bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review of social marketing interventions in low- and middle-income countries (2010–2019)
Authors: Schmidtke David James , Kubacki Krzysztof , Rundle-Thiele Sharyn
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study aims to review social marketing interventions reported in peer-reviewed literature from 2010 to 2019 that were conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper seeks to further contribute to understanding on the health of the social marketing field, synthesising studies to examine the extent of use of social marketing’s core principles.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 17 interventions, discussed in 31 papers, were identified in the review. Social marketing interventions were assessed against eight elements (social marketing benchmark criteria): behavioural objectives, customer orientation, theory, insight, exchange, competition, segmentation and methods mix.

Findings

Evidence in this review found that most interventions yielded positive outcomes. This supports social marketing’s efficacy in addressing the United Nations sustainable development goals within LMIC contexts. None of the social marketing interventions used all eight benchmark criteria. The study found that there was limited use of insight, competition and segmentation principles followed in social marketing interventions in LMICs. Finally, although present in a number of studies, theory and customer orientation were not applied to the full extent needed.

Research limitations/implications

Findings indicate the social marketing field will greatly benefit from capacity building and training. Too few interventions labelled as social marketing are able to clearly apply and report application of social marketing’s fundamental principles, which is limiting programme effectiveness.

Originality/value

To date evidence reviews draw on interventions applied in high-income countries demonstrating extent of application of fundamental social marketing principles positively linked to behaviour change. This study extends the assessment of social marketing principles, delivering assessment of eight benchmarks encompassing insight and theory in an LMIC setting, demonstrating gaps in application and clear examples of application across all benchmarks to deliver a guide that people new to the social marketing field can follow.
Escalating complexity and fragmentation of mental health service systems: the role of recovery as a form of moral communication
Authors: Weaver Nicholas
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Theoretical generalisation provides the basis for tackling problems of service complexity, fragmentation and disrupted care pathways.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent mental health service transformation in Wales, United Kingdom, has been stimulated by a policy programme underpinned by person-centred recovery values. This paper offers analysis informed by the perspectives of Niklas Luhmann and other noted theorists to examine escalating service system complexity related to this transformation. Analysis builds upon the findings of a qualitative study employing thematic discourse analysis of talk of people with mental illness and associated workers.

Findings

In total, three themes were constructed in participants' talk: “Competing versions of recovery”, “Misaligned service expectations” and “Disrupted care pathways.” Recovery may be understood as a form of moral communication and autopoietic meaning-making activity, according to Luhmann's radical constructionist epistemology. This has the potential to generate competing versions of recovery, a key contributor to escalating complexity.

Research limitations/implications

Findings could be developed further by continued investigation of the relationship between recovery implementation and service fragmentation.

Social implications

A more judicious, balanced policy-implementation may cultivate optimal conditions for recovery pluralism by avoiding polarisation towards either top-down, policy-based recovery implementation or a proliferation of approaches at the grassroots level. Findings have implications for healthcare settings beyond the scope of mental healthcare, given the prevalence of person-centred care internationally.

Originality/value

A simplistic view of recovery implementation should be challenged. Recovery should not be considered a “magic bullet” for mental healthcare delivery. Haphazard recovery-implementation may have detrimental effects of escalating complexity, service fragmentation and disrupted care pathways.
Corporate social responsibility performance and information asymmetry: the moderating role of ownership concentration
Authors: Rehman Ijaz Ur , Naqvi Syeda Khiraza , Shahzad Faisal , Jamil Ahmed
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the moderating effect of ownership concentration on the relationship between corporate social responsibility performance (CSRP) and information asymmetry using a sample of Chinese firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a sample of 208 listed firms from nine different sectors in China over the period of 2008–2018. They use the generalized method of moment approach to examine the dynamic relationship between CSRP, information asymmetry and ownership concentration. CSRP index is constructed using environmental performance, social performance and corporate governance performance measures.

Findings

The results indicate that CSRP positively affects the information asymmetry. Moreover, by taking ownership concentration as a moderating variable, the results indicate that ownership concentration negatively moderates the association between CSRP and information asymmetry.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the study advance the understanding of CSR practices in China. The findings have important implications for the regulators and managers in China for adopting socially responsible activities for the improvement of firm performance and protecting shareholder rights.

Originality/value

The study extends the existing research on the association between CSRP and information asymmetry by including the ownership concentration as a moderating variable. The research showed that CSR plays an important role in reducing the informational gap between managers and outside stakeholders. However, the relationship between CSR and information asymmetry is not studied yet with the moderating role of ownership concentration.
Postal ballot in unconsolidated democracy: Poland's case
Authors: Zaborowski Marcin
Published: May 2021

Purpose

As the democratic world debates and in some cases replaces physical voting with postal ballots and on-line voting, it is important to refrain from advocating a generic approach to the issue and in particular to distinguish between consolidated and unconsolidated democracies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper argues that unconsolidated democracies are not fit for the introduction of non-physical (postal ballot and on-line) voting methods, which rather than broadening the scope of democracy may in actual fact be derailing it. The key reason for this distinction is the lack of political consensus for constitutional rules, the weakness of the rule of law and persistence of parochial and subject-based political cultures in many countries of the region, including Poland.

