bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emotions of Orthopaedic Arthroplasty Patients
Authors: Zabalegui Adelaida , Cabrera Esther , Cano Sara , Copanitsanou Panagiota , Fatkulina Natalja , Katajisto Jouko , Papastavrou Evridiki , Sigurdardottir Arun K. , Valkeapää Kirsi , Leino-Kilpi Helena
Published: September 2020

METHODS:

This was a pre/post-observational study examining patients' emotions before and during elective knee or hip replacement surgery for osteoarthritis in seven European Union countries to identify factors related to better emotional status at discharge.

INSTRUMENTS:

In addition to demographic data, information was collected on quality of life (EuroQoL five-dimension questionnaire), hospital expectations (Knowledge Expectations of Hospital Patients Scale), symptoms, and experienced emotions.

ANALYSIS:

Total negative emotions scores at baseline and discharge were transformed into median values. Multivariate analysis identified the baseline factors related to better emotional status at discharge.

RESULTS:

Patients (n = 1,590), mean age 66.7 years (SD = 10.6), had a significant reduction in the frequency of total negative emotions at discharge as compared with baseline. The multivariate model showed better health status (odds ratio [OR] = 1.012; p = .004), better emotional status at baseline (≥24 points), and shorter duration of hospital stay (OR = 0.960; p = .011) as independent factors associated with better emotional status at discharge (OR = 4.297; p = .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients undergoing elective knee or hip replacement surgery for osteoarthritis improve their emotional status during hospitalization, with fewer negative emotions at discharge. Good emotional status, feeling of higher health status at baseline, and shorter hospitalization were independently associated with better emotional status at discharge.
A Comparison Study—Oral Patient-Controlled Analgesia Versus Traditional Delivery of Pain Medication Following Orthopaedic Procedures
Authors: Collins Laurie , Cata Denise M. , Conley N. Sharon
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND:

Orthopedic surgical patients have reported significantly lower numeric pain scores using a Wi-Fi oral patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device compared to patients receiving oral as-needed (PRN) medication by manual administration. More than 90% of nurses using the oral PCA device have agreed that the device saved them time. The manual administration of PRN pain medication is frequently delayed and consumes a significant amount of nursing time. Delays in PRN pain medication delivery have been classed as missed nursing care, called an error of omission.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this timing study was to examine if the use of the oral PCA device would reduce the nursing time to accomplish the delivery of PRN oral pain medication compared to the manual administration by nursing staff.

METHODS:

Each total task for the manual and device administration of a single PRN delivery of an oral pain medication was divided into subtasks. Personal data assistant (PDA) devices were programmed to enable the collection of timing data for each subtask for both methods.

RESULTS:

The manual administration time was 12.7 minutes per single dose beginning with the patient medication request and ending with pain reassessment. The oral PCA device steps to program the device, deliver one of eight doses of medication, and discharge the patient from the device required 2.06 minutes of nursing time. Reloading an additional eight-dose tray required 40 seconds of nursing time per dose of medication administered.

CONCLUSION:

The oral PCA saved 84% of the nursing time to administer each dose of PRN medication manually. These data provide evidence that the oral PCA device would reduce the nursing time to deliver a single dose of PRN oral pain medication.
Association of Socioeconomic Characteristics With Where Children Receive Emergency Care
Authors: Chang Lawrence , Rees Chris A. , Michelson Kenneth A.
Published: September 2020

Objective

Outcomes of emergency care delivered to children vary by patient-level socioeconomic factors and by emergency department (ED) characteristics, including pediatric volume. How these factors intersect in emergency care-seeking patterns among children is not well understood. The objective of this study was to characterize national associations of neighborhood income and insurance type of children with the characteristics of the EDs from which they receive care.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of ED visits by children from 2014 to 2017 using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. We determined the associations of neighborhood income and patient insurance type with the proportions of visits to EDs by pediatric volume category, both unadjusted and adjusted for patient-level factors including urban-rural status of residence.

Results

Of 107.6 million ED visits by children nationally from 2014 to 2017, children outside of the wealthiest neighborhood income quartile had lower proportions of visits to high-volume pediatric EDs (57.1% poorest quartile, 51.5% second, 56.6% third, 63.5% wealthiest) and greater proportions of visits to low-volume pediatric EDs (4.4% poorest, 6.4% second, 4.6% third, 2.3% wealthiest) than children in the wealthiest quartile. Adjustment for patient-level factors, particularly urban-rural status, inverted this association, revealing that lower neighborhood income was independently associated with visiting higher-volume pediatric EDs. Publicly insured children were modestly more likely to visit higher-volume pediatric EDs than privately insured and uninsured children in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses.

