bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical learning and uncommon soil microbiota explain biogeochemical responses after wildfire
Authors: Honeyman Alexander S. , Fegel Timothy S. , Peel Henry F. , Masters Nicole A. , Vuono David C. , Kleiber William , Rhoades Charles C. , Spear John R.
Published: February 2022

1

Wildfires are a perennial event globally and the biogeochemical underpinnings of soil responses at relevant spatial and temporal scales are unclear. Soil biogeochemical processes regulate plant growth and nutrient losses that affect water quality, yet the response of soil after variable intensity fire is difficult to explain and predict. To address this issue, we examined two wildfires in Colorado, USA across the first and second post-fire years and leveraged Statistical Learning (SL) to predict and explain biogeochemical responses. We found that SL predicts biogeochemical responses in soil after wildfire with surprising accuracy. Of the 13 biogeochemical analytes analyzed in this study, 9 are best explained with a hybrid microbiome + biogeochemical SL model. Biogeochemical-only models best explain 3 features, and 1 feature is explained equally well with hybrid or biogeochemical-only models. In some cases, microbiome-only SL models are also effective (such as predicting NH4+). Whenever a microbiome component is employed, selected features always involve uncommon soil microbiota (i.e., the ‘rare biosphere’, existing at<1% relative abundance). Here, we demonstrate that SL paired with DNA sequence and biogeochemical data predict environmental features in post-fire soils, though this approach could likely be applied to any biogeochemical system.
Discovery of integrons in Archaea: platforms for cross-domain gene transfer
Authors: Ghaly Timothy M. , Tetu Sasha G. , Penesyan Anahit , Qi Qin , Rajabal Vaheesan , Gillings Michael R.
Published: February 2022

Horizontal gene transfer between different domains of life is increasingly being recognised as an important driver of evolution, with the potential to provide the recipient with new gene functionality and assist niche adaptation1-3. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the integration of exogenous genes from foreign domains are mostly unknown. Integrons are a family of genetic elements that facilitate this process within Bacteria via site-specific DNA recombination4-7. Integrons, however, have not been reported outside Bacteria, and thus their potential role in cross-domain gene transfer has not been investigated. Here we show that integrons are also present among diverse phyla within the domain Archaea. Further, we provide experimental evidence that integron-mediated recombination can facilitate the recruitment of archaeal genes by bacteria. Our findings establish a new mechanism that can facilitate horizontal gene transfer between the two domains of prokaryotes, which has important implications for prokaryotic evolution in both clinical and environmental contexts.
Feasibility, usability and acceptability of a novel digital hybrid-system for reporting of routine health information in Southern Tanzania: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Unkels Regine , Manzi Fatuma , Kapologwe Ntuli A. , Baker Ulrika , Ahmad Aziz , Nabiev Rustam , Berndtsson Maria , Baraka Jitihada , Hanson Claudia , Hirose Atsumi
Published: February 2022

Background

Health information systems are important for health planning and monitoring of progress. Still, data from health facilities are often of limited quality in Low-and-Middle-Income Countries. Quality deficits are partially rooted in the fact that paper-based documentation is still the norm at facility level, leading to mistakes in summarizing and manual copying. Digitalization of data at facility level would allow automatization of these procedural steps. Here we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, usability and acceptability of a scanning innovation called Smart Paper Technology for digital data processing.

Methods

We used a mixed-methods design to understand users’ engagement with Smart Paper Technology and to identify potential positive and negative effects of this innovation in three health facilities in Southern Tanzania. Eight focus group discussions and 11 in-depth interviews with users were conducted. We quantified time used by health care providers for documentation and patient care using time-motion methods. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear models were generated to compare the difference before and after introduction and adjust for confounders.

Results

Health care providers and health care managers appreciated the forms’ simple design features and perceived Smart Paper Technology as time-saving and easy to use. The time-motion study with 273.3 and 224.0 hours of observations before and after introduction of Smart Paper Technology, respectively, confirmed that working time spent on documentation did not increase (27.0% at baseline and 26.4% post-introduction; adjusted p=0.763). Time spent on patient care was not negatively impacted (26.9% at baseline and 37.1% at post-intervention; adjusted p=0.001). Health care providers described positive effects on their accountability for data and service provision relating to the fact that individually signed forms were filled.

