bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The AIDA-2020 TLU: a flexible trigger logic unit for test beam facilities
Authors: Baesso P. , Cussans D. , Goldstein J.
Published: September 2019

The AIDA-2020 Trigger Logic Unit (TLU) has been designed to be a flexible and easily configurable unit to provide trigger and control signals to devices employed during test beams, integrating them with the beam telescope. The most recent iteration of the TLU (v1E) has been re-designed within the AIDA-2020 project to integrate with hardware used in beam facilities. Configuration and communication with the TLU are performed over Ethernet. It can be employed as a stand-alone unit or be deployed as part of the EUDAQ2 data acquisition framework, which allows it to connect to a wide range of LHC readout systems. The TLU can operate with a sustained particle rate of 1 MHz and with instantaneous rates up to 20 MHz. In the current firmware iteration, the unit can time-stamp incoming signals with a resolution of 1.5 ns. The hardware, firmware and software designs of the TLU are freely accessible and benefit from constant inputs and upgrades from experienced users. TLU units have already been deployed successfully in beam lines at CERN and DESY.
Air tightness of hBN encapsulation and its impact on Raman spectroscopy of van der Waals materials
Authors: Holler Johannes , Bauriedl Lorenz , Korn Tobias , Seitz Andrea , Özyigit Furkan , Eichinger Michaela , Schüller Christian , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Strunk Christoph , Paradiso Nicola
Published: September 2019

Raman spectroscopy is a precious tool for the characterization of van der Waals materials, e.g. for the determination of the layer number in thin exfoliated flakes. For sensitive materials, however, this method can be dramatically invasive. In particular, the light intensity required to obtain a significant Raman signal is sufficient to immediately photo-oxidize few-layer thick metallic van der Waals materials. In this work we investigated the impact of the environment on Raman characterization of thin NbSe2 crystals. We show that in ambient conditions the flake is locally oxidized even for very low illumination intensity. Based on this extreme sensitivity to the presence of light and oxygen, we could study the air-tightness of the hBN encapsulation method, the most common passivation method for a wide range of 2D material-based devices. We find that only fully encapsulated devices are reliably air-tight. On the contrary, a simple hBN cover from the top does not prevent a slow diffusion of oxygen between the SiO2 surface and the flake itself.
Community-acquired acute bacterial meningitis in adults: a clinical update
Authors: Ellis Jayne , Luintel Akish , Chandna Arjun , Heyderman Robert S
Published: September 2019

Background

Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in adults is associated with a mortality that may exceed 30%. Immunization programs have reduced the global burden; in the UK, declining incidence but persistently high mortality and morbidity mean that clinicians must remain vigilant.

Sources of data

A systematic electronic literature search of PubMed was performed to identify all ABM literature published within the past 5 years.

Areas of agreement and controversy

Clinical features cannot reliably distinguish between ABM and other important infectious and non-infectious aetiologies. Prompt investigation and empirical treatment are imperative. Lumbar puncture (LP) and cerebrospinal fluid microscopy, biochemistry and culture remain the mainstay of diagnosis, but molecular techniques are increasingly useful. The 2016 UK joint specialist societies’ guideline provides expert recommendations for the management of ABM, yet published data suggest clinical care delivered in the UK is frequently not adherent. Anxiety regarding risk of cerebral herniation following LP, unnecessary neuroimaging, underutilization of molecular diagnostics and suboptimal uptake of adjunctive corticosteroids compromise management.

Growing points

There is increasing recognition that current antibiotic regimens and adjunctive therapies alone are insufficient to reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with ABM.

Areas timely for developing research

Research should be focused on optimization of vaccines (e.g. pneumococcal conjugate vaccines with extended serotype coverage), targeting groups at risk for disease and reservoirs for transmission; improving adherence to management guidelines; development of new faster, more accurate diagnostic platforms (e.g. novel point-of-care molecular diagnostics); and development of new adjunctive therapies (aimed at the host-inflammatory response and bacterial virulence factors).
ProtMiscuity: a database of promiscuous proteins
Authors: Velez Rueda Ana Julia , Palopoli Nicolas , Zacarías Matías , Sommese Leandro Matías , Parisi Gustavo
Published: September 2019

