bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mute, mutation, and mutiny: on the work of feminist epistemology
Authors: Calás Marta B. , Smircich Linda
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to bring to the fore the importance of feminist epistemologies in the history of the organization of management studies since the 1980s by following various intellectual moves in the development of feminist theorizing as they cross over to organization studies, including their analytical possibilities for reclaiming historically the voices of major women scholars, especially in doctoral seminars. The paper narrates these epistemological activities by mobilizing and reconsidering from the past to the present, the notions of “unmuting,” “mutating” and “mutiny.” It ends in a reflection addressing the state of business schools at present and why the field of organization and management studies needs “mutiny” now.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a narrative approach in which the voices of its authors appear to be central as they consider and reconsider over time their understanding of “unmuting,” “mutation” and “mutiny” as notions with analytical potential. This approach is influenced by Foucault’s “history of the present” but with contingencies brought about by feminist interpretations. The application of these notions is demonstrated by reclaiming and clarifying the epistemological underpinning in the works of three major women scholars as included in a doctoral seminar: Mary Parker Follett, Edith Penrose and Rosabeth Moss Kanter. These notions are further redeployed for their potential in institutional applications.

Findings

At present, the findings are discursive – if they can be called so, but the main motivation behind this writing is to go beyond discourse in the written sense, and to mobilize other activities, still in the realm of epistemological and scholarly work. These activities would legitimize actual interventions for changing business schools from their current situation as neoliberal entities, which mute understanding of major problems in the world, as well as the voices of most humans and non-humans paying for the foibles of neoliberalism.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the necessity of developing approaches for interventions in knowledge producing institutions increasingly limited by neoliberal premises in what can be said and done as legitimate knowledge. In doing this, the paper articulates the importance of keeping history alive to avoid the increasing “forgetfulness” neoliberalization brings about. The paper, in its present form, represents an active act of “remembering”.
Erich Joachimsthaler: The principle of shared value drives the success of the “interaction field” business model
Authors: Leavy Brian
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Strategist Erich Joachimsthaler in his new book “The Interaction Field: The Revolutionary New Way to Create Shared Value for Businesses, Customers and Society,” predicts that in future traditional basis of value creation will be replaced by a business model of value creation where everyone becomes a producer and consumer, a participant in an ever changing, flexible and very large network of participants.

Design/methodology/approach

This interview of the author by Prof. Brian Leavy looks at how interaction field companies or business models create shared value by solving new or intractable problems for customers, the industry or society.

Findings

The new consumers expect to be active participants in value creation as they engage, participate, share, contribute, comment, benefit and learn.

Practical implications

The key to creating maximum shared value and exponential growth is velocity, the number or frequency and the quality of interactions between everyone in the interaction field.

Originality/value

A thoughtful introduction to an important new business model. Critical learning for executives designing digital platforms.
RepC_soli: a novel promiscuous plasmid type of Rhodobacteraceae mediates horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistances in the ocean
Authors: Birmes Lukas , Freese Heike M. , Petersen Jörn
Published: January 2021

Alphaproteobacteria are typically characterized by a multipartite genome organization with a chromosome, stable chromids and accessory plasmids. Extrachromosomal elements determine the lifestyle of roseobacters and their horizontal transfer was previously correlated with rapid adaptations to novel ecological niches. We characterized the distribution and biology of a novel Rhodobacteraceae‐specific plasmid type that was designated RepC_soli according to its diagnostic solitary replicase. This low copy number replicon exhibits an exceptional stability, which is likely ensured by non‐canonical separate parA and parB partitioning genes. RepC_soli plasmids occur frequently in the surface‐associated marine genus Phaeobacter and comparative genome analyses revealed the emergence of four compatibility groups. The universal presence of conserved type IV secretion systems in RepC_soli plasmids is indicative of their recurrent mobilization, a prediction that was experimentally validated by conjugation of the 57 kb Phaeobacter inhibens P72 plasmid (pP72_e) over genus borders. RepC_soli plasmids harbour a diverse collection of beneficial genes including transporters for heavy metal detoxification, prokaryotic defence systems and a conspicuous abundance of antibiotic resistance genes. The pP72_e‐encoded efflux pump FloR conferred an about 50‐fold increase of resistance against chloramphenicol. Its specific occurrence in Phaeobacter likely reflects a genetic footprint of (former) antimicrobial use in marine aquaculture.
OSIP1 is a self‐assembling DUF3129 protein required to protect fungal cells from toxins and stressors
Authors: Valette Nicolas , Renou Julien , Boutilliat Alexis , Fernández‐González Antonio José , Gautier Valérie , Silar Philippe , Guyeux Christophe , Charr Jean‐Claude , Cuenot Stéphane , Rose Christophe , Gelhaye Eric , Morel‐Rouhier Mélanie
Published: January 2021

