bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the relationship between wellness tourism experiencescape and revisit intention: a chain mediation model
Authors: Chen Kaung-Hwa , Huang Leo , Ye Ying
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aims to construct a scale for measuring the spa hotel experiencescape in wellness tourism, clarify the mechanism through which wellness tourism experiencescape influences revisit intention and investigate the mediation roles of authenticity, memorability and organizational identification.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted content analysis of interviews, online reviews and relevant articles and used the concept of experiencescape to interpret spa hotels’ experiential environment. The stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model was used as the basis for introducing authenticity, memorability, organizational identification and revisit intention to investigate how wellness tourism experiencescape affects tourists’ behavior. In total, 488 valid questionnaires were collected at Taiwanese spa hotel clusters.

Findings

Four factors of spa hotel experiencescape were identified: health promotion treats, mental learning, unique travel experience and healthy diet. Existential authenticity–memorability and existential authenticity–organizational identification exerted full positive mediation effects in the relationship between wellness tourism experiencescape and revisit intention.

Practical implications

This study provides guidance on experience design for spa hotels. It promotes the consideration of existential authenticity in wellness tourism design.

Originality/value

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness of wellness, drastically increasing the potential of the wellness tourism market. This study investigated the construction of wellness tourism experiencescape and its influence, and the findings can facilitate post-pandemic restoration of the wellness tourism industry. On the basis of SOR model, a chain mediation model was proposed to reveal the influence of wellness tourism experiencescape on revisit intention. Existential authenticity was discovered to play a crucial role in the relationship between wellness tourism experiencescape and revisit intention, which suggests that existential authenticity should be considered during service design and in marketing strategies for wellness tourism.
The role of open innovation in fostering SMEs’ business model innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Jabeen Fauzia , Belas Jaroslav , Santoro Gabriele , Alam Gazi Mahabubul
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant consequences on the activities of companies worldwide. This study aims to unveil how open innovation fostered business model innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) during the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a qualitative approach, involving a multiple case study methodology, and focusses on six SMEs operating in various traditional sectors.

Findings

The findings highlight the impact of the external stimulus, COVID-19, on business model innovation and the key role of open innovation management in pursuing the business model innovation, which may also involve a digital transformation.

Originality/value

While some studies have examined how the pandemic has fostered business model transformation, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study analysing the pivotal role of open innovation in driving business model innovation during challenging times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is it better to communicate product information abstractly or concretely? The role of consumer product expertise and shopping-stage mindset
Authors: Trzebinski Wojciech , Gaczek Piotr , Marciniak Beata
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effect of product-related description abstractness/concreteness on perceived trustworthiness and the role of consumer product expertise and shopping-stage mindset in the persuasiveness of abstract vs concrete product descriptions.

Design/methodology/approach

Two online experiments were conducted: Study 1 (description abstractness – manipulated between-subject; consumer product expertise, perceived trustworthiness, purchase intent – measured), Study 2 (consumer shopping-stage mindset – manipulated between-subject; description abstractness – manipulated within-subject; consumer product expertise, perceived trustworthiness, abstract/concrete description preference – measured).

Findings

The negative effect of the abstractness (abstract descriptions vs the ones supplemented with relevant product details) on description trustworthiness was evidenced in Study 1. Trustworthiness was positively related to purchase intent, especially for high product expertise. Study 2 replicated the effect of product description abstractness on its trustworthiness in terms of two other forms of abstractness (abstract descriptions vs the ones supplemented with irrelevant product details and product benefits vs attributes). The goal-oriented (vs comparative) mindset had a positive effect on the benefit (vs attribute) description preference, especially for high product expertise.

Practical implications

For marketers, the results suggest the positive consequences of presenting concrete information on product attributes and the conditions enhancing the effectiveness of presenting product benefits.

Originality/value

The paper integrates the existing views on consumer response to abstract vs concrete information (lexical abstractness/concreteness, means-end chain theory) and links them to consumer product expertise and shopping-stage mindset.
Adopting to the virtual workplace: identifying leadership affordances in virtual schools
Authors: Willermark Sara , Islind Anna Sigridur
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore virtual leadership work within educational settings in the light of social disruption. In 2020, a global pandemic changed the way we work. For school leaders, that involved running a virtual school overnight. Although there is a stream of research that explores leadership in solely virtual communities, there is a gap in the literature regarding practices that transition from analog to virtual practices and the changes in leadership in those types of work practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The data gathering method constitutes a questionnaire to explore school leaders’ experiences of virtual work and virtual leadership in light of social disruption. One hundred and five Swedish school leaders answered the questionnaire covering both fixed and open questions.

Findings

The results show that school leaders’ general experiences of transition to virtual school have worked relatively well. We show how the work changes and shift the focus in the virtual workplace.

