bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interconnectedness and systemic risk measures of Chinese financial institutions
Authors: Qi Ming , Zhang Jiawei , Xiao Jing , Wang Pei , Shi Danyang , Nnenna Amuji Bridget
Published: September 2021

Purpose

In this paper the interconnectedness among financial institutions and the level of systemic risks of four types of Chinese financial institutions are investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

By the means of RAS algorithm, the interconnection among financial institutions are illustrated. Different methods, including Linear Granger, Systemic impact index (SII), vulnerability index (VI), CoVaR, and MES are used to measure the systemic risk exposures across different institutions.

Findings

The results illustrate that big banks are more interconnected and hold the biggest scales of inter-bank transactions in the financial network. The institutions which have larger size tend to have more connection with others. Insurance and security companies contribute more to the systemic risk where as other institutions, such as trusts, financial companies, etc. may bring about severe loss and endanger the financial system as a whole.

Practical implications

Since other institutions with low levels of regulation may bring about higher extreme loss and suffer the whole system, it deserves more attention by regulators considering the contagion of potential risks in the financial system.

Originality/value

This study builds a valuable contribution by examine the systemic risks from the perspectives of both interconnection and tail risk measures. Furthermore; Four types financial institutions are investigated in this paper.
Carbon emission reduction and coordination in a closed-loop supply chain with outsourcing remanufacturing
Authors: Wang Na , Zhang Yulin , Li Jing
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Outsourcing remanufacturing is a major form of remanufacturing, and emission reduction is an important part of a manufacturer's production. This paper aims to investigate carbon emission reduction strategies in a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) with outsourcing remanufacturing and design a contract to coordinate the CLSC.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors establish two-period game models between an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and third-party remanufacturer (TPR) in different scenarios, including decentralized decision, centralized decision and coordinated decision. Furthermore, the authors study the optimal decisions by maximizing the profit model. The authors also investigate the impact of a carbon tax and emission reduction on the optimal decisions through comparative analysis.

Findings

Emission reduction increases the quantity of new products and the OEM's profit. However, emission reduction decreases the outsourcing fee, which is not conducive to remanufacturing; thus, the TPR's profit does not necessarily increase. Compared with a decentralized scenario, the output of remanufactured products and the total profit increase. When the acceptance level of remanufactured products is high enough or when emissions from remanufacturing are low enough, the total carbon emissions are reduced in the centralized scenario. For the coordination of the CLSC, the OEM needs to increase the outsourcing fee and the TPR needs to share part of the emission reduction costs.

Research limitations/implications

The TPR can choose three different remanufacturing strategies, namely, no remanufacturing, partial remanufacturing or full remanufacturing. For the majority of firms, it is difficult to remanufacture all used products. Therefore, the analysis is based only on partial remanufacturing.

Practical implications

The results provide insights for remanufacturing and emission reduction decisions, as well as a decision basis for the cooperation between the OEM and TPR.

Originality/value

The authors combine the OEM's carbon emission reduction with outsourcing remanufacturing, and investigate the impact of technological spillover on the TPR's profit.
Open for business in a closed world? Managing MNE nonmarket strategy in times of populism and geopolitical uncertainty
Authors: White III George O. , Rajwani Tazeeb , Lawton Thomas C.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The international strategies of multinational enterprises are increasingly augmented by insights on, and approaches to, external stakeholders and nonmarket dynamics. The rise of populism and increased geopolitical uncertainty have accelerated these efforts, particularly for business leaders anticipating and engaging external agents, events, and issues that challenge the strategic objectives of their enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper we explain why the increased preponderance of populism and geopolitical uncertainty are concurrently posing an existential threat to the post-Cold War global economy predicated on free trade and (relatively) open borders and, consequently, challenging the structures and strategies of international business.

Findings

We provide an overview of the four papers in our special issue and consider how each advances insights on how multinational enterprises effectively navigate the nonmarket uncertainties of the contemporary global economy. We then advance four important areas for international business research on multinational nonmarket strategies: (i) resilience and legitimacy; (ii), diversification; (iii), market and nonmarket strategy integration; and (iv), institutional arbitrage.

Research limitations/implications

We anticipate that nonmarket strategy scholars can build on these themes to assess how nonmarket strategies can better enable multinational enterprises to survive and thrive in an age of heightened global risk and uncertainty.

Originality/value

This paper and the related special issue provides novel theoretical insights by drawing attention to the relatively under-researched realm of multinational enterprise nonmarket strategy, particularly in populist contexts and during periods of geopolitical uncertainty. Importantly, we identify four promising domains – resilience and legitimacy, diversification, the integration of market and nonmarket strategy, and institutional arbitrage – for international business scholars investigating nonmarket strategy to consider. We anticipate that our paper, as well as other papers in this special issue, contribute further momentum to this burgeoning area of research.
Bullying and turnover intentions: how creative employees overcome perceptions of dysfunctional organizational politics
Authors: De Clercq Dirk , Fatima Tasneem , Jahanzeb Sadia
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study seeks to unpack the relationship between employees' exposure to workplace bullying and their turnover intentions, with a particular focus on the possible mediating role of perceived organizational politics and moderating role of creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses are tested with multi-source, multi-wave data collected from employees and their peers in various organizations.

