bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post‐place care: disrupting place‐care ontologies
Authors: Ivanova Dara
Published: June 2020

With the advent of telecare and the logic of information technologies in health care, the idea of placeless care has taken root, capturing imaginations and promising placeless caring futures. This ‘de‐territorialisation of care’ has been challenged by studies of care practices ‘on the ground’, showing that care is always (materially) placed. Yet, while sociological scholarship has taken the role of place seriously, there is little conceptual attention for how we may think through immateriality and the changing nature of place in health care. Based on a case study of the introduction of a sensory reality technology into a care organisation, this paper argues that we need (1) to push the definition of placed care into new (digitally produced) landscapes and (2) a new vocabulary, with which to address and conceptualise this changing nature of care places. The paper introduces the term post‐place, as a first step in developing such a vocabulary. Post‐place care, unlike the idea of placeless care or emplaced care, is an inclusive, open and generative concept. Its strength lies in its disruptive potential for challenging existing place‐care ontologies and opening up productive space for thinking through the changing landscapes of health care.
Effects of edible plant polyphenols on gluten protein functionality and potential applications of polyphenol–gluten interactions
Authors: Girard Audrey L. , Awika Joseph M.
Published: June 2020

Expanding plant‐based protein applications is increasingly popular. Polyphenol interactions with wheat gluten proteins can be exploited to create novel functional foods and food ingredients. Polyphenols are antioxidants, thus generally decrease gluten strength by reducing disulfide cross‐linking. Monomeric polyphenols can be used to reduce dough mix time and improve flexibility of the gluten network, including to plasticize gluten films. However, high‐molecular‐weight polyphenols (tannins) cross‐link gluten proteins, thereby increasing protein network density and strength. Tannin–gluten interactions can greatly increase gluten tensile strength in dough matrices, as well as batter viscosity and stability. This could be leveraged to reduce detrimental effects of healthful inclusions, like bran and fiber, to loaf breads and other wheat‐based products. Further, the dual functions of tannins as an antioxidant and gluten cross‐linker could help restructure gluten proteins and improve the texture of plant‐based meat alternatives. Tannin–gluten interactions may also be used to reduce inflammatory effects of gluten experienced by those with gluten allergies and celiac disease. Other potential applications of tannin–gluten interactions include formation of food matrices to reduce starch digestibility; creation of novel biomaterials for edible films or medical second skin type bandages; or targeted distribution of micronutrients in the digestive tract. This review focuses on the effects of polyphenols on wheat gluten functionality and discusses emerging opportunities to employ polyphenol–gluten interactions.
Nanomaterial‐based biosensors for sensing key foodborne pathogens: Advances from recent decades
Authors: Zhang Ruyuan , Belwal Tarun , Li Li , Lin Xingyu , Xu Yanqun , Luo Zisheng
Published: June 2020

Foodborne pathogen contamination has become a severe threat to human health. Traditional methods for foodborne pathogen detection have several disadvantages, including long detection time, low sensitivity, and low selectivity. The emergence of multiple excellent nanomaterials enables the construction of novel biosensors for foodborne pathogen detection. Based on the outstanding properties of nanomaterials, the novel biosensors possess the advantages of sensitivity, specificity, rapidity, accuracy, and simplicity. The present review comprehensively summarizes the advanced biosensors, including electrochemical, colorimetric, fluorescent, and surface enhanced Raman scattering biosensors for sensing key foodborne pathogens in recent decades. Furthermore, several issues are identified for further exploration, and possible directions for the development of biosensors are discussed.
Migration regularity of phthalates in polyethylene wrap film of food packaging
Authors: Liu Jing‐Min , Li Chun‐Yang , Zhao Ning , Wang Zhi‐Hao , Lv Shi‐Wen , Liu Ji‐Chao , Chen Li‐Jun , Wang Jun , Zhang Yan , Wang Shuo
Published: June 2020

As a kind of polymer material additive, phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are widely used in food industry. However, PAEs are environmental endocrine disruptors with reproductive toxicity and teratogenic carcinogenicity, which are difficult to be degraded in the natural environment. In this paper, gas chromatography‐mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) methods for PAEs in polyethylene wrap film were optimized. For diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that were mainly detected, the method had a good linearity in 1 to 500 ng/g. Then, we confirmed that the migration of DIBP and DBP from polyethylene wrap film increased with time and temperature. It is found that the migration law in different food simulations well followed the migration dynamics first‐level model. The rate constant K1 and initial release rate V0 are inversely proportional to the polarity of the simulated liquid. We hope that this study can serve as a valuable reference for further research on the migration of food packing materials.

Practical Application

In this paper, we present a simple example of applying migration model to evaluate the migration behaviors of PAEs in food packaging materials along with their hazardous properties. It can serve as a valuable reference for further research on the migration of food packing materials.
Elimination of oral contrast leads to faster scans in the workup of abdominal pain in the emergency setting without compromising diagnostic accuracy
Authors: Jun Jae‐Kwan , Winata Leon Shin‐han , Morrissey Brendan , Sutherland Tom
Published: June 2020

Introduction

The aim of this study was to study how the effect of eliminating oral contrast for computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis (CTAP) in the workup of abdominal pain in the emergency department (ED) would affect the time from patient review to scan and time from review to discharge.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we analysed all ED presentations with abdominal pain to our university affiliated tertiary hospital before and after a protocol that eliminated oral contrast‐enhanced CTAPs were implemented in September 2018. Two equivalent periods between September and November of 2017 and 2018 were analysed. Patients were excluded if they had a history of anatomy‐altering gastrointestinal surgery, history of inflammatory bowel disease, trauma, suspicion of foreign body ingestion or suspected gastrointestinal bleeding.

