bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring children’s reactions to sponsorship transition: a study of interpersonal and pro-social demands
Authors: Thomas Robert James , White Gareth Reginald Terence , Samuel Anthony
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate children’s perceptions and attitudes towards sponsorship transition, specifically the change from Nike to PUMA as kit sponsors for Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) in July 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 368 children, between 7 and 16 years of age were recruited for the study. Using electronic diaries, 1,577 diary entries were captured between February 2019 and March 2020.

Findings

Data reveals that children conceptualise sponsorship as a social exchange, with sponsoring brands seen as human entities and interaction with them reflecting the dynamism of social and familial relationships. Consequently, children in this study demanded prosocial and interpersonal behaviours from sponsors and sponsee during the transition period.

Research limitations/implications

The research has an immediate and direct application for brand managers and the sponsee when considering terminating long-term sponsorship. Both the departing and incoming sponsors can maximise their relationships with these younger fans through an orchestrated departure, arrival and dedicated handover.

Practical implications

The findings enable marketing brand managers to effectively evaluate sponsor transition to maximise opportunities to maintain, and indeed start, brand relationships with younger fans.

Originality/value

This is the first study that has examined sponsorship children’s responses to sponsorship transition.
Allometry rather than abiotic drivers explains biomass allocation among leaves, stems and roots of Artemisia across a large environmental gradient in China
Authors: Liu Rong , Yang Xuejun , Gao Ruiru , Hou Xinyu , Huo Liping , Huang Zhenying , Cornelissen Johannes H. C.
Published: October 2020

Biomass allocation patterns reflect the adaptive strategies of plants growing in different environments, which is a central issue in comparative plant ecology and evolution. However, the factors underpinning specific allocation patterns across organs and the existence of general rules governing allocation remain contentious. Optimal partitioning theory (OPT) states that plants can respond to resource availability by allocating relatively more biomass to the organ that captures the most limiting resources to optimize growth. In contrast, allometric partitioning theory (APT) postulates that biomass allocation among organs is a power function of plant size independently of environmental variation. As phylogenetic and growth form constraints (e.g. formation of inert heartwood in tree clades) may also affect biomass allocation, comparison among and within closely related taxa of rather similar growth form may enable a more direct testing of which of these two theories prevails.

To test whether OPT or APT was prevalent at wide geographical scale, we investigated biomass allocation patterns among leaves, stems and roots of 1,022 plants of 62 Artemisia species (Asteraceae) collected along broad climate (annual mean temperature range: −4.9 to 18.0°C, annual mean precipitation range: 193–1,668 mm) and soil gradients (soil carbon content range: 1.6–15.4 kg C m−2) in central and eastern China.

There were strong allometric relationships among leaf mass (ML), stem mass (MS) and root mass (MR) at both interspecific and intraspecific levels. Moreover, the interspecific and intraspecific patterns were not different from general patterns for pooled plants, that is, ML/MR and ML/MS, but not MS/MR, generally decreased with plant size. However, the three organ mass ratios were not responsive to broad climatic or soil gradients after the effect of plant size was removed.

Synthesis. Our results generally support APT instead of OPT, suggesting that Artemisia plants have evolved an allometric strategy rather than relying on adjustment of allocation among organs to adapt to the broadly varying environments at the regional scale. For follow‐up research, we hypothesize that the strong allometric constraints on biomass allocation should depend on strong physiological adaptive responses of the different organs of Artemisia to environmental gradients.
Trump and the death of the Image
Authors: Appadurai Arjun
Published: October 2020

We would be wrong to imagine that Trump belongs in the long tradition of American politicians who are deeply concerned with managing their images. The idea of the image as a central feature of American life has been a popular axiom of the last seven decades and has not been adequately rethought. Trump has successfully found a following that likes him unvarnished and unadorned, and thus he has no hesitation to reveal his most repellent moral and social qualities. This indifference to the image is anchored in a deeper indifference to sociality itself and signals both the death of the image and the evacuation of any socially‐grounded morality from public life.
Institutional Voids, Economic Adversity and Inter‐firm Cooperation in an Emerging Market: The Mediating Role of Government R&D Support
Authors: Adomako Samuel , Amankwah‐Amoah Joseph , Debrah Yaw A. , Khan Zaheer , Chu Irene , Robinson Catherine
Published: October 2020

This paper examines the mediating mechanism of the relationship between institutional voids (IVs) and inter‐firm cooperation and the moderating role of economic adversity in the context of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) based in emerging markets. The hypotheses are tested using time‐lagged survey data from 214 SMEs in Ghana. The findings provide support for the hypotheses by showing that: (1) IVs positively influence the use of government research and development (R&D) support; (2) the use of government R&D support mediates the relationship between IVs and inter‐firm cooperation; and (3) economic adversity positively moderates the relationship between IVs and the use of government R&D support. The findings contribute to understanding the role of IVs in inter‐firm cooperation. The wider implications for theory and practice are examined.
The transformation of Industrial Citizenship in the course of European integration
Authors: Nachtwey Oliver , Seeliger Martin
Published: October 2020

