bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risking identity: a case study of Jamaica’s short-lived national ID system
Authors: Dunn Hopeton S.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to expose the challenges facing the attempt by Jamaica to introduce a new digital ID system without adequate regard to public consultation and the rights of citizens.

Design/methodology/approach

The method used is critical text analysis and policy analysis, providing background and relevant factors leading up to the legislative changes under review. Extensive literature sources were consulted and the relevant sections of the Jamaican constitution referenced and analysed.

Findings

The case study may have national peculiarities not applicable in other jurisdictions. Its introduction acknowledges that the Jamaican Government may amend and re-submit the legislation, absent the flawed clauses. The paper however will remain valid given its detailed analysis and exposure of risks associated with biometric data collection, face recognition technology and data storage flaws.

Practical implications

It will be a practical example of the risks associated with flawed biometric data collection and the role of Courts in reviewing such legislation. Referrals to the Courts can be used as a remedy, as occurred not only in Jamaica but also in many other jurisdictions, including India and Kenya.

Social implications

The paper foregrounds the rights of citizens to be consulted on the collection and storage of their sensitive biometric data. The social implications and risks of violating the constitutional rights of citizens were made evident, and can be an example to other jurisdictions.

Originality/value

The paper is the first of its kind to provide detailed data and analysis on an outright rejection by the Courts of a country's ID legislation on grounds that it violated the constitution and rights of citizens. It shows the ethical and social challenges in proposing and implementing legislation without adequate public consultation on such sensitive matters as biometric data. It also exposes some of the challenges of artificial intelligence and face recognition technologies in ID data collection, including flaws related to race, gender and coding.
Analyzing barriers of Green Lean practices in manufacturing industries by DEMATEL approach
Authors: Singh Charanjit , Singh Davinder , Khamba J.S.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Green Lean concepts offer methods for managing manufacturing organizations with the goal of improving organizational performance. Green Lean practices are good options to increase the environmental and operational performance of manufacturing industries. However, there are some barriers to implement Green Lean in manufacturing industries. This paper aims to identify these barriers by reviewing the literature and analyze inter-relationships amongst selected barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper deals with the identification of barriers to the adoption of Green Lean practices in manufacturing industries. Using the DEMATEL approach and using the insights of experts, a cause and effect relationship diagram was generated through which the effect of barriers was analyzed.

Findings

Twelve barriers were categorized in terms of cause and effect, and the interrelationships of barriers were also analyzed. Threshold value is calculated as 0.134 and the values lower than a were eliminated to obtain the digraph. “Resistance to change,” “lack of top management commitment” and “lack of training to employees” are the most prominent barriers on the basis of their prominent score.

Research limitations/implications

Analysis in the research is highly dependent on expert judgments and opinions may be biased. However, the initial matrix obtained from the experts is hindered by the ambiguity about some relationships. But this can be improved by using fuzzy and grey set theories. The barriers used for the analysis are not from a specific type of manufacturing industry.

Practical implications

The findings will help the manufacturing organizations to simplify the most important barriers, the least significant barriers and the relationships between these barriers. This Berlin knowledge will enable administrators to increase awareness of the barriers in Green Lean implementation. “The top management commitment” and “government support” are most important for the removal of barriers to Green Lean strategies.

Originality/value

Very few scholars have used the DEMATEL approach to examine the sequence of the barriers to Green Lean implementation. The present study attempts to incorporate the DEMATEL model to assess the sequence of barriers to the implementation of Green Lean. This study investigates the degree of influence of barriers on each other and categorizes the barriers into cause and effect groups. This study is also intended to pave the way for future research in the path of the elimination of barriers to Green Lean strategies.
Industrial practices of collaborative manufacturing involving tool and die development: Malaysian perspective
Authors: Selvarajoo Suman , Raja Ghazilla Raja Ariffin , Mamat Azuddin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the current practices of tool and die development, particularly in the Malaysian context with respect to collaborative manufacturing (CM). It is important to gauge the presents of CM, which is one of the key elements of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) so that significant initiatives could be taken. The findings are also expected to address the issues pertaining limited information related to collaborative tool and die development in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was carried out among the key players in the local tool and die industry, covering issues such as operational structure in practice, internal collaboration, external collaboration and application of collaborative technology.

Findings

The results revealed that although practitioners realise that there are systems and available technological support, unfortunately, it has not been embraced due to poor communication, lack of commitment and cooperation from employees and business owners. In addition, industry players also need to be aware of the benefits concerning CM for a sustainable future.

Research limitations/implications

Many industry players are rather reluctant to participate in surveys and tend to reserve their opinions regarding their operational practices. Lack of awareness among the industry players contributed to the poor participation of the survey and based on the feedback, some of the industry players are not well-informed regarding the latest developments in the industry.

