bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Shared Decision-Making” in Athletes With Known Cardiac Disease: Interpretation and Implementation in the Real World
Authors: Phelan Dermot , Farokhrani Amin , Retallick Rachel , Day Carly
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Recommendations for addressing sporting eligibility and disqualification in athletes with heart disease have traditionally used a paternalistic approach with cardiologists making a binary “yes-no” decision. This paradigm has recently evolved to a shared decision-making model recognizing and respecting the autonomy of the athlete while instituting safeguards to mitigate risk where possible. How well this paradigm is understood or has been integrated into the athletic trainer (AT) community is unknown.

Design:

Athletic trainers from the Ohio High School Athletic Association were surveyed.

Results:

Of 107 ATs who responded, we found that the majority had not heard of the term “shared decision-making” in the context of sporting participation [62.6%, confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.72 vs 37.4%, CI 0.28-0.47]. Furthermore, we found large discrepancies as to how ATs would interpret and implement recommendations from cardiologists.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the need to educate and improve communication between AT, sports medicine physicians, and sports cardiologists if shared decision-making strategies are to become widely implemented.
Vaccinating in the Emergency Department, a Model to Overcome Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy
Authors: Baumer-Mouradian Shannon H. , Servi Ashley , Kleinschmidt Abigail , Nimmer Mark , Lazarevic Kimberly , Hanson Thomas , Jastrow Jena , Jaworski Brian , Kopetsky Matthew , Drendel Amy L.
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Vaccine hesitancy and delays in vaccine administration time have limited the success of prior influenza vaccination initiatives in the pediatric emergency department (ED). In 2018–2019, season 1, this ED implemented mandatory vaccine screening and offered the vaccine to all eligible patients; however, only 9% of the eligible population received the vaccine. In 2019–2020, season 2, the team sought to improve influenza vaccination rates from 9% to 15% and administer over 2,000 vaccines to eligible ED patients.

Methods:

Key drivers included: identifying vaccine hesitancy, providing counseling, reducing administration delays, and developing reminders for vaccine administration. We tested interventions using plan-do-study-act cycles. We included discharged ED patients, age 6 months–18 years old, emergency severity index score 2–5, and no prior vaccine this season. Process measures included percent of patients screened, eligible, accepting the vaccine, and leaving before vaccination. Outcome measures were the percent of eligible patients vaccinated and the total number of vaccines administered. Vaccination time was the balancing measure.

Results:

We included 57,804 children in this study. Comparing season 1 to 2, screening rates (84%) and eligibility rates (58%) were similar. Vaccine acceptance rates improved from 13% to 22%, the proportion of patients leaving before vaccination decreased from 32% to 17%, and vaccination rates improved from 9% to 20%. Total vaccines administered increased from 1,309 to 3,180, and vaccination time was 5 minutes faster in season 2.

Conclusions:

This ED influenza vaccination process provides a model to overcome vaccine hesitancy and can be adapted and replicated for any vaccine-preventable illness.
Impacts of Rehabilitation Gait Training on Functional Outcomes after Tibial Nerve Transfer for Patients with Peroneal Nerve Injury: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Curran Matthew W. T. , Morhart Michael J. , Olson Jaret L. , DeSerres Joshua J. , Chan K. Ming
Published: April 2021

Background:

Although there was initial success using tibial nerve transfer to restore ankle dorsiflexion following peroneal nerve injury, results from later series were less promising. A potential reason is coactivation of the much stronger antagonistic muscles during gait. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that gait training would improve functional performance following tibial nerve transfer.

Methods:

Using a prospective, nonrandomized, controlled study design, patients were divided into two groups: surgery only or surgery plus gait training. Of the 20 patients who showed reinnervation in the tibialis anterior muscle, 10 were assigned to the gait training group, and an equal number were in the control group. Those in the treatment group began training once reinnervation in the tibialis anterior muscle was detected, whereas those in the control group continued to use their ankle-foot orthosis full time. Differences in ankle dorsiflexion were measured using the Medical Research Council scale, and quantitative force measurement and functional disability was measured using the Stanmore Scale.

Results:

Patients in the gait training group attained significantly better functional recovery as measured by the Stanmore Scale (79.5 ± 14.3) (mean ± SD) versus (37.2 ± 3.5) in the control group (p = 0.02). Medical Research Council grades were 3.8 ± 0.6 in the training group versus 2.5 ± 1.2 in the surgery only group (p < 0.05). Average dorsiflexion force from patients with above antigravity strength (all from the training group) was 31 percent of the contralateral side.

