bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Echoes down the corridor. Experiences and perspectives of library and information science education (LISE) during COVID-19 through an African lens
Authors: Ocholla Dennis N.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in enormous challenges, but also presented opportunities that have notable implications for the future. The aim of this paper is to explore and discuss the experiences, perspectives, challenges and opportunities of Library and Information Science Educators (LISE) during the pandemic. The aim is articulated in the following three research questions: How is the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by LISE and in research? What are the perceptions formed during the period? And what are the challenges and opportunities?

Design/methodology/approach

This is an interpretivist qualitative study informed by disaster management theories. The study involved the content analysis of existing literature with a focus on COVID-19 and higher education, particularly LISE, in conjunction with an open-ended email questionnaire that was sent to selected LIS educators/faculty/staff from major LIS Schools from eight sub-Saharan African countries. The author used personal experiences and observation to supplement the data and the interpretation.

Findings

Results show more similarities than differences in how the COVID-19 pandemic is experienced and perceived, as well as the challenges and opportunities that it brings to the sector. As a whole, political factors are most pronounced, meaning that administration and decision-making need more attention in the sector. Also notable is that opportunities are mostly linked to technological factors, which will determine the “new normal” for LISE in the future. Almost all the narratives focused on the middle level of (during) the disaster life cycle, which is understandable as the complete cycle of the disaster is yet to come, likely when COVID-19 ceases to be a threat.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was small, as related studies focus more on COVID-19 and higher education, with hardly any focusing on LISE. The COVID-19 pandemic has not ended, so the disaster management life cycle cannot be fully exploited. Furthermore, the author’s categorization of responses within PEST was largely judgmental.

Practical implications

New research, teaching and learning developmental paths have been created for LISE. The study provides practical reflection on the effects of COVID-19 on the sector and HEIs that can inform discourse and responses to the pandemic.

Originality/value

The study explores a new research domain in LISE and due to limited research in the domain brings together important voices/narratives – based on their experiences – of LIS educators in Africa on the research area. Further, it proposes the future of LISE under COVID-19 within the 4IR framework.
Tackling COVID-19 from below: civic participation among online neighbourhood network users during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Waeterloos Cato , De Meulenaere Jonas , Walrave Michel , Ponnet Koen
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Following the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many forms of bottom-up civic action emerged as ways to collectively “flatten the curve” and tackle the crisis. In this paper, the authors examine to what extent local online and offline social integration contributes to civic participation, above and beyond typical predictors such as news consumption and civic talk.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was administered among 7,137 users of the online neighbourhood network (ONN) Hoplr in Flanders (i.e. the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) from 8 May to 18 May 2020. Regression analyses were used to examine how local social integration, in addition to news consumption, civic talk and political antecedents, predict different types of civic participation.

Findings

The results show consistent positive associations between news consumption, civic talk and civic participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the role of political antecedents varied across different forms of civic participation. Further, the results point to the importance of both offline and online local social integration in explaining civic participation.

Originality/value

This study provides much-needed insight in the societal and democratic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results confirm the importance of local social integration in explaining civic participation, while also advancing theoretical understanding of more established predictors of civic participation, such as news consumption and interpersonal communication.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available athttps://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-08-2020-0379.
Towards a Supply Chain 4.0 on the post-COVID-19 pandemic: a conceptual and strategic discussion for more resilient supply chains
Authors: Frederico Guilherme F.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present a grounded and strategic discussion regarding Supply Chain 4.0 as a management system orientation for the post-COVID-19 period as well as propose some research directions thereof.

Design/methodology/approach

For the development of this paper, some theoretical insights were provided based on the literature related to Supply Chain and Industry 4.0. A discussion regarding the constructs of Supply Chain 4.0 on the context of the post-COVID-19 outbreak is developed as well.

Findings

The discussion, herein, shows that the disruptive technologies might play a crucial role to become supply chains more responsive and resilient to sudden events such as COVID-19. Then a Supply Chain 4.0 is a transformational strategic orientation to be considered on the aspect of supply chain management for the post-pandemic period. Some research questions are proposed at the end of this paper with the aim to further address this subject.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides timely insights for researchers and practitioners which might imply on the further research deployments and practical applications although it demands future empirical studies to validate the propositions herein presented.

Practical implications

Practitioners can be benefited from this paper on having new insights and a strategic direction on regards supply chain management for the post-pandemic period with focus on a technology-driven strategy for supply chains.

