bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Puerto Rican Families’ Experiences of Displacement in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria and Their Receiving District's Enactment of Care
Authors: Rosario-Ramos Enid , Rodriguez Awilda , Sawada Jenny , Diaz Ana Mireya
Published: November 2021

Background/Context

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Florida's Mockingbird Public Schools (MPS) received approximately 3,500 students from Puerto Rico. The response to the displacement of Puerto Rican families involved quick decision-making by several stakeholders about how to receive students experiencing trauma and housing insecurity, and whose parents were under- or unemployed. How students experiencing displacement are integrated into their receiving districts is critical to their subsequent educational success and, given increases in extreme natural disasters, we need a better understanding of what care looks like in post-displacement contexts.

Purpose

Using a care framework, and drawing from interviews with district administrators, school personnel, high school students, and their caregivers, we examine the ways in which MPS enacted care toward Puerto Rican families as well as the ways in which families received such care.

Research Design

We conducted semi-structured interviews with a variety of MPS stakeholders. These included district personnel (10 interviewees), school personnel (38 interviewees), and families (40 interviewees among students and their caregivers). Analyses were conducted by four research team members by applying a constant comparative approach using NVivo software.

Findings/Results

Findings show that care was most successfully enacted and received when addressing families’ immediate needs, in contrast to supports for mental health needs, which were seen as insufficient by most stakeholders. Furthermore, we found supports for academic success were inconsistently deployed and unevenly received by students and their families, thus shaping students’ access to educational opportunities.

Conclusion

As educational disruptions and climate-related displacement becomes more common, it is important for receiving districts to develop policies and practices that facilitate displaced families’ access to quality education. MPS enactment of care was shaped by the local communities’ perceptions of themselves as caring individuals and organizations that felt compelled to aid people fleeing devastation in Puerto Rico. Yet, as Gay indicated, benevolence is not enough; displaced children need educational spaces willing to interrogate and disrupt socio-political and economic injustice in service of students’ personal, academic, and professional well-being. In MPS, we saw the limits of such benevolence reflected in deficit-oriented narratives about Puerto Rican students’ language proficiency and academic preparation, some personnel's unwillingness to support Spanish-dominant Puerto Rican children, and on the pushback against relief efforts experienced by district and school personnel. As a result, these truncated views on caring led to divergent experiences of caring across families, and inconsistent access to rigorous curricula and high academic expectations.
Teachers’ Opportunities to Learn through Collaboration over Time: A Case Study of Math Teacher Teams in Schools under Pressure to Improve
Authors: Weddle Hayley
Published: November 2021

Background/Context

While current research provides key insights about successful collaboration in which teachers experience deep learning and practice change, few studies analyze the content of teachers’ collaborative conversations about instruction. Even fewer explore how the content of collaborative conversations evolves over time, making it difficult to understand the impact of shifting policies, priorities, and personnel on teachers’ collective work.

Purpose and Research Questions

To explore teachers’ opportunities to learn through collaboration, I draw on the following research questions: How does the depth of teachers’ opportunities to learn from collaborative conversations evolve over time? In what ways do contextual factors (e.g., personnel, tools, leadership expectations, coaching) influence these opportunities to learn through collaboration?

Participants

This study is situated in two urban middle schools under significant pressure to improve student achievement. I selected one grade-level math team from each school, analyzing their conversations taking place during collaboration meetings.

Research Design

To better understand teachers’ collaborative learning, I rely on qualitative case study methods. Data collected include interviews and observations of two teacher collaboration groups over four years. I use Horn and colleagues’ (2017) taxonomy of teachers’ opportunities to learn in conjunction with cultural historical activity theory (Cole & Engeström, 2007) to examine teachers’ collective learning over time as this process unfolds in context.

Findings/Results

Across both groups, expectations from leadership to improve school performance shaped teachers’ opportunities to learn, as did the presence of teachers whose beliefs about math instruction foregrounded student thinking and exploration. Findings demonstrated that for one team, fluctuations in depth of learning also depended on the agendas and protocols used to frame collective work. For the second team, depth of learning opportunities was connected to shifts in personnel and group norms over time. For both teams, high-depth conversations represented no more than a third of the meetings observed in each year, reflecting the complexity of developing effective collaborative cultures supporting deep learning.

