bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphatidylethanol Reliably and Objectively Quantifies Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Röhricht Milan , Paschke Kerstin , Sack Peter‐Michael , Weinmann Wolfgang , Thomasius Rainer , Wurst Friedrich Martin
Published: September 2020

Background

Alcohol contributes to numerous annual deaths and various societal problems not just in adult, but also in adolescent, populations. Therefore, it is vital to find methods for reliably detecting alcohol use for early preventative measures. Research has shown phosphatidylethanol (PEth) to be superior to self‐report instruments and indirect biomarkers for alcohol consumption in adult populations. However, the transferability onto an adolescent population has not yet been investigated.

Methods

N = 106 adolescents and young adults aged between 13 and 21 years were included. PEth analysis using high‐pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was performed on dried blood spot samples. Self‐report questionnaires for alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption, AUDIT‐C, and Timeline Followback, TLFB) and drug and alcohol consumption (Detection of Alcohol and Drug Problems in Adolescents, DEP‐ADO) were completed by each participant.

Results

AUDIT‐C scores showed large correlations with PEth 16:0/18:1 (rs = 0.732) and PEth 16:0/18:2 (rs = 0.661) concentrations. AUDIT‐C with a cutoff value ≥3 was largely correlated with PEth 16:0/18:1 (η = 0.411) and showed a medium‐sized correlation with PEth 16:0/18:2 (η = 0.397) concentrations. Using an AUDIT‐C cutoff value ≥5 showed large correlations with both PEth 16:0/18:1 (η = 0.510) and PEth 16:0/18:2 (η = 0.497) concentrations, respectively. ROC curves indicated higher PEth concentrations are a good model for detecting positive AUDIT‐C cutoff values (AUROC range: 0.800 to 0.849). PEth concentrations showed medium to large correlations with DEP‐ADO and TLFB subscales (range rs = 0.469 to 0.746).

Conclusion

The results suggest that PEth is a reliable and objective marker for quantifying alcohol consumption in adolescents and young adults. This could be of importance for early preventative measures against hazardous alcohol consumption, which is increasingly common at younger ages.
Proteomic Profiling Reveals Roles of Stress Response, Ca2+ Transient Dysregulation, and Novel Signaling Pathways in Alcohol‐Induced Cardiotoxicity
Authors: Liu Rui , Sun Fangxu , Forghani Parvin , Armand Lawrence C. , Rampoldi Antonio , Li Dong , Wu Ronghu , Xu Chunhui
Published: September 2020

Background

Alcohol use in pregnancy increases the risk of abnormal cardiac development, and excessive alcohol consumption in adults can induce cardiomyopathy, contractile dysfunction, and arrhythmias. Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol‐induced cardiac toxicity could provide guidance in the development of therapeutic strategies.

Methods

We have performed proteomic and bioinformatic analysis to examine protein alterations globally and quantitatively in cardiomyocytes derived from human‐induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC‐CMs) treated with ethanol (EtOH). Proteins in both cell lysates and extracellular culture media were systematically quantitated.

Results

Treatment with EtOH caused severe detrimental effects on hiPSC‐CMs as indicated by significant cell death and deranged Ca2+ handling. Treatment of hiPSC‐CMs with EtOH significantly affected proteins responsible for stress response (e.g., GPX1 and HSPs), ion channel‐related proteins (e.g. ATP1A2), myofibril structure proteins (e.g., MYL2/3), and those involved in focal adhesion and extracellular matrix (e.g., ILK and PXN). Proteins involved in the TNF receptor‐associated factor 2 signaling (e.g., CPNE1 and TNIK) were also affected by EtOH treatment.

Conclusions

The observed changes in protein expression highlight the involvement of oxidative stress and dysregulation of Ca2+ handling and contraction while also implicating potential novel targets in alcohol‐induced cardiotoxicity. These findings facilitate further exploration of potential mechanisms, discovery of novel biomarkers, and development of targeted therapeutics against EtOH‐induced cardiotoxicity.
Pairs trading and idiosyncratic cash flow risk
Authors: Do Binh , Faff Robert
Published: September 2020

We uncover idiosyncratic cash flow risk as a dominant driver for pairs trading performance. The convergence probability and pairs payoff are negatively associated with pairwise idiosyncratic cash flow volatility. Further, pairs portfolio returns load negatively on market‐wide idiosyncratic cash flow volatility. This latter time‐series evidence helps explain a substantial part of the decline in pairs trading profitability in the US equity market since the 1990s. Our results are consistent with idiosyncratic risk representing a major holding cost for arbitrageurs when substitutes are close but imperfect.
Practice makes perfect? The effect of CEO and director experience on acquisition performance
Authors: Jeganathan Davina , Ghannam Samir , Bugeja Martin
Published: September 2020

