bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Service recovery system antecedents: a contingency theory investigation
Authors: S. Smith Jeffery , Jayaram Jayanth , Ponsignon Frederic , S. Wolter Jeremy
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of different antecedent factors (contingencies) on the design of a service recovery system (SRS).

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model was framed and a series of hypotheses generated and tested using data from 158 practicing managers using a multivariate general linear modeling technique.

Findings

The analyses indicated that firms, by and large, mainly considered environmental factors in the SRS design. Additional evidence suggests that managers do consider other contingencies but may do so in a fragmented manner. The results presented herein indicate that firms design back-office aspects of SRS in response to external factors (i.e. the environmental contingency). In contrast, the front-office components appear to have more diverse antecedents but are strongly influenced by the firm’s recovery orientation. The specific recovery practices appear to be implemented per industry standards. In sum, evidence indicates that there are diverse driving factors to total SRS design.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations are based primarily on the methodology as data were obtained from a single person who represented the entire SRS. Care was taken in the study design in order not to compromise the validity of the findings.

Practical implications

The results indicated that managers responsible for system design need to be holistic in SRS design to more tightly link decisions across multiple contingencies so as to more fully integrate total service system design. This is potentially accomplished through the inclusion of aspects of all relevant contingencies when designing recovery systems.

Originality/value

This paper’s main contribution is that it employs established theory to develop and test a model to show that firms consider multiple contingencies while designing SRS. It contributes to the emerging body of work on SRS design by providing insights that can be considered as driving forces behind the design of SRS.
Beyond brand fit
Authors: Su Yiran , Kunkel Thilo
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying mechanism of the spillover effect from a service brand alliance to its parent brand at the post-consumption stage.

Design/methodology/approach

Online surveys were used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from participants of an actual event. Conceptual models were developed and tested on two cross-sectional samples using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results demonstrate perceived brand contribution and consumer involvement mediate the relationship between the service brand alliance experience and the evaluation of its parent brand at the post-consumption stage. While perceived brand fit had an indirect effect on the parent brand, the spillover was mostly driven by service alliance experience and perceived brand contribution.

Practical implications

Findings indicate brand managers should focus on consumers’ brand experience of the service brand alliance to drive spillover evaluations to the parent brand, and organizations could extend brand alliances to services with low category fit to the parent brand if consumers are to have a good experience with the service brand alliance.

Originality/value

This research extends findings on brand alliance research that was based on hypothetical brands and indicated that the spillover effect from a brand alliance to the parent brand is influenced by perceived brand fit. The findings highlight the importance of consumer experiences in driving the spillover effect at the post-consumption stage, where consumers evaluate brand relationships from a value-added perspective that goes beyond the service category fit.
Design optimization of the graded AlGaN/GaN HEMT device performance based on material and physical dimensions
Authors: Othman Nurul Aida Farhana , Rahman Sharidya , Wan Muhamad Hatta Sharifah Fatmadiana , Soin Norhayati , Benbakhti Brahim , Duffy Steven
Published: May 2019

Purpose

To design and optimize the traditional aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device in achieving improved performance and current handling capability using the Synopsys’ Sentaurus TCAD tool.

Design/methodology/approach

Varying material and physical considerations, specifically investigating the effects of graded barriers, spacer interlayer, material selection for the channel, as well as study of the effects in the physical dimensions of the HEMT, have been extensively carried out.

Findings

Critical figure-of-merits, specifically the DC characteristics, 2DEG concentrations and mobility of the heterostructure device, have been evaluated. Significant observations include enhancement of maximum current density by 63 per cent, whereas the electron concentration was found to propagate by 1,020 cm−3 in the channel.

Practical implications

This work aims to provide tactical optimization to traditional heterostructure field effect transistors, rendering its application as power amplifiers, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMICs) and Radar, which requires low noise performance and very high radio frequency design operations.

Originality/value

Analysis in covering the breadth and complexity of heterostructure devices has been carefully executed through extensive TCAD modeling, and the end structure obtained has been optimized to provide best performance.
“You have to say everything is nice here”
Authors: Kalina Marc , Scott Dianne
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the author’s research experiences in northern Mozambique in order explore the multiplicity of gatekeeper relations that arose while seeking to arrange access to both “the field” and respondents, as well as the impacts that these relationships had on the research process. Although this dynamic has been thoroughly described within methodological literature, there exists a tendency to presume research–gatekeeper relations as static; once established, there is little discussion on how the relationships develop or can be managed, once access has (or has not) been achieved.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws upon qualitative fieldwork conducted predominantly in rural communities in northern Mozambique. The study analysed the development of the Nacala Development Corridor programme and the N13 Highway Rehabilitation Project in northern Mozambique in order to examine the impacts of the development on local citizens and examine the relationship between citizen and state within development processes. Fieldwork consisted of three different phases of semi-structured and open-ended interviews with key stakeholders and affected persons, spanning five different interview schedules, and a total of 77 individual interviews and 27 community focus groups conducted along the N13.

