bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human fecal microbiota is associated with colorectal cancer
Authors: Yao Qiulin , Tang Meifang , Zeng Liuhong , Chu Zhonghua , Sheng Hui , Zhang Yuyu , Zhou Yuan , Zhang Hongyun , Jiang Huayan , Ye Mingzhi
Published: November 2020

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers. In recent studies, the gut microbiota has been reported to be potentially involved in aggravating or favoring CRC development. However, little is known about the microbiota composition in CRC patients after treatment. In this study, we explored the fecal microbiota composition to obtain a periscopic view of gut microbial communities. We analyzed microbial 16S rRNA genes from 107 fecal samples of Chinese individuals from three groups, including 33 healthy individuals (Normal), 38 CRC patients (Fa), and 36 CRC post-surgery patients (Fb).

Results

Species richness and diversity were decreased in the Fa and Fb groups compared with that of the Normal group. Partial least squares discrimination analysis showed clustering of samples according to disease with an obvious separation between the Fa and Normal, and Fb and Normal groups, as well as a partial separation between the Fa and Fb groups. Based on linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis and a receiver operating characteristic model,Fusobacteriumwas suggested as a potential biomarker for CRC screening. Additionally, we found that surgery greatly reduced the bacterial diversity of microbiota in CRC patients. Some commensal beneficial bacteria of the intestinal canal, such asFaecalibacteriumandPrevotella, were decreased, whereas the drug-resistantEnterococcuswas visibly increased in CRC post-surgery group. Meanwhile, we observed a declining tendency ofFusobacteriumin the majority of follow-up CRC patients who were still alive approximately 3 y after surgery. We also observed that beneficial bacteria dramatically decreased in CRC patients that recidivated or died after surgery. This revealed that important bacteria might be associated with prognosis.

Conclusions

The fecal bacterial diversity was diminished in CRC patients compared with that in healthy individuals. Enrichment and depletion of several bacterial strains associated with carcinomas and inflammation were detected in CRC samples.Fusobacteriummight be a potential biomarker for early screening of CRC in Chinese or Asian populations. In summary, this study indicated that fecal microbiome-based approaches could be a feasible method for detecting CRC and monitoring prognosis post-surgery.
CPEB2 m6A Methylation Regulates BTB Permeability via Affecting Splicing Factor SRSF5 Stability
Authors: Zhang Mengyang , Yang Chunqing , Liu Xiaobai , Ruan Xuelei , Wang Di , Liu Yunhui , Cai Heng , Zheng Jian , Shao Lianqi , Wang Ping , Li Zhen , Yu Bo , Xue Yixue
Published: November 2020

The existence of the blood tumor barrier (BTB) severely hinders the delivery of anti-tumor drugs to gliomas, affecting the targeted therapeutic effects of drugs. Therefore, BTB selective opening has become a hot spot for glioma treatment. This study found that the up-regulated METTL3 and IGF2BP3 in GECs increase the stability of CPEB2 mRNA through m6A methylation of CPEB2 mRNA; CPEB2 binds and increases the stability of splicing factor SRSF5 mRNA; SRSF5 promotes the ETS1 exon inclusion; P51-ETS1 promotes the transcriptional expression of tight junction related proteins ZO-1, occludin and claudin-5, regulating BTB permeability. CPEB2, SRSF5 and P51-ETS1 alone or in combination can effectively enhance the role of Dox in promoting glioma cell apoptosis through BTB. The results of this study provide a new theoretical and experimental basis for the molecular regulation of BTB from the perspective of epigenetics, as well as new ideas for the comprehensive treatment of glioma.
Prophage-encoded small protein YqaH counteracts the activities of the replication initiator DnaA inBacillus subtilis
Authors: Ventroux Magali , Noirot-Gros Marie-Francoise
Published: November 2020

Bacterial genomes harbor cryptic prophages that are mostly transcriptionally silent with many unannotated genes. Still, cryptic prophages may contribute to their host fitness and phenotypes. InB. subtilis, theyqaF-yqaNoperon belongs to the prophage elementskin, and is tightly repressed by the Xre-like repressorsknR. This operon contains several short open reading frames (smORFs) potentially encoding small-sized proteins. The smORF-encoded peptide YqaH was previously reported to bind to the replication initiator DnaA. Here, using a yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that YqaH binds to the DNA binding domain IV of DnaA and interacts with Spo0A, a master regulator of sporulation. We isolated single amino acid substitutions in YqaH that abolished interaction with DnaA but not with Spo0A. Then, we studied inB. subtilisthe phenotypes associated with the specific loss-of-interaction with DnaA (DnaA-LOI). We found that expression ofyqaHcarrying DnaA-LOI mutations abolished the deleterious effects ofyqaHWT expression on chromosome segregation, replication initiation and DnaA-regulated transcription. When YqaH was induced after vegetative growth, DnaA-LOI mutations abolished the deleterious effects of YqaH WT on sporulation and biofilm formation. Thus, YqaH inhibits replication, sporulation and biofilm formation mainly by antagonizing DnaA in a manner that is independent of the cell cycle checkpoint Sda.
An engineered receptor-binding domain improves the immunogenicity of multivalent SARS-CoV-2 vaccines
Authors: Quinlan Brian D. , He Wenhui , Mou Huihui , Zhang Lizhou , Guo Yan , Chang Jing , Peng Shoujiao , Ojha Amrita , Tavora Rubens , Parcells Mark S. , Luo Guangxiang , Li Wenhui , Zhong Guocai , Choe Hyeryun , Farzan Michael
Published: November 2020

