bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Task performance and occupational health and safety management systems in the garment industry of Bangladesh
Authors: Hoque Imranul , Shahinuzzaman Md.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study investigates the relationship between individual task performance of garment workers and occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) in the garment industry of Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a quantitative research approach and using a four-stage cluster sampling technique, data collected from 610 workers of twelve garments supplier factories using a structured questionnaire. Mean, standard deviation, correlation and stepwise multiple regressions performed to understand the relationship between task performance and OHSMS.

Findings

The study results demonstrate that occupational health and safety (OHS) policy, benchmarking, worker participation, OHS training, communication, emergency response, preventive and protective action, monitoring and review are the significant predictors of individual task performance of garment workers; and OHS policy contributes most substantially to the variance of task performance in the garment industry of Bangladesh.

Research limitations/implications

This study’s findings contribute to operations management, human resources management and the health and safety management literature by demonstrating a link between operational performance, human resources management and OHSMS.

Practical implications

This study could be beneficial for garment suppliers to understand how effective OHSMS can reduce production costs by increasing worker efficiency.

Originality/value

This is a unique research attempt as it considers the task performance dimension of an individual garment worker from the OHS management perspective.
“Tree against hunger”: potential of enset-based culinary tourism for sustainable development in rural Ethiopia
Authors: Woyesa Tamagn Urgo , Kumar Satinder
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This is a conceptual study to analyze the potential of enset-based culinary tourism for sustainable rural development and to obtain a place as a niche tourism market in South-Western Ethiopia. It assumed enset agro-biodiversity as the effect of ages of environment, genetic resources and cultural interaction as a distinctive regional image.

Design/methodology/approach

This an exploratory paper based on an in-depth interview, field observation and content analysis of documents. By means of in-depth interviews, the researchers managed to gather extended information from community elders and experts in culture and tourism offices selected based on a snowball technique. Besides, it has gone through systematic reviews of about 180 empirical and conceptual articles, books and conference papers with a critical reading of the content, identification of categories, examination and interpretation of ideas, to supplement the in-depth-interview. The thematic analysis applied to identify various ideas, concepts, categories and relationships to produce themes presented under discussion and results.

Findings

The study found enset-based culinary tourism not only improve the local economy and regional image, but also it would enhance conservation of traditional farming system, biodiversity, food heritages, genetic varieties and livestock. It also identified 18 enset food varieties compatible with the principle of balanced diets. Finally, the study advised rural development planners to consider enset-based culinary tourism so that it would revive lost food traditions and consumption patterns, enhance the regional heritage and destination branding.

Research limitations/implications

The research is a conceptual study that lacked empirical investigation concerning the livelihood impact, gender implication and actual tourist data. Therefore, future research needs to focus on the aforementioned limitations.

Practical implications

This study addressed SW Ethiopia, which is the primary center of Ensete ventricosum, and argued that enset-based culinary tourism would help to build regional image and obtain a place as a niche rural tourism destination. It would also contribute to the conservation of food heritages, environmentally sustainable farming system, soil conservation, crop diversities and livestock population in addition to producing tourist experience. Moreover, it would encourage the revival of traditional consumption, reinvent lost food traditions and identities.

Social implications

It was hoped that rural tourism would eventually improve the livelihood and enhance the capability of resilience. It is also expected to maintain the traditional social-economic structure based on the enset farm while fostering cultural development.

Originality/value

To the knowledge of the researchers there is no previous work on enset based-culinary tourism in Ethiopia and probably there is no published culinary tourism paper elsewhere.
Metaheuristic optimization based placement of SVCs with multiple objectives
Authors: Pandian Arun Nambi , Palanivelu Aravindhababu
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Optimal placement of static VAR compensator (SVC) devices not only improves the voltage profile (VP) but also reduces the active power loss (APL) and enhances the voltage stability (VS) through injecting appropriate VARs at optimal buses. The traditional mathematical methods may not provide global best solution and pose difficulties in handling multi-objective SVC placement (SVCP) problem with complex constraints and forcefully place all the given number of SVCs in the system without assessing their real requirements in enhancing the chosen performances. The purpose of this paper is to formulate the SVCP as a multi-objective optimization problem and solve it using a metaheuristic algorithm for global best solution.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed SVCP method uses improved harmony search optimization (IHSO) with dissonance-avoiding mechanism for obtaining the global best solution through driving away the solution from the sub-optimal traps. In addition, the method uses a self-adaptive technique for optimally tuning the IHSO parameters and places only the required number of SVCs from the given number of SVCs.

