bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In traditionally male‐dominated fields, women are less willing to make sacrifices for their career because discrimination and lower fit with people up the ladder make sacrifices less worthwhile
Authors: Meeussen Loes , Begeny Christopher T. , Peters Kim , Ryan Michelle K.
Published: June 2021

Women's lower career advancement relative to men is sometimes explained by internal factors such as women's lower willingness to make sacrifices for their career, and sometimes by external barriers such as discrimination. In the current research, positing a dynamic interplay between internal and external factors, we empirically test how external workplace barriers guide individuals' internal decisions to make sacrifices for the advancement of their careers. In two high‐powered studies in traditionally male‐dominated fields (surgery, N = 1,080; veterinary medicine, N = 1,385), women indicated less willingness than men to make sacrifices for their career. Results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that this difference was explained by women's more frequent experience of gender discrimination and lower perceptible fit with people higher up the professional ladder. These barriers predicted reduced expectations of success in their field (Study 1) and expected success of their sacrifices (Study 2), which in turn predicted lower willingness to make sacrifices. The results explain how external barriers play a role in internal career decision making. Importantly, our findings show that these decision‐making processes are similar for men and women, yet, the circumstances under which these decisions are made are gendered. That is, both men and women weigh the odds in deciding whether to sacrifice for their career, but structural conditions may influence these perceived odds in a way that favors men. Overall, this advances our understanding of gender differences, workplace inequalities, and research on the role of “choice” and/or structural discrimination behind such inequalities.
Deal or no Deal: Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement and the Politics of (Non‐)Ratification
Authors: Martill Benjamin
Published: June 2021

The defeat of Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement in the British Parliament is often ascribed to the prime minister's precarious situation in Parliament and her inability to negotiate a deal that satisfied domestic stakeholders. But the contradictions of Brexit were always going to produce a least‐worst agreement and patterns of support for the deal were largely invariant to changes in its contents. Drawing on the literature on ratification, this article sets out an alternative explanation for the demise of the Withdrawal Agreement. It argues that the government's ability to threaten MPs with a ‘no deal’ outcome placed the executive in a strong position following the referendum, and that the primary source of ratification failure was the breakdown of this ability over the course of the negotiations. This account helps us understand why the government was initially unwilling to seek the support of stakeholders outside of the Conservative Party for its Brexit proposals.
Family vulnerability and disruption during the COVID‐19 pandemic: prospective pathways to child maladjustment
Authors: Fosco Gregory M. , Sloan Carlie J. , Fang Shichen , Feinberg Mark E.
Published: June 2021

Background

This study evaluated two risk pathways that may account for increases in child internalizing and externalizing problems during the COVID‐19 pandemic: one pathway operating through pre‐existing family vulnerability and a second pathway operating through disruption in family functioning occurring in response to the pandemic. We assessed family disruption and family functioning with measures of key family‐level and parenting dimensions, including family cohesion, conflict and routines, and parents’ harsh discipline, lax discipline and warmth. In all models, pre‐pandemic parent emotional distress, financial strain and child maladjustment were included as covariates.

Methods

The sample included 204 families, comprised of parents who had children (MAge = 4.17; 45.1% girls). Parents (MAge = 27.43) completed the first survey prior to COVID‐19 onset in the United States, a second survey after COVID‐19 onset in May 2020 and a third survey two weeks later.

Results

Analyses were conducted in a model‐building fashion, first computing structural equation models for each family and parenting dimension separately, then advancing significant dimensions into one integrated model for the family‐level factors and a second model for parenting quality factors. Results provided more support for the family disruption hypothesis across all tests. In the family‐level domain, decreases in family cohesion and increases in family conflict each uniquely predicted subsequent child maladjustment. In the parenting domain, increases in harsh discipline and lax discipline each uniquely predicted subsequent child maladjustment. Family routines and parental warmth were not associated with child adjustment. However, parents’ emotional distress prior to the pandemic exhibited a robust association with children’s internalizing problems.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that efforts to support families in adapting to unique conditions of the pandemic will yield the greatest effect for child adjustment. Specifically, interventions should include efforts to help families maintain cohesion and manage conflict, and help parents minimize increases in harsh and lax discipline.
Analysis of color and fluorescence of different dentin ceramics and natural human dentin's to enhance shade matching
Authors: Atri Faezeh , Safi Mahdi , Salehzadeh Soraya , Izadi Jalil , Esmaeili Fallah Pejman , McLaren Edward A.
Published: June 2021

Objectives

This study aimed to compare the color and fluorescence of five dentin ceramic systems with human dentin to enhance shade matching.

Materials and methods

Five dentin ceramic systems, including Vita, GC, Creation, Noritake, and Ivoclar in 16 shades, and 12 human dentins, were prepared. The fluorescence and color coordinates were measured at 380–780 nm. A light source including a visible and a ultraviolet (UV) complemented with a geometry 45° illumination and 0° observer was used. The mean minimum difference in color coordinates and fluorescence efficiency was statistically analyzed before and after UV excitation by one‐way ANOVA (p < 0.05). Post‐hoc multiple comparisons were performed using the LSD test (p < 0.05).

