bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated ‘all-in-one’ strategy to stabilize zinc anodes for high-performance zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Li Canpeng , Xie Xuesong , Liu Hui , Wang Pinji , Deng Canbin , Lu Bingan , Zhou Jiang , Liang Shuquan
Published: September 2021

Many optimization strategies have been employed to stabilize zinc anodes of zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). Although these commonly used strategies can improve anode performance, they simultaneously induce specific issues. In this study, through the combination of structural design, interface modification, and electrolyte optimization, an ‘all-in-one’ (AIO) electrode was developed. Compared to the three-dimensional (3D) anode in routine liquid electrolytes, the new AIO electrode can greatly suppress gas evolution and the occurrence of side reactions induced by active water molecules, while retaining the merits of a 3D anode. Moreover, the integrated AIO strategy achieves a sufficient electrode/electrolyte interface contact area, so that the electrode can promote electron/ion transfer, and ensure a fast and complete redox reaction. As a result, it achieves excellent shelving-restoring ability (60 hours, four times) and 1200 cycles of long-term stability without apparent polarization. When paired with two common cathode materials used in ZIBs (α-MnO2 and NH4V4O10), full batteries with the AIO electrode demonstrate high capacity and good stability. The strategy of the ‘all-in-one’ architectural design is enlightened to solve the issues of zinc anodes in advanced Zn-based batteries.
Subcutaneous Aspergillus nodule with cutaneous Enterococcus infection
Authors: Kondo Makoto , Yamanaka Keiichi
Published: September 2021

An 87-year-old woman presented with a subcutaneous nodule with overlying black and yellow scales on the surface located on the left forearm. Enterococcus faecalis grew up in bacterial culture using specimen from skin surface scale. And Aspergillus fumigatus was detected in the subcutaneous tissue culture. When suspecting a deep infection, not only the surface part but also the deeper part must be cultured, because we may mislead about the identity of the infectious organism only bacterial culture form skin surface.
Right lung complete atelectasis: an endotracheal tube displacement complication
Authors: Dimos Apostolos , Xanthopoulos Andrew , Triposkiadis Filippos
Published: September 2021

A 78-year-old, overweight woman with a severe individual history of the cardiovascular system was admitted in the intensive care unit with acute pulmonary edema. Despite appropriate emergency treatment, the patient did not show any clinical improvement and emergency intubation was decided. Post-intubation physical examination revealed dullness to percussion, absent breath sounds and reduced chest excursion of the right hemithorax combined with a gradual drop in blood pressure and oxygen saturation. An emergency chest X-ray showed opacification of the entire right lung and an ipsilateral shift of the mediastinum. Improvement of the patient’s respiratory and hemodynamic status was observed immediately after the partial withdrawal of the tube. Tube displacement is a relative frequent complication and concerns mainly the right main bronchus due to anatomical procedures. However, the above case is a rare case of tube displacement in the left main bronchus, which led to total atelectasis of the rightlung.
Caring for children and youth from Canada’s military families
Authors: Cramm Heidi , Mahar Alyson , Tam-Seto Linna , Rowan-Legg Anne
Published: September 2021

Introduction

The lives of Canada’s military families are characterized by persistent stressors that can play a role in the health and development of children and youth. Military families are cared for by civilian physicians who may not be aware of this unique experience and risk. Our study sought to explore the knowledge and experiences of paediatricians providing care to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) families.

Methods

A 14-item survey was disseminated electronically by the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) to all 2799 Canadian paediatricians and paediatric specialists registered with the CPSP. Questions were focused on: knowledge of CAF families; the impact of the military on family care; confidence in providing care to CAF families; and training/education needs.

Results

A total of 774 (28%) completed surveys were received. Approximately one third of respondents incorrectly believed that CAF families receive services from the federal military healthcare system. Nearly one quarter did not feel that identifying for military status informed patient care. Over half of respondents do not feel adequately prepared to provide care to CAF families.

Discussion

Findings from this exploratory study suggest that additional resources and training would benefit the care of CAF families.

Conclusion

CAF families experience a collection of risk factors that may negatively affect their health and access to services. The survey findings provide evidence of a need to further military literacy amongst Canadian paediatricians and provide direction for the development of enhanced resources and supports.
Management of Meloidogyne incognita on Cucumber with a New Nonfumigant Nematicide Fluopimomide
Authors: Zhang Weiping , Sun Weichao , Wang Ying , Liu Huimin , Zhang Shouan , Dong Bei , Ji Xiaoxue , Qiao Kang
Published: September 2021

