bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deal Risk: Bid Conditionality and Deal Protections
Authors: Kershaw David
Published: March 2021

This Chapter considers the regulation of two mechanisms designed to manage bidder deal risk: bid conditionality and deal protections. The first part of the Chapter considers the function of deal conditionality and the justifications for interfering with the free contracting process between bidder and target shareholder. It argues that the case for interference is not strong in the takeover context, suggesting that the Code’s stringent regulation of conditionality may be performing an ancillary role unconnected to the direct interests of the parties: a role similar to the non-frustration rule as a keystone rule: it keeps courts out of the regulatory space. The Chapter then details the nature of Code conditionality regulation (both conditions to making the offer and conditions of the offer itself). The Chapter pays close attention to the regulation of competition authority conditions at UK and EU levels, and the regulation of financing conditions and material adverse change conditions. The Chapter then turns to the second element of deal risk addressed in this Chapter, namely, the risk and costs of non-completion. The Chapter outlines the range of costs associated with non-completion for the bidder and the various deal protection undertakings and inducement fee arrangements which can alleviate those risks. The Chapter then proceeds to detail the recent amendments to the Code introduced in the wake of Cadbury and Kraft that, in large part, prohibit the use of deal protection devices. The Chapter considers the Panel’s stated reasons for this reform and argues that although these reasons are somewhat persuasive they are not compelling enough to support the severe nature of the reforms, given that these drivers were not supported by any empirical evidence and clearly in some instances will hinder efficient deal making. The Chapter argues that these reforms provide an example of how the self/market controlled technique of regulation may result in poor rule-making. The Chapter argues that the Panel’s “status anxiety”, outlined in Chapter IV, may account for this over-reaction, as may the Panel’s immediate concern following Cadbury that the Code’s openness to takeovers, and the keystone non-frustration rule, had been placed in play. Finally, in regard to inducement fees and deal protections that the Code and the Panel may allow, the Chapter considers their legality in accordance with UK company law, considering in particular directors’ duties and the prohibition on the provision of financial assistance.
Hostile Takeovers and the Non-Frustration Rule
Authors: Kershaw David
Published: March 2021

This Chapter considers the keystone rule, the non-frustration rule and its operation and effect in the context of hostile takeovers. The Chapter first explores the scope of the rule to determine what steps target boards can and cannot take when faced with a hostile offer. It considers the general meeting approval of frustrating action and explains why in practice such approvals are never seen. The Chapter then proceeds to consider the optimality of the rule. It considers first the roots of both the Panel’s and more general public support for the rule, arguing that commitment to the rule is a function not of the policy balance between the advantages and disadvantages of the rule but rather a function of broader and deep structural understanding of the balance of power in a UK company. It is a commitment whose genesis is historically contingent which should, if possible, be discounted in the policy assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of allowing target boards to defend against unwanted takeovers. The Chapter then proceeds to consider this policy balance in a UK context which involves, inter alia, a consideration of: the extent to which defences can be used to entrench a board which is subject to pro-shareholder UK company law; the extent to which the market for corporate control acts a governance mechanism; and modern fund management behaviour influenced by relative performance metrics which supports a claim that defences can be justified in order to protect ultimate shareholders from their fund managers, a nuance on the standard justification that defences protect shareholders from themselves. The Chapter concludes that the policy case for prohibiting takeover defences is weak, and moves to consider the reform options in light of the post-Cadbury and Kraft debate on this issue. The Chapter considers and supports both reform of the non-frustration rule (by abolishing the rule) and a higher acceptance threshold (which effectively enables shareholders who are interested in long term fundamental value to make the decision). But the Chapter rejects disenfranchisement of short-term shareholders and enhanced public interest test. The Chapter concludes that it is now time for the Panel to engage with the broader consequences of the rule and reform options.
Norway (‘.no’)
Authors: Celius Kristine
Published: March 2021

In Norway, industrial property rights in signs are mainly protected by the Trademarks Act No 8, dated 26 March 2010 (Varemerkeloven), the Business Name Act No 79, dated 21 June 1985 (Foretaksnavneloven), and the Marketing Control Act No 2, dated 9 January 2009 (Markedsføringsloven). While the two first Acts constitute systems in which exclusive rights to use a sign are granted through registration or established by use, the latter prohibits, inter alia, acts of unfair competition.
Rights Protection Against the Operation and Use of New gTLDs by the Registry Operator
Authors: Bettinger Torsten , Taylor David , Jane Seager
Published: March 2021

The characteristic feature of this dispute mechanism is that it gives trademark holders the opportunity to file a complaint directly against a registry operator responsible for running a gTLD (as opposed to a domain name registrant or registrar) for its improper conduct either at the top or second level.
Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)
Authors: Bettinger Torsten , Waddell Allegra
Published: March 2021

