bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties of a one-dimensional Mn2+ complex constructed from (+)-dibenzoyltartaric acid and 2,2′-bipyridine
Authors: Jiao Yuan , Jin Fu-Ning , Feng Si-Si , Wang Ai , Englert Ulli
Published: October 2021

The self-assembly reaction of (+)-dibenzoyltartaric acid (D-H2DBTA) with 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) and Mn(CH3CO2)2·4H2O yielded a new coordination polymer, namely, catena-poly[[[diaqua(2,2′-bipyridine-κ2
N,N′)manganese(II)]-μ-2,3-bis(benzoyloxy)butanedioato-κ2
O
2:O
3] dihydrate], {[Mn(C18H12O8)(C10H8N2)(H2O)2]·2H2O}
n
or {[Mn(DBTA)(bpy)(H2O)2]·2H2O}
n
, (I). Complex (I) has been characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P212121. In the complex, the Mn2+ cation displays a distorted octahedral {MnO4N2} geometry, formed from two carboxylate O atoms of two DBTA2− ligands, two cis-oriented N atoms from one chelating 2,2′-bipyridine ligand and two trans-oriented O atoms from coordinated water molecules. The polymer displays a 1D chain with an Mn...Mn distance of 9.428 (1) Å. Due to the presence of flexible polycarboxylate and rigid bipyridyl ligands in the molecular structure, a high thermal stability of the complex is attained. The magnetic properties of (I) were analyzed based on the mononuclear Mn2+ model due to the long intramolecular Mn...Mn distance. The zero field splitting (ZFS) contribution in the high-spin Mn2+ cation is almost negligible and there are weak antiferromagnetic couplings between 1D chains [zJ′ = −0.062 (5) cm−1], corresponding to an intermolecular Mn...Mn distance of 7.860 (2) Å.
Nanocrystalline protein domains via salting-out
Authors: Greene Daniel G. , Modla Shannon , Sandler Stanley I. , Wagner Norman J. , Lenhoff Abraham M.
Published: October 2021

Protein salting-out is a well established phenomenon that in many cases leads to amorphous structures and protein gels, which are usually not considered to be useful for protein structure determination. Here, microstructural measurements of several different salted-out protein dense phases are reported, including of lysozyme, ribonuclease A and an IgG1, showing that salted-out protein gels unexpectedly contain highly ordered protein nanostructures that assemble hierarchically to create the gel. The nanocrystalline domains are approximately 10–100 nm in size, are shown to have structures commensurate with those of bulk crystals and grow on time scales in the order of an hour to a day. Beyond revealing the rich, hierarchical nanoscale to mesoscale structure of protein gels, the nanocrystals that these phases contain are candidates for structural biology on next-generation X-ray free-electron lasers, which may enable the study of biological macromolecules that are difficult or impossible to crystallize in bulk.
Effect of advertising spending on operating and market performance of banks: empirical evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Molla Md. Ibrahim , Rahaman Md. Kayes Bin
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to empirically explore the economic effect of advertising spending on the performance of banks on a sample consisting of all banks listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange over the period spanning from 2011 to 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

A dynamic panel data autoregressive approach of two-step system generalized method of moments (2-SGMM) estimation technique has been adopted in this study to analyze the contemporary and carryover effect of advertising on the financial performance of banks.

Findings

The findings indicate that advertising expenditure boosts banks' accounting returns but not their market value. Furthermore, advertising has a negative carryover effect on the financial performance of banks and is statistically significant for operating profit and return on equity. This finding demonstrates that the economic benefits of advertising expenditure lapse entirely within the current period and ought to be treated as an expense since it does not bring any future return for the banks in Bangladesh. In addition, this paper also offers no critical contrast between the impact of advertising spending on the performance of both conventional and Islamic banks operating in Bangladesh.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study so far has looked into the effect of advertising on the profitability and the market value of the banks operating in Bangladesh, and this is the first study that explores this relationship.
Nurturing organisational resilience through knowledge management: a qualitative inquiry of parastatals
Authors: Mafabi Samuel , Kabagambe Francis Comet
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper makes a qualitative inquiry about how organisational resilience can be nurtured through knowledge management practices in parastatals to cope with environmental challenges. The paper identifies parastatal challenges and organisational resilience mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

A phenomenological paradigm through conversational discourse is used to investigate the building of organisational resilience. Twelve cases are covered to provide data that is interpretively analysed using direct quotes, causal-effect matrix and vignette.

Findings

There are various phenomenological knowledge management practices like knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, knowledge creation, knowledge storage and retrieval that are undertaken to cope with certain organisational challenges which this study identified. Organisational resilience mechanisms are reported.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by a convenient sample and interview subjectivity as well as a small part of the public sector that was studied.

