bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grey portfolio analysis method
Authors: Nowak Marcin , Mierzwiak Rafał , Wojciechowski Hubert , Delcea Camelia
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The article proposes a new method of strategic analysis. The method was called the grey portfolio analysis method. The presented method is complementary to the popular BCG matrix. The use of the grey portfolio analysis method enables to make a dynamic portfolio analysis for data with a high level of uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the article presents current problems related to the application of portfolio methods in strategic management, in particular with reference to the BCG matrix. Second, the basics of grey numbers, operations with them and the way of acting in the grey portfolio analysis method are presented. Finally, the developed method is presented in a case study concerning an IT enterprise, whose portfolio includes cloud computing services.

Findings

In the article, a new method of a strategic analysis based on the BCG matrix was presented. It combines grey methodologies of decision making with a grey prognostic model in the context of a strategic analysis. Due to this fact, a dynamic approach to the issues of portfolio methods is possible.

Practical implications

The article fits the current need related to the development of new expert systems supporting strategic management in enterprises.

Originality/value

An introduced method is new and innovative in the area of portfolio methods. Its originality results from the fact that it eliminates a static nature of the BCG matrix through the use of grey prognostic models. What is more, when grey numbers are used, a problem of uncertainty of information, which appears, is solved at a methodological level.
Understanding the gendered nature of developing country MSMEs’ access, adoption and use of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D)
Authors: Mohanty Elisa , Mishra Anindya Jayanta
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has had a significant effect on various groups and communities of people including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and their owners/managers. The current study aims to analyze recent literature regarding adoption of ICTs by MSMEs. Further, it tries to locate gender within this broader context of diffusion of ICTs among MSMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the thematic analysis approach, the research articles pertaining to six leading journals on ICTs, gender and entrepreneurship published during the time period from 2011 to 2019 are reviewed.

Findings

The literature selected for the study has been discussed under two primary categories, viz. “adoption of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) for business purposes” and “insights on gender in ICT4D use by MSMEs.”

Research limitations/implications

The context-dependent nature of ICT use can enable future entrepreneurs to assess the scope of specific ICTs in given areas of operation. The gendered nature of ICTs helps to evaluate as well as question the empowerment potential of ICTs. The study emphasizes the need to account for historical specificities and transnational linkages in understanding access, adoption and use of ICT4D by women MSME entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

The study bridges together literature on ICT4D use by MSMEs and the role of gender in ICT-mediated entrepreneurial environments. While unraveling the interplay of power dynamics in such environments, the scope for future research in terms of tapping into the content of information exchanges and exploring the implications of “dark side of internet” for women MSME entrepreneurs is also indicated.
Investigating the role of disaggregated economic freedom measures and FDI on human development in Africa
Authors: Korle Kofi , Amoah Anthony , Hughes George , Pomeyie Paragon , Ahiabor Godson
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to investigate the role of disaggregated economic freedom measures in the foreign direct investment (FDI) and human development nexus.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a panel data of 32 selected African countries from 1996 to 2017. A dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) with fixed effects and instrumental variable (IV) econometric techniques was used to address issues of endogeneity and serial correlation commonly associated with panel time series data.

Findings

The Results indicate that FDI without accounting for absorptive factors has a positive but insignificant effect on human development for the selected African countries. However, FDI has a positive and significant effect on human development when interacted with measures of economic freedom such as investment freedom, business freedom and financial freedom. In contrast, yet plausible, FDI has a negative influence when interacted with property rights, trade freedom, government integrity and tax burden.

Practical implications

The study posits that to attract FDI into Africa with the purpose of improving human development, relevant absorptive capacities such as business, investment and financial freedom environment are critical. However, excessive capital flight and government interference through taxation and abuse of property rights should be controlled if the continent seeks to promote human development through FDI.

Originality/value

The novelty and originality of the study, are evident in the use of disaggregated measures of economic freedom as comprehensive absorptive capacities to examine how they complement FDI to impact on human development in Africa.
The influence of PRINCE2 standard on customer satisfaction in information technology outsourcing: an investigation of a mediated moderation model
Authors: Wang Jian-Jun , Sasanipoor Negin , Wang Meng-Meng
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of PRINCE2 (PRoject IN Controlled Environments 2) standard on customer satisfaction jointly with vendor relationship management capability in the information technology outsourcing (ITO) context. This paper further tries to explore the above underlying mechanism by studying the mediating effect of deliverable quality.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops a mediated moderation model to explain the underlying influence processes of PRINCE2 standard, vendor relationship management capability and deliverable quality on ITO customer satisfaction. By conducting a pair-wise survey of 260 project managers in seven Iranian firms, the model and hypotheses are empirically tested with the partial least squares method.