Findings

This paper presents the results of the proposed method for 14, 30 and 57 bus systems and exhibits that the proposed method outperforms the existing SVCP methods in achieving the desired performances.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a new self-adaptive IHSO based SVCP method for optimally placing only the required number of SVCs with a goal of attaining the global best performances.
Successful rechallenge therapy for BRAF/MEK inhibitor‐resistant multiple brain metastases of melanoma
Authors: Fukushima Hidehiko , Iwata Yohei , Saito Kenta , Sugiura Kazumitsu
Published: May 2021

Combination therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors (BRAFi/MEKi) have dramatically improved prognosis among patients with BRAF‐mutant metastatic melanoma compared with traditional treatment, such as chemotherapy. However, resistance to these targeted agents occurs invariably, thereby limiting their clinical efficacy. Recently, it has been reported that the ligand‐independent phosphorylation of erythropoietin‐producing hepatocellular receptor A2 (EphA2) at Ser‐897 signaling is a driver of BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma. A melanoma patient with multiple metastases was treated with dabrafenib plus trametinib therapy and maintained complete remission for more than 2 years. As brain metastasis occurred, we had switched to nivolumab plus ipilimumab therapy. However, new lesions were observed after four cycles of nivolumab plus ipilimumab therapy, she was rechallenged with encorafenib plus binimetinib therapy, and she maintained progression‐free status for more than 7 months. We performed immunohistochemical staining of EphA2, phospho‐EphA2 (p‐EphA2; Ser‐897), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) of melanoma cells before and/or after dabrafenib and trametinib therapy. Immunohistochemical examination showed higher expression of EphA2, p‐EphA2, and EGFR in the melanoma cells after dabrafenib plus trametinib therapy as compared with that before therapy. Our results may indicate that EphA2, p‐EphA2, and EGFR can be critical factors for resistance and reversible response of BRAFi/MEKi in metastases of melanoma. Our case presents a possible treatment that can help overcome BRAFi/MEKi resistance and improve prognosis of melanoma.
Neurotrophic factor levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of neonates infected with human cytomegalovirus
Authors: Wang Shuang , Zou Fei , Wu Si , Wu Yingying , Yue Yuanyi , Sun Zhengrong
Published: May 2021

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is most likely to damage the central nervous system (CNS) during early embryonic development; however, the early neurodevelopmental abnormalities caused by HCMV infection and the regulation of cytokines remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated neuronal factors in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of newborns infected with HCMV using protein microarray technology with a view to elucidating the changes in specific neuronal factors for use in the development of a reliable index for predicting CNS injury caused by HCMV infection. Serum and CSF were collected from four newborns with HCMV infection and CNS injury (HCMV‐infected group) and from four newborns without CNS infection (control group). A protein microarray containing 29 kinds of CNS‐related cytokines was used to identify differentially expressed neuronal factors in the serum and CSF of the HCMV‐infected and control groups. The levels of the differentially expressed proteins were verified further in 30 CSF samples from an HCMV‐infected group using enzyme‐linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA). Between newborns in the HCMV‐infected and control groups, the protein microarray analysis identified three differentially expressed neurotrophic factors in the CSF samples: Acrp30, MMP‐3, and interleukin‐1 alpha (IL‐1α). No differential cytokine expression was seen in the serum. ELISA showed significantly higher expression levels of Acrp30 and MMP‐3 in the CSF of the 30 newborns with HCMV infection and CNS injury than in those in the control group, whereas the expression of IL‐1α was significantly lower. Our results demonstrate that changes in the expression levels of Acrp30, MMP‐3, and IL‐1α in the CSF of newborns infected with HCMV may be related to the pathogenesis of CNS infection.
Research Note: Automated data‐driven alignment of near‐bit and top‐drive vibration sensors for seismic while drilling and beyond
Authors: Egorov Anton , Silvestrov Ilya , Bakulin Andrey , Golikov Pavel
Published: May 2021

Downhole near‐bit vibration sensors are used to record the pilot signal for seismic while drilling and identify drilling dysfunctions for drilling optimization. The typical downhole sensor is a memory‐based device with an inexpensive internal clock of limited accuracy that is not synchronized to surface data. Integrating downhole vibrations with other time‐based data such as surface drilling parameters or seismic recordings requires accurate time alignment between all data sets. We present a novel automated two‐step alignment procedure that uses a Global Positioning System‐synchronized top‐drive vibration sensor as a reference. The accuracy of the new method satisfies the most demanding requirements of seismic while drilling. The first step finds the delay time and linear drift using global optimization. The second step estimates nonlinear drift using time‐variant cross‐correlation. Alignment precision of a few seconds after the first step becomes a few milliseconds after the second step, as demanded by seismic‐while‐drilling. The field data example shows that the proposed methodology successfully aligns top‐drive and downhole data using a fully unsynchronized near‐bit vibration data set. After alignment, the near‐bit sensor delivers a usable pilot for seismic‐while‐drilling processing, resulting in better quality correlated seismic data than those obtained with the top‐drive surface pilot.
Coordination of leaf economics traits within the family of the world's fastest growing plants (Lemnaceae)
Authors: Ishizawa Hidehiro , Onoda Yusuke , Kitajima Kaoru , Kuroda Masashi , Inoue Daisuke , Ike Michihiko
Published: May 2021

The duckweed family (Lemnaceae) is a group of free‐floating aquatic plants with bodies consisting of single floating fronds that multiply clonally. Although they are known to have the fastest relative growth rate (RGR) among higher plants, their functional trait coordination in relation to within‐family variation of RGR is poorly understood.

