bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key audit risks and audit procedures during the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of audit reports 2019-2020
Authors: Kend Michael , Nguyen Lan Anh
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore audit procedure disclosures related to key audit risks, during the prior year and the initial year of the COVID-19 outbreak, by reporting on matters published in over 3,000 Australian statutory audit reports during 2019 and 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

This study partially uses latent semantic analysis methods to apply textual and readability analyses to external audit reports in Australia. The authors measure the tone of the audit reports using the Loughran and McDonald (2011) approach.

Findings

The authors find that 3% of audit procedures undertaken during 2020 were designed to address audit risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As a percentage of total audit procedures undertaken during 2020, the authors find that smaller practitioners reported much less audit procedures related to COVID-19 audit risks than most larger audit firms. Finally, the textual analysis further found differences in the sentiment or tone of words used by different auditors in 2020, but differences in sentiment or tone were not found when 2020 was compared to the prior year 2019.

Originality/value

This study provides early evidence on whether auditors designed audit procedures to deal specifically with audit risks that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic and on the extent and nature of those audit procedures. The study will help policymakers to better understand whether Key Audit Matters provided informational value to investors during a time of global crisis.
Formalization and employee thriving at work: a moderated mediation model including work engagement and centralization
Authors: Rahaman H.M. Saidur
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Until recently, scholars have begun to examine the contextual antecedents of employees thriving at work. A recent study has shown that one aspect of organizational structure/context (i.e. formalization) can be an important antecedent of employee thriving at work. However, scholars have urged doing research examining how different aspects of organizational structure can combinedly influence employee work outcomes such as thriving at work. Given that, the present paper proposes a theoretical model to unravel the mechanisms of how two aspects of organizational structure (i.e. formalization and centralization) may operate as the antecedents of employees thriving at work. In particular, the author draws on the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR) to hypothesize that employees' work engagement mediates the relationship between their perception of formalization and thriving at work. The author further hypothesizes that the indirect relationship between formalization and employee thriving at work is moderated by employees' perception of centralization, such that the relationship is stronger in the presence of a lower level of centralization than higher.

Design/methodology/approach

The author gathered data by employing a time-lagged survey design involving 136 full-time employees from different organizations.

Findings

Results show that employee work engagement mediates the relationship between formalization and employee thriving at work. Further, the indirect relationship between formalization and employee thriving at work is stronger when the level of centralization is relatively low.

Research limitations/implications

Formalization is able to enact employees' thriving at work, particularly when organization implements relatively less centralized structure.

Originality/value

This study first introduces work engagement as a mediator in the formalization–employee thriving at work relationship and centralization as a moderator along this mediating process.
The nexus between social unrest and economic growth in Middle East and Central Asia countries
Authors: Kollias Christos , Tzeremes Panayiotis
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Conflict and civil strife adversely affect the economy since it severely disrupts the normal, daily routine of economic activity. Similarly, economic downturns can trigger discontent that has the potential to escalate into social unrest and strife. Using the recently compiled index on social unrest (RSUI) of Barrett et al. (2020), the paper sets out to examine the nexus between economic growth and social unrest in the case of 29 Middle East and Central Asia countries over the period 2000–2018.

Design/methodology/approach

To probe into the issue at hand, the paper adopts a panel causality approach. To this effect, two panel causality tests are used. The first is the heterogeneous panel causality model proposed by Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) is employed. The second panel Granger causality test is the frequency domain causality test constructed by Breitung and Candelon (2006) and extended for panel testing by Croux and Reusens (2013).

Findings

The results of the causality tests indicate a strong bidirectional nexus between civil unrest and economic growth. The findings support the contention that civil strife adversely affects economic performance and economic downturns can trigger discontent and unrest.

Research limitations/implications

Albeit consistent and robust, the results reported herein concern the specific sample of countries under scrutiny. Extending the analysis to other groups of countries will offer better insights into the nexus between civil unrest and economic performance.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present paper is the first to address the nexus between social unrest and economic growth for this group of countries using the recently compiled index on social unrest (RSUI).
The Greatness and Tragedy of Trevor Smith, Shaper of the Centre‐Left
Authors: Barnett Anthony
Published: January 2022

Trevor Smith, who died in April 2021, was an exemplary public servant: a Liberal Democrat peer, university vice‐chancellor, professor of public administration and President of the Political Studies Association. Perhaps his most important legacy was as Chair of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust from 1987 to 1999 when he ‘did much to shape the agenda of centre‐left politics’ across Britain, to quote from a grudging obituary in the Times on 29 April. His shaping influence included strategic support for the Scottish Constitutional Convention, Charter 88 and the New Statesman (which was saved from bankruptcy). Born in Hackney in 1937, Trevor left Chiswick Poly aged 16 and worked part‐time to fund his taking the A levels that got him into the London School of Economics. In 1959, he ran for Parliament at the young age of 22, but did so as a Liberal when the party was at its nadir—a loyalty that ensured he never entered the House of Commons. Instead, after a position at Hull he joined the social sciences faculty at Queen Mary and became a professor there in 1983, then a vice‐principal, before becoming Vice‐Chancellor of Ulster University from 1992 to 2000. Made a peer in 1997, he was Liberal Democrat spokesman for Northern Ireland in the House of Lords from 2000 until 2011. On 27 October 2021, a memorial meeting was held to honour him in the Reform Club. The remarks that follow are an extended version of the speech I gave at it, one of number of personal reflections on Trevor’s life and influence.
Writing on Domesticity, Thinking about Politics: Women Organising during Decolonisation in Cambodia, 1948–52
Authors: Miller Catriona
Published: January 2022