Findings

The study found that duality of Mozambican governance which includes both local officials and traditional leadership contributed to a multiplicity of local gatekeepers which impacted the research process in a multitude of ways. As a result, researcher–gatekeeper relations were not static, but had to be managed throughout the duration of the study.

Originality/value

This discussion provides a more dynamic representation of the challenges involved with establishing and managing gatekeeper relations in rural, developing, and in particular, southern African, contexts, while offering cautious practical advice to researchers working within rural or southern African contexts.
Determinants of successful revenue management
Authors: Abad Pilar , De la Fuente-Cabrero Concepción , González-Serrano Lydia , Talón-Ballestero Pilar
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to define which characteristics of a hotel and staff organization determine successful revenue management (RM) implementation in urban hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine whether the characteristics of the hotel and the staff member in charge of RM are explanatory variables for the degree of RM implementation.

Findings

The findings show that hotel category, chain affiliation and the existence of qualified full-time staff are the determinants for successful RM implementation. The creation of the revenue manager position alone is not determinant in the degree of RM implementation, but his/her qualification and dedication are fundamental variables.

Research limitations/implications

Given that this survey was confined to the region of Madrid, it would be interesting to carry out similar research nationwide.

Practical implications

This study provides researchers and professionals guidance for the satisfactory implementation and use of RM, tailored to the characteristics of any given establishment. Therefore, this paper states that the creation of a qualified, on-site, full-time revenue manager position is crucial.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to conduct a formal statistical analysis of the relationship between hotel characteristics, staff organization and the degree of RM implementation. The greatest contribution of this research is the empirical demonstration that having a qualified full-time staff in charge of RM leads to better results in terms of RM implementation as opposed to not having one, having one part-time or having one at the corporate level. Therefore, this paper states that the creation of the professional revenue manager position within hotels is fundamental. Thus, the reported results provide a significant contribution to the literature related to the characteristics and organization of RM in hotels.
Evidence of functional species sorting by rainfall and biotic interactions: A community monolith experimental approach
Authors: Peralta Ana M. L. , Sánchez Ana M. , Luzuriaga Arantzazu L. , de Bello Francesco , Escudero Adrián
Published: May 2019

Understanding the mechanisms that underlie species assembly is a central concern in community ecology. Abiotic and biotic filters are probabilistic ‘sieves’ that allow species with certain functional traits to become a part of the community, or not. We manipulated natural plant assemblies in order to identify variations in the timings of biotic and abiotic filters that determine community trait assemblies.

We extracted soil portions when the investigated annual plant community was in its seed phase (‘community monolith’), thereby maintaining the structure and similar soil characteristics to the field conditions. Community monoliths were subjected to experimental manipulation in terms of the rainfall timing and amount, and perturbations of the biological soil crust (BSC; intact vs. perturbed). We surveyed the experimental community assembly over time based on the functional diversity by considering important functional traits in different life stages.

We found that autumn droughts acted as abiotic filters by favouring the germination and establishment of species with greater investment in the root biomass. Under severe droughts (66% water reduction), the experimental assemblies were dominated by species with functional traits adapted to water shortage conditions: high leaf dry matter content, low specific leaf area, small individual size, low reproductive ratio and high root:shoot ratio. We identified two roles of BSCs in annual plant species assemblies: (a) as a biotic filter that limited the establishment of species based on seed size, and (b) as a buffer against water stress conditions by reducing soil evapotranspiration.

Synthesis. We demonstrated the importance of the timing and amount of rainfall for shaping annual plant communities, and identified germination filters as the main process that determined community assemblies. Our results suggest that the phenotypic integration of functional traits facilitates resistance to drought during the life cycle. The BSC–annual plant relationship shifted from negative, by acting as a germination filter, to positive, by acting as a buffer in later stages. Climatic fluctuations and fine scale biotic determinants of spatial heterogeneity emerged as sources of changes in the community assembly in time and space to possibly promote species coexistence and trait differences among the communities studied.
Equal Civil Partnerships, Discrimination and the Indulgence of Time: R (on the application of Steinfeld and Keidan) v Secretary of State for International Development
Authors: Hayward Andy
Published: May 2019

In R (on the application of Steinfeld and Keidan) v Secretary of State for International Development the Supreme Court unanimously declared that the ban on different‐sex civil partnerships was incompatible with Articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In a strikingly robust and, at times, acerbic manner, the Court systematically dismantled the Secretary of State's request for tolerance of a discriminatory and unsustainable legal position. The decision represents a clear victory for those campaigning for reform and the issuing of a declaration of incompatibility by the Court is likely to have influenced the later announcement by Prime Minister Theresa May in October 2018 that different‐sex civil partnerships will ultimately be introduced in England and Wales.
Quality of a Chickpea‐Based High Protein Snack
Authors: Gupta Sahil , Liu Changqi , Sathe Shridhar K.
Published: May 2019

