bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of TPM and TQM practices on business performance: a multi-sector analysis
Authors: Sahoo Saumyaranjan
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide sector-specific empirical evidence on the comparative evaluation of total productive maintenance (TPM) and total quality management (TQM) approaches, implemented exclusively and collectively on improving manufacturing business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops a multi-sector analysis framework to comparatively assess the synergistic and standalone effect of TPM and TQM improvement approaches. A total of 231 manufacturing organizations from food and beverages, textiles and electrical and electronics sectors have been extensively surveyed. These firms were further clustered into TPM focus, TQM focus and integrated TPM×TQM on the basis of their primary manufacturing strategy. Comparative assessment of these three manufacturing approaches has been evaluated usingt-test statistics.

Findings

This paper highlights that adoption of integrated TPM×TQM approach is beneficial for food and beverages and electrical and electronics sectors. However, this supposition is rejected for firms operating in the textile sector.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this research are still exploratory. Future research using countrywide and cross-country approach can be undertaken to statistically generalize the findings of the present research. In-depth case studies are needed to further validate the findings of the study empirically.

Practical implications

The result of this study help managers and practitioners to make manufacturing strategic decision based on the nature of their operating business sector regarding adoption of TPM and TQM practices, which will further revive their firm’s competitiveness.

Originality/value

Every operating sector embraces a diversity of manufacturing activities based upon their competing priorities. This paper makes an attempt to present a multi-sectoral evaluation of joint implementation and effect of manufacturing programs.
Ranking of maintenance wastes present in Indian organizations (a statistical analysis)
Authors: Phogat Sandeep , Gupta Anil Kumar
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The maintenance department of today, like many other departments, is under sustained pressure to slash costs, show outcome and to support the assignments of the organization, as it is a commonsensical prospect from the business perspective. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to find out the wastes level present in maintenance and, after that, do the ranking of maintenance wastes currently present in the operations of Indian organizations with the help of a questionnaire survey.

Design/methodology/approach

For this, a database of 421 Indian industries was identified and a structured questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire was divided into two sections A and B to assist with data interpretation. The aim of section A was to build general information of participants and their position, type of organization, number of employees, annual turnover of the organization, etc. Section B was also a structured questionnaire developed based on a five-point Likert scale for assessing the level of maintenance wastes currently present in the maintenance.

Findings

Waste of inventory in terms of spare parts storage and obsolesce, etc., waste of rejects/rework/scrap in case of poor maintenance, waste of processing that leads to increases in maintenance and waste of overproduction/excessive maintenance activity has a high level of presence in the maintenance of Indian organizations and gets the top ranks in all the seven types of maintenance wastes.

Practical implications

This paper will be extremely useful for the researchers, maintenance professionals and others concerned with maintenance to understand the after effects of maintenance wastes in Indian industries.

Originality/value

These findings will be highly valuable for professionals relating to manufacturing sector desiring to implement effective maintenance approach in the maintenance management system.
Learning to become an academic in an SME
Authors: Christensen Bjarne
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how an academic graduate from the cross field between the humanities and the social sciences and blue-collar workers learns to scaffold knowing in a small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME).

Design/methodology/approach

A case study was conducted in an SME that employed the first academic graduate among the company’s blue-collar workers. The paper applies a practice-oriented theoretical framework to study scaffolding knowing among the workers.

Findings

An academic graduate does not necessarily apply subject-specific knowledge from his or her university education in the SME practice. Rather, general academic knowing and academic work practice is applied when scaffolding knowing in the SME. Further, this depends not only on the knowing of the academic graduate but also on his/her ability to apply knowing and the willingness to change in practice.

Research limitations/implications

The study is a single case study gaining in-depth insights into one particular case. This calls for more research.

Practical implications

The study points at the importance for managers and academic graduates in SMEs to foster learning activities and to be aware of and develop ways to integrate the general academic knowing.

Originality/value

The case study provides new insights into the concept of scaffolding knowing in practice theory. Further, it gains unique insights into the practical possibility of employing graduates from higher education in SMEs.
Effects of uses and gratifications on social media use
Authors: Hossain Md. Alamgir
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Billions of people around the world are experiencing new ways of interacting with people using the social networking sites (SNS). With the heavy traffic and technological capabilities, SNS offers remarkable gratifications to its users, but there is a lack of knowledge about how gratifications play a role in usage intention and whether there are other factors that influence this relationship. Therefore, this study aims to fulfill these research gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

To explore these issues in depth, this study conceptualizes a comprehensive framework based on the theory of uses and gratification (UGT), habit and the subjective norm. Structural equation model is used to analyze the survey data.

Findings

The results of the study reveal that UGT has a significant direct effect on usage intention. Furthermore, user habit and subjective norm play an important mediating role in the relationship between UGT and usage intention.