Practical implications

Organisations should design an appropriate knowledge management system to acquire, create, share, store and retrieve knowledge as a critical resource for building organisational resilience mechanisms.

Originality/value

This study makes a contribution to the body of knowledge about how phenomenologically public organisations develop resilience mechanisms through knowledge management practices.
Preserving the history of Birmingham Black Radio: a discussion of preservation, outreach and collaboration
Authors: Riter Robert Barnet , Friedman Bob , McDade Kimberly , Hirschy Jeff
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The Birmingham Black Radio Museum (BBRM) is a community museum and archives located in Birmingham, Alabama (USA) dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of Black radio. The BBRM fulfills this mission through educational programming, providing access to physical and digital materials and supporting emerging curatorial professionals. Through a reflective analysis of the BBRM, the authors discuss the relationship between preservation, public programming and professional outreach, the partnerships that enable these functions and how conceptions of community responsibility have informed the organization’s management strategy. The BBRM provides a context for isolating the factors which inform the emergence of community memory institutions, the challenges associated with managing decentralized information environments and considers how mentorship can operate as a form of capacity building. An examination of the BBRM provides a view of one institution’s approach to engaging community partners and audiences in achieving its primary goal of documentary preservation.

Design/methodology/approach

This analysis is informed by historical, case study and autoethnographic methods. Emphasis is placed on examining BBRM’s historical origins, primary functions and community mandates. Specific attention is given to examining operations, resources and strategies. Commentary and discussion are grounded by the professional experiences of BBRM staff and collaborators.

Findings

The operations of the BBRM, and the experiences reported by BBRM staff, are similar to those documented by findings in the community archives and museums literatures. Community mandates and institutional identify have strongly informed the BBRM’s mandates, strategies for engaging the public and establishment of strategic partnerships.

Originality/value

This reflective analysis documents the operations of one specific community memory institution. Though the experiences documented in this paper are common to many community archives and museums, this study contributes an additional data point, further contributing to the body of evidence necessary to support a more nuanced understanding of the role and function of community memory institutions and their management.
Search for identity in the process of new architectural design in changing historical city Centre of Setif, Algeria
Authors: Rania Mechiche , Hamza Zeghlache
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the involvement of the concept of city identity in the design process of urban densification and outline how can today's urban projects be able to reinforce the delicate balance between conservation, development management and sustainability objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on case study approach, this paper focus on “Park Mall and Four Point Hotel” project, located in the historic city centre of Setif (Algeria) and takes the procedure of designing as its conceptual framework. Following this, it explores genesis document of the project and assesses architect's choices attributed to six elements of architectural language. These elements are apprehended regarding their relevance, which depends on whether the new building is or not compatible/integrated with the existing environment, and how far does it reinvent the modern vision.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insight about how the concept of identity is used during the design process of densification project. It argues that this latter consists on a dynamic process shaped by cultural, socioeconomic and institutional specificities applying local/global design precedents, multifunctionality concept and novel features in a tourism-oriented mindset and to still maintain and improve the specific identity of the city centre, thus becoming an active way to reconcile conservation, sustainability and development management objectives.

Originality/value

This paper raises discussion on how the concept of city identity could renew the field of heritage conservation and development management. Therefore, it fulfils an identified need to study how can urban projects reconcile conservation, development management and sustainability objectives.
Predicting Korea’ business-cycle regimes using OnBid auction data
Authors: Kim Jin Gi , Lee Hyun-Tak , Jang Bong-Gyu
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper examines whether the successful bid rate of the OnBid public auction, published by Korea Asset Management Corporation, can identify and forecast the Korea business-cycle expansion and contraction regimes characterized by the OECD reference turning points. We use logistic regression and support vector machine in performing the OECD regime classification and predicting three-month-ahead regime. We find that the OnBid auction rate conveys important information for detecting the coincident and future regimes because this information might be closely related to deleveraging regarding default on debt obligations. This finding suggests that corporate managers and investors could use the auction information to gauge the regime position in their decision-making. This research has an academic significance that reveals the relationship between the auction market and the business-cycle regimes.
Comparative study of personal data protection regulations in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Malaysia
Authors: Sudarwanto Al Sentot , Kharisma Dona Budi Budi
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is two-fold: to explore the legal issue of the importance of personal data protection in the digital economy sector and to propose a legal framework for personal data protection as a consumer protection strategy and accelerate the digital economy.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is legal research. The research approach used was the comparative approach and statute approach. The legal materials used are all regulations regarding personal data protection that apply in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The technique of collecting legal materials is done by using library research techniques.