Originality/value

The author’s contributions include theorizing about leadership affordances in virtual schools and providing implications for practice. The authors summarize our main contribution in five affordances that characterize virtual leadership, including a focus on core activities, trust-based government, 1:1 communication with staff, structure and clarity and active outreach activities. The results could be interesting for understanding the radical digitalization of leadership in the digital workplace.
The equity of opportunities in emerging service work robotisation
Authors: Turja Tuuli
Published: September 2022

Purpose

In a best-case scenario, both organisations and their employees gain from technological changes by staying up to date on developing digitalisation. However, opportunities to learn and use modern technologies may not be shared equally in the workplace. Employee groups can be divided between those with and without access to new technologies. This study aims to examine the extent to which the position of an employee may be associated with the opportunity to work with robots.

Design/methodology/approach

Health-care work was chosen as an exemplary context of emerging robotisation. To gain correlative evidence on how the position and technology orientation of an employee associate with access to care robots, the study used online survey data collected from Finnish care workers (N = 226).

Findings

Workplace hierarchies were found to play a significant part in robotisation. Management experience increased the probability for an employee to have access to care robots, but this position did not differentiate between the employees in their aspiration to use care robots. Individual interest in technology was associated with robot use only among care workers with no management experience, whereas managers’ access to robots did not depend on their personal interests.

Originality/value

This study brings new information about the equity of robot-use opportunities in workplaces. Distinctive to care robots was the significant number of motivated non-users. Thus, adding to the categories of “have-bots”, “have-nots” and “want-nots”, this study introduces an important group of “want-bots”.
Nutrition Bio Shield (NBS) supplement effects on depression, anxiety, stress and food craving in women with depression and obesity: a double-blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Mohammadi Mohammad Reza , Mostafavi Seyed-Ali , Khalkhali Aref
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Nutrition Bio Shield (NBS) supplement is a natural product that is processed from whole wheat grains. This study aims to determine its effects on depression, anxiety, stress and food craving in women with depression and obesity in a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Design/methodology/approach

Fifty-six eligible clients with body mass index ≥ 25 and mild or moderate depression signed the informed consent form. They were randomly assigned to receive daily 5 g of NBS or placebo. The assessments included the depression, anxiety and stress-21 questionnaire, food craving questionnaire, visual analogue scale for appetite, precise anthropometric measurements and body composition analyses. The assessments were conducted at the baseline and repeated after four and eight weeks. One month after the study completion, the participants’ weight was assessed. The authors analyzed the data by independent samplet-test, repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA).

Findings

At the baseline, no significant differences were observed between the groups regarding the main and demographic variables. After four weeks, stress reduced significantly in the NBS group (p= 0.04), and after eight weeks, anxiety (p= 0.02), stress (p= 0.008) and food craving (p= 0.05) reduced significantly in the NBS group compared with the placebo. After controlling for the demographic variables and baseline measurements, MANCOVA model revealed a significant effect of NBS in reducing anxiety (Eta-squared = 0.28;p= 0.001) and stress (Eta-squared = 0.19;p= 0.009). Fisher’s exact test showed no significant difference regarding side effects between NBS and placebo (p= 0.47).

Originality/value

NBS supplement is a patent and natural product that is processed from whole wheat grains. This product was efficient in reducing stress and anxiety after controlling for demographic variables and baseline measurements compared with the placebo and was safe.
A thematic analysis of the family experience of British mainstream school SEND inclusion: can their voices inform best practice?
Authors: Dunleavy April , Sorte Rossella
Published: September 2022

Inclusion of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the UK mainstream school provision has been identified as a human right in the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The UK Children and Families Act of 2014 stipulates that children in mainstream school provision must have access to appropriate SEND support, and it protects the families right to be included in these decisions. The present study investigates the parent perspective of mainstream school SEND inclusion, highlighting the impact on family life. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the data, derived from answers to open‐ended questions presented in a questionnaire format. Master themes recorded were: the family experience of (1) discrimination, (2) lack of diversity and inclusion awareness from others, (3) advocacy, (4) well‐being and mental‐health decline (including economic decline) and (5) damage to the family relationships. This study unearthed that adherence to the SEND legislation has been sorely misunderstood by some schools. Future research could investigate the relation between the level of inclusion training that staff have received, with staff attitudes towards inclusion and the well‐being of families experiencing SEND inclusion to inform teacher training.
Police legitimacy regimes and the suppression of citizen oversight in response to police violence
Authors: Rocha Beardall Theresa
Published: September 2022

