bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trajectory optimisation with musculoskeletal integration features for fracture reduction orthopaedic robot
Authors: Cui Rui , Li Jian , Jiang Yongkang , Sun Hao , Tan Yinglun , Duan Lunhui , Wu Mengkun
Published: February 2022

Background

Human body is an integrated system of bones and muscles. To date, there are insufficient studies on the effect of muscles on the trajectory planning of orthopaedic robot. To this end, based on a Stewart‐Gough platform (6‐UPU) fracture reduction orthopaedic robot, a musculoskeletal trajectory optimisation method was constructed for the interference of soft tissue during the reduction process.

Methods

Firstly, pose description of the fracture reduction orthopaedic robot was introduced, and its working space was analysed. Secondly, an improved Hill muscle theory was used to construct the musculoskeletal system, and finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out. Thirdly, particle swarm optimisation (PSO) with variable weights was imported, and fracture reduction trajectory planning was obtained by quintic polynomial in the workspace. Then mathematical model for trajectory optimisation was presented, and targets of musculoskeletal optimisation were extracted, which include muscle energy consumption, robot‐assisted repositioning time and trajectory length. In this sense, musculoskeletal integration trajectory optimisation method was put forward. Finally, comparative optimisation simulation with skeleton only and bone and muscle together were tested, and safety experiment with musculoskeletal integration was conducted.

Results

A cone shape workspace was got, whose range can be defined as 635.14 mm on theXaxis, 720 mm on theYaxis, and 240 mm on theZaxis, respectively. Besides, different FEA displacements revealed the effect of bone and muscle on the movement of the robot. Moreover, the optimal results with and without muscle had showed different movement time: the former consumed about 27 s, but the latter spent about 25 s. Additionally, the speed and acceleration of the drive rods can be obtained from zero to zero during the reset.

Conclusions

The results show that the optimised trajectory obtained with this method is safe and reliable. Furthermore, the presence of muscle has great influence on the trajectory of robot, which could prolong the reduction time so as to prevent the occurrence of uneven soft and hard traction rate problem. This paper could be helpful for the future trajectory planning study of fracture reduction orthopaedic robot.
Partial recovery of microbial function in restored coastal marshes of Oregon, USA
Authors: Fitch Amelia A. , Blount Keyyana , Reynolds Lorien , Bridgham Scott D.
Published: February 2022

Restoring coastal wetland habitats is important for returning many ecosystem services. However, very little is known about whether these restoration events return soil microbial functions and C storage to reference‐level capacity. We compared soil microbial function (microbial enzyme activity, catabolic responses to C substrates, CH4 and CO2 gas production) and soil C storage attributes (percent C, bulk density, and C density) in disturbed, restored, and reference wetlands in freshwater and saline coastal Oregon wetland complexes. We found that diking and draining fresh and saline wetlands can cause significant decreases in historic sediment C pools, but that restoration can return the capacity for C sequestration. We also found that restoration partially returned physicochemical soil properties and microbial functions to reference levels in freshwater wetlands, indicating a trajectory of recovery of ecosystem function. However, this trajectory was less discernable in the saline wetland complex where the restored marsh was an unvegetated mudflat and will likely require decades to millennia to succeed to the high‐marsh characteristics of the reference marsh, suggesting that filling subsided restored sites to elevations typical of intact salt marshes may more quickly return soil ecosystem function.
Emotion, place, and practice: Exploring the interplay in children's engagement in ecologists' sampling practices
Authors: Lanouette Kathryn
Published: February 2022