Promiscuous behaviour in proteins and enzymes remains a challenging feature to understand the structure–function relationship. Here we present ProtMiscuity, a manually curated online database of proteins showing catalytic promiscuity. ProtMiscuity contains information about canonical and promiscuous activities comprising 88 different reactions in 57 proteins from 40 different organisms. It can be searched or browsed by protein names, organisms and descriptions of canonical and promiscuous reactions. Entries provide information on reaction substrates, products and kinetic parameters, mapping of active sites to sequence and structure and links to external resources with biological and functional annotations. ProtMiscuity could assist in studying the underlying mechanisms of promiscuous reactions by offering a unique and curated collection of experimentally derived data that is otherwise hard to find, retrieve and validate from literature.
Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblages and Slug Abundance in Agricultural Fields Under Organic and Low-Input Conventional Management Within a Long-Term Agronomic Trial in Central Italy
Authors: Rossi Elisabetta , Antichi Daniele , Loni Augusto , Canovai Roberto , Sbrana Massimo , Mazzoncini Marco
Published: September 2019

Inside a long-term agronomic trial aimed at evaluating the effects of organic and low-input conventional management systems on soil fertility and arable crop production, we selected six fields bordered by hedgerows, three under each management system. Here, we analyzed the carabid assemblages and the slug abundance. Samplings took place in five different periods, across 1 yr of observations. The carabid abundances were similar in organic and conventional fields. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H’) showed a higher value in the conventional fields, although in the organic fields, a higher number of species were observed. The multivariate analysis described similar carabid communities, but excluding the period factor, it showed a significant influence of the management system. There was no difference between the captures of traps placed along the hedgerow and in the middle, whereas in the conventional fields, the hedgerow traps captured a higher number of specimens, showing a role of the hedgerow as carabid reservoir. The slugs were present mainly while green manure was grown on the organic fields where also Poecilus cupreus Linné, 1758 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was captured abundantly.
Traces of Imidacloprid Induce Hormesis as a Stimulatory Conditioned Response of Sweetpotato Whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
Authors: Rakotondravelo M , Smitley D , Calabrese E , Ladoni M
Published: September 2019

Our purpose is to determine whether extremely low concentrations of imidacloprid (2–8 ppb) typically found in field soil 1–3 yr after a crop is grown using seed with a standard imidacloprid seed-coating could impact the fitness of whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Results of our experiments indicate that imidacloprid-resistant whitefly larvae feeding on cotton seedlings growing in soil with 8.0 ppb imidacloprid are conditioned so that when the same individuals feed on plants treated with imidacloprid as adults their fitness, measured as fecundity, increases 30–70% compared with individuals that were not primed as larvae. This conditioning hormesis stimulates resistant whiteflies more than susceptible whiteflies, which may contribute to the selection of resistant populations.
Systemic Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Trajectories Relate to Brain Health in Typically Aging Older Adults
Authors: Lindbergh Cutter A , Casaletto Kaitlin B , Staffaroni Adam M , Elahi Fanny , Walters Samantha M , You Michelle , Neuhaus John , Rivera Contreras Will , Wang Paul , Karydas Anna , Brown Jesse , Wolf Amy , Rosen Howie , Cobigo Yann , Kramer Joel H
Published: September 2019

Background

Central nervous system levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, regulate the neuroinflammatory response and may play a role in age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The longitudinal relation between peripheral levels of TNF-α and typical brain aging is understudied. We hypothesized that within-person increases in systemic TNF-α would track with poorer brain health outcomes in functionally normal adults.

Methods

Plasma-based TNF-α concentrations (pg/mL; fasting morning draws) and magnetic resonance imaging were acquired in 424 functionally intact adults (mean age = 71) followed annually for up to 8.4 years (mean follow-up = 2.2 years). Brain outcomes included total gray matter volume and white matter hyperintensities. Cognitive outcomes included composites of memory, executive functioning, and processing speed, as well as Mini-Mental State Examination total scores. Longitudinal mixed-effects models were used, controlling for age, sex, education, and total intracranial volume, as appropriate.

Results

TNF-α concentrations significantly increased over time (p < .001). Linear increases in within-person TNF-α were longitudinally associated with declines in gray matter volume (p < .001) and increases in white matter hyperintensities (p = .003). Exploratory analyses suggested that the relation between TNF-α and gray matter volume was curvilinear (TNF-α 2p = .002), such that initial increases in inflammation were associated with more precipitous atrophy. There was a negative linear relationship of within-person changes in TNF-α to Mini-Mental State Examination scores over time (p = .036) but not the cognitive composites (all ps >.05).