Findings

Our results suggest that firms benefit more in terms of IT costs reduction when they have a higher level of complementary investment in an external standard, especially through an interplay effect of the external standard and internal relational aspect. Firms can make business processes more amenable to outsourcing and facilitate monitoring of vendor performance and effective coordination with vendors. More interestingly, we find that this interactive effect is fully mediated by deliverable quality, which, in turn, directly increases ITO customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study adds some new knowledge and provides new views to study ITO customer satisfaction by addressing the importance of PRINCE2 standard. This study further enhances our understanding in terms of the underlying pathway through which the PRINCE2 standard jointly affects customer satisfaction with vendor relationship management capability and deliverable quality. With the effort of explicitly explaining the complex mechanisms, this study helps ITO managers proactively escort outsourcing activities and projects.
Antecedents of customer brand advocacy: a meta-analysis of the empirical evidence
Authors: Bhati Ragini , Verma Harsh V.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find out the antecedents of customer brand advocacy (CBA) on the basis of synthesis of the CBA literature. A summarisation of the results of the empirical CBA studies containing CBA as a measured variable is carried out. The antecedents’ strengths of association with CBA are compared.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature is synthesised using the technique of meta-analysis (Hedges and Olkin, 1985). A total of 63 empirical research papers containing 66 data sets, published between 1988 and 2019, are analysed. For each antecedent – CBA relationship, the statistics calculated include point estimate of the reliability adjusted correlation coefficient (ρ), 95% confidence interval of the computed effect size, Cochran’s Q statistic and fail safe-N. The effect of study context as a possible moderator is assessed.

Findings

The major antecedents of CBA, identified in the study, are categorised into personal factor (opinion leadership), relational factors (brand trust, customer satisfaction, brand identification, customer-based brand equity, affective commitment and normative commitment) and social factor (normative influence). Significant heterogeneity was found across studies for the paired relationships, pointing towards the presence of theoretical and/or methodological moderators.

Originality/value

The nascent CBA literature reports mixed findings. This creates confusion. This synthesis study contributes to the present body of knowledge of the concept of CBA. It is the only study that uses the technique of meta-analysis to the CBA literature.
Big data analytics for predictive maintenance in maintenance management
Authors: Razali Muhammad Najib , Jamaluddin Ain Farhana , Abdul Jalil Rohaya , Nguyen Thi Kim
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This research attempts to highlight the concept of big data analytics in predictive maintenance for maintenance management of government buildings in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses several empirical analyses such as vector autoregression (VAR), vector error correction model (VECM), ARMA model and Granger causality to analyse predictive maintenance by using big data analytics concept.

Findings

The results indicate that there are strong correlations among these variables, which indicate reciprocal predictive maintenance of maintenance management job function. The findings also showed that there are significant needs of application of big data analytics for maintenance management in Putrajaya, Malaysia, to ensure the efficient maintenance of government buildings.

Originality/value

The conducted case study has demonstrated the empirical perspective which streamlines with the big data analytics' concept in maintenance, especially for analytics' support with appropriate empirical methodology
Nitric oxide regulates ganoderic acid biosynthesis by the S‐nitrosylation of aconitase under heat stress in Ganoderma lucidum
Authors: Liu Rui , Zhu Ting , Yang Tao , Yang Zhengyan , Ren Ang , Shi Liang , Zhu Jing , Yu Hanshou , Zhao Mingwen
Published: June 2020

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signalling molecule in stress response of organisms. We previously reported that NO decreases heat stress (HS)‐induced ganoderic acid (GA) accumulation in Ganoderma lucidum. To explore the mechanisms by which NO modulates GA biosynthesis under HS, the effect of NO on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content was examined. The results showed that NO decreased the production of mitochondrial ROS (mitROS) by 60% under HS. Further research revealed that NO reduced the mitROS content by inhibiting aconitase (Acon) activity. The GA content in Acon‐silenced (Aconi) strains treated with NO donor did not differ significantly from that in untreated Aconi strains. To study the mechanism by which Acon activity is inhibited, the S‐nitrosylation level of Acon was determined. Biotin‐switch technology and mass spectrometry analysis were used to show that Acon is S‐nitrosylated at the Cys‐594 amino acid residue. Substitution of Cys‐594 with a Ser, which cannot be S‐nitrosylated, abolished the responsiveness of Acon to the NO‐induced reduction in its enzymatic activity. These findings demonstrate that NO inhibits Acon activity through S‐nitrosylation at Cys‐594. In summary, these findings describe mechanism by which NO regulates GA biosynthesis via S‐nitrosylation of Acon under HS condition in G. lucidum.
Lineage‐specific evolution and gene flow in Listeria monocytogenes are independent of bacteriophages
Authors: Zamudio Roxana , Haigh Richard D. , Ralph Joseph D. , De Ste Croix Megan , Tasara Taurai , Zurfluh Katrin , Kwun Min Jung , Millard Andrew D. , Bentley Stephen D. , Croucher Nicholas J. , Stephan Roger , Oggioni Marco R.
Published: June 2020

