bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in sharing economy post-adoption
Authors: Oliveira Tiago , Barbeitos Iolanda , Calado Antonela
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine use and sharing economy (SE) continuance intention, and the mediation effects of use between individuals' motivations and SE continuance intention. A theoretical model is developed to explain use and SE continuance intention as intrinsic and extrinsic motivated behaviour, as proposed by self-determination theory. Factors are derived from SE context and supported by published research on SE.

Design/methodology/approach

The partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM) technique is used to test the model in a quantitative study involving 256 users of SE services.

Findings

Findings suggest that use and SE continuance can be explained by concurrent intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Moreover, high environmental concerns may restrain the use of SE services. Findings show that continuance intention is influenced by current use of SE services. Moreover, the study emphasizes the mediation effect of use between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and SE continuance intention.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis of use behaviour should be complemented with other measures of use and with data provided by qualitative methods of research. Further research should also consider the effect of different control variables and mediation effects.

Practical implications

Brand managers and companies providing services through digital platforms should address individuals' needs in order to stimulate voluntary engagement in persistent SE practices.

Social implications

This study informs the consumer in general so that the SE can develop its potential alongside an economy based on the ownership of private property.

Originality/value

This study extends findings on continuance intention research by offering internal motivation factors as predictors of post-adoption behaviour and emphasizes the role of use on SE continuance intention.
Trust and elderly users' continuance intention regarding mobile health services: the contingent role of health and technology anxieties
Authors: Meng Fanbo , Guo Xitong , Peng Zeyu , Ye Qiang , Lai Kee-Hung
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Mobile health (mHealth) services are considered an important means of relieving the problems of the aging population. The efficiency of mHealth services can be enhanced by engaging more elderly users and guaranteeing their continued use. However, limited attention has been directed toward investigating elderly users' continuance intention regarding mHealth services. The purpose of this paper is to explain elderly users' continuance intention by investigating the contingent role of technology anxiety and health anxiety on affective trust and cognitive trust.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 232 elderly users to verify the research model and hypotheses based on structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

This study revealed that both affective and cognitive trust enhance elderly users' continuance intention regarding their use of mHealth services. Health anxiety strengthens the effect of cognitive trust but weakens the effect of affective trust with regard to continuance intention. Furthermore, technology anxiety strengthens the effect of affective trust but not the effect of cognitive trust with regard to continuance intention.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to examine elderly users' continuance intention regarding mHealth services use from the perspective of affective and cognitive trust, thus enriching the extant literature on the use of mHealth services. Additionally, this study sheds light on the contingent effects of technology anxiety and health anxiety on affective and cognitive trust, which have been neglected by previous research.
Innovation in an authoritarian society: China during the pandemic crisis
Authors: Xiong Jie , Yan Jie , Fu Kun , Wang Ke , He Yuanqiong
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the role of government played in the innovation process during the social crisis, and to investigate the innovation activities of the authoritarian state when dealing with social crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data pertaining to eight impactful technological innovations in China during the COVID-19 crisis reveal how interactions and joint efforts by commercial firms and government organizations emerged as spontaneous responses.

Findings

The analysis of eight innovations – health code adoption, health omnichannel construction, noncontact service provision, distance education provision, public emotion consolation service, cross-boundary project promotion, cloud office adoption and medical material production – reveals a matrix of best practices that details the roles of government (controller or endorser) and the value creation orientation (pro-social or pro-economic value).

Originality/value

This study enriches innovation literature by providing a new perspective on the relationship between governmental force and technological innovation during social crises. As these new insights reveal, technological innovation can contribute to social crisis management. China’s example provides helpful implications for other countries suffering from the COVID-19 crisis.
Enterprise survival in the high-tech community: persuasion and power in board decisions
Authors: Yitshaki Ronit , Gimmon Eli , Khavul Susanna
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the extent to which board size, the use of power by venture capital investors and entrepreneurs’ interpersonal tactics such as persuasion to sway board decisions, influence the long-term survival of start-ups.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative part is based on data collected from 179 chief executive officers (CEOs) of high-tech start-ups community financed by venture capitalists (VCs) in Israel of which 59 did not survive. To achieve a better understanding of these findings, semi-structured interviews with 12 entrepreneurs were conducted.

Findings

Smaller boards were positively associated with venture survival. The use of power by VC investors positively influenced start-up survival. CEO persuasion had a negative effect on venture survival; however, its interaction with board size suggests that it had a lesser effect on very small boards.