The SARS-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein mediates viral entry into cells expressing the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The S protein engages ACE2 through its receptor-binding domain (RBD), an independently folded 197-amino acid fragment of the 1273-amino acid S-protein protomer. The RBD is the primary SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing epitope and a critical target of any SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Here we show that this RBD conjugated to each of two carrier proteins elicited more potent neutralizing responses in immunized rodents than did a similarly conjugated proline-stabilized S-protein ectodomain. Nonetheless, the native RBD expresses inefficiently, limiting its usefulness as a vaccine antigen. However, we show that an RBD engineered with four novel glycosylation sites (gRBD) expresses markedly more efficiently, and generates a more potent neutralizing responses as a DNA vaccine antigen, than the wild-type RBD or the full-length S protein, especially when fused to multivalent carriers such as anH. pyloriferritin 24-mer. Further, gRBD is more immunogenic than the wild-type RBD when administered as a subunit protein vaccine. Our data suggest that multivalent gRBD antigens can reduce costs and doses, and improve the immunogenicity, of all major classes of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
Growth and business cycle in Argentina. A long-run approach, 1870–2015
Authors: Dolores Gadea María , Sanz-Villarroya Isabel
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to focus deeply on the short term to explain the relative long-term evolution of the Argentinian economy in the long and the short term.

Design/methodology/approach

The study of the long-term evolution of the Argentine economy and identifying the moment in which it began to lose ground compared to other developed economies, such as Australia and Canada, constitutes the central axis of the historiography of this country. However, an additional problem presented by the Argentine economy is its high volatility. For this reason, the long term should be influenced by the short term, an issue that requires a more detailed study of the cyclical behavior and a deep analysis of the relationship between the long and the short term.

Findings

The results obtained point to a cyclical development that influences the long-term evolution and, therefore, explains Argentina’s convergence process with Australia and Canada. Frequent deep busts and short booms characterize the Argentine cycle, offsetting its long-term growth potential.

Originality/value

Although the long term has been profusely studied in Argentina, the short term has not been analyzed to the same extent, which is surprising given the extreme volatility of this economy (Prebisch, 1950). The studies performed on economic cycles have always been partial, disconnected from the long term and carried out without much technical rigor.
Higher education between massification and quality
Authors: Noui Rabah
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the policy of massification as a characteristic of the higher education system influences the quality of education? and what higher education model can the authors adopt to reconcile flow and quality?

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology adopted is based on a questionnaire survey of a population of young graduates divided between graduates with a conventional license and LMD license, either in the process of preparing for a diploma or in unemployment or work. But also, the qualitative dimension which, although secondary in this survey, the authors mobilized it through the analysis of open questions relating to the perceptions and representations that young graduates have of their situations.

Findings

The higher education reforms are perceived differently by higher education actors. The results found show that university massification has had the opposite effect by training graduates doomed to unemployment and expatriation.

Research limitations/implications

The sample for this study is very limited, the results of this finding cannot be generalized to the entire university student as a whole.

Originality/value

This study emphasizes the duality of flow and quality in higher education. The authors have shown the different perceptions of stakeholders in higher education and that despite the multiple reforms of this system the authors still cannot find the best model.
I am engaged, therefore my students are satisfied! Unleashing the role of teachers' interaction and sensitivity based on self-determination perspective
Authors: Bilal Ahmad Raza , Fatima Tehreem , Bin Dost Khyzer , Imran Muhammad Kashif
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Students' satisfaction is termed as their subjective evaluation of the fulfillment of expectations and pleasure experienced from the teaching services. This study intends to examine the role of teachers' work engagement in inculcating students' satisfaction from their teachers taking a self-determination perspective. It moreover highlights the underlying mechanisms of teacher–student interaction and teachers' sensitivity.

Design/methodology/approach

We used 278 valid and matched responses from teachers and students of higher secondary/intermediate/degree colleges operating in Pakistan through multi-stage sampling. The data were gathered in three waves and multiple mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS model 4 to analyze the data and infer results.