By examining the intellectual renderings of previously marginalised voices in mid‐twentieth‐century Cambodian history, this article reconstructs notions of who is a political agent and what constitutes the ‘political’ in tumultuous moments of decolonisation. In 1948, Cambodian women founded the Samāgam Khmaer Sahajīvinī (SKS), or Association of Khmer Female Comrades/Companions, and produced the first Khmer‐language magazine for women, Dassanāvaṭti Nārī (Women's Magazine). The organisation was structured around four committees representing interests in clothing, food, good manners and publishing, and organisers engaged in issues related to visions of governance, ethnic difference and modernisation. These gendered organising efforts occurred alongside political in‐fighting among male politicians in the turbulent years prior to gaining independence from the French Union in 1953. Due to their lack of electoral rights prior to 1955, women were excluded from political institutions. Yet, when the organising women founded the SKS and committed to producing a magazine from 1949 to 1952, they asserted women as political agents with important perspectives on Cambodian politics and society. Centring the efforts and writings of the SKS provides new insights into how decolonisation was not just a male‐dominated and top‐down movement but rather a multitude of organising and intellectual contributions.
Forensic soil provenancing in an urban/suburban setting: A simultaneous multivariate approach
Authors: de Caritat Patrice , Woods Brenda , Simpson Timothy , Nichols Christopher , Hoogenboom Lissy , Ilheo Adriana , Aberle Michael G. , Hoogewerff Jurian
Published: January 2022

Soil is a ubiquitous material at the Earth's surface with potential to be a useful evidence class in forensic and intelligence applications. Compositional data from a soil survey over North Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, are used to develop and test an empirical soil provenancing method. Mineralogical data from Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR) and geochemical data from X‐Ray Fluorescence (XRF; for total major oxides) and Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry (ICP‐MS; for both total and aqua regia‐soluble trace elements) are obtained from the survey's 268 topsoil samples (0–5 cm depth; 1 sample per km2). The simultaneous provenancing approach is underpinned by (i) the calculation of Spearman's correlation coefficients (rS) between an evidentiary sample and all the samples in the database for all variables generated by each analytical method; and (ii) the preparation of an interpolated raster grid of rS for each evidentiary sample and method resulting in a series of provenance rasters (“heat maps”). The simultaneous provenancing method is tested on the North Canberra soil survey with three “blind” samples representing simulated evidentiary samples. Performance metrics of precision and accuracy indicate that the FTIR (mineralogy) and XRF (geochemistry) analytical methods offer the most precise and accurate provenance predictions. Maximizing the number of analytes/analytical techniques is advantageous in soil provenancing. Despite acknowledged limitations, it is concluded that the empirical soil provenancing approach can play an important role in forensic and intelligence applications.
The actions of neonicotinoid insecticides on nicotinic acetylcholine subunits Ldα1 and Ldα8 of Leptinotarsa decemlineata and assembled receptors
Authors: Wang Zhi‐Min , Li Sha , Shi Cheng‐Cheng , Xie Lin‐Jie , Fu Kai‐Yun , Jiang Wei‐Hua
Published: January 2022

The insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is a pentameric channel protein and also a target for neonicotinoids. There are few reported studies on the molecular interactions of Leptinotarsa decemlineata nAChRs with neonicotinoids. In this study, we analyzed the response of acetylcholine and neonicotinoids (thiamethoxam [TMX], imidacloprid [IMI], and clothianidin [CLO]) on hybrid receptors constructed by nAChR α1 and α8 subunits of L. decemlineata (Ldα1 and Ldα8) co‐expressed with rat β2 subunit (rβ2) at different capped RNA (cRNA) ratios in Xenopus oocytes. In addition, we evaluated the expression changes of Ldα1 and Ldα8 after median lethal dose of TMX treatment for 72 h by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The resulting functional nAChRs Ldα1/rβ2 and Ldα1/Ldα8/rβ2 showed different pharmacological characteristics. The neonicotinoids tested showed lower agonist affinity on Ldα1/Ldα8/rβ2 compared to Ldα1/rβ2 at same ratios of subunit cRNAs. The sensitivities of neonicotinoids tested for Ldα1/rβ2 and Ldα1/Ldα8/rβ2 at cRNA ratios of 5:1, 1:1 and 5:5:1, 1:1:1, respectively, were lower than those for nAChRs at ratios of 1:5 and 1:1:5, respectively, whereas the values of maximum response (Imax) varied. For Ldα1/Ldα8/rβ2, a reduction of Lda8 cRNA resulted in increased sensitivity to IMI and decreased sensitivity to TMX. The expression of Ldα1 and Ldα8 significantly decreased in adults by 82.12% and 47.02%, respectively, while Ldα8 was significantly upregulated by 2.44 times in 4th instar larvae after exposure to TMX. We infer that Ldα1 and Ldα8 together play an important role in the sensitivity of L. decemlineata to neonicotinoids.
Topiramate decreases the salience of motivationally relevant visual cues among smokers with alcohol use disorder
Authors: Robinson Jason D. , Cui Yong , Karam‐Hage Maher , Kypriotakis George , Versace Francesco , Ait‐Daoud Tiouririne Nassima , Anthenelli Robert M. , Cinciripini Paul M.
Published: January 2022

