bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping the concepts evoked by a destination: an approach to the study of a holistic destination image
Authors: Guzman-Parra Vanesa F. , Trespalacios Gutierrez Juan , Vila-Oblitas José Roberto
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study aims to demonstrate the application of computer-aided text analysis (CATA) software in identifying primary associations and impressions of a specified tourist destination.

Design/methodology/approach

The Leximancer software is applied on primary information to analyze the concepts evoked by a destination. Because no specific planning has been done for destination image marketing strategies for rural tourism in Andalusia, this study visualizes and determines clusters of the main attributes associated with this destination.

Findings

The analysis identifies the main clusters among associations and impressions of the destination that can be useful in developing strategies.

Research limitations/implications

Only a target segment is studied, with a relatively small sample size.

Practical implications

Leximancer can not only be applied to online user-generated content, but primary information can also be mapped to generate a holistic destination image. Furthermore, identification of the relevant attributes and impressions can serve to identify unique assets to help tourism organizations develop a destination.

Social implications

Several implications concerning destination marketing are outlined.

Originality/value

Although previous studies have applied Leximancer and other CATA software, the present research uses a new approach. Deriving the primary information on destination image using an unstructured methodology, the concepts evoked by a destination are mapped. Because there is a lack of research on rural tourism in Andalusia and its destination image, its associated attributes are studied.
Resisting to Game of Thrones: a fannish agonism
Authors: Camargo Thiago Ianatoni , de Souza-Leão André Luiz Maranhão , Moura Bruno Melo
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Fans have been characterized as specialized consumers who often express disagreements with the entertainment industry's decisions, especially when it comes to the original content of the works that serve as the basis for the development of media products, evidencing a kind of consumer resistance. Under a Foucauldian perspective aligned with the consumer culture theory (CCT), power relations are established in a dynamic of power exercise and resistance to power. Based on this, the authors pose the following research question: how do fans of media products resist the changes made by the entertainment industry in relation to their canons?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted the Foucault's genealogy of power as a method, analyzing the comments posted on the Westeros.Org website, the main discussion forum of fans of A Song of Ice and Fire (ASoIaF) book series and Game of Thrones (GoT) TV series.

Findings

The findings reveal ways of resistance in relation to the adaptation of the media text permeated by an entertainment dispositif, which considers the adaptation legitimate, and a fannish dispositif, which criticizes the way this adaptation was made. However, their empirical categories reveal that they are forged not only from singularities but also from overlaps. The authors conclude, therefore, that this process occurs in an agonist way, in which conflicts are fought as a reciprocal incitement revealing a productive and ethical relationship.

Originality/value

The agonism shows how consumers can simultaneously be led to incorporate and resist to discourses and market practices. This demonstrates how resistance is not necessarily a force opposed to another, but a dynamic of reciprocal negotiation.
BUD23–TRMT112 interacts with the L protein of Borna disease virus and mediates the chromosomal tethering of viral ribonucleoproteins
Authors: Garcia Bea Clarise B. , Horie Masayuki , Kojima Shohei , Makino Akiko , Tomonaga Keizo
Published: July 2021

Persistent intranuclear infection is an uncommon infection strategy among RNA viruses. However, Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV‐1), a nonsegmented, negative‐strand RNA virus, maintains viral infection in the cell nucleus by forming structured aggregates of viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs), and by tethering these vRNPs onto the host chromosomes. To better understand the nuclear infection strategy of BoDV‐1, we determined the host protein interactors of the BoDV‐1 large (L) protein. By proximity‐dependent biotinylation, we identified several nuclear host proteins interacting with BoDV‐1 L, one of which is TRMT112, a partner of several methyltransferases (MTases). TRMT112 binds with BoDV‐1 L at the RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase domain, together with BUD23, an 18S ribosomal RNA MTase and 40S ribosomal maturation factor. We then discovered that BUD23–TRMT112 mediates the chromosomal tethering of BoDV‐1 vRNPs, and that the MTase activity is necessary in the tethering process. These findings provide us a better understanding on how nuclear host proteins assist the chromosomal tethering of BoDV‐1, as well as new prospects of host–viral interactions for intranuclear infection strategy of orthobornaviruses.
Frequency‐dependent seismic properties in layered and fractured rocks with partial saturation
Authors: Xu Denghui , Han Tongcheng , Fu Li‐Yun
Published: July 2021