This study replicates and extends the results of Field and Mkrtchyan, who find that independent directors’ prior acquisition experience improves succeeding acquisition performance. First, using both the original and an extended sample period, we confirm their findings. Second, we extend their study by considering the effect of prior acquisition experience gained by the CEO as an executive or independent director. Similar to the effect documented for independent directors, we find that CEOs’ acquisition experience is positively associated with subsequent acquisition performance. Consistent with CEO learning, we document a greater effect on subsequent takeover performance when acquisition experience is negative.
The primacy of ethics in the provision of financial advice
Authors: Bruhn Aaron , Asher Anthony
Published: September 2020

Most people need professional advice to navigate complex financial markets. However, information asymmetry between adviser and client makes the assessment of advice difficult, and is exacerbated when providers are motivated by self‐interest. This undermines the effectiveness of the financial system. New regulations aim to mitigate such issues, prohibiting some conflicts of interest and imposing educational requirements and a code of ethics for financial advisers practising in Australia. An Australian case study highlights the main ethical issues and suggests that the lens of virtue ethics can assist the development of more appropriate financial advice, and inform further regulatory developments.
Influence of access cavity design on fracture strength of endodontically treated lower molars
Authors: Maske Aline , Weschenfelder Vanessa Mallmann , Soares Grecca Vilella Fabiana , Burnett Junior Luiz Henrique , de Melo Tiago André Fontoura
Published: September 2020

To assess whether access cavity design influences the fracture strength of endodontically treated and restored molars. Fifty human lower molars with standard crown dimensions were selected and assigned to the following groups: S – positive control (healthy tooth), ET – negative control (conventional endodontic access (CEA) and no restoration), NI – negative control (minimally invasive endodontic access (MEA) and no restoration), ETR (CEA + restoration with Bulkfill flow) and NIR (MEA + restoration with Bulkfill flow). The specimens were subjected to a compression test. The teeth were inspected for the site of fracture: either pulp floor or cusp. ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test (α = 5%), was used for statistical analysis. The type of access cavity preparation did not increase the fracture strength of endodontically treated teeth. Even with the restoration, all teeth with endodontic access performed had a higher incidence of fractures at the pulp chamber floor level.
Demographic consequences of habitat loss and crowding in large carnivores: A natural experiment
Authors: Kotze Robynne , Marshal Jason P. , Winterbach Christiaan W. , Winterbach Hanlie E.K. , Keith Mark
Published: September 2020

Habitat loss is one of largest threats to the persistence of large carnivore populations. However, because most large carnivores are long‐lived, cryptic and wide‐ranging, few studies examine the demographic consequences of habitat loss, and the resultant crowding that ensues, on these species. We used long‐term data to examine the demographic responses of an African lion (Panthera leo) population to flooding‐induced habitat loss in a seasonal wetland, the Okavango Delta, during a transition from low to high annual flooding patterns. We found that intraspecific competition reduced cub survival and that this effect was exacerbated by habitat loss and consequent crowding. The proportion of cubs recorded in the population also declined as crowding increased, and both the survival of cubs and proportion of cubs recorded declined as prey abundance decreased. Apparent sub‐adult survival declined with increasing pride size, but this likely reflects emigration rather than mortality. Adult survival remained relatively constant throughout the study period, a population response which is important in buffering populations against short‐term fluctuations in ecological conditions. As many large carnivore populations face future habitat loss, it is important that we understand the demographic consequences of habitat loss in order to better mitigate its effects in the future.
Recurrent post‐coital bleeding: Should colposcopy still be mandatory?
Authors: Tan Jeffrey H.J. , Jayasinghe Yasmin L. , Osinski Margot J. , Brotherton Julia M.L. , Wrede C. David H.
Published: September 2020

Background

Colposcopy has been recommended for all women with recurrent post‐coital bleeding (PCB) even if their cervical cytology or co‐test (involving oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing and cytology) are negative.

Aims

To determine the risk of cervical cancer and its precursors among women with recurrent PCB with negative cytology or co‐test.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective analysis of two cohorts of women with PCB referred to a tertiary colposcopy clinic. Cohort (1) (n = 1846) between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2016 (cytology‐based screening) and Cohort (2) (n = 215) from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019 after introduction of primary HPV screening.

Results

In 1217 (65.9%) women in Cohort (1) referred with negative cytology, there was one cancer (0.08%) and 22 high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3)) on histopathology. In Cohort (2), there was no cancer or HSIL in 83 women with negative co‐tests (negative for oncogenic HPV and cytology). False‐negative cytology after a negative referral cytology or co‐test was low with 2% of repeat cytology at initial colposcopy showing possible HSIL or worse.

