bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metamodeling the e-waste domain to support decision-making
Authors: Herrera Andrea , Lara Paola , Sánchez Mario , Villalobos Jorge
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper proposes a conceptualization of the e-waste domain, formalized through a metamodel, to express complex e-waste realities in a simple manner. This also enables the transition from a structural model to a behavioral model to implement analysis techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used is design science research (DSR), a problem-solving paradigm which seeks to construct a working artifact and prove its relevance. The artifact, a metamodel for the e-waste domain, was constructed through an iterative manner and later analyzed to conclude its theoretical relevance and contributions in this domain. As part of the approach, the authors used supplementary techniques such as systematic literature review (SLR), conceptual modeling (CM) and system dynamics (SD).

Findings

The application in the e-waste domain of CM techniques such as metamodeling, model-to-model transformation and simulation is valuable for supporting decision-making, especially when combined with SD. The approach presented in this paper, the conceptual tools and different simulation techniques could also be applied in other complex domains to obtain similar results.

Practical implications

The modeling method to apply simulation techniques is targeted toward the e-waste domain experts to understand, design, implement, measure and improve strategies and public policies.

Originality/value

The use of CM techniques to model and analyze structural and behavioral e-waste scenarios.
Servant leadership: a new perspective to explore project leadership and team effectiveness
Authors: Bilal Ahmed , Siddiquei Ahmad , Asadullah Muhammad Ali , Awan Hayat Muhammad , Asmi Fahad
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Servant leadership is a new follower-centric style of leadership. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the project leaders’ servant leadership style on project team effectiveness via team goal clarity and team process clarity within the project-based organizational context.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 58 teams working in 3 project-based organizations participated in the survey study. Team members rated their project leaders’ servant leadership style, team goal clarity and team process clarity in the project, while leaders evaluated team effectiveness. Hypotheses were tested using multi-level structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results suggested that servant leadership had a positive and significant impact on project team effectiveness via team goal clarity and team process clarity.

Originality/value

The study examined the influence of servant leadership as a team leadership approach within a project context. As a multi-level design, the study also identified the team-specific mechanisms (team goal clarity and team process clarity), which could help accomplish team effectiveness.
Attachment points, team identification and sponsorship outcomes: evidence from the Indian Premier League
Authors: Kamath Giridhar B. , Ganguli Shirshendu , George Simon
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper tests and validates a conceptual model linking the attachment points, team identification, attitude towards the team sponsors and the behavioural intentions in the context of Indian Premier League (IPL), while testing for the moderating effects of age and gender.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 1,053 participants through both online and offline survey and then analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

Attachment points influence the formation of team identification, which, in turn, affect the attitude towards the team sponsors. Attitude towards the team sponsors influence the behavioural intentions. Player attachment influences team identification the most. Age and gender have a moderating effect on the constructs of the study. Team identification in females is stronger because of attachment to sports, whereas males have stronger team identification based on player attachment. Males have a stronger intention to spread positive word of mouth (WOM) about sponsor products as compared to the female respondents. The younger age group of less than 21 years has more intention to spread positive WOM compared to the other age groups considered in the study.

Practical implications

This study contributes towards sports sponsorship research and the paradigms of social identity and attachment theories. Moreover, it will also help the marketers (sponsors) in IPL to strategically market their brands.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the impact of attachment points on sponsorship outcomes in the context of IPL. Further, it is also the first to investigate the purchase intentions and WOM for the team sponsors in IPL. The multi-group analysis results will provide insights into marketers to better understand IPL viewers' segments and their behaviour.
Does language matter to foreign subsidiary performance?
Authors: Konara Palitha , Wei Yingqi
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper examines the role of language in foreign subsidiary performance.

Design/methodology/approach

We develop hypotheses relating to the effects of language difference and its interplay with cultural distance and market size. Considering languages that can be directly used and that can be acquired by MNEs, we employ language variables representing major languages and a population of 60 home and 57 host countries to study the performance of a sample of 1,751 subsidiaries between 2002 and 2013.

Findings

Language difference is found to have a negative impact on subsidiary performance. The positive effects of cultural distance on performance become stronger when the language difference is smaller. The language effects are also more pronounced in small markets.

Practical implications

This study reveals that subsidiary success depends on language difference, and such effects are more pronounced in small markets. The results also suggest that MNEs need to give more attention to bridging language barriers when they invest in culturally distant countries so that they can benefit from the positive effects of cultural distance.

Originality/value

Given that there is no systematic research investigating the role of language in the foreign subsidiary performance of MNEs, we make an important contribution by presenting a quantitative investigation of the language–performance relationship. The novelty of the paper also lies in examining the interplay of language difference with cultural distance and market size.
Institutional factors and subnational location choice for multinationals’ R&D subsidiaries
Authors: Falaster Christian , Portugal Ferreira Manuel
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Using an institution-based view, this study aims to conceptualize how sub-national institutional characteristics are likely to explain location choice of multinationals’ research and development (R&D) subsidiaries.

