bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Artist Works: An Imperfective Reading of Mladen Stilinović’s Artist at Work
Authors: Smith Deirdre M.
Published: October 2021

Across media, the consistent themes Mladen Stilinović (1947–2016) explored in his art were existential and political: language, economy, pain, and death. This essay focuses on the artist's related, decades‐long engagement with the notion of ‘work’, particularly a series of photographs titled Umjetnik radi (translated as ‘Artist at Work’) from 1978 that show Stilinović lying in bed. I argue that these images are often passed over too quickly, especially when they have been interpreted as gestures of resistance to capitalist production. I draw on Stilinović's projects on the subjects of work, idleness and laziness, texts from the history of European literature and philosophy on the subjects of work and non‐work, and passages from the history of East European state socialism, to perform a slower analysis of Umjetnik radi that offers work as an ontological operation, and the difference between work and non‐work as indeterminate.
Elite Studies: for a New Approach
Authors: Bukodi Erzsébet , Goldthorpe John H.
Published: October 2021

After a period of declining interest in elites among social scientists, elite studies are now reviving. But it is important to understand why the decline occurred. We examine the largely contradictory explanations put forward by John Scott and Mike Savage and their related proposals for new research. We suggest an alternative approach that, we believe, would prove more rewarding. This entails treating elites as ‘small‐N’ entities, clearly distinct from social classes. On this basis, elites can be characterised through ‘prosopographical’ methods—the construction of collective biographies of their members. More reliable accounts can thus be produced of the social composition of different elites and, in turn, questions can be addressed as to how far their skewed recruitment results from the processes through which they are formally constituted as well as from the composition of the ‘pools’ from which their recruitment primarily occurs. Further questions follow about the implications for both equality of opportunity also also for the waste of talent and loss of diversity in elite memberships and for the neglected issue of the quality and the effectiveness of elites in whatever field they exist.
Biological costs and benefits of social relationships for men and women in adulthood: The role of partner, family and friends
Authors: Rouxel Patrick , Chandola Tarani , Kumari Meena , Seeman Teresa , Benzeval Michaela
Published: October 2021

Despite numerous studies on social relationships and health, the empirical focus has often been on middle‐aged or older adults, even though young adulthood is a period of considerable change in social networks. We investigated whether the associations between social relationships and allostatic load, a multisystem physiological dysregulation index that reflects chronic stress responses, vary by type of relationship and stages of the lifecourse. Relationships with spouse/partner, immediate family and friends were assessed in terms of emotional support and social strain. Poisson regression models on multiple imputed data sets from waves 2–3 (2010–2012) of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (N = 10,380) were estimated. Social strain, particularly from partners and immediate family, appeared to elicit greater stress related dysregulation during early adulthood (age 21–34 years), corresponding to a predicted difference in the allostatic load index (range 0–12) between high and low strained relationships of 1.1 (95% CI: 0.5–1.6) among young women and 0.6 (95% CI: −0.04 to 1.2) among young men. There was little evidence of an association between allostatic load and any of the social relationships among older men and women. Models of social relationships over the lifecourse need to take account of how stressful social relationships become biologically embedded in early adulthood.
‘A Clash of Titans’: Big Business and the Congo Reform Movement
Authors: Clay Dean
Published: October 2021

The Congo Reform Association was the central focus of the Congo reform movement in Britain that sought to end Leopold II's hold on the Congo Free State. Through an examination of the personal correspondence and official publications of the Association and its members, this article examines the motivations of the business interests involved in the Association. First, it analyses the motivations of two of the key figures involved in the Association, E. D. Morel and John Holt, and emphasises that their reform activism was not informed by their apparent altruism. Second, it examines the clash between Holt and a pro‐Congo business adversary in Liverpool, Sir Alfred L. Jones, to highlight the influence of business interests in the reform movement. The question of the motivations of those who engage in humanitarian endeavours is one of many factors in the debates about the history of humanitarianism and human rights. This article attempts to answer this question using the Congo reform movement in Britain as a means through which to unpack these motivations, showing that humanitarian activism was informed by personal business interests as well as moral concerns.
Occupational Licensing and Accountant Quality: Evidence from the 150‐Hour Rule
Authors: BARRIOS JOHN M.
Published: October 2021

I examine the effects of occupational licensing on the quality of certified public accountants (CPAs). I exploit the staggered adoption of the 150‐hour rule, which increases the educational requirements for a CPA license. The analysis shows that the rule decreases the number of entrants into the profession, reducing both low‐ and high‐quality candidates. Labor market proxies for quality find no difference between 150‐hour rule CPAs and the rest. Moreover, rule CPAs exit public accounting at similar rates and have comparable writing quality to their nonrule counterparts. Overall, these findings are consistent with the theoretical argument that increases in licensing requirements restrict the supply of entrants and do little to improve quality in the labor market.
Incorporating attitudes into the evaluation of preferences regarding agri‐environmental practices
Authors: Mariel Petr , Arata Linda
Published: October 2021

