bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-cell strand sequencing of a macaque genome reveals multiple nested inversions and breakpoint reuse during primate evolution
Authors: Maggiolini Flavia Angela Maria , Sanders Ashley D. , Shew Colin James , Sulovari Arvis , Mao Yafei , Puig Marta , Catacchio Claudia Rita , Dellino Maria , Palmisano Donato , Mercuri Ludovica , Bitonto Miriana , Porubský David , Cáceres Mario , Eichler Evan E. , Ventura Mario , Dennis Megan Y. , Korbel Jan O. , Antonacci Francesca
Published: October 2020

Rhesus macaque is an Old World monkey that shared a common ancestor with human ∼25 Myr ago and is an important animal model for human disease studies. A deep understanding of its genetics is therefore required for both biomedical and evolutionary studies. Among structural variants, inversions represent a driving force in speciation and play an important role in disease predisposition. Here we generated a genome-wide map of inversions between human and macaque, combining single-cell strand sequencing with cytogenetics. We identified 375 total inversions between 859 bp and 92 Mbp, increasing by eightfold the number of previously reported inversions. Among these, 19 inversions flanked by segmental duplications overlap with recurrent copy number variants associated with neurocognitive disorders. Evolutionary analyses show that in 17 out of 19 cases, the Hominidae orientation of these disease-associated regions is always derived. This suggests that duplicated sequences likely played a fundamental role in generating inversions in humans and great apes, creating architectures that nowadays predispose these regions to disease-associated genetic instability. Finally, we identified 861 genes mapping at 156 inversions breakpoints, with some showing evidence of differential expression in human and macaque cell lines, thus highlighting candidates that might have contributed to the evolution of species-specific features. This study depicts the most accurate fine-scale map of inversions between human and macaque using a two-pronged integrative approach, such as single-cell strand sequencing and cytogenetics, and represents a valuable resource toward understanding of the biology and evolution of primate species.
Theoretical spectral analysis of FEL radiation from multi-harmonic undulators
Authors: Zhukovsky K.
Published: October 2020

A theoretical study of the spontaneous and stimulated undulator radiation (UR) from electrons in undulators with multiple periods in both transversal directions is presented. Exact expressions are derived for the UR intensities in terms of the generalized Bessel and Airy functions, accounting for undulator field harmonics of arbitrary strength and for real parameters of the beams and installations. Theoretical results are verified with numerical and experimental data for SWISS-XFEL, PAL-XFEL, LEUTL, LCLS etc. The spectrum, UR line shape and width, and the harmonic evolution along the undulators are analyzed and compared with the available data for these experiments. Moreover, the effect of the field harmonics is elucidated. It is demonstrated that the third field harmonic can cause distinct odd UR harmonics. The asymmetric undulator field configuration is identified, which allows intense radiation of these harmonics. The power evolution in a free-electron laser (FEL) with such an undulator is studied by means of an analytical FEL model. The latter is enhanced by a true description of the gradual power saturation of harmonics. A FEL with elliptic undulator and electron–photon phase-shifting is proposed and modeled. It is shown that the resulting harmonic power from the phase-shifted elliptic undulator can be significantly higher than from a planar undulator with the same phase-shifting.
Two new CdII MOFs of 1,4-bis(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)butane and flexible dicarboxylate ligands: luminescence sensing towards Fe3+
Authors: Zhao Fang-Hua , Li Shi-Yao , Guo Wen-Yu , Zhao Zi-Hao , Guo Xiao-Wen , Li Yu-Shuo , Fan Sheng-Qing , Li Zhong-Lin
Published: October 2020

Two new CdII MOFs, namely, two-dimensional (2D) poly[[[μ2-1,4-bis(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)butane](μ2-heptanedioato)cadmium(II)] tetrahydrate], {[Cd(C7H10O4)(C18H18N4)]·4H2O}
n
or {[Cd(Pim)(bbimb)]·4H2O}
n
(1), and 2D poly[diaqua[μ2-1,4-bis(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)butane](μ4-decanedioato)(μ2-decanedioato)dicadmium(II)], [Cd2(C10H16O4)2(C18H18N4)(H2O)2]
n
or [Cd(Seb)(bbimb)0.5(H2O)]
n
(2), have been synthesized hydrothermally based on the 1,4-bis(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)butane (bbimb) and pimelate (Pim2−, heptanedioate) or sebacate (Seb2−, decanedioate) ligands. Both MOFs were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In 1, the CdII centres are connected by bbimb and Pim2− ligands to generate a 2D sql layer structure with an octameric (H2O)8 water cluster. The 2D layers are further connected by O—H...O hydrogen bonds, resulting in a three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular structure. In 2, the CdII centres are coordinated by Seb2− ligands to form binuclear Cd2 units which are linked by bbimb and Seb2− ligands into a 2D hxl layer. The 2D layers are further connected by O—H...O hydrogen bonds, leading to an 8-connected 3D hex supramolecular network. IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and solid-state photoluminescence analysis were carried out on both MOFs. Luminescence sensing experiments reveal that both MOFs have good selective sensing towards Fe3+ in aqueous solution.
Tastes for blubber: diversity and locality of whale meat foodways in Japan
Authors: Akamine Jun
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss how whale meat foodways in Japan is a local practice, contrary to the prevailing political belief that it is national, and to examine two local whale meat foodways in Japan by focusing on the usage of blubber. To understand complexity of whaling issue, one needs to be careful of species rather than general “whale.”

