bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical and experimental study on dynamic characteristics of tilting-pad journal bearings considering pivot stiffness in a vertical rotor system
Authors: Zhang Fan , Yin Peng , Liu Yuyang , Wang Jianmei
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of pivot stiffness on the dynamic characteristics of tilting-pad journal bearings (TPJBs) and the stability of the bearing-rotor system.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical numerical model is established, and the influences of pivot stiffness on TPJBs and a bearing-rotor system are analyzed. Then, two kinds of pivot structures with different stiffness are designed and the vibration characteristics are tested on the vertical rotor bearing test bench.

Findings

The pivot stiffness has an obvious effect on the dynamic characteristics of the TPJBs and the stability of the bearing-rotor system. As a result of appropriate pivot stiffness, the critical speed and the vibration amplification factor can be reduced, the logarithmic decay rate and the stability of the rotor system can be effectively increased. While the journal whirl orbit is smoother and the rubbing is obviously reduced when the bearings have flexible pivots.

Originality/value

The influence of pivot stiffness on TPJBs and a vertical rotor-bearing system is studied by theoretical and experimental methods.
Effects of Al2O3 mass fraction on microstructure and friction–wear performance of laser cladded Fe90 alloy coating
Authors: Hu Yan , Kong Dejun
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to improve the friction reduction and wear resistance of Fe90 alloy coating by the addition of Al2O3.

Design/methodology/approach

Fe90 alloy coatings with the different Al2O3 mass fractions were prepared on Q235 steel by laser cladding (LC). The morphologies, phases and hardness of Fe90 alloy coating were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microhardness tester, respectively. The effects of Al2O3 mass fraction on the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rates of Fe90 alloy coating were investigated using a friction tester, and the wear model was built to discuss the wear mechanism of Al2O3-reinforced Fe90 alloy coating.

Findings

The results show that the large number of Fe carbides is generated on the Fe90–Al2O3 coatings by the effect of laser high energy, and the hardness of Fe90–coating is 806 HV0.5, which is 4.48 times of substrate. The average COFs of Fe90–Al2O3 alloy coatings decrease from 0.73 to 0.55, and the wear rates are also reduced from 447.78 to 274.63 µm3•s–1•N–1 by the addition of Al2O3. The Fe90–6% Al2O3 coating presents the highest wear resistance among the three kinds of coatings, and the wear mechanism is abrasive wear and micro-cutting wear.

Originality/value

The Al2O3-reinforced Fe90 alloy coating was first fabricated by laser cladding, and the effect of Al2O3 on the friction-wear performance of Fe90 alloy coating was investigated.
Analysis of recovery measures for sustainable freight transportation
Authors: Dwivedi Ashish , Shardeo Vipulesh , Patil Anchal
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The governments of different nations implemented various policy measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. These policy measures had a negative impact towards freight transportation. Further, the shock and ripple effect on the other supply chain complicates the recovery process of freight transportation. The transformation of freight transportation in the post-COVID-19 world was reported to be unsustainable. Thus, emerged the requirement to formulate the recovery measures in the context of freight transportation. This study aims to identify and model the recovery measures for sustainable freight transportation (SFT).

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 13 critical recovery measures are established from the literature and finalized with the help of an expert panel. An integrated Grey Decision-Making trial and evaluation laboratory is used to prioritize and establish the cause-effect relationships among the identified critical recovery measures. Further, sensitivity analysis is performed to ensure the robustness of the proposed model.

Findings

The present study reflects that Efficient traffic management (M13), sustainability focused policies (M2), sensitization of stakeholders (M10), financial support (M9) and adoption of 4 R practices (M12) are the top five critical recovery measures for SFT. The results highlight that the transport sector needs to retain the learning from the COVID-19 period to operate under low workforce availability. Further, the emerging economies are suggested to promote local manufacturing to reduce the lead time and risk of unavailability. The study findings reflect that attaining sustainability without considering the social dimension of sustainability is impossible. Also, the results shed light on the controllable and uncontrollable recovery measures.

Originality/value

The findings from the study would assist policymakers and practitioners in re-formulating the recovery measures for freight transportation considering the aspect of sustainability.
An exploratory study of women’s work values in the Chinese context: a grounded-theory approach
Authors: Zhang Zhuo , Sekiguchi Tomoki , Li Jie
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate women managers’ work values in the Chinese sociocultural context and to explain how these work values affect their career success. This paper also explores how social and cultural factors affect Chinese women’s work value formation process.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a grounded theory approach, the authors collected and analyzed data through in-depth interviews with 12 women managers in the banking industry in northeast China.

Findings

The analysis identified eight dimensions of Chinese women’s work values and how they affect women’s career success in the Chinese context. The authors also found that although both social and cultural factors affect women’s work values, the effect of traditional Chinese culture is still profound.