As worldwide use of the Internet has expanded, the importance of domain name selection and use has increased exponentially for brand owners and professional domain name registrants alike. The terms ‘cybersquatting’ and ‘pay-per-click advertising’ have become commonplace in the everyday vernacular. Although domain name law is, in many respects, similar to more traditional trademark and intellectual property law, many countries are still developing practices for handling disputes over Internet space. Given the international impact of domain name use, and the myriad jurisdictional problems concerning both venue and enforcement of judgments, domain name disputes present a number of challenges to nationally-based court systems. Domain name registration generally follows a ‘first-come, first-served’ model, thus potentially leaving trademark owners open to abusive registrations on behalf of cybersquatters and in some cases putting a company in the difficult position of paying ‘ransom’ to a domain name holder who registered the company’s trademark or brand in a domain.
Practice and Procedure: Member Schemes
Authors: O’Dea Geoff , Long Julian , Smyth Alexandra
Published: March 2021

This chapter contains a description of the key documentation that is required for a member scheme of arrangement and examples of a timetable for a general member scheme and a takeover offer that is being effected through a member scheme. It also includes an example of the terms of a scheme for both a topco scheme and a member scheme being used to effect a takeover, together with comments on the key terms of each.
Assessing Likelihood of Confusion
Authors: Fhima Ilanah , Gangjee Dev S.
Published: March 2021

The likelihood of confusion test is inextricably linked to the principal justification for trade mark protection. If the essential function of a trade mark is to reliably indicate the commercial origin of a product in the marketplace, an action to prevent confusion amongst consumers, thereby impeding this origin indicating ability, is a necessary corollary. The language of Article 5(1)(b) (relative grounds) and Article 10(2)(b) (infringement) of the Trade Marks Directive 2015 (TMD 2015) indicates that the proprietor has the right to prevent a junior user from registering or using a mark where ‘because of its identity with, or similarity to, the earlier trade mark and the identity or similarity of the goods or services covered by the trade marks, there exists a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public; the likelihood of confusion includes the likelihood of association with the earlier trade mark’.
Implied Terms As To Correspondence With Description, Satisfactory Quality, And Fitness For Purpose
Authors: Fairgrieve Duncan , Goldberg Richard
Published: March 2021

In addition to imposing liability for any express warranties and misrepresentations, English law imposes a further measure of contractual liability on sellers of goods through the medium of the implied term. From at least the early nineteenth century, contracts for the sale of goods have been taken to require that the seller supply goods which correspond with the contract description and which are of merchantable (now satisfactory) quality and reasonably fit for their purpose.
Manufacturing Or Production Defects And Design Defects
Authors: Fairgrieve Duncan , Goldberg Richard
Published: March 2021

There are generally few difficulties in applying the consumer expectation test of s 3(1) of the 1987 Act to manufacturing or production defects. Thus it can be said that: ‘persons generally are clearly entitled to expect that a product conform with the standard of safety common to the items of a same line of products marketed by a particular manufacturer: an individual product which fails to comply with such a standard because it was not produced and marketed as intended will no doubt be considered defective’. Or to put it another way, in the form of an example, ‘no reasonable or “ordinary” consumer expects to find a snail in a bottle of ginger beer’, or, for that matter, carbolic acid in a bottle of lemonade. Accordingly, when the defect is a manufacturing one the consumer expectation test may be straightforward in its application and advantageous.
European Trade Mark Law
Authors: Annette Kur , Senftleben Martin
Published: March 2021

European Trade Mark Law provides a coherent and authoritative commentary on both the substantive and procedural aspects of European trade mark law. It presents an integrated picture of the two major trade mark law provisions at EU level: the Community Trade Mark Regulation (CMTR), which provides for the registration and protection of a Europe-wide mark; and the Trade Mark Directive (TMD), which aims to harmonise national trade mark laws. The book's core focus is the Community texts and case law, and it offers a detailed analysis of the CMTD and TMD, as well as practical discussion of the procedure for registering, maintaining, and challenging a trade mark through the European Trade Mark Office and at the national level. It considers how national laws have been successfully harmonised by the TMD, and where they differ significantly from others in their implementation of the Directive. Written by one of the leading trade mark lawyers in Europe, this is an invaluable reference for both academics and practitioners in this complex and rapidly developing area of law.
Data Protection: Breach of Statutory Duty
Authors: Barnes Jonathan
Published: March 2021

This chapter examines the way in which the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) protects individual privacy and the challenges the Act presents to the protection of media and freedom of expression in English law. The Act represents the United Kingdom’s implementation of Directive 95/46/EC, which, as Recital 9 makes clear, is expressly concerned with the right to privacy and laid down requirements for Member States to adopt data protection legislation at the national level in order to protect privacy in relation to both computerized and manual files. The words ‘privacy’ and ‘private’ in this context mean no more than that information is personal. There is no connotation of secrecy. In other words, the terms are used in the same sense as in the expression ‘private property’, meaning property which is personal, not inaccessible or hidden away. Data protection rights are apt to protect information which is secret. But, like copyright, they are also apt to enable individuals to seek to prevent others exploiting for gain information about an individual which is not secret.
Justiciability
Authors: Fairgrieve Duncan , Squires QC Dan
Published: March 2021

