bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intra-crisis learning and prospective policy transfer in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Powell Martin , King–Hill Sophie
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This article brings together the literatures on policy learning and lesson drawing with the intra-crisis learning literature in order to assess “learning lessons” in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

It carries out a structured review of articles that seek to provide lessons for the pandemic. It examines these articles using interpretative content analysis to apply the criteria of prospective policy transfer to the material.

Findings

Application of the criteria of prospective policy transfer suggests that lesson drawing was fairly limited. It is often not fully clear why nations were selected. Many articles were brief and provided limited detail, meaning that there was little depth on issues such as problems and goals and on policy performance or policy success or failure. There was limited discussion of transferability of lessons, and few clear lessons could be drawn. Finally, the extent to which it was possible to learn lessons in a “non-routine” or “less routine” crisis, under conditions of threat, uncertainty and urgency was generally not discussed.

Practical implications

The criteria within the framework of prospective policy transfer provide a template for policy makers to assess lessons.

Originality/value

This article indicates the problems of attempting to draw lessons from the past or from other nations to an unprecedented crisis, where decision-making is characterized by elements of threat, urgency and uncertainty.
Transitioning from child to adult mental health services: what role for social services? Insights from a European survey
Authors: Signorini Giulia , Davidovic Nikolina , Dieleman Gwen , Franic Tomislav , Madan Jason , Maras Athanasios , Mc Nicholas Fiona , O'Hara Lesley , Paul Moli , Purper-Ouakil Diane , Santosh Paramala , Schulze Ulrike , Singh Swaran Preet , Street Cathy , Tremmery Sabine , Tuomainen Helena , Verhulst Frank , Warwick Jane , Wolke Dieter , de Girolamo Giovanni
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Young people transitioning from child to adult mental health services are frequently also known to social services, but the role of such services in this study and their interplay with mental healthcare system lacks evidence in the European panorama. This study aims to gather information on the characteristics and the involvement of social services supporting young people approaching transition.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 16 European Union countries was conducted. Country respondents, representing social services’ point of view, completed an ad hoc questionnaire. Information sought included details on social service availability and the characteristics of their interplay with mental health services.

Findings

Service availability ranges from a low of 3/100,000 social workers working with young people of transition age in Spain to a high 500/100,000 social workers in Poland, with heterogeneous involvement in youth health care. Community-based residential facilities and services for youth under custodial measures were the most commonly type of social service involved. In 80% of the surveyed countries, youth protection from abuse/neglect is overall regulated by national protocols or written agreements between mental health and social services, with the exception of Czech Republic and Greece, where poor or no protocols apply. Lack of connection between child and adult mental health services has been identified as the major obstacles to transition (93.8%), together with insufficient involvement of stakeholders throughout the process.

Research limitations/implications

Marked heterogeneity across countries may suggest weaknesses in youth mental health policy-making at the European level. Greater inclusion of relevant stakeholders is needed to inform the development and implementation of person-centered health-care models. Disconnection between child and adult mental health services is widely recognized in the social services arena as the major barrier faced by young service users in transition; this “outside” perspective provides further support for an urgent re-configuration of services and the need to address unaligned working practices and service cultures.

Originality/value

This is the first survey gathering information on social service provision at the time of mental health services transition at a European level; its findings may help to inform services to offer a better coordinated social health care for young people with mental health disorders.
The public sphere and Habermas: reflections on the current state of theory in public library research
Authors: Larsen Håkon
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This article addresses a recent debate in this journal between Buschman and Widdersheim and Koizumi on public libraries and public sphere theory in library and information science (LIS). The article moves beyond the debate as the debate has been too focused on the theories of Jürgen Habermas. In order to really understand the democratic mission of public libraries and how it is related to the public sphere, the author argues that LIS scholars need to look beyond Habermas' theories of the public sphere.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a theoretical article that discusses different theories of the public sphere, and how they have been and can be applied in library and information science.

Findings

The author finds that a main disagreement between Buschman and Widdersheim and Koizumi is whether one can use the concept of a public sphere without doing it in a “traditional” Habermasian way. The answers put forward in this article, is that we can and should look beyond Habermas' work when seeking to understand the role of public libraries as public spheres.

Originality/value

The article puts forward theories that are not commonly used in LIS, and advocates for broadening the theoretical scope of LIS scholars studying the relations between public libraries and public spheres.
How do Spanish unlisted family firms rebalance their capital structures?
Authors: Serrasqueiro Zélia , Matias Fernanda , Diéguez-Soto Julio
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This paper seeks to analyze the family firm's capital structure decisions, focusing on the speed of adjustment (SOA) as well as on the effect of distance from the target capital structure on the SOA towards target short-term and long-term debt ratios in unlisted small and medium-sized family firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Methodologically, we use dynamic panel data estimators to estimate the effects of distance on the speeds of adjustment towards those targets. Data for the period 2006–2014 were collected for two research sub-samples: one sub-sample with 398 family firms; the other sub-sample contains 217 non-family firms.