Originality/value

The study extends the literature on Chinese women’s work values and provides a better understanding of traditional Chinese culture’s effect on contemporary Chinese women, particularly in developing cities.
Guest Editorial: Expanding service research in the MEA (Middle East and Africa) region
Authors: Alkire Linda , Hammedi Wafa
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this special issue is to advance discussions on how the richness, complexities and challenges of the Middle East and Africa (MEA) context can contribute to the understanding of under-researched, as well as newly emerging, phenomena within the service research field.

Design/methodology/approach

This special issue of the Journal of Services Marketing consists of eight articles that focus on different service research topics emerging from the MEA region. The eight papers cover a variety of research methods (e.g. interviews, focus groups, ethnography, case study, survey), participants (e.g. customers, executives, households, refugees, human trafficking survivors, NGO leaders, government officials), countries (e.g. Zambia, Turkey, Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Lebanon) and service industries (e.g. health care, finance, hospitality, faith-based services).

Findings

This editorial provides background information on the MEA context and proposes a unique research agenda for MEA development with a portfolio of intriguing research questions and inspiring opportunities for further research. Specifically, the editorial highlights six of the most promising and unique avenues for service research in the MEA context by considering the diversity and variations between the MEA nations: cultivate service inclusion; tackle service corruption and designing for justice; climate protection to mitigate further instability and conflict; closing the gap in digital technology: opportunities and challenges; prioritize essential service sectors (education, health care and tourism); and eradicate “service” poverty.

Originality/value

This special issue is a first attempt to explore the MEA region from a service research perspective. The editorial discusses unique challenges and opportunities from theoretical and managerial points of view and calls for embracing this region as the new frontier for service researchers.
Website quality and company’s market value: an exploration of SMEs and large firms in the Stock Exchange of Thailand
Authors: Thongmak Mathupayas
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the websites of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies in various industries in Thailand using an automated evaluation tool and explores the association between website quality and business success.

Design/methodology/approach

The data of 357 listed companies, both SMEs and large firms, are collected from the Stock Exchange of Thailand and SEOptimer. Non-parametric statistics are used for data analysis owing to the nonnormality of data.

Findings

Company market values are associated with large companies’ website quality, especially usability, social, security and overall quality. There are differences in the website quality and company market values of large companies in several industries. SMEs generally have lower website quality and company market values than large companies.

Research limitations/implications

This study has fewer numbers of SMEs in each category, which could limit statistical power.

Originality/value

This work is one of few studies assessing internal attributes of websites and links them with the success of companies in various sizes and industries.
The effect of mineralizer addition and temperature on synthesis of malayaitepink pigment
Authors: Mehrabi Romina , Rezaie Hamid Reza , Eftekhari Yekta Bijan
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to the effect of NaF, Li2CO3and H3BO3minerals was investigated, and the best mineralizer was found to be H3BO3. Furthermore, the effect of temperature was investigated, and the synthesized samples were calcined at temperatures of 1100, 1200 and 1300 °C to select the optimum calcination temperature.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was aimed at thoroughly investigating the effects of mineralizer addition and temperature on the synthesis of malayaite pink pigment based on raw materials of SnCl2-SiO2-Ca(OH)2-K2Cr2O7. To this end, the optimization of the synthesis parameters such as mineralizer addition and temperature was completely perused.

Findings

The optimum temperature was 1300 °C, and the color efficiency of pigments was evaluated by colorimetric (CIE L*a*b* system) analysis, and these parameters were close to those of industrial pigments.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, the effect of mineralizer addition and temperature on the synthesis of malayaite pink pigment was investigated through the sol-gel method. Herein, different parameters were optimized to propose a novel pigment with a much better performance.
Different tenure phases of executives and audit fees
Authors: Kalelkar Rachana , Xu Qiao
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The authors investigate whether the different tenure phases of executives have a differential effect on audit pricing. Two alternate views – career concern and power – can explain the effect of executives’ tenure on audit pricing. This paper aims to determine, which viewpoint dominates in explaining the relationship between audit pricing and executive tenure phases.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 11,198 firm-year observations from 2007 to 2016, the authors adopt an ordinary least squares regression model to assess the impact of the middle and long phases of executives’ tenure on audit fees.

Findings

Audit fees are significantly lower when executives enter the middle and long phases of tenure. The reduction in audit fees is greatest as both chief executive officers and chief financial officers enter the long tenure phase. Although audit fees gradually decrease as executive tenure is extended, they start increasing two years before the end of executive tenure. Furthermore, the negative association between the executive tenure phase and audit fees is greater when the executive is appointed externally. Finally, the long phase of executive tenure also mitigates the positive relationship between audit fees and internal control weaknesses.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on US data. Future research may extend this study to other countries.

Practical implications

The findings are important to firms, practitioners and academicians, particularly, as the length of tenure of top executives has increased in recent years. By documenting that executives’ middle and long tenure phases reduce audit fees, the findings highlight the importance of maintaining executives in the firm. Finally, the findings have implications for investors, policymakers and auditors to identify companies with high audit risk.