Findings

The results revealed that college teachers' work engagement (i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption) is required to create their willingness and motivation to invest in effective pedagogical decisions and inculcate students' satisfaction. This engagement, in turn, improves their interaction with students and makes them more sensitive in meeting the needs of students that causes students to have satisfying educational experiences.

Originality/value

This research has taken a unique standpoint of considering teachers' engagement as a precursor of students' satisfaction, in contrast to the prior focus on assessing the role of institutional dynamics, demographics and teachers' competence. It has also unraveled the role of teachers' sensitivity and student–teacher interaction in the above-mentioned association based on self-determination theory (SDT). Moreover, it has emphasized the teaching dynamics and its outcomes in the college sector instead of the much-examined university and school settings.
Internal control, risk and Sharīʿah non-compliant income in Islamic financial institutions
Authors: Hanefah Mustafa Mohd , Kamaruddin Muhammad Iqmal Hisham , Salleh Supiah , Shafii Zurina , Zakaria Nurazalia
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The existence of internal control for Sharīʿah-compliance promotes reasonable assurance that the Islamic financial institution’s (IFI’s) objectives are achieved in the following categories, namely, the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, the reliability of financial reporting and the level of compliance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as accounting and auditing standards. Sharīʿah non-compliant income (SNCI) is an important issue in IFIs’ operations. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify issues related to governance and internal control of SNCI in selected IFIs in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a case study approach to gather data on the measures of governance and risk management in relation to the internal control for SNCI in IFIs. Interviews were conducted with officers of the Sharīʿah and internal audit departments on internal control practices regarding SNCI.

Findings

Regulator’s guidelines on SNCI are simple and brief, lacking rigour in terms of governance, risk management and audit procedures. The section on SNCI is only a brief statement within the Bank Negara Malaysia’s Guidelines on Financial Reporting for Islamic Banking Institutions and also in the Operational Risk Integrated Online Network system operated by IFIs. Most of the respondents in the interviews suggested that there should be a proper guideline in determining the classification of SNCI. Second, although IFIs have established the purification account to manage SNCI, the real practice varies from one IFI to another. Third, although there are supposedly documented procedures established in relation to management and administration of SNCI, the following events still occur in practice, namely, no authorisation from the Sharīʿah Committee (SC) on various types of income channelled to the SNCI account; unauthorised use of SNCI for other purposes; SNCI not being reported in the annual financial reports; and distribution of SNCI prior to obtaining the SC’s consent. Fourth, there is an absence of Sharīʿah risk assessment conducted on operational risk by IFIs to identify any potential Sharīʿah non-compliant event.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to the importance of Islamic corporate governance theory and Sharīʿah risk management, as well as strengthening the case for reporting SNCI to shareholders. It also contributes to the body of knowledge on the capability of the management in managing the internal control system of IFIs’ SNCI.

Originality/value

A new internal control assessment matrix is proposed for Sharīʿah-compliance in IFIs.
Accessible services for smart societies in learning
Authors: Altinay Fahriye , Ossiannilsson Ebba , Altinay Zehra , Dagli Gokmen
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This research study aims to evaluate the capacity and sustainability of an accessible society as a smart society and services with the help of MOOCs and assistive technologies within the learning analytics framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative research was employed in this research that interview forms were conducted to get data from 60 participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data.

Findings

Research results revealed that MOOCs and assertive technologies are crucial for smart society and opens a map for open pedagogy. Accessible media, services and applications in smart societies are key elements for disabled people lives.

Research limitations/implications

Research is limited to numbers of research participants in northern part of Cyprus.

Practical implications

Establishing strategies and policies for the smart and accessible society and services are intensified need for the disabled people within the framework of learning analytics.

Social implications

Assistive technologies become medium of facilitating accessible and smart society and services for everyone.

Originality/value

Education plays a great role to enrich services of societies in order to create inclusive efforts to the life of disabled people. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) underline the main theme of making inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. In this respect, accessibility, inclusiveness, equity, equality, quality for lifelong learning are main components to foster accessible and smart society for everyone. Integrating the importance of learning analytics creates a value for understanding of being smart society.
Implementation of 3D printing and the effect on decision making in logistics management
Authors: Hecker Stefan
Published: November 2020

Purpose

From a synthesis of literature, the purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual service development methodology showing the impact of 3D printing as a disruptive technology to the service portfolio. The methodology is designed to support practitioners and academics in better understanding the impact of disruptive technologies may have to the service portfolio and participate in the technology.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review is conducted and based on these findings a conceptual framework has been developed.

Findings

The design of a methodology for the development of 3D printing services is used to evaluate the disruption potential of 3D printing and to implement the technology in the service portfolio of a logistics service provider. The disruption potential of 3D printing influences a logistics manager by make to order decisions. In addition, it could be proven the service portfolio was diversified.

Research limitations/implications

Literature directly dealing with technology-based service development for decision making in logistics management is rare and thus the methodology is built on insights, compiled from the distinct research areas. Further research should be performed on this nascent topic.

