bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity of the placenta in health and disease explored through integrated histology, gene expression and modelling
Authors: Yong Hannah Ee Juen , Maksym Kasia , Yusoff Muhammad Ashraf Bin , Salazar-Petres Esteban , Nazarenko Tatiana , Zaikin Alexey , David Anna L , Hillman Sara L , Sferruzzi-Perri Amanda N.
Published: June 2022

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Altered placental formation and functional capacity are major contributors to FGR pathogenesis. Relating placental structure to function across the placenta in healthy and FGR pregnancies remains largely unexplored but could improve understanding of placental diseases. We investigated integration of these parameters spatially in the term human placenta using predictive modelling. Systematic sampling was able to overcome heterogeneity in placental morphological and molecular features. Defects in villous development, elevated fibrosis, and reduced expression of growth and functional marker genes (IGF2, VEGA, SLC38A1, SLC2A3) were seen in age-matched term FGR versus healthy control placentas. Characteristic histopathological changes with specific accompanying molecular signatures could be integrated through computational modelling to predict if the placenta came from a healthy or FGR pregnancy. Our findings yield new insights into the spatial relationship between placental structure and function and the aetiology of FGR.
Postnatal depression, to treat or not to treat: Long-term consequences of postnatal selective SSRI treatment on mother and child
Authors: Liu Chao-Yu , Ystrom Eivind , McAdams Tom A.
Published: June 2022

Background

Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are recommended for postnatal depression (PND) treatment, a lack of evidence regarding the long-term consequences of postnatal SSRI use have resulted in treatment hesitancy.

Methods

The current study used longitudinal data on a total of 60654 mother-child dyads enrolled in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) to examine associations between PND and maternal outcomes (depression and anxiety, relationship satisfaction) and child outcomes (motor and language development, emotional and behavioral problems) from birth to postpartum year 5. We tested whether postnatal SSRI treatment moderated the effects of PND on maternal and child outcomes. A propensity score was used to control for pre- /antenatal factors that impacted the probability of receiving SSRIs.

Results

PND was associated with poor maternal mental health outcomes and problems in child development. Use of SSRIs mitigated the associations between PND and later maternal mental health distress and child externalizing behaviors up to postpartum year 5. We found no evidence to indicate that the use of SSRIs was associated with increased risk of negative outcomes in emotional, behavioural, motor and language development in offspring.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that SSRI treatment for PND may bring benefits in the long term by attenuating the detrimental associations between PND and subsequent maternal depression and child externalizing behaviors. The study provides valuable information for clinicians and women with PND to help make informed decisions regarding treatment.
The immunogenomic landscape of cattle
Authors: Li Ting-Ting , Xia Tian , Wu Jia-Qi , Hong Hao , Sun Zhao-Lin , Wang Ming , Ding Fang-Rong , Wang Jing , Jiang Shuai , Li Jin , Pan Jie , Yang Guang , Feng Jian-Nan , Dai Yun-Ping , Zhang Xue-Min , Zhou Tao , Li Tao
Published: June 2022

Here, we report the de novo assembly of a cattle genome using ultra-long-read nanopore sequencing in conjunction with other advanced technologies. The assembled genome contains only 145 contigs (N50 ∼ 74.0 Mb). Compare to the current reference cattle genome ARS-UCD1.2, 154 gaps are closed, and 467 scaffolds are further placed in our assembly. Importantly, except two remained gaps in the T-cell receptor α/δ (TRA/TRD) region, the gene loci of other TRs and immunoglobulins (IGs) are seamlessly assembled and exquisitely annotated. With the characterization of 258 IG genes and 626 TR genes that distributed in seven genomic loci, we illustrate the highest immune gene diversity in mammals to our knowledge. Moreover, the gene structures of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are integrally depicted with properly phased haplotypes. Thus, our work not only reports a cattle genome with the most continuity and completeness, but also provide a comprehensive view of the complex immune- genome.
Integration of single-cell RNA and protein data identifies novel clinically-relevant lymphocyte phenotypes in breast cancers
Authors: Al-Eryani Ghamdan , Bartonicek Nenad , Chan Chia-Ling , Anderson Alma , Harvey Kate , Wu Sunny Z. , Roden Dan , Wang Taopeng , Reeves John , Yeung Bertrand Z , Masle-Farquhar Etienne , Goodnow Christopher C , Ma Cindy , Phan Tri G. , Lundeberg Joakim , Junankar Simon , Swarbrick Alexander
Published: June 2022