Originality/value

The proposed framework would extensively contribute to the SNS literature and managerial insights by integrating personal and social factors in determining the user acceptance of the media.
Sex‐specific patterns of senescence in Nazca boobies linked to mating system
Authors: Tompkins Emily M. , Anderson David J.
Published: February 2019

Under life‐history theories of ageing, increased senescence should follow relatively high reproductive effort. This expectation has rarely been tested against senescence varying between and within the two sexes, although such an approach may clarify the origins of sex‐specific ageing in the context of a given mating system.

Nazca boobies (Sula granti; a seabird) practise serial monogamy and biparental care. A male‐biased population sex ratio results in earlier and more frequent breeding by females. Based on sex‐specific reproductive schedules, females were expected to show faster age‐related decline for survival and reproduction. Within each sex, high reproductive effort in early life was expected to reduce late‐life performance and accelerate senescence.

Longitudinal data were used to (a) evaluate the sex specificity of reproductive and actuarial senescence and then (b) test for early‐/late‐life fitness trade‐offs within each sex. Within‐sex analyses inform an interpretation of sex differences in senescence based on costs of reproduction. Analyses incorporated individual heterogeneity in breeding performance and cohort‐level differences in early‐adult environments.

Females showed marginally more intense actuarial senescence and stronger age‐related declines for fledging success. The opposite pattern (earlier and faster male senescence) was found for breeding probability. Individual reproductive effort in early life positively predicted late‐life reproductive performance in both sexes and thus did not support a causal link between early‐reproduction/late‐life fitness trade‐offs and sex differences in ageing. A high‐quality diet in early adulthood reduced late‐life survival (females) and accelerated senescence for fledging success (males).

This study documents clear variation in ageing patterns—by sex, early‐adult environment and early‐adult reproductive effort—with implications for the role mating systems and early‐life environments play in determining ageing patterns. Absent evidence for a disposable soma mechanism, patterns of sex differences in senescence may result from age‐ and condition‐dependent mate choice interacting with this population's male‐biased sex ratio and mate rotation.
Thresholds in forest bird communities along woody vegetation gradients in the South American Dry Chaco
Authors: Macchi Leandro , Baumann Matthias , Bluhm Hendrik , Baker Matthew , Levers Christian , Grau Héctor Ricardo , Kuemmerle Tobias
Published: February 2019

World‐wide, tropical savannas and dry forests are under increasing pressure from land use. The environmental impacts of agricultural expansion into these ecosystems have received much attention, yet subtler changes in natural vegetation remain severely understudied.

We explored how bird communities vary along gradients of woody vegetation in the South American Dry Chaco by combining high‐resolution, satellite‐based tree, shrub and total woody cover with field data on the frequency of 82 bird species surveyed in 167 plots. We identified change points along woody cover gradients where the relative frequency of individual bird species dropped most strongly. Based on this, we identified forest indicator species and assessed evidence for community‐level thresholds.

Most forest birds (71%) had clear change points in their frequencies along vegetation gradients, starting as high as 38% total woody cover. Many (41%) forest species declined drastically at woody cover levels of less than 11%. This general pattern was similar for tree and shrub cover.

Only 7% of our study area had woody cover levels where we detected no response in forest bird communities. In contrast, 68% of the area had woody cover levels with incremental declines in forest bird species, and 25% of the study area had woody cover levels below the forest bird community threshold.

We identified 11 indicator species strongly related to woody cover, with highest frequencies in the eastern and western Dry Chaco. Spatial distributions of these species corresponded well with areas above and below woody vegetation thresholds.

Synthesis and applications. We found evidence for critical thresholds for forest birds along woody cover gradients in dry forests and implemented tools to map where these thresholds have been crossed. For the Chaco, we highlight the importance of maintaining woody cover levels above about 40%, such as in certain silvopastoral systems that can be much more wildlife‐friendly than other forms of agriculture. We identify remaining areas of potentially intact forest bird communities. More broadly, this study highlights the value of combining species‐level (indicator species' distributions) and ecosystem‐level (satellite‐based, continuous woody cover maps) surrogates for understanding biodiversity patterns and threats.
Content development, accessibility and feasibility of a self‐report tool for use in programmes serving youth with cognitive disabilities: The Participatory Experience Survey
Authors: Liljenquist Kendra , Kramer Jessica , Rossetti Zachary , Coster Wendy
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Participation in community‐based recreation and leisure activities may afford valuable opportunities to young people with cognitive disabilities (CD) to develop important self‐determination skills needed for success in adulthood. To evaluate whether these programmes are achieving their intended impact, it is important to have a tool that captures the perspective of the participants using an accessible method. This article describes the content development and evaluation of accessibility and feasibility of the Participatory Experience Survey (PES).

