bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arabic in Africa
Authors: Owens Jonathan
Published: May 2020

Arabic, Africa’s largest language, has an outsized role among African languages. It is internally diverse, with interesting dialectal differences between, e.g., North African, Egyptian, and Sudanese dialects; in many regions it is a language of Islamic culture, leaving its imprint in its many loanwords and writing tradition; sociolinguistically and interactionally, e.g. in code-switching, it is represented by a diversity of configurations, each with its own specific outcomes. Arabic as a minority language (e.g. northeastern Nigeria) shows a different variationist profile than does Arabic-dominant Cairo and relatively monolingual Cairo again from Arabic-French-Berber North Africa. Historically unique events produced one of Africa’s few non-European-based creoles in the South Sudan and East Africa. However, apart from an interest in such cultural domains as script and loanwords, Arabic linguistics is hardly integrated into African linguistics, reflecting more the division of labor between orientalists and Africanists in the West than the language reality in Africa.
Egyptian
Authors: Irsay-Nagy Balázs J.
Published: May 2020

Ancient Egyptian constitutes one of the main branches of the Afro-Asiatic phylum. It was used as a written and spoken language in the Lower Nile Valley and the Nile Delta by the ancient Egyptians. Though its latest form, Coptic, was gradually replaced by Arabic as a spoken language from the tenth century ad onward, it remains the liturgical language of the Coptic Church in modern Egypt. With hieroglyphic and hieratic writing appearing in the late fourth millennium bc, it is the language with the longest documented history, more than four millennia, during which profound diachronic changes occurred. The decipherment of the hieroglyphic writing in 1822 led to the establishment of a new academic discipline—Egyptology—but also to the realization that Ancient Egyptian forms a distinct group together with other African languages, such as Berber and Cushitic, as well as Semitic.
Zenaga
Authors: Taine-Cheikh Catherine
Published: May 2020

This chapter describes Zenaga as the chief representative of Western Berber (Afro-Asiatic), spoken by a few thousand bilingual (Zenaga/Hassaniyya) people of over 45 years of age. Their homeland forms a linguistic island in southwest Mauritania. Zenaga is highly endangered. In spite of intensive and long-lasting contact with both dialectal and literary Arabic it has retained major characteristics of Berber languages such as emphatic phonemes and a rich and complex morphology. But it also exhibits numerous peculiar features whose emergence is likely to be explained by Zenaga’s very remote geographical position. Certain conservative features (e.g. a laryngeal stop, vocalic alternation in verbal morphology) occur side by side with others that are, or could be, innovations (e.g. diminutive derivation, future marker).
Distinctive Languages
Authors: Friedrich Patricia
Published: May 2020

This chapter deals with distinctive languages in Africa, i.e. varieties of language that differ from the standard variety. These varieties are spoken by different groups of people for different purposes, and they comprise, for example, guild languages, reverence languages, and urban youth languages. The main differences between standard variety and distinctive language can be found in the lexicon, and different linguistic strategies are used by speakers to derive new words. The chapter first presents the main functions of distinctive languages and then proposes a categorization based on these functions. It then examines the linguistic forms of distinctive languages. In looking at both the functions and the linguistic forms, the chapter gives a comprehensive overview of distinctive languages in Africa.
Orthography Standardization
Authors: Karan Elke , Roberts David
Published: May 2020

This chapter discusses the historical background to orthographies in African languages based on the Roman script, which poses challenges in particular with respect to the representation of vowels and tone. The development of such orthographies may be initiated as part of the intangible cultural heritage endeavor, more specifically the documentation of endangered languages or language diversity as part of human rights, but also for primary education or Bible translation purposes. In terms of language planning, three contrasting social models of orthography standardization are distinguished below: the laissez-faire model, the top-down model, and the community-based model. As further shown, common character inventories play a role at the intra-language as well as the language family level as well as on a national and international level. These practices are illustrated with two case studies, that of Ik in Uganda and that of Aja in Benin and Togo.
Dynamics of logarithmic negativity and mutual information in smooth quenches
Authors: Fujita Hiroyuki , Nishida Mitsuhiro , Nozaki Masahiro , Sugimoto Yuji
Published: May 2020

We study the time evolution of mutual information (MI) and logarithmic negativity (LN) in two-dimensional free scalar theory with two kinds of time-dependent masses: one time evolves continuously from non-zero mass to zero; the other time evolves continuously from finite mass to finite mass, but becomes massless once during the time evolution. We call the former protocol ECP, and the latter protocol CCP. Through numerical computation, we find that the time evolution of MI and LN in ECP follows a quasi-particle picture except for their late-time evolution, whereas that in CCP oscillates. Moreover, we find a qualitative difference between MI and LN which has not been known so far: MI in ECP depends on the slowly moving modes, but LN does not.
Elderly Patients With Isolated Hip Fracture Requiring Surgical Intervention: Does Admitting Service Matter?
Authors: Elkbuli Adel , Spano Paul J , Dowd Brianna , McKenney Mark , Boneva Dessy
Published: May 2020