Practical implications

Although investors’ control over decision-making contributes to long-term survival, entrepreneurs should be aware of the possible detrimental effects of exercising a high level of persuasion in board processes. The findings also suggest that a small board size is preferable for start-up survival.

Originality/value

Exploring the effect of board processes on venture survival is considered complex. A unique sample of high-technology start-ups consisting of both surviving and failed start-ups was analyzed to explore the effects of persuasion and power in board processes.
The relationship between supervision quality, CEO’s ability and authority with firm performance
Authors: Salehi Mahdi , Bazrafshan Ameneh , Hosseinkamal Mahdieh
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between a CEO's ability and authority with firm performance. The authors used a sample of 127 Iranian listed firms for over seven years, from 2011 to 2017.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate managers' abilities, and the authors used business strategies to gauge authorities. Also, the methods of Fama–French and Herfindal–Hirschman were used for 889 firm-year observations.

Findings

The results show that managers' ability based on return on assets can affect firm performance, and skilled managers can improve performance.

Originality/value

In Iran, managers' abilities and other variables can impact it has been studied. Still, no study has been conducted on managers' strength and their level of authority with the presence of supervision on them.
Implementation and sustainability of upper limb constraint-induced movement therapy programs for adults with neurological conditions: an international qualitative study
Authors: Christie Lauren J. , McCluskey Annie , Lovarini Meryl
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is an effective intervention for arm recovery following acquired brain injury; however, there is an evidence-practice gap between research and CIMT use in practice. The aim of this study was to identify individual, organisational and social factors enabling implementation and sustained delivery of CIMT programs internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive qualitative design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit occupational therapists and physiotherapists with previous experience delivering CIMT. Semi- structured interviews were conducted, using an interview schedule informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore individual factors (such as knowledge, skills and beliefs), organisational factors (such as organisational culture and resources) and social factors (such as leadership) influencing CIMT implementation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and managed using NVivo. The TDF guided data analysis and identification of key influences on CIMT implementation and sustainability.

Findings

Eleven participants (n = 7 [63.6%] occupational therapists and n = 4 [36.4%] physiotherapists) were interviewed from six countries, working across public (n = 6, 54.6%) and private health (n = 5, 45.5%). Six key domains influenced CIMT implementation and sustainability. Clinicians needed knowledge and opportunities to apply their skills, and confidence in their ability to implement CIMT. Within their workplace, supportive social influences (including broader team support), the environmental context (including organisational culture and resources) and reinforcement from seeing positive outcomes contributed to implementation and sustainability. Other important influences included community demand and tailoring of programs to meet individual needs.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine therapists' experiences of CIMT implementation and sustainability across multiple countries. Factors related to capacity building, social and organisational support and resources enabled CIMT program implementation and ongoing sustainability. These findings can be used to design behaviour change interventions to support CIMT use in practice.
Clothing of righteousness: exploring tensions of halal maternity wear on online apparel websites
Authors: Krisjanous Jayne , Allayarova Nilufar , Kadirov Djavlonbek
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore marketing practices related to online halal maternity wear by examining the characteristics of halal maternity wear promoted to Muslim women (Muslimah) and how these differ between sponsoring websites.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative content analysis of 24 websites promoting halal maternity wear to pregnant customers was undertaken.

Findings

Several issues related to the availability and promotion of halal maternity wear online, particularly when addressing the needs of Western Muslim women, were found. Successful marketing solutions to the problems of halal maternity wear require solving a number of tensions arising at the intersections of the following distinctions: mahram versus non-mahram settings, crude versus stylish fashion and the normative perceptions of immodesty versus modesty.

Practical implications

Careful research and attention need to be taken before promoting and targeting products as appropriate for Muslimah maternity wear. Those brands that display the requisite skills and knowledge necessary to determine whether a product meets the needs of modesty, fashionability and local climate/weather conditions in their maternity lines have much to gain from the Muslimah maternity market.

Social implications

The availability of maternity wear that makes Muslimah feel comfortable and satisfied with their appearance will contribute to a positive pregnancy body image. Positive pregnancy body image is associated with positive pre and postnatal infant attachment by the mother, which in turn leads to beneficial outcomes for mother and baby.

Originality/value

Research to date has focused on Islamic fashion in general, with a dearth of research on Islamic maternity wear. This paper addresses the gap by focusing on maternity wear and associated marketing practices, from the Islamic point of view.
Social dilemmas in knowledge sharing: an examination of the interplay between knowledge sharing culture and performance climate
Authors: Halisah Ashari , Jayasingam Sharmila , Ramayah Thurasamy , Popa Simona
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Knowledge sharing culture and performance climate are organizational interventions used by organizations to influence and shape employees’ attitudes and behavior toward knowledge sharing. While each strategy directly influences employees to respond accordingly, the interplay between the incongruent objectives of these two strategies could lead to social dilemmas in knowledge sharing. This study aims to understand social dilemmas in knowledge sharing due to the interaction between knowledge sharing culture and performance climate.

