bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principal Turnover under No Child Left behind Accountability Pressure
Authors: Mitani Hajime
Published: November 2021

Background/Context

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was a performance-based accountability policy designed to motivate educators and administrators to change their behaviors and improve school and student outcomes. The simple logic behind this accountability policy was that they would change their behaviors to avoid sanctions. Many studies have investigated the impact of NCLB on students and teachers; however, little research has examined its impact on school principals even though they were a prime target of NCLB.

Purpose/Objective

This study fills the gap in the literature and investigates the impact of NCLB sanctions on principal turnover. It answers whether NCLB's informal and formal sanctions influenced principal turnover behaviors and whether the influence was moderated by principal and school characteristics. It also examines patterns in principal transfers and position changes.

Research Design

This study uses longitudinal administrative data and detailed school-level assessment data obtained from Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from 2001–02 to 2009–10. It constructs a distance variable to the adequate yearly progress threshold and uses it as a key matching variable in propensity score matching to identify comparable schools not facing NCLB sanctions. Postmatching logistic regression models identify the impact of NCLB sanctions.

Findings/Results

Although I find no evidence that informal sanction affected principal turnover, the impact is significantly moderated by principals’ job experience, Title I school status, and the percent of non-White students. The first-year NCLB sanction does not appear to have affected principal turnover. However, this finding needs to be interpreted with caution because of the way the NCLB sanction system is structured and the small sample sizes. A descriptive analysis of the relationship between the second-year NCLB sanction and beyond, and principal turnover suggests that principals tend to leave their schools when they face NCLB sanctions. Finally, I find that principals transfer away from Title I schools, transfer to schools with a smaller number of high-needs students, and take positions at district central offices, regardless of whether they face NCLB sanctions. Collectively, NCLB sanctions appear to have impacted principal turnover.

Conclusions/Recommendations

The results from this study have policy implications. They suggest that policy makers should provide professional support and adequate resources for principals, especially inexperienced principals, who work at low-performing schools and face sanctions. Moreover, policy makers should develop and embed a policy in new accountability systems that addresses inequity in the distribution of principal quality.
A View from Within: Lessons Learned from Partnering for Continuous Improvement
Authors: Harrison Christopher , Wachen John , Brown Stephanie , Cohen-Vogel Lora
Published: November 2021

Background

Traditional methods of implementing educational innovations face a number of critical challenges that have problematized efforts to improve practice, particularly at scale. Recently, continuous improvement approaches have gained attention, offering structured, iterative processes for developing innovations that incorporate the wisdom of practitioners, are responsive to individual school contexts, and promote organizational learning over time.

Purpose

The National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools (NCSU) is one purveyor of such an approach, working to enact partnership-based continuous improvement processes in two large urban school districts in the U.S. This study presents a systematic, empirical investigation of the NCSU's work in order to offer recommendations for future efforts to study and implement such approaches in the complex environment of public schools.

Research Design and Methods

Drawing from an analysis of over 400 hours of recorded meetings, feedback forms, and cognitive interviews with participants, this study represents a detailed case study of the NCSU's implementation of its improvement process in a large urban school district in the U.S.

Conclusions

Analysis of these data reveal 3 key lessons learned by the NCSU partners. First, engaging in collaborative, partnership-based continuous improvement demands that partners construct and adopt a new culture of improvement. Second, the evolutionary nature of continuous improvement work requires partners to respond to emergent and often difficult to predict demands for new capacities and resources. Finally, efforts to implement, adapt, and expand innovations are often interwoven, competing with one another and requiring an interlocking network of supports and structures to succeed.
“We're Rags to Riches”: Dual Consciousness of the American Dream in Two Critical History Classrooms
Authors: Parkhouse Hillary , Arnold Bryan P.
Published: November 2021

Background/Context

Within the United States, wealth disparities are growing and upward social mobility is becoming increasingly difficult to attain. These trends call into question the American Dream ideology that anyone can succeed through hard work. This meritocratic ideal has traditionally been one of the unifying ideologies promoted through the public school curriculum. The topic of economic inequality, on the other hand, is largely absent from most social studies curricula. When teachers do address this issue, they tend to omit discussions of causes or potential policy solutions. Students are thus left with few resources with which to develop positions on policies related to inequality that would help them become more informed voters and contributors to public discourse on this issue.

Purposes

Critical pedagogy is an educational approach that aims to develop students’ sociopolitical consciousness of the world and understanding of the underlying causes of contemporary injustices such as rising economic and social inequality. We investigated whether students in classrooms using critical pedagogy might develop understandings of the roots of contemporary inequality.

Setting and Participants

The study took place in two U.S. History classrooms in culturally diverse public high schools in a midsized city in the Southeast. The classrooms were selected because both teachers demonstrated critical pedagogy by helping students question norms and analyze underlying causes of contemporary social and economic inequalities.