Design/methodology/approach

By investigating two kinds of recipe books, one published in the early 19th century and the other the early 20th century on whale meat dish, the paper clarifies blubber has been widely consumed rather than lean meat, and blubber was more important than lean meat as whale meat.

Findings

The western part of Japan has rich whale meat foodways compared to other parts of Japan. It is because of their history of whaling since the 17th century. They have inherited rich whale meat foodways.

Originality/value

Although whale sashimi and deep-fried lean meat are popular nationwide regardless of their communities' history, former whaling communities in the western part of Japan developed a preference for blubber, skin, tongue and offal over lean meat. Whale meat foodways in Japan, therefore, is a local heritage. This fact should be the starting point for analyzing Japanese whaling and whale meat foodways.
Communities of practice as a multidisciplinary response in times of crisis: adapting to successful online learning practices
Authors: Sadiq Kerrie
Published: October 2020

Purpose

There are many success stories during Covid-19 of academics providing expertly delivered online learning experiences for tertiary students locally and around the world. This paper aims to consider how success was achieved by academics who are not specifically educated with the knowledge and skills to convert a traditional delivery model into an online format and who conventionally spend years working on single projects before they come to fruition.

Design/methodology/approach

This study provides, as a possible explanation for success, the willingness of academics to embrace a tertiary sector rather than discipline-specific collaborative learning approach to their own informal education in online learning practices through communities of practice. Using learning theory, both analytical and reflective methodologies are adopted through an examination of an example of a successful academic community of practice.

Findings

Engaging with a multidisciplinary community of practice can be highly beneficial for academics not specifically educated with the knowledge and skills to convert a traditional delivery model into an online format. Communities of practice provide more than online educational skills; they foster a sense of togetherness and a safe environment to share concerns and challenges on both a professional and personal level.

Originality/value

The benefits of communities of practice for academics during a period of profound operational disruption have yet to be documented in the literature. Specifically, this study highlights the supportive environment provided by a community of practice by examining the successful large-scale transition from face-to-face learning to an online environment during a pandemic.
Tracing the links between executive compensation structure and firm performance: evidence from the Brazilian market
Authors: Dias Alexandre , Vieira Victor , Figlioli Bruno
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how different executive compensation structures were related to the performance of firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was based on a sample of companies with the highest standards of corporate governance listed on the Brazilian Stock Exchange. We adopted the multiple correspondence analysis followed by the hierarchical cluster analysis to propose a typology defined by fixed and variable components of the executive compensation and multiple firm performance indicators.

Findings

The analysis produced three clusters, which were submitted to robustness tests, highlighting that companies used the compensatory incentives in striking distinct ways as governance mechanisms. The study found a positive relationship between the performance of companies and the variable incentives of executive compensation, especially the long-term incentive, as well as a negative relationship between the performance of firms and the fixed component of the compensation structure.

Research limitations/implications

This research, whose sample was based on an emerging market, adds empirical evidence to the literature. However, future studies are invited to address the relationships between executive compensation structures and firm performance in other markets, as well as to examine these relationships in companies with distinct levels of governance.

Practical implications

This study provides insights on how the incentive structure can be adopted as an efficient governance mechanism, especially for companies in emerging markets.

Originality/value

The main novelty of this paper is that the methodological strategy used here enabled the authors to discriminate distinct executive compensation structures and establish a relationship between these compensation structures and different types of performance indicators.
Electrocardiogram stream level correlated patterns as features to classify heartbeats for arrhythmia prediction
Authors: Al-Yarimi Fuad Ali Mohammed , Munassar Nabil Mohammed Ali , Al-Wesabi Fahd N.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Digital computing and machine learning-driven predictive analysis in the diagnosis of non-communicable diseases are gaining significance. Globally many research studies are focusing on developing comprehensive models for such detection. Categorically in the proposed diagnosis for arrhythmia, which is a critical diagnosis to prevent cardiac-related deaths, any constructive models can be a value proposition. In this study, the focus is on developing a holistic system that predicts the scope of arrhythmia from the given electrocardiogram report. The proposed method is using the sequential patterns of the electrocardiogram elements as features.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering the decision accuracy of the contemporary classification methods, which is not adequate to use in clinical practices, this manuscript coined a new dimension of features to perform supervised learning and classification using the AdaBoost classifier. The proposed method has titled “Electrocardiogram stream level correlated patterns as features (ESCPFs),” which takes electrocardiograms (ECGs) signal streams as input records to perform supervised learning-based classification to detect the arrhythmia scope in given ECG record.

