bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Talking about the likelihood of risks: an agent-based simulation of discussion processes in risk workshops
Authors: Harten Clemens , Meyer Matthias , Bellora-Bienengräber Lucia
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore drivers of the effectiveness of risk assessments in risk workshops.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an agent-based model to simulate risk assessments in risk workshops. Combining the notions of transactive memory and the ideal speech situation, this study establishes a risk assessment benchmark and then investigates real-world deviations from this benchmark. Specifically, this study models limits to information transfer, incomplete discussions and potentially detrimental group characteristics, as well as interaction patterns.

Findings

First, limits to information transfer among workshop participants can prevent a correct consensus. Second, increasing the required number of stable discussion rounds before an assessment improves the correct assessment of high but not low likelihood risks. Third, while theoretically advantageous group characteristics are associated with the highest assessment correctness for all risks, theoretically detrimental group characteristics are associated with the highest assessment correctness for high likelihood risks. Fourth, prioritizing participants who are particularly concerned about the risk leads to the highest level of correctness.

Originality/value

This study shows that by increasing the duration of simulated risk workshops, the assessments change – as a rule – from underestimating to overestimating risks, unraveling a trade-off for risk workshop facilitators. Methodologically, this approach overcomes limitations of prior research, specifically the lack of an assessment and process benchmark, the inability to disentangle multiple effects and the difficulty of capturing individual cognitive processes.
Hydraulic Properties of the Riffle Crest and Applications for Stream Ecosystem Management
Authors: Rossi Gabriel J. , Mierau Darren W. , Carah Jennifer K.
Published: October 2021

Riffle crests are important hydraulic controls in riffle‐pool‐dominated streams, influencing pool hydraulics and water quality that collectively control lotic habitat for many organisms. We define a simple stream depth measurement, the riffle crest thalweg (RCT), describe measurement methods and utility, and suggest that RCT depth is a better independent variable than streamflow (Q) for many instream flow and habitat assessment applications. Using RCT depth as an independent variable, rather than streamflow, reduces the need for gauging or streamflow measurements in many management applications. Unlike streamflow, RCT depth varies directly with fundamental elements of riverine habitat such as channel morphology and bed roughness. We also suggest that relationships between RCT depth and streamflow (RCT‐Q curves) can be used to evaluate the risk of streamflow alteration at ungauged sites. We describe three case studies to demonstrate the utility of RCT depth and RCT‐Q rating curves in stream ecosystem management: (1) evaluating the effect of a top‐down flow prescription on modeled salmonid habitat, (2) estimating the risk from the incremental reduction of RCT depth on habitat and ecological responses, and (3) identifying relationships between RCT depth and dissolved oxygen in ungauged streams. An easy‐to‐measure, inexpensive, and ecologically sensitive metric, RCT depth holds promise as a useful tool in stream ecosystem management.
Elevating Financial Reporting Beyond a Mere Compliance Instrument*
Authors: Smieliauskas WALLY , Craig RUSSELL , Amernic JOEL
Published: November 2021

We highlight how complying with detailed professional accounting rules can lead to lies and undermine the overall objectives of financial reporting. We do so by conducting a retrospective analysis (using the argumentation concepts of premise, qualifier, data, and conclusions) of the reasoning of the two expert accounting witnesses in the criminal trial in 2006 of Enron's president (Lay) and CEO (Skilling). We make two recommendations that are intended to elevate financial reporting beyond a mere compliance instrument and to help it conform better with the idea of fair presentation. First, we call for the objectives of financial reporting to be installed as the overarching premise in a conceptual framework (CF) for GAAP‐based financial reporting. The remainder of the CF should provide essential guidance to meet those objectives. Second, we recommend that the needs of users of financial reports should be prioritized by developing ethical forecasting principles and better ways of assessing and reporting the accounting estimation uncertainties that are identified in the IASB's (2018) revised CF. We contend that a CF with the more detailed standards should guide professional judgment on the concept of accounting risk and provide guidance on an acceptable level of this risk for various line items on the financial statements. Ideally, accounting risk should be less than 0.50 so that the probability that the reported number is materially accurate is at least 0.50. This requirement is necessary for the various types of accounting estimates to be sufficiently truthful for ethical financial reporting. This will render GAAP and financial reporting more reliant on cogent reasoning and argumentation.
Characterization of an incipient granulosa cell tumour in a Holstein cow: Steroid hormone receptors and coregulators expression
Authors: Belotti Eduardo M. , Sacco Sofía C. , Stassi Antonela F. , Notaro Ulises S. , Angeli Emmanuel , Etchevers Lucas , Chiaraviglio Juan A. , Ortega Hugo H. , Salvetti Natalia R.
Published: November 2021

