bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of a voltage regulation device based on virtual air gap principle
Authors: Tiourguiouine Amar , Demian Cristian , Romary Raphael , Zmirli Mehdi , Bernard Philippe
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to present the principle of virtual air gap inductance and the design of a voltage regulation device based on this principle. The authors provide a comprehensive analysis of this specific application that consists of locally saturating the magnetic circuit of the voltage regulator to modify its global properties. This saturation is created by a direct current flowing in a small auxiliary coil inserted in the specific area of the magnetic circuit to saturate this zone.

Design/methodology/approach

Analytical calculation and finite elements simulations are used to optimize the device for a specific application tied to the supply of electrical ovens in metallurgic usage. Experimental results are presented at the end of the paper.

Findings

The experimental results presented in this paper are in concordance with the analytical calculation and with the finite element simulations for different operation points. The difficulty of the study of the virtual air gap comes mainly from the nonlinearity of the phenomena because the principle is based on a local and controllable saturation of the magnetic circuit.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper concerns the introduction of virtual air gap principle in a specific industrial application.
Effect of knowledge management and co-evolvement on green operations: the role of corporate environmental strategy
Authors: Das Chiranjit
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the relationships between knowledge management and co-evolvement to green product and process design and green manufacturing and logistics. Besides, this study also analyses the direct and indirect effects of corporate environmental strategy, knowledge management and co-evolvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this study were collected by a survey of Indian manufacturing firms and analyzed by a variance-based structural equation modeling technique to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results suggested that knowledge management and co-evolvement have significant positive relationships to green product and process design and green manufacturing and logistics. Likewise, corporate environmental strategy has positive effects on knowledge management and co-evolvement.

Practical implications

Manufacturing firms should invest and deploy corporate environmental strategies to develop knowledge management and co-evolvement capability that foster green product and process design and manufacturing and logistics.

Originality/value

This study investigates the role of knowledge management and co-evolvement to improve green product and process design and green manufacturing and logistics. The uniqueness of this study is that it investigates novel direct and indirect relationships between corporate environmental strategy and knowledge management and co-evolvement.
Revisiting the whole systems approach: designing supply chains in a turbulent world
Authors: Naim Mohamed M. , Gosling Jonathan
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The systems approach is an exemplar of design science research (DSR), whereby specific designs yield generic knowledge. DSR is increasingly being adopted in logistics and operations management research, but many point to neglect of the human aspects of solutions developed. The authors argue that it is possible to look back at the history of the systems movement to seek precedent for ‘dealing’ with the social components, providing a methodologically pluralistic ‘research design’ framework. Thereby, systems approaches are foundational to providing a design-based ‘science’ to progressing the logistics and supply chain management field, dealing with contemporary topics such as resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors undertake a discursive assessment of relevant streams of engineering, social science and systems research, with a conceptual development of how the latter influences supply chain design approaches.

Findings

Building on a phenomenological framework, the authors create a generic design science research design (DSRD) that enables researchers to choose and integrate the right tools and methods to address simple, complicated and complex problems, dealing with technological, process and social problems.

Research limitations/implications

The DSRD provides a framework by which to exploit a range of methodological stances to problem solving, including quantitative modelling perspectives and ‘soft’ systems social science approaches. Four substantive gaps are identified for future research – establishing the root cause domain of the problem, how to deal with the hierarchy of systems within systems, establishing appropriate criteria for the solution design and how best to deal with chaotic and disordered systems.

Originality/value

The authors argue that the systems approaches offer methodological pluralism by which a generic DSRD may be applied to enhance supply chain design. The authors show the relevance of the DSRD to supply chain design problems including in reducing supply chain dynamics and enhance resilience. In doing so, the study points towards an integrated perspective and future research agenda for designing resilient supply chains.
The use of integrated reports to enhance stakeholder engagement
Authors: Sciulli Nick , Adhariani Desi
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) has promulgated the production of integrated reports to enhance transparency and encourage improved stakeholder relationships. The purpose of this study/paper is to explore how managers prioritize the needs of stakeholders and to what extent integrated reporting is associated with those stakeholder relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a case study/interpretative approach to compare the underlying motivation for the preparation of an integrated report across three case study sites from three different industry groups. Face-to-face and telephone semi-structured interviews, email correspondence and a review of the integrated reports form the basis for the data collection and analysis.

Findings

The case studies investigated for this project provide evidence that integrated reporting did motivate further stakeholder engagement to increase the organizations’ legitimacy and transparency. Overall, the authors found that the three case study organizations used the production of an integrated report to cement their place as a “leader” in their respective industry group. Moreover, managers regarded the current statutory accounts as inadequate in communicating and engaging with a broad range of stakeholders. There were elements of enhancing, defending and repairing legitimacy and managers tended to equate legitimacy with transparency.