Results

While the fluorescence efficiency of Noritake and Ivoclar ceramics displayed no significant difference with natural dentin, Vita, GC, and Creation ceramics presented a lower fluorescence compared to the natural dentin (p < 0.05). Noritake and Ivoclar had a better color match with human dentin than the other ceramics. Studying the color differences under UV showed that just Creation offers statistically worse performance than the other ceramic.

Conclusions

The color and fluorescence of the used different brands of dentin ceramic are not the same as the human dentin. However, Noritake and Ivoclar presented the most similarity.

Clinical Significance

Knowledge of ceramic and natural teeth fluorescence is essential for acceptable reproduction of optical properties in esthetic restorations.
Diffusion kurtosis imaging detects the time‐dependent progress of pathological changes in the oral rotenone mouse model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Khairnar Amit , Ruda‐Kucerova Jana , Arab Anas , Hadjistyllis Constantinos , Sejnoha Minsterova Alzbeta , Shang Qi , Chovsepian Alexandra , Drazanova Eva , Szabó Nikoletta , Starcuk Zenon , Rektorova Irena , Pan‐Montojo Francisco
Published: June 2021

Clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) occurs typically when a substantial proportion of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) already died, and the first motor symptoms appear. Therefore, tools enabling the early diagnosis of PD are essential to identify early‐stage PD patients in which neuroprotective treatments could have a significant impact. Here, we test the utility and sensitivity of the diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in detecting progressive microstructural changes in several brain regions of mice exposed to chronic intragastric administration of rotenone, a mouse model that mimics the spatiotemporal progression of PD‐like pathology from the ENS to the SN as described by Braak's staging. Our results show that DKI, especially kurtosis, can detect the progression of pathology‐associated changes throughout the CNS. Increases in mean kurtosis were first observed in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) after 2 months of exposure to rotenone and before the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the SN occurred. Remarkably, we also show that limited exposure to rotenone for 2 months is enough to trigger the progression of the disease in the absence of the environmental toxin, thus suggesting that once the first pathological changes in one region appear, they can self‐perpetuate and progress within the CNS. Overall, our results show that DKI can be a useful radiological marker for the early detection and monitoring of PD pathology progression in patients with the potential to improve the clinical diagnosis and the development of neuroprotective treatments.

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Knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to catheter‐associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Mong Ivy , Ramoo Vimala , Ponnampalavanar Sasheela , Chong Mei Chan , Wan Nawawi Wan Nor Fatihah
Published: June 2021

Background

Healthcare‐associated infection (HAI) is one of the major threats to patients’ safety besides being among the principal causes of patient morbidity and mortality. Catheter‐associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is reported to be the most common HAI worldwide. CAUTI can be prevented with appropriate practice and care by healthcare personnel, especially nurses, who play the main role in urinary catheter care. Nurses’ knowledge and attitude are considered to be important factors that influence their practice.

Objectives

To assess nurses’ level of knowledge, attitude and perceived practice regarding CAUTI and its preventive measures.

Methods

A cross‐sectional design was adopted, and a self‐administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Nurses from the medical and surgical inpatient wards of a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia were recruited in two stages using the stratified and simple random sampling methods. A total of 301 nurses participated. Descriptive analysis, an independent t test, ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression were employed to analyse the data using SPSS software version 25. In addition, a STROBE checklist was used to report the results of this study.

Results

Nurses were found to have good knowledge, a positive attitude and good perceived practice regarding CAUTI prevention. Nurses aged above 30 and who had more than ten years of experience reported higher knowledge levels. Knowledge was found to be positively correlated with attitude and perceived practice; however, attitude explained a higher variance in perceived practice of CAUTI prevention compared with knowledge.

Conclusion

Attitude was found to have a higher significant influence on perceived practice in this study. Educators need to emphasise the inculcation of a positive attitude among nurses rather than just knowledge for CAUTI prevention. Since this study assessed perceived practice, examining nurses’ actual practice and its impact on patient outcomes is recommended in future studies.
Presidential Address: How Much “Rationality” Is There in Bond‐Market Risk Premiums?
Authors: SINGLETON KENNETH J.
Published: June 2021

Beliefs of professional forecasters are benchmarked against those of a Bayesian econometrician who is learning about the unknown dynamics of the bond risk factors. Consistent with rational Bayesian learning, the forecast errors of individual professionals and are comparably predictable over the business cycle. The secular and cyclical patterns of professionals' forecasts relative to those of are explored in depth. Inconsistent with many models with belief dispersion, the relationship between professionals' yield disagreement and their matched disagreements about macroeconomic fundamentals is very weak.
Intergenerational transfer of occupational risks on family farms
Authors: Norman Patrick A. , Dosman James A. , Voaklander Donald C. , Koehncke Niels , Pickett William ,   for the Saskatchewan Farm Injury Cohort Study Team
Published: June 2021

Background

Cultures of safety in farm work settings are under the authority of a responsible owner‐operator, who establishes rules, attitudes, and behaviors for farm work practices. This novel analysis provides new evidence to show that risks that can lead to injury and are commonly practiced on Canadian farms are indeed transferred between generations.

