bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Puberty timing and sex-specific trajectories of systolic blood pressure: a prospective cohort study
Authors: O’Neill Kate N , Bell Joshua A , Smith George Davey , Tilling Kate , Kearney Patricia M , O’Keeffe Linda M 
Published: January 2021

AbstractBackgroundSex differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP) emerge during adolescence but the role of puberty is not well understood. We examined sex-specific changes in SBP preceding and following puberty and examined the impact of puberty timing on SBP trajectories in females and males.MethodsTrajectories of SBP before and after puberty and by timing of puberty in females and males in a contemporary English birth cohort study were analysed. Repeated measures of height from age 5 to 20 years were used to identify puberty timing (age at peak height velocity). SBP was measured on ten occasions from 3 to 24 years (N participants=4,062, repeated SBP measures=29,172). Analyses were preformed using linear spline multilevel models based on time before and after puberty and were adjusted for parental factors and early childhood factors including BMI gain from age one up to 9 years.ResultsMean age at peak height velocity was 11.7 years (standard deviation (SD) =0.8) for females and 13.6 years (SD=0.9) for males. In adjusted models, females and males had similar SBP at age 3. Males had faster rates of increase in SBP before puberty leading to 10.19mmHg (95% CI: 6.80, 13.57) higher mean SBP at puberty which remained similar at 24 years [mean difference; 11.43mmHg (95% CI: 7.22, 15.63)]. Puberty timing was associated with small transient differences in SBP trajectories post-puberty in both sexes and small differences at 24 years in females only.ConclusionA large proportion of the higher SBP observed in males compared to females in early adulthood is accrued before puberty. Prevention of high SBP in adult males may therefore benefit from a life course approach starting from before puberty. Interventions targeting puberty timing are unlikely to greatly influence SBP in females and males in early adulthood.
The stabilizing effects of economic policies in Spain in times of COVID-19
Authors: Boscá J.E. , Doménech R. , Ferri J. , García J.R. , Ulloa C. 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
This paper aims to analyse the stabilizing macroeconomic effects of economic policies during the COVID-19 crisis in Spain.

Design/methodology/approach
The contribution of the structural shocks that explain the behaviour of the main macroeconomic aggregates during 2020 are estimated, and the effects of economic policies are simulated using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model estimated for the Spanish economy.

Findings
The results highlight the importance of supply and demand shocks in explaining the COVID-19 crisis. The annual fall in gross domestic product (GDP) moderates at least by 7.6 points in the most intense period of the crisis, thanks to these stabilizing policies. Finally, the potential effects of Next Generation EU in the Spanish economy are estimated. Assuming that Spain may receive from the EU between 1.5 and 2.25 percentage points (pp) of GDP, activity could increase to between 2 and 3 pp in 2024.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the exercises and findings are original. All these results show the usefulness of a DSGE model, such as the estimated rational expectation model for Spain, as a practical tool for the applied economic analysis, the macroeconomic assessment of economic policies and the understanding of the Spanish economy.
Self-efficacy in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables among Brazilian university students: the relationship with sociodemographic characteristics
Authors: de Borba Thaís Peiter , da Silva Manoella Vieira , Jomori Manuela Mika , Bernardo Greyce Luci , Fernandes Ana Carolina , Proença Rossana Pacheco da Costa , Rockenbach Gabriele , Uggioni Paula Lazzarin 
Published: January 2021

