bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Hippo pathway regulates density-dependent proliferation of iPSC-derived cardiac myocytes
Authors: Neininger Abigail C. , Dai Xiaozhaun , Liu Qi , Burnette Dylan T.
Published: April 2021

Inducing cardiac myocytes to proliferate is considered a potential therapy to target heart disease, however, modulating cardiac myocyte proliferation has proven to be a technical challenge. The Hippo pathway is a kinase signaling cascade that regulates cell proliferation during the growth of the heart. Inhibition of the Hippo pathway increases the activation of the transcription factors YAP/TAZ, which translocate to the nucleus and upregulate transcription of pro-proliferative genes. The Hippo pathway regulates the proliferation of cancer cells, pluripotent stem cells, and epithelial cells through a cell-cell contact-dependent manner, however it is unclear if cell density-dependent cell proliferation is a consistent feature in cardiac myocytes. Here, we used culturedhuman iPSC-derivedcardiacmyocytes (hiCMs) as a model system to investigate this concept. hiCMs have a comparable transcriptome to the immature cardiac myocytes that proliferate during heart developmentin vivo. Our data indicate that a dense syncytium of hiCMs can regain cell cycle activity and YAP expression and activity when plated sparsely or when density is reduced through wounding. We found that combining two small molecules, XMU-MP-1 and S1P, increased YAP activity and further enhanced proliferation of low-density hiCMs. Importantly, these compounds had no effect on hiCMs within a dense syncytium. These data add to a growing body of literature that link the Hippo pathway regulation with cardiac myocyte proliferation and demonstrate that regulation is restricted to cells with reduced contact inhibition.
Biphasic roles of hedgehog signaling in the production and self-renewal of outer radial glia in the ferret cerebral cortex
Authors: Hou Shirui , Ho Wan-Ling , Wang Lei , Kuo Bryan , Park Jun Young , Han Young-Goo
Published: April 2021

The neocortex, the center for higher brain function, emerged in mammals and expanded in the course of evolution. The expansion of outer radial glia (oRGs) and intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) plays key roles in the expansion and consequential folding of the neocortex. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of oRG and IPC expansion is important for understanding neocortical development and evolution. By using mice and human cerebral organoids, we previously revealed that hedgehog (HH) signaling expands oRGs and IPCs. Nevertheless, it remained to be determined whether HH signaling expanded oRGs and IPCsin vivoin gyrencephalic species, in which oRGs and IPCs are naturally expanded. Here, we show that HH signaling is necessary and sufficient to expand oRGs and IPCs in ferrets, a gyrencephalic species, through conserved cellular mechanisms. HH signaling increases oRG-producing division modes of ventricular radial glia (vRGs), oRG self-renewal, and IPC proliferation. Notably, HH signaling affects vRG division modes only in an early restricted phase before superficial-layer neuron production peaks. Beyond this restricted phase, HH signaling promotes oRG self-renewal. Thus, HH signaling expands oRGs and IPCs in two distinct but continuous phases during cortical development.
DDX21 is a p38-MAPK sensitive nucleolar protein necessary for mouse preimplantation embryo development and cell-fate specification
Authors: Bora Pablo , Gahurova Lenka , Hauserova Andrea , Stiborova Martina , Collier Rebecca , Potěšil David , Zdráhal Zbyněk , Bruce Alexander W.
Published: April 2021

