bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An exploratory study on Musharakah SRI Sukuk for the development of Waqf properties/assets in Malaysia
Authors: Zain Nor Syahirah , Muhamad Sori Zulkarnain
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore a sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) sukuk model based on Musharakah that could be implemented to develop waqf properties and assets under the SRI sukuk framework in Malaysia. This includes proposing and designing a potential SRI sukuk model and seeking the opinion of subject-matter experts and industry practitioners on the model, its attractiveness to investors and its feasibility to implement in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts desk research and semi-structured interview as its methodology. A desk research is where a detailed critical review and analysis of past literature from reports, journals, framework, books and practices are undertaken. To establish a SRI sukuk model, the paper also studies the cases of the first SRI sukuk issued in Malaysia and other waqf-related sukuks that have been structured for the development of waqf property/asset in the past. Following that, the opinion of subject-matter experts and industry practitioners on the proposed SRI sukuk model is sought in a semi-structured interview.

Findings

Based on the interviewees’ response, the study proposes the most feasible SRI sukuk model that could be implemented in the Malaysian context for the development of waqf properties/assets, which is a Musharakah-based sukuk model. The model will be elaborated based on the purpose of development, functionality, choice of Shari’ah contract, obligor and return mechanism.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is exploratory in nature. While it explores the structural point of view only, future research could analyse and identify the legal, regulatory, financial and Shari’ah aspects of the proposed model. Further empirical studies can be done to provide more comprehensive idea and knowledge regarding the subject matter.

Practical implications

The study serves great benefit to the government, waqf administrators, regulators, policymakers, foundations, corporations and interested investors to explore SRI sukuk as one of the feasible financial instruments to develop waqf in Malaysia.

Originality/value

This study proposes the use of an innovative financial instrument called SRI sukuk and structures a feasible SRI sukuk model to help realise the true roles of waqf as not only a religious tool but also one of the instruments for human, economic and social developments.
Central actors in the live sport event context: a sport spectator value perception model
Authors: Jones Charles W. , Byon Kevin K.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study is a micro-level perspective of value co-creation in spectator sport. By examining sport through the value co-creation lens, the dual role of the customer as both a contributor to and a beneficiary of value is acknowledged and the importance of stakeholder interactions is emphasized. This study analyzes the extent to which two theoretically and managerially important factors—attendance frequency (i.e. first-time attendee vs repeat attendee) and resident type (i.e. local resident vs domestic traveler)—impact value creation in the recurring live sporting event setting.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from spectators who attended a National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) sanctioned racing event. Multigroup structural equation modeling was performed to examine the proposed pathways, and multigroupt-tests were used to compare the model across both groups for each moderating variable. Corresponding path coefficients were then compared using Chin's (2004) recommended equations and procedures.

Findings

The study found organization-related value propositions to be the more common antecedents of value, while customer appearance had a strong negative association with hedonic value, and attendance frequency and resident type influenced certain value perceptions. Sport organizations should consider the expectations and motivations of various customer groups and provide offerings designed to meet the specific needs of different fan segments based on the spectator's experience with the sport product and the distance traveled to attend the sport event.

Originality/value

This paper advances the authors’ understanding of value creation in sport by showing how customer perceptions of value associated with the sport organization and other customers can be moderated by certain behavioral and geographic factors.
Extreme weather affects colonization–extinction dynamics and the persistence of a threatened butterfly
Authors: Johansson Victor , Kindvall Oskar , Askling John , Franzén Markus
Published: March 2020

Extreme weather events can be expected to increase in frequency in the future. Our knowledge on how this may affect species persistence is, however, very limited. For reliable projections of future persistence we need to understand how extreme weather affects species' population dynamics.

We analysed the effect of extreme droughts on the host plantSuccisa pratensis, colonization–extinction dynamics, and future persistence of the threatened marsh fritillaryEuphydryas aurinia. Specifically, we studied a metapopulation inhabiting a network of 256 patches on Gotland (Sweden), where the summer of 2018 was the driest ever recorded. We analysed how the frequency and leaf size of host plants changed between 2017 and 2019, based on 6,833 records in 0.5‐m2sample plots. Using turnover data on the butterfly from 2018 to 2019 we modelled local extinction and colonization probabilities. Moreover, we projected future population dynamics with an increasing frequency of extreme years under three different management strategies that regulate the grazing regime.

Our results show a substantial decrease in both frequency (46%) and size (20%) of host plants due to the drought, which taken together may constitute a 57% loss of food resources. The butterfly occupancy decreased by over 30% between 2018 and 2019 (from 0.36 to 0.27). The extinction probability increased with increasing ‘effective area’ of the patch (taking quality reduction due to grazing into account), and the colonization probability increased with increasing connectivity and ground moisture.

Projections of future dynamics showed an increasing risk of metapopulation extinction with increasing frequency of years with extreme droughts. The risk, however, clearly differed between management strategies. Less grazing in years with droughts decreased the extinction risk considerably.

