bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Audit committee characteristics and bank performance: evidence from India
Authors: Gupta Neeraj , Mahakud Jitendra
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of various audit committee (AC) characteristics on the performance of Indian commercial banks. Additionally, it also analyses the non-linear relationship of AC size and AC chairman tenure with bank performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A panel data approach has been used in this study. The authors have used the fixed-effect estimation technique to examine the relationship between AC characteristics and bank performance during the period 2009–2010 to 2016–2017.

Findings

The authors find that the professional financial education of the AC chairman and members positively affects bank performance. the frequency of the AC meetings and audit chair busyness bears an inverse relationship with performance. The findings are more or less consistent across the various bank performance measures and subsamples classified based on the time period and ownership of the banks.

Practical implications

This study provides insights to policy regulators and policymakers who are entrusted with the establishment of ACs in the banks in light of the ongoing regulatory reforms.

Originality/value

The study is among one of the early studies, which study the relationship between AC characteristics and bank performance in the light of recent regulatory reforms. It also extends the existing study by considering both public and private banks operating in India.
Crowdfunding green projects in Brunei: awareness and investing preferences
Authors: Wasiuzzaman Shaista , Hj Pungut Nurul Nabilah , Md Don Muhammad Khaliq Syafie
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The objectives of this study are to determine the level of awareness of crowdfunding and green projects among Bruneians, to investigate the preference of Bruneians regarding funding through crowdfunding as well as to evaluate the willingness of Bruneians to use crowdfunding as a funding alternative for green projects in Brunei. In addition to that, this study aims to identify the effects of environmental awareness and environmental concern on the willingness to crowdfund green projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 177 responses from an online questionnaire distributed via convenience and snowball sampling was used for data analysis. Frequency, descriptive, correlation and regression analyses are used to achieve the aims of this study.

Findings

The study finds that the awareness of the concepts of crowdfunding and green project is high among Bruneians, but the level of their familiarity of crowdfunding platforms and climate change issues is very low. Regression analysis carried out to test the effects of awareness and concern on willingness indicates that while environmental concern has a significant positive effect on the willingness to support crowdfunded green projects, environmental awareness is insignificant.

Originality/value

The study highlights that government policy should be aimed at not just increasing awareness but at increasing the knowledge of the impacts of climate change issue that will raise concern and improve participation of residents in green projects. The study focuses on a rarely studied population, the people of Brunei.
Foundations of strategic flexibility: focus on cognitive diversity and structural empowerment
Authors: Nowak Radoslaw
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of cognitive diversity and structural empowerment on strategic flexibility in the context of business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to statistically test the data that were collected from health-care organizations located in the USA.

Findings

SEM reveals the positive main effect of cognitive diversity on strategic flexibility, the moderating effect of structural empowerment on the effect of cognitive diversity on strategic flexibility and performance and the mediating effect of strategic flexibility on the joint effect of cognitive diversity and structural empowerment on business performance.

Originality/value

The study reveals that diversity in cognitive resources and workplace empowerment can jointly support business performance via strategic flexibility. The paper explains that this positive effect can take place because the two factors jointly enable business organizations to find better internal applications for new relevant information, thus allowing firms to quickly reorganize their internal resources in a way that leads to better performance.
It soon became clear – insights into technology and participation
Authors: Travnicek Cornelia , Stoll Daniela , Reichinger Andreas , Rix Jonathan
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the experience of working with different conceptualisations of participation and participatory practice. This is done through an examination of the involvement of a technology company within a multinational, 3-years participatory research project involving 13 partners and over 200 disabled people.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a case study, narrative account of a range of activities undertaken within the project, presenting a rare and much-needed explicit insight into the emergence of participatory ways of working and the reasoning and tensions behind them.

Findings

Through the case study gaze of one of the technology companies involved, it explicates the underpinning processes of the participatory approach and how these challenged the notions of various partners.

Originality/value

This paper shows how engaging in meaningfully participatory research creates profound institutional challenges for technology developers. The subsequent need to make hard decisions and compromises throughout disrupts traditional ways of working and anticipated outcomes. However, it also reveals opportunities for delivering unanticipated and transformative outcomes, highlighting the need for greater flexibility in funding research that aims to be participatory.
Price hikes, crime fad or political football? What caused a spike in store robberies for cigarettes in New Zealand: analysis of news reports (2009-2018)
Authors: Glover Marewa , Shepherd Robin , Selket Kyro , Paramanathen Saravana Kumar
Published: August 2021

Purpose

A large increase in robberies of convenience stores in New Zealand (NZ) in 2016 and 2017 was anecdotally attributed to persistent and substantial increases in excise tax on tobacco products. This study aims to explore the validity of that claim by examining the characteristics of the robberies through the lens of online news coverage.