Discussion

Health care providers perceived Smart Paper Technology as feasible, easy to integrate and acceptable in their setting, particularly as it did not add time to documentation.
Phage therapy potentiates second-line antibiotic treatment against pneumonic plague
Authors: Vagima Yaron , Gur David , Aftalion Moshe , Moses Sarit , Levy Yinon , Makovitzki Arik , Holtzman Tzvi , Oren Ziv , Segula Yaniv , Fatelevich Ella , Tidhar Avital , Zauberman Ayelet , Rotem Shahar , Mamroud Emanuelle , Steinberger-Levy Ida
Published: February 2022

Plague pandemics and outbreaks have killed millions of people during the history of humankind. The disease, caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, can currently be treated efficiently with antibiotics. However, in the case of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, alternative treatments are required. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy has shown efficient antibacterial activity in various experimental animal models and in human patients infected with different MDR pathogens. Herein, we evaluated the efficiency of ϕA1122 and PST phage therapy, alone or in combination with second-line antibiotics, using a well-established mouse model of pneumonic plague. Phage treatment significantly delayed mortality and limited bacterial proliferation in the lungs. However, the treatment did not prevent bacteremia, suggesting that phage efficiency may decrease in circulation. Indeed, in vitro phage proliferation assays indicated that blood has inhibitory effects on lytic activity, which may be the major cause of treatment inefficiency.

Combining phage therapy and second-line ceftriaxone treatment, which are individually insufficient, provided protection that led to survival of all infected animals, presenting a synergistic protective effect that represents a proof of concept for efficient combinatorial therapy in an emergency event of a plague outbreak involving MDR Y. pestis strains.

Author summary

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria, can be efficiently treated with antibiotics. However, alternative therapies for the case of natively evolved or maliciously generated antibiotic-resistant Y. pestis must be developed. Due to the global increase in antibiotic resistance, there is renewed interest in examining the effectiveness of bacteriophage-based alternative therapies. Here, using a mouse model of pneumonic plague, we demonstrate that phage treatment significantly delayed mortality. By monitoring bioluminescence of engineered Y. pestis strain and live bacterial counts, we show that phage therapy effectively inhibited bacterial proliferation in the lung but not in blood. In vitro analyses showed decreased phage activity in the presence of blood, which probably explains the low efficacy of phage treatment alone. Because combination therapies will be used in an emergency situation, we tested the efficacy of Y. pestis-lysing phages as adjunctive therapy with a second-line antibiotic, ceftriaxone.

Whereas each individual treatment was insufficient, the combination provided effective protection and rescued all infected animals. These results clearly demonstrated the synergistic effect of combined phage and antibiotic therapy and represent a proof of concept for this alternative therapy against multidrug-resistant Y. pestis strains.
Control of neocortical memory by long-range inhibition in layer 1
Authors: Schroeder Anna , Pardi M. Belén , Keijser Joram , Dalmay Tamas , Schuman Erin M. , Sprekeler Henning , Letzkus Johannes J.
Published: February 2022

Mounting evidence identifies layer 1 (L1) as a central site of memory in sensory neocortex. While this work revealed plasticity in several excitatory brain-wide afferent systems, the existence, connectivity and memory-related signaling of long-range inhibitory input to L1 remains elusive. We report that inhibitory afferents from zona incerta project specifically to auditory cortex L1, where they connect selectively to interneurons to disinhibit the cortical circuit and facilitate behavioral memory. Chronic calcium imaging of these synapses identifies a balanced form of plasticity that develops rapidly during threat learning and is characterized by the de novo appearance of negative stimulus responses which transmit most information. Our results therefore pinpoint malleability of long-range (dis)inhibitory afferents to L1 as a key factor for the exquisite computational flexibility of this unique layer.
Genome-wide identification of fitness determinants in theXanthomonas campestrisbacterial pathogen during early stages of plant infection
Authors: Luneau Julien S. , Baudin Maël , Quiroz-Monnens Thomas , Carrère Sébastien , Bouchez Olivier , Jardinaud Marie-Françoise , Gris Carine , François Jonas , Ray Jayashree , Torralba Babil , Arlat Matthieu , Lewis Jennifer D. , Deutschbauer Adam M. , Lauber Emmanuelle , Noël Laurent D. , Boulanger Alice
Published: February 2022

Plant diseases are an important threat to food production. While major pathogenicity determinants required for disease have been extensively studied, less is known on how pathogens thrive during host colonization especially at early infection stages. Here, we used randomly barcoded-transposon insertion site sequencing (RB-TnSeq) to perform a genome-wide screen and identify key bacterial fitness determinants of the vascular pathogenXanthomonas campestrispv.campestris(Xcc) during infection of the cauliflower host plant (Brassica oleracea). This high-throughput analysis was conducted in hydathodes, the natural entry site ofXcc, in xylem sap and in synthetic media.Xccdid not face a strong bottleneck during hydathode infection. 183 genes important for fitness were identified in plant-associated environments with functional enrichment in genes involved in metabolism when only few genes known to be involved in virulence were found to be affected. The biological relevance of 13 genes was independently confirmed by phenotyping single mutants. Notably, we show that the XC_3388, a protein with no known function (DUF1631), plays a key role in the adaptation and virulence ofXccpossibly through c-di-GMP-mediated regulation. This study thus revealed yet unsuspected social behaviors adopted byXccindividuals when confined inside hydathodes at early infection stages.
Addiction recovery stories: John Nelson in conversation with Lisa Ogilvie
Authors: Nelson John , Ogilvie Lisa
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the transition from addiction to recovery. It is the third in a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components of recovery are considered, along with the change and growth needed to support the transition.

