bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma after sustained virologic response in hepatitis C virus patients without advanced liver fibrosis
Authors: Tahata Yuki , Sakamori Ryotaro , Yamada Ryoko , Kodama Takahiro , Hikita Hayato , Nozaki Yasutoshi , Oshita Masahide , Hiramatsu Naoki , Miyazaki Masanori , Mita Eiji , Yamamoto Keiji , Ohkawa Kazuyoshi , Kaneko Akira , Ito Toshifumi , Doi Yoshinori , Yakushijin Takayuki , Hijioka Taizo , Fukui Hiroyuki , Imanaka Kazuho , Yoshida Yuichi , Yamada Yukinori , Tatsumi Tomohide , Takehara Tetsuo
Published: June 2022

Aim

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after sustained virologic response (SVR) has been observed even in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients without advanced liver fibrosis. Identifying predictors for HCC incidence in patients without advanced liver fibrosis will enable efficient post‐SVR HCC surveillance. This study aimed to develop a scoring system to predict the incidence of HCC after SVR in HCV patients without advanced liver fibrosis.

Methods

A total of 1682 HCV patients without advanced liver fibrosis (defined as Fibrosis‐4 index <3.25) with no history of HCC who initiated direct‐acting antiviral treatment between September 2014 and October 2020 at 26 institutions, and achieved SVR24, were included. We divided 1682 patients into training (1122) and validation (560) cohorts.

Results

In the multivariate analysis, baseline age ≥ 65 years (p = 0.030), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels at SVR24 ≥ 30 U/l (p = 0.001), and α‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels at SVR24 ≥ 5.0 ng/ml (p = 0.001) were independent predictors for HCC incidence in the training cohort. We developed a scoring system to predict HCC incidence after SVR24 using these three factors (1 point was added for each factor). The cumulative HCC incidence rates at 5 years were 7.1% in patients who scored 2 or 3, and no patients developed HCC in those who scored 0 in the validation cohort.

Conclusions

Our scoring system using the three factors of baseline age, ALT levels at SVR, and AFP levels at SVR is useful for post‐SVR HCC surveillance of patients without advanced liver fibrosis.
The role of social factors in the acquisition of vernacular English: A variationist study with pedagogical implications
Authors: Davydova Julia
Published: June 2022

The study reported here explores the role of various social factors in the L2 acquisition of vernacular variation. In so doing, it investigates acquisition of probabilistic constraints on the use of a globally available innovation, quotative be like, as a diagnostic linguistic variable. Drawing on data obtained from 37 individuals from three age cohorts all living in Mannheim, Germany, and applying the variationist method of evaluation, I show that German learners managed to acquire the variable grammar of quotative be like. I also test for a diverse set of sociolinguistic and sociopsychological variables by way of exploring their relative contribution to the process of acquiring structured variation by adult learners. The results of mixed‐effects modeling (Johnson 2009) show that acquisition of quotative be like is mediated by age, gender, and learners’ linguistic identity. I conclude that EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ (implicit) knowledge about structured variation is an inherent component of their sociolinguistic competence, while drawing English teachers’ attention to the general importance of the issue concerning learners’ knowledge about structured variability.
Gender inequities in medical research funding is driving an exodus of women from Australian STEMM academia
Authors: Borger Jessica G , Purton Louise E
Published: June 2022

Universally, women are under‐represented in senior academic leadership in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM). Successful funding outcomes are a critical point in career progression, to continue both a scientist’s research but also for their retention within the STEMM workforce. A common explanation for the lower success rate of women in securing funding is that fewer women apply for funding. However, this does not adequately explain the gender inequities in funding outcomes, both in terms of fewer funded applications and also of reduced funding awarded per grant, resulting in less overall success. Gendered funding outcomes occur within academic institutions and peak funding bodies due to historical, systemic conscious and unconscious biases during peer review. As a cumulative bias over a woman’s research career, this results in women being under‐represented in STEMM and the loss of their contributions to medical research, reducing innovation through a lack of diverse workforces.
Transgender people in the nursing discourse: An integrative review
Authors: Padilha Maria Itayra , Caravaca‐Morera Jaime Alonso , Gentil Ana Gabriela Bastos , Dal Vesco Stéfany Nayara Petry , Bellaguarda Maria Lígia dos Reis , Silva Amina
Published: June 2022

Objective

To integrate and analyse the literature produced by nurses in terms of care, education and understanding of the reality of transgender (trans) people.

Design

An integrative review methodology guided by the framework proposed by Whittemore and Knafl.

Data sources

The search strategy was applied in the following databases: Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL, as well as in Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, during February and March 2021, with no time frame.

Review methods

The references found were assessed according to the eligibility criteria established. The information of the articles included was extracted, and a thematic analysis was performed to synthesize the review findings.

Results

The searches in the databases yielded 2859 articles; 985 after removing duplicates, and 33 articles were included in this review. Three major themes were identified: (1) Understanding the trans universe through the trans perspective; (2) Understanding health and nursing care for trans people; and (3) Trans women as the focus of health and nursing care. The themes evidenced in the lens of nurses and clients the importance of nursing training at all levels to prepare professionals on how to provide culturally competent nursing care for this population and reduce healthcare inequities.