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental study using the vignette technique was performed on 240 working adults. ANOVA was conducted to examine the interplay effect between knowledge sharing culture and performance climate on knowledge sharing intention.

Findings

Results showed that performance climate moderates the effect of knowledge sharing culture on employees’ knowledge sharing intention. The findings highlight the importance of having goal congruence between knowledge sharing culture and performance climate to minimize the social dilemmas in knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

This study develops a moderation model based on the theory of social dilemma to investigate the interaction between knowledge sharing culture and performance climate and enhance the theoretical validity and exactness of the knowledge sharing literature. The findings from this study provide theoretical insights and practical implications for social dilemmas in knowledge sharing, as well as the foundation for continuous research into knowledge sharing and people management practices that may have a strong influence on employees’ knowledge sharing behavior, attitude and performance.
“Employability is not inimical to good learning” *: rearticulating school academic curricula to surface their employability value
Authors: Daubney Kate
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper introduces a new approach to extracting the employability value of school/further education (FE) curriculums, using textual analysis to surface the transferable skills from UK curriculum documentation. The higher education extracted employability concept already established by the author is applied to help learners articulate the skills value of their knowledge-focused qualifications, closing the gap between the academic learning and the workplace. Proposals for additions to existing curriculum documentation would enable delivery of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD's) aspiration to embed skill development in school education.

Design/methodology/approach

Manual textual analysis of United Kingdom A Level, General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and Scottish academic qualifications surfaced a database of transferable skills, which are categorised, and their interrelationships were analysed.

Findings

Relatively few skills are explicitly articulated in curriculum documentation, revealing issues for learners recognising and articulating transferable skills. Extracted employability surfaces significant value from curriculum by identifying over 200 transferable skills, framed in the language employers recognise, thus closing the perceived “skills gap”. Comparisons reveal significantly greater diversity of skills innate to subjects perceived as “less academic”.

Practical implications

Learners will find it easier to recognise a comprehensive language of transferable skills, aligned with what employers need, and fundamental to career decision-making through understanding the relationships between academic qualifications and work.

Social implications

Learners who understand the wider value of their qualifications beyond knowledge focus, particularly in relation to transferable skills, are better able to be join, navigate and be agile in a challenging employment market.

Originality/value

Higher education (HE) concepts of employability are not well-established or understood in schools. This new approach articulates it through transferable skills within existing academic curriculum.
Evolving uses of artificial intelligence in human resource management in emerging economies in the global South: some preliminary evidence
Authors: Kshetri Nir
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in human resource management (HRM) in the Global South.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple case studies of AI tools used in HRM in these countries in recruiting and selecting as well as developing, retaining and productively utilizing employees have been used.

Findings

With AI deployment in HRM, organizations can enhance efficiency in recruitment and selection and gain access to a larger recruitment pool. With AI deployment in HRM, subjective criteria such as nepotism and favoritism are less likely to come into play in recruitment and selection of employees. AI deployment in HRM also has a potentially positive impact on the development, retainment and productive utilization of employees.

Research limitations/implications

AI is an evolving technology. Most HRM apps have not gained enough machine learning capabilities with real-world experience. Some of them lack a scientific basis. AI in HRM thus currently affects only a tiny proportion of the population in the GS.

Practical implications

The paper explores the roles of AI in expanding recruitment pools. It also advances our understanding of how AI-based HIRM tools can help reduce biases in selecting candidates, which is especially important in the Global South. It also delves into various mechanisms by which AI helps in the development, retainment and productive utilization of employees.

Originality/value

We provide details of various mechanisms by which AI brings input and output efficiencies in recruitment and selection in these countries.
Comparing volunteer policing in Malaysia, England and Wales and the United States of America: cross-national findings
Authors: Cheah Phaik Kin , Britton Iain , Callender Matthew , Wolf Ross , Knight Laura , Unnithan N. Prabha
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This article offers a tri-national comparison between Malaysia, England and Wales and the United States of America

Design/methodology/approach

It is based on reviewing, collating, comparing and contrasting previous research findings and official reports on the topic with a view to identify recurrent commonalities in the three countries studied.

