bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Algorithmic branding through platform assemblages: core conceptions and research directions for a new era of marketing and service management
Authors: Kozinets Robert V.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Contemporary branding transpires in a complex technological and media environment whose key contextual characteristics remain largely unexplained. The article provides a conceptual understanding of the elements of contemporary branding as they take place using networked platforms and explains them as an increasingly important practice that affects customer and manager experience.

Design/methodology/approach

This article draws on a variety of recent sources to synthesize a model that offers a more contextualized, comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of how branding has become and is being altered because of the use of branded service platforms and algorithms.

Findings

Core terminology about technoculture, technocultural fields, platform assemblages, affordances, algorithms and networks of desire set the foundation for a deeper conceptual understanding of the novel elements of algorithmic branding. Algorithmic branding transcended the mere attachment of specific “mythic” qualities to a product or experience and has morphed into the multidimensional process of using media to manage communication. The goal of marketers is now to use engagement practices as well as algorithmic activation, amplification, customization and connectivity to drive consumers deeper into the brand spiral, entangling them in networks of brand-related desire.

Practical implications

The model has a range of important managerial implications for brand management and managerial relations. It promotes a understanding of platform brands as service brands. It underscores and models the interconnected role that consumers, devices and algorithms, as well as technology companies and their own service brands play in corporate branding efforts. It suggests that consumers might unduly trust these service platforms. It points to the growing importance of platforms' service brands and the consequent surrender of branding power to technology companies. And it also provides a range of important ethical and pragmatic questions that curious marketers, researchers and policy-makers may examine.

Originality/value

This model provides a fresh look at the important topic of branding today, updating prior conceptions with a comprehensive and contextually grounded model of service platforms and algorithmic branding.
Performance of Chinese foreign subsidiaries: the role of national distance, organizational learning and overseas Chinese networks
Authors: Yu Jie , Yi Changjun , Huang Jian , Shen Huiyun
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The current literature lacks discussion on the effects of synergy among multiple factors at different levels on foreign subsidiary performance. The purpose of this paper is to explore the configuration of factors affecting foreign subsidiary performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology adopted in this paper is the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The data are obtained from 125 foreign subsidiaries of Chinese MNCs through questionnaire surveys and secondary data.

Findings

The research results reveal that five configurations of antecedent conditions predict high foreign subsidiary performance, and the other two configurations predict not-high performance.

Research limitations/implications

This paper’s main limitation is its only focus on foreign subsidiaries of Chinese MNCs, which means that the findings should be generalized with precaution. The most valuable implication is to identify the configurations that lead to high and not-high foreign subsidiary performance.

Practical implications

This paper addresses the question of how interdependent factors at the national and corporate level are beneficial to foreign subsidiaries’ performance.

Originality/value

This study makes the following contributions to current theories: It provides (1) new insights for understanding the complex causality between antecedent conditions and foreign subsidiary performance and (2) a practical reference for the multinational operations of foreign subsidiaries.
The virtual design studio and the key integrals
Authors: Khan Asif R. , Thilagam N. Lakshmi
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The unparalleled crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic has displaced the existing normal in every field of higher education. Especially architecture education with high dependence on institutional studio based pedagogical participation has been affected. Consequently, there is a critical necessity to reinvigorate pedagogical approaches in order to ensure continuity of pedagogical pursuits.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic approach is used to conduct an interdisciplinary study. The research mainly attempts to externalize the basics of virtual design studio composition. In concurrence role of instructional design in providing an underlying framework for enabling virtual discourse is also explored. Primarily, the process commenced by identifying objectives and queries which needed to be addressed. In order to deal with the concerns rationally, the research used exploratory approach. The primary data were based on focus group interactions. The secondary data were based on relevant subject-oriented literature reviews; explicit information based. Explanatory mode of analysis is used to interpret the outcome.

Findings

A pedagogical design; an instructional design process model for effectively structuring the virtual design studio has evolved as part of the research. In addition detailed insights have been derived about the key integrals that make up the constituent phases of the virtual design studio.

Research limitations/implications

The research provides insights into the methodological structure of virtual design studio. The inferences would provide the pedagogues a comprehensive and rational overview to envision and conduct architecture studio discourse virtually.

Originality/value

The study presents a unique contribution to the limited literature available on virtual design studio pedagogy and instructional design in virtual mode.
Abrupt policy reversal amid Black Lives Matter: Starbucks’ grande employee dress code problem
Authors: Douglas Megan , Holtzen Sarah , Ruane Sinéad G. , Sherman Kim , Williamson Aimee
Published: November 2021

Theoretical basis

Organizational Justice Theory serves as a useful frame for discussion of this case, focusing on perceptions of fairness in the workplace. Such perceptions are shaped by outcomes, procedures, information and interpersonal treatment. Perceptions of justice in these four dimensions are associated with job performance, citizenship behaviors and some mental health outcomes. The Exit, Voice, Loyalty, Neglect (EVLN) Model outlines four potential responses (exit, voice, loyalty and neglect) to perceived job dissatisfaction, serving as a useful framework for students to discuss potential employee reactions to Starbucks’ decisions.