Conclusion

Nurses must work to provide a space for convergence and enhancement of the rights of trans people and cease to be a verticalized care model. To such end, it is necessary to devise places and possibilities to teach and learn, to construct and reconstruct a culturally competent nursing care.

Impact

This review highlighted the current knowledge and identified gaps in the understanding of nurses, health professionals and students about the experience lived by trans people, resulting from the lack of training and continuing education of these professionals.
Mechanistic vs. empirical ablation of atria during repeat ablation for atrial arrhythmias despite effective pulmonary vein isolation
Authors: Canpolat Ugur
Published: June 2022

The management of atrial arrhythmia recurrence during repeat catheter ablation procedure is unclear despite persistent pulmonary vein isolation. It should be clarified whether an induced non‐PV trigger‐based (mechanistic) ablation approach more focusing on low‐voltage zones is more effective compared to an empirical ablation of low‐voltage zones via linear lesions during repeat ablation procedures. The operators should catch all triggers if possible rather than messing with the substrate.
High waist circumference is a risk factor for hypertension in normal‐weight or overweight individuals with normal metabolic profiles
Authors: Cheng Chen , Sun Jin‐Yu , Zhou Ying , Xie Qi‐Yang , Wang Li‐Yuan , Kong Xiang‐Qing , Sun Wei
Published: June 2022

This study aims to investigate the relationship between waist circumference and hypertension risk in normal‐weight/overweight individuals with normal cardiometabolic profiles. The authors included 7217 normal‐weight and overweight individuals with normal cardiometabolic profiles from the 2001 to 2014 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The authors summarized demographic characteristics, cardiometabolic profiles, and behavioral factors across waist circumference quartiles. Then, in the logistic regression analysis, the authors observed a positive and significant association between waist circumference (as a continuous variable) and the prevalence of hypertension in all three models (nonadjusted, minimally adjusted, and fully adjusted), with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 1.76 (1.65–1.86), 1.29 (1.20–1.39), and 1.24 (1.09–1.40), respectively. When analyzed as a categorical variable, individuals in the highest waist circumference group had a 1.48‐fold increased risk of hypertension than the lowest group in the fully adjusted model. Moreover, the Cox regression analysis revealed a positive and significant association between waist circumference and all‐cause mortality in individuals with hypertension in the nonadjusted model (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.10–1.47) and the fully adjusted model (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.22–2.06). In conclusions, our results showed that, even in those with normal metabolic profiles, high waist circumference was significantly associated with the increased prevalence of hypertension. And once hypertension has been established, patients with high waist circumference showed elevated all‐cause mortality. Therefore, waist circumference should be routinely measured and controlled regardless of metabolic profiles.
Anticancer treatments and photosensitivity
Authors: Sibaud V.
Published: June 2022

Drug‐induced photosensitivity is associated with a wide range of anticancer treatments, including conventional chemotherapeutic agents, targeted anticancer therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. These dermatologic adverse events can have a major impact on the well‐being and quality of life of cancer patients, leading to dose modifications and interruption or discontinuation of anticancer treatments in severe cases. However, the heterogeneous nature of the photosensitive reactions induced by these agents, as well as the common concomitant use of other potentially photosensitizing drugs (antibiotics, voriconazole, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, etc.), can make the diagnosis and, therefore the prevention, of these adverse events particularly challenging. The aim of this review is to describe the most characteristic forms of photosensitivity observed in patients being treated with anticancer treatments, including phototoxicity and photoallergy, and other potentially photo‐induced manifestations such as UV recall, exaggerated sunburn reactions associated with treatment‐related vitiligo, drug‐induced cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and UV‐induced hyperpigmentation. We also discuss the photosensitive reactions recently reported with new‐generation targeted anticancer therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors and highlight the importance of continued surveillance to identify photosensitizing agents, and of educating patients on the need for preventive UVA/UVB photoprotective measures.
“I've got to break the cycle for my son, so he doesn't go to juvie like his pops”: Interrupting intergenerational patterns of incarceration
Authors: VanderPyl Taryn , Hernandez Katelyn , Melchor‐Ayala Omar
Published: June 2022

Patterns of incarceration transmit generationally causing damage to families and communities across decades. Literature is replete with studies on the harmful impact of parental incarceration but is missing the voice of those living within this cycle. This study highlights the perspectives and lived experiences of those who have parents who have been incarcerated, are currently incarcerated themselves,andhave children of their own. This middle generation sheds light on how and why they followed in their parents' footsteps and their desire to break this pattern for their own children. Implications and recommendations are discussed.
Establishment and characterization of a spinal cord tissue cell line from mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi and its susceptibility to several viruses
Authors: Gong Jinpeng , Pan Xiaoyi , Lin Lingyun , Zhu Yue , Yao Jiayun , Wang Congxu , Yin Wenlin , Huang Lei , Liu Yihan , Chen Fan , Shen Jinyu
Published: June 2022