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an economically important vegetable crop in China. Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) is a significant obstacle in cucumber production, causing severe root damage and yield losses. Moreover, resistance development to fosthiazate, and poor mobility of abamectin, have led to failure to control this nematode. It is of great interest to growers and the vegetable industry to explore novel nonfumigant nematicides that can provide adequate control in an environmentally friendly manner. Fluopimomide (FM), a new chemical having a similar structure to fluopyram, was shown to exhibit toxic effects on fungi and nematodes. The efficacy of FM to reduce infection of M. incognita in cucumber was evaluated under greenhouse and field conditions. In the greenhouse, FM at all test rates resulted in a 22.5 to 39.6% and 31.3 to 55.0% reduction in the population density of M. incognita in the soil at 30 and 60 days after treatment (DAT), respectively, compared with the nontreated control. FM at 500 and 750 g ha−1 reduced (P < 0.05) root galling, meanwhile increasing plant height compared with the nontreated control at 30 and 60 DAT. In the field trials, FM at 500 and 750 g ha−1 decreased the population density of M. incognita and root galling 57.2 to 69.9% compared with the untreated control, while enhancing cucumber yield in two consecutive years. Furthermore, FM at 500 g ha−1 combined with fosthiazate was the most effective treatment showing a synergistic effect on reducing population densities of M. incognita, which was significantly greater than either FM or fosthiazate by themselves. In summary, FM has considerable potential for managing M. incognita on cucumber.
Milling as a route to porous graphitic carbons from biomass
Authors: Hunter R. D. , Davies J. , Hérou S. J. A. , Kulak A. , Schnepp Z.
Published: September 2021

This paper reports a simple way to produce porous graphitic carbons from a wide range of lignocellulosic biomass sources, including nut shells, softwood sawdust, seed husks and bamboo. Biomass precursors are milled and sieved to produce fine powders and are then converted to porous graphitic carbons by iron-catalysed graphitization. Graphitizing the raw (unmilled) biomass creates carbons that are diverse in their porosity and adsorption properties. This is due to the inability of the iron catalyst precursor to penetrate the structure of dense biomass material. Milling enables much more efficient impregnation of the biomass and produces carbons with homogeneous properties. Lignocellulosic biomass (particularly waste biomass) is an attractive precursor to technologically important porous graphitic carbons as it is abundant and renewable. This simple method for preparing the biomass enables a wide range of biomass sources to be used to produce carbons with homogeneous properties.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bio-derived and bioinspired sustainable advanced materials for emerging technologies (part 2)’.
Synthesis of unused-wood-derived C-Fe-N catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction by heteroatom doping during hydrothermal carbonization and subsequent carbonization in nitrogen atmosphere
Authors: Goto Yasuto , Nakayasu Yuta , Abe Hiroya , Katsuyama Yuto , Itoh Takashi , Watanabe Masaru
Published: September 2021

There is an urgent need to develop renewable sources of energy and use existing resources in an efficient manner. In this study, in order to improve the utilization of unused biomass and develop green processes and sustainable technologies for energy production and storage, unused Douglas fir sawdust (SD) was transformed into catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. Fe and N were doped into SD during hydrothermal carbonization, and the N- and Fe-doped wood-derived carbon (Fe/N/SD) was carbonized in a nitrogen atmosphere. After the catalyst had been calcined at 800°C, its showed the highest current density (−5.86 mAcm
−2
at 0.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode or RHE) and E
onset
value (0.913 V versus RHE). Furthermore, its current density was higher than that of Pt/C (20 wt% Pt) (−5.66 mA cm
−2
@0.5 V versus RHE). Finally, after 50 000 s, the current density of sample Fe/N/SD (2 : 10 : 10) remained at 79.3% of the initial value. Thus, the synthesized catalysts, which can be produced readily at a low cost, are suitable for use in various types of energy generation and storage devices, such as fuel cells and air batteries.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bio-derived and bioinspired sustainable advanced materials for emerging technologies (part 2)’.
Street images classification according to COVID-19 risk in Lima, Peru: A convolutional neural networks analysis
Authors: Carrillo-Larco Rodrigo M , Santa Cruz Jose Francisco Hernández
Published: September 2021

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been used in clinical medicine (e.g., to classify chest X-rays for COVID-19 diagnosis). Whether CNNs could also inform the epidemiology of COVID-19 analysing street images has been understudied, though it could identify high-risk places and relevant features of the built environment. We trained CNNs to classify bus stops (Lima, Peru) into moderate or extreme COVID-19 risk.

Methods

We used five images per bus stop. The outcome label (moderate or extreme) for each bus stop was extracted from the local transport authority. We used transfer learning and updated the output layer of five CNNs: NASNetLarge, InceptionResNetV2, Xception, ResNet152V2, and ResNet101V2. We chose the best performing network which was further tuned to increase performance.

Results

There were 1,788 bus stops (1,173 moderate and 615 extreme), totalling 8,940 images. NASNetLarge outperformed the other CNNs except in the recall metric for the extreme label: 57% versus 59% in NASNetLarge and ResNet152V2, respectively. NASNetLarge was further tuned and reached: training loss of 0.50; training accuracy of 75%; precision, recall and F1 score for the moderate label of 80%, 83% and 82%, respectively; these metrics for the extreme label were 65%, 51% and 63%.