Design/methodology/approach

In a conceptual paper, this study explores specific institutional facets of the regional environments within a country that are capable of explaining, at least in part, the location choices of multinational corporations’ R&D subsidiaries.

Findings

This study thus explores the more nuanced influences of the institutional environments at a subnational level and develops propositions to explain location choices based on the differences of the institutional environments.

Originality/value

This study contributes to international business theory by incorporating a location-specific analysis that contrasts to the usual country-level observation on the determinants of firms’ location decisions.
New ventures: how team motivation affects financial outcomes
Authors: Debrulle Jonas , Maes Johan , Gardiner Elliroma
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to understanding the impact of entrepreneurial team composition on new venture performance. Different types of entrepreneurship motivation among founding team members are defined. Using a relatively recent theory as a framework (i.e. self-determination theory), the authors group these motives into two categories: autonomous and controlled motivation. The business impact of the level of each type of motivation within the team, as well as the impact of having team members with different motivational drivers, is examined. New venture performance is modelled in two different ways: financial performance (i.e. return on assets) and innovation performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The analyses are based on 66 founding teams active in diverse activity sectors. The teams represent a total of 142 business founders. Data was collected through structured interviews, a company questionnaire and a secondary data source (i.e. certified financial statements).

Findings

The results confirm that the level of autonomous motivation within the team contributes to start-up financial performance, whereas the level of controlled motivation hampers innovation performance. No direct effects of diversity of team member motivation on start-up performance were discovered.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers to study multiple firm performance effects of the composition of entrepreneurial founding teams in terms of motivation.
Dignity of the heritage and the heritage communities
Authors: Alatalu Riin
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the reasons why the human rights-based approach should be used in the preservation of cultural heritage.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is a combination of an essay and illustrative case studies. The thesis is based on experience in heritage protection on national and international level and the discussions of the “Heritage and Human Rights” training in Estonia 1.-6.05.2019.

Findings

Cultural heritage is the common good regardless of its ownership. The protection of something, especially in living environments, includes compromises in the rights of one or another counterpart. Restrictions are often ground for conflicts that can be settled with good communication, but sometimes just communication is not enough. In these cases, human rights-based approaches enable to identify the problems, scale the rights of different stakeholders and thus enable discussion to reach consensus.

Practical implications

The research is useful for heritage conservationists, policy makers and urban planners with regards to management and implementation of human rights-based approach and community involvement in heritage protection on World Heritage, national and local levels.

Originality/value

The research is a part of a series of discussions, trainings and project reports of the Our Common Dignity – Rights Based Approaches (OCD-RBA) working group of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and contributes to the follow-up activities worldwide.
Internal communication education in universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands
Authors: Hendrawan Bram , Elshof Marjon , Verkuil Lisanne
Published: August 2020

Purpose

A growing body of scholarly research focuses on internal communication (IC), which, over the past decade, has become an important specialisation within the field of communication. However, little scholarly attention has been paid to IC education, resulting in a lack of academic knowledge about the state of IC education. This paper focuses on investigating IC education in communication studies curricula at Dutch universities of applied sciences.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a combination of content analysis of IC modules in Bachelor of Communication programmes (n = 19) and qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with IC educators (n = 8), this article sheds lights on the contours of IC education and its relationship with practice.

Findings

Education has become an integral part of the IC profession in the Netherlands. The analysis shows that while the modules address some important topics found in the literature on IC, there are some gaps. In regard to knowledge topics, the modules reflect broader trends in IC by addressing important topics like change management, internal branding and digitalisation. However, there is a gap in the competencies in the modules and what is considered important in the literature.

Practical implications

The findings can help educators improve the quality of their curriculum. For IC practitioners, professional associations in particular, this paper provides insight into the state of education of future IC professionals

Originality/value

Studies that look at the education of communication professionals have focused mainly on the field of public relations. This paper reports on the first empirical study to investigate the state of IC education in the context of higher education.
Bracketing: a phenomenological theory applied through transpersonal reflexivity
Authors: Dörfler Viktor , Stierand Marc
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of bracketing, one of the most central philosophical and theoretical constructs of phenomenology, as a theory of mind. Furthermore, we wanted to showcase how this theoretical construct can be implemented as a methodological tool.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study we have adopted an approach similar to a qualitative meta-synthesis, comparing the emergent patterns of two empirical projects, seeking synergies and contradictions and looking for additional insights from new emerging patterns.

Findings

On a philosophical level, we have found that bracketing, as a theoretical construct, is not about the achievement of objectivity; quite to the contrary, it embraces subjectivity and puts it centre-stage. On a theoretical level, we have achieved a better understanding of Husserl's phenomenology, as a theory of mind. On a methodological level, we have achieved a powerful way of supplementing and/or clarifying research findings, by using a theoretical construct as a methodological tool.

