bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of RgsA in oxidative stress resistance inPseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Hou Shuyi , Zhang Jiaqing , Ma Xiaobo , Hong Qiang , Fang Lili , Zheng Gangsen , Huang Jiaming , Gao Yingchun , Xu Qiaoli , Zhuang Xingguo , Song Xiuyu
Published: March 2020

Pseudomonas aeruginosais an extremely common opportunistic pathogen in clinical practice. Patients with metabolic disorders, hematologic diseases, malignancies, who have undergone surgery or who have received certain treatments are susceptible to this bacterium. In addition,P. aeruginosais a multidrug-resistant that tends to form biofilms and is refractory to treatment. Small regulatory RNAs are RNA molecules that are 40–500 nucleotides long, possess regulatory function, are ubiquitous in bacteria, and are also known as small RNA (sRNA). sRNAs play important regulatory roles in various vital life processes in diverse bacteria and their quantity and diversity of regulatory functions exceeds that of proteins. In this study, we showed that deletion of the sRNA RgsA decreases the growth rate and ability to resist different concentrations and durations of peroxide inP. aeruginosa. These decreases occur not only in the planktonic state, but also in the biofilm state. Finally, protein mass spectrometry was employed to understand changes in the entire protein spectrum. The results presented herein provide a description of the role of RgsA in the life activities ofP. aeruginosaat the molecular, phenotypic, and protein levels.
Business ethics disclosure and corporate governance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Authors: Waweru Nelson
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between business ethics practices disclosure and corporate governance characteristics in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses multiple regression to investigate the association between business ethics disclosure (BED) and corporate governance characteristics in SAA. The study sample is based on 573 non-financial corporations listed on the national stock exchanges of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe as of 31 December 2015.

Findings

The findings show that corporate governance characteristics (including the proportion of government ownership, board independence and board gender diversity) are positively and significantly related to BED.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the limited literature by analyzing the relationship between BED practices and corporate governance characteristics in the sub-Sahara African context, which is significantly different from the Anglo-Saxon world.
Residential adaptations as users' tacit means of communicating spatial needs in housing design
Authors: Agyefi-Mensah Stephen , Kpamma Zoya Evans , Hagan Daniel Ebo
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Knowing and understanding the spatial needs of users is imperative for the design of livable and sustainable houses. However, the practical and theoretical difficulties associated with this, especially in social housing, create a shortfall in design knowledge known as user needs gap. To bridge this gap, design researchers over the years, have sought to provide feedback for design decision-making through post-occupancy evaluation studies using preferences and residential satisfaction as constructs. In view of their limitations, this study aims to explore residential adaptations as residents’ tacit means of communicating their spatial needs, and a pathway to understanding residents’ housing requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was exploratory in nature and a case study by design using a convergent parallel design within the mixed methods tradition. Activity Theory as used as a conceptual framework. The study involved three strands of research as follows: estimation of the floor areas of the rooms and spaces of the case study designs using the International Standards Organisation intramuros method; a survey of households and their activities using questionnaires; and observation of residents’ adaptations captured photographs and drawings. In all, 43 households out of the 66 apartments in the two case designs were surveyed.

Findings

The study found that while the units were theoretically large, they were practically inadequate when average household sizes were taken into account in a space per person analysis. In response, particularly to sleeping requirements of children, residents make different forms of adaptations – normative, such as house sharing, compositional and organizational, as well as add-ins and add-ons including and illegal alterations.

Originality/value

The paper presents residential adaptations as an empirically grounded, contextually embedded and practically useful means of exploring and understanding users’ spatial needs in housing design. Residential adaptations provide a means through which residents communicate their housing needs, albeit tacitly – a means for self-expression, self-extension and self-determination. To theory, the study shows that residential adaptations can be useful as a construct for understanding residents’ spatial needs, though fuzzy. It also helps understand how the tensions in an activity system, may result from contradictions produced by the lurking effect of contextual factors. This makes contextual knowledge, particularly cultural knowledge, critical to the design.
The diversity and distribution of endophytes across biomes, plant phylogeny and host tissues: how far have we come and where do we go from here?
Authors: Harrison Joshua G. , Griffin Eric A.
Published: March 2020

The interiors of plants are colonized by diverse microorganisms that are referred to as endophytes. Endophytes have received much attention over the past few decades, yet many questions remain unanswered regarding patterns in their biodiversity at local to global scales. To characterize research effort to date, we synthesized results from ~600 published studies. Our survey revealed a global research interest and highlighted several gaps in knowledge. For instance, of the 17 biomes encompassed by our survey, 7 were understudied and together composed only 7% of the studies that we considered. We found that fungal endophyte diversity has been characterized in at least one host from 30% of embryophyte families, while bacterial endophytes have been surveyed in hosts from only 10.5% of families. We complimented our survey with a vote counting procedure to determine endophyte richness patterns among plant tissue types. We found that variation in endophyte assemblages in above‐ground tissues varied with host growth habit. Stems were the richest tissue in woody plants, whereas roots were the richest tissue in graminoids. For forbs, we found no consistent differences in relative tissue richness among studies. We propose future directions to fill the gaps in knowledge we uncovered and inspire further research.
Bacterial community diversity in the rhizosphere of nickel hyperaccumulator plant species from Borneo Island (Malaysia)
Authors: Lopez Séverine , van der Ent Antony , Sumail Sukaibin , Sugau John B. , Buang Matsain Mohd , Amin Zarina , Echevarria Guillaume , Morel Jean Louis , Benizri Emile
Published: March 2020

