bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Institutionalising electoral uncertainty and authoritarian regime survival
Authors: BERNHARD MICHAEL , B. EDGELL AMANDA , LINDBERG STAFFAN I.
Published: September 2019

Authoritarian incumbents routinely use democratic emulation as a strategy to extend their tenure in power. Yet, there is also evidence that multiparty competition makes electoral authoritarianism more vulnerable to failure. Proceeding from the assumption that the outcomes of authoritarian electoral openings are inherently uncertain, it is argued in this article that the institutionalisation of elections determines whether electoral authoritarianism promotes stability or vulnerability. By ‘institutionalisation’, it is meant the ability of authoritarian regimes to reduce uncertainty over outcomes as they regularly hold multiparty elections. Using discrete‐time event‐history models for competing risks, the effects of sequences of multiparty elections on patterns of regime survival and failure in 262 authoritarian regimes from 1946 to 2010 are assessed, conditioned on their degree of competitiveness. The findings suggest that the institutionalisation of electoral uncertainty enhances authoritarian regime survival. However, for competitive electoral authoritarian regimes this entails substantial risk. The first three elections substantially increase the probability of democratisation, with the danger subsequently diminishing. This suggests that convoking multiparty competition is a risky game with potentially high rewards for autocrats who manage to institutionalise elections. Yet, only a small number of authoritarian regimes survive as competitive beyond the first few elections, suggesting that truly competitive authoritarianism is hard to institutionalise. The study thus finds that the question of whether elections are dangerous or stabilising for authoritarianism is dependent on differences between the ability of competitive and hegemonic forms of electoral authoritarianism to reduce electoral uncertainty.
Economic policy uncertainty and firm tax avoidance
Authors: Nguyen My , Nguyen Justin Hung
Published: September 2019

We find strong evidence that firms reduce cash effective tax rate when economic policy uncertainty heightens. Firms also engage in more aggressive forms of tax avoidance including long‐term tax planning or shelters. Cash holdings attenuate the negative effect of policy uncertainty on cash effective tax rate, especially for financially constrained firms. The cash tax savings are retained for reinvestments rather than dividend payouts. Our findings suggest that policy uncertainty exacerbates external financing frictions, which in turn induces precautionary motives of tax avoidance.
Tools to assess lung aeration in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: King Arrabella , Blank Douglas , Bhatia Risha , Marzbanrad Faezeh , Malhotra Atul
Published: September 2019

Aim

Respiratory distress syndrome is a common condition among preterm neonates, and assessing lung aeration assists in diagnosing the disease and helping to guide and monitor treatment. We aimed to identify and analyse the tools available to assess lung aeration in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome.

Methods

A systematic review and narrative synthesis of studies published between January 1, 2004, and August 26, 2019, were performed using the OVID Medline, PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases.

Results

A total of 53 relevant papers were retrieved for the narrative synthesis. The main tools used to assess lung aeration were respiratory function monitoring, capnography, chest X‐rays, lung ultrasound, electrical impedance tomography and respiratory inductive plethysmography. This paper discusses the evidence to support the use of these tools, including their advantages and disadvantages, and explores the future of lung aeration assessments within neonatal intensive care units.

Conclusion

There are currently several promising tools available to assess lung aeration in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome, but they all have their limitations. These tools need to be refined to facilitate convenient and accurate assessments of lung aeration in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome.
Affectual intensities: Writing with resonance as feminist methodology
Authors: Militz Elisabeth , Faria Caroline , Schurr Carolin
Published: September 2019

This paper advances current debates about feminist methodologies in geography by attending to affectual intensities and their resonance. Affectual intensities emerge through encounters between different bodies and objects, and are deeply power‐laden, enabling, disabling, transforming, and restricting geographic research. We attend to three moments of resonance that surfaced in Elisabeth Militz's field research on nationalism in Azerbaijan. In each, we show how attending to affectual intensities reveals much about the work of power in nationalism and in the constitution of geographic knowledge about it. The paper calls for an affectual methodology, a process of critical writing, reflection, and rewriting about moments of resonance between different bodies and objects in the field, and as we analyse, present, and write up our data. This is a layered, dialogic, and collaborative writing strategy that, we argue, enables us to write through and with affect. In particular, our work contributes a nuanced and multi‐layered approach to uncover often‐neglected power structures of predominantly white and heteronormative geographic research practice.
Lithium acts to modulate abnormalities at behavioral, cellular, and molecular levels in sleep deprivation‐induced mania‐like behavior
Authors: Andrabi Mutahar , Andrabi Muatar Maknoon , Kunjunni Remesh , Sriwastva Mukesh Kumar , Bose Samrat , Sagar Rajesh , Srivastava Achal Kumar , Mathur Rashmi , Jain Suman , Subbiah Vivekanandhan
Published: September 2019

Background

Ample amount of data suggests role of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation as the cause and effect of mania. Studies have also suggested disrupted circadian rhythms contributing to the pathophysiology of mood disorders, including bipolar disorder. However, studies pertaining to circadian genes and effect of lithium treatment on clock genes are scant. Thus, we wanted to determine the effects of REM sleep deprivation on expression of core clock genes and determine whether epigenetics is involved. Next, we wanted to explore ultrastructural abnormalities in the hippocampus. Moreover, we were interested to determine oxidative stress, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor levels in the central and peripheral systems.