Originality/value

Our paper contributes to the phenomenology literature at a philosophical, theoretical and methodological level, by offering a better understanding and a novel implementation of one of the central theoretical constructs of phenomenology.
Ultraviolet light-initiated preparation of phase change material microcapsules and its infrared imaging effect on fabric
Authors: Gu Mingqi , Zhang Wei , Hao Shang , Liu Xiaochen , Zhang Zichao , Shao Fenjuan
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the infrared imaging effect of fabrics coated with phase change material microcapsules (PCM-MCs), which are prepared by the initiation of ultraviolet (UV) light.

Design/methodology/approach

PCM-MCs were prepared by UV polymerization using paraffin (PA) as core material, polymethyl methacrylate as wall material and ferric chloride as photoinitiator. The effects of emulsifier dosage and emulsification temperature on the properties of PA emulsion were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy, particle size analysis, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and infrared imaging test were used to characterize the properties of microcapsules.

Findings

The PCM-MCs with good morphology and particle size were prepared with 25 cm of the distance between light source and the liquid. The average particle size was 1.066 µm and the latent heat of phase transition was 19.96 J/g. After 100 accelerated thermal cycles, the latent heat only decreased by 1.8%. It had good heat storage stability and thermal stability. The fabric coated by the microcapsules exhibited a variable temperature hysteresis effect when placed in the sun, and presented a color close to the infrared images of the human palm under the external environment temperature close to the human body temperature.

Research limitations/implications

The PCM-MCs prepared based on UV light initiation showed good thermal properties and its coated fabrics had an infrared decoy effect below the temperature of the human body.

Practical implications

This study explored the application of microcapsules in textiles.

Originality/value

The microcapsules had a certain application potential in infrared decoy effect.
Ambient stable perylene diimide anion radical for high conductivity and potential application as chemiresistive sensor
Authors: Zhao Yuzhen , Zhao Yang , Kang Xiaoxi , Miao Zongcheng , Zhang Haiquan
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to compare the electronic properties of perylene diimide derivatives (DFPDI) and its anion radical (DFPDI.-k.+) thin film by drop-coating of organic molecules on the interdigitated electrodes.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors compared the electronic properties of perylene diimide derivatives and its anion radical by drop-coating of organic molecules on interdigitated electrodes. Significantly, the current of perylene diimide derivatives anion radical increased by 2∼3 orders of magnitude compared to perylene diimide derivatives under a bias of 5 V, and the maximal current of anion radical that from tetrahydrofuran solution can reach 3.6 mA. Furthermore, DFPDI.-k.+ thin film showed time-resistance sensitivity for acetic acid. When DFPDI.-k.+ thin film was placed in acetic acid of 3.1 × 105 ppm, the current was decreased 46 times under a bias of 6 V after 8 min.

Findings

We developed the new method to prepare ambient stable perylene diimide derivatives anion radical, which shows sensitivity of absorption spectra to acid.

Originality/value

Perylene diimide derivatives anion radical thin film showed time-resistance sensitivity for acetic acid, suggesting potential application of perylene diimide derivatives anion radical as acid sensor.
Fieldworking the relational complexity of organizations
Authors: Mosleh Wafa Said , Larsen Henry
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present researcher's reflexive writing about emergent events in research collaborations as a way of responding to the process-figurational sociology of Norbert Elias in the practice of organizational ethnography.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing parallels between Norbert Elias' figurative account of social life and auto-ethnographic methodology, this paper re-articulates the entanglement of social researchers in organizational ethnographic work. Auto-ethnographic narration is explored as means to inquire from within the emerging relational complexity constituted by organizational dynamics. Writing about emergent events in the research process becomes a way of inquiring into the social figurations between the involved stakeholders; thus nurturing sense-making and increasing the awareness and sensitivity of the researcher to her own entanglement with the relational complexity of the organization under study.

Findings

In the paper, we argue that the writing of auto-ethnographic narratives of emergent field encounters is a process of inquiry that continuously depicts the temporal development of the relational complexity in organizations. Viewing that from the perspective of Elias' concept of figuration, we find a common commitment to the processual nature of research processes, which insists on moving beyond objectifying empirical insights.

Originality/value

This paper encourages awareness of the interdependency between ourselves as social researchers and field actors as we engage with the field. It moves beyond simplifying the ethnographic research agenda to that of “studying” and “describing” organizations. It offers unique insights into the organizational context, and increased sensitivity toward the social entanglement of the experiences that we, ourselves, as researchers are part of.
Effects of rotation and varying gravity on the onset of convection in a porous medium layer: a numerical study
Authors: Yadav Dhananjay
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of rotation and varying gravitational strength on the onset of thermal convection in a porous medium layer numerically. The porous layer is acted to uniform rotation and inconsistent downward gravitational field which changing with depth from the layer. The authors presented three categories of gravitational strength deviancy, namely, linear, parabolic and exponential.