Synthesis and applications. Extreme weather events can have profound negative impacts on butterflies and their host plants. For the marsh fritillary, an increased frequency of extreme droughts can lead to extinction of the entire metapopulation, even in a large and seemingly viable metapopulation. Increased grazing, due to fodder deficiency in dry years, may lead to cascading negative effects, while active management that reduce grazing in years with droughts can almost completely mitigate these effects.
Calibration of agricultural risk programming models using positive mathematical programming
Authors: Liu Xuan , van Kooten Gerrit Cornelis , Duan Jun
Published: March 2020

Mathematical programming models of farmers’ cropping decisions must first be calibrated before they can be used to examine agricultural producer responses to policy changes. In this paper, we compare three calibration approaches for disentangling the risk parameter from the parameters of the cost function: one assumes a logarithmic utility function, while the others employ an exponential utility function. Historical crop insurance data for southern Alberta, Canada, are used to assess the calibration performance of the three approaches, and sensitivity analysis is implemented to test whether the changes in the optimal land allocation caused by the changes in the values of the parameters are practically reasonable. Only one of the three models is of practical use for policy analysis because it can recover the true values of the parameters and the results of sensitivity analysis are reasonable.
Beyond Political Binaries: The 2019 General Election and the Dagenham and Rainham Constituency
Authors: Cruddas Jon
Published: March 2020

This article considers the results of the 2019 general election with reference to the Dagenham and Rainham constituency in outer East London. It was a key target for the Conservatives with a 70 per cent leave voting electorate. It did not change hands and might therefore provide insights into the wider debate regarding future coalitions and strategy within the modern left. This article considers these results with reference to arguments about a ‘Brexit realignment’ on the left and whether Labour should rethink the nature of its political ‘base’. It argues for a more nuanced debate than that which currently exists, built around simple binaries organised around Brexit, class, age, education and geography.
Evaluation of antioxidant properties of the different tissues of vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) in stripped canola oil and sunflower oil
Authors: Jia Caihua , Zhang Mingxing , Ma Weibo , Li Jinghuan , Zhao Siming , Xiong Shanbai , Hu Xuebo , Li Xiaohua
Published: March 2020

The leaves of Ampelopsis grossedentata have a long history of use as a health tea and herbal medicine. Data on the distribution of active metabolites in, and antioxidant capacities of, different vine tea tissues remain incomplete. The aim of this work was to investigate the content of metabolites from A. grossedentata different tissues and evaluate the antioxidant capacities of the extraction of the species in vitro and in oil systems: canola oil and sunflower oil. To evaluate the degree of lipid oxidation, the peroxide value (POV) and thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substance value (TBARS) were determined, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) was performed. The results revealed a high total flavonoid content in each of the four extractions (>580 mg/g dried weigh). Leaf extractions exhibited higher antioxidant ability, followed by fruit extract and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The POVs of oils bearing extracts of A. grossedentata and BHT maintained less than 21.08 meq/kg oil against to control with 1,406.33 ± 52.63 meq/kg oil on day 32 in canola oil, and 27.87 meq/kg oil comparing to 1,892.96 ± 48.63 meq/kg oil in control on day 24 in sunflower oil. Concurring results were also obtained in TBARS and 1H‐NMR analysis. Our results indicated that these different tissues of A. grossedentata could be a potential antioxidant resource, and this work may contribute to the comprehensive utilization of this species.

Practical Application

Leaf extracts of Ampelopsis grossedentata showed effective antioxidant properties, followed by the fruit extract, which showed similar activity to that of the synthetic antioxidant of BHT. Moreover, the investigation of different tissues within the plant may contribute to the comprehensive utilization of this species.
Bronchobiliary fistula after ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma adjacent to the diaphragm: Case report and literature review
Authors: Huang Zhi‐mei , Zuo Meng‐xuan , Gu Yang‐kui , Lai Chun‐xiao , Pan Qiu‐xiang , Yi Xiao‐cheng , Zhang Tian‐qi , Huang Jin‐hua
Published: March 2020

Background

Bronchobiliary fistula is a rare, but life‐threatening complication after ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Few cases of bronchobiliary fistula have been reported and the treatment is controversial.

Methods

From 2006 to 2019, a total of 11 patients were diagnosed with bronchobiliary fistula after ablation and received nonsurgical treatment.

Results

All 11 patients presented with cough and bilioptysis. There were only two patients in which MRI revealed an obvious fistulous tract connecting the pleural effusion and biliary lesions. Pleural effusion, liver abscess and hepatic biloma were found in other patients. Three patients died of uncontrolled bronchobiliary fistula.

Conclusions

Bronchobiliary fistula is a rare post‐ablation complication but should be taken into consideration in clinical decisions. Minimally invasive interventional treatment is a relatively effective means of dealing with bronchobiliary fistula, but as for the more severe cases, greater clinical experience is required.
Emergency Potassium Normalization Treatment Including Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate: A Phase II, Randomized, Double‐blind, Placebo‐controlled Study (ENERGIZE)
Authors: Peacock W. Frank , Rafique Zubaid , Vishnevskiy Konstantin , Michelson Edward , Vishneva Elena , Zvereva Tatiana , Nahra Rajaa , Li Dao , Miller Joseph
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) is a novel, highly selective potassium binder currently approved in the United States and European Union for treatment of hyperkalemia. This pilot evaluation explored the efficacy of SZC with insulin and glucose as hyperkalemia treatment in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

This exploratory, phase II, multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study (NCT03337477) enrolled adult ED patients with blood potassium ≥ 5.8 mmol/L. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive SZC 10 g or placebo, up to three times during a 10‐hour period, with insulin and glucose. The primary efficacy outcome was the mean change in serum potassium (sK+) from baseline until 4 hours after start of dosing.

