bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Commonplace and common language: Kentucky's district mission statements
Authors: Ingle W. Kyle , Greenwell Terra , Woods Justin
Published: April 2020

Purpose

We sought to identify codes and themes in the mission statements of Kentucky's school districts and examine the relationship between district characteristics and the mission statements.

Design/methodology/approach

We undertook a mixed methods design, specifically, a sequential transformative strategy with a theoretical lens overlaying the sequential procedures and guiding the analysis.

Findings

Analysis revealed a range of 1–7 codes per mission statement and a mean of 3.05. Generic student success and individual attention represented the most frequently occurring codes in the mission statements. Chi-square tests of bivariate association yielded no significant differences between districts by locale. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the percentage of students in the district scoring proficient or distinguished in both reading and mathematics was associated significantly (p < 0.05) with the theme of student support.

Research limitations

Although we cannot establish causation between mission statements content and student outcomes or vice-versa, district mission statement remain a visible and public expression of why an organization exists that should guide actions and decision-making, whether instructional, financial or otherwise.

Practical implications

Our study revealed shared institutional language within mission statements across Kentucky's school district, largely without regard to local context. Our analysis suggests that federal and state policy makers are influencing mission statements more so than those at the local level.

Originality/value

Our analysis provides further evidence that suggests that federal and state policy makers are influencing mission statements more so than those at the local level.
Day-ahead load forecasting using improved grey Verhulst model
Authors: Mbae Ariel Mutegi , Nwulu Nnamdi I.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

In the daily energy dispatch process in a power system, accurate short-term electricity load forecasting is a very important tool used by spot market players. It is a critical requirement for optimal generator unit commitment, economic dispatch, system security and stability assessment, contingency and ancillary services management, reserve setting, demand side management, system maintenance and financial planning in power systems. The purpose of this study is to present an improved grey Verhulst electricity load forecasting model.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the effectiveness of the proposed model for short-term load forecast, studies made use of Kenya’s load demand data for the period from January 2014 to June 2019.

Findings

The convectional grey Verhulst forecasting model yielded a mean absolute percentage error of 7.82 per cent, whereas the improved model yielded much better results with an error of 2.96 per cent.

Practical implications

In the daily energy dispatch process in a power system, accurate short-term load forecasting is a very important tool used by spot market players. It is a critical ingredient for optimal generator unit commitment, economic dispatch, system security and stability assessment, contingency and ancillary services management, reserve setting, demand side management, system maintenance and financial planning in power systems. The fact that the model uses actual Kenya’s utility data confirms its usefulness in the practical world for both economic planning and policy matters.

Social implications

In terms of generation and transmission investments, proper load forecasting will enable utilities to make economically viable decisions. It forms a critical cog of the strategic plans for power utilities and other market players to avoid a situation of heavy stranded investment that adversely impact the final electricity prices and the other extreme scenario of expensive power shortages.

Originality/value

This research combined the use of natural logarithm and the exponential weighted moving average to improve the forecast accuracy of the grey Verhulst forecasting model.
The use of political skill in organizational change
Authors: Waggoner David P.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This article explores how recognizing politics may help change agents have better success enacting change.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual paper using systems and practical domains to define a more sophisticated and useful definition of politics for change agents' use.

Findings

The article argues that there is an innate correlation between organizational change and organizational politics.

Research limitations/implications

This article is a call to action for future empirical study on political skill.

Practical implications

This paper is a practical invitation for change agents to recognize and adopt the positive aspects of political skill to aid in their efforts.

Originality/value

Though organizational politics traditionally receives a negative connotation, there is growing research supporting the positive use of politics. This connection has yet to be fully discovered when one reads the literature. This concept paper is an invitation to begin further study.
Challenges of corporate brand building and management in a state owned enterprise
Authors: Cullinan Justine Alexandra , Abratt Russell , Mingione Michela
Published: April 2020

Purpose

While there is a growing body of literature about corporate branding, studies of corporate branding in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are limited despite the important role they play in many economies. The purpose of this paper is to explore how managers perceive the significance and challenge of corporate brand building and management within a state-owned organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative and interpretative research paradigm was used in the form of a case study design. This study focusses on the South African Broadcasting Corporation where executives and managers responsible for corporate branding decisions were interviewed.

Findings

Findings highlight the specific purposes, decision making factors, stakeholders and brand portfolio of an SOE corporate brand.

Research limitations/implications

Corporate brands help build brand identity and point out that a SOEs' corporate brand identity is dual in nature. The duality of mission, stakeholders and decision making, triggers brand challenges, namely, unclear corporate identity and fragmented corporate brand strategies, which must be carefully orchestrated over time and across stakeholders.

Originality/value

This study highlights the issues state-run enterprises face in building and managing a corporate brand and proposes an original model for SOEs' corporate brand development process.
Using Mahalanobis distance and decision tree to analyze abnormal patterns of behavior in a maintenance outsourcing process-a case study
Authors: Chen Ssu-Han , Kuo Yiyo , Lin Jin-Kwan
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze abnormal behavior patterns in a maintenance outsourcing process. Based on the results, the managers can focus on the abnormal behavior and the direction of the investigation can be narrowed. The abnormal behavior can be identified more easily.