Successful navigation of the mouse preimplantation stages of development, during which three distinct blastocyst lineages are derived, represents a prerequisite for continued development. We previously identified a role for p38-mitogen-activated kinases (p38-MAPK) regulating blastocyst inner cell mass (ICM) cell-fate, specifically primitive endoderm (PrE) differentiation, that is intimately linked to rRNA precursor processing, polysome formation and protein translation regulation. Here, we develop this work by assaying the role of DEAD-box RNA helicase 21 (Ddx21), a known regulator of rRNA processing, in the context of p38-MAPK regulation of preimplantation mouse embryo development. We show nuclearDdx21protein is robustly expressed from the 16-cell stage, becoming exclusively nucleolar during blastocyst maturation; a localisation dependent on active p38-MAPK. Efficient siRNA mediated clonalDdx21knockdown within developing embryos is associated with profound cell autonomous and non-autonomous proliferation defects and reduced blastocyst volume, by the equivalent peri-implantation blastocyst stage. Moreover, ICM residingDdx21knockdown clones express the EPI marker NANOG but rarely express the PrE differentiation marker GATA4. These data contribute extra significance to emerging importance of lineage specific translation regulation, as identified for p38-MAPK, during mouse preimplantation development.
Variant SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines confer broad neutralization as primary or booster series in mice
Authors: Wu Kai , Choi Angela , Koch Matthew , Elbashir Sayda , Ma LingZhi , Lee Diana , Woods Angela , Henry Carole , Palandjian Charis , Hill Anna , Jani Hardik , Quinones Julian , Nunna Naveen , O’Connell Sarah , McDermott Adrian B , Falcone Samantha , Narayanan Elisabeth , Colpitts Tonya , Bennett Hamilton , Corbett Kizzmekia S , Seder Robert , Graham Barney S , Stewart-Jones Guillaume BE , Carfi Andrea , Edwards Darin K
Published: April 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of a global pandemic. Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are now available, including mRNA-1273, which has shown 94% efficacy in prevention of symptomatic COVID-19 disease. However, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has led to concerns of viral escape from vaccine-induced immunity. Several variants have shown decreased susceptibility to neutralization by vaccine-induced immunity, most notably B.1.351 (Beta), although the overall impact on vaccine efficacy remains to be determined. Here, we present the initial evaluation in mice of 2 updated mRNA vaccines designed to target SARS-CoV-2 variants: (1) monovalent mRNA-1273.351 encodes for the spike protein found in B.1.351 and (2) mRNA-1273.211 comprising a 1:1 mix of mRNA-1273 and mRNA-1273.351. Both vaccines were evaluated as a 2-dose primary series in mice; mRNA-1273.351 was also evaluated as a booster dose in animals previously vaccinated with mRNA-1273. The results demonstrated that a primary vaccination series of mRNA-1273.351 was effective at increasing neutralizing antibody titers against B.1.351, while mRNA-1273.211 was effective at providing broad cross-variant neutralization. A third (booster) dose of mRNA-1273.351 significantly increased both wild-type and B.1.351-specific neutralization titers. Both mRNA-1273.351 and mRNA-1273.211 are being evaluated in pre-clinical challenge and clinical studies.
In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies of photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) to less toxic As(V) by TiO2 nanotubes
Authors: Hsiung T.-L. , Wei L.-W. , Huang H.-L. , Tuan Y.-J. , Wang H. Paul
Published: April 2021

Arsenic in groundwater caused the black-foot disease (BFD) in many countries in the 1950–1960s. It is of great importance to develop a feasible method for removal of arsenic from contaminated groundwater in BFD endemic areas. Photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) to less toxic As(V) is, therefore, of significance for preventing any arsenic-related disease that may occur. By in situ synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the formation of As(V) is related to the expense of As(III) disappearance during photocatalysis by TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs). Under UV/Vis light irradiation, the apparent first-order rate constant for the photocatalytic oxidation of As(III) to As(V) is 0.0148 min−1. It seems that As(III) can be oxidized with photo-excited holes while the not-recombined electrons may be scavenged with O2 in the channels of the well defined TNTs (an opening of 7 nm in diameter). In the absence of O2, on the contrary, As(III) can be reduced to As(0), to some extent. Cu(II) (CuO), as an electron acceptor, was impregnated on the TNTs surfaces in order to gain a better understanding of electron transfer during photocatalysis. It appears that As(III) can be oxidized to As(V) while Cu(II) is reduced to Cu(I) and Cu(0). The molecular-scale data are very useful in revealing the oxidation states and interconversions of arsenic during the photocatalytic reactions. This work has implications in that the toxicity of arsenic in contaminated groundwater or wastewater can be effectively decreased via solar-driven photocatalysis, which may facilitate further treatments by coagulation.
OnePlus: Crossing the Chasm in the Smartphone Market
Authors: Sawhney Mohanbir , Goodman Pallavi
Published: April 2021

In early 2016, after the success of its first two smartphones, the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, China-based startup smartphone maker OnePlus was deciding how to build on its early success and grow into a global contender in the highly competitive smartphone market. Technology enthusiasts and geeks had flocked to purchase the first two generations of its smartphones and expectations were high for the company's next product. The company's founders, Pete Lau and Carl Pei, faced the challenge of broadening the appeal of OnePlus to address the mainstream market without alienating its core customer base.

“Crossing the chasm” from the early adopters to the mainstream market involved addressing three interrelated questions: First, what segments should OnePlus target as it sought to grow beyond its loyal fan base? Second, what value proposition and positioning strategy should it adopt to appeal to these target customers? Finally, what distribution and marketing communications strategy should it employ to make best use of its limited financial resources? A key consideration in formulating its strategy was to stay true to the company's culture and mission of “Never Settle” by charting its own course and not emulating the strategies of much larger competitors like Apple, Samsung, LG, and HTC.
Aliada: An Online Platform Matching Maids with Customers in Mexico
Authors: Lee Angela Y. , Funston Vasilia Kilibarda
Published: April 2021

This case puts students in the shoes of Mexican entrepreneur Rodolfo Corcuera of the tech startup Aliada, an online platform that matches maids with customers in Mexico City. With backing from one of Mexico City's newest venture capital firms, Corcuera's business now needs to scale, and he is considering how best to position his offering to those on whom his business model depends–maids and customers. To tackle this, students will learn about basic concepts from psychology that can inform marketers. More specifically, they will learn how basic human needs (nurturance, security) fuel self-regulatory goals (promotion and prevention goals, respectively), which in turn impact how people approach their consumption goals. Students will analyze Aliada's current Facebook ads, watch videos of some of Aliada's current maids and customers to assess whether they seem more motivated by promotion or prevention goals, and recommend optimal messaging for Facebook ads and subway banners in order for Corcuera to be most appealing to these two target audiences who may have different motivations.
Building Hoopes Vision
Authors: Calkins Tim
Published: April 2021

