bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How organisations can remove barriers to increase workforce collaboration
Authors: Watson Andrew
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how organisations can remove the barriers that they are currently coming up against to increase their workforce collaboration. Playing a key role in workforce transformation, HR faces pressures to remove the barriers that stand in the way of effective collaboration and decision-making; and Andrew Watson explores in this piece the ways in which organisations can empower employees to take a more collaborative approach to work.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on Andrew’s extensive experience in HR, this is a thought led opinion piece.

Findings

The findings of the paper show that to empower employees to foster greater collaboration, organisations require a broader cultural shift in organisation. Although there are new challenges such as hybrid working models and siloed departments, Andrew’s paper reveals that to become a more collaborative workplace, employees need a platform that will allow them to come together and cultivate openness and transparency. Technology has the power to break down the communication barriers that stand in the way of effective ideas and knowledge sharing strategies. It can also help teams make incremental improvements quickly without having to wait for multiple approvals.

Originality/value

Drawing on Andrew’s extensive experience in HR to share insights.
Measuring tourism success: alternative considerations
Authors: Butler Richard
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The study aims to explore the possibility of redefining success in tourism and measuring such a phenomenon by considering alternatives to economic factors, and to identify the ways such measurement could be implemented.

Design/methodology/approach

The study reviews and explains current approaches to defining and measuring success in tourism in the literature, followed by identification of alternative factors which could be measured and the implications of such a change in approach.

Findings

There has been a long-standing emphasis and priority placed on measuring tourism at the national level with a focus on economic criteria, and this has been followed at regional and local levels. The result has been that success has become equated with volume, supporting the aim of continued growth in tourism. Such an approach and attitude mitigate against achieving or moving towards sustainability, and other measures are needed to avoid problems such as overtourism.

Originality/value

There has been little discussion of moving to a wider range of indicators of success in tourism, and the previous focus has been on economic criteria and competitiveness as shown by tourist numbers. This paper presents a discussion of an alternative approach, showing that tourism stakeholders from national to local levels need to redefine success as including factors such as community and environmental well-being and focus on a wider concept of success. Using existing data and organisations would enable measuring such concepts to be done without major change or greatly increased costs to agencies.
Stratigraphy and Zircon Provenance of a Late Paleoproterozoic Terrestrial Sequence underlying the Xiong'er Volcanics in the Southern North China Craton
Authors: SUN Fengbo , ZHENG Deshun , ZUO Pengfei , LIU Weiqing
Published: January 2022

The late Paleoproterozoic Dagushi Formation comprises a fluvial‐lacustrine succession and represents the initial fill of the Xiong'er Basin in the southern North China Craton. Employing integrated outcrop surveys and detrital zircon U‐Pb‐Hf dating, this study examines the provenance and depositional setting of the Dagushi Formation. Five major depositional facies, including braided channel, distributary channel, subaqueous stream/mouth bar, pro‐delta and shallow lake, were identified, based on lithofacies and associations. They were interpreted as representing a braided river delta‐lacustrine system. The ages of the last metamorphic event of the basement, covering volcanics and the youngest zircon together constrain a depositional age of ca. 1.79 Ga for the Dagushi Formation. Zircon age distributions reveal a provenance change from ca. 2.7–2.5 Ga rocks in the lower part, to ca. 2.3–1.9 Ga sources in the middle‐upper part of the Dagushi Formation. Considering the vertical sedimentology, this provenance change could be induced by the rising water‐level caused by a tectonic subsidence. The ca. 2.7–2.5 Ga zircons are suggested to be locally sourced from the late Neoarchean–Paleoproterozoic metamorphic basement. The northeast Zhongtiao Mts area (current co‐ordinates) is supposed to have appeared as a paleo‐uplift and served as a source area for the Paleoproterozoic grains. The Dagushi Formation records an early ‘underfilled’ stage of the Xiong'er Rift.
Seismic Imaging and 3D Architecture of Yongle Atoll of the Xisha Archipelago, South China Sea
Authors: WU Shiguo , ZHANG Hanyu , QIN Yongpeng , CHEN Wanli , LIU Gang , HAN Xiaohui
Published: January 2022

Yongle atoll in the Xisha (Paracel) Archipelago is an isolated carbonate platform developed on Precambrian metamorphic and Mesozoic volcanic rocks since the early Miocene. To identify the 3D stratigraphic architecture and evolution of this platform, 13 high‐resolution seismic profiles and shallow‐to‐deep water multi‐beam data were processed and analyzed to reveal seismic facies, sequence boundary reflectors, seismic units, and platform architecture. Nine types of seismic facies were recognized based on their geometry, which included seismic amplitude, continuity, and termination patterns; additionally, six reflections, i.e., Tg, T60, T50, T40, T30, and T20, were identified in the Cenozoic strata. Five seismic units, SQ1 (lower Miocene), SQ2 (middle Miocene), SQ3 (upper Miocene), SQ4 (Pliocene), and SQ5 (Quaternary), were identified from bottom to top across the platform. The platform grew rapidly in the middle Miocene and backstepped in the late Miocene–Pliocene. Here, we discuss the developmental characteristics and evolution of the Yongle Atoll, in combination with drilling wells, which can be divided into four stages: the initiation stage in the early Miocene, the flourishing stage in the middle Miocene, the partial‐drowning stage in the late Miocene–Pliocene, and modern atoll in the Quaternary.
Denosumab and invasive cervical root resorption: a case report
Authors: Beaumont S , Angel CM , Dawson S‐J
Published: January 2022

