bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Operation management of academic libraries in Hong Kong under COVID-19
Authors: Yu Pui Yik , Lam Ernest Tak Hei , Chiu Dickson K.W.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This research studies the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operation management of Hong Kong academic libraries for understanding the difficulties and challenges for librarians to adapt to the special arrangements during the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with librarians in major universities and higher education institutions of Hong Kong. Participants were interviewed either in the face-to-face format or text-based format.

Findings

Participants provided a broad scope about the actual library management and operation changes during the COVID-19. According to the respondents, the most challenging problem for librarians during COVID-19 was to strike a balance between concerns of library staff and users. While they described how these arrangements and changes affected the service quality of academic libraries from different perspectives, the pandemic situation also brought some opportunities, such as pushing the digitalization of all collections and using online resources for future development. A hybrid model for library service would be more common in the future with more demands toward online resources and digital collection, in which academic libraries should be prepared after the pandemic.

Originality/value

This paper provided broad insights into library management and the future development of academic libraries for the post-COVID-19 period. There are scant studies of this topic, especially in an Asian metropolis context with dense population, small campus and limited library physical spaces.
A study on listed companies' compliance with value-added tax: the evolving role of compliance officer in Oman
Authors: Thottoli Mohammed Muneerali
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to examine current companies’ compliance with value-added tax (VAT) and the evolving role of the compliance officer in the listed companies at Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), Oman.

Design/methodology/approach

The study has collected various compliance measures set by Capital Market Authority (CMA) from 2011 to 2019. On top of the websites of CMA, MSX, Oman Tax Authority and other related websites, the paper has considered real data of specific compliance or disclosure measures set by CMA on all companies listed under MSX. The focused period from 2011 to 2019 is where CMA has provided disclosure data as part of mandatory disclosure requirements.

Findings

This paper identified that there is a lack of timely compliance by companies under the existing law, and these companies may face pressures for compliance with VAT enforcement in Oman. Therefore, to comply with the disclosure requirements of listed companies, there is a growing need to appoint a full-time compliance officer and do a compliance audit.

Practical limitations/implications

The results of the study indicate the value of full-time compliance officers and compliance audits. The findings are able to aid in the appraisal of VAT accounting, compliance audit research, and in the selection of proper assessment methods and criteria.

Originality/value

This paper reviews the literature and provides new empirical analysis that are possibly beneficial for both scholars and accounting practitioners.
The influence of ethical leadership in the delivery of agricultural advisory services in Tanzania local government authorities
Authors: Lameck Wilfred Uronu
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This article discusses the consequences of unethical leadership, particularly, the leader-follower relationship in the delivery of agricultural advisory services in Tanzania. It analyses the means through which ethical leadership framework can be used to address the problem of unethical leadership in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

The article uses a comparative case study design to explain the position of ethical leadership in the delivery of agricultural advisory services in two local governments: Morogoro Municipality in Eastern Tanzania, and Hai District in Northern Tanzania.

Findings

The research shows that the delivery of agricultural extension services in Tanzania is guided by formal rules, which define the roles and responsibilities of local government officials and field workers. These roles and responsibilities are driven by national-level guidelines written by the Ministry of Agriculture. The guidelines define the key responsibilities of village, Ward and District level Agricultural Extension Officers. In developing the working schedule, agricultural extension workers at the village and ward levels are guided by an annual calendar that defines the seasons of the year and the relevant knowledge required by farmers. Nevertheless, the implementation of these schedules is compromised by a lack of resources and morale of field workers who in turn, cope through charging for the services, which is considered as their prime motives.

Originality/value

The findings can be of interest to national and local government policymakers and officials dealing with the delivery of agricultural advisory services in Tanzania.
Multinational enterprises’ narratives about and approaches to modern slavery: an exploratory study
Authors: Robb Benjamin , Michailova Snejina
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Globalisation plays a major role in the existence and persistence of modern slavery, one of the most extreme examples of human rights abuses in recorded history. This paper aims to explore how multinational enterprises (MNEs), as central players in international business (IB) activities, relate to modern slavery. This paper focusses on human rights–minded MNEs and investigates their narratives and proactive approaches to tackling modern slavery.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted 12 semi-structured interviews with managers and consultants with substantial knowledge on the topic. This study also gained insights from a business conference on modern slavery organised by a New Zealand ministry in 2021.

Findings

This study identified four MNE narratives and three approaches to responding to modern slavery.

Practical implications

This paper discusses the challenges faced by MNEs when addressing modern slavery and outlines the relevant implications for MNE managers.

Originality/value

The scholarly conversation on modern slavery in the field of IB is in its infancy. This paper offers an account of how MNEs deal with modern slavery. In addition, while most studies take a critical angle and focus on problems, this study focusses on progressive and human rights–minded MNEs.
Photo disclosure in human rights issues by fortune companies: an impression management perspective
Authors: Zeng Xianrui , Momin Mahmood , Nurunnabi Mohammad
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the representation of human rights issues within photographs in the 2015 corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports of Fortune 70 companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis is used to examine human rights photos in CSR reports by Fortune 70 global corporations for the year 2015. Based on impression management theory and Roland Barthes’ work on visual rhetoric, a total of 744 photos are analysed.