Dr. Phillip Hoopes, a LASIK surgeon, is considering how to respond to discounting by his competitors. He had built a high-end practice with costly advanced technology, but discounters had recently entered the market and other high-end practices in the area were starting to offer deep promotions in an effort to compete.
Saama Technologies: Growth Through a Focused Vertical Market Strategy
Authors: Sawhney Mohanbir , Goodman Pallavi
Published: April 2021

After a successful transition from a projects-based IT business services company to a platform-driven analytics company, Saama's core leadership team gathered in 2017 to brainstorm the next phase of its growth. The year before, the team had decided to narrow its target market to the life sciences vertical. Saama now had to decide how to execute on this focused strategy by choosing a growth pathway within the life sciences vertical. Saama's leadership team was considering three alternatives: acquiring new customer accounts, developing existing customer accounts, or developing new products by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies. The team had to evaluate these growth pathways in terms of both short- and long-term revenue potential, as well as their potential for sustaining Saama's competitive advantage.
Cristo Rey St. Martin College Preparatory School: Promoting a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Authors: Berger Gail , Howard Liz
Published: April 2021

Cristo Rey St. Martin College Preparatory (CRSM), a school with a unique educational model, has built a culture of accountability and student achievement. Founded in 2004 with a mission of serving “young people of limited economic means,” the school had a rocky start. It was plagued with student failure, high teacher turnover, and a total lack of accountability on the part of both students and teachers. In 2008, a new principal, Michael Odiotti, was hired to turn around the school. During his early years as principal, Mr. Odiotti faced many challenges, including poor academic results, lack of discipline, the threat of bankruptcy, and insufficient employers to support the school's work-study program. By 2018, the school had overcome some of these obstacles, and its metrics were exemplary. The question CRSM currently faces is how it can bolster a new culture of continuous improvement to avoid complacency while continuing to push accountability to achieve even greater results.

This case (though it may stand on its own) is a continuation of the events described in “Creating a Culture of Empowerment and Accountability at St. Martin de Porres High,” Cases #5-410-755(A) and (B) (KEL514 and KEL515) (Kellogg School of Management, 2010).
Alexa: A Pandora's Box of Risks
Authors: Walker Russell
Published: April 2021

Launched in 2014, Amazon's Echo and Echo Dot smart speakers led the category's rapid adoption by households and enabled the penetration of artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistants into the everyday lives of millions of people. By 2019, Alexa the virtual brains behind Amazon's smart speakers was able to play music, create reminders, get weather reports, control lights and other home appliances, shop, and do much more in response to voice commands. Amazon had developed significant new capabilities for Alexa, developed an entire ecosysgtem around it, expanded Alexa's user base to more than 100 million users, and made significant progress in monetizing its digital voice assistant. However, Alexa's progress also created new challenges for Amazon, its Alexa-enabled customers, and society at large. Amazon needed to identify and address these challenges in order to encourage continued consumer acceptance and preclude detrimental government or regulatory action.
Global Aircraft Manufacturing, 2002–2011
Authors: Brown Jennifer , Garthwaite Craig
Published: April 2021

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, Boeing and Airbus, the leading manufacturers of large aircraft, were locked in a battle for market share that drove down prices for their new planes. At about the same time, the two industry heavyweights began developing new aircraft families to address the future market needs they each projected.

Aircraft take many years to develop, so by the time the new planes made their inaugural flights, significant changes had occurred in the global environment. First, emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere were growing rapidly, spawning immediate and long-term demand for more aircraft. At the same time, changes to the market for air travel had created opportunities for new products. These opportunities had not gone unnoticed by potential new entrants, which were positioning themselves to compete against the market leaders.

In October 2007, the Airbus superjumbo A380 made its first flight. The A380 carried more passengers than any other plane in history and had been touted as a solution to increased congestion at global mega-hub airports. Four years later the Boeing 787, a smaller long-range aircraft, was launched to service secondary cities in a point-to-point network.

The case provides students with an opportunity to analyze the profit potential of the global aircraft manufacturing industry in 2002 and in 2011. Students can also identify the actions of participants that weakened or intensified the pressure on profits within the industry.