Findings

The results show that the deviation from the target debt ratios impacts negatively on the speeds of adjustment towards target short-term and long-term debt ratios in unlisted family firms. These results suggest that family firms, deviating from target debt ratios, face deviation costs, i.e. insolvency costs, inferior to the adjustment costs, i.e. transaction costs. Therefore, family firms stay away from the target debt ratios for a long time than do non-family firms.

Research limitations/implications

The research sample comprises a low number of family firms, therefore for future research we suggest increasing the size of the sample of family firms to get a deeper understanding of family firms' SOA towards capital structure. Additionally, we suggest the analysis of other potential determinants of the speed of adjustment towards target capital structure.

Practical implications

The results obtained suggest that the distance from the target short-term and long-term debt ratios can be avoided if these firms do not depend almost exclusively on internal finance to adjust towards target capital structure. Moreover, for policymakers, we suggest the creation/promotion of alternative external finance sources, allowing reduced transaction costs that contribute to a faster adjustment of small family firms towards target capital structure.

Originality/value

The most previous research focusing on capital structure decisions have focused on listed family firms. To fill this gap, this study examines the speed of adjustment towards target debt ratios in the context of unlisted family firms. Moreover, transaction costs are a function of debt maturity, therefore this study examines separately the speeds of adjustment towards target short-term and long-term debt ratios. This paper shows that the adjustment costs (i.e. transaction costs) could hold back family firms from rebalancing its capital structure.
How do globalization indicators de jure–de facto and total factor productivity affect tourism development in European countries?
Authors: Tzeremes Panayiotis
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This research analyzes, for the first time, the linkage among the gathered dataset of globalization indicators, the total factor productivity index and tourism development in a panel of 25 European countries during the 1995–2016 period.

Design/methodology/approach

The Generalized Method of Moments estimator for panel Vector Autoregressive Regression model is implemented and as a robustness test, the panel Granger causality test is used.

Findings

The findings have divulged that globalization and total factor productivity increase tourism development. An increase in the economic globalization de factor indicator will cause an increase in tourism development in European countries. Moreover, an increase in the social globalization de jure indicator will lead to a higher level of tourism development in European countries.

Practical implications

Policy-makers should use the complementary association between globalization and international tourism to promote productivity in European countries. These countries can also utilize the tourism sector as a tool to enhance the connectivity of their economies and societies with other parts of the world.

Originality/value

We use for the first time the globalization index as proposed by Gygli et al. (2019) in the tourism discipline. We evaluate the total factor productivity index instead of the economic growth applied by the majority of the researchers and we employ for the first time in the tourism field the GMM–PVAR framework.
The intellectual legacy of Jaroslav Vanek: how the twain met
Authors: Bonin John
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This essay is a tribute to Jaroslav Vanek who spent 32 years at Cornell University where he founded the Program on Participation and Labor-Managed Systems (PPLMS) in 1970, which became the home for economic research on these issues in the US. It is a brief intellectual history of a multi-dimensional scholar.

Design/methodology/approach

Vanek's seminal work in the American Economic Review in 1969 marked the culmination of a decade of work on labor management inspired by his brother Jan's work on Yugoslavia, considered then to be a worker-managed economic system. In two rapidly following tomes, Vanek laid out the landscape for the development of a new subfield in economics by providing precursors to many of the results to follow. In that previous decade, Vanek produced papers in traditional economic theory, e.g. international trade and economic growth.

Findings

Vanek's mindset persists in the interplay between the emerging theory of labor-managed firms and traditional economic literature that takes seriously the role of organizational form. This essay develops that cross-pollination and seeks to identify the remaining questions and issues for future work that the economics profession owes to Jaroslav Vanek.

Originality/value

Connection of strands of literature in the economic theory with the literature on labor-managed firms and worker-managed economies tracing the evolution of the latter to the work of Jaroslav Vanek.
An evaluation of preventive maintenance framework in an Italian manufacturing company
Authors: Kundu Kaustav , Cifone Fabiana , Costa Federica , Portioli-Staudacher Alberto , Rossini Matteo
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide the description of an original framework for maintenance management plan development. The research aims to use in an integrated way different World Class Manufacturing (WCM)-based tools, in order to obtain a model which can be used for preventive maintenance in different industrial contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, a conceptual framework of preventive maintenance was described and then it was evaluated through a qualitative study in an Italian company. The company was chosen based on an initial interview with the operations team and the model area was selected. Then, the location was reorganized in order to obtain a green field which could sustain the implementation of the framework tools.

Findings

The case study was carried out in a small-medium manufacturing company which produces quick-release couplings and multiconnections, ranging from medium to ultra-high pressure. The defined framework has proved to be easy to implement in a company with a corrective maintenance plan, allowing the maintenance department to embrace the preventive maintenance culture. The maintenance model has been well received from the employees.

