bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of Internet of things in water supply chain management: A bibliometric and content analysis
Authors: Velani Arman Firoz , Narwane Vaibhav S. , Gardas Bhaskar B.
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the role of internet of things (IoT) in water supply chain management and helps to understand its future path from the junction of computer science and resource management.

Design/methodology/approach

The current research was studied through bibliometric review and content analysis, and various contributors and linkages were found. Also, the possible directions and implications of the field were analyzed.

Findings

The paper’s key findings include the role of modern computer science in water resource management through sensor technology, big data analytics, IoT, machine learning and cloud computing. This, in turn, helps in understanding future implications of IoT resource management.

Research limitations/implications

A more extensive database can add up to more combinations of linkages and ideas about the future direction. The implications and understanding gained by the research can be used by governments and firms dealing with water management of smart cities. It can also help find ways for optimizing water resources using IoT and modern-day computer science.

Originality/value

This study is one of the very few investigations that highlighted IoT’s role in water supply management. Thus, this study helps to assess the scope and the trend of the case area.
Stochastic framework for carbon price risk estimation of real estate: a Markov switching GARCH simulation approach
Authors: Oertel Cay , Kovaleva Ekaterina , Gleißner Werner , Bienert Sven
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The risk management of transitory risk for real assets has gained large interest especially in the past 10 years among researchers as well as market participants. In addition, the recent regulatory tightening in the EU urges financial market participants to disclose sustainability-related financial risk, without providing any methodological guidance. The purpose of the study is the identification and explanation of the methodological limitations in the field of transitory risk modeling and the logic step to advance toward a stochastic approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The study reviews the literature on deterministic risk modeling of transitory risk exposure for real estate highlighting the heavy methodological limitations. Based on this, the necessity to model transitory risk stochastically is described. In order to illustrate the stochastic risk modeling of transitory risk, the empirical study uses a Markov Switching Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity model to quantify the carbon price risk exposure of real assets.

Findings

The authors find academic as well as regulatory urgency to model sustainability risk stochastically from a conceptual point of view. The own empirical results show the superior goodness of fit of the multiregime Markov Switching Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity in comparison to their single regime peer. Lastly, carbon price risk simulations show the increasing exposure across time.

Practical implications

The practical implication is the motivation of the stochastic modeling of sustainability-related risk factors for real assets to improve the quality of applied risk management for institutional investment managers.

Originality/value

The present study extends the existing literature on sustainability risk for real estate essentially by connecting the transitory risk management of real estate and stochastic risk modeling.
Ambiguity-incorporated opinion formation model for multi-risk large-group emergency decision-making in social networks
Authors: Cao Jing , Xu Xuanhua , Pan Bin
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Various decision opinions comprise the foundation of emergency decision-making. However, decision-makers have difficulty establishing trust relationships within a short time because of decision-making groups being temporary. The paper aims to develop an ambiguity-incorporated opinion formation model that considers ambiguous opinions on relevant risks from a psychological perspective during the consensus reaching process.

Design/methodology/approach

Addressing the problem of forming a consensus decision-making opinion in an ambiguous environment and relevant risk opinions, different social network structures were first proposed. Subsequently, psychological factors affecting the decision-makers' perception of ambiguous opinions and tolerance for ambiguity under the multi-risk factors were considered. Accordingly, an ambiguity-incorporated opinion formation model was proposed by considering the ambiguity and relevant opinions on multi-risk factors.

Findings

A comparison between the ambiguity-incorporated opinion formation model and the F–J model illustrates the superiority of the proposed model. By applying the two types of network structures in the simulation process, the results indicate that the convergence of opinions will be affected by different decision-making network structures.

Originality/value

The research provides a novel opinion formation model incorporating psychological factors and relevant opinions in the emergency decision-making process and provides decision support for practitioners to quantify the influence of ambiguous opinions. The research allows the practitioners to be aware of the influence of different social network structures on opinion formation and avoid inaccurate opinion formation due to unreasonable grouping in emergency decision-making.
Corporate social responsibility in post COVID-19 period: critical modeling and analysis using DEMATEL method
Authors: Chatterjee Sheshadri , Chaudhuri Ranjan , Vrontis Demetris , Thrassou Alkis
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the post-COVID-19 period and to identify the cause–effect relationships amongst those CSFs.

Design/methodology/approach

The success factors impacting CSR activities are identified based on inputs from 14 experts in the CSR domain. Thereafter, authors use a statistical approach to identify CSFs with inputs from useable respondents. Finally, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was applied to understand the causal relationship between different CSFs.

Findings

Using the DEMATEL method, the authors developed an analytical model showing cause–effect aspects of the CSFs and identified seven factors which firms need to emphasize more to execute better CSR activities in the post-COVID-19 period.

Research limitations/implications

The authors asked 14 experts for their inputs, but more experts could have made identifying success factors more comprehensive. In this study, the DEMATEL method found seven CSFs that improve CSR activities in the post-COVID-19 period. Another identification process could have enriched the study. The findings of this study cannot be generalized since this study is based on the inputs of employees from India only.