Conclusion:

In patients with successful reinnervation following tibial nerve transfers, rehabilitation training significantly improved dorsiflexion strength and function.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, II.
Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis as a Primary Intervention in Infants With Pierre Robin Sequence
Authors: Soto Edgar , Ananthasekar Shivani , Kurapati Srikanth , Robin Nathaniel H. , Smola Cassi , Maddox Mary Halsey , Boyd Carter J. , Myers René P.
Published: April 2021

Background

Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) is a triad of congenital facial abnormalities that can present as a syndrome (syndromic PRS [sPRS]) or an isolated entity (isolated PRS [iPRS]). Patients with PRS can develop airway and feeding problems that may result in failure to thrive. Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) is a method for improving the functional issues associated with breathing and feeding. There is a Paucity of literature evaluating the outcomes of MDO between sPRS and iPRS patients.

Methods

An institutional review board–approved retrospective review of PRS patients managed by a single surgeon and treated with MDO between January 2015 and December 2019 at a tertiary referral hospital was performed. The patients were stratified into iPRS or sPRS based on gene testing. Airway outcome measures included avoidance of tracheostomy, relief of sleep apnea, and oxygen saturation improvement. Primary feeding measures included achievement of full oral feeds and growth/weight gain. Statistical analysis included t tests and χ2 tests where appropriate using SPSS.

Results

Over the study period, of the 29 infants with PRS, 55% identified as iPRS and 45% as sPRS. There were no significant differences in the patient characteristics, apnea-hypoxia index (22.27 ± 12.27) and laryngeal view (3 ± 0.79) pre-MDO. After MDO, 83% of the subjects achieved a positive feeding outcome and 86% achieved a positive airway outcome with no statistical significance between sPRS and iPRS (P = 0.4369). There was a statistically significant change post-MDO in apnea-hypoxia index (5.24 ± 4.50, P = 0.02) and laryngeal view (1.59 ± 1.00, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Our recent experience would lead us to believe that sPRS patients have greater morbidities and challenging clinical developments that, when properly evaluated, can be managed by MDO. There is a potential role for MDO in reducing the need for traditional surgical interventions for respiratory and feeding problems in both iPRS and sPRS patients.
Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Mortality During Hospitalization for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Call to Action
Authors: Richie Emma A. , Nugent Joseph G. , Raslan Ahmed M.
Published: April 2021

The health disparities which drive inequities in health outcomes have long plagued our already worn healthcare system and are often dismissed as being a result of social determinants of health. Herein, we explore the nature of these inequities by comparing outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities patients suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). We retrospectively reviewed all patients enrolled in the Trauma One Database at the Oregon Health & Science University Hospital from 2006 to October 2017 with an abbreviated injury scale (AIS) for the head or neck greater than 2. Racial and ethnic minority patients were defined as non-White or Hispanic. A total of 6,352 patients were included in our analysis with 1,504 in the racial and ethnic minority cohort vs. 4,848 in the non-minority cohort. A propensity score (PS) model was generated to account for differences in baseline characteristics between these cohorts to generate 1,500 matched pairs. The adjusted hazard ratio for in-hospital mortality for minority patients was 2.21 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.43-3.41, p<0.001) using injury type, probability of survival, and operative status as covariates. Overall, this study is the first to specifically look at racial and ethnic disparities in the field of neurosurgical trauma. This research has demonstrated significant inequities in the mortality of TBI patients based on race and ethnicity and indicates a substantive need to reshape the current healthcare system and advocate for safer and more supportive pre-hospital social systems to prevent these life-threatening sequelae.
Beneath the surface: mental health, and harassment and abuse of athletes participating in the FINA (Aquatics) World Championships, 2019
Authors: Mountjoy Margo , Junge Astrid , Magnusson Christer , Shahpar Farhad Moradi , Ortiz Lizcano Edgar Ivan , Varvodic Josip , Wang Xinzhai , Cherif Mohamed Yahia , Hill Lee , Miller Jim
Published: April 2021

Objective

To assess the mental health and experience of sport-related harassment and abuse of athletes participating in the FINA World Championships 2019, and to analyse it in relation to gender and the aquatic disciplines.

Design

Cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire.

Methods

During the Championships, registered athletes (swimmers, divers, high divers, water polo players, artistic swimmers, open-water swimmers) completed a survey including the main outcome measures of depression (CES-D-10), eating disorders (BEDA-Q), the subjective need for psychotherapeutic support, and the experience of harassment and/or abuse in their sports environment.

Results

A quarter of the athletes (n=62, 24.6%) were classified as depressed and more than a third (n=111, 35.0%) as having an eating disorder. More than 40% of the athletes stated that they wanted or needed psychotherapeutic support for mental health problems. Fifty-one athletes (14.9%) had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves, and 31 (9%) had witnessed it in another athlete. The experiences of harassment and abuse ranged from unwanted comments about body or appearance (40.2%) to rewards in sport for sexual favours (2.5%) and rape (0.3%). Athletes who had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves had higher average scores for depression and eating disorders, and more of them needed psychotherapeutic support. Up to a third would not talk to anybody if they saw or experienced harassment/abuse, and less than 20% would talk to an official for help.

