bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social isolation of goats: significance of visual contact with conspecifics on behavioral and physiological responses
Authors: Kannan Govind , Estrada-Reyes Zaira M , Batchu Phaneendra , Kouakou Brou , Terrill Thomas H , Naldurtiker Aditya
Published: May 2021

Social isolation can increase distress in goats, particularly when they cannot maintain visual contact with conspecifics. This experiment was conducted to determine the behavioral and physiological responses in goats during isolation with or without visual contact with conspecifics. Male Spanish goats (uncastrated, 8 mo old, average weight 29.4 ± 0.59 kg) were randomly assigned to a control (CO) group with no isolation or to one of four isolation treatment (TRT) pens (1.5 × 1.5 m) with: 1) open grill panels but with no visual contact with conspecifics (IO), 2) covered grill to prevent visual contact (IC), 3) open grill with visual contact (IV), or 4) covered grill with a 30 × 30 cm window to allow visual contact (IW), for 90 min of social isolation (n = 12 goats per TRT). Blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, and 90 min (Time) from isolated and control goats. The experiment was repeated 1 wk later using the same animals, with each goat being subjected to the same isolation TRT the second time to study the effect of prior exposure to isolation. Friedman’s two-way analysis of variance by Ranks test in SAS showed that the median frequency of vocalization (rank score) in goats was high in the IO group, low in the IV and IW groups, and intermediate in the IC group (P < 0.01). The vocalization rank score was also higher (P < 0.01) during the first 30 min of isolation in goats. The median frequency of visual contact was higher in the IW group than in the IV group (P < 0.01). The frequency of climbing behavior was high in the IC and IO groups, low in the IV group, and intermediate in the IW group (P < 0.01). Repeated measures analysis using general linear models procedures in SAS revealed that plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations tended (P < 0.1) to be the highest in the IO group than in CO, IC, IV, and IW groups. Cortisol levels were also higher (Time; P < 0.05) at 0 and 90 min compared with 30 and 60 min. Norepinephrine concentrations decreased (P < 0.05) with Time, and plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels were affected by TRT × Time interaction (P < 0.01). Overall, epinephrine, norepinephrine, glucose, and NEFA concentrations were lower (P < 0.01) and cortisol concentrations and lymphocyte counts were higher (P < 0.01) when goats were exposed to isolation the second time. The results showed that goats with no visual contact with conspecifics during social isolation had greater physiological stress responses and spent more time vocalizing or trying to escape the pen, which may indicate distress.
Follow-up After Burn Injury Is Disturbingly Low and Linked With Social Factors
Authors: Karashchuk Irina P , Solomon Eve A , Greenhalgh David G , Sen Soman , Palmieri Tina L , Romanowski Kathleen S
Published: May 2021

For medical and social reasons, it is important that burn patients attend follow-up appointments (FUAs). Our goal was to examine the factors leading to missed FUAs in burn patients. A retrospective chart review was conducted of adult patients admitted to the burn center from 2016 to 2018. Data collected included burn characteristics, social history, and zip code. Data analysis was conducted using chi-square, Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests, and multivariate regression models. A total of 878 patients were analyzed, with 224 (25.5%) failing to attend any FUAs and 492 (56.0%) missing at least one appointment (MA). Patients who did not attend any FUAs had smaller burns (4.5 [8]% vs 6.5 [11]% median [inter quartile range]), traveled farther (70.2 [111.8] vs 52.5 [76.7] miles), and were more likely to be homeless (22.8% vs 6.9%) and have drug dependence (47.3% vs 27.2%). Patients who had at least one MA were younger (42 [26] vs 46 [28] years) and more likely to be homeless (17.5% vs 2.6%) and have drug dependence (42.5% vs 19.4%). On multivariate analysis, factors associated with never attending an FUA were distance from hospital (odds ratio [OR] 1.004), burn size (OR 0.96), and homelessness (OR 0.33). Factors associated with missing at least one FUA: age (OR 0.99), drug dependence (OR 0.46), homelessness (OR 0.22), and Emergency Department visits (OR 0.56). A high percentage of patients fail to make any appointment following their injury and/or have at least one MA. Both FUAs and MAs are influenced by social determinants of health.
Path dependency, regional variety and the dynamics of new firm creation in rooted and pioneering industries
Authors: Corradini Carlo , Vanino Enrico
Published: May 2021

This paper explores regional firm entry connecting insights on the role of localised path dependency with the analysis of variety in regional sectoral structures. Using data on 700 SIC5 industries across 174 NUTS3 regions in the UK between 2000 and 2014, we provide evidence of positive complementarities between industrial path dependence and regional-related variety for firm entry in rooted pre-existing industries. These are negative for entry of pioneering firms in industries new to the region, pointing to lock-in effects and the role of unrelated variety in fostering linkages and knowledge spillovers away from established trajectories.
Foundational photographs
Authors: Repper Rebecca
Published: May 2021

