bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of Hematocrit Level Measurement in Dried Blood Spots Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: van de Velde Daan , van der Graaf Jordy L. , Boussaidi Mariam , Huisman Ruud , Hesselink Dennis A. , Russcher Henk , Kooij-Egas Annelies C. , van Maarseveen Erik , de Winter Brenda C.M.
Published: November 2020

Background:

Dried blood spots (DBSs) have gained recent popularity as a sampling method for therapeutic drug monitoring. For patients, DBS sampling has several advantages over venous blood sampling. However, technical issues primarily influenced by hematocrit levels, interfere with the implementation of this method in daily clinical practice. The results of concentration measurements of drugs that are influenced by hematocrit should be corrected for hematocrit levels. In this article, we developed a fast, nondestructive, near-infrared (NIR)-based method for measuring the hematocrit in DBSs.

Method:

Using a partial least squares algorithm, an NIR-based quantification method was developed for measuring hematocrit levels of 0.19–0.49 L/L. Residual venous blood of 522 patients was used to build this partial least squares model. The validity of the method was evaluated using 40 patient samples. DBSs were created by adding a small amount (50 µL) of blood on a Whatman filter paper and drying for 24 hours in a desiccator cabinet. The robustness was evaluated by measuring 24 additional samples with a high hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia (HIL) index. The hematocrit values obtained using a Sysmex XN hemocytometry analyzer were used as reference.

Results:

The difference between hematocrit measurements obtained with NIR spectroscopy and a hemocytometry analyzer was <15% for the 40 samples. The accuracy (≤9%) and precision (≤7%) for all the quality control samples were within the acceptance criteria of <15%. The intraassay and interassay coefficient of variability was ≤3% and ≤6%, respectively, for the different quality control levels. There were no deviations in the measurements for the samples with high HIL indices. The stability of hematocrit in DBS was up to 14 days for all levels.

Conclusions:

We developed and validated a hematocrit model using NIR spectroscopy. This nondestructive, accurate, and reproducible method has a short analysis time (51 seconds), and can be used to analyze DBS samples stored for up to 2 weeks in a desiccator cabinet.
Development and Validation of a Simple and Rapid Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Spectrometry Method for the Quantification of Hydroxychloroquine in Plasma and Blood Samples in the Emergency Context of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
Authors: Doudka Natalia , Giocanti Madeleine , Basso Manon , Ugdonne Renée , Barthelemy Karine , Lacarelle Bruno , Blin Olivier , Solas Caroline , Guilhaumou Romain
Published: November 2020

Therapeutic drug monitoring of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been recommended to optimize the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The authors describe an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem spectrometry method developed in a context of emergency, to analyze HCQ in both human plasma and blood samples. After adding the labeled internal standard and simple protein precipitation, plasma samples were analyzed using a C18 column. Blood samples required evaporation before analysis. The total chromatographic run time was 4 minutes (including 1.5 minutes of column equilibration). The assay was linear over the calibration range (r2 > 0.99) and up to 1.50 mcg/mL for the plasma samples (5.00 mcg/mL for the blood matrix). The limit of quantification was 0.0150 mcg/mL for plasma samples (0.05 mcg/mL blood matrix) with accuracy and precision ranging from 91.1% to 112% and from 0.750% to 11.1%, respectively. Intraday and interday precision and accuracy values were within 15.0%. No significant matrix effect was observed in the plasma or blood samples. This method was successfully applied to patients treated for COVID-19 infection. A simple and rapid ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem spectrometry method adapted to HCQ therapeutic drug monitoring in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection was successfully developed and validated.
The Correlation Between Heart Failure and Gut Microbiome Metabolites
Authors: Chen Lina , Li Senhao , Ai Lanmu , Zhou Jun , Huang Junlin , Xu Feng , Zeng Xiangyuan , Han Jia , Yin Fangxue , Zhu Yixin , Xie Yifang
Published: November 2020

Heart failure (HF) is a global public health problem, with morbidity and mortality increasing year by year. The gut microbiome actively affects the physiological and pathological activities of the human body in a variety of ways. More and more studies have suggested a strong correlation between HF and gut microbiome metabolites. Our review summarizes the specific alteration of these metabolites and their connection to the progression of HF, aiming at considering new approaches toward regulating the gut microbiome and using its metabolic pathways to treat HF, potentially decreasing the morbidity and mortality of HF as well as improving prognosis.
The Effect of Tumor Size on Likelihood of Hearing Preservation After Retrosigmoid Vestibular Schwannoma Resection
Authors: Tawfik Kareem O. , Alexander Thomas H. , Saliba Joe , Mastrodimos Bill , Cueva Roberto A.
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

1) Describe the effect of tumor size on the likelihood of hearing preservation after retrosigmoid approach for resection of vestibular schwannoma (VS).

2) Describe the effect of preoperative hearing status on the likelihood of hearing preservation.

Study Design:

Retrospective chart review.

Setting:

Tertiary referral center.