Originality/value

This study is the first to document the impact of executives’ middle and long tenure phases on audit fees.
The influence of emotional intelligence on team cohesion and the mediating effects of self-efficacy and trust: time-lagged approach
Authors: Kim Kihwan , Ko Eun-Jeong
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Using the input-mediator-output-input (IMOI) model, this paper aims to use longitudinal data to test team level self-efficacy and trust as mediators in the relationship between team emotional intelligence (EI) and team cohesion (TC) and examine the relationship between TC and team performance.

Design/methodology/approach

In an experimental design, 347 senior business students (84 teams) played a simulation game for 12 weeks. The authors collected data at three different time points to avoid reverse causal effects in the mediation relationship.

Findings

As hypothesized, trust and self-efficacy mediate the relationship between EI and TC. Moreover, TC is a strong and significant predictor of team performance.

Research limitations/implications

The authors measured most variables using a self-reported survey, which can cause common method bias, and the authors used a business simulation game for the team task with student participants, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other team contexts or populations.

Practical implications

When forming work teams, managers should consider levels of EI and self-efficacy because they facilitate the development of trust and TC, which, in turn, lead to improved performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on EI and TC by revealing the mediating effects of trust and self-efficacy and contributes to the team literature by leveraging the IMOI model to explicate the mediation effects. This study’s longitudinal study design clarifies the causal relationship among EI, trust and self-efficacy and TC, thereby eliminating reverse causation concerns.
Ecosystem stability at the landscape scale is primarily associated with climatic history
Authors: White Hannah J. , Gaul Willson , León‐Sánchez Lupe , Sadykova Dinara , Emmerson Mark C. , Caplat Paul , Yearsley Jon M.
Published: October 2021

There is an increasing interest in landscape‐scale perspectives of ecosystem functioning to inform policy and conservation decisions. However, we need a better understanding of the stability of ecosystem functioning (e.g. plant productivity) at the landscape scale to inform policy around topics such as global food security.

We investigate the role of the ecological and environmental context on landscape‐scale stability of plant productivity in agricultural pasture using remotely sensed enhanced vegetation index data. We determine whether four measures of stability (variability, magnitude of extreme anomalies, recovery time and recovery rate) are predicted by (a) species richness of vascular plants, (b) regional land cover heterogeneity and (c) climatic history.

Stability of plant productivity was primarily associated with climatic history, particularly a history of extreme events. These effects outweighed any positive effects of species richness in the agricultural landscape.

A history of variable and extreme climates both increased and decreased contemporary ecosystem stability, suggesting both cumulative and legacy effects, whereas land cover heterogeneity had no effect on stability.

The landscape scale is a relevant spatial scale for the management of an ecosystem's stability. At this scale, we find that past climate is a stronger driver of stability in plant productivity than species richness, differing from results at finer field scales. Management should take an integrated approach by incorporating the environmental context of the landscape, such as its climatic history, and consider multiple components of stability to maintain functioning in landscapes that are particularly vulnerable to environmental change.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Domestic Slavery, Skin Colour, and Image Dialectic in Thirteenth‐Century Arabic Manuscripts
Authors: Balafrej Lamia
Published: October 2021

This essay is the first scholarly exploration of slavery's visual representation in medieval Islam. Close examination of thirteenth‐century paintings from Arabic manuscripts, considered alongside textual sources, reveals how images may contribute to the study of slavery in the premodern Middle East. In particular, these paintings confirm the link between domestic service and the trade in black African slaves. They also suggest that if skin colour did not determine enslavement, it might have shaped the perception of slaves and the division of labour among them. This essay further attends to the semantic operations of slavery within the picture. One of its suggestions is that images of slaves functioned as signs of pure labour, as well as liminal figures, framing, highlighting, and creating a contrast with light‐skinned Arab characters, mostly seen engaged in acts of discourse and leisurely activities. A visual dialectic seems to be at work, creating a series of asymmetrical relationships, between light‐skinned and dark‐skinned, freedom and slavery, speech and labour, high culture and servitude. Such a dialectic may ultimately be read as a comment on the mechanisms and limits of archival power.
Using organizational patterns as a strategy for teaching expository writing in an introductory food science course
Authors: Rock Cheryl , Metzger Elizabeth , Metzger Nzinga
Published: October 2021