The question of the social dimension of European integration has so far remained unsettled. While on the European level, the civil and political dimension of citizenship has been strengthened, the evolution of economic and social rights are unclear, contradictory—and still under‐investigated. Our contribution applies citizenship as a central category of modernization theory to inquire into European integration. In particular, our focus is set on the analysis of Economic Citizenship as a specific category of civil rights in the case of Germany. We discuss these dynamics by drawing on the example of three policy fields which illustrate various levels of Economic Citizenship. In this article we are pursuing two goals: Firstly, we revise Marshall's modernization theory against the background of European integration. Secondly, we draw attention to the concept of Industrial Citizenship, which has so far been neglected as a source of further development. We argue that in the process of European integration, industrial rights develop through a double movement, meaning an individual extension of market‐based rights complemented through national de‐collectivization and—connected to this—a re‐stratification of market correcting rights.
PET/CT features of lung SABR chest wall toxicity
Authors: Singh Urvashi , Walls Gerard M , Hanna Gerard G , Lynch Tom B , McAleese Jonathan
Published: October 2020

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy offers a radical treatment approach for early stage lung cancers and an aggressive local therapy for pulmonary oligometastases from other tumour sites. Chest wall toxicity is one of the key dose‐limiting toxicities for intrathoracic stereotactic treatments. The description of stereotactic radiotherapy chest wall toxicity using functional imaging has not been reported previously. A 56‐year‐old male received 60 Gy in 8 fractions delivered by volumetric modulated arc therapy for a T1bN0M0 clinical left upper lobe lung cancer. The past medical history included poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus, severe peripheral vascular disease and obesity. The patient attended 9 months later with left‐sided, slowly progressive chest pain. An 18FDG PET/CT performed in order to investigate contralateral pulmonary lesions revealed FDG‐avid focal thickening at the left superio‐lateral thoracic wall with overlying inflammatory stranding in keeping with an indolent inflammatory process. Chest wall toxicity may present as pain, swelling, fracture and skin changes, and has the 18FDG PET/CT characteristics of an inflammatory process. Patients with risk factors for chest wall toxicity, such as obesity, diabetes and smoking should be informed of their higher propensity for this clinically significant treatment side effect. For patients developing chest wall toxicity as demonstrated in this case with associated functional imaging findings, anti‐inflammatory treatment should be promptly commenced.
Combined small cell lung carcinoma harboring ALK rearrangement: A case report and literature review
Authors: Niitsu Takayuki , Shiroyama Takayuki , Miyake Kotaro , Noda Yoshimi , Kido Kansuke , Hara Reina , Enomoto Takatoshi , Adachi Yuichi , Amiya Saori , Suga Yasuhiko , Fukushima Kiyoharu , Koyama Shohei , Iwahori Kota , Hirata Haruhiko , Nagatomo Izumi , Takeda Yoshito , Kumanogoh Atsushi
Published: October 2020

Combined small cell lung cancer (c‐SCLC) is a relatively rare subtype of SCLC and is defined by the combination of SCLC and any elements of non‐small cell carcinoma (NSCLC). Standard chemotherapy for patients with c‐SCLC has not yet been established. Gene mutations such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations may be detected in patients with c‐SCLC. However, little is known about anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement in c‐SCLC patients. Here, we report a young female patient who was successfully treated with alectinib for ALK‐positive c‐SCLC after failure of immunochemotherapy for SCLC and cytotoxic chemotherapy for adenocarcinoma. Moreover, we performed a literature review of EGFR‐ or ALK‐positive c‐SCLC patients. Our report suggests that ALK testing may be justified in patients with SCLC that contain an adenocarcinoma component.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

• This is the first report describing the treatment course comprising immunochemotherapy and ALK‐TKI in a patient with c‐SCLC harboring ALK rearrangement.

What this study adds

• Our case and literature review suggest that although ALK mutation is rare in patients with c‐SCLC, its identification and treatment with ALK‐TKIs may contribute to clinical benefits.
Low‐dose Ketamine For Acute Pain Control in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Balzer Nathan , McLeod Shelley L. , Walsh Chris , Grewal Keerat
Published: October 2020

Objective

There has been increased interest in the use of low‐dose ketamine (LDK) as an alternative analgesic for the management of acute pain in the emergency department (ED). The objective of this systematic review was to compare the analgesic effectiveness and safety profile of LDK and morphine for acute pain management in the ED.

Methods

Electronic searches of Medline and EMBASE were conducted and reference lists were hand‐searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LDK to morphine for acute pain control in the ED were included. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts, assessed quality of the studies, and extracted data. Data were pooled using random‐effects models and reported as mean differences and risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach to assess the certainty of the evidence.