Immune cells are critical determinants of solid tumour aetiology, but the diverse phenotypes of intra-tumoural immune cells remain incompletely characterised. We applied integrated single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) and highly multiplexed protein epitope analysis to a cohort of breast cancer samples to resolve cell states within the tumour microenvironment. We reveal novel protein markers for resting and activated tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, and show that high expression of CD103 primarily marks exhausted CD8 rather than tissue resident CD8 T-cells in human breast cancers. We identify two distinct states of activated CD4+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. A population resembling conventional Tfh (cTfh) cells were localised primarily to lymphoid aggregates by spatial transcriptomics. In contrast, cancer associated Tfh (caTfh) cells expressing markers of tissue residency and exhaustion co-localized with cancer foci and signalled to macrophages. Importantly, increased caTfh : cTfh ratio associated with improved disease outcome and response to checkpoint immunotherapy.
Molecular simulations reveal a mechanism for enhanced allosteric coupling between voltage-sensor and pore domains in KCNQ1 explaining its activation by ML277
Authors: Kuenze Georg , Vanoye Carlos G. , Wilkinson Mason C. , Desai Reshma R. , Adusumilli Sneha , Sanders Charles R. , George Alfred L. , Meiler Jens
Published: June 2022

The voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ1 (KV7.1) is important for the repolarizing phase of the cardiac action potential. Activators of KCNQ1 may provide a strategy for the pharmacological treatment of congenital long QT syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by pathogenic variants in KCNQ1 that promote arrhythmia susceptibility and elevate risk for sudden cardiac death. The small-molecule agonist ML277 recovers function of mutant KCNQ1 channels in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and could represent a starting point for drug development. Here we investigated ML277 mode of action by developing a molecular model of the KCNQ1-ML277 interaction corroborated by experimental and computational analyses. Ligand docking and molecular dynamics simulation demonstrated that ML277 binds to the interface between the voltage sensor and pore domains in KCNQ1. Model predicted binding energies for ML277 and 62 chemical analogs of ML277 correlated with EC50 data available for these compounds. We identified novel ML277-interacting residues on the S5 and S6 segments of KCNQ1 by performing MM/PBSA energy calculations and site-directed mutagenesis of KCNQ1 coupled to electrophysiological characterization of the generated channel mutants. Network analysis of the molecular dynamics simulations further showed that ML277 increases the allosteric coupling efficiency between residues in the voltage sensor domain and residues in the pore domain. Derivatives of ML277 that are not active on KCNQ1 fail to increase allosteric coupling efficiency in the computational simulations. Our results reveal atomic details of the ML277 modulation of KCNQ1 activation. These findings may be useful for the design of allosteric modulators of KCNQ1 and other KCNQ channels that bind at the membrane-accessible protein surface.

Statement of Significance

The potassium ion channel KCNQ1 contributes to the generation of electrical impulses in the heart. Heritable mutations in KCNQ1 can cause channel loss-of-function and predispose to a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. Small molecules that bind KCNQ1 and enhance channel function could establish a novel anti-arrhythmic drug paradigm. We used molecular simulations to investigate how a small agonist of KCNQ1 (ML277) binds to the KCNQ1 channel and increases its function. We identified amino acids that are responsible for ML277 binding and show how ML277 promotes signaling in KCNQ1 and channel opening. This work advances our understanding how KCNQ1 and possibly other potassium channels can be activated with small molecules. These data provide a framework for drug development studies.
Post COVID-19 pandemic possible business continuity strategies for construction industry revival a preliminary study in the Malaysian construction industry
Authors: Gamil Yaser , Al-Sarafi A.H. , Najeh Taoufik
Published: June 2022

Purpose

COVID-19 pandemic has unprecedentedly shattered the entire world economy and development. Without exclusion, the construction industry has undergone very extreme disruption. Many projects have been suspended, many employees lost their jobs and many construction companies bankrupted. This study aims to explore the possible business continuity plans, a roadmap to recovery and strategies to revive the construction industry after COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

Mix mode method approach was used to address the research problem, and that includes interviews with 16 selected construction experts who have been working in the Malaysian industry for more than 10 years and a questionnaire with 187 construction practitioners. The aim of conducting the interviews is to get an insight into the current impact of the pandemic on the construction industry, and the questionnaire aims to statistically rank the importance of revival strategies using a Likert-type scale. Further, the data were analysed using a univariate approach by calculating the relative importance index to assess the importance of each strategy.

Findings

The findings showed that the pandemic has severely affected the Malaysian construction industry in many aspects and effective restoration strategies are necessary to cope with the changes. The strategies were categorized into four different aspects includes health and practice, technology, operational, legal and governmental strategies. The finding shows that the topmost ranked strategy in terms of importance is introducing COVID-compliant operating procedures and protocols on-site by adjusting current working procedures, urgent government stimuli (loan, financial aid to the affected firms) and other financial incentives, leveraging digital and online technology for virtual meeting and communication, comprehensive and revision study of the health guidelines to suit construction activities and digital transformation of work. The study suggests a more in-depth study to evaluate the impact and assess the success of strategies for the betterment of the future of the Malaysian construction industry.

Practical implications

The study presented a better understanding of the possible business continuity strategies for construction industry revival, which are important for decision makers and the government to reconsider for the revival of the industry. The findings also are of interest to the construction stakeholders.