Practical implications

This proposed analytical model is effective in determining the complex interactions among all impacting CSFs. Firms' CSR managers and policy makers can use the proposed model, especially in the post-COVID-19 period.

Originality/value

The proposed model provides a precise and most accurate analysis for CSFs impacting CSR activities in the post-COVID-19 period. It also provides a unique opportunity for the competent authorities at firms to understand the interaction of different impacting CSFs and takes necessary actions. No other exhaustive analytical model is available in this context.
Nano-dispersible azo pigments from lignin: a new synthetic approach and epoxy-polyamine composite coating
Authors: Patil Rahul , Jadhav Lina , Borane Nikhil , Mishra Satyendra , Patil Vikas
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Here, diazo coupling reaction was imparted on chemically inert lignin isolated from natural resources. Activated lignin was coupled with the diazotised aniline, m-nitroaniline, p-nitroaniline-, and p-anisidine gives organic pigments.

Design/methodology/approach

The continuous increase in particle size of pigments confirms addition of diazotised salt to lignin by coupling reaction. Further, the dispersing ability of these coloured pigments were exploited in polymer matrix. Epoxy-polyamine cross linking system was doped with difference percentage of pigments and coated on mild steel metal surface. The morphology of these composites was understood by SEM, particle size, differential scanning calorimeter and thermo gravimetric analysis.

Findings

The synthesised organic pigments were characterised by FT-IR, 1H NMR and UV-visible spectroscopy. It was observed that hiding power of aniline- and m-nitroaniline–based azo pigments was more than p-nitroaniline- and p-anisidine–based azo pigments. Thermal properties as well as water contact angles of coatings were improved with pigment concentration. The chemical resistivity of coating was observed to be improved with the increasing % of lignin-based azo pigment.

Originality/value

Lignin-based azo pigment has great potential to replace metal oxide pigment and provide strategy for utilisation of lingo-cellulosic biowaste material.
Management control systems and the strategic management of innovation
Authors: Biswas Sharlene Sheetal Narayan , Akroyd Chris
Published: February 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the strategic management of innovation by examining the effect that management control systems (MCS) have on innovation activities during the strategic change process.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study was carried out at an innovative company as they undertook a strategic change from closed innovation to open innovation. Simons’ levers of control was used to frame the ways in which MCS were designed and used by managers and the effect MCS have on the innovation activities of organization members.

Findings

The findings indicate that while managers designed and used MCS to support a drive toward open innovation, organization members did not change their innovation activities. Instead, the findings show that new MCS enabled improvements to their closed innovation strategy. This led to a decrease in the time taken to develop new products, which resulted in increased customer satisfaction, which contributed to the achievement of organizational goals.

Originality/value

By focusing on the relationship between MCS and innovation activities in the strategic change process, the paper sheds new light on the ability of MCS to change the innovation activities of organization members. Even though the innovation activities at our case company did not change the interactions between the MCS enabled organizational goals to be achieved as they provided the necessary information infrastructure and motivated goal congruence.
University students’ experiences of recreational class a drug taking and perspectives on personal, social and health education (PSHE) drug education
Authors: Scott Hannah May , Oliver Sandy
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Research suggests that student drug use is substantially higher than that of the general population and while the UK Government’s current Drug Strategy emphasises the importance of PSHE in preventing young people from becoming drug users, there is a lack of research investigating the longer-term effectiveness of drug prevention education, and students’ views using qualitative methods. The purpose of this paper is to gain a holistic understanding into university students’ lived experiences of recreational class A drug taking and the drug education taught in English secondary schools.

Design/methodology/approach

Five interviews with university students were undertaken and thematically analysed using an ideographic case study approach alongside a qualitative content analysis of publicly available drug education resources and policy documents.

Findings

The normalisation of drug taking at university and social micro-pressures to assimilate group norms were key contributing factors to participants’ drug use. While the content of drug education in PSHE is grounded in theory, its implementation is not.

Originality/value

This study extends upon existing theories of normalisation of drug use at university through the concept of micro-pressures to offer an explanation of the process by which students assimilate group norms through the implicit threat of not fitting in.
Supervisor support, career satisfaction, and career adaptability of healthcare sector employees
Authors: Tahiry Mohammad Aqil , Ekmekcioglu Emre Burak
Published: February 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of career adaptability (CA) in the relationship between supervisor support (SS) and career satisfaction (CS).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 193 full-time employees working in private health-care institutions in Ankara, Turkey. The participants were asked to respond to a self-reported survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships between the research variables.

Findings

The results indicated that SS has a significant and positive effect on CS. It further reveals that CA mediates the effect of SS on CS.

Research limitations/implications

As this study had a cross-sectional research design, causality could not be established between study variables.

Practical implications

CA ought to be considered by the managers and it ought to be advanced as it provides the employees fundamental instruments to deal with their career advancement efficiently.