Findings

The findings of this study reflect the main feature of the omnipresence of the linguistic in photographic human rights disclosure. Denotation and connotation in the photographs are inextricably intermingled; the linguistic message has the “anchoring” function that guides the interpretations of the symbolic message of the photos. The authors conclude what the proliferation of photos and associated text achieves, or attempts to achieve, is not only to provide information, but also carry visual rhetoric and impression management.

Practical implications

International accounting standard organisations, such as GRI, might provide guidance on the utilisation of photos in CSR reports to improve the realism of the reports. The principle of balance applicable to reported information should be extended to photos as much as possible. This may help ensure that the CSR reports reflect the reality of human rights issues within the organisations, rather than the construction of idealised images.

Social implications

The findings have potential for global reporting institutions.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the impression management literature by analysing how companies present human rights issues and by demonstrating the way the photos are used to construct images of happiness, safety, diversity and mutual support.
CEO activism. What do we know? What don’t we know? A systematic literature review
Authors: Rumstadt Franz , Kanbach Dominik K.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) activism, i.e. executives, publicly weighing in on sociopolitical debates, is an area of increasing interest in academia and business. This young research field provides valuable insights, but it still represents a scattered discussion in a variety of disciplines. Thus, this paper aims to present a guiding framework, integrate current knowledge, aggregate published findings and outline avenues for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic literature review building on a sample of 36 publications. In consequence, 1,146 lead themes were derived and studied in an in-depth qualitative analysis by deploying a pattern-inducing method.

Findings

Research on CEO activism can be placed on a time-oriented logic, giving insights into the realisation of activism, stakeholder reactions, moderators and perception effects. These four aggregate dimensions can be explained by 15 second-order themes and 48 more detailed first-order themes.

Practical implications

Considering the risks and benefits of CEO activism, top executives and communication professionals should be aware of its implications. This paper provides an integrated view of the different mechanisms and potential effects of CEO activism. Thereby, it proposes communicative planning from activism’s realisation to its perceptual results.

Originality/value

The study provides a holistic view of CEO activism as a starting point for further discussion. To the latest of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first integrated conceptualisation of the discussion of CEO activism. The proposed avenues for future research stem from a detailed examination of published knowledge.
Expansion of bilin‐based red light sensors in the subaerial desert cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme
Authors: Xu Hai‐Feng , Dai Guo‐Zheng , Wang Yu‐Jie , Cheng Chao , Shang Jin‐Long , Li Ren‐Han , Liu Ke , Duanmu Deqiang , Qiu Bao‐Sheng
Published: February 2022

Light is the crucial environmental signal for desiccation‐tolerant cyanobacteria to activate photosynthesis and prepare for desiccation at dawn. However, the photobiological characteristics of desert cyanobacteria adaptation to one of the harshest habitats on Earth remain unresolved. In this study, we surveyed the genome of a subaerial desert cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme and identified two phytochromes and seven cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) with one or more bilin‐binding GAF (cGMP phosphodiesterase/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA) domains. Biochemical and spectroscopic analyses of 69 purified GAF‐containing proteins from recombinant phycocyanobilin (PCB), biliverdin or phycoerythrobilin‐producing Escherichia coli indicated that nine of these proteins bind chromophores. Further investigation revealed that 11 GAFs form covalent adducts responsive to near‐UV and visible light: eight GAFs contained PCB chromophores, three GAFs contained biliverdin chromophores and one contained the PCB isomer, phycoviolobilin. Interestingly, COO91_03972 is the first‐ever reported GAF‐only CBCR capable of sensing five wavelengths of light. Bioinformatics and biochemical analyses revealed that residue P132 of COO91_03972 is essential for chromophore binding to dual‐cysteine CBCRs. Furthermore, the complement of N. flagelliforme CBCRs is enriched in red light sensors. We hypothesize that these sensors are critical for the acclimatization of N. flagelliforme to weak light environments at dawn.
A Typology of Emerging Market SMEs’ COVID‐19 Response Strategies: The Role of TMTs and Organizational Design
Authors: Puthusserry Pushyarag , King Timothy , Miller Kristel , Khan Zaheer
Published: February 2022

The unique challenges posed by COVID‐19 call for new insights into how firms respond to multiheaded and multistage evolving global crises. Whilst prior research acknowledges the potential role flexible organizational designs and top management teams (TMTs) have for crisis management, these bodies of literature have evolved separately with limited cross‐fertilization. In this study, we seek to provide a contextualized explanation of research phenomena by drawing upon multiple layers of context – namely the environment, TMT and organisational context. Our findings provide vital insights into how emerging market Indian SMEs’ organizational designs and TMT configurations led to differential COVID‐19 crisis response strategies. We develop a typology that identifies four strategic responses and illustrate that not all emerging market SMEs are vulnerable at the time of crisis. Our findings extend knowledge on how emerging market SMEs can navigate external shocks such as those caused by COVID‐19. In particular, our research has implications for policymakers and emerging market firms seeking to understand and implement effective organizational designs and policies that can weather the current COVID‐19 pandemic, as well as future multiheaded and multistage black swan crises.
Knowledge Diversity and Venture Growth: The Contingent Effects of Early Planning and Experimentation
Authors: Tryba Anne , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: February 2022

