bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing channels? A comparison of Fox and MSNBC in 2012, 2016, and 2020
Authors: Lanning Kevin , Wetherell Geoffrey , Warfel Evan A. , Boyd Ryan L.
Published: July 2021

We compare the contents of Fox and MSNBC weekday evening telecasts using natural language analysis with Linguistic Inventory Word Count (LIWC) and sociopolitical dictionaries tapping into moral foundations, values, grievances, and personality. Across time, the two networks differed substantially across many constructs, particularly those from LIWC. The core of the difference between the networks was captured by a four‐component measure which we labeled Personalizing versus Formal speech. Scores on this measure were particularly volatile during 2019 and 2020, a period which included Trump's first impeachment, the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and the 2020 presidential campaign. In comparison with prior presidential election years, only MSNBC showed a drop in positive emotions in 2020, while both networks increased in the use of communal and analytic language. Contrary to our expectations, the language style of the two networks did not demonstrate increasing divergence over time.
Managing the Humanitarian Workplace: Capitalist Social Time and Iraqi Refugees in the United States
Authors: Sheldon Zachary
Published: July 2021

This paper offers an ethnographic account of tensions around time that arose at a small nonprofit offering employment‐assistance programs for newly arrived Iraqi refugees in a large American city. Iraqi refugees have been subjected to multiple interventions, each of which put them on a strict timeline for results. Their experience gives rise to critical insights into the abstract, managerial representations of time that coordinate each of these successive programs. Staff responded to these concerns by attempting to correct clients’ expectations about the future, but this effort remained bound to the same temporal standard and therefore produced further frustrations on the part of clients. Meanwhile, the one employee who attempted to implement an alternative project ended up being disciplined by her employer for misusing time on the job. Tracing this dynamic of tension, conflict, and reconfiguration across multiple standpoints, the paper demonstrates how humanitarian work unfolds through the same contradictions between abstract and concrete forms of time that characterizes commodity‐directed labor under the capitalist mode of production as a whole. This finding complicates theoretical models of political subjectivity that have hitherto informed anthropological critiques of humanitarianism and points to abstract social time as a specifically capitalist mechanism of power at work.
The Hygienic Problem of Social Innovation Work: Reversibility and Oscillations between “the Social” and “the Economic”
Authors: Mikkelsen Nanna Søvsø , Vangkilde Kasper Tang
Published: July 2021

In recent years, social innovation has received attention as a promising solution to societal challenges, not least because of its claims to create a symbiosis between social purposes and economic benefits. The often uneasy relation between social values and economic values is, however, not easily resolved in practice. Based on ethnographic research in the field of social innovation in Denmark, we argue that the relation between “the social” and “the economic,” representing different value logics, is essentially one of reversibility. The two each encompass their apparent opposite within themselves. This reversible relation elicits a number of challenging oscillations when social innovation is enacted in practice. We term this the hygienic problem of social innovation work. Too much or too little of either the social or the economic contaminates and obfuscates the endeavor of social innovation. As a result, people who do social innovation work seek to enact the “right” or “pure” relation between social and economic concerns. We suggest, however, that the potential of social innovation lies not in this search for purity. Rather, the instability of these categories prompts a continual exploration and creative rethinking of how the intersection of society and business may unfold.
Determinants for under‐ and overdosing of direct oral anticoagulants and physicians' implementation of clinical pharmacists' recommendations
Authors: Moudallel Souad , Cornu Pieter , Dupont Alain , Steurbaut Stephane
Published: July 2021

Aims

To analyse the appropriateness of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) dosing and determinants for under‐and overdosing as well as acceptance and implementation rates of pharmacists' interventions.

Methods

Cross‐sectional study in a tertiary hospital in hospitalized patients with atrial fibrillation on DOACs in 2019 (n = 1688). Primary outcome was the proportion of patients with inappropriate DOAC prescribing with identification of determinants for under‐and overdosing. Secondary outcomes included acceptance and implementation rates of pharmacists' recommendations and determination of reasons for nonacceptance/nonimplementation.

Results

Inappropriate prescribing was observed in 16.9% of patients (n = 286) with underdosing (9.7%) being more prevalent than overdosing (6.9%). For all DOACs considered together, body weight<60 kg (odds ratio [OR] 0.46 [0.27–0.77]), edoxaban use (OR 0.42 [0.24–0.74]), undergoing surgery (OR 0.57 [0.37–0.87]) and being DOAC naïve (OR 0.45 [0.29–0.71]) were associated with significantly lower odds of underdosing. Bleeding history (OR 1.86 [1.24–2.80]) and narcotic use (OR 1.67 [1.13–2.46]) were associated with significantly higher odds for underdosing. Determinants with a significantly higher odds of overdosing were renal impairment (OR 11.29 [6.23–20.45]) and body weight<60 kg (OR 2.34 [1.42–3.85]), whereas dabigatran use (OR 0.24 [0.08–0.71]) and apixaban (OR 0.18 [0.10–0.32]) were associated with a significantly lower odds of overdosing compared to rivaroxaban. Physicians accepted the pharmacists' advice in 179 cases (79.2%) consisting of 92 (51.4%) recommendations for underdosing, 82 (45.8%) for overdosing and 5 (2.8%) for contraindications.