Conclusion

Systemic inflammation, as indexed by plasma TNF-α, holds potential as a biomarker for age-related declines in brain health.
West Nile Virus Mosquito Vectors in North America
Authors: Rochlin Ilia , Faraji Ary , Healy Kristen , Andreadis Theodore G
Published: September 2019

In North America, the geographic distribution, ecology, and vectorial capacity of a diverse assemblage of mosquito species belonging to the genus Culex determine patterns of West Nile virus transmission and disease risk. East of the Mississippi River, mostly ornithophagic Culex pipiens L. complex mosquitoes drive intense enzootic transmission with relatively small numbers of human cases. Westward, the presence of highly competent Culex tarsalis (Coquillett) under arid climate and hot summers defines the regions with the highest human risk. West Nile virus human risk distribution is not uniform geographically or temporally within all regions. Notable geographic ‘hotspots’ persist with occasional severe outbreaks. Despite two decades of comprehensive research, several questions remain unresolved, such as the role of non-Culex bridge vectors, which are not involved in the enzootic cycle, but may be involved in virus transmission to humans. The absence of bridge vectors also may help to explain the frequent lack of West Nile virus ‘spillover’ into human populations despite very intense enzootic amplification in the eastern United States. This article examines vectorial capacity and the eco-epidemiology of West Nile virus mosquito vectors in four geographic regions of North America and presents some of the unresolved questions.
Models and Surveillance Systems to Detect and Predict West Nile Virus Outbreaks
Authors: Barker Christopher M
Published: September 2019

Over the past 20 yr, many models have been developed to predict risk for West Nile virus (WNV; Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) disease in the human population. These models have aided our understanding of the meteorological and land-use variables that drive spatial and temporal patterns of human disease risk. During the same period, electronic data systems have been adopted by surveillance programs across much of the United States, including a growing interest in integrated data services that preserve the autonomy and attribution of credit to originating agencies but facilitate data sharing, analysis, and visualization at local, state, and national scales. At present, nearly all predictive models have been limited to the scientific literature, with few having been implemented for use by public-health and vector-control decision makers. The current article considers the development of models for spatial patterns, early warning, and early detection of WNV over the last 20 yr and considers some possible paths toward increasing the utility of these models for guiding interventions.
AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD CLOT COVERING INSTEAD OF GAS TAMPONADE FOR MACULAR HOLES
Authors: Zhu Dongqing , Ma Bo , Zhang Jing , Huang Rong , Liu Yan , Jing Xiaoliang , Zhou Jibo
Published: September 2019

Purpose:

This study evaluates the efficacy and usefulness of vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling and autologous blood clot covering without gas tamponade in the treatment of macular holes (MHs).

Methods:

All patients with a full-thickness MH with a minimum diameter of <600 µm and a base diameter of <1,200 µm underwent pars plana vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling with autologous blood covering the MH at the end of the surgery. No fluid–air exchange or gas tamponade was performed. Postoperatively, all patients were instructed to adopt supine position overnight and thereafter any comfortable posture.

Results:

A total of 18 eyes of 18 consecutive patients were included. The mean age of the patients (12 women and 6 men) was 59.06 ± 14.31 years (range, 21–81 years). The MHs composed of 13 idiopathic MHs, 2 MHs with high myopia (axial length > 26.5 mm), 2 traumatic MHs, and 1 MH associated with diabetic macular edema. Among them were five large MHs (minimum diameter > 400 µm). Complete MH closure was achieved in all eyes at the end of the follow-up period (range, 3–14 months). Visual acuity was significantly improved from preoperative 0.89 ± 0.41 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/155 Snellen) to 0.42 ± 0.33 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/53 Snellen) at the final visit (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

The novel surgical protocol using vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and autologous blood clot covering at the end of the MH surgery with limited diameters achieved highly effective closure and visual improvement and eliminated the gas tamponade and thus the associated adverse effects and the need for postoperative face-down positioning.
Immunohistochemistry as a Genetic Surrogate in Dermatopathology: Pearls and Pitfalls
Authors: Oh Kei Shing , Mahalingam Meera
Published: September 2019

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is routinely performed in most laboratories, and other than purchase of commercially available antibodies, requires no additional equipment or reagents. As such, IHC is an accessible and relatively inexpensive test and one that can be performed quite quickly. This is in sharp contrast to genomic or mutational testing methodologies that are routinely “send out” tests as they require specialized equipment and reagents as well as individuals with expertise in the performance of the tests and analysis of the results, resulting in a prolonged turn-round-time and enhanced associated costs. However, many open questions remain in a rapidly changing therapeutic and scientific landscape with most obvious one being what exactly is the utility of “good old fashioned” IHC in the age of targeted therapy? For molecular applications, is a negative immunohistochemical result enough as a stand-alone diagnostic or predictive product? Is a positive immunohistochemical result perhaps more suitable for a role in screening for molecular alterations rather than a definitive testing modality? This review is an attempt to answer those very questions. We elucidate the broad range of entities in which IHC is currently used as a molecular surrogate and underscore pearls and pitfalls associated with each. Special attention is given to entities for which targeted therapies are currently available and to entities in which molecular data is of clinical utility as a prognosticator.
Efficacy of an Aquatic Exercise Program for 3 Cases of Rett Syndrome
Authors: Escobar Torres Lourdes , Sanders Mary E. , Belenguer Benitez Charo , Melendez Ortega Agustin
Published: September 2019

Purpose:

To examine functional, physiological effects of participating in an aquatic exercise program by 3 girls, diagnosed with Rett syndrome (RS), to explore areas for possible new research.

