bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumer knowledge and attitudes toward functional foods in Lebanon
Authors: Chammas Romy , El-Hayek Jessy , Fatayri Mira , Makdissi Reine , Bou-Mitri Christelle
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The development and commerce of functional foods (FF) is complex, expensive and risky. Besides technological obstacles and legislative aspects, consumer demands also need to be considered. The purpose of this study is to assess the Lebanese consumer’s knowledge, attitudes and acceptance of FF and functional ingredients.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of adults living in Mount Lebanon in 2015. An interviewer-based questionnaire assessed socio-demographic factors, medical status, consumption and knowledge of FF and FI ingredients. The data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences.

Findings

Out of 251 respondents, 40.6 and 32.0 per cent were knowledgeable about FF and FI, respectively, and 67.3 per cent consumed them. Calcium (48.0 per cent) and omega-3 (38.6 per cent) were identified as the most important FI. The consumption of FF was mainly owing to their nutritional benefits beyond basic nutrition (44.2 per cent); however, fearing artificial additives and their side effects (33.4 per cent) were reasons for rejecting them. FF knowledge was higher among young (p = 0.005) and single individuals (p = 0.002) and those going to the gym (p = 0.001), whereas willingness to learn about them was only associated with higher education (p < 0.001). Prebiotic yogurt consumption was higher among gym visitors (p = 0.017) and knowers of FF (p < 0.001). The consumption of protein bars and shakes was higher among males and those going to the gym (p < 0.001). The consumption of cereal bars was higher among young individuals, single, with high income, going to the gym and knowledgeable about FF (p < 0.05).

Originality/value

The findings are useful for market orientation, development and successfully negotiating new market opportunities of FF for both food industries and policymakers.
Cross-border to Taiwan but not China
Authors: Choy Wai Ching , Lau Pui Yan Flora
Published: March 2019

Purpose

This study aims to find out why some students from Hong Kong (HK) consider higher education in Taiwan, rather than in China or elsewhere. It also attempts to build a decision-making model to advance the conventional push-pull logic associated with this particular issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors interviewed 11 undergraduate students from HK via an in-depth interview. Interviewees were recruited by snowball sampling. To protect the privacy of the interviewees, all names of the informants in this paper are pseudonyms.

Findings

A dynamic decision-making mechanism, which includes three major layers, namely, the macro, meso and micro levels, has been developed to demonstrate that HK students made their decision based on a recursive fashion with bounded rationality, rather than on a linear fashion with complete rationality.

Research limitations/implications

Although the relatively small number of interviewees has limited the representativeness of the research, the authors suggest that rather than claiming representativeness, the study attempts to tease out the diversity of the decision-making process and mechanisms.

Originality/value

The drastic increase in the number of HK students in Taiwan proves the current research study, which is the first qualitative research on the phenomenon, as a timely one. In addition, the present study is one of the few examples of studying students’ international mobility from a more economically advanced region (HK) to a less economically advanced one (Taiwan).
Welcome to the Atta world: A framework for understanding the effects of leaf‐cutter ants on ecosystem functions
Authors: Swanson Amanda C. , Schwendenmann Luitgard , Allen Michael F. , Aronson Emma L. , Artavia‐León Allan , Dierick Diego , Fernandez‐Bou Angel S. , Harmon Thomas C. , Murillo‐Cruz Catalina , Oberbauer Steven F. , Pinto‐Tomás Adrián A. , Rundel Philip W. , Zelikova Tamara J.
Published: March 2019

Leaf‐cutter ants are a prominent feature in Neotropical ecosystems, but a comprehensive assessment of their effects on ecosystem functions is lacking. We reviewed the literature and used our own recent findings to identify knowledge gaps and develop a framework to quantify the effects of leaf‐cutter ants on ecosystem processes.

Leaf‐cutter ants disturb the soil structure during nest excavation changing soil aeration and temperature. They mix relatively nutrient‐poor soil from deeper layers with the upper organic‐rich layers increasing the heterogeneity of carbon and nutrients within nest soils.

Leaf‐cutter ants account for about 25% of all herbivory in Neotropical forest ecosystems, moving 10%–15% of leaves in their foraging range to their nests. Fungal symbionts transform the fresh, nutrient‐rich vegetative material to produce hyphal nodules to feed the ants. Organic material from roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhances carbon and nutrient turnover in nest soils and creates biogeochemical hot spots. Breakdown of organic matter, microbial and ant respiration, and nest waste material decomposition result in increased CO2, CH4, and N2O production, but the build‐up of gases and heat within the nest is mitigated by the tunnel network ventilation system. Nest ventilation dynamics are challenging to measure without bias, and improved sensor systems would likely solve this problem.

Canopy gaps above leaf‐cutter ant nests change the light, wind and temperature regimes, which affects ecosystem processes. Nests differ in density and size depending on colony age, forest type and disturbance level and change over time resulting in spatial and temporal changes of ecosystem processes. These characteristics remain a challenge to evaluate rapidly and non‐destructively.

