bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The incidence of candidate binding sites for β-arrestin in Drosophila neuropeptide GPCRs
Authors: Taghert Paul H.
Published: September 2022

To support studies of neuropeptide neuromodulation, I have studied beta-arrestin binding sites (BBS’s) by evaluating the incidence of BBS sequences among the C terminal tails (CTs) of each of the 49 Drosophila melanogaster neuropeptide GPCRs. BBS were identified by matches with a prediction derived from structural analysis of rhodopsin:arrestin and vasopressin receptor: arrestin complexes (1). To increase the rigor of the identification, I determined the conservation of BBS sequences between two long-diverged species D. melanogaster and D. virilis. There is a great diversity in the profile of BBS’s in this group of GPCRs. I present evidence for conserved BBS’s in a majority of the Drosophila neuropeptide GPCRs; notably some have no conserved BBS sequences. In addition, certain GPCRs display numerous conserved compound BBS’s, and many GPCRs display BBS-like sequences in their intracellular loop (ICL) domains as well. Finally, 20 of the neuropeptide GPCRs are expressed as protein isoforms that vary in their CT domains. BBS profiles are typically different across related isoforms suggesting a need to diversify and regulate the extent and nature of GPCR:arrestin interactions. This work provides the initial basis to initiate future in vivo, genetic analyses in Drosophila to evaluate the roles of arrestins in neuropeptide GPCR desensitization, trafficking and signaling.
Disentangling temporal and rate codes in primate somatosensory cortex
Authors: Callier Thierri , Gitchell Thomas , Harvey Michael A. , Bensmaia Sliman J.
Published: September 2022

Abstract

Millisecond-scale temporal spiking patterns encode sensory information in the periphery, but their role in cortex remains controversial. The sense of touch provides a window into temporal coding because tactile neurons often exhibit precise, repeatable, and informative temporal spiking patterns. In somatosensory cortex (S1), for example, responses to skin vibrations exhibit phase-locking that faithfully carries information about vibratory frequency. However, the respective roles of spike timing and rate in frequency coding are confounded because vibratory frequency shapes both the timing and rates of S1 responses. To disentangle the contributions of these two neural features, we measured S1 responses as animals performed a frequency discrimination task, in which differences in frequency were accompanied by behaviorally irrelevant variations in amplitude. We then assessed the degree to which the strength and timing of S1 responses could account for the animals’ performance on the task. First, we showed that animals can discriminate frequency, but their performance is biased by amplitude. Second, rate-based representations of frequency are susceptible to changes in amplitude, but in ways that are inconsistent with the animals’ behavior, calling into question a rate-based code for frequency. In contrast, timing-based representations are impervious to changes in amplitude, also inconsistent with the animals’ behavior. We account for the animals’ behavior with a model wherein frequency coding relies on a temporal code, but frequency judgments are biased by perceived magnitude. Our results constitute further evidence for the role of millisecond-scale spike timing in cortex.

Significance statement

While neurons in the cerebral cortex are known to produce temporally patterned responses with single-digit millisecond precision, the role of this patterning remains controversial. The alternative hypothesis is that the critical feature of neuronal responses is the rate at which spikes are emitted, and the distribution of the spikes in time only matters at much slower time scales (tens or hundreds of milliseconds). To disentangle these two putative neural codes, we trained animals to discriminate the frequency of skin vibrations while recording from somatosensory cortex. We show that only a timing-based representation of frequency can account for the performance of the animals, though overall population firing rate biases their frequency judgments.
Evidence for trans-synaptic propagation of oligomeric tau in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Authors: McGeachan Robert I , Keavey Lois , Rose Jamie L , Simzer Elizabeth M , Chang Ya Yin , Spires-Jones Maxwell P , Gilmore Mollie , Ravingerova Natalia , Scutariu Cristina , Taylor Lewis , King Declan , Tzioras Makis , Tulloch Jane , Booker Sam A , Liaquat Imran , Hindley-Pollock Nicole , Geary Bethany , Smith Colin , Brennan Paul M , Durrant Claire S , Spires-Jones Tara L
Published: September 2022

