bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
THC modifies the impact of heroin delivered by vapor inhalation in rats
Authors: Gutierrez Arnold , Nguyen Jacques D. , Creehan Kevin M. , Javadi-Paydar Mehrak , Grant Yanabel , Taffe Michael A. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractOpioids are effective medications, but they have several key limitations including the development of tolerance, establishment of dependence, diversion for non-medical use and the development of addiction. Therefore, any drugs which act in an additive or synergistic fashion with opioids to address medical applications have the potential to reduce opioid-related harms. This study was conducted to determine if heroin and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) interact in an additive or independent manner to alter nociception, body temperature and spontaneous locomotor activity when inhaled or injected.Groups of male and female rats implanted with radiotelemetry transmitters were exposed to vapor for assessment of effects on temperature and activity. Heroin (50 mg/mL in the propylene glycol; PG) inhalation increased temperature and activity whereas THC (50 mg/mL) inhalation decreased temperature and activity. Effects of combined inhalation were in opposition, and additional experiments found the same outcome for the injection of heroin (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) and THC (10 mg/kg, i.p.) alone and in combination. In contrast, the co-administration of Heroin and THC by either inhalation or injection produced additive effects on thermal nociception assessed with a warm water tail-withdrawal assay in male and female Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats.The conclusion of this study is that additive effects of THC with heroin on a medical endpoint such as analgesia may not generalize to other behavioral or physiological effects, which may be a positive outcome for unwanted side effects.
Integrated spatial genomics in tissues reveals invariant and cell type dependent nuclear architecture
Authors: Takei Yodai , Zheng Shiwei , Yun Jina , Shah Sheel , Pierson Nico , White Jonathan , Schindler Simone , Tischbirek Carsten , Yuan Guo-Cheng , Cai Long 
Published: April 2021

AbstractNuclear architecture in tissues can arise from cell-type specific organization of nuclear bodies, chromatin states and chromosome structures. However, the lack of genome-wide measurements to interrelate such modalities within single cells limits our overall understanding of nuclear architecture. Here, we demonstrate integrated spatial genomics in the mouse brain cortex, imaging thousands of genomic loci along with RNAs and subnuclear markers simultaneously in individual cells. We revealed chromatin fixed points, combined with cell-type specific organization of nuclear bodies, arrange the interchromosomal organization and radial positioning of chromosomes in diverse cell types. At the sub-megabase level, we uncovered a collection of single-cell chromosome domain structures, including those for the active and inactive X chromosomes. These results advance our understanding of single-cell nuclear architecture in complex tissues.
Testing the Tea Bag Index as a potential indicator for assessing litter decomposition in aquatic ecosystems
Authors: Mori Taiki , Ono Kenji , Sakai Yoshimi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe Tea Bag Index (TBI) approach is a standardized method for assessing litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. This method allows determination of the stabilized portion of the hydrolysable fraction during the decomposition process, and derivation of a decomposition constant (k) using single measurements of the mass-loss ratios of green and rooibos teas. Although this method is being applied to aquatic systems, it has not been validated in these environments, where initial leaching tends to be higher than in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we first validated a critical assumption of the TBI method that green tea decomposition plateaus during the standard incubation period of 90 days, and then tested the accuracy of a TBI-based asymptote model using a second model obtained from fitting actual decomposition data. Validation data were obtained by incubating tea bags in water samples taken from a stream, a pond, and the ocean in Kumamoto, Japan. We found that green tea decomposition did not plateau during the 90-day period, contradicting a key assumption of the TBI method. Moreover, the TBI-based asymptote models disagreed with actual decomposition data. Subtracting the leachable fraction from the initial tea mass improved the TBI-based model, but discrepancies with the actual decomposition data remained. Thus, we conclude that the TBI approach, which was developed for a terrestrial environment, is not appropriate for aquatic ecosystems. However, the use of tea bags as a standard material in assessments of aquatic litter decomposition remains beneficial.
Generation of a Sleeping Beauty transposon-based cellular system for rapid and sensitive identification of SARS-CoV-2 host dependency and restriction factors
Authors: Widera Marek , Wilhelm Alexander , Toptan Tuna , Raffel Johanna M. , Kowarz Eric , Roesmann Fabian , Siemund Anna Lena , Luciano Vanessa , Külp Marius , Reis Jennifer , Bracharz Silvia , Pallas Christiane , Ciesek Sandra , Marschalek Rolf 
Published: April 2021

SummaryThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the acute respiratory disease COVID-19, which has become a global concern due to its rapid spread. The common methods to monitor and quantitate SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in cell culture are so far time-consuming and labor-intensive. Using the Sleeping Beauty transposase system, we generated a robust and versatile reporter cell system that allows SARS-CoV-2 infection experiments compatible for high-throughput and live cell imaging. The reporter cell is based on lung derived A549 cells, which show a profound interferon response and convenient cell culture characteristics. ACE2 and TMPRSS2 were introduced for constitutive expression in A549 cells. Subclones with varying levels of ACE2/TMPRSS2 were screened for optimal SARS-CoV2 susceptibility. Furthermore, extensive evaluation demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 infected reporter cells were distinguishable from mock-infected cells and already showed approximately 12 h post infection a clear signal to noise ratio in terms of cell roughness, fluorescence and a profound visible cytopathic effect. Moreover, due to the high transfection efficiency and proliferation capacity, Sleeping Beauty transposase-based overexpression cell lines with a second inducible fluorescence reporter cassette (eGFP) can be generated in a very short time, enabling the investigation of host and restriction factors in a doxycycline-inducible manner. Thus, the novel reporter cell line allows rapid and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the screening for host factors essential for viral replication.Highlights- Sleeping Beauty transposon-based cellular system was used to generate a highly susceptible cell line for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection- The versatile reporter cell line A549-AT is suitable for rapid and sensitive high-throughput assays- Additional gene specific expression cassettes allow the identification of SARS-CoV-2 host dependency and restriction factors
Women CEOs and firm performance in the construction industry: evidence from Spain
Authors: Hernández-Nicolás Carmen María , Martín-Ugedo Juan Francisco , Minguez-Vera Antonio 
Published: April 2021

Purpose
The construction industry has traditionally been a male-dominated economic sector. Barely 10% of managers are women. On the other hand, this sector is considered an engine of the economy. For these reasons, it is important to examine the influence of women CEOs on financial variables of firms in the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach
The empirical study is carried out using a sample from the Iberian Balance Sheet Analysis System record (“Sistema de Análisis de Balances Ibérico”, SABI). The sample includes 8,492 Spanish companies from the construction sector. The methodology employed is a three-stage least squares (3SLS) analysis. This methodology controls for the endogeneity of explanatory variables. It is employed in accordance with the peculiar characteristics of the sample, which includes data for only one year.

Findings
The results show that firms with a woman CEO have a lower level of debt, whatever the terms of the maturity of the debt are. In contrast to most previous evidence, firms managed by women are found to be less profitable.

Originality/value
The paper gives evidence of the influence of the CEO's gender on the performance (return and risk) of a firm. It provides original empirical evidence for the male-dominated construction sector. An extensive search identified no literature in which the researchers had focused on the construction industry.
Thermal comfort practices for precast concrete building construction projects: towards BIM and IOT integration
Authors: Ismail Zul-Atfi Bin 
Published: April 2021

Purpose
Improper evaluation and information mismanagement concerning thermal comfort appears to negatively affect occupants' satisfaction and building energy consumption in precast concrete (PC) building contexts. Predictive models are particularly problematic in PC building construction projects where natural ventilation levels do not coincide with occupants' thermal comfort and thermal sensation specifications.

Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review is undertaken to explore the viability and benefits of a new ICT-based approach for meeting social and environmental objectives.

Findings
Sophisticated thermal comfort system solutions are essential for optimising thermal comfort and saving energy in PC building construction projects.

Originality/value
It is imperative that designers and manufacturers are kept up-to-date with the possibilities and potentials associated with new and nascent technologies so that building projects can meet key sustainability criteria.
Adaptive mechanisms in a continuing landscape: assessing biocultural diversity as a form of resilience
Authors: Palazzo Elisa , Bardsley Douglas K. 
Published: April 2021

