bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-app advertising: a two-step qualitative comparative analysis to explain clicking behavior
Authors: Mattke Jens , Maier Christian , Reis Lea , Weitzel Tim
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Individuals only click on a very small fraction of the in-app advertisements (ads) they are exposed to. Despite this fact, organizations spend generously placing in-app ads without theoretical knowledge of how the structure and the semantics of in-app ads influence individuals’ clicking behavior. This study aims to identify how the processing of structural and semantic factors leads to clicking behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the limited capacity theory, this paper proposes that the sequential processing of structural and semantic factors leads to clicking behavior. To mirror the sequential process, this paper applies a process-oriented configurational approach and performs a two-step qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) using 262 incidents of exposure to in-app ads.

Findings

The results support the proposed sequential processing and show that neither structural nor semantic factors alone lead to clicking behavior. This paper reveals four different paths of sequential processing of in-app ads that lead to clicking behavior. The results show that individuals click on non-animated in-app ads even though these are perceived as irritating or privacy-concerning. When the in-app ads are animated, individuals do only click on them when these are not irritating, privacy-concerning and personalized.

Research limitations/implications

Organizations can use these findings to improve their in-app ads and generate more clicks. This study recommends that organizations place in-app ads in a prominent location, design them similar to the design of the app and use bright colors. The advertising message needs to have new and relevant information in a credible and entertaining way. Depending on the degree of personalization, organizations should use different sizes of the in-app ad and only use animation if it is unlikely that the in-app ad caused irritation or privacy concerns.

Practical implications

Organizations can use these findings to improve their in-app ads and generate more clicks. This paper recommends that organizations place in-app ads in a prominent location, design them similar to the design of the app and with bright colors. The advertising message needs to have new and relevant information in a credible and entertaining way. Depending on the degree of personalization, organizations should use different sizes of the in-app ad and only use animation if it is unlikely that the in-app ad caused irritation or privacy concerns.

Originality/value

From the in-app ad perspective, this study is the first to theoretically develop and empirically show the sequential processing of structural and semantic factors of in-app ads. From the methodological perspective, this study applies an advanced configurational two-step QCA approach, which is capable of analyzing sequential processes and is new to marketing research.
Comparing relationship of quality-satisfaction models: effects of B2B value co-creation
Authors: Sales-Vivó Vicente , Gil-Saura Irene , Gallarza Martina G.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This paper addresses both conceptual and empirical value co-creation and relationship quality in a triadic approach for a B2B industrial context by 1) reviewing the relationship quality concept when social and economic satisfaction are addressed separately and 2) testing alternative models of relationship quality and economic satisfaction when value co-creation is introduced.

Design/methodology/approach

Two alternative models are developed where relationship quality is conceptualized as a higher-order multi-dimensional construct with three sub-factors: trust, commitment and social satisfaction. Data on the B2B relationship were collected from 77 partaking firms in the Spanish Furniture Market Observatory business panel, covering the manufacturer-retailer and manufacturer-supplier relationships for control and comparison purposes.

Findings

Using PLS-SEM, results reflect that social and economic satisfaction act differently in the B2B relationship. The effect of relationship quality on economic satisfaction is greater when value co-creation is introduced as a mediating variable, although this mediation is partial. Moreover, the mediating effect is greater in the manufacturer-supplier relationship than in the manufacturer-retailer one.

Originality/value

The paper reduces the conceptual gap between value exchanges in B2C and B2B contexts. It also introduces a less-common triadic approach along the supply chain for B2B industrial relationships. Evidence is provided on the importance of social satisfaction as an affective dimension of relationship quality and on the mediating role of value co-creation between relationship quality and economic satisfaction.
A framework for interactive risk assessment in projects: case study of oil and gas megaprojects in presence of sanctions
Authors: Farmahini Farahani Amir , Didehkhani Hosein , Khalili-Damghani Kaveh , Sarfaraz Amir Homayoun , Hajirezaie Mehdi
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the interactive network of risk factors in the construction and preparation project of gas condensate storage tanks in the presence of sanctions.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this paper determines and weighs the project goals using the stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis method. Then, this study identifies and categorizes the project risks and form the network of the project risk factors based on the weight of the project goals by using interpretive structural modeling and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory techniques.

Findings

The results of the current work divide the risks of such projects into five financial, technical, managerial and contractual, social and environmental and political categories. The analyzes indicate the complicated risk network and the cause-and-effect interactions between the risks. The findings identify the financial and political risk clusters as the most effective category and select the technical, managerial and contractual and social and environmental risk clusters as the most affected categories. The technical risk has the least important among the others under the sanction conditions.

Originality/value

This paper model the domino effect of the risk factors considering the complicated interactions and the cause-and-effect relations in a network. Moreover, this study discusses the importance of the risk factors in oil and gas megaprojects in the presence of sanctions. Finally, this paper applies the proposed approach to a real case study in the field of gas projects.
From social capital to consumer engagement: the mediating role of consumer e-empowerment
Authors: Mostafa Rania B.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This paper fulfills a prominent need to examine some overlooked predictors of consumer engagement in an online setting. This study aims to explore whether and how consumer e-empowerment mediates the influence of social capital (bonding and bridging) on consumer engagement with the Facebook brand page.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an online questionnaire survey, data obtained from 369 Facebook users were analyzed by using structural equation modeling to empirically examine the proposed framework.

