bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of trust, structure and processes on effectiveness in a military organization: exploring a moderated mediation model
Authors: Bjørnstad Anne Lise , Ulleberg Pål 
Published: March 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to better understand the consequences of trust between personnel at different hierarchical levels for organizational effectiveness. The authors aim to explore the direct effects and the interaction effects of trust with organizational structure and processes. The study focuses on military organizations and expands on models and research from this context.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from a Norwegian military exercise organization at two different hierarchical levels. The hypothesized relationships between the variables were tested using moderation and serial mediation analyses.FindingsTrust between personnel at different hierarchical levels was found to positively influence organizational effectiveness in terms of higher shared awareness of tasks and responsibilities, better information sharing and, in turn, better decision-making. A perceived flat organizational structure and decentralized processes were found to increase flexibility, an increase that in turn improved decision-making. Moderation analyses further suggested that trust between hierarchical levels could attenuate the negative effects of personnel's perception of their organization as hierarchical and centralized.Practical implicationsThe study’s results suggest that, at least in Norwegian military contexts, practitioners should be concerned with building trust between personnel at different hierarchical levels, flattening the organizational structure, and decentralizing processes to increase organizational flexibility and effectiveness.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to a better understanding of the role of trust between personnel at different hierarchical levels in the effort to achieve effective organizational structures and processes in military contexts.
Students’ self-perceptions of creativity: the case of Emirati students in a first-year English program
Authors: Deveci Tanju 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the opinions of first-year Emirati students in a writing-intensive English program regarding the extent to which they found themselves creative and the ways in which they expressed creativity in general. The other aim was to identify the ways in which they tended to make their writing creative. The study also sought to see if there were differences between male and female students’ responses.

Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 54 first-year Emirati students using a survey with closed and open-ended questions.

Findings
Results revealed that only three quarters of the students considered themselves creative. The most common ways in which they perceived themselves creative were through originality, problem-solving and design. With regards to creativity in writing, amongst several factors, they believed that the incorporation of experience, skillful use of lexis and grammar and understanding of their audience in particular make their writing creative. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female students’ responses.

Originality/value
People’s cultural backgrounds play a significant role in their perception of creativity and beliefs in their own creative writing powers. Creative writing skills are, therefore, often among key learning outcomes, and many universities offer their students writing-focused courses. For these courses to be successful, students’ perceptions of creativity skills ought to be taken into consideration. The current study achieved this.
The planning of smart elderly housing in Dubai with IoT technologies
Authors: Jung Chuloh , Awad Jihad , Chohan Afaq 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to optimize the smart elderly housing planning with IoT (internet of things) technologies for an aging society in Dubai. To reflect the IoT technologies in the elderly housing, the characteristics of the IoT home network devices, applied to Ajman University (AU) testbed and smart services model with the IoT technologies are thoroughly analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach
To extract the optimal smart elderly housing model in Dubai, the Korean smart home model from smart cities in Korea was used to implement the testbed at AU. In total, 100 users survey had been performed to adjust the Korean model to local culture/context.

Findings
It was analyzed that convenience and functionality are factors that must be provided. The security system was pointed out as a common denominator for future enhancements. When IoT technologies are applied to elderly housing, it should focus on the safety and health management of the elderly.

Social implications
Dubai had announced a strategy to transform into a Smart City in 2014 and the strategy had included 100 initiatives. The base unit of smart homes, however, was not covered and furthermore as society grows older, the priority for IoT technologies application in the smart home should be focused on smart elderly housing, as the elderly is equivalent to the handicapped due to deteriorated physical abilities.

Originality/value
The characteristics of the IoT home network devices applied to the AU testbed and smart services model with the IoT technologies are thoroughly analyzed.
Optimising monitoring for trend detection after 16 years of woodland‐bird surveys
Authors: Prowse Thomas A. A. , O'Connor Patrick J. , Collard Stuart J. , Peters Kristian J. , Possingham Hugh P. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Long‐term biodiversity monitoring programs provide important information about species' trajectories and broader environmental change. Often constrained by funding and organisational capability and commitment, monitoring programs need to be optimised to maximise ecological and economic efficiencies, as part of sound adaptive management.