Methods

Rats were sleep deprived by the flower pot method and were then analyzed for various behaviors and biochemical tests. Lithium was supplemented in diet.

Results

We found that REM sleep deprivation resulted in hyperactivity, reduction in anxiety‐like behavior, and abnormal dyadic social interaction. Some of these behaviors were sensitive to lithium. REM sleep deprivation also altered circadian gene expression and caused significant imbalance between histone acetyl transferase/histone deacetylase (HAT/HDAC) activity. Ultrastructural analysis revealed various cellular abnormalities. Lipid peroxidation and increased TNF‐α levels suggested oxidative stress and ongoing inflammation. Circadian clock genes were differentially modulated with lithium treatment and HAT/HDAC imbalance was partially prevented. Moreover, lithium treatment prevented myelin fragmentation, disrupted vasculature, necrosis, inflammation, and lipid peroxidation, and partially prevented mitochondrial damage and apoptosis.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results suggest plethora of abnormalities in the brain following REM sleep deprivation, many of these changes in the brain may be target of lithium's mechanism of action.
Ex vivo specimen MRI and pathology confirm a rectosigmoid mesenteric waist at the junction of the mesorectum and mesocolon
Authors: D’Souza N. , Lord A. C. , Shaw A. , Patel A. , Balyasnikova S. , Tudyka V. , Abulafi M. , Moran B. , Rasheed S. , Tekkis P. , Coffey J. C. , Terlizzo M. , West N. P. , Quirke P. , Brown G.
Published: September 2019

Aim

Continuity of the mesentery has recently been established and may provide an anatomical basis for optimal colorectal resectional surgery. Preliminary data from operative specimen measurements suggest there is a tapering in the mesentery of the distal sigmoid. A mesenteric waist in this area may be a risk factor for local recurrence of colorectal cancer. This study aimed to investigate the anatomical characteristics of the mesentery at the colorectal junction.

Method

In this cross‐sectional study, 20 patients were recruited. After planned colorectal resection, the surgical specimens were scanned in a MRI system and subsequently dissected and photographed as per national pathology guidelines. Mesenteric surface area and linear measurements were compared between MRI and pathology to establish the presence and location of a mesenteric waist.

Results

Specimen analysis confirmed that a narrowing in the mesenteric surface area was consistently apparent at the rectosigmoid junction. Above the anterior peritoneal reflection, the surface area and posterior distance of the mesentery of the upper rectum initially decreased before increasing as the mesentery of the sigmoid colon. These anatomical properties created the appearance of a mesenteric ‘waist’ at the rectosigmoid junction. Using the anterior reflection as a reference landmark, the rectosigmoid waist occurred at a mean height of 23.6 and 21.7 mm on MRI and pathology, respectively.

Conclusion

A rectosigmoid waist occurs at the junction of the mesorectum and mesocolon, and is a mesenteric landmark for the rectum that is present on both radiology and pathology.
How to disarm an evolutionary trap
Authors: Robertson Bruce A. , Blumstein Daniel T.
Published: September 2019

Evolutionary traps occur when rapid environmental change leads animals to prefer resources (e.g., food, mates, habitats) that reduce their fitness. Traps can lead to rapid population declines, extirpation, and species extinction, yet they have received little attention within the context of wildlife conservation efforts. We first demonstrate that traps are affecting a taxonomically diverse range of animals including key pollinators and important human food species and commonly impact threatened and endangered species. We then provide a conceptual framework for wildlife scientists and practitioners that outlines: (1) the detectable symptoms of evolutionary traps which require further investigation if a trap is affecting the target of existing conservation management; (2) management options for eliminating traps or mitigating their demographic impacts; (3) case studies illustrating how practitioners have applied these mitigations in specific cases; and (4) a structure for considering how these management options should be integrated into existing decision‐making frameworks. Management to eliminate evolutionary traps is a new challenge for conservationist scientists requiring a deeper understanding of the sensory‐cognitive world experienced by nonhuman animals. To do so, it will be essential to diagnose the behavioral mechanisms causing traps and then identify solutions to restore adaptive behavior in target populations.
Reappraisal of cytology‐histology correlation in cervical cytology based on the recent American Society of Cytopathology guidelines (2017) at a cancer research centre
Authors: Gupta Ruchika , Hariprasad Roopa , Dhanasekaran Kavitha , Sodhani Pushpa , Mehrotra Ravi , Kumar Neeta , Gupta Sanjay
Published: September 2019

Objective

To assess the impact of recently published American Society of Cytopathology (ASC) guidelines (2017) on the conduct of cervical cytology‐histology correlation (CHC).

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted for cervical biopsies with their corresponding conventional cervical smears over a 7.5‐year period (January 2011‐June 2018). As per the ASC guidelines, a discrepancy assessment grid was prepared. Major cytology‐histology discordance was defined as a diagnosis of high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) or CIN2+ in one of the tests with negative result in the other. Smears and biopsies of all discordant cases were reviewed for reasons of overcall and undercall.

