bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information to support strategic campus management in universities
Authors: Curvelo Curvelo Magdaniel Flavia , Den Heijer Alexandra , Arkesteijn Monique
Published: August 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to underpin the importance of the availability (or absence) of campus management information (CMI) in supporting universities’ goals.

Design/methodology/approach

Four perspectives of campus management were used to develop a structured survey enquiring campus managers about universities’ goals, finances, users and spaces. Its descriptive analysis distinguishes two domains: campus strategy and CMI.

Findings

A total of 14 participant universities in nine countries provided substantial data, increasing the available CMI in each of the four perspectives compared with previous research. Three goal-related patterns driving the strategies of universities and their campuses were identified across competitive, social, economic and environmental performance aspects. Accordingly, particular CMI is discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The paper’s overarching approach in four perspectives challenged the collection of data, which needed to be retrieved from different departments in the organisation, with different domains (human resources, finance, facilities and organisational strategy), lingo and accountability cultures.

Originality/value

These findings improve the current understanding of university campuses as strategic resources enabling a variety of university goals and missions in today’s knowledge-based economy, society and cities. Moreover, the authors discuss that a more structural approach to collecting CMI may benefit universities to identify critical aspects of campus management supporting their strategies from which performance indicators can be derived and shared among campus managers with similar strategies to make better future decisions.
Tame clients: an evaluation of service users’ and trainee clinical psychologists’ perspective of service user involvement in teaching
Authors: Norwood Carl , Tickle Anna , De Boos Danielle , Dewa Roberta
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The involvement of service users within clinical psychology training is written into policy. However, the practice of evaluating involvement from both trainees’ and service users’ viewpoint is minimal. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate recent service user involvement in psychometrics and formulation teaching on a clinical psychology training programme, from both service user and trainee perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Focus groups were held with service users (n=3) involved in the teaching, as well as trainees (n=3). Additional questionnaire data were captured from trainees (n=11). Service user and trainee data were analysed separately using thematic analysis. Themes generated for trainees were also mapped on to a competency framework for clinical psychologists.

Findings

Both parties found the teaching beneficial. Service users enjoyed supporting trainees and engaged positively in their roles. They identified relational aspects and reflections on their own therapy as other benefits. Trainees reported enhanced clinical preparedness, critical and personal reflection. Trainee anxiety was evident. Learning mapped well to competency frameworks.

Research limitations/implications

The samples were small and some data truncated. Findings speak to broader issues and may transfer to other involvement contexts.

Practical implications

A good degree of meaningful involvement can be achieved through such initiatives, to mutual benefit and enhanced learning.

Originality/value

Nature of the exercise and dual-aspect approach to evaluation described here helps to minimise tokenism. The mapping of findings to competency frameworks supports evaluative processes and helps to legitimise involvement initiatives that challenge the boundaries of existing practice.
Craft beer – building social terroir through connecting people, place and business
Authors: Sjölander-Lindqvist Annelie , Skoglund Wilhelm , Laven Daniel
Published: August 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to propose the concept of social terroir to help navigate phenomenological and epistemological conditions of small-scale food entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a qualitative research approach and was implemented in the peripheral region of Jämtland in northern Sweden. The study interrogated the ambitions of craft brewers when starting up, their long-term goals and visions, including questions about the reason for starting up a brewery, how the different brewers cooperate and how and why the products are designed and labelled the way they are.

Findings

This study shows that the production of craft beer is an inherently social practice that is part of a particular sociocultural milieu. This milieu informs production in distinct and interrelated ways: through connecting to place and locality in the different aspects of production and marketing, through cooperation to develop production and overcome barriers, and through embedding their work in sustainability discourses.

Originality/value

The study addresses how, in the context of craft beer, terroir or taste of place, is a matter of social ties to place and community–social terroir. What is novel is the way in which social terroir becomes a critical ingredient in the production of craft beer. This illustrates how small-scale food production and gastronomic efforts can link people, places and businesses.
The effects of social undermining on employee voice and silence and on organizational deviant behaviors in the hotel industry
Authors: Jung Hyo Sun , Yoon Hye Hyun
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Drawing on social identity theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether social undermining significantly influences employee voice (or silence) and organizational deviant behavior in the hotel industry regarding three types of social undermining: by supervisor, coworker and customer.

Design/methodology/approach

The study provided a self-administered questionnaire to 344 five-star hotel employees in South Korea. SPSS (version 22.0) and AMOS (version 20.0) were used to analyze the data.

