bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Topographic organization of feedback projections to mouse primary visual cortex
Authors: Morimoto Mai M. , Uchishiba Emi , Saleem Aman B.
Published: July 2020

Context dependent top-down modulation in visual processing has been a topic of wide interest. Recent findings on context dependent modulation, combined with the tools available to investigate network mechanisms in the mouse, make the mouse primary visual cortex an ideal system to investigate context-dependent modulation. However, the distribution of inputs to V1 from across the brain is still relatively unknown. In this study, we investigate inputs to V1 by injecting cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), a retrograde tracer, across the extent of V1. To identify CTB labelled cell bodies and quantify their distribution across various brain regions, we developed a software pipeline that maps each labelled cell body to its corresponding brain region. We found over fourteen brain regions that provided inputs to V1. Higher visual areas (HVAs) provided the most inputs to V1, followed by the retrosplenial, cingulate, and other sensory cortices. As our injections spanned a range of coordinates along the mediolateral axis of V1, we asked if there was any topographic organisation of inputs to V1: do particular areas project preferentially to specific regions of V1. Based on the distribution of inputs from different HVAs, injection sites broadly clustered into two groups, consistent with a retinotopic separation into sites within the central visual field and the peripheral visual field. Furthermore, the number of cells detected in HVAs was correlated to the azimuthal retinotopic location of each injection site. This topographic organization of feedback projections along the medio-lateral axis of V1 suggests that V1 cells representing peripheral vs central visual fields are differentially modulated by HVAs, which may have an ethological relevance for a navigating animal.
Prioritization of disease genes from GWAS using ensemble based positive-unlabeled learning
Authors: Kolosov Nikita , Daly Mark J. , Artomov Mykyta
Published: July 2020

Major complication in understanding disease biology from GWAS arises from inability to identify a complete set of causal genes. Integration of multiple omics data sources could provide an important functional link between associated variants and candidate genes. Machine-learning could take advantage of this variety of data and provide a solution for prioritization of disease genes. Yet, classical positive-negative classifiers impose strong limitations on the gene prioritization procedure, such as lack of reliable non-causal genes for training.

Here, we developed a novel gene prioritization tool - Gene Prioritizer (GPrior). It is an ensemble of five positive-unlabeled bagging classifiers, that treat all genes of unknown relevance as an unlabeled set. GPrior selects an optimal combination of algorithms to tune the model for each specific phenotype.

Altogether, GPrior fills an important niche of methods for GWAS data post-processing, significantly improving the ability to pinpoint disease genes compared to existing solutions.
Dynamics of history-dependent perceptual judgment
Authors: Hachen I. , Reinartz S. , Brasselet R. , Stroligo A. , Diamond M.E.
Published: July 2020

Identical physical inputs do not always evoke identical percepts. To investigate the role of stimulus history in tactile perception, we designed a task in which rats had to judge each vibrissal vibration, in a long series, as strong or weak depending on its mean speed. After a low-speed stimulus (trialn-1), rats were more likely to report the next stimulus (trialn) as strong, and after a high-speed stimulus, they were more likely to report the next stimulus as weak, a repulsive effect that did not depend on choice or reward on trialn-1. This effect could be tracked over several preceding trials (i.e.n-2and earlier) and was characterized by an exponential decay function, reflecting a trial-by-trial incorporation of sensory history. Surprisingly, the influence of trialn-1strengthened as the time interval betweenn-1andngrew. Human subjects receiving fingertip vibrations showed these same key findings. We are able to account for the repulsive stimulus history effect, and its detailed time scale, through a single-parameter model, wherein each new stimulus gradually updates the subject’s decision criterion. This model points to mechanisms underlying how the past affects the ongoing subjective experience.
Reconstruction and analysis of the transmission network of African swine fever in People’s Republic of China, August 2018–September 2019
Authors: Akhmetzhanov Andrei R. , Jung Sung-mok , Lee Hyojung , Linton Natalie , Yang Yichi , Yuan Baoyin , Nishiura Hiroshi
Published: July 2020