Design/methodology/approach

The connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment (CHIME) framework comprises five elements important to recovery (connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment). It provides a standard to qualitatively study mental health recovery, having also been applied to addiction recovery. In this paper, an element for growth is included in the model (G-CHIME), to consider both recovery and sustained recovery. A first-hand account of addiction recovery is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account. This is structured on the G-CHIME model.

Findings

This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectually explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each element in the model is apparent from the biography and e-interview presented.

Originality/value

Each account of recovery in this series is unique, and as yet, untold.
Customers’ purchasing intentions for enhanced cleaning services in hotels during COVID-19: establishing price strategies
Authors: Lu Lan , Zhao Jinlin
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to the literature investigating hotel customers’ preventive behavior during the COVID-19. Because there is no timely research discussing cleaning and disinfection services as a premium service in China, the authors conducted research to examine customers’ perceptions based on the information–motivation–behavioral skills (IMB) model and to explore potential marketing exits. Moreover, based on the price-sensitive measurement, this study reveals the price range and optimal price of the service, which could assess the feasibility of the service and balance the operation cost.

Design/methodology/approach

An internet-based, self-reported survey was designed to collect the data during the outbreak of COVID-19 in April 2020. The yield was 874 usable and valid responses, which were purposefully analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results indicate a significant influence of dimensions (information, motivation, health behavior skills) on hotel customers’ preventive behavior regarding purchase intention of cleaning and disinfection service. The optimal price of this service is 20% of the average room rate, and the range of acceptable prices is 15% of the average room rate.

Originality/value

The present study represents academic attempts to contribute to the literature by applying the IMB model to consumer behavior in a hotel industry context, emphasizing the importance of each dimension in behavioral intention during the current ongoing global issue. Additionally, the results indicate that the hotel industry could consider satisfying the needs of this market based on the suggested price.
Never married individuals and homeownership in urban China
Authors: Lei Shan
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Drawing on the literature regarding gender, marital status and homeownership, this paper aims to examine the role of gender and marital status played in homeownership in urban China. This paper also attempted to shed light on other determinants of homeownership as well as heterogeneity in the factors related to homeownership between never married women and never married men.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses data from the 2010 to 2015 China General Social Survey to investigate factors related to homeownership among urban Chinese households and focuses on the role of gender and marital status in particular. Multivariate analyses were applied to the full sample, never married sample, never married women sample and never married men sample respectively.

Findings

Findings from this study on the full sample showed that never married individuals were less likely to be the homeowners compared to the married couples. The probability of homeownership of never married women was lower compared to the never married men cohort. Different personal characteristics contributed to homeownership between never married women and never married men cohort.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical model in this study did not provide direct evidence that never married individuals were more likely to be homeowners as reflected in the recent mass media news. Further study could conduct a survey designed specifically for this group.

Originality/value

This study adds to current literature with further understanding of factors related to homeownership among Chinese households in general as well as in never married women and never married men subsamples.
The urgency of legal protection for medical workers in combating COVID-19 in Indonesia
Authors: Firdaus Sunny Ummul
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper explores the reasons why Indonesia must have legal regulations to provide protection and guarantees for health workers in carrying out the profession in overcoming corona virus disease (COVID-19). This paper also explains the legal regulations as the foundation for today’s medical workers’ protection. This paper also aims at providing an ideal legal construction that safeguards the rights and obligations of health workers in overcoming COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the author used qualitative research methods with a socio-legal approach. The data were obtained through literature study and analysis of laws and regulations through the socio-legal method.

Findings

Various challenges and professional risks taken by health workers in dealing with COVID-19 derive from several factors, such as shortage of personal protective equipment, ineffective implementation of informed consent from the patients and the negative stigma spreading in the community. Moreover, the current legal regulation has not particularly modulated the protection of health workers, relying only on available articles that are actually irrelevant to be applied in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research limitations/implications

This research is focused on problems faced by health workers in combating COVID-19 and law concessions to ensure their protection.

Practical implications

The final results of this research will be useful for The House of Representatives (DPR), the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenkes RI) and the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) in establishing legal and regulatory construction for the protection of health workers in tackling COVID-19.

Social implications

This research aims at strengthening legal protections for the health workers so that their rights and obligations are well guaranteed.