Findings

The value of Indonesia’s digital economy is the biggest in the Southeast Asia region, but data breach is still a big challenge to face. The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia) recorded 54 cases of a data breach in e-commerce, 27 cases in peer-to-peer lending and 5 cases in electronic money. Based on the results of a comparative study with Hong Kong and Malaysia, Indonesia has yet no specific Act that comprehensively regulates personal data protection. Indonesia also does not have a personal data protection commission. Criminal sanctions and civil claims related to data breaches have not yet been regulated.

Research limitations/implications

This study examines the data breach problem in the Indonesian digital economy sector. However, the legal construction of personal data protection regulations is built on the results of a comparative study with Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Practical implications

The results of this study can be useful for constructing the ideal regulation regarding the protection of personal data in the digital economy sector.

Social implications

The results of the recommendations in this study are expected to develop and strengthen the protection of personal data in the Indonesian digital economy sector. Besides aiming to prevent the misuse of personal data, the regulation aims to protect consumers and accelerate the growth of the digital economy.

Originality/value

Indonesia needs to create a personal data protection act. The act should at least cover such issues: personal data protection principles; types of personal data; management of personal data; mechanism of personal data protection and security; commission of personal data protection; transfers of personal data; resolution mechanism of personal data dispute and criminal sanctions and civil claims.
Exploring the impacts of network mechanisms on knowledge sharing and extra-role behavior
Authors: Liao Chien Hsiang
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to not only develop measurements of preferential attachment and homophily mechanisms based on their definitions and network theory but also examine the associations among these network mechanisms, community commitment, knowledge sharing and community citizenship behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 250 valid questionnaires are collected to examine the hypothesized associations. These hypotheses are examined by using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings reveal both mechanisms are beneficial to develop new entrants’ emotional attachment to a virtual community, thereby motivating knowledge sharing and community altruistic behavior. The results contribute some practical and theoretical implications that are very helpful for the conceptualization of network mechanisms, community development, relationship management and incentives for extra-role behavior.

Originality/value

The literature on the link between network selection mechanisms and knowledge sharing remains unknown. This study is the pioneer to disclose this unknown association and examine the impacts of preferential attachment and homophily network mechanisms.
Emotional intelligence and work engagement: a serial mediation model
Authors: George Olusoji James , Okon Samuel Essien , Akaighe Godbless
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a vital role in work and non-work outcomes. Gaps exist in the role of contextual factor (i.e. perceived organisational support, POS) and personal resource (i.e. psychological capital, PsyCap) in investigating employees’ EI. This current research draws on the cognitive–motivational–reactional theory of emotions and conservation of resources theory in examining the serial explanatory pathways between EI and work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected at three points of measurement from the public sector in Nigeria. The authors tested their serial mediation model with a sample of 528 public sector employees using PROCESS macro with a bias-corrected bootstrapping method.

Findings

The findings show that EI was positively related to work engagement. EI exerted an indirect effect on PsyCap via POS. The indirect effect of EI on work engagement was serially mediated by POS and PsyCap.

Practical implications

Organisations need to pay attention to the level of support they provide to employees, given that employees differ in their emotional appraisal and regulations. The way employees perceive organisational support is vital to helping them stimulate their personal resources towards work goals. This study further accentuates the fact that emotionally intelligent employees tend to understand how to manage their emotions and that of others in a way that leads to a higher level of work engagement.

Originality/value

This paper addresses gaps in the literature on EI and regulations in the changing and challenging world of work. In so doing, this paper contributes to the literature by deepening our understanding of the complex relationship between EI, POS, PsyCap and work engagement. Theoretical and practical implications for employees’ emotional appraisal and regulations are discussed.
Synthesis of pyrene-based materials with third-order nonlinearity optical property by click chemistry modification
Authors: Tian Shuchen , Cao Hui , Yang Zhou , Zhao Yuzhen , He Wanli , Gao Hong
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Currently, conjugated nonlinear optical (NLO) materials suffer from the drawbacks of complex manufacturing process and high cost. To further study the NLO materials with cost-effective, it is necessary to prepare new NLO materials with satisfactory performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Pyrene derivatives with good third-order NLO properties were synthesized by combining pyrene compounds with TCNE, TCNQ, F4-TCNQ and other molecular systems by clicking chemical method.

Findings

The pyrene derivatives were characterized by ultraviolet spectrum and Z-scan. The charge-transfer of the D-p-A structures plays a key role in the absorption peak shifts. And the third-order nonlinear absorption of the products revealed good third-order NLO susceptibilities.

Research limitations/implications

The synthesis technology of pyrene derivatives is not mature enough and is in the preliminary exploration stage. So, the authors produced a relatively small number of samples and did not conduct a very comprehensive test.

Practical implications

This novel pyrene derivative is suggestive and can promote the exploration and development of the third-order nonlinear materials.