Originality/value

The present study adds to the existing literature by providing additional evidence for the relationship among SS, CA and CS by examining a sample of health-care professionals.
Dual‐target synergistic antithrombotic mechanism of a dabigatran etexilate analogue (HY023016)
Authors: Wan Sheng , Cui Shuang , Jiang Minrui , Wu Qian , Ji Yingying , Xu Yungen , Gong Guoqing
Published: February 2022

Thrombin has long been considered a desirable antithrombotic target, but anti‐thrombin therapy without anti‐platelet therapy has never achieved the ideal effect. HY023016, derived from dabigatran etexilate, exhibited a potent antithrombotic efficacy. In the present study, mechanisms underlying this effect were explored. HY023016 strongly decreased the binding of thrombin to recombinant GPIbα N‐terminal sequence, which was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance. Flow cytometry revealed that HY023016 selectively decreased the binding of antibody to GPIbα and inhibited the washed human platelet aggregation induced by thrombin. Fluorescence experiment showed that HY023016 remarkably inhibited exosite II by a loss of affinity for the γ'‐peptide of fibrinogen. Using intravital microscopy, we observed and recorded the dynamic process of thrombus formation and found that HY023016 effectively prevented thrombus formation in rat arteriovenous shunt thrombosis model. On the basis of these findings, we propose that HY023016 provides a novel insight into the antithrombotic mechanism, which exerts synergistic anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects through thrombin and GPIbα.
Identification and expression profiles of gustatory receptor genes in Bactrocera minax larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae): Role of BminGR59f in larval growth
Authors: Zhang Guijian , Cao Shuai , Guo Tong , Wang Haoran , Qi Xuewei , Ren Xueming , Niu Changying
Published: February 2022

Insects employ various types of gustatory receptors (GRs) to identify nutrient‐rich food and avoid toxic substances. The larval gustatory system is the critical checkpoint for food acceptance or rejection. As a specialist herbivore, the larvae of Bactrocera minax feed only on unripe citrus fruits. However, how larvae use GRs to check and adapt to the secondary metabolites in unripe citrus fruits remains unknown. In this study, we first performed developmental expression profiles showing that most BminGRs genes were highly expressed in 1st and 2nd instar larvae and that tissue‐specific expression indicated high expression of most BminGRs genes in the mouthparts of 2nd instar larvae. Furthermore, we found that silencing BminGR59f by RNA interference (RNAi) affected the growth of 2nd instar B. minax larvae. Hesperidin and naringin were screened as ligands of BminGR59f via RNAi and cell calcium imaging, and the combination of these two flavones increased the body weight of larvae. In summary, we identified a novel gustatory perception pattern in B. minax for detecting hesperidin and naringin, which boosted the growth of B. minax larvae. These results shed light on how specialist herbivores detect and adapt to host metabolites in adverse environments depending on larval GRs.
Acute fulminant hepatitis associated with osimertinib administration in a lung cancer patient with chronic hepatitis B: The first mortality case report
Authors: Kang You‐Kuang , Meng Fan‐Chun
Published: February 2022

Osimertinib is the most efficient first‐line drug, with least adverse effects, for metastatic non‐small‐cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations with exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R mutations. Herein, we present a 68‐year‐old woman who had chronic hepatitis B with aggressive NSCLC and received osimertinib as cancer treatment for 4.5 months. This is the first report of mortality due to osimertinib‐related acute fulminant hepatitis. Clinicians should routinely arrange for hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening and prescribe antiviral drugs to patients with chronic HBV infection before osimertinib administration.
Sociodemographic differences in youth alcohol sipping's nomological network
Authors: Watts Ashley L. , Megahan JaiAnna F. , Conlin William E. , Doss Mark I. , Sher Kenneth J.
Published: February 2022

Background

Previous research has established that certain features of personality (e.g., impulsivity), psychopathology (e.g., impulsivity, mood disorder, thought disorder), and contextual factors (e.g., parenting, parental alcohol use) are associated with an increased likelihood of having sipped alcohol in youth, and substance involvement and problems in adolescence and adulthood. What is less clear from the existing literature is whether well‐established risk factors of substance use are consistent across sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation, income, parental education).

Methods

We used a large, community sample of 9‐ and 10‐year‐olds (N = 11,872; 53% female) to examine whether various sociodemographic characteristics moderate the associations between sipping behavior and its various well‐established correlates (e.g., impulsivity, behavioral inhibition and activation, psychopathology, parenting, and family conflict).

Results

There were small mean level differences in sipping across sociodemographic characteristics. Across sociodemographic characteristics, however, sipping was fairly uniformly associated with youth‐reported impulsivity, behavioral activation, prodromal psychosis symptoms, mood and externalizing disorder diagnoses, family environment, and parental alcohol consumption indices. Effects were sometimes slightly more pronounced among groups for which alcohol consumption is relatively nonnormative: Sipping among female youth was slightly more associated with thought disorder psychopathology than among male youth (D = 0.07), and was slightly more associated with some aspects of psychopathology and impulsivity for Black youth than White and Hispanic youth (Ds were 0.07 and 0.09).

