bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the relationship between institutional investor research meeting and the performance of listed companies
Authors: Zhang Jingqin , Ye Yong
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the relationship between institutional investors research meeting and performance of companies being researched.

Design/methodology/approach

Using empirical research method, this study designs and conducts an empirical research according to empirical research’s basic norms. Thus, the authors acquire needed and credible empirical data.

Findings

By analyzing the empirical data, there is a significant positive effect between institutional investors research meeting and the earnings per share of company being researched. Improvement in the level of the research meetings of the institutional investors strengthens the external supervision of management, alleviates the information asymmetry between management and shareholders, improves the management efficiency of the company and ultimately increases the performance of the company. When the performance of a company is better, we can find that the role of II research meetings is more significant. In addition, II research meetings are better able to improve the performance of state-owned enterprises.

Originality/value

This study empirically analyzes and verifies the roles of institutional investors research meeting in improve the performance of the company being researched. The authors expand the channel of institutional investors research behaviors to improve the performance of listed companies by strengthening the supervision and restraint of management behavior. Additionally, via a reverse study, it is found that the situation of the researched company itself is also one of the factors that determine the results of institutional investors research meetings.
Improved similarity measure in case-based reasoning: a case study of construction cost estimation
Authors: Hyung Won-Gil , Kim Sangyong , Jo Jung-Kyu
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Applied a hybrid approach using genetic algorithms (GAs) for a case-based retrieval process in order to increase the overall improved cost accuracy for a case-based library. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

A weight optimization approach using case-based reasoning (CBR) with proposed GAs for developing the CBR model. GAs are used to investigate optimized weight generation with an application to real project cases.

Findings

The proposed CBR model can reduce errors consistently, and be potentially useful in the early financial planning stage. The authors suggest the developed CBR model can provide decision-makers with accurate cost information for assessing and comparing multiple alternatives in order to obtain the optimal solution while controlling cost.

Originality/value

The system can operate with more accuracy or less cost, and CBR can be used to better understand the effects of factor interaction and variation during the developed system’s process.
A stepping gait trajectory design based on hip height variation of swing leg for the balance of lower extremity exoskeleton
Authors: Yang Canjun , Wang Hansong , Zhu Qihang , Liu Xiangzhi , Yang Wei , Ma Zhangyi , Wei Qianxiao
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Lower extremity exoskeletons have drawn much attention recently due to their potential ability to help the stroke and spinal cord injury patients to regain the ability of walking. However, the balance of the human-exoskeleton system (HES) remains a big challenge. Usually, patients use crutches to keep balance when they wear exoskeleton. However, the balance depends greatly on the patient's balance ability and will be inevitably poor occasionally, which often causes the landing in advance of HES. The purpose of this paper is to propose a real-time stepping gait trajectory planning method based on the hip height variation of the swing leg to solve the problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The hip height of the swing leg was analyzed and measured. The simulation with MATLAB and the experimental test with the prototype of the proposed gait were conducted to verify its feasibility.

Findings

With the proposed method, HES can achieve successful step even when the balance kept by crutches is poor.

Research limitations/implications

Instead of actively avoiding the poor balance due to the instability caused by gravity, the method just modifies the stepping gait passively to avoid the landing in advance when the poor balance appears. In addition, it may not work well when the balance is too poor. Moreover, the proposed gait is just used in the initial stage of rehabilitation training. Besides, the step length of the gait must be limited for comfort.

Originality/value

A real-time stepping gait trajectory planning method based on the hip height variation of the swing leg is first proposed and its feasibility to avoid the landing in advance when the balance kept by the crutches is poor has been preliminary verified.
The effect of internal control on tax avoidance: the case of Indonesia
Authors: Bimo Irenius Dwinanto , Prasetyo Christianus Yudi , Susilandari Caecilia Atmini
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of internal control on tax avoidance analyzing internal (family ownership) and external (environmental uncertainty) factors on the effectiveness of internal control in preventing tax avoidance.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the authors examine the direct effect of the effectiveness of internal control on tax avoidance. Second, the authors examine the effect of moderation of family ownership and environmental uncertainty on the relationship of the effectiveness of internal control on tax avoidance. Third, the authors divide the full sample into two groups, high and less effectiveness of internal control to examine the direct effect of internal control effectiveness on tax avoidance and when considering moderating variables. Fourth, the authors use two different measures of the effectiveness of internal control.

Findings

This research found that effective internal control can reduce tax avoidance. Family ownership affects the relationship between internal control and tax avoidance, but environmental uncertainty does not influence the relationship between internal control and tax avoidance.

Practical implications

Internal control increases compliance with rules and policies, so companies must design and implement effective internal control to prevent tax avoidance activities in violation of tax regulations.