Summary of Key Points:

RS is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, which causes multiple disabilities and serious impairments in neuromotor and cognitive abilities. Three girls (4, 6, and 7 years), diagnosed stage III RS, participated in 20 months of aquatic exercise, with individually tailored, full body exercises, progressively targeting functional, cardiorespiratory, muscle, and flexibility training. Assessments included resting and exercise heart rates, anthropometric measures, functional, clinical aspects, and psychosocial abilities.

Conclusions:

The participants improved functional ability, mood status, relations with family and schoolmates, joint mobility, muscle strength, and endurance during functional activities. Periodic evaluation of exercise heart rates averaged an increase in intensity of 33% above baseline, indicating cardiorespiratory stimulus. This pilot program provides clinical rationale for future studies and clinical interventions for RS children.
Clonal ST131-H22 Escherichia coli strains from a healthy pig and a human urinary tract infection carry highly similar resistance and virulence plasmids
Authors: Reid Cameron J. , McKinnon Jessica , Djordjevic Steven P.
Published: September 2019

The interplay between food production animals, humans and the environment with respect to the transmission of drug-resistant pathogens is widely debated and poorly understood. Pandemic uropathogenic

Escherichia coli

ST131-H30Rx, with conserved fluoroquinolone and cephalosporin resistance, are not frequently identified in animals. However, the phylogenetic precursor lineage ST131-H22 in animals and associated meat products is being reported with increasing frequency. Here we characterized two highly related ST131-H22 strains, one from a healthy pig and the other from a human infection (in 2007 and 2009, respectively). We used both long and short genome sequencing and compared them to ST131-H22 genome sequences available in public repositories. Even within the context of H22 strains, the two strains in question were highly related, separated by only 20 core SNPs. Furthermore, they were closely related to a faecal strain isolated in 2010 from a geographically distinct, healthy human in New South Wales, Australia. The porcine and hospital strains carried highly similar HI2-ST3 multidrug resistant plasmids with differences in the hospital strain arising due to IS-mediated insertions and rearrangements. Near identical ColV plasmids were also present in both strains, further supporting their shared evolutionary history. This work highlights the importance of adopting a One Health approach to genomic surveillance to gain insights into pathogen evolution and spread.
Rv0100, a proposed acyl carrier protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: expression, purification and crystallization
Authors: Bondoc Jasper Marc G. , Gutka Hiten J. , Almutairi Mashal M. , Patwell Ryan , Rutter Maxwell W. , Wolf Nina M. , Samudrala Ram , Mehboob Shahila , Movahedzadeh Farahnaz
Published: September 2019

Acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) are important components in fatty-acid biosynthesis in prokaryotes. Rv0100 is predicted to be an essential ACP in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen that is the causative agent of tuberculosis, and therefore has the potential to be a novel antituberculosis drug target. Here, the successful cloning and purification of Rv0100 using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a host is reported. Crystals of the purified protein were obtained that diffracted to a resolution of 1.9 Å. Overall, this work lays the foundation for the future pursuit of drug discovery and development against this potentially novel drug target.
X-ray constrained spin-coupled technique: theoretical details and further assessment of the method
Authors: Genoni Alessandro , Macetti Giovanni , Franchini Davide , Pieraccini Stefano , Sironi Maurizio
Published: September 2019