Many stated preference studies have shown that individuals’ attitudes play an important role in explaining their behaviour and helping to disentangle preference heterogeneity. When responses to attitudinal questions are introduced into discrete choice models, a suitable approach that corrects for potential endogeneity must be adopted. We use a discrete choice experiment to analyse the preferences of residents regarding the use of agri‐environmental practices in the peri‐urban area of Milan (Italy). A detailed analysis of these preferences is relevant for policymakers as farmers on the peri‐urban fringe are often asked to provide environmental services to urban‐dwellers. We apply a latent class model that we extend to include indicators of individuals’ attitudes towards the relationship between agriculture and the environment. Besides the application of the control function approach to deal with endogeneity, our main contribution is the use of a refutability test to check the exogeneity of the instruments in the agri‐environmental setting. Our results show that attitudinal indicators help to disentangle the preference heterogeneity and that the respondents’ willingness‐to‐pay distribution differs according to the indicators’ values.
Staffing effectiveness across countries: An institutional perspective
Authors: Knappert Lena , Peretz Hilla , Aycan Zeynep , Budhwar Pawan
Published: October 2021

This study draws on institutional theory to investigate why and how staffing effectiveness varies across countries. Utilising data from multiple sources (Cranfield Network on Comparative Human Resource Management [CRANET], Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness [GLOBE], World Economic Forum [WEF], Transparency International, Tightness‐Looseness Index), it covers 2,918 organisations in 11 countries. Extending earlier research on comparative staffing that focuses on cultural or regulatory differences separately, our findings show that companies in different countries implement staffing practices in line with their normative (i.e., cultural), regulatory, and cognitive institutions. A second key finding shows that institutionally embedded staffing practices are associated with organisational turnover, thus challenging dominant universalist perspectives on staffing effectiveness. Finally, we shed light on a central yet understudied boundary condition of contextual perspectives on staffing by identifying the strength of institutional pressures (i.e., societal tightness‐looseness) as a moderator of the relationships between national institutions, staffing, and turnover.
Gastrophysical and chemical characterization of structural changes in cooked squid mantle
Authors: Schmidt Charlotte Vinther , Plankensteiner Lorenz , Clausen Mathias Porsmose , Walhter Anders Runge , Kirkensgaard Jacob Judas Kain , Olsen Karsten , Mouritsen Ole G.
Published: October 2021

Squid (Loligo forbesii and Loligo vulgaris) mantles were cooked by sous vide cooking using different temperatures (46°C, 55°C, 77°C) and times (30 s, 2 min, 15 min, 1 h, 5 h, 24 h), including samples of raw tissue. Macroscopic textural properties were characterized by texture analysis (TA) conducted with Meullenet‐Owens razor shear blade and compared to analysis results from differential scanning calorimetry. The collagen content of raw tissues of squid was quantified as amount of total hydroxyproline using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography. Structural changes were monitored by Raman spectroscopy and small‐angle X‐ray scattering and visualized by second harmonic generation microscopy. Collagen in the squid tissue was found to be highest in arms (4.3% of total protein), then fins (3.0%), and lowest in the mantle (1.5%), the content of the mantle being very low compared to that of other species of squid. Collagen was found to be the major protein responsible for cooking loss, whereas both collagen and actin were found to be key to mechanical textural changes. A significant decreased amount of cooking loss was obtained using a lower cooking temperature of 55°C compared to 77°C, without yielding significant textural changes in most TA parameters, except for TA hardness which was significantly less reduced. An optimized sous vide cooking time and temperature around 55–77°C and 0.5–5 h deserves further investigation, preferably coupled to sensory consumer evaluation.

Practical Application

The study provides knowledge about structural changes during sous vide cooking of squid mantle. The results may be translated into gastronomic use, promoting the use of an underutilized resource of delicious and nutritious protein (Loligo vulgaris and Loligo forbesii).
Applying text mining to identify relevant literature in food science: Cold denaturation as a case study
Authors: Helmick Harrison , Nanda Gaurav , Ettestad Sarah , Liceaga Andrea , Kokini Jozef L.
Published: October 2021

In a research environment characterized by the five V's of big data, volume, velocity, variety, value, and veracity, the need to develop tools that quickly screen a large number of publications into relevant work is an increasing area of concern, and the data‐rich food industry is no exception. Here, a combination of latent Dirichlet allocation and food keyword searches were employed to analyze and filter a dataset of 6102 publications about cold denaturation. After using the Python toolkit generated in this work, the approach yielded 22 topics that provide background and insight on the direction of research in this field, as well as identified the publications in this dataset which are most pertinent to the food industry with precision and recall of 0.419 and 0.949, respectively. Precision is related to the relevance of a paper in the filtered dataset and the recall represents papers which were not identified in the screening method. Lastly, gaps in the literature based on keyword trends are identified to improve the knowledge base of cold denaturation as it relates to the food industry. This approach is generalizable to any similarly organized dataset, and the code is available upon request.