When determining a negligence claim brought against a public authority, the first question a court will need to consider is whether the claim is ‘justiciable’, ie whether it is suitable for judicial resolution. It is only if a claim is ‘justiciable’ that the court ought to go on to consider whether a duty of care is owed and has been breached. While there are matters that may be relevant to both justiciability and duty of care, justiciability ought to be determined as a preliminary question, or at least, as far as possible, kept conceptually separate from the determination of whether a defendant owed a duty of care.
Housing and Land Use
Authors: Fairgrieve Duncan , Squires QC Dan
Published: March 2021

Public authorities are substantial landowners. They use land for a wide variety of purposes intended to benefit the public, for example: for the provision of amenities such as parks and swimming pools, for drainage and sewage facilities, for commercial or residential leasing, for transportation by air, rail, or road. In large part, the liability of public authorities will be governed by the same rules as are applicable to private landowners. Like other landowners, public authorities can be held liable for nuisance if their use of land interferes with neighbours’ enjoyment of their land, if they are the occupiers of premises that are not maintained to a reasonable standard of safety, or if as landlords they breach tenancy agreements. In many cases, the fact that a landowner is a public authority will have little or no bearing on a determination of its liabilities, and such cases are not considered in any detail in this chapter.
Miscellaneous Public Authority Functions
Authors: Fairgrieve Duncan , Squires QC Dan
Published: March 2021

Doctors owe a duty of care to their patients, and this duty will be owed regardless of whether the doctor is a public sector employee operating within a statutory framework or is providing health care privately. Medical negligence claims in relation to the care which doctors provide to individual patients are outside the scope of this book. Cases arise, however, that do not involve individual doctor-patient relations and raise broader questions of medical policy. In such instances, the fact that the defendant is a public authority exercising public powers is likely to be material to a determination of whether a duty of care should be imposed, and it is such cases we consider in this section. It should be noted that the potential liabilities in negligence of the bodies that regulate the medical profession are not considered in this chapter, but are examined in Chapter 14, where we consider professional regulators.
New Insights into the Evolution of the Electron Transfer from Cytochrome f to Photosystem I in the Green and Red Branches of Photosynthetic Eukaryotes
Authors: Castell Carmen , Rodríguez-Lumbreras Luis A , Hervás Manuel , Fernández-Recio Juan , Navarro José A
Published: March 2021

In cyanobacteria and most green algae of the eukaryotic green lineage, the copper-protein plastocyanin (Pc) alternatively replaces the heme-protein cytochrome c6 (Cc6) as the soluble electron carrier from cytochrome f (Cf) to photosystem I (PSI). The functional and structural equivalence of ‘green’ Pc and Cc6 has been well established, representing an example of convergent evolution of two unrelated proteins. However, plants only produce Pc, despite having evolved from green algae. On the other hand, Cc6 is the only soluble donor available in most species of the red lineage of photosynthetic organisms, which includes, among others, red algae and diatoms. Interestingly, Pc genes have been identified in oceanic diatoms, probably acquired by horizontal gene transfer from green algae. However, the mechanisms that regulate the expression of a functional Pc in diatoms are still unclear. In the green eukaryotic lineage, the transfer of electrons from Cf to PSI has been characterized in depth. The conclusion is that in the green lineage, this process involves strong electrostatic interactions between partners, which ensure a high affinity and an efficient electron transfer (ET) at the cost of limiting the turnover of the process. In the red lineage, recent kinetic and structural modeling data suggest a different strategy, based on weaker electrostatic interactions between partners, with lower affinity and less efficient ET, but favoring instead the protein exchange and the turnover of the process. Finally, in diatoms the interaction of the acquired green-type Pc with both Cf and PSI may not yet be optimized.
Prevalence of food security in the UK measured by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale
Authors: Pool Ursula , Dooris Mark
Published: March 2021

Background

Measurement of UK food insecurity has historically been inconsistent, making it difficult to understand trends. This study contributes by reporting and analysing data from a national survey conducted in line with UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommendations and standard methods, providing an internationally comparable pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) snapshot of food insecurity.

Methods

Data came from a nationally representative 2019 UK sample (N = 2000) surveyed by Ipsos-Mori. Prevalence of food insecurity was assessed using the UN FAO Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Logistic regression was used to model food insecurity in relation to geographic and socio-demographic variables.

Results

Severe food insecurity was reported by 3% of the sample, an increase of 66.7% over the last directly comparable UK analysis (Gallup World Poll data from 2016 to 2018). Indication of some degree of food insecurity was reported by 14.2% of the sample and tended to be higher amongst younger age groups, those on lower incomes, and home renters (as opposed to owners). No geographic variables were significantly associated with food insecurity prevalence.