Overlooked among the collections of the Western Australian Museum and Art Gallery, opened in Perth in 1895, is a large cross-disciplinary photograph collection. Tracing the accumulation and use of this collection through the archival record reveals its integral role in the developing institution’s interaction with global social, intellectual and administrative centres. These interactions demonstrate the value of the photograph in the propagation of modernist ideas of progress within an institution geographically isolated from contemporary Western centres of knowledge and empire, and in the promotion and recognition of the burgeoning potential and identity of a developing state. The evidence of use within the institution demonstrates the integral, but often overlooked, role of photographs within early collecting institutions, and places them squarely as foundational to Western Australia’s collections.
China’s evolving biosafety/biosecurity legislations
Authors: Cao Cong
Published: May 2021

This paper represents a systematic effort to describe and assess China’s evolving biosafety/biosecurity legislative and regulatory regime. It catalogs and analyzes laws, regulations, and measures, including the newly passed Biosafety/Biosecurity Law. Various reasons are underlying China’s recently accelerating legislative process for such a law, from international attention increasingly turning biosafety/biosecurity governance into a more regular fixture; the emergence of infectious diseases and even pandemics linked with zoonosis; advances in the global frontier of the life sciences and biotechnology and their integration with other technologies, which, while holding great promise for advancements in global health, raises biosafety/biosecurity concerns; to the strengthening of biosafety/biosecurity governance in many countries. Chinese leadership’s ‘holistic view of national security’ encompasses broad areas of concerns of national security with biosafety/biosecurity being an integral part. However, having progressed alongside its development of the life sciences and biotechnology, China’s current biosafety/biosecurity legislative and regulatory regime is far from rising to the challenges and even the newly enacted Biosafety/Biosecurity law still has room for improvement. The paper’s findings have significant policy implications for further enhancing China’s biosafety/biosecurity legislation and governance and making them better serve domestic interests while converging with international norms.
The impact of common clients on employee mobility and organizational growth
Authors: Kim Yeongsu (Anthony)
Published: May 2021

This article examines how client overlap (i.e., common clients) between a sourcing (leaving) and a destination (hiring) firm influences employee mobility and how it subsequently restricts growth in a firm. The central argument of this article is that, since client overlap encourages individual mobility decisions, and hiring firms solicit employees from client-overlapping competitors, there will be more employee mobility between firms that have more clients in common. Furthermore, I suggest that losing employees to a client-overlapping competitor can potentially restrict the sourcing firm’s growth, but such a negative effect can be mitigated through the firm’s leverage ratio. By examining the employee mobility of US-based law firms, this study finds that client overlap facilitates employee mobility. Furthermore, this study also finds that a loss of human capital to a client-overlapping competitor restricts the growth of the sourcing firm. However, such a negative association can be mitigated by the internal allocation of human capital (i.e. leverage ratio).
“I am not a religious crackpot”:School Prayer, the Becker Amendment, and Grassroots Mobilization in 1960s America
Authors: Verhoeven Timothy
Published: May 2021

This article investigates grassroots mobilization around the 1964 Becker Amendment, which aimed to guarantee the constitutionality of religious exercises in American public schools. The proposed amendment was at the heart of a bitter public debate that followed two landmark Supreme Court rulings banning mandated prayer and Bible-reading. Yet in line with church/state scholarship more broadly, scholars of the Becker Amendment have privileged the voices of the elite, from church leaders to journalists and politicians. This article focuses instead on an extraordinary archive of some 13,000 letters for and against the amendment that were written by ordinary Americans. These letters, which have been overlooked by historians, offer a revealing window into popular opinion concerning religion in schools and the relationship between faith and government. Focusing on the letters shifts our understanding of the school prayer controversy in several ways. It brings to light the central role of women as activists. It shows the kinds of issues that resonated at the community level. The letters also demonstrate the complex role of emotion in driving and shaping the public debate. Finally, close scrutiny of the letters offers a grassroots view of the shifting alliances within the American religious landscape that would help power the rise of the Religious Right.
Prospective prediction of clinical drug response in high-grade gliomas using an ex vivo 3D cell culture assay
Authors: Shuford Stephen , Lipinski Lindsay , Abad Ajay , Smith Ashley M , Rayner Melissa , O’Donnell Lauren , Stuart Jeremy , Mechtler Laszlo L , Fabiano Andrew J , Edenfield Jeff , Kanos Charles , Gardner Stephen , Hodge Philip , Lynn Michael , Butowski Nicholas A , Han Seunggu J , Redjal Navid , Crosswell Howland E , Vibat Cecile Rose T , Holmes Lillia , Gevaert Matthew , Fenstermaker Robert A , DesRochers Teresa M
Published: May 2021

Background

Clinical outcomes in high-grade glioma (HGG) have remained relatively unchanged over the last 3 decades with only modest increases in overall survival. Despite the validation of biomarkers to classify treatment response, most newly diagnosed (ND) patients receive the same treatment regimen. This study aimed to determine whether a prospective functional assay that provides a direct, live tumor cell-based drug response prediction specific for each patient could accurately predict clinical drug response prior to treatment.