Research methodology

This case was developed from secondary sources, including news reports, company annual reports and websites. The case has been classroom tested with undergraduate students in Principles of Management (online and face-to-face) Human Resource Management (online asynchronous) and Labor/Management Relations (online synchronous).

Case overview/synopsis

In June 2020, Starbucks became immersed in controversy when its dress code policy conflicted with its public support for national protests over police brutality against Black Americans, including the death of George Floyd while in police custody. While publicly supporting the protests in a series of tweets, an internal memo forbidding employees from wearing Black Lives Matter attire was leaked to the press, generating national outcry, threats of a boycott and forcing Starbucks to reverse course immediately. This case examines the benefits and challenges of a corporate dress/uniform policy, and the implications of corporate involvement in social justice issues.

Complexity academic level

This case can be used in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, but particularly in Principles of Management and Human Resources courses.
Breaking a promise never made: managing employee expectations at Rococo LLC
Authors: Awotoye Yemisi F. , Stevens Christopher E.
Published: November 2021

Theoretical basis

The case primarily revolves around the establishment, alignment and maintenance of expectations within a work environment. Specifically, the case focuses on the challenges that were created by the expectations that Kofi Nyarkoh had of his employee, Kwame Owusu, and the expectations that Kwame in turn formed based on the process surrounding his employment relationship with Kofi. The case is intended to help students assess a business situation and define the perceptions and expectations of stakeholders; assess the impact of differences in perceptions and expectations on the attitudes, behaviors and motivation in the workplace and develop appropriate recommendations.

Research methodology

The case was written based on a combination of field and telephone interviews and other communication between one of the authors and Kofi.

Case overview/synopsis

The case presents the story of Rococo LLC's founder and one of his key employees. Both men were originally from Ghana. They met in the USA through a mutual friend, and Kofi hired him to work on a client site for Rococo LLC despite Kwame's insufficient work experience.

Complexity academic level

This case is intended for students of organizational behavior, human resource management and management both at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels.
Key failure factors of start-up women owned SMEs in service sector in Kigali: a principal component analysis approach
Authors: Kasema Romain
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to develop and test a framework for studying the failure of new women entrepreneurs in the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 114 unsuccessful entrepreneurs in Kigali, Rwanda, this study aimed to identify key failure factors of women-owned SMEs. This study used mixed methods where quantitative data were analysed using the principal component approach with Varimax rotation to reduce the variables to only three clusters.

Findings

The study findings revealed that the failure of women-owned SMEs results from the entrepreneur’s inability followed by the enterprise incompetence, which are both internally controllable factors and the inauspicious business environment. These findings contribute to the validity of the dynamic capability theory by explaining how well internal and external factors must stay glued together to avoid failure among women-owned SMEs, something that was not yet previously well documented so far.

Originality/value

New SMEs are considered a noteworthy constituent of Rwandan development. Unfortunately, most new SMEs, in general, do not grow; their failure rate is high (70%), which raised many worries for both researchers and policymakers as to why this occurs at this stage of business growth. Therefore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge this paper is the first to analyse the reasons for the failure of Rwandan women-owned SMEs in the service sector. These findings are important because they suggest that policies designed to reduce the incidence of SMEs’ failure should take account of the two main factors influencing failure among women entrepreneurs.
Solid histological component of adenocarcinoma might play an important role in PD‐L1 expression of lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Miyazawa Tomoyuki , Morikawa Kei , Otsubo Kanji , Sakai Hiroki , Kimura Hiroyuki , Chosokabe Motohiro , Furuya Naoki , Marushima Hideki , Kojima Koji , Mineshita Masamichi , Koike Junki , Saji Hisashi
Published: November 2021

Background

In this study we aimed to clarify the PD‐L1 positive expression in lung adenocarcinoma, including various adenocarcinoma subtypes paying particular attention to its component.

Methods

A total of 307 lung adenocarcinoma patients who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy, as well as systematic lymph node dissection (ND2a), from February 2008 to March 2020 at our hospital, were enrolled into the study. A final diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was obtained from the resected lung specimens of all 307 patients to determine the histological type, adenocarcinoma subtype, and component of adenocarcinoma by ethics of 5%. PD‐L1 was immunohistochemically stained using the murine monoclonal antibody clone 22C3.

Results

When PD‐L1 expression‐positive was defined by tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥1%, the positive cases were 6/33 in adenocarcinoma (Ad) in situ (AIS), 2/26 in minimally invasive Ad (MIA), 12/60 in lepidic predominant Ad (LPA), 44/91 in papillary predominant Ad (PPA), 24/49 in acinar predominant Ad (APA), 23/28 in solid predominant Ad (SPA), 4/7 in micropapillary predominant Ad (MPA), and 0/13 in invasive mucinous Ad (IMA). In the high proportion group (APA, PPA, SPA, and MPA) of PD‐L1 expression, SPA was the only subtype which was statistically significant when both PD‐L1 expression‐positive was defined by TPS ≥ 1% (p < 0.0001) and TPS ≧ 50% (p < 0.0001). We then considered the solid component. We investigated 279 cases of the other subtype group excluding SPA. The group containing a solid component (≥5%) tended to be PD‐L1 expression‐positive both when defined by TPS ≥1% (p < 0.0001) and TPS ≧50% (p = 0.0049).