PurposeSelf-efficacy in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables is one of the dimensions that compose cooking skills. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the self-efficacy of Brazilian university students in cooking and consuming fruits and vegetables and examine the relationship of self-efficacy with sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through an online questionnaire, which was culturally adapted and validated for the studied population. Questions about self-efficacy for using basic cooking techniques (SECT), self-efficacy for using fruits, vegetables, and seasonings (SEFVS) and produce consumption self-efficacy (SEPC) were rated on a five-point Likert scale. Differences in median self-efficacy score between groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test or the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by the Mann–Whitney U test.Findings766 subjects participated in the study. The mean age was 21 ± 5.6 years, most respondents were female (60%), reported to know how to cook (72%), and lived with parents and/or grandparents (45%). The median SECT and SEFVS scores were 3.55, and the median SEPC score was 3.33. Female students, individuals aged more than 25 years, and students who did not live with their parents or grandparents had higher (p < 0.005) self-efficacy scores. Low SECT, SEFVS and SEPC scores were associated with having less than one hour a day to cook (p = 0.023, 0.01, and 0.002, respectively) and not knowing how to cook (p < 0.001). There was no relationship of median self-efficacy scores with source of knowledge about cooking skills or parental education.Originality/valueThe results of this study can guide interventions and public policies aimed at health promotion in the university setting.
Leadership without “the led”: a case study of the South Wales Valleys
Authors: Harding Nancy 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThis paper aims to disrupt assumptions about leadership by arguing those who are ostensibly “followers” may be utterly insouciant towards the existence of people categorised as “leaders”. It contributes to anti-leadership theories.Design/methodology/approachThis article uses an immersive, highly reflexive methodology to explore subjective meanings of leadership at community levels ostensibly governed by local government leaders. It uses a case study of the South Wales Valleys, one of the hubs of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century but now economically deprived.FindingsThrough drawing on their rich and complex history, the author shows how in these communities there is a culture of neo-communitarianism that is anti-leadership and suspicious of attempts to establish hierarchies of superior over inferior. The author explores the complex webs of meaning through which ancient experiences reverberate like dead metaphors, informing contemporary understandings without conscious awareness of such a heritage. This is a history in which “leaders” betrayed or oppressed and exploited the population, which in response turned against hierarchies and evolved practices of self-government that continue today, invisible and unrepresentable within the wider culture.Research limitations/implicationsThe study draws on contemporary feminist research methods that emphasise subjectivity, flux and change. These are often not understood by readers not accustomed to stepping out of a positivist onto-epistemological frame.Practical implicationsThe paper challenges the universalising tendencies of leadership theories that assume a shapeless mass; “followers” await the advent of a leader before they can become agentive.Social implicationsThe paper offers insights into a day-to-day world that is rarely explored.Originality/valueThe article demonstrates how emerging forms of qualitative research give insights into communities that undermine dominant, universalising theories of leadership, followership and government more generally.
Impact of consumer innovativeness on really new product adoption
Authors: Seyed Esfahani Mona , Reynolds Nina 
Published: January 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore consumer innovativeness as a personality trait and addresses the hedonic, social, cognitive and functional motivational elements that lie behind consumer innovativeness. It explores the weak relationship between consumer innovativeness and really new product (novel innovation) adoption and challenges the classic relationship between consumer learning, attitude and intention.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative approach, gathering survey data via an institutional online platform. A total of 300 participants were recruited. Participants were directed to a website presenting the information of the product with the inclusion of 2D and 3D images and an avatar. For data analysis, CFA and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used.FindingsResults indicate a positive impact of attitude on comprehension and intention. In addition, hedonic innovativeness positively impacts customer's attitude, whereas there is a negative relationship between social innovativeness and attitude. Motivational elements of innovation, with the exception of hedonic motivation, positively influence purchase intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the study lies in the measurement of purchase intention, as actual purchases cannot be assessed as the products are not yet available. The findings encourage marketers to target innovators first, ideally innovators motivated by hedonic needs.Practical implicationsThe findings encourage marketers to target innovators first, perhaps for a long-term, innovators motivated by hedonic needs, as they are the ones who change their attitude positively towards novel innovation when presented in an aesthetically pleasant manner.Originality/valueThis study challenges the classic theories identifying the link between comprehension, attitude and purchase intention within the field of innovation. The findings indicate that while interacting with really new products, comprehension does not necessarily lead to attitude and intention but attitude does positively influence both intention and comprehension.
Epidemiological study of terbinafine‐resistant dermatophytes isolated from Japanese patients
Authors: Hiruma Junichiro , Noguchi Hiromitsu , Hase Midori , Tokuhisa Yumie , Shimizu Tatsuya , Ogawa Takasuke , Hiruma Masataro , Harada Kazutoshi , Kano Rui 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTerbinafine (TRF) has been used in the treatment of fungal infections for more than 20 years. Recently, TRF‐resistant Trichophyton interdigitale and T. rubrum strains have been isolated from human patients worldwide. However, an epidemiological study of TRF‐resistant strains in Japanese patients has not been investigated. In the present study, antifungal susceptibility testing was performed on clinical isolates from Japanese patients to assess TRF‐resistance patterns of T. interdigitale and T. rubrum strains. We also sequenced the squalene epoxidase (SQLE) encoding gene of TRF‐resistant T. rubrum strains. Two hundred and ten T. interdigitale and T. rubrum clinical isolates were obtained from 210 human cases of tinea pedis, tinea corporis, tinea unguium, tinea cruris, tinea manuum, tinea faciei and tinea capitis in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Hyogo and Kumamoto, Japan, in 2020. Five T. rubrum isolates (N74, N79, N99, H30 and K2) grew on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) containing 1 mg/L of TRF. All five strains exhibited TRF minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ≥32 mg/L but remained susceptible to azoles. We determined SQLE sequences in these TRF‐resistant T. rubrum strains and found that all strains harbored missense mutations (L393F) in the SQLE‐encoding gene.
Evolutionary constraints on tree size and above‐ground biomass in tropical dry forests
Authors: de Aguiar‐Campos Natalia , Coelho de Souza Fernanda , Maia Vinícius Andrade , Rezende Vanessa Leite , de Souza Cleber Rodrigo , de Paula Gabriela Gomes Pires , Santos Paola Ferreira , de Oliveira Menino Gisele Cristina , da Silva Wilder Bento , dos Santos Rubens Manoel 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