Audio format (.mp3 file) available with purchase of PDF. Contact cases@kellogg.northwestern.edu for access.
CF Industries
Authors: Busse Meghan
Published: April 2021

CF Industries’ products nitrogen fertilizers are a crucial input to making agriculture productive enough to feed the world. However, its products are undifferentiated commodities. Throughout parts of its history, CF has struggled to be consistently profitable, yet over the last decade it has been very profitable. The case provides an opportunity to examine how CF manages to create value and capture it as profits despite being in a commodity business.
Zopa: Time for a Brand Redesign?
Authors: Roese Neal , Meyer Andrea
Published: April 2021

In this case, students step into the shoes of a brand manager at UK-based online peer-to-peer lending company Zopa as she decides whether or not to recommend that the company undertake a brand redesign. Students are provided a brand design worksheet to help them understand the component parts of brand strategy and brand design and to help structure their assessment of Zopa's current brand. They are then challenged to consider if, to what extent, and how Zopa's brand design should change as a function of the company's brand strategy. Finally, they will learn a set of best practices, or guidelines, for approaching brand redesigns.
Should I Rent My Condo?
Authors: Furfine Craig
Published: April 2021

In early 2018, Diana Mulhall was undertaking a career change that would eliminate the need for frequent business trips to Toronto. As a result, she wondered whether she should sell her condo in the heart of the Canadian city or keep it as a rental property to generate income for herself. The housing market in Toronto was booming, so Mulhall believed that the condo would fetch top dollar as a sale. She also thought it would be easy to attract tenants if she kept it as a rental. She had invested in rental property before but never outside of her hometown of Chicago, so Mulhall needed to identify the key risks associated with being a landlord in Toronto.
Stripe: Helping Money Move on the Internet
Authors: Markovich Sarit , Achwal Nilima , Queathem Eric
Published: April 2021

This case features Stripe, a startup that enables merchants to accept payments from customers on the web, on mobile devices, and at the point of sale (POS). Stripe was launched in 2011 by the Collison brothers and quickly gained traction with e-commerce startups, particularly software and platform developers who needed help building their payment processing infrastructures. Stripe incurred high fixed costs in developing its platform and had low margins per transaction, so the company needed to reach high processing volumes (i.e., scale) to survive. This was challenging, as Stripe competed with large payment processors and traditional banks that had high processing volumes and were able to offer merchants significantly lower rates than Stripe. Still, merchants valued Stripe#x0027;s solution because it was simple and versatile. Students assume the role of the Collisons to think about possible strategies Stripe could pursue to process higher volumes of transactions. Students are challenged to think about the potential response of the incumbents to Stripe's different growth alternatives. The teaching note presents the Value Net framework and discusses the importance of considering complementors and their effect on a firm's strategy. Finally, a discussion about Stripe's potential entry into the Indian market allows students to apply the concepts they learned in the discussion of a new market.
A refined method for estimating the number of earthworm chaetae in carnivore feces
Authors: Tsukada Hideharu , Nishikawa Yuka , Shimada Haruka , Hijikata Koji , Minami Masato
Published: April 2021

Generally, earthworm chaetae in feces are counted to estimate the contribution of earthworms to carnivore diets. In this study, we compared three methods: (1) a part of the wet fecal sample soaked in alcohol to attain 100% humidity was directly extracted, (2) after removing the extra alcohol from the wet sample maintained at 100% humidity was extracted, and (3) the entire wet fecal sample was homogenized and a random part was extracted to detect the number of earthworm chaetae in fecal samples by focusing on sensitivity, precision, and efficiency. The third method yielded the best results in terms of sensitivity and accuracy in detecting chaetae, but the second highest and moderate results in terms of efficiency and treatment time. This method was used to analyze the fecal samples of Japanese badgers and raccoon dogs. The size of earthworm chaetae recovered from the feces differed significantly between species and seasons, especially in spring, suggesting that the Japanese badgers and raccoon dogs may feed mainly on different earthworm families in spring. Therefore, a refined method was proposed in this study to quantitatively and efficiently detect earthworm chaetae in carnivore feces.
Leaf trait variability explains how plant community composition changes under the intense pressure of deer herbivory
Authors: Wakatsuki Yuki , Nishizawa Keita , Mori Akira S.
Published: April 2021

There is growing evidence indicating that intraspecific trait variation (ITV) plays a prominent role in determining plant community composition. In this study, we investigated the significance of ITV in identifying the processes that shape the development of forest understory plant communities in an area in which excessive herbivory by overabundant deer populations has been an issue. We measured functional traits (height, leaf area, leaf mass per area, leaf dry matter content, and leaf toughness) of 13 forest floor plant species growing in two contrasting sites in which deer were overabundant or had been completely excluded, respectively, and examined the relationships between species dominance and interspecific trait variation and ITV. We detected variations in the trait plasticity of size and morphological features among species, reflecting species‐specific strategies in response to herbivory and consequently observed marked differences in species composition and diversity at the two sites. Notably, small stature and less costly leaves were identified as important traits that enable plants to persist under conditions of intense deer herbivory probably because such plants are less exposed to herbivory and simultaneously optimize carbon assimilation. In contrast, large‐sized plants with costly leaves tended to dominate the plant community in the absence of deer herbivory, as these plants would tend to gain a competitive advantage with respect to the acquisition of space and light. The findings of this study indicate that a focus on ITV represents a promising approach for determining the general ecological patterns of plant communities responding to environmental disturbance.
EHCP Implementation in the Early Years: constrictions and possibilities
Authors: Richards Hazel
Published: April 2021

