bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ownership power and managing a professional workforce: General practitioners and the employment of physician associates
Authors: Krachler Nick , Kessler Ian
Published: July 2022

The management of the professions has become increasingly challenging, reflecting the emergence of new work roles in professionalized workplaces. Human Resource Management (HRM) scholars have, however, been slow to study the professions, particularly how the power they derive from ownership interacts with other forms of power. This article explores the use of different forms of power by a profession, general practitioners (GPs), in engaging with a new healthcare role, the physician associate (PA). Despite policy support for the role, we find GPs' employment of the role in primary care is low. This is explained by two GP responses to the introduction of the role: employment denial and subordination. We theorize these responses as deriving from GPs' ownership power, enhancing their managerial and knowledge‐based control over PAs. In doing so, we open‐up a research avenue in the study of workforce management focused on professions' ownership power.
Disease activity of lung cancer at the time of acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease during cytotoxic chemotherapy
Authors: Sekine Akimasa , Matama Goushi , Hagiwara Eri , Tabata Erina , Ikeda Satoshi , Oda Tsuneyuki , Okuda Ryo , Kitamura Hideya , Baba Tomohisa , Satoh Hiroaki , Misumi Toshihiro , Komatsu Shigeru , Iwasawa Tae , Ogura Takashi
Published: July 2022

Background

The prognosis of lung cancer patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) is poor, and acute exacerbation (AE) of ILD can occur during chemotherapy as a fatal adverse event. Although AE‐ILD development is correlated with various factors, no reports are investigating the disease activity of lung cancer at the time of AE‐ILD development.

Methods

All consecutive lung cancer patients with ILD who developed chemotherapy‐related AE‐ILD within 28 days after the last administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy between 2011 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

Among 206 lung cancer patients with ILD who were treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy, 30 patients were included. The median age was 72 years and all patients were men with smoking history. Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and non‐UIP patterns of ILD was observed in 17 and 13 patients. Most of AE‐ILD occurred during second‐ or later‐line (22/30, 73.3%) and developed within first or second courses during chemotherapy (19/30, 63.3%). Regarding tumor response to chemotherapy at AE‐ILD development, majority of patients (18 patients, 60.0%) experienced progressive disease and only one patient (3.3%) experienced a partial response. Notably, 27 patients (90.0%) did not exhibit any tumor shrinkage of the thoracic lesions.

Conclusion

Lung cancer was uncontrolled with cytotoxic chemotherapy at the time of AE‐ILD development. Although AE‐ILD during chemotherapy has been generally discussed in terms of drug‐specific adverse effects, uncontrolled lung cancer may be also correlated with AE‐ILD development.
Differentiating siliceous particulate matter in the diets of mammalian herbivores
Authors: Fannin Luke D. , Laugier Elise J. , van Casteren Adam , Greenwood Sabrina L. , Dominy Nathaniel J.
Published: July 2022

Silica is crucial to terrestrial plant life and geochemical cycling on Earth. It is also implicated in the evolution of mammalian teeth, but there is debate over which type of siliceous particle has exerted the strongest selective pressure on tooth morphology.

Debate revolves around the amorphous silica bodies (phytoliths) present in plants and the various forms of siliceous grit—that is, crystalline quartz (sand, soil, dust)—on plant surfaces. The problem is that conventional measures of silica often quantify both particle types simultaneously.

Here we describe a protocol that relies on heavy‐liquid flotation to separate and quantify siliceous particulate matter in the diets of herbivores. The method is reproducible and well suited to detecting species‐ or population‐level differences in silica ingestion. In addition, we detected meaningful variation within the digestive tracts of cows, an outcome that supports the premise of ruminal fluid ‘washing’ of siliceous grit.

We used bootstrap resampling to estimate the sample sizes needed to compare species, populations or individuals in space and time. We found that a minimum sample of 12 individuals is necessary if the species is a browser or as many as 55 if the species is a grazer, which are more variable. But a sample size of 20 is adequate for detecting statistical differences. We conclude by suggesting that our protocol for differentiating and quantifying silica holds promise for testing competing hypotheses on the evolution of dental traits.
Linear woodlots increase wild bee abundance by providing additional food sources in an agricultural landscape
Authors: Sobieraj‐Betlińska Anna , Szefer Piotr , Twerd Lucyna
Published: July 2022

Mid‐field woodlots play an important role in maintaining biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, it is not clear whether non‐linear or linear woodlots are most beneficial for wild bee conservation.

We assessed the attractiveness of two common types of woodlots in an agricultural landscape in northern Poland (non‐linear and linear: 7 and 9 sites, respectively) in terms of wild bee abundance, species richness, and functional diversity.

Linear habitats had higher abundance of wild bees. However, woodlot type did not affect wild bee species composition or functional trait composition. Species composition responded significantly to measures of syntaxonomic heterogeneity and landscape heterogeneity. Woodlot area, landscape context (isolation and landscape heterogeneity), and syntaxonomic heterogeneity explained most of the differences among habitats (non‐linear vs. linear) in wild bee abundance and species richness, regardless of the habitat type. The higher attractiveness of linear woodlots was due to increased food availability in the herbaceous layer in the spring–summer (June) and summer (July–August) periods.