Secreted proteins are key players in fungal physiology and cell protection against external stressing agents and antifungals. Oak stress‐induced protein 1 (OSIP1) is a fungal‐specific protein with unknown function. By using Podospora anserina and Phanerochaete chrysosporium as models, we combined both in vivo functional approaches and biophysical characterization of OSIP1 recombinant protein. The P. anserina OSIP1Δ mutant showed an increased sensitivity to the antifungal caspofungin compared to the wild type. This correlated with the production of a weakened extracellular exopolysaccharide/protein matrix (ECM). Since the recombinant OSIP1 from P. chrysosporium self‐assembled as fibers and was capable of gelation, it is likely that OSIP1 is linked to ECM formation that acts as a physical barrier preventing drug toxicity. Moreover, compared to the wild type, the OSIP1Δ mutant was more sensitive to oak extractives including chaotropic phenols and benzenes. It exhibited a strongly modified secretome pattern and an increased production of proteins associated to the cell‐wall integrity signalling pathway, when grown on oak sawdust. This demonstrates that OSIP1 has also an important role in fungal resistance to extractive‐induced stress.
The faulty SOS response of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 stems from an inefficient RecA‐LexA interplay
Authors: Akkaya Özlem , Aparicio Tomás , Pérez‐Pantoja Danilo , de Lorenzo Víctor
Published: January 2021

Despite its environmental robustness Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440 is very sensitive to DNA damage and displays poor homologous recombination efficiencies. To gain an insight into this deficiency isogenic ∆recA and ∆lexA1 derivatives of prophage‐free strain P. putida EM173 were generated and responses of the recA and lexA1 promoters to DNA damage tested with GFP reporter technology. Basal expression of recA and lexA1 of P. putida were high in the absence of DNA damage and only moderately induced by norfloxacin. A similar behaviour was observed when equivalent GFP fusions to the recA and lexA promoters of E. coli were placed in P. putida EM173. In contrast, all SOS promoters were subject to strong repression in E. coli, which was released only when cells were treated with the antibiotic. Replacement of P. putida's native LexA1 and RecA by E. coli homologues did not improve the responsiveness of the indigenous functions to DNA damage. Taken together, it seems that P. putida fails to mount a strong SOS response due to the inefficacy of the crucial RecA‐LexA interplay largely tractable to the weakness of the corresponding promoters and the inability of the repressor to shut them down entirely in the absence of DNA damage.
Does educational investment enhance capacity development for Nigerian youths? An autoregressive distributed lag approach
Authors: Emediegwu Lotanna Ernest
Published: January 2021

This paper employs the autoregressive distributed lag bound test and Nigerian time series data spanning 1980–2016 to provide empirical evidence on the educational financing—(youths) capacity development nexus via secondary school enrollment channel. The greatest factor that is pivotal to developing the capacity of Nigerian youths is investment in the quantity of education, and more significantly in its quality. The paper's main results show that budgetary allocation to education positively and significantly impacts secondary school enrollment, both in the long and short runs. Thererfore, the study recommends a substantial investment in the educational sector even if there has to be a trade‐off with other types of unproductive investment.
Does board gender diversity matter in the banking sector? Evidence from Tunisia
Authors: Othmani Hidaya
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of board gender diversity on banks’ performance and risk for the case of a developing African country. Our sample includes a unique data set of Tunisian banks during the period 2005–2018. We use the two‐way cluster regression proposed by Petersen. This approach corrects for the unobserved firm effect (time‐series dependence) and time effect (cross‐sectional dependence). It gives robust standard errors adjusted for heteroscedasticity, serial correlation, and cross‐sectional correlation. Our results support a positive relationship between gender diversity and banks’ performance measured by ROA and ROE, while women board members are associated with more default risk measured by Z‐score. Our results remain robust to various measures of gender diversity, banks’ performance and risk. The findings contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence from Tunisia, an African emerging economy, where the examination of the role of board gender diversity on bank governance is unexplored.
Saving for a Rainy Day… or a Trip to the Bahamas? How the Framing of Investment Communication Impacts Retail Investors
Authors: Hillenbrand Carola , Saraeva Anastasiya , Money Kevin , Brooks Chris
Published: January 2021

Little is known to date regarding how the framing of investment communication impacts retail investor propensity to engage with financial products. To explore this lacuna, we apply insights from regulatory focus theory and construal level theory, and we vary investment communications in terms of the motivation (protect vs. achieve) and the time horizon (distant vs. near) presented in a 2 × 2 quasi‐experimental design. We also include an analysis of investor characteristics and find that communication of ‘short‐term achieve’ investments attracts particularly risk‐tolerant and sensation‐seeking individuals, posing questions of responsibility towards potentially vulnerable groups. We also find that negative attitudes towards finance may be troublesome, as they can stop individuals from engaging with ‘long‐term’ investment products. Positive attitudes towards finance, in contrast, lead investors to engage with ‘protect’ products of both ‘short‐’ and ‘long‐term’ horizon, highlighting benefits for individuals and society from interventions aimed at financial education and exposure. The study concludes by discussing insights for the literature and practitioners from the application of new theory and new data to the management of investment communications.
The Brexit Negotiations and the Anglosphere
Authors: Gamble Andrew
Published: January 2021