Patients:

Adult (18 years or older) patients underwent retrosigmoid VS resection and postoperative audiometry between 2008 and 2018 and had a preoperative word recognition score (WRS) of at least 50%. Patients with a history of neurofibromatosis 2, radiation, or previous resection were excluded.

Interventions:

All patients underwent retrosigmoid VS resection with attempted hearing preservation.

Main Outcome Measures:

WRS of at least 50%.

Results:

Data from 153 patients were analyzed. Mean age was 50.8 (±11.3) years and mean tumor size 14 (±6) mm. Hearing was preserved and lost in 64 (41.8%) and 89 (58.2%) patients, respectively. Hearing preservation rates were higher for intrameatal tumors than for tumors with extrameatal extension (57.6% versus 29.4%, p = 0.0005). On univariate and multivariate regression analysis, tumor size (per mm increase) was a negative predictor of hearing preservation (odds ratio [OR] 0.893, p = 0.0002 and 0.841, p = 0.0005, respectively). Preoperative American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Hearing Class was also predictive of hearing preservation (p = 0.0044). Class A hearing (compared with class B hearing) was the strongest positive risk factor for hearing preservation (OR 3.149, p = 0.0048 and 1.236, p = 0.0005, respectively).

Conclusion:

Small tumor size and preoperative class A hearing are positive predictors of hearing preservation in patients undergoing the retrosigmoid approach for VS resection.
Skull Base Training and Mentorship
Authors: Haynes David S. , Roser Florian , Brackmann Derald E. , van Loveren Harry R.
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To review teaching and mentoring techniques of experienced skull base surgeons and educators

Study Design:

Expert commentary.

Setting:

8th Quadrennial International Conference on vestibular schwannoma and other CPA tumors, panel on teaching, and mentoring.

Main Outcome Measures:

Experiences and opinions of experienced skull base surgeons, both neurosurgeons and neurotologists, presented and discussed at the conference.

Conclusions:

Obtaining surgical mastery is essential for the teachers of skull base surgery. Hard work and practice with immediate and constant feedback on performance is an essential component to success. Creating a patient-centered culture that encourages academic achievement is an accelerator for success of a training program. Both the mentor and the mentee must play an intentional and active role to maximize learning.
Epidemiology and Diagnostic Characteristics of Vestibular Schwannomas—Does Gender Matter?
Authors: Reznitsky Martin , Petersen Mette Marie Babiel Schmidt , West Niels , Stangerup Sven-Eric , Cayé-Thomasen Per
Published: November 2020

Introduction:

A number of epidemiological studies have reported data on, e.g., tumor size and hearing at diagnosis for patients with a vestibular schwannoma (VS), whereas only a few have touched upon the potential significance of sex. The aim of this report is thus to present gender-specific data on incidence and age, tumor localization, tumor size, and hearing loss at diagnosis.

Material and Methods:

Since 1976, various data for all patients diagnosed with a sporadic VS in Denmark have been entered prospectively into a national database. Data on sex, incidence, age, tumor localization, tumor size, and hearing (discrimination) were extracted for the period 1976 to 2015.

Results:

Over the 40 years, 3,637 cases were diagnosed, of which 1,804 were women (50%) and 1,833 men (50%). For both sexes, an increasing incidence of tumors with a steadily decreasing size was found. Age was increasing and hearing at diagnosis was increasingly better.

Previously, women had more extrameatal and thus larger tumors. During the most recent decade, more tumors were found in men and hearing at diagnosis was better for women, whereas age and tumor size were comparable.

Conclusion:

The data on gender-specific epidemiology and diagnostic characteristics show varying trends over the 40-year-period spanned. For both sexes, an increasing incidence of tumors with a steadily decreasing size was found. Age is increasing and hearing at diagnosis is increasingly better. More extrameatal and thus larger tumors were previously found in women. Contemporarily, more vestibular schwannomas are found in men and diagnostic hearing is better in women.
Precision medicine approach to dialysis including incremental and decremental dialysis regimens
Authors: Murea Mariana
Published: November 2020

Purpose of review

Conventional standardization of haemodialysis for treatment of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is predicated upon the fixed construct of one disease stage and one patient category. Increasingly recognized are subgroups of patients for whom less-intensive haemodialysis, such as incremental or decremental haemodialysis, could be employed.

Recent findings

Almost 30% of patients with incident ESKD have clinical and residual kidney function (RFK) parameters that could accommodate less-intensive haemodialysis. In one study, patients with incident ESKD and substantial RKF treated with low-dose haemodialysis had similar mortality rate as those treated with standard-dose haemodialysis, adding to the evidence that endogenous kidney function -- when present -- can complement less-intensive haemodialysis schedules. Hazards related to incremental haemodialysis include insidious development of fluid overload and higher rates of fluid removal. Finally, deintensification of haemodialysis treatment could be employed in patients with ESKD who seek conservative care.

