bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Critical realism and attribution theory in qualitative research
Authors: Al-Sharif Rami
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to develop an integrative model that explains how incorporating the two epistemological positions of critical realism and attribution theory can help qualitative organisational researchers better understand the reality of social actors through different lenses. In addition, the paper aims to demonstrate the application of the model through a study of organisational justice perceptions of elite Muslim professionals undergoing performance appraisal in the UK banking sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach adopted used semi-structured in-depth interviews with Muslim professionals in elite positions in UK Western and Islamic banks. Access to participants was secured through a process of purposive and snowball sampling, a tool often used to recruit hard-to-reach populations. The data were analysed through the integrative model developed in this paper.

Findings

The integration of critical realism and attribution theory provided different dimensionalities of social reality. Attribution theory enabled a systematic identification of social phenomena and their causal mechanisms, defined the characteristics of those mechanisms and highlighted who/what is responsible for and affected by them. Critical realism distinguished between causal mechanisms and the generative forces that help those mechanisms to be actualised and have effect.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, to the best of my knowledge, it is the first paper to build a novel integrative model of these two epistemologies. Second, it presents a detailed application of the model in a contemporary study of the perceptions of justice of Muslims in the UK banking sector.
Pharmaceutical/high-tech alliances; transforming healthcare?
Authors: Vermeer Laurence , Thomas Mark
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Digitalization is changing businesses everywhere and the healthcare sector is no exception to this (r)evolution. Yet history teaches us that radical innovation rarely comes from within the industry. Big pharma is a potential victim of this rule. Its leaders should be worried. Some are already. The industry needs to develop its digital capabilities. Alliances with high tech companies may help this process.

Design/methodology/approach

The article adopts a critical analysis approach of alliances between the pharmaceutical and high-tech industries. The viewpoint is supported by revelatory case studies. Examples include Amazon and Pillpack as well as Google’s launch of Verily and Calico. Alliances between Novartis and Microsoft and Amazon as well as GSK and Google also provide supporting evidence.

Findings

Pharmaceutical companies are lagging behind in digital transformation. A recent McKinsey report found that the industry was well below the travel, hospitality and retail sectors in digitalization. It was barely more advanced that the public sector. Given the financial and intellectual resources within big pharma, this result seems nothing short of stunning.

Originality/value

This article offers an evidence-based viewpoint on the current state of digitalization within the pharmaceutical industry. It demonstrates the danger that high-tech companies present to big pharma and offers advice on how they may counteract such risks through alliances.
Humming noise reduction of ceiling fan in the mass production applying DMAIC-six sigma approach
Authors: Ahammed Rubel , Hasan Md. Zahid
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Success and business reputation depend upon the quality of products where product quality depends upon the capability of a process, yield value and sigma score, etc. Poor quality of ceiling fan and mass rejection from quality check resulted in an alarming amount of cost for rework. As a result, the fulfillment of the production target was getting difficult day by day. The main purpose of this research is to identify the crucial causes for humming noise of ceiling fans and control it to a tolerable level so that maximum quality can be achieved.

Design/methodology/approach

The poor quality of ceiling fans was determined from the Pareto analysis of the define, measure, analyze, improve and control model which was humming noise during running and further actions were undertaken regarding the reduction of the humming noise. Project charter was formed before initiating the measure phase to study the suppliers, inputs, processes, outputs and customers diagram with process parameters and existing noise data were collected from random samples to determine the rolled throughput yield (94.95% existing) and existing sigma score which value of 3.14 and also the poor value (1.05) of process potential index implied that the process condition was below standard (<1.33) and need to be improved badly. Then root causes analysis and relationship diagram was prepared to identify the possible causes and with the design of experiments and correlation analysis, it was clear that the air gap between the stator and rotor was the main culprit behind the humming noise.

Findings

The minimum value of air gap was determined from boxplot analysis which was 0.2 mm–0.225 mm and the corresponding mean, the minimum and maximum value of sound level in dB (37.5–40.3 dB) for 0.225 mm air gap with the watt consumption (83 w) from the hypothesis test for the corresponding air gap. Finally, the updated sigma score and process capability analysis were performed with control charts to show the comparison after applying the DMAIC-six sigma methodology. The final sigma score was 5.1 which indicates a significant improvement of the process with the capability of saving US$23,438/year caused by the poor quality of ceiling fans.

Practical implications

Only quantitative values of the causes behind the humming noise were possible to identify. Other trivial many causes elimination might improve the sigma score closer to 6.00. The final sigma score that was achieved from this research was sustainable.

