bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of ink consumption in screen printing within color difference limits
Authors: Özdemir Lutfi , Kurt Mustafa Batuhan , Akgül Ahmet , Oktav Mehmet , Nayci Duman Mujgan
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to optimize the key parameters (mesh count, paper type and ink type) in screen printing, which are affecting the printed ink volume. The objective of the optimization was to maximize the color reliability by decreasing the color difference (ΔE value) of the prints while minimizing the ink consumption. Screen printing is still dominating the printing industry to make cost-effective production when high volumes are needed.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiment was designed using the Taguchi method, and the samples were prepared with screen-printing by using the standard squeegee angle and pressure. The effect of mesh count, ink type and paper type on ink consumption was evaluated with using analysis of variances and main effects plots of S/N ratio and standard deviation.

Findings

The factors ink type, paper type and mesh count were found significant for ink consumption due to their Probability (P) values which were lower than 0.05. It was determined that the mesh count was the most critical variable with the analysis of variance. The analysis showed that the selection of an optimum mesh count was the key to controlling the amount of the deposited ink. Although mesh counts were inversely proportional with the ink consumptions, they did not affect the color differences as expected.

Originality/value

The optimization of process parameters, that are most effective on the print quality, is necessary to minimize the ink usage and lower the costs and environmental impact without exceeding the desired ΔE value limits.
Numerical and experimental analysis of bead cross-sectional geometry in fused filament fabrication
Authors: Balta Efe C. , Altınkaynak Atakan
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to develop experimentally validated numerical models to accurately characterize the cross-sectional geometry of the deposited beads in a fused filament fabrication (FFF) process under various process conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The presented numerical model is investigated under various fidelity with varying computational complexity. To this end, comparisons between the Newtonian, non-newtonian, isothermal and non-isothermal computational models are presented for the extrusion of polylactic acid material in an FFF process. The computational model is validated through an experimental study on an off-the-shelf FFF printer. Microscope images of experimentally printed FFF bead cross-sections corresponding to various printing conditions are digitally processed for the validation. In the experimental study, common practical printing conditions for an FFF process are tested, and the results are compared to the numerical model.

Findings

Microscope image analyses of the cross-sectional geometries of deposited beads show that the numerical model provides a precise characterization of the cross-sectional geometry under varying process parameters in terms of the cross-section outline, bead height and width. The results show that the nozzle-to-table distance has a great effect on the bead shape when compared to the extrusion rate at a given nozzle-to-table distance. Comparison of the various computational models show that the non-Newtonian isothermal model provides the best tradeoff between computational complexity and model accuracy.

Originality/value

The authors provide detailed computational models, including the extruder nozzle geometry for cases ranging from Newtonian isothermal models to non-Newtonian non-isothermal models with experimental validation. The validation study is conducted for practical process parameters that are commonly used in FFF in practice and show that the computational models provide an accurate depiction of the true process outputs. As the developed models can accurately predict process outputs, they can be used in further applications for process planning and parameter tuning.
Speaking to the hearts of the customers! The mediating effect of customer loyalty on customer orientation, technology orientation and business performance
Authors: Ismail Ismail Juma
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This paper examined mediating effect of customer loyalty on the influence of customer orientation and technology orientation on the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted and modified items from previous studies. Also, data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Additionally, a PROCESS Macro mediation test was used.

Findings

The study's findings indicated that customer orientation and technology orientation positively and significantly affect customer loyalty. Moreover, the findings indicated that customer loyalty has a positive and significant effect on the performance of SMEs. Finally, customer loyalty was found to mediate the influence of customer orientation and technology orientation on the performance of SMEs.

Practical implications

The study recommends on business performance improvement through enhancing customer and technology orientations and customer loyalty. So, SMEs should make sure their internal environment is conducive to accommodate customer and technology orientations, which will help them come up with effective ways to get loyal customers and improve their business.

Originality/value

The study adds value to the existing literature by introducing customer loyalty as an intervening variable between the effect of customer orientation and technology orientation on business performance of SMEs.
Shared mental models and task decomposition
Authors: Lim JoAnne Yong-Kwan
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The research on shared mental models (SMMs) focuses on the importance of all team members holding similar mental models to realize team performance. However, for a perceived decomposable task, it is not required for all team members to have similar mental models to achieve team performance. Moreover, unnecessary overlapping mental models among team members may engender information overloading, translating into suboptimal team performance. Absent from the current literature is an understanding of the factors that determine the minimal overlapping mental models required across specific members for team performance. The purpose of this study is to yield an understanding of these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study highlights that the requirement to hold similar mental models across specific team members depends on the task decomposition mechanisms used: task complexity and decomposability, subtask assigned and layer, task modularity, workflow interdependence type and tool attributes.