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen causing systemic infection with high mortality. To allow efficient tracking of outbreaks a clear definition of the genomic signature of a cluster of related isolates is required, but lineage‐specific characteristics call for a more detailed understanding of evolution. In our work, we used core genome MLST (cgMLST) to identify new outbreaks combined to core genome SNP analysis to characterize the population structure and gene flow between lineages. Whilst analysing differences between the four lineages of L. monocytogenes we have detected differences in the recombination rate, and interestingly also divergence in the SNP differences between sub‐lineages. In addition, the exchange of core genome variation between the lineages exhibited a distinct pattern, with lineage III being the best donor for horizontal gene transfer. Whilst attempting to link bacteriophage‐mediated transduction to observed gene transfer, we found an inverse correlation between phage presence in a lineage and the extent of recombination. Irrespective of the profound differences in recombination rates observed between sub‐lineages and lineages, we found that the previously proposed cut‐off of 10 allelic differences in cgMLST can be still considered valid for the definition of a foodborne outbreak cluster of L. monocytogenes.
Agricultural capitalism, climatology and the “stabilization” of climate in the United States, 1850–1920
Authors: Baker Zeke
Published: June 2020

Drawing from theory on the “co‐production” of science and society, this paper provides an account of trajectories in US climatology, roughly from the 1850s to 1920, the period during which climatology emerged as an organized branch of meteorology and government administration. The historical narrative traces the development of climatology both as a professional/institutional project and as a component of a larger governmental logic. Historical analysis of climatologists' scientific texts, maps, and social organization within government provides a sociological explanation for the emergent “stabilization” of climate as a geographic‐statistical category. Climatic stability, defined by the view that climate is unchanging, was advanced over this period in a way that linked the interests and practices of climatologists to actors invested in facilitating and administrating commercial agriculture and trade. I position the logic of climatology and the discourse of climatic stability historically, with reference to prior concern with climate change and, in recent decades, efforts to govern global warming through geoengineering climatic stability.
Asymmetric information and personal affiliations in brokered housing transactions
Authors: Lopez Luis Arturo
Published: June 2020

This research provides evidence on the role of information asymmetry and personal affiliations in housing transactions using a novel dataset that allows observation of detailed information about the property, broker, and seller. Sellers holding a real estate license are found to obtain about 1.6% (or $3,200) more for their properties than unlicensed sellers, and sellers personally affiliated to a real estate licensee (e.g., spouses, siblings, parents) also obtain a premium of about the same size, all else equal. There is evidence from appraisal training that knowledge of property valuation further increases the price disparities, while informative public property records reduce price disparities. Agents and personal affiliates of agents appear to use information advantages to time the market and capture capital gains. These new findings provide insights into the behaviors of market participants in asymmetric information environments.
Implications of potential biome boundary shifts for small mammal assemblages in the arid zone of South Africa
Authors: Piers Laetitia , Samuels Igshaan , Masubelele Mmoto , Engelbrecht Adriaan
Published: June 2020

Desertification deteriorates the landscape functionality of rangelands, affecting the resilience of biome boundaries and this has a cascading effect on vegetation and animal communities. This study aimed to assess landscape functionality along the biome boundary of two arid biomes and its relationship to small mammal assemblages. The study further aimed to provide a landscape perspective of the current desertification process and projected expansion of the Desert biome in South Africa. Three Desert biome, ecotone and Succulent Karoo biome sites were selected to assess landscape functionality and small mammal assemblages over a one‐year period. The difference in landscape functionality between the three areas was assessed to determine the resilience of the biome boundary to desertification. Our results showed that the vegetation of the ecotone had higher desert‐like affinities while the soils seemed resilient and remained closely related to the Succulent Karoo biome. High livestock grazing pressure, as evident in the pastoral rangeland, may further deteriorate vegetation parameters and expose the soil to erosion, thereby advancing desertification. During both winter and summer, small mammal surveys using live Sherman traps were conducted and over the total 3204 trapping nights, 119 small mammal captures were recorded from three species. Desmodillus auricularis, Elephantulus rupestris and Gerbillurus paeba all had significantly higher densities in the Succulent Karoo biome. Our study supports the view that G. paeba would be the only species able to thrive in the less diverse Desert biome. This might have implications for the ecosystem services provided by the other two small mammal species in the landscape. As the trajectory for projected desertification appears to be on track, concerted efforts in improving rangeland management are required to maintain landscape functionality and stabilise small mammal assemblages.
Carrier frequency of CFTR variants in the non‐Caucasian populations by genome aggregation database (gnomAD)‐based analysis
Authors: Nappo Stefania , Mannucci Liliana , Novelli Giuseppe , Sangiuolo Federica , D'Apice Maria Rosaria , Botta Annalisa
Published: June 2020

