bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistent CD38 Expression on CD8+ T Lymphocytes Contributes to Altered Mitochondrial Function and Chronic Inflammation in People With HIV, Despite ART
Authors: Mathur Poonam , Kottilil Shyamasundaran , Pallikkuth Suresh , Frasca Daniela , Ghosh Alip
Published: August 2022

Background:

Age-associated comorbidities are higher in people with HIV (PWH) than HIV-negative individuals. This is partially attributed to immune activation and CD38 expression on T cells driving chronic inflammation. However, the exact contribution of CD38-expressing T cells on the proinflammatory response is not completely understood.

Methods:

CD38-expressing CD8+ T lymphocytes were measured from PWH and HIV-negative individuals. Mitochondrial mass, superoxide content, membrane depolarization of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, and cytokine production after HIV(Gag)-specific peptide stimulation from CD38+CD8+ T lymphocytes of PWH were measured to link biological effects of CD38 expression on cellular metabolism.

Results:

The frequency of activated CD8+CD38+ T cells persists in PWH on ART compared with HIV-negative individuals. Higher CD38 expression is associated with mitochondrial biogenesis and HIV(Gag)-specific proinflammatory cytokine production in PWH. Blockade of CD38 results in lower Gag-specific cytokine production.

Conclusions:

ART only partially reduced HIV-induced CD38 expression on CD8+ T cells. CD8+ CD38+ T cells are highly activated in vivo, and HIV-specific stimulation in vitro augments CD38 expression, contributing to a proinflammatory response despite virologic control with ART. Therefore, CD38 is a potential therapeutic target for mitigating chronic inflammation that likely drives cellular aging, comorbidities, and end-organ disease in PWH.
Factors Associated With Sleep Quality in Hospitalized Persons With Dementia
Authors: Kuzmik Ashley , Boltz Marie , BeLue Rhonda , Galvin James E. , Arendacs Rachel , Resnick Barbara
Published: August 2022

Background:

Factors associated with sleep quality have not been well examined in hospitalized older persons with dementia, who are at high risk for impaired sleep. The aim was to identify factors associated with sleep quality among hospitalized persons with dementia.

Methods:

This secondary analysis used baseline data from a cluster randomized trial. Factors examined included delirium severity, pain, depression, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and daytime physical activity. Multiple stepwise linear regressions evaluated factors related to dimensions of sleep quality (sleep duration, efficiency, latency, and fragmentation; measured by the MotionWatch 8).

Results:

Increased daytime physical activity was associated with higher sleep duration [β=0.164; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.111-0.717; P=0.008; 7.7% variance] and sleep efficiency (β=0.158; 95% CI, 0.020-0.147; P=0.010; 5.4% variance), and less sleep fragmentation (β=−0.223; 95% CI, −0.251 to −0.077; P<0.001; 10.4% variance). Higher BPSD was significantly associated with prolonged sleep latency (β=0.130; 95% CI, 0.098-2.748; P=0.035; 3.7% variance).

Conclusion:

Results suggest the need to encourage daytime physical activity and reduce or manage BPSD to improve sleep quality among hospitalized persons with dementia.
Ludwig Dmitrievich Faddeev. 23 March 1934—26 February 2017
Authors: Takhtajan Leon A.
Published: August 2022

Ludwig Faddeev was a preeminent mathematical physicist of the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first century. He made fundamental contributions to mathematics and theoretical physics. These included the solution of the quantum three-body scattering problem, groundbreaking work on the quantization of gauge theories, the formulation of Hamiltonian methods for classical integral models, and the creation, with colleagues, of the quantum inverse scattering method which led to the discovery of quantum groups. An incomplete list of important concepts and results named after him include the Faddeev equations, the Faddeev–Popov determinant, Faddeev–Popov ghosts, the Faddeev–Green function, the Gardner–Faddeev–Zakharov bracket, Faddeev–Zamolodchikov algebra and the Faddeev quantum dilogarithm. Faddeev was a charismatic teacher and a natural leader at the Steklov Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the International Mathematical Union.
Synthesis of TiC@C-anatase/rutile@polyvinyl alcohol/xylan: a powerful photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutant under visible light
Authors: Absalan Yahya , Gholizadeh Mostafa , Razavi Mohammad Reza , Dastani Zeynab , Vu Anh Thi Ngoc , Kovalchukova Olga
Published: August 2022