This case report describes an adverse side effect from long‐term denosumab therapy in a patient with metastatic breast cancer. The patient presented with extensive invasive cervical root resorption affecting most of her dentition. There were no other identified risk factors. As the treatment of breast cancer evolves leading to improved survival, and the number of cancer survivors increases, it is expected that dental practitioners will see a growing number of patients who are on long‐term denosumab. Comprehensive dental examinations including radiographs are warranted to identify unusual or unexpected findings such as invasive cervical root resorption. © 2022 Australian Dental Association
EAACI position paper on the clinical use of the bronchial allergen challenge: Unmet needs and research priorities
Authors: Agache Ioana , Antolin‐Amerigo Dario , de Blay Frederic , Boccabella Cristina , Caruso Cristiano , Chanez Pascal , Couto Mariana , Covar Ronina , Doan Serge , Fauquert Jean‐Luc , Gauvreau Gail , Gherasim Alina , Klimek Ludger , Lemiere Catherine , Nair Parameswaran , Ojanguren Iñigo , Peden David , Perez‐de‐Llano Luis , Pfaar Oliver , Rondon Carmen , Rukhazde Maia , Sastre Joaquin , Schulze Johannes , Silva Diana , Tarlo Susan , Toppila‐Salmi Sanna , Walusiak‐Skorupa Jolanta , Zielen Stefan , Eguiluz‐Gracia Ibon
Published: January 2022

Allergic asthma (AA) is a common asthma phenotype, and its diagnosis requires both the demonstration of IgE‐sensitization to aeroallergens and the causative role of this sensitization as a major driver of asthma symptoms. Therefore, a bronchial allergen challenge (BAC) would be occasionally required to identify AA patients among atopic asthmatics. Nevertheless, BAC is usually considered a research tool only, with existing protocols being tailored to mild asthmatics and research needs (eg long washout period for inhaled corticosteroids). Consequently, existing BAC protocols are not designed to be performed in moderate‐to‐severe asthmatics or in clinical practice. The correct diagnosis of AA might help select patients for immunomodulatory therapies. Allergen sublingual immunotherapy is now registered and recommended for controlled or partially controlled patients with house dust mite‐driven AA and with FEV1 ≥ 70%. Allergen avoidance is costly and difficult to implement for the management of AA, so the proper selection of patients is also beneficial. In this position paper, the EAACI Task Force proposes a methodology for clinical BAC that would need to be validated in future studies. The clinical implementation of BAC could ultimately translate into a better phenotyping of asthmatics in real life, and into a more accurate selection of patients for long‐term and costly management pathways.
Importance of electromagnetic interactions between ICD and VAD devices—Mechanistic assessment
Authors: Schnegg Bruno , Robson Desiree , Fürholz Monika , Meredith Tom , Kessler Cassia , Baldinger Samuel H. , Hayward Christopher
Published: January 2022

Background

Implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are established interventions that prolong life in advanced heart failure, but their combination has not been demonstrated as beneficial. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) produced by a LVAD can preclude ICD interrogation with external programmers. We undertook a systematic evaluation of the LVAD–ICD interaction “in‐vitro” to clarify the extent of this interaction.

Methods

Using explanted ICDs and VADs in a mock physiological rig, we assessed interrogation and reprogramming of ICD devices in the presence of a running LVAD. When connectivity between the ICD programmer and the ICD failed, we attempted three different techniques to re‐establish connectivity: (1) Electromagnetic shielding of the ICD with a pseudo‐faraday cage; (2) altering the LVAD speed; and (3) increasing the distance between the VAD and the ICD.

Results

We tested a total of 24 ICDs from different manufacturers in the presence of the Heartware (HW) and HeartMate 3 (HM3) LVADs. With HW, we only observed interaction with Biotronik ICD devices at very close range (0–6 cm). With HM3, only Medtronic ICD devices showed no interaction. Interactions could be mitigated by increasing the VAD–ICD distance.