Findings

Results support an influential mediating effect of consumer e-empowerment to the social capital -consumer engagement link. Specifically, the effect of both bridging and bonding social capitals on consumer engagement is partially mediated by consumer e-empowerment.

Research limitations/implications

The social capital notion is powerful for managers, as it indicates significant results for the firm due to investments in social media brand pages. Such social capital transmutes into consumer engagement via consumer e-empowerment. Therefore, this paper provides a guideline for managers when investing in social media sites.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need to study how social capital may affect consumer engagement. The paper is a leading study in investigating the direct and indirect (via consumer e-empowerment) effects of bonding and bridging social capitals on consumer brand engagement.
Are M&As an opportunity for HR to join the top table? The case of Sanofi’s emerging international strategy
Authors: Bruneau de la Salle Margaux , Thomas Mark
Published: April 2021

Purpose

One of major preoccupations of human resources (HR) in recent times has been the challenge of proving its value at the “top table.” Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) may offer one potential solution to this problem. M&As are renowned for the key management problems they generate such as diminished employee engagement and morale and increased staff turnover. However, such challenges also offer opportunities. This paper aims to argue that the recent wave of acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry present HR with the possibility to demonstrate its real strategic value.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper offers an insider–outsider approach to the role of HR in M&As in the pharmaceutical industry. Based on an in-depth study of Sanofi’s emerging M&A strategy, it gives key insights into the reasons for multiple acquisitions and how HR can have a positive impact on value creation.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that the repeated acquisitions of US-based biotech companies made by the French pharmaceutical group Sanofi over the past five years is more than just a coincidence. Rather, it is an unstated strategy to develop within this market. HR can aid senior management in overcoming some of the major cultural challenges, thus demonstrating its real strategic value.

Originality/value

This paper clearly shows how following a specific emerging international strategy of M&As can empower a company through its human resources.
First‐trimester serum BAFF:sFlt‐1 ratio as a candidate early biomarker of spontaneous abortion
Authors: Stohl Hindi E. , Yu Ning , Stohl William
Published: April 2021

Problem

Immunologic, angiogenic, and anti‐angiogenic factors are associated with spontaneous abortion (SAB). B cell–activating factor (BAFF), a proliferation‐inducing ligand (APRIL), placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1) may play a role in SAB and may serve singly or in combination as an early biomarker of SAB.

Method of Study

In this prospective observational study, serum sFlt‐1, PIGF, BAFF, and APRIL levels were measured in the first trimester of pregnancy in a medically diverse group of women and in non‐pregnant controls. Associations and discriminative values of first‐trimester sFlt‐1, PIGF, BAFF, and APRIL levels and the corresponding APRIL:BAFF, BAFF:sFlt‐1, and sFlt‐1:PlGF ratios with development of SAB were tested.

Results

Median serum BAFF level was lower (p = .007) and median serum sFlt‐1 level was higher (p < .001), in the first trimester of pregnancy than in non‐pregnant controls. SAB developed in 27 of the pregnant women (11.3%), and first‐trimester levels of BAFF (but not APRIL) and sFlt‐1 (but not PIGF) were associated with SAB. Using optimal cutoffs determined through receiver operating characteristics curves, the best discriminator of SAB was the serum BAFF:sFlt‐1 ratio, specifically among non‐nulliparous women and women with prior SAB.

Conclusion

First‐trimester serum BAFF:sFlt‐1 ratio is a candidate indicator/predictor of SAB among non‐nulliparous women and women with prior SAB. If validated through additional studies, then early identification of pregnant women at high risk for SAB through this simple blood test would assist in counseling and facilitate clinical trials of therapeutic interventions.
Anterior‐segment optical coherence tomography of filtering blebs in the early postoperative period of ab externo SIBS microshunt implantation with mitomycin C: Morphological analysis and correlation with intraocular pressure reduction
Authors: Ibarz Barberá Marta , Morales Fernández Laura , Tañá Rivero Pedro , Gómez de Liaño Rosario , Teus Miguel A.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To analyse the morphological evolution of filtering blebs with anterior‐segment OCT (AS‐OCT) and its correlation with intraocular pressure after ab externo SIBS microshunt implantation with mitomycin C (MMC) during a 3‐month follow‐up period.

Methods

Twenty‐eight filtering blebs of 28 patients with open‐angle glaucoma were measured horizontally and vertically in the sub‐Tenon space with AS‐OCT after ab externo SIBS microshunt implantation with MMC. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was monitored simultaneously at each visit. Maturation of and morphological changes in the blebs and correlations with the IOP were recorded.