Conclusions

Broadly, our findings suggest that the psychosocial correlates of precocious alcohol use are relatively consistent across sociodemographic factors.
Interferon epsilon and preterm birth subtypes; a new piece of the type I interferon puzzle during pregnancy?
Authors: Taylor Brandie DePaoli , Criscitiello Michael F. , Hernandez Tyne , Norwood Brooke , Noah Akaninyene I. , Bazer Fuller W.
Published: February 2022

Problem

Interferon epsilon (IFNε) is a unique type I IFN that is expressed in response to sex steroids. Studies suggest that type I IFNs regulate inflammation‐induced preterm birth (PTB), but no study has examined the role of IFNε in human pregnancy.

Method of Study

We used stored vaginal swabs between 8 and 26 weeks of gestation from the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS) biobank and measured IFNε by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 29 women with spontaneous preterm births, 34 women with medically indicated preterm births, and 134 women with term births were included. Secondary outcomes included a preterm birth with chorioamnionitis and preeclampsia with a preterm birth. Logistic regression calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusting for maternal age, race, body mass index, prior pregnancy complications, lower genital tract infections, chronic health conditions, and gestational age at blood draw.

Results and Conclusions

There was no significant association between IFNε and spontaneous preterm birth (ORadj 1.0, 0.8–1.3) or chorioamnionitis (ORadj 1.6, 0.7–3.5). A trend toward increased odds of medically indicated preterm birth (ORadj. 1.3, 1.0–1.8) was observed. This was likely due to elevated IFNε among women with preterm preeclampsia (ORadj. 2.0, 95% CI 1.3–3.2). While exploratory, our novel findings suggest that larger longitudinal studies of IFNε across human pregnancy may be warranted.
Policy Networks Across Political Systems
Authors: Metz Florence , Brandenberger Laurence
Published: February 2022

Polities shape power structures and interaction patterns between actors in policymaking processes. Although the social fabric of interactions is key to successful policymaking, it remains unclear which relational structures are typically found across political systems. By adopting a network approach, we analyse differences in power structures and interaction patterns across four policy networks in German and Swiss consensual–federal, French majoritarian–unitary, and hybrid Dutch consensual–unitary democracies. Using survey data from 149 state and non‐state actors, we fit exponential random graph models and calculate predicted probabilities to compare the four networks. Results show that the consensus democracies institutionalize neighbourhoods of networks where actors share power and collaborate with opponents. Our case of a majoritarian democracy illustrates power concentration with restricted access to competitors, limiting the need to interact and search for compromises with opponents. Findings allow future work to differentiate typical from atypical network structures, given the embeddedness into a political system.
COVID‐19 vaccination in patients receiving allergen immunotherapy (AIT) or biologicals—EAACI recommendations
Authors: Jutel Marek , Torres Maria J. , Palomares Oscar , Akdis Cezmi A. , Eiwegger Thomas , Untersmayr Eva , Barber Domingo , Zemelka‐Wiacek Magdalena , Kosowska Anna , Palmer Elizabeth , Vieths Stefan , Mahler Vera , Canonica Walter G. , Nadeau Kari , Shamji Mohamed H , Agache Ioana
Published: February 2022

Immune modulation is a key therapeutic approach for allergic diseases, asthma and autoimmunity. It can be achieved in an antigen‐specific manner via allergen immunotherapy (AIT) or in an endotype‐driven approach using biologicals that target the major pathways of the type 2 (T2) immune response: immunoglobulin (Ig)E, interleukin (IL)‐5 and IL‐4/IL‐13 or non‐type 2 response: anti‐cytokine antibodies and B‐cell depletion via anti‐CD20. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccination provides an excellent opportunity to tackle the global pandemics and is currently being applied in an accelerated rhythm worldwide. The vaccine exerts its effects through immune modulation, induces and amplifies the response against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2). Thus, as there may be a discernible interference between these treatment modalities, recommendations on how they should be applied in sequence are expected.

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) assembled an expert panel under its Research and Outreach Committee (ROC). This expert panel evaluated the evidence and have formulated recommendations on the administration of COVID‐19 vaccine in patients with allergic diseases and asthma receiving AIT or biologicals. The panel also formulated recommendations for COVID‐19 vaccine in association with biologicals targeting the type 1 or type 3 immune response. In formulating recommendations, the panel evaluated the mechanisms of COVID‐19 infection, of COVID‐19 vaccine, of AIT and of biologicals and considered the data published for other anti‐infectious vaccines administered concurrently with AIT or biologicals.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in children: A tertiary center experience
Authors: Bawazir Osama , Banaja Abdulaziz M , Bawazir Razan , Bawazir Abdullah Osama
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a common procedure in children. The outcomes of PEG could be affected by the associated disease. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes and safety of PEG tube placement in a tertiary care center with special attention to patients with cardiac disease, ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, or peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter.

Methods

This retrospective study included 113 pediatric patients who had PEG tube insertion from 2011 to 2021. Eighteen patients (15.93%) had cardiac disease, five patients (4.42%) had PD catheters, and three patients (2.65%) had VP shunt.