The American College of Surgeons requires trauma centers to track the number of injured patients admitted to a surgical service as well as nonsurgical admissions (NSAs) as a quality marker. We aim to compare the relationship between admitting service and outcomes in patients with isolated hip fracture (IHF). A 4-year retrospective cohort review of data collected from a single institution's trauma registry for adult patients with IHF was done. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on admission to a surgical service versus NSA. Demographic and outcome variables including age, gender, Injury Severity Score (ISS), intensive care unit length of stay (ICU-LOS), deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and mortality rates were compared. Analysis of variance and χ2 test were used for data analysis with statistical significance defined as p < .05. A total of 629 patients with IHF were admitted. Of those, 30 (4.8%) were admitted to a surgical service and 599 (95.2%) were NSAs. Patients admitted to a surgical service were younger but average ISS was similar in both groups. Those admitted to a surgical service had a significantly shorter ICU-LOS than NSA patients (2.97 days vs. 4.91, p < .001). Readmission rate at 30 days (3.3% vs. 1.2%, p > .05) and DVT rates (0% vs. 0.4%, p > .05) were similar between groups. Mortality rates did not differ between groups (3.3% vs. 2.2%, p > .05). Patients with hip fracture requiring surgical intervention admitted to a trauma service have a shorter ICU-LOS than those admitted to nonsurgical services. Other quality markers were similar.
Postmortem Analysis of Fall Victims According to Age Groups: A Comparative Study
Authors: Martuchi Sergio Dias , Batista Daniela Vieira de Andrade , Karakhanian Anna Carolina Margarido , Gianvecchio Daniele Muñoz , Carvalho Danielle Daffre , de Souza Nogueira Lilia
Published: May 2020

Fall represents an important cause of death and its relation with the population aging evidences the need of a broad analysis considering different aspects associated with its occurrence. The objective of this study was to compare fatal victims due to unintentional fall among adults, young olds, olds, and oldest olds, according to sociodemographic data, characteristics, and severity of the trauma. This study is a cross-sectional, comparative study analyzing autopsy reports of fatal victims due to fall, admitted to the Medical Legal Institute of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2015. The following age groups were: adults (≥18 and <60 years), young olds (≥60 and <70 years), olds (≥70 and <80 years), and oldest olds (≥80 years). The Pearson's χ2, Fisher's exact, Kruskal–Wallis, and Dunn tests were applied to compare the groups, with a significance level of 5%. Regarding the 469 fatalities analyzed (57.8% males, mean age: 71.3 ± 18.2 years), there was a higher frequency of oldest olds (43.5%), ground-level falls (70.1%), femoral fractures (35.0%), and delayed deaths (79.6%) due to posttraumatic complications (57.2%). Adults, young olds, olds, and oldest olds differed significantly (p≤ .005) in relation to the total of analyzed variables, with a special remark on the differences between the age extremes. High frequencies of femoral fractures and delayed deaths due to complications of treatment in low-severity fall victims, especially those older than 70 years, make it necessary to improve fall prevention programs in the older adults and to create a line of care for this population.
Nocardia colli sp. nov., a new pathogen isolated from a patient with primary cutaneous nocardiosis
Authors: Zhou Tao , Wang Xiao-Yun , Deng Dan-Qi , Xu Li-Hua , Li Xiao-Lan , Guo Yun , Li Wen-Hua , Xie Hong , Zhang Pei-Lian , Zhou Xiao-Hong
Published: May 2020

A novel nocardioform strain, CICC 11023T, was isolated from a tissue biopsy of neck lesions of a patient with primary cutaneous nocardiosis and characterized to establish its taxonomic position. The morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic properties of strain CICC 11023T were consistent with classification in the genus

Nocardia

. Whole-cell hydrolysates were rich in meso-diaminopimelic acid, galactose, arabinose and fructose. Mycolic acids were present. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified lipids, and the predominant menaquinone was cyclo MK-8 (H4, ω-cyclo). The main fatty acids (>5 %) were C18 : 0 10-methyl (TBSA), C16 : 0, summed feature 4 (C16 : 1 trans 9/C15 : 0 iso 2OH), C15 : 0 and C17 : 0 10-methyl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolate is most closely related (>98 % similarity) to the type strains

Nocardia ninae

OFN 02.72T,

Nocardia iowensis

UI 122540T and

Nocardia alba

YIM 30243T, and phylogenetic analysis of gyrB gene sequences showed similarity (89.1–92.2 %) to

Nocardia vulneris

NBRC 108936T,

Nocardia brasiliensis

IFM 0236T and

Nocardia exalbida

IFM 0803T. DNA–DNA hybridization results for strain CICC 11023T compared to

Nocardia

type strains ranged from 20.4 to 35.4 %. The genome of strain CICC 11023T was 8.78 Mbp with a G+C content of 67.4 mol% overall. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain CICC 11023T and

N. alba

YIM 30243T were low (OrthoANIu=77.47 %), and the ANI values between strain CICC 11023T and