We tested how duckweed species fit within the trait covariation patterns known as the world‐wide leaf economics spectrum (LES). To this end, several functional traits were evaluated for 15 duckweed species, and their covariation patterns were compared with those in the global database of plant functional traits.

As a group, duckweeds exhibited the most acquisitive suite of traits, with extremely small leaf mass per area (LMA), short life span and high mass‐based photosynthetic rate (Amass). These LES traits showed a tight correlation with RGR, corroborating our hypothesis that acquisitive leaf resource economics underpins their extremely high RGR. However, unlike other higher plants, LMA showed weak association with leaf life span and Amass within duckweed family. We also found a unique positive correlation between duckweed LMA and area‐based photosynthetic rates, an indication that their LMA represents different functional significance compared to typical higher plants.

Synthesis. Duckweeds, the world's fastest growing plants, mostly follow the world‐wide LES and locate at its extreme end. The slight deviation from the LES highlights that duckweeds experience some physical and chemical constraints not faced by other higher plants.
Properties of transglutaminase‐induced myofibrillar/wheat gluten gels
Authors: Ouyang Yuanyuan , Xu Jingjing , Ji Fuyun , Tan Mengna , Luo Shuizhong , Zhong Xiyang , Zheng Zhi
Published: May 2021

Gelation properties of myofibrillar protein (MP)/wheat gluten (WG) induced by glutamine transaminase (TGase) were studied. Results showed that the inclusion of transglutaminase increased the gel strength, water‐holding capacity (WHC), and nonfreezable water (Wnf) of MP/WG mixture. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis showed that the β‐sheet and random coil content of the MP/WG treated with TGase addition increased by 12.1% and 3.7%, while the α‐helix and β‐turn content decreased by 14.2% and 1.8%. Rheological measurements showed that TGase induced higher energy storage modulus value during the MP/WG gel heating‐cooling cycle. the hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction content of the MP/WG gels increased by 80 and 120 ug/L, and the disulfide bond decreased by 200 ug/L, with TGase addition was increased from 0 to 120 U/g protein. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that MP/WG gel with TGase had uniform and dense network structure.

Practical Application

The properties of myofibrillar/wheat gluten gel induced by TGase crosslinking was studied. The gel structure and water holding capacity of MP/WG were improved by the cross‐linking of TGase. The study of the gel properties of MP/WG induced by TGase crosslinking also can provide a theoretical basis for analyzing the effect of TGase on the application of gluten protein in complex meat emulsion system.
A machine‐learning modified CART algorithm informs Merkel cell carcinoma prognosis
Authors: Cheraghlou Shayan , Sadda Praneeth , Agogo George O. , Girardi Michael
Published: May 2021

Background

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine skin cancer with a high mortality rate. MCC staging is currently based on tumour primary size, clinical detectability of lymph node metastases, performance of a lymph node biopsy, and presence of distant metastases.

Objective

We aimed to use a modified classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm using available data points in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to elucidate novel prognostic factors for MCC.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of the NCDB and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. Cases from the NCDB were randomly assigned to either the training or validation cohorts. A modified CART algorithm was created with data from the training cohort and used to identify prognostic groups that were validated in the NCDB validation and SEER cohorts.

Results

A modified CART algorithm using tumour variables available in the NCDB identified prognostic strata as follows: I: local disease, II: ≤3 positive nodes, III: ≥4 positive nodes, and IV: presence of distant metastases. Three‐year survival for these groups in the NCDB validation cohort were 81.2% (SE: 1.7), 59.6% (SE: 3.0), 38.0% (SE: 6.0), and 20.2% (SE: 7.0), respectively. These strata were exhibited greater within‐group homogeneity than AJCC groups and were more predictive of survival.

Conclusions

Risk‐stratified grouping of MCC patients incorporating positive lymph node count were strongly predictive of survival and demonstrated a high degree of within‐group homogeneity and survival prediction. Incorporation of positive lymph node count within overall staging or sub‐staging may help to improve future MCC staging criteria.
18F‐FDG PET/CT use in functional assessment of the testes: A systematic review
Authors: Bochiński Antoni , Sujenthiran Arunan , Al‐Hussini Mohamed , Fruhwirth Gilbert O. , Shabbir Majed , Yap Tet
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Our study analysed previous studies employing positron emission tomography with co‐registered computer tomography (PET/CT) in andrological patient evaluation and assessed the differences in 2‐[18F]F‐fluoro‐2′‐deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake between three groups: healthy testes, benign and malignant testicular pathology.

Methods

Medline and Embase were systematically searched for studies involving FDG‐PET/CT imaging of testes with results expressed as mean standardised uptake value (SUVmean). A one‐way ANOVA was used to compare SUVmean between three groups. All papers assessing andrological parameters were pooled to compare fertility data.

