bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Choice of marketing outlets among smallholder cowpea farmers in Ghana
Authors: Kotey Millicent Adei , Adams Faizal , Nimoh Fred , Osei Mensah James , Etuah Seth , Edwin Coleman 
Published: March 2021

PurposeTo help address the problem of imperfections in the performance of cowpea markets in Ghana, the study sought to understand the costs and benefits associated with different market outlets and factors influencing farmers' choice of these outlets.Design/methodology/approachA two-stage sampling technique was adopted to collect data from 300 cowpea farmers through purposive sampling of communities and simple random selection at the farmer level in Ejura Sekyedumasi municipality of Ghana. Analytical methods including profitability measures such as gross margin, net margin, return on investment and multinomial logistic (MNL) regression model were used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results showed that production and marketing of cowpea is profitable with farmers who trade in wholesale markets recording the highest gross margin (Gh₵1245.85 (US$227.76)), net margin (Gh₵1029.37 (US$188.18)) and return on investment (ROI) of 63%. Important nonfarm-related factors including household size, farming experience, membership of farmer-based organization and extension contact were found to significantly influence the choice of marketing outlets in the study area. In addition, market attributes such as produce selling price, volume of cowpea sold and post-harvest value addition were also key determinants of cowpea market outlet choices.Practical implicationsThe results of the study are vital to agricultural administrators in devising efficient cowpea market systems for smallholder farmers in Ghana. Likewise, the study provides important information to smallholder farmers in the choice of market outlets that maximizes their returns.Originality/valuePrevious studies on marketing of cowpea in Ghana emphasized on direct retail or consumer marketing to maximize farmers' returns. Meanwhile, there are claims to suggest that the sale of cowpea grains in the country are carried out through varied market outlets which come with differing costs and benefits implications for smallholder farmers. Therefore, the present study comprehensively compared associated costs and benefits in all available cowpea market outlets so as to settle the confusion surrounding most profitable and efficient marketing channel for smallholder farmers toward poverty reduction.
Learning factories and living labs projects for sustainable educational development
Authors: Turi Jamshid Ali , Imtiaz Ali , Sorooshain Shahryar 
Published: March 2021

PurposeThis technical note aimed to assess critically the need of the learning factories and living labs for sustainable educational and social development.Design/methodology/approachThe study implied systematic research review and opinions of the expert to critically analyze the meaning and application of learning factory and living labs for social and educational development.FindingsThe study concluded that there is an urgent need for the collaboration among the entire stakeholder for establishing learning factory and living labs for social and educational development.Originality/valueThe technical study provides a unique perspective to educational and social development. It added to the traditional learning system by enlarging the venue of learning through stabling learning factories and living labs and insisted the higher educational institutions (HEIs) to open their door for general public for the inclusive development at national and international horizons.
Improving assessments of data‐limited populations using life‐history theory
Authors: Horswill Cat , Manica Andrea , Daunt Francis , Newell Mark , Wanless Sarah , Wood Matthew , Matthiopoulos Jason 
Published: March 2021

AbstractPredicting how populations may respond to climate change and anthropogenic pressures requires detailed knowledge of demographic traits, such as survival and reproduction. However, the availability of these data varies greatly across space and taxa. Therefore, it is common practice to conduct population assessments by filling in missing values from surrogate species or other populations of the same species. Using these independent surrogate values concurrently with observed data neglects the life‐history trade‐offs that connect the different aspects of a population's demography. Consequently, this approach introduces biases that could ultimately lead to erroneous management decisions.We use a Bayesian hierarchical framework to combine fragmented multi‐population data with established life‐history theory and reconstruct population‐specific demographic data across a substantial part of a species breeding range. We apply our analysis to a long‐lived colonial species, the black‐legged kittiwakeRissa tridactyla, that is classified as globally Vulnerable and is highly threatened by increasing anthropogenic pressures, including offshore renewable energy development. We then use a projection analysis to examine how the reconstructed demographic parameters may improve population assessments, compared to models that combine observed data with independent surrogate values.Demographic parameters reconstructed using a hierarchical framework can be utilised in a range of population modelling approaches. They can also be used as reference estimates to assess whether independent surrogate values are likely to over or underestimate missing demographic parameters. We show that surrogate values from independent sources are often used to fill in missing parameters that have large potential demographic impact, and that resulting biases are driven in unpredictable directions thus precluding assessments from being consistently precautionary.Synthesis and applications. Our study dramatically increases the spatial coverage of population‐specific demographic data for black‐legged kittiwakes. The reconstructed demographic parameters presented can also be used immediately to reduce uncertainty in the consenting process for offshore wind development in the United Kingdom and Ireland. More broadly, we show that the reconstruction approach used here provides a new avenue for improving evidence‐based management and policy action for animal and plant populations with fragmented and error prone demographic data.