Findings

Replacing physical voting with postal ballot, attempted during Presidential elections in the summer 2020 in Poland, eventually failed and was replaced with conventional physical vote. However, the Polish case demonstrates that in the system with weak checks and balances, postal ballot could be used to consolidate illiberalism not democracy.

Research limitations/implications

The paper demonstrates that further research on defining consolidated and unconsolidated democracy is needed. In particular there is a need to factor in the research on political culture into the definitions of democratic consolidation.

Practical implications

EU membership for Poland and some other Central European states – such as Hungary – failed to prompt the process of democratic consolidation. In fact the opposite happened as the impact of EU conditionality lost relevance. It is important that any change of electoral law in Poland and other rule of law violators in the region is viewed with great care and scrutiny.

Originality/value

The paper’s conceptual approach rests on the definition of consolidated democracy as put forward by Przeworski (1991) and developed by Linz and Stepan (1996). According to these definitions, Poland is not yet a consolidated democracy and as argued in the paper, it has actually experienced an expansion of illiberalism in recent years. The paper also posits that the concept of “consolidated democracy” should be augmented to include the existence of civic political culture as a necessary condition for the maintenance of a healthy democracy.
Financial behavior among young adult consumers: the influence of self-determination and financial psychology
Authors: Park Heejung
Published: May 2021

Purpose

In the uncertainty of the global economy, many young adults have financial independence from their parents and are making financial decisions in a difficult financial environment. This study aims to focus on debt management behavior for young adult consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

The data is from the 2010 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). The NLSY97 includes information on US young consumers’ financial, demographic and attitudinal characteristics, as well as various socio-economic conditions, making it convenient to explore the relationships between financial behavior and psychology variables. In the 2010 survey, 4,110 young consumers were interviewed.

Findings

The results show that self-determination and motivation alone cannot bring about a direct change in financial behavior without the mediation of financial psychology. Therefore, consumer finance research should consider debt-management behavior by presenting different strategies than those currently used.

Originality/value

In the self-determination theory, emphasizes the internal grounds for distinguishing self-regulation from personality development and behavior. Specially, this paper deals with the financial behavior of young adult consumers through self-determination theory.
Topical efinaconazole: A sequential combination therapy with oral terbinafine for refractory tinea unguium
Authors: Noguchi Hiromitsu , Kubo Masahide , Kashiwada‐Nakamura Kayo , Makino Katsunari , Aoi Jun , Fukushima Satoshi
Published: May 2021

Efinaconazole is a topical antifungal drug approved in Japan for tinea unguium. Although topical treatments generally have low cure rates with a prolonged therapy period, a Cochrane review confirmed that high‐quality evidence supports the effectiveness of efinaconazole for the complete cure of tinea unguium. Combination therapy is a way to improve the cure rate of onychomycosis. In this study, topical efinaconazole was administrated to 12 patients who had been treated with oral terbinafine (125 mg daily) for more than 20 weeks with little expected effect. Because terbinafine accumulates for a long time in the nail, treatment immediately followed by other drugs can be considered sequential combination therapy. During terbinafine monotherapy, the percentage involvement decreased from 53.5% to 44.0% after 37.4 weeks and the effective and cure rates were 16.7% and 0%, respectively. During sequential topical efinaconazole therapy combined with lasting terbinafine in the nail, the percentage involvement decreased from 44.0% to 18.7% after 28.4 weeks, and the effective and cure rates were 66.7% and 16.7%, respectively. The improvement rate per month of combination therapy (12.6%) was higher than that with monotherapy (2.1%) (p = 0.002). There were no serious side‐effects. This sequential combination therapy with efinaconazole was effective in poor terbinafine responders, making it a promising regimen for improving the cure rate of tinea unguium.
Intra‐population variation in reproductive timing covaries with thermal plasticity of offspring performance in perch Percafluviatilis
Authors: Hall Marcus , Nordahl Oscar , Larsson Per , Forsman Anders , Tibblin Petter
Published: May 2021

Life history theory posits that organisms should time their reproduction to coincide with environmental conditions that maximize their fitness. Population‐level comparisons have contributed important insights on the adaptive value of reproductive timing and its association to environmental variation. Yet, despite its central role to ecology and evolution, the causes and consequences of variation in reproductive timing among individuals within populations are poorly understood in vertebrates other than birds.

Using a combination of observational field studies and a split‐brood experiment, we investigated whether differences in breeding time were associated with changes in hatching success, reproductive allocation and reaction norms linking offspring performance to temperature within an anadromous Baltic Sea population of perch Perca fluviatilis.