Findings

From the results and comparative reports generated for the study, it is evident that the model is performing with higher accuracy compared to some of the earlier models. However, focusing on the emerging solutions and technologies, if the accuracy factors for the model can be improved, it can lead to compelling predictions and accurate outcome from the process.

Originality/value

The authors represent complete automatic and rapid arrhythmia as classifier, which could be applied online and examine long ECG records sequence efficiently. By releasing the needs for extraction of features, the authors project an application based on raw signals, one result to heart rates date, whose objective is to lessen computation time when attaining minimum classification error outcomes.
Measuring financial well-being in Europe using a fuzzy set approach
Authors: D'Agostino Antonella , Rosciano Monica , Starita Maria Grazia
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to apply a multidimensional approach to assessing the financial well-being of European countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Financial well-being is a very complex phenomenon to measure because it is composed of different dimensions. Therefore, this paper uses a multidimensional and fuzzy methodology to assess financial well-being in Europe. The financial well-being fuzzy indicator was calculated using European Quality of Life Survey data.

Findings

Financial well-being is heterogeneous across European countries. This evidence is confirmed both at the level of overall financial well-being and at the level of sub-indices. The degree of financial well-being is not directly related to wealth as traditionally measured (i.e. GDP), but shows some correspondence with socio-economic characteristics of the population and with governance and cultural elements of a country.

Practical implications

Understanding financial well-being could help financial institutions to transition from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more tailored approach when they provide financial services and could help policy makers to consider financial well-being when they decide how and where to allocate public spending.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to employ a fuzzy methodology for the analysis of financial well-being in Europe.
Tourists’ perceptions regarding the use of anthropomorphic robots in tourism and hospitality
Authors: Christou Prokopis , Simillidou Aspasia , Stylianou Maria C.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, service organizations rushed to deploy robots to serve people in quarantine, again igniting the ongoing dispute regarding robots in tourism. This study aims to investigate tourists’ perceptions regarding the use of robots and, more specifically, anthropomorphic robots in the tourism domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative inquiry was used to delve deep into the issue of tourists’ perceptions regarding the usage of anthropomorphic robots in tourism, with a total number of 78 interviews with tourists being retained in the study.

Findings

The findings reveal that tourists favor the use of anthropomorphic robots over any other type of robot. The use of anthropomorphic robots in tourism may result in an overall enhanced experiential value. Even so, informants also expressed frustration, sadness and disappointment vis-à-vis the use of robots in a human-driven industry.

Research limitations/implications

A conceptual continuum of tourists’ perceptions and concerns over the use of robots is presented that can guide future studies. Tourism stakeholders may look at the possibility of incorporating carefully designed anthropomorphic robots in key service positions, but should not give the impression that robots are replacing the human face of the organization.

Practical implications

Tourism stakeholders may look at the possibility of incorporating carefully designed anthropomorphic robots in key service positions, but should not give the impression that robots are replacing the human face of the organization.

Originality/value

Tourism organizations that make use of robots run the risk of being perceived as nonanthropocentric. This leads to the conclusion that anthropomorphism could be used but should not replace the sector’s anthropocentrism. The study conveys tourists’ concerns over technological (robot) determinism.
Wage premia for skills: the complementarity of cognitive and non-cognitive skills
Authors: Palczyńska Marta
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to assess the degree of complementarity between cognitive skills and non-cognitive skills, and to evaluate their joint impact on individual wages.

Design/methodology/approach

The author uses a survey representative of the Polish working-age population with well-established measures of cognitive and non-cognitive skills.

Findings

Non-cognitive skills are important in the labour market, not only as separate factors that influence wages, but as complements to cognitive skills. Specifically, the analysis showed that the more neurotic an individual is, the lower his or her returns to cognitive skills are. Social skills were not shown to be complementary to cognitive skills in Poland unlike the recent results in the United States.

Originality/value

To the best of author's knowledge, this is the first study to provide evidence that neurotic individuals have lower returns to cognitive skills. It also tests the existence of the complementarity between social and cognitive skills.
Consumers’ usage and adoption of e-pharmacy in India
Authors: Srivastava Mallika , Raina Madhur
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to identify and empirically validate the various factors for adoption, usage and intention to recommend e-pharmacy for purchasing medications by consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on constructs from well-established theoretical models, the technology acceptance model, extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory, a model was proposed for the study. The model was validated with a sample size of 184 respondents using partial least squares method and factor analysis to establish and validate relationships among the various identified constructs.