Conclusions

LVADs, notably the HM3, produce EMI that interferes with the communication between an ICD and its respective programmer. This may need to be considered when choosing the type of VAD to implant in patients with a previously implanted left‐sided ICD. The only safe way to regain connectivity is to increase the distance between the VAD and the ICD, with patients raising their arm above their head.
The regulatory mechanism between lysosomes and mitochondria in the aetiology of cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Zhao Mengxue , Lian Andrew , Zhong Li , Guo Rui
Published: January 2022

Coordinated action among various organelles maintains cellular functions. For instance, mitochondria and lysosomes are the main organelles contributing to cellular metabolism and provide energy for cardiomyocyte contraction. They also provide essential signalling platforms in the cell that regulate many key processes such as autophagy, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death. Often, abnormalities in mitochondrial or lysosomal structures and functions bring about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Although the communication between mitochondria and lysosomes throughout the cardiovascular system is intensely studied, the regulatory mechanisms have not been completely understood. Thus, we summarize the most recent studies related to mitochondria and lysosomes’ role in CVDs and their potential connections and communications under cardiac pathophysiological conditions. Further, we discuss limitations and future perspectives regarding diagnosis, therapeutic strategies and drug discovery in CVDs.
Acute pyelonephritis: Increased plasma membrane targeting of renal aquaporin‐2
Authors: Ernstsen Christina V. , Login Frédéric H. , Schelde Anne‐Sofie B. , Therkildsen Jacob R. , Møller‐Jensen Jakob , Nørregaard Rikke , Prætorius Helle , Nejsum Lene N.
Published: January 2022

Aim

Aquaporin‐2 (AQP2) shuttling between intracellular vesicles and the apical plasma membrane is pivotal in arginine vasopressin‐mediated urine concentration and is dysregulated in multiple diseases associated with water balance disorders. Children and adults with acute pyelonephritis have a urinary concentration defect and studies in children revealed increased AQP2 excretion in the urine. This study aimed to analyse AQP2 trafficking in response to acute pyelonephritis.

Methods

Immunofluorescence analysis was used to evaluate subcellular localization of AQP2 and AQP2‐S256A (mimicking non‐phosphorylated AQP2 on serine 256) in cells stimulated with bacterial lysates and of AQP2 and pS256‐AQP2 in a mouse model at day 5 of acute pyelonephritis. Western blotting was used to evaluate AQP2 levels and AQP2 phosphorylation on S256 upon incubation with bacterial lysates. Time‐lapse imaging was used to measure intracellular cAMP levels in response to incubation with bacterial lysates.

Results

In cell cultures, lysates from both uropathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria‐mediated AQP2 plasma membrane targeting and increased AQP2 phosphorylation on serine 256 (pS256) without increasing cAMP levels. Both bacterial lysates induced plasma membrane targeting of AQP2‐S256A. Immunofluorescence analysis of renal sections from mice after 5 days of acute pyelonephritis revealed apical plasma membrane targeting of AQP2 and pS256‐AQP2 in inner medullary collecting ducts.

Conclusion

Uropathogenic bacteria induce AQP2 plasma membrane targeting in vitro and in vivo. cAMP levels were not elevated by the bacterial lysates and AQP2 plasma membrane targeting could occur without S256 phosphorylation. This may explain increased AQP2 excretion in the urine during acute pyelonephritis.
Is clindamycin a potential treatment for prostatitis?
Authors: Ritter Lisiani , Bergoza Larissa , Possa Eduarda , Tasso Leandro
Published: January 2022

Cutibacterium acnes has been associated with chronic prostatitis, which can potentially favor the appearance of tumors in the prostate. Prostatitis is difficult to treat, and the drug needs to be able to penetrate the prostate. The aim was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of clindamycin in the interstitial fluid of rat prostate using microdialysis. Microdialysis probes were recovered in vitro and in vivo. Clindamycin was administered at 80 mg/kg iv bolus for plasma and tissue pharmacokinetic experiments. A microdialysis probe was implanted in the prostate gland for collections over an 8‐hour period. The pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by both compartmental and non‐compartmental approaches. Penetration was determined as the ratio between the area under the curve and the time of the clindamycin measurement in the prostate. The recovery of the in vivo probes was 38.11 ± 1.14%. The plasma profile was modeled by a two‐compartment pharmacokinetic model. Clindamycin presented a prostate/plasma ratio of 1.02, with free concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration for Cutibacterium acnes isolates. This was the first study that determined clindamycin free concentrations in the prostatic fluid of rats. These findings suggest that clindamycin may be an effective alternative for the treatment of prostatitis caused by Cutibacterium acnes.
Transcending the Shadow of Alcoholism
Authors: Tyler Susan
Published: January 2022

This paper explores potential reasons why a high proportion of children of alcoholics develop significant substance misuse problems. The author suggests it is potentially indicative of transgenerational trauma, which results in developmental deficits that may be managed by substance misuse. The paper describes how Jung's concept of the transcendent function provides a powerful therapeutic tool to link divided and split off parts of the self in a containing matrix. This is contrasted with Kleinian approaches to addictive states of mind. The alcoholic defence or ‘solution’ is examined through a Jungian lens. The transformative potential lies in holding the tension between wanting to ‘give up’ the family cycle of alcoholism versus ‘giving in’ to the alcoholic solution. Moving away from an identification with the alcoholic solution involves mourning and loss which is often vehemently resisted. The value in Jung's idea of the transcendent function is in the creative potential leading to growth arising from the dynamic tension of these opposites. The paper describes how they come together in fantasy, symbols and transference using a clinical case.
Quantifying the relative contributions of Miocene rivers to the deep Gulf of Mexico using detrital zircon geochronology: Implications for the evolution of Gulf Basin circulation and regional drainage
Authors: Xu Jie , Snedden John W. , Fulthorpe Craig S. , Stockli Daniel F. , Galloway William E. , Sickmann Zachary T.
Published: January 2022

