bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Team reward interdependence and team performance: roles of shared leadership and psychological ownership
Authors: Gu Qinxuan , Hu Dongqing , Hempel Paul
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Drawing on the motivated information processing in groups (MIP-G) model, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between team reward interdependence and team performance, treating shared leadership as a mediator and team average job-based psychological ownership as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a field sample of 72 knowledge-based work teams comprised of 466 team members and their team leaders. Data were analysed using hierarchical regression analysis and moderated path analysis.

Findings

Team reward interdependence was positively related to team performance through shared leadership. Team average job-based psychological ownership moderated both the relationship between team reward interdependence and shared leadership, and the indirect relationship between team reward interdependence and team performance.

Research limitations/implications

The shared leadership literature is extended by exploring the antecedents of shared leadership from the perspective of team incentives and by examining the moderating role of team average job-based psychological ownership.

Practical implications

Organizations and managers should pay attention to team pay system design and be aware of the importance of employees’ psychological ownership toward their jobs in promoting shared leadership in teams.

Originality/value

This study sheds light on the antecedents of shared leadership from motivated information processing perspective and examines antecedent boundary conditions through the moderating role of team average job-based psychological ownership.
What corporate executives can learn from leading value investors
Authors: Calandro Jr. Joseph , Sherratt Paul A.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The principles of value investing present an alternative way to strategically approach the challenges and opportunities generated from the global risk landscape.

Design/methodology/approach

The principles of value investing – based on the lessons learned from highly successful practitioners – can be distilled into six core managerial considerations.

Findings

In theory, the prescriptions of value investing appear straightforward, but executives need to augment their skillsets with those of both an astute investor and discerning banker, balance their attention between conventional and non-traditional sources of information, and exhibit the patience and grit to go against the herd and focus on longer-term compounded returns.

Practical implications

The concept of “rationality” is a way of monitoring executive behavior to ensure that stated goals, objectives and strategies reconcile to business actions over time.

Originality/value

Insights for corporate leaders, investors, M&A teams and activists. These six principles will likely be increasingly valuable during the challenging times ahead: Adding cost-effective resource allocation to the strategy tool kit. Conservative financing. Balancing non-traditional and traditional information. Clarity about the complexity of risk. Humility in times of uncertainty. Focusing on compounded returns.
Tree species mixing causes a shift in fine‐root soil exploitation strategies across European forests
Authors: Wambsganss Janna , Freschet Grégoire T. , Beyer Friderike , Goldmann Kezia , Prada‐Salcedo Luis Daniel , Scherer‐Lorenzen Michael , Bauhus Jürgen
Published: June 2021

Mixed‐species forests have often been shown to enhance above‐ground ecosystem properties and processes. Despite the significance of fine roots for tree and ecosystem functioning, the role of tree species diversity for below‐ground processes driven by fine roots remains largely unknown. Previously, an underyielding of fine‐root biomass (FRB) in tree mixtures across four major European forest types has been reported. To explain this phenomenon, we tested here the effect of tree species mixing on fine‐root traits related to soil exploitation efficiency, including biotic feedbacks from ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcM), and assessed the role of root trait dissimilarity.

We analysed morphological and chemical traits as well as ectomycorrhizal colonisation intensity of absorptive fine roots (i.e. first three most distal orders) in soil samples from 315 mixed and mono‐specific tree neighbourhoods in mainly mature, semi‐natural forest stands across Europe. Additionally, we quantified mycorrhizal abundance and diversity in soil samples from the same stands.

At the community level, fine roots in tree mixtures were characterised by higher specific root lengths and root nitrogen concentrations, lower diameters and root tissue densities indicating a faster resource acquisition strategy compared to mono‐specific stands. The higher root EcM colonisation intensity and soil EcM diversity in mixtures compared to mono‐specific stands may further provide evidence for positive biotic feedbacks. Moreover, the diversity of fine‐root traits influenced FRB, as mixtures characterised by a higher trait dissimilarity were linked to a lower reduction in FRB. At the level of phylogenetic groups, thin‐rooted angiosperm species showed stronger responses to mixing than thick‐rooted gymnosperms, especially in terms of root morphology and EcM colonisation, indicating different strategies of response to tree mixing.

Our results indicate that a lower FRB can reflect a shift in soil resource acquisition strategies, rather than a lower performance of trees in mixtures. They show that several non‐exclusive mechanisms can simultaneously explain negative net effects of mixing on FRB. This study sheds new light on the importance of using integrative approaches including both above‐ and below‐ground biomass and traits to study diversity effects on plant productivity.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Winter belowground: Changing winters and the perennating organs of herbaceous plants
Authors: Lubbe Frederick Curtis , Klimešová Jitka , Henry Hugh A. L.
Published: June 2021

The physical avoidance of overwinter damage is important for determining the success of herbaceous perennial plants in climates with cold winters. Exposure to damaging frost can be affected by contemporary climatic change, which can include an increase in winter air temperatures, changes in precipitation and changes in the timing and severity of warm and cold events.

