bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An allergy of society: on the question of how a societal “lockdown” becomes possible
Authors: Räwel Jörg
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Given the form of functional differentiation of modern society, a far-reaching coordination of functional systems as a dissolution of their heterarchical relationship to each other, as was apparently possible in the social “lockdown” during the corona pandemic, should have been extremely unlikely. The purpose of this study is to explain how this was nevertheless achieved.

Design/methodology/approach

From the perspective of systems theory, social action in principle does not present itself as a problem but as a solution to (latent) social problems. In the sociological analysis presented here, it is therefore precisely a matter of uncovering or pointing out those (changed) social structures in which a social “lockdown” appears as a solution.

Findings

The paper explains that with the emergence of social media through applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, a new force is establishing itself at the level of society as a system. It is one that is characterized by being highly vulnerable to moral communication. A susceptibility to morality manifests, on the one hand, through an individual differentiation of society made possible by social media – for example, in the emerging Chinese social credit system – and, on the other hand, through the specific communicative structures of the social media themselves. It is argued that social media, in the form of a moral authority with a lasting effect on society as a whole, make a significant contribution to realizing the social “lockdown.”

Originality/value

The originality of the paper results from the fact that the emergence of a new social phenomenon (“lockdown”) is explained.
Surface energetic-based analytical filling time model for flip-chip underfill process
Authors: Ng Fei Chong , Abas Mohamad Aizat
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present new analytical model for the filling times prediction in flip-chip underfill encapsulation process that is based on the surface energetic for post-bump flow.

Design/methodology/approach

The current model was formulated based on the modified regional segregation approach that consists of bump and post-bump regions. Both the expansion flow and the subsequent bumpless flow as integrated in the post-bump region were modelled considering the surface energy–work balance.

Findings

Upon validated with the past underfill experiment, the current model has the lowest root mean square deviation of 4.94 s and maximum individual deviation of 26.07%, upon compared to the six other past analytical models. Additionally, the current analytically predicted flow isolines at post-bump region are in line with the experimental observation. Furthermore, the current analytical filling times in post-bump region are in better consensus with the experimental times as compared to the previous model. Therefore, this model is regarded as an improvised version of the past filling time models.

Practical implications

The proposed analytical model enables the filling time determination for flip-chip underfill process at higher accuracy, while providing more precise and realistic post-bump flow visualization. This model could benefit the future underfill process enhancement and package design optimization works, to resolve the productivity issue of prolonged filling process.

Originality/value

The analytical underfill studies are scarce, with only seven independent analytical filling time models being developed to date. In particular, the expansion flow of detachment jump was being considered in only two previous works. Nonetheless, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no analytical model that considered the surface energies during the underfill flow or based on its energy–work balance. Instead, the previous modelling on post-bump flow was based on either kinematic or geometrical that is coupled with major assumptions.
The Conservative Nation Redivivus?
Authors: Norton Philip
Published: May 2021

This article addresses the relationship between Andrew Gamble's study of the Conservative nation and his more recent advocacy of a social democratic constitution. It argues that the former—the nature of the Conservative Party, mobilising support successfully—may serve to prevent the realisation of the latter, the Conservative view of the constitution prevailing over pressures for a new constitutional settlement for the United Kingdom. Whereas the analysis of the Conservative nation is grounded in, and can only be understood by reference to, an appreciation of political realities, the approach to constitutional change embraced by Gamble is largely apolitical, concerned primarily with ends to the neglect of means.
Assessment of butylparaben (4‐hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester)‐assisted heat treatment against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium in meat and bone meal
Authors: Ding Qiao , Ge Chongtao , Baker Robert C. , Buchanan Robert L. , Tikekar Rohan V.
Published: May 2021

Heat‐resistant foodborne pathogens have been a concern in low‐moisture foods and ingredients (LMFs). Due to low thermal conductivity of low moisture materials, thermal treatment is not efficient and may cause nutritional loss. This study investigated the enhancement of thermal treatment of meat and bone meal (MBM) at low water activity (aw) by inclusion of butylparaben (BP) as a model antimicrobial compound. Stationary phase Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Shiga toxin‐negative) or Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium was inoculated into MBM containing 0–2000 ppm BP and incubated at 55 or 60°C for up to 5 hr. A biphasic inactivation pattern was observed for both pathogens, indicating existence of potentially thermal resistant subpopulations. Addition of 1000 ppm BP to MBM (aw = 0.4) significantly lowered the D‐value at 55°C for E. coli O157:H7 (2.6 ± 0.5 hr) compared to thermal treatment alone (5.1 ± 0.6 h) during the treatment after the first 1 hr (p < 0.05), indicating that addition of BP accelerated the inactivation of thermal‐resistant subpopulation of E. coli O157:H7 in MBM. Interestingly, similar enhancement in thermal inactivation upon addition of BP was not observed in either the sensitive or resistant subpopulation of S. Typhimurium at aw of 0.4 or 0.7, which is likely caused by the higher thermal resistance developed by S. Typhimurium within a low aw environment (aw < 0.85). These results suggest that addition of certain antimicrobial compounds can improve the thermal processing efficiency in LMFs, while their efficiency against different pathogens may vary.