In this study, we established and characterized a continuous cell line from the spinal cord tissue of mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi and assessed its susceptibility to infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), Siniperca chuatsi ranavirus (SCRaV) and Siniperca chuatsi rhabdovirus (SCRV). The cell line, named SCC, has been successively cultured up to 40 passages. The optimal growing conditions of SCC cells were in Leibovitz's L‐15 medium supplemented with 20% foetal bovine serum (FBS) at 28°C. Karyotype analysis demonstrated 48 normal diploid chromosomes in the cells. The identity of S. chuatsi origin of SCC cells was confirmed by partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) genes. Infection susceptibility assessment showed that ISKNV, SCRIV and SCRV and can be stably produced and transmitted in SCC cells, and the replication efficiency of ISKNV, SCRaV and SCRV ranged from 107.4 to 109.6 TCID50/ml. In addition, transmission electron microscopy analysis of ISKNV, SCRAV and SCRV infected SCC cells showed numerous viral particles. In conclusion, the newly established SCC cells provide an important tool for isolation and production of viruses, as well as for molecular and cell biology studies.
Transcriptome analysis and co‐expression network reveal the mechanism linking mitochondrial function to immune regulation in red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var) after Aeromonas hydrophila challenge
Authors: Xiong Ning‐Xia , Kuang Xu‐Ying , Fang Zi‐Xuan , Ou Jie , Li Shi‐Yun , Zhao Jia‐Hui , Huang Jin‐Fang , Li Ke‐Xin , Wang Rou , Fan Lan‐Fen , Luo Sheng‐Wei , Liu Shao‐Jun
Published: June 2022

Aeromonas hydrophila is a common pathogen of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila infection was shown to cause tissue damage, trigger physiological changes as well as alter the expression profiles of immune‐ and metabolic‐related genes in immune tissues of red crucian carp (RCC). Transcriptome analysis revealed that acute A. hydrophila infection exerted a profound effect on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation linking metabolic regulation to immune response. In addition, we further identified cellular senescence, apoptosis, necrosis and mitogen‐activated protein kinase signal pathways as crucial signal pathways in the kidney of RCC subjected to A. hydrophila infection. These findings may have important implications for understanding modulation of immunometabolic response to bacterial infection.
Evaluation of the tolerability of monoclonal antibody therapy for pregnant patients with COVID‐19
Authors: Magawa Shoichi , Nii Masafumi , Maki Shintaro , Enomoto Naosuke , Takakura Sho , Maegawa Yuka , Osato Kazuhiro , Tanaka Hiroaki , Kondo Eiji , Ikeda Tomoaki
Published: June 2022

Aim

To evaluate the tolerability of casirivimab and imdevimab (CAS/IMB) therapy in pregnant women with COVID‐19 in Japan and its impact on the neonate and process of delivery.

Methods

Eight cases of pregnancy complicated by COVID‐19 and requiring hospitalization during the delta variant epidemic were included. Gestational age, initial symptoms, pregnancy complications and outcome, severity of illness, blood test findings at the time of treatment initiation and on days 3–5 after administration, body temperature at administration, and 8, 24, and 48 h post‐administration, delivery outcome, and neonatal findings were recorded. Ten pregnant women who required hospitalization at the same time and did not receive CAS/IMB were used as controls.

Results

Of the eight cases, seven were mild, and one case was of moderate severity. Body temperature in the CAS/IMB group was significantly higher at 8 h post‐administration than that at the time of administration. However, body temperature significantly reduced at 24 and 48 h post‐administration in the CAS/IMB group compared with that in the control group. There were no apparent adverse events after CAS/IMB administration.

Conclusions

Maternal administration of CAS/IMB was safe. Although it was difficult to evaluate the improvement in disease by blood test findings, the fever improved within 24 h, which suggests rapid improvement in patient condition.
The impact of COVID‐19 lockdown on children with recurrent wheezing and asthma in Spain
Authors: Daoud Pérez Zarife , Rázquin Arias Marcelo , López‐Escobar Alejandro , Díaz‐Conradi Alvaro , Arce Amalia , Ruggeri Nora , Romero Blanco Isabel , Díaz‐Delgado Blanca , Ventura Wichner Paula S
Published: June 2022

Aim

The rapid spread of a novel human coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 led to drastic measures world‐wide. Most countries were forced to declare a national lockdown. We studied the effect of lockdown measures on the level of asthma control and maintenance treatment in children with recurrent wheezing and asthma during the first wave of COVID‐19 in Spain.

Methods

We analysed children with recurrent wheezing or asthma before and after the implementation of the lockdown, by using a questionnaire aimed to examine pre‐existing respiratory disorders, step treatment and level of asthma control before/after lockdown, COVID history and laboratory testing including IgG SARS‐CoV‐2.