Methods

Baseline data were provided by representatives from eligible and consenting farms (n = 589) in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, during the first quarter of 2013. Mailed questionnaires were sent to participating farms and completed by a single respondent. Questionnaires included scaled assessments of hazards and safety practices by farm operators, and young workers on each farm. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were used to examine relationships between farm owner‐operator risks and safety practices and those reported for the young workers.

Findings

Graphical descriptive analyses showed that as farm owner‐operator risks increased, so did those reported for children and young workers. Similarly, as farm owner‐operator safe work practices increased, young worker hazards decreased, albeit more modestly. The young worker hazard scale increased by 0.20 (95% CI: 0.10‐0.30) points, and decreased by 0.08 (95% CI: –0.016 to –0.000) points for each one‐point increase in the owner‐operator hazard and safe work practices scales, respectively.

Conclusions

Occupational health and safety risks and protections experienced on farms appear to be transferred between generations. This suggests the need to target farm owner‐operators, the responsible authority on the farm, as a focus of primary prevention strategies aimed at injury risks to children and young workers.
Associations between sleep disturbances, diabetes and mortality in the UK Biobank cohort: A prospective population‐based study
Authors: von Schantz Malcolm , Ong Jason C. , Knutson Kristen L.
Published: June 2021

Non‐communicable diseases, including diabetes, are partly responsible for the deceleration of improvements of life expectancy in many countries. Diabetes is also associated with sleep disturbances. Our aim was to determine whether sleep disturbances, particularly in people with diabetes, were associated with increased mortality risk. Data from the UK Biobank were analysed (n = 487,728, mean follow‐up time = 8.9 years). The primary exposure was sleep disturbances, assessed through the question: Do you have trouble falling asleep at night or do you wake up in the middle of the night? The primary outcome was mortality. We also dichotomized sleep disturbances into “never/sometimes” versus “usually” (frequently), and combined with the presence/absence of diabetes: 24.2% of participants reported “never/rarely” experiencing sleep disturbances, 47.8% “sometimes” and 28.0% “usually”. In age‐ and sex‐adjusted models, frequent sleep disturbances were associated with an increased risk of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–1.37), which remained significant in the fully adjusted model (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.09–1.18). The presence of both diabetes and frequent sleep disturbances was associated with greater risk of all‐cause mortality than either condition alone. In the fully adjusted model, the hazard ratio for all‐cause mortality was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.07–1.15) for frequent sleep disturbances alone, 1.67 (95% CI, 1.57–1.76) for diabetes alone and 1.87 for both (95% CI, 1.75–2.01). Frequent sleep disturbances (experienced by more than one quarter of the sample) were associated with increased risk of all‐cause mortality. Mortality risk was highest in those with both diabetes and frequent sleep disturbances. Complaints of difficulty falling or staying asleep merit attention by physicians.
Scaling up nutrition through multisectoral planning: An exploratory review of 26 national nutrition plans
Authors: Coile Amanda , Wun Jolene , Kothari Monica T. , Hemminger Carolyn , Fracassi Patrizia , Di Dio Debora
Published: June 2021

With a growing consensus on the need to address malnutrition in a comprehensive and multisectoral way, there has been increased attention on the processes and factors for multisectoral nutrition planning to be successful. To guide countries, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement developed a checklist that defined characteristics of good national nutrition plans. This exploratory review used the framework of the Checklist to assess 26 national multisectoral nutrition plans (MSNPs) developed between 2014 and 2020. The MSNPs were assessed against a subset of 31 Checklist characteristics defined as basic plan components. Although the level of detail varied across the reviewed plans, the majority included core components that are important to facilitate effective planning and implementation, such as an assessment of the nutritional status and determinants of malnutrition for children under 5 years of age, a commitment to global recommendations related to reducing malnutrition, actions consistent with global evidence and responding to identified issues/gaps, governance arrangements to facilitate coordination, and identification of capacity‐building needs/actions to support effective implementation. Common gaps across plans included risk analysis and mitigation, defined responsible agencies for each action, an assessment of the financial gap and defined mechanisms for financial tracking and resource allocation, and mechanisms to coordinate operational research. These findings provide a high‐level, multi‐country review of multisectoral nutrition planning that can support future policymakers, technical assistance providers and regional and global stakeholders to consider the foundational elements of and further validate and address common shortcomings in developing such a plan.
Efficacy of high‐flow nasal cannula therapy in bedridden patients
Authors: Inoue Kenji , Kumada Tomohiro , Fujii Tatsuya , Ohno Susumu
Published: June 2021

Background

A growing number of studies have demonstrated the efficacy of high‐flow nasal cannula therapy (HFNC) for treating children with acute respiratory distress. However, it remains unknown whether HFNC is effective in bedridden patients with acute respiratory distress.