The complexity in the molecular diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) also depends on the variable prevalence/incidence of the disease associated with the wide CFTR allelic heterogeneity among different populations. In fact, CF incidence in Asian and African countries is underestimated and the few patients reported so far have rare or unique CFTR pathogenic variants. To obtain insights into CF variants profile and frequency, we used the large population sequencing data in the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). We selected 207 CF‐causing/varying clinical consequence variants from CFTR2 database and additional 15 variants submitted to the ClinVar database. Only 14 of these variants were found in the East‐Asian population, while for South‐Asian and African populations we identified 43 and 52 variants, respectively, confirming the peculiarity of the CFTR allelic spectrum with only few population‐specific variants. These data could be used to optimize CFTR carrier screening in non‐Caucasian subjects, choosing between the full gene sequencing and cost and time‐effective targeted panels.
A case of cutaneous extranodal natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma clinically and histopathologically mimicking interface dermatitis
Authors: Choi Myoung Eun , Yang Hee Joo , Lee Woo Jin , Won Chong Hyun , Chang Sung Eun , Choi Jee Ho , Lee Mi Woo
Published: June 2020

Extranodal natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is a rare but aggressive cancer characterised by angiocentric and angiodestructive infiltration by NK‐cells, or cytotoxic T‐cell types. Histopathologically, ENKTL shows a multinodular or diffuse infiltration localised to vascular structures, resulting in angiodestruction and necrosis. We present a patient with an initially suspected diagnosis of benign interface dermatitis with a differential diagnosis of mycosis fungoides that was later found to be an aggressive extranodal natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma of a nasal type and with a dismal prognosis.
CXCL12 in normal and pathological pregnancies: A review
Authors: Ao Deng , Li Da‐Jin , Li Ming‐Qing
Published: June 2020

The survival of allogeneic fetuses during pregnancy is a rather paradoxical phenomenon with a complex mechanism. Chemokine ligand12 (CXCL12) and its receptors CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR)4 and 7 are extensively found in placenta tissues and cells, including trophoblast cells, vascular endothelial cells, and decidual stromal and decidual immune cells (eg, NK cells and regulatory T cells). Evidence has illustrated that the CXClL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis could enhance the cross talk at the maternal‐fetal interface through multiple processes, such as invasion and placental angiogenesis, which appears to be critical signaling components in placentation and fetal outcome. In addition, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that the CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis also stands out for its pleiotropic roles in several pregnancy‐associated diseases (eg, recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), pre‐eclampsia (PE), and preterm labor). In the present review, the different biological properties and signaling in physiological and pathological pregnancy conditions of CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis were discussed, with the aim of obtaining a further understanding of the regulatory mechanisms and highlighting their potential as a target for therapeutic approaches.
Contemporary management of Hirschsprung disease in New Zealand
Authors: Taghavi Kiarash , Goddard Lucy , Evans Stephen M. , Hobson Andrew , Beasley Spencer W. , Sankaran Sasikumar , Kukkady Askar , Stevenson Jonathan , Stringer Mark D.
Published: June 2020

Background

The aim of this study was to report the contemporary management of Hirschsprung disease (HD) in New Zealand.

Methods

We undertook a national multi‐centre retrospective review of all newly diagnosed cases of HD during a 16‐year period (2000–2015). Demographics, genetic and syndromic associations, family history, radiology and histology results and surgical interventions were analysed.

Results

A total of 246 cases (males:females 4:1) were identified, an incidence of 1:3870 live births. Short‐segment disease was present in 81.7%, long‐segment disease in 8.5%, total colonic aganglionosis in 6.5% and unknown in 3.3%. HD was diagnosed by 4 weeks' corrected gestational age in 67%. Thirty cases (12%) also had Trisomy 21. Fifty‐three (21.5%) patients required a repeat rectal biopsy for definitive diagnosis. A contrast enema was performed in 55% and identified the transition zone with 69% accuracy. Primary pull‐through surgery was undertaken in 59% (65% of short‐segment cases) at a median age of 27 days; others were initially managed by a defunctioning stoma. The commonest definitive procedure was a Soave‐Boley endorectal pull‐through (79%) (or similar variant). During a median follow‐up of 7.4 years, six (2.5%) survivors underwent a redo pull‐through, 13 (5.5%) an appendicostomy, 16 (6.8%) a defunctioning stoma and 10 never had a definitive procedure. Total colonic aganglionosis was significantly more likely to be fatal (12.5% versus 0.5%, P < 0.0005) or associated with a permanent end stoma (27.5% versus 4.5%, P < 0.0005).

