bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does people-related total quality management “work” for people? An empirical study of the Sri Lankan apparel industry
Authors: Durairatnam Sakunthala , Chong Siong Choy , Jusoh Mazuki , Dharmaratne Isuri Roche
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between people-related total quality management (PTQM) practices and employee work attitudes, as well as the impact of the specific PTQM practices on work attitudes in the context of the Sri Lankan apparel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The five PTQM practices included top management commitment, employee empowerment, training, employee involvement and teamwork. Employee work attitudes comprised of job satisfaction, affective commitment, job involvement and turnover intention. Data collected from the machine operator-level employees in the top 100 apparel exporters in Sri Lanka were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The findings suggest that the PTQM practices were significant drivers of job involvement but not of job satisfaction, affective commitment and turnover intentions. It was also found that teamwork, training and employee involvement were the most important PTQM practices towards employee work attitudes. Top management commitment drove affective commitment and job involvement, while employee empowerment was important only for job involvement.

Research limitations/implications

The research only considered the top 100 export- apparel manufacturers in Sri Lanka; hence, care has to be taken for the findings to represent the entire manufacturing industry in Sri Lanka.

Originality/value

Based on the perceptions of floor level employees, which is scarcely investigated in the PTQM domain, the paper presents an interesting and unique perspective on the relationship between the PTQM practices and employee work attitudes, challenging majority of previous research findings. Besides making theoretical contributions, the findings offer valuable insights into the management of Sri Lankan apparel companies by highlighting the PTQM practices, which need to be strengthened.
Macroclimate drives growth of hair lichens in boreal forest canopies
Authors: Phinney Nathan H. , Gauslaa Yngvar , Palmqvist Kristin , Esseen Per‐Anders
Published: November 2020

Epiphytic lichens are important biodiversity components of forest canopies world‐wide, significantly contributing to ecosystem function. The RGR, a measure of fitness, drives population dynamics and shapes lichens’ large‐scale distributions. In a climate change scenario, we need to know how external (macro‐ and microclimate, and nitrogen deposition) and internal factors (cortical pigments, chlorophyll and specimen size) affect RGR in these ecologically important canopy organisms.

We used dominant pendulous hair lichens widely distributed across the boreal biome to test the hypothesis that precipitation drives RGR of pale (Alectoria sarmentosa,Usnea dasopoga) and dark speciesBryoria fuscescensdifferently across a large‐scale gradient from continental to oceanic climates (precipitation: 450–2,600 mm) in Scandinavia (60–64°N, 5–19°E). After transplanting lichens to lower branches ofPicea abiesin nine boreal forest sites for 1 year, we used linear mixed effects models to analyse how total precipitation, rainfall, number of days with rain, temperature sum, nitrogen deposition, light, chlorophylla(an indicator of photosynthetic capacity) and size influenced their RGR.

RGR was highest in the pale species (AlectoriaandUsnea) and increased with amount and frequency of precipitation, with >3 times higher RGR in the wettest compared to the driest site. The number of days with rain was a better predictor of RGR than total precipitation or rain. By contrast, RGR of the darkBryoriaweakly increased with precipitation. RGR in all species increased with light and decreased with size. Chlorophyllaconcentration, boosted by moderate nitrogen deposition, increased RGR of all species.

In conclusion, rainfall likely drives the distribution of the pale species due to their higher RGR and abundance in wet climates but cannot explain whyBryoriadominates drier inland forests. Our results highlight that the functional links between rainfall and RGR depends on both colour of the lichens (pale vs. dark pigments) and water storage traits.

Synthesis. Our findings may explain the global, regional and local distribution patterns of hair lichens and help us to predict how environmental hazards such as climate change and forestry influence these important boreal canopy components.
Transgender medicalization and the attempt to evade psychological distress
Authors: Withers Robert
Published: November 2020

In this paper the author argues that trans‐identification and its associated medical treatment can constitute an attempt to evade experiences of psychological distress. This occurs on three levels. Firstly, the trans person themselves may seek to evade dysregulated affects associated with such experiences as attachment trauma, childhood abuse, and ego‐alien sexual feelings. Secondly, therapists may attempt to evade feelings, such as fear and hatred, evoked by engaging with these dysregulated affects. Thirdly, we, as a society, may wish to evade acknowledging the reality of such trauma, abuse and sexual distress by hypothesizing that trans‐identification is a biological issue, best treated medically. The author argues that the quality of evidence supporting the biomedical approach is extremely poor. This puts young trans people at risk of receiving potentially damaging medical treatment they may later seek to reverse or come to regret, while their underlying psychological issues remain unaddressed.
Patterning of fractures in a case of intimate partner homicide (IPH)
Authors: Steyn Maryna , Bacci Nicholas , Holland Shakeera
Published: November 2020