Conclusions

Nationally, children in lower-income neighborhoods tended to receive care in pediatric EDs with lower volume, an association that appears principally driven by urban-rural differences in access to emergency care.
A Novel Ciliated, Mucin-producing Variant of HPV-related Cervical Adenosquamous Carcinoma In Situ: A Case Report
Authors: Xu Jin , Park Kay J. , Weisman Paul
Published: September 2020

Uterine cervical adenosquamous carcinoma in situ was originally defined as having either a uniform population of cells with features intermediate in appearance between glandular and squamous cells, or a mixture of distinct glandular and squamous components within a single lesion. The former type would likely be reclassified today as stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion, while the latter type is vanishingly rare. Here, we report a novel case of bona fide adenosquamous carcinoma in situ, which exhibits 2 morphologically and immunophenotypically distinct components: (1) an inner glandular component composed of a single layer of p40-negative, ciliated, mucin-producing dysplastic columnar cells and (2) an outer p40-positive, stratified dysplastic squamous component otherwise identical to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-3. Both components show block-positive staining for p16 and are positive for high-risk human papillomavirus RNA by in situ hybridization. Our finding expands the histological spectrum of human papillomavirus–associated preinvasive cervical lesions while also providing further evidence that human papillomavirus–driven processes can exhibit ciliated morphology.
Patterns of PrEP Retention Among HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Users in Baltimore City, Maryland
Authors: Wu Linxuan , Schumacher Christina , Chandran Aruna , Fields Errol , Price Ashley , Greenbaum Adena , Jennings Jacky M. ,   the IMPACT Partner Collaborative
Published: September 2020

Background:

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) retention, defined as quarterly clinical evaluation, is critical to reducing HIV incidence. Our objectives were to determine: (1) visit- and individual-level PrEP retention patterns; (2) and individual-level characteristics associated with low-level PrEP retention 12 months after initiation among PrEP users in Baltimore City, Maryland.

Methods:

Information was abstracted from medical records among individuals initiating PrEP between October 1, 2015 and February 28, 2018. Visit-level PrEP retention was defined as evidence of PrEP use, documented PrEP prescription, or current PrEP use at each quarterly follow-up visit. Low-level PrEP retention was defined as <3/4 quarters with documented PrEP use. Multilevel mixed effects Poisson regression was used to determine characteristics associated with low-level PrEP retention.

Results:

Among 412 individuals initiating PrEP and followed for 12 months, the majority was: cis-gender male (83.7%, n = 345), non-Hispanic Black (56.3%, n = 232) and gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men (74.0%, n = 305). By quarterly visits, PrEP retention was: 3-month: 69.4% (n = 286); 6-month: 51.9% (n = 214); 9-month: 44.5% (n = 183); and 12-month: 41.1% (n = 169). Three-fifths (58.5%, n = 241) had low-level PrEP retention. Cis-gender females (vs. cis-gender males) (adjusted relative risk: 1.36, 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 1.77) were more likely to have low-level PrEP retention.

Conclusions:

Our observed PrEP retention rates are lower than what may be needed to reduce HIV incidence. Future research should examine individual- and clinic-level barriers and facilitators to PrEP retention programs by key population to inform interventions for PrEP retention.
Epidemiological Analysis and the Nomogram for Possible Risk Factors for Severe Microtia
Authors: Guo Rui , Wang Bingqing , Wang Yue , Zhang Yongbiao , Liu Tun , Zhang Qingguo
Published: September 2020

Background:

Microtia is a severe congenital malformation of the external ear. This study aimed to explore the epidemiologic characteristics and the possible risk factors in patients with severe microtia in China, and integrate significant variables into a predictive nomogram.

Methods:

A total of 965 patients with microtia were included. This retrospective case study was conducted from July 2014 to July 2019 at Plastic Surgery Hospital in China. The detailed questionnaires concerning potential risk factors were completed and data were gathered. Chi-Square and Fisher tests were used to analyze the variables, and a multivariate logistic regression model was used to select variables related to severe microtia, and then construct a nomogram. The nomogram model was evaluated by the concordance index (C-index), calibration plot, and receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) curve. Bootstraps with 1000 resamples were applied to these analyses.

