bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computational modelling predicts impaired barrier function and higher sensitivity to skin inflammation following pH elevation
Authors: Thibault Greugny Eléa , Bensaci Jalil , Fages François , Stamatas Georgios N.
Published: November 2022

Skin surface pH has been identified as a key regulator of the epidermal homeostasis through its action on serine protease activity. These enzymes, like kallikreins (KLK), are responsible for the degradation of corneodesmosomes, the protein structures linking together corneocytes, and are regulated by Lympho‐Epithelial Kazal‐Type‐related Inhibitor (LEKTI). KLK activity increases at pH levels higher than physiological. An increase in skin surface pH has been observed in patients suffering from skin diseases characterized by impaired barrier function, like atopic dermatitis. In this work, we introduce an agent‐based model of the epidermis to study the impact of a change in skin surface pH on the structural and physiological properties of the epidermis, through the LEKTI‐KLK mechanism. We demonstrate that a less acidic pH, compared to the slightly acidic pH observed in healthy skin, is sufficient to significantly affect the water loss at the surface and the amount of irritant permeating through the epidermis. This weakening of the skin barrier function eventually results in a more intense skin inflammation following exposure to an external irritant. This work provides additional evidence that skin surface pH and serine proteases can be therapeutic targets to improve skin barrier integrity.
Moving toward an integrated model of the father–daughter relationship during adolescence
Authors: Blickman Rachel S. , Campbell Cynthia G.
Published: November 2022

Objective

This study offers a structural model of father–daughter relationships from the perspective of adolescent daughters and identifies relational constructs that promote closeness in the dyad.

Background

The relationship between fathers and daughters is important to daughters' healthy development yet is vulnerable to tension and distance, particularly during adolescence. Drawing on areas of father involvement that make positive contributions to the lives of adolescent daughters, we propose a relational framework of the father–daughter dyad.

Method

Undergraduate females (N = 206) retrospectively reported on their relationship with their biological father during adolescence using an assessment tool developed for this study.

Results

Constructs identified in the data included fathers' supportive involvement (composed of emotional support, autonomy support, communication, and shared activities), fathers' expectations, fathers' investment, daughters' desire for closeness, and daughters' perception of closeness. Findings indicated that supportive involvement positively and significantly predicted closeness, whereas expectations negatively and significantly predicted closeness.

Conclusion

This research proposes a structural framework of the father–daughter dyad and emphasizes the importance of fathers' emotional involvement and support in their adolescent daughters' lives.

Implications

Findings may inform interventions aimed to promote positive family relationships and provide a baseline comparison for future investigation of other types of father–daughter dyads.
The contribution of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) breeding to whole pasture productivity under dairy cattle grazing in New Zealand. 1. Variation in yield, nutritive value and persistence‐related traits
Authors: Chapman David F. , Wims Cathal M. , Ludemann Cameron I. , Kuhn‐Sherlock Barbara
Published: November 2022

Perennial ryegrass (PRG, Lolium perenne L.) breeding effort in New Zealand (NZ) has increased since c. 1990, resulting in greater functional trait diversity (e.g. heading date, ploidy, and associated Epichloë endophyte strain) in commercial products. This study quantified the variation, associations and interactions in dry matter (DM) yield, nutritive value and persistence‐related traits among commercial cultivar‐endophyte combinations released between 1973 and 2012, as a basis for assessing gains in value being delivered to the pasture‐based livestock industries. Twenty‐four or 28 combinations were compared over 3 years in two trials in each of two regions: Waikato in northern NZ (dryland), and Canterbury in central eastern South Island (irrigated). Cultivar‐endophyte combinations were sown in mixtures with white clover, and pastures were intensively grazed 8–11 times per year by dairy cows. Principal Component Analysis identified 4 distinct clusters for the DM yield variables and for metabolisable energy (ME) content in each of the four trials. A broadly‐adapted group of three late‐season flowering, AR37‐infected diploids with NZ and Spanish breeding backgrounds dominated the highest‐yielding clusters. Tetraploids dominated the high ME content clusters. Interactions with region were observed throughout the data set: the strongest of these was driven by endophyte strain effects in Waikato. High‐yielding cultivar‐endophyte combinations in these trials were also generally high‐yielding in the standard cultivar merit testing system operated in New Zealand, as interpreted via the DairyNZ Forage Value Index. However, alignment was poorer for medium‐ and lower‐yielding cultivar‐endophyte combinations. Several implications for forage evaluation methods and end‐user industries are identified.
Reaching out to affluent interest groups? Assessing the moderating role of membership influence across old and new democracies
Authors: Stevens Frederik
Published: November 2022