Conclusions

Women presenting with PCB and negative cytology alone have a low risk of cancer and could have HPV testing before being triaged to colposcopy. We showed that with the assurance of a negative co‐test and the low likelihood of false‐negative cytology, these women could avoid colposcopy unless cervical cancer is clinically suspected. There is a need for a larger cohort study to substantiate our findings with more precision.
Conventional landmark palpation vs. preprocedural ultrasound for neuraxial analgesia and anaesthesia in obstetrics – a systematic review and meta‐analysis with trial sequential analyses
Authors: Young B. , Onwochei D. , Desai N.
Published: September 2020

The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to examine the efficacy, time taken and the safety of neuraxial blockade performed for obstetric patients with the assistance of preprocedural ultrasound, in comparison with the landmark palpation method. The bibliographic databases Central, CINAHL, EMBASE, Global Health, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from inception to 13 February 2020 for randomised controlled trials that included pregnant women having neuraxial procedures with preprocedural ultrasound as the intervention and conventional landmark palpation as the comparator. For continuous and dichotomous outcomes, respectively, we calculated the mean difference using the inverse‐variance method and the risk ratio with the Mantel–Haenszel method. In all, 22 trials with 2462 patients were included. Confirmed by trial sequential analysis, preprocedural ultrasound increased the first‐pass success rate by a risk ratio (95%CI) of 1.46 (1.16–1.82), p = 0.001 in 13 trials with 1253 patients. No evidence of a difference was found in the total time taken between preprocedural ultrasound and landmark palpation, with a mean difference (95%CI) of 50.1 (−13.7 to 113.94) s, p = 0.12 in eight trials with 709 patients. The quality of evidence was graded as low and very low, respectively, for these co‐primary outcomes. Sub‐group analysis underlined the increased benefit of preprocedural ultrasound for those in whom the neuraxial procedure was predicted to be difficult. Complications, including postpartum back pain and headache, were decreased with preprocedural ultrasound. The adoption of preprocedural ultrasound for neuraxial procedures in obstetrics is recommended and, in the opinion of the authors, should be considered as a standard of care, in view of its potential to increase efficacy and reduce complications without significant prolongation of the total time required.
Is the left bundle branch pacing a choice to conquer the right bundle branch block?—A case report
Authors: Chu Song‐Yun , Sheng Qin‐Hui , Chen Er‐Dong , Jin Han , Jiang Jie , Wang Yu‐Ling , He Peng‐Kang , Zhou Jing , Ding Yan‐Sheng
Published: September 2020

In patients with preserved ejection fraction or right bundle branch block (RBBB) pattern requiring a high percentage of ventricular pacing, His‐bundle pacing (HBP) might be an alternative to biventricular pacing, although the high threshold occasionally occurs. We provided a case of the intrinsic RBBB correction by capturing intra‐Hisian left bundle branch (LBB) or distal His‐bundle with different output settings. LBB pacing had the advantage of a much lower threshold while remained most synchrony as HBP. LBB pacing might be a promisingly safe and effective procedure for patients with high‐grade atrioventricular (AV) block and RBBB pattern.
Crazy Rich Chinese? A Mixed‐Methods Examination of Perceived Stereotypes and Associated Psychosocial Adaptation Challenges among Chinese International Students in the United States
Authors: Xie Mingjun , Qin Desiree B. , Liu Shizhu , Duan Yemo , Sato Mikiko , Tseng Chi‐Fang
Published: September 2020

Background

Prior research observes associations between race‐based stressors (e.g. stereotypes) and the compromised psychological and sociocultural adaptation of international students.

Methods

Using an explanatory sequential mixed‐methods design (196 survey responses and 51 in‐depth interviews), this study examined stereotypes perceived by Chinese students arriving on US college campuses after 2010, their interpretations of the new stereotypes, and the associated psychosocial adaptation challenges they had to navigate.

Results

Our findings suggested multiple dimensions of the stereotypes this recent wave of Chinese students perceived from their American peers, including stereotypes pertinent to their financial background (frequency effect sizes = 37.6% and 51% for quantitative and qualitative results, respectively), academic abilities (20.1% and 13.7%), personality characteristics (16.5% and 19.6%), and social attitudes and behaviors (12.9% and 9.8%). Further, this study observed that the new, prevalent stereotypes (e.g. being wealthy) might foster intergroup tension and pit Chinese students against their American peers and that some Chinese students experienced psychological issues (e.g. lower levels of collective self‐esteem and feelings of shame) due to the stereotypes of wealth‐flaunting Chinese students.

Conclusions

This study contributes uniquely to the literature by unpacking the new stereotypes using a mixed‐methods design and points to important practical implications for university services.
Disturbance in the oropharyngeal microbiota in relation to antibiotic and proton pump inhibitor medication and length of hospital stay
Authors: Tranberg Anna , Samuelsson Carolina , Klarin Bengt
Published: September 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the appearance of a disturbed oropharyngeal microbiota during hospitalization and explore the patient characteristics that maybe associated with such a disturbance. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from 134 patients at hospital admission and every 3–4 days thereafter. The samples were cultivated to determine the presence of a disturbed microbiota, which, in turn, was subcategorized into respiratory tract pathogens, gut microbiota and yeast species. Demographics, medical history data and hospitalization events were compared. The percentage of disturbed oropharyngeal microbiota increased significantly with length of stay (LOS). Receiving antibiotic treatment during the hospitalization tended to be associated with a disturbed microbiota (OR 2.75 [0.99–7.60]). Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medication and receiving antibiotics before hospitalization were associated with the development of a disturbed oropharyngeal microbiota with colonization of gut pathogens (OR 3.49 [1.19–10.2] and OR 4.52 [1.13–18.1], respectively), while acute hospital admission was associated with a lower risk of colonization of gut pathogens (OR: 0.23 [0.074–0.72]). The risk of developing a disturbed oropharyngeal microbiota increased with LOS in hospitalized patients. PPI medication and receiving antibiotics before hospitalization were independent risk factors for developing oropharyngeal colonization of gut pathogens.
Laparoscopic identification of combined pediatric femoral hernia and ruptured abdominal cyst of the canal of Nuck: A report of an extremely rare case
Authors: Fukahori Suguru , Sakamoto Saki , Hashizume Naoki , Masui Daisuke , Higasidate Naruki , Tsuruhisa Shiori , Nakahara Hirotomo , Koga Yoshinori , Saikusa Nobuyuki , Ishii Shinji , Tanaka Yoshiaki , Yagi Minoru
Published: September 2020