A chickpea‐based high protein, ready‐to‐eat snack was prepared using six chickpea types. The chickpea seeds and their corresponding snack products were analyzed for proximate composition, antinutrients, and select quality parameters. Chickpea types had: lipid (4.25% to 6.98%), moisture (6.63% to 9.15%), protein (23.33% to 30.95%), and carbohydrate (54.60% to 60.40%) contents exhibiting significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences. Ash content (1.94% to 2.41%) did not register significant differences. Chickpea types did not show variability in either polypeptide profile or in vitro protein digestibility. In the tested seeds, hemagglutinins and α‐amylase inhibitors were not detected, while trypsin (12.73 to 19.58 units/mg sample) and chymotrypsin inhibitors (62.91 to 84.91 units/mg sample) activity varied significantly (P ≤ 0.05). The chickpea‐based snack product had intermediate‐moisture (23.31% to 27.81%), was low in lipids (5.09% to 5.84%), free of antinutrients, and was a good source of proteins (12.45% to 14.10%), carbohydrates (51.86% to54.96%), and minerals (1.53% to 2.43%). The L*, a*, and b* values of the products ranged from 75.97 to 79.38, 3.46 to 4.75, and 27.65 to 34.65, respectively. The hardness, springiness, and fracturability of the product were 700.89 to 955.23 g, 43.38% to 47.14%, and 5.26 to 5.90 mm, respectively.

Practical Application

Development of new bean‐based products, such as a chickpea‐based snack with an overall good nutrition and taste, may play an important role in increasing the consumption of underutilized dry beans in the United States, shown to promote better health and wellness.
Autoantibodies in patients with interleukin 12 receptor beta 1 deficiency
Authors: Ronca Vincenzo , Chen Qu Bo , Lygoura Vasiliky , Ben‐Mustapha Imen , Shums Zakera , Trifa Mehdi , Carbone Marco , Mancuso Clara , Milani Chiara , Bernuzzi Francesca , Ma Xiong , Agrebi Nourhen , Norman Gary L. , Chang Christopher , Gershwin Merrill Eric , Barbouche Mohamed‐Ridha , Invernizzi Pietro
Published: May 2019

Objective

Interleukin 12 receptor beta 1 (IL‐12Rβ1) deficiency is a primary immunodeficiency that exposes affected individuals to an augmented risk of intracellular pathogen‐mediated infections. The paradoxical presence of autoimmune manifestations in immune‐deficient patients has been recognized, but the basis of this phenomenon is unclear, with the role of frequent infections being a possible trigger to break tolerance. Our study aimed to analyze extensively a profile of autoantibodies in a clinically well‐defined case series of patients with IL‐12Rβ1 deficiency.

Methods

Eight patients with IL‐12Rβ1 deficiency referred to Children's Medical Center in Tunis, Tunisia, during 1995‐2012 were enrolled in the study. Sixteen age‐ and gender‐matched blood donors served as controls. Serum, liver‐related autoantibodies immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgM, IgA were tested by ELISA and by standard indirect immunofluorescence on Hep‐2 cells.

Results

We found a significant prevalence of liver autoantibodies in the study group. Regarding primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), two of eight patients were positive for MIT3 autoantibodies, both confirmed by immunofluorescence, and one patient was positive for PBC‐specific antinuclear antibodies, sp100. Moreover, two patients had significantly increased gamma‐glutamyltransferase levels and one had IgM levels twice the upper limit of normal. Intriguingly two patients were positive for anti‐actin antibodies; a typical feature of autoimmune hepatitis type 1, along with a significant increase in IgG levels.

Conclusions

This is the first report of a serological analysis in patients with an IL‐12Rβ1 deficiency. Despite the difficulty in interpreting the role of the IL‐12, the evidence of liver‐specific autoantibodies confirms the importance its signal in liver autoimmunity.
Significance of baseline computed tomography assessment for predicting the pulmonary fibrosis during the course of chemotherapy‐induced pneumonitis
Authors: Han Ji‐Yeon , Lee Ki‐Nam , Lee Hongyeul , Choi Seok Jin , Baek Jin Wook , Heo Young Jin , Shin Gi Won , Park Jin Young
Published: May 2019

Background

The purpose of our study is to evaluate risk factors for the development of pulmonary fibrosis in the baseline computed tomography (CT) during the course of chemotherapy‐induced pneumonitis (CIP).

