bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-cell RNA-seq and V(D)J profiling of immune cells in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Fan Xiaoying , Chi Xiangyang , Ma Wenji , Zhong Suijuan , Dong Yunzhu , Zhou Wei , Ding Wenyu , Fan Hongyan , Yin Chonghai , Zuo Zhentao , Yang Yilong , Zhang Mengyao , Ma Qiang , Liu Jianwei , Fang Ting , Wu Qian , Chen Wei , Wang Xiaoqun
Published: May 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused over 220,000 deaths so far and is still an ongoing global health problem. However, the immunopathological changes of key types of immune cells during and after virus infection remain unclear. Here, we enriched CD3+ and CD19+ lymphocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of COVID-19 patients (severe patients and recovered patients at early or late stages) and healthy people (SARS-CoV-2 negative) and revealed transcriptional profiles and changes in these lymphocytes by comprehensive single-cell transcriptome and V(D)J recombination analyses. We found that although the T lymphocytes were decreased in the blood of patients with virus infection, the remaining T cells still highly expressed inflammatory genes and persisted for a while after recovery in patients. We also observed the potential transition from effector CD8 T cells to central memory T cells in recovered patients at the late stage. Among B lymphocytes, we analyzed the expansion trajectory of a subtype of plasma cells in severe COVID-19 patients and traced the source as atypical memory B cells (AMBCs). Additional BCR and TCR analyses revealed a high level of clonal expansion in patients with severe COVID-19, especially of B lymphocytes, and the clonally expanded B cells highly expressed genes related to inflammatory responses and lymphocyte activation. V-J gene usage and clonal types of higher frequency in COVID-19 patients were also summarized. Taken together, our results provide crucial insights into the immune response against patients with severe COVID-19 and recovered patients and valuable information for the development of vaccines and therapeutic strategies.
Tomato Protein Phosphatase 2C (SlPP2C3) negatively regulates fruit ripening onset and fruit gloss
Authors: Liang Bin , Sun Yufei , Wang Juan , Zheng Yu , Zhang Wenbo , Xu Yandan , Li Qian , Leng Ping
Published: May 2020

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a vital role in coordinating physiological processes during fresh fruit ripening. ABA can bind to ABA receptors which interacts and inhibits their co-receptors type 2C phosphatases (PP2Cs). However, the dissected mechanism of PP2C during fruit ripening is unclear. In this study, we identify the role of SlPP2C3, a tomato type 2C phosphatase, as a negative regulator of ABA signaling and fruit ripening. SlPP2C3 selectively interacted with monomeric ABA receptors and SlSnRK2.8 kinase in both yeast and tobacco epidermal cells. Expressions ofSlPP2C3were observed in all tissues, and it negatively correlated with the fruit ripening which was induced by exogenous ABA. Tomato plants with suppressedSlPP2C3expression exhibited enhanced sensitivity to ABA, whileSlPP2C3over-expressed plants were less sensitive to ABA. Meaningfully, lack ofSlPP2C3expression causes the acceleration of fruit ripening onset via the alternation of ABA signaling activity, and the fruit gloss is affected by the changes of outer epidermis structure. RNA-seq analysis found significant different expression of cuticle-related genes in pericarp between wild-type andSlPP2C3suppressed lines. Taken together, our finding demonstrate that SlPP2C3 plays an important role in the regulation of fruit ripening and fruit appearance quality in tomato.
Meta-regression of COVID-19 prevalence/fatality on socioeconomic characteristics of data from top 50 U.S. large cities
Authors: Takagi Hisato , Kuno Toshiki , Yokoyama Yujiro , Ueyama Hiroki , Matsushiro Takuya , Hari Yosuke , Ando Tomo
Published: May 2020

To screen potential risk and protective socioeconomic factors for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevalence and fatality, meta-regression of data from top 50 U.S. large-population cities was performed. The population estimate (in 2019) of each country to which the city belongs was abstracted from the “County Population Totals: 2010-2019.” From the “Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center,” the cumulative number of confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 in each country was obtained on May 22, 2020. Socioeconomic characteristics of each country were extracted from the “2014-2018 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Data Profile” and “Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program (for 2018).” Radom-effects meta-regression was performed using OpenMetaAnalyst (http://www.cebm.brown.edu/openmeta/index.html). A coefficient (slope of the meta-regression line) for COVID-19 prevalence was significantly negative for male sex, education attainment, computer and Internet use, and private health insurance. Whereas, the coefficient was significantly positive for black race, never matrimony, unemployment, and poverty. In the multivariable model, the coefficient was significantly negative for male sex (P = 0.036) and computer use (P = 0.024), and significantly positive for never matrimony (P < 0.001). A coefficient for COVID-19 fatality was significantly negative for no health insurance, and significantly positive for elderly, unemployment, and public coverage. In the multivariable model, the coefficient was significantly positive for only elderly (P = 0.002). In conclusion, a number of socioeconomic factors, e.g. male sex (negatively for prevalence), elderly (positively for fatality), never matrimony (positively for prevalence), and computer use (negatively for prevalence) may be associated with COVID-19.
Machine Learning for Neonatal Mortality Risk Assessment: A Case Study Using Public Health Data from São Paulo
Authors: Beluzo Carlos Eduardo , Alves Luciana Correia , Bresan Rodrigo , Arruda Natália , Sovat Ricardo , Carvalho Tiago
Published: May 2020