In this study, a composite bearing titanium carbide (TiC), titanium dioxide (TiO
2
), polyvinyl alcohol and xylan (TiC@C-anatase/rutile@polyvinyl alcohol/xylan) was synthesized and applied as a photocatalyst for the degradation of bromophenol blue (BPB) solution through several steps. Nanostructure of TiC and TiO
2
in the anatase and rutile phases was obtained through heat treatment of TiC at different times and temperatures (TiC@AR) which led to a reduction in energy bandgap from UV to visible light, in addition to the enhancement of the surface activity. After TiC@AR polymerization by xylan and polyvinyl alcohol and obtaining TiC@AR/PX, the energy bandgap reduced to IR range (52% of the sunlight) while showing an enhancement in the surface activity. The photocatalytic activity of the compounds was tested by studying the decomposition of BPB solution under visible light. The result illustrated the ability of TiC and TiC@AR to decrease the concentration of BPB after 150 min by 35% and 37%, respectively, while this reduction was 72% for TiC@AR/PX. Considering the effective parameters, the energy bandgap and the surface layer played key roles in photocatalytic degradation.
The oldest semi-aquatic beaver in the world and a new hypothesis for the evolution of locomotion in Castoridae
Authors: Calede Jonathan J. M.
Published: August 2022

The North American rodent fossil record includes hundreds of species representing both an incredible taxonomic diversity and great ecological disparity. Although it is during the Oligocene that taxonomic diversity first peaks, it is not until the Miocene, almost 10 Myr later, that many ecologies, particularly locomotory ecologies, are recorded. Here, I present a new Oligocene-aged species of beaver from Montana,
Microtheriomys articulaquaticus
sp. nov., which represents the oldest semi-aquatic rodent in North America and the oldest amphibious beaver in the world, pushing the advent of semi-aquatic ecology in beavers by 7 Myr. I also provide morphological data supporting a terrestrial ecology for the sister taxon to Castoridae. Together with existing data, these findings lead to a new hypothesis for the evolutionary ecology of castorids whereby swimming was exapted from burrowing during the Oligocene. This evolution of semi-aquatic locomotion may have taken place in North America instead of Eurasia. It started in small beavers with gigantism achieved only much later. Indeed, body size evolution in castoroids follows a directional drift. Beavers obey Cope's rule, a selection for larger size over time that appears associated with semi-aquatic ecology and may well explain their low modern diversity.
Alkalibacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov., a CO-utilizing bacterium isolated from tidal flat sediment, and emended description of the genus Alkalibacter
Authors: Namirimu Teddy , Yu Jihyun , Yang Jhung-Ahn , Yang Sung-Hyun , Kim Yun Jae , Kwon Kae Kyoung
Published: August 2022

A novel anaerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile bacterium, designated strain ES005T, was isolated from tidal flat sediments near the rhizosphere of Phragmites australis at Eulsukdo Island, Republic of Korea. A polyphasic approach revealed that cells of the strain were Gram-stain-positive, catalase- and oxidase-negative, non-spore-forming rods. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain ES005T belonged to the family

Eubacteriaceae

, class

Clostridia

and showed the highest sequence similarity to

Alkalibacter mobili

s (97.52 %) and followed by

Alkalibacter saccharofermentans

Z-79820T (96.72%). The OrthoANI value between strain ES005T and

A. mobilis

was 69.67 %. Strain ES005T grew optimally at 33–37 °C, at pH 6.0–7.0 and in the presence of 1–2 % (w/v) NaCl. Growth in 12.5 % CO atmosphere was observed. Acetate and formate were end products of fructose fermentation and growth on CO. The major cellular fatty acids of strain ES005T were C14 : 0 (39.1 %) and C16 : 0 (26.6 %). The major polar lipids were diphoshatidylgycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and three unidentified phospholipids. The DNA G+C content of strain ES005T was 46.9 mol%. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic, genomic and chemotaxonomic features of the isloate, strain ES005T represents a novel species, for which the name Alkalibacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ES005T (=KCTC 25246T=JCM 34530T)
Sediminibacillus dalangtanensis sp. nov., a moderate halophile isolated from hypersaline sediments of the Qaidam Basin in Northwest China
Authors: Huang Ting , Lai Qiliang , Xiao Long , Gong Linfeng , Shao Zongze , Wang Hongmei , Xu Yi , Amils Ricardo , Escudero Cristina , Martinez José M.
Published: August 2022

A Gram-stain-positive, moderately halophilic, aerobic, endospore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain DP4-553-ST, was isolated from hypersaline sediment collected from the Dalangtan Playa in the Qaidam Basin, Northwest PR China. Growth occurred within 0–21.6% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 7.2%) at pH 5.5–9.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and at 4–45 °C (optimum 37 °C). Phylogeny based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain DP4-553-ST belonged to the genus

Sediminibacillus

, with high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to

Sediminibacillus halophilus

EN8dT (99.5 %),

Sediminibacillus terrae

JSM 102062T (99.4 %), Virgibacillus senegalensis SK-1T (99.3 %) and

Sediminibacillus albus

NHBX5T (98.3 %). The G+C content of the chromosomal DNA was 43.6 mol %. The average amino acid identity, average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain DP4-553-ST and the four close type strains were 71.2–93.3, 74.0–90.5 and 20.0–41.4 %, respectively. The whole genomic analysis showed that strain DP4-553-ST constituted a different taxon separated from the recognized