N. vulneris

NBRC 108936 T were low (OrthoANIu=83.75 %). Consequently, strain CICC 11023T represents a novel

Nocardia

species on the basis of this polyphasic study, for which the name Nocardia colli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CICC 11023T (=KCTC 39837T).
International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria Minutes of the closed meeting by videoconference, 17 July 2019
Authors: de Lajudie Philippe , Young J. Peter W.
Published: May 2020

Minutes of the closed meeting of the ICSP Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria held by videoconference on 17 July 2019, and list of recent species.
Jeotgalibaca ciconiae sp. nov., isolated from the faeces of an Oriental stork
Authors: Lee So-Yeon , Kang Woorim , Kim Pil Soo , Kim Hyun Sik , Sung Hojun , Shin Na-Ri , Yun Ji-Hyun , Lee Jae-Yun , Lee June-Young , Jung Mi-Ja , Jeong Yun-Seok , Tak Euon Jung , Han Jeong Eun , Hyun Dong-Wook , Kang Myung-Suk , Lee Ki-Eun , Lee Byoung-Hee , Bae Jin-Woo
Published: May 2020

A novel, Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, facultatively anaerobic bacterium, designated strain H21T32T, was isolated from the faeces of an Oriental stork, Ciconia boyciana. Cells formed cocci grouped in pairs, tetrads or conglomerates, and colonies on solid medium were pale yellow. Strain H21T32T belonged to the genus

Jeotgalibaca

, family

Carnobacteriaceae

, order

Lactobacillales

and class

Bacilli

. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strain showed 97.06–97.34, 96.17–96.31 and 95.93–96.07 % similarity to the type strains of

Jeotgalibaca arthritidis

,

J. porci

and

J. dankookensis

, respectively. The strain grew at 10–37 °C (optimum temperature: 30 °C), with 0–7 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum salinity: 0.5 %) and at pH 7–9 (optimum pH: 8). The main cellular fatty acids were C16 : 1
ω9c, C18 : 1
ω9c and C16 : 0. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. Respiratory quinones were not detected. Sugar components of the peptidoglycan were rhamnose, ribose and glucose. Amino acid components of the cell wall were l-alanine, d-glucose, l-lysine, glycine and aspartic acid. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 37.1 mol%. Average nucleotide identity between strain H21T32T and

J. arthritidis

CECT 9157T was 77.02 %, confirming that strain H21T32T represents a novel species of the genus

Jeotgalibaca

, for which the name Jeotgalibaca ciconiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is H21T32T (=KCTC 33991T=JCM 33222T).
Acidiferrimicrobium australe gen. nov., sp. nov., an acidophilic and obligately heterotrophic, member of the Actinobacteria that catalyses dissimilatory oxido-reduction of iron isolated from metal-rich acidic water in Chile
Authors: González Daniella , Huber Katharina J. , Tindall Brian , Hedrich Sabrina , Rojas-Villalobos Camila , Quatrini Raquel , Dinamarca M. Alejandro , Ibacache-Quiroga Claudia , Schwarz Alex , Canales Christian , Nancucheo Ivan
Published: May 2020

A novel acidophilic member of the phylum

Actinobacteria

was isolated from an acidic, metal-contaminated stream draining from an abandoned underground coal mine (Trongol mine), situated close to Curanilahue, Biobío Region, Chile. The isolate (USS-CCA1T) was demonstrated to be a heterotroph that catalysed under aerobic conditions the oxidation of ferrous iron and the reduction of ferric iron under anaerobic conditions, but not the oxidation of sulfur nor hydrogen. USS-CCA1T is a Gram-positive, motile, short rod-shaped, mesophilic bacterium with a temperature growth optimum at 30 °C (range 20–39 °C). It was categorized as an extreme acidophile growing between 1.7 and 4.5 and optimally at pH 3.0. The G+C content of the chromosomal DNA of the isolate was 74.1 mol%, which is highly related to

Aciditerrimonas ferrireducens

IC-180T
, (the most closely related genus; 94.4 % 16S rRNA gene identity), and higher than other acidophilic actinobacteria. The isolate (USS-CCA1T) was shown to form a distinct 16S rRNA clade from characterized acidophilic actinobacteria, well separated from the genera

Acidimicrobium

,

Ferrimicrobium

,

Ferrithrix

, ‘Acidithrix’ and

Aciditerrimonas

. Genomic indexes (ANIb, DDH, AAI, POCP) derived from the USS-CCA1T draft genome sequence (deposited at DDBJ/ENA/GenBank under the accession WJHE00000000) support assignment of the isolate to a new species and a new genus within the

Acidimicrobiaceae

family. Isolate USS-CCA1T is the designated type strain of the novel species Acidiferrimicrobium australe (=DSM 106828T,=RGM 2506T).
Polyphasic studies of new species of Diaporthe from native forest in Chile, with descriptions of Diaporthe araucanorum sp. nov., Diaporthe foikelawen sp. nov. and Diaporthe patagonica sp. nov.
Authors: Zapata Mario , Palma María Antonieta , Aninat María José , Piontelli Eduardo
Published: May 2020