Results

The average median preoperative IOP of 20.7 (range, 12–30) mmHg decreased to 8.5 (range, 4–17), 8.9 (range, 5–17), 10.4 (range, 8–16) and 10.9 (range, 9–15) mmHg at 24 hr, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months, respectively (p < 0.001). A multiform morphology on AS‐OCT prevailed at all time points, with a 3.5% rate of a uniform bleb morphology at the first week. The horizontal and vertical diameters of the blebs increased from baseline to the third month. The horizontal expansion (406 ± 127 μm on day 7, p = 0.04, 712 ± 211 μm on day 30, p = 0.02 and 952 ± 218 μm on day 90, p < 0.001) was greater than the vertical expansion (16 ± 18 μm, p = 0.3 on day 1, 63 ± 27 μm, p = 0.02 on day 30 and 137 ± 34 μm, p < 0.001 on day 90) without correlation with the IOP (r = −0.3, p = 0.2).

Conclusion

Anterior‐segment OCT (AS‐OCT) of the filtering blebs formed after ab externo SIBS microshunt implantation showed progressive horizontal and vertical expansion of the blebs in the sub‐Tenon space, with a significant peak at the first month not significantly correlated with the decrease in the IOP.
Parameter inference for a stochastic kinetic model of expanded polyglutamine proteins
Authors: Fisher H. F. , Boys R. J. , Gillespie C. S. , Proctor C. J. , Golightly A.
Published: April 2021

The presence of protein aggregates in cells is a known feature of many human age‐related diseases, such as Huntington's disease. Simulations using fixed parameter values in a model of the dynamic evolution of expanded polyglutaime (PolyQ) proteins in cells have been used to gain a better understanding of the biological system. However, there is considerable uncertainty about the values of some of the parameters governing the system. Currently, appropriate values are chosen by ad hoc attempts to tune the parameters so that the model output matches experimental data. The problem is further complicated by the fact that the data only offer a partial insight into the underlying biological process: the data consist only of the proportions of cell death and of cells with inclusion bodies at a few time points, corrupted by measurement error. Developing inference procedures to estimate the model parameters in this scenario is a significant task. The model probabilities corresponding to the observed proportions cannot be evaluated exactly, and so they are estimated within the inference algorithm by repeatedly simulating realizations from the model. In general such an approach is computationally very expensive, and we therefore construct Gaussian process emulators for the key quantities and reformulate our algorithm around these fast stochastic approximations. We conclude by highlighting appropriate values of the model parameters leading to new insights into the underlying biological processes.
Inter‐rater variability in patch test readings and final interpretation using store‐forward teledermatology
Authors: Goodier Molly C. , DeKoven Joel G. , Taylor James S. , Sasseville Denis , Fowler Joseph F. , Fransway Anthony F. , DeLeo Vincent A. , Marks James G. , Zug Kathryn A. , Hylwa Sara A. , Warshaw Erin M.
Published: April 2021

Background

Data regarding teledermatology for patch testing are limited.

Objectives

Compare patch test readings and final interpretation by two in‐person dermatologists (IPDs) with eight teledermatologists (TDs).

Methods

Patch tested patients had photographs taken of 70 screening series of allergens at 48 hours and second readings. Eight TDs reviewed photos and graded reactions (negative, irritant, doubtful, +, ++, +++) at 48 hours and second readings; in addition, they coded a final interpretation (allergic, indeterminant, irritant, negative) for each reaction. TDs rated overall image quality and confidence level for each patient and patch test reaction, respectively. Percentage of TD–IPD agreement based on clinical significance (success, indeterminate, and failure) was calculated. Primary outcome was agreement at the second reading.

Results

Data were available for 99, 101, and 66 participants at 48 hours, second reading, and final interpretation, respectively. Pooled failure (+/++/+++ vs negative) at second reading was 13.6% (range 7.9%‐20.4%). Pooled failure at 48 hours and final interpretation was 5.4% (range 2.9%‐6.8%) and 24.6% (range 10.2%‐36.8%), respectively. Confidence in readings was statistically correlated with quality of images and disagreement.

Conclusion

For patch testing, teledermatology has significant limitations including clinically significant pooled failure percentages of 13.6% for second readings and 24.6% for final interpretation.
Successful recruitment following translocation of a threatened terrestrial orchid (Diuris tricolor) into mining rehabilitation in the Hunter Valley of NSW
Authors: Bell Stephen A. J.
Published: April 2021

Translocation of threatened terrestrial orchids is increasingly seen as a viable ameliorative conservation option when habitat is destroyed or modified through changing land use. Most orchid translocations reported in the literature detail nursery‐raised seedlings planted into intact and suitable habitat, and few involve translocation of entire plants and their mycorrhizal fungal associates. As part of a larger translocation study, soil cores containing 46 individuals of the threatened Painted Diuris (Diuris tricolor) were translocated into herbivore‐proof plots on restored and rehabilitated post‐mining lands in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. After 3 years of annual flowering and fruiting, new recruits (mature flowering plants) were observed within translocation plots but outside of original soil cores, and at 6 years following translocation 29 new individuals were observed. Two of these individuals germinated outside of fenced plots. At peak flowering in 2020, a search of rehabilitated lands outside of translocation plots failed to locate any orchids, discounting the unlikely possibility that orchid tubers may have survived the process of topsoil stockpiling and respreading. Successful recruitment of Painted Diuris into mining rehabilitation has the potential to significantly offset any losses of this species resulting from mining operations within the region.
Researching on the fine structure and admixture of the worldwide chicken population reveal connections between populations and important events in breeding history
Authors: Guo Ying , Ou Jen‐Hsiang , Zan Yanjun , Wang Yuzhe , Li Huifang , Zhu Chunhong , Chen Kuanwei , Zhou Xin , Hu Xiaoxiang , Carlborg Örjan
Published: April 2021