The Brexit negotiations raise the question of what Britain’s future role in the world should be. Brexiters have drawn on ideas of the Anglosphere to imagine what that future might be. The Anglosphere belongs in a long line of thinking about uniting English speaking communities around the world. Different conceptions of the Anglosphere such as CANZUK are identified. The Anglosphere appeals to many Brexiters because it gives them a positive vision of ‘Global Britain’ as an alternative to EU membership. The advantages to Britain of regaining full sovereignty and associating once more with its ‘true friends’ are stressed. What is ignored is the lack of support among Anglosphere countries for much closer relationships except in the security sphere, and the inability of increased economic ties with the Anglosphere to begin to match what the UK will lose by severing itself from its most important economic partner.
Evaluating the robustness of the CMS Hospital Value‐Based Purchasing measurement system
Authors: Revere Lee , Langland‐Orban Barbara , Large John , Yang Yijiong
Published: January 2021

Background

The Hospital Value‐Based Purchasing Program (HVBP) is a pay for performance system that impacts traditional Medicare fee‐for‐service payments to hospitals through rewards and penalties.

Objectives

To explore variation in overall and individual‐hospital total performance score (TPS) and embedded domains for hospitals during 2014‐2018.

Data Source

Hospital data were retrieved from the publicly available HOSArchive dataset.

Study Design

Distribution of annual TPS and HVBP domain scores for 2014‐2018 was evaluated using descriptive statistics. Transitional probabilities were analyzed to evaluate annual movement in the TPS ranking for outlier hospitals in the Top and Bottom 5%.

Principal Findings

TPS scores are positively skewed while the distribution of domain scores vary with patient experience, (clinical) outcome, and efficiency domains having a large number of (positive) outliers. Mean TPS score decreased from 40.54 in 2014 to 38.04 by 2018. Improvement was shown in mean domain scores for clinical process of care and clinical outcome using 95% confidence intervals, with hospitals gaining 10 points over the study period in clinical outcome. Changes in the mean scores for other domains did not show consistent increases or decreases. Chi‐square analyses of hospital ranking categories showed some evidence that, as a group, hospitals initially ranked in the Bottom 5% are making consistent annual movements to higher categories. In contrast, over half of the hospitals ranking in the initial Top 5% remained in the top category across all study years.

Conclusions

It may be time for CMS to redesign the HVBP incentive program to assure the measures accurately demonstrate sustained improvement, the domain weights appropriately reflect the level of importance, and the TPS comparative ranking methodology does not discourage lower‐performing hospitals from actively improving the care they deliver and achieving top ranks.
Validation of a clinical decision instrument for emergent neuroimaging after a seizure: Let’s image malignancy, intracranial hemorrhage, and trauma (LIMIT)
Authors: Isenberg Derek L. , Muller Megan , Rodrigues Laura , Reimer Hannah , Finlaw Lilian , Souiarov George , Loughran Sarah , Gentile Nina T.
Published: January 2021

Background

Given the many causes of seizures, emergency physicians often utilize brain computed tomography (CT) to evaluate for intracranial pathology. However, a CT exposes patients to 100 times more radiation than a chest radiograph. Previously, we developed a four‐item clinical decision instrument (CDI) to determine which patients with status epilepticus (SE) do not require emergent neuroimaging. In this study, we seek to prospectively validate our CDI in patients with a history of seizures with both SE and generalized tonic–clonic seizures.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of 1,739 consecutive patients who were recruited from two urban hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All patients, 18 years and older, who presented with a chief complaint of seizure and had emergency neuroimaging performed were eligible for inclusion. Patients were excluded from analysis if this was a first‐time seizure, had a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, or had focal neurologic deficits.

Results

A total of 376 patients were in the final analysis. Of the 376 patients, 10 patients (3%) had positive CTs. Nine of the 10 of the patients were identified by our CDI, resulting in a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.5%. On secondary analysis, we refined our CDI from four to three criteria: 1) history of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), 2) active malignancy, and 3) trauma. These criteria also had a NPV of >99% when applied to patients in SE.

Conclusion

The validation of our CDI showed improved NPV when compared to the derivation set. Use of the criteria of history of ICH, active malignancy, and trauma could have reduced the use of emergent neuroimaging in our cohort by up to 49%. This CDI should be validated in a larger subset of patients and in multiple centers prior to widespread adoption.
5HT‐2C agonist lorcaserin decreases cannabis self‐administration in daily cannabis smokers
Authors: Arout Caroline A. , Cooper Ziva D. , Reed Stephanie Collins , Foltin Richard W. , Comer Sandra D. , Levin Frances R. , Haney Margaret
Published: January 2021