Addressing the knowledge gaps identified in this synthesis will bring insights into physical and biological processes driving biogeochemical cycles at the nest and ecosystem scale and will improve our understanding of ecosystem biogeochemical heterogeneity and larger scale ecological phenomena.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Vascular Access in Patients Treated with Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy: A Report from a Single Center in China
Authors: Ren Hongqi , Ge Yongchun , He Xu , Li Chuan , Xu Bin , Gong Dehua , Liu Zhihong
Published: March 2019

Our aim was to analyze the practice pattern of vascular access use and complication rates in patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy from a large Chinese urban medical center. Patients who had received continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) from April to October 2014 in our center were included in this study. Demographic data, primary disease, department for hospitalization, blood pressure, heart rate, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score, presence of mechanical ventilation, CRRT modalities, choice of functioning vascular access, site and duration of catheter insertion, presence of recatheterization, cumulative catheter indwelling time, catheter malfunction and catheter‐related infections, as well as laboratory test results, were collected. A total of 292 patients were enrolled in our study, including 175 males (59.9%) and 117 females (40.1%), aged 50.8 ± 18.6 years (range, 12 to 94 years). Acute kidney injury, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome were the main indications for treatment with CRRT. Initial vascular access was non‐cuffed temporary catheters in 280 patients and was preferentially obtained in the right internal jugular vein (54.3%). There were 32 (11.4%) patients requiring re‐catheterization. Catheter malfunction occurred in 7.14% of all patients, and the median time of catheter malfunction was found at the 5th day. By multivariate analysis, it was found that the main risk factors of catheter malfunction were cumulative treatment time of CRRT and the level of hemoglobin. The average time of catheter‐related infections was 10.7 days after insertion and the catheter‐related infections occurred at a rate of 7.19 per 1000 catheter days. The main risk factors for catheter‐related infections were cumulative time of catheterization and the level of serum albumin. In this cohort of critically ill patients, the main risk factors for catheter malfunction were cumulative CRRT time and the level of hemoglobin. In addition, the main risk factors for catheter‐related infections were cumulative time of catheterization and the level of serum albumin.
Elevated expression of interleukin‐37 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Yuan Zhi‐Chao , Wang Jia‐Min , Huang An‐Fang , Su Lin‐Chong , Li Shuang‐Jing , Xu Wang‐Dong
Published: March 2019

Aim

This study aims to discuss plasma and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of interleukin (IL)‐37 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and evaluate the potential of plasma IL‐37 as a biomarker for RA.

Method

Plasma IL‐37 levels and IL‐37 mRNA relative concentrations were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). We discussed the association of IL‐37 levels and clinical, laboratory parameters in RA patients in a training cohort. Plasma IL‐37 levels were tested for discriminatory capacity by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We then validated plasma IL‐37 expression in a cohort of 598 patients (230 RA, 107 systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], 100 osteoarthritis [OA], 62 gout, 51 primary Sjögren's syndrome [pSS], 48 ankylosing spondylitis [AS]).

Results

Both plasma levels of IL‐37 and mRNA levels of IL‐37 were elevated in RA patients compared to those in healthy controls in the training cohort, and there was a good diagnostic ability to predict RA (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.97). Plasma IL‐37 levels were significantly related to Disease Activity Score of 28 joints ‐ erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28‐ESR) (rs = 0.459, P < 0.001). The levels of IL‐37 mRNA were related to plasma IL‐37 levels (rs = 0.642, P < 0.001), DAS28‐ESR (r = 0.641, P < 0.001) and C‐reactive protein (rs = 0.603, P < 0.001). In the validation cohort, when plasma IL‐37 in RA patients compared with that in SLE, OA, gout, pSS and AS patients, the AUC was 0.86, 0.87, 0.91, 0.87, 0.92, respectively.

Conclusion

IL‐37 expression was increased in RA patients, and correlated with disease activity. IL‐37 may be a biomarker for the diagnosis of RA.
Undiagnosed cardiovascular disease prior to cardiovascular death in individuals with severe mental illness
Authors: Heiberg I. H. , Jacobsen B. K. , Balteskard L. , Bramness J. G. , Næss Ø. , Ystrom E. , Reichborn‐Kjennerud T. , Hultman C. M. , Nesvåg R. , Høye A.
Published: March 2019

Objective

To examine whether individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ) or bipolar disorder (BD) had equal likelihood of not being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) prior to cardiovascular death, compared to individuals without SCZ or BD.

Methods

Multivariate logistic regression analysis including nationwide data of 72 451 cardiovascular deaths in the years 2011–2016. Of these, 814 had a SCZ diagnosis and 673 a BD diagnosis in primary or specialist health care.

Results

Individuals with SCZ were 66% more likely (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.39–1.98), women with BD were 38% more likely (adjusted OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.04–1.82), and men with BD were equally likely (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.63–1.24) not to be diagnosed with CVD prior to cardiovascular death, compared to individuals without SMI. Almost all (98%) individuals with SMI and undiagnosed CVD had visited primary or specialized somatic health care prior to death, compared to 88% among the other individuals who died of CVD.