Originality/value

The data and feedback gained through the research offer the perspective for the current state of CM particularly the tool and die industry in Malaysia. This may be a preliminary study with limited data but the value of the information is significant for further in-depth study and policy alignment towards enhancing the tool and die industry which is rarely given attention to. Understanding the current state of CM particularly in the tool and die development would be critical for the expansion of IR 4.0 concerning this field in Malaysia.
“I didn’t want to do, but I am happy to now!” Affect, voice and in-role performance
Authors: Zhang Zhenduo , Xiao Huan , Gou Xueqin , Li Miaomiao , Zheng Junwei
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Previous research has examined the effects of discrete affects on voice; however, the role of trait and state affects in voice literature has received little attention. This study aims to address this important issue from a conservation of resources perspective, by exploring the influence of daily positive affect and emotional resistance to change on the voice of employees and their resulting work outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study collected data about 285 daily episodes from 57 employees over five consecutive days, using an experience sampling method (ESM) through mobile surveys. The study found that emotional resistance to change was negatively related to employee voice and in-role performance.

Findings

Voice mediated the negative relationship between emotional resistance to change and in-role performance. The study also found that daily positive affect buffered the negative effects of emotional resistance to change on voice.

Originality/value

These findings extend the research concerning affect and voice; the study provides integrative insight into how affect dynamically influences organizations.
The impact of a safe learning environment in schools on students’ learning outcomes: evidence from Tanzania
Authors: Kibriya Shahriar , Jones Gordon
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the effect of school safety on standardized learning outcomes for primary-age students in Tanzania, identifying causal direction and magnitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

Key dependent variables include standardized learning outcomes in English, reading fluency and math addition problems; while independent variables are the perception of school safety from head teachers. An ordinary least squares estimation explored the determinants of student performance when controlled for school and family specific characteristics. These results were then verified through the quasi-experimental method of propensity score matching, estimating the effect of school safety on learning outcomes and accounting for any misspecifications in the treatment or outcome models.

Findings

Results show statistically significant and negative effects of an unsafe school environment on learning outcomes for both reading and math.

Research limitations/implications

As head teachers reported students’ perceptions of school safety, it may be underreported.

Originality/value

Donors, policymakers and other stakeholders need to consider school safety issues as a barrier to learning in policy design and program implementation.
Ethical dilemmas and challenges in ethnographic migration research
Authors: Montero-Sieburth Martha
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Argued is the need for: (1) a clearer interpretation of procedural ethics guidelines; (2) the identification and development of ethical field case study models which can be incorporated into university ethics teaching; (3) an understanding of the vulnerabilities of researchers and participants as reflected in the researchers' positionality and reflexivity and (4) ethnographic monitoring as a participant-friendly and participatory ethics methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

This article, drawn from the author's four-decade trajectory of collective ethnographic research, addresses the ethical challenges and dilemmas encountered by researchers when conducting ethnographic research, particularly with vulnerable migrant women and youth.

Findings

The author addresses dilemmas in field research resulting from different interpretations of ethics and emphasizes the need for researchers to be critically aware of their own vulnerabilities and those of migrants to avoid unethical practices in validating the context(s), language(s), culture and political landscape of their study.

Research limitations/implications

The author presents case studies from the US and the Netherlands, underlining her positionality and reflexivity and revisits Dell Hymes' ethnographic monitoring approach as a participant-friendly, bottom-up methodology which enables researchers to co-construct knowledge with participants and leads to participatory ethics.

Practical implications

She presents case studies from the US and the Netherlands underlining her positionality and reflexivity and revisits Dell Hymes’ ethnographic monitoring approach as a participant-friendly, bottom up methodology which enables researchers to co-construct knowledge with participants and engage in participatory ethics.

Social implications

Finally, she proposes guidelines for the ethical conduct of research with migrant populations that contribute to the broader methodological debates currently taking place in qualitative migration research.

Originality/value

Expected from this reading is the legacy that as a qualitative migration researcher one can after 4 decades of research leave behind as caveats and considerations in working with vulnerable migrants and the ethical dilemmas and challenges that need to be overcome.
3D printed polyurethane exhibits isotropic elastic behavior despite its anisotropic surface
Authors: Pagac Marek , Schwarz David , Petru Jana , Polzer Stanislav
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Mechanical properties testing of the hyperelastic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) produced by the continuous digital light processing (CDLP) method of additive manufacturing. Primarily, this paper aims to verify that 3D printed TPU still satisfies commonly assumed volumetric incompressibility and material isotropy in elastic range. The secondary aim is to investigate the accuracy and reproducibility of the CDLP method.

Design/methodology/approach

Cylindrical samples were printed and subjected to a volumetric compression test to reveal their bulk modulus K and maximal theoretical porosity (MTP). Dog bone specimens were oriented along different axes and printed. Their dimensions were measured, and they were subjected to cyclic uniaxial tests up to 100% strain to reveal the level of stress softening and possible anisotropy. The hyperelastic Yeoh model was fitted to the mean response.