During a survey of fungi in native forests in Chile, several unidentified isolates of Diaporthe were collected from different hosts. The isolates were characterized based on DNA comparisons, morphology, culture characteristics and host affiliation, in accordance with previous descriptions. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region, combined with partial tub2 and tef1 genes, showed that the isolates formed three distinct groups representing three new taxa. The three new species of Diaporthe, Diaporthe araucanorum on Araucaria araucana, Diaporthe foikelawen on Drimys winteri and Diaporthe patagonica on Aristotelia chilensis are described and illustrated in the present study.
Deep-Learning Approaches to Identify Critically Ill Patients at Emergency Department Triage Using Limited Information
Authors: Joseph Joshua W. , Leventhal Evan L. , Grossestreuer Anne V. , Wong Matthew L. , Joseph Loren J. , Nathanson Larry A. , Donnino Michael W. , Elhadad Noémie , Sanchez Leon D.
Published: May 2020

Importance

Triage quickly identifies critically ill patients, helping to facilitate timely interventions. Many emergency departments use the emergency severity index (ESI) or abnormal vital sign thresholds to identify critically ill patients. However, both rely on fixed thresholds, and false activations detract from efficient care. Prior research suggests that machine-learning approaches may improve triage accuracy, but have relied on information that is often unavailable during the triage process.

Objective

We examined whether deep-learning approaches could identify critically ill patients using data immediately available at triage with greater discriminative power than ESI or abnormal vital sign thresholds.

Design

Retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Setting

An urban tertiary care hospital in the Northeastern United States.

Participants

Adult patients presenting to the emergency department from 1/1/2012 - 1/1/2020 were included. Deidentified triage information included structured data (age, sex, initial vital signs, ESI score, and clinical trigger activation due to abnormal vital signs), and textual data (chief complaint) with critical illness (defined as mortality or ICU admission within 24 hours) as the outcome.

Interventions

Three progressively complex deep-learning models were trained (logistic regression on structured data, neural network on structured data, and neural network on structured and textual data), and applied to triage information from all patients.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the accuracy of the model for predicting whether patients were critically ill using area under the receiver-operator curve (AUC), as compared to ESI, utilizing a 10-fold cross-validation.

Results

445,925 patients were included, with 60,901 (13.7%) critically ill. Vital sign thresholds identified critically ill patients with AUC 0.521 (95% CI 0.519 -- 0.522), and ESI less than 3 demonstrated AUC 0.672 (95% CI 0.671 -- 0.674), logistic regression classified patients with AUC 0.803 (95% CI 0.802 -- 0.804), neural network with structured data with 0.811 (95% CI 0.807 - 0.815), and the neural network model with textual data with AUC 0.851 (95% CI 0.849 -- 0.852).

Conclusions and Relevance

Deep-learning techniques represent a promising method of enhancing the triage process, even when working from limited information. Further research is needed to determine if improved predictions can be translated into meaningful clinical and operational benefits.
A note on COVID-19 seroprevalence studies: a meta-analysis using hierarchical modelling
Authors: Levesque Jérôme , Maybury David W.
Published: May 2020

In recent weeks, several seroprevalence studies have appeared which attempt to determine the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the population of certain European and American locations. Many of these studies find an antibody prevalence comparable to the false positive rate of their respective serology tests and the relatively low statistical power associated with each study has invited criticism. To determine the strength of the signal, we perform a meta-analysis on the publicly available seroprevalence data based on Bayesian hierarchical modelling with Markov Chain Monte Carlo and Generalized Linear Mixed Modelling with prediction sampling. We examine studies with results from Santa Clara County (CA), Los Angeles County (CA), San Miguel County (CO), Chelsea (MA), the Comté de Genève (Switzerland), and Gangelt (Germany). Our results are in broad agreement with the conclusions of the studies; we find that there is evidence for non-trivial levels of antibody prevalence across all study locations. However, we also find that a significant probability mass exists for antibody prevalence at levels lower than the reported figures. The results of our meta-analysis on the recent seroprevalence studies point to an important and strongly suggestive signal.
Functional alteration of innate T cells in critically ill Covid-19 patients
Authors: Jouan Youenn , Guillon Antoine , Gonzalez Loïc , Perez Yonatan , Ehrmann Stephan , Ferreira Marion , Daix Thomas , Jeannet Robin , François Bruno , Dequin Pierre-François , Si-Tahar Mustapha , Baranek Thomas , Paget Christophe
Published: May 2020

Covid-19 can induce lung infection ranging from mild pneumonia to life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Dysregulated host immune response in the lung is a key feature in ARDS pathophysiology. However, cellular actors in Covid-19-driven ARDS are poorly understood. Here, we dynamically analyzed the biology of innate T cells, a heterogeneous class (MAIT, γδT and iNKT cells) of T lymphocytes, presenting potent anti-infective and regulatory functions. Patients presented a compartmentalized lung inflammation paralleled with a limited systemic inflammation. Circulating innate T cells of critically ill Covid-19 patients presented a profound and persistent phenotypic and functional alteration. Highly activated innate T cells were detected in airways of patients suggesting a recruitment to the inflamed site and a potential contribution in the regulation of the local inflammation. Finally, the expression of the CD69 activation marker on blood iNKT and MAIT cells at inclusion was predictive of disease severity. Thus, patients present an altered innate T cell biology that may account for the dysregulated immune response observed in Covid-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome.
The Impact of Social Distancing on The Course of The Covid-19 Pandemic in Four European Countries
Authors: Shardlow Andrew
Published: May 2020