Conclusion

Targeted initiatives are required to address the burden of mental health issues and harassment and abuse in sport in the FINA aquatic disciplines.
Time scale separation in the vector borne disease model SIRUV via center manifold analysis
Authors: Aguiar Maíra , Kooi Bob , Pugliese Andrea , Sensi Mattia , Stollenwerk Nico
Published: April 2021

We investigate time scale separation in the vector borne disease model SIRUV, as previously described in the literature [1], and recently reanalyzed with the singular perturbation technique [2]. We focus on the analysis with a single small parameter, the birth and death rate µ, whereas all other model parameters are much larger and describe fast transitions. The scaling of the endemic stationary state, the Jacobian matrix around it and its eigenvalues with this small parameter µ is calculated and the center manifold analysis performed with the method described in [3] which goes back to earlier work [4, 5], namely a transformation of the Jacobian matrix to block structure in zeroth order in the parameter µ is used and then a family of center manifolds with µ larger than zero is obtained.
Immunosuppression broadens evolutionary pathways to treatment failure duringAcinetobacter baumanniipneumonia
Authors: Huo Wenwen , Busch Lindsay M. , Hernandez-Bird Juan , Hamami Efrat , Marshall Christopher W. , Geisinger Edward , Cooper Vaughn S. , van Opijnen Tim , Rosch Jason W. , Isberg Ralph R.
Published: April 2021

Acinetobacter baumanniiis increasingly refractory to antibiotic treatment in healthcare settings. As is true of most human pathogens, the genetic path to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the role that the immune system plays in modulating AMR during disease are poorly understood. Here we reproduced several routes to fluoroquinolone resistance, performing evolution experiments using sequential lung infections in mice that are replete or depleted of neutrophils, providing two key insights into the evolution of drug resistance. First, neutropenic hosts acted as reservoirs for the accumulation of drug resistance during drug treatment. Selection for variants with altered drug sensitivity profiles arose readily in the absence of neutrophils, while immunocompetent animals restricted the appearance of these variants. Secondly, antibiotic treatment failure in the immunocompromised host was shown to occur without clinically defined resistance, an unexpected result that provides a model for how antibiotic failure occurs clinically in the absence of AMR. The genetic mechanism underlying both these results is initiated by mutations activating the drug egress pump regulator AdeL, which drives persistence in the presence of antibiotic. Therefore, antibiotic persistence mutations present a two-pronged risk during disease, causing drug treatment failure in the immunocompromised host while simultaneously increasing the emergence of high-level AMR.
Calibration-free 3D reconstruction of firefly trajectories from 360-degree cameras
Authors: Sarfati Raphaël , Peleg Orit
Published: April 2021

Over the past few decades, progress in animal tracking techniques, from large migrating mammals to swarming insects, has facilitated significant advances in ecology, behavioural biology, and conservation science. Recently, we developed a technique to record and track flashing fireflies in their natural habitat using pairs of 360-degree cameras. The method, which has the potential to help identify and monitor firefly populations worldwide, was successfully implemented in various natural swarms. However, camera calibration remained tedious and time-consuming. Here, we propose and implement an algorithm that calibrates the cameras directly from the data, requiring minimal user input. We explain the principles of the calibration-free algorithm, and demonstrate the ease and efficiency of its implementation. This method is relatively inexpensive, versatile, and well-suited for automatic processing and the collection of a large dataset of firefly trajectories across species and populations. This calibration-free method paves the way to citizen science efforts for monitoring and conservation of firefly populations.
Dopamine modulates adaptive forgetting in medial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Gallo Francisco Tomás , Saad María Belén Zanoni , Morici Juan Facundo , Miranda Magdalena , Anderson Michael C. , Weisstaub Noelia V. , Bekinschtein Pedro
Published: April 2021

Active forgetting occurs in many species, but how the mechanisms that control behavior contribute to determining which memories are forgotten is still unknown. We previously found that when rats need to retrieve particular memories to guide exploration, it reduces later retention of other memories encoded in that environment. As with humans, this retrieval-induced forgetting relies on prefrontal control processes. The dopaminergic input to the prefrontal cortex is important for executive functions and cognitive flexibility. We found that, in a similar way, prefrontal dopamine signaling through D1 receptors is required for retrieval-induced forgetting in rats. Blockade of medial prefrontal cortex D1 receptors as animals encountered a familiar object impaired forgetting of the memory of a competing object in a subsequent long-term memory test. Inactivation of the ventral tegmental area produced the same pattern of behavior, a pattern that could be reversed by concomitant activation of prefrontal D1 receptors. We observed a bidirectional modulation of retrieval-induced forgetting by agonists and antagonists of D1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex. These findings establish the essential role of prefrontal dopamine in the active forgetting of competing memories, contributing to the shaping of retention in response to an organisms’ behavioral goals.
Experimental evidence pointing to rain as a reservoir of tomato phyllosphere microbiota
Authors: Mechan-Llontop Marco E. , Tian Long , Sharma Parul , Heflin Logan , Bernal-Galeano Vivian , Haak David C. , Clarke Christopher R. , Vinatzer Boris A.
Published: April 2021

