bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heads in the Sand: the Absence of Employers in New Developments in UK Active Labour Market Policy
Authors: Jones Katy
Published: April 2022

Recent welfare reforms in the United Kingdom have redrawn the parameters of active labour market policy in a way that brings the employers' role to the fore. Universal Credit—the new benefit for working age social security recipients—is both an in‐ and out‐of‐work benefit. Significantly, and without international precedent, this brings workers on a low income within the scope of the Department for Work and Pensions' conditionality regime (in‐work financial support was formerly provided through tax credits, without behavioural conditions). While conditions are applied to claimants, employer responses to this new policy terrain will be central to their outcomes as a new tripartite relationship between claimant, employer and the state emerges. However, employers and their views on these new expectations have been notably absent from both research and policy debates. This article reflects on why this is the case and why this is a problem for the development of effective in‐work support.
Literature as an educator: Ethics, politics and the practice of writing in Thomas Mann's life and work
Authors: Bielskis Andrius
Published: April 2022

Following the definition of ‘practice’ conceptualised in After Virtue, the paper argues that literature as creative writing and reading is a MacIntyrean practice. Literature's key internal goods are spelled out: the common aesthetic enjoyment achieved by the writer's ability to create a truthful fictional narrative the reader is drawn into and the expansion of our narrative identities and self-awareness. Against the conceptual background, the paper asks in which sense can we say that literature as a practice schools us in the virtues. Thomas Mann's work and life are discussed. It argues that Mann's work is both a rich source for us to understand 20th-century German and European bourgeois societies and an ideological obfuscation of such understanding. Drawing on his early conservatism, the paper shows how the practice of writing and Mann's Nietzschean self-assertion allowed him to become a politically engaged writer able to question himself and his culture.
Predicting prognosis using a pathological tumor cell proportion in stage I lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jeon Hyun Woo , Kim Young‐Du , Sim Sung Bo , Moon Mi Hyoung
Published: April 2022

Background

Tumor size is a valuable prognostic factor because it is considered a measure of tumor burden. However, it is not always correlated with the tumor burden. This study aimed to identify the prognostic role of pathological tumor proportional size using the proportion of tumor cells on the pathologic report after curative resection in pathologic stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 630 patients with pathologic stage I lung adenocarcinoma after lung resection for curative aims. According to the pathologic data, the proportion of tumor cells was reviewed and pathological tumor proportional size was estimated by multiplying the maximal diameter of the tumor by the proportion of tumor cells. We investigated the prognostic role of pathological tumor proportional size.

Results

The median tumor size was 2 cm (range: 0.3–4), and the median pathological tumor proportional size was 1.5 (range: 0.12–3.8). This value was recategorized according to the current tumor‐node‐metastasis (TNM) classification, and 184 patients showed down staging compared with the current stage. The survival curve for disease‐free survival using pathological tumor proportional size showed more distinction than the current stage classification. Multivariate analysis revealed that a down stage indicated a favorable prognostic factor.

Conclusion

Pathological tumor cell proportional size may be associated with prognosis in stage I lung adenocarcinoma. If the pathological tumor proportional size shows a downward stage, it may indicate a smaller tumor burden and better prognosis
MPS: An R package for modelling shifted families of distributions
Authors: Teimouri Mahdi , Nadarajah Saralees
Published: April 2022

Generalised statistical distributions have been widely used over the last decades for modelling phenomena in different fields. The generalisations have been made to produce distributions with more flexibility and lead to more accurate modelling in practice. Statistical analysis of the generalised distributions requires new statistical packages. The Newdistns package due to Nadarajah and Rocha provides R routines with functionality to compute probability density function (PDF), cumulative distribution function (CDF), quantile function, random numbers and parameter estimates of 19 families of distributions with applications in survival analysis. Here, we introduce an R package, called MPS, for computing PDF, CDF, quantile function, random numbers, Q–Q plots and parameter estimates for 24 shifted new families of distributions. By considering an extra location parameter, each family will be defined on the whole real line and so covers a broader range of applicability. We adopt the well‐known maximum product spacing approach to estimate parameters of the families because under some situations the maximum likelihood (ML) estimators fail to exist. We demonstrate MPS by analysing two well‐known real data sets. For the first data set, the ML estimators break down, but MPS works well. For the second set, adding a location parameter results in a reasonable model while the absence of the location parameter makes the model quite inappropriate. The MPS is available from CRAN at https://cran.r-project.org/package=MPS.
Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS): A tertiary care centre retrospective study
Authors: Del Pozzo‐Magaña Blanca R. , Rieder Michael J. , Garcia‐Bournissen Facundo , Lazo‐Langner Alejandro
Published: April 2022

Aims

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare, drug‐induced severe adverse reaction that usually occurs 3–6 weeks after initial exposure to certain drugs. It affects mainly adults and children to a lesser extent. Clinical features include fever, facial oedema, generalized skin rash, lymphadenopathy, haematological abnormalities and internal organ involvement. The objective was to investigate the clinical and laboratory features of patients with DRESS in our centre.