Conclusions

Most New Zealand born infants with short‐segment HD are currently managed by primary pull‐through, usually in the first months of life.
Supervisor Reactions to Avoidance Job Crafting: The Role of Political Skill and Approach Job Crafting
Authors: Fong Christine Yin Man , Tims Maria , Khapova Svetlana N. , Beijer Susanne
Published: June 2020

Avoidance job crafting refers to employees proactively changing work boundaries by reducing tasks and/or interactions with others. Although avoidance job crafting may help employees to address work demands, if noticed by others, specifically supervisors, it may trigger negative reactions from them. While previous research posits that job crafting is largely unnoticed by supervisors, using a dyadic supervisor‐employee study (N = 141 dyads), we found that supervisors were in fact aware of their employees’ avoidance job crafting, which related to a reduction in supervisor support. This relationship was moderated by employee political skill (but not approach job crafting), such that high avoidance job crafting in combination with high political skill resulted in fewer negative outcomes, presumably because supervisors were less likely to notice their employees’ avoidance job crafting. In a second, vignette study (N = 92 supervisors), we experimentally replicated the relation between observed avoidance job crafting and negative supervisor reactions, and found that this relation can be explained by supervisors perceiving avoidance job crafting as destructive work behavior. Our findings introduce the supervisor perspective to the job crafting literature and highlight the importance of engaging in avoidance job crafting in a skillful way that aligns with the external context.
Therapeutic index of inhaled corticosteroids in asthma: A dose–response comparison on airway hyperresponsiveness and adrenal axis suppression
Authors: Daley‐Yates Peter , Brealey Noushin , Thomas Sebin , Austin Daren , Shabbir Shaila , Harrison Tim , Singh Dave , Barnes Neil
Published: June 2020

Aims

To compare the airway potency, systemic activity and therapeutic index of three inhaled corticosteroids that differ in glucocorticoid receptor binding affinity, physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties.

Methods

This escalating‐dose, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over study randomised adults with asthma to 1 or 2 treatment periods with ≥25 days washout in‐between. Each treatment period comprised five 7‐day dose escalations (μg/d): fluticasone furoate (FF; 25 → 100 → 200 → 400 → 800), fluticasone propionate (FP; 50 → 200 → 500 → 1000 → 2000), budesonide (BUD; 100 → 400 → 800 → 1600 → 3200) or placebo. Airway hyperresponsiveness to adenosine‐5'‐monophosphate (AMP PC20) was assessed on day 8. Plasma cortisol was assessed on day 1 (predose baseline) and from pre‐PM dose on day 6 to pre‐PM dose day 7 (24‐h weighted mean).

Results

Fifty‐four subjects were randomised. FF showed greater airway potency than FP and BUD (AMP PC20 dose at which 50% of the maximum effect is achieved [ED50] values: 48.52, 1081.27 and 1467.36 μg/d, respectively). Systemic activity (cortisol suppression) ED50 values were 899.99, 1986.05 and 1927.42 μg/d, respectively. The therapeutic index (ED50 cortisol suppression/ED50 AMP PC20) was wider for FF (18.55) than FP (1.84) and BUD (1.31). FF 100 μg/d and 200 μg/d were both comparable in terms of airway potency with high doses of FP (≥1000 μg twice daily [BID]) and BUD (≥1500 μg/BID). The systemic activity of FF 100 μg/d and 200 μg/d (cortisol suppression: 7.41% and 14.28%, respectively) was comparable with low doses of FP (100 μg/BID and 250 μg/BID) and BUD (100 μg/BID and 200 μg/BID).

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that FF can provide more protection against airway hyperresponsiveness, with less systemic activity, than FP or BUD. This suggests that all inhaled corticosteroids are not therapeutically similar and may differ in their therapeutic index. (203162; NCT02991859).
The death of dignity is greatly exaggerated: Reflections 15 years after the declaration of dignity as a useless concept
Authors: Hofmann Bjørn
Published: June 2020

Fifteen years ago, Ruth Macklin shook the medical community with her claim in the BMJ that dignity is a useless concept. Her essay provoked a storm of reactions. What have we learned from the debate? In this article I analyse the responses to her essay and the following debate to investigate whether she was right that “[d]ignity is a useless concept in medical ethics and can be eliminated without any loss of content.” While some of the commentaries misconstrued her claim and argue against strawmen, others forcefully maintained that the concept of dignity has functions beyond “respect for persons and their autonomy.” One important point that came out of the debate is that dignity is a generic concept that covers more ground than “respect for persons or their autonomy.” In particular, dignity seems to have a wide range of protective functions as well as having reciprocal, relational, and social aspects. Dignity appears more attributional and norm‐formative than respect for persons and autonomy. While the claim that dignity is unclear, vague, and can be used sloganistically seems highly relevant, it is argued that this vagueness fulfils important functions in ethics. Moreover, dismissing dignity because of its lack of clarity has implications for “respect for persons” and “autonomy,” which are also used vaguely and sloganistically. No doubt medical ethics should use as a clear concept as the context requires. Nonetheless, dignity still seems to be a widely used generic concept in ethical debates and doing as much ethical work as “respect for persons” or “respect for autonomy.” Therefore, the death of dignity seems to be greatly exaggerated.
Developing a Psychosomatic Imagination in Medical Students and Psychotherapy Trainees
Authors: Shoenberg Peter
Published: June 2020