Results

Overall, 70 patients were randomized (SZC n = 33, placebo n = 37), of whom 50.0% were male. Their mean (± standard deviation [±SD]) age was 59.0 (±13.8) years and mean initial sK+ was similar between groups (SZC 6.4 mmol/L, placebo 6.5 mmol/L). The least squares mean (±SD) sK+ change from baseline to 4 hours was –0.41 (±0.11) mmol/L and –0.27 (±0.10) mmol/L with SZC and placebo, respectively (difference = –0.13 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval [CI] = –0.44 to 0.17). A greater reduction in mean (±SD) sK+ from baseline occurred with SZC compared with placebo at 2 hours: –0.72 (±0.12) versus –0.36 (±0.11) mmol/L (LSM difference = –0.35 mmol/L, 95% CI = –0.68 to –0.02), respectively. A numerically lower proportion of patients in the SZC group required additional potassium‐lowering therapy due to hyperkalemia at 0 to 4 hours versus placebo (15.6% vs. 30.6%, respectively; odds ratio = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.09 to 1.77). Comparable proportions of patients experienced adverse events in both treatment groups at 0 to 24 hours.

Conclusions

This pilot study suggested that SZC with insulin and glucose may provide an incremental benefit in the emergency treatment of hyperkalemia over insulin and glucose alone.
Effect of synbiotics in the treatment of smokers and non‐smokers with gingivitis: randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ercan N , Olgun E , Kisa Ü , Yalim M
Published: March 2020

Background

To evaluate the efficacy of synbiotic tablets on the clinical and biochemical parameters of smokers and non‐smokers with gingivitis.

Methods

Eighty patients with gingivitis [40 smokers (+), 40 non‐smokers (−)] were randomly assigned to test (T) or control (C) groups. Four groups were defined: T(+), T(−), C(+) and C(−).

The subjects daily chewed a synbiotic or placebo tablet for 30 days. The gingival crevicular fluid levels of interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐8 and IL‐10 were determined as the primary outcome variables.

Results

The clinical and biochemical parameters for all groups significantly reduced compared with the baseline (P < 0.05). While there were no significant differences between the groups for gingival index, the plaque index was significantly higher in both smoker groups than that in the T(−) group during the second month (P < 0.05). IL‐8 levels in C(−) and IL‐6 levels in both control groups were significantly higher than those in the T(+) group. The IL‐10 levels in both control groups were significantly higher than those in the T(−) group during the second month (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Adjunctive synbiotic tablets significantly reduce subclinical therapeutic outcomes for both smokers and non‐smokers compared with placebo according to the biochemical parameters.
Endoscopic ultrasound‐guided coil deployment with sclerotherapy for isolated gastric varices: Case series of feasibility, safety, and long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Irisawa Atsushi , Shibukawa Goro , Hoshi Koki , Yamabe Akane , Sato Ai , Maki Takumi , Yoshida Yoshitsugu , Yamamoto Shogo , Obara Katsutoshi
Published: March 2020

The purpose of the present study is to report our experience of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided coil deployment with sclerotherapy (EUS‐CS) for isolated gastric varices (IGV) through a case series. Eight consecutive patients who had risky IGV were prospectively enrolled. EUS‐CS was performed according to the following procedures: (i) several coils were first deployed in the IGV under EUS guidance; (ii) contrast medium was subsequently injected without removing the needle; (iii) if the infused contrast medium stayed in the IGV and feeding vein, sclerosant was then injected to obliterate the IGV and feeders. Coil deployment in the IGV was successfully performed in all cases. Sclerosant was injected both into the IGV and feeders in seven patients (87.5%). There was no adverse event during the procedure. During a median follow‐up of 57 months, one patient who could not inject the sclerosant into IGV and feeders had an early hemorrhagic recurrence. Our case series showed that EUS‐CS could be a feasible and safe procedure for the treatment of IGV.
Comparing TEE‐ vs Non–TEE‐guided cardioversion of atrial fibrillation: The ENSURE‐AF trial
Authors: Kozieł Monika , Merino Jose L. , De Caterina Raffaele , Huber Kurt , Jin James , Melino Michael , Goette Andreas , Lip Gregory Y. H. ,   the ENSURE‐AF Investigators
Published: March 2020

Background

ENSURE‐AF (NCT 02072434) assessed therapy with edoxaban vs enoxaparin‐warfarin in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing elective electrical cardioversion (ECV).

Objectives

To evaluate clinical features and primary efficacy (composite of stroke, systemic embolic events, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality during study period) and safety endpoints (composite of major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding during on‐treatment period) in patients awaiting ECV of AF with a transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)‐guided vs a non–TEE‐guided strategy.

