bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Framelet transform and fuzzy clustering-based intelligent technique for speckle noise removal in ultrasound images
Authors: Lendale Praveen Kumar , Nandhitha N.M.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Speckle noise removal in ultrasound images is one of the important tasks in biomedical-imaging applications. Many filtering -based despeckling methods are discussed in many existing works. Two-dimensional (2-D) transforms are also used enormously for the reduction of speckle noise in ultrasound medical images. In recent years, many soft computing-based intelligent techniques have been applied to noise removal and segmentation techniques. However, there is a requirement to improve the accuracy of despeckling using hybrid approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

The work focuses on double-bank anatomy with framelet transform combined with Gaussian filter (GF) and also consists of a fuzzy kind of clustering approach for despeckling ultrasound medical images. The presented transform efficiently rejects the speckle noise based on the gray scale relative thresholding where the directional filter group (DFB) preserves the edge information.

Findings

The proposed approach is evaluated by different performance indicators such as the mean square error (MSE), peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) speckle suppression index (SSI), mean structural similarity and the edge preservation index (EPI) accordingly. It is found that the proposed methodology is superior in terms of all the above performance indicators.

Originality/value

Fuzzy kind clustering methods have been proved to be better than the conventional threshold methods for noise dismissal. The algorithm gives a reconcilable development as compared to other modern speckle reduction procedures, as it preserves the geometric features even after the noise dismissal.
Toward a holistic understanding of performance in Lean Manufacturing: a discussion on the relevance of its indicators
Authors: Cardenas-Cristancho Diana , Muller Laurent , Monticolo Davy , Camargo Mauricio
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to propose a novel approach to select and prioritize performance indicators in Lean Manufacturing depending on whether they are influencing or being influenced by others, thereby assisting in the decision-making process for improving overall performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology comprises two stages. First, a literature review was conducted to identify the performance indicators, and then their interrelationships were analyzed by means of the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method.

Findings

The results provide a comprehensive visualization of the performance indicators in Lean Manufacturing, with a total of 50 identified indicators. Among these, 29 were categorized as causal, meaning that their results mainly influence the others, and 21 as influenced, with their results mostly being influenced by others. Among the causal indicators, those related to the human factor (eight indicators) were the most predominant. However, the most-cited performance families in the literature do not stand out as being causal, but rather as mostly influenced.

Practical implications

This study can help managers improve and analyze performance more effectively, while focusing on the importance of choosing causal over influenced indicators.

Originality/value

Performance measurement plays a crucial role for organizations, but because of the increasing number of metrics, there lacks an established framework. This exploratory study thus opens the discussion on relevance to determine a group of coherent and connected indicators that could help measure performance in a more comprehensive manner, rather than in several isolated parts.
Cotton production for the sustainable livelihoods in Punjab Pakistan: a case study of district Muzaffargarh
Authors: Sadaf Tahira , Kousar Rakhshanda , Mohy Ul Din Zia , Abbas Qaisar , Makhdum Muhammad Sohail Amjad , Nasir Javaria
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to analyze access of cotton growers to Sustainable Livelihoods Assets Pakistani Punjab.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the department for international development (DFID’s) sustainable livelihoods framework (DFID) (1999). Where data collection was done by using a well-structured questionnaire from 200 randomly selected cotton growers of the district Muzaffargarh. There are five livelihood assets (human assets, natural assets, financial assets, physical assets and social assets) in the SLF, this study has used three different indicators/proxies for each asset except natural assets, where four indicators were used to capture the salient features of the respondents’ access to that assets. Each indicator was given a weight by using the entropy technique to keep the consistency of the quantification. Livelihood assets indices were calculated in case of each livelihood asset for conducting Livelihood Assets Pentagon Analysis. Value of livelihood index ranged from 0–4.

Findings

Livelihoods Assets Pentagon analysis shows that cotton growers do not have proper access to all five livelihood assets. The asset with the highest capacity were social assets (sustainable livelihood index value = 0.3994), followed by natural assets (0.3294), financial assets (0.2511), human assets (0.2143) and physical assets (0.0897).

Originality/value

This study uses the SLF developed by DFID for analyzing factors affecting access to livelihoods assets of cotton growers in Pakistani Punjab. Sustainable agriculture and sustainable rural livelihoods lead to sustainable livelihoods where environment quality is taken into consideration. The study contains significant and new information.
Crisis behaviors as drivers of value co-creation transformation
Authors: Edvardsson Bo , Tronvoll Bård
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The paper aims to conceptualize how behavioral shifts in times of crisis drive the transformation of value co-creation.

Design/methodology/approach

Referencing two empirical contexts, the paper explores how digital service platforms facilitate changes in actors’ mental models and institutional arrangements (legal, social, technological) that drive transformation of value co-creation in service ecosystems.