Conclusions

The PD‐L1 expression tended to be positive when a solid component was confirmed (≥5%) in specimens of lung adenocarcinoma patients.
Real‐world multicenter study of the safety and efficacy of netupitant plus palonosetron fixed‐dose combination to prevent chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting among Malaysian patients receiving moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy
Authors: Md Yusof Mastura , Abdullah Matin Mellor , Yap Beng Khiong , Ng Soo Chin , Low John Seng Hooi , Lam Kai Seng , Ahmad Badruddin Radzi Bin Ahmad , Lai Christina Nye Bing , Lau Kah Liew , Chong Kwang Jeat , Nonis Joel Gabriel , Ahmad Annuar Muhammad Azrif , Abdul Rahman Mohd Haris Fadzillah Bin
Published: November 2021

Aim

A large proportion of cancer patients are at high risk for chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), but the choice of anti‐emetics for CINV in Malaysia is limited.

Methods

This was a real‐world study of a fixed‐dose combination of netupitant and palonosetron (NEPA) to inhibit CINV in adult patients receiving moderately (MEC) or highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) for solid/hematological malignancies at eight Malaysian centers. Each HEC/MEC cycle received one dose of NEPA + dexamethasone for CINV prevention. Complete response (no emesis, no rescue medication) (CR), no more than mild nausea (severity score ≤ 2.5), and complete control (CR) (no more than mild nausea) during the acute (0–24 h), delayed (25–120 h), and overall (0–120 h) phases post‐chemotherapy were measured. Treatment‐related adverse events (AEs) were recorded.

Results

During March 2016–April 2018 (NMRR‐17‐3286‐38282), NEPA + dexamethasone was administered to 54 patients (77.8% solid, 22.2% hematological malignancies). Note that 59.3% received HEC, while 40.7% received MEC regimen. During the overall phase of the first cycle, the majority had CR (77.8%), no more than mild nausea (74.1%), and complete control (61.1%). Seventeen patients received two consecutive cycles at any point of chemotherapy cycles. During the overall phases across two consecutive cycles, all patients achieved CR, and the majority reported no more than mild nausea and complete control. No grades 3–4 AEs were reported.

Conclusions

NEPA had sustained efficacy and tolerability at first administration and across two cycles of MEC/HEC for CINV prevention.
A risk factor analysis for local recurrence of bone and soft tissue sarcoma treated with carbon ion radiotherapy: A retrospective cohort study at a single institution
Authors: Kohama Isaku , Yanagawa Takashi , Okamoto Masahiko , Ohno Tatsuya , Chikuda Hirotaka
Published: November 2021

Aim

Carbon ion radiotherapy is well‐recognized as an excellent radiation modality that is suitable for treating unresectable bone and soft‐tissue sarcoma of the trunk, spine, and pelvis; however, further study is needed to improve the local control rate. The current study examined the risk factors of the local recurrence of sarcomas after carbon ion radiotherapy.

Methods

Patients with inoperable bone and soft‐tissue sarcomas treated with carbon ion radiotherapy in our institute from 2010 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 87 patients were eligible for this study. We divided the instances of local recurrence into two types, in‐field and out‐field recurrence, and evaluated the predictors for the risk of local recurrence such as the age at the treatment, sex, histopathological diagnosis, standard uptake value on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, and the clinical target volume for each recurrence using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

A multivariate analysis revealed that the tumors with a post‐treatment standard uptake value of more than 3.84 on positron emission tomography had a significantly high risk of in‐field recurrence (hazard ratio, 3.42; p = .03). Furthermore, postoperative lesions were a risk factor for out‐field recurrence (hazard ratio, 3.82; p < .01).

Conclusion

The current study revealed that sarcomas maintaining a high glucose metabolic activity after carbon ion radiotherapy carried a risk of in‐field recurrence, and the most significant risk factor of out‐field recurrence was identified to be surgery before CIRT.
External validation of the American Joint Committee on Cancer melanoma staging system eighth edition using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program
Authors: Tjokrowidjaja Angelina , Browne Lois , Soudy Hussein
Published: November 2021

Aim

The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) melanoma staging system eighth edition (AJCC‐8) was recently released to provide accurate staging reflecting advances in the treatment of melanoma. Using population registry data, this study independently validates and compares the prognostic performance of AJCC‐8 to the seventh edition (AJCC‐7).

Methods

We extracted patient‐, tumor‐related, and survival data from the SEER‐18 registry between 2010 and 2015. To assess overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) for AJCC‐7 and AJCC‐8, we performed Kaplan–Meier analysis and computed cumulative hazard functions using Nelson–Aalen function.