Originality/value

In contrast to previous studies, this study measures the effectiveness of internal control using the index of internal control practice disclosure and considers internal and external factors that can affect the effectiveness of internal control to prevent tax avoidance.
Adoption of information systems in organizations
Authors: Arshad Muhammad , Farooq Mariam , Afzal Sadia , Farooq Omer
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors influencing the adoption of new information systems (IS) in organizations. Based on the institutional theory, this research proposes that organizations may induce their employees to adopt new IS by creating three types of institutional pressure: coercive, normative and mimetic. It is further argued that the effects of these three institutional pressures on employees’ new IS usage depend on their cultural orientations.

Design/methodology/approach

Model testing relies on data collected from 370 banking sector employees during the implementation of a new “customer relationship management” system. The hypothesized model was tested by using the structural equation modeling technique in MPlus 7.0.

Findings

The findings of this research reveal that institutional pressures (coercive, normative and mimetic) have positive effects on employees’ attitudes to using the new IS, which, in turn, positively influences their IS usage. In addition, collectivism strengthens the positive effect of coercive and normative forces on attitudes to using the new IS. Conversely, collectivism weakens the effect of the mimetic force on employees’ attitudes to using the new IS.

Originality/value

This research is among pioneering studies that explain the effect of institutional pressures (coercive, normative and mimetic) on employees’ IS usage. It is the first study of its nature that demonstrates that each of the three institutional pressures has differential effects on employees with highly collectivist orientations in comparison with employees with low collectivist orientations.
Studying the importance of change leadership and change management in layoffs, mergers, and closures
Authors: Holten Ann-Louise , Hancock Gregory Robert , Bøllingtoft Anne
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of change leadership (informing, communicating, involving and supporting) and change management (reasons and competencies for change) for organisational change processes and their outcomes across public and private organisations. The study includes three specific change situations: first, layoffs; second, mergers; and third, closures, relocations and outsourcing, focusing on how change leadership and change management relate to employees’ experience of the change processes and their outcomes across these change situations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on panel data forming a representative sample of the Danish working population. A total of 2,120 responses were collected, 1,000 from public organisations and 1,120 from private organisations. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The study findings show that both change leadership and change management predict positive change experiences and change consequences – and that they do so similarly across public and private sectors. Despite this similarity, the study reveals important sectorial differences, with public sector employees reporting less positive change experiences and consequences.

Originality/value

The paper provides valuable knowledge for researchers and public and private leaders interested in the impact of change leadership and change management on change outcomes.
The effect of foreign firms’ population density on exit likelihood in a host country
Authors: Zeng Yuping , Xu Dean
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between a foreign firm’s likelihood to exit a host country and the population density of foreign firms in its industry in that county, as well as the moderating influences of this relationship. The authors hypothesize that a foreign firm’s likelihood to exit has a U-shaped relationship with foreign firms’ population density in the industry and this relationship will be weakened when: the foreign firm is located in a region where foreign firm presence is high; the foreign firm is in an industry that has a longer history of foreign direct investment; the firm has a longer tenure in the host country; and the firm is more adapted to the market and institutional environments of the host country.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test the hypotheses using a data set containing over 45,000 foreign firms in China between 1998 and 2007.

Findings

The results show that the exit likelihood of a foreign firm has a U-shaped relationship with foreign firms’ population density in the firm’s industry in the host country. Furthermore, this relationship is moderated by the population density of foreign firms in the region where the firm resides, the length of time since the first foreign entrant in the industry and the extent of the focal firm’s local adaptation.

Originality/value

The study contributes to organizational ecology theory and the international business literature by extending the density-dependence model to the study of foreign firm survival/exit. Whereas a foreign firm’s fate in the host country is heavily influenced by the population density of foreign firms in its industry, it can borrow legitimacy from other sources, or try to create legitimacy through its own actions, to reduce the impact of such density effects.
Towards an ecology of soil microplastics
Authors: Helmberger Maxwell S. , Tiemann Lisa K. , Grieshop Matthew J.
Published: November 2019

Microplastic pollution is a topic of increasing concern for the world's oceans, freshwaters and, most recently, soils. Microplastics have been found in soils across the globe. Like other anthropogenic pollutants, they can negatively affect a range of soil organisms through several mechanisms, though often dependent on particle size, shape and polymer type.

However, microplastics are unique among pollutants due to the diversity of ways in which soil organisms may themselves be able to affect their occurrence and distribution and mediate their effects on the rest of the soil food web.