Sediment routing from hinterland to the deep sea is complicated because it involves evolution of river drainage from source areas to coastal plains and sediment mixing on the shelf and slope by marine currents. Previous regional paleogeographic mapping in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has observed a >150 km offset between the middle Miocene paleo‐Tennessee fluvial axis and the associated deep‐sea fan depositional axis, indicating a complicated sediment pathway. We integrate new and published detrital zircon (DZ) U‐Pb age data from fluvial, shelf and deep‐sea deposits to examine the complex Miocene sediment routing system in the northern GOM. These data suggest an increase in sediment load derived from western North America (increased Western Cordillera terranes; <300 Ma zircon age component) from the early to middle Miocene in the deep‐water Green Canyon protraction area. The early Miocene Green Canyon area received sediments mainly from fluvial axes located directly updip: the paleo‐Mississippi River (44%–56%; characterized by Yavapai‐Mazatzal, Mid‐Continent and Western Cordillera sourced 1800–1600 Ma, 1500–1300 Ma and <300 Ma, respectively, and Grenville‐Appalachian sourced 1300–950 Ma and 500–300 Ma age components) and smaller rivers and tributaries draining the Appalachian Mountains (e.g. paleo‐Tennessee River, 18%–43%; mainly Grenville‐Appalachian sourced 1300–9500 Ma and 500–300 Ma age components). In contrast, the middle Miocene Green Canyon deep‐sea fan shows a strong DZ signal from the paleo‐Red River (38%; increased <300 Ma zircon age component), which requires input of additional sediment sources from west of the paleo‐Mississippi system. In addition, the paleo‐Tennessee River, which was a major middle‐Miocene sediment source for the central‐eastern GOM due to uplift and increased erosion of the Appalachian Mountains, is underrepresented (34%; decreased 1300–950 Ma zircon age component) in the middle Miocene Green Canyon fan. We suggest that two mechanisms combined to produce the increased middle Miocene input from western sediment sources and restriction of locally up‐dip Tennessee River sources: (1) regional drainage changes involving middle Miocene capture of the paleo‐Red River and its tributaries by the paleo‐Mississippi River, which at the same time lost some of its eastern tributaries owing to expansion of the paleo‐Tennessee and (2) eastward (clockwise) marine transport of western‐sourced sediment along the shelf or slope, which deflected the paleo‐Tennessee signal >150 km eastward to feed the deep‐sea fan further east, perhaps reflecting intensification of a precursor to the GOM Loop Current.
The impact of an additional year in high school on academic performance at university: Evidence from a policy experiment in Ghana
Authors: Abekah‐Nkrumah Gordon , Asuming Patrick Opoku , Yusif Hadrat
Published: January 2022

Motivation

While education plays a fundamental role in economic development, the design of an appropriate educational structure, including duration of study at various levels, remains an issue of major policy debate in many low‐income countries. In Ghana, the issue of the length of high school education is an issue of ongoing policy debate.

Purpose

This study estimates the effects of an additional year in senior high school (SHS) on academic performance at university level.

Methods and approach

Using data from the two largest public universities in Ghana, the article exploits a unique natural experimental variation in the years of secondary education created by policy changes in pre‐university education in Ghana to estimate the impact of an additional year in SHS on a number of academic outcomes at university level.

Findings

We find that an additional year of SHS education has no impact on academic performance. We did not find any statistically significant difference in the likelihood of completing undergraduate studies in four years, or of graduating with a first‐class degree, or the final grade point average (GPA) of students who attended SHS for four years versus their counterparts who attended SHS for only three years. However, our descriptive analyses show that an additional year in SHS improves chances of students from less‐endowed SHS gaining admission to university, especially to health sciences programmes.

Policy implications

The nuanced nature of the results suggests the need to further interrogate the policy on SHS duration in Ghana. This may help ensure that the implementation of the policy does not end up making some segment of the student population worse off.
Reform of higher education governance structures in Poland
Authors: Waligóra Anna , Górski Marcin
Published: January 2022

The implementation of a new higher education policy started in Poland in 2020. The new policy seeks to internationalise and transform universities to increase their competitiveness. This article describes the historical context, issues and reasoning behind the reform as well as some of the challenges for the future development of higher education governance structures in Poland. Current efforts to implement the new policy at leading universities in Poland are described as examples of the changing higher education governance landscape in Poland. Despite an ideological shift and change of the political system in 1989 in Poland, higher education governance has been slow to change. Polish scientists have called for higher education reforms to address a host of problems: a mismatch of the structure of the higher education system to social and economic challenges; universities suffer from limited financial autonomy; the quality of higher education is not sufficient; barriers for researchers to pursue excellence that have been identified need to be addressed. In 2016 the Polish government started a process of dialogue with the academic world in Poland, creating the foundations for the new, revolutionary bill of higher education, the Constitution for Science. The new policy of the Polish government bases, in theory, the transformation of universities on their internationalisation to make Polish science an equal partner for leading higher education centres in the world. The example of changes in Polish higher education serves a comparative reference for the development of higher education governance in Europe.
FLEXIBILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY: TOWARD THE UNDERSTANDING OF FIRM HETEROGENEITY
Authors: Macedoni Luca , Xu Mingzhi (Jimmy)
Published: January 2022