Practical implications

The framework allows a standardization of maintenance plans. Firstly, the standardization design itself allows finding previous wastes and consequent improvement areas. Then, it brings the improvement of a single machine which impacts all other machines in its family.

Originality/value

The added value of this study is the ability to integrate different WCM-based tools. Since the framework depicts a step-by-step process; it is also a starting point for companies that want to approach preventive maintenance for the first time.
Applying educational theory to develop a framework to support the delivery of experiential entrepreneurship education
Authors: Bell Robin , Bell Heather
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Experiential approaches have become increasingly common in entrepreneurship education in response to calls for different approaches to the traditional didactic process-driven approach. Experiential approaches offer the potential to develop the skills and mindset that are required in entrepreneurship. Research has highlighted the critical importance of educator pedagogical competence in the delivery and quality of teaching and learning in further and higher education. Nevertheless, educator narratives and practices are often based on foundations that suggest a lack in the depth of knowledge and understanding of the underlying pedagogic learning theories and practice. This paper brings educational theory and pedagogic practice together in a three-stage framework of the experiential entrepreneurship learning process to support entrepreneurship educators within further and higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews and brings together the seminal educational theories and philosophies of constructivism, objectivism, Kolb's (1984) theory of experiential learning, Schön's (1983) reflection-in-action and Mezirow's (1997) theory of transformative learning, to develop a framework which underpins the experiential entrepreneurship learning process.

Findings

This paper develops a three-stage framework which informs the roles of an educator and a learner in experiential entrepreneurship education within further and higher education, based on educational theories and philosophies that inform the learning process.

Practical implications

The developed framework supports the pedagogic competence of educators in the delivery of experiential entrepreneurship education through a deeper understanding of the supporting theory that informs the pedagogic practice. This will provide consolidation to enable educators to maximise the effectiveness of their educational practice (Kaynardağ, 2019) and can increase the legitimacy of entrepreneurship education (Foliardet al., 2018).

Originality/value

This paper meets calls in the literature to provide a closer engagement between educational theory and pedagogic practice to afford guidance as to how educators can navigate some of the different educational theories and philosophies to consolidate the effective delivery of quality experiential entrepreneurship education. Applying seminal educational theories and philosophies to ensure the quality of experiential education can support the legitimacy of experiential entrepreneurship education.
The translation between the required return on unlevered and levered equity for explicit cash flows and fixed debt financing
Authors: Becker Denis Mike
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The primary purpose of this paper is to develop the translation formula between the required return on unlevered and levered equity for the specific case where cash flows have a finite lifetime and the flow to debt is prespecified. The secondary purpose of this paper is to underpin the importance of the type of stochasticity of cash flows for translation formulas. A general derivation of such formulas and the discount rate in the free cash flow approach is shown.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper starts with the same assumptions that have been applied by Modigliani and Miller (1963), Miles and Ezzell (1980) and other researchers. Then the paper develops the mathematical foundations to apply a deterministic backward-iterative scheme for valuing cash flows. After stating the valuation formulas for levered and unlevered equity, debt and tax shields, the authors mathematically derive the relationship between the unlevered return and levered return on equity.

Findings

Conventional translation formulas apply to very special cases. They can generally not be used for projects with nonconstant leverage and a finite lifetime. In general, translation formulas depend on continuing values, cash flows, leverage, taxation, risk-free rate, etc. In this paper, the translation depends on the structure of the debt in addition to the well-known parameters in conventional formulas. This paper formula contains the Modigliani-Miller translation formula as a special case.

Originality/value

The authors develop a novel formula for the translation of the required return on unlevered to levered equity. With this formula, the authors offer a solution for the consistent valuation of cash flows with a limited lifetime and given debt financing.
The effectiveness of behavioural interventions on increasing revenue from local fee
Authors: Sloboda Matúš , Pavlovský Patrik , Sičáková-Beblavá Emília
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The objective was to increase earnings of the city of Prievidza from waste disposal fee by proactive communication – reminder (a letter) and leaflets with targeted framing. The quasi-experiment aims to find out which type of leaflet framing (an injunctive social norm or public good) causes the most effective change in the debtors' behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The article presents the results of a behavioural quasi-experiment, carried out on a local government level. The effectiveness of the intervention was tested in a quasi-experiment with the sample size 712, which is 35% of all waste disposal fee debtors in Prievidza.

Findings

The intervention that has proven to be the most effective was a reminder together with an injunctive social norm leaflet. It resulted in a 1.7 times higher probability for the debt to be paid. The results also indicate that a reminder is significantly more effective if targeted at debtors who only owe one payment–this group was three times more likely to pay their debt after being exposed to the intervention.

Practical implications

Public policy recommendation is to primarily target the group of debtors who owe one payment.

