bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Effectiveness of Preoperative Correction Techniques in Improving Nasal Deformity in Children With Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Tang Shengyu , Zhong Yuxiang , Liao Lishu , Liang Li , Xiang Li , Li Liqi , Li Yijun , Li Wanshan 
Published: November 2020

Objective:
Unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCCLP) is associated with apparent nasal deformities before the cheilorrhaphy. The aim of this study was to determine whether preoperative correction techniques are effective in the treatment of nasal deformities in infant with unilateral UCCLP used by the systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:
We searched Medline, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM) until January 31, 2019, to identify studies that compared the effectiveness of preoperative correction techniques in the treatment of nasal deformities in infant with UCCLP. Two authors individually extracted the data and performed the quality assessments. The height of nasal columella, the width of the affected side nasal ala and the inclination of the nasal columella were evaluated.

Results:
Seven articles were incorporated into the systematic review, and 5 (274 participants) in the meta-analysis according to the inclusion criteria. The preoperative correction could increase the height of nasal columella in children with UCCLP [SMD: 2.64 mm; 95% confidence intervals (CI); (1.35 mm, 3.94 mm); P < 0.0001]. Moreover, the preoperative correction resulted in reduced width of the affected side nasal ala [SMD: −5.14 mm; 95% CI; (−8.96 mm, −1.31 mm); P = 0.008]; However, the evidence was insufficient to determine a significant effect on the inclination of the nasal columella [SMD: −3.48 degrees; 95% CI; (−7.56 degrees, 0.59 degrees); P = 0.09].

Conclusions:
Preoperative correction for children with UCCLP can increase the height of nasal columella, reduce the width of the affected side nasal ala, improve the nasal symmetry, and reduce nasal deformity, however, no significant effect could be observed for the inclination of the nasal columella.
Clinical Outcomes After Total Pancreatectomy
Authors: Latenstein Anouk E.J. , Scholten Lianne , Al-Saffar Hasan Ahmad , Björnsson Bergthor , Butturini Giovanni , Capretti Giovanni , Chatzizacharias Nikolaos A. , Dervenis Chris , Frigerio Isabella , Gallagher Tom K. , Gasteiger Silvia , Halimi Asif , Labori Knut J. , Montagnini Greta , Muñoz-Bellvis Luis , Nappo Gennaro , Nikov Andrej , Pando Elizabeth , Pastena Matteo de , Peña-Moral Jesús M. de la , Radenkovic Dejan , Roberts Keith J. , Salvia Roberto , Sanchez-Bueno Francisco , Scandavini Chiara , Serradilla-Martin Mario , Stättner Stefan , Tomazic Ales , Varga Martin , Zavrtanik Hana , Zerbi Alessandro , Erkan Mert , Kleeff Jörg , Lesurtel Mickaël , Besselink Marc G. , Ramia-Angel Jose M. ,   for the Scientific, Research Committee of the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA)
Published: November 2020

Objective:
To assess outcomes among patients undergoing total pancreatectomy (TP) including predictors for complications and in-hospital mortality.

Background:
Current studies on TP mostly originate from high-volume centers and span long time periods and therefore may not reflect daily practice.

Methods:
This prospective pan-European snapshot study included patients who underwent elective (primary or completion) TP in 43 centers in 16 European countries (June 2018–June 2019). Subgroup analysis included cutoff values for annual volume of pancreatoduodenectomies (<60 vs ≥60).
Predictors for major complications and in-hospital mortality were assessed in multivariable logistic regression.

Results:
In total, 277 patients underwent TP, mostly for malignant disease (73%). Major postoperative complications occurred in 70 patients (25%). Median hospital stay was 12 days (IQR 9–18) and 40 patients were readmitted (15%). In-hospital mortality was 5% and 90-day mortality 8%. In the subgroup analysis, in-hospital mortality was lower in patients operated in centers with ≥60 pancreatoduodenectomies compared <60 (4% vs 10%, P = 0.046). In multivariable analysis, annual volume <60 pancreatoduodenectomies (OR 3.78, 95% CI 1.18–12.16, P = 0.026), age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.14, P = 0.046), and estimated blood loss ≥2L (OR 11.89, 95% CI 2.64–53.61, P = 0.001) were associated with in-hospital mortality. ASA ≥3 (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.56–5.26, P = 0.001) and estimated blood loss ≥2L (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.25–9.90, P = 0.017) were associated with major complications.