Practical Application: A common problem in research is that when you are an expert in one field, learning about another field is difficult, because you may lack the vocabulary and background needed to read cutting edge literature from a new discipline. The Python toolkit developed in this research can be applied by any researcher that is new to a field to identify what the key literature is, what topics they should familiarize themselves with, and what the current trends are in the field. Using this structure, researchers can greatly speed up how they identify new areas to research and find new projects.
Good from far, but far from good: The impact of a reference genome on evolutionary inference
Authors: Bentley Blair P. , Armstrong Ellie E.
Published: October 2021

Genomic diversity and past population histories are key considerations in the fields of conservation and evolutionary biology. In this issue of Molecular Ecology Resources, Prasad et al. (Mol. Ecol. Resour., 2021) examine how the quality and phylogenetic divergence of reference genomes influences the outcomes of downstream analyses such as diversity and demographic history inference. Using the beluga whale and rowi kiwi as examples (Figure 1), they systematically estimate heterozygosity, runs of homozygosity (ROH), and demographic history (PSMC) using reference genomes of varying quality and phylogenetic divergence from the target species. They show that demographic history analyses are impacted by phylogenetic distance, although this is not pronounced until divergence exceeds 3% from the target species. Similarly, their results imply that heterozygosity estimates are dependent on phylogenetic distance and the method used to perform the estimates, and ROHs are potentially undetectable when a nonconspecific reference is used. This investigation into the role of divergence and quality of reference genomes highlights the impact and potential biases generated by genome selection on downstream analyses, and provides a possible alternative in cross‐species scaffolding in instances where a conspecific reference genome is not available.
Efficiency and specificity ofCARD‐FISHprobes in detection of marine vibrios
Authors: Ogayar Elixabet , Larrañaga Irene , Lomba Ana , Kaberdin Vladimir R. , Arana Inés , Orruño Maite
Published: October 2021

Vibriois a bacterial genus widely distributed in natural aquatic systems. SomeVibriospecies can cause severe diseases in both marine organisms and humans. Previous studies revealed a link between the current climate change and increased incidence of theVibrio‐associated diseases recently causing sanitary, economic and/or ecological problems worldwide. The conventional culture‐based methods (e.g. selection on TCBS agar) used to monitor the presence ofVibriospp. in environmental samples are not always straightforward and can underestimate the number of cells, especially in microbial populations containing a fraction of ‘dormant’ cells (e.g. cells in the Viable but Non Culturable [VBNC] state). This problem can be overcome by using alternative culture‐free approaches such as Catalysed Reporter Deposition‐FluorescenceIn situHybridization (CARD‐FISH). To select an efficient CARD‐FISH probe for detection ofVibriospp. in environmental samples, we have assessed the most promising probes described in the literature by using both computer‐assisted and experimental approaches. Our results demonstrate that the use of the optimized protocol along with a very specific probe, ViB572a, can offer the high sensitivity and selectivity of CARD‐FISH detection of marine vibrios in natural seawater.
Identifying latent behavioural states in animal movement with M4, a nonparametric Bayesian method
Authors: Cullen Joshua A. , Poli Caroline L. , Fletcher Robert J. , Valle Denis
Published: October 2021

Understanding animal movement often relies upon telemetry and biologging devices. These data are frequently used to estimate latent behavioural states to help understand why animals move across the landscape. While there are a variety of methods that make behavioural inferences from biotelemetry data, some features of these methods (e.g. analysis of a single data stream, use of parametric distributions) may limit their generality to reliably discriminate among behavioural states.

To address some of the limitations of existing behavioural state estimation models, we introduce a nonparametric Bayesian framework called the mixed‐membership method for movement (M4), which is available within the open‐source bayesmove R package. This framework can analyse multiple data streams (e.g. step length, turning angle, acceleration) without relying on parametric distributions, which may capture complex behaviours more successfully than current methods. We tested our Bayesian framework using simulated trajectories and compared model performance against two segmentation methods (behavioural change point analysis (BCPA) and segclust2d), one machine learning method [expectation‐maximization binary clustering (EMbC)] and one type of state‐space model [hidden Markov model (HMM)]. We also illustrated this Bayesian framework using movements of juvenile snail kites Rostrhamus sociabilis in Florida, USA.

The Bayesian framework estimated breakpoints more accurately than the other segmentation methods for tracks of different lengths. Likewise, the Bayesian framework provided more accurate estimates of behaviour than the other state estimation methods when simulations were generated from less frequently considered distributions (e.g. truncated normal, beta, uniform). Three behavioural states were estimated from snail kite movements, which were labelled as ‘encamped’, ‘area‐restricted search’ and ‘transit’. Changes in these behaviours over time were associated with known dispersal events from the nest site, as well as movements to and from possible breeding locations.

