bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes by cannulation methods for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during COVID‐19: A multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Saeed Omar , Stein Louis H. , Cavarocchi Nicolas , Tatooles Antone J. , Mustafa Asif , Jorde Ulrich P. , Alvarez Chikezie , Gluck Jason , Saunders Paul , Abrol Sunil , De Anda Abe , Goldstein Daniel J. , Silvestry Scott
Published: February 2022

Purpose

To determine if a cannulation method for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V‐V ECMO) is related to patient outcome.

Methods

A retrospective, multicenter study of adult patients (≥18 years old) placed on V‐V ECMO for severe respiratory failure due to COVID‐19 between March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021. Patients were divided into the following three groups based on the initial cannulation method: (1) femoral vein‐femoral vein or femoral vein‐internal jugular vein (dual‐site, C‐DS), (2) single, dual‐lumen cannula in internal jugular vein with tip positioned in the pulmonary artery (C‐PA), and (3) single, dual‐lumen cannula in internal jugular vein with tip positioned in the inferior vena cava (C‐IVC). The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality assessed by a time‐to‐event analysis.

Results

Overall, 435 patients from 17 centers comprised the study cohort. C‐DS was performed in 247 (57%, age: 49, IQR:39–57 years; 30% female) cases, 99 (23%, age: 53, IQR: 42–59 years; 26% female) received C‐PA, and 89 (20%) patients got C‐IVC (age: 46, IQR 35–54; 33% female). At 90‐days, in‐hospital mortality was 60% (C‐DS), 41% (C‐PA), and 61% (C‐IVC), p = 0.06. After adjustment for clinical characteristics, the likelihood of in‐hospital mortality in comparison to C‐DS, was lower with C‐PA (aHR: 0.52, 95%CI 0.32–0.85, p = 0.009) and similar with C‐IVC (aHR: 0.96, 95%CI 0.63–1.47, p = 0.86).

Conclusion

Catheter‐directed flow into the PA bypassing the right ventricle with a single dual‐lumen cannula is associated with reduced mortality during V‐V ECMO for COVID‐19. These findings are limited by residual confounding and site‐clustering. Further investigation is urgently warranted with randomized studies.
Unpacking psychological inequalities in organisations: Psychological capital reconsidered
Authors: Dóci Edina , Knappert Lena , Nijs Sanne , Hofmans Joeri
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we argue that psychological capital is unequally distributed among people from different social classes, ethnic backgrounds and genders. Confronting the limitations of the current, individualistic perspective on psychological capital, we offer a re‐conceptualisation of the construct from a critical, interdisciplinary perspective, placing it at the intersection of sociology and psychology. We discuss the various mechanisms through which social inequalities may cause differential access to psychological capital for members of low‐ and high‐status social groups and show how this differential access to psychological capital results in and exacerbates social inequalities. By doing this, we postulate a recursive theory on psychological capital that both recognises the formative effect of socio‐organisational structures on one's psychology and vice versa.
Fanconi anaemia: A syndrome with distinct subgroups
Authors: Alter Blanche P. , Giri Neelam , McReynolds Lisa J. , Altintas Burak
Published: February 2022

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome (IBMFS) with a high cancer predisposition rate. Traditional diagnoses are made before age 10 years due to bone marrow failure (BMF) and characteristic birth defects. Up to 10% of published cases were adults at diagnosis. We hypothesized that FA subgroups diagnosed in childhood are distinct from those diagnosed as adults. We classified patients by age at diagnosis of FA as FA‐PED (<18 years) or FA‐ADULT (≥18 years). The National Cancer Institute IBMFS cohort included 178 FA‐PED and 26 FA‐ADULT cases. We compared various features; the cumulative incidences of first adverse events (severe BMF leading to haematopoietic cell transplant or death, leukaemia, or solid tumours) were compared using competing‐risk analyses. FA‐ADULT lacked the ‘typical’ FA features (birth defects and early‐onset BMF or leukaemia), were mainly female, had more patients with FANCA genotype, and had or developed more head and neck squamous‐cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and/or gynaecological cancers compared with FA‐PED, albeit at similar ages in both subgroups. FA‐ADULT is a distinct subgroup that remained unrecognized during childhood. Centres for adult haematology‐oncology should consider FA diagnosis in patients with early‐onset HNSCC or gynaecological cancer with or without haematologic problems.
Dimensional changes of keratinized mucosa after accordion versus conventional free gingival graft around dental implants: A randomized two‐arm parallel clinical trial
Authors: Namadmalian Esfahani Niusha , Mohseni Salehi Monfared Seyed Hossein , Khorsand Afshin , Shamshiri Ahmad Reza
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Free gingival graft (FGG) is the most effective way to increase the apico‐coronal width of the keratinized mucosa. In case of limited donor tissue, the accordion technique can be used. This study compared FGG for dimensional and clinical changes using accordion and conventional methods.