Seismic waves propagating in a fractured porous rock with fluids can be greatly attenuated due to the wave‐induced fluid flow, including the macroscopic Biot flow, the mesoscopic interlayer fluid flow and the microscopic squirt flow. However, the comprehensive effects of the above wave‐induced fluid flows on the frequency‐dependent seismic properties in layered and fractured rocks with partial saturation are still poorly understood. To obtain such knowledge, we present a superposition approach accounting for the dispersion and attenuation induced by the multi‐scale wave‐induced fluid flows in the above‐mentioned target rocks, and study the influences of the water saturation, layer thickness ratio and fracture properties (i.e. fracture density and fracture aspect ratio) on the frequency‐dependent vertical P‐wave velocity (VP0). The results demonstrate that the increasing water saturation enhances the dispersion and attenuation of VP0 in the full frequency band, and the varying layer thickness ratio not only affects the dispersion and attenuation induced by the interlayer fluid flow, but also influences those caused by the Biot flow and squirt flow. The fracture properties are also found to significantly impact the seismic properties of the target rock. In addition to its effects on the squirt flow, the increasing fracture density is shown to weaken the dispersion and attenuation induced by the Biot flow, and enhance those caused by the interlayer fluid flow. The obtained results provide new insights into the frequency‐dependent seismic properties in the partially saturated layered rocks with fractures, and the knowledge gained from these results has important practical applications for the successful interpretation of fluid and fracture properties applying the seismic exploration data acquired in fractured reservoirs.
Siliceous and non‐nutritious: Nitrogen limitation increases anti‐herbivore silicon defences in a model grass
Authors: Johnson Scott N. , Waterman Jamie M. , Wuhrer Richard , Rowe Rhiannon C. , Hall Casey R. , Cibils‐Stewart Ximena
Published: July 2021

Silicon (Si) accumulation alleviates a diverse array of environmental stresses in many plants, including conferring physical resistance against insect herbivores. It has been hypothesised that grasses, in particular, utilise ‘low metabolic cost’ Si for structural and defensive roles under nutrient limitation. While carbon (C) concentrations often negatively correlate with Si concentrations, the relationship between nitrogen (N) status and Si is more variable. Moreover, the impacts of N limitation on constitutive physical Si defences (e.g. silica and prickle cells) against herbivores are unknown.

We determined how N limitation affected Si deposition in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon and how changes in these constitutive defences impacted insect herbivore Helicoverpa armigera growth rates. We used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry in conjunction with X‐ray mapping (XRM) to quantify physical structures on leaves and determine Si deposition patterns. We also determined how N limitation and Si supply impacted the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway, the master regulator of induced defences against arthropod herbivores.

N limitation reduced shoot growth by over 40%, but increased root mass (+21%), leaf Si concentrations (+50%) and the density of silica (+28%) and flattened prickle (+76%) cells. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and XRM established that Si was being deposited in these structures, together with hooked prickle cells and macro‐hairs. Herbivore relative growth rates (RGR) were more than 115% lower in Si‐supplied plants compared to plants without Si supply and negatively correlated with leaf Si concentration and silica cell density. RGR was further reduced by N limitation and positively correlated with leaf N concentrations. Increases in JA concentrations following induction of the JA pathway were at least doubled by N limitation.

Synthesis. Si accumulation and deposition were highly regulated by N availability, with N limitation promoting both constitutive Si physical defences and induction of the JA defensive pathway, in line with the resource availability hypothesis. These results indicate that grasses use ‘low‐cost Si’ when resources are limited and suggest that plant productivity may benefit from optimising conventional fertilisers and Si fertilisation.
Can Africa raise export competitiveness through economic complexity? Evidence from (non)‐parametric panel techniques
Authors: Olasehinde‐Williams Godwin , Oshodi Ayodele Folorunso
Published: July 2021

Economic complexity is an indicator of a nation's productive capabilities. It therefore determines the nature and quality of the products that a country can put up for exports. This suggests that building economic complexity can serve as a channel through which African countries can boost export competitiveness. To this end, the impact of economic complexity on the export volume of Africa's top 10 exporting countries which jointly account for about 78% of total trade volume on the continent for the period 2000–2018, is examined. Employing a parametric common correlated effects mean group estimation technique and a non‐parametric time‐varying model with fixed effects technique, this study shows that economic complexity is indeed a determinant of export competitiveness. However, its effect is not as powerful as those of GDP, real exchange rate, trade openness and foreign direct investment. This suggests that, although policies that emphasize economic complexity are useful, they should not be treated as stand‐alone policies. Instead, governments should adopt holistic trade policy reforms that take economic complexity into account, along with other factors such as exchange rates, economic growth, trade openness and foreign direct investment.
PLANETARY URBAN INVOLUTION IN THE TOKYO SUBURBS
Authors: Faier Lieba
Published: July 2021

This article explores how the encounter between different and unequally positioned trajectories of urbanization has resulted in extreme forms of migrant labor exploitation, recently identified as ‘human trafficking’. Specifically, it examines how a landscape of such exploitation developed in Japan between the late 1970s and early 2000s as Filipina migrants came to work in a growing sex industry for foreign women. In this article I bring a feminist ‘encounters approach’ to planetary urbanization theory to argue that this landscape of exploitation is the consequence of planetary urban involution, a dark dynamic produced through the frictive encounter of discrepantly focused urbanizations in Japan and the Philippines. In this process, as the excesses of postcolonial urbanization in the Philippines rub against those of urbanization in Japan, a former metropole, labor exploitation intensifies, involutes and grows tightly wound in tandem with contemporary geopolitical inequalities. Planetary urban involution thus evokes the grim consequences that occur as growing numbers of displaced and dispossessed postcolonial subjects are drawn into ‘developed’ and ‘globalized’ capitalist economies, where they are widely viewed as disposable workers. In this dynamic, power and domination are exercised at the interface of the discrepant configurations of desire and inequality produced through differently situated urbanization processes.
THE ‘CITY’ AS TEXT
Authors: Jazeel Tariq
Published: July 2021

