bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) in strengthening the capacity and performance of supreme audit institutions in developing countries
Authors: Gørrissen Einar
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to contribute to dialogue between practitioners and academics. The article discusses the importance of supreme audit institutions (SAIs), challenges and opportunities facing SAIs (also in light of COVID-19) and how the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) supports SAIs in developing countries in enhancing their performance and capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a practitioner’s viewpoint which reflects IDI’s publicly available documents and the opinions of a practitioner involved in the work of the IDI and that of INTOSAI.

Findings

The work of SAIs is ensuring effective public sector auditing matters, and it is increasingly recognized that strong and well-functioning SAIs can be key pillars in developing effective states, democratic development and trust in governments. At the same time, SAIs face challenges and opportunities in ensuring that they are effective and independent institutions that produce reports that have impact and add value to the life of citizens. The IDI supports SAIs in overcoming these challenges and seizing opportunities through support for all SAIs in developing countries. The IDI model is based on facilitated support that is need based and provided through peer-to-peer cooperation.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this article (which are also its strength in terms of fitness for purpose) are that as a practitioner’s viewpoint, it provides a brief overview and personal judgements rather than an empirical analysis of developments applying a theoretical framework.

Social implications

A practitioner’s engagement with academic supports increased understanding of the respective views leading to better outcomes for practitioners and academics working in the area of public sector auditing.

Originality/value

The article provides a practitioner's input on the important work of SAIs.
Does corporate social responsibility improve brands’ responsible and active personality dimensions? An experimental investigation
Authors: Tarabashkina Liudmila , Tarabashkina Olga , Quester Pascale , Soutar Geoffrey N.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

While past studies have shown that corporate social responsibility (CSR) influences brand equity, loyalty and brand attitudes, research about CSR effects on the responsible and active dimensions of brand personality remains limited. This study aims to address this gap and examine how brands with different personality strength benefit from CSR communication, providing novel insights about CSR’s branding payoffs to firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experiments were conducted. Study 1 tested if CSR communication influenced responsible and active brand personality dimensions compared to non-CSR communication. Study 2 examined how varying CSR spending allocations affect personality perceptions of weak and strong brands. Studies 1 and 2 measured responsible and active brand personalities before and after exposure to experimental manipulations, assessing immediate changes in brand personality. Study 3 replicated the results of Study 2 using fictitious brands whose initial brand personalities were manipulated as either weak or strong.

Findings

CSR communication has the potential to influence brands’ responsible and active personalities compared to non-CSR communication. However, changes in brand personalities were contingent on CSR manipulations (smaller vs larger CSR spending) and initial brand strength. Brands that lacked strongly responsible and strong active personalities experienced an improvement in these perceptions after exposure to any CSR spending message. However, brands with strong responsible or strong active personalities experienced brand erosion after exposure to smaller CSR spending message or no improvement when the CSR message was aligned with the responsible and active conduct (e.g. mentioned larger CSR spending).

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine how CSR affects brand personality. By combining signalling and attitude change/congruity principle theories, it provides novel theoretical contributions to explain when CSR can improve, erode or exert no effect on the responsible and active brand personalities, providing insights for effective brand management.
Medical students’ attitudes towards mental health disclosure: a qualitative study
Authors: Christy Ryan
Published: September 2020

Purpose

In 2013, the General Medical Council conducted research into best practice for supporting medical students with mental health concerns, producing a document outlining University’s duty of care. It also outlined reasons as to why medical students are susceptible to mental illness. The purpose of this paper is to explore what factors affected medical students' disclosure of mental health problems and their help-seeking behaviour today and if these differed from the GMC’s findings from 2013.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was issued to all University of Glasgow medical student year groups. In total, 72 people responded. All responses were then analysed by the primary researcher using Mayring’s six-step approach of systematic, rule guided qualitative text analysis.

Findings

Four main barriers to disclosure were revealed: fear of repercussions, medical student “expectations”, judgement and lack of support. Respondents feared being deemed unfit to practise, displaying “weakness” or being treated differently. They believed support provided was inadequate or inaccessible. Less than half felt the Medical School made mental health support easily available and only 11% were even aware of the GMC document. Respondents believed medical students were psychologically vulnerable due to Medical School environment, work load, “expectations” and course content. They perceived the Medical School was “a pressure cooker” for mental health problems and yet student well-being was not prioritised.

Originality/value

The research highlighted some key areas that universities should address, such as promoting support services available, recognising the unique stresses of the medical curriculum and the need for provision of resources that can be accessed without fear, stigmatisation or uncertainty.
Rubber ducks to ecological citizenship: a review of practitioner-oriented research on ecological issues in the social studies
Authors: Zackary Seitz R.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The world is facing unprecedented potential disaster with the impending climate crisis. Research within social studies education surrounding the integration of ecological issues, while still on the fringes, has seen a recent surge. This is a review of practitioner-oriented research published in the last ten years on teaching these issues in social studies classes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviews practitioner-oriented articles on teaching ecological issues in social studies classes. The author searched databases and did a manual review using specific search terms. The author’s first level of analysis was to analyze the year of publication, whether the article was (co) written by a practicing teacher and whether the article featured a lesson plan/resources. The author then analyzed the content/focus of each article.