In the neurodegenerative disease Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), tau pathology progresses through the brain in a stereotypical spatiotemporal pattern, and where tau pathology appears, synapses are lost. We tested the hypothesis that tau pathology spreads between brain regions in PSP by moving from pre- to post-synapses. Sub-diffraction-limit microscopy of human post-mortem brain samples revealed that oligomeric tau is present in synaptic pairs in PSP, with an 80-fold increased chance of post-synapses containing tau when they oppose a tau-containing pre-synapse. In living human brain slice cultures, PSP-derived oligomeric tau was taken up by post-synapses. Synaptic engulfment by astrocytes was observed in both post-mortem brain and human brain slice cultures challenged with PSP-derived tau. These data indicate that tau pathology spreads via synapses in PSP and that astrocytes contribute to synapse loss. Targeting synaptic tau and astrocyte-mediated phagocytosis of synapses are promising targets for attenuating synaptic loss and pathology propagation in PSP.
Deleterious heteroplasmic mitochondrial mutations increase risk of overall and cancer-specific mortality
Authors: Battle Stephanie L , Hong Yun Soo , Shi Wen , Puiu Daniela , Pillalamarri Vamsee , Pankratz Nathan , Lake Nicole J , Lek Monkol , Guallar Eliseo , Arking Dan E
Published: September 2022

Mitochondria are involved in energetic, biosynthetic, and homeostatic processes in eukaryotic cells. Mitochondria carry their own circular genome and disruption of the quantity or quality of mitochondrial genome is associated with various aging-related diseases1–3. Unlike the nuclear genome, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can be present at 1,000s to 10,000s copies in somatic cells and variants may exist in a state of heteroplasmy, where only a fraction of the DNA molecules harbor a particular variant. We used MitoHPC, a bioinformatics pipeline, to accurately quantify mtDNA heteroplasmy from whole genome sequencing data in 194,871 participants in the UK Biobank. We found that the presence of heteroplasmy is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.50-fold; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14, 1.98, when comparing participants with 4 or more heteroplasmies to those without any heteroplasmy). In addition, we functionally characterized mtDNA single nucleotide variants (SNVs) using a novel constraint-based score, Mitochondrial local constraint (MLC) score sum (MSS), which demonstrated that SNVs at highly constrained sites were strongly associated with all-cause mortality (aHR for a 1-unit increase in MSS 1.28; 95% CI 1.20, 1.37) and cancer-related mortality (aHR 1.36; 95% CI 1.24,1.49), particularly lung and breast cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia. MSS was also associated with prevalence and incidence of lung cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia. Moreover, among individuals with prevalent leukemia, high MSS was strongly associated with leukemia mortality (adjusted HR 4.03; 95% CI 1.34, 12.11). These results indicate that mitochondria may have a functional role in certain cancers and mitochondrial heteroplasmic SNVs have the potential to serve as a prognostic markers for cancer incidence and outcome, especially for leukemia.
Integrated microRNA and proteome analysis of cancer datasets with MoPC
Authors: Lovino Marta , Ficarra Elisa , Martignetti Loredana
Published: September 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small molecules that play an essential role in regulating gene expression by post-transcriptional gene silencing. Their study is crucial in revealing the fundamental processes underlying pathologies and, in particular, cancer. To date, most studies on miRNA regulation consider the effect of specific miRNAs on specific target mRNAs, providing wet-lab validation. However, few tools have been developed to explain the miRNA-mediated regulation at the protein level. In this paper, the MoPc computational tool is presented, that relies on the partial correlation between mRNAs and proteins conditioned on the miRNA expression to predict miRNA-target interactions in multi-omic datasets. MoPc returns the list of significant miRNA-target interactions and plot the significant correlations on the heatmap in which the miRNAs and targets are ordered by the chromosomal location. The software was applied on three TCGA/CPTAC datasets (breast, glioblastoma, and lung cancer), returning enriched results in three independent targets databases.

Author summary

According to the central dogma of molecular biology, DNA is transcribed into RNA and subsequently translated into proteins. However, many molecules affect the amount of protein produced, including microRNAs (miRNAs). They can inhibit the translation or intervene by implementing the decay of target mRNAs. In literature, most works focus on describing the effect of miRNAs on mRNA targets, while only a few tools integrate protein expression profiles. MoPc predicts miRNA-targets interaction by considering the expression of mRNA, proteins, and miRNAs simultaneously. The method is based on the partial correlation measure between mRNAs and proteins conditioned by the expression of the miRNAs. The results on TCGA/CPTAC datasets prove the relevance of the MoPc method both from a computational and a biological point of view.
Generational knowledge transfer and retention strategies
Authors: Cox Victoria , Overbey Julie A.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study reviews strategies organizational leaders and human resource practitioners can deploy to develop knowledge transfer and retention succession planning strategies for older employees to mitigate generational organizational knowledge loss prior to retirement.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a questionnaire with 28 baby boomer employees and leaders of baby boomers at a large federal agency. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used. Questions asked participants about knowledge transfer, retention strategies and how challenges to counter baby boomer knowledge loss are addressed in the workplace.

Findings

Develop succession plans using standard operating procedures and job aids to reduce knowledge loss and enhance retention. Deploy hands-on training to share historical knowledge, enhance relationship building, mentoring programs, cross-training opportunities, retention incentives and document process improvement. The strategies are supported by organizational learning and knowledge management theories.