Conclusions

The finding that prevalence of severe food insecurity was already increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, across all areas of the UK, is cause for concern. Our results provide an important benchmark for assessing the impact of COVID-19 on food insecurity.
Genome Sequence Resource of Botryosphaeria dothidea CK16, a Fungal Pathogen Causing Chinese Hickory Trunk Canker Disease
Authors: Rao Yuxin , Mei Li , Zhang Liqin , Jiang Hong , Ma Liangjin , Wang Yongjun
Published: March 2021

Botryosphaeria dothidea is a latent fungal pathogen that causes cankers or diebacks on a variety of host woody plants worldwide. The symptomatic necrosis on the host plants can be triggered by abiotic stress, such as drought and soil acidification. Here we report a high-quality genome assembly and announcement of the B. dothidea strain CK16 (CGMCC 19654), which causes trunk canker disease on Carya cathayensis in China. The genome sequence of strain CK16 will be useful for studying the evolution, host adaption, and pathogenicity of B. dothidea, which will be beneficial for a better understanding of the mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction during the endophytic period.
The Relationship Between Uncertainty in Illness and Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: An Yan , Zhang Yanting , Wang Lyu , Chen Cancan , Fan Xiuzhen
Published: March 2021

Background

Previous investigators have demonstrated that uncertainty in illness is associated with quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic illness. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying the relationship in patients with heart failure.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the multiple mediating effects of perceived stress and coping strategies on the relationship between uncertainty in illness and QoL in patients with heart failure.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in 302 patients with heart failure recruited at a general hospital in China from October 2016 to September 2017. Uncertainty in illness, perceived stress, coping strategies, and QoL were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The multiple mediation model was tested using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.

Results

Of the 302 patients, 51.7% had poor physical QoL and 45.7% had poor mental QoL (physical component summary or mental component summary score of <50 points). Uncertainty in illness had a significantly negative indirect effect on mental QoL through perceived stress and acceptance-resignation (indirect effect, −0.02; 95% confidence interval, −0.04 to −0.01). Uncertainty in illness also had a significantly negative indirect effect on mental QoL via perceived stress only (indirect effect, −0.18; 95% confidence interval, −0.26 to −0.09).

Conclusions

Poor QoL is prevalent in patients with heart failure. Perceived stress and acceptance-resignation are important mediating factors between uncertainty in illness and mental QoL in patients with heart failure. Interventions aimed at reducing perceived stress and acceptance-resignation coping may be beneficial for improving mental QoL in patients with heart failure.
The Relationship Between Body Awareness and Self-care in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Lee Kyoung Suk , Choi Jin-Oh , Jeon Eun-Seok , Park Jae-Hyeong , Jung Mi Sook
Published: March 2021

Background

Recognizing changing symptoms is challenging for patients with heart failure (HF), especially older patients. Body awareness involves an attentional focus on and awareness of internal bodily changes. Patients with poor body awareness are unlikely to recognize subtle bodily changes, which may result in improper self-care. Despite the potential benefits of body awareness, its contribution to HF management has not been examined.

Aims

The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between body awareness and self-care in patients with HF and explore whether this relationship varies by age.

Methods

Patients (N = 136) completed the Body Awareness Questionnaire and 2 scales of the Self-care of HF Index (maintenance and management). Linear regression models were constructed to explore the relationship between body awareness and self-care after controlling for covariates. The moderation effect of age on the relationship between body awareness and self-care was examined using the PROCESS macro.

Results

Body awareness was associated with self-care maintenance (unstandardized coefficient = 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.05–0.34) but not management. When the interaction effect of body awareness and age was entered in the regression model, neither self-care maintenance nor management was related to this interaction term.

Conclusion

We found that body awareness is conducive to self-care maintenance but not self-care management in patients with HF, and the relationship between body awareness and self-care did not vary by age. Our findings suggest that relying on internal body sensations may be insufficient to facilitate self-care management. Thus, other strategies along with the strategies to enhance body awareness are necessary to improve the full process of self-care in HF patients.
Gender Differences in Factors Associated With Physical Activity in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Huang Wan-Ting , Liu Chieh-Yu , Hung Huei-Fong , Hsu Shu-Pen , Chiou Ai-Fu
Published: March 2021

Background

Although patients with coronary artery disease can benefit from adequate physical activity, low physical activity levels have been reported among these patients. Gender-based disparities might contribute to variations in physical activity. However, knowledge regarding gender differences in factors associated with physical activity among patients with coronary artery disease is limited.

Objective

This study aimed to examine gender differences in factors associated with physical activity in Taiwanese patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 215 patients with coronary artery disease was recruited from 1 medical center in northern Taiwan. Participants were interviewed using structured questionnaires to obtain information regarding their demographics, physical conditions, physical activity, self-efficacy, social support, and community exercise environment.