Findings

The authors measured the bulk modulus of K = 1851 ± 184 MPa. The mean MTP was 0.9 ± 0.5%. The mean response was identical in both directions and the data could be fitted by the isotropic third order Yeoh function with R^2 = 0.996. The dimensions measurement revealed the largest error (above 5%) in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the digital light projection while the dimensions in other two dimensions were much more accurate (0.75 and 1%, respectively).

Practical implications

The TPU printed by CDLP can be considered and modelled as isotropic and practically volumetrically incompressible. The parts in the printing chamber should be positioned in a way that the important dimensions are not parallel to the direction of the digital light projection.

Originality/value

The authors experimentally confirmed the volumetric incompressibility and mechanical isotropy of the TPU printed using the CDLP method.
Culinary travel experiences, quality of life and loyalty
Authors: Hernández-Mogollón José Manuel , Di-Clemente Elide , Campón-Cerro Ana María
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to develop an original model in the context of food-based experiences considering new experiential variables, such as to experience quality, memorability and quality of life (QOL), and their impact on marketing outcomes, namely, satisfaction and loyalty, approached from an experience perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical approach has been adopted. Data have been collected through an online and a paper-and-pencil method, using an original questionnaire addressed to tourists who had a food-based experience during their recent holidays. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling is the technique used for data analysis.

Findings

The results confirm that local food, enjoyed through quality experiences, is a determining factor in designing memorable products, achieving tourist satisfaction, improving their QOL and encouraging loyalty to experiential food-based practices.

Research limitations

Results should be interpreted within the context of this research because of the use of a sample conveniently selected.

Practical implications

Gastronomic experiences represent a successful strategic resource for tourist destinations and professionals who want to adapt their business/destination to the new requirements of the experiential context.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is first to relate the impact of memorable and quality culinary experiences on the QOL of tourists, chasing, as a final result, loyal intentions towards a specific kind of experience (culinary) rather than towards the destination.
Seed traits determine species' responses to fire under varying soil heating scenarios
Authors: Tangney Ryan , Merritt David J. , Callow J. Nikolaus , Fontaine Joseph B. , Miller Ben P.
Published: July 2020

Many plant species in fire‐prone environments maintain persistence through fire via soil seedbanks. However, seeds stored within the soil are at risk of mortality from elevated soil temperatures during fire. Seeds may be protected from fire‐temperature impacts by burial, however, those buried too deeply may germinate but fail to emerge. Thus, successful post‐fire seed regeneration is contingent upon a trade‐off between burial depth and survival through fire.

We examined the relationships between seedling emergence behaviour, seed survival and soil temperatures during fire in 13 native and four non‐native woodland species in southwestern Australia. We assessed total seedling emergence per depth, maximum seedling emergence depth and seedling emergence speed from seeds planted at eight depths (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 cm). Soil temperatures were quantified using distributed temperature sensing in optic fibre (DTS), measured continuously between 1 and 10 cm in depth (temperatures were subsequently categorized into 1 cm increments for analysis) during five experimental fires in beds with fine fuels manipulated between 8 and 20 t/ha. Using seed survival and emergence success relative to soil temperatures, we determined vulnerability of seedling emergence relative to soil temperatures generated by combustion of fuel quantities typically observed in woodlands.

Maximum depth of emergence varied between species from 2 to >10 cm, with a positive linear correlation to seed mass. Maximum soil temperatures from the two highest fuel masses exceeded seed lethal thresholds (T50—representing temperatures lethal to 50% of seeds) of at least five species. Lethal temperatures were exceeded at all potential emergence depths for all three grass species, and all four non‐native species studied. Of the remaining 10 species, temperatures did not exceed the lethal thresholds under any of the fuel mass levels tested. We found no relationship between lethal temperature thresholds and maximum emergence depth.

Our data demonstrate that seeds exhibit variation in their response to soil heating and capacity to emerge from depth, with three distinct functional responses amongst our study species, which enable persistence through, and recruitment following, fire. Such variation in species attributes and fuel mass may lead to heterogeneity (within fires) or divergent trajectories (among fires) in community response under changed fire regime.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Do pollinators prefer pesticide‐free plants? An experimental test with monarchs and milkweeds
Authors: Olaya‐Arenas Paola , Scharf Michael E. , Kaplan Ian
Published: July 2020

Hundreds of recent studies have voiced concern over the negative impacts of non‐target pesticides on pollinator health. However, pesticide loads are highly variable across agricultural landscapes and it is unclear whether pollinators exhibit behavioural responses (e.g. aversion) that mediate their exposure risk under realistic foraging environments.

We tested whether monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus adults and larvae base their oviposition and foraging decisions, respectively, on the presence and concentration of pesticide residues on their milkweed host‐plant, Asclepias syriaca. To do so, we experimentally simulated field‐realistic exposure for six of the most commonly detected pesticides—one insecticide, two herbicides and three fungicides—either alone or in combination. These laboratory and greenhouse manipulations experimentally paired an untreated control with the pesticides at their mean or maximum concentrations. Last, we used a two‐year field survey to correlate pesticide concentration on milkweed leaves with monarch oviposition.

