bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of a COVID-19 outbreak using a multidisciplinary approach and infection prevention control practices at a community living center in Veterans Administration Hospital, North Texas
Authors: Oboho Ikwo K. , Hanna John , Silva-Rodriguez Denisse , Christie-Smith Angela , Psenicka Andrew , Khongmongkhon Ampava , Kouma Marcus A. , Reid Sherry , Bedimo Roger
Published: January 2025

Background:

The increase in severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cases due to the omicron strain led to reduced acute care hospital beds at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, North Texas; veterans with non-severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease were managed at a community living center (CLC), a VA nursing home. The management of non-severe COVID-19 in VA nursing homes has not been extensively described.

Methods:

We describe resident characteristics and outcomes, and infection control practices implemented during 2 COVID-19 outbreak periods (January 12–February 15, 2022, June 28–July 14, 2023). Serial testing of all CLC residents was conducted, and residents with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection were included in the analysis. Resident data were ascertained from the COVID-19 facility dashboard and medical record system.

Results:

From January 12 to February 15, 2022, and June 28–July 14, 2023, 62 adults residing at the CLC were diagnosed with COVID-19. Overall, the median age was 75 years [interquartile range, 71–80], and 57 (91.9%) were men. Residents were cohorted by COVID-19 test results. A multidisciplinary team was convened, and staff were fit tested for appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and received refresher training on hand hygiene, donning, and doffing of PPE. Thirty-seven (59.7%) residents were symptomatic. Overall, 55 (88.7%) residents were documented to have received the SARS-CoV-2 primary vaccination series. Most residents were managed at the CLC, while 12 (19.3%) were hospitalized in acute care.

Conclusions:

It is feasible to manage high-risk residents with non-severe COVID-19 disease in a CLC utilizing a multidisciplinary approach and implementing Infection Prevention and Control strategies.
Pushing the boundaries of anticipatory action using machine learning
Authors: Kjærum Alexander , Madsen Bo S.
Published: January 2025

Displacement continues to increase at a global scale and is increasingly happening in complex, multicrisis settings, leading to more complex and deeper humanitarian needs. Humanitarian needs are therefore increasingly outgrowing the available humanitarian funding. Thus, responding to vulnerabilities before disaster strikes is crucial but anticipatory action is contingent on the ability to accurately forecast what will happen in the future. Forecasting and contingency planning are not new in the humanitarian sector, where scenario-building continues to be an exercise conducted in most humanitarian operations to strategically plan for coming events. However, the accuracy of these exercises remains limited. To address this challenge and work with the objective of providing the humanitarian sector with more accurate forecasts to enhance the protection of vulnerable groups, the Danish Refugee Council has already developed several machine learning models. The Anticipatory Humanitarian Action for Displacement uses machine learning to forecast displacement in subdistricts in the Liptako-Gourma region in Sahel, covering Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The model is mainly built on data related to conflict, food insecurity, vegetation health, and the prevalence of underweight to forecast displacement. In this article, we will detail how the model works, the accuracy and limitations of the model, and how we are translating the forecasts into action by using them for anticipatory action in South Sudan and Burkina Faso, including concrete examples of activities that can be implemented ahead of displacement in the place of origin, along routes and in place of destination.
Toward an Ecofeminist New Materialism: Agency and Action in a More-Than-Human World
Authors: Tokay Ela
Published: January 2025

The realities of the Anthropocene, from climate change to pandemics to plastics, necessitate substantially different ways of understanding what it means to act in the world today. In response, feminist scholars within the field of new materialism have attempted to rethink the nature of agency and action. This article focuses on two unresolved challenges with their framework: first, it lacks a way to make distinctions or draw boundaries between different entities and actors and, second, it simplifies the relationship between ontology and ethics, implying that an ontological transformation will lead to more ethical and just relationships with the more-than-human world. I argue that to address these challenges new materialism should look to ecofeminism, particularly the philosophy of Val Plumwood; this pairing is especially pertinent considering the often overlooked or downplayed genealogical connections between them. I also argue, however, that new materialism has something to offer Plumwood: its reconceptualization of agency better responds to contemporary circumstances in ways foreclosed by Plumwood’s more limited account. I conclude that a coalition between new materialism and ecofeminism—a new materialism supplemented and modified by aspects of Plumwood’s account—provides valuable conceptual tools with which to respond to the Anthropocene condition.
Supplemented with Astragalus dregs improves growth performance, immunity, and antioxidant capacity in fattening pigs
Authors: Guo Qi , Wang Jiayi , Wang Xuhan , Zhang Hongyi , Xing Jiajiao
Published: January 2025

This study aimed to investigate the impact of Astragalus dregs — the residue after the extraction of principal active components — on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immune function of fattening pigs. Twenty-four 130 days of age fattening pigs were randomly assigned to the control group and experimental group (supplemented with 10% Astragalus dregs). The production performance was evaluated by average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and diarrhoea rates. Additionally, nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, and immune function factors were analysed. The group supplemented with Astragalus dregs showed a trend towards improved ADG and ADFI and reduced diarrhoea rates (p > 0.05). Moreover, it significantly enhanced the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and ether extract (p < 0.05). Blood analysis revealed that globulin and total protein were increased, and glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels were decreased (p < 0.05) in the group supplemented with Astragalus dregs. The antioxidant capacity was significantly promoted by elevated T-AOC, GSH-px, and SOD activities and reduced malondialdehyde levels (p < 0.05). The immune function factors demonstrated that IgA, IgG, IgM, and anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and IL-22 were significantly increased, meanwhile pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2 and IL-6 were decreased (p < 0.05).