Methods

A modified 3D cell culture assay was validated to establish baseline parameters including drug concentrations, timing, and reproducibility. Live tumor tissue from HGG patients were tested in the assay to establish response parameters. Clinical correlation was determined between prospective ex vivo response and clinical response in ND HGG patients enrolled in 3D-PREDICT (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03561207). Clinical case studies were examined for relapsed HGG patients enrolled on 3D-PREDICT, prospectively assayed for ex vivo drug response, and monitored for follow-up.

Results

Absent biomarker stratification, the test accurately predicted clinical response/nonresponse to temozolomide in 17/20 (85%, P = .007) ND patients within 7 days of their surgery, prior to treatment initiation. Test-predicted responders had a median overall survival post-surgery of 11.6 months compared to 5.9 months for test-predicted nonresponders (P = .0376). Case studies provided examples of the clinical utility of the assay predictions and their impact upon treatment decisions resulting in positive clinical outcomes.

Conclusion

This study both validates the developed assay analytically and clinically and provides case studies of its implementation in clinical practice.
Red-light excited efficient metal-free near-infrared room-temperature phosphorescent films
Authors: Sun Siyu , Ma Liangwei , Wang Jie , Ma Xiang , Tian He
Published: May 2021

A set of red-light-excited, metal-free room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) systems was constructed with brominated phenolsulfonephthaleine derivatives. The best metal-free RTP system has the reddest near-infrared (NIR) RTP emission (λp = 819 nm) with the highest phosphorescence quantum yield (ΦRTP = 3.0%) so far identified. The RTP emission can be switched ON-OFF by adding acid and alkali alternately. A logic operation with half-subtractor function and dual-channel response (visible light emission/NIR RTP emission) was also constructed based on these properties.
In-Hospital 30-Day Survival Among Young Adults With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Cohort Study
Authors: Richardson Safiya , Gitlin Jordan , Kozel Zachary , Levy Sera , Rahman Husneara , Hirsch Jamie S , McGinn Thomas , Diefenbach Michael A
Published: May 2021

Background

Our objective was to characterize young adult patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and identify predictors of survival at 30 days.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study took place at 12 acute care hospitals in the New York City area. Patients aged 18–39 hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 between March 1 and April 27, 2020 were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data were extracted from electronic health record reports.

Results

A total of 1013 patients were included in the study (median age, 33 years; interquartile range [IQR], 28–36; 52% female). At the study end point, 940 (92.8%) patients were discharged alive, 18 (1.8%) remained hospitalized, 5 (0.5%) were transferred to another acute care facility, and 50 (4.9%) died. The most common comorbidities in hospitalized young adult patients were obesity (51.2%), diabetes mellitus (14.8%), and hypertension (13%). Multivariable analysis revealed that obesity (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28–5.73; P = .002) and Charlson comorbidity index score (aHR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07–1.35; P = .002) were independent predictors of in-hospital 30-day mortality.

Conclusions

Obesity was identified as the strongest negative predictor of 30-day in-hospital survival in young adults with COVID-19.
Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization of a Pediatric Patient With Progressive Chronic Subdural Hematoma
Authors: Shigematsu Tomoyoshi , Dier Evelyn , Yaeger Kurt A , Morgenstern Peter F , Glass Lauren D , Kellner Christopher P , Berenstein Alejandro
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Evidence suggests middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization benefits adult patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) at high risk for recurrence or hemorrhagic complications. Yet, there has not been any report discussing MMA embolization in the pediatric population. Thus, we present a case of an infant with CSDH successfully managed with MMA embolization without surgical management.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

A 5-mo-old girl with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy underwent surgical implantation of a left ventricular assist device for a bridge to heart transplantation. This was complicated by left ventricular thrombus causing stroke. She was placed on dual antiplatelet antithrombotic therapy on top of bivalirudin infusion. She sustained a left middle cerebral artery infarction, but did not have neurological deficits. Subsequent computed tomography scans of the head showed a progressively enlarging asymptomatic CSDH, and the heart transplant was repeatedly postponed. The decision was made to proceed with MMA embolization at the age of 7 mo. Bilateral modified MMA embolization, using warmed, low-concentration n-butyl-cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) from distal microcatheter positioning, allowed the embolic material to close the distal MMA and subdural membranous vasculature. The patient underwent successful heart transplant and the CSDH improved significantly. She remained neurologically asymptomatic and had normal neurological development after the MMA embolization.

