bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gall- and erineum-forming Eriophyes mites alter photosynthesis and volatile emissions in an infection severity-dependent manner in broad-leaved trees Alnus glutinosa and Tilia cordata
Authors: Jiang Yifan , Ye Jiayan , Veromann-Jürgenson Linda-Liisa , Niinemets Ülo
Published: December 2020

Highly host-specific eriophyoid gall- and erineum-forming mites infest a limited range of broadleaf species, with the mites from the genus Eriophyes particularly widespread on Alnus spp. and Tilia spp. Once infected, the infections can be massive, covering a large part of leaf area and spreading through the plant canopy, but the effects of Eriophyes mite gall formation on the performance of host leaves are poorly understood. We studied the influence of three frequent Eriophyes infections, E. inangulis gall-forming mites on Alnus glutinosa, and E. tiliae gall-forming and E. exilis erineum-forming mites on Tilia cordata, on foliage morphology, chemistry, photosynthetic characteristics, and constitutive and induced volatile emissions. For all types of infections, leaf dry mass per unit area, net assimilation rate per area and stomatal conductance strongly decreased with increasing severity of infection. Mite infections resulted in enhancement or elicitation of emissions of fatty acid-derived volatiles, isoprene, benzenoids and carotenoid breakdown products in an infection severity-dependent manner for all different infections. Monoterpene emissions were strongly elicited in T. cordata mite infections, but these emissions were suppressed in E. inangulis-infected A. glutinosa. Although the overall level of mite-induced emissions was surprisingly low, these results highlight the uniqueness of the volatile profiles and offer opportunities for using volatile fingerprints and overall emission rates to diagnose infections by Eriophyes gall- and erineum-forming mites on temperate trees and assess their impact on the physiology of the affected trees.
Bible and Bibles
Authors: Coogan Michael
Published: December 2020

What is the Bible?

The Bible is the sacred scripture of Judaism and Christianity. In its pages we encounter some of the most memorable characters in world literature: Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Moses, Samson and Delilah, David and Bathsheba,...
The Contents of the Bible
Authors: Coogan Michael
Published: December 2020

What are the books of the Bible?

The Bible is divided into books. For easy reference, scholars in the Middle Ages divided the books into chapters (except for the very short books), and beginning in the fifteenth century the chapters into verses, just as study...
Biblical Values
Authors: Coogan Michael
Published: December 2020

What are the Bible’s highest values?

When the early first-century CE rabbi Hillel was asked by a prospective convert to explain the whole Torah while the prospective convert was standing on one foot, Hillel reportedly replied: “What is hateful to you, do not do to...
A High-Throughput Phenotyping Tool to Identify Field-Relevant Anthracnose Resistance in White Lupin
Authors: Alkemade Joris A. , Messmer Monika M. , Arncken Christine , Leska Agata , Annicchiarico Paolo , Nazzicari Nelson , Książkiewicz Michał , Voegele Ralf T. , Finckh Maria R. , Hohmann Pierre
Published: December 2020

The seed- and air-borne pathogen Colletotrichum lupini, the causal agent of lupin anthracnose, is the most important disease in white lupin (Lupinus albus) worldwide and can cause total yield loss. The aims of this study were to establish a reliable high-throughput phenotyping tool to identify anthracnose resistance in white lupin germplasm and to evaluate a genomic prediction model, accounting for previously reported resistance quantitative trait loci, on a set of independent lupin genotypes. Phenotyping under controlled conditions, performing stem inoculation on seedlings, showed to be applicable for high throughput, and its disease score strongly correlated with field plot disease assessments (r = 0.95, P < 0.0001) and yield (r = –0.64, P = 0.035). Traditional one-row field disease phenotyping showed no significant correlation with field plot disease assessments (r = 0.31, P = 0.34) and yield (r = –0.45, P = 0.17). Genomically predicted resistance values showed no correlation with values observed under controlled or field conditions, and the parental lines of the recombinant inbred line population used for constructing the prediction model exhibited a resistance pattern opposite to that displayed in the original (Australian) environment used for model construction. Differing environmental conditions, inoculation procedures, or population structure may account for this result. Phenotyping a diverse set of 40 white lupin accessions under controlled conditions revealed eight accessions with improved resistance to anthracnose. The standardized area under the disease progress curves (sAUDPC) ranged from 2.1 to 2.8, compared with the susceptible reference accession with a sAUDPC of 3.85. These accessions can be incorporated into white lupin breeding programs. In conclusion, our data support stem inoculation-based disease phenotyping under controlled conditions as a time-effective approach to identify field-relevant resistance, which can now be applied to further identify sources of resistance and their underlying genetics.
Recognizing Cross-Institutional Fiscal and Administrative Barriers and Facilitators to Conducting Community-Engaged Clinical and Translational Research
Authors: Carter-Edwards Lori , Grewe Mary E. , Fair Alecia M. , Jenkins Carolyn , Ray Natasha J. , Bilheimer Alicia , Dave Gaurav , Nunez-Smith Marcella , Richmond Alan , Wilkins Consuelo H.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This qualitative study examined fiscal and administrative (i.e., pre- and post-award grants process) barriers and facilitators to community-engaged research among stakeholders across 4 Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) institutions.