These findings indicate that Astragalus dregs, as a dietary supplement, may enhance growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immune function in fattening pigs. It is suggested that future studies should explore the optimal supplementation ratio of Astragalus dregs in pig diets.
“The Dark and Sad Days of Reconstruction”: The Politics of Memory in the Civil Rights Era
Authors: Glickman Lawrence B.
Published: January 2025

This article examines how and why many prominent white supporters of the civil rights movement either ignored or condemned the model of the Reconstruction era. Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, for example, did not publicly mention Reconstruction as part of their efforts to promote civil rights, and in 1957, Hubert Humphrey, the pro–civil rights senator from Minnesota, spoke of “the dark and sad days of Reconstruction.” In contrast, as the article shows, most Black civil rights activists embraced the memory of Reconstruction. At the same time, segregationists frequently referred to and commemorated, albeit negatively, Reconstruction. Indeed, they popularized the idea that the modern civil rights movement was a “Second Reconstruction.” Through an examination of political statements, government documents, opinion columnists, historians, letters to the editor, and other sources, the article traces both the silence and condemnation of Reconstruction on the part of many civil rights supporters.
Moments to remember: The impact of mediated memory work on live event experiences
Authors: Hammelburg Esther
Published: January 2025

The pervasive use of media at current-day festivals thoroughly impacts how these live events are experienced, anticipated, and remembered. This empirical study examined eventgoers’ live media practices – taking photos, making videos, and in-the-moment sharing of content on social media platforms – at three large cultural events in the Netherlands. Taking a practice approach (Ahva 2017; Couldry 2004), the author studied online and offline event environments through extensive ethnographic fieldwork: online and offline observations, and interviews with 379 eventgoers. Analysis of this research material shows that through their live media practices eventgoers are continuously involved in mediated memory work (Lohmeier and Pentzold 2014; Van Dijck 2007), a form of live storytelling that revolves around how they want to remember the event. The article focuses on the impact of mediated memory work on the live experience in the present. It distinguishes two types of mediatised experience of live events: live as future memory and the experiential live. The author argues that memory is increasingly incorporated into the live experience in the present, so much so that, for many eventgoers, mediated memory-making is crucial to having a full live event experience. The article shows how empirical research in media studies can shed new light on key questions within memory studies.
Exponential Random Graph Models for Dynamic Signed Networks: An Application to International Relations
Authors: Fritz Cornelius , Mehrl Marius , Thurner Paul W. , Kauermann Göran
Published: January 2025

Substantive research in the Social Sciences regularly investigates signed networks, where edges between actors are positive or negative. One often-studied example within International Relations for this type of network consists of countries that can cooperate with or fight against each other. These analyses often build on structural balance theory, one of the earliest and most prominent network theories. While the theorization and description of signed networks have made significant progress, the inferential study of link formation within them remains limited in the absence of appropriate statistical models. We fill this gap by proposing the Signed Exponential Random Graph Model (SERGM), extending the well-known Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM) to networks where ties are not binary but positive or negative if a tie exists. Since most networks are dynamically evolving systems, we specify the model for both cross-sectional and dynamic networks. Based on hypotheses derived from structural balance theory, we formulate interpretable signed network statistics, capturing dynamics such as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. In our empirical application, we use the SERGM to analyze cooperation and conflict between countries within the international state system. We find evidence for structural balance in International Relations.
MODGIRT: Multidimensional Dynamic Scaling of Aggregate Survey Data
Authors: Berwick Elissa , Caughey Devin
Published: January 2025

Dynamic models of aggregate public opinion are increasingly popular, but to date they have been restricted to unidimensional latent traits. This is problematic because in many domains the structure of mass preferences is multidimensional. We address this limitation by deriving a multidimensional ordinal dynamic group-level item response theory (MODGIRT) model. We describe the Bayesian estimation of the model and present a novel workflow for dealing with the difficult problem of identification. With simulations, we show that MODGIRT recovers aggregate parameters without estimating subject-level ideal points and is robust to moderate violations of assumptions. We further validate the model by reproducing at the group level an existing individual-level analysis of British attitudes towards redistribution. We then reanalyze a recent cross-national application of a group-level item response theory model, replacing its domain-specific confirmatory approach with an exploratory MODGIRT model. We describe extensions to allow for overdispersion, differential item functioning, and group-level predictors. A publicly available R package implements these methods.
Sign-Congruence, External Validity, and Replication
Authors: Slough Tara , Tyson Scott A.
Published: January 2025