Design/methodology/approach

Maholanobis Distance (MD) and Decision Tree (DT) are integrated to analyze for abnormal behavior patterns. To prevent abnormal behaviors, a maintenance outsourcing case must be passed by several managers in different departments. In this research, some criteria for pairs of managers are calculated first. Based on the criteria, the MDs of these pairs can be calculated. Pairs are categorized by their MDs. Any pair whose MD is higher than a threshold is labeled “abnormal” while the remaining are labeled “normal”. After oversampling the minority class of abnormal, a DT is built by Classification and Regression Trees (CART) based on the labeled dataset. Finally, the combination of criteria for abnormal categories is extracted from the tree.

Findings

Through the results from the DT, the combinations of criteria provide obvious characteristics of cases that are categorized as abnormal, and then provide a direction for investigators. Thus, the range of investigation can be narrowed. The empirical results show that the result of the proposed integrated methodology is helpful for abnormal behavior pattern analysis.

Practical implications

This research is intended to help an organization to enhance their investigation in a large number of maintenance outsourcing cases. About 8,000 cases are collected for analysis.

Originality/value

The integration of MD and DT for analyzing abnormal behavior patterns in a maintenance outsourcing process is not found in the literature. Moreover, the empirical results show that the proposed integrated methodology is helpful in a real application.
Stability analysis of cold-formed channels using mathematical programming techniques
Authors: Bedair Osama
Published: April 2020

Purpose

In this work, a numerical algorithm is presented for stability analysis of cold-formed steel (CFS) channel sections.

Design/methodology/approach

A nonlinear optimization problem is formulated using energy-based technique of idealized channel section subject shear, compression and biaxial bending. The total potential energy is minimized with respect to skew angle and half wavelength of the buckling mode. The optimization algorithm is updated sequentially using quadratic approximation until minimum buckling coefficient is attained. The developed algorithm is validated using other numerical techniques.

Findings

The described algorithm is computationally effective and can be utilized in the industry for analysis of CFS channels under any load combination.

Practical implications

The paper offers a new tool for engineers in practice to analyze channels subject to combined loadings.

Originality/value

Very limited literature dealt with the stability of channels under combined loading. A new numerical algorithm is provided to practitioners to utilize in the industry for analysis of channel sections under combined loading. Unlike finite element or finite strip methods, the channel is not discretized into subelements. Mathematical programming technique is used to find the buckling load. Parametric studies are then carried out to highlight influences of geometric interaction of the channel components and to provide useful guidance to the design of CFS channels.
Corporate heritage brand traits and corporate heritage brand identity: the case study of John Lewis
Authors: Sammour Ammar Abdellatif , Chen Weifeng , Balmer John M.T.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to study the corporate heritage brand traits and corporate heritage brand identity by concentrating on developing key dimensions for the corporate heritage brand dimensions in the retailing industry in the UK. This study advances the corporate brand heritage theory and introduces the theory of corporate heritage brand identity, which is developed from the case study of John Lewis – one of the most respected and oldest retails in the UK established in 1864.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical study has adopted a theory-building case study using qualitative data. It uses semi-structured interviews that were organised and managed by John Lewis Heritage Centre in Cookham. A total of 14 participants were involved in this study. We have used Nvivo.11 software to set the main themes and codes for this study framework.

Findings

This study identifies Balmer’s (2013) corporate heritage brand traits that are essential to be considered for the corporate heritage brands in the retailing industry to sustain their innovativeness and competitiveness. The findings of the case study informed the four dimensions of corporate heritage brand identity, which include price, quality, symbol and design. The findings are incorporated into a theoretical framework of corporate heritage brand identity traits.

Practical implications

The discussed traits of this study can help brand senior management to enhance their corporate heritage reputation and sustainability through maintaining these (four) traits over their brand, and inform their brand stakeholders about their brand heritage success.

Originality/value

This is one of the few attempts to develop a research framework of corporate heritage brand identity. This framework suggests four dimensions of corporate heritage brand identity traits including brand price, quality, design and symbol. This is one of the first attempts to study corporate heritage branding management traits in the retailing industry sector.
Trial marriage model—Female mate choice under male interference
Authors: Li Meng‐Yao , Geng Zhuo‐Song , Liao Peng , Wang Xiao‐Yang , Yang Tian‐Chang , Wang Jing‐Yuan , Wang Dan‐Dan , Gao Li‐Fang , Du Bo
Published: April 2020

In sexually reproducing animals, the process of mate choice by females is often mixed with the process of male–male competition. Current models of female male choice focus mainly on how females identify the higher quality of males, but neglect the effect of male–male competition on the mate choice of females. Therefore, it remains controversial what is the relative importance of two processes in forming a social bond.