Conclusions/Recommendations

While high-depth opportunities to learn (OTLs) were infrequent for both teams, the reasons for this scarcity were shaped by each team's context. Leaders hoping to develop collaborative cultures with richer teacher learning opportunities should consider multiple factors shaping OTLs, including collaborative team norms, teachers’ beliefs about math instruction, protocols guiding discussions, and the role of accountability pressures in shaping expectations for collective work.
Teacher and Student Reciprocal Agency in Odds-Beating Schools
Authors: Leo Aaron , Wilcox Kristen C. , Kramer Catherine , Lawson Hal A. , Min Mina
Published: November 2021

Background/Context

In the field of education, the lens of agency has provided a valuable conceptual alternative to deterministic portrayals of schools as oppressive institutions where teachers and students have little power over the conditions in which they teach and learn. A number of studies have investigated teacher and student agency, but few have explored the relationships between the two, particularly in regard to how teacher and student agency relate in high-need and high-diversity contexts with exemplary student graduation outcomes.

Purpose/Focus of the Study

In an effort to address the paucity of research investigating the relationships of teacher and student agency, this analysis draws on seven qualitative case studies of secondary schools achieving a trend of above-predicted (i.e., odds-beating) graduation outcomes. We pursued the overarching research question: What are the relationships between teacher and student agency in odds-beating schools?

Setting

The study took place in a purposeful sample of odds-beating secondary schools identified through multiple regression analyses. The sample included schools in rural, suburban, and more urban communities and were distributed across various geographic regions in the state of New York. All schools shared a pattern of above-predicted graduation outcomes, taking into account student demographic factors (percentage of students economically disadvantaged, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and English language learners). All schools met the criteria of being within the normal range for wealth ratio as well.

Research Design

This qualitative multiple case study focused on data generated from interviews and focus groups with 302 participants, including teachers, student support specialists, and school and district leaders, as well as field notes gathered during guided school tours, and documents. These data were analyzed using qualitative comparative analysis methods in multiple phases of deductive and inductive coding.

Conclusions

Study findings indicate that when teachers are offered opportunities to act as agents, they tend to offer opportunities to their students similarly. This research also suggests that affordances for teachers to assert agency can mitigate the constraining effects of state accountability system compliance-oriented practices. We conclude that teacher and student reciprocal agency merits further study and offers theoretical insights of particular import in high-needs and high-diversity school contexts.
The Organizational Ecology of State Support for Public Flagship Universities
Authors: Weerts David J.
Published: November 2021

Background/Context:

Several studies have investigated state political and economic factors that explain differences in levels of state appropriations for colleges and universities. Few studies have considered how stakeholder beliefs or taken-for-granted assumptions about various institutions may impact budgeting decisions for specific campuses. A gap in the literature remains in understanding how normative agreements about various institutional types—such as public flagship universities—may influence levels of state appropriations for these institutions.

Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study:

This study investigates how levels of state support for research universities might relate to their formal, informal, or even contested status as public flagship institutions. The research question guiding this study is: How might flagship identity relate to differences in levels of state appropriations for public research universities across states?

Research Design:

This multicase study examines differences in levels of state support for four flagship universities between 1984 and 2004. Case institutions were generated from an analysis of outlier institutions that received lower- or higher-than-predicted levels of appropriations during the two-decade period. Outliers analyzed for this study include the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and University of Virginia (lower-than-predicted support) and the University of Connecticut and the University of Maryland-College Park (higher-than-predicted support). Qualitative data were collected and analyzed to investigate disparities in state support among these four institutions.

Findings/Results:

This study found that a “flagship ideal” exists across the four cases, which provides meaning for stakeholders as they consider levels of state funding for these institutions. Idealized views of flagships provided advantages to some institutions and disadvantaged others in state budgeting processes during the study period. In addition, normative beliefs about the case institutions were mediated by state culture, politics, and powerful regional influences. Higher education governance structure was less important than cultural and political context in making sense of variations in state support across the institutions.

Conclusions/Recommendations:

The study suggests that flagship university leaders must be mindful about taken-for-granted assumptions held by key stakeholders and resource providers as they create appeals for state support. Across all institutional types, leaders must be attuned to the historical, cultural, economic, or political factors that shape understandings about their institutions. In addition, leaders must evaluate the influence of allies or foes in shaping the narrative about the institution’s unique identity and need for funding. Strategic leaders leverage their institutional identities and unique governing arrangements in ways that expand resource opportunities.
#Playrevolution: Engaging Equity through the Power of Play
Authors: Thiel Jaye Johnson , Wohlwend Karen
Published: November 2021

This special issue continues a two-year conversation about a #playrevolution in literacies research, theory, and practice. The juxtaposition of play and revolution is intentional, highlighting the tension between play's prosocial benefits and collaborative production and the rapid change, uncertainty, and violence in today's schools, where we desperately need more humanizing elements that build people's connections to one another. The #playrevolution calls educators and researchers to explore the (un)predictable, (un)expected knots emerging through the coalescence of play and literacies, while also considering the possibilities play holds for educational equity in contemporary times. Bringing together twelve educational researchers across the United States, Canada, and Australia, this #playrevolution special issue explores the lively ecology of play-literacies in a variety of spaces—traditional writing and storytelling workshops, digital dialogues, video games, teacher-education courses, makerspaces, and playgrounds—with learners from preschools and kindergartens to high schools and universities.
“Monsters Are Coming!”: Learning Literacy and Playing Games
Authors: Woods Annette , Jeffries Michelle
Published: November 2021

Background/Context

There are recent trends of bringing highly defined, teacher-directed pedagogies into early-childhood contexts in Australia, the United States. and other Western contexts. While the justification for these moves is often the improvement of outcomes for young children, they ignore the large body of research that attests to the social, emotional, and academic benefits of children having time to play and to experience educational programs founded in play-based pedagogies.