Methods

We retrospectively describe and analyse 19 cases of DRESS whose diagnosis was based on the RegiSCAR criteria (≥6 points) that occurred from January 2009 to December 2019.

Results

Patient age ranged from 4 to 76 years (4 children/15 adults); 10 were female (52.3%). The most common culprit drugs were antibiotics (74%) and anticonvulsants (21%). The most common comorbidities were epilepsy (26%) and hypertension (26%). All patients developed cutaneous manifestations and of those, 58% presented facial oedema. Liver function tests, urea/creatinine and troponin elevation were present in 74, 32 and 42%, respectively. The median time to develop the skin rash after the drug exposure was 3.7 weeks (interquartile range 2.4–4.2 wk). Eosinophilia (≥0.7 × 109/L) was present in 95% of the patients and peaked around 10 days after the skin manifestations. Leucocytosis and reactive lymphocytes were reported in 84% and 26% of all patients respectively. Treatment with systemic steroids was reported in 16 patients. The mean recovery time was 2 weeks (interquartile range 2–3.5 wk) and mortality was 5%.

Conclusion

DRESS is a serious condition with significant morbidity and mortality, which requires more research for a better understanding.
The significance of mixed chimaerism and cell lineage chimaerism monitoring in paediatric patients post haematopoietic stem cell transplant
Authors: Kricke Susanne , Rao Kanchan , Adams Stuart
Published: April 2022

Haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCTs) are carried out across the world to treat haematological and immunological diseases which would otherwise prove fatal. Certain diseases are predominantly encountered in paediatric patients, such severe primary immunodeficiencies (PID) and diseases of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). Chimaerism testing for these disorders has different considerations compared to adult diseases. This review focuses on the importance of cell‐lineage‐specific chimaerism testing and examines the appropriate cell populations to be assessed in individual paediatric patient groups. By analysing disease‐associated subpopulations, abnormalities are identified significantly earlier than in whole samples and targeted clinical decisions can be made. Chimaerism methods have evolved over time and lead to an ever‐increasing level of sensitivity and biomarker arrays to distinguish between recipient and donor cells. Short tandem repeat (STR) is still the gold standard for routine chimaerism assessment, and hypersensitive methods such as quantitative and digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are leading the forefront of microchimaerism testing. The rise of molecular methods operating with minute DNA amounts has been hugely beneficial to chimaerism testing of paediatric samples. As HSCTs are becoming increasingly personalised and risk‐adjusted towards a child's individual needs, chimaerism testing needs to adapt alongside these medical advances ensuring the best possible care.
Immunochemotherapy versus rituximab in anti‐myelin‐associated glycoprotein neuropathy: A report of 64 patients
Authors: Nivet Thomas , Baptiste Amandine , Belin Lisa , Ghillani‐Dalbin Pascale , Algrin Caroline , Choquet Sylvain , Lamy Thierry , Morel Véronique , Musset Lucile , Roos‐Weil Damien , Viala Karine , Leblond Véronique , Baron Marine
Published: April 2022

Monoclonal immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti‐myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG) neuropathy is a rare disabling condition, most commonly treated with rituximab monotherapy (R), which leads to neurological improvement in only 30%–50% of patients. The combination of rituximab plus chemotherapy has been proven to improve the level of responses. We studied the outcomes of anti‐MAG neuropathy patients treated either by R, or by immunochemotherapy (ICT) in our centre, focusing on the incidence of the first neurological response evaluated by the modified Rankin scale (mRS). From 2011 to 2018, 64 patients were studied: 34 were treated with R and 30 with ICT. According to our treatment decision‐making process, the median mRS was higher in the ICT group (mRS 2) than in the R group (mRS 1). At one year, improvements of the mRS rates were 46% and 18% in the ICT and R groups of patients respectively, with median times to response of eight and 13 months (p = 0.023). Adverse effects were higher in the ICT group: 62% vs 15% (p ˂ 0.01), all grades included. One secondary acute leukaemia occurred five years after treatment with ICT. In conclusion, ICT may be used as a valid option for patients with rapidly progressive and/or severe anti‐MAG neuropathy symptoms.
Bottom currents on a pelagic carbonate platform: Mounds and sediment drifts in the Jurassic succession of the Sciacca Plateau, Western Sicily
Authors: Santantonio Massimo , Muraro Cristina
Published: April 2022