Drawing on an information processing perspective, we explore to what extent early venture activities allow founding teams to leverage their diverse knowledge to achieve venture growth. Using data from 103 young ventures, we find that early planning enables founding teams to better exploit the diverse knowledge resulting from their heterogeneity in educational background. However, venture growth is highest when diverse teams simultaneously plan and experiment in the early venture phase. This study challenges extant explanations of when early behaviours shape the efficient usage of existing venture resources. We discuss the contribution of these findings to the literature on founding teams, planning and experimentation, and team diversity.
How Global was Medieval Prussia? An Analysis of the Barlaam and Josaphat Manuscript of the Teutonic Knights at the Turn of the Fifteenth Century
Authors: Leighton Gregory
Published: February 2022

The history of the southern Baltic region (Prussia) from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries has only received increased attention from ‘Western’ scholars in the last three decades. It has remained peripheral within traditional ‘Western’ scholarship on the premodern world. As a result, we are still left with a wide variety of questions, especially concerning the place of this area in the broader medieval world. This article addresses two of these questions: to what extent did medieval contemporaries in Prussia know about their broader world, and the peoples within it? How were people from these regions, such as the Indian Subcontinent or Africa, depicted, understood and communicated? One answer lay in the literature produced by the knights in the Teutonic Order. In the context of the plethora of studies on race and globality in the premodern world, the Baltic region has of yet received minimal attention. However, an investigation into the rich sources available reveals the presence in the region of the story of Barlaam and Josaphat, a Christian version of the life of the Buddha and the first example of ‘global literature’ associated with the Middle Ages. By analysing the surviving examples in the region, this article will place the region of Prussia within the new concept of the Global Middle Ages and reveal the perception of the southern realms of the world in one of medieval Europe's furthest cultural outposts.
Postharvest processing of tree nuts: Current status and future prospects—A comprehensive review
Authors: Chen Chang , Pan Zhongli
Published: February 2022

Tree nuts are important economic crops and are consumed as healthy snacks worldwide. In recent years, the increasing needs for more efficient and effective postharvest processing technologies have been driven by the growing production, higher quality standards, stricter food safety requirements, development of new harvesting methods, and demand to achieve energy saving and carbon neutralization. Among all, the technologies related to drying, disinfection, and disinfestation and downstream processes, such as blanching, kernel peeling, and roasting, are the most important processes influencing the quality and safety of the products. These processes make up the largest contribution to the energy consumptions and environmental impacts stemming from tree nut production. Although many studies have been conducted to improve the processing efficiency and sustainability, and preserve the product quality and safety, information from these studies is fragmented and a centralized review highlighting the important technology advancements of postharvest processing of tree nuts would benefit the industry. In this comprehensive review, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are selected as the representative crops of tree nuts. Current statuses, recent advances, and ongoing challenges in the scientific research as well as in the industrial processing practices of these tree nuts are summarized. Some new perspectives and applications of tree nut processing waste and by‐products (such as the hulls and shells) are also discussed. In addition, future trends and research needs are highlighted. The material presented here will help both stakeholders and scientists to better understand postharvest tree nut processing and provide technological recommendations to improve the efficiency and sustainability, product quality and safety, and competitiveness of the industry.
Spontaneous pneumo‐mediastinum ‐ A benign rarity?
Authors: Wong Kevin Ka‐fai , Leung Jane Wan‐chi , Ho Harriette Hiu‐ching , Poon Terence Tai‐lun , Mak Josephine Yan‐wah , Choi Wing‐kee , Leung Siu‐kee
Published: February 2022

Background

Spontaneous pneumo‐mediastinum (SPM) is defined as the spontaneous occurrence of free gas in the mediastinum. Although SPM is rare, this is a unique differential cause for pneumo‐mediastinum. It bears a benign clinical course with good clinical outcome, unlike others potentially life threatening causes of pneumo‐mediastinum, such as oesophageal perforation and necrotizing mediastinitis.

Methods and Results

A retrospective study about SPM was conducted in the Department of Surgery, Tuen Mun Hospital, HKSAR. SPM cases were retrieved through hospital's electronic records from 7/2000 to 6/2020. Patients' demographic data, clinical presentation, management and outcomes were reviewed. One hundred five SPM patients were retrieved with mean age 21.3 (0–68). More than 85% (91 cases) of them were younger age group (younger than the age of 30). Eighty‐seven cases (82.9%) were male while 18 cases (17.1%) were female. The top 3 presentation symptoms were: chest pain (69 cases, 65.7%), neck pain (43 cases, 41%) and sore throat (42 cases, 40%). Physical examination revealed surgical emphysema in 63 patients (60%). 61 (58.1%) patients enjoyed good past health and without any potential predisposing factors. Common precipitating factors included: vigorous cough (28 cases, 26.7%), vigorous exercise (16 cases, 15.2%), sneezing (15 cases, 14.3%) and vomiting/retching (14 cases, 13.3%).