How can we help medical students and psychotherapy trainees to develop an awareness of the mind in relation to the body, so that both can develop a psychosomatic imagination? This is an exploration of some of the difficulties that medical students have in appreciating the role of emotions in illness and of the difficulties psychotherapy trainees have in considering the importance of the body in psychotherapeutic work with patients with physical symptoms. Student Balint discussion groups and student psychotherapy schemes give clinical medical students the opportunity to explore their own and their patients’ emotional reactions to illness and to learn about the interplay of emotions with the body in physical illness. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is now encouraging the development of such Balint groups and/or psychotherapy schemes in all UK medical schools. Psychotherapy trainees studying the effects of emotions in psychosomatic illnesses often have difficulty in learning how to interpret physical symptoms that occur in psychotherapy. They tend to want to see such symptoms as having symbolic meaning and find it hard to appreciate the medical logic of physical illness. It is important that some medical understanding of these conditions is also included in seminars on psychosomatic conditions.
Illegal trade in wild cats and its link to Chinese‐led development in Central and South America
Authors: Morcatty Thais Q. , Bausch Macedo Jonathan C. , Nekaris K. Anne‐Isola , Ni Qingyong , Durigan Carlos C. , Svensson Magdalena S. , Nijman Vincent
Published: June 2020

Seizures of hundreds of jaguar heads and canines in Central and South America from 2014 to 2018 resulted in worldwide media coverage suggesting that wildlife traffickers are trading jaguar body parts as substitutes for tiger parts to satisfy the demand for traditional Asian medicine. We compiled a data set of >1000 seized wild cats (jaguar [Panthera onca], puma [Puma concolor], and ocelot [Leopardus pardalis]) from 19 Central and South American countries and China. We ran generalized additive mixed models to detect trends in wild‐cat seizures from 2012 to 2018 and assess the effects of socioeconomic factors of source countries and between those countries and China on the number of wild cats seized. Jaguar seizures increased over time, and most of the seized jaguar pieces were canines (1991 of 2117). Around 34% (32 of 93) of the jaguar‐part seizure reports were linked with China, and these seizures contained 14‐fold more individuals than those intended for domestic markets. Source countries with relatively high levels of corruption and Chinese private investment and low income per capita had 10–50 times more jaguar seizures than the remaining sampled countries. The number of Chinese residents in Central and South America was not significantly related to the number of jaguars seized. No socioeconomic factors influenced the seizures of puma and ocelots. Legal market chains may provide structure for the illegal chain; thus, the influx of illegal jaguar products is potentially a side effect of the economic partnership between Central and South American countries and China. Poverty and high levels of corruption in the source countries may motivate local people to engage in illegal activities and contribute to the growth of this trade. Supply‐side interventions to curb this threat to Neotropical wild cats may include improved training for officials and promotion of governance and the value of protecting these animals to local people.
Anesthetic management of lung transplantation: Results from a multicenter, cross‐sectional survey by the society for advancement of transplant anesthesia
Authors: Subramaniam Kathirvel , Rio J. Mauricio Del , Wilkey Barbara J. , Kumar Akshay , Tawil Justin N. , Subramani Sudhakar , Tani Makiko , Sanchez Pablo G. , Mandell M. Susan
Published: June 2020

Background

Current protocols for the perioperative care of lung transplant (LTX) recipients lack rigorous evidence and are often empiric, based upon institutional preferences. We surveyed LTX anesthesiologists to determine the most common practices.

Methods

We developed a survey of 40 questions regarding perioperative care of LTX recipients using Qualtrics software. The survey was sent out to members of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists performing LTX at geographically diverse sites to facilitate data collection for as many practices as possible.

Results

The responses were center‐weighed (127 responses, 85% from academic settings). The clamshell approach was commonly used (70%). Cardiopulmonary bypass was preferred by 56%, ex vivo lung perfusion utilized by 43%, and 49.4% indicated they use lungs from donation after circulatory determination of death. Most (69%) used oximetric pulmonary artery catheters, 60% used tissue oximetry, and 89.3% utilized transesophageal echocardiography. Inhaled nitric oxide was preferred by 48%, restrictive fluid management by 48%, and systemic analgesia advocated by 49% of participants. Inspired oxygen concentration <30% was applied to the new lung on reperfusion by 28% of the respondents.