Originality/value

Four new pyrene derivatives were synthesized by selecting new molecular systems. Because of its good chemical properties and stable properties, it can be a reference for the development of third-order nonlinear materials in the future.
Waterborne nano-emulsions of polyvinyl acetate-polyurethane coatings containing different types of vinyl monomers: synthesis and characterization
Authors: Abdel-Wakil Walid S. , Salama Tarek M. , Kamoun Elbadawy A. , Ahmed Farag Abd El Hai , Hassan Wassem , El-Badry Yaser A. , Fahmy Alaa
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to synthesize new terpolymers by the emulsion polymerization technique composed of acrylamide-based polyurethane monomers (TPM and MPM) with different vinyl acetate copolymer systems, such as vinyl acetate/butyl acrylate (VAc/BA), vinyl acetate/ethylhexyl acrylate (VAc/2-EHA) and vinyl acetate/vinyl ester of versatic acid (VAc/VEOVA 10) systems. The performance of the prepared terpolymers as binders in emulsion coatings and textile industries was investigated and compared with the analogous commercial ones.

Design/methodology/approach

New waterborne polyurethane-vinyl ester-vinyl acetate terpolymers with high solid content and nano-scale emulsions have been successfully synthesized in two steps. The polyurethane oligomers were prepared by the prepolymer method as the first step. The second step involved polymerization with different vinyl monomers. The synthesized terpolymers were characterized using FTIR, scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, minimum film forming temperature and particle size analyzer methods.

Findings

The synthesized emulsion terpolymers have shown small particle sizes averaged of 70 nm and a narrow distribution range, along with good mechanical, thermal and chemical stabilities. The surface coating layers of the terpolymers also have some important in terms of smoothness, clarity and binding ability in water-based coating for up to 4425 scrub cycles at 30 GU. Further, a high potential application textile printing was achieved at high solid content of 47–50%.

Originality/value

The effects of different isocyanates and vinyl monomers on the properties of obtained emulsion coatings have been studied. The improvement consequences of the coating evaluation of the waterborne binders for emulsion paints have been described. The properties of polyester/cotton fabric print pigment printing of textiles appear to be most promising enhancements by using the prepared nanocomposites of PU-co-vinyl acetate-co-vinyl ester as waterborne binders. So that the prepared emulsions have the potential to replace solvent-based coatings as waterborne binders for both emulsion coating and textile printing applications.
Bacterial cellulose: characterization of a biomaterial for apparel products application
Authors: Costa Andréa Fernanda De Santana , Rocha Maria Alice Vasconcelos , Fenrnandes Laura Maria Abdon , Queiroz Julia Atroch , Agra Ana Carolina Monteiro Gonçalves , Amorim Julia Didier Pedrosa , Sarubbo Leonie Asfora , Sarubbo Leonie Asfora
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate two bacterial cellulose (BC) films as an alternative textile surface suitable for use in the manufacture of clothing prototypes.

Design/methodology/approach

A combination of experiments for the production and characterization of BC films with traditional techniques for sewing fabrics was carried out. BC films were produced from the bacterum Gluconacetobacter hansenii UCP1619 and from Kombucha, a consortium of microorganisms grown on sugared tea. The BC films were then purified, characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and evaluated for mechanical strength. Two clothing prototypes were developed by combining BC films with a flat fabric composed of 70% linen and 30% polyester to assess the viability of the garment for future clothing making using biomaterials.

Findings

The results showed that the combination of flat fabric with BC-based biomaterials is a viable alternative for the innovative use of BC films in the manufacture of apparel products, especially after optimizing the mechanical properties of the artefact.

Originality/value

BC application studies in the textile industry are still in their early stages, although they are attracting more and more the attention of researchers around the world. The experiments carried out in this research provide new information on the handling and application of this material in innovative products for the textile industry.
Investigating determinants of localised corporate social responsibility: evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Mohy-Ud-din Kamran , Azam Muhammad , Ul Haq Hamad , Aslam Shakeel
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the determinants of localised corporate social responsibility (LCSR) activities in Pakistan. The present study explores factors influencing the corporate sector to promote the welfare of local areas where the company has located its manufacturing plants.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors selected 100 companies listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Data were collected from the companies’ financial reports issued from 2012 to 2017 (N = 700). The authors analysed the data using fixed- and random-effects regression models to test the factors influencing LCSR activities.

Findings

The findings indicate that directors’ ancestry significantly enhances LCSR. This implies that boards with a greater number of directors whose names indicate their relevant ancestry are more likely to engage in LCSR. Moreover, environmental-protection activity by the corporate sector promotes LCSR initiatives. However, Pakistan’s corporate sectors are not promoting the essential aspects of their workers’ welfare, e.g. health and education.

Research limitations/implications

The present study was limited to the directors’ ancestry, environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR), CSR for factory workers and donation. Other factors, such as culture and language, may play an important role in determining LCSR.