Findings

In total, ten articles were (co)written by a practicing teacher, 23 articles included lesson plans and the article themes could fall into one of six themes (water issues, pollution, climate change, climate activism, sustainability and economic growth and ecological citizenship/ethics).

Research limitations/implications

The author was unable to review one year of articles from the Ohio Social Studies Review due to the COVID-19 pandemic and only having remote institutional access to library materials.

Originality/value

In reviewing the practitioner-oriented articles, the author hopes to not only strengthen the curricular justifications for teaching these issues in social studies classes but also show what research has been done and provide critiques and show what could be done in the future.
Direct cathodic electron uptake coupled to sulfate reduction by Desulfovibrio ferrophilusIS5 biofilms
Authors: McCully Alexandra L. , Spormann Alfred M.
Published: September 2020

Direct electron uptake is emerging as a key process for electron transfer in anaerobic microbial communities, both between species and from extracellular sources, such as zero‐valent iron (Fe0) or cathodic surfaces. In this study, we investigated cathodic electron uptake by Fe0‐corroding Desulfovibrio ferrophilus IS5 and showed that electron uptake is dependent on direct cell contact via a biofilm on the cathode surface rather than through secreted intermediates. Induction of cathodic electron uptake by lactate‐starved D. ferrophilus IS5 cells resulted in the expression of all components necessary for electron uptake; however, protein synthesis was required for full biofilm formation. Notably, proteinase K treatment uncoupled electron uptake from biofilm formation, likely through proteolytic degradation of proteinaceous components of the electron uptake machinery. We also showed that cathodic electron uptake is dependent on SO42− reduction. The insensitivity of Fe0 corrosion to proteinase K treatment suggests that electron uptake from a cathode might involve different mechanism(s) than those involved in Fe0 corrosion.
Is there a nexus between China outward foreign direct investment and welfare in Côte dʼIvoire? Empirical evidence from the Toda–Yamamoto procedure
Authors: Allou Ehouma Jacques , Adeleye Bosede Ngozi , Cheng Jianhua , Abdul Rehman
Published: September 2020

Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role in the socio‐economic advancement of developing countries. In the last decade, FDI inflows from China into Côte dʼIvoire have grown rapidly. Using quarterly time series data from 2003Q1 to 2017Q4, this study probes if China FDI has any significant welfare impact on the citizens of Côte dʼIvoire vis‐à‐vis if a causal relationship exists. The policy outcome is to stimulate further discourse that will reduce poverty and enhance the living standard of the population. The study uses vector autoregressive (VAR) and the Toda and Yamamoto (1995) modification of the non‐Granger causality test to determine if a causal relationship exists and the direction of causality. The empirical analysis provides evidence of a unidirectional causality from China FDI to social welfare (proxied by the human development index [HDI]) but no indication of causality between China FDI to economic welfare (proxied by real gross domestic product per capita [GDPPC]). This study, which is borne out of empirical curiosity, fills a lacuna in the FDI literature. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is a novel contribution that examines the FDI‐welfare nexus between China and a developing economy like Côte dʼIvoire. Thus, policies that will further stimulate FDI inflows from China must be carefully crafted to attract funding to the most productive sectors of the economy in order to improve both social and economic welfare. By extension, the policies may be adapted by developing economies with similar characteristics to Côte dʼIvoire.
New gynaecological technologies – proper evaluation needed before implementation into clinical practice
Authors: Chien Patrick
Published: September 2020

Deputy Editor‐in‐Chief, Dr Patrick Chien, discusses his top articles from this issue in an audio podcast available at: https://soundcloud.com/bjog/october-editorial-2020
Recent advances in starch‐based films toward food packaging applications: Physicochemical, mechanical, and functional properties
Authors: Lauer Moira K. , Smith Rhett C.
Published: September 2020

Interest in starch‐based films has increased precipitously in response to a growing demand for more sustainable and environmentally sourced food packaging materials. Starch is an optimal candidate for these applications given its ability to form thermoplastic materials and films with affordable and often sustainably sourced plasticizers like those produced as waste byproducts by biodiesel and agricultural industries. Starch is also globally ubiquitous, affordable, and environmentally benign. Although the process of producing starch films is relatively straightforward, numerous factors, including starch source, extraction method, film formulation, processing methods, and curing procedures, drastically impact the ultimate material properties. The significant strides made from 2015 to early 2020 toward elucidating how these variables can be leveraged to improve mechanical and barrier properties as well as the implementation of various additives or procedural modifications are cataloged in this review. Advances toward the development of functional films containing antioxidant, antibacterial, or spoilage indicating components to prevent or signal the degradation of food products are also discussed.
Oil field microorganisms cause highly localized corrosion on chemically inhibited carbon steel
Authors: Mand Jaspreet , Enning Dennis
Published: September 2020