Originality/value

There have been many research addressing the impact of the pandemic on the construction industry, but less are available on the possible strategies for continual and revival of construction industry amid and after the pandemic. It is, therefore, crucial to address this topic, especially the assessment of these strategies based on their importance.
Political connections, financing decisions and cash holdings: empirical evidence from Gulf Cooperation Council
Authors: Tawfik Omar Ikbal , Elmaasrawy Hamada Elsaid , Albitar Khaldoon
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between political connections, financing decisions and cash holding.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on historical data from 181 active non-financial firms listed on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Stock Exchange Markets during the period of 2009–2016, this study uses ordinary least squares and dynamic system-generalized method of moments to test the research hypotheses. The final data set comprises a total of 1,448 firm-year observations from ten major non-financial industry classifications.

Findings

This study finds a positive relationship between political connections and each of internal financing proxied by retained earnings ratio and external financing proxied by short- and long-term debt to total asset. The findings also show a positive relationship between political connections and cash holding.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provide a better understanding of the role of politically connected directors in financing decisions and cash holding in the GCC. Investors can consider the presence of royal family members in the board of directors when making investment decision. Policymakers are encouraged to develop more effective policies that encourage listed firms to provide information on the political positions of the board of directors, managers and major shareholders/owners of companies.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between political connections and financing decisions by focusing on the GCC region. This study also highlights that boards in connected firms in the GCC have lower monitoring role owing to political interventions, and that connected firms face higher agency problems as they have weak governance and boards compared with non-connected firms.
Mapping the key challenges and managing the opportunities in supply chain distribution during COVID-19: a case of Myanmar pharmaceutical company
Authors: Kumar Vimal , Ya Kyaw Zay , Lai Kuei-Kuei
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study aims to present a study on the supply chain process of a Myanmar-based pharmaceutical company (named ABC Pvt. Ltd. in this study) that produces pharmaceutical products across Myanmar and aims of bringing quality medical products and best care for Myanmar people’s health. The study aims to identify the key supply chain challenges and manage the opportunities executed by this pharmaceutical company to improve the supply chain process during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Design/methodology/approach

This work used a case study and conducted semistructured interviews with the manager, senior managers and senior staff of the ABC Company to improve the supply chain process and develop a comprehensive structural relationship to rank them to streamline the uncertainties, real-time information and agility in a digital supply chain using grey relational analysis (GRA) method.

Findings

From the data analysis and results, “Impact of political factor,” “Delay in import process” and “Weak internet connection,” and “Weak knowledge of the use of digital platform,” “Poor information sharing in online by employees” and “Information flow from top management to operational level” have been identified as top and bottom three key challenges, respectively. “Inventory management,” “Selection of transport method” and “Operational cost”, and “Marketing and brand Innovation,” “Online delivery of products” and “E-commerce enablement (Launching applications, tracking system)” are identified as the top and bottom three managing the opportunities, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the study help to supply chain decision-makers of the company in their establishment of key challenges and opportunities during the COVID-19 era. As a leading company, it always tries to add value to its product through a supply chain system, effective management teams and working with skillful decision-making toward satisfying the demand on time and monitoring the supplier performance.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study is to identify the key supply chain challenges and opportunities by the GRA method to rank them, considering the case of Myanmar pharmaceutical manufacturing company as a case-based approach to measuring its performance during the COVID-19 outbreak era. This work will assist managers and practitioners help to the company to provide optimal services to its consumers on time in this critical situation.
The power of knowledge management: how top management team bricolage boosts ambidexterity and performance
Authors: Chang Che-Yuan , Chang Yi-Ying , Tsao Yu-Chung , Kraus Sascha
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the relationship between top management team bricolage and performance and also examines unit ambidexterity's mediating role. More essentially, to understand the black box of organizational knowledge dynamism, a multilevel moderated mediating model is established by exploring the effects of two firm-level moderators, namely, potential absorptive capacity and realized absorptive capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the cross-level moderated mediation model, this study used multisource data from 90 R&D units in 45 Taiwanese manufacturing firms through two-wave surveys and retrieving the archival data for assessing unit performance.

Findings

This study’s evidence revealed that unit-level ambidexterity mediates the effect between firm-level top management teams’ (TMT) bricolage and unit-level performance. This study also found that firm-level potential absorptive capacity positively moderates the effect between firm-level TMT bricolage and unit-level ambidexterity. Moreover, firm-level realized absorptive capacity strengthens the indirect relationships between firm-level TMT bricolage and unit-level performance via unit-level ambidexterity. The findings shed light on how and why TMT bricolage influences unit ambidexterity and performance in knowledge-intensive sectors.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the existing knowledge-based theory literature by disentangling the association between top management team bricolage and unit performance and identifying the pivotal role of absorptive capacity at both the firm and unit levels.
Viewpoint: designing transformative service to overcome eudaimonic-hedonic outcome conflict
Authors: Nguyen Adam
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The potential displeasure (e.g. strain, uncertainty and lack of control) involved in the process of obtaining eudaimonic outcomes (e.g. becoming healthier or more knowledgeable) may turn consumers away from a transformative service or hinder their coproduction. This paper aims to propose a service design that could overcome this conflict.