Results

A total of 176 pre‐protocol and 197 post‐protocol patients were included in the study. We found that the elimination of oral contrast was associated with a decrease in mean time between ED review and scan by 110 min (379 vs. 269 min). We also found that the elimination of oral contrast did not significantly alter the pattern of radiological diagnoses seen between the two study periods, suggesting the absence of oral contrast does not affect diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusion

Thus, eliminating the use of oral contrast in the workup of abdominal pain in the ED can lead to increased throughput and more timely patient care.
Telephone‐based motivational interviewing enhanced with individualised personality‐specific coping skills training for young people with alcohol‐related injuries and illnesses accessing emergency or rest/recovery services: a randomized controlled trial (QuikFix)
Authors: Hides Leanne , Quinn Catherine , Chan Gary , Cotton Susan , Pocuca Nina , Connor Jason P. , Witkiewitz Katie , Daglish Mark R. C. , Young Ross McD. , Stoyanov Stoyan , Kavanagh David J.
Published: June 2020

Background and Aims

Recent meta‐analyses of motivational interviewing (MI) for reducing risky alcohol use in young people have reported modest effects. Few studies have targeted individual patient factors to increase MI effectiveness. This study determined if MI enhanced with individualised personality‐specific coping skills training (QuikFix) was more efficacious than standard MI or an assessment feedback/information (AF/I) control among young people with alcohol‐related injuries or illnesses.

Design and Setting

Single‐centre, single‐blind, three‐group superiority randomized controlled trial with 1‐, 3‐, 6‐ and 12‐months follow‐ups. Telephone intervention, Brisbane, Australia.

Participants

A total of 398 young people (16–25 years; M age = 20.30 years, SD = 2.12; 54% female) with alcohol‐related injuries and/or illnesses were recruited from an emergency department (ED) or rest/recovery service (RRS).

Measures

The primary outcome was total standard (10 g ethanol) drinks in the past month (Timeline Follow back [TLFB]) at 12 months (primary time point). Secondary outcomes were total drinking days and standard drinks per drinking day (TLFB) in the past month and the frequency of alcohol‐related problems in the past 3 months (Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index).

Interventions

Young people were randomized to two sessions of QuikFix enhanced with individualised personality‐specific coping skills training (n = 132), two sessions of MI (n = 136) or one session of AF/I (n = 130), all delivered by telehealth.

Findings

QuikFix resulted in greater reductions (all P < 0.0017) in the primary outcome of total standard drinks (M = 19.50, CI 99.75% = [11.31, 27.68]) than both MI (M = 32.61, CI 99.75% = [24.82, 40.40]; Cohen's D = 0.40) and AF/I (M = 34.12, CI 99.75% = [26.59, 41.65]; D = 0.45) at 12 months (retention n = 324/398, 81%). QuikFix had greater reductions on drinking days (M = 3.16, CI 99.75% = [2.37, 3.96]) than both MI (M = 4.53, CI 99.75% = [3.57, 5.48];D = 0.38) and AF/I (M = 4.69, CI 99.75% = [3.73, 5.65];D = 0.42) and fewer drinks per drinking day (M = 5.02, CI 99.75% = [3.71, 6.33]) than AF/I (M = 7.15, CI 99.75% = [5.93, 8.38;D = 0.47) at 12 months.

Conclusions

Young people with alcohol‐related injuries and/or illnesses who attended ED and rest/recovery services and received an individualised personality‐specific coping skills training intervention (QuikFix) had greater reductions in the amount of alcohol consumed at 12 months compared with those who received motivational interviewing or an assessment feedback/information intervention.
Periodontal conditions of essential hypertension attendees to a general hospital in Hong Kong
Authors: Chiu JJN , Zheng Y , Lai SML , Chan WS , Yeung SKW , Bow HYC , Samartzis D , Corbet EF , Leung WK
Published: June 2020

Background

Periodontal infection may induce systemic vascular/endothelial dysfunction signifying a potential link between hypertension and periodontitis.

Methods

A convenience sample of 204 adults attending a university teaching hospital without (C: control) or with essential hypertension [EH; n = 102, duration (mean ± SD) 11.4 ± 6.9 years] was surveyed in this cross sectional study. Patients with concomitant systemic conditions were excluded. Dental history, oral hygiene habits and blood pressure were recorded. Plaque score (Pl%), bleeding on probing (BOP%), probing pocket depth (PPD) and probing attachment level (PAL) were noted and periodontitis severity was determined according to AAP/CDC case definition guidelines.

