bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived Burden, Focus of Attention, and the Urge to Justify: The Impact of the Number of Screens and Probe Order on the Response Behavior of Probing Questions
Authors: Meitinger Katharina , Toroslu Adrian , Raiber Klara , Braun Michael
Published: January 2021

Web probing is a valuable tool to assess the validity and comparability of survey items. It uses different probe types—such as category-selection probes and specific probes—to inquire about different aspects of an item. Previous web probing studies often asked one probe type per item, but research situations exist where it might be preferable to test potentially problematic items with multiple probes. However, the response behavior might be affected by two factors: question order and the visual presentation of probes on one screen versus multiple screens as well as their interaction. In this study, we report evidence from a web experiment that was conducted with 532 respondents from Germany in September 2013. Experimental groups varied by screen number (1 versus 2) and probe order (category-selection probe first versus specific probe first). We assessed the impact of these manipulations on several indicators of response quality, probe answer content, and the respondents’ motivation with logistic regressions and two-way ANOVAs. We reveal that multiple mechanisms push response behavior in this context: perceived response burden, the focus of attention, the need for justification, and verbal context effects. We find that response behavior in the condition with two screens and category-selection probe first outperforms all other experimental conditions. We recommend this implementation in all but one scenario: if the goal is to test an item that includes a key term with a potentially too large lexical scope, we recommend starting with a specific probe but on the same screen as the category-selection probe.
Ionic liquids: prospects for nucleic acid handling and delivery
Authors: Egorova Ksenia S , Posvyatenko Alexandra V , Larin Sergey S , Ananikov Valentine P
Published: January 2021

Operations with nucleic acids are among the main means of studying the mechanisms of gene function and developing novel methods of molecular medicine and gene therapy. These endeavours usually imply the necessity of nucleic acid storage and delivery into eukaryotic cells. In spite of diversity of the existing dedicated techniques, all of them have their limitations. Thus, a recent notion of using ionic liquids in manipulations of nucleic acids has been attracting significant attention lately. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, in particular, their micro-structuring impact and tunability, ionic liquids are currently applied as solvents and stabilizing media in chemical synthesis, electrochemistry, biotechnology, and other areas. Here, we review the current knowledge on interactions between nucleic acids and ionic liquids and discuss potential advantages of applying the latter in delivery of the former into eukaryotic cells.
A novel all-in-one conditional knockout system uncovered an essential role of DDX1 in ribosomal RNA processing
Authors: Suzuki Teruhiko , Katada Eiji , Mizuoka Yuki , Takagi Satoko , Kazuki Yasuhiro , Oshimura Mitsuo , Shindo Mayumi , Hara Takahiko
Published: January 2021

Generation of conditional knockout (cKO) and various gene-modified cells is laborious and time-consuming. Here, we established an all-in-one cKO system, which enables highly efficient generation of cKO cells and simultaneous gene modifications, including epitope tagging and reporter gene knock-in. We applied this system to mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and generated RNA helicase Ddx1 cKO ESCs. The targeted cells displayed endogenous promoter-driven EGFP and FLAG-tagged DDX1 expression, and they were converted to Ddx1 KO via FLP recombinase. We further established TetFE ESCs, which carried a reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA) expression cassette and a tetracycline response element (TRE)-regulated FLPERT2 cassette in the Gt(ROSA26)Sor locus for instant and tightly regulated induction of gene KO. By utilizing TetFE Ddx1F/F ESCs, we isolated highly pure Ddx1F/F and Ddx1−/− ESCs and found that loss of Ddx1 caused rRNA processing defects, thereby activating the ribosome stress–p53 pathway. We also demonstrated cKO of various genes in ESCs and homologous recombination-non-proficient human HT1080 cells. The frequency of cKO clones was remarkably high for both cell types and reached up to 96% when EGFP-positive clones were analyzed. This all-in-one cKO system will be a powerful tool for rapid and precise analyses of gene functions.
Matched Cohort Study of Convalescent COVID-19 Plasma Treatment in Severely or Life Threateningly Ill COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Klapholz Marc , Pentakota Sri Ram , Zertuche Juan-Pablo , McKenna Marshall , Roque Willy , Forsberg Mark , Packer Johnathan , Lal Devika S , Dever Lisa
Published: January 2021

Background

The utility of convalescent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) plasma (CCP) in the current pandemic is not well defined. We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CCP in severely or life threateningly ill COVID-19 patients when matched with a contemporaneous cohort.

Methods

Patients with severe or life-threatening COVID-19 were treated with CCP according to Food and Drug Administration criteria, prioritization by an interdisciplinary team, and based on CCP availability. Individual-level matched controls (1:1) were identified from patients admitted during the prior month when no CCP was available. The safety outcome was freedom from adverse transfusion reaction, and the efficacy outcome was a composite of death or worsening O2 support. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were analyzed by univariate and multivariable regression analyses accounting for matched design.