Results

The median age was 3 years (interquartile range: 1–6), and females represented 55% of our patients. The weight ranged from 2.57 to 60 kg, and the most common indication for insertion was neurological disease (n = 56; 49.56%). The median operative time was 30 (20–45) minutes. Pneumonia and vomiting were the most frequent complications (n = 20, 17.7%). Thirty‐day mortality occurred in four patients (3.54%) and 1‐year mortality in 10 patients (8.85%). Nine patients (7.96%) required fundoplication, and four patients (3.53%) had tube removal and reinsertion. There was no association between weight and postoperative complications (odds ratio: 0.97; P = .48). There were no differences in postoperative complications among patients with cardiac diseases, PD catheters, and VP shunts. No complications were reported in patients with VP shunt. One patient with cardiac disease and one patient with PD catheter required fundoplication. Removal and reinsertion were needed in one patient with a PD catheter.

Conclusion

PEG is feasible in low‐weight infants with a low complication rate. The complication rate is low in patients with VP shunt, PD catheter, and cardiac patients.
Night‐time gastric acid suppression by tegoprazan compared to vonoprazan or esomeprazole
Authors: Yang Eunsol , Kim Seokuee , Kim Bongtae , Kim Boram , Kim Yechan , Park Sung Sup , Song Geun Seog , Yu Kyung‐Sang , Jang In‐Jin , Lee SeungHwan
Published: February 2022

Aims

Nocturnal acid breakthrough has been considered an unmet need of proton‐pump inhibitors. Tegoprazan, a novel potassium‐competitive acid blocker, is expected to show improved properties for this unmet need. This study was aimed to compare night‐time acid suppression by tegoprazan with that by vonoprazan or esomeprazole, and to explore the effect of CYP2C19 phenotypes on acid‐suppressive effects.

Methods

A randomized, open‐label, 3‐period, 6‐sequence crossover study was conducted. A single oral dose of tegoprazan 50 mg, vonoprazan 20 mg or esomeprazole 40 mg was administered at night in each period. Continuous intragastric pH was monitored at baseline and after each dosing.

Results

Sixteen healthy subjects (6 CYP2C19 extensive metabolizers, 5 intermediate metabolizers, 5 poor metabolizers) completed the study. After a single dose of tegoprazan, intragastric pH increased more rapidly to over 4 at approximately 1 hour compared to the other treatments, and elevated intragastric pH was maintained stably at night. Tegoprazan exhibited night‐time acid suppression for slightly but not significantly longer than vonoprazan, and greater than esomeprazole; % time at pH ≥ 4 at night was 66.0%, 60.5% and 36.1% for tegoprazan, vonoprazan and esomeprazole, respectively. Night‐time acid suppression by tegoprazan and vonoprazan was not dependent on CYP2C19 phenotypes, while that by esomeprazole tended to be influenced by CYP2C19 phenotypes.

Conclusion

Tegoprazan produced more rapid, potent and well sustained night‐time acid suppression vs. vonoprazan or esomeprazole when administered at night. Furthermore, tegoprazan showed no CYP2C19 phenotype dependency in acid suppression. It suggests the potential of tegoprazan, especially in preventing nocturnal acid breakthrough.
Alpelisib to treat CLOVES syndrome, a member of the PIK3CA‐related overgrowth syndrome spectrum
Authors: Garreta Fontelles Gemma , Pardo Pastor Júlia , Grande Moreillo Carme
Published: February 2022

CLOVES syndrome is a rare congenital overgrowth disorder caused by mutations in the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) gene. It is part of the PIK3CA‐related overgrowth syndrome (PROS) spectrum and its treatment is challenging. PROS malformations have traditionally been treated by surgery, but research into pharmacological treatments capable of blocking the PIK/AKT/mTOR pathway has increased over the past decade. The results have been promising and suggest that compassionate use of these treatments in patients with PROS disorders could have clinical benefits. Another promising drug is alpelisib (BYL719), which is a selective inhibitor that competitively binds to the p110a subunit of PIK3 in the intracellular PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Compassionate use of low‐dose alpelisib had striking effects in an uncontrolled case series of 19 PROS patients, several with life‐threatening complications. Moreover, there were few adverse effects and the treatment did not impair linear growth, despite the young age of many of the patients. We present the case of a patient with CLOVES syndrome who was started on compassionate treatment with alpelisib after surgical debulking of a cystic lymphangioma and treatment with sirolimus. This promising drug significantly reduced the size of the lymphangioma and prevented progression of the tissue overgrowth in the gluteal region. This case suggests that low‐dose PI3K inhibition may provide collateral benefits that extend beyond mitigation of disease‐specific features of PROS.
Expecting the best or fearing the worst: Discrepancies between self‐rated health and frailty in an ageing Irish population
Authors: Calvey Bill , McHugh Power Joanna , Maguire Rebecca
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Ageing populations have the propensity to rate their health status more inaccurately than their younger counterparts. As a result, we (1) devised a metric which categorized older adults into groups based on the discrepancy between their self‐rated health (SRH) and Frailty Index (FI) scores, and (2) investigated which factors predict group membership.