Conclusions

CNNs has the potential to accurately classify street images into levels of COVID-19 risk. In addition to applications in clinical medicine, CNNs and street images could also advance the epidemiology of COVID-19 at the population level.
Low dose prime and delayed boost can improve COVID-19 vaccine efficacies by increasing B cell selection stringency in germinal centres
Authors: Garg Amar K. , Mittal Soumya , Padmanabhan Pranesh , Desikan Rajat , Dixit Narendra M.
Published: September 2021

The efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines appears to depend in complex ways on the vaccine dosage and the interval between the prime and boost doses. Unexpectedly, lower dose prime and longer prime-boost intervals have yielded higher efficacies in clinical trials. To elucidate the origins of these effects, we developed a stochastic simulation model of the germinal centre (GC) reaction and predicted the antibody responses elicited by different vaccination protocols. The simulations predicted that a lower dose prime could increase the selection stringency in GCs due to reduced antigen availability, resulting in the selection of GC B cells with higher affinities for the target antigen. The boost could relax this selection stringency and allow the expansion of the higher affinity GC B cells selected, improving the overall response. With a longer dosing interval, the decay in the antigen with time following the prime could further increase the selection stringency, amplifying this effect. The effect remained in our simulations even when new GCs following the boost had to be seeded by memory B cells formed following the prime. These predictions offer a plausible explanation of the observed paradoxical effects of dosage and dosing interval on vaccine efficacy. Tuning the selection stringency in the GCs using prime-boost dosages and dosing intervals as handles may help improve vaccine efficacies.
The impact of Industry 4.0 on organizational performance: the case of Pakistan's retail industry
Authors: Ali Shahbaz , Xie Yongping
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to assess and determine the impact of the five core technologies of Industry 4.0 (3D Printing, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotics) on the organizational performance of the retail industry in the context of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

Pakistan's retail industry was chosen as the target sector, and the target population was composed of senior-level employees, including managers from first-level positions to top-level positions, as well as subordinate employees working under the supervision of first-level managers, possessing the technological know-how of Industry 4.0. The data were collected through a matrix-based survey questionnaire that was based on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The process of data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics.

Findings

The findings obtained by this research work showed a significant relationship among the five core pillars of Industry 4.0 and the organizational performance of Pakistan's retail industry. Besides, the obtained findings provided preliminary evidence that Industry 4.0's disruptive technologies, particularly, 3D printing, big data analytics, cloud computing, IoT and robotics, could help Pakistan's retail industry solve various problems and challenges, such as meager revenues, increased expenses and unorganized systems.

Originality/value

The present study extended the theoretical body of knowledge through studying and examining Industry 4.0's five crucial factors that significantly contribute to the service sector, particularly, the retail industry, of the big emerging markets (BEM) economies, including Pakistan.
Lattice Boltzmann non-equilibrium extrapolation method for modeling hydrodynamic compatibility conditions at curved porous-fluid interfaces
Authors: Imani Gholamreza , Mozafari-Shamsi Mohsen
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The lattice Boltzmann simulation of fluid flow in partial porous geometries with curved porous-fluid interfaces has not been investigated yet. It is mainly because of the lack of a method in the lattice Boltzmann framework to model the hydrodynamic compatibility conditions at curved porous-fluid interfaces, which is required for the two-domain approach. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop such a method.

Design/methodology/approach

This research extends the non-equilibrium extrapolation lattice Boltzmann method for satisfying no-slip conditions at curved solid boundaries, to model hydrodynamic compatibility conditions at curved porous-fluid interfaces.

Findings

The proposed method is tested against the results available from conventional numerical methods via the problem of fluid flow through and around a porous circular cylinder in crossflow. As such, streamlines, geometrical characteristics of recirculating wakes and drag coefficient are validated for different Reynolds (5 ≤ Re ≤ 40) and Darcy (10−5 ≤ Da ≤ 5 × 10−1) numbers. It is also shown that without applying any compatibility conditions at the interface, the predicted flow structure is not satisfactory, even for a very fine mesh. This result highlights the importance of the two-domain approach for lattice Boltzmann simulation of the fluid flow in partial porous geometries with curved porous-fluid interfaces.

Originality/value

No research is found in the literature for applying the hydrodynamic compatibility conditions at curved porous-fluid interfaces in the lattice Boltzmann framework.
Life after trafficking: reintegration experiences of human trafficking survivors in Nigeria
Authors: Idemudia Uwafiokun , Okoli Nnenna , Goitom Mary , Bawa Sylvia
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Reintegration programs have emerged as part of the regimes of care for survivors of human trafficking. However, empirical analysis of the reintegration outcomes for survivors remains limited in the African context. Hence, this paper aims to examine the challenges and opportunities of reintegration assistance programs for survivors of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with repatriated women who have accessed reintegration assistance in Nigeria, and data was analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings

The findings suggest that while the reintegration programs might address the procedural aspect of reintegration, the achievement of substantive reintegration remains incomplete. This is because of the structural conditions of the context within which reintegration is supposed to occur.