Butterflies placed fewer eggs on milkweeds treated with a cocktail containing all six pesticides at their maximum concentrations, resulting in c. 30% less oviposition compared to the solvent control. Neonate (1st instar) larvae also showed a preference for pesticide‐free leaves in paired disc assays for four out of six compounds tested, with feeding aversion observed at both mean and maximum concentrations. Later instars did not show a comparable behavioural reaction to pesticide presence or concentration, but this could be partially due to the feeding‐deterrent properties of the acetone solvent used. In the field, per plant egg load was negatively correlated with increasing leaf concentration for one of the herbicides, metolachlor; although all pesticides tested showed similar oviposition trends.

Synthesis and applications. Our data provide evidence that monarchs are capable of adaptively adjusting their oviposition and foraging behaviours based on which pesticides are present on their host‐plants. Importantly, this preference was observed at field‐relevant concentrations, suggesting that monarchs behaviourally regulate pesticide exposure risk for their offspring by avoiding contaminated plants. Variability in pesticide identity and/or load among milkweeds within/between habitat patches should be considered in future restoration efforts aimed at attracting butterflies for larval development, as well as the relative importance of pesticides compared with other plant factors (e.g. genotype or species, developmental stage) known to affect oviposition. More broadly, this work illustrates some of the limitations of no‐choice trials and suggests that experimental designs embracing field‐scale heterogeneity in pesticide presence and concentration will lead to more realistic non‐target impact assessments and improved management.
Community‐scale effects and strain: Facilitation beyond conspicuous patterns
Authors: Liancourt Pierre , Dolezal Jiri
Published: July 2020

The large majority of ‘facilitation studies’ focus on benefactor–beneficiary interactions. However, this may skew our view of the role of facilitation toward systems where it is most conspicuous, and perhaps toward harsh environments where discrete vegetation cover and pattern suggestive of facilitation are more common.

Here we argue that a particular benefactor species is not required for facilitation to occur. Where vegetation cover is continuous, the community as a whole can ameliorate the abiotic conditions (community‐scale facilitative effect) and any species from the assembly experiencing stress (strain) could be facilitated. As a consequence, community‐scale facilitative effect might be generally common but often inconspicuous. Whether this community‐scale facilitative effect is influenced by particular characteristics of the vegetation cover is still largely unknown (e.g. biomass, species richness, functional composition and diversity).

Expanding our research on facilitation beyond benefactor–beneficiary interactions and considering together the concept of community‐scale effect and strain might be key to progress our understanding of the general role of facilitation for species coexistence, ecosystem function, species distribution or climate change impact.
Climate warming drives Himalayan alpine plant growth and recruitment dynamics
Authors: Dolezal Jiri , Jandova Veronika , Macek Martin , Mudrak Ondrej , Altman Jan , Schweingruber Fritz Hans , Liancourt Pierre
Published: July 2020

Understanding how climate influences plant reproduction and growth at contrasting range limits is crucial for predicting how species' ranges may shift in response to ongoing climate change. Trees and shrubs have shown warming‐induced increases in performance at upper elevation limits but reduced performance at lower distributional limits due to warming‐driven drought limitation. Whether these differential responses are also valid for alpine forbs exposed to accelerated warming remains largely unknown.

We examined climate signal recorded in annual growth and recruitment over the past 60 years in the alpine forb Potentilla pamirica in Western Himalayas, and tested whether the responses to recent climate warming differ between dry steppe, wet alpine and cold subnival zone within the species 5,250–5,900 m elevation range. We reconstructed recruitment and growth chronologies from 1,019 individuals spanning 1–73 years, and more than 21,500 annual growth rings.

We identified contrasting climatic controls of recruitment and growth at opposite elevation range margins, as well as contrasting demographic trends identified from age distributions. In lower‐elevation steppes, recruitment increased with high late‐winter snowfall and decreased with high summer temperatures, while growth increased with high summer precipitation. Conversely, warm winters and summers in higher‐elevation alpine and subnival zones support growth and recruitment, while snowy winters reduce them, especially at their upper elevation limit. The age distribution revealed greater numbers of younger individuals, indicating healthy growing populations, in the alpine habitat, while evidence of ageing plant populations was observed in steppe and subnival zones.

Accelerated warming since the 1990s reduced growth and recruitment in dry steppes while supporting plant performance in the alpine habitat. The recruitment in the subnival zone did not peak during the past warmest decade due to concomitant extreme snowfall events.