The monitoring design requirements for detecting biodiversity trends, across assemblages of species with different traits, can be informed by historical datasets. Using data from a landscape‐scale (c. 2,500 km2) bird monitoring program encompassing 151 sites visited three times annually over 16 years, we used resampling to simulate different monitoring designs. We quantified the capacity of modified monitoring regimes to detect population trends for 65 bird species with different densities, detectabilities and specialisations.

The majority (58%) of species exhibited a significant decline in relative abundance, with the ability to detect trends proportional to the length of the time series used for analysis. The percentage of trends detected decreased as survey sites or sessions were dropped from the monitoring dataset. Statistically significant trends remained undetected for an additional 2.5 species for every 10% of sites excluded randomly from the program. As monitoring effort was reduced, the precision of trend estimates for rare species was particularly compromised.

Conducting bird surveys every second year would produce better results than an equivalent reduction in effort achieved by surveying only half the sites each year, but could compromise the sustainability of the program. If the number of survey sites were reduced, trend detection would be optimised by retaining the spatial extent of the surveys (i.e. by dropping sites from well‐surveyed regions rather than excluding outlying, isolated sites), but the cost savings of this approach would be small.

Synthesis and applications. Reduced monitoring effort will compromise trend detection for rare species or species that are difficult to observe, and declining species that will soon become rare. Consequently, monitoring effort that is considered ‘surplus’ today could provide critical data for detecting species‐level trends and prioritising conservation interventions in the future. Further, sampling efficiencies are not all‐important; we must also consider the impacts of survey design modification on the social and political sustainability of existing monitoring programs.
Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in milk and Minas Frescal cheese manufactured in Brazilian dairy plants
Authors: Gonçalves Bruna L , Ulliana Rômulo D , Ramos Gustavo L P A , Cruz Adriano G , Oliveira Carlos A F , Kamimura Eliana S , Corassin Carlos H 
Published: March 2021