A shift in approach to ESKD from a dichotomous frame -- disease presence versus absence -- to stages of dialysis-dependent kidney disease, each stage associated with attuned haemodialysis intensity, has been proposed. Haemodialysis standardization and personalization -- often considered mutually exclusive -- can be combined in incremental haemodialysis. Data from ongoing and future randomized clinical trials, comparing less-intensive with standard haemodialysis schedules, are required to change practice.
Twelve-Month Analysis of Nonattendance for Initial Assessment in a Resident Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic
Authors: ZHANG XUEFENG , FELICI JENNA , GANDER HEATHER , MUBARIZ ABDUL R. , SCHANZER BELLA
Published: November 2020

Objective:

The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with missed initial psychiatric assessments among new patients in an outpatient setting.

Methods:

A 12-month analysis of no-show rates for initial assessments during an entire academic year of residency (July 2017 to June 2018) was conducted based on sex, age, status of insurance coverage, and length of waiting time for an appointment.

Results:

The average no-show rate was 22.3%, with no significant difference on the basis of sex (male 21.4% vs. female 22.9%). A 2-fold higher no-show rate (43.5%) was seen in the youngest age group (18 to 30 y of age), whereas an age-dependent higher show rate was noted in patients older than 30 years of age. A higher percentage of no-shows was found in patients without insurance (35.9%) compared with those who had commercial insurance (18.8%) or Medicare/Medicaid (20.9%). A seasonal pattern of no-shows was found around the December holiday period. A lower (November 17.8%) and the lowest (January 11.9%) no-show rates were followed by the peak no-show rate (February 29.3%). There was a 9.0% no-show rate when there was a 1-week waiting period before the appointment; however, the no-show rate was 3 times higher when there was a 1-month waiting period (28.6%), and ∼4 times higher with a 3-month waiting period (36%).

Conclusions:

Younger age, lack of insurance, major holidays, and longer waiting periods before the appointment were associated with nonattendance for the initial assessment in this outpatient resident clinic. This information can be helpful in developing interventions to improve attendance for the first step in engaging in psychiatric care.
Noviherbaspirillum aerium sp. nov., isolated from air
Authors: Xue Han , Piao Chun-gen , Lin Ying-hua , Bian Dan-ran , Li Yong
Published: November 2020

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, motile with polar flagella and pale-orange bacterium, designated strain 122213-3T, was isolated from air, collected at the foot of the Xiangshan Mountain, located in Beijing, PR China. Optimal growth occurred at 28 °C, at pH 7 and in the presence of 0–1 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that 122213-3T clustered with species of the genus

Noviherbaspirillum

and formed a distinct sublineage, showing highest similarities to

Noviherbaspirillum malthae

CC-AFH3T (96.88 %),

Noviherbaspirillum massiliense

JC206T (95.78 %) and

Noviherbaspirillum aurantiacum

SUEMI08T (95.78 %). The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1
 ω6c and/or C16 : 1
 ω7c), summed feature 8 (C18 : 1
 ω7c and/or C18 : 1
 ω6c) and C16 : 0. The predominant quinone was ubiquinone 8 (Q-8). The polar lipids comprised phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified polar lipids. The polyamine pattern showed the presence of putrescine as the major polyamine, with minor amounts of 2-hydroxyputrescine. The DNA G+C content was 60.1 mol%. The phylogenetic analysis and physiological and biochemical data showed that strain 122213-3T should be classified as representing a novel species in the genus

Noviherbaspirillum

, for which the name Noviherbaspirillum aerium sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of N. aerium is 122213-3T (=CFCC 14286T=LMG 30131T).
Practical probabilistic and graphical formulations of long-read polyploid haplotype phasing
Authors: Shaw Jim , Yu Yun William
Published: November 2020

Resolving haplotypes in polyploid genomes using phase information from sequencing reads is an important and challenging problem. We introduce two new mathematical formulations of polyploid haplotype phasing: (1) the min-sum max tree partition (MSMTP) problem, which is a more flexible graphical metric compared to the standard minimum error correction (MEC) model in the polyploid setting, and (2) the uniform probabilistic error minimization (UPEM) model, which is a probabilistic analogue of the MEC model. We incorporate both formulations into a long-read based polyploid haplotype phasing method calledflopp. We show that flopp compares favorably to state-of-the-art algorithms—up to 30 times faster with 2 times fewer switch errors on 6x ploidy simulated data.
Adult Neurogenesis in Peripheral Nervous System
Authors: Liu Yisheng , Gu Xiaosong
Published: November 2020

Although postnatal neurogenesis has been discovered in some regions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), only indirect evidences indicated that some progenitors in the adult sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) serve as a source of newly born sensory neurons. Here, we report the discovery of neurons and neuronal stem cells in the adult rat sciatic nerve. Lineage tracing detected a population of sciatic nerve neurons as progeny of adult neuronal stem cells. With the further finding of labeled DRG neurons in adult transgenic rats with local sciatic nerve staining, we propose a model of adult neurogenesis in the sciatic nerve in which neuronal stem cells in sciatic nerve mature as sensory neurons in adults along the sciatic nerve to DRG. This hypothesis provides a new way to understand sensory formation in adults. Those neuronal stem cells in the sciatic nerve may help to therapy of nerve trauma and disease in the future.
A low power flexible dielectric barrier discharge disinfects surfaces and improves the action of hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Gershman Sophia , Harreguy Alfonso Maria Belen , Yatom Shurik , Raitses Yevgeny , Efthimion Phillip , Haspel Gal
Published: November 2020

