous PUV treatment (80 pulses on each side) using a wave‐shaped surface was able to reduce Salmonella by 1.9 log CFU/g; same treatment using flat surface reduced Salmonella by less than 1.5 log CFU/g. The temperature on peppercorns surface increased to 65 °C after 80 pulses continuous PUV treatment. Adding 280 s cooling time after every 20 pulses reduced the temperature from 65 to 40 °C and achieved similar Salmonella inactivation (P > 0.05) as the continuous PUV treatment. Results from this study showcase the effectiveness of PUV treatment for reducing Salmonella level on black peppercorns surface and provided insights on the potential implementation of PUV treatment at the industrial level.

Practical Application

Results from this study showcased the effectiveness of PUV treatment for reducing Salmonella level on black peppercorns surface and provided insights on the potential implementation of PUV treatment at the industrial level.
Transcriptome‐based target‐enrichment baits for stony corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia)
Authors: Quek Randolph Z. B. , Jain Sudhanshi S. , Neo Mei Lin , Rouse Greg W. , Huang Danwei
Published: February 2020

Despite the ecological and economic significance of stony corals (Scleractinia), a robust understanding of their phylogeny remains elusive due to patchy taxonomic and genetic sampling, as well as the limited availability of informative markers. To increase the number of genetic loci available for phylogenomic analyses in Scleractinia, we designed 15,919 DNA enrichment baits targeting 605 orthogroups (mean 565 ± SD 366 bp) over 1,139 exon regions. A further 236 and 62 barcoding baits were designed for COI and histone H3 genes respectively for quality and contamination checks. Hybrid capture using these baits was performed on 18 coral species spanning the presently understood scleractinian phylogeny, with two corallimorpharians as outgroup. On average, 74% of all loci targeted were successfully captured for each species. Barcoding baits were matched unambiguously to their respective samples and revealed low levels of cross‐contamination in accordance with expectation. We put the data through a series of stringent filtering steps to ensure only scleractinian and phylogenetically informative loci were retained, and the final probe set comprised 13,479 baits, targeting 452 loci (mean 531 ± SD 307 bp) across 865 exon regions. Maximum likelihood, Bayesian and species tree analyses recovered maximally supported, topologically congruent trees consistent with previous phylogenomic reconstructions. The phylogenomic method presented here allows for consistent capture of orthologous loci among divergent coral taxa, facilitating the pooling of data from different studies and increasing the phylogenetic sampling of scleractinians in the future.
Tree‐based inference of species interaction networks from abundance data
Authors: Momal Raphaëlle , Robin Stéphane , Ambroise Christophe
Published: February 2020

The behaviour of ecological systems mainly relies on the interactions between the species it involves. We consider the problem of inferring the species interaction network from abundance data.

To be relevant, any network inference methodology needs to handle count data and to account for possible environmental effects. It also needs to distinguish between direct interactions and indirect associations and graphical models provide a convenient framework for this purpose.

A simulation study shows that the proposed methodology compares well with state‐of‐the‐art approaches, even when the underlying graph strongly differs from a tree. The analysis of two datasets highlights the influence of covariates on the inferred network.

Accounting for covariates is critical to avoid spurious edges. The proposed approach could be extended to perform network comparison or to look for missing species.
Cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric safety of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies in non‐depressed adults: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Carney Greg , Bassett Ken , Maclure Malcolm , Taylor Suzanne , Dormuth Colin R.
Published: February 2020

Background and aims

Pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation are widely prescribed, despite substantial concerns being raised regarding the potential increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) and neuropsychiatric adverse events associated with these treatments. This study aimed to assess the relative CV and neuropsychiatric safety between varenicline and bupropion compared with nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) in adults without a recent history of depression.

Design

Retrospective new‐user cohort study.

Setting

US administrative data from 2006 to 2016 covering more than 100 million individuals.

Participants

Three study cohorts of new users, aged 18 years or older, limited to patients with no diagnosis or treatment for depression in the prior 12 months.

Measurements

Propensity score adjusted log‐binomial regression models. The primary outcome was a composite of hospitalized CV events. Secondary outcomes included a composite of hospitalized neuropsychiatric events and individual components of the primary outcome.