Here, we have evaluated the general genomic structure and diversity and studied the divergence resulting from selection and historical admixture events for a collection of worldwide chicken breeds. In total, 636 genomes (43 populations) were sequenced from chickens of American, Chinese, Indonesian, and European origin. Evaluated populations included wild junglefowl, rural indigenous chickens, breeds that have been widely used to improve modern western poultry populations and current commercial stocks bred for efficient meat and egg production. In‐depth characterizations of the genome structure and genomic relationships among these populations were performed, and population admixture events were investigated. In addition, the genomic architectures of several domestication traits and central documented events in the recent breeding history were explored. Our results provide detailed insights into the contributions from population admixture events described in the historical literature to the genomic variation in the domestic chicken. In particular, we find that the genomes of modern chicken stocks used for meat production both in eastern (Asia) and western (Europe/US) agriculture are dominated by contributions from heavy Asian breeds. Further, by exploring the link between genomic selective divergence and pigmentation, connections to functional genes feather coloring were confirmed.
Development of new therapeutic options for the treatment of uveal melanoma
Authors: Wang Janney Z. , Lin Vivian , Toumi Elsa , Wang Ke , Zhu Hong , Conway R. Max , Madigan Michele C. , Murray Michael , Cherepanoff Svetlana , Zhou Fanfan , Shu Wenying
Published: April 2021

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Important cytogenetic and genetic risk factors for the development of UM include chromosome 3 monosomy, mutations in the guanine nucleotide‐binding proteins GNAQ/GNA11, and loss of the BRACA1‐associated protein 1 (BAP 1). Most primary UMs are treated conservatively with radiotherapy, but enucleation is necessary for large tumours. Despite the effectiveness of local control, up to 50% of UM patients develop metastasis for which there are no effective therapies. Attempts to utilise the targeted therapies that have been developed for the treatment of other cancers, including a range of signal transduction pathway inhibitors, have rarely produced significant outcomes in UM. Similarly, the application of immunotherapies that are effective in cutaneous melanoma to treat UM have also been disappointing. Other approaches that have been initiated involve proteasomal inhibitors and histone deacetylase inhibitors which are approved for the treatment of other cancers. Nevertheless, there have been occasional positive outcomes from these treatments in UM. Moreover, combination approaches in UM have also yielded some positive developments. It would be valuable to identify how to apply such therapies efficiently in UM, potentially via individualised tumour profiling. It would also be important to characterise UM tumours to differentiate the potential drivers of progression from those in other types of cancers. The recent identification of novel kinases and metastatic genes in UM tumours makes the development of new UM‐specific treatments feasible.
Fatigue damage assessment of low‐alloy steel based on change in hydrogen thermal desorption characteristic
Authors: Komazaki Shin‐ichi , Nimura Shintaro
Published: April 2021

The change in hydrogen thermal desorption characteristic of low‐alloy steel due to fatigue was investigated to examine the possibility of hydrogen as a tracer for detecting and evaluating lattice defects caused by cyclic loading. Specimens were subjected to the uniaxial fully push–pull fatigue test at 288°C, and some tests were interrupted at various stages of the fatigue life. After measurement of surface crack, hydrogen‐charging into the fatigue‐damaged specimens was conducted by means of cathodic electrolysis, and thermal desorption analysis (TDA) was applied to those specimens for measuring hydrogen evolution curve. The experimental results showed that the amount of desorbed hydrogen, CH, increased with increasing number of cycles, especially at an early stage of fatigue life. The CH was well correlated with a newly proposed Coffin–Manson‐type parameter Δεp·N0.4, irrespective of the strain range and number of cycles.
The influence of elevated SiO2(aq) on intracellular silica uptake and microbial metabolism
Authors: Tostevin Rosalie , Snow Joseph T. , Zhang Qiong , Tosca Nicholas J. , Rickaby Rosalind E.M.
Published: April 2021