Design/methodology/approach

Google, Bing and main online NZ news outlets were searched for news reports between 2009 and 2018 of tobacco-related store robberies. Content analysis was used to extract characteristics such as date of robbery, type of store, items targeted or stolen and demographic profile of offenders. The prevalence of reported robberies by socioeconomic level of the surrounding community was assessed using nearest primary school decile rating. Descriptive statistics and statistical analysis were used to discuss trends and key findings in the data.

Findings

Reports on 572 robberies were unevenly distributed across the years with a large increase in 2016 and 2017, followed by a substantial decrease in 2018. Local community convenience stores were primarily hit – more so in lower socioeconomic communities. Robberies occurred nationwide and disproportionately so during colder months in lower socioeconomic communities. Many robberies were aggravated resulting in serious injury to shopkeepers. Tobacco and cash were predominantly targeted.

Social implications

The large increase in robberies that occurred in 2016–2017 likely resulted from tax-driven tobacco price hikes combined with reduced duty-free tobacco coming into NZ with travellers. Installation of security in stores, news fatigue and other explanations are potential reasons for the 2018 decrease in reported robberies despite tobacco prices increasing. Frequent robberies of local stores, many including violence, should be a public health concern as destruction of community well-being can be a determinant of other health problems. The negative consequences for communities, particularly lower socioeconomic communities, need to be factored into the cost benefit analysis of raising the tax on tobacco.

Originality/value

This study provides much needed detail on the negative health and social consequences of tobacco-related store robberies.
Dark tourism destinations: the relationships between tourists’ on-site experience, destination image and behavioural intention
Authors: Qian Lili , Zheng Chunhui , Wang Jinwei , Pérez Sánchez María de los Ángeles , Parra López Eduardo , Li Hanliang
Published: August 2021

Purpose

This study aims to explore how tourists construct destination images in the context of dark tourism and reveals the relationships between on-site experience, destination image and behavioural intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The earthquake-ravaged county town of Beichuan in China was chosen as the study site. The study collected 298 viable questionnaires from tourists. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was performed to explore the relationships between the variables of on-site experience, destination image and behavioural intention.

Findings

The study identified four dimensions of dark tourism destination image (TDI) from its attribute and functional perspective. It found that “image of memorial place” and “image of educational place” were the most perceptual images and positively related with most subdimensions of on-site experience and behavioural intention. “Image of leisure place” and “image of landscapes of fear” were less perceived by tourists and negatively related with some subdimensions of on-site experience and behavioural intention.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to explore the complex mechanisms of dark TDI formation with the framework of “on-site experiences–destination images–behavioural intentions”. By identifying tourists’ most and least perceptual images and their effective antecedents and consequences help to reconcile and manage the controversial and contradictory images of a dark tourism destination.
Multi-response optimization of process parameters in friction stir welded aluminum 6061-T6 alloy using Taguchi grey relational analysis
Authors: Jain Nitesh , Kumar Rajesh
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Friction stir welding (FSW) is considered an environmentally sound process compared to traditional fusion welding processes. It is a complex process in which various parameters influence weld strength. Therefore, it is essential to identify the best parameter settings for achieving the desired weld quality. This paper aims to investigate the multi-response optimization of process parameters of the FSWed 6061-T6 aluminum (Al) alloy.

Design/methodology/approach

The input process parameters related to FSW have been sorted out from a detailed literature survey. The properties of weldments such as yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, percentage elongation and microhardness have been used to evaluate weld quality. The process parameters have been optimized using the Taguchi-based grey relational analysis (GRA) methodology. Taguchi L16 orthogonal array has been considered to design the experiments. The effect of input parameters on output responses was also determined by the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. Finally, to corroborate the results, a confirmatory experiment was carried out using the optimized parameters from the study.

Findings

The ANOVA result indicates that the tool rotation speed was the most significant parameter followed by tool pin profile and welding speed. From the confirmation test, it was observed that the optimum FSW process parameters predicted by the Taguchi method improved the grey relational grade by 13.52%. The experimental result also revealed that the Taguchi-based GRA method is feasible in finding solutions to multi-response optimization problems in the FSW process.

Originality/value

The present study is unique in the multi-response optimization of FSWed 6061-T6 Al alloy using the Taguchi and GRA methodology. The weld material having better mechanical properties is essential for the material industry.
Efficacy of influential factors in hemoporfin‐mediated photodynamic therapy for facial port‐wine stains
Authors: Huang Yuanbo , Yang Jun , Sun Li , Zhang Lichao , Bi Mingye
Published: August 2021