Results

Of 126,408 individuals, 59,989 (47%) and 60,411 (48%) had available data for pathological and clinical‐stage OS analysis, respectively. The 3‐year OS for AJCC‐7 among pathologically staged patients was: stage IA 97%, stage IB 95%, stage IIA 87%, stage IIB 76%, stage IIC 57%, stage IIIA 86%, stage IIIB 69%, stage IIIC 50%, and stage IV 24%. The 3‐year OS for AJCC‐8 patients was similar but was 56% for stage IIIC and 30% for stage IIID. Stage IV individuals with an elevated LDH had worse OS and CSS at all measured time‐points up to 60 months compared to those with a normal LDH.

Conclusion

The discriminatory ability of AJCC‐8 and AJCC‐7 appear comparable. Changes in AJCC‐8 identified stage IIID as a poor prognostic subgroup among stage III patients and elevated LDH in stage IV. However, patients with advanced T‐stage, node‐negative tumors experienced worse survival compared to those with earlier T‐stage, node‐positive tumors, and the results of ongoing trials should inform adjuvant therapy in this subset of patients.
Treatment and outcomes of unresectable and metastatic pancreatic cancer treated in public and private Australian hospitals
Authors: To Yat Hang , Shapiro Julia , Wong Rachel , Thomson Benjamin , Nagrial Adnan , Mendis Shehara , Gibbs Peter , Shapiro Jeremy , Lee Belinda
Published: November 2021

Background

Prior studies have reported for several cancer types that treatment in the private sector is associated with improved survival outcomes. Data for patients with locally advanced unresectable and metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have not previously been reported.

Methods

Analysis of patients from January 2016 to June 2020 registered to a multicentre prospective cancer database. Baseline demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics were compared. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compare overall survival (OS). Multivariate Cox and logistic regression analyses were used to determine predictors of mortality and first‐line chemotherapy treatment, respectively.

Results

Of 822 patients, 22.5% received private care. Private patients were older (median 71.5 vs. 68.9 years, p ≤ .05), had better performance status (ECOG 0 to 1: 82.2 vs. 73.5%, p = .05) and more likely to reside in an area with high socioeconomic advantage (67.0 vs. 19.6%, p ≤ .01). Private patients were more likely to receive first‐line chemotherapy (69.7 vs. 54.2%, p ≤ .01) with logistic regression demonstrating private care (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.97) as an independent predictor of receiving chemotherapy. Private patients had prolonged survival (median OS: 9.2 vs. 6.9 months, HR 1.2, p = .05). Receiving first‐line chemotherapy was an independent predictor of mortality, but private care was not.

Conclusions

Care in the private system is associated with improved OS, with higher uptake of first‐line chemotherapy appearing to be the main contributor. Given the discrepancy, further studies are needed to determine what factors are driving this difference.
Intertextual politics
Authors: McELGUNN HANNAH
Published: November 2021

Forms of Hopi cultural knowledge, and the Hopi language in particular, circulate across Indigenous and settler speech communities. Circulation is a process of recontextualization. In connecting sites of usage, it brings into being different regimes of intertextuality that can either amplify or diminish Hopi presence. To illustrate this, I look at three instances in which outsiders recontextualize Hopi objects or language: archaeologists use potsherds to establish timelines, non‐Hopi people use Hopi words as pet and brand names, and I use Hopi sentences for linguistic analysis in my own research. Each recontextualization threatens to erase Hopi presence in the here and now, which tribal members contest through acts of what I callindexical tethering. [intertextuality,recontextualization,language,appropriation,Indigeneity,presence and erasure,Hopi]
Covariate adjustment in continuous biomarker assessment
Authors: Li Ziyi , Huang Yijian , Patil Dattatraya , Sanda Martin G.
Published: November 2021

Continuous biomarkers are common for disease screening and diagnosis. To reach a dichotomous clinical decision, a threshold would be imposed to distinguish subjects with disease from nondiseased individuals. Among various performance metrics, specificity at a controlled sensitivity level (or vice versa) is often desirable because it directly targets the clinical utility of the intended clinical test. Meanwhile, covariates, such as age, race, as well as sample collection conditions, could impact the biomarker distribution and may also confound the association between biomarker and disease status. Therefore, covariate adjustment is important in such biomarker evaluation. Most existing covariate adjustment methods do not specifically target the desired sensitivity/specificity level, but rather do so for the entire biomarker distribution. As such, they might be more prone to model misspecification. In this paper, we suggest a parsimonious quantile regression model for the diseased population, only locally at the controlled sensitivity level, and assess specificity with covariate‐specific control of the sensitivity. Variance estimates are obtained from a sample‐based approach and bootstrap. Furthermore, our proposed local model extends readily to a global one for covariate adjustment for the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve over the sensitivity continuum. We demonstrate computational efficiency of this proposed method and restore the inherent monotonicity in the estimated covariate‐adjusted ROC curve. The asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators are established. Simulation studies show favorable performance of the proposal. Finally, we illustrate our method in biomarker evaluation for aggressive prostate cancer.
Recurrent PTPRZ1‐MET fusion and a high occurrence rate of MET exon 14 skipping in brain metastases
Authors: Chai Rui‐Chao , Liu Xing , Pang Bo , Liu Yu‐Qing , Li Jing‐Jun , Li Yang‐Fang , Zhao Zheng , Du Jiang , Bao Zhao Shi , Jiang Tao
Published: November 2021