Conclusion

Inappropriate DOAC prescribing remains common, although there is a slight improvement compared to our study of 2016. Clinical services led by pharmacists help physicians to reduce the number of inadequate prescriptions for high‐risk medications such as DOACs.
Looking for the earliest evidence of Ursus arctos LINNAEUS, 1758 in the Iberian Peninsula: the Middle Pleistocene site of Postes cave
Authors: Villalba de Alvarado Mónica , Collado Giraldo Hipólito , Arsuaga Juan Luis , Bello Rodrigo José Ramón , van Heteren Anneke H. , Gómez‐Olivencia Asier
Published: July 2021

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) diverged from the cave bear lineage c. 1.2 million years ago and likely originated in Asia, where the oldest fossils belong to a Middle Pleistocene chronology. Brown bear fossils from the Middle Pleistocene are scarce in the Iberian Peninsula, especially when compared to the cave bear record and they are mainly located in the southern half of the peninsula. The oldest evidence in the Iberian Peninsula is from c. 250 ka, which is 300 ka younger than the oldest European records (~550 ka; L’Arago). Here we present the brown bear fossil assemblage from Postes cave (Fuentes de León, Extremadura, southern Iberian Peninsula). Postes cave has yielded some of the oldest evidence for brown bears in Iberia with a minimum date of 244 191±2261 a BP (number of identified specimens (NISP) = 4). Additionally, the uppermost part of the Pleistocene deposit has yielded one of the largest Middle Pleistocene brown bear collections in the Iberian Peninsula (NISP = 73) with a chronology roughly between 193 and 244 ka BP, comprising both cranial and postcranial remains and including a complete hemimandible. The Postes mandible fits well within the Middle Pleistocene brown bear range of variation, as it is significantly different in size and shape from the Holocene brown bears, based on geometric morphometric analyses. We show that these differences are due to allometry. This site provides more insight into the Middle Pleistocene morphological variation of brown bears in western Europe and underscores the need for additional Middle Pleistocene fossils in the northern half of Iberia to further test palaeobiogeographical hypotheses of this species’ entrance into the largest of the southern European peninsulas.
Review on marine sponge alkaloid, aaptamine: A potential antibacterial and anticancer drug
Authors: Nadar Vinita Manimaran , Manivannan Selvambigai , Chinnaiyan Rajasekar , Govarthanan Muthusamy , Ponnuchamy Kumar
Published: July 2021

In recent years, biological macromolecules have piqued the interest of researchers owing to their vast variety of biological uses. As a result, the marine sponge is a multicellular heterotrophic parazoan with chemicals for defence against predator assaults, biofouling and microbial diseases. These priceless molecules are known as secondary metabolites, and they are essential for survival in a highly competitive environment. So far, over 5,000 marine natural compounds have been extracted from marine sponges, making them an excellent option for drug formulation. One among them is, aaptamine, a marine alkaloid with a benzo[de][1,6]‐napthyridine framework extensively distributed in marine sponges. Due to this reason, aaptamine has been intensively researched for various biological purposes, including cancer and protease inhibition, offering fresh insights into novel treatments. Keeping this in mind, we reviewed the biological significance of the marine sponge alkaloid aaptamine.
Strengths and difficulties in children with specific learning disabilities
Authors: Ayar Ganime , Yalçın Sıddıka Songül , Tanıdır Artan Özge , Güneş Hasan Tahsin , Çöp Esra
Published: July 2021

Background

The study aims to investigate the social, emotional, and behavioral challenges in children with a specific learning disability (SLD) and to identify the factors that accompany these problems by screening with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Methods

The descriptive study was conducted on 278 children with SLD. Strengths and difficulties in children were evaluated by the SDQ applied to their mothers. The percentage of cases above the cut‐off limits of the SDQ was calculated. Chi‐square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used for analysis.

Results

The mean (SD) total SDQ score was 15.8 (6.5). The percentage of scores of abnormal total difficulties in SLD was 47.8%. Multivariate analysis revealed that cases exposed to antenatal smoking had higher odds ratio of abnormal emotional symptoms and abnormal total difficulties; cases with poor familial income and the presence of a history of antenatal smoking exposure showed considerably higher odds ratio of conduct problems; cases with younger age at the diagnosis of SLD, dyscalculia, extreme duration of preschool screen time (≥4 h), and history of hospitalization had significantly higher odds ratio for hyperactivity–inattention problems; and cases having shorter breastfeeding duration had higher odds ratio of peer problems compared to counterparts.

Conclusion

Children with SLD have a high score on the SDQ. Practitioners could especially give guidance and support to families with financial problems and those having a child with an early age at diagnosis, exposure to antenatal smoking, short breastfeeding period, early age of the first screen use, and long screen exposure duration during the preschool period.
Prevalence of fatigue and associated factors among clinically stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Guizhou, China: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Wang LianHong , Guo Yunmei , Liu Ying , Yan Xin , Ding Rui , Huang Shiming
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Fatigue is important, but ignored symptom among COPD patients. At present, there is very limited data are available for the prevalence of fatigue and its risk factors among COPD patients in China.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of fatigue and to investigate the factors associated with fatigue among clinically stable patients with COPD in China.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional study using a questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic, related to COPD disease, and exercise habits. Multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI‐20) was used to assess the prevalence of fatigue. Independent samples t test, bivariate correlation, one‐way ANOVA test, and test for several independent samples were used to compare the sociodemographic factors with MFI‐20 scores of COPD patients. Multiple stepwise linear regression was performed to estimate influencing factors related to the MFI‐20 of COPD patients.