Results

Both groups exhibited poor oral hygiene. EH group had higher mean full‐mouth PAL/PPD (3.16/2.73 vs. 2.51/2.40,P < 0.001). 51.0%/30.4% of the EH/C participants had severe periodontitis (P < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated systolic blood pressure, age, smoking and BOP% were associated with more severe periodontitis (r2 = 0.207,P < 0.05) while BOP%, PAL and fewer missing teeth were associated with worse mean PPD (r2 = 0.612,P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Within the limitations of this study, the majority of hospital attendees surveyed exhibited poor plaque control, while periodontitis severity was found to be associated with EH, and smoking.
An ongoing physiotherapist‐led exercise program in residential aged care: Description of participant satisfaction and outcomes
Authors: Scrivener Katharine , Alava Bravo Katherine , Greely Brett , Heidema Matthew , Violi Angeline , Young Nicholas
Published: June 2020

Objective

This study documents aged care residents’ outcomes after, and satisfaction with, participation in a rehabilitation program conducted in a co‐located gym.

Methods

A mixed‐method prospective cohort study was conducted. All residents who attended the program were invited to participate in the study. Demographic information and outcome measures (walking speed, mobility, ability to stand, exercise self‐efficacy and health status) were documented on study commencement and again after 6 months.

Results

Thirty‐eight participants were included with an average age of 83 years (SD 13). The majority of participants (61%) required physical assistance for mobility. Compliance with scheduled sessions was 94%. Most (92%) participants would recommend the program. The majority of participants (55%) experienced improved walking speed as measured by the 5‐metre walk test.

Conclusions

The results suggest that a rehabilitative program can maintain the physical status of aged care residents, despite the common decline in physical performance in this population.
Evaluating the predictive factors for anastomotic leakage after total laparoscopic resection with transrectal natural orifice specimen extraction for colorectal cancer
Authors: Zhou Sicheng , Pei Wei , Li Zijin , Zhou Haitao , Liang Jianwei , Liu Qian , Zhou Zhixiang , Wang Xishan
Published: June 2020

Background

Natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE) surgery has been widely implemented in colorectal cancer surgery due to its good short‐term efficacy. However, anastomotic leakage (AL) is a serious postoperative complication in colorectal cancer, and the risk factors for this complication after NOSE surgery have rarely been investigated. The aim of this study was to explore the predictive factors for AL after laparoscopic resection with transrectal NOSE for rectal cancer and sigmoid colon cancer.

Methods

A total of 208 patients who underwent total laparoscopic resection with transrectal NOSE for rectal cancer and sigmoid colon cancer from January 2014 to June 2019 were systematically reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the relevant risk factors.

Results

The rate of AL was 10.1% (21 of 208 patients). The univariate analyses showed that male sex (85.7% vs 57.8%, P = .013), the distance from the anal verge (10.5 vs 14.5 cm, P = .011), and a duration of operation ≥140 min (71.4% vs 29.4%, P<.001) were associated with an increased incidence of AL. The multivariate analysis showed that a duration of operation ≥140 min (OR = 5427, 95% CI = 1.355‐21.727, P = .017) was an independent risk factor for AL.

Conclusion

A duration of operation ≥140 min is a possible risk factor for AL after total laparoscopic resection with transrectal NOSE for colorectal cancer.
Erythropoietin prevents LPS‐induced preterm birth and increases offspring survival
Authors: Zhang Jie , Luo Xianqiong , Huang Caicai , Pei Zheng , Xiao Huimei , Luo Xingang , Huang Shuangmiao , Chang Yanqun
Published: June 2020

Problem

Preterm delivery is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and contributes to delayed physical and cognitive development in children. At present, there is no efficient therapy to prevent preterm labor. A large body of evidence suggests that infections might play a significant and potentially preventable cause of premature birth. This work assessed the effects of erythropoietin (EPO) in a murine model of inflammation‐associated preterm delivery, which mimics central features of preterm infections in humans.

Method of study

BALB/c mice were injected i.p. with 20 000 IU/kg EPO or normal saline twice on gestational day (GD) 15, with a 3 hours time interval between injections. An hour after the first EPO or normal saline injection, all mice received two injections of 50 μg/kg LPS, also given 3 hours apart.

Results

EPO significantly prevented preterm labor and increased offspring survival in an LPS induced preterm delivery model. EPO prevented LPS‐induced leukocyte infiltration into the placenta. Moreover, EPO inhibited the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in maternal serum and amniotic fluid. EPO also prevented LPS‐induced increase in placental prostaglandin (PG)E2 and uterine inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) production, while decreasing nuclear factor kappa‐B (NF‐κβ) activity in the myometrium. EPO also increased the gene expression of placental programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) in LPS‐treated mice.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that EPO could be a potential novel therapeutic strategy to tackle infection‐related preterm labor.
Fault Lines: The Effects of Bureaucratic Power on Electoral Accountability
Authors: Martin Lucy , Raffler Pia J.
Published: June 2020

This article introduces a new explanation for why citizens may fail to vote based on government performance. We argue that when politicians have limited capacity to control bureaucrats, citizens will not know whether government performance is a good signal of the incumbent's quality. We develop a selection model of elections in which policy is jointly determined by a politician and a bureaucrat. When politicians have incomplete power over policy, elections perform worse at separating good and bad types of incumbents. We test the theory's predictions using survey experiments conducted with nearly 9,000 citizens and local officials in Uganda. We find that citizens and officials allocate more responsibility to politicians when they are perceived as having more power relative to bureaucrats. The allocation of responsibility has electoral consequences: When respondents believe that bureaucrats are responsible for performance, they are less likely to expect that government performance will affect incumbent vote share.
Code Work: Thinking with the System in México
Authors: Beltrán Héctor
Published: June 2020