Originality/value

This paper is unique because it brings an unexplored relationship between Supply Chain 4.0 and COVID-19 pandemic. It also significantly contributes to new directions and views for the supply chain management field from these challenging and difficult times of coronavirus global outbreak.
Knowledge management capabilities and organizational agility as liaisons of business performance
Authors: Rafi Nosheen , Ahmed Alia , Shafique Imran , Kalyar Masood Nawaz
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The aim of this current study is to investigate the effects of knowledge management capabilities – knowledge infrastructure capability and knowledge processing capability – on organizational agility and business performance. This study also examines organizational agility as an underlying mechanism between knowledge management capabilities and business performance relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from one hundred and sixty-nine organizations. Partial least squared (PLS)–based structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed to test the study hypotheses. The analysis was performed in WarpPLS 6.0 software.

Findings

Results revealed that both dimensions of knowledge management capabilities positively influence organizational agility and business performance. In addition to the direct effect, knowledge management capabilities also have an indirect effect on business performance mediated through organizational agility.

Research limitations/implications

This study attempts to develop an integrated framework to conceptualize a capability–capacity–performance relationship, where it suggests that knowledge management capabilities are important organization-level capabilities which facilitate organizations to develop necessary capacities i.e. organizational agility to successfully perform business activities.

Practical implications

The findings help the managers to understand the contribution of knowledge management capabilities towards business performance. The findings imply that business performance can be enhanced by development of a culture - enabled by a knowledge-oriented structure and technology – that encourages knowledge sharing among employees because when employees are not sharing information, they are prone to repeating the same mistakes which they and other people have already committed. Likewise, strategies such as mentoring cross training, business process empowerment and technical training programs allow employees to gain business knowledge and foster organizational agility.

Originality/value

Novelty of this study is to develop and empirically test an integrated framework of a capability–capacity–performance relationship. It suggests that knowledge management capabilities (firm capability) enable organizations to develop organizational agility (firm capacity) which in turn enhances performance.
The dark side of rocks: An underestimated high‐quality food resource in river ecosystems
Authors: Guo Fen , Bunn Stuart E. , Brett Michael T. , Hager Hannes , Kainz Martin J.
Published: March 2021

Algae are generally a high‐quality diet source because they provide essential compounds to aquatic consumers. In forested stream ecosystems, the availability of high‐quality algae is low compared to terrestrial organic matter, which may constrain the dietary transfer of essential compounds to consumers. However, there could be other overlooked high‐quality resource pools that provide essential compounds to consumers in river ecosystems.

We conducted a field study along a subalpine river continuum in Austria to identify the nutritional role of a ‘hidden’ food resource for aquatic consumers; the biofilms growing on the underside of rocks (dark biofilms). Dark and light (i.e. upper surface of rocks) biofilms and invertebrates were collected, and their fatty acid (FA) composition was analysed.

Compared with light biofilms, dark biofilms contained greater proportions of bacterial FA, long‐chain saturated FA (biomarkers of terrestrial plants) and oleic acid (18:1ω9; a fungal biomarker), but a lower proportion of algal FA, especially omega‐3 polyunsaturated FA (ω3 PUFA). The ω3 PUFA composition in dark biofilms was strongly correlated with that in light biofilms. Furthermore, the overall FA profiles of dark biofilms were significantly associated with invertebrate FA profiles. Strong correlations were also observed between invertebrates and dark biofilms for bacterial FA and the ω3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3).

Synthesis. This field study demonstrates that dark biofilms are a high‐quality resource pool for invertebrates in river ecosystems that is often overlooked. Similar to light biofilms, dark biofilms provide physiologically important FA and bacterial FA for stream invertebrates. However, these high‐quality resources are threatened by increasing human disturbances to river ecosystems. Future research is required to better understand how the quality of both dark and light biofilms changes in response to human disturbance, and how this affects dietary energy transfer to upper trophic consumers, including fish and humans.
Population‐specific resilience of Halophila ovalis seagrass habitat to unseasonal rainfall, an extreme climate event in estuaries
Authors: Webster Chanelle L. , Kilminster Kieryn L. , Sánchez Alarcón Marta , Bennett Katherine , Strydom Simone , McNamara Sian , Lavery Paul S. , McMahon Kathryn M.
Published: March 2021

Extreme climate events are predicted to alter estuarine salinity gradients exposing habitat‐forming species to more frequent salinity variations. The intensity and duration of these variations, rather than the mean salinity values ecosystems are exposed to, may be more important in influencing resilience but requires further investigation.

Precipitation, including the frequency, intensity and timing of occurrence, is shifting due to climate change. A global analysis on the timing of rainfall in estuarine catchments was conducted. In 80% of the case studies, the maximum daily rainfall occurred in the dry season at least once over the 40‐year period and could be classified as an extreme event.