We develop a formal framework for accumulating evidence across studies and apply it to develop theoretical foundations for replication. Our primary contribution is to characterize the relationship between replication and distinct formulations of external validity. Whereas conventional wisdom holds that replication facilitates learning about external validity, we show that this is not, in general, the case. Our results show how comparisons of the magnitude or sign of empirical findings link to distinct concepts of external validity. However, without careful attention to the research design of constituent studies, replication can mislead efforts to assess external validity. We show that two studies must have essentially the same research designs, i.e., be harmonized, in order for their estimates to provide information about any kind of external validity. This result shows that even minor differences in research design between a study and its replication can introduce a discrepancy that is typically overlooked, a problem that becomes more pronounced as the number of studies increases. We conclude by outlining a design-driven approach to replication, which responds to the issues our framework identifies and details how a research agenda can manage them productively.
The development and evaluation of multiple regression equations based on four common nutritional analysis packages to predict the metabolisable energy density of diets fed to grower/finisher and adult pigs and their use for rat and mouse diets
Authors: Tobin Graham , Schuhmacher Annette , Górecki Tomasz , Smaga Łukasz
Published: January 2025

We have used multiple regression analyses to develop a series of metabolisable energy (ME) prediction equations from chemical analyses of pig diets that can be extended to murine diets. We compiled four datasets from an extensive range of published metabolism studies with grower/finisher and adult pigs. The analytes in the datasets were increasingly complex, comprising: 1. the proximate or Weende analysis, 2. the previous analysis but with neutral detergent fibre (NDF) replacing crude fibre, 3. the NDF package plus starch, 4. the NDF package plus starch and sugars. Diet manufacturers routinely provide most of the analytes for batches of murine diet, or they are easily obtainable. The study uniquely compares the four analytical packages side-by-side. The number of records in the datasets varies from 367 to 827. With increasing analytical complexity, adjusted R2 values for ME prediction improved from 0.751 to 0.869, and the mean absolute error from 0.422 to 0.289 kJ/g. Overall, the models’ prediction interval (PI) improved from 1 to 0.7 kJ/g, which is ± 7% to 5% for a typical dietary ME density of 14.8 kJ/g. Although prediction accuracy increases as one extends the range and complexity of the analytes measured, the improvement is slight and may not justify the substantial increase in analytical cost. The equations were validated for use on future data sets by k-fold analysis. Although the equations are developed from pig data, they are suitable for rat and mouse diets, based on comparable digestibility measurements, and substantially improve existing methods.
Experiencing Heathen and Its Publics
Authors: Baysa Michael
Published: January 2025

In 1768, Mohegan minister Samson Occom made a case for why he was a heathen. Shortly before Occom departed for London to raise funds for Moors Indian Charity School, ministers and fellow missionaries spread rumors doubting whether Occom had truly converted from “heathenism” to Christianity. Occom responded by drafting an autobiography defending his conversion. He cast his Mohegan upbringing as heathenism from which he escaped into his newfound Christian identity: “I was born a Heathen and Brought up in Heathenism, till I was between 16 & 17 years of age. . .[My parents] strictly maintained and followed in their heathenish ways, customs & religion, though there were some preaching among them.” However, these three mentions of heathenism in the opening were the only times the term appeared. Throughout the manuscript, he subtly transitioned to the term “Indian.” Occom then spent the rest of the manuscript highlighting his unfair treatment in the hands of his peers: he was underpaid compared to White missionaries and he was labeled an ineffective educator of Mohegan children. He closed the account attributing his failures to the fact that he was “a poor Indian.” The final line read, “I can't help that God has made me so; I did not make myself so.” It was hard for Occom disentangle his conversion from the possibility that he was always and already a heathen.
Stubborn Entanglements
Authors: Wheeler Rachel
Published: January 2025

Kathryn Gin Lum's Heathen is so rich and so vast, I struggled to know where to begin! As I read, I kept being prompted to think back to sources I had encountered in my own research over the years and to think about them in new ways. And so, rather than trying to summarize the book's arguments, I'll aim to preview some of Gin Lum's central interventions by running various bits of sources from my research through the filter of Heathen. My hope is that this process conveys what I see as the broad reach and significance of Heathen, while also raising a few points for further consideration. I have tried to align my research tidbits with particular threads and claims Gin Lum presents.
Judicial Legislation: The Supreme Court of Nigeria's Model for Strategic Decision-Making?
Authors: Sulayman Yusuf
Published: January 2025