Results

Study patients (n = 94, 47 matched pairs) were 62% male with a mean age of 58, and 98% (90/94) were minorities (53% Hispanic, 45% Black, non-Hispanic) in our inner-city population. Seven-day composite and mortality outcomes suggested a nonsignificant benefit in CCP-treated patients (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.23–2.12; P = .52; aHR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.04–1.51; P = .13, respectively). Stratification by pretransfusion mechanical ventilation status showed no differences between groups. No serious transfusion reactions occurred.

Conclusions

In this short-term matched cohort study, transfusion with CCP was safe and showed a nonsignificant association with study outcomes. Randomized and larger trials to identify appropriate timing and dosing of CCP in COVID-19 are warranted.

Trial Registration

 ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04420988.
Manifesting the Consistency in the Application of ‘Manifest Arbitrariness Doctrine’
Authors: Aggarwal Vasu
Published: January 2021

Manifest Arbitrariness Doctrine is perhaps the most important legal development of the decade for India. It is a standard that includes anything done by the legislature capriciously, irrationally and/or without adequate determining principle, excessively or disproportionately. It is being increasingly used to strike down plenary legislation under Article 14. However, there is no clarity on its application, and no literature addressing the same. Without this clarity, law-makers may inadvertently pass legislations that fail the test; and adjudicators may fail to determine when the legislations fail the test. More importantly, the Doctrine may empower judges to substitute legislative wisdom for their own. This paper alleviates these concerns by finding consistency in its application while restricting the scope of judicial scrutiny. By employing the framework of “Rules versus Standard”, this paper analyses six instances of application of the Doctrine and develops a four-step test. It evinces that the Doctrine has been used in a restrictive sense to strike down plenary legislation only when first, the legislation in question is a rule as against a standard; second, it is overinclusive/underinclusive; third, due to overinclusive/underinclusive nature, it yields socially undesirable results; and fourth, these socially undesirable results are worse than the competing social results.
Cloth Lanyards as a Source of Intermittent Transmission of Candida auris on an ICU*
Authors: Patterson Charlotte A. , Wyncoll Duncan , Patel Amita , Ceesay Yusupha , Newsholme William , Chand Meera , Mitchell Hannah , Tan Mark , Edgeworth Jonathan D.
Published: January 2021

OBJECTIVES:

Candida auris has been implicated in ICU outbreaks worldwide and is notable for being difficult to identify and treat, its resilience in the environment, and significant patient mortality associated with invasive disease. Here, we describe a small C. auris outbreak and how it was terminated.

DESIGN:

Single-center, observational.

SETTING:

Two general adult ICUs at an urban U.K. teaching hospital.

PATIENTS:

All patients positive for C. auris during the 5-month outbreak were included (n = 7).

INTERVENTIONS:

Stepwise implementation of enhanced infection prevention and control precautions was introduced including twice-weekly screening, contact tracing, isolation precautions, and environmental decontamination. A detailed environmental screen was performed to identify potential reservoirs. This included the patient bed space and clinical equipment and a frequently handled cloth lanyard attached to a key used to access controlled drugs. Personal possessions such as mobile phones, lanyards, and identification badges were also screened.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

The index case and six linked acquisitions were identified. Four of six (67%) patients were identified after discharge of all known previous C. auris cases from ICU, highlighting potential for an environmental reservoir. Environmental screening identified C. auris from a patient bed space following deep cleaning, prompting review and enhancement of cleaning procedures. The controlled drug cloth lanyard was positive for C. auris, which prompted removal and culture of all staff lanyards. C. auris was identified on 1/100 staff lanyards (1%). No mobile phones or identification badges were positive for C. auris. The outbreak terminated following withdrawal of lanyards from ICU.

CONCLUSIONS:

This outbreak further implicates environmental reservoirs as sustaining C. auris ICU outbreaks. Identification of C. auris on cloth lanyards highlights the need to identify commonly handled moveable objects during an outbreak. We suggest that ICUs with a C. auris outbreak should investigate similar infrequently cleaned items as potential reservoirs and review their policies on lanyard use.
Abnormal Nailfold Capillaroscopy in a Patient With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Authors: Tamez-Rivera Oscar , Villarreal-Treviño Ana Victoria , Castañeda-Macazaga Tania , Britton-Robles Silvia Cecilia , Ramos-Gómez Laura Isabel , Rubio-Pérez Nadina Eugenia
Published: January 2021

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is an emerging entity during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Medium- and large-vessel changes are present in MIS-C; however, microcirculatory impairment has not been documented. We report a case of MIS-C in a toddler that presented with persistent fever, gastrointestinal symptoms and rash. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy was abnormal, suggesting microcirculatory disease in the setting of MIS-C.
Effect of Scenario-Based Simulation Training on the Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing Clinical Practicum
Authors: ŞENTÜRK ERENEL Ayten , YAMAN SÖZBİR Şengül , UZUN AKSOY Mehtap , ARSLAN GÜRCÜOĞLU Esra , PELİT AKSU Sıdıka , ÜNAL TOPRAK Filiz , UÇAKCI ASALIOĞLU Canan
Published: January 2021

Background

Simulation practices in obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) nursing are used in education, practice, assessment, and the investigation of interventional and behavioral skills related to both routine and emergency conditions.