Practical implications

There is a need to take seriously the distinction between the reintegration of survivors into a new community or a former community in the design of a regime of care for survivors of human trafficking in Africa. Crucially, the focus on procedural reintegration should not also divert attention away from the structural conditions and reforms needed to ensure survivors achieve substantive reintegration.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the limited literature on life after trafficking and demonstrates the strengths and limitations of reintegration programs as a regime of care for survivors of human trafficking. In addition, this study empirically grounded the theoretical distinction between different aspects of the process of reintegration.
Can religious values reinvigorate the links between development and falāh?
Authors: Jatmiko Wahyu , Azizon A.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Previous studies have challenged the Human Development Index’s (HDI) ability to emulate the achievement of falāh (happiness). This paper aims to evaluate the role of religious values in establishing a positive link between the current measurement of development and falāh.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this study derives an improved value-loaded development measure from the concept of Maqasid al-Shari’ah (the higher objectives of Islamic law). Second, this paper compares the calculated Maqasid al-Shari’ah Index (MSI) with the HDI of some Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries by using the parametric pair difference z-test and t-test along with the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Finally, the relationship of both indices and the proxy of falāh are examined by using the ordinary least square and the generalised method of moments estimations.

Findings

As far as the religious-led development is concerned, the HDI underestimates OIC countries’ development progress. Here, the MSI can better embody the attainment of falāh than the HDI.

Research limitations/implications

This study only covers limited OIC countries due to the data availability issue.

Practical implications

The cultural-based development stemming from the religious values proves useful for putting the government effort towards the attainment of the objective of human well-being in the right direction.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study examining the empirical relationship between the MSI and falāh.
Analysing the impact of COVID‐19 on urban transitions and urban‐regional dynamics in Australia*
Authors: Nygaard Christian A. , Parkinson Sharon
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we draw on insights from economic theory on urban growth, large shocks and spatial dynamics to assess COVID‐19 flow‐on effects and potential disruptive legacy in urban‐regional dynamics. Urban dynamics in Australia are assessed at national, regional and intra‐urban scales. Long‐term and short‐term urban dynamics are analysed against random growth, locational fundamentals and increasing returns theories of urban growth and adjustment. A focus in Australia and elsewhere is the potential effect of COVID‐19 on where people want to live, enabled in part by technological connectivity that releases some workers from proximity to work constraints when choosing a home. Our results suggest that urbanisation trends and adjustments to shocks differ for capital cities and noncapital cities. At the inter‐regional migration level, Australia’s largest urban system, Sydney, is characterised by a cointegration relationship between outmigration and Sydney property prices relative to other housing markets. At finer spatial scales, COVID‐19 had a negative impact on house prices within Sydney and may, for some micro‐geographies and/or towns and regional centres, lead to significant change. However, typically this effect on houses (not units) began to dissipate in the period June‐November 2020, when also controlling for housing policy pre‐ and post‐COVID‐19.
Choosing quantities impacts individuals choice, rationality, and willingness to pay estimates
Authors: Dennis Elliott J. , Tonsor Glynn T. , Lusk Jayson L.
Published: September 2021

Conventional choice experiments ask respondents to choose their most preferred item, but in reality, consumers select both an item and quantity. Using a split sample design focused on U.S. meat demand, we find that flexibility in consumer quantity choice provides similar choice rationality and consumer segmentation as the conventional restricted quantity framework. Improvements include generating choice frequencies consistent with historical purchase data and willingness‐to‐pay estimates more comparable to observed retail price data. Additional benefits include the ability to understand consumer preferences for variety and habit formation and generated data that is compatible with traditional demand estimation, all of which are not possible under the conventional restricted quantity framework.
Reduction in post‐operative pancreatic fistula with polyethylene glycol and recombinant human albumin sealant following stapled distal pancreatectomy
Authors: Privett Benjamin J. , Perini Marcos V. , Weinberg Laurence , Fink Michael A. , Muralidharan Vijayaragavan , Lee Eunice , Starkey Graham , Jones Robert , Lin Yi‐Ju , Nikfarjam Mehrdad
Published: September 2021

Background

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains a significant cause of morbidity in patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy (DP). The use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and recombinant human albumin sealant gel applied to the transected pancreatic margin in DP may reduce POPF rates and was assessed.

Methods

A retrospective single centre cohort study of patient undergoing DP at an Australian high volume tertiary institution between January 2015 and January 2021. Rates of POPF in patients undergoing stapled pancreatic transection with PEG sealant were compared to other methods.

Results

A total of 54 cases were identified for analysis, with 16 undergoing stapled DP combined with staple line application of PEG (PEG group). Most patients in the control group had stapled DP 92% (35 of 38), with 47% (18 of 38) combined with a reinforcing buttress, with or without the use other glue types. Overall, 28 of 54 (52%) developed a POPF, with a significantly lower rate in the PEG group (3 of 16 vs. 25 of 38 in the Control group; p = 0.003). Clinically significant Grade B/C POPF was lower in the PEG group (0 of 16 vs. 9 of 28 in the Control group; p = 0.045), and patients in the PEG group had a shorter median (range) length of hospital stay (6 [4–14] days vs. 10 [6–41] days p = 0.04).