Originality/value

A structural approach with proper data analysis and application of various tools to detect the actual cause behind the humming noise of ceiling fans with numerical value has not been found in any literature. This research study can be a valuable asset for ceiling fan mass producers.
Diel differences in blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) dive behavior increase nighttime risk of ship strikes in northern Chilean Patagonia
Authors: CARUSO Francesco , HICKMOTT Leigh , WARREN Joseph D. , SEGRE Paolo , CHIANG Gustavo , BAHAMONDE Paulina , ESPAÑOL‐JIMÉNEZ Sonia , LI Songhai , BOCCONCELLI Alessandro
Published: November 2020

The northern Chilean Patagonia region is a key feeding ground and a nursing habitat in the southern hemisphere for blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus). From 2014 to 2019, during 6 separate research cruises, the dive behavior of 28 individual blue whales was investigated using bio‐logging tags (DTAGs), generating ≈190 h of data. Whales dove to significantly greater depths during the day compared to nighttime (day: 32.6 ± 18.7 m; night: 6.2 ± 2.7 m; P < 0.01). During the night, most time was spent close to the surface (86% ± 9.4%; P < 0.01) and at depths of less than 12 m. From 2016 to 2019, active acoustics (scientific echosounders) were used to record prey (euphausiids) density and distribution simultaneously with whale diving data. Tagged whales appeared to perform dives relative to the vertical migration of prey during the day. The association between diurnal prey migration and shallow nighttime dive behavior suggests that blue whales are at increased risk of ship collisions during periods of darkness since the estimated maximum ship draft of vessels operating in the region is also ≈12 m. In recent decades, northern Chilean Patagonia has seen a large increase in marine traffic due to a boom in salmon aquaculture and the passenger ship industry. Vessel strike risks for large whales are likely underestimated in this region. Results reported in this study may be valuable for policy and mitigation decisions regarding conservation of the endangered blue whale.
Prone positioning in mechanically ventilated patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Gleissman Helena , Forsgren Anders , Andersson Elisabeth , Lindqvist Elin , Lipka Falck Adam , Cronhjort Maria , Dahlberg Martin , Günther Mattias
Published: November 2020

Background

The management of COVID‐19 ARDS is debated. Although current evidence does not suggest an atypical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the physiological response to prone positioning is not fully understood and it is unclear which patients benefit. We aimed to determine whether proning increases oxygenation and to evaluate responders.

Methods

This case series from a single, tertiary university hospital includes all mechanically ventilated patients with COVID‐19 and proning between 17 March 2020 and 19 May 2020. The primary measure was change in PaO2:FiO2.

Results

Forty‐four patients, 32 males/12 females, were treated with proning for a total of 138 sessions, with median (range) two (1‐8) sessions. Median (IQR) time for the five sessions was 14 (12‐17) hours. In the first session, median (IQR) PaO2:FiO2 increased from 104 (86‐122) to 161 (127‐207) mm Hg (P < .001). 36/44 patients (82%) improved in PaO2:FiO2, with a significant increase in PaO2:FiO2 in the first three sessions. Median (IQR) FiO2 decreased from 0.7 (0.6‐0.8) to 0.5 (0.35‐0.6) (<0.001). A significant decrease occurred in the first three sessions. PaO2, tidal volumes, PEEP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and norepinephrine infusion did not differ. Primarily, patients with PaO2:FiO2 approximately < 120 mm Hg before treatment responded to proning. Age, sex, BMI, or SAPS 3 did not predict success in increasing PaO2:FiO2.

Conclusion

Proning increased PaO2:FiO2, primarily in patients with PaO2:FiO2 approximately < 120 mm Hg, with a consistency over three sessions. No characteristic was associated with non‐responding, why proning may be considered in most patients. Further study is required to evaluate mortality.
Analysis of the risk factors and treatment for repeated implantation failure: OPtimization of Thyroid function, IMmunity, and Uterine Milieu (OPTIMUM) treatment strategy
Authors: Kuroda Keiji , Matsumura Yuko , Ikemoto Yuko , Segawa Tomoya , Hashimoto Tomoko , Fukuda Junichiro , Nakagawa Koji , Uchida Toyoyoshi , Ochiai Asako , Horimoto Yoshiya , Arakawa Atsushi , Nojiri Shuko , Itakura Atsuo , Sugiyama Rikikazu
Published: November 2020

Problem

What are the pregnancy outcomes after the OPtimization of Thyroid function, Immunity, and Uterine Milieu (OPTIMUM) treatment strategy in patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF)?

Method of study

Infertile women with a history of RIF after more than three embryo transfer (ET) cycles underwent implantation testing, including a hysteroscopy, endometrial biopsy for CD138 immunostaining and bacterial culture, and serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3, interferon‐γ‐producing helper T (Th1) cell, IL‐4‐producing helper T (Th2) cell, thyroid‐stimulating hormone, thyroid peroxidase antibody, and thrombophilia screening between April 2017 and August 2018. We treated chronic endometritis with antibiotics, aberrant high Th1/Th2 cell ratios with vitamin D and/or tacrolimus intake, overt/subclinical hypothyroidism with levothyroxine, and thrombophilia with low‐dose aspirin. Of the 116 RIF women, 88 women with 133 ET cycles were recruited from a questionnaire‐based survey regarding pregnancy outcomes. Fifty‐nine consecutive RIF patients without the OPTIMUM treatment strategy were also recruited as a control.

Results

The 116 women with RIF after the OPTIMUM treatment strategy were 38.3 ± 3.8 years old and had an implantation failure history over 5 (3‐19) ET cycles. Implantation testing identified impaired intrauterine circumstances in 75 women (64.7%), an aberrant elevated Th1/Th2 cell ratio in 56 women (48.3%), and thyroid abnormalities in 33 women (28.4%). Cumulative ongoing pregnancy rates including spontaneous pregnancy in the patients aged < 40 and ≥ 40 years were 72.7% and 45.5% within two ET cycles, respectively. The pregnancy outcomes in the OPTIMUM group were significantly higher than those in the control.

