bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MULTI-MODAL IMAGING IN DIFFUSE SUBRETINAL FIBROSIS WITH UVEITIS SYNDROME
Authors: Moll-Udina Aina , Alba-Linero Carmen , Llorenç Victor , Adán Alfredo
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

To describe clinical features including multimodal imaging in a case of diffuse subretinal fibrosis and uveitis syndrome.

Methods:

A young patient presented with counting fingers in both eyes due to posterior uveitis and unresponsive to systemic corticosteroids. Ultra-wide field pseudo-color and autofluorescence imaging, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), en-face OCT-A, and spectral-domain optical coherence were performed.

Results:

Clinical examination revealed a bilateral fibrosis plaque in both fovea and macular multifocal choroidal lesions associated, with no vitritis. Ultra-wide field-autofluorescence allowed us to determine activity showing a hyperfluorescent pattern. En-face OCT-A at the level of the ellipsoid layer showed multiple hyperreflective lesions surrounding a hyperreflective fibrosis plaque in both eyes, which improved and stabilized during the follow-up. Optical coherence tomography angiography at the level of retina pigmentary epithelium-choriocapillaris revealed neocapillary network changes along the chronification of the disease. The patient required the addition of intravitreal dexamethasone implants (Ozurdex) to control the acute rebounds and anti-TNFα to control the underlying inflammatory process.

Conclusion:

This is the first diffuse subretinal fibrosis with uveitis syndrome reported with a complete En-face OCT-A and OCT-A examination. This multi-modal imaging will improve the monitoring of the disease's activity and the chronicity changes.
Therapeutic challenges in radiation-induced salivary gland cancers
Authors: Ronchi Sara , Mastella Edoardo , Vischioni Barbara , Bonora Maria , Orlandi Ester
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

To give an overview of recent advances in therapeutic approaches of radiation-induced salivary gland cancers (ri-SGCs).

Recent findings

Reirradiation with protons and carbon ions demonstrated to be feasible, safe and to offer good local control rates, with the possibility of overcoming radioresistance and dosimetric issues in previously irradiated cancer patients. Chromosomal rearrangements, gene fusions and expression profiles are important to identify specific cancer subtypes and can guide tailored systemic therapy.

Ri-SGCs are rare and heterogeneous. Patients are often heavily pretreated and at risk of toxicities, and their management remain challenging. A multidisciplinary approach in referral centers is mandatory. Knowledge about SGCs cellular and molecular mechanisms is constantly evolving. In the last years, novel advances in therapeutic approaches, such as carbon ion radiotherapy, are emerging as safe and effective options in active treatment, but further efforts are needed to offer tailored personalized treatments and to improve survival.
The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism: impact on early childhood development and implications for physicians
Authors: Brodie Nicola , Perdomo Joanna E. , Silberholz Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted healthcare and racial inequities. This article discusses recent literature documenting the impact of racism on early childhood development, disparities in access to developmental services and ways healthcare providers and health systems can promote physician well being during these difficult times.

Recent findings

Exposure to racism begins prenatally, and early childhood experiences with racism are intimately tied to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Early intervention is key to treating children with developmental delay, but disparities exist in accessing eligibility screening and in the provision of services. Paediatric providers are at risk of developing secondary traumatic stress and burnout, which may affect the care that they provide.

New research has led to the development of resources that help paediatric providers address racism, access developmental resources in a novel manner and protect the paediatric workforce from trauma and burnout.
Nurse Practitioner Management of a Blinatumomab Infusion Program
Authors: Amicucci Matteo , Ciaralli Italo
Published: December 2020

The prognosis of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia can be improved with the use of monoclonal antibodies such as blinatumomab. Many studies discuss the management and treatment of symptoms; however, none of them describe practical complications related to the continuous infusion of blinatumomab, especially during home-based therapy. The purpose of this study is to describe the experience gained over 4 years in the management of pediatric patients undergoing therapy with blinatumomab in an Italian tertiary hospital. The establishment of a nursing program dedicated to improving infusion pump management, patient support, quality of care, and patient safety will be discussed.
Managing Chemotherapy Extravasation Across Transitions of Care
Authors: Karius Diana L. , Colvin Christina M.
Published: December 2020