Field observations revealed substantial variation in reproductive timing, with the breeding period lasting almost 2 months and occurring in temperatures ranging from 10 to 21℃. The hatching success of perch decreased as the reproductive season progressed. At the same time, the reproductive allocation strategy changed over the season, late breeders (the offspring of which were introduced into a high resource environment and increased predation pressure) produced more and smaller eggs that resulted in smaller larvae, compared with early breeders.

The split‐brood experiment in which eggs were incubated in different temperatures (10, 12, 15, 18°C) showed that differences in reproductive timing were associated with a change in the shape of the reaction norm linking offspring performance to water temperature indicative of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, with the offspring of early breeders performing best in low temperatures and the offspring of late breeders performing best in high temperatures.

The seasonal changes in reproductive traits and the shape of the thermal performance suggest time‐dependent adaptive differences among individuals within the population. Management actions aimed at preserving and restoring variation in the timing of reproductive events will thus likely also influence variation in associated life history traits and thermal performance curves, which could safeguard populations against environmental challenges and changes associated with exploitation and global warming.
Poverty as a Double‐Edged Sword: How CEOs’ Childhood Poverty Experience Affect Firms’ Risk Taking
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Wang Xin , Jia Ming
Published: May 2021

This study explores the potential effect of chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) childhood poverty experience on firms’ risk taking. By integrating upper echelon theory and life history theory, we show that CEOs with childhood poverty experience are willing to engage in firms’ risk taking due to their perceived survival threat. We also explore a new dimension of perceived survival threat and then propose that the temporal perception of survival threat influences CEOs’ choice of firms’ risk taking. Specifically, the relationship between CEOs’ childhood poverty experience and firms’ risk taking is moderated by CEOs’ current payment as reflected in their different choices of firms’ risk‐taking behaviours. Our empirical study employs a longitudinal analysis of Chinese publicly listed firms from 2003 to 2016. We also performed a two‐stage experiment of Chinese CEOs as a supplementary study to improve internal validity.
Genetics of canine myxomatous mitral valve disease
Authors: O’Brien M. J. , Beijerink N. J. , Wade C. M.
Published: May 2021

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common heart disease and cause of cardiac death in domestic dogs. MMVD is characterised by slow progressive myxomatous degeneration from the tips of the mitral valves onwards with subsequent mitral valve regurgitation, and left atrial and ventricular dilatation. Although the disease usually has a long asymptomatic period, in dogs with severe disease, mortality is typically secondary to left‐sided congestive heart failure. Although it is not uncommon for dogs to survive long enough in the asymptomatic period to die from unrelated causes; a proportion of dogs rapidly advance into congestive heart failure. Heightened prevalence in certain breeds, such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, has indicated that MMVD is under a genetic influence. The genetic characterisation of the factors that underlie the difference in progression of disease is of strong interest to those concerned with dog longevity and welfare. Advanced genomic technologies have the potential to provide information that may impact treatment, prevalence, or severity of MMVD through the elucidation of pathogenic mechanisms and the detection of predisposing genetic loci of major effect. Here we describe briefly the clinical nature of the disorder and consider the physiological mechanisms that might impact its occurrence in the domestic dog. Using results from comparative genomics we suggest possible genetic approaches for identifying genetic risk factors within breeds. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed represents a robust resource for uncovering the genetic basis of MMVD.
Genome‐wide selection signal analysis of Australian Boer goat reveals artificial selection imprinting on candidate genes related to muscle development
Authors: Yang B.‐G. , Yuan Y. , Zhou D.‐K. , Ma Y.‐H. , Mahrous K.‐F. , Wang S.‐Z. , He Y.‐M. , Duan X.‐H. , Zhang W.‐Y. , E Guangxin
Published: May 2021

As one of the best‐known commercial goat breeds in the world, Boer goat has undergone long‐term artificial selection for nearly 100 years, and its excellent growth rate and meat production performance have attracted considerable worldwide attention. Herein, we used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) called from the whole‐genome sequencing data of 46 Australian Boer goats to detect polymorphisms and identify genomic regions related to muscle development in comparison with those of 81 non‐specialized meat goat individuals from Europe, Africa, and Asia. A total of 13 795 202 SNPs were identified, and the whole‐genome selective signal screen with aπratio of nucleotide diversity (πcase/πcontrol) and pairwise fixation index (FST) was analyzed. Finally, we identified 1741 candidate selective windows based on the top 5% threshold of both parameters; here, 449 candidate genes were only found in 727 of these regions. A total of 433 genes out of the 449 genes obtained were annotated to 2729 gene ontology terms, of which 51 were directly linked to muscle development (e.g., muscle organ development, muscle cell differentiation) by 30 candidate genes (e.g.,JAK2,KCNQ1,PDE5A,PDLIM5,TBX5). In addition, 246 signaling pathways were annotated by 178 genes, and two pathways related to muscle contraction, including vascular smooth muscle contraction (ADCY7,PRKCB,PLA2G4E,ROCK2) and cardiac muscle contraction (CACNA2D3,CASQ2,COX6B1), were identified. The results could improve the current understanding of the genetic effects of artificial selection on the muscle development of goat. More importantly, this study provides valuable candidate genes for future breeding of goats.
MiR‐205 is up‐regulated in islets of diabetes‐susceptible mice and targets the diabetes gene Tcf7l2
Authors: Ouni Meriem , Gottmann Pascal , Westholm Efraim , Schwerbel Kristin , Jähnert Markus , Stadion Mandy , Rittig Kilian , Vogel Heike , Schürmann Annette
Published: May 2021