We propose a new ‘trial marriage’ model for females' mate choice. The model assumes that females unconditionally accept any male they first encounter as their mating partner, and then conditionally switch mates to a new male of higher quality than their current partner when male–male competition occurs. This model was tested in the green weevil Hypomeces squamosus by exploring how females switched mates when males' mating interference was experimentally induced.

The likelihood that females switched mates, as well as their conditional acceptance criteria of a new mate, was both raised with the intensity of males' mating interference that was manipulated in an enhanced encounter rate experiment, and in male introduction or stepwise removal experiments. These experimental findings confirm that a ‘trial marriage’ strategy occurs during females' mate choice.

Compared with other strategies, it is more beneficial for females to choose a better mate without paying the costs of identifying males as suggested by the ‘trial marriage’ strategy. More importantly, using the current partner quality as the conditional acceptance threshold of new mates, females can choose better males in future encounters with potential mates. In the green weevils, males' preference for larger females and the higher possibility of the largest male winning an interference are mixed together when males' mating interference reaches a higher intensity. Therefore, the consequence of a male interference will determine which male could be chosen by a female. Under this condition, conditional acceptance of the winner becomes the most beneficial strategy of females in choosing their mates. We thus suggest that the ‘trial marriage’ strategy would be more efficient when males' mating interference becomes the determinant factor of females' mate choice.
PapA, a peptidoglycan‐associated protein, interacts with OmpC and maintains cell envelope integrity
Authors: Wang Yun‐Hao , Chen Hong‐He , Huang Zhou , Li Xiao‐Jing , Zhou Nan , Liu Chang , Jiang Cheng‐Ying , Li De‐Feng , Liu Shuang‐Jiang
Published: April 2020

The bacterial cell envelope is critical to support and maintain cellular life. In Gram‐negative bacterial cells, the outer membrane and the peptidoglycan layer are two important parts of the cell envelope and they harbour abundant proteins. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a previously unknown peptidoglycan‐associated protein, PapA, from the Gram‐negative Comamonas testosteroni. PapA bound peptidoglycan with its C‐terminal domain and interacted with the outer‐membrane porin OmpC. The PapA‐OmpC complex riveted the outer membrane and the peptidoglycan layer, and played a role in maintaining cell envelope integrity. When papA was disrupted, the mutant CNB‐1ΔpapA apparently had an outer membrane partly separated from the peptidoglycan layer. Phenotypically, the mutant CNB‐1ΔpapA lost chemotactic responses and had longer lag‐phase of growth, less flagellation and higher sensitivity to harsh environments. Totally, 1093 functionally unknown PapA homologues were identified from the public NR protein database and they were mainly distributed in Burkholderiales of Betaproteobacteria. Our finding provides a clue that the PapA homologous proteins might function as a rivet to maintain cell envelope integrity in those Gram‐negative bacteria.
Contrasting demographic trends and asymmetric migration rates in a spatially structured amphibian population
Authors: CAPELLÀ‐MARZO Berta , SÁNCHEZ‐MONTES Gregorio , MARTÍNEZ‐SOLANO Iñigo
Published: April 2020

Natural populations often persist at the landscape scale as metapopulations, with breeding units (subpopulations) experiencing temporal extinction and recolonization events. Important parameters to forecast population viability in these systems include the ratio of the effective number of breeders (Nb) to the total number of adults (Na) and migration rates among subpopulations. Here, we present the results of a 10‐year integrative monitoring program of a metapopulation of the Iberian green frog (Pelophylax perezi) in central Spain. We characterized population dynamics at two main breeding ponds (Gravera and Laguna) using capture‐mark‐recapture data to estimate Na in each breeding season, and multilocus genotypes to estimate the effective population size (Ne), Nb, individual breeding success, and migration rates. Both ponds experienced population decline after a dry season, with Gravera subsequently recovering and Laguna suffering a bottleneck associated with genetic impoverishment. In this subpopulation, average allelic richness and private alleles decreased from 2010 (10.87 and 1.67, respectively) to 2018 (8.0 and 0.20). The Nb/Na ratio in Laguna in 2018 was twice as high (0.95) than in Gravera (0.41) or in pre‐bottleneck Laguna (0.50), suggesting plasticity or genetic compensation through increased individual breeding success. Migration rates were asymmetric between ponds, with a stronger contribution from Gravera to Laguna (29.9% vs. 16.2% in the opposite direction) that may result in a rescue effect. This study emphasizes the importance of integrative demographic approaches for the monitoring of natural populations based on a better understanding of their spatio‐temporal dynamics, which provides valuable information for conservation actions.
Auditors' Responses to Workload Imbalance and the Impact on Audit Quality*
Authors: Heo Jin Suk , Kwon Soo Young , Tan Hun‐Tong
Published: April 2020