Findings

Three key common themes are identified and presented in the article: (1) The relevance of the cultural positioning of volunteers in policing; (2) the importance of understanding the roles and capability of police volunteers; (3) recognizing prerequisites for recruitment of volunteers and the nature of their subsequent training.

Research limitations/implications

We suggest that more detailed comparative studies of volunteer policing structures and officer roles would be valuable.

Practical implications

The practice implications of these findings are discussed, and the potential value of and major challenges in carrying out cross-national national comparative study in the field of volunteer policing shown.

Social implications

The paper discusses important issues in the role and value of police volunteerism to criminal justice and society.

Originality/value

There are few international comparisons of volunteer policing and even fewer that compare approaches between Western and Eastern countries. This is the first study to do so.
Service constraints and willingness to pay in community-managed water supply services in Ghana
Authors: Nti Emmanuel Kwame , Wongnaa Camillus Abawiera , Edusah Nana Sampson E. , Bakang John-Eudes Andivi , Baffour Kyei Vasco
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to support the development of effective strategies that enhance community water supply systems. The study examined service constraints and willingness to pay for better services in community-managed water supply services using empirical evidence from beneficiaries of a small-town water supply system in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey design of both descriptive and exploratory research is adopted, the descriptive survey handles the quantitative aspect, while the exploratory survey handles the qualitative aspect. The authors collected data using a structured survey questionnaire from 387 beneficiaries who were public standpipe and domestic users. Descriptive statistics, Kendall's coefficient of concordance and Cragg's two-step model were the methods of analysis employed.

Findings

The respondents ranked lack of capacity (managerial) as the topmost constraint of the community-managed water system. The findings indicate that 57% of the beneficiaries were not willing to pay, whiles 43% were willing to pay. Also, results from Cragg's two-step regression model indicate that different sets of factors affect willingness-to-pay and amount-to-pay decisions. The study revealed that while a willingness-to-pay decision is influenced by income, education, marital status and customer service, the estimated-amount-to-pay decision is more influenced by income and education.

Originality/value

Building on the empirical evidence, the findings indicated that the water and sanitation management team can increase the current fee of GH¢ 5.00/1 m3 (≈US$ 0.87) by increasing beneficiaries charge for a bucket of water from GH¢ 0.10p (≈US$ 0.017) to GH¢ 0.21p (≈US$ 0.036) for better services within the community. Importantly, the additional charge should take into consideration income and education which were noted to significantly influence the beneficiary's amount-to-pay decision for better services in the community-managed water supply system.
Identification of fungi isolated from astronaut nasal and pharyngeal smears and saliva
Authors: Satoh Kazuo , Yamazaki Takashi , Furukawa Satoshi , Mukai Chiaki , Makimura Koichi
Published: January 2021

As part of a series of studies regarding the microbiota in manned space environments, we isolated the fungal strains from nasal and pharyngeal smears and saliva of 21 astronauts preflight, in‐flight, and postflight. On the ground, 120 strains from 43 genera of environmental fungi were isolated from the astronauts. The dominant fungal genera were Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. Only 18 strains from four genera were isolated from the astronauts inside the International Space Station. These fungi are currently thought to be harmless, but regular screening and cleaning are necessary to prevent fungus‐related health disorders.
Induction of antibiotic specialized metabolism by co‐culturing in a collection of phyllosphere bacteria
Authors: Qi Shan Shan , Bogdanov Alexander , Cnockaert Margo , Acar Tessa , Ranty‐Roby Sarah , Coenye Tom , Vandamme Peter , König Gabriele M. , Crüsemann Max , Carlier Aurélien
Published: January 2021

A diverse set of bacteria live on the above‐ground parts of plants, composing the phyllosphere, and play important roles for plant health. Phyllosphere microbial communities assemble in a predictable manner and diverge from communities colonizing other plant organs or the soil. However, how these communities differ functionally remains obscure. We assembled a collection of 258 bacterial isolates representative of the most abundant taxa of the phyllosphere of Arabidopsis and a shared soil inoculum. We screened the collection for the production of metabolites that inhibit the growth of Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria either in isolation or in co‐culture. We found that isolates capable of constitutive antibiotic production in monoculture were significantly enriched in the soil fraction. In contrast, the proportion of binary cultures resulting in the production of growth inhibitory compounds differed only marginally between the phyllosphere and soil fractions. This shows that the phyllosphere may be a rich resource for potentially novel molecules with antibiotic activity, but that production or activity is dependent upon induction by external signals or cues. Finally, we describe the isolation of antimicrobial acyloin metabolites from a binary culture of Arabidopsis phyllosphere isolates, which inhibit the growth of clinically relevant Acinetobacter baumannii.
Fetal medicine: screening, diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Papageorghiou Aris T.
Published: January 2021