Organizational patterns can serve as a teaching strategy for instructors and as a learning tool for students to develop their expository writing skills, which are commonly required for assignments (for example, laboratory reports and research papers) in Food Science courses and in their future careers. The article discusses the importance of organizational patterns for teaching expository writing through an interdisciplinary collaboration. The teaching collaboration occurred with professors from Food Science, English, and Anthropology in an introductory Food Science course (FSCI 232) taught at California State University Long Beach (CSULB). In FSCI 232, students learned how to use organizational patterns to interpret and explain the content of an infographic obtained from the Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). The infographic “Global Obesity's Expanding Girth, the World is Getting Fatter” served as a visual stimulus to help students identify these patterns, focusing on inquiry and analysis of scientific data and skills required for technical writing. Furthermore, the article illustrates those other potential applications of organizational patterns using the infographic could extend to interdisciplinary content (that is, Food Anthropology), which facilitates the development of cultural competency and sensitivity in food systems. Additionally, the article provides sample activities for teachers to use in their classrooms. To summarize, organizational patterns can serve as an effective teaching strategy to enhance students’ writing skills across Food Science and related disciplines.
Oral enzymatic detoxification system: Insights obtained from proteome analysis to understand its potential impact on aroma metabolization
Authors: Schwartz Mathieu , Neiers Fabrice , Charles Jean‐Philippe , Heydel Jean‐Marie , Muñoz‐González Carolina , Feron Gilles , Canon Francis
Published: October 2021

The oral cavity is an entry path into the body, enabling the intake of nutrients but also leading to the ingestion of harmful substances. Thus, saliva and oral tissues contain enzyme systems that enable the early neutralization of xenobiotics as soon as they enter the body. Based on recently published oral proteomic data from several research groups, this review identifies and compiles the primary detoxification enzymes (also known as xenobiotic‐metabolizing enzymes) present in saliva and the oral epithelium. The functions and the metabolic activity of these enzymes are presented. Then, the activity of these enzymes in saliva, which is an extracellular fluid, is discussed with regard to the salivary parameters. The next part of the review presents research evidencing oral metabolization of aroma compounds and the putative involved enzymes. The last part discusses the potential role of these enzymatic reactions on the perception of aroma compounds in light of recent pieces of evidence of in vivo oral metabolization of aroma compounds affecting their release in mouth and their perception. Thus, this review highlights different enzymes appearing as relevant to explain aroma metabolism in the oral cavity. It also points out that further works are needed to unravel the effect of the oral enzymatic detoxification system on the perception of food flavor in the context of the consumption of complex food matrices, while considering the impact of food oral processing. Thus, it constitutes a basis to explore these biochemical mechanisms and their impact on flavor perception.
Effects of high‐pressure processing on the functional properties of pork batters containing Artemisia sphaerocephala krasch gum
Authors: Zhao Sheng‐Ming , Li Zhao , Li Ning‐Ning , Zhao Yan‐Yan , Kang Zhuang‐Li , Zhu Ming‐Ming , Ma Han‐Jun
Published: October 2021

Here, the effect of high‐pressure conditions (0.1–400 MPa) on the water‐loss, texture, gel strength, color, dynamic rheological property, and water migration of pork batters containing 0.1% (W/W) Artemisia sphaerocephala krasch gum (PB–AG) is studied. Results indicated that the cooking yield, water‐holding capacity, texture, gel strength, L* values, and Gʹ values increased with the increase in pressure (0.1–300 MPa) (p < 0.05). Dynamic rheological results (Gʹ) revealed that the thermal gelling ability of the PB–AG gel gradually increased with pressure (0.1–300 MPa). The minimum of T22 content was observed and the proportion of immobilized water decreased at 300 MPa by low‐filed nuclear magnetic resonance. However, excessive high‐pressure processing treatments (400 MPa) resulted in lower gel strength, WHC, texture, and Gʹ. The scanning electron microscopy results shown that a denser network structure with small cavities was observed at 300 MPa. Therefore, moderate pressure treatment (≤300 MPa) may improve gelation properties of PB–AG gel, while excessive pressure treatment (400 MPa) may weaken the gelation properties.

Practical Application

High‐pressure processing combining Artemisia sphaerocephala krasch gum could enhance the gelation properties of pork batters. To do so, establishing knowledge on gelation properties of pork batters with Artemisia sphaerocephala krasch gum at different pressure levels treatment would be of paramount importance, because this contributes furnishing engineering data pertinent to the technical progress for the processing of emulsion‐type meat with high quality.
The mediating role of gestational diabetes mellitus in the associations of maternal prepregnancy body mass index with neonatal birth weight
Authors: Hu Hao , Feng Pei , Yu Qian , Zhu Wei , Xu He , Wu Di , Wu Lei , Yin Jieyun , Li Hongmei
Published: October 2021

Background

Both prepregnancy obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have been linked to adverse neonatal birth weight. However, the mediating role of GDM between prepregnancy obesity and neonatal birth weight is unclear.

Method

The cohort study included 17 260 singleton pregnant women and their newborns. Participants' demographic characteristics, disease history, family history of the disease, and the perinatal outcomes were recorded. The association between maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) status and small for gestational age (SGA) or large for gestational age (LGA) neonates was analyzed using logistic regressions, before and after adjusting for covariates and GDM. The potential mediation of GDM on the association between prepregnancy BMI and adverse birth weight was examined.