CXR showed pneumo‐mediastinum in 98 cases (93.3%). Additional investigations, such as CT neck/thorax/abdomen with contrast (63 cases, 60%) and oesophago‐gastro‐duodenoscopy (OGD) (29 cases, 27.6%), were performed to rule out other differential diagnosis in suspicious cases.

All the SPM patients were treated conservatively (e.g. bed rest, analgesics, antibiotics, oxygen supplement). None of them required operative treatment with recurrence rate 0%. Average length of hospital stay was 4.1 days (1–35 days). Two out of 105 cases (1.9%) resulted in hospital mortality due to other underlying medical illnesses.

Conclusion

SPM is an uncommon disease, mainly affecting the younger age group. Although SPM carries a benign and good clinical outcome, it is essential to exclude other potential life threatening conditions with similar presentations.
Initial experience of ultrasound‐guided radiofrequency ablation of benign symptomatic thyroid nodules: Safety and short‐term efficacy
Authors: Ho Tsit‐Lai , Tai Dora K. C. , Chick Wai‐Keung , Chiang Betsy J. , Kwok Philip C. H.
Published: February 2022

Aim

To report the safety and short‐term efficacy of the use of ultrasound‐guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for benign symptomatic thyroid nodules.

Methods

The treatment outcomes of patients who were treated with RFA for benign symptomatic thyroid nodules from December 2017 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Nodule volumes were assessed before treatment, and at 1, 6 and 12 months after treatment for comparison. Complications were reported.

Results

A total of 18 patients were treated. The volume reduction rate at 1, 6 and 12 months were 39.6% ± 23.4%, 60.02% ± 18.40% and 70.18% ± 22.68%, respectively. The rate of treatment success was 33.3%, 72.2% and 81.8%, respectively. Statistically significant reductions were noted in volume at all three time points (all with P < .05). Three complications were reported, including Horner syndrome, thyroiditis and pseudocyst formation after ablation. All of them were managed conservatively and symptoms resolved subsequently.

Conclusions

Ultrasound‐guided RFA is a safe modality for treating benign symptomatic thyroid nodules with satisfactory short‐term efficacy.
Goldilocks and the three “Ts”: Targeting, testing, and tracking for “just right” democratic policing
Authors: Sherman Lawrence W.
Published: February 2022

Research Summary

Police are often criticized for doing “too much” or “too little” policing in various situations. These criticisms amount to testable hypotheses about whether “less” force, or intensity, or enforcement would have been enough, or whether “more” was needed. The rise of evidence‐based policing provides a starting point for public dialogues about those hypotheses, in ways that could help to build police legitimacy. Such dialogues can be focused on the questions posed by the three “Ts”: (1) Is police action targeted in a way that is proportionate to the harm that it can prevent? (2) Has the action been tested and found effective with the kinds of targets, and their levels of harm, where it is being used? (3) Is police action tracked to ensure it is delivered in the way that has been tested, and in compliance with relevant legal requirements? In this lecture, I frame the issue as follows: Can more widespread use of better research evidence on targeting, testing, and tracking police actions, shared more clearly among the public and police, help reduce the wide range of oscillation between over‐policing and under‐policing?

Policy Implications

The use of these questions in public dialogue would be especially relevant to the three biggest threats to police legitimacy in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder: (A) police killing people, (B) police stopping people, and (C) police under‐patrolling high‐crime hot spots (while over‐patrolling low‐crime areas). One result of applying the three‐Ts questions to these threats, for example, could be the end of the vast overuse of stop and search in low‐violence areas. At the same time, this approach could also lead to reductions in homicide by increasing stops in highest violence hot spots. Such changes could demonstrate how the “Goldilocks principle” for the three Ts could get policing closer to “just right” for each place and person being policed.
Perspectives of fluorescence spectroscopy for online monitoring in microalgae industry
Authors: Sá Marta , Ferrer‐Ledo Narcis , Gao Fengzheng , Bertinetto Carlo G. , Jansen Jeroen , Crespo João G. , Wijffels Rene H. , Barbosa Maria , Galinha Claudia F.
Published: February 2022

Microalgae industrial production is viewed as a solution for alternative production of nutraceuticals, cosmetics, biofertilizers, and biopolymers. Throughout the years, several technological advances have been implemented, increasing the competitiveness of microalgae industry. However, online monitoring and real‐time process control of a microalgae production factory still require further development. In this mini‐review, non‐destructive tools for online monitoring of cellular agriculture applications are described. Still, the focus is on the use of fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor several parameters (cell concentration, pigments, and lipids) in the microalgae industry. The development presented makes it the most promising solution for monitoring up‐and downstream processes, different biological parameters simultaneously, and different microalgae species. The improvements needed for industrial application of this technology are also discussed.
Circ_0001955 plays a carcinogenic role in breast cancer via positively regulating GLUT1 via decoying miR‐1299
Authors: Cheng Hong , Kuang Sijie , Tan Lingzhen , Sun Shengrong
Published: February 2022

Background

Breast cancer is widespread in females. The role of circular RNA (circRNA) in breast cancer has aroused much attention. However, the function of several circRNAs remain unclear. The aim of our study was to determine the role of circ_0001955 in breast cancer.

