bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macroscopic elastic stress and strain produced by irradiation
Authors: Reali Luca , Boleininger Max , Gilbert Mark R. , Dudarev Sergei L.
Published: November 2021

Using the notion of eigenstrain produced by the defects formed in a material exposed to high energy neutron irradiation, we develop a method for computing macroscopic elastic stress and strain arising in components of a fusion power plant during operation. In a microstructurally isotropic material, the primary cause of macroscopic elastic stress and strain fields is the spatial variation of neutron exposure. We show that under traction-free boundary conditions, the volume-average elastic stress always vanishes, signifying the formation of a spatially heterogeneous stress state, combining compressive and tensile elastic deformations at different locations in the same component, and resulting solely from the spatial variation of radiation exposure. Several case studies pertinent to the design of a fusion power plant are analysed analytically and numerically, showing that a spatially varying distribution of defects produces significant elastic stresses in ion-irradiated thin films, pressurised cylindrical tubes and breeding blanket modules.
The geometry of the ICRF-induced wave–SOL interaction. A multi-machine experimental review in view of the ITER operation
Authors: Colas L. , Urbanczyk G. , Goniche M. , Hillairet J. , Bernard J.-M. , Bourdelle C. , Fedorczak N. , Guillemaut C. , Helou W. , Bobkov V. , Ochoukov R. , Jacquet Ph. , Lerche E. , Zhang X. , Qin C. , Klepper C.C. , Lau C. , Van Compernolle B. , Wukitch S.J. , Lin Y. , Ono M. , JET Contributors  , the ASDEX Upgrade Team  , the EAST Team  , the WEST Team  , ITPA IOS
Published: November 2021

As part of ITPA-Integrated Operational Scenario activities, this contribution reviews recent experimental characterizations of radio-frequency (RF)-induced scrape-off layer (SOL) modifications of various tokamaks worldwide and of the LArge Plasma Device at UCLA. The phenomenology, as observed using a large variety of measurement techniques, is consistent with expectations from RF sheath rectification. Emphasis is then put on the complex three-dimensional (3D) spatial patterns of the RF–SOL interaction, in relation to the magnetic topology and the spatial distribution of RF currents over the metallic structures surrounding the RF wave launchers. Dependence on the local plasma parameters in the antenna vicinity is also briefly addressed. The final part discusses implications for future devices.
A tutorial on fiber Kerr nonlinearity effect and its compensation in optical communication systems
Authors: Kumar Orappanpara Soman Sunish
Published: November 2021

The advent of silica-based low-cost standard single-mode fibers revolutionized the whole communication industry. The deployment of optical fibers in the networks induces a paradigm shift in the communication technologies used for long-haul information transfer. However, the communication using the optical fibers is affected by several linear and nonlinear effects. The most common linear effects are attenuation and chromatic dispersion, whereas the dominant nonlinear effect is the Kerr effect. The Kerr effect induces a power-dependent nonlinear distortion for the signal propagating in the optical fiber. The detrimental effects of the Kerr nonlinearity limit the capacity of long-haul optical communication systems. Fiber Kerr nonlinearity compensation using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques has been well investigated over several years. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive tutorial, including the fundamental mathematical analysis, on the characteristics of the optical fiber channel, the origin of the Kerr nonlinearity effect, the theory of the pulse propagation in the optical fiber, and the numerical and analytical tools for solving the pulse propagation equation. In addition, we provide a concise review of various DSP techniques for fiber nonlinearity compensation, such as digital back-propagation, Volterra series-based nonlinearity equalization, perturbation theory-based nonlinearity compensation, and phase conjugation. We also carry out numerical simulation and the complexity evaluation of the selected nonlinearity compensation techniques.
Racial Bias, Social–Emotional Competence, and Teachers' Evaluation of Student Behavior
Authors: Ura Sarah K , d’Abreu Ana
Published: November 2021

Children of color are disproportionately referred for discipline in schools and subsequently receive harsher punishments than their peers. Teachers’ implicit bias has been identified as a possible source of these disparities, particularly for Black boys. However, teachers’ social–emotional competence (SEC) may mitigate biased responses to Black students’ behavior and make them likely to interpret concerning or disruptive behavior as a need for counseling rather than discipline referral. This study examined the effect of teachers’ SEC (rated high, medium, or low) on the likelihood of referring a student for counseling, given a student’s race, with a sample of 164 teachers. Results showed that teachers may have racial bias regardless of their level of SEC, although it manifests differently depending on the type of student behavior. The article concludes with the discussion of the importance of a culturally responsive, trauma-informed approach to evaluation of student behavior, and implications for school social workers’ practice.
Anterior Subcapsular Cataract Formation With Long-term Topical Netarsudil Treatment for Glaucoma
Authors: Chang Eileen L. , Emmel David K. , Teng Christopher C. , Sarrafpour Soshian , Liu Ji
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to describe anterior subcapsular cataract development in patients on long-term topical netarsudil use.