Focus of the study

In this study, we were interested in considering how young children name their worlds in education contexts in which literacies and sustainability education are brought together as educational concepts. This article reports on the playing of one game over time and considers the opportunities that were created by the playing of the game and the competence of the young children in using the game to collaborate, to learn literacy, and to make spaces for other everyday business together.

Setting

The fieldwork which produced the data for this article involved two researchers attending a suburban Australian early-childhood education context regularly for one year.

Participants

The children and educators of the center were engaged in an approved program, in the year before school starts within Australian requirements. Therefore the children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years.

Research design

This article reports on a qualitative study of one class of young children and their educators. Data were collected during fieldwork visits over a period of one year. We observed the children's engagement in outdoor play, collecting data in the form of short video recordings, still images, field notes, and texts produced by the children.

Conclusions

Our analysis provides evidence that children can demonstrate competent understandings of how language, bodies, movement, and space position themselves and others. The children involved competently collaborated and used language and texts to get along and to sustain a game over many months. They were only able to achieve this because they were given space to play, to own and govern spaces of play, and to problem-solve together as issues arose. The opportunity to direct themselves and their friends was vital as they developed respectful language and literacy practices.
Chapter 7: Learning to Teach for Civic Engagement: Opportunities and Constraints for Three Teachers in One Urban Elementary School
Authors: Epstein Shira Eve , Levy Brett L. M.
Published: November 2021

Context

Civic education is marginalized in many U.S. schools. It is especially rare in elementary schools and in schools serving low-income students of color. Although professional development opportunities in civic education for teachers are limited, these experiences can positively influence teachers’ conceptions of teaching for civic engagement. There is a need for quality professional learning to promote civic education in schools.

Focus of Study

This chapter explores three elementary school educators’ experiences learning about teaching for civic engagement (TfCE) during their time in a university-based online course on the topic and while they were teaching low-income students of color in a public urban elementary school in the northeastern United States. In the context of the university course, we ask the following related research questions: (1) How do three elementary school teachers conceptualize teaching for civic engagement? (2) How do they perceive their readiness to teach for civic engagement in their professional context?

Research Design

We used the qualitative methods of document analysis and interview. Specifically, we collected and analyzed nine course assignments and conducted two extended interviews with each of the three participants.

Findings

We found that during the course, the teachers adopted valuable ideas about developing students’ abilities to identify, deliberate, and act on public problems— demonstrating broadened visions of TfCE. They also described various aspects of their school context that they perceived as unfriendly toward such pedagogy, including an emphasis on high-stakes assessment. Referencing contextual constraints as well as opportunities for TfCE, they expressed varied forms of readiness to enact civic-oriented instruction.

Recommendations

These findings suggest that to support TfCE, teacher educators should dedicate coursework or other forms of professional development to TfCE, address teachers’ differentiated responses, and confront the absence of civic education in schools.
A systematic evaluation of primary headache management apps leveraging behavior change techniques
Authors: Noser Amy E , Klages Kimberly L , Gamwell Kaitlyn L , Brammer Caitlin N , Hommel Kevin A , Ramsey Rachelle R
Published: November 2021

Background

Mobile health apps have the potential to promote adherence to headache management through the use of evidence-based behavior change techniques (e.g., self-monitoring). While many headache management apps exist, the extent to which these apps include behavior change techniques remains unknown. Thus, the present study systematically evaluated the content and quality of commercially available headache management apps.

Methods

Headache apps were identified using a systematic search in the Apple App and Google Play stores. A total of 55 apps were evaluated using the taxonomy of behavior change techniques and app quality using the Mobile App Rating Scale.

Results

Headache management apps included 0–14 behavior change techniques (Mean [M] = 5.89) and 0–8 headache management behavior change techniques (M = 4.29). App quality ranged from 2.84–4.67 (M = 3.73) out of 5.00. Three apps, Migraine Trainer, Easeday: Headache & Migraine, and PainScale, included the highest number of overall and headache management behavior change techniques along with good quality scores.