A lack of formal accountability in the aftermath of police violence against communities of color has long fueled public demands for increased police oversight. Yet, little is known about how interorganizational relationships affect citizen complaint investigations once citizen review boards (CRBs) are established. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and archival sources about the Syracuse Citizen Review Board in New York State, I show how CRBs operate as bureaucratic agencies that ostensibly address police misconduct, yet are managed by municipal power relations that neutralize the agency's ability to actualize change. Specifically, I find that a CRB's embeddedness within a municipality's interorganizational field creates a site of contestation to ensure public legitimation of police despite community concern. To show how the aims of citizen oversight can be upended within the structural and practical politics of local government, I introduce the concept of a police legitimacy regime: a set of (in)formal policies, organizations, and actors that protect and promote the legitimacy of state police power. In Syracuse, police protection happens at the expense of residents’ demands for police reform, and I conclude by outlining the implications of this research for other communities seeking citizen‐led approaches to police accountability.
Associations between potential causal factors and colorectal cancer risk: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of Mendelian randomization studies
Authors: Deng Yunyang , Wang Lyu , Huang Junjie , Ding Hanyue , Wong Martin Chi Sang
Published: September 2022

Objective

To summarize the associations between potential causal factors and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk based on existing Mendelian randomization studies.

Methods

This systematic review and meta‐analysis involved a literature search in Embase and Medline. All published articles using Mendelian randomization to explore potential causal factors of CRC were included. Studies that reported Mendelian randomization estimates of standard deviation changes in exposures were included in the meta‐analysis. Subgroup analyses based on sex and anatomical sites were performed.

Results

One hundred and ninety studies presented in 51 articles were included in systematic review, and 114 studies conducted in 32 articles were included in the meta‐analysis. Adult body mass index, waist circumference, waist hip ratio, body height, body fat percentage, arm fat ratio, childhood obesity, lifetime cigarette consumption, short sleep, coffee consumption, and blood levels of vitamin B12, arachidonic acid, stearic acid, and insulin‐like growth factor binding protein 3 were positively associated with CRC risk. Conversely, acceleration–vector–magnitude physical activity, milk consumption, and blood levels of adiponectin, linoleic acid, α‐linolenic acid, oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, interleukin‐6 receptor subunit‐α, and tumor necrosis factor were inversely associated with CRC risk.

Conclusions

Most obesity‐related anthropometric characteristics, several unhealthy lifestyles, and blood levels of some micronutrients, fatty acids, and diabetes‐related biomarkers were positively associated with CRC risk. In contrast, some lifestyles and blood levels of some fatty acids and inflammatory biomarkers were inversely associated with CRC risk. Future studies with more valid genetic variants are needed for factors with discrepancies between Mendelian randomization and epidemiological studies.
Breastfeeding at 6 months of age had a positive impact on overweight and obesity in Japanese adolescents at 15 years of age
Authors: Kadowaki Tomoka , Matsumoto Naomi , Suzuki Etsuji , Mitsuhashi Toshiharu , Takao Soshi , Yorifuji Takashi
Published: September 2022

Aim

A number of studies have indicated the potential benefits that breastfeeding has on reducing childhood obesity, but few studies have evaluated the effect on adolescent obesity. We examined the association between breastfeeding and overweight or obesity at 15 years of age using data from a large nationwide longitudinal study launched by the Japanese Government in 2001.

Methods

We analysed data for 26 164 participants with known infant feeding practices at 6 months of age, namely the duration of breastfeeding or formula feeding. Overweight or obesity at 15 years of age were calculated based on the subject's self‐reported height and weight. Multinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted the data for child factors, namely sex, siblings, birth weight and physical activity clubs and the maternal factors of age, educational attainment and smoking status.

Results

Formula feeding was associated with an increased risk of overweight or obesity at 15 years of age. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.99 (0.89–1.09) for partial breastfeeding and 1.23 (1.02–1.48) for formula feeding, when exclusive breastfeeding was the reference category.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding during infancy had potential benefits for overweight or obesity among 15‐year‐old adolescents. Our results provide further evidence of the importance of breastfeeding.
Infliximab as a second‐line therapy for children with refractory Kawasaki disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Kabbaha Suad , Milano Alyssa , Aldeyab Mamoon A. , Thorlund Kristian
Published: September 2022

Aims

Infliximab is a tumour necrosis factor‐alpha inhibitor that is used to treat children with refractory Kawasaki disease (KD). Our purpose was to evaluate the safety and impact of infliximab versus intravenous immunoglobulins on the incidence of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) and treatment resistance in children with refractory KD.

Methods

The Medline/PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and clinical trials registries were searched to December 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing infliximab as second‐line therapy to a second dose of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in children with refractory KD, reported in abstract or full text, were included. Studies were selected and assessed for risk of bias by two reviewers. Data were extracted and pooled using conventional random‐effects meta‐analysis. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system.

