bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chitosan primes plant defence mechanisms againstBotrytis cinerea, including expression of Avr9/Cf-9 rapidly-elicited genes
Authors: De Vega Daniel , Holden Nicola , Hedley Pete E , Morris Jenny , Luna Estrella , Newton Adrian
Published: April 2020

Current crop protection strategies against the fungal pathogenBotrytis cinerearely on a combination of conventional fungicides and host genetic resistance. However, due to pathogen evolution and legislation in the use of fungicides, these strategies are not sufficient to protect plants against this pathogen. Defence elicitors can stimulate plant defence mechanisms through a phenomenon known as priming. Priming results in a faster and/or stronger expression of resistance upon pathogen recognition by the host. This work aims to study priming of a commercial formulation of the elicitor chitosan. Treatments with chitosan result in induced resistance in solanaceous and brassicaceous plants. In tomato plants, enhanced resistance has been linked with priming of callose deposition and accumulation of the plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA). Large-scale transcriptomic analysis revealed that chitosan primes gene expression at early time-points after infection. In addition, two novel tomato genes with a characteristic priming profile were identified, Avr9/Cf-9 rapidly-elicited protein 75 (ACRE75)and 180(ACRE180). Transient and stable overexpression ofACRE75, ACRE180and theirNicotiana benthamianahomologs, revealed that they are positive regulators of plant resistance againstB. cinerea. This provides valuable information in the search for strategies to protect Solanaceae plants againstB. cinerea.
Analysis of biosynthesis and composition of cuticular wax in wild type bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillusL.) and its glossy mutant
Authors: Trivedi Priyanka , Nguyen Nga , Klavins Linards , Kviesis Jorens , Heinonen Esa , Remes Janne , Jokipii-Lukkari Soile , Klavins Maris , Karppinen Katja , Jaakola Laura , Häggman Hely
Published: April 2020

Cuticular wax plays an important role in fruits in protection against environmental stresses and desiccation. In this study, biosynthesis and chemical composition of cuticular wax in wild type (WT) bilberry fruit was studied during development and compared with its natural glossy type (GT) mutant. The cuticular wax load in GT fruit was comparable to WT fruit. In both fruits, triterpenoids were the dominant wax compounds with decreasing proportion during the fruit development accompanied with increasing proportion of aliphatic compounds. Gene expression studies supported the pattern of compound accumulation during fruit development. GenesCER26-like, FAR2, CER3-like, LTP, MIXTA, andBASexhibited prevalent expression in fruit skin indicating role in cuticular wax biosynthesis and secretion. In GT fruit, higher proportion of triterpenoids in cuticular wax was accompanied by lower proportion of fatty acids and ketones compared to WT fruit as well as lower density of crystalloid structures on berry surface. Our results suggest that a marked reduction in ketones in cuticular wax may play a significant role in the formation of glossy phenotype leading to the loss of rod-like structures in epicuticular wax layer of GT fruit.

Highlight

Chemical composition and morphology of cuticular wax along with gene expression for wax biosynthetic genes varied between glossy type mutant (GT) and wild type (WT) fruit.
Defining an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma endotype
Authors: Ricker Cora A. , Crawford Kenneth , Matlock Kevin , Lathara Melvin , Seguin Bernard , Rudzinski Erin R. , Berlow Noah E. , Keller Charles
Published: April 2020

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common childhood soft-tissue sarcoma. The largest subtype of RMS is embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) and accounts for 53% of all RMS. ERMS typically occurs in the head and neck region, bladder, or reproductive organs and portends a promising prognosis when localized; however, when metastatic the 5-yr overall survival rate is ∼43%. The genomic landscape of ERMS demonstrates a range of putative driver mutations, and thus the recognition of the pathological mechanisms driving tumor maintenance should be critical for identifying effective targeted treatments at the level of the individual patients. Here, we report genomic, phenotypic, and bioinformatic analyses for a case of a 3-yr-old male who presented with bladder ERMS. Additionally, we use an unsupervised agglomerative clustering analysis of RNA and whole-exome sequencing data across ERMS and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) tumor samples to determine several major endotypes inferring potential targeted treatments for a spectrum of pediatric ERMS patient cases.
In the field of tension between creativity and efficiency: a systematic literature review of management control systems for innovation activities
Authors: Lill Philipp , Wald Andreas , Munck Jan Christoph
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The number of theoretical and empirical research on management control of innovation activities has significantly increased. Existing studies in this field are characterized by a wide dispersion and a multitude of different definitions. The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic review of the literature on management control of innovation activities and to synthesize the current body of knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a systematic review approach, this article reviews 79 articles on management control for innovation activities from 1959 to 2019 and inductively derives a multi-dimensional framework.

Findings

The review of existing studies advances the debate about the detrimental versus beneficial character of management control systems for innovation, showing that the repressing character of control is not inherent to control itself, but emanates from the design of the respective management control system.