Findings

The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and hedonic motivation have a positive co-relation with adoption of e-pharmacy and the intention to recommend. The results depict that gender and educational background have no correlation toward adoption and intention to recommend e-pharmacies for purchasing medicines in India.

Research limitations/implications

This research comes along with a geographic limitation of the sample size. The research was conducted in an urban suburb city of Bengaluru, India.

Practical implications

At an academic level, this research will provide interesting insights for exploring adoption and usage intention of consumers toward e-pharmacy. At a managerial level, this empirically supported study will provide insights into the relationship among the various constructs and the consumers’ motivation toward adoption and usage intention of e-pharmacy.

Originality/value

This research is the first of its form which uses constructs from the technology acceptance model, extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory in the online healthcare space to understand consumer usage behavior.
Fabricating concepts: using custom 3D models to teach abstract concepts
Authors: McNaughtan Jon , Litsey Ryan , Morelock Nichole
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Many scholars and practitioners have attempted innovative teaching practices in an effort to make complex ideas easier to comprehend and retain. The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between learning and the use of 3D models created to provide physical representations of abstract concepts students could hold and manipulate.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quasi-experimental design, we test both the students' initial comprehension of the concept and their retention of the information four weeks later when the course concluded.

Findings

Findings included an initial boost in information retention and a likely increased retention of the information, showing promising trajectories for incorporating 3D objects to enhance teaching in the classroom.

Originality/value

This study provides a unique analysis of the use of 3D printing technology to illustrate abstract concepts. This teaching innovation provides another example of how technology can enhance and engage students through active learning. We find that this approach can increase student retention of material.
Becoming the drivers of change: continuous improvement in a rural research–practice partnership
Authors: Andreoli Parker Morse , Klar Hans W.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how a school leadership team in a rural, high-poverty elementary school learned to lead continuous school improvement in a research–practice partnership.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study draws on qualitative research methods, improvement science and Deming's notion of a system of profound knowledge to identify how members of the school leadership team understood and approached their school improvement work differently as a result of engaging in continuous improvement processes in a research–practice partnership.

Findings

The findings illustrate how engaging in continuous improvement processes in the research–practice partnership enhanced the leadership team members' capacities to prioritize and solve problems, incorporate multiple and diverse perspectives in problem-solving efforts and establish a culture of increased risk-taking and ownership of teaching and learning outcomes. In sum, the members of the leadership team became the drivers of their own change processes.

Originality/value

The findings provide insight into how leaders in rural, high-poverty schools can build capacity within their schools to meet the demand for increased student achievement by leading collaborative, continuous improvement processes grounded in improvement science in research–practice partnerships.
Daily abnormal price changes and trading strategies in the FOREX
Authors: Caporale Guglielmo Maria , Plastun Alex
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper explores abnormal price changes in the FOREX by using both daily and intraday data on the EURUSD, USDJPY, USDCAD, AUDUSD and EURJPY exchange rates over the period 01.01.2008–31.12.2018.

Design/methodology/approach

It applies a dynamic trigger approach to detect abnormal price changes and then various statistical methods, including cumulative abnormal returns analysis, to test the following hypotheses: the intraday behaviour of hourly returns on overreaction days is different from that on normal days (H1), there are detectable patterns in intraday price dynamics on days with abnormal price changes (H2) and on the following days (H3).

Findings

The results suggest that there are statistically significant differences between intraday dynamics on days with abnormal price changes and normal days respectively; also, prices tend to change in the direction of the abnormal change during that day, but move in the opposite direction on the following day. Finally, there exist trading strategies that generate abnormal profits by exploiting the detected anomalies, which can be seen as evidence of market inefficiency.

Originality/value

New evidence on abnormal price changes and related trading strategies in the FOREX.
Entrepreneurial bricolage in smallholder commercial farming: a family business perspective
Authors: Tindiwensi Catherine Komugisha , Abaho Ernest , Munene John C. , Muhwezi Moses , Nkote Isaac N.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how entrepreneurial bricolage empowers smallholder commercial farming, from a family business perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a multiple case study design to analyse entrepreneurial bricolage in smallholder commercial farming in Uganda. It used multiple data collection methods and applied content analytical tchniques to establish cross-case correlations, patterns and relationships to aid in theory development and testing.

Findings

The study shows that entrepreneurial bricolage empowers smallholder commercialization through resource reallocation, improvization and prioritization as interconnected, self-reinforcing bricolage processes in smallholder farming. It provides evidence of how smallholder farms may not enact institutional limits, and overcome constraints imposed by their resource environments. It further reveals that smallholder commercial farms can be construed as family businesses given the interconnected relationship between farming business, family and smallholder farm(er).