Hemoporfin‐mediated photodynamic therapy (HMME‐PDT) is a vascular‐targeted treatment for port‐wine stains (PWS). However, the efficacy of this has varied and is difficult to predict. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of influential factors associated with HMME‐PDT and provide a suitable method for predicting the efficacy. Patients with facial PWS who underwent HMME‐PDT were retrospective analyzed. A total of 212 patients (93 males) with mean age of 13.01 ± 12.67 years (range, 1–51) years were included. There were 143 cases with red, 56 cases with purple, and 13 cases with hypertrophic‐type PWS. The number of HMME‐PDT sessions ranged 1–6. The excellent response rate after 1–4 PDT sessions was 9.4%, 17.6%, 32.7%, and 42.9%, respectively. The number of PDT treatments is associated with efficacy, and patients who underwent treatment with more than three sessions had response better than those who underwent treatment with less than three sessions (p = 0.003). Response to HMME‐PDT in patients of different ages, previous treatment history, lip involvement, and vessels morphology showed significant differences after two treatment sessions (p = 0.001, 0.03, 0.014, and 0.001, respectively), while patients of different sex, subtype, lesion size, location (medial, lateral, or mixed), or non‐vascular morphology showed no significant differences. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the patients with lip hypertrophy (p = 0.002), history of more than five times prior treatment (p = 0.003), fewer PDT sessions (<3) (p = 0.000002), linear vessels (p = 0.007), and reticular vessels (p = 0.0003) showed association with poor response of HMME‐PDT. In conclusion, HMME‐PDT is an effective treatment for PWS. Patients who had underwent treatment for more than five times prior, lip hypertrophy, and linear vessels or reticular vessels under dermoscope showed association with poor efficacy.
Role of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in the pathophysiology of herpes simplex virus superinfection in Darier’s disease
Authors: Yamamoto Takenobu , Aoyama Yumi
Published: August 2021

Darier’s disease (DD) and Hailey–Hailey disease (HHD), belonging to a hereditary acantholytic dermatosis caused by mutations in ATP2A2 and ATP2C1, respectively, are easily affected by eczema herpeticum (EH) induced by mostly herpes simplex virus (HSV) superinfection. However, the mechanisms by which those patients with DD or HHD are susceptible to HSV are not well elucidated. Here, we experienced two cases with DD, including three episodes of the exacerbation of DD after the development of severe EH. We serially measured serum cytokines before and after the development of EH and DD in these patients. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of pro‐inflammatory cytokines on the mRNA expression of ATP2A2 and ATP2C1, and HSV growth. The timing of EH onset in these patients was coincident with the increase in serum interleukin (IL)‐6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α levels. Moreover, the exacerbation of DD occurred in the non‐lesional skin of EH after EH remission (mean 24 days, ranging 15–30 days after EH onset). IL‐6 and TNF‐α enhanced HSV‐1 growth, and ATP2A2 and ATP2C1 mRNA levels were downregulated by IL‐6 stimulation in cultured differentiated keratinocytes. Increased pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐6 and TNF‐α lead to development of severe EH lesions via accentuation of HSV growth. IL‐6 acts as an exacerbating factor of DD and HHD by downregulating the expression of responsible genes.
Longitudinal variation in the nutritional quality of basal food sources and its effect on invertebrates and fish in subalpine rivers
Authors: Guo Fen , Ebm Nadine , Bunn Stuart E. , Brett Michael T. , Hager Hannes , Kainz Martin J.
Published: August 2021

There is growing recognition of the importance of food quality over quantity for aquatic consumers. In streams and rivers, most previous studies considered this primarily in terms of the quality of terrestrial leaf litter and importance of microbial conditioning. However, many recent studies suggest that algae are a more nutritional food source for riverine consumers than leaf litter. To date, few studies have quantified longitudinal shifts in the nutritional quality of basal food resources in river ecosystems and how these may affect consumers.

We conducted a field investigation in a subalpine river ecosystem in Austria to investigate longitudinal variations in diet quality of basal food sources (submerged leaves and periphyton) and diet source dependence of stream consumers (invertebrate grazers, shredders, filterers and predators, and fish). Fatty acid (FA) profiles of basal food sources and their consumers were measured.

Our results indicate systematic differences between the FA profiles of terrestrial leaves and aquatic biota, that is periphyton, invertebrates and fish. Submerged leaves contained very low proportions of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFAs), which were conversely rich in aquatic biota. While the FA composition of submerged leaves remained similar among sites, the LC‐PUFAs of periphyton increased longitudinally, which was associated with increasing nutrients from upstream to downstream.

Longitudinal variations in periphyton LC‐PUFAs were reflected in the LC‐PUFAs of invertebrate grazers and shredders, and further tracked by invertebrate predators and fish. However, brown trout Salmo trutta contained a large proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6ω3), a LC‐PUFA almost entirely missing in basal sources and invertebrates. The fish accumulated eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3) from invertebrate prey and may use this FA to synthesize DHA.