The Island of Borneo is a major biodiversity hotspot, and in the Malaysian state of Sabah, ultramafic soils are extensive and home to more than 31 endemic nickel hyperaccumulator plants. The aim of this study was to characterize the structure and the diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial communities of several of these nickel hyperaccumulator plants and factors that affect these bacterial communities in Sabah. The most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria. At family level, Burkholderiaceae and Xanthobacteraceae (Proteobacteria phylum) were the most abundant families in the hyperaccumulator rhizospheres. Redundancy analysis based on soil chemical analyses and relative abundances of the major bacterial phyla showed that abiotic factors of the studied sites drove the bacterial diversity. For all R. aff. bengalensis rhizosphere soil samples, irrespective of studied site, the bacterial diversity was similar. Moreover, the Saprospiraceae family showed a high representativeness in the R. aff. bengalensis rhizosphere soils and was linked with the nickel availability in soils. The ability of R. aff. bengalensis to concentrate nickel in its rhizosphere appears to be the major factor driving the rhizobacterial community diversity unlike for other hyperaccumulator species.
Exploring the influence of course elements and emotional connection to content on students’ approaches to learning in an introductory food science and human nutrition course
Authors: Schmidt Shelly J.
Published: March 2020

Researchers have identified three approaches to learning—surface, strategic, and deep. These approaches are influenced by various contextual and student factors, including teaching methods, assessments, and relevance to future career. The global objective of this study was to explore the influence of course elements and students’ emotional connection to section content on students’ approaches to learning in an introductory Food Science and Human Nutrition course. Students completed two questionnaires for the Nutrition and Health (NH) and Composition and Chemistry (CC) course sections: (a) Entwistle's ASSIST Inventory and (b) a questionnaire developed to assess students’ perceived usefulness of assignments, learning resources, and emotional connection to section content. Students’ approaches to learning did not significantly differ between NH and CC sections, with the majority reporting use of strategic or deep approaches. Generally, positive correlations were obtained for learners who used the deep and strategic approaches and their perceived usefulness of assignments and learning resources. In stark contrast, negative correlations were identified for learners who used the surface approach and their perceived usefulness of learning resources and assignments. Regarding emotional connection to section content, compared to learners who used the deep and strategic approaches, learners who used the surface approach did not enjoy and felt anxious about learning the content in both sections. Furthermore, based on regression analysis, the surface learning approach was a predictor for low exam scores in both sections. Based on these findings, instructors should implement practices in course design, instructional methods, and assessment strategies that help students choose deep and strategic approaches to learning, while minimizing surface approaches.
Predators, fire or resources: What drives the distribution of herbivores in fragmented mesic forests?
Authors: Geary William L. , Hradsky Bronwyn A. , Robley Alan , Wintle Brendan A.
Published: March 2020

Trophic interactions and disturbance events can shape the structure and function of ecosystems. However, the effects of drivers such as predation, fire and climatic variables on species distributions are rarely considered concurrently. We used a replicated landscape‐scale predator management experiment to compare the effects of red foxVulpes vulpescontrol, time‐since‐fire, vegetation type and other environmental variables on native herbivore distributions. Occurrence data for four native herbivores and an invasive predator – the red fox – were collected from 240 sites across three baited (for lethal fox control) and three unbaited forest blocks (4659–9750 ha) in south‐western Victoria, Australia, and used to build species distribution models. The herbivore taxa were as follows: red‐necked wallabyMacropus rufogriseus, black wallabyWallabia bicolour, grey kangarooMacropus fuligenosusandMacropus giganteusand common brushtail possumTrichosurus vulpecula. Fox control and fire had little effect on herbivore occurrence, despite the literature suggesting it can influence abundance, while climate, proximity to farmland and topography were more influential. This may be because the region’s high productivity and agricultural pastures subsidise food resources for both predators and prey within the forest blocks and so dampen trophic interactions. Alternatively, these drivers may affect herbivore abundance, but not herbivore occurrence. Understanding the drivers of herbivore distributions is an important step in predicting the effects of herbivory on other species, particularly after management interventions such as predator control and prescribed burns.
The effect of temperature on the stability of sodium hypochlorite in a continuous chelation mixture containing the chelator clodronate
Authors: Wright Patricia P. , Kahler Bill , Walsh Laurence J.
Published: March 2020