Materials and methods

Ninety‐four implants with keratinized tissue deficiency (<2 mm) were randomly assigned to treatment with accordion (49 implants) and conventional (45 implants) FGG. Endpoints including apico‐coronal keratinized tissue width, vertical shrinkage, vestibular depth, probing depth, bleeding on probing, and plaque index were measured. The graft harvesting and recipient bed preparation method were similar in the two groups, and the only difference was the graft length. FGG was harvested with a length 40% shorter than the mesiodistal length of the recipient area in the accordion method and as much as the recipient area in the conventional method.

Results

vertical graft shrinkage 1, 3, and 6 months following conventional graft placement was 12.04 ± 14.99, 17.12 ± 20.40, and 23.29 ± 24.63 percent, respectively. In the accordion graft group, the shrinkage was significantly greater with 30.10 ± 16.12, 36.99 ± 15.51, and 43.75 ± 18.78 percent at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively (p‐value < .001). Other factors did not show a clinically significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions

Comparison of vertical shrinkage changes shows that the shrinkage rate in the accordion group is significantly higher than the conventional group.

Registration number

IRCT20190721044296N1 (Evaluation of dimensional changes of peri‐implant attached mucosa following the treatment of free gingival graft by conventional and accordion methods; randomized clinical trial two‐arm parallel).
Research, monitoring, and reflection as a guide to the management of complex ecosystems: The case of fire in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
Authors: van Wilgen Brian W. , Strydom Tercia , Simms Chenay , Smit Izak P. J.
Published: February 2022

Conservation managers frequently set goals and monitor progress toward them. This often becomes a routine annual exercise, and periodic reflection over longer periods is done less often, if at all. We report on the annual monitoring of fire patterns in the Kruger National Park between 2012 and 2020, and examine how these compared with desired thresholds of spatial extent and intensity. These thresholds were based on decades of research and were aimed at achieving specific ecological outcomes. The patterns were outside of thresholds in two out of five fire management zones. In one (Zone 1), the goal was to encourage frequent burning, and this was marginally not achieved due to a severe drought during the period assessed. In Zone 3, a reduction in extent and intensity was desired, but thresholds for both were substantially exceeded. An exceedance in any given year might not trigger a management response, but if this occurs over multiple years it should trigger an examination of whether these exceedances affected the desired ecological outcomes. On reflection, we recommend that current management in four zones need not change, but that Zone 3 would require appropriate interventions. The available options can simultaneously produce positive and negative conservation outcomes, so trade‐offs become necessary. By reflecting on research findings and management challenges, the advantages and disadvantages of available options have become clear, providing a basis for prioritization and compromise.
Rethinking Social Upgrading in Global Value Chains: Worker Power, State‒Labour Relations and Intersectionality
Authors: Marslev Kristoffer , Staritz Cornelia , Raj‐Reichert Gale
Published: February 2022

This article builds on critiques of the concept of social upgrading in global value chain (GVC) research, which problematize its coupling to lead firm strategies and economic upgrading by supplier firms, by reconceptualizing social upgrading through the lens of worker power. It argues that a better understanding of the causal processes of social upgrading can be obtained by integrating insights from labour geography, which situates worker agency at the intersection of a ‘vertical’ dimension of transnational relations and a ‘horizontal’ dimension of local relations, with conceptualizations of worker power from (global) labour studies, particularly the modes of structural and associational power. The authors call for a deeper theorization of the places in which GVCs ‘touch down’, arguing that worker power is decisively shaped by state–labour relations as well as the intersectionality of worker identities and interlinkages between spheres of production and reproduction. Case study analyses of the apparel sectors in Cambodia and Vietnam employ this reconceptualization, drawing on the authors’ own fieldwork. In both cases, worker power expressed in strike action was a key causal driver of social upgrading; and in both, the outcomes were conditioned by GVC dynamics as well as shifting state–labour relations and intersections of worker identities linked to gender, household and community relations.
Who benefits from diagnostic labels for developmental disorders?
Authors: Werkhoven Sander , Anderson Joel H. , Robeyns Ingrid A. M.
Published: February 2022

The number of diagnoses of developmental disorders is on the rise and the use of labels for developmental disorders, such as attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, is widening. Diagnostic labels can play an important role in helping those who display atypical behaviour and their caregivers to cope with associated challenges and, possibly, to get treatment. But these labels are increasingly contested and associated with a variety of harmful effects. In this paper, we analyze the role diagnostic labels can play in four different contexts (scientific, therapeutic, social, and administrative) and identify what various stakeholders stand to gain or lose with continued, expanded, or abolished use of those labels. Our analysis reveals labels serve different purposes in each of these contexts, benefitting different stakeholders. Any overall evaluation, critique, or defence of labels needs to consider the interests of all stakeholders in these contexts.
Functional uni‐ventricular heart due to post‐myocardial infarction ventricular septum rupture
Authors: Gaisendrees Christopher , Hoffmann Fabian , Kuffer Liz , Mader Navid , Wahlers Thorsten
Published: February 2022