Results:

Of the 965 microtia patients, 629 (65.2%) were male and 867 (89.8%) were sporadic. The cases were observed more commonly in unilateral (83.1%) and right-sided (52.0%). And multiple malformations were observed in 392 (40.6%) cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age, miscarriage frequency, virus infection, anemia, using progesterone, paternal alcohol intake, and topography of living areas were associated with a higher risk of severe microtia. All the significant variables were combined into a predictive nomogram (C-index = 0.755,95% CI = 0.703–0.807). Higher prediction accuracy (adjusted C-index = 0.749) was further verified via bootstrap validation. The calibration plot showed good performance, and the ROCs curve analysis demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions:

Most microtia patients are male, sporadic, and accompanied by other malformations, which are similar to the phenotypic analysis results of other studies. A nomogram predicting severe microtia was constructed to provide scientific guidance for individualized prevention in clinical practice.
Should We Be Utilizing More Liver Grafts From Pediatric Donation After Circulatory Death Donors? A National Analysis of the SRTR from 2002 to 2017
Authors: Sasaki Kazunari , Nair Amit , Firl Daniel J. , McVey John C. , El-Gazzaz Galal , Diago Uso Teresa , Fujiki Masato , Aucejo Federico N. , Quintini Cristiano , Kwon Choon-Hyuck D. , Hashimoto Koji , Miller Charles M. , Eghtesad Bijan
Published: September 2020

Background.

Rates of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment are higher among critically ill pediatric patients compared to adults. Therefore, livers from pediatric donation after circulatory death (pDCD) could improve graft organ shortage and waiting time for listed patients. As knowledge on the utilization of pDCD is limited, this study used US national registry data (2002–2017) to estimate the prognostic impact of pDCD in both adult and pediatric liver transplant (LT).

Methods.

In adult LT, the short-term (1-year) and long-term (overall) graft survival (GS) between pDCD and adult donation after circulatory death (aDCD) grafts was compared. In pediatric LT, the short- and long-term prognostic outcomes of pDCD were compared with other type of grafts (brain dead, split, and living donor).

Results.

Of 80 843 LTs in the study, 8967 (11.1%) were from pediatric donors. Among these, only 443 were pDCD, which were utilized mainly in adult recipients (91.9%). In adult recipients, short- and long-term GS did not differ significantly between pDCD and aDCD grafts (hazard ratio = 0.82 in short term and 0.73 in long term, both P > 0.05, respectively). Even “very young” (≤12 y) pDCD grafts had similar GS to aDCD grafts, although the rate of graft loss from vascular complications was higher in the former (14.0% versus 3.6%, P < 0.01). In pediatric recipients, pDCD grafts showed similar GS with other graft types whereas waiting time for DCD livers was significantly shorter (36.5 d versus 53.0 d, P < 0.01).

Conclusions.

Given the comparable survival seen to aDCDs, this data show that there is still much scope to improve the utilization of pDCD liver grafts.
A short report: Acute, non-COVID related medical admissions during the first wave of COVID-19: A retrospective comparison of changing patterns of disease
Authors: Riley B , Packer M , Gallier S , Sapey E , Atkin C
Published: September 2020

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with social restrictions in the UK from 16th March 2020. It was unclear if the lockdown period was associated with differences in the case-mix of non-COVID acute medical admissions compared with the previous year.

Methods

Retrospective data were collected for 1st-30th April 2019 and 1st–30th April 2020 from University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest hospitals in the UK with over 2 million patient contacts per year. The latter time period was chosen to coincide with the peak of COVID-19 cases in the West Midlands. All patients admitted under acute medicine during these time periods were included. COVID-19 was confirmed by SARS-Cov-2 swab or a probable case of COVID-19 based on World Health Organization diagnostic parameters. Non-COVID patients were those with a negative SARS-Cov-2 swab and no suspicion of COVID-19. Data was sourced from UHB’s in-house electronic health system (EHS).

Results

The total number of acute medical admissions fell comparing April 2019 (n = 2409) to April 2020 (n = 1682). As a proportion of total admissions, those aged under 45 years decreased, while those aged 46 and over did not change.

The number of admissions due to psychiatric conditions and overdoses was higher in April 2020 (p < 0.001). When viewed as a proportion of admissions, alcohol-related admissions (p = 0.004), psychiatric conditions and overdoses (p< 0.001) increased in April 2020 than in April 2019. The proportion of patients who were in hospital due to falls also increased in April 2020 (p< 0.001). In the same period, the absolute number and the proportion of admissions that were due to non-specific chest pain, to musculoskeletal complaints and patients who self-discharged prior to assessment decreased (p = 0.02, p = 0.01 and p = 0.002 respectively).

There were no significant differences in non-COVID-related intensive care admissions or mortality between the same months in the two years.

Conclusion

In this large, single-centre study, there was a change in hospitalised case-mix when comparing April 2019 with April 2020: an increase in conditions which potentially reflect social isolation (falls, drug and alcohol misuse and psychiatric illness) and a decrease in conditions which rarely require in-patient hospital treatment (musculoskeletal pain and non-cardiac chest pain) especially among younger adults. These results highlight two areas for further research; the impact of social isolation on health and whether younger adults could be offered alternative health services to avoid potentially unnecessary hospital assessment.
Implementation of the Maternal Early Warning Criteria during early postpartum. A prospective observational study
Authors: Ibáñez-Lorente Cristina , Casans-Francés Rubén , Bellas-Cotán Soledad , Muñoz-Alameda Luis E.
Published: September 2020

Objective

To evaluate the implementation of an early warning system in obstetric patients (MEWC) during the first two hours after delivery in a tertiary-care hospital.