We selected an estuary in southwestern Australia and investigated the effects of an extreme rainfall event in 2017 resulting in an excess discharge of freshwater on seagrass Halophila ovalis. Adapting an approach applied for marine heatwaves using salinity data, we quantified metrics and characterised the event along the estuarine gradient. We assessed seagrass resilience by calculating resistance times based on the comparisons of biomass and leaf density data prior to, and during the event, and recovery times through assessment against historical condition.

Where salinity is historically more variable, reductions in biomass were lower (higher resistance via plasticity in salinity tolerance) and meadows recovered within 9–11 months. Where salinity is historically more stable, loss of biomass was greatest (low resistance) post‐event and recovery may exceed 22 months, and potentially due to the rapid decline in salinity (−3 PSU/day).

As estuaries become more hydrologically variable, these metrics provide a baseline for retrospective and future comparisons. Our results suggest seagrass resilience to hyposalinity is population specific. This understanding enables more accurate predictions about ecological responses to climate change and identifies which populations may ‘future proof’ ecosystem resilience.

Synthesis. Following an extreme rainfall event, we found seagrass populations that are exposed to variable salinities recovered while those from a stable salinity environment were unable to recover within the study time frame. These findings expand upon existing evidence, derived primarily from other ecosystems, that show new sources of resilience may be uncovered by accounting for between‐population variation.
Modelling spatial patterns in host‐associated microbial communities
Authors: Ruuskanen Matti O. , Sommeria‐Klein Guilhem , Havulinna Aki S. , Niiranen Teemu J. , Lahti Leo
Published: March 2021

Microbial communities exhibit spatial structure at different scales, due to constant interactions with their environment and dispersal limitation. While this spatial structure is often considered in studies focusing on free‐living environmental communities, it has received less attention in the context of host‐associated microbial communities or microbiota. The wider adoption of methods accounting for spatial variation in these communities will help to address open questions in basic microbial ecology as well as realize the full potential of microbiome‐aided medicine. Here, we first overview known factors affecting the composition of microbiota across diverse host types and at different scales, with a focus on the human gut as one of the most actively studied microbiota. We outline a number of topical open questions in the field related to spatial variation and patterns. We then review the existing methodology for the spatial modelling of microbiota. We suggest that methodology from related fields, such as systems biology and macro‐organismal ecology, could be adapted to obtain more accurate models of spatial structure. We further posit that methodological developments in the spatial modelling and analysis of microbiota could in turn broadly benefit theoretical and applied ecology and contribute to the development of novel industrial and clinical applications.
Global analysis of the apple fruit microbiome: are all apples the same?
Authors: Abdelfattah Ahmed , Freilich Shiri , Bartuv Rotem , Zhimo V. Yeka , Kumar Ajay , Biasi Antonio , Salim Shoshana , Feygenberg Oleg , Burchard Erik , Dardick Christopher , Liu Jia , Khan Awais , Ellouze Walid , Ali Shawkat , Spadaro Davide , Torres Rosario , Teixido Neus , Ozkaya Okan , Buehlmann Andreas , Vero Silvana , Mondino Pedro , Berg Gabriele , Wisniewski Michael , Droby Samir
Published: March 2021

We present the first worldwide study on the apple (Malus × domestica) fruit microbiome that examines questions regarding the composition and the assembly of microbial communities on and in apple fruit. Results revealed that the composition and structure of the fungal and bacterial communities associated with apple fruit vary and are highly dependent on geographical location. The study also confirmed that the spatial variation in the fungal and bacterial composition of different fruit tissues exists at a global level. Fungal diversity varied significantly in fruit harvested in different geographical locations and suggests a potential link between location and the type and rate of postharvest diseases that develop in each country. The global core microbiome of apple fruit was represented by several beneficial microbial taxa and accounted for a large fraction of the fruit microbial community. The study provides foundational information about the apple fruit microbiome that can be utilized for the development of novel approaches for the management of fruit quality and safety, as well as for reducing losses due to the establishment and proliferation of postharvest pathogens. It also lays the groundwork for studying the complex microbial interactions that occur on apple fruit surfaces.
Students with special educational needs and cooperative learning in the ordinary classroom: some learnings from teaching practice
Authors: Perlado Lamo de Espinosa Ignacio , Muñoz Martínez Yolanda , Torrego Seijo Juan Carlos
Published: March 2021