Ventricular septum defect (VSD) is an often lethal complication caused by myocardial infarction. We report a rare case of post‐myocardial infarction ventricular septum rupture in a patient after extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR). In the bedside echocardiography after VA ECMO cannulation, we noticed the circular, hypertrophied left ventricle with the disintegrated inter‐ventricular septum (maximum dehiscence 3.3 cm), accompanied by decreased left‐ventricular ejection fraction and the right ventricle being compressed by the left ventricle's free septal wall. There was no pressure‐relevant inter‐ventricular separation resulting in left‐to‐right‐shunting and therefore resulting in a fully functional uni‐ventricular heart.
Developmental experiences alter the temporal processing characteristics of the visual cortex: Evidence from deaf and hearing native signers
Authors: Stroh Anna‐Lena , Grin Konstantin , Rösler Frank , Bottari Davide , Ossandón José , Rossion Bruno , Röder Brigitte
Published: February 2022

To date, the extent to which early experience shapes the functional characteristics of neural circuits is still a matter of debate. In the present study, we tested whether congenital deafness and/or the acquisition of a sign language alter the temporal processing characteristics of the visual system. Moreover, we investigated whether, assuming cross‐modal plasticity in deaf individuals, the temporal processing characteristics of possibly reorganised auditory areas resemble those of the visual cortex. Steady‐state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) were recorded in congenitally deaf native signers, hearing native signers, and hearing nonsigners. The luminance of the visual stimuli was periodically modulated at 12, 21, and 40 Hz. For hearing nonsigners, the optimal driving rate was 12 Hz. By contrast, for the group of hearing signers, the optimal driving rate was 12 and 21 Hz, whereas for the group of deaf signers, the optimal driving rate was 21 Hz. We did not observe evidence for cross‐modal recruitment of auditory cortex in the group of deaf signers. These results suggest a higher preferred neural processing rate as a consequence of the acquisition of a sign language.
Institutional investor distraction and innovation
Authors: Pu Xiaoling , Tsai Hua‐Hsin , Via M. Tony
Published: February 2022

Prior studies suggest high institutional ownership provides stable funding for firm managers supporting long‐term innovation. However, we hypothesize that the level of holdings can also proxy for institutional attention. We address this question and find that institutional distraction negatively impacts board monitoring and advisory support for management, reducing R&D, patent filings, citations and creativity. Distraction is concentrated in (1) firms owned by institutions providing low attention before the shock and (2) industries facing low substitute monitoring through competition. Distraction also affects information flow in firms facing high labour mobility and high peer firm innovation (technology spillovers).
“Less USSR, more democracy please!”: Hope and discontent in Georgia's quest for academic freedom
Authors: Kobakhidze M. Nutsa , Samniashvili Lela
Published: February 2022

In Georgia, the question of academic freedom emerged only after the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and its universities could begin reckoning with a heavy past of ideological pressure, censorship, governmental control and top‐down management. Despite official declarations of the right to academic freedom and its recognition within Georgia's legal framework, actual practice in the country's higher education system tells a different story. The paper draws on qualitative data obtained from sixteen academics representing diverse institutions and disciplines, as well as the secondary data including educational legislation, government regulations, ministers' decrees, various reports from non‐governmental organisations, think tanks and media archives. The findings of this paper reflect how academic freedom is understood in Georgia and two major threats to its exercise in universities, namely, interference from external politics and internal managerialism. We argue that academic freedom as a concept does not yet have its own place in Georgia's higher education system, protected de jure but with different de facto realities. The paper sheds light on how Soviet legacies of self‐censorship, hidden mechanisms of control and a culture of conformity continue to create tensions inside universities and an environment in which academic freedom cannot flourish.
Histories of ‘a loathsome disease’: Sexual health in modern Britain
Authors: Hanley Anne
Published: February 2022

From Victorian preoccupations with prostitution and degeneration to our present‐day problems with antimicrobial resistance and inequalities in access to care, sexual health has been riddled with gendered, racialised, politicised and class‐based meanings. Historians writing from within an increasingly diverse collection of subfields have explored how British attitudes towards, and interventions in, sexual health have changed over the past two centuries. In so doing, they have also addressed a wide range of themes in British social life, politics, gender and sexuality. This article surveys this extensive historiography, highlighting important shifts and reflecting on where historians might fruitfully turn next. Inevitably, there are problematic silences in the scholarship. Historians, overwhelmingly reliant on records compiled by health authorities and the state, have tended to write top‐down histories of sexual health. The lived experiences of ordinary people, especially those on the margins of society, remain frustratingly elusive. Moreover, the same sorts of inequalities that historically undermined care and denied patients a voice continue to shape health outcomes. As such, this article not only surveys the historiography but also makes the case for the important role that historians can play in supporting positive changes in attitudes towards sexual health and the delivery of healthcare today.
High‐coordinated alumina and oxygen triclusters in modified aluminosilicate glasses
Authors: Welch Rebecca S. , Astle Sierra , Youngman Randall E. , Mauro John C.
Published: February 2022