Findings

Being undermined by customers negatively affects employee voice and positively affects employee silence. Supervisor and coworker undermining also negatively affects employee voice and positively affects employee silence. Employee voice does not significantly affect organizational deviant behavior, but employee silence significantly affects deviant employee behavior. This was also verified by the potential mediating effect of supervisor undermining on silence as a form of deviant employee behavior.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the development of long-term manager-centered measures to combat the effect of social undermining among frontline employees in the hotel industry. It can be difficult to differentiate clearly between the conflicts and stress experienced by employees at the service frontline and the social undermining they experience during diverse social interactions. In confirming the effects of social undermining on employees at a five-star hotel, the study also found no clear organizational provisions or legal recourse for victims. The findings suggest that hotel employees are easily exposed to social undermining as a result of the industry culture and socialization process.
Synthesis, properties and application in polyvinyl butyral of spirooxazine photochromic compounds
Authors: Yuan Liemei , Cai Gang , Gao Jun
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of antioxidant 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-methylphenol (BHT) on the thermal stability and fatigue resistance of spirooxazine and then study the properties of photochromic polyvinyl butyral resin (PVB) films.

Design/methodology/approach

BHT was introduced into the spirooxazine system by blending and covalent bonding. The properties of spirooxazine solutions and photochromic PVB films were studied.

Findings

The thermal stability and fatigue resistance of spirooxazine covalently linked (BHT-SO) or mixed (BHT/SO) with BHT were higher than the system without BHT, and BHT-SO was the better one. But acidic substance would greatly impair the fatigue resistance of spirooxazine. The optimum addition amount of BHT-SO2 to PVB was 2.5 per cent, and the minimum limit was 0.01 per cent. The fading kinetic and fatigue resistance of film were similar to the solution and better. Plasticizer could accelerate the fading rate and strengthen the mechanical properties of photochromic film but had no effect on the fatigue resistance.

Research limitations/implications

Spirooxazine could be grafted onto the PVB chain to make the ring closure fading reaction slower.

Practical implications

In addition to the wide application prospects of photochromic materials in decoration, optical storage, etc., the photochromic PVB film in the car safety glass can absorb sunlight and turn blue, then fade to colorless when the sunlight disappears, making the interior environment more comfortable.

Originality/value

The introduction of BHT into the spirooxazine system not only exerts its ability to capture free radicals, but its bulky volume also increases the resistance of the ring closure, making the fading process slower.
Equal opportunity market
Authors: Bannister Jennifer , Ho Li-Chin Jennifer , Song Xiaoxiao
Published: August 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to compare US market reactions to the restatement announcements of foreign firms listed in the USA and those of US firms by applying the Capital Market Liability of Foreignness (CMLOF) concept. It further investigates the incremental effect of an improved information environment, proxied by analyst following, on mitigating the negative market reaction to a restatement for foreign vs domestic firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Regression tests are performed on a matched-sample, which matches foreign and domestic firms based on industry and firm size. Market reaction is defined as three-day abnormal stock returns calculated using a market model. The sources of CMLOF are defined as institutional distance, information costs, unfamiliarity costs and cultural distance.

Findings

Results suggest that, on average, the magnitude of the market reaction to a restatement is 1.8 per cent lower for foreign firms than for domestic firms. Information and unfamiliarity costs contribute to the differing market reactions. In addition, it appears that the improved information environment created by a higher analyst following is more important for foreign firms who face CMLOF than for domestic firms.

Originality/value

While prior research establishes a negative market reaction to restatement announcements, comparing the market reactions for foreign and domestic firms provides evidence regarding whether US investors treat foreign and domestic firms differently. Additionally, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines CMLOF using restatement announcements.
Nitrogen addition reduces soil respiration but increases the relative contribution of heterotrophic component in an alpine meadow
Authors: Wang Jinsong , Song Bing , Ma Fangfang , Tian Dashuan , Li Yong , Yan Tao , Quan Quan , Zhang Fangyue , Li Zhaolei , Wang Bingxue , Gao Qiang , Chen Weinan , Niu Shuli
Published: August 2019

Disentangling the relative response sensitivity of soil autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) to nitrogen (N) enrichment is pivotal for evaluating soil carbon (C) storage and stability in the scenario of intensified N deposition. However, the mechanisms underlying differential sensitivities of Ra and Rh and relative contribution of Rh to soil respiration (Rs) with increasing N deposition remain elusive.

A manipulative field experiment with multi‐level N addition rates was conducted over 3 years (2015–2017) in an alpine meadow to explore the relative impact of N enrichment on Ra and Rh and the response of Rh/Rs ratio to the gradient of N addition.

Soil respiration components had different sensitivities to N enrichment, with Ra decreasing more than Rh, leading to a higher Rh/Rs ratio as a function of increasing N addition rates. Ra and Rh decreased nonlinearly as N addition rates increased, with a critical load of 8 g N m−2 year−1 above which N enrichment significantly inhibited them. Ra and Rh were controlled by different abiotic and biotic factors, and the regulation of controlling factors on soil respiration components varied over time. N‐induced reduction in the relative abundance of forb significantly affected Ra, and this effect was mainly evident in the second and third years. Nitrogen enrichment significantly changed Rh in the third year, and the decreased Rh under high doses of N addition could be attributed to the changes in microbial biomass C, soil substrate quality and microbial composition.