Practical Application

Addition of appropriate food‐grade compounds may help to improve thermal treatment efficiency in low moisture foods with varied efficiency against different pathogens. This approach has the potential to reduce the required heat treatment intensity while minimizing food safety risk.
Effect of pulsed electric field treatment on the kinetics of rehydration, textural properties, and the extraction of intracellular compounds of dried chickpeas
Authors: Andreou Varvara , Sigala Aikaterini , Limnaios Athanasios , Dimopoulos George , Taoukis Petros
Published: May 2021

This study investigated the effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) pretreatment on rehydration kinetics, firmness, and release of intracellular components of dried chickpeas during rehydration at 35 to 65°C. After soaking preconditioning, chickpeas were subjected to PEF treatments (2.5 and 3.3 kV/cm, 0.2 to 12.0 kJ/kg, 15 µs pulse width, 20 Hz frequency). PEF treated and untreated chickpeas were dried in crossflow air dryer and their rehydration at constant seed/water ratio of 1:5 was studied for 24 hr. During rehydration, moisture, firmness, and concentration of released proteins, carbohydrates and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) were determined and described using appropriate mathematical models. PEF treatment led to up to 70% higher rehydration rates of dried chickpeas. This increase corresponds to rehydration time of approximately 1.5 hr, as opposed to 5 hr for untreated samples. Firmness of PEF treated chickpeas (for energy inputs higher than 3 kJ/kg) during rehydration decreased up to 30% compared to untreated samples. The firmness of untreated samples after 300 min of rehydration was achieved at much shorter times (up to 30 min) for PEF treated samples. At the end of 300 min of rehydration, more than 47.7%, 76.1%, and 86.6% of total raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose, respectively has been extracted, but only 0.03% of nutritionally valuable proteins from PEF treated chickpeas. Consequently, this study demonstrates that PEF processing could be implemented in dried chickpeas processing as pretreatment, for the reduction of rehydration time prior to cooking and of intestinal discomfort caused by RFO.
Pseudocirrhosis caused by lung adenocarcinoma with diffuse liver metastasis: An autopsy case report
Authors: Nakano Sachiko , Suzuki Tsukasa , Takase Yoshiaki , Ito Masashi , Osaki Takashi , Yoshii Akihiro , Terauchi Takashi
Published: May 2021

We describe a rare case of a 64‐year‐old man with lung adenocarcinoma with lymph node and bone metastases who developed pseudocirrhosis. Initial examination revealed a hepatic disorder of unknown cause with narrowing of the portal vein and a low‐density area surrounding the portal veins in computed tomography (CT) imaging. Diffuse liver metastasis was diagnosed after percutaneous liver biopsy. During chemotherapy, liver atrophy and irregular liver surface appearance were confirmed with CT. Eventually, the disease progressed to death, and an autopsy was performed. The autopsy demonstrated exacerbation of diffuse liver metastases and cirrhosis‐like findings.
Tensor envelope mixture model for simultaneous clustering and multiway dimension reduction
Authors: Deng Kai , Zhang Xin
Published: May 2021

In the form of multidimensional arrays, tensor data have become increasingly prevalent in modern scientific studies and biomedical applications such as computational biology, brain imaging analysis, and process monitoring system. These data are intrinsically heterogeneous with complex dependencies and structure. Therefore, ad‐hoc dimension reduction methods on tensor data may lack statistical efficiency and can obscure essential findings. Model‐based clustering is a cornerstone of multivariate statistics and unsupervised learning; however, existing methods and algorithms are not designed for tensor‐variate samples. In this article, we propose a tensor envelope mixture model (TEMM) for simultaneous clustering and multiway dimension reduction of tensor data. TEMM incorporates tensor‐structure‐preserving dimension reduction into mixture modeling and drastically reduces the number of free parameters and estimative variability. An expectation‐maximization‐type algorithm is developed to obtain likelihood‐based estimators of the cluster means and covariances, which are jointly parameterized and constrained onto a series of lower dimensional subspaces known as the tensor envelopes. We demonstrate the encouraging empirical performance of the proposed method in extensive simulation studies and a real data application in comparison with existing vector and tensor clustering methods.
The dynamic mix of heutagogy and technology: Preparing learners for lifelong learning
Authors: Blaschke Lisa Marie
Published: May 2021

With the swift pivot to online learning, teachers and students have been forced to adopt a new way of teaching and learning, which has required students to become more self‐directed in their learning. In addition, teachers are faced with the challenge of preparing students for the workforce and lifelong learning. One emerging approach for addressing both these challenges is that of heutagogy, or self‐determined learning. This paper discusses the rising demand for lifelong learning skills and the role that heutagogy can play in supporting students in developing self‐directed and lifelong learning skills. Specifically, the paper presents a case study of a higher education institution that has introduced heutagogy, using interviews with programme leaders/instructors to investigate how a college in Israel incorporated heutagogy into their master's education programmes. Case study results reveal that there are challenges in incorporating heutagogy (eg, difficulty for students in adopting the approach), but once adopted, students preferred learning in a self‐determined way.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic?