This paper seeks to explain under which conditions policymakers actively reach out to interest groups. Policymakers are often expected to contact affluent groups more often than resource‐strapped ones because these organizations can provide them with more and better policy expertise. I argue that economic resources are less important than often assumed and expect that the role of financial means in enjoying outreach from policymakers is contingent on the degree of membership influence. To test this argument empirically, I rely on survey data of over 2.500 interest groups active in six European countries varying in democratic maturity. The results demonstrate that wealthy groups are contacted more frequently than economically deprived ones, but only when members exert a strong influence over the group's political positioning. This is true except for relatively new democracies where the effect of economic resources does not vary systematically across differential levels of membership influence.
Efficacy and safety of galcanezumab as a treatment of refractory episodic and chronic cluster headache: Case series and narrative review
Authors: Membrilla Javier A. , Torres‐Ferrus Marta , Alpuente Alicia , Caronna Edoardo , Pozo‐Rosich Patricia
Published: November 2022

Background

Galcanezumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP), has demonstrated clinical benefit as a preventive treatment of episodic cluster headache (ECH) but not in chronic cluster headache (CCH) to this date. Our objective was to analyze our clinical experience of the compassionate use of galcanezumab in cluster headache and to conduct a narrative review of the published literature.

Methods

We present a case series of patients with refractory ECH and CCH treated with 240 mg galcanezumab monthly in an outpatient headache clinic. We recorded epidemiologic and clinical data and analyzed the disease evolution after 3 and 6 months. The review was performed following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines.

Results

We included three patients with ECH who were treated during a refractory cluster bout (mean duration of 83.7 days since the first attack, range 46.0–105.0 days) and six patients with CCH who had a high frequency of attacks (mean 35.8 attacks/week, range 7–56) and refractory to a mean of 5.2 preventive treatments (range, 3–9). In the CCH group, >50% frequency reduction was seen in 83% (5/6 patients) and the number of attacks per week showed a mean reduction of −24.2 at month 3 (range, −6 to −49) and −27.6 at month 6 (range, −7 to −49). In the ECH group, the bout ended a mean 17.3 days (range, 10–28) after galcanezumab administration. One third of patients reported mild adverse events, none of them leading to discontinuation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our clinical experience supports the use of galcanezumab in patients with refractory cluster headache. These results might encourage the possibility of continuing clinical development with randomized controlled trials of anti‐CGRP treatments in patients with cluster headache.
Increasing HIV early diagnosis by implementing an automated screening strategy in emergency departments
Authors: Vaz‐Pinto Inês , Gorgulho Ana , Esteves Catarina , Guimarães Mafalda , Castro Vanda , Carrodeguas Alba , Medina Diogo
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Late HIV diagnosis is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and risk of onward transmission. Increasing HIV early diagnosis is still a priority. In this observational study with historical control, we determined the impact of an opportunistic HIV screening strategy in the reduction of late diagnosis and missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis.

Methods

The screening programme was implemented in the emergency department (ED) of the Hospital de Cascais between September 2018 and September 2021. Eligible patients were aged 18–64 years, with no known HIV diagnosis or antibody testing performed in the previous year, and who required blood work for any reason. Out of the 252 153 emergency visits to the ED, we identified 43 153 (17.1%) patients eligible for HIV testing. Among the total population eligible for the screening, 38 357 (88.9%) patients were ultimately tested for HIV. Impact of the ED screening was determined by analysing late diagnosis in the ED and missed opportunities at different healthcare settings 3 years before and 3 years after the start of the ED screening.

Results

After 3 years of automated HIV ED testing, we found 69 newly diagnosed HIV cases (54% male, 39% Portuguese nationals, mean age 40.5 years). When comparing the characteristics of HIV diagnoses made in the ED, we observed a significant reduction in the number of people with late HIV diagnosis before and after implementation of the screening programme (78.4% vs. 39.1%, respectively; p = 0.0291). The mean number of missed opportunities for diagnosis also fell (2.6 vs. 1.5 annual encounters with the healthcare system per patient, p = 0.0997).

Conclusions

People living with HIV in Cascais and their providers miss several opportunities for earlier diagnosis. Opportunistic screening strategies in settings previously deemed to be unconventional, such as EDs, are feasible and effective in mitigating missed opportunities for timely HIV diagnosis.
Polyols and chocolate technology: recent developments and advances
Authors: Homayouni Rad Aziz , Konar Nevzat , Rasouli Pirouzian Haniyeh , Mirtajeddini Seyed Bagher , Toker Omer Said , Rasouli Pirouzian Raheleh
Published: November 2022