Method

A purposive sample of 24 key informants from 3 stakeholder groups—community partners, academic researchers, and research administrators—from the CTSA institutions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Medical University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Yale University participated. Semistructured interviews were conducted in March–July 2018, including questions about perceived challenges and best practices in fiscal and administrative processes in community-engaged research. Transcribed interviews were independently reviewed and analyzed using the Rapid Assessment Process to facilitate key theme and quote identification.

Results

Community partners were predominantly Black, academic researchers and research administrators were predominantly White, and women made up two-thirds of the overall sample. Five key themes were identified: level of partnership equity, partnership collaboration and communication, institutional policies and procedures, level of familiarity with varying fiscal and administrative processes, and financial management expectations. No stakeholders reported best practices for the institutional policies and procedures theme. Cross-cutting challenges included communication gaps between stakeholder groups; lack of or limits in supporting community partners’ fiscal capacity; and lack of collective awareness of each stakeholder group’s processes, procedures, and needs. Cross-cutting best practices centered on shared decision making and early and timely communication between all stakeholder groups in both pre- and post-award processes.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the importance of equitable processes, triangulated communication, transparency, and recognizing and respecting different financial management cultures within community-engaged research. This work can be a springboard used by CTSA institutions to build on available resources that facilitate co-learning and discussions between community partners, academic researchers, and research administrators on fiscal readiness and administrative processes for improved community-engaged research partnerships.
Prevalence of Asymmetric Hearing Among Adults in the United States
Authors: Suen Jonathan J. , Betz Joshua , Reed Nicholas S. , Deal Jennifer A. , Lin Frank R. , Goman Adele M.
Published: December 2020

Objective:

To estimate the national prevalence of asymmetric hearing among adults through applying two distinct audiometric criteria.

Study Design:

National cross-sectional survey.

Setting:

Ambulatory examination centers within the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Patients:

Non-institutionalized adults in the United States from the 2001 to 2012 cycles of NHANES aged 20 years and older with pure tone audiometric and tympanometric data (n = 6,190).

Intervention:

Standardized protocol for pure tone audiometry and tympanometry.

Main Outcome Measure:

Proportion of asymmetric hearing according to two distinct audiometric criteria. One criterion (American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery [AAO-HNS]) specifies asymmetry as a difference between pure tone averages (PTA) greater than 15 dB, and the other (Veterans Affairs [VA]) specifies asymmetry as a difference greater than/equal to 20 dB across two contiguous frequencies or 10 dB across three contiguous frequencies. Analyses included sampling weights to account for the epidemiologic survey's complex sampling design.

Results:

Using a definition from the AAO-HNS, overall prevalence was 2.77 and 9.46% when calculating the PTA with 0.5 to 4 kHz and 4 to 8 kHz, respectively. In contrast, through a working definition used within the VA, overall prevalence was 25.05% across 0.5 to 8 kHz. Estimates differed across sex and age, with men and older age cohorts exhibiting higher prevalence.

Conclusions:

A nationally-representative sample of US adults indicates higher prevalence of asymmetric hearing among men and older adult cohorts. There is currently no standard audiometric criterion for defining asymmetry, and prevalence estimates vary markedly depending on which audiometric criteria is used. Given the potentially high prevalence of asymmetry depending on criterion, clinicians should also consider other supplementary clinical data when recommending medical referral.
Genetic consultations in cases of unexplained fractures and haemorrhage: an evidence-based approach
Authors: Shur Natasha , Summerlin Maxwell L. , Robin Nathaniel H. , Moreno-Mendelson Adam , Shalaby-Rana Eglal , Hinds Tanya
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

When infants and young children present with suspected physical abuse, it is critical to follow standard guidelines and rule out alternative causes of fracture and haemorrhage. A multidisciplinary team involved in the initial evaluation typically includes paediatrics, radiology, child protective services and/or law enforcement, and in complex cases, haematology, neurology, and genetics. A comprehensive genetics consultation includes review of the history of present illness, birth and past medical history, review of growth curves, family history, physical examination, radiological findings, and when indicated, biochemical and/ or genetic testing.

Recent findings

A number of reports have mischaracterized several genetic disorders as child abuse mimics. There is a difference between a differential diagnosis, which includes every condition that can cause a fracture and/or subdural haemorrhage, and a mimic, so called because it can be difficult to differentiate from child abuse. In this review, we discuss the differential diagnosis for infantile fractures and subdural bleeds, highlight cardinal signs and symptoms of genetic disorders, and demonstrate that these genetic disorders can be readily differentiated and diagnosed using a stepwise approach. Genetic disorders rarely, if ever, are truly mimics of child physical abuse.