Our study highlights the leading role of Ra in regulating Rs responses to N enrichment and the enhancement of Rh/Rs ratio with increasing N addition. We also emphasize that N‐induced shifts in plant community composition play a vital role in regulating Ra instead of Rh. The changing drivers of Ra and Rh with time suggests that long‐term experiments with multiple levels of N addition are further needed to test the nonlinear responses and underlying mechanisms of soil respiration components in face to aggravating N deposition.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Temporal dynamics of mycorrhizal fungal communities and co‐associations with grassland plant communities following experimental manipulation of rainfall
Authors: Deveautour Coline , Power Sally A. , Barnett Kirk L. , Ochoa‐Hueso Raul , Donn Suzanne , Bennett Alison E. , Powell Jeff R.
Published: August 2019

Climate models project overall a reduction in rainfall amounts and shifts in the timing of rainfall events in mid‐latitudes and sub‐tropical dry regions, which threatens the productivity and diversity of grasslands. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may help plants to cope with expected changes but may also be impacted by changing rainfall, either via the direct effects of low soil moisture on survival and function or indirectly via changes in the plant community.

In an Australian mesic grassland (former pasture) system, we characterized plant and AM fungal communities every 6 months for nearly 4 years to two altered rainfall regimes: (a) ambient, (b) rainfall reduced by 50% relative to ambient over the entire year and (c) total summer rainfall exclusion. Using Illumina sequencing, we assessed the response of AM fungal communities sampled from contrasting rainfall treatments and evaluated whether variation in AM fungal communities was associated with variation in plant community richness and composition.

We found that rainfall reduction influenced the fungal communities, with the nature of the response depending on the type of manipulation, but that consistent results were only observed after more than 2 years of rainfall manipulation. We observed significant co‐associations between plant and AM fungal communities on multiple dates. Predictive co‐correspondence analyses indicated more support for the hypothesis that fungal community composition influenced plant community composition than vice versa. However, we found no evidence that altered rainfall regimes were leading to distinct co‐associations between plants and AM fungi. Overall, our results provide evidence that grassland plant communities are intricately tied to variation in AM fungal communities. However, in this system, plant responses to climate change may not be directly related to impacts of altered rainfall regimes on AM fungal communities.

Synthesis. Our study shows that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities respond to changes in rainfall but that this effect was not immediate. The AM fungal community may influence the composition of the plant community. However, our results suggest that plant responses to altered rainfall regimes at our site may not be resulting via changes in the AM fungal communities.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses three distinct systems for sensing and using the host molecule haem
Authors: Otero‐Asman Joaquín R. , García‐García Ana I. , Civantos Cristina , Quesada José M. , Llamas María A.
Published: August 2019

Pathogens have developed several strategies to obtain iron during infection, including the use of iron‐containing molecules from the host. Haem accounts for the vast majority of the iron pool in vertebrates and thus represents an important source of iron for pathogens. Using a proteomic approach, we have identified in this work a previously uncharacterized system, which we name Hxu, that together with the known Has and Phu systems, is used by the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to respond to haem. We show that the Has and Hxu systems are functional signal transduction pathways of the cell‐surface signalling class and report the mechanism triggering the activation of these signalling systems. Both signalling cascades involve an outer membrane receptor (HasR and HxuA respectively) that upon sensing haem in the extracellular medium produces the activation of an σECF factor in the cytosol. HxuA has a major role in signalling and a minor role in haem acquisition in conditions in which the HasR and PhuR receptors or other sources of iron are present. Remarkably, P. aeruginosa compensates the lack of the HasR receptor by increasing the production of HxuA, which underscores the importance of haem signalling for this pathogen.
The response of Microcystis aeruginosa strain MGK to a single or two consecutive H2O2 applications
Authors: Daniel Einat , Weiss Gad , Murik Omer , Sukenik Assaf , Lieman‐Hurwitz Judy , Kaplan Aaron
Published: August 2019