Findings

The proposed conceptual framework contributes to existing research by identifying micro-level changes in actors’ mental models and macro-level changes in institutional arrangements enabled by digital service platforms in service ecosystems. In particular, the framework identifies motivation, agility and resistance as moderators of behavioral shifts in times of crisis. This account offers a finer-grained theorization of the moderating factors and underlying mechanisms of service ecosystem transformation but does not extend to the ensuing “new normal.”

Practical implications

The proposed framework indicates how digital platforms support shifts in actors’ behavior and contribute to the transformation of value co-creation. While the enablers are situation-specific and may therefore vary according to the prevailing conditions, the actor-related concepts advanced here seem likely to remain relevant when analyzing the transformation of value co-creation in other crisis situations.

Originality/value

The new conceptual framework advanced here clarifies how behavioral shifts during a crisis drive the transformation of value co-creation and suggests directions for future research.
Sustainable leadership in higher education institutions: social innovation as a mechanism
Authors: Iqbal Qaisar , Piwowar-Sulej Katarzyna
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Considering the vital role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in accomplishing sustainable development goals, this study aims to examine how and when sustainable leadership (SL) influences sustainable performance by examining social innovation (SI) as a mediating mechanism and managerial discretion (MD) as a boundary condition based on upper echelon theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is cross-sectional in nature. The authors adopted a cluster-sampling approach to collect data from 500 employees of HEIs in Pakistan and China. The response rate for this study was 52.63%. As the proposed model is complex, the authors used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the research hypothesis.

Findings

The empirical findings confirm the presence of SI as a competitive partial mediator between SL and sustainable performance. Nevertheless, the findings of this study do not suggest a higher positive effect of SL on SI in the presence of high MD.

Research limitations/implications

The study evaluated the role of SL and SI in fostering sustainable performance from the perspective of employees in HEIs in China and Pakistan. Before the empirical evidence can be generalized, there is a need to conduct similar studies in other parts of Asia and Western countries as well.

Practical implications

This study presents implications for higher education leaders and policymakers at the national level to foster the sustainable performance of their institutions.

Social implications

The current evidence reveals the effectiveness of SL in achieving the social goals of HEIs through SI. The recommendations presented in this study can have an impact on society, providing it with a sustainable future.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind to examine the mediating role of SI on the relationship between SL and sustainable performance. The present study also provides pioneering empirical evidence about the negative effects of MD in the context of HEIs.
Historical and conceptual perspectives on urban regeneration: a prolog to a special issue
Authors: Balsas Carlos J.L.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to review multiple historical perspectives on urban regeneration interventions while also serving as a prologue to and the rationale for a Special Issue of the Journal of Place Management and Development (JPMD) on Placemaking and Sustainable Urban Regeneration in Japan.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the literature on city center regeneration, with particular attention to the USA and the UK contexts. The emphasis is on comparing and contrasting what have become known as the North American and European regeneration models. This background is helpful to place the Special Issue in a broad international context.

Findings

The key finding is that the history of planning city centers appears to be largely a response to urbanization and the problems it has brought forward. The papers in this JPMD’s Special Issue exemplify this finding with cases from Toyama, Kanazawa and Tokyo.

Originality

Cities are transformed as their centers grow and develop. City centers represent important anchor points in every community. However, evolving functional decentralization has occurred mostly due to changes in flows of capital, people, materials and other socio-economic transformations. The review shows how urban regeneration programs tend to be implemented to correct and or improve physical, socio-economic and environmental problems associated with functional and programmatic decentralization.
Professional learning in clinical supervision: highlighting knowledge work
Authors: Gottschalk Belinda , Hopwood Nick
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Clinical supervision is a crucial workplace practice for professional learning and development. Research is needed to investigate in detail what happens in supervision to understand how this practice contributes to learning. This paper aims to examine how professionals work with knowledge and navigate epistemic challenges in working with problems of practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Three pairs of psychologists audio-recorded five consecutive supervision sessions and were interviewed twice during that time. Analysis considered supervision as a site of emergent learning, focusing on what was discussed and how problems were worked on, whether as epistemic objects (open-ended, aimed at generating new insights) or by using an approach to knowledge objects that focused more directly on what to do next.

Findings

One pair consistently adopted an epistemic object approach, while another was consistently more action-oriented, focused on knowledge objects. The third pair used both approaches, sometimes expanding the object with a view to gaining insight and understanding, while at other times focusing on next steps and future action.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to study clinical supervision in terms of how knowledge work is done. Foregrounding the epistemic dimensions of supervision, it reveals previously unexplored but consequential differences in how knowledge is worked with and produced as supervisory pairs discuss complex issues of practice.
Growing occupation‐centred therapists for the future: Understanding student experiences of learning about occupation and its place in occupational therapy practice
Authors: Roberts Melanie , Miller Mikaylah , Wilding Clare
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Occupational therapy entry‐level education is integral to how students obtain deep understanding of occupational therapy's core philosophy of occupation and its place in practice. However, there is a lack of research that explores occupation‐centred education from the perspectives of students. Therefore, this study aimed to identify Australian entry‐level occupational therapy students' experiences of learning about occupation, and its place in practice.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Overall, 20 students participated in four focus groups lasting between 45 and 75 min. Data were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed in two phases, using reflexive thematic analysis.