The stratigraphic succession in the San Vincenzo Gorge (Saccense Domain, western Sicily) documents deposition on a vast pelagic carbonate platform, the Sciacca Plateau, during the Middle and Late Jurassic. This succession caps a peritidal limestone (Inici Formation), which underwent extension during the Western Tethyan Early Jurassic rift phase, and displays a set of unique features, which have never been previously reported on a Tethyan drowned platform. The upper part of theBositralimestone (late Bajocian‐early Oxfordianp.p.) comprises elongate convex‐up, mound‐shaped bodies, made of thin‐shelled bivalve wacke‐ to grainstone, a few tens of metres across and producing a topographic relief of up to 10 m. Planar beds within the mound cores are seen to thin out laterally with tangential downlaps along sections perpendicular to the mounds' longer axes, and the mounds are in lateral association with concave‐up bedsets. Following halt of theBositra‐dominated deposition and demise of mound accretion, the draping units inherited an antiformal geometry. The mounds are interpreted as being part of a sediment drift, produced by bottom currents sweeping the Plateau top, the source areas being sediment‐depleted sectors now documented by extremely condensed and hiatus‐ridden sections, with parallel‐sided beds. Following draping and partial levelling of the submarine relief by the Knobbly limestone (?middle Oxfordian/early Kimmeridgian‐late Kimmeridgian), the Coquina limestone is locally a thick (>20 m) ammonite/brachiopod rudstone (Tithonianp.p.). This unit displays evidence for lateral accretion, with large‐scale clinoforms dipping up to 12°, and is interpreted as a mud‐poor, bioclastic‐gravel drift, with the action of bottom currents being apparently linked with a bloom of cephalopods. This is an early‐cemented deposit, where clotted, micropeloidal fabrics document the calcification of microbial communities and are followed by growth of early diagenetic fibrous calcite. The description and interpretation of the moundedBositralimestone and of the clinostratified Tithonian limestone are the main focus of this paper. The San Vincenzo Gorge outcrop displays similarities with pelagic shelves, like the Upper Chalk basin of northern Europe.
Understanding the multifaceted impact ofCOVID‐19 on migrants in Kerala, India
Authors: Rajan Irudaya S. , Batra Pooja , Jayanth Reddy Sai Shiva , Sivadasan Tharatha Moolayil
Published: April 2022

Motivation

COVID‐19 has disrupted the lives of millions of people worldwide. Migrants in developing economies have been among the most affected. This vulnerable population faces a threat to their livelihood and way of life. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand the impact of the pandemic on their lives to be able to tackle subsequent waves of the pandemic or similar future exogenous shocks.

Purpose

We delve into the economic and social disruptions caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic on the employment, sources of income, and lives of different categories of migrant labourers in the Indian state of Kerala.

Methods and approach

Using the livelihood portfolio theory, we dissect this impact in relation to a wide range of issues. This was corroborated by in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with three categories of respondents. The interview data was analysed by using the directed qualitative content analysis method. We created themes from the data and juxtaposed them with the livelihood portfolio theory in addressing the research objectives.

Findings

Results highlight the impact on livelihood, lifestyles, migration prospects, and gender aspects. First, households dependent on international migrants were more severely affected than those with family members who were internal migrants. Second, a considerable lifestyle change (more reliance on a plant‐based diet) and borrowing patterns (more reliance on informal money lending) was reported. Third, opinions on future migration prospects were pessimistic, and a trend towards reverse migration was noted. We also captured resilience measures for each of the themes.

Policy implications

We find that blanket responses to mitigate migrants' hardships could be counterproductive. Policy‐makers ought to implement tailor‐made policies keeping in mind the migrants' classification and socioeconomic demographics. Further, we recommend specific measures to address challenges that women face, to ease their workload and mitigate the loss of income. Specific measures aimed at initiating attitudinal change such as creating mental health awareness, curbing misinformation, and providing counselling services could also add immense value in tackling the pandemic.
Habitats as predictors in species distribution models: Shall we use continuous or binary data?
Authors: Gábor Lukáš , Šímová Petra , Keil Petr , Zarzo‐Arias Alejandra , Marsh Charles J. , Rocchini Duccio , Malavasi Marco , Barták Vojtěch , Moudrý Vítězslav
Published: April 2022

The representation of a land cover type (i.e. habitat) within an area is often used as an explanatory variable in species distribution models. However, it is possible that a simple binary presence/absence of the suitable habitat might be the most important determinant of the presence/absence of some species and, thus, be a better predictor of species occurrence than the continuous parameter (area). We hypothesize that the binary predictor is more suitable for relatively rare habitats (e.g. wetlands) while for common habitats (e.g. forests) the amount of the focal habitat is a better predictor. We used the Third Atlas of Breeding Birds in the Czech Republic as the source of species distribution data and CORINE Land Cover inventory as the source of the landcover information. To test our hypothesis, we fitted generalized linear models of 32 water and 32 forest bird species. Our results show that for water bird species, models using binary predictors (presence/absence of the habitat) performed better than models with continuous predictors (i.e. the amount of the habitat); for forest species, however, we observed the opposite. Thus, future studies using habitats as predictors of species occurrences should consider the prevalence of the habitat in the landscape, and the biological role of the habitat type in the particular species' life history. In addition, performing a preliminary comparison of the performance of the binary and continuous versions of habitat predictors (e.g. using information criteria) prior to modelling, during variable selection, can be beneficial. These are simple steps that will improve explanatory and predictive performance of models of species distributions in biogeography, community ecology, macroecology and ecological conservation.
Introduction of spatial management in a temperate abalone (genus Haliotis) fishery: What can be learned from spatial variability in catches?
Authors: Ferguson Greg J. , Mayfield Stephen
Published: April 2022