Deputy Editor‐in‐Chief, Aris T Papageorghiou, highlights articles from this themed issue in an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/fetalmedicine-issue.
Electroconvulsive therapy use in the adult U.S. correctional setting: A case report and literature review
Authors: Martin Mark , Ureste Peter
Published: January 2021

Mr. C is a 45‐year‐old male inmate who was found in his cell unresponsive and mute. He had poor food and fluid intake for the last four days and was later found standing in place, frozen, and resistant to movement when encouraged by a corrections officer to rest in his bed. His symptoms were consistent with catatonia, a severe motor syndrome that can be life‐threatening. The patient had a psychiatric history of bipolar I disorder with multiple past episodes of catatonia. Lorazepam was ineffective at reversing his catatonic symptoms, and his serum creatinine kinase level eventually began to rise, suggestive of muscle breakdown and worsening severity. The treating psychiatrist wanted access to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to treat Mr. C’s catatonia but encountered numerous legal and logistical barriers which made this treatment option unavailable. The article reviews the scant literature on ECT use in the adult U.S. correctional system, identifies barriers, and discusses a recommended ECT referral process for inmates.
Bloodstain pattern analysis: Does experience equate to expertise?
Authors: Bettison Alexandra , Krosch Matt N. , Chaseling Janet , Wright Kirsty
Published: January 2021

Bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) has long been accepted by courts as an area of expertise; however, that position has recently been challenged. The discipline has been criticized for limited empirical research into practitioner determination error rates and whether determinations require specialized knowledge/expertise, including whether practitioner experience level influences accuracy. This study attempted to address these knowledge gaps as they relate to bloodstain pattern recognition. The aims were twofold: to establish whether practitioners would outperform lay non‐practitioners, and whether practitioner experience influenced accuracy and error in determinations. Comparisons of practitioner responses under three scenarios (forced, casework, and definitive) were also made to assess conservatism/certainty in pattern recognition. Participants (both BPA practitioners and non‐practitioners) analyzed photographs of bloodstain patterns and made determinations of the broad bloodstain category and specific bloodstain pattern type. When forced to provide only a single response, practitioners identified bloodstain categories and patterns significantly more accurately than non‐practitioners (p = 0.0001, p < 0.00001, respectively). Practitioner accuracy in bloodstain pattern recognition was positively associated with experience level (p = 0.0429) and this was consistent regardless of response scenario. Although no significant difference in practitioner accuracy was observed across response scenarios, practitioner conservatism/certainty varied significantly among the broad bloodstain category and specific pattern types. Overall, these results support bloodstain pattern recognition as an area of expertise and that practitioner experience positively influences accuracy. Based on these results, a series of recommendations were proposed aimed at further improving practices within the discipline to maximize accuracy and reliability of BPA evidence.
Patterns in rhino poaching activity on private land in South Africa
Authors: Chapman Laura A. , White Piran C. L.
Published: January 2021

Poaching on private land may potentially significantly deplete the rhino population yet is poorly studied. We focus on temporal patterns in poaching events, whether there is any evidence of targeting of specific categories of rhino (in relation to species, sex and age) and whether these patterns in poaching show any trends over time. Using rhino owner and (mainstream and social) media reports, we complied a database of private land poaching events between 2003 and 2017. Patterns in poaching activity were broadly consistent over time. Poaching is most likely at night, under the full moon, and close to the property perimeter. Whilst there was no consistent temporal pattern in poaching, there was evidence of increased poaching during the weekend (Friday–Sunday) compared to weekdays (Monday–Thursday) in 2017. Prioritising rhino protection efforts at these times may therefore be the most efficient use of limited resources. Because there is no evidence that poachers selectively target rhinos, efforts undertaken by private owners to protect specific individuals or groups may be ineffective. Our research also highlighted key data that were currently not clearly recorded, including collateral calf deaths and lost pregnancies, which may have a significant impact on the scale of the rhino poaching problem.
There are no in‐principle ethical objections to controlled voluntary SARS‐CoV‐2 infection
Authors: Crummett Dustin
Published: January 2021