Conclusion

Stapled DP with the application of PEG and recombinant human albumin sealant to the transection line appears to be associated with a lower rate of clinically significant POPF.
An audit of computed tomography request practices for suspected cervical spine injury post‐guideline change in a tertiary referral paediatric hospital
Authors: Sires James , Ovenden Christopher , Antoniou Georgia , Robinson Nicola , Williams Nicole
Published: September 2021

Background

Paediatric neck injuries are a common presenting complaint to emergency departments (EDs). Medical imaging can assist diagnosis, however previous research suggests computed tomography (CT) scan results do not alter management in this patient group and therefore expose children to unnecessary radiation. Following an audit by the hospital Trauma Service that identified unnecessary cervical spine CTs in patients at Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH), Adelaide, the Clinical Procedure for imaging and clearance of the cervical spine in conscious patients was modified to include CT scan only at the request of the orthopaedic service. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a change in hospital guideline resulted in a change in practice and radiation exposure.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed for patients that presented to the WCH ED with a suspected cervical spine injury during two defined time periods pre‐ and post‐guideline change. Mechanism of injury, imaging requested, radiation exposure and final diagnosis were compared.

Results

Three hundred seventy‐nine patients were included, with 164 (43.3%) post‐guideline changes. Radiograph use was similar between groups, 132/215 (61.4%) versus 101/164 (61.6%) (p = 0.97). CT scan use was lower post‐guideline modification 19/215 (8.8%) versus 12/164 (7.3%), however was not statistically significant (p = 0.59), with an absolute reduction of 17%.

Conclusion

Guideline modification at our hospital did not significantly reduce CT scan use or eliminate unnecessary CTs. Unnecessary CT scans followed lack of knowledge of and therefore compliance with guidelines. Individual hospitals should consider strategies to reduce unnecessary CTs, given the association with cancer risk in children.
Parentally reported early childhood upper gastrointestinal symptoms alleviate at school age
Authors: Helin Noora , Kolho Kaija‐Leena , Merras‐Salmio Laura
Published: September 2021

Aim

This study estimated follow‐up outcomes for children presenting with troublesome upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in early childhood.

Methods

We identified from our upper endoscopy registry children with undefined GI symptoms having undergone an oesophagogastroduodenoscopy to rule out oesophagitis at a median age of 2.6 years in 2006–2016. We included only those with normal findings. In early 2020, we performed a National Patient Data Repository and Prescription Service review to note patients' current GI symptoms, medications and medical consultations. We also employed a study‐specific questionnaire with a validated quality‐of‐life measure (the PedsQL).

Results

After a median of 7.9 years of follow‐up, the children (n = 199) had a median age of 10.6 years. Medical consultations related to upper GI symptoms were rare. However, parents reported recurrent GI symptoms in 24% of the children, and 41% followed a specific diet. Regular anti‐acid medication was in use in 3.5% of the cohort, more often when with a predisposing condition for reflux disease. The current quality of life was good.

Conclusion

Although some upper GI symptoms may persist after early childhood, patients without diseases predisposing to reflux disease have a good quality of life without GI‐related morbidity in school age.
Initial experience of robot‐assisted radical nephrectomy in Japan: Single institutional study of 12 cases
Authors: Miyake Hideaki , Motoyama Daisuke , Kawakami Asuka , Sato Ryo , Watanabe Kyohei , Matsushita Yuto , Watanabe Hiromitsu , Ito Toshiki , Sugiyama Takayuki , Otsuka Atsushi
Published: September 2021

Introduction

To evaluate the initial experience of robot‐assisted radical nephrectomy (RARN) in a single institution in Japan.

Methods

This study included a total of 12 patients with renal tumors who were not preoperatively regarded as optimal candidates for robot‐assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) and subsequently treated with RARN between April 2019 and June 2021 at our institution. Comprehensive perioperative outcomes in these patients were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Of the 12 included patients, 10 and two were male and female, respectively, and the median age was 66 years. The median tumor diameter was 44 mm, and four, four and four patients were classified into cT1a, cT1b and cT3a, respectively. There was no patient requiring open conversion, and the median operative and console times were 167 and 79 minutes, respectively. The median estimated blood loss was 42 cc, and no patient required blood transfusion. During the perioperative period, no major complication corresponding to Clavien‐Dindo grade ≥3 occurred. Nine, two and one patient were pathologically diagnosed with clear cell carcinoma (CCC), non‐CCC and benign cyst, respectively, and there was no patient who developed recurrent diseases.