Research Design

We used a critical case study design with ethnographic methods to examine students’ understandings of structural causes of inequality in classrooms where they are most likely to encounter this knowledge, namely critical history classrooms. Data included 10 weeks of observations in both classrooms, classroom artifacts, in-depth interviews with 14 students, and two in-depth interviews with each teacher along with daily informal interviews.

Findings/Results

Students critiqued the notion of the American Dream and described ways in which certain social structures such as the judicial and educational systems reproduce social inequalities. Some pointed out how the “rags to riches” ideology precludes tax structures that might reduce economic inequality. However, many also made comments reflecting a belief that the United States is indeed a meritocracy.

Conclusions/Recommendations

We recommend that teachers explicitly teach the structural causes of economic inequality so that students have the language needed to understand their dual consciousness that both meritocratic elements (e.g., hard work) and non-meritocratic elements (e.g., race, family wealth) play a role in social mobility within the United States.
Educators Meet the Fifth Estate: The Role of Social Media in Teacher Training
Authors: Torphy Kaitlin T. , Drake Corey
Published: November 2021

This chapter examines teacher candidates’ reflections on engagement with and in social media as it relates to their professional preparation and understandings of teaching within 21st- century classrooms. Extending earlier work, we present the notion of a Fifth Estate within the digital age, redefining network influence. As power and influence are negotiated across executive, judicial, and legislative enterprises, media—the Fourth Estate—and networks of influence among individuals within the Fifth Estate present a new form of educational professionalism. Here, educators, researchers, and the community may engage directly in virtual space. This chapter focuses in particular on the ways that candidates’ reflections on the ways in which they seek support from the Fifth Estate are shaped by their visions of teaching and learning, their trust in the teaching professionals who share information in the Fifth Estate, their efficacy to evaluate resources, and their autonomy to select and modify resources.
The Role of Dual Enrollment STEM Coursework in Increasing STEM Career Interest among American High School Students
Authors: Corin Elysa N. , Sonnert Gerhard , Sadler Philip M.
Published: November 2021

Background/Context

The United States is facing a shortage of domestically prepared STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals, yet many high school graduates find they are not sufficiently prepared for college-level work in STEM subjects. Dual enrollment STEM courses count for both high school and college credit, expose students to the demands of a college course, and may be used to augment existing high school course offerings and graduate students who are better prepared to continue, and are interested in continuing, their education in STEM.

Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study

This study investigated changes in students’ reported interest in STEM careers after taking a dual enrollment STEM course. We address the following questions: (1) Are high school students who take one or more STEM dual enrollment courses more likely than their peers to report an interest in STEM careers by the end of high school? (2) Is dual enrollment STEM course-taking more effective than Advanced Placement STEM course-taking in increasing student interest in STEM careers by the end of high school?

Research Design

A quasi-experimental research design was used in this work, with propensity weights employed to account for group self-selection effects post hoc. Data were collected through a national survey of college students (N = 14,114) who provided information about their K–12 experiences.

Findings/Results

After controlling for demographic, academic, and background characteristics, particularly prior interest in a STEM career, the odds of a STEM career intention were 1.3 times (p < .05) greater for those taking a dual enrollment course compared with peers who did not. Students who took both dual enrollment and AP STEM courses had 2.1 times the odds of their nonparticipating peers to report an interest in STEM careers. Results show that the STEM dual enrollment intervention is equally effective for students of all demographic backgrounds.

Conclusions/Recommendations

This study is the first to examine the link between dual enrollment and career interest, revealing an additional avenue through which students may be encouraged to pursue STEM careers. Dual enrollment is a promising intervention to increase STEM career interest among all high school students, including students of different genders, races, socioeconomic status (as measured by highest parental education level), and academic achievement (as measured by math SAT score). The policy implications for this work are that dual enrollment programs should be vigorously implemented and promoted in an effort to increase the number of students, especially students from underrepresented groups, who graduate from high school with an interest in a STEM career.
The Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Dynamics of Public School District Secession, 1995–2015
Authors: Richards Meredith P.
Published: November 2021

Background

Scholars have increasingly expressed concern about a new secessionist movement, grounded in a doctrine of localism and facilitated by permissive state policies regarding the formation of new school districts. Critics contend that school district secessions threaten to exacerbate patterns of segregation and inequality in schools. Although case studies have provided valuable detail on the processes and racial/ethnic dynamics of secession in high-profile secessions in the South, no extant work has examined secessions nationally.

Objective

In this study, I provide initial quantitative evidence on the prevalence and impact of public school district secessions in a national context. I make three key contributions. First, I identify districts that seceded over the past two decades, relating patterns of secession to state policies. Second, I document racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences between seceding districts and the districts they left behind, focusing on the differential dynamics of secession in the South. Finally, I examine the impact of secession on the level and geographic distribution of segregation across and between districts.