Conclusions

The OPTIMUM treatment strategy improved pregnancy outcomes in patients with RIF.
Short‐term outcomes of parastomal hernia prophylaxis with Stapled Mesh stomA Reinforcement Technique (SMART) in permanent stomas
Authors: Chen Michelle Zhiyun , Gilmore Andrew
Published: November 2020

Background

Parastomal hernias occur in 50–80% after stoma formation. Even with mesh repairs, recurrence can be as high as 33%. Stapled Mesh stomA Reinforcement Technique (SMART) places a prophylactic onlay mesh in the trephine during permanent stoma formation to prevent parastomal hernia. Our study aims to describe the short‐term outcomes of SMART procedures.

Methods

A prospective study of patients receiving the SMART procedure from 2015 to 2020 was conducted. Inclusion criteria: non‐Crohn's colorectal and urological surgery with permanent stoma formation. The SMART surgical technique incorporates a 70‐mm circular piece of polypropylene mesh by stapling it to the muscular abdominal wall using a circular stapler, and attaching the edge of the mesh to the deep fascia.

Results

Fifty patients had a total of 53 SMART procedures. Median follow‐up was 27 months. Procedures included: 35 end colostomies, five end ileostomies, eight ileal urinary conduits and five double‐barrelled wet colostomies. Four patients had parastomal hernia during follow‐up. One was acute, on day 1, due to very large size of trephine, one in a double‐barrelled wet stoma that was repaired laparoscopically, one had a stomal prolapse requiring revision at 3 years and one patient had early small bowel obstruction due to very small size of trephine requiring another surgery. There were no wound infections or mesh‐related sepsis.

Conclusion

Symptomatic parastomal herniation occurred in 8% of the study population, and most complications were due to incorrect choice of stapled trephine diameter. Longer term follow‐up is required to assess for problematic parastomal hernia.
Evaluation of a polymyxin drop test for polymyxin resistance detection among non‐fermentative gram‐negative rods and enterobacterales resistant to carbapenems
Authors: Perez Leandro Reus Rodrigues , Carniel Eliana , Narvaez Gabriel Azambuja , Dias Cícero Gomes
Published: November 2020

To assess the performance of the drop test for polymyxin B resistance detection among Enterobacterales and non‐fermentative gram‐negative rods resistant to carbapenems. Seven hundred and fifteen carbapenem‐resistant isolates were tested: 628 Enterobacterales species and 87 non‐fermentative gram‐negative rods. For the polymyxin drop test, concentrations range from 0.25 to 8.0 µg/mL. Broth microdilution, as gold standard, was performed using in‐house‐prepared panels and interpreted according to the CLSI guidelines. Results were interpreted in terms of categorical agreements and discrepancies. Accuracy for a drop of polymyxin B at 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 was calculated as better cutoff for resistance determination. No very major error was observed among all isolates, and 95.5% of agreement was observed among Enterobacterales, particularly for Klebsiella pneumoniae. A higher accuracy (95.1%) was obtained when a single drop of polymyxin B at 4.0 μg/mL was applied. Polymyxin drop test presented >95% of categorical agreement, without very major errors, for KPC‐producing K. pneumoniae isolates. An accuracy of 95.1% was obtained with a single drop at 4.0 μg/mL polymyxin B. Polymyxin B drop is an easy and feasible test and may allow a reduction on the turnaround time for polymyxin resistance detection and impacting on early implementation of accurate therapeutic interventions.
Resolution of confluent and reticulated papillomatosis after bariatric surgery
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Meera , Nadler Evan , Vaidya Susma
Published: November 2020

Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CARP), a rare dermatologic disorder characterized by hyperpigmented papules that subsequently develop into plaques with reticulated margins, is frequently confused with acanthosis nigricans. The aetiology and pathogenesis of CARP is not yet fully understood, but it is often present in individuals with obesity and PCOS. This case report describes an African American adolescent female with obesity with a rash diagnosed as CARP after unsuccessful treatment with antifungals and corticosteroids. Her dermatosis proved recalcitrant to antibiotics and metformin but started to resolve immediately after bariatric surgery. This case report supports insulin resistance as a contributor to CARP's pathogenesis and as well as its association with obesity. Clinically significant weight reduction should be considered in the management of this challenging skin condition.
An examination of changes in muscle thickness, isometric strength and body water throughout the menstrual cycle
Authors: Kuehne Tayla E. , Kataoka Ryo , Yitzchaki Noam , Zhu Wenyuan G. , Vasenina Ecaterina , Buckner Samuel L.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in muscle size and strength throughout the menstrual cycle in females and to compare these values to a control group of time‐matched males.

Methods

12 males and 16 females visited the laboratory on four occasions. Measures of muscle thickness (MTH), isometric strength and body water were taken during the menstrual phase, ovulation phase and luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Males scheduled their visits based on a mock menstrual cycle. In addition, participants were asked to complete 4 sets of biceps curls to volitional failure in one arm to examine swelling during each visit.