In this review, we argue for a more explicitly ecological framing of this novel issue for the soil environment and discuss their potential interactions with soil communities, including microplastic formation via microbial and faunal fragmentation of large plastic debris and organisms such as earthworms placing microplastic particles in unique pedological contexts they could not otherwise reach. Ecological interactions may be crucial for dictating microplastics’ ultimate fate and effect on terrestrial ecosystems.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Casamino acids slow motility and stimulate surface growth in an extreme oligotroph
Authors: Samuels Toby , Pybus David , Cockell Charles S.
Published: November 2019

Environmental cues that regulate motility are poorly understood, but specific carbon and nitrogen sources, such as casamino acids (CAA), are known to stimulate motility in model organisms. However, natural environments are commonly more nutrient‐limited than laboratory growth media, and the effect of energy‐rich CAA on the motility of oligotrophic microorganisms is unknown. In this study, an extreme oligocarbotroph, Variovorax paradoxus YC1, was isolated from weathered shale rock within a disused mine level in North Yorkshire, UK. The addition of 0.1% CAA to minimal media significantly reduced the motility of YC1 after 72 h and inhibited swimming motility resulting in enhanced surface growth. We propose this response to CAA is a physiological adaptation to oligotrophy, facilitating the colonization of nutrient‐rich environments.
Osmolyte transporter expression is reduced in photoaged human skin: Implications for skin hydration in aging
Authors: Foster April R. , El Chami Cecile , O'Neill Catherine A. , Watson Rachel E. B.
Published: November 2019

Aging is characterized by the deterioration of tissue structure and function. In skin, environmental factors, for example, ultraviolet radiation (UVR), can accelerate the effects of aging such as decline in barrier function and subsequent loss of hydration. Water homeostasis is vital for all cellular functions and it is known that organic osmolyte transport is critical to this process. Therefore, we hypothesized that as we age, these tightly controlled physiological mechanisms become disrupted, possibly due to loss of transporter expression. We investigated this in vivo, using human skin samples from photoprotected and photoexposed sites of young and aged volunteers. We show a reduction in keratinocyte cell size with age and a downregulation of osmolyte transporters SMIT and TAUT with both chronic and acute UVR exposure. Single‐cell live imaging demonstrated that aged keratinocytes lack efficient cell volume recovery mechanisms possessed by young keratinocytes following physiological stress. However, addition of exogenous taurine significantly rescued cell volume; this was corroborated by a reduction in TAUT mRNA and protein in aged, as compared to young, keratinocytes. Collectively, these novel data demonstrate that human epidermal keratinocytes possess osmolyte‐mediated cell volume regulatory mechanisms, which may be compromised in aging. Therefore, this suggests that organic osmolytes—especially taurine—play a critical role in cutaneous age‐related xerosis and highlights a fundamental mechanism, vital to our understanding of the pathophysiology of skin aging.
How Governments Promote Monopolies: Public Procurement in India
Authors: Goyal Yugank
Published: November 2019

Government officials exert tremendous power when they buy goods and services from private companies. By setting the terms and conditions under which public procurement takes place, public officials help determine which companies will thrive and which ones will fail. This is one of the important ways governments help create and sustain monopolies in the private sector. But since the bidding process to sell products or services to the government is supposed to be an open and fair competition, how does it become skewed toward businesses that already dominate markets? We examine a particular source of bias: the eligibility criteria for bidding in public procurement tenders. These criteria often allow a few large, private companies to bid on government contracts, but they exclude a large number of small and medium‐sized enterprises. We study the terms by which offers are solicited in India through tenders floated for transportation projects: roads, highways, bridges, and civil construction. We find that the eligibility criteria impose an unnecessarily heavy burden on small firms, potentially knocking them out of the competition and discouraging them from participating in other procurement processes. In this way, the process reinforces monopolies instead of breaking them up. While this study focuses on India, the results also apply to similar economies.
Entrepreneurial Passion: A Review, Synthesis, and Agenda for Future Research
Authors: Newman Alexander , Obschonka Martin , Moeller Julia , Chandan Gemma Garima
Published: November 2019

The present study undertakes a comprehensive and critical review of the body of empirical work on entrepreneurial passion. In particular, we document how the “first generation” of research on entrepreneurial passion and work passion in entrepreneurs has gained growing attention in various sub‐fields of entrepreneurship research including entrepreneurial management, psychology, and finance. We provide an overview over theories used, definitions and measurements adopted, research methods utilized (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative, survey‐based vs. experimental/intervention), the thematic focus of studies, and unit of investigation (e.g., individual vs. team). We not only flag the problems of inconsistencies and limitations with respect to theory use, the making of causal inferences, and the conceptualization and measurement of entrepreneurial passion in existing studies (e.g., jingle fallacies), but also review the antecedents and outcomes of entrepreneurial passion identified in prior work and work where it had been examined as a moderator. Following this, we offer a research agenda with concrete suggestions to act as a foundation for the “second generation” of entrepreneurial passion research that proactively addresses the issues and gaps identified in our review. Finally, we also highlight how insights from the entrepreneurial passion literature can inform scholarship on passion more broadly.
Toxicity of cytarabine constant rate infusion in dogs with high‐grade non‐Hodgkin lymphoma with bone marrow or central nervous system involvement
Authors: Guillen A , Finotello R , Wynne P , Harper A , Killick D , Amores‐Fuster I , Blackwood L
Published: November 2019

Objective

Cytarabine, a cell‐cycle phase‐specific antimetabolite, has been reported to improve outcomes in dogs with bone marrow (BM) or central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma involvement receiving combination chemotherapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence and severity of toxicity of cytarabine constant rate infusion (CRI) in dogs with high‐grade non‐Hodgkin lymphoma.