Plant microbiota play essential roles in plant health and crop productivity. Comparisons of community composition have suggested seeds, soil, and the atmosphere as reservoirs of phyllosphere microbiota. After finding that leaves of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants exposed to rain carried a higher microbial population size than leaves of tomato plants not exposed to rain, we experimentally tested the hypothesis that rain is a so far neglected reservoir of phyllosphere microbiota. Rain microbiota were thus compared with phyllosphere microbiota of tomato plants either treated with concentrated rain microbiota, filter-sterilized rain, or sterile water. Based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, one-hundred and four operational taxonomic units (OTUs) significantly increased in relative abundance after inoculation with concentrated rain microbiota but no OTU significantly increased after treatment with either sterile water or filter-sterilized rain. Some of the genera to which these 104 OTUs belonged were also found at higher relative abundance on tomatoes exposed to rain outdoors than on tomatoes grown protected from rain in a commercial greenhouse. Taken together, these results point to precipitation as a reservoir of phyllosphere microbiota and show the potential of controlled experiments to investigate the role of different reservoirs in the assembly of phyllosphere microbiota.
A novel non-catalytic scaffolding activity of Hexokinase 2 contributes to EMT and metastasis
Authors: Blaha Catherine , Ramakrishnan Gopalakrishnan , Jeon Sang-Min , Nogueira Veronique , Rho Hyunsoo , Kang Soeun , Bhaskar Prashanth , Terry Alexander R. , Aissa Alexandre F. , Frolov Maxim V. , Patra Krushna C. , Brooks Robey R. , Hay Nissim
Published: April 2021

Hexokinase 2 (HK2), a glycolytic enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step in glucose metabolism, is markedly induced in cancer cells. HK2’s role in tumorigenesis has been attributed to its glucose kinase activity. However, we uncovered a novel kinase-independent HK2 activity, which promotes metastasis. We found that HK2 binds and sequesters glycogen kinase 3 (GSK3) and acts as a scaffold forming a ternary complex with the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A (PRKAR1a) and GSK3b to facilitate GSK3b phosphorylation by PKA, and to inhibit its activity. Thus, HK2 functions as an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP). GSK3b is known to phosphorylate proteins, which in turn are targeted for degradation. Consistently, HK2 increased the level and stability of the GSK3 targets, MCL1, NRF2, and SNAIL. In a mouse model of breast cancer metastasis, systemic HK2 deletion after tumor onset inhibited metastasis, which is determined by the effect of HK2 on GSK3b and SNAIL. We concluded that HK2 promotes SNAIL stability and breast cancer metastasis via two mechanisms: direct modulation of GSK3-activity and SNAIL- glycosylation that decreases susceptibility to phosphorylation by GSK3.
Establishing gene regulatory networks from Parkinson’s disease risk loci
Authors: Farrow Sophie L. , Schierding William , Gokuladhas Sreemol , Golovina Evgeniia , Fadason Tayaza , Cooper Antony A. , O’Sullivan Justin M.
Published: April 2021

The latest meta-analysis of genome wide association studies (GWAS) identified 90 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 78 genomic regions associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet the mechanisms by which these variants influence the development of the disease remains largely elusive. To establish the functional gene regulatory networks associated with PD-SNPs, we utilised an approach combining spatial (chromosomal conformation capture) and functional (expression quantitative trait loci; eQTL) data. We identified 518 genes subject to regulation by 76 PD-SNPs across 49 tissues, that encompass 36 peripheral and 13 CNS tissues. Notably, one third of these genes were regulated viatrans-acting mechanisms (distal; risk locus-gene separated by > 1Mb, or on different chromosomes). Of particular interest is the identification of a noveltrans-eQTL-gene connection between rs10847864 andSYNJ1in the adult brain cortex, highlighting a convergence between familial studies and PD GWAS loci forSYNJ1 (PARK20)for the first time. Furthermore, we identified 16 neuro-development specific eQTL-gene regulatory connections within the foetal cortex, consistent with hypotheses suggesting a neurodevelopmental involvement in the pathogenesis of PD. Through utilising Louvain clustering we extracted nine significant and highly intra-connected clusters within the entire gene regulatory network. The nine clusters are enriched for specific biological processes and pathways, some of which have not previously been associated with PD. Together, our results not only contribute to an overall understanding of the mechanisms and impact of specific combinations of PD-SNPs, but also highlight the potential impact gene regulatory networks may have when elucidating aetiological subtypes of PD.
The first report and biological characteristics ofHelcococcus ovisisolated from clinical bovine mastitis in a Chinese dairy herd
Authors: Liu Kai , Deng Zhaoju , Zhang Limei , Gu Xiaolong , Liu Gang , Liu Yang , Chen Peng , Gao Jian , Han Bo , Qu Weijie
Published: April 2021