Results

Of the 341 cervical biopsies with corresponding Papanicolaou smear, cytology‐histology agreement was noted in 249 (73%) cases. Major discordance was observed in 22 cases (6.4%)—16 undercalls and six overcalls on cytology—while minor discrepancies were noted in 70 cases. Atypical metaplasia and repair changes were the main reasons for overcall while small HSIL cells in atrophic smear and scant HSIL cells were important causes of undercall on cytology review. Using the ASC guidelines, we could improvise upon the existing CHC methodology for categorisation of cyto‐histological pairs of cases with a cytological diagnosis of atypical glandular cells.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that the recent ASC guidelines facilitate cervical CHC, especially for categorisation of cases with atypical glandular cells on cytology. Uniform application of these guidelines would standardise the conduct of cervical CHC internationally and provide scope for inter‐laboratory comparison of data as well as enhance self‐learning and peer learning.
Can social spending cushion the inequality effect of globalization?
Authors: Bergh Andreas , Mirkina Irina , Nilsson Therese
Published: September 2019

This paper examines whether social spending cushions the effect of globalization on within‐country inequality. Using information on disposable and market income inequality and data on overall social spending, and health and education spending from the ILO and the World Bank/WHO, we analyze whether social spending moderates the association between economic globalization and inequality. The results confirm that economic globalization—especially economic flows—associates with higher income inequality, an effect driven by non‐OECD countries. Health spending is strongly associated with lower inequality, but we find no robust evidence that any kind of social spending negatively moderates the association between economic globalization and inequality.
Ocean acidification and hypoxia alter organic carbon fluxes in marine soft sediments
Authors: Ravaglioli Chiara , Bulleri Fabio , Rühl Saskia , McCoy Sophie J. , Findlay Helen S. , Widdicombe Stephen , Queirós Ana M.
Published: September 2019

Anthropogenic stressors can alter the structure and functioning of infaunal communities, which are key drivers of the carbon cycle in marine soft sediments. Nonetheless, the compounded effects of anthropogenic stressors on carbon fluxes in soft benthic systems remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the cumulative effects of ocean acidification (OA) and hypoxia on the organic carbon fate in marine sediments, through a mesocosm experiment. Isotopically labelled macroalgal detritus (13C) was used as a tracer to assess carbon incorporation in faunal tissue and in sediments under different experimental conditions. In addition, labelled macroalgae (13C), previously exposed to elevated CO2, were also used to assess the organic carbon uptake by fauna and sediments, when both sources and consumers were exposed to elevated CO2. At elevated CO2, infauna increased the uptake of carbon, likely as compensatory response to the higher energetic costs faced under adverse environmental conditions. By contrast, there was no increase in carbon uptake by fauna exposed to both stressors in combination, indicating that even a short‐term hypoxic event may weaken the ability of marine invertebrates to withstand elevated CO2 conditions. In addition, both hypoxia and elevated CO2 increased organic carbon burial in the sediment, potentially affecting sediment biogeochemical processes. Since hypoxia and OA are predicted to increase in the face of climate change, our results suggest that local reduction of hypoxic events may mitigate the impacts of global climate change on marine soft‐sediment systems.
SARC‐F: A validation study with community‐dwelling older Japanese adults
Authors: Kera Takeshi , Kawai Hisashi , Hirano Hirohiko , Kojima Motonaga , Watanabe Yutaka , Motokawa Keiko , Fujiwara Yoshinori , Ihara Kazushige , Kim Hunkyung , Obuchi Shuichi
Published: September 2019

Aim

The SARC‐F is a useful clinical index for sarcopenia screening; however, this measure has low sensitivity. Furthermore, this tool has never been validated on community‐dwelling older Japanese adults. The goal of the present study was to validate a Japanese version of the SARC‐F and confirm its suitability for Japanese samples.

Methods

Participants were 734 community‐dwelling older adults in the Itabashi Ward, Japan. Bioimpedance measures, walking speed, grip strength and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were measured. Sarcopenia was defined using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria and Japanese‐adjusted Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. SARC‐F receiver operating characteristic curves for each sarcopenia measure were used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. Physical functioning, IADL and sarcopenia screening tools were compared with the SARC‐F.

Results

A total of nine men (3.1%) and 15 women (3.4%) were classified into a SARC‐F sarcopenia group. The sarcopenia group had lower physical functioning and Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment scores and higher frailty status than the control group. The Cronbach's alpha for the SARC‐F was 0.610, suggesting insufficient internal consistency. SARC‐F scores were related to physical functioning, IADL, and Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment scores. Receiver operating characteristic analyses of the SARC‐F based on each criterion showed low sensitivity, but high specificity.

Conclusions

The Japanese version of the SARC‐F appears to be a useful index for reflecting physical functioning and IADL. However, it is necessary to further determine whether this tool is useful for detecting sarcopenia among community‐dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 1172–1178.
Which factors are associated with length of stay in older patients with acute decompensated heart failure with preserved ejection fraction?: AURORA study
Authors: Nishino Masami , Matsuhiro Yutaka , Nakamura Hitoshi , Yasumoto Koji , Yasumura Keisuke , Tanaka Akihiro , Matsunaga‐Lee Yasuharu , Nakamura Daisuke , Yano Masamichi , Yamato Masaki , Egami Yasuyuki , Shutta Ryu , Tanouchi Jun
Published: September 2019

Aim

In heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), it is unclear which factors on admission are correlated with long stays. In contrast, acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in older patients is associated with a high risk of a long stay. To manage older ADHF patients with HFpEF, it is important to reveal the risk factors for a long stay on admission.