Methods

We retrospectively identified 80 cases of CIP by clinical, radiological, and pathological findings. When fibrosis developed during the follow‐up, the extent of pulmonary fibrosis was evaluated at final follow‐up CT in terms of a 5% volumetric score for six zones. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the clinical and radiological risk factors for the development of fibrosis and severe fibrosis over 11% in extent.

Results

Fibrosis occurred in 26 of the 80 total patients (32.5%) during a mean 5.6 months of follow up. Risk factors for developing fibrosis were revealed as preexisting interstitial lung disease (ILD) and moderate to severe emphysema in multivariate analysis (OR = 10.12, 95% CI = 2.35‐43.66, and OR = 12.85, 95% CI = 2.81‐58.82, respectively). Risk factors for developing severe fibrosis over 11% in extent were revealed as a moderate to severe emphysema (OR = 5.78, 95% CI = 1.07‐31.26) in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Moderate to severe emphysema as well as preexisting ILD visible on baseline CT are risk factors for developing pulmonary fibrosis in the course of CIP. Thin‐section CT may be helpful to predict the risk of pulmonary fibrosis before administering chemotherapy.
Urinary tract infection prevention after midurethral slings in pelvic floor reconstructive surgery: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sanaee May S. , Hutcheon Jennifer A. , Larouche Maryse , Brown Helen L. , Lee Terry , Geoffrion Roxana
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Synthetic midurethral slings are the most common procedures currently performed for stress urinary incontinence in women. Infection is a frequent complication of urogynecologic surgery. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to identify interventions that successfully prevent infections, including urinary tract infection (UTI) and/or bacteriuria, compared with no intervention, in women undergoing midurethral sling surgery with or without concomitant pelvic reconstructive procedures for prolapse.

Material and methods

The primary outcome was the development of any infection post‐midurethral sling placement in women. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library were searched for comparative studies from inception to July 2017, with no language restrictions. We used search terms related to midurethral sling, infections and infection‐reduction interventions. Two independent reviewers abstracted data and assessed study quality. Pooled effect size estimates were calculated. We conducted meta‐analysis of eligible studies. A protocol for this review has been registered and can be accessed online (http://hdl.handle.net/2429/64731).

Results

We identified seven eligible studies of infection risk‐reducing interventions; all focused on UTIs. Only one study assessed preoperative antibiotics with midurethral sling alone and was halted early because of low UTI rates. All other studies (three randomized control trials and three observational studies) examined whether postoperative antibiotics decrease UTI/bacteriuria rates after midurethral sling with or without reconstructive procedures for pelvic organ prolapse and using bladder catheterization postoperatively. Due to considerable clinical heterogeneity, we only combined four studies for meta‐analysis. Postoperative oral prophylactic nitrofurantoin showed no significant benefit in reducing UTI/bacteriuria in women post‐midurethral sling with or without concomitant reconstructive pelvic surgery and the need for bladder catheterization, when compared with the reference group (pooled relative risk 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42‐1.25).

Conclusions

Based on the best available evidence, postoperative oral nitrofurantoin is not effective at reducing UTI/bacteriuria rates in catheterized women after midurethral sling with or without concomitant pelvic reconstructive surgery for prolapse. For midurethral sling alone, preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis may not be needed for UTI prevention.
Effects of star anise (Illicium verum Hook.f.) essential oil on nutrient and energy utilization of laying hens
Authors: Yu Caiyun , Guo Yixuan , Yang Zaibin , Yang Weiren , Jiang Shuzhen
Published: May 2019

An experiment using 96 Hy‐Line brown laying hens at 29 weeks of age that were randomly allocated to four treatments with eight replicates was conducted to assess the effects of star anise (Illicium verum Hook.f.) oil (SAO) on nutrient and energy utilization. Dietary treatments were corn–soybean meal‐based diets supplemented with 0, 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg SAO. The birds were fed the diets for 14 days. The conventional nutrients and amino acids of feed and excreta samples were measured for calculating apparent metabolic efficiency, and gross energy (GE) was analyzed for computation of apparent metabolic energy (AME) and true metabolic energy (TME). Endogenous losses were obtained from another 16 birds for calculating true metabolic efficiency. Birds supplemented with SAO had higher (p < 0.05) metabolic efficiency of crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), Lys, Met, Arg, and Thr than those of control group. Quadratic effects on utilization of Lys, Met, and Thr were observed (p < 0.05). Inclusion of SAO to diet improved nutrient utilization, and the efficacy is best at 400 mg/kg.
Taking responsibility to support knowledge building: A constructive entanglement of spaces and ideas
Authors: Hod Yotam , Yaari Chen , Eberle Julia
Published: May 2019

The digital age has fostered the rapid dissemination of Future Learning Spaces within the educational sector. Empirical studies examining learning processes relevant for the digital age within FLSs are needed, as scholarship has heretofore been overly reliant on anecdotal evidence or has struggled to keep up with innovative pedagogies. In an effort to advance this goal, we examined a knowledge building community that took place in a future learning space. Using responsibility‐taking as an underlying concept, our findings are twofold. First, we applied a grounded methodology to elucidate the way students take responsibility over the online space (The Knowledge Forum), a vital structure that supports collective knowledge building. This resulted in a spatial responsibility‐taking framework that includes 16 action‐tool combinations. The second finding resulted from applying this framework alongside a knowledge building analysis of a group of students. We present the results from our micro‐analysis, shedding light on different ways that spatial infrastructures and knowledge building can co‐mediate one another.