Helcococcus ovis(H. ovis) was first reported in ovine subclinical mastitis milk and post-mortem examinated organs in Spain and the United Kingdom in 1999, subsequently, it appeared in cattle, horse, goat, and human. However, isolation and characterization of the strain in clinical bovine mastitis is unknown. Therefore, our objective was to identify the pathogen in clinical bovine mastitis. A total of 4 strains from 34 bovine mastitis milk samples were identified, there are tiny and transparent colonies from clinical bovine mastitis milk samples in a Chinese dairy farm, however, these colonies could not be identified using on-farm biochemical tests. The isolates were transported to Mastitis Diagnostic Laboratory of China Agricultural University in Beijing. The colonies were identified as a mixture ofH. ovisandArcanobacterium pyogenesaccording to microscopic examination and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the phylogenetic tree was constructed using 16S rRNA gene sequence ofH. ovisisolates. In addition, the growth curve and biochemistry test were performed, we also examined the antimicrobial resistance profiles and constructed murine mammary infection model. Our results showed that theH. oviswere closely related to the strains isolated from China and Japan, growth speed ofH. oviswas relatively slower thanStrep.agalactiae, the phenotypic characteristics were similar to CCUG37441 and CCUG39041 except to lactose, isolates were sensitive to most of antimicrobials except daptomycin,H. oviscould lead to murine mastitis. In this report, we firstly described the characteristics ofH. ovisthat are associated with clinical bovine mastitis in China.
Fast and reliable knowledge-based design closure of antennas by means of iterative prediction-correction scheme
Authors: Koziel Slawomir , Pietrenko-Dabrowska Anna
Published: April 2021

Purpose

A novel framework for expedited antenna optimization with an iterative prediction-correction scheme is proposed. The methodology is comprehensively validated using three real-world antenna structures: narrow-band, dual-band and wideband, optimized under various design scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

The keystone of the proposed approach is to reuse designs pre-optimized for various sets of performance specifications and to encode them into metamodels that render good initial designs, as well as an initial estimate of the antenna response sensitivities. Subsequent design refinement is realized using an iterative prediction-correction loop accommodating the discrepancies between the actual and target design specifications.

Findings

The presented framework is capable of yielding optimized antenna designs at the cost of just a few full-wave electromagnetic simulations. The practical importance of the iterative correction procedure has been corroborated by benchmarking against gradient-only refinement. It has been found that the incorporation of problem-specific knowledge into the optimization framework greatly facilitates parameter adjustment and improves its reliability.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed approach can be a viable tool for antenna optimization whenever a certain number of previously obtained designs are available or the designer finds the initial effort of their gathering justifiable by intended re-use of the procedure. The future work will incorporate response features technology for improving the accuracy of the initial approximation of antenna response sensitivities.

Originality/value

The proposed optimization framework has been proved to be a viable tool for cost-efficient and reliable antenna optimization. To the knowledge, this approach to antenna optimization goes beyond the capabilities of available methods, especially in terms of efficient utilization of the existing knowledge, thus enabling reliable parameter tuning over broad ranges of both operating conditions and material parameters of the structure of interest.
Adaptive stable grasping control strategy based on slippage detection
Authors: Chen Yang , Sun Fuchun
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The authors want to design an adaptive grasping control strategy without setting the expected contact force in advance to maintain grasping stable, so that the proposed control system can deal with unknown object grasping manipulation tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

The adaptive grasping control strategy is proposed based on bang-bang-like control principle and slippage detection module. The bang-bang-like control method is designed to find and set the expected contact force for the whole control system, and the slippage detection function is achieved by dynamic time warping algorithm.

Findings

The expected contact force can adaptively adjust in grasping tasks to avoid bad effects on the control system by the differences of prior test results or designers. Slippage detection can be recognized in time with variation of expected contact force manipulation environment in the control system. Based on if the slippage caused by an unexpected disturbance happens, the control system can automatically adjust the expected contact force back to the level of the previous stable state after a given time, and has the ability to identify an unnecessary increasing in the expected contact force.

Originality/value

Only contact force is used as feedback variable in control system, and the proposed strategy can save hardware components and electronic circuit components for sensing, reducing the cost and design difficulty of conducting real control system and making it easy to realize in engineering application field. The expected contact force can adaptively adjust due to unknown disturbance and slippage for various grasping manipulation tasks.
Automatic tool with adaptive suspension system for high-quality inspection of underwater risers
Authors: Medeiros Vivian Suzano , Kubrusly Alan Conci , Bertoche Raphael Lydia , Freitas Miguel Andrade , Camerini Claudio , Brito Jorge Luiz F. , von der Weid Jean Pierre
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The inspection of flexible risers is a critical activity to ensure continuous productivity and safety in oil and gas production. The purpose of this paper is to present the design and development of a novel automatic underwater tool for riser inspection that fits the most commonly used riser diameters and significantly improves inspection quality and reduces its operating costs.