In England, Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs) created changes for SENCOs, including those working in private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years settings. Such SENCOs hold, as a minimum, a relevant Level‐3 qualification, with subsequent training and support being optional, varied and sometimes difficult to access. This situation has implications for EHCP implementation and for the roles and responsibilities of SENCOs because effective realisation of the joint working, early identification and intervention prioritised in EHCPS require power, knowledge and skills. SENCOs from one Local Authority in England participated in this mixed‐methods research. Identity theory and Bronfenbrenner's bio‐ecological theory were applied to analyse the macro through to micro level influences. This revealed seven key influences: information and resources; ethos and support; quality of evidence; relationships; knowledge and skills; purpose and outcomes. This paper presents the manifestation of these in the experience of eight Early Years SENCOs working PVI settings.
Bring in the experts? Citizen preferences for independent experts in political decision‐making processes
Authors: BERTSOU ERI
Published: April 2021

Do citizens welcome the involvement of independent experts in politics? Theoretical and empirical work so far provides conflicting answers to this question. On the one hand, citizens may demand expert involvement in political decision‐making processes in order to ensure efficient and effective governance solutions. On the other hand, citizens can be distrustful of experts and reject the unaccountable and non‐transparent nature of expert‐based governance. This note investigates citizen preferences for the involvement of experts in different stages of political processes and across ‘hard’ and ‘easy’ political issues. Results show that, in the absence of explicit output information, respondents prefer independent experts over national elected representatives in the policy design and implementation stages, across political issues. For the crucial stage of decision making, respondents show no difference in their evaluation of processes that delegate decisions to experts or to elected representatives, with the exception of environmental policy, where expert decision making is preferred. These findings are relevant for ongoing discussions on how to incorporate independent experts in political decision making in a way that citizens find legitimate and on how to address increased citizen dissatisfaction with the representative democratic functions performed by political parties, governments and politicians.
Validating the Mandarin version of the Memorial delirium assessment scale in general medical hospital patients
Authors: Hu Ching‐Ho , Chiu Yu‐Chuan , Liu Shen‐Ing , Ko Kai‐ting
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric condition in the general hospital population. Thus, the goal of the present study is to extend the use of diagnostic tools for delirium by developing and validating a Mandarin version of the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS).

Methods

Participants were sampled from two general Mackay Memorial Hospital locations in Taipei and Danshui. Board‐certified psychiatrists assessed patients using the MDAS, confusion assessment method (CAM), and Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE). Another consultation‐liaison psychiatrist confirmed the diagnosis of delirium. We assessed the reliability and validity of the MDAS, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimal cut‐off point for identifying delirium.

Results

Of the 61 patients assessed, 29 were diagnosed with delirium. The mean MDAS score was 16.7 for delirium patients and 4.1 for nondelirium patients. The MDAS has good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.912. Interrater reliability was 0.996 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.992–0.998). The diagnostic cut‐off value for the Mandarin version of the MDAS was 9, with a high sensitivity (93.1%) and specificity (96.9%). Factor analysis revealed a two‐factor structure; these factors accounted for 58.37% and 14.42% of the variance. A high correlation was found between the MDAS and the CAM scores (r = −0.849, p < .001) as well as the MMSE (r = −0.875, p < .001).

Discussion

The Mandarin MDAS exhibited good reliability and validity for assessing general hospital patients.
A consistent version of distance covariance for right‐censored survival data and its application in hypothesis testing
Authors: Edelmann Dominic , Welchowski Thomas , Benner Axel
Published: April 2021

Distance covariance is a powerful new dependence measure that was recently introduced by Székely et al. and Székely and Rizzo. In this work, the concept of distance covariance is extended to measuring dependence between a covariate vector and a right‐censored survival endpoint by establishing an estimator based on an inverse‐probability‐of‐censoring weighted U‐statistic. The consistency of the novel estimator is derived. In a large simulation study, it is shown that induced distance covariance permutation tests show a good performance in detecting various complex associations. Applying the distance covariance permutation tests on a gene expression dataset from breast cancer patients outlines its potential for biostatistical practice.
ImmunoCAP ISAC in food allergy diagnosis: a systematic review of diagnostic test accuracy
Authors: Maesa José‐María , Dobrzynska Agnieszka , Baños‐Álvarez Elena , Isabel‐Gómez Rebeca , Blasco‐Amaro Juan‐Antonio
Published: April 2021

Objective

To assess the diagnostic test accuracy of the component‐resolved diagnosis device ImmunoCAP ISAC, compared with oral food challenge.

Design

Systematic review reported according to the PRISMA‐DTA recommendations.

Data sources

Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to May 2019 and updated in March 2021.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

We included diagnostic test accuracy studies comparing ISAC component results as the index test with oral food challenge as the reference test, in people of any age suspected of IgE mediated food allergy to milk, egg, peanut, shrimp, hake, apple, peach, kiwi, melon, walnut, hazelnut, wheat or pineapple. Risk of bias was evaluated using the QUADAS‐2 tool.