Method

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of bedridden patients with acute respiratory distress who were treated with HFNC using a home ventilator in continuous positive airway pressure mode at our center between March 2014 and August 2016. We assessed heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation measured using a pulse oximeter, the partial pressure of venous carbon dioxide, or the transcutaneous partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and symptoms of respiratory distress before and after the initiation of HFNC.

Results

During the 2‐year‐study period, 25 patients were treated with HFNC. The patients’ mean heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation measured using a pulse oximeter, and pressure of venous carbon dioxide/the transcutaneous partial pressure of carbon dioxide values improved significantly (P < 0.05). Symptoms of respiratory distress were considerably ameliorated at 1–3 h after the HFNC initiation, except in two patients. In these two patients, the HFNC was replaced with non‐invasive positive pressure ventilation. Non‐invasive positive pressure was also required at 16 to 168 h after the initiation of HFNC in five of the 28 episodes in which the patient was initially responsive to HFNC, as the patients’ respiratory symptoms gradually deteriorated.

Conclusion

Performing HFNC with a home ventilator in continuous positive airway pressure mode is effective at treating bedridden patients with acute respiratory distress. However, it is essential that the HFNC can be switched to non‐invasive positive pressure if needed.
Effects of air exposure and agitation on quality of stored boar semen samples
Authors: Balogun Kayode Babatunde , Stewart Kara Roski
Published: June 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of semen volume, air contact inside semen dose tubes, daily agitation of semen doses and extender type on semen quality, thermo‐resistance and bacteria growth in extended boar semen doses preserved over 7 days of liquid storage. Ejaculates from 4 proven terminal cross‐bred boars were collected using the gloved‐hand technique for 4 weeks and used in the 3 × 2 × 2 factorial study. The effects of treatment (CON: 80 ml doses sealed at the top of the tube; 40HIGH: 40 ml doses sealed at top of tube, and 40LOW: 40 ml doses sealed at top of the liquid), agitation (agitated versus not agitated) and extender type (long‐term versus short‐term) were investigated on semen quality, thermo‐resistance and bacteria growth in boar semen doses. The results of the study revealed that motility (p = .031) and viability (p = .041) in 40HIGH were lower than CON. pH (p < .001) was higher in 40HIGH compared with CON and 40LOW. Agitation did not impact motility (p = .581), progressive motility (p = .870), viability (p = .509) or morphology (p = .970), while long‐term extender maintained higher motility (p = .002), progressive motility (p = .036), viability (p < .001) and normal acrosome (p < .001) than a short‐term extender. VAP (p = .039) of 40HIGH was lower than CON in a thermo‐resistance test. Neither treatment (p > .798, .766) nor agitation (p > .396, .476) impacted bacterial growth in this study. In conclusion, air contact negatively impacts boar semen pH and consequently sperm motility. Semen doses prepared with 80 or 40 ml volumes of extended boar semen with minimal air contact in the tubes yield more desirable semen quality and agitating boar semen doses daily does not have negative or positive effects on boar semen quality.
How climate change leads to emigration: Conditional and long‐run effects
Authors: Helbling Marc , Meierrieks Daniel
Published: June 2021

We study the effect of climate change on migration from 121 developing and emerging countries to 20 OECD countries between 1980 and 2010. In contrast to earlier studies, we differentiate between low‐ and high‐skilled migrants to account for the fact that not all groups are equally vulnerable and responsive to climate change. This is also the first study that uses a long‐difference approach. That is, in contrast to earlier studies that investigate short‐term weather changes or weather‐related disasters, we also estimate the effect of climate change on migration over longer time periods. We find that both increasing temperatures and precipitation levels matter to the patterns of migration. We show that increasing temperatures only lead to low‐skilled but not high‐skilled migration (suggesting different migration calculi), are only influential in countries located in hotter parts of the world (consistent with the idea of different levels of vulnerability to climate change), and only materialize in the long run (pointing to the adverse impact of intensification effects due to persistent climate change). Furthermore, we provide evidence that low‐skilled out‐migration is also responsive to short‐ and long‐run precipitation changes.
Beveridge on idleness
Authors: Whiteside Noel
Published: June 2021

Beveridge's wartime proposals to eliminate idleness relied on the precepts of Keynesian economics and substantial extensions in the powers of central government to regulate industry and labour. Using convention theory, this paper demonstrates how these stipulations proved politically untenable. With the disappearance of full employment in the 1980s, the labour market problems Beveridge encountered in his youth have re‐emerged accompanied by old problems of working poverty. Established forms of labour market analysis are obsolescent and employment rights disappear. The paper suggests a more decentralized and variable analysis of relations between work and idleness may offer a way forward.
Challenges in antibody titration for ABO‐incompatible renal transplantation
Authors: Kahlyar Htar , Roxby David , Badrick Tony , Vanniasinkam Thiru
Published: June 2021

Background and Objectives

Accurate and regular monitoring of anti‐A and anti‐B titres pre‐ and post‐transplantation plays a crucial role in the clinical management of patients receiving ABO‐incompatible renal transplants. There is no standardized protocol or an external quality assurance program (EQA) currently available for this testing in Australia. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of techniques, test platforms and reagents that were currently in use in various laboratories with the aim of developing an EQA.