In this article the mortality data from four European countries arising from the Covid-19 pandemic is modelled using logistic functions. The countries chosen for examination are Spain, Italy, France and the UK. They have been selected because in each the pandemic is advanced, mortality high and any prospect of containment has passed. They have also been selected because in each social distancing has been used in an attempt to reduce peak daily mortality with relatively strict enforcement following a defined date. The choices of data set and model type is justified. The impact, if any, of social distancing is examined.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of published research data on COVID-19 infection-fatality rates
Authors: Meyerowitz-Katz Gideon , Merone Lea
Published: May 2020

An important unknown during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the infection-fatality rate (IFR). This differs from the case-fatality rate (CFR) as an estimate of the number of deaths as a proportion of the total number of cases, including those who are mild and asymptomatic. While the CFR is extremely valuable for experts, IFR is increasingly being called for by policy-makers and the lay public as an estimate of the overall mortality from COVID-19.

Methods

Pubmed, Medline, SSRN, and Medrxiv were searched using a set of terms and Boolean operators on 25/04/2020 and re-searched 14/05/2020, 21/05/2020, and 16/06/2020. Articles were screened for inclusion by both authors. Meta-analysis was performed in Stata 15.1 using the metan command, based on IFR and confidence intervals extracted from each study. Google/Google Scholar was used to assess the grey literature relating to government reports.

Results

After exclusions, there were 24 estimates of IFR included in the final meta-analysis, from a wide range of countries, published between February and June 2020.

The meta-analysis demonstrated a point-estimate of IFR of 0.68% (0.53-0.82%) with high heterogeneity (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of published evidence on COVID-19 until May, 2020, the IFR of the disease across populations is 0.68% (0.53-0.82%). However, due to very high heterogeneity in the meta-analysis, it is difficult to know if this represents the ‘true’ point estimate. It is likely that, due to age and perhaps underlying comorbidities in the population, different places will experience different IFRs due to the disease. Given issues with mortality recording, it is also likely that this represents an underestimate of the true IFR figure. More research looking at age-stratified IFR is urgently needed to inform policy-making on this front.

Key messages

–

COVID-19 infection-fatality rate (IFR) is an important statistic for policy about the disease

–

Published estimates vary, with a ‘true’ fatality rate hard to calculate

–

Systematically reviewing the literature and meta-analyzing the results shows an IFR of 0.68% (0.53-0.82%)
Conformational maps of human 20S proteasomes reveal PA28- and immuno-dependent inter-ring crosstalks
Authors: Lesne Jean , Locard-Paulet Marie , Parra Julien , Zivković Dušan , Bousquet Marie-Pierre , Burlet-Schiltz Odile , Marcoux Julien
Published: May 2020

Here, we used for the first time Hydrogen-Deuterium eXchange coupled to Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) to investigate conformational differences between the human standard 20S (std20S) and immuno 20S (i20s) proteasomes alone or in complex with PA28αβ or PA28γ activators. Their solvent accessibility was analyzed through a dedicated bioinformatic pipeline including stringent statistical analysis and 3D visualization. These data confirmed the existence of allosteric differences between the std20S and i20S at the surface of the α-ring triggered from inside the catalytic β-ring. Additionally, binding of the PA28 regulators to the 20S proteasomes modified solvent accessibility due to conformational changes of the β-rings. This work is not only a proof-of-concept that HDX-MS can be used to get structural insights on large multi-protein complexes in solution, it also demonstrates that the binding of the std20S or i20S subtype to any of its PA28 activator triggers allosteric changes that are specific to this 20S/PA28 pair.
Intravital imaging of islet Ca2+dynamics reveals enhanced β cell connectivity after bariatric surgery in mice
Authors: Akalestou Elina , Suba Kinga , Lopez-Noriega Livia , Georgiadou Eleni , Chabosseau Pauline , Leclerc Isabelle , Salem Victoria , Rutter Guy A.
Published: May 2020

Bariatric surgery improves both insulin sensitivity and secretion in type 2 diabetes. However, these changes are difficult to monitor directly and independently. In particular, the degree and the time course over which surgery impacts β cell function, versus mass, have been difficult to establish. In this study, we investigated the effect of bariatric surgery on β cell functionin vivoby imaging Ca2+dynamics prospectively and at the single cell level in islets engrafted into the anterior eye chamber. Islets expressing GCaMP6f selectively in the β cell were transplanted into obese male hyperglycaemic mice that were then subjected to either vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) or sham surgery. Imagedin vivoin the eye, VSG improved coordinated Ca2+activity, with 90% of islets observed exhibiting enhanced Ca2+wave activity ten weeks post-surgery, while islet wave activity in sham animals fell to zero discernible coordinated islet Ca2+activity at the same time point. Correspondingly, VSG mice displayed significantly improved glucose tolerance and insulin secretion. Circulating fasting levels of GLP-1 were also increased after surgery, potentially contributing to improved β cell performance. We thus demonstrate that bariatric surgery leads to time-dependent increases in individual β cell function and intra-islet connectivity, together driving increased insulin secretion and diabetes remission, in a weight-loss independent fashion.