Microbes are known to accumulate intracellular SiO2(aq) up to 100s of mmol/l from modern seawater (SiO2(aq) <100 µmol/l), despite having no known nutrient requirement for Si. Before the evolution of siliceous skeletons, marine silica concentrations were likely an order of magnitude higher than the modern ocean, raising the possibility that intracellular SiO2(aq) accumulation interfered with normal cellular function in non‐silicifying algae. Yet, because few culturing studies have isolated the effects of SiO2(aq) at high concentration, the potential impact of elevated marine silica on early microbial evolution is unknown. Here, we test the influence of elevated SiO2(aq) on eukaryotic algae, as well as a prokaryote species. Our results demonstrate that under SiO2(aq) concentrations relevant to ancient seawater, intracellular Si accumulates to concentrations comparable to those found in siliceous algae such as diatoms. In addition, all eukaryotic algae showed a statistically significant response to the high‐Si treatment, including reduced average cell sizes and/or a reduction in the maximum growth rate. In contrast, there was no consistent response to the high‐Si treatment by the prokaryote species. Our results highlight the possibility that elevated marine SiO2(aq) may have been an environmental stressor during early eukaryotic evolution.
Privileged yet vulnerable: Shared memories of a deeply gendered lockdown
Authors: Ryan Irene , Hurd Fiona , Mudgway Cassandra , Myers Barbara
Published: April 2021

The centrality of personal experience plays a pivotal role in feminist scholarship. We draw on the feminist inspired collaborative inquiry research method, memory‐work, to bring to the fore our experiences of living and working in lockdown, a Government enforced policy response to the global Covid‐19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. Memory‐work provided the conduit for us to work collaboratively with our experiences and make sense of the whirlwind we lived through. Our exploration is set against the backdrop of the challenges of the conservatism endemic in the neoliberal pathway taken in NZ and its transmission into the university sector. Through our collective editing of each account generated by the phrase “her murky boundaries of lockdown” two interconnected themes came to the fore in various guises: restricted and vulnerable. Using á collective “she” and “her,” we reconstruct and analyze the nuances of our shared experiences revealing layers of gendered vulnerability paradoxically intertwined with privilege at this unprecedented time. We conclude by arguing that lockdown exacerbated already existing divisions reinforcing how female, feminist, and academic remain an uncomfortable fit.
Therapeutic efficacy of lenvatinib as third‐line treatment after regorafenib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma progression
Authors: Hiraoka Atsushi , Kumada Takashi , Hatanaka Takeshi , Tada Toshifumi , Kariyama Kazuya , Tani Joji , Fukunishi Shinya , Atsukawa Masanori , Hirooka Masashi , Tsuji Kunihiko , Ishikawa Toru , Takaguchi Koichi , Itobayashi Ei , Tajiri Kazuto , Shimada Noritomo , Shibata Hiroshi , Ochi Hironori , Kawata Kazuhito , Yasuda Satoshi , Toyoda Hidenori , Chikara Ogawa , Tamai Tsutomu , Kakizaki Satoru , Tojima Hiroki , Nagashima Tamon , Ueno Takashi , Takizawa Daichi , Naganuma Atsushi , Ohama Hideko , Nouso Kazuhiro , Tsutsui Akemi , Nagano Takuya , Itokawa Norio , Okubo Tomomi , Arai Taeang , Imai Michitaka , Koizumi Yohei , Nakamura Shinichiro , Joko Kouji , Michitaka Kojiro , Hiasa Yoichi , Kudo Masatoshi ,   Real‐life Practice Experts for HCC (RELPEC) Study Group, HCC 48 Group (hepatocellular carcinoma experts from 48 clinics in Japan), and GLSG (Gunma Liver Study Group)
Published: April 2021

Aim

Multiple molecular agents have been developed for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical efficacy of sequential treatment with lenvatinib after regorafenib failure.

Methods

From June 2017 to October 2020, 63 patients with Child–Pugh A and treated with regorafenib followed by sorafenib were enrolled (median age 71 years, 52 men, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer B:C = 23:40). They were divided into two groups, those treated with lenvatinib after regorafenib treatment (R‐L group, n = 47) and those who did not receive lenvatinib after regorafenib (non‐R‐L group, n = 16). Prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed after adjustment with inverse probability weighting.

Results

Serum albumin level at the start of regorafenib and reasons for discontinuation of regorafenib were significantly different between the R‐L and non‐R‐L groups, whereas the albumin‐bilirubin score, Child–Pugh class, and tumor burden were not. Progression‐free survival was also not significantly different (median 4.1 vs. 3.8 months, p = 0.586). As for overall survival, the R‐L group showed better prognosis after introducing regorafenib and after introducing sorafenib, following inverse probability weighting adjustment (MST 19.7 vs. 10.3 months, 33.8 vs. 15.3 months, p < 0.001 and p = 0.022, respectively). Modified albumin‐bilirubin grade 2b (score >−2.27) at the start of regorafenib (HR 2.074, p = 0.041) and the presence of lenvatinib treatment after regorafenib failure (HR 0.355, p = 0.004) were found to be significant prognostic factors in Cox proportional hazards multivariate analysis, after inverse probability weighting adjustment.