Chemotherapy extravasation can lead to serious patient harm in patients with cancer. For nurses who administer vesicant chemotherapy, extravasation is a primary concern. Regardless of nurse experience level and despite prevention strategies, extravasations occur. Literature related to nurse management of chemotherapy extravasation beyond initial treatment is lacking, and no descriptors are available for a formalized process. Communication gaps and a lack of standardized follow-up within a 1400-bed, quaternary care academic medical institution contributes to challenges in care continuity when patients transition between hospital and ambulatory settings. With chemotherapy extravasation, the site does not immediately exhibit signs of tissue injury, leading to a false sense of security. As a result, tissue damage can be significant by the time the patient returns for his or her regular appointment. Two oncology clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) recognized an opportunity to bridge the gap and overcome the challenges by addressing patient needs postextravasation. Between 2015 and 2016, a formal consult process was designed, approved, and implemented to observe, manage, and make recommendations for timely care and follow-up. Since implementation of the process, the oncology CNSs have received multiple requests for consultations. Nursing staff report increased comfort levels with this process in place. A formalized process for managing chemotherapy extravasations increases patient safety and patient and nurse satisfaction.
ADH5-mediated NO Bioactivity Maintains Metabolic Homeostasis in Brown Adipose Tissue
Authors: Sebag Sara C. , Zhang Zeyuan , Qian Qingwen , Li Mark , Harata Mikako , Li Wenxian , Zhu Zhiyong , Zingman Leonid , Liu Limin , Lira Vitor A. , Potthoff Matthew J. , Bartelt Alexander , Yang Ling
Published: December 2020

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic activity is tightly regulated by cellular redox status but the molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation are incompletely understood. ProteinS-nitrosylation, the nitric oxide-mediated cysteine thiol modification of proteins, plays important roles in cellular redox regulation. Here we show that both diet-induced obesity (DIO) and acute cold exposure elevates protein S-nitrosylation of BAT proteins, including UCP1, to regulate thermogenesis. This effect in BAT is regulated largely by S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR, ADH5), a denitrosylase that balances the intracellular nitroso-redox status. Loss of ADH5 specifically in BAT impairs UCP1-dependent thermogenesis during acute cold challenge and worsens metabolic dysfunction during diet-induced obesity. Mechanistically, we demonstrate thatAdh5expression in BAT is controlled by the transcription factor heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and administration of an HSF1 activator to the BAT of mice with DIO increasedAdh5expression and significantly improved UCP1-mediated mitochondrial respiration. Together, these data demonstrate that ADH5 controls BAT nitroso-redox homeostasis to regulate adipose thermogenesis which may be therapeutically targeted to improve metabolic health.

Highlights

Thermogenesis induces protein S-nitrosylation modification in the BAT;

ADH5, a major cellular denitrosylase, is required for maintaining BAT metabolic homeostasis under both overnutrition and cold stress conditions;

Diet-induced obesity suppresses HSF1-mediated activation ofAdh5in the BAT;

ADH5 overexpression in BAT improves whole-body glucose homeostasis in obesity.
Metabolic allometry: A genomic approach to scaling
Authors: Fernandez-Gonzalez Mauricio A
Published: December 2020

The high complexity of living beings represents a difficult challenge to understand how different levels of organizations are interconnected, being especially difficult to identify how certain higher levels are affected by cellular dynamics. Important advances in ecology have shown that many phenomena can be explained through a power-law relationship, being the cellular metabolism a key component in this complexity networks scaling with a regular exponent related to body size and temperature. Here, using a novel approach we estimate the energy used to synthesize the portion of the genome that codes the metabolism searching for genomic scaling rules in five different species with higher differences in body sizes. We found that the energy of this genetic portion scales in a power-law relationship related to the mass of the species analyzed.
MoCpa1-mediated arginine biosynthesis is crucial for fungal growth, conidiation, and plant infection ofMagnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Aron Osakina , Wang Min , Wilfred Mabeche Anjago , Wajjiha Batool , Yang Shuai , You Haixia , Wang Zonghua , Tang Wei
Published: December 2020

Arginine is an important amino acid involved in processes such as cell signal transduction, protein synthesis, and sexual reproduction. To understand the biological roles of arginine biosynthesis in pathogenic fungi, we used Cpa1, the carbamoyl phosphate synthase arginine-specific small chain subunit inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeas a query to identify its ortholog inMagnaporthe oryzaegenome database and named it MoCpa1. MoCpa1 is a 471-amino acid protein containing the CPSase_sm_chain domain and the GATase domain. MoCpa1 transcripts were highly expressed at the conidiation, early-infection, and late-infection stages of the fungus. Targeted deletion ofMoCPA1gene resulted in the ΔMocpa1mutant exhibiting arginine auxotrophy on MM, confirming its role inde novoarginine biosynthesis. The ΔMocpa1mutant presented significantly decreased sporulation with some of its conidia being defective in morphology. Furthermore, the ΔMocpa1mutant was nonpathogenic on rice and barley leaves, which was a result of defects in appressorium-mediated penetration and restricted invasive hyphal growth within host cells. Addition of exogenous arginine partially rescued conidiation and pathogenicity defects on the barley and rice leaves, while introduction ofMoCPA1gene in ΔMocpa1mutant fully complemented the lost phenotype. Further confocal microscopy examination revealed that MoCpa1 is localized in the mitochondria. In summary, our results demonstrate that MoCpa1-mediated arginine biosynthesis is crucial for fungal development, conidiation, appressorium formation and infection-related morphogenesis inM. oryzae, thus serving as an attractive target for mitigating obstinate fungal plant pathogens.
Electro-conductive carbon nanofibers containing ferrous sulfate for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Nekounam Houra , Samadian Hadi , Asghari Fatemeh , Majidi Reza Faridi
Published: December 2020