Methods

We enrolled consecutive older patients (aged >75 years) with HFpEF (ejection fraction ≥50%) who were admitted to control ADHF from May 2014 to April 2016 using the acute heart failure registry in Osaka Rosai Hospital. We compared various factors, including age; sex; body mass index; heart rate; systolic blood pressure (SBP); atrial fibrillation; atherosclerotic risk factors, including dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking and chronic kidney disease; laboratory data, including brain natriuretic peptide and albumin; and medications, including loop diuretics, on pre‐admission between short‐stay (<14 days) and long‐stay groups.

Results

The long‐stay group consisted of 122 patients (59.5%). Multivariate analysis showed that male sex, SBP and albumin were independent predictors for long stays. According to the classification and regression tree and receiving operating characteristic curve analysis, all three factors on admission, including male sex, relatively low SBP (<155 mmHg) and hypoalbuminemia (<3.4 g/dL) could well predict the patients that would require long stays (area under curve 0.738).

Conclusions

Among older ADHF patients with HFpEF, male patients with relatively low SBP and hypoalbuminemia on admission should initially undergo more intensive management to reduce the length of stay. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 1084–1087.
Differences of Cluster Headache on the Basis of Sex in the Korean Cluster Headache Registry
Authors: Chung Pil‐Wook , Lee Mi Ji , Park Jeong‐Wook , Sohn Jong‐Hee , Kim Byung‐Kun , Chu Min Kyung , Chung Jae Myun , Ahn Jin‐Young , Choi Yun‐Ju , Kim Soo‐Kyoung , Bae Dae‐Woong , Kim Daeyoung , Moon Heui‐Soo , Chung Chin‐Sang , Cho Soo‐Jin
Published: September 2019

Background

Most of the clinical characteristics of cluster headache (CH) have been established through the observation of men with CH. Epidemiological data of CH in women are scarce especially in the Asian population. Here, we sought to assess the prevalence and clinical characteristics of women with CH in comparison to men in a prospective CH registry.

Methods

Data used in this study were obtained from the Korean Cluster Headache Registry, a prospective, cross‐sectional, multicenter headache registry that collected data from consecutive patients diagnosed with CH. Demographics and clinical characteristics were compared between the sexes.

Results

In total, 250 patients were enrolled in this study; 41 (16.4%) were women (male to female ratio 5.1:1). Mean age of onset did not differ between women and men (30.7 ± 15.5 vs 29.0 ± 11.1 years). The clinical features of CH in women and men were similar, with no differences in pain severity, duration, and attack frequency. Among autonomic features, facial and forehead sweating was significantly rare in women (4.9%) compared to men with CH (33.0%). Headache‐related disability assessed by Headache Impact Test‐6 did not differ between the sexes; however, depression scale assessed by Patients Health Questionnaire‐9 (11.0 ± 8.5 vs 7.0 ± 5.8, P = .009) and stress (Perceived Stress Scale 4, 7.5 ± 3.4 vs 6.4 ± 3.0, P = .045) were significantly higher in women with CH.

Conclusions

Although decreasing male preponderance was suggested in recent Western CH studies, CH in women is still far less prevalent than in men in the Korean population. Clinical and demographic characteristics were similar between the sexes. However, psychiatric comorbidities might be highly associated in women with CH.
Headache in Petrous Apicitis: A Case Report of Chronic Migraine‐like Headache Due to Peripheral Pathology
Authors: Mancini Alyssa J. , Glassman Rebecca D. , Chang Yu‐Ming , Burstein Rami , Ashina Sait
Published: September 2019

Objective

To report a case of petrous apicitis that manifested as chronic migraine without aura and to discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms behind this presentation.

Background

Petrous apicitis is a rare complication of acute otitis media with varied clinical presentations that stem from the close proximity of the petrous apex to numerous neurovascular structures. Headache is among the common symptoms of petrous apicitis.

Methods

A case of new onset headache in the setting of petrous apicitis with symptomatic response to antibiotic therapy was reported. We provided a brief review of peripheral pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine and correlated to mechanism of headache in petrous apicitis.

Results

A 65‐year‐old man with chronic otitis externa/media presented with ongoing headache fulfilling International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD‐3) criteria for chronic migraine without aura that persisted despite undergoing right mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty with multiple courses of oral antibiotic therapy for his chronic otitis. MRI brain revealed petrous apicitis, otomastoiditis, and clival osteomyelitis. His imaging findings improved and his migraine‐like headache completely resolved after treatment with a prolonged course of antibiotics.