Significance Statement

Used widely to treat obesity, bariatric surgery also relieves the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms involved in diabetes remission are still contested, with increased insulin sensitivity and elevated insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells both implicated. Whilst the speed of remission – usually within a few days – argues for improvements in β cell function rather than increases in mass, a direct demonstration of changes at the level of individual β cells or islets has been elusive. Here, we combine vertical sleeve gastrectomy with intravital imaging of islets engrafted into the mouse anterior eye chamber to reveal that surgery causes a time-dependent improvement in glucose-induced Ca2+dynamics and β cell - β cell connectivity, both of which likely underlie increased insulin release.
Expression and function of murine WFDC2 in the respiratory tract
Authors: Bingle L , Armes H , Williams DJ , Gianfrancesco O , Chowdhury Md M K , Drapkin R , Bingle C D
Published: May 2020

WFDC2/HE4encodes a poorly characterised secretory protein that shares structural similarity with multifunctional host defence proteins through possession of two conserved Whey Acidic Protein/four disulphide-core (WFDC) domains. WFDC2 is expressed in multiple epithelia and although its’ function remains unresolved, it is also overexpressed in a number of human cancers and has an established role as a cancer marker. Currently, little is known about the distribution of WFDC2 in the mouse and thus we have systematically analysed the mousewfdc2gene, its’ expression and distribution. We have used recombinant WFDC2 for functional studies.Wfdc2is the most highly expressed family member in the lung and is enriched in the nasopharynx.Wfdc2is the most highly expressed family member in differentiated epithelial cells isolated from the trachea, nasal passages and middle ear.Wfdc2consists of 5 exons with exon 3 encoding an unstructured linker region that separates the two WFDC domains. This genomic organisation appears to be restricted to theMuridaeandCricetidaefamilies of rodents. Similar to the situation in man, mousewfdc2can be alternatively spliced to yield a number of distinct transcripts that have the potential to generate a repertoire of distinct protein isoforms. We used immunohistochemistry to localise the proteins to tissues of the respiratory tract and head and neck regions. Although the protein was limited to epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and nasal and oral cavities, it was expressed in different cells in different regions suggesting expression is governed by a unique regulatory mechanism. Recombinant WFDC2 did not possess antiproteinase activity against trypsin or elastase and had no clear antimicrobial activity.
2-(2-Ethoxy-2-oxoacetamido)benzoic acid
Authors: Yu MingChao , Wang LinLin , Wang LingYang , Wu ZhiYong
Published: May 2020

The title compound, C11H11NO5, has a nearly planar geometry. In the crystal, the molecules are assembled into chains parallel to the [\overline{1}11] direction by O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds.
Corrosion behavioral studies on AA7075 surface hybrid composites tailored through friction stir processing
Authors: Kandasamy Suganeswaran , Rathinasamy Parameshwaran , Nagarajan Nithyavathy , Arumugam Karthik , Rathanasamy Rajasekar , Velu Kaliyannan Gobinath
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to overcome the corrosion in AA7075 by incorporating the dual-reinforcements like Al2O3 and SiC through friction stir processing (FSP). In recent days, an automotive monocoque structure undergoes corrosion because of changes in environmental conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Surface hybrid composites (SHCs) of AA7075 with different weight ratios of Al2O3 and SiC were fabricated at a rotating speed of 1000 rpm, traveling speed of 56 mm/min and tool tilt angle of 2º with two passes. Surface regions were observed using optical microscopy, and the potentiodynamic corrosion test was performed under a 3.5 per cent NaCl environment at room temperature. Then, the surface morphology analysis of corroded samples and their structural properties were also investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

Findings

Through FSP, an improved interface between the reinforced particles and the AA7075 base matrix was observed because of the severe plastic deformation. Potentiodynamic polarization tests confirmed that the AA7075 matrix with a higher concentration of Al2O3 and a lower concentration of SiC (Al2O3 – 75 per cent and SiC – 25 per cent) possesses a lower corrosion rate than other specimens. This result is because of the combined effect of stable passive film formation and the resistance produced by hard SiC particles. In addition, the formation of a stronger interface between the reinforcements and the base matrix impedes the NaCl solution attack. The SEM micrograph depicts the film crystallinity variations with an increase in Al2O3 content. Debonding between the layers was observed on increasing the SiC content in the base matrix. XRD shows the peaks of reinforcing elements that influence the corrosion behavior. These observations suggest that the AA7075 reinforced with a higher concentration of Al2O3 and a lower concentration of SiC through FSP affords a suitable solution for automotive monocoque applications.