Conclusion

Individuals with SCZ and women with BD are more likely to die due to undiagnosed CVD, despite increased risk of CVD and many contacts with primary and specialized somatic care. Strengthened efforts to prevent, recognize, and treat CVD in individuals with SMI from young age are needed.
Immune pathomechanism and classification of drug hypersensitivity
Authors: Pichler Werner J.
Published: March 2019

Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHR) are based on distinct mechanisms and are clinically heterogeneous. Taking into account that also off‐target activities of drugs may lead to stimulations of immune or inflammatory cells, three forms of DHR were discriminated: the allergic‐immune mechanism relies on the covalent binding of drugs/chemicals to proteins, which thereby form new antigens, to which a humoural and/or cellular immune response can develop. In IgE‐mediated drug allergies, a possible tolerance mechanism to the drug during sensitization and the need of a covalent hapten‐carrier link for initiation, but not for elicitation of IgE‐mediated reactions is discussed. The p‐i (“pharmacological interaction with immune receptor”) concept represents an off‐target activity of drugs with immune receptors (HLA or TCR), which can result in unorthodox, alloimmune‐like stimulations of T cells. Some of these p‐i stimulations occur only in carriers of certain HLA alleles and can result in clinically severe reactions. The third form of DHR (“pseudo‐allergy”) is represented by drug interactions with receptors or enzymes of inflammatory cells, which may lead to their direct activation or enhanced levels of inflammatory products. Specific IgE or T cells are not involved. This classification is based on the action of drugs and is clinically useful, as it can explain differences in sensitizations, unusual clinical symptoms, dependence on drug concentrations, predictability and immunological and pharmacological cross‐reactivities in DHR.
Randomised phase 3 trial: tegoprazan, a novel potassium‐competitive acid blocker, vs. esomeprazole in patients with erosive oesophagitis
Authors: Lee Kwang Jae , Son Byoung Kwan , Kim Gwang Ha , Jung Hye‐Kyung , Jung Hwoon‐Yong , Chung Il‐Kwun , Sung In‐Kyung , Kim Jin Il , Kim Jong Hyeok , Lee Joon Seong , Kwon Joong Goo , Park Jung Ho , Huh Kyu Chan , Park Kyung Sik , Park Moo‐In , Kim Nayoung , Lee Oh Young , Jee Sam Ryong , Lee Sang Kil , Youn Sei Jin , Kim Sung Kook , Lee Soo Teik , Hong Su Jin , Choi Suck Chei , Kim Tae Nyeun , Youn Young Hoon , Park Hyo Ju , Kang Min Ja , Park Chi Hye , Kim Bong Tae , Youn Sangjun , Song Geun Seog , Rhee Poong‐Lyul
Published: March 2019

Background

Tegoprazan is a novel potassium‐competitive acid blocker that has a fast onset of action and can control gastric pH for a prolonged period, which could offer clinical benefit in acid‐related disorders.

Aim

To confirm the non‐inferiority of tegoprazan to esomeprazole in patients with erosive oesophagitis (EE).

Methods

In this multicentre, randomised, double‐blind, parallel‐group comparison study, 302 Korean patients with endoscopically confirmed EE (Los Angeles Classification Grades A‐D) were randomly allocated to either tegoprazan (50 or 100 mg) or esomeprazole (40 mg) treatment groups for 4 or 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the cumulative proportion of patients with healed EE confirmed by endoscopy up to 8 weeks from treatment initiation. Symptoms, safety and tolerability were also assessed.

Results

The cumulative healing rates at week 8 were 98.9% (91/92), 98.9% (90/91) and 98.9% (87/88) for tegoprazan 50 mg, tegoprazan 100 mg and esomeprazole 40 mg, respectively. Both doses of tegoprazan were non‐inferior to esomeprazole 40 mg. The incidence of adverse events was comparable among the groups, and tegoprazan was well‐tolerated.

Conclusion

Once daily administration of tegoprazan 50 or 100 mg showed non‐inferior efficacy in healing EE and tolerability to that of esomeprazole 40 mg.
Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy for remnant pancreatic recurrence after laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and hepatectomy for greater omentum leiomyosarcoma
Authors: Nakagawa Yoichi , Fukami Yasuyuki , Harada Tohru , Maeda Atsuyuki , Takayama Yuichi , Takahashi Takamasa , Uji Masahito , Kaneoka Yuji
Published: March 2019

Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery is one of the most difficult procedures, and the adoption of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy has been limited. The application of laparoscopic surgery has extended to advance cancer, but there have been no reports of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy after laparoscopic liver resection and distal pancreatectomy. In the present case, a 67‐year‐old woman was diagnosed with remnant pancreatic recurrence of metastatic greater omentum leiomyosarcoma. She had previously undergone laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and left lateral liver sectionectomy in 2016. We performed laparoscopic subtotal stomach‐preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy in June 2017. The operation time was 274 minutes, and the estimated blood loss was 50 mL. There were no postoperative complications. In summary, laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for a patient who had previously undergone pancreas and liver surgery.
A multiple methods approach to determine adherence with prescribed mycophenolate in children with kidney transplant
Authors: Almardini Reham , Taybeh Esra' O. , Alsous Mervat M. , Hawwa Ahmed F. , McKeever Karl , Horne Rob , McElnay James C.
Published: March 2019

Aims

The aim of this study was, to use a multiple methods approach, including, for the first time, dried blood spot (DBS) sampling with population pharmacokinetic interpretation, to assess adherence to mycophenolate in children with kidney transplant. A second aim was to identify patient/parental factors that influenced adherence and to link adherence behaviour to clinical outcomes.