We document four new stylized facts using Chinese firm‐level data to show that the standard single‐attribute model of trade, in which firms only differ in productivity, must be augmented with an additional layer of heterogeneity to match the facts. To match the evidence, a model requires heterogeneity in flexibility, namely, the ability to introduce new varieties in a destination at low costs. We calibrate our model and find suggestive evidence of a trade‐off between productivity and flexibility. Furthermore, we show that ignoring firm flexibility causes a large underestimation of the welfare effects of trade.
Brand hate: A systematic literature review and future research agenda
Authors: Yadav Abhishek , Chakrabarti Somnath
Published: January 2022

With the upsurge in academia’s interest in understanding the feeling of hatred toward brands in recent years, there is a need to consolidate the relevant literature. Through this study, the authors provide a systematic review of the extant literature on brand hate and shed light upon future research directions. The comprehensive review subsumes a rigorous analysis of peer‐reviewed articles using the stimulus‐organism‐response model to delineate the extant literature. This study also advances a conceptual framework to facilitate the understanding of consumers’ hatred for brands. Finally, the study utilizes theory, context, characteristics, method framework to outline future research agenda and offers valuable implications for practitioners.
Performance pay and alcohol use in Germany
Authors: Baktash Mehrzad B. , Heywood John S. , Jirjahn Uwe
Published: January 2022

Previous studies show that performance pay can benefit firms and workers by increasing productivity and wages. Yet, performance pay can also have unintended consequences for worker health. Using data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel, we examine the hypothesis that alcohol use as “self‐medication” is a natural response to the stress and uncertainty associated with performance pay. We find that the likelihood of consuming each of four types of alcohol (beer, wine, spirits, and mixed drinks) is higher for those receiving performance pay even controlling for a long list of economic, social, and personality characteristics and in sensible instrumental variable estimates. We also show that the number of types of alcohol consumed is larger for those receiving performance pay and that the intensity of consumption increases.
An inventory hub location model for multi‐coal‐fired coastal power plants: a case study in Guangdong district
Authors: Han Peixiu , Sun Zhuo , Liu Zhongbo
Published: January 2022

The increasing demand for electric power is an established trend in China, of which coal power accounts for a large proportion. This paper proposes an inventory hub location model considering multi‐type coal to minimize the total transportation and inventory cost in a multi‐coal‐power supply chain. A second‐order cone programming method is adopted to convert the original model. The exact solutions of the small‐scale real case show that the model can greatly reduce the total costs by CPLEX. For real‐world large‐scale cases, a customized greedy randomized adaptive search simulated annealing algorithm is devised and tested to obtain near‐optimal solutions within a reasonable time. The research has strong practical guiding significance for the management of the thermal coal supply chain.
Spruce budworm bacterial communities vary among sites and host tree species in a boreal landscape
Authors: Landry Mathieu , James Patrick M. A. , Kneeshaw Dan , Kembel Steven W.
Published: January 2022

Aim

Microbial communities often vary spatially in how they assemble and knowledge is lacking about which factors determine the biogeography of host‐associated microbiomes. Our aim is to assess the relative importance of spatial, environmental and host‐associated factors on microbial community composition of an important defoliating insect.

Location

Boreal forests in eastern Canada (Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador).

Taxon

The eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) and its associated bacterial communities.

Methods

We characterized bacterial communities associated with spruce budworm larvae using bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We quantified how much of the variation in these bacterial communities could be explained by (1) environmental conditions, (2) the microbiome of foliage the larvae were eating, (3) host tree species and (4) spatial structure as quantified using Moran's Eigenvector Maps (MEMs).

Results

Budworm larval microbiomes varied significantly among sites and between host tree species. Larvae bacterial community structure was strongly correlated with the structure of bacterial communities taken from paired foliage samples. Spatial structure, foliage bacterial communities and host tree species collectively explained almost one‐sixth of the variation in budworm bacterial communities while environmental conditions did not explain variation on their own.

Main conclusions

Lepidopteran microbiomes primarily originate from the foliage diet. However, subtle differences in microbial communities between larvae and foliage suggest that some bacteria establish and grow in the budworm microbiome, and that dispersal of bacteria from sources other than foliage as well as differences in environmental filtering between larval bodies and foliage play a role in the assembly of the budworm microbiome. While spatial location and spatial structure were also important drivers of spruce budworm bacterial community composition, none of the environmental variables we measured could explain the variation among sites, and identifying the drivers of this spatial variation remains an open question that will need to be addressed by future studies.
Pulsed‐field ablation combined with ultrahigh‐density mapping in patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: Practical and electrophysiological considerations
Authors: Gunawardene Melanie A. , Schaeffer Benjamin N. , Jularic Mario , Eickholt Christian , Maurer Tilman , Akbulak Ruken Ö. , Flindt Max , Anwar Omar , Pape Ulrich F. , Maasberg Sebastian , Gessler Nele , Hartmann Jens , Willems Stephan
Published: January 2022

Background

Pulsed‐field ablation (PFA) yields a novel ablation technology for atrial fibrillation (AF). PFA lesions promise to be highly durable, however clinical data on lesion characteristics are still limited.