Originality/value

This paper proposes an ideal legal construction for the protection of health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is currently still not specifically and rigidly regulated, to realize a guaranteed and sustainable life for health workers.
The antecedents of leader-member-exchange (LMX) relationships in African context: the influence of the supervisor’s feedback delivery-tactic
Authors: Alo Obinna , Arslan Ahmad
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The current paper aims to analyse the antecedents of leader–member exchange relationships (LMX) by specifically focusing on the influence of the supervisor’s feedback delivery tactic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses qualitative research methods with primary interviews as the main data source. Primary interviews with 40 managers from top supermarkets in Nigeria, South Africa and the UK were undertaken.

Findings

The authors found that both high-quality positive feedback and constructive criticisms produced the same feelings – more positive interpersonal relationships with their supervisors, higher levels of commitment to their organisations, higher job satisfaction and thus, high-quality LMX relationships. Where criticisms were delivered without greater interpersonal treatment, feedback was perceived as negative, and participants revealed lack of job satisfaction, lack of commitment to their organisations, poor interpersonal relationship with their supervisors, high turnover intent and thus low-quality LMX relationship.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current paper is one of the first studies to highlight the consequences of different feedback delivery tactics on subsequent LMX quality particularly in African context. The authors specifically develop a process-based model of enhancing high-quality LMX, which shows the role of the supervisor’s feedback delivery tactic in the process. The authors also develop a process-based model that illustrates how negative/unconstructive feedback could result in a low-quality LMX. Finally, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is also one of the first to offer a comparative assessment between African and British (the UK) empirical settings and highlight some interesting dynamics concerning LMX quality and role of supervisor’s feedback delivery tactic.
“Harmful to the commonality”: the Luddites, the distributional effects of systems change and the challenge of building a just society
Authors: McGowan Katharine , Geobey Sean
Published: February 2022

Purpose

When complex social-ecological systems collapse and transform, the possible outcomes of this transformation are not set in stone. This paper aims to explore the role of social imagination in determining possible futures for a reformed system. The authors use a historical study of the Luddite response to the Industrial Revolution centred in the UK in the early-19th century to explore the concepts of path dependency, agency and the distributional impacts of systems change.

Design/methodology/approach

In this historical study, the authors used the Luddites’ own words and those of their supporters, captured in archival sources (n = 43 unique Luddite statements), to develop hypotheses around the effects on political, social and judicial consequences of a significant systems transformation. The authors then scaffolded these statements using the heuristics of panarchy and basins of attraction to conceptualize this contentious moment of British history.

Findings

Rather than a strict cautionary tale, the Luddites’ story illustrates the importance of environmental fit and selection pressures as the skilled workers sought to push the English system to a different basin of attraction. It warns us about the difficulty of a just transition in contentious economic and political conditions.

Social implications

The Luddites’ story is a cautionary tale for those interested in a just transition, or bottom-up systems transformation generally as the deep basins of attraction that prefer either the status quo or alternate, elite-favouring arrangements can be challenging to shift independent of shocks. While backward looking, the authors intend these discussions to contribute to current debates on the role(s) of social innovation in social and economic policy within increasingly charged or polarized political contexts.

Originality/value

Social innovation itself is often predicated on the need for just transitions of complex adaptive systems (Westley et al., 2013), and the Luddite movement offers us the opportunity to study the distribution effects of a transformative systems change – the Industrial Revolution – and explore two fundamental questions that underpin much social innovation scholarship: how do we build a just future in the face of complexity and what are likely forms those conversations could take, based on historical examples?
Prognostic risk factors in patients with refractory heart failure treated with continuous veno‐venous hemofiltration
Authors: Mao Zhengzhi , Zhong Yanyan
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Investigation of the prognostic factors in patients with refractory heart failure (HF) undergoing continuous veno‐venous hemofiltration (CVVH).

Methods

Clinical data of 146 patients with refractory HF between May 2018 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into survival and death groups according to the prognosis. Vital signs, inflammatory markers, and renal function parameters were compared before and after treatment.

Results

Central venous pressure levels were lower, whereas serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide, oxygen saturation, and cardiac output were higher after treatment (p < 0.05). Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum levels of C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐8, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and 24‐h urinary protein were lower after treatment (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

CVVH improved renal function and regulated blood pressure and vital signs in patients with refractory HF. Age, APACHE II score, disease duration, and hypotension were risk factors affecting the prognosis.
An optimisation approach for designing wildlife corridors with ecological and spatial considerations
Authors: Wang Yicheng , Qin Peng , Önal Hayri
Published: February 2022

The fragmentation of wildlife habitats caused by anthropogenic activities has reduced biodiversity and impaired key ecosystem functions. Wildlife corridors play an important role in linking detached habitats. The optimal design of such corridors considering spatial, ecological and economic factors is addressed in this paper.

We present a novel graph‐theoretic optimisation approach and a mixed‐integer linear programming model to determine an optimal wildlife corridor connecting two given habitat patches. The model maximises the total quality of the corridor and satisfies pre‐specified corridor width and length requirements under a resource constraint.