Conclusions

While randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the efficacy of individual headache apps, most existing apps include evidence-based headache management behavior change techniques. Headache apps often focus on either self-monitoring or stress management via relaxation training, suggesting that patients’ needs should be used to inform app selection.
Temporal Trends in the Microbiological Characteristics of Sepsis in the United States: A Population Based Study
Authors: Tsou Po-Yang , Yo Chia-Hung , Hsein Yenh-Chen , Yungtum Gregory , Hsu Wan-Ting , Chung Jui-Yuan , Su Ke-Ying , Chang Alan , Chang I-Jing , Lee Chien-Chang ,   National Taiwan University Hospital, Health Data Science Research Group
Published: November 2021

Background

Epidemiologic studies are needed for monitoring population-level trends in sepsis. This study examines sepsis-causing microorganisms from 2006 to 2014 in the United States using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database.

Methods

7 860 686 adults hospitalized with sepsis were identified using a validated ICD-9 coding approach. Associated microorganisms were identified by ICD-9 code and classified by major groups (Gram-positive, Gram-negative, fungi, anaerobes) and specific species for analysis of their incidence and mortality.

Results

The rate of sepsis incidence has increased for all four major categories of pathogens, while the mortality rate decreased. In 2014, Gram-negative pathogens had a higher incidence than Gram-positives. Anaerobes increased the fastest with an average annual increase of 20.17% (p < 0.001). Fungi had the highest mortality (19.28%) and the slowest annual decrease of mortality (−2.31%, p = 0.006) in 2013, while anaerobic sepsis had the highest hazard of mortality (adjusted HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.53-1.66).

Conclusions

Gram-negative pathogens have replaced Gram-positives as the leading cause of sepsis in the United States in 2014 during the study period (2006-2014). The incidence of anaerobic sepsis has an annual increase of 20%, while the mortality of fungal sepsis has not decreased at the same rate as other microorganisms. These findings should inform the diagnosis and management of septic patients, as well as the implementation of public health programs.
Can governance be ethical if it is not diverse?
Authors: Porritt Vivienne , Stagg Fee
Published: November 2021

Can governance be ethical if it is not diverse? Abstract There is growing acceptance that governing boards in English schools and academies should be diverse. Yet progress towards this strategic aim remains slow despite initiatives to address this. We ask whether boards represent their communities and whether they model diverse and ethical leadership as seen in the culture and values of a school or trust and through recruitment and we argue that governance cannot be ethical if it is not diverse. Our thinking about the question at the heart of this paper is influenced by ethical leadership as well as the Black Lives Matter movement. We draw on two diverse boards, one a maintained governing board for a primary school and the other a Multi-Academy Trust board, to support our opinion and thank them for sharing their challenges and successes. We suggest ways forward to deliberately disrupt the status quo and ensure governing boards represent the students in their communities.
Sustained Stress Reduces the Age Advantages in Emotional Experience of Older Adults: Commentary on Carstensen et al. (2020)
Authors: Sun Rui , Sauter Disa
Published: November 2021

Older age is characterized by more positive and less negative emotional experience. Recent work by Carstensen et al. (2020) demonstrated that the age advantages in emotional experience have persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In two studies, we replicated and extended this work. In Study 1, we conducted a large-scale test of the robustness of Carstensen and colleagues’ findings using data from 23,350 participants in 63 countries. Our results confirm that age advantages in emotions have persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 2, we directly compared the age advantages before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a within-participants study ( N = 4,370). We found that the age advantages in emotions decreased during the pandemic. These findings are consistent with theoretical proposals that the age advantages reflect older adults’ ability to avoid situations that are likely to cause negative emotions, which is challenging under conditions of sustained unavoidable stress.
Exploring the Role of Agile Operant Resources in the Facilitation of Strategic Orientation: The Case of Family-owned Businesses in Pakistan
Authors: Butt Mehreen Waheed , Kausar Abdul Rashid , Rashid Yasir
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

No one can deny the pertinent role of resources in each era. Over time, its usefulness enhances, which facilitates firm sustainability in today’s volatile business world. To the best of the author’s knowledge, no study has been done specifically in the context of Family-Owned Businesses (FOBs) in Pakistan regarding the owner’s ability to possess agile operant resources. The purpose of this study is to explore the hidden agile operant resources of the family business owners which facilitate FOBs in strategic orientation.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

This study resides in a relativistic school of thought based on the interpretive paradigm. It is used as an exemplar of the nature of research. Purposive sampling is used for data collection. Interviews were conducted through open-ended questionnaires and observation of family owners. This study is based on the abductive research approach, which along with Gioia methodology, has been used to develop broader themes for discussion.