In cases of suspected child physical abuse, multidisciplinary evaluations by paediatric specialists, keen clinical judgment, complete physical examinations, and judicious testing provides an evidence-based, time tested approach to excluding genetic disorders and diagnosing suspected child physical abuse.
Update on premature physeal closure. Diagnosis and treatment
Authors: de Pablos Julio , Arenas-Miquelez Antonio , Arbeloa-Gutierrez Lucas
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

Premature Physeal Closure (PPC) is the most common consequence of a mostly posttraumatic, physeal injury. They are of utmost importance because they can significantly alter physeal function and lead to disorders such as limb length discrepancies and angular deformities.

Recent findings

The type of physeal fracture has not demonstrated a solid predictive value in the formation of PPC, especially in the knee where almost any type of fracture can produce it. The detection of physeal damage with imaging tests (simple radiology and MRI) is very accurate; however, their predictive capacity to foretell which injury will generate a physeal bridge is still poor. For this reason, it is not advisable to make surgical decisions at the first medical assessment. Direct surgical management of PPC's (resection-interposition technique) has generally shown high unpredictability. Nevertheless, the latest interposition materials (chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells) showed promising results.

PPC is an often devastating consequence of physeal injury and as such deserves further research. To date little is known about etiopathogenesis, risk factors and natural history among other aspects. Until direct surgery offers more consistent results, acute osteotomies and bone distraction for progressive correction continue to be the most widespread treatments for PPCs.
Developments in immunosuppression
Authors: Viklicky Ondrej , Slatinska Janka , Novotny Marek , Hruba Petra
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

In this review, we discuss achievements in immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients published at last 18 months.

Recent findings

Results of recent trials with everolimus in low-risk primary kidney transplant recipients suggest that lowTAC/EVR combination is noninferior and CMV and BKV viral infections are less frequent to standTAC/MPA. Iscalimab monoclonal antibody, which prevents CD40 to CD154 binding, has just recently entered phase II clinical studies in kidney transplantation. Eculizumab, anti-C5 monoclonal antobody was recently shown to improve outcomes in DSA+ living-donor kidney transplant recipients requiring pretransplant desensitization because of crossmatch positivity. Proximal complement C1 inhibition in patients with antibody-mediated rejection was studied in several phase I trials.

Recent knowledge creates a path towards future immunosuppression success in sensitized recipients and in those in high risk of viral infections or CNI nephrotoxicity.
The Impact of Aerobic Training on Cardiovascular Reactivity to and Recovery From Psychological and Orthostatic Challenge
Authors: Sloan Richard P. , Shapiro Peter A. , Lauriola Vincenzo , McIntyre Kathleen , Pavlicova Martina , Choi Chien-Wen Jean , Choo Tse-Hwei , Scodes Jennifer M.
Published: December 2020

Objective

Elevated cardiovascular reactivity to, and reduced recovery from, challenging events may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and exercise training may reduce this reactivity. However, in a randomized controlled trial of aerobic versus strength training in sedentary, healthy young adults, we found no training group differences in reactivity or recovery. Because strength training also may have a reactivity-reducing effect, we conducted a secondary analysis of data from another trial, this time with a wait-list control condition.

Methods

One hundred nineteen healthy, young, sedentary adults were randomized to a 12-week aerobic training program or wait-list control. Before (T1) and after (T2) training and after 4 weeks of sedentary deconditioning (T3), we measured heart rate (HR), heart rate variability, and blood pressure at rest and in response to and recovery from psychological and orthostatic challenge. Data were analyzed using a group (aerobic versus wait-list) by session (T1, T2, and deconditioning) and by period (baseline, psychological challenge, recovery, standing) three-way analysis of variance with prespecified contrasts.

Results

Aerobic capacity significantly increased at T2 and decreased at T3 only in the aerobic training group. The groups did not differ on HR, heart rate variability, or blood pressure reactivity to or recovery from challenge. Without baseline adjustment, there were no significant treatment differences in response to challenges. With baseline adjustment, there were significant treatment by session effects for HR (Cohen d = 0.54, p = .002), systolic blood pressure (d = 0.44, p = .014), diastolic blood pressure (d = 0.74, p = .002), and root mean squared successive difference (d = 0.48, p = .006) reactivity from T1 to T2 only for orthostatic challenge: at T2, reactivity in the aerobic group was nonsignificantly reduced, compared with T1. In the wait-list group, reactivity significantly increased after T1.

Conclusions

This study raises further doubt about attenuation of cardiovascular reactivity or enhancement of recovery as a cardioprotective mechanism of aerobic exercise training.