This article presents the results of a study to determine the strategies used by teachers to include students with special educational needs in regular classrooms, primarily using Cooperative Learning strategies. It aims to identify the factors of inclusive learning in order to enhance the participation and learning of all students in the classroom and in their cooperative teams. A qualitative case study was carried out in the context of the teachers participating in a postgraduate course ‘expert in cooperative learning’ offered by the University of Alcalá (Spain), over a period of six years (2011–2017), involving the participation of 176 professional teachers. All the participants attended an annual university continuous training course on cooperative learning. Document analysis, in‐depth interviews and a questionnaire designedad hocwere used. The conclusions include the importance of cooperative work in facilitating inclusive education, with a variety of different strategies used to respond to all students' needs, and those with special educational needs in particular, and the coordination required between teachers and special educational needs specialists to implement those strategies.
Does rocking motion calm delirious patients in ICU? A multicentre randomised clinical trial protocol (RockingICU)
Authors: Collet Marie Oxenbøll , Nielsen Gitte Meldgaard , Bang Benita , Lærkner Eva , Fischer Susanne , Langvad Anne , Thorn Linette , Lange Theis , Egerod Ingrid
Published: March 2021

Background

Rocking chair therapy has been explored in patients with dementia to promote the feeling of relaxation, but not in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients with delirium.

Aim

The aim is to investigate the effect of a chair with or without rocking motion on the duration of delirium and intensity of agitation in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU.

Design

This is an investigator‐initiated pragmatic, multicentre, parallel‐grouped, centrally randomised, stratified, data analyst‐blinded trial.

Method

We will include patients for 1:1 web‐based randomisation, stratified by site in patients 18 y or older with a positive delirium score identified by a validated tool. We will exclude patients mainly due to mobilisation restrictions, body weight exceeding 130 kg, inability to provide consent, and presence of multiresistant bacteria or viral droplet infections. The intervention group will receive a minimum of 20 min of rocking therapy daily. The control group will be transferred to the same type of chair but without rocking therapy daily. A power calculation with a risk reduction of 20%, a power of 80% with an alpha cut‐off on 5% and further 20% inclusion gives 76 patients in intervention and control group reaching a total of n = 152 inclusion in the trial.

Conclusion

The RockingICU trial will provide important new knowledge and raise research questions regarding nonpharmacological interventions to alleviate delirium in ICU patients.
NAD+ supplementation prevents STING‐induced senescence in ataxia telangiectasia by improving mitophagy
Authors: Yang Beimeng , Dan Xiuli , Hou Yujun , Lee Jong‐Hyuk , Wechter Noah , Krishnamurthy Sudarshan , Kimura Risako , Babbar Mansi , Demarest Tyler , McDevitt Ross , Zhang Shiliang , Zhang Yongqing , Mattson Mark P. , Croteau Deborah L. , Bohr Vilhelm A.
Published: March 2021

Senescence phenotypes and mitochondrial dysfunction are implicated in aging and in premature aging diseases, including ataxia telangiectasia (A‐T). Loss of mitochondrial function can drive age‐related decline in the brain, but little is known about whether improving mitochondrial homeostasis alleviates senescence phenotypes. We demonstrate here that mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular senescence with a senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP) occur in A‐T patient fibroblasts, and in ATM‐deficient cells and mice. Senescence is mediated by stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and involves ectopic cytoplasmic DNA. We further show that boosting intracellular NAD+ levels with nicotinamide riboside (NR) prevents senescence and SASP by promoting mitophagy in a PINK1‐dependent manner. NR treatment also prevents neurodegeneration, suppresses senescence and neuroinflammation, and improves motor function in Atm−/− mice. Our findings suggest a central role for mitochondrial dysfunction‐induced senescence in A‐T pathogenesis, and that enhancing mitophagy as a potential therapeutic intervention.
Comparative bibliometric analysis of publications by past Royal Australasian College of Surgeons research scholarship recipients
Authors: Williamson Penny , Tan Lorwai , Truskett Philip , Saunders Christobel , Angus James , Babidge Wendy J.
Published: March 2021

Background

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons awards scholarships to surgeons, surgical trainees and recipients focused on developing their clinical knowledge and improving outcomes for patients. A bibliometric analysis of research scholarship recipients publications and h‐index scores was conducted to understand the benefits of receiving these scholarships.

Methods

A bibliometric analysis of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons scholarship recipients in 2015 was performed using Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID), Scopus, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, LinkedIn and PubMed to identify the number of publications, h‐index scores, field‐weighted citation impact and the relative citation ratio.

Results

Nineteen research scholarship recipients authored 842 publications, with 491 (58%) published after completion of their scholarship. Seven recipients published 50% or more of their articles in the 5 years since completion. Five recipients have each published more than 45 articles since 2015. H‐index scores varied between Scopus and Google Scholar (overall range: 4–34). Scopus identified the most publications, followed by ResearchGate. Determining publication numbers for recipients was problematic due to self‐reporting in some databases (i.e. Google Scholar, ResearchGate), variations in author names (i.e. maiden to married name), duplication of publications and the inclusion of supplementary material (i.e. extra tables) in self‐reporting databases. Field‐weighted citation impact and relative citation ratio values exceeded 1 on 12 occasions demonstrating recipients are more cited than the global average.