Method

The MEWC system implementation was carried out from 15th March to 15th September 2018, over 1166 patients. The parameters collected were systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, diuresis, uterine involution, and bleeding. A trigger was defined as any abnormal parameter that prompted the need for bedside examination by an obstetrician and an anesthesiologist. We carried out a sensitivity-specificity study of the trigger and multivariate analysis of the factors involved in developing potentially fatal disorders (PFD), reintervention, critical care admission and stay.

Results

The protocol was triggered in 75 patients (6.43%). The leading cause of alarm activation was altered systolic blood pressure (32 [42.7%] patients), followed by obstetric causes (24 [32%] patients). Of these patients, eleven developed PFD. Twenty-eight patients were false-negatives. Sensitivity and specificity of MEWC protocol were 0.28 (0.15, 0.45) and 0.94 (0.93, 0.96), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed a relationship between alarm activation and PFD.

Conclusions:

Our MEWC protocol presented low sensitivity and high specificity, having a significant number of false-negative patients.
Phylogenomic Assessment of the Role of Hybridization and Introgression in Trait Evolution
Authors: Wang Yaxuan , Cao Zhen , Ogilvie Huw A. , Nakhleh Luay
Published: September 2020

Trait evolution among a set of species—a central theme in evolutionary biology—has long been understood and analyzed with respect to a species tree. However, the field of phylogenomics, which has been propelled by advances in sequencing technologies, has ushered in the era of species/gene tree incongruence and, consequently, a more nuanced understanding of trait evolution. For a trait whose states are incongruent with the branching patterns in the species tree, the same state could have arisen independently in different species (homoplasy) or followed the branching patterns of gene trees, incongruent with the species tree (hemiplasy). Another evolutionary process whose extent and significance are better revealed by phylogenomic studies is gene flow between different species. In this work, we present a phylogenomic method for assessing the role of hybridization and introgression in the evolution of polymorphic or monomorphic binary traits. We apply the method to simulated evolutionary scenarios to demonstrate the interplay between the parameters of the evolutionary history and the role of introgression in a binary trait’s evolution (which we callxenoplasy). Very importantly, we demonstrate, including on a biological data set, that inferring a species tree and using it for trait evolution analysis in the presence of gene flow could lead to misleading hypotheses about trait evolution.
Distinct SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Reactivity Patterns in Coronavirus Convalescent Plasma Revealed by a Coronavirus Antigen Microarray
Authors: Assis Rafael , Jain Aarti , Nakajima Rie , Jasinskas Algis , Khan Saahir , Dumont Larry J. , Kelly Kathleen , Simmons Graham , Stone Mars , Di Germanio Clara , Busch Michael , Felgner Philip L.
Published: September 2020

A coronavirus antigen microarray (COVAM) was constructed containing 11 SARS-CoV-2, 5 SARS-1, 5 MERS, and 12 seasonal coronavirus recombinant proteins. The array is designed to measure immunoglobulin isotype and subtype levels in serum or plasma samples against each of the individual antigens printed on the array. We probed the COVAM with COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) collected from 99 donors who recovered from a PCR+ confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results were analyzed using two computational approaches, a generalized linear model (glm) and Random Forest (RF) prediction model, to classify individual specimens as either Reactive or Non-Reactive against the SARS-CoV-2 antigens. A training set of 88 pre-COVID-19 specimens (PreCoV) collected in August 2019 and102 positive specimens from SARS-CoV-2 PCR+ confirmed COVID-19 cases was used for these analyses. Results compared with an FDA emergency use authorized (EUA) SARS-CoV2 S1-based total Ig chemiluminescence immunoassay (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics VITROS® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total, CoV2T) and with a SARS-CoV-2 S1-S2 spike-based pseudovirus micro neutralization assay (SARS-CoV-2 reporter viral particle neutralization titration (RVPNT) showed high concordance between the 3 assays. Three CCP specimens that were negative by the VITROS CoV2T immunoassay were also negative by both COVAM and the RVPNT assay. Concordance between VITROS CoV2T and COVAM was 96%, VITROS CoV2T and RVPNT 93%, and RVPNT and COVAM 95%. The discordances were all weakly reactive samples near the cutoff threshold of the VITROS CoV2T immunoassay. The multiplex COVAM allows CCP to be grouped according to antibody reactivity patterns against 11 SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Unsupervised K-means analysis, via the gap statistics, as well as hierarchical clustering analysis revealed 3 main clusters with distinct reactivity intensities and patterns. These patterns were not recapitulated by adjusting the VITROS CoV2T or RVPNT assay thresholds. Plasma classified according to these reactivity patterns may be better associated with CCP treatment efficacy than antibody levels alone. The use of a SARS-CoV-2 antigen array may be useful to qualify CCP for administration as a treatment for acute COVID-19 and to interrogate vaccine immunogenicity and performance in preclinical and clinical studies to understand and recapitulate antibody responses associated with protection from infection and disease.
Locus-specific introgression in young hybrid swarms: drift dominates selection
Authors: McFarlane S. Eryn , Senn Helen V. , Smith Stephanie L. , Pemberton Josephine M.
Published: September 2020