Synthesis. Our results provide novel information on population‐specific climate dependency of plant recruitment, growth and population dynamics, suggesting the high vulnerability of high‐elevation Himalayan ecosystems to climate change. This is partly balanced by high species longevity and slow radial growth securing a long‐term population persistence. Continuing trends of extreme snowfall events at higher elevations and droughts at lower elevations may lead to species range contraction.
Seaweed functional diversity revisited: Confronting traditional groups with quantitative traits
Authors: Mauffrey Alizée R. L. , Cappelatti Laura , Griffin John N.
Published: July 2020

Macroalgal (seaweed) beds and forests fuel coastal ecosystems and are rapidly reorganizing under global change, but quantifying their functional structure still relies on binning species into coarse groups on the assumption that they adequately capture relevant underlying traits.

To interrogate this ‘group gambit’, we measured 12 traits relating to competitive dominance and resource economics across 95 macroalgal species collected from the UK and widespread on North‐East Atlantic rocky shores. We assessed the amount of trait variation explained by commonly used traditional groups—(a) two schemes based on gross morphology and anatomy and (b) two categorizations of vertical space use—and examined species reclassification into post hoc, so‐called emergent groups arising from the functional trait dataset. We then offer an alternative, emergent grouping scheme of macroalgal functional diversity.

(a) Morphology and anatomy‐based groups explained slightly more than a third of multivariate trait expression with considerable group overlap (i.e. low precision) and extensive mismatch with underlying trait expression (i.e. low accuracy). (b) Categorizations of vertical space use accounted for about a quarter of multivariate trait expression with considerable group overlap. Nonetheless, turf species tended to display attributes of opportunistic forms. (c) A nine‐group emergent scheme provided a highly explanatory and parsimonious alternative to traditional functional groupings.

Synthesis. Our analysis using a comprehensive dataset of directly measured functional traits revealed a general mismatch between traditional groups and underlying traits, highlighting the deficiencies of the group gambit in macroalgae. While existing grouping schemes may allow first order approximations, they risk considerable loss of information at the trait and, potentially, ecosystem levels. Instead, we call for further development of a trait‐based approach to macroalgal functional ecology to capture unfolding community and ecosystem changes with greater accuracy and generality.
Writing Up and Down: The Language of Educational Research
Authors: Smith Richard
Published: July 2020

There is a marked tendency in educational research to marginalise the written word, and to be wary of what I here call its ‘writerliness’: its capacity to go beyond the prosaic and the utilitarian, where meaning is understood largely in terms of the success of language in reflecting reality. I note various symptoms of this in the world of educational research, but especially in standard textbooks of educational research method, where the ambition to eliminate writing is particularly evident. In its second half the paper turns to educational research as the investigation less of causes than of meaning. Here writing—finding the right words—is itself research, rather than a process that is first performed according to various protocols of method and then ‘written up’. I draw on an illuminating discussion of this in Raimond Gaita's Introduction to recent editions of Peter Winch's The Idea of a Social Science and apply it to current debate over discipline in UK schools.
Elevating the role of carers in rheumatoid arthritis management in the Asia‐Pacific region
Authors: Pile Kevin , Norager Rachel , Skillecorn Matthias , Gibson Kathryn A. , Elderton Sue , Favorito Wendy , Li Zhanguo , Mu Rong , Nakahara Hideko , Kishimoto Mitsumasa , Hirata Shintaro , Kaneko Yuko , Lau Chak‐Sing , Tam Lai‐Shan , Chen Yi‐Hsing , Chen Pearly , Wahking Bryan , Furtner Daniel
Published: July 2020

Aim

Carers may offer valuable insight into the true health status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This multinational, multi‐stakeholder, exploratory study in Australia, China and Japan aimed to enrich our understanding of the role and potential impact of carers on RA management.

Method

This study used a 2‐phase sequential mixed methods approach involving 3 key stakeholder groups: rheumatologists, RA patients and carers. The first phase involved an in‐depth qualitative exploratory survey (n = 30), which informed the development of the subsequent quantitative validation survey (n = 908). In both phases, patients and carers provided self‐assessments of disease and support parameters.

Results

In the qualitative phase, patients usually understated the amount of physical support required, compared to carers. Rheumatologists underestimated the amount of physical and emotional care required, compared to carers and patients; however, in the quantitative phase, rheumatologists overestimated the level of support provided by carers. Levels of support provided by carers increased as disease severity increased. Active participation of carers in clinical consultations and treatment decision‐making was deemed important by 55% of all patients and 82% of all carers. All stakeholders believed carers’ insights into the physical and emotional conditions of patients were useful and should be considered in clinical decision‐making. Over 95% of rheumatologists reported soliciting input from the carer.