The objective of this study was to describe a case of a granulosa cell tumour (GCT) of incipient formation and to characterize it by its immunohistochemical pattern and hormonal profile. The case presented corresponds to a 7‐year‐old Holstein cow without reproductive disorders. No alterations were observed at rectal palpation, neither in the ultrasonography nor in the hormonal profile. A GCT concomitant with normal follicular development was diagnosed. Through a panel of immunohistochemical markers, a highly differentiated pattern could be determined in the GCT, which preserves the expression of steroid receptors (ESR1, ESR2 and PR) typical of granulosa cells, but does not express the enzymes for the synthesis of androgens (CYP17A1) and oestrogens (CYP19A1). In addition, the expression of co‐regulators of steroid hormone receptors and neuroendocrine markers was described for the first time in a GCT in cattle. These results increase the information about GCTs in cattle before the ovarian function is compromised.
‘Just keep taking them, keep hoping they’ll work’: A qualitative study of adhering to medications for multimorbidity
Authors: Foley Louise , Hynes Lisa , Murphy Andrew W. , Molloy Gerard J.
Published: October 2021

Objective

Compared to single diseases, health psychology reflects many areas of medical research by affording relatively less attention to the experiences of people self‐managing multiple co‐occurring conditions and, in particular, the experience of managing the associated complex medication regimens. This study aimed to explore the experience of self‐managing multimorbidity among older adults, with a focus on medication adherence.

Design

A qualitative approach was taken, using individual semi‐structured interviews.

Methods

Sixteen people with complex multimorbidity aged 65 years or older were recruited through general practice to take part in semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed following guidelines for reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Two themes were generated, with each theme comprising three subthemes. Theme one represents the amplified burden arising from multimorbidity that leads to unique challenges for self‐management, such as integrating multiple medications into daily life, accumulating new symptoms and treatments, and managing evolving medication regimens. Theme two represents pathways towards relief that reduce this burden and promote medication adherence, such as prioritising certain conditions and treatments, resigning to the need for multiple medications, and identifying and utilising adherence supports.

Conclusions

We identified factors relevant to medication adherence for older adults with multimorbidity that go beyond single‐disease influences and account for the amplified experience of chronic disease that multimorbidity can produce for some people. While evidence of single‐disease influences remains fundamental to tailoring behavioural interventions to individuals, the impact of multimorbidity on medication adherence should be accounted for in research and practice.
They should have known better: The roles of negligence and outcome in moral judgements of accidental actions
Authors: Nobes Gavin , Martin Justin W.
Published: October 2021

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the relative influence of agents’ negligence and their actions’ unintended outcomes on moral judgements. In Study 1, 343 participants were asked in an online questionnaire about a driver whose level of negligence, and the severity of the outcome, were varied systematically. Each judged how much punishment and blame the driver deserved, and rated her negligence, causal responsibility, and intentionality. In Study 2, 341 participants completed the same questionnaire, and also judged the driver’s wrongness and the outcome’s severity. In both studies, judgements were strongly influenced by negligence; blame was also affected by causal responsibility, and wrongness by intention, but the relatively slight outcome effect on blame and wrongness was largely mediated by negligence. In contrast, both negligence and outcome had substantial effects on punishment judgements; most participants assigned high levels of punishment when, and only when, the outcome was negative and the agent was negligent. These findings shed light on the intriguing phenomenon of moral luck, and indicate that it applies more to punishment judgements than to blame and wrongness. They also indicate that when no negligence information is provided in the description of accidents (as in many previous studies), participants often attribute negligence to agents and judge them accordingly. It seems that the effect of outcome on moral judgements has often been overestimated by researchers, and that of negligence underestimated.
Impact of counselling provision in primary schools on child and adolescent mental health service referral rates: a longitudinal observational cohort study
Authors: Grant Claire , Blackburn Ruth , Harding Duncan , Golden Sarah , Toth Katalin , Scott Stephen , Ford Tamsin , Downs Johnny
Published: November 2021

Background

In the United Kingdom, schools play an increasingly important role in supporting young peoples’ mental health. While there is a growing evidence base to support the effectiveness of school‐based interventions, less is known about how these provisions impact on local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) referral rates. There is a concern that an increase in school‐based provision might lead to an increase in CAMHS referrals and overwhelm services. We aimed to examine the longitudinal association between Place2Be counselling provision in primary schools on CAMHS referral rates in South London.

Method

This was a retrospective cohort study using linked data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and CAMHS referrals to the South London and Maudsley’s NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) identified through the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) tool. The cohort included a total of 285 state‐maintained primary schools in four London boroughs for the academic years of 2007–2012. During the study period, 23 of these schools received school‐based mental health provision from Place2Be. The primary outcome was the incident rate ratio (IRR) of school‐level accepted CAMHS referrals in 2012/13 in schools with, or without, Place2Be provision.

Results

There was no significant association between elevated rates of CAMHS referral and Place2Be provision, even after comprehensive adjustment for school‐level and pupil characteristics (IRR 0.91 (0.67–1.23)). School‐level characteristics, including higher proportion of white‐British pupils (IRR 1.009 (1.002–1.02)), medical staff ratio (IRR 6.49 (2.05–20.6)) and poorer Ofsted school inspection ratings (e.g. IRR 1.58 (1.06–2.34) for ‘Requires Improvement’ vs. ‘Outstanding’) were associated with increased CAMHS referral rates.