Findings

Unlike much prior research which measured the relationship between SMMs and team performance at the team level, our conceptualization suggests that the measurement of SMMs and team performance needs to be conducted across a team and subsets of the team or individuals depending on task complexity and decomposability. This current research offers an important viewpoint regarding when team members need to hold similar mental models to realize task performance.

Originality/value

By suggesting new insights into when mental models should be similar across specific team members, this research also provides understanding of why some empirical SMMs studies do not yield positive relationships between similar SMMs and team effectiveness while others do.
Smart tourism technologies towards memorable experiences for museum visitors
Authors: Yang Xinran , Zhang Liaoniao
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the perception of smart tourism technologies (STTs) in creating museum tourism experiences and assess visitors’ intentions to test the impact, the extent and role that STTs play in museum service.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation was conducted through an online and on-site survey; data were collected in four different museums with 365 museum tourists in four countries. SmartPLS (version 3.3.3) was used to access the measurement and structural model based on path modelling and bootstrapping.

Findings

STTs have a positive impact on creating a memorable tourism experience for museum visitors and are beneficial to revisit intention and positive recommendations. The impact is stronger than traditional services such as museum setting and staff service. STTs can be considered an independent new service to museums rather than complementing existing services. STTs negatively affect tourism’s experience at the communication stage.

Originality/value

Previous studies have noted the growing attention to the museum visitor experience, but the combined impact of new elements, such as STTs, remains an unexplored area. This study addressed the research gap through an empirical investigation and offers guidelines to test museum visitors’ acceptance and fitness for the services provided by STTs. In addition, this study presents a new point of view on the roles that STTs take in museum service, which can be useful for further investigations.
An improved parallel regenerative braking system for small battery electric vehicle
Authors: Mondal Sutapa , Nandi Arup Kumar
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design an improved parallel regenerative braking system (IPRBS) for electric vehicles (EVs) that increases energy recovery with a constant brake pedal feel (BPF).

Design/methodology/approach

The conventional hydro-mechanical braking system is redesigned by incorporating a reversing linear solenoid (RLS) and allowed to work in parallel with a regenerative brake. A braking algorithm is proposed, and correspondingly, a control system is designed for the IPRBS for its proper functioning, and a mathematical model is formulated considering vehicle drive during braking. The effectiveness of IPRBS is studied by analyzing two aspects of regenerative braking (BPF and regenerative efficiency) and the impact of regenerative braking contribution to range extension and energy consumption reduction under European Union Urban Driving Cycle (ECE).

Findings

IPRBS is found to maintain a constant BPF in terms of deceleration rate vs pedal displacement during the entire braking period irrespective of speed change and deceleration rate. The regenerative ratio of IPRBS is found to be high compared with conventional parallel regenerative braking, but it is quite the same at high deceleration.

Originality/value

A constant BPF is achieved by introducing an RLS between the input pushrod and booster input rod with appropriate controller design. Comparative analysis of energy regenerated under different regenerative conditions establishes the originality of IPRBS. An average contribution ratio to energy consumption reduction and driving range extension of IPRBS in ECE are obtained as 18.38 and 22.76, respectively.
Ecologically relevant radiation exposure triggers elevated metabolic rate and nectar consumption in bumblebees
Authors: Burrows Jessica E. , Copplestone David , Raines Katherine E. , Beresford Nicholas A. , Tinsley Matthew C.
Published: May 2022

Exposure to radiation is a natural part of our environment. Yet, due to nuclear accidents such as at Chernobyl, some organisms are exposed to significantly elevated dose rates. Our understanding of the effects of radiation in the environment is limited, confounded by substantial interspecific differences in radio‐sensitivity and conflicting findings.

Here we study radiation impacts on bumblebees in the laboratory using principles from life‐history theory, which assume organismal investment in fitness‐related traits is constrained by resource availability and resource allocation decisions. To investigate how chronic radiation might negatively affect life‐history traits, we tested whether exposure affects bumblebee energy budgets by studying resource acquisition (feeding) and resource use (metabolic rate).

We monitored metabolic rate, movement and nectar intake of bumblebees before, during and after 10 days of radiation exposure. Subsequently, we monitored feeding and body mass across a dose rate gradient to investigate the dose rate threshold for these effects. We studied dose rates up to 200 μGy/hr: a range found today in some areas of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Chronic low‐dose radiation affected bumblebee energy budgets. At 200 μGy/hr nectar consumption elevated by 56% relative to controls, metabolic CO2 production increased by 18%, and time spent active rose by 30%. Once radiation exposure stopped, feeding remained elevated but CO2 production and activity returned to baseline. Our analysis indicates that elevated metabolic rate was not driven by increased activity but was instead closely associated with feeding increases. Our data suggest bumblebee nectar consumption was affected across the 50–200 μGy/hr range.