Results

Seventeen studies, including three relating to fertility diagnosis, with a total of 830 patients, were included in the review. One‐way ANOVA showed a statistical difference between mean values of tracer SUVmean in healthy and malignant testes (Dif. = −2.77, 95% CI = −4.32 to 1.21, p < 0.01) as well as benign and malignant (Dif. = −2.95, 95% CI = −4.33 to −1.21, p < 0.01) but no difference between healthy and benign (Dif. = 0.19, 95% CI = −0.96 to 1.33, p = 0.90). There is some evidence to suggest that FDG uptake and testicular volume are positively correlated to total sperm count, sperm concentration and sperm motility and that germ cells are likely to account for the majority of testicular FDG accumulation.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that malignant testicular lesions demonstrate a significantly higher FDG uptake than benign testicular lesions or healthy testes. Some evidence also suggests that FDG‐PET could visualise metabolic activity and thus spermatogenesis; however more studies are required to determine whether FDG‐PET could also be used to diagnose infertility. Further studies should focus on correlating both sex hormone‐serum levels and semen analysis results with imaging data.
Association between oral contraceptives and serious infections: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Rosenthal Yael Shalev , Rosenthal Adam , Shalev Ram Hila , Ram Shai , Chodick Gabriel , Koren Gideon
Published: May 2021

Aims

Oral contraceptives (OC)s are commonly used worldwide. In a recent study, we showed that the use of OCs is associated with an increased risk for neutropenia. We aimed to investigate the clinical implications of this finding by examining the infection rates of 4 serious infections before, during and after OCs.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study using the electronic medical records of a large health organization. We selected 2 retrospective cohorts of women aged 16–40 between years 2005 and 2019. The first cohort examined infection rates during 2 years before OC use and 2 consecutive years of adherent OC use. The second cohort included women who consumed OCs adherently for 2 years and then discontinued their use for 2 consecutive years. Women's infection rates were compared by χ2 test, results were stratified by OC type and age.

Results

Overall, 21 595 and 20 728 women were included in Cohorts 1 and 2 respectively. We found a statistically significant higher relative risk for infection while using OCs; the overall risk ratios (95% confidence intervals) for infection in Cohorts 1 and 2 were 1.35 (1.32–1.38) and 1.27 (1.24–1.31), respectively. The overall infection risk remained statistically significant when stratified by age.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a high statistically and clinically significant risk for all infections followed during OC consumption, which is likely to have major clinical and economic implications. These findings may have implications to millions of women worldwide and should lead to more research on the safety of the pill.
Flexible fibre optic vs digital ureteroscopy and enhanced vs unenhanced imaging for diagnosis and treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC): results from the Clinical Research Office of the Endourology Society (CROES)‐UTUC registry
Authors: Soria Francesco , Laguna M. Pilar , Roupret Morgan , Garcia‐Marchinena Patricio , Gonzalez Mariano Sebastián , Habuchi Tomonori , Erkan Erkan , Ng Anthony , Gontero Paolo , de la Rosette Jean
Published: May 2021

Objectives

To compare the oncological outcomes of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) undergoing kidney‐sparing surgery (KSS) with fibre‐optic (FO) vs digital (D) ureteroscopy (URS). To evaluate the oncological impact of image‐enhancement technologies such as narrow‐band imaging (NBI) and Image1‐S in patients with UTUC.

Patients and Methods

The Clinical Research Office of the Endourology Society (CROES)‐UTUC registry is an international, multicentre, cohort study prospectively collecting data on patients with UTUC. Patients undergoing flexible FO‐ or D‐URS for diagnostic or diagnostic and treatment purposes were included. Differences between groups in terms of overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS) were evaluated.

Results

The CROES registry included 2380 patients from 101 centres and 37 countries, of whom 401 patients underwent URS (FO‐URS 186 and D‐URS 215). FO‐URS were performed more frequently for diagnostic purposes, while D‐URS was peformed when a combined diagnostic and treatment strategy was planned. Intra‐ and postoperative complications did not differ between the groups. The 5‐year OS and DFS rates were 91.5% and 66.4%, respectively. The mean OS was 42 months for patients receiving FO‐URS and 39 months for those undergoing D‐URS (P = 0.9); the mean DFS was 28 months in the FO‐URS group and 21 months in the D‐URS group (P < 0.001). In patients who received URS with treatment purposes, there were no differences in OS (P = 0.9) and DFS (P = 0.7). NBI and Image1‐S technologies did not improve OS or DFS over D‐URS.

Conclusions

D‐URS did not provide any oncological advantage over FO‐URS. Similarly, no differences in terms of OS and DFS were found when image‐enhancement technologies were compared to D‐URS. These findings underline the importance of surgeon skills and experience, and reinforce the need for the centralisation of UTUC care.
Omega‐3 PUFA profoundly affect neural, physiological, and behavioural competences – implications for systemic changes in trophic interactions
Authors: Pilecky Matthias , Závorka Libor , Arts Michael T. , Kainz Martin J.
Published: May 2021