The extent (or lack) of phylogenetic signal for key ecological traits reveals the role of evolutionary processes on present‐day ecosystem function and hints on future ecological trends under climate change scenarios. This approach has been applied to South American tropical moist forests, but not to the highly threatened seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF), despite the acknowledgement of their unique evolutionary history. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the legacy of evolutionary processes on vital ecological characteristics among SDTF trees: regional dominance, tree size and soil preference.

We used tree community data on 313 plots of SDTF (12.52 ha) and locally collected soil data in central‐eastern Brazil. For each assessed trait (three for regional dominance, three for tree size and nine for soil preference), we investigated the legacy of evolution using two different approaches: calculating the extent of phylogenetic signal and comparing the fit of four different models of evolution.

Above‐ground woody biomass and tree size showed strong phylogenetic signal. Most of the SDTF biomass stock was concentrated on a few large‐sized and closely related tree genera. Among the soil preference variables, only phosphorus displayed significant, albeit weak, phylogenetic signal.

Synthesis. Our study is the first to show that evolutionary constraints related to tree size significantly determine regional biomass stocks of seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) in a few closely related tree lineages. This suggests that even isolated SDTF fragments with low taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity can play an important role in the global carbon cycle, storing disproportionally large amounts of carbon in trees that belong to high‐biomass lineages. Whether these lineages also share climate change‐induced mortality risk deserves future investigation, as they are largely responsible for the maintenance of regional SDTF biomass stocks.
A novel transcription factor negatively regulates antioxidant response, cell wall integrity and virulence in the fungal insect pathogen, Beauveria bassiana
Authors: Zhao Xin , Luo Tingying , Huang Shuaishuai , Peng Ning , Yin Ying , Luo Zhibing , Zhang Yongjun 
Published: January 2021