Design/methodology/approach

The mechanical and electronic design of the inspection system is discussed, as well as its embedded sensors and control system. The tool is equipped with a suspension system that is able to adapt to the riser diameter and negotiate obstacles on the pipe wall. Numerical simulations were carried out to analyze the mechanical design, and a hardware-in-the-loop simulation was developed for tuning the control system. Further, experimental results are presented and discussed.

Findings

Experimental tests in laboratory tanks and shallow seawater have confirmed the effectiveness of the tool for detailed real-time inspection of underwater pipelines.

Practical implications

The use of the proposed tool will potentially reduce the time and costs for riser inspection, currently performed by divers or high-cost ROVs.

Originality/value

The authors present a reliable tool able to perform automatic inspections up to 250 m deep in less than 30 min, equipped with a high-definition visual inspection system, composed of full-HD cameras and lasers and a suspension mechanism that can negotiate sharp obstacles in the pipe wall up to 25 mm high. The tool uses a comprehensive control system that autonomously performs a full inspection, collecting sensors data and returning safely to the surface. Its robust design can be used as basis for several other nondestructive techniques, such as ultrasound and X-ray.
Sustainability topic trends in the textile and apparel industry: a text mining-based magazine article analysis
Authors: Li Jitong , Leonas Karen K.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to (1) identify the sustainable practices developed by the textile and apparel industry and (2) investigate the gaps and opportunities in the sustainability implementation process by quantitively analyzing the sustainability topics and the relevant topic trends.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed text mining techniques. A total of 1,168 relevant magazine articles published from 2013 to 2020 were collected and then categorized according to their tones. In total, 36 topics were identified by reviewing the sustainability issues in the industry. The frequency of each topic mentioned in the articles and the correlation coefficients between topics' frequencies and published time were calculated. The results were used to examine if the three sustainability dimensions (environment, society, economy) were equally addressed and identify opportunities in the sustainability implementation process.

Findings

There were much fewer social and economic topics than environmental topics discussed in the articles. Additionally, there were not enough practices developed to reduce microfiber pollution, improve consumers' knowledge of sustainability, offset the carbon footprint, build a transparent, sustainable supply chain and avoid animal cruelty.

Originality/value

There is a lack of research focusing on the whole supply chain and sustainability when investigating sustainable practices and topic trends. This study fills a part of the gap. The results can be used by industrialists to identify sustainable practice opportunities and better manage their sustainable supply chains. Researchers can utilize the results to compare the topics in the industry with the topics studied in academia.
Effect of hydration with oral water on nonstress test in a hospital, Turkey: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Şener Yeter , Aksoy Hüseyin , Başer Mürüvvet
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of hydration with oral water on non-stress test (NST).

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted as single-blinded and randomized controlled. Healthy and outpatient 32- to 40-week pregnant women who were aged 19 and older were included in the study. Intervention group pregnant women (n = 66) drank 500 ccs of water before the NST, and no attempt was made to the control group (n = 66). The NST parameters of the groups with fetal heart rate (FHR), variability, acceleration, deceleration, reactivity and nonreactivity were evaluated.

Findings

Both groups were found to be similar in terms of their descriptive characteristics and variables related to pregnancy (p > 0.05). The median FHR was 130.0 in the intervention group, 140.0 in the control group (p < 0.001), and the median number of the acceleration was 6.0 in the intervention group and 4.0 in the control group (p < 0.001). In terms of the median number of decelerations, the groups were similar (p > 0.05).

Originality/value

It was found that hydration with oral water had an effect on NST parameters of FHR and the number of accelerations. However, it was observed that the FHR was within the normal range in both groups. It was thought that it tended to increase the number of accelerations.
Foreign direct investment rules in selected European countries – an overview
Authors: Burgess Geoffrey P. , McIver Timothy , Tenglemann Philippe , Lariven Rosanne , Pomana Andrea , Schoberwalter Jan , Troina Edoardo
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To provide an overview of the national foreign direct investment (“FDI”) screening mechanisms in place across Europe including in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

This article summarizes the key elements of the national FDI screening regimes of some of the leading European economies. This includes setting out the relevant investment thresholds, protected sectors, lengths of review periods, standstill obligations and potential sanctions in each jurisdiction.

Findings

Many of Europe’s leading economies are following the wider global trend towards stricter reviews of foreign investment ahead of the EU Screening Regulation coming into force in October 2020. However, the approach taken to FDI screening can vary significantly at a country level in terms of both process and substance and the applicable laws are evolving rapidly, not least as a response to concerns related to the impact of COVID-19.

Practical implications

Investors looking to make acquisitions in Europe will need to consider whether national FDI screening will apply to their proposed investments. Depending on the jurisdiction, FDI screening can introduce lengthy review periods and require detailed information gathering as well as uncertainty as to the final outcome. Potential investors also need to consider the risk of sanctions, including criminal sanctions, for non-compliance with the screening regimes.