Findings

There were three themes that encapsulated what helped students to better understand occupation and its place in practice: (1) making occupation real; (2) relating occupation to me; and (3) theory as a focussing lens. There was also a range of pedagogical strategies that helped students to better understand occupation: using active and interactive teaching and learning strategies. One additional theme indicated a challenge to helping the students understand occupation and its place practice: when practice education settings were not centred on occupation.

Conclusion

Learning about occupation and occupation‐centred practice may be facilitated by using practice examples, encouraging students to think about occupation in their own lives, teaching and applying occupation‐centred theory, and employing interactive learning and teaching strategies. Student learning in practice settings where occupational therapy is centred on occupation is imperative. Further exploration of students' perspectives of learning about occupation across multiple occupational therapy programmes is warranted.
The risk of pulmonary adverse drug reactions of rebamipide and other drugs for acid‐related diseases: An analysis of the national pharmacovigilance database in South Korea
Authors: Yang Bo Ram , Lee Jae‐Young , Kim Myeong Gyu
Published: December 2021

Objective

The objective of this case/non‐case study was to detect rebamipide‐related pulmonary adverse events (AE) compared with other drugs for acid‐related disorders based on population‐level data.

Methods

From 2009 to 2018, AE reports on drugs for acid‐related disorders, which are anatomical therapeutic chemical code A02B drugs, in the Korea Adverse Events Reporting System (KAERS) database were examined. The reporting odds ratio (ROR) was calculated, and the odds of reporting pulmonary AE for rebamipide and all other A02B drugs were compared. Furthermore, a stratified analysis according to patients’ age and sex was conducted.

Results

Altogether 13 (0.05%) and 157 (0.11%) cases of pulmonary AE were reported for rebamipide and all other A02B drugs, respectively. The risk of reporting pulmonary AE was significantly lower for rebamipide than for all other A02B drugs (ROR 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28–0.87). The number of reports of pulmonary AE for rebamipide was significantly higher among patients aged ≥65 years than those aged <65 years (ROR 19.36, 95% CI 2.50–149.97).

Conclusions

Rebamipide was less often reported for pulmonary AE. However, healthcare professionals need to be aware of the risk of pulmonary AE in elderly patients.
Thermo‐economic Investigation of an Enhanced Geothermal System Organic Rankine Cycle and Combined Heating and Power System
Authors: WANG Lingbao , BU Xianbiao , LI Huashan
Published: December 2021

As a potentially viable renewable energy, Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGSs) extract heat from hot dry rock (HDR) reservoirs to produce electricity and heat, which promotes the progress towards carbon peaking and carbon neutralization. The main challenge for EGSs is to reduce the investment cost. In the present study, thermo‐economic investigations of EGS projects are conducted. The effects of geofluid mass flow rate, wellhead temperature and loss rate on the thermo‐economic performance of the EGS organic Rankine cycle (ORC) are studied. A performance comparison between EGS‐ORC and the EGS combined heating and power system (CHP) is presented. Considering the CO2 emission reduction benefits, the influence of carbon emission trading price on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is also presented. It is indicated that the geofluid mass flow rate is a critical parameter in dictating the success of a project. Under the assumed typical working conditions, the LCOE of EGS‐ORC and EGS‐CHP systems are 24.72 and 16.1 cents/kWh, respectively. Compared with the EGS‐ORC system, the LCOE of the EGS‐CHP system is reduced by 35%. EGS‐CHP systems have the potential to be economically viable in the future. With carbon emission trading prices of 12.76 USD/ton, the LCOE can be reduced by approximately 8.5%.
Heat Aggregation Mechanisms of Hot Dry Rocks Resources in the Gonghe Basin, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: LIN Wenjing , WANG Guiling , ZHANG Shengsheng , ZHAO Zhen , XING Linxiao , GAN Haonan , TAN Xianfeng
Published: December 2021