Clinical Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT01335737.
High-temperature treatments of niobium under high vacuum, dilute air- and nitrogen-atmospheres as investigated by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Klaes Jonas , Rothweiler Patrick , Bornmann Benjamin , Wagner Ralph , Lützenkirchen-Hecht Dirk
Published: December 2020

Niobium metal foils were heat-treated at 900°C under different conditions and in situ investigated with time-resolved X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS and XANES) measurements. The present study aims to mimic the conditions usually applied for heat treatments of Nb materials used for superconducting radiofrequency cavities, in order to better understand the evolving processes during vacuum annealing as well as for heat treatments in controlled dilute gases. Annealing in vacuum in a commercially available cell showed a substantial amount of oxidation, so that a designated new cell was designed and realized, allowing treatments under clean high-vacuum conditions as well as under well controllable gas atmospheres. The experiments performed under vacuum demonstrated that the original structure of the Nb foils is preserved, while a detailed evaluation of the X-ray absorption fine-structure data acquired during treatments in dilute air atmospheres (10−5 mbar to 10−3 mbar) revealed a linear oxidation with the time of the treatment, and an oxidation rate proportional to the oxygen (air) pressure. The structure of the oxide appears to be very similar to that of polycrystalline NbO. The cell also permits controlled exposures to other reactive gases at elevated temperatures; here the Nb foils were exposed to dilute nitrogen atmospheres after a pre-conditioning of the studied Nb material for one hour under high-vacuum conditions, in order to imitate typical conditions used for nitrogen doping of cavity materials. Clear structural changes induced by the N2 exposure were found; however, no evidence for the formation of niobium nitride could be derived from the EXAFS and XANES experiments. The presented results establish the feasibility to study the structural changes of the Nb materials in situ during heat treatments in reactive gases with temporal resolution, which are important to better understand the underlaying mechanisms and the dynamics of phase formation during those heat treatments in more detail.
Crystal structure of 2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetophenone oxime
Authors: Akduran Nurcan
Published: December 2020

The title compound [systematic name: 2-(N-hydroxyimino)-1,2-diphenylethanol], C14H13NO2, consists of hydroxy phenylacetophenone and oxime units, in which the phenyl rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 80.54 (7)°. In the crystal, intermolecular O—HOxm...NOxm, O—HHydr...OHydr, O—H′Hydr...OHydr and O—HOxm...OHydr hydrogen bonds link the molecules into infinite chains along the c-axis direction. π–π contacts between inversion-related of the phenyl ring adjacent to the oxime group have a centroid–centroid separation of 3.904 (3) Å and a weak C—H...π(ring) interaction is also observed. A Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H...H (58.4%) and H...C/C...H (26.4%) contacts. Hydrogen bonding and van der Waals contacts are the dominant interactions in the crystal packing.
Online resources supporting workers with chronic episodic disabilities: an environmental scan
Authors: Van Eerd Dwayne , Bowring Julie , Jetha Arif , Breslin F. Curtis , Gignac Monique A.M.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to conduct an environmental scan describing publicly available resources focussed on working with an episodic disability and providing information and advice about communication and accommodation to support working people living with episodic disabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an environmental scan of English language, freely available, online resources relevant to episodic disabilities in the workplace. The authors used Google™ to conduct structured keyword searches. Resources were reviewed and data extracted about episodic health condition(s) addressed, intended audience(s), resource format and content about health, legal rights, workplace issues, and accommodation and communication needs.

Findings

Searches yielded 5,300 links to websites which was supplemented by 101 links identified by partners. Screening for relevance found 210 resources for which data were extracted. Of them, 158 addressed specific episodic disabilities or episodic disabilities generally. Most resources provided useful information addressing communication and accommodation of episodic disability. However, information specific to the episodic nature of disability was not consistently available. The resources generally lacked interactivity which could potentially limit users in applying the information to their personal circumstances.

Practical implications

The findings suggest there are good resources to help workers and managers/supervisors navigate accommodations for episodic disabilities. Research should aim to improve the interactivity of information to personalize resources to worker and workplace needs, as well as formally evaluate resources and their outcomes. Practitioners may wish to recommend resources that specifically address workplace challenges for their clients.

Originality/value

The authors believe this is one of few studies that examined publicly available resources relevant to working with episodic disabilities.
Solid–liquid two-phase flow and erosion calculation of butterfly valves at small opening based on DEM method
Authors: Xu Benliang , Zhu Zuchao , Lin Zhe , Wang Dongrui
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The study aims to decrease the effect of solid particles on a butterfly valve, which will cause seal failure and leakage, providing a reference for anti-wear design.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, computational fluid dynamics discrete element method (CFD-DEM) simulation was conducted to study the solid–liquid two-phase flow characteristics and erosion characteristics of a butterfly valve with a different opening.