Purpose

This study was conducted in an OB-GYN nursing course to determine the effect of simulation practices on clinical practice satisfaction, clinical stress, and self-confidence in nursing students.

Methods

A cluster randomized controlled experimental trial was conducted on 122 students (experimental group, n = 58; control group, n = 64). After theoretical training, all of the students applied six scenarios in the OB-GYN nursing simulation laboratory. The students in the experimental group began clinical practice after simulation training, whereas their peers in the control group began clinical practice without prior simulation training. Data in this study were collected using a personal information form, the Pagana Clinical Stress Questionnaire, a self-confidence scale, and a satisfaction subscale from the Clinical Learning Environment Scale on, respectively, the first day and final day of clinical practice.

Results

At the end of the clinical practice, average clinical stress in the control group was higher than that in the experimental group (p = .001). No intergroup difference was found in self-confidence levels (p > .05). For the control group, at posttest, the average satisfaction with the clinical learning environment was higher (p = .046) and the average satisfaction with the clinical learning environment was lower (p = .05). In contrast, no mean pretest–posttest differences were found in clinical stress and self-confidence levels in the experimental group (p > .05). In the control group, no mean pretest–posttest difference was found for the clinical learning environment (p > .05), whereas mean clinical stress (p < .001) and self-confidence (p = .012) levels were higher at posttest (p < .05).

Conclusions/Implications for Practice

The findings of this study indicate that simulation training interventions reduce clinical satisfaction and stress in students but do not influence self-confidence. Nursing educators may provide scenario-based simulation training to students taking OB-GYN courses to enhance their preparedness for clinical practice.
Validity and Reliability of the Instruments to Measure Colorectal Cancer Screening Benefits and Barriers—Turkish Version
Authors: Dönmez Elif , Nahcivan Nursen O. , Rawl Susan M.
Published: January 2021

Background

Perceptions of benefits and barriers are important determinants in understanding colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) behaviors. There is a need for standardized Turkish tools that measure the benefits and barriers of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and colonoscopy (COL).

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the “Instruments to Measure CRCS Benefits and Barriers.”

Methods

This methodological study was carried out in 2 stages in primary care and in 394 adults between the ages of 50 and 70 years. In the first stage, some items of the scales demonstrated low/unacceptable corrected item-total and factor loadings, and in the second stage, it was decided to add emoji-based facial scales, which include emoji expressions.

Results

Results with the emoji-based facial scales included internal consistency coefficients of 0.85 for FOBT benefits, 0.79 for FOBT barriers, 0.84 for COL benefits, and 0.86 for COL barriers; the item-total correlations of FOBT varied between 0.39 and 0.73, whereas those of COL varied between 0.38 and 0.76. The factor loadings of all items were higher than 0.40.

Conclusions

The emoji-based facial scale for CRC Screening Benefits and Barriers is a valid and reliable tool for measuring the benefits and barriers perceptions of 50- to 70-year-old Turkish adults.

Implications for Practice

The Instruments to Measure CRCS Benefits and Barriers–Turkish version can provide insights for nurses and healthcare professionals to understand individuals’ perceived FOBT and COL benefits and barriers and to develop effective interventions to increase CRCS rates.
Paired heavy and light chain signatures contribute to potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralization in public antibody responses
Authors: Banach Bailey B. , Cerutti Gabriele , Fahad Ahmed S. , Shen Chen-Hsiang , de Souza Matheus Oliveira , Katsamba Phinikoula S. , Tsybovsky Yaroslav , Wang Pengfei , Nair Manoj S. , Huang Yaoxing , Urdániz Irene M. Francino , Steiner Paul J. , Gutiérrez-González Matias , Liu Lihong , López Acevedo Sheila N. , Nazzari Alexandra , Wolfe Jacy R. , Luo Yang , Olia Adam S. , Teng I-Ting , Yu Jian , Zhou Tongqing , Reddem Eswar R. , Bimela Jude , Pan Xiaoli , Madan Bharat , Laflin Amy D. , Nimrania Rajani , Yuen Kwon-Tung , Whitehead Timothy A. , Ho David D. , Kwong Peter D. , Shapiro Lawrence , DeKosky Brandon J.
Published: January 2021

Understanding protective mechanisms of antibody recognition can inform vaccine and therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2. We discovered a new antibody, 910-30, that targets the SARS-CoV-2 ACE2 receptor binding site as a member of a public antibody response encoded by IGHV3-53/IGHV3-66 genes. We performed sequence and structural analyses to explore how antibody features correlate with SARS-CoV-2 neutralization. Cryo-EM structures of 910-30 bound to the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer revealed its binding interactions and ability to disassemble spike. Despite heavy chain sequence similarity, biophysical analyses of IGHV3-53/3-66 antibodies highlighted the importance of native heavy:light pairings for ACE2 binding competition and for SARS-CoV-2 neutralization. We defined paired heavy:light sequence signatures and determined antibody precursor prevalence to be ~1 in 44,000 human B cells, consistent with public antibody identification in several convalescent COVID-19 patients. These data reveal key structural and functional neutralization features in the IGHV3-53/3-66 public antibody class to accelerate antibody-based medical interventions against SARS-CoV-2.

