bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychopathy and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition alternative model of personality disorder: a synthesis and critique of the emergent literature
Authors: Dunne Ashley L.
Published: August 2020

Purpose of review

Including the psychopathic specifier within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition alternative model of personality disorder (AMPD) trait conceptualization of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) represents a significant development in the history of the conceptualization of ASPD and its relationship to psychopathy. This review presents a synthesis and critique of emerging literature pertaining to AMPD ASPD and the psychopathic specifier.

Recent findings

The current review draws attention to the utility of ASPD impairment ratings and traits to effectively measure psychopathy, shortcomings of the psychopathic specifier, research efforts to improve upon the conceptualization of AMPD psychopathy, and ASPD and psychopathic specifier trait complexity.

AMPD domains and ASPD designated traits converge with interpersonal, antagonistic, and disinhibitory domains of psychopathy but demonstrate poorer convergence with boldness/fearless dominance. The separate assessment of ASPD impairment adds little to the prediction of psychopathy beyond ASPD trait severity. Although the psychopathic specifier maps onto boldness/fearless dominance domains of psychopathy, theoretical and empirical limitations hinder the utility of the psychopathic specifier and reconceptualization will likely be required. Finally, complex ASPD and psychopathic specifier facet interrelationships and diverse relationships with externalizing outcomes suggests the development of advanced interpretive guides for clinical practice should be a high priority.
Advances in early identification of children and adolescents at risk for psychiatric illness
Authors: Raballo Andrea , Poletti Michele
Published: August 2020

Purpose of review

Childhood and adolescence are a crucial time window for the early identification of perspectival risk for adult psychopathology. This article reviews current advances in the field.

Recent findings

Converging developmentally focused and predictive approaches are rapidly expanding in the field of early identification of children and adolescents at risk for psychiatric illness. Although the former emphasizes early phenotypic trajectories emerging in childhood and adolescence, the latter operate in terms of clinical risk staging. Decisive advances in the field include the metaanalytical evidence of the predictive value of clinical high-risk criteria in childhood–adolescence; the systematization of premorbid manifestations of psychotic vulnerability and bipolar prodromes; the corroboration of certain sets of anomalous subjective experiences as transdiagnostic index of familial genetic risk (i.e., basic symptoms) and early developmental expression of schizophrenia spectrum vulnerability (i.e., self-disorders).

Childhood phenotypic manifestations of liability to mental disorders are often cooccurrent and undergo a plastic, heterotypic modification along the transition to adolescence. In general, they represent epiphenomenic flags of a broad vulnerability for the subsequent structuration of mental illness. This perspective coheres with the p-factor model of psychopathology and complements the clinical staging model which informs the early detection paradigm of severe mental disorders.
Endogenous Klebsiella endophthalmitis as the presentation of both Klebsiella liver abscess and underlying anti-IFN-3 autoimmunity
Authors: Castle George , Heath Greg
Published: August 2020

This case study is one of the first ever reported examples of infection in a patient with anti-IFN-3 autoimmunity and demonstrates how overwhelming infection can sometimes present with visual symptoms. We report the case of a previously fit middle-aged patient presenting with painless loss of vision and loss of appetite. Examination showed choroidal abscess and a pan-uveitis, leading to admission for vitreous biopsy.

Klebsiella pneumoniae

was isolated both in the vitreous and in blood cultures. Subsequent investigation discovered a liver abscess which was treated with percutaneous drainage. Despite the administration of intravitreal antibiotics from the time of presentation, intravenous antibiotics and vitrectomy on the same day, the patient proceeded to need enucleation 19 days later, and now has only light perception in the remaining eye. The strong association between

K. pneumoniae

endophthalmitis and underlying liver abscess leads to a significant mortality rate. Early diagnosis is essential, with prompt aggressive treatment with antibiotics, but sadly the visual prognosis remains poor. In cases of suspected choroidal abscess, initiation of sepsis screen and immediate empirical treatment is vital to improve this prognosis. This patient had no significant past medical history, no known immunocompromise, was not diabetic and had no recent significant foreign travel. However, further immunological analysis demonstrated the presence of anti-IFN-3 antibodies, a hitherto under-reported potential cause of increased susceptibility to infection, and so cases of sepsis in previously healthy individuals should be considered for further immunology assessment.
Cell competition between wild-type and JAK2V617F mutant cells in a murine model of a myeloproliferative neoplasm
Authors: Castiglione Melissa , Zhang Haotian , Zhan Huichun
Published: August 2020

The myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal stem cell disorders characterized by overproduction of mature blood cells and increased risk of transformation to frank leukemia. The acquired kinase mutation JAK2V617F plays a central role in a majority of these disorders. The hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment in MPN is heterogeneous with the presence of both JAK2 wild-type and JAK2V617F mutant cells in most patients with MPN. Utilizingin vitroco-culture assays andin vivocompetitive transplantation assays, we found that the presence of wild-type cells altered the behavior of co-existing JAK2V617F mutant cells, and a mutant microenvironment (niche) could overcome the competition between wild-type and mutant cells, leading to mutant clonal expansion and overt MPN. We also demonstrated that competition between wild-type and JAK2V617F mutant cells triggered a significant immune response, and there was a dynamic PD-L1 deregulation in the mutant stem/progenitor cells caused by their interactions with the neighboring wild-type cells and the microenvironment. Therefore, while accumulation of oncogenic mutations is unavoidable during aging, our data suggest that, if we could therapeutically enhance normal cells’ ability to compete, we might be better able to control neoplastic cell expansion and prevent the development of a full-blown malignancy.