There is an urgent need for disinfection and sterilization devices accessible to the public that can be fulfilled by innovative strategies for using cold atmospheric pressure plasmas. Here we explore and evaluate an approach combining a flexible printed circuit design of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) with an environmentally safe chemical reagent for surface decontamination from bacterial contaminants. The device operates in ambient air without any additional gas flow at a power density of about 0.5 W/cm2. Using a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution as a model reagent we demonstrate improved reduction in the bacterial load of a surface contaminant of >6log10in 90 seconds, about 3log10and 2log10faster compared to hydrogen peroxide alone and the flexible DBD alone, respectively, for the same treatment time. The synergistic action of the plasma bioactive properties and hydrogen peroxide result in a dramatic improvement of surface disinfection. This opens new possibilities for using the low power flexible DBD plasma sources for surface disinfection and decontamination.
Live-cell microscopy reveals that human T cells primarily respond chemokinetically within a CCL19 gradient that induces chemotaxis in dendritic cells
Authors: Loef Evert J. , Sheppard Hilary M. , Birch Nigel P. , Dunbar P. Rod
Published: November 2020

The ability to study migratory behavior of immune cells is crucial to understanding the dynamic control of the immune system. Migration induced by chemokines is often assumed to be directional (chemotaxis), yet commonly used endpoint migration assays are confounded by detecting increased cell migration that lacks directionality (chemokinesis).

To distinguish between chemotaxis and chemokinesis we used the classic “under-agarose assay” in combination with video-microscopy to monitor migration of CCR7+ human monocyte-derived dendritic cells and T cells in response to a concentration gradient of CCL19. The formation of the gradients was visualized with a fluorescent marker and lasted several hours.

Monocyte-derived dendritic cells migrated chemotactically towards the CCL19 gradient. In contrast, T cells exhibited a biased random walk that was primarily driven by increased exploratory chemokinesis towards CCL19. This dominance of chemokinesis over chemotaxis in T cells is consistent with CCR7 ligation optimizing T cell scanning of antigen-presenting cells in lymphoid tissues.
Linguistic processing of task-irrelevant speech at a Cocktail Party
Authors: Yahav Paz Har-shai , Golumbic Elana Zion
Published: November 2020

Paying attention to one speaker in noisy environments can be extremely difficult, because to-be-attended and task-irrelevant speech compete for processing resources. We tested whether this competition is restricted to acoustic-phonetic interference or if it extends to competition for linguistic processing as well. Neural activity was recorded using Magnetoencephalography as human participants were instructed to attended to natural speech presented to one ear, and task-irrelevant stimuli were presented to the other. Task-irrelevant stimuli consisted either of random sequences of syllables, or syllables structured to form coherent sentences, using hierarchical frequency-tagging.

We find that the phrasal structure of structured task-irrelevant stimuli was represented in the neural response in left inferior frontal and posterior parietal regions, indicating that selective attention does not fully eliminate linguistic processing of task-irrelevant speech. Additionally, neural tracking of to-be-attended speech in left inferior frontal regions was enhanced when competing with structured task-irrelevant stimuli, suggesting inherent competition between them for linguistic processing.

Impact Statement

Syntactic structure-building processes can be applied to speech that is task-irrelevant and should be ignored, demonstrating that Selective Attention does not fully eliminate linguistic processing of competing speech.
Unpacking brand loyalty in retailing: a three-dimensional approach to customer–brand relationships
Authors: Diallo Mbaye Fall , Moulins Jean-Louis , Roux Elyette
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Despite the numerous works on multifaceted relationships between customers and brands, such relationships remain complex and poorly understood in retailing. This research analyses the direct effects of brand images (hedonic, symbolic and functional) on three specific relationship variables (brand trust, brand attachment and brand social identification). It also investigates their indirect effects on three types of loyalty (cognitive, affective and normative) in retailing.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on quantitative research involving 417 respondents. It uses structural equation models to test relevant research hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that hedonic brand image affects brand attachment, while functional brand image influences brand trust. Symbolic brand image has similar effects on the three relationship variables (attachment, trust, identification). Moreover, the relationships between brand image dimensions and brand loyalty types are positively mediated by attachment, trust and brand identification. Therefore, the authors highlight a more complex process in customer–brand relationships than previously thought.

Research limitations/implications

This article focusses on the cosmetic retail sector. It would be interesting to empirically test/extend the model in other industries/sectors. Future studies could also include brand attitude in their research model.

Practical implications

To strengthen affective loyalty, retail managers should focus on both hedonic image and brand attachment (e.g. emphasise the brand personality traits that refer to both affect and hedonism). To develop normative loyalty, they should improve symbolic brand image and facilitate customer brand identification.