Background

There is preliminary evidence that the anticonvulsant topiramate increases the likelihood of both smoking and alcohol abstinence among smokers with alcohol use disorder (AUD), but its therapeutic mechanism has not been determined. We used event‐related potentials (ERPs) to evaluate topiramate's effect on the salience of drug‐related, emotional, and neutral pictorial cues to identify whether one of its potential therapeutic mechanisms involves reduction of the salience of motivationally relevant cues.

Methods

Participants enrolled in a multisite clinical trial treating smokers with AUD were randomly assigned to receive placebo, low‐dose topiramate (up to 125 mg/day), or high‐dose topiramate (up to 250 mg/day), along with brief behavioral compliance enhancement treatment. A subsample (n = 101) completed ERP assessments at baseline (1 week pre‐medication) and week 5 (5 weeks on medication; 1 week pre‐quit). We assessed the salience of pleasant, unpleasant, cigarette‐related, alcohol‐related, and neutral pictorial cues using the late positive potential (LPP) ERP component and measured self‐reported substance use, reinforcement, craving, and withdrawal.

Results

Five weeks of high‐dose topiramate treatment decreased LPP amplitudes in response to both emotional (pleasant and unpleasant) and drug‐related cues (alcohol and cigarette), but not to neutral cues. However, results showed that the LPPs were not significant mediators of the relationship between topiramate dose and post‐quit measures of substance use, reinforcement, craving, or withdrawal.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that high‐dose topiramate (up to 250 mg/day) decreases the motivational salience of both drug‐related and emotional cues among smokers with AUD. However, the nonsignificant mediation analyses preclude any firm conclusions about whether this effect represents one of topiramate's therapeutic mechanisms of action.
Effect of a workplace mobile phone‐based instant messaging intervention on smoking cessation: a cluster‐randomized controlled trial
Authors: Weng Xue , Lau Oi Sze , Ng Chak Hang , Li William Ho Cheung , Lam Tai Hing , Wang Man Ping
Published: January 2022

Aims

To test the effectiveness of intractive, instant messaging chat‐based mobile phone support versus text‐based mobile phone support integrated with brief interventions on self‐reported smoking abstinence in workplaces.

Design

A two‐arm parallel cluster‐randomized controlled trial with follow‐up to 12 months.

Setting

Seventy‐five companies in Hong Kong, China.

Participants

Daily cigarette adult smokers (92.0% male, 90.9% not ready to quit within the next 30 days) from 75 companies (clusters).

Interventions

Participants were cluster‐randomized to receive text‐based support (TBS, n = 375; 38 clusters) or chat‐based support (CBS, n = 304; 37 clusters). TBS participants received automated and fix‐scheduled text messages on cessation advice and support. CBS participants received fix‐scheduled text messages and additional real‐time psychosocial and cessation support via instant messaging services (e.g. WhatsApp) by counsellors. Both groups received a 1‐hour health talk at baseline and brief telephone counselling at 1 week and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months.

Measurements

The primary outcome was self‐reported 7‐day point‐prevalence abstinence at 6 months post‐treatment initiation. Secondary outcomes included 7‐day point‐prevalence abstinence at 12 months, repeated 7‐day point‐prevalence abstinence, smoking reduction, quit attempts and intervention engagement, defined as having read text messages and/or engaged in conversation with counsellors.

Findings

By intention‐to‐treat assuming that dropouts were smoking, self‐reported abstinence was not significantly different between the CBS and TBS groups at 6 months [18.8 versus 21.6%, risk ratio (RR) = 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.61, 1.23, retention = 71.3%] and 12 months (21.4 versus 24.0%, RR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.66, 1.21, retention = 70.8%). The repeated 7‐day point‐prevalence abstinence, smoking reduction and quit attempts were similar between the groups. The participants who were engaged in the text‐ and/or chat‐based interventions had greater abstinence (adjusted RR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.87, 4.52) at 6 months compared with unengaged participants.

Conclusions

Compared with a text messaging mobile phone intervention, a chat‐based instant messaging mobile phone intervention did not improve smoking abstinence over 12 months in workplaces. Engagement in text‐based or chat‐based interventions was associated with higher quit rates compared with non‐engagement.
Parental substance use disorder and offspring not in education, employment or training: a national cohort study of young adults in Sweden
Authors: Welford Paul , Danielsson Anna‐Karin , Manhica Hélio
Published: January 2022

Aims

To test the hypothesis that exposure to parental substance use disorder is associated with an increased risk of being not in education, employment or training (NEET) in male and female offspring during young adulthood.