Introduction of African swine fever (ASF) to China in mid-2018 and subsequent transboundary spread across Asia devastated regional swine production, affecting live pig and pork product-related markets worldwide. In order to explore the spatiotemporal spread of ASF in China, we reconstructed possible ASF transmission networks using nearest neighbour, exponential function, equal probability, and spatiotemporal case-distribution algorithms. From these networks we estimated the reproduction numbers, serial intervals, and transmission distances of the outbreak. The mean serial interval between paired units was around 29 days for all algorithms, while the mean transmission distance ranged from 332–456 kilometres. The reproduction numbers for each algorithm peaked during the first two weeks and steadily declined through the end of 2018 before hovering around the epidemic threshold value of one with sporadic increases during 2019. These results suggest that: 1) swine husbandry practices and production systems that lend themselves to long-range transmission drove ASF spread, and 2) outbreaks went undetected by the surveillance system. China and other affected countries have stepped up efforts to control ASF within their jurisdictions, and continued support for strict implementation of biosecurity standards and improvements to ASF surveillance are essential for halting transmission in China and further spread across Asia.
Is country affinity applicable for domestic brands? The role of nation sentiment on consumers' self-brand connection with domestic vs foreign brands
Authors: Fazli-Salehi Reza , Torres Ivonne M. , Madadi Rozbeh , Zúñiga Miguel Ángel
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of country affinity, ethnocentrism and product quality judgment on self-brand connection regarding both domestic and foreign brands.

Design/methodology/approach

The study involved an online experiment and was conducted using online questionnaires. Sampling was done among undergraduate students of a Southwestern university in the US. The data was analyzed using SEM with PLS.

Findings

The results showed, for foreign brands, consumer self-brand connection increased through the effect of country affinity and product quality judgment. For domestic brands, self-brand connection was influenced by ethnocentrism (and not country affinity or product quality judgment).

Research limitations/implications

This study only focused on one industry (i.e. Television industry), and the authors recommend future studies examine a broader range of industries. Moreover, other country related constructs such as national identity need to be examined in future studies.

Practical implications

Marketers focusing on global branding and international marketing can benefit from the findings of this paper by understanding the routes through which consumers build self-brand connections in foreign vs domestic settings. Additionally, marketers can, more effectively, invest their resources by focusing on the factors that can be influential (i.e. ethnocentrism for domestic brands vs country affinity and product judgment for foreign brands).

Originality/value

This study examines the effect of country affinity, ethnocentrism and product quality judgment for consumers' domestic country as well as a foreign country. Moreover, this study contributes toward the global branding literature by incorporating self-brand connection as a behavioral outcome.
The right to breathe: a sociological commentary on racialized injustice, borders and violence
Authors: Meikle Paulette Ann
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This article is a commentary on the structure, context and unsettling circumstances of prejudice, discrimination, racial violence and injustice in the contemporary US.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the narrating voices of victims of authority violence in part, the author presents a sociological analysis of the patterns of racial injustice, borders and racialized police violence. The author uses tenets of C.W. Mill's Sociological Imagination to dissect these patterns historically and social structurally.

Social implications

Using contemplative narrative, the author stimulates reflection on the social structural forces that perpetuate racial injustice. The author deliberates on the role and responsibilities of universities and the broader community in the struggle for a just society. Echoing societal calls to tackle and eliminate systemic subjugation, the author reiterates the need for reformist advocacy, for civility and the preservation of the human rights of all citizens.

Originality/value

The author offers principles of reflective action to chart a pathway for a just and equitable society; ultimately shaping a mature system of democracy and collective liberation.
Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and a student's predisposition to choose an entrepreneurial career path: the role of self-perceived employability
Authors: Neneh B.N.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and self-perceived employability (SPE) affect students' choice of an entrepreneurial career path.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey approach was used to gather data from 274 final year undergraduate students at a South African university. The study made use of partial least squares (PLS) structural equation model (SEM) analyses to test the hypothesized associations.

Findings

ESE was positively associated with the intention to engage in both a full-time and a hybrid entrepreneurial career path. Also, SPE was positively associated with the intention to engage in hybrid entrepreneurship but negatively associated with engaging in full-time entrepreneurship. Additionally, the effect of ESE on the intention to engage in hybrid entrepreneurship was significantly moderated by SPE, such that the effect was more pronounced for students with a high SPE.

Research limitations/implications

Data were gathered only from one South African university and as such there is a need for similar studies to improve the generalizability of the findings. Also, the measures for ESE and SPE used in the present study are not the only ones available. Thus, future studies are encouraged to use alternative measures to further assess the robustness of the proposed associations.

Originality/value

The arguments and the subsequent findings of this study indicate a new line of convergence for the popular but disjointed literature on ESE and SPE.
Digitalization in the agri-food industry: the relationship between technology and sustainable development
Authors: Carmela Annosi Maria , Brunetta Federica , Capo Francesca , Heideveld Laurens
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Digitalization is becoming the subject of considerable interest in the literature. This is in view of its relevance in addressing social problems and contributing to the development of communities and societies. In the agri-food-industry, digitalization is also expected to contribute significantly to solve several challenges the sector is facing at this moment, such as the increasing food demand and resource use. However, the effects of advanced technologies are less a function of the technologies themselves than of how they are used by people. The study analyses the dominant challenges faced by firms in the agri-food industry in the usage and adoption of digital technology. Also, they show how these challenges impact on the sustainable development of digital technology for firms in the industry and provide avenues for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a structured literature review aiming to investigate the following research question: what are the main challenges faced by firms within the agri-food industry in the adoption of smart technologies?