Carbon steel pipelines, a means for crude oil transportation, occasionally experience highly localized perforation caused by microorganisms. While microorganisms grown in laboratory culture tend to corrode steel specimens unevenly, they rarely inflict a corrosion morphology consistent with that of pipelines, where centimetre‐sized corrosion features are randomly distributed within vast stretches of otherwise pristine metal surface. In this study, we observed that corrosion inhibitors (CIs), widely used for the control of acid gas (H2S, CO2) corrosion in oil fields, also affect microbial growth and activity. Inhibited carbon steel resisted biofilm formation and underwent negligible corrosion (< 0.002 mm Fe0 year−1), despite 15 months of exposure to oil field waters harbouring a diverse microbiome. In contrast, physical scavenging of CI in these waters led to severe and highly localized corrosion (up to 0.93 mm Fe0 year−1) underneath biofilms dominated by methanogenic archaea and sulfate‐reducing bacteria. A sharp decline in CI concentration, as well as its active components, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), correlated with microbial sulfidogenesis. CIs are ubiquitously present in oil field waters and play an underappreciated role in microbial corrosion mitigation. Physical and biological scavenging of CIs may create local differences in steel inhibition effectiveness and thus result in highly localized corrosion.
Plant growth‐stimulating rhizobacteria capable of producing L‐amino acids
Authors: Pizarro‐Tobias Paloma , Ramos Juan‐Luis , Duque Estrella , Roca Amalia
Published: September 2020

Pseudomonas putida BIRD‐1 is a microorganism that inhabits the rhizosphere and solubilizes phosphate and iron and produces indolacetic acid [Roca, A., Pizarro‐Tobías, P., Udaondo, Z., Fernández, M., Matilla, M.A., Molina‐Henares, M.A., et al. (2013) Analysis of plant growth‐promoting properties encoded by the genome of the rhizobacterium Pseudomonas putida BIRD‐1. Environ Microbiol 15: 780–794]. In this study, we generated mutant strains that are capable of producing the plant growth stimulating compounds L‐tryptophan and L‐phenylalanine. We prepared clones that overproduce L‐tryptophan by first mutagenizing P. putida BIRD‐1, then by selecting for clones in the presence of inhibitory concentrations of 5‐fluoro‐D,L‐tryptophan. The production of this aromatic amino acid was confirmed by chemical analysis and cross‐feeding experiments with auxotrophs. One of the mutants, named P. putida BIRD‐1‐12, was mutagenized again to isolate clones that are also able to grow in the presence of inhibitory concentrations of p‐fluoro‐D,L‐phenylalanine. One of these resulting clones was then isolated and named BIRD‐1‐12F. Our analysis revealed that the strains that either overproduce L‐tryptophan, or L‐tryptophan and L‐phenylalanine, excel at promoting the growth of a number of plant crops of agricultural interest.
Serum immune modulators during the first cycle of anti‐PD‐1 antibody therapy in non‐small cell lung cancer: Perforin as a biomarker
Authors: Ota Takayo , Fukui Tomoya , Nakahara Yoshiro , Takeda Takayuki , Uchino Junji , Mouri Takako , Kudo Keita , Nakajima Saki , Suzumura Tomohiro , Fukuoka Masahiro
Published: September 2020

Background

Currently used biomarkers for immunotherapy are inadequate because they are only based on tumor properties. In view of microenvironment changes by tumors, host immunity should be considered, which may result in identifying more accurate and easily detectable biomarkers for daily clinical practice. Here, we assessed serum immune‐modulating factor levels for the response to anti‐PD‐1 antibodies during the first cycle in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods

Serum was collected from patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab at several time points during the first cycle. We applied the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and multiplex assays to measure the levels of immune modulators.

Results

A total of 40 patients treated with nivolumab and 26 patients treated with pembrolizumab were studied. By ELISA, serum perforin, but not granzyme B, was measured in all samples. By multiplex assay, 10 immune modulators, including granzyme B, were measured in some, but not all, samples. Serum baseline perforin levels were strongly associated with increased progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times. Sequential changes in perforin levels during the first cycle were weakly associated with the clinical outcome.

Conclusions

Serum baseline perforin levels may be used to predict the prognosis of NSCLC patients treated with anti‐PD‐1 antibody therapy.

Key points

To identify a useful predictive marker for anti‐PD‐1 antibody therapy, using blood samples might be helpful.