Hot dry rock (HDR) is an important geothermal resource and clean energy source that may play an increasingly important role in future energy management. High‐temperature HDR resources were recently detected in deep regions of the Gonghe Basin on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, which led to a significant breakthrough in HDR resource exploration in China. This research analyzes the deep temperature distribution, radiogenic heat production, heat flow, and crustal thermal structure in the Qiaboqia Valley, Guide Plain, and Zhacanggou area of the Gonghe Basin based on geothermal exploration borehole logging data, rock thermophysical properties, and regional geophysical exploration data. The results are applied to discuss the heat accumulation mechanism of the HDR resources in the Gonghe Basin. The findings suggest that a low‐velocity layer in the thickened crust of the Tibetan Plateau provides the most important source of constant intracrustal heat for the formation of HDR resources in the Gonghe Basin, whereas crustal thickening redistributes the concentrated layer of radioactive elements, which compensates for the relatively low heat production of the basal granite and serves as an important supplement to the heat of the HDR resources. The negative effect is that the downward curvature of the lithospheric upper mantle caused by crustal thickening leads to a small mantle heat flow component. As a result, the heat flows in the Qiaboqia Valley and Guide Plain of the Gonghe Basin are 106.2 and 77.6 mW/m2, respectively, in which the crust‐mantle heat flow ratio of the former is 3.12:1, indicating a notably anomalous intracrustal thermal structure. In contrast, the crust‐mantle heat flow ratio in the Guide Plain is 1.84:1, which reflects a typical hot crust‐cold mantle thermal structure. The Guide Plain and Zhacanggou area show the same increasing temperature trend with depth, which reflects that their geothermal backgrounds and deep high‐temperature environments are similar. These results provide important insight on the heat source mechanism of HDR resource formation in the Tibetan Plateau and useful guidance for future HDR resource exploration projects and target sites selection in similar areas.
Short‐term safety of an anti‐severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 messenger RNA vaccine for patients with advanced lung cancer treated with anticancer drugs: A multicenter, prospective, observational study
Authors: Tamura Tomoki , Ninomiya Kiichiro , Kubo Toshio , Kuyama Shoichi , Tachibana Sayaka , Inoue Koji , Chikamori Kenichi , Kudo Kenichiro , Ochi Nobuaki , Harada Daijiro , Maeda Yoshinobu , Kiura Katsuyuki
Published: December 2021

Background

Since 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has become prevalent worldwide. In severe cases, the case fatality rate is high, and vaccine prevention is important. This study evaluated the safety of receiving SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine in patients with advanced lung cancer receiving anticancer therapy.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled patients receiving anticancer drugs for advanced lung cancer who planned to receive SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination. Early adverse events within 7 days of vaccine injection were evaluated using patient‐reported surveys. The chi‐square test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used.

Results

Among 120 patients receiving lung cancer treatment, 73 were men; the mean age of the patients was 73.5 years. The treatments received for lung cancer at the time of the first vaccine injection were chemotherapy, ICIs, combined chemotherapy and ICIs, and targeted therapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, in 30, 28, 17, and 45 patients, respectively. All patients received SARS‐CoV‐2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine. After the second mRNA vaccine dose, 15.4% of patients had fever of 38°C (95% confidence interval: 9.34%–23.2%); this rate was slightly higher than that for healthy participants at the time of the BNT162b2 trial. Patients treated with cytotoxic anticancer drugs tended to have high fever. In the multivariate analyses, male sex was associated with higher fever frequencies. However, there were no serious early adverse events due to vaccination.

Conclusions

Anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 mRNA vaccination tends to be safe, but fever following vaccination tends to be more common among patients undergoing lung cancer treatment than among healthy individuals.
Effectiveness of alectinib and osimertinib in a brain metastasized lung adenocarcinoma patient with concurrent EGFR mutations and DCTN1‐ALK fusion
Authors: Yin Qiang , Guo Taiyan , Zhou Yangyang , Sun Leina , Meng Maobin , Ma Li , Wang Xiaoguang
Published: December 2021

The echinoderm microtubule associated protein‐like 4 gene (EML4) encodes the predominant anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion partner in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the dynactin subunit 1 (DCTN1)‐ALK rearrangement is extremely rare. The co‐occurrence of primary epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation with EGFR exon 19 deletion (del) in patients with NSCLC is uncommon. Here we report a female lung adenocarcinoma patient with brain metastases and possible coexistence of primary EGFR T790M mutation/EGFR exon 19 del/DCTN1‐ALK translocation. The patient received multiline treatment including chemotherapy, antivascular, and targeted therapies. To overcome developed resistance to chemotherapy or targeted therapy to prolong overall survival, the patient's circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was dynamically monitored. The patient responded to successive osimertinib and alectinib treatment, and alectinib achieved a nearly complete response for lung and brain lesions after she acquired osimertinib resistance. Furthermore, we summarize 22 published cases of patients with lung adenocarcinoma with concurrent EGFR mutation and ALK rearrangement, including details of clinical characteristics, natural history, and pertinent therapy of this uncommon tumor subtype. This literature review shows that EGFR inhibition was an indispensable aspect of the treatment of patients with EGFR/ALK co‐alterations in the pre‐alectinib era and that ALK inhibition with crizotinib did not show more eye‐catching therapeutic results. Considering the effectiveness achieved by alectinib, this case study provides a new perspective for the treatment of lung cancer brain metastasis patients with concurrent EGFR/ALK mutations.
Impact of sarcopenia on chemotherapy‐triggered exacerbation of interstitial lung disease in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Kikuchi Ryota , Takoi Hiroyuki , Ishiwari Mayuko , Toriyama Kazutoshi , Kono Yuta , Togashi Yuki , Abe Shinji
Published: December 2021