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was determined in milk and Minas Frescal cheese (MFC) manufactured in dairy plants from São Paulo, Brazil. The average AFM1 levels in raw, pasteurised milk and MFC were 0.028 ± 0.009 µg, 0.023 ± 0.006 µg/L and 0.113 ± 0.092 µg/kg, respectively. AFM1 in raw (n = 1; 4%) and pasteurised (n = 2; 8%) milks exceeded the European maximum permitted level (MPL) of 0.05 µg/L. AFM1 concentration rate for MFC was 4.9 ± 1.2. Although AFM1 in all MFC samples was below the Brazilian’s MPL for cheese (2.5 µg/kg), the levels found may increase the overall exposure of consumers to dietary aflatoxins.
Inter‐model Comparison of Turbidity‐Discharge Rating Curves and the Implications for Reservoir Operations Management
Authors: Wang Kezhen , Gelda Rakesh K. , Mukundan Rajith , Steinschneider Scott 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis study compares several statistical rating curve techniques to estimate turbidity, a proxy for suspended sediment concentration, in fluvial systems based on available discharge data. Seven models were tested, including variants of quadratic rating curves, quantile regression, local regression, dynamic linear models (DLMs), and Box‐Jenkins models. Two comparisons were conducted in a case study of the Esopus Creek watershed in New York, a major water source for the New York City Water Supply System (NYCWSS). First, the models were tested in their ability to forecast turbidity at 1–7 day lead times assuming perfect forecasts of discharge using two daily datasets of varying record lengths and resolution. Second, the models were used to gap‐fill turbidity data based on available discharge data, and the resulting continuous turbidity time series were used to assess optimal reservoir operations in the NYCWSS to manage water quality. Results suggest that DLMs coupled with additional time series modeling on the residuals produce the most robust forecasts across lead times for both high and low turbidity values. During average conditions, differences between rating curves have little impact on inferred reservoir operations due to the buffering effect of storage. But during extreme events, rating curve differences lead to large differences in inferred operations, suggesting that rating curve choice can play an important role in assessing the risk of reservoir‐based water quality management.
A novel p53 regulator, C16ORF72/TAPR1, buffers against telomerase inhibition
Authors: Benslimane Yahya , Sánchez‐Osuna María , Coulombe‐Huntington Jasmin , Bertomeu Thierry , Henry Danielle , Huard Caroline , Bonneil Éric , Thibault Pierre , Tyers Mike , Harrington Lea 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTelomere erosion in cells with insufficient levels of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), contributes to age‐associated tissue dysfunction and senescence, and p53 plays a crucial role in this response. We undertook a genome‐wide CRISPR screen to identify gene deletions that sensitized p53‐positive human cells to telomerase inhibition. We uncovered a previously unannotated gene, C16ORF72, which we term Telomere Attrition and p53 Response 1 (TAPR1), that exhibited a synthetic‐sick relationship with TERT loss. A subsequent genome‐wide CRISPR screen in TAPR1‐disrupted cells reciprocally identified TERT as a sensitizing gene deletion. Cells lacking TAPR1 or TERT possessed elevated p53 levels and transcriptional signatures consistent with p53 upregulation. The elevated p53 response in TERT‐ or TAPR1‐deficient cells was exacerbated by treatment with the MDM2 inhibitor and p53 stabilizer nutlin‐3a and coincided with a further reduction in cell fitness. Importantly, the sensitivity to treatment with nutlin‐3a in TERT‐ or TAPR1‐deficient cells was rescued by loss of p53. These data suggest that TAPR1 buffers against the deleterious consequences of telomere erosion or DNA damage by constraining p53. These findings identify C16ORF72/TAPR1 as new regulator at the nexus of telomere integrity and p53 regulation.
Does credit rating conservatism matter for corporate tax avoidance?
Authors: Chen Tao , Leung Sidney , Xie Lingmin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractUsing the passage of Dodd‐Frank and the US sovereign downgrade as quasi‐natural experiments, we examine the effect of credit rating conservatism on corporate tax avoidance. We find that treatment firms engage in more tax‐planning activities than control firms in both research settings. We further find that these effects are driven mainly by firms with large existing tax‐planning capacity, firms with decreased use of external financing, firm with more reliance on rating information, and firms with weak external monitoring using the large Dodd‐Frank sample. Overall, the findings provide evidence that credit rating conservatism plays a role in corporate tax‐avoidance decisions.
Systematic evaluation of the ‘efficacy‐effectiveness gap’ in the treatment of depression with venlafaxine and duloxetine
Authors: Schneider Carolin , Breilmann Johanna , Reuter Benedikt , Becker Thomas , Kösters Markus 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectiveEvidence of larger drug effects in highly standardized studies (efficacy) compared to clinical routine (effectiveness) is discussed as efficacy‐effectiveness gap. This study aimed to quantify effect size differences of RCTs and non‐RCTs in the treatment of depression with venlafaxine and duloxetine and to identify effect modifying predictors.MethodsA comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted, including all prospective trials, which evaluated the treatment effects of duloxetine or venlafaxine in patients with depression. The primary outcome was the pre‐post effect size after acute therapy, which were compared between RCTs and non‐RCTs. Moreover, an exploratory analysis of predictors in a mixed meta‐regression model within an information‐theoretic approach was performed.Results171 RCTs and 74 non‐RCTs were included. The pre‐post effect size differed significantly between RCTs and non‐RCTs (−3.04 vs. −2.62, Δ = 0.41, p = 0.012, high heterogeneity). Study characteristics were very similar between RCTs and non‐RCTs. Most important variables to predict effect sizes were ‘depression severity’, ‘dose’ and ‘number of participants’.ConclusionDespite differences in effect sizes between RCTs and non‐RCTs, study design is not clearly an important predictor for the effect sizes. Our results question the common assumption that non‐RCTs are generally better suited to describe a drug’s effectiveness in clinical practice than RCTs. Future studies and their reporting should put more emphasis on the description of external validity, in order to allow better assessments of clinical relevance.
Simultaneous targeting of oxidative stress and fibrosis reverses cardiomyopathy‐induced ventricular remodelling and dysfunction
Authors: Wang Chao , Gaspari Tracey A. , Ferens Dorota , Spizzo Iresha , Kemp‐Harper Barbara K. , Samuel Chrishan S. 
Published: March 2021