Serum baseline perforin levels were closely associated with prognosis with anti‐PD‐1 antibody therapy in non‐small cell lung cancer.
Validation and comparison of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire‐25 (NEI VFQ‐25) and the Visual Function Index‐14 (VF‐14) in patients with cataracts: a multicentre study
Authors: Wan Yu , Zhao Liming , Huang Chen , Xu Yanhui , Sun Min , Yang Yang , An Li , Lv Shuxuan , Yu Yanan , Chen Dongmei , Zhou Peng , Wang Yinhao , Zhang Mingzhou , Jiang Aimin , Chen Zhimin , Li Xuemin
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The present study aimed to investigate and compare the psychometric properties of the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire‐25 (NEI VFQ‐25) and the Visual Function Index‐14 (VF‐14) in a large sample of patients with cataracts.

Methods

A total of 1052 patients with bilateral age‐related cataracts were recruited in the study. Patients with other comorbidities that severely impacted vision were excluded. Participants completed the two questionnaires in random order. Classical test theory and Rasch analyses were used to assess the psychometric properties of the questionnaires.

Results

Complete data were obtained from 899 patients. The mean overall index score on the NEI VFQ‐25 was 76.1 ± 19.0, while that on the VF‐14 was 46.5 ± 15.0. Cronbach's α‐values for the NEI VFQ‐25 and VF‐14 were 0.89 and 0.95, respectively. Ceiling effects were observed on nine of the 12 subscales in the NEI VFQ‐25. The correlation between total scores on the NEI VFQ‐25 and VF‐14 was moderate (r = 0.600; p < 0.001), and subscales of the NEI VFQ‐25 were weakly or moderately correlated with the similar domains on the VF‐14. Rasch analysis revealed ordered category thresholds and sufficient person separation for both instruments, while the two questionnaires had critical deficiencies in unidimensionality, targeting and differential item functioning.

Conclusion

Neither the NEI VFQ‐25 nor VF‐14 is optimal for the assessment of vision‐related quality of life in typical Chinese patients with cataracts. The potential deficiencies of the questionnaires should be taken into consideration prior to application of the instruments or interpretation of the results.
No clear survival benefit of azacitidine for lower‐risk myelodysplastic syndromes: A retrospective study of Nagasaki
Authors: Toriyama Eo , Hata Tomoko , Yokota Ken‐ichi , Chiwata Masahiko , Kamijo Rena , Hashimoto Miki , Taguchi Masataka , Horai Makiko , Matsuo Masatoshi , Matsuo Emi , Takasaki Yumi , Kawaguchi Yasuhisa , Itonaga Hidehiro , Sato Shinya , Ando Koji , Sawayama Yasushi , Taguchi Jun , Imaizumi Yoshitaka , Tsushima Hideki , Jo Tatsuro , Yoshida Shinichiro , Moriuchi Yukiyoshi , Miyazaki Yasushi
Published: September 2020

The efficacy of azacitidine (AZA) on survival of lower risk (LR) ‐ myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is controversial. To address this issue, we retrospectively evaluated the long‐term survival benefit of AZA for patients with LR‐MDS defined by International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). Using data from 489 patients with LR‐MDS in Nagasaki, hematologic responses according to International Working Group 2006 and overall survival (OS) were compared among patients that received best supportive care (BSC), immunosuppressive therapy (IST), erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESA), and AZA. Patients treated with AZA showed complete remission (CR) rate at 11.3%, marrow CR at 1.9%, and any hematologic improvement at 34.0%, with transfusion independence (TI) of red blood cells in 27.3% of patients. and platelet in 20% of patients, respectively. Median OS for patients received IST, ESA, BSC, and AZA (not reached, 91 months, 58 months, and 29 months, respectively) differed significantly (P < .001). Infection‐related severe adverse events were observed in more than 20% of patients treated with AZA. Multivariate analysis showed age, sex, IPSS score at diagnosis, and transfusion dependence were significant for OS, but AZA treatment was not, which maintained even response to AZA, and IPSS risk status at AZA administration was added as factors. We could not find significant survival benefit of AZA treatment for LR‐MDS patients.
The Normalization of Bogota Social Housing Residents: Class Tensions in Third World Urban Peripheries
Authors: Hurtado‐Tarazona Adriana , Álvarez Rivadulla María José , Fleischer Friederike
Published: September 2020

Strangers with different economic needs come to live together in social housing projects, posing an organizational challenge. In most current Latin American cities, this tends to be in standardized complexes with small apartments in segregated peripheries. Many residents change from living in informal neighborhoods to a different type of urban citizenship based on partially subsidized home ownership, which they experience as social mobility. Others already live in the formal city and buy their apartments without a subsidy. How neighbors relate to each other, handle conflicts, and organize becomes a practical problem that worries governments, residents, and developers. This article analyzes tensions in social housing complexes in Bogotá, in relation to national regulations, architectural design, and residents’ hopes and aspirations. Based on survey and ethnographic data, it claims that the rigid material and normative environment of social housing negatively affects neighborly relations, resulting in lack of trust, conflicts, and working against a sense of community. It shows that educational community programs serve as vehicles for “normalization” and atomization according to middle‐class ideals of citizenship. Residents embrace the restrictions that suit their aspirations for social mobility and inclusion, yet negotiate others in the face of economic need.
The geography of publishing in the Anthropocene
Authors: Hazlett Megan A. , Henderson Kate M. , Zeitzer Ilana F. , Drew Joshua A.
Published: September 2020