Compared to the corridor design models presented in the literature, our model is conceptually simpler, and it is computationally convenient. We applied the model to a real dataset for Eldorado National Forest in California, USA, involving 1,363 irregular land parcels.

The model can be extended to design multiple corridors that connect two or more existing habitat patches.
Translaryngeal ultrasound in thyroid surgery: state of the art review
Authors: Phung Daniel , Fradet Laurent , Riffat Faruque , Novakovic Daniel , Elliott Michael Sowden , Nguyen Kevin , Makeham John , Palme Carsten Erich
Published: February 2022

Background

Clinical voice assessment prior to thyroid and parathyroid surgery is essential, but the paradigm of indirect laryngoscopy (IDL), when indicated, has been challenged by the risk of aerosolised SARS‐Cov‐2 during endoscopy of the aerodigestive tract. Translaryngeal ultrasound (TLUS) to assess the vocal cords has been proposed as a safe, non‐invasive and sensitive alternative. The aim of this review was to verify TLUS as a viable tool for perioperative laryngeal assessment.

Method

A literature review was performed using Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Scopus with the following search strategy: (vocal cord OR vocal fold OR glottic OR glottis OR vocal ligaments OR rima glottidis) AND (ultras* OR sonograph* OR echography OR echotomography).

Results

Fifteen studies were included in this review. All studies compared TLUS to IDL in visualizing the vocal cords in adults. Ten studies compared pre‐operative TLUS to IDL where 50.6–100% of vocal cords were successfully visualized. Nine studies compared post‐operative TLUS to IDL and reported visualization between 39.6% and 100%. Pre‐ and post‐operative negative predictive values ranged from 60% to 100%.

Conclusion

Whilst promising, successful visualization of the cords is limited by inter‐user variability, older age and male gender. Thus, we see the role of TLUS as an alternative to IDL in the post‐operative setting in the young patient following uncomplicated surgery with a normal voice on clinical examination, to confirm recurrent laryngeal nerve integrity while minimizing the risk of aerosolization.
Is the COVID‐19 pandemic accelerating the platformisation of the urban economy?
Authors: Ferreira Daniela , Carmo Renato Miguel , Vale Mário
Published: February 2022

This paper shows that, while the pandemic lockdown decelerated everyday life, it has also potentiated further acceleration of the platformisation of urban economic sectors. We show this through an empirical qualitative study of the restaurant sector in Lisbon, in which we found that: (i) the digitalisation of three management tasks during the COVID‐19 lockdown – namely marketing, customer relationship management, and delivery tasks – was the trigger for the acceleration of the platformisation of the restaurant sector in Lisbon and (ii) restaurant firms had different departure points in terms of the use of digital technologies – which are linked to their location within the city – and these led to different rhythms in the platformisation of restaurants. We conclude that, as the lockdown measures led to a deceleration of social and economic activities, they also promoted further acceleration of economic change, especially under the logic of the platform economy. Additionally, we show that firms unable to engage with digital platforms have been trying to mimic online dynamics through the implementation of non‐platformised digital processes, which leads us to consider that the effects of the process of platformisation extend beyond the platform itself.
Downregulation of miR‐26 promotes invasion and metastasis via targeting interleukin‐22 in cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Matsuda Yuka , Ikeda Sho , Abe Fumito , Takahashi Yuto , Kitadate Akihiro , Takahashi Naoto , Wakui Hideki , Tagawa Hiroyuki
Published: February 2022

It has been reported that certain microRNAs (miRNA) are associated with the pathogenesis of lymphoma. We have previously demonstrated that histone deacetylase inhibitors restore tumor‐suppressive miRNAs, such as miR‐16, miR‐29, miR‐150, and miR‐26, in advanced cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL). Among these, the function of miR‐26 remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to reveal the function of miR‐26 in CTCL oncogenesis. First, we confirmed that the miR‐26 family was markedly dysregulated in CTCL cell lines and primary samples. In vivo analysis using miR‐26a‐transduced CTCL cells injected into immunodeficient NOG mice demonstrated the significant prolonged survival of the mice, suggesting that the miRNA had a tumor‐suppressive function. We performed gene expression assays and identified 12 candidate miR‐26 targets, namely RGS13, FAM71F1, OAF, SNX21, CDH2, PTPLB, IL22, DNAJB5, CASZ1, CACNA1C, MYH10, and CNR1. Among these, IL22 was the most likely candidate target because the IL‐22–STAT3–CCL20–CCR6 cascade is associated with tumor invasion and metastasis of advanced CTCL. In vitro analysis of IL22 and IL22RA knockdown and miR‐26 transduction demonstrated inhibited CTCL cell migration. In particular, IL22 knockdown induced cell apoptosis. Finally, we conducted in vivo inoculation analysis of mice injected with shIL22‐transfected CTCL cells, and found no tumor invasion or metastasis in the inoculated mice, although the control mice showed multiple tumor invasions and metastases. These results, along with our previous data, demonstrated that miR‐26 is a tumor suppressor that is associated with tumor invasion and the metastasis of advanced CTCL by regulating the IL‐22–STAT3–CCL20 cascade. Therefore, a IL‐22‐targeting therapy could be a novel therapeutic strategy for advanced CTCL.
Comorbidity of atopic diseases and gastro‐oesophageal reflux: evidence of a shared cause
Authors: Brew Bronwyn K. , Almqvist Catarina , Lundholm Cecilia , Andreasson Anna , Lehto Kelli , Talley Nicholas J. , Gong Tong
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common non‐allergic comorbidity in adults with asthma; however, comorbidity with other atopic diseases such as eczema and hay fever is unclear. The objective was to assess the comorbidity of GERD with asthma and atopic diseases and to investigate possible mechanisms, including genetic and/or affective factors.