Materials and Methods

An online survey was sent to the participants enrolled with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Program (RCPAQAP) to assess their interest in participation in the pilot study. A total of 24 participants who expressed interest were sent the group O plasma, A1, A2 and B cells to perform ABO titration using their own methods.

Results

Participants reported a wide range of titre results, from 8 to 1024 for the anti‐A titre using A1 cells, from 2 to 128 for anti‐A titre using A2 cells and from neat to 32 for anti‐B titre using B cells.

Conclusion

There was a wide variation in titre results between and within different technologies. These findings demonstrate the need for an ABO titration EQA. Development of a standard technique and participation in an EQA program should, over time, reduce variation and enable transferrable results across testing centres, which will assist in consistent clinical interpretation and better outcomes for patients.
Prediction of the Geometric Accuracy Attenuation of the Slide Guide of Machine Tools With Analysis of Worn Surface
Authors: Tan Yanqing , Ma Lianjie , Kong Han
Published: June 2021

A guide pair is a core part of the feed system in a machine tool. Its geometric accuracy is attenuated due to wear, thus directly affecting its guiding accuracy and the processing accuracy and quality of a machine tool. In this article, based on the statistical principle, the influences of the surface wear of guideway on its straightness attenuation were explored and an analytical prediction model for the geometric accuracy attenuation of slide guide was established. The reciprocating wear test of slide guide samples was performed with a test bench to explore the attenuation of guideway surface straightness under various machining conditions: isometric feeding, random length distribution feeding (normal distribution, negatively skewed distribution and positively skewed distribution), and feeding-retracting (with unequal reciprocating speeds). The comparison between experimental results and predicted results showed that the prediction model could well predict the precision attenuation of the guideway under stable working conditions. The experimental results also proved that machining workpieces with the same size or machining workpieces with a larger size as possible was beneficial to extend the precision maintaining life of slide guide. The prediction model suggested the quantitative relationship between the precision attenuation of slide guide and the main factors including material properties, surface topography parameters, working conditions, operation parameters, and surface friction properties. With this model, the real-time straightness on the guideway surface can be calculated and the geometric precision maintaining life of slide guide can also be predicted.
HAXPES of GaN film on Si with Cr Kα photons
Authors: Vanleenhove Anja , Zborowski Charlotte , Vaesen Inge , Hoflijk Ilse , Conard Thierry
Published: June 2021

Gallium nitride (GaN) grown on Si by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was analyzed using high-resolution, high-energy x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). The HAXPES spectra of GaN obtained using monochromatic Cr Kα radiation at 5414.7 eV include a survey scan (Al Kα) and high-resolution spectra of Ga 3d, Ga 2p3/2, Ga 3p, Ga LMM, N 1s, C 1s, and O 1s.
Thermal atomic layer etching of amorphous and crystalline Al2O3 films
Authors: Murdzek Jessica A. , Rajashekhar Adarsh , Makala Raghuveer S. , George Steven M.
Published: June 2021

Thermal atomic layer etching (ALE) can be achieved with sequential, self-limiting surface reactions. One mechanism for thermal ALE is based on fluorination and ligand-exchange reactions. For metal oxide ALE, fluorination converts the metal oxide to a metal fluoride. The ligand-exchange reaction then removes the metal fluoride by forming volatile products. Previous studies have demonstrated the thermal ALE of amorphous Al2O3 films. However, no previous investigations have explored the differences between the thermal ALE of amorphous and crystalline Al2O3 films. This study explored the thermal ALE of amorphous and crystalline Al2O3 films. HF, SF4, or XeF2 were used as the fluorination reactants. Trimethylaluminum (TMA) or dimethylaluminum chloride (DMAC) were used as the metal precursors for ligand-exchange. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements revealed that the amorphous Al2O3 films had much higher etch rates than the crystalline Al2O3 films. When using HF and TMA at 300 °C, the amorphous Al2O3 film was removed at an etch rate of 0.78 Å/cycle. For the crystalline Al2O3 film, an etch rate of 0.06 Å/cycle was initially observed prior to the stoppage of etching after removing about 10 Å of the film. Thermal ALE with HF and DMAC resulted in similar results. Etch rates of 0.60 and 0.03 Å/cycle were measured for amorphous and crystalline Al2O3 films at 300 °C, respectively. Other fluorination agents, such as SF4 or XeF2, were also used together with TMA or DMAC for Al2O3 ALE. These reactants for fluorination and ligand-exchange were able to etch amorphous Al2O3 films at 300 °C. However, they were unable to etch crystalline Al2O3 film at 300 °C beyond the initial 10–20 Å surface layer. The investigations also examined the effect of annealing temperature on the etch rate per cycle using HF and TMA as the reactants at 300 °C. Amorphous Al2O3 films were etched at approximately the same etch rate of 0.78 Å/cycle until the crystallization of amorphous Al2O3 films at ≥ 880 °C. The differences between amorphous and crystalline Al2O3 thermal ALE could be used to obtain selective thermal ALE of amorphous Al2O3 in the presence of crystalline Al2O3.
Exploring the Association Between Sport Participation and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in a Sample of Canadian High School Students
Authors: Murphy Jessica , Patte Karen A. , Sullivan Philip , Leatherdale Scott T.
Published: June 2021