Background

While recent evidence has suggested that sarcopenia could predict chemotoxicity, its association with chemotherapy‐triggered interstitial lung disease (ILD) exacerbations has yet to be investigated. Thus, the present study sought to determine whether sarcopenia could predict ILD exacerbations and overall survival (OS) in patients with ILD‐complicated non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

From January 2010 to July 2020, 74 patients with ILD‐complicated NSCLC who received chemotherapy were retrospectively investigated. After categorizing patients according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia based on the psoas muscle index, ILD exacerbation rates and OS were evaluated.

Results

Among the patients in the study, 39 were included in the sarcopenia group. Moreover, 17 (22.9%) patients developed ILD exacerbations, with the sarcopenia and nonsarcopenia groups having an exacerbation rate of 33.3% and 11.4%, respectively (p = 0.025). Multivariate analysis identified sarcopenia as an independent predictor of ILD exacerbations (p = 0.039). Furthermore, patients with sarcopenia demonstrated a significantly shorter median OS compared to those without the same (9.2 vs. 13.3 months; p = 0.029).

Conclusions

Sarcopenia predicted chemotherapy‐triggered ILD exacerbation and OS in patients with ILD‐complicated NSCLC, suggesting its utility in determining treatment approaches.
Media Attention and Strategic Timing in Politics: Evidence from U.S. Presidential Executive Orders
Authors: Djourelova Milena , Durante Ruben
Published: December 2021

Do politicians tend to adopt unpopular policies when the media and the public are distracted by other events? We examine this question by analyzing the timing of executive orders signed by U.S. presidents over the past four decades. We find robust evidence that executive orders are more likely to be signed on the eve of days when the news is dominated by other important stories that can crowd out coverage of executive orders. This relationship only holds in periods of divided government when unilateral presidential actions are more likely to be criticized by Congress. The effect is driven by executive orders that are more likely to make the news and to attract negative publicity, particularly those on topics on which president and Congress disagree. Finally, the timing of executive orders appears to be related to predictable news but not unpredictable ones, which suggests it results from a deliberate and forward‐looking PR strategy.
Metformin serum concentrations during pregnancy and post partum – A clinical study in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Espnes Ketil Arne , Hønnås Arne , Løvvik Tone S. , Gundersen Per Ole M. , Naavik Audhild , Skogvoll Eirik , Westin Andreas A. , Spigset Olav , Vanky Eszter
Published: December 2021

Background and objectives

Metformin is used to treat gestational diabetes. It is also used to treat women with polycystic ovary syndrome and has been shown to prevent late miscarriage and preterm birth. However, increased renal clearance during pregnancy causes a decline in serum concentrations of metformin. The aim of this study was to explore the time course of the pregnancy‐related changes in metformin pharmacokinetics and the return to the non‐pregnant state.

Method

A subgroup of women in the PregMet2 study (n = 73) agreed to provide serum samples at three time‐points in pregnancy (gestational weeks 19, 28 and 32) and once in post partum, (either 2, 4 or 8 weeks after delivery). Serum metformin concentrations were compared using a four‐parameter logistic model.

Findings

The mean steady‐state serum concentration of metformin during pregnancy was 9.39 μmoL/L, whereas the post partum concentration was 12.36 μmoL/L, an increase of 32% (p = 0,019). This change took place already during the first 2 weeks post partum.

Conclusion

Clinicians who treat pregnant women with metformin should be aware of the significant decrease in metformin concentration mediated by pregnancy, and the rapid increase after delivery, as it may impact both the therapeutic efficacy and the risk of adverse drug reactions.
Label‐free 3D characterization of cardiac fibrosis in muscular dystrophy using SHG imaging of cleared tissue
Authors: Pichon Julien , Ledevin Mireille , Larcher Thibaut , Jamme Frédéric , Rouger Karl , Dubreil Laurence
Published: December 2021

Background information

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the gene encoding dystrophin. It leads to repeated cycles of muscle fiber necrosis and regeneration and progressive replacement of fibers by fibrotic and adipose tissue, with consequent muscle weakness and premature death. Fibrosis and, in particular, collagen accumulation are important pathological features of dystrophic muscle. A better understanding of the development of fibrosis is crucial to enable better management of DMD. Three‐dimensional (3D) characterization of collagen organization by second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy has already proven a highly informative means of studying the fibrotic network in tissue.