Research Design

I use geospatial techniques to identify 54 public school district secessions that occurred between 1995–96 and 2015–16, using school district boundaries as reported by the Census Bureau via the School District Review Program. I compare seceding districts to the original district from which they seceded in terms of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics. I estimate the impact of secession on segregation via interrupted time series models using annual measures of segregation calculated from the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data.

Findings

Since 1995, dozens of districts across the country have successfully seceded. Troublingly, secessions generally serve to worsen racial/ethnic and socioeconomic inequities: Seceding districts were smaller, Whiter, and more affluent on average than the districts from which they seceded. Secessions were also associated with significant increases in segregation after adjusting for prior segregation trends. Secessions in the South were particularly racialized in nature. Southern secessions tended to worsen already severe levels of Black–White segregation.

Conclusions

School district secessions constitute an increasingly popular and controversial mechanism of school district reorganization. Results suggest that district secessions, often framed in a race-neutral language of localism, serve to worsen inequalities by race and class. However, only a handful of secessions occurred in states that require analysis of the racial/ethnic and/or socioeconomic impacts, suggesting that policies may be effective in curtailing such practices.
Shared Decision Making in Health Care: Theoretical Perspectives for Why It Works and For Whom
Authors: Resnicow Ken , Catley Delwyn , Goggin Kathy , Hawley Sarah , Williams Geoffrey C.
Published: November 2021

Applying both theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence, we address 2 key questions regarding shared decision making (SDM): 1) When should SDM be more patient driven, and when should it be more provider driven? and 2) Should health care providers match their SDM style/strategy to patient needs and preferences? Self-determination theory, for example, posits a distinction between autonomy and independence. A patient may autonomously seek their health care provider’s input and guidance, perhaps due to low perceived competence, low coping resources, or high emotional arousal. Given their need state, they may autonomously require nonindependence. In this case, it may be more patient centered and need supportive to provide more provider-driven care. We discuss how other patient characteristics such as personality attributes, motivational state, and the course of illness and other parameters such as time available for an encounter may inform optimal provider decision-making style and strategy. We conclude that for some types of patients and clinical circumstances, a more provider-driven approach to decision making may be more practical, ethical, and efficacious. Thus, while all decision making should be patient centered (i.e., it should consider patient needs and preferences), it does not always have to be patient driven. We propose a flexible model of SDM whereby practitioners are encouraged to tailor their decision making behaviors to patient needs, preferences, and other attributes. Studies are needed to test whether matching decision-making behavior based on patient states and traits (i.e., achieving concordance) is more effective than simply providing all patients with the same type of decision making, which could be tested using matching/mismatching designs.
Predictive Effect of Well-Known Risk Factors and Foot-Core Training in Lower Limb Running-Related Injuries in Recreational Runners: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Suda Eneida Yuri , Watari Ricky , Matias Alessandra B. , Taddei Ulisses T. , Sacco Isabel C.N.
Published: November 2021

Background:

Running carries the risk of several types of running-related injuries (RRIs), especially in the lower limbs. The variety of risk factors and the lack of strong evidence for several of these injury risks hinder the ability to draw assertive conclusions about them, hampering the implementation of effective preventive strategies. Because the etiology of RRIs seems to be multifactorial, the presence of RRI risk factors might influence the outcome of therapeutic strategies in different ways. Thus, further investigations on how risk and protective factors influence the incidence and prevention of RRIs should be conducted.

Purpose:

To investigate the predictive effect of well-known risk factors and 1 protective factor—foot-core training—on the incidence of lower limb RRIs in recreational runners.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Middle- and long-distance recreational runners (N = 118) were assessed at baseline and randomly allocated to either an intervention group (n = 57) or a control group (n = 61). The intervention group underwent an 8-week (3 times/wk) foot-core training program. Participants were followed for a year after baseline assessment for the occurrence of RRIs. Logistic regression with backward elimination of variables was used to develop a model for prediction of RRI in recreational runners. Candidate predictor variables included age, sex, body mass index, years of running practice, number of races, training volume, training frequency, previous RRI, and the foot-core exercise training.

Results:

The final logistic regression model included 3 variables. As previously shown, the foot-core exercise program is a protective factor for RRIs (odds ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.15-0.98). In addition, older age (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.00-1.14) and higher training volume (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03) were risk factors for RRIs.

Conclusion:

The foot-core training was identified as a protective effect against lower limb RRI, which can be negatively influenced by older age and higher weekly training volume. The predictive model showed that RRIs should be considered a multivariate entity owing to the interaction among several factors.