Results

Among the participants, the prevalence of fatigue was 88.62%. Negative correlations were found between FEV1% and multidimensional fatigue (r = −0.40, p < 0.01), general fatigue (r = −0.20, p < 0.05), reduced activity (r = −0.20, p < 0.01), and physical fatigue (r = −0.10, p < 0.01). A multiple linear regression models revealed that age (p < 0.05), BMI (p < 0.05), FEV1% (p < 0.01), exercise times (p < 0.01), and the times of hospitalization in the past 12 months (p < 0.05) were associated with multidimensional fatigue scores.

Conclusions

The prevalence of fatigue is high among clinically stable patients with COPD. Keeping exercise, prevention obesity, and exacerbation should be an effective intervention strategy to reduce COPD‐related fatigue.
Are we managing our patients correctly following treatment for cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia? A review of practice at the Jessop Wing Colposcopy Unit
Authors: Magro Abigail , Lyon Rachel , Ellis Kay M. , Tidy John A. , Macdonald Madeleine C. , Palmer Julia E.
Published: July 2021

Objective

Women diagnosed with cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia (CGIN) remain at risk of further pre‐malignant and malignant disease and require rigorous post‐treatment follow‐up. We assess the effectiveness and safety of community cervical sampling follow‐up in women treated for CGIN.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted of women diagnosed with CGIN between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2019, at Jessop Wing Colposcopy Unit, Sheffield, UK.

Results

Of 140 women diagnosed with CGIN, 76 had co‐existing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Cytologists were significantly more likely to report glandular neoplasia in the absence of co‐existing CIN, and high‐grade dyskaryosis in its presence (Ps < 0.0001). Co‐existing CIN was significantly more likely to be present with high or low‐grade compared to normal colposcopy findings (P < 0.0001). The 6‐month test of cure (TOC) was attended by 67% of women (84% within 12 months), and the 18‐month post‐treatment sampling by 52.5% of women (70% within 24 months). Colposcopy recalled 96% of women correctly for the 18‐month sampling, but 20% of women undertaking primary care samples were incorrectly recalled at 3 years instead.

Conclusions

When CGIN is diagnosed, two dates for recall should be provided at 6 and 18 months post‐treatment to the Cervical Screening Administration Service and the centralised screening laboratory ensuring the 18‐month post‐treatment sample is correctly appointed, preventing women with HPV‐negative TOC samples being returned to 3‐year recall. Follow‐up of CGIN should be closely audited by the centralised laboratories ensuring women with CGIN are not put at additional risk.
Validation of the Orlando Protocol for endoscopic management of pancreatic fluid collections in the era of lumen‐apposing metal stents
Authors: Bang Ji Young , Wilcox C. Mel , Arnoletti Juan Pablo , Peter Shajan , Christein John , Navaneethan Udayakumar , Hawes Robert , Varadarajulu Shyam
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Although lumen‐apposing metal stents (LAMS) are being increasingly used in lieu of plastic stents, the clinical approach to endoscopic management of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) is poorly standardized. We compared outcomes of approaches over two time intervals, initially using plastic stents and later integrating LAMS.

Methods

This was a retrospective, observational, before–after study of prospectively collected data on consecutive patients with symptomatic PFCs managed over two time periods. In the initial period (January 2010–January 2015) endoscopic treatment was undertaken with plastic stents and in the later period (February 2015–August 2020) by integration of LAMS with selective use of plastic stents. The treatment strategy in both periods were tailored to size, extent, type of PFC and stepwise response to intervention. The main outcome was treatment success, defined as resolution of PFC and presenting symptoms at 6‐month follow‐up.

Results

A total of 160 patients were treated with plastic stents and 227 patients were treated using an integrated LAMS approach. Treatment success was significantly higher for the integrated approach compared to using only plastic stents (95.6 vs. 89.4%; P = 0.018), which was confirmed to be predictive of treatment success on multivariable logistic regression analysis (odds ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.1–6.4; P = 0.028).

Conclusions

A structured approach integrating LAMS with selective use of plastic stents improved treatment success in patients with PFCs compared to an approach using only plastic stents.
Involvement of Oct4‐type transcription factor Pou5f3 in posterior spinal cord formation in zebrafish embryos
Authors: Yuikawa Tatsuya , Ikeda Masaaki , Tsuda Sachiko , Saito Shinji , Yamasu Kyo
Published: July 2021

