bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘the personal clutter… the painterly mess…’ Tracing a History of Carolee Schneemann's Interior Scroll
Authors: Horne Victoria
Published: September 2020

Carolee Schneemann's performance Interior Scroll has become iconic in twentieth‐century art history, yet little attention has been directed towards the artist's uncommonly active management of her work's reception and historicization. Schneemann seized the opportunities created by contemporary art's expanding publishing culture to document and disseminate her work as a professional artist, and communicated with a coterie of writers, curators and historians to generate a space for her work in the art‐historical archive. This point of agential labour was essential for a woman artist working prior to, and alongside, the emergence of second‐wave feminism. In this essay Schneemann's insistence on ‘clutter’ and ‘mess’ is adopted as a means of conceptualizing the artist's passionate and persistent incursions within art history. It proposes Interior Scroll as a keystone for understanding Schneemann's extensive multimedia outputs, by reading the performance and its reception in relation to the framework of écriture féminine, a popular notion in poststructuralist feminist philosophy at the time of the work's production.
‘We're responsible for the diagnosis and for finding help’. The help‐seeking trajectories of families of children on the autism spectrum
Authors: Courcy Isabelle , des Rivières‐Pigeon Catherine
Published: September 2020

This article focuses on parents' process of seeking help for their child when a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is made or suspected. The study was conducted with 18 parents of children aged 4–10 years in Quebec (Canada). A trajectory‐network approach was applied in order to carry out an in‐depth analysis of family help‐seeking trajectories based on the relationships mobilised (or neglected) over time and on life course events that may have precipitated (or hindered) help‐seeking actions. Semi‐directed interviews based on a name generator were conducted. A qualitative analysis of the content of family narratives was done and followed by the production of a schematic representation of each families' help‐seeking trajectory. The results identified four constitutive phases during which relationships within the family, within associations, or with health and social services or education professionals helped or hindered the help‐seeking process. The results show the relevance of the proposed approach for analysing the help‐seeking process and better supporting families of children on the autism spectrum.
Predictors of single word spelling in English speaking children: a cross sectional study
Authors: Niolaki Georgia Z. , Vousden Janet , Terzopoulos Aris R. , Taylor Laura M. , Sephton Shani , Masterson Jackie
Published: September 2020

Background

The study aimed to explore to what extent variables associated with lexical and sublexical spelling processes predicted single word spelling ability and whether patterns of lexical and sublexical processes were different across ages.

Methods

Beginning (mean age 7 years, N = 144) and advanced (mean age 9 years, N = 114) English‐speaking spellers completed tasks associated with sublexical processing (phonological ability and phonological short‐term memory), lexical processing (visual short‐term memory and visual attention span) and factors known to predict spelling (e.g., rapid automatised naming).

Results

Phonological ability, rapid automatised naming, visual short‐term memory and visual attention span were significant predictors of spelling accuracy for beginning spellers, while for more advanced spellers, only visual attention span was a significant predictor.

Conclusions

The findings suggested that for beginning spellers, both lexical and sublexical processes are important for single word spelling, but with increasing literacy experience, lexically related variables are more important.
Macroeconomic, institutional, and sectoral determinants of outward foreign direct investment: Evidence from Japan
Authors: Chiappini Raphael , Viaud François
Published: September 2020

This paper empirically explores the determinants of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Japanese manufacturing sector. We estimate a gravity model of FDI for 30 host countries covering the period 2005–2017, using Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood to tackle the issue of zero‐value observations. The results indicate that Japanese overseas investments are not only driven by traditional factors, such as market size, the yen real exchange rate, trade openness, differences in perception of corruption, and financial instability, but also by industry characteristics. In particular, we find that low technological industries characterized by growing labour costs are more likely to be relocated abroad. Furthermore, we demonstrate nonlinearities in the determinants of Japanese overseas investments depending on the host country's development, the host country's region, and the category of FDI implemented (vertical vs horizontal).
Is the Self other to the self? Why does the numinosum feel like another? The relevance of Matte Blanco to our understanding of the unconscious
Authors: Corbett Lionel
Published: September 2020

Using Ignacio Matte Blanco’s approach to the unconscious, this paper attempts to explain why the experience of the Self or the unconscious, for example in dreams, is difficult for the ego to understand. Matte Blanco believes that the logic of the unconscious is radically different from the logic of consciousness. The unconscious uses processes that Matte Blanco refers to as symmetry and generalization. Symmetry means that the converse of any relationship is identical to it, so that asymmetrical relationships are treated as if they were symmetrical. Generalization means that the unconscious treats any object as belonging to a larger class of objects that is a subset of an even larger class which is in turn a subset of a wider class ad infinitum. Hence Matte Blanco’s idea of the unconscious as infinite sets. These unconscious mechanisms, combined with the possibility that the unconscious has more dimensions than consciousness, contribute to the difficulty of understanding dreams, and help to explain why the Self is experienced as other to the ego.
Global incidence of caesarean deliveries on maternal request: a systematic review and meta‐regression
Authors: Begum T , Saif‐Ur‐Rahman KM , Yaqoot F , Stekelenburg J , Anuradha S , Biswas T , Doi SA , Mamun AA
Published: September 2020

Background

Caesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) is considered a significant contributor to the unprecedented increase in caesarean deliveries (CDs) for nonclinical reasons. Current literature lacks a reliable assessment of the rate of CDMR, which hinders the planning and delivery of appropriate interventions for reducing CDMR rates.

Objectives

To conduct a systematic review of the literature and meta‐regression to explore the global incidence of CDMR.

Search strategy

PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Medline, Google scholar and grey literature were searched from January 1985 to May 2019.

Selection criteria

Observational studies that report CDMR data were included. We excluded non‐English articles, case notes, editorial reviews and articles reporting elective CDs from pregnancy risk factors.

Data collection and analysis

Two reviewers independently conducted the screening and quality appraisal using a validated tool. The weighted average of CDMR over total deliveries (absolute proportion) and by total CDs (relative proportion) were generated. Quality‐effects meta‐regression was used to explain the variability of the CDMR estimates by moderators, including study methodology and demography of study participants.

Main results

We identified 31 articles from 14 countries that include 5 million total births. The absolute proportion of CDMR varies between 0.2 and 42.0%, with significant variations across studies and subgroups. The economic status of the country and study year together explained 84% of the absolute and 76% of the relative proportion of CDMR variation.

Conclusions

An appropriate reporting of CDMR should be a key priority in maternal health policies and practices.

Tweetable abstract

Globally, the proportion of maternal requested caesarean delivery has mostly been influenced by the economic status of the country.
Homicide by unusual‐edged weapons: Forensic considerations of two cases
Authors: Karray Narjes , Dedouit Fabrice , Dubois Clarisse , Savall Frederic , Telmon Norbert
Published: September 2020

Homicide by stab wound is common worldwide. However, the use of unusual edged weapons is rarely reported in the forensic literature. Here, we report two cases of homicide involving a Japanese sword, or katana, and a sickle. Both of these weapons can create either stab or incised wounds with some particularities. In our cases, characteristics of the external wounds, internal injuries, and the depth of penetration raised the possibility of an unusual weapon. Meticulous forensic examination of these injuries (morphological characteristics, depth of penetration, trajectories, and cut marks in the bone) may allow the forensic expert to determine the type of weapon used.
Characterization of robust Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus starter cultures for environmentally friendly low‐salt cucumber fermentations
Authors: Anekella Kartheek , Pérez‐Díaz Ilenys M.
Published: September 2020

Seven candidates for starter cultures for cucumber fermentations belonging to the Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactobacillus plantarum species were characterized based on physiological features desired for pickling. The isolates presented variable carbohydrate utilization profile on API® 50CHL test strips. The L. pentosus strains were unable to utilize d‐xylose in MRS broth or the M medium. The lactobacilli were unable to produce histamine, tyramine, putrescine, and cadaverine in biogenic amine broth containing the necessary precursors. Production of d‐lactic acid by the lactobacilli, detected enzymatically, was stimulated by growth in MRS broth as compared to cucumber juice medium (CJM). The lactobacilli utilized malic acid in the malate decarboxylase medium. Exopolyssacharide biosynthesis related genes were amplified from the lactobacilli. A sugar type‐dependent‐ropy phenotype was apparent for all the cultures tested in MRS and CJM. The genes associated with bacteriocin production were detected in the lactobacilli, but not the respective phenotypes. The antibiotic susceptibility profile of the lactobacilli mimics that of other L. plantarum starter cultures. It is concluded that the lactobacilli strains studied here are suitable starter cultures for cucumber fermentation.

Practical Application

The availability of such starter cultures enables the implementation of low salt cucumber fermentations that can generate products with consistent biochemistry and microbiological profile.
The novel insecticides flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor do not act synergistically with viral pathogens in reducing honey bee (Apis mellifera) survival but sulfoxaflor modulates host immunocompetence
Authors: Al Naggar Yahya , Paxton Robert J.
Published: September 2020

The decline of insect pollinators threatens global food security. A major potential cause of decline is considered to be the interaction between environmental stressors, particularly between exposure to pesticides and pathogens. To explore pesticide–pathogen interactions in an important pollinator insect, the honey bee, we used two new nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist insecticides (nACHRs), flupyradifurone (FPF) and sulfoxaflor (SULF), at sublethal and field‐realistic doses in a fully crossed experimental design with three common viral honey bee pathogens, Black queen cell virus (BQCV) and Deformed wing virus (DWV) genotypes A and B. Through laboratory experiments in which treatments were administered singly or in combination to individual insects, we recorded harmful effects of FPF and pathogens on honey bee survival and immune gene expression. Though we found no evidence of synergistic interactions among stressors on either honey bee survival or viral load, the combined treatment SULF and DWV‐B led to a synergistic upregulation of dicer‐like gene expression. We conclude that common viral pathogens pose a major threat to honey bees, while co‐exposure to these novel nACHR insecticides does not significantly exacerbate viral impacts on host survival in the laboratory.
Hydro‐Climatic Drought in the Delaware River Basin
Authors: McCabe Gregory J. , Wolock David M.
Published: September 2020

The Delaware River Basin (DRB) supplies water to approximately 15 million people and is essential to agriculture and industry. In this study, a monthly water balance model is used to compute monthly water balance components (i.e., potential evapotranspiration, actual evapotranspiration, and runoff [R]) for the DRB for the 1901 through 2015 period. Water‐year R is used to identify drought periods in the basin and seven drought periods were identified. All but one of the drought periods occurred before about 1970; after this date, precipitation increased in the DRB and droughts were infrequent. The seven droughts were largely driven by precipitation deficits, rather than by unusually warm temperatures. For six of the seven droughts, the precipitation deficits were associated with atmospheric pressure patterns that resulted in northerly wind anomalies (i.e., conditions that deviate from the long‐term mean) over the basin that indicate an anomalous flow of dry air from the North American continent into the DRB. An examination of drought events estimated from a tree ring–based reconstruction of the Palmer Drought Severity Index for the 490 through 2005 time period indicates that although there were some DRB droughts that were longer and more severe during previous centuries, the DRB droughts during 1901 through 2015 were comparable in duration and severity to most drought events during previous centuries.
Atmospheric Wet Deposition of Organic Carbon and Dissolved Nitrogen in City, Countryside and Nature Reserve of Subtropical China
Authors: Zhou Wenbo , Xiang Wenhua , You Yuyu , Ouyang Shuai , Zhao Zhonghui , Zhang Shengli , Zeng Yelin , Li Jiangrong , Wang Jiurong , Wang Kelin
Published: September 2020

The atmospheric wet deposition was higher in subtropical China because of rapid economic growth in past decades and high humidity weather. One‐year measurement of wet deposition of organic carbon (C) and dissolved nitrogen (N) was carried out at three sites (Changsha city, Huitong agriculture county, and Dashanchong nature reserve) in Hunan Province. Taking the nature reserve as the control, we make a comparative analysis of the characteristics in atmospheric wet deposition between city and countryside. The concentrations and wet depositions of total and each component of C and N were the lowest in the nature reserve, indicating that human activities significantly increase the atmospheric wet deposition. The concentrations and the wet deposition fluxes of particulate organic C,

‐N, and dissolved organic N (DON) were the highest in the city, whereas the corresponding values of dissolved organic C (DOC) and

‐N were the highest in the countryside. Except for DON, the concentrations of DOC,

‐N, and

‐N changed significantly with rainfall characteristics (rainfall amount, intensity, and weather conditions). Our study supplements the wet deposition data as a baseline for exploring future changes in subtropical China. Meanwhile, the lowest wet depositions in nature reserve imply that the reduction of anthropogenic emission is essential to minimizing the adverse effects of the increased atmospheric deposition.
A chromosome‐level genome assembly of the woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum Hausmann (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Biello Roberto , Singh Archana , Godfrey Cindayniah J. , Fernández Felicidad Fernández , Mugford Sam T. , Powell Glen , Hogenhout Saskia A. , Mathers Thomas C.
Published: September 2020

Woolly apple aphid (WAA, Eriosoma lanigerum Hausmann) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a major pest of apple trees (Malus domestica, order Rosales) and is critical to the economics of the apple industry in most parts of the world. Here, we generated a chromosome‐level genome assembly of WAA—representing the first genome sequence from the aphid subfamily Eriosomatinae—using a combination of 10X Genomics linked‐reads and in vivo Hi‐C data. The final genome assembly is 327 Mb, with 91% of the assembled sequences anchored into six chromosomes. The contig and scaffold N50 values are 158 kb and 71 Mb, respectively, and we predicted a total of 28,186 protein‐coding genes. The assembly is highly complete, including 97% of conserved arthropod single‐copy orthologues based on Benchmarking Universal Single‐Copy Orthologs (busco) analysis. Phylogenomic analysis of WAA and nine previously published aphid genomes, spanning four aphid tribes and three subfamilies, reveals that the tribe Eriosomatini (represented by WAA) is recovered as a sister group to Aphidini + Macrosiphini (subfamily Aphidinae). We identified syntenic blocks of genes between our WAA assembly and the genomes of other aphid species and find that two WAA chromosomes (El5 and El6) map to the conserved Macrosiphini and Aphidini X chromosome. Our high‐quality WAA genome assembly and annotation provides a valuable resource for research in a broad range of areas such as comparative and population genomics, insect–plant interactions and pest resistance management.
Urine as a high‐quality source of host genomic DNA from wild populations
Authors: Ozga Andrew T. , Webster Timothy H. , Gilby Ian C. , Wilson Melissa A. , Nockerts Rebecca S. , Wilson Michael L. , Pusey Anne E. , Li Yingying , Hahn Beatrice H. , Stone Anne C.
Published: September 2020

The ability to generate genomic data from wild animal populations has the potential to give unprecedented insight into the population history and dynamics of species in their natural habitats. However, for many species, it is impossible legally, ethically or logistically to obtain tissue samples of quality sufficient for genomic analyses. In this study we evaluate the success of multiple sources of genetic material (faeces, urine, dentin and dental calculus) and several capture methods (shotgun, whole‐genome, exome) in generating genome‐scale data in wild eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. We found that urine harbours significantly more host DNA than other sources, leading to broader and deeper coverage across the genome. Urine also exhibited a lower rate of allelic dropout. We found exome sequencing to be far more successful than both shotgun sequencing and whole‐genome capture at generating usable data from low‐quality samples such as faeces and dental calculus. These results highlight urine as a promising and untapped source of DNA that can be noninvasively collected from wild populations of many species.
Interleukin‐35 regulates the balance of Th17 and Treg responses during the pathogenesis of connective tissue diseases
Authors: Wang Di , Lei Ling
Published: September 2020

Interleukin (IL)‐35 belongs to the IL‐12 cytokine family and is a heterodimer of the p35 and Epstein‐Barr virus‐induced gene 3 (EBI3) subunits. Functionally, IL‐35 can promote the proliferation and activation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and suppress the function of T helper 17 (Th17) cells and other inflammatory cells to inhibit immune responses. In recent years, an abnormal IL‐35 expression causing a Th17/Treg imbalance has been associated with the development and progression of several connective tissue diseases (CTDs), such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), dermatomyositis (DM)/polymyositis (PM), and primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). Here, we review the role of IL‐35 in regulating the balance of Th17/Treg responses in different types of CTDs and provide new insights into the role of IL‐35 in these diseases.
Modified heptapeptide from tau binds both tubulin and microtubules
Authors: Li Jingrui , Li Yuyang , Liu Min , Xie Songbo
Published: September 2020

Background

Microtubules are the major cytoskeletal component in eukaryotes which are essential for a large spectrum of cellular activities. Monitoring the behavior of microtubules is helpful for a better understanding of the regulatory mechanism governing microtubule architecture and microtubule‐based activities. Here, we characterized the binding capability of a modified heptapeptide from tau to both tubulin and microtubules and sought to develop it as a fluorescent peptide for monitoring microtubules.

Methods

To deliver the fluorescent peptide into the cells, a cell‐penetrating peptide was conjugated to the modified heptapeptide from tau and synthesized. The affinity of the modified heptapeptide was determined by microscale thermophoresis. The microtubule labeling ability was determined by adding the peptide into the polymerized microtubule solutions or cultured HeLa cells.;

Results

Affinity determination revealed that the tau‐derived peptide specifically bound to tubulin. In addition, the peptide was able to label polymerized microtubules in solution, although no obvious microtubule filaments were observed clearly in living cells, probably due to the inadequate affinity.

Conclusions

These results suggest that using a peptide‐based strategy for imaging microtubules might be plausible and attempts to improve its affinity is warranted in the future.
Labor Market Mobility and Expectation Management: Evidence from Enforceability of Noncompete Provisions*
Authors: Tang Michael , Wang Rencheng , Zhou Yi
Published: September 2020

This study examines how managers' use of expectation management is affected by their labor market mobility, which we measure by the enforceability of noncompete provisions in their employment contracts. Exploiting quasinatural experiments, our difference‐in‐differences analyses provide new causal insights to the growing literature on how managers' career concerns affect their disclosure choices. Consistent with a less mobile labor market imposing more pressure on managers to achieve earnings expectations, we predict and find that managers in US states that tightened enforcement of noncompete provisions are more likely to manage analyst expectations downward. We also find that downward expectation management is used to a greater extent than other tools such as real and accrual‐based earnings management. Additional analysis shows that the increase in expectation management is more pronounced for CEOs with lower general skills or shorter tenures, for firms with more independent boards, and for industries that are more homogeneous. Our path analysis suggests a significant link between increased use of expectation management after tightened noncompete enforcement and meeting and beating earnings expectations, which in turn is linked to lower executive turnover. Overall, our findings suggest that expectation management is an important channel through which noncompete enforcement reduces executive labor market mobility. Our study sheds light on the underlying mechanism through which labor market mobility affects disclosure choices and has important implications for both firms and regulators on the use and enforcement of noncompete provisions.
Do checks on bureaucrats improve firm value? Evidence from a natural experiment
Authors: An Jiafu , Armitage Seth , Hou Wenxuan , Liu Xianda
Published: September 2020

This paper studies the impact on firm value of tighter checks on bureaucrats’ behaviour. We use as a natural experiment the revision in 2015 by the Communist Party of China (CPC) of its regulations on disciplinary actions. We document a positive and substantial market reaction following this unexpected policy change that tightened and formalised constraints on bureaucrats’ misconduct. The impact is less pronounced for firms with state ownership, firms having CEOs or directors with CPC membership, and firms that operate in provinces with better institutional quality. The subsequent revision in 2018 that enforced political obedience is not associated with a positive market reaction.
Histomorphometrical study on the skin of different regions of the Caribbean common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Mohamed Reda , Pérez William , da Veiga Marcelo Leite
Published: September 2020

Common opossums (Didelphis marsupialis) are found throughout the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. The present work was conducted on the fresh normal skin of 10 common opossums and aimed to provide morphometric data and a histological description of the skin in different regions of the body. In the examined regions, the skin presented a typical thin skin morphology, with numerous folds on the surface. The dermis–epidermis junction is smooth, without the occurrence of dermal papillae. The average thickness of the opossum epidermis was 19.5 µm. The cranial region of the back showed the greatest epidermal thickness, and together with the other areas of the back presented an epidermis 2–3 times thicker compared with the other areas examined. To further confirm that the skin changes in the opossum are age‐ or diet‐related, additional studies are required.
Income Variability, Evolving Diets, and Elasticity Estimation of Demand for Processed Foods in Nigeria
Authors: de Brauw Alan , Herskowitz Sylvan
Published: September 2020

We present evidence on evolving dietary patterns in Nigeria using six rounds of household consumption data from the Nigerian General Household Survey panel between 2011 and 2016. First, following conventional definitions in the literature, we show that Nigeria has not shown any aggregate increase in consumption of highly processed foods over this period, contrary to patterns observed elsewhere in the region. In fact, consumption of highly processed foods at home has declined, while food consumed away from home, often assumed to be highly processed, has risen substantially. We then show that estimates of food expenditure elasticities of different food types are highly sensitive to different estimation approaches and raise concerns about some frequently used methods in the literature. In the absence of credible exogenous variation, we argue for the importance of panel methods and household fixed effects to control for time invariant factors likely to confound cross‐sectional estimates. Finally, we examine semiparametric Engel curves for different food groups and find that apparent curvature in the relationships between food budget shares and overall food expenditure levels in the raw data become nearly linear when removing variation explained by time‐invariant household factors.
Neurological immune‐related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: A review of the literature
Authors: Fan Siyuan , Ren Haitao , Zhao Luo , Yin Jian , Feng Guodong , Wang Jiawei , Guan Hongzhi
Published: September 2020

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have made a breakthrough in cancer therapy. Patients treated with ICIs may develop immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) due to the upregulated activity of the immune system. With the increasing use of ICIs, irAEs are more frequently reported and have become important challenges in many patients. Neurological irAEs, which include encephalitis, myelitis, aseptic meningitis, peripheral neuropathy, myasthenia gravis, and myositis, consist of a distinct group of neuroinflammatory disorders. These disorders are rare but frequently severe with high mortality and morbidity. Patients with neurological irAEs are generally responsive to immune‐modulating therapy. Therefore, early recognition and treatment are the most important ways to improve their prognosis. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of neurological irAEs associated with ICIs and focus on these affecting central nervous systems.
Radiation‐associated breast cancers in a late‐effects cohort: Long‐term surveillance is essential
Authors: Koo Eva , Henderson Michael A. , Dwyer Mary , Skandarajah Anita R.
Published: September 2020

Aims

Survivors of childhood, adolescent, and young adulthood malignancies have an increased risk of subsequent primary malignancies, particularly after exposure to therapeutic radiation. This study aims to evaluate the mode of surveillance and surveillance compliance, incidence and mode of detection of breast cancer, breast cancer phenotype, and outcomes after radiation‐associated breast cancer (RBC) in a late‐effects cohort.

Methods

Women exposed to therapeutic radiation attending the late effects service from 1st January 2000 to 20th February 2013. All invasive and in‐situ cancers, benign tumors, and deaths were evaluated. The incidence of breast cancer was compared to the Australian general population. Compliance with breast surveillance recommendations, clinicopathological features, and management of breast cancers were examined.

Results

The prevalence of RBC was 17.1%. Twenty‐eight cases of RBC occurred in 24 women, out of 140 women exposed to chest radiation. Patients whose first attendance was ≥15 years after radiation exposure experienced the highest incidence of RBC at 23%. The incidence of breast cancer was 11.2 times the general population (P < .001). Compliance with surveillance mammography was observed in 18.4%. Breast cancers diagnosed after the first attendance to the service were more likely screen‐detected (P = .002). Most were hormone receptor positive (84.0%), invasive ductal carcinomas (82.1%), and managed with mastectomy (89.3%).

Conclusions

Patients attending a dedicated late effects service have a high burden of subsequent malignancies generally occurring after long latency. Judicious management with adherence to long‐term surveillance guidelines is advocated.
Awareness of and preference for disease prognosis and participation in treatment decisions among advanced cancer patients in Myanmar: Results from the APPROACH study
Authors: Wynn Mon Ssu , Myint Zu Wah Wah , Myint Maw Myo , Win Han , Zin Thant Kyaw , Yang Grace , Malhotra Chetna , Teo Irene , Finkelstein Eric , Ozdemir Semra
Published: September 2020

Aim

To investigate prognostic awareness, preference for prognostic information, and perceived and preferred roles in decision making among patients with advanced cancer in Myanmar.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey was administered at the Yangon General Hospital to stage 4 cancer patients who were at least 21 years old and aware of their cancer diagnosis. Patients were asked questions about their prognosis, participation in treatment decisions, sociodemographic and clinical information. Data from 131 patients were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regressions.

Results

Only 15% of patients surveyed were aware that their cancer was advanced and only a quarter (26%) of patients knew that treatment intent was noncurative. The likelihood of treatment‐intent awareness was higher among patients who were male, high income, and aware that they had advanced cancer. Roughly 60% of patients reported playing an active or collaborative role in treatment decisions, with a strong preference (59%) for the latter. For the majority of patients (69%), perceived and preferred roles in decision making were the same. Sociodemographic characteristics did not predict perceived and preferred roles in decision making.

Conclusions

This is the first effort to analyze prognostic awareness and decision‐making practices among advanced cancer patients in Myanmar. Patients had inadequate knowledge on their disease progression and intent of treatment. Yet, the majority of them were keen to be involved in treatment decisions.
Updates to the drug‐resistant mechanism of proteasome inhibitors in multiple myeloma
Authors: Bai Yang , Su Xing
Published: September 2020

Proteasome inhibitors (PIs) have been a kind of backbone therapies for newly diagnosed as well as relapsed or refractory myeloma patients in the last two decades. Bortezomib, the first‐in‐class PI, was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2003. The key roles of this class of agents are targeting at the overstressed 26S proteasome, which are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Despite recent advancements in clinical antimyeloma treatment, the acquisition of resistance is a major limitation in PI therapy. This review aims at a better understanding of the pathways and biomarkers involved in MM drug resistance.
A survey of obstetricians’ attitudes to induction of labour at 39 weeks gestation with the intention of reducing caesarean section rates
Authors: Davis Georgina , Waldman Boris , Phipps Hala , Hyett Jon , de Vries Bradley
Published: September 2020

Background

Induction of labour (IOL) and caesarean section (CS) rates continue to increase in Australia, New Zealand and globally. There is evidence that CS rates are decreased in the context of medically indicated and elective IOL; therefore, the emerging concept of using IOL as means of preventing CS warrants investigation.

Aims

To assess obstetricians’ opinions of elective IOL at 39 weeks gestation, its feasibility, generalisability and utility as a means of preventing CS in Australia and New Zealand.

Materials and Methods

A de‐identified cross‐sectional survey was distributed electronically to all Fellows and trainees of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). The survey was voluntary and distributed with the approval of the RANZCOG Continuing Education Committee. The survey addressed opinions relating to rates of and indications for IOL, the perceived validity of those indications and explored the acceptability of using a screening tool to predict women at increased risk of intra‐partum CS and tailoring obstetric management to include the option of IOL at 39 weeks gestation.

Results

The overall response rate was 34% (492/1423) (including trainees) and the response rate was 53% (394/750) for currently practising obstetricians. The majority (90%) of responders agreed on medical and clinical indications for IOL. There was no consensus on the validity of IOL if a woman were at apparent high risk of intra‐partum CS; however, 81% (360/443) of clinicians would be interested in a tool that could predict those women at risk.

Conclusions

There is heterogeneity of obstetrician’s beliefs on using IOL at 39 weeks as a mechanism to reduce the CS rate.
How do the M4 and M6 models perform in an Australian pregnancy of unknown location population?
Authors: Ooi Sara , De Vries Bradley , Ludlow Joanne
Published: September 2020

Background

The diagnosis of a pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) is made when there is an elevated serum β human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) and no pregnancy on transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound. Most of these pregnancies end as intra‐uterine pregnancies or unsuccessful pregnancies and can be safely managed expectantly. However, up to 20% of these women will have an ectopic pregnancy. Several mathematical models, including the M4 and M6 protocols, have been developed using biochemical markers to triage PUL presentations. This rationalises numbers of tests and visits made without compromising safety and allowing timely intervention.

Aims

We aimed to externally validate the M4 and M6 models in an Australian tertiary early pregnancy assessment service (EPAS).

Materials and Methods

We performed a retrospective single‐centre cohort study across five years. Our study population included all women attending our EPAS with a PUL who had at least two serum βhCG levels and one progesterone level measured. The M4 and M6 models were retrospectively applied.

Results

Of the 360 women in the study population, there were 26 confirmed ectopic pregnancies (7.2%) and six persisting PULs (2%). The M4 model had a sensitivity and specificity of 72%. The M6P model had a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 63%. The M6P misclassified two ectopic pregnancies into the low‐risk group, compared with seven in the M4 model.

Conclusions

The M6P model has the highest sensitivity of the three models and a negative predictive value of 99%. These numbers are comparable to the original United Kingdom population. Further prospective validation is planned.
Executive Accountability Beyond Outcomes: Experimental Evidence on Public Evaluations of Powerful Prime Ministers
Authors: Becher Michael , Brouard Sylvain
Published: September 2020

Although executives in many democracies have constitutional powers to circumvent the majoritarian legislative process to make policy, political scientists know relatively little about whether and when ordinary people hold executives accountable for the process they use. To study this issue beyond the American presidency, we conduct a series of large survey experiments in France, where the institution of the confidence procedure puts the government in a strong position relative to parliament. Our experiments highlight that public evaluations of the executive reflect a fundamental trade‐off between policy and process. If they face significant opposition in the legislative process, executives either have to accept policy failure or risk punishment for the use of procedural force. People dislike both results, and the average popularity gain of using the confidence procedure over not delivering the policy is modest. Moreover, in some contexts, executives are strictly better off not legislating rather than applying force.
Breast cancer subtypes in Australian Chinese women
Authors: Hong Alton , Chua Jonathan , Cheng Michael , Law Michael
Published: September 2020

Background

It has been suggested that Chinese patients with breast cancer present at a younger age compared to the general Australian population, with tumour pathological characteristics that carry less favourable outcomes. This study was aimed to investigate if a substantial difference in breast cancer subtypes exists between the Australian Chinese population and the general Australian population.

Methods

All patients with breast cancer treated by two of the authors (consultant breast surgeons) at Eastern Health, Victoria between 2010 and 2016 were identified through the BreastSurgANZ Quality Audit database. Australian Chinese patients were further identified through outpatient records and registration information. Medical histories were examined to obtain patient demographics, tumour characteristics and outcome. Patient and tumour characteristics between the Australian Chinese population were then compared to the general Australian population.

Results

A total of 97 Australian Chinese patients with breast cancer were identified out of 582 patients. Mean age at diagnosis was 56.7 years, approximately 6 years younger than the general Australian population. There was a statistically significant difference in incidence of Luminal A tumours with 25 patients (25.77%) from the Chinese group affected compared to 310 patients (63.92%) from the general group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in proportions of the other tumour subtypes between the two groups.

Conclusion

Australian Chinese breast cancer patients present at a younger age compared to the general Australian population, with a smaller proportion of patients having Luminal A tumours.
A study of pregnancy after endometrial ablation using linked population data
Authors: Ibiebele Ibinabo , Nippita Tanya A. , Baber Rodney , Torvaldsen Siranda
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Endometrial ablation encapsulates a range of procedures undertaken to destroy the endometrial lining of the uterus as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding in women who no longer wish to bear children. Pregnancy following ablation, while unlikely, can occur and may carry higher rates of complications. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with post‐endometrial ablation pregnancy and to describe pregnancy and birth outcomes for post‐endometrial ablation pregnancies.

Material and methods

This population‐based data linkage study included all female residents of New South Wales, Australia, aged 15‐50 years with a hospital admission between July 2001 to June 2014 who birthed between July 2001 and June 2015. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate associations between women’s characteristics and post‐endometrial ablation pregnancy of at least 20 weeks’ gestation. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Results

Of 18 559 women with an endometrial ablation, 575 (3.1%) had a post‐ablation pregnancy of at least 20 weeks’ gestation. Nulliparity (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 12.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.1‐16.2), older age (35‐39 years: aHR 0.39, 95% CI 0.29‐0.51; 40‐44 years: aHR 0.06, 95% CI 0.04‐0.11), marital status (single: aHR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55‐0.83; widowed/divorced/separated: aHR 0.58, 95% CI 0.36‐0.94) and a diagnosis of heavy menstrual bleeding (aHR 0.09, 95% CI 0.07‐0.13) were associated with post‐ablation pregnancy. There were high rates of cesarean delivery (43%), preterm birth (13%), twin or higher order pregnancies (9%) and stillbirth (13.3/1000 births) among these post‐ablation pregnancies.

Conclusions

Nulliparity at the time of endometrial ablation is associated with increased risk of post‐ablation pregnancy, highlighting the importance of careful discussion and consideration of treatment options for heavy menstrual bleeding.
XEN® Gel Stent compared to PRESERFLO™ MicroShunt implantation for primary open‐angle glaucoma: two‐year results
Authors: Scheres Lotte M.J. , Kujovic‐Aleksov Stefani , Ramdas Wishal D. , de Crom Ronald M.P.C. , Roelofs Lianne C.G. , Berendschot Tos T.J.M. , Webers Carroll A.B. , Beckers Henny J.M.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the long‐term efficacy and safety of two minimally invasive glaucoma surgery implants with a subconjunctival drainage approach: the XEN45 Gel Stent® (Xen) implant and the PRESERFLO™ MicroShunt (MicroShunt).

Methods

Retrospective comparative case series of primary open‐angle glaucoma (POAG) patients with at least 6 months of follow‐up after a MicroShunt or Xen implantation augmented with mitomycin C.

Results

Forty‐one eyes of 31 patients underwent Xen implantation, and 41 eyes of 33 patients, MicroShunt implantation. Baseline characteristics were similar, except for more combined surgeries with phacoemulsification in the Xen group (37% vs. 2%). Mean baseline IOP ± standard deviation dropped from 19.2 ± 4.4 to 13.8 ± 3.8 mmHg (n = 26) in the Xen group and from 20.1 ± 5.0 to 12.1 ± 3.5 (n = 14) in the MicroShunt group at 24 months of follow‐up (p = 0.19, t‐test). The number of IOP‐lowering medications dropped from 2.5 ± 1.4 to 0.9 ± 1.2 in the Xen group and from 2.3 ± 1.5 to 0.7 ± 1.1 in the MicroShunt group. The probability of qualified success was 73% and 79% at 24 months of follow‐up for the Xen and MicroShunt groups, respectively. Postoperative complications were usually mild and self‐limiting. The number of bleb needling and secondary glaucoma surgery procedures was similar in both groups; however, in the Xen group more additional MicroPulse® transscleral cyclophotocoagulation procedures were performed.

Conclusion

Xen Gel Stent and PreserFlo MicroShunt implantations achieved comparable results in POAG eyes in terms of IOP‐lowering and surgical success, with a similar high safety profile.
A case for updating the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist to improve newborn care: Experience from seven Asia and Pacific countries
Authors: Sobel Howard L. , Murray John C. S. , Mannava Priya , Mathai Matthews , Silvestre Maria Asuncion A.
Published: September 2020

The WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist (the SCC) is a clinical tool developed to help health workers follow evidence‐based maternal and perinatal care practices at childbirth. Newborn delivery care practices at facilities in seven countries in East Asia and the Pacific were compared to practices checked by the SCC. The analysis found that the SCC does not incorporate several key evidence‐based practices around birth demonstrated to prevent newborn morbidity or mortality, or harmful practices associated with increased risks. A revision of the standard SCC is needed to maximise its potential to improve newborn outcomes. This can be initiated under the coordinating umbrella of WHO, but must ensure that the realities of labour and childbirth practices in low‐ and middle‐income countries are considered and addressed.
Credit constraints and the trade‐off between family size and children's investment in Thailand
Authors: Sirisankanan Aeggarchat
Published: September 2020

Using three‐wave Thai household panel data covering the years 2005 to 2007, this study examined the effect of liquidity constraints on the quality‐quantity trade‐off for children. The results show that there was a quality‐quantity trade‐off for credit‐constrained households, while there was no such trade‐off for unconstrained households when a 6,000 Baht monthly income and ability to borrow were used as the classifying criteria. The evidence of the Q‐Q trade‐off is less clear when a 15,000 Baht monthly income is used. The quality income elasticity was found to be higher than the quantity income elasticity for credit‐constrained households.
Acknowledging, confronting, and transforming extra‐curricular spaces in geography
Authors: Byron Margaret
Published: September 2020

This paper examines the spatiality of exclusionary practices with British geography. In particular, I examine the ways in which oft taken‐for‐granted extra‐curricular spaces associated with a geography degree marginalise staff and students of colour. While acknowledging the increasing ethnic diversity within the student body in British universities and, in some universities, within geography departments, it is noted that some structures and spaces within geography have shifted little to reflect these trends. This resonates with broader concerns about UK higher education, where admission to university has not meant inclusion beyond a superficial membership of the institution for many students of colour. Influenced by Shilliam's concept of “exclusionary architecture,” and literature that critically examines the whiteness of the geography curriculum, this paper acknowledges and confronts two potentially exclusionary extra‐curricular spaces, namely open days/recruitment and departmental geography societies. Through examining these spaces, I critically reflect on what inclusion currently means for staff and students of colour in British geography, and tentatively propose some routes towards “undoing exclusion” by transforming current practices.
A critique of the “socio‐ecological fix” and towards revolutionary rupture
Authors: Chambers Collin L.
Published: September 2020

Through a review of the literature that develops the “socio‐ecological fix” concept, this paper makes two arguments. First, it argues that the concept is trapped in a specific historical understanding of 20th‐century capitalism that goes through “crisis” and “fixes.” Second, the paper argues that this understanding of history largely ignores the potential for revolutionary ruptures that create social systems entirely at odds with capital. The severity of the climate crisis suggests that moving further into the 21st century will not allow such clean “fixes.” The climate crisis will make revolutionary ruptures not only possible, but inevitable.