Methods

A co‐twin control study harnessing 46 583 adult twins. Questionnaires on health status were linked to national patient and prescribed drug register data. Analyses tested associations of comorbidity between multiple definitions of atopic diseases (self‐report and register‐based) with GERD. Comparisons were made between unpaired, monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins to assess genetic liability. Affective traits (depression, anxiety and neuroticism) were added to models as possible explanatory factors.

Results

The risk of GERD in those with asthma was OR (odds ratio) 1.52 (95% CI 1.38, 1.68), hay fever OR 1.22 (95%CI 1.12, 1.34) and eczema OR 1.23 (95%CI 1.10, 1.38). Adjusting for affective traits completely attenuated the comorbidity associations for hay fever and eczema with GERD, and partly for asthma with GERD. Co‐twin control associations attenuated suggesting a shared cause for both GERD and atopic diseases. For example, all twins adjOR 1.32 (95%CI 1.00, 1.74), 0.97 (95% CI 0.76–1.23) and 1.11 (95%CI 0.85–1.45) for self‐report asthma, hay fever and eczema with GERD respectively.

Conclusions

GERD is a common comorbidity in adults with asthma, hay fever and/or eczema. We found evidence for shared mechanisms suggesting common underlying causes that may involve affective traits requiring further investigation.
Systemic inflammatory syndrome in children with FARSA deficiency
Authors: Charbit‐Henrion Fabienne , Goguyer‐Deschaumes Roman , Borensztajn Keren , Mirande Marc , Berthelet Jérémy , Rodrigues‐Lima Fernando , Khiat Anis , Frémond Marie‐Louise , Bader‐Meunier Brigitte , Rodari Marco M. , Seabra Luis , Rice Gillian I. , Legendre Marie , Drummond David , Berteloot Laureline , Roux Charles‐Joris , Boddaert Nathalie , Drabent Philippe , Molina Thierry Jo , Lacaille Florence , Kossorotoff Manoelle , Cerf‐Bensussan Nadine , Parlato Marianna , Hadchouel Alice
Published: February 2022

Variants in aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases (ARSs) genes are associated to a broad spectrum of human inherited diseases. Patients with defective PheRS, encoded by FARSA and FARSB, display brain abnormalities, interstitial lung disease and facial dysmorphism. We investigated four children from two unrelated consanguineous families carrying two missense homozygous variants in FARSA with significantly reduced PheRS‐mediated aminoacylation activity. In addition to the core ARS‐phenotype, all patients showed an inflammatory profile associated with autoimmunity and interferon score, a clinical feature not ascribed to PheRS‐deficient patients to date. JAK inhibition improved lung disease in one patient. Our findings expand the genetic and clinical spectrum of FARSA‐related disease.
The Effects of Firing Costs on Labour Market Dynamics
Authors: Näf Armando , Stucki Yannic , Thomet Jacqueline
Published: February 2022

Using a search and matching model with distinct intensive and extensive labour margin choices and costly firing, we argue that firing costs can account for the observed cross‐country differences in the cyclical behaviour of labour market aggregates. More restrictive employment protection legislation is associated with larger fluctuations in job‐creation relative to job‐destruction flows, larger fluctuations in the intensive relative to extensive margin of labour, and a weaker short‐run Beveridge curve relation measured as the negative contemporaneous correlation between unemployment and vacancies. A calibrated version of our model can explain these empirical observations quantitatively. In the model, firms opt to adjust labour input more strongly along the hiring margin and the intensive margin of labour when firing costs are increased. Hence fluctuations in the job‐creation relative to job‐destruction flows, and fluctuations in the intensive relative to extensive margin of labour rise. Because hiring takes longer than firing, the substitution of the firing margin with the hiring margin leads to a more sluggish response of unemployment to shocks and hence weakens the negative contemporaneous correlation between unemployment and vacancies.
The impact of transportation development on land price differences between cities: Widening or narrowing?—A case study based on the provincial level of Mainland China
Authors: Li Tianshu , Chen Zhigang
Published: February 2022