Reducing the sugar level in chocolate and developing low‐calorie products are important for meeting consumer expectations, supporting public health and adapting to current consumption trends. However, the identification of bulking agents to be used for this aim is a critical factor. The most commonly used sugar alternatives for this aim are polyols. In this study, recent advances and developments for using possibilities of polyols in chocolate technology were discussed and future perspectives were highlighted. Partially and/or complete replacing of sugar with polyols can provide a low‐calorie product. In addition, the use of mixtures consisting of more than one polyol is an approach that can be used in chocolate sugar substitution. Optimization of refining, conching and tempering processes by considering polyol type and content may contribute to the development of chocolate with improved quality properties and shelf life. However, polyol and bioactive compounds interactions and possible effects on bioaccesibility, bioavalibility and stability of these compounds in chocolate composition and pre‐ and post‐digestion periods should be deeply investigated. In addition, the conching methods and conditions used is another factor to be considered in the use of polyols.
Supporting worklife learning at work to sustain employability
Authors: Le Anh Hai , Billett Stephen , Choy Sarojni , Dymock Darryl
Published: November 2022

The concept of employability extends beyond initial occupational preparation into the ability to remain employable as, inevitably, occupational capacities and workplace requirements change frequently across working lives. Hence, the need to continually learn to remain occupationally current and respond to changing workplace requirements becomes paramount. The evidence suggests that much of that learning arises through individual efforts and the support of co‐workers through work activities. So, there is a need to understand how that learning can be supported to sustain employability across lengthening working lives. Drawing on an Australian study, reported here are perspectives from managers and workers in diverse workplaces about current modes of continuing education and training and about how workers are assisted with their learning to meet personal needs and qthose of employers. Employers want an occupationally current workforce that can meet specific workplace needs; workers want the capacities to remain employable, which may extend to advancing their careers elsewhere. The data indicate differences in perceptions about what is being provided, how frequently the provisions are used, and the worth of its certification. Whilst the findings indicate shared concerns about the importance of learning, there were clear differences in views about the models and processes used to support that learning. Across both sets of informants can be seen distinctions between ‘training solutions’ and ‘learning solutions’. A more nuanced analysis suggests that the training solution is appropriate and effective at some point in workers' worklife trajectories but in other circumstances, learning through practice is proposed as being more efficacious.
Immunological evidence of an early seroconversion to oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus in healthy children and young adults
Authors: Mazziotta Chiara , Lanzillotti Carmen , Govoni Marcello , Falzoni Simonetta , Tramarin Maria Letizia , Mazzoni Elisa , Tognon Mauro , Martini Fernanda , Rotondo John Charles
Published: November 2022

Oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) provokes a widespread and asymptomatic infection in humans. Herein, sera from healthy children and young adults (HC, n = 344) aged 0–20 years old were evaluated for anti‐MCPyV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies employing a recently developed immunoassay. Serum MCPyV IgG data from healthy subjects (HS, n = 510) and elderlies (ES, n = 226), aged 21–65/66–100 years old, from our previous studies, were included. The anti‐MCPyV IgG and IgM rates in HC sera were 40.7% and 29.7%, respectively. A lower prevalence of anti‐MCPyV IgGs was found in HC aged 0–5 years old (13%) compared to 6–10 (52.3%), 11–15 (60.5%) and 16–20 years old (61.6%) cohorts. Age‐stratified HCs exhibited similar anti‐MCPyV IgM rates (27.9%–32.9%). Serological profiles indicated that anti‐MCPyV IgGs and IgMs had low optical densities (ODs) during the first years of life, while IgM ODs appeared to decrease throughout young adulthood. A lower anti‐MCPyV IgGs rate was found in HC (40.7%) than HS (61.8%) and ES (63.7%). Upon the 5‐years range age‐stratification, a lower anti‐MCPyV IgGs rate was found in the younger HC cohort aged 0–5 years old compared to the remaining older HC/HS/ES cohorts (52.3%–72%). The younger HC cohort exhibited the lowest anti‐MCPyV IgG ODs than the older cohorts. Low anti‐MCPyV IgMs rates and ODs were found in the 21–25 (17.5%) and 26–30 (7.7%) years old cohorts. Our data indicate that, upon an early‐in‐life seroconversion, the seropositivity for oncogenic MCPyV peaks in late childhood/young adulthood and remains at high prevalence and relatively stable throughout life.
Three Dogmas of Normativity
Authors: Chang Ruth
Published: November 2022

In this article, I identify and critically examine 3 dogmas of normativity that support a commonly accepted ‘Passivist View' of rational agency. I raise some questions about these dogmas, suggest what we should believe in their place, and moot an alternative ‘Activist View' of what it is to be a rational agent that grows out of rejection of the 3 dogmas. Underwriting the dogmas and the Passivist View, I suggest, is a deeply held but mistaken assumption that the normative domain is fundamentally akin to the nonnormative domain. Once we allow that the normative may be fundamentally unlike the nonnormative in certain key ways, a shift in our thinking about what it is to be rational becomes possible. I end by considering some implications of this paradigm shift in rationality from the passive to the active for various applied matters.
Associations of short‐ and long‐term mortality with admission blood pressure in Chinese patients with different heart failure subtypes
Authors: Chen Shilan , Liang Weihao , Wu Yuzhong , Chen Xuwei , He Xin , Zhao Jingjing , He Jiangui , Dong Yugang , Staessen Jan A. , Liu Chen , Wei Fang‐Fei
Published: November 2022