Research limitations/implications

The multi-dimensional framework connects and combines existing research and thus synthesizes the current state of knowledge in this field. Additionally, the framework can guide practitioners to systematically assess context factors and consequences of their management control systems design, and it shows avenues for future research.

Originality/value

The scientific and practical value of this paper is the convergence of the current body of knowledge consisting of various definitions and conceptualizations and the identification of avenues for future research.
CEO inside debt and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Sheikh Shahbaz
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relation between incentives from CEO inside debt (deferred compensation and pension benefits) and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Design/methodology/approach

Instrumental variable (IV-GMM) regressions are used to estimate the relation between CEO inside debt and CSR.

Findings

The results of this paper indicate that CEOs with large inside debt tend to invest more in CSR. Analysis of CSR strengths and concerns supports this finding and shows that CEO inside debt is significantly positively (negatively) associated with CSR strengths (concerns). Further tests indicate that CEO inside debt exerts a positive and significant effect on all five dimensions of social performance (diversity, community, product, employee relations and environment).

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study are based on US corporations. Future research should investigate if these results hold for firms in other countries in order to better our understanding of the relation between CEO inside debt and CSR.

Practical implications

CEOs use CSR as a risk management strategy to reduce corporate risk in order to protect the value of their inside debt.

Social implications

The results in this paper provide a practical tool to boards of corporations to increase investment in CSR. The results suggest that boards can encourage CEOs to invest in CSR by increasing incentives from inside debt.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature that examines the relation between inside debt and CSR by showing that CEO inside debt exerts a positive impact on CSR.
The end of the Multi Fiber Arrangement and the pattern of US apparel trade
Authors: Datta Anusua , Kouliavtsev Mikhail
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper analyzes the effects of the expiration of the Multi Fiber Arrangement (MFA), which ended quota restrictions on US textile and apparel imports in 2005, on the sourcing of US apparel. We test if the realignment in trade following the phase out of quotas can be explained by comparative advantage and market size.

Design/methodology/approach

We use a gravity framework to investigate the role of comparative advantage (labor costs) and other factors such as exporter size, PTAs and tariff reductions on the pattern of US apparel imports. Detailed data on quotas by country-product pair are used for the purpose.

Findings

Our empirical results show a significant increase in imports from large quota constrained countries once the MFA ended. Moreover, the pattern of trade seems to favor low wage countries that have a comparative advantage in producing apparel, which is highly labor intensive.

Originality/value

The end of quotas removed a major distorting factor in US apparel trade. This study examines the role of trade theory in the changing pattern of apparel imports that followed the end of the MFA. We use a gravity framework to test the theory of comparative advantage and the role of exporter size. Previous studies on the end of the MFA and its effects, do not examine the causal factors behind the realignment of US apparel trade.
A framework for technology transfer success factors: validation for the Graphene4Life project
Authors: Chiș Diana-Maria , Crișan Emil Lucian
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for technology transfer success factors from a technology provider viewpoint and to test this framework considering the perceptions of graphene researchers from a Romanian research project (Graphene4Life).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a literature review and a case study with three units of analysis. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews and content analysis were used.

Findings

The five-category framework for technology transfer success factors from a technology provider viewpoint, which portrays success factors in an expansive way from technology to the market (technology, organization, context, collaboration and customer absorptive capacity factors), is confirmed by the qualitative analysis, while new factors in all categories are discovered.

Research limitations/implications

The results are limited given the qualitative nature of this research. The extrapolation of the results to other technologies and contexts is a scientific challenge.

Originality/value

In this paper, the authors develop, based on a detailed literature review, a framework for technology success factors from a technology provider viewpoint, which classifies technology transfer success factors in an expansive way from technology to the market (technology, organization, context, collaboration and customer absorptive capacity factors). Technology itself is settled as the foundation of the framework, underlining the need for a technology-driven technology transfer process. In comparison to existing frameworks that analyze technology transfer success factors, the present framework is a more complex one, covering all facets of the technology process. The new factors discovered through the qualitative analysis are also an important contribution of this research.
Impact of entrepreneurial leadership on project success: mediating role of knowledge management processes
Authors: Latif Khawaja Fawad , Nazeer Aqib , Shahzad Faisal , Ullah Mohsin , Imranullah Muhammad , Sahibzada Umar Farooq
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV), the study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) on knowledge management (KM) processes and further examines the mediating role of KM processes on the linkage between EL and project success (PS).

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 304 project workers in software projects, and the proposed relationships were assessed through SMART-PLS structural equation modeling tool.

Findings

The study found a significant impact of EL on KM processes and PS. The analysis also revealed that KM processes significantly impact project success while EL impact PS indirectly through KM processes.