Conclusion

Variations in healthcare delivery and utilization for LTX recipients indicate gaps in knowledge and potential opportunities to improve the quality of care.
A short overview on mycophenolic acid pharmacology and pharmacokinetics
Authors: Ferreira Pâmela C. Lukasewicz , Thiesen Flavia Valladao , Pereira Andrea Garcia , Zimmer Aline Rigon , Fröehlich Pedro Eduardo
Published: June 2020

Immunosuppressive therapy is used in solid organ transplant treatment, and mycophenolic acid (MPA) is one of the immunosuppressive drugs most used worldwide. It is a potent, selective, non‐competitive, and reversible inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) inhibitor that acts to inhibit guanine synthesis. To improve solubility, MPA is used as the prodrug mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or as an enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium salt (EC‐MPS). It is metabolized into mycophenolic acid phenyl glucuronide (MPAG), the inactive and major metabolite, and into acyl glucuronide (AcMPAG), pharmacologically active. In kidney transplantation, combined immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine (CsA) and tacrolimus (Tac) is widely used, showing beneficial effects. This paper aimed to review papers published in the last two decades and discuss factors that can interfere with the pharmacokinetics of MPA. Data collected confirm that MPA plasma levels should be monitored to evaluate immunosuppressive therapy since pharmacokinetics can be influenced by factors such as interpatient variability, coadministration of other immunosuppressive agents, post‐transplant period, renal function, and dose. However, to perform drug monitoring, costs and facility may be limitations. Monitoring MPAG together with MPA would be a great improvement in therapy as it represents a big part of MPA levels and can be related to the increase of adverse effects.
Primary superficial Ewing sarcoma: A unique entity? A case report including novel findings of ELF3 and TNFRSF14 copy number loss
Authors: Murphy Linda D. , Orman Gray M. , Bridge Julia A. , Bajaj Gitanjali , Gardner Jerad M. , Douglass David P.
Published: June 2020

Primary superficial Ewing sarcoma (psES) cases are exceedingly rare, with fewer than 150 cases reported in the literature. Small case series have suggested differences between psES and Ewing sarcoma (ES) of bone or deep soft tissues: psES appears to have a more indolent course and a higher 5‐year overall survival rate. PsES is more common in older adolescent females as opposed to younger males in their peak growth velocity years in bone or deep soft tissue ES. We present a case report of a 17‐year‐old female with a relatively static nodule on her left thigh for 4 years. Morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular evaluations confirmed ES. Patient underwent a gross‐total resection and a shortened course of adjuvant chemotherapy without radiation. Cancer gene panel testing found three gene abnormalities (in addition to EWSR1‐FLI1 fusion): CCND1 copy number gain, ELF3 copy number loss, and TNFRSF14 copy number loss. To our knowledge, this is the first published case report of psES to include genomic sequencing and the first to report ELF3 and TNFRSF14 abnormalities in ES. Larger series of psES cases with genomic profiling are needed to elucidate a possible genetic etiology for its more indolent clinical course and favorable outcomes.
Do gender differences in the relationship between living with children and alcohol consumption vary by societal gender inequality?
Authors: Graham Kathryn , Bernards Sharon , Karriker‐Jaffe Katherine J. , Kuntsche Sandra , Laslett Anne‐Marie , Gmel Gerhard , Callinan Sarah , Stanesby Oliver , Wells Samantha
Published: June 2020

Introduction and Aims

To better understand the relationship between alcohol consumption and living with children, we assessed whether the association varied for men and women across diverse countries and whether this relationship was moderated by country‐level gender inequality.

Design and Methods

We used Hierarchical Linear Modelling to analyse data from 32 surveys conducted in 27 countries. Measures included whether the participant was a drinker versus abstainer in past 12 months, annual number of drinks consumed, whether the respondent lived with children, gender (male/female) and age of respondent, and country‐level gender inequality measured using the Gender Inequality Index.

Results

Annual drinks consumed was significantly lower for women living with children. Men living with children were generally more likely to be drinkers, and the relationship between annual consumption and living with children was moderated by cultural gender equality: specifically, men in countries with higher gender equality drank less if they lived with children while the association for men in lower equality countries was nonsignificant.

Discussion and Conclusions

Although lower alcohol consumption was found generally for women living with children, this relationship was found only for men in countries where there was more gender equality. Given the high risk of harm to children from heavy consumption by adults with whom they live, prevention efforts need to strengthen prevention of heavy consumption by parents and other who live with children, especially for men who live with children in low gender equality countries.
Nutritional availability and larval density dependence in Aedes aegypti
Authors: Heath Katherine , Paton Robert S. , Wilson Anthony J. , Bonsall Michael B.
Published: June 2020

1. Density dependence is the effect of density on population growth. Density dependence is an aggregate term for a suite of complex interactions between animals and their environment.