A 7‐year‐old girl was referred to our hospital with a suspected right‐sided indirect inguinal hernia. An egg‐sized elastic, non‐painful mass was palpated in the right inguinal region. Preoperative CT demonstrated a 30‐mm simple cystic mass in the right internal inguinal canal, which we diagnosed as an abdominal cyst of the canal of Nuck. Laparoscopy revealed that the abdominal cystic component was ruptured, so we performed Pott's procedure. However, the patient's right groin swelled on postoperative day 3, necessitating re‐operation. The patient's symptoms recurred again after 3 months, despite having had two surgical repairs. In the third operation, a right‐sided femoral hernia was confirmed and repaired via external and laparoscopic approaches. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports on the combination of femoral hernia and cyst of the canal of Nuck in children. A laparoscopic approach was useful for obtaining a definitive diagnosis and conducting a safe and secure surgical repair.
How Norway’s sovereign wealth fund negative screening affects firms’ value and behaviour
Authors: Al Ayoubi Khalil , Enjolras Geoffroy
Published: September 2020

This paper examines the impact of negative screening by responsible sovereign wealth funds on the value of excluded firms. We focus on the main sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund Global of Norway, which excluded 149 firms from its portfolio during the period 2006–2018. Using an event study methodology, we document a significant decrease in excluded firms’ stock prices. Moreover, we find that the nature of screening matters: norm‐based exclusions suffer from a significant and permanent decrease in their stock value, suggesting that market participants reacted to the Government Pension Fund Global of Norway exclusions. Overall, it can be asserted that the Norwegian fund has a strong signalling effect on financial markets, in terms of social and environmental information. We conclude that sovereign wealth funds could be used by governments as investment vehicles in order to promote responsible investments on a large scale.
Approval policies for modifications to machine learning‐based software as a medical device: A study of bio‐creep
Authors: Feng Jean , Emerson Scott , Simon Noah
Published: September 2020

Successful deployment of machine learning algorithms in healthcare requires careful assessments of their performance and safety. To date, the FDA approves locked algorithms prior to marketing and requires future updates to undergo separate premarket reviews. However, this negates a key feature of machine learning—the ability to learn from a growing dataset and improve over time. This paper frames the design of an approval policy, which we refer to as an automatic algorithmic change protocol (aACP), as an online hypothesis testing problem. As this process has obvious analogy with noninferiority testing of new drugs, we investigate how repeated testing and adoption of modifications might lead to gradual deterioration in prediction accuracy, also known as “biocreep” in the drug development literature. We consider simple policies that one might consider but do not necessarily offer any error‐rate guarantees, as well as policies that do provide error‐rate control. For the latter, we define two online error‐rates appropriate for this context: bad approval count (BAC) and bad approval and benchmark ratios (BABR). We control these rates in the simple setting of a constant population and data source using policies aACP‐BAC and aACP‐BABR, which combine alpha‐investing, group‐sequential, and gate‐keeping methods. In simulation studies, bio‐creep regularly occurred when using policies with no error‐rate guarantees, whereas aACP‐BAC and aACP‐BABR controlled the rate of bio‐creep without substantially impacting our ability to approve beneficial modifications.
Parallel worlds and personified pain: A mixed‐methods analysis of pain metaphor use by women with endometriosis
Authors: Bullo Stella , Hearn Jasmine Heath
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Endometriosis is a long‐term condition in which endometrial‐like tissue grows outside of the womb, causing intense chronic pain. Previous work has demonstrated the physical and emotional impact on women who live with endometriosis, and metaphors can play an influential role in communicating the experience of pain, but there exists little understanding of the role and impact of such language for women with endometriosis.

Design

A qualitative, semi‐structured interview design.

Methods

Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) were utilized in a mixed‐methods study to examine the prevalence, types, and meaning of metaphors and metaphor use as a health communication strategy. Twenty‐one women aged between 23 and 53 years (mean age 36.1 years) with endometriosis took part in audio‐recorded interviews.