Practical implications

Logistics service providers may use the developed methodology to revise their service portfolio by the consideration of disruptive technologies, in order to reduce strategic misdecisions regarding the range of services.

Originality/value

This paper looks specifically at decision making for implementing disruptive technologies to the service portfolio.
Effects of fiscal credibility on sovereign risk: evidence using comprehensive credit rating measures
Authors: Montes Gabriel Caldas , Costa Julyara
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Since sovereign ratings provided by credit rating agencies (CRAs) are a key determinant of the interest rates a country faces in the international financial market and once sovereign ratings may have a constraining impact on the ratings assigned to domestic banks or companies, some studies have focused on identifying the determinants of sovereign credit risk assessments provided by CRAs. In particular, this study estimates the effect of fiscal credibility on sovereign risk using four different comprehensive credit rating (CCR) measures obtained from CRAs' announcements and two different fiscal credibility indicators.

Design/methodology/approach

We build comprehensive credit rating (CCR) measures to capture sovereign risk. These measures are calculated using sovereign ratings, the rating outlooks and credit watches issued by the three main credit rating agencies (S&P, Moody's and Fitch) for long-term foreign-currency Brazilian bonds. Based on monthly data from 2003 to 2018, we use different econometric estimation techniques in order to provide robust results.

Findings

The results indicate that fiscal credibility exerts both short- and long-run effects on sovereign risk perception, and macroeconomic fundamentals are important long-run determinants.

Practical implications

Since fiscal credibility reflects the government's ability to maintain budgetary balance and sustainable public debt, the government should keep its commitment to responsible fiscal policies so as not to deteriorate expectations formed by financial market experts about the fiscal scenario and, thus, to achieve better credit assessments issued by CRAs with respect to sovereign debt bonds. Sovereign credit rating assessment is a voluntary practice. It is up to the country whether they want to apply for a rating assessment or not. Thus, without a sovereign rating, one must find an alternative to measure the sovereign risk of a country. In this sense, an important practical implication that this study provides is that fiscal credibility can be used as a leading indicator of sovereign risk perceptions obtained from CRAs or even as a proxy for sovereign risk.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to verify how important the expectations of financial market experts in relation to the fiscal effort required to keep public debt at a sustainable level (i.e. fiscal credibility) are to sovereign risk perception of credit rating agencies. In this sense, the study is the first to address this relation, and thus it contributes to the literature that seeks to understand the determinants of sovereign ratings in emerging countries.
Enhancing the effects of university education for sustainable development on social sustainability: the role of social capital and real-world learning
Authors: Rey-Garcia Marta , Mato-Santiso Vanessa
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the roles that social capital and real-world learning may play in enhancing the effects of university education for sustainable development (ESD) on social sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework that identifies the plausible effects of university ESD on social sustainability along three outcome dimensions (think-act-leverage), broadening desirable program learning outcomes and proposing enabling roles for social capital and real-world learning, is substantiated and validated through qualitative insights from a focus group. The framework serves to structure a survey to alumni of a postgraduate program in sustainability (2011–2018). Hierarchical clustering analysis is used to identify differences in perceived, sustainability-related effects of the program on direct beneficiaries and their relationship with stakeholders in their communities.

Findings

Implementation of real-world learning in partnership with organizations in the community that actively involves alumni not only extends desirable effects beyond individual program learning outcomes and outside the academia but may also renew them over time.

Practical implications

University administrators should foster the creation of new social capital of students and alumni and their commitment with service learning and other credit-bearing opportunities as actionable enablers to enhance the social sustainability effects of university ESD.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to a dual theoretical and empirical void related to the effects of university ESD on the social dimension of sustainability through the proposal of a conceptual framework and quantitative assessment of the dynamic effects of university ESD at the local level.
Social gamification affordances in the green IT services: perspectives from recognition and social overload
Authors: Huang Jialiang , Zhou Liyun
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Recently, both practitioners and researchers are beginning to recognize the great potential of social gamification in green information technology (IT) services. This study focuses on the roles of three social gamification affordances (interactivity, cooperation and competition) in gamified green IT services use, from the perspectives of recognition and social overload.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey is conducted to examine the research model using structural equation modeling with users of Ant Forest, which is an example of green IT services in China.

Findings

Results indicate that interactivity, cooperation and competition can positively affect recognition, which further positively affects green IT services use; however, interactivity and cooperation can increase social overload, which negatively affects green IT services use.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights into the effects of social gamification affordances in green IT services by investigating the effects of interactivity, cooperation and competition on recognition and social overload. In addition, this study highlights the positive effect of recognition and negative effect of social overload on gamified green IT services use, extending the literature reviews surrounding gamified services use.
Distributed leadership and exploratory and exploitative innovations: mediating roles of tacit and explicit knowledge sharing and organizational trust
Authors: Berraies Sarra , Hamza Khadija Aya , Chtioui Rached
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to highlight the impact of distributed leadership (DL) on exploitative and exploratory innovations through the mediating effects of organizational trust (OT) and tacit and explicit knowledge sharing (KS).