Originality/value

This study contributes to organizational leaders’ and human resource practitioners’ knowledge transfer and retention succession planning strategies to counter generational knowledge loss.
Corporate governance and performance in the UK insurance industry pre, during and post the global financial crisis
Authors: Abdoush Tony , Hussainey Khaled , Albitar Khaldoon
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Due to stakeholders’ concerns on the contribution of corporate governance in monitoring insurance companies during financial crisis, this study aims to investigate whether and how various corporate governance practices would have affected firm performance of listed and non-listed insurance firms in the UK during financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a unique manually collected data set from listed and non-listed insurance firms in the UK and applies different regressions models to test the hypotheses and to address the endogeneity problem.

Findings

The findings show that board non-duality and the presence of a majority shareholder improve firm performance in insurance companies. Furthermore, the findings for the sub-samples indicate a stronger positive association between board of directors and firm performance in listed insurance companies after the financial crisis, while a positive impact has been found between large shareholders and external audit firms in non-listed insurance companies before and during the crisis.

Practical implications

The results offer important practical implications for the government, management, shareholders and policymakers. For example, regulators and policymakers should benefit from these results to revise the recommendations for corporate governance mechanisms that prove to be effective on firm performance, as well as those mechanisms that have different or unexpected effects among listed or non-listed firms and/or during the turbulent periods. Investors should be aware of those specific corporate governance mechanisms that would have higher effect on performance of UK insurance firms in which they are considering to invest in.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the current literature by exploring the effect of corporate governance on financial performance by comparing between listed and non-listed insurance companies during financial crisis. Further, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use two new insurance-related performance measures, the revenue growth ratio and the adjusted combined ratio, as performance proxies to explore whether these new variables create any insights.
Exploring the consequences of mindfulness at work: the impact of mindful organizing on employee attitudes and behavior toward work and organization
Authors: Gajda Daniel , Zbierowski Przemysław
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Drawing on the social exchange theory, the authors extend the high-reliability literature by examining employees' subjective experience of working in contexts engaging in mindful organizing (MO). Ultimately, they ask the question about how MO affects employees' attitudes and behavior toward work and organization, such us organizational commitment (OC), motivation to work and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), in ordinary business settings. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed 307 employees from various industries, using paper-and-pencil questionnaires. A series of hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modeling were performed to test our hypotheses.

Findings

The authors found that MO is positively related to employees' affective and normative commitment to an organization, and that affective commitment is positively related to motivation to work and OCB. The study also reveals that the affective commitment has a partially mediating role in the MO – motivation and MO – OCB relations. Although several researchers argue that the effectiveness of MO may be higher in an uncertain environment, the authors’ study indicates that the environment does not moderate the relationship between MO and OC.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to explore the effects of MO in a traditional (i.e. nonhigh reliability) business context. Furthermore, their findings prove that MO not only leads to higher reliability and greater safety, as previous studies show, but it also positively affects performance-related attitudes and behavior.
Agricultural intensification with seasonal fallow land promotes high bee diversity in Afrotropical drylands
Authors: Lasway Julius V. , Peters Marcell K. , Njovu Henry K. , Eardley Connal , Pauly Alain , Steffan‐Dewenter Ingolf
Published: September 2022

The exponential increase in the human population in tandem with increased food demand has caused agriculture to be the global‐dominant form of land use. Afrotropical drylands are currently facing the loss of natural savannah habitats and agricultural intensification with largely unknown consequences for bees. Here we investigate the effects of agricultural intensification on bee assemblages in the Afrotropical drylands of northern Tanzania. We disentangled the direct effects of agricultural intensification and temperature on bee richness from indirect effects mediated by changes in floral resources.

We collected data from 24 study sites representing three levels of management intensity (natural savannah, moderate intensive and highly intensive agriculture) spanning an extensive gradient of mean annual temperature (MAT) in northern Tanzania. We used ordinary linear models and path analysis to test the effects of agricultural intensity and MAT on bee species richness, bee species composition and body‐size variation of bee communities.

We found that bee species richness increased with agricultural intensity and with increasing temperature. The effects of agricultural intensity and temperature on bee species richness were mediated by the positive effects of agriculture and temperature on the richness of floral resources used by bees. During the off‐growing season, agricultural land was characterized by an extensive period of fallow land holding a very high density of flowering plants with unique bee species composition. The increase in bee diversity in agricultural habitats paralleled an increasing variation of bee body sizes with agricultural intensification that, however, diminished in environments with higher temperatures.