Aluminosilicate glasses are ubiquitous in high‐performance displays due to their favorable thermal, mechanical, and optical properties. They also exhibit interesting structural features depending on the ratio of alumina to modifiers in the glass system. Excess modifiers exist in the metaluminous region, while the peraluminous region contains more negatively charged alumina structures than modifiers. As the composition switches from metaluminous to peraluminous, anomalous changes in properties such as the glass transition temperature, viscosity, and refractive index occur. This has been explained with two contrasting structural transformations to accommodate the lack of charge‐balancing modifiers: either aluminum increases in coordination (forming five‐coordinated or six‐coordinated Al) and/or oxygens become three‐coordinated (known as triclusters). The precise charge‐balancing mechanism remains a subject of much debate in the community. This review highlights this structural debate by providing a chronological understanding of how these two theories evolved. We also summarize the state‐of‐the‐art understanding of the aluminosilicate glass structure. By gaining a more comprehensive view of the two opposing structural views within the aluminosilicate glass system, we can gain insights on valuable future research from both experimental and modeling perspectives.
Snow depth drives habitat selection by overwintering birds in built‐up areas, farmlands and forests
Authors: Deshpande Purabi , Lehikoinen Petteri , Thorogood Rose , Lehikoinen Aleksi
Published: February 2022

Aim

Abundances of animals vary according to species‐specific habitat selection, but habitats are undergoing rapid change in response to anthropogenic alterations of land use and climate. The long‐term decline of snowfall is one of the most dramatic abiotic changes in boreal regions, with potential to alter species communities and shape future ecosystems. However, the effects of snow cover on habitat‐specific abundances remain unclear for many taxa. Here we explore whether long‐term declines in snow cover affect the abundances of overwintering birds.

Taxon

Fifty bird species.

Location

Finland, Northern Europe.

Methods

We used generalized linear mixed models to analyse citizen‐led monitoring data from 196 transects over a 32‐year period to assess whether abundances of birds have changed in built‐up areas, farmlands and forests, and whether these covary with warming temperatures and decreasing snow. We then explored if changes in abundance can be explained by body mass, migration strategy or feeding guilds of the species.

Results

Over the study period, the abundance of overwintering birds increased. This increase was most pronounced in farmlands (69.6%), where abundances were positively associated with decreasing snow depth. On the other hand, while abundances in built‐up habitats (19.5%) decreased over the study period, they increased in periods of high snow depths. Finally, we found that the short‐distance migration strategy explains changes in bird abundances with snow. In farmlands, ground feeding birds and heavier birds also show a positive trends in abundance with decreasing snow depths.

Main conclusions

Local snow conditions are driving habitat selection of birds in the winter; birds in farmlands were most responsive to a decrease in snow depth. Changing snow depths can affect bird movements across habitats in the winter, but also influence migratory patterns and range shifts of species.
Association between vitamin D status and diabetic foot in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Tang Weiwei , Chen Lihong , Ma Wanxia , Chen Dawei , Wang Chun , Gao Yun , Ran Xingwu
Published: February 2022

Aims/Introduction

To assess the association between vitamin D and diabetic foot (DF) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), in order to summarize clinical evidence in the prevention and treatment of DF.

Materials and methods

Between January 2012 and December 2019, a total of 1,721 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were continuously enrolled in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and divided into DF and non‐DF groups according to whether they had DF, and divided into four subgroups according to the admission season. The 25‐OH‐vitamin D levels were compared between groups and subgroups, and independent risk factors discussed for the occurrence of DF.

Results

The vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency rate were higher in the DF group (77.51%) than in the non‐DF group (59.2%). The 25‐OH‐vitamin D levels were lower in the DF group (35.80 nmol/L) than in the non‐DF group (45.48 nmol/L) (P < 0.001). Patients with poor glycemic control had lower 25‐OH‐vitamin D levels (P = 0.01). The levels of 25‐OH‐vitamin D were lower in winter and spring. In the same season, the levels of 25‐OH‐vitamin D in patients with DF were still lower (P < 0.001). The 25‐OH‐vitamin D levels of patients with Wagner grades 0 to 5 showed a downward trend (P = 0.114). The 25‐OH‐vitamin D level was independently associated with diabetic foot (P < 0.001, OR = 0.986).