Key Points

The presence of wild-type cells alters the behavior of co-existing JAK2V617F mutant cells

A mutant microenvironment overcomes the competition between wild-type and JAK2V617F mutant cells, leading to the development of a MPN
Strengthening marine amphipod DNA barcode libraries for environmental monitoring
Authors: Prasannakumar Chinnamani , Manikantan Ganesh , Vijaylaxmi J. , Gunalan Balakrishnan , Manokaran Seerangan , Pugazhvendan S. R.
Published: August 2020

Environmental DNA barcoding technology is gaining innovative applications. The effectiveness of current DNA barcode reference libraries in identifying amphipod barcodes and/or strengthening the existing library was tested. From 2500 amphipod individuals we barcoded 22 amphipod species belonging to 17 genera, 13 families among which 13 species were first time barcoded. More than 80 percent of the species were new distributional records. The minimum and maximum inter-specific pair-wise distance values was respectively 0.16 and 5.51 percent. Defining family specific species threshold values would be imperative, rather than expecting a universal barcode gap for amphipod species. The overall mean pair-wise distance, nucleotide diversity and Tajima’s statistics were 3.59 percent, 0.27 and 2.62, respectively. There is a strong need to increase the number of amphipod species barcodes in the reference database. For better facilitation of environmental monitoring, the datasets could be exclusively accessed at BOLD throughhttp://dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-MAOI.
Divergent DNA methylation signatures of X chromosome regulation in marsupials and eutherians
Authors: Singh Devika , Sun Dan , King Andrew G. , Alquezar-Planas David E. , Johnson Rebecca N. , Alvarez-Ponce David , Yi Soojin V.
Published: August 2020

X chromosome inactivation (XCI) mediated by differential DNA methylation between sexes is well characterized in eutherian mammals. Although XCI is shared between eutherians and marsupials, the role of DNA methylation in marsupial XCI remains contested. Here we examine genome-wide signatures of DNA methylation from methylation maps across fives tissues from a male and female koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) and present the first whole genome, multi-tissue marsupial “methylome atlas.” Using these novel data, we elucidate divergent versus common features of marsupial and eutherian DNA methylation. First, tissue-specific differential DNA methylation in marsupials primarily occurs in gene bodies. Second, females show significant global reduction (hypomethylation) of X chromosome DNA methylation compared to males. We show that this pattern is also observed in eutherians. Third, on average, promoter DNA methylation shows little difference between male and female koala X chromosomes, a pattern distinct from that of eutherians. Fourth, the sex-specific DNA methylation landscape upstream ofRsx, the primarylncRNA associated with marsupial XCI, is consistent with the epigenetic regulation of female-(and presumably inactive X chromosome-) specific expression. Finally, we utilize the prominent female X chromosome hypomethylation and classify 98 previously unplaced scaffolds as X-linked, contributing an additional 14.6 Mb (21.5 %) to genomic data annotated as the koala X chromosome. Our work demonstrates evolutionarily divergent pathways leading to functionally conserved patterns of XCI in two deep branches of mammals.
Metformin enhances anti-mycobacterial responses by educating immunometabolic circuits of CD8+T cells
Authors: Böhme Julia , Martinez Nuria , Li Shamin , Lee Andrea , Marzuki Mardiana , Tizazu Anteneh Mehari , Ackart David , Frenkel Jessica Haugen , Todd Alexandra , Lachmandas Ekta , Lum Josephine , Shihui Foo , Ng Tze Pin , Lee Bernett , Larbi Anis , Netea Mihai G , Basaraba Randall , van Crevel Reinout , Newell Evan , Kornfeld Hardy , Singhal Amit
Published: August 2020