Conclusion

These results show that lenvatinib is a good sequential treatment option after progression under regorafenib therapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma patients with better hepatic reserve function.
Development of a processing map for safe flash sintering of gadolinium‐doped ceria
Authors: Mishra Tarini Prasad , Lenser Christian , Raj Rishi , Guillon Olivier , Bram Martin
Published: April 2021

Flash sintering was discovered in 2010, where a dog‐bone‐shaped zirconia sample was sintered at a furnace temperature of 850°C in <5 s by applying electric fields of ~100 V cm−1 directly to the specimen. Since its discovery, it has been successfully applied to several if not all oxides and even ceramics of complex compositions. Among several processing parameters in flash sintering, the electrical parameters, i.e., electric field and electric current, were found to influence the onset temperature for flash and the degree of densification respectively. In this work, we have systematically investigated the influence of the electrical parameters on the onset temperature, densification behavior, and microstructure of the flash sintered samples. In particular, we focus on the development of a processing map that delineates the safe and fail regions for flash sintering over a wide range of applied current densities and electric fields. As a proof of concept, gadolinium‐doped ceria (GDC) is shown as an example for developing of such a processing map for flash sintering, which can also be transferred to different materials systems. Localization of current coupled with hot spot formation and crack formation is identified as two distinct failure modes in flash sintering. The grain size distribution across the current localized and nominal regions of the specimen was analyzed. The specimens show exaggerated grain growth near the positive electrode (anode). The region adjacent to the negative electrodes (cathode) showed retarded densification with large concentration of isolated pores. The electrical conductivity of the flash sintered and conventional sintered samples shows identical electrical conductivity. This quantitative analysis indicates that similar sintering quality of the GDC can be achieved by flash sintering at temperature as low as 680°C.
Combination of disease duration‐to‐age at diagnosis and hemoglobin A1c‐to‐serum C‐peptide reactivity ratios predicts patient response to glucose‐lowering medication in type 2 diabetes: A retrospective cohort study across Japan (JDDM59)
Authors: Kanatsuka Azuma , Sato Yasunori , Higashi Yoichiro , Goto Yoshimasa , Kawai Koichi , Maegawa Hiroshi ,   Japan Diabetes Data Management Study Group (JDDM)
Published: April 2021

Aims/Introduction

Knowing the collective clinical factors that determine patient response to glucose‐lowering medication would be beneficial in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. We carried out a retrospective cohort study to explore the combination of clinical factors involved in its therapeutic efficacy.

Materials and Methods

The results of cohort studies retrieved using the CoDiC® database across Japan from January 2005 to July 2018 were analyzed based on criterion that using insulin therapy indicates severe type 2 diabetes.

Results

A logistic regression analysis showed that age at diagnosis, disease duration, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and serum C‐peptide reactivity (CPR) at medication commencement were associated with the probability of insulin treatment. Receiver operating characteristic curve showed that these clinical factors predicted insulin treatment positivity with an area under the curve of >0.600. The area under the curve increased to 0.674 and 0.720 for the disease duration‐to‐age at diagnosis ratio and HbA1c‐to‐CPR ratio, respectively. Furthermore, area under the curve increased to 0.727 and 0.750 in the indices (duration‐to‐age ratio at diagnosis × 43 + HbA1c) and (duration‐to‐age ration at diagnosis × 21 + HbA1c‐to‐CPR ratio), respectively. After stratification to three groups according to the indices, monthly HbA1c levels during 6 months of treatment were higher in the upper one‐third than in the lower one‐third of patients, and many patients did not achieve the target HbA1c level (53 mmol/mol) in the upper one‐third, although greater than fourfold more patients were administered insulin in the upper one‐third.

Conclusions

The combination of disease duration‐to‐age at diagnosis and HbA1c‐to‐CPR ratios is a collective risk factor that predicts response to the medications.
Transcriptomic signatures of temperature adaptation in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica
Authors: Johnson Kevin M. , Jones Hollis R. , Casas Sandra M. , La Peyre Jerome F. , Kelly Morgan W.
Published: April 2021

The large geographic distribution of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, makes it an ideal species to test how populations have adapted to latitudinal gradients in temperature. Despite inhabiting distinct thermal regimes, populations of C. virginica near the species’ southern and northern geographic range show no population differences in their physiological response to temperature. In this study, we used comparative transcriptomics to understand how oysters from either end of the species’ range maintain enantiostasis across three acclimation temperatures (10, 20, and 30°C). With this approach, we identified genes that were differentially expressed in response to temperature between individuals of C. virginica collected from New Brunswick, Canada and Louisiana, USA. We observed a core set of genes whose expression responded to temperature in both populations, but also an even larger set of genes with expression patterns that were unique to each population. Intriguingly, the genes with population‐specific responses to temperature had elevated FST and Ka/Ks ratios compared to the genome‐wide average. In contrast, genes showing only a response to temperature were found to only have elevated FST values suggesting that divergent FST may be due to selection on linked regulatory regions rather than positive selection on protein coding regions. Taken together, our results suggest that, despite coarse‐scale physiological similarities, natural selection has shaped divergent gene expression responses to temperature in geographically separated populations of this broadly eurythermal marine invertebrate.
Trends in antipsychotic prescribing among long‐term care residents receiving hospice care
Authors: Gerlach Lauren B. , Fashaw Shekinah , Strominger Julie , Ogarek Jessica , Zullo Andrew R. , Daiello Lori A. , Teno Joan , Shireman Theresa I. , Bynum Julie P. W.
Published: April 2021

Importance

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes (“CMS National Partnership”) focuses on reducing antipsychotic prescribing to long‐term care residents. Hospice enrollment is not an exclusionary condition for the antipsychotic quality measure reported by CMS. It is unclear how prescribing in hospice may have been impacted by the initiative.