Registration:

NCT02306148 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
Effects of CSR Messages on Apparel Consumers’ Word-of-Mouth: Perceived Corporate Hypocrisy as a Mediator
Authors: Bhaduri Gargi , Jung Sojin , Ha-Brookshire Jung E.
Published: November 2021

This study focused on understanding how (mis)match between a company's corporate social responsibility claims as indicated in their mission and the activities it actually undertakes to meet its CSR goals leads to consumers’ corporate hypocrisy and how consumers’ CSR-CA beliefs moderate the relationship between the two. Using the Moral Responsibility Theory of Corporate Sustainability as a framework, this research analyzed the difference in corporate hypocrisy between consumers with high versus low CSR-CA tradeoff beliefs. In addition, we examined the impact of consumers’ corporate hypocrisy on their negative word-of-mouth intention and how participants’ injunctive norm impacts the relationship between the two. A sample of 538 adult US consumers were recruited for an online experimental study. The study extends the findings of MCRS and also provides implications for apparel businesses.
How can we become more equal? Public policies and parents’ work–family preferences in Germany
Authors: Bünning Mareike , Hipp Lena
Published: November 2021

This study examines how public policies affect parents’ preferences for a more egalitarian division of paid and unpaid work. Based on the assumption that individuals develop their preferences within a specific policy context, we examine how changes in three policies affect mothers’ and fathers’ work–family preferences: the availability of high-quality, affordable childcare; the right to return to a full-time job after having reduced hours to part-time and an increase in the number of ‘partner months’ in parental leave schemes. Analysing a unique probability sample of parents with young children in Germany from 2015 ( N = 1756), we find that fathers would want to work slightly fewer hours if they had the right to return to a full-time position after working part-time, and mothers would want to work slightly more hours if childcare opportunities were improved. Full-time working parents, moreover, are found to prefer fewer hours independent of the policy setting, while non-employed parents would like to work at least some hours. Last but not least, our analyses show that increasing the number of partner months in the parental leave scheme considerably increases fathers’ preferences for longer and mothers’ preferences for shorter leave. Increasing the number of partner months in parental schemes hence has the greatest potential to increase gender equality.
Craniofacial Characteristics and Orthodontic Treatment of Diamond Blackfan Syndrome: Two Case Reports
Authors: Sasaki Satoshi , Kitaura Hideki , Goto Maki , Yoshida Michiko , Mizoguchi Itaru
Published: November 2021

Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a chronic congenital form of erythrocytic hypoplasia in which erythroid precursor cell levels are low. DBA reflects ribosomal dysfunction and is accompanied by hematopoietic cell apoptosis, anemia, and various somatic symptoms. We report the characteristic symptoms of the craniofacial region and the orthodontic treatments of two DBA cases. Case 1 was a 12-year-old female. The typical physical and facial characteristics of DBA were lacking. On initial examination, she exhibited a skeletal Class II jaw and end to end molar relationships and a large overjet. An edgewise appliance was placed after extraction of the first maxillary premolars. After 3 years and 11 months, an appropriate overjet and overbite, rigid intercuspation, and an acceptable profile were evident without any clinical adverse effects. Case 2 was a 13-year-old female. She exhibited a skeletal Class I jaw relationship, a spaced dental arch, the maxillofacial dysplasia characteristic of Binder syndrome, hypoplasia of the right mandibular condyle, and labial protrusions of the maxillary and mandibular incisors. We placed an edgewise appliance and after 1 year and 7 months, the occlusion was optimal in the absence of any adverse effects. Our two DBA cases exhibited a broad spectrum of physical and dentofacial symptoms. Patients with DBA are often prescribed combined steroid/bisphosphonate therapies. Both agents are likely to affect alveolar bone remodeling after tooth extraction and orthodontic tooth movement. Careful consideration of medication with reference to various dentofacial characteristics is necessary.
Nomograms Based on the Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index for the Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease and Calcification
Authors: Fan Wenjun , Zhang Ying , Liu Yixiang , Ding Zhenjiang , Si Yueqiao , Shi Fei , Liu Jingyi , Sun Lixian
Published: November 2021

Aim

To develop and validate 3 nomograms incorporating the advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) that can aid in predicting the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary artery calcification (CAC).

Methods

The study enrolled 562 consecutive patients with suspected CAD who underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography between September 2015 and June 2017. Independent risk factors for CAD, CAC, and CAD with CAC were identified via univariate and multivariate analysis, and nomograms were established based on the independent predictors identified. The area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the nomograms. Correlations between ALI and other clinical indicators were examined via Spearman correlation analysis.

Results

In total, 549 patients with suspected CAD who underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography were included. Male sex, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, ischemic stroke, and ALI were independent predictors of both CAD and CAC. Male sex, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and ALI were also identified as independent predictors of CAD with CAC. The AUC values for the nomograms developed using these risk factors were 0.739 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.693-0.785), 0.728 (95% CI, 0.684-0.772), and 0.717 (95% CI 0.673-0.761), respectively. ALI was negatively correlated with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and CAC score and positively correlated with serum albumin levels and body mass index (all P < .05).

Conclusions

ALI is an independent predictor of CAD, CAC, and CAD with CAC. Our ALI-based nomograms can provide accurate and individualized risk predictions for patients with suspected CAD.
Prevalence of ADHD in Primary School Children, in Colombo District, Sri Lanka
Authors: Nazeer Nazneen , Rohanachandra Yasodha , Prathapan Shamini
Published: November 2021

Objective:

To determine prevalence of ADHD among primary school children in Colombo district, Sri Lanka.