Design/methodology/approach

To allow for concrete discussions of service design, the proposed design is developed in the context of a specific transformative service: the higher educational service.

Findings

It is possible to transform the relationship between hedonic and eudaimonic outcomes from conflicting to complementary goals by replacing passive pleasure that is irrelevant or in conflict with eudaimonic well-being with active pleasure that is complementary to eudaimonic well-being. To facilitate simultaneous attainment of active pleasure and eudaimonic well-being, the transformative service provider needs to structure the elements of the service to create the conditions for the optimal experience to occur.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed design is extendable to other human service contexts.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this research is the first that shows how a transformative service can be effectively designed to overcome the potential conflict between its eudaimonic versus hedonic outcomes, such that the service will be well received by consumers while remain faithful to its transformative goal.
Research on modeling the relationship between agricultural informatization level and economic growth in green ecological environment
Authors: Feng Ling , Huang Yu
Published: June 2022

Purpose

In order to improve the current level of agricultural informatization and the large deviation of economic growth. Combining the cost input of the green ecological environment and the level of economic growth, the relationship model between the level of agricultural informatization and economic growth is established in the green ecological environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors establish an evaluation index system for the level of agricultural informatization and calculate the total index of agricultural informatization under the index system. Combining the cost input of the green ecological environment and the level of economic growth, the authors establish the relationship model between the level of agricultural informatization and economic growth in the green ecological environment.

Findings

The research results show that the regression coefficient of determination including agricultural informatization elements from 2014 to 2018 is 5.105466, indicating that the model fits well. The sum of the variables is greater than 1, indicating that the mutual influence of agricultural informatization factors is also obvious. The condition of the hypothesis test in this study is significant (5%), which shows the positive relationship between the elastic coefficient of agricultural informatization and the elements of informatization. The results show that the continuous advancement of the informatization process can effectively promote agricultural economic growth.

Originality/value

The condition of the hypothesis test in this study is significant (5%), which shows the positive relationship between the elastic coefficient of agricultural informatization and the elements of informatization. The continuous advancement of the informatization process can effectively promote agricultural economic growth.
Control transfer and old shareholder governance of the “seller”: who hinders the management retention?
Authors: Wang Yan , Dai Rong , Xu Shufang , Luo Li
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the inhibitory effect of non-controlling shareholders governance mechanism on the retention of self-interest management, which provides theoretical support and practical basis for standardizing the control transfer behavior of listed companies and improving the governance mechanism of non-controlling shareholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking A-share listed companies with control transfer from 2000 to 2017 as sample, this paper investigates the strategy, path and retention consequence of the target company’s market selected top management who collude with the new controlling shareholder to avoid the risk of being taken over by control transfer.

Findings

This research explores that negative earnings management behavior may reduce the real premium of control transfer after deducting the “shell value”. The lower the real premium of control transfer after deducting the “shell value”, the higher the probability of management retention after control transfer. This paper also reveals that the real premium of control transfer after deducting the “shell value” plays complete mediation role between the negative earnings management behavior of the management and their own retention. The mediation effect of “collusion and price reduction” in the control transfer will be inversely moderated by the governance mechanism of noncontrolling shareholders including the old shareholders of the seller.

Originality/value

This paper not only constitutes a supplement to the existing literature but also provides empirical evidence for standardizing the control transfer behavior of listed companies, and making good use of the old shareholders of the seller to improve corporate governance and alleviate agency conflict after control transfer.
Low adenylate kinase 5 expression is predictive of poor prognosis and promotes tumour growth by regulating the cell‐cycle pathway
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Li Yan , Liu Yankui , Zhang Lihua , Hua Dong
Published: June 2022

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is one of the most common malignant tumours of the digestive system. Specific molecular markers play an important role in COAD diagnosis and therapy. Adenylate kinase 5 (AK5) is an enzyme that is related to energy metabolism and cancer. However, the exact role of AK5 in the progression of COAD is still unclear. In this study, the expression of AK5 in tissue samples and non‐cancerous tissues of COAD patients was assessed by the bioinformatics method and western blot. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis evaluated the prognostic significance of AK5. The biological function of AK5 in tumour progression was assessed by MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, wound healing assay, western blot and mice xenograft models. The results showed that AK5 expression in tumour tissues was lower than in non‐cancerous tissues. Notably, the patients with high AK5 expression possessed a longer overall survival than the low expression patients, and low AK5 expression promoted proliferation and metastasis in COAD cells by regulating the cell‐cycle pathway. Importantly, in vivo results showed that reduced AK5 expression is required for tumour growth. This study confirmed the significant role of AK5 in the development and progression of COAD. Therefore, low AK5 expression levels can be an independent prognostic biomarker, which provides new sight for the clinical diagnosis and target therapy of COAD.
Atmospheric pollution, soil nutrients and climate effects on Mucoromycota arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Authors: Kowal J. , Arrigoni E. , Jarvis S. , Zappala S. , Forbes E. , Bidartondo M. I. , Suz L. M.
Published: June 2022