South Africa is a country overwhelmed by crime and violence, with very high incidences of abuse against women and children. It is not often that a case of intimate partner homicide is seen in a forensic anthropological context. Here, we report on such a case where the remains of the victim had been buried for some time. The victim was a middle‐aged female, while the suspect was a younger adult male. The deceased had suffered massive, repeated trauma during her lifetime with healed fractures and evidence of soft tissue trauma to virtually all parts of her body. A partly healed rib fracture indicates that the abuse continued until shortly before her death. She ultimately succumbed after suffering trauma to her head and face after reportedly being hit by a brick, evidence of which can be seen as perimortem fractures of the face. It is important for forensic anthropologists to identify specific patterns and report on the presence of healed fractures, as they can raise suspicion as to the possibility of chronic abuse. In this case, the evidence suggests a very long period of extreme and repeated trauma, which were apparently not reported or noticed by family members or the medical fraternity.
How Do States Renegotiate International Institutions? Japan’s Renegotiation Diplomacy Since World War II
Authors: Lipscy Phillip Y.
Published: November 2020

How do states renegotiate their status in international organizations? I evaluate two hypotheses about renegotiation strategy choice. The first hypothesis conceptualizes renegotiation strategies as intertwined with challenger state objectives: reformist states will opt for integrative strategies – principled persuasion or strategic cooptation – while revisionist states will pursue distributive strategies – power bargaining or rhetorical coercion. The second hypothesis assumes states choose renegotiation strategies instrumentally, combining integrative and distributive strategies to maximize the likelihood of a successful alteration of the status quo. I evaluate the hypotheses by examining Japan, a country that has pursued renegotiation diplomacy across many institutional contexts. The case study evidence broadly favors the instrumental hypothesis: despite reformist objectives, Japan has often used power bargaining in tandem with integrative strategies. Contrary to the first hypothesis, Japanese objectives have not been clearly intertwined with renegotiation strategy choice. I further argue that future research should examine domestic political determinants of strategy choice, which have been important in the evolution of Japanese renegotiation diplomacy.
‘Most Potent and Irresistible Moral Influence’: Public Opinion, Rhetorical Coercion, and the Hague Conferences
Authors: MacDonald Paul K.
Published: November 2020

International relations scholars debate whether the current liberal order can adapt to power shifts among the great powers. Yet historically, contestation among the great powers has often revolved around the question of whether the international system should be organized along liberal and institutional lines in the first place. In this paper, I examine great power negotiation strategies at the 1899 and 1907 Hague conferences, an often overlooked yet critical episode of liberal order‐building. As rising powers shuffled the great power ranks, many hoped that the Hague conferences would prevent arms racing, reduce the barbarity of war, and promote peaceful solutions to international crises. Champions of liberal rules and institutions used principled persuasion, appealing to shared norms and collective identities. They also engaged in rhetorical coercion, seeking at times to shame potential obstructionists. Yet the conferences revealed the profound limitations of these soft‐power based negotiation strategies. For a brief moment in 1899, circumstances allowed champions of the Hague system to persuade states to sign on to the laws of war and to embarrass states into accepting arbitration. Yet by 1907, conditions had changed and obstructionists were able to mobilize broad coalitions to block significant change. The Hague conferences highlight the importance of interstate coalitional networks in institutional adaptation.
Revolution from the Inside: Institutions, Legitimation Strategies, and Rhetorical Pathways of Institutional Change
Authors: Goddard Stacie E.
Published: November 2020

Why and under what conditions do a challenger’s legitimation strategies shape decisions for institutional reform? I argue that legitimation strategies are critical in defining how institutional defenders evaluate the costs and benefits of institutional reform, and thus in shaping their reaction to a challenger’s demands. Legitimation strategies do so through principled persuasion, where defenders come to believe that accepting a challenger’s demands will have both material and symbolic benefits, and rhetorical coercion, where defenders accept change out of fear that they will bear costs by undercutting their own legitimacy. Not all challengers effectively legitimate their demands, however. A challenger’s capacity to affect change depends on its position within institutions, which gives it the authority to effectively deploy rhetoric. I demonstrate this argument with a brief case of Japan’s challenge to the unequal treaty system in the late 19th century.
US Strategies of Institutional Adaptation in the Face of Hegemonic Decline
Authors: Viola Lora Anne
Published: November 2020

How do shifts in the global distribution of power affect the US’ preferences for institutionalized cooperation? This article explains why and when the power shift creates incentives for the US to move cooperation out of universal multilateral institutions, such as the WTO, and into exclusive multilateral institutions where it seeks to create a leading consensus among a select group of ‘like‐minded’ states. An agreement reached within the sub‐group imposes costs on those excluded from the deal. This increases the hegemon’s power bargaining leveragevis‐à‐visoutsiders who can join the new agreement as price‐takers. In this scenario, the hegemon’s institutional response to the challenge of rising powers is a strategy of divide and conquer; that is,strategic cooptationbased on inducements followed bypower bargainingbased on coercion. The double move, however, puts the hegemon in the position of challenging the institutional status quo with potentially negative consequences for the original institutional order. A case study of negotiations over a new trade in services agreement (TiSA) shows this strategy of divide and conquer at work as the US tries to first achieve a deal without emerging economies, notably China, that can later be imposed on them.
Outcome and risk factor of immune‐related adverse events and pneumonitis in patients with advanced or postoperative recurrent non‐small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Isono Taisuke , Kagiyama Naho , Takano Kenji , Hosoda Chiaki , Nishida Takashi , Kawate Eriko , Kobayashi Yoichi , Ishiguro Takashi , Takaku Youtaro , Kurashima Kazuyoshi , Yanagisawa Tsutomu , Takayanagi Noboru
Published: November 2020