Originality/value

Another testing and replication of this experiment design is highly important. Nonetheless, the first testing (field quasi-experiment) shows the potential of using the notification as well as social norm framing. It also appears that self-governments should use notifications to primarily address debtors without a long history of non-payment.
Numerical modelling of coupled seepage-deformation subjected to rainfall infiltration in unsaturated slope
Authors: Joe Edgar Jr , Ali Nazri , Jusoh Siti Norafida
Published: October 2020

Purpose

This study aims to propose another alternative numerical modelling tool, i.e. ABAQUS, to simulate a fully coupled seepage-deformation analysis in unsaturated slope subjected to rainfall infiltration.

Design/methodology/approach

The effect of rainfall infiltration on the response of pore water pressure and factor of safety has been analysed and discussed. The results of this study have also been validated based on the results of field monitoring and previous numerical modelling.

Findings

The results from ABAQUS show a better agreement with those from field monitoring compared to other numerical modelling tools.

Originality/value

The procedures adopted in this study can be adopted and used as a guide to model similar slope problems in ABAQUS.
Competitive exclusion amongst endophytes determines shoot blight severity on pine
Authors: Oliva Jonàs , Ridley Maia , Redondo Miguel A. , Caballol Maria
Published: October 2020

The role of competitive interactions among endophytes and latent pathogens that determine disease on stressed plants is largely unknown.

Shoot blight caused by Diplodia sapinea is an emerging disease affecting pine forests in Europe. D. sapinea is an endophyte that becomes pathogenic following drought or hail. Disease expression depends on the availability of nutrient‐rich metabolites produced by trees to alleviate stress. We studied whether competition for these compounds with other endophytes could modulate symptom expression.

We compared the shoot‐inhabiting fungal community of trees that developed blight symptoms or remained asymptomatic following a hailstorm that affected four pine species. Communities were characterised by isolation and metabarcoding of the ITS2 region. Endophytes were functionally annotated in their response to C, N and proline.

Hail promoted D. sapinea and other endophytes with a rapid colonisation strategy of N‐rich substrates. Asymptomatic trees had a community of endophytes showing a strong negative association with D. sapinea. These antagonistic endophytes were functionally similar to D. sapinea in their response traits to hail, but they were more specialised to proline. The association was conserved across pine species.

Our data suggest that after a stress‐inducing event, rapid niche occupation is critical for D. sapinea to cause disease. However, competition with other endophytes for key metabolites can supress the pathogen and prevent trees from developing symptoms.

Our findings can pave the way to a better understanding of the contribution of latent pathogens on widespread tree mortality events involving abiotic stressors, such as drought, heat or hail.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
From cradle to grave: how burial history controls the rock‐physics properties of quartzose sandstones
Authors: Lehocki Ivan , Avseth Per
Published: October 2020

Rock‐physics properties of sands and sandstones are strongly affected by geological processes of the past, including deposition, compaction and exhumation. By honouring these geological processes, the rock‐physics modelling will be more predictive in areas with limited well control. This study performs rock‐physics modelling constrained by a given geological history, starting from deposition to mechanical and chemical compaction. Different geological factors, including sorting, grain size and clay coating, will affect the quartz cementation and rock stiffening of quartzose reservoir sandstones. By combining compaction models with rock‐physics contact theory, we can model the rock‐physics properties of sands/sandstones as a function of geologic time. We have demonstrated the approach on well log data from three selected wells on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, where the burial histories of the target reservoir sandstones are significantly different. We conclude that rock‐physics modelling constrained by burial history can be used to predict elastic properties quite accurately in these wells. The integrated approach presented in this study allows for more realistic rock‐physics depth trends in areas with complex burial history that can be used in AVO studies or to estimate net erosion associated with tectonic uplift.
European Monarchies: Guardians of Democracy?
Authors: Hazell Robert , Morris Bob
Published: October 2020

How is it possible to account for the continuing presence of monarchy in advanced social democracies? Much traditional political science assumes teleologically that monarchies inevitably transform into republics as a higher form of governance. This comparative study of the eight main European monarchies maintains otherwise: monarchy is perfectly compatible with democracy, and can help strengthen citizens’ loyalty to the system of government. Provided it delivers a politically impartial head of state, monarchy can endure indefinitely with government and popular support. In practice, the countries studied are de facto republics, but with hereditary heads of state who occupy social roles beyond the reach of quotidian politics. Monarchy’s principal danger is not republicanism, but the pressures of conflicting expectations about what is required of royal families, and the relentless intrusions of modern media in an age when royalty and celebrity are in danger of being conflated. Responses to Covid‐19 show how monarchs can speak to and for their nations in ways no partisan politician can.
How would citizens react to official advice in a nuclear emergency? Insights from research in three European countries
Authors: Turcanu Catrinel , Sala Roser , Perko Tanja , Abelshausen Bieke , Oltra Christian , Tomkiv Yevgeniya , Oughton Deborah , Liland Astrid , Zeleznik Nadja
Published: October 2020