Findings

Results illustrate the dominant challenges faced by firms in the agri-food industry in the usage and adoption of digital technology. Also, they show how these challenges impact on the sustainable development of digital technology for firms in the industry and provide avenues for future research.

Originality/value

So far, in the context of digitalization in the agri-food industry, various researchers have analysed different kinds of challenges to the adoption of smart technologies. This work reviews these contributions to create a clear reference framework of the challenges faced by agri-food firms while providing future avenues of research and implications at a policymaking, economic-managerial and socio-environmental level.
CSR reporting: a review of research and agenda for future research
Authors: Khan Muzammal , Hassan Abeer , Harrison Christian , Tarbert Heather
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a systematic review of the published literature on corporate social responsibility reporting (CSRR). Furthermore, it assesses the main limitations reported in previous CSRR studies and offers recommendations for best practice and future research.

Design/methodology/approach

A review protocol was developed to search nine major databases over a decade (2005–2017) using specific keywords. As a result, 221 articles were identified that deal explicitly with CSRR in both developed and developing countries, and a descriptive analysis was undertaken.

Findings

Findings of the review show that scholarly work on CSRR across the globe have increased exponentially. However, there still remain quite a few countries and industries that have been underrepresented in CSRR literature. Moreover, methodological- and sampling-related limitations have been noted by a number of scholars in the area. Based on these results, the review provides directions for future research.

Originality/value

The review provides a categorised bibliography of CSRR research on developed and developing countries from 2005 to 2017, covering a range of journals and countries. The review provides state of the art of the CSRR research and highlights the major loopholes in the current literature. This is a valuable study for academics pursuing research on CSRR as it provides a comprehensive and critical discussion on academic research in the field.
Critical reflection and innovative work behavior: the mediating role of individual unlearning
Authors: Kmieciak Roman
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Although employees' innovative work behaviors are crucial for innovativeness and the success of modern organization, the impact of individual unlearning and critical reflection on innovative work behaviors is underresearched. This study's goal is to empirically examine relationships between job characteristics, critical reflection, unlearning and innovative work behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses survey data from 252 Polish employees and the partial least squares method.

Findings

The results indicated that, among three considered job characteristics, only problem-solving demands were related to critical reflection. This study also shows that critical reflection is both direct and indirect, through individual unlearning, related to both idea generation and idea realization. However, nonmanagers have stronger relationships between unlearning and innovative work behaviors than do managers, while managers have stronger relationships between critical reflection and innovative work behaviors.

Practical implications

Results of this study may be used by human resource development managers to improve employees' innovative work behavior.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the limited empirical research on the role of critical reflection and individual unlearning for innovative work behavior. This study also explores which job characteristic affects critical reflection.
A study of young workers' union behaviors
Authors: Dandalt Ed , Gasman Marybeth , Goma Georges
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study seeks to explore the union perspective of a group of unionized young Canadian teachers to understand their belief system about trade unionism.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used herein consists of collecting and examining the interview data of participants (n = 37) through the theoretical lens of radical perspective.

Findings

The findings suggest that participants positively associate unionism with bargaining for their special interests, providing professional development services and opportunities for professional socialization. But this pluralist perspective has not translated into an engagement in the union life.

Research limitations/implications

So far, the findings of this study cannot be generalized to the whole population of Canadian young teachers because the participants’ sample size is not large enough. In consideration of this limitation, unions need to survey the union opinions of their young rank and file members at a large scale to draw a clear understanding of the needs of these members to adequately adjust their renewal and revitalization strategies to those needs.

Originality/value

The findings of this study are significant because the intersection between young teachers and organized labor is underresearched in Canada.
Challenges and critical factors of interagency information sharing in Indonesia
Authors: Sayogo Djoko Sigit , Yuli Sri Budi Cantika , Wiyono Wiyono
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges and critical factors of interagency information sharing (IIS) from the perspectives of technology, organization, policy and public participation in a developing country.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a case study encompassing documentation analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews of 15 public managers and other public officials in the Regency of Bojonegoro, Indonesia.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that addressing factors residing in organizational and policy and regulations challenges are critical and should precede the needs of technology. The findings also identified three factors affecting IIS in a developing country. First, the embeddedness of agencies in rigid bureaucratic and autocratic structure complicates the collaboration in IIS, such as promoting jurisdiction conflicts. Second, this study identifies the crucial influence of top executives on every activity in IIS, including resolving conflicts. Finally, political instability augments the crucial function of creating public awareness and participation. Public awareness and participation become more critical because public support carries political precedent that eventually affects the continuity of ICTs initiatives.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability beyond Indonesia. Furthermore, this research design did not specify the interviewees to rank and prioritize the challenges and critical factors, nor that the authors ask for the strategy to alleviate the challenges.

