bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global adaptive neural backstepping control of a flexible hypersonic vehicle with disturbance estimation
Authors: Zhao He-Wei , Yang Li-bin 
Published: October 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the precise altitude and velocity tracking control of a hypersonic vehicle, a global adaptive neural backstepping controller was studied based on a disturbance observer (DOB).

Design/methodology/approach
The DOB combined with a radial basis function (RBF) neural network (NN) was used to estimate the disturbance terms that are generated by the flexible modes of the hypersonic vehicle system. A global adaptive neural method was introduced to approximate the unknown system dynamics, with robust control terms pulling the system transient states back into the neural approximation domain externally.

Findings
The globally uniformly ultimately bounded for all signals of a closed-loop system can be guaranteed by the proposed control algorithm. Additionally, the command filtered backstepping methods can avoid the explosion of the complexity problem caused by the backstepping design process. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed controller can be verified by the simulation used in this study.

Research limitations/implications
Normally lateral dynamics issue should be discussed in the process of control system designed, the lateral dynamics are not included in the nonlinear dynamic model of hypersonic vehicle used in this paper, merely the longitudinal flight dynamics are discussed in this paper.

Originality/value
The flexible states in rigid modes are considered as the disturbance of the system, which is estimated by structuring DOB with NN approximations. The compensating tracking error and prediction error are used in the update law of RBF NN weight. The differential explosions complexity derived from the backstepping procedure is dealt with by using command filters.
Persons with disability perception of facilities management service quality: hospital buildings in Malaysia
Authors: Awang Nuratiqah Aisyah , Chua Shirley Jin Lin , Ali Azlan Shah , Au-Yong Cheong Peng , Naicker Amaramalar Selvi , Yuliawiratman Brenda Saria 
Published: October 2021

PurposeThis study aims to discover the perception of persons with disabilities (PWDs) towards facilities management (FM) service quality at hospital buildings in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted with 99 respondents in selected hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia.FindingsThis study aims to discover the perception of PWDs towards FM service quality, and it has found a gap for improvement. The area that requires the highest attention includes the importance of (1) assurance on accessibility despite maintenance activity being conducted (2) criticality of facilities maintenance itself, (3) assurance on comfort and safety, (4) reliable medium to ask for assistance or giving feedback, (5) signage that is clearly seen and easily understood and (6) staff responsiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThis instrument is validated by PWDs under the physical disability category only, specifically in the hospital context. Future research is recommended to identify the FM service quality aspect for different categories of disability (sensory, mental or intellectual impairment).Practical implicationsThe findings provide evidence for FM to consider PWDs' perceptions in FM strategy development. Even FM provides a healthcare support system. FM service quality partly reflects healthcare service quality.Social implicationsAccommodating the need of PWDs through the improvement of FM service quality aspect will partly fulfil the right of PWDs for equality of access to healthcare.Originality/valueThis SERVQUAL tools can be improvised and used to measure the perception of PWDs on FM service quality systematically and holistically. Understanding the service quality aspect is important for a facility manager to precisely measure and prioritise what is truly important to the building users with special needs and try to accommodate this need in the management activity.
Figures in the carpet of branding
Authors: Brown Stephen 
Published: October 2021

PurposeMany have noted the role of metaphor in branding understanding. More than mere decorative frills, tropes play a fundamental, foundational part in the process. The purpose of this comment is to consider some of the branding's core conceits and classifies them for scholarly convenience.Design/methodology/approachMetaphors, first and foremost, are figures of speech not analytical tools or techniques. Accordingly, the commentary adopts an appropriate literary approach to its subject matter. Reflective for the most part, it seeks to deconstruct and reconstruct simultaneously. Suggestion not stipulation is the aim.FindingsAfter scrutinising branding's figurative landscape, then focussing on several promising analogies, the commentary concludes with a cautionary note concerning internal branding. Metaphor is not all fun and games, nor the be all and end all of branding understanding.Originality/valueServices marketing possesses two powerful and deeply entrenched tropes – relationships and dramaturgy. Although this comment touches on both, particularly the former, it points out the plethora of figurative possibilities, some fresh, others familiar, that are available to brand managers and researchers both.
Climate change and web archives: an Ibero-American study based on the Portuguese and Brazilian contexts
Authors: Rockembach Moisés , Serrano Anabela 
Published: October 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this investigation is to analyze information on the web and its preservation as the digital heritage of events related to climate change and the environment in Portugal and Brazil, thus contributing to web preservation in the Ibero-American context.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical and applied investigation using mixed methods to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data from three sources: the Internet Archive and the public collection of Archive-It, the Portuguese web archive, and a selection from collections compiled by a research group (UFRGS) on web archiving and digital archiving in Brazil.FindingsWeb archive initiatives started in 1996; however, over the years collections have narrowed from nationally relevant themes to specialized thematic niches. The theme “climate change” has had an increasing impact on scientific and mainstream discussion in the 2000s, and by 2010 the over-arching theme became focused on digital preservation of web content, as demonstrated in this study. Failure to preserve data can lead to a rapid loss of climate change information, due to the inherent ephemerality of the web.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates the relevance of preserving web content on climate change by showing what has been preserved to date and what will need to be preserved in the future.
Blockchain adoption in supply networks: a social capital perspective
Authors: Galati Francesco 
Published: October 2021