This article explores how young people position themselves in relation to promises of technology and progress during a time of political transition in Mexico. My fieldwork took place between 2013 and 2017, just before a newly formed leftist political party gained power after a century of rule by Mexico's “revolutionary” party. For self‐identified “disenchanted” youth in Mexico, skeptical of the promises of social mobility by means of formal education, “hacking” emerged as a way to make sense of their futures in a precarious state and economy and as a way to let their “code work” intervene in narratives that had only delivered false hopes. Coworking spaces, hackathons, entrepreneurial initiatives, and neoliberal “reforms” were seldom differentiated by politicians. By immersing themselves in the code that underlies the technologies that promise developmentalist change, I show how fundamental coding principles become good to think with, alongside the institutions and systems responsible for reinstating unequal opportunities, iteration after iteration. Hacker‐entrepreneurs used their code work to develop heuristics for analyzing the organization of entities and relationship between them, whether they were elements in a coding environment or actors in a political‐economic environment. [technology, knowledge economy, youth, computing, precarity]
The epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Israeli children: Community‐ vs hospital‐acquired or healthcare related infections
Authors: Dabaja‐Younis Halima , Garra Wakar , Shachor‐Meyouhas Yael , Mashiach Tanya , Geffen Yuval , Kassis Imad
Published: June 2020

Aim

Incidences of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) in Israeli children are unknown. The characteristics of SAB in children have not been evaluated.

Methods

SAB from children aged ≤18 years old, admitted to a tertiary hospital in Israel during 2002‐2015, were included. The proportional rate of SAB was calculated per 1000 admissions. SAB were classified as community acquired (CA), hospital acquired (HA) and healthcare related (HCR). Patients' characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility and outcomes were assessed in each group.

Results

The rate of SAB was stable, 1.48 per 1000 admissions. HA, CA and HCR‐SAB comprised 53%, 25% and 22%, respectively. Only 27/185 (14.6%) were caused by methicillin‐resistant S aureus (MRSA): 22%, 6% and 5% of HA, CA and HCR‐SAB, respectively. Central venous catheter, recent surgery, immunodeficiency and age <6 years were the main risk factors for HA and HCR‐SAB (adjusted OR: 68.9, 7.5, 5.8 and 5.5, respectively). Treatment duration for CA was >21 days: and for HA and HCR, 14‐20 days. All‐cause in‐hospital mortality and 30‐day mortality were documented in 10 (5%) and 3 (2%) episodes, respectively.

Conclusion

The rate of SAB; the proportions of CA, HA and HCR‐SAB; and the proportion of MRSA was stable over the years. MRSA was mainly in HA‐SAB. Thirty‐day mortality was rare.
Neurodevelopmental outcomes of a randomised trial of intact cord resuscitation
Authors: Isacson Manuela , Gurung Rejina , Basnet Omkar , Andersson Ola , KC Ashish
Published: June 2020

Aim

It has been suggested that intact cord resuscitation can reduce the risk of brain damage. We investigated the effects on neurodevelopment at two years of age.

Methods

This study was performed in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 2016, 231 late preterm and term infants born vaginally and not breathing were randomised to resuscitation with an intact cord or the standard practice of early cord clamping (CC). At two years of age, the World Health Organization's Infant and Young Child Development tool was used to assess the child's neurodevelopment, during telephone interviews with caregivers.

Results

We followed up 138 infants (59.7%) at a mean age of 24.8 ± 0.8 months. A significant difference was seen in the development for age Z‐score, between the group resuscitated with an intact umbilical cord and the group resuscitated with early CC. The median (range) scores were 1.0 (0.1‐2.1) vs 0.9 (−2.0 to 1.8), respectively (P = .04). There was no difference in the motor, language‐cognitive and socio‐emotional domains.

Conclusion

Neurodevelopment improvements were observed at two years of age in infants resuscitated with an intact rather than early clamped umbilical cord. No definitive conclusions could be drawn due to protocol violations and a low follow‐up rate. More research is needed.
Paediatric hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections: An observational study of a Danish cohort
Authors: Norden Christoph , Malham Mikkel , Nordly Sannie , Grosen Dorthe , Kvistgaard Helene , Kjær Mette S. , Brix Christensen Vibeke
Published: June 2020

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics in children with either chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Denmark.

Methods

In this observational study, children and adolescents with either chronic HBV or HCV infection followed at the largest paediatric departments in Denmark between 2001 and 2013 were included. Data collection included as well epidemiological data as clinical data like virus genotype, viral load, serological markers, liver biochemistry, liver elastography and histology if available.

Results

The study included 131 children. None of the patients had decreased liver function or end‐stage liver disease during follow‐up. Ten of the 18 children who underwent liver biopsy had signs of fibrosis. Thirteen (11%) children with HBV and one (7%) child with HCV received treatment. Different indications and different treatment regimens were used.

Conclusion

This study confirms that chronic HBV and HCV infections are often mild diseases during childhood. Nevertheless, children are at higher risk of serious liver disease early in life because of the early time of infection and probably also because of the high viral loads.
Therapeutic thresholds for golimumab serum concentrations during induction and maintenance therapy in ulcerative colitis: results from the GO‐LEVEL study
Authors: Samaan Mark A. , Cunningham Georgina , Tamilarasan Aravind Gokul , Beltran Luisa , Pavlidis Polychronis , Ray Shuvra , Mawdsley Joel , Anderson Simon H. , Sanderson Jeremy D. , Arkir Zehra , Irving Peter M.
Published: June 2020

Background

Significant associations between serum golimumab concentrations and favourable outcomes have been observed during both induction and maintenance therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, data regarding optimal therapeutic serum golimumab concentration thresholds are limited.