It remains unknown whether systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) pressure on admission are associated with short‐ and long‐term mortality in Chinese patients with heart failure with preserved (HFpEF), mildly reduced (HFmrEF), and reduced (HFrEF) ejection fraction. In 2706 HF patients (39.1% women; mean age, 68.8 years), we assessed the risk of 30‐day, 1‐year, and long‐term (> 1 year) mortality with 1‐SD increment in SBP and DBP, using multivariable logistic and Cox regression, respectively. During a median follow‐up of 4.1 years, 1341 patients died. The 30‐day, 1‐year, and long‐term mortality were 3.5%, 16.7%, and 39.4%, respectively. In multivariable‐adjusted analyses additionally accounted for DBP or SBP, a higher SBP conferred a higher risk of long‐term mortality (hazard ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02‐1.22; p = .017) and a lower DBP was associated with a higher risk of all types of mortality (p ≤ .011) in all HF patients. Independent of potential confounders including DBP or SBP, in patients with HFpEF, higher SBP and lower DBP levels predicted a higher risk of long‐term mortality with hazard ratios amounting to 1.16 (95% CI, 1.04–1.29; p = .007) and .89 (95% CI, .80–.99; p = .028), respectively. In patients with HFmrEF and HFrEF, irrespective of adjustments of potential confounders, DBP was associated with 1‐year mortality with odds ratios ranging from .49 to .62 (p ≤ .006). In conclusion, lower DBP and higher SBP levels on admission were associated with a higher risk of different types of all‐cause mortality in Chinese patients with different HF subtypes. Our observations highlight that admission BP may help to improve risk stratification.
Effects of catheter‐based renal denervation on renin‐aldosterone system, catecholamines, and electrolytes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yang Xiangyu , Lin Lede , Zhang Zhipeng , Chen Xiaoping
Published: November 2022

In recent years, catheter‐based renal denervation (RDN) has emerged as a promising instrumental therapy for hypertension. The interruption of sympathetic nervous system was regarded as a possible mechanism for RDN regulating blood pressure. While the results reflected by renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS), catecholamines and electrolytes remained inconsistent and was never systematically assessed. Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science were comprehensively searched from inception to September 5, 2021. Studies that evaluated the effects of RDN on RAAS, catecholamines, and electrolytes were identified. Primary outcomes were changes in RAAS hormones after RDN, and secondary outcomes involved changes in plasma norepinephrine, serum, and urinary sodium and potassium. Out of 6391 retrieved studies, 20 studies (two randomized controlled studies and 18 observational studies) involving 771 persons were eventually included. Plasma renin activity had a statistically significant reduction after RDN (0.24 ng/mL/h, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.44, P = .02). While no significant change was found regarding plasma aldosterone (1.53 ng/dL, 95% CI ‐0.61 to 3.67, P = .16), norepinephrine (0.42 nmol/L, 95% ‐0.51 to 1.35, P = 0.38), serum sodium and potassium (0.16 mmol/L, 95% CI ‐0.17 to 0.49, P = .34; ‐0.02 mmol/L, 95% CI ‐0.09 to 0.04, P = .48, respectively), and urinary sodium and potassium (3.95 mmol/24 h, 95% CI ‐29.36 to 37.26, P = .82; 10.22 mmol/24 h, 95% CI ‐12.11 to 32.54, P = .37, respectively). In conclusion, plasma renin activity significantly decreased after RDN, while no significant change was observed in plasma aldosterone, plasma norepinephrine, and serum and urinary electrolytes.
Shame and the moral emotions: Issues in cross‐cultural clinical practice
Authors: Kroll Jerome , Mohamed Abdulahi A.
Published: November 2022

Rationale and Method

Three interrelated topics are examined in this paper. These are (1) the study of shame and the other moral emotions (guilt, regret, remorse) as it relates to clinical approaches in cross‐cultural psychiatry; (2) the examination of methodological problems and choices in researching and treating shame in persons who have experienced forced departure from their country of origin and immigration into ambivalent host countries, in which shame experienced as part of the power differentials between host and refugee is added to whatever shaming experiences the person endured within the violence of the country of origin; and (3) an examination of the suitability of evidence‐based psychiatry (EBP) and narrative psychiatry as vehicles for providing clinical assessment and care that is scientifically rigorous and also establishes a reciprocally respectful relationship between two humans working on a single task of developing and understanding the life story of the person who has experienced the stresses of life as a refugee.

Discussion

The three topics outlined above (shame viewed at many levels; experience of entering and receiving hospitality from a host country fraught with political resentment and bureaucratic institutional procedures, yet holding the possibility of rebuilding a life with the support and assistance of the healthcare professions and other agencies; the limitations of EBP and suitability of Narrative Psychiatry are discussed at theoretical and practical levels as these domains interact in seeking, through a true partnership, the common ethical goals of providing the best course of action for this patient at this moment.