Aim

MicroRNAs play an important role in the maintenance of cellular functions by fine‐tuning gene expression levels. The aim of the current study was to identify genetically caused changes in microRNA expression which associate with islet dysfunction in diabetic mice.

Methods

To identify novel microRNAs involved in islet dysfunction, transcriptome and miRNome analyses were performed in islets of obese, diabetes‐susceptible NZO and diabetes‐resistant B6‐ob/ob mice and results combined with quantitative trait loci (QTL) and functional in vitro analysis.

Results

In islets of NZO and B6‐ob/ob mice, 94 differentially expressed microRNAs were detected, of which 11 are located in diabetes QTL. Focusing on conserved microRNAs exhibiting the strongest expression difference and which have not been linked to islet function, miR‐205‐5p was selected for further analysis. According to transcriptome data and target prediction analyses, miR‐205‐5p affects genes involved in Wnt and calcium signalling as well as insulin secretion. Over‐expression of miR‐205‐5p in the insulinoma cell line INS‐1 increased insulin expression, left‐shifted the glucose‐dependence of insulin secretion and supressed the expression of the diabetes gene TCF7L2. The interaction between miR‐205‐5p and TCF7L2 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay.

Conclusion

MiR‐205‐5p was identified as relevant microRNA involved in islet dysfunction by interacting with TCF7L2.
Editorial: microscopic colitis linked to NSAIDs but not proton pump inhibitors
Authors: Yadav Yamini , Talley Nicholas J.
Published: May 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Zylberberg et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16363
The effect of physical disability on group cooperation: Experimental evidence
Authors: Tognetti Arnaud , Doat David , Dubois Dimitri , Romaniuc Rustam
Published: May 2021

Many countries have specific measures to increase the employment of people with a disability. However, there is no empirical evidence on how individuals with and without some form of physical disability interact with each other. We use the public good game to fill this gap. We find that the interaction with physically disabled individuals does not affect group cooperation nor the cooperativeness of participants without visible physical disabilities. Our results shed light on the social inclusion of people with disability in organizations.
Sirtuins as pharmacological targets in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders
Authors: Leite Jefferson A. , Ghirotto Bruno , Targhetta Vitor P. , de Lima Jean , Câmara Niels O. S.
Published: May 2021

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes that regulate several processes, such as transcription, cell proliferation, differentiation and development. HDACs are classified as either Zn2+‐dependent or NAD+‐dependent enzymes. Over the years, experimental and clinical evidence has demonstrated that HDAC modulation is a critical process in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, most of the studies have focused on the role of Zn2+‐dependent HDACs in the development of these diseases, although there is growing evidence showing that the NAD+‐dependent HDACs, known as sirtuins, are also very promising targets. This possibility has been strengthened by reports of decreased levels of NAD+ in CNS disorders, which can lead to alterations in sirtuin activation and therefore result in increased pathology. In this review, we discuss the role of sirtuins in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders as well the possible rationale for them to be considered as pharmacological targets in future therapeutic interventions.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on Building Bridges in Neuropharmacology. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.8/issuetoc
Evidence for 5‐HT1A receptor‐mediated antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of apigenin in mice suffering from mononeuropathy
Authors: Wu Jia‐Yi , Li Ye , Li Ben‐Ling , Wang Yan‐Gui , Cui Wu‐Geng , Zhou Wen‐Hua , Zhao Xin
Published: May 2021

Background and Purpose

Neuropathic pain places a devastating health burden, with very few effective therapies. We investigated the potential antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects of apigenin, a natural flavonoid with momoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory activity, against neuropathic pain and investigated the mechanism(s).

Experimental Approach

The neuropathic pain model was produced by chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerves in male C57BL/6J mice, with pain‐related behaviours being assayed by von Frey test and Hargreaves test. In this model the role of 5‐HT and 5‐HT1A receptor‐related mechanisms were investigated in vivo/in vitro.