Lifelong learning skills are critical to student employability, and there is a need for exploring new theories and approaches for developing these skills.

The current pandemic has forced traditional learning into the online space, requiring more self‐directed learning skills in learners.

Heutagogy has been identified as a net‐centric teaching and learning theory for online learning.

What this paper adds

Positions heutagogy for use in traditional and online classroom settings in order to develop learners' self‐directed and lifelong learning skills.

Explores the pedagogy‐andragogy‐heutagogy continuum and its use as an instructional strategy.

Presents a case study of a higher education institution that has implemented self‐determined learning.

Implications for practice and/or policy

This study encourages further research into use of heutagogy for developing self‐directed and lifelong learning skills.

This study provides guidance for those who want to introduce self‐determined learning into classroom settings.
Translational PK/PD and model‐informed development of JNJ‐67842125, a Fab reversal agent for JNJ‐64179375, a long‐acting thrombin inhibitor
Authors: Ayyar Vivaswath S. , Jaiprasart Pharavee , Geist Brian , Huang Devine Zheng , Case Martin , Hazra Anasuya , Hsu Chyi‐Hung , Chintala Madhu , Wang Weirong
Published: May 2021

Background and Purpose

Antigen‐binding fragment (Fab) reversal agents were developed to reverse, in bleeding emergency, the long‐acting anticoagulant effect of JNJ‐64179375 (JNJ‐9375), a monoclonal antibody that binds exosite‐1 on thrombin.

Experimental Approach

The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) activities of three reversal agents of varying in vitro binding affinities to JNJ‐9375 were characterised in cynomolgus monkeys. The time course of JNJ‐9375 anticoagulant activity and reversal effects of each agent were evaluated. A mechanism‐based PK/PD model, which integrated free serum concentrations of reversal agent, total and free serum concentrations of JNJ‐9375, and thrombin time, was developed to quantitatively relate JNJ‐9375 neutralisation to reversal of induced thrombin time prolongation. Model‐based allometric scale‐up of the lead reversal agent and the PK/PD relationship of JNJ‐9375 in healthy volunteers were utilised to predict clinical dosing regimens.

Key Results

Lowering of free JNJ‐9375 by the reversal agents corresponded with reversal of thrombin time prolongation. Total JNJ‐9375 displayed typical mAb clearance at 2.75 ml·day−1·kg−1, whereas reversal agents cleared faster between 1400 and 2400 ml·day−1·kg−1. The model‐estimated in vivo KD values for JNJ‐9375 reversal agents were 9 nM (ICHB‐256), 0.4 nM (ICHB‐281) and 13.7 pM (ICHB‐164), in rank‐ordered agreement of their KD values determined in vitro. The three reversal agents exhibited different neutralisation characteristics in vivo, governed primarily by their binding kinetics to JNJ‐9375. The model predicted a priori free JNJ‐9375 kinetics after dosing ICHB‐164 (JNJ‐67842125) and JNJ‐9375 under a different regimen.

Conclusion and Implications

The results enabled selection of JNJ‐67842125 as the reversal agent for JNJ‐9375.
Evolutionary Iterated Local Search meta‐heuristic for the antenna positioning problem in cellular networks
Authors: Benmezal Larbi , Benhamou Belaid , Boughaci Dalila
Published: May 2021

Radio network planning is a core problem in cellular networks. It includes coverage, capacity and parameter planning. This paper investigates the Antenna Positioning Problem (APP) which is a main task in cellular networks planning. The aim is to find a trade‐off between maximizing coverage and minimizing costs. APP is the task of selecting a subset of potential locations where installing the base stations to cover the entire area. In theory, the APP is NP‐hard. To solve it in practice, we propose a new meta‐heuristic called Evolutionary Iterated Local Search that merges the local search method and some evolutionary operations of crossover and mutation. The proposed method is implemented and evaluated on realistic, synthetic and random instances of the problem of different sizes. The numerical results and the comparison with the state‐of‐the‐art show that the proposed method succeeds in finding good results for the considered problem.
Pleural effusion in a patient with Ewing sarcoma
Authors: Frankel Diane , Kaspi Elise , Bouvier Corinne , Roll Patrice
Published: May 2021

Quiz related to cytological examination of pleural effusion in a patient with history of Ewing sarcoma.
Assessing the impact of Queensland's late‐night alcohol restrictions using health system data
Authors: Livingston Michael , Coomber Kerri , de Andrade Dominique , Taylor Nicholas , Ferris Jason , Puljević Cheneal , Miller Peter G.
Published: May 2021

Introduction and Aims

In an attempt to reduce alcohol‐related harm in night‐time entertainment precincts, the Queensland state government (Australia) introduced the Tackling Alcohol‐Fuelled Violence strategy in July 2016, including restrictions on late‐night service of alcohol and—later—compulsory ID scanners at venues. In this article, we examined the impact of these changes on emergency department (ED) presentations and hospital admissions for alcohol‐related harm.