Our nonparametric Bayesian framework estimated behavioural states with comparable or superior accuracy compared to the other methods when step lengths and turning angles of simulations were generated from less frequently considered distributions. Since the most appropriate parametric distributions may not be obvious a priori, methods (such as M4) that are agnostic to the underlying distributions can provide powerful alternatives to address questions in movement ecology.
Pathogenicity and toxin production of different Fusarium oxysporum isolates infecting onion (Allium cepa L.)
Authors: Haapalainen Minna , Laitala Emilia , Rämö Sari , Latvala Satu
Published: October 2021

Fusarium oxysporum forma specialis cepae strains are pathogens causing Fusarium basal rot of onion, which is a major problem in onion cultivation worldwide. In this work, the pathogenicity and toxin production of different F. oxysporum isolates, originating either from mature harvested onions or from onion sets, were studied. The F. oxysporum isolates belonging to the f. sp. cepae phylogenetic clade had the full set of seven secreted in xylem (SIX) genes and the gene C5, whereas all the other F. oxysporum isolates tested were negative for these virulence‐related genes. However, in the pathogenicity test on onion seedlings the separation between the f. sp. cepae isolates and the others was not clear‐cut. One of the f. sp. cepae isolates that had low in planta expression levels of SIX9 showed only mild virulence on the seedlings. A different F. oxysporum isolate, which did not have the known virulence‐related genes, was pathogenic on seedlings, although non‐pathogenic on mature bulbs. Thus, the two different pathogenicity assays frequently used, seedling survival test and onion bulb inoculation test, measure partially different features of the fungal isolates. Coinfection with pathogenic and non‐pathogenic isolates caused more severe disease in the mature onion bulbs than the pathogenic isolate alone. All the isolates tested for toxin production capacity on rice medium produced beauvericin and, in addition, the non‐pathogenic isolates produced moniliformin. Small amounts of beauvericin were detected in the infected onion bulbs. The amount of beauvericin did not show significant correlation with the fungal colonisation level or symptom severity.
Many chronological aging clocks can be found throughout the epigenome: Implications for quantifying biological aging
Authors: Porter Hunter L. , Brown Chase A. , Roopnarinesingh Xiavan , Giles Cory B. , Georgescu Constantin , Freeman Willard M. , Wren Jonathan D.
Published: October 2021

Epigenetic alterations are a hallmark of aging and age‐related diseases. Computational models using DNA methylation data can create “epigenetic clocks” which are proposed to reflect “biological” aging. Thus, it is important to understand the relationship between predictive clock sites and aging biology. To do this, we examined over 450,000 methylation sites from 9,699 samples. We found ~20% of the measured genomic cytosines can be used to make many different epigenetic clocks whose age prediction performance surpasses that of telomere length. Of these predictive sites, the average methylation change over a lifetime was small (~1.5%) and these sites were under‐represented in canonical regions of epigenetic regulation. There was only a weak association between “accelerated” epigenetic aging and disease. We also compare tissue‐specific and pan‐tissue clock performance. This is critical to applying clocks both to new sample sets in basic research, as well as understanding if clinically available tissues will be feasible samples to evaluate “epigenetic aging” in unavailable tissues (e.g., brain). Despite the reproducible and accurate age predictions from DNA methylation data, these findings suggest they may have limited utility as currently designed in understanding the molecular biology of aging and may not be suitable as surrogate endpoints in studies of anti‐aging interventions. Purpose‐built clocks for specific tissues age ranges or phenotypes may perform better for their specific purpose. However, if purpose‐built clocks are necessary for meaningful predictions, then the utility of clocks and their application in the field needs to be considered in that context.
Patient values and preferences in pulmonary embolism testing in the emergency department
Authors: Swarup Vidushi , Soomro Asfia , Abdulla Solen , de Wit Kerstin
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Patient‐centered care is concordant with patient values and preferences. There is a lack of research on patient values and preferences for pulmonary embolism (PE) testing in the emergency department (ED), and a poor physician understanding of patient‐specific goals. Our aim was to map patient‐specific values, preferences, and expectations regarding PE testing in the ED.

Method

This qualitative study used constructivist grounded theory to identify patient values and expectations around PE testing in the ED. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with ED patients who were being tested for PE in two EDs. Patients who were waiting for PE imaging or D‐dimer results were approached and consented to take part in a 30‐minute audio‐recorded interview. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using constant comparative coding. The interview script was modified to maximize information on emerging themes. Major themes and subthemes were derived, each representing an opportunity, barrier, or value to address with patient‐centered PE testing.

Results

From 30 patient interviews, we mapped four major themes: patient satisfaction comes from addressing the patient's primary concern (for example, their pain); patients expect individualized care; patients prefer imaging over clinical examination for PE testing; and patients expect 100% confidence from their emergency physician when given a diagnosis. Subthemes included symptomatic relief, finding a diagnosis, receiving tests, rapid progression through their care, perception of highly accurate CT scans, willingness to seek a second opinion, direct physician communication, and expectation of case‐specific testing with cognitive reassurance.