Conclusions

The low serum vitamin D level was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of DF among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although vitamin D levels vary seasonally, patients with DF were always at higher risk of having vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency.
Melatonin and aggressive behavior: A systematic review of the literature on preclinical and clinical evidence
Authors: Paribello Pasquale , Manchia Mirko , Bosia Marta , Pinna Federica , Carpiniello Bernardo , Comai Stefano
Published: February 2022

The melatonin system and circadian disruption have well‐established links with aggressive behaviors; however, the biological underpinnings have not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we aimed at examining the current knowledge regarding the neurobiological and psychopharmacological involvement of the melatonin system in aggressive/violent behaviors. To this end, we performed a systematic review on Embase and Pubmed/MEDLINE of preclinical and clinical evidence linking the melatonin system, melatonin, and melatoninergic drugs with aggressive/violent behaviors. Two blinded raters performed an independent screening of the relevant literature. Overall, this review included 38 papers distributed between clinical and preclinical models. Eleven papers specifically addressed the existing evidence in rodent models, five in fish models, and 21 in humans. The data indicate that depending on the species, model, and timing of administration, melatonin may exert a complex influence on aggressive/violent behaviors. Particularly, the apparent contrasting findings on the link between the melatonin system and aggression/violence (with either increased, no, or decreased effect) shown in preclinical models underscore the need for further research to develop more accurate and fruitful translational models. Likewise, the significant heterogeneity found in the results of clinical studies does not allow yet to draw any firm conclusion on the efficacy of melatonin or melatonergic drugs on aggressive/violent behaviors. However, findings in children and in traits associated with aggressive/violent behavior, including irritability and anger, are emerging and deserve empirical attention given the low toxicity of melatonin and melatonergic drugs.
Extensive introgression at late stages of species formation: Insights from grasshopper hybrid zones
Authors: Hagberg Linda , Celemín Enrique , Irisarri Iker , Hawlitschek Oliver , Bella José L. , Mott Tamí , Pereira Ricardo J.
Published: February 2022

The process of species formation is characterized by the accumulation of multiple reproductive barriers. The evolution of hybrid male sterility, or Haldane’s rule, typically characterizes later stages of species formation, when reproductive isolation is strongest. Yet, understanding how quickly reproductive barriers evolve and their consequences for maintaining genetic boundaries between emerging species remains a challenging task because it requires studying taxa that hybridize in nature. Here, we address these questions using the meadow grasshopperPseudochorthippus parallelus, where populations that show multiple reproductive barriers, including hybrid male sterility, hybridize in two natural hybrid zones. Using mitochondrial data, we infer that such populations diverged some 100,000 years ago, at the beginning of the last glacial cycle in Europe. Nuclear data show that contractions at multiple glacial refugia, and post‐glacial expansions have facilitated genetic differentiation between lineages that today interact in hybrid zones. We find extensive introgression throughout the sampled species range, irrespective of the current strength of reproductive isolation. Populations exhibiting hybrid male sterility in two hybrid zones show repeatable patterns of genomic differentiation, consistent with shared genomic constraints affecting ancestral divergence or with the role of those regions in reproductive isolation. Together, our results suggest that reproductive barriers that characterize late stages of species formation can evolve relatively quickly, particularly when associated with strong demographic changes. Moreover, we show that such barriers persist in the face of extensive gene flow, allowing future studies to identify associated genomic regions.
Bowel‐Associated‐Dermatosis‐Arthritis Syndrome (BADAS) as early presentation of ulcerative colitis in an adolescent girl
Authors: Johns Hannah Russell , Shetty Nayha , Cash Joshua , Patel Tejesh , Pourciau Crystal
Published: February 2022

A 14‐year‐old girl presented with fevers, joint pain, leukocytosis, and painful, fluctuant skin lesions, preceded by a 2‐week history of abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Workup revealed bowel‐associated‐dermatosis‐arthritis syndrome (BADAS) in the setting of ulcerative colitis, a rare finding in the pediatric population.
Impact of review narrativity on sales in a competitive environment
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Soumya , Kumar V , Sharma Amalesh , Chung Tuck Siong
Published: February 2022