Design and Methods

We used data on ED presentations (July 2009–June 2019) and hospital admissions (July 2009–December 2018). Interrupted time series models using seasonal auto‐regressive integrated moving average methods were developed to test the impact of the policy change on presentations for alcohol intoxication, any injury or maxillofacial fractures, and admissions for rates of assault‐related injuries or maxillofacial fractures. Analyses were conducted using state‐wide Queensland data with a sub‐analysis focussing on major Brisbane hospitals.

Results

The introduction of 3 am last drinks and mandatory ID scanners had no significant impact on most outcome measures, either across the state or within Brisbane. State‐wide, there was a significant decline in ED injury presentations following the introduction of mandatory ID scanners.

Discussion and Conclusions

The introduction of the Tackling Alcohol‐Fuelled Violence strategy in Queensland Safe Night Precincts was potentially associated with a small reduction in injury presentations to EDs. The lack of other impacts may relate to the relative lack of specificity in health system data, which challenges in the implementation of the Tackling Alcohol‐Fuelled Violence policies or other local factors.
Fire, drought and flooding rains: The effect of climatic extremes on bird species’ responses to time since fire
Authors: Connell Jemima , Hall Mark A. , Nimmo Dale G. , Watson Simon J. , Clarke Michael F.
Published: May 2021

Aim

Climatic extremes and fire affect ecosystems across the globe, yet our understanding of how species are influenced by the interaction of these broadscale ecological drivers is poorly understood. Using a ten‐year dataset, we tested how extreme drought and rainfall interacted with time since fire (TSF) to shape bird species’ distributions.

Location

Semi‐arid mallee woodlands of south‐eastern Australia.

Methods

We quantified the effects of climatic extremes on bird species’ occurrence, species richness and incidence at 180 sites across three climatic periods—an El Niño‐associated drought (the “Big Dry”), immediately after La Niña drought‐breaking rainfall (“Big Wet”) and three years following the La Niña event (“Post‐Big Wet”). We then compared species’ responses with TSF across the three climatic periods using a chronosequence of sites from 1 to 117 years post‐fire.

Results

La Niña rainfall had sustained impacts on species’ occurrence. Over half of species increased significantly during the Big Wet. Despite three intervening years of below‐average rainfall, three quarters of these species remained comparably high, Post‐Big Wet. By contrast, less than half of threatened and declining species benefited from high rainfall. Responses of species to TSF were found to differ contingent on climatic conditions: almost twice as many species responded to TSF during the Big Wet and almost three times as many Post‐Big Wet, compared with the Big Dry. Across climatic periods, a majority of species showed preference for mid to older post‐fire vegetation.

Main conclusions

Variation in responses to TSF is likely due to the effect of climatic variation on resources. We suggest that, at sites of different post‐fire age, interactions between TSF and climate may differentially influence both the availability and longevity of resources. Given climatic extremes are predicted to become increasingly severe with climate change, accounting for their influence on fauna–fire dynamics will require careful management of fire.
Safety and effectiveness of metformin in patients with reduced renal function: A systematic review
Authors: Orloff Jeremy , Min Jea Young , Mushlin Alvin , Flory James
Published: May 2021

Aim

To examine clinical and safety outcomes associated with metformin use in patients with impaired renal function.

Materials and Methods

We searched PubMed and Embase databases from inception to August 2020, supplementing our search with a review of investigator files and reference lists of included studies. Any study reporting original data on metformin and patient‐centred outcomes in patients with impaired renal function, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2, was included. Post hoc meta‐analysis was performed for the outcomes of mortality, cardiovascular events and acidosis.

Results

Nine small prospective studies enrolling patients with significantly impaired renal function identified only one case of clinically apparent lactic acidosis. Among 13 larger retrospective studies, seven examined the risk of mortality across patient subgroups; meta‐analysis showed reductions in overall mortality at an eGFR of 45 mL/min/1.73m2 or higher but not at an eGFR of less than 45 mL/min/1.73m2. Eight retrospective studies evaluated acidosis as an outcome; meta‐analysis showed no increase in risk of acidosis except at an eGFR of less than 30 mL/min/1.73m2, in which group the HR was 1.97 (95% CI 1.03–3.77).

Conclusions

The literature shows metformin to be associated with reduced mortality and no increased risk of acidosis at an eGFR of 45 mL/min/1.73m2 or higher. Metformin appears to be associated with fewer benefits and possible increases in the risk of acidosis at an eGFR of less than 30 mL/min/1.73m2. Consistent with US Food and Drug Administration guidelines, metformin should not be used at an eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73m2, and further research on its risk‐benefit profile at eGFR values approaching 30 mL/min/1.73m2 is warranted.
If People Think of Brand & Experience as One and the Same, Why Don't Marketers?
Authors: Thomas Billy
Published: May 2021

Whether treated as separate initiatives within the same department or managed by multiple teams in far corners of the same company, branding work and customer experience design is largely disconnected.