Results

Eight RCTs were included with a total of 1,191 patients (LDK = 598, morphine = 593). There was no significant difference in reported mean pain scores between LDK and morphine within the first 60 minutes after analgesia administration and a slight difference in pain scores favoring morphine at 60 to 120 minutes. The need for rescue medication was also similar between groups (RR = 1.26, 95% CI = 0.50 to 3.16), as was the proportion of patients who experienced nausea (RR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.63 to 1.49) and hypoxia (RR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.10 to 1.41). All outcomes were judged to have low certainty in the evidence.

Conclusion

Low‐dose ketamine and morphine had similar analgesic effectiveness within 60 minutes of administration with comparable safety profiles, suggesting that LDK is an effective alternative analgesic for acute pain control in the ED.
Depression, Alcoholics Anonymous Involvement, and Daily Drinking Among Patients with co‐occurring Conditions: A Longitudinal Parallel Growth Mixture Model
Authors: Vest Noel , Sox‐Harris Alex , Ilgen Mark , Humphreys Keith , Timko Christine
Published: October 2020

Background

Patients with cooccurring mental health and substance use disorders often find it difficult to sustain long‐term recovery. One predictor of recovery may be how depression symptoms and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) involvement influence alcohol consumption during and after inpatient psychiatric treatment. This study utilized a parallel growth mixture model to characterize the course of alcohol use, depression, and AA involvement in patients with cooccurring diagnoses.

Methods

Participants were adults with cooccurring disorders (n = 406) receiving inpatient psychiatric care as part of a telephone monitoring clinical trial. Participants were assessed at intake, 3‐, 9‐, and 15‐month follow‐up.

Results

A 3‐class solution was the most parsimonious based upon fit indices and clinical relevance of the classes. The classes identified were high AA involvement with normative depression (27%), high stable depression with uneven AA involvement (11%), and low AA involvement with normative depression (62%). Both the low and high AA classes reduced their drinking across time and were drinking at less than half their baseline levels at all follow‐ups. The high stable depression class reported an uneven pattern of AA involvement and drank at higher daily frequencies across the study timeline. Depression symptoms and alcohol use decreased substantially from intake to 3 months and then stabilized for 90% of patients with cooccurring disorders following inpatient psychiatric treatment.

Conclusions

These findings can inform future clinical interventions among patients with cooccurring mental health and substance use disorders. Specifically, patients with more severe symptoms of depression may benefit from increased AA involvement, whereas patients with less severe symptoms of depression may not.
Prevalence of and risk factors for loneliness in rural older adults
Authors: Chokkanathan Srinivasan
Published: October 2020

Objective

The study investigated the prevalence of and risk factors (socio‐economic, health and kinship ties) for loneliness in older adults in rural India.

Methods

Data were collected from a random sample of 897 older adults in rural India. Loneliness was measured through a 3‐item scale, and measures of kinship ties and health status were included. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted.

Results

The prevalence rate of loneliness was 48%. The kinship factors contributed more to loneliness than the socio‐demographic and health variables. The subjective aspects of kinship ties (relationship strain, support, family cohesion) explained more variance in loneliness than the structural aspects (living arrangements, family size). Within the functional component of kinship ties, relationship strain contributed more to loneliness.

Conclusion

Strategies to combat loneliness should include multidynamic interventions on strengthening family ties and promoting optimal health during old age.
Intergenerational transmission of World War II family historical memories of the Resistance
Authors: Cordonnier Aline , Bouchat Pierre , Hirst William , Luminet Olivier
Published: October 2020

Collective memory of historical events can be transmitted across generations not only through cultural memory but also through communicative memory; that is, transmitted by people who have lived through these particular times. Yet, few studies have examined the temporal horizon of a particular type of communicative memory: family historical memories. In this article, we examine the intergenerational transmission of memories from the Second World War in families with an ancestor who resisted during the German Occupation. We interviewed 20 French‐speaking Belgian families over three generations. During these individual interviews, participants narrated an anecdote about their ancestor and the Resistance. Then, for the middle and youngest generations, we provided a short cue related to the story chosen by the oldest generation and enquired whether they could tell us the story in their own words. Memory transmission was analysed through two processes: retelling and recalling. Our main result revealed that there was a loss of details across generations, but not complete oblivion. We also found some instances of family myth transmitted across all generations. This study provides evidence that family historical memories fade away after a generation or two, even when these memories describe historical events deemed important for family and society.
Unsettling Care: Intersubjective Embodiment in MBCT
Authors: Cook Joanna
Published: October 2020

Focusing on the place of “embodiment” for therapists in mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy, this paper reveals that care often requires an on‐going commitment to “being with” forms of uncomfortable self‐experience. This work challenges the valorization of caregiving (as “natural,” “good,” or “rewarding”) in anthropology by revealing the unsettled nature of lived experience, replete with difficult and changeable affective relations. Care emerges as a necessarily unsettled practice.
Human–wildlife interaction networks at urban blue spaces
Authors: Duke Lucy , Soulsbury Carl D.
Published: October 2020