In this review, we consider the specific adaptations of herbaceous plants to avoid harsh winter conditions via perennating organs, what is known about their responses to warming winters, and what future directions the research of overwintering in herbs should explore.

Herbaceous plants have adapted to harsh winter conditions in part by investing carbohydrates into belowground organs of perennation instead of aboveground biomass. The location of renewal buds and stored carbohydrates belowground increases their protection against freezing temperatures, and they can be further protected via insulation from plant litter or snow cover.

Climate change can affect overwintering organs by altering snow cover depth and duration, thus increasing or decreasing the exposure of plants to frost, and may initiate an earlier or a later onset of growth in the spring. Winter warming can increase productivity in some species, but directly or indirectly decrease it in others and may lead to a loss of specialized plants, for example, in snowbed communities. Plants with shallow structures and taproots may be particularly vulnerable to increased soil frost penetration resulting from reduced snow cover.

Measures of organ biomass and storage carbohydrate content can be used to assess how winter conditions affect allocation, storage, and the potential for growth in the spring. When destructive measures cannot be taken, the use of trait measures, such as perennating organ type, or its traits, such as depth and size of bud bank, can add further strength to the assessment of responses across multiple species.

To fully understand the effects of changing winter conditions on perennial herbaceous plants, researchers must better account for plant overwintering strategies, their drivers, costs, and benefits.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Applying the stress‐gradient hypothesis to curb the spread of invasive bamboo
Authors: Spake Rebecca , Soga Masashi , Catford Jane A. , Eigenbrod Felix
Published: June 2021

The stress‐gradient hypothesis (SGH) provides a conceptual framework for explaining how environmental context determines the nature of biotic interactions. It may be also useful for predicting geographic variability in the effect of management interventions on biological invasions. We aimed to test hypotheses consistent with the SGH to explain context dependency in bamboo invasion of secondary forests in Japan, and establish a predictive understanding of forest management impacts on invasion.

We use a priori physiological knowledge of invasive giant bamboo,Phyllostachys bambusoides, to generate hypotheses consistent with the SGH. We modelled variation in giant bamboo occupancy within 810 secondary forest plots across the broad environmental gradients of Japan using a national vegetation database.

Consistent with the SGH, we find that the effect of tree canopy cover on bamboo occupancy depends on interactions between solar radiation and mean annual temperature. In cool regions with high solar radiation—stressful conditions for bamboo—shade cast by dense canopies facilitates invasion. However, in warmer regions that are more benign, dense canopies tend to inhibit spread via competition for light, space and other resources.

Synthesis and applications. We provide evidence that the stress‐gradient hypothesis can inform practical recommendations for invasive species control. We characterised geographic variability in the effect of forest thinning, a widespread management intervention used to enhance forest biodiversity, on the risk of bamboo spread into secondary forests in Japan. Thinning forest canopies to increase understorey light radiation should limit bamboo spread in cooler regions, while tree planting to increase canopy shade should limit bamboo spread in warmer regions.
Organic farming supports lower pest infestation, but fewer natural enemies than flower strips
Authors: Török Edina , Zieger Sinja , Rosenthal Jacob , Földesi Rita , Gallé Róbert , Tscharntke Teja , Batáry Péter
Published: June 2021

Agricultural intensification has led to dramatic losses of species and associated ecosystem services. In the European Union, agri‐environment schemes (AESs) have been developed to mitigate these challenges. There are two opposing AES strategies, targeting either production or non‐production areas. Organic farming focuses on production and conservation on the same land‐use area, whereas flower strips adjacent to crop fields are in favour of intensified conventional production combined with conservation strips outside the cultivated area.

We investigated pest and natural enemy abundances of organic farming versus establishing flower strip in 10 agricultural landscapes in Central Germany along a gradient of mean field size (1.24–6.78 ha). We focused on three winter wheat fields per landscape: conventional field (control), conventional field with adjacent flower strip and organic field. We sampled crop pests such as cereal leaf beetles (CLBs) and cereal aphids as well as their natural enemies.

Our results indicated that the abundance of CLB larvae was more than two times higher in conventional farming with and without flower strip than that in the organic farming. The abundance of natural enemies was supported by landscapes with small mean field size, that is their numbers increased c. threefold when field size decreased from 7 to 2 ha.

Aphid abundance was lower in organic fields and conventional control fields than in conventional fields with flower strips suggesting a potential disservice of flower strips. Parasitoids and natural enemies benefited from flower strips, but they were obviously not able to control the aphids.