One key aspect of the Anthropocene is the inherent disparities between the Global North and the Global South. These differences manifest in the causes and impacts of pollution, climate change, and species extinctions, but are they also present in the ways we write about the Anthropocene? We examine 77 peer‐reviewed papers spanning 2009–2019 that explicitly feature conservation in an Anthropocene context. We compare these papers to a control group of papers that feature conservation but do not engage specifically with the Anthropocene literature. We found that both “Anthropocene” and “conservation” papers include a disproportionately large number of authors with affiliations in the Global North, despite half of the research taking place in the Global South. Moreover, this overrepresentation occurs regardless of author position or journal impact factor. We find that 84% of Anthropocene articles and 91% of conservation articles occurring in the Global North had a first author from the country of study, as opposed to only 55% of Anthropocene articles and 62% of conservation articles from the Global South. Studies occurring in the Global North almost always had at least one coauthor from the country of study (96% of Anthropocene articles and 97% of conservation articles). In contrast, only 81% of Anthropocene articles and 83% of conservation articles occurring in the Global South had any local coauthors. We used two text‐mining algorithms to characterize the authorship networks and topics occurring in Anthropocene and conservation papers. These analyses showed that while both groups are interdisciplinary, Anthropocene papers had more distributed authorship networks and greater linkages across topics, and therefore have a flatter “topic surface” than the conservation papers. Our work suggests that conservation research programs that are explicitly grounded in the Anthropocene as a theoretical framework are more likely to reach across disciplinary lines.
Conservation biology education at small liberal arts colleges: An opportunity for growth
Authors: Rosin Cooper , Zedler Paul H.
Published: September 2020

Undergraduate education is a critical period for recruiting the next generation of conservation biologists and engaging a broader community of conservationists. As small liberal arts colleges (SLACs) can be particularly effective at meeting these goals, promoting conservation biology education at these institutions is essential. In this study, we paired a web review and e‐mail questionnaire (46 respondents) to assess conservation biology coursework and faculty expertise at the top 100 SLACs in the United States. Our results highlight that there is very strong student interest in conservation biology coursework, and that maintaining faculty expertise in the discipline is a priority for those departments that currently have it. Nonetheless, 40% of these institutions lack faculty expertise and 26% lack any coursework in the discipline. Embracing this opportunity for growth will require engaging the broader educational community, with the goal of expanding faculty expertise, coursework, and general access to education in conservation biology.
Evaluating the impact of the documentary series Blue Planet II on viewers' plastic consumption behaviors
Authors: Dunn Matilda Eve , Mills Morena , Veríssimo Diogo
Published: September 2020

The global scale of the ocean plastics crisis demands a collective change in plastic consumption behaviors. The documentary series Blue Planet II has been praised for driving changes in consumer behaviors by raising awareness about this issue, yet there is little evidence that directly links the documentary to viewers' plastic consumption. We investigated the effectiveness of Blue Planet II as a behavior change intervention by conducting randomized control trials and used revealed preferences to measure plastic consumption behaviors. Although environmental knowledge was found to be positively influenced by Blue Planet II, this did not translate into a behavioral change among participants. Our results support the hypothesis that, due to the complexities of human behavior, exposure to a single documentary is unlikely to lead to a distinct increase in individual pro‐environmental actions. However, the potential for Blue Planet II to have an impact at a wider societal level, namely through influencing policy, remains unexplored.
Beta‐blocker therapy in heart transplant recipients: A review
Authors: Masarone Daniele , Vastarella Rossella , Melillo Enrico , Petraio Andrea , Pacileo Giuseppe
Published: September 2020

Beta‐blockers are essential drugs for the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, acute and chronic ischemic heart disease, tachyarrhythmias, and hypertension. However, these drugs have not been used in cardiac transplant patients for many years owing to the fear that they could reduce cardiac output and functional capacity. In recent years, however, some evidence has shown that even in cardiac transplanted patients, β‐blockers are useful and effective in the treatment of sinus tachycardia, supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and arterial hypertension. Furthermore, some data have shown that the use of β‐blockers is associated with reduced mortality in heart transplant recipients. In this review, we summarize this evidence with particular emphasis on the practical aspects of the use of β‐blockers in post‐transplantation patients to promote the use of this important class of drugs in clinical practice.
Heart transplant recipients with confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus infection: The Detroit experience
Authors: Al‐Darzi Waleed , Aurora Lindsey , Michaels Alexander , Cowger Jennifer , Grafton Gillian , Selektor Yelena , Tita Cristina , Hannawi Bashar , Lanfear David , Nemeh Hassan W. , Williams Celeste T.
Published: September 2020