Sediminibacillus

species. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, C16 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The type strain contained cell-wall peptidoglycan based on diaminopimelic acid and possessed menaquinone-7 as the major respiratory isoprenoid quinone. The polar lipid pattern consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, four unidentified glycolipids, phosphatidylcholine, aminophospholipid, aminolipid and seven unidentified phospholipids. The combined data from phenotypic and genotypic studies demonstrated that strain DP4-553-ST represents a novel species of the genus

Sediminibacillus

, for which the name Sediminibacillus dalangtanensis sp. nov. is proposed, the type strain is DP4-553-ST (=MCCC 1K03838T= KCTC 43250T).
A review of cross-border cooperation regulation for digital forensics in LATAM from the soft systems methodology
Authors: Díaz-Pérez Lelia Cristina , Quintanar-Reséndiz Ana Laura , Vázquez-Álvarez Graciela , Vázquez-Medina Rubén
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Based on this holistic model, the authors propose and analyze seven key issues related to the admissibility of digital media in cross-border trials considering four Latin American countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply the modeling process of the soft systems methodology by Checkland in order to develop a holistic model focused on human situation problems involving digital media and information technology devices or systems.

Findings

The authors discuss the status of the identified key issues in each country and offer a perspective on the integration of cross-border work analyzing the contribution of these key issues to the collaboration between countries criminal cases or the use of foreign digital artifacts in domestic trials.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, the authors assumed that the problems of official interaction between agencies of different countries are considered solved. However, for future studies or research, the authors recommend that these issues can be considered as relevant, since they are related to cross-border cooperation topics that will necessarily require unavoidable official arrangements, agreements and formalities.

Practical implications

This work is aimed at defining and analyzing the key issues that can contribute to the application of current techniques and methodologies in digital forensics as a tool to support the legal framework of each country, considering cross-border trials. Finally, the authors highlight the implications of this study lie in the identification and analysis of the key issues that must be considered for digital forensics as a support tool for the admissibility of digital evidence in cross-border trials.

Social implications

The authors consider that digital forensic will have high demand in cross-border trials, and it will depend on the people mobility between the countries considered in this study.

Originality/value

This paper shows that the soft systems methodology allows elaborating a holistic model focused on social problems involving digital media and informatics devices.
An extended KdV6 hierarchy of nonlinear evolution equations: Painlevé integrability and variety of branches of resonances
Authors: Wazwaz Abdul-Majid , Albalawi Wedad , El-Tantawy Samir A.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study an extended hierarchy of nonlinear evolution equations including the sixth-order dispersion Korteweg–de Vries (KdV6), eighth-order dispersion KdV (KdV8) and many other related equations.

Design/methodology/approach

The newly developed models have been handled using the simplified Hirota’s method, whereas multiple soliton solutions are furnished using Hirota’s criteria.

Findings

The authors show that every member of this hierarchy is characterized by distinct dispersion relation and distinct resonance branches, whereas the phase shift retains the KdV type of shifts for any member.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for handling a hierarchy of integrable equations of diverse orders.

Practical implications

Multisoliton solutions are derived for each member of the hierarchy, and then generalized for any higher-order model.

Social implications

This work presents useful algorithms for finding and studying integrable equations of a hierarchy of nonlinear equations. The developed models exhibit complete integrability, by investigating the compatibility conditions for each model.

Originality/value

This paper presents an original work with a variety of useful findings.
Political ideology mismatch as a determinant of the intention to migrate: evidence from Latin America
Authors: Saravia Antonio , Marroquín Andrés
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess whether a difference or mismatch between individual political ideology and predominant political views in society is a significant determinant of the intention to migrate in Latin American countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use data from the 2018 Latinobarómetro Survey and conduct logit regressions using intention to migrate as the dependent variable and political ideology mismatch as the independent variable. The authors control for a large set of demographic, economic, and social variables. The authors also conduct Propensity Score Matching to control for potential endogenous effects produced by observable characteristics as well as a commonly used sensitivity analysis known as Rosenbaum's bounding approach.

Findings

The authors find that political ideology mismatch is a significant determinant of the intention to migrate in Latin American countries but not symmetrically. The authors find that positioning to the right of predominant views in society is associated with voicing an intention to migrate, but positioning to the left of those views is not.

Originality/value

Not much has been said about the role of individual political ideology as a push migrating factor. The paper contributes to fill that gap. The paper also contributes to the discussion about the political ideology of Latin American immigrants and how that ideology may have an effect on internal politics in the host countries.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2022-0028.
Effect of microbevel parameters on lubrication performance of heavy-duty hydrostatic thrust bearing
Authors: Ni Shiqian , Zhang Yanqin , Li Jiabao , Wu Ye
Published: August 2022

Purpose

To solve the problem of oil film thinning when hydrostatic thrust bearings are overloaded or rotating at high speed, the dynamic pressure formed by tiny oil wedges is used to compensate, and the optimum height of oil wedges is determined by the compensation rate to improve the bearing capacity of hydrostatic thrust bearings.