SummaryGenomic data have identified a class of fungal specific transcription factors (FsTFs) that are thought to regulate unique aspects of fungal gene expression, although the functions of many of these proteins remain unknown. Here, a novel FsTF (BbStf1), which features a leucine zipper dimerization domain and a fungal transcription factor regulatory middle homology region, was characterized in Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous insect fungal pathogen. Transcriptional activation and nuclear localization were experimentally confirmed for BbStf1. Disruption of Bbstf1 resulted in increased tolerance to oxidative stress and cell wall perturbation, accompanied by increased peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and ratio of reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), and by thickened cell wall and altered composition. Gene expression profile analysis revealed that transcription patterns of antioxidant enzyme and cell wall integrity‐involved genes were altered in the ∆Bbstf1, including some BbStf1‐targeted genes clarified with evidence. The ∆Bbstf1 strain displayed greater virulence to Galleria mellonella in the bioassays through both topical infection and intrahaemocoel injection due to more rapid proliferation in the haemocoel as compared to the wild‐type strain. Altogether, BbStf1 acts as a negative regulator of antioxidant response, cell wall integrity and virulence in B. bassiana.
A novel antisense long non‐coding RNA participates in asexual and sexual reproduction by regulating the expression of GzmetE in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Wang Jie , Zeng Wenping , Xie Jiatao , Fu Yanping , Jiang Daohong , Lin Yang , Chen Weidong , Cheng Jiasen 
Published: January 2021

SummaryFusarium graminearum is an important worldwide pathogen that causes Fusarium head blight in wheat, barley, maize and other grains. LncRNAs play important roles in many biological processes, but little is known about their functions and mechanisms in filamentous fungi. Here, we report that a natural antisense RNA, GzmetE‐AS, is transcribed from the opposite strand of GzmetE. GzmetE encodes a homoserine O‐acetyltransferase, which is important for sexual development and plant infection. The expression of GzmetE‐AS was increased significantly during the conidiation stage, while GzmetE was upregulated in the late stage of sexual reproduction. Overexpression of GzmetE‐AS inhibited the transcription of GzmetE. In contrast, the expression of GzmetE was significantly increased in GzmetE‐AS transcription termination strain GzmetE‐AS‐T. Furthermore, GzmetE‐AS‐T produced more perithecia and facilitated the ascospore discharge, resembling the phenotype of GzmetE overexpressing strains. However, overexpression of GzmetE‐AS in ∆dcl1/2 strain cannot inhibit the expression of GzmetE, and the GzmetE nat‐siRNA is also significantly reduced in ∆dcl1/2 mutant. Taken together, we have identified a novel antisense lncRNA GzmetE‐AS, which is involved in asexual and sexual reproduction by regulating its antisense gene GzmetE through RNAi pathway. Our findings reveal that the lncRNA plays critical roles in the development of F. graminearum.
Assessment of Overseas Subsidiary Survival in Chinese Provinces: A Longitudinal Study of Indian Multinationals
Authors: Das Khanindra Ch. , Mahalik Mantu Kumar 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study provides a longitudinal survival assessment of Indian subsidiaries in Chinese provinces. We construct a panel dataset of Indian subsidiaries operating in Chinese provinces during 2004–2017 and examine survival using a panel probit model and Cox regression. The results support the real options perspective, the economic geography approach and the institution‐based view. Subsidiary exits were associated with smaller size, albeit higher in the manufacturing sector. There is a positive impact of sub‐national economic geography factors on subsidiary survival. The finding contributes to the South–South investment literature as it highlights the role of sub‐national factors in shaping subsidiary survival.
International Best Practice and the Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission
Authors: Schleiter Petra , Fleming Thomas G. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe UK government has pledged to establish a Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission. This body will have a wide remit to recommend potentially sweeping constitutional change. This article draws on international experience and best practice to outline how the commission might best organise the process to produce proposals which are widely supported, fit for purpose, and durable. We argue that to achieve these goals the commission’s organisation should reflect three key principles: impartiality, expertise, and public participation. This would reflect international best practice and build on recent domestic developments. We argue that these principles can best be achieved if the commission works through a citizens’ assembly that combines members of the public with party politicians. This would be a new departure for the UK, but a necessary one given the scale of the government’s constitutional reform agenda, and its stated goal of restoring public trust in politics.
Triplication of small bowel with perforated peptic ulcer: Report of a rarity with literature review
Authors: Joda Ali Egab , Hussein Nawzat 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTriplication of small bowel is an extremely rare variant of enteric duplication with only one previously reported case in a neonate. Most enteric duplications are presented in neonates as intestinal obstruction. Herein we present a case of 3‐year‐old girl with acute abdomen due to perforation of triplicated ileum aiming to highlight the characteristic presenting features, the diagnostic difficulties and challenges of surgical intervention for this condition.
Effects of stem removal on physicochemical properties and sensory quality of tencha beverages (Camellia sinensis; Chuanxiaoye)
Authors: Xiao Zhipeng , Tao Meng , Liu Zhengquan 
Published: January 2021