Methods

In this prospective, randomized, open‐label, blinded endpoint study, 2199 patients were randomized to edoxaban 60 mg once‐daily (30 mg for creatinine clearance 15‐50 mL/min, weight ≤60 kg and/or concomitant use of P‐glycoprotein inhibitor) or enoxaparin‐warfarin. Primary efficacy endpoint and safety endpoint were reported. Associates of TEE use, efficacy endpoint and safety endpoint were explored using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

In total, 589 patients from the edoxaban stratum and 594 from the enoxaparin‐warfarin stratum were allocated to the TEE‐guided strategy. Primary efficacy was similar regardless of TEE approach (P = .575). There were no significant differences in bleeding rates, regardless of TEE approach (P = .677). Independent predictors of TEE use were as follows: history of ischaemic stroke/ transient ischaemic attack, hypertension and valvular heart disease. Mean CHA2DS2VASc and HAS‐BLED score were independent predictors of the efficacy endpoint whilst mean age was an independent predictor of the safety endpoint.

Conclusions

Thromboembolic and bleeding events were not different between patients undergoing TEE‐guided strategy and in those undergoing an optimized conventional anticoagulation approach for ECV of AF.
First Multi‐Isotopic (Pb‐Nd‐Sr‐Zn‐Cu‐Fe) Characterisation of Dust Reference Materials (ATD and BCR‐723): A Multi‐Column Chromatographic Method Optimised to Trace Mineral and Anthropogenic Dust Sources
Authors: Vanderstraeten Aubry , Bonneville Steeve , Gili Stefania , de Jong Jeroen , Debouge Wendy , Claeys Philippe , Mattielli Nadine
Published: March 2020

Atmospheric dust is an integral component of the Earth system with major implications for the climate, biosphere and public health. In this context, identifying and quantifying the provenance and the processes generating the various types of dust found in the atmosphere is paramount. Isotopic signatures of Pb, Nd, Sr, Zn, Cu and Fe are commonly used as sensitive geochemical tracers. However, their combined use is limited by the lack of (a) a dedicated chromatographic protocol to separate the six elements of interest for low‐mass samples and (b) specific reference materials for dust. Indeed, our work shows that USGS rock reference materials BHVO‐2, AGV‐2 and G‐2 are not applicable as substitute reference materials for dust. We characterised the isotopic signatures of these six elements in dust reference materials ATD and BCR‐723, representatives of natural and urban environments, respectively. To achieve this, we developed a specific procedure for dust, applicable in the 4–25 mg mass range, to separate the six elements using a multi‐column ion‐exchange chromatographic method and MC‐ICP‐MS measurements.
Sarcopenia Definition: The Position Statements of the Sarcopenia Definition and Outcomes Consortium
Authors: Bhasin Shalender , Travison Thomas G. , Manini Todd M. , Patel Sheena , Pencina Karol M. , Fielding Roger A. , Magaziner Jay M. , Newman Anne B. , Kiel Douglas P. , Cooper Cyrus , Guralnik Jack M. , Cauley Jane A. , Arai Hidenori , Clark Brian C. , Landi Francesco , Schaap Laura A. , Pereira Suzette L. , Rooks Daniel , Woo Jean , Woodhouse Linda J. , Binder Ellen , Brown Todd , Shardell Michelle , Xue Quian‐Li , DʼAgostino Ralph B. , Orwig Denise , Gorsicki Greg , Correa‐De‐Araujo Rosaly , Cawthon Peggy M.
Published: March 2020

OBJECTIVES

To develop an evidence‐based definition of sarcopenia that can facilitate identification of older adults at risk for clinically relevant outcomes (eg, self‐reported mobility limitation, falls, fractures, and mortality), the Sarcopenia Definition and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) crafted a set of position statements informed by a literature review and SDOC's analyses of eight epidemiologic studies, six randomized clinical trials, four cohort studies of special populations, and two nationally representative population‐based studies.

METHODS

Thirteen position statements related to the putative components of a sarcopenia definition, informed by the SDOC analyses and literature synthesis, were reviewed by an independent international expert panel (panel) iteratively and voted on by the panel during the Sarcopenia Position Statement Conference. Four position statements related to grip strength, three to lean mass derived from dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), and four to gait speed; two were summary statements.

RESULTS

The SDOC analyses identified grip strength, either absolute or scaled to measures of body size, as an important discriminator of slowness. Both low grip strength and low usual gait speed independently predicted falls, self‐reported mobility limitation, hip fractures, and mortality in community‐dwelling older adults. Lean mass measured by DXA was not associated with incident adverse health‐related outcomes in community‐dwelling older adults with or without adjustment for body size.