Methods

Medical records of canine lymphoma patients with confirmed or suspected BM (group 1) or CNS (group 2) involvement, treated with a modified cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vincristine and prednisolone protocol, including a single dose of cytarabine given as CRI, were reviewed and adverse events graded.

Results

Twenty‐six dogs were included. Gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 17 dogs (65.3%), with 5 (19.2%) experiencing grade III or IV toxicity. Neutropenia occurred in nine dogs (34.6%), but was grade I or II in most cases. Three dogs (11.5%) had thrombocytopenia: one grade III and two grade IV. Four dogs (15.3%) experienced increases in alanine amino transferase: one each grade I and II and two grade III. Five dogs (19.2%) required hospitalisation to manage toxicity after completing cytarabine CRI, and haematological toxicity resulted in treatment delays in five dogs (median delay of 4 days, range: 3–7 days).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that gastrointestinal toxicity should be expected in lymphoma patients undergoing cytarabine CRI.
Evaluation of the effect of P‐glycoprotein inhibition and induction on talazoparib disposition in patients with advanced solid tumours
Authors: Elmeliegy Mohamed , Láng István , Smolyarchuk Elena A. , Chung Chin‐Hee , Plotka Anna , Shi Haihong , Wang Diane
Published: November 2019

Aims

In vitro data show that talazoparib is a substrate for P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) and breast cancer resistance protein transporters. This open‐label, 2‐arm, drug–drug interaction Phase 1 study in patients with advanced solid tumours assessed the effect of a P‐gp inhibitor (itraconazole) and a P‐gp inducer (rifampicin) on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of talazoparib. The safety and tolerability of a single dose of talazoparib with and without itraconazole or rifampicin were also assessed.

Methods

Thirty‐six patients were enrolled (Arm A [itraconazole], n = 19; Arm B [rifampicin], n = 17). Patients in both arms received 2 single oral doses of talazoparib (0.5 mg, Arm A; 1 mg, Arm B) alone and with multiple daily oral doses of itraconazole (Arm A) or rifampicin (Arm B).

Results

Coadministration of itraconazole and talazoparib increased talazoparib area under the plasma concentration–time profile from time 0 extrapolated to infinity by ~56% and maximum observed plasma concentration by ~40% relative to talazoparib alone. Coadministration of rifampicin and talazoparib increased talazoparib maximum observed plasma concentration by approximately 37% (geometric mean ratio 136.6% [90% confidence interval 103.2–180.9]); area under the curve was not affected relative to talazoparib alone (geometric mean ratio 102.0% [90% confidence interval 94.0–110.7]). Talazoparib had an overall safety profile consistent with that observed in prior studies in which talazoparib was administered as a single dose.

Conclusion

Coadministration of itraconazole increased talazoparib plasma exposure compared to talazoparib alone. A reduced talazoparib dose is recommended if coadministration of potent P‐gp inhibitors cannot be avoided. Similar exposure was observed when talazoparib was administered alone and with rifampicin suggesting that the effect of rifampicin on talazoparib exposure is limited.
Undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacovigilance education: A proposal for appropriate curriculum content
Authors: Herrera Comoglio Raquel
Published: November 2019

Background

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common, often preventable, and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Pharmacovigilance (PV) involves detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug‐related problem. Education of healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in drug prescription, dispensing and administration is essential to help prevent and mitigate both ADRs and medication errors and has to be focused on 3 pivotal aspects:

Awareness: All medicines can produce adverse effects. ADRs should always be considered as part of the differential diagnosis if any new adverse condition, symptoms or signs appear after a drug administration or during or after pharmacological treatment.

Knowledge: HCPs must have a sound understanding of the most frequently prescribed drugs and over‐the‐counter medications, factors that make patients more likely to benefit or more susceptible to harm, as well as of causes of medication errors.

Reporting: HCPs should know how to report ADRs and the role of reporting on regulatory aspects and scientific knowledge.

Undergraduate curricula must provide, at a minimum, sufficient skills that warrant the appropriate and safe prescription/dispensing/administration of medications in clinical practice, focusing both on therapeutic effects and prevention of harm. Clinical appraisal skills must include ADRs as differential diagnosis, taking accurate medication history, basic individual causality assessment, identification and proper management of ADRs, and informing patients of possible ADRs.