Conclusions

Place2Be provision did not result in increased specialist mental health referrals; however, other school‐level characteristics did. Future research should investigate pupils’ Place2Be clinical outcomes, as well the outcomes of individuals referred to CAMHS to better understand which needs are being met by which services.
The comfort assessment in healthy adults during constant‐flow mode in noninvasive ventilator
Authors: Yao Juanjuan , Li Wei , Peng Mengmeng , He Kaixin , Ma Dedong , Lu Hongxiu
Published: November 2021

Background

From the point of view of machine construction and hydrodynamics, this paper innovatively proposes that the essence of high‐flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a constant‐flow mode in noninvasive ventilator (NIVCFM). This study enrolled healthy adults as study subjects to assess the subjective comfort assessed by visual analog scoring scale of NIVCFM/HFNC and objective comfort measured by the noise level generated by NIVCFM/HFNC, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the rational clinical application of NIVCFM/HFNC.

Methods

Forty‐four healthy adults participated in this study. The noise generated by NIVCFM/HFNC is measured, and the comfort is evaluated during NIVCFM delivery at flow rates of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 L/min.

Results

When the ventilator flow rate is 60 L/min, the maximum noise is 65.9 dB, increasing noise by 23.7 dB from a baseline of 42.2 dB at the flow rate of 0 L/min. There was a strong nonlinear positive correlation between the noise level and the flow rates. The median score for dry mouth, nose or throat, dysphagia, sore throat, and other discomfort was 0. The median score for dyspnea was 0 at 0–30 L/min, 1 at 35–55 L/min, and 2 at 60 L/min.

Conclusions

The grater the flow rate, the greater the noise generated by NIVCFM/HFNC (<65.9 dB). The maximum flow rate that most healthy adults can able to tolerate is 30 L/min, and the main discomfort is dyspnea.
Cardiovascular events and safety outcomes associated with remdesivir using a World Health Organization international pharmacovigilance database
Authors: Jung Se Yong , Kim Min Seo , Li Han , Lee Keum Hwa , Koyanagi Ai , Solmi Marco , Kronbichler Andreas , Dragioti Elena , Tizaoui Kalthoum , Cargnin Sarah , Terrazzino Salvatore , Hong Sung Hwi , Abou Ghayda Ramy , Kim Nam Kyun , Chung Seo Kyoung , Jacob Louis , Salem Joe‐Elie , Yon Dong Keon , Lee Seung Won , Kostev Karel , Kim Ah Young , Jung Jo Won , Choi Jae Young , Shin Jin Soo , Park Soon‐Jung , Choi Seong Woo , Ban Kiwon , Moon Sung‐Hwan , Go Yun Young , Shin Jae Il , Smith Lee
Published: October 2021

On October 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved remdesivir as the first drug for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), increasing remdesivir prescriptions worldwide. However, potential cardiovascular (CV) toxicities associated with remdesivir remain unknown. We aimed to characterize the CV adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with remdesivir using VigiBase, an individual case safety report database of the World Health Organization (WHO). Disproportionality analyses of CV‐ADRs associated with remdesivir were performed using reported odds ratios and information components. We conducted in vitro experiments using cardiomyocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes (hPSC‐CMs) to confirm cardiotoxicity of remdesivir. To distinguish drug‐induced CV‐ADRs from COVID‐19 effects, we restricted analyses to patients with COVID‐19 and found that, after adjusting for multiple confounders, cardiac arrest (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–3.29), bradycardia (aOR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.24–3.53), and hypotension (aOR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.03–2.73) were associated with remdesivir. In vitro data demonstrated that remdesivir reduced the cell viability of hPSC‐CMs in time‐ and dose‐dependent manners. Physicians should be aware of potential CV consequences following remdesivir use and implement adequate CV monitoring to maintain a tolerable safety margin.
Host phylogenetic diversity predicts the global extent and composition of tree pests
Authors: Gougherty Andrew V. , Davies T. Jonathan
Published: October 2021

Tree pests cause billions of dollars of damage annually; yet, we know little about what limits their regional composition and distribution. Here, we model the co‐occurrence of 4510 pests and 981 tree host genera spread across 233 countries. We show the composition of tree pests is primarily driven by the phylogenetic composition of host trees, whereas effects of climate and geography tend to be more minor. Pests that utilise many hosts tend to be more widespread; however, most pests do not fill the geographic range of their hosts—indicating that many pests could expand their extents if able to overcome barriers limiting their current distribution. Our results suggest that the establishment of pests in new regions may be largely dictated by the presence of suitable host trees, but more work is needed to fully understand the influences climate has on the distributions of individual pest species.
Charred and chewed chalkies: Effects of fire and herbivory on the reintroduction of an endangered wattle
Authors: Read John , Guerin Jenny , Duval Daniel , Moseby Katherine
Published: November 2021