Practitioner Notes

What is already known about this topic

Collective cognitive responsibility is a vital component of knowledge building communities.

A range of infrastructures play an important role throughout the evolving stages involved in knowledge building.

Multi‐tiered approaches must be taken for future learning spaces to be used effectively.

It is not the space itself, but the way that users take responsibility over the space that is a key determinant in the success of a future learning space.

What this paper adds

A novel framework for systematically capturing the way participants take responsibility over their online learning spaces.

New insights into the ways that spaces and idea‐advancements co‐mediate one another throughout the inquiry process.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Teachers can use a toolkit to observe and identify desired practices related to responsibility taking in online spaces.

Teachers can better discern when and how to intervene based on the way students use online spaces as they learn.
Scaffolding ecosystems science practice by blending immersive environments and computational modeling
Authors: Dickes Amanda C. , Kamarainen Amy , Metcalf Shari J. , Gün‐Yildiz Semiha , Brennan Karen , Grotzer Tina , Dede Chris
Published: May 2019

Research in the field of technology‐enhanced learning has argued for a broader scope of technology‐supported learning environments to include the design of activity systems which position students as active thinkers by reorganizing learning with technology around the practices of scholarly communities. In the context of elementary ecosystems science, this entails structuring classroom activity around the construction and evaluation of epistemic artifacts, such as scientific models and representations, that profitably direct learners’ conceptual efforts toward productive forms of inquiry and the construction of new scientific knowledge. In this demonstration‐of‐concept paper, we present EcoMOD, an elementary ecosystems science curriculum that blends an immersive virtual environment with an agent‐based computational modeling tool to support growth in ecological knowledge and scientific practice in learners aged 8 to 11 years old. Specifically, we explore how the design of the EcoMOD activity system supported students’ active thinking in scientific inquiry through transformative modeling practices. Analysis of student activity and discourse indicates that engagement in transformative activities supported students in developing more nuanced causal explanations of the ecosystem by the end of the curriculum.

Practitioner Notes

What is already known about this topic

Authentic virtual simulations can transform classroom learning experiences, particularly when organized around the production of epistemic artifacts.

Computational modeling and programming tools are successful in supporting ecosystems knowledge construction and complex causal reasoning in learners.

Engagement in transformative modeling practices are integral to the construction of new scientific knowledge.

What this paper adds

Suggests a design framework for meaningfully blending immersive virtual environments with computational modeling and programming tools to support active thinking in scientific inquiry.

Demonstrates multi‐modal techniques for formative and summative assessment.

Indicates that children in this age range are able, with appropriate support, to acquire knowledge and skills well above what is described in curriculum standards.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Offers practitioners an effective approach for productively integrating computational modeling, science content and inquiry‐based practices within elementary science instruction.

Demonstrates to policymakers the practicality, affordability and value of immersive learning technologies and agent‐based modeling in classroom settings.
Attention, response inhibition and brain event‐related potential alterations in adults with beta‐thalassaemia major
Authors: Raz Sivan , Koren Ariel , Levin Carina
Published: May 2019

We investigated neural correlates of cognitive function in adults with beta thalassaemia major (β‐TM) compared to healthy controls using scalp‐recorded event‐related potentials (ERPs). Event‐related potential studies in the field of β‐TM are scarce and mostly limited to children. A stop‐signal task was used to evaluate indices of attention and response inhibition function, considered to be the hallmark of executive control. Correlations between task performance, ERPs and haemoglobin were also examined. Results showed impaired cognitive performance in β‐TM patients, as indicated by longer response times than controls. Haemoglobin was negatively correlated with response times to Go stimuli. Electrophysiological results indicated significant β‐TM‐related alterations in neuronal activity, reflected in greater peak amplitudes of several task‐related ERP components. A possible interpretation of these ERP results is that β‐TM patients need to recruit additional brain resources when dealing with cognitive challenge. Significant correlations were found between levels of haemoglobin and amplitude of all ERP components; the lower the haemoglobin, the more pronounced the ERPs amplitude. The present study represents a novel investigation of cognitive function and related brain dynamics in β‐TM in adult. Integrating neuropsychological assessment and interventions into traditional disease management, may be imperative in achieving a better quality of life for these patients.
Long noncoding‐RNA component of mitochondrial RNA processing endoribonuclease is involved in the progression of cholangiocarcinoma by regulating microRNA‐217
Authors: Tang Lingyu , Wang Yuting , Wang Huishan , Xu Boming , Ji Hao , Xu Guolong , Ge Xianxiu , Li Quanpeng , Miao Lin
Published: May 2019