Practical implications

The challenges of data management engender practical implication in which public managers should focus more on communicating and socializing, as well as providing training on the importance of data and the new technology not only early in the phase of the project but also during the implementation. Furthermore, in the effort to ensure the continuity of the project, public managers could continuously nurture public participation and spark public interest through the use of social media.

Originality/value

Many studies on the challenges of implementing IIS focusing in developed countries might overlook the possible distinctive challenges affecting the adoption of IIS by the government in developing countries. This study identified several unique contexts and critical situational factors affecting interagency information sharing pertinent to a developing country.
Foraging tactics in dynamic sea‐ice habitats affect individual state in a long‐ranging seabird
Authors: Tarroux Arnaud , Cherel Yves , Fauchald Per , Kato Akiko , Love Oliver P. , Ropert‐Coudert Yan , Spreen Gunnar , Varpe Øystein , Weimerskirch Henri , Yoccoz Nigel G. , Zahn Sandrine , Descamps Sébastien
Published: July 2020

Individual heterogeneity in diet and foraging behaviour is common in wild animal populations, and can be a strong determinant of how populations respond to environmental changes. Within populations, variation in foraging behaviour and the occurrence of individual tactics in relation to resources distribution can help explain differences in individual fitness, and ultimately identify important factors affecting population dynamics. We examined how foraging behaviour and habitat during the breeding period related to the physiological state of a long‐ranging seabird adapted to sea ice, the Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica.

Firstly, using GPS tracking and state‐switching movement modelling (hidden Markov models) on 124 individual birds, we tested for the occurrence of distinct foraging tactics within our study population. Our results highlight a large variation in the movement and foraging behaviour of a very mobile seabird, and delineate distinct foraging tactics along a gradient from foraging in dense pack ice to foraging in open water.

Secondly, we investigated the effects of these foraging tactics on individual state at return from a foraging trip. We combined movement data with morphometric and physiological measurements of a suite of plasma metabolites that provided a general picture of a bird's individual state. Foraging in denser sea ice was associated with lower gain in body mass during brooding, as well as lower level of energy acquisition (plasma triacylglycerol) during both brooding and incubation. We found no clear relationship between the foraging tactic in relation to sea ice and the energetic stress (changes in plasma corticosterone), energetic balance (β‐hydroxybutyrate) or trophic level (δ15N). However, a shorter foraging range was related to both the energetic balance (positively) and the trophic level (negatively).

Our results highlight a diverse range of foraging tactics in relation to sea ice in Antarctic petrels. While the various foraging tactics do not seem to strongly alter energetic balance, they may affect other aspects of Antarctic petrels' physiology. Future changes in sea‐ice habitats can thus be expected to have an impact on the individual state of seabirds such as Antarctic petrels, which could ultimately affect their population dynamics. Nonetheless, strong individual heterogeneity in the use of sea‐ice habitats by a typical pagophilic species might strengthen its resilience to environmental changes and in particular to forecasted sea‐ice loss.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Handwriting skills of children with tic disorders
Authors: Simpson Heather , Rowe Jan , Yuen Hon K. , Campos Verna E. , Mitchell Karmen , Malaty Irene A.
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Although circumstantial evidence suggests children with tic disorders (TD) experience challenges in handwriting which may be attributed to their tics, few studies have systematically investigated handwriting performance among children with TD. This study examined the relationship between handwriting deficits and TD using a causal comparative research design.

Methods

Thirty‐four children with TD completed the Test of Handwriting Skills‐Revised (THS‐R). The overall percentile ranks of the THS‐R were analysed to determine if children with TD have lower scores compared to the test's normative values. Writing speed, letter reversals, touching letters and case errors were also evaluated.

Results

Data revealed the median percentile rank of the THS‐R for the participants was significantly lower than the median percentile score of the THS‐R for the normative sample. Close to 80% (n = 27) of writing samples were scored below 50th percentile. More than one‐third (35.3%, n = 12) of the writing samples were scored greater than one standard deviation below the normative mean on the THS‐R. Of the four ancillary scores, 82.4% (n = 28) of the participants’ writing samples scored below 50th percentile (in the categories of watch or test further) on case errors and 67.6% (n = 23) scored below 50th percentile on writing speed.