In vertebrate embryogenesis, elongation of the posterior body is driven by de novo production of the axial and paraxial mesoderm as well as the neural tube at the posterior end. This process is presumed to depend on the stem cell‐like population in the tail bud region, but the details of the gene regulatory network involved are unknown. Previous studies suggested the involvement ofpou5f3, anOct4‐type POU gene in zebrafish, in axial elongation. In the present study, we first found thatpou5f3is expressed mainly in the dorsal region of the tail bud immediately after gastrulation, and that this expression is restricted to the posterior‐most region of the elongating neural tube during somitogenesis. Thispou5f3expression was complementary to the broad expression ofsox3in the neural tube, and formed a sharp boundary with specific expression oftbxta(orthologue of mammalianT/Brachyury) in the tail bud, implicatingpou5f3in the specification of tail bud‐derived cells toward neural differentiation in the spinal cord. Whenpou5f3was functionally impaired after gastrulation by induction of a dominant‐interferingpou5f3mutant gene (en‐pou5f3), trunk and tail elongation were markedly disturbed at distinct positions along the axis depending on the stage. This finding showed involvement ofpou5f3in de novo generation of the body from the tail bud. Conditional functional abrogation also showed thatpou5f3downregulates mesoderm‐forming genes but promotes neural development by activating neurogenesis genes around the tail bud. These results suggest thatpou5f3is involved in formation of the posterior spinal cord.
Wild bee functional diversity and plant associations in native and conventional plant nurseries
Authors: Cecala Jacob M. , Wilson Rankin Erin E.
Published: July 2021

1. An ongoing challenge in ecology is predicting how characteristics of communities correspond to habitat features. Examining variation in functional traits across species may reveal patterns not discernible from measures of mere abundance or richness. For beneficial insects like wild bees, functional trait‐based approaches are often used to characterise communities in different agricultural habitats.

2. However, no such approach has yet been applied in horticultural plant nurseries, which represent intensively managed artificial flowering plant assemblages. Certain nurseries mostly cultivate regionally native flowering plants, allowing one to test how differences between local plant assemblages may correlate with bee functional traits.

3. We surveyed bee assemblages at native and conventional plant nurseries in southern California from spring through autumn over 2 years, while also documenting the native status of blooming plants in sampling plots. Bees were classified into different functional categories based on their diet breadth, nesting location, and social organisation.

4. At native plant nurseries, we netted proportionally more specialist bee species and fewer generalist species than at conventional nurseries. Nesting location and social organisation of bee samples did not differ between nursery types. Meanwhile, landscape‐level features were not associated with any observed functional trait metrics of bee collections. Furthermore, network‐level specialisation of bee‐plant interactions was higher at conventional nurseries.

5. Our results suggest that a horticultural cultivation practice is quantifiably correlated with the functional distribution of resident bee assemblages. These results are important and encouraging to pollinator conservation efforts in nursery systems and other human‐modified landscapes dominated by ornamental plants.
The struggle for recognition and the authority of the second person
Authors: Khurana Thomas
Published: July 2021

In this introductory paper, I discuss the second‐personal approach to ethics and the theory of recognition as two accounts of the fundamental sociality of the human form of life. The first section delineates the deep affinities between the two approaches. They both put a reciprocal social constellation front and center from which they derive the fundamental norms of moral and social life and a social conception of freedom. The second section discusses three points of contrast between the two approaches: The accounts differ in that the second‐personal approach opts for a narrower conception of recognition focusing on mutual moral accountability, whereas recognition theory suggests a broader conception including relations of love, respect, and esteem. Secondly, the accounts differ as to how they conceive of the interrelation of the I‐thou and the I‐We relationship. Finally, they differ with regard to the way they think of struggles for recognition. Whereas the second‐personal approach suggests that we can understand struggles on the basis of a transcendental infrastructure of second‐personal address, the theory of recognition considers norms of recognition as themselves constituted by dialectical social struggles. The paper closes with a reflection on the ways in which both approaches can help us understand the social vulnerability of the human form of life.
Intraspecific variation in plant‐associated herbivore communities is phylogenetically structured in Brassicaceae
Authors: Mertens Daan , Bouwmeester Klaas , Poelman Erik H.
Published: July 2021

As a result of co‐evolution between plants and herbivores, related plants often interact with similar herbivore communities. Variation in plant–herbivore interactions is determined by variation in underlying functional traits and by ecological and stochastic processes. Hence, typically, only a subset of possible interactions is realised on individual plants. We show that insect herbivore communities assembling on individual plants are structured by plant phylogeny among 12 species in two phylogenetic lineages of Brassicaceae. This community sorting to plant phylogeny was retained when splitting the community according to herbivore feeding guilds. Relative abundance of herbivores as well as the size of the community structured community dissimilarity among plant species. Importantly, the amount of intraspecific variation in realised plant–herbivore interactions is also phylogenetically structured. We argue that variability in realised interactions that are not directly structured by plant traits is ecologically relevant and must be considered in the evolution of plant defences.
Anticonvulsant dopamine type 2 receptor agonist activates inhibitory parvalbumin interneurons
Authors: Brodovskaya Anastasia , Kapur Jaideep
Published: July 2021