Dynamics of Mental Health and Healthcare Use among Children and Young Adults
Authors: Butterworth Peter , de  New Sonja C. , Schilling Chris , Saxby Karinna , Petrie Dennis , Wong Clement 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDespite the high rates of mental disorder in adolescents and young adults, treatment utilisation is low. Using Australian longitudinal administrative and survey data, we show an increasing proportion of young people are accessing nervous system scripts as they age. Younger cohorts have increasingly accessed these scripts earlier; usage is generally higher among disadvantaged groups and in regions with better mental health service access. Less than half of all young adults facing very high psychological distress in 2018 had recently accessed mental health care. Instead of professional help, young people turn to friends and family for help with personal and emotional problems.
Women's International Thought in the Twentieth‐Century Anglo‐American Academy: Autobiographical Reflection, Oral History and Scholarly Habitus
Authors: C. Dunstan Sarah 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMethodologies of textual and linguistic analysis have long held sway in Anglo‐American practices of intellectual history. Such approaches tend to decouple the ideas being traced from the human subject, or scholar, producing the thought. Taking the lead from the rich theorising work done in feminist, gender, race and cultural histories, this article asks what changes in our understanding of intellectual histories of international thought when we connect the lived and bodily realities of the human subjects producing the ideas to the ideas themselves. In so doing, the article makes a case for the importance of fleshing out what the author calls ‘scholarly habitus’ and suggests the potential utility of oral history as a methodology for reconstructing ‘scholarly habitus’. The article will draw upon an oral history archive comprised of twenty interviews conducted with senior women International Relations scholars from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to flesh out this argument. The article argues that oral history, as a medium for autobiographical practice, can reveal aspects of how gender, race and class shaped the scholarly practice and career trajectories of these women, as well as shed light on the historical dynamics of the discipline of International Relations as a whole.
Reduction of T‐2 and HT‐2 mycotoxins by atmospheric cold plasma and its impact on quality changes and germination of wheat grains
Authors: Iqdiam Basheer M. , Feizollahi Ehsan , Arif Muhammad Faisal , Jeganathan Brasathe , Vasanthan Thava , Thilakarathna Malinda S. , Roopesh M. S. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWheat (Triticum aestivum) is susceptible to mycotoxin contamination, which can result in significant health risks and economic losses. This research examined the ability of air atmospheric cold plasma (air‐ACP) treatment to reduce pure and spiked T‐2 and HT‐2 mycotoxins’ concentration on wheat grains. This study also evaluated the effect of ACP treatment using different gases on wheat grain germination parameters. The T‐2 and HT‐2 mycotoxin solutions applied on round cover‐glass were placed on microscopy slides and wheat grains (0.5 g) were individually spiked with T‐2 and HT‐2 on their surfaces. Samples were then dried at room temperature (∼24 °C) and treated by air‐ACP for 1 to 10 min. Ten minutes of air‐ACP treatment significantly reduced pure T‐2 and HT‐2 concentrations by 63.63% and 51.5%, respectively. For mycotoxin spiked on wheat grains, 10 min air‐ACP treatment significantly decreased T‐2 and HT‐2 concentrations up to 79.8% and 70.4%, respectively. No significant change in the measured quality and color parameters was observed in the ACP‐treated samples. Wheat grain germination parameters were not significantly different, when treated with ACP using different gases. Air‐ACP treatment and ACP treatment using 80% nitrogen + 20% oxygen improved the germination of wheat grains by 10% and 6%, respectively. This study demonstrated that ACP is an innovative technology with the potential to improve the safety of wheat grains by reducing T‐2/HT‐2 mycotoxins with an additional advantage of improving their germination.Practical ApplicationAtmospheric cold plasma (ACP) technology has a huge potential to degrade mycotoxins in food grains. This study evaluated the efficacy of ACP to reduce two major mycotoxins (T‐2 and HT‐2 toxins) in wheat grains. The results of this study will help to develop and scale‐up the ACP technology for mycotoxin degradation in grains.