Using detailed data for fieldwork hours and audit hours by rank from audit engagements in Korea, we examine whether audits conducted under workload imbalance, proxied by busy‐season audits, impair audit quality, and how auditors adjust staff assignments for busy‐season audits. We generally find that busy‐season audits are associated with lower audit quality, and that audit firms reduce the involvement of senior auditors during busy‐season audits. In addition, the greater the involvement of senior auditors and junior auditors, the lesser the deterioration in audit quality. Finally, although there is no increase in interim audits in response to workload imbalance during busy seasons, increasing interim audits can mitigate the negative impact of busy‐season audits on audit quality. Our results are relevant to auditors and regulators, who have expressed concerns about the adverse effects of workload imbalance on audit quality.
Variables associated with survival in patients with invasive bladder cancer with and without surgery
Authors: Longdon E. , Mistry H. , Pratt O. , Donnelly A. , O'Neill S. , Nachiappan M. , Darwin L. , Clarke N. , Hartley R.
Published: April 2020

We recorded the survival of 141 patients assessed for radical cystectomy, which included cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The median Kaplan‐Meier survival estimates were: 1540 days for the whole cohort; 2200 days after cystectomy scheduled (n = 108); and 843 days without surgery. The mortality hazard remained double that expected for a matched general population, but survival was better in patients scheduled for surgery than those who were not: the mortality hazard ratio (95%CI) after cystectomy was 0.43 (0.26–0.73) the mortality hazard without surgery, p = 0.001. The mortality hazard ratios for the three‐variable Bayesian Model Averaging survival model for all 141 patients were: referral for surgery (0.5); haemoglobin concentration (0.98); and efficiency of carbon dioxide output (1.05). Efficiency of carbon dioxide output was the single variable in the postoperative model (n = 108), mortality hazard 1.08 (per unit increase). The ratio of observed to expected peak oxygen consumption associated best with mortality in 33 patients not referred for surgery, hazard ratio 0.001. Our results can inform consultations with patients with invasive bladder cancer and suggest that interventions to increase fitness and haemoglobin may improve survival in patients who do and who do not undergo radical cystectomy.
Response of grassland vegetation composition to different fertilizer treatments recorded over ten years following 64 years of fertilizer applications in the Rengen Grassland Experiment
Authors: Titěra Jan , Pavlů Vilém V. , Pavlů Lenka , Hejcman Michal , Gaisler Jan , Schellberg Jürgen
Published: April 2020

Questions

Fertilizer application is a key driver affecting the diversity and conservation value grassland vegetation. Using a long‐term fertilization experiment in mountain grassland, we addressed the following questions: (a) what is the effect of long‐term fertilizer applications on species richness and plant species composition, and (b) is there any detectable trend in plant species composition during ten years of continuous observation?

Location

The Rengen Grassland Experiment, Eifel Mountains, Germany (established in 1941).

Methods

Five treatments including different fertilizers applied annually and one unfertilized control were analysed: Ca (718 kg Ca ha−1); CaN (752 Ca and 100 N kg ha−1); CaNP (752 Ca, 100 N and 35 P kg ha−1); CaNP‐KCl (752 Ca, 100 N, 35 P and 133 K kg ha−1); CaNP‐K2SO4 (752 Ca, 100 N, 35 P and 133 K kg ha−1). The experiment included five replicates per treatment in a fully randomized block design. All treatments were cut twice a year in late June or early July, and in mid‐October. Percentage cover of individual plant species was estimated by visual observation in each plot in late June in the years 2005–2014.

Results

Despite inter‐annual variability in the cover of the individual vascular plant species, the multivariate data analyses revealed a relatively similar response of the plant community to the different fertilizer applications throughout the ten years. With phosphorus application, no differences in botanical composition among treatments were found; however, they did differ from other treatments without phosphorus application. In the unfertilized control, there was a certain directed trend in plant species composition in response to ongoing nutrient impoverishment.

Conclusion

Species‐rich grasslands of high nature conservation value were only maintained under P limitation in the control without fertilizer application (Violion caninae) and in the liming treatment (Polygono‐Trisetion), but also in the treatment with liming and pure N addition. It seems that after 74 years, some stage of equilibrium of the grassland community was achieved in all treatments receiving any type of fertilizer application, but less so in the unfertilized control treatment.
Evaluation of current dosing guidance for oral rifampicin treatment in adult patients with osteoarticular infections
Authors: Marsot Amélie , Ménard Amélie , Dupouey Julien , Allanioux Laurent , Blin Olivier , Guilhaumou Romain
Published: April 2020