Closely related species that have previously inhabited geographically separated ranges are hybridizing at an increasing rate due to human disruptions. These anthropogenic hybrid zones can be used to study reproductive isolation between species at secondary contact, including examining locus-specific rates of introgression. Introgression is expected to be heterogenous across the genome, reflecting variation in selection. Those loci that introgress especially slowly are good candidates for being involved in reproductive isolation, while those loci that introgress quickly may be involved in adaptive introgression. In the context of conservation, policy makers are especially concerned about introduced alleles moving quickly into the background of a native or endemic species, as these alleles could replace the native alleles in the population, leading to extinction via hybridization. We applied genomic cline analyses to 44997 SNPs to identify loci introgressing at excessive rates when compared to the genome wide expectation in an anthropogenic hybridizing population of red deer and sika in Kintyre Scotland. We found 11.4% of SNPs had cline centers that were significantly different from the genome wide expectation, and 17.6% had excessive rates of introgression. Based on simulations, we believe that many of these markers have diverged from average due to drift, rather than because of selection. Future work could determine the policy implications of allelic-replacement due to drift rather than selection, and could use replicate, geographically distinct hybrid zones to narrow down those loci that are indeed responding to selection in anthropogenic hybrid zones.
Candidatus (Ca.)phytoplasma asteris subgroups display distinct disease progression dynamics during the carrot growing season
Authors: Clements Justin , Bradford Benjamin Z. , Garcia Marjorie , Piper Shannon , Huang Weijie , Zwolinska Agnieszka , Lamour Kurt , Hogenhout Saskia , Groves Russell L.
Published: September 2020

Aster Yellows phytoplasma (AYp;Candidatus (Ca.)Phytoplasma asteris) is an obligate bacterial pathogen that is the causative agent of multiple diseases in herbaceous plants. While this phytoplasma has been examined in depth for its disease characteristics, knowledge about the spatial and temporal dynamics of pathogen spread is lacking. The phytoplasma is found in plant’s phloem and is vectored by leafhoppers (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera), including the aster leafhopper,Macrosteles quadrilineatusForbes. The aster leafhopper is a migratory insect pest that overwinters in the southern United States, and historical data suggest these insects migrate from southern overwintering locations to northern latitudes annually, transmitting and driving phytoplasma infection rates as they migrate. A more in-depth understanding of the spatial, temporal and genetic determinants of Aster Yellows disease progress will lead to better integrated pest management strategies for Aster Yellows disease control. Carrot,Daucus carotaL., plots were established at two planting densities in central Wisconsin and monitored during the 2018 growing season for Aster Yellows disease progression. Symptomatic carrots were sampled and assayed for the presence of the Aster Yellows phytoplasma. Aster Yellows disease progression was determined to be significantly associated with calendar date, crop density, location within the field, and phytoplasma subgroup.
The eukaryotic replisome requires an additional helicase to disarm dormant replication origins
Authors: Hill Jake , Eickhoff Patrik , Drury Lucy S. , Costa Alessandro , Diffley John F.X.
Published: September 2020

Origins of eukaryotic DNA replication are ‘licensed’ during G1 phase of the cell cycle by loading the six related minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins into a double hexameric ring around double-stranded DNA. In S phase, some double hexamers (MCM DHs) are converted into active CMG (Cdc45-MCM-GINS) helicases which nucleate assembly of bidirectional replication forks. The remaining unfired MCM DHs act as ‘dormant’ origins to provide backup replisomes in the event of replication fork stalling. The fate of unfired MCM DHs during replication is unknown. Here we show that active replisomes cannot remove unfired MCM DHs. Instead, they are pushed ahead of the replisome where they prevent fork convergence during replication termination and replisome progression through nucleosomes. Pif1 helicase, together with the replisome, can remove unfired MCM DHs specifically from replicating DNA, allowing efficient replication and termination. Our results provide an explanation for how excess replication license is removed during S phase.
Whole-genome analysis of noncoding genetic variations identifies multiscale regulatory element perturbations associated with Hirschsprung disease
Authors: Fu Alexander Xi , Lui Kathy Nga-Chu , Tang Clara Sze-Man , Ng Ray Kit , Lai Frank Pui-Ling , Lau Sin-Ting , Li Zhixin , Garcia-Barcelo Maria-Mercè , Sham Pak-Chung , Tam Paul Kwong-Hang , Ngan Elly Sau-Wai , Yip Kevin Y.
Published: September 2020