Synthesis and applications. Our study reveals that bee assemblages in Afrotropical drylands benefit from agricultural intensification in the way it is currently practiced. However, further land‐use intensification, including year‐round irrigated crop monocultures and excessive use of agrochemicals, is likely to exert a negative impact on bee diversity and pollination services, as reported in temperate regions. Moreover, several bee species were restricted to natural savannah habitats. To conserve bee communities and guarantee pollination services in the region, a mixture of savannah and agriculture, with long periods of fallow land should be maintained.
“They just won't listen”—The role of blame in narratives of past extreme weather events for anticipating future crisis
Authors: Jasmina Schmidt , Nikola Tietze , Lars Gerhold , Thomas Kox
Published: September 2022

The phase before an extreme weather event is crucial for the actual reaction to the impacts of such an event. In this phase, professionals in the field of civil protection and emergency management anticipate the intensity and impact of the event and use these expectations for action. We argue that anticipation is—beyond others—shaped by the organizations’ shared narratives of past crisis that resulted from extreme weather events. The findings focus on the frame of ‘blame’ in the narration and are based on two fields of study, road maintenance services and forest fire control. Qualitative group discussions and semistructured interviews show two very different views on blame depending on the organization: human factors and fate. This contrast can be traced back to the character of the weather events itself, but also with the self‐image of the organization and perceived external expectations. Depending on the narrative plot and threshold of the event, narratives can affect and alter practices of anticipation through narrations of renewal. Findings contribute to the understanding of organizational sensemaking through narratives of blame and consequences.
Conceptualising, defining and providing special education in China: stakeholder perspectives
Authors: Alduais Ahmed , Deng Meng
Published: September 2022

Conceptualising and defining special education determine what services will be provided for learners with special educational needs (SENs). The focus of our study was two questions: (1) how are people with SENs in China defined, conceptualised and perceived by stakeholders, and (2) how does society in China view special education? This was accomplished by conducting a qualitative study using in‐depth interviews with nine Chinese stakeholders, including administrators, practitioners and academics. The findings revealed that China uses the traditional, social and medical models in the same manner as the rest of the world when conceptualising, defining and providing special education services. However, there are several additional context‐related differences, such as the provision of special education in four different ways (i.e., inclusion, mainstreaming, segregation and exclusion). Although the participants believe that society has made significant progress towards the acceptance of persons with disabilities, they assert that minor, unsystematic and atypical discrimination still exists according to the type of disability or socioeconomic status of each member. While this study sheds revealing light on contemporary conceptions about special education and disability expressed by participants, a deeper understanding of the Chinese educational system's eligibility model for special education, and inclusive education has been gained.
Ethnicity in housing markets: Buyers, sellers and agents
Authors: Bikmetova Natalya , Turnbull Geoffrey K. , Zahirovic‐Herbert Velma
Published: September 2022

This paper examines how ethnicity related to cultural differences arising from ethnic background affects housing market transactions in the Atlanta metro area. Using both the US Census and Wikipedia approaches to infer ethnicity from individuals' names, we find that the interplay of buyer, seller, and agent ethnicity composition affects interaction in the housing market. Sellers working with listing agents in the same ethnic group set higher listing prices and enjoy higher selling prices and quicker sales. Agents working with same ethnicity buyers yield higher prices and liquidity. Even though sellers only communicate with buyers through their agents, houses sold by sellers to buyers of same ethnicity have higher prices and sell faster. And while the ethnic mix of agents and their clients matter, the ethnic mix of agents in the transaction does not.
Export credit agencies delivering finance for the green transition in times of crisis
Authors: Lundquist Peder
Published: September 2022

Export credit agencies (ECAs) have an important and effective toolbox for accelerating and shaping development through financing and dealing with risk. Being a public finance provider involved in global trade and connecting with both suppliers (exporters) and buyers (governments, public buyers, and private corporations), EKF has gained insight into the perspective of the buyer, supplier and, in project finance, sponsors, of what it takes to make a deal materialise across international borders. This is a valuable insight for work with green technologies. However, to truly deliver on the green transition we need all parts of government and society to adapt in order to increase demand and supply for green solutions at a global level. Governments must also commit to constant adaptation and improvement of policies if we are to succeed in the short time we are facing. EKF has demonstrated how export credit finance can support the global expansion of wind energy and that providing financial incentives makes a difference. I believe that ECAs are ready to take up this next challenge by managing even larger risks, providing long‐term funding, and working together on improving our climate impact, which is key to achieving sustainable green development.
Managing the green transition: The role of the OECD export credit arrangement
Authors: Jansen Marion
Published: September 2022

The OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits has the potential to make a sizeable impact on the energy‐related aspects of the green transition because energy‐related projects have traditionally represented a significant share of the overall amount of support provided in accordance with the Arrangement. Export credits supported according to the Arrangement (except those provided under the aircraft sector understanding) amounted to USD 717 billion over the period 2007–2021, or an average of approximately USD 50 billion annually.
Japan: Political Developments and Data in 2021
Authors: HINO AIRO , OGAWA HIROKI , FAHEY ROBERT A. , LIU LING
Published: September 2022

The year 2021 saw the resignation of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga after just a year in office, following steep declines in his government's approval ratings due to public dissatisfaction with aspects of his handling of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. His successor, former Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida, was nonetheless able to limit the ruling party's losses in a general election in late October, preventing the left‐wing opposition parties from making any advances. The centre‐right Japan Innovation Party/Nippon Ishin no Kai, however, gained 30 seats to become the third‐largest party in the Diet, consolidating its political grip on the region surrounding Japan's second‐largest city, Osaka.
The relation between body mass index and primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wu Lingsha , Zhang Jing , Tang Jie , Fang Haiyan
Published: September 2022

Introduction

The relation between body mass index (BMI) categories and the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea has been investigated, but the results of these studies are inconsistent and controversial. The aim of our study was to systematically review the literature and investigate the association between each category of BMI and the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea.

Material and methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies related to BMI and primary dysmenorrhea. Eleven databases—PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Wanfang database—were systematically searched from inception to March 2022. We used the 11 items recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to assess the quality of included studies. The Q test and the I2 test were used to evaluate the heterogeneity among studies. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled by fixed‐effects models or random‐effects models. Stata software version 16.0 was used to complete the statistical analyses.

Results

A total of 4181 articles were collected from the database, and 12 studies were included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 29 647 participants were included in the study, with a mean baseline age of 17–45 years. All included literature was published between 2017 and 2021 and was conducted in six countries. Eleven included studies were of medium quality and one included study was of high quality. Being underweight may be related to the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea (12 studies, n = 6545, OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.18–1.73). Being overweight (12 studies, n = 3098) and obesity (four studies, n = 94) may not be associated with the development of primary dysmenorrhea.

Conclusions

Being underweight may increase the risk of the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea, whereas overweight and obesity might not be associated with primary dysmenorrhea. Due to the limitations of the meta‐analysis, more studies are needed to investigate the relation between each category of BMI and the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea. To maintain a balanced diet and an appropriate lifestyle is beneficial for people to have the normal category of BMI and live a healthy life, which may play a role in preventing the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea.
Penalized Estimation of Frailty-Based Illness–Death Models for Semi-Competing Risks
Authors: Reeder Harrison T. , Lu Junwei , Haneuse Sebastien
Published: September 2022

Semi-competing risks refer to the time-to-event analysis setting, where the occurrence of a non-terminal event is subject to whether a terminal event has occurred, but not vice versa. Semi-competing risks arise in a broad range of clinical contexts, including studies of preeclampsia, a condition that may arise during pregnancy and for which delivery is a terminal event. Models that acknowledge semi-competing risks enable investigation of relationships between covariates and the joint timing of the outcomes, but methods for model selection and prediction of semi-competing risks in high dimensions are lacking. Moreover, in such settings researchers commonly analyze only a single or composite outcome, losing valuable information and limiting clinical utility—in the obstetric setting, this means ignoring valuable insight into timing of delivery after preeclampsia has onset. To address this gap, we propose a novel penalized estimation framework for frailty-based illness–death multi-state modeling of semi-competing risks. Our approach combines non-convex and structured fusion penalization, inducing global sparsity as well as parsimony across submodels. We perform estimation and model selection via a pathwise routine for non-convex optimization, and prove statistical error rate results in this setting. We present a simulation study investigating estimation error and model selection performance, and a comprehensive application of the method to joint risk modeling of preeclampsia and timing of delivery using pregnancy data from an electronic health record.
Rural futures? Mapping newcomers' hopes about potential resettlement in Canadian rural areas
Authors: Rishworth Andrea , Niraula Ashika , Dean Jennifer , Wilson Kathi , Ghassemi Effat , Baldo Amanda
Published: September 2022

The Canadian government recently launched initiatives to promote immigrant settlement outside of traditional gateway cities, in small towns and rural areas. These initiatives attempt to mitigate socio‐economic impacts of population decline, and address barriers to successful integration in urban areas. Drawing on the geographies of hope, this paper examines how newcomers navigate hopes as they imagine rural resettlement in Ontario. Based on focus groups with immigrants (n = 50), the findings suggest that newcomers' imagined rural futures are a dynamic and mobile process, shaped by competing hopes for a stable life. Rural imaginaries can sometimes provide a generative space to realize hopes and develop new future aspirations, other times they can constrain hopes for intergenerational futures. We contend that newcomer hopes arise in moments of relocation uncertainty, shaped by competing visions, interests, and priorities at individual and collective scales. Newcomers' expectations of rural futures are always enlivened with a sense of optimism for what has not yet become, but are equally replete with angst and anxiety for the future. This article concludes that future geographic research on migration‐hope‐place interactions, particularly in the health subfield, should engage constructions, experiences, and enactments of hope that mediate relocations and the policies governing them.
mTORi‐based immunosuppression reduces HCC recurrence at the expense of increased adverse side effects: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Gongming , Duan Binwei , Li Guangming
Published: September 2022