We show field‐realistic radiation exposure influences fundamental metabolic processes with potential to drive changes in many downstream life‐history traits. We hypothesise that radiation may trigger energetically costly repair mechanisms, increasing metabolic rate and nectar requirements. This change could have significant ecological consequences in contaminated landscapes, including Chernobyl. We demonstrate bumblebees are more sensitive to radiation than assumed by existing international frameworks for environmental radiological protection.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Bringing together approaches to reporting on within species genetic diversity
Authors: O'Brien David , Laikre Linda , Hoban Sean , Bruford Michael W. , Ekblom Robert , Fischer Martin C. , Hall Jeanette , Hvilsom Christina , Hollingsworth Peter M. , Kershaw Francine , Mittan Cinnamon S. , Mukassabi Tarek A. , Ogden Rob , Segelbacher Gernot , Shaw Robyn E. , Vernesi Cristiano , MacDonald Anna J.
Published: May 2022

Genetic diversity is one of the three main levels of biodiversity recognised in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Fundamental for species adaptation to environmental change, genetic diversity is nonetheless under‐reported within global and national indicators. When it is reported, the focus is often narrow and confined to domesticated or other commercial species.

Several approaches have recently been developed to address this shortfall in reporting on genetic diversity of wild species. While multiplicity of approaches is helpful in any development process, it can also lead to confusion among policy makers and heighten a perception that conservation genetics is too abstract to be of use to organisations and governments.

As the developers of five of the different approaches, we have come together to explain how various approaches relate to each other and propose a scorecard, as a unifying reporting mechanism for genetic diversity.

Policy implications. We believe the proposed combined approach captures the strengths of its components and is practical for all nations and subnational governments. It is scalable and can be used to evaluate species conservation projects as well as genetic conservation projects.
Palovarotene inhibits the NF‐κB signalling pathway to prevent heterotopic ossification
Authors: Huang Junchao , Wu Jiang , Lin Jialiang , Li Congbin , Tang Bo , Xiao Haijun
Published: May 2022

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a common disease characterized by pain, dysfunction and calcification. The mechanisms underlying HO have not been completely elucidated. Palovarotene, a retinoic acid receptor γ agonist, significantly inhibits the formation of HO in vivo. However, its specific mechanism of action remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the signalling pathways related to the formation of HO as well as the mechanism of palovarotene action. We constructed in vitro and in vivo models of HO. Osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) was observed by alizarin red and alkaline phosphatase staining assays in vitro. X‐ray and haematoxylin–eosin staining were performed in vivo. Western blots and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction were performed to determine the levels of osteogenic‐ and inflammation‐related genes. Immunofluorescence and immunocytochemistry were used to assess the levels of p65, the core molecule of the nuclear factor κ‐B (NF‐κB) signalling pathway. We demonstrated that, in vitro, under inflammatory stimulation, pathological calcium deposition increased in BMSCs. The levels of osteogenesis‐ and inflammation‐related genes were also upregulated, along with an enhanced expression of p65. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that p65 entered the nucleus, thereby stimulating the downstream effectors of the NF‐κB pathway. The above trends were reversed after palovarotene treatment. In conclusion, the NF‐κB signalling pathway played an important role in HO, and palovarotene could alleviate HO by blocking the NF‐κB cascade. Our results may provide a theoretical basis for palovarotene in the treatment of HO. Further studies on the side effects of palovarotene are warranted in the future.
Flavonoid‐producing tomato plants have a direct negative effect on the zoophytophagous biological control agent Orius sauteri
Authors: Yang Fengbo , Zhang Xinyi , Shen Haowei , Xue Hu , Tian Tian , Zhang Qinghe , Hu Jinyu , Tong Hong , Zhang Youjun , Su Qi
Published: May 2022

Orius sauteri (Poppius) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is often used for biological control of small arthropod pests in greenhouse vegetable production systems in Asia. In addition to feeding on arthropod prey, O. sauteri consumes small quantities of plant material. Previous studies demonstrated that tomato plant chemistry confers antixenosis resistance to phloem‐feeding whiteflies, but the potential nontarget effects of phytochemicals on the beneficial predator O. sauteri are unknown. Comparison of O. sauteri confined to near‐isogenic lines (NILs) of tomatoes producing high levels of flavonoids (NIL‐purple hypocotyl; resistant to whiteflies) and low levels of flavonoids (NIL‐green hypocotyl; susceptible to whiteflies) revealed that O. sauteri had reduced oviposition, nymphal survival, and development on resistant plants, even if they were also provided with prey that did not feed on the host plant. Moreover, O. sauteri showed a significant ovipositional preference in choice assays, laying significantly more eggs on susceptible than on resistant plants. Molecular gut content analysis using the specific chloroplast trnL gene from tomato confirmed that adult and immature O. sauteri feed on both resistant and susceptible genotypes, and feeding behavior assays revealed that resistance did not affect plant feeding or prey acceptance by O. sauteri adults. These results demonstrate a direct negative effect of phytochemicals on a nontarget beneficial species and indicate that resistance mediated by phytochemicals can affect organisms that do not solely feed on phloem sap. The results also indicate that the mode of action and the potential ecological effects of phytochemical‐mediated resistance are broader than previously recognized.
The NRCS Peak Rate Factor for Severe Storms
Authors: Horst Michael W. , Bader Henry , Harrington Erin
Published: May 2022