The Fourth Republic is Nigeria's longest experience in democratic practice. It is a democracy founded upon the ideal of separation of powers; each branch checks the other two within defined boundaries. To act as an effective check on the political branches of government, the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, is built around structures that guarantee its independence. This article assesses the Supreme Court of Nigeria's use of discretion within this web and argues that the court now inevitably allows powerful actors to bank on its legitimacy and induce it to overstretch its competence to satisfy their individual policy and political preferences. This trend, the article finds, is antithetical to the concept of judicial independence. A court's independence is not only apparent when it is able to do what it is meant to do but also when it is able to refrain from what it is not meant to do.
Determinants in the timing of hatching in egg capsules of a gastropod with maternal care: the case of Crepipatella peruviana
Authors: Salas-Yanquin L. P. , Mardones-Toledo D. A. , Montory J. A. , Büchner-Miranda J. A. , Paredes-Molina F. J. , Jaramillo H. N. , Sabja-Llanos E. N. , Pérez-Echeverría I. , Matos A. S. , Cubillos V. M. , Chaparro O. R.
Published: January 2025

In many species with encapsulated larval development, the larvae play an active role in hatching. However, the factors that control when the larvae hatch from each egg-capsule within an egg-mass are largely unknown. Advanced egg-masses of the gastropod Crepipatella peruviana were used to determine the hatching time of capsules from each egg-mass. After each female was detached, the egg-mass was also removed from the substrate and all capsules were then counted and measured. All capsules were examined to determine the time of hatching and the order in which capsules hatched from each egg-mass. Larvae were collected from each hatched egg-capsule and the number, size and weight of larvae from each capsule were determined. After 50–60% of the capsules from each egg-mass had hatched, the same characteristics of the remaining unhatched larvae from sister capsules were documented. Larvae were found to have hatched when they reached a size of 354 ± 22 μm (n = 245). Larvae from capsules within the same egg-mass hatched over a period of up to 12-days. The order of hatching in capsules from the same egg-mass was determined by larval content: capsules with fewer larvae and smaller capsules with heavier larvae hatched first. The hatching from one capsule in any given egg-mass did not induce the hatching of its sister capsules. Furthermore, hatching also occurred successfully in the mother absence, suggesting that this process is largely or completely controlled by the encapsulated larvae, although a possible maternal role in synchronizing hatching cannot be excluded.
The cosmopolitanism of Karakorum, capital of the Mongol empire in Mongolia
Authors: Reichert Susanne
Published: January 2025

Karakorum, in present-day Mongolia, was the first capital of Mongol empire and has often been portrayed as the cosmopolitan city par excellence of its era. This portrayal is primarily based on the description of the city as a multicultural community in a travelogue written by the Franciscan monk William of Rubruck, who spent some time there in 1254. This understanding of cosmopolitanism stems from a colloquial sense of the term and does not take into account its history and layered meanings. Based on a discussion of the term, this article presents an approach to cosmopolitanism suitable for archaeology, namely by examining the practices of ‘lived cosmopolitanism’. Taking the archaeological evidence from Karakorum as a case study, the author explores the cultural fields of city layout and architecture, cuisine, religion, and funerary rites to answer the question of whether and how the people of Karakorum were cosmopolitan. The discussion shows that it is of the utmost importance to distinguish between social groups and their status. While the Great Khans can be viewed as cosmopolitans of their time, the commoner population of Karakorum appears rather to have been segregated into different groups. The material evidence so far points to low degrees of engagement among different groups within the city. Yet, the discussion of cosmopolitanism reveals deeper insights into the social realities of the city’s inhabitants and unresolved questions in the study of this important city.
What keeps the Kitans enigmatic: Roots of the ethnic narrative in Liao historiography
Authors: Crossley Pamela
Published: January 2025

Since 1930s scholarship, the historiography of Kitan Liao has increasingly interpreted ethnicity as a factor in polity and policy, an interpretation that has depended upon retrospective constructions of Liao and Jin by, largely, the Qing imperial court of the eighteenth century. Archaeological evidence now demonstrates that the documentation itself was fragmentary and in all likelihood unrepresentative of the identity concepts that prevailed at various class strata of the Kitan Liao empire. On the ground, prominent aristocrats, including many from the lineage of Han Derang (or the Han of Jizhou), are shown to be derived from the status and wealth of each man in his own time. Identities drawn from ancestry, language, place of origin, or folk customs were characteristic of dependent populations, not of aristocrats. Stratified identities, by horizontal rank and not partitioned vertically by imputed ethnicity, appear to be evident in many histories of northeast Asian regimes from Northern Wei to the very early Qing. They were characterized by a continuous cultural tradition with complex elements, consistent among them reading and writing multiple languages and literatures, horse training and hunting pastimes, and shamanic religious and political practices. Because these elements are associated in modern discourse with distinct language and cultural traditions, this aristocratic culture tends to be seen as variegated and ‘cosmopolitan’ rather than as coherent and continuous.
Antimicrobial resistance profiles and molecular epidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from Scottish bovine mastitis cases
Authors: Pollock Jolinda , Foster Geoffrey , Henderson Katrina , Bell Jennifer , Hutchings Michael R. , Paterson Gavin K.
Published: January 2025