Findings:

This research article provides sound conceptual insights on the strategic orientation of family firms through the pertinent role of learning and observational resources, agile entrepreneurial phronesis and agile sensing skills. The authors proposed a conceptual model for shedding light on the pertinent role of agile operant resource supports to facilitate the strategic orientation of FOBs.

Practical implications:

This study proposes a framework for FOBs operating in Pakistan by providing novel insights for establishing sustainable firm performance by indicating the pertinence of agile operant resources. FOBs may adopt these agile operant resources to ensure firm strategic orientation in today’s dynamic business world. It also opens new avenues of innovation and growth for FOBs by determining the primitive, significant role of individual FOB owners operant resources. This study can apply to all FOBs.

Originality value:

In this research, the authors have discussed the iterative themes interactions and their significant role in the context of family firms to understand how learning and observational resources, agile sensing skills and agile entrepreneurial phronesis strengthen firm strategic orientation that drives firm sustainable performance in today’s competitive business world. As Pakistan, like other Asian countries, is considered fertile land for family businesses, such studies can enrich insights through surfacing the FOB owner-possessed resources-based framework and how it supports catering to effective strategic orientation.
Positive Tone in Management Reports and Volatility of Stock Returns
Authors: Malaquias Rodrigo Fernandes , Júnior Dermeval Martins Borges
Published: November 2021

This article aims to analyse the effects of positive tone in management reports on stock return volatility. It is expected that this article contributes to the literature about disclosure by proposing an objective textual content analysis of management reports, focussing on optimistic words or expressions employed by firms and their effect on stock return volatility. The sample consisted of management reports and financial data from 576 different Brazilian firms’ stocks. Regarding volatility, our measure is based on daily stock returns from 1 April 2011 to 23 October 2020. The data related to positive tone and control variables were based on the fiscal years 2010–2019. Therefore, the database contains 3,945 stock-year observations. The study hypothesis was tested through a regression model with panel data. The main results suggest that companies with higher positive disclosure tone scores do not necessarily present lower stock return volatility in the subsequent period. The objective content of financial reports (for example, in relation to profitability) seems to be related to stock volatility; however, the tone of subjective expressions does not represent the main determinant of stock volatility.
African Students’ Satisfaction in China: From the Perspectives of China-Africa Educational Cooperation
Authors: Niu Changsong , Liao Si’ao , Sun Yi
Published: November 2021

The number of African students in China has significantly increased in the last two decades. This trend is closely related to China's engagement with Africa in all aspects and insufficient provision of higher education in many African countries. This study examines the degree to which African students are satisfied with their study and life experiences at a Chinese university through a mixed-methods approach. The findings indicate that African students are generally satisfied with their experiences and the extent to their satisfaction in teaching dimensions is higher than that in administrative dimensions. However, teacher's English proficiency, interaction between faculty and students, internship opportunities, and administration service quality have lower levels of satisfaction that could be improved. In regard to factors affecting satisfaction, African students’ Chinese language proficiency level and the length of stay in China both influence their experiences. Additionally, the study discovers that self-funded students frequently have greater financial pressure and higher expectations for their study. The conclusion presents the research implications for enhancing the quality of Chinese higher education internationalization.
Cranial Base Angle in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Murugan Chandnee , Kailasam Vignesh
Published: November 2021

Background: Diverse findings have been reported for the cranial base angle (CBA) in patients with CLP (cleft lip and palate) and non-CLP controls. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess and evaluate the CBA in patients with CLP and non-CLP controls. Methods: Data from PubMed, OVID Technologies, Inc., Cochrane, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE for Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE) with relevant terms was extracted until December 31, 2020. Inclusion criteria were data of patients with non-syndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP). In the case of UCLP and BCLP, patients with craniofacial syndromes were excluded. The study proposal was registered with PROSPERO (Registration number: CRD42021228632). Results: Fifteen studies with a total of 2032 participants were included for the systematic review and 14 studies with a total of 1972 participants were included for the meta-analysis. The risk of bias was assessed using the Modified Newcastle Ottawa scale under seven domains by two authors. Thirteen studies were graded as “good” and two as “satisfactory.” The CBA in patients with CLP were greater than the non CLP Class I controls in six of the 15 studies. CBA was greater in patients with CLP than non-CLP controls by 1.21° (95% CI of 0.19-2.22). Meta-analysis reported considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 86%). Anterior (ACB) and posterior cranial base (PCB) lengths were shorter in patients with CLP than in the non-cleft Class I controls by 2.14 mm (95% CI of 0.99-3.30) and 2.06 mm (95% CI of 1.52-2.60), respectively. Conclusion: Most studies were graded as good. Patients with CLP had greater CBA and shorter ACB and PCB lengths when compared to non-CLP controls.
Real-Time Image-Guided Navigation in the Management of Alveolar Cleft Repair
Authors: Zhang Yuying , Dai Jiawei , Fu Xiazhou , Yang Jiegang , Fu Yuchuan , Li Jian
Published: November 2021