Methods

A convenience sample of 33 children with kidney transplant (age ≤ 18 years) who had been prescribed mycophenolate for at least 3 months were recruited from participating outpatient clinics in the UK and Jordan. Medication adherence was determined via self‐report questionnaires, medication refill data from dispensing records, and via mycophenolic acid concentrations in plasma and DBS samples obtained from children during a clinic visit.

Results

Through triangulation of results from the different methodological approaches a total of 12 children (36.4%) were deemed to be nonadherent with their prescribed mycophenolate treatment. Logistic regression analysis indicated that nonadherence was significantly associated with the presence of mycophenolate side effects. Poor adherence was positively linked to measures of poor clinical outcomes (hospitalisation and the need for kidney biopsy).

Conclusions

Despite the imperative regarding medication adherence to help prevent organ rejection, a significant proportion of children are not fully adherent with their therapy. Side‐effects appear to be an important factor leading to nonadherence. Measurement of mycophenolate in DBS samples, coupled with the use of population pharmacokinetics modelling, was a convenient direct approach to assessing adherence in children with kidney transplant and has the potential to be introduced into routine practice.
Student access of online feedback is modified by the availability of assessment marks, gender and academic performance
Authors: Mensink Paul J. , King Karen
Published: March 2019

We used educational data mining to quantify student access of online feedback files and explore the underlying drivers of feedback file access in a learning management system (LMS). We collated LMS access logs for 32 individual pieces of assessment representing 1462 feedback files for 484 students (males = 45%, females = 55%) that originated across three undergraduate years, from 20 different degree pathways. Over a third of assessment feedback files (38%, 553 files) were never accessed by students. When students could obtain their assessment mark without opening the associated feedback file, 42% of feedback files were not accessed by students (513 of 1224 files). When assessment marks were integrated into the feedback file (and not reported within the LMS), the proportion of unopened feedback dropped significantly to only 17% of files (40 of 238 files). We uncovered strong gender‐specific differences in how students accessed feedback within the LMS that were dependent upon academic performance and the integration of marks within the feedback file. Poorly performing males were less likely to access feedback; however, integrating marks into the feedback files meant that males were over 27 times more likely to access the feedback file. In contrast, females exhibited a much weaker and more variable response to marks being reported within feedback files. Assessments with deadlines earlier in the semester were also viewed more often than those later in the semester.
How useful is periodic acid‐Schiff stain to detect fungi in biopsies from dermatoses of the palms and soles?
Authors: Zaaroura Hiba , Bergman Reuven
Published: March 2019

Background

Periodic acid‐Shiff (PAS) stain may help to diagnose fungal infection in biopsies from dermatoses of the palms and soles. It is questionable whether PAS stain should be used routinely or only when tinea is suspected clinically.

Methods

A total of 195 consecutive punch biopsies of dermatoses from the palms (90) or soles (105) were stained with PAS, regardless of the clinical differential diagnosis.

Results

PAS stain showed fungi in the corneal layer of 6 (3%) of the 195 biopsies. Tinea was included in the differential diagnosis in 48 cases, of which 3 (6%) were PAS positive. PAS stain was also positive in 3 (2%) of 147 cases in which tinea was not suspected clinically. All 6 PAS‐positive cases were detected in reaction patterns not readily classified as particular diagnostic entities: non‐inflammatory keratoderma (2, 11%), chronic lichenified dermatitis (2, 6%), spongiotic psoriasiform dermatitis (1, 2%), and spongiotic dermatitis (1, 4%).

Conclusions

There is a low concordance rate between the clinical suspicion and the actual demonstration of fungi by PAS stain in dermatoses of the palms and soles. Routine PAS stains in non‐suspected cases have a relatively low yield, which may be improved by limiting the PAS stain to reaction patterns not readily classified as particular diagnostic entities.
Incidence and severity of hypoglycaemia in type 2 diabetes by treatment regimen: A UK multisite 12‐month prospective observational study
Authors: Dunkley Alison J. , Fitzpatrick Claire , Gray Laura J. , Waheed Ghazala , Heller Simon R. , Frier Brian M. , Davies Melanie J. , Khunti Kamlesh ,   on behalf of the Primary Care Diabetes Society
Published: March 2019

Aims

To determine the incidence and severity of self‐reported hypoglycaemia in a primary care population with type 2 diabetes. The study also aimed to compare incidence by treatment regimen.