In science education, there has been a sustained focus on supporting the emergence of science practices in K–12 and field‐based settings. Recent work has elevated the integral role of emotion in sparking and sustaining such disciplinary practices, deepening the field's understanding of what is entailed in “doing” science. Yet even as we gain this richer understanding of practice, less attention has been given to the places where practice emerges. These places play a critical role in the co‐emergence of emotion and practice, and while separate strands of research have elevated emotion and practice or, alternately, place and practice, rarely has their dynamic relationship been considered together. In this article, I explore this interplay of emotion, place, and practice emergent in children's sampling practices within a multiweek curriculum centered around their schoolyard soil ecosystem. Through a comparative case study analysis of two student pairs using video data, student interviews, and classroom artifacts, my analysis reveals how children's emergent emotion was entangled in their relationships with the schoolyard and life within, shaping not only how they engaged in sampling practices but also what dimensions of the ecological system they attended to. I argue that emotion and place should be central to the design, teaching, and analysis of learning contexts, in turn centering the social and emplaced dimensions of science disciplinary practices for children and scientists alike. Implications for science teaching and learning are discussed, with particular consideration of field‐based sciences.
Nanodisc‐Mediated Conversion of Virustatic Antiviral Antibody to Disrupt Virus Envelope in Infected Cells
Authors: Hwang Jaehyeon , Jung Younghun , Moon Seokoh , Yu Seokhyeon , Oh Hyunseok , Kim Soomin , Kim Kyeong Won , Yoon Jeong Hyeon , Chun Jihwan , Kim Sang Jick , Chung Woo‐Jae , Kweon Dae‐Hyuk
Published: February 2022

Many antibody‐based antivirals, including broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against various influenza virus strains, suffer from limited potency. A booster of the antiviral activity of an antibody is expected to facilitate development of antiviral therapeutics. In this study, a nanodisc (ND), a discoidal lipid bilayer encircled by membrane scaffold proteins, is engineered to provide virucidal properties to antibodies, thereby augmenting their antiviral activity. NDs carrying the Fc‐binding peptide sequence form an antibody‐ND complex (ANC), which can co‐endocytose into cells infected with influenza virus. ANC efficiently inhibits endosome escape of viral RNA by dual complimentary mode of action. While the antibody moiety in an ANC inhibits hemagglutinin‐mediated membrane fusion, its ND moiety destroys the viral envelope using free hemagglutinins that are not captured by antibodies. Providing virus‐infected host cells with the ability to self‐eliminate by the synergistic effect of ANC components dramatically amplifies the antiviral efficacy of a bnAb against influenza virus. When the efficacy of ANC is assessed in mouse models, administration of ANCs dramatically reduces morbidity and mortality compared to bnAb alone. This study is the first to demonstrate the novel nanoparticle ANC and its role in combating viral infections, suggesting that ANC is a versatile platform applicable to various viruses.
Effects of Extrusion‐Assisted Wet‐milling Isolation on Physicochemical Properties of Corn Starch
Authors: Yu Xiaoshuai , Qi Nan , He Dong , Wang Lishuang , Zhu Minpeng , Duan Yumin , Xiao Zhigang
Published: February 2022

The yield, physicochemical properties, and digestibility of corn starch isolated by conventional wet‐milling (CS), extrusion‐assisted H2SO3 wet‐milling (EHS), and extrusion‐assisted l‐cysteine wet‐milling (ELS) are investigated. The yield of EHS is significantly higher than that of CS and ELS (p < 0.05). There are no significant differences (p > 0.05) in purity among isolated starches. The results of scanning electron microscopy, polarized light microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimeter reveal that extrusion induced unobvious changes in morphology, surface, crystalline pattern, ordered structures, and thermal properties of isolated starch (p > 0.05). However, the swelling power, solubility, L∗ value, and peak viscosity of EHS are higher than those of ELS and CS. Extrusion‐assisted treatment effectively improves the freeze‐thaw stability and digestibility of isolated starch. The results of this study suggest that the extrusion‐assisted wet‐milling method can be used as an ideal alternative to conventional wet‐milling in the isolation of corn starch.
When Students Perform at the Below Basic Level on the NAEP: What Does It Mean and What Can Educators Do?
Authors: Hiebert Elfrieda H.
Published: February 2022