Linear woodlots have the potential to be used as tools for integrating agricultural production with biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services.
Ecological risks and bio‐tolerance of Oreochromis niloticus to selected heavy metals in a tropical reservoir
Authors: Ogungbile Peter O. , Ajibare Adefemi O. , Ayeku Patrick O. , Akande John A.
Published: July 2022

The concentration of nine heavy metals in Oreochromis niloticus inhabiting Agodi reservoir, Nigeria, was investigated. Samples were collected at the inlet, centre and outlet of the reservoir. The concentration of the metals was determined with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Ecological Risk Quotient (ERQ) was used to numerically quantify the ecological risks associated with the mineral, while Box Plot was used to evaluate the tolerance of the fish to heavy metals. The ERQ, which was in the order of Mn > Fe > Zn > Cu > Cd > Pb > Cr > Co > Ni, showed that Ni, Co, Cr and Pb had values of less than one, implying that they did not constitute an ecological threat to the environment, while Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu and Cd were of ecological risk. Results revealed that the concentration of Cd, Co and Ni exceeded the bio‐tolerance of the fish at the inlet, while Cd, Pb, Cu and Ni were beyond the tolerability of the fish at the centre. Similarly, the concentration of Co, Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn and Ni was above the tolerance limit of the fish. This showed that Fe and Mn were within the tolerance range of the fish and that the tolerability of the fish in relation to the location was inlet < Centre < Outlet.
Maternal prenatal immunity, neonatal trained immunity, and early airway microbiota shape childhood asthma development
Authors: DeVries Avery , McCauley Kathryn , Fadrosh Douglas , Fujimura Kei E. , Stern Debra A. , Lynch Susan V. , Vercelli Donata
Published: July 2022

Background

The path to childhood asthma is thought to initiate in utero and be further promoted by postnatal exposures. However, the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. We hypothesized that prenatal maternal immune dysfunction associated with increased childhood asthma risk (revealed by low IFN‐γ:IL‐13 secretion during the third trimester of pregnancy) alters neonatal immune training through epigenetic mechanisms and promotes early‐life airway colonization by asthmagenic microbiota.

Methods

We examined epigenetic, immunologic, and microbial features potentially related to maternal prenatal immunity (IFN‐γ:IL‐13 ratio) and childhood asthma in a birth cohort of mother–child dyads sampled pre‐, peri‐, and postnatally (N = 155). Epigenome‐wide DNA methylation and cytokine production were assessed in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) by array profiling and ELISA, respectively. Nasopharyngeal microbiome composition was characterized at age 2–36 months by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Results

Maternal prenatal immune status related to methylome profiles in neonates born to non‐asthmatic mothers. A module of differentially methylated CpG sites enriched for microbe‐responsive elements was associated with childhood asthma. In vitro responsiveness to microbial products was impaired in CBMCs from neonates born to mothers with the lowest IFN‐γ:IL‐13 ratio, suggesting defective neonatal innate immunity in those who developed asthma during childhood. These infants exhibited a distinct pattern of upper airway microbiota development characterized by early‐life colonization by Haemophilus that transitioned to a Moraxella‐dominated microbiota by age 36 months.

Conclusions

Maternal prenatal immune status shapes asthma development in her child by altering the epigenome and trained innate immunity at birth, and is associated with pathologic upper airway microbial colonization in early life.
Characteristics and outcomes of left ventricular assist device recipients transplanted before and after the new donor heart allocation system
Authors: Doulamis Ilias P. , Inampudi Chakradhari , Kourek Christos , Mandarada Tejaswini , Kuno Toshiki , Asleh Rabea , Briasoulis Alexandros
Published: July 2022

Background

Concerns about the impact of the new donor heart allocation system on posttransplant outcomes have emerged after its implementation. We sought to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients transplanted before and after the implantation of the new policy on October 18, 2018.

Methods

Data on bridge to transplantation of adult patients with LVAD between January 2015 and October 2021, with durable LVAD as a (BTT), was queried from the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry. The main outcomes were 30‐day all‐cause mortality, 30‐day fatal graft failure, 1‐year all‐cause mortality, treated acute rejection at 1 year and renal replacement therapy (RRT) for acute renal failure.

Results

In our study, 7096 patients met the inclusion criteria including 2435 in the new allocation system. The transplanted patients in the new allocation system era had older donor age, longer ischemic time, and higher proportion of newer generation LVADs. Adjusted 30‐day all‐cause mortality was significantly lower for LVAD recipients in the new allocation system era (2.5% vs. 3.6%; sub‐hazard ratio [SHR] 0.36, 95% Confidence intervals [CI] 0.27–0.48, p < 0.001) without differences in the risk of fatal graft failure and 1‐year mortality (7.8% vs. 9.6%). Significantly lower adjusted 30‐day mortality with HVAD and HM3 devices than HM2 in the new allocation system era was found, without differences in 1‐year mortality. Acute allograft rejection requiring treatment was significantly lower (Odds Ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.65–0.94, p = 0.01), whereas a trend toward higher risk of renal failure requiring RRT was identified.