Method

Participant observation and focus group sessions were conducted in conjunction with a summer youth programme hosted by a special education advocacy organisation. Photos were used to guide identification of factors influencing both negative and positive experiences. Findings informed question content. Three groups of stakeholders, parents of youth with CD (Group 1), service providers (Group 2), and experts in cognitive disability and/or programme planning (Group 3) reviewed the PES to provide feedback on the relevance and accessibility of the measure. After stakeholder feedback was incorporated, cognitive interviewing was conducted with young people with CD to assess instrument accessibility and appropriateness for use in context.

Results

Youth described their participation in three categories: personal, social and environmental. Stakeholder Groups 1 and 2 identified 15 questions as needing revisions. Seven additional questions were added based on suggestions from stakeholder Group 3. Cognitive interviewing led to revision of 13 questions and removal of 16 questions due to issues related to vocabulary, item meaning, response bias, repetitiveness and length.

Conclusion

The PES has the potential to offer programmes a means to more fully include young people with disabilities in programme evaluations, leading to better‐structured, more supportive programmes. Additional validity and feasibility work is needed to confirm these initial findings.
Problematizing Urban Shit(ting): Representing Human Waste as a Problem
Authors: Oberg Angela
Published: February 2019

Shit(ting) as a problem is not an a priori position. It is made a problem through socially mediated discursive and non‐discursive practices. Problematizations of human waste promoted by formal governance institutions have dominated the conversation, while the ways in which slum residents experience shit(ting) as a problem receive considerably less attention. This article examines how human waste and its attendant practices are represented as a problem in Agra, India. Using Foucauldian‐based analysis, this research makes visible problematizations of urban shit(ting) and exposes the divergent logics employed by urban actors. Ethnographic interviews and document analysis reveal six ways in which various actors experience shit(ting) as a problem—as: (1) inconvenient; (2) dangerous; (3) contagion; (4) undignified; (5) polluting; (6) primitive. Inconvenience was the problematization invoked most frequently by slum residents, but never by governance groups, meaning that issues of inconvenience were absent from formal planning processes. This absence can, in part, be attributed to the toilet's ability to address multiple problems simultaneously. Findings from this research support the call to acknowledge the situatedness of urban inquiry through analysis of problematizations. In doing so, scholars and practitioners gain access to a more complete toolkit for developing and evaluating urban sewage initiatives.
Accumulation without Dispossession? Land Commodification and Rent Extraction in Peri‐urban China
Authors: Kan Karita
Published: February 2019

The urbanization of rural China is increasingly achieved not through physical land grabs but the strategic enrolment of rural communities in the commodification of land via speculative rentiership. This article critically examines this shift in approach from the deployment of extra‐economic force in state‐led land expropriations toward an increasing reliance on market mechanisms in land development. A case study, the construction of a financial district in peri‐urban Guangzhou, shows that the enrolment of village communities is achieved through their cooptation as corporatist market players in regimes of rent‐based accumulation. While the apparent use of voluntaristic market exchange has reduced the need for coercion, however, the commodification process has at the same time created new terrain for dispossessory practices whereby value is illicitly extracted and seized by elites through rent relations. The shift from overt land grabbing to more covert mechanisms of value appropriation has important implications for rural class relations and contentious politics.
Suseptibility of the Predatory Mite, Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae), to Seven Insecticides
Authors: Kim Dae Seon , Kim Sang Soo
Published: February 2019

Susceptibility of the predatory mite, Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), to the field rates of seven commercial insecticides was evaluated in laboratory bioassays. In direct treatments with lufenuron, novaluron, pyrifluquinazon, and sulfoxaflor, 82–88% of N. californicus adult females survived 168 h after exposure. Females exposed to these four insecticides produced 14–19% fewer eggs compared to females in the control group. Eclosion of eggs deposited by treated females was not affected. The percentage of eggs that hatched and larval survival following direct exposure to these four insecticides were not seriously reduced. A total of 72–82% of immature N. californicus survived on leaf discs with residues of lufenuron, novaluron, pyrifluquinazon, and sulfoxaflor matured to adults. Emamectin benzoate, lepimectin and spirotetramat were highly toxic to both N. californicus adult females and larvae. Based on these results, lufenuron, novaluron, pyrifluquinazon and sulfoxaflor are promising candidates for use in integrated pest management programs where N. californicus is a major natural enemy.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic lupus erythematosus based on a CSTAR‐PAH study: Baseline characteristics and risk factors
Authors: Zhang Na , Li Mengtao , Qian Junyan , Wang Qian , Zhao Jiuliang , Yang Zhenwen , Tian Zhuang , Zhang Xiao , Zuo Xiaoxia , Zhang Miaojia , Zhu Ping , Ye Shuang , Zhang Wei , Zheng Yi , Qi Wufang , Li Yang , Zhang Zhuoli , Ding Feng , Gu Jieruo , Liu Yi , Wei Wei , Zeng Xiaofeng
Published: February 2019

Aim

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a complex and devastating complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We sought to describe the baseline characteristics of right heart catheterization (RHC)‐confirmed SLE‐associated PAH and identify risk factors for PAH in SLE patients.