Materials and methods

A prospective observational study in 17 centres throughout the UK was conducted. Recruitment was based on treatment regimen (metformin alone, sulphonylurea‐, insulin‐ or incretin‐based therapy). Participants were asked to keep a blood glucose diary and self‐report hypoglycaemia episodes [non‐severe (self‐treated) and severe (requiring external help)] over a 12‐month period.

Results

Three hundred and twenty‐five participants were enrolled, of whom 274 (84%) returned ≥1 monthly diaries. Overall, 39% reported experiencing hypoglycaemia; 32% recorded ≥1 symptomatic, 36% ≥1 non‐severe, and 7% ≥1 severe episodes. By treatment, incidence (events per person/year) for any hypoglycaemia type was 4.39 for insulin, 2.34 for sulphonylurea, 0.76 for metformin, and 0.56 for incretin‐based therapy. Compared with metformin, risk of non‐severe hypoglycaemia was ~3 times higher for participants on sulphonylureas and > 5 times higher for those on insulin [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 3.02 (1.76‐5.18), P < 0.001, and IRR 5.96 (3.48‐10.2), P < 0.001, respectively]. For severe episodes, the incidence for sulphonylurea (0.09) was similar to metformin (0.07) and incretin‐based therapy (0.07); for insulin the risk remained almost 5 times higher than metformin [incidence 0.32; IRR 4.55 (1.28‐16.20), P = 0.019].

Conclusions

Hypoglycaemia represents a substantial burden for people with type 2 diabetes. Sulphonylureas and insulin are both associated with a risk of reported non‐severe hypoglycaemia, but only insulin with severe episodes. This suggests the importance of the continued use of sulphonylureas in appropriate patients with type 2 diabetes.
Heritability of head size in a hunted large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos)
Authors: Rivrud Inger Maren , Frank Shane C. , Bischof Richard , Mysterud Atle , Steyaert Sam M. J. G. , Hertel Anne G. , Hagen Snorre B. , Eiken Hans Geir , Swenson Jon E. , Zedrosser Andreas
Published: March 2019

Wild animal populations experience selection pressures from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The availability of extensive pedigrees is increasing along with our ability to quantify the heritability and evolvability of phenotypic traits and thus the speed and potential for evolutionary change in wild populations. The environment may also affect gene expressions in individuals, which may in turn affect the potential of phenotypic traits to respond to selection. Knowledge about the relationship between the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variation is particularly relevant, given ongoing anthropogenically driven global change. Using a quantitative genetic mixed model, we disentangled the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variance in a large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We combined a pedigree covering ~1,500 individual bears over seven generations with location data from 413 bears, as well as data on bear density, habitat characteristics, and climatic conditions. We found a narrow‐sense heritability of 0.24 (95% CrI: 0.06–0.38) for brown bear head size, showing that the trait can respond to selection at a moderate speed. The environment contributed substantially to phenotypic variation, and we partitioned this into birth year (5.9%), nonadditive among‐individual genetic (15.0%), and residual (50.4%) environmental effects. Brown bear head circumference showed an evolvability of 0.2%, which can generate large changes in the trait mean over some hundreds of generations. Our study is among the first to quantify heritability of a trait in a hunted large carnivore population. Such knowledge about the degree to which species experiencing hunting can respond to selection is crucial for conservation and to make informed management decisions. We show that including important environmental variables when analyzing heritability is key to understanding the dynamics of the evolutionary potential of phenotypic traits.
SEMAFLEX: A novel approach for implementing workflow flexibility by deviation based on constraint satisfaction problem solving
Authors: Grumbach Lisa , Bergmann Ralph
Published: March 2019

The concept developed during the SEMAFLEX project combines knowledge‐based document management with flexible workflow management to achieve ideal support for small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises. This paper focusses on the workflow approach that implements flexibility by deviation on the basis of constraint satisfaction problem solving. Workflow deviations due to unpredictable circumstances or upcoming events are tolerated at runtime, but still, support is maintained and possible succeeding work items are proposed. Procedurally modelled workflows are transformed to declarative constraints, which serve as database for the workflow engine. The described approach is fully implemented, and our experiments demonstrate sufficient runtime performance as well as improvements for practical use.
Fatigue behaviour of additive manufactured materials: An overview of some recent experimental studies on Ti‐6Al‐4V considering various processing and loading direction effects
Authors: Fatemi Ali , Molaei Reza , Simsiriwong Jutima , Sanaei Niloofar , Pegues Jonathan , Torries Brian , Phan Nam , Shamsaei Nima
Published: March 2019