Results

We enrolled 475 asthmatic and pre‐school wheezers (60.6% males), mean age 5.6 years. There were no differences in asthma treatment comparing both periods: 81.7% maintained the same treatment (P = 0.103). According to child asthma‐control questionnaire, 87.7% remained well controlled during confinement. Nearly, a third of children (34.9%) needed reliever treatment, mainly in older children. Determination of IgG SARS‐CoV‐2 was performed in 233 children (49.1%) of whom 17 (7.3%) tested positive. Seven patients positive to IgG SARS‐CoV‐2 were assisted in the emergency department and two required hospital admission.

Conclusions

During COVID‐19 lockdown in Spain, most children with recurrent wheezing and asthma remained well controlled from their underlying disease and did not modify greatly their maintenance treatments. Unexpectedly, we also observed that those children who tested positive to SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG showed a significant increase in paediatric hospital admissions and attendances to urgent care settings.
Phylogenetic and morphological characteristics of Uromycladium falcatariae, the fungal pathogen that causes gall rust epidemics of Falcataria moluccana in Indonesia
Authors: Lelana Neo Endra , Wiyono Suryo , Giyanto  , Siregar Iskandar Z. , Anggraeni Illa
Published: June 2022

Currently, gall rust is the most important disease of Falcataria moluccana in Indonesia. The gall rust pathogen was identified as Uromycladium falcatariae, in a recent study using molecular approaches. However, the molecular study of the F. moluccana gall rust pathogen from Indonesia has not been reported. Therefore, the study aimed to analyse this through molecular phylogenetic of the internal transcribed spacer‐5.8S rDNA (ITS), the cytochrome oxidase 3 (CO3) gene and the gene encoding the large ribosomal subunit (LSU) as well as analyses of its spore dimensions and number of striae. For this purpose, isolates of the gall rust pathogen of F. moluccana were collected from three provinces in Java and one province in Sumatra. The average of spore lengths and the widths varies, with the isolate from Bengkulu, having the largest spore dimension. For the number of striae, isolate from Central Java had a wider range compared with other isolates. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS, LSU and CO3 sequences using maximum likelihood revealed a genetically distinct group of the gall rust pathogen of F. moluccana originating from the various provinces in Indonesia with isolates from the Philippines and Timor Leste. The gall rust pathogens may have evolved to adapt to a populations of F. moluccana in Java.
Population Aging, Demographic Metabolism, and the Rising Tide of Late Middle Age to Older Adult Loneliness Around the World
Authors: Newmyer Lauren , Verdery Ashton M. , Wang Haowei , Margolis Rachel
Published: June 2022

This study examines how population aging shapes a crucial aspect of mental health and social well‐being: loneliness. Drawing on theories of demographic metabolism, United Nations population estimates and projections, and survey data covering approximately 50 percent of the world's population aged 50 and above living in 27 countries, we estimate the role of population aging in shaping cross‐national differences in loneliness from 1990 to 2050. We used survey data to estimate the prevalence of late middle age and older adult loneliness by age and sex and then applied these rates to the evolving age and sex distributions of the populations. Our results highlight massive increases in loneliness at ages 50 and above with a tripling of the number of lonely adults in these age groups in our sample countries from 104.9 million in 1990 to 333.5 million in 2050, increasing variability across countries in the share of their populations composed of lonely adults 50 and above, and the feminization of global later life loneliness with an increasing share of lonely adults in these age ranges being women. These results illustrate the power of demographic modeling to advance our understanding of national profiles of mental health and social well‐being.
Self‐ but not other‐mentalizing moderates the association between BPD symptoms and somatic complaints in community‐dwelling adolescents
Authors: Ballespí Sergi , Nonweiler Jacqueline , Sharp Carla , Vives Jaume , Barrantes‐Vidal Neus
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential moderator role of poor mentalization in the association between borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits and somatization, specifically focusing on the polarities of self‐ and other‐mentalizing.

Design

This is a cross‐sectional, general population study evaluating adolescents (n = 162, 61.3% female; ages 12–18, M = 14.63, SD = 1.02). The relationship between BPD traits and somatization was evaluated with self‐mentalization (attention to emotions and clarity of emotions) and other‐mentalizing as moderator variables.

Methods

One hundred sixty‐two adolescents without serious mental health disorders were evaluated using self‐report measures for borderline personality disorder traits (screening questionnaire for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV Personality Disorders (SCID‐II), somatic symptoms using the Somatic Symptoms Questionnaire (SSQ), self‐mentalizing using the Trait Meta‐Mood Scale‐24 (TMMS) and other‐mentalizing using the Adolescent Mentalizing Interview (AMI)). Linear regressions were conducted to test the moderation effects of self‐ and other‐mentalizing in the relationship between BPD symptoms and somatic complaints, controlling for age and sex. Moderation analysis was conducted using PROCESS version 3.5.

Results

The association between BPD symptoms and somatic complaints was moderated by a self‐mentalizing dimension (emotional clarity) (b = −0.019, 95% CI = −0.0379 to −0.0002, p = .0476), but not other‐mentalizing (b = 0.027, 95% CI = 0.000 to 0.053, p = .051). The effect of BPD symptoms on somatization disappears when emotional clarity is high, regardless the level of attention to emotions.