In response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, some authors have advocated a program of controlled voluntary infection (CVI) with SARS‐CoV‐2. Under CVI, during periods where the medical system is under capacity, volunteers from low‐risk groups would be intentionally infected after giving informed consent, and then quarantined until they have developed immunity. Proponents claim that this could have benefits for society, such as building herd immunity and ensuring that critical workers won’t be incapacitated during the peak of the infection. They also claim that this could have benefits for individuals, such as being safely exempted from lockdown measures and (for individuals who are likely to be infected anyway) ensuring that the infection happens under relatively less dangerous conditions. Some respond that CVI would unethical. Here, I argue that, while CVI may or may not be ill‐advised for empirical reasons, there are no in‐principle ethical objections to it (i.e., if CVI would work as well as its proponents think, it would be ethical to implement it). I present three arguments for this conclusion. The first is an argument from informed consent: informed consent to relevantly similar medical procedures renders performing these procedures permissible, so informed consent to CVI would render it permissible. The second is an argument from reasonable beneficence: it draws on recent work by Caspar Hare on relevantly similar choices to argue that CVI is permissible. The third is an argument from precedent: smallpox variolation was permissible, and CVI is relevantly similar to that, so CVI is permissible.
Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health
Authors: Mitchell Peter , Sheppard Elizabeth , Cassidy Sarah
Published: January 2021

This article proposes a link between autistic people being misperceived by the neurotypical majority and their being at risk of poor mental health and well‐being. We present a transactional account of development in which the misperceptions (and consequent behaviour) of the neurotypical majority influences the perceptions and behaviour of autistic people such that they become increasingly separate and indeed isolated from mainstream society. This jeopardizes their mental health and prevents autistic people from developing to full potential. The situation is not only problematical for the development of autistic people but is also to the detriment of wider society, in so far as autistic people are effectively prevented from contributing fully. This account assumes that some (not necessarily all) autistic people yearn to be included, to be productive and to be useful. It thus directly opposes accounts that view autism as an extreme case of diminished social motivation.
Single‐cell transcriptome analysis revealed the heterogeneity and microenvironment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Authors: Mao Xiaofan , Yang Xuezhu , Chen Xiangping , Yu Sifei , Yu Si , Zhang Beiying , Ji Yong , Chen Yihao , Ouyang Ying , Luo Wei
Published: January 2021

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal tumor of the human gastrointestinal tract. In this study, we performed single‐cell RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) on intra‐ and peri‐tumor tissues from GIST patients with the aim of discovering the heterogeneity of tumor cells in GIST and their interactions with other cells. We found four predominating cell types in GIST tumor tissue, including T cells, macrophages, tumor cells, and NK cells. Tumor cells could be clustered into two groups: one was highly proliferating and associated with high risk of metastasis, the other seemed “resting” and associated with low risk. Their clinical relevance and prognostic values were confirmed by RNA‐seq of 65 GIST samples. T cells were the largest cell type in our single‐cell data. Two groups of CD8+ effector memory (EM) cells were in the highest clonal expansion and performed the highest cytotoxicity but were also the most exhausted among all T cells. A group of macrophages were found polarized to possess both M1 and M2 signatures, and increased along with tumor progression. Cell‐to‐cell interaction analysis revealed that adipose endothelial cells had high interactions with tumor cells to facilitate their progression. Macrophages were at the center of the tumor microenvironment, recruiting immune cells to the tumor site and having most interactions with both tumor and nontumor cells. In conclusion, we obtained an overview of the GIST microenvironment and revealed the heterogeneity of each cell type and their relevance to risk classifications, which provided a novel theoretical basis for learning and curing GISTs.
Sustaining efficient immune functions with regular physical exercise in the COVID‐19 era and beyond
Authors: Furtado Guilherme Eustáquio , Letieri Rubens Vinícius , Caldo‐Silva Adriana , Sardão Vilma A. , Teixeira Ana Maria , de Barros Marcelo Paes , Vieira Rodolfo Paula , Bachi André Luís Lacerda
Published: January 2021

The new coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) appearance in Wuhan, China, did rise the new virus disease (COVID‐19), which spread globally in a short time, leading the World Health Organization to declare a new global pandemic. To contain and mitigate the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2, specific public health procedures were implemented in virtually all countries, with a significant impact on society, making it difficult to keep the regular practice of physical activity. It is widely accepted that an active lifestyle contributes to the improvement of general health and preservation of cardiovascular, respiratory, osteo‐muscular and immune system capacities. The positive effects of regular physical activity on the immune system have emerged as a pivotal trigger of general health, underlying the beneficial effects of physical activity on multiple physiological systems. Accordingly, recent studies have already pointed out the negative impact of physical inactivity caused by the social isolation imposed by the public sanitary authorities due to COVID‐19. Nevertheless, there are still no current narrative reviews evaluating the real impact of COVID‐19 on active lifestyle or even discussing the possible beneficial effects of exercise‐promoted immune upgrade against the severity or progression of COVID‐19. Based on the consensus in the scientific literature, in this review, we discuss how an exercise adherence could adequately improve immune responses in times of the ‘COVID‐19 Era and beyond’.
Taxation and the stagnation of cotton exports in Brazil, 1800–60†
Authors: Pereira Thales Zamberlan
Published: January 2021