Key Results

Apigenin repeated treatment (p.o., once per day for 2 weeks), in a dose‐related manner (3, 10 and 30 mg·kg−1), ameliorated the allodynia and hyperalgesia in chronic nerve constriction injury in mice. These effects seem dependent on neuronal 5‐hydroxytryptamine, because (i) the antihyperalgesia and antiallodynia were attenuated by depletion of 5‐HT with p‐chlorophenylalanine and potentiated by 5‐hydroxytryptophan and (ii), apigenin‐treated chronic constriction injury mice caused an increased level of spinal 5‐HT, associated with diminished MAO activity. In vivo administration, spinally or systematically, of the 5‐HT1A antagonist WAY‐100635 inhibited the apigenin‐induced antiallodynia and antihyperalgesia. In vitro, apigenin acted as a positive allosteric modulator to increase the efficacy (stimulation of [35S]GTPγS binding) of the 5‐HT1A agonist 8‐OH‐DPAT. Apigenin attenuated neuronal changes caused by chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve in mice, without causing a hypertensive crisis.

Conclusion and Implications

Apigenin antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic actions against neuropathic pain crucially involve spinal 5‐HT1A receptors and indicate it could be used to treat neuropathic pain.
Occurrence of pituitary hormone deficits in relation to both pituitary and hypothalamic doses after radiotherapy for skull base meningioma
Authors: Partoune Eléonore , Virzi Maxime , Vander Veken Loïc , Renard Laurette , Maiter Dominique
Published: May 2021

Context

Little accurate information is available regarding the risk of hypopituitarism after irradiation of skull base meningiomas.

Design

Retrospective study in a single centre.

Patients

48 patients with a skull base meningioma and normal pituitary function at diagnosis, treated with radiotherapy (RXT) between 1998 and 2017 (median follow‐up of 90 months).

Measurements

The GH, TSH, LH/FSH and ACTH hormonal axes were evaluated yearly for the entire follow‐up period. Mean doses delivered to the pituitary gland (PitD) and the hypothalamus (HypoD) were calculated, as well as the doses responsible for the development of deficits in 50% of patients after 5 years (TD50).

Results

At least one hormone deficit was observed in 38% of irradiated patients and complete hypopituitarism in 13%. The GH (35%), TSH (32%) and LH/FSH axes (28%) were the most frequently affected, while ACTH secretion axis was less altered (13%). The risk of hypopituitarism was independently related to planning target volume (PTV) and to the PitD (threshold dose 45 Gy; TD50 between 50 and 54 Gy). In this series, the risk was less influenced by the HypoD, increasing steadily between doses of 15 and 70 Gy with no clear‐cut dose threshold.

Conclusions

Over a median follow‐up period of 7.5 years, hypopituitarism occurred in more than one third of patients irradiated for a skull base meningioma, and this prevalence was time‐ and dose‐dependent. In this setting, the risk of developing hypopituitarism was mainly determined by the irradiated target volume and by the dose delivered to the pituitary gland.
NF‐κB signalling pathways in nucleus pulposus cell function and intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Zhang Guang‐Zhi , Liu Ming‐Qiang , Chen Hai‐Wei , Wu Zuo‐Long , Gao Yi‐Cheng , Ma Zhan‐Jun , He Xue‐Gang , Kang Xue‐Wen
Published: May 2021

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common clinical degenerative disease of the spine. A series of factors, such as inflammation, oxidative stress and mechanical stress, promote degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the intervertebral discs (IVD), leading to dysfunction and structural destruction of the IVD. Nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) transcription factor has long been regarded as a pathogenic factor of IDD. Therefore, NF‐κB may be an ideal therapeutic target for IDD. As NF‐κB is a multifunctional functional transcription factor with roles in a variety of biological processes, a comprehensive understanding of the function and regulatory mechanism of NF‐κB in IDD pathology will be useful for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for IDD, which can prevent the progression of IDD and reduce potential risks. This review discusses the role of the NF‐κB signalling pathway in the nucleus pulposus (NP) in the process of IDD to understand pathological NP degeneration further and provide potential therapeutic targets that may interfere with NF‐κB signalling for IDD therapy.
Curatorial Research as Boundary Work
Authors: Sigfúsdóttir Ólöf Gerður
Published: May 2021

Curatorial research is a new field only emerging in the last few years within museological discourse. The notion of curating as research offers useful suggestions on how to escape historically induced binary oppositions between theory and practice, the academic and the artistic. Moreover, curatorial research instigates critical questions on the significance of knowledge production in the context of public museums, particularly the relationship between research, display and museum audience. This article explores different notions of curatorial research as they emerge through current museological discourse. Three models of curatorial research are identified, each conveying a distinct – yet related – understanding of knowledge production through curatorial practice in the museum setting. The article then uses the exhibition In Between as a case to explore these models further. Building on the analysis of the case and the three models, a fourth research model is proposed. The new model is based on the concept of “boundary work”, emphasising the multiple epistemological contributions curatorial research entails as it traverses borders between the domains of science and culture, thereby blurring the distinctions between theory and practice, the discursive and the immersive, the systematic and the creative.
The Hunger Chain: A competitive simulation for teaching supply chain management
Authors: Song Ju Myung , Park Arim , Zhao Yao
Published: May 2021