Aims

To identify optimal serum golimumab concentration thresholds during induction and maintenance treatment with golimumab.

Methods

GO‐LEVEL was an open label, phase IV study that included a prospective cohort of UC patients commencing golimumab, as well as a cross‐sectional cohort receiving maintenance treatment. Patients commencing induction for active UC (defined as a simple clinical colitis activity index [SCCAI] >5 in addition to a raised faecal calprotectin [FC] >59μg/g or, raised C‐reactive protein [CRP] [>5mg/L] or, Mayo endoscopic disease activity 2 or 3) were evaluated at weeks 6, 10 and 14. Patients receiving maintenance therapy were recruited either at the point of flare or during remission. Combined clinical‐biochemical remission was defined as SCCAI ≤2 and FC <250μg/g. Serum golimumab concentrations were measured using a commercially available ELISA (LISATRACKER, Theradiag).

Results

Thirty‐nine patients were included in the induction cohort, of whom 15 (38%) achieved combined clinical‐biochemical remission at week 6. The median serum golimumab concentration of those in combined clinical‐biochemical remission was significantly higher than those who were not (5.0 vs 3.1 μg/mL, respectively, P = 0.03). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated 3.8 μg/mL as the optimal threshold (sensitivity 0.71, specificity 0.65, area under curve [AUC] 0.72, positive predictive value [PPV] 0.59 and negative predictive value [NPV] 0.79). Sixty‐three patients were included in the maintenance cohort; 31 (49%) were in combined remission, 32 (51%) were not. The median serum golimumab concentration of those in combined remission was significantly higher (2.9 vs 2.1 μg/mL, respectively, P = 0.01). ROC curve analysis demonstrated 2.4 μg/mL as the optimal threshold (sensitivity 0.68, specificity 0.66, AUC 0.68, PPV 0.65 and NPV 0.66).

Conclusions

GO‐LEVEL (NCT03124121) offers further evidence regarding golimumab's exposure‐response relationship. Clinicians may consider using therapeutic drug monitoring to optimise golimumab dosing aiming to achieve our suggested therapeutic thresholds of 3.8 μg/mL at week 6 and 2.4 μg/mL during maintenance.
Serum oncostatin M at baseline predicts mucosal healing in Crohn's disease patients treated with infliximab
Authors: Bertani Lorenzo , Fornai Matteo , Fornili Marco , Antonioli Luca , Benvenuti Laura , Tapete Gherardo , Baiano Svizzero Giovanni , Ceccarelli Linda , Mumolo Maria Gloria , Baglietto Laura , de Bortoli Nicola , Bellini Massimo , Marchi Santino , Costa Francesco , Blandizzi Corrado
Published: June 2020

Background

Oncostatin M is upregulated in Crohn's disease inflamed intestinal mucosa, and has been suggested as a promising biomarker to predict responsiveness to anti‐TNF therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Aim

To evaluate the suitability of serum oncostatin M as a predictive marker of response to infliximab in Crohn's disease.

Methods

We included patients treated with infliximab monotherapy. All patients underwent colonoscopy at week 54 to evaluate mucosal healing. Serum oncostatin M and faecal calprotectin were measured at baseline and after 14 weeks of treatment. Mann‐Whitney test was used to evaluate correlation of oncostatin M and faecal calprotectin at baseline and week 14 with mucosal healing at week 54. Their accuracy in predicting mucosal healing was assessed by area under the curve (AUC).

Results

In a cohort of 45 included patients, 27 displayed mucosal healing. At both baseline and week 14, oncostatin M levels were significantly lower in patients with mucosal healing than in patients not achieving this endpoint (P < 0.001). Faecal calprotectin levels at week 14 were lower also in responders than nonresponders (P < 0.001). Oncostatin M values at baseline and week 14 were significantly associated (Spearman correlation = 0.92, P < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of oncostatin M at baseline in predicting mucosal healing (AUC = 0.91) was greater than faecal calprotectin (AUC = 0.51, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

These results suggest that oncostatin M can predict the outcome of infliximab treatment. Compared with faecal calprotectin, the predictive capability of oncostatin M was appreciable at baseline, thus indicating oncostatin M as a promising biomarker for driving therapeutic choices in Crohn's disease.
Intranational Consumption Risk Sharing in South Korea: 2000–2016
Authors: Ko Joongsan
Published: June 2020