PurposeThis paper investigates the adaptive capacity expressed by an agricultural region in response to changing conditions as a mean to address the future of cultural landscapes in a time of extreme uncertainty. Through the conceptual framework of biocultural diversity, the work assesses regimes shifts and persistence as a dialectic between natural and anthropogenic components of the landscape.Design/methodology/approachSpecifically, the mechanisms of progressive landscape adaptation are explored by using an integrated method to align manifestations of biological and cultural diversity. Through a multidimensional approach applied to spatial analysis, the study determines a relationship between the footprint of past and modern landscape regimes and contemporary rural management practices in McLaren Vale, South Australia.FindingsThe biological and cultural diversity patterns along riparian corridors, or “biocultural corridors” are indicators of past and current adaptive capacity, which are able to convey novel trajectories of sustainable management in the landscape system.Originality/valueUnderstanding the positive feedback loops between nature and human interactions as represented by their interrelationships in the landscape can inform planning decisions for sustainable agricultural development and enable effective regional long-term trajectories of resilience.
Integrating maternal and child health data into the Iraqi Kurdistan health information system
Authors: Alsilefanee Haveen H. , Qadir Sivar A. , Salih Shahla O. , Alhanabadi Luma H. , Emberti Gialloreti Leonardo , Moramarco Stefania 
Published: April 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to present the workflow on the integration of Maternal and Child Health Care Services (MCHCS) into the electronic Health Information System of the Iraqi Kurdistan (KRG-HIS).Design/methodology/approachAs part of the cooperation between the University of Rome Tor Vergata-Italy and the Iraqi Kurdistan Ministry of Health, six PhD positions were granted for Iraqi students to create a local team of experts with the aim of supporting the scaling-up of the KRG-HIS. After specific training, the team then trained the staff members of the health centers, met health authorities and analyzed the local scenario to ensure that the KRG-HIS could be better tailored to regional needs. In 2019, the integration of MCHCS into the KRG-HIS was one of the main areas of research.FindingsHealth data collection was mostly paper-based, which made vital statistics and evaluation of outcomes difficult to measure. More than 15,000 paper-files from the Duhok Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital were retrieved from storage. Then data entered in the KRG-HIS. Theoretical and practical training sessions were conducted for local staff members, with 183 health operators already having been trained. Daily supervision of the online system and field visits were ensured.Originality/valueThere is a need to support health authorities in improving data collection on MCHCS, ensuring the future self-sufficiency of the HIS. Key to the process is the creation of a specialized team of local experts with the objective of “training the trainers”.
The relationship between managerial attributes and firm risk-taking
Authors: Salehi Mahdi , Arianpoor Arash , Naghshbandi Nader 
Published: April 2021

PurposeThe main objective of the paper is to examine the relationship between managerial attributes (e.g. managerial entrenchment, managerial myopia and managerial overconfidence) and firm risk-taking on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).Design/methodology/approachThe study’s sample comprises 150 companies listed on the TSE from 2011 to 2017. Risk-taking is calculated as the standard deviation (SD) of stock return. Explanatory factor analysis was performed to calculate the weight of each of the five variables managerial ownership, board independence, chief executive officer (CEO) tenure, board compensation and CEO duality as a proxy for managerial entrenchment. The study by Anderson and Hsiao (1982) was also used to calculate managerial myopia, and the study by Schrand and Zechman (2012) was used to calculate managerial overconfidence.FindingsThe results indicate that the effect of managerial entrenchment and managerial myopia on risk-taking of listed firms on the TSE is positive and significant, implying that an increase in CEO entrenchment is likely to give rise to risk-taking. The authors conjecture that this finding could be due to the investment projects impairing the firm performance in the long run. Furthermore, the effect of managerial overconfidence on listed firms' risk-taking on the TSE is significantly negative. Since overconfidence is one of the traits of narcissism and corporate managers tend to be encouraged and admired, it is implied that they tend to make efficient and low-risk investments that ultimately reduce the firm risk-taking.Originality/valueSeveral theoretical studies show that managerial behavior is a determining factor in the economy. One of the reasons which justify the originality of this study is the context and institutional environment. Undoubtedly, managerial behavior (e.g. managerial entrenchment, managerial myopia and managerial overconfidence) is expected to have some significant variations in developing countries compared to prevailing in developed countries, particularly in the Iranian stock market the economic sanctions. Furthermore, due to the direct impact of individuals' psychological and behavioral characteristics on their decisions and the effect of companies' risk-taking on increasing and decreasing shareholders and companies' wealth, this research is essential. Given the function of designed behavioral criteria for assessing risk-taking behaviors, the relationship between managerial attributes and firms' risk-taking is still unclear and investigated in this study.
The effect of intellectual capital on fraud in financial statements
Authors: Lotfi Afsaneh , Salehi Mahdi , Lari Dashtbayaz Mahmoud 
Published: April 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this present study is to assess the impact of intellectual capital (IC) on fraud in listed firms' financial statements on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). In other words, this paper seeks to figure out whether IC and its components, namely, the efficiency of human capital (HC), structural capital (SC), relational capital (RC) and customer capital (CC).Design/methodology/approachThe logistic regression model is used for analyzing the material of this study. Research hypotheses are also examined using a sample of 187 listed firms on the TSE during 2011–2018 by employing the logistic regression pattern based on synthetic data technique. Moreover, some robustness checks are also used to ensure the correctness of the obtained results.FindingsThe findings show a negative and significant relationship between IC and its components, including the efficiency of HC, SC, RC and CC, and fraud in financial statements. This means that by investing in the IC and its components, the amount of fraud in business firms' financial statements decreases.Originality/valueSince few studies are carried out by existing literature, this paper is among the pioneer efforts assessing IC's potential impact on fraud commitment. The findings apply to policymakers to improve the clarity of the business atmosphere of Iran.
Reliability improvement incentive strategies in the manufacturing industry
Authors: Wang Suyuan , Song Huaming , Gong Canran 
Published: April 2021