Fine root endophyte mycorrhizal fungi in the Endogonales (Mucoromycota arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, M‐AMF) are now recognized as at least as important globally as Glomeromycota AMF (G‐AMF), yet little is known about the environmental factors which influence M‐AMF diversity and colonization, partly because they typically only co‐colonize plants with G‐AMF. Wild populations of Lycopodiella inundata predominantly form mycorrhizas with M‐AMF and therefore allow focussed study of M‐AMF environmental drivers. Using microscopic examination and DNA sequencing we measured M‐AMF colonization and diversity over three consecutive seasons and modelled interactions between these response variables and environmental data. Significant relationships were found between M‐AMF colonization and soil S, P, C:N ratio, electrical conductivity, and the previously overlooked micronutrient Mn. Estimated N deposition was negatively related to M‐AMF colonization. Thirty‐nine Endogonales Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were identified in L. inundata roots, a greater diversity than previously recognized in this plant. Endogonales OTU richness correlated negatively with soil C:N while community composition was mostly influenced by soil P. This study provides first evidence that M‐AMF have distinct ecological preferences in response to edaphic variables also related to air pollution. Future studies require site‐level atmospheric pollution monitoring to guide critical load policy for mycorrhizal fungi in heathlands and grasslands.
Everything is at a time and in a place
Authors: Eriksen Thomas Hylland
Published: June 2022

The customary absence of anthropological perspectives in reports and policy recommendations on climate change and diversity loss is again confirmed in the current IPCC report and the recent UN report on biodiversity. This is a severe shortcoming since there is widespread agreement that goals are rarely met in these domains. Anthropology can offer a holistic perspective and local solutions which would make a difference. Policymakers are attracted to figures and universal recipes, but they need prose and diversity.
The ‘drive and talk’ as ethnographic method
Authors: Drew Georgina , Skinner William , Bardsley Douglas K.
Published: June 2022

Anthropologists have long embraced the value of the ‘walk and talk’ ethnographic method, which is an interactive means of generating research insights in situ – on site. In this article, we propose that there is room for an expanded appreciation of the ‘drive and talk’ method. While driving and talking with their interlocutors, researchers can elicit information prompted by features in the landscape and the environment that might be otherwise forgotten or overlooked if the interview context was set in a fixed location. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, this article explains the empirical and phenomenological (sensorial and experiential) insights yielded by driving and talking with interlocutors in a South Australian wine‐growing region. Automobility has the advantage over ambulation when it comes to accessing landscapes at the scale of the farm, which is where environmental management decisions are on heightened display.
Rethinking environmental justice in the Anthropocene: An anthropological perspective
Authors: Tassan Manuela
Published: June 2022

This article encourages a closer dialogue between contemporary anthropological reflections on nature and the environment and environmental justice (EJ). We can revise the environment concept by adopting a more nuanced view of the ontological relations between humans and non‐humans. The idea of ‘assemblage’ as reworked in the Anthropocene debate enriches EJ with a multispecies perspective and a new ‘temporal awareness’. Ethnography grounded in the confluence of human/geophysical agency and temporality can help us understand past eco‐social dynamics and possible futures and overcome environmental inequalities and discrimination.
The ‘Republican’ Publican: ‘Honest’ Sam House, Visual Culture, and the General Election of 1784*
Authors: Smith Callum D.
Published: June 2022

Despite his ‘highest situation’ in life being that of a publican, Samuel House was the most frequently depicted member of the lower orders during the 1784 Westminster election and was directly credited in at least 33 different caricatures. To warrant such attention and depiction implies that House played a significant role as Fox's primary bridge to the plebeian Westminster vote; a demographic that was essential for Fox's victory. In spite of his positive electoral role in the Foxite campaign, House was effectively weaponised in hostile caricature as a discrediting plebeian anti‐Foxite caricature symbol, emphasising the vulnerabilities of the mingling of aristocratic‐plebeian sociability. Yet, in spite of his significance, and consistent inclusion in contemporary caricature, pamphlets and songs, House has remained largely unexplored by historians. Only John Brewer has produced a dedicated work on House, though the likes of H.T. Dickinson, Herbert Atherton, Diana Donald, Marc Baer, George Rudé, Harriet Guest and E.P Thompson have studied the role and impact of the mob and plebeian electoral contribution. Based on new work on the Foxites and visual culture and using contemporary biographical sources, poll books, parliamentary registers and contemporary newspapers this article will redress this imbalance and attempt to establish House's significance as a plebeian electoral campaigner for Fox, and as a discrediting symbol of plebeian drunkenness, sociability, and electoral corruption deployed by hostile caricaturists to disgrace his patron. So effective was the anti‐Fox campaign, bolstered by the activities of caricaturists, that Fox was prevented from taking his Westminster seat for ten months – from May 1784 until March 1785 – during a Pittite enforced scrutiny.
Choreography of Defeat: The Fall of the 1979 Government
Authors: Mitchell James , Williamson Clifford
Published: June 2022