Methods

Quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) and western blot was employed for expression analysis of circ_0001955, miR‐1299 and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1). Cell functions including proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and angiogenesis, were assessed using EdU, flow cytometry, transwell and tube formation assays. Glycolysis metabolism was assessed according to glucose consumption, lactate production and ATP content. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay were utilized to validate the binding between miR‐1299 and circ_0001955 or GLUT1. The effects of circ_0001955 in vivo were observed by animal study.

Results

Upregulation of circ_0001955 was detected in breast cancer. Knockdown of circ_0001955 inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis and glycolysis. MiR‐1299 was a target of circ_0001955, and its repression reversed the effects of circ_0001955 knockdown. Moreover, circ_0001955 targeted miR‐1299 to positively regulate GLUT1 expression. GLUT1 overexpression reversed the effects of miR‐1299 enrichment. GLUT1 knockdown was verified to block tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusions

Circ_0001955 was found to promote breast cancer malignant development via targeting of the miR‐1299/GLUT1 pathway, which contributes to our understanding of the pathogenesis of breast cancer.
Prodiplosis hirsuta Kolesik sp. nov., a new species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) feeding on shoot tips of Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae) in South America
Authors: Kolesik Peter , Kumaran Nagalingam , Oleiro Marina , Goñalons Carolina Mengoni , Brookes Dean , Cabrera Walsh Guillermo , Dhileepan Kunjithapatham
Published: February 2022

A gall midge, Prodiplosis hirsuta Kolesik sp. nov., is described whose larvae feed on shoot tips of Jatropha gossypiifolia and Jatropha clavuligera in Paraguay and Bolivia. Morphology and the mitochondrial COI gene sequence of the new species are given. Field survey and preliminary no‐choice host specificity tests showed that the host plant range of P. hirsuta is confined to J. gossypiifolia and J. clavuligera. The apparent host specificity and the damage potential make P. hirsuta a prospective candidate for biological control of J. gossypiifolia in Australia.
Effects of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and other eicosanoid pathway modifiers on antiviral and allergic responses: EAACI task force on eicosanoids consensus report in times of COVID‐19
Authors: Sokolowska Milena , Rovati G Enrico , Diamant Zuzana , Untersmayr Eva , Schwarze Jürgen , Lukasik Zuzanna , Sava Florentina , Angelina Alba , Palomares Oscar , Akdis Cezmi A. , O'Mahony Liam , Jesenak Milos , Pfaar Oliver , Torres María José , Sanak Marek , Dahlén Sven‐Erik , Woszczek Grzegorz
Published: February 2022

Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other eicosanoid pathway modifiers are among the most ubiquitously used medications in the general population. Their broad anti‐inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic effects are applied against symptoms of respiratory infections, including SARS‐CoV‐2, as well as in other acute and chronic inflammatory diseases that often coexist with allergy and asthma. However, the current pandemic of COVID‐19 also revealed the gaps in our understanding of their mechanism of action, selectivity, and interactions not only during viral infections and inflammation, but also in asthma exacerbations, uncontrolled allergic inflammation, and NSAIDs‐exacerbated respiratory disease (NERD). In this context, the consensus report summarizes currently available knowledge, novel discoveries, and controversies regarding the use of NSAIDs in COVID‐19, and the role of NSAIDs in asthma and viral asthma exacerbations. We also describe here novel mechanisms of action of leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs), outline how to predict responses to LTRA therapy and discuss a potential role of LTRA therapy in COVID‐19 treatment. Moreover, we discuss interactions of novel T2 biologicals and other eicosanoid pathway modifiers on the horizon, such as prostaglandin D2 antagonists and cannabinoids, with eicosanoid pathways, in context of viral infections and exacerbations of asthma and allergic diseases. Finally, we identify and summarize the major knowledge gaps and unmet needs in current eicosanoid research.
“Our Turks make the best German cars”: Racism as a Tool to Break Workers’ Power in the 1973 Ford Strikes
Authors: Kleinheisterkamp González Nicole
Published: February 2022

A wave of wildcat strikes spread throughout the industrial region of North Rhine Westphalia in 1973. Drawing on a critique of Cedric Robinson’s concept of European racialism, Karen Fields and Barbara Fields’ work on racism as an ideology, and a Gramscian understanding of hegemonic ideologies from above, I analyse untranslated reports of the failed migrant‐led wildcat strike at the Ford Köln/Niehl plant. An important reason for the unsuccessful strike was the consent building of racial stereotypes against Turkish workers by the press and Ford management. I develop the term “racism from above” to denote the explicit use of racist stereotypes against migrant guest workers to undermine the strike and German‐Turkish solidarity. The reproduction of racism at the workplace demonstrates how consent‐building with racialised (and gendered) capitalist relations of production serves the owning class. Understanding how racism is reproduced in certain spaces will help better counteract attempts to split solidarity from above.
The respiratory consequences of COVID‐19 lasted for a median of 4 months in a cohort of children aged 2–18 years of age
Authors: Doležalová Karolína , Tuková Jana , Pohunek Petr
Published: February 2022

Aim

We focused on the clinical picture, severity and prognosis of children who experienced long‐term respiratory issues after COVID‐19.