Result

Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that prepregnancy underweight women were more likely to deliver SGA neonates compared to those who had normal weights, whereas prepregnancy obese pregnant women were more likely to have LGA neonates. The RMediation analyses illustrated that the mediation effect of GDM on the maternal prepregnancy BMI (continuous variable) and the risk of SGA was not significant, whereas the association between prepregnancy BMI and LGA was statistically mediated by GDM (95%CI of a*b: 0.009‐0.051). The Iacobacci (2012) method indicated that the impact of maternal prepregnancy overweight (Zmediation = 2.418, P = .015) and obesity (Zmediation = 2.165, P = .030) on LGA was partially mediated by GDM, with an indirect effect of 16.3% and 13.1%, respectively.

Conclusion

Prepregnancy BMI was observed to be associated with SGA and LGA. The association of prepregnancy overweight and obesity with LGA was found to be partially mediated by GDM.
A cross‐sectional study of psychological burden in Chinese patients with pulmonary nodules: Prevalence and impact on the management of nodules
Authors: Xiao Rongxin , Huang Yuqing , Meng Shushi , Liu Xianping , Zhao Xiaoyi , Wang Jun , Li Xiao
Published: October 2021

Background

Uncertainty after the detection of pulmonary nodules (PNs) can cause psychological burden. We designed this study to quantitatively evaluate the prevalence, severity and possible impact of this burden on the preference of patients for management of nodules.

Methods

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to evaluate psychological burden in patients. An independent t‐test and a Mann–Whitney U test were used to determine the significance of differences between groups in continuous variables. A chi‐square test was used to determine the significance of difference between groups in categorical variables.

Results

A total of 334 inpatients diagnosed with PNs were included in the study. A total of 17.96% of the participates screened positive for anxiety and 14.67% for depression. Female patients had significantly higher positive rates of both anxiety and depression screenings than male patients (21.57% vs. 12.31%, p = 0.032 and 18.05% vs. 9.30%, p = 0.028, respectively). Among patients screened positive for anxiety, the proportion of those who chose more aggressive management was significantly higher (34/60 vs. 113/274, p = 0.029). The rate of benign or precursor disease resected was significantly higher in patients with more aggressive management (46.94% vs. 9.63%, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Anxiety and depression are common in Chinese patients with PNs. Patients with positive HADS anxiety screening results are more likely to adopt more aggressive management that leads to a higher rate of benign or precursor disease resected/biopsied. This study alerts clinicians to the need to assess and possibly treat emotional responses.
Extensive reprogramming of protein isoforms and histopathological alterations in the midgut of Anticarsia gemmatalis fed with protease inhibitors
Authors: Coura Roberta Ribeiro , da Silva Junior Neilier Rodrigues , Meriño‐Cabrera Yaremis , Díez Juan Diego Rios , Barros Rafael Almeida , Barbosa Samuel Lessa , de Oliveira João Vitor Aguilar , da Rocha Gabriele Corrêa , Serrão José Eduardo , de Oliveira Ramos Humberto Josué , de Almeida Oliveira Maria Goreti
Published: October 2021

Protease inhibitors (PIs) interfere with digestion, leading to poor nutrient absorption and decreasing amino acid availability in insects. Ingestion of PIs can delay development, cause anatomical malformations, reduce fertility and change the set of proteases in the insect gut. This study evaluated the proteomic profile in the midgut of Anticarsia gemmatalis fed on synthetic (Berenil® with a bis‐benzamidine as active ingredient) and natural (SKTI) protease inhibitors and their effect on the gut physiology, proteolytic activity and the structural characteristics of the trypsin‐inhibitor binding. Larger numbers of protein isoforms were identified specially related to protease activity and stress processes, being that the synthetic PI triggered a lower reprogramming than SKTI. Furthermore, Berenil also promoted higher reduction on midgut protease activity at first times of PI treatment. Molecular modelling of the interactions between the identified proteases and PIs indicated that Berenil can interact with the trypsin enzymes and access to a more hydrophobic site promoting the inhibitory effect on serine proteases. Besides, its inhibitory capacity and structural damage on the midgut cells was sped up possibly by the delay in the expression of proteases, the reprogramming less extensive and the lower expression of upregulated isoforms. Thus, the integration of our results shows that the use of synthetic PIs, such as Berenil, can be efficient for the management of A. gemmatalis.
Low hatching success in the critically endangered kākāpō is driven by early embryo mortality not infertility
Authors: Savage J. L. , Crane J. M. S. ,   Kākāpō Recovery Team, Hemmings N.
Published: October 2021