Our results provide a nutritional perspective for river food web studies, emphasizing the importance of algal resources to consumer somatic growth and the need to account for the longitudinal shifts in the quality of these basal resources.
Fiscal decentralization and efficiency of public services delivery by local governments in Ghana
Authors: Otoo Isaac , Danquah Michael
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we estimate the efficiency of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana, and investigate the impact of fiscal decentralization on the efficiency of local public goods and services delivery by MMDAs. Using data from composite budgets of all 216 MMDAs, we employ both non‐parametric and parametric frontier methods to carry out the study. The results with regard to our two indicators of fiscal decentralization indicate that fiscal autonomy proxied by MMDAs’ internally generated funds as a share of their total revenue has a positive influence on the efficiency of MMDAs whilst vertical imbalance—a high share of central government grants in MMDAs’ total expenditure—does not improve the delivery of local goods and services by MMDAs in Ghana. The findings indicate a clear signal to policy managers to prioritize support to MMDAs in the mobilization of internally generated revenue.
An Ecology of Picture‐Rhythms (Tālamālā) in Western India, circa 1800
Authors: Shaffer Holly
Published: August 2021

This essay analyses a unique instance in western India around 1800 in which artists attempted to visualize rhythm (tālamālā) by co‐ordinating artistic with natural measures. While they looked to earlier templates of picturing music, such as of melody in rāgamālā, the artists sought forms of inspiration specific to rhythm. In particular, they turned to the workings of time, from a composition's tempo to a person's mental activity, to an animal's gait and to the moon's wax and wane. These intersecting temporal and rhythmic concepts, however, were abstract. To draw them into a visible realm, the painters relied on analogy as a method of comparison. They affiliated human‐made rhythms in texts, pictures, and dance with those produced in the natural world, by the sun and moon, termites and snakes, the earth and rivers. By mobilizing their understanding of the environment, and people's place within it, the artists of these paintings managed to picture rhythm through a rare turn to ecology in the history of South Asian painting.
Thatcherism and Brexit as Political Projects
Authors: Willetts David
Published: August 2021

Thatcherism was a very astute political project from the beginning—monetarism removed the need to do deals with trade unions in order to manage the economy and thus resolved the political problem which had dogged Conservatives through the 1970s. Andrew Gamble is right to identify a free economy and a strong state as complementary political principles—a credible economic policy was key to the difference between the Falklands and Suez. Now, the Conservative Party has once again shown its agility in responding to economic discontent by becoming a party of Brexit and assembling an election winning coalition of the excluded and the insulated. Age has replaced class as the crucial political divide. A political party can focus on older voters provided that it continues to recruit new voters as they go through the life cycle. But it is risky if it is actually an appeal to an ageing cohort of voters without recruiting from succeeding generations. The Conservative Party needs to appeal to younger voters, and offering the prospect of property ownership would be one way to do this. A belief in fairness between the generations unites different age groups
Effect of processing technologies on the digestibility of egg proteins
Authors: Bhat Zuhaib F. , Morton James D. , Bekhit Alaa El‐Din A. , Kumar Sunil , Bhat Hina F.
Published: August 2021

Egg and egg products are a rich source of highly bioavailable animal proteins. Several processing technologies can affect the structural and functional properties of these proteins differently and can influence their fate inside the gastrointestinal tract. The present review examines some of the processing technologies for improving egg protein digestibility and discusses how different processing conditions affect the digestibility of egg proteins under gastrointestinal digestion environments. To provide up‐to‐date information, most of the studies included in this review have been published in the last 5 years on different aspects of egg protein digestibility. Digestibility of egg proteins can be improved by employing some processing technologies that are able to improve the susceptibility of egg proteins to gastrointestinal proteases. Processing technologies, such as pulsed electric field, high‐pressure, and ultrasound, can induce conformational and microstructural changes that lead to unfolding of the polypeptides and expose active sites for further interactions. These changes can enhance the accessibility of digestive proteases to cleavage sites. Some of these technologies may inactivate some egg proteins that are enzyme inhibitors, such as trypsin inhibitors. The underlying mechanisms of how different technologies mediate the egg protein digestibility have been discussed in detail. The proteolysis patterns and digestibility of the processed egg proteins are not always predictable and depends on the processing conditions. Empirical input is required to tailor the optimization of processing conditions for favorable effects on protein digestibility.
Cold plasma for the preservation of aquatic food products: An overview
Authors: Rathod Nikheel Bhojraj , Ranveer Rahul Chudaman , Bhagwat Prashant Kishor , Ozogul Fatih , Benjakul Sottawat , Pillai Santhosh , Annapure Uday Shriramrao
Published: August 2021