According to interpretations of results from the latest oral reading fluency (ORF) study conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (White et al., 2020), fourth‐grade students who score below the basic standard require interventions that focus on word recognition, phonological decoding, and fluency. Before such mandates for students at the middle grades and beyond are enacted, the available information from ORF assessments should be examined from the view of what students know and what they do not know. In this paper, I examine the performances of students who score below the basic level on oral reading assessments such as those used in the NAEP/ORF study to identify students’ strengths and challenges. Results of analyses of students’ performances are used to address how instruction and interventions can best support students in developing the proficiencies required to perform successfully on silent reading comprehension tasks. Issues that particularly require attention in the design of instruction and interventions for readers in the middle grades who score below the basic level are the mode of reading (silent or oral), text, and reading volume.
High‐value application of glass beads/porous carbon obtained from coal gasification fine slag as alternative for carbon black in natural rubber composite
Authors: Ai Weidong
Published: February 2022

Coal gasification slag is a by‐product of entrained‐flow coal gasification, and the improper disposal of the slag causes environmental pollution. Coal gasification fine slag (CGFS) filtered cakes were treated in a spin flash dryer. The CGFS products with different particle sizes (coarse particles (CGFS‐C) and fine particles (CGFS‐F)), loss on ignition (unburned carbon), and silica content were obtained. Morphology analysis revealed that the CGFS‐F particles had a hybrid structure of unburned carbon embedded by glass beads and a higher structural degree of the unburned carbon. The effects of carbon black (CB), CGFS‐C, and CGFS‐F on the comprehensive properties of filled natural rubber (NR) were studied. Compared with CB, CGFS‐F had little effect on the cure characteristics of NR and delayed the scorching. The CB dispersion status and rubber processing analysis showed that the hybrid structure of the CGFS‐F can prompt the fillers to disperse well in NR. Owing to the hybrid structure and higher structural degree, the overall properties of the NR composites filled with CGFS‐F having a yield of 39.46 wt.% were better compared to those of the CB‐filled NR composite. In summary, CGFS‐F particles can replace CB (N660) used in NR products.
Improvements of portable energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence instrument: Resolution withSilicon Drift Detector, measurements stability using pyroelectric sources, and adaptation for space use
Authors: Carapelle Alain , Lejeune Gary , Morelle Mathieu , Evrard Olivier , Leroux Paul , Prinzie Jeffrey , Cao Ying , Van Bockel Bjorn , Montfort Francis , Martin Nicolas
Published: February 2022

An energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence instrument has been developed to be used for space exploration. In particular, the electronic readout has been redesigned to withstand the radiation environment of space and improve the energy resolution down to 121.17 eV using an Silicon Drift Detector (SDD). Besides, the instrument uses pyroelectric sources as excitation sources. We include a renormalization to reduce measurement fluctuation from 25.2% to 3.7%. A peak search algorithm has been implemented based on calibration to improve accuracy and reduce possible aging drift effects.
Examples of Evolutionary Equations
Authors: Seifert Christian , Trostorff Sascha , Waurick Marcus
Published: February 2022

This chapter is devoted to a small tour through a variety of evolutionary equations. More precisely, we shall look into the equations of poro-elastic media, (time-)fractional elasticity, thermodynamic media with delay as well as visco-elastic media. The discussion of these examples will be similar to that of the examples in the previous chapter in the sense that we shall present the equations first, reformulate them suitably and then apply the solution theory to them. The study of visco-elastic media within the framework of partial integro-differential equations will be carried out in the exercises section.
The breakdown of magneto-hydrodynamics near AdS2 fixed point and energy diffusion bound
Authors: Jeong Hyun-Sik , Kim Keun-Young , Sun Ya-Wen
Published: February 2022

Abstract

We investigate the breakdown of magneto-hydrodynamics at low temperature (T) with black holes whose extremal geometry is AdS2×R2. The breakdown is identified by the equilibration scales (ωeq, keq) defined as the collision point between the diffusive hydrodynamic mode and the longest-lived non-hydrodynamic mode. We show (ωeq, keq) at low T is determined by the diffusion constant D and the scaling dimension ∆(0) of an infra-red operator: ωeq = 2πT∆(0),$$ {k}_{\mathrm{eq}}^2 $$

k
eq
2

= ωeq/D, where ∆(0) = 1 in the presence of magnetic fields. For the purpose of comparison, we have analytically shown ∆(0) = 2 for the axion model independent of the translational symmetry breaking pattern (explicit or spontaneous), which is complementary to previous numerical results. Our results support the conjectured universal upper bound of the energy diffusion $$ D\le {\omega}_{\mathrm{eq}}/{k}_{\mathrm{eq}}^2:= {v}_{\mathrm{eq}}^2{\tau}_{\mathrm{eq}} $$
D
≤