One of the well-established methods of modern quantum crystallography is undoubtedly the X-ray constrained wavefunction (XCW) approach, a technique that enables the determination of wavefunctions which not only minimize the energy of the system under examination, but also reproduce experimental X-ray diffraction data within the limit of the experimental errors. Initially proposed in the framework of the Hartree–Fock method, the strategy has been gradually extended to other techniques of quantum chemistry, but always remaining limited to a single-determinantansatzfor the wavefunction to extract. This limitation has been recently overcome through the development of the novel X-ray constrained spin-coupled (XCSC) approach [Genoniet al.(2018).Chem. Eur. J.24, 15507–15511] which merges the XCW philosophy with the traditional spin-coupled strategy of valence bond theory. The main advantage of this new technique is the possibility of extracting traditional chemical descriptors (e.g.resonance structure weights) compatible with the experimental diffraction measurements, without the need to introduce informationa priorior perform analysesa posteriori. This paper provides a detailed theoretical derivation of the fundamental equations at the basis of the XCSC method and also introduces a further advancement of its original version, mainly consisting in the use of molecular orbitals resulting from XCW calculations at the Hartree–Fock level to describe the inactive electrons in the XCSC computations. Furthermore, extensive test calculations, which have been performed by exploiting high-resolution X-ray diffraction data for salicylic acid and by adopting different basis sets, are presented and discussed. The computational tests have shown that the new technique does not suffer from particular convergence problems. Moreover, all the XCSC calculations provided resonance structure weights, spin-coupled orbitals and global electron densities slightly different from those resulting from the corresponding unconstrained computations. These discrepancies can be ascribed to the capability of the novel strategy to capture the information intrinsically contained in the experimental data used as external constraints.
Labour productivity in agricultural sector of Sub-Sahara Africa (2010–2017)
Authors: Ibidunni Ayodotun Stephen , Ufua Daniel E. , Okorie Uchechukwu Emena , Kehinde Busola E.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on investigating labour productivity in the agricultural sector of Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) countries between the periods of 2010 and 2017.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted descriptive design. The sample size for this research includes 43 SSA nations. Measuring SSA nation’s agricultural productivity in this study was based on input and output factors relating to the labour resource utilisation between the periods of 2010 and 2017. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and panel regression analysis were carried out to examine labour productivity within the set periods.

Findings

The findings from the study suggest that labour productivity in the agricultural sector of SSA countries can be improved from its presently low state of productivity. The statistical analysis showed that between the periods of 2010 and 2013, only about 34.9 per cent of countries in the region were technically efficient in the utilisation of labour resources for productive use. More disturbing was that, from 2014 to 2017, labour productivity drooped to 11.6 per cent. Meanwhile, employment of labour in the agricultural sector revealed as low as 1.58 percentage to crop production index in the region. Notably, there is the potential of labour employment to derive as high as 80 per cent yield to the gross domestic product of economies in the SSA region.

Practical implications

Considering the strategic role of labour to the agricultural sector of SSA countries, there must be a stakeholders approach to stimulating the interest of the populace of these countries and getting them actively involved in the agricultural sector. This imply that government, investors, support agencies from developed economies and populace of the SSA nations must support the drive towards agricultural productivity of the SSA nations.

Originality/value

This study established a research agenda that involved a paradigm shift from the more rampant literature on foreign investments, agricultural research, rural livelihood and well-being, among others to focusing on issues that pertain to labour productivity for sustainable agricultural yields in SSA countries. Also, the methodology adopted in the study, such as application of DEA and regression analysis to panel data, shows a departure from single units of analysis adopted by existing studies.
Using food choice motives to model Pakistani ethnic food purchase intention among tourists
Authors: Ahmad Muhammad Shakil , Jamil Ahmed , Latif Khawaja Fawad , Ramayah T. , Ai Leen Jasmine Yeap , Memon Mumtaz , Ullah Raza
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of different food choice motives on attitude and, subsequently, the impact of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control on the purchase intention of Pakistani ethnic food, based on the food choice motives theory and the theory of planned behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an intercept survey, data were collected from 559 local tourists coming from different areas of the country, who visited Swat, Gilgit and Muree regions of Pakistan, and the data were analysed using SmartPLS software.

Findings

In terms of direct effects, mood, familiarity, natural content and price were found to be significant predictors for attitude, whereas attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control were found to positively affect intention to purchase Pakistani ethnic food. In addition, attitude was found to serve as a mediator for the relationships between mood, familiarity, sensory appeal and price on purchase intention.

Originality/value

This study has shed some light on the food choice behaviour of domestic tourists opting for their own local cuisine in Pakistan, which is under-represented in the tourism and food research literature. We also tested an integrated model of food choice motives and the theory of planned behaviour in modelling purchase intention in the tourism perspective. The present study also adds to the existing literature on mediation by modelling attitude as a mediator between food choice motives and purchase intention in the context of a developing country.
Managing Singapore’s residential diversity through Ethnic Integration Policy
Authors: Lim Travis , Leong Chan-Hoong , Suliman Farzaana
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore Singaporeans’ view to a multicultural neighbourhood, specifically, their views on the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP), a housing policy that promotes residential desegregation, and whether this policy has engendered a positive perspective to residential diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

A grounded theory approach is used to answer the following research questions: how do Singaporeans feel about residential diversity? Does the EIP influence attitudes to residential segregation in Singapore? What do these attitudes mean for governments and policymakers around the world? The research involved focus group discussions with 27 Housing and Development Board real estate agents, in order to tap onto their vast network of clients and better understand the prevailing sentiments on the ground.