Background

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with pre‐existing respiratory diseases have been excluded in clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, and it is unknown whether the same degree of response can be expected as that in patients without pre‐existing respiratory diseases and if they are associated with increased risk for various immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) and ICI pneumonitis. This study aimed to evaluate predictive factors of clinical response, prognostic factors, risk factors of irAEs, and ICI pneumonitis in NSCLC patients with or without pre‐existing respiratory diseases.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 180 NSCLC patients who received ICI monotherapy of nivolumab, pembrolizumab, or atezolizumab from 1 January 2016 to 31 March 2019.

Results

A total of 119 patients had pre‐existing respiratory diseases, including 20 with pre‐existing idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs). A total of 85 patients experienced irAEs, of which ICI pneumonitis was the most frequent adverse event, occurring in 27 patients. Of the three patients who died from irAEs, all from ICI pneumonitis, two had pulmonary emphysema and one had pre‐existing IIP. In multivariate analyses, irAEs were associated with objective response rate (ORR) and favorable OS, and IIPs were associated with increased risk for ICI pneumonitis. However, IIPs were not associated with low ORR or poor OS.

Conclusions

Pre‐existing IIPs were a risk factor for ICI pneumonitis. However, this study showed that ICI therapy can be offered to patients with pre‐existing respiratory diseases with the expectation of the same degree of response as that in patients without pre‐existing respiratory diseases.

Key points

Significant findings of the study: Pre‐existing IIPs were a risk factor for ICI pneumonitis, but objective response rate and prognosis of patients with IIPs were similar to those of other patients.

What this study adds: In patients with pre‐existing IIPs, ICI pneumonitis should be noted. However, ICI therapy can be offered to patients with pre‐existing respiratory diseases with the expectation of the same degree of response as that in patients without pre‐existing respiratory diseases
ADIPS 2020 guideline for pre‐existing diabetes and pregnancy
Authors: Rudland Victoria L. , Price Sarah A.L. , Hughes Ruth , Barrett Helen L. , Lagstrom Janet , Porter Cynthia , Britten Fiona L. , Glastras Sarah , Fulcher Ian , Wein Peter , Simmons David , McIntyre H. David , Callaway Leonie
Published: November 2020

This is the full version of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) 2020 guideline for pre‐existing diabetes and pregnancy. The guideline encompasses the management of women with pre‐existing type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes in relation to pregnancy, including preconception, antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care. The management of women with monogenic diabetes or cystic fibrosis‐related diabetes in relation to pregnancy is also discussed.
A novel technique of robotic preperitoneal approach for Morgagni hernia repair
Authors: Gergen Anna K. , Frankel John H. , Weyant Michael J. , Pratap Akshay
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Morgagni hernia (MH) is a rare, congenital diaphragmatic hernia. We developed a novel robotic‐assisted technique to repair MH which enables dissection into the preperitoneal space, facilitating closure of the diaphragmatic defect and placement of a synthetic mesh.

Materials and Surgical Technique

Between August 2017 and August 2020, 8 consecutive patients with MH were repaired by robotic‐assisted transabdominal preperitoneal (r‐TAPP) approach. A preperitoneal plane is developed at the level of the falciform ligament and extended toward the diaphragmatic defect. The pocket is dissected inferior to the defect to allow 3 to 5 cm overlap of synthetic mesh. Excision of the hernia sac followed by closure of defect is performed. A synthetic mesh is deployed in the preperitoneal space with wide overlap. This technique using the robot provides superior optics and ergonomics for dissection while isolating the mesh from underlying viscera and avoiding the need for suturing or tacking of the mesh. Data of patients who underwent r‐TAPP were reviewed. Mean operating time was 113 minutes. Mean pain visual analog scale score was 5/2 on post‐operative days 1/7. Average hospital stay was 1.8 days. One patient developed superficial cellulitis related to the abdominal drain. There were no procedure‐related complications, 30‐day readmissions, or hernia recurrences at a mean follow‐up of 10 months.

Discussion

A robotic‐assisted preperitoneal approach is a novel, safe, and anatomically justified alternative technique for MH repair that may lead to improved post‐operative outcomes.
Laparoscopic and robotic video endoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy by the lateral approach
Authors: Jindal Tarun , Meena Monika
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Video endoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (VEIL) improves on open inguinal node dissection because it offers decreased morbidity. In conventional VEIL, port placement is along the long axis of the femur, above the knee joint. In the laparoscopic approach, this placement is fraught with problems because the camera hits the knee, the surgeon must reach over the camera, and sword fighting occurs between the instruments. In the robotic approach, external collisions are likewise not uncommon because of a lack of optimal spacing between the robot's arms. Here, we describe our lateral approach technique that can be used for both laparoscopic and robotic platforms and can help solve the problems presented by conventional VEIL.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed to examine the records of all patients who had undergone VEIL at our institution for management of squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. Patients who had undergone lateral VEIL were identified. The clinical factors, surgery details, time to discharge and drain removal, postoperative complications, and nodal pathology were recorded.