The pandemic has pushed for a more meaningful, considered connection between business, technology, and people—proving that your consumer's experience is your brand. So where to focus dollars right now: brand or CX? Why not both?
How Do We Get Paid for This? Beating the Commodity Trap Using Design‐based Differentiation to Maintain Pricing Power
Authors: Parkman Ian D.
Published: May 2021

Design‐based differentiation represents a set of product development strategies focused on using insights about the emotional, social, and cultural contexts in which offerings are used by the customer to enhance the emotional appeal, aesthetics, styling, ergonomics, core technology, and quality of products and services.

If you thought of socks as a dull commodity, think again. This fascinating case study illustrates how Nike's Elite socks became a game changer.
Designing Online Mediation for the New Normal
Authors: Jang Sukwoo , Nam Ki‐Young
Published: May 2021

The power of design for looking deep into people's concerns and coming up with creative solutions to resolve issues can be unleashed in defusing a hostile situation before it escalates to an expensive and damaging litigation.

Everything has changed around the world this past year, including an increased number of disputes stemming from pandemic‐induced disruptions. Design has a role to play in developing systems for resolving these issues.
A Mediator's Perspective
Authors: Brown T. Andrew
Published: May 2021

Use of ADR for resolving disputes is here to stay and will, no doubt, continue to grow.

A primer on some differences between arbitration and mediation, the importance of the human element in resolving disputes, as well as ways that AI might be able to help.
Design, Ethics, and Humanism
Authors: Guellerin Christian
Published: May 2021

But what is left of Design, the humanist discipline born of the applied arts? What is left of the “unique human dimension and the esthetic values of traditional, small‐scale production”?

Design has always been a humanistic activity that looks to the future to create innovative solutions to the problems that people face. Has this role changed in today's world?
A simple null model predicts the island rule
Authors: Biddick Matt , Burns Kevin C.
Published: May 2021

The island rule is a putative pattern in island evolution, where small species become larger on islands and large species become smaller. Despite decades of study, a mechanistic explanation for why some taxonomic groups obey the island rule, while others do not, has yet to be identified. Here, we explore whether the island rule might result from evolutionary drift. We derived a simulation model that predicts evolutionary size changes on islands based on random evolutionary trajectories along bounded trait domains. The model consistently predicted the island rule and could account for its occurrence in plants inhabiting islands in the Southwest Pacific. When support for the island rule was not detected, insular gigantism was often observed, suggesting that natural selection was at work. Overall results indicate that evolutionary drift can provide a parsimonious explanation for the island rule, suggesting future work should focus on circumstances where it does not occur.
Balancing Trade‐Offs in the Detection of Primary Schools at Risk
Authors: Savi Alexander O. , Cornelisz Ilja , Sjerps Matthias J. , Greup Steffen L. , Bres Chris M. , van Klaveren Chris
Published: May 2021

The quality assurance and evaluation of primary schools requires early risk detection. This is a daunting task, not only because risks are typically rare and their origins complex, but also because governing institutions have limited resources and capacity and desire efficiency and proportionality. Many countries, including most Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries, use inspections to detect schools at risk. In order to aid these efforts, we first evaluate various case‐based prediction models, and then propose a principled exploit–explore procedure for organizing school inspections. We demonstrate these methods using data from the Dutch Inspectorate of Education, which monitors the regulatory compliance of roughly 6,000 primary schools. The approach has the potential to balance the benefits of prioritizing inspections of predicted high‐risk schools on the one hand, with the benefits of verifying predicted risks and causal impact evaluations of school inspections on the other hand.
Divergence in heritable life history traits suggests potential for local adaptation and trade‐offs associated with a coal ash disposal site
Authors: Flynn R. Wesley , Welch Allison M. , Lance Stacey L.
Published: May 2021

Globally, human activities have resulted in rapid environmental changes that present unique challenges for wildlife. However, investigations of local adaptation in response to simultaneous exposure to multiple anthropogenic selection pressures are rare and often generate conflicting results. We used an in situ reciprocal transplant design within a quantitative genetic framework to examine how adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity contribute to the persistence of an amphibian population inhabiting an environment characterized by high levels of multiple toxic trace elements. We found evidence of phenotypic divergence that is largely consistent with local adaptation to an environment contaminated with multiple chemical stressors, tied to potential trade‐offs in the absence of contaminants. Specifically, the population derived from the contaminated environment had a reduced risk of mortality and greater larval growth and in the contaminated environment, relative to offspring from the naïve population. Further, while survival in the uncontaminated environment was not compromised in offspring from the contaminant‐exposed population, they did show delayed development and reduced growth rates over larval development, relative to the naïve population. We found no evidence of reduced additive genetic variation in the contaminant‐exposed population, suggesting long‐term selection in a novel environment has not reduced the evolutionary potential of that population. We also saw little evidence that past selection in the ASH environment had reduced trait plasticity in the resident population. Maternal effects were prominent in early development, but we did not detect any trends suggesting these effects were associated with the maternal transfer of toxic trace elements. Our results demonstrate the potential for adaptation to multiple contaminants in a wild amphibian population, which may have facilitated long‐term persistence in a heavily impacted environment.
Following historical “tracks” of hair follicle miniaturisation in patterned hair loss: Are elastin bodies the forgotten aetiology?
Authors: Rushton D. Hugh , Westgate Gillian E. , Van Neste Dominique J.
Published: May 2021