Design, setting and participants

A register‐based, national cohort study of 797 376 individuals born between 1984 and 1990, residing in Sweden at age 17 years. Participants were followed from age 17 years to maximum age 32 years and assessed annually for being NEET.

Measurements

The exposure variable was binary, defined as any diagnosis of substance use disorder (alcohol and/or drug use disorder) in one or both parents, measured between offspring’s birth and age 17 years. Cox regression analysis was used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) for being NEET, assessed annually as a binary variable using income and employment data.

Findings

We found that 4.4% of individuals were exposed to parental substance use disorder. When adjusted for birth year, domicile, origin, psychiatric diagnosis, household income and parental psychiatric diagnosis, HRs for being NEET were HR = 1.13 (95% CI 1.09–1.16) for males, and HR = 1.15 (95% CI 1.12–1.19) for females. When stratified by age, adjusted HRs for experiencing the first episode of NEET peaked at age 17–19 years, HR = 1.37 (95% CI 1.25–1.50) for males, and HR = 1.31 (95% CI 1.18–1.44) for females.

Conclusions

In Sweden, exposure to parental substance use disorder before age 17 years is associated with increased risk of being not in education, employment or training during early adulthood. The risks were highest at age 17–19 years for both males and females, decreasing with greater age.
Collective investment in a common pool resource: Grower associations and food safety guidelines
Authors: Adalja Aaron , Lichtenberg Erik , Page Elina T.
Published: January 2022

Common pool resources often face overexploitation, but collective action can counteract that tendency. We investigate collective investment in reputation for produce food safety, a common pool resource because of limited branding and traceability, by U.S. commodity organizations. We use a unique dataset constructed with data from U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and industry to provide novel evidence on collective investment in common pool resources. Notably, only large shocks to reputation such as foodborne disease outbreaks resulting in hospitalization increase the likelihood of food safety guideline adoption. Adoption of food safety guidelines by government‐backed organizations results in improvements in some food safety outcomes.
Effectiveness of using drones and convolutional neural networks to monitor aquatic megafauna
Authors: Woolcock Alexander B. , Cotton Sam , Cotton Alison J.
Published: January 2022

Aquatic megafauna are difficult to observe and count due to the inaccessibility and issues of detectability. Traditional transect and helicopter counts are useful for obtaining population estimates, but they often have logistical and cost limitations. The recent proliferation of drone technology offers an innovative way of surveying animal populations. However, data collected from drones are hindered by an analysis bottleneck that increases the time needed to process them. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are an emerging category of deep learning that can automate this data analysis process. Here, we compare traditional methods with drone surveys, by detecting and counting Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) and common hippopotami (Hippopotamus amphibious). We evaluate the utility of CNNs for object detection and quantification in complex environments. Drone counts were more accurate than traditional methods; identifying 21% more crocodiles. Where vegetation was open, hippo counts with a drone showed a similar pattern (identifying 43% more). When vegetation was dense the drone produced less‐accurate population estimates than traditional methods. CNN accuracy was limited (85%) due to the reduced training dataset available for the CNN. However, with an expanded data set, object detection is likely to be more accurate, making it more applicable for expedited and automated data analysis.
TFEB signaling attenuates NLRP3‐driven inflammatory responses in severe asthma
Authors: Theofani Efthymia , Semitekolou Maria , Samitas Konstantinos , Mais Annie , Galani Ioanna E. , Triantafyllia Vasiliki , Lama Joanna , Morianos Ioannis , Stavropoulos Athanasios , Jeong Se‐Jin , Andreakos Evangelos , Razani Babak , Rovina Nikoletta , Xanthou Georgina
Published: January 2022

Background

NLRP3‐driven inflammatory responses by circulating and lung‐resident monocytes are critical drivers of asthma pathogenesis. Autophagy restrains NLRP3‐induced monocyte activation in asthma models. Yet, the effects of autophagy and its master regulator, transcription factor EB (TFEB), on monocyte responses in human asthma remain unexplored. Here, we investigated whether activation of autophagy and TFEB signaling suppress inflammatory monocyte responses in asthmatic individuals.

Methods

Peripheral blood CD14+ monocytes from asthmatic patients (n = 83) and healthy controls (n = 46) were stimulated with LPS/ATP to induce NLRP3 activation with or without the autophagy inducer, rapamycin. ASC specks, caspase‐1 activation, IL‐1β and IL‐18 levels, mitochondrial function, ROS release, and mTORC1 signaling were examined. Autophagy was evaluated by LC3 puncta formation, p62/SQSTM1 degradation and TFEB activation. In a severe asthma (SA) model, we investigated the role of NLRP3 signaling using Nlrp3−/− mice and/or MCC950 administration, and the effects of TFEB activation using myeloid‐specific TFEB‐overexpressing mice or administration of the TFEB activator, trehalose.