Originality/value

The relevancy of the research stems from the scarcity of research on EL, while studies on the role of leadership as a predictor of KM are significantly limited. Additionally, there is a scarcity of research on the impact of KM on project success. This is one of the earliest studies that investigate the inter-relationship among EL, KM processes and project success.
Hub firm transformation and industry cluster upgrading: innovation network perspective
Authors: Ye Di , Wu Yenchun Jim , Goh Mark
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This research paper examines how hub firm transformation and restructuring of network partnerships shape the development of industrial clusters in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire data were collected from 210 managers (response rate 70.9 percent) from the manufacturing industrial clusters in Eastern China.

Findings

The results inform that a cluster’s hub firm transformation influences the evolution of the cluster. Though the hub firm may possess transformation capabilities, the cluster is likely to be weakened if network partnerships and resource synergy are not formed amongst the cluster members.

Research limitations/implications

This paper, in examining the individual- and firm-level attributes of orchestration capability and their interactions, sheds light on the firm level and inter-firm level relationships between resources and innovation in an industrial cluster.

Practical implications

To facilitate learning and the upgrading of firms within an industry cluster and promote a cluster’s innovation network, policymakers can initiate preferential policy measures to cultivate support to strategically transform a cluster’s hub firm, thus fostering cluster network growth.

Originality/value

The paper studies the evolution of clusters by investigating the hub firm transformation and member firm interaction. Focusing on the inter-firm network interactions lends a richer understanding of the nuances of the evolution of industrial clusters in Asia.
Antenatal magnesium sulphate for the prevention of cerebral palsy in infants born preterm: a double‐blind, randomised, placebo‐controlled, multi‐centre trial
Authors: Wolf HT , Brok J , Henriksen TB , Greisen G , Salvig JD , Pryds O , Hedegaard M , Weber T , Hegaard HK , Pinborg A , Huusom LD ,   The MASP research group
Published: April 2020

Objective

To study the effect of antenatal magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) on cerebral palsy (CP) in a manner that also provides adequate power for a linked trial sequential analysis.

Design

Double‐blind, randomised, placebo‐controlled, multi‐centre trial.

Setting

Fourteen Danish obstetric departments.

Population

In total, 560 pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery before 32 weeks of gestation were randomised from December 2011 to January 2018. Those women gave birth to 680 children.

Methods

Women were randomised to receive either a loading dose of 5 g MgSO4 followed by 1 g/hour or a placebo in identical volumes. The children were followed up at a corrected age of 18 months or older with a review of their medical charts and with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.

Main outcome measure

The primary outcome measure was moderate to severe CP. Secondary outcomes included mortality, neonatal morbidity, blindness and mild CP.

Results

The crude rates of moderate to severe CP in the MgSO4 group and the placebo group were 2.0% and 3.3%, respectively. The adjusted odds of moderate to severe CP were lower in the MgSO4 group than in the placebo group (odds ratio 0.61; 95% CI 0.23–1.65).

Conclusions

Antenatal MgSO4 before 32 weeks of gestation decreases the likelihood of moderate to severe CP; these results are entirely consistent with other randomised evidence summarised in the linked trial sequential analysis.

Tweetable abstract

Antenatal magnesium sulphate may decrease the risk of moderate to severe cerebral palsy in children born before 32 weeks of gestation.
Clinical characteristics and risk factors of drug‐induced lung injury by ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A single center retrospective analysis
Authors: Koshikawa Ken , Terada Jiro , Abe Mitsuhiro , Iwasawa Shunichiro , Sakayori Masashi , Yoshioka Keiichiro , Hirasawa Yasutaka , Kasai Hajime , Kawasaki Yohei , Tsushima Kenji , Tatsumi Koichiro
Published: April 2020

Background

If anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement in lung cancer is identified, ALK‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK‐TKIs) can be an effective treatment. However, the details of drug‐induced lung injury (DILI) caused by ALK‐TKI, which can be a serious side effect of ALK‐TKIs, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and the onset risk factors of DILI by ALK‐TKIs in clinical practice.

Methods

The clinical features of 56 consecutive patients who received crizotinib, alectinib, and/or ceritinib at our hospital from 2012 to 2018 were retrospectively examined. Among these, patients diagnosed with DILI due to ALK‐TKIs were evaluated in terms of clinical features and parameters. Each clinical parameter before the administration of ALK‐TKIs was compared between the DILI onset group and the non‐onset group.

Results

A total of seven cases were diagnosed with DILI due to ALK‐TKIs; no DILI‐related deaths were observed. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan findings identified six patients with the organizing pneumonia (OP) pattern and one with the hypersensitivity pneumonia pattern. The onset of DILI was significantly different in patients age ≥ 64 years and with a creatinine clearance <80 mL/minute.

Conclusions

Extra caution for DILI due to ALK‐TKIs may be needed when recommending ALK‐TKIs for patients over 64 years of age, or with decreased renal function. CT images of the majority of patients with DILI by ALK‐TKIs show an OP pattern.

Key points

Significant findings of the study: Extra caution is needed when recommending ALK‐TKIs for patients over 64 years of age or those with decreased renal function. Computed tomography images of the majority of patients with DILI by ALK‐TKIs show an OP pattern.