Highlights

A molecular study of IGHV3-53/3-66 public antibody responses reveals critical heavy and light chain features for potent neutralization

Cryo-EM analyses detail the structure of a novel public antibody class member, antibody 910-30, in complex with SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer

Cryo-EM data reveal that 910-30 can both bind assembled trimer and can disassemble the SARS-CoV-2 spike

Sequence-structure-function signatures defined for IGHV3-53/3-66 class antibodies including both heavy and light chains

IGHV3-53/3-66 class precursors have a prevalence of 1:44,000 B cells in healthy human antibody repertoires
Cellular mechanisms of heterogeneity inNF2-mutant schwannoma
Authors: Chiasson-MacKenzie Christine , Vitte Jeremie , Liu Ching-Hui , Wright Emily A. , Flynn Elizabeth A. , Stott Shannon L. , Giovannini Marco , McClatchey Andrea I.
Published: January 2021

Schwannomas are common sporadic nervous system tumors and diagnostic features of familial neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) that develop predominantly on cranial and spinal nerves and cause severe neurological deficits and significant morbidity. Virtually all schwannomas result from inactivation of theNF2tumor suppressor gene with few, if any, cooperating mutations. Despite their genetic uniformity schwannomas exhibit remarkable clinical and therapeutic heterogeneity, which has impeded the success of early rational therapies. An understanding of how heterogeneity develops inNF2-mutant schwannomas is critically needed to improve therapeutic options for these patients. We have found that loss of the membrane:actin cytoskeleton-associated NF2 tumor suppressor protein, merlin, yields unstable intrinsic polarity and enablesNf2-/-Schwann cells to adopt distinct programs of coordinated ErbB ligand production and polarized signaling, suggesting a self-generated model of schwannoma heterogeneity. We validated the heterogeneous distribution of biomarkers of these programs in human schwannoma tissue and took advantage of the synchronous development of multiple lesions in a well-studied mouse model to establish a quantitative pipeline that can be used to study how schwannoma heterogeneity evolves and impacts nerve function and therapeutic response in mouse, and ultimately human schwannomas. Our studies inform a mounting appreciation that intrinsic mechanisms are major contributors to heterogeneity across many human cancers.
Designing novel biochemical pathways to commodity chemicals using ReactPRED and RetroPath2.0
Authors: Vigrass Eleanor , Islam M. Ahsanul
Published: January 2021

Commodity chemicals are high-demand chemicals, used by chemical industries to synthesise cocountless chemical products of daily use. For many of these chemicals, the main production process uses petroleum-based feedstocks. Concerns over these limited resources and their associated environmental problems, as well as mounting global pressure to reduce CO2emissions have motivated efforts to find biochemical pathways capable of producing these chemicals. Advances in metabolic engineering have led to the development of technologies capable of designing novel biochemical pathways to commodity chemicals. Computational software tools, ReactPRED and RetroPath2.0 were utilised to design 49 novel pathways to produce benzene, phenol, and 1,2-propanediol — all industrially important chemicals with limited biochemical knowledge. A pragmatic methodology for pathway curation was developed to analyse thousands and millions of pathways that were generated using the software. This method utilises publicly accessible biological databases, including MetaNetX, PubChem, and MetaCyc to analyse the generated outputs and assign EC numbers to the predicted reactions. The workflow described here for pathway generation and curation can be used to develop novel biochemical pathways to commodity chemicals from numerous starting compounds.
Spontaneous and deliberate modes of creativity: Multitask eigen-connectivity analysis captures latent cognitive modes during creative thinking
Authors: Xie Hua , Beaty Roger E. , Jahanikia Sahar , Geniesse Caleb , Sonalkar Neeraj S. , Saggar Manish
Published: January 2021