Exploited abalone (genus Haliotis) populations are prone to serial depletion and stock collapse. Spatial management units (MUs) aim to separate monitoring and management of meta‐populations with varying productivity. In the South Australian Southern Zone blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra rubra, Leach) fishery, spatial terms at scales of kilometres (reporting areas, RAs) and tens of kilometres (MUs) explained a greater proportion of variability in daily catches than effort in linear mixed models. Temporal patterns in spatial structures of catches among RAs were consistent with those among MUs based on similar productivity. Results of this study support the hypothesis that changes in the spatial distribution of catches differs among management regimes based on minimum legal lengths (MLLs) and annual total allowable commercial catches (TACCs). Stable distribution of catches during 1992–2012 occurred contemporaneously with zonal TACCs combined with catch caps (sub‐TACCs) and MLLs applied to areas of low productivity providing a reference for future management. The number of MUs fished annually by each licence increased during this period. Results of this study suggest that successful spatial management of abalone fisheries requires MUs at scales based on biological productivity combined with MLLs and mandatory, conservative catch caps applied to each MU.
UNINTENTIONAL MONUMENTS, OR THE MATERIALIZING OF AN OPEN PAST
Authors: REGAZZONI LISA
Published: April 2022

This article examines the emergence of a new epistemic value that was attributed to remnants of the past during the broad debate on historical evidence in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: the unintentionality of the testimony. Beginning in the early modern period, growing awareness of the partiality of historical literacy narratives regarded as intentional testimonies as well as growing interest in nonwritten pasts have led to the consideration of other kinds of relics, which have been seen as unwitting and indirect carriers of information about the past. Material and iconographic remains, languages and oral traditions, costumes, and superstitious practices gained currency as “neutral” and “authentic” testimonies of times past. This process is accessed by analyzing the historical evidence par excellence in eighteenth‐century France: the monument as material and immaterial remains. Over the course of this period, evidence underwent impressive semantic enhancement and became a polysemic epistemological object. At the time, the term “monument” referred to an intentional mark designed for and entrusted to the future and to unwitting or involuntary evidence of the past, evidence that was later invested with historical value not originally intended by its maker. Although the nineteenth century saw the term “monument” lose its meaning as an unwitting trace of the past, what has survived is the epistemic value of an unintentionality of testimonies, albeit under other conceptual guises such as “remnants,” “witnesses in spite of themselves,” “traces,” and “clues.” What, then, is the usefulness of still imagining unintentionality today for the practice of research and for historical understanding?
Polyphenol nanoparticles of millet, rice and wheat: extraction, identification, functional and morphological characteristics
Authors: Xiu Tiantian , Liu Peng , Zhang Shuangling , Du Dehong , Xue Changhui , Hu Yue , Yang Shuo , Dongye Zixuan , Kang Mengchen , Li Zhenru , Wang Li
Published: April 2022

Polyphenols complexes were extracted from Common millet (CM), Long‐grain rice (LGR) and Huaihe wheat (HW), purification method, components and functional characteristics were studied. Higher phenol content (18.7 in CM, 12.9 in LGR and 22.3 mg g−1 in HW) was obtained by the high‐speed shear, with high antioxidants (DPPH 89.2% in HW, ABTS 81.6% in LGR, FRAP 0.83 in HW) after purified. Thirteen typical polyphenol complexes were identified from 21 peaks by UHPLC‐LTQ‐Orbitrap‐MS/MS. Gingerenone A was first detected in CM, HW and LGR; (+/−)‐Gingerol was first detected in CM and HW. Morphology by TEM displayed a rough spherical structure with 200–500 nm. Peculiarly contained hydroxyl polyphenol (5‐(3,4‐Dihydroxyphenyl) valeric acid, Apigenin‐8‐C‐xylosyl‐6‐C‐glucoside), polyphenols with B‐rings (Trans‐cinnamic acid, Gingerenone A) and the highest contents (+/−)‐Gingerol with hydroxyl and Sinapinic acid with B‐rings, CM had a higher α‐amylase inhibition rate (80.5%) than LGR and HW, which providing a foundation for the development of hypoglycaemic drugs.
Neuroprotective activity of macroalgal fucofuroeckols against amyloid β peptide‐induced cell death and oxidative stress
Authors: Shrestha Srijan , Choi Jae Sue , Zhang Wei , Smid Scott D.
Published: April 2022