Results

Here, we combine for the first‐time tissue clearing with SHG microscopy to characterize in depth the 3D cardiac fibrosis network from DMDmdx rat model. Heart sections (1‐mm‐thick) from 1‐year‐old wild‐type (WT) and DMDmdx rats were cleared using the CUBIC protocol. SHG microscopy revealed significantly greater collagen deposition in DMDmdx versus WT sections. Analyses revealed a specific pattern of SHG+ segmented objects in DMDmdx cardiac muscle, characterized by a less elongated shape and increased density. Compared with the observed alignment of SHG+ collagen fibers in WT rats, profound fiber disorganization was observed in DMDmdx rats, in which we observed two distinct SHG+ collagen fiber profiles, which may reflect two distinct stages of the fibrotic process in DMD.

Conclusion and significance

The current work highlights the interest to combine multiphoton SHG microscopy and tissue clearing for 3D fibrosis network characterization in label free organ. It could be a relevant tool to characterize the fibrotic tissue remodeling in relation to the disease progression and/or to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic strategies in preclinical studies in DMD model or others fibrosis‐related cardiomyopathies diseases.
Maternal care and child physical health: Impact of the exposure to adverse experiences during the first year of life of vulnerable children
Authors: Scherrer Isabela Resende Silva , Moreira Janaina Matos , Alves Claudia Regina Lindgren
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can negatively affect children's current and future health.

Objectives

This study aims to analyse the impact of ACE on the health of 12‐month‐old infants assessed by a Physical Health and Maternal Care Indicator (ISCM).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort including 170 infants born in two public services for high‐risk births in Brazil. ISCM gathers information that reflects maternal care and the child's health throughout the first year of life, such as vaccination, nutrition, growth, illnesses and accidents. The ACE impact on ISCM was analysed by multiple linear regression, and the d‐Cohen test estimated its effect size. Spearman's correlation was used to analyse the cumulative ACE effect, measured by a score reflecting events such as family dysfunction, maternal mental health, poverty and exposure to violence.

Results

Most infants were born prematurely (71.7%), had low birthweight (64.7%) and were exposed to three ACEs on average. The ISCM was lower in children exposed to maternal depression (P < 0.001, d‐Cohen = 0.08), substance abuse by family members (P = 0.02, d‐Cohen = 0.6) and marital conflicts (P = 0.03, d‐Cohen = 0.7). The Spearman's correlation showed that the greater the exposure to ACEs, the lower the ISCM (r = −0.40, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Exposure to ACE, especially in the family environment, had negative effect on maternal care and child health. The impact could be detected in the first year of life and had cumulative effect. Our findings indicate the need for a broader approach to child health to minimize ACE's impacts.
Associations between interpersonal behavior and friendship quality in childhood and adolescence: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Dryburgh Nicole S. J. , Ponath Emma , Bukowski William M. , Dirks Melanie A.
Published: December 2021

This meta‐analysis examined concurrent associations between aggression, withdrawal, assertion, and prosocial behavior and each of positive and negative friendship quality across studies with 22,657 children and adolescents (Mage = 11.71 years; 51.7% girls; 67.7% White). Studies were published between 1995 to 2021 and 32.4% were conducted outside of North America. Aggression was linked to more negative,  = .19, 95% CI [.14, .24], and less positive,  = −.05 [−.08, −.01], friendships. Withdrawal was associated with less positive friendships,  = −.13 [−.18, −.08], whereas prosocial behavior was related to more positive,  = .29 [.22, .37], as well as less negative,  = −.16 [−.20, −.12], friendships. Assertion was related to more positive friendships,  = .15 [.01, .28].
Stroke‐Based Drawing and Inbetweening with Boundary Strokes
Authors: Jiang Jie , Seah Hock Soon , Liew Hong Ze
Published: December 2021

In conventional 2D drawing systems, a drawing usually consists of multiple layers and is composited by rendering layers from back to front. A shape in a higher layer occludes contents in lower layers. However, shapes must have boundaries that form closed regions for occlusion. This limitation causes problems in occlusion resolution. We therefore propose a method to allow users to specify and resolve occlusion in stroke‐based drawing with boundary strokes. Rather than defining shapes, we introduce boundary strokes, which are strokes with occluding sides that work as occluding surfaces. We further introduce a series of user interactions, such as grouping, linking and inverting, on the boundary strokes to realize different occlusion effects. Geometry is then used to find the regions of occluding surfaces to resolve occlusion. The drawings are ready to be coloured, if needed. We extend our method to resolve occlusion in 2D stroke‐based inbetweening. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method by applying it to resolve occlusion in single drawings and 2D stroke‐based inbetweening.
Intravenous immunoglobulin in heart transplant recipients with mild to moderate hypogammaglobulinemia and infection
Authors: Hoang Johnny , Krisl Jill , Moaddab Mozhgon , Nguyen Duc T. , Graviss Edward A. , Hussain Imad , Kassi Mahwash , Yousefzai Rayan , Kim Ju , Trachtenberg Barry , Bhimaraj Arvind , Guha Ashrith
Published: December 2021

Background

Hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG) is a complication of solid organ transplantation leading to increased risk of infections. Intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) replacement in patients with HGG may be able to reduce risk and morbidity associated with infection; however, there is scarce data about IVIG in mild to moderate HGG (IgG 400–700 mg/dl) and heart transplant recipients.