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,125 primary school children aged 6 to 10 years in Sinhala medium state schools in Colombo district. Prevalence was assessed with validated Sinhala version of Swanson, Nolan, Pelham—IV (SNAP-IV-S) scale where primary care givers and class teachers were the respondents and diagnosis was confirmed by a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist.

Results:

The mean age of the sample was 7.9 years ( SD = 1.2) and largely males ( n = 603, 56.6%). Overall prevalence of ADHD was 6.5% (95% CI [5.1, 8.1]) with combined as the commonest subtype. Prevalence was higher among males (9.6%) than females (2.9%) with a sex ratio of 1:3.8 and was highest in the 7 to 8 year old age group (7.4%–7.5%).

Conclusion:

School based screening enabling early detection of ADHD and timely referral is the need of the hour.
The walls of the femoral neck as an auxiliary tool for femoral stem positioning
Authors: Morgan Samuel , Sadovnic Ofer , Iluz Moshe , Garceau Simon , Amzallag Nisan , Krasin Elisha , Lichtenstein Adi , Warschawski Yaniv
Published: November 2021

Background:

Femoral anteversion is a major contributor to functionality of the hip joint and is implicated in many joint pathologies. Accurate determination of component version intraoperatively is a technically challenging process that relies on the visual estimation of the surgeon. The following study aimed to examine whether the walls of the femoral neck can be used as appropriate landmarks to ensure appropriate femoral prosthesis version intraoperatively.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective study based on 32 patients (64 hips) admitted to our centre between July and September 2020 who had undergone a CT scan of their lower limbs. Through radiological imaging analysis, the following measurements were performed bilaterally for each patient: anterior wall version, posterior wall version, and mid-neck femoral version. Anterior and posterior wall version were compared and evaluated relative to mid-neck version, which represented the true version value.

Results:

Mean anterior wall anteversion was 20° (95% CI, 17.6–22.8°) and mean posterior wall anteversion was −12° (95% CI, −15 to −9.7°). The anterior walls of the femoral neck had a constant of −7 and a coefficient of 0.9 (95% CI, −9.8 to −4.2; p  < 0.0001; R2 0.77). The posterior walls of the femoral neck had a constant of 20 and a coefficient of 0.7 (95% CI, 17.8–22.5; p  < 0.0001; R2 0.60).

Conclusions:

Surgeons can accurately obtain femoral anteversion by subtracting 7° from the angle taken between the anterior wall and the posterior femoral condyles or by adding 20° to the angle taken between the posterior wall and the posterior femoral condyles.
Depression readmission risk is elevated in multiple sclerosis compared to other chronic illnesses
Authors: Schorr Emily M , Kurz Daniel , Rossi Kyle C , Zhang Margaret , Yeshokumar Anusha K , Jette Nathalie , Dhamoon Mandip S
Published: November 2021

Objective:

Assess readmissions for depression or suicide attempt (SA) after MS admission versus other chronic inflammatory illnesses.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study identified MS, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), depression, and SA in the 2013 National Readmissions Database by International Classification of Diseases codes. Index admissions (MS, n = 7698; asthma, n = 93,590; RA, n = 3685) and depression or SA readmission rates were analyzed. Hazard ratios (HRs) estimated 1-year depression/SA readmission hazard, comparing MS to asthma or RA, adjusting for age, sex, psychiatric comorbidity, substance abuse, tobacco use, income, and index hospitalization characteristics.

Results:

MS had more baseline depression (24.7%) versus asthma (15.6%) and RA (14.6%). Ninety-day depression readmission rate was higher in MS (0.5%) than asthma (0.3%) and RA (0.03%). Depression readmission HR was higher after MS admission versus asthma (HR = 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00–1.86, p = 0.0485) and RA (HR = 4.68, 95% CI = 1.60–13.62, p = 0.0047). HR was not different for SA readmission across groups. Depression readmission HR was more than double in MS patients with psychiatric disease or substance abuse versus RA or asthma patients with either comorbidity.