What this study adds: The same or a different ALK‐TKI may be considered as a treatment option after the onset of DILI, based on careful judgment.
Does Cannabis Use Predict More Severe Types of Alcohol Consequences? Longitudinal Associations in a 3‐Year Study of College Students
Authors: Wardell Jeffrey D. , Egerton Gregory A. , Read Jennifer P.
Published: April 2020

Background

Prior research shows that negative drinking outcomes among young adults may be exacerbated by cannabis use. However, to date, there have been few longitudinal studies of associations between cannabis use and negative alcohol‐related consequences. This study examined longitudinal within‐person associations between cannabis use and several domains of negative alcohol consequences among young adults and explored the moderating role of sex.

Method

We analyzed data from N = 997 students assessed 4 times per year over the first 3 years of university. At each time point, participants completed measures of past‐month cannabis use frequency, typical weekly number of drinks, and 8 domains of negative alcohol consequences. Longitudinal associations were examined in multilevel models.

Results

Within‐person changes in frequency of cannabis use were not uniquely associated with changes in total alcohol consequences aggregated across several alcohol consequence domains. However, when examining alcohol consequence domains separately, within‐person increases in cannabis use frequency were specifically associated with increases in some (but not all) of the more severe types of alcohol consequences, including risky behaviors, poor self‐care, and alcohol dependence symptoms. No support was observed for the moderating role of sex in the longitudinal within‐person associations between cannabis use and alcohol consequence domains.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that within‐person changes in cannabis use frequency among young adults are associated with corresponding changes in some domains of alcohol consequences (but not others) when examined over the course of several years. Results may inform targeted harm reduction interventions for young adult drinkers who use cannabis, although future research is needed to clarify the mechanisms of the observed associations.
Externalizing behaviour, task‐focused behaviour, and academic achievement: An indirect relation?
Authors: Becherer Julia , Köller Olaf , Zimmermann Friederike
Published: April 2020

Background

Although many studies have suggested that students’ externalizing (aggressive and rule‐breaking) behaviour is detrimental to their academic achievement, the underlying mechanisms have rarely been investigated.

Aims

We conducted a longitudinal investigation of whether the negative relation between externalizing behaviour and academic achievement operationalized as grades and test scores is mediated by students’ task‐focused behaviour while controlling for the effects of initial achievement and general cognitive abilities. We conducted separate analyses for different rating perspectives (i.e., parents and teachers) on students’ externalizing behaviour to investigate the robustness of effects and determined whether gender moderated the mediation.

Sample

Participants were N = 1,039 students in 55 classes from different school types who were followed from fifth to ninth grade.

Method

In fifth grade, parents and teachers rated students’ externalizing behaviour, and students were administered standardized tests in mathematics, German, and general cognitive abilities. In seventh grade, teachers rated students’ task‐focused behaviour. In ninth grade, students were again administered standardized tests in mathematics and German, and their grades were obtained from school registries.

Results

Structural equation models consistently revealed indirect effects of externalizing behaviour via task‐focused behaviour on grades and test scores beyond effects of initial achievement and general cognitive abilities. Result patterns were similar for parents’ and teachers’ ratings of externalizing behaviour and male and female students.

Conclusions

This study extends knowledge about the negative relation between externalizing behaviour and academic achievement in adolescents by showing that there is an indirect relation through task‐focused behaviour. Implications are discussed.
A multilevel analytical framework for studying cultural evolution in prehistoric hunter–gatherer societies
Authors: Romano Valéria , Lozano Sergi , Fernández‐López de Pablo Javier
Published: April 2020

Over the past decade, a major debate has taken place on the underpinnings of cultural changes in human societies. A growing array of evidence in behavioural and evolutionary biology has revealed that social connectivity among populations and within them affects, and is affected by, culture. Yet the interplay between prehistoric hunter–gatherer social structure and cultural transmission has typically been overlooked. Interestingly, the archaeological record contains large data sets, allowing us to track cultural changes over thousands of years: they thus offer a unique opportunity to shed light on long‐term cultural transmission processes. In this review, we demonstrate how well‐developed methods for social structure analysis can increase our understanding of the selective pressures underlying cumulative culture. We propose a multilevel analytical framework that considers finer aspects of the complex social structure in which regional groups of prehistoric hunter–gatherers were embedded. We put forward predictions of cultural transmission based on local‐ and global‐level network metrics of small‐scale societies and their potential effects on cumulative culture. By bridging the gaps between network science, palaeodemography and cultural evolution, we draw attention to the use of the archaeological record to depict patterns of social interactions and transmission variability. We argue that this new framework will contribute to improving our understanding of social interaction patterns, as well as the contexts in which cultural changes occur. Ultimately, this may provide insights into the evolution of human behaviour.
Isoniazid–phytochemical conjugation: A new approach for potent and less toxic anti‐TB drug development
Authors: Swain Shasank S. , Paidesetty Sudhir K. , Padhy Rabindra N. , Hussain Tahziba
Published: April 2020