Design/methodology/approach

This research method is aimed at the new type of double rectangular cavity static bearing with microbevel surface of q1-205. The wedge parameters of oil film were defined. The oil film lubrication performance of the bearing with the wedge parameters of 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 mm was simulated by the finite volume method, the comprehensive influence law of the wedge-shaped parameters on the vorticity and flow rate of the oil cavity pressure fluid was revealed. Finally, the oil cavity pressure changes of oil films with different wedge parameters under certain load and speed were tested by design experiments, and the theoretical analysis and simulation were verified.

Findings

This study found that the oil film wedge shape can well compensate the static pressure loss caused by the high-speed or heavy-duty operation of the bearing, but the dynamic pressure effect of the wedge shape does not always increase with the increase of the wedge height. The oil film exhibits superior lubrication performance in the range of 0.06–0.08 mm.

Originality/value

The original hydrostatic oil pad was designed as a microinclined plane, and the dynamic pressure caused by the microwedge of the oil pad was used to compensate the static pressure loss of the bearing. The lubrication performance of the oil film under the condition of varying viscosity was obtained by using the simulation method.
Detecting earnings management: a comparison of accrual and real earnings manipulation models
Authors: Nguyen Thi Thu Ha , Ibrahim Salma , Giannopoulos George
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The use of models for detecting earnings management in the academic literature, using accrual and real manipulation, is commonplace. The purpose of the current study is to compare the power of these models in a United Kingdom (UK) sample of 19,424 firm-year observations during the period 1991–2018. The authors include artificially-induced manipulation of revenues and expenses between zero and ten percent of total assets to random samples of 500 firm-year observations within the full sample. The authors use two alternative samples, one with no reversal of manipulation (sample 1) and one with reversal in the following year (sample 2).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors include artificially induced manipulation of revenues and expenses between zero and ten percent of total assets to random samples of 500 firm-year observations within the full sample.

Findings

The authors find that real earnings manipulation models have lower power than accrual earnings manipulation models, when manipulating discretionary expenses and revenues. Furthermore, the real earnings manipulation model to detect overproduction has high misspecification, resulting in artificially inflating the power of the model. The authors examine an alternative model to detect discretionary expense manipulation that generates higher power than the Roychowdhury (2006) model. Modified real manipulation models (Srivastava, 2019) are used as robustness and the authors find these to be more misspecified in some cases but less in others. The authors extend the analysis to a setting in which earnings management is known to occur, i.e. around benchmark-beating and find consistent evidence of accrual and some forms of real manipulation in this sample using all models examined.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the literature by providing evidence of misspecification of currently used models to detect real accounts manipulation.

Practical implications

Based on the findings, the authors recommend caution in interpreting any findings when using these models in future research.

Originality/value

The findings address the earnings management literature, guided by the agency theory.
Environmental diplomacy: from transnational policies to the role of ambassadors – the contribution of David Attenborough (2018–2020)
Authors: Sebastiao Sonia Pedro , Soares Isabel
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The concept of environmental diplomacy appears associated with events (conventions) promoted between states and transnational organisations to discuss aspects related to regulating the use of natural resources and regulating pollution. In this study, the authors intend to highlight the contribution brought to environmental diplomacy by leading television figure David Attenborough and his focus on the destruction of biodiversity by humans (the problem). It is intended to analyse the frames of his public interventions, comparing them with the prevailing frames in the UNFCCC policies.

Design/methodology/approach

A predominantly inductive method of qualitative and interpretative nature is used. In epistemological terms, the framing analysis stems from a social constructivist perspective. A theoretical model for frame analysis was defined by combining the frameworks proposed by Entman (1993) and Semetko and Valkenburg (2000) and considering previous studies (Anholt, 2015; Seelig, 2019). Analysis scrutinised a two-fold corpus comprising articles regarding actions and statements by David Attenborough published in The Guardian between 2018 and 2020, and the UN's legal framework for climate change.

Findings

The most prominent frames regarding climate crisis in transnational policies are responsibilities. Attenborough's calls for action highlight the frames of “morality”, “responsibilities” and “problems”. However, it is necessary to make a distinction between the discourse used in transnational treaties and that by Attenborough. In the former, discourse is more technical and impersonal, presented in a structure of legal diplomas and barely accessible to the public. In contrast, Attenborough's speech is more emotional, appealing and sometimes dramatic. His message is transmitted straightforwardly to the public in a pedagogical, personal tone.

Social implications

The choice of high-profile personalities like David Attenborough as ambassadors has implications in the visibility of the environmental cause, and in the multiplication of initiatives that denounce environmental degradation.