Findings

The two major considerations when Singaporeans choose a flat are its price and location. Within the confines of these two factors, however, other considerations like race, nationality and the socio-economic makeup of a neighbourhood will influence their decisions.

Social implications

These considerations can be condensed into the factors of constrained choice and voluntary segregation. By limiting the impact of voluntary segregation, the EIP can be credited with bridging the racial divide. However, with constrained choice being unaddressed by the policy, the emerging formation of a class divide is an unintended consequence.

Originality/value

Because almost all developed economies are culturally plural, understanding Singapore’s approach to residential desegregation offers insights as to how other countries may learn from the Singapore experience in managing and encouraging multiculturalism, especially since ethnic residential concentration can reduce the formation of strong social relationships.
Entropy generation analysis during MHD natural convection flow of hybrid nanofluid in a square cavity containing a corrugated conducting block
Authors: Tayebi Tahar , Chamkha Ali J.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of magnetic field on entropy generation and natural convection inside an enclosure filled with a hybrid nanofluid and having a conducting wavy solid block. Also, the effect of fluid–solid thermal conductivity ratio is investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

The governing equations that are formulated in the dimensionless form are discretized via finite volume method. The velocity–pressure coupling is assured by the SIMPLE algorithm. Heat transfer balance is used to verify the convergence. The validation of the numerical results was performed by comparing qualitatively and quantitatively the results with previously published investigations.

Findings

The results indicate that the magnetic field and the conductivity ratio of the wavy solid block can significantly affect the dynamic and thermal field and, consequently, the heat transfer rate and entropy generation because of heat transfer, fluid friction and magnetic force.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present numerical study is the first attempt to use hybrid nanofluid for studying the entropy generation because of magnetohydrodynamic natural convective flow in a square cavity with the presence of a wavy circular conductive cylinder. Irreversibilities due to magnetic effect are taken into account. The effect of fluid–solid thermal conductivity ratio is considered.
Entropy generation and thermo-diffusion effects on unsteady chemically reactive slip flow between two rotating disks
Authors: Qayyum Sumaira , Khan Muhammad Ijaz , Hayat Tasawar , Alsaedi Ahmed
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the Entropy generation analysis and heat transport in three-dimensional flow between two stretchable disks. Joule heating and heat generation/absorption are incorporated in the thermal equation. Thermo-diffusion effect is also considered. Flow is conducting for time-dependent applied magnetic field. Induced magnetic field is not taken into consideration. Velocity and thermal slip conditions at both the disks are implemented. The flow problem is modeled by using Navier–Stokes equations with entropy generation rate and Bejan number.

Design/methodology/approach

Von Karman transformations are used to reduce the nonlinear governing expressions into an ordinary one and then tackled by homotopy analysis method for convergent series solutions. The nonlinear expressions for total entropy generation rate are obtained with appropriate transformations. The impacts of different flow variables on velocity, temperature, entropy generation rate and Bejan number are described graphically. Velocity, temperature and concentration gradients are discussed in the presence of flow variables.

Findings

Axial, radial and tangential velocity profiles show decreasing trend for larger values of velocity slip parameters. For a larger Brinkman number, the entropy generation increases, while a decreasing trend is noticed for Bejan number.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no such analyses have been reported in the literature.
Challenging dominant notions of participation and protection through a co-led disabled young researcher study
Authors: Brady Geraldine , Franklin Anita
Published: September 2019

Purpose

In the UK, the Children and Families Act aims to create one assessment process for children with special educational needs or disability, through Education, Health and Care Plans. It also aims for greater participation from children and young people in decisions about their own lives. Current evidence suggests that children’s needs and desires across education, health and social care are not being fully met, partly because adult agendas drive policy, practice and standards of care. Furthermore, little attention is paid to the way in which disabled children and young people are included either within decisions about their own support or within research processes. The purpose of this paper is to present a research process designed to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Six disabled young people co-led this participatory research project; for the first time, disabled young people had the opportunity to define a research agenda which spoke to what “quality” might look like in planning for their own future and that of other disabled children and young people.

Findings

This paper presents findings from this process, addressing important ethical issues relevant for policy, practice and research, identified through this rights based, collaborative way of working in partnership. Three key issues were identified and are explored here. They include first, tensions between young people becoming leaders and dominant ideas about safeguarding and child protection; second, being empowered through engagement within the project yet restricted in other areas of personal life and, finally, the emotional impact on new researchers of gathering evidence of a continuing lack of autonomy for disabled children and young people. We argue that challenging dominant notions concerning the participation and protection of disabled children is required in order to ensure that they access their right to be decision-makers in their own lives, and to being empowered within research processes.