Conclusions

Petrous apicitis can present as a headache with features of migraine, and in this case in particular, as chronic migraine without aura. The pathophysiological mechanisms that may underlie the generation of migraine‐like headache in petrous apicitis may include the activation of nociceptive fibers within the periosteum of the petrous apex and clivus whose cell bodies originate in the trigeminal ganglion and upper cervical dorsal root ganglia. By treating the peripheral pathology, resolution of the headache may be achieved.
Development and morphology of ciliary urns in the sea cucumber Synaptula hydriformis (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)
Authors: Curtis Michelle D. , Turner Richard L.
Published: September 2019

Sea cucumbers (holothuroids) lack the only known echinoderm immune organ, the axial organ. Holothuroids of the families Synaptidae and Chiridotidae have coelomic organs, known as ciliary urns, that gather and excrete waste and, therefore, might function in immunity. Although ciliary urns are widely reported and illustrated in the literature, the process and histology of urn development remain unknown. Development and structure of ciliary urns were examined in Synaptula hydriformis using scanning electron, brightfield, and scanning laser confocal microscopy. Mature urns occurred on all three mesenteries in 10‐tentacled young and later growth stages, and developing urns were found in post‐pentactulae, 10‐tentacled young, and released juveniles. Developing urns were circular clusters of ciliated collar cells protruding from the mesentery. The cells increased in number to form the sessile cushion stage with a shallow lumen. The subsequent spoon‐shaped stage had a stalk and a deepened lumen with an extensive ciliary field where coelomocytes began to accumulate. Mature urns had a thin stalk and cornucopia‐shaped body with an abluminal epithelium of squamous cells and an adluminal epithelium of densely packed ciliated collar cells. Cell boundaries of the rim of mature urns and of the stalk and body of developing urns were outlined on one or both sides by microvilli and an elevated cell membrane. Ciliary urns resembling the cushion‐stage urns of S. hydriformis have been described in the sea star Archaster typicus. If urns in these groups are homologous, it is likely that cushion urns are plesiomorphic and that they are present and have been overlooked in other echinoderms.
Longitudinal analysis of body weight and average daily feed intake during the feedlot test period in Angus cattle
Authors: Torres‐Vázquez José Antonio , Duijvesteijn Naomi , van der Werf Julius H. J. , Clark Samuel A.
Published: September 2019

The objectives of this study were to compare different models for analysing body weight (BW) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) data collected during a 70‐day feedlot test period and to explore whether genetic parameters change over time to evaluate the implications of selection response. (Co)variance components were estimated using repeatability and random regression models in 2,071 Angus steers. Models included fixed effects of contemporary group, defined as herd–year–observation_date–age, with additive genetic and permanent environmental components as random effects. Models were assessed based on the log likelihood, Akaike's information criterion and the Bayesian information criterion. For both traits, random regression models (RRMs) presented a better fit, indicating that genetic parameters change over the test period. Using a two‐trait RRM, the heritability from day 1 up to day 70 for BW increased from 0.40 to 0.50, while for ADFI, it decreased from 0.44 to 0.33. The genetic correlation increased from 0.53 at day 1 up to 0.79 at day 70. Selection based on an index assuming no change in genetic parameters would yield a 2.78%–3.13% lower selection response compared to an index using parameters estimated with RRMs and assuming these genetic parameters are correct. Results imply that it may be beneficial to implement RRMs to account for the change of parameters across the feedlot period in feed efficiency traits.
Goals, Conflict, Politics, and Performance of Cross‐Functional Sourcing Teams—Results from a Social Team Experiment
Authors: Franke Henrik , Foerstl Kai
Published: September 2019

Strategic sourcing is carried out in cross‐functional teams to account for the complexity and multidimensionality of modern procurement decisions. However, such teams not only enable the integration of distinct interdependent skill sets and viewpoints, they are also characterized by functional goal misalignment. We focus on the resulting behavioral challenges, namely conflict and politics, and their effects on team satisfaction and rationality, which ultimately leads to observed outcomes. We test our hypotheses in a structural equation model based on data gathered from 468 participants in a social team experiment. We find a mediated effect of goal misalignment on political behavior via two types of team conflict. Political behavior, in turn, obstructs rational team sourcing decisions and reduces team members’ satisfaction with the process. Our study indicates that behavioral challenges in the framework of Organizational Buying Behavior not only co‐occur but affect each other via mediation. Hence, managers need to closely monitor the escalation chains’ origin, task conflict, which constitutes a necessary condition for further emotional dissent and political biasing. We contribute to the understanding of the challenges in cross‐functional sourcing teams, thereby providing advice to executives in their pursuit to rationalize and improve sourcing team decisions and their outcomes.
Recurrent persistent atrial fibrillation after effective pulmonary vein isolation: What else?
Authors: Della Rocca Domenico G. , Natale Andrea
Published: September 2019

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the mainstay of every atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedure. However, it is still debated in the literature whether PVI alone is sufficient to achieve long‐term freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with non‐paroxysmal AF. Hereby, we discuss the hypothetical clinical scenario of a patient with AF relapse 6 months after PVI in whom all pulmonary veins are electrically silent at the time of repeat ablation.
Ultrasonography in the pathway to an optimal standard of care of hidradenitis suppurativa: the Italian Ultrasound Working Group experience
Authors: Lacarrubba F. , Dini V. , Napolitano M. , Venturini M. , Caposiena Caro D.R. , Molinelli E. , Passoni E. , Monfrecola G. ,   the Italian Ultrasound Working Group
Published: September 2019

Background

Ultrasound (US) is a real‐time non‐invasive technique that has been demonstrated to support an early diagnosis and a more precise assessment of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).