It is widely recognized that noncoding genetic variants play important roles in many human diseases, but there are multiple challenges that hinder the identification of functional disease-associated noncoding variants. The number of noncoding variants can be many times that of coding variants; many of them are not functional but in linkage disequilibrium with the functional ones; different variants can have epistatic effects; different variants can affect the same genes or pathways in different individuals; and some variants are related to each other not by affecting the same gene but by affecting the binding of the same upstream regulator. To overcome these difficulties, we propose a novel analysis framework that considers convergent impacts of different genetic variants on protein binding, which provides multiscale information about disease-associated perturbations of regulatory elements, genes, and pathways. Applying it to our whole-genome sequencing data of 918 short-segment Hirschsprung disease patients and matched controls, we identify various novel genes not detected by standard single-variant and region-based tests, functionally centering on neural crest migration and development. Our framework also identifies upstream regulators whose binding is influenced by the noncoding variants. Using human neural crest cells, we confirm cell stage–specific regulatory roles of three top novel regulatory elements on our list, respectively in the RET, RASGEF1A, and PIK3C2B loci. In the PIK3C2B regulatory element, we further show that a noncoding variant found only in the patients affects the binding of the gliogenesis regulator NFIA, with a corresponding up-regulation of multiple genes in the same topologically associating domain.
Audit committee returnees and auditor choice: evidence from China
Authors: Zhou Zejiang , Wang Haoran , Cheng Xiaoyan
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the presence of returnees serving on the audit committee affects auditor choice in emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a logistic model, this study tests the relationship between the presence of returnees in the audit committee and auditor selection and how this relationship varies with the level of agency costs. The authors also perform several other additional analyses to ensure the robustness of the results, including propensity score matching, Heckman’s two-stage model and change analysis.

Findings

UsingA-share listed companies in China from 2008 to 2016, the authors find a positive association between the presence of audit committee returnees and a demand for high-quality auditors and such association is strengthened in firms with a higher level of agency costs. The authors further find that discretionary accruals and the incidence of financial restatements are lower in firms with audit committee returnees.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study focuses on audit committee members with foreign study or foreign work experience, it remains to be seen if similar effects could be achieved through foreign ownership or work experience with foreign customers or suppliers.

Originality/value

This study provides evidence on a new channel of international knowledge spillover through which the emigration of talent increases board monitoring by demanding high-quality auditors in an emerging economy.
Investigating the role of theory of planned behavior and Machiavellianism in earnings management intentions
Authors: Sayal Kangan , Singh Gurparkash
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test the earnings management (EM) behavior model to investigate the personal psychological factors that influence individuals’ intentions to engage in EM.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a review of literature, personal-psychological factors influencing EM intentions were identified within the scope of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and a dark triad of personality theory. The survey data from 153 MBA students were analyzed using partial least square-structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results revealed perceived behavior control is significant in influencing individuals’ EM intentions followed by attitude toward behavior and subjective norms. The results, however, do not support the relationship between moral obligation and intentions to engage in EM and also reported a negative relationship between Machiavellianism and individuals’ EM intentions.

Practical implications

The proposed model will enable organizations to develop focused training programs for managers to reduce EM behavior. It will also help educators in training students to positively shape their ethical behavior and make them more reciprocal toward others and their work environment.

Originality/value

The study develops the EM behavior model and suggests that TPB and Machiavellianism personality traits provide a useful framework to identify the personal psychological factors influencing individuals’ EM intentions. Further, the empirical testing of the model documents and contributes toward a better understanding of the personal psychological factors significantly influencing individuals’ EM intentions.
Greening Chinese agriculture: can China use the EU experience?
Authors: Qiu Huanguang , van Wesenbeeck C.F.A. , van Veen W.C.M.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

China's Government in 2015 announced its goal of stabilizing the use of fertilizers and pesticide by the year 2020. However, implementation of effective policies is not straightforward, while one may even argue that the policy goal is by far not ambitious enough. Hence, it is useful to look at experiences of other countries that have gone through a similar process. In this paper, the authors explicitly consider the case of European Union's (EU’s) policies aimed at greening agriculture. The choice for the EU is motivated by the fact that the EU is about 35 years ahead of China in implementing a policy agenda to counter the problems China is facing now.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors focus on agricultural inputs, in particular fertilizer and pesticides, as well as land use and their impact on food safety, air and water quality, soil degradation, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and biodiversity. Policies related to those issues are discussed for both, China and the EU. Given that implementation and monitoring are critical for the success of policies, the authors also discuss how policies are implemented and monitored under different governance and institutional conditions.