The application of electroactive scaffolds can be promising for bone tissue engineering applications. In the current paper, we aimed to fabricate an electro-conductive scaffold based on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) containing ferrous sulfate. FeSO4·7H2O salt with different concentrations 5, 10, and 15 wt%, were blended with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer as the precursor and converted to Fe2O3/CNFs nanocomposite by electrospinning and heat treatment. The characterization was conducted using SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, and Raman methods. The results showed that the incorporation of Fe salt did not induce an adverse effect on the nanofibers’ morphology. EDX analysis confirmed that the Fe are uniformly dispersed throughout the CNF mat. FTIR spectroscopy showed the interaction of Fe salt with PAN polymer. Raman spectroscopy showed that the incorporation of FeSO4·7H2O reduced the ID/IG ratio, indicating more ordered carbon in the synthesized nanocomposite. Electrical resistance measurement depicted that, although the incorporation of ferrous sulfate reduced the electrical conductivity, the conductive is suitable for electrical stimulation. Thein vitrostudies revealed that the prepared nanocomposites were cytocompatible and only negligible toxicity (less than 10%) induced by CNFs/Fe2O3fabricated from PAN FeSO4·7H2O 15%. These results showed that the fabricated nanocomposites could be applied as the bone tissue engineering scaffold.
Adaptation to host cell environment during experimental evolution of Zika virus
Authors: Grass Vincent , Hardy Emilie , Kobert Kassian , Talemi Soheil Rastgou , Décembre Elodie , Guy Coralie , Markov Peter V. , Kohl Alain , Paris Mathilde , Böckmann Anja , Muñoz-González Sara , Sherry Lee , Höfer Thomas , Boussau Bastien , Dreux Marlène
Published: December 2020

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection can cause important developmental and neurological defects in Humans. Type I/III interferon responses control ZIKV infection and pathological processes, yet the virus has evolved various mechanisms to defeat these host responses. Here, we established a pipeline to delineate at high-resolution the genetic evolution of ZIKV in a controlled host cell environment. We uncovered that serially passaged ZIKV acquired increased infectivity and simultaneously developed a resistance to TLR3-induced restriction. We built a mathematical model that suggests that the increased infectivity is due to a reduced time-lag between infection and viral replication. We found that this adaptation is cell-type specific, suggesting that different cell environments may drive viral evolution along different routes. Deep-sequencing of ZIKV populations pinpointed mutations whose increased frequencies temporally coincide with the acquisition of the adapted phenotype. We functionally validated S455L, a substitution in ZIKV envelope (E) protein, recapitulating the adapted phenotype. Its positioning on the E structure suggests a putative function in protein refolding/stability. Taken together, our results uncovered ZIKV adaptations to the cellular environment leading to accelerated replication onset coupled with resistance to TLR3-induced antiviral response. Our work provides insights into Zika virus adaptation to host cells and immune escape mechanisms.
A business process and portfolio management approach for Industry 4.0 transformation
Authors: Richard Sophie , Pellerin Robert , Bellemare Jocelyn , Perrier Nathalie
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the difficulties faced by manufacturing enterprises by providing a project portfolio management approach supporting the selection and prioritization of various Industry 4.0 projects where business process analysis is used to ensure the strategic alignment and value of the project portfolio.

Design/methodology/approach

The design research methodology, a mixed applied research methodology, was used to develop and test the proposed approach.

Findings

Despite the growing interest of the scientific and industrial communities in I4.0, it seems that there is no method by which manufacturing companies can select a large number of improvement projects. Moreover, studies tend to focus on the evaluation and implementation of a single technology, while the transformation of an intelligent plant requires the consolidation and coordination of many initiatives to achieve a global objective.

Originality/value

The proposed project portfolio management model offers support to enterprises during their digital transformation and improves their processes by integrating technology levers through consistent and achievable selection of I4.0 initiatives while meeting strategic goals and objectives.
A system dynamics approach to conceptualise causes of cost overrun of construction projects in developing countries
Authors: Asiedu Richard Ohene , Ameyaw Collins
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aimed at developing and empirically testing a system dynamics causal loop (SDCL) model for investigating factors related to the risk of cost overruns, associated with the performance of construction projects in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data derived from the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI), a conceptual system dynamics model was hypothesised and empirically tested.

Findings

Supported by empirical evidence, the study established that the low technical capacity of consultants is the underlying cause of cost overruns in government projects. There is a strong proof of the relationship between the results of the SDCL model and poor contract planning and supervision, change orders, competence of the project team and the lack of effective coordination amongst the contractual parties.

Practical implications

The final SDCL model has revealed key risk components that would require standard mitigation measures in order to achieve “acceptable success” in construction projects.