Results

A total of 30 VEILs—26 laparoscopic and 4 robotic—were performed by the lateral approach. On clinical examination, none of the patients had clinically palpable nodes. The mean operative time on one side was 100 minutes (range, 80‐140 minutes). The blood loss was minimal in all cases, and there were no conversions to open procedures. The mean time to drain removal was 7 days (range, 5‐12 days). Two patients developed bilateral lymphoceles.

Conclusions

Lateral VEIL is feasible and can be used as an alternative to conventional VEIL.
Proof of pharmacology of Org 48775‐0, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, in healthy volunteers
Authors: Moerland Matthijs , Kales Andrea J. , Broekhuizen Karen , Nässander Ulla , Nelissen Rob , de Kam Marieke L. , Peeters Pierre A.M. , Burggraaf Jacobus
Published: November 2020

Aim

To investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the highly selective oral p38alpha/beta mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor Org 48,775‐0 in a first‐in‐human study.

Methods

In the single ascending dosing (SAD) study, an oral dose of Org 48,775‐0 (0.3‐600 mg) was evaluated in healthy males. In the multiple ascending dosing (MAD) study, levels of 30, 70 and 150 mg were dosed for six consecutive days, twice daily. Both studies were performed in a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over fashion and evaluated pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics (ex vivo inhibition of lipopolysaccharide [LPS]‐induced tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) release) and routine clinical and laboratory data. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of Org 48,775‐0 were compared between healthy males and postmenopausal females, and the effect of a standardized fat meal was evaluated.

Results

All adverse events observed in the SAD (16; dizziness and headache, diarrhoea and catheter‐related phlebitis) and MAD (43; mainly somnolence, dizziness, headache and nasopharyngitis) cohorts were mild, transient and completely reversible. Pharmacokinetics were linear up to single doses of 400 mg. Median Tmax ranged from 0.5 to 1.8 hours, geometric mean for T1/2 from 7.0 to 14.4 hours. Org 48,775‐0 doses equal to and greater than 30 mg significantly inhibited LPS‐induced TNFα release (42.3%; 95% CI = −65.2, −4.3) compared to placebo. In the MAD study, Org 48,775‐0 treatment inhibited LPS‐induced TNFα release during the entire steady‐state period. Levels of inhibition amounted 30‐75% for 30 mg, 53‐80% for 70 mg and 77‐92% for 150 mg Org 48,775‐0.

Conclusion

Org 48,775‐0 has the capacity to significantly inhibit MAP kinase activity in humans without safety concerns.
Evaluation of a community‐based early childhood caries (ECC) intervention in Cambodia
Authors: Turton Bathsheba , Durward Callum , Crombie Felicity , Sokal‐Gutierrez Karen , Soeurn Sopharith , Manton David J.
Published: November 2020

Objective

To critically evaluate an early childhood caries (ECC) intervention performed by non‐dental primary healthcare providers.

Methods

This mixed‐methods investigation includes data from three sources: (a) a pilot non‐randomized controlled trial to examine clinical outcomes at four health centres; (b) stakeholder focus group interviews; and (c) a survey of parents whose children were exposed to the intervention. The pilot study involved four Community Health Centres in rural Cambodia whereby mother‐child (6‐24 months of age)dyads received oral health education (OHE), toothbrushes, fluoride toothpaste and fluoride varnish on up to six occasions as part of the routine vaccination schedule. Outcomes were as follows: presence of ECC; impacts on oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL); stakeholder perceptions of intervention delivery; and parental perceptions of fluoride varnish.

Results

Participants in the intervention group had six times lower odds of developing ECC than those in the comparison group after controlling for socio‐economic status (OR 0.13). Those in the intervention group also had a large reduction OHRQoL scale scores. Key knowledge and practice gaps were identified among stakeholders. Surveyed parents had favourable views of the fluoride varnish placement by medical professionals, and four out of five stated that they would recommend fluoride varnish for other children. Primary healthcare providers, commune council representatives and community health promoters supported oral health interventions being provided in CHCs.

Conclusions

OHE and fluoride varnish interventions provided by non‐dental primary health workers were feasible and acceptable for stakeholders in a Cambodian setting. The intervention group had lower ECC experience and better OHRQoL at 2 years of age.
Identification of BAG2 and Cathepsin D as Plasma Biomarkers for Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Kang Juhee , Kim Jae Whan , Heo Hansol , Lee Jihyun , Park Kwan Yong , Yoon Jung Han , Chang Jaerak
Published: November 2020