Conclusions

Despite changing donor characteristics and longer ischemic times, posttransplant outcomes in LVAD recipients have not worsened with the implementation of the new allocation system and this finding is related to the use of newer generation continuous flow LVADs.
Annual hospital procedural volume and outcome in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for respiratory failure
Authors: Jäckel Markus , Kaier Klaus , Rilinger Jonathan , Bemtgen Xavier , Zotzmann Viviane , Zehender Manfred , von zur Mühlen Constantin , Stachon Peter , Bode Christoph , Wengenmayer Tobias , Staudacher Dawid L.
Published: July 2022

Background

The hospital mortality of patients suffering from pulmonary failure requiring venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V‐V ECMO) or extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) is high. It is unclear whether outcome correlates with a hospital's annual procedural volume.

Methods

Data on all V‐V ECMO and ECCO2R cases treated from 2007 to 2019 were retrieved from the German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information. Comorbidities and outcomes were assessed by DRG, OPS, and ICD codes. The study population was divided into 5 groups depending on annual hospital V‐V ECMO and ECCO2R volumes (<10 cases; 10–19 cases; 20–29 cases; 30–49 cases; ≥50 cases). Primary outcome was hospital mortality.

Results

A total of 25 096 V‐V ECMO and 3607 ECCO2R cases were analyzed. V‐V ECMO hospitals increased from 89 in 2007 to 214 in 2019. Hospitals handling <10 cases annually increased especially (64 in 2007 to 149 in 2019). V‐V ECMO cases rose from 807 in 2007 to 2597 in 2019. Over 50% of cases were treated in hospitals handling ≥30 cases annually. Hospital mortality was independent of the annual hospital procedural volume (55.3%; 61.3%; 59.8%; 60.2%; 56.3%, respectively, p = 0.287). We detected no differences when comparing hospitals handling <30 cases to those with ≥30 annually (p = 0.659). The numbers of ECCO2R hospitals and cases has dropped since 2011 (287 in 2007 to 48 in 2019). No correlation between annual hospital procedural volume and hospital mortality was identified (p = 0.914).

Conclusion

The number of hospitals treating patients requiring V‐V ECMO and V‐V ECMO cases rose from 2007 to 2019, while ECCO2R hospitals and their case numbers decreased. We detected no correlation between annual hospital V‐V ECMO or ECCO2R volume and hospital mortality.
A Robust Approach for Electronic Health Record–Based Case-Control Studies with Contaminated Case Pools
Authors: Dai Guorong , Ma Yanyuan , Hasler Jill , Chen Jinbo , Carroll Raymond J.
Published: July 2022

We consider analyses of case-control studies assembled from electronic health records (EHRs) where the pool of cases is contaminated by patients who are ineligible for the study. These ineligible patients, referred to as “false cases,” should be excluded from the analyses if known. However, the true outcome status of a patient in the case pool is unknown except in a subset whose size may be arbitrarily small compared to the entire pool. To effectively remove the influence of the false cases on estimating odds ratio parameters defined by a working association model of the logistic form, we propose a general strategy to adaptively impute the unknown case status without requiring a correct phenotyping model to help discern the true and false case statuses. Our method estimates the target parameters as the solution to a set of unbiased estimating equations constructed using all available data. It outperforms existing methods by achieving robustness to mismodeling the relationship between the outcome status and covariates of interest, as well as improved estimation efficiency. We further show that our estimator is root-n-consistent and asymptotically normal. Through extensive simulation studies and analysis of real EHR data, we demonstrate that our method has desirable robustness to possible misspecification of both the association and phenotyping models, along with statistical efficiency superior to the competitors.
Combined ibrutinib and venetoclax for treatment of patients with ibrutinib‐resistant or double‐refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Authors: Hampel Paul J. , Rabe Kari G. , Call Timothy G. , Ding Wei , Leis Jose F. , Kenderian Saad S. , Muchtar Eli , Wang Yucai , Koehler Amber B. , Parrondo Ricardo , Schwager Susan M. , Shi Min , Braggio Esteban , Slager Susan L. , Kay Neil E. , Parikh Sameer A.
Published: July 2022

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) disease progression on ibrutinib or after sequential ibrutinib and venetoclax‐based treatments (double‐refractory) have poor outcomes. In this retrospective study, we analysed outcomes with combined ibrutinib and venetoclax treatment in these groups of patients. The median treatment‐free and overall survival for 22 patients with prior progression on ibrutinib (venetoclax‐naïve) were 23.7 and 47.1 months respectively. In 11 patients with double‐refractory CLL, the median treatment‐free and overall survival were 11.2 and 27.0 months respectively. The combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax may help bridge the current gap in options for patients with disease refractory to the most commonly used novel agents.
Individual growth of the Flathead Knob‐scaled Lizard, Xenosaurus platyceps, from tropical and temperate populations
Authors: Rojas‐González R. Isaac , Lemos‐Espinal Julio A. , Smith Geoffrey R.
Published: July 2022