This article reassesses the attempt by the Labour government in 1979 to overcome challenges faced without an overall majority; the collapse of the Lib‐Lab Pact; internal party dissent; and referendum results on Scottish and Welsh devolution. The efforts to patch together a parliamentary majority with other parties’ MPs while allaying opponents of devolution within the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) ultimately failed. Although the chronology of the defeat is well established and has formed the basis of many studies of British political history, less well understood is the choreography of defeat, the sequence of discussions and negotiations with smaller parties and internal debates within the government on how to respond to the results of the devolution referendums in Wales and Scotland held on 1 March 1979. Documents from the National Archives, Kew, including detailed accounts of the prime minister's conversations and discussions with cabinet colleagues and other party leaders, as well as an analysis of the decision‐making process inside 10 Downing Street highlight the limited choices available to the prime minister. It shows the difficulties the prime minister had in assessing the likely behaviour of MPs from the smaller parties as well as his own. James Callaghan rejected proposals from his deputy, Michael Foot, to avert defeat, preferring instead to avoid the possibility of dividing his party. This resulted in defeat in the no confidence vote that precipitated the general election that brought Margaret Thatcher to power.
Evaluation of rotary instruments with whipping motion in the biomechanical preparation of large root canals of young permanent teeth
Authors: de Carvalho Kleber Kildare Teodoro , Petean Igor Bassi Ferreira , Silva‐Sousa Alice Corrêa , Camargo Rafael , Mazzi‐Chaves Jardel Francisco , Silva‐Sousa Yara Teresinha Corrêa , Sousa‐Neto Manoel Damião
Published: June 2022

Shaping ability evaluation of taper ./01 instruments in large root canals, by microcomputed tomography (micro‐CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Maxillary central incisors with large diameter root canals were divided into two groups (n = 10): XP‐Endo Shaper (FKG‐Dentaire, Switzerland) and manual instrumentation (FKG‐Dentaire). Two‐ and three‐dimensional parameters from cervical to apical root thirds were evaluated by micro‐CT. Apical stop was evaluated by SEM images. Data were analysed by ANOVA and Tukey tests (α = 5%). XP‐Endo Shaper allowed a regular biomechanical preparation with less dentinal wear compared with manual instrumentation, which showed excessive wear of the thin root canal walls (p < 0.05). Roundness and SMI showed similarity between both protocols (p > 0.05). XP‐Endo Shaper SEM showed a regular and well‐defined shape of the apical foramen suggesting the formation of the apical stop. Reduced diameter and taper instruments promoted a conservative wear and a well‐defined apical stop formation in large root canals.
Low‐intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy for diabetic men with erectile dysfunction: A systematic scoping review
Authors: Mason Matthew M. , Pai Raghav K. , Masterson John M. , Lokeshwar Soum D. , Chu Kevin Y. , Ramasamy Ranjith
Published: June 2022

Background

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a very common complication in men with diabetes mellitus (DM). Low‐intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li‐ESWT) offers a promising nonsurgical treatment option for ED. A systematic scoping review investigating the outcomes of Li‐ESWT in diabetic men with ED has not yet been performed.

Objectives

To systematically review animal and clinical studies related to the use of Li‐ESWT for treatment of DM‐related ED.

Data sources

PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched, unrestricted by dates or study design.

Materials and methods

We included qualitative studies, quantitative studies, primary research studies, meta‐analyses, and research letters written in English. Full text reviewing was completed in all animal and human studies discussing Li‐ESWT for the treatment of ED in subjects with DM. Data extracted included the journal citation, publication year, country of origin, study design, and a summary of the pertinent findings.

Results

Our search yielded nine clinical studies and 10 animal studies. The results of the clinical studies suggest that Li‐ESWT is a safe and effective treatment in men with well‐controlled DM and moderate or better ED. However, the benefit is less durable in diabetic men than nondiabetic men. The results of the animal studies suggest that Li‐ESWT can significantly improve erectile function in diabetic rat models with ED.