Synthesis and applications. The major pests in cereals, aphids and CLBs infested organic farming less than flower strips along conventional fields. However, the abundance of natural enemies of pests benefited from flower strips and, in addition, from decreasing field size in agricultural landscapes. Hence, enhancing predator populations for more effective biological pest control may be best with decreasing field sizes combined with organic farming and flower strips. Altogether, organic farming might contribute much more to low pest damage than a conventional farming strategy with flower strips.
Antibiotic resistance in mucosal bacteria from high Arctic migratory salmonids
Authors: Moniz Kristy , Walker Virginia K. , Shah Vishal
Published: June 2021

Two related salmonids, Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) sampled from the high Arctic region of Nunavut, Canada are anadromous fish, migrating annually from the same ice‐covered freshwater waterbodies to spend summers in the marine waters of the Arctic Ocean. Microbiota associated with the skin‐associated mucus undergo community change coincident with migration, and irrespective of this turnover, antibiotic resistance was detected in mixed bacterial cultures initiated with mucus samples. Although as expected most bacteria were unculturable, however, 5/7 isolates showed susceptibility to a panel of five common antibiotics. The fish were sampled under severe conditions and at remote locations far from human habitation. Regardless, two isolates, ‘Carnobacterium maltaromaticum sm‐2’ and ‘Arthrobacter citreus sm’, showed multi‐resistance to two or more antibiotics including ampicillin and streptomycin indicating multiple resistance genes. It is unknown if these fish bacteria have ‘natural’ resistance phenotypes or if resistance has been acquired. As result of these observations, we urge long‐term monitoring of drug‐resistant bacteria in the region and caution the assumption of a lack of drug‐resistant organisms even in such extreme environments.
Letter: confounders and outcomes in studies of beta‐blockers in liver disease—role of PPIs?
Authors: Kilincalp Serta , Papachrysos Nikolaos
Published: June 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Sasso et al and Sasso & Rockey papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16156 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16355
Superior outcome for splenectomised patients in a population‐based study of splenic marginal zone lymphoma in Sweden
Authors: Sima Andreea , Hollander Peter , Baecklund Eva , Smedby Karin E. , Enblad Gunilla , Amini Rose‐Marie
Published: June 2021

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) is a rare low‐grade B‐cell lymphoma where associations with viral hepatitis and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (AID) have been indicated. We aimed at assessing the prevalence of viral hepatitis and AID at SMZL diagnosis and outcome by treatment in a Swedish population‐based study. A total of 277 SMZL patients registered in the Swedish Lymphoma Register in 2007–2017 were included. A history of viral hepatitis was reported in five (2%) patients and AID prior to SMZL in 72/240 (30%) patients. Treatment was given up front for 207 (75%) patients. Splenectomy with or without systemic treatment was performed in 119 (57%) and was associated with statistically significantly better overall survival [hazard ratio, HR = 0·47 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0·23–0·93), P = 0·03] and progression‐free survival (HR = 0·55, 95% CI: 0·35–0·86, P = 0·008) compared to non‐splenectomised patients in multivariable analyses. The up‐front splenectomised group was younger and generally had a lower Ann Arbor stage, but also more frequently B symptoms and high lactate dehydrogenase than the non‐splenectomised group. Viral hepatitis and AID history did not affect SMZL outcome. We report high incidence of AIDs and low incidence of viral hepatitis in this population‐based study of SMZL. Splenectomy up front was associated with a favourable outcome.
Intergenerational ethics in Africa: Duties to older adults in skipped generation households
Authors: Jecker Nancy S.
Published: June 2021

This paper examines individual and societal duties to older adults in sub‐Saharan Africa who reside in skipped generation households, which are households in which a young and old generation live together with the middle generation absent. As they age, older adults in skipped generation households may lack the prospect of social and economic support from offspring, making their situation precarious. If ill health results in an older adult's inability to work, who will support them? If they need assistance with basic activities of daily living, who will provide it? This paper addresses these questions through the lens of African ethics. Section I appeals to the African ethic of ubuntu ('humanness') to identify normative conceptions of persons and moral character relevant to skipped generation ethics. Section II elaborates this focus by means of the virtues of gratitude and reciprocity, discussing their conditions, requirements, and limits and comparing surrogate parent‐child to parent‐child cases. Section III explores the application of an ubuntu ethic to society as a whole and defines societal duties toward older adults by appealing to African conceptions of dignity and justice.
Variability of treatment modalities and intensity in patients with severe haemophilia A on prophylaxis: Results from the Italian national registry
Authors: Cortesi Paolo Angelo , Giampaolo Adele , Abbonizio Francesca , Molinari Angelo Claudio , Castaman Giancarlo , Biffoni Mauro , Mantovani Lorenzo Giovanni
Published: June 2021

Background

A shift from a standard to a personalized prophylaxis has been increasingly adopted in patients with severe haemophilia A (SHA). This approach has raised the likelihood of a significant variability in the prophylactic approaches and the relative Factor VIII (FVIII) consumptions. The aim of our study was to assess the treatment variability of SHA patients without inhibitors and on prophylaxis regimen in Italy.