This paper examines consumption risk sharing among 16 regions in South Korea over the 2000–2016 period. The empirical results show that 91.8 percent of shocks to gross regional domestic product are smoothed in South Korea. Capital markets, the tax‐transfer system and credit markets absorb 29.9, 28.9 and 33.0 percent of shocks to gross regional domestic product, respectively. Most notably, South Korea relies more on credit markets for risk sharing than capital markets, an opposite pattern to advanced countries like the USA, Canada and Australia. Furthermore, the patterns of consumption risk sharing are different before and after the 2007–2008 global financial crisis, and differences in regional industrial structure and local development can influence these patterns. This paper attempts to infer the connection between these findings and both the rapid economic growth of South Korea and the Asian and global financial crises.
Pandemic (COVID‐19) Policy, Regional Cooperation and the Emerging Global Production Network†
Authors: Kimura Fukunari , Thangavelu Shandre Mugan , Narjoko Dionisius , Findlay Christopher
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we explore the possible policy responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic shock as well as the related economic (financial crisis) shocks on trade and global value chains (GVC) in East Asia. We find that regional policy coordination is critical to mitigate and isolate the pandemic shock. It is important to identify the pandemic events early to flatten the pandemic curve at the national and regional level. This supports a recent study by the World Bank (2020), which highlights the importance of early mitigation policies during the pandemic shock. The cost of the pandemic and economic shocks will increase significantly when several countries in the region experience the pandemic shock concurrently. In this case, flattening the regional pandemic curve becomes important. The results also indicate the need for greater coordination in East Asia to mitigate the pending economic shock in terms of unemployment, corporate bankruptcy and financial market fragility. The paper also highlights that the stability of the GVC network is critical during the pandemic in terms of hedging the risk of disruptions to the procurement of critical medical and health products as well as maintaining service linkages to manufacturing, such as the logistics sector. Regional policy coordination and the stability of GVC will be valuable in the post‐pandemic recovery of the region.
Evaluation of longitudinal surrogate markers
Authors: Agniel Denis , Parast Layla
Published: June 2020

The use of surrogate markers to examine the effectiveness of a treatment has the potential to decrease study length and identify effective treatments more quickly. Most available methods to investigate the usefulness of a surrogate marker involve restrictive parametric assumptions and tend to focus on settings where the surrogate is measured at a single point in time. However, in many clinical settings, the potential surrogate marker is often measured repeatedly over time, and thus, the surrogate marker information is a trajectory of measurements. In addition, it is often difficult in practice to correctly specify the relationship between a treatment, primary outcome, and surrogate marker trajectory. In this paper, we propose a model‐free definition for the proportion of the treatment effect on the primary outcome that is explained by the treatment effect on the longitudinal surrogate markers. We propose three novel flexible methods to estimate this proportion, develop the asymptotic properties of our estimators, and investigate the robustness of the estimators under multiple settings via a simulation study. We apply our proposed procedures to an AIDS clinical trial dataset to examine a trajectory of CD4 counts as a potential surrogate.
Estimating the optimal timing of surgery from observational data
Authors: Chen Xiaofei , Heitjan Daniel F. , Greil Gerald , Jeon‐Slaughter Haekyung
Published: June 2020

Infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome require an initial Norwood operation, followed some months later by a stage 2 palliation (S2P). The timing of S2P is critical for the operation's success and the infant's survival, but the optimal timing, if one exists, is unknown. We attempt to identify the optimal timing of S2P by analyzing data from the Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial (SVRT), which randomized patients between two different types of Norwood procedure. In the SVRT, the timing of the S2P was chosen by the medical team; thus with respect to this exposure, the trial constitutes an observational study, and the analysis must adjust for potential confounding. To accomplish this, we propose an extended propensity score analysis that describes the time to surgery as a function of confounders in a discrete competing‐risk model. We then apply inverse probability weighting to estimate a spline hazard model for predicting survival from the time of S2P. Our analysis suggests that S2P conducted at 6 months after the Norwood gives the patient the best post‐S2P survival. Thus, we place the optimal time slightly later than a previous analysis in the medical literature that did not account for competing risks of death and heart transplantation.
‘This country is OURS’: The exclusionary potential of collective psychological ownership
Authors: Nijs Tom , Martinovic Borja , Verkuyten Maykel , Sedikides Constantine
Published: June 2020

Political campaign slogans, such as ‘Take back control of our country’ (United Kingdom Independence Party) and ‘The Netherlands ours again’ (Dutch Party for Freedom), indicate that right‐wing populism appeals to the belief that the country is ‘ours’, and therefore, ‘we’ have the exclusive right to determine what happens. We examined this sense of ownership of the country (i.e. collective psychological ownership [CPO]) with the related determination right in relation to exclusionary attitudes and voting behaviour. Among Dutch (Study 1, N = 572) and British (Study 2, N = 495) participants, we found that CPO explained anti‐immigrant and anti‐EU attitudes, and these attitudes in turn accounted for voting ‘leave’ in the 2016 Brexit referendum in the British sample (Study 2). Additionally, CPO was more strongly related to negative immigrant attitudes among right‐wing Dutch participants, whereas it was more strongly related to negative EU attitudes and voting ‘leave’ among left‐wing British participants. CPO contributes to the understanding of critical contemporary social attitudes and political behaviour.
10 Myr evolution of sedimentation rates in a deep marine to non‐marine foreland basin system: Tectonic and sedimentary controls (Eocene, Tremp–Jaca Basin, Southern Pyrenees, NE Spain)
Authors: Vinyoles Andreu , López‐Blanco Miguel , Garcés Miguel , Arbués Pau , Valero Luis , Beamud Elisabet , Oliva‐Urcia Belén , Cabello Patricia
Published: June 2020