Research limitations/implications

Three case study sites were selected on the basis of producing exemplary integrated reports, and senior executives provided their views on stakeholder engagement. For the scope of this study, the stakeholders themselves were not involved in this investigation which can be viewed as a limitation.

Practical implications

The international IIRC Framework is built upon the notion that stakeholders are integral to assisting the organization in creating value. The outcomes of this investigation suggest that for preparers, the incumbent organization is reliant on the leadership of senior managers (inclusive of the chief executive officer) and directors to actually instigate the process. In Australia and New Zealand, given that integrated reporting is not mandatory, regulators have no influence over the scope, content and veracity of integrated reports. It seems likely that further stakeholder engagement will become intrinsic to the business model of organizations as a means to quell any notion that it is engaging in greenwashing.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is to contrast how three quite distinct organizations are using their integrated reports to communicate their approach to stakeholder engagement. Stakeholder salience dimensions are used to explore the importance attributed by senior managers.
Interest in physical danger: does it mediate the relationship between gender and violent offending?
Authors: Hoskin Anthony W. , Liftawi Sarah
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that the relationship between gender and violent offending is mediated, in part, by an interest in participating in physically dangerous activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study makes use of self-report data from a sample of college students and other adults that they recruited to participate in this study to test the hypothesis that having an interest in physically dangerous activities mediates, at least in part, the gender–violence association. Two measures of violent offending are examined: total violent offending and the number of different types of violence committed. Relevant control variables are included in multivariate models, and bootstrapping mediation analysis is also conducted.

Findings

Net of the effects of controls, an index for interest in physically dangerous activities, significantly predicts both total violence and the number of types of violence committed. Bootstrapping-based mediation analysis produces support for the hypothesis that males have higher rates of interpersonal violence than females, in part, because of a greater desire to engage in physically dangerous activities.

Originality/value

This study is an important step in understanding why males are more likely to engage in interpersonal violence than females.
How can destination competitiveness play an essential role in small island sports tourism development? Integrated ISM-MICMAC modelling of key factors
Authors: Moradi Erfan , Ehsani Mohammad , Saffari Marjan , Norouzi Seyed Hosseini Rasool
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to identify factors that affect the sports tourism destination's competitiveness on a small island. Hence, this study looks at and evaluates these factors. The study then comes up with a model that clarifies the interrelationships between these factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors broke down the data analysis process into three steps. The first step was to conduct a literature review and use industry and academia experts' help to determine the essential aspects (fuzzy Delphi method). Then, a hierarchical model was developed, and the factors were categorised using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach. Factors' driving and dependency power were also determined using MICMAC analysis.

Findings

This work has identified 13 key factors related to the sports tourism destination's competitiveness on a small island. For a small island like Kish Island, the two independent variables (government support and destination political stability) that define the institutional framework for the destination are most important. Building corresponding competitive and support strategies to address these two independent variables is thus beneficial.

Research limitations/implications

The research's results provide decision-makers, practitioners, and researchers with new insights into the hierarchical model of determinants. The study will fill the existing gap between theory and practice.

Practical implications

Sports tourism destination managers on small islands may benefit from the proposed model since the model will enable them to organise the managers' priorities better to enhance the managers' destinations' competitiveness and provide tourists with a more accurate depiction of the destination.

Originality/value

According to the authors' knowledge, the research design presented in this article has provided the first attempt to hierarchical analyse these factors and develop a model for sports tourism destination competitiveness on small islands and destinations with less-developed economies. This study fills the gap in the destination competitiveness and sports tourism literature by not only identifying the key influencing factors but also examining the interactions between these factors and providing empirical evidence supporting their relationships.
From family incivility to satisfaction at work: role of burnout and psychological capital
Authors: Paul Vincent Maria Tresita , Aboobaker Nimitha , Devi Uma N.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Building on the work-home resources model and the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study proposes and explores a moderated mediation model on the effect of doctor's family incivility and burnout on doctor's job satisfaction as a function of psychological capital (PsyCap) at dual stages.

Design/methodology/approach

This study obtained data in two phases, using a time-lagged methodological design. The final sample comprised 324 emergency medicine doctors working in hospitals across India, and statistical analysis of the above-said relationships was carried out using PROCESS macro in SPSS 23.0.

Findings

Findings indicate strong evidence supporting the mediation effect of burnout, which means doctors facing family incivility at home experienced burnout at work, which influences doctors' job satisfaction. Also, the indirect effect of family incivility on job satisfaction through burnout gets attenuated at both stages when emergency physicians possess high PsyCap.

Practical implications

This study adds to the work-family literature by delving into the underlying mechanisms that link family incivility to various job outcomes. Despite procedural remedies, there remains a possibility of common method bias. Longitudinal research and validating the model across different samples are suggested.