Originality/value

This is the first disabled young people-led study to investigate quality and rights for disabled children and young people using this rights-based methodology.
Integrated care pilots in England revisited
Authors: Lewis Richard Q. , Ling Tom
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the outcomes identified by the evaluation of the national programme of integrated care pilots (ICPs) in England in the context of wider policies designed to deliver integrated care and to consider the challenges presented to policy makers and evaluators in distilling usable insights to promote effective policy.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a review of the ICP evaluation findings and the findings of a number of systematic reviews into aspects of integrated care. This paper shows the contextual analysis of these findings in relation to health policy in England.

Findings

The evaluation of ICPs in 2012 produced mixed results with some potentially useful findings for policy makers. However, numerous integrated care initiatives succeeded the ICPs suggesting that insights from evaluation are of limited usefulness to policy makers or are difficult to implement. A shift in macro policy within the English NHS may support integrated care by aligning objectives of clinical teams with those of the wider systems within which they operate.

Research limitations/implications

This review has not been based on a systematic review of the evidence on integrated care and reflects the personal experiences and views of the authors who have been active in this field of research for many years.

Originality/value

This paper considers why evaluation findings appear limited in their impact on policy in the field of integrated care. Views as to how evaluation might be undertaken so that it generates actionable insights are advanced.
The actor-network theory as a method in the analysis of Samarco disaster in Brazil
Authors: Bussular Camilla Zanon , Burtet Cecília Gerhardt , Antonello Cláudia Simone
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The actor-network theory (ANT) has been understood as a method, as a way of engaging in the social world and also transform it. The purpose of this paper is to show the ANT methodological aspects, provide an empirical demonstration of this approach as a method, and promote a debate about the implications and importance of understanding it as a method and not just as a theory.

Design/methodology/approach

By analyzing the criticisms of ANT seminal concepts and its repercussions, the authors have offered an understanding of its methodological aspects and its implications for the practice of research. An empirical study conducted in Brazil is presented to exemplify the use of ANT as a method.

Findings

The methodological reflection of this approach starts from the recognition that the methods are part of the social world that they research; they are totally imbued with theoretical representations of this world; they are social because they also help to constitute this social world. As a method, ANT seeks to understand the process of stabilizing practices, negotiations and controversies that are established when such practices are in the process of being. In that sense, following the relational disputes that build a practice before their stabilization is the task to be accomplished for the researcher in the field.

Research limitations/implications

The paper offers relevant contributions to the understanding of ANT as a method. The authors encourage other researchers to venture into the development of this approach in future studies that further explore its methodological character.

Originality/value

There are not many studies on ANT as a method. If ANT is also a method, can we apply it to any research? The authors hope to bring this matter to discussion, understanding and questioning the use of this theoretical-methodological approach in the research fields.
Narcissism and Empowerment: How Narcissism Influences the Trickle‐Down Effects of Organizational Empowerment Climate on Performance
Authors: Han Joo Hun , Liao Hui , Kim Seongsu , Han Jian
Published: September 2019

The present study proposes a trickle‐down model of employee empowerment in which empowerment climate at the organization level is positively related to the empowering leadership of team leaders and ultimately to individual task performance. Importantly, we hypothesize that team leaders’ and members’ narcissism can respectively inhibit and enable the cross‐level empowerment process by affecting the intended distribution of decision‐making authority and resources between team leaders and members. The analysis of data from 834 team members of 189 teams in 46 organizations reveals that organizational empowerment climate is positively related to team leaders’ empowering leadership when they are less narcissistic. Empowering leadership is positively related to individual task performance when team members are highly narcissistic. Finally, we observe that the combination of less narcissistic leaders and more narcissistic members is a condition under which the indirect effect of organizational empowerment climate on individual task performance through empowering leadership is positive.
Cognitive behavioural family intervention for people diagnosed with severe mental illness and their families: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Ma Chak Fai , Chan Sherry Kit Wa , Chien Wai Tong , Bressington Daniel , Mui Esther Yee Wai , Lee Edwin Ho Ming , Chen Eric Yu Hai
Published: September 2019

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject?

Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and family intervention (FI) for psychosis are effective evidence‐based interventions, but they are practically difficult to be implemented in many clinical settings.

The CBTp and FI approaches have been integrated to form cognitive behavioural family intervention (CBFI). This brief intervention may be more feasible to implement in clinical practice.

A few individual studies reported the effectiveness of CBFI, but no systematic review and meta‐analysis have been conducted.

What the paper adds to existing knowledge

CBFI was effective for reducing overall positive and negative symptoms immediately following the intervention.