CONCLUSION

The panel agreed that both weakness defined by low grip strength and slowness defined by low usual gait speed should be included in the definition of sarcopenia. These position statements offer a rational basis for an evidence‐based definition of sarcopenia. The analyses that informed these position statements are summarized in this article and discussed in accompanying articles in this issue of the journal. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1410‐1418, 2020.
Prevalence of venous thromboembolism at pretreatment screening and associated risk factors in 2086 patients with gynecological cancer
Authors: Tasaka Nobutaka , Minaguchi Takeo , Hosokawa Yoshihiko , Takao Wataru , Itagaki Hiroya , Nishida Keiko , Akiyama Azusa , Shikama Ayumi , Ochi Hiroyuki , Satoh Toyomi
Published: March 2020

Aim

Postoperative pulmonary embolism can be a fatal surgical complication and is thought to occur secondary to asymptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) that exists preoperatively in some patients. The purpose of this study was to clarify the frequency and risk factors of pretreatment VTE in gynecological cancer patients.

Methods

This study investigated 2086 patients with gynecological cancer (cervix, n = 754; endometrium, n = 862; ovary, n = 470) who underwent initial treatment between 2004 and 2017. Pretreatment VTE screening was performed with D‐dimer (DD) levels in these patients. Based on this, the associated risk factors were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Pretreatment VTE was discovered in 7.3% of patients with cervical cancer, 11.5% of those with endometrial cancer and 27.0% of those with ovarian cancer. Significant independent risk factors were: age greater than or equal to 60 years and tumor long diameter greater than or equal to 40 mm for cervical cancer; age greater than or equal to 60 years, stage III/IV advanced disease, clear cell carcinoma and tumor long diameter greater than or equal to 60 mm for endometrial cancer; and age greater than or equal to 60 years, clear cell carcinoma and massive ascites for ovarian cancer.

Conclusion

Pretreatment asymptomatic VTE is very frequent in gynecological cancer patients. It may be beneficial to consider measuring DD or performing venous ultrasonography in patients with the above risk factors.
Intention to treat and per protocol analysis in clinical trials
Authors: Tripepi Giovanni , Chesnaye Nicholas C. , Dekker Friedo W. , Zoccali Carmine , Jager Kitty J.
Published: March 2020

In clinical epidemiology, experimental studies usually take the form of randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). The data analysis of an RCT can be performed by using two complementary strategies, that is according to the intention to treat (ITT) principle and the per protocol (PP) analysis. By using the ITT approach, investigators aim to assess the effect of assigning a drug whereas by adopting the PP analysis, researchers investigate the effect of receiving the assigned treatment, as specified in the protocol. Both ITT and PP analyses are essentially valid but they have different scopes and interpretations dependent on the context.
Evaluating the neurophysiological evidence for predictive processing as a model of perception
Authors: Walsh Kevin S. , McGovern David P. , Clark Andy , O'Connell Redmond G.
Published: March 2020

For many years, the dominant theoretical framework guiding research into the neural origins of perceptual experience has been provided by hierarchical feedforward models, in which sensory inputs are passed through a series of increasingly complex feature detectors. However, the long‐standing orthodoxy of these accounts has recently been challenged by a radically different set of theories that contend that perception arises from a purely inferential process supported by two distinct classes of neurons: those that transmit predictions about sensory states and those that signal sensory information that deviates from those predictions. Although these predictive processing (PP) models have become increasingly influential in cognitive neuroscience, they are also criticized for lacking the empirical support to justify their status. This limited evidence base partly reflects the considerable methodological challenges that are presented when trying to test the unique predictions of these models. However, a confluence of technological and theoretical advances has prompted a recent surge in human and nonhuman neurophysiological research seeking to fill this empirical gap. Here, we will review this new research and evaluate the degree to which its findings support the key claims of PP.
Current status of immunotherapies for addiction
Authors: Xu Ashley , Kosten Thomas R.
Published: March 2020

The treatment of substance use disorders has always been challenging because multiple neurotransmitters mediate addiction. However, with smoking being the leading cause of preventable death and the recent opioid epidemic in the United States, the search for novel solutions becomes more imperative. In this review, we discuss the use of antibodies to treat addictions and highlight areas of success and areas that require improvement, using examples from cocaine, nicotine, and opioid vaccines. Through each example, we examine creative problem‐solving strategies for developing future vaccines, such as using an adenovirus vector as a carrier, designing bivalent vaccines, stimulating Toll‐like receptors for adjuvant effects, and altering the route of administration. Our review also covers passive immunization alone to override or prevent drug toxicity as well as in combination with vaccines for more rapid and potentially greater efficacy.
Enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services in quarry restoration – challenges, strategies, and practice
Authors: Salgueiro Pedro A. , Prach Karel , Branquinho Cristina , Mira António
Published: March 2020

Although covering less than 1% of the land surface, extraction activities have long‐lasting impacts on local ecosystems, inevitably damaging biological diversity and depleting ecosystem services. Many extractive companies are now aware of their impacts and, while pressured by society, demand concrete solutions from researchers to reverse the effects of exploitation and restore biodiversity and ecosystems services. In this article, we compile and synthesize the contributions of the latest available research on quarry restoration. We depict and discuss some of the most pressing issues regarding (1) the challenges of restoring quarries; (2) the opportunities for biodiversity and ecosystem services delivery; and (3) outline further research addressing current gaps. We conclude that quarries pose different abiotic and biotic constraints that act interdependently, hampering the attainment of effective restoration if considered solely. Such constraints need to be addressed holistically to lastly encourage the self‐sustainability of the system by reinstating ecological processes. However, a restored site does not have to specifically mimic the pristine situation, as under certain conditions alternative approaches may uphold valuable natural assets contributing to the conservation of rare, restricted, or protected species and habitats.
Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Lee Song‐I. , Chae Eun Jin , Song Joon Seon , Lee Jae Ha , Song Jin Woo
Published: March 2020

Background and objective

PPFE is characterized by fibrosis in the pleura and subpleural lung parenchyma in the upper lobes, while other types of ILD, mainly UIP, can be observed in about half of the patients in their lower lobes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of the radiologically defined PPFE in patients with IPF.

