bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The SIM program at Saint Louis University
Authors: Betker Brian , Doellman Thomas W.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the student investment management program at Saint Louis University.

Design/methodology/approach

It is a case study of the program’s structure and investment performance.

Findings

The authors present information on the program’s philosophy and course structure, investment performance and how the authors use LinkedIn to involve alumni in the program.

Originality/value

The authors find that using LinkedIn to maintain alumni connections to the program takes little effort on the part of the instructors but adds value for current students and program alumni alike.
Acquisitions and the shareholder base
Authors: Wonder Nicholas , Lending Claire
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of acquisitions on the number of shareholders of the acquirer (the shareholder base) and relate that effect to the method of payment and the ratio between the target’s and acquirer’s shareholder bases prior to the acquisition.

Design/methodology/approach

Using 348 acquisitions from 1993 to 2013 for which both parties are public, American firms, the paper measures changes in the acquirer’s shareholder base from before announcement through to four years after completion. OLS regressions, together with an instrumental variables approach addressing the endogeneity of acquisition payment, indicate the determinants of those changes.

Findings

Acquisitions completed partly or entirely in stock lead to large increases in the shareholder base, and the increases mostly endure over the four-year window examined in the study. Regression results indicate that the target to acquirer shareholder ratio has a much greater impact on the acquirer’s base for stock acquisitions than for cash acquisitions. The ratio is also associated with changes in beta.

Practical implications

Because existing theoretical and empirical literature shows that the shareholder base impacts the risk, liquidity, and market value of stock, managers evaluating potential targets and modes of payment may wish to consider the likely impact on their firms’ shareholder bases, as may investors contemplating the effects of an acquisition announcement.

Originality/value

This is the first work documenting both a short- and long-term impact of acquisitions on the shareholder base and the first to investigate the determinants of the change in the base.
The impact of ribbon treatment on the interconnection of solar cells withina glass free PV module
Authors: Sobik Piotr , Pawłowski Radosław , Pluta Anna , Jeremiasz Olgierd , Drabczyk Kazimierz , Kulesza-Matlak Grażyna , Zięba Paweł Antoni
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behavior of interconnections between solar cells in a glass-free solar modules. As glass weight can be a limitation, it is still interesting to investigate other types of systems, especially when the glass was replaced with a polymeric front sheet. Such systems can be more sensitive for the solar cell interconnection ribbon fatigue.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine this effect, the set of glass-based and glass-free modules were prepared using various ribbon thickness and treatment concerning its stretching or curving before lamination. Furthermore, additional reinforcement of the connection between the ribbon and the solar cell was proposed. The prepared modules were exposed to the cyclic temperature variation in the environment chamber. The number of cycles after which the interconnection maintains its conductivity was noted.

Findings

Changing the outer layers into more elastic ones requires additional care for the ribbon treatment because interconnections become more sensitive for a system relative displacement. To secure interconnection before fatigue an additional curving of ribbon between solar cells can be introduced whereas the best results were obtained for a system with aluminum plate laminated as an interlayer.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new system of a glass-free solar module based on epoxy-glass fiber composite as a backsheet. The glass front sheet was replaced with an elastic, transparent polymer. Such construction can be used in a system where the glass weight is a limitation. As glass has a structural function in traditional modules and limits fatigues of interconnections the proposed system requires additional ribbon treatment to preserve long module life-span.
Influence of AlN etching process on MISFET structures
Authors: Firek Piotr , Stonio Bartłomiej
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the influence of gate dielectric etching on obtained MISFET (metal insulator semiconductor field effect transistor) structures. Because of its properties, aluminum nitride (AlN) layers can be successfully used in a large area of applications. In addition, AIN has a wide bandgap (6.2eV) and high thermal conductivity (3.2 W/cm * K). Its melting temperature is greater than 2,000°C. The relative permittivity is about 9. All these features (especially high power, high temperature and high-frequency) make AlN a useful material in the fields of electronic, optical and acoustic applications.

Design/methodology/approach

To fabricaten-channel transistors, silicon technology was used. The 50-nm thick AlN films were deposited using the magnetron sputtering. After preparation of SiO2/AlN stack as the gate dielectric, the optimization processes of dry etching in plasma environment by Taguchi method were realized. In the next step, three methods of AlN etching were selected and used to MISFET device fabrication. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy allowed to surfacing of the state observation after etching process. The current–voltage (I–V) output and transfer characteristics of structures with modified etch technology were measured. Keithley SMU 236/237/238 measurement set was used.

Findings

In this research work, a method of AlN etching in a field effect transistor technology was developed and improved. Current−voltage characteristics of obtained MISFET structures were measured and compared. Influence of etching procedure on transistors properties was examined.