Conclusion:
This pan-European prospective snapshot study found a 5% inhospital mortality after TP. The identified predictors for mortality, including low-volume centers, age, and increased blood loss, may be used to improve outcomes.
Levitational Cell Cytometry for Forensics
Authors: Urey Deniz Yagmur , Chan Hsi-Min , Durmus Naside Gozde 
Published: November 2020

AbstractHere, a method for label-free, real-time interrogation, monitoring, detection and sorting of biological rare cells in magnetically-suspended heterogeneous samples is developed. To achieve this, heterogeneous populations of cells were levitated and confined in a microcapillary channel. This strategy enables spatiotemporal differential magnetic levitation of rare fragile dead cells equilibrating at different heights based on the balance between magnetic and corrected gravitational forces. In addition, sorting of fragile rare dead cell populations is monitored in real-time. This technique provides a broadly applicable label-free tool for high resolution, real-time research, as well as forensic evidence processing of rape kits. This method is validated with forensic mock samples dating back to 2003, isolating sperm from epithelial fraction with >90% efficiency and >97% purity. Overall, this method reduces the processing time by over 20-fold down to 20 minutes, eliminating centrifugation and labels, and providing an inexpensive and a high-yield alternative to the current centrifuge-based differential extraction techniques. It can potentially facilitate the forensic downstream genomic analyses, accelerating the identification of suspects, and advancing public safety.
PHAIR – A biosensor for pH measurement in air-liquid interface
Authors: Dabaghi Mohammadhossein , Saraei Neda , Xu Gang , Chandiramohan Abiram , Yeung Jonas , Nguyen Jenny P. , Vukmirovic Milica , Selvaganapathy Ponnambalam Ravi , Hirota Jeremy A. 
Published: November 2020

1AbstractIn many biological systems, pH can be used as a parameter to understand and study cell dynamics. However, measuring pH in live cell culture is limited by the sensor ion specificity, proximity to the cell surface, and scalability. Commercially available pH sensors are difficult to integrate into a small-scale cell culture system due to their size and are not cost-effective for disposable use. We made PHAIR - a new pH sensor that uses a micro-wire format to measure pH in vitro human airway cell culture. Tungsten micro-wires were used as the working electrodes, and silver micro-wires with a silver/silver chloride coating were used as a pseudo reference electrode. pH sensitivity, in a wide and narrow range, and stability of these sensors were tested in common standard buffer solutions as well as in culture media of human airway epithelial cells grown at the air-liquid interface in a 24 well cell culture plate. When measuring the pH of cells grown under basal and challenging conditions using PHAIR, cell viability and cytokine responses were not affected. Our results confirm that micro-wires-based sensors have the capacity for miniaturization, and detection of diverse ions while maintaining sensitivity. This suggests the broad application of PHAIR in various biological experimental settings.
MiR-17-5p regulates proliferation and apoptosis of uterine fibroids via targeting ESR1
Authors: Luo Lan , Cao Jian-Jun , Zhang Hui-Min , Chen Kun , Liao Xing-Hua , Li Kun 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe treatment of uterine fibroids and the development of new drugs depend on adeeper understanding of the developmental mechanisms of uterine fibroids. Here, the role of ESR1 and miR-17 on the uterine fibroids cell proliferation and apoptosis and their relationship were investigated in USMCs. Our results showed that ESR1 increased the proliferation of USMCs and inhibited their apoptosis. In addition, ESR1 could directly bind the promoter regionof TP53 and inhibit its expression. MiR-17 increased the apoptosis of USMCs and inhibited their proliferation via decreasing the level of ESR1 by targeting its 3’UTR. Our research provides a new understanding of the development of uterine fibroids and provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of uterine fibroids.
Signaling-based neural networks for cellular computation
Authors: Samaniego Christian Cuba , Moorman Andrew , Giordano Giulia , Franco Elisa 
Published: November 2020

AbstractCellular signaling pathways are responsible for decision making that sustains life. Most signaling pathways include post-translational modification cycles, that process multiple inputs and are tightly interconnected. Here we consider a model for phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cycles, and we show that under some assumptions they can operate as molecular neurons or perceptrons, that generate sigmoidal-like activation functions by processing sums of inputs with positive and negative weights. We carry out a steady-state and structural stability analysis for single molecular perceptrons as well as for feedforward interconnections, concluding that interconnected phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cycles may work as multi-layer biomolecular neural networks (BNNs) with the capacity to perform a variety of computations. As an application, we design signaling networks that behave as linear and non-linear classifiers.
Further study on the Brück conjecture and some non-linear complex differential equations
Authors: Pramanik Dilip Chandra , Roy Kapil 
Published: November 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this current paper is to deal with the study of non-constant entire solutions of some non-linear complex differential equations in connection to Brück conjecture, by using the theory of complex differential equation. The results generalize the results due to Pramaniket al.Design/methodology/approach39B32, 30D35.FindingsIn the current paper, we mainly study the Brück conjecture and the various works that confirm this conjecture. In our study we find that the conjecture can be generalized for differential monomials under some additional conditions and it generalizes some works related to the conjecture. Also we can take the complex numberain the conjecture to be a small function. More precisely, we obtain a result which can be restate in the following way: Letfbe a non-constant entire function such thatσ2(f)<∞,σ2(f)is not a positive integer andδ(0, f)>0. LetM[f]be a differential monomial offof degreeγMandα(z), β(z)∈S(f)be such thatmax{σ(α), σ(β)} <σ(f). IfM[f]+βandfγM−αshare the value 0 CM, thenM[f]+βfγM−α=c,wherec≠0is a constant.Originality/valueThis is an original work of the authors.
Employment in the informal economy: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Webb Aleksandra , McQuaid Ronald , Rand Sigrid 
Published: November 2020