Conclusions

We present two case vignettes as illustrations of how shame or respect arises and is responded to in the context of a psychiatry session.
Effect of salinity on nest building behaviour in the nine‐spined stickleback Pungitius sinensis
Authors: Machida Yoshiyasu , Takahashi Hiroshi , Tsuruta Tetsuya , Goto Akira
Published: November 2022

The authors evaluated the adaptability of male nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius sinensis) at three salinity levels (0, 5 and 10 psu) by comparing nest building success rates with nest structures. Successful nest building decreased as salinity increased. In addition, nests built in fresh water (i.e., 0 psu) were glued together, whereas those built in brackish water (5 and 10 psu) broke easily and fell from the nest site to the gravel bottom. Based on these findings, the authors suggest that P. sinensis adapts to freshwater environments.
Assessing Greek small and medium‐sized enterprises' flood resilience capacity: Index development and application
Authors: Skouloudis Antonis , Leal Filho Walter , Vouros Panagiotis , Evangelinos Konstantinos , Nikolaou Ioannis , Deligiannakis Georgios , Tsalis Thomas
Published: November 2022

Floods signify one of the most common, widespread and destructive natural perils, affecting approximately 250 million people and causing billions in losses on an annual basis. Such high impact – low probability environmental perturbations can cause abrupt changes and disruption to business entities in flood‐prone areas in terms of asset damages, operational interruptions and increased costs which result in loss of capital and labour, declining revenue and growth. It is therefore critical for businesses to identify such risks and, ultimately, to effectively build their resilience to such physical challenges. Small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular are more ill‐prepared to face flooding compared to large companies. Understanding the ability of SMEs to become more resilient to floods is crucial as they account for 99% of all enterprises, constitute the major employer and contributor of the total value‐added of the private sector. In this study, a composite index of factors linked to the resilience capacity of SMEs to flooding is proposed and tested. A sample of Greek SMEs located in three flood‐prone areas (n = 391) was administered a structured questionnaire pertaining to cognitive, managerial and contextual factors that affect the ability to prepare, withstand and recover from flooding events. Through the proposed index, a bottom‐up, self‐assessment, approach is set forth that could assist in standardising such assessments with an overarching aim of reducing the vulnerability of SMEs to floods. This is achieved by examining critical internal and external parameters affecting SMEs' resilience capacity which is particularly important taking into account the limited resources these enterprises tend to have at their disposal and that they can generate single points of failure in dense supply chain networks.
Association of selenium and cadmium with heart failure and mortality based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Xing Xin , Xu Min , Yang Lijun , Shao Congcong , Wang Yuan , Qi Mengyao , Niu Xiaolin , Gao Dengfeng
Published: November 2022

Background

The association of selenium and cadmium with heart failure and mortality has not been thoroughly explored.

Methods

We analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database over 12 years (1999–2000, 2003–2004 and 2011–2018), which includes blood selenium and cadmium. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used.

Results

In total, 15,689 participants were enrolled. The multivariate analysis showed that low blood selenium (odds ratio [OR] = 0.952, p < 0.001) and high blood cadmium (OR = 1.345, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors of heart failure. During 96802 person‐year follow‐up, 1697 deaths occurred. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all‐cause mortality was 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.71–0.95) for middle selenium levels and 0.76 (95% CI = 0.65–0.88) for high selenium levels compared to low selenium levels. Taking the low cadmium levels as reference, the multivariable adjusted HR for all‐cause mortality among high cadmium levels was 1.68 (95% CI = 1.44–1.96). Furthermore, the association between selenium, cadmium and cardiovascular mortality was similar to that of all‐cause mortality. A subgroup analysis of the study population showed that in individuals with heart failure, although selenium levels were not associated with risk of all‐cause mortality, high selenium levels were associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.33, p = 0.0032).

Conclusions

Low blood selenium and high blood cadmium were independent risk factors of heart failure. Blood selenium was inversely associated with all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, whereas blood cadmium was positively associated with them. Furthermore, blood selenium was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality in individuals with heart failure.
Proposed international standard on auditing financial statements of less complex entities: IAASB IAAER roundtables—Breakout 2 Design, Structure, and Content
Authors: van Nieuw Amerongen C. (Niels) M. , Duits Hans B. , Gordon Elizabeth A. , Street Donna L.
Published: November 2022