This commentary develops a postcolonial critique of urban studies, which it distinguishes and delineates from postcolonial urban studies. To do so it mobilizes tools from postcolonial literary theory, regional and area studies, and an older tradition of thinking in the new cultural geography from which the invocation of ‘the city as text’ stands as a methodological guidepost.
Pregnancy denial: a complex symptom with life context as a trigger? A prospective case–control study*
Authors: Delong H , Eutrope J , Thierry A , Sutter‐Dallay A‐L , Vulliez L , Gubler V , Saad Saint‐Gilles S , Tessier E , Le Foll J , Viaux S , Apter G , Danion A , Auer J , Rolland A‐C ,   the Pregnancy Denial Study Group
Published: July 2021

Objective

To identify risk factors for a woman to experience pregnancy denial.

Design, setting and population

A French multicentric prospective case–control study with 71 mother–infant dyads having experienced a pregnancy denial versus a control group of 71 dyads.

Methods

Data were collected in the week after delivery using an observational leaflet and two psychiatric scales (MINI and QSSP).

Main outcome measures

Statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding social, demographic, medical and psychiatric data.

Results

Not being in a stable relationship (odds ratio [OR] 17.18, 95% CI 3.37–87.60]; P < 0.0001), not having a high school diploma (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04–1.38]; P < 0.0001) and having a psychiatric history (OR 6.33, 95% CI 1.62–24.76; P = 0.0002) were risk factors to experience pregnancy denial, whereas being older was a protective factor (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.79–0.93; P = 0.0054) (logistic regression, Wald 95% CI). Other risk factors included late declarations of pregnancy history and past pregnancy denials (case n = 7, 9.7% versus 0% in controls; P = 0.01), past pregnancy denials in the family (case n = 13, 18% versus control n = 4, 5.6%; P = 0.03), and use of a contraceptive method (75% for cases versus 7% in control; P < 0.0001), primarily an oral contraceptive (75%).

Conclusion

Family or personal history of pregnancy denial should be part of the systematic anamnesis during the first visit of a patient of child‐bearing age. Further, our study points out that life context (young age, single status, socio‐economic precarity, pill‐based contraception) could be a trigger for pregnancy denial in certain women.

Tweetable abstract

Life context can be a trigger for pregnancy denial.
Pulse‐based snacks as functional foods: Processing challenges and biological potential
Authors: Escobedo Alejandro , Mojica Luis
Published: July 2021

Despite their high nutritional value and potential health benefits, pulse intake has not increased in the last three decades. Several strategies have been implemented to increase pulse consumption, such as their incorporation in bakery products, breakfast cereals, and snacks. The inclusion of pulses in these products could be an alternative to satisfy the consumers’ demand for healthy foods. However, pulse‐based snacks face important challenges, including reducing antinutritional factors, achieving consumer acceptance, and consolidating the pulse‐based snacks as functional foods. This review summarizes and discusses methods for producing snacks where cereals or tubers were replaced with at least 50% pulses. Also, it briefly assesses their effect on nutritional composition, antinutritional factors, sensory acceptance, and different health benefits evaluations. Extruded snacks exhibited high protein and dietary fiber and low fat content, contrary to the high fat content of deep fat–fried snacks. Meanwhile, baked snacks presented moderate concentrations of protein, dietary fiber, and lipids. Pulses must be pretreated using process combinations such as soaking, dehulling, cooking, fermentation, germination, and extrusion to reduce the antinutritional factors. Pulse‐based snacks show good sensory acceptance. However, sensory evaluation should be more rigorous using additional untrained judges. Several studies have evaluated the health benefits of pulse‐based snacks. More research is needed to validate scientifically the health benefits associated with their consumption. Pulse‐based snacks could be an alternative to improve the nutritional composition of commercially available snacks. The use of pulses as ingredients of healthier snacks represents an important alternative for the food industry due to their low cost, sensory characteristics, high nutritional profile, and environmental benefits.
Grading the severity of the rotator cuff tendinosis on MRI: Assessment of inter‐observer agreement and evaluation of a novel objective assessment tool
Authors: Pow Richard Eamon , Bokor Des , Deady Luke , D'Souza Mario , Ansari Salman
Published: July 2021

Introduction

MRI is generally considered the modality of choice for the assessment of rotator cuff pathology including tendinosis. Assessment of severity is currently subjective primarily based on tendon morphology and signal intensity. Limited data are available evaluating the inter‐observer agreement regarding the assessment of tendinosis severity.

Methods

One hundred and twenty‐four patients were prospectively enrolled in the study. Patients included were referred to two private radiology practices for shoulder MRI for any reason. Two musculoskeletal radiologists assessed the severity of tendinosis independently. Supraspinatus tendon signal was evaluated with a ROI and compared to the adjacent deltoid muscle signal, generating a ratio of tendon: muscle signal, termed the ‘objective TM ratio’. The relationship between the subjective assessment of tendinosis severity and objective ratio was examined. Inter‐observer agreement was also calculated.