Growth rates of ectotherms are frequently affected by environmental conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, and prey availability. However, local adaptation to environmental conditions could influence geographic variation in growth rates. We studied growth rates of the Flathead Knob‐scaled Lizard, Xenosaurus platyceps, from a tropical population and a temperate population in Tamaulipas, Mexico. We used a field study and a common garden experiment to examine the extent and potential causes of variation in individual growth rates between these two populations from contrasting environments. Field‐determined growth rates in the tropical population were greater than those in the temperate population. In a laboratory common garden experiment that manipulated food availability and temperature for neonates from each population, neonates from the tropical population grew faster than those from the temperate population. Neonates kept at higher temperatures grew faster than those kept at lower temperature. In addition, growth rates of neonates from temperate and tropical populations did not differ at low temperature, but neonates from the tropical population grew faster at the higher temperature than did the neonates from the temperate population. Food treatment did not affect individual growth rates in these lizards, although there was a trend for neonates grown with higher food availability to grow faster. Our results suggest that not only does the warm environment of the tropical population contribute to the observed differences in field growth rates, but there is a genetic difference in the ability of the tropical population to take advantage of the warmer temperatures to increase growth rates

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
How to motivate hotel employees' innovation service behaviours: The mediating role of job embeddedness
Authors: Chen Wen‐Jung
Published: July 2022

The hotel industry emphasizes customer service. The creation of unique and innovative service experiences by employees depends on the effective stimulation of employees to show innovation service behaviour that is beneficial to the organization. This study believed that although more and more scholars and organizations realize the importance of service innovation, there is still room for development in theory and practice. Therefore, this study explored the relationships among organizational climate for innovation, service orientation, job embeddedness and employees' innovative behaviour. A total of 291 valid questionnaires were collected through a questionnaire survey. A positive relationship was found among organizational climate for innovation, service orientation, job embeddedness and innovation service behaviour. Noteworthily, service orientation is not only related to employees' job embeddedness but also related to their innovative service behaviours conducive to the hotel. Therefore, this study suggested that the hotel industry creates an atmosphere and resources that help employees demonstrate innovation. Furthermore, support and encouragement from the organization can inspire employees to have a positive work attitude and show innovative service behaviour beneficial to the organization.
Debate: Conduct disorder and the segregation of child mental health
Authors: Hawes David J.
Published: July 2022

Should conduct disorder (CD) be classified as a psychiatric diagnosis? The model of CD found in current diagnostic systems is not without its flaws. The criteria for CD have often been criticised for lacking developmental sensitivity with regard to young children, and questions concerning the subtyping of the disorder and its overlap with comorbid conditions remain contentious. Compelling evidence nonetheless supports the view that this ‘behaviour disorder’ represents a complex mental health issue that belongs in these diagnostic systems. Most importantly, it identifies a group of children and adolescents for whom early intervention appears to be particularly critical and may serve to divert chronic trajectories of poor mental health. This debate has significant implications for science and practice and is addressed here with a particular focus on the Australian context.
Extensive acquired macular hyperpigmentation in a teenager
Authors: Tsentemeidou Aikaterini , Vakirlis Efstratios , Sideris Nikolaos , Bobos Mattheos , Panagopoulou Angeliki , Ioannides Dimitrios , Sotiriou Elena
Published: July 2022

A teenage girl with phototype IV skin presented with extensive gradually progressing asymptomatic macular hyperpigmentation not responding to topical steroids for several months. Histopathology showed foci of increased numbers of melanophages and melanin in the dermis.

Click here for the corresponding questions to this CME article.
Effects of breeding habitat loss on a threatened East Asia migratory forest bird
Authors: Ko Jerome Chie‐Jen , Chang An‐Yu , Lin Ruey‐Shing , Lee Pei‐Fen
Published: July 2022

Migratory landbird population trends and threats in the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway (EAAF) are poorly understood. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the effect of breeding habitat loss on the population trend for the Fairy Pitta (Pitta nympha), a migratory forest‐breeding bird in the EAAF categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It has been assumed that this species is declining rapidly due to deforestation in its breeding range in Taiwan. We analyzed the change in Fairy Pitta population density across Taiwan from 2001 to 2017, and tested the effect of forest cover change on the species' abundance. We detected an average of 4.32 (95% CI: 1.96–6.68) individuals per km2 in 2001, which has declined at an average annual rate of −8.31% (95% CI: −15.50%–−1.16%) during the study, and a minor change in forest cover (−0.22%) in Taiwan during this period. We found no significant effect of the forest cover trend on the population trend of the Fairy Pitta. This suggests that the drivers of population decline may not be related to deforestation in the breeding range, but potentially to breeding habitat degradation, habitat loss in the non‐breeding range, or factors unrelated to habitat loss. Further studies are required to assess the major threats to this globally threatened species.
Towards the Definition of an Ever‐changing Heritage: A Reading of the (Re)appropriation Processes of the Torres Vermelhas in Mozambique
Authors: Noormahomed Patricia
Published: July 2022