In many endangered species, reproductive failure is a major barrier to recovery. The critically endangered kākāpō Strigops habroptilus exemplifies this challenge: 61% of their eggs fail to hatch, and of these 73% show no sign of development. Undeveloped eggs have previously been attributed to male infertility, but recent studies of non‐threatened bird species suggest fertilisation failure is rare in the wild. The underlying causes of fertilisation failure and embryo death differ, so distinguishing between them is essential for effective conservation management. Here we show that the majority (72%, n = 124) of undeveloped kākāpō eggs are fertilised, and combine this with conservation programme data on natural copulations, artificial inseminations, and paternity of developed eggs, to generate the most precise estimate to date of fertility in a wild population. We also demonstrate, for the first time in a wild bird, that artificial insemination results in greater numbers of sperm reaching the egg.
A novel statistical test for treatment differences in clinical trials using a response‐adaptive forward‐looking Gittins Index Rule
Authors: Barnett Helen Yvette , Villar Sofía S. , Geys Helena , Jaki Thomas
Published: October 2021

The most common objective for response‐adaptive clinical trials is to seek to ensure that patients within a trial have a high chance of receiving the best treatment available by altering the chance of allocation on the basis of accumulating data. Approaches that yield good patient benefit properties suffer from low power from a frequentist perspective when testing for a treatment difference at the end of the study due to the high imbalance in treatment allocations. In this work we develop an alternative pairwise test for treatment difference on the basis of allocation probabilities of the covariate‐adjusted response‐adaptive randomization with forward‐looking Gittins Index (CARA‐FLGI) Rule for binary responses. The performance of the novel test is evaluated in simulations for two‐armed studies and then its applications to multiarmed studies are illustrated. The proposed test has markedly improved power over the traditional Fisher exact test when this class of nonmyopic response adaptation is used. We also find that the test's power is close to the power of a Fisher exact test under equal randomization.
“How am I going to make it through pregnancy?” A qualitative examination of prenatal maternal stress
Authors: Mahaffey Brittain L , Tilley Jacqueline L , Molina Lucero K , Gonzalez Adam , Park Elyse , Lobel Marci
Published: October 2021

Background

Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) is common among childbearing women, and there is substantial evidence that persistent high levels of stress during pregnancy are associated with adverse birth outcomes and poorer postpartum mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the idiographic experiences of women who experienced elevated PNMS during their current or most recent pregnancy.

Methods

Six focus groups were conducted, and data were collected from 26 women (n = 16 pregnant and n = 10 postpartum) at a large medical center in the United States (US). Data from the semi‐structured focus group prompts were analyzed by two independent raters using conventional content analysis21.

Results

Three key themes emerged from the data: (1) Navigating Changing Circumstances, (2) Being a “Good” Mother, and (3) Loss of Control and Autonomy.

Discussion

The current study offers one of the first in‐depth examinations of the experiences of highly stressed pregnant women using a qualitative approach and identifies stressors rarely described in quantitative research. These findings suggest that women's ability to prioritize their self‐care, and receive structural/institutional supports in the workplace and instrumental support at home, and overall health literacy promote successful coping with stress and highlight important future directions for intervention.
Uncovering mechanisms of seed predation by fish
Authors: Carvalho Lucélia Nobre , dos Santos Júnior João Batista , Correa Sandra Bibiana
Published: October 2021

Our experiment revealed unexpected behavioral strategies involved in seed predation of Mabea fistulifera by fish (Brycon cephalus), including temporal storage of seeds in the stomach followed by regurgitation and reingestion of individual seeds. Larger fish were faster at removing the seed coat and exposing the endosperm, due to precise oral manipulation of seeds.

Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material
Valence bias in metacontrol of decision making in adolescents and young adults
Authors: Bolenz Florian , Eppinger Ben
Published: October 2021

The development of metacontrol of decision making and its susceptibility to framing effects were investigated in a sample of 201 adolescents and adults in Germany (12–25 years, 111 female, ethnicity not recorded). In a task that dissociates model‐free and model‐based decision making, outcome magnitude and outcome valence were manipulated. Both adolescents and adults showed metacontrol and metacontrol tended to increase across adolescence. Furthermore, model‐based decision making was more pronounced for loss compared to gain frames but there was no evidence that this framing effect differed with age. Thus, the strategic adaptation of decision making continues to develop into young adulthood and for both adolescents and adults, losses increase the motivation to invest cognitive resources into an effortful decision‐making strategy.
Anti‐B cell therapies in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Kufukihara Kenji
Published: October 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been considered a T‐cell‐mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. However, newer evidence shows that B cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of MS via antibody production, antigen presentation, T cell stimulation and activation, and production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Developing B cells express the CD20 molecule from the pre‐B cell to the plasmablast stage, and the anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibodies rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab and ublituximab are either in use or are being developed for treatment of MS as B cell‐depleting therapies. They have shown profound efficacy in strongly suppressing relapse and radiological disease activity. Another promising approach is the inhibition of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), a key enzyme that is intricately involved in signaling from the B cell antigen receptor and the Fc receptors in B cells and myeloid cells. BTK is considered to play an essential role for differentiation and survival of B‐lineage cells, and BTK inhibition may dampen not only B cell activation but also innate immune activation in MS. Trials of BTK inhibitors are ongoing to establish their efficacy and safety in relapsing and progressive MS. The main safety issue with persistent B cell depletion is an increased risk of infection, possibly including an increased risk of severe COVID‐19; unfortunately, vaccine responses against COVID‐19 may also be blunted by anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibodies.
Patent landscape report on dental implants: A technical analysis
Authors: Cho Young‐Dan , Kim Woo‐Jin , Ryoo Hyun‐Mo , Ku Young
Published: October 2021

Background and purpose

Significant research and development (R&D) has been conducted to make the best dental implants while developing various patent applications and registrations. In this study, we evaluated the current status of patents on dental implants and identified the future direction of R&D progress.