This study evaluated the stability of continuous chelation mixtures of clodronate admixed with sodium hypochlorite at room temperature (23°C), at root canal temperature (34–35°C) and in refrigerated storage (2–4°C). In continuous chelation, one solution containing a chelator and sodium hypochlorite simultaneously disinfects and removes organic matter and smear layer. This technique is thought to enhance antimicrobial action and debris removal. However, hypochlorite stability and free available chlorine (FAC) levels may decline with elevated temperature and through chemical interactions with the chelator, thus reducing the therapeutic window of these mixtures. Employing iodometric titration, the FAC for clodronate–hypochlorite mixtures was measured at 34–35°C, 23°C and 2–4°C. Clodronate–hypochlorite solutions were stable for 180 min at 34–35°C. When kept at 2–4°C over 3 months, they maintain 95% of the FAC compared with baseline. It was concluded that the therapeutic window of clodronate–hypochlorite mixtures is unaffected at root canal temperature.
Intraocular pharmacokinetics of anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor agents by intraoperative subretinal versus intravitreal injection in silicone oil‐filled eyes of proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a randomized controlled pilot study
Authors: Yao Teng‐teng , Yang Yuan , Jin Xiao‐liang , Wang Yi‐xiao , Zhou Ya‐li , Xu A‐jing , He Fang‐lin , Wang Zhao‐yang
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Intraoperative subretinal anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections have been used clinically in some case, but the pharmacokinetic characteristics have not yet been determined. In this pilot study, we investigate the pharmacokinetic parameters of anti‐VEGF agents by intraoperative subretinal or intravitreal injection in silicone oil (SiO)‐filled eyes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods

Randomized controlled trial including 13 patients (16 eyes) with PDR underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with SiO tamponade and randomly received a subretinal (8 eyes) or intravitreal (8 eyes) conbercept injection (0.5 mg/0.05 ml) intraoperatively. Aqueous humour (AH) was obtained on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th, 21st and 28th day after the injection. Drug concentrations in the AH were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The last best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was examined 6 months postoperatively.

Results

The clearance rate of anti‐VEGF agents by subretinal injection was reduced in vitrectomized eyes with SiO tamponade (p < 0.05). With the same drug dose, subretinal injection (5.49 ± 6.11 μg/ml) resulted in higher drug concentrations in the AH when compared with intravitreal injection (0.42 ± 0.46 μg/ml, p = 0.001) 4 weeks after the treatment. The mean residence time last (MRT0‐t) by subretinal injection (11.57 ± 0.83 days) was significantly longer than the mean MRT0‐t by intravitreal injection (7.10 ± 1.00 days, p < 0.001). A self‐paired analysis showed that subretinal injection led to the BCVA improvement by +28.59 letters 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.028) while the BCVA did not improve significantly by intravitreal injection (p = 0.715).

Conclusions

The drug maintenance phase was prolonged by intraoperative subretinal injection in SiO‐filled eyes of PDR. The results suggest that subretinal injection might be a valuable treatment option for the management of PDR.
Multi‐isotope fingerprints (O, Sr and Pb) in archaeological animal bone bioapatite: Similarity search and the suitability for provenance analysis in a geologically complex Alpine region
Authors: Tschetsch L. , Mussauer A. , Mauder M. , Lohrer J. , Kröger P. , Mayr C. , Söllner F. , Grupe G.
Published: March 2020

Multi‐isotope fingerprints in the bioapatite of archaeological skeletons are mostly superior over single isotope analyses for provenance studies. Gaussian mixture model (GMM) clustering is a novel tool for a similarity search among multidimensional data sets and at the same time permits the evaluation of the structural importance of particular isotopic ratios in the data set. We applied three GMM clustering experiments on multi‐isotope fingerprints—stable strontium (Sr), lead (Pb) and oxygen (O) isotopic ratios—established in 217 archaeological animal bones excavated along a specific transect across the European Alps. This reference region had been in use since prehistoric times by humans who crossed the Alps from north to south, andvice versa. The resulting clusters permit a spatial assignment of the specimens with a very high probability, in particular with regard to the geological complexity of the region. A combination of Sr with Pb stable isotopes led to an optimal differentiation between the southern and northern Alpine forelands that cannot be distinguished from each other by87Sr/86Sr ratios alone, while the contribution of δ18O is not particularly high. The isotopic mapping and subsequent cluster analysis is suitable for the analysis of archaeological human finds and the reconstruction of the direction of transalpine mobility and trade.
Prefiguring stigma in post‐trafficking lives: Relational geographies of return and reintegration
Authors: Yea Sallie
Published: March 2020