Postgraduate periodic PV training should be mandatory as part of continuing education. Specialised postgraduate education should include advanced contents.
Intracellular claudin‐1 at the invasive front of tongue squamous cell carcinoma is associated with lymph node metastasis
Authors: Yamamoto Daisuke , Kayamori Kou , Sakamoto Kei , Tsuchiya Maiko , Ikeda Tohru , Harada Hiroyuki , Yoda Tetsuya , Watabe Tetsuro , Hara‐Yokoyama Miki
Published: November 2019

Claudins are the major component of tight junctions, which form a primary barrier to paracellular diffusion and maintain cell polarity in normal epithelia and endothelia. In cancer cells, claudins play additional roles besides serving as components of the tight junctions, and participate in anoikis or invasion. Among the claudin family proteins, claudin‐1 has the most promising potential, both diagnostically and prognostically, in many types of cancers, including oral, gastric, liver, and colon cancers. However, conflicting results have been reported in relation to the degree of claudin‐1 expression and the prognosis, suggesting that the expression level of claudin‐1 alone is not sufficient to analyze the relationship between claudin‐1 and cancer progression. As endocytic trafficking of claudin‐1 has been reported in several epithelial cell types in vitro, we aimed to determine whether intracellular localization of claudin‐1 is the missing aspect between claudin‐1 and cancer. We investigated the expression of claudin‐1 in 83 tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) pathological specimens. Although the expression level of claudin‐1 based on immunohistochemistry was not associated with TSCC progression, within the high claudin‐1 expression group, the incidence of intracellular localization of claudin‐1 was correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis. In an in vitro experiment, claudin‐1 was constitutively internalized in TSCC‐derived cells. Motility of TSCC‐derived cells was increased by deficiency of claudin‐1, suggesting that the decrease in cell‐surface claudin‐1 promoted the cell migration. Therefore, intracellular localization of claudin‐1 at the invasion front may represent a promising diagnostic marker of TSCC.
The acceptability of alcohol intoxication management services to users: A mixed methods study
Authors: Irving Andy , Buykx Penny , Amos Yvette , Goodacre Steve , Moore Simon C. , O'Cathain Alicia
Published: November 2019

Introduction and Aims

Alcohol Intoxication Management Services (AIMS) provide basic care for intoxication and minor injuries, have been increasingly implemented in urban areas characterised by a large number of premises licensed for the sale and on‐site consumption of alcohol, with the goal of reducing alcohol's burden on emergency services, including referrals into hospital emergency departments. The acceptability of new health services to users is a key effectiveness outcome. The aim was to describe patient experiences when attending an AIMS and document the acceptability of AIMS to users.

Design and Methods

A sequential mixed methods study was undertaken involving semi‐structured interviews with participants from four AIMS followed by a survey of users recruited from six AIMS.

Results

Interviewees (N = 19) were positive about the care they received in AIMS and appreciated the friendly, non‐judgemental atmosphere. Survey respondents rated their experience in AIMS positively (on a 0 to 10 Likert scale, mean = 9.34, SD = 1.38, n = 188). Frequently given reasons for attendance included drinking alcohol (57%) and minor injury (42%); 24% said they would have attended the emergency department had the AIMS not been available and 6% said they would have preferred to go to the emergency department; 31% indicated they would have felt unsafe without the AIMS.

Discussion and Conclusions

AIMS are acceptable to users. AIMS are likely to address previously unmet demand for a safe space within the night‐time environment.
High‐dose buprenorphine for treatment of high potency opioid use disorder
Authors: Danilewitz Marlon , McLean Mark
Published: November 2019

A 29‐year‐old woman presented to detox for treatment of an opioid use disorder with illicit fentanyl. While in detox, she was started on opioid agonist treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone. Unfortunately, she continued to have withdrawal symptoms despite being optimised to a dose of 32 mg. She was given additional PRNs of buprenorphine/naloxone to a total daily dose of 40 mg, which helped to alleviate her symptoms of withdrawal and cravings. She was stabilised on buprenorphine/naloxone 40 mg daily without any side effects and was discharged to a rehabilitation centre.
The cross‐sectional association between diabetes and orthostatic hypotension in community‐dwelling older people
Authors: Gannon J. , Claffey P. , Laird E. , Newman L. , Kenny R.A. , Briggs R.
Published: November 2019

Aims

Orthostatic hypotension is a recognized complication of diabetes, but studies examining prevalence in diabetes are limited. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension and the pattern of orthostatic BP response in a cohort of people with diabetes aged ≥ 50 years, embedded within the Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Methods

Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a drop in systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 20 mmHg or drop in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 10 mmHg at 30 s after standing. Diabetes was defined by self‐report but cross‐checked against HbA1c and medication records. Multilevel mixed effects linear regression models were used to compare orthostatic BP in people with and without diabetes.