Results

Only 17.8% of male patients and 20% of female patients reported performing the recommended physical activity level. Men performed more vigorous and work-related activities, whereas women engaged in more household activities. In both genders, physical activity was significantly associated with age, disease symptoms, social support, self-efficacy, and environmental appraisal. Self-efficacy and age were significantly associated with physical activity in the linear regression analysis. Among male patients, physical activity was also related to work status, angina, comorbidity, medication, and hospitalizations, whereas disease duration was associated with physical activity among female patients.

Conclusion

Patients of both genders reported low levels of physical activity. Nurses should recognize gender differences in factors associated with physical activity in patients with coronary artery disease and develop individualized physical activity programs to improve patients' physical activity.
The Language of Self-Injury
Authors: Hasking Penelope A. , Boyes Mark E. , Lewis Stephen P.
Published: March 2021

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a behavior that can be perplexing to many people. Usually engaged as a means of regulating intense or unwanted emotions, it seems to counter the human instinct to avoid pain and harm to the self. The language people use to talk about NSSI, and individuals who engage in the behavior, can contribute to the significant stigma that is associated with NSSI. In this data-driven commentary, we report on the language clinicians and researchers typically use when talking about NSSI, and the language they consider appropriate to use. We observed some disparity in the language people use and what they deemed appropriate. Notably, researchers and clinicians report underusing terms that people with lived experience find most appropriate (someone with a history of self-injury; someone with lived experience of self-injury). We call on all researchers and clinicians to be mindful of the language they use to discuss NSSI and adopt person-centered and respectful language at all times.
Managing Back to School Anxiety During a COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Kamran Aziz , Naeim Mahdi
Published: March 2021

The outbreak of the coronavirus is becoming an international crisis these days, overshadowing everything. The outbreak of this disease in different countries, including Iran, has caused a lot of concern. In addition to the dangers it poses to human health, the spread of the virus has become a major challenge and a stressful test, putting additional pressure on these countries. Every step in the coming school year offers an opportunity for an ongoing two-way conversation with your child. Listen carefully to what they say and be careful not to burden them with your fears. Giving voice to concerns means sharing them so no one is holding their worries alone, and remember, kids' development is fluid and many kids can make up for lost time, academically and socially. Humans are resilient. Therefore, if schools do not open - or close their doors - it is important to be hopeful and positive about the future, despite everything that is currently being missed or delayed, whether academic or social.
Offset analgesia and onset hyperalgesia with different stimulus ranges
Authors: Fust Jens , Lalouni Maria , Vadenmark Lundqvist Viktor , Wärnberg Emil , Jensen Karin B.
Published: March 2021

Introduction:

Offset analgesia (OA), a large reduction in pain after a brief increase in intensity of an otherwise stable painful stimulus, has been established by a large body of research. But the opposite effect, onset hyperalgesia (OH), a disproportional hyperalgesic response after a briefly decreased intensity of a painful stimulus, has only been investigated in one previous study.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to induce OA and OH in healthy participants and explore the effects of different stimulus ranges (increase/decrease of temperature) on OA and OH.

Methods:

A total of 62 participants were tested in 2 identical experiments. Offset analgesia and OH conditions included 2 different temperature deviations (±1°C/±2°C) from initial temperature and were compared with a constant temperature (control).

Results:

Offset analgesia was successfully elicited in OA1°C in experiment 1, and in OA1°C and OA2°C in experiment 2. Results indicate a continuous stimulus–response relationship between the stimulus range and the resulting hypoalgesic response. Onset hyperalgesia was only elicited in OH2°C in experiment 1. Exploratory analysis showed that the lack of OH response in experiment 2 could be explained by sex differences, and that OA and OH responses were only weakly correlated.

Conclusions:

The asymmetry between pain responses after a brief temperature increase and decrease suggests that different mechanisms are involved in the pain responses to increasing and decreasing temperature. This asymmetry may also be explained by high temperatures in OA condition (+1°C/+2°C above baseline) that could be seen as salient “learning signals,” which augment the response to following changes in temperature.
HIV Incidence by Male Circumcision Status From the Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment Surveys—Eight Sub-Saharan African Countries, 2015–2017
Authors: Hines Jonas Z. , Sachathep Karampreet , Pals Sherri , Davis Stephanie M. , Toledo Carlos , Bronson Megan , Parekh Bharat , Carrasco Maria , Xaba Sinokuthemba , Mandisarisa John , Kamobyi Royd , Chituwo Omega , Kirungi Wilford L. , Alamo Stella , Kabuye Geoffrey , Awor Anna Colletar , Mmbando Susan , Simbeye Daimon , Aupokolo Mekondjo A. , Zemburuka Brigitte , Nyirenda Rose , Msungama Wezi , Tarumbiswa Tapiwa , Manda Robert , Nuwagaba-Biribonwoha Harriet , Kiggundu Valerian , Thomas Anne G. , Watts Heather , Voetsch Andrew C. , Williams Dan B.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Male circumcision (MC) offers men lifelong partial protection from heterosexually acquired HIV infection. The impact of MC on HIV incidence has not been quantified in nationally representative samples. Data from the population-based HIV impact assessments were used to compare HIV incidence by MC status in countries implementing voluntary medical MC (VMMC) programs.