Practical implications

The results suggest that the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan should emphasise the importance of LCSR to develop rural areas and devise meaningful policy for CSR. These findings provide substantial evidence that regulators and policymakers should encourage the inclusion of LCSR by firms listed on the stock exchange to increase environmental protection through CSR policy.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the determinants of LCSR. Moreover, the present study investigates for the first time the influence of directors’ ancestry on rural development in any of Asia’s developing countries, including Pakistan. The findings of this study contribute theoretically and empirically to the literature.
Coalescent‐based species delimitation meets deep learning: Insights from a highly fragmented cactus system
Authors: Perez Manolo F. , Bonatelli Isabel A. S. , Romeiro‐Brito Monique , Franco Fernando F. , Taylor Nigel P. , Zappi Daniela C. , Moraes Evandro M.
Published: October 2021

Delimiting species boundaries is a major goal in evolutionary biology. An increasing volume of literature has focused on the challenges of investigating cryptic diversity within complex evolutionary scenarios of speciation, including gene flow and demographic fluctuations. New methods based on model selection, such as approximate Bayesian computation, approximate likelihoods, and machine learning are promising tools arising in this field. Here, we introduce a framework for species delimitation using the multispecies coalescent model coupled with a deep learning algorithm based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). We compared this strategy with a similar ABC approach. We applied both methods to test species boundary hypotheses based on current and previous taxonomic delimitations as well as genetic data (sequences from 41 loci) in Pilosocereus aurisetus, a cactus species complex with a sky‐island distribution and taxonomic uncertainty. To validate our method, we also applied the same strategy on data from widely accepted species from the genus Drosophila. The results show that our CNN approach has a high capacity to distinguish among the simulated species delimitation scenarios, with higher accuracy than ABC. For the cactus data set, a splitter hypothesis without gene flow showed the highest probability in both CNN and ABC approaches, a result agreeing with previous taxonomic classifications and in line with the sky‐island distribution and low dispersal of P. aurisetus. Our results highlight the cryptic diversity within the P. aurisetus complex and show that CNNs are a promising approach for distinguishing complex evolutionary histories, even outperforming the accuracy of other model‐based approaches such as ABC.
Ureteral metastasis from pulmonary adenocarcinoma: A case report and literature review
Authors: Shen Wang , Chen Jindong , Gao Limin , Ma Guangzhi , Yang Lan , Liang Hao , Dong Jingsi , Zhou Qinghua
Published: October 2021

The occurrence of ureteral metastasis from distant primary tumors is uncommon, and appears to be especially rare when it originates from the lungs. In the case presented here, a patient with lumbago and left hydronephrosis was diagnosed with left ureteral metastasis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma after a CT‐guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy of the lung and retroperitoneal laparoscopic left nephroureterectomy. He accepted the targeted therapy because the lung tumor epidermal growth factor receptor mutation (exon19 deletion) was positive, and preoperative staging of lung adenocarcinoma was stage IVA. After an 8‐month follow‐up, he is still alive and well, with no local recurrence or distant metastases. The therapy outcome assessment is stable disease. Although rare, our case has demonstrated that pulmonary adenocarcinoma has the possibility of metastasizing to the ureter, a risk that should be considered in some lung cancer patients.
Cost‐effective seafloor habitat mapping using a portable speedy sea scanner and deep‐learning‐based segmentation: A sea trial at Pujada Bay, Philippines
Authors: Terayama Kei , Mizuno Katsunori , Tabeta Shigeru , Sakamoto Shingo , Sugimoto Yusuke , Sugimoto Kenichi , Fukami Hironobu , Sakagami Masaaki , Jimenez Lea A.
Published: October 2021

Various sampling and monitoring strategies have been developed to assess marine habitats and life‐forms. However, the cost‐effectiveness of such survey methods (e.g. line intercept transects and autonomous underwater vehicles) is still not high.

In this paper, a practical seafloor habitat mapping method combining a cost‐effective survey system (P‐SSS: portable speedy sea scanner) and a deep learning‐based quantification method were proposed. P‐SSS is a highly portable transport system and a towed‐type system with five cameras arrayed on its platform. The sea trial was conducted at Pujada Bay, Philippines, on 7 December 2019.

The high‐quality orthophotos of the seafloor with a high resolution of ~3.0 mm/pixel were successfully generated. The attained survey efficiency was 12,900 m2/hr. In addition, in this paper, a segmentation method utilizing the U‐Net architecture to estimate the coverage of corals, seagrass and sea urchins using a large‐scale 2D image is proposed.