The Natural Resources Conservation Service's Dimensionless Unit Hydrograph is used extensively in industry by design engineers for the purpose of determining the runoff hydrograph from a rainfall event. As part of the methodology, the user is required to input a Peak Rate Factor (PRF) which describes the runoff response (volume distribution) of the corresponding unit hydrograph. Unfortunately, little guidance is given in the literature for selecting an appropriate PRF for a given watershed. Additionally, consideration has not been given to determine if the PRF should remain constant for a given watershed or be allowed to vary as a function of return period. The goal of this study was to back‐calculate site‐specific PRFs for various watersheds which have experienced two or more significant rain events since the year 2000. A total of 14 watersheds were investigated with results showing PRFs remained consistent for five of the watersheds regardless of the storm event. Nine of the watersheds showed a significant variation in PRF with an average variation of approximately 440 across all storm events within a given watershed. Additional analysis showed there is a general trend of increasing PRF with decreasing storm‐specific curve number. Finally, the complacent‐violent runoff response was shown to occur for storms with resulting PRF's in excess of 1,000.
Modified Glasgow prognostic score predicts the prognosis of patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A propensity score‐matched analysis
Authors: Cui Chanjuan , Wu Xi , Deng Lei , Wang Wenqing , Cui Wei , Wang Yanfeng
Published: May 2022

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients.

Methods

The study enrolled 311 patients with advanced esophageal SCC from January 2012 to December 2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses were calculated by the Cox proportional hazards regression model in advanced esophageal SCC patients. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to evaluate the ability of the mGPS for survival rates. Propensity score‐matched (PSM) analysis was carried out to balance imbalanced variables.

Results

The Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that factors including M stage, ECOG, mGPS group, and sex were identified as independent predictors. The mGPS presented a good level of overall survival (OS) prediction with a risk‐adopted classification for advanced esophageal SCC patients. The survival rates in advanced esophageal SCC patients with mGPS 0, 1, and 2 were 18.8%, 8.4%, and 4.2%, respectively (p < 0.001). Moreover, before and after PSM, the mGPS was associated with 3‐year survival rates of advanced esophageal SCC patients in the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. In addition, the mGPS for OS prediction demonstrated better performance than sex and ECOG score. The area under curve (AUC) of the mGPS combined with M stage for the prognosis of advanced esophageal SCC was 0.677 (0.592–0.763).

Conclusion

The mGPS is a cost‐effective, accessible tool capable of prognosticating in this cohort. It could be a useful surveillance system of prognosis in advanced esophageal SCC patients.
The development, but not expression, of alcohol front‐loading in C57BL/6J mice maintained on LabDiet 5001 is abolished by maintenance on Teklad 2920x rodent diet
Authors: Maphis Nicole M. , Huffman Radcliff T. , Linsenbardt David N.
Published: May 2022

Background

Excessive alcohol (ethanol) consumption, such as binge drinking, is extremely commonplace and represents a major health concern. Through modeling excessive drinking in rodents, we are beginning to uncover the neurobiological and neurobehavioral causes and consequences of this pattern of ethanol intake. One important factor for modeling binge drinking in mice is that they reliably drink to blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) of 80 mg/dl or higher. Drinking‐in‐the‐dark (DID) is a commonly used mouse model of binge drinking, and we have shown that this method reliably results in robust ethanol front‐loading and binge‐level BECs in C57BL/6J (B6) mice and other ethanol‐preferring mouse strains/lines. However, establishing the DID model in a new vivarium space forced us to consider the use of rodent diet formulations that we had not previously used.

Methods

The current set of experiments were designed to investigate the role of two standard rodent diet formulations on binge drinking and the development of ethanol front‐loading using DID.

Results

We found that BECs in animals maintained on LabDiet 5001 (LD01) were double those found in mice maintained on Teklad 2920x (TL20). Interestingly, this effect was paralleled by differences in the degree of front‐loading, such that LD01‐fed mice consumed approximately twice as much ethanol in the first 15 min of the 2‐h DID sessions as the TL20‐fed mice. Surprisingly, however, mice that developed front‐loading during maintenance on the LD01 diet continued to display front‐loading behavior after being switched to the TL20 diet.

Conclusions

These data emphasize the importance of choosing and reporting diet formulations when conducting voluntary drinking studies and support the need for further investigation into the mechanisms behind diet‐induced differences in binge drinking, particularly front‐loading.
Differences in the association between kappa opioid receptors and pain among Black and White adults with alcohol use disorders
Authors: de Laat Bart , Nabulsi Nabeel , Huang Yiyun , O'Malley Stephanie S. , Morris Evan D. , Krishnan‐Sarin Suchitra
Published: May 2022

Background

The relationship between alcohol and pain is complex. Associations between pain and alcohol use disorder (AUD) vary by race, but the underlying biological basis is not understood. We examined the association of the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) with responses to the cold‐pressor test (CPT), before and after treatment with the opioid antagonist naltrexone, among individuals with AUD who self‐identified as Black or White.