There are no FDA‐approved treatments for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Preclinical research has shown that the 5HT‐2C agonist lorcaserin attenuates cue‐induced reinstatement of THC seeking and self‐administration. The goal of this placebo‐controlled, counterbalanced, within‐subject human laboratory study was to examine lorcaserin's effects on cannabis intoxication and self‐administration. Lorcaserin (10 mg BID) was administered during one of two 13‐day inpatient phases and placebo during the other; each phase was separated by ≥7 days of washout. Inpatient phases comprised (1) standardized cannabis administration (7.0% THC) at no financial cost (intoxication), counterbalanced with (2) the option to self‐administer cannabis following either 0 or 3 days of abstinence. Cognitive task performance, food intake, subjective ratings of drug effects, objective/subjective sleep measures, and tobacco cigarette use were also assessed. Fifteen normal‐weight, daily cannabis users (4F, 11M) not seeking treatment for CUD completed the study. Lorcaserin significantly reduced cannabis self‐administration following 0 and 3 days of cannabis abstinence and also reduced craving for cannabis during abstinence. Lorcaserin produced small but significant increases in positive cannabis ratings and body weight relative to placebo. Lorcaserin also reduced tobacco cigarette smoking on days of cannabis administration relative to placebo. During abstinence, subjective but not objective measures of sleep quality worsened during lorcaserin maintenance. Overall, lorcaserin's ability to decrease drug taking and cannabis craving in nontreatment‐seeking cannabis users supports further investigation of 5HT‐2C agonists as potential pharmacotherapies for CUD.
A simple technique of vaginal cuff closure to prevent tumor cell spillage in laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for uterine cervical cancer
Authors: Deura Imari , Kanamori Ryo , Nagasawa Yuko , Kuji Shiho , Ohara Tatsuru , Tozawa Akiko , Shimada Muneaki , Suzuki Nao
Published: January 2021

Introduction

The Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial, a prospective randomized phase III clinical trial reported in 2018, unexpectedly showed inferior oncologic outcomes in laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) for cervical cancer compared with those in open surgery. It was proposed that the spillage of tumor cells into the peritoneal cavity might cause the inferiority of LRH. It has been suggested, based on retrospective studies, that transvaginal closure of the vaginal cuff before the colpotomy part of the surgery may prevent this.

Materials and Surgical Technique

Before starting colpotomy, we closed the vaginal cuff transvaginally. After the assessment of the cutline of the vagina, the vaginal mucosa is pulled at the eight sites using the sutures. The four pairs of sutures on the diagonal line are ligated. A purse string suture is additionally placed on the vaginal mucosa to close the vaginal cuff completely. After that, we start the intracorporeal colpotomy using a vaginal pipe.

Discussion

Our technique is simple and quick. The blood loss during the transvaginal procedures is minimal. The use of the vaginal pipe helps keep the vaginal cuff closed during the colpotomy. Our technique may be an alternative to the conventional approach closing the vaginal cuff.
Are heritage speakers of Spanish significantly better at speaking than at writing? Results of an experiment on writing and speaking proficiencies—Actual and perceived
Authors: Gatti Alberta , Graves Syelle
Published: January 2021

It is often assumed that heritage language learners (HLLs) speak better than they write—by themselves and by educators alike. This article draws on data from writing and oral proficiency ratings plus self‐evaluations of 35 Spanish HLLs to investigate: (i) whether Spanish HLLs actually tend to receive higher ratings in speaking than in writing; (ii) if this is the case, how large the distance in proficiency is; and (iii) to what extent HLLs are accurate in identifying their better modality. Results do show higher ratings in speaking on average, but to a degree that is smaller than might be expected: ratings indicate that subjects performed the same functions in both modalities even when one of the two was rated higher than the other. Additionally, fewer than half the subjects were able to accurately evaluate whether or not they are better at speaking or writing. Implications for instruction are also discussed.
Fluorine loss determination in bioactive glasses by laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
Authors: de Pablos‐Martín Araceli , Contreras Jaimes Altair T. , Wahl Stefanie , Meyer Sylke , Brauer Delia S.
Published: January 2021

Fluoride‐containing bioactive glasses and glass‐ceramics in the SiO2‐P2O5‐CaO‐CaF2 system are of great interest for dental applications, where the precipitation of fluorapatite supports tooth remineralization. Fluorine quantification in those glasses is key to estimate thermal properties and crystallization tendency. This work presents a study on fluorine determination by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in four melt‐derived glass powders with varying P2O5 concentrations. LIBS enables fluorine quantification with a reduced analysis time, minimal to no sample preparation, and high spatial resolution. The fluorine calibration curve was obtained from CaF2 and SiO2 mixtures as reference samples, and the fluorine loss upon glass melting has been determined as a function of P2O5 content. The P2O5‐free glass shows the lowest fluorine loss (13%), with HF volatilization likely being responsible for the loss. By contrast, the glass with the highest P2O5 content (11.33 wt%) exhibits the largest fluorine loss (55%), owing to additional mechanisms involving the volatilization of phosphorus species like POF3.
Effect of oxidation and hydrolysis of porcine myofibrillar protein on Nε‐carboxymethyl‐lysine formation in model systems
Authors: Yu Ligang , He Zhiyong , Zeng Maomao , Yang Yukun , Chen Jie
Published: January 2021