Objective

Estimate the association of the CMS National Partnership with trends in antipsychotic prescribing among long‐term care residents in hospice.

Design

Interrupted time‐series analysis of a 100% Minimum Data Set sample with linked hospice claims from 2011 to 2017.

Setting

Long‐term care nursing facilities.

Participants

Older adults ≥65 residing in long‐term care (n = 3,741,379) and limited to those enrolled in hospice (n = 821,610).

Main outcome

Quarterly prevalence of antipsychotic and other psychotropic (antianxiety, hypnotic, antidepressant) use among long‐term care residents; overall and among residents with dementia, stratified by hospice enrollment.

Results

From 2011 to 2017, parallel declines in antipsychotic prescribing were observed among long‐term care residents enrolled and not enrolled in hospice (hospice: decline from 26.8% to 18.7%; non‐hospice: decline from 23.0% to 14.4%). Following the 2012 CMS National Partnership, quarterly rates of antipsychotic prescribing declined significantly for both residents enrolled and not enrolled in hospice care. Declines in antipsychotic prescribing were greater for residents with dementia, with similar rates among residents enrolled and not enrolled in hospice. Among residents with dementia enrolled in hospice, use of other psychotropic medication classes including antianxiety, antidepressant, and hypnotic use remained relatively stable over time.

Conclusions and relevance

Declines in antipsychotic prescribing during the CMS National Partnership occurred among long‐term care residents in hospice, where use may be deemed clinically appropriate. Nursing homes are an important location for the provision of dementia end‐of‐life care and the drivers of potentially unintended reductions in antipsychotic use merits further investigation.
Epistemic Simplicity—A Virtue or a Vice?
Authors: Lichacz Piotr
Published: April 2021

Simplicity was recently described in the philosophy of science as “perhaps the most controversial theoretical virtue” (Schindler 2018). It has been also argued that contrary to the standard view, simplicity is not merely a pragmatic virtue but also an epistemic one. Virtue epistemologists are also interested in epistemic virtues, but simplicity is usually absent in their discussions. This paper adduces several contemporary approaches to simplicity showing that in philosophy and in psychology it can be considered either as a virtue or as a vice. The paper then refers to the thought of Thomas Aquinas as an example of a premodern understanding of the virtue simplicity and suggests that his notion of simplicity as a virtue might be developed today within virtue epistemology into an interesting complement to this “perhaps the most controversial theoretical virtue” (Schindler 2018) known from contemporary philosophy.
The Diagnostic Value of an X‐ray‐based Scoring System for Degeneration of the Cervical Spine: A Reproducibility and Validation Study
Authors: van Eerd Maarten , Patijn Jacob , Loeffen Daan , van Kleef Maarten , Wildberger Joachim
Published: April 2021

Background

In interventional pain medicine, cervical facet joint (CFJ) pain is commonly treated with CFJ denervation techniques, almost automatically assuming degeneration of the CFJs as an important cause of CFJ pain. A standard cervical X‐ray is still commonly used in the clinical evaluation of patients suspected for CFJ degeneration. Although degenerative features can be visualized by different radiological imaging techniques, the relation between radiological degenerative features of the cervical spine and pain remains controversial. Paramount in order to estimate the clinical usefulness of a radiological imaging is to establish the reproducibility of the radiological scoring system. A reproducible and clinically feasible diagnostic scoring system was developed to estimate cervical degeneration on standard cervical X‐rays.

Materials and Methods

A reproducibility study for the interpretation of degenerative abnormalities on standard cervical X‐rays was performed, using a dichotomous outcome (degenerative abnormalities present Yes/No). The estimation of intervertebral disc height loss on standard cervical X‐rays was validated with computed tomography (CT) scan measurements.

Results

Five radiological degenerative features on standard cervical X‐rays (disc height loss, anterior vertebral osteophytes, posterior vertebral osteophytes, vertebral end plate sclerosis, and uncovertebral osteoarthritis) showed a substantial to excellent reproducibility (kappa value ≥ 0.60). The qualitative definition of disc height loss used in the reproducibility study showed a substantial agreement with the actual measurements of disc height loss on CT scan (kappa value = 0.69).