Methods

Thirty‐seven individuals (12 Black, 24 White, and 1 Multiracial) with AUD participated in two CPTs, separated by 1 week during which they received naltrexone 100 mg daily. During each CPT, pain reporting threshold (PRT), average pain increase rate (APIR), relative pain recovery (RPR), and alcohol craving were recorded. KOR availability was measured using [11C]‐LY2795050 positron emission tomography (PET) prior to treatment with naltrexone.

Results

Black participants reported higher PRT and APIR than White participants during the CPT before, but not after, naltrexone treatment. Among Black participants, KOR availability was positively associated with PRT and APIR before, but not after naltrexone. Greater KOR availability was associated with faster RPR for White, but not Black, participants. The CPT induced more alcohol craving in Black than White participants, particularly in individuals with low KOR availability, an effect that was not attenuated by naltrexone.

Conclusions

KOR involvement and naltrexone effects on responses to the CPT were different between Black and White participants. These preliminary findings suggest that further exploration of the differences in the opioid system and pain among Black and White individuals with AUD and their relationship with naltrexone's effects is warranted.
Roadblocks: How Property Rights Undermine Development in Colombia
Authors: Holland Alisha C.
Published: May 2022

Political economy models view property rights as the linchpin to economic development. But strong property rights—defined as rules that provide greater compensation to a larger set of claimants—encourage opportunistic behaviors that undermine infrastructure investments. Strong rights lead to (1) holdout problems among existing property owners, (2) infrastructure trolls who occupy needed land, and (3) scope expansions in which communities demand unrelated local public goods. I draw on original qualitative research around highway projects in Colombia to illustrate how communities leverage their property rights to secure greater compensation and collective goods. A survey experiment supports the microfoundations of the theory: making salient strong property rights increases compensation demands and legal claims. State audit reports reveal that opportunistic behavior occurs on two‐thirds of highway projects. These findings bolster a neglected view of strong property rights as a check on state‐led economic development projects.
Severe pertussis disease in a paediatric population: The role of age, vaccination status and prematurity
Authors: Guarnieri Valentina , Giovannini Mattia , Lodi Lorenzo , Astorino Valeria , Pisano Laura , Di Cicco Elisa , Canessa Clementina , Citera Francesco , Peroni Diego , Azzari Chiara , Ricci Silvia
Published: May 2022

Aim

To estimate hospitalisation rate and investigate the role of age, prematurity and vaccination status in severe pertussis cases.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 200 children aged 0–14 years, admitted to the emergency rooms of Meyer Hospital of Florence and Pisa Hospital with a diagnosis of pertussis from 1 October 2010 to 31 January 2020.

Results

Children younger than 12 months were 63.0%. Preterm infants were 6.5%. The rate of hospitalisation was 49.0%. Among hospitalised cases, 80.6% were younger than 5 months. Overall, 62.0% were unvaccinated; this percentage increased among hospitalised (73.5%) and preterm subsamples (76.9%). Delays in pertussis vaccination were found in 57.7% of term infants and in 80.0% of preterms. Multivariable analysis confirmed the age under 2 months as the variable at higher risk for hospitalisation (OR 4.49, 95% CI 1.85–10.96, p < 0.001). Being fully vaccinated represented a significant protective factor (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.04–0.35, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Older classes of age and a complete vaccination, in time with the recommended schedule, are both protective factors for hospitalisation in severe pertussis disease. The widespread vaccination delay frequently observed in preterm children may be the cause for their higher rate of hospitalisation.
AUP1 regulates lipid metabolism and induces lipid accumulation to accelerate the progression of renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Chen , Zhao Wei , Lu Xingxing , Ma Yunbo , Zhang Peizhi , Wang Zicheng , Cui Zilian , Xia Qinghua
Published: May 2022