Results

A total of 199 participants from four RCTs were included. The pooled risk ratio (RR) for the incidence of treatment resistance in patients treated with infliximab was 0.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.25‐0.64). For incidence of CAAs RR was 1.20 (95% CI 0.54‐2.63), the incidence of adverse effect “infusion reactions” RR was 0.48, (95% CI 0.12‐1.92) and for “infections” RR was 0.55 (95% CI 0.27‐1.12). Overall, the GRADE strength of evidence for the primary outcomes was low. Evidence on the duration of fever and inflammatory biomarkers was sparse, heterogeneous and inconclusive.

Conclusion

Moderate‐certainty evidence indicates that infliximab may reduce the incidence of treatment resistance in children with refractory KD. However, the limited strength of evidence warrants further research.
TRPM8 indicates poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients and its pharmacological targeting reduces tumour growth in mice by inhibiting Wnt/β‐catenin signalling
Authors: Pagano Ester , Romano Barbara , Cicia Donatella , Iannotti Fabio A. , Venneri Tommaso , Lucariello Giuseppe , Nanì Maria Francesca , Cattaneo Fabio , De Cicco Paola , D'Armiento Maria , De Luca Marcello , Lionetti Ruggiero , Lama Stefania , Stiuso Paola , Zoppoli Pietro , Falco Geppino , Marchianò Silvia , Fiorucci Stefano , Capasso Raffaele , Di Marzo Vincenzo , Borrelli Francesca , Izzo Angelo A.
Published: September 2022

Background and Purpose

Transient receptor potential melastatin type‐8 (TRPM8) is a cold‐sensitive cation channel protein belonging to the TRP superfamily of ion channels. Here, we reveal the molecular mechanism of TRPM8 and its clinical relevance in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Experimental Approach

TRPM8 expression and its correlation with the survival rate of CRC patients was analysed. To identify the key pathways and genes related to TRPM8 high expression, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were conducted in CRC patients. TRPM8 functional role was assessed by using Trpm8−/− mice in models of sporadic and colitis‐associated colon cancer. TRPM8 pharmacological targeting by WS12 was evaluated in murine models of CRC.

Key Results

TRPM8 is overexpressed in colon primary tumours and in CD326+ tumour cell fraction. TRPM8 high expression was related to lower survival rate of CRC patients, Wnt–Frizzled signalling hyperactivation and adenomatous polyposis coli down‐regulation. In sporadic and colitis‐associated models of colon cancer, either absence or pharmacological desensitization of TRPM8 reduced tumour development via inhibition of the oncogenic Wnt/β‐catenin signalling. TRPM8 pharmacological blockade reduced tumour growth in CRC xenograft mice by reducing the transcription of Wnt signalling regulators and the activation of β‐catenin and its target oncogenes such as C‐Myc and Cyclin D1.

Conclusion and Implications

Human data provide valuable insights to propose TRPM8 as a prognostic marker with a negative predictive value for CRC patient survival. Animal experiments demonstrate TRPM8 involvement in colon cancer pathophysiology and its potential as a drug target for CRC.
Joint inversion of temperature, vitrinite reflectance and fission tracks in apatite with examples from the eastern North Sea area
Authors: Nielsen Søren B. , Balling Niels
Published: September 2022

As sediment accumulation indicates basin subsidence, erosion often is understood as tectonic uplift, but the amplitude and timing may be difficult to determine because the sedimentary record is missing. Quantification of erosion therefore requires indirect evidence, for example thermal indicators such as temperature, vitrinite reflectance and fission tracks in apatite. However, as always, the types and quality of data and the choice of models are important to the results. For example, considering only the thermal evolution of the sedimentary section discards the thermal time constant of the lithosphere and essentially ignores the temporal continuity of the thermal structure. Furthermore, the types and density of thermal indicators determine the solution space of deposition and erosion, the quantification of which calls for the use of inverse methods, which can only be successful when all models are mutually consistent. Here, we use integrated basin modelling and Markov Chain Monte Carlo inversion of four deep boreholes to show that the erosional pattern along the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone (STZ) in the eastern North Sea is consistent with a tectonic model of tectonic inversion based on compression and relaxation of an elastic plate. Three wells in close proximity SW of the STZ have different data and exhibit characteristic differences in erosion estimates but are consistent with the formation of a thick chalk sequence, followed by minor Cenozoic erosion during relaxation inversion. The well on the inversion ridge requires ca. 1.7 km Jurassic‐Early Cretaceous sedimentation followed by Late Cretaceous–Palaeocene erosion during inversion. No well demands thick Cenozoic sedimentation followed by equivalent significant Neogene exhumation. When data are of high quality and models are consistent, the thermal indicator method yields significant results with important tectonic and geodynamic implications.
Lacosamide decreases neonatal seizures without increasing apoptosis
Authors: Langton Rachel L. , Sharma Shaunik , Tiarks Grant C. , Bassuk Alexander G. , Glykys Joseph
Published: September 2022