Conclusion

Continuous tracking of publication rates and h‐index scores of scholarship recipients demonstrates recipients' continuing interest in advancing and disseminating medical knowledge to improve patient outcomes. The 2015 scholarship recipients publication numbers continued to increase after their scholarship tenure.
The Life Cycle of the Libyan Coastal Highway: Italian Colonialism, Coloniality, and the Future of Reparative Justice in the Mediterranean
Authors: Distretti Emilio
Published: March 2021

This paper explores the role of the Libyan Coastal Highway across history: originally built by fascist Italy during colonisation, in the postcolonial era Libya demanded Italy commit to the construction of a new motorway as part of the reparation process for its crimes. Only in 2008 was an agreement reached. Through it, Italy used the promise to build a new road as a bargaining‐chip to secure Qaddafi’s cooperation in containing migrant mobility across the Mediterranean. This paper explores the different ways in which the Libyan road has endured as a space and a tool of power by tracing historical and political continuities across time, from colonisation to demands for postcolonial reparations and migration governance. Drawing inspiration from the notion of “coloniality”, the paper investigates the colonial continuum expressed by the Italian/Libyan reparation process, and seeks to posit alternative pathways towards the unresolved question of postcolonial justice around the Mediterranean.
Mental health problems and fear of childbirth: A cohort study of women in an inner‐city maternity service
Authors: Nath Selina , Lewis Lucy N. , Bick Debra , Demilew Jill , Howard Louise M.
Published: March 2021

Objectives

To estimate the population prevalence of severe fear of childbirth (FOC) during pregnancy and investigate its association with: (a) antenatal common mental disorders (depression and anxiety disorder) and (b) elective cesarean birth.

Methods

545 participants from an inner‐city London maternity population were interviewed soon after their first antenatal appointment (mean gestation: 14 weeks). Current mental disorders were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview DSM‐IV. FOC was measured using the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (WDEQ‐A) at approximately 28 weeks gestation (n = 377), with severe FOC defined using a cutoff of WDEQ‐A ≥ 85. Birth mode information was collected at 3 months post‐delivery using an adapted Adult Service Use Schedule. Linear regressions were used to model associations, adjusting for the effects of covariates (age, parity, relationship status, education, and planned pregnancy). Sampling weights were used to adjust for bias introduced by the stratified sampling. We also accounted for missing data within the analysis.

Results

The estimated population prevalence of severe FOC was 3% (95% CI: 2%‐6%) (n = 377). Depression and anxiety were significantly associated with severe FOC after adjustment for covariates (45% vs 11%; coefficient: 15.75, 95% CI: 8.08‐23.42, P < .001). There was a weak association between severe FOC and elective cesarean birth.

Conclusions

Severe FOC occurs in around 3% of the population. Depression and anxiety are associated with FOC. Pregnant people with depression and anxiety may be at increased risk of experiencing severe FOC. Attitudes toward childbirth should be assessed as part of routine clinical assessment of pregnant people in contact with mental health services.
Landscape of immune cell infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma to aid immunotherapy
Authors: Bai Dan , Feng Huhu , Yang Jiajun , Yin Aiping , Qian Airong , Sugiyama Hiroshi
Published: March 2021

The tumor microenvironment, comprised of tumor cells and tumor‐infiltrating immune cells, is closely associated with the clinical outcome of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. However, the landscape of immune infiltration in ccRCC has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we applied multiple computational methods and various datasets to reveal the immune infiltrative landscape of ccRCC patients. The tumor immune infiltration (TII) levels of 525 ccRCC patients using a single‐sample gene were examined and further categorized into immune infiltration subgroups. The TII score was characterized by distinct clinical traits and showed a significant divergence based on gender, grade, and stage. A high TII score was associated with the ERBB signaling pathway, the TGF‐β signaling pathway, and the MTOR signaling pathway, as well as a better prognosis. Furthermore, patients with high TII scores exhibited greater sensitivity to pazopanib. The low TII score was characterized by a high immune infiltration level of CD8+ T cells, T follicular helper cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Moreover, the immune check point genes, including CTLA‐4, LAG3, PD‐1, and IDO1, presented a high expression level in the low TII score group. Patients in the high TII score group demonstrated significant therapeutic advantages and clinical benefits. The findings in this study have the potential to assist in the strategic design of immunotherapeutic treatments for ccRCC.
A novel bi‐allelic loss‐of‐function mutation in STIM1 expands the phenotype of STIM1‐related diseases
Authors: Salvi Alexandra , Skrypnyk Cristina , Da Silva Nathalie , Urtizberea Jon Andoni , Bakhiet Moiz , Robert Catherine , Lévy Nicolas , Megarbané André , Delague Valérie , Bartoli Marc
Published: March 2021