This study investigated the effects of oxidation and hydrolysis of porcine myofibrillar protein (MFP) on Nε‐carboxymethyl‐lysine (CML) formation in model systems. Model systems of MFP/oxidised linoleic acid (MFP/OLA), mildly oxidised MFP/OLA (MO‐MFP/OLA), severely oxidised MFP/OLA (SO‐MFP/OLA), mildly hydrolysed MFP/OLA (MH‐MFP/OLA) and severely hydrolysed MFP/OLA (SH‐MFP/OLA) were incubated, and CML content was determined. Compared with MFP/OLA (39.1 ± 5.7 ng mg−1 protein), there was a significant increase of CML in MO‐MFP/OLA (53.9 ± 2.5 ng mg−1 protein), whereas a marked decrease was observed in SO‐MFP/OLA (25.1 ± 4.4 ng mg−1 protein) during incubation. CML level increased with increasing degree of hydrolysis of MFP after 6 days of incubation. Therefore, mildly oxidised MFP and hydrolysed MFP could promote CML formation, while severely oxidised MFP impeded CML generation. These results suggested that effects of oxidation and hydrolysis of MFP on CML generation were mainly dependent on the degree of structural changes of MFP.
Effects of tadalafil versus silodosin on voiding function in male patients with non‐neurogenic detrusor underactivity: A comparative study using propensity score matching
Authors: Matsukawa Yoshihisa , Majima Tsuyoshi , Funahashi Yasuhito , Fujita Takashi , Ishida Shohei , Kato Masashi , Gotoh Momokazu
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To investigate and compare the effects of tadalafil and silodosin on lower urinary tract symptoms and voiding functions in men with non‐neurogenic detrusor underactivity.

Methods

A total of 126 treatment‐naive men with lower urinary tract symptoms diagnosed as non‐neurogenic detrusor underactivity received tadalafil (5 mg/day) or silodosin (8 mg/day) for 12 months. After propensity score matching, parameter changes from before administration to 12 months since treatment initiation were assessed based on subjective symptoms and urodynamic findings, including bladder contractility index and maximum urinary flow rate, and were compared between the tadalafil treatment group and the silodosin group. Detrusor underactivity was defined as bladder contractility index <100 and bladder outlet obstruction index <40.

Results

After propensity score matching, the final analysis included 48 patients each in the tadalafil and silodosin groups. No significant differences in prostate volume, subjective symptoms or urodynamic parameters were detected between the groups at baseline. Compared with baseline, significant improvements in subjective symptoms and storage and voiding functions were observed at month 12 in both groups. Maximum urinary flow rate significantly improved by 1.7 mL/s in the silodosin group and by 3.0 mL/s in the tadalafil group. In addition, the mean bladder contractility index increased from 80.0 to 86.1 in the silodosin group and from 77.9 to 97.6 in the tadalafil group. Improvements in maximum urinary flow rate and bladder contractility index were significantly superior in the tadalafil group.

Conclusions

Both tadalafil and silodosin significantly improve lower urinary tract symptoms and voiding function in patients with non‐neurogenic detrusor underactivity. Furthermore, tadalafil is more effective than silodosin in improving bladder contractility index and maximum urinary flow rate.
M2 macrophage‐derived G‐CSF promotes trophoblasts EMT, invasion and migration via activating PI3K/Akt/Erk1/2 pathway to mediate normal pregnancy
Authors: Ding Jinli , Yang Chaogang , Zhang Yi , Wang Jiayu , Zhang Sainan , Guo Duanying , Yin Tailang , Yang Jing
Published: January 2021

Trophoblasts are important parts of the placenta and exert vital roles in the maternal‐foetal crosstalk, and sufficient trophoblasts migration and invasion is critical for embryo implantation and normal pregnancy. Macrophages, as the major components of decidual microenvironment at maternal‐foetal interface, can interact with trophoblasts to participate in the regulation of normal pregnancy. Previously, our group have demonstrated that trophoblasts could induce macrophages polarization to M2 subtype by secreting interleukin‐6 (IL‐6); however, the understanding of macrophages regulating the migration and invasion of trophoblasts is limited. In the present study, we used the co‐cultured model to further investigate the effects of macrophages on trophoblasts migration and invasion. Our results showed that co‐culture with macrophages promoted epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of trophoblasts, thereby enhancing their migrative and invasive abilities. Further experiments revealed that M2 macrophage‐derived G‐CSF was a key factor, which promoted the EMT, migration and invasion of trophoblasts via activating PI3K/Akt/Erk1/2 signalling pathway. Clinically, G‐CSF was highly expressed in placental villous tissues of normal pregnancy patients compared to patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion, and its expression level was significantly correlation with EMT markers. Taken together, these findings indicate the important role of M2 macrophages in regulating trophoblasts EMT, migration and invasion, contributing to a new insight in concerning the crosstalk between macrophages and trophoblasts in the establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy.
Case of highly prevalent papilloma‐like skin lesions in whitespotted char (Salvelinusleucomaenis) in Kamchatka (Russia)
Authors: Sergeenko Natalia V. , Gavruseva Tatyana V. , Ustimenko Elena A. , Bochkova Elena V. , Ryazanova Tatyana V.
Published: January 2021