PurposeThis study aims to contribute to the early but fervent debate on blockchain and supply networks by proposing a novel theoretical perspective on blockchain adoption grounded on social capital theory. In particular, it seeks to answer the following question: what is the role of social capital in shaping the decision to adopt blockchain in supply networks?Design/methodology/approachMultiple case-studies, based on interviews performed with managers of eight firms, were used.FindingsThe social capital theory emerged as an additional but necessary lens to investigate blockchain implementation in supply networks. The intuitions proposed highlighted the importance of managers’ sensemaking for investigating technology adoption. Relational capital emerged as a necessary but not sufficient condition to adopt blockchain in supply networks. In addition, it is argued a relationship between competitive opportunities at the firm level and the idea to adopt the blockchain. The opportunity to act as “Tertius Gaudens” or as “Tertius Iungens” information brokers in supply networks should severely affect firms’ proneness toward the adoption of blockchain solutions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies in the literature investigating blockchain adoption in supply networks from a social capital perspective. It introduces new issues to the debate related to the role of blockchain in the supply chain by discussing the role of goal misalignment and competitive advantage, which emerged as crucial for shaping the decision to adopt blockchain in supply networks.
The transcriptomic signature of cold and heat stress in benthic foraminifera—Implications for range expansions of marine calcifiers
Authors: Titelboim Danna , Thangarjan Starlin , Raposo Débora , Morard Raphaël , Kucera Michal , Ashckenazi‐Polivoda Sarit , Almogi‐Labin Ahuva , Herut Barak , Manda Sneha , Abramovich Sigal , Gold David A. , Abdu Uri 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Global warming permits range expansions of tropical marine species into mid‐latitude habitats, where they are, however, faced with cold winter temperatures. Therefore, tolerance to cold temperatures may be the key adaptation controlling zonal range expansion in tropical marine species.

Here we investigated the molecular and physiological response to cold and heat stress in a tropical symbiont‐bearing foraminifera that has successfully invaded the Eastern Mediterranean.

Our physiological measurements indicate thermal tolerance of the diatom symbionts but a decrease in growth for the foraminifera host under both cold and warm stress.

The combined (‘holobiont’) transcriptome revealed an asymmetric response in short‐term gene expression under cold versus warm stress. Cold stress induced major reorganization of metabolic processes, including regulation of genes involved in photosynthesis. Analyses limited to genes that are inferred to belong to the symbionts confirm that the observed pattern is due to changes in the regulation of photosynthesis‐related genes and not due to changes in the abundance of the symbionts.

In contrast to cold stress, far fewer genes change expression under heat stress and those that do are primarily related to movement and cytoskeleton. This implies that under cold stress, cellular resources are allocated to the maintenance of photosynthesis, and the key to zonal range shifts of tropical species could be the cold tolerance of the symbiosis.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article
Cryptic eco‐evolutionary feedback in the city: Urban evolution of prey dampens the effect of urban evolution of the predator
Authors: Brans Kristien I. , Tüzün Nedim , Sentis Arnaud , De Meester Luc , Stoks Robby 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Most research on eco‐evolutionary feedbacks focuses on ecological consequences of evolution in a single species. This ignores the fact that evolution in response to a shared environmental factor in multiple species involved in interactions could alter the net cumulative effect of evolution on ecology.

We empirically tested whether urbanization‐driven evolution in a predator (nymphs of the damselfly Ischnura elegans) and its prey (the water flea Daphnia magna) jointly shape the outcome of predation under simulated heatwaves. Both interactors show genetic trait adaptation to urbanization, particularly to higher temperatures.

We cross‐exposed common‐garden reared damselflies and Daphnia from replicated urban and rural populations, and quantified predation rates and functional response traits.

Urban damselfly nymphs showed higher encounter and predation rates than rural damselflies when exposed to rural prey, but this difference disappeared when they preyed on urban Daphnia. This represents a case of a cryptic evo‐to‐eco feedback, where the evolution of one species dampens the effects of the evolution of another species on their interaction strength. The effects of evolution of each single species were strong: the scenario in which only the predator or prey was adapted to urbanization resulted in a c. 250% increase in encounter rate and a c. 25% increase in predation rate, compared to the rural predator–rural prey combination.