Design

A cross‐sectional design was employed using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA).

Methods

A health asymmetry metric was derived: this categorized 6907 participants (aged 50+ years) into three groups: ‘health pessimistic’ where participants underestimated their healthiness, ‘health realistic’ where participants accurately assessed their health, and ‘health optimistic’ where participants overestimated their healthiness. A multinomial logistic regression modelled the ability of a set of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health behaviour variables in predicting membership of these categories.

Results

A significant proportion of the study population were categorized as ‘health realistic’ (~69%). The prevalence rates of health optimistic individuals increased in older age groups, and conversely, health pessimistic rates decreased in older age groups. Most notably, psychosocial factors significantly predicted being health pessimistic: such as anxiety (OR = 1.03), loneliness (OR = 1.04), and decreased social connectedness (OR = 0.87). However, less clear sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health behaviour associations were found for being health optimistic.

Conclusion

Health asymmetry is a useful method of identifying at‐risk individuals for inaccurate SRH. The ability of this metric to predict clinical mental health outcomes should be investigated.
Consumer credit usage in Canada during the coronavirus pandemic
Authors: Ho Anson T. Y. , Morin Lealand , Paarsch Harry J. , Huynh Kim P.
Published: February 2022

The recent COVID‐19 pandemic has devastated economies worldwide. Using detailed, monthly data from a major consumer credit reporting agency in Canada, we have examined individuals’ use of credit cards and home‐equity lines of credit (HELOCs). We found a dramatic leftward shift in the distribution of credit card and HELOC outstanding balances, providing evidence for a widespread reduction in credit usage. Our findings suggest that, during the COVID‐19 recession, Canadian consumers were able to meet their financial needs without increasing their debt burdens. These results complement other findings concerning a decline in consumer spending and the results of government assistance programs, and imply that the economic consequences of this pandemic are very different from those in other recessions.
Exploration of potential inhibitors for autophagy‐related protein 8 as antileishmanial agents
Authors: Rahman Fazlur , Ali Rahat , Tabrez Shams , Mobeen Ahmed , Akand Sajjadul Kadir , Arish Mohd , AlAsmari Abdullah F. , Ali Nemat , Rub Abdur
Published: February 2022

Leishmaniasis is considered a tropical neglected disease, which is caused by an intramacrophagic parasite, Leishmania. It is endemic in 89 different countries. Autophagy‐related protein 8 (Ldatg8) is responsible for the transformation of parasites from promastigote to amastigote differentiation. Ldatg8 is one of the key drug targets of Leishmania donovani (L. donovani) responsible for the defense of parasites during stress conditions. Virtual screening of natural ligand library had been performed against Ldatg8 to identify novel and potent inhibitors. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies showed that urolithin A stably blocked Ldatg8. Urolithins are combinations of coumarin and isocoumarin. Further, we evaluated the antileishmanial effects of urolithin A by antileishmanial assays. Urolithin A inhibited the growth and proliferation of L. donovani promastigotes with an IC50 value of 90.3 ± 6.014 μM. It also inhibited the intramacrophagic parasite significantly with an IC50 value of 78.67 ± 4.62 μM. It showed limited cytotoxicity to the human THP‐1 differentiated macrophages with a CC50 value of 190.80 ± 16.89 μM. Further, we assayed reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and annexin V/PI staining upon urolithin A treatment of parasites to have an insight into the mechanism of its action. It induced ROS significantly in a dose‐dependent manner, which caused apoptosis partially in parasites. The potential inhibitors for Ldatg8, identified in this study, would provide the platform for the development of an effective and affordable antileishmanial drug.
Distribution patterns of Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in the Americas: an analysis based on networks and endemicity
Authors: Ferrari Augusto , Janisch Alvares Diego , Buratto Patrícia Maria , Ribeiro Barão Kim
Published: February 2022

Triatominae, commonly known as kissing bugs, are a group of approximately 150 species of hematophagous reduviids, some of which are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of the Chagas disease. Distributional patterns of triatomines have been studied based on macroecological and historical biogeographic approaches, but the definition of distributional patterns and areas of endemism are yet to be defined based on objective criteria. We used two methods to identify biogeographic units in the Triatominae: the endemicity analysis based on an optimality criterion (NDM/VNDM software) and a network approach aimed to simplify and highlight the underlying structure in species distributions (Infomap Bioregions). Information on species distributions was obtained from a data paper, comprising 21 815 records for 135 triatomine species occurring in the Americas. The resulting areas of each method were clustered using a meta consensus criterion based on dissimilarities and interpreted as recurrent areas. The NDM areas show a nested structure, presenting greater restrictions to the inclusion of species in a given area, requiring broad sympatry. In contrast, bioregions emphasize spatial patterns with better‐delimited areas and species occurrences do not need to be highly congruent. When areas were clustered based on their species composition two clear patterns arose from both methods: (i) areas within the southern Amazon and southeast South America, especially in the Chacoan subregion, formed a cluster, and (ii) areas north of the Amazon, Pacific, Mesoamerica, Mexican transition zone and Nearctic formed another cluster. Moreover, within each of these two clusters, there was a latitudinal gradient of the areas in the Americas showing spatial similarity between the areas found in both methods. Results of both methods show well‐bound areas separating the triatomine fauna in the Brazilian subregions, resulting in the recognition of areas corresponding to the biomes Chaco, Pampa, Cerrado, and Caatinga, and, to a lesser extent, the Atlantic Forest.
Extinction risk of the endemic vascular flora of Kauai, Hawaii, based on IUCN assessments
Authors: Rønsted Nina , Walsh Seana K. , Clark Margaret , Edmonds Merlin , Flynn Tim , Heintzman Scott , Loomis Alexander , Lorence David , Nagendra Uma , Nyberg Ben , Opgenorth Michael , Weisenberger Lauren , Williams Adam , Wolkis Dustin , Wood Kenneth R. , Keir Matthew
Published: February 2022