Design/methodology/approach

The higher-terms Galerkin weighted residual procedure is applied to get the eigenvalue of the problem.

Findings

The results illustrate that both rotation parameter and gravity variation parameter suspend the arrival of convection. The measurement of the convection cells decreases on enhancing the rotation parameter and gravity variation parameter.

Originality/value

It is also found that the scheme is more stable for category exponential, whereas it is more unstable for category parabolic.
Impact of biological treatment on left ventricular dysfunction determined by global circumferential, longitudinal and radial strain values using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Yokoe Isamu , Kobayashi Hitomi , Kobayashi Yasuyuki , Nishiwaki Atsuma , Sugiyama Kaita , Nagasawa Yousuke , Ikumi Natsumi , Karasawa Hiromi , Okumura Yasuo , Kitamura Noboru , Takei Masami
Published: August 2020

Aim

To evaluate left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine the impact of biological treatment on LV function in these patients using global circumferential strain (GCS), global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global radial strain (GRS) values assessed by feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (FT‐CMR) imaging.

Methods

Eighty patients with RA and 20 controls without cardiovascular disease underwent non‐contrast CMR imaging. Patients with RA received conventional synthetic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) or biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs). Global strains were calculated in 16 LV segments.

Results

No significant differences in cardiovascular risk factors were found between the RA group and controls. GCS was 21% lower in the RA group compared with controls (P < 0.001) and was 14% lower in the csDMARDs group compared with the bDMARDs group (P = 0.002), whereas, there was no significant difference in GLS and GRS between the RA group and the controls. In regard to strain rates, diastolic GCS and GRS rates were significantly lower in the RA group (P < 0.001, 0.011, respectively). In univariate analyses, GCS was significantly associated with the Simplified Disease Activity Index, bDMARDs, swollen joint count, anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptides antibodies and matrix metalloproteinase‐3, but in multivariable analysis, only bDMARDs was significantly associated with GCS (P = 0.021).

Conclusion

Global circumferential strain, GLS and GRS assessed by FT‐CMR can reveal subclinical LV dysfunction in patients with RA. Furthermore, they can be used to determine the normalization of LV regional dysfunction induced by bDMARDs possibly related to disease activity reduction.
Adverse impact of bone metastases on clinical outcomes of patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Li Xing , Wang Lei , Chen Shanhao , Zhou Fei , Zhao Jing , Zhao Wencheng , Su Chunxia
Published: August 2020

Background

Bone metastasis (BoM) is common in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and considered as one of the negative prognostic factors. However, the impact of BoM on clinical outcomes of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 103 patients treated with ICI monotherapy and 101 patients treated with ICIs combined with chemotherapy or antiangiogenesis therapy were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) between BoM+ and BoM− were investigated.

Results

Of those 101 patients who received combination therapy, no significant difference between BoM− and BoM+ in terms of both median PFS and median OS (median PFS, 10.1 vs. 12.1 months, P = 0.6; median OS, NR vs. 24.6 months, P = 0.713) was determined. In contrast, of the 103 patients who received ICI monotherapy, BoM+ patients had an inferior PFS (4.2 vs. 6.7 months, P = 0.0484) and OS (12.5 vs. 23.9 months, P = 0.0036) compared with BoM− patients. The univariate and multivariate analysis in the ICI monotherapy group also identified BoM as an independent factor attenuating the efficacy of ICI monotherapy. Of all BoM+ patients who received ICI monotherapy, neither palliative radiotherapy nor bisphosphonate drugs improved OS (palliative radiotherapy: 12.5 vs. 16.7 months, P = 0.487; bisphosphonate drugs: 12.5 vs. 9.7 months, P = 0.568).

Conclusions

BoM attenuated the efficacy of ICI monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Of BoM+ patients who received ICI monotherapy, neither palliative radiotherapy nor bisphosphonate drugs improved OS. Other therapeutic strategies are needed for patients with BoM.
Signifiers for the divine
Authors: ITZHAK NOFIT
Published: August 2020