Results

The women reported experiencing symptoms for an average of 11 years before receiving a formal diagnosis of endometriosis, and the mean age of diagnosis was 27.6 years. Seven distinct conceptual metaphors were identified in 221 metaphorical expressions used across all participants, with most common ones referring to pain as physical properties of elements such as temperature and pressure, physical damage, and an external attacker. IPA revealed three themes pertaining to the feeling of vulnerability and helplessness, pain being incomprehensible, and a drive to manage and conceal pain simultaneously.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the power of language in facilitating understanding and empathy in the listener, alongside the challenge of communicating endometriosis pain to others. Imagery‐based techniques may assist in adaptation to, interpretation, and acceptance of pain to reduce pain‐related distress.
An interaction model for the role of self‐evaluations and antagonistic pursuits in subjective well‐being
Authors: Richardson Kyle , Hart William , Tortoriello Gregory K. , Breeden Christopher J.
Published: September 2020

Popular theorizing about happiness pursuit emphasizes universal paths to happiness, but other theorizing acknowledges different people achieve happiness in different ways (i.e., subjective well‐being, SWB). The present work extended this latter perspective by examining how antagonistic pursuit of a grandiose identity (‘narcissistic antagonism’) – generally thought to reduce narcissistic people’s SWB – may relate toincreasedcognitive well‐being (i.e., a component of SWB) for narcissistic people with lower self‐esteem. In Study 1, participants (N = 417) reported their narcissism, self‐esteem, narcissistic antagonism, and general life satisfaction (to index cognitive well‐being). In Study 2 (pre‐registered), participants (N = 450) reported their narcissism, self‐esteem, narcissistic antagonism, general and domain‐specific life satisfaction, and general affect (to index affective well‐being, which is a different component of SWB). Both studies revealed narcissistic antagonism related to increased life satisfactiononlyfor more (vs. less) narcissistic people with lower (vs. higher) self‐esteem. Study 2 not only replicated this interactive pattern on satisfaction across various life domains but also revealed the interaction may be related to increased negative affect. Broadly, results highlight how different people may enhance features of SWB in different, even ‘dark’, ways.
The Evolution of Authoritarianism and Restrictionism in Brazilian Immigration Policy: Jair Bolsonaro in Historical Perspective
Authors: Filomeno Felipe A. , Vicino Thomas J.
Published: September 2020

Research on immigration politics has been focused on countries of the Global North. Latin America is often discussed only as a migrant‐sending region. This study offers a comparative‐historical analysis of Brazilian immigration policy from national independence to the present day. Based on archival research and synthesis of multiple documentation sources, the study finds an affinity between authoritarian politics and immigration restrictionism in the country, which is consistent with theories that link liberal democracy to pro‐immigrant policies. Brazilian authoritarian leaders have framed immigrants as threats to the security, order, and culture of the nation to justify tighter controls on immigration. The study concludes that immigration restrictionism can develop in the Global South with discourses strikingly similar to those circulated in the Global North. The findings also suggest that Brazil is still far from the ideal of a multiracial liberal democracy.
Pliocene–Pleistocene glacimarine shelf to slope processes in the south‐western Barents Sea
Authors: Harishidayat Dicky , Johansen Ståle Emil , Batchelor Christine , Omosanya Kamaldeen Olakunle , Ottaviani Ludovico
Published: September 2020

The glacimarine shelf‐edge is a complex depositional environment in which the interplay between accommodation and glaciation has played an important role in influencing sediment deposition and margin architecture. It can be challenging to unravel the history of basin infill in these areas, particularly where landforms are deeply buried. This study presents an integrated workflow for deciphering the architecture and evolution of erosional and depositional elements in a crucial location of the south‐western Barents Sea margin, with a focus on the comparatively poorly understood processes and patterns of glacimarine sedimentation that occurred during the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. Wellbore interpretations of lithology are combined with the analysis of seismic facies, geomorphology and attributes using merged 3D seismic reflection data to investigate the morphology and development of buried landforms and depositional features on the outer‐shelf, shelf edge and upper‐slope. The Pliocene (preglacial) slope system is dominated by upper‐slope channels, upper‐slope channels with associated sediment lobes, and mass‐transport deposits. The first appearance of mega‐scale glacial lineations in the study area is close to the onset of the Pleistocene (around 2.58 Ma), suggesting that an ice stream reached the palaeo‐shelf edge during the earliest Pleistocene. The prevalence of upper‐slope channels and mass‐transport deposits throughout the Pleistocene stratigraphy shows that the basinwards transfer of sediment took place mainly by evacuation of sediment through relatively linear channels combined with mass‐movement events. The results presented in this study have implications for understanding the glacial history of the south‐western Barents Sea and sedimentary processes on glacimarine shelf edges more generally.
Drugs, host proteins and viral proteins: how their promiscuities shape antiviral design
Authors: Gupta Munishwar Nath , Roy Ipsita
Published: September 2020