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes one of the most grievous pandemic infectious diseases, tuberculosis (TB), with long‐term morbidity and high mortality. The emergence of drug‐resistant Mtb strains, and the co‐infection with human immunodeficiency virus, challenges the current WHO‐TB stewardship programs. The first‐line anti‐TB drugs, isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF), have become extensively obsolete in TB control from chromosomal mutations during the last decades. However, based on clinical trial statistics, the production of well‐tolerated anti‐TB drug(s) is miserably low. Alternately, semi‐synthesis or structural modifications of first‐line obsolete antitubercular drugs remain as the versatile approach for getting some potential medicines. The use of any suitable phytochemicals with INH in a hybrid formulation could be an ideal approach for the development of potent anti‐TB drug(s). The primary objective of this review was to highlight and analyze available INH–phytochemical hybrid research works. The utilization of phytochemicals through chemical conjugation is a new trend toward the development of safer/non‐toxic anti‐TB drugs.
Racial inequalities in public dental service utilization: Exploring individual and contextual determinants among middle‐aged Brazilian adults
Authors: Constante Helena Mendes
Published: April 2020

Objectives

To investigate differences between Pardos (mixed) and Blacks with their White counterparts in the use of public dental service among a sample of Brazilian adults taking into consideration the role of individual and contextual characteristics.

Methods

A total of 6196 adults aged 35‐44 years were sampled from the 2010 Brazilian National Oral Health Survey and nested in one of 27 Brazilian State Capitals. Binary multilevel logistic analyses were conducted. Use of public dental service in the last visit was the outcome, and self‐reported colour/race (Pardo, Black, White) was the explanatory variable. Individual covariates were sex, level of education, family income, self‐reported need for treatment, dental pain in the last 6 months, presence of decayed, filled and missing teeth. The State Capital covariates were proportion of Pardos/Blacks, Human Development Index, Gini coefficient, Integration of dental teams into Brazil Family Health Program and dentist per population rate.

Results

Pardos and Blacks were 1.25 (95% CI 1.10‐1.42) and 1.73 (95% CI 1.41‐2.11) times, respectively, more likely to visit the public dental service than Whites. Adjustments for level of education and income were more relevant in affecting the estimates between groups than any other covariate, but differences persisted. Colour/race was independently associated with the type of service used in the last dental visit after fully adjusted for individual and State Capital characteristics.

Conclusions

Racial differences in dental service utilization were evident for middle‐aged adults in Brazil. The results found highlight the importance of investments in public dental service as Pardos and Blacks relied more on this type of service than Whites.
Constructing Semantic Models From Words, Images, and Emojis
Authors: Rotaru Armand S. , Vigliocco Gabriella
Published: April 2020

A number of recent models of semantics combine linguistic information, derived from text corpora, and visual information, derived from image collections, demonstrating that the resulting multimodal models are better than either of their unimodal counterparts, in accounting for behavioral data. Empirical work on semantic processing has shown that emotion also plays an important role especially in abstract concepts; however, models integrating emotion along with linguistic and visual information are lacking. Here, we first improve on visual and affective representations, derived from state‐of‐the‐art existing models, by choosing models that best fit available human semantic data and extending the number of concepts they cover. Crucially then, we assess whether adding affective representations (obtained from a neural network model designed to predict emojis from co‐occurring text) improves the model's ability to fit semantic similarity/relatedness judgments from a purely linguistic and linguistic–visual model. We find that, given specific weights assigned to the models, adding both visual and affective representations improves performance, with visual representations providing an improvement especially for more concrete words, and affective representations improving especially the fit for more abstract words.
Efficacy and safety of device‐assisted enteroscopy ERCP in liver transplantation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ferretti Francesca , Fraquelli Mirella , Cantù Paolo , Penagini Roberto , Casazza Giovanni , Vecchi Maurizio , Orlando Stefania , Invernizzi Federica , Branchi Federica , Donato Francesca Maria , Elli Luca
Published: April 2020

Background

Enterobiliary anastomoses are the main source of complications after liver transplantation. An endoscopic approach combining device‐assisted enteroscopy and ERCP (DAE‐ERCP) is technically feasible in postsurgical anatomy.

Aims

This study aimed at assessing the efficacy, feasibility, and safety of DAE‐ERCP in liver‐transplanted patients (LT) and other subsets (non‐LT).

Methods

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies involving DAE procedures in LT patients (between January 2000 and May 2017) was conducted. The main endpoints were as follows: endoscopic, diagnostic, therapeutic, and overall success rates, complications, and the need for surgery.