Material and methods

Data reported in the National Registry of Congenital Coagulopathies (NRCC) were analysed to assess treatment distribution within SHA patients without inhibitors, focussing on FVIII consumption in 2017, associated with prophylaxis regimen. The analysis was stratified based on age groups and Italian regions to describe the variability of FVIII consumption in Italy.

Results

In 2017, the Registry reported the therapeutic plans of 1068 SHA patients without inhibitors on prophylaxis. The mean (95% CI) individual consumption ranges from 123 127 IU (99 736‐146 518) in the age group 0‐6 years to 345 000 IU (336 000‐354 000) in the age group >20 years. A significant FVIII consumption variability was identified within the adult population. Regions with less than 50 patients reported the higher variability in mean FVIII consumption per patient‐year within the different age groups. Similar difference in FVIII consumption variability was reported also in the age groups comparing “low,” “middle” and “high” patient volume regions.

Discussion

A reliable estimation of FVIII consumption for patients’ treatment is necessary to manage and plan the appropriate budget and keep treatment's costs affordable. However, without the implementation of a methodology aiming to assess the overall value produced by these FVIII consumptions, the scenario will keep driven by FVIII consumptions, its costs and the budget available. An effort by haemophilic community, haemophilia treatment centres and institutions is required to develop and share this cultural shift in improving haemophilia management and assessment.
Influence of the concentration of capping agent on synthesizing and analyses of Ceria nano‐filler using modified co‐precipitation technique
Authors: Murugesan Ramachandran , RengaPillai Subadevi , Palanisamy Rajkumar , Rajendran Muthupradeepa , Rathinam Yuvakkumar , Marimuthu Sivakumar
Published: June 2021

The pure crystalline cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles were synthesized using optimized content of Ce(NO3)3. 6H2O with varying concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 M) as a precipitation agent in presence of 2.5 wt% poly(vinylpyrrolidone) PVP. All the samples are prepared via the modified coprecipitation technique. The synthesized materials have been analyzed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), laser Raman, high‐resolution scanning electron microscope (HR‐SEM), and photo luminescence (PL) analyses. The optimized sample was identified with the help of the above studies that could be analyzed through transverse electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. The cubic structure with the Fm‐3 m space group has been confirmed through XRD (JCPDS: 81‐0792) and Raman analyses. The FT‐IR and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses ascertain the occurrence of Ce and O species. The as‐prepared CeO2 filler (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt%) is dispersed through the optimized polymer electrolyte Poly (styrene‐co‐methyl methacrylate) P(S‐MMA) (27 wt%)–lithium perchloride (LiClO4) (8 wt%)–ethylene carbonate + propylene carbonate (EC + PC) (1;1 of 65 wt%) complex system using solution casting technique. P(S‐MMA) (27 wt%)–LiClO4 (8 wt%)–EC + PC (1;1 of 65 wt%)–6 wt% of CeO2 shows the high ionic conductivity 8.13 × 10−4 S cm−1.
Ethical considerations referred to in child health research published in leading nursing journals: 2015–2019
Authors: Wu Yanni , Howarth Michelle , Zhou Chunlan , Yang Lixiao , Ye Xiaoling , Wang Run , Li Chaixiu , Hu Mingyu , Cong Weilian
Published: June 2021

Background

Child health research comprises complex ethical considerations. Understanding the extent to which the ethical process is reported in child health research is needed to improve reporting.

Aims

To identify reportage of ethical considerations in child health research in leading nursing and paediatric journals.

Methods

All child health research published between 2015 and 2019 in 10 leading nursing journals and two paediatric journals were retrieved and critically appraised for the reportage of informed consent and ethical approval.

Results

Eight hundred and fifty‐one child health research papers were included. Although 544 (79.9%) of the prospective studies mentioned informed consent, only 300 (55.2%) reported that written informed consent was obtained from the participants. Overall, 748 (87.9%) of child health research papers noted obtaining research ethics committee approval. Articles that mentioned financial support were significantly more likely to report informed consent and ethical approval than unfunded studies (allP< 0.001). Prospective studies showed higher rates of reportage of ethical approval compared to retrospective studies (P= 0.027). Rates of child consent (assent) obtained in different age groups of children ranged from 29.6% to 66.3%.

Conclusion

Despite improvements in the reportage of ethical review and approval processes in child health research, consistent and transparent reports are still lacking.
Using community‐based interventions to reduce public stigma of children with disabilities: A feasibility study
Authors: Hepperlen Renee A. , Biggs Jennifer , Mwandileya Watson , Rabaey Paula , Ngulube Esther , Hearst Mary O.
Published: June 2021

Background

Public stigma, or negative community‐held beliefs, about children with disabilities (CWDs) often leads to negative outcomes for CWD and their families. This study considers the effectiveness of four community‐level interventions to reduce public stigma in two Lusaka, Zambia communities.

Methods

This feasibility study describes four community‐based interventions to provide education to consider whether perceptions of attitudes and stigma towards CWD changed after implementing four educational interventions.