Methods

A single center, retrospective study was performed in heart transplant recipients with mild (IgG 500–700 mg/dl) to moderate (IgG 400–499 mg/dl) HGG in the presence of an infection.

Results

Forty‐two patients were included in this study; 19 patients (45.2%) received IVIG and 23 (54.8%) patients did not. Patients in the IVIG group received on average one dose of IVIG at 0.5 g/kg. No differences in incidence of new infection at 3 months (26.3% vs. 17.4%; P = .71) and 6 months (42.1% vs. 34.8%; P = .63) were observed between the IVIG and non‐IVIG groups. Infections based on mild or moderate HGG also had no differences at 3 and 6 months.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that a single infusion of IVIG in mild to moderate HGG may have little to no benefit in reducing incidence of new infections. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Non‐tariff measures, product quality and import demand
Authors: Yue Kan
Published: December 2021

This article examines how trade effect of non‐tariff measures (NTMs) differs across quality segments of import market. NTMs reduce total import and force exit, while import from continuing partners increases, as well as their prices. Such effects are especially large for low‐end varieties. We construct a model to explain the difference between NTMs and tariffs and the various effects of NTMs at the low end of the quality distribution. We model two competing effects. First, NTMs impose minimum quality standard. Second, NTMs also inform consumers about import quality in a way that is particularly advantageous to low‐end varieties. The model predicts how these competing effects can force exit, while also altering market shares of continuing varieties.
Horizontal and vertical differentiation in comic art auctions
Authors: Blazy Régis , Blum Marie
Published: December 2021

This study investigates how vertical (quality‐related) and horizontal (taste‐related) differentiation influences the probability of sale and market price of auctioned artworks. We explore a new art market, namely, original comic works. By including unsold lots, we correct the selection bias commonly found in the literature. We propose an original set of variables accounting for vertical differentiation in this market (i.e., commercial and critical successes, the artist's reputation, role, and recognition). Vertically differentiated artworks do not sell better, but warrant a premium. Regarding horizontal differentiation, newly explored variables have a significant effect on sales and (often) auction prices.
Administration of BDNF in the ventral tegmental area produces a switch from a nicotine‐non‐dependent D1R‐mediated motivational state to a nicotine‐dependent‐like D2R‐mediated motivational state
Authors: Grieder Taryn E. , Yee Mandy , Vargas‐Perez Hector , Maal‐Bared Geith , George Susan , Ting‐A‐Kee Ryan , George Olivier , van der Kooy Derek
Published: December 2021

Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in the transition from a non‐dependent motivational state to a drug‐dependent and drug‐withdrawn motivational state. Chronic nicotine can increase BDNF in the rodent brain and is associated with smoking severity in humans; however, it is unknown whether this increased BDNF is linked functionally to the switch from a nicotine‐non‐dependent to a nicotine‐dependent state. We used a place conditioning paradigm to measure the conditioned responses to nicotine, showing that a dose of acute nicotine that non‐dependent male mice find aversive is found rewarding in chronic nicotine‐treated mice experiencing withdrawal. A single BDNF injection in the ventral tegmental area (in the absence of chronic nicotine treatment) caused mice to behave as if they were nicotine dependent and in withdrawal, switching the neurobiological substrate mediating the conditioned motivational effects from dopamine D1 receptors to D2 receptors. Quantification of gene expression of BDNF and its receptor, tropomyosin‐receptor‐kinase B (TrkB), revealed an increase in TrkB mRNA but not BDNF mRNA in the VTA in nicotine‐dependent and nicotine‐withdrawn mice. These results suggest that BDNF signalling in the VTA is a critical neurobiological substrate for the transition to nicotine dependence. The modulation of BDNF signalling may be a promising new pharmacological avenue for the treatment of addictive behaviour.
Mate finding in a mimetic termitophile amidst its host termites
Authors: Castiblanco Julieth , Lima Bárbara Soares Amoroso , de Carvalho Yuri Carvalho , Clemente Lara Oliveira , Pisno Raul Marques , DeSouza Og
Published: December 2021