Human–wildlife interactions in urban areas are known to be important as they can promote nature connectedness and improve human well‐being. Most work has looked at human–wildlife interactions at greenspaces, but blue spaces have considerable potential as foci for interactions. We investigated human–wildlife interactions at three urban blue spaces in Lincoln, UK. At each location, the interactions and their duration between humans and wildlife were recorded over a period of 5 months. Questionnaires were also distributed to persons visiting these blue spaces. Interaction networks showed that waterfowl (swans, geese, ducks) were responsible for most human–wildlife interactions, with most interactions taking place in the two more urban sites, but a more diverse interaction network was found at the more natural site. User group and location were found to be significantly associated in determining both the duration and the frequency of interactions. All participants at all sites placed a very high value of importance on urban blue spaces. Our results demonstrate that blue spaces are important as foci for human–wildlife interactions and that key species are responsible for most interactions. In turn, this these interactions can promote greater connectedness to nature and long term may promote an affinity to protect the local environment.
Ground flora cover, diversity, and life‐history trait representation after wind disturbance, salvage logging, and prescribed fire in a Pinus palustris woodland
Authors: Kleinman Jonathan Samuel , Goode Jonathan Davis , Hart Justin Lane
Published: October 2020

Question

Salvage logging and prescribed fire are commonly applied in forests worldwide, yet little is known about the combined impacts of these management actions on early‐successional ecosystems. We questioned how operational‐scale prescribed fire would affect ground flora cover, species diversity, and life‐history trait expression in Pinus palustris woodlands differentially impacted by an Enhanced Fujita scale 3 (EF3) tornado and salvage logging.

Location

Fall Line Hills, Alabama, USA (32°55ʹ30ʺ N, 87°24ʹ00ʺ W).

Methods

The composition and foliar cover of woody and herbaceous plants ≤1 m height were monitored before and after prescribed fire in 600 1‐m2 quadrats distributed throughout mature, wind‐disturbed, and salvage‐logged Pinus palustris woodlands. Plant taxa were categorized by growth habit and life form to aid interpretation of multivariate analyses used to illustrate differences in ground flora assemblages between disturbance categories.

Results

Prescribed fire reduced ground flora cover, but not diversity, which remained greatest in wind‐disturbed sites that were not salvage‐logged. Though ground flora assemblages remained disparate between disturbance categories, prescribed fire imposed some consistent selective pressures on plants with common life‐history strategies. Post‐fire understorey tree cover reductions coincided with increased shrub cover throughout the treatment area. Nonetheless, differences in graminoid cover were exaggerated after prescribed fire, and representation of the geophyte life form was relatively constant across space and time.

Conclusions

Prescribed fire did not counteract salvage‐mediated reductions in ground flora diversity. Retention of downed deadwood maximized early‐successional plant diversity in wind‐disturbed sites. Trait‐based ground flora analyses enabled a more detailed understanding of disturbance effects than aggregate metrics of foliar cover and diversity. In ecosystems with high floristic diversity, grouping plants by common life‐history traits can provide a simple and effective means to monitor impacts of management actions on ecosystem recovery.
Thermal adaptations to extreme freeze–thaw cycles in the high tropical Andes
Authors: Reider Kelsey E. , Larson Don J. , Barnes Brian M. , Donnelly Maureen A.
Published: October 2020

Temperature plays a key role in the biology of ectotherms, including anurans, which are found at higher elevations in the tropics than anywhere in the temperate zone. High elevation tropical environments are characterized by extreme daily thermal fluctuation including high daily maxima and nightly freezing. Our study investigated the contrasting operative temperatures of the anurans Telmatobius marmoratus and Pleurodema marmoratum in different environmental contexts at the same elevation and biome above 5,200 m. Telmatobius marmoratus avoids extremes of daily temperature fluctuation by utilizing thermally buffered aquatic habitat at all life stages, with minimal operative temperature variation (range: 4.6–8.0°C). Pleurodema marmoratum, in contrast, experienced operative temperatures from −3.5 to 44°C and has one of the widest thermal breadths reported for any tropical frog, from >32°C (critical thermal maximum) to surviving freezing periods of 1 and 6 hr down to −3.0°C. Our findings expand experimental evidence of frost tolerance in amphibians to the widespread Neotropical family Leptodactylidae, the first such evidence of frost tolerance in a tropical amphibian. Our study identifies three strategies (wide thermal tolerance breadth, use of buffered microhabitats, and behavioral thermoregulation), which allow these tropical frogs to withstand the current wide daily thermal fluctuation above 5,000 m.a.s.l. and which may help them adapt to future climatic changes.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material
Elevational gradients of reptile richness in the southern Western Ghats of India: Evaluating spatial and bioclimatic drivers
Authors: Jins V. J. , Panigrahi Madhumita , Jayapal Rajah , Bishop Tom R.
Published: October 2020