Patients and Methods:

This clinical observational study summarizes a similar cataract pattern demonstrated in a series of patients from a single physician practice and a university-based outpatient clinic during their routine clinical follow-up visits from October 2020 to August 2021. All patients have been using topical netarsudil once daily for at least 15 months. No anterior capsular changes have been observed in any patient at the time when netarsudil was initiated.

Results:

Five eyes from 4 patients between the ages of 41 and 61 and 1 eye from a patient aged 84 were found to develop anterior subcapsular opacities 15 to 37 months after beginning netarsudil. These cataracts were overall small, 1 to 3 mm, round, oval or ring-shaped, central or paracentral with mild density. No other risk factors for cataract development apart from age were found in these patients.

Conclusion:

Patients on long-term netarsudil should be monitored for potential development of anterior subcapsular cataracts.
Centromere function in asymmetric cell division in
Drosophila
female and male germline stem cells
Authors: Kochendoerfer Antje M. , Modafferi Federica , Dunleavy Elaine M.
Published: November 2021

The centromere is the constricted chromosomal region required for the correct separation of the genetic material at cell division. The kinetochore protein complex assembles at the centromere and captures microtubules emanating from the centrosome to orchestrate chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis. Asymmetric cell division (ACD) is a special type of mitosis that generates two daughter cells with different fates. Epigenetic mechanisms operating at the centromere have been proposed to contribute to ACD. Recent studies have shown that an asymmetric distribution of CENP-A—the centromere-specific histone H3 variant—between sister chromatids can bias chromosome segregation in ACD. In stem cells, this leads to non-random sister chromatid segregation, which can affect cell fate. These findings support the ‘silent sister' hypothesis, according to which the mechanisms of ACD are epigenetically regulated through centromeres. Here, we review the recent data implicating centromeres in ACDs and cell fate in
Drosophila melanogaster
female and male germline stem cells.
Coniochaeta elegans sp. nov., Coniochaeta montana sp. nov. and Coniochaeta nivea sp. nov., three new species of endophytes with distinctive morphology and functional traits
Authors: Arnold A. Elizabeth , Harrington Alison H. , Huang Yu-Ling , U'Ren Jana M. , Massimo Nicholas C. , Knight-Connoni Victoria , Inderbitzin Patrik
Published: November 2021

A growing interest in fungi that occur within symptom-less plants and lichens (endophytes) has uncovered previously uncharacterized species in diverse biomes worldwide. In many temperate and boreal forests, endophyticConiochaeta(Sacc.) Cooke (Coniochaetaceae,Coniochaetales, Sordariomycetes,Ascomycota) are commonly isolated on standard media, but rarely are characterized. We examined 26 isolates ofConiochaetahoused at the Gilbertson Mycological Herbarium. The isolates were collected from healthy photosynthetic tissues of conifers, angiosperms, mosses and lichens in Canada, Sweden and the United States. Their barcode sequences (nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and 5.8S; ITS rDNA) were ≤97% similar to any documented species available through GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses based on two loci (ITS rDNA and translation elongation factor 1-alpha) indicated that two isolates representedConiochaeta cymbiformispora, broadening the ecological niche and geographic range of a species known previously from burned soil in Japan. The remaining 24 endophytes represented three previously undescribed species that we characterize here:Coniochaeta eleganssp. nov.,Coniochaeta montanasp. nov. andConiochaeta niveasp. nov. Each has a wide host range, including lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants.C. eleganssp. nov. andC. niveasp. nov. have wide geographic ranges.C. montanasp. nov. occurs in the Madrean biome of Arizona (USA), where it is sympatric with the other species described here. All three species display protease, chitinase and cellulase activityin vitro. Overall, this study provides insight into the ecological and evolutionary diversity ofConiochaetaand suggests that these strains may be amenable for studies of traits relevant to a horizontally transmitted, symbiotic lifestyle.
The taxonomy of the Trichophyton rubrum complex: a phylogenomic approach
Authors: Cornet Luc , D'hooge Elizabet , Magain Nicolas , Stubbe Dirk , Packeu Ann , Baurain Denis , Becker Pierre
Published: November 2021

The medically relevant Trichophyton rubrum species complex has a variety of phenotypic presentations but shows relatively little genetic differences. Conventional barcodes, such as the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region or the beta-tubulin gene, are not able to completely resolve the relationships between these closely related taxa. T. rubrum, T. soudanense and T. violaceum are currently accepted as separate species. However, the status of certain variants, including the T. rubrum morphotypes megninii and kuryangei and the T. violaceum morphotype yaoundei, remains to be deciphered. We conducted the first phylogenomic analysis of the T. rubrum species complex by studying 3105 core genes of 18 new strains from the BCCM/IHEM culture collection and nine publicly available genomes. Our analyses revealed a highly resolved phylogenomic tree with six separate clades. Trichophyton rubrum, T. violaceum and T. soudanense were confirmed in their status of species. The morphotypes T. megninii, T. kuryangei and T. yaoundei all grouped in their own respective clade with high support, suggesting that these morphotypes should be reinstituted to the species-level. Robinson-Foulds distance analyses showed that a combination of two markers (a ubiquitin-protein transferase and a MYB DNA-binding domain-containing protein) can mirror the phylogeny obtained using genomic data, and thus represent potential new markers to accurately distinguish the species belonging to the T. rubrum complex.
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Diabetic ketoacidosis among Patients Living with Type 1 Diabetes in Makkah Al-Mukarramah City
Authors: Alhajaji Raghad , Almasodi Khalid , Alhajaji Afaf , Alturkstani Ahmad , Samkari Mayada
Published: November 2021

Objective

To assess magnitude of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) among type-1 diabetics and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 236 type-1 diabetics in Makkah Al-Mukarramah City, Saudi Arabia.