Herbivory can threaten the persistence of palatable plant species and the fauna communities dependent upon diverse and structurally complex post‐fire regeneration. This study compared the introduction success of the nationally Endangered Chalky Wattle (Acacia cretacea) in the South Australian mallee under different fire and browsing treatments. Recruitment from both seed and seedlings was enhanced by fire and was absolutely conditional on protection from herbivory, even though domestic stock were excluded and numbers of kangaroos, goats and rabbits were lower than regional averages. Several other fire‐responsive plant species, including the ecologically important Porcupine Grass or spinifex (Triodia irritans), which provides habitat for threatened fauna, also benefited from herbivore exclusion. Conservation of wild populations of Chalky Wattle and other palatable fire‐responsive plants, and the ecosystem processes they enable, is likely to be conditional on significant and sustained reduction in herbivore populations, especially kangaroos, following wildfires or control burns in the mallee.
Growth of the Black Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) population at the Cranbourne Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria), after the implementation of fox control
Authors: Coates Terry D.
Published: November 2021

Coincident with a decade of introduced predator suppression, there was an increase in populations of a range of native mammals at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Cranbourne). A small, regionally significant population of the Black Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) grew exponentially from an estimated 0.6 individuals km−2 in 2001 to more than 70 km−2 in 2013. The measured mean annual instantaneous rate of increase derived from a regular spotlight survey was ˜0.37 and extrapolates to a doubling of the population approximately every 2 years. There was little indication that growth was abating as the population increased. Modelling predicted that in the absence of a decline in fertility or natural increase in mortality one third of the population would need to be shed annually to moderate or reverse growth and allow vegetation communities and small mammal habitats to recover.
Mechanism of sound production by the Chinese grasshopper Acrida cinerea (Orthoptera: Acrididae) during flight
Authors: Kuga Tatsuru , Kasuya Eiiti
Published: November 2021

Many species of grasshoppers in subfamilies Oedipodinae, Gomphocerinae and Acridinae make sounds when they escape by flying. We carried out four kinds of experiments with the Chinese grasshopper, Acrida cinerea (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Acridinae), whose males often make sounds while flying, to examine the mechanism of sound production during flight by grasshoppers. First, we recorded high‐speed video and audio of the tethered flight of the males and found that they produced sounds when they clapped their hindwings together at the end of the upstroke. Second, we recorded the tethered flights of the males when we prevented them from clapping their hindwings to clarify whether the hindwing clapping produced the sounds, and we found that the obstruction of clapping hindwings prevented sound production by the males. Third, we recorded the free flight of the males and determined whether the sound produced by clapping hindwings was not specific to the tethered condition. The males clapped their hindwings during free flight, and sounds were produced when they clapped their hindwings. Finally, we observed the tethered and free flights of the females because the possibility of crepitation flight by the females existed, and we found that sound was produced by females clapping their hindwings during flight. These results showed that male A. cinerea make sounds during flight by clapping their hindwings, and females also have the ability to make sounds by using the same mechanism. This study provides the first experimental evidence on the mechanism of sound production during flight through observing the behaviors of grasshoppers.
Testosterone, signal coloration, and signal color perception in male zebra finch contests
Authors: Green P. A. , George E. M. , Rosvall K. A. , Johnsen S. , Nowicki S.
Published: November 2021

Many animals use assessment signals to resolve contests over limited resources while minimizing the costs of those contests. The carotenoid‐based orange to red bills of male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are thought to function as assessment signals in male–male contests, but behavioral analyses relating contest behaviors and outcomes to bill coloration have yielded mixed results. We examined the relationship between bill color and contests while incorporating measurements of color perception and testosterone (T) production, for an integrative view of aggressive signal behavior, production, and perception. We assayed the T production capabilities of 12 males in response to a gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) challenge. We then quantified the initiation, escalation, and outcome of over 400 contests in the group, and measured bill color using calibrated photography. Finally, because signal perception can influence signal function, we tested how males perceive variation in bill coloration, asking if males exhibit categorical perception of bill color, as has been shown recently in female zebra finches. The data suggest that males with greater T production capabilities than their rivals were more likely to initiate contests against those rivals, while males with redder bills than their rivals were more likely to win contests. Males exhibited categorical color perception, but individual variation in the effect of categorical perception on color discrimination abilities did not predict any aspects of contest behavior or outcomes. Our results are consistent with the hypotheses that T plays a role in zebra finch contests and that bill coloration functions as an aggressive signal. We suggest future approaches, based on animal contest theory, for how links among signals, perception, and assessment can be tested.
Attention deep learning‐based large‐scale learning classifier for Cassava leaf disease classification
Authors: Ravi Vinayakumar , Acharya Vasundhara , Pham Tuan D.
Published: November 2021