Results

Some 3222 people were included, 7% (213 of 3222) of whom had diabetes. Prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in the group with diabetes was 22% (46 of 213) vs. 13% in those without diabetes; χ2 = 12.43; P < 0.001. Multilevel models demonstrated prolonged recovery of DBP in people with diabetes, with only 41% (87 of 213) returning to baseline by 60 s. Logistic regression models demonstrated that diabetes was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of orthostatic hypotension (odds ratio 1.84, 95% confidence interval 1.30–2.59; P = 0.001) and this remained robust after controlling for covariates.

Conclusion

Over one‐fifth of older people with diabetes had orthostatic hypotension. Recovery of DBP is related to dynamic changes in total peripheral resistance and impairment of this baroreflex‐mediated response may explain the higher prevalence in diabetes. Given the prognostic implications when co‐existing with diabetes, orthostatic hypotension may represent a potentially modifiable risk factor for adverse outcomes in late‐life diabetes.
Comparison of the newer proposed diagnostic score with the World Heart Federation criteria for echocardiographic detection of rheumatic heart disease
Authors: Bhaya Maneesha , Panwar Sadik , Sharma Arvind , Chaudhary Dinesh , Singh Shatakashi , Beniwal Rajesh , Panwar Raja Babu , Nanda Navin C.
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Echocardiography has been found to be a much better screening tool compared to clinical examination for the detection of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in asymptomatic school children living in the RHD endemic areas. Recently, World Heart Federation (WHF) published echocardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of RHD. The present study was done to compare the performance of the newer proposed, quantitative diagnostic score against the qualitative WHF criteria in a field survey of asymptomatic school children belonging to the district having high prevalence of RHD.

Methods

3000 asymptomatic school children studying in rural and urban schools of Bikaner district were screened both by clinical examination and echocardiography performed in parallel. The WHF criteria and the proposed diagnostic score were applied simultaneously for the diagnosis of RHD.

Results

A high prevalence of subclinical RHD was found. There was complete agreement between the two sets of criteria for the diagnosis of RHD. However, there was discrepancy in grading the severity of disease. The diagnostic score proved superior to the WHF criteria in grading the disease severity accurately.

Conclusions

Diagnostic score captures the disease spectrum of RHD better than WHF criteria and reduces the subjectivity in the diagnosis of RHD.
ON INTERGENERATIONAL IMMOBILITY: EVIDENCE THAT ADULT CREDIT HEALTH REFLECTS THE CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Goodman Sarena , Mezza Alvaro , Volz Alice H.
Published: November 2019

We examine the persistence of inequality through credit health, linking administrative records from several sources. We document that childhood circumstances are strongly predictive of financial fragility in adulthood, with credit scores among those from disadvantaged backgrounds nearly 100 points lower and 20 percentage points more likely to qualify as subprime. We find evidence this relationship reflects differences in human capital and debt management; still, neither appears to fully explain the relationship. Our results reveal another dimension along which childhood circumstances persist into adulthood and could mean the many settings that evaluate individuals based on their credit health help reinforce inequities.(JEL D12, E24, I32)
The reMAP project: A retrospective, 15‐year register study on inpatient care for youth with mental disorders
Authors: Ostinelli Edoardo G. , Cavallotti Simone , Fanti Valentina , Demartini Benedetta , Gambini Orsola , D'Agostino Armando
Published: November 2019

Aim

We aimed to characterize youth hospitalization trends in a psychiatric inpatient unit from a large, public university hospital with a broad catchment area in Milan, Italy.

Methods

Hospitalization data of patients with an age at admission ≤ 35 were retrospectively retrieved over a time span of 15 years. The sample was comprised of 1982 admissions to a psychiatric ward, aggregated into ICD‐10 diagnostic clusters and then analysed. We investigated the epidemiological trends with a focus on age at admission, gender, nationality and hospitalization rates, length of stay and “revolving door” readmissions within a year.

Results

Hospitalization rates increased for eating Disorders and decreased for non‐affective psychotic disorders; median length of stay generally decreased; hospitalization rates for foreign youth increased, in particular for those diagnosed with non‐affective psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and substance‐related and addictive disorders. The revolving door phenomenon was also associated with non‐affective psychoses and neurodevelopmental disorders, while found to increase for eating disorders.