Findings

Workplace bullying spurs turnover intentions because employees believe they operate in strongly politicized organizational environments. This mediating role of perceived organizational politics is mitigated to the extent that employees can draw from their creative skills though.

Practical implications

For managers, this study pinpoints a critical reason – employees perceive that they operate in an organizational climate that endorses dysfunctional politics – by which bullying behaviors stimulate desires to leave the organization. It also reveals how this process might be contained by spurring employees' creativity.

Originality/value

This study provides novel insights into the process that underlies the connection between workplace bullying and quitting intentions by revealing the hitherto overlooked roles of employees' beliefs about dysfunctional politics and their own creativity levels.
Starbucks in China: what lessons can Starbucks learn from Luckin?
Authors: Bertels Heidi M.J. , Desplaces David
Published: September 2021

Theoretical basis

The case integrates frameworks on business models, the business model canvas (BMC) and Porter’s generic strategies in the context of the coffee industry in China. The case enables students to construct a Business Model Canvas for competing companies, analyze the canvas to deduce the generic strategy they are pursuing, and formulate recommendations based on this analysis.

Research methodology

The case is derived from secondary sources, including publicly available reports and information about Starbucks and Luckin.

Case overview/synopsis

This case looks at Starbucks in China as it faces a fierce Chinese competitor and evolving consumer behavior. Luckin, a Chinese coffee store company, had seen explosive growth since its inception in Beijing in 2017. By late 2019, its number of brick-and-mortar locations surpassed the number of Starbucks’ coffee stores in China, which had entered the Chinese market two decades earlier in 1999. Luckin’s focused on convenience through leveraging technology and reducing costs by limiting physical stores. Although Luckin’s fortunes turned in March of 2020, after an accounting scandal came to light, Luckin’s success suggests that consumers were attracted to its positioning as a “fast coffee pickup and delivery” provider. The case describes Starbucks’ strategy in China, which it sees as an important long-term growth market. It also describes the strategic activities of fast-growing, Chinese coffee company Luckin and discusses Chinese culture and consumer behavior.

Complexity academic level

The case is written for undergraduate students enrolled in a business strategy or corporate entrepreneurship course. Given that the case centers on China, it could also be used in international entrepreneurship/business courses.
Do human infrastructures shape nest distribution in the landscape depending on individual personality in a farmland bird of prey?
Authors: Rabdeau Juliette , Arroyo Beatriz , Mougeot François , Badenhausser Isabelle , Bretagnolle Vincent , Monceau Karine
Published: September 2021

Individuals' distribution across habitats may depend on their personality. Human activities and infrastructures are critical elements of the landscape that may impact the habitat selection process. However, depending on their personality, individuals may respond differently to these unnatural elements.

In the present study, we first investigated whether some human infrastructures (buildings, roads and paths) shaped Montagu's harrier nest spatial distribution in the landscape according to female personality (boldness). Second, we tested if the reproductive success of females depended on their boldness and nest location regarding infrastructures.

Using a long‐term (19 years) dataset, we calculated, for each infrastructure type, the distance from each nest to the nearest infrastructure and the infrastructure density around the nest. We tested the effects of female boldness (bold vs. shy) and its interaction with egg‐laying date on these six metrics.

Nest location in the landscape depended on female personality and on some human infrastructures: the building density was smaller around nests from shy females than from bold ones. Nest distribution related to other infrastructure metrics did not depend on female boldness. The pattern related to building density is consistent with some habitat choice hypotheses, which are discussed. Path density around nests negatively affected reproductive success regardless of female boldness, and late breeders nested further away from paths than early breeders. Human activities on paths (more common later in the season) could lead to disturbance and a decrease in parental care, reducing reproductive success.

Increasing human presence in farmlands implies a need to better understand its impact on population composition, in terms of personality. Our results suggest that individual behavioural differences should be taken into account in studies assessing the effects of human disturbance on animal populations, to propose more appropriate conservation measures.
A revolt of the deplored? The role of perceived cultural distance in the educational gradient in anti‐establishment politics
Authors: Noordzij Kjell , de Koster Willem , van der Waal Jeroen
Published: September 2021

Anti‐establishment politics have become part of contemporary Western democracies. Less‐educated citizens in particular have been found to display political distrust and populist attitudes, support populist parties, and abstain from voting. We advance a novel explanation for these patterns, drawing on extant theoretical insights to hypothesize that less‐ and more‐educated citizens differ in the extent to which they perceive politicians to be culturally distant to them. Informed by our earlier in‐depth qualitative research, we developed novel indicators of such perceptions and included them in a survey fielded among a high‐quality panel representative of the Dutch population. We found: 1) positive associations between perceived cultural distance to politicians and political distrust, populist attitudes, the intention to vote for a populist party, and non‐voting; and 2) that, overall, perceived cultural distance contributes substantially more to the educational gradient in anti‐establishment political attitudes and behavior than the conventional rationalist and materialist approaches.
A chromosome‐level genome of Antechinus flavipes provides a reference for an Australian marsupial genus with male death after mating
Authors: Tian Ran , Han Kai , Geng Yuepan , Yang Chen , Shi Chengcheng , Thomas Patrick B. , Pearce Coral , Moffatt Kate , Ma Siming , Xu Shixia , Yang Guang , Zhou Xuming , Gladyshev Vadim N. , Liu Xin , Fisher Diana O. , Chopin Lisa K. , Leiner Natália O. , Baker Andrew M. , Fan Guangyi , Seim Inge
Published: September 2021