Originality/value

The obtained results allow improving the MISFET technology based on AlN film as a gate dielectric. The complete research work will allow using the developed technologies to implement in highly sensitive ion-sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) structures in the future. The improvement of the etching element in the technology strongly influences the detection capabilities and operating range of the transistor.
Validating action and social alignment constituents of collaboration in business relationships
Authors: Høgevold Nils M. , Svensson Gøran , Otero-Neira Carmen
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test hypothesized relationships within and between the domains of action and social alignment based on a sales perspective in business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a cross-industrial sample of Norwegian companies consisting of 213 key informants corresponding to a valid response rate of 40.7 percent.

Findings

The findings validate that coordination relates positively to economic satisfaction (ES); coordination does not relate to non-economic satisfaction (NES); coordination relates positively to cooperation; cooperation relates positively NES; and cooperation mediates between ES and NES.

Research limitations/implications

This study tests and successfully validates an action and social alignment model based on a sales perspective in seller business relationships, providing additional insights into the field of relationship quality and the sales literature. Suggestions for further research are provided.

Practical implications

According to sales practitioners, the research model makes sense in relation to managerial implications for seller business relationships.

Originality/value

This study contributes to incorporating a seller perspective in relation to existing theory and previous studies on a buyer perspective to quality constructs in business relationships.
Service supply chain management: a behavioural operations perspective
Authors: Liu Weihua , Wang Di , Long Shangsong , Shen Xinran , Shi Victor
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the evolution of service supply chain management from a behavioural operations perspective, pointing out future research directions for scholars.

Design/methodology/approach

This study searched five databases for relevant literature published between 2009 and 2018, selecting 64 papers for this review. The selected literature was categorised according to two dimensions: a service supply chain link perspective and a behavioural factor perspective. Comparative analysis was used to identify gaps in the literature, and five future research agendas were proposed.

Findings

In terms of the perspective of service supply chain link, extant literature primarily focuses on service supply and service co-ordination management, and less on service demand and integration management. In terms of the behavioural factor’s perspective, most focus on classic behaviour factors, with less attention paid to emerging behaviour factors. This paper thus proposes five research agendas: demand-oriented management and integrated supply chain-oriented behavioural research; broadening the understanding of the scope of behavioural operations; integrating the latest backgrounds and trends of service industry into the research; greater attention to behavioural operations in service sub-industries; and multimethod combination is encouraged to be used to dig into the interesting research problems.

Originality/value

This study constitutes the first systematic review of service supply chain research from a behavioural perspective. By categorising the literature into two dimensions, the state of existing research is evaluated with an eye towards future research avenues.
Combination effect pigments with enhanced fluorescence
Authors: Kahya Sevinç Sevim , Sönmez Yasemin , Gündüz Güngör , Mavis Bora
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the limited fluorescence of mica titania (MT) effect pigments by coating them with peripherally substituted zinc phthalocyanines (ZnPc).

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of deposition medium, temperature, time, initial organic pigment/MT ratio on deposition behaviour and efficiencies were investigated separately for ZnPc, nitro (TNZnPc) and amino (TAZnPc) substituted ZnPc’s.

Findings

TNZnPc could be deposited in the form of well-defined crystals on MT with per cent 64 ± 5 efficiency in chloroform at 50°C within 5 h and the amount deposited was linearly dependent on the initial TNZnPc concentration. TNZnPc fluorescence emissions, which appear mainly at 460 and 685 nm in pure pigments, could be observed in combination with MT (MT-TNZnPc) as well. A spectral analysis on the non-overlapping region of the spectrum with two different excitations (385 and 630 nm) revealed that, respectively, up to threefold to sixfold increase is possible to attain, depending on the excitation wavelengths.

Research limitations/implications

Efficiency of deposition could not be taken above per cent 11 ± 4 with TAZnPc. Although ZnPc could be deposited with per cent 57 ± 3 efficiency, the pigment was not effective in imposing its fluorescence characteristics over MT.

Originality/value

Combining inorganic effect pigments with organic dye molecules is an idea that has been elaborated mainly for producing different colour effects and stabilization of dye molecules against agglomeration. Here, for the first time, it is used to enhance the fluorescence of the effect pigments.
Financing and signaling decisions under asymmetric information: an experimental study
Authors: Christie Angelina , Houser Daniel
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test whether underpricing can serve as a signal of quality in a financing-investment environment and to compare it under the two institutions for financing offers that are commonly observed in corporate financial markets: take-it-or-leave-it offer (TLO) and the competitive bidding offer (CBO).

Design/methodology/approach

The research paper uses experimental economics methodology and laboratory experiments to investigate the research question.

Findings

The results suggest that underpricing can serve as a signal of quality but not sustainable as a repeat strategy. Over time, the high-quality firms converge to a pooling strategy rather than bearing the cost of signaling. Additionally, underpricing is lower under CBO than under TLO institution due to competitive bidding. Signaling under CBO institution may be less salient due to possible mimicking by the low-quality firms.