Overall, this highly portable survey system is expected to become a promising tool for marine environmental surveys, especially in the areas where the rich nature of the oceans is susceptible to environmental changes, such as the remote islands that lack sufficient survey facilities.
Night‐to‐night variability of sleep apnea detected by cyclic variation of heart rate during long‐term continuous ECG monitoring
Authors: Hayano Junichiro , Yuda Emi
Published: October 2021

Background

Sleep apnea is common in patients with cardiovascular disease and is a factor that worsens prognosis. Holter 24‐h ECG screening for sleep apnea is beneficial in the care of these patients, but due to high night‐to‐night variability of sleep apnea, it can lead to misdiagnosis and misclassification of disease severity.

Methods

To investigate the long‐term dynamic behavior of sleep apnea, seven‐day ECGs recorded with a patch ECG recorder in 120 patients were analyzed for the cyclic variation of heart rate (CVHR) during sleep periods as determined by a built‐in three‐axis accelerometer.

Results

The frequency of CVHR (Fcv) showed considerable night‐to‐night variability (coefficient of variance, 66 ± 35%), which was consistent with the night‐to‐night variability in apnea‐hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index reported in earlier studies. In patients with presumed moderate‐to‐severe sleep apnea (Fcv > 15 cph at least one night), it was missed on 62% of nights, and on at least one night in 88% of patients. The CV of Fcv was negatively correlated with the average of Fcv, suggesting that patients with mild sleep apnea show greater night‐to‐night variability and would benefit from long‐term assessment. The average Fcv was higher in the supine position, but the night‐to‐night variability was not explained by the night‐to‐night variability of time spent in the supine position.

Conclusions

CVHR analysis of long‐term ambulatory ECG recordings is useful for improving the reliability of screening for sleep apnea without placing an extra burden on patients with cardiovascular disease and their care.
Comparison of imaging parameters between OCT, GDx and HRT in the Northern Finland birth cohort eye study
Authors: Stoor Katri , Karvonen Elina , Leiviskä Ilmari , Liinamaa Johanna , Saarela Ville
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to assess and compare the optic nerve head (ONH) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) parameters and image quality parameters obtained by Cirrus HD‐OCT, GDxECC and HRT3 in a population‐based screening study.

Methods

This analysis examined 2566 subjects taking part in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort Eye study. Images with spectral domain OCT (Cirrus HD‐OCT 4000), scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (HRT3) and scanning laser polarimetry (GDxECC) were obtained from each subject. The correlation of average and regional parameters of RNFL and ONH between devices was evaluated.

Results

The RNFL thickness was 90.9 µm when measured with OCT, 24.6 µm with HRT and 48.1 µm with GDx. There was a high correlation between the disc and cup measurements with the HRT and OCT and the RNFL thickness of the OCT and GDx (r > 0.5). A statistically significant correlation was found between RNFL measurements of the HRT and OCT in the superior, temporal and inferior quadrants. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) signal strength correlated with the image quality parameters of the HRT and GDx. The percentage of good quality images was the lowest with the GDx.

Conclusion

The RNFL thickness in Northern Finland birth cohort was at a lower level compared to other studies. The study confirms the difference in measuring ONH parameters between the imaging devices. However, significant correlations between devices were found in the cup volume and cup disc area ratio parameters of the OCT and HRT. The correlations between image quality parameters and glaucoma detection parameters were relatively low.
Reflections on a Golden Jubilee: Celebrating 50 years of Population Geography within the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)’s journals
Authors: Buyuklieva Boyana , Cranston Sophie , McCollum David , Beech Suzanne , Botterill Katherine , Catney Gemma , Darlington‐Pollock Frances , Finney Nissa , Shubin Sergei , Tebbett Natalie , Waite Catherine
Published: October 2021

This commentary celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Population Geography Research Group (PGRG) of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS‐IBG) by drawing on journal papers within Area, The Geographical Journal and Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers presented in the virtual issue by the same name (https://rgs‐ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)9999‐0017.50yrs‐pop‐geography). It presents an introduction to the core research threads within Population Geography over the past half‐century. The celebratory issue and the editorial guide readers through diverse and prolific contributions to Population Geography scholarship within the RGS‐IBG journals across three core themes: the spatio‐demographic characteristics of populations, the mobility that connects these, and emergent characteristics of places. This introduction is only a flavour of a vast and growing body of Population Geography research. Notwithstanding, it indicates how the sub‐discipline has and will continue to shape debates on the study of population change to consider its complex nature, drivers, and consequences. Despite differences in methods and approaches, the sub‐discipline unites to explore populations in space in an applied manner. This issue also highlights fundamental challenges going forward. Calls to decolonise the academy have resulted in questions of the structures through which we work – for Population Geography this means thinking about the diversity of voices, theories, and approaches. The papers in this virtual issue thus provide a grounding backdrop of knowledge as we look forward to many more years of lively debate.
The child's best interest in gamete donation
Authors: Takes Femke
Published: October 2021