Conclusion

Findings suggested that children with TD took longer to complete the writing task, and committed more case substitution errors than the normative sample of the THS‐R and were likely to exhibit handwriting deficits.
Why Fair Procedures Always Make a Difference
Authors: Crummey Conor
Published: July 2020

Section 31(2A) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 (as inserted by the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015) requires judges to refuse relief in judicial review of administrative decisions if it is ‘highly likely’ that the conduct complained of did not make a significant difference to the outcome of the decision. The strongest justification for this ‘Makes No Difference’ principle is provided by a ‘narrow instrumental view’ of fair procedures, according to which their value lies only in their producing the correct outcome. This conception of procedural fairness, however, is impoverished and flawed as a matter of political morality. Fair procedures reflect a conception of citizens as participants in their own governance and play an important communicative role in democratic legal orders. Inasmuch as it leaves no room for these aspects of the value of fair procedures, the Makes No Difference principle embodied in section 31(2A) is pro tanto unjust.
Development and validation of a nomogram prognostic model for patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus
Authors: Tang Jia‐Yu , Gao Hui‐Jiang , Shi Guo‐Dong , Guo Xiao‐Kang , Yu Wen‐Quan , Wang Hua‐Feng , Wei Yu‐Cheng
Published: July 2020

Background

The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic survival of patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus (NETTs), and to develop and validate a nomogram model for predicting the prognosis of patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database in the United States between 1988 and 2016. Cox scale risk regression analysis, the Kaplan‐Meier method and log‐rank test were used to carry out the significance test to determine the independent prognostic factors, from which a nomogram for NETTs was established. C‐index and calibration curve were used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the model. External validation of the nomogram was performed using data from our center.

Results

A total of 254 patients with NETTs were collected in the SEER database. In the multivariable analysis, T stage, tumor grade, surgery, and chemotherapy were found to be independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients (all P < 0.05). A nomogram model was constructed based on these variables, and its c‐index was 0.707 (0.661–0.752). The c‐index results showed that the nomogram model had better authentication capability than the eighth edition of the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging system and Masaoka‐Koga (MK) staging system. The calibration curve showed that the model could accurately predict patient prognosis.

Conclusions

The study established a nomogram model that predicted the overall survival rate of one‐, three‐ and five‐years, and used the survival prediction model to optimize individualized therapy and prognostic follow‐up through risk stratification.
Hypoxemia following hospital discharge after fast‐track hip and knee arthroplasty – A prospective observational study subanalysis
Authors: Luna I. E. , Kehlet H. , Olsen R. M. , Wede H. R. , Hoevsgaard S. J. , Aasvang E. K.
Published: July 2020

Background

Post‐operative hypoxemia is prevalent in hospitalized patients and may adversely affect recovery. However, little data exist on the post‐discharge phase or details on duration, severity and potential risk factors. Thus, we investigated the incidence and risk factors for severe desaturation during the first post‐operative week after THA/TKA by continuous nocturnal oxygen saturation monitoring.

Methods

The study was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 112 patients undergoing fast‐track THA/TKA. Patients with known sleep apnoea were excluded. Oxygen saturation and heart rate were recorded by a wireless wrist‐worn pulse oximeter 2 nights before and 7 nights after surgery. Data on demographics, opioid consumption and cognitive function were collected from medical charts, patient diaries and clinical testing respectively. The primary outcome was occurrence of severe desaturation defined as periods with saturation <85% lasting ≥10 minutes. Secondary outcomes included description of various saturation levels and relevant risk factors.

Results

Severe oxygen desaturation occurred in 35% of the patients during the first post‐operative week. Duration and severity of hypoxemic episodes increased after the first post‐operative day. Pre‐operative episodes of hypoxemia significantly increased the risk of post‐operative hypoxemic events (OR 2.4‐4.4, CI 0.4‐46), while pre‐ and post‐operative opioid use, age, gender, ASA classification, type of surgery or anaesthesia were significantly related to the development of post‐operative hypoxemia.

Conclusions

One third of the patients suffered from increased and prolonged episodes of severe nocturnal hypoxemia during the first week after THA/TKA discharge. Increased risk for severe hypoxemic episodes was related to pre‐operative hypoxemia.
The neuroleptic malignant syndrome—a systematic case series analysis focusing on therapy regimes and outcome
Authors: Kuhlwilm L. , Schönfeldt‐Lecuona C. , Gahr M. , Connemann B. J. , Keller F. , Sartorius A.
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare, potentially life‐threatening antipsychotic‐associated disorder that requires an efficient and timely therapy. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of different NMS therapies and to analyze its outcome depending on NMS severity.

Method

Systematic search for NMS cases in biomedical databases. The focus of the analysis was on therapy with dantrolene, bromocriptine, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) when each was compared with symptomatic therapy. Primary outcomes were the survival rate and the duration of treatment.