Cassava is a rich source of carbohydrates, and it is vulnerable to virus diseases. Literature survey shows that the image recognition and integrated deep learning approach is successfully employed for Cassava leaf disease classification. Mostly, transfer learning based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) models were successfully applied for Cassava leaf disease classification. However, existing approaches are not effective in identifying the tiny portion of the disease in the overall leaf area. Identifying and focussing on regions affected by the disease is vital to achieving a good classification accuracy. An attention‐based approach is integrated into pretrained CNN‐based EfficientNet models to locate and identify the tiny infected regions in Cassava leaf. Penultimate layer features of attention‐based EfficientNet models such as A_EfficientNetB4, A_EfficientNetB5, and A_EfficientNetB6 were extracted. Next, the dimensionality of the extracted features was reduced using kernel principal component analysis. The reduced features were fused and passed into a stacked ensemble meta‐classifier for Cassava leaf disease classification. A stacked ensemble meta‐classifier is a two‐stage approach in which the first stage employs random forest and support vector machine (SVM) for prediction followed by logistic regression for classification. Detailed investigation and analysis of the proposed method, attention, and non‐attention‐based approaches with CNN pretrained models were tested using a publicly available benchmark dataset of Cassava leaf disease images. The proposed method achieved better performances in all experiments than several existing methods as well as various attention and non‐attention‐based CNN pretrained models. The proposed approach can be used as a deployable tool for Cassava leaf disease classification in agricultural field.
Dielectric and microwave absorption properties of polymer‐derived TiC/SiC/SiOC multiphase ceramics in X band
Authors: Zhang Qing , Ye Fang , Duan Wenyan , Cheng Laifei , Zhang Litong
Published: October 2021

Polymer‐derived TiC/SiC/SiOC ceramics were prepared using tetrabutyl titanate (TBT)‐modified polysiloxane (PSO) as precursor. The effects of heat treatment temperature and TBT content in precursor on the microstructure, phase composition, and microwave absorbing properties of TiC/SiC/SiOC ceramics were investigated. The crystallinity of the ceramics increases with the increase of heat treatment temperature. With the increase of TBT content, the TiC content of the ceramics increases and the SiC content decreases. When the TBT content ranges from 1 to 5 wt.%, the increase of TBT content has little effect on the real part of the dielectric constant of TiC/SiC/SiOC ceramics. When the TBT content is 7 wt.%, the imaginary part of the dielectric constant of the ceramics changes. For TiC/SiC/SiOC ceramic obtained from the pyrolysis of PSO‐TBT precursor with 7 wt.% TBT, the dielectric constant is within the target electromagnetic parameters. Therefore, it has an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.2 GHz, covering the entire X band, showing an excellent microwave absorbing performance.
The role research gap years play in a successful dermatology match
Authors: Costello Collin M. , Harvey Jamison A. , Besch‐Stokes Jake G. , Bhullar Puneet , Lim Elisabeth S. , Kunze Katie L. , Tollefson Megha M. , Tolaymat Leila M. , Ochoa Shari A.
Published: October 2021

Background

A new trend includes taking a dedicated year away from medical school to complete a research fellowship. There is minimal data on the benefit of a gap year. We aimed to identify if a gap year makes a dermatology applicant more successful in The Match.

Methods

Dermatology applicants who applied to Mayo Clinic Arizona for the 2018–2019 application cycle and Mayo Clinic Rochester, Arizona, and Florida for the 2019–2020 application cycle were surveyed.

Results

In total, 291 dermatology applicants completed the initial survey, and 236 completed the follow‐up survey. Ninety applicants took a gap year, 198 applicants did not. There was no significant difference in match rates. When comparing match rates at top dermatology residency programs, 40.6% of gap‐year applicants matched to these residencies versus 19.0% of no gap‐year applicants (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Applicants should weigh the opportunity costs before pursuing research gap years as they may not be universally helpful. Applicants who want to match at a top dermatology program may benefit from a research gap year. This data may have limited generalizability outside of the United States.
Blood component preparation‐inventory problem with stochastic demand and supply
Authors: Li Qinhong , Ma Zujun , Yang Fei
Published: October 2021

Blood component preparation, which is the process of separating whole blood into components that are later used in hematotherapy, plays a significant role in the blood supply chain because it dramatically affects the component inventory levels in blood banks. A dynamic programming model is proposed for jointly optimizing the preparation and inventory management of blood components under uncertainty in both the supply of whole blood and the demand for blood components to better meet demand and manage component inventory levels. The combinations of five common methods for preparing blood components with filtration and centrifugation processes are considered, which generate diverse component varieties and volumes while incurring different costs. Moreover, downward substitution among different types of red blood cells is introduced. Subsequently, an approximate dynamic programming method is proposed to solve the problem of coping with its uncertain characteristics. The results of the computational study show that the proposed model and algorithm lead to superior performance compared to the preparation method combinations currently applied in North America, Europe, and China, thus providing a helpful guide on blood component preparation and inventory management in blood banks.
No evidence for a relationship between farm or transformation process locations and antibiotic resistance patterns of Pseudomonas population associated with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Oberlé Kenny , Bouju-Albert Agnès , Helsens Nicolas , Pangga Gladys , Prevost Hervé , Magras Catherine , Calvez Ségolène
Published: October 2021

Aims

Study the relationship between antibiotic resistance patterns of Pseudomonas isolated from farmed rainbow trout fillets and farm or transformation process locations.