Design/methodology/approach

Focusing on a quantitative approach, an empirical study was performed within a sample of information and communication technology Tunisian firms. The data collected was analyzed through the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method.

Findings

Findings revealed that DL is a driver of tacit and explicit KS, and exploitative and exploratory innovations. It also highlighted that tacit KS is associated with these two types of innovation. In this line, results showed that tacit KS plays a mediating effect between DL and exploitative and exploratory innovations. Moreover, our research highlighted that DL has a positive impact on OT that in turn boosts tacit and explicit KS.

Originality/value

This paper investigates the links between DL and exploitative and exploratory innovations within knowledge intensive firms (KIFs) that have never been studied in the literature within the context of business firms. This paper pioneers the examination of the mediating roles of explicit and tacit KS and OT in these links as well. This paper highlights the importance of DL for KIFs and sheds the light on how this collectivist approach of leadership creates an atmosphere of trust and fosters tacit and explicit KS to boost exploitative and exploratory innovations.
Bibliometric analysis of a controversial paper on predatory publishing
Authors: Tsigaris Panagiotis , Teixeira da Silva Jaime A.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

In 2017, one study (Derek Pyne; Journal of Scholarly Publishing; DOI: 10.3138/jsp.48.3.137; University of Toronto Press) in the “predatory” publishing literature attracted global media attention. Now, over three years, according to adjusted Google Scholar data, with 53 citations (34 in Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science), that paper became that author's most cited paper, accounting for one-third of his Google Scholar citations.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors conducted a bibliometric analysis of the authors who cited that paper.

Findings

We found that out of the 39 English peer-reviewed journal papers, 11 papers (28%) critically assessed Pyne's findings, some of which even refuted those findings. The 2019 citations of the Pyne (2017) paper caused a 43% increase in the Journal of Scholarly Publishing 2019 Journal Impact Factor, which was 0.956, and a 7.7% increase in the 2019 CiteScore.

Originality/value

The authors are of the opinion that scholars and numerous media that cited the Pyne (2017) paper were unaware of its flawed findings.
Digital fabrication of removable partial dentures made of titanium alloy and zirconium silicate micro-ceramic using a combination of additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies
Authors: Zhang Yan , Li Kai , Yu Hai , Wu Jiang , Gao Bo
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to present a new design for removable partial dentures (RPDs) for partially edentulous patients to improve the efficiency and quality of RPD manufacturing. Additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies and zirconium silicate micro-ceramic bonding in the aesthetic zone are used herein.

Design/methodology/approach

A case was presented. First, RPD digital definitive casts were acquired, and then digital frameworks with crown retainers and digital crowns were obtained by computer-aided design (CAD). The titanium alloy frameworks and resin crowns were fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) processes, respectively. The crowns adhered to the crown retainers. Ceramage bonding was used to reform the gingival anatomy in the aesthetic zone during the fabrication of the RPDs. The finished RPDs were assessed by a clinician and delivered to the patient.

Findings

The RPDs were conventionally assessed by a clinician, were deemed to be accurate and satisfied both the patient and clinician.

Originality/value

This novel method provides a way to fabricate RPDs with a combination of additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies. The design of the framework was different from that of a conventional framework because it contained the crown retainers, and the traditional base retainer no longer existed. Ceramage bonding was used to replicate the gingival anatomy in the aesthetic zone. The new RPDs provided accuracy and were less time-consuming to produce than those produced with the traditional method. The new method enables the digital manufacturing of nearly the entire RPDs.
Attachment style and clinical outcome within a DBT-informed Therapeutic Community
Authors: Dunlop Brendan James , McFetridge Mark Andrew
Published: November 2020

Purpose

There is evidence that attachment style and clinical outcomes are related within Therapeutic Communities (TCs). This paper aims to examine any possible relationships between self-reported adult attachment style, therapy programme engagement and measures of psychological distress and dissociation on admission and discharge within a residential TC.

Design/methodology/approach

Ex-clients of the TC were contacted by post and invited to take part in this service evaluation. Additional data were sourced from a database of routinely collected outcome measures. Of 281 ex-clients, the final sample in this study was N = 32.