Conclusion

Carers provide valuable input that can give clinicians greater insight into the patients’ physical and emotional states, and treatment adherence. Development of standardized carer‐reported outcomes that correlate with patient‐reported outcomes and clinical parameters will ensure clinical meaningfulness and external validity.
Novel insights into the taxonomic diversity and molecular mechanisms of bacterial Mn(III) reduction
Authors: Szeinbaum Nadia , Nunn Brook L. , Cavazos Amanda R. , Crowe Sean A. , Stewart Frank J. , DiChristina Thomas J. , Reinhard Christopher T. , Glass Jennifer B.
Published: July 2020

Soluble ligand‐bound Mn(III) can support anaerobic microbial respiration in diverse aquatic environments. Thus far, Mn(III) reduction has only been associated with certain Gammaproteobacteria. Here, we characterized microbial communities enriched from Mn‐replete sediments of Lake Matano, Indonesia. Our results provide the first evidence for the biological reduction of soluble Mn(III) outside the Gammaproteobacteria. Metagenome assembly and binning revealed a novel betaproteobacterium, which we designate ‘Candidatus Dechloromonas occultata.’ This organism dominated the enrichment and expressed a porin‐cytochrome c complex typically associated with iron‐oxidizing Betaproteobacteria and a novel cytochrome c‐rich protein cluster (Occ), including an undecaheme putatively involved in extracellular electron transfer. This occ gene cluster was also detected in diverse aquatic bacteria, including uncultivated Betaproteobacteria from the deep subsurface. These observations provide new insight into the taxonomic and functional diversity of microbially driven Mn(III) reduction in natural environments.
‘The lion's den’: Social workers' understandings of risk to infants
Authors: Critchley Ariane
Published: July 2020

Recent research has highlighted the increasing trends in newborn and very young children entering child welfare processes and care proceedings in a number of countries. Furthermore, differential responses to risk within young families across different geographical locations and communities in the same child protection system have been found. Safe care arrangements for newborn babies may include placement with kinship carers or with foster carers not previously known to the family. The distinctive needs of the increasing population of infants in the care system are only beginning to be fully recognized. The short‐ and long‐term impact of contested infant removals on birth mothers has been powerfully highlighted, although the impact on fathers remains under‐reported. There has been limited research evidence available on how decisions about the care arrangements for newborn babies are reached. In this paper, the author draws on data from an ethnographic study of pre‐birth child protection in order to explore how social workers understand and frame risk to infants when assessing families during pregnancy. Data from interviews with practitioners reveal the extent to which their conceptualizations of and anxiety about risks to unborn babies shape plans for the future care of infants.
Interactive Programming for Parametric CAD
Authors: Mathur Aman , Pirron Marcus , Zufferey Damien
Published: July 2020

Parametric computer‐aided design (CAD) enables description of a family of objects, wherein each valid combination of parameter values results in a different final form. Although Graphical User Interface (GUI)‐based CAD tools are significantly more popular, GUI operations do not carry a semantic description, and are therefore brittle with respect to changes in parameter values. Programmatic interfaces, on the other hand, are more robust due to an exact specification of how the operations are applied. However, programming is unintuitive and has a steep learning curve. In this work, we link the interactivity of GUI with the robustness of programming. Inspired by programme synthesis by example, our technique synthesizes code representative of selections made by users in a GUI interface. Through experiments, we demonstrate that our technique can synthesize relevant and robust sub‐programmes in a reasonable amount of time. A user study reveals that our interface offers significant improvements over a programming‐only interface.
Breakfast skipping and overweight/obesity in first grade primary school children: A nationwide register‐based study in Iceland
Authors: Aanesen Anita , Katzmarzyk Peter T. , Ernstsen Linda
Published: July 2020

Although several studies have revealed an association between skipping breakfast and overweight (OW) or obesity (OB) in older children and adolescents, less is known about that association in younger children. The purpose of our study was to assess the association between skipping breakfast and OW/OB in children in the first grade. The sample included 4360 children (51.5% boys) aged 5.6 to 7.4 years who participated in the annual health examination in Iceland during 2016 and 2017, completed by 91% of all first graders in Iceland. Binary logistic regression analysis with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to assess the association between skipping breakfast and OW/OB. Skipping breakfast was assessed as not eating breakfast on the day of the assessment, whereas OW or OB was based on measured height and weight relative to the International Obesity Task Force reference. The final analyses were adjusted for bedtime, well‐being in school, commuting to school and physical activity. 7.2% of the boys (n = 162) and 7.5% of the girls (n = 158) had not eaten breakfast. After multivariable adjustment, a statistically significant association emerged between skipping breakfast and OW/OB in girls (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.17‐2.36) but not in boys (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.63‐1.63). Because the study's results suggest an association between skipping breakfast and OW/OB only in first‐grade girls in Iceland, sex‐based differences should be further investigated to inform future strategies for preventing OW and OB in young children.
The COVID‐19 Pandemic and Its Impact on the Global Economy: What Does It Take to Turn Crisis into Opportunity?
Authors: Song Ligang , Zhou Yixiao
Published: July 2020