Methods

A multicenter, cross‐sectional study was conducted using the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group (CSTAR) registry. Baseline data for patients with SLE‐associated PAH and SLE patients without PAH were collected and compared. Risk factors for PAH among patients with SLE were identified.

Results

A total of 292 patients with SLE‐associated PAH were enrolled. RHC was used to reveal hemodynamic features, including mean pulmonary arterial pressure (46.2 ± 12.0 mm Hg), pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (7.84 ± 3.92 mm Hg), pulmonary vascular resistance (10.86 ± 5.57 Wood units), and cardiac index (2.77 ± 0.91 L/min × m2). A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serositis (odds ratio [OR] = 5.524, 95% CI 3.605‐8.465, P < 0.001), anti‐ribonucleoprotein (RNP) antibody positivity (OR = 13.332, 95% CI 9.500‐18.710, P < 0.001), and diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide in the lung (DLCO)/%Pred <70% (OR = 10.018, 95% CI 6.619‐15.162, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of PAH. We recommend using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to perform early screening of SLE patients who have serositis, anti‐RNP antibody positivity, or DLCO/%Pred <70%. RHC is suggested for patients suspected of having PAH. Once a diagnosis of SLE‐PAH is confirmed, evaluation and treatment should immediately begin.

Conclusion

Overall, we recommend performing early screening using TTE in SLE patients with serositis, anti‐RNP antibodies, or a DLCO/%Pred <70%, even for patients in a relatively stable condition according to SLE disease activity index.
Negotiating Colonial Violence: Spaces of Precarisation in Palestine
Authors: Joronen Mikko
Published: February 2019

This paper examines the ways in which colonial violence is transformed and spatialised into negotiated precarities at the occupied Palestine. The notion of “negotiated precarity” is developed herein, to refer to two aspects in particular. First, to spatial compartmentalisation, which shows how the settler colonial power operates by creating precarious administrative zones, where the life of the colonised becomes prone to several flexible, negotiated uses of power. Second, negotiated precarity is used to refer to the conduct of the colonised that counters, transforms, redirects, cancels or hampers the colonial spatialisations of power. By focusing on the “negotiated precarities” in a singular West Bank village, I exemplify how the colonial governing is entwined with spatial compartments that enable several informal, indirect and ad hoc techniques of colonial violence, but also how the colonial governing is constantly mobilised, negotiated, countered and redirected in/through the everyday Palestinian spaces.
Early haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus does not predict future persistence in extremely preterm infants
Authors: Olsson Karl Wilhelm , Jonzon Anders , Sindelar Richard
Published: February 2019

Aim

We assessed whether early haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) predicted persistent patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in extremely preterm infants.

Methods

This prospective observational study of 60 infants born at 22–27 weeks of gestational age (GA) without any major congenital anomalies or heart defects was conducted at Uppsala University Children's Hospital from November 2012 to May 2015. Respiratory and systemic circulatory parameters were continuously recorded, and echocardiographic examinations performed daily during the first three days of life. Pharmacological treatment was initiated if hsPDA was found on days two to seven. Persistent PDA was diagnosed if hsPDA remained after pharmacological treatment or pharmacological treatment was contraindicated.

Results

The infants (56% male) had a median GA of 25 + 2 weeks and 50% received pharmacological treatment. PDA was persistent in 30% and ultimately closed or insignificant in 70%. hsPDA on days two to seven was not associated with future persistent PDA (p = 1.000). Mechanical ventilation (p = 0.025), high mean airway pressure (p = 0.020) and low ductal maximal flow velocity (Vmax) (p = 0.024) on day two were associated with future persistent PDA.

Conclusion

Early hsPDA did not predict persistent PDA, but the early need for assisted ventilation and low ductal Vmax were associated with future persistent PDA in these extremely preterm infants.
Determinants of neurodevelopment in early childhood – results from the Copenhagen prospective studies on asthma in childhood (COPSAC2010) mother–child cohort
Authors: Bjarnadóttir Elín , Stokholm Jakob , Chawes Bo , Thorsen Jonathan , Mora‐Jensen Anna‐Rosa Cecilie , Deleuran Maja , Bønnelykke Klaus , Lauritzen Lotte , Bisgaard Hans
Published: February 2019

Aim

The objective of this study was to identify possible pre‐ and postnatal factors influencing neurodevelopment of the young child.

Methods

We used data from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 (COPSAC2010) mother–child cohort, but excluded those with a neurological diagnosis, born <37 weeks of gestation and birthweights <2500 g, resulting in 650 children analysed. Neurodevelopment was assessed as age of achievement of early milestones, language scores at 1 and 2 years and cognitive score at 2 ½ years of age.