Le Rocher is a Catholic charismatic NGO concerned with ameliorating the living conditions of immigrant populations in the French cités, or peripheral neighborhoods. While scholarly accounts define humanitarian practice through the idiom of compassion, Le Rocher's volunteers find compassion irrelevant to their endeavor. Instead, they articulate their mission in terms of their relationship with God, and in doing so they introduce God as an agent into the relational dynamic of the humanitarian encounter. This introduction of a third element into an otherwise dyadic relationship opens up possibilities for mutuality in a social setting in which relationships are typically defined as nonreciprocal. This highlights the need to take seriously God's agency in shaping the lives of religious actors, raising questions about the broader role that mediation, divine or otherwise, plays in establishing social relations in the contexts of aid and beyond. [volunteerism, humanitarianism, compassion, charity, religion, Christianity, France]
Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG promotes M1 polarization in murine bone marrow‐derived macrophages by activating TLR2/MyD88/MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Baikui , Wu Yanping , Liu Rongrong , Xu Han , Mei Xiaoqiang , Shang Qinqin , Liu Shijie , Yu Dongyou , Li Weifen
Published: August 2020

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is increasingly applied in functional food products and acts as a probiotic model in nutritious and clinical studies. Increasing evidences have revealed the immune modulation of LGG on macrophages. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of LGG on macrophage polarization of murine bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDMs). BMDMs were treated with 108 colony‐forming units (CFU)/ml LGG for 1.5, 3, and 6 hr. Results showed that LGG obviously upregulated the mRNA expression of M1‐associated cytokines (p < .05), including interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β), IL‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), whereas had no effect on the expression of M2‐associated markers (p > .05), including arginase 1 (Arg1), mannose receptor, and chitinase‐like protein 3 (YM1). Furthermore, LGG markedly increased the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐12p40, cyclooxygenase‐2 [COX‐2], and interferon‐γ [IFN‐γ]) (p < .05) and anti‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐10, IL‐4, and transforming growth factor‐β [TGF‐β]) (p < .05). In addition, we also found that TLR2/MyD88/MAPK signaling pathway was required for LGG‐induced M1 macrophage polarization and M1‐related cytokines expression. Together, these findings demonstrate that probiotic LGG facilitates M1 polarization of BMDMs, suggesting that LGG may have an immunotherapeutic potential in regulating the host defense against pathogen invasion.
Rhabdomyomatous mesenchymal hamartoma presenting as a chin nodule in a 15‐year‐old male
Authors: Marinelli Lisa M. , Wohltmann Wendi E. , Myers Kevin D. , Sasaki Geoffrey T.
Published: August 2020

Rhabdomyomatous mesenchymal hamartoma (RMH), also known as congenital midline hamartoma and striated muscle hamartoma, is a rare congenital malformation presenting most commonly in midline sites of the head and neck region. Since its first description in 1986, 67 cases have been reported to date. We report a case of RMH presenting as a chin nodule in an otherwise healthy 15‐year‐old male. The patient presented with a dome‐shaped subcutaneous lesion on his chin which had been present since birth, but had grown and was interfering with his ability to shave. He otherwise had no history of congenital anomalies or malformations. Histopathological examination of the excised lesion revealed a haphazard proliferation of striated muscle admixed with adipose tissue and adnexal structures within the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, consistent with a diagnosis of RMH. While the majority of reported cases are of newborns or children under 3 years of age, RMH may not come to clinical attention until later in life. This rare malformation should be included in the differential diagnosis of lesions containing dermal striated muscle and/or adipose tissue, to include nevus lipomatosus superficialis, fibrous hamartoma of infancy, neuromuscular choristoma, fetal rhabdomyoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma.
A comparison of global and egocentric network approaches for assessing peer alcohol use among college students in the United States
Authors: Russell Alex M. , Barry Adam E. , Patterson Megan S.
Published: August 2020

Introduction and Aims

Perceptions of peer alcohol use have a strong influence on college students' personal alcohol consumption. Common strategies for measuring students' perceptions of peer alcohol use rely on global student body questions (e.g. ‘typical’ student use), which overlook the true social contexts of college students. Simply put, persons most likely to influence an individual's behaviour are their closest, most proximal peers. Our objective was to compare whether social norms measures or network measures of peer alcohol use better assess participant alcohol use. Specifically, we compared: (i) perceptions of the ‘typical’ student's drinking behaviours; versus (ii) egocentric social network measures, in which respondent's report perceptions of the drinking behaviours of personally identified peers.

Design and Methods

Three hundred and nine college students reported demographics, personal alcohol use and global perceptions of peer alcohol use. Egocentric network composition was calculated using E‐Net. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear regression analyses predicting personal drinking (AUDIT‐C) were conducted in SPSS.

Results

Respondent's perceptions of peers' drinking behaviours accounted for 9.7% of the variance in personal alcohol use beyond demographics, global perceptions of peer alcohol use and network composition demographics [F(3,280) = 13.391, P < 0.001]. Egocentric social network measures explained more variability in peer influence on personal alcohol consumption than global campus measures.