Objectives: To present the use of dynamic navigation system in the repair of alveolar cleft. Patients and Participants: A total of three non-syndromic patients with unilateral alveolar cleft were involved in this study. Real-time computer-aided navigation were used to achieve restoration and reconstruction with standardized surgical technique. Methods: With the individual virtual 3-dimensional (3-D) modeling based on computed tomography (CT) data, preoperative planning and surgical simulation were carried out with the navigation system. During preoperative virtual planning, the defect volume or the quantity of graft is directly assessed at the surgical region. With the use of this system, the gingival periosteum flap incision can be tracked in real-time, and the bone graft can be navigated under the guidance of the 3-D views until it matches the preoperatively planned position. Results: Three patients with alveolar cleft were successfully performed under navigation guidance. Through the model alignment procedure, accurate matches between the actual intraoperative position and the CT images were achieved within the systematic error of 0.3 mm. The grafted bone was implanted according to the preoperative plan with the aid of instrument- and probe-based navigation. All the patients were healed well without serious complications. Conclusions: These findings suggest that image-guided surgical navigation, including preoperative planning, surgical simulation, postoperative assessment, and computer-assisted navigation was feasible and yielded good clinical outcomes. Clinical relevance: This dynamic navigation could be proved to be a valuable option for this complicated surgical procedure in the management of alveolar cleft repair.
Reframing culture: Stuart Cunningham's legacies
Authors: Thomas Julian
Published: November 2021

This essay offers an appreciation of Stuart Cunningham's substantial and diverse contributions to ‘reframing culture’ in Australian research, policy and industry practice, from his early reformulations of Australian film history to his recent work on digital media disruption. The essay discusses the range of Cunningham's institutional and intellectual legacies, suggesting that his advocacy for cultural policy and the creative industries together with his leadership of major collaborative research initiatives in the humanities and social sciences have been especially important for media and cultural studies in Australia. Further, his approach to the project of ‘reframing culture’ is likely to remain a critical task.
Seeking and explaining culturally meaningful within-country regions: A functional, institutional and critical event analysis
Authors: Kara Aycan , Peterson Mark F , Søndergaard Mikael
Published: November 2021

Cross-cultural management scholars traditionally use country boundaries to study societal culture, while recognizing that regions within many countries show cultural differences. We review survey studies published in business journals between 1991 and 2021 that assess within-country cultural differences among administrative regions. We classify the articles according to their theoretical bases, methodological approaches, and outcomes. We use a functional, institutional, and critical event framework to suggest direction for theory that is and can be used to seek and explain within-country cultural regions. We also evaluate currently used databases, measurement, and analysis approaches to suggest ways forward.
Evaluation of an Integrated Smart Sensor System for Real-Time Characterization and Digitalization of Postoperative Abdominal Drain Output: A Pilot Study
Authors: Roser Mario V. , Frank Alexander H. R. , Henrichs Lea , Heiliger Christian , Andrade Dorian , Ritz Laura A. , Sabo Jan , Rauschmayr Andreas , Muensterer Oliver , Werner Jens , Karcz Wojciech Konrad , Berger Michael F.
Published: November 2021

Background: For centuries, surgeons have relied on surgical drains during postoperative care. Despite all advances in modern medicine and the area of digitalization, as of today, most if not all assessment of abdominal secretions excreted via surgical drains are carried out manually. We here introduce a novel integrated Smart Sensor System ( Smart Drain) that allows for real-time characterization and digitalization of postoperative abdominal drain output at the patient’s bedside. Methods: A prototype of the Smart Drain was developed using a sophisticated spectrometer for assessment of drain output. The prototype measures 10 × 6 × 6 cm and therefore easily fits at the bedside. At the time of measurement with our Smart Drain, the drain output was additionally sent off to be analyzed in our routine laboratory for typical markers of interest in abdominal surgery such as bilirubin, lipase, amylase, triglycerides, urea, protein, and red blood cells. A total of 45 samples from 19 patients were included. Results: The measurements generated were found to correlate with conventional laboratory measurements for bilirubin (r = .658, P = .000), lipase (r = .490, P = .002), amylase (r = .571, P = .000), triglycerides (r = .803, P = .000), urea (r = .326, P = .033), protein (r = .387, P = .012), and red blood cells (r = .904, P = .000). Conclusions: To our best knowledge, for the first time we describe a device using a sophisticated spectrometer that allows for real-time characterization and digitalization of postoperative abdominal drain output at the patient’s bedside.
Book review: Sameetah Agha, The Limits of Empire, Sub-Imperialism and Pukhtun Resistance in the North–West Frontier
Authors: Tuteja K.L.
Published: November 2021