Objective

Many seizing neonates fail to respond to first‐line anticonvulsant medications. Phenobarbital, an allosteric modulator of γ‐aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors, has low efficacy in treating neonatal seizures and causes neuronal apoptosis. Nonetheless, it is one of the most used anticonvulsants in this age group. In neonatal mice, phenobarbital's poor effectiveness is due in part to high intraneuronal chloride concentration, which causes GABA to exert depolarizing actions. Therefore, another approach to treat neonatal seizures could be to use anticonvulsants that do not rely on GABAergic modulation. We evaluated whether lacosamide decreases seizures in neonatal mice and whether it increases apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

In vitro, we measured the effect of different lacosamide concentrations on seizure‐like activity induced by the pro‐convulsant drug 4‐aminopyridine in neocortical brain slices (layer IV/V) from neonatal (postnatal day 8–11) and adult (1–1.6 months old) C57BL/6J mice. In vivo, we recorded the effect of different lacosamide concentrations on neonatal behavioral seizures induced by kainic acid. We studied neocortical apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, measuring terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick‐end labeling signal and cleaved‐caspase 3.

Results

Lacosamide reduced epileptiform activity in neocortical brain slices of neonates and adults in a concentration‐dependent manner. In vivo, lacosamide reduced the duration and number of behavioral seizures. Lacosamide did not increase total or neuronal apoptosis in the neocortex in vitro or in vivo.

Significance

Lacosamide reduces neocortical seizure‐like activity in neonatal mice in vitro and in vivo without an acute increase in apoptosis. Our results support the use of lacosamide to treat neonatal seizures, with the advantage of not increasing apoptosis acutely.
Long‐term series variation in fishery biology of Dosidicus gigas off Peru: Response to climate variability from 2008 to 2020
Authors: Dan Ya Ting , Liu Bi Lin , Chen Xin Jun , Qian Wei Guo
Published: September 2022

As a cephalopod with a short life cycle, the Dosidicus gigas (jumbo flying squid) is extremely sensitive to climate variability and marine environment changes in terms of individual growth and resource changes. Based on 7514 D. gigas samples collected off Peru from 2008 to 2020, the fishery biological characteristics such as size, sexual maturity, and size‐at‐maturity were analyzed to explore the impacts of climate variability on individual growth. The results showed that there were significant differences in the relationship between mantle length and body weight and in the composition of sexual maturity between male and female individuals in different years (P < .05). La Niña events were conducive to the individual growth of D. gigas and slowed down their sexual maturity, producing D. gigas groups in medium and large sizes; El Niño events inhibited the individual growth of D. gigas and accelerated their sexual maturity, producing D. gigas groups in a smaller size. From 2008 to 2020, the mantle length of the small‐size group decreased by 46 mm, while that of the medium‐size group increased by 28 mm. Size‐at‐maturity of female D. gigas decreased by 201.2 mm and that of male D. gigas decreased by 143 mm. The study concluded that the changes in the marine environment caused by climate variability from 2008 to 2020 have had a significant impact on the population structure, growth, and development of the D. gigas off Peru.
Translating and applying a simulation model to enhance understanding of grassland management
Authors: Giannitsopoulos Michail L. , Burgess Paul J. , Bell Matthew J. , Richter Goetz M. , Topp Cairistiona F. E. , Ingram Julie , Takahashi Taro
Published: September 2022

Each new generation of grassland managers could benefit from an improved understanding of how modification of nitrogen application and harvest dates in response to different weather and soil conditions will affect grass yields and quality. The purpose of this study was to develop a freely available grass yield simulation model, validated for England and Wales, and to examine its strengths and weaknesses as a teaching tool for improving grass management. The model, called LINGRA‐N‐Plus, was implemented in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and iteratively evaluated by students and practitioners (farmers, consultants, and researchers) in a series of workshops across the UK over 2 years. The iterative feedback led to the addition of new algorithms, an improved user interface, and the development of a teaching guide. The students and practitioners identified the ease of use and the capacity to understand, visualize and evaluate how decisions, such as variation of cutting intervals, affect grass yields as strengths of the model. We propose that an effective teaching tool must achieve an appropriate balance between being sufficiently detailed to demonstrate the major relationships (e.g., the effect of nitrogen on grass yields) whilst not becoming so complex that the relationships become incomprehensible. We observed that improving the user‐interface allowed us to extend the scope of the model without reducing the level of comprehension. The students appeared to be interested in the explanatory nature of the model whilst the practitioners were more interested in the application of a validated model to enhance their decision making.
Efficacy and feasibility of cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure: A large‐scale multicenter study
Authors: Yanagisawa Satoshi , Suzuki Hirohiko , Kanzaki Yasunori , Ishikawa Shinji , Kamikubo Yosuke , Okumura Satoshi , Kato Hiroyuki , Mizutani Yoshiaki , Murase Yosuke , Nakasuka Kosuke , Warita Shunichiro , Sekimoto Satoru , Takemoto Yoshio , Takasugi Nobuhiro , Ohguchi Shiou , Senga Michiharu , Yokoi Kenichiro , Shibata Rei , Inden Yasuya , Murohara Toyoaki
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Data are limited regarding outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure (HF). This large‐scale multicenter study aimed to evaluate the prognosis of patients with HF after cryoballoon ablation for AF.