Results

Among participants, 59.3% were males, 44.1% were diabetic for more than 5 years, while 70.8% reported past history of DKA. The main causes of DKA were “first presentation of the disease” (40.9%), and “discontinued treatment” (37%). The HbA1c among 53.6% was above 9%. Almost all cases who experienced DKA were hospitalised (98.8%). Out of them, 9 (5.4%) suffered complications. Female patients were more likely to suffer from episodes of DKA than males (76% and 68.3%, respectively). Most patients whose parents’ highest education was primary level had DKA more frequently than those whose parents’ had postgraduate education. Patients with unemployed fathers had significantly higher frequency of DKA (p=0.004). Ketoacidosis was significantly more frequent among patients with parents’ consanguinity (p<0.001). Patients who had their current HbA1c level exceeding 9% had positive history of DKA compared to those with HbA1c level ≤7% (87.9% and 28.6%, respectively, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Most type-1 diabetics experience DKA, mainly with their first presentation of disease or due to discontinuation of treatment. DKA tends to occur more frequently among female patients, those with less educated parents or when their parents are relatives.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

This study rang a warning bell towards parents’ consanguinity among type-1 diabetics as a risk factor for diabetic ketoacidosis.

The current search revealed the lack of public’s awareness about type-1 diabetes and its complications as well as their low compliance towards its treatment, since diabetic ketoacidosis occurred mainly at the first presentation of the disease among diabetics, or due to treatment discontinuation.

APPLICATION TO PATIENT CARE

This study indicated the importance of raising the public’s awareness regarding early symptoms of diabetes among their children so as to be ready to seek medical advice as early as possible before the occurrence of complications.

Health education messages should be repeatedly broadcast via mass media explaining the hazards associated with consanguineous marriages.

Health care providers should stress to diabetic patients and/or their caregivers the importance of compliance to treatment.
The use of Ipratropium and Tiotropium as novel agents to reduce inflammation inin vitromacrophage models
Authors: Mohammed Ifteqar Hussain
Published: November 2021

Background

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects an estimated 330 million individuals worldwide. Approximately, 3 million individuals died of COPD in 2012 and it is predicted that COPD would be the third leading factor for deaths worldwide by 2020. In United Kingdom nearly one million individuals suffer from COPD.

Purpose

There are no effective pharmacotherapies available for COPD. it is only managed by using bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids mostly. However, cardiovascular effects are associated with these drugs. Most importantly, there is an unmet need of COPD treatment worldwide. Our research aim was to identify Ipratropium and Tiotropium as novel anti-inflammatory agents inin vitromacrophage models.

Aims

To investigate the LPS stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF- α levels in THP-1 cells. To investigate whether the drugs Ipratropium and Tiotropium are capable of decreasing LPS-induced inflammation in THP-1 cells.

Materials

Human monocytic cell line THP-1 cells, Rosewell Park Memorial Institute RPMI 1640 with Glutamax I, 1% Penicillin Streptomycin (PenStrep) and 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS), Lipopolysaccharide 10μl/ml, 0.05% Tween20, 0.4% Trypan blue, Reagent diluent (10% Bovine Serum Albumin in PBS), Budesonide Fenoterol, Ipratropium and Tiotropium. Human IL-6 DuoSet ELISA, Human TNF-α ELISA, TMB ELISA Substrate solution and Stop solution.

Methods

THP-1 cells were cultured and challenges with LPS to stimulate the IL-6 and TNF-α cytokines. The cells were treated with Budesonide, Fenoterol, Ipratropium and Tiotropium. ELISA was performed to determine the concentrations of cytokines.

Results

The results suggested that Ipratropium and Tiotropium reduce IL-6 and TNF- α concentrations in the cells. However, Budesonide and Fenoterol were found to reduce cytokines more effectively than Ipratropium and Tiotropium. The data was considered significant only whenP<0.05.