The mental health benefits of physical activity may relate more to the context of the behavior, rather than the behavior of being active itself. The association between varsity sport (VS) participation, depression, and anxiety symptoms was explored using data from 70,449 high school students from the Cannabis use, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol use, Smoking, and Sedentary behavior study. The model adjusted for potential covariates; interactions by sex and participation in outside of school sport (OSS) were explored. Overall, 70% and 24% of respondents met or exceeded cutoff values for depression and anxiety, respectively. Students participating in VS had lower symptoms of anxiety and depression compared with nonparticipants. Results were consistent regardless of OSS participation; associations were strongest among students who participated in both VS and OSS and males. Participation in VS may prove beneficial for the prevention and/or management of depression or anxiety symptoms, particularly among males. An additive beneficial effect of OSS on depression and anxiety scores may exist.
Metagenome-Assembled Genomes Contribute to Unraveling of the Microbiome of Cocoa Fermentation
Authors: Almeida O. G. G. , De Martinis E. C. P.
Published: June 2021

The production of chocolate starts with the harvesting of cocoa fruits and the spontaneous fermentation of the seeds in a microbial succession that depends on yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and acetic acid bacteria in order to eliminate bitter and astringent compounds present in the raw material, which will be further roasted and grinded to originate the cocoa powder that will enter the food processing industry. The microbiota of cocoa fermentation is not completely known, and yet it advanced from culture-based studies to the advent of next-generation DNA sequencing, with the generation of a myriad of data, that need bioinformatic approaches to be properly analyzed.
Reprogramming of the Ethanol Stress Response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by the Transcription Factor Znf1 and Its Effect on the Biosynthesis of Glycerol and Ethanol
Authors: Samakkarn Wiwan , Ratanakhanokchai Khanok , Soontorngun Nitnipa
Published: June 2021

The yeast
S. cerevisiae
is a major microbe that is widely used in food and nonfood industries. However, accumulation of ethanol has a negative effect on its growth and limits ethanol production.
Bacteriophage Resistance Affects Flavobacterium columnare Virulence Partly via Mutations in Genes Related to Gliding Motility and the Type IX Secretion System
Authors: Kunttu Heidi M. T. , Runtuvuori-Salmela Anniina , Sundell Krister , Wiklund Tom , Middelboe Mathias , Landor Lotta , Ashrafi Roghaieh , Hoikkala Ville , Sundberg Lotta-Riina
Published: June 2021

Phage resistance of infectious bacteria is a common phenomenon posing challenges for the development of phage therapy. Along with a growing world population and the need for increased food production, constantly intensifying animal farming has to face increasing problems of infectious diseases.
Whole-Genome Sequencing and Annotation of 10 Endophytic and Epiphytic Bacteria Isolated from Lolium arundinaceum
Authors: Gaeth Victoria A. , Domondon Christina J. , Podbielski Paul A. , Aswad Virginia X. , Wrightstone Emalee A. , Wong Narayan H. , Burke Wilford H. , Melita Jo , Murray Kristen M. , Hudson André O.
Published: June 2021

We report the whole-genome sequence and annotation of 10 endophytic and epiphytic bacteria isolated from the grass
Lolium arundinaceum
as part of a laboratory exercise in a Fundamentals of Plant Biochemistry and Pathology undergraduate course (BIOL403) at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.
Distinguishing friction- from shock-generated melt products in hypervelocity impact structures
Authors: Spray John G. , Biren Marc B.
Published: June 2021