Methods:

Data were pooled from population-based HIV impact assessments conducted in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2017. Incidence was measured using a recent infection testing algorithm and analyzed by self-reported MC status distinguishing between medical and nonmedical MC. Country, marital status, urban setting, sexual risk behaviors, and mean population HIV viral load among women as an indicator of treatment scale-up were included in a random-effects logistic regression model using pooled survey weights. Analyses were age stratified (15–34 and 35–59 years). Annualized incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and incidence differences were calculated between medically circumcised and uncircumcised men.

Results:

Men 15–34 years reporting medical MC had lower HIV incidence than uncircumcised men [0.04% (95% CI: 0.00% to 0.10%) versus 0.34% (95% CI: 0.10% to 0.57%), respectively; P value = 0.01]; whereas among men 35–59 years, there was no significant incidence difference [1.36% (95% CI: 0.32% to 2.39%) versus 0.55% (95% CI: 0.14% to 0.67%), respectively; P value = 0.14].

Discussion:

Medical MC was associated with lower HIV incidence in men aged 15–34 years in nationally representative surveys in Africa. These findings are consistent with the expected ongoing VMMC program impact and highlight the importance of VMMC for the HIV response in Africa.
TRIM28-dependent SUMOylation protects the adult ovary from activation of the testicular pathway
Authors: Rossitto Moïra , Déjardin Stephanie , Rands Chris M , Gras Stephanie Le , Migale Roberta , Rafiee Mahmoud-Reza , Neirijnck Yasmine , Pruvost Alain , Nguyen Anvi Laetitia , Bossis Guillaume , Cammas Florence , Gallic Lionel Le , Wilhelm Dagmar , Lovell-Badge Robin , Boizet-Bonhoure Brigitte , Nef Serge , Poulat Francis
Published: March 2021

Gonadal sexual fate in mammals is determined during embryonic development and must be actively maintained in adulthood. In the mouse ovary, oestrogen receptors and FOXL2 protect ovarian granulosa cells from transdifferentiation into Sertoli cells, their testicular counterpart. However, the mechanism underlying their protective effect is unknown. Here, we show that TRIM28 is required to prevent female-to-male sex reversal of the mouse ovary after birth. We found that upon loss ofTrim28, ovarian granulosa cells transdifferentiate to Sertoli cells through an intermediate cell type, different from gonadal embryonic progenitors. TRIM28 is recruited on chromatin in the proximity of FOXL2 to maintain the ovarian pathway and to repress testicular-specific genes. The role of TRIM28 in ovarian maintenance depends on its E3-SUMO ligase activity that regulates the sex-specific SUMOylation profile of ovarian-specific genes. Our study identifies TRIM28 as a key factor in protecting the adult ovary from the testicular pathway.
Heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs are more abundant than their cyanobacterial counterparts in metagenomes covering most of the sunlit ocean
Authors: Delmont Tom O. , Karlusich Juan José Pierella , Veseli Iva , Fuessel Jessika , Eren A. Murat , Foster Rachel A. , Bowler Chris , Wincker Patrick , Pelletier Eric
Published: March 2021

Biological nitrogen fixation is a major factor contributing to microbial primary productivity in the open ocean. The current view depicts a few cyanobacterial diazotrophs as the most relevant marine nitrogen fixers, whereas heterotrophic diazotrophs are more diverse and considered to have lower impacts on the nitrogen balance. Here, we used 891TaraOceans metagenomes to create a manually curated, non-redundant genomic database corresponding to free-living, as well as filamentous, colony-forming, particle-attached and symbiotic bacterial and archaeal populations occurring in the surface of five oceans and two seas. Notably, the database provided the genomic content of eight cyanobacterial diazotrophs includingTrichodesmiumpopulations and a newly discovered population similar toRichelia, as well as 40 heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs organized into three main functional groups that considerably expand the known diversity of abundant marine nitrogen fixers compared to previous genomic surveys. Critically, these 48 populations may account for more than 90% of cells containing knownnifHgenes and occurring in the sunlit ocean, suggesting that the genomic characterization of the most abundant marine diazotrophs may be nearing completion. The newly identified heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs are widespread, express theirnifHgenesin situ, and co-occur under nitrate-depleted conditions in large size fractions where they might form aggregates providing the low-oxygen microenvironments required for nitrogen fixation. Most significantly, we found heterotrophic bacterial diazotrophs to be more abundant than cyanobacterial diazotrophs in most metagenomes from the open oceans and seas. This large-scale environmental genomic survey emphasizes the considerable potential of heterotrophs in the marine nitrogen balance.
Identification of enzymes that are required for Rhodoquinone-dependent metabolism as targets for new species-specific inhibitors
Authors: Lautens Margot J. , Tan June H. , Serrat Xènia , Borrello Samantha Del , Schertzberg Michael R. , Fraser Andrew G.
Published: March 2021