Originality/value

The study presents an interactive approach for construction practitioners in developing countries to prioritise the causes of cost overruns in order to initiate quick responses.
Buy now before it expires: a study of expiration date-based pricing
Authors: Amr Yassin Cherouk , Soares Ana Maria
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Food waste and retail losses due to expiration dates are an important problem worldwide. Expiration date-based pricing (EDBP) is a price promotion technique consisting of charging different prices for perishable product approaching expiration date. The authors explore the influence of EDBP on impulse buying (IB) and on cognitive dissonance.

Design/methodology/approach

A mall intercept survey in Egypt was used to test the proposed model.

Findings

The results show that, while EDBP does not affect IB, it impacts cognitive dissonance. In addition, cognitive IB impacts cognitive dissonance, while affective IB does not.

Practical implications

Results suggest that there is a need to reconsider the effects of EDBP and call for alternative strategies to promote products approaching its expiration date, including strategies based on environmental protection by reducing waste arguments rather than on the sales promotional framework.

Originality/value

In spite of the importance of understanding consumer behaviour with perishable goods, this topic has taken little or no attention in the literature. The results provide useful insights for understanding EDBP.
Behavioral intention of “digital natives” toward adapting the online education system in higher education
Authors: Bag Sudin , Aich Payel , Islam Md. Aminul
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The aim of the study is to examine the intention of students toward the online education system with emphasis on online examination in higher education. The study investigated different constructs that have an influence on the use of the online platform for learning to the specific domain that mitigates the personal needs of the learners outside the physical class boundaries.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire in a single cross-sectional survey from 430 students of higher educational institutions in India. The partial least square approach was used for path modeling to examine the relationships in the proposed research model using Smart PLS-3.3.2.

Findings

Attitude, ease of use and usefulness have a significant relationship with the behavioral intention to use the online education system. However, nature of residential status, use of devices and use of network have an insignificant impact on the intention to use the online educational system.

Research limitations/implications

Though the study focused on the technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine the relationship in the proposed model, there is a need to consider the other constructs such as perceived behavioral control, past experience, etc. in future studies.

Originality/value

This paper identified the major determinants of students' intention to adapt to the online education system with special reference to the examination system and proposed a direction to encourage the higher education students to use online education as an alternate of physical classroom education.
Financial reporting under economic policy uncertainty
Authors: Ozili Peterson Kitakogelu
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss financial reporting under economic policy uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses discourse analysis to examine financial reporting under economic policy uncertainty.

Findings

The paper identifies the link between economic policy uncertainty and financial reporting, in terms of earnings management and fair value accounting. It argues that high economic policy uncertainty will transmit fewer new information to firms which can motivate managers to influence accounting numbers in the direction of the desired financial reporting outcome.

Originality/value

The relationship between economic policy uncertainty and financial reporting has not been studied. This paper is one of the first papers to relate economic policy uncertainty to financial reporting behavior.
Cultural intelligence and managerial relational performance: a resource advantage perspective
Authors: Egwuonwu Arthur , Sarpong David , Mordi Chima
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Drawing on the resource-advantage theory, the authors examine the effect of import managers' cultural intelligence (CQ) on their foreign counterpart's psychic distance and relational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data collected from 228 Nigerian automobile import managers were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the relationship among the study variables. The measure of CQ in this study comprises metacognitive and motivational CQs to examine the relations between metacognitive and motivational CQs on psychic distance and their ultimate effect on relational performance.

Findings

This study suggests that metacognitive CQ reduces the effect of psychic distance in buyer–seller exchange relationships, and in the presence of a low-level psychic distance, relational performance increases. Confirming the intervening role of CQ on performance relationship, the study highlights the role of CQ and its influence on psychic distance in facilitating (or impeding) relational exchanges in international buyer–seller transactions.

Originality/value

The authors present the concept of CQ as a human capital that has the potential to improve managerial relational performance. The authors go further to advance the potential significance and relevance of CQ in improving international buyer–seller exchanges.
Arab’s children’s influence on the buying process: comparing parent and child perceptions
Authors: Ghouse Suhail Mohammad , Chaudhary Monica , Durrah Omar
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the perception levels of the child and parents towards the child’s influence on different product categories and stages of the family buying process in an Arab country Oman.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of the research gap identified from the literature, two separate bilingual questionnaires (parent and child) in English and local language (Arabic) were developed. The research commenced with a pilot study on 10 school students followed by contact with school authorities requesting to conduct a survey on school students 8–12 years of age and data collection through the survey on the students and their parents (either father/mother) during September-November, 2017–2018. Data analysis was made through an independent sample t-test and confirmatory factor analysis was made using AMOS 24.