Results

A total of 155 studies were retrieved, and 6 relevant trials were analyzed. Overall, 132 subjects (72 LT and 60 non‐LT) undergoing 257 DAE‐ERCP (135 and 122) were included. Complications were rare (4/257), and no deaths occurred. These are the pooled success rates among LT and non‐LT patients: 80%‐100% and 82%‐95% (enteroscopic), 75%‐100% and 89%‐100% (diagnostic), 67%‐100% and 92%‐100% (therapeutic), and 60%‐100% and 79%‐83% (overall results). The requirement for surgery was similar in the two subgroups.

Conclusion

In managing biliary complications, the high diagnostic and therapeutic success rates of DAE‐ERCP combined with its safety and feasibility encourage its application as a first‐line approach to transplanted patients.
High‐level motor skills assessment for ambulant children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review and decision tree
Authors: Clutterbuck Georgina L , Auld Megan L , Johnston Leanne M
Published: April 2020

Aim

To examine the psychometric evidence for high‐level motor skills assessment tools for ambulant, school‐aged children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method

We searched five databases for population (children with CP aged 5–18y in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I and II), assessment focus (high‐level motor skills), and psychometric evidence. We evaluated evidence strength using the number of studies, quality, and conduct according to COnsensus‐based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments checklists.

Results

Eleven assessments (39 studies) met the criteria. Seven high‐level motor skills assessment items (Muscle Power Sprint Test, 10m Shuttle Run Test, 10×5m Sprint Test, vertical jump, standing broad jump, seated throw, and Timed Up and Down Stairs) had strong validity and responsiveness evidence. Jumping items and seated throw lacked reliability data. Four high‐level motor skills assessment batteries (Functional Strength Measure in CP, Gross Motor Function Measure‐Challenge, Peabody Developmental Motor Scale, and Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition) had moderate‐to‐strong validity and/or reliability evidence. Responsiveness data were only available for the Gross Motor Function Measure‐Challenge battery. The decision tree was developed with five levels: clinical feasibility, relevance, tool design, clinical utility, and psychometric properties.

Interpretation

High‐level motor skills assessment tools have strong psychometric evidence for ambulant, school‐aged children with CP. The decision tree can assist clinicians and researchers in identifying appropriate tools to measure high‐level motor skills.

What this paper adds

An evidence‐based decision tree guides the selection of appropriate high‐level motor skills assessment tools.

Seven high‐level motor skills assessment items have strong psychometric evidence and clinical utility for ambulant children with cerebral palsy.

Four high‐level motor skills assessment batteries with recreation and mobility items have emerging psychometric evidence in this population.
Pallidal 1/f asymmetry in patients with cervical dystonia
Authors: Semenova Ulia , Popov Valentin , Tomskiy Alexey , Shaikh Aasef G. , Sedov Alexey
Published: April 2020

Lateralized differences in pallidal outflow are putatively linked to asymmetric tonic contractions of the neck muscles in cervical dystonia (CD). At the population level, the interhemispheric asymmetry has been traditionally studied for the estimation of the spectral power in specified frequency bands. Broadband spectral features, however, were not taken into consideration. The contemporary analysis revealed that the aperiodic (1/f) broadband activity could be a neurophysiological marker of the excitation/inhibition ratio. During deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, we measured bilateral pallidal local field potentials (LFP) in nine CD patients, examining the effects of lateralized asymmetry on 1/f broadband activity. All patients showed a trend towards an asymmetric difference in the 1/f broadband activity. The ipsilateral 1/f slope was significantly higher in internal (GPi) segment of the globus pallidus that is on the contralateral side of the direction of the dystonia. We also found lateralized differences in the beta oscillations for GPi and in the alpha oscillations for GPe. Our findings emphasize the importance of mainstreaming broadband activity in the estimation of LFP spectral features together with periodic features and provide further evidence for the pallidal asymmetry in CD patients.
Lifeform indicators reveal large‐scale shifts in plankton across the North‐West European shelf
Authors: Bedford Jacob , Ostle Clare , Johns David G. , Atkinson Angus , Best Mike , Bresnan Eileen , Machairopoulou Margarita , Graves Carolyn A. , Devlin Michelle , Milligan Alex , Pitois Sophie , Mellor Adam , Tett Paul , McQuatters‐Gollop Abigail
Published: April 2020