Compared to CBTp, the intervention seems to be more effective to reduce delusions.

What are the implications for practice?

The results of this review suggest that the brief CBFI is an effective family‐inclusive intervention that could be integrated into clinical practice.

Mental health nurses with adequate training and support may implement and develop CBFI to improve the recovery of people diagnosed with SMI and support their families.

Introduction

Cognitive behavioural family intervention (CBFI) may be an effective brief psychosocial intervention for people diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI) and their families. No systematic review has summarized the effectiveness of CBFI.

Aim

This review aimed to systematically examine the trial evidence of the effectiveness of CBFI versus treatment as usual (TAU) on improving the outcomes of people diagnosed with SMI and their families.

Method

Eligible randomized controlled trials were identified from nine databases. Three investigators independently took part in selection of articles, data extraction and risk assessment. Pooled treatment effects were computed using random‐effects models.

Results

Four studies consisting of 524 participants were included. The risk of bias was low–unclear in most areas. The pooled CBFI effect on four service user outcomes including overall positive symptoms, delusions, overall negative symptoms and general psychopathology was significantly improved at post‐treatment, compared with TAU, whereas effects on hallucinations and insight were equivocal.

Discussion

The findings reveal that CBFI is superior to TAU in treating positive and negative symptoms immediately following the intervention.

Implications for Practice

Mental health nurses may practise CBFI to enrich the psychiatric nursing service and promote nurse‐led intervention. However, there is currently no substantial evidence that the intervention is effective over the longer term.
Mid‐Term Follow‐Up of Acetabular Revision Arthroplasty Using Jumbo Cups
Authors: Zhang Ji , Huang Yong , Zhou Baochun , Zhou Yixin
Published: September 2019

Objective

To evaluate the mid‐term clinical and radiographic results of revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) using jumbo cups in Chinese patients.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 61 patients (63 hips; 29 men [30 hips], 32 women [33 hips]) who underwent acetabular revision with jumbo cups between January 2001 and April 2016 at our institution. The mean age at the index operation was 59.4 ± 11.4 years. The mean body mass index of the patients was 24.9 ± 3.8 kg/m2. Clinical evaluation was determined using the Harris hip score preoperatively and at follow up. Major complications (including instability, sepsis, and revision of the femoral or acetabular component) were recorded. Radiographic measurements included inclination and anteversion angles of the acetabular components, and the vertical and horizontal distances of the centers of rotation (V‐COR and H‐COR, respectively). In the 42 patients with normal contralateral hip joints, the postoperative V‐COR and H‐COR were compared between right and left sides. Their improvement in leg‐length discrepancy (LLD) after revision THA was also evaluated. Cup survival was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier analysis. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were analyzed.

Results

Mean follow up was 5.7 years (2–16 years). At the latest follow‐up, the average Harris hip score (preoperative vs postoperative values) had improved from 46 to 83 (P < 0.001). No acetabular component was radiographically defined as loosened. Four hips (6.3%) had major complications: one hip was revised because of periprosthetic infection (at 3 months); one underwent femoral open reduction and internal fixation (with implant retention) because of a periprosthetic femoral fracture (at 13 months); one operated hip developed a deep infection (at 2.5 years), which was treated with antibiotics; one hip experienced recurrent dislocation (at 4.5 years). The average cup inclination angle was 40.8° ± 6.8° and the average anteversion angle was 14.9° ± 6.6°. Average V‐COR decreased from 29.7 ± 10.4 mm to 22.3 ± 7.6 mm (P < 0.001). The average postoperative H‐COR was 29.5 ± 3.7 mm compared with 30.8 ± 6.6 mm preoperatively (P = 0.145). Among the 42 patients with normal contralateral hips, the average postoperative V‐COR were 22.2 ± 8.3 mm (operated side) and 14.0 ± 3.7 mm (contralateral side) (P < 0.001). LLD improved from −16.8 ± 17.1 mm to −5.6 ± 11.8 mm (P < 0.001). When failure was defined as any reoperation involving the hip, the mean 16‐year hip survival was 96.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 87.9%–99.2%). When defined as any hip reoperation or major complication, it was 92.7% (95%CI 81.2%–97.2%).

Conclusion

Use of jumbo cups for revision THA resulted in excellent mid‐term cup survival and helped restore the COR.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor stimulation of T-type Ca
2+
channels in sensory neurons contributes to increased peripheral pain sensitivity
Authors: Wang Hua , Wei Yuan , Pu Yichen , Jiang Dongsheng , Jiang Xinghong , Zhang Yuan , Tao Jin
Published: September 2019

A cross-pathway kinase cascade involving T-type Ca
2+
channels may underlie some forms of neuralgia.