Originality/value

This study expands the limited domain of knowledge on the work consequences of uncivil family behavior. This study is among the primary to empirically substantiate the long-term adverse consequences of family incivility as burnout. The implications of these findings for applications and applications' extension of the work-home resources model to the family domain are elaborated in detail.
How CSR influences young Chinese consumers' purchase decisions towards Western brands: the moderating effect of consumer ethnocentrism
Authors: Long Fei , Bhuiyan Miraj Ahmed , Rahman Muhammad Khalilur , Aziz Norzalita Abd
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The objectives of this study are to examine the impacts of CSR on purchase intentions either directly or indirectly and to investigate the moderating effects of consumer ethnocentrism on the relationship between CSR and purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilized an online self-administered survey for data collection. All the measurement items were adopted or adapted from prior research concerning international marketing (Churchill, 1979). Concerning rating scales, the items of CSR, brand attitudes, and consumer ethnocentrism were measured from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), and the items of purchase intentions were measured from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Findings

The empirical findings suggest that CSR significantly influences purchase intentions directly and indirectly via brand attitudes. Besides, consumer ethnocentrism strengthens the positive effects of CSR on brand attitudes and purchase intentions.

Originality/value

This research sheds light on young Chinese consumers' purchase behaviors, which could facilitate Western brands implementing effective and efficient marketing strategies in the Chinese market.
How online shopping experiences shape consumer webrooming behavior
Authors: Schiessl Djonata , Korelo Jose , Dias Helison Bertoli Alves
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Due to increasing use of the Internet to purchase products, this article aimed to investigate how poor experiences during online purchases lead consumers to perform webrooming.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors performed three laboratory experiments and analyzed secondary data to investigate this issue.

Findings

The findings revealed that (a) poor online experiences increased consumers' intentions to perform webrooming (studies 1, 2 and 3); (b) frustration is a mechanism that explains why consumers choose to perform webrooming in the same or rival stores (Studies 1, 2 and 3); (c) Perceived channel integration increases consumer's intentions to perform webrooming in the same retailer (study 3).

Originality/value

This research contributes to webrooming literature by highlighting one more antecedent of this behavior and its psychological mechanism. To the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first one shedding light on the differentiation between webrooming in the same or rival stores. The findings also complement omnichannel literature by exploring how poor experiences and frustration change channel preferences. Finally, the article demonstrated how managers could retain consumers by improving channel integration.
Brand post popularity on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn: the case of start-ups
Authors: Robson Sebastian , Banerjee Snehasish
Published: July 2022

Purpose

With the growing trend of omni-channel marketing, brands are increasingly looking to offer a seamless experience to their online fan base by connecting with them across multiple social media platforms. This paper explores the relationship between brand posts' characteristics and popularity for start-ups across four different social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 1,200 social media posts from 10 start-ups were subjected to content analysis. Regression analysis was employed with brand posts' popularity (likes, comments and shares/retweets) as the dependent variable.

Findings

The results reveal several nuances in brand post popularity for start-ups across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Antecedents of the popularity measures of likes, comments and shares/retweets also fared differently.

Originality/value

The paper reports one of the earliest empirical studies to better understand how the qualities of brand posts are related to their appeal across multiple social media platforms. It advances the literature on social media marketing and offers insights to social media managers of brands, particularly start-ups, on how to offer smoother customer journeys across numerous digital touchpoints.
COVID‐19 and perceived effects on agricultural financing in Africa: Evidence and policy implications
Authors: Koloma Yaya , Kemeze Francis H.
Published: July 2022

This study examines the potential effect of COVID‐19 on agricultural financing by drawing lessons from past global crises and their link to agricultural financing. With significant impact in multiple sectors, COVID‐19 has caused significant liquidity shortage in the banking and financial institutions sectors that led to widespread business failure. Analysis at the macro, sectoral, and farmer levels confirms the decline in the financing allotted to the agricultural sector in Africa, which could exacerbate the existing structural gap in agricultural financing. Many policy responses and stimulus packages designed to address the negative effects of the crisis are found not to be enough. At the farmer level, findings indicate that many farmers are finding it more difficult to access credit than before the COVID‐19 crisis. For individual governments, a better understanding of the magnitude of the agricultural sector financing and investment needs to propose appropriate complementary responses is lacking. We suggest that, in the face of such a crisis, while in the short term the agricultural sector needs emergency funding, in the medium and long term, greater financial support is required, including long‐term resources at concessional rates, guarantee funds, and more suitable insurance products combined with social safety nets.
Vichy's Mass Firing of Women Teachers of Colour in the French Caribbean and its Consequences1
Authors: Jennings Eric , Palmiste Clara
Published: July 2022