Dopamine type 2 receptor (D2R) agonists have anticonvulsant effect, whereas D2R antagonists increase seizure risk, but the mechanism of this action has not been delineated. We tested whether D2R agonists activate parvalbumin (PV)‐containing inhibitory interneurons to suppress seizures. We treated frontal lobe onset seizures with a D2R agonist sumanirole, and it suppressed seizures. We used activity reporter TRAP2 mice and found that injection of D2R agonist led to extensive activation of PV interneurons in the cortex and striatum ipsilateral to the seizure focus. D2R agonists activate PV interneurons, which in turn inhibit principal neurons, potentially explaining their anticonvulsant effect.
Targeting ER stress in the hepatic tumor microenvironment
Authors: Pavlović Nataša , Heindryckx Femke
Published: July 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. It currently ranks as one of the most aggressive and deadly cancers worldwide, with an increasing mortality rate and limited treatment options. An important hallmark of liver pathologies, such as liver fibrosis and HCC, is the accumulation of misfolded and unfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which induces ER stress and leads to the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Upon accumulation of misfolded proteins, ER stress is sensed through three transmembrane proteins, IRE1α, PERK, and ATF6, which trigger the UPR to either alleviate ER stress or induce apoptosis. Increased expression of ER stress markers has been widely shown to correlate with fibrosis, inflammation, drug resistance, and overall HCC aggressiveness, as well as poor patient prognosis. While preclinical in vivo cancer models and in vitro approaches have shown promising results by pharmacologically targeting ER stress mediators, the major challenge of this therapeutic strategy lies in specifically and effectively targeting ER stress in HCC. Furthermore, both ER stress inducers and inhibitors have been shown to ameliorate HCC progression, adding to the complexity of targeting ER stress players as an anticancer strategy. More studies are needed to better understand the dual role and molecular background of ER stress in HCC, as well as its therapeutic potential for patients with liver cancer.
Sedimentary pyrite sulfur isotope compositions preserve signatures of the surface microbial mat environment in sediments underlying low‐oxygen cyanobacterial mats
Authors: Gomes Maya L. , Klatt Judith M. , Dick Gregory J. , Grim Sharon L. , Rico Kathryn I. , Medina Matthew , Ziebis Wiebke , Kinsman‐Costello Lauren , Sheldon Nathan D. , Fike David A.
Published: July 2021

The sedimentary pyrite sulfur isotope (δ34S) record is an archive of ancient microbial sulfur cycling and environmental conditions. Interpretations of pyrite δ34S signatures in sediments deposited in microbial mat ecosystems are based on studies of modern microbial mat porewater sulfide δ34S geochemistry. Pyrite δ34S values often capture δ34S signatures of porewater sulfide at the location of pyrite formation. However, microbial mats are dynamic environments in which biogeochemical cycling shifts vertically on diurnal cycles. Therefore, there is a need to study how the location of pyrite formation impacts pyrite δ34S patterns in these dynamic systems. Here, we present diurnal porewater sulfide δ34S trends and δ34S values of pyrite and iron monosulfides from Middle Island Sinkhole, Lake Huron. The sediment–water interface of this sinkhole hosts a low‐oxygen cyanobacterial mat ecosystem, which serves as a useful location to explore preservation of sedimentary pyrite δ34S signatures in early Earth environments. Porewater sulfide δ34S values vary by up to ~25‰ throughout the day due to light‐driven changes in surface microbial community activity that propagate downwards, affecting porewater geochemistry as deep as 7.5 cm in the sediment. Progressive consumption of the sulfate reservoir drives δ34S variability, instead of variations in average cell‐specific sulfate reduction rates and/or sulfide oxidation at different depths in the sediment. The δ34S values of pyrite are similar to porewater sulfide δ34S values near the mat surface. We suggest that oxidative sulfur cycling and other microbial activity promote pyrite formation in and immediately adjacent to the microbial mat and that iron geochemistry limits further pyrite formation with depth in the sediment. These results imply that primary δ34S signatures of pyrite deposited in organic‐rich, iron‐poor microbial mat environments capture information about microbial sulfur cycling and environmental conditions at the mat surface and are only minimally affected by deeper sedimentary processes during early diagenesis.
Books
Authors: Donovan S. Kenneth
Published: July 2021

Introducing a scientific discipline, like geology, to a novice is a formidable undertaking. It involves being informative and interesting, drawing the reader or listener in, developing and facilitating their interest. The Amateur Geologist was a happy find in my pre‐university days. Although it is now over 50 yr old, it still bursts with relevant information for the learner.
A message from the ‘underground forge of the gods’: history and current eruptions at Mt Etna
Authors: Thomaidis Konstantinos , Troll Valentin R. , Deegan Frances M. , Freda Carmela , Corsaro Rosa A. , Behncke Boris , Rafailidis Savvas
Published: July 2021

Mt Etna has made headlines over the last weeks and months with spectacular eruptions, some of them highly explosive. This type of paroxysmal eruptive behaviour is characteristic of Etna's activity over the past few decades and so it is no surprise that Etna is among the most active volcanoes worldwide. Etna is well‐known for its extraordinary geology and due to its repeated eruptive activity it provides a continuous supply of new scientific opportunities to understand the inner workings of large basaltic volcanic systems. In addition to its scientific value, Etna is also a world famous tourist attraction and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013 for its geological and cultural value and not least for its fine agricultural products. Etna's status as an iconic volcano is not a recent phenomenon; in fact, Etna has been a literary fixture for at least 3000 years, giving rise to many ancient myths and legends that mark it as a special place, deserving of human respect. From the ancient eruptions to the latest events in February–April 2021, people try to explain and understand the processes that occur within and beneath the volcano. In this article, we briefly summarize the recent eruptive activity of Etna as well as the ancient myths and legends that surround this volcano, from the underground forge of Hephaestus to the adventures of Odysseus, all the way to the benefits and dangers the volcano provides to those living on its flanks today.
Minerals explained 60
Authors: Brooks Kent
Published: July 2021

Nepheline (and its rarer potassium analogue: kalsilite) is a sodium‐rich, rock‐forming mineral belonging (like the feldspars and quartz) to the tectosilicates, which are 3‐dimensional structures made up of SiO