Despite substantial progress in the quest of demystifying the brain basis of creativity, several questions remain open. One such issue concerns the relationship between two latent cognitive modes during creative thinking, i.e., deliberate goal-directed cognition and spontaneous thought generation. Although an interplay between deliberate and spontaneous thinking is often indirectly implicated in the creativity literature (e.g., dual-process models), a bottom-up data-driven validation of the cognitive processes associated with creative thinking is still lacking. Here, we attempted to capture the latent modes of creative thinking by utilizing a data-driven approach on a novel continuous multitask paradigm (CMP) that widely sampled a hypothetical two-dimensional cognitive plane of deliberate and spontaneous thinking in a single fMRI session. The CMP consisted of eight task blocks ranging from undirected mind wandering to goal-directed working memory task, while also including two of the widely used creativity tasks, i.e., alternate uses task (AUT) and remote association task (RAT). Using data-driven eigen-connectivity (EC) analysis on the multitask whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) patterns, we embedded the multitask FCs into a low-dimensional latent space. The first two latent components, as revealed by the EC analysis, broadly mapped onto the two cognitive modes of deliberate and spontaneous thinking, respectively. Further, in this low-dimensional space, both creativity tasks were located in the upper right corner of high deliberate and spontaneous thinking (creative cognitive space). Neuroanatomically, the creative cognitive space was represented by not only increased intra-network connectivity within executive control and default mode networks, but also by a higher inter-network coupling between the two. Further, individual differences reflected in the low-dimensional connectivity embeddings were related to differences in deliberate and spontaneous thinking abilities. Altogether, using a continuous multitask paradigm and data-driven approach, we provide direct empirical evidence for the contribution of both deliberate and spontaneous modes of cognition during creative thinking.
Efficacy of B12 fortified nutrient bar and yogurt in improving plasma B12 concentrations – results from two double blind randomised placebo controlled trials
Authors: Yajnik Chittaranjan , Kasture Sonal , Kantikar Vaishali , Lubree Himangi , Bhat Dattatray , Raut Deepa , Memane Nilam , Bhalerao Aboli , Ladkat Rasika , Yajnik Pallavi , Tomar Sudhir , Limaye Tejas , Phatak Sanat
Published: January 2021

Background

Dietary vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency is common in Indians. It may affect hematologic and neurocognitive systems and maternal deficiency predisposes offspring to neural tube defects and non-communicable disease. Long-term tablet supplementation is not sustainable.

Objective

To study efficacy of B12 fortified nutrient bar and yogurt in improving plasma B12 concentrations in children and adults.

Methods

Two double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised directly observed therapy (DOT) trials were conducted: 1. Healthy children (10–13Y) were fed nutrient bar fortified with B12 (2 mcg), multiple micronutrients (B12 1.8 mcg) or placebo for 120 days. 2. Healthy adults (18–50Y) were fed yogurt fortified with B12 (2 mcg) or Propionibacterium (1×108cfu/g) or placebo for 120 days. B12, folate, homocysteine and hemoglobin concentrations and anthropometry were measured before and post intervention.

Results

We randomised 164 children and 118 adults; adherence was 96% and 82% respectively. In children, B12 fortified bars increased B12 concentrations significantly above baseline (B12 alone: median +91 pmol/l, B12+ multiple micronutrients: +82 pmol/l) compared to placebo. In adults, B12 fortified yogurt increased B12 significantly (median +38 pmol/l) compared to placebo, but Propionibacterium did not. In both trials, homocysteine fell significantly with B12 supplementation. There was no significant difference in different groups in anthropometry and hemoglobin.

Conclusions

B12 fortified foods are effective in improving B12 status in Indian children and adults. They could be used to improve vitamin B12 status in the national programs for children, adolescents and women of reproductive age. They could also be used as over the counter products.

Brief Highlights

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in India. Culturally acceptable fortified foods will help reduce it. We performed two RCTs (children and adults) with B12 fortified nutrient bar and yogurt at near RDA doses and found significant improvement in B12 status. This has important implications for nutritional policy.
Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Organically Fertilized Hydroponic Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.)
Authors: Lau Vanessa , Mattson Neil
Published: January 2021

Hydroponic production typically uses conventional fertilizers and information is lacking on the use of organic hydroponic fertilizers. Development of biofilm is a common problem with organic hydroponics which can reduce dissolved oxygen availability to roots. One potential solution is the use of hydrogen peroxide, H2O2which can reduce microbial populations and decomposes to form oxygen. However, information is lacking on the impact of hydrogen peroxide on hydroponic crops. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of H2O2concentrations in deep water culture hydroponics by assessing how it affects plant size and yield in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) ‘Rouxai’. In this experiment, three different treatments consisting of a control without H2O2, and the application of 37.5 mg/L or 75 mg/L of hydrogen peroxide were added to aerated 4-L reservoirs that contained either organic (4-4-1) or inorganic nutrients (21-5-20), both applied at 150 mg·L-1N. Three replicates for each treatment and each fertilizer were prepared resulting in a total of eighteen mini hydroponic containers each with one head of lettuce. When added to conventional fertilizers, concentrations of 37.5 mg/L and 75 mg/L of H2O2led to stunted growth or death lettuce plants. However, when 37.5 mg/L of H2O2was applied to organic fertilizers, the lettuce yield nearly matched that of the conventionally fertilized control, demonstrating that the application of H2O2has the potential to make organic hydroponic fertilization a more viable method in the future.
Brazilian model estimation for SARS-CoV-2 peak contagion (BMESPC)
Authors: Asai Guilherme , Kuroiva André , Terra Manuella Lucca
Published: January 2021