Conclusion

Addressing each of these four themes by realigning ED processes could provide patient‐centered PE testing.
Is there any difference between pregnancy results after tubal reanastamosis performed laparotomically, laparoscopically, and robotically?
Authors: Elci Gülhan , Elci Erkan , Sayan Sena , Hanligil Erhan
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Tubal reanastamosis offers hope to conceive again. However, there are many factors that affect the success of this procedure. In our study we aimed to compare the pregnancy rates of the surgical methods used for tubal reanastamosis in pregnancy requested after tubal sterilization.

Methods

In our study we compared the rates of pregnancies after reanastamosis retrospectively in female patients under the age of 40 who underwent reanastamosis between 2010 and 2019 with laparotomic, laparoscopic and robotic methods. A single layer of 4 quadrant 6/0 number polydioxanone absorbable sutures were used in all surgical methods. A similar surgical technique was used.

Results

In surgical methods (laparotomy, laparoscopy, and robotics), there was a statistical difference between the three groups in terms of operation times of surgical methods used for tubal reanastamosis (p < 0.05). Laparotomy, laparoscopy, and robotics pregnancy rates were 52.6% (n = 41), 67.3% (n = 37), 61.2% (n = 63), respectively. There was no statistical difference between groups in terms of pregnancy rates. However, odds ratio (OR) values of the laparoscopy group and robotics group probability of conception were 1.536 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.813–2.898), 1.111 (95% CI, 0.656–1.879) higher, respectively.

Conclusions

Although there is no statistical difference between the surgical methods used for tubal reanastamosis, we think that the laparoscopic surgical method may be preferable due to the shorter hospital stay. We think that the previous method of bilateral tubaligastion (BTL), the site of reanastasis, and the time between BTL and reanastomosis were effective in pregnancy success.
Should we replace radiologists with deep learning? Pigeons, error and trust in medical AI
Authors: Alvarado Ramón
Published: October 2021

The sudden rise in the ability of machine learning methodology, such as deep neural networks, to identify and predict with great accuracy instances of malignant cell growth from radiological images has led prominent developers of this technology, such as Geoffrey Hinton, to hold the view that “[…] we should stop training radiologists.” Similar views exist in other contexts regarding the replacement of humans with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The assumption in these kinds of views is that deep neural networks are better than human radiologists in that they are more accurate, less costly, and have more predictive power than their human counterparts. In this paper, I argue that these considerations, even if true, are simply inadequate as reasons for us to allocate the kind of trust suggested by Hinton and others to these sorts of artifacts. In particular, I show that if the same considerations were true of something other than an AI device, say a pigeon, we would not have sufficient reason to trust them in the same way as suggested of deep neural networks in a medical setting. If this is the case then these considerations are also insufficient to trust AI enough to replace radiologists. Furthermore, I argue that the reliability of AI methodologies such as deep neural networks—which are at the center of this argument—is something that has not yet been established, and doing so faces fundamental challenges. Because of these challenges, it is not possible to ascribe the level of reliability expected from the deployment of a medical device. So, not only are the reasons cited in favor of the deployment of AI technologies in medical settings not sufficient/adequate even if they are true, but knowing whether they are true or not faces non‐trivial epistemic challenges. If this is so, then we have no good reasons to advocate replacing radiologists with AI methodologies such as deep neural networks.
Digitally supported public health interventions through the lens of structural injustice: The case of mobile apps responding to violence against women and girls
Authors: Sauerborn Ela , Eisenhut Katharina , Ganguli‐Mitra Agomoni , Wild Verina
Published: October 2021

Mobile applications (apps) have gained significant popularity as a new intervention strategy responding to violence against women and girls. Despite their growing relevance, an assessment from the perspective of public health ethics is still lacking. Here, we base our discussion on the understanding of violence against women and girls as a multidimensional, global public health issue on structural, societal and individual levels and situate it within the theoretical framework of structural injustice, including epistemic injustice. Based on a systematic app review we previously conducted, we evaluate the content and functions of apps through the lens of structural injustice. We argue that technological solutions such as apps may be a useful tool in the fight against violence against women and girls but have to be situated within the broader frame of public health that considers the structural dimensions of such violence. Ultimately, the concerns raised by structural injustice are—alongside key concerns of safety, data privacy, importance of human supportive contact, and so forth—crucial dimensions in the ethical assessment of such apps. However, research on the role and relevance of apps as strategies to address the structural and epistemic dimensions of violence remains scarce. This article aims to provide a foundation for further discussion in this area and could be applicable to other areas in public health policy and practice.
Integrating sample similarities into latent class analysis: a tree‐structured shrinkage approach
Authors: Li Mengbing , Park Daniel E. , Aziz Maliha , Liu Cindy M. , Price Lance B. , Wu Zhenke
Published: October 2021