Cold plasma (CP) is an upcoming technology implemented for the preservation of highly perishable foods, especially aquatic food products (AFPs). The high moisture content, high‐quality protein with all essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids makes AFP more susceptible to microbial spoilage and oxidation of lipids and proteins. Spoilage lowers the nutritive value and could generate toxic components, making it unsafe for consumption. In recent times, the rising demand for food products of aquatic origin with preserved quality and extended shelf‐life has been recorded. In addition, minimally or nonthermally processed and preserved foods are gaining great attention. CP technology has demonstrated an excellent ability to inactivate microorganisms without promoting their resistance and triggering some deteriorative enzymes, which are typical factors responsible for the spoilage of AFP. Consequently, CP could be recommended as a minimal processing intervention for preserving the quality of AFP. This review focuses on different mechanisms of fish spoilage, that is, by microorganisms and oxidation, their inhibition via the application of CP, and the retention of quality and shelf‐life extension of AFP.
Aging and neuroinflammation: Changes in immune cell responses, axon integrity, and motor function in a viral model of progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Mestre Leyre , Alonso Graciela , Feliú Ana , Mecha Miriam , Martín Carolina , Villar Luisa M. , Guaza Carmen
Published: August 2021

Although aggravated multiple sclerosis (MS) disability has been reported in aged patients, the aging impact on immune cells remodeling within the CNS is not well understood. Here, we investigated the influence of aging on immune cells and the neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes that occur in a well‐established viral model of progressive MS. We found an anomalous presence of CD4+ T, CD8+T, B cells, and cells of myeloid lineage in the CNS of old sham mice whereas a blunted cellular innate and adaptive immune response was observed in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) infected old mice. Microglia and macrophages show opposite CNS viral responses regarding cell counts in the old mice. Furthermore, enhanced expression of Programmed Death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) was found in microglia isolated from old TMEV‐infected mice and not in isolated CNS macrophages. Immunocytochemical staining of microglial cells confirms the above differences between young and old mice. Age‐related axonal loss integrity in the mouse spinal cord was found in TMEV mice, but a less marked neurodegenerative process was present in old sham mice compared with young sham mice. TMEV and sham old mice also display alterations in innate and adaptive immunity in the spleen compared to the young mice. Our study supports the need of new or adapted pharmacological strategies for MS elderly patients.
Aid as pan‐Islamic solidarity in Bosnia‐Herzegovina
Authors: LI DARRYL
Published: August 2021

For decades Arab Muslims have engaged in pan‐Islamic solidarity aid work in Bosnia‐Herzegovina. In delivering aid from the Middle East to a European country, they disrupt the racial and civilizational hierarchies that structure most international relief work. Their experiences demonstrate the utility of a more capacious anthropological understanding of universalism. Rather than dismiss universalism as mere ideology or as a set of homogenizing processes, I highlight how universalist projects put into practice complex idioms that are notionally directed at all of humanity. Ethnographic attention to these relief workers’ material conditions reveals that they lack many of the privileges of the white, Western, and highly mobile protagonists of most ethnographies of aid. Moreover, it illuminates how spiritual practices coalesce with considerations of transnational mobility, class, and political action—considerations that are often neglected in anthropological work on Islamic piety. [universalism, solidarity, humanitarianism, charity, aid, Islam, pan‐Islamism, Bosnia‐Herzegovina]
Results of childhood glaucoma surgery over a long‐term period
Authors: Hoffmann Esther M. , Aghayeva Fidan , Schuster Alexander K. , Pfeiffer Norbert , Karsten Mona , Schweiger Susann , Pirlich Nina , Wagner Felix M. , Chronopoulos Panagiotis , Grehn Franz
Published: August 2021

Purpose

To evaluate long‐term results of glaucoma surgery in newborn and infants with glaucoma.

Methods

Seventy‐nine eyes of 52 children (age: 3 weeks–15.3 years) with primary congenital or secondary glaucoma treated between 2015 and 2017 were included. The median follow‐up time was 3.9 years. Conventional probe trabeculotomy, 360° catheter‐assisted trabeculotomy, filtering and cyclodestructive surgery were compared. Strict criteria for surgical success were applied: Complete surgical success (IOP below target IOP, no further surgery) and incomplete surgical success (additional surgery allowed) were analyzed, and IOP at baseline and last follow‐up was compared.

Results

Intraocular pressure (IOP) was significantly reduced in primary congenital (preoperative IOP: 27.8 ± 7.5 mmHg vs. postoperative IOP: 14.2 ± 4.5 mmHg) and secondary glaucoma (preoperative IOP: 29.2 ± 9.1 mmHg vs. postoperative IOP: 16.6 ± 4.7 mmHg). 90% of all eyes reached target IOP with or without medication allowing for additional surgeries. As first surgery, 360° catheter‐assisted trabeculotomy had a tendency to higher surgical success than other surgical approaches, while cyclodestructive procedures had lowest.