The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List) is the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of species. Governmental agencies and conservation organizations increasingly rely on IUCN Red List assessments to develop conservation policies and priorities. Funding agencies use the assessments as evaluation criteria, and researchers use meta‐analysis of red‐list data to address fundamental and applied conservation science questions. However, the circa 143,000 IUCN assessments represent a fraction of the world's biodiversity and are biased in regional and organismal coverage. These biases may affect conservation priorities, funding, and uses of these data to understand global patterns. Isolated oceanic islands are characterized by high endemicity, but the unique biodiversity of many islands is experiencing high extinction rates. The archipelago of Hawaii has one of the highest levels of endemism of any floristic region; 90% of its 1367 native vascular plant taxa are classified as endemic. We used the IUCN's assessment of the complete single‐island endemic (SIE) vascular plant flora of Kauai, Hawaii, to assess the proportion and drivers of decline of threatened plants in an oceanic island setting. We compared the IUCN assessments with federal, state, and other local assessments of Kauai species or taxa of conservation concern. Finally, we conducted a preliminary assessment for all 1044 native vascular plants of Hawaii based on IUCN criterion B by estimating area of occupancy, extent of occurrence, and number of locations to determine whether the pattern found for the SIE vascular flora of Kauai is comparable to the native vascular flora of the Hawaiian Islands. We compared our results with patterns observed for assessments of other floras. According to IUCN, 256 SIE vascular plant taxa are threatened with extinction and 5% are already extinct. This is the highest extinction risk reported for any flora to date. The preliminary assessment of the native vascular flora of Hawaii showed that 72% (753 taxa) is threatened. The flora of Hawaii may be one of the world's most threatened; thus, increased and novel conservation measures in the state and on other remote oceanic islands are urgently needed.
Context Matters: Recovering Human Semantic Structure from Machine Learning Analysis of Large‐Scale Text Corpora
Authors: Iordan Marius Cătălin , Giallanza Tyler , Ellis Cameron T. , Beckage Nicole M. , Cohen Jonathan D.
Published: February 2022

Applying machine learning algorithms to automatically infer relationships between concepts from large‐scale collections of documents presents a unique opportunity to investigate at scale how human semantic knowledge is organized, how people use it to make fundamental judgments (“How similar are cats and bears?”), and how these judgments depend on the features that describe concepts (e.g., size, furriness). However, efforts to date have exhibited a substantial discrepancy between algorithm predictions and human empirical judgments. Here, we introduce a novel approach to generating embeddings for this purpose motivated by the idea that semantic context plays a critical role in human judgment. We leverage this idea by constraining the topic or domain from which documents used for generating embeddings are drawn (e.g., referring to the natural world vs. transportation apparatus). Specifically, we trained state‐of‐the‐art machine learning algorithms using contextually‐constrained text corpora (domain‐specific subsets of Wikipedia articles, 50+ million words each) and showed that this procedure greatly improved predictions of empirical similarity judgments and feature ratings of contextually relevant concepts. Furthermore, we describe a novel, computationally tractable method for improving predictions of contextually‐unconstrained embedding models based on dimensionality reduction of their internal representation to a small number of contextually relevant semantic features. By improving the correspondence between predictions derived automatically by machine learning methods using vast amounts of data and more limited, but direct empirical measurements of human judgments, our approach may help leverage the availability of online corpora to better understand the structure of human semantic representations and how people make judgments based on those.
Kenntnisse bayerischer Schüler zu sexuell übertragbaren Infektionen: eine Querschnittsstudie
Authors: Rummel Marcel , Clanner‐Engelshofen Benjamin M. , Nellessen Tobias , Zippel Stefan , Schuster Barbara , French Lars E. , Reinholz Markus
Published: February 2022

Hintergrund und Ziele

Trotz zahlreicher Informationsquellen und Kampagnen zu sexuell übertragbaren Infektionen (STI) haben diese Krankheiten in Deutschland in den letzten Jahren zugenommen. Ziel war es, das Bewusstsein und den Wissensstand junger Schüler in Bayern zu sexuell übertragbaren Krankheiten (STI) mit Schwerpunkt auf humane Papillomaviren (HPV) zu bewerten.