The 15 species of small carnivorous marsupials that comprise the genus Antechinus exhibit semelparity, a rare life‐history strategy in mammals where synchronized death occurs after one breeding season. Antechinus males, but not females, age rapidly (demonstrate organismal senescence) during the breeding season and show promise as new animal models of ageing. Some antechinus species are also threatened or endangered. Here, we report a chromosome‐level genome of a male yellow‐footed antechinus Antechinus flavipes. The genome assembly has a total length of 3.2 Gb with a contig N50 of 51.8 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 636.7 Mb. We anchored and oriented 99.7% of the assembly on seven pseudochromosomes and found that repetitive DNA sequences occupy 51.8% of the genome. Draft genome assemblies of three related species in the subfamily Phascogalinae, two additional antechinus species (Antechinus argentus and A. arktos) and the iteroparous sister species Murexia melanurus, were also generated. Preliminary demographic analysis supports the hypothesis that climate change during the Pleistocene isolated species in Phascogalinae and shaped their population size. A transcriptomic profile across the A. flavipes breeding season allowed us to identify genes associated with aspects of the male die‐off. The chromosome‐level A. flavipes genome provides a steppingstone to understanding an enigmatic life‐history strategy and a resource to assist the conservation of antechinuses.
Type B thymoma in a patient with HIV infection: A case report with a review of HIV and thymoma coexistence
Authors: Zhou Yaxuan , Bing Zhongxing , Qin Yingzhi , Ma Dongjie , Liu Hongsheng
Published: September 2021

HIV infection predisposes people to cancer, including AIDS‐defining cancers, such as Kaposi sarcoma, and a broad range of non‐AIDS‐defining cancers. Here we report a case with rare coexistence of HIV and thymoma, and summarize all the comorbid cases that currently exist. We found that in all the cases reported, thymoma occurred when CD4+ counts were within a normal range, but the immune response in peripheral T‐cell repertoire remains unknown. In our case, an overview of the immune system under this complicated situation is given for the first time by showing the lymphocyte subpopulations in the blood and the immune cell distribution of the thymoma. This case expands the scope of non‐AIDS‐defining cancers, and provides insight into the influence of the immune system under two immunocompromising conditions, HIV infection and thymoma.
How Changes in Expectations of Earnings Affect the Associations of Earnings Overstatements and Audit Effort with Audit Risk and Market Price*
Authors: Patterson Evelyn R. , Smith J. Reed , Tiras Samuel L.
Published: September 2021

In this study, we provide theoretical guidance for both analytical research and empirical research by considering how changing expectations of earnings affect a dishonest manager's strategy to overstate earnings and an auditor's strategy to exert effort in a two‐period setting. We expect our study's insights on changing economic conditions to help shape future research. We model the manager type as either honest or dishonest, which allows us to differentiate audit risk from audit effort. The key takeaways for future research are the insights on how changes in payoffs and expected earnings affect the associations that involve earnings overstatements and audit effort with audit risk and market price. For instance, researchers typically assume audit effort and audit risk are negatively associated, but we find the association can be positive when, for example, the auditor chooses a period 2 strategy based on the changes in period 1 game parameters. The results of our study provide two additional key insights on the design of future empirical tests. First, by dichotomizing, we show the importance of estimating the intercept in the market pricing equation when studying earnings quality, because market price also adjusts for expected bias through changes in the intercept. Second, our multiperiod setting demonstrates that the effects from a change in the manager's or auditor's incentives in period 1 may reverse in period 2. Empirical studies typically examine the contemporaneous effects of these changes on market price and/or audit risk but fail to identify the cross‐temporal effects we document in our study.
A novel and efficient method for wood–leaf separation from terrestrial laser scanning point clouds at the forest plot level
Authors: Wan Peng , Shao Jie , Jin Shuangna , Wang Tiejun , Yang Shengmei , Yan Guangjian , Zhang Wuming
Published: September 2021

With the increasing use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) technology in the field of forest ecology, a large number of studies have been carried out on the separation of wood and leaves based on TLS point cloud data. However, most wood–leaf separation methods adopt the point‐wise classification strategy, which is not efficient for processing large‐volume TLS datasets acquired at the forest plot level.