Methods and Results

Pseudomonas strains were isolated from rainbow trout sampled in two differently located farms and filleted in laboratory or in a processing factory. One hundred and twenty-five isolates were confirmed as belonging to Pseudomonas using CFC selective media, Gram staining, oxidase test and quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods. Fifty-one isolates from separate fish fillets were further identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 11 antibiotics were also determined by microdilution method. Most of the isolates belonged to the Pseudomonas fluorescens group (94.1%), and no relationship was established between antibiotic resistance patterns and sampling locations (farms or filleting areas). Multiple resistance isolates with high MIC values (from 64 µg ml−1 to more than 1024 µg ml−1) were identified.

Conclusions

Antibiotic resistance patterns found in Pseudomonas isolates were not influenced by farms or transformation process locations. Seven isolates were found highly resistant to four different antibiotic classes.

Significance and Impact of the Study

This study does not provide evidence of a relationship between farm or transformation process locations on antibiotic resistance patterns of Pseudomonas population.
Supply disruptions and protection motivation: Why some managers act proactively (and others don't)
Authors: Bode Christoph , Macdonald John R. , Merath Maximilian
Published: October 2021

Supply (chain) disruptions present considerable managerial challenges with potentially severe consequences. To protect their firms, managers often must decide whether or not to take proactive measures. Protection motivation theory suggests that individuals' intention to respond to a threat proactively results from their cognitive appraisal (situational interpretation) processes. These processes evaluate the characteristics of potential coping responses (e.g., its effectiveness in averting the threat) and the threat itself (e.g., its severity). Building on this framework, this study presents an analysis of what drives managers to, or deters them from, proactively responding to the threat of a disruption. The results from a discrete choice experiment suggest that decision makers have a strongsubconsciousfocus on cost‐related aspects of a specific proactive action, all the whileconsciouslyprioritizing the efficacy (effectiveness) of the action over its costs. Moreover, decision makers' perceptions of the relative importance of proactive action attributes deviate considerably from their actual choice behavior. This study investigates additional behavioral aspects of supply chain risk management such as a proactive personality, risk attitude, control appraisal, and experience, many of which have significant effects on the relative importance of certain proactive action attributes. The improved understanding has three relevant messages for managerial practice, which are related to the perception–action gap, the importance of self‐assessment and self‐awareness, and training.
Stakeholder Orientation and Experiential Learning: Evidence from Corporate Acquisitions
Authors: Bettinazzi Emanuele L. M. , Zollo Maurizio
Published: October 2021

This article examines how stakeholder orientation influences managers’ ability to learn from prior experience in corporate acquisitions. We argue that increased attention to primary stakeholders’ signals affects both positively and negatively managers’ capacity to analyze causal mechanisms in past acquisitions, draw inferences from them, and apply these inferences to subsequent acquisitions. On the one hand, attention to stakeholders’ inputs may enhance managers’ ability to interpret prior experience by giving voice to unnoticed details of past acquisitions. On the other hand, it may divert managers’ attention away from inferential mechanisms, reinforce confidence in existing practices, and limit managers’ ability to learn from acquisitions experience. We combine these theoretical effects to propose an inverted U‐shaped influence of stakeholder orientation on the relationship between acquisition experience and focal acquisition performance. We also propose that experience homogeneity and proximity to the knowledge domain of the focal firm act as boundary conditions on this influence. Analyses of a sample of 4619 corporate acquisitions by 504 US firms support our predictions.
Coordinated cellular and humoral immune responses after two‐dose SARS‐CoV2 mRNA vaccination in liver transplant recipients
Authors: D’Offizi Gianpiero , Agrati Chiara , Visco‐Comandini Ubaldo , Castilletti Concetta , Puro Vincenzo , Piccolo Paola , Montalbano Marzia , Meschi Silvia , Tartaglia Eleonora , Sorace Chiara , Leone Sara , Lapa Daniele , Grassi Germana , Goletti Delia , Ippolito Giuseppe , Vaia Francesco , Ettorre Giuseppe Maria , Lionetti Raffaella
Published: October 2021

Limited data are available on risks and benefits of anti‐SARS‐CoV2 vaccination in solid organ transplant recipients, and weaker responses have been described. At the Italian National Institute for Infectious Diseases, 61 liver transplant recipients underwent testing to describe the dynamics of humoral and cell‐mediated immune response after two doses of anti‐SARS‐CoV2 mRNA vaccines and compared with 51 healthy controls. Humoral response was measured by quantifying both anti‐spike and neutralizing antibodies; cell‐mediated response was measured by PBMC proliferation assay with IFN‐γ and IL‐2 production. Liver transplant recipients showed lower response rates compared with controls in both humoral and cellular arms; shorter time since transplantation and multi‐drug immunosuppressive regimen containing mycophenolate mofetil were predictive of reduced response to vaccination. Specific antibody and cytokine production, though reduced, were highly correlated in transplant recipients.
Methodological limitations and conceptual implications of nutritional estimations
Authors: Zaguri Moshe , Kandel Shani , Lavie Noa , Hawlena Dror
Published: November 2021