Sameetah Agha, The Limits of Empire, Sub-Imperialism and Pukhtun Resistance in the North–West Frontier (New Delhi: Orient BlackSwan), 2020, pp. xiv + 231, ₹595.
Depiction of Hindu Philosophical and Religious Notions in Dārā Shukoh’s Majma‘-ul-Baḥrain
Authors: Agnihotri Manisha S.
Published: November 2021

The article focuses on Dārā Shukoh’s Majma‘-ul-Baḥrain (written, 1654–55), which is basically a comparative and systematic study of modes of Hindu thought and belief from the view point of Islamic Sufism. There is thus the need to establish the degree of authenticity achieved in Dārā Shukoh’s exploration of the different Hindu philosophical and religious beliefs, especially keeping in view his own preference for pantheistic aspects. This naturally involves also a partial re-exploration of the field in which Dārā Shukoh had sought what he deemed to be the ultimate truth.
A Cross-sectional Study of Fixed and Growth Mindset in Adult Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
Authors: Fissell Rachel B. , Schlundt David , Cavanaugh Kerri L. , Mueller Claudia , Umeukeje Ebele M. , Nair Devika , Wild Marcus , Chariwala Saqib , Guide Andrew , Stewart Thomas , Wallston Kenneth
Published: November 2021

Increasing home dialysis prevalence is an international priority. Many patients start peritoneal dialysis, then transition to hemodialysis after complications. New strategies are needed to support modality persistence. Health mindset refers to individual belief about capacity to change to improve health. Mindset was measured in a cross-section of 101 adult peritoneal dialysis patients from April 2019 to June 2020. The Health Mindset Scale was administered to characterize the continuum of fixed vs. growth mindset with respect to health. Health literacy and health self-efficacy were also assessed. Participants were 43% female, 32% African American, and 42% diabetic. Health mindset scores were skewed toward growth (range 3–18), with average (SD) 12.83 (4.2). Growth mindset was strongly associated with health self-efficacy. Adults receiving peritoneal dialysis report health mindset variation. Growth mindset and health self-efficacy correlation suggests measurement of similar constructs, demonstrating convergent validity. The Health Mindset Scale may identify individuals who could benefit from targeted interventions to improve mindset, and foster peritoneal dialysis modality persistence.
Estimating the Cost of Surgical Care Purchased in the Community by the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Wagner Todd H. , Lo Jeanie , Beilstein-Wedel Erin , Vanneman Megan E. , Shwartz Michael , Rosen Amy K.
Published: November 2021

Background. Veterans’ access to Veterans Affairs (VA)-purchased community care expanded due to large increases in funding provided in the 2014 Veterans Choice Act. Objectives. To compare costs between VA-delivered care and VA payments for purchased care for two commonly performed surgeries: total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) and cataract surgeries. Research Design. Descriptive statistics and regressions examining costs in VA-delivered and VA-purchased care (fiscal year [FY] 2018 [October 2017 to September 2018]). Subjects. A total of 13,718 TKAs, of which 6,293 (46%) were performed in VA. A total of 91,659 cataract surgeries, of which 65,799 (72%) were performed in VA. Measures. Costs of VA-delivered care based on activity-based cost estimates; costs of VA-purchased care based on approved and paid claims. Results. Ninety-eight percent of VA-delivered TKAs occurred in inpatient hospitals, with an average cost of $28,969 (SD $10,778). The majority (86%) of VA-purchased TKAs were also performed at inpatient hospitals, with an average payment of $13,339 (SD $23,698). VA-delivered cataract surgeries were performed at hospitals as outpatient procedures, with an average cost of $4,301 (SD $2,835). VA-purchased cataract surgeries performed at hospitals averaged $1,585 (SD $629); those performed at ambulatory surgical centers cost an average of $1,346 (SD $463). We also found significantly higher Nosos risk scores for patients who used VA-delivered versus VA-purchased care. Conclusions. Costs of VA-delivered care were higher than payments for VA-purchased care, but this partly reflects legislative caps limiting VA payments to community providers to Medicare amounts. Higher patient risk scores in the VA could indicate that community providers are reluctant to accept high-risk patients because of Medicare reimbursements, or that VA providers prefer to keep the more complex patients in VA.
Exploring the external validity of survey data with triangulation: A case study from the Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction (NorMA) Study
Authors: Toresen Lokdam Nicoline , Riksheim Stavseth Marianne , Bukten Anne
Published: November 2021

Objectives

This paper demonstrates how to investigate the external validity of a study sample by triangulating survey and registry data, using data from the Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction (NorMA) Study as a case.