Pattern hair loss (PHL) is a chronic regressive condition of the scalp, where follicular miniaturisation and decreased scalp hair coverage occurs in affected areas. In all PHL cases, there is a measurable progressive shortening of the terminal hair growth duration, along with reduced linear growth rates. In both genders, PHL initially shows an increase in short telogen hairs ≤30 mm in length, reflecting a cycle completion of under 6 months in affected terminal hair follicles. To understand the miniaturisation process, we re‐examine the dynamics of miniaturisation and ask the question, “why do miniaturised hair follicles resist treatment?” In the light of recent developments in relation to hair regeneration, we looked back in the older literature for helpful clues “lost to time” and reprise a 1978 Hermann Pinkus observation of an array of elastin deposits beneath the dermal papilla following subsequent anagen/telogen transitions in male balding, originally described by Arao and Perkins who concluded that these changes provide a “morphologic marker of the entire biologic process in the balding scalp.” Thus, we have reviewed the role of the elastin‐like bodies in hair pathology and we propose that alterations in elastin architecture may contribute to the failure of vellus‐like hair reverting back to their terminal status and may indicate a new area for therapeutic intervention.
The residual dentition among home‐based older New Zealanders receiving living support
Authors: Hyland Natalie F. , Smith Moira B. , Thomson William M.
Published: May 2021

Background

There have been no detailed descriptions of residual dentition patterns among older people living in the community.

Objectives

To describe the residual dentition and associated oral health‐related quality of life among older New Zealanders living in their own homes with government‐funded assistance.

Materials and Methods

Using nationally representative data, we determined the residual dentition arrangement and Kennedy classification for each dental arch. Individuals were categorised according to their maxillary‐mandibular dental configuration and prosthesis use. Data were weighted to make the estimates generalisable to the source population.

Results

Of the 895 clinically examined participants, 47.8% were dentate. One‐quarter of those had maxillary tooth‐bound saddles opposing a partially dentate mandible. Pasifika (people of Pacific Islands ethnicity) were most likely to have retained all of their dentition, while only the Māori ethnic group had no participants with a dentate arch. Only one in three of those with partially dentate upper and lower arches wore any maxillary denture; one in ten wore some form of mandibular denture. Partial dentures were common among those with an opposing edentulous jaw. Maxillary partial dentures were twice as common as their mandibular counterparts.

Conclusion

Residual dentition patterns in older people are diverse and complex, and meeting their prosthodontic needs is not straightforward.
Odonata metacommunity structure in northern ecosystems is driven by temperature and latitude
Authors: Cerini Francesco , Bombi Pierluigi , Cannings Robert , Vignoli Leonardo
Published: May 2021

The metacommunity concept, defined as a set of local communities connected by species dispersal, provides deep understanding of large‐scale ecological processes. The elements of the metacommunity structure (EMS) framework use occurrence data to differentiate among different patterns (i.e., checkerboard, nestedness, species turnover).

Metacommunities of tropical Odonata show species turnover following latitude and temperature gradients but there are no such large‐scale studies for other regions. We performed EMS analysis with data for the Odonata of British Columbia, Canada, testing the role of five environmental variables (temperature, latitude, altitude, precipitation, landcover typology) in structuring the metacommunities and their turnover.

The suborder Anisoptera drives the general pattern, with the communities showing a Clementsian‐type response (groups of species that replace each other along the environmental gradients) following temperature and latitude ordering. The Clementsian pattern determined by site temperatures reflects the turnover from a group of cold‐adapted species to one of warm‐adapted species, separated by many species with more generalised temperature requirements. Similarly, the Clementsian pattern associated with the latitude gradient indicates the substitution of a low‐latitude group in the south with a high‐latitude group in the north. The sites ordered by landcover did not show significant coherence and turnover.

In a macro‐scale framework, Odonata species assemblages seem to be sensitive to the climatic and geographic variables of local sites (i.e., temperature and latitude), regardless of the surrounding habitat typology. The role of such variables in shaping the assembly of Odonata communities should be considered in large‐scale management and conservation projects.
The effect of nickel doping on the microstructure and conductivity of Ca(Ti,Al)O3–δ for solid oxide fuel cells
Authors: Nasani Narendar , Gavinola Srinivas R. , Graca Vanessa , Allu Amarnath R. , Reddy Raghu C. , Kale Bharat B.
Published: May 2021