Objectives

To compare the clinical and US evaluation of a series of HS patients.

Methods

434 HS patients (259 F, 175 M; mean age 33.82 ±13.31 years) observed across 19 Italian dermatology centres [members of the Italian Ultrasound Working Group (IUWG)] were enrolled in a retrospective study. Clinical staging was obtained by the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Physician's Global Assessment score (HS‐PGA), while the ultrasonographic staging was determined by the US HS‐PGA, based on the same scores as clinical HS‐PGA but performed with the aid of US.

Results

At the end of the study, the mean clinical and US HS‐PGA scores were 2.70 and 2.92, respectively. Direct comparison of clinical and ultrasonographic assessment revealed that a higher proportion of patients was classified as having moderate and very severe disease by US. In particular, 117 patients (26.96%) had a worse classification by US HS‐PGA compared to clinical assessment.

Conclusion

Our findings confirm that the use of clinical grading only to assess HS severity may underestimate the real disease severity. US examination can be considered an essential non‐invasive imaging tool available to dermatologists for a more accurate diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and monitoring of HS and should be included in the pathway to an optimal standard of care of HS.
Steatocystoma multiplex suppurativa associated with hidradenitis suppurativa successfully treated with adalimumab
Authors: Atzori L. , Zanniello R. , Pilloni L. , Rongioletti F.
Published: September 2019

Steatocystoma multiplex (SM) is a rare autosomal dominant disease characterized by multiple asymptomatic intradermal true sebaceous cysts of variable size. These lesions may occasionally rupture, become inflamed, painful and heal with scarring [SM suppurativa (SMS)], thus sharing overlapping features with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The question of whether SMS simply mimics HS or if the two diseases may be associated remains open. We report three patients (2 M/1 F; age: 47, 27 and 40 years) affected by SMS showing inflammatory lesions on the areas typically affected by HS. Repeated skin biopsy from each patient showed true sebaceous cysts in some specimens and findings compatible with HS, without sebaceous glands evidence in others, supporting coexistence of the two diseases. Adalimumab at the initial dose of 160 mg (day 1), followed by 80 mg (day 15), and maintained at the dose of 40 mg every week from day 29 on, improved both HS and SMS lesions, including also non‐inflammatory cystic lesions.
The patient journey: a voyage from diagnosis to hidradenitis suppurativa multidisciplinary unit
Authors: Chiricozzi A. , Micali G. , Veraldi S.
Published: September 2019

Background

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an inflammatory, recurrent and debilitating chronic skin disease that is often worsened by comorbidities, with a destructive impact on the social and working life of the patient. The low awareness of patients and clinicians regarding HS, together with weak coordination between specialists who manage the clinical care of these patients, may result in a burdening diagnostic and therapeutic delay, lowering efficacy of therapies and worsening prognosis and patients' QoL.

Objectives

To rule out these critical aspects, a HS‐Multidisciplinary Unit with a hierarchical organization is proposed.

Methods

Based on previously published models of a multidisciplinary unit, a hierarchical structure of a HS‐dedicated multidisciplinary unit was designed.

Results

In this model, an operational core constituted by four healthcare professionals constantly working as team, is supported by a large panel of consultants, local dermatologists and general practitioners, helping in HS patient management.

Conclusions

This standardization would imply an optimization of professional resources, an amelioration of patient’s quality of life, and a shortening of patient journey.
Brownish macules on the right temple
Authors: Liu Cong , Ding Li‐Juan , Tan Cheng
Published: September 2019

A 28‐year‐old male presented with multiple pigmented macules on his right temple over two years. Physical examination showed multiple, discrete, brownish macules on his right temple. These lesions coalesced into reticular shape. Histology of the lesion demonstrated a deposit of eosinophilic acellular material in the dermal papillae. These features were consistent with macular amyloidosis (MA). Macular amyloidosis typically presented over the legs, the arms, and the upper back. We present this patient of MA involving the temple areas, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not previously been reported to occur in this region.
Image‐based crack assessment of bridge piers using unmanned aerial vehicles and three‐dimensional scene reconstruction
Authors: Liu Yu‐Fei , Nie Xin , Fan Jian‐Sheng , Liu Xiao‐Gang
Published: September 2019