In this study, we proposed a segment‐wise classification strategy to improve the efficiency of the wood–leaf separation from large‐volume TLS point cloud datasets collected at the forest plot. The proposed method first decomposes the point cloud into three parts based on the threshold values of its local curvature. Then, the first two parts with lower local curvatures were segmented respectively by a connected component labelling algorithm. Finally, the segmented point clouds were classified into wood or leaf segments according to the segment‐wise geometric features of each segment. We tested our method on both needleleaf and broadleaf forest plots in temperate and tropical forests. We also compared our method with two other state‐of‐the‐art wood–leaf separation methods, that is, the CANUPO and LeWoS.

The results showed that our method was more than 10 times faster than the compared methods while maintaining comparable and even higher accuracy.

Our study demonstrates that the segment‐wise classification strategy applies to the large‐volume TLS datasets and can greatly improve the efficiency of the classification. The proposed method is simple, fast and universally applicable to the TLS data from various tree species and forest types at the plot level, which may facilitate the adoption of TLS technology by forest ecologists in their studies.
Trehalose activates hepatic transcription factor EB (TFEB) but fails to ameliorate alcohol‐impaired TFEB and liver injury in mice
Authors: Chao Xiaojuan , Wang Shaogui , Yang Ling , Ni Hong‐Min , Ding Wen‐Xing
Published: September 2021

Background

Recent evidence demonstrates that alcohol activates the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and impairs hepatic transcription factor EB (TFEB) reducing autophagy and contributing to alcohol‐induced liver injury. Trehalose, a disaccharide, activates TFEB and protects against diet‐induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether trehalose would reverse the impairment of TFEB induced by alcohol and protect against alcohol‐induced liver injury.

Methods

Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to chronic‐plus‐binge (Gao‐binge) alcohol feeding with and without trehalose supplementation. Some mice were also administrered Alda‐1, an aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 agonist.

Results

We found that Alda‐1 did not affect Gao‐binge alcohol‐induced mTOR activation and impaired TFEB in mouse livers. Trehalose increased TFEB nuclear translocation, elevated levels of LC3‐II and lysosomal proteins in mouse livers and cultured AML12 cells, confirming the activation of TFEB by trehalose. However, trehalose did not improve the impairment in TFEB induced by Gao‐binge alcohol. Both Alda‐1 and trehalose failed to protect against Gao‐binge alcohol‐induced steatosis and liver injury, based on the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), histological analysis, and levels of hepatic triglyceride. Interestingly, trehalose increased expression of pro‐inflammatory genes in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells and slightly increased the infiltration of hepatic neutrophils and inflammatory cytokine gene expression in Gao‐binge alcohol‐fed mice livers.

Conclusions

Trehalose fails to improve the impaired TFEB induced by Gao‐binge alcohol and does not protect against alcohol‐induced liver injury.
Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance elastography assesses progression and regression of steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in alcohol‐associated liver disease
Authors: Chen Jingbiao , Martin‐Mateos Rosa , Li Jiahui , Yin Ziying , Chen Jie , Lu Xin , Glaser Kevin J. , Mounajjed Taofic , Yashiro Hiroaki , Siegelman Jenifer , Winkelmann Christopher T. , Wang Jin , Ehman Richard L. , Shah Vijay H. , Yin Meng
Published: September 2021

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRI‐based elastography (MRE) are the most promising noninvasive techniques in assessing liver diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an advanced multiparametric imaging method for staging disease and assessing treatment response in realistic preclinical alcohol‐associated liver disease (ALD).

Methods

We utilized four different preclinical mouse models in our study: Model 1—mice were fed a fast‐food diet and fructose water for 48 weeks to induce nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Model 2—mice were fed chronic‐binge ethanol (EtOH) for 10 days or 8 weeks to induce liver steatosis/inflammation. Two groups of mice were treated with interleukin‐22 at different time points to induce disease regression; Model 3—mice were administered CCl4 for 2 to 4 weeks to establish liver fibrosis followed by 2 or 4 weeks of recovery; and Model 4—mice were administered EtOH plus CCl4 for 12 weeks. Mouse liver imaging biomarkers including proton density fat fraction (PDFF), liver stiffness (LS), loss modulus (LM), and damping ratio (DR) were assessed. Liver and serum samples were obtained for histologic and biochemical analyses. Ordinal logistic regression and generalized linear regression analyses were used to model the severity of steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, and to assess the regression of these conditions.

Results

Multiparametric models with combinations of biomarkers (LS, LM, DR, and PDFF) used noninvasively to predict the histologic severity and regression of steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis were highly accurate (area under the curve > 0.84 for all). A three‐parameter model that incorporates LS, DR, and ALT predicted histologic fibrosis progression (r = 0.84, p < 0.0001) and regression (r = 0.79, p < 0.0001) as measured by collagen content in livers.