Identifying molecular features is an essential component of the management and targeted therapy of brain metastases (BMs). The molecular features are different between primary lung cancers and BMs of lung cancer. Here we report the DNA and RNA mutational profiles of 43 pathological samples of BMs. In addition to previously reported mutational events associated with targeted therapy, PTPRZ1‐MET, which was previously exclusively identified in glioma, was present in two cases of BMs of lung cancer. Furthermore, MET exon 14 skipping may be more common (6/37 cases) in BMs of lung cancer than the frequency previously reported in lung cancer. These findings highlight the clinical significance of targeted DNA plus RNA sequencing for BMs and suggest PTPRZ1‐MET and MET exon 14 skipping as critical molecular events that may serve as targets of targeted therapy in BMs.
Aberrant RNA splicing and therapeutic opportunities in cancers
Authors: Yamauchi Hirofumi , Nishimura Kazuki , Yoshimi Akihide
Published: November 2021

There has been accumulating evidence that RNA splicing is frequently dysregulated in a variety of cancers and that hotspot mutations affecting key splicing factors, SF3B1, SRSF2 and U2AF1, are commonly enriched across cancers, strongly suggesting that aberrant RNA splicing is a new class of hallmark that contributes to the initiation and/or maintenance of cancers. In parallel, some studies have demonstrated that cancer cells with global splicing alterations are dependent on the transcriptional products derived from wild‐type spliceosome for their survival, which potentially creates a therapeutic vulnerability in cancers with a mutant spliceosome. It has been c. 10 y since the frequent mutations affecting splicing factors were reported in cancers. Based on these surprising findings, there has been a growing interest in targeting altered splicing in the treatment of cancers, which has promoted a wide variety of investigations including genetic, molecular and biological studies addressing how altered splicing promotes oncogenesis and how cancers bearing alterations in splicing can be targeted therapeutically. In this mini‐review we present a concise trajectory of what has been elucidated regarding the pathogenesis of cancers with aberrant splicing, as well as the development of therapeutic strategies to target global splicing alterations in cancers.
In Praise of Ordinary Measures: The Present Limits and Future Possibilities of Educational Accountability
Authors: Schneider Jack , Gottlieb Derek
Published: November 2021

Abstract

State and federal policymakers “see” school performance via formal measures — data collected with attendance sheets and standardized tests. Such an approach, though not without its merits, is extremely limited and inherently exposed to the threat of systematic misperception and unintended consequences, especially as policymakers try to use data to leverage on‐the‐ground change. In this essay, Jack Schneider and Derek Gottlieb discuss the limitations of present accountability systems and advocate for the inclusion of what they call “ordinary measures.” Long positioned as inferior to their formal counterparts, such measures offer much to clarify the picture of schools that good governance depends on. According to Schneider and Gottlieb, using ordinary measures, paired with deliberative evaluation processes, will improve the validity and utility of educational accountability systems.
Regulation of bacterial Type III Secretion System export gate opening by substrates and the FliJ stalk of the flagellar ATPase
Authors: Bryant Owain J. , Fraser Gillian M.
Published: November 2021

Type III Secretion Systems (T3SS) transport proteins from the bacterial cytosol for assembly into cell surface nanomachines or direct delivery into target eukaryotic cells. At the core of the flagellar T3SS, the FlhAB‐FliPQR export gate regulates protein entry into the export channel whilst maintaining the integrity of the cell membrane. Here, we identify critical residues in the export gate FliR plug that stabilise the closed conformation, preserving the membrane permeability barrier, and we show that the gate opens and closes in response to export substrate availability. Our data indicate that FlhAB‐FliPQR gate opening, which is triggered by substrate export signals, is energised by FlhA in a proton motive force‐dependent manner. We present evidence that the export substrate and the FliJ stalk of the flagellar ATPase provide mechanistically distinct, non‐redundant gate‐activating signals that are critical for efficient export.
An Improved Procedure for the Determination of Trace Elements in Silicate Rocks Using NH4HF2 Digestion
Authors: Zhang Chen , Zhang Wen , Hu Zhaochu , He Tao , Liu Yongsheng , Chen Haihong
Published: November 2021

Knowledge of the elemental composition of geological samples is of high significance to research in Earth science. For whole‐rock elemental determination, complete sample digestion is essential to obtain bias‐free measurement results. In recent years, NH4HF2 digestion has been proposed for geological sample dissolution; however, this requires 3 h of sample evaporation and 6 h of re‐dissolution of residues. In this study a PTFE beaker, which can withstand 300 °C, was designed to increase the evaporation temperature, reducing the evaporation time to 15 min. Further investigations found that the insoluble fluoride residues formed during the high‐temperature evaporation stage significantly influenced the recoveries of Sc, Y, rare earth elements and Th. Among the tested strategies to suppress the formation of fluorides, the microwave heating method was the most efficient and robust. The optimised NH4HF2 digestion shortened the sample evaporation and re‐dissolution times from 9 h to 21 min, significantly reducing the time consumed for sample evaporation by a factor of ~ 26. A suite of silicate rock reference materials was analysed. The results for most elements were in agreement with reference values with a measurement bias of < 10%.
The extraordinary story of the L chondrite meteorites
Authors: Simms Michael J.
Published: November 2021