Central to the welfare of survivors of human trafficking and reduction of post‐trafficking vulnerabilities are the restoration of dignity, building of resilience, and, ideally, facilitating of strategies for empowerment. While ostensibly the delivery of post‐trafficking supports propose to address these concerns, particularly in the context of return and reintegration programmes, critical scholarship on anti‐trafficking has identified a range of problems with the ability of existing interventions to achieve these outcomes. Building on these critiques, this paper examines the effects of stigma on post‐trafficking lives, particularly as they stymie the possibilities for victims to move on. Discussion in the paper centres on the ways stigma is prefigured during the process and act of leaving. The home country and the destination are considered as key sites of departure where leaving establishes bases for stigmatised returns from trafficking. Three modalities of departure are discussed in the paper: the “theatre of celebratory departure” from the home country; the financial processes in the home country that facilitate and organise migration; and the biopolitical classification of migrants/victims in the trafficking destination. The paper draws on a relational approach to framing discussion, with such an approach allowing for a view of trafficking as characterised by multiple intersections and flows, temporally and geographically. Experiences of trafficked male and female migrant labourers from the Philippines sojourning in or transiting through Singapore are drawn on to illustrate the arguments in the paper.
Intraspecific differentiation and sexual dimorphism in giant deer (Megaloceros giganteus Blumenbach, 1799; Artiodactyla, Cervidae) skulls found in Serbia
Authors: Paunović Gordana , Bogićević Katarina , Urošević Aleksandar
Published: March 2020

We conducted a study of intraspecific differentiation and sexual dimorphism in skulls of giant deer found in Serbia by employing methods of geometric morphometrics. The sample consisted of nine males (seven belonging to Megaloceros giganteus cf. ruffii and two belonging to subspecies M. giganteus cf. giganteus) and two females (both classified as M. giganteus cf. ruffii), photographed in ventral and lateral views. The statistical analyses did find significant shape differences between possible subspecies and sexes for the lateral cranium view but not for the ventral. Possible subspecies differed in the overall skull robustness. Sexual shape dimorphism consisted of transition from higher and elongated skulls in females, to more robust and dorsoventrally flattened skulls in males. The allometry was not proven to be statistically significant, but the shape changes related to size variation could be visually described. Some of the shape differences related to sexual dimorphism can be interpreted as an adaptation for bearing large antlers in males. Even with small sample size, we got statistically supported differences between possible subspecies and sexual shape dimorphism in the lateral view of the giant deer skull. In analyses that showed no statistical support, methods of geometric morphometrics still provided good visualization of shape variation.
Long non‐coding RNA LOC100133669 promotes cell proliferation in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Guan Zhuzhu , Wang Yali , Wang Yu , Liu Xiaoxu , Wang Yan , Zhang Weimin , Chi Xinming , Dong Yan , Liu Xuefeng , Shao Shujuan , Zhan Qimin
Published: March 2020

Objectives

LOC100133669 is a lncRNA whose function during tumorigenesis remains unclear now. Thus, we aimed to explore its clinical significance and function in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Materials and Methods

ISH was used to detect LOC100133669 expression in ESCC tissues. The full‐length LOC100133669 was identified by using RACE assay. Subcellular distribution of LOC100133669 was examined by nuclear/cytoplasmic RNA fractionation and qPCR. The role of LOC100133669 in ESCC cell growth was determined by colony formation, MTT and flow cytometry experiments in vitro, as well as xenograft tumour experiment in vivo. RNA pull‐down assay was performed to find LOC100133669‐interacted protein, which was further examined by RIP, IP, Western blot and rescue experiments.

Results

LOC100133669 was upregulated in ESCC tissues compared with adjacent non‐tumour tissues. High LOC100133669 expression was associated with poor prognosis of patients with ESCC. We defined LOC100133669 to be 831 nt in length and mainly localized in the cytoplasm of ESCC cells. Knockdown of LOC100133669 inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, while overexpression of LOC100133669 showed the opposite effects. Furthermore, LOC100133669 could bind to Tim50 and upregulated its protein level through inhibiting ubiquitination. Overexpression of Tim50 in part abolished the LOC100133669 depletion–caused inhibitory effect on ESCC cell proliferation.

Conclusions

LOC100133669 plays an oncogenic role in ESCC and may serve as a promising diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for ESCC patients.
S3‐Leitlinie „Aktinische Keratose und Plattenepithelkarzinom der Haut“ – Kurzfassung, Teil 1: Diagnostik, Interventionen bei aktinischen Keratosen, Versorgungsstrukturen und Qualitätsindikatoren
Authors: Heppt Markus V. , Leiter Ulrike , Steeb Theresa , Amaral Teresa , Bauer Andrea , Becker Jürgen C. , Breitbart Eckhard , Breuninger Helmut , Diepgen Thomas , Dirschka Thomas , Eigentler Thomas , Flaig Michael , Follmann Markus , Fritz Klaus , Greinert Rüdiger , Gutzmer Ralf , Hillen Uwe , Ihrler Stephan , John Swen Malte , Kölbl Oliver , Kraywinkel Klaus , Löser Christoph , Nashan Dorothée , Noor Seema , Nothacker Monika , Pfannenberg Christina , Salavastru Carmen , Schmitz Lutz , Stockfleth Eggert , Szeimies Rolf‐Markus , Ulrich Claas , Welzel Julia , Wermker Kai , Berking Carola , Garbe Claus
Published: March 2020