Various approaches have been proposed to control/eliminate toxic Microcystis sp. blooms including H2O2 treatments. Earlier studies showed that pre‐exposure of various algae to oxidative stress induced massive cell death when cultures were exposed to an additional H2O2 treatment. We examined the vulnerability of exponential and stationary‐phase Microcystis sp. strain MGK cultures to single and double H2O2 applications. Stationary cultures show a much higher ability to decompose H2O2 than younger cultures. Nevertheless, they are more sensitive to an additional H2O2 dose given 1–6 h after the first one. Transcript analyses following H2O2 application showed a fast rise in glutathione peroxidase abundance (227‐fold within an hour) followed by a steep decline thereafter. Other genes potentially engaged in oxidative stress were far less affected. Metabolic‐related genes were downregulated after H2O2 treatments. Among those examined, the transcript level of prk (encoding phosphoribulose kinase) was the slowest to recover in agreement with the decline in photosynthetic rate revealed by fluorescence measurements. Our findings shed light on the response of Microcystis MGK to oxidative stress suggesting that two consecutive H2O2 applications of low concentrations are far more effective in controlling Microcystis sp. population than a single dose of a higher concentration.
CORIGAN: Assessing multiple species and interactions within images
Authors: Tresson Paul , Tixier Philippe , Puech William , Bagny Beilhe Leïla , Roudine Sacha , Pagès Christine , Carval Dominique
Published: August 2019

Images are resourceful data for ecologists and can provide a more complete information than other methods to study biodiversity and the interactions between species. Automated image analysis however often relies on extensive datasets, not implementable by small research teams. We are here proposing an object detection method that allows the analysis of high‐resolution images containing many animals interacting in a small dataset.

We developed an image analysis pipeline named ‘CORIGAN’ to extract the characteristics of animal communities. CORIGAN is based on the YOLOv3 model as the core of object detection. To illustrate potential applications, we use images collected during a sentinel prey experiment.

Our pipeline can be used to detect, count and study the physical interactions between various animals. On our example dataset, the model reaches 86.6% precision and 88.9% recall at the species level or even at the caste level for ants. The training set required fewer than 10 hr of labelling. Based on the pipeline output, it was possible to build the trophic and non‐trophic interactions network describing the studied community.

CORIGAN relies on generic properties of the detected animals and can be used for a wide range of studies and supports. Here, we study invertebrates on high‐resolution images, but the same processing can be transferred for the study of larger animals on satellite or aircraft images.
Aging‐related carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule 1 signaling promotes vascular dysfunction
Authors: Kleefeldt Florian , Bömmel Heike , Broede Britta , Thomsen Michael , Pfeiffer Verena , Wörsdörfer Philipp , Karnati Srikanth , Wagner Nicole , Rueckschloss Uwe , Ergün Süleyman
Published: August 2019

Aging is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and therefore of particular interest for the prevention of cardiovascular events. However, the mechanisms underlying vascular aging are not well understood. Since carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is crucially involved in vascular homeostasis, we sought to identify the role ofCEACAM1 in vascular aging. Using human internal thoracic artery and murine aorta, we show thatCEACAM1 is upregulated in the course of vascular aging. Further analyses demonstrated thatTNF‐α isCEACAM1‐dependently upregulated in the aging vasculature. Vice versa,TNF‐α inducesCEACAM1 expression. This results in a feed‐forward loop in the aging vasculature that maintains a chronic pro‐inflammatory milieu. Furthermore, we demonstrate that age‐associated vascular alterations, that is, increased oxidative stress and vascular fibrosis, due to increased medial collagen deposition crucially depend on the presence ofCEACAM1. Additionally, age‐dependent upregulation of vascularCEACAM1 expression contributes to endothelial barrier impairment, putatively via increasedVEGF/VEGFR‐2 signaling. Consequently, aging‐related upregulation of vascularCEACAM1 expression results in endothelial dysfunction that may promote atherosclerotic plaque formation in the presence of additional risk factors. Our data suggest thatCEACAM1 might represent an attractive target in order to delay physiological aging and therefore the transition to vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis.
Connectivity or isolation? Identifying reintroduction sites for multiple conservation objectives for wisents in Poland
Authors: Perzanowski K. , Bleyhl B. , Olech W. , Kuemmerle T.
Published: August 2019

Large herbivores and carnivores today often only occupy small fractions of their former ranges, and restoring them is a conservation priority. Reintroductions may serve two critical goals in this context: (1) to expand and connect existing populations, or (2) to increase the number of separate populations as insurance in case individual populations are lost, for example, to disease. We developed an approach to identify reintroduction sites for both purposes, using an applied example of European bison or wisent (Bison bonasus) in Poland. Using a large occurrence dataset from all extant herds in Poland, we mapped suitable wisent habitats throughout Poland using a species distribution modelling approach. We identified 47 patches of suitable habitat, together covering 20,710 km2, and used graph theory tools to identify the top candidate reintroduction sites for (1) connecting existing herds into larger metapopulations or (2) establishing ‘reservoir’ herds that could serve as a backup in case of mass die‐offs. The most well‐connected habitat patches ranged between 203 and 728 km2 and occurred mainly in north‐western and south‐eastern Poland, in close vicinity to other free‐ranging herds. In contrast, candidate sites for reservoir herds were smaller (204–410 km2) and occurred mainly in central Poland. Our approach provides a possible blueprint for wisent reintroductions in Poland. More broadly, our work also highlights how jointly planning for multiple conservation goals for wide‐ranging species that depend on reintroductions or translocations can be achieved at the regional scale.
Vaccine mandates, value pluralism, and policy diversity
Authors: Navin Mark C. , Attwell Katie
Published: August 2019