Results

Tendinosis severity was graded as normal in 36 and 11 patients by readers 1 and 2, respectively, mild in 45 and 48 patients, moderate in 26 and 48 patients and severe in 10 and 10 patients. Inter‐observer agreement is classified as fair (0.31 kappa co‐efficient). Mean objective TM ratio increased on both the PD and TS F2 sequences as the subjective grade of tendinosis severity increased.

Conclusion

A novel means of evaluating rotator cuff tendinosis severity is presented, demonstrated to correlate with the subjective grade of tendinosis severity. Further research is required to assess the utility of such objective measurements across varying imaging protocols whilst understanding the inherent limitations with quantifying signal intensity on MRI.
A state‐wide study of dental comorbidities in psychiatric disorders resulting in avoidable emergency department presentations
Authors: Kisely S , Lalloo R
Published: July 2021

Background

Attendances at emergency departments (EDs) for dental conditions are unnecessary and come at a significant cost to health services.

Methods

A population‐based record‐linkage analysis of a retrospective cohort over 2 years across state‐based facilities in Queensland. This was to determine if people with mental illness were more likely than the general population to attend EDs for a range of non‐traumatic or avoidable dental conditions.

Results

There were 1 381 428 individuals in the linked database, of whom 177 157 (13%) had a psychiatric history and 22 046 (1.5%) had one or more avoidable dental presentations. These were toothache (n = 9619), dental abscesses (n = 8449), caries (n = 1826), stomatitis (n = 1213) and gum disease (n = 939). After adjusting for confounders, psychiatric patients were significantly more likely to present with toothache, dental abscesses and caries but not stomatitis or gum disease. Depending on the dental outcome, other risk factors were male sex, lower income, rurality and Indigenous status.

Conclusions

Given these findings, possible interventions should include an increased emphasis on assessing oral health in mental health or primary care, especially in non‐metropolitan areas, as well as early dental referral. Service planning for this population should including easier navigation of dental services, availability outside normal office hours and free outreach dental clinics.
Engineering a safe monoclonal anti‐human IL‐2 that is effective in a murine model of food allergy and asthma
Authors: Klein Martin , Misme‐Aucouturier Barbara , Cheminant Marie‐Aude , De Carvalho Marion , Wauters Marie , Tranquet Olivier , Magnan Antoine , Bouchaud Grégory
Published: July 2021

Background

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are known to protect against allergies. Moreover, the decrease in the frequency and efficiency of Tregs amplifies allergic symptoms.

Aim

This study investigated whether expanding Tregs in vivo with an IL‐2/IL‐2 antibody complex could be safe, well tolerated and efficient in a therapeutic setting in allergies.

Methods

We produced an anti‐IL‐2 antibody (1C6) and demonstrated that when it is complexed to human IL‐2, it increases IL‐2 efficiency to induce Tregs in vivo without any detectable side effects. Furthermore, the IL‐2/1C6 complex induces an increase in Helios expression by Tregs, suggesting that it not only elevated Treg numbers but also boosted their functions. Using mouse models of house‐dust‐mite‐induced airway inflammation and wheat‐gliadin‐induced food allergies, we investigated the therapeutic potential of the IL‐2/1C6 complex in allergies.

Results

IL‐2/1C6 treatment significantly reduced allergic symptoms, specific IgE production, the adaptive immune response and tissue damage. Interestingly, IL‐2/1C6 treatment modulated innate lymphoid cells by increasing ILC2s in asthma and decreasing ILC3s in food allergies.

Conclusion

In conclusion,complexed IL‐2/anti‐IL‐2 may restore Treg numbers and function in respiratory and food allergies, thereby improving allergic markers and symptoms. Our IL‐2/anti‐IL‐2 complex offers new hope for reestablishing immune tolerance in patients with allergies.
EAACI Biologicals Guidelines—Omalizumab for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria in adults and in the paediatric population 12–17 years old
Authors: Agache Ioana , Akdis Cezmi A. , Akdis Mubeccel , Brockow Knut , Chivato Tomas , del Giacco Stefano , Eiwegger Thomas , Eyerich Kilian , Giménez‐Arnau Ana , Gutermuth Jan , Guttman‐Yassky Emma , Maurer Marcus , Ogg Graham , Ong Peck Y. , O’Mahony Liam , Schwarze Jürgen , Warner Amena , Werfel Thomas , Palomares Oscar , Jutel Marek
Published: July 2021

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) imposes a significant burden on patients, families and healthcare systems. Management is difficult, due to disease heterogeneity and insufficient efficacy of classical drugs such as H1R‐antihistamines. Better understanding of the mechanisms has enabled a stratified approach to the management of CSU, supporting the use of targeted treatment with omalizumab. However, many practical issues including selection of responders, the definition of response, strategies to enhance the responder rate, the duration of treatment and its regimen (in the clinic or home‐based) and its cost‐effectiveness still require further clarification. The EAACI Guidelines on the use of omalizumab in CSU follow the GRADE approach in formulating recommendations for each outcome. In addition, future therapeutic approaches and perspectives as well as research priorities are discussed.
2 Reconfiguring Market Economy: Dimensions of Exchange and Social Relations at Teotihuacan
Authors: Murakami Tatsuya
Published: July 2021