Online user‐generated reviews have received significant importance in the literature as they help consumers make consumption decisions. However, despite significant developments in this domain in the past decade, little attention has been paid to how narrative aspects of reviews affect consumers’ consumption decisions and, consequently, influence sales. A narrative can be defined as a sequentially structured discourse that provides an understanding of the events that unfold around the narrator. Relying on the literature on narrative transportation, we examine the role of review narrativity in determining firm sales, the contingency effect of the competitive environment, and review polarity. Specifically, we propose that review narrativity has an asymmetric U‐shaped (or, J‐shaped) relationship with sales; the impact of review narrativity on sales would have significant positive interaction with the polarity of the review text; and that under high (low) competitive agglomeration, review narrativity would have a significant (insignificant) positive impact on sales. Operationalizing review narrativity using three different measures from a unique and rich dataset collected from OpenTable and using a Bayesian framework, consistent with our hypotheses, we find that the narrativity of textual reviews exerts a significant nonlinear impact on sales contingent on their polarity. Enriching the relatively nascent empirical literature on the effects of competitive context on eWOM, the current paper further offers clear empirical evidence that the impact of review narrativity on sales is significantly higher (lower) under a high (low) competitive agglomeration. The paper makes a methodological contribution by developing a flexible framework to identify the proposed relationships better while accounting for heterogeneity, endogeneity, and temporal patterns in the context of dynamic panels.
Language and learning in ethnically mixed communities
Authors: Kumar Hemanshu , Somanathan Rohini , Vasishth Mahima
Published: February 2022

Many school children in ethnically diverse countries live in multilingual environments where the medium of instruction in school differs from their mother tongue. We conduct a field experiment in a multiethnic village in northern India to study the relative importance of linguistic distance and neighborhood isolation in the acquisition of language and mathematics skills in elementary school. The village has two sizable ethnic groups speaking languages very different from the medium of school instruction. Students attempt a set of mazes and take tests in reading and mathematics. We find that performance in language‐dependent tasks relative to mazes is lower for children whose mother tongue is different from the medium of instruction only if their ethnic group is also residentially segregated. Language policy in most countries has traditionally favored either mother‐tongue instruction or assimilation into mainstream language and culture. Our results suggest that there may be value in a more nuanced approach that flexibly combines some instructional support in a mother tongue for those who need it, with policies that encourage contact with speakers of dominant languages to benefit from peers and social networks.
Is national identity in crisis? An assessment of national imaginations in the early 2020s
Authors: Aguirresarobe Asier H.
Published: February 2022

The current context of a worldwide pandemic has once again sparked debate about the bleak future of nationalism. For those who support this view, the fact that long‐lasting national identities are being decisively contested represents a major symptom of the crisis of nationalism, which the challenges associated with the coronavirus outbreak can only accentuate. In this paper, it is my objective to prove this belief incorrect and to demonstrate that nationalism remains almost hegemonic as a form of political and communal identification. My method for achieving this goal comprises two interlinked endeavours: first, a theoretical analysis of the concepts of crisis and national identity; second, an overview of current global conflicts and political debates to determine the extent to which they fit with a nationalist worldview. The results of this research suggest that national perspectives – from which national identities arise – are not experiencing any meaningful challenge in contemporary societies. Even in those cases where deep‐seated national discourses are threatened, such opposition remains constrained by the assumptions of the nationalist worldview. Consequently, and albeit the COVID‐19 pandemic may ultimately result in the triumph of globalism, it is more likely that international cooperation will develop in a world constructed of national imaginations rather than one from which these have disappeared.
Before Creativity: Inspiration as a Micro Foundation for Action*
Authors: Hoppe Alexander D.
Published: February 2022

Creative, robust, and “moody” theories of action seek to modify a traditional voluntarism by attending to perception (broadly considered). Consolidating these theories as variants of an aesthetic sociology, I consider inspiration as one of the earliest stages in a larger theory of social action. Inspiration is narrower than creativity—it does not depend on audience recognition or valuation—but it offers a window into the prior dynamics of receptivity and anticipation. Close empirical study is possible. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with fashion designers, I analyze the spatial and material infrastructure of inspiration. I show how designers engage with space and materiality in their work, as well as how they utilize artistic license to tweak existing runway designs. I conclude with possibilities for future research and argue for the role of inspiration as a micro foundation of action.
NAP-XPS spectra of the bacterial cell-envelope of Pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria
Authors: Kjærvik Marit , Schwibbert Karin , Dietrich Paul M. , Unger Wolfgang E. S.
Published: February 2022

Pseudomonas fluorescens (Gram-negative) bacteria purchased from Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures were analyzed using high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at near ambient pressure conditions (NAP-XPS), 1500 Pa water vapor atmosphere. Fresh layers of P. fluorescence bacteria were grown on Luria Broth agar plates. Bacteria were taken from the agar plate with a sterile spatula and gently spread on a Si-wafer piece for NAP-XPS analysis. The NAP-XPS spectra of the bacterial envelope of P. fluorescence were obtained using monochromatic Al Kα radiation and include a survey scan and high-resolution spectra of C 1s, N 1s, P 2p, and O 1s as well. The presentation of the C 1s high-resolution spectrum includes the results of peak fitting analysis.
Acoustic Luneburg lens based on a gradient metasurface for spoof surface acoustic waves
Authors: Zheng Yi , Liang Shanjun , Fan Haiyan , An Shuowei , Gu Zhongming , Gao He , Liu Tuo , Zhu Jie
Published: February 2022