Lipid metabolic reprogramming is a prominent feature of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Lipid accumulation affects cellular energy homeostasis, biofilm synthesis, lipid signal transduction, and phenotypic transformation in ccRCC. Herein, a prognostic‐related model was constructed, and the prognostic utility of AUP1, a lipid droplet–regulating very low–density lipoprotein assembly factor, in ccRCC was determined through multiparameter analysis. AUP1 expression was significantly higher in clinical samples than in normal tissues and was closely associated with the clinical stage. The inhibition of AUP1 expression impaired the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ACHN and A498 ccRCC cells in vitro and in vivo. RNA‐seq analysis revealed that AUP1 inhibition can significantly reduce the contents of intracellular triglyceride and cholesterol and regulate cell growth by cell cycle arrest, promoting apoptosis and reversing epithelial‐mesenchymal transition. AUP1 regulated the synthesis of cholesterol esters and fatty acids (FAs) in ccRCC cells by targeting sterol O‐acyltransferase 1 and partially promoted the progression of ccRCC. AUP1 also induced lipid accumulation in ccRCC by promoting the de novo synthesis of FAs (inhibiting protein kinase AMP‐activated catalytic subunit alpha 2), inhibiting the rate‐limiting enzyme of FA β oxidation (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A), regulating the key enzyme of lipolysis (monoglyceride lipase, MGLL), and inhibiting the lipid transporter StAR‐related lipid transfer domain containing 5 (STARD5). However, it did not affect the intracellular cholesterol synthesis pathway. The differential expression and prognostic significance of MGLL and STARD5 in ccRCC should be further studied. AUP1 may serve as a new and effective potential target and prognostic marker for ccRCC.
The role of neuroticism and pain in dental anxiety: A twin study
Authors: Vassend Olav , Czajkowski Nikolai Olavi , Røysamb Espen , Nielsen Christopher Sivert
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Accumulating evidence has revealed that dental anxiety is robustly associated with dental care‐related pain and discomfort, but also with the personality trait of neuroticism (i.e. the relatively stable disposition to experience the world as distressing, threatening and unsafe). However, there is a near absence of research on these risk factors in samples for which genetic information is available. With the aim of arriving at a more refined understanding of dental anxiety, this twin cohort study assessed genetic and environmental influences on neuroticism, dental care‐related pain and dental anxiety, and the relation between these phenotypes.

Methods

Participants were recruited from the Norwegian Twin Registry, and data collections were carried out in 1992–98 (Time 1) and 2011 (Time 2). Well‐validated questionnaires were used to assess the study variables, including Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale, the Numerical Pain Rating Scale, the NEO Personality Inventory Revised (Time 2) and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire (Time 1). Pearson correlation analysis and generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to investigate phenotypic associations. Analyses of genetic and environmental influences were performed using Cholesky modelling.

Results

A total of 746 monozygotic (MZ) and 770 dizygotic (DZ) twins in the age group of 50–65 participated in the study. Moderate estimates of heritability for dental anxiety (0.29), treatment‐related pain (0.24) and neuroticism (0.45–0.54) were found. Cholesky modelling showed furthermore that neuroticism assessed at Time 1 and Time 2 was related to dental anxiety and pain via both genetic and individual‐specific environmental pathways, albeit not very strongly. The particularly high phenotypic correlation observed between dental care‐related pain and anxiety (r = .68) was explained by both overlapping genetic and individual‐specific environmental influences (the genetic and environmental correlations were .84 and .63 respectively).

Conclusions

The findings provide deeper insight into the aetiology of dental anxiety and confirm that while it is strongly linked to treatment‐related pain experiences, this relation is to a considerable degree independent of general negative affectivity/neuroticism.
Information and communications technology use in rural child welfare work
Authors: Gross Melissa , Latham Don , Randolph Karen , Constantino Christopher , Preshia Elliot Chance
Published: May 2022

This study explores the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) use on rural child welfare practice using a technology‐in‐practice framework to derive the social structures that are instantiated by rural child welfare workers (CWWs) and to examine their agency as actors. ICT use was tracked, and interviews were conducted with rural CWWs who work with children and families to gain an understanding of and describe their day‐to‐day ICT use at the practice level. Findings demonstrate that CWWs enact social structures along four frames: bureaucratic structure, family centricity, ICT context and information–documentation culture. In terms of agency, CWWs not only are constrained by but also exert some influence on the social structures they enact through facilities (material resources), norms and interpretive schemes. These findings have implications for how ICT can be used to facilitate the CWW–client relationship and the need in rural areas for increased infrastructure to support CWWs.
Free time, gender and the pandemic: An exploration of children's daily routines in the times of COVID‐19 in Chile
Authors: Díaz Rocío , Contreras Mariana , Yáñez Isabel , Ponce Tania
Published: May 2022

This article discusses the differentiation by gender displayed by children between 8 and 12 years old on how they used their free time during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Chile. This study had a qualitative approach, where 43 in‐depth interviews were conducted with children from three different regions of the country, using participatory photo‐elicitation as the central tool. The main results of the study show a configuration of free time based on gender stereotypes, showing that boys are the ones who most adhere to such stereotypes, triggering a crisis in the identity construction of masculinities during childhood. The study also suggests that socioeconomic and territorial differences between children configures different experiences of the use of free time.
First report of the pest pistachio‐seed wasp Eurytoma plotnikovi (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) in France
Authors: Rousse Pascal , Reynaud Philippe
Published: May 2022