Integrating eDNA metabarcoding and simultaneous underwater visual surveys to describe complex fish communities in a marine biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Valdivia‐Carrillo Tania , Rocha‐Olivares Axayácatl , Reyes‐Bonilla Héctor , Domínguez‐Contreras José Francisco , Munguia‐Vega Adrian 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMarine biodiversity can be surveyed using underwater visual censuses and recently with eDNA metabarcoding. Although a promising tool, eDNA studies have shown contrasting results related to its detection scale and the number of species identified compared to other survey methods. Also, its accuracy relies on complete reference databases used for taxonomic assignment and, as other survey methods, species detection may show false‐negative and false‐positive errors. Here, we compared results from underwater visual censuses and simultaneous eDNA metabarcoding fish surveys in terms of observed species and community composition. We also assess the effect of a custom reference database in the taxonomic assignment, and evaluate occupancy, capture and detection probabilities, as well as error rates of eDNA survey data. We amplified a 12S rRNA fish barcode from 24 sampling sites in the gulf of California. More species were detected with eDNA metabarcoding than with UVC. Because each survey method largely detected different sets of species, the combined approach doubled the number of species registered. Both survey methods recovered a known biodiversity gradient and a biogeographic break, but eDNA captured diversity over a broader geographic and bathymetric scale. Furthermore, the use of a modest‐sized custom reference database significantly increased taxonomic assignment. In a subset of species, occupancy models revealed eDNA surveys provided similar or higher detection probabilities compared to UVC. The occupancy value of each species had a large influence on eDNA detectability, and in the false positive and negative error. Overall, these results highlight the potential of eDNA metabarcoding in complementing other established ecological methods for studies of marine fishes.
Comparison of irrigant activation devices and conventional needle irrigation on smear layer and debris removal in curved canals. (Smear layer removal from irrigant activation using SEM)
Authors: Andreani Yasmina , Gad Benjamin Thomas , Cocks Thomas Charles , Harrison Jonathan , Keresztes Mark Edward , Pomfret James Kennan , Rees Evan Benjamin , Ma Duoduo , Baloun Brett Lindsay , Rahimi Mehdi 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAimTo compare the effectiveness of smear layer and debris removal in the final rinse of curved canals of permanent molars using different commercially available irrigant activation devices.MethodsThe mesial roots of 74 extracted maxillary and mandibular molars were instrumented using the Mtwo nickel–titanium rotary system (VDW GmbH, Munich, Germany). They were then randomly assigned to one of three groups, varying in their final rinse protocol. Group 1 (n = 15) – conventional needle irrigation with 4% NaOCl; Group 2 (n = 19) – EndoActivator® (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK, USA) with 4% NaOCl; Group 3 (n = 17) – XP‐endo® Finisher (FKG Dentaire SA, La Chaux‐de‐Fonds, Switzerland) with 4% NaOCl. After the final rinse, all canals were flushed with 1 mL 15% EDTA for 60 s and then flushed with saline. The roots were split longitudinally and prepared for scanning electron microscope imaging. ImageJ for Windows was utilised to assess the images for smear layer removal, while two blinded investigators assessed debris presence in the middle and apical thirds using a 5‐point scale.ResultsThere was no significant difference in smear layer and debris removal between treatment and control groups in the same canal zones. A significant difference was noted across different canal zones both within and across the groups.ConclusionThere is no statistically significant difference in effectiveness between activated irrigation techniques and manual activation. Further investigations are required to evaluate all methods available and determine the most efficient technique to irrigate successfully.
Current status and solutions for gender equity in anaesthesia research
Authors: Flexman A. M. , Shillcutt S. K. , Davies S. , Lorello G. R. 
Published: March 2021

SummaryDespite increasing numbers of women entering anaesthesia, they remain persistently under‐represented within academic anaesthesia and research. Gender discordance is seen across multiple aspects of research, including authorship, editorship, peer review, grant receipt, speaking and leading. Women are also under‐represented at higher faculty ranks and in department chair positions. These inequities are further magnified for women with intersectional identities, such as those who identify as Black, indigenous and women of colour. Several barriers to participation in research have been identified to date, including a disproportionate amount of family responsibilities, a disproportionate burden of clinical service, gender bias, sexual harassment and the gender pay gap. Several strategies to improve gender equity have been proposed. Increasing access to formal mentorship of women in academic medicine is frequently cited and has been used by healthcare institutions and medical societies. Senior faculty and leaders must also be conscious of including women in sponsorship and networking opportunities. Institutions should provide support for parents of all genders, including supportive parental leave policies and flexible work models. Women should also be materially supported to attend formal educational conferences targeted for women, aimed at improving networking, peer support and professional development. Finally, leaders must display a clear intolerance for sexual harassment and discrimination to drive culture change. Peers and leaders alike, of all genders, can act as upstanders and speak up on behalf of targets of discrimination, both in the moment or after the fact. Gender inequities have persisted for far too long and can no longer be ignored. Diversifying the anaesthesia research community is essential to the future of the field.