Originality/value

This study explores and analyses the narrative construct regarding climate change as carried out by a trusted and respected media voice. The authors intend to contribute to understanding the amplification role of public figures in controversial issues and diplomatic matters. The main contribution of this study is to highlight the strategic nature of the choice of SDA by political powers to voice the drama of climate emergency.
Riding the tiger: professional capital and the engagement of Israeli kindergarten teachers with parents' WhatsApp groups
Authors: Turin Ornat , Davidson Shosh
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The current study examines the ways preschool teachers handle parents' WhatsApp groups. The study explores the associations between professional capital, perception of the application, and communication patterns with the parents utilizing WhatsApp, an instant message application.

Design/methodology/approach

A group of 214 Israeli preschool teachers were sampled using a survey questionnaire. The independent variables were two components of professional capital: (1) human capital, measured by tenure and income and (2) social capital, measured by the type of locality and the teacher's place of residence, in or outside the kindergarten's neighborhood. The dependent variable was the general perception of the app and the decisional capital manifested in the pattern of engagement with the pupils' parents.

Findings

In general, preschool teachers welcome the app, especially its ability to send pictures, while they disapprove of the constant intrusion it causes. Tenured and high-income teachers tended to restrict sharing a WhatsApp group with parents. Joining a group with parents was common among private, low-income, and non-tenured young teachers. In terms of social capital, teachers who lived and worked in a communal settlement differed from their city colleagues. Teachers in such communities expressed a much more positive perception of the WhatsApp application, in comparison with teachers from urban areas.

Originality/value

The results demonstrate the importance of professional capital in monitoring daily routine, communication, and emotions. The findings support the social constructivist approach, holding that technology affords a variety of uses and are integrated into the existing social structure.
Canadian medical faculty senior leaders: what skills do they need?
Authors: Lang Mia , Keenan Louanne
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Many academic leaders have little formal leadership training, which can result in challenges to effective leadership, succession planning and burnout. This paper aims to explore the leadership skills needed to be an effective senior academic leader in a Canadian medical faculty.

Design/methodology/approach

An anonymous voluntary survey of needed leadership skills and supports was sent to 60 senior academic leaders at the University of Alberta. This was followed by interviewing a purposive sample, using open-ended questions based on a multimodal needs assessment of senior academic leaders. The authors used an iterative process to analyze the data; anonymized transcripts were coded and categorized separately by two researchers, and themes were created.

Findings

The “ability to influence” was the highest rated needed leadership skill in the survey. The interviewed leaders (n = 12) were unanimous that they felt unprepared at the start of the leadership role. The survey and interviews identified five major themes for leadership skills: Mentoring, Finances, Human Resources, Building Relationships and Protected Time. Networking and leadership courses were identified as major sources of support.

Research limitations/implications

Although a single site study, the results were similar to another large Canadian medical faculty (University of Toronto, Lieff et al., 2013). While the survey had a 42% response rate (25/60), the survey responses were echoed in the interviews. Although the purposive sample was small, the interviewed leaders were a representative sample of the larger leadership group.

Originality/value

Academic leaders may benefit from a mentorship team/community of leaders and specific university governance knowledge which may help their ability to influence and advance their strategic initiatives.
Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride as a new cleaner for washing treatments for historical printed paper
Authors: Salim Eman , Ali Hassan Rushdya Rabee
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The main aim of this study is to study the effect of alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride on removing stains, yellowness and harmful metal ions on historical printed paper, as well as the effect of this cleaner on optical and chemical properties of treated paper.

Design/methodology/approach

The assessments after and before treatment were carried out using digital microscopy, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pH measurement, color change and finally scanning electron microscopy.

Findings

The results showed that the concentrations used under study (1% and 3%) cleaned the paper efficiently without any observed effect on the chemical composition of cellulose, which was confirmed by IR spectra. The most stains that completely disappeared were the soil spots, also the pH values had improved significantly after treatment, which confirms that the detergent is effective in neutralizing the acidity of cellulose. Moreover, the color change revealed an increase in the chromatic lightness of the paper after treatment, which agreed with the results of the scanning electron microscopy examination, as the paper appeared free of dirt, and the fibers and bundles became more cohesive.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is a unique study, as there is no previous literature that has indicated the use of the effect of alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride washing treatments for printed historical paper, as it was limited only to making disinfection materials and water purification products.
Three scenarios of the United States’ future – 2022 to 2050
Authors: Ralston Bill
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The author develops three U.S. scenarios to enable practitioners to gain a new mental model of the future from 2022 to 2050 by analyzing the uncertainties around major issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The process has two elements: the predictable developments and the scenarios of possible extreme outcomes of major uncertainties. Five steps to create a mental model for how the United States could evolve out to 2050 are mapped out.