With newer data for SARS-CoV-2 and entering the second wave of contagion required the improvement of the forecasting model, structuring its model to forecast the peak of the first and second contagion wave in Brazil. The Brazilian model estimation for SARS-CoV-2 peak contagion (BMESPC) was structured, capable of estimating the peak of contagion for SARS-CoV-2 in the first and second waves, as the main objective of this work. Using the BMESPC model, it was possible to estimate, with a certain reliability degree, the peak of contagion for the first and second waves in Brazil, with one day difference from the real to the forecast. While at the state level, the calculated confidence interval proved to be more accurate. In this way, it is possible to use BMESPC to forecast the peak of contagion for several regions, provided that the necessary structure and calibration are respected.
Prognostic significance of circRNAs expression in breast carcinoma patients: A meta-analysis
Authors: Zhou Zizhen , Li Xiancai , Liu Dewu
Published: January 2021

Objective

The aim of our study was to systematically evaluate the prognostic effects of various circrnas and to explore the prognostic value of circRNAs in breast cancer patients.

Methods

A systematical search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases. Eligible studies reporting on the association among circRNAs and prognostic values of breast cancer patients were included. Fixed-effects and random effects models were used to calculate the pooled hazard ratio values of overall survival and disease free survival. In addition, funnel plots were used to qualitatively analyze the publication bias.

Results

28 studies were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled hazard ratio values of overall survival and disease free survival related to different circRNAs expression in breast cancer patients were 1.68 (1.44-1.97), 2.63 (1.95-3.53).We have identified a total of 28 circRNAs including 19 significantly up-regulated expression circRNAs and 9 significantly down-regulated expression circRNAs in BC(breast cancer) patients. Moreover, all of them revealed mechanisms and have the function of promoting or inhibiting the proliferation, metastasis or invasion of breast cancer cells by acting on the corresponding target.

Conclusion

Overall, specific circRNAs are significantly associated with the prognosis of BC patients and potentially eligible for the prediction of patients survival. It also provides a potential value for clinical decision-making development and may serve as a promising circRNAs-based target therapy waiting for further elucidation.
In vivosuper-resolution track-density imaging for thalamic nuclei identification
Authors: Basile Gianpaolo Antonio , Bertino Salvatore , Bramanti Alessia , Anastasi Giuseppe Pio , Milardi Demetrio , Cacciola Alberto
Published: January 2021

The development of novel techniques for thein vivo, non-invasive visualization and identification of thalamic nuclei has represented a major challenge for human neuroimaging research in the last decades. Thalamic nuclei have important implications in various key aspects of brain physiology and many of them show selective alterations in various neurologic and psychiatric disorders. In addition, both surgical stimulation and ablation of specific thalamic nuclei have been proven to be useful for the treatment of different neuropsychiatric diseases. The present work aimed at describing a novel protocol for histologically-guided delineation of thalamic nuclei based on short-tracks track-density imaging (stTDI), which is an advanced imaging technique that exploits high angular resolution diffusion tractography to obtain super-resolved white matter maps with high anatomical information. We tested this protocol on i) six healthy individual 3T MRI scans from the Human Connectome Project database, and on ii) a group population template reconstructed by averaging 100 unrelated healthy subjects scans from the same repository. We demonstrated that this approach can identify up to 13 distinct thalamic nuclei bilaterally with very high reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.996, 95% CI: 0.993-0.998; total accumulated overlap: 0.43) and that both subject-based and group-level thalamic parcellation show a fair share of similarity to a recent standard-space histological thalamic atlas. Finally, we showed that stTDI-derived thalamic maps can be successfully employed to study thalamic structural and functional connectivity, and may have potential implications both for basic and translational research, as well as for pre-surgical planning purposes.
Comparing frontal inclination angles measured from digital 3D models and 2D photographs of dry male and female crania from Croatia
Authors: Petaros Anja , Sholts Sabrina , Čavka Mislav , Slaus Mario , Wärmländer Sebastian K.T.S.
Published: January 2021

The frontal bone is one of the sexually dimorphic elements of the human skull that can be used for sex estimation of unidentified human remains. Numerous morphological features of the frontal bone, such as its angle of inclination, maximum anterior projection (glabella), and rounded elevations (frontal eminences) have been shown to differ between males and females. Various approaches have been developed to assess the frontal inclination in particular, and recently a method has been proposed where the angle of the frontal slope is measured from snapshots of digital three-dimensional (3D) models of human crania. However, as 3D-based investigations of skeletal material can be time-consuming and expensive, we here compare measurements of frontal angle inclination from 3D model snapshots to measurements from 2D photographs for a large sample (61 females and 61 males) of dry archaeological crania from medieval Croatia. Although angles measured from 3D snapshots and 2D photographs produced discriminant functions that classified crania by sex with similar accuracy (around 73%), the angles recorded from the 2D photographs were systematically one degree smaller than the angles recorded from the 3D images. Thus, even though both data sets were useful for sex estimation, we conclude that angles measured with the two different techniques should not be combined.
Preparation of Cell Extracts for Purification of Proteins Expressed in Pichia pastoris
Authors: Kielkopf Clara L. , Bauer William , Urbatsch Ina L.
Published: January 2021