Conclusion:

Depression readmission risk after MS hospitalization was elevated versus asthma/RA. Substance use and baseline psychiatric comorbidity were more strongly associated with depression readmission in MS patients.
Research on Blended Learning in Physical Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Chinese Students
Authors: Zheng Wei , Ma Yu-Yu , Lin Hung-Lung
Published: November 2021

The coronavirus virus (COVID-19) epidemic has swept the world, with the World Health Organization defining it as a pandemic on March 11. This in turn has affected the approaches and methods used in education throughout the world. According to United Nations report, by the time of mid-April 2020, 94% of learners in more than 200 countries around the world have been affected, and 1.58 billion students from pre-school to higher education are affected. In response to increased learning needs regarding infection prevention, the Ministry of Education has also provided cloud educational resources and private online learning resources, platforms, and tools to schools at all levels to encourage teachers and students to make effective use of digital resources. Although the government provides abundant teaching resources, the implementation of distance teaching in college physical education still faced with many problems, such as the shortage of course resources, the lack of information literacy of teachers, the difficulty in implementing conventional teaching plans online, the limited conditions for students to exercise at home, and the doubts about online physical education. Therefore, this study proposes a new teaching method, and studies, analyzes and discusses this method. The method of experimental design was adopted in this study to divide the students into two groups: blended learning group (synchronous and asynchronous) and single type learning group (synchronous). The results show that blended learning students perform better than single type learning students in all these aspects, which proves the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Brāhmaṇ a Land Donees on Bengal’s Eastern Frontier, 600–1300
Authors: Chakraborty Srabani
Published: November 2021

The role of Brāhmaṇa land-grantees in extending cultivation during the early medieval period has been noted by several historians. This study examines the evidence preserved in copper plates from sites in Bengal’s eastern ‘frontier’ formed by the present-day districts of Sylhet, Comilla, Neokhali and Chittagong in Bangladesh, issued between 600 and 1300 AD. The study aims at extracting from the evidence of the copper plates whatever can be gained about the composition of the Brāhmaṇa donees, their personal names, areas of origin and possible connexions with other castes that became subsequently prominent in Bengal, chiefly Kāyasthas. The mechanism of issue of land-grants, possible intermediaries and nature of grantees’ rights, so far as these can be legitimately inferred from evidence, are also discussed.
Ṣulḥ-i Kul under Akbar: Reconstructing the Short Life of a Concept of Human Amity
Authors: Habib Irfan
Published: November 2021

Akbar’s policy of religious toleration from early in his reign (1556–1605) long remained in need of a theoretical justification, especially one from within the framework of Islamic tradition. At long last, the concept of Ṣulḥ-i Kul, derived from s[ūfic thought, was found to answer the need. Here we bring together evidence from contemporary texts to establish more precisely when the secular conversion of this mystic notion took place and how it came to be used as a justification for human amity and religious tolerance by Akbar’s administration. Its short reign, however, ended within a few years of Akbar’s death.
Macabre ceremonies: How Los Zetas produces extreme violence to promote organizational cohesion
Authors: Pereda Valentin
Published: November 2021

Why do some organized crime groups (OCGs) carry out face-to-face killings where perpetrators debase their victims and defile their bodies? Leading criminologists contend that OCGs carry out extreme killings deliberately to attain specific performance objectives. Conversely, psycho-sociological scholars argue that extreme killings only occur in situations that affect perpetrators’ reasoning and emotions. In their view, these situations are largely beyond OCGs’ control. I argue that analyzing extreme killings as organizational rituals can contribute to reconciling these seemingly conflicting views. More specifically, I contend that the OCG known as Los Zetas ritualizes executions to generate the conditions that make extreme violence possible. Through ritualization, Los Zetas influences executioners’ perceptions of extreme behavior from something abhorrent into something valued, desirable, and enjoyable. Once the conditions conducive to extreme violence emerge, Los Zetas exploits it to attain utilitarian objectives.
Determination of MYD88L265P mutation fraction in IgM monoclonal gammopathies
Authors: Bagratuni Tina , Markou Athina , Patseas Dimitrios , Mavrianou-Koutsoukou Nefeli , Aktypi Foteini , Liacos Christine Ivy , Sklirou Aimilia D. , Theodorakakou Foteini , Ntanasis-Stathopoulos Ioannis , Gavriatopoulou Maria , Trougakos Ioannis P. , Lianidou Evi , Terpos Evangelos , Kastritis Efstathios , Dimopoulos Meletios A.
Published: November 2021

We describe a novel method for the detection of MYD88L265P mutation using a competitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (Cast-PCR) assay. This assay has a sensitivity of 1 × 10−3, is applicable in reactions containing very low amounts of DNA (as low as 20 pg), and allowed the detection of MYD88L265P somatic mutation in both tumor-derived DNA (tDNA) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA). In addition, using the Cast-PCR assay, we were able to determine the mutation allele fraction (MAF) in each tested sample. We then analyzed baseline tDNA and cfDNA samples from 163 patients (53 with immunoglobulin M monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and 110 with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia [WM], of whom 54 were asymptomatic and 56 were symptomatic) and also in sequential samples of 37 patients. MAF in both cfDNA and tDNA was higher among patients with symptomatic compared with asymptomatic WM and in those with asymptomatic WM compared with those with immunoglobulin M (IgM) monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. In addition, the evaluation of sequential samples showed that MAF decreased after treatment, whereas it increased in patients who relapsed or progressed to symptomatic WM. Thus, Cast-PCR is a highly sensitive, cost-effective diagnostic tool for MYD88L265P detection, applicable in both tDNA and cfDNA samples, that also provides a quantitative evaluation of the tumor load in patients with IgM monoclonal gammopathies.
Antithymocyte globulin exposure in CD34+ T-cell–depleted allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Lakkaraja Madhavi , Scordo Michael , Mauguen Audrey , Cho Christina , Devlin Sean , Ruiz Josel D. , Klein Elizabeth , Avecilla Scott T. , Boulad Farid , Cancio Maria I. , Curran Kevin J. , Jakubowski Ann A. , Kernan Nancy A. , Kung Andrew L. , O’Reilly Richard J. , Papadopoulos Esperanza B. , Prockop Susan , van Roessel Ichelle , Scaradavou Andromachi , Shaffer Brian C. , Shah Gunjan , Spitzer Barbara , Tamari Roni , Giralt Sergio A. , Perales Miguel-Angel , Boelens Jaap Jan
Published: November 2021