4

4−
tetrahedra. Relatively rare compared to the feldspars, nepheline is an important mineral in the alkaline igneous rocks, such as nepheline syenites, phonolites and nephelinites. In silica‐deficient magmas, the natural endpoint of crystal fractionation is nepheline syenite just as silica‐rich magmas end at the granite minimum. Nepheline has commercial uses in the glass and ceramic industries and even as a raw material for aluminium production.
Activation of Aquaporin 5 by carcinogenic Helicobacter pylori infection promotes epithelial‐mesenchymal transition via the MEK/ERK pathway
Authors: Li Nianshuang , Xu Xinbo , Yang Hui , Wang Huan , Ouyang Yaobin , Zhou Yanan , Peng Chao , Yuan Zhenxiang , He Cong , Zeng Chunyan , Hong Junbo
Published: July 2021

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major risk factor for gastric cancer. The water channel protein Aquaporin 5 (AQP5) is involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of AQP5 in H. pylori‐induced gastric carcinogenesis.

Materials and Methods

We collected 160 samples which inculded CNAG, IM, Dys and gastric cancer from patients who underwent endoscopy and detected the expression of AQP5. In vivo and vitro H. pylori infection models, we explored the relationship between AQP5 and H. pylori. Plasmid, siRNA and inhibitors were used to investigated the relationship between AQP5 and EMT and the role of AQP5 in H. pylori‐induced gastric carcinogenesis.

Result

AQP5 expression was gradually increased in human gastric tissues with the progression of chronic nonatrophic gastritis to gastric cancer and associated with the H. pylori infection status. In vivo and in vitro studies showed that H. pylori infection induced AQP5 expression in gastric epithelial cells in a CagA‐dependent manner. Knockdown of AQP5 reversed H. pylori‐induced cell proliferation and invasion, and ‐suppressed cell apoptosis. Additionally, knockdown of AQP5 suppressed H. pylori‐induced Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes by regulating transcriptional factors, mesenchymal markers, and epithelial markers.

Conclusions

We explored the underlying mechanism and our results indicated that knockdown of AQP5 significantly suppressed H. pylori infection‐induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, MEK and the expression levels of downstream genes. Treatment with an ERK inhibitor suppressed the EMT induced by H. pylori infection. Taken together, this study suggest that pathogenic H. pylori infection promotes AQP5 expression to induce the EMT via the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.
Establishment of novel standardised operating procedures for LF‐NMR: used in rapid detection of typical fruit and vegetable
Authors: Sun Qing , Zhang Min , Bhandari Bhesh , Raghavan Vijaya
Published: July 2021

Although LF‐NMR has been widely used in many fields of food science, the lack of NMR expertise of many food researchers needs to be bridged. Using samples of carrots, bananas, and king oyster mushroom, this work systematically studied the influence of LF‐NMR parameters (repetition time (TR), echo time (TE)) on experimental results. The result showed that the TR of carrot, mushroom and banana were 2684, 4572 and 4317 ms, respectively. The rate of change of signal amplitude can be used as an index to optimise TR. The change of TE has different effects on the short relaxation components of the T2 distributions and long relaxation components in different TR samples. TE and Nech should be set according to T2 to record completely the decay process. What’s more, the method of normalised CPMG decay was suggested to eliminate the effects of parameters such as number of scan (NS), pre‐amp regulate gain (PRG) and mass of sample. At last, the standardised operating procedures were proposed to provide a strategy of improving the properties and applications of LF‐NMR.
Antibacterial mechanism of adzuki bean seed coat polyphenols and their potential application in preservation of fresh raw beef
Authors: Jia Rui , Ge Sitong , Ren Shida , Luo Yanfei , Xiu Lin , Sanabil  , Liu Huimin , Cai Dan
Published: July 2021

The monomeric phenolic components of adzuki bean seed coat polyphenols (ABSCPs) were analysed, and their antibacterial activity and mechanism against two tested bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC8797 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC12600) were evaluated for their potential application in preservation of fresh raw beef. ABSCP contained 13 kinds of monomeric phenols, and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of ABSCP against E. coli and S. aureus was 1250 and 625 μg ml−1, respectively. The mechanism of ABSCP against E. coli and S. aureus was associated with increased cell protein and nucleic acid leakage, increased cell membrane potential, decreased intracellular ATP concentration and morphological changes in bacterial cell. In addition, ABSCP with whey protein isolate (WPI) was applied to fresh raw beef and this remarkably retarded microbial growth by maintaining the total microbial quality below the acceptable limit of 6 lg CFU g−1 for 14 days. Lower pH and total volatile base nitrogen values were observed in the coated samples during refrigerated storage (4 °C). As a result, we found that ABSCP, as a natural food bacteriostatic agent, can effectively inhibit the growth of E. coli and S. aureus and combined with WPI to apply to fresh raw beef to extend its shelf life.
Controlled growth of SiC crystals in combustion synthesis
Authors: Li Fei , Cui Wei , Tian Zhaobo , Zhang Jie , Du Songmo , Chen Zhanglin , Chen Kexin , Liu Guanghua
Published: July 2021