Methods

Among 3655 patients undergoing cryoballoon ablation at 17 institutions, 549 patients (15%) (391 with paroxysmal AF and 158 with persistent AF) diagnosed with HF preoperatively were analyzed. Clinical endpoints were recurrence, mortality, and HF hospitalization after ablation.

Results

Most patients had a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%. During a mean follow‐up period of 25.7 months, recurrence, all‐cause death, and HF hospitalization occurred in 29%, 4.0%, and 4.8%, respectively. Cardiac function on echocardiography and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels significantly improved postoperatively, and the effect was more pronounced in the nonrecurrence group. Major complications occurred in 33 patients (6.0%), but most complications were phrenic nerve palsy (3.6%). Although death and HF hospitalization occurred more frequently in patients with LVEF ≤ 40% (n = 73) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III–IV (n = 19) than other subgroups, the BNP levels, and LVEF significantly improved after ablation in all LVEF and NYHA class subgroups. High BNP levels, NHYA class, CHADS2 score, and structural heart disease, but not postablation recurrence, independently predicted death, and HF hospitalization on multivariate analysis. The patients with tachycardia‐induced cardiomyopathy had better recovery of BNP levels and LVEF after ablation than those with structural heart disease.

Conclusions

Cryoballoon ablation for AF in HF patients is feasible and leads to significantly improved cardiac function.
Effects of nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma against Listeria monocytogenes and quality of smoked salmon fillets
Authors: Roy Pantu Kumar , Jeon Eun Bi , Park Shin Young
Published: September 2022

The objective was to explore the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on bacterial reduction, physiological characteristics (pH and moisture), and sensorial quality against Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of smoked salmon. Reductions were treated with 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min with DBD plasma varied from 0.17, 0.25, 0.32, 0.70, 0.81, 1.05, and 1.25 log10 CFU/g, respectively. The R2 and D‐value of L. monocytogenes was .98 and 49.01 min, respectively. However, moisture levels were significantly different after 30 and 60 min of treatment compared with the control but pH and the sensory qualities were not. This study found that treated with 60 min DBD plasma reduced L. monocytogenes by more than 90% without negatively affecting the smoked salmon. Based on these results, antibacterial treatment for smoked salmon, and this strategy could be explored in the seafood industry to increase food safety.
Older adults' perspectives on primary care telemedicine during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Bhatia Roma , Gilliam Elizabeth , Aliberti Gianna , Pinheiro Adlin , Karamourtopoulos Maria , Davis Roger B. , DesRochers Laura , Schonberg Mara A.
Published: September 2022

Background

Prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic there were many barriers to telemedicine primary care for adults ≥65 years including insurance coverage restrictions and having lower digital access and literacy. With the pandemic, insurance coverage broadened and many older adults utilized telemedicine creating an opportunity to learn from their experiences to inform future policy.

Methods

Between April 2020 and June 2021, we conducted a cross‐sectional multimethod study of English‐speaking, cognitively‐intact, adults ≥65, who had a phone‐only and/or video telemedicine visit with their primary care physician within one large Massachusetts health system (10 different practices) since March 2020. The study questionnaire asked participants their overall satisfaction with telemedicine (7‐point scale) and to compare telemedicine with in‐person care. We used linear regression to examine the association between participants' demographics, Charlson comorbidity score, and survey completion date with their satisfaction score. The questionnaire also included open‐ended questions on perceptions of telemedicine; which were analyzed using qualitative methods.

Results

Of 278 eligible patients reached, 208 completed the questionnaire; mean age was 74.4 years (±4.4), 61.5% were female, 91.4% were non‐Hispanic White, 64.4% had ≥1 comorbidity, and 47.2% had a phone‐only visit. Regardless of their age, participants reported being satisfied with telemedicine; median score was 6.0 on the 7‐point scale (25th percentile = 5.0 and 75th percentile = 7.0). Non‐Whites satisfaction scores were on average 1 point lower than those of non‐Hispanic Whites (p = 0.02). Those with comorbidity reported scores that on average were 0.5 points lower than those without comorbidity (p = 0.07). Overall, 39.5% felt their telemedicine visit was worse than in‐person care; 4.9% thought it was better. Participants appreciated telemedicine's convenience but described frustrating technical challenges. While participants preferred in‐person care, most wanted telemedicine to remain available.