Brazil's northern region supplied 40 per cent of the cotton imported into Liverpool during the last decade of the eighteenth century. In the following decades, however, cotton exports stagnated, and Brazil became the only major international cotton producer that decreased its exports to European countries. This article shows that the fiscal policies of Brazil's central government had a significant role on the decline of cotton exports. The central government set export taxes to maximize revenue from higher‐quality long‐staple cotton, decreasing the profitability of short staples, which saw the largest increase in demand during the nineteenth century.
Radiologically guided percutaneous core needle biopsy of the spleen: a reliable and safe diagnostic procedure for neoplastic and reactive conditions
Authors: Sangiorgio Valentina F I , Rizvi Hasan , Padayatty Joseph , Thayur Nagendra , Fujiwara Taiki , Anyanwu Francis A , Calaminici Maria
Published: January 2021

Rationale

Percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) of the spleen is rarely performed, due to concerns about its complications and low diagnostic yield. However, this procedure represents a potentially useful diagnostic tool, especially in patients with splenomegaly and no definitive diagnosis after a clinical and radiological work‐up.

Methods and results

We report the data on a cohort of 45 radiologically guided percutaneous core needle biopsies of the spleen from 44 patients performed at two centres. Platelet count and prothrombin time were within normal limits in all patients at the time of the procedure. The biopsy was ultrasound‐guided in all cases except one, which was guided by computed tomography. An 18G needle was used in 82% of the cases, followed by 16G (10.2%) and 20G (7.8%) needles. The biopsy provided sufficient material for histological examination (including immunohistochemical studies) in 41 cases (91.1%). Haematological malignancies were most commonly diagnosed (52.3%); diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most frequent, followed by splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL). For the most recent cases of DLBCL, the CNB provided sufficient material for fluorescence in‐situ hybridisation to assess the status of MYC, BCL2 and BCL6. This allowed the identification of a case of high‐grade B cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangement. Major complications were not reported; minor complications occurred in three cases (6.7%).

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that radiologically guided percutaneous CNB should be considered as a valid diagnostic tool, as it provides quick and reliable histological diagnoses avoiding the complications and risks of splenectomy.
The variation of oxidative stability and sensory attributes of sunflower oil induced by essential oil from Magnolia liliflora Desr. during high‐temperature storage
Authors: Meng Yudong , Wang Dongying , Dong Ying , Chen Xinpei , Wang Xuede
Published: January 2021

Essential oils are considered one of the most prominent natural antioxidants in vegetable oils. Herein, sunflower oil was flavoured by the essential oil extracted from the flowers of Magnolia liliflora Desr. (MLEO), and its oxidative stability and sensory properties during the high‐temperature storage at 65 °C were explored. After the storage for 30 days, MLEO at 1600 mg kg−1 could significantly suppress the increase for acidity value, peroxide value, ρ‐anisidine value and total oxidation values (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In the meantime, the elevation for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, conjugated dienes and trienes was significantly suppressed as well (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Additionally, MLEO at 1600 mg kg−1 was able to restrict the transformation for the fatty acid composition of sunflower oil, and the sensory attributes of sunflower oil could be obviously improved. Consequently, MLEO could be employed as one potential natural antioxidant for sunflower oil.
Effects of high‐intensity ultrasound treatment on physiochemical properties of caseins‐cyanidin‐3‐galactoside conjugates
Authors: Xue Feng , Li Chen , Wang Shenyan
Published: January 2021

The application of protein‐polyphenol complexes is increasing and broadening in recent years. Due to their unique properties, these complexes are attracting increased research interest. In this study, the cyanidin‐3‐galactoside was grafted to the caseins using free radicles induced by ultrasound. The formation of conjugation between caseins and cyanidin‐3‐galactoside was confirmed by the decrease in free amino groups and sulfhydryl content. Conjugation with cyanidin‐3‐galactoside resulted in aggregation of caseins, which also led to increase in particle size, relative fluorescence intensity and random coil. Conjugation also disrupted the hydrogen bonds and decreased the electrostatic repulsion and hydrophobic interactions between caseins. The caseins‐cyanidin‐3‐galactoside conjugate had better emulsifying, gelation properties and lower thermal stability than that of caseins.
Atomic‐scale mechanisms of densification in cold‐compressed borosilicate glasses
Authors: Lee Kuo‐Hao , Yang Yongjian , Ding Linfeng , Ziebarth Benedikt , Davis Mark J. , Mauro John C.
Published: January 2021