This letter presents the design and experimental demonstration of a gradient metasurface guiding spoof surface acoustic waves (SSAWs) in the manner of a Luneburg lens for sound. By correlating the propagation characteristics of SSAWs with the effective surface acoustic impedance, a straightforward concentric surface structure design is proposed to realize the required refractive index distribution. The results from both simulation and measurement show that grazing incident sound is converted into SSAWs propagating along the metasurface and focusing on the edge of the opposite side of the lens, which may find applications in direction detection and acoustic sensing.
A Qualitative Study Exploring People’s Experience With the Multicomponent Community-Based Physical Activity Intervention ecofit During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Jansson Anna K. , Lubans David R. , Smith Jordan J. , Duncan Mitch J. , Hansen Vibeke , Plotnikoff Ronald C.
Published: February 2022

Background: The COVID-19 global pandemic greatly impacted lifestyles and physical activity routines. This study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted participant experience and motivation in ecofit, a large, community-based, multicomponent intervention that supports aerobic and resistance-based physical activity using publicly available, outdoor exercise facilities and smartphone technology. Methods: Fifteen participants from the intervention arm of the study were interviewed. Audiotaped telephone interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by a researcher uninvolved in the intervention. Through an inductive thematic approach, data were coded and organized into themes. The quantitative measure of participant smartphone application engagement was used as a classification during analysis. Results: Several themes representing participants’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in their engagement with ecofit, overall physical activity levels, motivation to exercise, and perception and usage of outdoor gym facilities were identified. Conclusion: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials is beginning to emerge. Although the present study showed a mixed impact of the pandemic on participation in the ecofit program, the overall implications for the intervention are yet to be determined. Interestingly, although a large review found a negative impact of COVID-19 on physical activity, this sample reported an overall increase.
A homologous or variant booster vaccine after Ad26.COV2.S immunization enhances SARS-CoV-2–specific immune responses in rhesus macaques
Authors: He Xuan , Aid Malika , Chandrashekar Abishek , Yu Jingyou , McMahan Katherine , Wegmann Frank , Jacob-Dolan Catherine , Maron Jenny S. , Atyeo Caroline , Wan Huahua , Sellers Daniel , Liu Jinyan , Lifton Michelle , Gardner Sarah , Bondzie Esther A. , Barrett Julia , Ahmad Kunza , Anioke Tochi , Yalley-Ogunro Jake , Muench Jeanne , Goode Adrienne , Andersen Hanne , Lewis Mark G. , Alter Galit , Schuitemaker Hanneke , Zahn Roland , Barouch Dan H.
Published: February 2022

Ad26.COV2.S has demonstrated durability and clinical efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 in humans. In this study, we report the correlates of durability of humoral and cellular immune responses in 20 rhesus macaques immunized with single-shot Ad26.COV2.S and the immunogenicity of a booster shot at 8 to 10 months after the initial immunization. Ad26.COV2.S elicited durable binding and neutralizing antibodies as well as memory B cells and long-lived bone marrow plasma cells. Innate immune responses and bone marrow plasma cell responses correlated with durable antibody responses. After Ad26.COV2.S boost immunization, binding and neutralizing antibody responses against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants increased 31- to 69-fold and 23- to 43-fold, respectively, compared with preboost concentrations. Antigen-specific B cell and T cell responses also increased substantially after the boost immunization. Boosting with a modified Ad26.COV2.S.351 vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from the beta variant led to largely comparable responses with slightly higher beta- and omicron-specific humoral immune responses. These data demonstrate that a late boost with Ad26.COV2.S or Ad26.COV2.S.351 resulted in a marked increase in humoral and cellular immune responses that were highly cross-reactive across multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants in rhesus macaques.
Defining the
Sphagnum
Core Microbiome across the North American Continent Reveals a Central Role for Diazotrophic Methanotrophs in the Nitrogen and Carbon Cycles of Boreal Peatland Ecosystems
Authors: Kolton Max , Weston David J. , Mayali Xavier , Weber Peter K. , McFarlane Karis J. , Pett-Ridge Jennifer , Somoza Mark M. , Lietard Jory , Glass Jennifer B. , Lilleskov Erik A. , Shaw A. Jonathan , Tringe Susannah , Hanson Paul J. , Kostka Joel E.
Published: February 2022

Nitrogen availability frequently limits photosynthetic production in
Sphagnum
moss-dominated high-latitude peatlands, which are crucial carbon-sequestering ecosystems at risk to climate change effects. It has been previously suggested that microbial methane-fueled fixation of atmospheric nitrogen (N
2
) may occur in these ecosystems, but this process and the organisms involved are largely uncharacterized.
Cultivating Lentinula edodes on Substrate Containing Composted Sawdust Affects the Expression of Carbohydrate and Aromatic Amino Acid Metabolism-Related Genes
Authors: Huang Xiying , Zhang Runji , Yang Qinyan , Li Xinzhu , Xiang Quanju , Zhao Ke , Ma Menggen , Yu Xiumei , Chen Qiang , Zeng Xianfu , Zhang Lujun , Penttinen Petri , Gu Yunfu
Published: February 2022