In recent decades, much conceptual thinking in trophic ecology has been guided by theories of nutrient limitation and the flow of elements, such as carbon and nitrogen, within and among ecosystems. More recently, ecologists have also turned their attention to examining the value of specific dietary nutrients, in particular polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), among which the omega‐3 PUFA, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) play a central role as essential components of neuronal cell membranes in many organisms. This review focuses on a new neuro‐ecological approach stemming from the biochemical (mechanistic) and physiological (functional) role of DHA in neuronal cell membranes, in particular in conjunction with G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). We link the co‐evolution of these neurological functions to metabolic dependency on dietary omega‐3 PUFA. We outline ways in which deficiencies in dietary DHA supply may affect, cognition, vision, and behaviour, and ultimately, the biological fitness of consumers. We then review emerging evidence that changes in access to dietary omega‐3 PUFA may ultimately have profound impacts on trophic interactions leading to potential changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning that, in turn, may affect the supply of DHA within and across ecosystems, including the supply for human consumption.
Head‐to‐head comparison between 18F‐DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga‐DOTA peptides PET/CT in detecting intestinal neuroendocrine tumours: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Piccardo Arnoldo , Fiz Francesco , Bottoni Gianluca , Ugolini Martina , Noordzij Walter , Trimboli Pierpaolo
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The imaging of intestinal neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) relies on functional positron emission tomography (PET) tracers; these tumours can be studied by means of both 68Ga‐DOTA peptides and 18F‐fluorodihydroxyphenyl‐
l‐alanine (18F‐DOPA) PET/computed tomography (CT). As yet, it is unclear which of these two modalities offers the better sensitivity. We therefore conducted a meta‐analysis to assess the available data.

Methods

PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for studies comparing the sensitivity of 68Ga‐DOTA peptides and 18F‐DOPA PET/CT; papers up to February 2021 were considered. In each study, we considered sensitivity in terms of patient‐based analysis (PBA), region‐based analysis (RBA) and lesion‐based analysis (LBA), and pooled the results yielded by each tracer. Multidisciplinary follow‐up served as the standard of truth.

Results

Of the 636 records identified, 6 articles published between 2008 and 2021 were finally selected, and 112 intestinal NETs patients were included. The pooled sensitivity of 18F‐DOPA PET/CT was 83%, 89% and 95% on PBA, RBA and LBA, respectively. 68Ga‐DOTA peptides PET/CT showed sensitivity of 88%, 92% and 82% on PBA, RBA and LBA, respectively. No significant differences were found between the two tracers on PBA and RBA. By contrast, a clear trend towards significance in favour of 18F‐DOPA PET/CT was identified on LBA. The presence of a significant difference in favour of 18F‐DOPA PET/CT was confirmed in a subgroup analysis conducted only on the most recent and largest studies. In all three analyses, mild‐to‐high heterogeneity was found; however, no publication bias was observed.

Conclusion

Both 18F‐DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga‐DOTA‐peptides PET/CT are reliable diagnostic procedures in patients with intestinal NETs. However, in terms of lesion detection, a non‐negligible difference in favour of 18F‐DOPA PET/CT was observed. Thus, the use of 18F‐DOPA PET/CT could be considered as a first‐line molecular procedure in intestinal NETs.
Concepts of God and Germs: Social Mechanisms and Cognitive Heuristics
Authors: Saide Anondah , Richert Rebekah
Published: May 2021

Previous research has shown that the more individuals view observable entities as animate, the more those entities are associated with having psychological and physiological experiences. This study examined the relationship between children's animistic and anthropomorphic reasoning for concepts of unobservable scientific (i.e., germ) and religious (i.e., God) entities. This study further explored how children's conceptions vary according to the social learning opportunities (i.e., discourse, rituals) parents reportedly create. Parent–child dyads with young children from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds participated. Three central findings emerged. First, children readily associated God with psychobiological characteristics but did not do so to the same extent for germs. Second, children applied more psychobiological properties to both entity types when they believed that the entity was animate. Third, engaging in rituals and discourse with parents was indirectly related to children's concepts of God but not related to their concepts of germs. Overall, this study presented support for a connection between children's animistic and anthropomorphic reasoning for unobservable entities, and an indirect effect of cultural input on this reasoning. The implications of these findings will be discussed.
The puzzle of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) and their association with plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Authors: Lawson Nancy , Vane‐Wright Richard I. , Boppré Michael
Published: May 2021

1. The chemical defences of monarch butterflies involve two kinds of secondary plant metabolites: cardiac glycosides (CGs) that are obtained from larval hostplants, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) that are gathered by adults usually independent from feeding behaviour. While monarchs and CGs have received great attention, monarchs and PAs appear largely ignored in science as well as by the public.

2. We review and discuss PA‐pharmacophagy specifically for Danaus plexippus and its closest relatives and aim to encourage research and future consideration of this peculiar type of insect‐plant relationship, which represents an intrinsic but surprisingly understudied aspect of the lives of adult monarchs.
On academic branding: A review of the factors influencing research agenda choice and prioritization in management
Authors: Wazir Ola , El‐Bassiouny Noha , Schmidpeter René
Published: May 2021