This article examines the application to Martinique and Guadeloupe of Vichy's sexist law of 11 October 1940, relating to the employment of women and its impact on female teachers. We argue that Vichy showed greater zeal in applying the new regime's patriarchal law on women's work in the Caribbean than in mainland France. We examine in detail the 11 October 1940 law and the modalities of its application in the metropole and in the Caribbean, its manipulation by various actors and the arguments mobilized over the course of its promulgation in a West Indian context. Next, we consider to what degree female Caribbean teachers were impacted by these measures and analyse some of the underlying causes for their dismissal. We highlight the broader social and administrative transformations into which this particular purge fitted. Finally, we underscore the agency of fired schoolteachers as well as their resilience.
Whores Aboard and Laws Abroad: English Women and Sexual Slander in Early Colonial New South Wales
Authors: Lake Jessica
Published: July 2022

In the nineteenth century, a gendered reform movement – the Slander of Women Acts – swept through the British common law world, making it easier for women to sue for defamatory allegations of sexual immorality. By examining two slander cases brought by women in early New South Wales and radical reforms passed in 1847, this article locates the Australian colonies within this global campaign. Arguing that slander worked to reinscribe a woman's colonial category, police ‘savage’ speech and rectify respectability for economic purposes, it shows how ideas of reputation and its protection diverged across the UK, USA and Australia at this time.
How may analysis of an inner layer of clothing affect the scene reconstruction in a shooting incident?
Authors: Levy Ophir , Weiss Revital , Silchenko Alexander , Levi Aviad
Published: July 2022

Shooting distances are utilized, among other forensic input, to position shooters and victims at the crime scene. Shooting distance estimation is done, mainly under the knowledge or assumption, that no intervening object has been present between the target and the muzzle. In the analysis of clothing items of victims that have been involved in a shootout, it is assumed that most of the marks and materials are left on the outer layers of clothing. The outer layers, not the inner layers, are the first objects the bullet meets. Consequently, undergarments are often disregarded for shooting distance estimation as they are not assumed to contain sufficient information in the form of marks or materials. In light of the above, it is the standard operating procedure in some forensic laboratories not to examine underwear. In this case report, the forensic examiners started by the implementation of standard operating procedures, thus examining only the outer layers of clothing of the victims. A thorough visual examination of the various clothing items led a forensic examiner to decide to extend the standard operating procedures, and try and examine an undergarment of one of the victims as well. The interpretation of examination products led to different scene reconstruction, one that may have led to a different interpretation of evidence. In this case, simply sticking to standard operating procedures might have led to less accurate crime scene reconstruction. This case report comes to stress the importance of thorough inspection of forensic exhibits, and scientific and critical thinking about different scenarios. Moreover, it demonstrates how the case‐by‐case approach in shooting distance estimation may add meaningful information, and eventually—bring us even closer to the truth.
Testing whether adrenal steroids mediate phenotypic and physiologic effects of elevated salinity on larval tiger salamanders
Authors: TORNABENE Brian J. , CRESPI Erica J. , BREUNER Creagh W. , HOSSACK Blake R.
Published: July 2022

Salinity (sodium chloride, NaCl) from anthropogenic sources is a persistent contaminant that negatively affects freshwater taxa. Amphibians can be susceptible to salinity, but some species are innately or adaptively tolerant. Physiological mechanisms mediating tolerance to salinity are still unclear, but changes in osmoregulatory hormones such as corticosterone (CORT) and aldosterone (ALDO) are prime candidates. We exposed larval barred tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium) to environmentally relevant NaCl treatments (<32–4000 mg·L−1) for 24 days to test effects on growth, survival, and waterborne CORT responses. Of those sampled, we also quantified waterborne ALDO from a subset. Using a glucocorticoid antagonist (RU486), we also experimentally suppressed CORT signaling of some larvae to determine if CORT mediates effects of salinity. There were no strong differences in survival among salinity treatments, but salinity reduced dry mass, snout–vent length, and body condition while increasing water content of larvae. High survival and sublethal effects demonstrated that salamanders were physiologically challenged but could tolerate the experimental concentrations. CORT signaling did not attenuate sublethal effects of salinity. Baseline and stress‐induced (after an acute stressor, shaking) CORT were not influenced by salinity. ALDO was correlated with baseline CORT, suggesting it could be difficult to decouple the roles of CORT and ALDO. Future studies comparing ALDO and CORT responses of adaptively tolerant and previously unexposed populations could be beneficial to understand the roles of these hormones in tolerance to salinity. Nevertheless, our study enhances our understanding of the roles of corticosteroid hormones in mediating effects of a prominent anthropogenic stressor.
Alteration of the temporal association between courtship audio and visual components affects female sexual response
Authors: MITOYEN Clémentine , QUIGLEY Cliodhna , CANOINE Virginie , COLOMBO Silvia , WÖLFL Simon , FUSANI Leonida
Published: July 2022