β‐SiC powders with different particle morphologies were prepared by combustion synthesis in an N2 atmosphere, with carbon black, carbon fiber, graphene, and graphite as carbon sources. With carbon black as the carbon source, single‐phase β‐SiC nanopowder with an average particle size around 20 nm was obtained. From carbon fiber and graphene, SiC fibers and sheets were produced, which were polycrystalline and consisted of lots of nanocrystals with random orientations. It was proposed that the synthesis of SiC occurs by gas–solid reaction and the growth of SiC is confined to the carbon particles. In the controlled growth of SiC, the morphology of the precursor carbon is preserved, offering an opportunity to control the particle morphology of SiC by changing carbon sources.
Structural features of (Li,Na,K)PO3 mixed alkali metaphosphate glass for significant anisotropy
Authors: Endo Jun , Inaba Seiji , Homma Osamu , Suzuki Yoshikazu
Published: July 2021

The mixed alkali metaphosphate glass of 16.7Li2O‐16.7Na2O‐16.7K2O‐50P2O5 (in mol%, (Li,Na,K)PO3) showed large birefringence (significant anisotropy) due to highly oriented ‐P‐O‐P‐ chains when the glass was deformed under uniaxial tensile stress above glass transition temperature (Tg). To investigate structural features causing the significant anisotropy, 31P magic‐angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), Raman, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectra of alkali metaphosphate glasses were analyzed. In the (Li,Na,K)PO3 and the 50Na2O‐50P2O5 (NaPO3) glasses, which have comparable force constant between alkali cation and oxygen (FM‐O), the number of Q2 units in ‐P‐O‐P‐ chains was equivalent. On the other hand, various types of alkali cations in the (Li,Na,K)PO3 glass result in larger distribution of FM‐O compared to the NaPO3 glass. Therefore, formation of the significant anisotropy for the (Li,Na,K)PO3 glass results from orientation of local structures with small FM‐O during suppression of shear flow between chains by local structures with large FM‐O.
Microstructure analysis of porous lead zirconate–titanate films
Authors: Atanova Aleksandra V. , Zhigalina Olga M. , Khmelenin Dmitry N. , Orlov Georgy A. , Seregin Dmitry S. , Sigov Alexander S. , Vorotilov Konstantin A.
Published: July 2021

Porous ferroelectric lead zirconate–titanate (PZT) films with different internal structures are synthesized using a sol–gel technique and spin‐on deposition on platinized silicon substrates. The films’ porosity is engineered using various structure‐directing agents: polyvinylpyrrolidone with a molecular weight of 360 000 (1–6.6 wt.%) and block copolymer surfactants Brij 30 and Brij 76 (30–60 wt.%). The films’ structures are characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The PVP‐based films contain large, elongated pores with diameters as large as 100 nm. By contrast, the films prepared from solutions with block copolymers exhibit a small pore size depending on the surfactant molecular weight (10–19 nm for Brij 30 and 20–27 nm for Brij 76), with a mostly uniform distribution of channel‐like pores within the film volume. Despite their highly porous structures, all of the films show a columnar‐grain perovskite structure with grains as large as several micrometers and curved grain boundaries. The films demonstrate ferroelectric behavior with dielectric hysteresis, and their permittivity decreases with increasing porosity. Thus, the Brij 30 and Brij 76 copolymer surfactants can be used to engineer fine porous structures in PZT films for various applications in electronics.
The impact of COVID‐19 visitor policy restrictions on birthing communities of colour
Authors: Altman Molly R. , Eagen‐Torkko Meghan K. , Mohammed Selina A. , Kantrowitz‐Gordon Ira , Khosa Rue M. , Gavin Amelia R.
Published: July 2021

Aims

To explore the experiences of care for pregnant and birthing people, and the nurses who cared for them, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, with special emphasis on the impact of visitor restrictions policies.

Design

Qualitative study using critical thematic analysis.

Methods

We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 15 community members who were pregnant and/or gave birth and 14 nurses who worked in the perinatal setting between April and August 2020. Participants were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling, and interviews were conducted virtually via the Zoom platform. The research team used critical thematic analysis methods informed by other interpretive methodologies to arrive at resultant themes.

Results

Participants described experiences pertaining to how visitor restriction policies are not equitable and disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families, and the direct impacts of not having support people, and also provided recommendations for how to adapt current policies to be more equitable.

Conclusions

Visitor restriction policies have had a disproportionately harmful effect on BIPOC patients and families, leading some patients to make decisions that increase their physical risks to alleviate their risk of labouring and birthing without desired support.

Impact

While this pandemic is nearing the end, these results can guide structuring of policy not only for the next pandemic, but also for universal policy development. Mitigating the effects of racism in policies, by including diverse stakeholders in decision‐making, should be an inherent part of hospital administration procedures.
Strategic entry deterrence in the audit industry: Evidence from the merger of professional accounting bodies
Authors: Cheng Stephanie F. , Hope Ole‐Kristian , Hu Danqi
Published: July 2021