Conclusions

Self‐mentalizing appears to be an adaptive skill as it attenuates the relationship between BPD traits and somatization. Specifically, emotional clarity rather than simple attention to emotions is the aspect of self‐mentalizing attenuating this association. These results support that self‐mentalization is an important function in the management of body‐associated emotions even in non‐clinical levels of BPD traits. Findings suggest that strengthening self‐mentalizing skills across development might contribute to resilience and salutogenesis.
LsNRL4 enhances photosynthesis and decreases leaf angles in lettuce
Authors: An Guanghui , Qi Yetong , Zhang Weiyi , Gao Hairong , Qian Jinlong , Larkin Robert M. , Chen Jiongjiong , Kuang Hanhui
Published: June 2022

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most important vegetables worldwide and an ideal plant for producing protein drugs. Both well‐functioning chloroplasts that perform robust photosynthesis and small leaf angles that enable dense planting are essential for high yields. In this study, we used an F2 population derived from a cross between a lettuce cultivar with pale‐green leaves and large leaf angles to a cultivar with dark‐green leaves and small leaf angles to clone LsNRL4, which encodes an NPH3/RPT2‐Like (NRL) protein. Unlike other NRL proteins in lettuce, the LsNRL4 lacks the BTB domain. Knockout mutants engineered using CRISPR/Cas9 and transgenic lines overexpressing LsNRL4 verified that LsNRL4 contributes to chloroplast development, photosynthesis and leaf angle. The LsNRL4 gene was not present in the parent with pale‐green leaves and enlarged leaf angles. Loss of LsNRL4 results in the enlargement of chloroplasts, decreases in the amount of cellular space allocated to chloroplasts and defects in secondary cell wall biosynthesis in lamina joints. Overexpressing LsNRL4 significantly improved photosynthesis and decreased leaf angles. Indeed, the plant architecture of the overexpressing lines is ideal for dense planting. In summary, we identified a novel NRL gene that enhances photosynthesis and influences plant architecture. Our study provides new approaches for the breeding of lettuce that can be grown in dense planting in the open field or in modern plant factories. LsNRL4 homologues may also be used in other crops to increase photosynthesis and improve plant architecture.
Toward servitization: Optimal design of uptime‐guarantee maintenance contracts
Authors: Hezarkhani Behzad , Nagarajan Mahesh , Tong Chunyang
Published: June 2022

This paper analyzes the contracting of maintenance services provided by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to an operator for a device. The service provider can exert different levels of maintenance effort during the course of the contract and the device's reliability (uptime) is influenced by these levels. However, the service provider's effort level is noncontractible. Our research seeks to find the optimal structures, as well as parameters, of performance‐based maintenance contracts. We single out a unique uptime‐guarantee contract structure that contains profit‐maximizing contracts in many situations. Complete servitization is the essence of such optimal contract structures. With this contract structure, the service provider simply guarantees 100% uptime and compensates the operator's for any occurred downtime at a higher unit rate than it charges for maintenance services. Our findings show that some of the well‐known performance‐based contract structures used in practice (e.g., pay‐for‐performance contracts) can be suboptimal for the OEMs. We incorporate the customer's ability to affect the uptime and show that the optimal contract structures can also coordinate the customer's effort. We demonstrate the advantages and limitations of offering menus of contracts to increase the service provider's expected profits. Finally, through simulations using a sample data set, we find that a contract designed using the key ideas in our paper shows very promising results for practitioners.
Effects of online reviews and competition on quality and pricing strategies
Authors: Zhao Cui , Wang Xiaojun , Xiao Yongbo , Sheng Jie
Published: June 2022

By providing useful product information from the perspective of other buyers, online product/service reviews can help customers better evaluate the true quality of products and judge whether a product is a good fit for them. Based on online reviews, firms may improve product quality and/or adjust selling price to compete with other firms. In this study, we investigate the effects of online reviews on product quality and pricing decisions in a duopoly market that consists of two competing firms. Specifically, we consider a stylized two‐period model and study the equilibrium decisions based on a Nash game framework. In the base scenario, the selling prices are exogenously given, and the firms decide on the product quality across two periods to optimize their respective profits. We study the equilibrium decisions in the static setting (in which the product quality remains the same across the two periods) and in the dynamic setting (in which the product quality can be improved in the second period), respectively. In the extended scenario, the selling prices can be endogenously determined as well. For each scenario, we compare the equilibrium decisions under dynamic competition with those under static competition through theoretical analysis and numerical experiments, which uncover some interesting managerial insights regarding the impact of online reviews under competition.
Modeling scenarios for ending poliovirus transmission in Pakistan and Afghanistan
Authors: Kalkowska Dominika A. , Badizadegan Kamran , Thompson Kimberly M.
Published: June 2022