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant tumor originating from bile duct epithelium and its incidence is increasing year by year. In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to play an important role in the occurrence and progression of malignant tumors. In the present study, for the first time, abnormal expression of lnc‐RNA component of mitochondrial RNA processing endoribonuclease (RMRP) and its possible role in CCA were found. We explored the effects of RMRP on various behaviors of CCA cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, by second‐generation sequencing, we explored the microRNA expression profiles that RMRP may affect in the HCCC‐9810 cell line. We also validated and explored the role of microRNA‐217 (miR‐217) with high differential expression by in vitro experiments. Our findings indicated that RMRP can play a part in promoting cancer by regulating the expression of miR‐217. RMRP is involved in the progression of CCA and can be a novel indicator of poor prognosis in patients with CCA.
Making Homes Unhomely: The Politics of Displacement in a Gentrifying Neighborhood in Chicago
Authors: Huq Efadul , Harwood Stacy Anne
Published: May 2019

Scholars have long debated the causes, processes, and effects of displacement by gentrification in global north cities and more recently around the world. Based on an ethnographic study in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood, this article shows how limited liability corporations use discrete and accretive violence in the early stages of gentrification. We also document how tenants contest harassment and neglect by carrying out “limit–acts” to make visible everyday invisible practices of intimidation and coercion and to cope with the private forces that displace them.
Prediction of Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetes: An Analysis of the ACCORD Trial Applying Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Rodriguez‐Romero Violeta , Bergstrom Richard F. , Decker Brian S. , Lahu Gezim , Vakilynejad Majid , Bies Robert R.
Published: May 2019

Applying data mining and machine learning (ML) techniques to clinical data might identify predictive biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy (DN), a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A retrospective analysis of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial was intended to identify such factors using ML. The longitudinal data were stratified by time after patient enrollment to differentiate early and late predictors. Our results showed that Random Forest and Simple Logistic Regression methods exhibited the best performance among the evaluated algorithms. Baseline values for glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urinary creatinine, urinary albumin, potassium, cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein, and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio were identified as DN predictors. Early predictors were the baseline values of GFR, systolic blood pressure, as well as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and potassium at month 4. Changes per year in GFR, FPG, and triglycerides were recognized as predictors of late development. In conclusion, ML‐based methods successfully identified predictive factors for DN among patients with T2DM.
The Impact of the US Interest Rate Hike on Emerging Market Economies and the Belt and Road Initiative
Authors: Wu Shuyu , Hu Biliang , Pan Qingzhong
Published: May 2019

Since the end of 2015, the US Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate nine times. This has led to capital outflows and asset depreciation in many emerging market economies. The present paper examines the factors that determine the financial volatility of emerging markets in the face of external shocks. By calculating the capital flows of 30 emerging markets from 1990 to 2018 and conducting panel regression, this paper finds that countries with good infrastructure facilities, a sound banking system and high economic growth have significantly lower cross‐border financial risks. An implication from the empirical analysis is that emerging countries would benefit greatly by actively taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative. The framework of the Belt and Road Initiative allows emerging countries better access to China's massive consumer market to promote trade and long‐term growth. Their quality of infrastructure can be improved through cooperation with China in infrastructure investment. They can also jointly establish a cooperative financial framework to enhance regional financial stability. These strategies will reduce systematic financial risks and counteract the negative impacts of US interest rate hikes.
The ontogeny of cumulative culture: Individual toddlers vary in faithful imitation and goal emulation
Authors: Yu Yue , Kushnir Tamar
Published: May 2019

The success of human culture depends on early emerging mechanisms of social learning, which include the ability to acquire opaque cultural knowledge through faithful imitation, as well as the ability to advance culture through flexible discovery of new means to goal attainment. This study explores whether this mixture of faithful imitation and goal emulation is based in part on individual differences which emerge early in ontogeny. Experimental measurements and parental reports were collected for a group of 2‐year‐old children (N = 48, age = 23–32 months) on their imitative behavior as well as other aspects of cognitive and social development. Results revealed individual differences in children's imitative behavior across trials and tasks which were best characterized by a model that included two behavioral routines; one corresponding to faithful imitation, and one to goal emulation. Moreover, individual differences in faithful imitation and goal emulation were correlated with individual differences in theory of mind, prosocial behavior, and temperament. These findings were discussed in terms of their implications for understanding the mechanisms of social learning, ontogeny of cumulative culture, and the benefit of analyzing individual differences for developmental experiments.
Mechanistic insights from the LHX1‐driven molecular network in building the embryonic head
Authors: McMahon Riley , Sibbritt Tennille , Salehin Nazmus , Osteil Pierre , Tam Patrick P. L.
Published: May 2019