Originality/value

This paper presents a first experimental investigation of the underpricing-signaling hypothesis in a financing-investment environment under asymmetric information. The choice of institution in a financing environment produces qualitatively and strategically different behavior among firms and investors.
Johnsonville Sausage LLC: finding new opportunities beyond the pork commodity markets
Authors: Harris Keith D.
Published: June 2019

Theoretical basis

This case used the interplay between individuals, firms and markets to examine how a company sustained success from its value adding activities. The theory of value creation was demonstrated by the leader’s ability to configure the firm’s tangible and intangible resources to create opportunities beyond the commodity markets. Also, what matters were not just the technical processes of developing value-added products, but how the company’s culture served as a link to new products, new markets and new ventures.

Research methodology

The case was based on primary and secondary sources. The primary sources face-to-face semi-structured recorded interviews with the protagonist at the company’s headquarters. The secondary data were from the company’s website, and public information about Johnsonville Sausage LLC. Supplemental information was gathered from market research firms. No names have been disguised. The case has been classroom tested with undergraduate students in a capstone course. The author has no personal relationship with the company.

Case overview/synopsis

Kevin Ladwig, Vice President, was concerned by the expanded production of ethanol, an attractive supplement to gasoline in the USA. Because most ethanol is processed from corn, expanded production of ethanol heightened the demand for corn. Since corn is a staple feed ingredient for animals, heightened demand for corn increased the cost of Johnsonville’s raw material – hogs. In fact, the cost of feed was Johnsonville’s major economic input in animal production from farrow to finish, accounting for up to 70 percent of the total production cost of hogs. The case introduces the nexus of food and energy markets and how the “Johnsonville Way” was used to convert an old idea into an innovation.

Complexity academic level

This case is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate courses in business and agribusiness management. It would also be appropriate for courses using concepts in innovation and organizational culture.
The Thm1 Zn(II)2Cys6 transcription factor contributes to heat, membrane integrity and virulence in the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana
Authors: Huang Shuaishuai , Keyhani Nemat O. , Zhao Xin , Zhang Yongjun
Published: June 2019

The ability to withstand heat and cell wall stress is critical for successful infection of target hosts by many pathogenic fungi. We report on the characterization of BbThm1 (transcription factor for heat and membrane integrity), a Zn(II)2Cys6 (Gal4‐like) family member, which regulates resistance to heat (32°C) and specific detergents in the insect pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. BbThm1 gene knock‐out mutants showed severely impaired growth/resistance at 32°C and to SDS, but mild to moderate phenotypic responses to other stresses including oxidative, osmotic and cell‐wall targeting compounds, or to various fungicides. Shifts in cell wall properties, adhesion and decreased viability were noted for the ΔBbThm1 mutant. Susceptibility to SDS but not heat could be rescued by exogenous ergosterol. Insect bioassays revealed decreased virulence of the ΔBbThm1 mutant against Galleria mellonella both topically and via intrahemocoel injection assays that correlated with impaired in insecta hyphal body formation and altered host immune prophenol oxidase (PO) activation. Transcriptomic analyses of the wild‐type and ΔBbThm1 mutants revealed up‐regulation of hydrolases but down‐regulation of a wide range of basic metabolic processes. These data reveal fine tune aspects of the transcription factor network that regulates specific stress responses to contribute to the overall pathogenic process.
Detecting Gunshot Residue from Sellier & Bellot Nontox Heavy Metal‐free Primer by in situ Cathodoluminescence
Authors: Donghi Matteo , Mason Ken , Romolo Francesco Saverio
Published: June 2019

Gunshot residue (GSR) from the discharge of ammunition can provide crucial information in reconstructing criminal cases. Traditional primers create particles of heavy metals such as lead, barium, and antimony. In forensic laboratories, automatic inorganic particle detection is performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), using the backscattered electron signal to search for bright residues among the many darker environmental particles, due to higher electron density of the former. Some innovative primers, indicated as heavy metal‐free (HMF), produce a residue of elements with atomic numbers below 21, urgently demanding new detecting solutions. For the first time, residues from Sellier & Bellot Nontox HMF primer are demonstrated to emit visible light under electron beam stimulation in a SEM. Cathodoluminescence is then proposed as a promising tool to both detect and characterize residues in forensic cases involving HMF primers, with minor changes to traditional analytical apparatus used for inorganic GSR analysis.
Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts of 12 Melon (Cucumis melo) Peel Powders Prepared from Commercial Melons
Authors: Ganji Shirin Mal , Singh Harmit , Friedman Mendel
Published: June 2019