Findings

When attachment style is conceptualised dimensionally, participants identified most strongly with a fearful attachment style, and least with a preoccupied or secure style. A range of attachment styles were reported. A significant association was apparent between self-reported secure attachment and reduced levels of psychological distress upon discharge from the TC. The potential for changes in client attachment patterns following TC membership is discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The small sample size and correlational nature of this study means that results should be interpreted cautiously. Nevertheless, results are of clinical relevance for inpatient or residential therapy programmes (including TCs). Such programmes should routinely assess client attachment style to ensure appropriate interventions and adaptions are implemented.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, to date, this is the first known study to report on the relationship between self-reported adult attachment style and psychological outcomes specifically for women with self-defeating behaviours within a TC.
Political trust during the Covid‐19 pandemic: Rally around the flag or lockdown effects?
Authors: SCHRAFF DOMINIK
Published: November 2020

How can we explain the rise in diffuse political support during the Covid‐19 pandemic? Recent research has argued that the lockdown measures generated political support. In contrast, I argue that the intensity of the pandemic rallied people around political institutions. Collective angst in the face of exponentially rising Covid‐19 cases depresses the usual cognitive evaluations of institutions and leads citizens to rally around existing intuitions as a lifebuoy. Using a representative Dutch household survey conducted over March 2020, I compare the lockdown effect to the dynamic of the pandemic. I find that the lockdown effect is driven by pre‐existing time trends. Accounting for non‐linearities in time makes the lockdown effect disappear. In contrast, more flexible modelling techniques reveal a robust effect of Covid‐19 infections on political trust. In line with an anxiety effect, I find that standard determinants of political trust – such as economic evaluations and social trust – lose explanatory power as the pandemic spreads. This speaks to an emotionally driven rally effect that pushes cognitive evaluations to the background.
Truly Preferential Treatment? Reconsidering the Generalised System of (Trade) Preferences with Competing Suppliers
Authors: Sharma Anupa , Grant Jason , Boys Kathryn
Published: November 2020

Empirical research on preferential treatment for developing economies has generally not considered how relative preferential margins might influence market access to a given destination market. In this paper, we develop and apply two indices to measure the tariff component of bilateral and multilateral trade restrictions less developed countries face in a given export destination. These indices are then used in a gravity model framework to re‐evaluate the trade effects of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). The trade facilitation impacts of the GSP are found to vary both across products and across export destinations. Overall results indicate that the GSP has increased relative market access of low‐income countries to developed country markets and boosted exports from these countries by 26–28%.
The potential effects of clinical antidiabetic agents on SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Qu Hua , Zheng Yi , Wang Yuren , Li Hongwei , Liu Xiufei , Xiong Xin , Zhang Linlin , Gu Jing , Yang Gangyi , Zhu Zhiming , Zheng Hongting , Ouyang Qin
Published: November 2020

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is currently posing significant threats to public health worldwide. It is notable that a substantial proportion of patients with sever COVID‐19 have coexisting diabetic conditions, indicating the progression and outcome of COVID‐19 may relate to diabetes. However, it is still unclear whether diabetic treatment principles can be used for the treatment of COVID‐19.

Methods

We conducted a computational approach to screen all commonly used clinical oral hypoglycemic drugs to identify the potential inhibitors for the main protease (Mpro) of SARS‐CoV‐2, which is one of the key drug targets for anti‐COVID‐19 drug discovery.

Results

Six antidiabetic drugs with docking scores higher than 8.0 (cutoff value), including repaglinide, canagliflozin, glipizide, gliquidone, glimepiride, and linagliptin, were predicted as the promising inhibitors of Mpro. Interestingly, repaglinide, one of the six antidiabetic drugs with the highest docking score for Mpro, was similar to a previously predicted active molecule nelfinavir, which is a potential anti‐HIV and anti‐COVID‐19 drug. Moreover, we found repaglinide shared similar docking pose and pharmacophores with a reported ligand (N3 inhibitor) and nelfinavir, demonstrating that repaglinide would interact with Mpro in a similar way.

Conclusion

These results indicated that these six antidiabetic drugs may have an extra effect on the treatment of COVID‐19, although further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
Immune microenvironment features and efficacy of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade in non‐small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR or HER2 exon 20 insertions
Authors: Chen Kaiyan , Pan Guoqiang , Cheng Guoping , Zhang Fanrong , Xu Yanjun , Huang Zhiyu , Fan Yun
Published: November 2020

Background

Insertions in exon 20 (Ex20ins) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are relatively insensitive to first‐ and second‐generation EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to investigate the immune microenvironment features and efficacy of PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade of NSCLC with EGFR and HER2 Ex20ins.

Methods

Clinical characteristics, coexisting mutations, and outcomes to EGFR‐TKIs and immune checkpoint blockade were reviewed for NSCLC patients with exon 20 mutations of EGFR or HER2. Data obtained included the molecular spectrum (extended genotyping for mutations in 324 cancer‐related genes), as well as tumor mutational burden (TMB), PD‐L1 protein expression, and the abundance of CD4+ and CD8+ tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).