AbstractFresh tea leaves (Camellia sinensis; Chuanxiaoye) used to make tencha tea are a combination of the stem and leaf. Tencha made from the leaf alone is considered a high‐quality tencha beverage with a seaweed‐like aroma, mellow taste, and a green appearance. However, no study has investigated the differences between these two variants. In this study, the effects of stem removal on physicochemical properties and sensory quality of tencha beverage were investigated. The appearance feature, taste, and aroma were evaluated, and the results indicated that stem removal improved the quality of tencha beverages. The water extract, total free amino acids, total catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, caffeine, and chlorophyll were higher in leaf‐only tencha (LOT) than in leaf and stem tencha (LST), whereas the crude fiber and phenol ammonia ratios were lower in LOT than in LST. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis further discriminated between the tencha beverages with different stem contents. This study provided a theoretical basis for quality control by adopting a stem–leaf separation process in tencha manufacturing.Practical ApplicationThis research provides theoretical guidance for improving tencha quality during manufacturing.
Protective effect of Ganoderma lucidum spore extract in trimethylamine‐N‐oxide‐induced cardiac dysfunction in rats
Authors: Liu Yadi , Lai Guoxiao , Guo Yinrui , Tang Xiaocui , Shuai Ou , Xie Yizhen , Wu Qingping , Chen Diling , Yuan Xujiang 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPrevious research has shown that the extracts from the Ganoderma lucidum spore (GS) have potentially cardioprotective effects, but there is still abundant room for development in determining its mechanism. In this study, the rat model of cardiac dysfunction was established by intraperitoneal injection of trimethylamine‐N‐oxide (TMAO), and the extracts of GS (oil, lipophilic components, and polysaccharides) were given intragastrically at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day to screen the pharmacological active components of GS. After 50 days of treatments, we found that the extraction from GS reduced the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low‐density lipoprotein; increased the levels of high‐density lipoprotein; and reduced the levels of serum TMAO when compared to the model group (P < 0.05); especially the GS polysaccharides (DT) and GS lipophilic components (XF) exhibited decreases in serum TMAO compared to TMAO‐induced control. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that GS could change the gut microbiota, increasing the abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in the DT‐treated group and XF‐treated group, while reducing the abundance of Actinobacteria and Tenericutes. Quantitative proteomics analysis showed that GS extracts (DT and XF) could regulate the expression of some related proteins, such as Ucp1 (XF‐TMAO/M‐TMAO ratio is 2.76), Mpz (8.52), Fasn (2.39), Nefl (1.85), Mtnd5 (0.83), Mtnd2 (0.36), S100a8 (0.69), S100a9 (0.70), and Bdh1 (0.72). The results showed that XF can maintain the metabolic balance and function of the heart by regulating the expression of some proteins related to cardiovascular disease, and DT can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by targeting gut microbiota.