Melons are a diverse group of fresh, dessert fruits that includes orange flesh cantaloupe, green flesh honeydew, and mixed hybrid melons. As part of an effort to discover potential health benefits of fruit and vegetable peels that are considered to be byproducts of food processing, we determined the total phenolic content and antioxidative activities of methanolic extracts of the powdered peels of the following commercial melon (Cucumis melo) varieties sold at retail markets in California that were imported from Mexico and Honduras: nonorganic Canary, Charentias, Hani Gold, Vine ripened, and Santa Claus; and organic Ambrosia, Cantaloupe, Galia, Goddess, Ham, Honeydew, and Tuscan. The total phenolic content (in mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract) ranged from 0.69 (Tuscan) to 2.96 (Galia) or 4.3‐fold variation from lowest to highest value. The antioxidative activity (in mg ascorbic acid equivalents/mL extract) ranged from 0.13 (organic Tuscan) to 0.26 (organic Galia). Similar results were observed using the ABTS antioxidative assay. The content of the phenolic and flavonoid compounds 3‐hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, isovanillic acid, apigenin‐7‐α‐glucoside, luteolin‐7‐o‐glucoside, and quercetin‐3‐galactoside in three melon flesh samples (nonorganic and organic Galia from Honduras and organic Galia from Mexico and two peel samples (Mexican organic peel and flesh) were analyzed using HPLC. The results suggest that the peel from the Honduran Galia melon with the highest antioxidative activity merits further study to investigate potential health properties. Potential nutritional and health benefits of melon peels, Seeds, and their bioactive compounds are discussed.

Practical Application

The peel from the Honduran Galia melon variety merits further study for potential health benefits, including antioxidative, anticholesterol, and antidiabetic activities, and stimulation of thyroid function, as reported for peels from other melon varieties, as well as antibiotic activities against pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, and viruses.
Anti‐drug antibodies and low serum trough infliximab levels correlate with disease activity measures in spondyloarthritis patients on an as‐needed infliximab treatment
Authors: Patil Abhishek , Upadhyaya Sundeep , Dawar Reetika , Dadhaniya Nikunjkumar , Sood Isha , Gupta Sirinder J. , Handa Rohini
Published: June 2019

Aim

In India, many centers use infliximab at lower doses of 3‐5 mg/kg without the loading dose for spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients. It is then continued on an as‐required basis, rather than a fixed schedule. Our study was undertaken to see if the trough drug levels and anti‐drug antibodies in patients with SpA treated with as‐needed infliximab dosing correlated with the disease activity measures.

Methods

Thirty‐five adult SpA patients in the age group 18‐70 years were recruited. They had received three or more infusions of infliximab at 3‐5 mg/kg over the past 6 to 12 months. Patient's serum tumor necrosis factor‐α, trough infliximab levels and anti‐drug antibodies were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay technique. The disease activity was quantified by Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score – erythrocyte sedimentation rate/ C‐reactive protein (ASDAS‐ESR/CRP) scores. Correlation between quantitative variables was analyzed by the Spearman's correlation assay. The difference in mean trough infliximab and ASDAS between the drug antibody positive and negative patients was assessed using the Mann‐Whitney U test.

Results

There was a significant negative correlation between the trough infliximab levels and the ASDAS‐ESR (rs = −0.57, P < 0.01) and ASDAS‐CRP scores (rs = −0.53, P < 0.01). Anti‐drug antibodies were positive in 68.7% of the patients and in comparison to the antibody negative patients, had significantly higher ASDAS‐ESR and ASDAS‐CRP scores.

Conclusions

Spondyloarthritis patients on low‐dose, as‐needed infliximab therapy, have both the trough infliximab and anti‐drug antibodies correlate significantly with the measures of disease activity. We hypothesize that trough infliximab levels and anti‐drug antibodies may be used to predict a suboptimal response due to secondary resistance in SpA patients.
AviaNZ: A future‐proofed program for annotation and recognition of animal sounds in long‐time field recordings
Authors: Marsland Stephen , Priyadarshani Nirosha , Juodakis Julius , Castro Isabel
Published: June 2019

The routine collection of long‐time acoustic recordings of animals in the field presents new challenges in data analysis. While many terabytes of data are collected annually, effective use of this noisy, highly variable data require skilled humans to manually identify calls. While computer programs to automatically analyse these recordings are becoming available, it is important that they are user‐friendly and easy‐to‐use, so that everybody – citizen scientists, wildlife managers, researchers – can take advantage of them, and that they keep the human in the loop so analyses carried out this year are comparable both to manual call counts from the past, and more accurate automated analyses performed in the future.

We present the AviaNZ program, which is designed to achieve these goals: the software includes methods for simple, rapid manual annotation of recordings, denoising and segmentation methods, and a training procedure by which the user can prepare their own filters to automatically recognize individual species. The software can run in batch mode, automatically processing folders of field recordings, and then present the outputs to enable the quick and easy review of the results. Finally, the outputs are presented in a variety of spreadsheets to enable different statistical analyses to be performed.