Political communities across the world have recently sought to tackle rising rates of vaccine hesitancy and refusal, by implementing coercive immunization programs, or by making existing immunization programs more coercive. Many academics and advocates of public health have applauded these policy developments, and they have invoked ethical reasons for implementing or strengthening vaccine mandates. Others have criticized these policies on ethical grounds, for undermining liberty, and as symptoms of broader government overreach. But such arguments often obscure or abstract away from the diverse values that are relevant to the ethical justifications of particular political communities’ vaccine‐mandate policies. We argue for an expansive conception of the normative issues relevant to deciding whether and how to establish or reform vaccine mandates, and we propose a schema by which to organize our thoughts about the ways in which different kinds of vaccine‐mandate policies implicate various values.
Development and validation of a novel risk stratification algorithm for relapsed multiple myeloma
Authors: Hájek Roman , Delforge Michel , Raab Marc S. , Schoen Paul , DeCosta Lucy , Spicka Ivan , Radocha Jakub , Pour Ludek , Gonzalez‐McQuire Sebastian , Bouwmeester Walter
Published: August 2019

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy with varying survival outcomes and drivers of disease progression. Existing MM staging tools were developed using data from newly diagnosed patients. As patient characteristics and disease‐related factors change between diagnosis and the initiation of second‐line (2L) treatment, an unmet need exists for a tool that can evaluate risk of death at first relapse. We have developed a risk stratification algorithm (RSA) using data from patients with MM who were at 2L. Hazard ratios for independent predictors of overall survival (OS) were derived from a Cox models, and individual patient scores were calculated for total risk. K‐adaptive partitioning for survival was used to stratify patients into groups based on their scores. Relative risk doubled with ascending risk group; median OSs for patients in group 1 (lowest risk)–4 (highest risk) were 61·6, 29·6, 14·2 and 5·9 months, respectively. Differences in OS between risk groups were significant. Similar stratification was observed when the RSA was applied to an external validation data set. In conclusion, we have developed a validated RSA that can quantify total risk, frailty risk and disease aggressiveness risk, and stratify patients with MM at 2L into groups with profoundly different survival expectations.
Three‐dimensional virtual imaging of renal tumours: a new tool to improve the accuracy of nephrometry scores
Authors: Porpiglia Francesco , Amparore Daniele , Checcucci Enrico , Manfredi Matteo , Stura Ilaria , Migliaretti Giuseppe , Autorino Riccardo , Ficarra Vincenzo , Fiori Cristian
Published: August 2019

Objectives

To apply the standard PADUA and RENAL nephrometry score variables to three‐dimensional (3D) virtual models (VMs) produced from standard bi‐dimensional imaging, thereby creating three‐dimensional (3D)‐based (PADUA and RENAL) nephrometry scores/categories for the reclassification of the surgical complexity of renal masses, and to compare the new 3D nephrometry score/category with the standard 2D‐based nephrometry score/category, in order to evaluate their predictive role for postoperative complications.

Materials and Methods

All patients with localized renal tumours scheduled for minimally invasive partial nephrectomy (PN) between September 2016 and September 2018 underwent 3D and 2D nephrometry score/category assessments preoperatively. After nephrometry score/category evaluation, all the patients underwent surgery. Chi‐squared tests were used to evaluate the individual patients’ grouping on the basis of the imaging tool (3D VMs and 2D imaging) used to assess the nephrometry score/category, while Cohen's κ coefficient was used to test the concordance between classifications. Receiver‐operating characteristic curves were produced to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the 3D nephrometry score/category vs the 2D nephrometry score/category in predicting the occurrence of postoperative complications. A general linear model was used to perform multivariable analyses to identify predictors of overall and major postoperative complications.

Results

A total of 101 patients were included in the study. The evaluation of PADUA and RENAL nephrometry scores via 3D VMs showed a downgrading in comparison with the same scores evaluated with 2D imaging in 48.5% and 52.4% of the cases. Similar results were obtained for nephrometry categories (29.7% and 30.7% for PADUA risk and RENAL complexity categories, respectively). The 3D nephrometry score/category demonstrated better accuracy than the 2D nephrometry score/category in predicting overall and major postoperative complications (differences in areas under the curve for each nephrometry score/category were statistically significant comparing the 3D VMs with 2D imaging assessment). Multivariable analyses confirmed 3D PADUA/RENAL nephrometry category as the only independent predictors of overall (P = 0.007; P = 0.003) and major postoperative complications (P = 0.03; P = 0.003).