Studies show that incumbents reduce prices in response to higher entry threats in consumer industries. We provide new insights on the importance of an incumbent firm's reputation to the limit‐pricing decision by examining a professional service industry where the supplier's reputation serves as an existing barrier. The recent staggered passage of mergers of three Canadian accounting certification bodies exogenously increases the probability of future entry to incumbent audit firms. Employing difference‐in‐differences analyses and a strict fixed‐effects structure (client‐firm, audit‐firm, province and year‐month fixed effects), we find that incumbent audit firms reduce audit fees in response to a higher entry threat induced by the merger. The microstructure of the audit industry provides further insights—non‐Big‐4 audit firms reduce fees after the merger, while Big‐4 audit firms can withstand higher entry threats and do not adjust fees.
Day‐by‐day blood pressure variability in hospitalized patients with COVID‐19
Authors: Li Fei‐Ka , An De‐Wei , Guo Qian‐Hui , Zhang Yi‐Qing , Qian Jia‐Ye , Hu Wei‐Guo , Li Yan , Wang Ji‐Guang
Published: July 2021

In a retrospective analysis, the authors investigated day‐by‐day blood pressure variability (BPV) and its association with clinical outcomes (critical vs. severe and discharged) in hospitalized patients with COVID‐19. The study participants were hospitalized in Tongji Hospital, Guanggu Branch, Wuhan, China, between February 1 and April 1, 2020. BPV was assessed as standard derivation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). The 79 participants included 60 (75.9%) severe patients discharged from the hospital after up to 47 days of hospitalization, and 19 (24.1%) critically ill patients transferred to other hospitals for further treatment (n = 13), admitted to ICU (n = 3) or died (n=3). Despite similar use of antihypertensive medication (47.4% vs. 41.7%) and mean levels of systolic/diastolic blood pressure (131.3/75.2 vs. 125.4/77.3 mmHg), critically ill patients, compared with severe and discharged patients, had a significantly (p ≤ .04) greater variability of systolic (SD 14.92 vs. 10.84 mmHg, CV 11.39% vs. 8.56%, and VIM 15.15 vs. 10.75 units) and diastolic blood pressure (SD 9.38 vs. 7.50 mmHg, CV 12.66% vs. 9.80%, and VIM 9.33 vs. 7.50 units). After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratios for critical versus severe and discharged patients for systolic BPV were 3.41 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20‐9.66, p = .02), 4.09 (95% CI 1.14‐14.67, p = .03), and 2.81 (95% CI 1.12‐7.05, p = .03) for each 5‐mmHg increment in SD, 5% increment in CV, and 5‐unit increment in VIM, respectively. Similar trends were observed for diastolic BPV indices (p ≤ .08). In conclusion, in patients with COVID‐19, BPV was greater and associated with worse clinical outcomes.
Effects of different intensities of continuous training on vascular inflammation and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Luo Minghao , Cao Chunmei , Niebauer Josef , Yan Jianghong , Ma Xindong , Chang Qing , Zhang Ting , Huang Xiaoxiao , Liu Guochun
Published: July 2021

We aimed to study the effects and underlying mechanism of different intensities of continuous training (CT) on vascular inflammation and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Rats were divided into five groups (n = 12): Wistar‐Kyoto rats sedentary group (WKY‐S), sedentary group (SHR‐S), low‐intensity CT group (SHR‐L), medium‐intensity CT group (SHR‐M) and high‐intensity CT group (SHR‐H). Changes in body mass, heart rate and blood pressure were recorded. The rats were euthanized after 14 weeks, and blood and vascular tissue samples were collected. Haematoxylin and Eosin staining was used to observe the aortic morphology, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of mesenteric artery proteins. After CT, the mean arterial pressures improved in SHR‐L and SHR‐M and increased in SHR‐H compared with those in SHR‐S. Vascular inflammation and oxidative stress levels significantly subsided in SHR‐L and SHR‐M (p < 0.05), whereas in SHR‐H, only vascular inflammation significantly subsided (p < 0.05), and oxidative stress remained unchanged (p > 0.05). AMPK and SIRT1/3 expressions in SHR‐L and SHR‐M were significantly up‐regulated than those in SHR‐S (p < 0.05). These results indicated that low‐ and medium‐intensity CT can effectively reduce the inflammatory response and oxidative stress of SHR vascular tissue, and high‐intensity CT can improve vascular tissue inflammation but not oxidative stress.
Concordance between a Mohs surgeon and a dermatopathologist in evaluating Mohs cryosections
Authors: Atilla S. , Gököz Ö. , Özer S. , Elçin G.
Published: July 2021

Background

Mohs micrographic surgery is the gold standard treatment for high‐risk non‐melanoma skin cancers. The success of Mohs relies on accurate histopathologic evaluation. Due to law restrictions in some European countries, Mohs surgeons are not permitted to report on histopathology; therefore, a pathologist evaluates the frozen sections.

Objective

To retrospectively assess the concordance between the certified Mohs surgeon and the pathologist in evaluating the Mohs slides that were intraoperatively evaluated by the pathologist.

Materials and Methods

Frozen section slides of a total of 237 Mohs cases between 2013 and 2020 were examined by the blinded Mohs surgeon, and the tumours were marked on copy maps. The copy maps and the original maps were compared, and the non‐concordant cases were re‐evaluated together by the Mohs surgeon and the dermatopathologist. The concordance rate was calculated, and the inter‐rater agreement was statistically analysed using Cohen's Kappa coefficient.

Results

We report a high concordance rate (97.9%) and inter‐rater agreement (0.96) between Mohs surgeon and dermatopathologist in evaluating Mohs slides.

Conclusion

As a newly settled centre, our results are in alignment with experienced centres where the Mohs surgeon evaluates the slides herself and performs the surgery.