Results

Neurodevelopmental scores were not associated with breastfeeding, persistent wheeze, eczema and number of sick days (p > 0.05 in all tests). Early age at milestone achievement was associated with male sex (p = 0.05), lower maternal age (p = 0.02), higher gestational age (p < 0.001) and paternity leave (p = 0.01). A higher 1‐year language score was associated with female sex (p = 0.02) and maternal smoking during pregnancy (p = 0.01) and a higher 2‐year language score with female sex (p < 0.001) and being first born (p = 0.01). A higher cognitive score was associated with female sex (p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Neurodevelopmental scores were unrelated to breastfeeding, persistent wheeze, eczema and number of sick days. Neurodevelopment in early childhood was mostly associated with gender.
Chlamydia pneumoniae enhances Interleukin 8 (IL‐8) production with reduced azithromycin sensitivity under hypoxia
Authors: Matsuo Junji , Sakai Kohei , Okubo Torahiko , Yamaguchi Hiroyuki
Published: February 2019

Obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae causes respiratory tract infections such as community‐acquired pneumonia. During infection, C. pneumoniae induces inflammatory responses in host cells and the oxygen concentration at the infection sites subsequently decreases. Because hypoxic conditions influence further inflammatory responses and reduced antibacterial effects, this may exacerbate the C. pneumoniae infection. Here, we show inflammatory responses and drug sensitivity in C. pneumoniae‐infected cells under hypoxic conditions. First, we confirmed the enhanced growth of C. pneumoniae under hypoxia, which indicates that the hypoxic condition we used could adequately reproduce past reports. We then demonstrated a significant increase in production of the pro‐inflammatory cytokine Interleukin 8 (IL‐8) in C. pneumoniae‐infected cells under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, hypoxia decreased the antibacterial effects of azithromycin against C. pneumoniae compared with normoxic conditions. Together, our data suggest that inflammatory responses and drug sensitivity may have been underestimated in C. pneumoniae infection in previous studies. Thus, to accurately understand the Chlamydia infection, it may be necessary to perform in vitro experiments under hypoxic conditions.
Editorial: redrawing the boundaries for surgical intervention in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Stutchfield Benjamin M. , Powell James J.
Published: February 2019

Linked Content

This article is linked to Wang et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15074 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15142.
Editorial: quality of life and mortality in cirrhosis and ascites
Authors: O’Carroll Ronan
Published: February 2019

Linked Content

This article is linked to Macdonald et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15084.
Letter: anxiety after coeliac disease diagnosis predicts mucosal healing—a population‐based study. Authors’ reply
Authors: Emilsson Louise , Ludvigsson Jonas F.
Published: February 2019

Linked Content

This article is linked to Ludvigsson et al and Kilincalp and Haji papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14991 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15110.
Editorial: identifying candidates for pegylated interferon add‐on to entecavir therapy in patients with HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B – authors' reply
Authors: Liem Kin Seng , Janssen Harry L. A.
Published: February 2019

Linked Content

This article is linked to Liem et al and Peng papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15098 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15136.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of voxelotor (GBT440) in healthy adults and patients with sickle cell disease
Authors: Hutchaleelaha Athiwat , Patel Mira , Washington Carla , Siu Vincent , Allen Elizabeth , Oksenberg Donna , Gretler Daniel D. , Mant Timothy , Lehrer‐Graiwer Josh
Published: February 2019

Aims

Voxelotor (previously GBT440) is a haemoglobin (Hb) modulator that increases Hb‐oxygen affinity, thereby reducing Hb polymerization and sickling of red blood cells (RBCs), being developed as a once‐daily oral drug to treat sickle cell disease (SCD). This first‐in‐human study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of voxelotor in healthy volunteers and SCD patients.

Methods

A total of 40 healthy volunteers (100, 400, 1000, 2000 or 2800 mg) and 8 SCD patients (1000 mg) were randomly assigned to a single dose of voxelotor once daily (n = 6 per group) or placebo (n = 2 per group). Twenty‐four healthy volunteers received multiple doses of voxelotor once daily for 15 days (300, 600 or 900 mg, n = 6 per group) or placebo (n = 2 per group).

Results

Voxelotor was well tolerated and exhibited a linear pharmacokinetic profile and a half‐life ranging from 61 ± 7 h to 85 ± 7 h. High partitioning into the RBC compartment provides evidence of highly specific binding to Hb. Voxelotor exhibited a concentration‐dependent left‐shift of oxygen equilibrium curves. Percent Hb modification following 900 mg voxelotor for 15 days was 38 ± 9%. Terminal half‐life of voxelotor in SCD patients (50 ± 3 h) was shorter than in healthy volunteers. Evaluation of erythropoietin, exercise testing, and haematologic parameters were consistent with normal oxygen delivery during both rest and exercise.