A chronic immunosuppressed state as in solid organ transplant recipients is a reported risk factor for the novel 2019 coronavirus infection. Patients with a history of orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) at a tertiary care transplant center in Detroit, Michigan were retrospectively reviewed from March until May 2020. Clinical parameters and outcomes of 5 OHT recipients and one combined heart–lung recipient with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 were obtained. The cohort was predominately African American males with median age of 59 years (interquartile range, 48.25‐73.25). All patients were classified as having mild–moderate disease; none required intubation or ICU admission with no deaths. The most common presenting symptoms were fever and shortness of breath 83% (n = 5), followed by cough and chills 67% (n = 4). All admitted patients (n = 5) received hydroxychloroquine and 3 received high‐dose steroids. Antimetabolites were held for 2 patients (33.3%). The calcineurin inhibitor trough goal was decreased in only 1 patient; 3 other patients, without change in goal, required calcineurin inhibitor dosage reduction. Two patients requiring readmission presented 7 and 23 days after initial symptoms onset. In conclusion, our experience with OHT patients infected by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus did not have an elevated risk of severe infection. Impact of modifying immunosuppression remains unclear.
More than Money: Barriers to Food Security on a College Campus
Authors: Peterson Nicole D. , Freidus Andrea
Published: September 2020

Studies have shown that many college students are experiencing food insecurity and that the reasons for this are multifactorial. Students are unable to acquire adequate food to meet their needs because of limited money, time, transportation, and other factors. However, food insecurity rates are almost always assessed by using the USDA’s food security survey module, which frames the barriers to food access as purely financial by relying entirely on items that explicitly ask about a financial barrier to food security, rather than any other possible barriers. Using survey and interview data collected in collaboration with our campus food pantry and undergraduate student researchers from 2015 to 2019, we show that student food insecurity is a result of complex factors that go beyond financial limitations. We argue that the USDA measure is insufficient for fully assessing the prevalence of college student food insecurity because it presupposes a financial cause for food insecurity and then undercounts those who are food insecure for other reasons.
Histopathologic aspects of the so‐called chronic hyperplastic candidiasis: An analysis of 36 cases
Authors: Pina Paulo Sérgio Souza , Custódio Marcos , Sugaya Norberto Nobuo , de Sousa Suzana Cantanhede Orsini Machado
Published: September 2020

Background

The present study aimed to analyze the histopathologic aspects of cases diagnosed as chronic hyperplastic candidiasis (CHC) in an oral pathology service, pointing out the most important features found.

Methods

All cases histopathologically diagnosed as CHC between 2002 and 2018 were retrieved from the files of the service. Data of the patients and the lesions were collected. Histopathological analysis was performed to evaluate the microscopic characteristics and the amount of Candida present.

Results

Thirty‐six cases of CHC were retrieved. Women were more affected and there was a predilection for Whites. Most lesions appeared as a nodule or a white plaque, asymptomatic, on the tongue or buccal mucosa. Histopathologically, statistical significance was noted for the presence of epithelial hyperplasia, exocytosis, and mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate. Interestingly, only the association between dysplasia and the amount of fungus was noted.

Conclusions

CHC appears to be a distinct entity presenting typical histopathologic aspects. CHC might even show epithelial dysplasia. In those cases, the presence of a large amount of Candida together with other histopathological features should lead to the diagnosis of CHC and subsequent treatment. However, close follow up is important.
PRAME expression in 155 cases of metastatic melanoma
Authors: Gradecki Sarah E. , Slingluff Craig L. , Gru Alejandro A.
Published: September 2020

Background

PRAME (preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma) is a promising immunohistochemical marker in distinguishing benign from malignant primary cutaneous melanocytic lesions and lymph node deposits. We hypothesize that PRAME may also reliably identify melanoma metastases that are clinically detected in skin, lymph nodes, or small intestine.

Methods

A total of 155 cases of metastatic melanoma to lymph node (N = 54) and non‐lymph node (N = 101) sites were stained with an antibody against PRAME. Nuclear expression was scored in tumor cells as negative, 1% to 25% (1+), 26% to 50% (2+), 51% to 75% (3+), or 76% to 100% (4+).

Results

PRAME expression was seen in 151/155 (97.4%) cases, with 4+ expression in 64 cases (41.3%), 3+ expression in 46 cases (29.7%), 2+ expression in 18 cases (11.6%), and 1+ expression in 23 cases (14.8%). Lymph node metastases were more likely to show lower expression as compared to metastases to other anatomic sites (P = 0.003).