Diabetic patients taking metformin have lower risk forMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) infection, progression from infection to tuberculosis (TB) disease, TB morality and TB recurrence. However, a detailed mechanistic understanding of metformin’s protective immunological benefits on host resistance to TB is lacking. In this study, using mass cytometry we show that metformin treatment expands memory-like antigen-inexperienced CD8+CXCR3+T cells in naïve mice, and in healthy and diabetic humans. Metformin-educated CD8+T cells have increased (i) mitochondrial mass, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid oxidation; (ii) survival capacity; and (iii) anti-mycobacterial properties. CD8+T cells fromCXCR3−/−mice did not exhibit metformin-mediated metabolic programming. In BCG-vaccinated mice and guinea pigs, metformin enhanced immunogenicity and protective efficacy againstMtbchallenge. Collectively, our results demonstrate an important role of CD8+T cells in metformin-derived host metabolic-fitness towardsMtbinfection.
LowXISTexpression in Sertoli cells of Klinefelter syndrome patients caused the high susceptibility of these cells to an extra X chromosome
Authors: Zhao LiangYu , Li Peng , Yao ChenCheng , Xing XiaoYu , Yang Chao , Luo JiaQiang , Ji ZhiYong , Tian RuHui , Chen HuiXing , Zhu ZiJue , Deng ZhiWen , Li Na , Fang Jing , Sun Jie , Wang ChenChen , Zhou Zhi , Li Zheng
Published: August 2020

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common genetic cause of human male infertility. Patients suffer from heterogeneous testicular atrophy with loss of both germ cells and Sertoli cells. However, the mechanism by which the extra X chromosome causes failure of spermatogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we profiled testicular single-cell transcriptomes from three KS patients and compared the results with those of healthy donors. Among different somatic cells, Sertoli cells showed the greatest changes in KS patients. Further analysis showed thatXIST, a key long intergenic non-coding RNA that inactivates one X chromosome in female mammals, was widely expressed in somatic cells, except for Sertoli cells, leading to an increase in X-inactivation genes in these cells, which may cause Sertoli cells death and disruption of the spermatogenic microenvironment. Our study proposed a new mechanism to explain the unique pathological manifestations of KS in the testes and provided a theoretical basis for subsequent research and related treatment.
Prospective Representations in Rat Orbitofrontal Ensembles
Authors: Zhou Jingfeng , Zong Wenhui , Jia Chunying , Gardner Matthew P.H. , Schoenbaum Geoffrey
Published: August 2020

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been proposed to encode expected outcomes, which is thought to be important for outcome-directed behavior. However, such neural encoding can also often be explained by the recall of information about the recent past. To dissociate the retrospective and prospective aspects of encoding in the OFC, we designed a non-spatial, continuous, alternating odor-sequence task that mimicked a continuous T-maze. The task consisted of two alternating sequences of four odor-guided trials (2 sequences × 4 positions). In each trial, rats were asked to make a “go” or “no-go” action based on a fixed odor-reward contingency. Odors at both the first and last positions were distinct across the two sequences, such that they resembled unique paths in the past and future, respectively; odors at positions in between were the same and thus resembled a common path. We trained classifiers using neural activity to distinguish between either sequences or positions and asked whether the neural activity patterns in the common path were more like the ones in the past or the future. We found a proximal prospective code for sequence information as well as a distal prospective code for positional information, the latter of which was closely associated with rats’ ability to predict future outcomes. This study demonstrates a prospective behaviorally-relevant predictive code in rat OFC.
Conserved amino acids residing outside the voltage field can shift the voltage sensitivity and increase the signal size ofCionabased GEVIs
Authors: Rad Masoud Sepehri , Cohen Lawrence B. , Baker Bradley J.
Published: August 2020

To identify potential regions of the voltage-sensing domain that could shift the voltage sensitivity ofCiona intestinalisbased Genetically Encoded Voltage Indicators (GEVIs), we aligned 183 voltage-gated sodium channels from different organisms. Conserved polar residues were identified at multiple transmembrane loop junctions in the voltage sensing domain. Similar conservation of polar amino acids was found in the voltage sensing domain of the voltage-sensing phosphatase gene family. These conserved residues were mutated to nonpolar or oppositely charged amino acids in a GEVI that utilizes the voltage sensing domain of the voltage sensing phosphatase fromCionafused to the fluorescent protein, super ecliptic pHlorin (A227D). Different mutations shifted the voltage sensitivity in a more positive or a more negative direction. Double mutants were then created by selecting constructs that shifted the optical signal to more negative potentials resulting in an improved signal in the physiological voltage range. The combination of two mutations, Y172A (intracellular loop between transmembrane segments S2 and S3) and D204K (extracellular loop between transmembrane segments S3 and S4) showed the increased the signal size from 2.5% to 13.8% for a 100 mV depolarization. Introduction of these mutations into previously developed GEVIs improved the dynamic range to 40% ΔF/F/100 mV.
Antibiotic tolerance is associated with a broad and complex transcriptional response inE. coli
Authors: Deter Heather S. , Hossain Tahmina , Butzin Nicholas C.
Published: August 2020

Antibiotic treatment kills a large portion of a population, while a small, tolerant subpopulation survives. Tolerant bacteria disrupt antibiotic efficacy and increase the likelihood that a population gains antibiotic resistance, a growing health concern. We examined howE. colitranscriptional networks changed in response to lethal ampicillin concentrations. We are the first to apply transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) analysis to antibiotic tolerance by leveraging existing knowledge and our transcriptional data. TRN analysis shows that gene expression changes specific to ampicillin treatment are likely caused by specific sigma and transcription factors typically regulated by proteolysis. These results demonstrate that to survive lethal concentration of ampicillin specific regulatory proteins change activity and cause a coordinated transcriptional response that leverages multiple gene systems.
Sustainable plastic clothing and brand luxury: a discussion of contradictory consumer behaviour
Authors: Kumagai Ken
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study examines consumer behaviour based on product sustainability and brand luxury. The purpose is to provide strategic suggestions to apparel companies attempting to invest in sustainable development of plastic clothing, as well as implications for marketing and sustainability research.