Soil transmitted helminths (STHs) are major human pathogens that infect over a billion people. Resistance to current anthelmintics is rising and new drugs are needed. Here we combine multiple approaches to find druggable targets that are essential for RQ-dependent metabolism, an unusual form of anaerobic metabolism which STHs need to survive in their host. We identified 25 genes predicted to act in RQ-dependent metabolism from sensing hypoxia to RQ synthesis — this includes components of the kynurenine pathway we previously showed to be essential for RQ synthesis (Del Borrello et al., 2019). We found 9 genes to be required — since all have host orthologues, we used comparative genomics and structural modeling to identify those with helminth-specific active sites and found 4 such targets. These 4 high confidence targets open up the possibility of in silico screens to identify STH-specific inhibitors of these enzymes as new anthelmintics.
RAD21 is a driver of chromosome 8 gain in Ewing sarcoma to mitigate replication stress
Authors: Su Xiaofeng A. , Ma Duanduan , Parsons James V. , Replogle John M. , Amatruda James F. , Whittaker Charles A. , Stegmaier Kimberly , Amon Angelika
Published: March 2021

Aneuploidy, defined as whole-chromosome gain or loss, causes cellular stress but, paradoxically, is a frequent occurrence in cancers. Here, we investigate why ∼50% of Ewing sarcomas, driven by the EWS-FLI1 fusion oncogene, harbor chromosome 8 gains. Expression of the EWS-FLI1 fusion in primary cells causes replication stress that can result in cellular senescence. Using an evolution approach, we show that trisomy 8 mitigates EWS-FLI1-induced replication stress through gain of a copy of RAD21. Low-level ectopic expression of RAD21 is sufficient to dampen replication stress and improve proliferation in EWS-FLI1-expressing cells. Conversely, deleting one copy in trisomy 8 cells largely neutralizes the fitness benefit of chromosome 8 gain and reduces tumorgenicity of a Ewing sarcoma cancer cell line in soft agar assays. We propose that RAD21 promotes tumorigenesis through single gene copy gain. Such genes may explain some recurrent aneuploidies in cancer.
What do post-disaster reconstruction project success indicators look like? End-user’s perspectives
Authors: Charles Shawn Hezron , Chang-Richards Alice , Yiu Tak Wing
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the emergence of new success measures for buildings and infrastructure post-disaster reconstruction projects, beyond the traditional ”iron triangle”, which have gained prominence with the increased involvement of clients and end-users in these projects. Consequently, the industry is obliged to reconsider the critical factors regarding what constitutes a successful outcome from the perspectives of these stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was gathered from end-users in four Caribbean islands using a questionnaire survey on eight empirical success indicators obtained from an extensive systematic literature review. To elicit a ranking and correlations amongst the end-user’ perspectives on the indicators, factor analysis and structural equation modelling techniques (SEM) were conducted.

Findings

The factor analysis found “safety” to be the most important empirical success measure, while “change” ranked the least important. Correlation analysis using SEM identified two new composite indicators, namely, “competence” with delivering timely and quality environmentally friendly and sustainable projects and “adaptability” in ensuring project objectives reflect beneficiaries’ expectations amidst internal and external influences, to be critical of end-users’ measurement indicators that describe their assessment mechanism. Measurement and structural models validated “safety” and “satisfaction” to be the highest loading variables in the two composites, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The research focussed on findings in English language articles; therefore, any claim to a complete list of indicators from the literature can be amiss.

Practical implications

Results confirm the traditional “iron triangle” of time, cost and quality to be limited in assessing reconstruction project outcomes and the views and expectations of the potential beneficiaries need to be factored in the planning, design, execution and post-handover stages in all reconstruction projects.

Originality/value

This paper was very specific in its attempt to investigate new success indicators for reconstruction project outcomes, aiming to assist with developing comprehensive project objectives that resonate with all stakeholder groups.
A concept design stages protocol to support collaborative processes in architecture, engineering and construction projects
Authors: Leon Marianthi , Laing Richard
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This paper proposes and tests, through a series of structured multi-disciplinary design activities, a “Concept Design Stages Protocol” (CDS Protocol) to structure project initiation, to attain smoother collaboration and greater consensus among multi-disciplinary project teams.

Design/methodology/approach

A collaborative approach from the outset is imperative for project success, especially when considering multi-disciplinary teams in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. However, involving different disciplines hinders communication paths and affects informed decision-making.

Findings

Based on these findings, the research demonstrates that the CDS Protocol provides a solid foundation to aid in the optimal implementation of collaborative design, and with particular regard to multi-disciplinary working.