Conclusions

The anti-inflammatory or cytokine reducing properties of Ipratropium and Tiotropium were acknowledged. The research hypothesis was found to be true. Budesonide and Fenoterol substantially reduce cytokine levels. The receptor interactions of Ipratropium and Tiotropium may be responsible for their duration of action. Overall, Ipratropium and Tiotropium display the characteristics of novel anti-inflammatories.
A feedback loop between heterochromatin and the nucleopore complex controls germ-cell to oocyte transition duringDrosophilaoogenesis
Authors: Sarkar Kahini , Kotb Noor M , Lemus Alex , Martin Elliot T , McCarthy Alicia , Camacho Justin , Iqbal Ayman , Valm Alex M. , Sammons Morgan A , Rangan Prashanth
Published: November 2021

Germ cells differentiate into oocytes that become totipotent upon fertilization. How the highly specialized oocyte acquires this distinct cell fate is poorly understood. DuringDrosophilaoogenesis, H3K9me3 histone methyltransferase SETDB1 translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of germ cells concurrent with oocyte specification. Here, we discovered that nuclear SETDB1 is required to silence a cohort of differentiation-promoting genes by mediating their heterochromatinization. Intriguingly, SETDB1 is also required for the upregulation of 18 of the ~30 nucleoporins (Nups) that comprise the nucleopore complex (NPC). NPCs in turn anchor SETDB1-dependent heterochromatin at the nuclear periphery to maintain H3K9me3 and gene silencing in the egg chambers. Aberrant gene expression due to loss of SETDB1 or Nups results in loss of oocyte identity, cell death and sterility. Thus, a feedback loop between heterochromatin and NPCs promotes transcriptional reprogramming at the onset of oocyte specification that is critical to establish oocyte identity.
AAV9-MCT8 delivery at juvenile stage ameliorates neurological and behavioral deficits in an Allan-Herndon-Dudley Syndrome mouse model
Authors: Liao Xiao-Hui , Avalos Pablo , Shelest Oksana , Ofan Raz , Shilo Michael , Bresee Catherine , Likhite Shibi , Vit Jean-Philippe , Heuer Heike , Kaspar Brian , Meyer Kathrin , Dumitrescu Alexandra M. , Refetoff Samuel , Svendsen Clive N. , Vatine Gad D.
Published: November 2021

Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS) is a severe X-linked intellectual and psychomotor disability disorder accompanied by abnormal thyroid hormone (TH) levels. AHDS is caused by inactivating mutations in the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8), a specific TH transporter widely expressed in the central nervous system. MCT8 gene mutations cause impaired transport of TH across brain barriers, leading to insufficient neural TH supply. There is currently no successful therapy for the neurological symptoms. AAV9-based gene therapy is a promising approach to treat monogenic neurological disorders. Here, the potential of this approach was tested in the well-established double knockout (dKO) Mct8-/y;Oatp1c1-/- mouse model of AHDS, which displays disease-relevant neurological and TH phenotypes. Systemic intravenous delivery of AAV9-MCT8 at a juvenile stage led to improved locomotor and cognitive function, as well as rescue of T3-brain content and T3-related gene expression. This preclinical study indicates that this gene therapy may improve the neurological symptoms of AHDS patients.
Drug-induced epigenomic plasticity reprograms circadian rhythm regulation to drive prostate cancer towards androgen-independence
Authors: Linder Simon , Hoogstraat Marlous , Stelloo Suzan , Schuurman Karianne , de Barros Hilda , Alkemade Maartje , Sanders Joyce , Kim Yongsoo , Bekers Elise , de Jong Jeroen , Kluin Roelof J.C. , Giambartolomei Claudia , Seo Ji-Heui , Pasaniuc Bogdan , Zoubeidi Amina , Freedman Matthew L. , Wessels Lodewyk F.A. , Butler Lisa M. , Lack Nathan A. , van der Poel Henk , Bergman Andries M. , Zwart Wilbert
Published: November 2021

In prostate cancer, androgen receptor (AR)-targeting agents are very effective in various stages of the disease. However, therapy resistance inevitably occurs and little is known about how tumor cells adapt to bypass AR suppression. Here, we performed integrative multi-omics analyses on tissues isolated before and after 3 months of AR-targeting enzalutamide monotherapy from high-risk prostate cancer patients enrolled in a neoadjuvant clinical trial. Transcriptomic analyses demonstrated that AR inhibition drove tumors towards a neuroendocrine-like disease state. In addition, epigenomic profiling revealed massive enzalutamide-induced reprogramming of pioneer factor FOXA1 – from inactive chromatin binding sites towards active cis-regulatory elements that dictate pro-survival signals. Notably, treatment-induced FOXA1 sites were enriched for the circadian rhythm core component ARNTL. Post-treatment ARNTL levels associated with poor outcome, and ARNTL suppression decreased cell growth in vitro. Our data highlight a remarkable cistromic plasticity of FOXA1 following AR-targeted therapy, and revealed an acquired dependency on circadian regulator ARNTL, a novel candidate therapeutic target.

Significance

Understanding how prostate cancer cells adapt to AR-targeted interventions is critical for identifying novel drug targets to improve the clinical management of treatment-resistant disease. Our study revealed an enzalutamide-induced epigenetic plasticity towards pro-survival signaling, and uncovered circadian regulator ARNTL as an acquired vulnerability after AR inhibition, presenting a novel clinical lead for therapeutic development.
Factors affecting the intentions of youngsters in switching to a virtual third place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: the place attachment and push-pull mooring theory
Authors: Handarkho Yonathan Dri , Khaerunnisa Khaerunnisa , Michelle Brigitta
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to propose a theoretical model to investigate factors affecting the intentions of youngsters in switching to a virtual third place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study obtained 221 responses from Indonesian youngsters, which was used to validate the proposed model using structural equation modeling analysis.