Recovery of intracellular proteins requires disruption of the host cell before the target protein is extracted and isolated. Disruption methods vary depending on the type of cells, the total volume, and the number of samples being processed. For cells enveloped in cell walls (such as yeast), mild techniques such as hypotonic shock are not sufficient to achieve adequate lysis. More vigorous methods are often required. Although the preferred medium- or large-scale method of breaking yeast cells is mechanical shearing, lysis with the aid of glass beads in a BeadBeater is described here.
Design of 9-D global chaotic system and its application in secure communication
Authors: Liu Meiting , Yu Wenxin , Wang Junnian , Chen Yu , Bian Yuyan
Published: January 2021

Purpose

In this paper, a nine-dimensional chaotic system is designed and applied to secure communication.

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, the equilibrium characteristics, dissipativity, bifurcation diagram and Lyapunov exponent spectrum are used to analyze the relevant characteristics of the proposed nine-dimensional chaotic system. In the analysis of Lyapunov exponential spectrum, when changing the linear parameters, the system shows two states, hyperchaos and chaos. For secure communication, there is a large secret key space. Secondly, C0 complexity and SEcomplexity of the system are analyzed, which shows that the system has sequences closer to random sequences.

Findings

The proposed nine-dimensional system has a large key space and more complex dynamic characteristics

Originality/value

The results show that the proposed nine-dimensional hyperchaotic system has excellent encryption capabilities and can play an important role in the field of secure communication.
Thermal convection and entropy generation of ferrofluid in an enclosure containing a solid body
Authors: Chinnasamy Sivaraj , Priyadharsini S. , Sheremet Mikhail
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This study/paper aims to deal with thermal convection and entropy production of a ferrofluid in an enclosure having an isothermally warmed solid body placed inside. It should be noted that this research deals with a development of passive cooling system for the electronic devices.

Design/methodology/approach

The domain of interest is a square chamber of size L including a rectangular solid block of sizes l1 and l2. Thermal convection of ferrofluid (water–Fe3O4 nanosuspension) is analyzed within this enclosure. The solid body is considered to be isothermal with temperature Th and also its area is L2/9. The vertical borders are cold with temperature Tc and the horizontal boundaries are adiabatic. The flow driven by temperature gradient in the cavity is two-dimensional. The governing equations, formulated in dimensionless primitive variables with corresponding initial and boundary conditions, are worked out by using the finite volume technique with the semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equations algorithm on a uniformly staggered mesh. The influence of nanoparticles volume fraction, aspect ratio of the solid block and an irreversibility ratio on energy transport and flow patterns are examined for the Rayleigh number Ra = 107.

Findings

The results show that the nanoparticles concentration augments the thermal transmission and the entropy production increases also, while the augmentation of temperature difference results in a diminution of entropy production. Finally, lower aspect ratio has the significant impact on heat transfer, isotherms, streamlines and entropy.

Originality/value

An efficient numerical technique has been developed to solve this problem. The originality of this work is to analyze convective energy transport and entropy generation in a chamber with internal block. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the effects of irreversibility ratio are scrutinized for the first time. The results would benefit scientists and engineers to become familiar with the analysis of convective heat transfer and entropy production in enclosures with internal isothermal blocks, and the way to predict the heat transfer rate in advanced technical systems, in industrial sectors including transportation, power generation, chemical sectors, electronics, etc.
Assessing leaders’ power limits over followers
Authors: Steinhoff R. Lewis
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review research, especially that of John Gaski, that suggests there are limits to the power a leader has over followers, based on how much power followers will accept.

Design/methodology/approach

By first reviewing the existing literature on power, leader–follower attachment, leader–follower distance and followership, an exploration of John Gaski’s (1984) Volume of Power, are challenged. This is accomplished through execution of a phenomenological qualitative research study.

Findings

Survey responses identified 61 themes that were then pared down to six resulting themes, each including positive and negative words (tones) implying variances in responses to leaders. From this, two latent codes emerge: transformational leadership approach; and follower response.

Research limitations/implications

The author determined that power acceptance by followers is not symmetric as exhibited by the willingness to follow a leader in one area but not fully in another area leading to a volume of power that is not a symmetric cube.

Practical implications

The results can provide organizations with insights into individually directed training and education focusing on leader–follower relationships, courageous followership and transformational approaches to leadership.