Discussion and Conclusions

Personally identified peers have a greater influence on personal alcohol consumption than perceptions of ‘typical students’. Thus, future studies would benefit from utilising an egocentric network approach to examine the complex, interpersonal nature of alcohol use among college students.
Forage legumes in grass pastures in tropical Brazil and likely impacts on greenhouse gas emissions: A review
Authors: Boddey Robert M. , Casagrande Daniel Rume , Homem Bruno G. C. , Alves Bruno J. R.
Published: August 2020

Beef cattle producers seldom use fertilizers for their pastures in tropical regions of Brazil. Slowly, this is changing but because of the need for repeated applications, N fertilizer is rarely applied. The introduction of a forage legume is an appropriate solution for this problem, but until recently adoption has been very low as the legumes generally have not persisted in the sward. We report research on how grazing management can affect the persistence of stoloniferous legumes in pastures of Brachiaria spp. and the problems of establishing and maintaining crown‐forming legumes such as Stylosanthes spp. With suitable management, milk or bovine carcass yields can be equal or greater from mixed than from grass‐alone pastures fertilized with 120 or 150 kg Nha‐1 year−1. In addition to savings in CO2 emissions from fossil fuels for the production and distribution of N fertilizers, nitrous oxide emissions from cattle excreta and legume residues are lower than those from N‐fertilized brachiaria grass monocultures. Other studies indicate that enteric methane emissions from cattle may be mitigated when forage legumes are included in their diet. The use of forage legumes in mixed pastures for tropical regions is emerging as a feasible strategy to keep meat and milk production at acceptable levels with reduced greenhouse gas emission rates.
Pharmacist-led cardiovascular risk prevention in Western Canada: a qualitative study
Authors: Kapanen Anita I , Conklin Annalijn I , Gobis Barbara , Leung Larry , Yuen Jamie , Zed Peter J
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Preventing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a public health and policy priority, including for employers. A novel CVD risk management programme that included medication management was delivered by pharmacists to employees of a Canadian university. This qualitative study describes the experiences and perceptions of participants who received individual health consultations in this programme.

Methods

A qualitative study design using free-text responses was adopted. Data (5658 words) came from evaluation surveys completed by 119 programme participants were iteratively coded and thematically analysed.

Key findings

We identified four themes characterising participant experiences of pharmacist-led CVD prevention. Theme one was labelled self-efficacy because personalised health information and advice on CVD risk factor management empowered participants to make improvements for their health. Participants expressed a range of positive responses about the longer consultations, supportive communication and safe setting of their pharmacist-led encounters; hence, Theme two is labelled pharmacists’ interpersonal skills. The wider context of the programme included a number of enabling factors (Theme three) that either supported or limited participant engagement in the programme. A number of changes to behaviour and health measures were identified and participant suggestions to expand and continue the programme further contributed to perceptions of positive programme impact (Theme four).

Conclusions

This study raises questions about how external resources and broader determinants might enable, or hinder, future programme success and sustainability. It also highlights the need for greater understanding and communication of the importance of primary prevention and the role of pharmacists in CVD risk reduction and workplace health promotion.
Growing up in economic hardship: The relationship between childhood social assistance recipiency and early adulthood obstacles
Authors: Bask Miia , Haapakorva Pasi , Gissler Mika , Ristikari Tiina
Published: August 2020

Despite the vast body of literature investigating the effects of childhood economic conditions, few studies have investigated the significance of the timing and extent of economic hardship experienced during childhood. This study utilised the 1987 Finnish Birth Cohort, which includes all 59,476 children born in Finland in 1987, to explore the impact of the timing of childhood economic hardship on subsequent well‐being, with a special emphasis on gender differences during three developmental stages. We examined the relationship between the timing and extent of childhood economic hardship and the following four subsequent adolescence and early adulthood outcomes: the cohort members’ criminal convictions, early school leaving, psychiatric diagnoses, and social assistance (SA) recipiency in adulthood. We found a strong association between heavy receipt of SA during secondary school and the cohort members’ early adulthood receipt of SA. Furthermore, early childhood economic hardship seemed to be especially detrimental for girls.
Silencing miR‐20a‐5p inhibits axonal growth and neuronal branching and prevents epileptogenesis through RGMa‐RhoA‐mediated synaptic plasticity
Authors: Feng Yanyan , Duan Chaojun , Luo Zhaohui , Xiao Wenbiao , Tian Fafa
Published: August 2020