Results

We observed increased NLRP3 inflammasome activation, concomitant with impaired autophagy in circulating monocytes that correlated with asthma severity. SA patients also exhibited mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS accumulation. Autophagy failed to inhibit NLRP3‐driven monocyte responses, due to defective TFEB activation and excessive mTORC1 signaling. NLRP3 blockade restrained inflammatory cytokine release and linked airway disease. TFEB activation restored impaired autophagy, attenuated NLRP3‐driven pulmonary inflammation, and ameliorated SA phenotype.

Conclusions

Our studies uncover a crucial role for TFEB‐mediated reprogramming of monocyte inflammatory responses, raising the prospect that this pathway can be therapeutically harnessed for the management of SA.
Personal values and academic achievement
Authors: Vecchione Michele , Schwartz Shalom S. H.
Published: January 2022

Using data from two studies, we investigate the role of basic values in predicting academic achievement. We focus on self‐direction and conformity, two‐value domains that have been neglected or understudied in earlier research on academic success. In line with the refined value theory, we split self‐direction into independence of thought and of action, and conformity into compliance with rules and formal obligations (Rules), and avoidance of upsetting others (Interpersonal). We obtained grades as measures of academic achievement in two samples of Italian high‐school students. In Study 1 (n = 234), we measured values with the PVQ‐40 and academic motivation. In Study 2 (n = 215), we measured values with the PVQ‐RR and both attendance rates and classroom conduct. Results: Both self‐direction–thought and conformity–rules correlated with higher grades. These two values related to grades through a different path. Self‐direction thought promoted grades through autonomous forms of academic motivation. Conformity rules promoted grades through better teachers’ evaluations of students’ classroom behaviour. Self‐direction–action and conformity–interpersonal were unrelated to grades. Regarding the other values, hedonism and stimulation related negatively to grades. Theoretical and practical implications of results are discussed.
Ants benefit from the Japanese raisin tree invasion and favor its invasiveness in the subtropical Atlantic Rainforest
Authors: Podgaiski Luciana Regina , Guimarães Gabriel de Carvalho , Dröse William , Pereira Almerão Mauricio
Published: January 2022

Biological invasions are among the main drivers of biodiversity losses, which can be caused by alterations in habitat structure. Animal–plant mutualistic interactions created in recipient communities may enhance alien species invasiveness. In this study, we investigate the relationships between the Japanese raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis) and ground‐foraging ant communities in the Atlantic Rainforest. Seven paired sites (n = 14) of invaded and uninvaded forests (control) were chosen. We sampled ant communities with pitfall traps in those sites during 2018 wintertime, before (June) and after H. dulcis infructescences fall on the forest floor (July). In June, leaf‐litter mass of invaded sites was higher, but ant diversity and composition were not affected. In July, leaf‐litter mass reduced, and infructescence offer triggered a higher ant diversity and distinct ant species composition in invaded sites. We additionally performed an experiment to understand the potential use of H. dulcis diaspores by ant species. We recorded 19 species exploiting H. dulcis diaspores, of which 18 consumed the fleshy peduncle in situ, and two removed diaspores for distances >1 cm. Our study indicates the invasion did not negatively affect ant communities by altering the leaf‐litter layer. On the contrary, ant communities benefited from the high‐resource availability during exposure to cold stress. Ant–H. dulcis diaspore interactions could further contribute to seed germination and propagule establishment, potentially enhancing H. dulcis invasiveness.

Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
Is it safe to perform an anastomosis for rectal cancer after prostate cancer? A multicentre study of 126 patients from the GRECCAR group
Authors: Lakkis Zaher , Doussot Alexandre , Manfredelli Simone , Vernerey Dewi , Meillat Hélène , Ouaissi Mehdi , Cotte Eddy , Faucheron Jean‐Luc , Piessen Guillaume , Tuech Jean‐Jacques , Lefevre Jérémie H. , Panis Yves , Beyer Laura , Brouquet Antoine , Dumont Frédéric , Meurisse Aurélia , Rullier Eric , Heyd Bruno ,   the French Research Group of Rectal Cancer Surgery (GRECCAR)
Published: January 2022

Aim

To determine the safety of performing an anastomosis after rectal cancer (RC) resection in patients with a previously treated prostate cancer (PC).

Methods

Patients with a previously treated PC who underwent rectal resection from 2008 to 2018 were retrospectively included. Outcomes were compared between patients who underwent rectal resection with anastomosis (restorative surgery, RS+ group) and those with a definitive stoma (RS− group). In the RS+ group, anastomotic leak (AL) rates were assessed according to the type of reconstruction.

Results

A total of 126 patients underwent rectal surgery for mid‐low RC after a previous PC treated by radiotherapy (RT) and/or radical prostatectomy. Overall, 80 patients (63%) underwent a RS and 46 patients (37%) underwent rectal surgery with a definitive stoma. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of intraoperative data, except for the type of resection with more multivisceral resection in the RS‐ group (p < 0.01). In the RS+group, a diverting stoma was performed in 74% of cases. No difference between the two groups in terms of overall morbidity was found. In the RS+group (n = 80), 17 patients (21%) experienced AL. Of these, none was observed when delayed coloanal anastomosis was performed (p = 0.16). Long‐term permanent stoma in the RS+ group was 16% (n = 13).