Conclusions

In the present study, we showed that 3D VMs were more precise than 2D standard imaging in evaluating the surgical complexity of renal masses according to nephrometry score/category. This was attributable to a better perception of tumour depth and its relationships with intrarenal structures using the 3D VM, as confirmed by the higher accuracy of the 3D VM in predicting postoperative complications.
Oncogenic splicing abnormalities induced by DEAD‐Box Helicase 56 amplification in colorectal cancer
Authors: Kouyama Yuta , Masuda Takaaki , Fujii Atsushi , Ogawa Yushi , Sato Kuniaki , Tobo Taro , Wakiyama Hiroaki , Yoshikawa Yukihiro , Noda Miwa , Tsuruda Yusuke , Kuroda Yousuke , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Ishida Fumio , Kudo Shin‐ei , Mimori Koshi
Published: August 2019

Alternative splicing, regulated by DEAD‐Box Helicase (DDX) families, plays an important role in cancer. However, the relationship between the DDX family and cancer has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we identified a candidate oncogene DDX56 on Ch.7p by a bioinformatics approach using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset of colorectal cancer (CRC). DDX56 expression was measured by RT‐qPCR and immunochemical staining in 108 CRC patients. Clinicopathological and survival analyses were carried out using three CRC datasets. Biological roles of DDX56 were explored by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, cell cycle assays, and using DDX56‐knockdown or overexpressed CRC cells. RNA sequencing was carried out to elucidate the effect of DDX56 on mRNA splicing. We found that DDX56 expression was positively correlated with the amplification of DDX56 and was upregulated in CRC cells. High DDX56 expression was associated with lymphatic invasion and distant metastasis and was an independent poor prognostic factor. In vitro analysis, in vivo analysis and GSEA showed that DDX56 promoted proliferation ability through regulating the cell cycle. DDX56 knockdown reduced intron retention and tumor suppressor WEE1 expression, which functions as a G2‐M DNA damage checkpoint. We have identified DDX56 as a novel oncogene and prognostic biomarker of CRC that promotes alternative splicing of WEE1.
How to correct the odds ratio for lack of sensitivity and specificity
Authors: Antunes José Leopoldo Ferreira
Published: August 2019

This commentary explains and exemplifies a method to estimate the Odds Ratio—OR with a correction for possible errors in diagnosis. This procedure allows reassessing hypotheses of association between health outcomes and exposures when the database entails lack of accuracy, and the estimates of sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic tool are available. Misclassification is not uncommon in dental public health research. Classification errors should not be ignored; they should instead be subject of measurement and adjustment. However, the lack of diagnostic validity is an elusive error, which cannot be entirely controlled. The method described here is solely an attempt to explore further the assessment of factors impacting on health outcomes.
Identification of a dominant MYH11 causal variant in chronic intestinal pseudo‐obstruction: Results of whole‐exome sequencing
Authors: Dong Weilai , Baldwin Clinton , Choi Jungmin , Milunsky Jeff M. , Zhang Junhui , Bilguvar Kaya , Lifton Richard P. , Milunsky Aubrey
Published: August 2019

Chronic Intestinal Pseudo‐Obstruction (CIPO) is a rare gastrointestinal disorder, which affects the smooth muscle contractions of the gastrointestinal tract. Dominant mutations in the smooth muscle actin gene, ACTG2, accounts for 44%‐50% of CIPO patients. Other recessive or X‐linked genes, including MYLK, LMOD1, RAD21, MYH11, MYL9, and FLNA were reported in single cases. In this study, we used Whole‐Exome Sequencing (WES) to study 23 independent CIPO families including one extended family with 13 affected members. A dominantly inherited rare mutation, c.5819delC (p.Pro1940HisfsTer91), in the smooth muscle myosin gene, MYH11, was found in the extended family, shared by 7 affected family members but not by 3 unaffected family members with available DNA, suggesting a high probability of genetic linkage. Gene burden analysis indicates that additional genes, COL4A1, FBLN1 and HK2, may be associated with the disease. This study expanded our understanding of CIPO etiology and provided additional genetic evidence to physicians and genetic counselors for CIPO diagnosis.
Colorectal cancer patients under the age of 50 experience delays in primary care leading to emergency diagnoses: a population‐based study
Authors: Arhi C. S. , Ziprin P. , Bottle A. , Burns E. M. , Aylin P. , Darzi A.
Published: August 2019

Aim

The incidence of colorectal cancer in the under 50s is increasing. In this national population‐based study we aim to show that missed opportunities for diagnosis in primary care are leading to referral delays and emergency diagnoses in young patients.

Method

We compared the interval before diagnosis, presenting symptom(s) and the odds ratio (OR) of an emergency diagnosis for those under the age of 50 with older patients sourced from the cancer registry with linkage to a national database of primary‐care records.