Results

For MTH there was no interaction (p = .73); however, there was a main effect for sex with males having higher MTH values compared to females [4.07 (0.67) versus. 2.73 (0.42) cm, (p < .001)] at all time points. For changes in MTH (swelling) there was no interaction (p = .28). However, there was a main effect for sex, with males demonstrating greater changes in MTH compared to females [0.53(0.11) versus. 0.40 (0.10) cm, (p < .001)]. Similarly, for total body water, there was no interaction (p = .66). However, males had greater total body water compared to females [49.6 (6.8) versus. 32.3(3.9) kg, p < .001)] at all time points. Finally, for isometric strength, there was no interaction (p = .23). However, there was a main effect for sex. Males had higher isometric strength values compared to females [285 (42) versus. 156(36) N (p < .001)].

Conclusions

Phase of the menstrual cycle does not appear to influence MTH, isometric strength or total body water.
A global framework for linking alpine‐treeline ecotone patterns to underlying processes
Authors: Bader Maaike Y. , Llambí Luis D. , Case Bradley S. , Buckley Hannah L. , Toivonen Johanna M. , Camarero J. Julio , Cairns David M. , Brown Carissa D. , Wiegand Thorsten , Resler Lynn M.
Published: November 2020

Globally, treeline ecotones vary from abrupt lines to extended zones of increasingly small, stunted and/or dispersed trees. These spatial patterns contain information about the processes that control treeline dynamics. Describing these patterns consistently along ecologically meaningful dimensions is needed for generalizing hypotheses and knowledge about controlling processes and expected treeline shifts globally. However, existing spatial categorizations of treelines are very loosely defined, leading to ambiguities in their use and interpretation. To help better understand treeline‐forming processes, we present a new framework for describing alpine treeline ecotones, focusing on hillside‐scale patterns, using pattern dimensions with distinct indicative values: 1) the spatial pattern in the x‐y plane: a) decline in tree cover, and b) change in the level of clustering. Variation along these dimensions results in more or less ‘discrete' or ‘diffuse' treelines with or without islands. These patterns mainly indicate demographic processes: establishment and mortality. 2) Changes in tree stature: a) decline in tree height, and b) change in tree shape. Variation along these dimensions results in more or less ‘abrupt' or ‘gradual' treelines with or without the formation of environmental krummholz. These patterns mainly indicate growth and dieback processes.

Additionally, tree population structure can help distinguish alternative hypotheses about pattern formation, while analysing the functional composition of the ecotonal vegetation is essential to understand community‐level processes, controlled by species‐specific demographic processes.

Our graphical representation of this framework can be used to place any treeline pattern in the proposed multi‐dimensional space to guide hypotheses on underlying processes and associated dynamics. To quantify the dimensions and facilitate comparative research, we advocate a joint effort in gathering and analysing spatial patterns from treelines globally. The improved recognition of treeline patterns should allow more effective comparative research and monitoring and advance our understanding of treeline‐forming processes and vegetation dynamics in response to climate warming.
Elevational variation in voltinism demonstrates climatic adaptation in the dark bush‐cricket
Authors: Černecká Ľudmila , Dorková Martina , Jarčuška Benjamín , Kaňuch Peter
Published: November 2020

1. Phenotypic plasticity and/or genetic adaptation may allow species to live in a variable environment. It has been shown that eggs of the dark bush‐cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera, which experienced an insufficient warm treatment (shorter and/or colder), had a longer development time and hatched predominantly after the second diapause.

2. Given the broad distribution of this species from sea level to the timber line, we expected variation in voltinism along a climatic gradient. To reveal the role of natural selection in egg‐hatching patterns, we compared different and unrelated populations sampled along a 1000 m elevational gradient in a common laboratory experiment.

3. In the same rearing microclimate, we found that populations from mountains had mostly a shorter life cycle, whereas semivoltinism prevailed in lowland populations.

4. This demonstrated the genetically underpinned local adaptation of this insect to harsh mountain environments with a shorter growing season determined by elevation.
Parallel pathways to decreased subcortical arousal in focal limbic seizures
Authors: Zhao Charlie W. , Feng Li , Sieu Lim‐Anna , Pok Brian , Gummadavelli Abhijeet , Blumenfeld Hal
Published: November 2020

Focal limbic seizures can cause loss of consciousness. Previous work suggests that hippocampal seizures can increase activity in the lateral septum (LS) and decrease cholinergic output from the basal forebrain (BF), leading to deficits in conscious arousal. The mechanism by which LS and BF interact is unclear. In this study, we used anterograde and retrograde tracing to investigate anatomical pathways connecting LS and BF. We found that LS projects directly to BF and indirectly to BF via the thalamic paratenial nucleus (PT). Acute electrophysiology experiments during electrically induced focal limbic seizures showed that multiunit activity decreased in PT during the ictal period and was associated with increased cortical slow wave activity. These results suggest that LS could functionally inhibit BF during a seizure directly, or could indirectly decrease excitatory output to BF through PT. Further work investigating such parallel inhibitory and excitatory pathways to subcortical arousal may ultimately lead to new treatment targets for consciousness‐impairing limbic seizures.
First record of cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley 1898 (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), from Saudi Arabia
Authors: Katbeh Bader A. , Al‐Jboory I. J.
Published: November 2020