Objective

This study sought to investigate PFA lesion creation with ultrahigh‐density (UHDx) mapping.

Methods

Consecutive AF patients underwent PFA‐based pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using a multispline catheter (Farwave, Farapulse Inc.). Additional ablation, including left atrial posterior wall isolation (LAPWI) and mitral isthmus ablation (MI) were performed in a subset of persistent AF patients. The extent of PFA‐lesions and decrease of LA‐voltage were assessed with pre‐ and post PFA UHDx‐mapping (Orion™ catheter and Rhythmia™ 3D‐mapping system, Boston Scientific).

Results

In 20 patients, acute PVI was achieved in 80/80 PVs, LAPW isolation in 9/9 patients, MI ablation in 2/2 (procedure time: 123 ± 21.6 min, fluoroscopy time: 19.2 ± 5.5 min). UHDx‐mapping subsequent to PVI revealed early PV‐reconnection in five case (5/80, 6.25%). Gaps were located at the anterior‐superior PV ostia and were successfully targeted with additional PFA. Repeat UHDx mapping after PFA revealed a significant decrease of voltage along the PV ostia (1.67 ± 1.36 mV vs. 0.053 ± 0.038 mV, p < .0001) with almost no complex electrogram‐fractionation at the lesion border zones. PFA‐catheter visualization within the mapping system was feasible in 17/19 (84.9%) patients and adequate in 92.9% of ablation sites.

Conclusion

For the first time illustrated by UHDx mapping, PFA creates wide antral circumferential lesions and homogenous LAPW isolation with depression of tissue voltage to a minimum. Although with a low incidence, early PV reconnection can still occur also in the setting of PFA.
Depth of the cutting plane with underwater and conventional endoscopic mucosal resection: Post‐hoc analysis of a randomized study
Authors: Matsueda Katsunori , Takeuchi Yoji , Kitamura Masanori , Yamashina Takeshi , Akasaka Tomofumi , Iwatsubo Taro , Nakatani Yasuki , Akamatsu Takuji , Kawamura Takuji , Fujii Shigehiko , Kusaka Toshihiro , Shimokawa Toshio , Uedo Noriya
Published: January 2022

Background and Aim

A multicenter randomized controlled trial reported a better R0 resection rate for intermediate‐sized (10–20 mm) colorectal polyps with underwater endoscopic mucosal resection (UEMR) than conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (CEMR). To clarify whether UEMR removes enough submucosal tissue in the removal of unpredictable invasive cancers, we investigated the cutting plane depth with UEMR versus CEMR.

Methods

This was a post‐hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial in which 210 intermediate‐sized colorectal polyps were removed in five Japanese hospitals. One pathologist and two gastroenterologists independently reviewed all resected specimens and measured the cutting plane depth. The cutting plane depth was evaluated as (i) maximum depth of submucosal layer and (ii) mean depth of submucosal layer, calculated using a virtual pathology system.

Results

We identified 168 appropriate specimens for the evaluation of the cutting plane depth, resected by UEMR (n = 88) and CEMR (n = 80). The median resection depth was not significantly different between UEMR and CEMR specimens, regardless of the measurement method ([i] 1317 vs 1290 μm, P = 0.52; [ii] 619 vs 545 μm, P = 0.32). All specimens in the UEMR and CEMR groups contained substantial submucosa and no muscularis propria.

Conclusions

The cutting plane depth with UEMR was comparable with that with CEMR. UEMR can be a viable alternative method that adequately resects the submucosal layer for the histopathological assessment of unpredictable submucosal invasive cancers.
Management of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in pregnancy: Case series study and literature review
Authors: Liu Congcong , Gao Jinsong , Liu Juntao
Published: January 2022

Aim

The diagnosis and treatment of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in pregnancy is challenging due to its rarity. We aim to analyze and summarize the clinical characteristics of HLH in pregnancy, and to discuss effective diagnostic and treatment options.

Methods

Thirteen patients with HLH during pregnancy who were diagnosed and treated at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2000 to December 2019 were studied retrospectively. We collected data on treatment regimens and on maternal and pregnancy outcomes.

Results

All patients had a singleton pregnancy, with a median age of 28 years (range, 22–33 years) and a median gestational age of 23 weeks (7–36 weeks). Twelve patients received corticosteroids, and four patients (with/without intravenous immunoglobulin) showed a curative effect. Two patients who were treated with dexamethasone and etoposide after termination of pregnancy achieved complete remission. Two patients attained remission after termination of pregnancy. Four pregnant women died, and the mortality rate was 30.8% (4/13). Fetal or neonatal death up to 1 week after delivery occurred in eight (61.5%) pregnancies.