Aktinische Keratosen (AK) sind häufige Hautveränderungen bei hellhäutigen Menschen mit dem Potenzial, in ein kutanes Plattenepithelkarzinom (PEK) überzugehen. Beide Erkrankungen können mit erheblicher Morbidität verbunden sein und stellen eine große Krankheitslast insbesondere in der älteren Bevölkerung dar. Um eine evidenzbasierte, klinische Entscheidungsfindung zu unterstützen, wurde die Leitlinie “Aktinische Keratose und Plattenepithelkarzinom der Haut” auf der Methodikebene S3 nach dem Regelwerk der AWMF entwickelt. Die Leitlinie richtet sich dabei an Dermatologen, Allgemeinmediziner, HNO‐Ärzte, Chirurgen, Onkologen, Radiologen und Strahlentherapeuten in Klinik und Praxis sowie an andere medizinische Fachgebiete, die sich mit der Diagnose und Behandlung von Patienten mit AK und PEK befassen. Die Leitlinie richtet sich auch an betroffene Patienten, deren Angehörige, politische Entscheidungsträger und Versicherungsgesellschaften. In diesem Teil behandeln wir die Themen Diagnostik, Interventionen bei AK, Versorgungsstrukturen und Qualitätsindikatoren.
Early warning systems and evacuation: rare and extreme versus frequent and small‐scale tropical cyclones in the Philippines and Dominica
Authors: Yore Rebekah , Walker Joanna Faure
Published: March 2020

Survey questionnaires were administered among populations affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines in 2013 and Hurricane Maria in Dominica in 2017 to test the efficacy of early warning systems in prompting residents to take appropriate action ahead of severe hazards. Both events were rare and extreme but occurred in locations that regularly experience less severe tropical cyclones. The research assessed if, how, and when residents received warnings, what instructions were given, and where and when people decided to seek safety. In both of the cases under review, residents were aware of the approaching storms, but critical information on their severity and potential impacts was either not received in time or not understood fully, resulting in low levels of evacuation and safety‐seeking behaviour. This paper suggests that planning and public communication need to focus on the uncertainty surrounding the severity and multifaceted nature of tropical cyclones and accompanying hazards and their consequences.
Better safe than sorry: The response to a simulated predator and unfamiliar scent by the European hare
Authors: Mayer Martin , Fog Bjerre Dagmar Hedvig , Sunde Peter
Published: March 2020

Predator presence can create a “landscape of fear,” which is defined as the spatially explicit distribution of perceived predation risk as seen by prey. Prey species can alter their behavior and space use as a response to increased predation risk, which might be traded off with energetic requirements. Thus, whether or not an anti‐predator behavior is performed might depend on the perceived risk. In this study, we investigated the behavioral and spatial response of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) toward the presence of a predator scent, using red fox (Vulpes vulpes) scat, an unfamiliar control scent (butyric acid), and a true control (no scent). We collected data on hare activity times and behavior using 50 camera trap locations and spatial data using GPS telemetry (30,481 GPS positions of 12 hares). Hares showed spatial anti‐predator behaviors within their home range, for example, the local avoidance of areas treated with scent and remaining further from field edges, in response to sympatric predator scent and partly also in response to unfamiliar butyric acid. Conversely, more costly anti‐predator behaviors, that is, increased vigilance at the expense of foraging, were only shown in response to the predator scent. Our results suggest that prey species respond flexibly toward scent cues, utilizing less costly anti‐predator behaviors independent of the perceived threat, whereas costly anti‐predator responses are only used in the presence of “real” threat. Further, our findings emphasize that a combination of camera trap and GPS data can provide detailed information on animal behavior and space use, and caution that interpretation of one data source alone might lead to incomplete conclusions.
An online survey investigating perceived prevalence and treatment options for stereotypic behaviours in horses and undesirable behaviours associated with handling and riding
Authors: Carroll S. L. , Sykes B. W. , Mills P. C.
Published: March 2020

In the horse, inappropriate management and training, as well as pain, frustration, fear and anxiety can result in undesirable behaviours. Common undesirable behaviours include pawing, striking, rearing, kicking, bolting, bucking, shying, napping, freezing, biting and bite threats, as well as a range of oral and locomotive stereotypic behaviours. Many of these behaviours are dangerous for the human handlers and can be unhealthy and harmful for the horse; for safety and welfare reasons, they must be rapidly addressed. An online survey was completed by 943 horse industry participants from 31 countries. The survey was conducted to gain greater insight into the perceived prevalence of undesirable behaviours in horses; options considered in the management of horses displaying undesirable behaviours; attitudes towards the use of prescription and over‐the‐counter (OTC) behaviour‐modifying agents; and owner attitudes towards the role of veterinarians and equine behaviourists. The results of this survey suggest that undesirable behaviours are common. Agents with a nonspecific sedating effect were the most common agents suggested by veterinarians and used by horse‐owners. Horse‐owners indicated a greater use of α2 agonists for the management of undesirable behaviours associated with riding horses. Many owners in this survey indicated they would consider seeking advice from veterinarians (83.2%) and behaviourists (58.0%) if they had a horse that was ‘consistently difficult or uncooperative to handle or ride’. The majority (97.3%) of nonveterinarian equine behaviourists would seek the input of a veterinarian to investigate physical causes for undesirable horse behaviour. Twenty‐two percent of veterinarians would refer a case to a behaviour expert to address the behavioural component, whilst most veterinarians (77.6%) would devise a behaviour modification and retraining programme themselves. It is hoped that information from this survey can be used to improve existing horse management practices and have a positive impact on animal welfare.
Marketing insects: can exploiting a commercial framework help promote undervalued insect species?
Authors: Hart Adam G. , Sumner Seirian
Published: March 2020