For management of osteoarticular infections, rifampicin appears to be the key antibiotic. We aimed to evaluate the actual rifampicin dosing regimens using a population pharmacokinetic model of rifampicin in patients with osteoarticular infections. A Monte Carlo simulation study was performed to simulate steady‐state plasma concentrations for 1000 randomly sampled subjects using a total daily dose between 600 and 1200 mg (600 and 900 mg once daily, 450 and 600 mg twice daily, or 300 mg 3 times daily). When rifampicin was administered with fusidic acid, the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target (area under the curve/minimum inhibitory concentration ≥952) was achieved with all tested dosing regimen, except 600 mg once daily for Staphylococcus epidermidis infections. Without coadministration of fusidic acid, none of tested dosing regimens achieved this PK/PD target. Most recommended drug‐dosing regimens allow attaining the fixed area under the curve/minimum inhibitory concentration target for Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase‐negative staphylococcal osteoarticular infections. In future studies, PK/PD target for osteoarticular infections in human should also be confirmed.
Producing consent: How environmental assessment enabled oil and gas extraction in the Qikiqtani region of Nunavut
Authors: Bernauer Warren
Published: April 2020

There is now an extensive body of academic literature examining how the environmental movement contributed to the colonization of Indigenous peoples and development of capitalism in northern Canada. This paper contributes to these discussions by considering how environmental assessment (EA) helped enable hydrocarbon extraction in the Qikiqtani (Baffin Island) region of Nunavut in the 1970s and 1980s. When exploration activities began to threaten the Inuit harvesting economy, communities protested with letters and petitions. The federal government responded to Inuit resistance by referring proposed exploratory drilling and extraction to its new EA process. While Inuit won significant victories during some assessments of proposed exploratory drilling and extraction, federal EA ultimately helped create the conditions for Inuit to consent to oil extraction. EA helped impose material compromises between Inuit and hydrocarbon industries, including preferential hiring of Inuit, a reduction in the scope of proposed extraction, and the rejection of especially controversial proposals for offshore drilling. These concessions, combined with a collapse in the market for sealskins due to international boycotts, persuaded several Qikiqtani communities to support oil extraction in the 1980s. The ensuing extraction and export of oil from the High Arctic accelerated processes of colonial dispossession and reinforced colonial political dynamics.
Communication Rights in a Divided World
Authors: Lee Philip
Published: April 2020

This article explores the implications of advances in communication technology for communication rights and the political, economic, and cultural challenges at global, national, and local levels. It argues that digital transformation cannot be left to market forces or to a benign vision of a world in which all governments are sufficiently liberal minded to permit dissent and peaceful revolution. Rather, digital transformation needs to be driven by the needs of peoples and communities who help construct communication and information ecosystems that are firmly rooted in principles of justice, freedom, equality, and mutual solidarity. To that extent, people and communities must be enabled to reach their own consensuses around their needs and what should be done, and they must be regularly and constructively consulted by those charged with implementing, regulating, and monitoring such ecosystems.
Stress‐life prediction of 25°C polypropylene materials based on calibration of Zhurkov fatigue life model
Authors: Hur Su Haeng , Doh Jaehyeok , Yoo Yeongmin , Kim Sang‐Woo , Lee Jongsoo
Published: April 2020

In this study, to evaluate the chemical and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP), activation‐energy and tensile tests were performed at room temperature (25°C) on pure PP and PP reinforced with glass fibre (GF). To improve the prediction accuracy of the fatigue life, three models based on the calibration of the Zhurkov model were proposed: a regression model, modified strain‐rate model and lethargy coefficient‐based model. Based on the experimental data analysis and statistical assessment results, we proposed a modified strain‐rate model that satisfies the dependency of the physical parameters and is congruent with the predicted fatigue life data. The experimental data and modified strain‐rate model were compared with the direct cyclic analysis results. The tendency of the frequency factor as a correction parameter in the modified strain‐rate model corresponded to the experimental activation energy and the increasing GF content.
Best Practices for Determination of Initial 10Be/9Be in Early Solar System Materials by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Dunham Emilie T. , Wadhwa Meenakshi , Desch Steven J. , Hervig Richard L.
Published: April 2020

Beryllium‐10 (t1/2 = 1.4 Ma) is a short‐lived radionuclide present in the early Solar System. It is produced solely by irradiation reactions and can provide constraints on the astrophysical environment of the Sun’s formation. Calcium‐ and aluminium‐rich inclusions (CAIs), the first solids formed in the Solar System, show clear evidence for live 10Be at their time of formation, but it is unclear whether they record the same initial 10Be/9Be ratio. In this study, we examine the secondary ion mass spectrometry methods used to determine the initial 10Be/9Be ratio in meteoritic inclusions. Based on analyses of synthesised matrix‐matched glass reference materials, we show that the effects of differing major element bulk compositions on the secondary ion yields of Be and B are minor for relevant phases. We demonstrate the importance of using the mean square weighted deviation (MSWD) to interpret the significance of the initial 10Be/9Be value. For thirty‐two CAIs, we re‐calculated the regressions using literature data, finding that several have unacceptably high MSWD. We calculate the effects of possible sources of isotopic disturbance. Finally, we outline best practices for reporting 10Be–10B data, to enable a more refined determination of the initial 10Be/9Be ratio in the early Solar System.
A call to action toward integrated testing and earlier care for viral hepatitis, HIV, STIs and TB
Authors: Raben D , Hoekstra M , Combs L , Sullivan AK , Lazarus JV , Lambert JS , Simões D , Streinu‐Cercel A , Rockstroh JK ,   the HepHIV Conference Organizing Committee, the EuroTEST Steering Committee, INTEGRATE Steering Committee
Published: April 2020

Objectives

The objective of the paper is to present the outcomes of the HepHIV 2019 conference, held in Bucharest under the Romanian EU Presidency and focusing on challenges of timely and integrated testing and care.