Epileptogenesis is a potential process. Mossy fibre sprouting (MFS) and synaptic plasticity promote epileptogenesis. Overexpression of repulsive guidance molecule a (RGMa) prevents epileptogenesis by inhibiting MFS. However, other aspects underlying the RGMa regulatory process of epileptogenesis have not been elucidated. We studied whether RGMa could be modulated by microRNAs and regulated RhoA in epileptogenesis. Using microRNA databases, we selected four miRNAs as potential candidates. We further experimentally confirmed miR‐20a‐5p as a RGMa upstream regulator. Then, in vitro, by manipulating miR‐20a‐5p and RGMa, we investigated the regulatory relationship between miR‐20a‐5p, RGMa and RhoA, and the effects of this pathway on neuronal morphology. Finally, in the epilepsy animal model, we determined whether the miR‐20a‐5p‐RGMa‐RhoA pathway influenced MFS and synaptic plasticity and then modified epileptogenesis. Our results showed that miR‐20a‐5p regulated RGMa and that RGMa regulated RhoA in vitro. Furthermore, in primary hippocampal neurons, the miR‐20a‐5p‐RGMa‐RhoA pathway regulated axonal growth and neuronal branching; in the PTZ‐induced epilepsy model, silencing miR‐20a‐5p prevented epileptogenesis through RGMa‐RhoA‐mediated synaptic plasticity but did not change MFS. Overall, we concluded that silencing miR‐20a‐5p inhibits axonal growth and neuronal branching and prevents epileptogenesis through RGMa‐RhoA‐mediated synaptic plasticity in the PTZ‐induced epilepsy model, thereby providing a possible strategy to prevent epileptogenesis.
The European Union: From a Complex Adaptive System to a Policy Interpreter
Authors: Serban Ileana Daniela
Published: August 2020

The current article builds on complexity theory and offers a new perspective on EU actorness in external policies. It does so by looking at the EU as a complex adaptive system and by adding new instances to previous analyses on EU agency. More concretely, the article critically assesses the idea that the EU becomes a policy interpreter when external actors start to interact following new policy practices. This entails examining how external actors enable EU institutional learning, and, through this, new forms of EU actorness. The argument is illustrated by using the case of triangular cooperation as a recent policy practice helping the EU to fulfil its commitments to aid effectiveness.
Pregnant women's preferences for prenatal genetic testing: A single‐center study in Japan
Authors: Shibata Megumi , Akaishi Rina , Sasaki Aiko , Ogawa Kohei , Nishiyama Miyuki , Wada Seiji , Ozawa Nobuaki , Sago Haruhiko
Published: August 2020

Aim

To evaluate how many pregnant women would prefer to undergo prenatal genetic testing (GT) if they received adequate information during early gestation.

Methods

We examined the preferences for prenatal GT among pregnant women visiting our general outpatient clinic before 16 weeks' gestation between September 2014 and September 2017. We provided them with informational brochures about prenatal GT at their first visit. Women always received genetic counseling (GC) before undergoing GT of their own choice.

Results

Among 5700 pregnant women, 2077 (36.4%) received GC, and 1983 (34.8%) underwent some form of prenatal GT. The percentage undergoing GT was 9.4% (50/531) for women <30 years old, 19.0% (309/1623) for those 30–34 years old, 43.1% (989/2294) for those 35–39 years old, and 50.7% (635/1252) for those ≥40 years old. Older pregnant women tended to receive GC and GT more often than younger women (P < 0.001). The most common reason for receiving GC was advanced maternal age (79.7%). The most common prenatal GT was noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) (50%), followed by the combined test (29.0%) and quadruple test (11.2%). Pregnant women ≥35 years old tended to choose NIPT (60.5%), while those <35 years old tended to choose the combined test (52.9%).

Conclusion

About one‐third of the pregnant women preferred to receive prenatal GT by their own choice. Women's preferences for prenatal GT increased with maternal age; however, half of pregnant women with an advanced maternal age preferred not to undergo GT, even if they were well informed.
Covid‐19 pandemic and pregnancy
Authors: Hayakawa Satoshi , Komine‐Aizawa Shihoko , Mor Gil G.
Published: August 2020

At the end of 2019, a new coronavirus disease, COVID‐19, emerged and quickly spread around the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the causative virus of this disease, belongs to the β‐coronavirus family, together with SARS and middle east respiratory syndrome, and has similar biological characteristics to these viruses. For obstetricians, the susceptibility and prognoses of pregnant women and the effects of the infection on the fetus have been the focus of attention; however, at present, the seriousness of the disease in pregnant women is not apparent, and COVID‐19 does not increase the rate of miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm labor or teratogenicity. Even so, carriers might transmit SARS‐CoV‐2 to pregnant women. Thus, we must keep in mind that all medical personnel must understand and maintain standard precautions in their clinical and laboratory practices.
Collocational Processing in L1 and L2: The Effects of Word Frequency, Collocational Frequency, and Association
Authors: Öksüz Doğuş , Brezina Vaclav , Rebuschat Patrick
Published: August 2020