Klebsiella pneumoniae are opportunistic pathogens which can cause mastitis in dairy cattle. K. pneumoniae mastitis often has a poor cure rate and can lead to the development of chronic infection, which has an impact on both health and production. However, there are few studies which aim to fully characterize K. pneumoniae by whole-genome sequencing from bovine mastitis cases. Here, K. pneumoniae isolates associated with mastitis in dairy cattle were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and whole-genome sequencing. Furthermore, whole-genome sequence data were used for phylogenetic analyses and both virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) prediction, in parallel with phenotypic AMR testing. Forty-two isolates identified as K. pneumoniae were subject to whole-genome sequencing, with 31 multi-locus sequence types being observed, suggesting the source of these isolates was likely environmental. Isolates were examined for key virulence determinants encoding acquired siderophores, colibactin, and hypermucoidy. The majority of these were absent, except for ybST (encoding yersiniabactin) which was present in six isolates. Across the dataset, there were notable levels of phenotypic AMR against streptomycin (26.2%) and tetracycline (19%), and intermediate susceptibility to cephalexin (26.2%) and neomycin (21.4%). Of importance was the detection of two ESBL-producing isolates, which demonstrated multi-drug resistance to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, streptomycin, tetracycline, cefotaxime, cephalexin, and cefquinome.
THE HISTORY OF ECONOMICS SOCIETY AT 50: INTRODUCTION
Authors: Duarte Pedro Garcia , Hurtado Jimena
Published: January 2025

As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the History of Economics Society (HES), this issue of the Journal of the History of Economic Thought marks a significant milestone. The journal, as the official publication of the society, seeks to participate in commemorating this important occasion and acknowledging the society’s substantial contributions to the scholarly community over the past five decades. The society’s efforts have not only advanced research in the history of economic thought but have also fostered a vibrant intellectual community of historians and economists.
Giulio Aleni's map sheet: exploring the contents and materiality of the only known Ming-era print
Authors: Cams Mario , Papelitzky Elke
Published: January 2025

Japan's Kobe City Museum holds a unique yet overlooked xylographic print of an early seventeenth-century composition that centres on a Chinese-language world map, mounted as a scroll. At first glance, the scroll seems to contain a copy of a well-known composition attributed to the Jesuit Giulio Aleni that is extant at two Italian libraries. It is known in the literature as Wanguo quantu 萬國全圖, after the title of only one of three constitutive parts. Detailed comparison shows that the hitherto unstudied Kobe sheet is significantly older. This observation initiates a discussion of the contents and materiality of the Kobe sheet in three steps. First, a reconstruction of intertextual connections to late Ming books based on the introductory text illustrates the function of the sheet map. Second, the origins of the maps proper are investigated, which, unlike the introductory text, can be traced back to a collaborative book project. In a last step, the afterlife of these map sheets is discussed, further illuminating the genealogy of maps that facilitated the production of the Kobe sheet. Throughout, this article highlights the local co-creation of map artefacts and the necessity to study maps in context, beyond the analysis of their cartographic contents.
Syntactic fragments in social interaction: a socio-cognitive approach to the syntax of conversation
Authors: HASELOW ALEXANDER
Published: January 2025

Successful language-based interaction depends on the reciprocal interplay of two or more speakers. The production of structural fragments rather than ‘full’ clausal units plays a crucial role for this interplay. This article provides an outline of a descriptive framework labeled ‘dual-mind syntax’, which is designed for describing the social signature in spoken syntax. Fragments are not analyzed as deficient and ‘incomplete’ syntactic units, but as a communicative practice used to design structures in a responsive-contingent fashion in social interaction. Based on empirical data coming from recorded natural interactions, it will be shown how speakers use syntactic fragments for coordinating actions and collaborative structure-building and for contributing to the emergence of a structurally integrated, coherent whole.
(Negated) fragment answers in English: a discourse-oriented and construction-based perspective
Authors: KIM JONG-BOK
Published: January 2025

Fragment answers involve a type of ellipsis that occurs in answers to questions and these answers can be hosted by the negator not (e.g. What was his motive? Not money). The central research questions for such a negative fragment answer concern what licenses the fragment, how we can obtain a sentential meaning from its non-sentential status and what its syntactic structure is. In attempting to answer these questions, there have been two main approaches: deletion-based sentential approaches and surface-oriented, direct interpretation (DI) approaches. This article first discusses attested data of such negated fragment answers that could challenge both directions and argues for a direct interpretation approach in which the interpretation of negative fragments is achieved by discourse machinery. The suggested approach shows that once we have a system that represents structured discourse structures, we could have straightforward mapping relations from a negated fragment answer to its proper propositional meaning.
Feminist Institutionalism and Ethnography: Crafting Research from a Diverse Methodological Menu
Authors: Grahn Michal , Miller Cherry M.
Published: January 2025