In this commentary, we summarize stakeholder views articulated during roundtables addressing the 2021 International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board's (IAASB) Exposure Draft: Proposed International Standard on Auditing of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities (ED LCE). In support of its mission, the International Association for Accounting Education and Research (IAAER)—together with the IAASB—organized by‐invitation roundtables bringing together audit practitioners, academics, and financial statements users. A structured agenda was followed and addressed some of the topics on which the IAASB sought views. This commentary provides a summary of views heard during the second roundtable breakout session focused on Design, Structure, and Content and provides recommendations to the IAASB regarding the way forward. A paper addressing the first breakout session on Authority and Group is available in a previous issue of the Journal of International Financial Management and Accounting.
Industries' heterogeneous reactions during the COVID‐19 outbreak: Evidence from Chinese stock markets
Authors: Liu Zhifeng , Dai Peng‐Fei , Huynh Toan L. D. , Zhang Tingting , Zhang Guoqing
Published: November 2022

This study examines the heterogeneous effects of the COVID‐19 outbreak on stock prices in China. We confirm what is already known, that the pandemic has had a significant negative impact on stock market returns. Additionally, we find, this effect is heterogeneous across industries. Second, fear sentiment can directly cause stock prices to fall and panic exacerbates the negative impact of the pandemic on stock returns. Third, and most importantly, we demonstrate the underlying mechanisms of four firm characteristics and find that those with high asset intensity, low labor intensity, high inventory‐to‐revenue ratio, and small market value are more negatively affected than others. For labor‐intensive state‐owned firms, in particular, stock performance worsened because of higher idle labor costs. Finally, we created an index to measure the relative position of an industry in the supply chain, which shows that downstream companies were more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic.
Enhanced pup retrieval behaviour in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Khant Aung Zin , Masih Renee R. , Desroziers Elodie , Campbell Rebecca E. , Brown Rosemary S. E.
Published: November 2022

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy to affect women of reproductive‐age world‐wide. Hyperandrogenism is both a hallmark feature of PCOS, and is hypothesised to be an underlying mechanism driving the development of the condition in utero. With circulating hormones known to profoundly influence maternal responses in females, we aimed to determine whether maternal behaviour is altered in a well‐described prenatally androgenised (PNA) mouse model of PCOS. Mouse dams were administered with dihydrotestosterone or vehicle on days 16, 17 and 18 of pregnancy. Maternal responses were assessed in both the dihydrotestosterone‐injected dams following parturition and in their adult female PNA offspring. Exposure of dams to excess androgens during late pregnancy had no detrimental effects on pregnancy outcomes, including gestation length, pup survival and gestational weight gain, or on subsequent maternal behaviour following parturition. By contrast, PNA virgin females, modelling PCOS, exhibited enhanced maternal behaviour when tested in an anxiogenic novel cage environment, with females rapidly retrieving pups and nesting with them. In comparison, most control virgin females failed to complete this retrieval task in the anxiogenic environment. Assessment of progesterone receptor and oestrogen receptor α immunoreactivity in the brains of virgin PNA and control females revealed increased numbers of oestrogen receptor α positive cells in the brains of PNA females in regions well known to be important for maternal behaviour. This suggests that increased oestrogenic signalling in the neural circuit that underlies maternal behaviour may be a possible mechanism by which maternal behaviour is enhanced in PNA female mice.
Encountering Beauty, Enacting Self‐Love: Toward an Ethic of Black Self‐Regard
Authors: Granby Clifton L.
Published: November 2022

This article focuses on the relationship between evaluations of beauty and the ethics of living well. Separating these ideas typically involves understating how racism and patriarchy shape wider cultural and aesthetic sensibilities. I counter this tendency by foregrounding the precarity of vulnerable black children and the importance of self‐love in their efforts to flourish. My strategy involves placing Toni Morrison in conversation with Alexander Nehamas and Harry Frankfurt, philosophers who have carefully engaged the topics of beauty and love. By situating aesthetic judgment within ongoing practices of social formation and political contestation, I reveal the importance of linking beauty with practices of self‐regard while also detailing my criticisms of thinkers who downplay their significance. The effect is to position Morrison as an instructive guide for scholars interested in aesthetics, ethics, and politics.
An Ethics of Unseen Consequences: Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav's Sefer Ha‐Middot
Authors: Magid Shaul
Published: November 2022

This essay is a close examination of one of Nahman of Bratslav's early and largely unexamined texts, Sefer ha‐Middot. The question it addresses is whether one can call this a study of “ethics” or, in Jewish nomenclature, musar, a work that seeks to cultivate human behaviors and describe ethical formation. In addition, it asks whether Sefer ha‐Middot can be called a text of “virtue ethics” given its focus on virtues and their enactment. The essay argues that Nahman's peculiar metaphysical notion that all mitzvot are inextricably intertwined prevents any analysis of behavioral causality severing his “ethics” from any Aristotelian or Kantian tradition and brings him closer to Alasdair MacIntyre's notion of ethics as tied to traditional norms. And even with MacIntyre, the comparison is quite limited. Discussing “faith,” the “zaddik,” and “money,” the essay explores Nahman's view of how these and other virtues are cultivated and achieved.
Does Video Game Play Elevate Suicide Risk? A Cross‐sectional Study of Japanese Young Adults1,2
Authors: Koga Yoshiki , Kawano Kenji , Kawashima Daisuke
Published: November 2022