Although additive manufacturing (AM) has gained significant attention due to the advantages it offers and is currently a focus of much research, design of critical load carrying components utilizing such processes is still at its infancy. This is due to the fact that most of the load carrying components made by AM processes are subjected to cyclic loads, and fatigue behaviour of AM metals is far less understood as compared with those made by conventional methods, such as wrought and cast metals. To better understand the fatigue behaviour of AM metals, a wide range of issues that affect the behaviour in a synergistic manner must be considered. These include the effects of defects, residual stresses, surface finish, geometry and size, layer orientation, and heat treatment. Additionally, due to the multiaxial nature of the loading and/or complex geometries typically manufactured by AM processes, the stress state is often multiaxial including both normal and shear stresses. In this paper, the aforementioned effects influencing the fatigue resistance of AM parts, including torsion and multiaxial fatigue behaviour, are briefly discussed using some recently generated experimental data on Ti‐6Al‐4V by the authors.
Reproductive characteristics of the fishery important temperate demersal berycid Centroberyx gerrardi indicate greater reproductive output in regions of upwelling
Authors: Coulson Peter Graham , Norriss Jeffery Vincent , Jackson Gary , Fairclough David Victor
Published: March 2019

The reproductive biology of Centroberyx gerrardi (Günther) was investigated across ~2,000 km of its southern Australian distribution, encompassing different jurisdictions and varying environmental features. Greater gonad mass and prevalence of spawning fish, along with lower ratios of lengths at maturity:maximum lengths and ages at maturity:maximum ages, were identified at the western‐most (Capes) and eastern‐most (Great Australian Bight; GAB) regions. Across the study region, spawning peaks in summer/autumn, when water temperatures are warmest. Regional differences in potential “reproductive output,” while not consistent with the eastward decline in mean monthly water temperature, may instead be related to summer upwelling in the Capes and GAB, driving greater oceanic productivity prior to peak spawning, supporting larval survival. In autumn, the prevailing southward and eastward flowing, downwelling Leeuwin Current (LC) strengthens, providing a dispersal mechanism along the west and south Australian coasts, but limiting upwelling effects. Predicted changes in environmental conditions and their potential impacts on C. gerrardi are discussed, in particular how these factors may affect recruitment to stocks and fisheries, requiring a better understanding of source‐sink relationships for this species. As environmental changes occur, management strategies to sustain fish resources must adapt to spatially variable and changing reproductive output and be collaborative across jurisdictions.
Holocene paleodepositional changes reflected in the sedimentary microbiome of the Black Sea
Authors: More Kuldeep D. , Giosan Liviu , Grice Kliti , Coolen Marco J. L.
Published: March 2019

Subsurface microbial communities are generally thought to be structured through in situ environmental conditions such as the availability of electron acceptors and donors and porosity, but recent studies suggest that the vertical distribution of a subset of subseafloor microbial taxa, which were present at the time of deposition, were selected by the paleodepositional environment. However, additional highly resolved temporal records of subsurface microbiomes and paired paleoenvironmental reconstructions are needed to justify this claim. Here, we performed a highly resolved shotgun metagenomics survey to study the taxonomic and functional diversity of the subsurface microbiome in Holocene sediments underlying the permanently stratified and anoxic Black Sea. Obligate aerobic bacteria made the largest contribution to the observed shifts in microbial communities associated with known Holocene climate stages and transitions. This suggests that the aerobic fraction of the subseafloor microbiome was seeded from the water column and did not undergo post‐depositional selection. In contrast, obligate and facultative anaerobic bacteria showed the most significant response to the establishment of modern‐day environmental conditions 5.2 ka ago that led to a major shift in planktonic communities and in the type of sequestered organic matter available for microbial degradation. No significant shift in the subseafloor microbiome was observed as a result of environmental changes that occurred shortly after the marine reconnection, 9 ka ago. This supports the general view that the marine reconnection was a gradual process. We conclude that a high‐resolution analysis of downcore changes in the subseafloor microbiome can provide detailed insights into paleoenvironmental conditions and biogeochemical processes that occurred at the time of deposition.
Specific job search self‐efficacy beliefs and behaviors of unemployed ethnic minority women
Authors: Van Hoye Greet , Van Hooft Edwin A. J. , Stremersch Jolien , Lievens Filip
Published: March 2019

This two‐wave field study draws from social cognitive theory to investigate the specific job search self‐efficacy beliefs and behaviors of unemployed ethnic minority women in the Netherlands. We go beyond prior job search research that predominantly used white samples and conceptualized job search self‐efficacy and behavior as global, unidimensional constructs. We found that networking self‐efficacy and Internet self‐efficacy were the main predictors of ethnic minority women’s job search behaviors. Moreover, the more time they spent on contacting employment agencies and looking at job ads the more job offers they received. Finally, time spent on job ads was more positively related to job offers when job ad self‐efficacy was high and time spent on networking only predicted job offers when networking self‐efficacy was high.
Predicting innovative performance through proactive personality: Examining its criterion validity and incremental validity over the five‐factor model
Authors: Rodrigues Nuno , Rebelo Teresa
Published: March 2019