Conclusion

Restorative surgery after resection for RC in patients with a previous history of RT and/or radical prostatectomy for PC is safe without additional morbidity. In selected patients for restorative surgery, performing delayed coloanal anastomosis may represent a promising option.
Cytopathological characteristics of angioimmunoblastic T‐cell lymphoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration
Authors: Fei Mingjian , Ye Qiao , Yu Yawei , Shi Xianghui , Luo Fang , Yan Tingting
Published: January 2022

Objective

To analyse the cytopathological features of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in angioimmunoblastic T‐cell lymphoma (AITL) diagnostics.

Methods

Fine needle aspiration lymph node biopsy samples from 12 patients with AITL were collected at a single centre between January 2014 and December 2020. The clinical, cytological and histopathological characteristics were retrospectively analysed.

Results

Three male and six female patients with AITL who had a median onset age of 65 years (range 51‐74 years) and a mean follow‐up period of 29 months (range 12‐47 months) were included. The FNA cytological and morphological analysis of the reactive lymph node background revealed diffusely distributed non‐homogeneous mixed lymphocytes, including mature small lymphocytes, medium‐sized lymphoid cells, immune cells, and plasma cells; some mixed eosinophils, macrophages, and an occasional mixture of visible and medium‐sized lymphocytes and epithelioid cells were observed. Mitotically active lymphocytes and sporadic pigmented bodies were observed occasionally. An abnormal proliferation of follicular dendritic cells observed under the microscope is important for AITL diagnosis, and these cells are often distributed in a scattered pattern of small clusters with many nuclear morphologies. Branched capillaries are another important diagnostic clue. Two patients with AITL who achieved clinical remission after treatment experienced recurrence and were diagnosed using FNA and cell block immunohistochemistry.

Conclusions

Fine needle aspiration provides clues for the diagnosis of AITL in special clinical situations, and cell block immunohistochemistry is worthy of further exploration.
Reporting Pass–Fail Decisions to Examinees with Incomplete Data: A Commentary on Feinberg (2021)
Authors: Sinharay Sandip
Published: January 2022

Administrative problems such as computer malfunction and power outage occasionally lead to missing item scores, and hence to incomplete data, on credentialing tests such as the United States Medical Licensing examination. Feinberg compared four approaches for reporting pass–fail decisions to the examinees with incomplete data on credentialing tests. The goal of this brief paper is to demonstrate that the classical method of logistic regression  may be preferable to the approaches suggested by Feinberg in some cases including the case when the credentialing test is high‐stakes.
Persons in the Making: Perceptions of the Beginning of Life in a Zambian Community
Authors: Smørholm Sesilie
Published: January 2022

Infancy is characterized by physical and biological changes and growth, and across cultures, parents associate this period with care, protection, and nutrition. However, beyond the universal aspects of infancy, the ways in which caretakers understand babies’ needs and nature are subject to great cultural variation. In this article I explore how people in a township in Lusaka, Zambia, conceptualize and understand how babies become social persons. Particular attention is paid to how human potentials are seen to naturally grow and unfold if properly cultivated in the relationships that the child shares with others. I will also discuss how local models of natural growth contrast models of early child development offered by international parenting intervention programs that focus on how parents in poor communities can stimulate young children's cognitive development.
Transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 expression is increased in non‐lesional skin of atopic dermatitis patients
Authors: Vasas Nikolett , Pénzes Zsófia , Kistamás Kornél , Nánási Péter Pál , Molnár Szabolcs , Szegedi Andrea , Szöllősi Attila Gábor , Bíró Tamás
Published: January 2022

TRPV3 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 3) is a pro‐inflammatory ion channel mostly expressed by keratinocytes of the human skin. Previous studies have shown that the expression of TRPV3 is markedly upregulated in the lesional epidermis of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients suggesting a potential pathogenetic role of the ion channel in the disease. In the current study, we aimed at defining the molecular and functional expression of TRPV3 in non‐lesional skin of AD patients as previous studies implicated that healthy‐appearing skin in AD is markedly distinct from normal skin with respect to terminal differentiation and certain immune function abnormalities. By using multiple, complementary immunolabelling and RT‐qPCR technologies on full‐thickness and epidermal shave biopsy samples from AD patients (lesional, non‐lesional) and healthy volunteers, we provide the first evidence that the expression of TRPV3 is markedly upregulated in non‐lesional human AD epidermis, similar to lesional AD samples. Of further importance, by using the patch‐clamp method on cultured healthy and non‐lesional AD keratinocytes, we also show that this upregulation is functional as determined by the significantly augmented TRPV3‐specific ion current (induced by agonists) on cultured non‐lesional AD keratinocytes when compared to healthy ones.
Changes in fluidity of the E. coli outer membrane in response to temperature, divalent cations and polymyxin‐B show two different mechanisms of membrane fluidity adaptation
Authors: Ginez Luis David , Osorio Aurora , Vázquez‐Ramírez Ricardo , Arenas Thelma , Mendoza Luis , Camarena Laura , Poggio Sebastian
Published: January 2022