Knowledge of the underlying structural response during deformation processes is essential for understanding the macroscopic mechanical response of glass. Here we present results from cold compression‐decompression molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of two multicomponent borosilicate glasses, Borofloat®33 (Boro33) and N‐BK7® (N‐BK7). Our results suggest that the densification of these two borosilicate glasses involves different types of structural changes. The fraction of permanent densification can be correlated to the change in intermediate‐range structure. By performing Voronoi analysis, we quantify the contributions to densification from different cation types in these two multicomponent borosilicate glasses, finding that 3‐coordinated cations facilitate the densification process. Higher‐coordinated cations are relatively stable and can even show a slight expansion in their Voronoi volume.
Retracted: Long non‐coding RNA MEG3 silencing and microRNA‐214 restoration elevate osteoprotegerin expression to ameliorate osteoporosis by limiting TXNIP
Authors: Yang ChangSheng , Gu ZhengTao , Ding Rui , Huang CaiQiang , Li QingChu , Xie DengHui , Zhang RongKai , Qiu YiYan
Published: January 2021

Studies have shown that long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) MEG3 plays a key role in osteoporosis (OP), but its regulatory mechanism is somewhat incompletely clear. Here, we intend to probe into the mechanism of MEG3 on OP development by modulating microRNA‐214 (miR‐214) and thioredoxin‐interacting protein (TXNIP). Rat models of OP were established. MEG3, miR‐214 and TXNIP mRNA expression in rat femoral tissues were detected, along with TXNIP, OPG and RANKL protein expression. BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N and Tb.Th in tissue samples were measured. Ca, P and ALP contents in rat serum were also determined. Primary osteoblasts were isolated and cultured. Viability, COL‐I, COL‐II and COL‐Χ mRNA expression, PCNA, cyclin D1, OCN, RUNX2 and osteolix protein expresion, ALP content and activity, and mineralized nodule area of rat osteoblasts were further detected. Dual‐luciferase reporter gene and RNA‐pull down assays verified the targeting relationship between MEG3, miR‐214 and TXNIP. MEG3 and TXNIP were up‐regulated while miR‐214 was down‐regulated in femoral tissues of OP rats. MEG3 silencing and miR‐214 overexpression increased BMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th, trabecular bone area, collagen area and OPG expression, and down‐regulated RANKL of femoral tissues in OP rats. MEG3 silencing and miR‐214 overexpression elevated Ca and P and reduced ALP in OP rat serum, elevated osteoblast viability, differentiation ability, COL‐I and COL‐Χ expression and ALP activity, and reduced COL‐II expression of osteoblasts. MEG3 specifically bound to miR‐214 to regulate TXNIP. MEG3 silencing and miR‐214 overexpression promote proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts in OP by down‐regulating TXNIP, which further improves OP.
Prolonged multimodal fasting modulates periodontal inflammation in female patients with metabolic syndrome: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Pappe Christina Laetitia , Steckhan Nico , Hoedke Daniela , Jepsen Søren , Rauch Geralinde , Keller Theresa , Michalsen Andreas , Dommisch Henrik
Published: January 2021

Aim

To determine the potential anti‐inflammatory effect of a multimodal periodic fasting programme on surrogate parameters of periodontal inflammation in hospitalized patients diagnosed for metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Material and methods

A total of 47 patients were recruited and hospitalized in an integrative ward for an intensified two‐week multimodal fasting, diet and lifestyle programme. Patients were periodontally examined at baseline (t1), after the 2‐week fasting protocol (t2) and, subsequently, 4 months after fasting (t3). The following parameters were determined: periodontal screening index (PSI), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival crevicular fluid volume (GCF), plaque index (PI), C‐reactive protein (CRP), blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC), fasting glucose (FGLU), triglycerides (TRG), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) and HbA1c.

Results

A total of 28 female and 8 male patients fulfilled the defined criteria for MetS and were analysed separately by gender. At t2, BOP and GCF were reduced when compared to t1 (median: t2 = 39; t1 = 33.1%; p < .001 and t2 = 73.9; t1 = 59.3 Periotron units p = .02, respectively). BOP reduction correlated to FGLU (R = .37, p = .049) and weight reduction (R = .4, p = .04).

Conclusion

This study showed for the first time that clinically supervised periodic fasting in female patients with MetS may facilitate the reduction of periodontal inflammation.