CONCLUSION

MMA embolization may represent a safe and effective minimally invasive option for pediatric CSDH, especially for patients at high risk for surgery or hematoma recurrence.
Phylogenomic analyses reveal non-monophyly of the antbird generaHerpsilochmusandSakesphorus(Thamnophilidae), with description of a new genus forHerpsilochmus sellowi
Authors: Bravo Gustavo A , Whitney Bret M , Belmonte-Lopes Ricardo , Bornschein Marcos R , Aristizábal Natalia , Beco Renata , Battilana Jaqueline , Naka Luciano N , Aleixo Alexandre , Pie Marcio R , Silveira Luís F , Derryberry Elizabeth P , Brumfield Robb T
Published: May 2021

The family Thamnophilidae is a species-rich Neotropical radiation of passerine birds. Current classification of its 235 species is mostly based on morphological similarities, but recent studies integrating comprehensive phenotypic and phylogenetic data have redefined taxonomic limits of several taxa. Here, we assess generic relationships of Herpsilochmus, Sakesphorus, Thamnophilus, Biatas, and Dysithamnus using DNA sequences from the mitochondrion, nuclear exons, and ultraconserved elements, with further attention to interspecific relationships within Herpsilochmus. We show that Herpsilochmus and Sakesphorus are not monophyletic. We resolve Herpsilochmus sellowi as a deep-branch sister to the monotypic genus Biatas and Sakesphorus cristatus as sister to a clade comprising Herpsilochmus sensu stricto and Dysithamnus. These results are consistent across loci, obtained via concatenation and coalescent-based analyses, and supported by likelihood-ratio tests of the distribution of our sampled coalescent histories. The phenotypic distinctiveness of both H. sellowi and Biatas argues against merging them into a single genus. Because no generic name is available for H. sellowi, we describe a monotypic genus. The polyphyly of Sakesphorus warrants recognition of the available generic name Sakesphoroides for the distinctive and monotypic S. cristatus. Furthermore, we recover 6 well-supported species groups within Herpsilochmus sensu stricto. Within the context of the family as a whole, the ubiquity of long terminal branches representing monotypic genera points to extinction events among ancestors of these lineages. We suggest that retention of ancestral characters or random genetic drift coupled with extensive extinction could explain the high degree of morphological and ecological similarity across these taxa, but we highlight the potential role of the environment in driving adaptive phenotypic convergence. Finally, our results send a cautionary message against the blind use of phylogenies containing imputed data based on taxonomy due to the increasingly frequent mismatches between traditional taxonomic classification and molecular phylogenies.
A habitat-based approach to determining the effects of drought on aridland bird communities
Authors: Roberts Samuel G , Thoma David P , Perkins Dustin W , Tymkiw Elizabeth L , Ladin Zachary S , Shriver W Gregory
Published: May 2021

Aridland breeding bird communities of the United States are among the most vulnerable to drought, with many species showing significant population declines associated with decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature. Individual breeding bird species have varied responses to drought which suggests complex responses to changes in water availability. Here, we evaluated the influence of water deficit, an integrative metric of drought stress, on breeding bird communities within 3 distinct aridland habitat types: riparian, pinyon-juniper, and sagebrush shrubland. We used 12 years of breeding bird survey data from 11 national parks and monuments in the Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring Network (NCPN). We used a multivariate community-level approach to test for the effect of annual water deficit on the bird communities in the 3 habitats. We found that bird communities responded to water deficit in all 3 habitat types, and 70% of the 30 species–habitat combinations show significant relationships between density and variation in water deficit. Our analyses revealed that the direction and magnitude of species responses to water deficit were habitat-dependent. The habitat-specific responses we observed suggest that the adaptive capacity of some species depends on the habitat in which they occur, a pattern only elucidated with our habitat-based approach. The direction and magnitude of the relationships between predicted densities and annual water deficit can be used to predict the relative sensitivity of species within habitat climate changes. These results provide the first attempt to determine how the indirect effect of changes in water availability might affect aridland breeding birds in distinct habitat types. Linking breeding bird density to annual water deficit may be valuable for predicting changes in species persistence and distribution in response to climate change.
A desert songbird with no confamilials in the Western Hemisphere (Verdin,Auriparus flaviceps) investigates divergent conspecific songs
Authors: Greig Emma I , Kinnebrew Eva , Witynski Max L , Larsen Eric C
Published: May 2021

Most birds that show geographic variation in their songs discriminate between local and foreign songs, which may help them avoid unnecessary conflicts with vagrant individuals or similar-sounding congeners. However, some species respond equally to foreign and local songs, which may be useful if foreign individuals present territorial threats or if there are no sympatric congeners to avoid. Species without sympatric congeners are not commonly tested in playback studies, but they offer an opportunity to see how song variation and recognition unfolds when the pressure to avoid similar congeners is absent. Here, we use Verdins (Auriparus flaviceps), a monotypic genus of songbird with no confamilials in North America, to explore song variation and recognition in a species living without close relatives. We assessed geographic variation in song across the Verdin range and conducted a playback experiment using exemplars from 2 acoustically divergent and geographically distant regions as treatments. We found significant geographic variation in song that mapped well onto ecologically distinct desert regions. We found that Verdins had stronger vocal responses to local-sounding songs, but had equal movement responses to local-sounding and foreign songs. These results are similar to results found in other species without sympatric congeners and provide an example of a species that investigates acoustically divergent conspecific songs, despite recognizing salient differences in those songs.
Topological modular forms and the absence of a heterotic global anomaly
Authors: Tachikawa Yuji
Published: May 2021