Findings

A model was proposed incorporating three product categories as noisy, quiet and loud goods and perceptions of Arab parents and children were examined for the three stages of the family buying process. The findings of the study reveal that significant differences exist in child-parental perceptions on the child’s influence in the search, evaluation and final buying stages. The mean score among the three product categories was highest for noisy goods (Mean = 3.21, SD = 0.817) while in the case of buying stages, the mean of the final buying stage was highest (Mean = 2.11, SD = 0.514).

Research limitations/implications

More research studies are required in the Arab context, especially bringing in the social status of parents to justify their different shopping behaviours. This analysis is based on the perceptions of the tweenager segment, adding perceptions of the teenage segment could generate better research implications.

Practical implications

The research will serve as a base to consumer marketers in understanding distinct features of Arab tweenagers towards different products and will aid them in designing appropriate marketing strategies targeting parents and children in the Arab region.

Originality/value

After an extensive review of the consumer literature, it is assumed that almost no research study has been made examining parent-child perceptions towards the different product categories and buying stages targeting traditionally oriented families in the Arab region.
The effect of mindfulness on service encounter quality
Authors: Wang Emma Junhong , Berthon Pierre R. , Bechwati Nada Nasr
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effect of employees’ state mindfulness, a short period of mindful presence, on the quality of the service they provide in a service encounter.

Design/methodology/approach

Three studies are conducted. A pilot study explores the relationship between state mindfulness and service encounter quality. Experiment 1 examines whether a 15-min mindfulness exercise results in an increase in service employees’ state mindfulness. Experiment 2 tests whether induced state mindfulness produces higher service quality and whether a reminding technique can prolong state mindfulness between service encounters.

Findings

The results demonstrate the following. First, that more mindful employees provide better service quality. Second, that a short, easily implemented, mindfulness exercise can reliably increase employees’ state mindfulness. Third, induced mindfulness has an impact on subsequent service quality in terms of reliability, assurance, empathy and responsiveness. These effects persist regardless of the service encounter structure (high vs low structure) or the degree of emotional labor involved (high vs low emotionally charged). Finally, the reminding technique developed as part of this research suggests that state mindfulness can be maintained between service encounters.

Research limitations/implications

As simulated (programmed) customers are used, independent evaluators to assess service quality are used. Service providers in this study are college students; future field studies should consider a wider range of service providers. The research focuses on state mindfulness; exploration of trait mindfulness offers future research opportunities.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to empirically examine the link between mindfulness and service quality. It shows that mindfulness can be induced, and through a reminding technique be maintained, and improve service quality across service interactions. This is a powerful finding for marketing managers, for it offers a new method to enhance service provision. Moreover, this research implies that the increase in service quality is likely to be accompanied by reduced job burnout: a double win for employees, employers and customers.
Variations in effects of ectosymbiotic microbes on the growth rates among different species and genotypes of Daphnia fed different algal diets
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Ohtsuki Hajime , Makino Wataru , Kato Yasuhiko , Watanabe Hajime , Urabe Jotaro
Published: December 2020

Several recent studies have shown that ectosymbiotic bacterial microbiota, including gut microbes, affect the growth and reproduction of Daphnia, a key organism in lake ecosystems. However, these studies examined specific species, such as the model organism, Daphnia magna, and used green algae as food. It is unclear if symbiotic bacteria affect fitness in other Daphnia species common in lakes and ponds in Japan. In this study, we examined the growth rates of sterilized individuals of two Daphnia pulex genotypes with D. magna using the green algae Scenedesmus and the diatom Cyclotella as algal diets. In addition, we examined the growth rate of the sterilized D. pulex individuals infected by Limnohabitans spp., previously reported to promote the fitness of D. magna as ectosymbiotic bacteria. We found that the effects of ectosymbiotic bacteria on growth rate differed not only between different genotypes of D. pulex but also between individuals fed the different algal diets. The results suggest that the genotype‐ and diet‐specific differences in fitness‐dependency on the ectosymbiotic microbiota can be factors affecting the genetic structures of D. pulex populations.
On the asymmetric effects of exchange‐rate volatility on trade flows: Evidence from Korea‐U.S. commodity trade
Authors: Bahmani‐Oskooee Mohsen , Baek Jungho
Published: December 2020

Previous studies that investigated the impact of exchange rate volatility on Korean trade flows assumed that the effects are symmetric. When we change this assumption and investigate the asymmetric effects of the real won‐dollar volatility on 61 U.S. exporting industries to Korea and on 49 U.S. importing industries from Korea, we discover relatively more significant and asymmetric effects. Indeed, we find short‐run asymmetric effects in 37 U.S. exporting industries that last into significant long‐run asymmetric effects in 29 of them. We also find short‐run asymmetric effects on imports of 24 industries that last into significant long‐run asymmetric effects in 33 out of 49 industries.
More on a Murder: The Deaths of the ‘Princes in the Tower’, and Historiographical Implications for the Regimes of Henry VII and Henry VIII
Authors: THORNTON TIM
Published: December 2020