Exploring elevational patterns in species richness and their underlying mechanisms is a major goal in biogeography and community ecology. Reptiles can be powerful model organisms to examine biogeographical patterns. In this study, we examine the elevational patterns of reptile species richness and test a series of hypotheses that may explain them. We sampled reptile communities along a tropical elevational gradient (100–1,500 m a.s.l.) in the Western Ghats of India using time‐constrained visual encounter surveys at each 100‐m elevation zone for 3 years. First, we investigated species richness patterns across elevation and the support of mid‐domain effect and Rapoport's rule. Second, we tested whether a series of bioclimatic (temperature and tree density) and spatial (mid‐domain effect and area) hypotheses explained species richness. We used linear regression and AICc to compare competing models for all reptiles, and each of the subgroups: snakes, lizards, and Western Ghats’ endemics. Overall reptile richness and lizard richness both displayed linear declines with elevation, which was best explained by temperature. Snake richness and endemic species richness did not systematically vary across elevation, and none of the potential hypotheses explained variation in them. This is the first standardized sampling of reptiles along an elevational gradient in the Western Ghats, and our results agree with the global view that temperature is the primary driver of ectotherm species richness. By establishing strong reptile diversity–temperature associations across elevation, our study also has implications for the impact of future climate change on range‐restricted species in the Western Ghats.
Human β‐defensin‐2 suppresses key features of asthma in murine models of allergic airways disease
Authors: Pinkerton James W. , Kim Richard Y. , Koeninger Louis , Armbruster Nicole S. , Hansbro Nicole G. , Brown Alexandra C. , Jayaraman Ranjith , Shen Sijie , Malek Nisar , Cooper Matthew A. , Nordkild Peter , Horvat Jay C. , Jensen Benjamin A. H. , Wehkamp Jan , Hansbro Philip M.
Published: October 2020

Background

Asthma is an airway inflammatory disease and a major health problem worldwide. Anti‐inflammatory steroids and bronchodilators are the gold‐standard therapy for asthma. However, they do not prevent the development of the disease, and critically, a subset of asthmatics are resistant to steroid therapy.

Objective

To elucidate the therapeutic potential of human β‐defensins (hBD), such as hBD2 mild to moderate and severe asthma.

Methods

We investigated the role of hBD2 in a steroid‐sensitive, house dust mite‐induced allergic airways disease (AAD) model and a steroid‐insensitive model combining ovalbumin‐induced AAD with C muridarum (Cmu) respiratory infection.

Results

In both models, we demonstrated that therapeutic intranasal application of hBD2 significantly reduced the influx of inflammatory cells into the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Furthermore, key type 2 asthma‐related cytokines IL‐9 and IL‐13, as well as additional immunomodulating cytokines, were significantly decreased after administration of hBD2 in the steroid‐sensitive model. The suppression of inflammation was associated with improvements in airway physiology and treatment also suppressed airway hyper‐responsiveness (AHR) in terms of airway resistance and compliance to methacholine challenge.

Conclusions and Clinical relevance

These data indicate that hBD2 reduces the hallmark features and has potential as a new therapeutic agent in allergic and especially steroid‐resistant asthma.
An update on the roles of circular RNAs in osteosarcoma
Authors: Li Zheng , Li Xingye , Xu Derong , Chen Xin , Li Shugang , Zhang Lin , Chan Matthew T. V. , Wu William K. K.
Published: October 2020

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy and is a neoplasm thought to be derived from the bone‐forming mesenchymal stem cells. Aberrant activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumour suppressor genes by somatic mutations and epigenetic mechanisms play a pivotal pathogenic role in osteosarcoma. Aside from alterations in these protein‐coding genes, it has now been realized that dysregulation of non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and the recently discovered circular RNAs (circRNAs), is crucial to the initiation and progression of osteosarcoma. CircRNAs are single‐stranded RNAs that form covalently closed loops and function as an important regulatory element of the genome through multiple machineries. Recently, an increasing number of studies suggested that circRNAs also played critical roles in osteosarcoma. This review summarizes recent development and progression in circRNA transcriptome analysis and their functions in the modulation of osteosarcoma progression.
Retracted: The sensory ecology of fear: African elephants show aversion to olfactory predator signals
Authors: Valenta Kim , Schmitt Melissa H. , Ayasse Manfred , Nevo Omer
Published: October 2020

The outcomes of human‐elephant conflict range from expensive to fatal to both humans and elephants across Africa and Asia, which has prompted extensive efforts to mitigate it. Previous attempts have focused primarily on physical barriers, plant deterrent compounds, and elephant‐nuisance species. However, the handful of effective approaches are expensive and maintenance‐intensive. Here, we approach the problem from the perspective of the sensory ecology of fear, and demonstrate elephant aversion to olfactory signals of lions, African elephants' top predator. We find that elephants demonstrate aversion to olfactory predator signals, and moreover, to inexpensive synthetic mixtures mimicking these signals. This research illustrates the importance of predator avoidance even in the world's largest land animal, and provides the basis for its practical implication to mitigate a devastating and enduring problem.
Impact of donor smoking history on post heart transplant outcomes: A propensity‐matched analysis of ISHLT registry
Authors: Hussain Zeeshan , Yu Mingxi , Wozniak Amy , Kim Daniel , Krepostman Nicholas , Liebo Max , Raichlin Eugenia , Heroux Alain , Joyce Cara , Ilias‐Basha Haseeb
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Smoking is a major public health issue, and its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is well established. This study evaluates the impact of donor smoking on heart transplant (HT) outcomes.