Spacetime theories obtained from perturbative string theory constructions are automatically free of perturbative anomalies, but it is not settled whether they are always free of global anomalies. Here we discuss a possible $\mathbb{Z}_{24}$-valued pure gravitational anomaly of heterotic compactifications down to two spacetime dimensions, and point out that it can be shown to vanish using the theory of topological modular forms, assuming the validity of the Stolz–Teichner conjecture.
Best Laid Plans: How the Middle Class Make Residential Decisions Post-Disaster
Authors: Rhodes Anna , Besbris Max
Published: May 2021

Middle-class households typically search for housing with an eye to long-term residence and are able to maintain a high level of stability, but what happens when these households are forced to make mobility decisions after exposure to a disaster and subsequent residential displacement? Through longitudinal interviews with 59 households in a middle-class suburb of Houston that flooded during Hurricane Harvey, we found that residential mobility decisions—whether to stay and rebuild or move—were guided by households’ durable plans about the future. The majority of households decided to remain and rebuild their homes, despite the ability to move and pressure from friends and family to relocate to less vulnerable places with similar amenities. The households that stayed had long-term plans to remain in their homes before the flood, while the small number who decided to move generally had well-defined plans to do so in the near future before the storm hit. Our findings reveal the role of plans in the residential decision-making of middle-class households and have implications for understanding post-disaster immobility at a time when middle-class households are increasingly exposed to environmental disasters.
Effects of prescribed fire timing on grazing performance of yearling beef cattle, forage biomass accumulation, and plant community characteristics on native tallgrass prairie in the Kansas Flint Hills
Authors: Duncan Zachary M , Tajchman Alan J , Ramirez Micke P , Lemmon Jack , Hollenbeck William R , Blasi Dale A , Fick Walter H , Olson K C
Published: May 2021

Recent research demonstrated that mid- or late-summer prescribed fires can be employed to manage sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) infestations in the Kansas Flint Hills. The effects of prescribed fire applied during the growing season (i.e., August to October) on grazing performance of yearling cattle have not been evaluated. Native pastures (n = 18; 22 ± 4.0 ha) were grouped by watershed and assigned randomly to one of three prescribed-fire treatments: spring (7 April ± 2.1 d), summer (21 August ± 5.7 d), or autumn (2 October ± 9.9 d). Yearling beef cattle were grazed from May to August at a targeted stocking density of 280 kg live-weight/ha following prescribed-fire application. Forage biomass accumulations, soil cover, plant species composition, and root carbohydrate concentrations in four native plant species were evaluated. Total body weight (BW) gains and average daily gain were greater (P = 0.01) for cattle that grazed the spring and summer prescribed-fire treatments compared with those that grazed the autumn prescribed-fire treatment. As a result, final BW were greater (P = 0.04) in the spring and summer treatments than the autumn treatment. Conversely, forage biomass accumulations did not differ (P = 0.91) between fire regimes. Proportions of bare soil were greater (P < 0.01) in the spring treatment compared with the summer and autumn treatments, whereas proportions of litter on the soil surface were greater (P < 0.01) in summer- and autumn-burned pastures compared with spring-burned pastures. Total basal cover of graminoids and forbs did not differ (P ≤ 0.15) between prescribed fire treatments. Likewise, total basal cover of C3 or C4 perennial grasses did not differ (P ≥ 0.23) between prescribed-fire treatments. No treatment differences (P = 0.24) in root starch or root water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations in big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), or purple prairieclover (Dalea purpurea) were detected. These data were interpreted to suggest that summer or autumn prescribed fire can be applied without reducing forage biomass accumulations, root carbohydrate concentrations in key native plant species, or considerably altering native plant populations compared with conventional spring-season prescribed fire; however, summer prescribed fire could be favored over spring or autumn prescribed fire both to maintain stocker cattle growth performance and to achieve control over sericea lespedeza.
Use of Generalizability Theory for Exploring Reliability of and Sources of Variance in Assessment of Technical Skills: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Andersen Steven Arild Wuyts , Nayahangan Leizl Joy , Park Yoon Soo , Konge Lars
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Competency-based education relies on the validity and reliability of assessment scores. Generalizability (G) theory is well suited to explore the reliability of assessment tools in medical education but has only been applied to a limited extent. This study aimed to systematically review the literature using G-theory to explore the reliability of structured assessment of medical and surgical technical skills and to assess the relative contributions of different factors to variance.

Method

In June 2020, 11 databases, including PubMed, were searched from inception through May 31, 2020. Eligible studies included the use of G-theory to explore reliability in the context of assessment of medical and surgical technical skills. Descriptive information on study, assessment context, assessment protocol, participants being assessed, and G-analyses was extracted. Data were used to map G-theory and explore variance components analyses. A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the extracted data on the sources of variance and reliability.

Results

Forty-four studies were included; of these, 39 had sufficient data for meta-analysis. The total pool included 35,284 unique assessments of 31,496 unique performances of 4,154 participants. Person variance had a pooled effect of 44.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 36.8%–51.5%). Only assessment tool type (Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills-type vs task-based checklist-type) had a significant effect on person variance. The pooled reliability (G-coefficient) was 0.65 (95% CI, .59–.70). Most studies included decision studies (39, 88.6%) and generally seemed to have higher ratios of performances to assessors to achieve a sufficiently reliable assessment.