STIM1, the stromal interaction molecule 1, is the key protein for maintaining calcium concentration in the endoplasmic reticulum by triggering the Store Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE). Bi‐allelic mutations in STIM1 gene are responsible for a loss‐of‐function in patients affected with a CRAC channelopathy syndrome in which severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome (SCID‐like), autoimmunity, ectodermal dysplasia and muscle hypotonia are combined. Here, we studied two siblings from a consanguineous Syrian family, presenting with muscle weakness, hyperlaxity, elastic skin, tooth abnormalities, dysmorphic facies, hypoplastic patellae and history of respiratory infections. Using exome sequencing, we have identified a new homozygous frameshift mutation in STIM1: c.685delT [p.(Phe229Leufs*12)], leading to a complete loss of STIM1 protein. In this study, we describe an unusual phenotype linked to STIM1 mutations, combining clinical signs usually observed in different STIM1‐related diseases. In particular, we confirmed that the complete loss of STIM1 function is not always associated with severe immune disorders. Altogether, our results broaden the spectrum of phenotypes associated with mutations in STIM1 and opens new perspectives on the pathological mechanisms associated with a defect in the proteins constituting the SOCE complex.
The inaugural World Report on Hearing: From barriers to a platform for change
Authors: McMahon Catherine M. , Nieman Carrie L. , Thorne Peter R. , Emmett Susan D. , Bhutta Mahmood F.
Published: March 2021

The inaugural World Report on Hearing was recently published by the World Health Organisation, and outlines the burden of hearing loss, and strategies to overcome this through preventative and public health approaches. Here, we identify barriers to wide‐scale adoption, including historic low prioritisation of hearing loss against other public health needs, a lack of a health workforce with relevant training, poor access to assistive technology, and individual and community‐level stigma and misunderstanding. Overcoming these barriers will require multi‐sector stakeholder collaboration, involving ear and hearing care professionals, patients, communities, industry and policymakers.
The use of transbronchial cryobiopsy for diffuse parenchymal lung disease in critically ill patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure—A case series
Authors: Matta Atul , Gupta Ena , Swank Zulma , Aragaki‐Nakahodo Alejandro , Cooley Joseph , Caudell‐Stamper Danielle N. , Benzaquen Sadia
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Accurate diagnosis and management of undifferentiated diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) in critically ill patients is challenging. Transbronchial forceps biopsies have limited utility and surgical lung biopsies can be detrimental for critically ill patients. Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBC) has shown increased diagnostic yield compared to conventional forceps biopsy in DPLD. However, TBC has not been studied in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. In this case series, we describe our experience with TBC for diagnosis of DPLD in ICU patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Methods

This case series includes critically ill patients who underwent TBC at two different tertiary care hospitals. Procedures were performed by the same interventional pulmonologist using the two therapeutic bronchoscopes with a 2.8‐mm working channel, and a 1.9‐ or 2.4‐mm cryoprobe.

Results

We performed TBC in 17 patients of which 12 (70.1%) were performed at bedside in ICU without fluoroscopic guidance. Pathological diagnosis was made in 15 (88%) patients which resulted in changes in management in most of these patients. Six patients (35.3%) developed pneumothorax post‐procedure with 5 (29.4%) requiring a chest tube. Moderate bleeding was noted in one (6%) patient and no severe or fatal bleeding occurred. Our 30‐day ICU mortality was 47% (n = 8); however, no deaths were directly attributable to the procedure.

Conclusions

TBC is a feasible technique with an acceptable complication rate and a fairly high histopathological yield in ICU patients with DPLD and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Appropriate diagnosis can be crucial in making management decisions for these patients.
Violence against Rich Ethnic Minorities: A Theory of Instrumental Scapegoating
Authors: Bramoullé Yann , Morault Pauline
Published: March 2021