Trophic interactions play a critical role in regulating ecosystem functioning. Advances in trophic ecology have shifted the focus from characterizing resources based on a single ‘currency' such as energy or biomass to more complex multidimensional approaches that consider the resource quality, hence require detailed estimation of different nutrients. For this purpose, ecologists use a wide plethora of extraction and quantification methods that differ substantially in precision and accuracy and vary in efficiency across sample types and taxa. Yet, ecologists seem largely oblivious to these methodological drawbacks and their severe theoretical implications. Focusing on the three main macro‐nutrients groups; proteins, lipids and carbohydrates, we provided an overview of the main extraction and quantification methods and their inherent limitations, and discussed possible consequences for ecology research and theory development. We urge ecologists to adopt a standard method for estimating each macronutrient group or to use multiple methods when feasible, until more accurate and precise chromatographic methods become accessible. We hope that our study will raise awareness to the many shortcomings of macro‐nutrient estimations to assist in strengthening and further developing the important field of trophic ecology.
Deciphering the shifting role of intrinsic and extrinsic drivers on moss decomposition in peatlands over a 5‐year period
Authors: Shelley Sarah J. , Brice Deanne J. , Iversen Colleen M. , Kolka Randy K. , Sebestyen Stephen D. , Griffiths Natalie A.
Published: November 2021

Bryophytes are largely responsible for globally significant carbon accumulation in peatland ecosystems. This accumulation is primarily caused by the slow decomposition of these mosses, which can be attributed to a combination of intrinsic (chemical) characteristics of decaying mosses and extrinsic (environmental) influences. Here we investigated the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of moss decomposition in peatlands and hypothesized that the early stages of decay will be driven primarily by intrinsic characteristics, while extrinsic drivers will become more important in the later phases of decomposition. We tested this hypothesis by placing litterbags of three moss types (Sphagnum divinum, Sphagnum angustifolium/fallax and Polytrichum sp.) into hummock and hollow microtopographies in a bog and a lawn microtopography in a nearby poor fen in northern Minnesota, USA. Decomposition was measured over a 5‐year period and confirmed our hypothesis; while intrinsic and extrinsic variables were both important in driving decay rates over time, decay in the first year was primarily predicted by litter type, while extrinsic influences (e.g. peat temperature, moisture, nutrient limitation) that varied at peatland and microtopographic scales became more important by year 5. Though the nutrient (i.e. nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P]) content of decaying mosses did not explain the variation in decay rates among litter types, analysis of N:P in moss litter suggested that litter‐decaying microorganisms became increasingly P‐limited over time. The majority of litter decomposition studies in peatlands are generally of short duration (< 3 years). Our study suggests that longer‐term studies are needed to reveal the roles of multiple drivers of moss decay. Improving the mechanistic understanding of decomposition processes in peatlands will be critical to developing more robust representations of peatlands and their ecosystem processes in carbon and climate models.
An open‐label prospective study to assess short incubation time white LED light photodynamic therapy in the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma
Authors: Hellen Rebecca , Dhonncha Eilis Nic , Havelin Alison , Kavanagh Ann , Moriarty Blaithin , Collins Paul
Published: November 2021

Artificial white LED light photodynamic therapy (awl‐PDT) is an effective, pain‐free treatment for actinic keratosis. The efficacy of awl‐PDT in the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC) has not been assessed. Patients with histologically confirmed sBCC underwent two treatments of awl‐PDT 1 week apart. Lesions were incubated with methyl 5‐aminolaevulinic acid for 30 min and then illuminated using the Maquet Power LED 500 theatre light (405‐800nm, 140 000 lux) to deliver an equivalent red light dose of 75 J/cm2 at a rate of 55 mW/cm2. Pain was measured using a visual analogue scale during treatment. Clinical response was assessed at day 28. Follow‐up continued 3 months for 1 year. Cosmetic outcome was assessed at 3 months and 1 year. Twenty‐eight patients with 36 lesions and a mean age of 63.64 (SD 2.62) were recruited. The median lesion size was 15 mm (IQR 8.75). The response rate at day 28 was 100%. Recurrence rates were 3/36 (8.3%) at 3 months, 6/36 (16.7%) at 6 months, 10/36 (27.8%) at 9 months and 11/36 (30.6%) at 1 year. Median pain scores were 0/100 (IQR 0) and 0/100 (IQR 5) during treatments one and two, respectively. Cosmetic outcome was excellent or good in the majority of cases. Although initially effective for sBCC at 28 days, 30.6% of lesions recurred 1 year after awl‐PDT. Pain scores were negligible, and the cosmetic outcome was favourable. Further head‐to‐head studies with optimised protocols are required to determine if awl‐PDT has a role in the treatment of sBCC.
“What on Earth Is Smenkhkare?” WH‐Questions, Truth‐Makers, and Causal‐Informational Account of Reference
Authors: Sinokki Jani
Published: November 2021