We describe the various workflows of manually and semi‐automatically processing sound files, annotating them to train automatic filters, using those filters in batch mode, and how the software facilitates rapid evaluation of the automated analysis. A demonstration of the software, comparing manual and automatic detection of calls of the little spotted kiwi Apteryx owenii is given. It shows that while the automatic detection does produce false positives, human correction of these is far faster than manual review of the whole sound file.

AviaNZ is a freely available open‐source standalone program. Our experience shows that it can be used by anybody quickly and easily. However, for experienced users it is easily customizable and extendable. By enabling everybody involved with acoustic bird recording to quickly and easily analyse their own data, while future‐proofing it by keeping the human in the loop, we are enabling acoustic field recordings to meet their potential.
Predicting mechanical restraint of psychiatric inpatients by applying machine learning on electronic health data
Authors: Danielsen A. A. , Fenger M. H. J. , Østergaard S. D. , Nielbo K. L. , Mors O.
Published: June 2019

Objective

Mechanical restraint (MR) is used to prevent patients from harming themselves or others during inpatient treatment. The objective of this study was to investigate whether incident MR occurring in the first 3 days following admission could be predicted based on analysis of electronic health data available after the first hour of admission.

Methods

The dataset consisted of clinical notes from electronic health records from the Central Denmark Region and data from the Danish Health Registers from patients admitted to a psychiatric department in the period from 2011 to 2015. Supervised machine learning algorithms were trained on a randomly selected subset of the data and validated using an independent test dataset.

Results

A total of 5050 patients with 8869 admissions were included in the study. One hundred patients were mechanically restrained in the period between one hour and 3 days after the admission. A Random Forest algorithm predicted MR with an area under the curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.79–0.93). At 94% specificity, the sensitivity was 56%. Among the ten strongest predictors, nine were derived from the clinical notes.

Conclusions

These findings open for the development of an early warning system that may guide interventions to reduce the use of MR.
Rates of vaginal birth after caesarean section: What chance do obese women have?
Authors: Wilson Erin , Sivanesan Kanapathippillai , Veerasingham Mayooran
Published: June 2019

Background

For women considering vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC), obesity has been associated with a lower rate of vaginal birth and a higher rate of uterine rupture. To enhance antenatal counselling, this study aimed to evaluate the success rates of morbidly obese women undergoing a trial of labour (TOL).

Method

A retrospective analysis was performed of women who birthed at our hospital who had previously had one caesarean section. Routinely collected data were reviewed for mode of birth for women who underwent a TOL. A number of maternal and neonatal outcomes were also gathered. The data were analysed according to those women with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or above 40, compared to those women with a BMI below 40.

Results

From 2011 to 2018, 2097 women gave birth at our hospital and had a caesarean section for a prior pregnancy. Of these women, 1234 (58.9%) had an elective caesarean section and 863 (41.1%) underwent a TOL. Of the women undertaking a TOL, 73.1% gave birth vaginally. Women with a BMI equal to or greater than 40 were less likely to have a successful VBAC compared to women with a BMI less than 40 (58.9% vs 74.1%, P = 0.013). Only 50% of women with a BMI equal to or greater than 40 had a successful VBAC if they had not previously had a vaginal birth.

Conclusion

Women with a BMI over 40 had lower rates of successful VBAC. Rates were even lower for those who had not had a prior vaginal birth.
Large felid leucoencephalomyelopathy in a Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) from an Australian zoo
Authors: Hanshaw DM , McLelland DJ , Manavis J , Finnie JW
Published: June 2019

Case report

The clinicopathological features of a case consistent with large felid leucoencephalomyelopathy are described in a 19‐year‐old, zoo‐based Sumatran tiger in which degenerative vertebral disease, renal insufficiency, diaphragmatic hernia and cataracts were comorbid. The principal presenting sign was ataxia, with concurrent deterioration of vertebral stiffness and vision loss. Histological features included marked destruction of the white matter, the formation of large, bizarre astrocytes and accumulation of numerous foamy macrophages (gitter cells). Immunohistochemical investigation of reactive astrocytes revealed several different cytoplasmic proteins.

Conclusion

This is the first reported case of large felid leucoencephalomyelopathy in Australia.
Using natural language processing and VetCompass to understand antimicrobial usage patterns in Australia
Authors: Hur B , Hardefeldt LY , Verspoor K , Baldwin T , Gilkerson JR
Published: June 2019

Background

Currently there is an incomplete understanding of antimicrobial usage patterns in veterinary clinics in Australia, but such knowledge is critical for the successful implementation and monitoring of antimicrobial stewardship programs.

Methods

VetCompass Australia collects medical records from 181 clinics in Australia (as of May 2018). These records contain detailed information from individual consultations regarding the medications dispensed. One unique aspect of VetCompass Australia is its focus on applying natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques to analyse the records, similar to efforts conducted in other medical studies.