The ABO3 type perovskite oxide‐based ceramic membranes are one of the most important classes of materials for high‐temperature solid oxide fuel cell applications. The acceptor‐doped calcium titanate (CaTiO3) perovskite has attracted considerable attention as an oxide ion‐conducting membrane due to its potentially high ionic conductivity and excellent stability. Nonetheless, the ionic conductivity of the material must still be improved. Following the strategy of the substitution of dopants on the B‐site, the current work is focused on exploring the effect of Al and Ni additions on electrical properties, by studying the nominal compositions CaTi0.7Al0.3–xNixO3−δ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3). The materials were synthesized by the sol–gel method and studied as a function of phase composition, microstructure, and electrical properties. The results demonstrate an increase of both total and specific grain boundary conductivity with increasing Ni content, while predominant p‐type behavior is shown under oxygen‐rich atmosphere.
Geographic and subsequent biotic isolations led to a diversity anomaly of section Heterotropa (genus Asarum: Aristolochiaceae) in insular versus continental regions of the Sino‐Japanese Floristic Region
Authors: Takahashi Daiki , Sakaguchi Shota , Feng Yu , Isagi Yuji , Qiu Ying‐Xiong , Li Pan , Lu Rui‐Sen , Lu Chang‐Tse , Chung Shih‐Wen , Lin Yang‐Shan , Chen Yun‐Chao , Nagano Atsushi J. , Kawaguchi Lina , Setoguchi Hiroaki
Published: May 2021

Aim

The Sino‐Japanese Floristic Region has extremely high species diversity with respect to temperate plants; however, the reasons for this diversity are poorly understood because most studies have only considered geographic isolation caused by climatic oscillations. In some plant groups, high floral trait diversity and uneven species diversity between insular systems and the continental area suggest other factors may have important roles too. The primary purpose of this study is to reveal how abiotic and biotic factors have shaped the species diversity anomaly of Heterotropa between the insular systems and the continental area.

Location

The Sino‐Japanese Floristic Region.

Taxon

Section Heterotropa (genus Asarum; Aristolochiaceae).

Methods

Using ddRAD‐seq and chloroplast genome data, we built a time‐calibrated phylogenetic tree including 79 species. We estimated the patterns of floral traits (flowering time and floral size) evolution using macroevolutionary modelling, and tested the correlation of speciation rate with the trait evolution rates. Finally, we estimated the isolation factors of all taxa pairs and sister‐taxa pairs based on distribution range and floral traits.

Results

Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Heterotropa was diverged into two clades (continental clade and insular clade) in the Miocene, and the major subclades corresponded to geographic entities. Most rate shifts accelerating floral trait's evolution occurred during the Pleistocene period. Evolution rate of floral traits showed positive correlation with the speciation rate. Large proportion of taxa in the insular clade are distributed allopatrically. Several sister pairs showed floral trait divergence with geographic overlap.

Main Conclusions

The diversification of Heterotropa appears to have been triggered by geographic and climatic events, and subsequent repeated floral trait evolution with and without geographic isolation. Furthermore, the high species diversity in the insular systems would have been formed by the repeated range fragmentations and contractions. Our study demonstrates the importance of multidimensional studies to understand the diversification process of temperate plants in the Sino‐Japanese Floristic Region.
Quantitative and molecular genetics of child and adolescent mental health disorders: Recent advances, knowledge gaps and directions for future research
Authors: Larsson Henrik
Published: May 2021

Quantitative and molecular genetic research studies have already contributed substantially to increase the understanding of the links and boundaries across different child and adolescent mental health conditions and between child and adult forms of psychopathology. Several findings have been replicated across quantitative and molecular genetic methods, and across clinical and population‐based samples. An important task for future quantitative and molecular genetic research is to advance the understanding of how childhood psychopathology unfolds into adult forms of psychopathology, and to reveal the etiologic relationships across different forms of psychopathology. In the years to come, we can expect further breakthroughs in the genetics of child and adolescent mental health disorders to come from converging evidence across different quantitative and molecular genetic methods.
Factors that influence community hospital involvement in clinical trials: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Wang Mei , Dolovich Lisa , Holbrook Anne , Jack Susan M.
Published: May 2021

Rationale, aims and objectives

The successful conduct of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is often impeded by recruitment difficulties. Community hospitals see large volumes of patients but rarely participate in trials. The objective of this study was to explore how research stakeholders identify and understand the contextual, organizational, research, and individual‐level factors that influence the engagement of community hospitals in Ontario to participate in RCTs as partner sites.

Methods

In this descriptive, qualitative study, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 18 individuals who are familiar with the processes associated with engaging community hospitals for research or recruiting participants from these sites into trials. Demographic data were summarized using descriptive statistics. The principles of conventional content analysis were used to code, categorize and synthesize the interview data.

Results

Informed by participants' descriptions, the results were organized within three unique stages that describe the process of recruitment within community hospitals: (a) community hospital engagement; (b) initiation of the project in the community hospitals; and (c) recruiting patients. The key barriers were the invisibility of the community hospitals to research investigators and the lack of research infrastructure in most of the community hospitals. Increased communication and sharing of resources between academic centers and community hospitals facilitated recruitment across all three stages.