The COVID‐19 pandemic broke out at a time when there were heightened uncertainties in the global economy. Understanding these uncertainties provides an important background for analyzing the impact of the pandemic on the global economy, assessing the effectiveness of policy measures in combating the pandemic and reviving the global economy, and predicting the trajectory of the economic recovery in the post‐pandemic era. We analyze how COVID‐19 would likely deepen an existing malaise in the global economy, and what could be done to address these problems while managing the economic recovery. We argue that three fundamental factors that could lead to a solid recovery in the post pandemic era are structural reform, new technology and re‐integration. They could be managed by instituting a new “global social contract.” Supported by strong public policies at all levels, especially at national level, these three factors could bring about the salvation of the global economy as it recovers or re‐emerges from the pandemic crisis.
A brief self‐compassion intervention for adolescents with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating: a feasibility study
Authors: Boggiss A. L. , Consedine N. S. , Schache K. R. , Jefferies C. , Bluth K. , Hofman P. L. , Serlachius A. S.
Published: July 2020

Aim

To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a brief self‐compassion intervention for adolescents with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating behaviour.

Methods

Twenty‐seven adolescents with type 1 diabetes were recruited and randomized to receive the brief (two 2.5‐h sessions) self‐compassion intervention, either in the intervention group (n=11) or in a waitlist control group (n=8). The intervention was adapted from the standardized eight‐session ‘Making Friends with Yourself’ programme, and sessions were delivered 1 week apart. Acceptability was assessed through qualitative questionnaires and feasibility was assessed based on session attendance and recruitment metrics. Possible changes to disordered eating behaviour, self‐care behaviours, diabetes‐related distress, self‐compassion, stress and glycaemic control were also assessed.

Results

Nineteen participants completed the study, and they reported an increased sense of common humanity (acknowledging that we are not alone), mindfulness, and coping resources. In terms of feasibility, recruitment took longer than expected (8 months) and not all participants were able to attend both sessions (nine could only attend one of the two sessions).

Conclusions

While self‐compassion is a strong conceptual fit for the issues of type 1 diabetes and disordered eating behaviour in adolescence, and the intervention content appears acceptable, feasibility issues were such that brief self‐compassion programmes will probably need to be adapted into digital interventions for future research. (Trial registration number: ANZCTR 12619000541101).
Vitamin D for treatment of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease detected by transient elastography: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Lukenda Zanko Vesna , Domislovic Viktor , Trkulja Vladimir , Krznaric‐Zrnic Irena , Turk‐Wensveen Tamara , Krznaric Zeljko , Filipec Kanizaj Tajana , Radic‐Kristo Delfa , Bilic‐Zulle Lidija , Orlic Lidija , Dinjar‐Kujundzic Petra , Poropat Goran , Stimac Davor , Hauser Goran , Mikolasevic Ivana
Published: July 2020

Aim

To evaluate the effects of vitamin D on transient elastography (TE, FibroScan) indices of liver steatosis (controlled attenuation parameter [CAP]) and fibrosis (liver stiffness measurement [LSM]) in adults with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Patients and Methods

In this randomized (2:1), double‐blind, single‐centre, 12‐month trial, patients with NAFLD were treated with vitamin D (1000 IU/day) (n = 201) or a matching placebo (n = 110). Two co‐primary outcomes were changes in CAP and LSM after 360 days of treatment versus baseline. Two main secondary outcomes were CAP/LSM changes after 180 days of treatment.

Results

Both CAP and LSM gradually decreased in vitamin D‐treated patients and slightly increased in the placebo arm. Vitamin D was superior to placebo for both primary outcomes (mean differences in CAP and LSM changes (−49.5 dB/m [95% CI −59.5 to −39.4] and −0.72 kPa [95% CI −1.43 to 0.00], respectively) and both secondary outcomes (−22.1 dB/m [−32.1 to −12.1] and −0.89 kPa [−1.61 to −0.17], respectively). Of a number of exploratory outcomes (change at 12 months vs. baseline), vitamin D reduced serum uric acid (−17.9 μmol/L [−30.6 to −5.2]), gamma‐glutamyltransferase (−8.9 IU/L [−15.5 to −2.3)] and fasting serum insulin levels (−5.1 pmol/L [−9.3 to −0.8]) as well as the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index (−1.6 [−3.1 to −0.2]) (false discovery rate [5%]‐adjusted P‐values between .0572 and .0952).