Methods

HT recipients between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2016, with known donor smoking status were queried from the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) registry. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality, and secondary endpoints were graft failure, acute rejection, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. We utilized propensity‐score matching to identify cohorts of recipients with and without a history of donor smoking. Hazard ratios for post‐transplant outcomes for the matched sample were estimated from separate Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Of 26 390 patients in the cohort, 18.9% had history of donor smoking. Donors with history of smoking were older, predominantly male and had higher incidence of diabetes, hypertension, cocaine use, and "high‐risk" status. In propensity‐matched analysis, recipients with a history of donor smoking had increased risk of death (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03‐1.20) and higher risk of graft failure (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03‐1.20).

Conclusion

Donor smoking was associated with increased mortality and higher incidence of graft failure following HT. Consideration of donor smoking history is warranted while evaluating donor hearts.
Impact of Bridging Locoregional Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma on Post‐transplant Clinical Outcome
Authors: Adeniji Nia , Arjunan Vinodhini , Prabhakar Vijay , Tulu Zeynep , Kambham Neeraja , Ahmed Aijaz , Kwo Paul , Dhanasekaran Renumathy
Published: October 2020

Long waiting times due to ongoing organ shortage have led to increased utilization of locoregional therapies (LRTs) to bridge patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to liver transplantation (LT). We performed this study to evaluate the impact of LRTs on post‐LT outcomes. We conducted a retrospective study of patients who were transplanted for HCC at Stanford University Hospital between 2008 and 2018 (n = 302). We found that receipt of ≥5 LRTs was an independent and significant predictor of poor overall 5‐year survival (58.3% vs. 83.3%; HR 2.26, p = .03), poor recurrence‐free 5‐year survival (51.9% vs. 80.4%; HR 2.12, p = .03), and was associated with higher rates of recurrence (25.0% vs. 7.4%, p = .001). Moreover, recurrent HCC was more likely to be the cause of death (58.3% vs. 41.7%, p = .04) in patients who received ≥5 LRTs. Also, patients who required ≥5 LRTs showed an overall lower rate of radiological complete response (46.9% vs. 97.8%, p = .001) and were more likely to have more advanced pathological stage tumors in the explant (65.6% vs. 29.6%, p < .001). In conclusion, receipt of ≥5 bridging LRTs prior to LT is associated with worse post‐transplant clinical outcomes.
Sensitization rates to common inhaled allergens in Germany – increase and change patterns over the last 20 years
Authors: Beutner Caroline , Werchan Barbora , Forkel Susann , Gupta Sidhi , Fuchs Thomas , Schön Michael P. , Geier Johannes , Buhl Timo
Published: October 2020

Background:

Sensitization rates to aeroallergens are rising worldwide. The prevalence is increasing, especially in Western countries. We aimed to investigate (1) sensitization rates and (2) cross‐sensitization patterns in skin prick tests (SPTs) for the most relevant inhaled allergens in central Germany over 20 years, adjusted for regional pollen counts.

Patients and Methods:

This monocentric study evaluated SPTs for tree pollen, grass pollen and house dust mites (HDMs) in 4,315 patients (including children) with suspected airway allergies, from 1998–2017.

Results:

Sensitization rates to almost all aeroallergens have increased significantly over time, without relevant changes in regional pollen counts. Current sensitization rates in all our symptomatic patients were highest for grass (55.3 %) and rye pollen (59.6 %), with most pronounced increases in HDM sensitization over time (from 37.8 % to the current figure of 50.1 %). However, a low but consistent proportion of tree‐sensitized patients (3.6–7.8 %) showed isolated positive SPTs to alder and/or hazel pollen without sensitization to birch pollen.

Conclusions

We demonstrate a significant rise in the total number of sensitized patients as well as increases in cross‐sensitization between closely related allergens. Individuals with unusual mono‐sensitization profiles to common inhaled allergens should be studied in more detail, since these patients are currently excluded from clinical trials for allergen immunotherapy.
Phylogenetic diversity metrics from molecular phylogenies: modelling expected degree of error under realistic rate variation
Authors: Ritchie Andrew M. , Hua Xia , Cardillo Marcel , Yaxley Keaghan J. , Dinnage Russell , Bromham Lindell
Published: October 2020

Aim

Phylogenetic diversity or phylo‐diversity measures use information about evolutionary history and relationships to inform conservation priorities. These metrics are usually derived from the branches of molecular phylogenies. But inferring phylogenetic timescale from molecular data relies on many assumptions about the evolutionary process, most of which are based on statistical convenience rather than biological information. Here we ask whether known patterns of variation in rate of molecular evolution can lead to errors in phylo‐diversity measures.

Location

Global.