Conclusions

We found very promising surgical results in our childhood glaucoma patient group. Surgical success in both congenital and secondary glaucoma was high.
Associations between positively valenced affect and health behaviors vary by arousal
Authors: Jones Dusti R. , Smyth Joshua M. , Graham‐Engeland Jennifer E.
Published: August 2021

Evidence is mixed with regard to whether positively valanced affect (PA) is associated with engagement in health behaviors. Both affective arousal (activated/deactivated) and level of analysis (between and within‐person) may influence such associations. Adults (N = 121; 25–65 years) completed ambulatory assessments of affect and daily reports of sleep, diet, and physical/sedentary activity. Patterns of association were generally consistent at between and within‐person levels, although associations varied by arousal. Activated PA was positively associated with action tendencies (i.e., higher physical activity, lower sedentary activities) and riskier behaviors (such as poor diet) whereas deactivated PA was positively associated with engaging in satiety and rest (i.e., better diet, better sleep quality, and more sedentary activity). Results were maintained when covarying for indicators of relative socioeconomic advantage and neuroticism. Overall, arousal appears to be related to the nature of the associations between PA and health behaviors, highlighting the importance of assessing and evaluating a range of arousal states.
Development and validation of a patient-reported outcome in systemic sclerosis: the Hand scleroDerma lived Experience (HAnDE) scale
Authors: Sibeoni J. , Dunogué B. , Dupont A. , Haiddar D. , Benmostefa N. , Falissard B. , Mouthon L. , Révah-Levy A. , Verneuil L.
Published: August 2021

Background

Hand involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is at the core of the disease, with a substantial impact on both functional aspects and quality of life. There is no patient-reported outcome (PRO) scale globally assessing hand involvement in SSc.

Objectives

To develop and validate a PRO scale, the Hand scleroDerma lived Experience (HAnDE) scale, to assess the lived experience of hand involvement in patients with SSc.

Methods

This was an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study with two phases: (i) PRO development through an inductive process to analyse the structure of lived experience, involving 21 patients with SSc; and (ii) PRO validation by assessing the psychometric properties of the scale among 105 patients with SSc.

Results

Phase 1 enabled us to generate the 18-item provisional scale. From Phase 2, the mean (SD) total score of the scale was 29·16 (16·15). The item reduction process retained 16 items with five levels of answers (range 0–64). Internal consistency of the 16-item version was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha = 0·946). Construct validity was very good, principal component analysis pointing towards a unidimensional instrument, with one factor explaining 56% of the variance, and concurrent validity being confirmed: Cochin Hand Function Scale r = 0·66; Health Assessment Questionnaire – Disability index r = 0·58; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, anxiety r = 0·51, depression r = 0·4; Mouth Handicap in Systemic Sclerosis scale r = 0·61; 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, physical component r = –0·48, mental component r = –0·46; and Kapandji score r = –0·46. The correlations were statistically significant (P < 0·05).

Conclusions

We propose, for future trials and clinical practice in SSc, a new PRO, the HAnDE scale, that assesses all the dimensions – functional, aesthetic, relational, existential and emotional – of the lived experience of hand involvement in SSc.
A role for translational regulation by S6 kinase and a downstream target in inflammatory pain
Authors: de la Peña June Bryan , Kunder Nikesh , Lou Tzu‐Fang , Chase Rebecca , Stanowick Alexander , Barragan‐Iglesias Paulino , Pancrazio Joseph J. , Campbell Zachary T.
Published: August 2021

Background and Purpose

Translational controls pervade neurobiology. Nociceptors play an integral role in the detection and propagation of pain signals. Nociceptors can undergo persistent changes in their intrinsic excitability. Pharmacological disruption of nascent protein synthesis diminishes acute and chronic forms of pain‐associated behaviours. However, the targets of translational controls that facilitate plasticity in nociceptors are unclear.

Experimental Approach

We used ribosome profiling to probe the translational landscape in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from male Swiss‐Webster mice, after treatment with nerve growth factor and IL‐6. Expression dynamics of c‐Fos were followed with immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. The involvement of ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), a downstream component of mTOR signalling, in the control of c‐Fos levels was assessed with low MW inhibitors of S6K1 (DG2) or c‐Fos (T‐5224), studying their effects on nociceptor activity in vitro using multielectrode arrays (MEAs) and pain behaviour in vivo in Swiss‐Webster mice using the hyperalgesic priming model.

Key Results

c‐Fos was expressed in sensory neurons. Inflammatory mediators that promote pain in both humans and rodents promote c‐Fos translation. The mTOR effector S6K1 is essential for c‐Fos biosynthesis. Inhibition of S6K1 or c‐Fos with low MW compounds diminished mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in response to inflammatory cues. Additionally, both inhibitors reduced evoked nociceptor activity.

Conclusion and implications

Our data show a novel role of S6K1 in modulating the rapid response to inflammatory mediators, with c‐Fos being one key downstream target. Targeting the S6 kinase pathway or c‐Fos is an exciting new avenue for pain‐modulating compounds.
ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination: A putative precipitant of adrenal crises
Authors: Maguire Deirdre , McLaren David S. , Rasool Irum , Shah Preet M. , Lynch Julie , Murray Robert D.
Published: August 2021

Background

Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) have excess mortality, in part due to the occurrence of life‐threatening adrenal crises. Infective processes, including that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), are recognised as the major precipitant of adrenal crises. Adverse reactions to the ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine occur in a significant proportion of individuals, however, are mild‐moderate in the majority of cases.