Conclusion

Subjective judgment of a cervical standard X‐ray is a reproducible method to demonstrate degenerative abnormalities of the cervical spine.
Up‐regulation of pathogenesis‐related genes in strawberry leaves treated with powdery mildew‐suppressing ultraviolet irradiation
Authors: Ota Emi , Nishimura Fumihiro , Mori Mitsutaka , Tanaka Masaya , Kanto Takeshi , Hosokawa Munetaka , Osakabe Masahiro , Satou Mamoru , Takeshita Minoru
Published: April 2021

Strawberry powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera aphanis, one of the most important diseases affecting strawberry production in Japan, can be effectively controlled by supplemental ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Here, we investigated disease severity on plants irradiated with UV light at 270–380 nm with/without inoculation and demonstrated significant decreases in disease severity on the UV‐treated plants throughout almost all of the experiment periods. Daily UV irradiation for 3 hr (0.17–0.96 kJ ⋅m−2 ⋅day−1) significantly reduced the incidence of powdery mildew on UV‐treated strawberry at day 58 after initiation of UV irradiation in a natural infection and at day 168 in artificial inoculation tests compared with non‐UV‐treated controls. Furthermore, we found that two pathogenesis‐related protein (PR) genes were up‐regulated 7 days after initiation of UV irradiation on plants before or after transplantation into raised beds. Transcript levels of five defence‐response genes were estimated using quantitative reverse transcription PCR to determine whether UV irradiation induced a defence response; PR‐3 and PR‐5 transcripts were significantly higher in the UV‐treated strawberry leaves after UV irradiation than in the non‐irradiated controls. In addition, transcript levels of both genes were significantly up‐regulated in plants irradiated with a higher radiant dose (0.90–0.96 kJ ⋅m−2 ⋅day−1) within 7 days after initiation of UV treatment, compared with plants exposed to a lower dose (0.17 kJ ⋅m−2 ⋅day−1) and with controls. Thus, PR‐3 and PR‐5 are induced in strawberry leaves as part of a defence response that is induced by UV irradiation.
Algorithmization of Bureaucratic Organizations: Using a Practice Lens to Study How Context Shapes Predictive Policing Systems
Authors: Meijer Albert , Lorenz Lukas , Wessels Martijn
Published: April 2021

The current scientific debate on algorithms in the public sector is dominated by a focus on technology rather than organizational patterns. This paper extends our understanding of these patterns by studying the algorithmization of bureaucratic organizations, which is the process in which an organization rearranges its working routines around the use of algorithms. To explore the algorithmization of bureaucratic organizations, we conducted a comparative empirical analysis of predictive policing in Berlin (Germany) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) through in‐depth qualitative research. Our study identified two emergent patterns: the ‘algorithmic cage' (Berlin, more hierarchical control) and the ‘algorithmic colleague' (Amsterdam, room for professional judgment). These patterns result from administrative cultures and reinforce existing patterns of organization. The study highlights that two patterns of algorithmization of government bureaucracy can be identified and that these patterns depend on dominant social norms and interpretations rather than the technological features of algorithmic systems.
Iso‐anchorene is an endogenous metabolite that inhibits primary root growth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Jia Kun‐Peng , Mi Jianing , Ablazov Abdugaffor , Ali Shawkat , Yang Yu , Balakrishna Aparna , Berqdar Lamis , Feng Qitong , Blilou Ikram , Al‐Babili Salim
Published: April 2021

Carotenoid‐derived regulatory metabolites and hormones are generally known to arise through the oxidative cleavage of a single double bond in the carotenoid backbone, which yields mono‐carbonyl products called apocarotenoids. However, the extended conjugated double bond system of these pigments predestines them also to repeated cleavage forming dialdehyde products, diapocarotenoids, which have been less investigated due to their instability and low abundance. Recently, we reported on the short diapocarotenoid anchorene as an endogenous Arabidopsis metabolite and specific signaling molecule that promotes anchor root formation. In this work, we investigated the biological activity of a synthetic isomer of anchorene, iso‐anchorene, which can be derived from repeated carotenoid cleavage. We show that iso‐anchorene is a growth inhibitor that specifically inhibits primary root growth by reducing cell division rates in the root apical meristem. Using auxin efflux transporter marker lines, we also show that the effect of iso‐anchorene on primary root growth involves the modulation of auxin homeostasis. Moreover, by using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis, we demonstrate that iso‐anchorene is a natural Arabidopsis metabolite. Chemical inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis led to a significant decrease in the iso‐anchorene level, indicating that it originates from this metabolic pathway. Taken together, our results reveal a novel carotenoid‐derived regulatory metabolite with a specific biological function that affects root growth, manifesting the biological importance of diapocarotenoids.
Study on Experiment and Modeling of Viscoelastic Damper Considering Interfacial Effect of Matrix Rubber/Carbon Black
Authors: Ge Teng , Xu Zhao-Dong , Yuan Fuh-Gwo
Published: April 2021

Viscoelastic (VE) dampers are a kind of effective passive vibration control device and widely used to attenuate structural vibration. In this article, experimental study and multiscale modeling analysis on the VE damper for reducing wind-excited vibration are carried out. First, an experimental study on VE damper is conducted to reveal the dynamic properties of VE damper. The experimental results show that the dynamic properties of VE material are influenced by excitation frequency and insignificantly affected by displacement amplitude, and the VE material has good energy dissipation capacity. Second, the damping mechanism of VE damper is analyzed from micro-perspectives by considering the influence of cross-linked and free molecular chain networks. Then, a novel type spherical chain network model based on the chain network microstructure is proposed. The proposed model is verified by comparing the experimental data and the mathematical results, which indicates that the proposed model can accurately describe the dynamic properties of VE damper affected by different temperatures, frequencies, and displacements.