Originality/value

This research provides a new three-dimensional model of customer relationships with brands to account for the dynamic nature of customer loyalty in retailing. It shows how three dimensions of brand image (hedonic, functional and symbolic) affect three types of loyalty (affective, cognitive and normative) through the mediation of three specific relationship variables (brand attachment, brand trust and brand identification).
A URI parsing technique and algorithm for anti-pattern detection in RESTful Web services
Authors: Alshraiedeh Fuad Sameh , Katuk Norliza
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Many REpresentational State Transfer (RESTful) Web services suffered from anti-patterns problem, which may diminish the sustainability of the services. The anti-patterns problem could happen in the code of the programme or the uniform resource identifiers (URIs) of RESTful Web services. This study aims to address the problem by proposing a technique and an algorithm for detecting anti-patterns in RESTful Web services. Specifically, the technique is designed based on URIs parsing process.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted following the design science research process, which has six activities, namely, identifying problems, identifying solutions, design the solutions, demonstrate the solution, evaluation and communicate the solution. The proposed technique was embedded in an algorithm and evaluated in four phases covering the process of extracting the URIs, implementing the anti-pattern detection algorithm, detecting the anti-patterns and validating the results.

Findings

The results of the study suggested an acceptable level of accuracy for the anti-patterns detection with 82.30% of precision, 87.86% of recall and 84.93% of F-measure.

Practical implications

The technique and the algorithm can be used by developers of RESTful Web services to detect possible anti-pattern occurrences in the service-based systems.

Originality/value

The technique is personalised to detect amorphous URI and ambiguous name anti-patterns in which it scans the Web service URIs using specified rules and compares them with pre-determined syntax and corpus.
Stakeholders' perspectives of public participation in landuse policy: the Nigeria experience
Authors: Badiora Adewumi I.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

It has long been recognised that the top-down approach is prevailing over bottom-up approach in landuse planning in African countries. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and identify the facilitators and limitations to have effective public participation (PP), and suggest how the practices can be improved in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Nigeria as a case study, this paper involves interviews of various stakeholders, including government staff, representatives of interest groups, general public, members of the planning board and planning commission. Information is analysed by narrative techniques of reporting.

Findings

There is a general judgment that PP is vital to landuse policy. Early public consultation was preferred, as many respondents pointed out that this would help shape the final policy. Yet, their opinion varied on whether relevant information was provided to the public, as well as their level of satisfaction with the whole process. While the process was fairly seen as giving opportunities for the public to make comments on public policy, the approach appeared not to be fruitful in many cases: (a) when the scope was broad; (b) lack of representativeness and abstruse information; (c) insufficient feedback to the participants; and (d) corruption and shortage of resources to complete the process promptly.

Practical implications

Understanding the facilitators and limitations that impact the success of PP can help provide guidance to improve the decision-making processes of public policies.

Originality/value

This paper fills the knowledge gap by providing the Nigerian experience on stakeholders' perspectives of PP in developing countries.
The impact of knowledge sharing enablers on knowledge sharing behavior: an empirical study
Authors: Eletter Shorouq , El Refae Ghaleb Awad , Kaba Abdoulaye
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Academic institutions play a crucial role in social and economic development. They share responsibilities to equip students with knowledge and skills. This study aims to examine and investigate the impact of knowledge sharing enablers (KSE) on knowledge sharing behavior (KSB). The paper measured KSE through perceived instructor support of knowledge sharing instructor support (IS), perceived information and communication technology (ICT) support of knowledge sharing and perceived ability to share knowledge (ASK).

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. A sample of 597 students from Al Ain University in UAE participated in the study. The collected data were treated and analyzed through MS Excel and International Business Machines Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The theory of reasoned action (TRA) was used in formulating a conceptual framework. Several statistical techniques, including partial least square structural equation modeling, were used to test and verify hypotheses.

Findings

Findings of the study supported TRA theory by suggesting a positive and significant impact of KSE (IS, ICT and ASK) on KSB. The findings supported the stated three hypotheses and confirmed that at least 45% of the variation in students’ KSB is explained by a variation in one of the three KSE indicators. The paper provided important theoretical and practical implications for researchers and managers of academic institutions.

Originality/value

Academic institutions need to advance their strategies to create more collaborative environments for boosting knowledge sharing among students. Such practice will contribute in improving the students’ overall capabilities, skills and success of academic institutions.
Intracellular localization of CK2α as a prognostic factor in invasive breast carcinomas
Authors: Homma Miwako Kato , Kiko Yuichiro , Hashimoto Yuko , Nagatsuka Miki , Katagata Naoto , Masui Seiichiro , Homma Yoshimi , Nomizu Tadashi
Published: November 2020