The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley 1898 (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is recorded from Saudi Arabia for the first time. This species was collected from heavily infested Hibiscus rosa‐sinensis L. (Malvaceae) from the city of At‐Taif in the south‐western part of the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, the mealybug Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell, 1893), previously recorded in Saudi Arabia, was found on Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae) and on Dodonaea viscosa Jacq. (Sapindaceae). Slide mounts were prepared and voucher specimens were preserved at the University of Jordan Insects Museum. Further surveys should be initiated to investigate the distribution and hosts of P. solenopsis in Saudi Arabia.
Eptinezumab Demonstrated Efficacy in Sustained Prevention of Episodic and Chronic Migraine Beginning on Day 1 After Dosing
Authors: Dodick David W. , Gottschalk Christopher , Cady Roger , Hirman Joe , Smith Jeff , Snapinn Steve
Published: November 2020

Objective

To determine the onset of preventive efficacy with eptinezumab in patients with migraine.

Background

Eptinezumab is a monoclonal antibody inhibiting calcitonin gene‐related peptide approved as an intravenously administered treatment for the prevention of migraine.

Methods

Patients who received eptinezumab 100 mg, eptinezumab 300 mg, or placebo in PROMISE7‐1 (episodic migraine; 100 mg, n = 221; 300 mg, n = 222; placebo, n = 222) or PROMISE7‐2 (chronic migraine; 100 mg, n = 356; 300 mg, n = 350; placebo, n = 366) were included. Testing of the percentage of patients with a migraine on day 1 after dosing was prespecified and alpha‐controlled. In further exploration of this prespecified endpoint, a post hoc closed testing procedure, which controlled the false‐positive (type 1) error rate, provided a statistically rigorous evaluation of migraine prevention onset. The procedure involved up to 84 tests of significance, all of which were performed in sequence until the first nonsignificant result.

Results

For both studies, all tests for significance for eptinezumab 100 and 300 mg, from days 1‐84 through day 1 alone, achieved nominal significance (P < .05), indicating that eptinezumab was fully effective beginning on day 1. Over each interval, the treatment effect was comparable to the effect over weeks 1‐12. Mean changes from baseline in monthly migraine days for the primary endpoint period ranged from −3.9 to −4.9, −4.1 to −4.9, and −2.2 to −3.2 for eptinezumab 100, 300 mg, and placebo, respectively, in PROMISE7‐1 and from −7.2 to −8.0, −7.9 to −8.2, and −4.3 to −5.6, respectively, in PROMISE7‐2. The difference from placebo (95% confidence interval) in day 1 treatment effect was −2.2 (−4.1, −0.3) and −2.5 (−4.4, −0.6) days/month for eptinezumab 100 and 300 mg, respectively, in PROMISE7‐1, and was −3.8 (−5.6, −2.0) and −4.0 (−5.8, −2.1) days/month for 100 and 300 mg, respectively, in PROMISE7‐2.

Conclusions

The migraine preventive effect of eptinezumab is rapid and sustained in patients with episodic or chronic migraine, with onset of optimal preventive efficacy observed on the day following the initial dose.
Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma: Particulate Staining Pattern of TGK
Authors: Hashimoto Ken , Tanaka Kazuaki , Misra Indira , Shwayder Tor , Moiin Ali
Published: November 2020

A case of late onset non‐bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (CIE) was studied. This patient was not born as a collodion baby and did not have skin abnormalities until 9–10 years of age. She gradually developed erythroderma and fine scales, callosities of her feet, and a mild ectropion. Since recent work has revealed that in the majority of CIE patients, transglutaminase (TGK) is distributed in the cytoplasm of granular cells and horny cells (11), TGK was studied in our case. It was found that TGK was distributed along the cell periphery of horny cells and also in the cytoplasm of granular cells. In the control skins, TGK was stained along the cell periphery of horny cells and granular cells. The marginal band formation was normal. Involucrine and loricrin, the building materials of the marginal band whose‐cross‐linking is mediated by TGK, were normally stained in the upper epidermis. Cytoplasmic TGK of granular cells and normal development of the marginal band may serve as a helpful diagnostic marker of CIE, particularly because the often confusing collodion baby of lamellar ichthyosis may lack TGK staining and the marginal band altogether.
Winning Over the Audience: Trust and Humor in Stand-Up Comedy
Authors: ABRAHAMS DANIEL
Published: November 2020

This article advances a novel way of understanding humor and stand-up comedy. I propose that the relationship between the comedian and her audience is understood by way of trust, where the comedian requires the trust of her audience for her humor to succeed. The comedian may hold (or fail to hold) the trust of the audience in two domains. She may be trusted as to the form of the humor, such as whether she is joking. She may also be trusted as to the content of the joke. This approach has two distinct virtues. The first is that it makes sense of partial successes. These are cases where the humor neither completely succeeds nor fails because the audience does not fully trust the comedian. The second is that it explains intuitions about ethically dubious humor and why certain classes of humor, especially those dealing in racialized and gendered identities, are more readily (but not necessarily) accepted from humorists of those identities.
Stand-Up Comedy, Authenticity, and Assertion
Authors: RAPPAPORT JESSE , QUILTY-DUNN JAKE
Published: November 2020