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve 1965, the village of Barwell, in Leicestershire, England, was the scene of an extraterrestrial invasion. Rocks rained down from the sky causing damage to buildings and vehicles, and consternation among the locals. It was soon established that these stones were actually meteorites and, with more than 40 kg falling in total, it proved to be the largest meteorite fall in UK history. Analysis showed the Barwell meteorites to be stone meteorites of a particular type known as ordinary chondrites. More specifically, they were a variety called L chondrites, which are among the most common type of stony meteorite so it might be assumed that its story prior to arrival in Barwell might not be especially interesting. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Common as they might be (by meteorite standards), the Barwell meteorites and other L chondrites are ‘ordinary’ only in name and they actually record some truly astonishing events in the history of the Solar System.
Solutions to Current Challenges in Widespread Monitoring of Groundwater Quality via Crowdsensing
Authors: Speir Shannon L. , Shang Lanyu , Bolster Diogo , Tank Jennifer L. , Stoffel Casey J. , Wood Danielle M. , Peters Brett W. , Wei Na , Wang Dong
Published: November 2021

Article Impact Statement: We address solutions to current challenges in crowdsensing and provide a replicable framework for future groundwater monitoring studies.
Addressing challenges in sealing of scalable multifiber module for O2 enrichment using LSCF membranes
Authors: Jogdand Shunottara M. , Bedadur Prachiti R. , Torris Arun , Agrawal Ravi , Kharul Ulhas K. , Devi R. Nandini
Published: November 2021

Scalable and multifiber modules in oxygen separation face huge challenges due to difficulty in integrating all the necessary components, especially in sealing the fibers in a gas tight module. Here, we report our findings on design and fabrication of a multifiber La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3–δ (LSCF)‐based module, which can be scaled up. The focus is on sealing ceramic‐metal interfaces by layering of sealants of varying thermal properties. We have also incorporated the use of dead ended fibers to minimize ceramic‐metal interfaces in the hot zones and present a new method for dead ending by flame melting. Pressurizing the air inlet feed from either bore side or shell side is detrimental to the structural integrity of the fibers. A thorough characterization of the fresh and spent fibers is also carried out using X‐ray tomography and electron microscopy, which indicates effect of temperature and pressure on the fibers.
What do unions do… for temps? Collective bargaining and the wage penalty
Authors: Litwin Adam Seth , Shay Or
Published: November 2021

Does collective bargaining lift wages for contingent workers? Well‐worn theory suggests that temps at a covered employer earn less than otherwise similar “perms,” but still fare better than they would in a nonunion workplace. Our analysis of a national sample of matched employee–employer data first disposes of the universality of this conventional wisdom. Then, it allows us to test an alternative, contingent theory of the mitigating impact of collective bargaining on the temp wage gap predicated on received research in labor relations and institutional labor economics. We find that just how temps fare relative to perms hinges on the labor relations orientation of the employment relationship. Whereas unions clearly deliver for temps under adversarial conditions, they do not appear to do so where they adopt a more cooperative stance toward their employer counterparts.
Enhancement in magnetic permeability of Ni‐Co‐Zn ferrites using CuO doping for RF and microwave devices
Authors: Lathiya Poonam , Wang Jing
Published: November 2021

Novel soft magnetic ferrite materials will play a crucial role in next‐generation trillion‐dollar sensor technologies related to 5G communications and internet of things as these materials can achieve improved wireless power/signal transfer efficiency with high operation frequency. In this work, Ni0.4Co0.25Zn0.35Fe2O4 ferrites with high permeability and low magnetic loss were prepared for RF and microwave device applications. Composition and microstructure control is crucial to obtain the desired magnetic and loss properties. CuO dopant (x = 0 wt% to 20 wt%) were employed during the synthesis of Ni0.4Co0.25Zn0.35Fe2O4 ferrite specimens to modify the microstructures, thus improving the magnetic properties of the ferrites. High value of measured relative permeability (μ’ of 4‐10) and relatively low magnetic loss tangent ( of 0.01‐0.1) has been achieved at frequency range between 100 and 800 MHz. Addition of CuO, especially up to 3 wt%, can cause a significant increase in permeability. Real part of the permeability of 3.87 and 10.9 has been achieved for undoped and 3 wt% CuO doped specimens, while noticeable reduction in magnetic losses has been observed for the doped sample measured at 400 MHz. The resonance frequency of synthesized ferrites has also been shifted into GHz range, when higher concentration of CuO dopants (>5 wt%) were employed.
Structural dependence of crystallization in phosphorus‐containing sodium aluminoborosilicate glasses
Authors: Lu Ping , Kapoor Saurabh , Kobera Libor , Brus Jiri , Goel Ashutosh
Published: November 2021