Traditional weight-based dosing results in variable rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) clearance that can delay CD4+ T-cell immune reconstitution (CD4+ IR) leading to higher mortality. In a retrospective pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis of patients undergoing their first CD34+ T-cell–depleted (TCD) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after myeloablative conditioning with rATG, we estimated post-HCT rATG exposure as area under the curve (arbitrary unit per day/milliliter [AU × day/mL]) using a validated population PK model. We related rATG exposure to nonrelapse mortality (NRM), CD4+ IR (CD4+ ≥50 cells per µL at 2 consecutive measures within 100 days after HCT), overall survival, relapse, and acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) to define an optimal rATG exposure. We used Cox proportional hazard models and multistate competing risk models for analysis. In all, 554 patients were included (age range, 0.1-73 years). Median post-HCT rATG exposure was 47 AU × day/mL (range, 0-101 AU × day/mL). Low post-HCT area under the curve (<30 AU × day/mL) was associated with lower risk of NRM (P < .01) and higher probability of achieving CD4+ IR (P < .001). Patients who attained CD4+ IR had a sevenfold lower 5-year NRM (P < .0001). The probability of achieving CD4+ IR was 2.5-fold higher in the <30 AU × day/mL group compared with 30-55 AU × day/mL and threefold higher in the <30 AU × day/mL group compared with the ≥55 AU × day/mL group. In multivariable analyses, post-HCT rATG exposure ≥55 AU × day/mL was associated with an increased risk of NRM (hazard ratio, 3.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-9.30). In the malignancy subgroup (n = 515), a tenfold increased NRM was observed in the ≥55 AU × day/mL group, and a sevenfold increased NRM was observed in the 30-55 AU × day/mL group compared with the <30 AU × day/mL group. Post-HCT rATG exposure ≥55 AU × day/mL was associated with higher risk of a GVHD (hazard ratio, 2.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-5.16). High post-HCT rATG exposure is associated with higher NRM secondary to poor CD4+ IR after TCD HCT. Using personalized PK-directed rATG dosing to achieve optimal exposure may improve survival after HCT.
Cytomegalovirus gastroenteritis in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Akahoshi Yu , Kimura Shun-ichi , Tada Yuma , Matsukawa Toshihiro , Tamaki Masaharu , Doki Noriko , Uchida Naoyuki , Tanaka Masatsugu , Nakamae Hirohisa , Kuriyama Takuro , Matsuoka Ken-ichi , Ikeda Takashi , Kimura Takafumi , Fukuda Takahiro , Kanda Yoshinobu , Atsuta Yoshiko , Murata Makoto , Terakura Seitaro , Nakasone Hideki
Published: November 2021

A preemptive strategy has successfully decreased cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). However, some recipients still develop CMV gastroenteritis, especially after acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), and its incidence, risk factors, and prognostic impact remain to be elucidated. We retrospectively analyzed 3759 consecutive adult patients who developed grade II-IV aGVHD using a Japanese registry database. The cumulative incidence of CMV gastroenteritis was 5.7% by day 365 from the development of grade II-IV aGVHD. Advanced age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.22; P = .004), GVHD prophylaxis with mycophenolate mofetil and calcineurin inhibitor (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.08-2.77; P = .024), lower-gut aGVHD (HR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.58-2.98; P < .001), and the use of systemic steroids (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.16-2.74; P = .008) were independent risk factors for CMV gastroenteritis. Development of CMV gastroenteritis was associated with an increased risk of nonrelapse mortality (HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.50-2.39; P < .001). Moreover, letermovir prophylaxis significantly reduced both the incidence of CMV gastroenteritis (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.25-0.99; P = .047) and the risk of nonrelapse mortality (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-0.99; P = .043). In summary, CMV gastroenteritis is a life-threatening complication that sets the need for preventive strategies with letermovir and targeted surveillance.
Feasibility of high-dose methotrexate administered on day 1 of (R)CHOP in aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas
Authors: Fleming Megan , Huang Ying , Dotson Emily , Bond David A. , Reneau John , Epperla Narendranath , Alinari Lapo , Brammer Jonathan , Christian Beth A. , Baiocchi Robert A. , Maddocks Kami , Sawalha Yazeed
Published: November 2021