Conclusion

This first‐in‐human study demonstrates voxelotor was well tolerated in SCD patients and healthy volunteers and established proof of mechanism on increasing Hb‐oxygen affinity.
Pedagogical approaches for e‐assessment with authentication and authorship verification in Higher Education
Authors: Okada Alexandra , Noguera Ingrid , Alexieva Lyubka , Rozeva Anna , Kocdar Serpil , Brouns Francis , Ladonlahti Tarja , Whitelock Denise , Guerrero‐Roldán Ana‐Elena
Published: February 2019

Checking the identity of students and authorship of their online submissions is a major concern in Higher Education due to the increasing amount of plagiarism and cheating using the Internet. The literature on the effects of e‐authentication systems for teaching staff is very limited because it is a novel procedure for them. A considerable gap is to understand teaching staff' views regarding the use of e‐authentication instruments and how they impact trust in e‐assessment. This mixed‐method study examines the concerns and practices of 108 teaching staff who used the TeSLA—Adaptive Trust‐based e‐Assessment System in six countries: the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Finland and Turkey. The findings revealed some technological, organisational and pedagogical issues related to accessibility, security, privacy and e‐assessment design and feedback. Recommendations are to provide a FAQ and an audit report with results, to raise awareness about data security and privacy, to develop policies and guidelines about fraud detection and prevention, e‐assessment best practices and course team support.
The Commons as Colonisation – The Well‐Intentioned Appropriation of Buen Vivir
Authors: ALTMANN PHILIPP
Published: February 2019

The discussions on alternatives to capitalism led to an interest in other cultures with different ways of managing property. Concepts such as Buen Vivir are (re‐)discovered and integrated into discourses run mainly by the Global North. This implies an invisibilisation and colonisation of movements, organisations, and people as political actors. This will be traced with the case of Buen Vivir (Sumak Kawsay) in Ecuador, a political concept of indigenous organisations in the Amazon that was taken over by ecologist intellectuals and introduced in discussions on commons and degrowth. Thus, the concept was essentialised and the actors and their fights were invisibilised
Child care subsidy and child maltreatment
Authors: Yang Mi‐Youn , Maguire‐Jack Kathryn , Showalter Kathryn , Kim Youn Kyoung , Slack Kristen Shook
Published: February 2019

This study examined the relationship between receipt of child care subsidies and child maltreatment investigations in a sample of low‐income mothers in Illinois. We expected that receiving child care subsidies would have a protective effect on child maltreatment risk and therefore decrease the likelihood of child protective services investigations. Using structural equation modelling, we tested the direct and indirect paths of the receipt of child care subsidies to physical abuse or neglect. We found only direct effects of receiving child care subsidies on both physical abuse and neglect investigations. The findings suggest an important protective role of child care subsidies in the lives of low‐income families.
Hormone replacement therapies, oral contraceptives, reproductive factors and colorectal adenoma risk: a systematic review and dose–response meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Song J. , Jin Z. , Han H. , Li M. , Guo Y. , Guo H. , Guo W. , He J.
Published: February 2019

Aim

The association between the use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or other reproductive factors and the risk of colorectal adenoma (CRA) remains controversial. Our study aimed to review the evidence by conducting a dose–response meta‐analysis to investigate this association.

Methods

We searched PubMed and Embase databases for relevant studies published until May 2017. Traditional and dose–response meta‐analyses were conducted. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness of the results. Cumulative meta‐analysis was used to assess the risk of different oral contraceptive formulations or generations.

Results

A total of 19 observational studies, with 21 923 CRA cases and 1 030 711 participants, were included in the meta‐analysis. Ever HRT use showed a potential inverse association with CRA risk [relative risk (RR) 0.83, 95% CI 0.70–1.00]. The dose–response meta‐analysis further demonstrated that HRT use could reduce CRA risk. Compared with no HRT use, the predicted RRs were 0.82 (95% CI 0.67–0.99), 0.76 (95% CI 0.59–0.98) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.62–0.96) for 3, 6 and 9 years of HRT use, respectively. All other factors were not statistically significantly associated with CRA risk.

Conclusions

This study indicated that only HRT use might reduce the risk of developing CRA. Any advice regarding HRT use to prevent CRA should be tailored to the individual risks and potential benefits. Large, well‐designed prospective studies with long‐term follow‐up are required to further clarify the aetiology of CRA.
The bacterial community associated with adult vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) in UK populations growing on strawberry is dominated by Candidatus Nardonella
Authors: Morera‐Margarit Pilar , Bulgarelli Davide , Pope Tom W. , Graham Robert I. , Mitchell Carolyn , Karley Alison J.
Published: February 2019

Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), commonly known as black vine weevil or simply vine weevil, is an important pest of soft fruit and ornamental crops. This species is endemic to temperate areas of Europe but has spread to many other areas over the last century, including North America and Australasia. The ability of vine weevils to adapt to such different environments is difficult to reconcile with the parthenogenetic reproduction strategy, which is likely to underpin a low genetic diversity. It is therefore tempting to hypothesize that weevil adaptation to different environments is mediated, at least partly, by the microbial communities inhabiting these insects. As a first step towards testing this hypothesis we characterized the composition of the bacterial microbiota in weevils from populations feeding on strawberry plants across four geographically separate locations in the UK. We performed 16S rRNA gene Illumina amplicon sequencing, generating 2 882 853 high‐quality reads. Ecological indices, namely Chao1 and Shannon, revealed that the populations used for this study harboured a low diversity and an uneven bacterial microbiota. Furthermore, β‐diversity analysis failed to identify a clear association between microbiota composition and location. Notably, a single operational taxonomic unit phylogenetically related to Candidatus Nardonella accounted for 81% of the total sequencing reads for all tested insects. Our results indicate that vine weevil bacterial microbiota resembles that of other insects as it has low diversity and it is dominated by few taxa. A prediction of this observation is that location per se may not be a determinant of the microbiota inhabiting weevil populations. Rather, other or additional selective pressures, such as the plant species used as a food source, ultimately shape the weevil bacterial microbiota. Our results will serve as a reference framework to investigate other or additional hypotheses aimed at elucidating vine weevil adaptation to its environment.
Local grassland restoration affects insect communities
Authors: Luong Justin C. , Turner Patrick L. , Phillipson Celina N. , Seltmann Katja C.
Published: February 2019

1. It is hypothesised that ecological restoration in
grasslands can induce an alternative stable state shift in vegetation. The change in vegetation influences insect community assemblages and allows for greater functional redundancy in pollination and refuge for native insect species.

2. Insect community assemblages at eight coastal California grassland sites were evaluated. Half of these sites had undergone restoration through active revegetation of native grassland flora and half were non‐restored. Insects were collected from Lupinus bicolor (Fabaceae) within 2 × 2‐m2 plots in spring 2017. Lupinus bicolor is a common native species that is used in California restoration projects, and home and state landscaping projects.

3. Ordination demonstrated that insect community assemblages were different between restored and non‐restored sites. These differences were seen in insect functional groups as well as taxa‐specific differences and were found to be driven by environmental characteristics such as non‐native forb cover.

4. Functional redundancy of herbivores decreased at restored sites, while pollinators became more redundant compared with non‐restored sites. The assemblages of the common species found at restoration sites contained more native insects than those found at non‐restored sites, including species such as Bombus vosnesenskii.

5. Local grassland restoration has the potential to induce an alternative stable state change and affect insect community assemblages. Additionally, it was found that grassland restoration can be a potential conservation tool to provide refugia for bumblebees (Bombus), but additional studies are required to fully understand its broader applicability.
Why do Pheidole oxyops (Forel, 1908) ants place feathers around their nests?
Authors: Gomes Inácio J. M. T. , Santiago Diogo F. , Campos Ricardo I. , Vasconcelos Heraldo L.
Published: February 2019

1. The ant species Pheidole oxyops (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) has the particular behaviour of placing feathers along the edge of entrances to its nests. Here two hypotheses concerning this behaviour were tested: (i) P. oxyops, due to its essentially carnivore diet and particular nest structure (which acts as pitfall traps), uses feathers to enhance the capture of arthropods; and (ii) P. oxyops uses feathers as a strategy for obtaining water, as feathers could act as retainers of night moisture.

2. To test the first hypothesis, two plots with 20 pitfall traps were established, and inside each plot feathers were placed around half of these traps. It was expected that pitfall traps with feathers would collect a larger number of individuals and species of arthropods. To test the second hypothesis, all feathers were removed from 28 nests and water was supplied (wet cotton balls) to half of these nests. It was expected that colonies with access to an artificial water source would collect fewer feathers than control colonies.

3. Only the first hypothesis was supported. Our results indicate that feathers have the potential to enhance prey capture by P. oxyops providing the colonies with a more diverse and abundant diet. The ants' habit of placing feathers around the nest, which can be considered as a low‐cost foraging strategy, could be particularly important during periods of low food resource availability.
Migratory gauntlets on oceanic islands: Watershed disturbance increases the cost of amphidromy
Authors: Hain Ernie F. , Moody Kristine N. , Lamphere Bradley A. , Nelson Stacy A. C. , McIntyre Peter B. , Gilliam James F. , Blum Michael J.
Published: February 2019