Composted substrates are not commonly used in the cultivation of
Lentinula edodes
, thus the effects of cultivating
L. edodes
on composted substrate and the related molecular mechanisms have not been studied systemically. We studied
L. edodes
cultivated on substrates with fresh (CK) and composted (ND) sawdust, focusing on the brown film formation stage, and determined the composting related differences in the substrate and in the growth and gene expression of
L. edodes
.
Metabolic Diversity and Aero-Tolerance in Anammox Bacteria from Geochemically Distinct Aquifers
Authors: Mosley Olivia E. , Gios Emilie , Weaver Louise , Close Murray , Daughney Chris , van der Raaij Rob , Martindale Heather , Handley Kim M.
Published: February 2022

Anammox is increasingly shown to play a major role in the aquatic nitrogen cycle and can outcompete heterotrophic denitrification in environments low in organic carbon. Given that aquifers are characteristically oligotrophic, anammox may represent a major route for the removal of fixed nitrogen in these environments, including agricultural nitrogen, a common groundwater contaminant.
Supplemental Material: Linking the Gulf of Mexico and Coast Mountains batholith during late Paleocene time: Insights from Hf isotopes in detrital zircons
Authors: Pecha Mark E. , al. et
Published: February 2022

Zircon U-Pb and Hf isotopic data
Key factors influencing the effectiveness of hospital quality management tools: using the quality control circle as an example–a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhang Dan , Yan Yue , Liu Ting-Fang
Published: February 2022

Objective

To identify the key factors influencing the effectiveness of hospital quality management tools and analyse the mechanisms needed for long-term scientific hospital management.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, a large number of participants in quality control circle (QCC) activities were investigated on site. Data were collected by the questionnaire during the sixth National Hospital Quality Control Circle Competition in Shandong, China, in October 2018. A total of 1500 participants were randomly selected, in which 1316 questionnaires were completed, yielding an overall response rate of 87.73%, and 1181 questionnaires were valid. We performed a stepwise regression analysis to identify the independent variables with explanatory ability. Then the total mean score of the organisational, group, and individual factors were introduced layer by layer, and a regression model with four levels was established.

Results

The application effectiveness of QCC activities can be divided into three dimensions: individual factors, group factors and organisational factors. Utility perception was the most important individual factor. Inappropriate incentives and rewards had a negative effect on both organisational effectiveness and individual effectiveness. The attitude and ability of the circle monitor and counsellors, the specificity of the goals were the key group factors. Of the organisational factors, activity orientation had the greatest impact. Among the three dimensions, individual factors had the most significant influence on the effectiveness of QCCs, followed by group factors, then by organisational factors.

Conclusion

These results suggest that addressing the concerns of the leaders and implementing a safeguard system that protects the QCC tool from neglect or failure, that strengthening team building and using team rewards or non-material incentives to enhance enthusiasm, and that mobilising the enthusiasm of the circle members and even the whole hospital for using quality management tools are essential.
Effect and neural mechanisms of the transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for relapse prevention in patients with remitted major depressive disorder: protocol for a longitudinal study
Authors: Zhang Zhu-Qing , Guo Zhi-Peng , Lv Xue-Yu , Sörös Peter , Wang Xiao-Xu , Wang Lihong , Liu Chun-Hong
Published: February 2022

Introduction

After the first episode, patients with remitted major depressive disorder (MDD) have a 60% chance of experiencing a second episode. There are currently no accepted, effective methods to prevent the recurrence of MDD in remission. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive, safe and economical approach based on the efficacy of VNS in improving clinical depression symptoms. This clinical trial will study the efficacy of taVNS in preventing MDD relapse and investigate the underlying mechanisms of this.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a multicentre, randomised, patient-blinded and evaluators double-blinded trial. We will randomise 90 eligible participants with recurrent MDD in remission in a 1:1 ratio into a real or sham taVNS group. All participants will be given six biopsychosocial assessments: proinflammatory cytokines, serum monoamine neurotransmitters, cognition, affective neuropsychology, multimodal neuroimaging and endocrinology. After the baseline measurements, all participants will be given corresponding interference for 6 months and then complete a 1-year follow-up. The assessments will be performed three times: at baseline, post-treatment and at the end of 1-year follow-up (except for multimodal MRI scanning, which will be conducted at the first two assessments only). Change in 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores for MDD is the primary outcome parameter.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine on 18 January 2019 (2018BL-076). The trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR1900022618.