Findings

A total of 618 497 participants were included in our study cohorts. Compared with NRT (n = 32 237), varenicline (n = 454 698) was associated with a 20% lower 1‐year CV risk [adjusted relative risk (RR) = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.75–0.85], and bupropion (n = 131 562) was associated with a 25% lower 1‐year CV risk (RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.69–0.81). Varenicline was associated with a 35% lower 1‐year risk of neuropsychiatric hospitalization versus NRT (RR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.59–0.72), and bupropion was associated with a 21% increase in 1‐year risk of neuropsychiatric hospitalization (RR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.09–1.35).

Conclusion

Varenicline compared with nicotine replacement therapy does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular or neuropsychiatric hospitalizations. Bupropion appears to be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular hospitalization and a higher risk of neuropsychiatric hospitalization, compared with nicotine replacement therapy.
Measurement errors in agricultural data and their implications on marginal returns to modern agricultural inputs
Authors: Abay Kibrom A.
Published: February 2020

The low uptake of modern agricultural technologies in sub‐Saharan African countries has encouraged researchers to revisit the returns to (or profitability of) these agricultural inputs. A related strand of literature is exploring the allocative efficiency of these factors of production in African agriculture. However, all these studies rely on self‐reported agricultural data, which are prone to nonclassical measurement errors, the errors in these data are correlated with the true values of variables of interest. In this article we investigate the implication of measurement errors in self‐reported agricultural input and production data on marginal returns to these modern agricultural inputs. We consider a generic two‐sided measurement error problem where both production and inputs can be measured with error, and these errors can be correlated. We employ both self‐reported and objective measures of production and plot size to compute output elasticities under these alternative measurement scenarios. We find that using self‐reported production and plot size overestimates output elasticities and hence marginal returns to modern agricultural inputs (including chemical fertilizer and improved seed). These results are noteworthy in terms of informing conventional technology diffusion strategies as well as in view of revisiting existing presumptions about the profitability of modern agricultural inputs.
Recognition and management of the gastrointestinal and hepatic immune‐related adverse events
Authors: Tan Bei , Li Yue , Xu Yan , Chen Minjiang , Wang Mengzhao , Qian Jiaming
Published: February 2020

Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the treatment paradigm for a broad spectrum of malignancies. However, the immune checkpoint inhibitors also cause a unique set of toxicities. In the digestive system, this has consisted for the most part as colitis and hepatotoxicity, but also include less‐common manifestations. Baseline screening, early identification, timely diagnosis, rapid and adequate treatment can significantly minimize the toxicity of immunotherapy and improve prognosis. This article provides a comprehensive review of gastrointestinal and hepatic immune‐related toxicities, including incidence, mechanism, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment, and guidelines for resumption of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Effects, costs and implementation of monitoring kidney transplant patients' tacrolimus levels with dried blood spot sampling: A randomized controlled hybrid implementation trial
Authors: Veenhof Herman , van Boven Job Frank Martien , van der Voort Anna , Berger Stefan Philip , Bakker Stephanus Johannes Leonardus , Touw Daniël Johannes
Published: February 2020

Aims

Dried blood spot (DBS) home sampling allows monitoring creatinine levels and tacrolimus trough levels as an alternative for blood sampling in the hospital, which is important in kidney transplant patient follow‐up. This study aims to assess whether DBS home sampling results in decreased patient travel burden and lower societal costs.

Methods

In this single‐centre randomized controlled hybrid implementation trial, adult kidney transplant patients were enrolled. The intervention group (n = 25) used DBS home sampling on top of usual care in the first 6 months after transplantation. The control group (n = 23) received usual care only. The primary endpoint was the number of outpatient visits. Other endpoints were costs per patient, patient satisfaction and implementation.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in the average number of outpatient visits between the DBS group (11.2, standard deviation: 1.7) and the control group (10.9, standard deviation: 1.4; P = .48). Average costs per visit in the DBS group were not significantly different (€542, 95% confidence interval €316–990) compared to the control group (€533, 95% confidence interval €278–1093; P = .66). Most patients (n = 19/23, 82.6%) were willing to perform DBS home‐sampling if this would reduce the number of hospital visits. Only 55.9% (n = 143/256) of the expected DBS samples were received and 1/5 analysed on time (n = 52/256).

Conclusion

Adult kidney transplant patients are willing to perform DBS home sampling. However, to decrease patient travel burden and costs in post‐transplant care, optimization of the logistical process concerning mailing and analysis of DBS samples is crucial.