Shortage gaming, supply chain competition, and supply rationing are important and timely topics in operations management and supply chain management curricula. We introduce an online instructional game, the Hunger Chain, that provides an action‐based, competitive simulation for engagement of students in experiential learning of these topics. We discuss how instructors can use the game to stimulate students’ learning about panic orders and hoarding (shortage gaming), decision dependencies (supply chain competition), and efficient and/or fair allocation of limited supplies (supply rationing). A comparison of test results from students who played the game to those from a control group showed significantly improved learning outcomes. In addition, sentiment analysis of student feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
A case of atrial septal defect associated with anomalous sinoatrial node artery in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum
Authors: Di Candia Angela , Castaldi Biagio , Sirico Domenico , Di Salvo Giovanni
Published: May 2021

An 11‐year‐old boy affected by pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (AP‐IVS) was listed for percutaneous pulmonary valvuloplasty and closure of multi‐fenestrated atrial septal defect (ASD). Intra‐procedural transesophageal echocardiography arose the suspect of abnormal coronary artery pattern while selective angiography documented a single sinoatrial node artery (SANa) with an unusual retro‐aortic course. As consequence, we proceeded to effectively close the defects with a not self‐centering device placed in the most central side hole. This case supports the hypothesis that sometimes arrhythmic complication during ASD closure procedures might be due to unrecognized injury of the SANa.
Consistent shift in nutritional ecology of ants reveals trophic flexibility across alpine tree‐line ecotones
Authors: Guariento Elia , Wanek Wolfgang , Fiedler Konrad
Published: May 2021

1. Studying the feeding ecology of ants can reveal their trophic position and allow inferences on interactions with other organisms. We investigated the nutritional ecology of ants at the Alpine tree line (from subalpine forests to alpine grasslands), testing the hypothesis that changing food availability reflects upon ant feeding preference and trophic position. Five slopes with five sites each were sampled using a combined experimental (baiting) and chemical (stable isotope) approach.

2. Sugar resources were most preferred by the whole ant community in the alpine environment and on the tree line and were therefore likely limiting in these habitats. This shift was not detected in the two dominant ant taxa occurring over the investigated gradient, viz. the slave antFormica lemaniand mound‐building wood ants (Formicas. str.).

3. Yet, stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope signatures of both these ant species likewise revealed a shift in resource use over the ecotone, from a lower trophic position in subalpine forests to a more carnivore‐dominated lifestyle in alpine grassland. Moreover, wood ants were found to occupy a higher trophic position compared toF. lemani.

4. In conclusion, energy resources turned out to be more limiting for ants in the alpine environment, but less so in subalpine forests. The low trophic position of these ant species in the forest is considered to be a result of abundant trophobiotic associations with honeydew‐producing homopterans that occur in far larger numbers on conifer trees in the forest.
The Couple Therapist as Moral Agent
Authors: Feldman Tamara
Published: May 2021

Partners in intimate relationships rely on each other to meet essential emotional needs. This mutual dependence creates reciprocal obligations, engendering a moral dimension to intimate relationships. This moral dimension involves questions of fairness, equity, and justice which are often central to couples’ presenting complaints in treatment. This paper proposes that moral considerations in couple therapy are not only inevitable, but potentially beneficial, and illustrates how they can inform the therapist’s case conceptualizations and interventions. This paper will also explore the therapist’s responsible use of her moral influence through an examination of personal values. This paper utilizes concepts from psychodynamic and family systems theory to illustrate key points, but the ideas presented apply to therapists with diverse theoretical orientations.
Energy metabolism in brown adipose tissue
Authors: Wang Zhichao , Wang Qiong A. , Liu Yong , Jiang Lei
Published: May 2021

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is well known to burn calories through uncoupled respiration, producing heat to maintain body temperature. This ‘calorie wasting’ feature makes BAT a special tissue, which can function as an ‘energy sink’ in mammals. While a combination of high energy intake and low energy expenditure is the leading cause of overweight and obesity in modern society, activating a safe ‘energy sink’ has been proposed as a promising obesity treatment strategy. Metabolically, lipids and glucose have been viewed as the major energy substrates in BAT, while succinate, lactate, branched‐chain amino acids, and other metabolites can also serve as energy substrates for thermogenesis. Since the cataplerotic and anaplerotic reactions of these metabolites interconnect with each other, BAT relies on its dynamic, flexible, and complex metabolism to support its special function. In this review, we summarize how BAT orchestrates the metabolic utilization of various nutrients to support thermogenesis and contributes to whole‐body metabolic homeostasis.
Distinct microhabitats affect the relative balance of ecological processes shaping the spatial distribution of bacterial communities in lakeshore habitats
Authors: Xu Huimin , Zeng Jin , Li Chaoran , Zhao Dayong , He Rujia , Wu Qinglong L.
Published: May 2021

The lakeshore habitat, which is an interface zone between lake and land, harbours various organic particles providing nutrient‐rich microhabitats for bacterial colonisation. Revealing the mechanisms maintaining the bacterial diversity generated on these particles is vital for understanding the biogeochemical processes within lakeshore habitats. To date, however, the bacterial communities within lakeshore habitats have been rarely explored, and knowledge of the ecological processes associated with their spatial distribution is limited.