Methods

We use survey data from the NorMA study ( n = 1495), including the NorMA cohort ( n = 733), and data from the Norwegian Prison Registry on all people imprisoned on 1 September 2013 ( n = 3386). Triangulation was performed by (1) comparing the NorMA cohort to those lost to follow-up ( n = 762), using survey data from the NorMA study. Secondly, we compared the NorMA cohort to the one-day population, using data from the Norwegian Prison Registry. We also stratified the one-day sample by possession of a Norwegian personal identification number (PIN).

Results

We found differences in birthplace, imprisonment and drug use between the NorMA cohort, lost to follow-up and the one-day population. Twenty-three percent of the one-day population did not have a Norwegian PIN. The NorMA cohort was more similar to those with a Norwegian PIN in the one-day population. Our triangulation demonstrates that 56–62% of the Norwegian prison population had an indication of drug use before imprisonment.

Conclusions

The NorMA cohort was overall representative of the one-day prison population holding a Norwegian PIN and less representative of prisoners without a Norwegian PIN. Using this method provides tangible inputs on the strengths and limitations of a study sample and can be a feasible method to investigate the external validity of survey data.
Morphological growth pattern of Phanerochaete chrysosporium cultivated on different Miscanthus x giganteus biomass fractions
Authors: Khalil Hassan , Legin Estelle , Kurek Bernard , Perre Patrick , Taidi Behnam
Published: November 2021

Background

Solid-state fermentation is a fungal culture technique used to produce compounds and products of industrial interest. The growth behaviour of filamentous fungi on solid media is challenging to study due to the intermixity of the substrate and the growing organism. Several strategies are available to measure indirectly the fungal biomass during the fermentation such as following the biochemical production of mycelium-specific components or microscopic observation. The microscopic observation of the development of the mycelium, on lignocellulosic substrate, has not been reported. In this study, we set up an experimental protocol based on microscopy and image processing through which we investigated the growth pattern of Phanerochaete chrysosporium on different Miscanthus x giganteus biomass fractions.

Results

Object coalescence, the occupied surface area, and radial expansion of the colony were measured in time. The substrate was sterilized by autoclaving, which could be considered a type of pre-treatment. The fastest growth rate was measured on the unfractionated biomass, followed by the soluble fraction of the biomass, then the residual solid fractions. The growth rate on the different fractions of the substrate was additive, suggesting that both the solid and soluble fractions were used by the fungus. Based on the FTIR analysis, there were differences in composition between the solid and soluble fractions of the substrate, but the main components for growth were always present. We propose using this novel method for measuring the very initial fungal growth by following the variation of the number of objects over time. Once growth is established, the growth can be followed by measurement of the occupied surface by the mycelium.

Conclusion

Our data showed that the growth was affected from the very beginning by the nature of the substrate. The most extensive colonization of the surface was observed with the unfractionated substrate containing both soluble and solid components. The methodology was practical and may be applied to investigate the growth of other fungi, including the influence of environmental parameters on the fungal growth.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in hemodialysis patients in Senegal: a multicenter cross-sectional study
Authors: Seck Sidy Mohamed , Mbow Moustapha , Kane Yaya , Cisse Mouhamadou Moustapha , Faye Gnagna , Kama Adama , Sarr Moussa , Nitcheu Pamela , Dahaba Mohamed , Diallo Ibrahima Mbemba , Diawara Mame Selly , Latou Lotingo Nehemie Motoula , Dia Yacine , Mboup Souleymane
Published: November 2021

Background

Hemodialysis patients are among high-risk groups for COVID-19. Africa is the continent with the lowest number of cases in the general population but we have little information about the disease burden in dialysis patients.

Objectives

This study aimed to describe the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the hemodialysis population of Senegal.

Patients and methods

We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional survey, between June and September 2020 involving 10 public dialysis units randomly selected in eight regions of Senegal. After seeking their consent, we included 303 patients aged ≥ 18 years and hemodialysis for ≥ 3 months. Clinical symptoms and biological parameters were collected from medical records. Patients’ blood samples were tested with Abbott SARS-CoV-2 Ig G assay using an Architect system. Statistical tests were performed with STATA 12.0.

Results

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 21.1% (95% CI = 16.7–26.1%). We noticed a wide variability in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence between regions ranging from 5.6 to 51.7%. Among the 38 patients who underwent nasal swab testing, only six had a PCR-confirmed infection and all of them did seroconvert. Suggestive clinical symptoms were reported by 28.1% of seropositive patients and the majority of them presented asymptomatic disease. After multivariate analysis, a previous contact with a confirmed case and living in a high population density region were associated with the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Conclusion

This study presents to our knowledge the first seroprevalence data in African hemodialysis patients. Compared to data from other continents, we found a higher proportion of patients with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies but a lower lethality rate.