Findings

“The development that defines the ‘Socially Divided’ scenario is China’s brutal nationalism and displacement of the United States as the world’s number one superpower.’ 10; 10;‘The signature event of the ?Security United’ scenario is the global depression from 2026 to 2035 brought on by China’s collapsing economy.’ 10; 10;?China and the U.S. remain neck and neck in the global competition for economic power throughout the ‘Economy Focused’ scenario.” 10

Research/Limitations/Implications

Supplementary data is included with the online version of the article.

Practical/Implications

Immersing ourselves in realistic narratives of the future helps us sidestep our inclination to go with what we’ve done in the past.

Originality/Value

A unique look at three plausible futures of the U.S. from 2022 to 2050. Every company should immerse itself in the scenarios to anticipate distinctly different future business environments. The article also serves as a learning model for scenario development.
Organizational learning through training effectiveness: evidence from the hospitality industry in Vietnam
Authors: Han Jung Woo , Nguyen Thu Thi Minh , Hua Sang My , Pham Thanh-Hang
Published: August 2022

Purpose

To understand the unique context forming organizational learning, the current study aims to investigate the antecedents of training and development (TD) practices as an indicator of effective organizational learning from the Vietnam hospitality sector, which has not been studied rigorously.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including a path analysis partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) based on a sample size of 354 responses and a semi-structured interview of 32 participants to test various paths predicting training effectiveness while exploring contextual differences in the Vietnam hospitality sector.

Findings

The results show that among the variables investigated, extrinsic motivation, team support and job quality were found to be significant to TD, while intrinsic motivation was found to have no significant predictive power. To explore the reasons behind these findings, the interviews indicate that the motivations of employees in the hospitality sector, most of whom are young and have a limited length of service, are highly rooted in the organization’s cultural context.

Originality/value

This study contributes to understanding the complex context of organizational learning through an investigation of an emerging economy from Southeast Asia by adding new insights into the training and motivational theories. It has practical implications for practitioners in the hospitality sector to develop more effective learning organizations during the uncertain period of this unprecedented pandemic.
AFTER THE RIGHT TO WATER: Rethinking the State and Justice in Mumbai
Authors: Deekshit Pranjal , Sumbre Simran
Published: August 2022

Mumbai's informal settlements have a long history of being denied formal access to water. While previous research has shown how settlers barely manage to survive by extracting water in the blurred spaces between formal and informal provision and through complex socio‐material relationships, here we narrate a story of the local struggle to claim formal access to municipal water connections using a fundamental human rights approach. By critically looking at the historical practices of the state in setting obscure standards that denied access to municipal water, we show how the local grassroots movement and its legal battle to establish a fundamental right to water also culminated in an ambiguous and differential standard being set by a court verdict. We argue that the precedence of creating multiple standards and their discretionary implementation is leveraged as a site for distributing and sustaining harm in which the social relations of domination influence not only everyday bureaucratic practices, but also the judicial process itself. While we critically investigate the instrumentality of a human rights approach in demanding new standards for access to water, borrowing from Koonan, we conclude by questioning the very process of legalizing differential understandings of such fundamental rights.
Synergistic effect of low‐frequency ultrasound and antibiotics on the treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia in mice
Authors: Yan Kaicheng , Yang Tianli , Xu Juan , Dong Liuhan , Wang Jin , Cai Yun
Published: August 2022

The antibiotic‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) has become a significant crisis in treating pneumonia. Low‐frequency ultrasound (LFU) is promising to overcome the obstacles. Mice were infected with bioluminescent Kp Xen39 by intratracheal injection to study the therapeutic effect of LFU in combination with antibiotics. The counts per second (CPS) were assessed with an animal biophoton imaging system. Bacterial clearance, histopathology, and the concentrations of cytokines were determined to evaluate the therapeutic effect. LC–MS/MS was used to detect the distribution of antibiotics in the lung and plasma. LFU in combination with meropenem (MEM) or amikacin (AMK) significantly improved the behavioural state of mice. The CPS of the LFU combination group were more significantly decreased compared with those of the antibiotic alone groups. The average colony‐forming units of lung tissue in the LFU combination groups were also lower than those of the antibiotic groups. Although no significant changes of cytokines (IL‐6 and TNF‐α) in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were observed, LFU in combination with antibiotics showed less inflammatory damage from histopathological results compared with the antibiotic‐alone groups. Moreover, 10 min of LFU treatment promoted the distribution of MEM and AMK in mouse lung tissue at 60 and 30 min, respectively, after dosage. LFU could enhance the effectiveness of MEM and AMK in the treatment of Kp‐induced pneumonia, which might be attributed to the fact that LFU could promote the distribution of antibiotics in lung tissue and reduce inflammatory injury.
The Dutch chain approach on pharmaceuticals in water: Stakeholders acting together to reduce the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals
Authors: Moermond Caroline T. A. , de Rooy Marc
Published: August 2022

Aims

Sewage treatment effluent with pharmaceutical residues is discharged into surface waters, raising societal concerns. The aim of this paper is to describe the Dutch chain approach on medicinal residues in water that has been implemented by the Dutch government. We show how stakeholders from both the health and water sectors have got actively involved. Within this chain approach, source measures as well as end‐of‐pipe measures are identified and, where feasible and effective, implemented.