Conclusion

This preclinical study provides evidence that multiparametric MRI/MRE can be used noninvasively to assess disease severity and monitor treatment response in ALD.
Neonatal outcome and adaption after in utero exposure to antidepressants: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kautzky Alexander , Slamanig Rudolf , Unger Annemarie , Höflich Anna
Published: September 2021

Objective

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders are both common and especially challenging during pregnancy. Considering possible risks of intrauterine drug exposure of the child, the role of psychopharmacological treatment is ambiguous and various negative obstetric outcomes were inconsistently associated with medication. Consequently, a critical examination of peri‐ and postnatal phenomena associated with intrauterine exposure to antidepressants based on serotonin reuptake inhibition (SRI) and subsumed under the term “poor neonatal adaptation syndrome” (PNAS) is urgently called for.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted, revealing a total number of 33 relevant studies and 69 individual outcomes among 3025 screened studies. Seventeen outcomes allowed meta‐analytic evaluation (random effects model). Measures for heterogeneity (I2) and contour‐enhanced funnel plots were generated.

Results

Single studies showed increased risks for deficits in neurological functioning and autonomous adaptation in SRI exposed infants. Meta‐analytical evaluation showed increased symptom occurrence or severity in exposed neonates for low APGAR scores, birth weight, size for gestational age, preterm delivery, neuromuscular and autonomous regulation, and higher rates of admission to specialized care. Mostly, increased risk after SRI exposure was supported by comparison to unexposed infants born to mothers diagnosed with depression.

Conclusion

Whereas statistically significant evidence for various effects of intrauterine exposure to SRI was found, the clinical relevance remains unresolved because of inherently low data quality in this research domain and insufficiently defined samples and outcomes. More systematic research under ethical considerations is required to improve multiprofessional counseling in the many women dealing with MDD during pregnancy and the peripartum.
Paracetamol toxicity in mild overdose in combination with opioids: A retrospective observational study
Authors: Amer Halima , Archer John R. H. , Layne Kerry , Dines Alison M. , Wood David M. , Greene Shaun L. , Dargan Paul I.
Published: September 2021

Aims

Toxicity in paracetamol overdose with opioid co‐ingestion is poorly understood. We compared outcomes in both paracetamol‐only and paracetamol–opioid overdoses to determine whether toxicity differed significantly between the groups, and to assess the utility of the ratio of measured plasma paracetamol concentration relative to the 4‐hour nomogram‐adjusted level (APAPpl/APAPt).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study of all patients (n = 1159) presenting to 2 large UK hospitals between 2005 and 2013 with acute single‐dose ingestion paracetamol overdose, with (n = 221) or without (n = 938) opioid co‐ingestion. Adverse outcomes included biomarkers of hepatotoxicity and the need for extended treatment. Several outcomes were assessed in relation to the APAPpl/APAPt ratio.

Results

Median ingested dose of paracetamol was low in both groups (10 g). Statistical comparison of the median APAPpl/APAPt ratios showed a significant difference (0.65 vs. 0.56 for the paracetamol‐only and paracetamol–opioid groups respectively, P = .0329). Although there was a trend towards a lower risk of predefined toxic outcomes with opioid co‐ingestion, statistical analysis did not show a significant difference, with outcomes for the paracetamol‐only and paracetamol–opioid groups including the following: alanine transaminase >2× upper limit of normal, 7.7 vs. 5.7% (P = .6480); alanine transaminase >1000 IU/L, 2.4 vs. 0% (P = .2145); international normalised ratio > 1.3, 8.6 vs. 4.4% (P = .2774); and transfer to tertiary liver unit, 0.2 vs. 0% (P nonsignificant).

Conclusion

Our study does not support a change in current clinical practise beyond standard testing at 4 hours or longer post ingestion for mixed low dose paracetamol–opioid overdose.
Founder CEOs, personal incentives, and corporate social irresponsibility
Authors: Zhong Xi , Ren Liuyang , Ren Ge
Published: September 2021

This study integrates organizational identity (OI) theory and upper echelons theory to explore the impact of CEOs’ founder status on corporate social irresponsibility (CSI). We theorize that compared with other CEOs, a founder CEO is more likely to generate a high degree of OI with the firm, which will drive the founder CEO to actively avoid CSI that may damage the positive image and long‐term development of the firm. Furthermore, we argue that CEO duality and CEO ownership will strengthen the aforementioned relationship by increasing the possibility of founder CEOs generating a high degree of OI. Conversely, CEO underpayment will weaken the relationship between founder status and CSI by decreasing the possibility of founder CEOs generating a high degree of OI. We obtained empirical evidence in support of our arguments from a large Chinese private listed company dataset. Overall, this study’s theory and evidence clearly show that founder status and personal incentives can jointly shape CEOs’ CSI decisions, thereby providing useful insights for corporate shareholders and government agencies to better prevent and govern firms’ CSI.
Adrenocortical and psychosocial responses of families in Jordan to the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Hastings Paul D. , Partington Lindsey C. , Dajani Rana , von Suchodoletz Antje
Published: September 2021