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted in smallholder farms hence results may be used cautiously in other sectors and economies where resource environments are not structurally defined. However, it provides lessons for family businesses in developed countries particularly the micro- and small businesses. It also renders smallholder farming as a lucrative area for family business research.

Originality/value

This study deepens our understanding of bricolage in smallholder farming and provides a springboard for scholarship in enhancing smallholder commercialization. It proposes a model for entrepreneurial bricolage in smallholder commercial farming.
Mapping scientific profile and knowledge diffusion of Library Hi Tech
Authors: Kim Meen Chul , Feng Yuanyuan , Zhu Yongjun
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Library Hi Tech is one of the most influential journals that publish leading research in library and information science (LIS). The present study aims to understand the scholarly communication in Library Hi Tech by profiling its historic footprint, emerging trends and knowledge diffusion.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 3,131 bibliographic records between 1995 and 2018 were collected from the Web of Science. Text mining, graph analysis and data visualization were used to analyze subject category assignment, domain-level citation trends, co-occurrence of keywords, keyword bursts, networks of document co-citation and landmark articles.

Findings

Findings indicated that published research in the journal was largely influenced by the psychology, education and social domain as a unidisciplinary discipline. Knowledge of the journal has been disseminated into multiple domains such as LIS, computer science and education. Dominant thematic concentrations were also identified: (1) library services in academic libraries and related to digital libraries, (2) adoption of new information technologies and (3) information-seeking behavior in these contexts. Additionally, the journal has exhibited an increased research emphasis on mixed-method user-centered studies and investigations into libraries' use of new media.

Originality/value

This study provides a promising approach to understand scientific trends and the intellectual growth of journals. It also helps Library Hi Tech to become more self-explanatory with a detailed bibliometric profile and to identify future directions in editorship and readership. Finally, researchers in the community can better position their studies within the emerging trends and current challenges of the journal.
The bridging role of regional headquarters. Multinational companies in the Asia-Pacific region
Authors: Amann Bruno , Jaussaud Jacques , Schaaper Johannes
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Large multinational companies (MNCs) are strongly formalized, often standardized and complex with multiple hierarchical levels. Over the past few decades, MNCs have strengthened their coordination and control systems by creating regional headquarters (RHQs). This study aims to investigate how MNCs rearticulate control dimensions at RHQs, to coordinate and exert control over subsidiaries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a survey of 86 French MNCs in the Asia-Pacific region, this study applies a structural equation model to determine RHQs’ roles in the field of regional decision-making, coordination and control.

Findings

Large MNCs, with a significant presence in Asia, transfer coordination and control to RHQs, in a way that leads us to propose the use of the expression “regio-centralization.” RHQs become socialization hubs, where most regional decisions are taken and where international managers meet. MNCs mobilize at the same time expatriates, short-term assignees and local managers who intensively interact at RHQs. Thus, informal control at RHQs increases, partly substituting formal control by HQs. Smaller MNCs, without RHQs, on the contrary, base their control and coordination on the formalization of HQs-subsidiary relations, especially through strong reporting, in combination with centralized decision-making at HQs.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on MNCs from one specific country, France, and focuses only on the dynamic Asia-Pacific host region. Coordination and control in less dynamic regions may reveal different results.

Originality/value

This study leads to a better understanding of how large MNCs reorganize dispersed activities in the Asia-Pacific region by creating RHQs, where important control and coordination functions are relocated.
Instant messaging: a novel means of facilitating the participation of hard-to-reach groups in sensitive topic research
Authors: Dawson Jordan , Einion-Waller Alys , Jones Deborah
Published: October 2020

Purpose

As society becomes ever more reliant on Internet technology for everyday communications, this paper explores the use of instant messaging (IM) in qualitative research. Discussed within the context of sensitive topic research with potentially hidden and hard-to-reach groups, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the value of adaptive and contemporary research approaches which facilitate participation on the terms of the participant.

Design/methodology/approach

Reflecting on the data collection process from the primary authors’ PhD research, this paper critically considers some of the issues raised by IM-facilitated at semi-structured interviews.

Findings

This paper raises a number of issues, including how the perceived depth of participant response is influenced by their brevity, resultant of the space between parties which allows for considered and concise communication. This disconnect, created by the use of technology, also has implications for the power relations between researcher and participant and the ability to identify the non-verbal cues which communicate emotion and sentiment.