Methods

The conference programme was put together by the organizing committee. It consisted of invited talks and peer‐reviewed abstracts.

Results

In all, 65 abstracts from 20 countries were presented during the conference, which had nearly 250 delegates, including high‐profile political representation. The conference highlighted the need to shift towards further disease integration because of the epidemiological characteristics of the hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics in the WHO European region. Integration should be a priority in the response to the epidemics to better reach key populations and to ensure better testing coverage. This relates to both the integration of services in shared care models and the integration of different settings and stakeholders in national strategies.

Conclusions

The conference demonstrated the need for greater political support for the policy changes required to implement integration. Testing normalization efforts are key to maximizing the impact of integration efforts. The conference call to action can help to guide developments in testing and linkage‐to‐care interventions across the European region.
Thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of LSCo/mullite composite contact materials for solid oxide fuel cells
Authors: Chou Yeong‐Shyung , Canfield Nathan , Bonnett Jeff F. , Hardy John S. , Stevenson Jeffry W.
Published: April 2020

Lanthanum strontium cobaltite (LSCo) is considered as a good candidate cathode contact material for solid oxide fuel cells, due to high electrical conductivity. However, LSCo has a very large coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than the cells and metallic interconnects. As a result, poor mechanical stability is expected during thermal cycling. To minimize the CTE mismatch, we investigate a composite approach involving mixing LSCo with an inert material of low CTE, such as mullite at volume fractions from 0.1 to 0.4. Composite's CTE shows a decreasing trend with increasing mullite volume fractions and is consistent with model predictions. X‐ray powder diffraction analysis of sintered LSCo/mullite composites exhibits no presence of other phases for samples aged for 500 hours at 800°C, indicating chemical compatibility. Electrical conductivity by a 4‐pt method shows a decreasing trend with increasing mullite content. Contact strength of as‐sintered and thermally cycled samples show that only the composite with 0.4 volume fraction has a measurable strength; the other composites have no strength. Overall, the composite approach is demonstrated in the LSCo/mullite system to lower the CTE and hence achieve thermal cycle stability. The addition of the inert phase to the LSCo matrix, however, also reduces the electrical conductivity.
Comparison of the effects of three kinds of glucose‐lowering drugs on non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, open‐label, three‐arm, active control study
Authors: Kinoshita Tomoe , Shimoda Masashi , Nakashima Koji , Fushimi Yoshiro , Hirata Yurie , Tanabe Akihito , Tatsumi Fuminori , Hirukawa Hidenori , Sanada Junpei , Kohara Kenji , Irie Shintaro , Kimura Tomohiko , Nakamura Yoshiko , Nishioka Momoyo , Obata Atsushi , Nakanishi Shuhei , Mune Tomoatsu , Kaku Kohei , Kaneto Hideaki
Published: April 2020

Aims/Introduction

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is often observed in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and it is known that the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus leads to the aggravation of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to compare the possible effects of three kinds of oral hypoglycemic agents on NAFLD in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and Methods

We carried out a prospective clinical trial (a randomized and open‐label study) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and NAFLD. A total of 98 patients were randomly allocated either to the dapagliflozin (n = 32), pioglitazone (n = 33) or glimepiride (n = 33) group, and the patients took these drugs for 28 weeks. The primary end‐point was the change of the liver‐to‐spleen ratio on abdominal computed tomography.

Results

There was no difference in baseline clinical characteristics among the three groups. Dapagliflozin, pioglitazone and glimepiride ameliorated hyperglycemia similarly. Bodyweight and visceral fat area were significantly decreased only in the dapagliflozin group. Serum adiponectin levels were markedly increased in the pioglitazone group compared with the other two groups. Dapagliflozin and pioglitazone, but not glimepiride, significantly increased the liver‐to‐spleen ratio, and the effects of dapagliflozin and pioglitazone on the liver‐to‐spleen ratio were comparable.

Conclusions

The present study showed that the decrease of visceral fat area and the increase of adiponectin level contributed to the improvement of NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, dapagliflozin and pioglitazone exerted equivalent beneficial effects on NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, although it seemed that these two drugs had different mechanisms of action.
Daytime masticatory muscle electromyography biofeedback regulates the phasic component of sleep bruxism
Authors: Saito‐Murakami Konatsu , Sato Masayuki , Otsuka Hidetoshi , Miura Hiroki , Terada Nobuyuki , Fujisawa Masanori
Published: April 2020

Background

Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback (BF) training is potentially an effective cognitive‐behavioural approach to regulate bruxism.