Historically and in many parts of the developing world, ethnic minorities have played a central role in the economy. Examples include Chinese throughout South‐east Asia, Indians in East Africa, and Jews in medieval Europe. These rich minorities are often subject to popular violence and extortion, and are treated ambiguously by local politicians. We analyse the impact of the presence of a rich ethnic minority on violence and on interactions between a rent‐seeking local elite and a poor majority. We find that the local elite can always make use of the rich minority to maintain its hold on power. When the threat of violence is high, the government may change its economic policies strategically to sacrifice the minority to popular resentment. We investigate the conditions under which such instrumental scapegoating emerges, and the forms it takes. We then introduce some social integration, capturing, for instance, mixed marriages and shared education. Social integration reduces violence and yields qualitative changes in economic policies. Overall, our results help to explain documented patterns of violence and segregation.
‘Your flexible friend’: the bill of exchange in theory and practice in the fifteenth century†
Authors: Bolton Jim , Guidi‐Bruscoli Francesco
Published: March 2021

The bill of exchange was the most important written instrument in the international financial world of the later middle ages. Using the evidence of nearly 2,000 bills of exchange, protested bills of exchange, and letters of advice recorded in the ledgers of Filippo Borromei & Partners of Bruges and London, 1436–8, we argue that it was a far more flexible instrument than has previously been thought. The maturity of bills could be changed by agreement rather than necessarily using the standard usance periods, and payment by instalments occurred, extending the length of the ‘loan’ considerably. In practice, exchange rates varied from day to day and within the day itself, while bills were offered as sureties for the fulfilment of other contracts. We also confirm the arguments of other historians that the main purpose of this instrument was the transfer of capital back and forth across western Europe, usually along well‐known axes such as London to Venice or Bruges to Barcelona, with exchange and re‐change playing only a minimal role in the Borromei's operations. As at the Lyon fairs 100 years later, the ‘flexible friend’ helped make the world of international, regional, and local trade and finance go round.
Digital anatomy table in teaching‐learning process of the temporomandibular joint anatomy
Authors: da Silveira Cintia Rejane , Miamoto Dias Paulo Eduardo , Oenning Anne Caroline , de Brito Junior Rui Barbosa , Turssi Cecilia Pedroso , Oliveira Luciana Butini
Published: March 2021

Introduction

The use of teaching resources and digital objects has gradually been incorporated into dental schools. This study aimed to evaluate the digital anatomy table in teaching‐learning process of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomy and the student's perception regarding this resource.

Materials and Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted on 41 undergraduate dental students. Knowledge assessment tests were applied at different time intervals: before and after the TMJ theoretical class, after the practical class on prosected specimens and after the use of digital anatomy table. The medians of the scores obtained in the three groups (theoretical class, practical class and digital table) were descriptively analysed and submitted to Wilcoxon, Kruskal‐Wallis and Student‐Newman‐Keuls statistical tests. The perception survey was conducted at the end of the study.

Results

When the teaching strategies were compared amongst each other, the medians of the scores with the digital anatomy table were significantly higher than after the theoretical and practical classes. At the end of the research, there were no differences amongst the three groups (theoretical class, practical class and digital table). Regarding the perception, the majority of the students reported that the digital anatomy table helped them to understand the content of the theoretical class.

Conclusion

It was concluded that learning with the use of the digital anatomy table did not increase the knowledge of dental students with respect to the TMJ anatomy. The students' perceptions of the digital anatomy table were positive and that it could be used as an additional resource in the teaching‐learning process.
Progressive myoclonus epilepsyKCNC1variant causes a developmental dendritopathy
Authors: Carpenter Jenna C. , Männikkö Roope , Heffner Catherine , Heneine Jana , Sampedro‐Castañeda Marisol , Lignani Gabriele , Schorge Stephanie
Published: March 2021

Objective

Mutations inKCNC1can cause severe neurological dysfunction, including intellectual disability, epilepsy, and ataxia. The Arg320His variant, which occurs in the voltage‐sensing domain of the channel, causes a highly penetrant and specific form of progressive myoclonus epilepsy with severe ataxia, designated myoclonus epilepsy and ataxia due to potassium channel mutation (MEAK).KCNC1encodes the voltage‐gated potassium channel KV3.1, a channel that is important for enabling high‐frequency firing in interneurons, raising the possibility that MEAK is associated with reduced interneuronal function.

Methods

To determine how this variant triggers MEAK, we expressed KV3.1bR320Hin cortical interneurons in vitro and investigated the effects on neuronal function and morphology. We also performed electrophysiological recordings of oocytes expressing KV3.1b to determine whether the mutation introduces gating pore currents.

Results

Expression of the KV3.1bR320Hvariant profoundly reduced excitability of mature cortical interneurons, and cells expressing these channels were unable to support high‐frequency firing. The mutant channel also had an unexpected effect on morphology, severely impairing neurite development and interneuron viability, an effect that could not be rescued by blocking KV3 channels. Oocyte recordings confirmed that in the adult KV3.1b isoform, R320H confers a dominant negative loss‐of‐function effect by slowing channel activation, but does not introduce potentially toxic gating pore currents.