Infant mortality is a reflection of a complex combination of biological, socioeconomic and health care factors that require various data sources for a thorough analysis. Consequently, the use of specialized tools and techniques to deal with a large volume of data is extremely helpful. Machine learning has been applied to solve problems from many domains and presents great potential for the proposed problem, which would be an innovation in Brazilian reality. In this paper, an innovative method is proposed to perform a neonatal death risk assessment using computer vision techniques. Using mother, pregnancy care and child at birth features, from a dataset containing neonatal samples from São Paulo city public health data, the proposed method encodes images features and uses a custom convolutional neural network architecture to classification. Experiments show that the method is able to detect death samples with accuracy of 90.61%.
Formation of wall-less cells inKitasatospora viridifaciensrequires cytoskeletal protein FilP in oxygen-limiting conditions
Authors: Ultee Eveline , Briegel Ariane , Claessen Dennis
Published: May 2020

The cell wall is considered an essential component for bacterial survival, providing structural support and protection from environmental insults. Under normal growth conditions, filamentous actinobacteria insert new cell wall material at the hyphal tips regulated by the coordinated activity of cytoskeletal proteins and cell wall biosynthetic enzymes. Despite the importance of the cell wall, some filamentous actinobacteria can produce wall-deficient S-cells upon prolonged exposure to hyperosmotic stress. Here we performed cryo-electron tomography and live cell imaging to further characterize S-cell extrusion inKitasatospora viridifaciens. We show that exposure to hyperosmotic stress leads to DNA compaction, membrane and S-cell extrusion and thinning of the cell wall at hyphal tips. Additionally, we find that the extrusion of S-cells is abolished in a cytoskeletal mutant strain that lacks the intermediate filament-like protein FilP. Furthermore, micro-aerobic culturing promotes the formation of S-cells in the wild-type, but the limited oxygen still impedes S-cell formation in the ΔfilPmutant. These results demonstrate that S-cell formation is stimulated by oxygen-limiting conditions and dependent on the presence of an intact cytoskeleton.
A population genomic unveiling of a new cryptic mosquito taxon within the malaria-transmittingAnopheles gambiaecomplex
Authors: Tennessen Jacob A. , Ingham Victoria A. , Toé Kobié Hyacinthe , Guelbéogo Wamdaogo Moussa , Sagnon N’Falé , Kuzma Rebecca , Ranson Hilary , Neafsey Daniel E.
Published: May 2020

TheAnopheles gambiaecomplex consists of multiple morphologically indistinguishable mosquito species including the most important vectors of the malaria parasitePlasmodium falciparumin sub-Saharan Africa. Several lineages have only recently been described as distinct, including the cryptic taxon GOUNDRY in central Burkina Faso. The ecological, immunological, and reproductive differences among these taxa will critically impact population responses to disease control strategies and environmental changes. Here we examine whole-genome sequencing data from a longitudinal study of putativeA. coluzziiin western Burkina Faso. Surprisingly, many samples are genetically divergent fromA. coluzziiand all otherAnophelesspecies and represent a new taxon, here designatedAnophelesTENGRELA (AT). Population genetic analysis suggests that GOUNDRY sensu stricto represents an admixed population descended from bothA. coluzziiand AT. AT harbors low nucleotide diversity except for the 2La inversion polymorphism which is maintained by overdominance. It shows numerous fixed differences withA. coluzziiconcentrated in several regions reflecting selective sweeps, but the two taxa are identical at standard diagnostic loci used for taxon identification and thus AT may often go unnoticed. We present an amplicon-based genotyping assay for identifying AT which could be usefully applied to numerous existing samples. Misidentified cryptic taxa could seriously confound ongoing studies ofAnophelesecology and evolution in western Africa, including phenotypic and genotypic surveys of insecticide resistance. Reproductive barriers between cryptic species may also complicate novel vector control efforts, for example gene drives, and hinder predictions about evolutionary dynamics ofAnophelesandPlasmodium.
Semantic Segmentation to Extract Coronary Arteries in Invasive Coronary Angiograms
Authors: Zhao Chen , Bober Robert , Tang Haipeng , Tang Jinshan , Dong Minghao , Zhang Chaoyang , He Zhuo , Wang Yu-Ping , Deng Hong-Wen , Esposito Michele L. , Xu Zhihui , Zhou Weihua
Published: May 2020