Objective

This study examined sleep bruxism regulation by daytime clenching control using a single‐channel auditory EMG BF device.

Methods

Seventeen male subjects (mean age, 24.4 ± 3.1 years; mean ± SD) with self‐reported awake/sleep bruxism were recruited and divided into a BF (n = 10) and a control (CO) group (n = 7). All subjects underwent four EMG recording sessions during both daytime and sleep over 3 weeks. During the daytime, in week 2, the BF group received feedback alert signals when excessive EMG activity with certain burst duration was detected while the subjects performed regular daily activities. The CO group underwent EMG recording sessions without receiving any alerts of parafunctional activity. The number of phasic burst events during sleep was compared between the BF and CO groups.

Results

While the number of phasic EMG events was not significantly different between the BF and CO groups at baseline, significantly smaller phasic events were observed in the BF compared to the CO group at the follow‐up session (week 3) (P = .006, Tukey's HSD). Since daytime BF training is aimed at raising awareness of awake bruxism, it does not interrupt the sleep sequence or involve associated side effects.

Conclusion

The present results suggest that EMG BF targeting for tonic EMG events during the daytime can be an effective method to regulate phasic EMG events during sleep.
Numerical simulation of pharyngeal bolus flow influenced by bolus viscosity and apparent slip
Authors: Mizunuma Hiroshi , Sonomura Mitsuhiro , Shimokasa Kenji
Published: April 2020

Pharyngeal bolus flow was simulated numerically using a finite element method. The bolus liquids were X‐ray medium, glucose, and thickener solutions. For a low‐viscosity bolus, the simulation showed a reasonable agreement of bolus velocity with X‐ray measurements. The influence of bolus density on swallowing velocity was investigated numerically. Although a higher density resulted in a higher bolus velocity, the increase in velocity was modest. When the bolus viscosity was high, it was necessary to apply the slip boundary condition to obtain an agreement for bolus velocity between the simulation and X‐ray measurements. The simulations also showed that the method of characteristic shear rate proposed by Zhu et al., Journal of Texture Studies, 2014, 45, 430–439 is effective for predicting the bolus velocity for shear‐thinning fluids. In order to discuss the effect of saliva lubrication and the physical meaning of the characteristic shear rate, an immiscible two‐layer flow of the core and wall layer was analyzed theoretically by analogy with mesopharyngeal bolus flow. The characteristic shear rate enabled us to correlate the macroscopic flow behavior and the viscosity of the core layer fluid. Lubrication due to the wall layer caused the apparent slip and enhanced the transfer of viscous core fluid. For viscous fluid that presented a large apparent slip in the two‐layer model, the slip boundary condition was needed in the swallowing simulation. The numerical simulation and model flow analysis revealed the usefulness of characteristic shear rate and the importance of saliva‐layer lubrication in swallowing.
Human‐mediated dispersal as a driver of vegetation dynamics: A conceptual synthesis
Authors: Bullock James M. , Pufal Gesine
Published: April 2020

Question

Human‐mediated dispersal (HMD) comprises human‐vectored dispersal (HVD; direct movement of organisms by people) and human‐altered dispersal (HAD; indirect change in dispersal patterns through human alteration of ecosystems). In the vegetation dynamics literature, human influence has primarily been studied in terms of perturbations to natural communities. Except for non‐native invasions, the role of HMD in vegetation dynamics has rarely been considered. Given the increasing human population and its pervasive impacts across the world, it is necessary to understand the different ways in which HMD drives changes in vegetation dynamics. Importantly how large are these influences and how do they disrupt natural processes?

Method

We reviewed studies examining aspects of HMD in relation to vegetation dynamics and used the broader literature to inform a conceptual synthesis of the impacts of HMD on vegetation dynamics.

Results & Conclusions

The propensity to be affected by HMD varies among species, and this is related to seed and plant traits. Together, these effects combine to determine whether HMD disrupts or enhances seed dispersal into a community. The ultimate consequences of changed arrival of seeds into a community are determined by the strength of the environmental and biotic filters, which govern the establishment and persistence of species. The effect of accidental HVD depends whether it follows the same rules as for natural dispersal; indeed humans might replace lost natural dispersers and thus enhance community resilience. Intentional HVD through sowing or planting will generally be highly disruptive especially as it often involves associated management. Traditionally, HAD has been considered to disrupt vegetation dynamics through, e.g., fragmentation or loss of natural dispersers. However, an HMD perspective can inform actions related to HAD that increase resilience, e.g., green infrastructure or vegetation management. Our framework encourages researchers to consider HMD holistically, to understand how the increasing human footprint might affect vegetation dynamics and resilience under future change.
Performing Pimâtisiwin: The Expression of Indigenous Wellness Identities through Community‐based Theater
Authors: Hatala Andrew R. , Bird‐Naytowhow Kelley
Published: April 2020