Methods

This was a national Czech multicentre study of paediatric post‐COVID syndrome, which used a standard protocol to evaluate structural and functional anomalies and exclude alternative diagnoses. From 6 January to 30 June 2021, 11 paediatric pulmonologists enrolled all paediatric referrals aged 2–18 years with persistent respiratory symptoms more than 12 weeks after COVID‐19, namely cough, dyspnoea and chest pain. Medical histories were taken, and physical examinations, lung function testing, chest X‐ray and blood tests were performed.

Results

The dominant symptoms in the 39 children (56.4% girls) were exertional dyspnoea (76.9%) and a chronic cough (48.7%), while dyspnoea at rest (30.8%) and chest pain (17.9%) were less prevalent. More than half (53.8%) reported more than 1 symptom, and 38.5% had abnormal results for 1 of the following tests: lung function, chest X‐ray or D‐dimers. The median age of the children was 13.5 years (interquartile range ±4.8 years), and the median recovery time was 4 months (range 1.5–8 months).

Conclusion

Our initial data suggest that the long‐term respiratory impact of COVID‐19 was relatively mild in our cohort, with a favourable prognosis.
Piloting online training in the Pacific‐Ophelia project for child and adolescent mental health
Authors: Chang Odille , Ryan Brigid , Liebetrau Elaine , Robertson Paul
Published: February 2022

Introduction

In June 2020, St Vincent's Mental Health, Fiji National University, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry collaborated to deliver online, specialized child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) training to Pacific‐based healthcare workers. This accompanying research aimed to understand the telehealth model and structures that would sustain an engaged community of practice and support the development of professional networks across the Pacific.

Method

Quantitative and qualitative feedback was analyzed to understand participation and self‐rated measures of skills, knowledge, and confidence in providing health care for children and young people, as well as experiences of training, including access, engagement, and applicability of the initiative to the Pacific Islands health care organizations.

Results

Ophelia Training was able to meet the stated learning objectives. The data from all stakeholders identifies the value of a telehealth initiative incorporating training, technical assistance, knowledge networks, and professional coaching as a capacity building approach.

Conclusion

This program offers an integration of research and practice. This regional approach to understanding telehealth capacity for Pacific Island mental health services is valuable for informing decision‐making with respect to clinical care, management, workforce training and policy. It also provided an opportunity to improve health inequalities, by improving access to CAMH training via telehealth.
Prostatitis and prostatic abscessation in dogs: retrospective study of 82 cases
Authors: Lea C , Walker D , Blazquez CA , Zaghloul O , Tappin S , Kelly D
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To describe clinical signs, diagnostics, treatments and outcomes of prostatitis and prostatic abscesses of dogs in a referral population.

Animals

Eighty‐two dogs diagnosed with prostatitis and/or prostatic abscesses from three referral hospitals.

Procedures

Retrospective case series.

Results

A total of 82 dogs were included, and the median age was nine years. Acute prostatitis was diagnosed in 63% of cases, chronic prostatitis in 37% of cases and 40% of cases had prostatic abscessation. Prostatomegaly was the most common ultrasonographic finding. Mineralisation was identified in 20% of cases. The results of urine and prostatic bacterial culture were concordant in only 50% of cases. Antimicrobial resistance was encountered commonly, with 29% of cultures resistant to one antimicrobial and 52% resistant to two or more antimicrobials. Abscesses were treated with either antimicrobials alone, ultrasound‐guided needle drainage or surgical drainage.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

With antimicrobial treatment and castration, the prognosis for canine prostatitis appears good. Prostatic abscessation is commonly encountered and does not appear to infer a worse prognosis and antimicrobials alone, ultrasound‐guided needle drainage and surgical drainage all appear to be reasonable treatment options. Antimicrobial resistance is commonly encountered, and the results of urine culture and susceptibility testing are frequently discordant with those from samples from the prostate. Sampling of the prostate is required to confirm a diagnosis and exclude other pathologies such as neoplasia, particularly as mineralisation is seen in a reasonable number of cases of dogs with prostatitis.
Diversity patterns in high‐latitude grasslands
Authors: Kapfer Jutta , Dramstad Wenche , Pedersen Christian , Sickel Hanne , Heegaard Einar
Published: February 2022

Aim

Grasslands of varying land‐use intensity and history were studied to describe and test species richness and compositional patterns and their relationships with the physical environment, land cover of the surrounding landscape, patch geometry, and grazing.