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, constituting more than one-fourth of global mortalities every year. Accurate semantic segmentation of each artery using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is important for stenosis assessment and CAD diagnosis. However, due to the morphological similarity among different types of arteries, it is challenging for deep-learning-based models to generate semantic segmentation with an end-to-end approach. In this paper, we propose a multi-step semantic segmentation algorithm based on the analysis of arterial segments extracted from ICAs. The proposed algorithm firstly extracts the entire arterial binary mask (binary vascular tree) using a deep learning-based method. Then we extract the centerline of the binary vascular tree and separate it into different arterial segments. Finally, by extracting the underlying arterial topology, position and pixel features, we construct a powerful coronary artery segment classifier based on support vector machine. Each arterial segment is classified into left coronary artery (LCA), left anterior descending (LAD) and other types of arterial segments. We tested the proposed method on a dataset with 225 ICAs and achieved artery classification accuracy of 70.33%. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, which provides impressive performance for analyzing the individual arteries in ICAs.
Ecology and population genetics of the parasitoidPhobocampe confusa(Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in relation to its hosts,Aglaisspecies (Lepidoptera: Numphalidae)
Authors: Audusseau Hélène , Baudrin Gaspard , Shaw Mark R. , Keehnen Naomi L.P. , Schmucki Reto , Dupont Lise
Published: May 2020

The biology of parasitoids in natural ecosystems remain very poorly studied, while they are key species for their functioning. Here we focused onPhobocampe confusa, a vanessines specialist, responsible for high mortality rates in very emblematic butterfly species in Europe (genusAglais). We studied its ecology and genetic structure in connection with those of its host butterflies in Sweden. To this aim, we gathered data from 428P. confusaindividuals reared from 6094 butterfly larvae (ofA. urticae,A. ioand in two occasions ofAraschnia levana) collected over two years (2017 and 2018) and 19 sites distributed along a 500 km latitudinal gradient. We found thatP. confusais widely distributed along the latitudinal gradient. Its distribution is constrained over time by the phenology of its hosts. The large variation in climatic conditions between sampling years explains the decrease in phenological overlap betweenP. confusaand its hosts in 2018 and the 33.5% decrease in the number of butterfly larvae infected. At least in this study,P. confusaseems to favourA. urticaeas host: while it parasitized nests ofA. urticaeandA. ioequally, the proportion of larvae is significantly higher forA. urticae. At the landscape scale,P. confusais almost exclusively found in vegetated open land and near deciduous forests, whereas artificial habitats are negatively correlated with the likelihood of a nest to be parasitized. The genetic analyses on 89 adultP. confusaand 87 adultA. urticaeusing COI and AFLP markers reveal a low genetic diversity inP. confusaand a lack of population genetic structure in both species, at the scale of our sampling. Further genetic studies using high-resolution genomics tools will be required to better understand the population genetic structure ofP. confusa, its biotic interactions with its hosts, and ultimately the stability and the functioning of natural ecosystems.
Bottle house: utilising appreciative inquiry to develop a user acceptance model
Authors: Adefila Arinola , Abuzeinab Amal , Whitehead Timothy , Oyinlola Muyiwa
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper develops a novel user-acceptance model for circular solutions to housing design. The model has been systematically developed from a case study of an upcycled plastic bottle building in a low-income community in Nigeria. It is common practice to use participatory approaches to consult end users in communities, typically after design concepts have been proposed and conceptualised. However, this often leads to critical socio-cultural or usability elements being overlooked and the design being substandard. Therefore, this paper develops a robust model for designers, specialists and activists involved in construction that can be used during all phases of a project. This approach demonstrates that user needs should be considered before building designs and plans are generated, providing a greater frame of reference for practitioners, consultants and end users. Enabling the integration of holistic needs of the community and the development of circular design solution.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study methodology has been employed to develop this model, uses appreciative inquiry methodology. This includes multiple methods to capture end users’ perception: focus groups, interactions with the local community and self-recorded comments. This case study is part of a broader research project to develop replicable low-cost self-sufficient homes utilising local capacity using upcycled, locally available materials.

Findings

The findings identify the challenges associated with designing circular solution housing without a robust understanding of interrelated factors, which ensure sustainability and user acceptance. The conclusions demonstrate why essential socio-cultural factors, usually unrelated to technical development, should be understood and contextualised when designing sustainable solutions in low/middle-income communities. The authors argue that without this holistic approach, undesirable consequences may arise, often leading to more significant challenges. Instead of referring to multiple frameworks, this distinctive model can be used to evaluate user acceptance for low-cost housing in particular and other dimensions of circular solution design that involve end-user acceptance. The model blends circular solution dimensions with user-acceptance concerns offering a guide that considers essential features that are both user-friendly and pragmatic, such as utility, technological innovation and functionality as well as their intersectionality.