Innovation has emerged as a key work outcome for modern organizations. The present paper answers recent calls from several researchers for further empirical research on the validity of personality variables for predicting individual innovative performance. More specifically, it is focused on the validity of proactive personality. Using a sample of 170 software engineers and their direct supervisors from a multinational information technology firm, we found that this individual disposition represents a valid and meaningful predictor of individual innovative performance, when assessed through supervisor ratings. Further analyses have also shown that proactive personality remains a significant predictor of this criterion, when the big five factors of personality are taken into account. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are presented and discussed.
Infant Behavior and Competence Following Prenatal Exposure to a Natural Disaster: The QF2011 Queensland Flood Study
Authors: Lequertier Belinda , Simcock Gabrielle , Cobham Vanessa E. , Kildea Sue , King Suzanne
Published: March 2019

This study utilized a natural disaster to investigate the effects of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) arising from exposure to a severe flood on maternally reported infant social–emotional and behavioral outcomes at 16 months, along with potential moderation by infant sex and gestational timing of flood exposure. Women pregnant during the Queensland floods in January 2011 completed measures of flood‐related objective hardship and posttraumatic stress (PTS). At 16 months postpartum, mothers completed measures describing depressive symptoms and infant social–emotional and behavioral problems (n = 123) and competence (n = 125). Greater maternal PTS symptoms were associated with reduced infant competence. A sex difference in infant behavioral problems emerged at higher levels of maternal objective hardship and PTS; boys had significantly more behavioral problems than girls. Additionally, greater PTS was associated with more behavioral problems in boys; however, this effect was attenuated by adjustment for maternal depressive symptoms. No main effects or interactions with gestational timing were found. Findings highlight specificity in the relationships between PNMS components and infant outcomes and demonstrate that the effects of PNMS exposure on behavior may be evident as early as infancy. Implications for the support of families exposed to a natural disaster during pregnancy are discussed.
Accounting for geographical variance in the union satisfaction gap
Authors: Bryson Alex , Davies Rhys
Published: March 2019

Evidence of spatial variance in the relationship between trade union membership and job satisfaction is limited. Using three nationally representative data sets, we examine lower levels of satisfaction among union members and considers how this relationship varies geographically across the nations and regions of Great Britain. The analysis demonstrates that the union satisfaction gap can largely be accounted for by relative characteristics of union members and the jobs that they hold. However, there is evidence of geographical variance. The union satisfaction gap is generally found to be highest within Scotland and North of England. Despite high levels of union membership, evidence of a union satisfaction gap in Wales is relatively weak. These differences relate to differences in the perceptions of industrial relations among employees across these areas, which appear to be related to geographical variance in worker heterogeneity.
Trust in sharing encounters among millennials
Authors: Mittendorf Christoph , Berente Nicholas , Holten Roland
Published: March 2019

The sharing economy is a defining feature of the millennial generation. We report on a study of 1047 millennials and find that trust has more of an impact on their willingness to engage in some sharing encounters than in others. In particular, trust matters more in high‐dimensionality sharing encounters—those encounters that have a longer duration, require a greater financial investment, involve more social interaction, etc. Further, it is important to note that all sharing encounters take place through two‐sided intermediary platforms, and we find that the role of trust among the different types of sharing partners is not symmetrical across the two sides. Trust in the intermediary platform matters more to customers than to service providers in their willingness to engage in service encounters. Overall, this research contributes to existing literature by developing the notion of a service encounter and associated dimensionality and by demonstrating that service encounter dimensionality affects the importance of trust in the sharing economy. Also, we show how trust matters differently for different sides of two‐sided sharing platforms. Finally, this research focuses squarely on understanding the behaviours of millennials—the generation important to the sharing economy.
Novel design of alumina foams with three‐dimensional reticular architecture for effective high‐temperature particulate matter capture
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Ren Bo , Chen Yugu , Lu Yuju , Zhang Shuhao , Rong Yedong , Yang Jinlong
Published: March 2019

Ceramic foams with extensive interconnected pores have great application potential in high‐temperature particulate matter (PM) capture. Considering that there are still challenges to synthesize ceramic foams with efficient filtration, a novel hierarchical‐structured alumina foam with three‐dimensional (3D) reticular architecture has been fabricated via combining chemical grafting pore‐forming agent and polyurethane (PU) foaming technology. Carbon black is grafted with carbamate functional groups in order to enable a better dispersion in highly viscous PU. Submicrometer and micrometer‐sized pores on the cell walls are observed in hierarchical‐structured ceramic foams. The resulting alumina foam exhibits 95.2% removal efficiency for PM particles and low pressure drop of only 50 Pa when grafted carbon black content is 3 wt%. This filtration performance is much higher than that of existing ceramic materials. These features, combined with our experimental design strategy, provide a new insight to design high‐temperature PM filtration materials with durable high performance.
Threats to the Validity of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research
Authors: Garver Michael S.
Published: March 2019