Here, we employed amplicon‐based high throughput sequencing technology to investigate the composition, co‐occurrence patterns, spatial distribution, and assembly processes of free‐living and particle‐attached bacterial communities (FLBC vs. PABC) across 29 lakeshore zones within freshwater lakes from two typical regions: Middle–Lower Yangtze River Plain and Yunnan–Kweichow Plateau.

We found significant community dissimilarity between both bacterial lifestyles and regions. PABC exhibited higher community dissimilarity between the plain and plateau regions than FLBC did. Furthermore, eight operational taxonomic units were detected as a core bacterial community within the lakeshore habitats across the plain and plateau regions. Network analysis revealed that bacterial taxa preferring a particle‐attached lifestyle exhibited more co‐occurrence associations for both intra‐ and inter‐community than the free‐living lifestyle. Both FLBC and PABC showed significant distance–decay relationships in these two regions. Dispersal limitation was the most important process associated with patterns in the spatial distribution of FLBC and PABC, whereas the relative importance of variable and homogeneous selection differed between the assembly of FLBC and PABC because of differences in their microhabitats.

Our results highlight that dispersal limitation may be strongly associated with the spatial distribution of lakeshore bacterial communities at a regional scale. However, lifestyle differences influence the relative balance between the processes of dispersal, selection, and biotic interaction that influence these bacterial communities.

This study reveals potential interactions between bacterial taxa with different lifestyles as well as indicating which ecological processes may lie behind the spatial distribution of bacterial communities in lakeshore habitats. Knowledge of potential assembly mechanisms of bacterial communities within different microhabitats help us understand how bacterial communities in different microhabitats are generated and their different roles in biogeochemical processes in lakeshore habitats.
Students as consumers? The perspectives of students' union leaders across Europe
Authors: Brooks Rachel
Published: May 2021

Various scholars have argued that higher education is becoming increasingly similar across Europe as a result of processes of marketisation and neo‐liberalisation, as well as the creation of a European Higher Education Area. While much of this body of work has focussed on governance, institutional structures and reforms related to teaching and learning, some have suggested that the subjectivities and perspectives of students have also altered—becoming more consumer‐like in their orientation. Nevertheless, there has been relatively little work across the continent that has explored, in a comparative manner, students' own perspectives or those of students who represent other students. This article starts to redress this omission by drawing on interviews conducted with students' union leaders across six European nations to examine the extent to which they shared the same understanding of students, focussing specifically on the concept of student‐as‐consumer.
Ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture for ultrasonography‐guided renal access significantly improves overall treatment outcomes in endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery
Authors: Taguchi Kazumi , Yamashita Shimpei , Hamamoto Shuzo , Deguchi Ryusuke , Kawase Kengo , Okada Tomoki , Kato Taiki , Ando Ryosuke , Okada Atsushi , Kohjimoto Yasuo , Hara Isao , Yasui Takahiro
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To assess the impact and availability of ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture for percutaneous renal access during ultrasonography‐guided miniaturized (mini)‐endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery for large volume renal and/or proximal ureteral stones.

Methods

We conducted a multi‐institutional retrospective cohort study for urolithiasis treatment. Data from a total of 313 patients who underwent mini‐endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery to treat renal and/or ureteral stones between January 2016 and April 2020 were collected. We compared the outcomes between ultrasonography‐guided mini‐endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery with and without ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture (ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture(+) group [n = 126] and ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture(−) group [n = 187] group, respectively). The primary outcome was requirement for additional surgical intervention. Secondary outcomes were stone‐free rate, complications and total procedure, fluoroscopy, hospital stay, and postoperative ureteral stent placement durations.

Results

The ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture(+) group had a lower additional surgical intervention rate and a higher stone‐free rate immediately after and 3 months after surgery than the ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture(−) group (5.6% vs 19.7%, P < 0.001; 82.5% vs 65.8%, P = 0.001; 59.5% vs 44.6%, P = 0.011). The median total procedure, fluoroscopy, and postoperative ureteral stent placement durations were 18 min, 3 min, and 5 days shorter, respectively, in the ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture(+) group. Multivariate analyses showed that ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture was associated with a decreased risk of additional surgical intervention (odds ratio 0.31, P = 0.011) and postoperative infection (odds ratio 0.34, P = 0.003) and decreased total procedure (estimate = −11 min; P = 0.011), fluoroscopy (estimate = −3 min; P = 0.034), and postoperative ureteral stent placement (estimate = −8 days; P = 0.011) durations. Female patients and those with smaller stone volumes or without hydronephrosis were identified as ideal ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture candidates.