This study investigated the effects of individual word frequency, collocational frequency, and association on L1 and L2 collocational processing. An acceptability judgment task was administered to L1 and L2 speakers of English. Response times were analyzed using mixed‐effects modeling for 3 types of adjective–noun pairs: (a) high‐frequency, (b) low‐frequency, and (c) baseline items. This study extends previous research by examining whether the effects of individual word and collocation frequency counts differ for L1 and L2 speakers’ processing of collocations. This study also compared the extent to which L1 and L2 speakers’ response times are affected by mutual information and log Dice scores, which are corpus‐derived association measures. Both groups of participants demonstrated sensitivity to individual word and collocation frequency counts. However, there was a reduced effect of individual word frequency counts for processing high‐frequency collocations compared to low‐frequency collocations. Both groups of participants were similarly sensitive to the association measures used.
Irreversible habitat specialization does not constrain diversification in hypersaline water beetles
Authors: Villastrigo Adrián , Arribas Paula , Ribera Ignacio
Published: August 2020

Specialization to extreme environments is often considered an evolutionary dead‐end, leading to irreversible adaptations and reduced evolvability. There is, however, mixed evidence for this macroevolutionary pattern, and limited data from speciose lineages. Here, we tested the effect of habitat specialization to hypersaline waters in the diversification rates of aquatic beetles of the genusOchthebius(Coleoptera, Hydraenidae), using a molecular phylogeny with more than 50% of the 546 recognized species, including representatives of all but one of the nine recognized subgenera and 17 species groups. Phylogenies were built combining mitochondrial and nuclear genes, with the addition of 42 mitochondrial genomes. Using Bayesian methods of character reconstruction, we show that hypersaline tolerance is an irreversible ecological specialization that arose multiple times. Two lineages ofOchthebiusexperienced a significant increase in diversification rates, one of them inhabiting hypersaline waters, but there was no overall correlation with habitat or any significant decrease in diversification rates despite the irreversibility of hypersaline tolerance. Our study tested for the first time the impact of hypersaline habitat specialization on diversification rates, finding no support for it to be an evolutionary dead‐end. On the contrary, multiple and ancient lineages fully adapted to these extreme osmotic conditions have persisted and diversified over a long evolutionary timescale.
Individualization of the three‐piece base arch mechanics according to various periodontal support levels: A finite element analysis
Authors: Gameiro Gustavo Hauber , Bocchiardo Jorge Eugenio , Dalstra Michel , Cattaneo Paolo Maria
Published: August 2020

Introduction

The orthodontic correction of periodontally compromised dentitions constitutes a huge challenge in the clinical practice of adult orthodontics. The biological and physical distinct features of these conditions require a carefully designed mechanical plan for the successful treatment of these complex cases.

Setting and Sample Population

A segment of a human maxilla containing the central and lateral incisors, obtained from autopsy, was scanned with microcomputed tomography, and a finite element (FE) model was generated to represent an intact periodontal dentition. Based on this model, three additional models simulating a mild, moderate and severe bone alveolar loss were created as well.

Materials and Methods

Two loading scenarios for the application of intrusive and retraction mechanics with a three‐piece base arch appliance were evaluated in a series of FE analyses. The tooth displacements and strains in the periodontal ligament (PDL) were calculated and compared for the four FE models.

Results

The periodontal reduced dentitions exhibited a similar axis of resistance for intrusive mechanics, but the axis of resistance for retraction movements was significantly dependent on the degree of alveolar bone loss. The tooth displacements and PDL loads were higher in the reduced dentitions for both intrusive and retraction mechanics.

Conclusions

A reduction in the force levels applied to periodontal reduced dentitions is indicated, and a customized selection of appropriate points of force application is needed according to the specific amount of alveolar bone loss.
Alveolar bone changes in maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth during orthodontic treatment: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Guo Runzhi , Zhang Liwen , Hu Menglong , Huang Yiping , Li Weiran
Published: August 2020

The association between tooth movement and remodelling of surrounding bone is controversial. To analyse the effect of tooth movement on alveolar bone changes in maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth by cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT). The Embase, Cochrane Library and Medline databases were searched without any language restrictions. Longitudinal studies using CBCT to observe alveolar bone changes of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth during orthodontic treatment were included. Two independent reviewers performed the study selection, data extraction and methodological quality assessment. A total of 26 studies were included in this review, 14 of which were eligible for quantitative synthesis. In extraction cases, meta‐analysis showed vertical bone loss on the labial (0.36 mm) and lingual (0.94 mm) sides of maxillary incisors, and lingual bone thickness decreased significantly at the cervical level (0.57 mm). In non‐extraction cases, vertical alveolar bone loss was significant on the labial side (0.97 mm) and lingual side (0.86 mm) of mandibular incisors. Subgroup analysis for skeletal class III patients indicated that vertical alveolar bone loss was 1.16 mm on the labial side and 0.83 mm on the lingual side of mandibular incisors. The absence of high‐quality studies and the high heterogeneity of the included studies were limitations of this systematic review and meta‐analysis. Based on limited evidence, alveolar bone height and thickness, especially at the cervical level, decreased during both labial and lingual movement of anterior teeth.