The article reports on the structural dependence of crystallization in Na2O–Al2O3–B2O3–P2O5–SiO2‐based glasses over a broad compositional space. The structure of melt‐quenched glasses has been investigated using 11B, 27Al, 29Si, and 31P magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy, while the crystallization behavior has been followed using X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy. In general, the integration of phosphate into the sodium aluminoborosilicate network is mainly accomplished via the formation of Al–O–P and B–O–P linkages with the possibility of formation of Si–O–P linkages playing only a minor role. In terms of crystallization, at low concentrations (≤5 mol.%), P2O5 promotes the crystallization of nepheline (NaAlSiO4), while at higher concentrations (≥10 mol.%), it tends to suppress (completely or incompletely depending on the glass chemistry) the crystallization in glasses. When correlating the structure of glasses with their crystallization behavior, the MAS NMR results highlight the importance of the substitution/replacement of Si–O–Al linkages by Al–O–P, Si–O–B, and B–O–P linkages in the suppression of nepheline crystallization in glasses. The results have been discussed in the context of (1) the problem of nepheline crystallization in Hanford high‐level waste glasses and (2) designing vitreous waste forms for the immobilization of phosphate‐rich dehalogenated Echem salt waste.
Habitat shapes diversity of gut microbiomes in a wild population of blue titsCyanistes caeruleus
Authors: Drobniak Szymon M. , Cichoń Mariusz , Janas Katarzyna , Barczyk Julia , Gustafsson Lars , Zagalska‐Neubauer Magdalena
Published: November 2021

Microbiome constitutes an important axis of individual variation that, together with genes and the environment, influences an individual's physiology and fitness. Microbiomes are dependent not only on an individual's body condition but also on external factors, such as diet or stress levels, and as such can be involved into feedbacks between the external ecological factors and internal physiology. In our study, we used a wild population of blue titsCyanistes caeruleusto investigate the impact of external habitat composition on the microbiome of adult birds. We hypothesized that – through differences in plant composition, potentially affecting diet complexity – habitat type may impact the diversity and structure of the gut microbiome. Blue tits breeding in dense deciduous forests tended to have more diverse microbiomes and be significantly different in terms of microbiome composition from birds breeding in open, sparsely forested hay meadows. Distinct study plots also tended to differ in a number of parameters describing microbiome diversity. We observed no microbiome differentiation according to individual characteristics such as sex or age. The study emphasizes that external environment is one of the important modulators of microbiome diversity and calls for more such studies in wild animal populations.
Risk Factors for Tracheostomy after Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A 10‐Year Study of 456 Patients
Authors: Long Ping‐ping , Sun Da‐wei , Zhang Zheng‐feng
Published: November 2021

Objectives

To explore the difference between tracheostomy and non‐tracheostomy and identify the risk factors associated with the need for tracheostomy after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (TCSCI).

Methods

The demographic and injury characteristics of 456 TCSCI patients, treated in the Xinqiao Hospital from 2010 to 2019, were retrospective analyzed. Patients were divided into the tracheostomy group (n = 63) and the non‐tracheostomy group (n = 393). Variables included were age, gender,smoking history, mechanism of injury, concomitant injury, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, the neurological level of injury, Cervical Spine Injury Severity Score (CSISS), surgery, and length of stay in ICU and hospital. SPSS 25.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL) was used for statistical analysis and ROC curve drawing. Chi‐square analysis was applied to find out the difference of variables between the tracheostomy and non‐tracheostomy groups. Univariate logistic regression analysis (ULRA) and multiple logistic regression analysis (MLRA) were used to identify risk factors for tracheostomy. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of these risk factors.

Results

Of 456 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 63 (13.8%) underwent tracheostomy. There were differences in age (χ2 = 6.615, P = 0.032), mechanism of injury (χ2 = 9.87, P = 0.036), concomitant injury (χ2 = 6.131, P = 0.013),ASIA Impairment Scale (χ2 = 123.08, P < 0.01), the neurological level of injury (χ2 = 34.74, P < 0.01), and CSISS (χ2 = 19.612, P < 0.01) between the tracheostomy and non‐tracheostomy groups. Smoking history, CSISS ≥ 7, AIS A and, NLI ≥ C5 were identified as potential risk factors for tracheostomy by ULRA. Smoking history (OR = 2.960, 95% CI: 1.524–5.750, P = 0.001), CSISS ≥ 7 (OR = 4.599, 95% CI: 2.328–9.085, P = 0.000), AIS A (OR = 14.213, 95% CI: 6.720–30.060, P = 0.000) and NLI ≥ C5 (OR = 8.312, 95% CI: 1.935–35.711, P = 0.004) as risk factors for tracheostomy were determined by MLRA. The AUC for the risk factors of tracheostomy after TCSCI was 0.858 (95% CI: 0.810–0.907).