Conclusions

G-theory is increasingly being used to examine reliability of technical skills assessment in medical education, but more rigor in reporting is warranted. Contextual factors can potentially affect variance components and thereby reliability estimates and should be considered, especially in high-stakes assessment. Reliability analysis should be a best practice when developing assessment of technical skills.
Discrepancies Between Preceptor and Resident Performance Assessment: Using an Electronic Formative Assessment Tool to Improve Residents’ Self-Assessment Skills
Authors: Schultz Karen , McGregor Tara , Pincock Rob , Nichols Kathleen , Jain Seema , Pariag Joel
Published: May 2021

Problem

Accurate self-assessment is a critical skill for residents to develop to become safe, adaptive clinicians upon graduation. Physicians need to be able to identify and fill in knowledge and skill gaps to deal with the rapid expansion of medical knowledge and unpredicted novel emerging medical issues. Residency training to date has not consistently focused on building these overarching skills, nor have the burgeoning assessment data that competency-based medical education (CBME) affords been used beyond their initial intent to inform summative assessment decisions. Both are important missed opportunities.

Approach

The Queen’s University Family Medicine Program adopted CBME in 2010. In 2011, it added the capacity for residents to electronically self-assess their daily performance, with preceptors reviewing and modifying as needed before submitting. In 2018, it designed software to report discordance between residents’ self-assessment and preceptors’ assessment of performance.

Outcomes

From 2011–2019, 56,585 field notes were submitted, 11,429 by residents, with 28% of those (3,200/11,429) showing discordance between residents’ and preceptors’ performance assessments. When discordant, residents assessed their performance as less competent (undercalled) than their preceptor did 73% of the time (2,336/3,200 field notes). For the 864 field notes (27% of 3,200 discordant notes) where residents rated their performance higher than their preceptor did (overcalled, for 162/1,120 [14%] residents), 6 residents overcalled performance to a dangerous extent (2 or 3 levels of supervision higher than what their supervisors assessed them at) and 26 repeatedly (greater than 5 times) overcalled their level of performance by 1 supervisory level.

Next Steps

Inaccurate self-assessment (both overcalling and undercalling performance) has negative consequences. Awareness is a first step in addressing this. Discrepancy reports will be used during regular academic reviews with residents to discuss the nature, degree, and frequency of discrepancies, with the intent of fostering improved self-assessment of performance.
Efficacy and safety of secukinumab in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: a real-life cohort study
Authors: Zhao Yan , Cai Lin , Liu Xiao-Yang , Zhang Heng , Zhang Jian-Zhong
Published: May 2021

Background:

There have been few real-life dose-comparing studies on the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in Chinese patients with plaque psoriasis. We conducted a real-life cohort study to investigate the efficacy and safety of secukinumab 150 and 300 mg in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Methods:

A total of 106 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were included in this study. Patients received either secukinumab 150 mg or secukinumab 300 mg according to patients’ weights and severity of psoriasis. The treatment continued for at least 24 weeks. The efficacy was evaluated by improvement in the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores. The safety was also analyzed.

Results:

Fifty-nine patients (55.7%) were treated with secukinumab 300 mg and 47 patients (44.3%) were treated with secukinumab 150 mg. After 12-week treatment, PASI75/90/100 responses were achieved in 100%, 97.8%, and 95.7% of patients, respectively, in secukinumab 150 mg group, and the efficacy was maintained to week 24. In secukinumab 300 mg group, PASI75/90/100 responses were achieved in 93.2%, 81.4%, and 76.3% of patients, respectively, at week 12. In this group, PASI75/90/100 responses reached 91.5%, 86.4%, and 79.9%, respectively, at week 24. Biologic-experienced patients had lower responses than biologic-naïve patients. Secukinumab 150 and 300 mg were well tolerated. Five patients discontinued treatment due to poor response, adverse event, or economic reasons.

Conclusions:

This real-life study demonstrated that high PASI 90 and PASI 100 responses were achieved in Chinese psoriasis patients receiving secukinumab 150 or 300 mg. Biologic-naïve was associated with better clinical efficacy.
Interpretation of temporal and spatial trends of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in San Francisco Bay Area wastewater
Authors: Greenwald Hannah D. , Kennedy Lauren C. , Hinkle Adrian , Whitney Oscar N. , Fan Vinson B. , Crits-Christoph Alexander , Harris-Lovett Sasha , Flamholz Avi I. , Al-Shayeb Basem , Liao Lauren D. , Beyers Matt , Brown Daniel , Chakrabarti Alicia R. , Dow Jason , Frost Dan , Koekemoer Mark , Lynch Chris , Sarkar Payal , White Eileen , Kantor Rose , Nelson Kara L.
Published: May 2021