The objective of feminist institutionalist (FI) political science is to expose institutions that perpetuate gender inequalities. The nature of these entities and the best strategies for studying them remain hotly debated topics. Some scholars identify ethnography as a valuable methodology for FI research. However, novices to this methodology might need help navigating it. In this theory-generating article, we aim to bridge the gap between different approaches to FI and ethnographic methodologies. We propose ethnographic approaches suitable for scholars who see gendered institutions as real entities that constrain and enable human practices, as well as those who perceive them as sedimented clusters of meanings. We illustrate our arguments using a partially fictional empirical example, inspired by findings from our own ethnographic research. We hope that this article will promote increased engagement, both theoretical and empirical, with ethnography among FI scholars.
The Thermosphere Was Poorly Predictable Not Only During but Also Before and After the Starlink Storm on 3–4 February 2022
Authors: Reznychenko M. O. , Kotov D. V. , Richards P. G. , Bogomaz O. V. , Reznychenko A. I. , Goncharenko L. P. , Zhivolup T. G. , Domnin I. F.
Published: January 2025

Observation‐based simulations of the ionosphere were performed with the NRLMSISE‐00 model for six locations around the globe during 1–9 February 2022, which includes the so‐called Starlink Storm. Unlike other studies, we focused on the magnetically quiet days around the storm. Unexpectedly, the observed values of the F2‐layer peak density were ∼50% larger than the simulated values. We show that this implies that the daytime O density in the thermosphere was systematically ∼30% larger than the NRLMSISE‐00 predicts. Further investigation shows that this discrepancy is not an exclusive feature of the period around the Starlink Storm and a similar problem happens for some periods for different years. It is unclear if the reason is an actual increase of the O density or its underestimation by the model. Resolving this problem is critical for providing accurate predictions of the atmosphere to avoid the degradation of normal operation or even loss of space assets.
Climate Change Drives Evolution of Thermohaline Staircases in the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Lundberg M. , Polyakov I. V.
Published: January 2025

A thermohaline staircase detection algorithm, applied to mooring and ice‐tethered profiler data, systematically assessed the variability of fine‐scale, diffusive‐convective staircase abundance in the Arctic Ocean thermoclines in 2004–2023. Over that period, staircase occurrence statistically decreased in both the Amerasian and Eurasian basins, with thinner, shallower staircase layers preferentially decreasing over the Eurasian Basin's slope. In stark contrast to the Amerasian Basin, seasonality of detected staircase occurrence was pronounced in the Eurasian Basin and appeared to be increasing. Interannual and long‐term variability of detectable staircase abundance and background thermocline density stratification were correlated, negatively so in the Amerasian Basin and positively in the Eurasian Basin, indicating reversed sensitivities of staircase constructive and destructive processes to stratification. Seasonal and long‐term staircase variabilities in both basins were consistent with known environmental contrasts and tendencies, including upper freshening of the stronger, thicker Amerasian Basin halocline, the shift toward deeper winter ventilation of the weaker Eurasian Basin halocline, and more near‐surface velocity shear over the Eurasian Basin's slope. There is no reason to believe that climate change will stop anytime soon, and we have good cause to believe that the observed tendencies in staircase structure will persist.
Evidence of DNA methylation heterogeneity and epipolymorphism in kidney cancer tissue samples
Authors: Rossi Sabrina H. , Dombrowe Victoria , Godfrey Laura , Bucaciuc Mracica Teodora , Pita Sara , Milne-Clark Toby , Kyeremeh Justicia , Park Gahee , Smith Christopher G. , Lach Radoslaw P. , Babbage Anne , Warren Anne Y. , Mitchell Thomas J. , Stewart Grant D. , Schwarz Roland , Massie Charlie E.
Published: January 2025

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterised by significant genetic heterogeneity, which has diagnostic and prognostic implications. Very limited evidence is available regarding DNA methylation heterogeneity. We therefore generate sequence level DNA methylation data on 136 multi-region tumour and normal kidney tissue from 18 ccRCC patients, along with matched whole exome sequencing (85 samples) and gene expression (47 samples) data on a subset of samples. We perform a comprehensive systematic analysis of heterogeneity between patients, within a patient and within a sample. We demonstrate that bulk methylation data may be deconvoluted into cell-type-specific latent methylation components (LMCs), and that LMC1, which is likely to represent T cells, is associated with prognostic parameters. Differential epipolymorphism was noted between ccRCC and normal tissue in the promoter region of genes which are known to be associated with kidney cancer. This was externally validated in an independent cohort of 71 ccRCC and normal kidney tissues. Differential epipolymorphism in the gene promoter was a predictor of gene expression, after adjusting for average methylation. This represents the first evaluation of epipolymorphism in ccRCC and suggests that gains and losses in methylation disorder may have a functional relevance, gleaning important information on tumourigenesis.
Neutralizing antibody immune correlates in COVAIL trial recipients of an mRNA second COVID-19 vaccine boost
Authors: Zhang Bo , Fong Youyi , Dang Lauren , Fintzi Jonathan , Chen Shiyu , Wang Jing , Rouphael Nadine G. , Branche Angela R. , Diemert David J. , Falsey Ann R. , Graciaa Daniel S. , Baden Lindsey R. , Frey Sharon E. , Whitaker Jennifer A. , Little Susan J. , Kamidani Satoshi , Walter Emmanuel B. , Novak Richard M. , Rupp Richard , Jackson Lisa A. , Yu Chenchen , Magaret Craig A. , Molitor Cindy , Borate Bhavesh , Busch Sydney , Benkeser David , Netzl Antonia , Smith Derek J. , Babu Tara M. , Kottkamp Angelica C. , Luetkemeyer Anne F. , Immergluck Lilly C. , Presti Rachel M. , Bäcker Martín , Winokur Patricia L. , Mahgoub Siham M. , Goepfert Paul A. , Fusco Dahlene N. , Atmar Robert L. , Posavad Christine M. , Mu Jinjian , Makowski Mat , Makhene Mamodikoe K. , Nayak Seema U. , Roberts Paul C. , Gilbert Peter B. , Follmann Dean ,   Coronavirus Variant Immunologic Landscape Trial (COVAIL) Study Team
Published: January 2025