Materials and methods

A total of 29 711 patents related to dental implants were reviewed. These were published between 1909 and 2020 and retrieved from the Derwent Innovation patent database. The patents were grouped into three categories depending on the implant components: fixture, abutment, and artificial teeth.

Results

The category with most patents was “abutment,” and the most cited patent was “screw‐type dental implant anchor.” Global patenting trends over the past 20 years showed that both applicants and applications increased in the early 2010s; however, these have since been on the decline. Currently, the United States holds the largest number of patents, and Nobel Biocare Holding AG is the top assignee. Technic maturation prediction analysis showed that the current dental implant technology is in the “decline stage.”

Conclusion

Trend analysis of the dental implant patent indicates the main contributors of development are profit‐oriented companies. Recent reduction in the number of new patent applications suggests the technology is in the mature declining stage. The emergence of new materials or technologies that may close the gap in clinical unmet needs would reverse the trend.
A modified conditioning regimen based on low‐dose cyclophosphamide and fludarabine for haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant in severe aplastic anemia patients at risk of severe cardiotoxicity
Authors: Lin Fan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Han Tingting , Cheng Yifei , Mo Xiaodong , Wang Jingzhi , Chen Yuhong , Wang Fengrong , Tang Feifei , Han Wei , Yan Chenhua , Xu Zhengli , Zhang Xiaohui , Wang Yu , Huang Xiaojun , Xu Lanping
Published: October 2021

Severe cardiotoxicity is a fatal complication during high‐dose cyclophosphamide (Cy)‐based conditioning in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for severe aplastic anemia (SAA). This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a modified conditioning regimen in haploidentical HSCT (haplo‐HSCT) for severe‐cardiotoxic‐risk SAA patients. This BuCylowFlu conditioning utilized busulfan (Bu, 3.2 mg/kg for 2 days), low‐dose Cy (100 mg/kg), fludarabine (150 mg/m2), and rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG, 10 mg/kg). Compared to BuCy conditioning using high‐dose Cy of 200 mg/kg, Bu of 3.2 mg/kg for 2 days, and rATG of 10 mg/kg, the incidence of severe cardiotoxicity of BuCylowFlu conditioning was significantly decreased (2.17% vs 12.80%, p = .032). The engraftment rates (100% for neutrophil and 84.44% for platelet) were favorable. The probabilities of 100‐day transplant‐related mortality were similar in the BuCylowFlu and the BuCy group (8.75% vs 10.53%, p = .671). Both 1‐year overall survival (88.79% vs 84.66%, p = .357) and 1‐year failure‐free survival (84.78% vs 81.70%, p = .535) were comparable. The BuCylowFlu group had higher rates of cytomegalovirus and Epstein–Barr virus reactivation. In conclusion, the BuCylowFlu provided reduced severe cardiotoxicity, and achieved favorable engraftment and survival. Our results suggest BuCylowFlu conditioning can be a feasible alternative for haplo‐HSCT recipients at risk of severe cardiotoxicity.
Ceramide modulates electrophysiological characteristics and oxidative stress of pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes
Authors: Huang Shih‐Yu , Lu Yen‐Yu , Lin Yung‐Kuo , Chen Yao‐Chang , Chen Yi‐Ann , Chung Cheng‐Chih , Lin Wei‐Shiang , Chen Shih‐Ann , Chen Yi‐Jen
Published: October 2021

Background

Ceramide is involved in regulating metabolism and energy expenditure, and its abnormal myocardial accumulation may contribute to heart injury or lipotoxic cardiomyopathy. Whether ceramide can modulate the electrophysiology of pulmonary veins (PVs) remains unknown.

Materials and methods

We used conventional microelectrodes to measure the electrical activity of isolated rabbit PV tissue preparations before and after treatment with various concentrations of ceramide with or without H2O2 (2 mM), MitoQ, wortmannin or 740 YP. A whole‐cell patch clamp and fluorescence imaging were used to record the ionic currents, calcium (Ca2+) transients, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and sodium (Na+) in isolated single PV cardiomyocytes before and after ceramide (1 μM) treatment.