Results

We screened 799 titles and included 11 studies – seven prospective and two retrospective cohort studies, two case–control studies. Included studies evaluated IgE to Gald1 (three studies, 300 participants, 140 with egg allergy), Bosd5 (three studies, 242 participants, 146 with milk allergy) and Arah1 or 2 (seven studies, 546 participants, 346 with peanut allergy). No studies were identified for other ISAC components. Risk of bias was high or unclear mainly due to inadequate blinding. Applicability was of high or unclear concern due to unclear thresholds, inappropriate exclusions and variable populations. Gald1 sensitivity ranged from 58 to 84%, specificity 87%–97%. Bosd5 sensitivity 24%–40%, specificity 94%–95%. Arah1 sensitivity 45%–91%, specificity 41%–93%. Arah2 sensitivity 70%–94%, specificity 75%–95%.

Conclusions

Diagnostic test accuracy information for ISAC components was only available for milk, egg and peanut. Specificity is generally higher than sensitivity, which contrasts with the performance of skin prick and standard specific IgE tests for diagnosing food allergy. Higher quality information is needed to determine the clinical utility of ISAC for food allergy diagnosis.

Systematic review registration

Not registered.
Food supply chain resilience and the COVID‐19 pandemic: What have we learned?
Authors: Hobbs Jill E.
Published: April 2021

A year into the COVID‐19 pandemic, this paper reflects on the changes that occurred in agrifood supply chains in Canada and the United States. The sudden shift in food consumption patterns from food service to food retail required realignment of food supply chains. For the most part, food supply chains have performed remarkably well during the pandemic. Cross‐border food supply chains have continued to function effectively. The most significant disruptions emerged from workforce outbreaks of COVID‐19 in the meat processing sector and in fruit and vegetable production. The paper discusses supply chain resilience and argues that agrifood supply chains are characterized by several important differences that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating resilience. Economies of scale and scope offer economic efficiency advantages in normal times, while investments in adaptability and flexibility can enhance resilience for abnormal times. Potential long‐run changes within supply chains include increased automation and digitalization in food supply chains, while investments in infrastructure for online delivery services have permanently altered the food retailing landscape.
Update to agriculture, transportation, and the COVID‐19 crisis
Authors: Gray Richard S , Torshizi Mohammad
Published: April 2021

One year into the largest economic and health event of the past 70 years, this paper considers how agricultural supply chains and agricultural transportation have been impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Written as an update to Gray (2020), we are able to show that agricultural transportation systems have proven to be extremely robust and were able to innovate in real‐time to address challenges in the agricultural and food supply chains. We are also able confirm that most of the transportation components are well‐equipped to deal with the remainder of the pandemic and the recovery phase. Notably, innovation created new services, cost‐saving technologies, safety innovations, new institutions, networks, and channels of communication that operated effectively to address the pandemic. These changes are likely to remain in place post pandemic.
Design of intervention APP for children with autism based on visual cue strategy
Authors: Zhang Bingchen , Wang Yanqun
Published: April 2021

With the rise of the mobile Internet, APP treatment models for autism have also emerged. In China, there are not many applications of health education for children with autism. Its functions are mainly focused on prevention and improvement of knowledge. Many behavioral therapies include applying pressure to the invisible external pressure of autism to achieve appropriate stimulation and correction. This has brought great injustice to the wishes of the children. When children with autism strongly oppose this unfair behavior, it may lead to other extreme behaviors in children with autism. This article adopts the method of letting children with autism actually apply this APP for comprehensive intervention treatment, and let this APP combine with their daily courses: comprehensive sports training, speech training, cognitive training, game training, self‐care training. For courses such as art training and computer games, the children were evaluated for the first time before training, and then evaluated every 2 months. Data were collected to compare whether the children's background factors had a significant impact on the rehabilitation effect of comprehensive interventions. The results of the experiment proved that in the five assessments of perception, gross motor, fine motor, language and communication, cognition, the children had statistically significant differences in the three scores (P < 0.05). This also shows from the side that our APP has a certain effect on children with autism, and is of great strategic significance for adjuvant treatment of autism.
Histopathology after lidocaine/prilocaine cream administration for vulvar biopsy
Authors: Gonzalez Rafael , Dunn Andrew , Williams Logan , Weber Jeremy , Erkanli Alaattin , Havrilesky Laura J. , Selim Maria Angelica
Published: April 2021

Background

Case series have described disruptive histopathologic changes following lidocaine/prilocaine cream anesthetic for biopsies.

Methods

A study of histopathologic changes was performed following a randomized trial comparing topical lidocaine/prilocaine cream to 1% lidocaine injection anesthesia for vulvar biopsy. Histopathology was reviewed by two independent dermatopathologists blinded to the type of anesthetic. Specimens were scored on six histopathologic criteria described in the literature. Individual scores for each histopathologic feature and the total score across features were compared between the two groups using marginal models with generalized estimating equations.