Development of an embryo is driven by a series of molecular instructions that control the differentiation of tissue precursor cells and shape the tissues into major body parts. LIM homeobox 1 (LHX1) is a transcription factor that plays a major role in the development of the embryonic head of the mouse. Loss of LHX1 function disrupts the morphogenetic movement of head tissue precursors and impacts on the function of molecular factors in modulating the activity of the WNT signaling pathway. LHX1 acts with a transcription factor complex to regulate the transcription of target genes in multiple phases of development and in a range of embryonic tissues of the mouse and Xenopus. Determining the interacting factors and transcriptional targets of LHX1 will be key to unraveling the ensemble of factors involved in head development and building a head gene regulatory network.
Credit Constraints and the Inverted‐U Relationship Between Competition and Innovation
Authors: Bonfatti Roberto , Pisano Luigi
Published: May 2019

Empirical studies have uncovered an inverted‐U relationship between product‐market competition and innovation. This is inconsistent with the original Schumpeterian model, where greater competition always reduces the profitability of innovation and thus the incentives to innovate. We show that the model can predict the inverted‐U if the innovators’ talent is heterogeneous and asymmetrically observable. When competition is low and profitability is high, talented innovators are credit‐constrained, since untalented innovators are eager to mimic them. As competition increases and profitability decreases, untalented innovators become less eager to mimic, and talented innovators can invest more. This generates the increasing part of the relationship. When competition is high and profitability is low, credit constraints disappear, and the relationship is decreasing. Our theory generates additional specific predictions that are well borne out by the existing evidence.
A revised systematic review and meta‐analysis on the effect of statins on D‐dimer levels
Authors: Schol‐Gelok Suzanne , Morelli Francesca , Arends Lidia R. , Boersma Eric , Kruip Marieke J. H. A. , Versmissen Jorie , van Gelder Teun
Published: May 2019

Background

D‐dimers are generated during endogenous fibrinolysis of a blood clot and have a central role in diagnostic algorithms to rule out venous thromboembolism. HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors, more commonly called statins, are known to have effects independent of LDL‐cholesterol lowering, including antithrombotic properties. An effect of statins on D‐dimer levels has been reported in a prior systematic review and meta‐analysis, but methodological shortcomings might have led to an overestimated effect. To re‐evaluate the association between statins and D‐dimer levels, we systematically reviewed all published articles on the influence of statins on D‐dimer levels and conducted a novel meta‐analysis (PROSPERO registration number CRD42017058932).

Materials and methods

We electronically searched EMBASE, Medline Epub, Cochrane, Web of Science and Google Scholar (100 top relevance) (date of last search: 5 October 2017). We included randomized controlled trials, cohort studies and cross‐sectional studies. Two reviewers independently screened all articles retrieved and extracted data on study and patient characteristics, study quality and D‐dimer levels.

Results

Study‐level meta‐analysis involving 18,052 study participants showed lower D‐dimer levels in those receiving statin treatment than controls (SMD: −0.165, 95% CI −0.234; −0.096, P = <0.001). Sensitivity analyses and additional analyses on treatment duration (<12 weeks vs ≥12 weeks) and type of statin (lipophilic or hydrophilic) did not modify this overall result.

Conclusion

This meta‐analysis suggests an association between use of statins and reduction of D‐dimer levels, independent of treatment duration and type of statin used. This effect is small but robust, and should be interpreted with caution.
Ephaptic interactions between myelinated nerve fibres of rodent peripheral nerves
Authors: Bolzoni Francesco , Jankowska Elzbieta
Published: May 2019

We report evidence that ephaptic interactions may occur between intact mammalian myelinated nerve fibres and not only between demyelinated or damaged mammalian nerve fibres or nerve cells as analysed in previous studies. The ephaptic interactions were investigated between nerve fibres traversing the lumbar dorsal roots and between bundles of fibres in the sciatic nerve in anaesthetized rats in vivo. The interactions were estimated by comparing the excitability of nerve fibres originating from one of the hindlimb nerves (peroneal or sural) under control conditions and when the stimulation of these fibres was combined with stimulation of another nerve (tibial). An increase in nerve volleys recorded from group I muscle afferents in the peroneal nerve and of the fastest skin afferents in the sural nerve was used as a measure of the increase in the excitability. The excitability of these fibres was increased during a fraction of a millisecond, coinciding with the period of passage of nerve impulses evoked by the conditioning stimulation of the tibial nerve. The degree of the increase was comparable to the increases in the excitability evoked by 1–2 min lasting fibre polarization. Ephaptic interactions were found to be more potent and with longer lasting after‐effects within the dorsal roots than within the sciatic nerve. We postulate that ephaptic interactions may result in the synchronization of information forwarded via neighbouring afferent nerve fibres prior to their entry into the spinal cord and thereby securing the propagation of nerve impulses across branching points within the spinal grey matter.
Antimonate sorption in soils increases with ageing
Authors: Verbeeck Mieke , Thiry Yves , Smolders Erik
Published: May 2019