Results

The free text fields of 4,394,493 veterinary consultation records of dogs and cats between 2013 and 2018 were collated by VetCompass Australia and NLP techniques applied to enable the querying of the antimicrobial usage within these consultations.

Conclusion

The NLP algorithms developed matched antimicrobial in clinical records with 96.7% accuracy and an F1 Score of 0.85, as evaluated relative to expert annotations. This dataset can be readily queried to demonstrate the antimicrobial usage patterns of companion animal practices throughout Australia.
The ability to evaluate arguments in scientific texts: Measurement, cognitive processes, nomological network, and relevance for academic success at the university
Authors: Münchow Hannes , Richter Tobias , von der Mühlen Sarah , Schmid Sebastian
Published: June 2019

Background

The evaluation of informal arguments is a key component of comprehending scientific texts and scientific literacy.

Aim

The present study examined the nomological network of university students’ ability to evaluate informal arguments in scientific texts and the relevance of this ability for academic success.

Sample

A sample of 225 university students from the social and educational sciences participated in the study.

Methods

Judgements of plausibility and the ability to recognize argumentation fallacies were assessed with a novel computer‐based diagnostic instrument (Argument Judgement Test; AJT).

Results

The items of the AJT partly conform to a 1‐PL model and test scores were systematically related to epistemological beliefs and verbal intelligence. Item‐by‐item analyses of responses and response times showed that implausible arguments were more difficult to process and correct responses to these items required increased cognitive effort. Finally, the AJT scores predicted academic success at university even if verbal intelligence and grade point average were controlled for.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that the ability to evaluate arguments in scientific texts is an aspect of rationality, relies on reflective processes, and is relevant for academic success.
Complex indirect effects of epiphytic bromeliads on the invertebrate food webs of their support tree
Authors: Rogy Pierre , Hammill Edd , Srivastava Diane S.
Published: June 2019

Ecosystem engineers are species that affect others through the provision of habitat rather than consumptive resources. The extent to which ecosystem engineers can indirectly affect entire food webs, however, is poorly understood. Epiphytic tank bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) are ecosystem engineers that are common throughout the Neotropics, and are associated with a variety of predatory arthropods. Here, we examine if bromeliads, by increasing predator densities, indirectly benefit their support tree through reduction in herbivorous insects and leaf damage. We observed and manipulated bromeliad densities in Costa Rican orange orchards, and measured impacts on leaf damage and arboreal and bromeliad invertebrate communities in two different seasons. Our results show that bromeliads are associated with predatory and herbivorous invertebrates but not leaf damage. Bromeliads were correlated with increased densities of their associated predators, especially ants and hunting spiders, but we could not confirm a causal link. Associations with bromeliads changed over time, with seasonal shifts interfering with responses to our manipulations. Bromeliads had a reduced association with predators in the dry season. Moreover, a null association between bromeliads and herbivorous invertebrates in the dry season unexpectedly became positive in the wet season. In summary, we have only limited evidence that bromeliads indirectly promote the top‐down control of arboreal herbivores; instead, our manipulations suggest that bromeliads increase herbivore densities in the wet season. This research suggests that although bromeliads may act as ecosystem engineers, indirectly influencing the invertebrate food web on support trees, their effects are trophically complex and seasonally dependent.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
The impact of HENRY on parenting and family lifestyle: Exploratory analysis of the mechanisms for change
Authors: Bridge Gemma L. , Willis Thomas A. , Evans Charlotte E.L. , Roberts Kim P. J. , Rudolf Mary
Published: June 2019

Background

Childhood obesity is a major public health concern. In the United Kingdom, a quarter of children are overweight or obese at age 5 years. Overweight and obese children are more likely to develop serious health issues such as diabetes later in life. Consequently, there is an urgent need for effective, early obesity prevention and intervention. This study investigated the impact of an 8‐week child obesity intervention—HENRY (Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young)—designed to help parents with preschool children develop the skills and knowledge needed to improve family lifestyle and well‐being. We were particularly interested in exploring the potential mechanisms by which HENRY may have a positive impact.

Method

Focus groups (n = 7, total participants = 39) were completed with mothers attending the HENRY programme at one of seven locations across England. They took place within 2 weeks of programme completion. Follow‐up telephone interviews were completed with a subsample of participants (n = 10) between 17 and 21 weeks later.

Results

Parents consistently reported enhanced self‐efficacy in terms of improved confidence in their ability to encourage healthier behaviours such as eating fruit and vegetables and increasing physical activity, and improvements to family health behaviours. Many changes were reportedly sustained at follow‐up. Data provided insights into the potential mechanisms that created the conditions for the positive changes. Participants described the importance of mutual support, being listened to by facilitators, and encouragement to identify their own ideas. Their comments indicated the success of a solution‐focused, strength‐based, partnership approach to supporting family lifestyle change.