Findings

Abrasion at 10% opening is affected by high-speed jets in upper and lower parts of the pipeline, where the erosion is intense. The impact of the jet on the upper part of 20% opening begins to weaken. With the top backflow vortex disappearing, the effect of lower jet is enhanced. Meanwhile, the bottom backflow vortex phenomenon is obvious, and the abrasion position moves downward. At 30% opening, the velocity is further weakened, and the circulation effect of lower flow channel is more obvious than that of the upper one.

Originality/value

It is the first time to use DEM to investigate the two-phase flow and erosion characteristics at a small opening of a butterfly valve, considering the effect of inter-particle collision. Therefore, this study carries on the thorough analysis and discussion. At the same opening degree, with increasing of the particle size, the abrasion of valve frontal surface increases when the size is less than 150 µm and decreases when it is greater than 150 µm. For the valve backflow surface, this boundary value becomes 200 µm.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2020-0264/
Growth effect of foreign direct investment and financial development: new insights from a threshold approach
Authors: An Thu-Ha Thi , Yeh Kuo-Chun
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth contingent on the development level of the local financial system in emerging and developing Asia during the period 1996–2017.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts the threshold approach, namely the panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model, for the annual data collection of 18 emerging and developing Asian countries in 22 years. The authors analyze the alternative PSTR models on different proxies of financial development (FD).

Findings

The results show new findings of two distinct thresholds of FD in the FDI–growth nexus. The growth-enhancing effect of FDI is realized only when the FD lies between the two threshold values. Notably, at very high levels of FD, the beneficial effect of FDI on growth is vanishing.

Originality/value

The authors provide new insights into the growth effect of FDI and the role of FD. The estimated nonlinear effect of FDI on growth and the thresholds of FD can be benchmarks for emerging and developing Asia in assessment of their situations. The results suggest important implications to the region in setting the long-run policies to boost the effect of FDI on economic growth.
Never waste a good crisis
Authors: O'Brien Linda
Published: December 2020

Purpose

COVID-19 is no different. It presents us with opportunities to accelerate some changes we may already have in play, to either challenge some long-held assumptions or to think more creatively about new ways of working.

Design/methodology/approach

Crises almost always bring to light not only threats but also opportunities, including a chance to reflect and learn. The author of this study is never the one to waste the opportunity that externally driven change creates to learn from what she has been witnessing and to accelerate change that she was already planning, to stop some things and start others which more effectively align with the vision of the organisation.

Findings

This paper charts a course through some of the author’s thinking and actions in the digital information world over the last 30 years. Partly it is a story of “the more things change the more they stay the same” and partly a story of “overnight change which has been decades in the making”. It ends with the author’s thoughts on two opportunities that she believes we cannot afford to ignore.

Originality/value

This paper charts a course through some of the author’s thinking and actions in the digital information world over the last 30 years. Its premise is that COVID-19 creates a fertile ground for library and information professionals to grasp the opportunities before them to realise aspirations which have been long held.
Supportive organizational climate: a moderated mediation model of workplace bullying and employee well-being
Authors: Hayat Aamir , Afshari Leila
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Drawing from conservation of resources theory, this study explores how perceived organizational support mitigates the adverse consequences of workplace bullying on employee well-being mediated through burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

The data (N = 360) were collected from the hotel sector in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings demonstrated that workplace bullying not only has a direct negative impact on employee well-being but it also indirectly leads to diminished employee well-being by increasing employee burnout. In addition, the findings confirmed the moderating role of perceived organizational support, revealing that perceived organizational support plays a mitigating role in linking workplace bullying to employee well-being and burnout. Employees who experience workplace bullying may compensate for the depletion of their cognitive resources if they feel supported by their organization.

Practical implications

This study highlights the utility of managing workplace bullying to improve employee well-being and encourages human resource practitioners to develop policies that prevent workplace bullying.

Originality/value

The current research contributes to the validation of theory by examining the impact of workplace bullying on employee well-being in a cultural context with high power distance and subsequently, higher tolerance for workplace bullying. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is the first to investigate the moderating role of perceived organizational support on the meditated relationship between workplace bullying and employee well-being in Pakistan. Furthermore, the current study employs the conservation of resources theory to explore how employees obtain external resources such as organizational support to enhance their resource repository in handling workplace bullying.
The relationship between poor CSR performance and hard, negative CSR information disclosures
Authors: Jeriji Maher , Louhichi Waël
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between hard, negative corporate social responsibility (CSR) information disclosure and corporate social performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a generalised least squares panel data analysis based on a sample of firms ranked in the Fortune Global 500 for the period 2013–2016. Robustness check tests were conducted to limit endogeneity concerns.

Findings

The results show that in line with strategic legitimacy theory, agency theory and organisational stigma theory, poor sustainability performers disclose a low quality of hard, negative CSR information.