PurposeAlthough the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic appears to disproportionately affect those in informal employment, they often receive less government support than the formally employed. This paper considers definitions of the informal economy and informal employment, explores the rationale for participating in the informal economy and reflects on some effects of the pandemic on these workers.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a narrative literature review with analysis of the selected academic and policy literature.FindingsThere are considerable short- and long-term implications of the pandemic for informal employment and the informal economy. This occurs against the background of unresolved tensions arising from informal workers' desire for more employment security and employers' striving for continued labour flexibility while transferring costs to government and workers. The COVID-19 pandemic might accelerate current trends and force new solutions to better protect basic work security while helping organisations to remain competitive. Government policies supporting work safety, income security, moves to formalisation of employment and fairness for informal employees are particularly important.Research limitations/implicationsAs statistical and qualitative evidence is currently limited, it is too early to identify the full effects of COVID-19 on employment in the informal economy.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that governments need to carefully consider explicit support for those in informal employment to create fair, resilient and ethical structures for workers, businesses, economies and wider societies.Social implicationsThe paper identifies some of the social implications of COVID-19 for the informal sector.Originality/valueThe analysis offers initial insights into the impacts of a major health, economic and social shock on informal working.
The (mis)use of al-Hilah (legal trick) and al-Makhraj (legal exit) in Islamic finance
Authors: Smolo Edib , Musa Abubakar Muhammad 
Published: November 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concepts of hilah (legal stratagem or legal trick) and makhraj (legal exit) and to examine their relevance and application in the contemporary Islamic financial services and products.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses the qualitative research approach to provide a theoretical overview of hilah and makhraj literally and technically and to examine their practical applications in Islamic financial products and services. In particular, this paper evaluates several Islamic financial contracts and examines its practices in light of the implications of hilah or makhraj.

Findings
The paper finds that there is a glaring difference in perception and application of hilah and makhraj, as argued by some scholars. It has been found that the principle of hilah has been extensively used in the Islamic finance industry as a way to circumvent the riba prohibition. For example, Islamic financial instruments such as bay’ bithaman al-ajil, bay’ al-‘inah, tawarruq, commodity murabahah, musharakah mutanaqisah and, in some cases, the sale and lease back sukuk are found to be tainted by hilah.

Research limitations/implications
Because this is a theoretical paper, it should be explored in more detail, and critical analysis of Islamic financial services and products should be reviewed in line with these two principles to ascertain if the products and services are in line with Shariah requirements and devoid of hilah practices or not and to align the industry with the maqasid al-Shariah.

Practical implications
This paper identifies a serious challenge that Islamic finance practitioners face in product development in their effort to provide more competitive services to their customers. As a result, it demonstrates the need to proactively use makhraj in innovating Islamic financial products and proffering more sustainable and competitive solutions.

Originality/value
This paper discusses a topic that attempts to dispel the suspicious perceptions of some analysts as to the genuineness of Islamic financial practices.
It’s about time: theorizing amodern time in historical organization studies
Authors: Durepos Gabrielle , Weatherbee Terrance , Mills Albert J. 
Published: November 2020

Purpose
This paper features a critique of the treatment of time in modern and postmodern historical organization studies. The authors reply to the critique by drawing on Lefebvre’s notion of rhythm to theorize time in an amodern condition. The purpose of this study is to call on historical organization studies scholars to theoretically engage with time.

Design/methodology/approach
After a pointed literature review of the treatment of time in modern and postmodern historical organization studies, an ANTi-History approach to time is developed through an exploration of how rhythm can inform key ANTi-History facets.

Findings
New insights on key ANTi-History facets are developed in relation to time. These include seeing the past as history through rhythmic actor-networks, a description of relationalism informed by situated rhythms, a suggestion that the performative aspect of history is rhythmic and an illustration of what one might see if they watched an amodern historian at work.