Sir Thomas More's account of the murder of the ‘princes in the Tower’ has been treated with varying degrees of scepticism over the past century and a half. More's History of King Richard III is notable, nonetheless, for the way it provides precise circumstantial detail and responsibility for the focal point of the succession crisis of 1483. More's account of those deaths is all the more striking because central to it were several individuals who were still alive at the time of its writing, survivors of the episode and their immediate families. This article explores the identity and experience of those at the heart of the murder story in the context of its creation in the 1510s, especially the man who may well have been the surviving murderer, John Dighton, and Edward and Miles, the prominent royal servant sons of his alleged partner in crime, Miles Forest – and More's contacts with them. In doing so, it sheds some light, if not on the history's absolute veracity, then at least on the first decades of its development in the England of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, and the implications for historiography and the nature of the contemporary regime.
Synergistic effects of MDMA and ethanol on behavior: Possible effects of ethanol on dopamine D2‐receptor‐related signaling
Authors: Mori Tomohisa , Iwase Yoshiyuki , Uzawa Naoki , Takahashi Yui , Mochizuki Ayano , Fukase Mika , Shibasaki Masahiro , Suzuki Tsutomu
Published: December 2020

Polydrug abuse is common among drug abusers. In particular, psychostimulants are often taken with ethanol, and the combination of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and alcohol is one of the most common forms of polydrug abuse. However, the mechanism by which these drugs influence behavior remains unclear. The present study was designed to delineate the mechanisms that underlie the effects of the interaction between MDMA and ethanol on behavior in rodents. The combination of MDMA with ethanol enhanced their locomotor‐increasing, rewarding, and discriminative stimulus effects without enhancing their effects on the release of dopamine from the nucleus accumbens in rodents. In addition, ethanol potently enhanced locomotor activity produced by the dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine in mice. In antagonism tests, the dopamine D1‐receptor antagonist SCH23390, but not the D2‐receptor antagonist haloperidol, completely suppressed hyperlocomotion induced by MDMA. However, hyperlocomotion induced by the co‐administration of MDMA and ethanol was potently suppressed by haloperidol. These results suggest that the synergistic effects of MDMA and ethanol are mediated through dopamine transmission, especially through postsynaptical regulation of D2‐receptor‐mediated functions.
The Unequal Distribution of Opportunity: A National Audit Study of Bureaucratic Discrimination in Primary School Access
Authors: Olsen Asmus Leth , Kyhse‐Andersen Jonas Høgh , Moynihan Donald
Published: December 2020

Administrators can use their discretion to discriminate in the provision of public services via two mechanisms. They make decisions to allocate public services, allowing them to discriminate via allocative exclusion. They can also discriminate by targeting administrative burdens toward outgroups to make bureaucratic processes more onerous. While prior audit studies only examine the use of administrative burdens, we offer evidence of both mechanisms. We sent a request to all Danish primary schools (N = 1,698) from an ingroup (a typical Danish name) and outgroup (a Muslim name) father asking if it was possible to move his child to the school. While both groups received similar response rates, we find large differences in discrimination via allocative exclusion: Danes received a clear acceptance 25% of the time, compared to 15% for Muslims. Muslims also faced greater administrative burdens in the form of additional questions.
Pregnancy complications among refugee women: A systematic review
Authors: Harakow Hawa‐Idil , Hvidman Lone , Wejse Christian , Eiset Andreas H.
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Pregnancy is a time of increased vulnerability for women. Women of refugee background may be further challenged in pregnancy due to a complex series of physical, psychological and social factors. Previous studies show ambiguous results, with some showing increased the risk of prenatal complications in refugees compared with their native counterparts, whereas other studies report the opposite. With the current steep rise in the number of refugees and displaced persons worldwide, research is important to understand whether pregnancy disparities between this population and their native counterparts exist, and the causes. This systematic literature review aims to find out whether refugee women have a higher prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes and prenatal infections compared with native women.

Material and methods

We conducted a literature search in the databases PubMed and Embase, supplemented with screening of reference lists and citations for relevant literature. We included studies published in English reporting risk of preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion and stillbirths, preterm birth, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) and adverse prenatal infectious diseases in women of refugee status. PROSPERO registration CRD42020205628.

Results

We identified 19 articles eligible for inclusion: 12 were cross‐sectional, six were cohort studies and one was a case‐control study. The most frequently reported outcome in the literature was preterm birth (reported in 16 of the studies) and preeclampsia (reported in 11 of the studies). Refugees had increased risk of stillbirth (reported relative risk ranging from 1.20 to 2.24) and spontaneous abortion (reported relative risk ranging from 1.56 to 1.58), when compared with native women and a decreased risk of preeclampsia (reported relative risk ranging from 0.65 to 0.81).