Significance

Overall, our data suggest that, in addition to the regulation of high‐frequency firing, KV3.1 channels play a hitherto unrecognized role in neuronal development. MEAK may be described as a developmental dendritopathy.
Phenological sensitivity to temperature mediates herbivory
Authors: Meineke Emily K. , Davis Charles C. , Davies T. Jonathan
Published: March 2021

Species interactions drive ecosystem processes and are a major focus of global change research. Among the most consequential interactions expected to shift with climate change are those between insect herbivores and plants, both of which are highly sensitive to temperature. Insect herbivores and their host plants display varying levels of synchrony that could be disrupted or enhanced by climate change, yet empirical data on changes in synchrony are lacking. Using evidence of herbivory on herbarium specimens collected from the northeastern United States and France from 1900 to 2015, we provide evidence that plant species with temperature‐sensitive phenologies experience higher levels of insect damage in warmer years, while less temperature‐sensitive, co‐occurring species do not. While herbivory might be mediated by interactions between warming and phenology through multiple pathways, we suggest that warming might lengthen growing seasons for phenologically sensitive plant species, exposing their leaves to herbivores for longer periods of time in warm years. We propose that elevated herbivory in warm years may represent a previously underappreciated cost to phenological tracking of climate change over longer timescales.
Biodiversity models need to represent land‐use intensity more comprehensively
Authors: Dullinger Iwona , Essl Franz , Moser Dietmar , Erb Karlheinz , Haberl Helmut , Dullinger Stefan
Published: March 2021

Background

Land use is the major driver of the current biodiversity crisis. However, its impact is not yet adequately reflected in biodiversity scenarios. In particular, effects of land‐use intensity are often neglected although natural limits to land conversion will likely enforce further land‐use intensification in the future.

Aims and innovation

We argue that integration of land‐use intensity into biodiversity models should ideally be based on a proper conceptualization of the land‐use intensity phenomenon. We, therefore, present terminological distinctions and a conceptual framework developed in land system science. The framework distinguishes three dimensions of land‐use intensity: input intensity, output intensity, and alterations of system properties. We discuss nonlinearities and intricacies of the relationships among these dimensions as well as their direct and indirect relationships to biodiversity. In an explorative literature assessment we demonstrate that the multi‐dimensional nature of land‐use intensity appears insufficiently reflected in biodiversity research. Finally, we discuss issues of data availability that limit integration of land‐use intensity into spatially and temporally explicit biodiversity modelling.

Conclusion

Research on the relationship between land use and biodiversity would profit from a more systematic and comprehensive consideration of land‐use intensity. While there is no standard recipe for combining indicators of land‐use intensity in biodiversity studies the input–output–system distinction is a useful conceptual basis for study designs. More generally, better integration of biodiversity and land system science would foster understanding and predicting the consequences of land‐use intensification on biodiversity.
Mentoring as affective governmentality: Shame, (un)happiness, and the (re)production of masculine leadership
Authors: Sandager Jette
Published: March 2021

This article contributes to current discussions on the effectiveness of mentoring as a gender equality tool, but also focuses on the emotions and bodily (dis)comforts mentoring produces in addition to linguistic discourses, thus offering a novel take on how the tool operates. Drawing on a case study of a Danish mentoring program aimed at establishing the organizational space of leadership as more gender equal, the article demonstrates how, in producing shame and (un)happiness, mentoring (re)produces leadership as an organizational space dominated by masculine norms and work practices. The findings of the article support literature arguing that mentoring is an ineffective gender equality tool. However, the article does not entirely discard mentoring for this purpose, instead suggesting that scholars and practitioners look to literature on queered forms of mentoring for inspiration on how to use mentoring as a tool that carries the potential of truly promoting gender equality.
An investigation on the role of L2 proficiency in adult learners’ L2 morphological performance
Authors: Li Ying
Published: March 2021

This study investigated whether adult learners could eventually achieve nativelike proficiency in L2 inflectional morphology that is not instantiated in their L1 with the increase of L2 proficiency. The participants were 47 L1‐Chinese of L2‐English speakers. They were divided into three groups according to their levels of English proficiency, and their morphological performance in L2‐English plurals was individually tested with a self‐paced word‐by‐word reading task and an oral interview. According to the results: (1) all the three groups showed a reliable degree of sensitivity to English plurals; although L2 proficiency was non‐significant in their overall performance, the advanced participants displayed a more similar pattern of performance to the native English speakers as compared to the less‐advanced ones; and (2) the participants’ production accuracy increased with the increase in English proficiency. Overall, the findings suggested that adult L2 learners could eventually acquire L2 morphology with the increase of L2 proficiency.