Some multimodal signals—that is, occurring in more than one sensory modality—appear to carry additional information which is not present when component signals are presented separately. To understand the function of male ring dove's (Streptopelia risoria) multimodal courtship, we used audiovisual playback of male displays to investigate female response to stimuli differing in their audiovisual timing. From natural courtship recordings, we created a shifted stimulus where audio was shifted relative to video by a fixed value and a jittered stimulus, where each call was moved randomly along the visual channel. We presented 3 groups of females with the same stimulus type, that is, control, shifted, and jittered, for 7 days. We recorded their behavior and assessed pre‐ and post‐test blood estradiol concentration. We found that playback exposure increased estradiol levels, confirming that this technique can be efficiently used to study doves’ sexual communication. Additionally, chasing behavior (indicating sexual stimulation) increased over experimental days only in the control condition, suggesting a role of multimodal timing on female response. This stresses the importance of signal configuration in multimodal communication, as additional information is likely to be contained in the temporal association between modalities.
From trees to fleas: masting indirectly affects flea abundance on a rodent host
Authors: BALÁŽ Ivan , BOGDZIEWICZ Michał , DZIEMIAN‐ZWOLAK Sylwia , PRESTI Carlotta LO , WRÓBEL Aleksandra , ZDUNIAK Milena , ZWOLAK Rafał
Published: July 2022

Mast seeding causes strong fluctuations in populations of forest animals. Thus, this phenomenon can be used as a natural experiment to examine how variation in host abundance affects parasite loads. We investigated fleas infesting yellow‐necked mice in beech forest after 2 mast and 2 non‐mast years. We tested 2 mutually exclusive scenarios: (1) as predicted by classical models of density‐dependent transmission, an increase in host density will cause an increase in ectoparasite abundance (defined as the number of parasites per host), versus (2) an increase in host density will cause a decline in flea abundance (“dilution,” which is thought to occur when parasite population growth is slower than that of the host). In addition, we assessed whether masting alters the relationship between host traits (sex and body mass) and flea abundance. We found a hump‐shaped relationship between host and flea abundance. Thus, the most basic predictions are too simple to describe ectoparasite dynamics in this system. In addition, masting modified seasonal dynamics of flea abundance, but did not affect the relationship between host traits and flea abundance (individuals with the highest body mass hosted the most fleas; after controlling for body mass, parasite abundance did not vary between sexes). Our results demonstrate that pulses of tree reproduction can indirectly, through changes in host densities, drive patterns of ectoparasite infestation.
Topical treatment of diabetic macular edema using dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension: A randomized, double‐masked, vehicle‐controlled study
Authors: Stefansson Einar , Loftsson Thorstein , Larsen Michael , Papp András , Kaarniranta Kai , Munk Marion R. , Dugel Pravin , Tadayoni Ramin ,   DX‐211 study group
Published: July 2022

Purpose

To evaluate topical dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension OCS‐01 (Oculis SA, Lausanne, Switzerland) in diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods

This was a multicenter, double‐masked, parallel‐group, randomized, Phase 2 study. Patients aged 18–85 years with DME of <3 years duration, ETDRS central subfield thickness ≥ 310 μm by SD‐OCT, and ETDRS letter score ≤ 73 and ≥ 24 in the study eye were randomized 2:1 to OCS‐01 or matching vehicle, 1 drop 3 times/day for 12 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated as change from baseline to Week 12 of ETDRS letter score and central macular thickness (CMT). The primary analysis used a linear model with baseline ETDRS letters as a covariate, and missing data imputed using multiple imputation pattern mixture model techniques. Active treatment was considered superior to vehicle if the one‐sided p‐value was <0.15 and the difference in mean change from baseline in ETDRS letters was >0.

Results

Mean CMT showed a greater decrease from baseline with OCS‐01 (N = 99) than vehicle (N = 45) at Week 12 (−53.6 vs −16.8 μm, p = 0.0115), with significant differences favouring OCS‐01 from Weeks 2 to 12. OCS‐01 was well‐tolerated, and increased intraocular pressure was the most common adverse event. Mean change in ETDRS letter score from baseline to Week 12 met the p was +2.6 letters with topical OCS‐01 and 1 letter with vehicle (p = 0.125). In a post‐hoc analysis, there was a greater difference in patients with baseline BCVA ≤65 letters, the OCS‐01 group improved 3.8 letters compared with 0.9 letters with vehicle.