Overexpression of the ubiquitous protein kinase, CK2α, has been reported in various human cancers. Here, we demonstrate that nuclear and nucleolar CK2α localization in invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast is a reliable predictor of poor prognosis. Cellular localization of CK2α in nuclei and nucleoli was analyzed immunohistochemically using surgical tissue blocks from 112 patients, who had undergone surgery without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical data collection and median follow‐up period were for more than 5 y. In total, 93.8% of patients demonstrated elevated CK2α expression in nuclei and 36.6% of them displayed elevated expression predominantly in nucleoli. Clinicopathological malignancy was strongly correlated with elevated nuclear and nucleolar CK2α expression. Recurrence‐free survival was significantly worse (P = .0002) in patients with positive nucleolar CK2α staining. The 5‐y survival rate decreased to a roughly 50% in nucleolar CK2α‐positive patients of triple‐negative (P = .0069) and p Stage 3 (P = .0073) groups. In contrast, no patients relapsed or died in the triple‐negative group who exhibited a lack of nucleolar CK2α staining. Evaluation of nucleolar CK2α staining showed a high secondary index with a hazard ratio of 6.629 (P = .001), following lymph node metastasis with a hazard ratio of 14.30 (P = .0008). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that nucleolar CK2α is an independent factor for recurrence‐free survival. Therefore, we propose that histochemical evaluation of nucleolar CK2α‐positive staining may be a new and robust prognostic indicator for patients who need further treatment. Functional consequences of nucleolar CK2 dysfunction may be a starting point to facilitate development of novel treatments for invasive breast carcinoma.
Preferences for local food: Tourists versus local residents
Authors: Li Tongzhe , Messer Kent D. , Mamadzhanov Alisher , McCluskey Jill J.
Published: November 2020

This study examines preferences for local foods by two distinct consumer groups: local residents and tourists. In an incentive‐compatible framed field experiment, a series of dichotomous‐choice tasks involving oyster purchases were completed by 758 individuals: 341 local residents recruited at a Division of Motor Vehicles office and 417 tourists recruited at a beach ferry terminal. The experimental design allowed us to investigate differences in preferences between tourists and local residents for locally produced oysters. Our estimates suggest both locals and tourists are willing to pay more for local oysters than for nonlocal ones, though this result is only statistically significant among tourists. The findings from this study shed light on potential designs for labels of food products, particularly when marketed in popular tourism areas.
Age‐Specific Effects of Lexical–Semantic Networks on Word Production
Authors: Krethlow Giulia , Fargier Raphaël , Laganaro Marina
Published: November 2020

The lexical–semantic organization of the mental lexicon is bound to change across the lifespan. Nevertheless, the effects of lexical–semantic factors on word processing are usually based on studies enrolling young adult cohorts. The current study aims to investigate to what extent age‐specific semantic organization predicts performance in referential word production over the lifespan, from school‐age children to older adults. In Study 1, we conducted a free semantic association task with participants from six age‐groups (ranging from 10 to 80 years old) to compute measures that capture age‐specific properties of the mental lexicon across the lifespan. These measures relate to lifespan changes in the Available Richness of the mental lexicon and in the lexical–semantic Network Prototypicality of concrete words. In Study 2, we used the collected data to predict performance in a picture‐naming task on a new group of participants within the same age‐groups as for Study 1. The results show that age‐specific semantic Available Richness and Network Prototypicality affect word production speed while the semantic variables collected only in young adults do not. A richer and more prototypical semantic network across subjects from a given age‐group is associated with faster word production speed. The current results indicate that age‐specific semantic organization is crucial to predict lexical–semantic behaviors across the lifespan. Similarly, these results also provide cues to the understanding of the lexical–semantic properties of the mental lexicon and to lexical selection in referential tasks.
Climbing up or falling down: Narcissism predicts physiological sensitivity to social status in children and their parents
Authors: Grapsas Stathis , Denissen Jaap J. A. , Lee Hae Yeon , Bos Peter A. , Brummelman Eddie
Published: November 2020

Children's narcissism may be rooted in sensitivity to social status (i.e., prominence, respect, and influence in a social group), and this sensitivity might be shared with parents. Testing this idea, a randomized experiment examined how children with high narcissism levels and their parents respond to gains and losses of social status. On a simulated social media platform, children (N = 123, ages 8–13) competed with fictitious peers for status and were randomly assigned to gain or lose status. Unbeknownst to children, parents viewed the course of the task. Children's and parents' affective reactions during the task were measured with facial electromyography, which detects spontaneous facial muscle activity linked to positive affect (i.e., zygomaticus major activity, involved in smiling) and negative affect (i.e., corrugator supercilii activity, involved in frowning). Children with higher narcissism levels showed steeper increases in negative affect during status loss and steeper increases in both positive and negative affect during status gain. Their parents mirrored the steeper increase in positive affect during their child's status gain, but they did not mirror the increase in negative affect. These results suggest that children with high narcissism levels and their parents show intensified affective‐motivational responses to children's status‐relevant experiences. These responses may be transmitted from one generation to the other (e.g., genetically or through parent–child socialization).
A NEW MEASURE OF FOREIGN RULE BASED ON GENETIC DISTANCE
Authors: Dharmapala Dhammika
Published: November 2020