The outer membrane (OM) is an essential component of the Gram‐negative bacterial cell envelope. Restricted diffusion of integral OM proteins and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that constitute the outer leaflet of the OM support a model in which the OM is in a semi‐crystalline state. The low fluidity of the OM has been suggested to be an important property of this membrane that even contributes to cell rigidity. The LPS characteristics strongly determine the properties of the OM and the LPS layer fluidity has been measured using different techniques that require specific conditions or are technically challenging. Here, we characterize the Escherichia coli LPS fluidity by evaluating the lateral diffusion of the styryl dye FM4‐64FX in fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments. This technique allowed us to determine the effect of different conditions and genetic backgrounds on the LPS fluidity. Our results show that a fraction of the LPS can slowly diffuse and that the fluidity of the LPS layer adapts by modifying the diffusion of the LPS and the fraction of mobile LPS molecules.
Incidence, clinicopathological features and genetics of in‐situ follicular neoplasia: a comprehensive screening study in a Japanese cohort
Authors: Oishi Naoki , Segawa Takahiro , Miyake Kunio , Mochizuki Kunio , Kondo Tetsuo
Published: January 2022

Aims

In‐situ follicular neoplasia (ISFN) is a histologically recognizable neoplastic proliferation of follicular lymphoma (FL)‐like B cells confined to the germinal centres. While some ISFNs are associated with overt FL, others are incidentally identified as isolated or pure forms in individuals without evidence of overt FL. The prevalence of incidentally found isolated ISFN is approximately 3% in Europe; however, no screening study has been conducted in Asia. To investigate the incidence and clinicopathological characteristics of ISFNs in the Japanese population, we conducted histopathological screening of the lymph nodes (LNs) resected for solid tumours or inflammatory conditions.

Methods and results

We screened for ISFN in 5700 LNs from 340 individuals using immunohistochemistry for BCL2 and identified seven ISFNs, with an incidence of 2.1%. The median age of the individuals with ISFN was 67 years, none of whom developed overt FL, with a median follow‐up of 59 months. Next‐generation sequencing was performed in five ISFNs, and 10 variants in seven FL‐associated genes were identified. The identified variants included HIST1H1E (n = 2), ARID1A (n = 2), KMT2D (n = 1), CARD11 (n = 1), BCL7A (n = 1), CREBBP (n = 1) and TNFRSF14 (n = 1).

Conclusions

The incidence of isolated ISFN in the Japanese population is not significantly different from that in Europe, presumably reflecting the recent increase in FL in Japan. These incidentally found ISFNs have a low potential to transform into overt FL. Although mutations of FL‐associated genes are already present in ISFNs, further molecular studies are needed to identify driver genes leading to the transformation of ISFN to overt FL.
Are patterns of sampling effort and completeness of inventories congruent? A test using databases for five insect taxa in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Sánchez‐Fernández David , Yela José Luis , Acosta Raúl , Bonada Núria , García‐Barros Enrique , Guisande Cástor , Heine Juergen , Millán Andrés , Munguira Miguel L. , Romo Helena , Zamora‐Muñoz Carmen , Lobo Jorge M.
Published: January 2022

Evaluating data quality and inventory completeness must be a preliminary step in any biodiversity research, particularly in the case of insects and high biodiversity areas. Yet, this step is often neglected or, at best, assessed only for one insect group, and the degree of congruence of sampling effort ffor different insect groups remains unexplored.

We assess the congruence in the spatial distribution of sampling effort for five insect groups (butterflies, caddisflies, dung beetles, moths, and aquatic beetles) in the Iberian Peninsula. We identify well‐surveyed areas for each taxonomic group and examine the degree to which the patterns of sampling effort can be explained by a set of variables related to environmental conditions and accessibility.

Irrespective of the general lack of reliable inventories, we found a general but low congruence in the completeness patterns of the different taxa. This suggests that there is not a common geographical pattern in survey effort and that idiosyncratic and contingent factors (mainly the proximity to the workplaces of entomologists) are differentially affecting each group.

After many decades of taxonomic and faunistic work, distributional databases of Iberian insects are still in a very preliminary stage, thus limiting our capacity to obtain reliable answers to basic and applied questions.

We recommend carrying out long‐term, standardised and well‐designed entomological surveys able to generate a reliable image of the distribution of different insect groups. This will allow us to estimate accurately insect trends and better understand the full extent of global biodiversity loss.
Appetite for risk in the C‐19 policy environment
Authors: McDonald Tracey T. A.
Published: January 2022

Aim

Leadership deficits and poor communication about COVID‐19 (C‐19) science connect risk‐shifting and vaccination hesitancy to safety issues for nurses and the general public.