Conclusions

A high level of PRAME immunoreactivity was identified in this cohort of metastatic melanoma. Lymph node metastases showed more focal or absent PRAME expression as compared to metastases to other sites. Overall, PRAME is a useful tool for confirming the diagnosis of melanoma in a metastatic setting, in both nodal and visceral deposits.
Restoring the ecological integrity of a dryland river: Why low flows in the Barwon–Darling River must flow
Authors: Mallen‐Cooper Martin , Zampatti Brenton P
Published: September 2020

For dryland rivers globally, understanding hydro‐ecological function is fundamental to informing trade‐offs between consumptive water use and aquatic ecosystem integrity. The Barwon–Darling is an Australian dryland river system recognised for its hydrological variability, which is considered a primary driver of the riverine ecosystem. Emphasis has been placed on extremes of zero flow and flood but examining low flow hydrology and hydraulics – through historical and modern droughts – demonstrates that under natural conditions, the river system also exhibits persistent and predictable flow characteristics. From 1885 to 1950, prior to flow regulation, the Barwon–Darling flowed 92% of the time, and throughout severe droughts (1895–1903 and 1939–1945) the river system was characterised by: near‐perennial flows (85% of the time), with lotic (flowing water) habitats; and near‐annual, in channel, flow pulses. Furthermore, evidence of lotic biota is found consistently in Aboriginal middens dating over the past 15,000 years, thus indicating the long‐term persistence of lotic conditions. We propose these consistent hydrological and hydrodynamic features have shaped the ecology of aquatic biota in the Barwon–Darling River but are now experiencing unprecedented change. Flow storage and diversion have increased the frequency and duration of zero flows in some reaches, but arguably the most substantial impacts, along the entire river, are on: (i) low flows, which are now frequently below lotic thresholds, and (ii) the magnitude of near‐annual flow pulses, which are reduced by over 90%. Consequently, in modern droughts, the river becomes predominantly lentic (still‐water), an impact that is exacerbated by weirpools which create artificial lentic conditions for approximately 1000 km (40%) of river. The ecological impacts of these changes are increasingly apparent, with the loss of lotic biota and a reduction in biodiversity. An ecohydraulic perspective explains present impacts, provides new directions and some immediate solutions for river management, and clarifies choices for stakeholders.
Per‐stage growth rates of head and body sizes in scarab larvae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) decrease across ontogeny following a species‐specific pattern
Authors: Hoshizaki Sugihiko
Published: September 2020

It has been widely assumed that the stepwise increase in the exoskeleton size of larval insects approximately follows a geometric progression from instar to instar, known as Dyar's Rule. However, it is not clear whether the per‐instar increase in body size follows this rule. In insects, Dyar's Rule has been identified either by regressing the log‐scaled size on the instar number (log‐linear regression analysis) or by comparing the postmolt/premolt size ratio between instars (growth rate analysis). A previous study on the body mass of caterpillars showed the methodological pitfall that Dyar's Rule was statistically supported by log‐linear regression analysis, but not at all by growth rates analysis. I considered this concern here by examining the per‐stage growth rates of head and body sizes for larvae of the beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus using both methods and compared the resulting growth rates for body size within and between taxonomic orders. Dyar's Rule was statistically supported by the log‐linear regression analysis but not by growth rate analysis for both the head and body sizes in T. dichotomus. The body size growth rate in T. dichotomus decreased as the instar progressed. This developmental pattern was also found in reported data for the other six scarabs, but not in data for Lepidoptera or Hymenoptera. These findings confirm that the per‐stage growth rate of body size does not follow Dyar's Rule in a wide range of insects, and suggest that developmental change in the body size growth rate varies among insect groups.
The evolutionary consequences of human–wildlife conflict in cities
Authors: Schell Christopher J. , Stanton Lauren A. , Young Julie K. , Angeloni Lisa M. , Lambert Joanna E. , Breck Stewart W. , Murray Maureen H.
Published: September 2020

Human–wildlife interactions, including human–wildlife conflict, are increasingly common as expanding urbanization worldwide creates more opportunities for people to encounter wildlife. Wildlife–vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease transmission, property damage, and physical attacks to people or their pets have negative consequences for both people and wildlife, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that mitigate and prevent conflict altogether. Management techniques often aim to deter, relocate, or remove individual organisms, all of which may present a significant selective force in both urban and nonurban systems. Management‐induced selection may significantly affect the adaptive or nonadaptive evolutionary processes of urban populations, yet few studies explicate the links among conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution. Moreover, the intensity of conflict management can vary considerably by taxon, public perception, policy, religious and cultural beliefs, and geographic region, which underscores the complexity of developing flexible tools to reduce conflict. Here, we present a cross‐disciplinary perspective that integrates human–wildlife conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution to address how social–ecological processes drive wildlife adaptation in cities. We emphasize that variance in implemented management actions shapes the strength and rate of phenotypic and evolutionary change. We also consider how specific management strategies either promote genetic or plastic changes, and how leveraging those biological inferences could help optimize management actions while minimizing conflict. Investigating human–wildlife conflict as an evolutionary phenomenon may provide insights into how conflict arises and how management plays a critical role in shaping urban wildlife phenotypes.
Testing for population differences in evolutionary responses to pesticide pollution in brown trout (Salmo trutta)
Authors: Nusbaumer David , Marques da Cunha Lucas , Wedekind Claus
Published: September 2020