Conclusions

The examined studies present encouraging results for the use of Li‐ESWT to treat diabetic men with ED. Future studies, particularly robust randomized controlled trials, are necessary to confirm these findings and provide long‐term follow‐up.
A single centre audit: repeat pre‐operative colonoscopy
Authors: Chen Michelle Zhiyun , Devan Nair Hareshdeva , Saboo Apoorva , Lee Sharon Chih Lin , Gu Xinchen , Auckloo Sheik Mohammad Azhar , Tamang Sandeep , Chen Sally Jiasi , Lowe Ryan William , Strugnell Neil
Published: June 2022

Background

Repeat colonoscopy may be required for tumour localisation. The aim of the study is to explore the clinical settings it was used and benchmark the quality of initial colonoscopy against standardized guidelines for tumour localisation, tattooing and colonoscopy reporting amongst clinicians.

Methods

A retrospective study from 2016 to 2021 has been performed on patients who underwent elective colorectal cancer resections at the Northern Hospital. Patient demographics, colonoscopic and operative details were retrieved from the Bi‐National Colorectal Cancer Audit (BCCA) Registry database and hospital medical records. Primary outcomes: changes in operative approach and delays to operation. Secondary outcomes: reasons for a repeat colonoscopy and complications from repeat colonoscopy.

Results

A total of 339 patients were included in this study. 94 (28.6%) underwent a repeat colonoscopy. Re‐scoping rate was 29.6% for surgeons, and 26.2% for non‐operating endoscopists. Surgeons had a 5.9% localisation error rate, and non‐operating endoscopist 6.95% (p = 0.673). Surgeons did not have a lower rate of repeat colonoscopy (p = 0.462). Repeat endoscopy was associated with a longer time to definitive operation (p < 0.001). No complications were associated with a repeat colonoscopy.

Conclusion

There was no difference in localisation error rates or repeat colonoscopy amongst surgeons (29.6%) and non‐operating endoscopists (26.2%) (p = 0.462). This could be explained by the standardized endoscopy training in Australia governed by a common training board. Lack of tattooing at index colonoscopy and inadequate documentation often led to a repeat endoscopy, which was associated with a longer time to definitive operation. Standardized guidelines in tattooing of lesions and colonoscopy reporting should be implemented.
Optimizing sensory fiber activation during cervical transcutaneous spinal stimulation using different electrode configurations: A computational analysis
Authors: de Freitas Roberto M. , Capogrosso Marco , Nomura Taishin , Milosevic Matija
Published: June 2022

Background

Cervical transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is a rehabilitation tool which has been used to promote upper‐limb motor recovery after spinal cord injury. Importantly, optimizing sensory fiber activation at specific spinal segments could enable activity‐dependent neuromodulation during rehabilitation.

Methods

An anatomically realistic cervical tSCS computational model was used to analyze the activation of α‐motor and Aα‐sensory fibers at C7 and C8 spinal segments using nine cathode electrode configurations. Specifically, the cathode was simulated at three vertebral level positions: C6, C7, and T1; and in three sizes: 5.0 × 5.0, 3.5 × 3.5, and 2.5 × 2.5 cm2, while the anode was on the anterior neck. Finite element method was used to estimate the electric potential distribution along α‐motor and Aα‐sensory fibers, and computational models were applied to simulate the fiber membrane dynamics during tSCS. The minimum stimulation intensity necessary to activate the fibers (activation threshold) was estimated and compared across cathode configurations in an effort to optimize sensory fiber activation.

Results

Our results showed that nerve fibers at both C7 and C8 spinal segments were recruited at lower stimulation intensities when the cathode was positioned over the C7 or T1 vertebra compared with the C6 position. Sensory fibers were activated at lower stimulation intensities using smaller electrodes, which could also affect the degree of nerve fiber activation across different positions. Importantly, Aα‐sensory fibers were consistently recruited before α‐motor fibers.

Conclusions

These results imply that cathode positioning could help optimize preferential activation of hand muscles during cervical tSCS.
Reader reaction to “Outcome‐adaptive lasso: Variable selection for causal inference” by Shortreed and Ertefaie (2017)
Authors: Baldé Ismaila , Yang Yi Archer , Lefebvre Geneviève
Published: June 2022

Shortreed and Ertefaie introduced a clever propensity score variable selection approach for estimating average causal effects, namely, the outcome adaptive lasso (OAL). OAL aims to select desirable covariates, confounders, and predictors of outcome, to build an unbiased and statistically efficient propensity score estimator. Due to its design, a potential limitation of OAL is how it handles the collinearity problem, which is often encountered in high‐dimensional data. As seen in Shortreed and Ertefaie, OAL's performance degraded with increased correlation between covariates. In this note, we propose the generalized OAL (GOAL) that combines the strengths of the adaptively weighted L1 penalty and the elastic net to better handle the selection of correlated covariates. Two different versions of GOAL, which differ in their procedure (algorithm), are proposed. We compared OAL and GOAL in simulation scenarios that mimic those examined by Shortreed and Ertefaie. Although all approaches performed equivalently with independent covariates, we found that both GOAL versions were more performant than OAL in low and high dimensions with correlated covariates.
A questionable version of the Post‐Traumatic growth inventory—Short form in women diagnosed with breast cancer
Authors: Porro Bertrand , Broc Guillaume , Baguet‐Marin Fanny , Cousson‐Gélie Florence
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Because the full version of the Post‐Traumatic Growth Inventory was considered too long, a short English version (10 items/five factors) was initially proposed in the literature (PTGI‐SF). Thereafter another short Italian version (10 items/five factors) and a unidimensional English version (11 items) were proposed. This study aimed at evaluating which of these three versions of the PTGI‐SF could be best adapted to women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Design

Cross‐sectional and psychometrics study.