This study of 52 predominantly lower income Jordanian and Syrian families with young children (31 girls; Mage = 53.37 months, SD = 3.53) in Jordan began in 2019, before the pandemic. Families were followed to explore stress physiology, family functioning, and mental health over the first 9 months of the pandemic. Mothers reported less adaptive coping and more negative changes to family life in June 2020 when their children had poorer behavioral self‐regulation and more behavior problems, and when families had lower income, in 2019. More negative changes to family life predicted greater hair cortisol concentrations in children in June 2020, and more negative changes and less adaptive coping predicted worse child and mother psychosocial adjustment in December 2020.
A pilot investigation of e‐cigarette use and smoking behaviour among patients with chronic airway disease or respiratory symptoms
Authors: Kang Hye Seon , Jung Jae Woo , Park Hye Jung , Park Dong Il , Park Jong Sook , Park Joo Hun , Lee Sang Haak , Chun Eun Mi , Kim Jae Yeol , Choi Hye Sook ,   Korean Smoking Cessation Study Group
Published: September 2021

Background

This pilot study aimed to investigate the current status of e‐cigarettes (ECs) use patterns among patients with chronic airway disease or chronic respiratory symptoms and the effects of ECs use on respiratory and mental health.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey was conducted at the outpatient clinic of eight teaching hospitals in South Korea between November 2019 and December 2019. All adult ECs users (19 years and above) who visited the outpatient clinic as a patient with chronic airway disease or chronic respiratory symptoms were eligible to participate in this study.

Results

A total of 51 subjects responded to the survey. Most of the participants were male (92.2%) and the mean age was 41.8 years. Dominant airway diseases were asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Most of the subjects had a history of cigarette smoking, and 19 subjects were dual users of current cigarettes and ECs. Most of the subjects started ECs use due to health‐related reasons. When comparing exclusive ECs users and dual users, St. George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) scores, the proportion of cases with moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and average Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence scores for ECs were higher in dual users than exclusive ECs users (mean 4.64 vs. 2.38, p = 0.006), respectively.

Conclusion

Most of the subjects started ECs use due to health concerns, but dual users have more respiratory symptoms and higher nicotine dependence in this pilot study. One hypothesis that comes from these results is that greater nicotine dependence may influence behaviours, habits, and views about ECs. These preliminary observations need confirmation in a large cohort.
Satisfactory treatment of mucocutaneous lesions in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia patients with dual pulsed dye laser and neodymium: yttrium–aluminum–garnet
Authors: Cubiró Xavier , Garcia‐Melendo Cristina , Morales‐Munera Caridad Elena , Roé‐Crespo Esther , Riera‐Mestre Antoni , Mora‐Luján José María , Iriarte Adriana , Puig Lluís , Baselga Eulàlia
Published: September 2021

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is characterized by telangiectasia and larger arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in different organs. Mucocutaneous telangiectasia can bleed and cause stigmatization, but the best treatment approach has not been defined yet. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dual pulsed dye laser and neodymium: yttrium–aluminum–garnet (PDL‐Nd:YAG) laser treatment for mucocutaneous telangiectasia in HHT patients. It is a retrospective case series, where clinical files of all HHT patients treated with PDL‐Nd:YAG laser at our Department between December 2010 and July 2019 were reviewed. Demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics were recorded. The severity and degree of improvement were evaluated by three blinded examiners scoring pretreatment and posttreatment pictures on a 5‐point scale. Patient satisfaction and procedure pain were assessed using an ordinal scale (0–10). Forty‐three treatment areas from 26 patients were analyzed. Lesions were predominantly located on the lower lip and cheeks. The median number of laser sessions per patient was 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 2–4). The median global severity score at baseline was 2 and became 0 at endpoint (p < 0.0001), with a median improvement rate of 4 (IQR 3–4). All patients reported a high degree of satisfaction (median 9) and tolerable pain (median 5). In conclusion, dual PDL‐Nd: YAG laser is a convenient, safe, and effective treatment option for mucocutaneous telangiectasia in HHT patients.
Optogenetic stimulation of VIPergic SCN neurons induces photoperiodic‐like changes in the mammalian circadian clock
Authors: Tackenberg Michael C. , Hughey Jacob J. , McMahon Douglas G.
Published: September 2021

Circadian clocks play key roles in how organisms respond to and even anticipate seasonal change in day length, or photoperiod. In mammals, photoperiod is encoded by the central circadian pacemaker in the brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The subpopulation of SCN neurons that secrete the neuropeptide VIP mediates the transmission of light information within the SCN neural network, suggesting a role for these neurons in circadian plasticity in response to light information that has yet to be directly tested. Here, we used in vivo optogenetic stimulation of VIPergic SCN neurons followed by ex vivo PERIOD 2::LUCIFERASE (PER2::LUC) bioluminescent imaging to test whether activation of this SCN neuron subpopulation can induce SCN network changes that are hallmarks of photoperiodic encoding. We found that optogenetic stimulation designed to mimic a long photoperiod indeed altered subsequent SCN entrained phase, increased the phase dispersal of PER2 rhythms within the SCN network, and shortened SCN free‐running period—similar to the effects of a true extension of photoperiod. Optogenetic stimulation also induced analogous changes on related aspects of locomotor behaviour in vivo. Thus, selective activation of VIPergic SCN neurons induces photoperiodic network plasticity in the SCN that underpins photoperiodic entrainment of behaviour.
Perception and self‐awareness in Merleau‐Ponty and Martin
Authors: Suarez David
Published: September 2021