The reciprocal nature of drug specificity and target specificity implies that the same is true for their respective promiscuities. Protein promiscuity has two broadly different types of footprint in drug design. The first is relaxed specificity of binding sites for substrates, inhibitors, effectors or cofactors. The second involves protein–protein interactions of regulatory processes such as signal transduction and transcription, and here protein intrinsic disorder plays an important role. Both viruses and host cells exploit intrinsic disorder for their survival, as do the design and discovery programs for antivirals. Drug action, strictly speaking, always relies upon promiscuous activity, with drug promiscuity enlarging its scope. Drug repurposing searches for additional promiscuity on the part of both the drug and the target in the host. Understanding the subtle nuances of these promiscuities is critical in the design of novel and more effective antivirals.
Linking land displacement and environmental dispossession to Mi'kmaw health and well‐being: Culturally relevant place‐based interpretive frameworks matter
Authors: Lewis Diana , Castleden Heather , Apostle Richard , Francis Sheila , Francis‐Strickland Kim
Published: September 2020

For over five decades, Pictou Landing First Nation, a small Mi'kmaw community on the northern shore of Nova Scotia, has been told that the health of its community is not impacted by a pulp and paper mill pouring 85 million litres of effluent per day into a lagoon that was once a culturally significant place known as “A'se'k,” and which borders the community. Based on lived experience, the community knows otherwise. Despite countless government‐ and industry‐sponsored studies indicating the mill's pollutants are merely “nuisance” impacts and harmless, the community's concerns have not gone away. Using a “Piktukowaq” (Mi'kmaw) environmental health research framework to guide the interpretation of oral histories coming from the Knowledge Holders in Pictou Landing First Nation, we convey the deep, health‐enhancing relationship with A'se'k that the Piktukowaq enjoyed before it was destroyed, and the health suppression that has occurred since then. Conducting the research using a culturally relevant place‐based interpretive framework has demonstrated the absolute necessity of this kind of approach where Indigenous communities are concerned, particularly those facing health impacts vis‐à‐vis land displacement and environmental dispossession.
Antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities of novel synthesized 6‐(quinolin‐2‐ylthio) pyridine derivatives with molecular docking study as multi‐targeted JAK2/STAT3 inhibitors
Authors: Nafie Mohamed S. , Mahgoub Sebaey , Amer Atef M.
Published: September 2020

Quinoline derivatives are attracting considerable interest due to their biological importance. In this paper, several 2‐amino‐4‐aryl‐6‐(quinolin‐2‐ylthio)pyridine‐3,5‐dicarbonitrile derivatives are synthesized by adopting a one‐pot reaction of quinoline‐2‐thione, aromatic aldehydes, and malononitrile in the presence of sodium hydroxide in absolute ethanol. The structures of these newly synthesized compounds were determined using different spectroscopic techniques, including elemental analyses, IR, 1H NMR, and MS. The synthesized derivatives were screened for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Compounds 4a, 4b, 4d, and 4e exhibited promising antimicrobial activity compared to antibacterial and antifungal standard drugs. Additionally, 4f, 4d, and 4g showed potent cytotoxic activity against both MCF‐7 and A549 cells with IC50 values (6.39–9.3 μM). Our molecular docking results of compound 4f prove good binding affinity toward the three tested proteins as Jak2/STATA3 inhibition and are in accordance with the RT‐PCR mRNA expressions of the compound against MCF‐7 cells which downregulated the Jak2 and STAT3 genes, and this may be the proposed mode of action for anti‐breast cancer activity.
Outcomes of the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology: Real‐life experience
Authors: Avior Galit , Dagan Or , Shochat Isaac , Frenkel Yulia , Tessler Idit , Meir Alona , Jaffe Anat , Cohen Oded
Published: September 2020

Objective

The 2017 revised Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC) included new malignancy rates for each category as well as new management recommendations. Here, we evaluate the malignancy rate and test performance for BSRTC categories in a middle‐sized institution outside the United States (US).

Design

Retrospective single centre case series with chart review.

Patients

All patients who underwent thyroid surgery with a preoperative BSRTC between the years 2010 and 2018 at our institution.

Measurements

In order to assess the malignancy rate for each BSRTC, all medical records were reviewed to collect demographics, nodule's size, BSRTC and final pathology.

Results

Three hundred and sixty‐four patients were included, with an overall malignancy rate of 34.3%. The malignancy rate for BSRTC categories I‐VI was as follows: 13.3%, 5.1%, 25.0%, 24.4%, 91.3% and 95.2%, respectively. The most sensitive test was when BSRTC III‐VI were evaluated (91%). Overall best performance (sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy) was obtained when BSRTC V‐VI were grouped together with a substantial decrease when adding BSRTC III‐IV (90%, 97%, 94%, 95%, 95% vs, respectively, 91%, 73%, 62%, 95%, 79%, respectively).