This paper is concerned with using multivariate binary observations to estimate the probabilities of unobserved classes with scientific meanings. We focus on the setting where additional information about sample similarities is available and represented by a rooted weighted tree. Every leaf in the given tree contains multiple samples. Shorter distances over the tree between the leaves indicate a priori higher similarity in class probability vectors. We propose a novel data integrative extension to classical latent class models with tree‐structured shrinkage. The proposed approach enables (1) borrowing of information across leaves, (2) estimating data‐driven leaf groups with distinct vectors of class probabilities, and (3) individual‐level probabilistic class assignment given the observed multivariate binary measurements. We derive and implement a scalable posterior inference algorithm in a variational Bayes framework. Extensive simulations show more accurate estimation of class probabilities than alternatives that suboptimally use the additional sample similarity information. A zoonotic infectious disease application is used to illustrate the proposed approach. The paper concludes by a brief discussion on model limitations and extensions.
Does investor protection affect corporate dividend policy? Evidence from Asian markets
Authors: Athari Seyed Alireza
Published: October 2021

This study investigates the nexus between investor protection and dividend policy for 517 listed nonfinancial firms operating in Asian countries between the period 2008 and 2017. The dynamic panel data model (System‐GMM) reveals that stronger investor protection is associated with higher dividend payouts, and firms increase dividends, specifically in response to the rise of the extent of disclosure and director liability and also ease of shareholder suits. Besides, results highlight that firms pay out fewer dividends in cases of growth opportunity particularly in environments with stronger investor protection, a more developed financial market, and a common‐law system. Results are robust when alternative specifications are implemented.
A global ecological signal of extinction risk in terrestrial vertebrates
Authors: Munstermann Maya J. , Heim Noel A. , McCauley Douglas J. , Payne Jonathan L. , Upham Nathan S. , Wang Steve C. , Knope Matthew L.
Published: October 2021

To determine the distribution and causes of extinction threat across functional groups of terrestrial vertebrates, we assembled an ecological trait data set for 18,016 species of terrestrial vertebrates and utilized phylogenetic comparative methods to test which categories of habitat association, mode of locomotion, and feeding mode best predicted extinction risk. We also examined the individual categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List extinction drivers (e.g., agriculture and logging) threatening each species and determined the greatest threats for each of the four terrestrial vertebrate groups. We then quantified the sum of extinction drivers threatening each species to provide a multistressor perspective on threat. Cave dwelling amphibians (p < 0.01), arboreal quadrupedal mammals (all of which are primates) (p < 0.01), aerial and scavenging birds (p < 0.01), and pedal (i.e., walking) squamates (p < 0.01) were all disproportionately threatened with extinction in comparison with the other assessed ecological traits. Across all threatened vertebrate species in the study, the most common risk factors were agriculture, threatening 4491 species, followed by logging, threatening 3187 species, and then invasive species and disease, threatening 2053 species. Species at higher risk of extinction were simultaneously at risk from a greater number of threat types. If left unabated, the disproportionate loss of species with certain functional traits and increasing anthropogenic pressures are likely to disrupt ecosystem functions globally. A shift in focus from species‐ to trait‐centric conservation practices will allow for protection of at‐risk functional diversity from regional to global scales.
Thromboelastography profiles for controlled circulatory death donors: Validating the role of heparin
Authors: Crannell W. Christian , Sally Mitch , McConnell Keeley , Connelly Chris , Maynard Erin , Dewey Elizabeth , Abt Peter , Enestvedt C. Kristian
Published: October 2021

Controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) liver transplants are associated with increased ischemic‐type biliary complications. Microvascular thrombosis secondary to decreased donor fibrinolysis may contribute to bile duct injury. We hypothesized that cDCD donors are hypercoagulable with impaired fibrinolysis and aim to use thromboelastography to characterize cDCD coagulation profiles.
Dorothy Hodgkin Lecture 2021: Drugs, genes and diabetes
Authors: Pearson Ewan R.
Published: October 2021

Glycaemic response to metformin and sulphonylureas is heritable – with ~34%–37% of variation explainable by common genetic variation. The premise of this review is that by understanding how genetic variation contributes to drug response we can gain insights into the mechanisms of action of diabetes drugs. Here, I focus on two old drugs, metformin and sulphonylureas, where I would suggest we still have a lot to learn about their mechanism of action or their optimal use in clinical care. The fact that reduced function variants of the key transporter that takes metformin into the liver (OCT1) do not alter glycaemic response to metformin suggests that metformin does not need to get into the liver to work. A subsequent GWAS of metformin response identifies a robust variant that alters GLUT2 expression – which may support increasing evidence that metformin works primarily in the gut. For sulphonylureas, observation from patients with neonatal diabetes due to activating KATP channel mutations treated with sulphonylureas identified a novel role for sulphonylureas to enable β‐cell incretin response. This work led to recent studies of low‐dose sulphonylurea (20 mg gliclazide) in T2DM, which identified that at this dose sulphonylureas augment the incretin effect and increase β‐cell glucose sensitivity, without increasing hypoglycaemia risk. This work, prompted by studies in monogenic diabetes, suggests that we have historically been using sulphonylureas at too high a dose. With increasing availability of genetic data pharmacogenomic studies in patients with diabetes should reveal mechanistic insights into old and new diabetes drugs, with the potential for optimized use and novel therapies.
The automated pancreas: A review of technologies and clinical practice
Authors: Biester Torben , Tauschmann Martin , Chobot Agata , Kordonouri Olga , Danne Thomas , Kapellen Thomas , Dovc Klemen
Published: October 2021