Merleau‐Ponty suggests that to perceive is to be “geared into” the world. In perceiving, we are related to a temporally structured modal space of bodily possibilities that is co‐constituted by the body and the world. When we perceive, we are “geared into” this structure and responsive to it; when we misperceive, we are not. In misperceiving, we are unaware of our failure to be geared into the world, and in this respect, we lack awareness of what we are doing. In explaining misperception via this lack of self‐awareness, Merleau‐Ponty anticipates a key feature of M. G. F. Martin's epistemic disjunctivism: the idea that perceptions and misperceptions can be indiscriminable because of a self‐awareness we lack, rather than a set of positive phenomenal features that two experiences share. However, because Merleau‐Ponty's account of self‐awareness imposes relatively few cognitive demands, he is able to explain how adults, infants, and dogs can be self‐aware in the same sense, and how they can fail to discriminate between their experiences in the same way. This provides Merleau‐Ponty with the resources to answer Susanna Siegel's objection to epistemic disjunctivism on the basis of “cognitively unsophisticated hallucinators.”
Features of intracranial interictal epileptiform discharges associated with memory encoding
Authors: Quon Robert J. , Camp Edward J. , Meisenhelter Stephen , Song Yinchen , Steimel Sarah A. , Testorf Markus E. , Andrew Angeline S. , Gross Robert E. , Lega Bradley C. , Sperling Michael R. , Kahana Michael J. , Jobst Barbara C.
Published: September 2021

Objective

Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) were shown to be associated with cognitive impairment in persons with epilepsy. Previous studies indicated that IED rate, location, timing, and spatial relation to the seizure onset zone could predict an IED's impact on memory encoding and retrieval if they occurred in lateral temporal, mesial temporal, or parietal regions. In this study, we explore the influence that other IED properties (e.g., amplitude, duration, white matter classification) have on memory performance. We were specifically interested in investigating the influence that lateral temporal IEDs have on memory encoding.

Methods

Two hundred sixty‐one subjects with medication‐refractory epilepsy undergoing intracranial electroencephalographic monitoring performed multiple sessions of a delayed free‐recall task (n = 671). Generalized linear mixed models were utilized to examine the relationship between IED properties and memory performance.

Results

We found that increased IED rate, IEDs propagating in white matter, and IEDs localized to the left middle temporal region were associated with poorer memory performance. For lateral temporal IEDs, we observed a significant interaction between IED white matter categorization and amplitude, where IEDs with an increased amplitude and white matter propagation were associated with reduced memory performance. Additionally, changes in alpha power after an IED showed a significant positive correlation with memory performance.

Significance

Our results suggest that IED properties may be useful for predicting the impact an IED has on memory encoding. We provide an essential step toward understanding pathological versus potentially beneficial interictal epileptiform activity.
Autism diagnosis via correlation between vectors of direct quadrature instantaneous frequency of EEG analytic normalized intrinsic mode functions
Authors: Abdulhay Enas , Alafeef Maha , Hadoush Hikmat , N Arunkumar
Published: September 2021

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that commences usually in the early years of age. It impacts the social interaction, communication and learning. It is believed that it is mainly caused by an abnormal connectivity between brain zones. The presented work applies an EEG‐based nonlinear method for the classification of ASD and neuro‐typical groups. The suggested procedure does not require pre‐assumptions and is completely data‐driven. Also, the main advantage is the accurate tracking of the pace of EEG activity without the effect of amplitude modulation on the spectral information. In addition, the tracking is conducted point‐by‐point to avoid shortcomings of inexact global features. First, for every (ASD or neuro‐typical) volunteer, the recorded EEG channels (64 channels) are decomposed by empirical mode decomposition (EMD) in order to get the underlying components (intrinsic mode functions—IMFs). Second, the direct quadrature (DQ) method is used to normalize the IMFs, and to dissociate between amplitude and frequency contents of the resulted components, as well as to help extract then the point‐by‐point spectral information from the analytic normalized IMFs by Hilbert transform. Third, the correlation coefficients between the instantaneous frequency vectors of the counterpart components will be computed over all channels (i.e., between components number ‘i’ of channels ‘x’ and ‘y’, 1 < i < number of components, 1 < x < 64, 1 < y < 64). Fourth, correlation coefficients array is constructed. Fifth, the dimension of the feature array is reduced without loss of significant information. Sixth, classification of reduced features is achieved via neural network. Finally, the statistical assessment of the classification outcome is conducted. The proposed method yields a test accuracy of 94.1%–100%.
Apatite U‐Pb Dating with Common Pb Correction Using LA‐ICP‐MS/MS
Authors: Xiang Dunfeng , Zhang Zhiyong , Zack Thomas , Chew David , Yang Yueheng , Wu Lin , Hogmalm Johan
Published: September 2021