Research limitations/implications

The research relied on a single case study, which focussed on end-user engagement of upcycling waste materials as an application of circular solutions. The model will contribute to developing socially accepted circular solutions taking into consideration local context factors.

Originality/value

The paper is proposing a model for user acceptance of circular construction materials relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Experiences of aspiring school principals receiving coaching as part of a leadership development programme
Authors: van Nieuwerburgh Christian , Barr Margaret , Munro Chris , Noon Heather , Arifin Daniel
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper adds depth to our understanding of how coaching works by exploring the experiences of 14 aspiring school principals who received one-to-one leadership coaching as part of a leadership development programme.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a phenomenological approach. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. Thematic analysis was used to code the data and identify themes.

Findings

This paper reports on four themes based on the experiences of the participants: having time to reflect, feeling safe to explore, focussing on what's important for me and experiencing positive emotions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are unique to the participants who volunteered to take part in this study and therefore not representative of a general population of aspiring educational leaders. Further research is needed into the possible benefits of coaching to support educators undergoing leadership training.

Practical implications

The findings raise a potential dilemma within the teaching profession about the use of educators' time; while they need to give time and attention to multiple stakeholders, they also need to protect time for their own development and self-reflection. Based on the reported experiences of the participants in this study, it is recommended that coaching be considered a component of professional development for educational leaders.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the growing research base for coaching in education, providing a unique insight into the experiences of aspiring school principals who received one-to-one leadership coaching as part of a leadership development programme.
Web-based disclosure and the cost of debt: MENA countries evidence
Authors: Abdi Henda , Omri Mohamed Ali Brahim
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of web - based disclosure on the cost of debt for the MENA region setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample of this paper consists of 237 MENA listed non-financial companies for the year 2017. Multiple regression models were used to examine the impact of online disclosure on the cost of debt. Content analysis is used to measure the extent of web-based disclosure.

Findings

The results reveal that there is a negative and significant association between the web-based disclosure and the company’s cost of debt. These results support the hypothesis of the economic utility of the information disclosed on the website for creditors in this region.

Practical implications

The results of the study have important implications for managers in the MENA region. It is necessary for managers to improve the company’s transparency through web-based disclosure. The companies must benefit from the different technologies offered by the Internet in order to offer to the creditors unlimited access to up to date information. In fact, web-based disclosure may mitigate the information asymmetry, the uncertainty of creditors and, consequently, reduces the cost of debt. 10; 10;Moreover, the results of the study provide empirical evidence for the advantages of voluntary web-based disclosure. The results highlight the importance to companies and regulators of understanding the benefits of using the website as a means of information disclosure. The regulators in MENA countries can rely on these results to establish suitable policies to improve the quality of web-based disclosure. The regulators need also to put in rules in relation to the online disclosure. In fact, an understanding of web-based disclosure is important for regulators and companies. Given the positive effect of online disclosure (the reduction of the cost of debt), knowledge about the economic consequences of web-based disclosure would enable companies in the MENA region to optimize their online disclosure policies.

Originality/value

This study, added to the existing literature by examining the consequences of online disclosure practices in MENA countries. Most previous studies conducted in this region were limited to analyzing the determinants of the company’s web-based disclosure. This paper would extend the literature on the online disclosure practices by investigating the association between these practices and the cost of debt in a developing economics: the MENA region. Previous studies were limited to testing this association only in developed countries.
Financial misconduct in Indian banks: what matters and what doesn’t?
Authors: Ghosh Saibal
Published: May 2020

Purpose

While several facets of financial misconduct have been explored, one aspect which has largely bypassed the attention of researchers is the factors affecting such misconduct behavior in banks. To investigate this in detail, this paper aims to use disaggregated data on Indian banks for an extended period to understand the factors driving such behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the longitudinal nature of the data, the author uses fixed effects regression methodology which enables us to control for unobserved characteristics that might affect the dependent variable.

Findings

The analysis indicates that both bank- and board-specific factors are important in driving financial misconduct, although their importance differs across ownership. In particular, while size and capital are relevant for public banks, liquidity is more of a concern for private banks as compared with their public counterparts. In addition, the relevance of bank boards is important only in case of private banks. These results hold after controlling for the structure of the banking industry and the macroeconomic environment.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the earliest studies for India to carefully examine the interface between financial misconduct and bank behavior in a systematic manner.
Environmental indicators proposal for construction solid waste management plans assessment
Authors: Paschoalin Filho João Alexandre , Bezerra Claudia Maria da Silva , Guerner Dias Antonio José
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The civil construction industry has vital importance to Brazil's economy. However, this sector is also responsible for the environmental impacts. Governments have been taking measures aiming to mitigate these impacts. Among these, the elaboration and implementation of civil construction solid waste management plans can be highlighted. However, these plans still lack standardizations and tools for their evaluation. Environmental indicators proposal for construction solid waste management plans assessment is presented to verify the adhesion of these to environmental laws, technical standards and green building certification systems recommendations.