Results

Of 37 specimens reviewed, 19 were randomized to lidocaine/prilocaine cream and 18 to 1% lidocaine. Subjects exposed to lidocaine/prilocaine had the following odds of histopathologic changes, relative to lidocaine‐exposed subjects: acantholysis (odds ratio 2.48; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.51, 12.06), clefting (2.42; 0.64, 9.14), pallor/necrosis (1.13; 0.28, 4.50), spongiosis (0.71; 0.18, 2.85), and papillary dermal edema (1.17; 0.41, 3.29). Total scores were not significantly different between treatment arms (risk ratio 0.98; 0.71, 1.35).

Conclusion

This histopathologic analysis of a randomized trial between lidocaine/prilocaine cream and injected lidocaine as anesthesia for vulvar biopsy shows the absence of significant disruptive histopathologic features secondary to the type of anesthetic. Additional studies in different clinical contexts are warranted.
A giant right atrial myxoma—The growth rate and multi‐modality imaging
Authors: Hsi David H. , Sosa Andrew , Miller Wayne , Oren Tal , Koulova Anna , Coady Michael A.
Published: April 2021

A young and healthy woman presented with progressive dyspnea on exertion. An echocardiogram showed a giant right atrial mass. Cardiac CT angiography provided the most accurate estimate for the tumor size, while 2‐D echo, 2‐D, and 3‐D trans‐esophageal echo underestimated the dimensions of the cardiac tumor when referenced by the surgical specimen. We also calculated the growth rate of the right atrial myxoma to be at least 1.2 mm per month based on a normal chest CT 54 months before her presentation. Surgical pathology confirmed typical features of cardiac myxoma in the right atrium.
Justice Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Authors: Claessens Elke , Mortelmans Dimitri
Published: April 2021

This study aims to deepen our understanding of the perception of fairness in child support agreements. We build on the theory of reaching agreements and current knowledge considering justice perceptions in child support cases, applied to the specific case of Belgium, which lacks a uniform system for child support determination. Using qualitative in‐depth interviews conducted with both ex‐partners of a parental dyad, we analyze which factors pertain to the perception of (un)fairness and how this links to the way an agreement was reached. We find that, apart from the enumeration system and the height of the child support award, characteristics of the agreement and the parents are also of importance in determining the perception of (un)fairness. Converging these findings with the theory of reaching agreements provides a typology from communal problem‐solving to unilateral yielding, which are linked to specific parental foci/motivations and bring forth own sources of fairness and unfairness. The results of this study are particularly useful for mediation strategies aimed at enhancing the perception of fairness and offers relevant insights for child support policies at large.
Evaluation of fracture toughness and residual stress in AISI 316L electron beam welds
Authors: Mokhtarishirazabad Mehdi , Simpson Chris , Kabra Saurabh , Horne Graeme , Palmer Iain , Moffat Andrew , Truman Christopher , Knowles David , Mostafavi Mahmoud
Published: April 2021

Weld residual stress and fracture behavior of 316L electron beam weldments, which are of particular interest in power generation industry, were investigated in this work. Two butt‐weld joints were manufactured in stainless steel 316L plates of 6 mm and 25.4 mm thicknesses. Three complementary methods were used to measure the three orthogonal components of the residual stress in the weld coupons, and fracture tests were conducted on single edge notched bending specimens extracted from different regions of the welds and parent metals.

The residual stress measurements showed a maximum value of 450 MPa in longitudinal direction, while it was less than 150 MPa in the other two orthogonal directions, revealing that in our material, and with the chosen weld parameters, the residual stresses were biaxial. The fracture resistance of the weldment and parent material was similar, with material microstructure differences being more significant than the measured residual stresses.

The study suggests that 316L electron beam weldments are not susceptible to fracture failure due to their high ductility and ability to relieve residual stresses through gross plasticity. Electron beam welding may therefore be suggested as a reliable manufacturing technology for safety critical 316L components.
NARRATIVE AND EMPATHY: THE 2015 ‘REFUGEE CRISIS’ IN VLADIMIR VERTLIB'S VIKTOR HILFT AND OLGA GRJASNOWA'S GOTT IST NICHT SCHÜCHTERN
Authors: Taberner Stuart
Published: April 2021

This article examines Vladimir Vertlib's Viktor hilft (2018) and Olga Grjasnowa's Gott ist nicht schüchtern (2017) in relation to the 2015 ‘refugee crisis’ and specifically the disillusionment of humanitarianism that has become evident in recent years following the war on terror, the 2008 economic crisis, the rise of popularism, and the rapid explosion of humanitarian need. In the main body of the article, it is argued that both novels engage critically with the long‐established motif of empathy as a foundation for humanitarian action, but that only Gott ist nicht schüchtern points to a way out of the disillusionment of humanitarianism by relativising European perspectives on the suffering of others (including repeated references to the Holocaust) and by encouraging the reader to think and act politically. Concretely, this means that the reader should focus on the political and moral responsibility of the state even towards non‐citizens and should agitate for the state's adherence to international conventions (e.g. the right to asylum). At the close of the article, Hannah Arendt is invoked, as is a possible definition of ‘ironic solidarity’ in literary texts dealing with the suffering of others.