This paper constructs a novel measure of past foreign (or minority) rule—the genetic distance of a country's ruling elite in the year 1900 from its ethnic majority—by mapping historical information to data on bilateral genetic distances between populations. It documents robust negative conditional correlations of this “elite‐population genetic distance” with current income levels and with current fiscal capacity, controlling for an extensive set of country characteristics including existing measures of foreign rule, the genetic distance of the ethnic majority from that of the United Kingdom, continent fixed effects, and state antiquity (i.e., the history of state‐building capacity).(JELO10, N40, H20)
La OIT y el trabajo penitenciario: por una necesaria reorientación
Authors: MILMAN‐SIVAN Faina , SAGY Yair
Published: November 2020

Este artículo analiza el enfoque normativo dualista de la OIT sobre el trabajo penitenciario, basado en la «exención estatal» respecto del trabajo forzoso, y trata de demostrar su desconexión con la realidad actual en que dicho trabajo tiene lugar, caracterizada por la proliferación de contextos híbridos público‐privados. Los autores ponen de relieve la controversia que suscita ese enfoque y su cuestionamiento por parte de los Estados Miembros, exponen el alto precio que supondría para la Organización mantener su actual rumbo o ceder a las exigencias de flexibilidad de algunos Estados Miembros y proponen dos nuevas alternativas para superar el conflicto.
Comic Impossibilities
Authors: LEDDINGTON JASON
Published: November 2020

Magic and stand-up comedy have a lot in common. For example, when successful, both tend to elicit laughter, and many magicians regularly perform in comedy clubs. Nevertheless, the close relationship between magic and comedy is poorly understood. The goal of this article is to explore this relationship and to defend the thesis that magic is actually a form-arguably a limit case-of stand-up comedy. This requires first introducing definitions of both stand-up comedy and magic. The core argument then deploys one of today's best-developed philosophical theories of comic amusement to show that magic, when successful, is humorous. In this way, the article contributes to our understanding of both the emotional response to magic and the nature and scope of comedy. The article begins with an analysis of Steve Martin's 1968 TV debut on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, in which he performs a “socko-boffo comedy routine” that seamlessly integrates absurdist comedy with magic tricks.
t‐ZrO2 toughened Al2O3 free‐standing films and as oxidation mitigating thin films on silicon nitride via colloidal processing of flame made nanopowders (NPs)
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Cheng Xiaopo , Jansohn Monika , Niedermaier Matthias , Lenk Thomas , Britting Stefan , Schmidt Karsten , Laine Richard M.
Published: November 2020

Zirconia toughened aluminas (ZTAs) are one of the most important engineering ceramics with high melting points, excellent mechanical strength, and chemical stability, and are commonly used as wear resistant and high‐temperature components, as prosthetic implants, and electric circuit substrates. In this work, we explore methods of processing fine‐grained, dense, thin, free‐standing (ZrO2)x(Al2O3)1−x films (x = 0‐50 mol%, ~40 μm thick) by sintering flame made nanopowders (NPs) to optimize the t‐ZrO2 content, sinterability, and microstructures under select conditions (1120°C‐1500°C/5 h in O2 or 95%N2/5%H2). In all cases, the final sintered products retain t‐ZrO2 with average grain sizes (AGSs) of 0.1‐1 μm. ZTA film thicknesses were increased to ~200 μm to assess potential as electronic substrates. Excellent fracture toughness (24 MPa m1/2) and small AGSs of 0.7 μm were found for ~200 μm thick ZTA films sintered at 1500°C/5 h/N2/H2 using a three‐step binder burnout process. Furthermore, we show that homogeneous ZTA thin films (<5 μm thick) can be sintered on Si3N4 substrates (thickness ≈ 300 μm) to provide physical protection against oxidation under extreme conditions (1500°C/1 h/O2), offering additional practical utility for high‐temperature ceramics and power electronic substrates.
Being Alongside and Becoming Researcher: Art Practice, Accountability and Convergence in the Studio
Authors: Atkinson Anne‐Marie
Published: November 2020

This article offers an analysis of a period of autoethnographic fieldwork conducted at Venture Arts, an art studio in Manchester (UK) that provides infrastructure to support people with intellectual disabilities to participate in the visual arts. The analysis is concerned with two ‘discomfort zones’ that have become apparent in the research period. The first is my positionality as a researcher in the studio space. In this section I draw on new materialism and critical disability studies to propose my methodology, mode of analysis and strategies of writing. In writing towards an understanding of my positionality and associated affective flows, the second discomfort zone provides an exposition of my emerging methodology. In this section I analyse my fieldnotes to explore the tensions and alliances between different zones of practice in the Venture Arts studio, and their relationship with existing conceptions of contemporary art and relational art. While each of these lenses offers tools through which to understand the artistic practice that arises out of the studio, none of them does completely. Instead, I propose an alternative account that recognises the overlapping, converging and co‐constituted zones of practice in the Venture Arts studio.
Effect of low pressure cold plasma treatment on microbial decontamination and physicochemical properties of dried walnut kernels (Juglans regia L.)
Authors: Ahangari Maryam , Ramezan Yousef , Khani Mohammad Reza
Published: November 2020