Design/methodology/approach

The construction solid waste management plans of three construction works were evaluated by the proposed indicators to verify the procedures related, generating, in the end, a scale between 0 and 5. After that, plans were compared with each other.

Findings

The proposed indicators have made possible the evaluation of the environmental practices performed for three different construction works. By the proposed indicators, the environmental practices were compared to technical standards and legislation suggested procedures.

Practical implications

As a contribution, the evaluation proposal presented may help the construction industry as well as the public authority to evaluate the construction solid waste management plans currently elaborated, so that these can offer a quality improvement and more effective environmental measures.

Originality/value

Methodologies that guide the evaluation of construction solid waste management plans can be beneficial for the construction companies, which can improve the quality of the plans elaborated internally and verify the effectiveness of the plans elaborated by specialized consultancies. In general, most of the construction solid waste management plans are prepared with the purpose of only complying with the legislation, more specifically of the National Council for the Environment, Resolution 307/2002.
Transmission of shocks between bond and oil markets
Authors: Saadaoui Amir , Saidi Kais , Kriaa Mohamed
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims at looking into the transmission of shocks between bond and oil markets using a bivariate GARCH (BEKK and DCC) model. As lots of financial assets have been exchanged due to these index returns, it is essential for financial market participants to figure out the mechanism of volatility transmission through time and via these series for the purpose of taking optimal decisions of portfolio allocation. The outcomes drawn reveal an important volatility transmission between sovereign bond and oil indices, with great sensitivity during and after the subprime crisis period.

Design/methodology/approach

In this context, we propose our hypotheses. Indeed, our study aims to see whether the financial crisis has been responsible for the sharp drop in oil prices since October 2008. To this end, we suggest, in this paper, the empirical study of the shock transmission between the bond and oil markets, using BEK-GARCH and DCC models. To our knowledge, this is the first document using the BEKK-GARCH and the DCC models in studying the shock transmission between a sovereign bond and oil indices.

Findings

We have noticed that in the event of a disruption in the bond market, oil prices respond to these shocks in the short term. It has also been emphasized, however, that this relationship has exacerbated if the period has extended. This makes us conclude that the financial market situation affects the oil price only throughout the crisis period; and that this situation is causally significant only in the event of a severe crisis, such as those of subprime and sovereign debt.

Originality/value

The global financial system has been going through an acute crisis since mid-2007. This crisis, initially occurred only in the US real estate market, progressively affects the global financial system, and is now becoming a general economic crisis. The objective of this work is to analyze the effects of the current financial market disturbance on oil prices based on econometric models in order to promote the proper functioning of this study.
Mental health interventions in the mining industry: a narrative review
Authors: Asare-Doku Winifred , Rich Jane , Kelly Brian , James Carole
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Previous research has suggested high levels of unaddressed mental health needs among male-dominated work settings. The mining industry has been a recent focus internationally. This paper aims to critically examine research regarding organizational mental health interventions for people working in mining industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The narrative review used a systematic standardized search strategy in six databases and grey literature from 1990 to 2019.

Findings

Of the 418 studies identified, seven studies (five quantitative and two qualitative studies) met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of these studies revealed the organisational interventions available to address mental health needs of miners. Interventions were categorised into organisational and individual-focused approaches. Evidence shows there is great potential in conducting workplace mental health programs, yet further research is required to create a strong evidence base for substantiated policy and practice implications.

Practical implications

Mental health interventions and programs should be available in mining industry to enhance mental health. Organisations can also improve mental health by implementing significant changes in the work environment and identifying workplace factors that induce strain and contribute to psychological distress in employees. Attempt can be made at restructuring safety policies and practices to include mental health, addressing organisational structures such as work schedules and providing training for managers and supervisors.

Originality/value

This review focuses on the unique characteristics pertaining to male-dominated mining industries and workplace mental health interventions which are aimed at supporting employee mental health.
The determinants of season ticket holder advocacy in the NCAA football bowl subdivision
Authors: Lawrence Heather Jane , O'Reilly Norm , Speck Alexandra , Ullrich Chris , Robles Kayla
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to respond to four research questions. The first two as how likely are college football season ticket holders to recommend (1) purchasing a similar season ticket package and (2) attending a home football game, to a friend or colleague. The third question examines if there is a difference between advocacy toward purchasing season tickets as compared to advocacy toward game attendance. Finally, we identify what factors impact advocacy for college football season ticket holders.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey of 57,240 season ticket holders from 69 different National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision programs was undertaken. The data were analyzed to build a model of the drivers of advocacy in season ticket holders from a conceptual base of advocacy, trust and loyalty.