Exploring the impact of transportation development on land price differences between cities is of great significance to help guide the optimal allocation of land resources and promote the coordinated and balanced development of regions. This paper first discusses how regional transportation development influences land price differences between cities at a theoretical level. Then, by taking 26 provincial regions in the Chinese Mainland as research units, the specific effects of provincial transportation development on land price differences between cities are examined empirically by constructing econometric models. The results show that: (a) in recent years, the price of urban land in China has increased significantly, and the land price differences between cities are increasing in most provinces; and (b) provincial transportation development has a narrowing effect on land price differences between cities, and the spatial spillover effect brought by transportation development deserves attention. In the future, the role of transportation development in narrowing regional land price differences should be taken into consideration to promote the balanced development of the land market and the coordinated development of regions.
Phase 2 study of avatrombopag in Japanese patients with chronic liver disease and thrombocytopenia
Authors: Eguchi Yuichiro , Takahashi Hirokazu , Mappa Silvia , Santagostino Elena
Published: February 2022

Aim

Avatrombopag, a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, can reduce the need for platelet transfusions or rescue interventions for bleeding in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and thrombocytopenia undergoing scheduled procedures. A model analysis indicated that the effect of avatrombopag on platelet production was reduced in East Asian versus non‐East Asian patients; however, the difference was deemed not clinically significant. Furthermore, a subgroup analysis of pooled Phase 3 trials showed similar avatrombopag efficacy across racial subgroups. The aim of this Phase 2 study was to corroborate the efficacy and safety of avatrombopag in Japanese patients with thrombocytopenia due to CLD.

Methods

Japanese patients with CLD and thrombocytopenia were randomized to receive placebo or avatrombopag 20, 40, or 60 mg daily for 5 days. The primary endpoint was responder rate in platelet counts at Visit 4 (10–13 days after treatment initiation), defined as the proportion of patients with platelet count ≥50 × 109/L and ≥20 × 109/L increase from baseline.

Results

Thirty‐nine patients were randomized and completed the study (placebo, n = 11; avatrombopag 20 mg, n = 7; 40 mg, n = 11; 60 mg, n = 10). Avatrombopag treatment was associated with significant increases in responder rate at Visit 4 in the 40 mg (63.6%; p = 0.004) and 60 mg (40%; p = 0.024) groups versus placebo (9.1%). Avatrombopag was well tolerated and no new safety signals were detected.

Conclusions

Efficacy and safety results from this study were consistent with previous studies in patients with CLD and thrombocytopenia undergoing elective procedures, supporting treatment with avatrombopag in the Japanese population. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02227693.
Effects of watercress extract fraction on R‐spondin 1‐mediated growth of human hair
Authors: Hashimoto Masakazu , Kawai Yuka , Masutani Teruaki , Tanaka Kiyotaka , Ito Kenichi , Iddamalgoda Arunasiri
Published: February 2022

Objective

Hair loss and greying affect men and women of all ages, often causing psychosocial difficulties. Dickkopf‐1 (DKK1), a major hair loss factor secreted from dermal papilla (DP) cells in response to the secretion of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), has been reported to induce and accelerate androgenetic alopecia (AGA). In addition, DKK1 acts as a potent suppressor of melanogenesis and is closely related to hair colour. R‐spondin 1 (RSPO1) is a secretory agonist of Wnt signalling known to antagonize the effects of DKK1, including DKK1‐mediated hair follicle suppression. In this study, we investigated the effect of watercress extract (WCE) on the secretion of RSPO1 and DKK1 from DP cells as well as its anti‐hair loss effect in human hair follicles and patients.

Methods

The in vitro secretion of RSPO1 and DKK1 was measured by ELISA. Human hair follicles were collected from the scalp of a female donor and used for ex vivo organ culture to investigate the effects of WCE on human hair loss. Finally, a 6‐month human clinical trial was conducted to examine the effect of WCE‐containing lotion on hair growth in a male panel.

Results

WCE significantly upregulated RSPO1 secretion and suppressed DKK1 secretion in a dose‐dependent manner, even in the presence of DHT. WCE‐treated hair follicles elongated 1.6‐fold compared with the control, and the level of RSPO1 production in DP as well as RSPO1 bound to the outer root sheath (ORS) increased. In the clinical trial, the hair lotion containing 2% WCE increased hair thickness and density to improve against hair loss symptoms.