Increasing direct human pressures on the marine environment, coupled with climate‐driven changes, is a concern to marine ecosystems globally. This requires the development and monitoring of ecosystem indicators for effective management and adaptation planning. Plankton lifeforms (broad functional groups) are sensitive indicators of marine environmental change and can provide a simplified view of plankton biodiversity, building an understanding of change in lower trophic levels. Here, we visualize regional‐scale multi‐decadal trends in six key plankton lifeforms as well as their correlative relationships with sea surface temperature (SST). For the first time, we collate trends across multiple disparate surveys, comparing the spatially and temporally extensive Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey (offshore) with multiple long‐term fixed station‐based time‐series (inshore) from around the UK coastline. These analyses of plankton lifeforms showed profound long‐term changes, which were coherent across large spatial scales. For example, ‘diatom’ and ‘meroplankton’ lifeforms showed strong alignment between surveys and coherent regional‐scale trends, with the 1998–2017 decadal average abundance of meroplankton being 2.3 times that of 1958–1967 for CPR samples in the North Sea. This major, shelf‐wide increase in meroplankton correlated with increasing SSTs, and contrasted with a general decrease in holoplankton (dominated by small copepods), indicating a changing balance of benthic and pelagic fauna. Likewise, inshore‐offshore gradients in dinoflagellate trends, with contemporary increases inshore contrasting with multi‐decadal decreases offshore (approx. 75% lower decadal mean abundance), urgently require the identification of causal mechanisms. Our lifeform approach allows the collation of many different data types and time‐series across the NW European shelf, providing a crucial evidence base for informing ecosystem‐based management, and the development of regional adaptation plans.
A reduced‐tillering trait shows small but important yield gains in dryland wheat production
Authors: Houshmandfar Alireza , Ota Noboru , O'Leary Garry J. , Zheng Bangyou , Chen Yang , Tausz‐Posch Sabine , Fitzgerald Glenn J. , Richards Richard , Rebetzke Greg J. , Tausz Michael
Published: April 2020

Reducing the number of tillers per plant using a tiller inhibition (tin) gene has been considered as an important trait for wheat production in dryland environments. We used a spatial analysis approach with a daily time‐step coupled radiation and transpiration efficiency model to simulate the impact of the reduced‐tillering trait on wheat yield under different climate change scenarios across Australia's arable land. Our results show a small but consistent yield advantage of the reduced‐tillering trait in the most water‐limited environments both under current and likely future conditions. Our climate scenarios show that whilst elevated [CO2] (e[CO2]) alone might limit the area where the reduced‐tillering trait is advantageous, the most likely climate scenario of e[CO2] combined with increased temperature and reduced rainfall consistently increased the area where restricted tillering has an advantage. Whilst long‐term average yield advantages were small (ranged from 31 to 51 kg ha−1 year−1), across large dryland areas the value is large (potential cost‐benefits ranged from Australian dollar 23 to 60 MIL/year). It seems therefore worthwhile to further explore this reduced‐tillering trait in relation to a range of different environments and climates, because its benefits are likely to grow in future dry environments where wheat is grown around the world.
Latitudinal gradients and ecological drivers of β‐diversity vary across spatial scales in a temperate forest region
Authors: Zhang Chunyu , He Fangliang , Zhang Zhonghui , Zhao Xiuhai , von Gadow Klaus
Published: April 2020

Aim

Our understanding of the mechanisms driving β‐diversity is still rather rudimentary. This study evaluates the influences of environmental filtering versus spatial scale of regional communities on β‐diversity across latitudes.

Location

North‐eastern China.

Methods

The β‐diversity was calculated in each regional community. The spatial extent of these “regional communities”, which included five or 10 plots, was ≤ 140 km. A random assembly null model was used to assess the effects of species abundance distribution on the β‐diversity. Moreover, the deviation of observed β‐diversity from a null model (called β‐deviation) was also assessed. The variations of the β values were partitioned into environmental, latitudinal and their joint effects.

Results

The observed β‐diversity declined with increasing latitude, although the β‐deviations showed a non‐monotonic pattern as the latitude increased at two studied scales. All the regional communities consisting of five or 10 local plots exhibited significantly positive β‐deviations. The total amount of variation in β‐deviations explained by environmental and latitudinal variables increased dramatically with increasing scale. A significant pure environmental effect was observed at both scales, explaining 30% of the variation in β‐deviation for regional communities consisting of five local plots and 58.7% for regional communities consisting of 10 local plots. The spatial variation in precipitation primarily accounted for the β‐gradient.

Main conclusions

This is one of the few multiscale analyses to investigate latitudinal patterns and driving mechanisms of tree β‐diversity in temperate forests. The β‐deviation showed a similar trend of change with latitude, but the variation of β‐deviation explained by the environments and latitude was highly dependent on the scale of regional communities studied. Environmental filtering and the spatial scale of regional communities jointly accounted for the β‐gradient, with environmental filtering appearing to determine the high variation of species turnover along the latitudinal gradient.
The effect of attitudes, subjective norms and stigma on health‐care providers' intention to recommend medicinal cannabis to patients
Authors: Melnikov Semyon , Aboav Anat , Shalom Ester , Phriedman Shoshi , Khalaila Khaled
Published: April 2020

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of health‐care providers' attitudes towards the medical use of cannabis, subjective norms and perceived stigma towards medicinal cannabis users on health‐care providers' intention to recommend medicinal cannabis for patients with qualifying conditions.

Methods

A cross‐sectional correlational study included 221 health‐care providers (mean age, 42.2 ± 11.2; 74.2% women and 76.5% nurses) who completed a questionnaire examining theory‐based variables and stigma towards medicinal cannabis users.