Conclusions

Adults ≥65 reported being satisfied with primary care telemedicine during the pandemic's first 14 months and wanted telemedicine to remain available.
Anxiety and depression in small fiber neuropathy
Authors: Damci Aysun , Schruers Koen R. J. , Leue Carsten , Faber Catharina G. , Hoeijmakers Janneke G. J.
Published: September 2022

Psychiatric comorbidity is common in patients with chronic pain. In peripheral neuropathic pain, particularly anxiety and mood disorders are frequently present and associated with a high level of catastrophizing. Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a peripheral neuropathy dominated by pain. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms in SFN. All consecutive patients diagnosed with SFN at Maastricht University Medical Center+, between September 2016 and October 2021, were included (n = 1310). Data on demographics, medical history, diagnostic tests, and questionnaires about pain, SFN‐specific symptoms, and mental health were collected once. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety and depression and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) to measure the degree of catastrophizing. One‐third of the patients had an abnormal HADS score (≥11) on the subscales anxiety and/or depression (26.5% anxiety and 23.0% depression) indicating clinical relevance. Regression analysis showed that higher pain intensity, catastrophizing, and more SFN‐related complaints were significantly associated with an abnormal HADS‐score. In conclusion, the prevalence of reported anxiety or depressive symptoms in SFN is 36.3%. A multidisciplinary approach, not only focusing on pain relief, is therefore essential for the treatment of SFN.
Stigma as Moral Insurance: How Stigma Buffers Firms from the Market Consequences of Greenwashing
Authors: Kassinis George I. , Kay Adam A. , Papagiannakis Giorgos , Vlachos Pavlos A.
Published: September 2022

Organizational stigma is widely assumed to be a serious liability. However, a small body of research has begun to show that stigma can also lead to positive outcomes. A core assumption of this budding literature is that realizing a benefit from stigma requires firms to take active and strategic measures to turn stigma to their advantage. Shedding new light on this assumption, in the present research we show that stigma has a built‐in insurance‐like quality that buffers firms from the market consequences of their misconduct. Specifically, we demonstrate that when firms are caught greenwashing, organizational stigma protects them from consumer backlash, with no effort required on their part to realize this benefit. Across a longitudinal panel data study tracking 7365 firms in 47 countries over a 15‐year period, plus an experiment, we show that stigmatized firms are subjected to less market discipline for greenwashing. We further demonstrate that the mechanism driving this phenomenon is a certain ‘boys will be boys’ expectation by consumers that stigmatized firms lack integrity and, by consequence, are given greater leeway to greenwash. In so doing, we move beyond prior research focusing on the strategies firms can deploy to leverage stigma to their advantage, highlighting instead the psychological mechanisms that make organizational stigma more than a liability to be overcome in the marketplace, but also an asset.
The interleukin‐6 family in tissues is closely related to the clinical outcomes of oral lichen planus
Authors: Qing Maofeng , Zhou Yu , Peng Jiakuan , Shang Qianhui , Deng Jiaxin , Zeng Xin , Xu Hao , Chen Qianming
Published: September 2022

Objective

We attempted to investigate the role of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) family expression in local tissues as it relates to presentations and outcomes in oral lichen planus (OLP), which is a common chronic inflammatory oral disease.

Materials and Methods

A clinical follow‐up cohort of OLP patients was established, and a biological sample library was constructed with categorization into erosive type (EOLP) and nonerosive type (NEOLP). Transcriptome sequencing of the lesions was then performed. A multiple regression model was used to explore the differences in IL‐6 family expression among patients with different clinical types and clinical outcomes.

Results

OLP tissue transcriptome sequencing showed that IL‐6 family expression in EOLP increased significantly. It was also found that IL‐6 family factors in the OLP recurrent erosion group were significantly increased compared to the persistent nonerosion group. Based on the multiple regression analysis of the OLP clinical cohort, it was found that the increased expression of the IL‐6 family was closely related to the clinical types and clinical outcomes of OLP.

Conclusion

The high expression of the IL‐6 family is closely related to the erosion of local mucosa and poor prognosis of OLP patients. IL‐6‐related factors may be used as therapeutic targets for OLP patients.
Rapid structural evolution of Dendrobium mitogenomes and mito‐nuclear phylogeny discordances in Dendrobium (Orchidaceae)
Authors: Wang Meng‐Ting , Hou Zhen‐Yu , Li Chao , Yang Jia‐Peng , Niu Zhi‐Tao , Xue Qing‐Yun , Liu Wei , Ding Xiao‐Yu
Published: September 2022