Conclusions

Considering complicated tumor characteristics not amenable to RAPN in this series, such as an intravenous tumor thrombus or previous history of open partial nephrectomy, perioperative outcomes of initial experience with RARN in Japan could be considered favorable. Collectively, these findings suggest that RARN may be a promising alternative to laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for patients with complicated renal tumors, contraindicated for RAPN.
The elusive impacts of tariff reduction on firm selection
Authors: Wang Yongjin , Zhang Guofeng
Published: September 2021

The multi‐sector Melitz model predicts that unilateral trade liberalization leads to stronger selection effect and hence more pronounced industrial productivity growth in the non‐liberalized sectors, which is contrary to the empirical evidence that industrial productivity increases more in the liberalized sectors. This phenomenon is referred to as the ‘Melitz‐Trefler puzzle’. In this paper, we exploit the unique episode of China's entry into WTO and unpack the sources of the relative productivity growth in the liberalized sectors. More specifically, we show that the aggregate industrial productivity growth can be driven by either the ‘selection effect’ or the ‘shift effect’. Our empirical results suggest that the aggregate industrial productivity growth following tariff reduction is mainly driven by the ‘shift effect’ rather than the ‘selection effect’; further, the impacts of tariff reduction on the firm selection exhibit sharp industry heterogeneity, with the effect positive for industries far away from the technology frontier, and those with low technology and low R&D intensity, while negative for otherwise.
Bills, babies, and (language) barriers: Associations among economic strain, parenting, and primary language during the newborn period
Authors: Gómez Anthony , Karimli Leyla , Holguin Monique , Chung Paul , Szilagyi Peter , Schickedanz Adam
Published: September 2021

Objective

The goal of this study was to examine associations among economic strain, parenting self‐efficacy, parenting satisfaction, and parent primary language in a universally low‐income sample of parents with newborns.

Background

Previous research links increased economic strain to lower levels of parenting self‐efficacy and parenting satisfaction among socioeconomically diverse parents with older children. Little research has examined whether primary language shapes the associations among economic strain, parenting self‐efficacy, and parenting satisfaction.

Method

Parents (n = 194, Mage = 30.91) completed self‐report surveys measuring economic strain, parenting self‐efficacy, and parenting satisfaction. Parents' ethnic self‐identification and primary language were used to stratify parents into three groups: Latinx Spanish speakers, Latinx English speakers, and non‐Latinx English speakers.

Results

Regression analyses revealed that economic strain was negatively associated with both parenting self‐efficacy and parenting satisfaction. Further, the negative association between economic strain and parenting self‐efficacy was stronger for Latinx Spanish speakers.

Conclusion

Economic strain may negatively influence parenting self‐efficacy and parenting satisfaction during the newborn period. Parents whose primary language is Spanish may be disproportionately affected by economic strain.

Implications

Parents of newborns may benefit from increased economic supports in linguistically responsive pediatric care and social service settings.
Law Firm expertise and shareholder wealth
Authors: Schweizer Denis , Wu Ge
Published: September 2021

This paper examines the impact of law firm expertise on bidder and target shareholder wealth gains during mergers and acquisitions. After controlling for endogeneity in the matching between the mandating firm (bidder or target firm) and the law firm, we find that top‐tier law firms increase the wealth of bidder shareholders by an average of 2.00% ($30.80 million) to 3.07% ($47.28 million). This does not hold for target firm shareholders. Interestingly, we find no evidence that the reputation of the investment bank is related to bidder or target shareholder wealth gains. Our findings suggest that top‐tier lawyers are effective “transaction cost engineers.” They create value for their clients by structuring deals to minimize transaction and regulatory costs.
Chemical leavening and other baker’s yeast substitutes: overview of patents filed between 1833 and 2019
Authors: Gélinas Pierre
Published: September 2021

The aim of this study was to review general trends in the patent literature on baker’s yeast substitutes, including chemical leavening and gas injection. Overall, 494 unique inventions were described in patents filed over about 200 years, between 1833 and 2019. About two‐thirds of patented inventions targeted acid‐reacting materials, and the rest was on non‐specific protection of active ingredients (13%), gas injection such as in the aerated bread process (12%), gas‐releasing agents like sodium bicarbonate (9%) and miscellaneous dough improvers, including flavouring agents and nutrients (4%). Drawbacks included off‐taste and potentially non‐healthy residues such as aluminium. Most baker’s yeast substitutes were dry chemical preparations, so‐called baking powders, that mainly allowed easy and cheap production of miscellaneous fat‐ and sugar‐rich foods such as cakes, and probably contributed to the popularity of the latter. Applications included ready‐to‐use dry bakery mixes and refrigerated doughs. Yeast substitutes were originally developed for bread in England and perfected later for fat‐rich bakery foods, mainly in the United States. where inventors owned 59% of total patents. Specific aspects of baker’s yeast substitutes will be fully covered in companion articles.
AANG: A natural compound formula for overcoming multidrug resistance via synergistic rebalancing the TGF‐β/Smad signalling in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chung Jeff Yat‐Fai , Chan Max Kam‐Kwan , Tang Philip Chiu‐Tsun , Chan Alex Siu‐Wing , Chung Justin Shing‐Yin , Meng Xiao‐Ming , To Ka‐Fai , Lan Hui‐Yao , Leung Kam‐Tong , Tang Patrick Ming‐Kuen
Published: September 2021