Design/methodology/approach

Consumer brand attitude and purchase intention towards sustainable plastic clothing are examined across material types, brand luxury levels and price levels from 315 valid samples collected in Japan.

Findings

The results reveal that sustainable plastic clothing raises brand attitude, indirectly influencing purchase intention. However, the direct effect of sustainable clothing on purchase intention is contradictorily negative. These contradictory effects are especially significant when brand luxury is high. Both brand attitude and purchase intention hardly vary across price levels or material types of sustainable plastic, such as post-consumer bottles versus apparel.

Practical implications

The results imply that sustainable products are not instantly profitable but contribute to a desirable brand association, especially for luxury brands. An investment in costly closed-loop technology for apparel recycling is found to be commercially disadvantageous. Managers are suggested to discuss this aspect carefully, since it seems partially unprofitable, while sustainable management seems to comprehensively contribute to overall enterprise performance.

Originality/value

The study specifically reveals the luxury effect enhancing, yet contradictory, consumer behaviour towards sustainable plastic clothing. To the best of the author’s knowledge, few studies have examined the relationships between these elements. Furthermore, the study sheds new light on consumer behaviour across recycled plastic types from a marketing perspective.
A hybrid multi-criteria decision-making approach to assess the enablers of manufacturing flexibility under fuzzy environment
Authors: Mishra Ruchi
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The study aims to assess and prioritise the enablers of manufacturing flexibility by evaluating the degree of environmental uncertainty and manufacturing flexibility in an uncertain environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study proposes a methodological approach based on fuzzy quality function deployment (FQFD), fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) and fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) to assess and prioritise enablers of manufacturing flexibility in an uncertain environment.

Findings

The study proposes a methodological approach that can facilitate firms to concentrate on preferred enablers and assist them in formulating a strategy to develop manufacturing flexibility. The empirical case study analysis of an Indian auto-air conditioning manufacturing firm was done to illustrate the effectiveness, flexibility and feasibility of the proposed approach.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed approach is limited to manufacturing flexibility. This study does not consider inter-dependencies among environmental uncertainties.

Practical implications

The proposed methodological approach can assist practitioners in the identification and development of the preferred enablers to improve manufacturing flexibility. Thus, practitioners can invest strategically in the right resources to improve manufacturing flexibility.

Originality/value

The study proposes and validates a methodological approach that simultaneously addresses drivers and enablers of manufacturing flexibility; therefore, it aims to fill the gaps of earlier studies that have majorly studied flexibility concept in an isolated way.
The effects of brand origin and country-of-manufacture on consumers' institutional perceptions and purchase decision-making
Authors: Chen Shijiao , Wright Malcolm J. , Gao Hongzhi , Liu Huan , Mather Damien
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Industry-wide crises involving consumer products place consumers at risk. Consumers rely on institutions that constrain corporate practice and control product quality to reduce risk. As institutions vary by country, country-of-origin (COO) acts as a salient cue for consumers to identify institutional quality and thus evaluate risk when making purchase decisions. However, in the era of globalisation, identification of institutional quality becomes complex as global value chains involve different countries such as brand origin (BO) and country-of-manufacture (COM). Therefore, this research investigates how BO and COM individually and jointly affect consumers' institutional perceptions and subsequent purchase decision-making in the presence of systemic risk.

Design/methodology/approach

This research includes three studies (n = 764) employing surveys and choice modelling experiments with samples from China and the USA.

Findings

The results show that BO and COM relate to different institutional perceptions. BO evokes perceptions of legitimacy and the regulatory environment, while COM evokes perceptions of the normative and the regulatory environment. The combination of BO and COM determines how institutional quality is communicated and further affects consumers' legitimacy perceptions, preferences and willingness to pay a price premium.

Originality/value

This research contributes to understanding the effect of BO and COM in the context of complex value chains from an institutional perspective. It also provides implications for leveraging complex COO cues with BO and COM information to improve consumers' institutional perceptions.
Application of capital structure theories: a systematic review
Authors: Bajaj Yukti , Kashiramka Smita , Singh Shveta
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The present study aims to analyse the literature on capital structure theories for the last 21 years to identify the existing gaps and themes for prospective researchers in this domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 183 articles published from 1999 to 2019 in the Scopus database using “capital structure theory” and “leverage” as keywords was analysed on various basis. A citation analysis was also performed to recognize impactful authors and papers.