The present study explored the relationship between video/online game playing and suicide risk among Japanese young adults using the interpersonal–psychological theory of suicide. A sample of 310 players aged 20–39 years was recruited through an Internet research company. Each participant completed a questionnaire containing items that measured time spent on games, game addiction (GA), game categories, suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempt (SA), perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, acquired capability for suicide (ACS), depression, and demographic variables (including age and sex). Multiple regression analyses revealed that depression and the GA × depression interaction significantly explained SI. However, the effect was limited. Additionally, the results revealed that SI was a strong predictor of SA, but the SI × ACS interaction and the SI × ACS × time spent on games interaction were also significant. It should be noted that the time spent on games explained the SA only when SI was low and ACS was high. These results may indicate the necessity of examining suicide risk in GA interventions for young adults; however, more research is needed.
Association of Personal Values in Adolescence with Subjective Health Status, Meaning in Life, and Life Satisfaction in Adulthood: A Cross‐sectional Study with Retrospective Recall1
Authors: Iida Mako , Watanabe Kazuhiro , Yeo Seon Ae , Yasuma Naonori , Nishi Daisuke , Kawakami Norito
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to replicate a previous finding of the association between personal values in adolescence and health/mental well‐being in adulthood among workers, in a large community sample, with an additional focus on eudemonic well‐being. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in urban and suburban cities of Japan. Subjective health status, eudemonic well‐being (meaning in life), and life satisfaction in adulthood were measured in 2010; 11 types of personal values and commitment to values in adolescence were assessed with the retrospective recall in 2017. A total of 2,413 adults were included in the multiple linear regression analyses. None of the personal values were related to life satisfaction unlike the previous study. Consistent results were that commitment to values was positively associated with life satisfaction, and the value of graduating from school was positively associated with subjective health status. Personal values related to openness to change and self‐enhancement were positively associated with meaning in life in adulthood. This study did not fully replicate previous findings, but added the eudemonic perspective of mental well‐being to the previous study.
Effect of osteoarthritis on alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis in rats
Authors: Al Bayaty Fouad H. , Mahmod Suhaeb A. , Jamil Al‐Obaidi Mazen M. , Emad Ibrahim Omar , Dahir Akil , Adam Fara Azwin , Albandar Jasim M.
Published: November 2022

Background

There is scarce information about the relationship between periodontal disease and osteoarthritis. This study investigated the effect of surgically induced osteoarthritis on alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis in rats.

Methods

12 rats were divided into test and control groups. On day 1, the animals were anaesthetized, and silk ligatures were ligated around 6 maxillary posterior teeth in each animal from both groups. Surgical induction of osteoarthritis was performed on the left knees in the test group. No knee surgeries were performed in the control group. The ligatures were kept in place for 30 days, at which time the animals were euthanatized, and the maxillae and knee joints were harvested and processed for histological analysis. The alveolar bone loss was assessed using a zoom stereomicroscope.

Results

The knee joint histologic sections of the control group showed normal joint features, whereas in the test group there were substantial changes typical of osteoarthritis, including wide joint spaces, prominent monocytic infiltration of the synovium, invasion of periarticular bone, and decreased chondrocyte density. Comparison of the bone height between the groups showed a significantly higher bone loss in the test than in the control group The marginal mean bone height, adjusted for covariates and the intraclass correlation between sites, was 1.19 and 0.78 mm in the test and control groups, respectively (p < .0001).

Conclusions

Surgically induced osteoarthritis leads to greater alveolar bone loss in the experimental periodontitis model in rats.
An observatory on changes in dreaming during a pandemic: a living systematic review (part 1)
Authors: Margherita Giorgia , Caffieri Alessia
Published: November 2022

A ‘new’ way of dreaming has emerged during the pandemic, enhancing the interest of psychological literature. Indeed, during the years of the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), many studies have investigated dream‐related phenomena and dreaming functions. Considering the constant and rapid emergence of new results on this topic, the main aim of this study was to create an ‘observatory’ on the short‐ and long‐term consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic on dreaming, by means of a living systematic review. The baseline results are presented, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses statement guidelines, to identify and discuss existing studies about dreams and dreaming during the COVID‐19 pandemic published until February 2022. Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, and PubMed were used for the search strategy, yielding 71 eligible papers included in the review. Our results show: (a) a more intense oneiric activity during lockdown; (b) changes in dreaming components (especially dream‐recall and nightmare frequency); (c) a particular dreaming scenario (‘pandemic dreams’); (d) an alteration of the dreaming–waking‐life continuum and a specific function of dreaming as emotional regulator. Findings suggest that monitoring changes in dreaming provides important information about psychological health and could also contribute to the debate on the difficulties of dreaming, as well as sleeping, in particular during and after a period of ‘collective trauma’.
Corrigendum to the article “Regular multidimensional stationary time series”
Authors: Szabados Tamás
Published: November 2022