Phlorotannins are polyphenolic compounds predominantly found in brown seaweeds tentatively identified as having neuroprotective bioactivity; however, the effects of individual constituent phlorotannins against amyloid β neurotoxicity, the main hallmark neurotoxic protein in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is yet to be fully characterised. In this study, four phlorotannins, namely eckol, dieckol, phlorofucofuroeckol‐A (PFFA) and 974‐A sourced from the brown seaweed Ecklonia species were assessed for their ability to protect against the toxic effects of H2O2, lipid peroxidation via tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (t‐BHP) and Aβ1–42 in neuronal PC12 cells. All compounds significantly scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, only PFFA and 974‐A protected PC12 cells from oxidative stress‐evoked neurotoxicity, providing significant increases in cell viability in response to both cytosolic (H2O2) and lipid peroxidation‐evoked (t‐BHP) cell stress. None of the phlorotannins tested inhibited Aβ1–42 aggregate morphology, which suggested that their neuroprotective activity was unrelated to direct interactions with Aβ1–42 protein. Our results indicate that while all phlorotannins tested exhibited ROS scavenging activity, only fucofuroeckol‐type phlorotannins such as PFFA and 974‐A afforded broader neuroprotective activity in response to both oxidative stress and amyloid β exposure. The additional amyloid‐protective capacity of fucofuroeckols reveals the potential importance of the benzofuran moiety in neuroprotection and further studies are encouraged to investigate the chemico‐biological basis of this distinction in the search for neuroprotective therapies in dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Expression of Concern: Benign prostatic hyperplasia wound after surgical removal in subjects on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Ji Xuhui , Zhao Yali , Zhang Luxia , Liu Yunbo
Published: April 2022

We performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the safety of benign prostatic hyperplasia wound after surgical removal in subjects on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. A systematic literature search up to December 2021 was done and 19 studies included 5715 benign prostatic hyperplasia subjects at the start of the study; 1501 of them were on anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy, and 4214 were control. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the safety of benign prostatic hyperplasia wound after surgical removal in subjects on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy by the dichotomous or continuous methods with a random or fixed‐influence model. Anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy had significantly higher bleeding complication (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.36–2.60, P < .001), higher blood transfusion (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.63–2.83, P < .001), lower operation time (MD, −3.53; 95% CI, −6.80–0.27, P = .03), higher catheterization time (MD, 0.30 95% CI, 0.06–0.53, P = .01), longer length of hospital stay (MD, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.37–1.26, P < .001) and higher thromboembolic events (OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.26–6.62, P = .01) compared to control in benign prostatic hyperplasia subjects. Anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy had a significantly higher bleeding complication, higher blood transfusion, lower operation time, higher catheterization time, longer length of hospital stay and higher thromboembolic events compared to control in benign prostatic hyperplasia subjects. Further studies are required.
Attraction of Choristoneura rosaceana to pheromone blends in ratios produced in glands or emitted by females
Authors: Huang Juan , Gut Larry J. , Grieshop Matthew J.
Published: April 2022

Trap captures of obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), to pheromone blends in ratios approximating those reported in pheromone glands and a novel blend based on a volatile headspace collection from live virgin females were evaluated in field experiments in Michigan apple orchards. In an initial field trapping study, pheromone lures composed of either a three‐ or four‐component blend approximation of the blend present in female pheromone glands at doses ranging from 0.1 to 20 mg/lure were compared. The four‐component blend was a combination of (Z)‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate (Z11‐14:Ac), (E)‐11‐tetradecenyl acetate (E11‐14:Ac), (Z)‐11‐tetradecenol (Z11‐14:OH) and (Z)‐11‐tetradecenal (Z11‐14:Al) in a ratio of 96.5:1.8:1.4:0.2, respectively, while the three‐component blend lacked Z11‐14:Al. Pheromone emissions by groups of virgin females and commercial lures were collected in the laboratory and analysed by gas chromatography. These data were used to formulate a new pheromone lure that was compared to a commercial lure in a second trapping study. In the first field study, traps baited with 10 mg pheromones or above captured significantly more moths than traps baited with 1 mg or less, regardless of the blend. Surprisingly, groups of virgin females only emitted two detectable pheromone components, Z11‐14:Ac and Z11‐14:OH in a ratio of 37:63, which was substantially different from the blends detected in pheromone glands in the literature. The newly formulated pheromone lure based on females’ emission was more than twice as attractive as the commercial lure which emitted a 74:5:21 three‐component blend of Z11‐14:Ac, E11‐14:Ac and Z11‐14:OH. Our results suggested that the actual pheromones released by females may not translate directly to the content of pheromone glands.
Bank–client cross‐ownership of bank stocks: A network analysis
Authors: Barth James R. , Joo Sunghoon , Lee Kang‐Bok
Published: April 2022

We examine the effects of banks' client stock ownership structure on their governance mechanism, risk taking, and systemic risk in the financial system. We apply a dyadic level of analysis to provide new insights into the relevance of such cross‐ownership as an effective monitoring mechanism and as a source of interconnectedness between and among financial institutions. Our empirical results indicate that bank–client cross‐ownership of bank stocks is negatively associated with the riskiness of bank holding companies and positively associated with systemic risk. Moreover, the effects of such cross‐ownership on systemic risk are stronger in times of a financial crisis.
Comoment risk in corporate bond yields and returns
Authors: François Pascal , Heck Stephanie , Hübner Georges , Lejeune Thomas
Published: April 2022