Migratory fishes can be threatened by conditions encountered along dispersal pathways that impede access to feeding or breeding grounds. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that amphidromous fishes are equally or more sensitive to conditions along dispersal pathways than conditions in primary residential habitats. We did so by conducting distribution‐wide population surveys of all five amphidromous gobies native to the Hawaiian Islands to assess responses to in‐stream habitat, invasive species and watershed land use. We used Redundancy Analyses to assess whether goby densities varied according to local, downstream or upstream conditions. We found that population densities of the two non‐climbing species (Eleotris sandwicensis, Stenogobius hawaiiensis) varied according to local land use and local habitat conditions. Greater densities of E. sandwicensis also were found in watersheds with greater forest cover upstream of survey sites. Lower densities of two species that migrate farther inland (Awaous stamineus, Sicyopterus stimpsoni) were observed in watersheds with greater anthropogenic land use downstream or at the stream mouth. Population densities of E. sandwicensis and both Sicydiine species (Lentipes concolor, S. stimpsoni) also were lower when non‐native Poeciliids were locally present or present downstream in the watershed. These findings suggest that densities of native Hawaiian amphidromous fishes are equally or more sensitive to conditions along migratory pathways relative to conditions in primary residential habitats. Thus, alleviating pressures by removing invasive species and restoring habitat along dispersal pathways could be effective approaches to increasing densities of amphidromous species, especially those that migrate farther inland to higher elevations.
Converness: Ontology‐driven conversational awareness and context understanding in multimodal dialogue systems
Authors: Meditskos Georgios , Kontopoulos Efstratios , Vrochidis Stefanos , Kompatsiaris Ioannis
Published: February 2019

Dialogue‐based systems often consist of several components, such as communication analysis, dialogue management, domain reasoning, and language generation. In this paper, we present Converness, an ontology‐driven, rule‐based framework to facilitate domain reasoning for conversational awareness in multimodal dialogue‐based agents. Converness uses Web Ontology Language 2 (OWL 2) ontologies to capture and combine the conversational modalities of the domain, for example, deictic gestures and spoken utterances, fuelling conversational topic understanding, and interpretation using description logics and rules. At the same time, defeasible rules are used to couple domain and user‐centred knowledge to further assist the interaction with end users, facilitating advanced conflict resolution and personalised context disambiguation. We illustrate the capabilities of the framework through its integration into a multimodal dialogue‐based agent that serves as an intelligent interface between users (elderly, caregivers, and health experts) and an ambient assistive living platform in real home settings.
Architecture and implementation of a smart‐pregnancy monitoring system using web‐based application
Authors: Santur Yunus , Santur Sinem Güven , Karaköse Mehmet
Published: February 2019

Today, people use web‐based technologies to meet their information needs, socialise, communicate, and deal with formal and informal processes. At the same time, mobile versions of these applications provide people with great convenience in daily life. These applications include blood‐pressure monitors, blood‐glucose monitors, body‐analysis scales, pulse oximeters, and activity and sleep trackers. Many of these products sync directly with a free mobile app that makes monitoring, viewing, storing, and sharing of health vitals simple and comprehensive. The data collected from the user is stored in a cloud‐based application, then trained by intelligent algorithms that use machine learning for health aims so that the user can instantly see his or her status and development. In this study, the aim was to construct a cloud‐based application specific to women for monitoring pregnancy. In the web‐based application working with membership logic, members can access machine learning assisted calculators of the baby percentile, period tracker, pregnancy calendar, and baby vaccination schedule. Moreover, they can access augmented/virtual‐reality‐assisted visual training.
Range size and growth temperature influence Eucalyptus species responses to an experimental heatwave
Authors: Aspinwall Michael J. , Pfautsch Sebastian , Tjoelker Mark G. , Vårhammar Angelica , Possell Malcolm , Drake John E. , Reich Peter B. , Tissue David T. , Atkin Owen K. , Rymer Paul D. , Dennison Siobhan , Van Sluyter Steven C.
Published: February 2019

Understanding forest tree responses to climate warming and heatwaves is important for predicting changes in tree species diversity, forest C uptake, and vegetation–climate interactions. Yet, tree species differences in heatwave tolerance and their plasticity to growth temperature remain poorly understood. In this study, populations of four Eucalyptus species, two with large range sizes and two with comparatively small range sizes, were grown under two temperature treatments (cool and warm) before being exposed to an equivalent experimental heatwave. We tested whether the species with large and small range sizes differed in heatwave tolerance, and whether trees grown under warmer temperatures were more tolerant of heatwave conditions than trees grown under cooler temperatures. Visible heatwave damage was more common and severe in the species with small rather than large range sizes. In general, species that showed less tissue damage maintained higher stomatal conductance, lower leaf temperatures, larger increases in isoprene emissions, and less photosynthetic inhibition than species that showed more damage. Species exhibiting more severe visible damage had larger increases in heat shock proteins (HSPs) and respiratory thermotolerance (Tmax). Thus, across species, increases in HSPs and Tmax were positively correlated, but inversely related to increases in isoprene emissions. Integration of leaf gas‐exchange, isoprene emissions, proteomics, and respiratory thermotolerance measurements provided new insight into mechanisms underlying variability in tree species heatwave tolerance. Importantly, warm‐grown seedlings were, surprisingly, more susceptible to heatwave damage than cool‐grown seedlings, which could be associated with reduced enzyme concentrations in leaves. We conclude that species with restricted range sizes, along with trees growing under climate warming, may be more vulnerable to heatwaves of the future.