Conclusions

Hospitalization patterns reflect the general increase of foreign youth in the suburban tissue of a large metropolitan area like Milan. However, our data might underestimate the constant growth of mental health problems in foreign youth due to a generally lower access to services. Novel pharmacological treatments and early intervention programs might explain the decrease of hospitalization duration and hospitalization rate for youth with non‐affective psychoses. The observed increase in hospitalization for young patients with eating disorders sustains the development of adequate policies tailored towards specialty wards.
Strong habitat and weak genetic effects shape the lifetime reproductive success in a wild clownfish population
Authors: Salles Océane C. , Almany Glenn R. , Berumen Michael L. , Jones Geoffrey P. , Saenz‐Agudelo Pablo , Srinivasan Maya , Thorrold Simon R. , Pujol Benoit , Planes Serge
Published: November 2019

The relative contributions of environmental, maternal and additive genetic factors to the Lifetime reproductive success (LRS) determine whether species can adapt to rapid environmental change. Yet to date, studies quantifying LRS across multiple generations in marine species in the wild are non‐existent. Here we used 10‐year pedigrees resolved for a wild orange clownfish population from Kimbe Island (PNG) and a quantitative genetic linear mixed model approach to quantify the additive genetic, maternal and environmental contributions to variation in LRS for the self‐recruiting portion of the population. We found that the habitat of the breeder, including the anemone species and geographic location, made the greatest contribution to LRS. There were low to negligible contributions of genetic and maternal factors equating with low heritability and evolvability. Our findings imply that our population will be susceptible to short‐term, small‐scale changes in habitat structure and may have limited capacity to adapt to these changes.
Candidus Wizo, Arn of Salzburg and the treatise De sole et luna
Authors: Jones Christopher A.
Published: November 2019

This article re‐examines the origins of the remarkable text De sole et luna, a Carolingian treatise attributed by its first editor to Archbishop Arn of Salzburg. I propose that the treatise shows more significant connections to the Anglo‐Saxon scholar Candidus Wizo, a trusted pupil of Alcuin and notable intellectual in his own right. Some hitherto neglected remnants of additional writing by the author of De sole et luna also lend support, by their content and manuscript setting, to the possibility that Candidus wrote the treatise.
Justinian's Novella 11: memory and political propaganda in the build up to the Gothic War
Authors: Sarantis Alexander
Published: November 2019

This paper will examine memories of a fourth‐ to fifth‐century western Balkan past in Justinian's Novella 11. Announcing the appointment of a new northern Illyrian archbishop at the city of Justiniana Prima, this decree refers nostalgically to an earlier period of late antiquity, prior to the invasions of Attila, when Sirmium, rather than Justiniana Prima, had been the administrative and ecclesiastical capital of Illyricum. Published in April 535, on the eve of the Gothic War, it thus suggested that Gothic‐held Sirmium belonged to the eastern Roman state. In this way it contradicted rival political propaganda emanating from the Gothic kingdom of Italy, according to which it was the rightful Roman heir to the western Balkans.
PPAR‐γ signalling as a key mediator of human hair follicle physiology and pathology
Authors: Ramot Yuval , Bertolini Marta , Boboljova Maria , Uchida Yoshikazu , Paus Ralf
Published: November 2019

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs) are abundantly expressed in human skin, with PPAR‐γ being the most intensively investigated isoform. In various ex vivo and in vivo models, PPAR‐γ‐mediated signalling has recently surfaced as an essential element of hair follicle (HF) development, growth and stem cell biology. Moreover, the availability of novel, topically applicable PPAR‐γ modulators with a favourable toxicological profile has extended the range of potential applications in clinical dermatology. In this review, we synthesize where this field currently stands and sketch promising future research avenues, focussing on the role of PPAR‐γ‐mediated signalling in the biology and pathology of human scalp HFs, with special emphasis on scarring alopecias such as lichen planopilaris and frontal fibrosing alopecia as model human epithelial stem cell diseases. In particular, we discuss whether and how pharmacological modulation of PPAR‐γ signalling may be employed for the management of hair growth disorders, for example, in scarring alopecia (by reducing HF inflammation as well as by promoting the survival and suppressing pathological epithelial‐mesenchymal transition of keratin 15 + epithelial stem cells in the bulge) and in hirsutism/hypertrichosis (by promoting catagen development). Moreover, we explore the potential role of PPAR‐γ in androgenetic alopecia, HF energy metabolism and HF ageing, and consider clinical perspectives that emanate from the limited data available on this so far. As this field of translational human hair research is still in its infancy, many open questions exist, for which we briefly delineate selected experimental approaches that promise to generate instructive answers in the near future.
A GM1b/asialo‐GM1 oligosaccharide‐binding R‐type lectin from purplish bifurcate mussels Mytilisepta virgata and its effect on MAP kinases
Authors: Fujii Yuki , Gerdol Marco , Kawsar Sarkar M. A. , Hasan Imtiaj , Spazzali Francesca , Yoshida Tatsusada , Ogawa Yukiko , Rajia Sultana , Kamata Kenichi , Koide Yasuhiro , Sugawara Shigeki , Hosono Masahiro , Tame Jeremy R. H. , Fujita Hideaki , Pallavicini Alberto , Ozeki Yasuhiro
Published: November 2019