Results

A total of 1270 NSCLC patients were identified. Of these, 504 (39.7%) cases had EGFR mutations and 6.9% (35/504) of them had EGFR Ex20ins. Meanwhile, 21 (1.7%) cases with HER2 Ex20ins were detected. Comprehensive genomic profiling identified A767_V769dup variant (25.0%) was the most common type in tumors with EGFR Ex20ins. Co‐occurring mutations were not uncommon including TP53 (45%), PIK3CA (20%), CDKN2A (10%), and EGFR amplification (20%). The average TMB was 3.3 mutations/megabase. PD‐L1 expression in patients with EGFR Ex20ins was significantly higher than for those with HER2 mutations (48.6% vs. 19.0%, P = 0.027). High TMB and PD‐L1 expression was independently associated with significantly poor prognosis (P = 0.025, P = 0.045, respectively) while there was no association between CD4+/CD8+ TILs and prognosis in EGFR or HER2 mutant NSCLC. Finally, patients harboring EGFR Ex20ins seemed to be sensitive to PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockage whereas it showed limited efficacy in patients with HER2 Ex20ins.

Conclusions

NSCLC patients with EGFR/HER2 Ex20ins had similar genomic characteristics and distinct immune features. Patients with EGFR Ex20ins had significantly higher PD‐L1 expression than those with HER2 mutations, which may be the potential reason for the different responses to PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockage.
Digital Assets and Blockchain: Hackable, Fraudulent, or Just Misunderstood?*
Authors: Castonguay John “Jack” , Stein Smith Sean
Published: November 2020

Unhackable. Immutable. Fraud‐proof. These terms are frequently used to describe cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology that underpins them. Together, they imply that a high degree of safety accompanies cryptocurrencies and blockchain ledgers. But is this understanding supported by the facts, or is it more based on the promise and theoretical construction of blockchain and cryptocurrencies? To better answer this question, we have compiled and analyzed existing research on initial coin offerings, security offerings, blockchain hacks and thefts, and data breaches of blockchain‐based platforms and digital wallets. In contrast to the popular press, we find that in practice, blockchain and cryptocurrencies are more prone to malfeasance, fraud, and manipulation than is commonly understood. The security and trust provided by blockchain as a technology tool are only as secure as the underlying code that establishes the blockchain, and the value derived from cryptocurrencies is only as trustworthy as the entity developing the cryptocurrency. Neither are without their vulnerabilities. Skepticism and proper due diligence should be maintained for any entity looking to utilize blockchain technology or invest in cryptocurrencies.
Interleukin‐9 produced by helper T cells stimulates interleukin‐8 expression in endometriosis
Authors: Tarumi Yosuke , Mori Taisuke , Okimura Hiroyuki , Maeda Eiko , Tanaka Yukiko , Kataoka Hisashi , Ito Fumitake , Koshiba Akemi , Kusuki Izumi , Kitawaki Jo
Published: November 2020

Problem

Inflammation and immune responses play crucial roles in the development of endometriosis. Although interleukin‐9 (IL‐9) has a pro‐inflammatory function in chronic inflammatory diseases, its function in endometriosis remains unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the significance of IL‐9 and IL‐9‐producing lymphocytes in endometriosis.

Method of study

Specimens were obtained from patients with and without endometriosis. Peritoneal fluid (PF), peripheral blood (PB), and ovarian endometrioma (OE) tissues were analyzed for the proportion of CD4+IL‐9+ lymphocytes and IL‐9 concentration using flow cytometry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. OE, endometrium with endometriosis (EE), and normal endometrium (NE) were analyzed for IL‐9 receptor (IL‐9R) expression using immunohistochemical staining. IL‐9‐dependent changes in Interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) expression in endometrial stromal cells from OE (OESCs) were evaluated using real‐time PCR.

Results

The proportion of CD4+IL‐9+ lymphocytes was higher in the PF, but not the PB, of patients with endometriosis than individuals without endometriosis (p < .05). However, IL‐9 levels in the PF did not differ between those with and without endometriosis. We detected CD4+ IL‐9+ lymphocytes in OE tissues and IL‐9R in OE tissues and OESCs. In OESC culture, IL‐9 significantly elevated IL‐8 expression in a dose‐dependent manner (p < .05), which was nullified by the addition of the anti‐IL‐9 receptor antibody. Furthermore, IL‐9 additively stimulated IL‐8 expression in the presence of TNF‐α (p < .05).