Findings

The findings revealed that though the capital structure research studies were highly focussed on developed economies, with time, research studies in developing markets are increasing. Further, the capital structure research studies were largely conducted by considering all the industries together, whereas the focus on a particular industrial sector was meagre. Almost all the studies were empirical, thus providing scope for primary research. Various forms of regression were popular econometric techniques used in this area of late. This review highlighted the dominance of trade-off theory to elucidate the capital structure of firms, irrespective of the status of the economy. The comprehensive review uncovered the existing gaps and identified major themes evolving in the capital structure domain.

Originality/value

Unlike a traditional review paper, this study classifies sample articles based on several parameters and depicts a graphical presentation of the findings to cover research gaps, avenues, evolving themes, key aspects, impactful authors and their papers, etc. in the capital structure domain. It provides ready-made information available for prospective research studies in this field.
Compliance of accessibility in tourism websites: a pledge towards disability
Authors: Singh Ranjit , Ismail Abid , PS Sibi , Singh Dipendra
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the US states and territories’ official tourism information websites based on the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) and Section 508 guidelines to identify the compliance of websites towards disabilities policies and their behaviour pattern.

Design/methodology/approach

The official tourism websites of 57 states and territories were analysed through the TAW tool for WCAG 2.0 and AChecker for Section 508. Cluster analysis was used to produce a group of websites underlying the accessibility issues obtained from the online tool to understand the common pattern of behaviour.

Findings

The result revealed that websites have serious and significant accessibility issues underlying the prescribed guidelines that would interfere with the use of the website by disabled people. The main issues that make the website least accessible focussed on the following guideline of WCAG 2.0: compatible, navigable, text alternative, distinguishable and adaptable.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical results provide the US states and territories’ tourism authority to better understand web accessibility in their websites and its impact on disabled people.

Originality/value

As the web plays an important role in individual lives, this study highlights the accessibility issues which need immediately focussed and technically planned actions from the respective states and territories to ensure that designed web content should communicate effectively and universally.
Determinants of heterogeneity in investors' opinions on IPO valuation: evidence from the Pakistan stock market
Authors: Mehmood Waqas , Mohd-Rashid Rasidah , Che-Yahya Norliza , Ong Chui Zi
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study investigated the effect of pricing mechanism and oversubscription on the heterogeneity of investors' opinions on initial public offering (IPO) valuation.

Design/methodology/approach

Besides the ordinary least square method, this study incorporated robust least square, stepwise least square and quantile regression methods to investigate the aftermarket behaviour of investors using the price range on the first day of trading of 82 IPOs listed on the Pakistan stock exchange.

Findings

The aftermarket behaviour of investors was found to be significantly influenced by the pricing mechanism, oversubscription, financial leverage, political stability and the risk of IPO, whereas control of corruption showed an insignificant impact. Concurrently, the findings showed that pricing mechanism and oversubscription played a crucial role in determining the intensity of investors' heterogeneous opinions at high levels of significance.

Originality/value

Pricing mechanism and oversubscription not only signal the quality of IPOs but also provide an important means for reducing the information asymmetry associated with new listings. Based on the literature review, it was found that both the pricing mechanism and oversubscription have yet to be explored in investigating the aftermarket behaviour of investors using the price range in the Pakistan IPO market. This study suggests that book building pricing mechanism and oversubscription are associated with lower heterogeneity in investors’ opinions at a high level of significance.
Loss of troponin‐T labelling in endomyocardial biopsies of cardiac transplant patients is associated with increased rejection grading
Authors: Isaacson Mikaiah , Gibbs Helen , Ruygrok Peter N. , Crossman David J.
Published: August 2020

Acute cellular rejection after cardiac transplantation surgery is routinely monitored by pathological assessment of haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) histology of endomyocardial biopsies (EMB). Unfortunately, there is considerable variation in the diagnosis of rejection that has been attributed to the subjectivity involved in assessing the degree of (a) inflammatory infiltrate and (b) myocyte damage. In this work, we sought to investigate the potential of high contrast confocal microscopy for numerically assessing inflammatory infiltrate and myocyte damage in EMB histology. Confocal microscopy was used to capture images from EMB fluorescently labelled for nuclei (DAPI), f‐actin (phalloidin), troponin‐T (anti‐body), and extracellular matrix and cell border (wheat germ agglutinin). Images from 28 biopsy procedures were captured. Standard pathological grading of H&E histology identified the following rejection gradings: 6 0R, 16 1R, 6 2R and no 3R. Confocal imaging was able to identify equivalent features of rejection provided by H&E histology but at higher contrast facilitating quantification. Lymphocytic infiltrate was calculated as the ratio of non‐myocyte nuclei to total nuclei. This metric was found to be significantly higher in the biopsies from 2R patients compared to both 1R and 0R patients (P < .05). Myocyte damage was quantified as the loss of troponin‐T labelling normalised to f‐actin labelling. This metric of myocyte damage found significantly lower amounts of troponin‐T in the biopsies from 2R patients compared to those with a 0R rejection grading (P < .05). Confocal imaging and simple image processing routines show potential for numerically assessing both inflammatory infiltrate and myocyte damage in endomyocardial biopsy.
Anaerobic biodegradation of phenanthrene by a newly isolated nitrate‐dependent Achromobacter denitrificans strain PheN1 and exploration of the biotransformation processes by metabolite and genome analyses
Authors: Zhang Zuotao , Sun Jiao , Guo Haijiao , Wang Chongyang , Fang Tingting , Rogers Matthew J. , He Jianzhong , Wang Hui
Published: August 2020