This article proposes a new way of understanding the modern architecture of Mozambique as cultural heritage beyond existing Eurocentric discourses. It suggests that the discussion should stem from the consideration of this legacy not as a static image of the past, but as an accumulation of appropriations and reappropriations over time: a living legacy embedded in a continuous process of layering new uses and meanings akin to a palimpsest. To argue this, the article analyses a paradigmatic case of Mozambique's modernity, Torres Vermelhas in Maputo, whose construction was left unfinished by the events that led to the country's independence in 1975. The aim is to understand how it has been (re)designed and shaped over time through both formal and informal practices. In doing so, an innovative disciplinary perspective is introduced as a way to provide a sustained basis for the interpretation of this ever‐changing heritage.
Newborns discriminate utterance‐level prosodic contours
Authors: Martinez‐Alvarez Anna , Benavides‐Varela Silvia , Lapillonne Alexandre , Gervain Judit
Published: July 2022

Prosody is the fundamental organizing principle of spoken language, carrying lexical, morphosyntactic, and pragmatic information. It, therefore, provides highly relevant input for language development. Are infants sensitive to this important aspect of spoken language early on? In this study, we asked whether infants are able to discriminate well‐formed utterance‐level prosodic contours from ill‐formed, backward prosodic contours at birth. This deviant prosodic contour was obtained by time‐reversing the original one, and super‐imposing it on the otherwise intact segmental information. The resulting backward prosodic contour was thus unfamiliar to the infants and ill‐formed in French. We used near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in 1‐3‐day‐old French newborns (n = 25) to measure their brain responses to well‐formed contours as standards and their backward prosody counterparts as deviants in the frontal, temporal, and parietal areas bilaterally. A cluster‐based permutation test revealed greater responses to the Deviant than to the Standard condition in right temporal areas. These results suggest that newborns are already capable of detecting utterance‐level prosodic violations at birth, a key ability for breaking into the native language, and that this ability is supported by brain areas similar to those in adults.

Research Highlights

At birth, infants have sophisticated speech perception abilities.

Prosody may be particularly important for early language development.

We show that newborns are already capable of discriminating utterance‐level prosodic contours.

This discrimination can be localized to the right hemisphere of the neonate brain.
Step‐by‐step protocols for non‐viral derivation of transgene‐free induced pluripotent stem cells from somatic fibroblasts of multiple mammalian species
Authors: Yoshimatsu Sho , Yamazaki Atsushi , Edamura Kazuya , Koushige Yuko , Shibuya Hisashi , Qian Emi , Sato Tsukika , Okahara Junko , Kishi Noriyuki , Noce Toshiaki , Yamaguchi Yoshifumi , Okano Hideyuki
Published: July 2022

Potentials of immortal proliferation and unlimited differentiation into all the three germ layers and germ cells in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) render them important bioresources for in vitro reconstitution and modeling of intravital tissues and organs in various animal models, thus contributing to the elucidation of pathomechanisms, drug discovery and stem cell‐based regenerative medicine. We previously reported promising approaches for deriving transgene‐free iPSCs from somatic fibroblasts of multiple mammalian species by episomal vector or RNA transfection, although the respective step‐by‐step protocols and the combinatorial usage of these methods, which achieved high induction efficiency, have not been described in the literature so far. Here, we provide a detailed step‐by‐step description of these methods with critical tips and slight modifications (improvements) to previously reported methods. We also report a novel method for the establishment of iPSCs from the Syrian hamster (also known as golden hamster; Mesocricetus auratus), a unique animal model of hibernation. We anticipate this methodology will contribute to stem cell biology and regenerative medicine research.
A phase 2, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of soticlestat as adjunctive therapy in pediatric patients with Dravet syndrome or Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (ELEKTRA)
Authors: Hahn Cecil D. , Jiang Yuwu , Villanueva Vicente , Zolnowska Marta , Arkilo Dimitrios , Hsiao Samuel , Asgharnejad Mahnaz , Dlugos Dennis
Published: July 2022

Objective

Dravet syndrome (DS) and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) are rare treatment‐resistant childhood epilepsies classed as developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. ELEKTRA investigated the efficacy and safety of soticlestat (TAK‐935) as adjunctive therapy in children with DS or LGS (NCT03650452).

Methods

ELEKTRA was a phase 2, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of soticlestat (≤300 mg twice daily, weight‐adjusted) in children (aged 2–17 years) with DS, demonstrating three or more convulsive seizures/month, or with LGS, demonstrating four or more drop seizures/month at baseline. The 20‐week treatment period comprised an 8‐week dose‐optimization period and a 12‐week maintenance period. Efficacy endpoints included change from baseline in seizure frequency versus placebo. Safety assessments included incidence of treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs).

Results

ELEKTRA enrolled 141 participants; 126 (89%) completed the study. The modified intent‐to‐treat population included 139 participants who received one or more doses of study drug and had one or more efficacy assessments (DS, n = 51; LGS, n = 88). ELEKTRA achieved its primary endpoint: the combined soticlestat‐treated population demonstrated a placebo‐adjusted median reduction in seizure frequency of 30.21% during the maintenance period (p = .0008, n = 139). During this period, placebo‐adjusted median reductions in convulsive and drop seizure frequencies of 50.00% (p = .0002; patients with DS) and 17.08% (p = .1160; patients with LGS), respectively, were observed. TEAE incidences were similar between the soticlestat (80.3%) and placebo (74.3%) groups and were mostly mild or moderate in severity. Serious TEAEs were reported by 15.5% and 18.6% of participants receiving soticlestat and placebo, respectively. TEAEs reported in soticlestat‐treated patients with ≥5% difference from placebo were lethargy and constipation. No deaths were reported.