Originality/value

This article offers a summary and comparison of national FDI screening regimes across Europe.
SEC amends rules on financial reporting of business acquisitions and dispositions
Authors: Parrino Richard J.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This article examines the comprehensive amendments recently adopted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to its accounting and other rules that govern financial statement filing requirements for significant business acquisitions and dispositions.

Design/methodology/approach

The article provides an in-depth analysis of the rule changes in the context of the SEC’s attempt to balance the right of investors to obtain adequate information about the impact of an acquired or disposed business on an SEC registrant against the filing burdens that can result from over-identification of acquisitions or dispositions as material to the registrant based on the SEC’s “significance” tests.

Findings

The rule amendments bring enhanced coherence to a reporting framework that has been characterized in part by inconsistencies, gaps, unreliable valuation principles, and ambiguities. The amendments contribute to the SEC’s ongoing disclosure effectiveness initiative by updating, clarifying, and codifying many requirements that had developed piecemeal in market practice or through guidance issued by the SEC’s staff.

Originality/value

This article provides expert guidance on a major SEC disclosure requirement from an experienced securities lawyer.
SEC adopts offering reforms for BDCs and registered closed-end funds and issues a temporary exemptive order
Authors: Rosella Michael , Hearth David , Avdeychik Vadim , Johnson Ryan
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To analyze and identify the key findings from the April 8, 2020, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) recently approved rule amendments (“Adopted Rules”) extended to business development companies (“BDCs”) and registered closed-end funds and an Exemptive Order providing regulatory flexibility to BDCs.

Design/methodology/approach

Discusses the key takeaways and implications from the Adopted Rules and Exemptive Order.

Findings

The Adopted Rules provide BDCs and registered closed-end funds some of the more efficient registration, reporting, offering, and communication requirements currently applicable to operating companies. The Exemptive Order provides BDCs additional flexibility with respect to (1) the issuance and sale of senior securities and (2) the participation in certain joint transactions.

Practical implications

Firms and their representatives should heed the trends in both the substantial restitution FINRA is ordering and the related enforcement issues in the cases FINRA has brought.

Originality/value

Expert analysis and guidance from experienced asset management lawyers.
Dealing with surprise attacks: decomposing ERM as a dynamic capability to handle crises
Authors: Venkatesh Vishnu Chandar , Dasgupta Meeta , Prashar Anupama , Andersen Torben Juul
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Turbulent hypercompetitive market conditions make small and medium enterprises (SMEs) vulnerable to abrupt crises caused by unexpected competitor moves. In these situations, enterprise risk management (ERM) can serve as a dynamic capability (DC) to overcome the impending crisis and improve SMEs' survival rates. To explore this capacity, which has only been vaguely addressed in prior research, we conduct an exploratory, abductive study to update the extant (ERM and DC) literature with empirical evidence from expert interviews.

Design/methodology/approach

We conduct an exploratory, abductive study using empirical evidence from expert interviews.

Findings

Our findings reveal ERM as a second-order DC in the micro-foundational components of competitive intelligence gathering, alliance building and integrative capabilities. We find that competitive intensity and government policy moderate the effects of these foundational capabilities. Finally, our study proposes a survivability model that provides new valuable knowledge of ERM as a DC for SMEs to deal with competition-driven crises.

Originality/value

This research survivability model shows how ERM as DC can facilitate the survivability of SMEs against competitive surprises. Although restricted to crises arising out of competitive surprises, this study provides valuable knowledge to the literature on what type of DCs are useful for specific situations. The study findings not only extended Teece's (2007) DCs framework to competitive crises but also placed it within a hierarchy of capabilities. The research findings indicate that an ERM culture in SMEs promote the growth and development of sensing, seizing and reconfiguring capabilities, vital for tiding competitive crises.
Support for small businesses during a health crisis
Authors: Majid Kashef A. , Kolar David W. , Laroche Michel
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Crises threaten the operations of small businesses and endanger their survival; however, when the crisis is not attributable to the firm, consumers may rally around the business. This study aims to examine how attitudes toward helping others can create support for small businesses, which in turn can direct consumers to help businesses with increased financial support. It is hoped that this paper will inform how consumers will help firms pivot during crises.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model was proposed which linked support for helping others to increased willingness to tip/amount tipped. The model was tested using structural equation modeling from two surveys given to customers of two small businesses, a coffee shop and an independent movie theater, respectively.

Findings

During a crisis, support for helping others has a positive impact on feelings of support for small businesses. Consumers direct their support to small businesses that they are interested in seeing survive and continue operations. They either tip more or tip when they otherwise would not have tipped.

Practical implications

Firms that pivot their operations because of a crisis imposed on them can still generate revenues. Consumers who have a self-interest in the continuing operations of the firm want to support it, and by pivoting their business model, the firm gives consumers the opportunity to give the firm and its employees more than they would have in the form of tips.