Pakistan and Afghanistan pose risks for international transmission of polioviruses as the last global reservoir for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and a reservoir for type 2 circulating vaccine‐derived polioviruses (cVDPV2s). Widespread transmission of WPV1 and cVDPV2 in 2019–2020 and resumption of intensive supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) in 2020–2021 using oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) led to decreased transmission of WPV1 and cVDPV2 as of the end of 2021. Using an established dynamic disease transmission model, we explore multiple bounding scenarios with varying intensities of SIAs using bivalent OPV (bOPV) and/or trivalent tOPV (tOPV) to characterize potential die out of transmission. This analysis demonstrates potential sets of actions that may lead to elimination of poliovirus transmission in Pakistan and/or Afghanistan. Some modeled scenarios suggest that Pakistan and Afghanistan could increase population immunity to levels high enough to eliminate transmission, and if maintained, achieve WPV1 and cVDPV2 elimination as early as 2022. This requires intensive and proactive OPV SIAs to prevent transmission, instead of surveillance followed by reactive outbreak response. The reduction of cases observed in 2021 may lead to a false sense of security that polio has already or soon will die out on its own, but relaxation of immunization activities runs the risk of lowering population immunity to, or below, the minimum die‐out threshold such that transmission continues. Transmission modeling may play a key role in managing expectations and supporting future modeling about the confidence of no virus circulation in anticipation of global certification decisions.
Discovery of a DFR gene that controls anthocyanin accumulation in the spiny Solanum group: roles of a natural promoter variant and alternative splicing
Authors: Wang Xing , Chen Xueping , Luo Shuangxia , Ma Wei , Li Na , Zhang Weiwei , Tikunov Yury , Xuan Shuxin , Zhao Jianjun , Wang Yanhua , Zheng Gengdi , Yu Ping , Bai Yuling , Bovy Arnaud , Shen Shuxing
Published: June 2022

Anthocyanins are important pigments that impart color in plants. In Solanum, different species display various fruit or flower colors due to varying degrees of anthocyanin accumulation. Here we identified two anthocyanin‐free mutants from an ethylmethane sulfonate‐induced mutant library and naturally occurring mutants in Solanum melongena, with mutations in the 5′ splicing site of the second intron of dihydroflavonol‐4‐reductase (DFR) – leading to altered splicing. Further study revealed that alternative splicing of the second intron was closely related to anthocyanin accumulation in 17 accessions from three cultivated species: S. melongena, Solanum macrocarpon and Solanum aethiopicum, and their wild related species. Analysis of natural variations of DFR, using an expanded population including 282 accessions belonging to the spiny Solanum group, identified a single‐nucleotide polymorphism in the MYB recognition site in the promoter region, which causes differential expression of DFR and affects anthocyanin accumulation in fruits of the detected accessions. Our study suggests that, owing to years of domestication, the natural variation in the DFR promoter region and the alternative splicing of the DFR gene account for altered anthocyanin accumulation during spiny Solanum domestication.
The U.S. Armed Services Blood Program support to U.S. Central Command 2014–2021: Transformation of combat trauma resuscitation through blood product innovation and expansion of blood availability far forward
Authors: Taylor Audra L. , Corley Jason B. , Cap Andrew P. , Swingholm Matthew T. , Nance Erika T. , Gonzales Richard , Gurney Jennifer M. , Shackelford Stacey , Hebert Jeffrey C. , Hughes Jessica D. , Royster Karen , Hestilow George A. , Cordrick Colleen L. , Hoiles Jonathan , Whitlock Kathleen , Whitacre Robin , Pederson Becky
Published: June 2022

Background

The United States Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) faced complex blood supply challenges during two decades of military operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and through an adaptive, responsive, and agile system, gained valuable insights on blood product usage in combat casualty care.

Study Design and Methods

A retrospective review of blood product introduction and utilization trends was compiled from ASBP data collected during CENTCOM operations from 2014 through 2021.

Results

During the study period, several blood products were introduced to the CENTCOM area of operations including Low Titer O Whole Blood (LTOWB), Cold‐Stored Platelets (CSP), Liquid Plasma (LP), and French Freeze Dried Plasma (FDP) manufactured from U.S. sourced donor plasma, all while expanding Walking Blood Bank capabilities. There was a gradual substitution of component therapy for whole blood; blood utilization peaked in 2017. Transfusion of Fresh Whole Blood (FWB) from Walking Blood Banks decreased as fully pre‐tested LTOWB was supplied by the ASBP. LTOWB was initially supplied in citrate–phosphate‐dextrose (CPD) anticoagulant (21‐day shelf life) but was largely replaced with LTOWB in citrate–phosphate‐dextrose‐adenine (CPDA‐1) anticoagulant (35‐day shelf life) by 2019. Implementation of prehospital transfusion and expansion of surgical and resuscitation teams led to an increase in the number of sites receiving blood.

Discussion

ASBP introduced new products to its inventory in order to meet changing blood product demands driven by changes in the Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines and operational demands. These products were adopted into clinical practice with a resultant evolution in transfusion strategies.
Trauma‐induced hypocalcemia
Authors: DeBot Margot , Sauaia Angela , Schaid Terry , Moore Ernest E.
Published: June 2022

Background

Trauma‐induced hypocalcemia is an underappreciated complication of severe injury but is well known to result in the derangement of an array of physiological regulatory mechanisms. Existing literature provides a compelling link between hypocalcemia and worse trauma‐induced coagulopathy and increased mortality after injury.