Conclusion

Our results illustrated a willingness of community hospitals to participate in RCTs, but a lack of capacity for research. Additional efforts by trial coordinating sites are required to recruit community hospitals, but their inclusion improves the generalizability of trial results.
Dissecting Macroeconomic News
Authors: AVINO DAVIDE E. , STANCU ANDREI , WESE SIMEN CHARDIN
Published: May 2021

How do macroeconomic events affect the term structure of equity returns? We document that the term structure of equity excess returns is upward sloping on federal fund rate announcement days but not on nonannouncement days. The dividend strips respond significantly to macroeconomic news and the strength of the announcement response declines with the maturity of the dividend asset. Our analysis reveals that nonfarm payrolls surprises have the largest impact on the term structure of dividend strips. The cash flow and discount rate channels both contribute to the response of the dividend asset to macroeconomic news.
Does history really matter: Investigating historical branded executions' effects on contemporary consumer attitudes
Authors: Leak Roland L. , McNeil Kimberly R. , Crockett David
Published: May 2021

Marketing executions (e.g., advertisements, packaging, and brand imagery) incorporating racial or ethnic stereotypes are present in many brands' histories. Over time, these executions have been updated to comport with societal norms, but much of the dated brand information remains accessible to consumers, especially via various digital platforms and archives. Over four studies, we investigate how exposure to these historical remnants affects contemporary consumers' held brand attitudes, showing that these executions have a detrimental influence in certain marketplace subsegments. Respondents generally report more negative brand attitudes upon exposure to the historical execution based on perceived offensiveness (Studies 1, 2, and 3). Study 4 rounds out these findings by identifying that offensiveness perceptions are differentially tied to how consumers (majority vs. minority) utilize their egalitarian beliefs.
Inflammatory markers in acne vulgaris: Saliva as a novel diagnostic fluid
Authors: Monib Khaled Mohey El‐Din , El‐fallah Asmaa Adel , Salem Rehab Mohammed
Published: May 2021

Background

Despite the wide use of saliva‐based measurements in inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic conditions, its use in dermatology is still limited.

Aims

The aims of this study were to assess the serum and salivary levels of interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) in patients with acne vulgaris.

Patients/Methods

The study included 84 moderate‐to‐severe acne vulgaris patients, in addition to 105 healthy control subjects. Serum and salivary levels of CRP and IL‐1β were estimated using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.

Results

Using T‐test, the serum and salivary levels of both CRP and IL‐1β in the patients were significantly higher than the measured levels in the control subjects (p < 0.001). Using Pearson correlation coefficient, serum and salivary CRP and serum IL‐1β levels showed significantly positive correlation with GAGS scores (p < 0.001). The levels of IL‐1β in saliva did not show significant correlation with GAGS scores or with serum and salivary CRP.

Conclusions

The current study supports the emerging role of saliva as a valid noninvasive tool for monitoring inflammation and as a reliable and stress‐free tool to evaluate cytokines and other inflammatory marker levels in acne vulgaris.
Prevalence and predictors of colon polyps in patients with skin tags: A cross sectional study
Authors: Zaki Amr M. , Elshahed Ahmed R. , Diab Mahmoud R. , Hasan Mohamed S. , Elsaie Mohamed L.
Published: May 2021

Background

Acrochordons (fibroepithelial polyps, skin tags, papillomas) are common benign neoplasms of the skin.

Aim

To identify the prevalence of colonic polyps among patients presenting with skin tags and to determine a useful criteria for screening with colonoscopy.

Methods

Two hundred patients who fulfilled the selection criteria underwent physical, biochemical evaluation (fasting blood sugar (FBS), body mass index (BMI) calculation, occult blood in stool), and histopathological examination of the skin tags. Colonoscopy was performed in patients with positive blood in stool, and any polyps identified were resected or biopsied.

Results

Occult blood in stool was insignificantly detected in 12 (6%) of the 200 subjects (p < 0.001), and they were referred for colonoscopy. A prevalence rate of 3.5% was reported, and of twelve colonoscopies performed, three patients were polyp‐free, two were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), and seven patients were diagnosed with polyps that were removed and/or biopsied (p = 0.421). Of the seven polyps, three were hemorrhoidal polyps and the four other polyps were adenomatous polyps (villous adenoma).

Conclusion

The mere presence of skin tags does not significantly correlate with existence of colonic polyps and does not justify screening colonoscopy unless other metabolic, GIT, and biochemical markers are identified.
Georg Simmel and the ontology of relational emergence
Authors: Christodoulou Michalis
Published: May 2021

In this article we argue that Simmel's social theory has laid the groundwork for the ontology of relational emergence as propounded by critical realism. Although it has been acknowledged by many a scholar that “relationality” as such constitutes the ontological foundation of Simmel's philosophy, a disagreement regarding the nature of this relationality permeates Simmel literature. The main idea of our argument is that Simmel's approach to “relationality” is similar with how critical realists make sense of emergence and causal powers. For this goal, we specify the ways through which four basic ideas of relational emergence are developed in Simmel's work of the dyad, the triad and of the secrecy. We emphasize 1) how the ideas of the irreducibility of the relational properties and of downward causation are presented in Simmel's social theory and 11) why adopting Kantian lines of reasoning does not make him a purely Kantian thinker