Conclusions

Despite differences from the reported 2017 BSRTC malignancy rates, we demonstrated that the revised 2017 BSRTC management recommendations for thyroid nodules are also valid in smaller non‐US centre, supporting its use globally.
Policing the Block: Pandemics, Systemic Racism, and the Blood of America
Authors: Sewell Alyasah Ali
Published: September 2020

The Coronavirus Pandemic has altered the ways we use shared space fundamentally. Policymakers across the nation have enabled police to deploy the power of the state to limit unnecessary and dense usage of public spaces and private gatherings. Such social distancing policies are critical in flattening the pandemic curve of an effective and efficient airborne virus and lessening the public health burden of an already–strained health care system. Yet, the stickiness of systemic racism persists. Racial inequities underpin the facesgoverning the matrices of the pandemic, policing, and protests.
COVID‐19 related anxiety in children and adolescents with severe obesity: A mixed‐methods study
Authors: Abawi Ozair , Welling Mila S. , van den Eynde Emma , van Rossum Elisabeth F. C. , Halberstadt Jutka , van den Akker Erica L. T. , van der Voorn Bibian
Published: September 2020

Recent studies report negative mental health effects of the COVID‐19 related lockdown measures in general paediatric cohorts. Since obesity is a risk factor for COVID‐19 in adults, children (including adolescents) with obesity might perceive themselves to be vulnerable. Using a combined quantitative and qualitative approach, we explored COVID‐19 related anxiety in paediatric patients with severe obesity in the Netherlands using semi‐structured telephone interviews and the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) questionnaire, which had also been completed by the study population at baseline in the year prior to the COVID‐19 outbreak. In total, 75 families participated in the semi‐structured telephone interviews during the lockdown, April 2020. Characteristics of included patients were: median age 10.5 years (interquartile range = 7.6‐15.2); 52% female; mean BMI standard deviation score 3.8 (SD = 1.0). COVID‐19 related anxiety was reported for 24/75 (32%) children. The mean decrease in PedsQL score between baseline visit and COVID‐19 outbreak did not differ between children for whom anxiety was reported vs those for whom it was not (mean change −10.3 ± 36.5 vs −3.3 ± 24.4, P = .54). Self‐imposed strict quarantine measures were taken by 19/75 (25%) families. During follow‐up, several families reported that the previous contact alleviated their anxiety. In conclusion, healthcare professionals should address possible COVID‐19 related anxiety in children with severe obesity. Addressing COVID‐19 related anxiety could mitigate its potential negative effects.
Analysis on risk factors of lung cancer complicated with pulmonary embolism
Authors: Cui Yong‐qi , Tan Xiao‐ming , Liu Bin , Zheng Yu , Zhang Li‐yan , Chen Zeng‐ai , Wu Xue‐ling
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially fatal complication and its morbidity together with fatalness will further increase when in patients with malignant tumors. Fast and accurate early diagnosis of PE thus seems considerably important.

Objective

To explore the risk factors of lung cancer complicated with PE.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective cohort study consisted of 40 lung cancer patients with PE (PE group) and 60 lung cancer patients without PE (non‐PE group) were analyzed.

Results

The white blood cell (WBC) count, D‐dimer and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) were higher in PE group than those in non‐PE group (P < 0.05), whereas the arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in PE group was lower than that in non‐PE group (P < 0.05). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level between two groups also exhibited statistical difference (P < 0.05). Those lung adenocarcinoma patients with stages III and IV tumor, coupled with deep venous thrombosis (DVT), having experienced bevacizumab treatment or platinum‐based chemotherapy more likely suffered from PE (P < 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed that high D‐dimer, chemotherapy, DVT, stages III to IV, adenocarcinoma were independent risk factors associated with PE (P < 0.05). The overall survival time of patients in case group was significantly shorter than that in the control group with a median survival duration being 10.5 months (95%CI, 8.95‐12.05) and 16.8 months (95%CI, 14.62‐18.98), respectively, (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

High D‐dimer, chemotherapy, DVT, stages III to IV and adenocarcinoma might have a positive correlation with PE, meanwhile, PE always predicted a poor prognosis in lung cancer patients.
Widespread short‐term persistence of frog species after the 2019–2020 bushfires in eastern Australia revealed by citizen science
Authors: Rowley Jodi J. L. , Callaghan Corey T. , Cornwell William K.
Published: September 2020

Fires change ecosystem composition and influence species extinction risk, yet information on the impact of fire on biodiversity is scant. The bushfires in southeastern Australia during the summer of 2019/20 were unprecedented in their extent and intensity, and postfire management decisions have been hindered by a lack of knowledge of the impact of fires on biodiversity. We examine the short‐term persistence of frog species across southeastern Australia after these fires using records of calling frogs from the national citizen science project FrogID. We demonstrate widespread short‐term persistence of frog species. Sixty‐six frog species were detected in the firegrounds before the fire, and within 125 days postfire, 45 of these were detected. All 33 frog species with more than five records that were detected in the months of December–March prefire were detected postfire. While the short‐term postfire persistence of so many frog species is a positive result, the population‐level and longer‐term consequences of the fires remain unknown, as does the ability of frogs to persist with the changing fire regimes predicted as a consequence of global climate change. We illustrate the value of citizen science in collecting large‐scale and rapid observations in response to increasing anthropogenically‐driven ecological events.
A trial of Criminal Infringement Notices as an alternative to criminal penalties for illicit drug offences in New South Wales, Australia: Estimated savings
Authors: Sutherland Rachel , Weatherburn Don , Degenhardt Louisa
Published: September 2020

Introduction and Aims

In 2019, legislation was introduced allowing New South Wales police to issue Criminal Infringement Notices (CIN) instead of criminal charges for prohibited drug possession offences, excluding cannabis leaf. This initiative was trialled across NSW music festivals from 25 January to 1 August 2019. This paper aims to examine the number of CINs administered and to estimate the associated (actual and potential) savings.