Background and PurposeOxidative stress and fibrosis are hallmarks of cardiomyopathy‐induced heart failure yet are not effectively targeted by current frontline therapies. Here, the therapeutic effects of the anti‐oxidant, N‐acetylcysteine (NAC), were compared and combined with an acute heart failure drug with established anti‐fibrotic effects, serelaxin (RLX), in a murine model of cardiomyopathy.Experimental ApproachAdult male 129sv mice were subjected to repeated isoprenaline (25 mg·kg−1)‐induced cardiac injury for five consecutive days and then left to undergo fibrotic healing until Day 14. Subgroups of isoprenaline‐injured mice were treated with RLX (0.5 mg·kg−1·day−1), NAC (25 mg·kg−1·day−1) or both combined, given subcutaneously via osmotic minipumps from Day 7 to 14. Control mice received saline instead of isoprenaline.Key ResultsIsoprenaline‐injured mice showed increased left ventricular (LV) inflammation (~5‐fold), oxidative stress (~1–2.5‐fold), cardiomyocyte hypertrophy (~25%), cardiac remodelling, fibrosis (~2–2.5‐fold) and dysfunction by Day 14 after injury. NAC alone blocked the cardiomyopathy‐induced increase in LV superoxide levels, to a greater extent than RLX. Additionally, either treatment alone only partly reduced several measures of LV inflammation, remodelling and fibrosis. In comparison, the combination of RLX and NAC prevented the cardiomyopathy‐induced LV macrophage infiltration, remodelling, fibrosis and cardiomyocyte size, to a greater extent than either treatment alone after 7 days. The combination therapy also restored the isoprenaline‐induced reduction in LV function, without affecting systolic BP.Conclusion and ImplicationsThese findings demonstrated that the simultaneous targeting of oxidative stress and fibrosis is key to treating the pathophysiology and dysfunction induced by cardiomyopathy.
Midges not only sucks, but may carry lethal pathogens to wild amphibians
Authors: Toledo Luís Felipe , Ruggeri Joice , Leite Ferraz de Campos Leonardo , Martins Marcio , Neckel‐Oliveira Selvino , Breviglieri Crasso Paulo Bosco 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe chytrid fungus (Bd) is one of the main causes of recent amphibian population declines and extinctions. However, one possible disease transmission pathway remained unexplored: the insect‐borne transport between hosts. We found Bd DNA on specialized blood‐sucking midges, which could indicate the transport of alive zoospores between amphibian hosts, in this case acting as Bd carriers in the wild.Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
The changing and enduring priorities of Deputy Ministers through the IPAC survey
Authors: Dutil Patrice , Migone Andrea 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSince 1994, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) has conducted a survey among Canadian Deputy Ministers (DM) to measure what administrative issues they considered the most important. Carried out in varying methods, the IPAC surveys present a unique longitudinal dataset that can shed light on the core focus of top administrative executives over the past 25 years. The results show a consistency in DM priorities. The tasks of preparing to respond strategically to improve service delivery and accountability are always present. The mission of managing human resources emerged in 1998 and has been a top priority ever since.
Multicenter 1‐month follow‐up study of the patch test reaction to the gold sodium thiosulfate of the TRUE Test and its association with piercings and dental metal history
Authors: Suzuki Kayoko , Matsunaga Kayoko , Ito Akiko , Yagami Akiko , Ito Takashi , Miyazawa Hitoshi , Sugiura Mariko , Adachi Atsuko , Kubota Yumiko , Watanabe Yuko , Kato Atsuko , Nishioka Kazue , Fukunaga Atsushi , Mochizuki Masako , Ikezawa Yuko , Tsunoda Takahiko , Takayama Kaoru , Washizaki Kumiko , Yokozeki Hiroo , Ishihara Takuma , Asada Hideo , Kanto Hiromi 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundThere is controversy over late and long‐lasting reactions to gold sodium thiosulfate (GST).ObjectivesTo study the GST patch test reaction by observing the application site after 1 month, and to clarify the relevance of GST sensitization