Results

The study included 7315 patients, of whom 508 (6.9%) were aged under 50 years, 1168 (16.0%) were aged 50–59, 2294 (31.4%) were aged 60–69 and 3345 (45.7%) were aged 70–79 years. Young patients were more likely to present with abdominal pain and via an emergency, and had the lowest percentage of early stage cancer. They experienced a longer interval between referral and diagnosis (12.5 days) than those aged 60–69, reflecting the higher proportion of referrals via the nonurgent pathway (33.3%). The OR of an emergency diagnosis did not differ with age if a red‐flag symptom was noted at presentation, but increased significantly for young patients if the symptom was nonspecific.

Conclusion

Young patients present to primary care with symptoms outside the national referral guidelines, increasing the likelihood of an emergency diagnosis.
Designing a global mechanism for intergovernmental biodiversity financing
Authors: Droste Nils , Farley Joshua , Ring Irene , May Peter H. , Ricketts Taylor H.
Published: August 2019

The Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol display a broad international consensus for biodiversity conservation and equitable benefit sharing. Yet, the Aichi biodiversity targets show a lack of progress and thus indicate a need for additional action such as enhanced and better targeted financial resource mobilization. To date, no global financial burden‐sharing instrument has been proposed. Developing a global‐scale financial mechanism to support biodiversity conservation through intergovernmental transfers, we simulate three allocation designs: ecocentric, socioecological, and anthropocentric. We analyze the corresponding incentives needed to reach the Aichi target of terrestrial protected area coverage by 2020. Here we show that the socioecological design would provide the strongest median incentive for states which are farthest from achieving the target. Our proposal provides a novel concept for global biodiversity financing, which can serve as a starting point for more specific policy dialogues on intergovernmental burden and benefit‐sharing mechanisms to halt biodiversity loss.
China's Overinvestment and International Trade Conflicts
Authors: Schnabl Gunther
Published: August 2019

For a long time, China's impressive growth performance has been driven by investment and high productivity gains. Based on a discussion of possible overcapacities and overinvestment in China, this paper investigates the sustainability of China's investment and export‐driven growth model. Since the turn of the millennium, buoyant capital inflows and low interest rates have been at the root of overinvestment and misallocation of capital, which necessitated export subsidies to clear markets. The overinvestment boom is argued to have ended around 2014. Since then, the overcapacities have weakened China's bargaining position in the US–Chinese trade conflict and have tempted Chinese authorities to postpone the restructuring of the Chinese economy by providing low‐interest credit. The gradual reemergence of quasi‐soft budget constraints is seen to undermine China's long‐term growth potential.
Cardiac sarcoidosis in monozygotic twins: An opportunity for early surveillance and treatment
Authors: Pierson Doris , Kozak Patrick M. , Maradey Joan A. , Paterson Robert , Pu Min
Published: August 2019

Genetic factors play an important role in the development of cardiac sarcoidosis and may determine disease pattern, severity, and prognosis. A 55‐year‐old African American male presented with new onset of congestive heart failure. This patient was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis eleven years prior and initially treated with prednisone. He was lost to follow‐up until this index admission. He had a monozygotic twin brother who was diagnosed with pulmonary and cardiac sarcoidosis, and passed away from severe biventricular dysfunction. Surveillance, with echocardiography or cardiac MRI, in siblings at high risk of sarcoidosis may allow for early detection and treatment.
THE EFFECTS OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AND DISPENSING ON OPIOID MORTALITY
Authors: Chan Nathan W. , Burkhardt Jesse , Flyr Matthew
Published: August 2019

This study documents how the changing legal status of marijuana has impacted mortality in the United States over the past two decades. We use a difference‐in‐difference approach to estimate the effect of medical marijuana laws (MML) and recreational marijuana laws (RML) on fatalities from opioid overdoses, and we find that marijuana access induces sharp reductions in opioid mortality rates. Our research corroborates prior findings on MMLs and offers the first causal estimates of RML impacts on opioid mortality to date, the latter of which is particularly important given that RMLs are far more expansive in scope and reach than MMLs. In our preferred econometric specification, we estimate that RMLs reduce annual opioid mortality in the range of 20%–35%, with particularly pronounced effects for synthetic opioids. In further analysis, we demonstrate how RML impacts vary among demographic groups, shedding light on the distributional consequences of these laws. Our findings are especially important and timely given the scale of the opioid crisis in the United States and simultaneously evolving attitudes and regulations on marijuana use. (JEL I18, K32, H75)
Evolution of resource specialisation in competitive metacommunities
Authors: Wickman Jonas , Diehl Sebastian , Brännström Åke
Published: August 2019