Practical implications

This paper provides guidance for stakeholders to identify good and poor CSR performers by better understanding whether corporate CSR reports are more likely to be symbolic or substantive when considering the amount of hard, negative content in their CSR stand-alone reports.

Social implications

The research highlights the opportunistic behaviour of CSR reporting, which is used more as a legitimation device than as an accountability mechanism. Thi

Originality/value

Although numerous studies have investigated the association between the level of corporate social disclosure (CSD) and corporate social performance, no research has focussed on hard, negative CSD. Also, an index that captures the disclosure quality rather than the quantity of negative CSR information was constructed.
Drivers of income inequality in Africa: Does institutional quality matter?
Authors: Kunawotor Mark Edem , Bokpin Godfred Alufar , Barnor Charles
Published: December 2020

This paper examines the role institutional quality plays amongst the empirical drivers of income inequality in Africa. Using a dynamic two‐step difference GMM with robust standard errors over the period 1990–2017, we find no statistically significant effect of institutions in general, on income inequality. However, we find that institutional quality indicators such as control of corruption and the strict enforcement of the rule of law significantly reduce income inequality. We also find no statistically significant effects of the other institutional quality indicators such as government effectiveness, voice and accountability, regulatory quality and political stability on income inequality in our sample. We suggest that more premium be placed on corruption control and the stringent adherence to the rule of law in ensuring equitable distribution of income in Africa. Furthermore, we re‐echo suggestions that promote institutional development in Africa as institutions in general remain very weak.
Catching the White Fish: gossip and cocaine on Colombia's Northern Pacific coast
Authors: Acosta García Nicolás
Published: December 2020

What is life like after drift‐cocaine arrives in a village on Colombia's Northern Pacific coast? Drift‐cocaine is a side‐effect of the interdiction of drug transport boats heading towards Central and North America as part of the US‐Colombian War on Drugs. Villagers refer to drift‐cocaine as the White Fish. Through ethnographic engagement with Afro‐descendant peoples in Chocó, this article explores the effects and relations that emerge from an ocean turned into an amphitheatre of fishing livelihoods, drug traffickers, and military operations. By taking seriously the White Fish as the way people refer to cocaine, I focus on gossip and rumour as the strategies they employ to discuss the pervasive effects of the drug trade. I trace three interrelated discussions – concerning violence, cocaine, and the White Fish – in order to argue for the usefulness of gossip and rumour in investigative ethnographies of violence.
The primary, secondary, and structures of higher levels of pectin polysaccharides
Authors: Zdunek Artur , Pieczywek Piotr M. , Cybulska Justyna
Published: December 2020

Pectin is a heteropolysaccharide abundant in the cell wall of plants and is obtained mainly from fruit (citrus and apple), thus its properties are particularly prone to changes occurring during ripening process. Properties of pectin depend on the string‐like structure (conformation, stiffness) of the molecules that determines their mutual interaction and with the surrounding environment. Therefore, in this review the primary, secondary, and structures of higher levels of pectin chains are discussed in relation to external factors including crosslinking mechanisms. The review shows that the primary structure of pectin is relatively well known, however, we still know little about the conformation and properties of the more realistic systems of higher orders involving side chains, functional groups, and complexes of pectin domains. In particular, there is lack of knowledge on the influence of postharvest changes and extraction method on the primary and secondary structure of pectin that would affect conformation in a given environment and assembly to higher structural levels. Exploring the above‐mentioned issues will allow to improve our understanding of pectin functionality and will help to tailor new functionalities for the food industry based on natural but often biologically variable source. The review also demonstrates that atomic force microscopy is a very convenient and adequate tool for the evaluation of pectin conformation since it allows for the relatively straightforward stretching of the pectin molecule in order to measure the force‐extension curve which is directly related to its stiffness or flexibility.
Alcohol Compliance Checks and Underage Alcohol‐Involved Crashes: Evaluation of a Statewide Enforcement Program in South Carolina from 2006 to 2016
Authors: George Michael D. , Holder Rachel , Shamblen Steve , Nienhius Michelle M. , Holder Harold D.
Published: December 2020

Objective

This research evaluated the South Carolina Alcohol Enforcement Team impact for reducing retail alcohol access to underage persons to decrease drinking and driving crashes among that population.

Methods

The natural research experiment used interrupted time‐series (ITS) analyses of drinking and driving crashes involving under 21‐year‐old drivers from July 2006 through December 2016 (126‐month period = 4,782 Driving Under Influence [DUI] crashes for under 21‐year‐old drivers, µ = 38 crashes per month). Additional data analyzed included the monthly total number of retail compliance checks (total during 126‐month period = 64,954 compliance checks completed, µ = 515.5 checks per month), the average percentage of underage alcohol purchases (total completed during 126‐month period = 8,814 purchases, µ = 70 purchases per month), and a calculated measure of the percent of the population under 21 years old exposed to compliance checks each month. We used drinking and driving crashes for 21‐year‐old and over drivers as a control time series (total number over a 126‐month period = 52,180 DUI crashes for 21 and older drivers, µ = 414.1 crashes per month).