Findings

The direct effect indicated that perceived behavior and social distance attitude were the most significant predictors of intention followed by boredom and place attachment (PA), and the indirect effect of loneliness and social presence. In addition, moderating impact contributed significantly by providing profound knowledge toward the result.

Originality/value

The combination of PA and personal traits based on the push–pull–mooring framework relating to the virtual third place adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic offered a comprehensive model that has not been explored extensively by previous studies.
The effects of bank competition, financial stability and ownership structure: evidence from the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries
Authors: Moudud-Ul-Huq Syed , Biswas Tanmay , Abdul Halim Md. , Mateev Miroslav , Yousaf Imran , Abedin Mohammad Zoynul
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to show the relationship between competition, financial stability and ownership structure of banks in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimators to generate research results. This study uses an unbalanced panel dynamic data set. It covers the period 2011 to 2017 in MENA banks.

Findings

This study implies that there is a significant and positive relationship between market power and the financial stability of banks in MENA countries. It explains a competitive market focus on credit risk, which turns them risky. From the bank’s ownership view, Islamic banks are in a less risky position which means Islamic banks are more stable than other ownership structures. On the other hand, government specialized institute displays their poor financial stability and risky from other ownership structures. Unfortunately, there is no significant impact of ownership structure on competition unless Islamic banks prove that they (Islamic banks) perform better in market power.

Practical implications

The empirical findings of this study suggest that MENA banks should improve the process of managing and monitoring the non-performing loan (loan segment business). It reduces the level of credit risk, which leads to achieving more profit. It also recommends that loan quality should improve immediately in this region for declining financial disruption. Based on the ownership structure, policymakers and stakeholders should adjust their risk and financial stability. Notably, the stakeholders can focus on Islamic banks in this region as this type of ownership structure showing superiority over other ownership structures.

Originality/value

This study is based on the latest data set and produced outcomes by using a GMM estimator. It also uses multiple measures of competition and risk variables to get robust results. Moreover, to the best of the knowledge, this study is the pioneer to examine the competition, risk (financial stability) and ownership structure of banks in the MENA countries.
Challenges and benefits of LED retrofit projects: a case of SALIX financed secondary school in the UK
Authors: Dunn Paul James , Oyegoke Adekunle Sabitu , Ajayi Saheed , Palliyaguru Roshani , Devkar Ganesh
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The recent surge in light emitting diode (LED) lighting retrofitted into schools in the UK is as a result of the UK Government’s 2050 zero carbon pledge. However, the benefits and consequences of LED retrofit projects for staff and enablers and stakeholder knowledge gaps about LED lighting retrofitting have not been fully explored. The aim of this research is to determine the amount of savings in cost, carbon reduction and kilowatt usage and to confirm if repayment from energy and cost savings derived from LED retrofit school projects funded through the SALIX funding option in the UK would be enough to service the loan. Thus, it examines monetary and non-monetary benefits, internal project stakeholder knowledge gaps and the consequences of LED retrofit for the staff and enablers of a large community college in the UK which is funded through the SALIX funding option.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology relied on a hybrid research approach of a case secondary school through the review of literature, analysis of secondary data, focus group and questionnaire survey. The focus group consists of six key project stakeholders. The secondary data was sourced from the Project IGP [Individual Grade Proposal] and the Positive Energy Report from Zenergi, and the closed online questionnaire survey was used to sample 150 teaching staff and school enablers.

Findings

The findings show that stakeholders lack project knowledge, trust and expertise/project comprehension. This is in terms of baseline information, LED technology/management, payback modalities, management of risks and ethical issues around environmental impact. The forecasted SALIX savings were not achieved in real-time, partly because it does not take into consideration the increase in energy costs over the payback period. However, the LED retrofit creates efficiencies; drives down energy costs and energy usage; and drives carbon reduction, helping pupils’ learning, improving productivity and performance, and finally leading to a better lighting environment for the school community.

Originality/value

The study will help schools in the UK that intend to access SALIX finance for LED retrofits to understand the challenges and mitigate the risks. It will also help the government to understand the importance of adjusting the payback modalities to the base price when the retrofit was carried out for real-time savings to be made. The research would be useful in ensuring the proactive involvement of all the identified stakeholders in understanding the challenges and what the function entails.
Exploring past, present and future trends in public sector auditing research: a literature review
Authors: Mattei Giorgia , Grossi Giuseppe , Guthrie A.M. James
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Public sector auditing research has changed rapidly over the past four decades. This paper aims to reveal how the field has developed and identify avenues for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a structured literature review following Massaro et al. The sample comprises papers on public sector auditing published in accounting and public sector management journals between 1991 and 2020.