Originality/value

This paper highlights that whilst limited in some respects, an IM-facilitated interview provides a unique platform through which hidden and hard-to-reach groups may be empowered to participate in research, which they may usually avoid.
Strain-rate-dependent properties of short carbon fiber-reinforced acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene using material extrusion additive manufacturing
Authors: Verbeeten Wilco M.H. , Lorenzo-Bañuelos Miriam , Saiz-Ortiz Rubén , González Rodrigo
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the present paper is to quantify and analyze the strain-rate dependence of the yield stress for both unfilled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and short carbon fiber-reinforced ABS (CF-ABS) materials, fabricated via material extrusion additive manufacturing (ME-AM). Two distinct and opposite infill orientation angles were used to attain anisotropy effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Tensile test samples were printed with two different infill orientation angles. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed at five different constant linear strain rates. Apparent densities were measured to compensate for the voided structure. Scanning electron microscope fractography images were analyzed. An Eyring-type flow rule was evaluated for predicting the strain-rate-dependent yield stress.

Findings

Anisotropy was detected not only for the yield stresses but also for its strain-rate dependence. The short carbon fiber-filled material exhibited higher anisotropy than neat ABS material using the same ME-AM processing parameters. It seems that fiber and molecular orientation influence the strain-rate dependence. The Eyring-type flow rule can adequately describe the yield kinetics of ME-AM components, showing thermorheologically simple behavior.

Originality/value

A polymer’s viscoelastic behavior is paramount to be able to predict a component’s ultimate failure behavior. The results in this manuscript are important initial findings that can help to further develop predictive numerical tools for ME-AM technology. This is especially relevant because of the inherent anisotropy that ME-AM polymer components show. Furthermore, short carbon fiber-filled ABS enhanced anisotropy effects during ME-AM, which have not been measured previously.
Crown‐fire severity is more important than ground‐fire severity in determining soil fungal community development in the boreal forest
Authors: Pérez‐Izquierdo Leticia , Clemmensen Karina E. , Strengbom Joachim , Granath Gustaf , Wardle David A. , Nilsson Marie‐Charlotte , Lindahl Björn D.
Published: October 2020

Wildfire shapes the structure, dynamic and functioning of boreal forests. With predicted warmer and drier summers, increased incidence and intensity of crown‐fires may affect plant–soil interactions with consequences for post‐fire fertility and forest productivity.

We assessed how severity of crown‐ and ground‐fire in boreal pine forests affected post‐fire responses of soil fungal communities and their associated enzyme activities, and how variation in fire severity interacts with salvage (post‐fire) logging in impacting soil fungi.

Crown fire‐induced tree mortality had a stronger impact on fungal biomass and community composition than did ground‐fire‐induced loss of soil organic matter. Severe crown‐fire led to replacement of ectomycorrhizal‐ and litter‐associated fungi by stress‐tolerant ascomycetes. Elevated activities of hydrolytic enzymes in burned areas were correlated with root‐associated ascomycetes and moulds, suggesting opportunistic exploitation of labile organic substrates. Fire did not, however, increase the abundance of more potent basidiomycete decomposers in the organic layer, nor did it enhance organic matter oxidation by fungal peroxidases, indicating that the potential for major post‐fire losses of carbon due to stimulated decomposition is limited. Rather, peroxidase activity was low in burned areas, likely reflecting the absence of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Post‐fire salvage logging induced larger shifts in fungal communities in areas with low crown‐fire severity.

Synthesis. Historically, boreal pine forests have been shaped by low‐severity ground‐fires. Our study highlights a risk that increasing occurrence of high‐severity crown‐fire as climate warms will have detrimental effects on mycorrhizal‐mediated functions that are pivotal for maintaining organic matter turnover, soil fertility and forest resilience.
Sensing of O2 and nitrate by bacteria: alternative strategies for transcriptional regulation of nitrate respiration by O2 and nitrate
Authors: Unden Gottfried , Klein Robin
Published: October 2020

Many bacteria are able to use O2 and nitrate as alternative electron acceptors for respiration. Strategies for regulation in response to O2 and nitrate can vary considerably. In the paradigmatic system of E. coli (and γ‐proteobacteria), regulation by O2 and nitrate is established by the O2‐sensor FNR and the two‐component system NarX‐NarL (for nitrate regulation). Expression of narGHJI is regulated by the binding of FNR and NarL to the promoter. A similar strategy by individual regulation in response to O2 and nitrate is verified in many genera by the use of various types of regulators. Otherwise, in the soil bacteria Bacillus subtilis (Firmicutes) and Streptomyces (Actinobacteria), nitrate respiration is subject to anaerobic induction, without direct nitrate induction. In contrast, the NreA‐NreB‐NreC two‐component system of Staphylococcus (Firmicutes) performs joint sensing of O2 and nitrate by interacting O2 and nitrate sensors. The O2‐sensor NreB phosphorylates the response regulator NreC to activate narGHJI expression. NreC‐P transmits the signal for anaerobiosis to the promoter. The nitrate sensor NreA modulates NreB function by converting NreB in the absence of nitrate from the kinase to a phosphatase that dephosphorylates NreC‐P. Thus, widely different strategies for coordinating the response to O2 and nitrate have evolved in bacteria.
An Investigation of the Determinants of Profitability in a Short‐Stay Accommodation Market
Authors: Marsden Ann , Sibly Hugh
Published: October 2020