Study Design and Methods

This narrative review evaluates available data related to the risk factors, mechanisms, and treatment of hypocalcemia after severe injury. The authors did not perform a systemic review or meta‐analysis.

Results and Discussion

The interplay of acidosis, hypothermia, and coagulopathy with hypocalcemia potentiates the bloody vicious cycle of hemorrhagic shock which has been the paradigm of trauma resuscitation for over half a century. However, current screening and treatment of postinjury hypocalcemia are relegated to a secondary consideration in trauma resuscitation. We conclude calcium supplementation should be a primary tier intervention for life‐threatening injury.
Compensatory reserve and pulse character: Enhanced potential to predict urgency for transfusion and other life‐saving interventions after traumatic injury
Authors: Ciaraglia Angelo V. , Convertino Victor A. , Johnson Michael C. , DeRosa Mark , Nicholson Susannah E. , Eastridge Brian J.
Published: June 2022

Background

Field triage of trauma patients requires timely assessment of physiologic status to determine resuscitative needs. Vital signs and rudimentary assessments such as pulse character (PC) are used by first responders to guide decision making. The compensatory reserve measurement (CRM) has demonstrated utility as an easily interpretable method for assessing patient status. We hypothesized that the ability to identify injured patients requiring transfusion and other life‐saving interventions (LSI) using a measurement of pulse character could be enhanced by the addition of the CRM.

Methods

We performed a prospective observational study on 300 trauma patients admitted to a level I trauma center. CRM was recorded continuously after device placement on arrival. Patient demographics, field and trauma resuscitation unit vital signs, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes were collected. A field SBP <100 mmHg was utilized as a surrogate for abnormal PC as previously validated. A patient with a CRM threshold value of <60% was considered clinically compromised with a risk of onset of decompensated shock. Data were analyzed to assess the capacity of CRM and pulse character separately or in combination to predict LSI defined as need for transfusion, intubation, tube thoracostomy, or operative/ angiographic hemorrhage control.

Results

An improvement in the predictive capability for LSI, transfusion, or a composite outcome was demonstrated by the combination of CRM and PC compared to either measure alone.

Conclusions

Combining PC assessment with CRM has the potential to enhance the recognition of injured patients requiring life‐saving intervention thus improving sensitivity of decision support for prehospital providers.
Earth, wind and fire: island energy landscapes of the Anthropocene
Authors: Huijbens Edward , Benediktsson Karl
Published: June 2022

Carbon-based systems of energy are rapidly unravelling. The imperative of climate emergency is reshaping energy landscapes, in some instances leading to the reappraisal of energy options hitherto sidelined. This paper deals with the emerging energy landscapes of the Netherlands and Iceland through historically informed tales that focus on islands. While vastly different in historical and geographical context and scale, these cases reveal the necessity of geographical nuance facilitated by the ways insular places offer insights into energy imaginaries of the Anthropocene. The former is a historicised narrative about the reinvention of wind energy as natural gas is being ousted. It focuses on the proposed Dogger Bank Power Link Islands, the first of which is scheduled to emerge in the coming years. The latter, also historically informed, identifies the context for current large wind energy proposals in Iceland, and then contrasts these with the authors’ empirical observations from the small peripheral island of Grímsey. There wind energy is also being reinvented for ousting the predominant oil infrastructure on the island. These cases represent experimental opportunities for envisioning Anthropocene futures intended to destabilize imaginaries of growth in ways that open spaces for negotiation and contestation. They problematize dominant narratives that render wind energy development visible and knowable as a necessary intervention. Emergent from this is wind’s decentred energy landscape in the Anthropocene; an epoch where energy is revealed in its importance to our societies, dispelling the human exceptionalism implicit in the nomenclature whilst at the same time showing how our actions come to matter. The collision of the Earth and ourselves under the terms of climate emergency begs the question whether our differences are the only ones that matter? But also, if it matters what we have done, then surely it matters what we have not done and chosen to ignore.
Joining of Metal–Plastic Composite Layered Tubes by Hydroformed Threaded Coupling
Authors: Han Sang Wook , Kim Daeyong , Abolhasani Daniyal , VanTyne Chester J. , Moon Young Hoon
Published: June 2022

Metal–plastic composite tubular structures that combine the high strength and stiffness of metallic tubes with the lightweight and flexible properties of plastic tubes, exhibit considerable potential to provide lightweight structures with improved performance compared to conventional monolithic tubular parts. However, the lack of well-confirmed technologies for connecting metal–plastic composite tubes that can ensure good structural stability and strength has proven problematic in actual applications. In this study, an innovative mechanical joining process via a hydroformed threaded coupling is proposed to achieve the successful joining of a metal–plastic composite layered tube (CLT). For the threaded connection, the CLT with an internal thread to act as a sleeve and the coupling tube with an external thread to act as a screw were joined together. A three-layer CLT composed of AISI 304 stainless steel/polyvinyl chloride (PVC)/AISI 304 stainless steel was investigated by free bulging and thread hydroforming. For successful forming into a threaded CLT, the optimal loading path was designed using analytical forming pressure and numerical contracting stroke. The mechanical tests based on compression and lateral three-point bending tests provided several key indicators for the quantitative performance of the thread-coupled parts. The reliability and applicability of the threaded coupling confirmed that the proposed joining process has strong potential for successful utilization in connecting metal–plastic composite tubes for structural applications.
A Test for Product Design Features Perceived as Sustainable to Drive Online Purchasing Decisions
Authors: El Dehaibi Nasreddine , Herrera Aiyanna , Rattanakongkham Disney , MacDonald Erin F.
Published: June 2022