Significance

Soticlestat treatment resulted in statistically significant, clinically meaningful reductions from baseline in median seizure frequency (combined patient population) and in convulsive seizure frequency (DS cohort). Drop seizure frequency showed a nonstatistically significant numerical reduction in children with LGS. Soticlestat had a safety profile consistent with previous studies.
Combined effects of temperature and fishing mortality on the Barents Sea ecosystem stability
Authors: Sivel Elliot , Planque Benjamin , Lindstrøm Ulf , Yoccoz Nigel G.
Published: July 2022

Temporal variability in abundance and composition of species in marine ecosystems results from a combination of internal processes, external drivers, and stochasticity. One way to explore the temporal variability in an ecosystem is through temporal stability, measured using the inverse of the coefficient of variation for biomass of single species. The effect of temperature and fisheries on the variability of the Barents Sea food web is still poorly understood. To address this question, we simulate the possible dynamics of Barents Sea food web under different temperature and fishery scenarios using a simple food‐web model (Non‐Deterministic Network Dynamic [NDND]). The NDND model, which is based on chance and necessity (CaN), defines the state space of the ecosystem using its structural constraints (necessity) and explores it stochastically (chance). The effects of temperature and fisheries on stability are explored both separately and combined. The simulation results suggest that increasing temperature has a negative effect on species biomass and increasing fisheries triggers compensatory dynamics of fish species. There is a major intra‐scenario variability in temporal stability, while individual scenarios of temperature and fisheries display a weak negative impact and no effect on stability, respectively. However, combined scenarios indicate that fisheries amplify the effects of temperature on stability, while increasing temperature leads to a shift from synergistic to antagonistic effects between these two drivers.
From cosmopolitan convergences to situated religious cosmopolitanism: The early spread of the Bahá’í Faith in Singapore and Malaya (1950–1975)
Authors: Tavangar Temily Tianmay
Published: July 2022

This paper contributes to the debate on cosmopolitanism by examining the spread of the Bahá’í Faith in Singapore and Malaya (1950–1975). The Bahá’í Faith is a significant case as its followers came to span the globe in 150 years. This paper probes into the relationship between the faith's transnational spread and its religious cosmopolitanism in three parts. First, I outline the inseparability of ‘world citizenship’ from Bahá’í teachings. Second, I trace its spread in Singapore and Malaya – a process that initially relied on serendipitous encounters between travellers and migrants, one that I call ‘cosmopolitan convergences’. Third, I explore the expansion of the Bahá’í Faith among Malaya's Semai tribe. Here, Bahá’í world citizenship became grounded in collective cultural practices, facilitating what I call ‘situated religious cosmopolitanism’. The connection between the contrasting populations discussed in this paper demonstrates the potential of grounding religious networks within normative cosmopolitan ideals and practices.
Education and the making of mobile livelihoods: Dubai Indian families’ trajectories over time and space
Authors: Sancho David
Published: July 2022

This paper examines how Indian migrant families in Dubai actively sustain mobile livelihoods across the Indian Ocean and beyond, paying attention to the role played by education in the unfolding of such migrant lives. This paper aims to nuance the experiences of Gulf migrants that have broadly focused on systemic vulnerabilities produced by the legal, economic and social structures encountered in Gulf destinations. This paper builds on the stories of three families from the southern Indian state of Kerala with diverse mobility trajectories over time and space, which is conceptualized in relation to the practice of specific livelihoods, focusing on the patterns and impacts of mobility at different life stages and across generations. Literature engaging with the migration‐education nexus, which reveals that education is an integral part of mobile livelihoods worldwide, provides an analytical backdrop. The paper shows distinct ways in which education forms a crucial part of complex agendas, informing family migration to and from the Gulf region. Furthermore, it captures how migrants’ educational agendas are continuously being adjusted in processes of migration, and how this relates to the ongoing transformation of individual and collective social identities and the remaking of mobile livelihoods.
Structural and functional age‐related changes in some facial signs of Chinese men: A pilot study
Authors: Ye Chengda , Flament Frederic , Wang Yang , Sun Hua , Yang Guancheng , Jiang Yanwen , Delaunay Caroline , Saint‐Léger Didier
Published: July 2022

Objective

The objective of the study was to associate, on the same Chinese male subjects, changes in facial ageing signs with some biomechanical skin properties.

Methods

The severities of 20 facial ageing signs of 219 differently aged Chinese men (20–65 years) were graded in blind by trained experts through standardized photographs, using a referential skin Atlas dedicated to Asian men. On each subject, the mechanical properties were assessed on the cheek area (left or right at random) by the validated suction technique Cutometer®. Finally, the skin colour parameters were assessed on images from VISIA‐CR device.