The current diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) mostly relies on clinical rating scales related to motor dysfunction. Given that clinical symptoms of PD appear after significant neuronal cell death in the brain, it is required to identify accessible, objective, and quantifiable biomarkers for early diagnosis of PD. In this study, a total of 20 patients with idiopathic PD and 20 age‐matched patients with essential tremor according to the UK Brain Bank Criteria were consecutively enrolled to identify peripheral blood biomarkers for PD. Clinical data were obtained by clinical survey and assessment. Using albumin‐depleted and immunoglobulin G‐depleted plasma samples, we performed immunoblot analysis of seven autophagy‐related proteins and compared the levels of proteins to those of the control group. We also analyzed the correlation between the levels of candidate proteins and clinical characteristics. Finally, we validated our biomarker models using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. We found that the levels of BCL2‐associated athanogene 2 (BAG2) and cathepsin D were significantly decreased in plasma of patients with PD (P = 0.009 and P = 0.0077, respectively). The level of BAG2 in patients with PD was significantly correlated with Cross‐Culture Smell Identification Test score, which indicates olfactory dysfunction. We found that our biomarker model distinguishes PD with 87.5% diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.875, P < 0.0001). Our result suggests BAG2 and cathepsin D as candidates for early‐diagnosis plasma biomarkers for PD. We provide the possibility of plasma biomarkers related to the autophagy pathway, by which decreased levels of BAG2 and cathepsin D might lead to dysfunction of autophagy.
Effects on the Ocular Surface from Reading on Different Smartphone Screens: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Yuan Kelan , Zhu Haiping , Mou Yujie , Wu Yaying , He Jingliang , Huang Xiaodan , Jin Xiuming
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of smartphone reading on the ocular surface and to compare the various effects of different screens and light conditions on the ocular surface. One hundred nineteen volunteers were randomly divided into: light + organic light‐emitting diode (OLED), light + electronic ink (eINK), dark + OLED, and dark + eINK. Ocular surface examinations, including noninvasive break‐up time (NIBUT), noninvasive keratograph tear meniscus height (NIKTMH), ocular redness, fluorescein break‐up time (FBUT), corneal fluorescein staining, meibomian gland assessment, Schirmer I Test, and blinking frequency, were performed before and after a reading task. Symptoms were evaluated using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire (CVS‐Q). NIBUT and FBUT were decreased statistically significantly after participants read on an OLED screen for 2 hours compared with the baseline in light and dark environments, whereas no statistically significant decrease was observed on an eINK screen. NIKTMH was statistically significantly decreased after reading on an OLED screen in light and dark settings, and the eINK screen had a lesser effect on NIKTMH. An obvious increase in the ocular redness, OSDI and CVS‐Q scores was observed after reading on an OLED screen, whereas the eINK screen had a lesser effect on these indicators. Blink rate increased gradually in OLED subgroups during the reading task, whereas no statistically significant difference was observed in the eINK subgroups. Our research suggested that reading on an OLED screen can cause ocular surface disorder and obvious subjective discomfort, whereas reading on an eINK screen can minimize ocular surface disorder in both dark and light environments.
Vicariance and ecological adaptation drive genetic and morphological diversification of a widely distributed bug,Carbula crassiventris(Insecta: Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in South China
Authors: Liu Huaxi , Liang Jingyu , Zhou Jiayue , Wang Shujing , Bu Wenjun
Published: November 2020

1. Vicariance and ecological adaptation are two evolutionary mechanisms that can generate biodiversity. Evidence from recent studies has shown that the patterns of genetic variation of species distributed in South China are influenced by the Taiwan Strait and/or the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP).

2. This study sequenced three mitochondrial and one nuclear genes from 174 individualsCarbula crassiventrisand conducted phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses, asymmetric gene flow estimation, intraspecific divergence time and historical demographic reconstruction, morphological comparison, ecological niche modelling (ENM), and isolation‐by‐distance (IBD) and isolation‐by‐environment (IBE) modelling to test if vicariance and ecological adaptation jointly affected biogeographic patterns in South China.

3. According to the results of phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses,C. crassiventriswas divided into three populations (Mainland, Xizang, and Taiwan). Asymmetric gene flows were detected from the Mainland to Xizang populations and from the Mainland to Taiwan populations. Morphological comparison showed that the individuals from the three defined populations have significant differences in four variables. The ENM results suggested that suitable habitat has expanded from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present. Partial Mantel tests indicated that individuals in the Mainland population were not dispersal‐limited, regardless of geographic or environmental distance, but that a significant IBE relationship was present in the Mainland–Xizang lineage. When including the Taiwan population in the dataset, significant IBD and IBE relationships were detected.