The propagation of the deformation front in foreland systems is typically accompanied by the incorporation of parts of the basin into wedge‐top piggy‐back basins, this process is likely producing considerable changes to sedimentation rates (SR). Here we investigate the spatial‐temporal evolution of SR for the Tremp–Jaca Basin in the Southern Pyrenees during its evolution from a wedge‐top, foreredeep, forebulge configuration to a wedge‐top stage. SR were controlled by a series of tectonic structures that influenced subsidence distribution and modified the sediment dispersal patterns. We compare the decompacted SR calculated from 12 magnetostratigraphic sections located throughout the Tremp–Jaca Basin represent the full range of depositional environment and times. While the derived long‐term SR range between 9.0 and 84.5 cm/kyr, compiled data at the scale of magnetozones (0.1–2.5 Myr) yield SR that range from 3.0 to 170 cm/kyr. From this analysis, three main types of depocenter are recognized: a regional depocenter in the foredeep depozone; depocenters related to both regional subsidence and salt tectonics in the wedge‐top depozone; and a depocenter related to clastic shelf building showing transgressive and regressive trends with graded and non‐graded episodes. From the evolution of SR we distinguish two stages. The Lutetian Stage (from 49.1–41.2 Ma) portrays a compartmentalized basin characterized by variable SR in dominantly underfilled accommodation areas. The markedly different advance of the deformation front between the Central and Western Pyrenees resulted in a complex distribution of the foreland depozones during this stage. The Bartonian–Priabonian Stage (41.2–36.9 Ma) represents the integration of the whole basin into the wedge‐top, showing a generalized reduction of SR in a mostly overfilled relatively uniform basin. The stacking of basement units in the hinterland during the whole period produced unusually high SR in the wedge‐top depozone.
Genotype‐phenotype correlations on epidermolysis bullosa with congenital absence of skin: A comprehensive review
Authors: Mariath Luiza Monteavaro , Santin Juliana Tosetto , Frantz Jeanine Aparecida , Doriqui Maria Juliana Rodovalho , Schuler‐Faccini Lavínia , Kiszewski Ana Elisa
Published: June 2020

Congenital absence of skin (CAS) is a clinical sign associated with the main types of epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Very few studies have investigated the genetic background that may influence the occurrence of this condition. Our objective was to investigate genotype‐phenotype correlations on EB with CAS through a literature revision on the pathogenic variants previously reported. A total of 171 cases (49 EB simplex, EBS; 23 junctional EB, JEB; and 99 dystrophic EB, DEB), associated with 132 pathogenic variants in eight genes, were included in the genotype‐phenotype analysis. In EBS, CAS showed to be a recurrent clinical sign in EBS with pyloric atresia (PA) and EBS associated with kelch‐like protein 24; CAS was also described in patients with keratins 5/14 alterations, particularly involving severe phenotypes. In JEB, this is a common clinical sign in JEB with PA associated with premature termination codon variants and/or amino acid substitutions located in the extracellular domain of integrin α6β4 genes. In DEB with CAS, missense variants occurring close to non‐collagenous interruptions of the triple‐helix domain of collagen VII appear to influence this condition. This study is the largest review of patients with EB and CAS and expands the spectrum of known variants on this phenomenon.
Diagnostic yield of targeted sequential and massive panel approaches for inherited neuropathies
Authors: Padilha Janice Pacheco Dias , Brasil Carolina Serpa , Hoefel Alice Maria Luderitz , Winckler Pablo Brea , Donis Karina Carvalho , Brusius‐Facchin Ana Carolina , Saute Jonas Alex Morales
Published: June 2020

Diagnostic yield of genetic studies for Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) is little known, with a lack of epidemiological data to build better diagnostic strategies outside the United States and Europe. We aimed to evaluate the performance of two molecular diagnostic strategies for patients with CMT, and to characterize epidemiological findings of these conditions in southern Brazil. We performed a single‐center cross‐sectional study, in which 94 patients (55 families) with CMT suspicion were evaluated. Overall, the diagnostic yield of the combined strategy of Multiplex‐ligation‐dependent‐probe‐amplification (MLPA) of PMP22/GJB1/MPZ and GJB1/MPZ/PMP22 Sanger sequencing was 63.6% (28/44) for index cases with demyelinating/intermediate CMT suspicion (21 CMT1A‐PMP22, 5 CMTX1‐GJB1 and 2 with probably CMT1B‐MPZ diagnosis). Five of the 11 index cases (45.4%) with axonal CMT had at least a possible diagnosis with next generation sequencing (NGS) panel of 104 inherited neuropathies‐related genes (one each with CMT1A‐PMP22, CMT2A‐MFN2, CMT2K‐GDAP1, CMT2U‐MARS, CMT2W‐HARS1). Detailed clinical, neurophysiological and molecular data of families are provided. Sequential molecular diagnosis strategies with MLPA plus target Sanger sequencing for demyelinating/intermediate CMT had high diagnostic yield, and almost half of axonal CMT families had at least a possible diagnosis with the comprehensive NGS panel. Most frequent subtypes of CMT in our region are CMT1A‐PMP22 and CMTX1‐GJB1.
Gene editing technology for improving life quality: A dream coming true?
Authors: Ramezankhani Roya , Minaei Neda , Haddadi Mahnaz , Torabi Shukoofeh , Hesaraki Mahdi , Mirzaei Hamed , Vosough Massoud , Verfaillie Catherine M.
Published: June 2020