Originality/value

Prior work in crisis management has focused primarily on how firms recover and respond to a crisis of their doing. Overwhelmingly, consumers have been shown to punish firms during times of crisis. However, for a crisis that is imposed on the firm, consumers may rally behind the firm and respond by supporting it more than they are required to.
Enhancing trust through digital Islamic finance and blockchain technology
Authors: Chong Felicia Hui Ling
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a reflective discussion on the different avenues of blockchain application in Islamic finance in promoting trust and transparency for increased accountability between parties involved in the delivery of Sharīʿah-compliant products and services.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses on blockchain benefits in Islamic finance while providing an illustration with smart Sukuk. Having identified the advantages of the development of Islamic financial technology (i-FinTech), this study ends by debating a couple of challenges (computational codification of Sharīʿah principles and environmental impact) that have to be addressed to promote the development of a real sustainable Islamic FinTech.

Findings

This paper also identifies two challenges in using blockchain in i-Fintech. The first challenge refers to the extent to which Sharīʿah principles can be computationally encoded. Blockchain makes public all transactions that ease Sharīʿah compliance checks and determine if these transactions are Islamic in nature but this check can be done only after their operation. The second challenge is related to the algorithmic protocol used to validate smart contracts (including smart Sukuk). This situation calls into question the principles of Maqasid al-Sharīʿah according to which transactions should not harm society.

Originality/value

In the current debates related to the development of Islamic FinTech, this paper also identifies two challenges in using blockchain in i-Fintech.
The global financial crisis and its aftermath: a perspective from fiction
Authors: Arch Linda
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Since the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 academic research has paid considerable attention to understanding the nature of the crisis, its causes and consequences. This is not surprising given the scale and scope of the crisis. Much of this research has been undertaken within social science disciplines. At the same time, the crisis has also been the subject of fiction – novels, poetry and drama, and there is also a small body of academic scholarship on fiction relating to the crisis (and on finance in fiction more generally). The purpose of this paper is to suggest that fiction can offer a new perspective on the global financial crisis and thereby enhance our understanding of it.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploration draws upon three works of post-crisis fiction: the 2009 play by David Hare, The Power of Yes: A Dramatist Seeks to Understand the Financial Crisis (hereafter The Power of Yes); Other People’s Money, a novel by Justin Cartwright (2011); and Robert Harris’s novel The Fear Index also published in 2011. Its approach is based on close readings of the three texts in question.

Findings

Finance fiction stimulates a reconceptualization of the global financial crisis as a crisis of innovation and technological change.

Originality/value

This paper is a viewpoint article. The originality lies in the author’s interpretation of reading the global financial crisis through fiction.
Investigating the opportunities provided for young adults with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) to prepare for adulthood in a city in England
Authors: Malkani Ratika
Published: April 2021

This paper reports research commissioned by an English City Council. Its aim was to gather data to identify and prioritise the council’s efforts to develop, co‐ordinate and monitor services and support for young people with SEND in the city as they move into their adult lives. This included the four areas identified by the English government in the SEND Code of Practice, these being: employment, community inclusion, health and independent living. The study used qualitative and quantitative research methods including semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires to investigate the experiences of students, teachers, National Health Service staff and social workers in identifying processes and structures that support or hinder the transition process as children prepare for adulthood. As such the study gathered generic data to indicate the expectations, needs, aspirations and views of young persons between the ages of 14 and 22 with regards to employment, education, community inclusion and health. An interpretation of data from the research illustrated the effectiveness of the support structures that are in place to help with planning and delivery of the strategic direction for services supporting children and young people with SEND as they become adults.
Selenium in cereals: Insight into species of the element from total amount
Authors: Xie Minhao , Sun Xinyang , Li Peng , Shen Xinchun , Fang Yong
Published: April 2021

Selenium (Se) is a trace mineral micronutrient essential for human health. The diet is the main source of Se intake. Se‐deficiency is associated with many diseases, and up to 1 billion people suffer from Se‐deficiency worldwide. Cereals are considered a good choice for Se intake due to their daily consumption as staple foods. Much attention has been paid to the contents of Se in cereals and other foods. Se‐enriched cereals are produced by biofortification. Notably, the gap between the nutritional and toxic levels of Se is fairly narrow. The chemical structures of Se compounds, rather than their total contents, contribute to the bioavailability, bioactivity, and toxicity of Se. Organic Se species show better bioavailability, higher nutritional value, and less toxicity than inorganic species. In this paper, we reviewed the total content of Se in cereals, Se speciation methods, and the biological effects of Se species on human health. Selenomethionine (SeMet) is generally the most prevalent and important Se species in cereal grains. In conclusion, Se species should be considered in addition to the total Se content when evaluating the nutritional and toxic values of foods such as cereals.