In October 2014, a case of mass skin lesions was reported in whitespotted char (Salvelinus leucomaenis) caught in the Nalycheva River on the Kamchatka peninsula (Russia). The proportion of affected fish was approximately 50% of the catch. Lesions of varying severity were noted from small tubercles to large single and confluent formations and ulcers. Papilloma‐like growths were found in the epidermal layer of the skin of the affected fish. Histopathological alterations included the following: submerged growth of epithelial cells, infiltration of inflammatory cells, oedema of scale pockets, resorption of scales, haemorrhages, local necrosis and an increased number of mucous cells. In the dermal layer of the skin, haemorrhages and extensive necrosis were recorded. Inflammation, necrosis and destruction of myocytes were found in the underlying musculature. This is the first documented case of papilloma‐like skin lesions found in salmonids in Kamchatka. The affected whitespotted char were deemed unsuitable as a food product due to their unsatisfactory appearance and impermissible levels of bacterial contamination of the muscles.
Stringency of balanced budget laws and transparency of budgeting process
Authors: Mou Haizhen , Lozano Man Hing Maritza
Published: January 2021

We propose a framework to define and measure transparency in the budgeting process. We survey the main fiscal rules in the Canadian provinces from 1980 to 2018 and quantify them into a stringency index and a transparency index. Our findings show that more stringent balanced budget laws (BBLs) do not necessarily imply less transparency, while higher transparency requirements appear to reduce the effect of stringent BBLs on budget balance, possibly because transparency rules deter creative accounting. This study provides insights into the role of various fiscal rules in fiscal governance.
COVID‐19, the Great Recession and social policy: Is this time different?
Authors: Moreira Amílcar , Hick Rod
Published: January 2021

This paper provides an overview of the initial crisis responses to the coronavirus pandemic and asks whether and how both the nature of the COVID‐19 crisis and the national responses to this differ from those witnessed during the Great Recession. We argue that the speed and scale of the crisis are indeed distinctive, but that claims of symmetry—a crisis affecting all equally—are misplaced. We suggest that stimulus packages have, in broad terms, reflected the scale of the threat and that the wage subsidies and employment supports that were introduced or adjusted are novel in scope and scale, with innovative developments. There has been a greater emphasis on housing than was apparent in responses to the Great Recession and, while a focus on taxation in response packages has been a focus in both crises, its form differs, with a greater reliance on deferrals rather than tax reductions in the stimulus plans announced to date. Our account stresses the agility of crisis responses and this agility must be regarded as welcome, mitigating a great deal of social harm during the initial phase of the pandemic. Whether these short‐run responses create pressures for wider‐ranging change is much debated, but highly uncertain.
Approach to analysing correlated contextual factors: an application for studies on violence
Authors: Ramirez Marizen R , Flores Javier E , Cheng Gang , Peek-Asa Corinne , Cavanaugh Joseph E
Published: January 2021

Background

Numerous public health studies, especially in the area of violence, examine the effects of contextual or group-level factors on health outcomes. Often, these contextual factors exhibit strong pairwise correlations, which pose a challenge when these factors are included as covariates in a statistical model. Such models may be characterised by inflated standard errors and unstable parameter estimates that may fluctuate drastically from sample to sample, where the excessive estimation variability is reflected by inflated standard errors.

Methods

We propose a three-stage approach for analysing correlated contextual factors that proceeds as follows: (1) a principal components analysis (PCA) is performed on the original set of correlated variables, (2) the primary generated principal components are included in a multilevel multivariable model and (3) the estimated parameters for these components are transformed into estimates for each of the original contextual factors. Using school violence data, we examined the associations between school crime and correlated contextual school factors (ie, English proficiency, academic performance, pupil to teacher ratio, average class size and children on free and reduced meals).

Results

From models ignoring correlations, school crime was not reliably associated with any of the contextual school factors. When models were fit with principal components, school crime was found to be positively associated with a school’s student to teacher ratio, average classroom size and academic performance but negatively associated with the proportion of children who were on free and reduced meals.

Conclusion

Our multistep approach is one way to address multicollinearity encountered in social epidemiological studies of violence.
The Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory
Authors: Frye Kai , Abend Sven , Bartosch Wolfgang , Bawamia Ahmad , Becker Dennis , Blume Holger , Braxmaier Claus , Chiow Sheng-Wey , Efremov Maxim A. , Ertmer Wolfgang , Fierlinger Peter , Franz Tobias , Gaaloul Naceur , Grosse Jens , Grzeschik Christoph , Hellmig Ortwin , Henderson Victoria A. , Herr Waldemar , Israelsson Ulf , Kohel James , Krutzik Markus , Kürbis Christian , Lämmerzahl Claus , List Meike , Lüdtke Daniel , Lundblad Nathan , Marburger J. Pierre , Meister Matthias , Mihm Moritz , Müller Holger , Müntinga Hauke , Nepal Ayush M. , Oberschulte Tim , Papakonstantinou Alexandros , Perovs̆ek Jaka , Peters Achim , Prat Arnau , Rasel Ernst M. , Roura Albert , Sbroscia Matteo , Schleich Wolfgang P. , Schubert Christian , Seidel Stephan T. , Sommer Jan , Spindeldreier Christian , Stamper-Kurn Dan , Stuhl Benjamin K. , Warner Marvin , Wendrich Thijs , Wenzlawski André , Wicht Andreas , Windpassinger Patrick , Yu Nan , Wörner Lisa
Published: January 2021