4. This study revealed that both vicariance, with the Taiwan Strait as a geographical barrier, and ecological adaptation, in both the QTP and Taiwan, jointly influence population divergence ofC. crassiventris.
Species–habitat networks elucidate landscape effects on habitat specialisation of natural enemies and pollinators
Authors: Lami Francesco , Bartomeus Ignasi , Nardi Davide , Beduschi Tatiane , Boscutti Francesco , Pantini Paolo , Santoiemma Giacomo , Scherber Christoph , Tscharntke Teja , Marini Lorenzo
Published: November 2020

Measuring habitat specialisation is pivotal for predicting species extinctions and for understanding consequences on ecosystem functioning. Here, we sampled pollinator and natural enemy communities in all major habitat types occurring across multiple agricultural landscapes and used species–habitat networks to determine how habitat specialisation changed along gradients in landscape composition and configuration. Although it is well known that landscape simplification often causes the replacement of specialists with generalists, our study provided evidence for intraspecific variation in habitat specialisation, highlighting how a large number of arthropod species adapted their way of selecting habitat resources depending on the landscape structure. Groups with higher diet specialisation and limited foraging flexibility appeared to have a reduced ability to respond to landscape changes, indicating that some arthropod taxa are better able than others to adapt to an increasingly broad set of resources and persist in highly impacted landscapes.
Comparison of HPV detection rate in formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissues of head and neck carcinoma using two DNA extraction kits and three amplification methods
Authors: Božić Ljiljana , Jovanović Tanja , Šmitran Aleksandra , Janković Marko , Knežević Aleksandra
Published: November 2020

The potential problems of DNA extraction from formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissue samples and amplification efficiency of Human papilloma virus (HPV) may occur in the molecular studies of head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of this study was to compare HPV detection rate in FFPE tissues of oral, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers using two silica‐based extraction kits and three amplification methods. A total of 50 FFPE specimens from HNSCC tissues were analyzed. The quality and quantity of the extracted DNA were tested by spectrophotometry. HPV DNA was detected using a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a nested PCR, and a Real‐time PCR kit. Statistically significantly higher DNA quality and quantity was observed using the QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue Kit than when using the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. There was not HPV amplification in any of the 50 FFPE samples using the single PCR and Real‐time PCR kits, whereas HPV DNA was detected in 22% of samples using nested PCR. Comparing results of the three different methods showed that HPV DNA was detected only with nested PCR. The results presented imply that nested PCR is the most appropriate method for the detection of HPV DNA in FFPE samples, along with adequate DNA extraction methods.
Of democratic governance and revenue: Participatory institutions and tax generation in Brazil
Authors: Touchton Michael , Wampler Brian , Peixoto Tiago
Published: November 2020

Governments around the world often struggle to collect tax revenues, thus undermining their ability to build functioning states, deliver basic public goods, and improve human development. This problem is especially acute in the Global South. Within the broader context of representative democracy, many local governments increasingly adopt participatory institutions in the hope that they will improve government responsiveness, service delivery, and their electoral opportunities. We address gaps in knowledge on participatory institutions and tax collection by asking two critical questions: to what extent (if any) do these reforms improve local governance? And how would we know? We draw from an original database on Brazilian Municipalities that includes fiscal, political, and state capacity variables. We find that municipal governments that adopt participatory institutions generate higher tax revenues than comparable governments without these institutions. This article thus provides a novel, thorough assessment of how new participatory institutions affect governance and revenue‐generation.
Writing with rocks
Authors: Valtonen Anu , Pullen Alison
Published: November 2020

Rocks. Geological forces across time and space. Non‐human beings.Humans. Affect material encounters with rocks.Connecting. Being. Writing… From the Artic to Eastern Finland. From Sydney to Kangaroo Island, Australia. From the north to the south, and back again.Corporeal, affective. These rocks live with and through us. Touching rocks—rocks touch us. Bodies—rocks, co‐constituted in life.Disrupting. Non‐violent. Ethico‐political acts of writing. Writing rocks.Humans become geologic forces. Care. Response‐able.
The “living dead” within “death‐worlds”: Gender crisis and covid‐19 in India
Authors: Chakraborty Debadrita
Published: November 2020

The onset of the covid‐19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown have not only impacted the political, structural, and economic systems in India but have also engendered the growing rift between the poor and the rich, the upper and the lower classes, and the rural and the urban sections of the population. Within the nation's marginalized category, it is women who have suffered most forms of oppression. Having held a subordinate position to their male counterparts within the gender hierarchy, Indian women since the colonial times have had to bear systemic oppression at the hands of the state, caste, class, gender, and religious hegemons. During the pandemic, for women such forms of subordination were followed by socioeconomic uncertainties resulting from the economic shutdown, loss of jobs, and labor oppressions. Gender disparities resulting from class, caste and minority marginalization during the pandemic crisis have further widened the socio‐cultural, economic, and political inequalities within the country. Taking cue from the gender crisis in India catalyzed by the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, in this study, I aim to explore India's “unequal” transition to the post covid‐19 world order, studying gender inequality, violence and injustices from biopolitical and necropolitical lens. The framework of biopolitics and necropolitics, formulated by Foucault and Mbembe respectively have made significant contributions (following the pandemic outbreak) toward understanding how the state and social mechanisms of power that ideally should administer and foster life, guaranteeing health. and productivity of populations is currently pushing them into precarious living situations and conferring upon them the status of “living‐dead”.
Dispersal constraints on the potential distribution of cold‐adapted stag beetles (genus Platycerus) in Japan and the implications of climate change
Authors: Zhang Sheng‐Nan , Kubota Kôhei
Published: November 2020

The effects of climate change on species distribution are typically inferred based on species distribution models (SDMs) that do not account for the dispersal ability of species.