Conclusions

Early diagnosis and treatment are important for maternal survival, and corticosteroids are the first choice for most patients with HLH during pregnancy. For patients who do not respond to corticosteroids, etoposide and termination of pregnancy may be life‐saving.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 in subgingival plaque and periodontal diseases. Meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Arduino Paolo G. , Cabras Marco , Lodi Giovanni , Petti Stefano
Published: January 2022

Background and objectives

This meta‐analysis of observational studies (PROSPERO registration number CRD42021236054) sought to investigate strength and generalizability of the association of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) in subjects with plaque‐induced gingivitis and periodontitis, since the data from literature are contrasting.

Material and methods

Case–control and cross‐sectional studies, investigating HSV‐1 in subgingival plaque/crevicular fluid and periodontal status, were searched through MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. From each study the crude odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95CI) was extracted, and the pooled OR was assessed for periodontitis, chronic and aggressive, and gingivitis. The meta‐analytic method was chosen based on the level of heterogeneity. The generalizability of results, determined by the meta‐analysis bias, was investigated through secondary analyses including sensitivity analyses for study quality, publication bias, and study inclusion, and subgroup analyses for quality of scientific journals that published the primary studies, world Region, subgingival plaque sampling method and study design.

Results

Twelve studies were included (738 cases, 551 controls). The pooled ORs were 4.4 (95CI, 1.9–10.2) for any periodontitis; specifically, 2.8 (95CI, 1.0–8.3) for chronic periodontitis, 11.8 (95CI, 5.4–25.8) for aggressive periodontitis and 4.8 (95CI, 2.1–11.0) for gingivitis. These estimates were statistically significant, excluding for chronic periodontitis, resulting marginally significant (p = .05). Secondary analyses on any and aggressive periodontitis, and, partly, chronic periodontitis corroborated the results, while the material was insufficient for secondary analyses on gingivitis.

Conclusions

The results obtained indicated that HSV‐1 is associated with periodontitis, while data about gingivitis are inconclusive. HSV‐1 investigation in subgingival plaque could help assess periodontitis risk and severity and, if causal association were confirmed, could contribute to its control.
Labor & delivery unit closures most impact travel times to birth locations for micropolitan residents in Iowa
Authors: Carrel Margaret , Keino Barbara C. , Ryckman Kelli K. , Radke Stephanie
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Continued closure of rural hospitals and labor & delivery units can impact timely access to care. Iowa has lost over a quarter of its labor & delivery units in the previous decade. Calculating how travel times to labor & delivery services have changed, and where in the state the largest travel times take place, are important for understanding access to this critical service.

Methods

Using parental address and facility location from birth certificate data in Iowa from 2013 to 2019, travel times to birth facility are assessed for rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan parents, as well as for complicated versus noncomplicated births and Medicaid versus non‐Medicaid recipients.

Findings

Parts of the state have travel times that are consistently greater than 30 minutes over the duration of the study. The largest increases in travel times are found among micropolitan residents, particularly those experiencing complicated births. Travel times are consistently the longest for rural residents but increased only slightly over the study time period.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that access to hospital‐based obstetric care is most changed for residents of small towns rather than rural or larger city residents.
Left common carotid artery to left innominate vein arteriovenous fistula after transvenous laser lead extraction
Authors: Levesque Patrick , Plourde Benoît , Jacques Frédéric , Charbonneau Éric , Audet Marie‐Ève , Poulin Jean‐François , Philippon François
Published: January 2022

Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is used for lead infection, lead debulking, venous recanalization and device upgrades. Lead extraction is performed using specialized tools including locking stylets, mechanical or rotating sheaths, femoral snares or laser sheaths. The most feared complications associated with lead extraction are bleeding, vascular tear, cardiac avulsion and tamponade. Despite technological progress, the incidence of major procedural complications including death remains slightly above 1%. This case depicts an asymptomatic left common carotid artery (LCCA) to left innominate vein arteriovenous fistula (AVF) after laser‐assisted TLE successfully treated with an endovascular covered stent.
Fine‐tuning of SUMOylation modulates drought tolerance of apple
Authors: Li Xuewei , Zhou Shuangxi , Liu Zeyuan , Lu Liyuan , Dang Huan , Li Huimin , Chu Baohua , Chen Pengxiang , Ma Ziqing , Zhao Shuang , Li Zhongxing , van Nocker Steve , Ma Fengwang , Guan Qingmei
Published: January 2022