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread and harmful contaminants and are more persistent under anaerobic conditions. The bioremediation of PAHs in anaerobic zones has been enhanced by treating the contamination with nitrate, which is thermodynamically favourable, cost‐effective, and highly soluble. However, anaerobic PAHs biotransformation processes that employ nitrate as an electron acceptor have not been fully explored. In this study, we investigated the anaerobic biotransformation of PAHs by strain PheN1, a newly isolated phenanthrene‐degrading denitrifier, using phenanthrene as a model compound. PheN1 is phylogenetically closely related to Achromobacter denitrificans and reduces nitrate to nitrite (not N2) during the anaerobic phenanthrene degradation process. Phenanthrene biotransformation processes were detected using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and were further examined by reverse transcription‐quantitative PCR and genome analyses. Carboxylation and methylation were both found to be the initial steps in the phenanthrene degradation process. Downstream biotransformation processed benzene compounds and cyclohexane derivatives. This study describes the isolation of an anaerobic phenanthrene‐degrading bacterium along with the pure‐culture evidence of phenanthrene biotransformation processes with nitrate as an electron acceptor. The findings in this study can improve our understanding of anaerobic PAHs biodegradation processes and guide PAHs bioremediation by adding nitrate to anaerobic environments.
Groundwater promotes emergence of asporogenic mutants of emetic Bacillus cereus
Authors: Rousset Ludivine , Alpha‐Bazin Béatrice , Château Alice , Armengaud Jean , Clavel Thierry , Berge Odile , Duport Catherine
Published: August 2020

Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous endospore‐forming bacterium, which mainly affects humans as a food‐borne pathogen. Bacillus cereus can contaminate groundwater used to irrigate food crops. Here, we examined the ability of the emetic strain B. cereus F4810/72 to survive abiotic conditions encountered in groundwater. Our results showed that vegetative B. cereus cells rapidly evolved in a mixed population composed of endospores and asporogenic variants bearing spo0A mutations. One asporogenic variant, VAR‐F48, was isolated and characterized. VAR‐F48 can survive in sterilized groundwater over a long period in a vegetative form and has a competitive advantage compared to its parental strain. Proteomics analysis allowed us to quantify changes to cellular and exoproteins after 24 and 72 h incubation in groundwater, for VAR‐F48 compared to its parental strain. The results revealed a significant re‐routing of the metabolism in the absence of Spo0A. We concluded that VAR‐F48 maximizes its energy use to deal with oligotrophy, and the emergence of spo0A‐mutated variants may contribute to the persistence of emetic B. cereus in natural oligotrophic environments.
Formation of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles mediates cadmium resistance and light utilization of the deep‐sea bacterium Idiomarina sp. OT37‐5b
Authors: Ma Ning , Sha Zhongli , Sun Chaomin
Published: August 2020

Heavy metal is one of the major factors threatening the survival of microorganisms. Here, a deep‐sea bacterium designated Idiomarina sp. OT37‐5b possessing strong cadmium (Cd) tolerance was isolated from a typical hydrothermal vent. Both the Cd‐resistance and removal efficiency of Idiomarina sp. OT37‐5b were significantly promoted by the supplement of cysteine and meanwhile large amount of CdS nanoparticles were observed. Production of H2S from cysteine catalysed by methionine gamma‐lyase was further demonstrated to contribute to the formation of CdS nanoparticles. Proteomic results showed the addition of cysteine effectively enhanced the efflux of Cd, improved the activities of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes, and thereby boosted the nitrogen reduction and energy production of Idiomarina sp. OT37‐5b. Notably, the existence of CdS nanoparticles obviously promoted the growth of Idiomarina sp. OT37‐5b when exposed to light, indicating this bacterium might grab light energy through CdS nanoparticles. Proteomic analysis revealed the expression levels of essential components for light utilization including electron transport, cytochrome complex and F‐type ATPase were significantly up‐regulated, which strongly suggested the formation of CdS nanoparticles promoted light utilization and energy production. Our results provide a good model to investigate the uncovered mechanisms of self‐photosensitization of nonphotosynthetic bacteria for light‐to‐chemical production in the deep biosphere.
The Regulation of Third Party Campaigning in UK Elections
Authors: Rowbottom Jacob
Published: August 2020