The optimal timing for administering high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) when combined with (R)CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, with/without rituximab) is unclear. Recent data showed that the administration of prophylactic HDMTX before day 10 of R- CHOP may lead to fewer treatment delays. Herein, we report our experience with HDMTX administered on day 1 of (R)CHOP in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We identified 140 patients treated with ≥1 cycle of HDMTX combined with (R)CHOP for prophylaxis against (n = 84) or treatment of (n = 56) central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Overall, (R)CHOP treatment delays ≥7 days (4% of cycles, 13% of patients), doxorubicin, and/or cyclophosphamide dose reductions (1% of cycles, 6% of patients) or (R)CHOP discontinuations due to toxicity (4% of patients) were uncommon. Neutropenic fever (NF) occurred in 7% of cycles and 24% of patients and was more common during HDMTX-containing cycles. Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurred in 19% of cycles but was mostly grade ≤2. Grade ≥3 hepatotoxicity and mucositis were uncommon (each 2% of cycles). In the prophylaxis cohort, the rates of NF and grade ≥2 AKI were lower in patients who initiated HDMTX with cycle 2 or later (11% vs 30%, P = .03 and 16% vs 39%, P = .03, respectively). Our data show that HDMTX administration on day 1 of (R)CHOP may improve the deliverability of (R)CHOP and the overall safety of the regimen compared with historical data of HDMTX administration on day 10 or later of R-CHOP. Delaying prophylactic HDMTX beyond cycle 1 of (R)CHOP may reduce the risk of NF and AKI.
Transcriptome provides potential insights into how calcium affects the formation of stone cell in Pyrus
Authors: Tao Xingyu , Liu Min , Yuan Yazhou , Liu Ruonan , Qi Kaijie , Xie Zhihua , Bao Jianping , Zhang Shaoling , Shiratake Katsuhiro , Tao Shutian
Published: November 2021

Background

The content of stone cells in pears has a great influence on taste. Stone cells are formed by the accumulation of lignin. The treatment of exogenous calcium can affect the lignin synthesis, but this Ca-mediated mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the author performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of callus of pears (Pyrus x bretschneideri) treated with calcium nitrate Ca (NO3)2 to investigate the role of calcium in lignin synthesis.

Results

There were 2889 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) detected between the Control and Ca (NO3)2 treatment in total. Among these 2889 DEGs, not only a large number of genes related to Ca single were found, but also many genes were enriched in secondary metabolic pathway, especially in lignin synthesis. Most of them were up-regulated during the development of callus after Ca (NO3)2 treatment. In order to further explore how calcium nitrate treatment affects lignin synthesis, the author screened genes associated with transduction of calcium signal in DEGs, and finally found CAM, CML, CDPK, CBL and CIPK. Then the author identified the PbCML3 in pears and conducted relevant experiments finding the overexpression of PbCML3 would increase the content of pear stone cells, providing potential insights into how Ca treatment enhances the stone cell in pears.

Conclusions

Our deep analysis reveals the effects of exogenous calcium on calcium signal and lignin biosynthesis pathway. The function of PbCML3 on stone cells formation was verified in pear.
Association between metabolic parameters and risks of anemia and electrolyte disturbances among stages 3–5 chronic kidney disease patients in Taiwan
Authors: Kurniawan Adi Lukas , Yang Ya-Lan , Hsu Chien-Yeh , Paramastri Rathi , Lee Hsiu-An , Ni Po-Yuan , Chin Mei-Yun , Chao Jane C.-J.
Published: November 2021

Background

Anemia and electrolyte disturbances are adverse outcomes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study explored the association between metabolic parameters with anemia and electrolyte and mineral disorders among CKD patients in Taiwan.

Methods

This cross-sectional study with a total of 2176 CKD stages 3–5 patients were collected from the Department of Nephrology at Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University through the “Chronic Kidney Disease Common Care Network” database from December 2008 to April 2019. A multivariable-adjusted logistic regression expressed as odd ratios (OR) was performed to assess the association of metabolic parameters with anemia and electrolyte and mineral disorders.

Results

Elevated diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were associated with presence of anemia. Similarly, elevated fasting blood glucose and HbA1c were associated with hyponatremia (OR = 1.59 and 1.58,Pfor both < 0.01) and hypercalcemia (OR = 1.38 and 1.33,Pfor both < 0.05). There was no significant association in serum lipid levels with presence of anemia. However, total triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were only associated with presence of hypercalcemia (OR = 1.43, 1.95 and 3.08, respectively,Pfor all < 0.05).

Conclusions

Elevated diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and blood lipids are associated with anemia or electrolyte and mineral disorders in CKD patients.