This is the first official report of the pistachio pest Eurytoma plotnikovi in France. Twenty adults were identified after they emerged from a sample collected in South‐Eastern France. A brief description is provided, along with biological, geographical and economic data on the pest. This species should not be considered as a major concern for nut production in France so far, although this might evolve with the development of pistachio crops in this area.
“The workload is staggering”: Changing working conditions of stay‐at‐home mothers under COVID‐19 lockdowns
Authors: Aslam Awish , Adams Tracey L.
Published: May 2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic has drawn attention to the home as a work environment, but the focus has centered on the experiences of paid workers. Stay‐at‐home mothers (SAHMs), for whom the home was already a workplace, have received little attention. This article explores how pandemic‐induced lockdowns impacted SAHMs' working conditions and their experiences of childrearing. Combining a Marxist‐feminist conceptualization of domestic labor with a labor process framework, we performed a qualitative content analysis of vignettes SAHMs shared about their day‐to‐day domestic labor in an online mothering community. Our findings show that, under lockdown conditions, the primacy given to partners' paid work combined with children's increased demands for care and attention reduced SAHMs work autonomy and exacerbated gender inequalities in the home. Combining labor process theory with literature on motherwork illuminates the home as a gendered work environment and enhances understanding of how changing conditions of domestic labor can intensify gender inequalities (and workers' awareness of them) that typically remain “hidden in the household.”
INSIDE MONEY, INVESTMENT, AND UNCONVENTIONAL MONETARY POLICY
Authors: Altermatt Lukas
Published: May 2022

I develop a model where banks play a central role in monetary policy transmission. By credibly committing to repayment, banks can perform liquidity transformation. Illiquid assets may pay a liquidity premium because they allow banks to create liquid assets. The policy analysis discusses how the monetary authority can affect nominal rates and inflation when the fiscal authority follows nominal or real debt targets. A main result is that under a nominal debt target, the monetary authority is only able to increase inflation at the zero‐lower bound by issuing money via lump‐sum transfers, while doing so via bond purchases is ineffective.
Investigation on the role of Joule heating on flash sintering using a combined experimental and modeling approach
Authors: Arya Kumar Sadanand , Eqbal Ammar , Rai Pranav , Yadav Devinder , Chakrabarti Tamoghna
Published: May 2022

Flash sintering is a novel technique of ultrafast densification. There is a continuous debate over the mechanisms that are responsible for such fast sintering. In this work, we have assessed the role of Joule heating and thermal runaway on densification using a combined experimental and modeling approach. First, flash sintering (FS) experiments have been carried out for three different oxides that have very different electrical and thermal conductivities, namely, 3‐ and 8‐mol% yttria‐stabilized zirconia and titania (TiO2). Then, we modeled the densification during FS, for identical experimental conditions, using a novel combined finite element modeling and master sintering curve approach. The results obtained through experiment and modeling have been compared. Finally, our results show that ultrafast densification observed during FS cannot be replicated through Joule heating and thermal runaway alone at low current density (<100 mA/mm2), suggesting that a contribution from other mechanisms is likely essential to explain the observed ultrafast densification. However, Joule heating and thermal runaway can account for the ultrafast densification at higher than 100 mA/mm2 current density.
Gut microbial community differentially characterizes patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Jee Jai J , Lim Jiyeon , Park Sowon , Koh Hong , Lee Hye Won
Published: May 2022

Background and Aim

Discordant reports of the signature gut microbes involved in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have hampered understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease, and thus its diagnosis. Thus, we investigated diagnostic factors and the potential mechanisms for heterogenous NAFLD based on the gut environment, including microbes and functional pathways.

Methods

Stools from 16 biopsy‐proven NAFLD patients were analyzed for bacterial taxonomy and functional pathways based on 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Data from the physical examination, serum biochemistry, and the gut environment were subjected to a decision tree classifier to identify diagnostic markers.

Results

We identified two NAFLD subpopulations: those with and without a gut microbiota similar to health controls (HCs), defined as PHC‐like and P patients, respectively. Stools of PHC‐like patients were significantly populated with Enterobacteriaceae and were inferred to be rich in metabolites degraded from dicarboxylic acid sugars. Significant colonization of Prevotella was observed in the stools of P patients, in parallel with enrichment of metabolites from heme b biosynthesis and sulfate reduction. As a potential mechanism, we suggest that protoporphyrin IX and/or protoheme from Prevotella participates in hepatic injury, and that endogenous hydrogen sulfide increases serum IL‐6 level in P patients. However, endotoxin‐producing Enterobacteriaceae are thought to produce glycerate, triggering a peroxisome proliferator‐ activated receptor‐alpha‐mediated decrease in IL‐6 level and fat accumulation in PHC‐like patients.