Methods

Descriptive paper on the Dutch chain approach.

Results

Getting the water and health care sectors to talk with each other instead of about each other was the key accomplishment. Comprehension of each other's viewpoints, terminology, policy goals and span of control, was pivotal in setting shared goals, creating perspective about possible measures and actually taking (joint) action. Together, stakeholders agreed to act within their own possibilities, without pointing at others, and to focus on pragmatic measures. In this article, we provide examples of measures taken, pilot projects performed, and of measures that were not implemented. Besides this, we discuss the most important barriers encountered during this process and how they were overcome.

Conclusion

The issue of pharmaceuticals in the environment is a wicked problem, which makes it necessary to work together with many stakeholders on possible solutions, avoiding paralysis by complexity. Most importantly, stakeholders need to invest in mutual understanding, keep an open communication, and feel invited to bring in solutions for their part of the chain.
Child and Youth Coaching in families experiencing complex and multiple problems: A longitudinal evaluation study
Authors: van Assen Arjen , Post Wendy , Grietens Hans , Knot‐Dickscheit Jana
Published: August 2022

Studies investigating services for families experiencing complex and multiple problems have emphasized the need for more child‐centred support. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate whether providing child‐centred services (Child and Youth Coaching) combined with family‐focused services (Ten for the Future) is effective for children growing up in families experiencing complex and multiple problems. Children's psychosocial skills, emotional and behavioural problems, and the quality of their pedagogical environment were measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months. Parent and coach reports of children indicated for Child and Youth Coaching (n = 57) and nonindicated children (n = 18) were analysed using repeated measures multilevel models. Both parents and coaches reported improved psychosocial skills of children, but changes were only significant for coach reports. In both reports, no significant decrease in emotional and behavioural problems was observed for both indicated and nonindicated children. Many children still experienced considerable problems at case closure. Furthermore, no significant improvement in quality of the pedagogical environment was observed in both groups. Given the limitations in this study, more research is needed to identify whether these findings can be replicated and attributed to the Child and Youth Coaching and Ten for the Future programmes.
NG2‐glia crosstalk with microglia in health and disease
Authors: Zhang Zuo , Li Xiaolong , Zhou Hongli , Zhou Jiyin
Published: August 2022

Neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly becoming a global problem. However, the pathological mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases are not fully understood. NG2‐glia abnormalities and microglia activation are involved in the development and/or progression of neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cerebrovascular diseases. In this review, we summarize the present understanding of the interaction between NG2‐glia and microglia in physiological and pathological states and discuss unsolved questions concerning their fate and potential fate. First, we introduce the NG2‐glia and microglia in health and disease. Second, we formulate the interaction between NG2‐glia and microglia. NG2‐glia proliferation, migration, differentiation, and apoptosis are influenced by factors released from the microglia. On the other hand, NG2‐glia also regulate microglia actions. We conclude that NG2‐glia and microglia are important immunomodulatory cells in the brain. Understanding the interaction between NG2‐glia and microglia will help provide a novel method to modulate myelination and treat neurodegenerative disorders.
Evaluating the roles and reach of philanthropic foundations in sustainability efforts for tuna
Authors: Schiller Laurenne , Bailey Megan , Bodwitch Hekia , Sinan Hussain , Auld Graeme
Published: August 2022

Tuna fisheries provide over 5 million tonnes of seafood annually to the global market but have historically raised conservation concerns due to weak management measures and impacts on non‐target wildlife. The focus of the first environmental awareness campaigns in seafood focused on dolphin bycatch in tuna fisheries in the 1980s. Since then, the sustainable seafood movement has evolved considerably, with philanthropic foundations playing a key role as agenda‐setters and funders of work carried out by non‐governmental organizations (NGOs). Here, we used tuna as a case study and investigated how three US foundations and associated NGOs have affected tuna fisheries reform through two primary pathways: advocacy for improved fishery management at intergovernmental meetings, and engagement with fishing companies in fishery improvement projects (FIPs). We found a total of USD 28.65 million was allocated to tuna‐related work from 2013 to 2021. While each foundation had different funding profiles, 65% of all grant funds were directed to two key priority areas: market leverage and RFMO advocacy. Further, almost 60% of all funding was allocated to only three NGOs, all of which are central actors at RFMO meetings, and which are collectively engaged in over 85% of all tuna FIPs (by volume). We reflect on how this concentrated funding relates to the overarching sustainable seafood agenda of these foundations and provide recommendations to ensure financial support and objectives remain transparent and do not perpetuate inequities between tuna fishing countries.
Working parents’ right to childcare in Chile
Authors: Armijo Lorena , Ananias Rubén
Published: August 2022

Objective

This article examines Chilean working parents’ perceptions about the right to childcare, care needs, and the future of this right.