This paper examines the determinants of the profitability of short‐stay accommodation providers in Tasmania, utilising a survey conducted from July 2007 to June 2008. The survey provides insight into a time when some firms had adopted the 'new' information technologies to make sales while others continued with traditional methods. We find the use of online sales is associated with higher profit. Further profit is higher during summer (high season), for firms with a high star rating and for firms who make a larger proportion of their sales directly to customers, and lower when owner operators are motivated by lifestyle considerations.
An unperforated suprapatellar plica presenting as a mass: A case report
Authors: Lee Seul Ki , Kim Jun‐Ho
Published: October 2020

Unperforated suprapatellar plica leading to compartmentalization of the knee joint has been seldom reported and occasionally overlooked. We report a rare case of unperforated suprapatellar plica presenting as a suprapatellar mass after trauma in a 20‐year‐old male. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed haemarthrosis without abnormalities. Despite one month of conservative treatment including joint aspiration, a palpable mass was discovered at knee flexion. MRI revealed haemorrhagic fluid in the localized suprapatellar recess with an unperforated suprapatellar plica. The patient underwent successful arthroscopic plica excision and had no recurrence or complaint at the 6‐month follow‐up visit.
Supply and Demand of Emergency Medicine Board‐certified Emergency Physicians by U.S. State, 2017
Authors: Clay Carson E. , Sullivan Ashley F. , Bennett Christopher L. , Boggs Krislyn M. , Espinola Janice A. , Camargo Carlos A.
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Our objective was to estimate the emergency medicine board‐certified emergency physician (EMBC EP) workforce supply and demand by U.S. state.

Methods

To estimate state demand, we applied the methodology from our 2005 analysis to calculate full‐time equivalent (FTE) EMBC EP demand for each emergency department (ED). The 2017 National Emergency Department Inventory–USA provided visit volumes for all EDs, while the American Board of Medical Specialties supplied the 2017 number of EMBC EPs per state. Assuming that at least one EMBC EP should be present 24/7 in each ED (requiring 5.35 FTEs minimum), we calculated the total FTEs required by dividing each ED’s visit volume by the estimated average visits seen by an EMBC EP (3,548 visits per year) and then summed FTEs by state. The U.S. Census Bureau provided state demographic characteristics. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the association between state demographics and the density of EMBC EPs per state and compared 2017 results to our prior 2005 analysis.

Results

There were 40,716 total EMBC EPs in 2017, fulfilling 77% of the estimated national demand. This was a substantial increase from 23,035 total EMBC EPs fulfilling 58% of demand in 2005. The 2017 supply ranged from 24% of demand in North Dakota to 142% in Hawaii. A lower density of EMBC EPs was associated with states in the Midwest and South (p < 0.001) and with a more rural population (p = 0.02). The absolute shortage of EMBC EPs worsened or remained the same in one‐fourth of states.

Conclusion

While the total number of EMBC EPs nearly doubled between 2005 and 2017, a shortage of full‐time coverage persists. The supply and demand vary greatly by state. Worsening absolute shortages in several states show that the distribution of EMBC EPs is not meeting demand across the United States, particularly in rural areas.
The duty to assist in Canadian Freedom of Information law
Authors: Roziere Brendan , Walby Kevin
Published: October 2020

The duty to assist is a core principle in Freedom of Information (FOI) law in Canada and elsewhere. FOI coordinators working in each Canadian government agency are responsible for implementing this duty, though they face challenges in doing so. Examining Information Commissioner rulings, we elaborate on the dimensions of duty to assist as articulated in Canadian law and policy. We argue that while attention to the duty to assist is a necessary but insufficient condition for refurbishing FOI law in Canada, improving adherence to it would enhance “internal mechanisms of administrative justice” (Adler 2003). We conclude by discussing remedies and implications for literatures on FOI, administrative justice, and due process.
The role of privately protected areas in achieving biodiversity representation within a national protected area network
Authors: Ivanova Ielyzaveta M. , Cook Carly N.
Published: October 2020