Results

Clinically speaking, the severity of almost all facial ageing signs increases from 30 to 65 years, in a linear‐like progression, whereas the 20–30 years shows weak increases. Skin colour shows slight but progressive decreases in Luminance and ITA, whereas the yellow and red components slightly increased between 40 and 65 years. At the exception of skin firmness, the skin mechanical properties show a clear decline during the 30–50 years period and plateau beyond.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that the 20–30 years period, albeit more clinically ‘silent’ than the other periods of age, seems to be an age range during which early alterations of some dermal elements' onset. Deeper in vivo investigating techniques (Echography, Multiphotonic microscopy) are needed to confirm such hypothesis.
MEDIEVAL MATCHING MARKETS
Authors: Boerner Lars , Quint Daniel
Published: July 2022

We study the regulation of brokerage in wholesale markets in premodern Central Western Europe. Examining 1,804 sets of rules from 82 cities, we find brokerage was primarily a centralized matchmaking mechanism. Brokerage was more common in towns with larger populations, better access to sea ports and trade routes, and greater political autonomy. Brokers' fee structures varied systematically: price‐based fees were more common for highly heterogeneous goods, quantity‐based fees for more homogeneous goods. We show theoretically that this was broadly consistent with total surplus maximization, and that brokerage was more valuable in markets with unequal numbers of buyers and sellers.
LinkedIn‐based assessments of applicant personality, cognitive ability, and likelihood of organizational citizenship behaviors: Comparing self‐, other‐, and language‐based automated ratings
Authors: Roulin Nicolas , Stronach Rhea
Published: July 2022

We compared self‐reports or test‐based assessments of personality, cognitive ability, and likelihood or tendencies to engage in organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) from experienced workers (targets, N = 154) with one approach to rate these traits based on LinkedIn profiles using hiring professionals (panel raters, N = 200), graduate students in Industrial‐Organizational Psychology (I‐O raters, N = 6), and automated assessments with the language‐based tool Receptiviti (for personality only). We also explored the potential for adverse impact associated with this approach of LinkedIn profile assessments and how profile elements are associated with ratings. Results demonstrated that raters can reliably assess personality, cognitive ability, and OCB with one‐item measures. LinkedIn showed little promise for valid assessments of personality (except some weak evidence for honesty‐humility) and OCB tendencies for all data sources. And, we only found modest evidence of convergent validity for cognitive ability. Automated assessments of personality with Receptiviti were more consistent with raters' assessments than targets' self‐reports. LinkedIn‐based hiring recommendations did also not differ on the basis of gender, race, or age. Finally, in terms of profile content, longer LinkedIn profiles with more professional connections, more skills listed, or including a professional picture were viewed more positively by both types of raters. But these content elements were largely unrelated to targets' self‐reports or test scores. Thus, organizations should be careful when relying on LinkedIn‐based assessments of applicants' traits.
Retrospective comparison of ultrasound guided percutaneous and open skeletal muscle biopsies
Authors: Mian Mueed , Lim Beng Ghee , Hossain Md Nassif , Wicks Ian , Day Jessica
Published: July 2022

Background

Open skeletal muscle biopsy has been the mainstay of sample retrieval in patients with suspected muscle diseases. However, this technique is limited by surgeon and theatre availability, potentially resulting in delayed diagnosis and increasing hospital stay.

Aims

To compare the effectiveness and timeliness of ultrasound guided 14‐gauge needle percutaneous muscle biopsy in comparison with open biopsy.

Methods

We performed a retrospective chart review on 19 inpatients who underwent ultrasound‐guided percutaneous muscle biopsy using a 14‐gauge needle and 19 consecutive inpatients who underwent open surgical muscle biopsy between January 2017 and June 2019. Patient demographics, length of stay, biopsy sample size and the correlation between histological and clinical diagnosis were compared between groups.

Results

The median age of both groups was 64 years. Seventy‐nine percent of surgical patients were female compared with 58% who had percutaneous biopsy. Surgical biopsies yielded larger samples (median 864 mm3 vs 17 mm3, P = 0.03). While there was no difference in the length of inpatient stay (median 8 days), patients who had percutaneous biopsy had a shorter referral to procedure time (median 3 days vs 5 days, P = 0.012). Eighty‐four percent of patients underwent MRI prior to percutaneous muscle biopsy, whereas only 16% had imaging before surgical biopsy (P ≤ 0.001). Most surgical biopsies were performed on the quadriceps whereas a wide range of muscles were sampled using the percutaneous technique. Overall, the percutaneous muscle sample was non‐diagnostic in five cases (26%) despite a clinical diagnosis of myopathy. By comparison, two surgically obtained samples (11%) were non‐diagnostic.