Sperm quality in transgender women before or after gender affirming hormone therapy—A prospective cohort study
Authors: Rodriguez‐Wallberg Kenny A. , Häljestig Jakob , Arver Stefan , Johansson Anna L. V. , Lundberg Frida E. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundDue to recent changes in the legal framework, access to fertility preservation (FP) for transgender individuals has opened up in several countries. In Sweden and the Nordic countries, fertility preservation for medical reasons is fully reimbursed as part of the established tax‐funded healthcare services. As this issue is relatively new, procedures for FP have seldom been reported in the transgender patient population. The very limited literature has indicated that transgender women may have poorer sperm quality than cisgender men when assessing samples aimed at semen banking.ObjectivesTo assess sperm quality parameters of semen samples provided for FP by transgender women before or after gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), and to compare sperm quality with a reference population of unscreened men defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, we aimed to describe referral patterns over calendar time and estimate time from referral to semen cryopreservation.Material and MethodsProspective cohort study of 212 transgender women referred for FP to the Reproductive Medicine Clinic of Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden, between 2013 and 2018. Among 177 individuals that provided semen samples for cryopreservation, 16 had previously received GAHT.ResultsIndividuals with previous GAHT presented with significantly lower total sperm count than individuals without GAHT (p = 0.002). However, higher proportions of sperm abnormalities were also noted among individuals who had not undergone previous GAHT, compared to the WHO reference population (p < 0.001). Referrals of transgender women for FP increased over time. The median time from referral to semen cryopreservation was 27 days.ConclusionsA high occurrence of sperm abnormalities was found in transgender women, especially among individuals who had previously received GAHT. The results underline the importance of thoroughly discussing parenthood options and FP with patients early after diagnosis and referring the patients for semen banking preferably before starting GAHT.
Body mass index and surgical outcomes in laparoscopic liver resections: a systematic review
Authors: Kwan Bianca , Waters Peadar S. , Keogh Cian , Cavallucci David J. , O'Rourke Nicholas , Bryant Richard D. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundLaparoscopic liver resection is gaining momentum; however, there is limited evidence on its efficacy and safety in obese patients. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between BMI and outcomes after laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) using a systematic review of the existing literature.MethodsA systematic search of Medline (Ovid 1946–present), PubMed (NCBI), Embase (Ovid 1966–present) and Cochrane Library was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses statement for parameters of LLR and BMI. Operative, post‐operative and oncological outcomes were recorded.ResultsOf 1460 abstracts, seven retrospective studies were analysed, published between 2015 and 2017 (study periods 1998–2017). Total patient cohort were classified as 481 obese and 1180 non‐obese with a median age range of 42.5–69.4 years. Variations existed in definitions of obesity (Asia BMI >25 kg/m2, Western BMI >30 kg/m2). Rates of conversion were examined in four studies (0–31%) with one reporting BMI >28 kg/m2 as an independent risk factor. Estimated blood loss and transfusion rates were similar. Operative time was increased in obese patients in one study (P = 0.02). Mortality rates ranged from 0% to 4.3% with no difference between BMI classes. No difference in major morbidity was demonstrated. Bile leak rates were increased in obese groups in one study (0–3.44%, P < 0.05). Wound infections were reported in five studies, with higher rates in obese patients (0–5.8% versus 0–1.9%). Tumour size was comparable in both groups. Completeness of resection was analysed in four studies with one study reporting increased R0 rates in obese patients (P = 0.012).ConclusionThis systematic review highlights that current evidence shows LLR in obese patients is safe, however, further studies are required.
Characterization of different types of broiler bedding including dehydrated grass and their influence on production
Authors: Przybulinski Bruna B. , Garcia Rodrigo G. , Burbarelli Maria Fernanda de C. , Komiyama Claudia M. , Barbosa Deivid Kelly , Caldara Fabiana R. , Serpa Felipe C. , de Castilho Vivian A. R. , Gandra Érika Rosendo de Sena 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe objective is to evaluate different bedding materials, including dehydrated grass, on performance and carcass yield and verify the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of materials. The completely randomized experiment comprised 1,080 chicks in a 3 × 2 factorial design with three levels of dehydrated grass (0%, 25%, and 50%) and two bedding materials (rice husks and shavings). Total microorganism count and physicochemical characteristics, surface temperature of birds, and performance of birds were analyzed up to 42 days of age, when birds were slaughtered, and carcass yield was evaluated. The inclusion of grass showed a higher microbiological count after 1 day, stabilizing with materials after 28 days. The inclusion of 50% of dehydrated grass resulted in a higher surface bed temperature at 42 days. Inclusions above 25% of grass have a lower density and a greater water retention capacity, pH, moisture, and total nitrogen, in addition to a lower FDA in its structure. The highest ammonia emissions occurred with the inclusion of 25% of grass. The inclusion of dehydrated grass did not affect performance and carcass yield, favoring feed conversion at the initial stages. The inclusion of grass can replace up to 25% of shavings without harming physicochemical parameters of materials and birds' performance.