Polanyi's categorical models of exchange systems (reciprocity, redistribution, and market exchange) have provided a powerful tool for characterizing ancient (and modern) economies. While such models are useful in some respects, they obscure variations within each economic system and similarities between different systems. This chapter explores different dimensions of exchange, including market exchange, as a methodological framework for assessing the nature of exchange systems. Then, it examines the nexus of economy and social relations and provides a more nuanced understanding of the variations and commonalities of economic systems using a case study from Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in pre‐Contact Mesoamerica (150–600 CE). [exchange, market economy, Polanyi, consumption approach]
7 Distributional Heuristics in Unlikely Places: Incipient Markets and Hidden Commerce
Authors: Hutson Scott R.
Published: July 2021

New World households engaged in multiple forms of exchange: markets, redistribution, gifting, debt, reciprocity, and more. Determining the degree of prominence of each of these forms in ancient economies gives clues to the economic basis of leadership and the daily lives of households. A major method for inferring forms of exchange from household assemblages is Hirth's distributional approach. This paper applies the distributional approach to domestic inventories in two places where markets are unlikely: the Preclassic Maya in and around Ucí, Yucatan, Mexico; and Inka‐period settlements in the Upper Mantaro Valley, Peru. The data presented in this paper show an equitable distribution of fancy pottery among households of both high and low socio‐economic status in both areas. These somewhat unanticipated results could provoke several interpretations. At one extreme we could posit an important role for market exchange. At the other extreme, we could reject the logic of the distributional approach. This paper argues for a more circumspect track that uses additional lines of evidence to make inferences about incipient market exchange coincident with the rise of centralized leadership in the Maya area and poorly documented, possibly concealed market exchange nestled within Inka command economies. [Preclassic Maya, Inka economies, market exchange, households]
10 Wealth Inequality and Market Exchange: A Household‐Based Approach to the Economy of Late Classic Uxul, Campeche
Authors: Barnard Els
Published: July 2021

In this article, I discuss the economic system of the Classic Maya Lowlands secondary urban center of Uxul, Campeche. In particular, I aim to understand Uxul's economy by taking a household‐based approach, focusing on the distribution of artifacts and wealth in domestic contexts. I integrate a distributional approach with an analysis of wealth inequality using the Gini index, and insights from the field of modern economics into the mechanisms responsible for the observed economic patterns. This allows for the identification and characterization of market exchange in a case study where physical marketplaces have not yet been identified.
Do cooperative banks matter for new business creation? Evidence on Italian manufacturing industry
Authors: Agostino Mariarosaria , Errico Lucia , Rondinella Sandro , Trivieri Francesco
Published: July 2021

This work empirically investigates Italian cooperative banks (BCCs) as a driver of new business creation in the Italian provinces over the period 2003–12. The results show that the presence of BCCs positively and significantly affects firms’ entry rates. We also find that the impact of BCCs diffusion on birth rate tends to be stronger for high tech industries during the pre‐crisis years, whilst it appears larger for low‐tech sectors when considering the post‐crisis period. This evidence suggests that BCCs might play a relevant role in financing innovative and risky firms—though, when banks’ risk‐aversion increases, BCCs tend, unsurprisingly, to downsize the financing of riskier projects.
Petrographic study of the pottery of hunter–gatherers from the lower basin of the Colorado river (Argentina) during the Late Holocene
Authors: Borges Vaz Erika , Pereyra Domingorena Lucas
Published: July 2021

This paper presents the first petrographic study of pottery made by hunter–gatherer societies that inhabited the eastern Pampa–Patagonia transition regions (Buenos Aires province, Argentina), between c.1900 and 400 radiocarbon‐years bp. The data show that the potters maintained technical choices during this period as part of a technological tradition. With this common knowledge, local fabric recipes coexisted linked to the regularity of the use of raw materials in accordance with the geology of the research area. Furthermore, the finding of archaeological clay doughs would indicate the in situ production of vessels in the residential contexts of these pre‐Hispanic populations.
Step‐by‐step technique for the endoscopic treatment of ureteric stricture
Authors: Gao Xiaoshuai , Chen Jixiang , Wang Wei , Peng Liao , Di Xingpeng , Xiao Kaiwen , Li Hong , Wei Xin
Published: July 2021

Objective

To outline our step‐by‐step technique for the endoscopic treatment of ureteric stricture.

Materials and Methods

Between January 2019 and June 2020, 25 patients with ureteric strictures underwent ureteric bypass and were included in this study. The ureteric bypass surgery included three key steps. First, holmium laser endoureterotomy was used to establish a small channel. Then, balloon dilatation was performed to create a large channel. Finally, an Allium stent was inserted.

Results

Over a median follow‐up time of 12 months, the success rate of ureteric bypass surgery was 92.0% (23/25). The median operating time was 78 min. The incidence of pain was 16% (4/25), and the incidence of fever was 4.0% (1/25). The preoperative hydronephrosis volume and urea nitrogen levels decreased significantly after surgery.