Findings

The identified drivers include both institutionally influenced factors and factors related to season ticket holder behaviors/demographics. The season ticket holder is arguably the highest level of fan for any sports organization from an affinity perspective and clearly the most important from a business perspective. This research argues that the season ticket holder should not only be the focus of ticket sales efforts but also leveraged as marketing advocates with the objective of attracting additional fans.

Originality/value

The value of this research is the large sample of data from season ticket holders of NCAA Division 1 football clubs and the resulting learning it provides to researchers and practitioners.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of cytomegalovirus reactivation in dermatomyositis
Authors: Sekiguchi Akiko , Inoue Yuta , Yamazaki Sahori , Uchiyama Akihiko , Endo Yukie , Ishikawa Osamu , Motegi Sei‐ichiro
Published: May 2020

Dermatomyositis (DM) patients are known to have various infectious complications, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation, due to immune dysfunction caused by DM itself and immunosuppressants used for treatment. Although CMV reactivation has been known to be a major cause of mortality in immunocompromised hosts, there has not been sufficient study of CMV reactivation in DM patients. The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of CMV reactivation in DM patients and to investigate risk factors potentially associated with development of CMV reactivation. We analyzed 52 Japanese DM patients, and CMV reactivation was observed in 21 (40.4%). The mean duration from the initiation of prednisolone (PSL) to the diagnosis of CMV reactivation was 6.1 ± 0.5 weeks. The total amount of oral PSL before the diagnosis of CMV reactivation was 2000.3 ± 169.3 mg. Using a univariate analysis, we found that the prevalence of interstitial lung disease and the frequency of diabetes mellitus complications in DM patients with CMV reactivation was significantly higher than that in DM patients without CMV. We identified that low lymphocytes (<900/μL) in DM patients was significantly associated with developing CMV reactivation. The use of immunosuppressants, including tacrolimus, cyclosporin and/or i.v. cyclophosphamide, was significantly associated with CMV reactivation in DM patients. Using a multivariate analysis, low lymphocytes at the time of DM diagnosis was found to be a risk factor for CMV reactivation. In addition, there was a tendency for diabetes mellitus to be a risk factor for CMV reactivation in DM patients. There was no difference in the prognosis for those with or without CMV reactivation in this study. These results suggest that in the DM patients with risk factors such as low lymphocytes and diabetes mellitus complications, regularly monitoring CMV reactivation and adequate treatment with antiviral agents may be necessary to prevent a poor prognosis.
Provision of obstetrics and gynaecology services during the COVID‐19 pandemic: a survey of junior doctors in the UK National Health Service
Authors: Rimmer MP , Al Wattar BH ,   UKARCOG Members
Published: May 2020

Objective

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is disrupting health services worldwide. We aimed to evaluate the provision of obstetrics and gynaecology services in the UK during the acute phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Design

Interview‐based national survey.

Setting

Women's healthcare units in the National Health Service.

Population

Junior doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Methods

Participants were interviewed by members of the UK Audit and Research in Obstetrics and Gynaecology trainees' collaborative between 28 March and 7 April 2020. We used a quantitative analysis for closed‐ended questions and a thematic framework analysis for open comments.

Results

We received responses from 148/155 units (95%), most of the participants were in years 3–7 of training (121/148, 82%). Most completed specific training drills for managing obstetric and gynaecological emergencies in women with COVID‐19 (89/148, 60.1%) and two‐person donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (96/148, 64.9%). The majority of surveyed units implemented COVID‐19‐specific protocols (130/148, 87.8%), offered adequate PPE (135/148, 91.2%) and operated dedicated COVID‐19 emergency theatres (105/148, 70.8%). Most units reduced face‐to‐face antenatal clinics (117/148, 79.1%) and suspended elective gynaecology services (131/148, 88.5%). The 2‐week referral pathway for oncological gynaecology was not affected in half of the units (76/148, 51.4%), but half reported a planned reduction in oncology surgery (82/148, 55.4%).

Conclusion

The provision of obstetrics and gynaecology services in the UK during the acute phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic seems to be in line with current guidelines, but strategic planning is needed to restore routine gynaecology services and ensure safe access to maternity care in the long term.

Tweetable abstract

Provision of obstetrics and gynaecology services during the acute phase of COVID‐19 is in line with current guidelines, strategic planning is needed to restore routine services and ensure safe access to care in the long term.
Epithelial cell dysfunction, a major driver of asthma development
Authors: Heijink Irene H. , Kuchibhotla Virinchi N. S. , Roffel Mirjam P. , Maes Tania , Knight Darryl A. , Sayers Ian , Nawijn Martijn C.
Published: May 2020