Conclusion

Ultrasound guided percutaneous muscle biopsies were performed faster and a wider range of muscles were targeted. However, this technique yielded smaller samples, which were non‐diagnostic in 26% of cases. Increasing the needle gauge or number of passes may improve the diagnostic yield of this technique.
The role of union health and safety representatives during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A case study of the UK food processing, distribution, and retail sectors
Authors: Cai Minjie , Moore Sian , Ball Chris , Flynn Matt , Mulkearn Ken
Published: July 2022

This article highlights the weakness of the UK's occupational health and safety infrastructure exposed by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Utilising a political economy perspective, it captures the critical role of workplace union safety representatives in mitigating risk and contesting the expropriation of health and recommodification of labour, specifically inadequate sick pay.
Dynamic recrystallization during creep of proton‐conducting barium cerate perovskites
Authors: Jiménez‐Holgado Cristina , Jiménez‐Melendo Manuel
Published: July 2022

Uniaxial compression tests were conducted on perovskite‐structured barium cerate polycrystals doped with 5‐at.% yttrium and 5‐at.% ytterbium and submicrometric grain sizes, at temperatures between 1423 and 1573 K (0.70–0.78Tm) and different initial strain rates. In contrast to conventional superplastic ceramics, the stress–strain curves show a pronounced and smooth stress drop before the steady state is attained. The stress level and the associated strain at the peak of the curves increase with increasing the deformation rate or decreasing the temperature. This behavior is characteristic of metallic materials with dynamic recrystallization during deformation under warm and hot conditions. Microstructural observations have shown that preexisting twin boundaries, developed during cooling from the sintering temperature because of various crystal phase transformations, are critical in refining the grain structure through interactions with dislocations. The dependences of the peak, steady state, and critical stresses with strain rate and temperature in the present ceramics are adequately described by the constitutive equations used in metallic materials based on the Zener–Hollomon parameter and the work hardening rate.
In situ combustion synthesis of spherical Si@Si3N4 granules
Authors: Zhang Jie , Li Fei , Dong Liran , Chen Zhanglin , Cui Wei , Du Songmo , Zhang Shijia , Chen Kexin , Liu Guanghua
Published: July 2022

Spherical Si@Si3N4 granules were first prepared by in situ combustion synthesis. The inside of the granules is dense without cracks, and the two phases at the interface are well‐bonded. More significantly, no binder was used between the Si3N4 grains on the surface layer, thereby avoiding phonons scattering of metal oxides. In addition, crystallographic orientation relationships between Si and Si3N4 were identified by coupling transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction technology, and much more potential matching planes are also predicted according to the edge‐to‐edge model. It was found that the minimization of the interfacial energy will promote the formation of a transition layer at the interface, leading to the well‐bonded between core and shell. On the basis of the observations, the underlying growth mechanism of the Si@Si3N4 was comprehensively analyzed and put forward. Benefiting from the remarkable merits, the as‐synthesized Si@Si3N4 granules showed great potential for alternative fillers in solving heat dissipation problems for electronic devices.
On the role of continuity in statistical nanoindentation of composite microstructures
Authors: Tuinukuafe Atolo , Cappola Jonathan , Amirkhanian Armen
Published: July 2022

The validity of the statistical nanoindentation (SNI) technique for cementitious materials has been questioned by numerous researchers; however, it is still a commonly used method in literature. This study revisits assumptions pertaining to continuum mechanics of the method by using a well‐established selective SNI method to evaluate continuity in the mechanical response of each indent. Ordinary portland cement (OPC) was investigated alongside a two‐phase aluminosilicate ceramic (Al–Si). Filtering for continuity of indents eliminated a majority of indents in each sample. The indents meeting continuity requirements in the OPC sample had moduli values in the range of documented calcium silicate hydrates and portlandite—the predominant hydration phases in OPC. In the Al–Si sample, 73% of continuous indents were assigned to a mullite phase, although the chemical analysis showed only 42% mullite. This was attributed to the embedded morphology of the mullite phase, which made it more susceptible to structural compliance. These observations suggest that SNI may be ineffective for measuring the mechanical properties of individual phases in a microstructure if they are not prolific enough to exhibit a continuous indent response. Discontinuous indents due to microstructural interaction between phases were also shown to have a potential influence on the number of clusters (i.e., phases) suggested by the deconvolution algorithms.
Assessment of the predictive ability of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese Version) in inpatient settings
Authors: Chen Yadan , Lv Limin , Wu Chunni , Wen Huan , Cai Hongxia , Xiao Yujuan , Zhu Haihua
Published: July 2022

Aims

This study was to assess the predictive ability of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese Version) in inpatient settings.

Design

A case–control study.

Methods

This study was conducted in a tertiary hospital based on 2019 data. With a case–control design in a 1:2 ratio, the predictive ability of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese Version) was determined by ROC curve. The best cut point was identified based on sensitivity, specificity, positive predict value and negative predict value. Conditional logistical regression analysis was conducted to test the predictive ability of each indicator.

Results

The study included 309 patients, with 103 in the case group and 206 in the control groups. Generally, the predictive ability was acceptable with the area under ROC curve value at 0.73 (95% CI: 0.67–0.79). Positive predict value and negative predict value performed best at the cut point of 13. Sensitivity at cut point 6 was much higher than that at cut point 13, though specificity was lower. Except for age, all indicators in the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese Version) demonstrated significant predictive ability as to occurrence of fall.

Conclusion

The Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese Version) is a reliable assessment instrument in the inpatient settings.

Impact

This is the first study that evaluated the predictive ability of the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese version) in the inpatient settings, and proved that the instrument is reliable for assessing inpatient fall risks. Further studies could be carried out to assess the predict ability of Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese version) among specific populations.