Design

Case series.

Patients & Results

We describe five cases where more severe adverse reactions to the ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine led to actual or incipient adrenal crises requiring parenteral hydrocortisone within 24 h of receiving the first ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination.

Conclusion

In individuals with adrenal insufficiency, adverse reactions to the initial dose of the ChAdOx1 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination can precipitate adrenal crises. We recommend that patients with AI should immediately increase their maintenance glucocorticoid dosage 2–3 fold on experiencing any symptoms in the initial 24 h following vaccination.
A systematic review and meta‐analysis of variants of the branches of the superior mesenteric artery: the Achilles heel of right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision?
Authors: Cirocchi Roberto , Randolph Justus , Davies R Justin , Cheruiyot Isaac , Gioia Sara , Henry Brandon Michael , Carlini Luigi , Donini Annibale , Anania Gabriele
Published: August 2021

Aim

Dissection with subsequent ligation and resection of arteries at their origin (central vascular ligation) is essential for adequate oncological resection during right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision. This technique is technically demanding due to the highly variable arterial pattern of the right colon. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive evidence‐based assessment of the arterial vascular anatomy of the right colon.

Methods

A thorough systematic literature search through September 2020 was conducted on the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science to identify studies eligible for inclusion. Data were extracted and pooled into a meta‐analysis using MetaXl software.

Results

A total of 41 studies (n = 4691 patients) were included. The ileocolic artery (ICA), right colic artery (RCA) and middle colic artery (MCA) were present in 99.7% (95% CI 99.4%–99.8%), 72.6% (95% CI 61.3%–82.5%) and 96.9% (95% CI 94.2%–98.8%) respectively of patients. Supernumerary RCA and MCA were observed in 3.2% and 11.4% respectively of all cases. The RCA shared a common trunk with the ICA and MCA in 13.2% and 17.7% respectively of patients. A retro‐superior mesenteric vein course of the ICA and RCA was observed in 55.1% and 11.4% respectively of all cases.

Conclusion

The vascular anatomy of the right colon displays several notable variations, namely the absence of some branches (RCA absent in 27.4% of cases), supernumerary branches, common trunks, and retro‐superior mesenteric vein courses. These variations should be taken into consideration during right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision to ensure adequate oncological resection while minimizing intra‐operative complications.
Using passive surveillance technology for overdose prevention: Key ethical and implementation issues
Authors: van Draanen Jenna , Satti Sampath , Morgan Jeffrey , Gaudette Laural , Knight Rod , Ti Lianping
Published: August 2021

Passive surveillance technology has the potential to increase safety through monitoring spaces where people are at risk of overdose. One key opportunity for the use of passive surveillance technology to prevent overdose fatality is in bathrooms where people may be using drugs. However, uncertainty remains with regards to how to attain informed consent, implications for data storage and privacy and potential negative socio‐legal ramifications for people who use drugs. In addition, there are issues regarding responsibility and liability for the devices. Transparency with regards to data privacy and security may also be needed before bathroom users will feel comfortable with such solutions. In this article, we discuss these issues and offer recommendations to provide a foundation for future research and policy development.
Retirement and health services utilization in a low‐income country*
Authors: Dang Thang
Published: August 2021

We estimate the causal effects of retirement on health services utilization in Vietnam. Using authorized retirement ages as instruments for exogenous changes in retirement, we find positive and strong effects of retirement on outpatient health services in the public health sector. Retirement increases the probability of an outpatient visit by 51 percentage points for males and 36 percentage points for females, and the frequency of outpatient visits by 1.4 times for males and 2 times for females. However, we find no effect on the use of public inpatient services as well as private health services.
Effects of different indices and pairwise methods on the longitudinal pattern of β diversity of stream fish assemblages
Authors: Zhang Dong , Gao Rundong , He Jiayun , Chu Ling , Yan Yunzhi
Published: August 2021

Beta diversity is the key and central issue of theoretical and applied ecological questions, including those regarding spatial variation along gradients and conservation biodiversity. In contrast to the alpha diversity of stream fish assemblages, little concern has been reached regarding the factor affecting of spatial variation in beta diversity along longitudinal gradients, which may be modified by scale, indices of beta diversity and pairwise methods. To understand the spatial patterns and processes in the species composition of stream fish assemblages along the river continuum, we need to disentangle the influence of different beta diversity indices and pairwise methods on the longitudinal patterns of beta diversity. In this study, we chose four beta diversity indices (Jaccard, Sørensen, Simpson and additive partitioning) and two pairwise methods (mean beta diversity between the focal assemblage and all other assemblages; beta diversity between focal and immediate neighbouring assemblages downstream) to quantify the spatial pattern of fish beta diversity along the river continuum. We found that (1) although the four diversity indices differed in emphasis, they showed the same pattern of spatial variation in the longitudinal gradients of the river; (2) the same diversity index using different pairwise methods calculation may result in completely different spatial patterns; (3) beta diversity indices and pairwise may not have a significant effect on the ecological application of beta diversity, at least in community assembly. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that at least in the longitudinal gradient of the river there may not be much difference in quantifying the spatial variation of beta diversity; however, pairwise methods between sampling sites need to be chosen according to specific research objectives.
Assessment of putative species diversity of insect larvae occurring in bamboo galls by a DNA barcoding analysis
Authors: Nomano Fumiaki Y. , Mitsui Hideyuki , Kimura Masahito T.
Published: August 2021