2. Mechanistic studies of density dependence in mosquito ecology are sparse, and the role of environmental factors is poorly understood.

3. Two empirical study designs were compared to consider the interaction between nutritional availability and density in Aedes aegypti. First, larvae were fed per capita. Second, larvae were fed a fixed amount of food unadjusted for the number of individuals; therefore, at higher densities, individuals received less per capita.

4. Survivorship, wing length, and development rate were lower at high densities when larvae were fed a fixed, unadjusted amount of food. The opposite was observed when food was adjusted per capita, suggesting that high densities may be beneficial for larval development when per capita nutrition is held constant

5. These results demonstrate that negative associations between Ae. aegypti larval density and larval development are a manifestation of decreased per capita nutrient uptake at high densities.

6. Population regulation is a proportional response to environmental variability in Ae. aegypti. Increased survivorship at high densities when larvae were fed per capita demonstrates that nutritional availability is not the only mechanism of density dependence in mosquitoes. Further studies should characterise density dependence in mosquitoes by using mechanistic study designs across diverse environmental conditions.
UK investment trust portfolio strategies before the First World War†
Authors: Sotiropoulos Dimitris P. , Rutterford Janette , Keber Carolyn
Published: June 2020

UK investment trust companies were at the forefront of financial innovation during the so‐called first globalization era before the First World War. This study examines their portfolio strategies in detail, using a unique dataset of 115 portfolio observations for 30 different investment trust companies, comprising a total of 32,708 portfolio holdings. Our results reveal strong performance and relatively sophisticated asset management, which was based on a mixture of a buy‐and‐hold investment strategy and active portfolio management. Investment trusts employed global rather than domestic diversification. The early predominant investment in bonds in the 1880s gradually declined in favour of ordinary and preferred shares. North and Latin American markets were the main geographical target of UK investment trusts, with less appetite for domestic investments and negligible interest in continental European financial securities. There is significant cross‐sectional variation in asset allocation between investment trusts; they thus avoided herding behaviour in portfolio choice and developed a wide range of different portfolio strategies.
Poverty or prosperity in northern India? New evidence on real wages, 1590s–1870s†
Authors: de Zwart Pim , Lucassen Jan
Published: June 2020

This article introduces a new dataset on wages in northern India (from Gujarat in the west to Bengal in the east) from the 1590s to the 1870s. It follows Allen's subsistence basket methodology to compute internationally comparable real wages to shed light on developments in Indian living standards over time. It adjusts the comparative cost‐of‐living indices to take into account differences in climate and caloric intake due to variances in heights. The article also discusses the male/female wage gap in northern India. It demonstrates that the ‘great divergence’ started in the late seventeenth century, and widened further after the 1720s and especially after the 1800s. It was subsequently primarily England's spurt and India's stagnation in the first half of the nineteenth century that brought about most serious differences in the standard of living. If the British colonial state is to blame—as often suggested by the literature on India's persistent poverty—the fault lies in its failure to improve the situation after the British became near‐undisputed masters of India in 1820.
A multifunctional DNA polymerase I involves in the maturation of Okazaki fragments during the lagging‐strand DNA synthesis in Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Cheng Yi‐Wen , Chen Cheng‐Yao
Published: June 2020

Helicobacter pylori is the most infectious human pathogen that causes gastritis, peptic ulcers and stomach cancer. H. pylori DNA polymerase I (HpPol I) is found to be essential for the viability of H. pylori, but its intrinsic property and attribution to the H. pylori DNA replication remain unclear. HpPol I contains a 5′→3′ exonuclease (5′‐Exo) and DNA polymerase (Pol) domain, respectively, but lacks a 3′→5′ exonuclease, or error proofreading activity. In this study, we characterized the 5′‐Exo and Pol functions of HpPol I and found that HpPol I is a multifunctional protein displaying DNA nick translation, strand‐displacement synthesis, RNase H‐like, structure‐specific endonuclease and exonuclease activities. In the in vitro DNA replication assay, we further demonstrated that the 5′‐Exo and Pol domains of HpPol I can cooperate to fill in the DNA gap, remove the unwanted RNA primer from a RNA/DNA hybrid and create a ligatable nick for the DNA ligase A of H. pylori to restore the normal duplex DNA. Altogether, our study suggests that the two catalytic domains of HpPol I may synergistically play an important role in the maturation of Okazaki fragments during the lagging‐strand DNA synthesis in H. pylori. Like the functions of DNA polymerase I in Escherichia coli, HpPol I may involve in both DNA replication and repair in H. pylori.