1. The potential decline of insects and their contribution to ecosystem services is a matter of immense concern. 2. Reversing the current degradation of the natural world will require substantial attitudinal and behavioural shifts, but for this to occur people will need to buy‐in to decisions and choices that may be less desirable than those they currently make. 3. People will also need to appreciate the importance of ecosystems, habitats and species that are currently regarded as uncharismatic, including of course a great many insects and other invertebrates. To do this requires a radical shift in our approach to marketing the natural world in general and insects in particular. 4. We propose adopting the approach used so successfully in commercial marketing; the 4Ps framework (product, price, place and promotion). We outline examples of how this would result in more informed and effective ways to market biodiversity, expanding focus away from species traditionally considered charismatic. The public perception of insects, a group that includes some of the most loved and many of the most disliked taxa on the planet, could potentially be substantially improved by the use of this approach. 5. If such a marketing strategy can raise their perceived value, it follows that the public may care more about insects and empower conservation action.
Glowing, glowing, gone? Monitoring long‐term trends in glow‐worm numbers in south‐east England
Authors: Gardiner Tim , Didham Raphael K.
Published: March 2020

The glow‐worm Lampyris noctiluca (Linnaeus, 1767) (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) is thought to be declining in the United Kingdom. Yet, much of the evidence for this is anecdotal, with a shortage of standardised long‐term data to investigate temporal changes in abundance.

We present an 18‐year time series of standardised transect surveys for glowing adult females at 19 sites within south‐east England (Essex) from 2001 to 2018.

We used generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to control for varying sampling effort, temporal autocorrelation, non‐stationarity of seasonal phenology and non‐linearity of temporal trajectories across sites.

We found a significant long‐term reduction in counts of glowing female glow‐worms, after accounting for a significant shift in seasonal phenology across years, and a negative effect of warmer climatic conditions on glow‐worm abundance. Average glowing counts in south‐east England declined by ca. −3.5% per annum from 2001 to 2018, and this result held true even after a range of sensitivity tests to account for potential methodological artefacts in citizen science data collection.

Temporal trajectories in abundance were strikingly out of phase across the 19 sites, suggesting that local‐scale factors in addition to climate are driving greater reduction in numbers at some sites than others.

These standardised surveys present the first quantitative evidence that numbers of glow‐worms could well be declining in the United Kingdom. There is a clear signal of climate warming and drying effects on glow‐worm numbers, but a substantially greater proportion of variation in glowing female counts is explained by local‐scale site factors, such as unmanaged scrub encroachment. Conservation strategies that can mitigate local population losses could be an essential buffer against climate‐driven declines in south‐east England.
Management of patients with interrupted inferior vena cava requiring electrophysiology procedures
Authors: Hanley Alan , Bode Weeranun D. , Heist E. Kevin , Leyton‐Mange Jordan , Chatterjee Neal , Chokshi Moulin , Ha Grace , Ruskin Jeremy , Mela Theofanie , Yamada Kei , Mansour Moussa
Published: March 2020

Background

Interrupted inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare venous anomaly that complicates the treatment of patients who require electrophysiology (EP) procedures.

Methods

We describe five consecutive cases of patients with interrupted IVC who presented to the EP laboratory requiring interventional procedures including catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia and left atrial appendage closure. All cases were successfully completed utilizing a variety of approaches to vascular access including transseptal puncture via transhepatic and internal jugular approaches.

Conclusion

Procedures in the EP lab can be performed successfully in patients with interrupted IVC.
Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channels as therapeutic targets in diabetes and diabetes‐related complications
Authors: Hu Wei , Ding Yuanlin , Li Qingqing , shi Rou , He Yuqing
Published: March 2020