Methods

Clinical data and chest CT images were retrospectively analysed in 445 patients with IPF (biopsy‐proven cases, n = 165). The radiological criteria of PPFE were defined as follows: (i) bilateral subpleural dense fibrosis with or without pleural thickening in the upper lobes, (ii) evidence of disease progression and (iii) no clinical evidence of identifiable aetiologies.

Results

The median follow‐up period was 43.0 months. The mean age of the patients was 66.4 years and 76.4% were male. PPFE was identified in 28 patients (6.3%). The PPFE group showed lower BMI and lung function (FVC and TLC) at baseline, more frequent pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum, higher decline rates in lung function and poorer prognosis during follow‐up than the no‐PPFE group. PPFE was an independent risk factor (HR = 2.953, 95% CI: 1.350–6.460, P = 0.007) for pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum, but not for mortality in patients with IPF.

Conclusion

Among patients with IPF, the PPFE group, when compared to the no‐PPFE group, showed lower BMI and lung function and showed more frequent complications and poorer survival during follow‐up.
Breed wealth: Origins, encounter value and the international love of a breed
Authors: Nash Catherine
Published: March 2020

This paper offers a geographical framework for considering animal breeds as objects of knowledge and living entities, and uses it to explore how ideas of breed origin constitute breeds and affect interspecies relations, human relations and the making of value. It suggests how critical animal geographers could engage more fully with breeds and breeding through an expanded concept of breed wealth that includes the making of breeds as forms of “genetic capital” through the reproductive capacity of animals, the cultural value of breeds in terms of human collective identities and differentiations, and encounter value. This geographical approach to breeds and breeding involves not only engaging with the always situated nature of breed epistemologies, practices and relations, but also the geographical dimensions of what is predominately understood as a genealogically rather than spatially constituted category. A more‐than‐genealogical understanding of breeds draws attention to how place rather than pedigree alone is considered as constitutive of breeds, both in an evolutionary and immediate sense, despite the formal modern genetic definition of breeds and how geographical origination matters in the making of breed wealth across the multiple geographies of a breed as it is dispersed from its original “homeland.” Addressing a national and international “love of a breed” – Icelandic horses which are defined as a national breed but are the focus of interest and enthusiasm both within and beyond Iceland – this paper explores how the ethical complexities of love, care and power are worked through in different ways across these geographies. Breed wealth, I argue, is a dynamic relational quality inflected by the meanings attributed to the place of breed origin.
L’existence de Dieu, une évidence en Amérique Latine?
Authors: Lecaros Véronique
Published: March 2020

L’auteure interroge dans cet article le lien entre croyance en Dieu et enchantement en contexte latino-américain et principalement liménien. Les concepts élaborés dans des régions sécularisées par Congar, Kasper, Taylor, Vattimo, Casanova, Berger, entre autres, doivent être repensés pour analyser cette zone qui s’ouvre depuis peu et simultanément à la modernité et postmodernité. L’auteure analyse la situation à partir de données proportionnées par des enquêtes et à partir d’une étude récente qualitative sur la religion vécue (2015-2017). Elle conclut: L’existence de Dieu est une “croyance forte” pour les Liméniens mais le contenu de la croyance en Dieu est “faible”, variable selon les circonstances.
Santidad y absolutos morales en Gaudete et exsultate
Authors: Irrazábal Gustavo
Published: March 2020

La última exhortación apostólica del papa Francisco, Gaudete et exsultate, desarrolla –con estilo llano y directo– la noción de santidad como llamado personal a la configuración con Cristo, mediante la participación en sus actitudes profundas (las bienaventuranzas) y de la práctica del discernimiento espiritual. Sin embargo, otras secciones, de tono polémico, parecen dirigidas a los críticos de Amoris laetitia y a su interpretación de la doctrina de Veritatis splendor sobre los absolutos morales. El silencio sobre esta encíclica y sobre la centralidad del Decálogo indica un desplazamiento de énfasis destinado a dar mayor espacio al discernimiento espiritual. Es preciso integrar ambas perspectivas para que, en el camino hacia la santidad, la libertad del creyente no se vea privada de referencias claras.
Comparison of 1-Repetition-Maximum Performance Across 3 Weightlifting Overhead Pressing Exercises and Sport Groups
Authors: Soriano Marcos A. , García-Ramos Amador , Torres-González Antonio , Castillo-Palencia Joaquín , Marín Pedro J. , de Baranda Pilar Sainz , Comfort Paul
Published: March 2020