Background

There is widespread debate about working parents’ care strategies and their capacity to reconcile work and family. Latin American studies have concentrated on welfare regimens, social protection policies, and flexibility in the labor market. However, few studies have explored how workers exercise their right to childcare and its consequences for the work–life dilemma.

Methods

Data were collected in 29 semistructured interviews with couples and eight discussion groups with working parents. A total of 109 people participated, 56 men and 53 women.

Results

The findings show the ambivalent nature of working parents’ right to childcare, with limited time and benefits, and the need to extend it to all workers in the future.

Conclusion

Exercising the right to childcare is transitory due to its short duration, and partially because it is meant for working parents who have their social security payments up to date. Both characteristics are partly due to the weakness of the institutional mechanisms that guarantee the right to childcare. Support for the extension of this right by those interviewed clashes with general distrust toward making use of the right.

Implications

The findings suggest that State resources for childcare are insufficient without education rights. Education as a prolongation of care is a future demand of working parents with children beyond the pre‐school stage.
Influence of metallic properties on the fracture characteristics of Al2O3/Ti/Ni‐laminated composites
Authors: Liu Quan , Xie Ke , Xia Hongyan , Wu Yifan , Xu Weiguo , Jian Minkun , Lin Jianping , Lu Mi , Qiao Guanjun
Published: August 2022

The mutual confinement of ceramics and metals in laminated composites tends to change the original properties of ceramics and metals. In this study, two kinds of laminated composites, Al2O3/Ti and Al2O3/Ti/Ni, were prepared. Three‐point bending experiments revealed that Al2O3/Ti underwent brittle fracture after elastic deformation. The fracture morphology analysis revealed that the Ti in Al2O3/Ti became brittle due to the formation of columnar crystals. The temperature gradient perpendicular to the direction of laminations during preparation was responsible for the formation of columnar crystals. The force–displacement curves of the Al2O3/Ti/Ni combine the properties of elastic deformation of ceramics and plastic deformation of metals. The reason why the Al2O3/Ti/Ni did not fracture completely in the bending experiments is that Ni maintained the toughness, and there is a good interfacial bond among Al2O3, Ti, and Ni. The indentation crack analysis revealed that cracks have long transverse propagation and short longitudinal propagation in both laminated composites. Finite element analysis revealed that this was due to compressive stress in the Al2O3 layer and tensile stress in the metal layer. This compressive stress consumes the crack energy in the longitudinal direction and stops the crack in the metal layer. The brittle to ductile gradient transition among Al2O3, Ti, and Ni, combined with the guidance of crack propagation direction by the interfacial layer, enhances the ability of Al2O3/Ti/Ni to resist damage.
Patient‐reported outcomes of a phase II neoadjuvant apalutamide (ARN‐509) and radical prostatectomy in treatment of intermediate‐ to high‐risk prostate cancer (NEAR) trial
Authors: Yang Xinyan , Allen John Carson , Aslim Edwin Jonathan , Tay Kae Jack , Yuen Shyi Peng John , Kanesvaran Ravindran , Chua Melvin Lee Kiang , Chong Tsung Wen , Ho Sun Sien Henry , Lee Lui Shiong
Published: August 2022

Objective

The NEAR trial is a single‐arm phase II trial investigating the efficacy of neoadjuvant apalutamide and radical prostatectomy in the treatment of D'Amico intermediate‐ to high‐risk prostate cancer. This publication focuses on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) during 12 weeks of neoadjuvant apalutamide treatment.

Methods

From 2017 to 2019, 30 suitable patients received neoadjuvant apalutamide 240 mg once daily for 12 weeks followed by radical prostatectomy (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03124433). Patient‐reported quality of life outcomes was analyzed using European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core Module (EORTC QLQ‐C30), EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Prostate Module (QLQ‐PR25), and Sexual Health Inventory for Men questionnaire (SHIM) at weeks 0,4,12, and 20 of the study.

Results

Thirty patients completed 12 weeks of apalutamide therapy and data analyzed for 29 with complete datasets. Neoadjuvant apalutamide therapy was associated with no clinically significant negative impact on patients' global health and QoL scores. Deteriorations in mean scores of functional and symptom scales of QLQ‐C30 questionnaire were statistically significant (p = 0.011 and p = 0.008, respectively) but were not clinically meaningful. Patients were also affected by fatigue (p = 0.012), cognitive function (p = 0.038), reduced role functioning (p = 0.025), and lower SHIM scores (p < 0.001). Median daily step count reduced from 8228/day to 6001/day per day (p = 0.063), while BMI and body weight reduction were observed (statistically but not clinically significant).

Conclusion

During 12 weeks of neoadjuvant apalutamide in organ‐confined prostate cancer, the overall patient‐reported HRQoL outcomes were maintained, but fatigue and sexual dysfunction were observed in those patients.