Neutralizing antibody titer has been a surrogate endpoint for guiding COVID-19 vaccine approval and use, although the pandemic’s evolution and the introduction of variant-adapted vaccine boosters raise questions as to this surrogate’s contemporary performance. For 985 recipients of an mRNA second bivalent or monovalent booster containing various Spike inserts [Prototype (Ancestral), Beta, Delta, and/or Omicron BA.1 or BA.4/5] in the COVAIL trial (NCT05289037), titers against 5 strains were assessed as correlates of risk of symptomatic COVID-19 (“COVID-19”) and as correlates of relative (Pfizer-BioNTech Omicron vs. Prototype) booster protection against COVID-19 over 6 months of follow-up during the BA.2-BA.5 Omicron-dominant period. Consistently across the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine platforms and across all variant Spike inserts assessed, both peak and exposure-proximal (“predicted-at-exposure”) titers correlated with lower Omicron COVID-19 risk in individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, albeit significantly less so in naïve individuals [e.g., exposure-proximal hazard ratio per 10-fold increase in BA.1 titer 0.74 (95% CI 0.59, 0.94) for naïve vs. 0.41 (95% CI 0.23, 0.64) for non-naïve; interaction p = 0.013]. Neutralizing antibody titer was a strong inverse correlate of Omicron COVID-19 in non-naïve individuals and a weaker correlate in naïve individuals, posing questions about how prior infection alters the neutralization correlate.
Anti-correlation of LacI association and dissociation rates observed in living cells
Authors: Kandavalli Vinodh , Zikrin Spartak , Elf Johan , Jones Daniel
Published: January 2025

The rate at which transcription factors (TFs) bind their cognate sites has long been assumed to be limited by diffusion, and thus independent of binding site sequence. Here, we systematically test this assumption using cell-to-cell variability in gene expression as a window into the in vivo association and dissociation kinetics of the model transcription factor LacI. Using a stochastic model of the relationship between gene expression variability and binding kinetics, we performed single-cell gene expression measurements to infer association and dissociation rates for a set of 35 different LacI binding sites. We found that both association and dissociation rates differed significantly between binding sites, and moreover observed a clear anticorrelation between these rates across varying binding site strengths. These results contradict the long-standing hypothesis that TF binding site strength is primarily dictated by the dissociation rate, but may confer the evolutionary advantage that TFs do not get stuck in near-operator sequences while searching.
Streptococcus abundance and oral site tropism in humans and non-human primates reflects host and lifestyle differences
Authors: Velsko Irina M. , Warinner Christina
Published: January 2025

The genus Streptococcus is highly diverse and a core member of the primate oral microbiome. Streptococcus species are grouped into at least eight phylogenetically-supported clades, five of which are found almost exclusively in the oral cavity. We explored the dominant Streptococcus phylogenetic clades in samples from multiple oral sites and from ancient and modern-day humans and non-human primates and found that clade dominance is conserved across human oral sites, with most Streptococcus reads assigned to species falling in the Sanguinis or Mitis clades. However, minor differences in the presence and abundance of individual species within each clade differentiated human lifestyles, with loss of S. sinensis appearing to correlate with toothbrushing. Of the non-human primates, only baboons show clade abundance patterns similar to humans, suggesting that a habitat and diet similar to that of early humans may favor the growth of Sanguinis and Mitis clade species.
An image dataset for surveillance of personal protective equipment adherence in healthcare
Authors: Yang Wanzhao , Kim Mary S. , Sippel Genevieve J. , Mun Aaron H. , McCarthy Kathleen H. , Park Beomseok , Sarcevic Aleksandra , Linguraru Marius George , Marsic Ivan , Burd Randall S.
Published: January 2025

Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) use is critical to prevent disease transmission to healthcare providers, especially those treating patients with a high infection risk. To address the challenge of monitoring PPE usage in healthcare, computer vision has been evaluated for tracking adherence. Existing datasets for this purpose, however, lack a diversity of PPE and nonadherence classes, represent single not multiple providers, and do not depict dynamic provider movement during patient care. We introduce the Resuscitation Room Personal Protective Equipment (R2PPE) dataset that bridges this gap by providing a realistic portrayal of diverse PPE use by multiple interacting individuals in a healthcare setting. This dataset contains 26 videos, 10,034 images and 123,751 bounding box annotations for 17 classes of PPE adherence and nonadherence for eyewear, masks, gowns, and gloves, and one additional head class. Evaluations using newly proposed metrics confirm R2PPE exhibits higher annotation density than three established general-purpose and medical PPE datasets. The R2PPE dataset provides a resource for developing computer vision algorithms for monitoring PPE use in healthcare.
Enhancing energy autonomy of greenhouses with semi-transparent photovoltaic systems through a comparative study of battery storage systems
Authors: Gholami Mohammadreza , Arefi Ali , Hasan Anwarul , Li Chengdao , Muyeen S. M.
Published: January 2025

Effective energy management is crucial in greenhouse farming to ensure efficient operations and optimal crop growth. This study investigates the energy autonomy—defined as the ratio of on-site energy generation to the total energy demand—of greenhouses equipped with semi-transparent photovoltaic (STPV) systems under two scenarios: with and without a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). STPV systems are beneficial because they generate energy while still allowing enough light to pass through for healthy plant development. Seasonal variations in energy autonomy during summer and winter were analyzed. Results show that incorporating BESS significantly reduces reliance on grid electricity, with energy autonomy improving from 43.43% to 24.17% in summer and 81.36% to 69.45% in winter. The system’s performance was highly sensitive to the transmittance rate of STPV panels and the minimum Daily Light Integral (DLI) required for crops. These findings highlight the potential of BESS to enhance energy independence and promote sustainable agricultural practices. The study provides insights into optimizing renewable energy systems in greenhouses, emphasizing practical implications for scalability and economic feasibility.
Spatial analysis and risk mapping of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Sub-saharan Africa
Authors: Ilboudo Abdoul Kader , Oloo Stephen Owambo , Sircely Jason , Nijhof Ard M. , Bett Bernard
Published: January 2025

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a re-emerging tick-borne zoonosis that is caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV). The geographical distribution of the disease and factors that influence its occurrence are poorly known. We analysed historical records on its outbreaks in various countries across the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to identify hotspots and determine socioecological and demographicfactors associated with these outbreaks. We used data from historical outbreaks that were reported between 1981 and 2022 in various countries in SSA. To develop a common framework for merging the outbreak data and potential explanatory variables, we generated a common shapefile that combined Level 2 administrative units in all the countries. Several climatic, environmental, socioecological data were obtained from on-line GIS databases and extracted using the shapefile. The data were analysed using an approximate Bayesian hierarchical model using the R-INLA package. The outcome was a Boolean variable which indicated whether an administrative unit in the shapefile was affected in a given year or not. A neighborhood structure was also generated and used to account for spatial autocorrelation in the analysis. The final model that was obtained from the analysis was used to build a CCHF risk map. A total of 54 CCHF outbreaks were compiled across 414 districts in nine SSA countries. Factors that were positively associated with CCHF outbreaks included human population density, land area under grassland, bare soil cover and shrub cover. Conversely, high precipitation during wet months, elevated mean temperature and slope had negative effects. The risk map generated shows that CCHF occurrence risk is higher in arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) of West Africa, the Sahelian region, Central Africa, and the Eastern and Southern Africa region. The analysis identified ecological and demographic factors that are associated with CCHF outbreaks in SSA. This finding suggests the need to improve surveillance for the disease especially in the grasslands where the human population is increasing.
High-resolution investigations of fault architecture in space and time
Authors: Del Sole Leonardo , Viola Giulio , Aldega Luca , Moretto Vincenzo , Curzi Manuel , Xie Ruikai , Cantelli Luigi , Vignaroli Gianluca
Published: January 2025

Heterogeneous fault architecture affects crustal seismotectonics and fluid migration. When studying it, we commonly rely on static conceptual models that generally overlook the absolute time dimension of fault (re)activation. Heterogenous faults, however, represent the end-result of protracted, cumulative and intricate deformation histories. This may lead to inaccurate reconstructions of tectonic histories and flowed models of fault hydro-mechanical behavior. We adopt here a multitechnique approach building upon the examination of now juxtaposed but not coeval brittle structural facies (BSF), which offer multiscalar insights in the spatio-temporal-thermal fault evolution. Our approach is applied to the Carboneras Fault, unveiling a ~ 25 Myr-long polyphase structural and thermal evolution. This led to a complex fault architecture, where BSFs exhibit a stark heterogeneity in fault rock and permeability, ultimately generating very different space- and time-dependent fault hydro-mechanical behaviors. Therefore, fault architectures shall be seen as dynamic features from which to extrapolate time-integrated comprehensive fault models accounting for the entire deformed rock volume and fault life span. We demonstrate that high-resolution studies of fault architectures are required to elucidate modes of fault growth and evolution, decipher long-lived, polyphase tectonic and thermal histories, and understand the influence of heterogenous fault architecture on hydraulic compartmentalization and earthquake rupture dynamics.