Results

The results show a decline in drinking and driving crashes for drivers under 21 when compliance checks increase, and when compliance checks decline, traffic crashes increase. Stable Alcohol Enforcement Team implementation over 78 months produced an overall 18 to 29% decline in such crashes. A visual examination of the crash time series demonstrated that under‐21‐age‐driver crashes declined during the first wave of implementation and increased following a lag when enforcement declined, which provided additional empirical support for a South Carolina Alcohol Enforcement Team impact on retail alcohol availability. An ITS analysis of the prestable period compared to the stable period was statistically significant (T = −3.78, p < 0.001). A cross‐check of these results using single‐vehicle nighttime crashes using identical Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average models was also statistically significant (T = −8.18, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This longitudinal study provides strong evidence of sustained reductions in alcohol availability to underage youth can subsequently reduce alcohol‐related traffic crashes. Reductions found in this study continued over several years, considerably longer than any previous equivalent research has shown.
10Be surface exposure dating of the deglaciation of northernmost Norway and Finland
Authors: Anjar Johanna , Akçar Naki , Lakeman Thomas , Larsen Eiliv A. , Seiler Martin
Published: December 2020

During the Last Glacial Maximum, the coast of Finnmark county, northern Norway, was covered by the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS), which coalesced with the Barents Sea Ice Sheet (BSIS) off the coast. The region is thus important for our understanding of the dynamic interactions between the BSIS and the SIS, yet it remains one of the least dated regions covered by the SIS. To improve the chronological constraints, we present 23 new 10Be ages from eight localities in northernmost Norway and Finland, and discuss implications for the pattern and timing of ice‐sheet retreat in the region. The samples were collected along a 240‐km‐long north–south transect ranging from the outer coast of Nordkinn peninsula (Norway) to Lake Inarijärvi (Finland). The new exposure ages indicate deglaciation of the outer coast at ~14.5 ka. From there, the ice retreated southward until it reached the Main substage moraine complex just north of the Norwegian‐Finnish border during the Younger Dryas. South of the Main substage moraines the deglaciation appears to have become more rapid, eventually reaching Inari, at the southern end of our transect, around 10.4±1.4 ka.
High‐content screening identifies inhibitors of oxidative stress‐induced parthanatos: cytoprotective and anti‐inflammatory effects of ciclopirox
Authors: Regdon Zsolt , Demény Máté A. , Kovács Katalin , Hajnády Zoltán , Nagy‐Pénzes Máté , Bakondi Edina , Kiss Alexandra , Hegedűs Csaba , Virág László
Published: December 2020

Background and Purpose

Excessive oxidative stress can induce PARP1‐mediated programmed necrotic cell death, termed parthanatos. Inhibition of parthanatos may be therapeutically beneficial in a wide array of diseases associated with tissue injury and inflammation. Our goal was to identify novel molecules inhibiting parthanatos.

Experimental Approach

A small library of 774 pharmacologically active compounds was screened in a Sytox Green uptake assay, which identified 20 hits that reduced hydrogen‐peroxide‐induced parthanatos with an efficiency comparable to the benchmark PARP inhibitor, PJ34.

Key Results

Of these hits, two compounds, antifungal ciclopirox and dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine, inhibited PAR polymer synthesis. These two compounds prevented the binding of PARP1 to oxidatively damaged DNA but did not directly interfere with the interaction between DNA and PARP1. Both compounds inhibited mitochondrial superoxide and H2O2 production and suppressed DNA breakage. Since H2O2‐induced damage is dependent on Fe2+‐catalysed hydroxyl radical production (Fenton chemistry), we determined the iron chelation activity of the two test compounds and found that ciclopirox and, to a lesser extent, apomorphine act as iron chelators. We also show that the Fe2+ chelation and indirect PARP inhibitory effects of ciclopirox translate to anti‐inflammatory actions as demonstrated in a mouse dermatitis model, where ciclopirox reduced ear swelling, inflammatory cell recruitment and poly(ADP‐ribosyl)ation.

Conclusion and Implications

Our findings indicate that the antimycotic drug, ciclopirox, acts as an iron chelator and thus targets an early event in hydrogen‐peroxide‐induced parthanatos. Ciclopirox has the potential to be repurposed as a cytoprotective and anti‐inflammatory agent.
Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination for infants born preterm: predicting outcomes other than cerebral palsy
Authors: Romeo Domenico M , Cowan Frances M , Haataja Leena , Ricci Daniela , Pede Elisa , Gallini Francesca , Cota Francesco , Brogna Claudia , Vento Giovanni , Romeo Mario G , Mercuri Eugenio
Published: December 2020

Aim

We explored the ability of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) to identify typical and delayed cognitive performance in a large population of infants born preterm, both with and without cerebral palsy (CP).

Method

We conducted a retrospective study of infants born preterm who had repeated HINEs between 3 and 12 months corrected age. At 2 years, cognition was assessed using the Mental Development Index (MDI; from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition) and the presence and severity of CP was determined. All children were classified as cognitively typical/mildly delayed or significantly delayed (MDI <70) and CP. The predictive validity of HINE scores for significantly delayed cognitive performance, in children with and without CP, was calculated using specific cut‐off scores according to age at assessment.

Results

Of 1229 eligible infants (gestational age 25–36wks, mean [SD] 34.9 [2.3]; 646 males, 583 females), 1108 did not develop CP, 891 had an MDI that was typical/mildly delayed, and 217 had an MDI less than 70. Of the 121 infants who developed CP, the MDI was typical in 28, mildly delayed in 27, and less than 70 in 66. HINE scores showed a good sensitivity and specificity, especially after 3 months, for detecting significantly delayed cognitive performance in infants without CP. In those who developed CP, the score was associated with their cognitive level.

Interpretation

The HINE provides information about the risk of delayed cognitive performance in infants born preterm with and without CP.

What this paper adds

The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) can be used in the first year to identify infants born preterm at risk for delayed cognitive performance.

Age‐dependent HINE cut‐off scores are proposed for detecting increased risk of delayed cognitive performance.
Dung beetle trophic ecology: are we misunderstanding resources attraction?
Authors: Giménez Gómez Victoria C. , Verdú José R. , Velazco Santiago J.E. , Zurita Gustavo A.
Published: December 2020

Trophic ecology of dung beetles has been widely studied because of the important ecological role of these taxa. However, previous studies have focused on a limited number of potential food items (mainly vertebrate dung and carrion) and have used only one approach (either field or laboratory). Moreover, recent studies showed high abundance of dung beetles in defaunated areas with a low abundance of these resources.

In this study, we combined a field and laboratory approach to explore dung beetle trophic attraction to different potential native resources in the Atlantic forest; and we evaluated whether results can explain the high abundance of dung beetles in defaunated areas. Through laboratory olfactometry experiments, we first exposed individuals to vertebrate carrion, omnivorous dung, and decomposing fungi. Then, we exposed species that exhibited a preference for dung to monkey, tapir, and feline dung; and those that preferred carrion and decomposing fungi to chicken, cow meat, and arthropod carcasses. We compared trophic attractions in the field and laboratory conditions with generalised additive models.

We found that coprophagous species preferred monkey dung, and all necrophagous and sapro‐necrophagous species preferred arthropod carcasses. These results suggest that the importance of arthropods carcasses as an important resource for dung beetles has been largely underestimated.

The results of this study might provide an explanation for the high abundance of necrophagous and sapro‐necrophagous dung beetles in defaunated areas. In addition, the use of omnivorous dung and arthropod carcasses could be an effective sampling method for dung beetle assemblages.
Behavioural response ofBrachionus calyciflorusto the predatorAsplanchna sieboldii
Authors: Zhang Huan , He Yuhan , He Liang , Yao Hui , Xu Jun
Published: December 2020

To deal with predation threats, many prey organisms have evolved anti‐predator defences in both morphology and behaviour. Aquatic rotifers were among the first model organisms for studying inducible defences and studies mainly focused on predator‐induced morphological defences. Despite this, we still lack a good understanding of predator‐induced behavioural defences in rotifers.

In this study, we conducted three laboratory induction experiments to investigatefloatingbehavioural responses of the prey rotiferBrachionus calyciflorusto the presence of the predatorAsplanchna sieboldiiand its chemical cues. Two experiments used liveA. sieboldiiand one usedA. sieboldii‐conditioned medium. Subsequently, we examined the protective effects of floating behaviour against predation byAsplanchnaby performing predation experiment.

We show thatB. calyciflorushas a pronounced behavioural response toA. sieboldiiand that this response can be induced by both exposure to liveA. sieboldiiand toAsplanchna‐conditioned medium. We also found that.B. calycifloruscan respond with floating behaviour immediately within 10 min when exposed toAsplanchna‐conditioned medium.

We also provide the first experimental evidence that the floating behaviour ofB. calyciflorusreduces the predation rate fromA. sieboldiiby about 50%, and effectively protects them from consumption by this predator. Thus, we concluded thatB. calycifloruscan sense chemical cues released during predation byA. sieboldiiand use behaviour as a defence, escaping to the water surface as a refuge, thereby reducing predation risk.

Our results represent a novel addition to our fundamental knowledge on how prey may not be passive victims, but rather actively use inducible behavioural defences to counteract their vulnerability to predators.