Cancer cells are high in heterogeneity and versatility, which can easily adapt to the external stresses via both primary and secondary resistance. Targeting of tumour microenvironment (TME) is a new approach and an ideal therapeutic strategy especially for the multidrug resistant cancer. Recently, we invented AANG, a natural compound formula containing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) derived Smad3 inhibitor Naringenin (NG) and Smad7 activator Asiatic Acid (AA), for rebalancing TGF‐β/Smad signalling in the TME, and its implication on the multidrug resistance is still unexplored. Here, we observed that an equilibrium shift of the Smad signalling in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which was dramatically enhanced in the recurrent cases showing p‐glycoprotein overexpression. We optimized the formula ratio and dosage of AANG that effectively inhibit the proliferation of our unique human multidrug resistant subclone R‐HepG2. Mechanistically, we found that AANG not only inhibits Smad3 at post‐transcriptional level, but also upregulates Smad7 at transcriptional level in a synergistic manner in vitro. More importantly, AANG markedly suppressed the growth and p‐glycoprotein expression of R‐HepG2 xenografts in vivo. Thus, AANG may represent a novel and safe TCM‐derived natural compound formula for overcoming HCC with p‐glycoprotein‐mediated multidrug resistance.
Variation in δ13C and δ15N values of mothers and their calves across southern right whale nursery grounds: The effects of nutritional stress?
Authors: Carroll Emma L. , Dunshea Glenn , Ott Paulo H. , Valenzuela Luciano O. , Baker C. Scott , Childerhouse Simon J. , Gaggiotti Oscar E. , Flores Paulo A. C. , Groch Karina , Gröcke Darren R. , Hindell Mark A. , Lundquist David , Oliveira Larissa R. , Rowntree Victoria , Sironi Mariano , Newsome Seth D.
Published: September 2021

Southern right whales (SRW) are capital breeders that use stored energy reserves to sustain themselves and their calves on nursery areas. With successful calving events declining in some SRW populations, it has been hypothesized that nutritional stress in adult females causes reproductive failure or death of calves shortly after birth. Here we compared offsets in carbon and nitrogen isotope values of mothers and their offspring (Δ13Ccalf‐cow and Δ15Ncalf‐cow) among three SRW populations. SRW from Aotearoa New Zealand, with high population growth rates and body conditions scores, have negative Δ13Ccalf‐cow suggesting calves are utilizing 13C‐depleted lipid carbon in milk to fuel the synthesis of nonessential amino acids used to build new tissues and rapidly grow. In contrast, a significantly positive Δ13Ccalf‐cow offset previously reported for SRW from Argentina during a mass die‐off event was hypothesized to be due to calves consuming milk with low lipid content. Patterns in Δ15Ncalf‐cow were more difficult to interpret and highlight the complexity in nitrogen transfer between mother and offspring. When combined with similar data collected from Brazil and during a low mortality year in Argentina, we hypothesize this approach provides a way to retrospectively compare nutritional condition of breeding adult female SRW across nursery areas.
Changes in preterm birth and caesarean deliveries in the United States during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic
Authors: Gemmill Alison , Casey Joan A. , Catalano Ralph , Karasek Deborah , Margerison Claire E. , Bruckner Tim
Published: September 2021

Background

Preliminary studies suggest that the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic and associated social, economic and clinical disruptions have affected pregnancy decision‐making and outcomes. Whilst a few US‐based studies have examined regional changes in birth outcomes during the pandemic's first months, much remains unknown of how the pandemic impacted perinatal health indicators at the national‐level throughout 2020, including during the ‘second wave’ of infections that occurred later in the year.

Objectives

To describe changes in monthly rates of perinatal health indicators during the 2020 pandemic for the entire US.

Methods

For the years 2015 to 2020, we obtained national monthly rates (per 100 births) for four perinatal indicators: preterm (<37 weeks’ gestation), early preterm (<34 weeks’ gestation), late preterm (34–36 weeks’ gestation) and caesarean delivery. We used an interrupted time‐series approach to compare the outcomes observed after the pandemic began (March 2020) to those expected had the pandemic not occurred for March through December of 2020.

Results

Observed rates of preterm birth fell below expectation across several months of the 2020 pandemic. These declines were largest in magnitude in early and late 2020, with a 5%–6% relative difference between observed and expected occurring in March and November. For example, in March 2020, the observed preterm birth rate of 9.8 per 100 live births fell below the 95% prediction interval (PI) of the rate predicted from history, which was 10.5 preterm births per 100 live births (95% PI 10.2, 10.7). We detected no changes from expectation in the rate of caesarean deliveries.

Conclusions

Our findings provide nationwide evidence of unexpected reductions in preterm delivery during the 2020 SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic in the US. Observed declines below expectation were differed by both timing of delivery and birth month, suggesting that several mechanisms, which require further study, may explain these patterns.
Vietnam Era Fathers: The Intergenerational Transmission of Tertiary Education
Authors: Christofides Louis N. , Hoy Michael , Milla Joniada , Stengos Thanasis
Published: September 2021