Crack assessment of bridge piers using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) eliminates unsafe factors of manual inspection and provides a potential way for the maintenance of transportation infrastructures. However, the implementation of UAV‐based crack assessment for real bridge piers is hindered by several key issues, including the following: (a) both perspective distortion and the geometry distortion by nonflat structural surfaces usually appear on crack images taken by the UAV system from the pier surface; however, these two kinds of distortions are difficult to correct at the same time; and (b) the crack image taken by a close‐range inspection flight UAV system is partially imaged, containing only a small part of the entire surface of the pier, and thereby hinders crack localization. In this paper, a new image‐based crack assessment methodology for bridge piers using UAV and three‐dimensional (3D) scene reconstruction is proposed. First, the data acquisition of UAV‐based crack assessment is discussed, and the UAV flight path and photography strategy for bridge pier assessment are proposed. Second, image‐based crack detection and 3D reconstruction are conducted to obtain crack width feature pair sequences and 3D surface models, respectively. Third, a new method of projecting cracks onto a meshed 3D surface triangular model is proposed, which can correct both the perspective distortion and geometry distortion by nonflat structural surfaces, and realize the crack localization. Field test investigations of crack assessment of a real bridge pier using a UAV are carried out for illustration, validation, and error analysis of the proposed methodology.
Neighbouring plants modify maize root foraging for phosphorus: coupling nutrients and neighbours for improved nutrient‐use efficiency
Authors: Zhang Deshan , Lyu Yang , Li Hongbo , Tang Xiaoyan , Hu Ran , Rengel Zed , Zhang Fusuo , Whalley William R. , Davies William J. , Cahill James F. , Shen Jianbo
Published: September 2019

Nutrient distribution and neighbours can impact plant growth, but how neighbours shape root‐foraging strategy for nutrients is unclear. Here, we explore new patterns of plant foraging for nutrients as affected by neighbours to improve nutrient acquisition.

Maize (Zea mays) was grown alone (maize), or with maize (maize/maize) or faba bean (Vicia faba) (maize/faba bean) as a neighbour on one side and with or without a phosphorus (P)‐rich zone on the other in a rhizo‐box experiment.

Maize demonstrated root avoidance in maize/maize, with reduced root growth in ‘shared’ soil, and increased growth away from its neighbours. Conversely, maize proliferated roots in the proximity of neighbouring faba bean roots that had greater P availability in the rhizosphere (as a result of citrate and acid phosphatase exudation) compared with maize roots. Maize proliferated more roots, but spent less time to reach, and grow out of, the P patches away from neighbours in the maize/maize than in the maize/faba bean experiment. Maize shoot biomass and P uptake were greater in the heterogeneous P treatment with maize/faba bean than with maize/maize system.

The foraging strategy of maize roots is an integrated function of heterogeneous distribution of nutrients and neighbouring plants, thus improving nutrient acquisition and maize growth. Understanding the foraging patterns is critical for optimizing nutrient management in crops.
Waiting list mortality for pediatric deceased donor liver transplantation in a Japanese living‐donor–dominant program
Authors: Kasahara Mureo , Katono Masami , Schlegel Andrea , Kubota Tomomi , Nakazato Yayoi , Uchida Hajime , Shimizu Seiichi , Yanagi Yusuke , Takeda Masahiro , Fukuda Akinari , Sakamoto Seisuke
Published: September 2019

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has become a major life‐saving procedure for children with end‐stage liver disease in Japan, whereas deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) has achieved only limited success. The annual number of pediatric liver transplantations is approximately 100‐120, with a patient 20‐year survival rate of 81.0%. In 2005, the liver transplantation program at the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo, Japan, was initiated, with an overall number of 560 pediatric patients with end‐stage liver disease to date. In July 2010, our center was qualified as a pediatric DDLT center; a total of 132 patients were listed for DDLT up until February 2019. The indications for DDLT included acute liver failure (n = 46, 34.8%), metabolic liver disease (n = 26, 19.7%), graft failure after LDLT (n = 17, 12.9%), biliary atresia (n = 16, 12.1%), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (n = 10, 7.6%). Overall, 25.8% of the patients on the waiting list received a DDLT and 52.3% were transplanted from a living donor. The 5‐year patient and graft survivals were 90.5% and 88.8%, respectively, with an overall waiting list mortality of 3.0%. LDLT provides a better survival compared with DDLT among the recipients on the DDLT waiting list. LDLT is nevertheless of great importance in Japan; however, it cannot save all pediatric recipients. As the mortality of children on the waiting list has not yet been reduced to zero, both LDLT and DDLT should be implemented in pediatric liver transplantation programs.
Inverse scattering transform for the defocusing Ablowitz–Ladik system with arbitrarily large nonzero background
Authors: Ortiz Alyssa K. , Prinari Barbara
Published: September 2019

In this work we develop the inverse scattering transform (IST) for the defocusing Ablowitz–Ladik (AL) equation with arbitrarily a large nonzero background at space infinity. The IST was developed in previous works under the assumption that the amplitude of the background satisfies a “small norm” condition . On the other hand, Ohta and Yang recently showed that the defocusing AL system, which is modulationally stable for , becomes unstable if , and exhibits discrete rogue wave solutions, some of which are regular for all times. Here, we construct the IST for the defocusing AL with , analyze the spectrum, and characterize the soliton and rational solutions from a spectral point of view.