Methods

A total of 239 breast cancer patients or survivors were included in the study. To assess all items related to the different PTGI‐SF candidate versions; the full‐length PTGI has been used to measure PTG. A set of psychometric analyses, including a confirmatory factor analysis, composite reliability and construct validity has been performed.

Results

The English unidimensional version did not fit the data (SB‐Chi2 = 184.47, df = 42, p < .001; SB‐RMSEA = .119; SB‐CFI = .814; SB‐TLI = .757; SRMR = .083). Both the English (SB‐Chi2 = 61.40, df = 25, p < .001; SB‐RMSEA = .078; SB‐CFI = .948; SB‐TLI = .907; SRMR = .048) and Italian (SB‐Chi2 = 26.52, df = 25, p > .05; SB‐RMSEA = .016; SB‐CFI = .998; SB‐TLI = .996; SRMR = .026) versions (10 items/five factors, respectively) showed satisfactory psychometric results.

Conclusion

Further investigations are thus required to identify which of these two versions of the PTGI‐SF is the most appropriate for women diagnosed with breast cancer.
House price, credit supply, and government policy in China
Authors: Germaschewski Yin
Published: June 2022

Abstract. House prices in China have risen rapidly since 2000, accompanied by rapid credit expansion and falling interest rates on loans. This paper compares the stabilization effects and welfare implications of five policies on China's housing and credit markets. Three policies directly target the housing and credit markets: bank capital requirements, loan‐to‐value regulation and a property tax rule. Two broader policies are also considered: the reduction of capital controls and of the nominal exchange rate peg. To quantify the analysis, three prominent features of the Chinese economy—a monopolistically competitive banking sector that is subject to direct government control, a nominal exchange rate peg and capital controls—are built into a new Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. The model is estimated with Bayesian methods. Results show that relaxing capital controls is the most effective policy for stabilizing the credit market and the overall economy, while improving welfare. The second most effective approach is bank capital requirements, followed by a property tax rule. In contrast, loan‐to‐value regulation and a relaxation of the nominal exchange rate peg result in welfare losses to the economy.
Biological effectiveness and relative biological effectiveness of ion beams for in‐vitro cell irradiation
Authors: Li Heng
Published: June 2022

Biological effectiveness and relative biological effectiveness are critical for proton and ion beam radiotherapy. However, the relationship between the two quantities and physical character of ion beams is not well established. By analyzing 1188 sets of in‐vitro cell irradiation experiments using ion beams ranging from protons to 238U, compiled by the Particle Irradiation Data Ensemble (PIDE) project, the biological effectiveness of the ion beams, with cell survival fractionation (SF) as the endpoint, was found to be dependent on the fluence and linear energy transfer (LET) of the ion beam. Consequently, the relative biological effectiveness of the ion beam to photon beam was also established as a function of LET. A common form of relationship among SF, fluence, and LET was found to be valid for all ion beam experiments. The close form relationship could be used for proton and ion beam radiotherapy applications.
The benefit of scratch patch testing to demonstrate ocular contact allergy to brimonidine tartrate
Authors: Ringuet Julien , Lajoie Caroline , Bourgault Serge , Simonyan David , Houle Marie‐Claude
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Ocular allergies to brimonidine are frequent in patients treated for glaucoma. There is variability in reporting due to the lack of diagnostic criteria and the absence of cutaneous testing. Many false‐negative patch tests (PT) have been described. Alternative methods, such as strip and scratch PT, have been used without a standardized method.

Objectives

The primary objective is to identify the best method of cutaneous testing and brimonidine concentration for patch testing. The secondary objective is to identify clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of ocular allergy.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective review of patient files suspected of brimonidine ocular allergy was performed. Patch testing method, brimonidine concentration and clinical symptoms were reviewed.

Results

Of the 36 patients identified, half tested positive for brimonidine for at least one of the testing methods. The scratch PT demonstrated 17 positive reactions (94% detection rate). Three patients reacted with strip PT. No positive results were found with standard PT. The 5% brimonidine concentration demonstrated the highest sensitivity. The absence of eyelid pruritus was associated with negative testing.

Conclusion

In the investigation of ocular allergy to brimonidine, scratch PT proved to be an essential tool. Brimonidine 5% pet. appeared as the most sensitive concentration for scratch PT.