Conclusions

Smoking history, CSISS ≥ 7, AIS A and, NLI ≥ C5 were identified as risk factors needing of tracheostomy in patients with TCSCI. These risk factors may be important to assist the clinical decision of tracheostomy.
Photosystem II photoinhibition and photoprotection in a lycophyte, Selaginella martensii
Authors: Colpo Andrea , Baldisserotto Costanza , Pancaldi Simonetta , Sabia Alessandra , Ferroni Lorenzo
Published: November 2021

The Lycophyte Selaginella martensii efficiently acclimates to diverse light environments, from deep shade to full sunlight. The plant does not modulate the abundance of the Light Harvesting Complex II, mostly found as a free trimer, and does not alter the maximum capacity of thermal dissipation (NPQ). Nevertheless, the photoprotection is expected to be modulatable upon long‐term light acclimation to preserve the photosystems (PSII, PSI). The effects of long‐term light acclimation on PSII photoprotection were investigated using the chlorophyll fluorometric method known as “photochemical quenching measured in the dark” (qPd). Singularly high‐qPd values at relatively low irradiance suggest a heterogeneous antenna system (PSII antenna uncoupling). The extent of antenna uncoupling largely depends on the light regime, reaching the highest value in sun‐acclimated plants. In parallel, the photoprotective NPQ (pNPQ) increased from deep‐shade to high‐light grown plants. It is proposed that the differences in the long‐term modulation in the photoprotective capacity are proportional to the amount of uncoupled LHCII. In deep‐shade plants, the inconsistency between invariable maximum NPQ and lower pNPQ is attributed to the thermal dissipation occurring in the PSII core.
Predictive pre‐activation of orthographic and lexical‐semantic representations facilitates visual word recognition
Authors: Eisenhauer Susanne , Gagl Benjamin , Fiebach Christian J.
Published: November 2021

To a crucial extent, the efficiency of reading results from the fact that visual word recognition is faster in predictive contexts. Predictive coding models suggest that this facilitation results from pre‐activation of predictable stimulus features across multiple representational levels before stimulus onset. Still, it is not sufficiently understood which aspects of the rich set of linguistic representations that are activated during reading—visual, orthographic, phonological, and/or lexical‐semantic—contribute to context‐dependent facilitation. To investigate in detail which linguistic representations are pre‐activated in a predictive context and how they affect subsequent stimulus processing, we combined a well‐controlled repetition priming paradigm, including words and pseudowords (i.e., pronounceable nonwords), with behavioral and magnetoencephalography measurements. For statistical analysis, we used linear mixed modeling, which we found had a higher statistical power compared to conventional multivariate pattern decoding analysis. Behavioral data from 49 participants indicate that word predictability (i.e., context present vs. absent) facilitated orthographic and lexical‐semantic, but not visual or phonological processes. Magnetoencephalography data from 38 participants show sustained activation of orthographic and lexical‐semantic representations in the interval before processing the predicted stimulus, suggesting selective pre‐activation at multiple levels of linguistic representation as proposed by predictive coding. However, we found more robust lexical‐semantic representations when processing predictable in contrast to unpredictable letter strings, and pre‐activation effects mainly resembled brain responses elicited when processing the expected letter string. This finding suggests that pre‐activation did not result in “explaining away” predictable stimulus features, but rather in a “sharpening” of brain responses involved in word processing.
A Graph-Theoretic Approach to Randomization Tests of Causal Effects under General Interference
Authors: Puelz David , Basse Guillaume , Feller Avi , Toulis Panos
Published: November 2021

Interference exists when a unit's outcome depends on another unit's treatment assignment. For example, intensive policing on one street could have a spillover effect on neighbouring streets. Classical randomization tests typically break down in this setting because many null hypotheses of interest are no longer sharp under interference. A promising alternative is to instead construct a conditional randomization test on a subset of units and assignments for which a given null hypothesis is sharp. Finding these subsets is challenging, however, and existing methods are limited to special cases or have limited power. In this paper, we propose valid and easy-to-implement randomization tests for a general class of null hypotheses under arbitrary interference between units. Our key idea is to represent the hypothesis of interest as a bipartite graph between units and assignments, and to find an appropriate biclique of this graph. Importantly, the null hypothesis is sharp within this biclique, enabling conditional randomization-based tests. We also connect the size of the biclique to statistical power. Moreover, we can apply off-the-shelf graph clustering methods to find such bicliques efficiently and at scale. We illustrate our approach in settings with clustered interference and show advantages over methods designed specifically for that setting. We then apply our method to a large-scale policing experiment in Medellín, Colombia, where interference has a spatial structure.
Adsorption Beds: The Significance of Thermodynamic Properties and Particle Size on System-Level Heat Pump Performance
Authors: Fil Bachir El , Raymond Alexander , Garimella Srinivas
Published: November 2021

The performance of an adsorption heat pump is a function of the equilibrium uptake and diffusion resistances of a particular system, which determines the refrigerant throughput during a cycle. Previous studies have sought improved sorption bed performance by increasing heat transfer; however, some of the proposed heat exchanger enhancements represent costly alterations to the system. This work instead investigates a method for optimizing sorption bed mass transfer, which can be implemented as a low-cost alternative to heat transfer enhancement or in addition to it. The objective is to balance the intra-particle diffusion resistance, which increases with adsorbent particle diameter, with the inter-particle pressure drop, which decreases with adsorbent particle diameter. A silica gel–water system model is used to show that the optimal particle geometry in a packed bed yields a 48% improvement in cooling duty and over 50% increase in coefficient of performance compared with larger particles (dp = 1.42 mm).