Originality/value

The corrosion rate has been identified for AA7075 SHCs with various concentrations of Al2O3 and SiC and has been compared with that of the base metal and the friction stir processed specimen without reinforcement.
Optimization of coal handling system performability for a thermal power plant using PSO algorithm
Authors: Malik Subhash , Tewari P.C.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper deals with the optimization of coal handling system performability for a thermal power plant.

Design/methodology/approach

Coal handling system comprises of five subsystems, namely Wagon Tippler, Crusher, Bunker, Feeder and Coal Mill. The partial differential equations are derived on the behalf of transition diagram by using the Markov approach. These partial differential equations are further solved to obtain the performance model with the help of normalization condition. Numerous performability levels are achieved by putting the appropriate combinations of failure and repair rates (FRRs) in performance model. Performability optimization for coal handling system is obtained by varying the population and generation size.

Findings

Highest performability level, that is, 93.33 at population size of 40 and 93.31 at generation size of 70, is observed.

Originality/value

The findings of this paper highlight the optimum value of performability level and FRRs for numerous subsystems. These findings are highly beneficial for plant administration to decide about the maintenance planning.
Education for flourishing: an illustration of boundary object use, peer feedback and distance learning
Authors: Ostuzzi Francesca , Hoveskog Maya
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Teaching sustainable development at the higher education level requires that existing curricula are supplemented with multi-disciplinary (and sometimes multi-national) collaboration and integrated thinking. The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of a particular framework for business model innovation for sustainability-as-flourishing that is used as a boundary object in the context of interdisciplinary, peer-assessed distance learning. This study is positioned in the broader picture of enlarging curricular content so as to reflect the systemic and interconnected nature of socio-technical and economic developments. The motivation behind this study is the authors’ wish to achieve a deeper understanding of how students engage with the complex concept of sustainable business modelling, while using the flourishing business canvas (FBC).

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment was conducted on the use of the FBC as a boundary object among 52 engineering students at two universities. Data were provided by the following: iterations of the FBC; oral and written peer feedback; and an online survey.

Findings

Based on an evaluation of the experiment, this study shows that the FBC supports the use of multi-disciplinary, multi-national peer and distance learning in sustainability education.

Research limitations/implications

This study used one test condition of multi-disciplinary, multi-national collaboration for peer and distance learning at one point in time. Additional tests, using the tools and approaches of this study, are needed.

Originality/value

Various tools and methods for use in education have been developed that support a new view of sustainability –sustainability-as-flourishing. Extant research focusses primarily on the development of tools and methods in this area. Not enough attention has been paid to the analysis of their implementation and use in higher education. This paper seeks to fill that research gap.
Dark data: the invisible resource that can drive performance now
Authors: Gimpel Gregory
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to provide guidance so firms can enter the Internet of Things (IoT) era today – and realize its data-driven benefits – by using IoT “dark data” already generated by their operations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws upon data from original expert interviews and an extensive study of over 1,200 research articles and white papers to provide managerial guidance for exploiting IoT dark data.

Findings

Many companies are held back from entering the IoT era today, not by technological issues, but by matters addressable by managerial and strategic leadership. Executives must build dark data awareness among their employees and use non-traditional measures to predict return on investment. The study shares expert advice for accomplishing both of these efforts.

Research limitations/implications

Only 3 out of 1,202 research articles addressed IoT dark data. This paper helps fill this gap in understanding.

Practical implications

This study provides normative guidelines for managers and executives to increase awareness of the dark IoT data that exist within their organizations and to motivate the investments needed to exploit this data to improve business performance.

Originality/value

This research provides guidance for companies to benefit from the IoT today. This study provides an alternate, pragmatic view of Industry 4.0 that focuses on current business reality rather than futurist visions.
Consumers’ reactions to unsubstantiated claims about ecological products
Authors: Söderlund Magnus , Mattsson Jan
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of unsubstantiated claims that a product is “ecological.”

Design/methodology/approach

A between-subjects experimental design was used in which the absence versus the presence of an (unsubstantiated) ecological claim regarding a product was a manipulated factor. The design comprised four products, representing non-ingestible/ingestible products and familiar/unfamiliar brands. These two aspects were seen as potentially moderating factors with respect to the impact of ecological claims.

Findings

The results show that ecological product claims boosted beliefs that a product is indeed ecological. This influence was not moderated by non-ingestible/ingestible and familiar/unfamiliar product characteristics. Moreover, ecological product claims enhanced conceptually related product beliefs, namely, beliefs that the product is natural, environmentally friendly and healthy. Ecological claims also had a positive impact on the attitude toward the product.

Practical implications

The results imply that influencers who want a receiver to believe that a product is ecological can expect to be successful by merely claiming that a product is ecological.

Social implications

From a societal point of view, however, and in an era in which “alternative facts” and “post-truths” are becoming the subject of increasing concern, the results are problematic, because they underline that customers can be made to believe in claims even though no supporting evidence is provided.