Originality/value

This research builds on John Gaski’s work regarding follower responses to power. This research presented in this paper supports the hypothesis that follower’s responses are not symmetric.
“Mommy and Me”: raising implicit followership theories
Authors: Hoption Colette , Han Jiashan Mary
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents to implicit followership theories (IFTs) and make recommendations for developing positive IFTs. Female transformational parenting is highlighted, showing that although followership is typically associated with one’s role in an organization, its development is not relegated to that context. Accordingly, this paper encourages transformational-parenting training and features activities for current leader-training programs to enlighten trainees about their IFTs.

Design/methodology/approach

Through one online and one paper survey, participants self-defined “follower,” rated their female primary caregivers’ transformational leadership during adolescence, reported their IFTs and provided demographic information.

Findings

Qualitative and quantitative data analyses found that the degree to which female primary caregivers demonstrated transformational leadership related to children’s positive IFTs and positive definitions about followers in young adulthood.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should test female caregivers’ influence on IFTs at more advanced stages of one’s career, examine their influence over participants’ followership behavior and incorporate external ratings of leadership and followership.

Practical implications

Recommendations for embedding IFTs into transformational-leadership-training programs are provided, falling into the categories of feedback, reflection/introspection and mentoring/coaching. In the spirit of contemporary approaches to leadership, recommendations require trainees to recognize their biases/knowledge of followers and followership and use that knowledge to facilitate collaboration between leaders and followers.

Originality/value

Findings spotlight female leadership, an often-overlooked source of power in organizations, and go beyond leader/follower dichotomies by insisting on IFTs awareness and development for both parties.
Students' expectations and social media sharing in adopting augmented reality
Authors: Alamäki Ari , Dirin Amir , Suomala Jyrki
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This study examines students' emotional responses to augmented reality (AR) applications and their willingness to share on social media. It also compares user experiences of AR and virtual reality (VR).

Design/methodology/approach

In line with expectation disconfirmation theory, the study focuses on students' experiences in the post-adoption situation where they had gained actual experiences of AR applications. The participants in this case study included 100 undergraduate students from higher educational institutes.

Findings

Augmentation as a value-creating mechanism seems to create surprising emotional reactions, as it created completely new and unexpected experiences for first-time users. This study also shows that positive user experiences increased the students' willingness to share AR content on social media channels. In addition, AR seems to be easier to adopt than does VR with “cardboard-style” VR headsets.

Research limitations/implications

More research is needed to determine which specific features of AR applications and pedagogical methods create positively surprising emotional experiences that affect rewarding learning experiences and social media sharing.

Practical implications

The results of this study allow designers and educators to select educational technologies that emotionally engage students to use and share them. Positively surprising emotional experiences are important for rewarding learning experiences. The findings also provide hints on the future preferences of new AR users.

Originality/value

This study created a new understanding of the emotional determinants of AR adoption and sharing on social media.
The development and target market selection influential strategies for Iranian SMEs: empirical study
Authors: Jafarian-Moghaddam Ahmad Reza
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The financial resources limitation, the difficult conditions for entry into the market and the lack of sufficient funds are the most important problems facing Iranian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). For these reasons, this paper aims to propose an appropriate methodology for formulating the most influential Iranian SMEs development strategies to make it possible to grow and make more income. Then, a framework is developed to precisely determine the target market for Iranian SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis; Pareto principle and analysis of the market conditions to propose the development strategies and uses a methodology based on multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) method to determine the target market.

Findings

According to the research results, it is necessary for the Iranian SMEs to follow the brand strengthening, product and market development, enhancing product quality and creating research and development units strategies focusing on the domestic market. The results obtained from the empirical study also indicated that the customer acquisition rate improved from 0.06 to 0.13 per month, and the company's income has a 64% growth in 2016 than the year 2015 through the selection of some public customers as the target market.

Originality/value

Very few studies have been done so far on the formulation methodology of a market entry strategy for SMEs. Studies by researchers imply that no studies have been conducted in Iran in this regard. International studies also mainly focus on the impact of some marketing activities.
Reusing design information: an investigation of the document creation process in service design projects
Authors: Lin Yu-Tzu
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Design rationale is design information that explains why an entity is designed as it is. This paper investigates how the documentation process and the use of documents in service design projects influence the reuse of design information across projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes two sets of data collected through interviews and field observation. It first applied Lund's (2004) four elements of documentation process to categorize the collected data. Then it used bottom-up data analysis approach to identify patterns of the documentation process.

Findings

The author speculates designers' focus on certain documents' social aspect instead of material aspect influences how they reuse design information across projects. Some documents are important because they represent a consensus, and some are important because of the document producers rather than its content. The author also found a similarity between economists and service designers by comparing the study results with Harper and Sellen's (1995) findings. Based on the comparison, the author concludes that detailed research reports are easily reusable across design projects. Finally, although the author observed that designers are using templates to explicate design rationale, the created content is not used across projects.

Originality/value

This study identifies six types of documents that are commonly created in service design projects, three types of producer involvement and three types of provisional design outcomes. It also provides two suggestions for designers to reuse design information across service design projects better and two implications for future study.