SUMOylation is involved in various aspects of plant biology, including drought stress. However, the relationship between SUMOylation and drought stress tolerance is complex; whether SUMOylation has a crosstalk with ubiquitination in response to drought stress remains largely unclear. In this study, we found that both increased and decreased SUMOylation led to increased survival of apple (Malus × domestica) under drought stress: both transgenic MdSUMO2A overexpressing (OE) plants and MdSUMO2 RNAi plants exhibited enhanced drought tolerance. We further confirmed that MdDREB2A is one of the MdSUMO2 targets. Both transgenic MdDREB2A OE and MdDREB2AK192R OE plants (which lacked the key site of SUMOylation by MdSUMO2A) were more drought tolerant than wild‐type plants. However, MdDREB2AK192R OE plants had a much higher survival rate than MdDREB2A OE plants. We further showed SUMOylated MdDREB2A was conjugated with ubiquitin by MdRNF4 under drought stress, thereby triggering its protein degradation. In addition, MdRNF4 RNAi plants were more tolerant to drought stress. These results revealed the molecular mechanisms that underlie the relationship of SUMOylation with drought tolerance and provided evidence for the tight control of MdDREB2A accumulation under drought stress mediated by SUMOylation and ubiquitination.
Achieving equitable food security: How can food bank mobile pantries fill this humanitarian need
Authors: Stauffer Jon M. , Vanajakumari Manoj , Kumar Subodha , Mangapora Theresa
Published: January 2022

Hunger occurs in all locations around the globe, from developing to developed countries. In fact, there were over 37 million food insecure individuals (those without access to consistent nutritious food) in the United States in 2018, and this number increased in recent years due to the COVID pandemic. In many countries, food banks are used to consolidate food donations from individuals or government agencies and then provide that food to local partner agencies (such as food pantries and soup kitchens), who distribute it to food insecure individuals. As nonprofit humanitarian organizations, food banks strive to achieve geographic equity in their food distribution, so one area (or county) is not favored over others. However, food banks also want to maximize food distribution with their limited budgets. This equitable distribution versus cost balancing act is made even more challenging since food banks experience extreme variability in both the supply (donations) of food and partner agencies' capacity to deliver food to the food insecure. Our paper focuses on how mobile pantry programs, additional food bank storage capacity, and improved partner agency capacity can be utilized to address this supply and distribution capacity variability while considering food expiration times. Mobile pantry programs allow food banks to distribute food directly to the food insecure by sending their own trucks and employees to locations where food is most needed. Although all three of these approaches can be helpful, our results show that mobile pantries are a more effective approach to achieve high equity levels. This is especially true in the case of produce with relatively short expiration times. We also find that utilizing mobile pantry programs can increase equitable partner agency distribution considerably, because even small amounts of mobile pantry distribution in under‐served areas allow for more equitable partner agency distribution in areas with available partner agency distribution capacity. Our research is based on data from our partner food bank, but our modeling and extensive sensitivity analysis should be applicable to many food banks with a similar collection and distribution structure.
Serving the Law or Playing Politics? The Strategic Use of U.S. Attorney Appointments
Authors: Kinane Christina M. , Mattioli Lauren
Published: January 2022

The strategic nature of presidential appointments and politicization of federal prosecution have flourished as separate strains of research. This article opens a dialogue between them by theoretically developing expectations for the three distinct origins of interim U.S. Attorneys. The expectations are tested using an original, continuous data set of all 93 U.S. Attorney positions for 1987 to 2016, which, unlike any other study, includes details of appointment and service for Senate‐confirmed and interim appointees. We find that the opportunity to realize his agenda and divergence from his predecessors motivates the president's revealed preference for interim United States Attorneys of his own choosing.
Effect of long‐term maximum strength training on explosive strength, neural, and contractile properties
Authors: Balshaw Thomas G. , Massey Garry J. , Maden‐Wilkinson Thomas M. , Lanza Marcel B. , Folland Jonathan P.
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to compare explosive strength and underpinning contractile, hypertrophic, and neuromuscular activation characteristics of long‐term maximum strength‐trained (LT‐MST; ie, ≥3 years of consistent, regular knee extensor training) and untrained individuals. Sixty‐three healthy young men (untrained [UNT] n = 49, and LT‐MST n = 14) performed isometric maximum and explosive voluntary, as well as evoked octet knee extension contractions. Torque, quadriceps, and hamstring surface EMG were recorded during all tasks. Quadriceps anatomical cross‐sectional area (QACSAMAX; via MRI) was also assessed. Maximum voluntary torque (MVT; +66%) and QACSAMAX (+54%) were greater for LT‐MST than UNT ([both] p < 0.001). Absolute explosive voluntary torque (25–150 ms after torque onset; +41 to +64%; [all] p < 0.001; 1.15≤ effect size [ES]≤2.36) and absolute evoked octet torque (50 ms after torque onset; +43, p < 0.001; ES = 3.07) were greater for LT‐MST than UNT. However, relative (to MVT) explosive voluntary torque was lower for LT‐MST than UNT from 100 to 150 ms after contraction onset (−11% to −16%; 0.001 ≤ p ≤ 0.002; 0.98 ≤ ES ≤ 1.11). Relative evoked octet torque 50 ms after onset was lower (−10%; p < 0.001; ES = 1.14) and octet time to peak torque longer (+8%; p = 0.001; ES = 1.18) for LT‐MST than UNT indicating slower contractile properties, independent from any differences in torque amplitude. The greater absolute explosive strength of the LT‐MST group was attributable to higher evoked explosive strength, that in turn appeared to be due to larger quadriceps muscle size, rather than any differences in neuromuscular activation. In contrast, the inferior relative explosive strength of LT‐MST appeared to be underpinned by slower intrinsic/evoked contractile properties.