PurposeCompanies face the critical reliability problem of products due to the development of outsourcing. This study intends to provide some feasible solutions for a company to improve the reliability level of products.Design/methodology/approachThe paper considers the reward and reliability decisions regarding a product made with two complementary components from two different suppliers: high-capable and low-capable. Two kinds of reliability improvement incentives (normal incentive and cost-sharing incentive) through which a manufacturer provides a reward and shares the reliability improvement cost with a supplier are discussed. As the Stackelberg leader, the manufacturer determines the strategy, while the suppliers are responsible for determining its reliability. Using a game-theoretic framework, four different contract scenarios are addressed. We develop analytical methods to better understand how the manufacturer decides the incentive mechanism to be used for the suppliers.FindingsThe results show that cost-sharing contracts do not always lead to a higher reliability level and more enormous profits. Setting a target reliability level is better for the manufacturer. The cost-sharing contract is beneficial for a high-capable supplier even though it does not directly participate in that kind of mechanism. A low-capable supplier gains more profit when the manufacturer provides incentive mechanisms that do not specify a target reliability level.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the reliability improvement mechanism used for complementary products and focuses on identifying the optimal decisions when demand is influenced by the gap between the product's failure rate and the standard failure rate.
Evaluation of the integration level of quality and environmental management systems in a tire manufacturer
Authors: Silva Thais Coutinho Gonçalves , Anholon Rosley , Rampasso Izabela Simon , Quelhas Osvaldo Luiz Gonçalves , Leal Filho Walter , Santa-Eulalia Luis Antonio , Lima Junior Francisco Rodrigues 
Published: April 2021

PurposeThis article aims to evaluate the integration level of a quality management system (QMS) and an environmental management system (EMS) in a tire manufacturer and propose a guide to evaluate the integration of these systems in companies.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological strategies used in this research were literature review; and case study, with interviews to verify professionals' perception about benefits from integration. Data from interviews were analyzed through Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).FindingsThe results showed that the studied company has a simple level of integration, observing only some low intensity benefits. Thus, it was recommended that the company partially integrate its management systems (MSs) before evolving into something more complex. The literature and the findings of case study were used as basis for proposing a guide to evaluate MS integration.Originality/valueLessons learned throughout the study and the suggested guide can support other companies to assess the integration level of their QMS and EMS. Thus, the findings presented here can be useful for researchers and managers.
Forensic analysis on bursting accident of buffer tank in liquefied natural gas bus
Authors: Chai Jun‐Hui , Lv Zhong‐Jie , Shen Zheng‐Xiang , Huan Huang‐Dong , Zhang Xiao‐Long , Zhang Zi‐Jiang , Xu Bo 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn December 2019, a buffer tank burst accident occurred in the maintenance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) bus in China. Failure analysis revealed the bus‐mounted buffer tank had been subjected to an excessive internal pressurization, although the tank material met the specifications for engineering practice. The physical evidence related to the failed tank showed that a chemical explosion was impossible. As water was used to pouring the frozen pipeline prior to the accident, according to the consequences observed, the rapid phase transition (RPT) explosion of the residual LNG due to external heat from water was regarded as the main causation of incident. The explosion energy was inversely estimated by the TNT equivalent method, and the rapid expansion of natural gas produced excessive pressure, thus causing the buffer tank to explode.
Effect of high‐intensity ultrasound soymilk pretreatment on the physicochemical properties of microbial transglutaminase‐catalyzed tofu gel
Authors: Gao Hailing , Xu Jingjing , Tan Mengna , Mu Dongdong , Li Xingjiang , Zhao Yanyan , Zheng Zhi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractTofu prepared by conventional methods often has a bitter taste and poor water‐holding capacity (WHC). To improve the quality of the product, alternative processes must be developed. Herein, the effect of ultrasound pretreatment on the properties of soymilk and tofu gel derived thereof were investigated. Treatment of soymilk with ultrasound gave rise to a reduction in the particle size and an enhancement in the surface hydrophobicity, whereby optimum values were obtained after 15 min treatment. Subsequently, microbial transglutaminase (MTG) was added to ultrasound‐treated soymilk to promote the soy protein crosslinking. The gel strength, WHC, and nonfreezable water content of MTG‐catalyzed tofu gel obtained from treated soymilk increased with the extension of the ultrasound pretreatment time, whereas the free sulfhydryl content decreased because of the formation of disulfide bonds. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated variations in the secondary structure of MTG‐catalyzed tofu gel. Furthermore, soymilk's exposure to high‐intensity ultrasound pretreatment led to a tofu gel with a dense, homogenous, and stable network structure, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. Therefore, this study answers for the theoretical support of the industrial production of MTG‐catalyzed tofu gel from ultrasound‐treated soymilk.Practical ApplicationHigh‐intensity ultrasound pretreatment improved the texture properties of MTG‐catalyzed tofu gel. The resulting MTG‐catalyzed tofu gel has potential application in industrial production.