Results

Ceramide (0.1, 0.3, 1 and 3 μM) reduced the beating rate of PV tissues. Furthermore, ceramide (1 μM) suppressed the 2 mM H2O2‐induced faster PV beating rate, triggered activities and burst firings, which were further reduced by MitoQ. In the presence of wortmannin, ceramide did not change the PV beating rate. The H2O2‐induced faster PV beating rate could be counteracted by MitoQ or wortmannin with no additive effect from the ceramide. Ceramide inhibited pPI3K. Ceramide reduced Ca2+ transients, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents, L‐type Ca2+ currents, Na+ currents, late Na+ currents, Na+‐hydrogen exchange currents, and intracellular ROS and Na+ in PV cardiomyocytes, but did not change Na+‐Ca2+ exchange currents.

Conclusion

C2 ceramide may exert the distinctive electrophysiological effect of modulating PV activities, which may be affected by PI3K pathway–mediated oxidative stress, and might play a role in the pathogenesis of PV arrhythmogenesis.
Distinct representation of ipsilateral hand movements in sensorimotor areas
Authors: Bruurmijn Mark L. C. M. , Raemaekers Mathijs , Branco Mariana P. , Ramsey Nick F. , Vansteensel Mariska J.
Published: October 2021

There is ample evidence that the contralateral sensorimotor areas play an important role in movement generation, with the primary motor cortex and the primary somatosensory cortex showing a detailed spatial organization of the representation of contralateral body parts. Interestingly, there are also indications for a role of the motor cortex in controlling the ipsilateral side of the body. However, the precise function of ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex in unilateral movement control is still unclear. Here, we show hand movement representation in the ipsilateral sensorimotor hand area, in which hand gestures can be distinguished from each other and from contralateral hand gestures. High‐field functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired during the execution of six left‐ and six right‐hand gestures by healthy volunteers showed ipsilateral activation mainly in the anterior section of precentral gyrus and the posterior section of the postcentral gyrus. Despite the lower activation in ipsilateral areas closer to the central sulcus, activity patterns for the 12 hand gestures could be mutually distinguished in these areas. The existence of a unique representation of ipsilateral hand movements in the human sensorimotor cortex favours the notion of transcallosal integrative processes that support optimal coordination of hand movements.
Hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy mimicking CADASIL syndrome
Authors: Psychogios Klearchos , Xiromerisiou Georgia , Kargiotis Odysseas , Safouris Apostolos , Fiolaki Aidonio , Bonakis Anastasios , Paraskevas Georgios P. , Giannopoulos Sotirios , Tsivgoulis Georgios
Published: October 2021

Background

Small vessel disease (SVD), and most specifically hereditary forms like CADASIL and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (hCAA), are conditions of increasing clinical importance. We report a rare case of hCAA in a Greek family that presented with a CADASIL clinical and neuroimaging phenotype.

Methods

A 65‐year‐old man was admitted with recurrent transient episodes of right leg numbness. The patient's medical history started at the age of 50 years with depression and behavioral disorders. His family history was positive for stroke (father), dementia (father and brother), migraine (daughter) and depression (father and daughter).

Results

Neurological examination disclosed anomic aphasia with severely impaired cognitive status, and brisk reflexes. Brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed CADASIL‐like leukoencephalopathy (hyperintense lesions in bilateral temporopolar area, external capsule, thalami, centrum semiovale and superior frontal regions) with occipital calcifications and cerebral microbleeds. Screen for variants in NOTCH3 gene was negative. Exome sequencing revealed a novel pathogenic mutation for hCAA.

Conclusions

We report a novel amyloid precursor protein mutation which results in a CADASIL‐like clinical phenotype (progressive cognitive and motor decline, stroke, migraine and behavioral disorders) and CADASIL‐leukoencephalopathy coupled with occipital calcifications. Earlier recognition and swift hCAA diagnosis may prompt rational preventive and potential disease‐modifying interventions.
The adhesive heterogeneity of different compartments of oral mucosal rete ridges
Authors: Li Lin , Chen Heng , He Sangang , Sa Guoliang
Published: October 2021

Rete ridges play a critical role in maintaining epidermal structure and mechanical properties. Notably, rete ridges can be divided into three compartments: the base, slope and tip. The present study aims to explore whether these three compartments have distinct adhesive functions. We collected 28 normal masticatory mucosae to prepare paraffin‐embedded sections. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent staining were used to analyse the expression pattern of integrin α6 and β4 in different compartments of the rete ridges. To observe whether the different compartments had distinct adhesive forces, dermal‐epidermal junction separation experiments were performed by peeling the oral epithelium from the lamina propria after treatment with cold saline for 72 h. The results showed that integrin α6 and β4 prefer the basal layer keratinocytes closely adjacent to the base compartment of the rete ridges. The oral mucosal epithelium separated from the underlying lamina propria at the tip of rete ridges when they were peeled after the cold saline treatment. In conclusion, the adhesive force of the basal layer keratinocytes at the base of the rete ridges is stronger than at the tip.