Airway epithelial barrier dysfunction is frequently observed in asthma and may have important implications. The physical barrier function of the airway epithelium is tightly interwoven with its immunomodulatory actions, while abnormal epithelial repair responses may contribute to remodelling of the airway wall. We propose that abnormalities in the airway epithelial barrier play a crucial role in the sensitization to allergens and pathogenesis of asthma. Many of the identified susceptibility genes for asthma are expressed in the airway epithelium, supporting the notion that events at the airway epithelial surface are critical for the development of the disease. However, the exact mechanisms by which the expression of epithelial susceptibility genes translates into a functionally altered response to environmental risk factors of asthma are still unknown. Interactions between genetic factors and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms may be crucial for asthma susceptibility. Understanding these mechanisms may lead to identification of novel targets for asthma intervention by targeting the airway epithelium. Moreover, exciting new insights have come from recent studies using single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐Seq) to study the airway epithelium in asthma. This review focuses on the role of airway epithelial barrier function in the susceptibility to develop asthma and novel insights in the modulation of epithelial cell dysfunction in asthma.
At what cost is collagenase clostridium histolyticum viable for treating Peyronie's disease in a public healthcare system?
Authors: Harvey Neil , Pearce Ian
Published: May 2020

Background

Collagenase clostridium histolyticum is a recognized non‐surgical management for Peyronie's disease, licenced for use in the UK for patients with a palpable plaque and a curvature deformity of at least 30°. However, it is not currently funded for use within the National Health Service. Collagenase clostridium histolyticum has also recently been withdrawn from the European and other markets worldwide, but there is potential for this to be produced off‐patent in the future.

Objectives

To determine whether collagenase clostridium histolyticum is cost‐neutral when compared to surgical management within a public health care system, using the National Health Service as an example.

Materials and methods

Two published protocols for the administration of collagenase in Peyronie's disease were identified—the ‘IMPRESS protocol’ and the ‘London protocol’. Costs were taken from published NHS literature. Surgical intervention rates after collagenase clostridium histolyticum administration and primary penile plication were taken from published literature. The costs of the two published protocols were calculated with costs of any repeat surgical intervention were included within each protocol per patient cost.

Results

At the current cost per vial of collagenase to the National Health Service, the IMPRESS protocol per patient costs £3,832.77 (143.7%) more than primary surgery, whilst the London protocol costs £70.77 (2.7%) more than primary surgery.

Discussion

At a cost of £548.41 per vial, collagenase administered under the London protocol would be a management option for Peyronie's disease cost neutral to primary corrective surgery.

Conclusion

Central funding of collagenase in a public healthcare system would enable the management of Peyronie's disease to be moved to the outpatient setting. For this to be done at no additional cost to the NHS, it would require a cost reduction per vial of collagenase of £23.59 (4.1%), to a cost of £548.41.
Delayed diagnosis of paediatric appendicitis during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Snapiri Ori , Rosenberg Danziger Chen , Krause Irit , Kravarusic Dragan , Yulevich Alon , Balla Uri , Bilavsky Efraim
Published: May 2020

Aim

To present seven paediatric patients with appendicitis, all with late diagnosis resulting from different aspects of the fear from the current global COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

Cases were collected from three paediatric surgical wards. Comparison between complicated appendicitis rates in the COVID‐19 era and similar period in previous year was performed.

Results

All seven children presented with complicated appendicitis. Main reasons for the delayed diagnosis during the COVID‐19 era were parental concern, telemedicine use and insufficient evaluation. Higher complication rates were found during the COVID‐19 era compared to similar period in previous year (22% vs 11%, P‐value .06).

Conclusion

The fear from COVID‐19 pandemic may result in delayed diagnosis and higher complication rates in common paediatric medical conditions. We believe caregivers and healthcare providers should not withhold necessary medical care since delay in diagnosis and treatment in these routinely seen medical emergencies may become as big of a threat as COVID‐19 itself.
COVID‐19‐related anxiety predicts somatic symptoms in the UK population
Authors: Shevlin Mark , Nolan Emma , Owczarek Marcin , McBride Orla , Murphy Jamie , Gibson Miller Jilly , Hartman Todd K. , Levita Liat , Mason Liam , Martinez Anton P. , McKay Ryan , Stocks Thomas V. A. , Bennett Kate M. , Hyland Philip , Bentall Richard P.
Published: May 2020

This study aimed to estimate the association between anxiety associated with COVID‐19 and somatic symptoms, using data from a large, representative sample (N = 2,025) of the UK adult population. Results showed that moderate to high levels of anxiety associated with COVID‐19 were significantly associated with general somatic symptoms and in particular with gastrointestinal and fatigue symptoms. This pattern of associations remained significant after controlling for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), pre‐existing health problems, age, gender, and income. This is the first evidence that anxiety associated with COVID‐19 makes a unique contribution to somatization, above and beyond the effect of GAD.
Lichen planus follicularis tumidus: Immunotyping of the inflammatory infiltrate with focus on plasmacytoid dendritic cells
Authors: Saggini Andrea , Kempf Werner , Kutzner Heinz
Published: May 2020