Nuclear emergencies confront decision‐makers, emergency actors and publics with several challenges, many of which are related to social, ethical and communication aspects. Based on empirical data from three European countries, this paper investigates citizens' potential behaviour in an emergency situation. It analyses relationships between self‐assessed compliance with protective actions and a number of variables, including knowledge about protective actions, trustworthiness of communicators, perceived social norm (expectation of other residents' behaviour), perceived effectiveness and perceived difficulty of protective actions. Results suggest that most respondents expect to follow actions advised by authorities, except for leaving children at school or avoiding the use of phones. Moreover, large fractions of local and wider publics may seek to avoid risks by rejecting food produced in affected areas even when it satisfies legal norms or taking iodine tablets when not needed. Self‐assessed compliance with protective actions is positively correlated with perceived social norm, perceived effectiveness and compliance with other actions; and negatively correlated with perceived difficulty. Higher trust in the regulator is associated with higher compliance with some actions, but mostly among the local populations. We argue that clarifying and anticipating societal concerns contributes to enhancing societal resilience and the response to nuclear accidents.
Insights into chemical and sensorial aspects to understand and manage beer aging using chemometrics
Authors: Mutz Yhan S. , Rosario Denes K. A. , Conte‐Junior Carlos A.
Published: October 2020

Beer chemical instability remains, at present, the main challenge in maintaining beer quality. Although not fully understood, after decades of research, significant progress has been made in identifying “aging compounds,” their origin, and formation pathways. However, as the nature of aging relies on beer manufacturing aspects such as raw materials, process variables, and storage conditions, the chemical profile differs among beers. Current research points to the impact of nonoxidative reactions on beer quality. The effect of Maillard and Maillard intermediates on the final beer quality has become the focus of beer aging research, as prevention of oxidation can only sustain beer quality to some extent. On the other hand, few studies have focused on tracing a profile of whose compound is sensory relevant to specific types of beer. In this matter, the incorporation of “chemometrics,” a class of multivariate statistic procedures, has helped brewing scientists achieve specific correlations between the sensory profile and chemical data. The use of chemometrics as exploratory data analysis, discrimination techniques, and multivariate calibration techniques has made the qualitatively and quantitatively translation of sensory perception of aging into manageable chemical and analytical parameters. However, despite their vast potential, these techniques are rarely employed in beer aging studies. This review discusses the chemical and sensorial bases of beer aging. It focuses on how chemometrics can be used to their full potential, with future perspectives and research to be incorporated in the field, enabling a deeper and more specific understanding of the beer aging picture.
Prevalence of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and age‐stratified trends in clinical characteristics and treatment, based on the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan
Authors: Nakajima Ayako , Sakai Ryoko , Inoue Eisuke , Harigai Masayoshi
Published: October 2020

Aim

To estimate the prevalence and age‐stratified treatment trends and clinical characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan.

Method

Using 7 RA definitions, the prevalence of RA in those aged ≥16 years was estimated using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan in the fiscal year 2017. We analyzed age‐stratified trends in characteristics and treatments.

Results

Of 1 116 122 patients aged ≥16 years with at least 1 RA‐related International Classification of Diseases‐10 code, 825.7 thousand patients (women, 76.3%) were assessed as having RA with an estimated prevalence of 0.65%. The highest age‐stratified prevalence was 1.63% in patients aged 70‐79 years. Overall, 60.8% and 7.0% of patients with RA were aged ≥65 years and ≥85 years, respectively. Methotrexate use was most frequent in patients aged 50‐59 years (73.0%) and least frequent in patients aged ≥85 years (38.2%). Biologic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs use was 50.9% in patients aged 16‐19 years and decreased to 13.7% in those aged ≥85 years. Preference for the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors versus abatacept decreased from 24.0:1 to 1.7:1 in patients aged 16‐19 years and ≥85 years, respectively. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was 3.5% in patients aged 60‐69 years and 12.1% in those aged ≥85 years. Overall RA‐related orthopedic surgeries were most prevalent in patients aged 70‐79 years.

Conclusion

The estimated prevalence of patients with RA in Japan was 0.65%. Age‐stratified treatment trends and clinical characteristics have been described in a super‐aged society for the first time.
Interleukin‐17A biomarker as a predictor for detection of early axial spondyloarthritis changes in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Saif Dalia S. , El Tabl Mohamed A. , Afifi Naglaa , Abdallah Mahmoud S. , El Hefnawy Sally M. , Hassanein Shimaa A.
Published: October 2020

Aim

Although the pathogenic mechanisms of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are not completely clarified, evidence suggests that interleukin 17A (IL‐17A)‐mediated immune responses play a pivotal role in the disease. This is best underscored by the important clinical effectiveness of IL‐17A inhibitors in psoriasis treatment. We aim to investigate the predictive value of IL‐17A in detecting the early axial spondyloarthropic (SpA) changes in psoriatic patients.