Conclusions

We performed ureteric bypass for patients with ureteric strictures. This technique was found to be safe and effective over a short follow‐up time. For patients who are not suitable for surgical reconstruction, the ureteric bypass technique is a good choice.
“Errors were made:” Public attitudes regarding reconciliation and education in Canada
Authors: Wotherspoon Terry , Milne Emily
Published: July 2021

The 2015 release of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada accelerated the extensive range of educational activities across Canadian jurisdictions dedicated to updating curricula and supporting Indigenous students. How have these initiatives affected educational practices and more general understandings about Indigenous‐settler relations? Drawing on data from a survey of public perspectives on education and reconciliation conducted in Alberta and Saskatchewan, this paper addresses the question: What are the current public attitudes regarding reconciliation overall and within Alberta and Saskatchewan schools? We explore these perspectives by highlighting two contrasting orientations – one in which reconciliation is accepted as a form of peaceful coexistence within existing settler colonial frameworks and another in which liberal discourses as well as more openly racist stances serve as a form of democratic colonization that further reinforce those frameworks.
Current evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children undergoing medical procedures
Authors: Chrisler Alison J. , Claridge Amy M. , Staab Jennifer , Daniels Sarah R. , Vaden Victoria , McTaggart Danielle
Published: July 2021

Background

Because more than three million children are hospitalized every year in the United States, psychosocial and emotional impacts of hospitalization on children cannot be overlooked. As such, a variety of psychosocial support services are offered in pediatric facilities to reduce the negative effects often associated with hospitalization. This review examines current evidence for the effectiveness of common psychosocial interventions for children and youth undergoing medical procedures.

Methods

A total of 34 studies that met selection guidelines, as outlined in Section 2, were included and coded based on study characteristics, intervention type, and study outcomes.

Results

Findings from this literature review indicate that most studies examining the efficacy of psychosocial interventions reported at least positive outcomes for children. Although the review highlighted an overall pattern for improved outcomes following psychosocial intervention, there were some differences in outcomes based on type of intervention. In general, procedural support, preparation, and coping strategies were associated with reduced child anxiety/fear and distress. Procedural support was commonly associated with reduced pain, although many types of interventions demonstrated reduction in child pain. Procedural support was associated with improved procedural success.

Conclusions

This systematic review illustrates the benefits of offering psychosocial interventions, such as procedural support, preparation, teaching coping strategies, and medical play, that support children undergoing medical procedures. There is a need for additional studies that examine psychosocial interventions, including studies that examine long‐term outcomes post‐procedure or hospitalization. Furthermore, more studies need to collect cost‐analysis information specific to the use of psychosocial interventions.
Prevalence of sarcopenia after remission of hypercortisolism and its impact on HRQoL
Authors: Martel‐Duguech Luciana , Alonso‐Jimenez Alicia , Bascuñana Helena , Díaz‐Manera Jordi , Llauger Jaume , Nuñez‐Peralta Claudia , Montesinos Paula , Webb Susan M. , Valassi Elena
Published: July 2021

Background

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is associated with skeletal muscle structural and functional impairment which may persist long‐term despite surgical removal of the source of cortisol excess. Prevalence of sarcopenia and its impact on Health‐Related‐Quality of Life (HRQoL) in ‘cured’ CS is not known. There is a need to identify easy biomarkers to help the clinicians recognise patients at elevated risk of suffering sustained muscle function.

Patients and Methods

We studied 36 women with CS in remission, and 36 controls matched for age, body mass index, menopausal status, and level of physical activity. We analysed the skeletal muscle mass using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, muscle fat fraction using two‐point Dixon magnetic resonance imaging and muscle performance and strength using the following tests: hand grip strength, gait speed, timed up and go and 30‐s chair stand. We assessed HRQoL with the following questionnaires: SarQoL, CushingQoL, SF‐36. We calculated the sarcopenia index (SI; serum creatinine/serum cystatin C × 100).

Results

Prevalence of sarcopenia, according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), was greater in CS as compared with controls (19% vs. 3%; p < .05). Patients with sarcopenia had a lower SarQoL score than those without sarcopenia (61 ± 17 vs. 75 ± 14; p < .05), and scored worse on the items pain, easy bruising and worries on physical appearance (p < .05 for all comparisons) of the CushingQoL questionnaire. Patients with sarcopenia had poorer physical functioning on SF‐36 than those without sarcopenia (60 ± 23 vs. 85 ± 15; p < .01). SI was lower in patients with sarcopenia than those without (71 ± 3 vs. 77 ± 2; p = .032), and was associated with intramuscular fatty infiltration, worse performance on the 30‐s chair stand test, slower gait speed, and worse muscle weakness‐related HRQoL, as measured using the SarQoL questionnaire (p < .05). The optimised cut‐off value for the SI ratio to diagnose sarcopenia was 72, which yielded a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 90%.