Location

The mainland of Norway.

Methods

We utilized data from the Norwegian Monitoring Programme for Agricultural Landscapes, which recorded vascular plants from 569 plots, placed within 97 monitoring squares systematically distributed throughout agricultural land on the Norwegian mainland. We identified four grassland types: (i) moderately fertilized, moist meadows; (ii) overgrown agricultural land; (iii) cultivated pastures and disturbed ground; and (iv) natural/unfertilized and outfield pastures.

Results

Soil moisture and grazing measures were found to be important in explaining species compositional variation in all grassland types. Richness patterns were best explained by complex and differing combinations of environmental indicators. Nevertheless, negative (nitrogen and light level) or unimodal (pH) responses were similar across grassland types. Vegetation plots adjacent to areas historically and/or currently dominated by mires, forests, or pastures, as well as abandoned and overgrown grasslands, had a slightly higher species richness. Larger grasslands surrounding the vegetation plots had slightly less species than smaller grasslands.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that data from a national monitoring programme on agricultural grasslands can be used for plant ecological research. The results indicate that climate‐change‐related shifts along moisture and nutrient gradients (increases) may alter both species composition and species richness in the studied grasslands. It is likely that large and contiguous managed (grass)land might affect areas perceived as remnants, probably caused by the transformation to homogeneous (agri)cultural landscapes reducing edge zones, which in turn may threaten the species pool and richness. The importance of land use and land‐cover composition should be considered when planning management actions in extensively used high‐latitude grasslands.
Adaptive enrichment designs with a continuous biomarker
Authors: Stallard Nigel
Published: February 2022

A popular design for clinical trials assessing targeted therapies is the two‐stage adaptive enrichment design with recruitment in stage 2 limited to a biomarker‐defined subgroup chosen based on data from stage 1. The data‐dependent selection leads to statistical challenges if data from both stages are used to draw inference on treatment effects in the selected subgroup.

If subgroups considered are nested, as when defined by a continuous biomarker, treatment effect estimates in different subgroups follow the same distribution as estimates in a group‐sequential trial. This result is used to obtain tests controlling the familywise type I error rate (FWER) for six simple subgroup selection rules, one of which also controls the FWER for any selection rule. Two approaches are proposed: one based on multivariate normal distributions suitable if the number of possible subgroups, k, is small, and one based on Brownian motion approximations suitable for large k. The methods, applicable in the wide range of settings with asymptotically normal test statistics, are illustrated using survival data from a breast cancer trial.
Unrealistic pessimism and obsessive‐compulsive symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Two longitudinal studies
Authors: Jelinek Lena , Röhrig Gloria , Moritz Steffen , Göritz Anja S. , Voderholzer Ulrich , Riesel Anja , Yassari Amir H. , Miegel Franziska
Published: February 2022

Objective

Unrealistic pessimism (UP) is an aspect of overestimation of threat (OET) that has been associated with obsessive‐compulsive disorder/symptoms (OCD/OCS). During the COVID‐19 pandemic, UP may have played an important role in the course of OCD. To investigate the relationship, we conducted two longitudinal studies assuming that higher UP predicts an increase in OCS.

Method

In Study 1, we investigated UP in the general population (N = 1,184) at the start of the pandemic asking about overall vulnerability to infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 and UP regarding infection and outcome of severe illness. Further, OCS status (OCS+/−) was assessed at the start of the pandemic and 3 months later. In Study 2, we investigated UP in individuals with OCD (N = 268) regarding the likelihood of getting infected, recovering, or dying from an infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 at the start of the pandemic and re‐assessed OCS 3 months later.

Results

In Study 1, UP was higher in the OCS+ compared to the OCS− group, and estimates of a higher overall vulnerability for an infection predicted a decrease in OCS over time. UP regarding severe illness predicted an increase in symptoms over time. In Study 2, UP was found for a recovery and death after an infection with SARS‐CoV‐2, but not for infection itself.

Conclusions

Exaggeration of one’s personal vulnerability rather than OET per se seems pivotal in OCD, with UP being associated with OCD/OCS+ as well as a more negative course of symptomatology over the pandemic in a nonclinical sample.

Practitioner points

Unrealistic optimism, a bias common in healthy individuals, is thought to be a coping mechanism promoting well‐being in the face of danger or uncertainty.

The current study extends findings that its inversion, unrealistic pessimism, may play an important role in obsessive‐compulsive disorder and may also be involved in the development of the disorder.