Field, microtextural, and geochemical evidence from impact-related melt rocks at the Manicouagan structure, Québec, Canada, allows the distinction to be made between friction-generated (pseudotachylite) and shock-generated melts. Making this distinction is aided by the observation that a significant portion of the impact structure’s central peak is composed of anorthosite that was not substantially involved in the production of impact melt. The anorthosite contrasts with the ultrabasic, basic, intermediate, and acidic gneisses that were consumed by decompression melting of the >60 GPa portion of the target volume to form the main impact melt body. The anorthosite was located below this melted volume at the time of shock loading and decompression, and it was subsequently brought to the surface from 7–10 km depth during the modification stage. Slip systems (faults) within the anorthosite that facilitated its elevation and collapse are occupied by pseudotachylites possessing anorthositic compositions. The Manicouagan pseudotachylites were not shock generated; however, precursor fracture-fault systems may have been initiated or reactivated by shock wave passage, with subsequent tectonic displacement and associated frictional melting occurring after shock loading and rarefaction. Pseudotachylites may inject off their generation planes to form complex intrusive systems that are connected to, but are spatially separated from, their source horizons. Comparisons are made between friction and shock melts from Manicouagan with those developed in the Vredefort and Sudbury impact structures, both of which show similar characteristics. Overall, pseudotachylite has compositions that are more locally derived. Impact melts have compositions reflective of a much larger source volume (and typically more varied source lithology inputs). For the Manicouagan, Vredefort, and Sudbury impact structures, multiple target lithologies were involved in generating their respective main impact melt bodies. Consequently, impact melt and pseudotachylite can be discriminated on compositional grounds, with assistance from field and textural observations. Pseudotachylite and shock-generated impact melt are not the same products, and it is important not to conflate them; each provides valuable insight into different stages of the hypervelocity impact process.
Dynamics of collapse of an impact central uplift: Evidence from folds and faults in the collar of the Vredefort Dome, South Africa
Authors: Manzi* Shalene , Gibson Roger L. , Tshibubudze Asinne
Published: June 2021

Structural analysis of overturned metasedimentary strata of the lower Witwatersrand Supergroup in the inner collar of the Vredefort Dome reveals the presence of tangential folds and faults associated with the 2.02 Ga impact. The folds are distinct from previously identified subradially oriented, vertical to plunging-inclined, gentle folds that are interpreted as the products of convergent flow (constriction) during the initial stages of central uplift formation. The tangential folds comprise disharmonic, open, asymmetric, horizontal to plunging-inclined anticline-syncline pairs with centripetally dipping axial planes and right-way-up intermediate limbs. They display centripetal-down vergence (anticline radially outward of the syncline) that is consistent with steep inward-directed shear of the overturned strata. We attribute this kinematic pattern to subvertical collapse of the Vredefort central uplift during the latter stages of crater modification. The folds are cut by pseudotachylite-bearing steep to vertical tangential faults that display center-down slip of <10 m up to ~150 m. Both the tangential folds and the faults suggest that the large-scale overturning of strata related to outward collapse of the Vredefort central uplift was accompanied by a component of inward-directed collapse via layer-parallel shearing and folding, followed by faulting. Subradially oriented faults with conjugate strike separations of 1–2 km in the NNE collar of the dome suggest penecontemporaneous tangential extension of the inner collar rocks. This evidence indicates that second-order structures in the metasedimentary collar of the Vredefort Dome preserve a complex, multistage record of evolving strain associated with both initial convergent and upward flow (constriction) related to central uplift rise and later divergent and downward flow (flattening) linked to its collapse, and that centripetally directed collapse features may be important components of the structural inventory of very large central uplifts.
Aqueous chlorhexidine 1% versus 2% for neonatal skin antisepsis: a randomised non-inferiority trial
Authors: Sharma Akash , Kulkarni Srikant , Thukral Anu , Sankar M Jeeva , Agarwal Ramesh , Deorari A K , Mohapatra Sarita , Velpandian Thirumurthy , Bajpai Minu
Published: June 2021

Objective

To evaluate whether 1% aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) when compared with 2% aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate is non-inferior for neonatal skin antisepsis.

Design

Parallel, blinded, non-inferiority randomised trial.

Setting

Level III, academic, neonatal intensive care unit.

Patients

Infants born at 260/7to 426/7weeks of gestation from June 2019 to December 2019.

Interventions

Participants were randomised to skin antisepsis by either 1% aqueous CHG or 2% aqueous CHG.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome was the proportion of negative skin swab cultures after skin antisepsis. Secondary outcomes were local skin reactions at 0, 6, 12 and 24 hours and plasma chlorhexidine levels in a subset of the study population.

Results

A total of 308 neonates with a median gestation age of 34 (31–37) weeks and mean birth weight of 2029 g were randomised on 685 occasions (1% CHG: n=341; 2% CHG: n=344). 93.0% of the post-antisepsis skin swabs were sterile in 1% CHG group compared with 95.6% of the swabs in the 2% CHG group (risk difference −2.7%, 95% CI −6.2% to +0.8%). The lower bound of 95% CI crossed the pre-specified absolute non-inferiority limit of 5%. Neonates developed mild dermatitis on 16 (2.3%) occasions. There was no significant difference in median plasma CHG levels in the two groups, 19.6 (12.5–36.4) and 12.6 (8.7–26.6) ng/mL, respectively.

Conclusions

Application of 1% aqueous CHG was not shown to be non-inferior to 2% chlorhexidine aqueous for skin antisepsis in neonates. There were no severe skin-related adverse events in either of the two groups.

Trial registration number

CTRI/2019/06/019822; (http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?trialid=33453&EncHid=&userName=CTRI/2019/06/019822)
In vitro establishment, validation and characterisation of conjunctival epithelium outgrowth using tissue fragments and amniotic membrane
Authors: Bertolin Marina , Barbaro Vanessa , Breda Claudia , Ferrari Stefano , Marchini Giorgio , Pedrotti Emilio , Ferrari Barbara , Diego Ponzin , Fasolo Adriano
Published: June 2021

Background/Aims

To set up the in vitro conditions for renewal of the conjunctival epithelium using healthy fragments of conjunctival tissue glued over an amniotic membrane.