This paper aims to investigate the process of setting a prioritized research agenda that tackles the relevance gap in the management field as a method of academic branding for scholars. This is done by assessing the institutional and individual factors that affect research agenda prioritization for the management scholar. A conceptual approach, that is the outcome of theory analysis and the investigation of previous literature, is adopted. This results in a conceptual framework that tackles the relationship between the factors on one side and decision‐making styles on the other. The study has implications for scholars to keep in perspective a conceptualization of the factors that could influence their research agenda setting process. This study has two contributions. First, the delivery of a conceptual framework that is relevant to management scholars to help prioritize research agenda that contributes to academic branding, and second is the linking of decision‐making styles to these factors.
Validating timing of salmon smolt runs obtained by telemetry studies
Authors: Hulbak Magnus , Hanssen Erlend M. , Lennox Robert J. , Salvanes Anne Gro Vea , Barlaup Bjørn , Gharbi Naouel , Nilsen Tom Ole , Vollset Knut Wiik
Published: May 2021

Telemetry tags are increasingly used in management to monitor the migration timing of Atlantic salmon smolts (Salmo salar L.). It has been postulated that (1) effects from tagging and handling may alter migration behaviour, and (2) that the selection of fish during sampling is not representative of all migrating smolts, yielding bias in migration timing estimates. In the River Dale (Vestland, Norway), five groups of wild Atlantic salmon smolts (N = 385) were tagged in April–May and recaptured in a wolf trap. Migration timing was then compared to the untagged population. Migration timing differed between tagged (12 mm PIT) and untagged fish for 4/5 groups. Only fish tagged at the first time point did not have significantly different timing of migration from untagged counterparts. The relationship between length and the timing of migration was different for initial length and length at recapture; initial length suggested earlier migration of longer fish, but the extra time spent in the river prior to migrating for smolts that were initially smaller compensated for the size difference. The tagging protocol is crucial to obtaining representative migration timing results. Smolts should be tagged as early as possible and include the entire size distribution.
Pancreas stiffness in liver cirrhosis is an indicator of insulin secretion caused by portal hypertension and pancreatic congestion
Authors: Imamura Yoshiki , Kumagi Teru , Kuroda Taira , Koizumi Mitsuhito , Yoshida Osamu , Kanemitsu Kozue , Tada Fujimasa , Tanaka Yoshinori , Hirooka Masashi , Hiasa Yoichi
Published: May 2021

Aim

Portal hypertension induces pancreatic congestion and impaired insulin secretion in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). However, its mechanism is unclear, with no established noninvasive imaging method for the evaluation of its pathogeneses. The present study focused on pancreas stiffness, as assessed by shear wave elastography (SWE), and examined its association with portal hypertension and insulin secretion.

Methods

Shear wave elastography and contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography were utilized to evaluate pancreas stiffness and congestion, respectively. A glucagon challenge test was used for insulin secretion assessment. Furthermore, rat models of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced LC and portal hypertension were used to identify the direct effects of pancreatic congestion. Immunohistochemistry staining of the pancreas was carried out on human autopsy samples.

Results

Pancreas stiffness measured by SWE was higher in patients with LC than in controls and showed significant correlation with pancreatic congestion. The glucagon challenge test indicated a lower value for the change in C‐peptide immunoreactivity in the LC group, which was inversely correlated with pancreas stiffness and congestion. Additionally, portal hypertension and insulin secretion dysfunction were confirmed in CCl4 rat models. Autopsy of human samples revealed congestive and fibrotic changes in the pancreas and the relationship between insulin secretion and their factors in patients with LC.

Conclusions

In patients with LC, pancreas stiffness measured by SWE could be a potential noninvasive test for evaluating pancreatic congestion and fibrosis due to portal hypertension. Moreover, it was associated with impaired insulin secretion, and could aid in guiding the treatment for hepatogenous diabetes.
Marketisation of higher education: A genre analysis of university prospectuses in Pakistan
Authors: Shahnaz Ambreen
Published: May 2021

The marketisation of higher education is a global phenomenon in the new millennium as the universities are facing intense competition to manage their financial resources and maintain their academic growth and reputation. Pakistan is also influenced by the globalisation of higher education. In this context, this study is a genre analysis of the introductory pages of prospectuses o Pakistani universities. Through Bhatia's model of Applied Genre Analysis, a six‐move generic structure has been identified in the introductory pages of prospectuses to establish it as a complex hybrid promotional genre. The most significant communicative purposes are welcoming, informing, and persuading. The universities appear to borrow discourse from genres like accounts, advertisements, management, and the tourist industry. The analysis reveals that marketisation is deeply rooted in today's higher education in Pakistan.
Effectiveness of remineralization agents on the prevention of dental bleaching induced sensitivity: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: GÜMÜŞTAŞ Burak , DİKMEN Benin
Published: May 2021

Objectives

This study aims to compare the use of different remineralization agents before in‐office bleaching for decreasing bleaching induced sensitivity.

Methods

A total of 64 volunteers were randomly divided into four groups. Before undergoing in‐office bleaching with 38% hydrogen peroxide gel (three applications of 15 min each, one session), clinicians applied a placebo gel (control group), casein phosphopeptide‐amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP‐ACP), neutral sodium fluoride gel (NSF) or nano‐hydroxyapatite solution (n‐HAP) on all buccal surfaces of teeth. The gel was left undisturbed for 4 min. The efficacy of tooth whitening was assessed by determining the colour change using SGU. Patients recorded their tooth sensitivities on the VAS scale. Kruskal‐Wallis test followed by Mann‐Whitney U test was used to compare changes in tooth colour and intensity of tooth sensitivity between groups.