Conclusions

Heterogenous NAFLD subpopulations were identified, defined according to gut microbial composition and their potential underlying pathogenic mechanisms; our results raise the possibility of personalized treatment for NALFD patients.
Effect of salpingectomy on ovarian reserve: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kobayashi Mio , Kitahara Yoshikazu , Hasegawa Yuko , Tsukui Yumiko , Hiraishi Hikaru , Iwase Akira
Published: May 2022

Aim

To determine the effect of salpingectomy on ovarian reserve.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Dynamed plus, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register databases were searched from their inception to December 2020 to identify relevant studies, including cross‐sectional studies, retrospective studies, and randomized controlled trials. Studies that compared anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and/or antral follicle count (AFC) between the control and salpingectomy groups or before and after surgery were included.

Results

Twenty‐one articles were included in the systematic review. Meta‐analyses were performed on 16 studies in which data were presented as mean ± SD values. A meta‐analysis comparing AMH levels before and after surgery in the same patients showed no significant decrease in all cases, irrespective of whether it was unilateral or bilateral salpingectomy. There was no significant decrease in the AFC in the meta‐analysis comparing levels before and after bilateral salpingectomy, either. In contrast, in the case–controlled study the salpingectomy group had significantly lower levels of AMH in all meta‐analyses of unilateral and bilateral surgery (mean difference: −0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.55, −0.07), only unilateral cases (mean difference: −0.28, 95% CI: −0.50, −0.06), and only bilateral cases (mean difference: −0.71, 95% CI: −1.19, −0.23). The salpingectomy group that included unilateral and bilateral cases had significantly lower AFC compared with no‐surgery controls (mean difference: −1.31, 95% CI: −2.13, −0.48).

Conclusion

Although not conclusive, it does appear that patients who underwent salpingectomy (either unilateral or bilateral) have a decreased ovarian reserve.
A morphometric analysis of hepatitis B subviral particles shows no correlation of filament proportion and length with clinical stage and genotype
Authors: Eymieux Sébastien , Hourioux Christophe , Marlet Julien , Moreau Alain , Patient Romuald , d'Alteroche Louis , Gaudy‐Graffin Catherine , Blanchard Emmanuelle , Roingeard Philippe
Published: May 2022

It was recently suggested that the composition of circulating hepatitis B subviral particles (SVPs) could be used to differentiate the various stages in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, with significantly lower proportions of L and M proteins in inactive carriers than in individuals with chronic hepatitis. L protein is abundant in virions and filamentous SVPs but almost absent from spherical SVPs. We, therefore, performed a morphometric analysis of SVPs in these two groups of patients, by conducting a retrospective analysis on sera from 15 inactive carriers and 11 patients with chronic hepatitis infected with various HBV genotypes. Subviral particles were concentrated by centrifugation on a sucrose cushion, with monitoring by transmission electron microscopy. The percentage of filamentous SVPs and filament length for 100 SVPs was determined with a digital camera. The L protein PreS1 promoter was sequenced from viral genomes by the Sanger method. No marked differences were found between patients, some of whom had only spherical SVPs, whereas others had variable percentages of filamentous SVPs (up to 28%), of highly variable length. High filament percentages were not associated with a particular sequence of the L protein promoter, HBV genotype or even disease stage. High levels of circulating filamentous SVPs are probably more strongly related to individual host factors than to viral strain characteristics or disease stage.
Opioid‐free sedation for atlantoaxial cerebrospinal fluid collection in adult horses
Authors: Cock Gemma , Blakeney Zachary , Hernandez Jorge A. , DeNotta Sally
Published: May 2022

Background

Atlantoaxial (AA) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection in standing horses utilizes the controlled narcotic morphine, thereby limiting feasibility in field practice settings.

Objectives

To compare AA CSF collection time and reaction scores in horses sedated with morphine‐containing and opioid‐free sedation protocols: detomidine + morphine (DM), detomidine + xylazine (DX), detomidine + detomidine (DD), detomidine alone (D0); To develop a novel method for assessing sedation in standing horses using open‐source motion‐tracking software.

Animals

Six healthy adult horses.

Methods

Randomized crossover. Atlantoaxial CSF collections were performed weekly for 4 weeks. Horses received sedation protocols in random order. Procedure time and procedure reaction scores were compared between groups using Friedman test. Associations between procedure reaction scores and motion tracking variables (total distance and farthest excursion traveled by horse's head) were examined using scatter diagrams and linear regression.

Results

Procedure times were lower in horses sedated with DX (median: 36 seconds; range: 28 − 188), compared to D0 (121; 35 − 196; P = 0.04). Procedure reaction scores were lower in horses sedated with DX (median 1.0, range 1.0 to 2.0), or DM (1.8; 1.3 − 3.0) compared to DO (3.0; 2.3 − 3.0; P = .03). Reactions to dura mater puncture were recorded in 3 of 6 horses in D0 and DD groups, and 0 of 6 horses in DX and DM groups. Positive associations were observed between reaction score vs total distance or farthest excursion distance from baseline.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Both opioid‐free and morphine‐containing sedation protocols are acceptable for AA CSF collection. Motion‐tracking software represents a novel method for assessing sedation in standing horses.