To increase the relevance of logistics and supply chain academic research, this paper recommends the development and testing of middle‐range theory and practice‐level theory. Yet, there are a number of research issues that arise when academic researchers test middle‐range and practice‐level theory, both in measuring constructs and in testing theoretical relationships between constructs. Concerning the measurement of constructs, this paper recommends that academic researchers pay more attention to content validity and undertake rigorous processes to ensure content validity. In addition, academic researchers need to more explicitly define constructs as either reflective or formative. If the construct is defined as formative, then the traditional statistical approaches to validate these measurement scales are not recommended. The appropriate use of employing single‐item measures for concrete constructs is discussed. In regard to conducting hypothesis tests, research issues associated with multicollinearity and omitted variable bias are discussed. Relative weight analysis is ideal for testing theoretical models and research hypotheses when survey data are obtained, multicollinearity is present, and there are a large number of independent variables predicting a dependent variable. Thus, relative weight analysis is ideal for testing research hypotheses in logistics and supply chain management.
E‐cadherin expression is associated with somatostatin analogue response in acromegaly
Authors: Venegas‐Moreno Eva , Flores‐Martinez Alvaro , Dios Elena , Vazquez‐Borrego Mari C. , Ibañez‐Costa Alejandro , Madrazo‐Atutxa Ainara , Japón Miguel A. , Castaño Justo P. , Luque Raúl M. , Cano David A. , Soto‐Moreno Alfonso
Published: March 2019

Acromegaly is a rare disease resulting from hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF1) typically caused by pituitary adenomas, which is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Somatostatin analogues (SSAs) represent the primary medical therapy for acromegaly and are currently used as first‐line treatment or as second‐line therapy after unsuccessful pituitary surgery. However, a considerable proportion of patients do not adequately respond to SSAs treatment, and therefore, there is an urgent need to identify biomarkers predictors of response to SSAs. The aim of this study was to examine E‐cadherin expression by immunohistochemistry in fifty‐five GH‐producing pituitary tumours and determine the potential association with response to SSAs as well as other clinical and histopathological features. Acromegaly patients with tumours expressing low E‐cadherin levels exhibit a worse response to SSAs. E‐cadherin levels are associated with GH‐producing tumour histological subtypes. Our results indicate that the immunohistochemical detection of E‐cadherin might be useful in categorizing acromegaly patients based on the response to SSAs.
Synergistic effects of HSE and LTR elements from hsp70 gene promoter of Ulva prolifera (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) upon temperature induction1
Authors: Wu Chunhui , Zheng Caiyun , Ji Gengsheng , Jiang Peng
Published: March 2019

Besides heat stress, the 70 kDa heat shock proteins (HSP70s) have been shown to respond to cold stress. However, the involved cis‐acting elements remain unknown. The hsp70 gene from the green macroalga Ulva prolifera (Uphsp70) has been cloned, from which one heat shock element HSE and one low‐temperature‐responsive element LTR were found in the promoter. Using the established transient expression system and quantitative GUS assay, a series of element deletion experiments were performed to determine the functions of HSE and LTR in response to temperature stress. The results showed that under cold stress, both HSE and LTR were indispensable, since deletion leads to complete loss of promoter activity. Under heat stress, although the HSE could respond independently, coexistence with LTR was essential for high induced activity of the Uphsp70 promoter. Therefore, synergistic effects exist between HSE and LTR elements in response to temperature stress in Ulva, and extensive bioinformatics analysis showed that the mechanism is widespread in algae and plants, since LTR coexists widely with HSE in the promoter region of hsp70. Our findings provide important supplements to the knowledge of algal and plant HSP70s response to temperature stress. We speculated that for algal domestication and artificial breeding, HSE and LTR elements might serve as potential molecular targets to temperature acclimation.
The relative contributions of functional diversity and functional identity to ecosystem function in water‐limited environments
Authors: Dovrat Guy , Meron Ehud , Shachak Moshe , Golodets Carly , Osem Yagil
Published: March 2019

Questions

Two central pathways have been proposed to dictate the relationship between community structure and ecosystem function: the “diversity effect” — trait variation allowing complementary resource use, and the “mass ratio effect” — ecosystem function determined overwhelmingly by the functional traits of the dominant species which shape the “functional identity”, i.e., community‐weighted mean trait values. However, the distinct effect of each pathway on ecosystem function is difficult to determine as they are complementary and shaped by environmental heterogeneity. We examined the distinct effects of functional diversity (FD) and identity (FI) on water consumption and use efficiency (WUE), vegetative and reproductive biomass production and reorganization capacity under variable water availability.

Methods

Eight semiarid annual plant species, varying in natural size range, were grown in different assemblages representing various levels of FD and FI. Assemblages were based on species potential growth rate (PGR) and grown under two water availability levels. We measured total biomass, seed biomass, root to shoot ratio and water consumption.

Results

FD had a distinct positive effect on water consumption, total biomass and seed production but not on WUE. Mean PGR (FI) had a distinct positive effect on water consumption and total biomass production, but a negative effect on WUE and seed production. FD and FI had no clear effects on reorganization capacity or stability in total biomass production in response to decreased water availability.

Conclusions

We present the discrete contributions of FD and FI to ecosystem function. The positive effect of FD on biomass production reflects better exploitation of the growing space and reduced competition through greater size diversity, emphasizing the importance of interplant interactions and differentiation for enhancing ecosystem function. The positive effect of FI on biomass production reflects the higher performance of high PGR species, albeit at the expense of WUE and seed production resulting from higher competition.