As the world nears the target of protecting 17% of terrestrial environments, there remain significant gaps in achieving the ecologically representative system of protected areas (PAs) called for under the Convention on Biological Diversity. There is increasing recognition of the contribution that privately protected areas (PPAs) can make to protecting biodiversity, offering the potential to increase existing levels of protection for species and ecosystems, but also to protect biodiversity that currently lies outside existing PA networks. Despite the potential importance of PPAs for achieving an ecologically representative PA network, the complementarity between public and private PAs has received little attention. Our study provides a detailed assessment of the role PPAs play in protecting biodiversity in a megadiverse country. Using the Australian PA network as an example, we provide a comprehensive assessment of the contribution PPAs make to the representation and level of protection of species, ecosystems, and key biodiversity areas. We found that while making up only 1.3% of Australia's land area, PPAs protect a wide range of biodiversity, contributing to the protection of 85% of vertebrate species, 80% of threatened ecological communities, 95% of major vegetation types, and 40% of key biodiversity areas. However, our findings reveal that PPAs largely protect biodiversity already within the PA network, and because of their small size, they currently make only minor contributions to the adequacy of protection for biodiversity. Nevertheless, we show that conservation on private land will be critical to strengthening the PA network, with between 70 and 90% of currently unprotected or poorly protected biodiversity occurring largely on private land. Analyses such as ours, which examine the importance of both public and private PAs to achieve conservation targets, are essential to ensure effective planning of PA networks into the future.
Evaluation of photopolymerization efficacy and temperature rise of a composite resin using a blue diode laser (445 nm)
Authors: Kouros Pantelis , Dionysopoulos Dimitrios , Deligianni Areti , Strakas Dimitris , Sfeikos Thrasyvoulos , Tolidis Kosmas
Published: October 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the photopolymerization efficacy of a diode laser (445 nm) for use with a composite containing camphorquinone and to estimate the safety of the method related to the temperature rise. Five cylindrical composite specimens were prepared for each thickness: 1, 2, and 3 mm. Three light‐curing modes were investigated: a light emitting diode (LED) unit and a diode laser (445 nm) with output powers at 0.7 W or 3 W. Evaluation of the polymerization efficacy was based on Vickers hardness measurements, and the highest temperatures at the bottom of the specimens were recorded using a K‐type thermocouple. The highest microhardness was observed after the diode laser curing operating at 3 W. A comparison of the microhardness of the 0.7 W laser cured specimens with the LED cured specimens showed a statistically significant difference in favor of the laser curing. Laser curing operating at 3 W resulted in extremely high temperatures. Laser curing at 0.7 W resulted in statistically significantly higher maximum temperatures than did LED curing for both 1 mm thick (52.9°C against 45.4°C) and 3 mm thick (43.6°C against 40.9°C) specimens. Diode laser (445 nm) may be an alternative for photopolymerization of composite materials and may result in a higher degree of conversion and depth of cure of composites than what has been seen with LED curing units when they emit at the same energy density.
Autophagy mechanisms and roles: recent advances and implications
Authors: Markaki Maria , Tavernarakis Nektarios
Published: October 2020

Autophagy is the main catabolic process by which cells recycle cytoplasmic components and superfluous or damaged organelles to preserve metabolic homeostasis under normal conditions and promote survival under stress. As a tightly regulated and dynamic process, autophagy has critical roles in development and cell differentiation, immune function, organismal health and lifespan. Accumulating findings suggest that defective or dysregulated autophagy accelerates ageing and increases susceptibility to diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, among others. This virtual issue of the FEBS Journal on Autophagy includes a collection of articles that present recent advances on the regulation of autophagy and provide a view of its complex roles in physiological and pathological contexts.
Thermodiffusion of alkali ions in alkali niobophosphate glasses
Authors: Markov Viktor A. , Kurushkin Mikhail V. , Sokolov Ivan A.
Published: October 2020

A method is proposed for determination of the thermal diffusion coefficients of mobile ions through the study of ionic thermoelectric power. Ionic Seebeck coefficients and the heats of ion transport have been measured in [Li(Na,K)]2O‐Nb2O5‐P2O5 glasses. The mixed alkali effect influence on the thermoelectric power has been reported for the first time in glasses. Soret coefficients have been calculated for all monoalkali glass samples synthesized in this work. Type of the alkali ion and Nb2O5 content dependence of the heat of transfer and thermal diffusion coefficient have been analyzed and discussed.
Female Migrants and Brain Waste – A Conceptual Challenge with Societal Implications
Authors: Elo Maria , Aman Raushan , Täube Florian
Published: October 2020

Global careers and highly skilled expatriates employing their talent in diverse contexts of the world tend to be conceptualized as “male”, and recognized diplomas represent employability. Despite the increasing feminization of migration, highly skilled female migrants and their contributions to economies through careers or entrepreneurship remain overlooked. Many obstacles impede the full employment of their talents. We review extant literature and argue that female migrant talent merits more detailed conceptual attention. By analysing interview data from 2010 to 2019 in two advanced European countries, we found that female migrants suffer from brain waste in multiple ways, partly due to external institutional aspects and discrimination and partly due to inherent internalized practices and sociocultural norms. We call for greater intersectionality and interdisciplinarity in examining equality to advance female economic participation. Private and public sectors may improve female talent perception, integration and employment by developing specific responses to the problems identified.