Objective: To (1) compare the 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) performance between the push press, push jerk, and split jerk and (2) explore these differences between weightlifters, CrossFit athletes, and a mixed group of athletes. Methods: Forty-six resistance-trained males (age 28.8 [6.4] y; height 180.0 [6.0] cm; body mass 84.1 [10.2] kg; weightlifting training experience 3.64 [3.14] y) participated in this study. The 1RM performance of the push press, push jerk, and split jerk was assessed during the same session in a sequential order (ie, combined 1RM assessment method). Thirty-six participants were retested to determine between-sessions reliability of the 1RM values. Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) showed a high between-sessions reliability for the push press (ICC = .98; 95% CI, .95–.99), push jerk (ICC = .99; 95% CI, .98–1.00), and split jerk (ICC = .99; 95% CI, .98–1.00). There was a significant main effect of exercise (η2 = .101) and exercise × group interaction (η2 = .012) on 1RM performance (P < .001), whereas the main effect of group did not reach statistical significance (P = .175). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the weightlifting overhead press derivatives affect 1RM performance. In addition, the interaction of exercise and sport group was caused by the higher differences in 1RM performance between exercises for weightlifters compared with CrossFit and a mixed group of athletes. Therefore, strength and conditioning professionals should be aware that the differences in 1RM performance between weightlifting overhead-press derivatives may be affected by sport group.
Core Temperature and Sweating in Men and Women During a 15-km Race in Cool Conditions
Authors: Bongers Coen C.W.G. , ten Haaf Dominique S.M. , Ravanelli Nicholas , Eijsvogels Thijs M.H. , Hopman Maria T.E.
Published: March 2020

Purpose: Studies often assess the impact of sex on the relation between core body temperature (CBT), whole-body sweat rate (WBSR), and heat production during exercise in laboratory settings, but less is known in free-living conditions. Therefore, the authors compared the relation between CBT, WBSR, and heat production between sexes in a 15-km race under cool conditions. Methods: During 3 editions of the Seven Hills Run (Nijmegen, the Netherlands) with similar ambient conditions (8–12°C, 80–95% relative humidity), CBT and WBSR were measured among 375 participants (52% male) before and immediately after the 15-km race. Heat production was estimated using initial body mass and mean running speed, assuming negligible external work. Results: Men finished the race in 76 (12) minutes and women in 83 (13) minutes (P < .001, effect size [ES] = 0.55). Absolute heat production was higher in men than in women (1185 [163] W vs 867 [122] W, respectively, P < .001, ES = 1.47), even after normalizing to body mass (15.0 [2.2] W/kg vs 13.8 [1.9] W/kg, P < .001, ES = 0.56). Finish CBT did not differ between men and women (39.2°C [0.7°C] vs 39.2°C [0.7°C], P = .71, ES = 0.04). Men demonstrated a greater increase in CBT (1.5°C [0.8°C] vs 1.3°C [0.7°C], respectively, P = .013, ES = 0.31); the sex difference remains after correcting for heat production (P = .004). WBSR was larger in men (18.0 [6.9] g/min) than in women (11.4 [4.7] g/min; P < .001, ES = 0.97). A weak correlation between WBSR and heat production was found irrespective of sex (R2 = .395, P < .001). Conclusions: WBSR was associated with heat production, irrespective of sex, during a self-paced 15-km running race in cool environmental conditions. Men had a higher ΔCBT than women.
AcutePlasmodium chabaudi chabaudiMalaria Infection Induces Antibodies Which Bind to the Surfaces of Parasitized Erythrocytes and Promote Their Phagocytosis by Macrophages In Vitro
Authors: Mota Maria M. , Brown K. Neil , Holder Anthony A. , Jarra William
Published: March 2020

CBA/Ca mice infected with 5 × 104Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudiAS-parasitized erythrocytes experience acute but self-limiting infections of relatively short duration. Parasitemia peaks (∼40% infected erythrocytes) on day 10 or 11 and is then partially resolved over the ensuing 5 to 6 days, a period referred to as crisis. How humoral and cellular immune mechanisms contribute to parasite killing and/or clearance during crisis is controversial. Humoral immunity might be parasite variant, line, or species specific, while cellular immune responses would be relatively less specific. ForP. c. chabaudiAS, parasite clearance is largely species and line specific during this time, which suggests a primary role for antibody activity. Accordingly, acute-phase plasma (APP; taken fromP. c. chabaudiAS-infected mice at day 11 or 12 postinfection) was examined for the presence of parasite-specific antibody activity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody binding to the surface of intact, live parasitized erythrocytes, particularly those containing mature (trophozoite and schizont) parasites, was demonstrated by immunofluorescence in APP and the immunoglobulin G (IgG)-containing fraction thereof. Unfractionated APP (fromP. c. chabaudiAS-infected mice), as well as its IgG fraction, specifically mediated the opsonization and internalization ofP. c. chabaudiAS-parasitized erythrocytes by macrophages in vitro. APP from another parasite line (P. c. chabaudiCB) did not mediate the same effect againstP. c. chabaudiAS-parasitized erythrocytes. These results, which may represent one mechanism of parasite removal during crisis, are discussed in relation to the parasite variant, line, and species specificity of parasite clearance during this time.
The Specificity Patterns of Human Immunoglobulin G Antibodies in Serum Differ from Those in Autologous Secretions
Authors: Berneman Armand , Belec Laurent , Fischetti Vincent A. , Bouvet Jean-Pierre
Published: March 2020