Conclusion

The results of this study contribute to the body of evidence suggesting that HENRY may have a positive impact on parenting and family lifestyle behaviour. Although data were collected in 2011, the findings contribute to an understanding of the components of effective obesity prevention in young children.
The early diagnostic value of serum galactomannan antigen test combined with chest computed tomography for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Qiu Kun‐yin , Liao Xiong‐yu , Huang Ke , Xu Hong‐gui , Li Yang , Fang Jian‐pei , Zhou Dun‐hua
Published: June 2019

Objective

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum galactomannan antigen (GM) testing combined with chest computed tomography (CT) of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Methods

A retrospective nested case‐control study was conducted in the identifying IPA among pediatric patients.

Results

A total of 141 eligible pediatric recipients with febrile neutropenia were enrolled in this study. All patients in the cases were diagnosed with proven‐probable IPA(PP‐IPA), while only 9 patients in the controls. GM testing was positive in 38 pediatric recipients in the cases and nine recipients in the controls with sensitivity of 62.3%, specificity of 81.8%. Among all patients with IPA, 46 patients in the cases and 9 patients in the controls had typical features of CT imaging with sensitivity of 79.3%, specificity of 85.2%. For discrimination of participants' GM testing combined with CT evaluation, the AUC of the diagnostic model was 0.887 with PPV of 0.764, and NPV of 0.872. Sensitivity was 0.793, and specificity was 0.852 in IPA.

Conclusion

The combination methods with serum GM and CT scan might be used as a valuable marker for early diagnosis of IPA in pediatric patients after HSCT.
Granular cell cutaneous epithelioid angiomatous nodule
Authors: Sorrells Timothy C. , Winn Aubrey , Sulit Daryl J.
Published: June 2019

Cutaneous epithelioid angiomatous nodule is an uncommon vascular lesion usually described as composed of epithelioid endothelial cells with vesicular nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm. A granular cell variant has not been previously described. Endothelial cells can present with granular cytoplasm as documented with reports of granular cell angiosarcoma. The granularity is thought to be due to increased intracytoplasmic lysosomes. We present a case of a benign superficial vascular lesion composed of a sheet‐like proliferation of epithelioid endothelial cells with distinctly granular cytoplasm confirmed as of endothelial origin with positive staining for CD31 and ERG.
Is Blockchain a Silver Bullet for Supply Chain Management? Technical Challenges and Research Opportunities
Authors: Kumar Akhil , Liu Rong , Shan Zhe
Published: June 2019

Blockchain technology is based on the idea of a distributed, replicated, and immutable digital ledger that enables parties to conduct business in a trustful and transparent way without the need for a central authority or intermediary. Its most popular application thus far is in payment system applications, e.g., bitcoin. This disruptive technology is expected to contribute significant business value to multiple industry sectors, including supply chain management (SCM), where it can provide greater visibility, accountability and trust in interorganizational business collaboration. In this article, we review some fundamental concepts of Hyperledger Fabric, one of the most mature permissioned blockchain implementations. Further, we use the context of a food supply chain to highlight key design and implementation challenges for blockchain, and provide a strategic assessment of its prospects. Our aim is to dispel misguided notions and myths about blockchain as a silver bullet for all businesses. We believe it is important to penetrate the hype to allow a more realistic understanding of this technology. Blockchain is a high‐cost, high‐overhead storage medium. It is viable only when its higher cost is counterbalanced by the set of benefits that are identified by a careful and thorough analysis of the business. Thus, it will be used mainly for storing important data related to interorganizational transactions among partners where trust is lacking and provenance and visibility are critical. Our paper offers enterprises a systematic way to understand the real costs and risks of blockchain adoption. The insights gained in the SCM context also apply to other areas such as financial services and healthcare that could leverage the full potential of blockchain technology.
Impact of IT Ambidexterity on New Product Development Speed: Theory and Empirical Evidence
Authors: Syed Tahir Abbas , Blome Constantin , Papadopoulos Thanos
Published: June 2019

New product development (NPD) speed is becoming an important weapon by which firms can gain market share in today's competitive and complex market environments, where consumer preferences change rapidly. Drawing on the information technology (IT)‐enabled organizational capabilities perspective, this study proposes that IT ambidexterity—the simultaneous pursuit of IT exploitation and IT exploration, which has become imperative in modern industry to sustain the business value of IT—enhances NPD speed by facilitating operational agility. We examine the proposed relationship of IT ambidexterity with the potential moderating role of market complexity in a sample composed of 292 British high‐tech firms. Our findings, based on a moderated‐mediation analysis, suggest that the impact of IT ambidexterity on NPD speed is mediated by operational agility and that the mediation effect is especially pronounced in complex markets. The resulting theoretical arguments and empirical evidence yield further insights into the strategic impacts of IT.
A Mathematical Programming Approach for Imputation of Unknown Journal Ratings in a Combined Journal Quality List
Authors: Kim Jinhak , Park Young Woong , Williams Alvin J.
Published: June 2019