In Theorem 2.1 which was the main result of the article it was implicitly assumed that for any regular ‐dimensional weakly stationary time series of rank , , there exists an analytic spectral factor of the form , where is the diagonal matrix of the positive eigenvalues of the spectral density matrix and is the sub‐unitary matrix of the corresponding eigenvectors. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, it is not known if this assumption is true or false.
Molecular phenotyping uncovers differences in basic housekeeping functions among closely related species of hares (Lepus spp., Lagomorpha: Leporidae)
Authors: Gaertner Kateryna , Michell Craig , Tapanainen Riikka , Goffart Steffi , Saari Sina , Soininmäki Manu , Dufour Eric , Pohjoismäki Jaakko L. O.
Published: November 2022

Speciation is a fundamental evolutionary process, which results in genetic differentiation of populations and manifests as discrete morphological, physiological and behavioural differences. Each species has travelled its own evolutionary trajectory, influenced by random drift and driven by various types of natural selection, making the association of genetic differences between the species with the phenotypic differences extremely complex to dissect. In the present study, we have used an in vitro model to analyse in depth the genetic and gene regulation differences between fibroblasts of two closely related mammals, the arctic/subarctic mountain hare (Lepus timidus Linnaeus) and the temperate steppe‐climate adapted brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas). We discovered the existence of a species‐specific expression pattern of 1623 genes, manifesting in differences in cell growth, cell cycle control, respiration, and metabolism. Interspecific differences in the housekeeping functions of fibroblast cells suggest that speciation acts on fundamental cellular processes, even in these two interfertile species. Our results help to understand the molecular constituents of a species difference on a cellular level, which could contribute to the maintenance of the species boundary.
Transcriptome‐based analyses of adaptive divergence between two closely related spruce species on the Qinghai–Tibet plateau and adjacent regions
Authors: Feng Shuo , Wan Wei , Li Yang , Wang DongLei , Ren Guangpeng , Ma Tao , Ru Dafu
Published: November 2022

Speciation among populations connected by gene flow is driven by adaptation to different environments, but underlying gene–environment associations remain largely unknown. Here, 162 individuals from 32 populations were sampled to obtain 191,648 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the genomes of two closely related spruce species, Picea asperata and Picea crassifolia, which occur on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and in surrounding regions. Using the SNP data set, genotype–environment associations and demographic modelling were used to examine local adaptation and genetic divergence between these two species. While morphologically similar, the two Picea species were genetically differentiated in multiple analyses. These species diverged despite continuous gene flow, and their initial divergence was dated back to the late Quaternary. The effective population sizes of both species have expanded since their divergence, as confirmed by niche distribution simulations. A total of 6365 genes were associated with the tested environmental variables; of these, 41 were positively selected in P. asperata and were mainly associated with temperature, while 83 were positively selected in P. crassifolia and were primarily associated with precipitation. These results deepen our understanding of the adaptive divergence and demographic histories of these two spruce species and highlight the importance of genomic data in deciphering the environmental selection underlying Quaternary interspecific divergence.
How ancient forest fragmentation and riparian connectivity generate high levels of genetic diversity in a microendemic Malagasy tree
Authors: Salmona Jordi , Dresen Axel , Ranaivoson Anicet E. , Manzi Sophie , Le Pors Barbara , Hong‐Wa Cynthia , Razanatsoa Jacqueline , Andriaholinirina Nicole V. , Rasoloharijaona Solofonirina , Vavitsara Marie‐Elodie , Besnard Guillaume
Published: November 2022

Understanding landscape changes is central to predicting evolutionary trajectories and defining conservation practices. While human‐driven deforestation is intense throughout Madagascar, exceptions in areas such as the Loky‐Manambato region (north) raise questions regarding the causes and age of forest fragmentation. The Loky‐Manambato region also harbours a rich and endemic flora, whose evolutionary origin remains poorly understood. We assessed the genetic diversity of an endangered microendemic Malagasy olive species (Noronhia spinifolia Hong‐Wa) to better understand the vegetation dynamics in the Loky‐Manambato region and its influence on past evolutionary processes. We characterized 72 individuals sampled across eight forests through nuclear and mitochondrial restriction‐associated DNA sequencing data and chloroplast microsatellites. Combined population and landscape genetics analyses indicate that N. spinifolia diversity is largely explained by the current forest cover, highlighting a long‐standing habitat mosaic in the region. This sustains a major and long‐term role of riparian corridors in maintaining connectivity across these antique mosaic habitats, calling for the study of organismal interactions that promote gene flow.