Insulin pumps and glucose sensors are effective in improving diabetes therapy and reducing acute complications. The combination of both devices using an algorithm‐driven interoperable controller makes automated insulin delivery (AID) systems possible. Many AID systems have been tested in clinical trials and have proven safety and effectiveness. However, currently, none of these systems are available for routine use in children younger than 6 years in Europe. For continued use, both users and prescribers must have sound knowledge of the features of the individual AID systems. Presently, all systems require various user interactions (e.g. meal announcements) because fully automated systems are not yet developed. Open‐source systems are non‐regulated variants to circumvent existing regulatory conditions. There are risks here for both users and prescribers. To evaluate AID therapy, the metric data of the glucose sensors, ‘time in target range’ and ‘glucose management index’, are novel recognized and suitable parameters allowing a consultation based on real glucose and insulin pump download data from the daily life of people with diabetes. Read out via cloud‐based software or automatic download of such individual treatment data provides the ideal technical basis for shared decision‐making through telemedicine, which must be further evaluated for general use.
Distal nail embedding treatment using autogenous nails
Authors: Kashiyama Kazuya , Nakano Motoi , Higashi Akihito , Ashizuka Shoko , Moriuchi Yuki , Iwao Atsuhiko , Tanaka Katsumi
Published: October 2021

A regrowing nail tip after nail avulsion may excessively curve and invaginate into the nail bed. This is treated as a type of ingrown toenail, and is known as distal nail embedding. In most cases, further growth restores the original shape evenly over the nail bed. However, it is often painful and such cases may require treatment. We report a surgical approach that we applied to six cases of distal nail embedding involving pain or deformity of nails caused by a nail tip invaginating into the nail bed and/or cessation of forward nail growth. As our method involves removing a portion of the embedded tip edge nail and inserting the removed nail into the remaining depressed portion, the nail can grow over the bulge. In all six patients in whom we applied this method, the pain and nail deformity resolved and there was no recurrence. We used autogenous nails, which can reduce the pressure imbalance on a nail bed, and this contributed to improving the morphology of nails and nail beds. In addition, the risk of a hypertrophied nail is reduced because half of the nail adheres to the nail bed. Special materials are unnecessary and this method can be conducted with simple outpatient department procedures. There were no cases of a fixed nail section detaching due to a bulge at the nail tip. The inserted nail was maintained in all cases for several months until the nail grew over the bulge.
Pollen analysis of cavity‐nesting bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) and their food webs in a city
Authors: da Rocha‐Filho Léo C. , Montagnana Paula C. , Araújo Thayane N. , Moure‐Oliveira Diego , Boscolo Danilo , Garófalo Carlos A.
Published: October 2021

1. Urban areas can host speciose bee communities due partially to the species‐rich combination of both native and alien plant species found in these landscapes. However, in intensively‐constructed zones, it could be expected to record a low plant diversity used by bees because of the high proportion of paved surfaces in these areas.

2. We investigated the influence of urbanisation on the cavity‐nesting bee‐plant community and interaction network structures in a medium‐sized city. The floral diversity used by nesting females in cell provisioning was retrieved from the pollen content obtained from trap‐nests collected in 11 sites located in an urban landscape gradient.

3. Eighty pollen types belonging to 20 families were identified in the 155 pollen samples analysed. At least seven alien plant species were identified in samples from all sampling points. The landscape analysis revealed a positive influence of the proportion of green areas on the pollen type richness, although the null model was also selected as best model. Likewise, all network metrics but connectance were not influenced by any of the landscape variables.