Results

Results revealed that these interventions were achievable. Preliminary multiple regression analyses indicated a significant impact of attending an event on the attitude scale, while no effect on the stigma scale. Presence at multiple anti‐stigma events exhibited no effect for the stigma scale, while the attitude scale showed significance.

Discussion

This study builds on the limited research available in low‐income countries to reduce public stigma towards CWD, with the hope of enhance quality of life for CWD and their families.
Long intergenic noncoding RNA 00473 promoting migration and invasion of trophoblastic cell line HTR‐8/SVneo via regulating miR‐424‐5p‐mediated wnt3a/β‐catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Changqing , Li Hongyun , Zhang Yufen , Ding Huiqing
Published: June 2021

Background

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious obstetric complication. Recent studies point out that the functions of long intergenic noncoding RNA 00473 (linc00473), miR‐424‐5p, and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway were involved in the invasion and migration of extravillous trophoblast. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of linc00473 in HTR‐8/SVneo trophoblastic cell line and its role in PE.

Method

The expression levels of linc00473 and miR‐424‐5p in placental tissues and the transfection efficiency of miR‐424‐5p were detected by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). HTR‐8/SVneo cell invasion and proliferation were determined by transwell and Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assays. The protein expressions of wnt3a, p‐GSK3β, GSK3β, active β‐catenin, and total β‐catenin were detected by Western blot. The apoptosis and migration of HTR‐8/SVneo cells were detected by flow cytometry and wound healing assays. The targeting relationships between linc00473, miR‐424‐5p, and wnt3a were predicted by ENCORI database and TargetScan V7.2 and were determined using dual‐luciferase reporter assay.

Results

The expression level of linc00473 was low and miR‐424‐5p was high in placenta of PE patients. Linc00473 can target miR‐424‐5p, while miR‐424‐5p target wnt3a. High expression of linc00473 and wnt3a promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. However, miR‐424‐5p mimic inhibited HTR‐8/SVneo cells proliferation, migration, invasion, while promoted cell apoptosis, partially reversed the effect of linc00473, while wnt3a overexpression partially counteracted the effect of miR‐424‐5p mimic.

Conclusion

Linc00473 mediates the regulation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway by miR‐424‐5p to affect the invasion and migration ability of trophoblastic cell line HTR‐8/SVneo. It indicated that linc00473 is involved in PE and could be a therapeutic target.
Reclaiming the importance of homocysteine as a marker of cardiovascular and neurologic disease
Authors: Elias M. F.
Published: June 2021

Linked to:A. D. Smith and H. Refsum J Intern Med 2021; https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13279
New‐onset seizures in adults: Low diagnostic yield of gadolinium contrast in initial brain MRI evaluation
Authors: Nelson Kylan A. , Thaker Ashesh A. , Callen Andrew L. , Albach Erik , Timpone Vincent M.
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose

The diagnostic utility of contrast MR‐imaging in adult new‐onset seizures without clinically suspected neoplasia or infection is not well defined in the literature. Imaging guidelines consider both contrast and noncontrast MR‐imaging examinations appropriate in this clinical scenario. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of contrast MR‐sequences in evaluation of seizure in patients without suspicion for neoplasia or infection.

Methods

Imaging and clinical data were reviewed for 103 consecutive patients admitted for phase‐1 seizure monitoring with the following criteria: (1) MRI‐brain performed with/without intravenous contrast; (2) no clinical suspicion for central nervous system (CNS) infection; and (3) no history of CNS neoplasia, or suspected metastatic disease. Readers designated cases as lesional or nonlesional. Lesional cases were further categorized as either visualized on noncontrast sequences only, contrast sequences only, or both.

Results

29/103 (28%) patients had epileptogenic lesions, 74/103 (72%) were nonlesional studies. 29/29 (100%) lesional abnormalities were detected on noncontrast sequences (sensitivity 100% [95 confidence interval (CI): 88‐100], specificity 100% [95 CI: 95‐100]). 23/29 (79.3%) lesional cases were visualized on both noncontrast and postcontrast sequences. 6/29 (20.7%) were visualized only on noncontrast sequences. No lesional cases were detected exclusively on postcontrast MR sequences. With an observed nonlesional extraneous contrast MR‐imaging rate of 72%, estimated excess cost of contrast MR‐imaging per 1000 patients using Medicare data was $103,680 USD.