This article looks at the regulation of third parties in UK election law. During the 2019 general election campaign, media reports noted an increase in non‐party organisations spending money on electoral advertisements on social media. Such advertisements raised a number of ethical questions, related to spending, transparency, and the content of the messages. Despite such recent concerns, third party electoral activity in the UK is not new, and the existing legal framework regulates campaign spending. That framework has its roots in Victorian‐era election law and has been periodically updated. This article will look at the challenges in designing laws to regulate third party electoral activity, as a difficult line has to be drawn to ensure the laws are effective, while at the same time not imposing too many burdens on independent political activity. Moreover, the move to digital campaigning poses some further challenges, such as monitoring compliance by third party campaigners. While there are no simple solutions to some of the issues raised by third party electoral activity, this article will note some of the measures that could at least improve the transparency of such campaigning.
Mind the Values Gap
Authors: Denham John
Published: August 2020

Minds the Values Gap, a report published by The UK in a Changing Europe, highlights the poor alignment of the values expressed within the major parties by their MPs and their activists, with those voters who support them. Voters as a whole tend to the left on economic values, and to the authoritarian on social values. Although the data imply that it is the social authoritarianism that defines both Leave voters and Labour–Conservative switchers, this response argues that issues of national identity, democracy and sovereignty are neglected in that analysis.
Corruption impacting regional economic growth: A dynamic panel data analysis for the case of Vietnam
Authors: Truong Hoa T.
Published: August 2020

This study analyses the effects of corruption on Vietnamese provinces and cities’ economic growth using a dynamic panel data analysis with a system generalized method of moments approach. Although this study investigates both the direct and indirect effects of corruption, it focuses more on the direct effects. The estimation results consistently support the assertion that, in general, corruption is detrimental to economic growth. Disaggregating this total effect, however, reveals more noteworthy issues in the Vietnamese context. Corruption directly impedes growth rates by reducing the efficiency of investments, and this effect is more intense in provinces and cities with higher investment rates. However, the adverse direct impact of corruption may be alleviated by its positive impact on investment rates, which is an unexpected finding.
Sorting Out Mixtures of Property at Common Law
Authors: Waghorn Alexander
Published: August 2020

This article asks a simple question: when indistinguishable items of personal property owned by A and by B are mixed together, what rights do A and B have in relation to the resultant mass? It is argued that there is insufficient evidence in the positive law to provide any convincing answer to this question, and so it is asked which interpretation that can be drawn out from the law ought to be adopted. It will be shown that – both in relation to mixtures of goods and mixtures of cash – a rule of co‐ownership is to be preferred. The article's framework of analysis will be of interest to all those concerned by the relatively sparse case law that deals with foundational principles of personal property, and can help to guide a way forward in other contexts where the cases are silent, muddled, or fail to speak with one voice.
Multi‐Rater Agreement Using the Adapted Fracture Healing Scale (AFHS) for the Assessment of Tubular Bones on Conventional Radiographs: Preliminary Study*
Authors: Tritella Stefania , Obertová Zuzana , Sconfienza Luca Maria , Collini Federica , Cristini Enrica , Amadasi Alberto , Ciprandi Barbara , Spairani Riccardo , Albano Domenico , Viero Alessia , Cappella Annalisa , Cammilli Paolo , Sardanelli Francesco , Cattaneo Cristina
Published: August 2020

Better understanding of the timing of fracture healing may help in cases of interpersonal violence but also of personal identification. The intra‐ and inter‐rater agreement for the adapted fracture healing scale (AFHS) assessing the post‐traumatic time interval on radiographs were tested. This is a preliminary study, providing essential information on method reliability for upcoming studies using the AFHS. Five raters (two radiologists, a forensic pathologist, an orthopedist, and an anthropologist) were presented with a test in three parts consisting of 85 radiographs (from 30 adults) of fractures of tubular bones in different stages of healing purposefully selected from more than 1500 radiographs. The raters were firstly asked to assess 15 features describing fracture healing as present, absent, or not assessable. Thereafter, the raters were asked to choose from the AFHS a single‐stage best representing the observed healing pattern. The intra‐ and inter‐rater agreement were assessed using single‐rating, absolute agreement, two‐way mixed‐effects intra‐class correlation (ICC) coefficients. The intra‐rater ICC of radiologist 1 ranged from 0.80 to 0.94. The radiologists’ inter‐rater ICC ranged from 0.68 to 0.74, while it ranged from −0.01 to 0.90 for the other raters. The good to excellent ICC among the radiologists and forensic anthropologist provides good foundation for the use of the AFHS in forensic cases of trauma dating. The poor to good results for the other physicians indicate that using the AFHS requires training in skeletal anatomy and radiology.
Does location of rapid influenza diagnostic testing influence treatment time and ancillary testing in a paediatric emergency department?
Authors: Jacob Ron , White Brent , McCaskill Mary E
Published: August 2020

Objective

Influenza causes a significant burden of disease. Our aim was to assess whether location of rapid influenza diagnostic testing (RIDT) for patients with influenza‐like illness (ILI) has an impact on ED treatment time or ancillary testing.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study in a tertiary paediatric ED during 2017 influenza season. All patients with ILI were included. Some had RIDT performed (ED bedside or at the laboratory). Primary outcome measure was the correlation of RIDT location to treatment time compared to patients with ILI with no RIDT. Secondary outcome measures were the correlation of RIDT location to ancillary testing and treatment with antibiotics.