Methods

We generated sequences with biologically realistic rate variation, parameterized by empirically well‐supported relationships between species traits, macroevolutionary patterns and rate of molecular evolution. We then tested how well commonly used phylo‐diversity measures from these phylogenies reflected the true evolutionary history.

Results

We show that reconstructed Faith’s phylogenetic diversity (FPD) measures differ from true values by an average of about 10% and up to 38%. Species rankings based on evolutionary distinctness (ED) are also affected by rate variation, with the ranks of taxa changing by up to 10‐11 positions after estimation.

Main conclusions

We have shown that realistic levels of rate variation can generate error in FPD and ED measures that could potentially influence prioritization ranking. Studies using metrics based on molecular phylogenetic branch lengths should consider the likely effect of uncertainty in phylogenetic reconstruction on their conclusions.
Early parenting intervention accelerates inhibitory control development among CPS‐involved children in middle childhood: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Korom Marta , Goldstein Alison , Tabachnick Alexandra R. , Palmwood Erin N. , Simons Robert F. , Dozier Mary
Published: October 2020

Children at risk for neglect or abuse are vulnerable to delays in inhibitory control development. Prior findings suggest that early parenting interventions that target parental sensitivity and responsiveness during infancy can improve executive function outcomes of high‐risk children during preschool years; however, little is known about how persistent these gains are through middle childhood. Participants included 76 CPS‐involved children who were randomly assigned to either the ABC intervention (N = 32) or the Developmental Education for Families (DEF) control intervention (N = 44), and 53 low‐risk children. Children completed the Stop Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) paradigm at ages 8 and 10. Intervention group predicted performance on the SSRT at age 8 such that children who received the ABC intervention and children in the low‐risk group performed significantly better than children who received the DEF intervention (ABC vs. DEF: Cohen's d = 0.92; low‐risk group vs. DEF: d = 0.56). The performances of the ABC and the low‐risk groups were not statistically different. There were no significant group differences in SSRT performance at age 10. These findings demonstrate that the ABC intervention has long‐term beneficial effects on inhibitory control development in children with a history of early caregiving adversity. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/P9oLyfo7pYA
WHY DOES ANONYMITY MAKE US MISBEHAVE: DIFFERENT NORMS OR LESS COMPLIANCE?
Authors: Krysowski Eryk , Tremewan James
Published: October 2020

In a laboratory experiment we investigate whether bad behavior in anonymous environments results from more lenient social norms or a reduction in the size of the role played by social norms in decision‐making. We elicit social norms in two dictator games with different levels of anonymity, estimate subjects' willingness‐to‐pay to adhere to norms, and test for treatment differences in each factor. Overall, it is a large reduction in the role played by social norms, which results in more unfair dictator choices when anonymous. Interestingly, however, females find making an unfair decision less acceptable when the dictator is unidentified. (JEL A13, C91, Z10)
Hydrogel baits pose minimal risk to non‐target insects and beneficial species
Authors: Buczkowski Grzegorz
Published: October 2020

Invasive ants are a significant pest around the world and have negative impact on natural and agricultural environments. Chemical control is mainly accomplished with residual sprays and toxic baits. Hydrogel baits are a novel bait formulation that has proven highly effective against multiple invasive ant species, but potential non‐target effects have not been investigated. The baits are typically saturated in 25% sucrose solution which makes them attractive to foraging ants and potentially non‐target organisms such as pollinators. The objective of the current study was to perform field studies to assess the potential attractiveness of hydrogel baits to various pollinating and non‐pollinating arthropods in a variety of ecosystems, including tallgrass prairies, urban pollinator gardens, and commercial apiaries. The study focused on social Hymenoptera as pesticides are acutely toxic to various Hymenoptera and have been implicated as one of the contributing factors in pollinator declines. Results show that Diptera were overwhelmingly the most common visitors and accounted for >40% of all visitors. Other common groups included beetles and yellowjackets. Common pollinating insects such as honeybees, solitary bees, and butterflies rarely visited the baits and accounted for ca. 3% of all visits and were never found on ground baits. Results show that the risk to pollinators is relatively low; most arthropods attracted to the baits were taxa that are extremely abundant, not of conservation concern, and in some cases pestiferous or invasive. The deployment of hydrogels for invasive ant control in areas where multiple invasive insect taxa are present may have the additional benefit of controlling multiple pests.
The role of local radiotherapy following rituximab‐containing chemotherapy in patients with transformed indolent B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Nozaki Kenji , Maruyama Dai , Maeshima Akiko Miyagi , Tajima Kinuko , Itami Jun , Shichijo Takafumi , Yuda Sayako , Suzuki Tomotaka , Toyoda Kosuke , Yamauchi Nobuhiko , Makita Shinichi , Fukuhara Suguru , Munakata Wataru , Kobayashi Yukio , Taniguchi Hirokazu , Izutsu Koji , Tobinai Kensei
Published: October 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of local radiotherapy (LRT) in patients with histologic transformation (HT) following rituximab‐containing chemotherapy.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 92 patients with biopsy‐confirmed HT undergoing rituximab‐containing chemotherapy at our institution between 2003 and 2015.