A strong positive correlation between the educational attainment of parents and their children is well documented. Determining whether this relationship is due to nature (selection) or nurture (causal factors) is both a challenge and an important policy issue. We use the Vietnam era draft lottery and educational exemptions as a “natural experiment” to address this issue. Substantially more men attended university during this war, creating a cohort of fathers many members of which would not normally have enrolled in tertiary education (TE). Using US Current Population Survey (CPS) and Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data on the father’s and his children’s TE involvement, we find that, for this war cohort, the intergenerational transmission leading their children to enrollment in TE is at least as high (CPS) or even higher (PSID) than that of control cohorts. In the context of university attendance in the US, these findings suggest that nurture plays an important additional role.
Evaluación de los comportamientos de cuidado otorgados a partir de la percepción del profesional de enfermería
Authors: Arango Ossa Mauricio Andres , Henao López Claudia Patricia , Rivera Gallego Luis Mauricio , Piedrahita Maya Juliana , Agudelo Gómez Andrea
Published: September 2021

Introducción: los profesionales de enfermería son los cuidadores que prestan la mayor parte de la atención directa que reciben los pacientes. Comprender lo que los pacientes perciben como comportamientos de cuidado es esencial para adaptar las intervenciones de enfermería de tal manera que se llegue a satisfacer las necesidades del paciente. Objetivo: describir la percepción de los comportamientos de cuidado otorgados por enfermería que tienen los profesionales del área en una clínica de alta complejidad de la ciudad de Medellín (Colombia). Método: estudio descriptivo, transversal. Se incluyeron 81 profesionales de enfermería que laboraban en la institución para el 2018. Se utilizó un instrumento que mide la percepción del cuidado otorgado por el profesional, el cual se denomina: evaluación de los comportamientos de cuidado otorgado por enfermería (ECCOE). Resultados: de los 81 profesionales de enfermería que participaron en el estudio, la percepción de cuidado otorgado por enfermería tuvo una valoración global de 89,4%. En la relación de las puntuaciones promedio obtenidas en cada subescala, se observó mayores promedios para el soporte/protección/ambiente con 92,3%, asistencia en las necesidades humanas con 92,0%, humanismo/fe-esperanza/sensibilidad con 91,8%, y promedios menores en fuerzas existenciales/fenomenológica/espiritual con 88,6% ayuda/conanza con 86,5%, expresión de sentimientos positivos/negativos con 85,5% y enseñanza/aprendizaje con 84,7%. Conclusión: los profesionales perciben los comportamientos de cuidado de manera positiva. Fue posible establecer aspectos como ayudar al paciente a jarse metas para su salud, planicar cómo lograrlas y no abandonarlo ni alejarse cuando esté triste. Los hallazgos permiten orientar los comportamientos de cuidado para adaptar las intervenciones de enfermería y satisfacer las necesidades del paciente.
Development of a Biomimetic Masticating Robot for Food Texture Analysis
Authors: Chen Bangxiang , Dhupia Jaspreet S. , Morgenstern Marco P. , Bronlund John E. , Xu Weiliang
Published: September 2021

Assessing the food texture via mastication is important for advancing knowledge of food properties so as to develop favorable and healthy food products. Oral processing of food by robots can enable an in vitro assessment of food texture by simulating human mastication objectively. In this study, a chewing robot is developed to mimic the rhythmic motion of the molars to enable controllable chewing kinematics and a biomimetic oral environment. The robotic chewing is realized using a 3 degree-of-freedom (DOF) linkage mechanism, which recreates the molar grinding movement based on molar trajectories and chewing cycle durations previously reported in the literature. Moreover, a soft pneumatically actuated cavity is developed to provide a space to contain and reposition the food between occlusions. To regulate the robotic chewing having variable molar trajectories and chewing durations, the mathematical relationship of the linkage’s actuators and molar movements is investigated for the purpose of motion analysis and control. Accordingly, the design of the robot in terms of linkage, oral cavity, and mechatronics system is performed. The built robot is validated by tracing a planned variable molar trajectory while chewing peanuts. The performance of robot chewing is validated by demonstrating the ability of the robot to chew the peanuts similar to that by human through comparison of peanut particle size distributions (PSDs) and particle median size diameters.
Evolution of Interfacial Microstructure During Resistance Spot Welding of Cu and Al With Ni-P Coating
Authors: Chen Nannan , Wang Hongliang , Li Jingjing , Liu Vic , Schroth James
Published: September 2021

Dissimilar materials of copper (Cu) to aluminum (Al) with nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) coatings were joined using resistance spot welding. The Ni-P coatings were electroless plated on the Al surfaces to eliminate the formation of brittle Cu-Al intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the faying interface of Cu to Al. Three welding schedules with various heat input were used to produce different interfacial microstructure. The evolution of interfaces in terms of phase constitution, elemental distribution, and defects (gaps and voids) was characterized and the formation mechanisms were elucidated. During the welding, the bonding between Cu and Ni-P form through solid-state diffusion, while the faster diffusion rate of Cu relative to Ni and P atoms promotes the generation of sub-micro voids. As the heat input increases, gaps at the Cu/Ni-P interface diminish accompanied by increase of sub-micro voids. A moderate schedule helps to remove the gaps and inhibit the voids formation. An Al3Ni layer and nanovoids were found around the interface of Ni-P/Al. The increased heat input decreases the grain size of Al3Ni at the interface by eutectic remelting and increases the nanovoids by enhanced nanoscale Kirkendall effect.