Methods

The study enrolled 100 patients with psoriasis, classified into group 1, included 62 patients with only psoriatic skin lesions (Ps), and group 2 included 38 patients with PsA, and 100 age and gender matched healthy volunteers. All participants were subjected to general and local clinical examination, laboratory assessment including IL‐17A in the serum by means of enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and axial joint radiological assessment.

Results

Our study included 60 males (60%) and 40 females (40%).The positive radiological findings of early axial SpA changes were found among 30.6% of the Ps group and among 84.2% of the PsA group. There were significant differences between patients with positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of early axial SpA and patients with negative MRI findings in both groups regarding IL‐17A levels. There was a significant association between IL‐17A level and early axial SpA changes in psoriatic patients with a clear cutoff point (222.5).

Conclusion

Our study can imply that IL‐17A is a valuable, useful and low‐cost biomarker in detecting early axial SpA changes in asymptomatic and nonradiographic axial SpA (nr‐axial SpA) psoriatic patients that helps early management and prevent progressive axial involvement and disabilities.
Timing of blood sampling for butyrylcholinesterase phenotyping in patients with prolonged neuromuscular block after mivacurium or suxamethonium
Authors: Mintjens Nesse , Brummans Roy , Soetens Filiep , Claes Kathleen B. M. , Vanlinthout Luc E.
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Variants of butyrylcholinesterase are frequently associated with prolonged response to suxamethonium or mivacurium. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) can be characterized by phenotyping and determination of genotype. Inappropriate timing of blood sampling might interfere with phenotyping methods. However, guidelines regarding delay between exposure to anaesthesia and testing are not clearly defined. In this study, the BChE activity and phenotype in an early (T1) and late (T2) phase were compared and the phenotype/genotype correlation was assessed.

Methods

Patients with a prolonged paralysis after mivacurium or suxamethonium were selected after ethical committee approval and written consent. BChE activity was based on butyrylthiocholine hydrolysis rate and phenotyping on differential inhibition of BChE activity with dibucaine and fluoride. DNA sequencing allowed genotypic characterization.

Results

We included the results of 20 patients with prolonged neuromuscular block (NMB) induced by mivacurium or suxamethonium. In these patients, BChE activity was different at T1 and T2 (2120 [1506‐2733] U L−1 and 4055 [2810‐5301] U L−1, respectively; P = 0.0014; values are mean [95% CI]). When phenotyping was possible, phenotyping at T1 and T2 yielded identical results. Phenotyping failed to identify one new variant (p.Tyr146Cys) and the K variant in 14 of 16 patients.

Conclusion

Anaesthesia interfered with BChE activity, but not with phenotyping. Phenotyping can be performed on blood drawn during or immediately after recovery of mivacurium or suxamethonium to screen for clinically relevant variants of BChE. However, accurate diagnosis of BChE deficiency needs further confirmation by determination of genotype.
The Effect of Trauma Center Verification Level on Outcomes in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients Undergoing Interfacility Transfer
Authors: Plurad David S. , Geesman Glenn , Mahmoud Ahmed , Sheets Nicholas , Chawla‐Kondal Bhani , Ayutyanont Napatkamon , Ghostine Samer , Guldner Gregory
Published: October 2020

Background

Previous literature demonstrates increased mortality for traumatic brain injury (TBI) with transfer to a Level II versus Level I trauma center. Our objective was to determine the effect of the most recent American College of Surgeons–Committee on Trauma (ACS‐COT) “Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient” resources manual (“The Orange Book”) on outcomes after severe TBI after interfacility transfer to Level I versus Level II center.

Methods

Utilizing the Trauma Quality Program Participant Use File of the American College of Surgeons admission year 2017, we identified patients with isolated TBI undergoing interfacility transfer to either Level I or Level II trauma center. Logistic regression was performed to determine independent associations with mortality.

Results

There were 10,268 (71.6%) transferred to a Level I center and 4,025 (28.4%) were transferred to a Level II center. They were mostly male (61.4%) with a mean ± SD age of 61 ± 20.8 years. Mean Injury Severity Score was 16.3 ± 6.3 and most were injured in a single‐level fall (51.5%). Patients transferred to a Level I center were less likely to be White (82.3% vs. 84.7%, 0.002) and more likely to have sustained penetrating trauma (2.7% vs. 1.6%, <0.001). The incidence of severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] = 3–8) was similar (9.3% vs. 8.3%, 0.068). On logistic regression, severity of TBI predicted death; however, there was no difference in adjusted mortality outcome with admission to a Level II versus a Level I center (0.998 [0.836–1.192], 0.985).