Results

A total of 1451 patients with ILI were included. Eighty patients for whom RIDT was performed at the laboratory had a shorter treatment time in the ED when compared to the 215 patients for whom RIDT was performed bedside (2.8 and 3.4 h, respectively; P < 0.0001). However, treatment time was not statistically different when sub‐analysed for admitted and discharged patients separately. Overall, patients with ILI and no RIDT had the shortest treatment time in the ED (1.7 h). There was no difference in ancillary testing and treatment with antibiotics between ILI patients for whom RIDT was performed bedside or at the laboratory regardless of admission.

Conclusion

Location of RIDT may not have a significant impact on treatment time, ancillary testing and treatment with antibiotics. When RIDT was not performed, patients had the shortest treatment time.
Effect of simulation training on nurse leadership in a shared leadership model for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the emergency department
Authors: Armstrong Patrick , Peckler Brad , Pilkinton‐Ching Jodie , McQuade David , Rogan Alice
Published: August 2020

Objective

Empowering a senior nurse in a shared leadership role has been proposed as a more efficient set up for the cardiac arrest team in ED. In this model, a senior nurse leads the cardiac arrest algorithm which allows cognitive off‐loading of the lead emergency physician. The emergency physician is then more available to perform tasks such as echocardiography and exclude reversible causes. Simulation provides an opportunity for training and practice of this shared leadership model. We hypothesised that a structured simulation training programme that focused on implementing a nurse and doctor shared leadership model for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), would improve leadership and teamwork quality in the setting of cardiac arrest as measured by a Trauma Non‐technical Skills (T‐NOTECHS) teamwork scale.

Methods

Fifteen senior ED nurses participated in this pre‐interventional post‐observational study. Training consisted of a didactic course on team leadership and crisis resource management (CRM) followed by 4 × 10‐min resuscitation scenarios with a structured debrief focusing on team leadership skills and CRM. The primary outcome was measured on scenarios 1 and 4 using a modified T‐NOTECHS teamwork scale.

Results

A statistically significant increase in the T‐NOTECHS scale was detected for the measures of leadership (P = 0.0028), CRM (P = 0.0001), adherence to New Zealand Resuscitation Council ALS algorithm (P = 0.0088) and situational awareness (P = 0.0002).

Conclusion

The present study shows that a short simulation training programme improved nurse leadership and teamwork performance in the setting of a shared leadership model for CPR in the ED which could easily be replicated in other departments.
Supervisor‐subordinate guanxi and employee thriving at work: the key role of relation‐generated resources
Authors: Guan Xiaoyu , Frenkel Stephen
Published: August 2020

This study explores the influence of guanxi with supervisors on subordinates’ thriving at work. Drawing on the socially embedded model of thriving, we propose supervisor‐subordinate guanxi as an important interpersonal relationship that generates three resources – fit, leader‐member exchange and work meaningfulness – for subordinates in the workplace. Use of these resources, in turn, contributes to individuals’ positive experience of thriving. The ensuing multiple mediation model is tested on a sample of 221 employees in China. The results extend Spreitzer’s model by supporting the theoretical framework and related hypotheses revealing the underlying mechanisms linking guanxi and thriving. Important practical implications are drawn regarding the relationship between leadership, employees’ work resources and thriving at work.
Physical and technofunctional properties of yellow pea flour and bread crumb mixtures processed with low moisture extrusion cooking
Authors: Luo Siwen , Koksel Filiz
Published: August 2020

The potential utilization of yellow pea flour and bread crumb blends was investigated to generate nutritionally‐dense extruded products with superior physical and/or technofunctional properties. Yellow pea flour mixed with bread crumb at different ratios were processed using low‐moisture twin‐screw extrusion cooking conditions to examine the effect of blending ratios and feed moisture contents on physical (that is, radial expansion index, extrudate density, microstructure, texture, and color) and technofunctional (that is, emulsifying capacity, emulsifying stability, water solubility [WS], water binding capacity [WBC], oil binding capacity [OBC], and pasting) properties of the final products. Compared to the two feed materials alone, samples produced with yellow pea flour and bread crumb blends showed lower hardness and higher crispiness. Moisture content (12% to 18%) was found to significantly affect physical and technofunctional properties. With an increase in feed moisture content from 12% to 18%, the WBC of the extrudates increased while the WS decreased. Extrudates produced with higher feed moisture content, and higher yellow pea flour content had higher setback viscosity. Among all formulas and feed moisture contents studied, extrudates produced with 50% yellow pea flour and 50% bread crumb at 12% feed moisture content had the highest radial expansion and bigger cells with thinner cell walls. This study has shown that incorporation of yellow pea flour and bread crumb in extrusion cooking process could be used to develop nutritionally‐dense foods with improved physical and technofunctional properties.