Sirolimus and everolimus are mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi) that can reduce relapse rates following liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, we performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to investigate the efficacy of mTORi and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) in reducing HCC recurrence and survival adverse effects (AEs) in HCC patients after LT. Systematic literature searches were conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases up to October 2021. The primary outcomes of interest were tumor recurrence rates and overall survival. The secondary outcomes were the characterization and incidence of AEs. A total of 38 trials involving 10,607 participants was included in the analysis. The incidence of recurrence and overall mortality was significantly lower in the mTORi than in the CNI group (relative ratio [RR]: .78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .68‒.89 and RR: .76, 95% CI: .67‒.86, respectively). The incidence of some AEs and complications such as acne, anemia, abnormal healing, dyslipidemia, depression, diarrhea, edema, headache/migraine, hypercholesterolemia, incisional hernia, infection, leukopenia, mouth ulceration, pyrexia, proteinuria, pruritis, rash, and thrombocytopenia were higher in the mTORi than in the CNI group. mTORi reduced the recurrence incidence and overall 5‐year mortality rate but increased many other incidences of AEs compared with that by CNI. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the risks and benefits of mTORi use when managing patients undergoing LT for HCC.
Student perceptions of the current drinking culture in three Australian residential colleges: Drinking motives, consequences and recommendations for harm minimisation strategies
Authors: Davidson Lily , Mefodeva Valeriya , Walter Zoe , Hides Leanne
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Systemic cultural factors related to excessive alcohol consumption have been identified in Australian university residential colleges. In this mixed methods study, we conducted focus groups with student leaders at three Australian residential colleges. We aimed to explore students' perceptions of alcohol use and related consequences in their current college environment and gather feedback from students on the utility of alcohol harm minimisation strategies in this context.

Methods

In November 2020, 77 student leaders from three colleges participated in focus groups. Each focus group ran for 1.5–2 hours and included three sections: (i) quantitative survey; (ii) semi‐structured group interview; and (iii) feedback on a potential alcohol harm minimisation workshop.

Results

The survey revealed that 81% of participants reported drinking hazardously. Thematic analysis of the interview data indicated many students perceived college as a supportive environment regarding students' alcohol use choices (direct peer pressure to drink was uncommon). However, indirect social influence to drink appeared to maintain a ‘culture of intoxication’. Specifically, social norms to attend college events (where drinking is implied) and modelling of excessive drinking were key indirect influences on heavy drinking norms. Students were aware and accepting of many alcohol harm minimisation strategies and interested in improving current strategies.

Discussion and Conclusions

Despite the supportive college environment described by students, regarding alcohol use choices, a ‘culture of intoxication’ driven by indirect social influences was evident. Student leaders' interest in increasing the availability of harm minimisation strategies highlights the potential utility of peer‐led alcohol interventions in colleges.
Novel weight estimation equation for children with cerebral palsy in low‐resource settings: Validation in a population‐based cohort
Authors: Jahan Israt , Ruiz Brunner Maria de las Mercedes , Muhit Mohammad , Hossain Iskander , Cuestas Eduardo , Cieri M. Elisabeth , Condinanzi Ana L. , Escobar Zuluaga L. Johana , Badawi Nadia , Khandaker Gulam
Published: September 2022

Aim

To validate a novel equation to estimate weight from mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in rural Bangladesh.

Method

Children with CP aged 2 to 18 years registered in the Bangladesh CP Register were randomly selected. Data on sociodemographics, Gross Motor Function Classification System level, and anthropometric measurements were extracted. Bland–Altman plots with a 95% agreement limit and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported to measure agreement between observed and estimated weight. Percentage error was used to determinate the method's accuracy.

Results

There were 497 participants with a mean age at assessment of 9 years (SD 4 years 11 months) (47.7% female). Lin's concordance correlation coefficient between the observed and estimated weights was 0.90 (95% CI 0.89–0.92). Bland–Altman plots showed a reasonable accuracy of the equation in the study cohort. The mean percentage error of the equation was 5.04%. The average difference between observed and estimated weights was −1.02 kg (SD 5.1). The differences between observed and estimated weights were significantly greater among children with weight‐for‐age, height‐for‐age, or BMI‐for‐age z‐scores less than or equal to −4.