Methods

We evaluated the capability of conjunctival tissue fragments to generate conjunctival cell outgrowth after seeding them onto amniotic membrane and culture plates; we then assessed conjunctival molecular marker expression by immunofluorescence. We also evaluated the efficiency of glueing the fragments over the amniotic membrane to determine the best setting and the feasibility of shipping preloaded amniotic membranes.

Results

Epithelial outgrowth was detected in 65%–80% of conjunctival fragments starting 48–72 hours after glueing, without major differences between type of membrane preparation and fragment size. Within 6–13 days, a full epithelium covered the surface of the amniotic membrane. Specific marker expression (conjunctival epithelium, Muc1, K19, K13; stemness, p63; tight junctions, ZO-1) was detected. Results of the shipping test showed that only 31% of the fragments were still glued over the epithelial side of the membrane within 24 hours compared to more than 90% of fragments stayed attached in the remaining conditions.

Conclusion

The in vitro regeneration of conjunctival epithelium following outgrowth from conjunctival tissue fragments glued over an amniotic membrane may offer a viable strategy to renew the epithelium in vivo once applied over the ocular surface at the recipient site.
Development of revised diagnostic criteria for Fuchs’ uveitis syndrome in a Chinese population
Authors: Yang Peizeng , Zhang Wanyun , Chen Zhijun , Zhang Han , Su Guannan , Cao Qingfeng , Zhu Ying , Zhong Zhenyu , Zhou Chunjiang , Wang Yao , Kijlstra Aize
Published: June 2021

Background/aims

Fuchs’ uveitis syndrome (FUS) is one of the frequently misdiagnosed uveitis entities, which is partly due to the absence of internationally recognised diagnostic criteria. This study was performed to develop and evaluate a set of revised diagnostic criteria for FUS.

Methods

The clinical data of Chinese patients with FUS and patients with non-FUS were collected and analysed from a tertiary referral centre between April 2008 and December 2020. A total of 593 patients with FUS and 625 patients with non-FUS from northern China were enrolled for the development of diagnostic criteria for FUS. Three hundred and seventy-seven patients with FUS and 503 patients with non-FUS from southern China were used to validate the criteria. Clinical symptoms and ocular signs were collected from all patients with FUS and patients with non-FUS. Multivariate two-step cluster analysis, logistic regression and decision tree algorithms in combination with the clinical judgement of uveitis experts were used to revise diagnostic criteria for FUS.

Results

Three essential findings including diffuse iris depigmentation, absence of posterior synechiae, mild inflammation in the anterior chamber at presentation and five associated findings including mostly unilateral involvement, cataract, vitreous opacities, absence of acute symptoms and characteristic iris nodules were used in the development of FUS diagnostic criteria. All essential findings were required for the diagnosis of FUS, and the diagnosis was further strengthened by the presence of associated findings.

Conclusion

Revised diagnostic criteria for FUS were developed and validated by analysing data from Chinese patients and showed a high sensitivity (96.55%) and specificity (97.42%).
Investigation into the predictive capability for mortality and the trigger points of the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) in emergency department patients
Authors: Masson Huw , Stephenson John
Published: June 2021

Introduction

National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) is widely used to monitor and trigger assessment throughout a patient’s hospital journey. Since the development and role out of NEWS2, its ability to predict mortality has been assessed in several settings, although to date not within an undifferentiated ED population.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study of all adult ED attendees at two EDs in Northern England, between March and November 2019. Multilevel multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted on patient episode data to assess the relationship between mortality at 2, 7 and 30 days from attendances; and maximum NEWS2, adjusting for age, sex, arrival mode and triage priority.

Results

Data were collected from 91 871 valid patient episodes associated with 64 760 patients. NEWS2 was a significant predictor of mortality at 2 days (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.58 to 1.93); at 7 days (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.59 to 1.80); at 30 days (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.52 to 1.64). For the analyses of categorised NEWS2, NEWS2 of 2–20 was significantly associated with mortality at 2, 7 and 30 days compared with none assigned: OR 3.54 (95% CI 2.15 to 5.85) at 2 days; OR 6.05 (95% CI 3.92 to 9.34) at 7 days; OR 12.4 (95% CI 7.91 to 19.3) at 30 days. Increasing age, male sex, arrival by ambulance and higher triage categories were also associated with significantly increased mortality. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.963, 0.946 and 0.915, respectively, were recorded for mortality outcomes, with optimum likelihood ratios associated with a trigger of 4 NEWS2 points.

Conclusions

NEWS2 is an effective predictor of mortality for patients presenting to the ED. Findings suggest that maximum NEWS2 of 4 and over may be the best trigger point for escalation of treatment. Findings also suggest a NEWS2 of 0–1 can identify a very low-risk group within the ED.