Results

More positive attitudes towards the medical use of cannabis were associated with lower stigma towards medicinal cannabis users, which, in turn, was associated with a higher intention of recommending medicinal cannabis for patients with qualifying conditions. The relationship between attitudes towards the medical use of cannabis and the intention to recommend medicinal cannabis varies according to subjective norms.

Conclusions

Among nurses and physicians, stigma towards medicinal cannabis users mediated the relationship between attitudes towards the medical use of cannabis and the intention to recommend medicinal cannabis for patients with qualifying conditions, whereas subjective norms moderated this relationship. Effective treatment with medicinal cannabis might be compromised by health‐care providers' negative attitudes, stigma and subjective norms.
Internal validation and decision curve analysis of a preoperative nomogram predicting a postoperative complication in pheochromocytoma surgery: An international study
Authors: Phillips John , Bloom Jonathan , Yarlagadda Vidhush , Schultz Luciana , Gordetsky Jennifer , Tanno Fabio Y , Chambo Jose L , Almeida Madson Q , Fragoso Maria CBV , Srougi Miguel , Srougi Victor , Rais‐Bahrami Soroush
Published: April 2020

Objectives

To develop a preoperative nomogram that would predict the risk of a postoperative complication for pheochromocytoma patients undergoing adrenalectomy using an international database.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed preoperative variables and postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma in three institutions from 2000 to 2017. Internal validation of a generated nomogram was carried out with receiver operating characteristics, calibration plots, and decision curve analyses.

Results

A total of 153 patients who had undergone 166 adrenalectomies were included in the study. Overall, post‐adrenalectomy complications were seen in 30% of patients, whereas 9.6% of patients sustained a Clavien ≥3a complication. Independent predictors of a complication were a history of hypertension, body mass index, tumor size, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score. On internal validation, the multivariable model generated a nomogram that predicted a postoperative complication or clinically hemodynamic event with an area under the curve of 0.86, showed good calibration and had an overall net benefit.

Conclusions

An internally validated nomogram combining body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index score and tumor size can predict the probability of a post‐adrenalectomy complication in those with and without hypertension. The model, the first of its kind in pheochromocytoma surgery, identifies patients at risk of a postoperative complication at the time of their presentation with pheochromocytoma.
Mechanotransduction pathways in the regulation of cartilage chondrocyte homoeostasis
Authors: Zhao Zhenxing , Li Yifei , Wang Mengjiao , Zhao Sen , Zhao Zhihe , Fang Jie
Published: April 2020

Mechanical stress plays a critical role in cartilage development and homoeostasis. Chondrocytes are surrounded by a narrow pericellular matrix (PCM), which absorbs dynamic and static forces and transmits them to the chondrocyte surface. Recent studies have demonstrated that molecular components, including perlecan, collagen and hyaluronan, provide distinct physical properties for the PCM and maintain the essential microenvironment of chondrocytes. These physical signals are sensed by receptors and molecules located in the cell membrane, such as Ca2+ channels, the primary cilium and integrins, and a series of downstream molecular pathways are involved in mechanotransduction in cartilage. All mechanoreceptors convert outside signals into chemical and biological signals, which then regulate transcription in chondrocytes in response to mechanical stresses. This review highlights recent progress and focuses on the function of the PCM and cell surface molecules in chondrocyte mechanotransduction. Emerging understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate mechanotransduction will provide new insights into osteoarthritis pathogenesis and precision strategies that could be used in its treatment.
Oryza sativa FER‐LIKE FE DEFICIENCY‐INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR (OsFIT/OsbHLH156) interacts with OsIRO2 to regulate iron homeostasis
Authors: Liang Gang , Zhang Huimin , Li Yang , Pu Mengna , Yang Yujie , Li Chenyang , Lu Chengkai , Xu Peng , Yu Diqiu
Published: April 2020

Iron (Fe) is indispensable for the growth and development of plants. It is well known that FER‐LIKE FE DEFICIENCY‐INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR (FIT) is a key regulator of Fe uptake in Arabidopsis. Here, we identify the Oryza sativa FIT (also known as OsbHLH156) as the interacting partner of IRON‐RELATED BHLH TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR 2 (OsIRO2) that is critical for regulating Fe uptake. The OsIRO2 protein is localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus, but OsFIT facilitates the accumulation of OsIRO2 in the nucleus. Loss‐of‐function mutations of OsFIT result in decreased Fe accumulation, severe Fe‐deficiency symptoms, and disrupted expression of Fe‐uptake genes. In contrast, OsFIT overexpression promotes Fe accumulation and the expression of Fe‐uptake genes. Genetic analyses indicate that OsFIT and OsIRO2 function in the same genetic node. Further analyses suggest that OsFIT and OsIRO2 form a functional transcription activation complex to initiate the expression of Fe‐uptake genes. Our findings provide a mechanism understanding of how rice maintains Fe homeostasis.