Results

Overall, there was no significant difference in shade change between the groups. Control and CPP‐ACP groups showed significantly higher rates of hypersensitivity than NSF and the n‐HAP group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The use of a remineralization agent (n‐HAP/NSF) before in‐office bleaching did not affect the bleaching efficacy but did reduce tooth sensitivity. The before bleaching treatment use of an n‐HAP solution can be suitable for reducing bleaching born sensitivity as well as commonly used NSF remineralizing gel before in‐office tooth bleaching can reduce tooth sensitivity, the most common side effect associated with this procedure.
Association of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in tumour necrosis factor and human leukocyte antigens genes with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Osman Awad Elsid , Brema Imad , AlQurashi Alaa , Al‐Jurayyan Abdullah , Bradley Benjamin , Hamza Muaawia Ahmed
Published: May 2021

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by progressive destruction of insulin‐producing pancreatic beta cells. This multifactorial disease has a strong genetic component associated with the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and non‐HLA regions. In this study, we compared frequencies of HLA‐DRB1 alleles and single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated the genes coding for: toll‐like receptors (TLRs), tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin‐1 (IL‐1), interleukin‐1 receptor type 1 (IL‐1R1), interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1RN), interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) and interleukin‐12B (IL‐12B), between T1D patients and healthy controls. The aim was to identify frequency differences and linkage between these genetic markers in T1D patients and healthy controls. Twelve SNPs were investigated as follows: rs16944 (IL‐1B), rs1143634 (IL‐1B), rs1800587 (IL‐1A), rs2069762 (IL‐2), rs3212227 (IL‐12B), rs2234650 (IL‐1R1), rs315952 (IL‐1RN), rs3804099 (TLR2), rs4986790 (TLR4), rs4986791 (TLR4), rs1800629 (TNF) and rs361525 (TNF). TaqMan genotype assay method was used for SNPs genotyping. HLA‐DRB1* genes were typed by Sequence Specific Oligonucleotide Probe (SSOP). SPSS and SNPStats programs were used for the statistical analysis. Significant differences between T1D and control groups were found for the dominant model of rs361525 and rs1800629A:rs361525G genotypes for TNF. Increased frequencies of DRB1*03 and DRB1*04 and decreased frequencies of DRB1*07, DRB1*11 and DRB1*13 and DRB1*15 were observed in T1D patients compared with controls. However, the genotype, DRB1*07 with rs1800629A/G was associated with T1D. We have confirmed that DRB1*03 and DRB1*04 are associated with increased risk and DRB1*07, DRB1*11 and DRB1*13 and DRB1*15 with decreased risk of T1D. Also, the dominant model of rs361525A, and the rs1800629G:361525A genotype were associated with increased risk. The simultaneous presence of DRB1*07 and rs1800629A/G genotypes in 23 out of 27 DRB1*07 positive T1D patients implied that islet cell peptide processing may have been biased towards autoimmunity by upregulation of TNF associated intronic SNPs.
The safety–quality dominant view of food chain integrity: Implications for consumer‐centric food chain governance
Authors: Roy Vivek , Srivastava Samir K.
Published: May 2021

Food chain integrity demands strengthening the position of end consumers in the food system. Shaping this consumer‐centric agenda leads to a multi‐dimensional quest where actors in the food chain need to remodel their production, processing and disclosure norms by focusing on end consumers’ expectations. Food chain integrity so far has largely been explained using the angles of fraud and criminality to mainstream the criticality of curbing intentional contamination in food chain operations. However, the view which accounts for how food safety and food quality expand the understanding of food chain integrity remains underdeveloped. Addressing this concern, we conceptualize the interaction space between the notions of food chain integrity, food safety and food quality using a unifying lens of supply chain governance in the food chain. In doing so, we outline the safety and quality‐oriented arcs of food chain governance that are instrumental in creating consumer‐centric processes. Drawing from systematic reviews, a multi‐disciplinary article set is constructed involving the scholarships of food sector management, logistics and supply chain management, marketing and general management. The key findings outline five principal themes to notionally characterize the targeted interaction space and set the foundation of consumer‐centric supply chain governance for food chain integrity. Besides discussing diverse governance areas such as industrial co‐regulation, newer emphasis areas for internal/external chain integration and the need for consumer integration in food chain processes, the thematic leads are distilled further to outline macro‐ and micro‐level arcs of consumer‐centric food chain governance along with strategic pathways for future research.
Scaffold compound L971 exhibits anti‐inflammatory activities through inhibition of JAK/STAT and NFκB signalling pathways
Authors: Li Mengyuan , Yan Yu , Zhang Xinxin , Zhang Yidan , Xu Xiaohan , Zhang Lei , Lu Liangliang , Wang Jie , Zhang Yazhuo , Song Qiaoling , Zhao Chenyang
Published: May 2021