Result

405 case reports were included. Overall, no statistically significant differences regarding mortality rate or duration of treatment were found between dantrolene, bromocriptine, or ECT compared to supportive care. A subgroup analysis regarding NMS severity showed that the mortality under specific NMS pharmacotherapy (dantrolene, bromocriptine) and under ECT was significantly lower than under purely symptomatic therapy in severe NMS (P = 0.018). The difference was not significant in mild and moderate cases.

Discussion

An overall superiority of the specific NMS therapy (dantrolene, bromocriptine, and ECT) was not found in this study. When regarding severity classification, specific therapies were superior but only in severe cases, and ECT showed the lowest mortality rate. In previous case series, an effect on survival or the duration of the disease could only be observed in part for specific therapies, but the evidence available is inconsistent. The results of this study support our hypothesis that NMS treatment with dantrolene, bromocriptine, and ECT is advantageous over purely symptomatic therapy in severe NMS cases.
Disruption of relapse to alcohol seeking by aversive counterconditioning following memory retrieval
Authors: Goltseker Koral , Handrus Hen , Barak Segev
Published: July 2020

Relapse to alcohol abuse is often caused by exposure to potent alcohol‐associated cues. Therefore, disruption of the cue‐alcohol memory can prevent relapse. It is believed that memories destabilize and become prone for updating upon their reactivation through retrieval and then restabilize within 6 h during a “reconsolidation” process. We recently showed that relapse to cocaine seeking in a place‐conditioning paradigm could be prevented by counterconditioning the cocaine cues with aversive outcomes following cocaine‐memory retrieval. However, to better model addiction‐related behaviors, self‐administration models are necessary. Here, we demonstrate that relapse to alcohol seeking can be prevented by aversive counterconditioning conducted during alcohol‐memory reconsolidation, in the place conditioning and operant self‐administration paradigms, in mice and rats, respectively. We found that the reinstatement of alcohol‐conditioned place preference was abolished only when aversive counterconditioning with water flooding was given shortly after alcohol‐memory retrieval. Furthermore, rats trained to lever press for alcohol showed decreased context‐induced renewal of alcohol‐seeking responding when the lever pressing was punished with foot‐shocks, shortly, but not 6 h, after memory retrieval. These results suggest that aversive counterconditioning can prevent relapse to alcohol seeking only when performed during alcohol‐memory reconsolidation, presumably by updating, or replacing, the alcohol memory with aversive information. Finally, we found that aversive counterconditioning preceded by alcohol‐memory retrieval was characterized by the upregulation of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) mRNA expression in the medial prefrontal cortex, suggesting that BDNF may play a role in the memory updating process.
Seminal plasma contains TGF‐β and CXCL10 but sperm washing before cryopreservation is beneficial for post‐thawing sperm motility in Black Bengal goats (Capra hircus)
Authors: Das Ankon , Uddin AHM Musleh , Uddin Md Bashir , Rahman Abu Nasar Md. Aminoor , Hossain Mohammed Kawser , Atikuzzaman Mohammad
Published: July 2020

Problem

Artificial insemination, which requires cryopreservation of semen, is not completely optimized in goats because bucks discharge a small volume of ejaculate and seminal plasma (SP) contains specific proteins that are detrimental to spermatozoa at cryopreservation. However, it is not known the effects of sperm washing (removal of SP) before cryopreservation on the post‐thawing frozen spermatozoa of Black Bengal bucks. Moreover, it is completely unknown whether SP of goats contains TGF‐β and CXCL10 that have been proven essential for fertility in other mammals.

Methods

Thirty‐five ejaculates were collected from six mature Black Bengal bucks at one‐week intervals and were subjected to microscopic evaluation for semen characteristics at pre‐ and post‐freezing condition. The concentrations of TGF‐β and CXCL10 in the SP using ELISA were determined. SP was harvested with centrifugation of fresh semen at 1500 g for 15 minutes twice at room temperature.

Results

Semen characteristics were significantly varied between bucks. Seminal plasma of all ejaculates contained TGF‐β and CXCL10 while significant variation of concentrations between bucks was observed in case of CXCL10. Cryopreservation of semen reduced total motility and progressive motility, while sperm washing before cryopreservation was beneficial to the total motility and progressive motility of post‐thawing spermatozoa.