Findings

From the EU experiences, positive and negative, three central lessons are drawn: (1) China should strive for cross compliance but in two steps. In the first step, arrangements for on-farm monitoring must be made, coupled with a pilot program of cross-compliance conditions for large farms in selected counties; in the second step, cross-compliance requirements must be introduced for all farmers, with additional funds for rural development in vulnerable areas. (2) Strong stakeholder commitment should be sought in the formulation as well as implementation of greening policies. (3) Monitoring of greening results should be harmonized and standardized across the country, with a limited number of indicators.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the policy discussion by comparing the agricultural greening measures in the EU (which was some 35 years ago in the same situation as China now) with the measures taken in China so far.
White and minority employee reactions to perceived discrimination at work: evidence of White fragility?
Authors: Ng Eddy S. , Sears Greg J. , Bakkaloglu Muge
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Building on the notion of “White fragility,” this study aims to explore how Whites react and cope with perceived discrimination at work. Specifically, the authors explore whether: (1) Whites react more negatively than minorities when they perceive discrimination at work and (2) Whites are more likely than minorities to restore the status quo by leaving the situation when they perceive discrimination at work.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were obtained from the Professional Worker Career Experience Survey. In total, 527 working professionals from multiple organizations across the central USA participated in the survey.

Findings

The authors find evidence that Whites experience more negative psychological effects (i.e. lower job satisfaction and higher work stress) from perceived discrimination than minority employees and are more likely to act to restore conditions of privilege by leaving their current job and employer. The stronger negative effects of perceived discrimination for Whites (vs minorities) were restricted to work outcomes (job satisfaction, work stress, turnover intentions from one's employer) and were not evident with respect to perceptions of overall well-being (i.e. life satisfaction), suggesting that White fragility may play a particularly influential role in work settings, wherein racial stress may be more readily activated.

Originality/value

Consistent with the notion of White fragility, the study’s results demonstrate that the deleterious impact of perceived discrimination on employee work outcomes may, in some cases, be stronger for White than minority employees.
Research on sealing performance of oil seals with micro-dimple texture on lips
Authors: Zhang Fuying , Zhang Yuanhao
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the pumping efficiency of oil seals with different surface textures at different speeds, and the influence of the rotation direction of triangular texture on the sealing performance was further analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the theory of elastohydrodynamic lubrication and the pumping mechanism of rotary shaft seals, establishing a numerical model of mixed lubrication in oil seal sealing area. The model is coupled with the lip surface texture parameters and the two-dimensional average Reynolds equation considering the surface roughness.

Findings

The results show that the application of lip surface texture technology has obvious influence on the oil film thickness, friction torque and pumping rate of oil seal. The triangular texture has the most significant effect on the increase of pump suction rate. When the rotation direction of triangular texture is 315 degrees, the pumping rate of oil seal is the largest compared with the other seven directions.

Originality/value

The model has a comprehensive theoretical guidance for the design of new oil seal products, which provides a certain basis for the application of surface texture technology in the field of sealing in the future.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-06-2020-0198/
“Feeling the waste” evidence from consumers’ living in Gaza Strip camps
Authors: Raab Katharina , Wagner Ralf , Salem Mohammed
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to quantify the impact of antecedents (frustration, locus of control, spirituality, and religion and attention to social-comparison information) on the intensity of emotional outcomes of consumers’ disposal behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural equation model fitted with PLS was used to evaluate data obtained from 323 self-administered questionnaires filled out in a stratified random sample of respondents living in Gaza Strip camps.

Findings

Spirituality and religion, and attention to social-comparison information have the highest impacts on emotional outcomes related to consumer disposal behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

Spirituality and religion are seldom considered in previous consumer research, but they turn out to have high relevance for disposal-related emotions.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating disposal-related emotions. Moreover, it is also the first study combining the impact of frustration, locus of control, perceived self-efficacy, spirituality and religion and attention to social-comparison information on emotional outcomes related to consumers’ disposal behaviour.
Investment Strategies for KOSPI200 Index Futures Using Negative Correlation of Time-Series
Authors: Ryu Jaepil , Shin Hyun Joon
Published: September 2020