Microgravity eases several constraints limiting experiments with ultracold and condensed atoms on ground. It enables extended times of flight without suspension and eliminates the gravitational sag for trapped atoms. These advantages motivated numerous initiatives to adapt and operate experimental setups on microgravity platforms. We describe the design of the payload, motivations for design choices, and capabilities of the Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory (BECCAL), a NASA-DLR collaboration. BECCAL builds on the heritage of previous devices operated in microgravity, features rubidium and potassium, multiple options for magnetic and optical trapping, different methods for coherent manipulation, and will offer new perspectives for experiments on quantum optics, atom optics, and atom interferometry in the unique microgravity environment on board the International Space Station.
The Benefits of Diversification Between Bitcoin, Bonds, Equities and the US Dollar: A Matter of Portfolio Construction
Authors: Hatemi-J Abdulnasser , Hajji Mohamed A. , Bouri Elie , Gupta Rangan
Published: January 2021

This paper investigates the potential portfolio diversification between Bitcoin, bonds, equities, and the US dollar. We make use of two approaches for constructing the portfolio. The first is the standard minimum variance approach, and the alternative is based on combining risk and return when the portfolio is constructed. The portfolio based on the minimum variance approach does not result in increasing the return per unit of risk compared to the corresponding value for the best single asset, in this case, Bitcoin. However, the portfolio based on the approach that combines risk and return in the optimization problem does show a return per unit risk higher than the corresponding value for any of the four assets. Thus, the portfolio diversification benefit with respect to these four assets, in terms of return per unit risk, exists only if the portfolio is constructed via the new approach.
Analysis and Exploration of Open Source Data in Traffic Network Based on Scheduling Model of Bike-Sharing
Authors: Zhang Yajie , Wan Xucheng , Zhang Suyu
Published: January 2021

With the rapid development of sharing economy, bike-sharing becomes essential because of its zero emission, high flexibility and accessibility. The emergence of the public bicycle system not only alleviates the traffic pressure to a certain extent, but also contributes to solving the “last kilometer” problem of public transportation. However, due to the concentrated use of shared bikes, many shared bikes are left in disorder, which seriously affects the urban environment and causes traffic problems. How to manage the allocation of bike-sharing and improve the city’s shared cycling system have become a highly discussed issue. We, taking Beijing as an example, research on the allocation of shared bikes by using the open source data provided by Amap, Baidu Map and websites of shared bikes, which are used to analyze the allocation, and establish an optimizing comprehensive evaluation model to evaluate the required level. In the end, we look forward the future of bike-sharing market.
Analysis and Design of On-Chip RF Interconnect Line for Wideband True-Time Delay Line Application
Authors: Chen Yang , Qiu Zhaoyang , Di Xiaofei , Chen Xianqing , Zhang Yu-Dong
Published: January 2021

This paper presents the analytical resistance–capacitance–inductance–conductance (RLCG) model of the on-chip interconnect line (IL) based on its structure, and the proposed model can be used to design IL and analyze the delay characteristics. Using electromagnetic (EM) simulation, the relations between the inductance, quality factor and the width, length of IL are obtained, which verifies the proposed RLCG model of IL. The delay model of IL is derived and verified with respect to the effects of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] by simulation, which can provide the benefit for the true-time delay line (TTDL) design using IL. This work proposes the experiments on the delay characteristics of 3-bit TTDL with IL based on 0.13[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m SiGe BiCMOS technology. The group delay and transient delay of the TTDL are measured, which exhibits a maximal relative delay of 35 ps with an average of 5 ps delay resolution over a frequency range of 14–34[Formula: see text]GHz. The results are consistent with the delay analysis based on the proposed IL model.
Discounted Semi-Markov Games and Algorithms for Solving Two Structured Classes
Authors: Mondal Prasenjit
Published: January 2021

Two structured classes of zero-sum two-person finite (state and action spaces) semi-Markov games with discounted payoffs, namely, Additive Reward-Additive Transition and Action Independent Transition Time (AR-AT-AITT) and Additive Reward-Action Independent Transition and Additive Transition Time (AR-AIT-ATT) have been studied. We propose two practical situations of economic competition viz. petroleum game and groundwater game that suitably fit into such classes of games, respectively. Solution (value and pure stationary optimals) to such classes of games can be derived from optimal solution to appropriate bilinear programs with linear constraints. We present a stepwise generalized principal pivoting algorithm for solving the vertical linear complementarity problem (VLCP) obtained from such game problems. Moreover, a neural network dynamics is proposed for solving such structured classes. Examples are worked out to compare the usefulness of the above three algorithms.
Provably space-efficient parallel functional programming
Authors: Arora Jatin , Westrick Sam , Acar Umut A.
Published: January 2021

Because of its many desirable properties, such as its ability to control effects and thus potentially disastrous race conditions, functional programming offers a viable approach to programming modern multicore computers. Over the past decade several parallel functional languages, typically based on dialects of ML and Haskell, have been developed. These languages, however, have traditionally underperformed procedural languages (such as C and Java). The primary reason for this is their hunger for memory, which only grows with parallelism, causing traditional memory management techniques to buckle under increased demand for memory. Recent work opened a new angle of attack on this problem by identifying a memory property of determinacy-race-free parallel programs, called disentanglement, which limits the knowledge of concurrent computations about each other’s memory allocations. The work has showed some promise in delivering good time scalability.