The specificity patterns of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to streptococcal antigens in serum and autologous secretions were compared in order to determine whether IgG found in human secretions is exclusively of serum origin or can also be locally produced irrespective of the systemic immune system. Surface antigens from a type 6 M-protein strain ofStreptococcus pyogeneswere extracted by cell wall digestion and subjected to sodium lauryl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. After being blotted onto nitrocellulose, the antigens were incubated with purified IgG from various body fluids: saliva, cervicovaginal secretions, seminal fluid, and colostrum. Binding was then revealed with labeled antibodies to human Fcγ fragments. The antibody specificity patterns obtained by computer-assisted analysis were compared with those of paired sera. Major variations were observed between serum and secretions, as well as between different secretions from the same subject. These results are in favor of IgG-associated local immunity within different tissue compartments. This IgG response to mucosal antigens can complement that of secretory IgA in the defense against pathogens and should be taken into account during topical vaccinations.
The Transferrin Binding Protein B of
Moraxella catarrhalis
Elicits Bactericidal Antibodies and Is a Potential Vaccine Antigen
Authors: Myers Lisa E. , Yang Yan-ping , Du Run-pan , Wang Qijun , Harkness Robin E. , Schryvers Anthony B. , Klein Michel H. , Loosmore Sheena M.
Published: March 2020

The transferrin binding protein genes (
tbpA
and
tbpB
) from two strains of
Moraxella catarrhalis
have been cloned and sequenced. The genomic organization of the
M. catarrhalis
transferrin binding protein genes is unique among known bacteria in that
tbpA
precedes
tbpB
and there is a third gene located between them. The deduced sequences of the
M. catarrhalis
TbpA proteins from two strains were 98% identical, while those of the TbpB proteins from the same strains were 63% identical and 70% similar. The third gene, tentatively called
orf3
, encodes a protein of approximately 58 kDa that is 98% identical between the two strains. The
tbpB
genes from four additional strains of
M. catarrhalis
were cloned and sequenced, and two potential families of TbpB proteins were identified based on sequence similarities. Recombinant TbpA (rTbpA), rTbpB, and rORF3 proteins were expressed in
Escherichia coli
and purified. rTbpB was shown to retain its ability to bind human transferrin after transfer to a membrane, but neither rTbpA nor rORF3 did. Monospecific anti-rTbpA and anti-rTbpB antibodies were generated and used for immunoblot analysis, which demonstrated that epitopes of
M. catarrhalis
TbpA and TbpB were antigenically conserved and that there was constitutive expression of the
tbp
genes. In the absence of an appropriate animal model, anti-rTbpA and anti-rTbpB antibodies were tested for their bactericidal activities. The anti-rTbpA antiserum was not bactericidal, but anti-rTbpB antisera were found to kill heterologous strains within the same family. Thus, if bactericidal ability is clinically relevant, a vaccine comprising multiple rTbpB antigens may protect against
M. catarrhalis
disease.
Deletion of the Central Proline-Rich Repeat Domain Results in Altered Antigenicity and Lack of Surface Expression of the
Streptococcus mutans
P1 Adhesin Molecule
Authors: Brady L. J. , Cvitkovitch D. G. , Geric C. M. , Addison M. N. , Joyce J. C. , Crowley P. J. , Bleiweis A. S.
Published: March 2020

Members of the family of surface adhesins of oral streptococci, including P1 of
Streptococcus mutans
, contain two highly conserved repeat domains, one rich in alanine (A region) and the other rich in proline (P region). To assess the contribution of the P region to the biological properties of P1, an internal deletion in
spaP
was engineered. In addition, the P region was subcloned and expressed as a fusion partner with the maltose binding protein of
Escherichia coli
and liberated by digestion with factor Xa. Results of Western blot experiments in which recombinant polypeptides were probed with a panel of 11 monoclonal antibodies indicated that the P region is a necessary component of conformational epitopes within the central portion of P1. Antibodies reactive with the P region were detected in a polyclonal rabbit antiserum generated against whole
S. mutans
cells but not in two rabbit antisera generated against purified P1 (
M
r
∼ 185,000), suggesting that this domain is immunogenic on the surface of intact bacteria but not as part of a soluble full-length molecule. Finally, transformation of a
spa
P-negative mutant with a shuttle vector containing an internally deleted
spa
P lacking P-region DNA resulted in a complete absence of surface-localized P1 and substantially less P1 in sonicated cells compared to the case for the mutant complemented with the full-length gene. These results suggest that the P region is an integral component contributing to the conformation of the central region of P1 and indicate that its presence is necessary for surface expression of the molecule on
S. mutans
.