For identification of insect larvae occurring in galls formed on culms of Sasa kurilensis in Shiga‐kôgen, Nagano and those of Pseudosasa japonica in Takao‐san, Tokyo, we undertook a DNA barcoding analysis using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene. Seventeen operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified for larvae from Shiga‐kôgen and one for those from Takao‐san. Of 17 OTUs from Shiga‐kôgen, 10 were most likely assigned to Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), one to Anthomyzidae (Diptera), two to Lepidoptera and four to Hymenoptera. One OTU from Takao‐san was assigned in the Cecidomyiidae cluster. However, none of the OTUs was assigned to known species. It is unknown whether primary gall‐makers are included in the putative cecidomyiid, anthomyzid and lepidopteran species found in this study. However, hymenopteran species occurring in these galls would be parasitoids. How so many cecidomyiid species coexist on bamboo culms in Shiga‐kôgen is an interesting issue and remains to be resolved.
Keeping your coparent in mind: A longitudinal investigation of mindfulness in the family system
Authors: DiMarzio Karissa , Peisch Virginia , Acosta Juliana , Dale Chelsea , Gutierrez Jennifer , Parent Justin
Published: August 2021

Recent studies have increasingly focused on mindfulness as it relates to interpersonal processes. In particular, cross‐sectional research has shown that parents’ dispositional mindfulness is associated with increased mindful parenting and coparenting, as well as improved coparenting relationship quality. The current study replicates and extends such work, representing the first longitudinal investigation of mindful coparenting. A sample of 449 parents (60% mothers) of children between the ages of 3 and 17 years were recruited online through Amazon‘s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) as part of a larger study on the assessment of parenting. Parents reported on their dispositional mindfulness, mindful coparenting, and coparenting relationship quality at three time points across an 8‐month period. Results from a cross‐lagged panel model using maximum likelihood estimation suggested that higher levels of parental mindfulness at baseline were related with higher levels of mindful coparenting at 4 months, which, in turn, were related to higher quality coparenting relationship at 8 months. Support for this model was found for both mothers and fathers and across all examined child age groups (i.e., early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence), highlighting the robust nature of these effects. Overall, findings suggest that increasing mindfulness at an individual level can promote meaningful change within a family system, specifically through improvements in coparenting and parent–child interactions.
The role of SIRT1 in the basolateral amygdala in depression‐like behaviors in mice
Authors: Guo Hao , Deji Cuola , Peng Han , Zhang Jinyu , Chen Yuanyuan , Zhang Yulei , Wang Yunpeng
Published: August 2021

Previous investigations have implicated the basolateral amygdala (BLA) epigenetic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of depression. SIRT1 is a NAD+‐dependent class III histone deacetylase, widely expresses in BLA. However, epigenetic mechanisms in the BLA under the regulation of SIRT1 in the depression are largely uncharacterized. Under the chronic unpredictable chronic mild stress (CUMS) mouse model, we used adeno‐associated viral vectors (AAV) that encoded SIRT1‐shRNA or SIRT1 to specifically knockdown or overexpress SIRT1 in BLA neurons, respectively. CUMS procedure induced significant depression symptoms including the decreased sucrose preference, the less bodyweight gained, the decreased immobile latency and the increased immobile time both in forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Knockdown of SIRT1 in BLA glutamatergic neurons reversed these depression‐like behaviors and restored the synaptic abnormalities. Overexpression of SIRT1 in BLA glutamatergic neurons induced depression‐like behaviors in non‐stressed control mice. The result of protein expressions and ultrastructural changes were consistent with the behavioral results. Our study suggested that downregulation of SIRT1 in BLA has certain beneficial effect on CUMS‐induced depression‐like behaviors such as anorexia, anhedonia, hopelessness and despair. In addition, the increased expression of SIRT1 may be the immediate cause of depressive‐like symptoms. The abnormal expression of SIRT1 may affect the transcriptional regulation mechanism and signaling protein acetylation, affecting neuroplasticity and ultimately contribute to MDD. In the stress‐susceptible mice, these two mechanisms may co‐exist, but the specific mechanism needs further research.