Procreation with donor gametes is widespread and commonly accepted, but it involves ethical questions about the child's best interest. Understanding the historical structures of the moral discussion of gamete donation may contribute to reflecting on the child's best interest. This is why I have analysed the debate on gamete donation in the Netherlands, and this analysis has uncovered some striking discontinuities. Notions of the child's best interest have undergone a radical swing. In the past, it was considered acceptable to conceal the truth about the child's biological origin, but in the past two decades the general opinion has changed to the common belief that this information should be shared with the child. This changed notion of the child's best interest will be analysed using a framework encompassing three views of the child, which derive from the debate on children's rights. These three views each provide a different interpretation of the child's moral and political status. I conclude that the changed notion of the child's best interest results from a view of the child that focuses on autonomy and citizenship, and which frames the child's interests according to its legal status. I comment on this view and I champion an alternative one, namely ‘the embedded child’. This is a relational view based on care ethics that goes beyond what can be articulated in law, and that will help to establish a more balanced interpretation of the child's best interest at the practice and policy levels of gamete donation.
Effects of forest cover on richness of threatened fish species in Japan
Authors: Lavergne Edouard , Kume Manabu , Ahn Hyojin , Henmi Yumi , Terashima Yuki , Ye Feng , Kameyama Satoshi , Kai Yoshiaki , Kadowaki Kohmei , Kobayashi Shiho , Yamashita Yoh , Kasai Akihide
Published: October 2021

Estuaries––one of the most vulnerable ecosystems globally––face anthropogenic threats, including biodiversity loss and the collapse of sustainable fisheries. Determining the factors contributing to the maintenance of estuarine biodiversity, especially that of fish, is vital for promoting estuarine conservation and sustainability. We used environmental DNA metabarcoding analysis to determine fish species composition in 22 estuaries around Japan and measured watershed‐scale land‐use factors (e.g., population size, urban area percentage, and forest area percentage). We sought to test the hypothesis that the richness of the most vulnerable estuarine fish species (i.e., registered by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in the national species red‐list) is determined by watershed‐scale land‐use factors. The richness of such species was greater, where forest cover was highest; thus, forest cover contributes to their conservation. The proportion of agriculture cover was associated with low species richness of red‐listed fishes (redundancy analysis, adjusted R2 = 43.9% of total variance, df = 5, F = 5.3843, p = 0.0001). The number of red‐listed species increased from 3 to 11 along a watershed land‐use gradient ranging from a high proportion of agriculture cover to a large proportion of forest cover. Furthermore, the results showed that throughout Japan all the examined watersheds that were covered by >74.8% forest had more than the average (6.7 species per site) richness of red‐listed fish species. This result can be attributed to the already high average forest cover in Japan of 67.2%. Our results demonstrate how the land use of watersheds can affect the coastal sea environment and its biodiversity and suggest that proper forest management in conjunction with land‐use management may be of prime importance for threatened fish species and coastal ecosystems in general.
Passive government, organized crime, and massive deforestation: The case of western Mexico
Authors: García‐Jiménez Carlos Ignacio , Vargas‐Rodriguez Yalma L.
Published: October 2021

The mountains of western Mexico contain one of the highest numbers of conifers and hardwood species for the country. The extraction of those species represents about 82% of the national timber production. Governmental practices had been the burden to conservation and sustainable forestry practices in the last two decades by allowing illegal logging and circumventing environmental laws. In the last 5 years, pervasive illegal logging is led by organized crime gangs. These gangs work in complete impunity, using intimidation, kidnapping, and bribery to silence the landowners, the entire community, and government officials. As a consequence, community forest enterprises declined and the illegal logging increased. For example, 4% of the national production was illegally extracted in the Talpa de Allende municipality during 2017–2019, and an estimated of 70% of the timber in Mexico lack of extraction permits. Institutional practices, reduced budgets, corruption networks, and impunity are producing environmental degradation in western Mexico, and likely elsewhere in the country as well.
Clinical bone health among adults with cerebral palsy: moving beyond assessing bone mineral density alone
Authors: Whitney Daniel G , Caird Michelle S , Clines Gregory A , Hurvitz Edward A , Jepsen Karl J
Published: October 2021

Aim

To understand associations among bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone area, and their association with fractures in adults with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method

This retrospective cohort study included 78 adults with CP with a hip dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) from 1st December 2012 to 3rd May 2021 performed at the University of Michigan. Data‐driven logistic regression techniques identified which, if any, DXA‐derived bone traits (e.g. age/sex/ethnicity‐based z‐scores) were associated with fracture risk by sex and severity of CP. BMC‐area associations were examined to study the structural mechanisms of fragility.