With an estimated 425 million diabetes patients worldwide in 2019, type 2 diabetes has reached a pandemic proportion and represents a major unmet medical need. A key determinant of the development and progression of type 2 diabetes is pancreatic ‐cell dysfunction, including the loss of cell mass, the impairment of insulin biosynthesis and inadequate exocytosis. Recent studies have shown that transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), a Ca2+‐permeable non‐selective cation channel, is involved in ‐cell replication, insulin production and secretion. TRPV4 agonists have insulinotropic activity in pancreatic ‐cell lines, but the prolonged activation of TRPV4 leads to ‐cell dysfunction and death. In addition, TRPV4 is involved in a wide variety of pathophysiological activities, and has been reported to play an important role in diabetes‐related complications, such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. In a rodent type 2 diabetes model, Trpv4 agonists promote vasodilation and improve cardiovascular function, whereas Trpv4 antagonists reduce high‐fat diet‐induced obesity, insulin resistance, diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. These findings raise interest in using TRPV4 as a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. In this review, we intend to summarize the latest findings regarding the role of TRPV4 in diabetes as well as diabetes‐related conditions, and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target for diabetes and diabetes‐related diseases.
The effect of interprofessional education on healthcare providers' intentions to engage in interprofessional shared decision‐making: Perspectives from the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Keshmiri Fatemeh , Rezai Mahdi , Tavakoli Nader
Published: March 2020

Aims and objectives

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of interprofessional education on healthcare providers' intentions to engage in an interprofessional shared decision‐making (IP‐SDM) process at emergency department and exploring the affecting factors on their intentions.

Methods

We conducted the study through a sequential explanatory mixed method (quantitative‐qualitative) design. All ED residents and nurses from two university hospitals were invited and assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group was exposed to case‐based learning sessions conducted by applying interprofessional strategies. The intentions of the participants engaged in IP‐SDM were assessed before and 2 weeks after the intervention by a questionnaire designed based on the theory of planned behaviour. The questionnaire scores were compared between the intervention and control groups using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Partial eta‐squared (η2) was used for effect size calculations in ANCOVA. Subsequently, to explore the affecting factors in engagement in IP‐SDM, qualitative data were collected through semi‐structured individual interviews. The inductive content analysis approach by Elo and Kyngas was employed to analyze the qualitative data.

Results

Out of 117 potentially eligible healthcare professionals, 113 completed the study in the intervention (n = 55) and control (n = 58) groups. The results showed that the difference between the mean scores of the learners in the intervention (1.41 ± 0.27) and control (0.80 ± 0.52) groups was statistically significant (P‐value = .00001). The main effect of the intervention and a large educational effect size for the intervention were found to be statistically significant F (1, 11) = 180.54, P‐value = .00001, η2 = 0.62. The qualitative data analysis showed two main categories of “team‐based facilitators” and “contextual challenges” as the main affecting factors in the engagement of participant in IP‐SDM.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that applying interprofessional education strategies could improve the learners' intention to engage in IP‐SDM. Moreover, the results showed that the interprofessional collaboration among team members, adherence to the team‐based care principles, and administrative support at different levels could be the influential factors the intentions of the participants to engage in IP‐SDM.
Testing the “Zero‐Sum Game” Hypothesis: An Examination of School Health Policies and Practices and Inequalities in Educational Outcomes
Authors: Long Sara J. , Littlecott Hannah , Hawkins Jemma , Eccles Gemma , Fletcher Adam , Hewitt Gillian , Murphy Simon , Moore Graham F.
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND

Health and education are intrinsically linked, while both are significantly patterned by socioeconomic status throughout the life course. Nevertheless, the impact of promoting health via schools on education is seen by some as a “zero‐sum game”; ie, focusing resources on health improvement activity distracts schools from their core business of educating pupils, potentially compromising educational attainment. There is emerging evidence that school health improvement interventions may beneficially influence both health and attainment. However, few studies have examined the relationship between school health improvement activity and socioeconomic inequalities in educational attainment.

METHODS

Wales‐wide, school‐level survey data on school health policies and practices was linked with routinely collected data on academic attainment. Primary outcomes included attendance and academic attainment at age 14 (Key Stage 3) and 16 (Key Stage 4). Linear regression models were constructed separately for high and low Free School Meal (FSM) schools, adjusting for confounders. Interaction terms were fitted to test whether there was an interaction between FSM, health improvement activity, and outcomes.

RESULTS

There were positive associations between almost all school health variables and KS3 attainment among high, but not low FSM schools. Similarly, for attendance, there were positive associations of several health variables among high but not low FSM schools. There were no associations for KS4 attainment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings did not support the “zero‐sum game” hypothesis; in fact, among more deprived schools there was a tendency for better attendance and attainment at age 14 in schools with more embedded health improvement action.
Effects of electroacupuncture on the intestinal motility and local inflammation are modulated by acupoint selection and stimulation frequency in postoperative ileus mice
Authors: Yang Na‐Na , Ye Yang , Tian Zhong‐Xue , Ma Si‐Ming , Zheng Yang , Huang Jin , Yang Jing‐Wen , Shao Jia‐Kai , Liu Cun‐Zhi
Published: March 2020

Background

Electroacupuncture (EA) is widely used in various gastrointestinal diseases around the world, including POI. Here, we investigated different therapeutic effects of EA using lower limb and abdomen acupoints.