Conclusion

Topical OCS‐01 was significantly more effective than vehicle in improving central macular thickness in patients with DME. Visual improvement was better in eyes with lower baseline vision.
Impact of germline HLA genotypes on clinical outcomes in patients with urothelial cancer treated with pembrolizumab
Authors: Takahashi Shuhei , Narita Shintaro , Fujiyama Nobuhiro , Hatakeyama Shingo , Kobayashi Takashi , Kato Renpei , Naito Sei , Sakatani Toru , Kashima Soki , Koizumi Atsushi , Yamamoto Ryohei , Nara Taketoshi , Kanda Souhei , Numakura Kazuyuki , Saito Mitsuru , Obara Wataru , Tsuchiya Norihiko , Ohyama Chikara , Ogawa Osamu , Habuchi Tomonori
Published: July 2022

Human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA‐I) genotypes are suggested to influence the cancer response to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. This study assessed the impact of germline HLA genotypes on clinical outcomes in patients with chemoresistant advanced urothelial cancer (UC) treated with pembrolizumab. Zygosity, supertypes, evolutionary divergency, and specific alleles of germline HLA‐I and ‐II were evaluated using the Luminex technique in 108 patients with chemoresistant metastatic or locally advanced UC treated with pembrolizumab. Among the 108 patients, 69 died and 83 showed radiographic progression during follow‐up. Homozygous for at least one HLA‐I locus, absence of the HLA‐A03 supertype, and high HLA‐I evolutionary divergence were associated with a radiographic response, but were not associated with survival outcomes. Patients with the HLA‐DQB1*03:01 allele had significantly lower disease control rates than patients without the allele (17.4% vs. 53.8%, p = 0.002); its presence was also an independent risk factor for progressive disease (hazard ratio 4.35, 95% confidence interval 1.03–18.46). Furthermore, patients with the HLA‐DQB1*03:01 allele had significantly worse progression‐free survival than patients without the allele (median progression‐free survival 3.1 vs. 4.8 months, p = 0.035). There was no significant relationship between any HLA status and the incidence of severe adverse events. Several germline HLA genotypes, especially HLA‐DQB1*03:01, may be associated with radiographic progression. However, their impact on treatment response is limited, and germline HLA genotypes was not independently associated with survival outcomes. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm the relationship between germline HLA genotypes and clinical outcomes in patients with chemoresistant advanced UC treated with pembrolizumab.
Combination therapy with anamorelin and a myostatin inhibitor is advantageous for cancer cachexia in a mouse model
Authors: Hanada Kako , Fukasawa Kunpei , Hinata Hiroki , Imai Shú , Takayama Kentaro , Hirai Hideyo , Ohfusa Rina , Hayashi Yoshio , Itoh Fumiko
Published: July 2022

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial disease that causes continuous skeletal muscle wasting. Thereby, it seems to be a key determinant of cancer‐related death. Although anamorelin, a ghrelin receptor agonist, has been approved in Japan for the treatment of cachexia, few medical treatments for cancer cachexia are currently available. Myostatin (MSTN)/growth differentiation factor 8, which belongs to the transforming growth factor‐β family, is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass, and inhibition of MSTN signaling is expected to be a therapeutic target for muscle‐wasting diseases. Indeed, we have reported that peptide‐2, an MSTN‐inhibiting peptide from the MSTN prodomain, alleviates muscle wasting due to cancer cachexia. Herein, we evaluated the therapeutic benefit of myostatin inhibitory D‐peptide‐35 (MID‐35), whose stability and activity were more improved than those of peptide‐2 in cancer cachexia model mice. The biologic effects of MID‐35 were better than those of peptide‐2. Intramuscular administration of MID‐35 effectively alleviated skeletal muscle atrophy in cachexia model mice, and the combination therapy of MID‐35 with anamorelin increased food intake and maximized grip strength, resulting in longer survival. Our results suggest that this combination might be a novel therapeutic tool to suppress muscle wasting in cancer cachexia.
Effect of fasting on cancer: A narrative review of scientific evidence
Authors: Tiwari Sagun , Sapkota Namrata , Han Zhenxiang
Published: July 2022

Emerging evidence suggests that fasting could play a key role in cancer treatment by fostering conditions that limit cancer cells' adaptability, survival, and growth. Fasting could increase the effectiveness of cancer treatments and limit adverse events. Yet, we lack an integrated mechanistic model for how these two complicated systems interact, limiting our ability to understand, prevent, and treat cancer using fasting. Here, we review recent findings at the interface of oncology and fasting metabolism, with an emphasis on human clinical studies of intermittent fasting. We recommend combining prolonged periodic fasting with a standard conventional therapeutic approach to promote cancer‐free survival, treatment efficacy and reduce side effects in cancer patients.
Working and caring for a disabled adopted child during a pandemic
Authors: Sellmaier Claudia , Kim JaeRan
Published: July 2022

Integrating work and family demands can be challenging for families caring for a child with one or more disabilities. The pandemic and its changes to work, schooling and service delivery potentially added to these challenges. This exploratory mixed methods study sought to understand how the pandemic affected adoptive parents' work–life fit and service use. A total of 200 participants responded to survey questions about parenting an adopted child with a disability prior to, and after, the onset of Covid‐19. More than half of the parents (59.2%) reported that it was somewhat to very difficult to integrate both work and family demands. Parents with greater access to workplace flexibility and supportive supervisors had significantly less difficulties combining work and family. Families who reported more problems with accessing mental health services, special education and respite care reported significantly more challenges with work–family fit. Parents reported increased stress due to the pandemic changes, but many also shared positive changes such as more time for family. Online services were experienced as effective for some children and reduced time spent driving to appointments. Recommendations for workplace and social service practice and policy supporting adoptive parents of children with disabilities are discussed.
Heart transplantation in Val142Ile mutation in the modern era: A single center experience
Authors: Lyle Melissa A. , Brown Matthew T. , Morris Alanna A. , Gupta Divya , Vega J. David , Cole Robert T. , Bhatt Kunal N.
Published: July 2022