Conclusions

Contrast MR‐imaging has limited diagnostic utility in initial screening of adult new‐onset seizure patients without clinically suspected neoplasia or infection. More judicious use of contrast MR‐imaging in this patient population may reduce unnecessary exposure to gadolinium and lower associated healthcare costs.
Additives in pet food: are they safe?
Authors: Craig J. M.
Published: June 2021

A good, nutritious diet is essential for the health and well‐being of our domestic pets. Today, most pet dogs and cats are fed highly processed food bearing little resemblance to canine and feline ancestral diets. Additives are included in processed pet food to provide nutritional benefits, ensure food safety, and maintain the desirable features of colour, flavour, texture, stability and resistance to spoilage. This paper reviews the safety of various additives in processed pet food. Labelling, safety assessment, and ethical concerns regarding existing toxicity testing procedures are also considered. The adequacy of testing for many additives and the scientific basis for determining safety are questioned. Additives can be synthetic or ‘natural’ although the distinction can be blurred when naturally derived substances are synthesised in the laboratory, or extracted using a high level of physical and chemical processing. Although additives play important roles in processed food production, updated strategies and technologies may be required to establish their safety in the pet food industry.
Resilience of frontline nurses during the COVID pandemic in China: A qualitative study
Authors: Huang Feifei , Lin Meilian , Sun Wenxiu , Zhang Lin , Lu Hongzhou , Chen Wei‐Ti
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study was to describe the resilience of nurses who cared for patients with a confirmed COVID‐19 diagnosis, as well as factors that potentially contributed to that resilience. A total of 23 frontline nurses who cared for patients with COVID‐19 were recruited from a COVID‐19–designated facility in Shanghai, China, using purposive sampling strategies. In‐depth interviews were conducted from March to May 2020. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and content analysis was used. Nurses exhibited psychological resilience while caring for patients with COVID‐19. They displayed an ability to bounce back from negative mental experiences and transform to a positive mindset to cope with the stress they faced. Factors that enhanced the nurses' resilience during the pandemic were their becoming familiar with infectious disease protocols, having a sense of professional achievement, receiving social support, having trust in the infection‐control response team in the hospital, and using self‐regulation strategies. This study could guide the design of future resilience‐enhancing interventions that provide positive coping strategies for nurses caring for individuals with infectious diseases during a pandemic.
Dual Functions of Riboflavin‐functionalized Poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) Nanoparticles for Enhanced Drug Delivery Efficiency and Photodynamic Therapy in Triple‐negative Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Mekseriwattana Wid , Phungsom Anunyaporn , Sawasdee Komkrich , Wongwienkham Pattarapa , Kuhakarn Chutima , Chaiyen Pimchai , Katewongsa Kanlaya Prapainop
Published: June 2021

Combating triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the greatest challenges in cancer therapy. This is primarily due to the difficulties in developing drug delivery systems that can effectively target cancer sites. In this study, we demonstrated a proof‐of‐principle concept using modified surfaces of poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) nanoparticles linked with a riboflavin analogue (PLGA‐CSRf) to obtain a dual‐functional material. PLGA‐CSRf nanoparticles were able to function as a drug delivery ligand and a photodynamic therapy agent for TNBC cells (MDA‐MB‐231). Biocompatibility of novel PLGA‐CSRf nanoparticles was evaluated with both breast cancer and normal breast (MCF‐10A) cells. In vitro studies revealed a six‐fold increase in the cellular uptake of PLGA‐CSRf nanoparticles in cancer cells compared with normal cells. The results demonstrate the ability of riboflavin (Rf) to enhance the delivery of PLGA nanoparticles to TNBC cells. The viability of TNBC cells was decreased following treatment with doxorubicin‐encapsulated PLGA‐CSRf nanoparticles in combination with UV irradiation, due to the photosensitizing property of Rf on the surface of the nanoparticles. This work demonstrated the ability of PLGA‐CSRf to function both as an effective drug delivery carrier and as a therapeutic entity, with the potential to enhance photodynamic effects in the highly aggressive TNBC model.
Long‐term survival of patients treated for tuberculosis: a population‐based longitudinal study in a resource‐poor setting
Authors: Rao V. G. , Muniyandi M. , Sharma R. K. , Yadav R. , Bhat Jyothi
Published: June 2021

Objective

We assessed the long‐term survival of TB patients belonging to the Saharia tribe, a high TB burden community in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, central India.

Methods

Population‐based, longitudinal study conducted among 9756 Saharia population in 2013, and a resurvey done 2 years later in 2015 using the same methods. The status of the individuals during resurvey was recorded as non‐TB, relapse and death. The deaths recorded in this period were used to measure the mortality among TB‐affected population and the non‐TB population in this cohort.

Results

The standardised mortality ratio for the study cohort was 122.9 per 1000 population; males had higher mortality than females (129.9 vs. 96.8). The expected mortality among the non‐TB population was 30.2, and the observed mortality among TB‐affected population was 122.9 per 1000 population.