Conclusion

Our findings show that IL‐9 produced by helper T cells induces IL‐8 expression, suggesting that IL‐9 plays an important role in the development of endometriosis by stimulating IL‐8 expression.
The Haemostasis Traffic Light, a user‐centred coagulation management tool for acute bleeding situations: a simulation‐based randomised dual‐centre trial
Authors: Kataife E. D. , Said S. , Braun J. , Roche T. R. , Rössler J. , Kaserer A. , Spahn D. R. , Mileo F. G. , Tscholl D. W.
Published: November 2020

The Haemostasis Traffic Light is a cognitive aid with a user‐centred design to enhance and simplify situation awareness and decision‐making during peri‐operative bleeding. Its structure helps to prioritise therapeutic interventions according to the pathophysiology and the severity of the bleeding. This investigator‐initiated, randomised, prospective, international, dual‐centre study aimed to validate the Haemostasis Traffic Light by adapting it to the local coagulation protocols of two university hospitals. Between 9 January and 12 May 2020, we recruited 84 participants at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, and the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Each centre included 21 resident and 21 staff anaesthetists. Participants were randomly allocated to either the text‐based algorithm or the Haemostasis Traffic Light. All participants managed six bleeding scenarios using the same algorithm. In simulated bleeding scenarios, the design of the Haemostasis Traffic Light algorithm enabled more correctly solved cases, OR (95%CI) 7.23 (3.82–13.68), p < 0.001, and faster therapeutic decisions, HR (95%CI) 1.97 (1.18–3.29, p = 0.010). In addition, the tool improved therapeutic confidence, OR (95%CI) 4.31 (1.67–11.11, p = 0.003), and reduced perceived work‐load coefficient (95%CI) −6.1 (−10.98 to −1.22), p = 0.020). This study provides empirical evidence for the importance of user‐centred design in the development of haemostatic management protocols.
Hypothermic machine perfusion can safely prolong cold ischemia time in deceased donor kidney transplantation. A retrospective analysis on postoperative morbidity and graft function
Authors: Adani Gian Luigi , Pravisani Riccardo , Tulissi Patrizia , Isola Miriam , Calini Giacomo , Terrosu Giovanni , Boscutti Giuliano , Avital Itzhak , Ekser Burcin , Baccarani Umberto
Published: November 2020

In deceased donor kidney transplantation (KT), a prolonged cold ischemia time (CIT) is a negative prognostic factor for KT outcome, and the efficacy of hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) in prolonging CIT without any additional hazard is highly debated. We conducted a retrospective study on a cohort of 154 single graft deceased donor KTs, in which a delayed HMP, after a preliminary period of static cold storage (SCS), was used to prolong CIT for logistic reasons. Primary outcomes were postoperative complications as well as 1 year graft survival and function. 73 cases (47.4%) were managed with HMP and planned KT, while 81 (52.6%) with SCS and urgent KT. The median CIT in HMP group and SCS group was 29 hour:57 minutes [27‐31 hour:45 minutes] and 11 hour:25 minutes [9‐14 hour:30 minutes], respectively (P < .001). The period of SCS in the HMP group was significantly shorter than in the SCS group (10 vs. 11 hour:25 minutes, P = .02) as well as the prevalence of expanded criteria donors was significantly higher (43.8% vs. 18.5%, P < .01). After propensity score matching for these two baseline characteristics, the HMP and SCS groups showed comparable outcomes in terms of delayed graft function, vascular, and urologic complications, infections, and episodes of graft rejection. At 1 year follow‐up, serum creatinine levels were comparable between the groups. Therefore, the use of HMP to prolong the CIT and convert KT into a planned procedure seemed to have an adequate safety profile, with outcomes comparable to KT managed as an urgent procedure and a CIT nearly three time shorter.
Multimodal imaging comparison of perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex and resembling lesions
Authors: Smid Lisette M. , Verhoekx Jennifer S. N. , Martinez Ciriano José P. , Vermeer Koenraad A. , Yzer Suzanne
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex (PEVAC) was initially described as an isolated aneurysmal lesion in healthy eyes. Similar aneurysmal abnormalities may occur in association with retinal vascular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy or retinal vein occlusions (PEVAC‐resembling). The aim of this study was to compare several imaging characteristics of PEVAC and PEVAC‐resembling lesions.

Methods

Ten eyes with a PEVAC and 27 eyes with a PEVAC‐resembling lesion were included in this cross‐sectional study. They were all imaged with optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCT‐A) and colour fundus photography (CFP). Several clinical, morphological and vascular characteristics were assessed and compared between both PEVAC types.

Results

All PEVAC lesions were unilateral, while PEVAC‐resembling lesions appeared bilateral in 23% of patients (p > 0.05). Unilateral multifocal PEVAC‐resembling lesions were more frequently observed (56%) than unilateral multifocal PEVAC lesions (10%, p < 0.01). Furthermore, 90% of the PEVAC lesions were located within 500 µm from the centre of the fovea, while this was only true for 56% of the PEVAC‐resembling lesions (p > 0.05). No notable differences were observed in other studied characteristics.

Conclusions

The clinical, morphological and vascular features of PEVAC and PEVAC‐resembling lesions are similar based on multimodal imaging. Given the bilaterality and multifocality seen in PEVAC‐resembling lesions, an underlying retinal vascular disease may stimulate the quantity of aneurysmal abnormalities. Due to the similarities with PEVAC‐resembling lesions, PEVAC may also be considered a microangiopathy but with an unknown origin.