Little is known about the post heart transplantation management of extra cardiac manifestations in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (hATTR‐CM) in the new era of disease modifying treatment for ATTR amyloidosis. This is a retrospective study of all patients with hATTR‐CM associated with the Val142Ile variant who underwent heart transplantation (HT) from January 2014 to February 2022. All 10 patients with the Val142Ile mutation were successfully transplanted, with a 1 year survival post heart transplantation (HT) of 90%, comparable to an age, sex, and race matched cohort of patients transplanted for non‐amyloid indications. However, 4 (40%) of these patients developed progressive extracardiac manifestations requiring initiation of TTR silencer therapy with the small interfering RNA (siRNA) drug patisiran, which was well tolerated with no significant side effects in this population. We recommend formal neurologic evaluation and assessment of extracardiac manifestations annually as part of routine post‐transplant care, and disease modifying therapy, aimed at TTR stabilization or silencing, should be initiated in the context of previously untreated extracardiac manifestations or evidence of subclinical neuropathy to prevent progression.
Induction therapy in lung transplantation: A contemporary analysis of trends and outcomes
Authors: Shagabayeva Larisa , Osho Asishana A. , Moonsamy Philicia , Mohan Navyatha , Li Selena Shi‐Yao , Wolfe Stanley , Langer Nathaniel B. , Funamoto Masaki , Villavicencio Mauricio A.
Published: July 2022

Objectives

We provide a contemporary consideration of long‐term outcomes and trends of induction therapy use following lung transplantation in the United States. Methods: We reviewed the United Network for Organ Sharing registry from 2006 to 2018 for first‐time, adult, lung‐only transplant recipients. Long‐term survival was compared between induction classes (Interleukin‐2 inhibitors, monoclonal or polyclonal cell‐depleting agents, and no induction therapy). A 1:1 propensity score match was performed, pairing patients who received basiliximab with similar risk recipients who did not receive induction therapy. Outcomes in matched populations were compared using Cox, Kaplan‐Meier and Logistic regression modeling.

Measurements and main results

22 025 recipients were identified; 8003 (36.34%) were treated with no induction therapy, 11 045 (50.15%) with basiliximab, 1556 (7.06%) with alemtuzumab and 1421 (6.45%) with anti‐thymocyte globulin. Compared with those who received no induction, patients receiving basiliximab, alemtuzumab or anti‐thymocyte globulin were found on multivariable Cox‐regression analyses to have lower long‐term mortality (all p < .05). Following propensity score matching of basiliximab and no induction populations, analyses demonstrated a statistically significant association between basiliximab use and long‐ term survival (p < .001). Basiliximab was also associated with a lower risk of acute rejection (p < .001) and renal failure (p = .002).

Conclusion

Induction therapy for lung transplant recipients—specifically basiliximab—is associated with improved long‐term survival and a lower risk of renal failure or acute rejection.
Urgent use of voxelotor in sickle cell disease when immediate transfusion is not safe
Authors: Ferlis Mica , Lipato Thokozeni , Roseff Susan D. , Smith Wally R.
Published: July 2022

The use of blood transfusions to improve anemia resulting from sickle cell disease (SCD) is often limited by alloimmunization, which occurs due to exposure to incompatible antigen present on donor red blood cells (RBCs). This complication occasionally manifests as delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTRs) that cause hemolysis of the recipient's own RBCs and can lead to fatal anemia. In this case study, we report a patient with SCD who experienced a DHTR following chronic transfusion and was successfully treated with voxelotor, an orally administered sickle hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization inhibitor for the treatment of SCD. Laboratory tests following admission indicated pan‐reactivity in antigens, and a rare donor registry was used to locate acceptable units. The patient experienced the DHTR 3 days after admission, which limited laboratory tests due to profound hemolysis. Alternative treatments were limited, and phenotypically matched units were incompatible, so voxelotor was selected as a last‐resort treatment. Following initiation of voxelotor 1500 mg, the patient's hemoglobin levels returned to baseline (6 g/dl) within 10 days, with clinical improvements. This report provides evidence regarding the use of voxelotor in the treatment of profound anemia where other treatments could be unsafe or unavailable.
Non‐exchangeable stable hydrogen isotope ratios in clay minerals and soil clay fractions: A method test
Authors: Merseburger Stefan , Kessler Arnim , Oelmann Yvonne , Wilcke Wolfgang
Published: July 2022

Stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H values) in structural hydroxyl groups of pedogenic clay minerals are inherited from the surrounding water at the time of their formation. Only non‐exchangeable H preserves the environmental forensic and paleoclimate information (δ2Hn value). To measure δ2Hn values in structural H of clay minerals and soil clay fractions, we adapted a steam equilibration method by accounting for high hygroscopicity. Our δ2Hn values for USGS57 biotite (−95.3 ± SD 0.9‰) and USGS58 muscovite (30.7 ± 1.4‰) differed slightly but significantly from the reported δ2H values (−91.5 ± 2.4‰ and −28.4 ± 1.6‰), because the minerals contained 1.1%–4.4% of exchangeable H. The low SD of replicate measurements (n = 3) confirmed a high precision. The clay separation method including destruction of Fe oxides, carbonates and soil organic matter, and dispersion did not significantly change the δ2Hn values of five different clay minerals. However, we were unable to remove all organic matter from the soil clay fractions resulting in an estimated bias of 1‰ in two samples and 15‰ in the carbon‐richest sample. Our results demonstrate that δ2Hn values of structural H of clay minerals and soil clay fractions can be reliably measured without interference from atmospheric water and the method used to separate the soil clay fraction.

Highlights

We tested steam equilibration to determine stable isotope ratios of structural H in clay.

Gas‐tight capsule sealing in Ar atmosphere was necessary to avoid remoistening.

Our steam equilibration method showed a high accuracy and precision.

The clay separation method did not change stable isotope ratios of structural H in clay.
Predictive validity of the modified Kihon Checklist for the incidence of functional disability among older people: A 3‐year cohort study from the JAGES
Authors: Watanabe Ryota , Tsuji Taishi , Ide Kazushige , Noguchi Taiji , Yasuoka Mikako , Kamiji Koto , Satake Shosuke , Kondo Katsunori , Kojima Masayo
Published: July 2022

Aim

The original Kihon Checklist, validated to predict the incidence of functional disability, has been modified to capture both functional ability (can/cannot) and performing state (do/do not). However, the predictive validity of the modified Kihon Checklist remains unverified. Therefore, this study intends to verify the predictive validity of the modified Kihon Checklist and to clarify whether predictive discrimination differs between the classification method of functional ability and performing state.

Methods

The participants comprised 67 398 older people who responded to the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (2016). They were followed for 3.1 years on average. Cox's proportional hazards model with incidence of functional disability as the endpoint was used to calculate the hazard ratio, adjusted for sex and age. The independent variables were judged by two classification methods, functional ability and performing state, using nine indicators based on the modified Kihon Checklist. Additionally, we examined whether the two classification methods produced different C‐index estimates.

Results

Incidence of functional disability occurred in 6232 participants (9.2%). The adjusted hazard ratio of those to whom the nine indicators applied was significantly higher than that of those to whom they did not. The range of the hazard ratio was 1.50–3.82 for both classification methods. The C‐index was slightly higher when the classification was based on performing state than when it was based on on functional ability.

Conclusions

Although predictive discrimination was slightly higher for the performing state than for functional ability, the predictive validity of the modified Kihon Checklist was confirmed for both. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 667–674.
Phytotherapy in urological benign disease: A systematic review
Authors: Villa Giulia , Boarin Mattia , Rosa Debora , Togni Serena , Manara Duilio F. , Bonetti Loris , Terzoni Stefano
Published: July 2022

What is the state of knowledge on the use of phytotherapy in the following urological benign diseases: prostatic hyperplasia, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, urolithiasis and low‐urinary tract symptoms? Supplements derived from natural products are used in medicine alone or in combination with drugs. In urology, there are many products used for symptom management in benign conditions. The aim of this review was to investigate the use of herbal medicines to treat benign urological diseases. A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase and Scopus (2010–2021) databases. The inclusion criteria were studies describing the use of phytotherapeutic strategies to treat adult patients with urological diseases. Quality assessments were performed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Nineteen studies were included in this systematic review: 13 randomized controlled trials, 3 pilot studies, 1 quasi‐experimental study, 1 retrospective observational study and 1 post hoc analysis. Phytotherapeutic agents used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia included royal jelly, Viola odorata, Echium amoenum, Physalis alkekengi, soy isoflavones, Serenoa repens, Trigonella foenum‐graecum, lycopene and selenium. Tribulus terrestris is widely used to treat erectile dysfunction and male infertility. Lycopene, Korean ginseng berries, Indian ginseng and Curcuma improve sperm characteristics and motility. Lupeol therapy reduces kidney stone size, improving urolithiasis symptoms and accelerating the expulsion of small stones. No standard of care has been established for the use of phytotherapeutic agents to manage patients with symptomatic urological disorders. Although randomized controlled trials were the most common study type in our review, the sample sizes were limited, and the study duration and follow‐up periods were often very short.