Pesticides are often toxic to nontarget organisms, especially to those living in rivers that drain agricultural land. The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is a keystone species in many such rivers, and natural populations have hence been chronically exposed to pesticides over multiple generations. The introduction of pesticides decades ago could have induced evolutionary responses within these populations. Such a response would be predicted to reduce the toxicity over time but also deplete any additive genetic variance for the tolerance to the pesticides. If so, populations are now expected to differ in their susceptibility and in the variance for the tolerance depending on the pesticides they have been exposed to. We sampled breeders from seven natural populations that differ in their habitats and that show significant genetic differentiation. We stripped them for their gametes and produced 118 families by in vitro fertilization. We then raised 20 embryos per family singly in experimentally controlled conditions and exposed them to one of two ecologically relevant concentrations of either the herbicide S‐metolachlor or the insecticide diazinon. Both pesticides affected embryo and larval development at all concentrations. We found no statistically significant additive genetic variance for tolerance to these stressors within or between populations. Tolerance to the pesticides could also not be linked to variation in carotenoid content of the eggs. However, pesticide tolerance was linked to egg size, with smaller eggs being more tolerant to the pesticides than larger eggs. We conclude that an evolutionary response to these pesticides is currently unlikely and that (a) continuous selection in the past has either depleted genetic variance in all the populations we studied or (b) that exposure to the pesticides never induced an evolutionary response. The observed toxicity selects against large eggs that are typically spawned by larger and older females.
Impact of cigarette smoke on physical‐chemical and molecular proprieties of human skin in an ex vivo model
Authors: Percoco Giuseppe , Patatian Angela , Eudier Florine , Grisel Michel , Bader Thomas , Lati Elian , Savary Géraldine , Picard Céline , Benech Philippe
Published: September 2020

Background

This is a study about the skin ageing exposome, focusing on the effect of cigarette smoke. Human living skin explants (HSE) were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) of two cigarettes for 2 hours using a custom‐made exposure chamber, the Pollubox®. Effects on the surface physico‐chemistry and molecular properties of the skin were analyzed and reported for the first time.

Basic Procedures

To this end, transcriptomic study followed by immunohistochemistry, MDA (Malondialdehyde Dosage), and surface physio‐chemistry data: surface free energy determination, TEWL (Trans Epidermal Water Loss), skin pH and FT‐IR (Fourier Transform‐Infrared) spectroscopy of the explant were collected from untreated and treated HSE.

Main Findings

Results showed a decrease of the total surface free energy of the treated HSE. This decrease reflected higher interactions with polar compounds from the environment and consequently a decrease of the surface hydrophobicity. Additionally, an increase of TEWL and skin pH was observed after treatment.

The transcriptomic analysis showed downregulation of mitochondrial genes (PON2‐NDUFA4L2‐ATP1A1‐ALDH2‐PRODH) combined with an increase of MDA in CS‐treated HSE.

Conclusions

CS‐induced oxidation of lipids at HSE surface alters the skin barrier: interactions with polar products are enhanced and the lipid chain packing at the surface is modified. Consequently, skin permeability could increase which correlated with repression of CA9 and AQP1 genes. Beside activation of AHR‐NRF2 pathway in CS‐exposed HSE, our results suggested that mitochondrial functions were strongly impacted and oxidized lipids failed to be eliminated promoting skin barrier alteration. A mitophagy activity was suggested through the confirmation of PINK1 accumulation in the epidermis by immunostaining.
Review: Pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Denic Milica , Touati Eliette , De Reuse Hilde
Published: September 2020

The original strategies developed by Helicobacter pylori to persistently colonise its host and to deregulate its cellular functions make this bacterium an outstanding model to study host‐pathogen interaction and the mechanisms responsible for bacterial‐induced carcinogenesis. During the last year, significant results were obtained on the role of bacterial factors essential for gastric colonisation such as spiral shape maintenance, orientation through chemotaxis and the formation of bacteria clonal population islands inside the gastric glands. Particularities of the H pylori cell surface, a structure important for immune escape, were demonstrated. New insights in the bacterial stress response revealed the importance of DNA methylation‐mediated regulation. Further findings were reported on H pylori components that mediate natural transformation and mechanisms of bacterial DNA horizontal transfer which maintain a high level of H pylori genetic variability. Within‐host evolution was found to be niche‐specific and probably associated with physiological differences between the antral and oxyntic gastric mucosa.

In addition, with the progress of CryoEM, high‐resolution structures of the major virulence factors, VacA and CagT4SS, were obtained. The use of gastric organoid models fostered research revealing, preferential accumulation of bacteria at the site of injury during infection. Several studies further characterised the role of CagA in the oncogenic properties of H pylori, identifying the activation of novel CagA‐dependent pathways, leading to the promotion of genetic instabilities, epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition and finally carcinogenesis. Recent studies also highlight that microRNA‐mediated regulation and epigenetic modifications, through DNA methylation, are key events in the H pylori‐induced tumorigenesis process.