Here we investigated the utility of dispersal ability measures in predicting the distribution of 10 Platycerus species in Japan, which are cold‐adapted stag beetles sharing ecological and morphological features.

We generated three SDMs based on environmental variables without dispersal constraint and incorporating two alternative dispersal constraint scenarios. We compared these three models with respect to SDM performance and the predicted degree of range overlap between neighbouring species. Using the best models among three SDMs, we predicted range shifts under climate change. Additionally, we characterised environmental differences among species distributional areas.

Our results revealed that models incorporating dispersal constraints had better predictive performance. Platycerus delicatulus occupied a largest suitable habitat and P. sue had a narrow range in Japan. Most of Platycerus taxa in 2070 were predicted to lose large portions of present suitable areas. Moreover, environment was confirmed to affect the distribution of the targeted species.

Incorporating dispersal ability to better understand the effects of climate change on the species ranges is a crucial step towards developing policies for insect management and conservation of vulnerable species.
Adiposity, psychomotor and behaviour outcomes of children born after maternal bariatric surgery
Authors: Van De Maele Karolien , Bogaerts Annick , De Schepper Jean , Provyn Steven , Ceulemans Dries , Guelinckx Isabelle , Gies Inge , Devlieger Roland
Published: November 2020

Background

Bariatric surgery before pregnancy can result in improved maternal fertility. However, long‐term data on the consequences at childhood age are currently lacking.

Methods

EFFECTOR is a prospective cohort study of children (aged 4 to 11 years) born to mothers who underwent bariatric surgery (BS) before pregnancy (n = 36), controls with overweight/obesity (OW/OB) matched on pre‐pregnancy BMI (n = 36) and normal weight controls (NL) (n = 35). We performed prospective collection of anthropometric data, data on psychomotor development, school functioning and behaviour (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL)).

Results

The children born after bariatric surgery (BS) presented with the highest body‐weight SDS (0.70 vs 0.14 in OW/OB and −0.09 in NL; P = .006) and BMI SDS (0.47 vs −0.02 in OW/OB and −0.42 in NL; P = .01). A higher excess in body fat percentage and waist circumference SDS were found in the BS group (5.7 vs 1.4 in OW/OB and −0.1 in NL; P < .001 and 0.61 vs 0.16 in OW/OB and −0.15 in NL; P = .04). The SDQ questionnaires revealed a higher amount of overall problems in the BS offspring (11.1 vs 7.5 in OW/OB and 8.1 in NL; P = .03), with a higher externalizing score at the CBCL (52.0 vs 44.2 in OW/OB and 47.0 in NL; P = .03).

Conclusion

Maternal bariatric surgery does not appear to protect the offspring for childhood overweight and obesity. Parents reported more behaviour problems in these children, especially externally of nature.
Age‐related changes in blood pressure and heart rates of patients with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Shindo Kazumasa , Morishima Yuto , Suwa Yumi , Fukao Toko , Kurita Takafumi , Satake Akane , Tsuchiya Mai , Ichinose Yuta , Hata Takanori , Koh Kishin , Nagasaka Takamura , Takiyama Yoshihisa
Published: November 2020

This study evaluated yearly changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rates (HR) for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Data were collected for the last 10 years from medical records of 28 PD patients and 30 non‐PD patients with other neurological disorders. Age‐related changes in each group were analyzed by year using mean values of SBP, DBP, and HR obtained at their bi‐monthly visits. In results, PD patients had a gradual decrease in SBP with longer disease duration, and mean SBP significantly decreased from Year 7–11 compared to the mean values for Year 1 (p < .001 or p < .01). In non‐PD patients, mean SBP significantly increased from Year 4–11 compared to the mean values for Year 1 (p < .001 or p < .01). This is the first study to report age‐related changes of BP in individual patients with PD over 10 years.
Chromosomal mosaicism detected by karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis in prenatal diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhong Mei , Zheng Dezhong
Published: November 2020

To investigate the incidence and clinical significance of chromosomal mosaicism (CM) in prenatal diagnosis by G‐banding karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). This is a single‐centre retrospective study of invasive prenatal diagnosis for CM. From 5758 karyotyping results and 6066 CMA results, 104 foetal cases with CM were selected and analysed further. In total, 50% (52/104) of foetal cases with CM were affected by ultrasound‐detectable phenotypes. Regardless of whether they were singleton or twin pregnancies, isolated structural defects in one system (51.35%, 19/37 in singletons; 86.67%, 13/15 in twins) and a single soft marker (18.92%, 7/37 in singletons; 13.33%, 2/15 in twins) were the most common ultrasound anomalies. Mosaic autosomal trisomy (19.23%, 20/104) was the most frequent type, and its rate was higher in phenotypic foetuses (28.85%, 15/52) than in non‐phenotypic foetuses (9.62%, 5/52). There was no difference in mosaic fractions between phenotypic and non‐phenotypic foetuses based on specimen sources or overall classification. Discordant mosaic results were observed in 16 cases (15.38%, 16/104) from different specimens or different testing methods. Genetic counselling and clinical management regarding CM in prenatal diagnosis remain challenging due to the variable phenotypes and unclear significance. Greater caution should be used in prenatal counselling, and more comprehensive assays involving serial ultrasound examinations, different specimens or testing methods verifications and follow‐up should be applied.
Does the use of microfluidic sperm sorting for the sperm selection improve in vitro fertilization success rates in male factor infertility?
Authors: Ozcan Pinar , Takmaz Taha , Yazici Melis Gökce Kocer , Alagoz Oya Akcin , Yesiladali Mert , Sevket Osman , Ficicioglu Cem
Published: November 2020

Aim

To evaluate the clinical outcome of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles in couple with male infertility, where the spermatozoa were selected using either a conventional gradient‐density centrifugation technique or microfluidic sperm sorting.