Our results provide unique evidence for eco‐evolutionary feedbacks in cities, and underscore the importance of a multi‐species approach in eco‐evolutionary dynamics research.
Ectopic cervical thymi and no thymic involution until midlife in naked mole rats
Authors: Emmrich Stephan , Tolibzoda Zakusilo Frances , Trapp Alexandre , Zhou Xuming , Zhang Quanwei , Irving Ellen M. , Drage Michael G. , Zhang Zhengdong , Gladyshev Vadim N. , Seluanov Andrei , Gorbunova Vera 
Published: October 2021

AbstractImmunosenescence is a hallmark of aging and manifests as increased susceptibility to infection, autoimmunity, and cancer in the elderly. One component of immunosenescence is thymic involution, age‐associated shrinkage of the thymus, observed in all vertebrates studied to date. The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) has become an attractive animal model in aging research due to its extreme longevity and resistance to disease. Here, we show that naked mole rats display no thymic involution up to 11 years of age. Furthermore, we found large ectopic cervical thymi in addition to the canonical thoracic thymus, both being identical in their cell composition. The developmental landscape in naked mole rat thymi revealed overt differences from the murine T‐cell compartment, most notably a decrease of CD4+/CD8+ double‐positive cells and lower abundance of cytotoxic effector T cells. Our observations suggest that naked mole rats display a delayed immunosenescence. Therapeutic interventions aimed at reversing thymic aging remain limited, underscoring the importance of understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind a sustained immune function in the naked mole rat.
Responding to the China Challenge in Techno‐nationalism: Divergence between Germany and the United States
Authors: Starrs Sean Kenji , Germann Julian 
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACTPresident Xi Jinping has made clear that the ‘Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation’ will involve world‐leading competitiveness: his ‘Made in China 2025’ plan identifies 10 core sectors of advanced technology. This article investigates how elites in the United States and Germany have responded to this ‘China challenge’, a burgeoning ‘techno‐nationalist’ phase of globalization. First, the article explores the divergent state responses of the USA and Germany: while both national elites are concerned, the reaction of the US has been far more confrontational. It then tries to explain this striking contrast in terms of the disparate domestic constituents. The US since Trump has aligned electoral grievances around manufacturing job losses with the interests of the national security establishment. In contrast, German labour has fared better in globalization, and the German state has not been able to override the interests of German capital in the way that the US has. Thus, the authors offer an account of how Germany and the US have responded differently to the China challenge, as well as explaining why with reference to the divergent structural conditions and class interests. The article ends by speculating that ‘techno‐nationalism’ will only accelerate in the face of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
The behavioral agency model: Revised concepts and implications for operations and supply chain research
Authors: Gomez‐Mejia Luis R. , Martin Geoff , Villena Veronica H. , Wiseman Robert M. 
Published: October 2021

ABSTRACTThe COVID 19 crisis and geopolitical ruptures of recent years have highlighted the importance of operations and supply chain management (OSCM) to firms and society. How do OSCM executives make decisions under uncertainty, and how do they balance the competing needs of various stakeholders? The behavioral agency model (BAM), which has been widely used in the management literature, focuses on the executive as the unit of analysis, like the behavioral science research in which it is embedded; by contrast, much of the supply chain risk management research has examined risk at the level of the firm. We review BAM literature and its core constructs, refine its original predictions, identify OSCM executive decision contexts that could take advantage of BAM, and highlight research opportunities using BAM. We aim to provide a platform for further risk research applying BAM in the domain of OSCM executive decision‐making.
Do pledges lead to more volunteering? An experimental study
Authors: Capra C. Mónica , Jiang Bing , Su Yuxin 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe effect of pledges on donations is ambiguous. Pledges can boost donations because pledges make it easier for people to accept a request without incurring the costs of donating right away. However, pledges can also decrease donations because individuals who pledge renege on their promises. In this paper, we study the effect of pledges on volunteering using an online experiment. We find that pledges decrease immediate rejection to volunteering requests, but pledges are often reneged later, resulting in no overall change in volunteering rates. We provide a theoretical framework for understanding the conditions under which these results emerge.
Health literacy predicts Covid‐19 awareness and protective behaviours of university students
Authors: Naveed Muhammad Asif , Shaukat Rozeen 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundHealth literacy is expected to help individuals deal with the required infection control and knowledge to cope with the COVID‐19 pandemic.ObjectivesThis study examined the impact of health literacy on Covid‐19 awareness and protective behaviours of university students in Pakistan.MethodsAn online questionnaire was used to collect data from students at three universities in Punjab. The approved questionnaire contained 12 statements related to HL, 21 items towards Covid‐19 awareness, and 11 statements related to protective behaviours, along with some demographic data. Data analysis used Pearson correlation and simple linear regression.ResultsHealth literacy of university students positively predicted their Covid‐19 awareness and protective behaviours indicating that students with high health literacy were likely to be more aware of Covid‐19 and adopt health protective behaviours. There were gender and rural/urban differences.ConclusionsThe results demonstrated an urgent need for planning a needs‐based health literacy programme focusing specifically on Covid‐19 literacy in Pakistan. This research might help policy‐makers, NGOs, and health librarians devise suitable programme.
Directional bioconversion and optimization of stevioside into rubusoside by Lelliottia sp. LST-1
Authors: Huang Ke , Huang Jingyu , Lin Jing , Li Hongwei , Xin Jiaqi , Ma Ziyang , Sang Junhao , Hong Zhiyun , Zeng Guohong , Hu Xiufang , Li Ou 
Published: October 2021