Results

Femoral neck area was associated with lower age‐adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of fracture history (OR 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49–1.06; p=0.098), while higher BMD was associated with higher odds of incident fracture (OR 3.08; 95% CI 1.14–8.33; p=0.027). Females with fracture had lower area than females without fracture but similar BMC, whereas males with fracture had larger area and higher BMC than males without fracture. The paradoxical BMD‐fracture association may be due to artificially elevated BMD from BMC‐area associations that differed between females and males (sex interaction, p˂0.05): males had higher BMC at lower area values and lower BMC at higher area values compared to females.

Interpretation

BMD alone may not be adequate to evaluate bone strength for adults with CP. Further research into associations (or integration) between BMC and area is needed.
Vagal afferent cholecystokinin receptor activation is required for glucagon‐like peptide‐1–induced satiation
Authors: Vana Vasiliki , Lærke Michelle K. , Rehfeld Jens F. , Arnold Myrtha , Dmytriyeva Oksana , Langhans Wolfgang , Schwartz Thue W. , Hansen Harald S.
Published: October 2021

Peripheral glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and cholecystokinin (CCK) are secreted from enteroendocrine cells, and their plasma concentrations increase in response to eating. While the satiating effect of gut‐derived CCK on food‐intake control is well documented, the effect of peripheral GLP‐1 is less clear. There is evidence that native GLP‐1 can inhibit food intake only in the fed state but not in the fasting state. We therefore hypothesized that other gut peptides released during a meal might influence the subsequent effect of endogenous GLP‐1 and investigated whether CCK could do so. We found that intraperitoneal injection of CCK in food‐restricted mice inhibited food intake during the first 30‐minute segment of a 1‐hour session of ad libitum chow intake and that mice compensated by increasing their intake during the second half of the session. Importantly, this compensatory behaviour was abolished by an intraperitoneal injection of GLP‐1 administered following an intraperitoneal injection of CCK and prior to the 1‐hour session. In vivo activation of the free fatty acid 1 (FFA1) receptor with orally administered TAK875 increased plasma CCK concentration and, consistent with the effect of exogenous CCK, we found that prior oral administration of TAK875 increased the eating inhibitory effect of peripherally administered GLP‐1. To examine the role of the vagus nerve in this effect, we utilized a saporin‐based lesioning procedure to selectively ablate the CCK receptor‐expressing gastrointestinal vagal afferent neurones (VANs). We found that the combined anorectic effect of TAK875 and GLP‐1 was significantly attenuated in the absence of CCK receptor expressing VANs. Taken together, our results indicate that endogenous CCK interacts with GLP‐1 to promote satiation and that activation of the FFA1 receptor can initiate this interaction by stimulating the release of CCK.
Integrated framework model for the leadership role of principals in inclusive education
Authors: Scheer David
Published: October 2021

This article introduces and discusses a theoretically and empirically founded integrated framework model of the principal's leadership role for inclusive education. Leadership is widely discussed as a key factor for success in inclusive education. Additional systematic research efforts are required with respect to this topic, particularly in the context of the German school system. This study analyses principals' leadership roles in one German federal state. Interviews were conducted with fifteen school principals from schools that are assigned to implement inclusive education. Findings from the qualitative content analysis draw a complex picture that is summarised in an integrated framework model. This model addresses (1) the multilevel hierarchical character of the school system and (2) the role of social discourse in shaping principals' perspectives. This model integrates different theoretical approaches such as the four‐frame model of leadership orientation, the theory of recontextualisation, and educational governance to describe principal leadership and its contribution for inclusive education.
Role of nitric oxide in regulating epidermal permeability barrier function
Authors: Man Mao‐Qiang , Wakefield Joan S. , Mauro Theodora M. , Elias Peter M.
Published: October 2021

Nitric oxide (NO), a free radical molecule synthesized by nitric oxide synthases (NOS), regulates multiple cellular functions in a variety of cell types. These NOS, including endothelial NOS (eNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS) and neural NOS (nNOS), are expressed in keratinocytes. Expression levels of both iNOS and nNOS decrease with ageing, and insufficient NO has been linked to the development of a number of disorders such as diabetes and hypertension, and to the severity of atherosclerosis. Conversely, excessive NO levels can induce cellular oxidative stress, but physiological levels of NO are required to maintain the normal functioning of cells, including keratinocytes. NO also regulates cutaneous functions, including epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis and wound healing, through its stimulation of keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation and lipid metabolism. Topical applications of a diverse group of agents which generate nitric oxide (called NO donors) such as S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐D,L‐penicillamine (SNAP) can delay permeability barrier recovery in barrier‐disrupted skin, but iNOS is still required for epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis. This review summarizes the regulatory role that NO plays in epidermal permeability barrier functions and the underlying mechanisms involved.