Wastewater surveillance for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA can be integrated with COVID-19 case data to inform timely pandemic response. However, more research is needed to apply and develop systematic methods to interpret the true SARS-CoV-2 signal from noise introduced in wastewater samples (e.g., from sewer conditions, sampling and extraction methods, etc.). In this study, raw wastewater was collected weekly from five sewersheds and one residential facility, and wastewater SARS-CoV-2 concentrations were compared to geocoded COVID-19 clinical testing data. SARS-CoV-2 was reliably detected (95% positivity) in frozen wastewater samples when reported daily new COVID-19 cases were 2.4 or more per 100,000 people. To adjust for variation in sample fecal content, crAssphage, pepper mild mottle virus, Bacteroides ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and human 18S rRNA were evaluated as normalization biomarkers, and crAssphage displayed the least spatial and temporal variability. Both unnormalized SARS-CoV-2 RNA signal and signal normalized to crAssphage had positive and significant correlation with clinical testing data (Kendall’s Tau-b (τ)=0.43 and 0.38, respectively). Locational dependencies and the date associated with testing data impacted the lead time of wastewater for clinical trends, and no lead time was observed when the sample collection date (versus the result date) was used for both wastewater and clinical testing data. This study supports that trends in wastewater surveillance data reflect trends in COVID-19 disease occurrence and presents approaches that could be applied to make wastewater signal more interpretable and comparable across studies.
Selection of Human Single Domain Antibodies (sdAb) Against Thymidine Kinase 1 and Their Incorporation Into sdAb-Fc Antibody Constructs For Potential Use In Cancer Therapy
Authors: Velazquez Edwin J. , Cress Jordan D. , Humpherys Tyler B. , Mortimer Toni O. , Bellini David M. , Skidmore Jonathan R , Smith Kathryn R. , Robison Richard A. , Weber Scott K. , O’Neill Kim L.
Published: May 2021

Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) is primarily known as a cancer biomarker with good prognostic capabilities for liquid and solid malignancies. However, recent studies targeting TK1 at protein and mRNA levels have shown that TK1 may be useful as a tumor target. In order to examine the use of TK1 as a tumor target, it is necessary to develop therapeutics specific for TK1. Single domain antibodies (sdAbs), represent an exciting approach for the development of immunotherapeutics due to their cost-effective production and higher tumor penetration than conventional antibodies. In this study, we isolated sdAb fragments specific to human TK1 from a human sdAb library. A total of 400 sdAbs were screened through 5 rounds of selection by monoclonal phage ELISA. The most sensitive sdAb fragments were selected as candidates for preclinical testing. The sdAb fragments showed specificity for human TK1 in phage ELISA, Western blot analysis and had a limit of detection of 3.9 ng/ml for 4-H-TK1_A1 and 1.9 ng/ml for 4-H-TK1_D1. The antibody fragments were successfully expressed and used for detection of membrane associated TK1 (mTK1) through flow cytometry on cancer cells [lung (∼95%), colon (∼87%), breast (∼53%)] and healthy human mono nuclear cells (MNC). The most sensitive antibody fragments, 4-H-TK1_A1 and 4-H-TK1_D1 were fused to an engineered IgG1 Fc fragment. When added to cancer cells expressing mTK1 co-cultured with human MNC, the anti-TK1-sdAb-IgG1_A1 and D1 were able to elicit a significant antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) response by human MNCs against lung cancer cells compared to isotype controls (P<0.0267 and P<0.0265, respectively). To our knowledge this is the first time that the isolation and evaluation of human anti TK1 single domain antibodies using phage display technology has been reported. The antibody fragments isolated here may represent a valuable resource for the detection and the targeting of TK1 in tumor cells.
GLOBAL LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER DATA: HISTORICAL, CURRENT AND FUTURE SCENARIOS
Authors: Vale Mariana M. , Lima-Ribeiro Matheus S. , Rocha Tainá C.
Published: May 2021

Land-use land-cover (LULC) data are important predictors of species occurrence and biodiversity threat. Although there are LULC datasets available under current conditions, there is a lack of such data under historical and future climatic conditions. This hinders, for example, projecting niche and distribution models under global change scenarios at different time scenarios. The Land Use Harmonization Project (LUH2) is a global terrestrial dataset at 0.25° spatial resolution that provides LULC data from 850 to 2300 for 12 LULC state classes. The dataset, however, is compressed in a file format (NetCDF) that is incompatible for many analyses and requires layer extractions and transformations that are intractable for most researchers. Here we selected and transformed the LUH2 in a standard GIS format data to make it more user-friendly. We provide LULC for every year from 850 to 2100, and from 2015 on, the LULC dataset is provided under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). We provide two types of files for each year: separate files with continuous values for each of the 12 LULC state classes, and a single categorical file with all state classes combined. To create the categorical layer, we assigned the state with the highest value in a given pixel among the 12 continuous data. LUH2 predicts a pronounced decrease in primary forest, particularly noticeable in the Amazon, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the Congo Basin and the boreal forests, an equally pronounced increase in secondary forest and non-forest lands, and in croplands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and sub-Saharan Africa. The final dataset provides LULC data for 1251 years that will be of interest for macroecology, ecological niche modeling, global change analysis, and other applications in ecology and conservation.
iCodon: ideal codon design for customized gene expression
Authors: Medina-Muñoz Santiago Gerardo , Diez Michay , Castellano Luciana Andrea , da Silva Pescador Gabriel , Wu Qiushuang , Bazzini Ariel Alejandro
Published: May 2021