Originality/value

The research demonstrates the potential for significant improvement in the optimisation of the conceptual design stages, with positive implications for time, communication and whole-team engagement.
Environmental implication of coal and oil energy utilization in Turkey: is the EKC hypothesis related to energy?
Authors: Alola Andrew Adewale , Donve Ulrich Tiamgne
Published: March 2021

Purpose

In spite of the drive toward environmental sustainability and the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs), coal, oil and natural gas energy utilization has remained the Turkey's largest energy mix. In view of this concern, this study examined the role of coal and oil energy utilization in environmental sustainability drive of Turkey from the framework of sustainable development vis-à-vis income expansion over an extended period of 1965–2017.

Design/methodology/approach

In this regard, the authors employ carbon emission as an environmental and dependent variable while the Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDPC), coal and oil energy consumption are the explanatory variables employed in the study.

Findings

The study found that both energy mixes (coal and oil) have a detrimental impact on the environment in both the short and long run, but oil consumption exerts a less severe impact as compared to coal energy. In addition, sustainable development via income growth is not feasible because the income–environmental degradation relationship follows a U-shaped pattern (invalidating the Environmental Kuznets curve, EKC hypothesis) especially when coal and oil remained the major source of lubrication to the economy. At least the EKC hypothesis is unattainable in Turkey as long as the country's major energy mix or primary energy (coal and oil) is in use, thus the application of other socioeconomic, macroeconomic policies might be essential.

Research limitations/implications

Considering the lingering energy challenge associated with Turkey, this novel insight further presented useful policy perspectives to the government and stakeholders in the country's energy sector.

Originality/value

This evidence (the U-shaped relationship) is further ascertained when the aggregate primary energy is employed. Thus, this study provides a novel insight that attaining a sustainable economic growth in Turkey remained a herculean task as long as a more aggressive energy transition approach is not encouraged.
I'll manage myself: the moderator effect of positive framing on the relationship between organisational politics and engagement
Authors: James Robinson
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the influence of organisational politics on work engagement and the moderator effect of positive framing on this relationship

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 241 public sector employees in Sri Lanka through a structured questionnaire and analysed with partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS_SEM).

Findings

The results indicated that organisational politics negatively influenced employees' work engagement, positive framing positively influenced engagement and weakened the negative relationship between politics and engagement.

Practical implications

This study suggests that organisation and individuals must take the necessary steps to enhance work engagement. Organisations must be transparent in all activities to avoid employees' negative perception. Also, organisations need to take steps to recruit employees with positive framing or develop this competency through training and development. Individuals also need to take necessary steps to frame the work environment positively to enhance their engagement in work.

Originality/value

This study extends the literature by being the first to examine the positive framing as a moderator in the relationship between politics and engagement. This study found that positive framing as a resource reduced the harmful effect of organisational politics on engagement and suggested positive framing can be considered as a resource in the future investigation of the job demand–resource model.
Satellite magnetic/momentum wheel attitude control technology based on PIO cascade-saturation algorithm
Authors: Hua Bing , Zhang Nan , Zheng Mohong
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Taking into account the factors of torque saturation and angular velocity limitation during the actual attitude maneuver of the satellite, as well as the difficulty of parameter selection in the design of attitude control algorithm, the purpose of this paper is to propose a satellite magnetic/momentum wheel attitude control technology based on pigeon-inspired optimization (PIO) cascade-saturation control law optimization.

Design/methodology/approach

The optimal parameters are calculated through the PIO algorithm and then the parameters are used in the cascade-saturation control law to control the actuator findings-mathematical simulation results show that the cascade-saturation control law optimization algorithm based on PIO can shorten the adjustment time and reduce the steady-state error.

Findings

Compared with traditional attitude maneuver control with given parameters, the PIO algorithm can accurately calculate the optimal parameters needed to achieve the control objective and this method has better stability and higher accuracy.

Originality/value

The innovative PIO algorithm is used to calculate the optimal parameters, and the cascade saturation control law is used to control the actuator. Compared with the traditional algorithm, the regulation time is shortened and the steady-state error is reduced.
Psoriasis: Comorbidities
Authors: Yamazaki Fumikazu
Published: March 2021

Psoriasis has long been known as a disease with many complications, but was attributed to diet and obesity. However, in recent years, psoriasis itself has been recognized as a series of systemic inflammatory diseases, and that the cytokines involved can induce a variety of other diseases. Individuals with psoriasis were also found to have higher incidences of cerebral and cardiovascular diseases and a younger age at death compared to healthy individuals. However, no clear guidelines have been defined regarding how much vascular lesion testing should be performed in patients with psoriasis. In this report, I attempt to unravel the objective data on psoriasis and its complications from various reviews and reports, and introduce the impact of biologics, which are currently the main treatment for psoriasis, on cardiac vascular disease.