Stand-up comedy is often viewed in two contrary ways. In one view, comedians are hailed as providing genuine social insight and telling truths. In the other, comedians are seen as merely trying to entertain and not to be taken seriously. This tension raises a foundational question for the aesthetics of stand-up: Do stand-up comedians perform genuine assertions in their performances? This article considers this question in the light of several theories of assertion. We conclude that comedians on stage do not count as making genuine assertions-rather, much like actors on a stage, they merely pretend to perform speech acts. However, due to norms of authenticity that govern stand-up comedy, performers can nonetheless succeed in conveying genuine insights. Thus, our account accommodates both the seemingly incompatible aspects of our ordinary appreciation of stand-up comedy and points toward deeper philosophical understanding of stand-up comedy as a unique art form.
Polarization of ADAM17‐driven EGFR signalling in electric field‐guided collective migration of epidermal sheets
Authors: Jia Naixin , Liu Jie , Zhu Guoqin , Liang Yi , Wang Yuan , Wang Weiyi , Chen Ying , Yang Jinrui , Zhang Wangjun , Zhang Jiaping
Published: November 2020

Endogenous electric field is considered to play an important role in promoting collective migration of epidermis to the wound centre. However, most studies are focused on the effect of bioelectric field on the movement and migration of single epithelial cell; the molecular mechanisms about collective migration of epidermal monolayers remain unclear. Here, we found that EFs dramatically promoted the collective migration of HaCaT cells towards the anode, activated the sheddase activity of ADAM17 and increased the phosphorylation level of EGFR. Moreover, EGFR phosphorylation and HB‐EGF shedding level were significantly decreased by the ADAM17 inhibitor TAPI‐2 or siADAM17 under EFs, which subsequently attenuated the directed migration of HaCaT sheets. Notably, the inhibition of EF‐regulated collective migration by siADAM17 was rescued by addition of recombinant HB‐EGF. Furthermore, we observed that F‐actin was dynamically polarized along the leading edge of the migrated sheets under EFs and that this polarization was regulated by ADAM17/HB‐EGF/EGFR signalling. In conclusion, our study indicated that ADAM17 contributed to the collective directional movement of the epidermal monolayer by driving HB‐EGF release and activating EGFR under EFs, and this pathway also mediated the polarization of F‐actin in migrating sheets, which is essential in directional migration.
Combining bioinformatics techniques to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in pancreatic cancer metastasis and prognosis
Authors: Xu Jia‐Sheng , Liao Kai‐li , Wang Xinlu , He Jiarui , Wang Xiao‐Zhong
Published: November 2020

This article aims to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms and prognosis‐related genes in pancreatic cancer metastasis. Pancreatic cancer metastasis‐related gene chip data were downloaded from GENE EXPRESSION OMNIBUS(GEO)database. Differentially expressed genes were screened after R‐package pre‐treatment. Functional annotations and related signalling pathways were analysed using DAVID software. GEPIA (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis) was used to perform prognostic analysis, and differential genes associated with prognosis were screened and validated using data from GEO. We screened 40 healthy patients, 40 primary pancreatic cancer and 40 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, collected serum, designed primers and used qPCR to test the expression of prognosis‐related genes in each group. 109 differentially expressed genes related with pancreatic cancer metastasis were screened, of which 49 were up‐regulated and 60 were down‐regulated. Functional annotation and pathway analysis revealed differentially expressed genes were mainly concentrated in protein activation cascade, extracellular matrix construction, decomposition, etc In the biological process, it is mainly involved in signalling pathways such as PPAR, PI3K‐Akt and ECM receptor interaction. Prognostic analysis showed the expression levels of four genes were significantly correlated with the overall survival time of patients with pancreatic cancer, namely SCG5, CRYBA2, CPE and CHGB. qPCR experiments showed the expression of these four genes was decreased in both the primary pancreatic cancer group and the metastatic pancreatic cancer group, and the latter was more significantly reduced. Pancreatic cancer metastasis is closely related to the activation of PPAR pathway, PI3K‐Akt pathway and ECM receptor interaction. SCG5, CRYBA2, CPE and CHGB genes are associated with the prognosis of pancreatic cancer, and their low expression suggests a poor prognosis.
Farnesoid X receptor activation induces antitumour activity in colorectal cancer by suppressing JAK2/STAT3 signalling via transactivation of SOCS3 gene
Authors: Li Shan , Xu Zhengshui , Guo Jing , Zheng Jianbao , Sun Xuejun , Yu Junhui
Published: November 2020