Originality/value
Lefebvre’s concept of rhythm has been largely neglected in historiography and historical organization studies. Rhythm offers a way to understand time in relation to situated actor practices as opposed to the universal clock or chronological time.
An investigation of the Kumamon and Sukjai mascots on destination branding
Authors: Wattanacharoensil Walanchalee , Kantamara Sappawat , Muangasame Kaewta 
Published: November 2020

Purpose
This study aims to investigate what the crucial elements are when it comes to using a mascot to brand a destination. This study applies the proposed framework of “mascot usage for destination branding” to two mascot cases, namely, Kumamon and Sukjai. In particular, the Kumamon mascot is first investigated, looking at how it is used to promote Kumamoto, one of the key cities in Kyushu, Japan. Sukjai, another mascot, is then analysed in a similar light. The dominant factors that lead to the success of Kumamon mascot are analysed on the case of Sukjai mascot. The disparity between the two mascot cases allows for a better understanding of the dimensions and practices or lack thereof, that can occur in mascot creation and implementation.

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology is applied, and thematic and content analyses are applied to the three data sources, namely, secondary data collection from different data sources in the English and Japanese languages; researcher onsite observation in Kumamoto; and an in-depth interview with purposive sampling experts.

Findings
The findings indicate that according to the proposed framework, Kumamon has shown all three elements of the framework, namely, promoting destination identity and personality, creating differentiation for the location and having strong stakeholder involvement. On the other hand, these elements were found not to be as strong in the Sukjai case. The findings from the case comparison determine several underlining factors, including the national culture, which can help or hinder in laying the groundwork for the successful application of a mascot in destination branding.

Originality/value
This study complements the previous literature on mascot branding and elaborates on the framework of mascot usage for destination branding based on a combination of the three proposed elements.
Emergence of interpersonal helping in times of crises: a theoretical model of prosperity and eradication of interpersonal helping in organizations
Authors: Chou Shih Yung , Ramser Charles , Chang Tree , Han Bo 
Published: November 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to develop a cross-level, theoretical model describing the process by which interpersonal helping becomes conspicuous, as well as the process by which interpersonal helping subsequently prospers or becomes eradicated in the organization.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical analysis was performed by drawing upon various management-related theories.FindingsWe propose that organizational crises foster the emergence of interpersonal helping. Additionally, the positive relationship between organizational crises and interpersonal helping is stronger (or weaker) when individuals possess higher levels of other-oriented (or self-oriented) motives. Furthermore, we propose that a sympathetic climate at the unit level and employee job crafting at the individual level result in the prosperity of interpersonal helping, whereas interpersonal helping is eradicated by a sarcastic atmosphere at the unit level and citizenship pressure at the individual level.Originality/valueTheoretically, we advance the literature by providing future research with a theoretical base for understanding interpersonal helping from a temporal and cross-level perspective. Practically, this article offers some managerial recommendations that help managers nurture interpersonal helping in organizations effectively.
An evidence-based approach to critical incident scenario development
Authors: Jenkins Bryce , Semple Tori , Bennell Craig 
Published: November 2020

PurposeThere has been an increasing emphasis on developing officers who can effectively make decisions in dynamic and stressful environments to manage volatile situations. The aim of this paper is to guide those seeking to optimize the limited resources dedicated to police training.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on research related to stress exposure training, principles of adult learning, the event-based approach to training and policing more broadly, the authors show how carefully crafted training scenarios can maximize the benefits of police training.FindingsThe authors’ review highlights various training principles that, if relied on, can result in scenarios that are likely to result in the development of flexible, sound decision-making skills when operating under stressful conditions. The paper concludes with an example of scenario development, which takes the reviewed principles into account.Originality/valueThe authors hope this discussion will be useful for police instructors and curriculum designers in making evidence-informed decisions when designing training scenarios.
Poultry farmers willingness to pay for agricultural tax: evidence from the Bono region, Ghana
Authors: Mensah Nicholas Oppong , Amrago Ernest Christlieb , Asare Jeffery Kofi , Osei Tutu Frank , Donkor Anthony 
Published: November 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the poultry farmer's willingness to pay for agricultural tax in the Dormaa Municipality of Ghana. Besides, the study analysed the mean agricultural tax and constraints impeding the payment of the agricultural tax.Design/methodology/approachOne hundred (100) poultry farmers were selected for the study. The logit and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance were used to examine the factors that influence payment of agricultural tax and the constraints impeding the payment of the agricultural tax, respectively.FindingsInstructively, 83% of the respondents were interested in the regressive taxation model relative to 12 and 5% who were interested in the proportional and progressive taxation model, respectively. The empirical results of the logit model revealed that tax awareness, probability of being audited and public service provision of roads influenced the poultry farmer's decision to pay for the agricultural tax. Perception of corruption and high tax rates were the primary constraints impeding the payment of the agricultural tax. The results further revealed that the farmers are willing to pay an average maximum amount of Ghc 152.00 (US 26 dollars) agricultural tax per month.Originality/valueDespite the increasing relevance of agricultural tax, studies on poultry farmer's willingness to pay agricultural tax have been scarce in West Africa, particularly, Ghana. As a consequence, this paper broadens the frontiers of the existing literature on agricultural tax as well as the constraints impeding the poultry farmers to pay agricultural tax.