Abstract

Aims
The present study aimed to specifically transform stevioside (ST) into rubusoside (RS) through bioconversion with high efficiency, seeking to endow steviol glycosides (SGs) with subtle flavours for commercial acceptability.

Methods and Results
An endophytic bacterium named Lelliottia LST-1 was screened and confirmed to specifically convert ST into RS, reaching a conversion rate of 75.4% after response surface optimization. Phylogenetic analysis combined with complete genome sequencing demonstrated that LST-1 was also presumed to be a new species. To further explore the principle and process of biological transformation, the potential beta-glucosidases GH3-1, GH3-2, GH3-3 and GH3-4 were expressed, purified and reacted with SGs. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed that all enzymes hydrolysed ST and generated RS, but substrate specificity analysis indicated that GH3-2 had the highest substrate specificity towards STs and the highest enzyme activity.

Conclusion
The potential β-glucosidase GH3-2 in Lelliottia sp. LST-1 was found to specifically and efficiently convert ST to RS.

Significance and Impact of Study
The efficient biotransformation of ST into RS will be beneficial to its large-scale production and extensive application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Growth hormone deficiency in adults with hypopituitarism—What are the risks and can they be eliminated by therapy?
Authors: Johannsson Gudmundur , Ragnarsson Oskar 
Published: October 2021

AbstractGrowth hormone (GH) deficiency develops early in patients with hypothalamic‐pituitary disorders and is therefore common among these patients. GH deficiency in adults is associated with increased morbidity, increased body fat mass, abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia, reduced exercise capacity, impaired cardiac function as well as reduced self‐reported well‐being and impaired quality of life. Since recombinant human GH became available as replacement therapy more than 25 years ago, randomised controlled trials and long‐term studies, together with meta‐analyses, have shown improved outcomes in adult patients with hypopituitarism receiving GH. Many of the features associated with GH deficiency in adults improve, or even normalize, and the safety profile is reassuring. The increased interest in GH deficiency in adults with hypothalamic‐pituitary disorders has also contributed to the identification of other factors of importance for an outcome such as the replacement of other pituitary hormone deficiencies, and the management of the underlying hypothalamic‐pituitary disease, most commonly a pituitary tumour.In this narrative review, we summarize the burden of GH deficiency in adults with hypopituitarism, the impact of GH replacement on the outcome, as well as safety. Based on currently available data, GH replacement should be considered routine management of adults with hypopituitarism.
Instrumental characteristics from extensional rheology and tribology of polysaccharide solutions
Authors: Funami Takahiro , Nakauma Makoto 
Published: October 2021

AbstractInstrumental characteristics from extensional rheology and tribology for aqueous xanthan gum (XG) and locust bean gum (LBG) solutions were studied in the presence or absence of simulated saliva. Extensional viscosity was calculated from the filament shrinkage behavior using a capillary breakup extensional rheometer, whereas the friction coefficient was measured using a set‐up consisting of polydimethylsiloxane substrate and a glass ball bearing on a rotational rheometer. Increase in extensional viscosity was detected immediately after initiation of extensional flow, particularly XG, and also immediately before the filament rupture, particularly LBG. Extensional viscosity tended to decrease with increased addition of simulated saliva for XG, while to increase for LBG. In both cases, effect of cations in the saliva was greater than that of mucin. From the shape of the Stribeck curve (i.e., dependence of the friction coefficient on the entrainment speed) and comparison of the friction coefficient itself, lubricity of XG was greater than that of LBG. Simulated saliva added decreased the friction coefficient for each polysaccharide through functions of cations rather than mucin. Extensional viscosity and tribological measurements revealed mechanical properties of polysaccharide solutions which cannot be determined or quantified by shear viscosity alone.