Although the historical‐causal picture of reference Kripke sketches in Naming and Necessity is highly influential, Kripke in fact says very little about what reference is and how it comes about. In this paper I point out that the possibility of asking WH‐questions (i.e. ‘what?’, ‘who?’, ‘which?’) about a sound or inscription pattern (e.g., what does that refer to?) shows that in case of names especially, their reference, if there is one, will be preserved by a causal‐historical chain constituted by transmissions of the (physical) patterns themselves, even in absence of language users or any linguistic intentions. I sketch out a causal‐informational theory of reference, that holds that the causal aspect of refence transmission is due to two‐factors. On the other hand there are informational chains constituted by data transmissions, on the other, also communicational rules by which speakers can interpret the data as information of something are needed. In most part the causal‐informational theory sketched in the paper can be viewed as complementing Kripke’s original causal picture. However, I will argue that Kripke's account of fixing the reference of proper names in ‘initial baptisms’ is inadequate. I will argue that most cases of seemingly fixing the reference via use of a definite description (e.g., the naming of Neptune) in fact presuppose a prior causal‐informational connection to the named object, thus essentially fixing the reference in the same way as in cases of baptism by ostension. I will further argue that in the cases that do not fall into the previous category, the baptism by definite description simply fail to fix any reference. I thus conclude that there is no such thing as fixing the reference of a proper name by definite description.
View from the Hilltop: Settler‐Colonial Visuality in Palestine
Authors: Maidhof Callie
Published: November 2021

This article examines settler‐colonial visuality in West Bank Jewish‐Israeli settlements. It argues that settler visuality is attuned to a bourgeois ideal of domestic life, made possible by practices of unseeing. Reading Israeli encounters with the Wall and other artifacts of the occupation, I show that these visual encounters help settlers position themselves politically within Israel—and settlements, as Israel itself. Unseeing is a perceptual practice that makes and remakes space, one required to build the kind of settlements most Israeli settlers desire. This vision is oriented to the domestication of space, cohering with the demands of an extended military occupation.
Visualizing the cancer stem‐like properties of canine tumour cells with low proteasome activity
Authors: Sung Koangyong , Hosoya Kenji , Murase Yusuke , Deguchi Tatsuya , Kim Sangho , Sunaga Takafumi , Okumura Masahiro
Published: October 2021

Cancer stem‐like cells (CSCs) cause treatment failure in various tumours; however, establishing CSC‐targeted therapies has been hampered by difficulties in the identification and isolation of this small sub‐population of cells. Recent studies have revealed that tumour cells with low proteasome activity display a CSC phenotype that can be utilized to image CSCs in canines. This study visualizes and reveals the CSC‐like properties of tumour cells with low proteasome activity in HMPOS (osteosarcoma) and MegTCC (transitional cell carcinoma), which are canine cell lines. The parent cells were genetically engineered to express ZsGreen1, a fluorescent protein connected to the carboxyl‐terminal degron of canine ornithine decarboxylase that accumulates with low proteasome activity (ZsG+ cells). ZsG+ cells were imaged and the mode of action of this system was confirmed using a proteasome inhibitor (MG‐132), which increased the ZsGreen1 fluorescence intensity. The CSC‐like properties of ZsG+ cells were evaluated on the basis of cell divisions, cell cycle, the expression of CSC markers and tumourigenicity. ZsG+ cells underwent asymmetric divisions and had a low percentage of G0/G1 phase cells; moreover, ZsG+ cells expressed CSC markers such as CD133 and showed a large tumourigenic capability. In histopathological analysis, ZsG+ cells were widely distributed in the tumour samples derived from ZsG+ cells and in the proliferative regions of the tumours. The results of this study indicate that visualized canine tumour cells with low proteasome activity have a CSC‐like phenotype and that this visualization system can be utilized to identify and isolate canine CSCs.
Ionizing Radiation Effects Modelling in Cells Population with Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Rashid Hamizah , Mohd Siam Fuaada , Maan Normah , W Abd Rahman Wan Nordiana
Published: October 2021

Radiosensitizer such as gold nanoparticle is a promising agent to be used in radiotherapy to increase the number of cancer cell death. Gold nanoparticle increases the production of the secondary electron after being hit by primary radiation that will cause DNA damage. The gold nanoparticle can be targeted to specific cancer cells and therefore reduce damage to the healthy nearby cell. Thus, nanoparticles will elevate the efficacy of radiation treatment without delivering a high radiation dose that will damage the organ at risk. Therefore, this paper aimed to study the effects of radiosensitizer on radiation therapy. The study was done by incorporating the function of dose deposited by gold nanoparticles into the existing model of ionizing radiation effects. The model was mathematically described using Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs). The simulation results were fitted to the Linear Quadratic (LQ) formulation to give the ratio for a/b. Next, the parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis of the model are carried out using experimental data of HeLa cell with the aid of the MATLAB programming. The estimated parameter values can explain the radiobiology process, which can support the result of the experimental design. The result showed that the sum-squared error (SSE) between simulation data and experimental data obtained is 0.015 which indicates an excellent fit to the experimental data. Thus, this model is in line with the experimental result. The model is able to explain the dynamics process of ionizing radiation effects with gold nanoparticles on the cell population.