Conclusion

Low‐medium dose supplementation of vitamin D (1000 IU/day) over 12 months reduces TE indices of liver steatosis (CAP) and fibrosis (LSM) in NAFLD patients.
Driving factors of synchronous dynamics in brown trout populations at the rear edge of their native distribution
Authors: Larios‐López José Enrique , Alonso González Carlos , Galiana‐García Miguel , Tierno de Figueroa José Manuel
Published: July 2020

The classical debate about the roles of endogenous factors and external drivers in regulating populations continues to be a very active area of scientific research, and these roles are even more complex in populations located in geographically marginal areas. We tested three hypotheses on two separate brown trout populations inhabiting the southernmost basins of the Iberian Peninsula, with the aims of determining the relationships among (a) rainfall and air temperature for each season preceding fish sampling and the observed age group densities; (b) environmental synchrony and density synchrony for all possible pairs of sites; and (c) physical habitat similarity and the similarity of the density response to climatic drivers among pairs of sites. For this purpose, demographic series (98 surveys at 14 sampling sites), climatic conditions (rainfall and air temperature) and site habitat characteristics (physiogeographic and quality index values) were analysed between 2006 and 2014. The results show how the synchrony in the study populations is the result of a Moran effect directed mainly by winter precipitation and conditioned by the habitat similarity (highlighting the altitude, the distance to the upper limit and IHF index, along with the Euclidian distance among pairs of sites of the whole set of habitat variables). Preserving the heterogeneity of these habitat characteristics will increase the resilience of trout populations that inhabit this rear edge of distribution. The current context of global climate warming predicts extremely drastic changes in the dynamics of external drivers that regulate the trout populations in the study region.
A perspective on the physicochemical and biopharmaceutic properties of marketed antiseizure drugs—From phenobarbital to cenobamate and beyond
Authors: Odi Reem , Bibi David , Wager Travis , Bialer Meir
Published: July 2020

The success rate from first time in man to regulatory approval of central nervous system (CNS) drugs is lower than the overall success rate across all therapeutic indications (eg, cardiovascular, infectious diseases). To understand the reasons for drug‐candidate failure and to capture trends in antiseizure drug (ASD) design, we have analyzed the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of marketed ASDs in comparison with new ASDs in development. Our comparative analysis included molecular weight (MW), logP, polar surface area (PSA), the “Lipinski rule of five,” and the CNS Multiparameter Optimization (MPO) score. LogP is the logarithm of a drug‐partition coefficient (P) between n‐octanol and water. PSA is the molecule's surface sum of its polar atoms. ASDs' biopharmaceutical properties were classified according to their water solubility, permeability, and route of elimination as outlined by the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) and Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System (BDDCS). For old ASDs (1912‐1990), logP, PSA, and CNS MPO values ranged between 0.4 and 2.8, 37 and 87 Å2, and 4.4 and 6.0, respectively. For second‐generation ASDs (1990‐2008), PSA values ranged between 39 and 116 Å2. However, logP values showed a difference between the lipophilic (logP = 0.3‐3.21) and hydrophilic (logP = −0.6 to −2.16) ASDs. For third‐generation ASDs (2008‐2020), logP and PSA ranged between 0.3 and 3.5 and between 57 and 76 Å2, respectively. The mean CNS MPO scores of all marketed ASDs were similar, ranging between 4.9 and 5.4, and were similar to those of the ASDs in development (3.5‐5.8). Most ASDs belong to BCS and BDDCS classes 1 and 2. MW, logP, CNS MPO score, and PSA assess lipophilicity and correlate with antiseizure activity. To succeed, a new small‐molecule ASD must have MW < 375 and PSA < 140Å2, belong to BCS and/or BDDCS class 1 or 2, and obey the Lipinski rule of five: logP < 5, MW < 500, and <5 and <10 of hydrogen‐bond donors and acceptors, respectively. The similarity in the MW, logP, and PSA values of marketed and new drugs in development indicates a conservative trend in ASD design.
A lesson unlearned? Underestimating tree cover in drylands biases global restoration maps
Authors: Fagan M. E.
Published: July 2020

Two recent global maps of tree restoration potential have identified vast regions where tree cover could be increased, ranging from 0.9 to 2.3 billion hectares. Both maps, however, emphasized dryland regions, with arid biomes making up 36%–42% of potential restoration area. Dryland biomes have repeatedly been recognized as inappropriate regions for expanding tree cover due to the risks of biodiversity loss, water overconsumption, and fire, so maps that highlight these regions for restoration must sustain careful scrutiny. Here, I show that both recent attempts to map restoration potential in arid regions have been hindered by underlying errors in the global tree cover maps they used. Systematic underestimates of existing sparse tree cover led directly to large overestimates of the potential for tree recovery in drylands. The Atlas of Forest Landscape Restoration Opportunities (Laestadius et al., Unasylva, 2011, 62, 47) overestimated tree restoration potential across a third of arid biomes by between 7% and 20% (55–166 million hectares [Mha]). Similarly, Bastin, Finegold, Garcia, Mollicone, et al. (Science, 2019, 365, 76) overestimated tree restoration potential across all arid biomes by 33%–45% (316–440 Mha). These inaccuracies limit the utility of this research for policy decisions in drylands and overstate the potential for tree planting to address climate change. Given this long‐standing but underappreciated challenge in mapping global tree cover, I propose various ways forward that keep this lesson in mind. To better monitor and restore tree cover, I call for re‐interpretation and correction of existing global maps, and for a new focus on quantifying sparse tree cover in drylands and other systems.