The performing arts can be a powerful means of wellness, identity exploration, and positive social representation for Indigenous young people. In this article, we outline the results of a year‐long collaborative study that explored Indigenous young peoples’ relationships between the performing arts, wellness, and resilience. Twenty in‐depth interviews were conducted with 10 Cree and Métis youth about their participation in the Circle of Voices theater program at the Gordon Tootoosis Nik̄an̄iw̄in Theatre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. A strength‐based analysis focused on performing pimâtisiwin, that is, how young people learn to enact, protest, and play with a wide range of social identities, while also challenging racially stereotyped identities often imposed on them within inner‐city environments. This research critically engages performative theory to more readily understand aspects of Indigenous youth identity and wellness and offers new empirical and methodological directions for advancing Indigenous youth wellness in urban settings.
Influence of sildenafil on esophageal motor function in humans: Studies using high‐resolution manometry
Authors: Wong Ming‐Wun , Hung Jui‐Sheng , Lei Wei‐Yi , Yi Chih‐Hsun , Liu Tso‐Tsai , Chen Chien‐Lin
Published: April 2020

Background/aim

Sildenafil induces smooth muscle relaxation of the esophagus by blocking type 5 phosphodiesterase that degrades cyclic guanine monophosphate. We aimed to characterize the effects of sildenafil on esophageal peristalsis and contraction reserve using high‐resolution manometry (HRM).

Methods

Fifteen healthy adults (12 men, age 21‐39, mean 27 years) participated in this study using HRM following either sildenafil 50 mg or placebo. HRM with ten wet swallows and five multiple rapid swallows was performed in all participants. HRM metrics included esophagogastric junction contractile integral (EGJ‐CI), basal lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, 4‐second integrated relaxation pressure (IRP‐4s), distal contractile integral (DCI), distal latency, resting upper esophageal sphincter pressure (UESP), and the response to MRS.

Results

Sildenafil significantly lowered EGJ‐CI (P < .001), LES pressure (P = .04), IRP‐4s (P = .02), and DCI (P < .001). There was no difference in UESP (P = .87) between sildenafil and placebo. Sildenafil significantly decreased peristaltic vigor, inducing absent peristalsis in 12 subjects and ineffective esophageal motility in 3 subjects. Peristaltic response and augmentation following MRS were significantly inhibited following sildenafil (7% vs 100%, P < .001, and none vs 73%, P < .001).

Conclusions

Sildenafil attenuates EGJ barrier function, resting LES pressure, and LES relaxation. Both esophageal body contractility and contraction reserve are inhibited by sildenafil in healthy adults.
Cutaneous lewisite exposure causes acute lung injury
Authors: Manzoor Shajer , Mariappan Nithya , Zafar Iram , Wei Chih‐Chang , Ahmad Aamir , Surolia Ranu , Foote Jeremy B. , Agarwal Anupam , Ahmad Shama , Athar Mohammad , Antony Veena B. , Ahmad Aftab
Published: April 2020

Lewisite is a strong vesicating and chemical warfare agent. Because of the rapid transdermal absorption, cutaneous exposure to lewisite can also elicit severe systemic injury. Lewisite (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg/kg) was applied to the skin ofPtch1+/−/SKH‐1 mice and acute lung injury (ALI) was assessed after 24 hours. Arterial blood gas measurements showed hypercapnia and hypoxemia in the lewisite‐exposed group. Histological evaluation of lung tissue revealed increased levels of proinflammatory neutrophils and a dose‐dependent increase in structural changes indicative of injury. Increased inflammation was also confirmed by altered expression of cytokines, including increased IL‐33, and a dose‐dependent elevation of CXCL1, CXCL5, and GCSF was observed in the lung tissue. In the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of lewisite‐exposed animals, there was a significant increase in HMGB1, a damage‐associated molecular pattern molecule, as well as elevated CXCL1 and CXCL5, which coincided with an influx of neutrophils to the lungs. Complete blood cell analysis revealed eosinophilia and altered neutrophil–lymphocyte ratios as a consequence of lewisite exposure. Mean platelet volume and RBC distribution width, which are predictors of lung injury, were also increased in the lewisite group. These data demonstrate that cutaneous lewisite exposure causes ALI and may contribute to mortality in exposed populations.
Jumps in energy and non‐energy commodities
Authors: Bouri Elie , Gupta Rangan
Published: April 2020

Jumps in the price process of assets represent a sort of tail risk and are found to affect many aspects of asset pricing, volatility modelling and asset allocation. In this paper, we detect price jumps in the realised volatility series of a wide set of commodity futures and find evidence of jumpy behaviour, especially in energy and agricultural commodities. We examine whether the realised volatilities of commodity futures jump together and find evidence that cojumping is significant and generally clustered within the commodity groups, suggesting some sort of segmentation regarding the tail risk behaviour across energy, agricultural and metals commodities. Additional analysis shows that price jumps and macroeconomic news surprises tend to occur together in specific commodities such as crude oil, which confirms earlier findings about the sensitivity of crude oil to news about the economy.