Conclusion

Black Bengal buck seminal plasma was affluent of TGF‐β and CXCL10 and washing of spermatozoa before cryopreservation was beneficial to the post‐thawing sperm motility. The results of the current investigation will be helpful for future research on the roles of SP in female reproductive tract and pregnancy in Black Bengal goats.
Variable selection for first‐order Poisson integer‐valued autoregressive model with covariables
Authors: Wang Xinyang
Published: July 2020

In recent years, modelling count data has become one of the most important and popular topics in time‐series analysis. At the same time, variable selection methods have become widely used in many fields as an effective statistical modelling tool. In this paper, we consider using a variable selection method to solve a modelling problem regarding the first‐order Poisson integer‐valued autoregressive (PINAR(1)) model with covariables. The PINAR(1) model with covariables is widely used in many areas because of its practicality. When using this model to deal with practical problems, multiple covariables are added to the model because it is impossible to know in advance which covariables will affect the results. But the inclusion of some insignificant covariables is almost impossible to avoid. Unfortunately, the usual estimation method is not adequate for the task of deleting the insignificant covariables that cause statistical inferences to become biased. To overcome this defect, we propose a penalised conditional least squares (PCLS) method, which can consistently select the true model. The PCLS estimator is also provided and its asymptotic properties are established. Simulation studies demonstrate that the PCLS method is effective for estimation and variable selection. One practical example is also presented to illustrate the practicability of the PCLS method.
Letter: moderate levels of serum hepatitis B virus DNA alone are not associated with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients
Authors: Kumar Karan , Mishra Manjul
Published: July 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Kim et al and Kim and Lim papers. To view these articles, visit
https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15725 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15881.
Letter: choosing between ustekinumab and vedolizumab in anti‐TNF refractory Crohn’s disease—the devil is in the detail
Authors: Srinivasan Ashish , De Cruz Peter , van Langenberg Daniel R.
Published: July 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Alric et al papers. To view these articles, visit
https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15706 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15888.
Letter: liver disease and COVID‐19—not the perfect storm. Authors' reply”
Authors: Garrido Isabel , Liberal Rodrigo , Macedo Guilherme
Published: July 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Garrido et al and Nathwani et al papers. To view these articles, visit
https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15813 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15872.
Editorial: early TIPSS in patients with cirrhosis and acute variceal bleeding—the plot thickens!
Authors: Khan Faisal , Tripathi Dhiraj
Published: July 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Dunne et al paper. To view this article, visit
https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15797.
Comparative safety and effectiveness of vedolizumab to tumour necrosis factor antagonist therapy for Crohn's disease
Authors: Bohm Matthew , Xu Ronghui , Zhang Yiran , Varma Sashidhar , Fischer Monika , Kochhar Gursimran , Boland Brigid , Singh Siddharth , Hirten Robert , Ungaro Ryan , Shmidt Eugenia , Lasch Karen , Jairaith Vipul , Hudesman David , Chang Shannon , Lukin Dana , Swaminath Arun , Sands Bruce E. , Colombel Jean‐Frederic , Kane Sunanda , Loftus Edward V. , Shen Bo , Siegel Corey A. , Sandborn William J. , Dulai Parambir S. ,   the VICTORY Collaboration
Published: July 2020

Background

Direct comparisons are lacking between vedolizumab and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐antagonist therapy in Crohn's disease (CD).

Aim

To compare safety and effectiveness of vedolizumab and TNF‐antagonist therapy in adult CD patients.

Methods

Retrospective observational cohort (May 2014–December 2017) propensity score‐weighted comparison of vedolizumab vs TNF‐antagonist therapy (infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab) in CD. Propensity scores were weighted for age, prior treatments, disease complications, extent and severity, steroid dependence, and concomitant immunosuppressive drug use. The primary outcome was comparative risk for infections or non‐infectious serious adverse events (requiring antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, hospitalisation, or treatment discontinuation, or resulting in death). Secondary comparative effectiveness outcomes were clinical remission (resolution of CD‐related symptoms), steroid‐free clinical remission and endoscopic remission (absence of ulcers/erosions).

Results

We included 1266 patients (n = 659 vedolizumab). Rates of non‐infectious serious adverse events (odds ratio [OR] 0.072, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.012‐0.242), but not serious infections (OR 1.183, 95% CI 0.786‐1.795), were significantly lower with vedolizumab vs TNF‐antagonist therapy. Safety comparisons for non‐infectious serious adverse events remained significant after adjusting for differences in duration of exposure. No significant difference was observed between vedolizumab and TNF‐antagonist therapy for clinical remission (hazard ratio [HR] 0.932, 95% CI 0.707‐1.228), steroid‐free clinical remission (HR 1.250, 95% CI 0.677‐2.310) or endoscopic remission (HR 0.827, 95% CI 0.595‐1.151). TNF‐antagonist therapy was associated with higher treatment persistence compared with vedolizumab.