Conclusions

There is no mortality discrepancy in patients with isolated TBI transferred to a Level II versus Level I center despite previous contrary evidence and thus no reason to bypass a Level II in favor of a Level I. This relative improvement potentially relates to the new requirements as defined in the latest version of the ACS‐COT’s resources manual.
Pitching research for engagement and impact: a simple tool and illustrative examples
Authors: Faff Robert , Kastelle Tim , Axelsen Micheal , Brosnan Mark , Michalak Rebecca , Walsh Kathleen
Published: October 2020

Using Faff’s pitching research template as a base (first‐phase scholarly pitch), Faff and Kastelle developed a research pitch tool targeting non‐academic external stakeholders/end users. The 'pitching research for engagement and impact' (PR4EI) second‐phase pitch augments the original tool, retaining its underlying philosophy. The current paper formally presents the PR4EI framework and illustrates the approach with four paired examples from diverse settings, namely: international finance, business model evolution, auditing, and organisational behaviour.
Familial risk and heritability of depression by age at first diagnosis in Danish twins
Authors: Wium‐Andersen M.K , Dalgaard Villumsen M. , Wium‐Andersen I.K. , Jørgensen M.B. , Hjelmborg J.B. , Christensen K. , Osler M.
Published: October 2020

Objective

Familial and genetic factors seem to contribute to the development of depression but whether this varies with age at diagnosis remains unclear. We examined the influence of familial factors on the risk of depression by age at first diagnosis.

Methods

We included 23 498 monozygotic and 39 540 same‐sex dizygotic twins from the population‐based Danish Twin Registry, followed from 1977 through 2011 in nationwide registers. We used time‐to‐event analyses accounting for censoring and competing risk of death to estimate cumulative incidence, casewise concordance, relative recurrence risk, and heritability of first depression by age using monozygotic and same‐sex dizygotic twin pairs.

Results

During follow‐up, a total of 1545 twins were diagnosed with depression. For twins at age 35 or younger at first depression, heritability was estimated to be 24.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.6–43.1%), whereas at age 90 it was 14.7% (95% CI, 3.1–26.3%). The relative recurrence risk was higher at younger ages: At age 35, the risk was 27.7‐fold (95% CI, 20.0–35.5) and 6.9‐fold (95% CI, 3.9–9.8) higher than the population risk for monozygotic and same‐sex dizygotic twins, respectively, while the corresponding numbers were 3.0 (95% CI, 2.3–3.6) and 1.8 (95% CI, 1.3–2.2) at age 90. Heritability seemed similar for male and female twins.

Conclusion

Familial risk of depression, caused either by genes or shared environment, seemed to slightly decrease with age at diagnosis and an elevated concordance risk for monozygotic over same‐sex dizygotic pairs suggested a genetic contribution to the development of depression.
The venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in patients receiving thoracic surgery: A systematic review
Authors: Wang Qin , Ding Jiefang , Yang Rusong
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant and preventable cause of mortality and morbidity in thoracic surgery. It usually deep venous thromboembolism (DVT) and pulmonary thromboembolism (PE). We conducted this article to perform a systematic review on prophylaxis of perioperative VTE in patients undergoing thoracic surgery especially lung surgery and esophageal surgery and to identify potential areas for future research.

Methods

The systematic review we conducted included studies of patients undergoing thoracic surgery especially lung surgery and esophageal surgery

Results

The study identified 2621 references. Finally, 22 trials with a total of 9072 patients were included. Only six studies declared that they continued a follow‐up after the discharge of the patients. (range: 1‐3 months); three studies reported on major bleeding events as an outcome measure, and the incidence varied from 0.8% to 1.6%. Total 346 VTEs occurred, and the overall mean risk of VTE was estimated at 3.8% (range: 0.77‐27%).

Conclusions

The evidence for using thromboprophylaxis in thoracic surgery is limited and controversial, predominantly based on clinical consensus. Future research is needed to focus on identifying risk of VTE and providing sufficient evidence with high quality to support clinical strategies concerning the prophylaxis for VTE.
Dupilumab is effective in type 2‐high asthma patients receiving high‐dose inhaled corticosteroids at baseline
Authors: Bourdin Arnaud , Papi Alberto A. , Corren Jonathan , Virchow J. Christian , Rice Megan S. , Deniz Yamo , Djandji Michel , Rowe Paul , Pavord Ian D.
Published: October 2020

Background

Dupilumab blocks the shared receptor component for interleukin (IL)‐4/IL‐13, key drivers of type 2 inflammation. In phase 2b (NCT01854047) and phase 3 LIBERTY ASTHMA QUEST (NCT02414854), add‐on dupilumab 200/300 mg every 2 weeks (q2w) reduced severe exacerbations, improved prebronchodilator (pre‐BD) forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and quality of life measures, and it was generally well tolerated in patients with uncontrolled, persistent (phase 2b), or moderate‐to‐severe (phase 3) asthma.

Methods

In patients on high‐dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with type 2‐high asthma (subgroups including baseline blood eosinophils ≥150/300 cells/µL and/or fractional exhaled nitric oxide [FeNO] ≥25 ppb), annualized severe exacerbation rates over the treatment period, changes from baseline in pre‐BD FEV1 and asthma control (5‐item asthma control questionnaire [ACQ‐5]) were analyzed.