by piercings and dental metals.PatientsA retrospective analysis was performed on 746 patients (143 male; 603 female) who were patch tested using GST of the TRUE Test. We conducted a questionnaire on the presence of piercings or dental metals in these patients.ResultsThe GST positive rate was 27.9% at day (D)3 and/or D7 and 40.3% up to the 1‐month reading. The positive rate was significantly higher in female patients and increased with age. Sixty‐two percent of cases with a positive reaction at D7 continued to show a positive reaction after 1 month. Eleven percent of cases with a negative reaction at D3 and D7 showed a late reaction. Both piercings and dental metals were related to gold sensitization.ConclusionsThe GST of the TRUE Test had a high positive and low false‐negative rate. The 1‐month reading after the patch test was important for identifying late reactions. Piercing history and dental metal were associated with gold sensitization.
Hypothalamic–pituitary organoid generation through the recapitulation of organogenesis
Authors: Ozaki Hajime , Suga Hidetaka , Arima Hiroshi 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis paper overviews the development and differentiation of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland from embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. It is important to replicate the developmental process in vivo to create specific cells/organoids from ES/iPS cells. We also introduce the latest findings and discuss future issues for clinical application. Neuroectodermal progenitors are induced from pluripotent stem cells by strictly removing exogenous patterning factors during the early differentiation period. The induced progenitors differentiate into rostral hypothalamic neurons, in particular magnocellular vasopressin+ neurons. In three‐dimensional cultures, ES/iPS cells differentiate into hypothalamic neuroectoderm and nonneural head ectoderm adjacently. Rathke’s pouch‐like structures self‐organize at the interface between the two layers and generate various endocrine cells, including corticotrophs and somatotrophs. Our next objective is to sophisticate our stepwise methodology to establish a novel transplantation treatment for hypopituitarism and apply it to developmental disease models.
Cortical representations of phantom movements in lower limb amputees
Authors: Wang Lingyan , Tomson Steffie N. , Lu Grace , Yau Jeffrey M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractUnderstanding how sensorimotor cortex (SMC) organization relates to limb loss has major clinical implications, as cortical activity associated with phantom hand movements has been shown to predict phantom pain reports. Critically, earlier studies have largely focused on upper limb amputees; far less is known regarding SMC activity in lower limb amputees, despite the fact that this population comprises the majority of major limb loss cases. We aimed to characterize BOLD fMRI responses associated with phantom and sound limb movements to test the hypothesis that SMC organization is preserved in individuals with lower limb loss. Individuals with unilateral or bilateral lower limb loss underwent fMRI scans as they performed simple movements of their sound or phantom limbs. We observed that voluntary movements of the sound and phantom ankles were associated with BOLD signal changes in medial and superior portions of the precentral and postcentral gyri. In both hemispheres, contralateral limb movements were associated with greater signal changes compared to ipsilateral limb movements. Hand and mouth movements were associated with distinct activation patterns localized to more lateral SMC regions. We additionally tested whether activations associated with phantom movements related to self‐report assessments indexing phantom pain experiences, nonpainful phantom sensations and phantom movement capabilities. We found that responses during phantom ankle movements did not correlate with any of the composite phantom limb indices in our sample. Our collective results reveal that SMC representations of the amputated limb persist and that traditional somatotopic organization is generally preserved in individuals suffering from lower limb loss.