The quality of faculty scholarship and productivity is one of the primary measures for faculty evaluation in most academic institutions. Due to the diversity and interdisciplinary nature of modern academic research fields, it is increasingly important to use journal quality lists, with journal ratings, that offer credible measures of the worth of faculty scholarship. Despite the existence of such metrics, journal lists, by their very nature, exclude some well‐recognized journals. Consequently, academic institutions expend inordinate resources to assess the quality of unrated journals appropriately and equitably across disciplines. The current research proposes mathematical programming models as a path to determining unknown ratings of multiple journal quality lists, using only their known rating information. The objective of the models is to minimize the total number of instances where two journals are rated in opposite order by two different journal quality lists. Computational results based on journal quality list data in https://harzing.com/ indicate that the proposed methods outperform existing imputation algorithms with most realistic test data sets in terms of accuracy, root mean square error, and mean absolute deviation.
Multi‐modality cardiac imaging in advanced chronic kidney disease
Authors: Ureche Carina , Sascău Radu , Țăpoi Laura , Covic Andreea , Moroșanu Corneliu , Voroneanu Luminița , Burlacu Alexandru , Stătescu Cristian , Covic Adrian
Published: June 2019

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and is particularly frequent among those with severe renal impairment. Early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention may help alleviate the burden of cardiovascular complication within this population. In the last years, advances have been made toward developing noninvasive imaging techniques that could offer better insight into the cardiac involvement in end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). Conventional transthoracic echocardiography remains the first‐line investigation used to assess cardiac function, but encompassing in our daily practice, the newer approaches such as speckle‐tracking imaging, cardiac computed tomography, or cardiac magnetic resonance can guide us to a more comprehensive understanding of CVD in ESRD. Given that patients with chronic kidney disease may not present with typical CVD symptoms, the amount of information brought by newer imaging techniques is crucial for an accurate diagnosis, risk stratification, and further management. The purpose of this review is to briefly summarize the specific applications of standard cardiac imaging techniques in patients with ESRD and to offer insight into the novel imaging modalities, highlighting the newest research in this field. By doing so, we aim to identify the most important imaging predictors of clinical outcomes in this population.
TOPICS AND GEOGRAPHICAL DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE IN TOP ECONOMIC JOURNALS
Authors: Fontana Magda , Montobbio Fabio , Racca Paolo
Published: June 2019

We study the evolution of topics in economics and their geographical specialization by analyzing 13,233 papers from seven top journals between 1985 and 2012 and their forward citations. The share of U.S. publications declines from 75% to 64% with a corresponding increase of the European share from 12% to 24%. We use topic modeling and document the evolution of the discipline over 27 years. We estimate, with a quasi‐structural model, the citation lag distribution for 18 different topics and three large geographical areas. The modal citation lag is about 6.7 years in the entire sample and 4.8 years for citations from the top 100 journals. We quantify (1) the home bias effect in citations, (2) how it fades away over time, (3) the long lasting impact of U.S. publications vis‐à‐vis other geographical areas, and (4) the higher speed of diffusion and faster obsolescence in the United States. (JEL A14, I23, O33, A11)
Temporal variation in behavioral responses to dietary cues from a gape‐limited predator in tadpole prey: A test of the phylogenetic relatedness hypothesis
Authors: Ramamonjisoa Noelikanto , Mori Akira
Published: June 2019

The ability of prey to recognize and adequately respond to predators determines their survival. Predator‐borne, post‐digestion dietary cues represent essential information for prey about the identity and the level of risk posed by predators. The phylogenetic relatedness hypothesis posits that prey should respond strongly to dietary cues from closely related heterospecifics but respond weakly to such cues from distantly related prey, following a hierarchical pattern. While such responses have mostly been observed in prey at their first encounter with predators, whether prey maintain such hierarchical levels of investment through time remains unclear. We investigated this question by exposing Rhacophorus arboreus tadpoles to the non‐consumptive effect of gape‐limited newt predators Cynops pyrrhogaster that were fed one of five prey diets across a gradient of phylogenetic relatedness: frog tadpoles (Rhacophorus arboreus, Rhacophorus schlegelii, Pelophylax nigromaculatus, and Hyla japonica) and medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). Predators’ diet, time, and their interaction significantly influenced tadpole activity level. We found support for the phylogenetic relatedness hypothesis: Investments in defense were stronger to cues from tadpole diets than to cues from fish diet. However, such a hierarchical response was recorded only in the first four days following predator exposure, then gradually disappear by day 8 on which the tadpoles exhibited similar activity level across all predator treatments. The findings suggest that, at least under the threat of gape‐limited predators, prey use phylogenetic information to evaluate risk and appropriately invest in defense during early encounters with predators; however, energy requirements may prevent prey from maintaining a high level of defense over long exposure to predation risk.