Originality/value

The results imply that influencers who want a receiver to believe that a product is ecological can expect to be successful by merely claiming that a product is ecological. From a societal point of view, however, and in an era in which “alternative facts” and “post-truths” are becoming the subject of increasing concern, the results are problematic, because they underline that customers can be made to believe in claims even though no supporting evidence is provided.
Confucianism, growth and democracy
Authors: Ma Tay-Cheng , Ouyang Lishu
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of Confucianism on growth under different political regimes.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical specification adopts a two-regime panel threshold model proposed by Hansen (1999) to endogenously divide our country sample into two-regime-types – autocracy and democracy – according to a country's democratic stock or experiences.

Findings

The results show that the effect of Confucianism on growth exhibits an asymmetrical pattern depending on the status of a country's political democracy. Only when a moderate level of freedom has already been attained can Confucianism have a positive effect on growth. Conversely, for autocracies whose democratic institutions cannot pass a certain threshold, Confucianism has a very limited effect in terms of changing economic activity.

Research limitations/implications

If the data with different sample years and/or different sample countries are used, the research results may lack generalizability. Further tests of the two-regime model with different data sizes are encouraged.

Originality/value

The authors use the World Values Survey (WVS) map to identify the countries under the influence of Confucianism. The authors emphasize that focusing only on political geography may overlook the information from the spread of cultural traits that accompanied the migration of people. So, based on the Confucian countries suggested by the WVS and the migration matrix of Putterman and Weil (2010), an immigration-based Confucianism variable was constructed. To accommodate different effects of Confucianism on growth in different phases of political development, the empirical specification adopts an asymmetrical pattern to investigate the impact of Confucianism on economic performance.
Regional entrepreneurial ecosystems in Chile: comparative lessons
Authors: Villegas-Mateos Allan
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to deal with different experts’ perceptions of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) from central to non-central regions to evaluate if there was any evolution (or involution), comparing the results with those of a previous similar study on Chile from 2013, and it follows to replicate and improve our knowledge of the entrepreneurial opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

One of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor surveys, the National Experts’ Survey, was applied to a sample ofN= 1,555 key informants in Chile at 11 regions. The author used non-parametric statistics to compare the differences between centrally and non-centrally located experts.

Findings

The results indicate an evolution of the Chilean entrepreneurial ecosystem in an effort to homologate the entrepreneurial opportunities at non-central regions since the last study published in 2013. The financial support and physical infrastructure conditions were perceived to be more favorable in central regions, whereas the general government policies and entrepreneurial education at primary and secondary levels were perceived to be more favorable in non-central regions.

Originality/value

This research aims to contribute to filling the gap from the regional EEs’ perspective in emerging economies by comparing the results of the study on Chile with data from the previous government (2007–2009) providing an updated study of it (2015–2018) using the entrepreneurial framework conditions. It is relevant because the government established the “StartUp Chile” program that positioned the country as an innovation hub in Latin America since 2010.
Victor Lebow: an unknown critical marketer
Authors: Benton, Jr Raymond
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to Victor Lebow, an unknown contributor to critical marketing studies. The paper also contributes to the literature on marketing amnesia. A brief biography of Lebow is presented in which it is established that he was a marketing professional. The paper then discusses his unacknowledged contribution to critical thought by exploring his only book.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a close reading of Lebow’s only book, contextualizing it by placing it in historical context. The paper uses a traditional historical narrative approach to present the results.

Findings

It is pointed out that the business system, including marketing, is riven with power relations that are largely unappreciated or ignored. Woven into Lebow’s account is an attempt to rethink aspects of theory, practice and especially institutions that had and have assumed a taken-for-granted status. It is established that Lebow’s thought, as a marketing professional, went well beyond typical marketing. He presents an interesting and innovative program for converting private enterprise into a socially responsible structure without resulting to any form of socialism.

Originality/value

No such review or evaluation of Victor Lebow has been published. One 1955 article has been frequently cited. His wider thought has been ignored.
Knowledge and capabilities for products/services development: the UK spin-off firms context
Authors: Baines Ning , Lawton Smith Helen
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore and propose the skills and capabilities required in developing products and services within UK university spin-offs (USOs) by considering the model of products/services development (Verona, 1999).

Design/methodology/approach

Mixed methods of 20 in-depth interviews and questionnaire survey with 204 founders of USOs were used in this study.

Findings

The findings contribute in filling the literature gap by proposing key knowledge and capabilities required to develop products/services within the unique and non-commercial context, in which USOs are created by academics who do not necessarily have entrepreneurial or business experience.

Originality/value

This research contributes to studies of product/service development by proposing a modification of elements within the existing theoretical model to be applicable to the specific firm and country context, such as USOs in the UK. Further, the study extends knowledge on the interplay between knowledge management and product development. The applications of the findings are that they can inform academic entrepreneurs on the capabilities significant in the development process. They can also act as indicators to technology transfer offices in what is needed for the provision of appropriate support and training to academic founders/entrepreneurs to foster and enhance other entrepreneurial activities.