This paper presents 6 time-series that have negative correlation with KOSPI200 Index and a quantitative trading methodology based on stochastic control chart using these time-series. The proposed quantitative trading framework detects trade (long or short) timing by monitoring whether a time-series touches 4 trigger lines, which play a role as control limits in control chart. In other words, a time-series upwardly touches one of trigger line, then the framework take a short position on KOSPI200 Index Futures, while in case of downward touch, it takes a long position. The 6 time-series are derived from VKOSPI and USD Futures Index that are negatively correlated with KOSPI200 Index, and have a significance that prevents disclosure of trading strategies by processing and transforming the original time-series. Computational experiments using real KOSPI200 futures index for recent 4 years are conducted to show the excellence of the proposed investment strategies against benchmark strategies under quantitative trading framework.
Mediterranean diet and oxidative stress
Authors: Górska Paulina , Górna Ilona , Przysławski Juliusz
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the antioxidant properties of the Mediterranean diet and describe methods that are used in clinical studies to assess its role in reducing oxidative stress.

Design/methodology/approach

The review presents the results of interventional and observational clinical trials aimed at assessing the influence of the Mediterranean diet on the level of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as the total blood antioxidant capacity.

Findings

The Mediterranean diet as a varied diet can be a better way to provide antioxidants to the body than supplements. Individual compounds administered in an isolated form can give the opposite effect to the expected, stimulating oxidative stress. The administration of antioxidants in the form of supplements instead of a varied diet is also associated with a lack of synergism of action. In studies on the importance of the Mediterranean diet in the reduction of oxidative stress, single markers are used to measure oxidative damage, the activity of enzymatic antioxidants and the concentration of individual non-enzymatic antioxidants. At the same time, the need to find markers that would assess the level of oxidative stress and the body’s antioxidant capacity more comprehensively is emphasized.

Practical implications

It should be taken into account that differences between in vivo and in vitro results may result from the fact of various factors, including genetic, smoking, intestinal microflora or diet composition. It is also necessary to answer the question about which marker or set of markers could in the most comprehensive way to assess the level of oxidative stress and the body’s antioxidant capacity.

Originality/value

The literature review shows not only the source of antioxidants in the Mediterranean diet. This paper also presents a critical approach to markers that allow the assessment of the antioxidant properties of the diet.
Effects of union commitment on job performance in China
Authors: Huang Wenyuan , Yuan Chuqin , Shen Jie , Li Min
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aims to reveal the mechanism through which union commitment influences job performance in China, focusing on the mediating role of employee participation and the moderating role of affective commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 596 union members in 33 unionized enterprises in China's Pearl River Delta region.

Findings

The results demonstrate that union commitment is positively related to both employee participation and job performance. Moreover, employee participation mediates the positive relationship between union commitment and job performance. In addition, affective commitment strengthens the relationship between union commitment and employee participation and the mediating effect of employee participation.

Practical implications

This study indirectly identifies the impact of a union on organizational performance from an individual-level perspective. It also provides new evidence for union construction in order to obtain support from corporate executives in China.

Originality/value

This study makes an important contribution to the literature by proposing and examining the mediating role of employee participation and the moderating role of affective commitment in the underlying mechanism between union commitment and job performance.
University budgeting: internal versus external transparency
Authors: Conesa Carril Maria C. , Gómez Aguilar Nieves , Larrán Jorge Manuel
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The analysis intends to clarify whether higher education institutions place as much value on internal transparency as on external transparency. This study aims to analyze the university budgeting process as a reflection of internal transparency. It also aims to identify the weaknesses of the budgeting process regarding transparency in order to improve decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study that applies mixed methods – documentary analysis, observations and interviews – has been conducted. To study internal transparency, the model of three levels of transparency of Biondi and Lapsley (2014) has been applied to the budgeting process of a university. Then, the results have been compared to the external transparency of this institution.

Findings

While external transparency is achieved, internal transparency in the budgeting process is far from optimal in the case of study. An improvement in transparency of the budget process can promote the engagement of stakeholders in the process and achieve better governance.

Research limitations/implications

The general inductive approach is not as strong as other approaches in the area of theory or model development. However, it does provide a simple approach for deriving findings linked to this research’s questions.

Practical implications

Trust issues and external accountability appear to be more relevant than internal transparency for universities. However, improving the three levels of transparency along the budgeting process could motivate collegiate members to reinforce accountability, as it requires them to effectively communicate their actions and decisions to their represented.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to situate transparency as an attribute of university governance, contributing to the scarce literature on transparency, internal and external, in the university. The study compares the approach of this university to external transparency – which relates to accountability – with internal transparency – a concept that links to corporate governance. This study uses the novel lens of Biondi and Lapsley model (2014) to study internal transparency, focussing on university budgeting as a key management tool.