A frequently overlooked cost can be involved in mimetic termitophily: excess resemblance to the model may compromise intraspecific recognition lowering fitness for the mimic. We address this problem, inspecting mate‐finding behavioural strategies used by Corotoca spp. rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) which obligatorily cohabit the termitaria of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae). In a bioassay, we show that whole‐body chemical extracts of these rove beetles (i) elicit behavioural activity, (ii) are perceivable by contact, (iii) can be used by Corotoca spp. to disguise themselves as a termite, and (iv) elicit a trail‐following behaviour similar to the "innate" one elicited by termites on themselves. In another bioassay using a Y‐shaped olfactometer, we show that beetles, despite disguising themselves, preserve their identity by employing long‐range signals to find mates amidst a termite crowd. Our data suggest that Corotoca beetles have developed different strategies (i) to bypass the nestmate recognition performed by termites (mimicking short‐range signals) and (ii) to preserve the ability to encounter their beetle conspecifics (perceiving long‐range signals). In conclusion, our results indicate that termitophiles such as Corotoca spp, while highly integrated in termite colonies, are still able to perform conspecific recognition.
Regional‐based multi‐module spatial–temporal networks predicting city‐wide taxi pickup/dropoff demand from origin to destination
Authors: Abideen Zain Ul , Sun Heli , Yang Zhou , Fahim Hamza
Published: December 2021

Taxi demand forecasting from origin to destination (OD) is an important component in managing public transportation needs on a city‐wide scale. Accurate taxi demand forecasting may provide several benefits, including economic and traffic flow optimization. However, due to complicated spatial–temporal connections and irregular distant locations, predicting taxi demand becomes difficult. To address these issues, we proposed a novel architecture of multi‐module spatial–temporal networks to collectively predict city‐wide OD taxi demand. In our work to deal with adjacent areas in a city, we employed the 3D convolutional neural networks to extract the spatial–temporal dependencies and learn the OD taxi demand pattern. To handle remote areas, we created an attention‐based auto encoder‐decoder, in which the input of the set of convolutional layers creates a feature matrix. The feature matrix embeds the spatial–temporal correlation jointly and passing through the encoder layer. We encode the spatial–temporal features with the help of pooling layer, then flatten layer used the back‐propagation method to decode the weight matrix. We apply the normalization function to determine the demand pattern influences. The influence vector we compute with the Euclidean distance formula to determine the similarity of all distant regions. Finally, we use the attention mechanism to calculate the attention weight score for each region that its neighbour impacted. Then we used long short‐term memory, we captured the significant relationship of spatial–temporal dependencies with external factors. We train our model simultaneously to forecast city‐wide taxi services OD. We have performed comprehensive experiments and large‐scale dataset comparisons that reveal the taxi demand prediction problem.
Black fathers' personal histories, worldviews, and fathering behaviors
Authors: Dilworth‐Bart Janean E. , Wallace Bakari , Olaiya Oona‐Ife
Published: December 2021

Objective

We examined links between boyhood and fatherhood in a thematic analysis of Black men's narratives about their childhood histories, connection of these experiences to their views about fathering, and descriptions of their fathering relationships and behaviors.

Background

There remains a critical need to understand how Black men father in a sociohistorical context that defines them as absent or deficient.

Method

We conducted in‐depth, semistructured qualitative interviews with 30 Black fathers with children in 4‐year‐old kindergarten through grade 12 education. We used life course theory and an integrative model of child development as conceptual frameworks to guide a mixed deductive–inductive analysis.

Results

We identified three categories and seven themes within the categories: Personal History (Intergenerational Relationships, Negotiating Race and Racism, Turning Points), Fathering Worldview (Being a Father: The Nurturer, The Educator; Fathering Black Children), and Fathering Relationships and Behaviors (Father–Child Interaction, Racial Armoring). We also identified fathers' explicit connections of their Personal Histories to their Fathering Worldviews and, thereby, their Fathering Relationships and Behaviors.

Conclusion

This article addresses ways that Black men make sense of their personal histories and connect these histories to how they raise their children.

Implications

This discussion of intergenerational linking of lives and turning points has significant implications for understanding Black family development in the racialized context of the United States and highlights the need for comprehensive mental health support for Black men and their families that focuses on racial trauma along with conceptual and empirical focus on impacts of anti‐Blackness on individual and family well‐being.
On the impact of knowledge and institutional spillovers on RIS efficiency. Evidence from Italian regional level
Authors: Barra Cristian , Ruggiero Nazzareno
Published: December 2021

Using regional Italian data over the 2004–2011 period, we embed, within the framework of a double‐bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), both knowledge and institutional spillovers to appraise how the latter affect Regional Innovation System (RIS) efficiency and further investigate how the quality of institutions interacts with RIS efficiency. Our evidence suggests that both knowledge and institutional spillovers enhance RIS efficiency. We find evidence of spillovers of control of corruption, government effectiveness, voice and accountability and regulatory quality, though these results crucially depend on the set of inputs employed. Once the two types of spillovers enter jointly, rather than separately, our specifications, the evidence indicates that both these spillovers positively affect RIS efficiency and their impact is quantitatively comparable. There is also some evidence of a positive effect of regional institutional quality on RIS efficiency, although the result is mediated by increased government effectiveness. In terms of policy implications, the evidence reported in this paper suggests that measures aimed at favouring cooperation among firms, that facilitate an easier imitation strategy and that improve governance are highly recommendable.