A 15‐kDa lectin, termed SeviL, was isolated from Mytilisepta virgata (purplish bifurcate mussel). SeviL forms a noncovalent dimer that binds strongly to ganglio‐series GM1b oligosaccharide (Neu5Acɑ2‐3Galβ1‐3GalNAcβ1‐4Galβ1‐4Glc) and its precursor, asialo‐GM1 (Galβ1‐3GalNAcβ1‐4Galβ1‐4Glc). SeviL also interacts weakly with the glycan moiety of SSEA‐4 hexaose (Neu5Acα2‐3Galβ1‐3GalNAcβ1‐3Galα1‐4Galβ1‐4Glc). A partial protein sequence of the lectin was determined by mass spectrometry, and the complete sequence was identified from transcriptomic analysis. SeviL, consisting of 129 amino acids, was classified as an R(icin B)‐type lectin, based on the presence of the QxW motif characteristic of this fold. SeviL mRNA is highly expressed in gills and, in particular, mantle rim tissues. Orthologue sequences were identified in other species of the family Mytilidae, including Mytilus galloprovincialis, from which lectin MytiLec‐1 was isolated and characterized in our previous studies. Thus, mytilid species contain lectins belonging to at least two distinct families (R‐type lectins and mytilectins) that have a common β‐trefoil fold structure but differing glycan‐binding specificities. SeviL displayed notable cytotoxic (apoptotic) effects against various cultured cell lines (human breast, ovarian, and colonic cancer; dog kidney) that possess asialo‐GM1 oligosaccharide at the cell surface. This cytotoxic effect was inhibited by the presence of anti‐asialo‐GM1 oligosaccharide antibodies. With HeLa ovarian cancer cells, SeviL showed dose‐ and time‐dependent activation of kinase MKK3/6, p38 MAPK, and caspase‐3/9. The transduction pathways activated by SeviL via the glycosphingolipid oligosaccharide were triggered apoptosis.

Database

Nucleotide sequence data have been deposited in the GenBank database under accession numbers MK434191, MK434192, MK434193, MK434194, MK434195, MK434196, MK434197, MK434198, MK434199, MK434200, and MK434201.
A novel fluorescence‐based functional assay for human OATP1A2 and OATP1C1 identifies interaction between third‐generation P‐gp inhibitors and OATP1A2
Authors: Bakos Éva , Német Orsolya , Patik Izabel , Kucsma Nóra , Várady György , Szakács Gergely , Özvegy‐Laczka Csilla
Published: November 2019

Organic anion‐transporting polypeptide 1A2 (OATP1A2), expressed in the human blood–brain barrier, promotes drug uptake from the blood and hence can be exploited for central nervous system‐targeted drug delivery. The thyroid transporter OATP1C1, expressed in the choroid plexus and in astrocytes, is also a potential pharmacological target. Based on their established pharmacological relevance, screening the drug interaction profile of OATP1A2 and OATP1C1 is highly desirable. However, drug interaction screens require suitable model systems and functional assays. In the current study, uptake of a set of cell‐impermeable fluorescent dyes was screened in HEK‐293 and A431 cell lines overexpressing OATP1A2 and OATP1C1. Based on the uptake of fluorescent dye substrates, a functional assay was developed, which was used to characterize OATP inhibitors/substrates. We identify Live/Dead Green (LDG), Live‐or‐Dye 488, and sulforhodamines 101, G, and B as novel fluorescent substrates of OATP1A2 and OATP1C1. We show that LDG uptake is proportional to OATP1A2/1C1 expression, allowing the isolation of cells expressing high transporter levels. Additionally, dye uptake can be used to characterize the drug interaction pattern of OATP1A2 and OATP1C1. We demonstrate that third‐generation P‐glycoprotein inhibitors elacridar, tariquidar, and zosuquidar inhibit OATP1A2 function. Increased toxicity of elacridar in OATP1A2‐expressing cells suggests that OATP1A2 may modulate the distribution of this compound. The fluorescence‐based assays developed in the current study are a good alternative of radioligand‐based tests and pave the way toward high‐throughput screens for OATP1A2/1C1 drug interaction studies.
The new plenty; why are some post‐Soviet farms thriving?
Authors: Wengle Susanne A.
Published: November 2019

In the 1990s, rural economies in many post‐Soviet countries suffered from a staggering decline in production and from outmigration. Over the last 10 to 15 years, some agricultural producers in the former Soviet Union have managed to reverse decline: they have updated production facilities, improved productivity, and increased production and exports. These trends are uneven, as some farmers in some countries are thriving, while others are on the brink of economic collapse. What are the conditions for recovery—for the “new plenty”? This article will argue that targeted and flexible public support to specific rural producers, combined with the recovery of demand in other post‐Soviet countries made rural recoveries possible. These findings suggest that conditions for recovery have materialized from within the post‐Soviet region, rather than being dependent on a transition toward particular type of “good” governance institutions and access to markets in the European Union.