In this study, dried walnut kernels were processed by radiofrequency low pressure cold plasma (LPCP) treatment using normal air. Dried walnut kernels were treated with LPCP at different powers (20, 30, 40, and 50 W) and at different times (10, 15, and 20 min), and finally compared with the untreated sample. The tests performed in this study included microbial load reduction, decimal reduction time (D‐value), peroxide value, moisture content, texture firmness, and color parameters. The LPCP treated samples compared with the control sample significantly reduced the microbial load (p < 0.05). The highest microbial log reduction was observed in 50 W for 20 min. Total viable count, coliform, and mold log reduction were equal to 1.09, 0.97, and 0.89 log CFU/g, respectively. D‐values were also calculated, with the maximum reduction observed at 50 W. The lowest D‐values for the total count, coliform, and mold were 19.66, 18.25, and 18.18 min, respectively. There was no significant difference between the treated and untreated samples in terms of peroxide value and firmness (p > 0.05). However, the treated samples' moisture content diminished with increasing power and LPCP exposure time (p < 0 .05). The result indicated that the LPCP darkened the treated samples' color.

Practical Applications

This study demonstrates the potential of low pressure cold plasma applications for the decontamination of dried walnut kernels. It is an appropriate alternative for product disinfection such as nuts, spices, aromatic plants, and other sensitive foods to high‐temperature processing, due to the lack of waste production, low energy consumption, low cost, and keeping the physicochemical properties of products intact.
Rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk, bread, and jelly by lac dye coloration‐based bidirectional lateral flow immunoassay strip
Authors: Liu Cheng , Fang Shuiqin , Tian Yachen , Ma Junfei , Wang Zheng , Xu Dongpo , Li Ying , Hou Dongjun , Liu Qing
Published: November 2020

Lac dye, a kind of food additive and textile dye, is extracted from lac insect secretions. The ability of lac dye to stain bacteria was firstly found. Based on the discovery, a new bidirectional lateral flow immunoassay strip (BLFIS) for detecting Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) was successfully developed. The BLFIS has two sheets of nitrocellulose (NC) membranes separated by a sample pad. The anti‐E. coli O157:H7 monoclonal antibodies (McAb) were oppositely dispensed on the NC membranes as the control line and test line, respectively. On the side of the control line, a conjugation pad immobilized with pre‐stained E. coli O157:H7 was assembled. The detection limit of BLFIS was 106 CFU/ml. Furthermore, after pre‐incubation in food sample, the detection sensitivity was significantly increased to 100 colonies of the initial bacterial count. This method may be an improvement over traditional colloidal gold lateral flow immunoassay strips, which does not require the pairing of two antibodies to complete the detection, nor the chromogenic nanomaterials to report the detection results, such as gold nanoparticles. And the BLFIS might provide technical support for detecting E. coli O157:H7 in food and ensuring food safety.
Markov chains under nonlinear expectation
Authors: Nendel Max
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we consider continuous‐time Markov chains with a finite state space under nonlinear expectations. We define so‐called Q‐operators as an extension of Q‐matrices or rate matrices to a nonlinear setup, where the nonlinearity is due to model uncertainty. The main result gives a full characterization of convex Q‐operators in terms of a positive maximum principle, a dual representation by means of Q‐matrices, time‐homogeneous Markov chains under convex expectations, and a class of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. This extends a classical characterization of generators of Markov chains to the case of model uncertainty in the generator. We further derive an explicit primal and dual representation of convex semigroups arising from Markov chains under convex expectations via the Fenchel–Legendre transformation of the generator. We illustrate the results with several numerical examples, where we compute price bounds for European contingent claims under model uncertainty in terms of the rate matrix.
Recalibration of Eddy Viscosity Models for Numerical Simulation of Cavitating Flow Patterns in Low Pressure Nozzle Injectors
Authors: Coussirat M. , Moll F.
Published: November 2020

Cavitation in pressure injectors/atomizers affects the liquid/spray jet behavior at its outlet. The type of atomization induced by cavitation allows developing efficient devices if this cavitation state is controlled. Cavitating flow is related to turbulent and multiphase flows with mass transfer between the liquid and its gaseous phase and which is affected by several factors. Due to the high-speed flow and small spatial and time scales involved, the study of cavitating flows using physical experiments is very expensive. By means of numerical simulations using eddy viscosity models, some of the incipient and slight developed cavitating flow characteristics in nozzles are captured, but the level of the vapor fraction is commonly underestimated. It is evident that a suitable calibration of the turbulence models based on the special characteristics of the incipient/slight developed cavitating flows allows obtaining improved results. This special calibration is necessary due to the close relation between the cavitation inception/developing conditions and the turbulence level in the flow leading to a “nonstandard turbulence state.” So, cavitating flows should not be modeled as a simple turbulent one. It is also demonstrated that the results obtained become competitive compared against the ones computed by large eddy simulations, which need a lot of computational resources and an appropriate initial solution for running. The conclusions obtained can be useful to improve injector designs because the suitable simulation of the incipient cavitation or slight developed cavitation flow conditions can be accurately simulated after calibration.