ω
eq

/

k
eq
2

≔

v
eq
2

τ
eq

where veq := ωeq/keq and τeq := $$ {\omega}_{\mathrm{eq}}^{-1} $$

ω
eq

−
1

are the velocity and the timescale associated to equilibration, implying that the breakdown of hydrodynamics sets the upper bound of the diffusion constant D at low T.
Frailty in elderly patients with acute appendicitis
Authors: Reinisch Alexander , Reichert Martin , Ondo Meva Christian Charles , Padberg Winfried , Ulrich Frank , Liese Juliane
Published: February 2022

Purpose

Acute appendicitis in the elderly is becoming increasingly recognized for its often severe course. For various elective and urgent operations in older patients, frailty is a risk factor for poor outcomes. However, there is a lack of data on frailty in elderly patients with acute appendicitis.

Methods

Patients over 65 years old who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis in three hospitals between January 2015 and September 2020 were assessed with the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) and the modified Frailty Index (mFI). Outcomes of interest, including morbidity, mortality, and length of stay, were recorded.

Results

While frailty can be measured with both tests, the mFI has better applicability and takes significantly less time to implement compared to the HFRS (21.6 s vs. 80.3 s, p < 0.0001) while providing the same information value.

Patients who exhibited frailty according to either assessment had a significantly higher rate of milder (OR 5.85/2.87, p < 0.0001/0.009) and serious (OR 4.92/3.61, p < 0.011/0.029) complications, more admissions to the intensive care unit (OR 5.16/7.36, p < 0.0001), and an almost doubled length of stay (12.7 days vs. 6.6 days, p < 0.005). Up to 31% of these patients required institutional care after discharge, which is significantly more than those without frailty (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the mortality rate in frail patients was significantly elevated to 17%, compared to less than 1% in non-frail patients (p = 0.018).

Conclusion

In elderly patients, frailty is a significant risk factor for negative outcomes. Frailty can be assessed more quickly and reliably with the mFI compared to the HFRS.
Strong Edge Coloring of Cayley Graphs and Some Product Graphs
Authors: Dara Suresh , Mishra Suchismita , Narayanan Narayanan , Tuza Zsolt
Published: February 2022

A strong edge coloring of a graph G is a proper edge coloring of G such that every color class is an induced matching. The minimum number of colors required is termed the strong chromatic index. In this paper we determine the exact value of the strong chromatic index of all unitary Cayley graphs. Our investigations reveal an underlying product structure from which the unitary Cayley graphs emerge. We then go on to give tight bounds for the strong chromatic index of the Cartesian product of two trees, including an exact formula for the product in the case of stars. Further, we give bounds for the strong chromatic index of the product of a tree with a cycle. For any tree, those bounds may differ from the actual value only by not more than a small additive constant (at most 2 for even cycles and at most 4 for odd cycles), moreover they yield the exact value when the length of the cycle is divisible by 4.
Effect of expansion of human umbilical cord blood CD34 + cells on neurotrophic and angiogenic factor expression and function
Authors: Watt Ashalyn P. , Kirkland Mark , Nekkanti Lakshmi , Pham Yen , McDonald Courtney , Malhotra Atul , Moeneclaey Guy , Miller Suzanne L. , Jenkin Graham
Published: February 2022