Lichen planus follicularis tumidus (LPFT) is a rare clinicopathological variant of lichen planus (LP), clinically presenting with red‐to‐violaceous plaques studded with comedo‐like lesions and keratin‐filled milia‐like cysts. Histopathologically, LPFT is characterized by cystically dilated follicular infundibula in the dermis, surrounded by a dense lichenoid lymphoid infiltrate with an associated interface reaction. We describe the clinicopathological features of an additional case of LPFT, focusing on the number and distribution of CD123(+) TCF4(+) plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In our case, pDCs represented approximately 5% of the total inflammatory infiltrate, predominantly exhibiting a lichenoid distribution around the infundibula with no evidence of cluster formation, thus ruling out cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Our report is the first to describe the number and distribution of pDCs in LPFT. The results of our immunohistochemical analysis corroborate the notion that LPFT should be regarded as a rare variant of LP.
Mobile Payment and Informal Business: Evidence from China's Household Panel Data
Authors: Wang Xue
Published: May 2020

This paper uses household panel data to explore the impact of mobile payments on China's household business activity. Using a difference‐in‐difference fixed effect specification, I find that mobile payment users are more likely to operate small‐scale and self‐employed informal businesses. The impact of using mobile payment primarily derives from the transition of agricultural families to business owners and the development of informal businesses. The paper illustrates an associated increase in employment and income for family members, with more pronounced effects on low‐income and rural households. It also provides prima facie evidence of the increase in fund transfers, which is important for risk sharing that informal businesses may encounter.
Towards modelling the future risk of cyclone wave damage to the world's coral reefs
Authors: Puotinen Marji , Drost Edwin , Lowe Ryan , Depczynski Martial , Radford Ben , Heyward Andrew , Gilmour James
Published: May 2020

Tropical cyclones generate extreme waves that can damage coral reef communities. Recovery typically requires up to a decade, driving the trajectory of coral community structure. Coral reefs have evolved over millennia with cyclones. Increasingly, however, processes of recovery are interrupted and compromised by additional pressures (thermal stress, pollution, diseases, predators). Understanding how cyclones interact with other pressures to threaten coral reefs underpins spatial prioritization of conservation and management interventions. Models that simulate coral responses to cumulative pressures often assume that the worst cyclone wave damage occurs within ~100 km of the track. However, we show major coral loss at exposed sites up to 800 km from a cyclone that was both strong (high sustained wind speeds >=33 m/s) and big (widespread circulation >~300 km), using numerical wave models and field data from northwest Australia. We then calculate the return time of big and strong cyclones, big cyclones of any strength and strong cyclones of any size, for each of 150 coral reef ecoregions using a global data set of past cyclones from 1985 to 2015. For the coral ecoregions that regularly were exposed to cyclones during that time, we find that 75% of them were exposed to at least one cyclone that was both big and strong. Return intervals of big and strong cyclones are already less than 5 years for 13 ecoregions, primarily in the cyclone‐prone NW Pacific, and less than 10 years for an additional 14 ecoregions. We identify ecoregions likely at higher risk in future given projected changes in cyclone activity. Robust quantification of the spatial distribution of likely cyclone wave damage is vital not only for understanding past coral response to pressures, but also for predicting how this may change as the climate continues to warm and the relative frequency of the strongest cyclones rises.
Contact with renal sinus is associated with poor prognosis in surgically treated pT1 clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Izumi Keita , Saito Kazutaka , Nakayama Takayuki , Fukuda Shohei , Fukushima Hiroshi , Uehara Sho , Koga Fumitaka , Yonese Junji , Kageyama Yukio , Fujii Yasuhisa
Published: May 2020

Objective

To investigate the prognostic significance of contact with the renal sinus in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Methods

A total of 787 pT1N0M0 clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients who had undergone radical or partial nephrectomy were reviewed retrospectively. A tumor in contact with the renal sinus was defined as a tumor radiologically attached to the renal sinus. Metastatic‐free survival rates were analyzed in the total and propensity score‐matched cohorts. A risk score model for metastasis after surgery was developed.

Results

Of the 787 patients, 411 (52.2%) had tumors in contact with renal sinus. The contact with renal sinus group showed poorer metastatic‐free survival in both total and matched cohorts. In multivariate analysis, contact with renal sinus was an independent prognostic factor of metastasis, as well as Fuhrman grade, microvascular invasion and age. The scoring model likewise consisted of Fuhrman grade, microvascular invasion, age and contact with renal sinus. Metastasis‐free survival curves were clearly stratified according to risk, with 5‐year metastasis‐free survival rates of 95.7% and 65.2% in the low‐ and high‐risk groups, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Contact with the renal sinus is a significant risk factor for metastasis in T1 clear cell renal cell carcinoma after surgery. More intensive follow up should be recommended for patients with renal cell carcinoma that is in contact with the renal sinus.