Conclusions

The small number of articles eligible for inclusion in the review highlights the lack of research and knowledge on refugee health during pregnancy. Further research is required to understand and reduce disparities in pregnancy outcomes between refugee and non‐refugee women.
Sensorial, color, lipid oxidation, and visual acceptability of dry‐aged beef from young bulls with different fat thickness
Authors: Passetti Rodrigo Augusto Cortêz , Macedo Francisco de Assis Fonseca de , Santos Gladston Rafael de Arruda , Bonin Edinéia , Vital Ana Carolina Pelaes , Ramos Tatiane Rogelio , Passetti Ludmila Couto Gomes , Ornaghi Mariana Garcia , Costa Izabelle Crystine Almeida , Prado Ivanor Nunes do
Published: December 2020

The reduction in slaughter age with minimum fat and dry aging process improves meat tenderness, however, its shelf‐life in display has not been studied. It was evaluated the sensorial, and the color, lipid oxidation, and visual acceptance in display of dry‐aged beef (0, 14, and 28 days) from young bulls slaughtered with different subcutaneous fat thickness (2.00, 3.00, and 4.00 mm). Meat with 2.00 and 3.00 mm fat had higher acceptability than 4.00 mm (p < .05). Dry aging improved overall acceptability of consumers. Meat with 2.00 and 3.00 mm fat presented higher lightness and lipid oxidation values than 4.00 mm (p < .05) but similar visual acceptance was observed. Dry‐aged beef (14 and 28 days) had lower lightness, but higher redness (p < .05) than not dry aged (0 days). Display reduced color over time, for all dry‐aged treatments (p < .05). Dry aging process increased lipid oxidation but these values were below 2.00 mg/kg of malonaldehyde only in the first day of display. Dry aged for 14 days had similar visual acceptability to not dry‐aged beef until the third day of display (p < .05). Shelf‐life of 0, 14, and 28 days of dry aged was 5.41, 2.55, and 0.23 days. Despite of the increase in lipid oxidation and lightness, the sensorial and display acceptability of meat from young bulls was not prejudiced by the reduction in fat thickness. Beef dry‐aged for 14 days was visually well accepted and could be displayed for 2.55 days without compromising acceptability.
The effects of cooperative learning on trait emotional intelligence and academic achievement of Spanish primary school students
Authors: Carlos Torrego‐Seijo Juan , Caballero‐García Presentación Ángeles , Lorenzo‐Llamas Elena M.
Published: December 2020

Increasing the students' academic achievement in the international evaluation arena is a challenge for our country, and cooperative learning and emotional intelligence may be a solution for this problem. The link between cooperative learning, emotional intelligence, and academic achievement has been poorly studied so far. The objective of the present investigation was to examine the influence of cooperative learning on trait emotional intelligence and academic achievement. The methodology used was a quasi‐experimental design with pre/post‐measurements and experimental/control groups. The participants were primary education students (n = 692) and teachers (n = 24) from eight public schools in Madrid, Spain. The instruments used were the Emotional Quotient‐Youth Version questionnaire and internal and external assessment tests. Our results indicated that cooperative learning improved scores of one dimension of trait emotional intelligence, change adaptability, and students' academic achievement (Mathematics and Spanish Language). We discussed the possible implications of these outcomes for educational practice.
Midfacial degloving for juvenile angiofibroma: A case‐series of 21 adult males
Authors: Scholfield Daniel W. , Clarke Peter
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To describe the midfacial degloving approach and compare the varying surgical approaches to juvenile angiofibromas. To demonstrate the efficacy of midfacial degloving in treating large juvenile angiofibromas in a unique patient cohort.

Design

A retrospective case‐series between 2006 and 2019.

Setting

All patient care was undertaken at a regional skull base referral centre.

Participants

Twenty‐one male patients with a median age of 18 (range 16‐45 years).

Main outcome measures

Presenting symptoms, imaging, stage, age at operation, residual disease, estimated blood loss and operative time were all recorded. Postoperative outcomes included complications, length of stay and recurrence.

Results

The median surgical time was 105 minutes (range 55‐219 minutes), median estimated blood loss 600 mls (range 150‐900 mls) and median length of stay was 4 days (range 2‐13 days.). Complications included two episodes of epistaxis, one requiring packing and one return to theatre. 14% (3/21) of patients had residual disease, none requiring further treatment and one patient had recurrence.