Messenger RNA (mRNA) stability substantially impacts steady-state gene expression levels in a cell. mRNA stability, in turn, is strongly affected by codon composition in a translation-dependent manner across species, through a mechanism termed codon optimality. We have developed iCodon (www.iCodon.org), an algorithm for customizing mRNA expression through the introduction of synonymous codon substitutions into the coding sequence. iCodon is optimized for four vertebrate transcriptomes: mouse, human, frog, and fish. Users can predict the mRNA stability of any coding sequence based on its codon composition and subsequently generate more stable (optimized) or unstable (deoptimized) variants encoding for the same protein. Further, we show that codon optimality predictions correlate with expression levels using fluorescent reporters and endogenous genes in human cells and zebrafish embryos. Therefore, iCodon will benefit basic biological research, as well as a wide range of applications for biotechnology and biomedicine.
Unilateral Resection of Both Cortical Visual Pathways Alters Action but not Perception
Authors: Ahmad Zoha , Behrmann Marlene , Patterson Christina , Freud Erez
Published: May 2021

The human cortical visual system consists of two major pathways, a ventral pathway that subserves perception and a dorsal pathway that subserves visuomotor control. These pathways follow dissociable developmental trajectories, and, accordingly, might be differentially susceptible to neurodevelopmental disorders or injuries. Previous studies have found that children with cortical resections of the ventral visual pathway retain largely normal visuoperceptual abilities. Whether visually guided actions, supported by computations carried out by the dorsal pathway, follow a similar pattern remains unknown. To address this question, we examined visuoperceptual and visuomotor behaviors in a pediatric patient, TC, who underwent a cortical resection that included portions of the left ventral and dorsal pathways. We collected data when TC used her right and left hands to perceptually estimate the width blocks that varied in width and length, and, separately, to grasp the same blocks. TC’s perceptual estimation performance was comparable to that of controls, independent of the hand used. In contrast, relative to controls, she showed reduced visuomotor sensitivity to object shape and this was more evident when she grasped the objects with her contralesional right hand. These results provide evidence for a striking difference in the reorganization profiles of the two visual pathways. This difference supports the notion that the two pathways exhibit differential susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Phase separation in fluids with many interacting components
Authors: Shrinivas Krishna , Brenner Michael P.
Published: May 2021

Fluids in natural systems, like the cytoplasm of a cell, often contain thousands of molecular species that are organized into multiple coexisting phases that enable diverse and specific functions. How interactions between numerous molecular species encode for various emergent phases is not well understood. Here we leverage approaches from random matrix theory and statistical physics to describe the emergent phase behavior of fluid mixtures with many species whose interactions are drawn randomly from an underlying distribution. Through numerical simulation and stability analyses, we show that these mixtures exhibit staged phase separation kinetics and are characterized by multiple coexisting phases at equilibrium with distinct compositions. Random-matrix theory predicts the number of existing phases at equilibrium, validated by simulations with diverse component numbers and interaction parameters. Surprisingly, this model predicts an upper bound on the number of phases, derived from dynamical considerations, that is much lower than the limit from the Gibbs phase rule, which is obtained from equilibrium thermodynamic constraints. Using a biophysically motivated model of pairwise interactions between components, we design ensembles that encode either linear or non-monotonic scaling relationships between number of components and co-existing phases, which we validate through simulation and theory. Finally, inspired by parallels in biological systems, we show that including nonequilibrium turnover of components through chemical reactions can tunably modulate the number of coexisting phases at steady-state without changing overall fluid composition. Together, our study provides a model framework that describes the emergent dynamical and steady-state phase behavior of liquid-like mixtures with many interacting constituents.
Overcoming constraints on the detection of recessive selection in human genes from population frequency data
Authors: Balick Daniel J. , Jordan Daniel M. , Sunyaev Shamil , Do Ron
Published: May 2021

The identification of genes that evolve under recessive natural selection is a longstanding goal of population genetics research with important applications to disease gene discovery. We found that commonly used methods to evaluate selective constraint at the gene level are highly sensitive to genes under heterozygous selection but ubiquitously fail to detect recessively evolving genes. Additionally, more sophisticated likelihood-based methods designed to detect recessivity similarly lack power for a human gene of realistic length from current population sample sizes. However, extensive simulations suggested that recessive genes may be detectable in aggregate. Here, we offer a method informed by population genetics simulations designed to detect recessive purifying selection in gene sets. Applying this to empirical gene sets produced significant enrichments for strong recessive selection in genes previously inferred to be under recessive selection in a consanguineous cohort and in genes involved in autosomal recessive monogenic disorders.