Reconstructing mitochondrial genomes of angiosperms is extremely intricate due to frequent recombinations which give rise to varied sized in Dendrobium mitogenomes and their structural variations, even in most orchid species. In this study, we first sequenced two complete and five draft mitochondrial genomes of Dendrobium using next‐generation and third‐generation sequencing technologies. The mitochondrial genomes were 420 538–689 048 bp long, showing multipartite (multichromosomal) structures that consisted of variably sized circular or linear‐mapping isoforms (chromosomes). The comparison of mitochondrial genomes showed frequent gene losses in Dendrobium species. To explore structure variations of mitochondrial genomes in vivo, we quantified copy numbers of five mitochondrial genes and DNA contents per mitochondrion. The gene copy numbers and the DNA contents showed extreme differences during Dendrobium development, suggesting dynamic structures of mitochondrial genomes. Furthermore, phylogenetic relationships of 97 accessions from 39 Dendrobium species were constructed based on 12 nuclear single‐copy genes and 15 mitochondrial genes. We discovered obvious discordance between the nuclear and mitochondrial trees. Reticulate evolution was inferred from the species network analysis in Dendrobium. Our findings revealed the rapid structural evolution of Dendrobium mitochondrial genomes and the existence of hybridization events in Dendrobium species, which provided new insights into in vivo structural variations of plant mitochondrial genomes and the strong potential of mitochondrial genes in deciphering plant evolution history.
Myostatin in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: Serum assessment and disease activity
Authors: Mahoudeau Alexandrine , Anquetil Céline , Tawara Nozomu , Khademian Hossein , Amelin Damien , Bolko Loïs , Silvestro Marco , Cin Julian Dal , Tendrel Bérénice , Tardif Virginie , Mariampillai Kubéraka , Butler‐Browne Gillian , Benveniste Olivier , Allenbach Yves
Published: September 2022

Aims

In idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), disease activity is difficult to assess, and IIM may induce severe muscle damage, especially in immune‐mediated necrotising myopathies (IMNM) and inclusion body myositis (IBM). We hypothesise that myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle mass, could be a new biomarker of disease activity and/or muscle damage.

Methods

Prospective assessment of myostatin protein level in 447 IIM serum samples (dermatomyositis [DM], n = 157; IBM, n = 72; IMNM, n = 125; and antisynthetase syndrome [ASyS], n = 93) and 59 healthy donors (HD) was performed by ELISA. A gene transcript analysis was also carried out on 18 IIM muscle biopsies and six controls to analyse myostatin and myostatin pathway‐related gene expression.

Results

IIM patients had lower myostatin circulating protein levels and gene expression compared to HD (2379 [1490; 3678] pg/ml vs 4281 [3169; 5787] pg/ml; p < 0.0001 and log2FC = −1.83; p = 0.0005, respectively). Myostatin‐related gene expression varied accordingly. Based on the Physician Global Assessment, inactive IIM patients showed higher myostatin levels than active ones. This was the case for all IIM subgroups, except IMNM where low myostatin levels were maintained (2186 [1235; 3815] vs 2349 [1518; 3922] pg/ml; p = 0.4).

Conclusions

Myostatin protein and RNA levels are decreased in all IIM patients, and protein levels correlate with disease activity. Inactive ASyS and DM patients have higher myostatin levels than active patients. Myostatin could be a marker of disease activity in these subgroups. However, IMNM patients do not have significant increase in myostatin levels after disease remission. This may highlight a new pathological disease mechanism in IMNM patients.
Placebo response in pharmacological trials in patients with functional dyspepsia—A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bosman Michelle , Smeets Fabiënne , Elsenbruch Sigrid , Tack Jan , Simrén Magnus , Talley Nicholas , Winkens Bjorn , Masclee Ad , Keszthelyi Daniel
Published: September 2022

Background

Pharmacological trials in functional dyspepsia (FD) are associated with high placebo response rates. We aimed to identify the magnitude and contributing factors to the placebo response.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a dichotomous outcome in adult patients with FD that compared an active pharmacotherapeutic treatment with placebo. Our main outcome was identification of the magnitude of the pooled placebo response rate for the following endpoints: symptom responder, symptom‐free responder, adequate relief responder, and combined endpoint responder (i.e., the primary endpoint of each specific trial regarding treatment response). Several putative moderators (i.e., patient, disease, and trial characteristics) were examined.

Key Results

We included 26 RCTs in our analysis. The pooled placebo response rate was 39.6% (95% CI 30.1–50.0) using the symptom responder definition, 20.5% (12.8–31.0) using the symptom‐free responder definition, 38.5% (33.8–43.6) using the adequate relief responder definition, and 35.5% (31.6–39.7) using the combined endpoint responder definition. A lower overall baseline symptom score was significantly associated with a higher placebo response rate. No other moderators were found to significantly impact the placebo response rate. Due to the lack of data, no analyses could be performed according to individual FD subtypes or symptoms.

Conclusions and Inferences

The pooled placebo response rate in pharmacological trials in FD is about 39%, depending on which responder definitions is used. Future trials should consider applying an entry criterion based on minimal level of symptom severity to decrease the placebo response. We also suggest separate reporting of core FD symptoms pending more concrete harmonization efforts in FD trials.