Conclusions

Sarcopenia is common in patients with CS in long‐term remission, and associated with impaired quality of life. The SI is a potential biomarker allowing clinicians to identify patients at high risk of muscle dysfunction.
Fashion Transfer: Dressing 3D Characters from Stylized Fashion Sketches
Authors: Fondevilla Amelie , Rohmer Damien , Hahmann Stefanie , Bousseau Adrien , Cani Marie‐Paule
Published: July 2021

Fashion design often starts with hand‐drawn, expressive sketches that communicate the essence of a garment over idealized human bodies. We propose an approach to automatically dress virtual characters from such input, previously complemented with user‐annotations. In contrast to prior work requiring users to draw garments with accurate proportions over each virtual character to be dressed, our method follows a style transfer strategy : the information extracted from a single, annotated fashion sketch can be used to inform the synthesis of one to many new garment(s) with similar style, yet different proportions. In particular, we define the style of a loose garment from its silhouette and folds, which we extract from the drawing. Key to our method is our strategy to extract both shape and repetitive patterns of folds from the 2D input. As our results show, each input sketch can be used to dress a variety of characters of different morphologies, from virtual humans to cartoon‐style characters.
The role of interleukin‐1β in the immune response to contact allergens
Authors: Yeung Kelvin , Mraz Veronika , Geisler Carsten , Skov Lone , Bonefeld Charlotte M.
Published: July 2021

Interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) is an important pro‐inflammatory cytokine that has an effect on almost every cell lineage in the body. By blocking IL‐1β and investigating the IL‐1β signaling pathway, several studies have demonstrated a central role of IL‐1β in the response to contact allergens. This review summarizes the current literature regarding the basic immunological mechanisms mediated by IL‐1β in the different phases of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and highlights potential IL‐1β‐targeted treatment options, which in the future may be relevant in the treatment of patients with ACD. This review is based primarily on studies using various mouse models and human in vitro studies, since clinical studies on the effect of IL‐1β in ACD are lacking.
RAB14 GTPase is essential for actin‐based asymmetric division during mouse oocyte maturation
Authors: Zou Yuan‐Jing , Shan Meng‐Meng , Wang Hong‐Hui , Pan Zhen‐Nan , Pan Meng‐Hao , Xu Yi , Ju Jia‐Qian , Sun Shao‐Chen
Published: July 2021

Objectives

RAB14 is a member of small GTPase RAB family which localizes at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus and endosomal compartments. RAB14 acts as molecular switches that shift between a GDP‐bound inactive state and a GTP‐bound active state and regulates circulation of vesicles between the Golgi and endosomal compartments. In present study, we investigated the roles of RAB14 during oocyte meiotic maturation.

Materials and methods

Microinjection with siRNA and exogenous mRNA for knock down and rescue, and immunofluorescence staining, Western blot and real‐time RT‐PCR were utilized for the study.

Results

Our results showed that RAB14 localized in the cytoplasm and accumulated at the cortex during mouse oocyte maturation, and it was also enriched at the spindle periphery. Depletion of RAB14 did not affect polar body extrusion but caused large polar bodies, indicating the failure of asymmetric division. We found that absence of RAB14 did not affect spindle organization but caused the spindle migration defects, and this might be due to the regulation on cytoplasmic actin assembly via the ROCK‐cofilin signalling pathway. We also found that RAB14 depletion led to aberrant Golgi apparatus distribution. Exogenous Myc‐Rab14 mRNA supplement could significantly rescue these defects caused by Rab14 siRNA injection.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results suggest that RAB14 affects ROCK‐cofilin pathway for actin‐based spindle migration and Golgi apparatus distribution during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation.
Capacity reservation and sourcing under exchange‐rate uncertainty
Authors: Gheibi Shahryar , Kazaz Burak , Webster Scott
Published: July 2021

We study a firm's capacity reservation and sourcing decisions under exchange‐rate and demand uncertainty. The firm initially reserves capacity from one domestic and one international supplier in the presence of exchange‐rate and demand uncertainty. After observing exchange rates, the firm determines the amount of capacity to utilize for sourcing under demand uncertainty. The article makes four contributions. First, it identifies the set of optimal capacity reservation policies for sourcing activities: One onshore, two offshore, and two dual sourcing policies. The first dual sourcing policy is a defensive action where the firm rations limited capacity between the two sources. The second dual sourcing policy is an opportunistic approach as it features excess capacity investment in order to benefit from currency fluctuations. The analysis shows how the optimal sourcing policy changes with increasing degrees of exchange‐rate volatility. Second, while earlier publications classify cost as an order qualifier, we find that characterization of a dominant sourcing strategy is more nuanced under exchange rate uncertainty. In particular, a buyer might not reserve capacity at a supplier who has a lower (expected) cost and choose to work only with a supplier who has a higher unit expected cost. Third, the article shows that risk aversion reduces the likelihood of single sourcing, specifically offshore sourcing, and increases the likelihood of dual sourcing. Fourth, the study demonstrates that financial hedging can eliminate the negative consequences of risk aversion and make the policy findings more pronounced.
Safety and efficacy of cold versus hot snare polypectomy including colorectal polyps ≥1 cm in size
Authors: Takeuchi Yoji , Shichijo Satoki , Uedo Noriya , Kawakami Yushi , Okubo Yuki , Tani Yasuhiro , Sakurai Hirohisa , Nakamura Takahiko , Miyake Muneaki , Matsueda Katsunori , Ishihara Ryu
Published: July 2021