Conclusion

In the Saharia tribe, post‐treatment mortality in the TB‐affected population is significantly higher than in the general population. This highlights an urgent need for implementation of effective public health strategies to prevent disproportionate deaths among TB‐affected individuals in resource‐poor settings, and the importance of periodic follow‐up of patients after cure/completion of treatment, especially in vulnerable populations.
Structural Damping of a Simple Built-Up Beam With Riveted Joints in Bending
Authors: Pian T. H. H.
Published: June 2021

A theoretical study is made of the structural damping in the bending of a simple built-up beam with thin reinforcing spar caps in which the rivets or screws prevent the sliding motion between the cap and the beam. An analytical expression of the energy loss per cycle of static loading is derived in terms of amplitude of load, stiffness of rivets, and tightness of joint. Experimental measurements on a test beam provide a qualitative verification of the theory.
A Simple Procedure for Improved Accuracy in the Resistor-Network Solution of Laplace’s and Poisson’s Equation
Authors: Landau H. G.
Published: June 2021

The necessity for practical solutions of Laplace’s and Poisson’s equations arises frequently in engineering; for example, in problems of steady-state temperature, electric and gravitational potential, incompressible fluid flow, elastic torsion, and other problems of elasticity. It is well known that these equations can be solved by resistor networks (1). In this note it is shown that in solving the equation (1) ∇ 2 u = f ( x , y ) , where ∇ 2 u = ∂ 2 u ∂ x 2 + ∂ 2 u ∂ y 2 by a resistor network, it is possible to reduce greatly the lumping or truncation error by simply adding additional resistors to the usual arrangement, without any increase in the number of mesh points.
Beams of Uniform Strength Subjected to Uniformly Distributed Loading
Authors: Gross W. A. , Li J. P.
Published: June 2021

Beams with uniform strength subjected only to bending have the same maximum flexural stress at any cross section. The shapes, deflections, and weights are given for cantilever, simple, and fixed beams of uniform strength and appreciable weight subjected to uniformly distributed loadings. Explicit solutions are given for beams having rectangular cross sections and constant height. Solutions in integral form are provided for rectangular beams of constant width. This method is also applicable to beams with constant ratio of height to width, as well as beams with circular cross sections. Examples illustrate the large material savings over uniform cross-section beams which may be achieved.
Buckling of Initially Imperfect Cylindrical Shells Subject to Torsion
Authors: Nash W. A.
Published: June 2021

An analytical solution based upon large-deflection shell theory is presented for the problem of the elastic instability of a thin cylindrical shell subject to torsion. The fundamental equations used are those presented by Donnell in 1934, and these equations together with the condition of stationary potential energy are employed to determine all arbitrary deflection parameters. Boundary conditions corresponding to clamped-end shells and also to shells having simply supported ends are considered. Load-deformation relations for various magnitudes of initial imperfection of the shell are determined for both boundary conditions. Lastly, values are presented for an imperfection factor based upon existing experimental evidence for clamped-end shells. The investigation described here is a continuation of work done earlier by Loo.
Ideal Reducers and Nozzle Flares
Authors: Struble R. A. , Schweizer Berthold
Published: June 2021

The equation of a thin-walled reducer with constant circumferential plane stress under uniform internal pressure is derived. Such reducers were first conceived by Dr. H. C. Boardman who referred to them as ideal. These reducers may be used either to connect two coaxial cylinders of different diameters or as nozzle flares for spherical heads and cone frustums.
Axisymmetrical Bending of Circular Plates Under Simultaneous Action of Lateral Load, Force in the Middle Plane, and Elastic Foundation
Authors: Yu Yi-Yuan
Published: June 2021

In this note the problem indicated in the title is solved in closed form on the basis of the classical small-deflection theory. As the problem is directly related to the stress analysis of tube sheets in heat exchangers, the present investigation also constitutes the preliminary step of a more exact analysis of the latter problem. Results of numerical examples are presented showing the influence of a tensile force in the middle plane and the rotation-resisting capability of the foundation on the deflection and bending moment of a uniformly loaded circular plate, either simply supported or clamped.
Design Charts for Symmetrical Ring Girders
Authors: Fisher G. P.
Published: June 2021

Charts, based on classical bending-energy analysis, are presented for the determination of critical design moments in symmetrical ring girders varying in shape from circular through round to sharp-cornered rings. The girders are subjected to uniform normal loading in the plane of the ring. Location and magnitude of all critical bending moments are given, from which the maximum bending moment is easily selected.
Solution of Some Problems in Bending of Thin Clamped Plates by Means of the Method of Muskhelishvili
Authors: Deverall L. I.
Published: June 2021

In this paper, the complex variable method of N. I. Muskhelishvili is applied to the problem of bending for small deflections of a thin, isotropic, homogeneous, clamped plate with transverse load. The functional equation involved in Muskhelishvili’s method is solved by means of series expansions. The necessary conformal mapping functions are found from the Schwarz-Christoffel formula or expansion of elliptic functions. For uniformly loaded square and rectangular plates, the central (maximum) deflection obtained by the method of Muskhelishvili is compared to the corresponding deflections obtained by other methods. Deflections for the square plate are given for three and five terms, respectively, of the series expansion of the conformal mapping function in order to estimate convergence properties of the method of solution. The solution for a uniformly loaded clamped plate of equilateral triangular planform is also discussed. Central deflection for this case is given.
Uniformly Loaded Circular Plates With a Central Hole and Both Edges Supported
Authors: Georgian J. C.
Published: June 2021