Conclusions

MFD for JNA in our series resulted in low recurrence rate and no progression of residual disease. The approach has been successful in our cohort of patients and is an option in males over the age of 16 years, with JA extending beyond the nasopharynx and sinuses, involving the infratemporal fossa, cavernous sinus or orbital region.
Stigmatisierung durch Haarausfall – eine systematische Literaturübersicht
Authors: Schielein Maximilian Christian , Tizek Linda , Ziehfreund Stefanie , Sommer Rachel , Biedermann Tilo , Zink Alexander
Published: December 2020

Haarausfall ist ein Symptom, das Stigmatisierung und starke Einbußen in der Lebensqualität mit sich bringen kann. Ziel dieser systematischen Übersichtsarbeit war es, die Literatur zum Thema Stigmatisierung bei Haarausfall auszuwerten. Mit vordefinierten MeSH‐Begriffen und Schlagwörtern wurde eine systematische Suche in den Datenbanken MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, PsycINFO und PsycNET durchgeführt. Eine zeitliche Einschränkung wurde nicht vorgenommen (letzte Aktualisierung: 07. Mai 2019; PROSPERO Registrierungsnummer: CRD42019122966). Es wurden insgesamt 98 Studien identifiziert, von denen elf eingeschlossen wurden. Der Hairdex, ein Fragebogen zur krankheitsspezifischen Lebensqualität, war das meistverwendete Instrument zur quantitativen Erfassung von Stigmatisierung. Die Studien waren sehr heterogen und Werte für die Stigmatisierung durch androgenetische Alopezie schwankten stark. Ungeachtet der Pathogenese leiden Patienten mit Haarausfall jedoch häufig an Stigmatisierung, die ihre Lebensqualität einschränkt. Die Stigmatisierung von Menschen mit sichtbaren Hautveränderungen wird im klinischen Alltag und beim Umgang mit Betroffenen bisher oft vernachlässigt. Studien, die sich spezifisch mit der Stigmatisierung durch Haarausfall befassen, sind rar. Es bedarf weiterer Studien, die Vergleiche zwischen Haarverlust unterschiedlicher Pathogenese und zwischen Alopezie und anderen sichtbaren Dermatosen ermöglichen, um die psychosoziale Belastung durch Haarausfall besser einordnen zu können.
Scleromyxedema
Authors: Hoffmann Jochen H. O. , Enk Alexander H.
Published: December 2020

Scleromyxedema is a rare, cutaneous deposition disorder from the group of mucinoses, which can affect multiple organs and is virtually always associated with a monoclonal gammopathy. Cutaneous manifestations are usually generalized, 2 to 3 mm sized, dome‐shaped or flat‐topped, waxy, slightly red to skin‐colored papules and sclerodermoid indurations. Neurological, rheumatological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory tract, renal and ophthalmologic manifestations can occur, with decreasing frequency. A serious and potentially lethal complication is the dermato‐neuro syndrome which manifests with flu‐like prodromes followed by fever, convulsions and coma. Untreated, scleromyxedema usually takes an unpredictable and potentially lethal progressive disease course over several years. According to a widely acknowledged classification by Rongioletti a diagnosis of scleromyxedema can be rendered when (1) generalized, papular and sclerodermoid eruption, (2) a histological triad of mucin deposition, fibroblast proliferation and fibrosis, and (3) monoclonal gammopathy are present, and (4) thyroid disease is absent. Apart from the classic microscopic triad, an interstitial granuloma annulare like pattern was also described. The pathogenesis of scleromyxedema is unknown. A potential role for various, as yet unknown serum factors has been discussed. An unequivocal causal relationship between paraproteinemia and disease manifestations could not be established to date. High dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) are the first‐line treatment of choice according to the most recent European guidelines.
Women as “gold dust”: Gender diversity in top boards and the performance of Italian banks
Authors: Del Prete Silvia , Stefani Maria Lucia
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates the effects on riskiness and performance of gender diversity in Italian bank boards. Italy deserves special attention because European comparisons for the 2000s show that it was among the European Union countries where women were least represented in bank boardrooms, and this gap remains even in a quota law regime. Our main econometric results suggest that gender diversity may have a positive impact on the credit portfolio riskiness and on profitability. Both results may be driven by women's higher risk aversion and their higher propensity to monitor activities, suggesting that women are “gold dust” for Italian banks. These findings, obtained by using a unique data set over the period 1995–2010 and by taking into account possible sources of endogeneity, support the effectiveness on bank performance of greater female presence on boards. Moreover, our econometric set‐up could offer a benchmark for further analysis on gender diversity effects for many countries, where a gender quota law is still not in place.
Pan trap color preference across Hymenoptera in a forest clearing
Authors: Buffington Matthew L. , Garretson Alexis , Kula Robert R. , Gates Michael W. , Carpenter Ryan , Smith David R. , Kula Abigail A.R.
Published: December 2020

Insect biodiversity reveals much about ecosystem health and function; however, field studies of insect community composition and diversity are often unintentionally biased by the sampling methods deployed in the study area. Pan traps, particularly yellow pan traps, are a common method for passive community assessment across a variety of taxonomic levels. Our study finds that the diversity, richness, and abundance of hymenopterans in pan trapping projects are significantly impacted by the color of the pan trap deployed. Additionally, we find that individual species display significant preferences for not only yellow pan traps but also for white, fluorescent yellow, blue, and fluorescent blue pans. Our data support recent studies that suggest yellow traps alone may be insufficient for sampling the true diversity of certain hymenopteran groups in a region.