In this article, we provide a comoment factor analysis of corporate bond returns using sector indices. We split returns into systematic default risk premiums rewarding for default risk exposure, and net excess returns adjusting for market conditions. Higher comoments contribute positively to systematic default risk premiums, whereas covariance and cokurtosis lower net excess returns as they trigger value losses. The positive coskewness effect, more pronounced during low yields, corroborates the “reach‐for‐yield” phenomenon. The gradual substitution between covariation and tail risk contributions to the systematic default risk premium for higher maturities suggests a shift from the pricing of downgrading to outright default risk.
Guardianship: A medicolegal review for clinicians
Authors: Zietlow Kahli , Dubin Leslie , Battles Alethia , Vitale Caroline
Published: April 2022

Guardianship may pose an ethical dilemma for physicians, who must balance protecting vulnerable patients from potential safety concerns with respecting their autonomy. Older adults with dementia are particularly susceptible to loss of independence and the ability to participate in medical decision making. To have the capacity for medical decision making, individuals must understand relevant information, appreciate their circumstances, demonstrate reasoning, and express a consistent choice free from coercion. Although capacity assessments are usually task‐specific, geriatricians and other specialists may be asked to comment on capacity more globally. These determinations may be used to support a Petition for the Appointment of a Guardian of a Legally Incapacitated Adult, the legal process of pursuing guardianship in probate court. Assigned guardians may be known to the incapacitated individual (e.g., a family member or friend) or may be professional guardians with no prior relationship to the ward. Guardians are encouraged to use substituted decision‐making, taking into account the ward's previously expressed values and preferences. Although a number of viable alternatives to guardianship exist, numerous systemic barriers may prevent these from being fully explored. The ongoing need for guardianship should be periodically revisited and reassessed. Data about guardians and wards is shockingly sparse, as there are no centralized databases. Laws and regulations for guardianships vary significantly between states. Physicians can serve as important allies and advocates for patients with cognitive impairment at risk of incapacity, can help preserve their autonomy for as long as possible, and ensure appropriate protections are in place if the patient does lose their decision‐making ability.
Efficient and genotype independent maize transformation using pollen transfected by DNA‐coated magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Zuo‐Ping , Zhang Zhong‐Bao , Zheng Deng‐Yu , Zhang Tong‐Tong , Li Xiang‐Long , Zhang Chun , Yu Rong , Wei Jian‐Hua , Wu Zhong‐Yi
Published: April 2022

Current gene delivery methods for maize are limited to specific genotypes and depend on time‐consuming and labor‐intensive tissue culture techniques. Here, we report a new method to transfect maize that is culture‐free and genotype independent. To enhance efficiency of DNA entry and maintain high pollen viability of 32%‐55%, transfection was performed at cool temperature using pollen pretreated to open the germination aperture (40%–55%). Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with DNA encoding either red fluorescent protein (RFP), β‐glucuronidase gene (GUS), enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or bialaphos resistance (bar) was delivered into pollen grains, and female florets of maize inbred lines were pollinated. Red fluorescence was detected in 22% transfected pollen grains, and GUS stained 55% embryos at 18 d after pollination. Green fluorescence was detected in both silk filaments and immature kernels. The T1 generation of six inbred lines showed considerable EGFP or GUS transcripts (29%–74%) quantitated by polymerase chain reaction, and 5%–16% of the T1 seedlings showed immunologically active EGFP or GUS protein. Moreover, 1.41% of the bar transfected T1 plants were glufosinate resistant, and heritable bar gene was integrated into the maize genome effectively as verified by DNA hybridization. These results demonstrate that exogenous DNA could be delivered efficiently into elite maize inbred lines recalcitrant to tissue culture‐mediated transformation and expressed normally through our genotype‐independent pollen transfection system.
Prediction of new organ onset in recurrent immunoglobulin G4–related disease during 10 years of follow‐up
Authors: Liu Zheng , Peng Yu , Li Jieqiong , Lu Hui , Peng Linyi , Zhou Jiaxin , Zhou Shuang , Huang Can , Wang Mu , Zhu Liang , Chen Hua , Wang Li , Fei Yunyun , Zhao Yan , Zeng Xiaofeng , Zhang Wen
Published: April 2022

Objective

Frequent relapse is a prominent challenge in managing immunoglobulin G4–related disease (IgG4‐RD). According to the types of organs involved in relapse, relapse patterns were divided into recurrent organ involvement (ROI) and new organ involvement (NOI). We aimed to investigate the discrepancy in clinical relapse patterns and establish an effective prognostic nomogram for NOI.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled 125 IgG4‐RD patients who experienced relapse during the follow‐up period. Patients were classified into two groups: those with NOI (including NOI and NOI + ROI) and without NOI (ROI). Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the risk factors for NOI. The results were externally validated by a separate prospective cohort of 39 patients with relapse.