Methoden

In einer vollständig irreversibel anonymisierten Querschnittsstudie wurden insgesamt 4100 bayerische Schüler im Alter zwischen 12 und 17 Jahren anhand eines Multiple‐Choice‐Fragebogens hierzu befragt.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt wurden 3834 Fragebögen in die Datenanalyse einbezogen. Interessanterweise ist der Bekanntheitsgrad von HPV im Vergleich zu anderen STI bemerkenswert geringer. Mädchen und Jugendliche, die bereits vorbeugende Jugendgesundheitsuntersuchungen absolviert hatten, zeigten im Durchschnitt ein größeres Wissen über STI. Darüber hinaus konnten wir zeigen, dass Jugendliche mit geringerem Bildungsniveau, wie Realschüler, über die geringsten Kenntnisse verfügten.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Querschnittsstudie zeigt, dass viele junge Menschen noch unzureichend über STI informiert sind. Die Informationslücken unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit einer intensiven und langfristigen Aufklärungsarbeit.
Charakterisierung der Effekte von neuen Therapien zur Behandlung der atopischen Dermatitis auf den Pruritus
Authors: Bonnekoh Hanna , Butze Monique , Metz Martin
Published: February 2022

Chronischer Pruritus ist ein häufiges und beeinträchtigendes Symptom bei Patienten mit atopischer Dermatitis und trägt zur Beeinträchtigung der Lebensqualität bei. Eine wirksame Behandlung des Pruritus sollte daher eines der wichtigsten Behandlungsziele bei Patienten mit atopischer Dermatitis sein. Pathophysiologisch wurde gezeigt, dass Histamin‐unabhängige Pruritogene, das heißt Interleukin (IL)‐31, IL‐13 und IL‐4, bei der atopischen Dermatitis eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Alle drei Zytokine können chronischen Pruritus über Januskinase‐1/2‐Signalwege vermitteln. Neue Medikamente zielen auf diese Signalwege ab und haben in der klinischen Anwendung und in klinischen Studien der Phase II und III eine schnelle und anhaltende Reduktion des Pruritus bei Patienten mit atopischer Dermatitis gezeigt. Hier fassen wir die veröffentlichten Daten zu den Auswirkungen dieser Medikamente auf Juckreizparameter wie die Gesamtreduktion der Juckreizintensität und den Prozentsatz der Patienten mit atopischer Dermatitis, die eine relevante Reduktion des Juckreizes erreichen, zusammen. Jedes der neuen Medikamente zeigt sehr gute Effekte auf den Juckreiz. Diese Daten geben uns Hoffnung, dass wir den Pruritus unserer Patienten mit atopischer Dermatitis in Zukunft noch besser und möglicherweise gezielter behandeln können. Darüber hinaus geben uns die verschiedenen pharmakologischen Ansätze die Chance, mehr über die Pathophysiologie des Pruritus bei atopischer Dermatitis zu erfahren.
Der Einfluss der Ernährung bei entzündlichen Gesichtsdermatosen
Authors: Gürtler Anne , Schmitt Laurenz
Published: February 2022

Der Einfluss von Ernährung auf die Pathogenese und den klinischen Schweregrad entzündlicher Gesichtsdermatosen wird seit Jahren kontrovers diskutiert. Das zunehmende Gesundheitsbewusstsein in unserer Gesellschaft hat zuletzt dazu beigetragen, dass auch die Wahl der Nahrungsmittel von Patienten bewusster getroffen wird und Behandler aktiv nach diätetischen Empfehlungen gefragt werden. Viele neue Erkenntnisse zum Thema Haut und Ernährung gründen auf dem Verständnis eines diätetisch beeinflussbaren Darm‐, und Hautmikrobioms, dem sogenannten Konzept der Darm‐Haut‐Achse. So können gastrointestinale Beschwerden bei Rosazea‐Patienten auf eine Dysbiose des Darmmikrobioms hindeuten, deren Behandlung auch den Schweregrad der Hautkrankheit verbessert. Spannende Forschungen bei Aknepatienten untersuchen den klinischen Effekt von Omega‐3‐Fettsäuren und Probiotika auf das Hautbild. Im Rahmen eines Behandlungskonzepts sollten neben pharmakologischen daher auch ernährungsmedizinische Empfehlungen gemäß der aktuellen Evidenz bei Patienten mit entzündlichen Gesichtsdermatosen beachtet werden. Während es bei Akne‐ und Rosazea‐Patienten bereits konkrete ernährungsmedizinische Empfehlungen gibt, ist die Studienlage bei seborrhoischem Ekzem und perioraler Dermatitis hingegen noch limitiert. Die aktuellen Entwicklungen und Erkenntnisse geben einen ersten Einblick in den Zusammenhang von Ernährung und entzündlichen Gesichtsdermatosen. Die Vernetzung von Dermatologie und Ernährungsmedizin wird zukünftig sowohl klinisch als auch wissenschaftlich intensiviert werden.