Methods

A total of 181 patients who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) because of male factor infertility at the IVF center of Bezmialem and Yeditepe University Hospital were included in this study. All patients were divided into two groups according to the sperm selection method: group I (n = 91): microfluidic sperm‐sorting chip; group II (n = 90): density‐gradient centrifugation. Data collected included male and female age, type of infertility, duration of infertility, previous IVF attempts, smoking, antral follicle count, total dosage of gonadotropins, maximum estradiol levels, duration of stimulations, endometrial thickness on human chorionic gonadotropin day, total number of oocytes retrieved, number of mature oocytes retrieved, number of pronuclear (PN), sperm parameters, clinical PR and ongoing PR.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in clinical PR and ongoing PR between groups (49.5% vs 40%, P = 0.2; 44% vs 36.7%, P = 0.3; respectively). The improvement in pregnancy rate was more prominent in patients where the female partner's age is higher than 35 (P = 0.09) and men have a total motile sperm count between 1 and 5 million (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Microfluidic devices, “labs‐on‐a‐chip,” are a disposable, easy to use, and inexpensive method for sperm sorting. Our results show that IVF success rates might improve with the use of a microfluidic sperm‐sorting chip for sperm selection in male infertility.
What is the role of high‐resolution oesophageal manometry in paediatrics?
Authors: Omari Taher I , Krishnan Usha
Published: November 2020

Abnormal oesophageal motility may impair oesophageal bolus transport leading to symptoms of chest pain and regurgitation. Oesophageal pathophysiology may include neuromuscular and/or structural defects leading to weak, incoordinate or absent peristalsis and impaired oesophago‐gastric junction relaxation. Understanding these mechanisms is important to determine the appropriate course of therapy. Whilst, barium oesophagram is the mainstay for clinical investigation of oesophageal motility, high‐resolution manometry is now more widely available. This review describes the potential value of high‐resolution manometry in paediatric gastroenterology practise.
Food Acquisition Practices, Body Mass Index, and Dietary Outcomes by Level of Rurality
Authors: Kegler Michelle C. , Prakash Radhika , Hermstad April , Anderson Kate , Haardörfer Regine , Raskind Ilana G.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Rural residents are more likely to be obese than urban residents. Research on how people navigate their local food environments through food acquisition behaviors, such as food shopping and restaurant use, in different types of communities may help to create a deeper understanding of the multilevel determinants of obesity.

Methods

Data are from a national sample of US adults ages 18‐75. Respondents were recruited from an online survey panel in 2015 and asked about food shopping, restaurant use, diet and weight (N = 3,883). Comparisons were made by level of rurality as assessed by Rural‐Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) and self‐reported rurality of the area around their home.

Findings

Food acquisition behaviors varied minimally by RUCC‐defined level of rurality, with the exceptions of type and distance to primary food store. Rural residents drove further and were more likely to shop at small grocery stores and supercenters than were residents of semiurban or urban counties. In contrast, all of the food acquisition behaviors varied by self‐reported rurality of residential areas. Respondents living in rural areas shopped for groceries less frequently, drove further, more commonly shopped at small grocery stores and supercenters, and used restaurants less frequently. In multivariable analyses, rural, small town, and suburban areas were each significantly associated with BMI and fruit and vegetable intake, but not percent energy from fat.

Conclusion

Findings show that self‐reported rurality of residential area is associated with food acquisition behaviors and may partly explain rural‐urban differences in obesity and diet quality.
Orobanchaceae parasite–host interactions
Authors: Mutuku J. Musembi , Cui Songkui , Yoshida Satoko , Shirasu Ken
Published: November 2020

Parasitic plants in the family Orobanchaceae, such asStriga,OrobancheandPhelipanche, often cause significant damage to agricultural crops. The Orobanchaceae family comprises more than 2000 species in about 100 genera, providing an excellent system for studying the molecular basis of parasitism and its evolution. Notably, the establishment of model Orobanchaceae parasites, such asTriphysaria versicolorandPhtheirospermum japonicum, that can infect the model host Arabidopsis, has greatly facilitated transgenic analyses of genes important for parasitism. In addition, recent genomic and transcriptomic analyses of several Orobanchaceae parasites have revealed fascinating molecular insights into the evolution of parasitism and strategies for adaptation in this family. This review highlights recent progress in understanding how Orobanchaceae parasites attack their hosts and how the hosts mount a defense against the threats.