Apatite is a ubiquitous accessory mineral in various rocks (e.g., igneous, metamorphic and clastic sedimentary rocks). However, precise and accurate U‐Pb LA‐ICP‐MS dating of apatite is often compromised by high common Pb levels. Among the different common Pb correction methods, the main advantage of the 204Pb correction method is that it does not assume U/radiogenic Pb concordance. However, 204Pb is difficult to measure using ICP‐MS instruments because of the isobaric interference of 204Hg on 204Pb. We overcome this limitation by using a reaction cell sandwiched between two quadrupoles within an ICP‐MS, which can allow the online chemical separation of two different elements. Ammonia reacts efficiently (> 98%) with Hg while isotopes of Pb are not affected. The approach was tested on eight apatite reference materials (McClure Mountain, NW‐1, UWA‐1, Otter Lake, Slyudyanka, MK‐1, Durango and Fish Canyon Tuff) for which there are independent constraints on the U‐Pb crystallisation age, by comparing U‐Pb dating results employing different reaction gas mixes (NH3‐N2O and NH3 only) in two laboratories. Based on the U‐Pb data and SEM analyses on each sample, we can exclude apatite inter‐ and intra‐grain U‐Pb age heterogeneity, except for a c. 4% variability of ages in the Otter Lake sample. Our results show that accuracy and precision for U‐Pb dating are not measurably affected by different reaction gases, and we accurately reproduce ages of numerous independently characterised apatites within 4% of the reference ages, and the age reproducibility is typically better than 2%.
ZomB is essential for chemotaxis of Vibrio alginolyticus by the rotational direction control of the polar flagellar motor
Authors: Takekawa Norihiro , Nishikino Tatsuro , Hori Kiyoshiro , Kojima Seiji , Imada Katsumi , Homma Michio
Published: September 2021

Bacteria exhibit chemotaxis by controlling flagellar rotation to move toward preferred places or away from nonpreferred places. The change in rotation is triggered by the binding of the chemotaxis signaling protein CheY‐phosphate (CheY‐P) to the C‐ring in the flagellar motor. Some specific bacteria, including Vibrio spp. and Shewanella spp., have a single transmembrane protein called ZomB. ZomB is essential for controlling the flagellar rotational direction in Shewanella putrefaciens and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In this study, we confirmed that the zomB deletion results only in the counterclockwise (CCW) rotation of the motor in Vibrio alginolyticus as previously reported in other bacteria. We found that ZomB is not required for a clockwise‐locked phenotype caused by mutations in fliG and fliM, and that ZomB is essential for CW rotation induced by overproduction of CheY‐P. Purified ZomB proteins form multimers, suggesting that ZomB may function as a homo‐oligomer. These observations imply that ZomB interacts with protein(s) involved in either flagellar motor rotation, chemotaxis, or both. We provide the evidence that ZomB is a new player in chemotaxis and is required for the rotational control in addition to CheY in Vibrio alginolyticus.
How is carious pulp exposure and symptomatic irreversible pulpitis managed in UK primary dental care?
Authors: Edwards David , Bailey Oliver , Stone Simon J. , Duncan Hal
Published: September 2021

Aim

To investigate attitudes and approaches of UK primary care dentists to carrying out vital pulp treatment (VPT) after carious exposure and with additional signs and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis.

Methodology

An electronic questionnaire was openly distributed via publicly funded (NHS) local dental committees, corporate dental service‐providers, professional societies and social media. Principally NHS practitioners and those from mixed and private practice were targeted, in addition to community and military dental officers, and dental therapists. Participants were asked questions relating to several clinical scenarios, with responses analysed using descriptive statistics. χ2 tests with sequential Bonferroni correction were used to explore variables including the method of remuneration, practitioner type (dentist/therapist), postgraduate qualification(s), place of graduation and years since qualification. Variables with a relationship p ≤ .2 were selected for backwards likelihood ratio logistic modelling.

Results

In total, 648 primary care practitioners were included for analysis. Calcium hydroxide (CH) was most frequently used for direct pulp caps (DPCs) (398/600; 66.3%) with calcium silicate cements (CSCs) less frequently used (119/600; 19.8%). Rubber dam was used by 222/599 (37.1%) practitioners. A definitive pulpotomy for the management of teeth with signs and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis was selected by 65/613 (10.6%) dentists. The principal barrier for the provision of definitive pulpotomies was a lack of training (602/612; 98.4%). Regression analysis identified NHS practitioners as a good predictor for using CH for DPCs, having shorter emergency appointments, limited access to magnification and not using rubber dam. Non‐UK graduates were more likely to select CSCs, appropriately control pulpal haemorrhage, undertake appropriate postoperative evaluation and use rubber dam.

Conclusions

Practitioners deviated from evidence‐based guidelines in a number of aspects including material selection, asepsis and case selection. A number of other challenges exist in primary care in providing predictable VPTs, including lack of time and access to magnification. These were most evident in NHS practice, potentially exacerbating existing social health inequalities. Possible inconsistencies in the UK undergraduate curriculum were supported by a lack of association between years since qualification and technique employed as well as the fact that non‐UK graduates and dentists with postgraduate qualifications adhered more to evidence‐based VPT guidelines.