Results

There were 81 (64.8%) and 44 (35.2%) patients without NOI and with NOI, respectively. Patients without NOI showed higher baseline disease activity. The most common ROIs were the lacrimal gland and submandibular gland, while the lung and urinary system were the most involved in NOI. Re‐elevation of serum IgG4 level to 74.31% of baseline was associated with NOI. Multiple relapses, organ involvement type at baseline, glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressive drugs (IM) or IM alone during the maintenance period, and relapse IgG4/baseline IgG4 ratio were included in the nomogram. Both internal and external validations showed good agreement and discrimination.

Conclusions

About one third of IgG4‐RD patients with relapse suffer from NOI. We developed a risk stratification model that can effectively predict the future risk of NOI. Glucocorticoid and IM combined therapy during maintenance is also recommended.
Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis with persisting symptoms in Uganda
Authors: Namusobya Martha , Bongomin Felix , Mukisa John , Olwit William Kane , Batte Charles , Mukashyaka Claudine , Mande Emmanuel , Kwizera Richard , Denning David W. , Rhein Joshua , Prasad Shailendra , Sekaggya‐Wiltshire Christine
Published: April 2022

Background

The occurrence of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) among drug sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients on optimal therapy with persistent symptoms was investigated.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled participants with PTB with persistent pulmonary symptoms after 2 months of anti‐TB treatment at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda, between July 2020 and June 2021. CPA was defined as a positive Aspergillus‐specific IgG/IgM immunochromatographic test (ICT), a cavity with or without a fungal ball on chest X‐ray (CXR), and compatible symptoms >3 months.

Results

We enrolled 162 participants (median age 30 years; IQR: 25–40), 97 (59.9%) were male, 48 (29.6%) were HIV‐infected and 15 (9.3%) had prior PTB. Thirty‐eight (23.4%) sputum samples grew A. niger and 13 (8.0%) A. fumigatus species complexes. Six (3.7%) participants had intracavitary fungal balls and 52 (32.1%) had cavities. Overall, 32 (19.8%) participants had CPA. CPA was associated with prior PTB (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 6.61, 95% CI: 1.85–23.9, p = .004), and far advanced CXR changes (aOR: 4.26, 95% CI: 1.72–10.52, p = .002). The Aspergillus IgG/IgM ICT was positive in 10 (31.3%) participants with CPA.

Conclusions

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis may cause persistent respiratory symptoms in up to one‐fifth of patients after intensive treatment for PTB. The Aspergillus IgG/IgM ICT positivity rate was very low and may not be used alone for the diagnosis of CPA in Uganda.
Target sequencing reveals the association between variants inVAX1and NSCL/P in Chinese population
Authors: You Yue , Shi Jiayu , Shi Bing , Jia ZhongLin
Published: April 2022

Objective

A significant genetic association between rs7078160 inVAX1and NSCL/P has been established through genome‐wide association studies (GWAS), and we previously replicated the association in the Chinese population. The critical issue in the post‐GWAS era is to identify functional variations that have a real impact on disease in the susceptible regions highlighted by GWAS. This study aimed to elucidate functional variants in VAX1 fully.

Materials and Methods

Firstly, target sequencing was performed on 159 NSCL/P patients, followed by association analysis to discover disease‐associated single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs); we then replicated the findings using a larger sample (1626 cases, 2255 controls) and investigated how candidate SNPs affect disease occurrence using extensive annotation databases. Additionally, we compared the genetic profiles of NSCL/P subtypes.

Results

In this study, 6 SNPs in VAX1 were identified to be associated with NSCL/P in the Western Han Chinese population. Five of them were predicted to influence transcriptional factor‐biding ability and were expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) of nearby genes in multiple tissues.

Conclusion

The previously reported association between rs7078160 and NSCL/P was successfully replicated. Moreover, our findings firstly revealed that 5 SNPs inVAX1are associated with NSCL/P in the Western Han Chinese population.

Level of Evidence

Original Reports.
Seedling‐stage salinity tolerance in rice: Decoding the role of transcription factors
Authors: Tiwari Shalini , Nutan Kamlesh Kant , Deshmukh Rupesh , Sarsu Fatma , Gupta Kapuganti Jagadis , Singh Anil K. , Singla‐Pareek Sneh L. , Pareek Ashwani
Published: April 2022