We formulate the direct and inverse problems by using a suitable uniformization variable, and pose the inverse problem as an RHP across a simple contour in the complex plane of the uniform variable. As a by‐product of the IST, we also obtain explicit soliton solutions, which are the discrete analog of the celebrated Kuznetsov–Ma, Akhmediev, Peregrine solutions, and which mimic the corresponding solutions for the focusing AL equation. Soliton solutions that are the analog of the dark soliton solutions of the defocusing AL equation in the case are also presented.
AtPER1 enhances primary seed dormancy and reduces seed germination by suppressing the ABA catabolism and GA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis seeds
Authors: Chen Huhui , Ruan Jiuxiao , Chu Pu , Fu Wei , Liang Zhenwei , Li Yin , Tong Jianhua , Xiao Langtao , Liu Jun , Li Chenlong , Huang Shangzhi
Published: September 2019

Seed is vital to the conservation of germplasm and plant biodiversity. Seed dormancy is an adaptive trait in numerous seed‐plant species, enabling plants to survive under stressful conditions. Seed dormancy is mainly controlled by abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) and can be classified as primary and secondary seed dormancy. The primary seed dormancy is induced by maternal ABA. Here we found that AtPER1, a seed‐specific peroxiredoxin, is involved in enhancing primary seed dormancy. Two loss‐of‐function atper1 mutants, atper1‐1 and atper1‐2, displayed suppressed primary seed dormancy accompanied with reduced ABA and increased GA contents in seeds. Furthermore, atper1 mutant seeds were insensitive to abiotic stresses during seed germination. The expression of several ABA catabolism genes (CYP707A1, CYP707A2, and CYP707A3) and GA biosynthesis genes (GA20ox1, GA20ox3, and KAO3) in atper1 mutant seeds was increased compared to wild‐type seeds. The suppressed primary seed dormancy of atper1‐1 was completely reduced by deletion of CYP707A genes. Furthermore, loss‐of‐function of AtPER1 cannot enhance the seed germination ratio of aba2‐1 or ga1‐t, suggesting that AtPER1‐enhanced primary seed dormancy is dependent on ABA and GA. Additionally, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in atper1 mutant seeds was significantly higher than that in wild‐type seeds. Taken together, our results demonstrate that AtPER1 eliminates ROS to suppress ABA catabolism and GA biosynthesis, and thus improves the primary seed dormancy and make the seeds less sensitive to adverse environmental conditions.
Diplomatic Security in Times of Austerity
Authors: Cladi Lorenzo
Published: September 2019

Even if the Italian diplomatic presence abroad has slightly diminished since 2013, Italy still maintains the fourth largest diplomatic network worldwide. Italy has a clear and long-standing system in place for the protection of its diplomatic corps, complementing host country protection with the dispatch of units from the Carabinieri, a gendarmerie corps with both military and law enforcement duties. Nevertheless, as this chapter shows, the growing exposure of Italian diplomatic missions to a variety of threats requires the allocation of further resources to diplomatic security. The need for budgetary cuts and public criticism of the alleged privileges enjoyed by diplomatic personnel abroad, however, make the allocation of additional funding and personnel to diplomatic security problematic.
An Uncultivated Eden
Authors: Lurtz Casey Marina
Published: September 2019

Borrowing the language and rhetoric of correspondence between individuals living in the Soconusco and the Mexican Minister of Finance, Matías Romero, this chapter elucidates the hurdles that stood in the way of the region’s integration into global markets. After an overview of the region’s precolonial and colonial history, the chapter establishes how little the Soconusco had to recommend it in the 1860s. Without a fixed border, a reliable political leader, institutions to secure property and commerce, or a population adequate to meet the labor demands of plantation agriculture, the Soconusco did not present an ideal site for development. Yet precisely because of these absences, Romero and others posited the region as an exemplary site for experimentation. With this in mind, the chapter illustrates how the region can stand in for other parts of rural Latin America undergoing a shift to export agriculture in the same era.
The Voice of the Phonograph
Authors: Camlot Jason
Published: September 2019

Chapter 1 analyzes the early promotional discourse surrounding the phonograph as a medium of natural fidelity and then situates the idea of the phonograph as a “pure voice” medium within the context of popular recitation anthologies in order to identify key elocutionary preconceptions that informed the vocal performances heard in early spoken recordings. In revealing the affinities that existed between late Victorian short spoken recordings and the brief texts meant for speaking aloud that were collected in nineteenth-century recitation anthologies, this opening chapter explains the preconceived notions about the phonograph as a new media technology and the significance of sound recording for the performance of literary texts, in particular.
T. S. Eliot’s Recorded Experiments in Modernist Verse Speaking
Authors: Camlot Jason
Published: September 2019

Chapter 4 offers a series of interpretive takes on T. S. Eliot’s 1930s electrically recorded voice experiments in reading his poem The Waste Land aloud. It traces Eliot’s attempt to invent a way to read modernist poetry. Explaining the production context of the 1933 recordings, the chapter situates Eliot’s audible reading experiments within contemporary debates surrounding the English verse-speaking movement, and Eliot’s work for the BBC. Finally, it provides a close-listening analysis of Eliot’s reading experiments with duration and amplitude, as well as a series of nonsemantic phrasing and intonation techniques, and especially the use of monotone in reading. Eliot’s method of reading is interpreted as a performance of the abstract conception of “voice” that functions as an organizing principle in New Critical discourse. Eliot’s recorded readings are heard to sound an organizing method of incantation that evokes the possibility of an overarching oracular or otherworldly voice.