Interpretation

It is possible to predict the weight of children with CP from MUAC with sufficient accuracy. The equation can be used for populations in low‐resources and low‐ and middle‐income countries.

What this paper adds

The equations predict the weight of children with cerebral palsy from their mid‐upper arm circumference reasonably accurately.

The difference between observed and estimated weights ranged between 0 kg and ± 5 kg in 81.5% of children.

Sex and Gross Motor Function Classification System level did not affect the accuracy of the equations.

The equations were less accurate for estimating the weight of severely undernourished children.
Cheek‐to‐cheek: Communal nesting in an ephemeral pool‐breeding frog
Authors: Gould John , Clulow John , Clulow Simon
Published: September 2022

Communal nesting is a behaviour exhibited by some oviparous species, the adults of which deposit their eggs over the same time period in a common area and possibly in direct physical contact. While this may occur inadvertently, it is proposed to be an adaptive trait in some species. Herein, we describe both solitary and communal nesting behaviours in the sandpaper frog (Lechriodus fletcheri). Field observations over two consecutive breeding seasons revealed that adults of this species frequently deposit their eggs in frothed nests alongside those of other mating pairs to form floating communal rafts or “masses” on the surface of the water. The presence of communal masses despite; (i) the relatively small number of nests deposited within each breeding episode and (ii) the space available for nests to be deposited separately within a pool, both indicate that some adults are deliberately choosing to lay their nests together. We propose that adults are thus engaging in a form of social behaviour and that communal nesting may be highly advantageous for improving offspring survival by complimenting the anti‐predator properties of the froth nest. This is because the communal mass further isolates embryos from the external environment during development prior to hatching, given a reduction in the surface area relative to volume of each nest that composes the mass. While future research is required to determine why both solitary and communal nesting behaviours are exhibited in this species, it could suggest that there are certain costs associated with communality that occasionally outweigh the benefits.
Teachers' oral proficiency: What happens after they graduate?
Authors: Leonard Karen , Bonilla Nancy
Published: September 2022

The Challenge

Developing Advanced speaking proficiency in the TL is an important goal for teacher candidates. However, what happens after they begin teaching? Do in‐service teachers' proficiency levels improve, remain the same, or decline over time? How can teachers maintain or improve their proficiency?
NHS knowledge and library services in England in the digital age
Authors: Lacey Bryant Sue , Bridgen Richard , Hopkins Emily , McLaren Catherine , Stewart David
Published: September 2022

National Health Service (NHS) knowledge and library services in England are integrating digital advances into their systems and services. Health Education England (HEE) leads on the development of NHS library services. A key workstream focuses on (1) improving the infrastructure to enable discovery and management of digital knowledge resources; (2) collaborating with local teams to establish regional library management systems that are integrated with the new national discovery service for healthcare staff and learners. This article explores initiatives on resource discovery as well as the need for system‐wide partnership working to ensure that biomedical knowledge in computable form is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. Low levels of health and digital literacy pose a significant barrier to using health information and accessing health services. A range of interventions are aimed at enhancing citizens' digital and health literacy skills. The education and life‐long learning needs of the knowledge and library services workforce are considered. Working with CILIP and higher education institutions, HEE delivers a range of educational offers through its Learning Academy. As Artificial Intelligence and automation are implemented in health systems, knowledge and library staff form a crucial bridge between technology and those who use it.
Evaluation of renal parenchyma stiffness in children with nephropathy by shear wave elastography: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yao Shixiang , Liu Xiao , Wang Hongying , Yu Hongkui
Published: September 2022

Background

The role of shear wave elastography (SWE) in assessing renal parenchymal stiffness in children with nephropathy is obscure. This systematic review and meta‐analysis investigated this issue.

Materials and Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies evaluating renal parenchyma stiffness in children with nephropathy by SWE from inception to October 2021. The search was not limited by language. Two investigators independently screened the literature and extracted data. Any discrepancies were resolved via discussion with the senior professor. Study quality was assessed by the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale and the standardized mean difference of shear wave velocity (SWV) for the evaluation of renal parenchyma stiffness was determined.

Results

Eight studies involving a total of 496 children with nephropathy and 353 healthy children were selected. Eight studies used SWV as parameters of renal parenchyma stiffness. The SWV was not significantly different in children with renal lesion than in those without renal lesion, with a standardized mean difference of 0.49 (95% confidence level, −0.40 to 1.39, p = 0.28). There was a high heterogeneity between studies.