Results

Of the 36 patients with limited‐stage disease at diagnosis of HT, 29 (78%) received LRT. The estimated 5‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) rate was significantly better in patients who underwent LRT than in those who did not (93% and 42%, respectively; P < 0.05). Multivariate analyses employing age, sex, performance status, LRT and treatment response demonstrated that LRT was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 11.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28‐108.1; P < 0.05). Of the 32 patients who underwent LRT for HT lesion treatment, 31 (97%) did not show disease progression within radiation fields; among them, 27 patients (84%) survived without disease progression during the follow‐up period. One patient developed hypothyroidism due to LRT; the others had no acute or late‐onset complications of LRT.

Conclusions

Our data support the recommendation of LRT for HT lesion treatment following rituximab‐containing chemotherapy in select patients with localised HT, as a rational treatment approach with potentially limited toxicity.
Corneal sub‐basal whorl‐like nerve plexus: a landmark for early and follow‐up evaluation in transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy
Authors: Zhang Y. , Liu Z. , Zhang Y. , Wang H. , Liu X. , Zhang S. , Liu X. , Fan D.
Published: October 2020

Background and purpose

Small‐fiber nerves are the first to be involved in transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR‐FAP) patients. In vivo corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is a noninvasive technique to detect small‐fiber polyneuropathy (SFN) by quantifying corneal nerve morphology. The characteristic whorl‐like pattern of the corneal nerve provides a static landmark for observation. We aimed to evaluate whether CCM images of the whorl‐like plexus can sensitively evaluate and monitor disease progression in FAP patients.

Methods

Fifteen FAP patients and 15 controls underwent neurological evaluation and CCM observation. Corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL), corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD) detected by conventional method and inferior whorl length (IWL), inferior whorl fiber density (IWFD), and inferior whorl branch density (IWBD) were compared in controls and patients. The Langerhans cell (LC) density in each image was calculated.

Results

All CCM parameters were significantly reduced with disease progression. Preclinical patients had significantly lower IWL (P = 0.008) than age‐matched controls. IWL (P = 0.006), CNFL (P = 0.005), CNBD (P = 0.008), and CNFD (P = 0.014) were significantly lower in early‐phase patients. LC density was significantly increased around the central whorl in early‐phase patients and was relatively lower in progressive patients. Both IWL and CNFL correlated with the severity of neuropathy, and IWL was more significantly reduced. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for FAP with CNFL and IWL was 88.0% (95% CI, 70.9%–96.9%) and 89.3% (95% CI, 72.6%–97.6%), respectively, exceeding other parameters.

Conclusions

IWL is a more sensitive surrogate to detect preclinical SFN in FAP and can best discriminate patients from controls. The clustering of immature LCs at the inferior whorl area might reflect the inflammatory response of small‐fiber nerves at the early stage.
Anterior temporal encephaloceles: Elusive, important, and rewarding to treat
Authors: Tse Gabrielle T. , Frydman Aviva S. , O’Shea Marie F. , Fitt Greg J. , Weintrob David L. , Murphy Michael A. , Fabinyi Gavin C. , Bulluss Kristian J. , Cook Mark J. , Berkovic Samuel F.
Published: October 2020

Objective

To investigate the etiology and longitudinal clinical, neuropsychological, psychosocial, and surgical outcome profile of patients with medication refractory epilepsy and temporal encephaloceles with a view to highlight diagnostic clues and management strategies.

Methods

The comprehensive epilepsy program databases at two surgical epilepsy centers from January 2000 to October 2018 were reviewed for this observational study, to identify patients with encephaloceles causing temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and treated with surgical resection. Their clinical, radiological, neuropsychological, psychiatric, and surgical data were obtained. Body mass index (BMI) data were also reviewed due to possible correlation between idiopathic intracranial hypertension and encephaloceles.

Results

Thirteen patients (eight female) were identified; only three were recognized on initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) report. Temporal encephaloceles were identified on the left in eight patients, on the right in three patients, and bilaterally in two patients. One patient had a strong family history of encephaloceles. The median BMI for patients with seizure onset ≤20 years of age was 22.4, whereas for patients with onset >20 years median BMI was 32.6 (P = .06). Five patients underwent a focal lesionectomy, three patients had limited temporal lobectomy, and five patients had standard anterior temporal lobectomy. Median postoperative follow‐up was 5.5 years. All but one patient were free of disabling seizures. Nine of ten neuropsychologically tested patients had no discernable cognitive decline postoperatively. Postoperative psychosocial adjustment features were present in four patients.

Significance

Genetic factors and a possible association with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (given female predominance and elevated BMI) may contribute to the causation of temporal lobe encephaloceles. It is notable that a targeted surgical approach in the management of patients with TLE associated with encephaloceles has an excellent long‐term clinical and neuropsychological outcome. Subtle encephaloceles should be actively searched for in patients with drug‐resistant TLE because they significantly change surgical strategy and prognostication.