Results

In high‐dose ICS type 2‐high subgroups, dupilumab 200/300 mg q2w vs placebo in the phase 2b (24 weeks) and phase 3 (52 weeks) studies significantly reduced severe exacerbations by 55%‐69%/57%‐60% (all P<.05) and 53%‐69%/48%‐66% (all P < .001), respectively, except in patients with ≥ 300 eosinophils/µL in phase 2b study (24%/50% (P = .52/0.15). Across subgroups, pre‐BD FEV1 improved by 0.18‐0.22 L/0.19‐0.24 L (all P < .05) and 0.23‐0.36 L/0.15‐0.25 L (all P < .01) and ACQ‐5 scores were reduced by 0.46‐0.55/0.47‐0.85 (all P < .05) and 0.38‐0.50/0.24‐0.30 (all P < .05), respectively, except dupilumab 200 mg q2w in phase 2b in patients with FeNO ≥ 25 ppb (0.41; P = .09). Dupilumab was also effective in patients taking medium‐dose ICS.

Conclusion

Dupilumab significantly reduced severe exacerbations and improved lung function and asthma control in patients with type 2‐high asthma on high‐dose ICS at baseline.
Natriuretic peptides relax human intrarenal arteries through natriuretic peptide receptor type‐A recapitulated by soluble guanylyl cyclase agonists
Authors: Frees Andreas , Assersen Kasper B. , Jensen Mia , Hansen Pernille B.L. , Vanhoutte Paul M. , Madsen Kirsten , Federlein Anna , Lund Lars , Toft Anja , Jensen Boye L.
Published: October 2020

Aim

Natriuretic peptides, BNP and ANP increase renal blood flow in experimental animals. The signalling pathway in human kidney vasculature is unknown. It was hypothesized that BNP and ANP cause endothelium‐independent relaxation of human intrarenal arteries by vascular natriuretic peptide receptor‐A, but not ‐B and ‐C, which is mimicked by agonists of soluble guanylyl cyclase sGC.

Methods

Human (n = 54, diameter: 665 ± 29 µm 95% CI) and control murine intrarenal arteries (n = 83, diameter 300 ± 6 µm 95% CI) were dissected and used for force recording by four‐channel wire myography. Arterial segments were pre‐contracted, then subjected to increasing concentrations of BNP, ANP, phosphodiesterase 5‐inhibitor sildenafil, sGC‐activator BAY 60‐2770 and ‐stimulator BAY 41‐2272. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) dependence was examined by use of L‐NAME and eNOS knockout respectively. Molecular targets (NPR A‐C, sGC, phosphodiesterase‐5 and neprilysin) were mapped by PCR, immunohistochemistry and RNAscope.

Results

BNP, ANP, sildenafil, sGC‐activation and ‐stimulation caused concentration‐dependent relaxation of human and murine intrarenal arteries. BNP responses were independent of eNOS and were not potentiated by low concentration of phosphodiesterase‐5‐inhibitor, sGC‐stimulator or NPR‐C blocker. PCR showed NPR‐A and C, phosphodiesterase‐5, neprilysin and sGC mRNA in renal arteries. NPR‐A mRNA and protein was observed in vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells in arteries, podocytes, Bowmans capsule and vasa recta. NPR‐C was observed in tubules, glomeruli and vasculature.

Conclusion

Activation of transmembrane NPR‐A and soluble guanylyl cyclase relax human preglomerular arteries similarly to phosphodiestase‐5 inhibition. The human renal arterial bed relaxes in response to cGMP pathway.
Adherence to COVID‐19 Precautionary Measures: Applying the Health Belief Model and Generalised Social Beliefs to a Probability Community Sample
Authors: Tong Kwok Kit , Chen Juliet Honglei , Yu Eilo Wing‐yat , Wu Anise M. S.
Published: October 2020

Background

In the face of the global pandemic of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19), people’s adherence to precautionary behavioral measures (e.g. social distancing) largely influences the effectiveness of those measures in containing the spread of the coronavirus. The present study aims at testing the applicability of the health belief model (HBM) and generalised social beliefs (i.e. social axioms) to explore strategies for promoting adherence to COVID‐19 precautionary measures.

Methods

We conducted a telephone survey with a two‐step stratified random sampling method and obtained a probability sample of 616 adults in Macao, China (18–87 years old; 60.9% women) in April 2020.

Results

Our participants showed stronger adherence to some COVID‐19 precautionary measures (e.g. face mask wearing; 96.4%) but not others (e.g. social distancing; 42.3%). Their adherence to those measures was found to be significantly associated with four HBM factors and two social axioms, after controlling for gender, age, and years of education.

Conclusions

The HBM and the generalised social beliefs of social cynicism and reward for application can be applied to understanding adherence to precautionary measures against COVID‐19. Strategies based on beliefs were proposed to facilitate the promotion of precautionary measures.