Conclusions

Ureteroscopy‐assisted puncture during mini‐endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery could provide favorable surgical outcomes, especially in female patients without collecting system obstruction.
From Busan to Arusha, and beyond
Authors: Jukko Risto
Published: May 2021

A new World Council of Churches (WCC) mission statement was presented to the member churches of the WCC at the assembly in 2013 in Busan, South Korea. The document, Together towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes (TTL), was said to be pneumatological. From God’s mission, missio Dei, there was a shift toward the mission of the Spirit, missio Spiritus. The ecumenical world was introduced to a new mission concept: “mission from the margins,” according to which the Holy Spirit was empowering those in the margins.

Five years later, in 2018, in Arusha, Tanzania, the WCC Conference on World Mission and Evangelism officially adopted a short mission document entitled “The Arusha Call to Discipleship” and another document, “The Arusha Conference Report.” The conference was said to have been influenced and inspired by TTL. However, in the conference documentation, the missio Spiritus seems to have been left aside. Thus, it would seem that in recent ecumenical missiology, there has been a shift from pneumatology toward Christology as the basis of individual and communal Christian life. In light of this, this article intends to compare the WCC mission documents of 2013 and 2018 and to show that there has been a shift toward the “Christ‐connected way of life” of the disciple and how this Christ‐connected discipleship is vulnerable and wounded, as it connects with the concept of kenosis.
Moratorium and reconciliation in a post‐missionary era
Authors: Kangwa Jonathan
Published: May 2021

The moratorium on Western missionary labour and financial resources has been a matter of lively interest over the past five decades. Postcolonial theologians and missiologists have blamed Western missionaries for introducing Christianity without paying attention to existing cultures of local people. Despite this, the work of Western missionaries has undeniably contributed to evangelization and the advancing of Western civilization in Africa. In this context, this paper considers Colin Morris’s views on the moratorium to prevent sending missionaries and financial resources from the West. Based on an examination of his views, it analyzes two elements that shape the discourse on the moratorium in the post‐missionary era: the impact of the moratorium on Christian mission and the need for reconciliation and partnership between the churches in the global North and the global South. This paper concludes that we must promote the interdependence and mutuality of churches in the global North and the global South if the Christian imperative of making disciples of all nations is to be fulfilled.
Mission and reconciliation from a Christian‐Muslim relations perspective
Authors: Adrake Komi Dzinyefa
Published: May 2021

The encounter between Islam and Christianity in the mission field has created shocks that have left indelible scars across the ages. These two religions, which have never hidden their missionary intentions, have at times engaged in the struggle for supremacy on the religious chessboard, not hesitating to encroach on each other. This state of affairs has led to frustrations and conflicts between the two religious systems that the passage of time has not been able to erase. Various organizations have attempted to bring Christians and Muslims together, among these the Programme for Christian‐Muslim Relations in Africa. Reconciliation is possible. Although the path to reconciliation is still long, one who has already travelled on it gives us signs of hope. Only God can clear the path to effective reconciliation. This, however, must be combined with a new understanding of mission in both religious systems as well as a commitment on the part of both to embark on a new dynamic.
Churches in solidarity with the divided Korean Peninsula
Authors: Kim Jin Yang
Published: May 2021

This article explores God’s mission of reconciliation through the ecumenical efforts for peace, reconciliation, and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. It consists of three parts. The first section explores reconciliation as a means of overcoming the division system in Korea. The second section offers reconciliation as a peace process in the Korean context. The third section highlights the engagement in the reconciliation as a spiritual journey from the World Council of Churches’ global prayer campaign, which is a Christian pathway toward a peace system in the Korean Peninsula. In particular, this article demonstrates that prayer is not a strategy in our work of advocacy but a spiritual mandate and movement toward peace and justice cultivating reconciliation.
High‐entropy ferroelastic rare‐earth tantalite ceramic: (Y0.2Ce0.2Sm0.2Gd0.2Dy0.2)TaO4
Authors: Wang Jun , Wu Fushuo , Zou Ruoan , Wu Yueshu , Gan Mengdi , Feng Jing , Chong Xiaoyu
Published: May 2021

In this study, high‐entropy rare‐earth tantalate ceramics (Y0.2Ce0.2Sm0.2Gd0.2Dy0.2)TaO4 ((5RE0.2)TaO4) have been successfully fabricated. The possibility of formation of (5RE0.2)TaO4 was verified via first‐principles calculations. In addition, the phase structure, ferroelastic toughening mechanism, thermophysical, and mechanical properties were systematically investigated. The (5RE0.2)TaO4 ceramics have lower phonon thermal conductivity (1.2–2.6 W·m–1·K–1) in the entire temperature range than that of RETaO4 and YSZ. (5RE0.2)TaO4 has a higher fracture toughness and lower brittleness index than YSZ. The thermal expansion coefficients of (5RE0.2)TaO4 are as high as 10.3 × 10‐6 K–1 at 1200°C and Young's modulus is 66–189 GPa, and thus, (5RE0.2)TaO4 possesses great potential for application in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs).