bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of the Expanded Mindful Eating Scale
Authors: Kawasaki Yui , Akamatsu Rie , Omori Mika , Sugawara Masumi , Yamazaki Yoko , Matsumoto Satoko , Fujiwara Yoko , Iwakabe Shigeru , Kobayashi Tetsuyuki
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To develop and validate the Expanded Mindful Eating Scale (EMES), an expanded mindful eating model created for the promotion of health and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaire surveys on Ochanomizu Health Study (OHS) was conducted. The survey was provided to 1,388 female university students in Tokyo, Japan. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a partial correlation analysis were used to confirm construct and criterion validity. Internal consistency of the EMES was confirmed to calculate Cronbach's alpha.

Findings

The response rate was 38.7 % (n = 537). Mean BMI was 20.21 ± 2.12, and 18.8% of them were classified as “lean” (BMI < 18.5). The authors listed 25 items and obtained a final factor structure of five factors and 20 items, as a result of EFA. Through CFA, the authors obtained the following fit indices for a final model: GFI = 0.914, AGFI = 0.890, CFI = 0.870 and RMSEA = 0.061. The total EMES score was significantly correlated with BMI, mindfulness, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness and life satisfaction (r = −0.138, −0.315, −0.339, −0.281 and 0.149, p < 0.01, respectively). Cronbach's alpha for all items in this scale was 0.687.

Practical implications

The authors suggest the possibility that practitioners and researchers of mindful eating that includes this new concept can use authors’ novel scale as an effective measurement tool.

Originality/value

The EMES, which can multidimensionally measure the concept of the expanded model of mindful eating was first developed in this study.
Identification and prioritization of stage-level KPIs for BOT projects – evidence from Turkey
Authors: Budayan Cenk , Okudan Ozan , Dikmen Irem
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used for stage-based performance assessment of build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted through focus group discussions and face-to-face questionnaires. Firstly, stage-level KPIs for BOT projects were identified by conducting a literature survey. The list of KPIs that can be used for measuring performance at different stages of a BOT project was finalized by conducting focus group discussions with 12 participants. The data related to the importance of identified KPIs were collected via a face-to-face questionnaire in which 30 high-level managers participated. Based on these data, KPIs were prioritized considering eight different stages of a BOT project by using Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).

Findings

The research findings reveal that 63 stage-level KPIs can be used for measuring the performance of BOT projects at eight different stages, which are “feasibility study and preliminary plan,” “announcement and submission of application,” “evaluation and selection,” “negotiation and signing of concession agreement,” “design,” “construction,” “operation” and “transfer.” The most important KPIs were determined as “comprehensiveness of project technical feasibility,” “detailed tendering procedure,” “effectiveness of concessionaires' technical knowledge/capability evaluation,” “good relationships between government and concessionaire,” “technology transfer,” “effectiveness of quality control,” “effectiveness of facility management” and “effectiveness of hand-back management” for each stage. The findings can be used by companies to evaluate performance at each stage of a BOT project and, if necessary, take the necessary actions for performance improvement at the stage level.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation is the size of the sample, which represents the perspectives of 30 Turkish high-level managers on KPIs in BOT projects. Besides, the selected method, namely, TOPSIS, does not provide quality measures related to the outputs; therefore, it is difficult to see the inconsistencies among the experts.

Practical implications

The study findings will help in devising appropriate performance evaluation practices for BOT projects to overcome the shortfalls of the existing practices and systems proposed in the literature and help in achieving the superior performance while developing infrastructure through the BOT route.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a process-based approach for measuring the performance of a BOT project considering eight different stages. It fills a research gap in the public–private partnership literature by focusing on stages rather than phases. The results can be used by practitioners to establish stage-level performance management systems for BOT projects.
Consumers' perceptions and responses towards online retailers' CSR
Authors: Dang Van Thac , Nguyen Ninh , Wang Jianming
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Anchored on social trust theory, social identity theory and signalling theory, this study investigates the process of how consumers respond to online retailers' corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Design/methodology/approach

Following the hypo-deductive research design, a unique model was developed to link online retailers' CSR with consumer purchase intention through brand identification and word of mouth (WOM). This model was subsequently tested and validated by conducting an online survey to 239 customers of a major online retailer in China, that is, JD.com.

Findings

Analysis using structural equation modelling demonstrates that online retailers' CSR is positively associated with consumer purchase intention, and brand identification positively mediates such an association. In addition, WOM exhibits a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived online retailers' CSR and consumer purchase intention and between brand identification and consumer purchase intention.

Practical implications

Online retailers must endeavour to employ CSR as a strategy to enhance consumer purchase intention and behaviour. Moreover, they should develop communication programmes that highlight their engagement in CSR activities to improve their brand image and facilitate consumers' positive WOM.

Originality/value

To the best of the researchers' knowledge, this study is the first to examine the mediating roles of brand identification and WOM in the relationship between online retailers' CSR and customer purchase intention. Furthermore, this study extends current knowledge about online retailers' CSR and its potential impact in emerging economies by focussing on the context of China.
Firms enabling responsible consumption: a netnographic approach
Authors: Kumar Bipul , Dholakia Nikhilesh
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study explores enablers that firms could use to motivate consumers toward responsible consumption behavior. Completing the loop of responsible consumption – linking firms and consumers –helps firms to attain responsible consumption targets as part of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses netnography as the qualitative research methodology.

Findings

The important enablers of responsible consumption behavior are choice editing, design intervention, addressing consumers' environmental identity, brand assurance, promoting innovation mindset and consumer empowerment – at the level of consumers and at the crosslevel of interaction between firms and consumers. Such enablers can help the firms in nudging their consumers toward responsible consumption.

Research limitations/implications

Using the lens of the expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation, this study extends the theoretical domain of responsible consumption.

Practical implications

The enablers of responsible consumption behaviors found here serve as a useful guide for the strategies to attain the SDGs.

Social implications

The SDG goal 12 of responsible consumption is the focus of this study. The entire fabric of responsible consumption is woven around anthropocentric views, and hence the findings of this study have clear social implications.

Originality/value

This is a first study to explore how firms can facilitate consumers to consume responsibly, to attain the SDGs. This is also one of the first studies on responsible consumption, using netnography as the research methodology. Additionally, it also extends the applicability of the expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation to the context of responsible consumption behavior.
Sustainability, responsibility and ethics: different concepts for a single path
Authors: Torelli Riccardo
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the concepts of sustainability, responsibility and ethics focussing on their links and differences, also to understand how companies move respectively in these field; to understand how companies sometimes move away from the basic and deep meaning of these concepts, landing in a merely utilitarian sphere of personal advantage where ethics, instead of being an irreplaceable and essential stronghold, is found to be a fiction or just an instrument.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used assumes a theoretical critical approach and, based on the vast literature on the items, is based on a conceptual analysis of the themes of sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethics and of the behaviour that companies can adopt in the three contexts. A critical approach to these issues and concepts can effectively help us to understand how companies are responding to external demands and to the challenges of responsibility and sustainability, which are becoming increasingly pressing.

Findings

Ethics, sustainability, CSR and social and environmental reporting are distinct constructs with different meanings but linked by important conceptual and operational relationships.

Research limitations/implications

The results of the research are the consequence of the application of a critical approach based on a theoretical analysis of the concepts under study. It would be interesting to support the results achieved with empirical research studies.

Practical implications

This conceptual path helps scholars and companies themselves to understand the difference between the three key concepts analysed. Only by understanding the basic meaning will it be possible to really make one’s own and pursue it in the correct way.

Social implications

Nowadays, the authors are overwhelmed by these three concepts which are used as synonyms and incorrectly. This leads to confusion and misunderstandings. Knowledge of the characteristics and differences between these concepts and their concrete applications is of great importance.

Originality/value

This study tries to provide a critical discussion of how the three concepts intersect and differentiate, leading to concrete results or results that have nothing to do with their meaning. There are no conceptual papers in the literature that deal with the three concepts and also analyse the implications on the real world.
Autobiographical internal dialogue on TQM
Authors: Babatunde Oluwayomi Kayode
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To present the internal dialogue of a TQM practitioner using the conceptual lens of reflective practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a pragmatic philosophical approach to collect qualitative critical reflection data and quantitative career construction data from stratified and purposively sampled respondents, using structured questionnaires. The qualitative data were analyzed through reconstruction, while the quantitative data were analyzed through co-construction using the percentage agreement value and Wilcoxon–Mann Whitney test.

Findings

Five questions were found to be valuable for steering the internal dialogue for critical reflection, thus recommended as a must-have in a TQM practitioner's toolkit. This study found the career adapt–abilities scale to be a valuable tool for assessing the career construction of a TQM practitioner. This was supported by a 64% agreement and non-significant difference between the two groups of raters used,p < 0.05 (U = 3356.5,W = 7451.5,Z = 1.9826), two-tailed.

Research limitations/implications

The pragmatic philosophical stance used in this study lends it to a certain level of subjectivity. However, the inputs from the three other participants neutralize the subjectivity. Most notably, this study is not about consensus-seeking but rather verifiable/testable self-reflection.

Practical implications

The theory-informed results presented in this study are useful for the continuing professional development of TQM practitioners.

Originality/value

This study provides insights for applying an individual-level self-assessment tool for TQM implementation.
Imipridone enhances vascular relaxation via FOXO1 pathway
Authors: McSweeney Kristen R. , Gadanec Laura K. , Qaradakhi Tawar , Gammune Thushira Malindra , Kubatka Peter , Caprnda Martin , Fedotova Julia , Radonak Jozef , Kruzliak Peter , Zulli Anthony
Published: July 2020

Cardiovascular complications are a side effect of cancer therapy, potentially through reduced blood vessel function. ONC201 (TIC10) is currently used in phase 2 clinical trials to treat high‐grade gliomas. TIC10 is a phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/AKT/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor that induces apoptosis via upregulation of TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand, which via stimulation of FOXO and death receptor could increase eNOS upregulation. This has the potential to improve vascular function through increased NO bioavailability. Our aim was to investigate the role of TIC10 on vascular function to determine if it would affect the risk of CVD. Excised abdominal aorta from White New Zealand male rabbits were cut into rings. Vessels were incubated with TIC10 and AS1842856 (FOXO1 inhibitor) followed by cumulative doses of acetylcholine (Ach) to assess vessel function. Vessels were then processed for immunohistochemistry. Incubation of blood vessels with TIC10 resulted in enhanced vasodilatory capacity. Combination treatment with the FOXO1 inhibitor and TIC10 resulted in reduced vascular function compared to control. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated a 3‐fold increase in death receptor 5 (DR5) expression in the TIC10‐treated blood vessels but the addition of the FOXO1 inhibitor downregulated DR5 expression. The expression of DR4 receptor was not significantly increased in the presence of TIC10; however, addition of the FOXO1 inhibitor downregulated expression. TIC10 has the capacity to improve the function of healthy vessels when stimulated with the vasodilator Ach. This highlights its therapeutic potential not only in cancer treatment without cardiovascular side effects, but also as a possible drug to treat established CVD.
Two Contrasting Constituencies in the Heart of England
Authors: Grant Wyn , Scarlett Sally
Published: July 2020

This article compares two parliamentary constituencies in Warwickshire: one which might be expected to be Conservative but is held by Labour, and the other, a Labour seat for over fifty years, but now held by the Conservatives. Constituency level analyses permit a more fine‐grained analysis of electoral trends, taking account of demographic factors otherwise being overlooked. Labour needs to be able to appeal to the aspirational voters moving into Nuneaton.
Methodological innovations in studying multinational migrations
Authors: Paul Anju Mary , Yeoh Brenda S A
Published: July 2020

A growing body of migration scholarship has highlighted the inadequacies of a single‐origin, single‐destination model for thinking about international migration in the 21st century. Multinational migrations—involving the varied movements of international migrants across more than one overseas destination with significant time spent in each overseas country—have been observed among high‐skilled migrants, low‐wage labour migrants, and documented and undocumented migrants. But given the extended temporality, multispatiality, and complexity of multinational migrations, the study of such onward movements can be fraught with difficulty. These methodological challenges must be added to the existing issues surrounding most international migration scholarship: methodological nationalism, essentialism, and skewed positionality. This special section highlights a range of research methods and approaches well suited to addressing these concerns. Collectively, the papers investigate various patterns of multinational migration across a range of migrant categories and spanning multiple world regions, addressing questions about the prevalence and drivers of these complex processes. They also offer a toolkit of methodological approaches—including mental mapping, trajectory analysis, attending to the family/household as the scale of analysis, multisited ethnographies, and longitudinal research—as suggested ways of studying multinational migrations.
Identification and genetic characterization of Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) from China
Authors: ZHANG Qingxun , MENG Meng , HUANG Chengmei , FENG Shengyong , LIU Jie , TANG Yan , FAN Yu , YUAN Guohui , HAN Shuyi , LUO Jing , ZHAO Baohua , HE Hongxuan
Published: July 2020

Contracaecum species are economically important fish‐borne larval nematodes with zoonotic significance. In June 2019, more than 100 piscivorous birds died in their habitats close to the Wild Duck Lake, located in Yanqing, northwest of Beijing, China. Post‐mortem examination of Black Night Herons (Nycticorax) revealed the presence of numerous anisakid nematodes in the proventriculus. Recovered nematodes were identified as Contracaecum sp. based on morphological description. Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial (mt) genome and the ITS gene showed that sequences of Contracaecum sp. Beijing isolates were grouped into a new individual cluster. Furthermore, the parasite was successfully isolated from fresh dead birds, feces of piscivorous birds, and fish and prevalence ranged from 8.0% to 81.8%. Consequently, our study demonstrated Contracaecum sp. infections in different sources from China, which might constitute a threat to wildlife, aquaculture, and public health.
Phylogenetic analysis and expression differences of eye‐related genes in cavefish genus Sinocyclocheilus
Authors: ZHAO Yahui , HUANG Zushi , HUANG Jinqing , ZHANG Chunguang , MENG Fanwei
Published: July 2020

The adaptive evolution of visual systems has been observed in many cavefish. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations, which include regressive changes such as eye degeneration. Here, we analyzed phylogenetic and expression patterns of 6 eye‐related genes (crx, foxg1b, opn1sw2, otx2, rho and sox2) in 12 Sinocyclocheilus species from China, including 8 stygobionts and 4 stygophiles, and examined photoreceptor cell morphology of these species. Those eye‐degenerated species of Sinocyclocheilus were polyphyletic and showed different degrees of photoreceptor defects in responses to cave environments. The eye loss and degeneration are the result of convergent evolution. Although S. anophthalmus grouped with the eye‐normal species, it displayed not only a high degree of eye degeneration but also significant expression differences in eye‐related genes compared with the eye‐normal species. The gene foxg1b, which was determined to be under positive selection, might play an important role in the process of eye degeneration in S. anophthalmus based on differential expression. Eye‐related gene expression and selection may have contributed to the polyphyly of the cave species. We examined gene expression and duplication in 6 eye‐related genes and revealed that these genes displayed considerable diversity in relative expression in Sinocyclocheilus fishes. Otx2 and sox2 were significantly up‐regulated in individual cave species, while the other 4 genes (crx, foxg1b, opn1sw2 and rho) were significantly down‐regulated. These findings provide a valuable resource for elucidating molecular mechanisms associated with visual system evolution in cavefish.
Density‐induced social stress alters oxytocin and vasopressin activities in the brain of a small rodent species
Authors: HUANG Shuli , LI Guoliang , PAN Yongliang , SONG Mingjing , ZHAO Jidong , WAN Xinrong , KREBS Charles J. , WANG Zuoxin , HAN Wenxuan , ZHANG Zhibin
Published: July 2020

It is known that social stress could alter oxytocin (OT) and arginine‐vasopressin (AVP) expression in specific regions of brains which regulate the aggressive behavior of small rodents, but the effects of density‐induced social stress are still unknown. Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) are small herbivores in the grassland of China, but the underlying neurological mechanism of population regulation is still unknown. We tested the effects of housing density of Brandt's voles on OT/AVP system with physical contact (allowing aggression) and without physical contact (not allowing aggression) under laboratory conditions. Then, we tested the effects of paired‐aggression (no density effect) of Brandt's voles on OT/AVP system under laboratory conditions. We hypothesized that high density would increase aggression among animals which would then increase AVP but reduce OT in brains of animals. Our results showed that high housing density induced more aggressive behavior. We found high‐density‐induced social stress (with or without physical contact) and direct aggression significantly increased expression of mRNA and protein of AVP and its receptor, but decreased expression of mRNA and protein of OT and its receptor in specific brain regions of voles. The results suggest that density‐dependent change of OT/AVP systems may play a significant role in the population regulation of small rodents by altering density‐dependent aggressive behavior.
Effects of chitosan grafted phenolic acid coating on microbiological, physicochemical and protein changes of sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) during refrigerated storage
Authors: Liu Jiali , Lan Weiqing , Sun Xiaohong , Xie Jing
Published: July 2020

This project aimed to evaluate the effects of gallic acid (GA) and protocatechuic acid (PA) grafted onto chitosan (CS) on the improved quality of sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) during refrigerated storage. The incorporation of GA and PA onto CS (CS‐g‐GA and CS‐g‐PA) were achieved by the carbodiimide‐mediated grafting procedure. Samples were treated with different solutions (deionized water [CK], 1% CS [m/v], 1% CS‐g‐GA [m/v], and 1% CS‐g‐PA [m/v]) for 10 min, which were then stored at 4 °C. Microbiological quality, including total viable counts (TVC), psychrophilic bacterial counts (PBC), Pseudomonas bacterial counts, and H2S‐producing bacterial counts were measured. Physicochemical parameters, including pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, water holding capacity (WHC), and K value, were measured. The changes in protein characteristics, including sulfhydryl groups (SH), Ca2+‐ATPase activity, sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE), and tertiary structure of protein were analyzed periodically, along with texture profile analysis (TPA). The results demonstrated that the CS copolymers treatment exhibited better preservation effects. The CS‐g‐GA and CS‐g‐PA treatments could significantly inhibit the growth of microorganisms and retard the increase of pH, TVB‐N, TBA, WHC, and K‐value during refrigerated storage compared with the CK and CS groups. Additionally, the CS‐g‐GA and CS‐g‐PA treatments could delay the protein oxidation by keeping a higher SH level and Ca2+‐ATPase activity. The CS copolymers treatment could also extend the shelf life for another 6 days compared with that of CK. As a result, CS copolymers can be employed in a promising method for the preservation of sea bass.

Practical Application

The incorporation of gallic acid and protocatechuic acid onto chitosan (CS‐g‐GA and CS‐g‐PA) showed superior antioxidant and antimicrobial activities when applied on sea bass. The CS‐g‐GA and CS‐g‐PA coatings could maintain the quality and freshness of refrigerated sea bass. Additionally, this research could provide a theoretical basis for the application of graft copolymers on the preservation of aquatic products.
Protective effect of Lactobacillus salivarius Li01 on thioacetamide‐induced acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia
Authors: Yang Liya , Bian Xiaoyuan , Wu Wenrui , Lv Longxian , Li Yating , Ye Jianzhong , Jiang Xianwan , Wang Qing , Shi Ding , Fang Daiqiong , Wu Jingjing , Wang Kaicen , Wang Qiangqiang , Xia Jiafeng , Xie Jiaojiao , Lu Yanmeng , Li Lanjuan
Published: July 2020

The gut microbiota plays pivotal roles in liver disease onset and progression. The protective effects of Lactobacillus salivarius Li01 on liver diseases have been reported. In this study, we aimed to detect the protective effect of L. salivarius Li01 on thioacetamide (TAA)‐induced acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia. C57BL/6 mice were separated into three groups and given a gavage of L. salivarius Li01 or phosphate‐buffered saline for 7 days. Acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia were induced with an intraperitoneal TAA injection. L. salivarius Li01 decreased mortality and serum transaminase levels and improved histological liver damage caused by TAA. Serum inflammatory cytokine and chemokine and lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP) concentrations, nuclear factor κB (NFκB) pathway activation and macrophage and neutrophil infiltration into the liver were significantly alleviated by L. salivarius Li01. L. salivarius Li01 also reinforced gut barrier and reshaped the perturbed gut microbiota by upregulating Bacteroidetes and Akkermansia richness and downregulating Proteobacteria, Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014 and Helicobacter richness. Plasma and faecal ammonia levels declined noticeably in the Li01 group, accompanied by improvements in cognitive function, neuro‐inflammation and relative brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression. Our results indicated that L. salivarius Li01 could be considered a potential probiotic in acute liver injury and hepatic encephalopathy (HE).
Does causally linking nonfinancial measures influence investors' use of management’s disclosures of nonfinancial information?
Authors: Dong Lei , Wong‐On‐Wing Bernard
Published: July 2020

This study experimentally examines the joint effect of causal linkages between nonfinancial measures (NFMs) and firm financial performance on investors’ reactions to management disclosures of nonfinancial information. Our findings suggest that causal linkages interact with financial performance to affect investors’ judgements and decisions. In particular, causally‐linked NFMs have a positive effect on investors’ investment decisions only when the financial performance of the company is favourable, but not when it is unfavourable. This positive effect of causal linkages is associated with investors’ enhanced perceptions on the future prospect of the disclosing company. Given that an increasing number of companies are integrating nonfinancial measures with financial measures in their annual reports and other communications, the findings of this study should be of interest to managers, regulators and standard setters who attempt to better understand the use of nonfinancial information by nonprofessional investors.
The effects of food sales taxes on household food spending: An application of a censored cluster model
Authors: Dong Diansheng , Zheng Yuqing , Stewart Hayden
Published: July 2020

This study proposes a model of household food spending that accounts for zero censoring and can be applied to data collected through a clustered survey design to investigate the impact of food sales taxes on three groups: households who are eligible for and participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), households who are eligible but do not participate in the program, and households who are not eligible for the program. We find that SNAP participating households are largely insensitive to grocery taxes and respond to restaurant taxes by shifting more of their food dollars towards at‐home foods. Among households who are eligible for SNAP but do not participate in the program, grocery taxes reduce spending on foods purchased for at‐home consumption, and thereby increase the amount of the total food budget allocated to away from home foods. This is concerning from a nutrition and health standpoint since away from home foods tend to be more calorie dense and nutritionally poorer than at home foods.
Eliciting farmers’ subjective probabilities, risk, and uncertainty preferences using contextualized field experiments
Authors: Cerroni Simone
Published: July 2020

Subjective probabilities as well as risk and uncertainty preferences influence many farmers’ decisions. Few contextualized field experiments were recently conducted to elicit farmers’ risk preferences. Contextualized field experiments use nonabstract framings that are familiar to subjects. Despite adding of context can undermine internal validity, such experiments are increasingly used in applied economics. Contextualized field experiments were never used to elicit farmers’ uncertainty preferences. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature. This required the development of a new approach in which uncertainty preferences were estimated while controlling for farmers’ subjective probabilities regarding future agricultural outcomes. The experiment involves Scottish farmers’ decisions to plant traditional or new potato varieties. Monetary incentives and incentive compatible elicitation techniques, such as quadratic scoring rules and certainty equivalent multiple price lists, were used. Results from the estimation of Fechner models using maximum likelihood estimation procedures show that failure to control for subjective probabilities generates an underestimation of estimated uncertainty preferences. Farmers are more averse to uncertainty than risk, and their choices are noisier under uncertainty than risk.
Conservation practice complementarity and timing of on‐farm adoption
Authors: Canales Elizabeth , Bergtold Jason S. , Williams Jeffery R.
Published: July 2020

The adoption of conservation practices is a dynamic process. Factors that vary over time can affect farmers’ decision to adopt and adoption timing. We used a duration model to evaluate the farmer's adoption time for continuous no‐till (CNT), cover crops (CCs), and the variable‐rate application of inputs (VRA). We found that producers who had previously adopted soil conservation practices were more likely to adopt additional complementary practices. Farmers using crop rotation adopted CNT and CCs approximately 48% and 62% faster than farmers without a crop rotation, respectively. The CC adoption time was also reduced by 70% for farmers who had adopted CNT. Complementarities between conservation practices may enhance the benefits from adoption and allow farmers to adopt bundles of conservation practices more quickly over time. This can be taken advantage of in conservation programs by promoting or requiring practices first that enhance adoption of other practices. We also found important heterogeneity in the adoption speed associated with farm management characteristics, producers’ attitudes, weather patterns, and crop prices.
Pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide 43: A putative modulator of testicular steroidogenesis
Authors: Patel Shishir K. , Singh Shio K.
Published: July 2020

Background

We have recently shown that QRFP and its receptor are predominantly expressed in germ cells, Sertoli cells and Leydig cells in mice testes.

Objective

The present study investigated the role of QRFP in testicular steroidogenesis in mice.

Materials and methods

Both ex vivo and in vivo experiments were performed. For ex vivo, testicular tissues were cultured with 0, 10, 100 and 1000 nM QRFP, with or without hCG, for 6, 12 and 24 h, and media were used for testosterone assay. The hCG‐stimulated testicular tissues were used for immunoblot of SF1, StAR, CYP11A1, 3β‐ and 17β‐HSD. For in vivo, mice received bilateral intratesticular injection of saline or 0.3, 1 and 3nmol QRFP and were killed at 6, 12 and 24 h post‐injection. Testosterone in serum was measured at above durations, while qRT‐PCR of HMG‐CoA synthase 1 and SR‐B1 and immunoblot of steroidogenesis‐related markers were performed at 24 h post‐injection.

Results

Testosterone production under basal and hCG‐stimulated conditions increased in a time‐dependent manner, and QRFP supplementation to testicular culture caused an increase and a decrease in hormone production. The effect of QRFP on testosterone production under hCG‐stimulated culture or in vivo conditions at 6 and 24h was similar. At 6h, testosterone production increased at 10 and 100 nM and also at 0.3 and 1nmol QRFP, while it decreased at 1000 nM and 3 nmol doses. At 24 h, testosterone level decreased at lower concentrations (10 nM and 0.3 nmol) and thereafter increased at middle (100nM and 1nmol) and higher (1000 nM and 3 nmol) concentrations under both hCG‐stimulated culture and in vivo.

Discussion and conclusion

QRFP induced production of testosterone by modulating steroidogenic machinery at optimal doses and durations. Further, findings of in vivo study indicate that QRFP besides directly regulating testicular steroidogenesis may also have modulated other factors which act together in a holistic manner to control steroidogenesis.
Postpartum urinary retention in women undergoing instrumental delivery: A cross‐sectional analytical study
Authors: Gupta Avantika , Pampapati Veena , Khare Chetan , Murugesan Rajeswari , Nayak Deepthi , Keepanasseril Anish
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Women undergoing instrumental delivery are known to be at higher risk of urinary retention, which can lead to long‐term complications such as voiding dysfunction. Nulliparous women undergo a pronounced and sudden change in the perineum due to stretching during delivery, which may add to the perineal trauma from an episiotomy, increasing the risk of urinary retention. We aim to study the incidence and risk factors associated with postpartum urinary retention in women undergoing instrumental delivery.

Material and methods

Pregnant women who had an instrumental delivery after 37 weeks of gestation at JIPMER, Puducherry, India, between January 2017 and June 2017 were included in the study. Postpartum urinary retention was defined as the inability to void spontaneously or ultrasonographic documentation of post‐void residual volume of >150 mL, 6 hours after delivery. Demographic factors, clinical profile and follow‐up of these patients were noted. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the risk factors associated with urinary retention and was presented as adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Postpartum urinary retention was noted in 124 (20.6%) women undergoing instrumental delivery. Overt and covert urinary retention occurred in 2.3% and 18.3%, respectively. After adjusting for other risk factors, nulliparity (adjusted OR = 4.05, 95% CI 2.02‐8.12 compared with multiparity) and prolonged second stage (OR = 3.96, 95% CI 1.53‐10.25) compared with suspected fetal compromise as an indication for instrumental delivery was associated with increased risk of postpartum urinary retention. Interaction was noted between parity and episiotomy on the occurrence of postpartum urinary retention (P = .010). Among nulliparous women, those with episiotomy (adjusted OR = 6.10, 95% CI 2.65‐14.04) have higher odds of developing postpartum urinary retention compared with those without episiotomy.

Conclusions

Approximately one of five (20.6%) women undergoing instrumental delivery developed postpartum urinary retention. Among women undergoing instrumental delivery, episiotomy increased the chances of developing postpartum retention in nulliparous but not multiparous women. Prolonged second stage as an indication for instrumental delivery also increased the chances of retention. Future studies are needed to define the cutoff for diagnosis and to evaluate the long‐term effects of covert postpartum urinary retention, as well to study the effect of episiotomy on development of postpartum urinary retention in women undergoing instrumental delivery.
Role of prenatal magnetic resonance imaging in fetuses with isolated agenesis of corpus callosum in the era of fetal neurosonography: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sileo Filomena Giulia , Di Mascio Daniele , Rizzo Giuseppe , Caulo Massimo , Manganaro Lucia , Bertucci Emma , Masmejan Sophie , Liberati Marco , D’Amico Alice , Nappi Luigi , Buca Danilo , Van Mieghem Tim , Khalil Asma , D’Antonio Francesco
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Corpus callosum agenesis (ACC) is frequently diagnosed during fetal life; its prognosis depends also on additional anomalies. The additional value of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in fetuses with “isolated” complete (cACC) and partial (pACC) agenesis of the corpus callosum on ultrasound is still debated.

Material and methods

We performed a systematic literature review and meta‐analysis including fetuses with a prenatal diagnosis of cACC and pACC without associated structural anomalies on ultrasound, undergoing fetal MRI. The primary outcome was the rate of additional anomalies detected at fetal MRI. Further analyses assessed the effect of type of ultrasound assessment (neurosonography vs standard axial assessment), gestational age at fetal MRI and rate of postnatally detected brain anomalies. Random‐effect meta‐analyses of proportions were used to analyze the data.

Results

Fourteen studies (798 fetuses) were included. In cases with isolated cACC, 10.9% (95% CI 4.1‐20.6) and 4.3% (95% CI 1.4‐8.8) additional anomalies were detected by fetal MRI and postnatally, respectively. Stratifying according to the type of ultrasound assessment, the rate of associated anomalies detected only on fetal MRI was 5.7% (95% CI 0.5‐16.0) with dedicated neurosonography and 18.5% (95% CI 7.8‐32.4) with a standard axial assessment. In fetuses with isolated pACC, 13.4% (95% CI 4.0‐27.0) and 16.2% (95% CI 5.9‐30.3) additional anomalies were detected by fetal MRI or postnatally, respectively. Stratifying according to the type of ultrasound assessment, the rate of associated anomalies detected only on fetal MRI was 11.4% (95% CI 2.7‐25.0) when dedicated neurosonography was performed. Cortical and posterior fossa anomalies represented the most common anomalies missed at ultrasound with both cACC and pACC. Due to the very small number of included cases, stratification according to early (<24 weeks of gestation) and late (>24 weeks) fetal MRI could not be done for either cACC or pACC.

Conclusions

The rate of associated anomalies detected exclusively at fetal MRI in isolated ACC undergoing neurosonography is lower than previously reported. Cortical and posterior fossa anomalies are among the most common anomalies detected exclusively at MRI, thus confirming the crucial role of fetal MRI in determining the prognosis of these fetuses. However, some anomalies still go undetected prenatally and this should be stressed during parental counseling.
A case report and literature review of vaginal bleeding in prepubertal girl
Authors: Wang Xinyan , Zeng Wenjie , Xu Sheng , Huang Lu , Lai Yucheng , Yu Yan
Published: July 2020

Vaginal bleeding in the prepubertal girl is an uncommon condition with complex aetiological factors. We report a case of a 6‐year‐old girl brought to hospital when vaginal bleeding was noticed after defecation. Various common causes were excluded by genital and auxiliary examinations. Serial vaginoscopy revealed increasing petechiae within the non‐oestrogenised cervix and vaginal wall. The aetiology of these petechiae was considered to result from ruptured small blood vessels or submucosal capillaries due to an increase in abdominal pressure.

Conclusion

This case report and review of literature has shed new light on the aetiology of prepubertal bleeding, which details challenging clinical characteristics of use to gynaecologists in the evaluation of related conditions and formulation of appropriate treatment regimens.
An integrated PK‐PD model for cortisol and the 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione biomarkers in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Authors: Al‐Kofahi Mahmoud , Ahmed Mariam A. , Jaber Mutaz M. , Tran Thang N. , Willis Brian A. , Zimmerman Cheryl L. , Gonzalez‐Bolanos Maria T. , Brundage Richard C. , Sarafoglou Kyriakie
Published: July 2020

Aims

The aim of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships of cortisol and the adrenal biomarkers 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

Methods

A nonlinear mixed‐effect modelling approach was used to analyse cortisol, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione concentrations obtained over 6 hours from children with CAH (n = 50). A circadian rhythm was evident and the model leveraged literature information on circadian rhythm in untreated children with CAH. Indirect response models were applied in which cortisol inhibited the production rate of all three compounds using an Imax model.

Results

Cortisol was characterized by a one‐compartment model with apparent clearance and volume of distribution estimated at 22.9 L/h/70 kg and 41.1 L/70 kg, respectively. The IC50 values of cortisol concentrations for cortisol, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione were estimated to be 1.36, 0.45 and 0.75 μg/dL, respectively. The inhibitory effect was found to be more potent on 17OHP than D4A, and the IC50 values were higher in salt‐wasting subjects than simple virilizers. Production rates of cortisol, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione were higher in simple‐virilizer subjects. Half‐lives of cortisol, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione were 60, 47 and 77 minutes, respectively.

Conclusion

Rapidly changing biomarker responses to cortisol concentrations highlight that single measurements provide volatile information about a child's disease control. Our model closely captured observed cortisol, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione concentrations. It can be used to predict concentrations over 24 hours and allows many novel exposure metrics to be calculated, e.g., AUC, AUC‐above‐threshold, time‐within‐range, etc. Our long‐range goal is to uncover dose–exposure–outcome relationships that clinicians can use in adjusting hydrocortisone dose and timing.
The health sphere beyond borders: Coverage portability and justice in a global space
Authors: Webb Adam K.
Published: July 2020

Medical coverage often stops at borders, for both travellers and long‐term migrants. Such patchiness imposes a de facto limit on free movement. This article considers this phenomenon not as a mere policy choice or technical matter, but as a form of territorial discrimination that is incoherent and even unjust. This legacy of nationally bounded social citizenship rests on a mistaken version of solidarity. Moreover, with growing mobility and rising expectations of medical coverage around the world, the fragmenting of safety nets by the political honeycomb of statehood will become a vexing problem in coming decades. A proper understanding of the health sphere not only can justify incremental reforms that lessen territorial discrimination, without impairing either solidarity or sustainability. It also foreshadows a radically different vision of how social provision might work in a future global space beyond the nation‐state.
Lenalidomide‐associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Nishimura Kazutaka , Iwai Yuta , Yabuki Mariko , Fuse Hiroe , Nakamichi Kazuo , Takahashi Kenta , Suzuki Tadaki , Saijo Masayuki , Fukushima Takeshi , Kuwabara Satoshi
Published: July 2020

Background

Lenalidomide, an analogue of thalidomide, is frequently used to treat multiple myeloma (MM). Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an infectious disease of the central nervous system caused by the reactivation of the JC polyomavirus. Only a few reports have described PML in patients receiving lenalidomide therapy.

Case presentation

A 76‐year‐old man with MM presented progressive visual and cognitive impairment during lenalidomide administration. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a lesion in the right parietal lobe. Brain biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of PML. Lenalidomide therapy was discontinued, and oral mefloquine was commenced. He was alive more than 1 year later with mild neurologic decline.

Conclusions

Although rare, lenalidomide‐induced PML should be considered in myeloma patients treated with lenalidomide.
Steroid‐sparing maintenance immunosuppression is safe and effective after simultaneous liver‐kidney transplantation
Authors: Weeks Sharon R. , Luo Xun , Toman Lindsey , Gurakar Ahmet O. , Naqvi Fizza F. , Alqahtani Saleh A. , Philosophe Benjamin , Cameron Andrew M. , Desai Niraj M. , Ottmann Shane E. , Segev Dorry L. , Garonzik‐Wang Jacqueline
Published: July 2020

Optimization of maintenance immunosuppression (mIS) regimens in the transplant recipient requires a balance between sufficient potency to prevent rejection and avoidance of excessive immunosuppression to prevent toxicities and complications. The optimal regimen after simultaneous liver‐kidney (SLK) transplantation remains unclear, but small single‐center reports have shown success with steroid‐sparing regimens. We studied 4184 adult SLK recipients using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, from March 1, 2002, to February 28, 2017, on tacrolimus‐based regimens at 1 year post‐transplant. We determined the association between mIS regimen and mortality and graft failure using Cox proportional hazard models. The use of steroid‐sparing regimens increased post‐transplant, from 16.1% at discharge to 88.0% at 5 years. Using multi‐level logistic regression modeling, we found center‐level variation to be the major contributor to choice of mIS regimen (ICC 44.5%; 95% CI: 36.2%‐53.0%). In multivariate analysis, use of a steroid‐sparing regimen at 1 year was associated with a 21% decreased risk of mortality compared to steroid‐containing regimens (aHR 0.79, P = .01) and 20% decreased risk of liver graft failure (aHR 0.80, P = .01), without differences in kidney graft loss risk (aHR 0.92, P = .6). Among SLK recipients, the use of a steroid‐sparing regimen appears to be safe and effective without adverse effects on patient or graft survival.