Conclusion

WCE exhibited a strong anti‐androgenic effect through its ability to suppress DKK1 secretion and antagonize DKK1 via RSPO1. These findings highlighted the potential use of WCE for the treatment of hair loss.
Probiotic mouthwash as an adjunct to mechanical therapy in the treatment of stage II periodontitis: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Ranjith Ambili , Nazimudeen Niyas Bin , Baiju Kamalasanan Vijayakumary
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Dysbiosis of oral microbiome play an integral role in periodontitis. Bacterial balance is an important aspect of host defence. Mechanical debridement alone is insufficient to manage many cases. Probiotics are a novel adjunctive strategy, but the beneficial effects of probiotics in the management of moderate periodontitis have not been evaluated before. The objective of the present study was to assess the efficacy of probiotic mouth rinse of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum and Saccharomyces boulardii as an adjunct to mechanical debridement in grade II periodontitis. The study also evaluated change in salivary pH and IgA in both groups.

Methods

The study was registered under Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI NO: CTRI/2019/10/021630). 60 patients with stage II periodontitis were randomized into probiotic and placebo group (n = 30 in each group) after mechanical debridement. Patients were instructed to use mouth rinse twice a day for 30 days. Periodontal parameters (Plaque index, Gingival index, Pocket depth and clinical attachment level) were recorded at baseline, after 1 and 3 months. Salivary pH was tested using a pH metre and IgA using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Significant improvement in all clinical parameters were noted in both the groups after 1 and 3 months. Intergroup comparison revealed significant difference in gingival index, probing depth and clinical attachment gain. Significant elevation of salivary IgA and pH was noticed in probiotic group in contrast to placebo group.

Conclusion

The present study supports the use of probiotic mouthwash as an adjunct to mechanical therapy for the management of stage II periodontitis.
Smartphone de‐addiction among children and adolescents: An hour of need
Authors: Nayak Shalini G. , Pai Mamatha Shivananda
Published: February 2022

Sudden closure of schools due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic introduced extensive use of digital technology in education across the globe. The gadgets connected to the internet have become an essential part of the lives of children in the contemporary world. Children and adolescents are more exposed to smart devices for academic learning and entertainment. The concern of smartphone addiction among children and adolescents in recent decades has been heightened by the spread of COVID‐19. Excessive use of smartphones has physical, psychological, and social unfavorable outcomes signifying the need for developing strategies to reduce the usage.
Women's experiences and perceptions of women‐centered care and respectful care during facility‐based childbirth: A meta‐synthesis
Authors: Miyauchi Ai , Shishido Eri , Horiuchi Shigeko
Published: February 2022

Aim

The World Health Organization has recommended intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience through respectful care based on women‐centered care. This study aimed to explore women's experiences of facility‐based childbirth to gain insights into their perceptions of women‐centered care, including humanized childbirth and respectful maternity care during intrapartum care.

Methods

Used the Joanna Briggs Institute method as the framework for this meta‐synthesis, we searched the PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and LILCAS databases, and included qualitative studies and interviews of women's experiences and perceptions of women‐centered care during facility‐based childbirth published from 1990 to 2020 in English. Study quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. NVivo software was used for data extraction and synthesis.

Results

There were 22 studies from 19 countries that met the established inclusion criteria. Five categories of experiences of facility‐based childbirth and perceptions of women‐centered care from the synthesized voices of women were generated: (i) value of women through childbirth; (ii) overwhelmed by unpleasant childbearing experiences; (iii) a sense of being respected and valued; (iv) a sense of being disrespected and abused; and (v) inadequate systems and resources. Our meta‐synthesis indicated that respectful and helpful interaction between women and healthcare providers produced positive perceptions among women.

Conclusions

This study emphasizes the importance of respectful interactions and intrapersonal experiences. Strong systems and positive environments lead to positive interactions between women and healthcare providers. Future studies need to consider cultural and economic differences in women‐centered care and respectful care for childbirth in different contexts.
Clinical exome sequencing for diagnosing severe cryptogenic liver disease in adults: A case series
Authors: Pelusi Serena , Ronzoni Luisa , Malvestiti Francesco , Bianco Cristiana , Marini Ilaria , D'Ambrosio Roberta , Giannotta Juri Alessandro , Soardo Giorgio , Maggioni Marco , Prati Daniele , Valenti Luca
Published: February 2022

Liver diseases remain unexplained in up to 30% of adult patients; genetic analysis could help establish the correct diagnosis. In six adult patients with cryptogenic liver disease, we performed whole‐exome sequencing (WES) and evaluated the individual predisposition to progressive fatty liver disease by polygenic risk scores (PRS). In one patient, WES was allowed to diagnose the Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome. In the other two patients, genetic variants in LDLRAP1/MSH6 and ALDOB genes were identified, contributing to explaining the clinical presentation and disease pathogenesis (50% diagnostic uptake). In the other three patients, rare variants with a high likelihood of disrupting protein function in APOB, ATP7B, ABCB4 and ATP8B1 were identified. One patient who developed hepatocellular carcinoma during the follow‐up had a high PRS value. The study supports the role of WES, combined with risk stratification by PRS and accurate clinical assessment in improving the diagnosis and informed management in patients with cryptogenic liver disease, a positive family history or severe fatty liver not fully accounted for by environmental triggers.