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR, encoded by NR1H4), a bile acid‐activated nuclear receptor, is widely implicated in human tumorigenesis. The FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA) has preliminarily displayed tumour suppressor potential. However, the anticancer effects of this agent on colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. In this study, the treatment of colon cancer cells with OCA inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in vitro, retarded tumour growth in vivo and prevented the G0/G1 to S phase transition. Moreover, the expression of active caspase‐3, p21 and E‐cadherin was up‐regulated and the expression of cyclin D1, c‐Myc, vimentin, N‐cadherin and MMP9 was down‐regulated in OCA‐treated colon cancer cells. Mechanistic studies indicated that OCA treatment suppressed the activity of JAK2/STAT3 pathway by up‐regulating SOCS3 expression. Colivelin, an agonist of JAK2/STAT3 pathway, antagonized the tumour‐suppressive effect of OCA on colon cancer cells. Dual‐luciferase reporter and quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation (qChIP) assays further confirmed that OCA promoted SOCS3 transcription by enhancing the binding of FXR to the FXRE/IR9 of the SOCS3 promoter. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that targeting FXR and improving its function might be a promising strategy for CRC treatment.
Opposing population trends of fork‐tailed swallows and reddish‐coloured swallows in our changing world
Authors: Hasegawa Masaru , Arai Emi
Published: November 2020

Sexual selection can in theory lead to positive and negative effect on population‐level fitness and hence population increase/decline in our changing world, but the empirical evidence is scarce. Using a phylogenetic comparative approach, we examined whether and how different sexually selected ornaments affect recent population trends and extinction risk in swallows (Aves: Hirundininae). We found that population trends decreased with increasing depth of male tails, that is a well‐known sexually selected trait, and increased with increasing score of reddish plumage coloration, another sexually selected ornament. Similar contrasting patterns were observed for extinction risk. These findings indicate ornament‐specific population trends and extinction risk, perhaps due to the differential costs and benefits of ornamentation. Previous studies have mostly focused on the overall effects of sexual selection by combining different kinds of traits, presumed to be sexually selected. However, as predicted by theory, sexual selection would not be a process with the same universal effect on population dynamics as we found here. Divergent ecological consequences would occur through minor differences in sexual selection, which should not be dismissed in future studies.
Shared decision‐making and the nuances of clinical work: Concepts, barriers and opportunities for a dynamic model
Authors: Moleman Marjolein , Regeer Barbara J. , Schuitmaker‐Warnaar Tjerk Jan
Published: November 2020

Background

Shared decision‐making (SDM) is considered the “final stage” that completes the implementation of evidence‐based medicine. Yet, it is also considered the most neglected stage. SDM shifts the epistemological authority of medical knowledge to one that deliberately includes patients' values and preferences. Although this redefines the work of the clinical encounter, it remains unclear what a shared decision is and how it is practiced.

Aim

The aim of this paper is to describe how healthcare professionals manoeuvre the nuances of decision‐making that shape SDM. We identify barriers to SDM and collect strategies to help healthcare professionals think beyond existing solution pathways and overcome barriers to SDM.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 68 healthcare professionals from psychiatry, internal medicine, intensive care medicine, obstetrics and orthopaedics and 15 patients.

Results

This study found that healthcare professionals conceptualize SDM in different ways, which indicates a lack of consensus about its meaning. We identified five barriers that limit manoeuvring space for SDM and contest the feasibility of a uniform, normative SDM model. Three identified barriers: (a) “not all patients want new role,” (b) “not all patients can adopt new role,” and (c) “attitude,” were linked to strategies focused on the knowledge, skills and attitudes of individual healthcare professionals. However, systemic barriers: (d) “prioritization of medical issues” and (e) “lack of time” render such individual‐focused strategies insufficient.

Conclusion

There is a need for a more nuanced understanding of SDM as a “graded” framework that allows for flexibility in decision‐making styles to accommodate patient's unique preferences and needs and to expand the manoeuvring space for decision‐making. The strategies in this study show how our understanding of SDM as a process of multi‐dyadic interactions that spatially exceed the consulting room offers new avenues to make SDM workable in contemporary medicine.
Case study development of a challenge test against Edwardsiella ictaluri in Mekong striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus), for use in breeding: Estimates of the genetic correlation between susceptibilities in replicated tanks
Authors: Pham Khoi Dinh , Nguyen Sang Van , Ødegård Jørgen , Gjøen Hans Magnus , Klemetsdal Gunnar
Published: November 2020

Bacillary necrosis is a problematic disease in farming of Mekong striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). The pathogenic bacterium is Edwardsiella ictaluri, causing numerous white spots in swelled liver, kidney and spleen. An alternative to antibiotic treatment and vaccine is to select for improved genetic resistance to the disease that requires to establish a proper challenge test. Here, four challenge tests of Mekong striped catfish against E. ictaluri are reported proposing 3 days of acclimatization of test fish prior to the challenge, with restricted water level in the test, keeping a temperature of 26°C. In the challenge, cohabitant shedders should be released directly into the test tank and make up around ⅓ of the fish, and bacteria should be added directly to water. The last two experiments, with the highest mortality, suggest that any factor involving the dead cohabitants should be removed and that additional experimentation should focus on bacteria (density) and timing for addition of bacteria to water. Genetic analyses revealed that resistance to bacillary necrosis tested in replicated tanks in the same experiment can be considered the same genetic trait.
COMMENTSComment on: Sex Differences in Cognitive Health Among Older Adults in India
Authors: Xu Liang , Yin Xifan
Published: November 2020

See the Reply by Angrisani et al.
Experience and management of stigma among persons living with HIV in Bali, Indonesia: A descriptive study
Authors: Raya Nyoman Agus Jagat , Nilmanat Kittikorn
Published: November 2020

Aim

This study aimed to describe the level of HIV stigma experience and the HIV stigma management strategies used by persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Bali, Indonesia.