Findings

The present analysis highlights that academic research interest in public sector auditing has grown and become more diverse. The authors argue this may reflect a transformation of the public sector in recent decades, owing to the developing institutional logics of public sector reforms, from traditional public administration to new public management and now new public governance.

Originality value

This paper offers a comprehensive review of the public sector auditing literature, discussing different perspectives over time. It also outlines the various public sector reforms introduced over the period of the study. In reviewing the existing literature, the authors highlight the themes for future research and policy settings.
Comparative study of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of different parts of lemongrass leaves and their application in the functional drink
Authors: Ranjah Muhammad Abbas , Ismail Amir , Waseem Muhammad , Tanweer Saira , Ahmad Baila , Mehmood Tahir , Shah Faiz-Ul-Hassan , Ahmad Zulfiqar , Hussain Majid , Ismail Tariq
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to compare the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of different parts (tip, mid and base portion) of lemongrass leaves for application as a natural ingredient in the functional drink.

Design/methodology/approach

Lemongrass leaf powder was prepared from different parts of leaves and evaluated for nutritional composition. Additionally, the extracts of different portions of lemongrass leaves were analyzed for total phenolics, free radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and antimicrobial activities for their application in food products.

Findings

Tip portion of lemongrass leaf anticipated significantly (p < 0.05) higher contents of ash, protein, calcium, potassium and iron i.e. 6.2 mg/100 g, 18 mg/100 g, 340 ppm, 819 ppm and 32 ppm, respectively. Maximum (p < 0.05) phenolics (14.7 mg GAE/100 g), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydroxyl (86.3%) and FRAP (200 mmol/100 g) were observed in lemongrass leaf tip methanolic extracts. Moreover, lemongrass leaf tip hydro-methanolic extracts portrayed maximum zone of inhibition against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus i.e. 16.7 and 18.2 mm, respectively.

Practical implications

This study demonstrated higher antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the tip of lemongrass leaves as compared with mid and base portions, hence suggesting its role in the improvement of physicochemical, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of food products. Consequently, the application of lemongrass methanolic extract up to 10% remarkably enhanced the nutritional value and sensorial acceptance of the beverages.

Originality/value

The present research draws evidence from laboratory analysis of fresh lemongrass grown in Pakistan. The findings suggest that lemongrass methanolic extracts could be used as a nutritionally rich source of antioxidant activity in functional drinks.
The institutionalisation of sustainability reporting in management practice: evidence through action research
Authors: Tarquinio Lara , Xhindole Chiara
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore why a company voluntarily engages in the sustainability reporting process, how this process becomes institutionalised and the resulting effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The research focusses on a single case study, conducted following an action research approach and interpreted through the lens of institutional work. According to the institutional work theoretical perspective, the individual or organisation is responsible for creating, maintaining or disrupting institutions.

Findings

The case company, Deco S.p.A., undertook sustainability reporting to clarify the values that the company was founded upon and how those values translate into management practice. By institutionalising the sustainability reporting process, Deco S.p.A. found its corporate climate improved, various aspects of its operations could be rationalised and the information gathered to produce the report was valuable for decision support.

Practical implications

This research project contributes to understanding why and how a company institutionalises its sustainability reporting. It also provides a better understanding of the internal forces that drive the voluntary reporting of sustainability issues and sheds light on the stages of the institutionalisation process.

Social implications

The authors find that universities have a role to play in promoting the sustainability of companies, as they can transform the knowledge produced from research into useful knowledge for managing and reporting sustainability issues.

Originality/value

This four-year action research project contributes to the literature on both engagement research and the institutionalisation of sustainability reporting practices. The authors also expose some of the drivers affecting a company’s approach to sustainability reporting.
Mute Force and Ignorance: Incivility and Gender in Scotland
Authors: Higgins Michael , Smith Angela
Published: November 2021

This article considers the complex relationship between civility and gender in Scottish politics. It addresses two themes that have dominated discussion of Scotland's political tone. The first has been the seeming rise in intemperate political discourse, amplified by social media and the divisiveness of Scottish independence. The second has been those developments in the representation of gender in Scottish politics, both in the composition of the Scottish Parliament and in discourses around First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. We also focus in on discourses surrounding a recent breach of civility by male Liberal Democrat MSP, Alex Cole‐Hamilton, in which Cole‐Hamilton is recorded mouthing an expletive towards a female Scottish government minister during a Zoom meeting of the Scottish Parliament's Equalities and Human Rights Committee on 11 February 2021. Analysis of this includes political responses to the ‘outburst’ and its subsequent media coverage, and examines, in particular, associations with masculinity and the relevance of the mitigating pleas of exasperated spontaneity. The article makes broader associations between the representation of this example of political incivility and those asymmetrical gender power relations given prominence by the #MeToo movement. Drawing on literature about angry populism, the article draws lessons about how mainstream politicians weaponise the language of incivility.
Protecting National Security by Breaking the Law? Prerogative, Statute and the Powers of MI5
Authors: Craig Robert , Phillipson Gavin
Published: November 2021