Conclusion

Although there was significant difference in SWE of renal parenchyma between controls and patients in each study we included, statistical differences were not seen after results of all research were amalgamated due to different diseases with different pathomechanisms. SWE could be used to evaluate renal parenchymal stiffness in children with kidney disease after more well‐designed and high‐quality studies with a large sample size will be performed in the future.
Exploring the social care‐related quality of life outcomes of adults with intellectual disabilities through the use of Talking Mats®
Authors: Darvell Cathy , Bradshaw Jill
Published: September 2022

Background

Views on social care related quality of life (SCRQol) are typically gathered directly from individuals or from proxy informants. Easy‐read options are available, although such methods may not be accessible to those with greater communication challenges.

Methods

Fifteen people with intellectual disabilities were interviewed about their SCRQoL using Talking Mats® (TM). A descriptive approach was taken to exploring what people had to say.

Results

Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with living conditions and personal care routines. They were mostly satisfied with the level of choice and control they had and with their carers.

Conclusions

People with intellectual disabilities who have greater communication challenges can make meaningful contributions to the assessment of the care they receive. Talking Mats is one tool which can be used to support people with intellectual disabilities to give their views.
Impact on right ventricular performance in patients undergoing permanent pacemaker implantation: Left bundle branch pacing versus right ventricular septum pacing
Authors: Huang Xinyi , Lin Manxin , Huang Shufen , Guo Jincun , Li Linlin , Chen Simei , Huang Kunhui , Wu Jian , Su Maolong , Cai Binni
Published: September 2022

Background

The novel method of left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has been reported to achieve better electrical and mechanical synchrony in the left ventricle than conventional right ventricular pacing (RVP). However, its effects on right ventricle (RV) performance are still unknown.

Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing dual‐chamber pacemaker (PM) implantation for sick sinus syndrome (SSS) with normal cardiac function and a narrow QRS complex were recruited for the study. The pacing characteristics and echocardiogram parameters were measured to evaluate RV function, interventricular and RV synchrony, and were compared between ventricular pacing‐on and native‐conduction modes.

Results

A total of 84 patients diagnosed with SSS and an indication for pacing therapy were enrolled. Forty‐two patients (50%; mean age 65.50 ± 9.30 years; 35% male) underwent successful LBBP and 42 patients (50%; mean age 69.26 ± 10.08 years; 33% male) RVSP, respectively. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. We found no significant differences in RV function [RV‐FAC (Fractional Area Change)%, 47.13 ± 5.69 versus 48.60 ± 5.83, p = .069; Endo‐GLS (Global Longitudinal Strain)%, −28.88 ± 4.94 versus −29.82 ± 5.35, p = .114; Myo‐GLS%, −25.72 ± 4.75 versus −25.72 ± 5.21, p = .559; Free Wall St%, 27.40 ± 8.03 versus −28.71 ± 7.34, p = .304] between the native‐conduction and LBBP capture modes, while the RVSP capture mode was associated with a significant reduction in the above parameters compared with the native‐conduction mode (p < .0001). The interventricular synchrony in the LBBP group was also superior to the RVSP group significantly.

Conclusion

LBBP is a pacing technique that seems to associate with a positive and protective impact on RV performance.
Laboratory testing and antihypertensive medication adherence following initial treatment of incident, uncomplicated hypertension: A real‐world data analysis
Authors: Beall Reed F. , Leung Alexander A. , Quinn Amity E. , Salmon Charleen , Scory Tayler D. , Bresee Lauren C. , Ronksley Paul E.
Published: September 2022

In this study on medication adherence among newly diagnosed patients with uncomplicated, incident hypertension, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using available administrative and laboratory data from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2017 in Alberta, Canada to understand the extent to which baseline laboratory assessment and/or subsequent follow‐up was associated with persistence with antihypertensive therapy. We determined the frequency of baseline and follow‐up testing and compared the rates of medication persistence by patient‐, neighbourhood‐, and treatment‐related factors. Of 103 232 patients with newly diagnosed, uncomplicated hypertension who filled their first prescription within our study timeframe, 52.5% were non‐persistent within 6 months. Persistent patients were more often female and residing in neighbourhoods with higher social status (with exception to rurality). Aside from older age, the strongest predictor of persistence was performance of laboratory testing related to hypertension with an apparent effect in which higher levels of medication persistence were seen with more frequent laboratory testing. We concluded that medication persistence was far from optimal, dropping off considerably after 6 months for more than half of patients. Medication persistence is a substantial barrier to realizing the full societal benefits of antihypertensive treatment. Ongoing follow up with patients, including laboratory testing, may be a critical component of better long term treatment persistence.
Measuring patient‐centered care to improve hospital experiences of older adults
Authors: Naik Aanand D.
Published: September 2022

This editorial comments on the article by Elliot et al. in this issue.