Design and Methods

Data were obtained from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Recorded Crime Statistics, Reoffending Database). To estimate the monetary savings associated with administering CINs for drug possession offences, as opposed to processing them through the criminal justice system, data were obtained from the 2020 Report on Government Services.

Results

From January to June 2019, 300 CINs were issued for illicit drug possession (mostly for ecstasy possession; n = 256), resulting in an estimated saving to the criminal justice system of 194 400 AUD (or 314 400, if generated revenue included). We estimate that issuing CINs for all illicit drug possession offences would have provided savings of over 5 million AUD in that same six‐month period, or approximately 1.7 million AUD if CINs were only issued to people with no prior convictions.

Discussion and Conclusion

Issuing CINs for illicit drug possession has the potential to yield substantial monetary savings. However, to avoid unintended consequences (e.g. disproportionate impact on disadvantaged populations), we would argue that police also be given the discretion to issue cautions for illicit drug possession offences.
Give James Ferguson a Fish
Authors: Nilsen Alf Gunvald
Published: September 2020

When James Ferguson's Give a Man a Fish was published in 2015, it seemed to many that the anthropologist was continuing his trailblazing work in critical development research and pioneering a new imaginary for a progressive left politics of welfare. This article argues that such enthusiasm is misplaced and that we need to devote ourselves to a more rigorous and ambitious project if we are to forge a social theory for the future that holds any kind of genuinely emancipatory potential. First, the article shows how Ferguson's diagnosis of global development is analytically flawed in that it is articulated at a strictly empirical and descriptive level. As a result, Ferguson fails to probe into the underlying power relations that have generated the developmental scenario that is the context of his reflections. It then moves on to show how this absence of any sustained conceptual and analytical engagement with questions of power in the political economy of capitalism leads Ferguson to a deeply flawed argument about welfare. The article concludes with a brief reflection on what an alternative and genuinely socialist form of welfare might look like in the context of a conjuncture of sustained neoliberal crisis.
Power struggle and pork barrel politics in authoritarian countries: Evidence from China
Authors: Gao Nan , Liang Pinghan , Colin Xu Lixin
Published: September 2020

This paper examines how power struggle among cliques within ruling parties shape public policies. We develop a simple model of bargaining among ruling elites to study government staffing and use it to explain why the number of subnational government staff in China has increased rapidly despite repeated government streamlining programs initiated by the central authority. Using provincial‐level panel data in China from 1992 to 2011, we show that the subnational government headed by a politically weaker party secretary, in terms of the size of the opposition of elites in the provincial standing committee, tends to have a larger number of senior cadres and public employees. Notably, the party secretary's power from the centre mitigates the tendency to expand government staff. We also provide suggestive evidence that the local government finances government expansion by selling more land.
A Bayesian network approach to trophic metacommunities shows that habitat loss accelerates top species extinctions
Authors: Häussler Johanna , Barabás György , Eklöf Anna
Published: September 2020

We develop a novel approach to analyse trophic metacommunities, which allows us to explore how progressive habitat loss affects food webs. Our method combines classic metapopulation models on fragmented landscapes with a Bayesian network representation of trophic interactions for calculating local extinction rates. This means that we can repurpose known results from classic metapopulation theory for trophic metacommunities, such as ranking the habitat patches of the landscape with respect to their importance to the persistence of the metacommunity as a whole. We use this to study the effects of habitat loss, both on model communities and the plant‐mammal Serengeti food web dataset as a case study. Combining straightforward parameterisability with computational efficiency, our method permits the analysis of species‐rich food webs over large landscapes, with hundreds or even thousands of species and habitat patches, while still retaining much of the flexibility of explicit dynamical models.
Flowering synchrony drives reproductive success in a wind‐pollinated tree
Authors: Bogdziewicz Michał , Pesendorfer Mario , Crone Elizabeth E. , Pérez‐Izquierdo Carlos , Bonal Raul
Published: September 2020

Synchronised and quasi‐periodic production of seeds by plant populations, known as masting, is implicated in many ecological processes, but how it arises remains poorly understood. Flowering and pollination dynamics are hypothesised to provide the mechanistic link for the observed relationship between weather and population‐level seed production. We report the first experimental test of the phenological synchrony hypotheses as a driver of pollen limitation in mast seeding oaks (Quercus ilex). Higher flowering synchrony yielded greater pollination efficiency, which resulted in 2‐fold greater seed set in highly synchronised oaks compared to asynchronous individuals. Pollen addition removed the negative effect of asynchronous flowering on seed set. Because phenological synchrony operates through environmental variation, this result suggests that oak masting is synchronised by exogenous rather than endogenous factors. It also points to a mechanism by which changes in flowering phenology can affect plant reproduction of mast‐seeding plants, with subsequent implications for community dynamics.