This study highlights the importance that prevention programs during a pandemic should include targeting unrealistic pessimism.
Household clutter and crowding constrain associations between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind
Authors: McCormick Sarah A. , Deater‐Deckard Kirby , Hughes Claire
Published: February 2022

Social interactions between parents and children are important for developing theory of mind, but these may be disrupted by aspects of the proximal home environment. The current study observed maternal sensitivity and its associations with child theory of mind and the housing environment (index by clutter and crowding) in a sample of mothers and their 3.5‐year‐old twins (N = 250 children). Maternal sensitivity and housing environment were measured from experimenter report and child theory of mind was measured through behavioural tasks. Results show that the association between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind was moderated by the housing environment, where the positive associations between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind were only observed at lower levels of clutter and crowding in the housing environment. Additional contextual variables and processes are discussed.
Depletion of CD38‐positive regulatory T cells by anti‐CD38 monoclonal antibodies induces a durable response to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination in patients with plasma cell dyscrasia
Authors: Terao Toshiki , Naduka Takashi , Ikeda Daisuke , Fukumoto Ami , Kamura Yuya , Kuzume Ayumi , Tabata Rikako , Tsushima Takafumi , Miura Daisuke , Narita Kentaro , Takeuchi Masami , Matsue Kosei
Published: February 2022

This study reports the relationship between CD38+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and messenger RNA coronavirus disease 2019 (mRNA‐COVID‐19) vaccination in 60 patients with plasma cell dyscrasia. Patients treated with anti‐CD38 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) had significantly lower CD38+ Tregs than those not treated (0.9 vs. 13.2/μl). Late‐responders, whose antibody titres increased from weeks 4–12 after the second vaccination, had significantly lower CD38+ Treg counts than non‐late‐responders (2.5 vs. 10.3/μl). Antibody titres in patients with lower CD38+ Treg levels were maintained from weeks 4–12 but decreased in those with higher CD38+ Treg levels. Therefore, depletion of CD38+ Tregs by anti‐CD38 mAbs may induce a durable response to mRNA‐COVID‐19 vaccination.
Current challenges in the treatment of cardiac fibrosis: Recent insights into the sex‐specific differences of glucose‐lowering therapies on the diabetic heart: IUPHAR Review 33
Authors: Sharma Abhipree , De Blasio Miles , Ritchie Rebecca
Published: February 2022

A significant cardiac complication of diabetes is cardiomyopathy, a form of ventricular dysfunction that develops independently of coronary artery disease, hypertension and valvular diseases, which may subsequently lead to heart failure. Several structural features underlie the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and eventual diabetes‐induced heart failure. Pathological cardiac fibrosis (interstitial and perivascular), in addition to capillary rarefaction and myocardial apoptosis, are particularly noteworthy. Sex differences in the incidence, development and presentation of diabetes, heart failure and interstitial myocardial fibrosis have been identified. Nevertheless, therapeutics specifically targeting diabetes‐associated cardiac fibrosis remain lacking and treatment approaches remain the same regardless of patient sex or the co‐morbidities that patients may present. This review addresses the observed anti‐fibrotic effects of newer glucose‐lowering therapies and traditional cardiovascular disease treatments, in the diabetic myocardium (from both preclinical and clinical contexts). Furthermore, any known sex differences in these treatment effects are also explored.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on Translational Advances in Fibrosis as a Therapeutic Target. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v180.22/issuetoc
Molecular profile of specific IgE to allergenic components in allergic adults using allergen nano‐bead array
Authors: Shokouhi Shoormasti Raheleh , Rafaiani Chiara , Fazlollahi Mohammad Reza , Kazemnejad Anoshirvan , Mahloojirad Maryam , Moslemi Majid , Abbasi Javid Morad , Moin Mostafa , Pourpak Zahra , Mari Adriano
Published: February 2022

Background

An increasing interest in the field of molecular diagnosis of allergy has been developed in recent years and it goes to be as the routine in vitro protocol in allergy diagnosis. friendly allergen nano‐bead array (FABER) is a new multiplex assay for the evaluation of specific IgE against 244 allergens including whole extracts and allergenic molecules. The research intended to assess the pattern of IgE sensitization to allergenic components of allergens in allergic adults using FABER 244.

Methods

Sixty patients with allergic diseases entered this cross‐sectional study. Specific IgE to 122 whole allergens extracts and 122 allergenic components were assessed using an allergen nano‐bead array (FABER) for all patients. This test includes inhalant and food allergens.

Results

Thirty‐seven patients were male (61.7%). The mean (SD) age of patients was 30.73(±6.87) years. As the allergen nano‐bead array results showed, Lolium perenne (63.3%), Phleum pratense (60%) and Platanus acerifolia (51.7%) were considered as the most common IgE sensitizations to the aeroallergen extracts. Moreover, Lol p 1, Phl p 1.0102 and Cup a 1 were found as the most frequent allergenic components in our allergic patients. Among protein families, CCD‐bearing proteins, expansin, cysteine protease and profilin families illustrated the highest allergic sensitization.

Conclusions

The results of the present study demonstrated that despite the higher prevalence of sensitization to Salsola kali (47.2%) using extract‐based assays in the previous phase of this research, allergenic components of grasses (Lol p 1, Phl p 1.0102), Cup a 1 as well as Sal k1 as the major components of Cupressuss arizonica and Salsola kali showed the higher sensitization, respectively, in adults’ allergic patients using FABER test.