Methods

Intestinal manipulation was performed in 88 mice, and eight mice underwent a sham operation. Forty mice were randomly divided into model group and four EA groups receiving stimulation at ST36 (2, 10, 30, 100 Hz). The most effective frequency was then used in the following experiments. Forty‐eight mice were randomly divided into six groups receiving EA treatment at ST37, ST39, ST25, CV4, CV12, and a non‐acupuncture point. Gastrointestinal motility and plasma TNF‐α, IL‐6 were evaluated in all mice. The local immune response and α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) expression were assessed by immunofluorescence, ELISA, and HE staining.

Results

ST36 stimulated with 10 or 30 Hz EA significantly increased the gastrointestinal motility and attenuated peripheral inflammation; however, ST36 stimulated with 2 or 100 Hz did not induce any effect. The therapeutic effects on motility and inflammation of 10 Hz EA in the ST36 group were similar in the ST36, ST37, ST39, or CV4 groups, but when applied to ST25, CV12 or non‐acupoint had no significant differences. EA at ST36, ST37, ST39, or CV4 significantly inhibited local MPO activity, immune cells infiltration, and increased α‐SMA.

Conclusions

EA at lower limb and abdomen acupoints with the same stimulation parameters had different therapeutic effects on postoperative dysmotility and inflammation. Furthermore, EA protected SMC to improve gastrointestinal transit by reducing local inflammation in the intestinal musculature in POI.
Attentional modulation of unconscious inhibitory visuomotor processes: An EEG study
Authors: Wang Yongchun , Di Meilin , Zhao Jingjing , Hu Saisai , Yao Zhao , Wang Yonghui
Published: March 2020

The present study examined the role of attention in unconscious inhibitory visuomotor processes in three experiments that employed a mixed paradigm including a spatial cueing task and masked prime task. Spatial attention to the prime was manipulated. Specifically, the valid‐cue condition (in which the prime obtained more attentional resources) and invalid‐cue condition (in which the prime obtained fewer attentional resources) were included. The behavioral results showed that the negative compatibility effect (a behavioral indicator of inhibitory visuomotor processing) in the valid‐cue condition was larger than that in the invalid‐cue condition. Most importantly, lateralized readiness potential results indicated that the prime‐related activation was stronger in the valid‐cue condition than in the invalid‐cue condition and that the followed inhibition in the compatible trials was also stronger in the valid‐cue condition than in the invalid‐cue condition. In line with the proposed attentional modulation model, unconscious visuomotor inhibitory processing is modulated by attentional resources.
Outcome according to subspecies following lung transplantation in cystic fibrosis pediatric patients infected with Mycobacterium abscessus
Authors: Kavaliunaite Ema , Harris Kathryn A. , Aurora Paul , Dixon Garth , Shingadia Delane , Muthialu Nagarajan , Spencer Helen
Published: March 2020

Background

Mycobacterium abscessus infection has been associated with variable outcomes following lung transplantation. M abscessus comprises three subspecies (M abscessus subsp abscessus, M abscessus subsp massiliense, and M abscessus subsp bolletii). We investigated whether lung transplantation outcome in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in a single center was related to the M abscessus subspecies and genetic cluster.

Methods

CF patients with chronic M abscessus infection transplanted at Great Ormond Street Hospital between 2004 and 2017 were retrospectively examined. All M abscessus isolates were identified to subspecies level by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Genetic cluster was determined by variable number tandem repeat profiling and whole‐genome sequencing (WGS), and sequence type inferred from WGS.

Results

Thirteen patients with chronic M abscessus infection underwent heart/lung or lung transplantation. Subspecies identification showed n = 1 with M abscessus bolletii, n = 5 with M abscessus massiliense, and n = 7 with M abscessus abscessus infection. Eight (62%) patients (one with M abscessus massiliense and seven with M abscessus abscessus) died post–lung transplant. The patient with M abscessus bolletii and three patients with M abscessus massiliense did well post‐transplant. One patient with M abscessus massiliense is receiving ongoing treatment.

Conclusions

Dramatically worse outcomes are observed in patients infected with M abscessus subspecies abscessus, the majority of whom were infected with ST‐1 and ST‐26 strains. Patients infected with other M abcsessus strains can have acceptable outcomes.
The gravity model and trade in intermediate inputs
Authors: Greaney Theresa M. , Kiyota Kozo
Published: March 2020

Is the gravity model as applicable to trade in intermediate inputs as it is to trade in final goods? One of the contributions of this paper is that we explicitly account for the dual nature of products that can be used as either intermediate inputs or final goods. We find that the structural gravity model performs extremely well for describing bilateral trade in final goods and in intermediate inputs. Moreover, this continues to hold even when we focus on a subset of countries in which intermediate inputs trade accounts for a growing share of trade, namely "Factory Asia." However, the gravity model may perform poorly due to model misspecification (i.e., exclusion of intranational trade) and/or sample selection, even after the model considers the dual nature of products. We demonstrate that the poor performance of the gravity model is not attributable to the large trade flow of intermediate inputs, which supports the continued use of the model as these trade flows continue to grow in importance worldwide.