Rice is an important staple food crop that feeds over half of the human population, particularly in developing countries. Increasing salinity is a major challenge for continuing rice production. Though rice is affected by salinity at all the developmental stages, it is most sensitive at the early seedling stage. The yield thus depends on how many seedlings can withstand saline water at the stage of transplantation, especially in coastal farms. The rapid development of “omics” approaches has assisted researchers in identifying biological molecules that are responsive to salt stress. Several salinity‐responsive quantitative trait loci (QTL) contributing to salinity tolerance have been identified and validated, making it essential to narrow down the search for the key genes within QTLs. Owing to the impressive progress of molecular tools, it is now clear that the response of plants toward salinity is highly complex, involving multiple genes, with a specific role assigned to the repertoire of transcription factors (TF). Targeting the TFs for improving salinity tolerance can have an inbuilt advantage of influencing multiple downstream genes, which in turn can contribute toward tolerance to multiple stresses. This is the first comparative study for TF‐driven salinity tolerance in contrasting rice cultivars at the seedling stage that shows how tolerant genotypes behave differently than sensitive ones in terms of stress tolerance. Understanding the complexity of salt‐responsive TF networks at the seedling stage will be helpful to alleviate crop resilience and prevent crop damage at an early growth stage in rice.
Predictors of psychological stress in silica‐exposed workers in the artificial stone benchtop industry
Authors: Hore‐Lacy Fiona , Hansen Jessy , Dimitriadis Christina , Hoy Ryan , Fisher Jane , Glass Deborah , Sim Malcolm R.
Published: April 2022

Background and objective

Artificial stone benchtops are a popular kitchen product, but dust from their preparation and installation contains respirable crystalline silica, which causes silicosis. Silicosis is a preventable, permanent lung disease. The aim of this study was to assess mental health in workers from the artificial stone benchtop industry at risk of silicosis.

Methods

Workers from the artificial stone benchtop industry undergoing assessment for silica‐associated disease were included. Information on demographics; occupational, medical and smoking history; modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale; Perceived Stress Scale (PSS‐10) questionnaire; spirometry; and chest x‐ray was collected. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted.

Results

Of the 547 participants, the majority were men, aged under 45 years, in the industry for less than 10 years. With each increase of dyspnoea score, PSS‐10 scores increased. Higher PSS‐10 scores were also observed in those no longer in the industry, with a history of anxiety or depression, attending assessment early in the programme and a medium exposure duration. Participants who used an interpreter reported lower stress. No difference was observed across job title, age, sex, smoking, spirometry or chest x‐ray categories after multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

This study identified workers with dyspnoea as likely to report higher stress. Other factors, such as leaving the industry, early attendance and a history of anxiety or depression, are also helpful in identifying workers at risk of poorer mental health outcomes.
Extrapulmonary manifestations of a telomere syndrome in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are associated with decreased survival
Authors: Hoffman Thijs W. , van der Vis Joanne J. , Biesma Douwe H. , Grutters Jan C. , van Moorsel Coline H. M.
Published: April 2022

Background and objective

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a heterogenous disease with a median survival of 3–4 years. Patients with mutations in telomere‐related genes exhibit extrapulmonary signs and symptoms. These patients represent a distinct phenotype of IPF with worse survival. As genetic analyses are not available for most patients with IPF, we sought to determine the predictive value of extrapulmonary signs and symptoms of a telomere syndrome in patients with IPF.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 409 patients with IPF. Clinical characteristics, laboratory results and family history suggestive of a telomere syndrome were related to leukocyte telomere length measured by quantitative PCR and patient outcomes.

Results

The cohort included 293 patients with sporadic IPF and 116 patients with a background of familial pulmonary fibrosis. Any or a combination of a clinical history (haematological disease, liver disease, early greying of hair, nail dystrophy, skin abnormalities), a family history or haematological laboratory abnormalities (macrocytosis, anaemia, thrombopenia or leukopenia) suggestive of a telomere syndrome was present in 27% of IPF patients and associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length and shorter survival (p = 0.002 in a multivariate model). In sporadic IPF, having either a clinical history, family history or haematological laboratory abnormalities was not significantly associated with decreased survival (p = 0.07 in a multivariate model).

Conclusion

Taking a careful clinical and family history focused on extrapulmonary manifestations of a telomere syndrome can provide important prognostic information in patients with IPF, as this is associated with shorter survival.
Understanding the InsurTech dynamics in the transformation of the insurance sector
Authors: Sosa Iván , Montes Óscar
Published: April 2022

InsurTechs have transformed the insurance sector by becoming a fundamental role in leveraging technology to respond to business and costumers needs, driving solutions based on the availability of new data sources, the interconnectivity among actors, or even access to new possibilities in terms of risk hedging. InsurTechs can be seen as innovations occurring simultaneously that have disrupted, accelerated, and enhanced the transformation of the insurance sector. However, to date, there is a significant research gap to understand how InsurTechs have been responsible for this transformation. For this purpose, qualitative research has been carried out, through the analysis of 150 InsurTechs, based on grounded theory methodology. This study has a threefold objective. First, to identify what has driven InsurTechs; second, to discover what types of innovations have emerged, and third, to understand the dynamics of InsurTech. Findings have identified five InsurTech driving capabilities that have been instrumental in boosting innovations in the insurance sector. These five capabilities suggest 15 types of innovations that have transformed the insurance sector. Finally, these 15 innovations suggest three waves that provide insights for understanding how InsurTech Dynamics has transformed the traditional structure of the insurance sector leading to a dynamic user‐centric ecosystem.