Several catalogs giving results of circular plates with a central hole with various loading and edge conditions have been published. However, these do not cover the case where each edge is supported, either simply or clamped. The usual recommendation is to solve these cases by superposition from the known elementary cases. This is not easily done. The results of the following two cases are given in this paper: (a) Inner and outer edge clamped; (b) inner and outer edge simply supported.
Dynamic Response of Beams and Plates to Rapid Heating
Authors: Boley B. A. , Barber A. D.
Published: June 2021

The thermally induced vibrations of rectangular plates and beams under some typical heat applications are studied. The basic parameter of the problem, B, is found to depend on the natural frequency of the structure and on a characteristic thermal time. Curves are presented of the variation with B of the ratio of the deflections calculated including and neglecting the effect of inertia. The role of inertia is found to be important for rapidly applied heat inputs and for thin plates. An approximate formula for its rapid estimation is also presented.
On the Principle of Haar and von Karman in Statically Determinate Problems of Plasticity
Authors: Finzi Leo
Published: June 2021

It is shown that a variational formula similar to the one expressing the principle of Haar and von Karman in the statically determinate problems of plasticity holds independently of the stress-strain relations and yield condition. In the variation of the elastic energy the part connected with the variation of the field must be distinguished from the part connected with the variation of the energy density. These points are illustrated by an example.
An Elongating String Under the Action of a Transverse Force
Authors: Goldsmith Werner
Published: June 2021

The motion of a uniform undamped flexible string whose length increases with time has been investigated when an arbitrary time-dependent force acts transversely at the free end. The method of characteristics has been employed to derive analytical expressions for the transverse displacement in the subsonic regime. Cases are considered when the free end of the wire moves either at constant velocity or at constant acceleration. Numerical solutions are presented in dimensionless form for a sinusoidal forcing function of arbitrary amplitude and fixed frequency. The possibility of the existence of resonances in the string has been examined.
A high-power impulse magnetron sputtering global model for argon plasma–chromium target interactions
Authors: Zgheib Joelle , Jouan Pierre Yves , Rhallabi Ahmed
Published: June 2021

A high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge process is analyzed numerically and experimentally so that one may better understand and explain the effect of the pressure and pulse width on HiPIMS discharges and the deposited thin films. For this reason, a time-dependent global plasma model is developed for the ionization region in a HiPIMS discharge of a Cr target in Ar gas. It is based on the solving of a nonlinear equation system composed of the continuity equations of neutral and charged species in the ionization region considered in the reaction scheme. The pulse widths are about tens of microseconds for a frequency cycle of 1 KHz. The simulations are performed for a 150 W average power and 5–30 mTorr pressure range. In these average power and pressure ranges, a double peak of the electron temperature is observed. The high first peak is due to a high rapid increase of negative voltage during the rising time of pulses, while the second one is due to a diminution of the injected gas Ar in the ionization region. On the other hand, gas rarefaction characterized by the diminution of the Ar density during time-on is due to the high ionization degree and the sputtering wind effect. During plasma off, the density of Ar returns to the stationary state corresponding to the initial pressure. In addition, the simulations reveal that the Cr+ population is more important than that of Ar+ caused by the high ionization degree of Cr compared with Ar. This confirms the high ionization degree during time-on, leading to a high efficiency of sputtering of Cr material. However, Cr2+ is still weak. In addition, a good agreement is shown between the calculated time current evolution and the measured one.
Three-dimensional numerical analysis of acoustic energy absorption and generation in an air-jet instrument based on Howe's energy corollary
Authors: Tabata Ryoya , Matsuda Rei , Koiwaya Toshiaki , Iwagami Sho , Midorikawa Hiroko , Kobayashi Taizo , Takahashi Ki'nya
Published: June 2021

The sounding mechanism of a recorder-like air-jet instrument at low Strouhal number is numerically investigated by three-dimensional direct aeroacoustic simulation and acoustic simulation. Howe's energy corollary is applied to estimate the acoustic energy generation and absorption induced by an oscillating jet and vortex shedding. The quantitative results show that the main acoustic energy generation occurs in the jet downstream, and the absorption occurs in the jet upstream. It is found that the region defined by the Q-criterion identifies the main acoustic energy generation (absorption) region in the downstream (upstream) region of the jet. The results indicate that the vortex shedding mainly induced by the jet deflection gives additional contributions to the acoustic energy absorption. The shed vortices affect the temporal structure of the acoustic energy transfer, in particular, the timing of the double peaks with respect to the jet displacement. If we focus only on the air-jet, the dominant peak is observed when the jet crosses the edge from the inside to the outside of the pipe, as reported in previous experimental works. However, when we include the contributions of shed vortices, the dominant peak appears when the jet dives under the edge, which is consistent with the jet-drive model.