In this paper, we present provably space-efficient automatic memory management techniques for determinacy-race-free functional parallel programs, allowing both pure and imperative programs where memory may be destructively updated. We prove that for a program with sequential live memory of
R
*
, any
P
-processor garbage-collected parallel run requires at most
O
(
R
*
·
P
) memory. We also prove a work bound of
O
(
W
+
R
*
P
) for
P
-processor executions, accounting also for the cost of garbage collection. To achieve these results, we integrate thread scheduling with memory management. The idea is to coordinate memory allocation and garbage collection with thread scheduling decisions so that each processor can allocate memory without synchronization and independently collect a portion of memory by consulting a collection policy, which we formulate. The collection policy is fully distributed and does not require communicating with other processors. We show that the approach is practical by implementing it as an extension to the MPL compiler for Parallel ML. Our experimental results confirm our theoretical bounds and show that the techniques perform and scale well.
Semantic Correctness of Dependence-based Slicing for Interprocedural, Possibly Nonterminating Programs
Authors: Masud Abu Naser , Lisper Björn
Published: January 2021

Existing proofs of correctness for dependence-based slicing methods are limited either to the slicing of intraprocedural programs [2, 39], or the proof is only applicable to a specific slicing method [4, 41]. We contribute a general proof of correctness for dependence-based slicing methods such as Weiser [50, 51], or Binkley et al. [7, 8], for interprocedural, possibly nonterminating programs. The proof uses well-formed weak and strong control closure relations, which are the interprocedural extensions of the generalised weak/strong control closure provided by Danicic et al. [13], capturing various nonterminating-insensitive and nontermination-sensitive control-dependence relations that have been proposed in the literature. Thus, our proof framework is valid for a whole range of existing control-dependence relations.

We have provided a definition of semantically correct (SC) slice. We prove that SC slices agree with Weiser slicing, that deterministic SC slices preserve termination, and that nondeterministic SC slices preserve the nondeterministic behavior of the original programs.
Inverse Numerical Iterative Technique for Finding all Roots of Nonlinear Equations with Engineering Applications
Authors: Shams Mudassir , Rafiq Naila , Ahmad Babar , Mir Nazir Ahmad
Published: January 2021

We introduce here a new two-step derivate-free inverse simultaneous iterative method for estimating all roots of nonlinear equation. It is proved that convergence order of the newly constructed method is four. Lower bound of the convergence order is determined using Mathematica and verified with theoretical local convergence order of the method introduced. Some nonlinear models which are taken from physical and engineering sciences as numerical test examples to demonstrate the performance and efficiency of the newly constructed modified inverse simultaneous methods as compared to classical methods existing in literature are presented. Dynamical planes and residual graphs are drawn using MATLAB to elaborate efficiency, robustness, and authentication in its domain.
A Survey on Secure Deployment of Mobile Services in Edge Computing
Authors: Cui Mengmeng , Fei Yiming , Liu Yin
Published: January 2021

Mobile edge computing (MEC) is an emerging technology that is recognized as a key to 5G networks. Because MEC provides an IT service environment and cloud-computing services at the edge of the mobile network, researchers hope to use MEC for secure service deployment, such as Internet of vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous vehicles. Because of the characteristics of MEC which do not have terminal servers, it tends to be deployed on the edge of networks. However, there are few related works that systematically introduce the deployment of MEC. Also, secure service deployment frameworks with MEC are even rare. For this reason, we have conducted a comprehensive and concrete survey of recent research studies on secure deployment. Although numerous research studies and experiments about MEC service deployment have been conducted, there are few systematic summaries that conclude basic concepts and development strategies about secure service deployment of commercial MEC. To make up for the gap, a detailed and complete survey about relative achievements is presented.
A Nonlinear Gradient Domain‐Guided Filter Optimized by Fractional‐Order Gradient Descent with Momentum RBF Neural Network for Ship Image Dehazing
Authors: Fang Qionglin , Han X. U. E.
Published: January 2021

To avoid the blurred edges, noise, and halos caused by guided image filtering algorithm, this paper proposed a nonlinear gradient domain‐guided image filtering algorithm for image dehazing. To dynamically adjust the edge preservation and smoothness of dehazed images, this paper proposed a fractional‐order gradient descent with momentum RBF neural network to optimize the nonlinear gradient domain‐guided filtering (NGDGIF‐FOGDMRBF). Its convergence is proved. In order to speed up the convergence process, an adaptive learning rate is used to adjust the training process reasonably. The results verify the theoretical results of the proposed algorithm such as its monotonicity and convergence. The descending curve of error values by FOGDM is smoother than gradient descent and gradient descent with momentum method. The influence of regularization parameter is analyzed and compared. Compared with dark channel prior, histogram equalization, homomorphic filtering, and multiple exposure fusion, the halo and noise generated are significantly reduced with higher peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and structural similarity index.