Designers are challenged to create sustainable products that succeed in the marketplace, often relying on life cycle analyses to identify engineered sustainable features while neglecting perceived-as-sustainable (PAS) features. PAS features may not contribute to engineered sustainability but are identified by customers as sustainable. In previous papers, we proposed methods for extracting PAS features from online reviews using machine learning techniques and validating them using collage placement techniques. We demonstrated our methods using French presses (and other products). In this paper, we combined design and marketing approaches to test previously extracted PAS features in terms of purchasing products that include PAS features, as compared to others that do not. We built a simulated Amazon shopping experience using incentive alignment and constructed a within-subject, fractional factorial design with a variety of product features and physical appearances. We collected data on purchase intent, willingness to pay, and sustainability rating. We found that participants opted to purchase products with PAS features more often than products with features that are not PAS, termed “dummy” features. Participants also indicated they were willing to pay more for products with PAS features and rated those products as more sustainable, despite the features not contributing to engineered sustainability. Our findings demonstrate the potential value of identifying and including PAS features in sustainable products and a new application for shopping simulation experiments in design research. We recommend that sustainable designers include both engineered and PAS features in sustainable products to align with customer needs, drive purchasing decisions, and potentially increase profitability.
What Is the Relationship Between Psychological Safety and Team Productivity and Effectiveness During Concept Development? An Exploration in Engineering Design Education
Authors: Cole Courtney , Marhefka Jacqueline , Jablokow Kathryn , Mohammed Susan , Ritter Sarah , Miller Scarlett
Published: June 2022

While psychological safety is a consistent, generalizable, and multilevel predictor of outcomes in team performance across fields that can positively impact the creative process, there have been limited investigations of psychological safety in the engineering domain. Without this knowledge, we do not know whether fostering psychological safety in a team environment is important for specific engineering design outputs from concept generation and screening practices. This study provides one of the first attempts at addressing this research gap through an empirical study with 69 engineering design student teams over the course of 4- and 8-week design projects. Specifically, we sought to identify the role of psychological safety on the number and quality (judged by goodness) of ideas generated. In addition, we explored the role of psychological safety on ownership bias and goodness in the concept screening process. The results of the study identified that while psychological safety was negatively related to the number of ideas a team developed, it was positively related to the quality (goodness) of the ideas developed. This result indicates that while psychological safety may not increase team productivity in terms of the number of ideas produced, it may impact team effectiveness in coming up with viable candidate ideas to move forward in the design process. In addition, there was no relationship between psychological safety and ownership bias during concept screening. These findings provide quantitative evidence on the role of psychological safety on engineering team idea production and identify areas for further study.
Device feasibility and performance improvement methodologies for thin film transistors using In-Ga-Sn-O channels prepared by atomic-layer deposition
Authors: Noh Shin-Ho , Kim Hyo-Eun , Kwon Young-Ha , Seong Nak-Jin , Choi Kyu-Jeong , Yoon Sung-Min
Published: June 2022

Thin film transistors (TFTs) using In-Ga-Sn-O (IGTO) active channel layers, which were prepared by atomic-layer deposition (ALD) techniques, were fabricated and characterized with exploring the optimum IGTO channel compositions and the process conditions for the formation of gate-stack structures. The introduction of an O3 oxidant was confirmed to secure a wider process window, which was explained by hydrogen incorporation from the protection layer/gate insulator stacked layers into the IGTO active channel. The cationic compositions of the IGTO thin films were controlled by subcyclic ratio design of each precursor. When the number of In-Ga precursor subcycles increased from 4 to 6, the Ga/Sn ratio increased from 3.5 to 4.0, leading to marked improvements in the VON characteristics of the fabricated IGTO TFTs. It was found from a comparative analysis on the device characteristics that the Ga/Sn ratio in the IGTO channel had a more dominant effect on the VON characteristics rather than the In/Ga ratio. The device using the channel with a cationic composition of 5.8:4.0:1.0 (In:Ga:Sn) exhibited the field-effect mobility of 19.1 cm2/V s, the subthreshold swing of 0.22 V/dec, and the threshold voltage (VTH) of 0.22 V, which corresponded to the best device characteristics among the fabricated devices. Furthermore, the VTH shifts were examined to be +0.4 and −0.4 V in positive and negative bias stress conditions, respectively, demonstrating excellent gate-bias stress stabilities. The obtained results suggest the device feasibility and fabrication process validity for the TFT applications using IGTO active channel layers prepared by ALD techniques.