Dieser Artikel untersucht Vladimir Vertlibs Viktor hilft (2018) und Olga Grjasnowas Gott ist nicht schüchtern (2017) in Bezug auf die Flüchtlingskrise von 2015 und spezifisch auf die Ernüchterung des Humanitarismus, die infolge des Krieges gegen den Terror, der Wirtschaftskrise von 2008, des Aufstiegs des Populismus und des rapide steigenden humanitären Bedarfs in Erscheinung getreten ist. Im Hauptteil des Artikels wird argumentiert, dass sich beide Romane – von zwei ansonsten sehr verschiedenen Autoren mit sowjetisch‐jüdischem Hintergrund – kritisch mit dem längst etablierten Motiv der Empathie als Grundlage für das humanitäre Handeln auseinandersetzen. Darüber hinaus bietet Gott ist nicht schüchtern aber auch einen möglichen Ausweg aus der Ernüchterung des Humanitarismus, indem der Roman die europäische Perspektive (inklusive wiederholter Verweise auf den Holocaust) auf das Leid fremder Menschen relativiert und den Leser dazu auffordert, anstatt von Empathie geleitet zu werden politisch zu denken und zu handeln. Konkret bedeutet dies, dass der Leser auf die politische und moralische Verantwortung westlicher Staaten auch gegenüber Nichtbürgern fokussieren und sich für die Befolgung konventionsrechtlicher Verpflichtungen mobilisieren soll. Im Schlussteil des Artikels wird auf Hannah Arendt hingewiesen sowie auf eine mögliche Definition einer ‘ironic solidarity’ in literarischen Texten, die fremdes Leid thematisieren.
POLEN ALS NEGATIVFOLIE FÜR SELBSTENTWÜRFE IN DER DEUTSCHSPRACHIGEN GEGENWARTSLITERATUR
Authors: Brandt Marion
Published: April 2021

This article demonstrates that in some contemporary German‐language novels Polish motifs serve as a foil for the negative projection of cultural self‐images. The image of Poles is stereotypical because it contains a high degree of generalisation and embodies world views – such as nationalism, anti‐Semitism, anti‐Romanyism, fundamentalism – which contradict the ideal self of being tolerant and open‐minded. The fictionalisation of historical and contemporary events in the works examined serves to demonise Poland, which, from the perspective of postcolonial theory, can be read as a mixture of legacy and modified continuation of the German colonial discourse on Poland.
Observation of Conditions Preceding Peak Indoor Air Volatile Organic Compound Concentrations in Vapor Intrusion Studies
Authors: Lutes Chris , Holton Chase , Schumacher Brian , Zimmerman John , Kondash Andrew , Truesdale Robert
Published: April 2021

Temporal and spatial variability of indoor air volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations can complicate vapor intrusion (VI) assessment and decision‐making. Indicators and tracers (I&T) of VI, such as differential temperature, differential pressure, and indoor radon concentration, are low‐cost lines of evidence to support sampling scheduling and interpretation of indoor air VOC sampling results. This study compares peak indoor air chlorinated VOC concentrations and I&T conditions before and during those peak events at five VI sites. The sites differ geographically and in their VI conceptual site models (CSM). Relative to site‐specific baseline values, the results show that cold or falling outdoor temperatures, rising cross slab differential pressures, and increasing indoor radon concentrations can predict peak VOC concentrations. However, cold outdoor air temperature was not useful at one site where elevated shallow soil temperature was a better predictor. Correlations of peak VOC concentrations to elevated or rising barometric pressure and low wind speed were also observed with some exceptions. This study shows how the independent variables that control or predict peak indoor air VOC concentrations are specific to building types, climates, and VI CSMs. More I&T measurements at VI sites are needed to identify scenario‐specific baseline and peak related I&T conditions to improve decision‐making.
Temporal Variability in an Industrial Building—Time Series and Machine Learning Analysis
Authors: Lutes MS Chris , Holbert PhD Charles , Tyagi PhD Aditya , Hallberg BS Keri , Lund PhD Loren , Lewis MS Travis
Published: April 2021

Information is lacking on the degree and causes of temporal variability of indoor air concentrations in industrial buildings. Vapor intrusion (VI) is controlled by multiple variables that interact on different time scales. Indoor concentrations are expected to display multiple periodicities—diurnal, seasonal, and others. An extensive dataset was analyzed using 6‐h time resolution for 6 continuous months including trichloroethylene (TCE), radon, differential pressure, barometric pressure, differential temperature, wind speed, and precipitation. The samples were collected in a sampling zone or compartment within a large industrial building near a point of volatile organic compound (VOC) release. The objectives for this project included assessing VOC temporal variability in an industrial building and evaluating whether using VI indicators/tracers, which are less costly and time intensive to measure, may be able to predict VOC concentrations. This paper reports descriptive, time series, and machine learning data analyses. At this location, radon was proven by far the most effective indicator or tracer for TCE VI. Both the time series and machine learning ranked barometric pressure as a more important influence on VI than temperature. Substantial autocorrelation and diurnal periodicity were observed in TCE concentrations.