Conclusions

There was a lower risk of non‐infectious serious adverse events, but not serious infections, with vedolizumab vs TNF‐antagonist therapy, with no significant difference for achieving disease remission.
Handheld methods in archaeological research on large copper alloy assemblages: HH‐XRF against HH‐LIBS
Authors: Wallace S. , Smith N. , Nerantzis N.
Published: July 2020

When alloy composition information is sought across a single large artefact assemblage, how well do handheld methods solve the problem of museum environments which restrict the movement of artefacts and destructive sampling, and which have limited in‐house technical resources? The usefulness of relatively low‐cost handheld analytical instruments still needs evaluating in such arenas. The potential advantages which handheld laser‐induced breakdown spectrometry (HH‐LIBS), with its affordability, speed and micro‐destructive corrosion‐penetrating ability, might offer over handheld X‐ray fluorescence (HH‐XRF)/portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) in large intra‐assemblage comparisons of broad copper alloy composition were examined and reported on by the present study (tin and lead being the elements of interest). The context was an archaeological study in a major Greek museum, aimed at exploring the social and economic significance of alloying choice at a single large representative site of the Bronze–Iron transition, c.1200 bc. Archaeological interpretations are presented in another paper, with the alloying patterns/choices identified only being outlined in the present paper. The results of the methods comparison described suggest that HH‐LIBS has potential, but that HH‐XRF, despite its variable limitations in relation to penetrating corrosion (discussed here), is still the most reliable method for work in such circumstances.
Advances and roadblocks in the treatment of malaria
Authors: Hanboonkunupakarn Borimas , White Nicholas J.
Published: July 2020

The deployment of artesunate for severe malaria and the artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) for uncomplicated malaria has been a major advance in antimalarial therapeutics. These drugs have reduced treated mortality, accelerated recovery and reduced treatment failure rates and transmission from the treated infection. Artemisinin derivatives remain highly effective against falciparum malaria in most malaria endemic areas, but significant resistance has emerged in the Greater Mekong subregion of Southeast Asia. Resistance to artemisinins was followed by resistance to the ACT partner drugs, and fit multidrug resistant parasite lineages have now spread widely across the region. ACTs remain highly effective against P. vivax and the other malaria species. Recent studies have shown that radical curative regimens of primaquine (to prevent relapse) can be shortened to 7 days, and that the newly introduced single dose tafenoquine is an alternative, although the currently recommended dose is insufficient in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Targeted malaria elimination using focal mass treatments with dihydroartemisinin‐piperaquine have proved safe and effective malaria elimination accelerators, but progress overall towards malaria elimination is slow. Indeed since 2015 overall malaria case numbers globally have risen. As new drugs will not become widely available in the near future, active measures to preserve the current antimalarials should be given the highest priority.
How patients in Denmark acquire their medicines: overview, data sources and implications for pharmacoepidemiology
Authors: Jensen Thomas B. , Andersen Jon T. , Jimenez‐Solem Espen , Lund Marie
Published: July 2020

The means by which patients acquire their medications differ between countries, and a knowledge of this is essential when conducting and interpreting pharmacoepidemiological studies. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of how patients obtain medicines in Denmark, to relate these to nationwide registries available for research and to discuss the implications for research. Health services are predominantly tax‐funded in Denmark, with dentistry and some medicine bought at community pharmacies being exceptions, involving partial reimbursement of charges. The paper gives an overview of prescription medicines acquired from community pharmacies (including magistral preparations), over‐the‐counter medicines, vaccinations and in‐hospital medicine including so‐called “free medicine” (in Danish: “vederlagsfri medicin”). “Free medicine” is medicines for a defined list of diseases and indications that is provided free of charge to patients in outpatient clinics. The paper also describes the content of the various Danish data sources about medicine use, summarizes their strengths and limitations, and exemplifies the ways of evaluating their completeness. An example is provided of the regional variation in the means by which medicines are acquired.
DeepBRDF: A Deep Representation for Manipulating Measured BRDF
Authors: Hu Bingyang , Guo Jie , Chen Yanjun , Li Mengtian , Guo Yanwen
Published: July 2020

Effective compression of densely sampled BRDF measurements is critical for many graphical or vision applications. In this paper, we present DeepBRDF, a deep‐learning‐based representation that can significantly reduce the dimensionality of measured BRDFs while enjoying high quality of recovery. We consider each measured BRDF as a sequence of image slices and design a deep autoencoder with a masked L2 loss to discover a nonlinear low‐dimensional latent space of the high‐dimensional input data. Thorough experiments verify that the proposed method clearly outperforms PCA‐based strategies in BRDF data compression and is more robust. We demonstrate the effectiveness of DeepBRDF with two applications. For BRDF editing, we can easily create a new BRDF by navigating on the low‐dimensional manifold of DeepBRDF, guaranteeing smooth transitions and high physical plausibility. For BRDF recovery, we design another deep neural network to automatically generate the full BRDF data from a single input image. Aided by our DeepBRDF learned from real‐world materials, a wide range of reflectance behaviors can be recovered with high accuracy.