4. Our findings demonstrated that notwithstanding the sampling sites the floral diversity used by bees and the alien pollen type richness were similar. Likewise, the bee‐plant networks were modular, asymmetric, and highly specialised. The positive adaptation that cavity‐nesting bee species present in urban environments and the presence of bee species that can explore a diverse flora may indicate that the local variation in the landscape had little influence on their interactions with plants.
Applications of a conceptual framework to assess climate controls of forest tree diseases
Authors: Hennon Paul E. , Frankel Susan J. , Woods Alex J. , Worrall James J. , Ramsfield Tod D. , Zambino Paul J. , Shaw Dave C. , Ritóková Gabriela , Warwell Marcus V. , Norlander Daniel , Mulvey Robin L. , Shaw Charles G.
Published: October 2021

A conceptual framework for climate involvement in forest tree diseases was applied to seven examples to demonstrate its suitability for different disease types: cases where climate favours pathogen biology which then leads to tree mortality or where diseases are caused primarily by climate‐driven physiological injury or stress to trees. Hypotheses for climate involvement are derived from detection and monitoring data to express associations of weather or climate factors with disease development at several spatial and temporal scales. Research findings contribute to an understanding of temperature, precipitation and related climate variables that influence biotic and abiotic diseases. To demonstrate use of the framework, we accessed information from the literature which exposed data and information gaps. Among various simulated approaches to test associations of climate and disease, we found disease risk factor models that use climate inputs derived from monitoring and research provide the best understanding of climate–disease relationships. These model outputs project future disease scenarios that can be used to inform climate adaptation strategies. Conservation and management implications for current and likely future climatic conditions are provided for each disease example. The most common guidance in managed landscapes is to move the imperilled tree species to areas of lower projected climate risk and to favour non‐host, climate‐adapted tree species where the disease is occurring.
A fatal case of COVID‐19‐associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy
Authors: Ziemele Dace , Ķauķe Gundega , Skrējāne Krista , Jaunozoliņa Līga , Karelis Guntis
Published: October 2021

Introduction

An increasing number of published reports on SARS‐CoV‐2 neurological manifestations have revealed a wide spectrum of symptoms, diagnostic features, and outcomes. We report a fatal case of a COVID‐19‐associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE).

Case report

We report a 70‐year‐old man brought to the hospital after a generalized tonic‐clonic seizure. He was confused and disoriented. Nasopharyngeal swab testing for SARS‐CoV‐2 was positive. A head computed tomography (CT) scan and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed no signs of acute pathology. After recurrent seizures, he was sedated and intubated. Throughout the days that followed he remained in a therapeutic coma. After discontinuation of sedatives, he remained unconscious. A repeated head CT scan showed signs of pontine edema, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed inhomogeneous hyperintensities with microhemorrhages and small autonecrotic cavities in both thalami, brain stem, and cerebellar peduncles. With a high suspicion of a COVID‐19‐associated ANE, the patient was started on high‐dose glucocorticoids; however, he died the next day. The CSF tested negative for SARS‐CoV‐2.

Discussion

A variety of COVID‐19 neurological manifestations have been reported to date, including various forms of encephalitis and encephalopathy. In our patient, encephalopathy with seizures was the presenting symptom of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. The radiological findings on days 8 and 9 were consistent with an ANE. The precise pathogenesis of ANE remains unclear; however, an immune‐mediated mechanism is suspected. Early diagnostics with prompt administration of immunomodulators may be lifesaving. Suspicion of a COVID‐19‐related encephalopathy/encephalitis should be raised in all patients with altered mental status, seizures, and/or coma.
Short‐chain fatty acids during pregnancy in multiple sclerosis: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Cuello Juan Pablo , Martínez Ginés María Luisa , García Domínguez José Manuel , Tejeda‐Velarde Amalia , Lozano Ros Alberto , Higueras Yolanda , Meldaña Rivera Ariana , Goicochea Briceño Haydee , Garcia‐Tizon Santiago , de León‐Luis Juan , Medina Heras Silvia , Fernández Velasco José Ignacio , Pérez‐Pérez Silvia , García‐Martínez María Ángel , Pardo‐Rodríguez Beatriz , Domínguez‐Mozo María Inmaculada , García‐Calvo Estefanía , Estévez Héctor , Luque‐García Jose Luis , Villar Luisa Maria , Alvarez‐Lafuente Roberto
Published: October 2021

Background and purpose

Short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) can have pro‐ or anti‐inflammatory properties, but their relationship with multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses during pregnancy remains unknown. This study aimed to explore SCFA profiles in MS patients during pregnancy and to assess their association with the appearance of relapses during pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods

We prospectively included 53 pregnant MS patients and 21 healthy control women. Patients were evaluated during pregnancy and puerperium. SCFAs were measured by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry.

Results

Sixteen patients (32%) had relapses during pregnancy or puerperium, and 37 (68%) did not. All MS patients showed significant increases in acetate levels during pregnancy and the postpartum period compared to non‐MS women. However, propionate and butyrate values were associated with disease activity. Their values were higher in nonrelapsing patients and remained similar to the control group in relapsing patients. The variable that best identified active patients was the propionate/acetate ratio. Ratios of <0.36 during the first trimester were associated with higher inflammatory activity (odds ratio = 165, 95% confidence interval = 10.2–239.4, p < 0.01). Most nonrelapsing patients showed values of >0.36, which were similar to those in healthy pregnant women.

Conclusions

Low propionate/acetate ratio values during the first trimester of gestation identified MS patients at risk of relapses during pregnancy and the postpartum period.