The Court of Appeal decision in Privacy International v Foreign Secretary (2021) found lawful the long‐secret policy governing the purported authorisation and commission of criminal offences as part of the work of MI5 and its informants. The Court found MI5 had a public law power to engage in such criminality, historically under the royal prerogative and more latterly as an implied power under the Security Service Act 1989. The authors argue that these findings threaten serious damage to core constitutional principles, including the rule of law and settled understandings of the prerogative and its relationship with statute. They postulate a much narrower implied legal power under the 1989 Act, authorising only the making of representations to the CPS on whether it would be in the public interest to prosecute. This would provide a narrow path for MI5 officers and their informants to avoid legal jeopardy for activities core to its mission.
Hospital management practices and medical device costs
Authors: Grennan Matthew , Kim Gi Heung , McConnell K. John , Swanson Ashley
Published: November 2021

Objective

To determine whether the variation in prices paid for cardiac medical devices was associated with management practices in cardiac units.

Study setting

Cardiac units in US hospitals.

Study design

We regressed unit prices on management practice scores and other hospital characteristics, with and without controls for device fixed effects, for the 11 top‐spending cardiac device categories.

Data collection

A trusted third party that had entered into a confidentiality agreement combined de‐identified medical device price data for N = 213 US hospitals from ECRI's Supply Guide benchmarking service, with survey responses regarding management practices in those hospitals' cardiac units; the resulting merged data were made available to researchers for analysis with hospital identifiers removed. N = 1980 hospitals with interventional cardiac catheterization laboratories and at least 25 annual acute myocardial infarction discharges in 2010 were eligible for inclusion; N = 648 responded to the management practices survey; N = 213 subscribed to Supply Guide and purchased at least one of 11 top cardiac medical device categories.

Principal findings

Cardiac units with better management practices paid lower prices for cardiac devices (percent decrease in price for one standard deviation increase in management score = 1.33%, 95% confidence interval 0.99–1.67). This was comparable in magnitude to the price decrease associated with a one standard deviation increase in patient volume.

Conclusions

Better management practices were associated with lower device prices. This relationship is robust, but modest in magnitude. This modest magnitude is similar, though, to other events expected to lower input prices, such as transparency in the form of benchmarking information and hospital mergers.
The use of fly artifacts in a crime scene: Is there any application for forensic toxicology?
Authors: Giorgetti Arianna , Pelletti Guido , Fais Paolo , Giovannini Elena , Barone Rossella , Pelotti Susi , Pascali Jennifer P.
Published: November 2021

Fly artifacts (FA) are bloodstains resulting from insect activity at a crime scene, usually by feeding on human blood. Whether these artifactual stains might be useful for forensic toxicological investigations in cases of absence of conventional and unconventional matrices, for example, in cases concealment of the body or of extensive putrefaction, has not yet been investigated. The purpose of this study is to understand if FA trace evidence permits toxicological analysis when traditional matrices are not available. To this aim, FA experimentally produced by Calliphora vomitoria feeding on human blood of a cocaine and heroin user were collected from absorptive and non‐absorptive material. FA material was analyzed by a new simple and fast LC‐MS/MS method. Results were evaluated in terms of presence of the drug and relative amount of the detected molecules. From a qualitative point of view, the analysis of FA revealed all the substances originally detected in post‐mortem blood in both cases. The ratios of cocaine/benzoylecgonine, codeine/morphine, and 6‐monoacetylmorphine/morphine recovered in FA from cotton‐textile materials and from non‐absorptive surfaces were consistent with data resulted from original post‐mortem blood. The preliminary study herein reported demonstrated that FA are extremely informative in case of cocaine and heroin users and merit further research in order to be applied in real caseworks.
cAMP: A second messenger involved in the mechanism of midgut alkalinization in Lutzomyia longipalpis
Authors: Nepomuceno Denise Barguil , D’Ávila Pessoa Grasielle Caldas , Koerich Leonardo Barbosa , Pereira Marcos Horácio , Sant'Anna Mauricio Roberto Viana , Araújo Ricardo Nascimento , Gontijo Nelder Figueiredo
Published: November 2021

The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of Leishmania infantum in the Americas. Female sand flies ingest sugar‐rich solutions and blood, which are digested in the midgut. Digestion of nutrients is an essential function performed by digestive enzymes, which require appropriate physiological conditions. One of the main aspects that influence enzymatic activity is the gut pH, which must be tightly controlled. Considering second messengers are frequently involved in the coordination of tightly regulated physiological events, we investigated if the second messenger cAMP would participate in the process of alkalinization in the abdominal midgut of female L. longipalpis. In midguts containing the indicator dye bromothymol‐blue, cAMP stimulated the alkalinization of the midgut lumen. Through another technique based on the use of fluorescein as a pH indicator, we propose that cAMP is involved in the alkalinization of the midgut by activating HCO3– transport from the enterocyte's cytoplasm to the lumen. The results strongly suggested that the carrier responsible for this process would be a HCO3−/Cl− antiporter located in the enterocytes’ apical membrane. Hematophagy promotes the release of alkalinizing hormones in the hemolymph; however, when the enzyme adenylyl cyclase, responsible for cAMP production, was inhibited, we observed that the hemolymph from blood‐fed L. longipalpis’ females did not stimulate midgut alkalinization. This result indicated that hormone‐stimulated alkalinization is mediated by cAMP. In the present study, we provide evidences that cAMP has a key role in the control of intestinal pH.
Assessment of the di‐ and tri‐chlorinated haloacetic acids during broiler prechilling
Authors: Shao Liangting , Qin Yue , Xu Xinglian , Wang Huhu
Published: November 2021

Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) has been widely used at 100 ppm concentration during poultry slaughter to reduce carcass microorganism loads. However, its use in poultry processing is restricted owing to the potential risks of disinfection by‐products (DBPs) that can be produced by the reaction of NaClO with poultry meat components. This study assessed whether dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), as primary DBP representatives, were produced when NaClO was used as a disinfectant in various methods during broiler prechilling. Headspace gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry for the quantitative determination of DCAA and TCAA in 180 prechilling water samples and 30 broiler meat samples, obtained from large standard slaughterhouses equipped with an online monitoring system to control the NaClO concentration between 50 and 100 ppm, showed that neither DCAA nor TCAA were detected. In simulation assays, haloacetic acids (HAAs) were not detected when the concentration of the NaClO solution was less than 200 ppm with low frequency addition; however, more than 0.1 mg/L of DCAA and TCAA were detected on applying 200, 300, 400, 500, and 1000 ppm NaClO at high frequency. These findings indicated that adding high concentrations of NaClO and frequently adding low levels pose a potential risk of DBP formation. This investigation provides a basis for the establishment of food risk and the scientific use of NaClO in poultry processing, and contributes to the evaluation of DBPs in poultry slaughter.

Practical Application

This study confirmed the occurrences of DCAA and TCAA during broiler chilling processing, indicating that formation of HAAs in simulation systems was correlated with NaClO levels and validated the absence of DCAA and TCAA with less than 200 ppm, providing a basic study for food safety standards and regulations on the disinfectants used in food processing.
The science of recovery capital: where do we go from here?
Authors: Best David , Hennessy Emily A.
Published: November 2021

Background

The concept of recovery capital (RC) has emerged in studies and discussions of the addiction recovery process and as a potential metric and marker for recovery gains. Although conceptual and applied development of the concept in the 20 years since the term was coined has increased, there remains insufficient clarity of key domains, factors and best practice research and applications for populations experiencing addiction. We aimed to review progress around the conceptualisation and operationalisation of RC and to consider future directions for a science of recovery capital.

Method

We provided a brief overview of theoretical foundations and advances, empirical measurement and application in treatment and continuing care settings. We next introduced four primary areas for addiction science to address, namely: (i) conceptual development (e.g. how RC domains are unique, but interrelated entities, valence of RC), (ii) empirical testing, adequacy of measurement and analysis, (iii) directions for novel application in treatment and recovery settings and (iv) dissemination and communication to policy, practice and lived experience groups. In this review, we also focussed on some of the challenges that must be addressed for a science of RC, which could produce long‐term impact in treatment and policy.

Results

Despite burgeoning empirical work on RC, its application and translation has been unsystematic. The field currently relies on self‐report questionnaires for the development of the theory and quantification of RC. Therefore, there is an urgent need for rigorous and systematic conceptual and empirical development of RC.

Conclusions

A formal collaboration between scholars, practitioners and experts by experience worldwide would move recovery capital forward in an empirically driven and culturally appropriate manner, as would testing its applicability at individual, organisational and societal levels.
Clinical features of patients with Yin Yang 1 deficiency causing Gabriele‐de Vries syndrome: A new case and review of the literature
Authors: Khamirani Hossein Jafari , Zoghi Sina , Namdar Zahra Mehdipour , Kamal Neda , Dianatpour Mehdi , Tabei Seyed Mohammad Bagher , Mohammadi Sanaz , Dehghanian Fatemeh , Farbod Zahra , Dastgheib Seyed Alireza
Published: November 2021

Background: Gabriele‐de Vries syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disease caused by de novo pathogenic variants in YY1. In this study, we report a 10‐year‐old boy with a de novo novel pathogenic variant in YY1, the first Iranian patient with Gabriele‐de Vries Syndrome.

Methods: The novel de novo pathogenic variant detected in this study (NM_003403:c.690delA, p.Glu231Ilefs*25) was identified by whole‐exome sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing.

Results: The proband presented with delayed motor and speech development, ataxia, abnormal gait, autistic behavior, brain atrophy, and severe learning disability. Finally, we provide a case‐based review of the clinical features associated with Gabriele‐de Vries Syndrome. Thus far, merely 13 Gabriele‐de Vries Syndrome patients have been reported in the literature.

Conclusion: The investigations for a suspected case of Gabriele‐de Vries Syndrome must involve molecular diagnosis of the disease and its underlying genetic defect because the clinical investigations are generally variable and nonspecific.