Spatial environmental heterogeneity coupled with dispersal can promote ecological persistence of diverse metacommunities. Does this premise hold when metacommunities evolve? Using a two‐resource competition model, we studied the evolution of resource‐uptake specialisation as a function of resource type (substitutable to essential) and shape of the trade‐off between resource uptake affinities (generalist‐ to specialist‐favouring). In spatially homogeneous environments, evolutionarily stable coexistence of consumers is only possible for sufficiently substitutable resources and specialist‐favouring trade‐offs. Remarkably, these same conditions yield comparatively low diversity in heterogeneous environments, because they promote sympatric evolution of two opposite resource specialists that, together, monopolise the two resources everywhere. Consumer diversity is instead maximised for intermediate trade‐offs and clearly substitutable or clearly essential resources, where evolved metacommunities are characterised by contrasting selection regimes. Taken together, our results present new insights into resource‐competition‐mediated evolutionarily stable diversity in homogeneous and heterogeneous environments, which should be applicable to a wide range of systems.
The influence of American mink odour on the spatial distribution and behaviour of water voles
Authors: Brzeziński Marcin , Pyrlik Joanna , Churski Marcin , Komar Ewa , Zalewski Andrzej
Published: August 2019

The perception and assessment of predation risk often cause changes in the activities of animals and induce behavioural responses that may in turn affect their movements and distribution. To simulate high predation risk in a midfield pond riparian habitat, we used fresh faeces from ranch American mink Neovison vison and recorded behavioural responses of water voles Arvicola amphibius. In areas where mink odour was deployed, the numbers of captured vole individuals and their trappability were significantly lower than in control areas. Several voles migrated from the zones with deployed mink faeces to the areas without faeces, thus proving that increased predation risk affects the distribution of individuals in a population. The response to mink odour was much more pronounced in females than in males; in areas with deployed mink faeces, not a single female was trapped. We conclude that although American mink is a non‐native, invasive predator, water voles respond to mink odour by reducing their activity and/or by avoiding places with higher predation risk.
Chronic severe pyloric lesions in horses: 47 cases
Authors: Bezdekova B. , Wohlsein P. , Venner M.
Published: August 2019

Background

The clinical findings and outcome associated with chronic severe equine pyloric lesions have not been well described previously.

Objectives

To describe the history, clinical signs, endoscopic and ultrasound results, laboratory data, treatment, pathological findings and survival of horses with chronic severe pyloric lesions.

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

Medical records from horses treated at clinics in Czech Republic and Germany in which chronic severe pyloric lesions were confirmed endoscopically and/or on post‐mortem examination were reviewed.

Results

Forty‐seven horses were identified, median age 3 years (range 0.8–16 years). There were 3 geldings, 23 mares and 19 stallions and the majority were Warmbloods (60%). The most common presenting signs were poor body condition (40; 87%), slow eating (39; 83%), recurrent colic (35; 74%) and selective appetite (30; 64%). The most consistent laboratory abnormality was hypoalbuminaemia (10; 36%). Slow gastric emptying was confirmed in 29 individuals during gastroscopy and/or ultrasonography. Endoscopy revealed distal oesophagitis in 9 of 47 horses, and severe equine squamous gastric disease in all cases. Pyloric lesions were depressed, flat or raised fibrinosuppurative pyloric ulcers and were seen in 45 (2 pylori were not seen endoscopically). Thirty‐two cases were treated, with 28 responding well initially. All treated cases received anti‐ulcer medication and four underwent gastrojejunostomy. Clinical signs recurred after medical treatment in at least 11 cases. Only 18 of 44 cases (41%) survived long term (3 were lost to follow‐up). Horses diagnosed at 3 years of age or younger were significantly less likely to survive more than 6 months than older horses (27.8% vs. 72.2%, P<0.001).

Main limitations

The study is retrospective, some records were incomplete and case identification was subjective.

Conclusions

Chronic severe pyloric lesions can be associated with delayed gastric emptying identified with ultrasonography and/or endoscopy. The prognosis is poor in young horses.
Interior induced fatigue of surface‐strengthened steel under constant and variable loading: Failure mechanism and damage modeling
Authors: Li W. , Sun R. , Gao N. , Wang P. , Sakai T.
Published: August 2019

Pulsating tension tests with constant amplitude (CA) and variable amplitude (VA) were conducted to investigate the interior failure mechanisms of a carburized Cr steel, and a cumulative damage model with the fine granular area (FGA) formation process was proposed in this study. Such a steel represents the continuously descending S‐N (stress‐number of cycles) curve characteristics associated with inclusion‐FGA‐fisheye induced failure even under variable amplitude. Due to crack growth retardations and accelerations resulted from the interaction effect between stepwise resets of the applied stress, the crack morphology under variable amplitude loading is much rougher. The interior failure mechanism was elucidated in combination with the determination of stress intensity factor values at different crack tips. Based on proposed damage model, the agreement between the predicted and experimental results is fairly good within the factor‐of‐two range.