Cold snare polypectomy (CSP; polypectomy without electrocautery) has spread rapidly worldwide during the past decade in what has been called “Cold Revolution”. We performed a PubMed literature search for studies investigating CSP outcomes for colorectal polyps. Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessed the complete resection rates (CRRs). The CRRs were similar regardless of the presence or absence of electrocautery, and the efficacy of submucosal injection for better CRRs is still controversial. Eight RCTs assessed the adverse events. The incidence of intraprocedural bleeding with cold procedures was comparable to or higher than that of hot procedures. The incidences of delayed bleeding were comparable to or lower with cold procedures, especially in patients taking anticoagulants. Fifteen studies have been reported on CSP for large (≥1 cm) colorectal polyps (10 retrospective studies, four prospective single‐arm studies, and one prospective RCT). These studies reported that the safe cold procedures (a low intra‐ and post‐procedural bleeding rate without perforation) could be implemented for lesions ≥1 cm. However, considering the incision depth of CSP and the local recurrence rate based on the current evidence, only large sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) can be candidates for cold procedures, and large adenomas should not be candidates for this procedure. Based on the current evidence, CSP seems to be the appropriate standard procedure for sub‐centimeter colorectal low‐grade adenomas due to its safety and simplicity. Thus, large SSLs can be candidates for cold procedures; however, careful inspection and further prospective studies are warranted to confirm the procedure's clinical relevance.
Live visualization of a functional RET‐EGFP chimeric receptor in homozygous knock‐in mice
Authors: Sunardi Mukhamad , Ito Keisuke , Enomoto Hideki
Published: July 2021

The GDNF Family Ligands (GFLs) regulate neural development and kidney organogenesis by activating the RET receptor tyrosine kinase. Many RET‐dependent developmental processes involve long‐distance cell‐cell communications or cell polarity, which includes cell migration and axon guidance. This suggests that spatiotemporally regulated subcellular localization of RET protein and appropriate propagation of RET signaling in cells are essential for the physiological function of the GFLs. Little is known, however, about the dynamics of RET protein in cells. Addressing this issue requires development of a system that allows visualization of RET in living cells. In this study, we report generation of a novel knock‐in mouse line in which the RET‐EGFP chimeric receptor is expressed under the Ret promoter. Unlike Ret‐deficient mice that die after birth due to the absence of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and kidneys, RetRET‐EGFP/RET‐EGFP mice were viable and grew to adulthood with no overt abnormality, which indicated that RET‐EGFP exerts function comparable to RET. In neurons and ENS progenitors, RET‐EGFP signals were detected both on the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm, the latter of which appeared as a punctate pattern. Time‐lapse imaging of cultured neural cells and embryos revealed active transport of RET‐EGFP puncta in neuronal axons and cell bodies. Immunohistochemical analyses detected RET‐EGFP signals in early and recycling endosomes, indicating that RET‐EGFP is trafficked via the endocytic pathway. RetRET‐EGFP/RET‐EGFP mice enable visualization of functional RET protein in vivo for the first time and provide a unique platform to examine the dynamics and physiology of RET trafficking.
SARS‐CoV‐2 infection as a trigger of humoral response against apolipoprotein A‐1
Authors: Pagano Sabrina , Yerly Sabine , Meyer Benjamin , Juillard Catherine , Suh Noémie , Le Terrier Christophe , Daguer Jean‐Pierre , Farrera‐Soler Lluc , Barluenga Sofia , Piumatti Giovanni , Hartley Oliver , Lemaitre Barbara , Eberhardt Christiane S. , Siegrist Claire‐Anne , Eckerle Isabella , Stringhini Silvia , Guessous Idris , Kaiser Laurent , Pugin Jerome , Winssinger Nicolas , Vuilleumier Nicolas
Published: July 2021

Background

Unravelling autoimmune targets triggered by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection may provide crucial insights into the physiopathology of the disease and foster the development of potential therapeutic candidate targets and prognostic tools. We aimed at determining (a) the association between anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 and anti‐apoA‐1 humoral response and (b) the degree of linear homology between SARS‐CoV‐2, apoA‐1 and Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) epitopes.

Design

Bioinformatics modelling coupled with mimic peptides engineering and competition experiments were used to assess epitopes sequence homologies. Anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 and anti‐apoA‐1 IgG as well as cytokines were assessed by immunoassays on a case‐control (n = 101), an intensive care unit (ICU; n = 126) and a general population cohort (n = 663) with available samples in the pre and post‐pandemic period.

Results

Using bioinformatics modelling, linear sequence homologies between apoA‐1, TLR2 and Spike epitopes were identified but without experimental evidence of cross‐reactivity. Overall, anti‐apoA‐1 IgG levels were higher in COVID‐19 patients or anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 seropositive individuals than in healthy donors or anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 seronegative individuals (P < .0001). Significant and similar associations were noted between anti‐apoA‐1, anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG, cytokines and lipid profile. In ICU patients, anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 and anti‐apoA‐1 seroconversion rates displayed similar 7‐day kinetics, reaching 82% for anti‐apoA‐1 seropositivity. In the general population, SARS‐CoV‐2‐exposed individuals displayed higher anti‐apoA‐1 IgG seropositivity rates than nonexposed ones (34% vs 16.8%; P = .004).

Conclusion

COVID‐19 induces a marked humoral response against the major protein of high‐density lipoproteins. As a correlate of poorer prognosis in other clinical settings, such autoimmunity signatures may relate to long‐term COVID‐19 prognosis assessment and warrant further scrutiny in the current COVID‐19 pandemic.