Background

Nurses can be trusted, especially in these chaotic times, to provide trustworthy information on C‐19. Publicly expressed gratitude to nurses does little to improve work environments made more precarious by C‐19. Practical support may help retain nurses in the health system.

Discussion

Public trust in governments has dissipated during the pandemic. People are confused by inconsistent and contentious information and services. Publishing practices that produce low‐quality publications undermine scientific information and impede the flow of high‐quality research information.

Conclusion

Science can advise on a pathway through the risks of C‐19 but it is politicians and government officials who decide policy on whether to accept the science and set the level of acceptable risk to the general public. Problematic publishing and communication pathways for essential information contribute to public uncertainty and undermine trust in vaccines, public health strategies, and immigration and quarantine policies.

Implications

Nurse safety needs to be central to policy deliberations that affect transmission or spending on infection risk reduction. Policies that put nurses at increased risk encourage those with a choice, to abandon unsafe health system employment.

Research quality systems that improve research communication pathways to support practice are urgently needed. Nurses rely on research information sources for credible evidence to support their clinical practice.

Risk‐shifting is the unintended consequence of government policy on vaccination, immigration, international travel, quarantine and screening for C‐19. Governments must accept their role in generating public mistrust of vaccines and not judge people's decisions made on the basis of information available. Political manipulation of C‐19 data needs to be exposed to enable recovery planning.
Homologous PB1 gene promotes the replication efficiency of avian influenza H7N4 candidate vaccine virus
Authors: Liu Liqi , Li Zi , Zhou Jianfang , Liu Jia , Li Xiyan , Huang Weijuan , Xiao Ning , Wang Dayan
Published: January 2022

Background

The first and only case of human infection with the avian influenza A (H7N4) virus in China emerged in 2018. The H7N4 virus was distinct from previous H7N9 viruses and raised public concerns. Therefore, developing a suitable H7N4 candidate vaccine virus (CVV) remains crucial for potential pandemic preparedness.

Methods

We constructed a reassortant virus with a (6 + 2) genome composition, then introduced the polymerase basic protein 1 (PB1) from a wild‐type virus to develop a (5 + 3) reassortant virus through reverse genetics. We performed whole‐genome sequencing to confirm the genome stability, assessed the growth ability in MDCK cells, and analyzed virus antigenicity using hemagglutination inhibition assays. Subsequently, the effect of homologous PB1 on polymerase activity, viral protein yield, and pathogenicity was assessed.

Results

The (5 + 3) virus harbouring the homologous PB1 gene exhibited significantly improved growth characteristics, higher viral protein yield, and polymerase activity than the (6 + 2) virus. After successive passage in embryonated eggs, glutamic acid (E) substituted glycine(G) at position 218 (H3 numbering) in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of both (5 + 3) and (6 + 2) viruses. The substitution improved the growth of the (6 + 2) virus but exhibited no significant effect or alteration on the antigenicity of the (5 + 3) virus. Moreover, the (5 + 3) virus exhibited low pathogenicity in chickens and ferrets.

Conclusion

Homologous PB1 of the H7N4 virus improves the growth ability while sustaining low pathogenicity. Collectively, the gene composition of the (5 + 3) reassortant virus is a suitable H7N4 CVV for potential pandemic preparedness.
Impact of microcredit on income and employment of self‐help group members in Punjab: Does credit size matter?
Authors: Kapila Munish , Kalia Prateek
Published: January 2022

This study evaluates the impact of microcredit on the income and employment level of participants before and after joining self‐help groups (SHGs) and variations based on the size of microcredit. Data was solicited from 318 SHG members using multistage random sampling. The mean value of income and employment of SHG members before and after joining SHGs were compared by using t‐statistics. The logistic regression technique was used to ascertain whether the income and employment level of SHG members varies significantly with the size of microcredit. We found significant improvement in the income and employment levels of participants after joining SHGs. The results of the logistic regression model revealed that the probabilities of members earning an income of more than 3,000 Indian Rupees (INR) per month and having employment of more than 180 days were very high among large borrowers as compared to small borrowers.
Rebuilding social science research systems in Myanmar: The past informs the future
Authors: Glutting Jana Rué , Lee Zu Xian (Anders) , Galloway Charlotte
Published: January 2022

International interest in Myanmar increased exponentially from 2010 when the first quasi‐democratic election was held, signalling the beginning of transition from military to democratic rule. Major reforms were needed to facilitate Myanmar's economic and social development. However, decades of social isolation, distrust in government, and stagnation of the education system degraded Myanmar's research capabilities to a point whereby no meaningful data was available to determine areas of critical need or baseline positions to support donor‐assisted development. A decade later, research data on Myanmar has developed greatly but remains largely controlled by foreign entities. An assessment of Myanmar's research environment undertaken in 2019 utilising the Global Development Network's research assessment framework identified key actors in social science research and significant barriers to local research capacity development in the higher education sector. A critical factor to address in order to achieve meaningful change in Myanmar's higher education research systems is the relationship between central government and higher education institutions. This step is essential in progressing Myanmar's higher education autonomy and academic freedoms.