Methods

A cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted from March to May 2019. In total, 215 respondents were recruited using purposive sampling from hospitals and HIV private clinic. The research tools consisted of the demographic characteristics form, the 28‐Item Internalized HIV Stigma Scale, and the Stigma Management Strategies Checklist. This study used descriptive statistics and non‐parametric statistics to analyze the data.

Results

Overall, the transformed mean score of HIV stigma experience was at a low level (mean = 42.88, SD ± 17.59). There was no statistically significant difference between demographic characteristics and HIV stigma (p > .05). Of the 38 stigma management strategies, prayer (70.7%) was reported as the most common, whereas forgiving one's spouse (4.1%) was the least utilized strategy of the respondents. The most often reported reason to manage stigma was to alleviate and/or avoid stress (68.8%). In addition, the most effective stigma management strategy was prayer (28.8%). Conversely, the least effective was staying alone (21.9%).

Conclusions

HIV stigma is present in Bali, Indonesia, and PLWH struggle to accept their HIV status. Furthermore, they use prayer as a stigma management strategy to get closer to God. The findings of this study could serve as evidence to inform HIV stigma reduction programs in the community. In addition, the development of faith‐based stigma management interventions is recommended.
Tanycytes: Gateway to the hungry brain
Authors: Ebling Francis J. P.
Published: November 2020

Tanycytes are glial cells in the hypothalamus that are functionally part of the blood–brain barrier. They can sense nutrients and metabolites in the circulation such as glucose, then signal to neuronal systems to influence ingestive behaviour and energy storage, and ultimately affect body weight. The complex structure of tanycytes underpins this function, and communication is dependent upon connexin‐43 gap junctions between tanycytes. This Editorial highlights studies by Recabal and coworkers (Recabal et al., 2020) in the current issue that shed some light on how this happens, and on how FGF2 might induce plasticity in hypothalamic structure through changes in tanycyte function that are dependent on connexin‐43 hemichannels.

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This Editorial Highlights the article https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.15188
Benign metastasizing leiomyoma in femur and thigh with a history of uterine leiomyoma: A case report and literature review
Authors: Aoki Kota , Yamamoto Takuro , Terauchi Ryu , Mori Taisuke , Shirai Toshiharu , Kitawaki Jo
Published: November 2020

Benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) is a rare disease that is characterized by well‐differentiated smooth muscle tumors occurring extrauterine site in women with a history of uterine leiomyoma. The lung is the most common metastatic site for BML. A 48‐year‐old woman, who had histories of laparoscopic myomectomy and transabdominal total hysterectomy, visited an orthopedics complaining of a mass in her left thigh and difficulty in walking. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed multiple mass lesions in her both thighs and left femur as well as both lungs. She was referred to our hospital for further examination. We diagnosed her tumors as BML according to histopathological analysis of tumor specimen. The left thigh tumor was resected and the treatment with gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist regressed the size of the residual tumors by approximately 30%. BML should be considered when multiple soft tissue tumors are found in women with a history of leiomyomas.
Dispersal and adaptive radiation of Bidens (Compositae) across the remote archipelagoes of Polynesia
Authors: Knope Matthew L. , Funk Vicki A. , Johnson Melissa A. , Wagner Warren L. , Datlof Erin M. , Johnson Gabriel , Crawford Daniel J. , Bonifacino J. Mauricio , Morden Clifford W. , Lorence David H. , Wood Kenneth R. , Meyer Jean‐Yves , Carlquist Sherwin
Published: November 2020

The genus Bidens (Compositae) comprises c. 230 species distributed across five continents, with the 41 Polynesian species displaying the greatest ecomorphological variation in the group. However, the genus has had a long and complicated taxonomic history, and its phylogenetic and biogeographic history are poorly understood. To resolve the evolutionary history of the Polynesian Bidens, 152 individuals representing 91 species were included in this study, including 39 of the 41 described species from Polynesia. Four chloroplast and two nuclear DNA markers were utilized to estimate phylogenetic relationships, divergence times, and biogeographic history. Bidens was found to be polyphyletic within Coreopsis, consistent with previous assessments. The Polynesian radiation was resolved as monophyletic, with the initial dispersal into the Pacific possibly from South America to either the Hawaiian or Marquesas Islands. From the Marquesas, Bidens dispersed to the Society Islands, and ultimately to the Austral Islands. The initial diversification of the crown group in the Pacific is estimated to have occurred ~1.63 mya (0.74–2.72, 95% HPD), making Polynesian Bidens among the youngest and most rapid plant diversification events documented in the Pacific. Our findings suggest that relatively rare long‐distance dispersal and founder‐event speciation, coupled with subsequent loss of dispersal potential and within‐island speciation, can explain the repeated and explosive adaptive radiation of Bidens throughout the archipelagoes of Polynesia.