It is unclear to what extent sorption of antimony (Sb) in soils occurs over long time scales. This study was set up to monitor slow reactions (7 days to 6 months) of Sb in Sb(V)‐spiked soil samples during aerobic incubation. The solid–liquid distribution coefficients (KD) increased by factors of 3 to 6 between 7 and 190 days after spiking, depending on the soil. This increase in the KD value, hereafter named the Sb ageing factor, increased with increasing amorphous iron and aluminium hydroxide concentration and decreasing pH of the soil samples. Finally, ageing factors were highest in topsoils and could be important in preventing Sb from migrating downwards into groundwater bodies.

Highlights

Quantification of antimonate ageing in soils.

Topsoils could prevent downward leaching of Sb in the long‐term.

Ageing of Sb increased in soils with increasing amorphous iron and aluminium hydroxide concentration and decreasing pH.

Slow sorption reactions reduce Sb mobility in soils.
Inclusion of hemimegalencephaly into the phenotypic spectrum of NPRL3 pathogenic variants in familial focal epilepsy with variable foci
Authors: Canavati Christina , Klein Karl Martin , Afawi Zaid , Pendziwiat Manuela , Abu Rayyan Amal , Kamal Lara , Zahdeh Fouad , Qaysia Ikram , Helbig Ingo , Kanaan Moien
Published: May 2019

Despite tremendous progress through next generation sequencing technologies, familial focal epilepsies are insufficiently understood. We sought to identify the genetic basis in multiplex Palestinian families with familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF). Family I with 10 affected individuals and Family II with five affected individuals underwent detailed phenotyping over three generations. The phenotypic spectrum of the two families varied from nonlesional focal epilepsy including nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy to severe structural epilepsy due to hemimegalencephaly. Whole‐exome sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis revealed pathogenic variants in NPRL3 in each family, a partial ~38‐kb deletion encompassing eight exons (exons 8‐15) and the 3′‐untranslated region of the NPRL3 gene in Family I, and a de novo nonsense variant c.1063C>T, p.Gln355* in Family II. Furthermore, we identified a truncating variant in the PDCD10 gene in addition to the NPRL3 variant in a patient with focal epilepsy from Family I. The individual also had developmental delay and multiple cerebral cavernomas, possibly demonstrating a digenic contribution to the individual's phenotype. Our results implicate the association of NPRL3 with hemimegalencephaly, expanding the phenotypic spectrum of NPRL3 in FFEVF and underlining that partial deletions are part of the genotypic spectrum of NPRL3 variants.
Myriad potential for mentoring: Understanding the process of transformational change through a gender equality intervention
Authors: Leenders Joke , Bleijenbergh Inge L. , Van den Brink Marieke C.L.
Published: May 2019

This article contributes to understanding transformational change towards gender equality by examining the transformational change potential of a mentoring programme for women, a type of gender equality intervention both criticized and praised for its ability to bring about change. Drawing upon an empirical case study of a mentoring programme for women academics in a Dutch university, we explore three dimensions of transformational change: organizational members (i) discussing and reflecting upon gendered organizational norms and work practices; (ii) creating new narratives; and (iii) experimenting with new work practices. Our findings indicate five specific conditions that enable transformational change: cross‐mentoring, questioning what is taken for granted, repeating participation and individual stories, facilitating peer support networks and addressing and equipping all participants as change agents. We suggest that these conditions should be taken into account when (re)designing effective organizational gender equality interventions.
Even when those struggles are not our own: Storytelling and solidarity in a feminist social justice organization
Authors: Weatherall Ruth
Published: May 2019

This article draws on an eight‐month ethnography in a feminist social justice organization that supports survivors of domestic violence and shares the storytelling practices that fostered solidarity. These storytelling practices stemmed from decades of decolonizing work undertaken by Māori women to have their knowledge and ways of being equally integrated into the organization. The storytelling practices, grounded in Māori knowledge, emphasized that the land is actively productive of our identity and knowledge; our actions and beliefs are part of a non‐chronological intergenerational inheritance; the personal is collective. I contend that these practices fostered solidarity and situated feminism in a collective history of localized struggle. Accordingly, this article expands our imaginative capacity for how solidarity can be thought of and fostered between feminists in different contexts.