The fact that monogenic diseases are related to mutations in one specific gene, make gene correction one of the promising strategies in the future to treat genetic diseases or alleviate their symptoms. From this perspective, and along with recent advances in technology, genome editing tools have gained momentum and developed fast. In fact, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats‐associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9), transcription activator‐like effector nucleases (TALENs), and zinc‐finger nucleases (ZFNs) are regarded as novel technologies which are able to correct a number of genetic aberrations in vitro and in vivo. The number of ongoing clinical trials employing these tools has been increased showing the encouraging outcomes of these tools. However, there are still some major challenges with respect to the safety profile and directed delivery of them. In this paper, we provided updated information regarding the history, nature, methods of delivery, and application of the above‐mentioned gene editing tools along with the meganucleases (an older similar tool) based on published in vitro and in vivo studies and introduced clinical trials which employed these technologies.
Challenges and outcomes for bariatric surgery in patients with paraplegia: Case series and systematic review
Authors: Layton Georgia R. , Bhanderi Shivam , Sahloul Mohamed , Charalampakis Vasileios , Daskalakis Markos , Singhal Rishi
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Obesity contributes to a plethora of significant chronic diseases. Bariatric surgery has been demonstrated to be the most cost‐effective treatment for severe obesity and significantly reduces morbidity and mortality from metabolic syndrome.

Patients with paraplegia have significantly impaired mobility and are therefore at a much higher risk of developing severe obesity and its sequelae. Bariatric surgery may bring significant improvements to mobility, morbidity and quality of life for patients with paraplegia, but evidence in the literature is poor for this group of patients.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted conforming to PRISMA guidelines. The MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were searched for all articles published prior to April 2019 matching all of the keywords ‘bariatric’, ‘paraplegia’ and ‘spinal cord’. Articles were assessed for relevance and full texts reviewed.

In addition, clinical records were reviewed for three patients who underwent bariatric surgery at a single UK private institution. Non‐identifiable demographic, clinical, operative and outcome data were obtained from electronic records.

Results

Twenty seven articles were retrieved from the initial database search, of which nine eligible full texts were reviewed. Eight articles were case reports or case series and the final article was a systematic review. All cases reported had positive outcomes with significant weight loss, improvement in mobility and increased quality of life. Outcomes from the three diversely aged patients in our case series were similarly positive, with no significant post‐operative complications.

Discussion

Patients with obesity and paraplegia may significantly benefit from bariatric surgery. There is a need for multi‐centre cohort studies to evaluate outcomes and the choice of bariatric intervention. UK guidelines do not include criteria based on mobility or neurological deficit, resulting in a potential missed opportunity to offer a cost‐effective treatment that can significantly improve quality of life for patients with severe obesity and paraplegia.
Using knowledge mapping to rethink the gap between science and action
Authors: Vimal Ruppert , Morgans Courtney
Published: June 2020

Scholars have long stressed the need to bridge the gap between science and action and seek the most efficient use of knowledge for decision making. Many contributors have attempted to consider and understand the sociopolitical forces involved in knowledge generation and exchange. We argue, however, that a model is still needed to adequately conceptualize and frame the knowledge networks in which these processes are embedded. We devised a model for knowledge mapping as a prerequisite for knowledge management in the context of conservation. Using great ape conservation to frame our approach, we propose that knowledge mapping should be based on 2 key principles. First, each conservation network results from the conglomeration of subnetworks of expertise producing and using knowledge. Second, beyond the research‐management gradient, other dimensions, such as the scale of operation, geographic location, and organizational characteristics, must also be considered. Assessing both knowledge production and trajectory across different dimensions of the network opens new space for investigating and reducing the gap between science and action.
Incidence and treatment of positive pelvic sidewall lymph nodes in patients with rectal cancer
Authors: Jones H. G. , Radwan R. W. , Sams E. , Gibby M. , Coomer W. , Jeffries J. , Codd R. J. , Williams G. L. , Taylor G. , Horwood J.
Published: June 2020

Aim

The involvement of pelvic sidewall (PSW) lymph nodes in rectal cancer is a marker of locally advanced disease and poor prognosis. Eastern countries generally advocate lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) over the Western approach of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and more limited surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate how these advanced cancers were treated in three UK Health Boards.

Methodology

This was a retrospective review of three colorectal multidisciplinary team meetings from 2008 to 2016. All patients with rectal cancer and suspicious PSW lymph nodes on pretreatment MRI were included.

Results

There were 153 (6.2%) patients who met the inclusion criteria from a total of 2461 diagnosed rectal cancers. There was significant variability between the three centres with surgical intervention ranging from 59.2% to 84.4%, P = 0.015. There were 81 patients who had neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy prior to surgery; of these 67 (82.7%) still had positive PSW nodes on the restaging MRI, but only 13 (19.4%) had LLND. There was no difference in local recurrence (15.3% vs 11.8%, P = 0.66), 5‐year overall survival (69.2% vs 80.1%, P = 0.16) or 5‐year disease‐free survival (69.2% vs 79.4%, P = 0.72) between patients having LLND and those receiving standard neoadjuvant treatment followed by total mesorectal excision surgery.

Conclusions

This study has demonstrated that rectal cancer patients with PSW positive nodal disease have advanced disease, mostly of the lower rectum, and receive a highly heterogeneous spectrum of therapies, even within a relatively small geographical area. Greater accuracy in our preoperative staging is needed to select those patients who will benefit from LLND surgery.