JAK/STAT and NFκB signalling pathways play essential roles in regulating inflammatory responses, which are important pathogenic factors of various serious immune‐related diseases, and function individually or synergistically. To find prodrugs that can treat inflammation, we performed a preliminary high‐throughput screening of 18 840 small molecular compounds and identified scaffold compound L971 which significantly inhibited JAK/STAT and NFκB driven luciferase activities. L971 could inhibit the constitutive and stimuli‐dependent activation of STAT1, STAT3 and IκBα and could significantly down‐regulate the proinflammatory gene expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated by LPS. Gene expression profiles upon L971 treatment were determined using high‐throughput RNA sequencing, and significant differentially up‐regulated and down‐regulated genes were identified by DESeq analysis. The bioinformatic studies confirmed the anti‐inflammatory effects of L971. Finally, L971 anti‐inflammatory character was further verified in LPS‐induced sepsis shock mouse model in vivo. Taken together, these data indicated that L971 could down‐regulate both JAK/STAT and NFκB signalling activities and has the potential to treat inflammatory diseases such as sepsis shock.
Comparative effectiveness of higher adalimumab maintenance therapy versus standard dose in anti‐tumor necrosis factor experienced Crohn's disease patients: A propensity‐score matched cohort analysis
Authors: Narula Neeraj , Wong Emily C L , AlRamdan Raed , Bualbanat Hasan , Marshall John K , Steinhart A Hillary , Greener Tomer , Silverberg Mark S
Published: May 2021

Background and Aim

Crohn's disease (CD) patients who previously failed anti‐tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy are at higher risk of treatment failure with subsequent biologics. This study aims to determine the effectiveness and safety of higher maintenance dose regimens of adalimumab compared with standard doses in CD patients who failed anti‐TNF.

Methods

In this retrospective observational study, CD patients who failed anti‐TNF and received adalimumab were categorized according to their post‐induction maintenance regimen; 40 mg subcutaneous (sc) weekly or 80 mg sc every other week were defined as a high‐dose (HD) maintenance regimen, and 40 mg sc every other week was defined as a standard‐dose (SD) maintenance regimen. The primary outcome was time to treatment failure. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to adjust for confounders. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using propensity scores to create a cohort of matched participants with similar distribution of baseline covariates.

Results

Forty patients started on HD regimens following induction, and 77 patients received the SD regimen. The median time to failure in the HD group was 6.6 years (interquartile range [IQR] 4.0–9.6) and 3.0 years (IQR 0.9–9.4) in the SD group (log‐rank test P = 0.006). Patients on HD adalimumab had a lower hazard rate of treatment failure (hazard ratio: 0.27; 95% confidence interval [0.12, 0.62]; P = 0.002) compared with SD patients. No difference in adverse events was identified between groups (30% vs 31.2%, P = 1.0). Results were similar in the propensity score‐matched cohort.

Conclusions

High‐dose maintenance regimens were associated with longer time‐to‐failure as compared with SD regimens in CD patient who failed anti‐TNF.
The role of imaging in the evaluation of hoarseness: A review
Authors: Jain Vikas
Published: May 2021

Hoarseness is a common symptom indicating an abnormal change in the quality of voice and has a lifetime prevalence of around 30%. There are multiple causes of hoarseness, ranging from acute laryngitis, chronic laryngitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux, functional dysphonia due to vocal overuse or abuse, vocal cord paralysis (VCP), to various pathologies and masses in the larynx. A detailed history and thorough physical examination, and in many cases, laryngoscopy by a clinician are the initial steps in its management. Laryngoscopy should be considered if hoarseness persists for more than 2 weeks without a known benign cause. An Ear Nose and Throat surgeon performs direct visualization by laryngoscopy to rule out VCP or a lesion in the larynx, and it should be performed before ordering any imaging. CT with contrast is the imaging of choice to evaluate the laryngeal tumors and find the etiology of VCP. Typical findings of VCP are ipsilateral dilatation of the pyriform sinus and laryngeal ventricle, thickening and medialization of the ipsilateral aryepiglottic fold, medialization of the arytenoid cartilage and posterior aspect of the true vocal cord (TVC) atrophy of the TVC, and loss of the subglottic arch. The lesions causing the VCP may extend from the medulla, jugular foramen, carotid space, and upper mediastinum. CT neck must cover the aorticopulmonary window when evaluating the left VCP to cover the left recurrent laryngeal nerve's origin.
Rationale for hyperbaric oxygen therapy in traumatic injury and wound care in small animal veterinary practice
Authors: Levitan D. M. , Hitt M. , Geiser D. R. , Lyman R.
Published: May 2021

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is in wide use in human medicine around the world. Although hyperbaric oxygen therapy is available for veterinary use, it is still significantly underutilised. The physical principles, gas laws and physiologic mechanisms by which hyperbaric oxygen therapy is therapeutic, especially in traumatic injuries and complicated wound care, are discussed. Then, considerations are offered for the implementation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in veterinary practices. Finally, a review of clinical indications for veterinary practices, including a presentation of select literature, is provided. Applying hyperbaric oxygen therapy in an earlier and more consistent manner could improve short‐ and long‐term outcomes in complicated wounds. The authors also hope this information may stimulate interest in the design of future, prospective studies for the various clinical situations described.