The use of CD34 + cell-based therapies has largely been focused on haematological conditions. However, there is increasing evidence that umbilical cord blood (UCB) CD34 + -derived cells have neuroregenerative properties. Due to low cell numbers of CD34 + cells present in UCB, expansion is required to produce sufficient cells for therapeutic purposes, especially in adults or when frequent applications are required. However, it is not known whether expansion of CD34 + cells has an impact on their function and neuroregenerative capacity. We addressed this knowledge gap in this study, via expansion of UCB-derived CD34 + cells using combinations of LDL, UM171 and SR-1 to yield large numbers of cells and then tested their functionality. CD34 + cells expanded for 14 days in media containing UM171 and SR-1 resulted in over 1000-fold expansion. The expanded cells showed an up-regulation of the neurotrophic factor genes BDNF, GDNF, NTF-3 and NTF-4, as well as the angiogenic factors VEGF and ANG. In vitro functionality testing showed that these expanded cells promoted angiogenesis and, in brain glial cells, promoted cell proliferation and reduced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during oxidative stress. Collectively, this study showed that our 14-day expansion protocol provided a robust expansion that could produce enough cells for therapeutic purposes. These expanded cells, when tested in in vitro, maintained functionality as demonstrated through promotion of cell proliferation, attenuation of ROS production caused by oxidative stress and promotion of angiogenesis.
Synergy in IR–Hybrid CT/C-arm in the setting of critical trauma
Authors: Knox Joseph A. , Kumar Vishal , Conrad Miles B. , Nanavati Sujal , Moore Teri , Wilson Mark
Published: February 2022

Access to multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scanning for interventional procedures can prove to be logistically challenging as resources are often in different areas within the hospital. At some institutions, interventional radiology suites have moved to the operating room, separate from the diagnostic radiology department. At these institutions, complex interventional procedures requiring both fluoroscopy and MDCT may pose logistical challenges, especially as they pertain to timely patient transfers. Hybrid CT/fluoroscopy suite provides rapid, reliable MDCT assessment of trauma patients before and after emergent surgery, as well as access to the entire spectrum of emergent image-guided interventions in the same suite.
Well-being and Life Satisfaction in Children Living in Contexts of Political Violence: A Narrative Literature Review
Authors: Cavazzoni Federica , Fiorini Alec , Veronese Guido
Published: February 2022

Background

Children and youth growing up in contexts characterized by political violence are at high risk of developing mental health impairments. In recent years, a growing interest has been directed to the study of children’s well-being after being exposed to political violence in order to develop interventions aimed at preserving and enhancing it.

Objective

This study provides a synthetic overview of studies that have explored or implemented interventions aimed at improving well-being and life satisfaction in conflict-affected children.

Methods

We identified peer-reviewed studies relating to children’s well-being in conflict-affected environments through a narrative literature review. An ecological framework was used to organize the studies in relation to the individual, family, social and community factors playing a role in promoting and preserving participants’ well-being. Implications for practices, policies and research were summarized to highlight areas in which they need strengthening.

Results

Of 1221 unique studies returned from online searches of the literature, 70 qualified for full review, with a total of 22 peer-reviewed studies included in the final synthesis. Results indicate a range of domains and dimensions that mutually interact to either enhance or diminish children’s well-being and life satisfaction. Four studies explicitly focused on assessing the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting and assessing children’s well-being and health.

Conclusions

Researchers were able to identify several dimensions that were contributing to the children’s well-being in situations of significant adversity. The concept of well-being emerged as a combination of personal resources and supportive contexts—such as family, peers, and community—that vary over time or across contexts. Well-being and life satisfaction in children living in contexts of political violence: a narrative literature review.
Financial disincentives to formal employment and tax-benefit systems in Latin America
Authors: Jara H. Xavier , Deza Delgado María Cecilia , Oliva Nicolás , Torres Javier
Published: February 2022

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it provides a comprehensive assessment of the financial disincentives to enter formal employment implied by the design of the tax-benefit system in five Latin American countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Then, it analyzes the extent to which formalizing informal workers would contribute to increase fiscal capacity in the region. The results show a wide variation in financial disincentives to enter formal employment, with formalization tax rates ranging between 8.5 percent in Venezuela and 42 percent in Colombia. Formalization tax rates are particularly high for self-employed informal workers, and mainly driven by the high costs associated with social insurance contributions. The analysis further shows that potential entries to formal employment would raise tax revenue in all countries, but mainly through the effect of increased social insurance contributions, whereas personal income tax revenue would have a marginal contribution, except in Bolivia and Venezuela. Interestingly, potential formalization of informal workers with the highest probability of being formal would allow capturing a substantial share of the additional tax revenue lost due to informality.
Equivalence of Butson-type Hadamard matrices
Authors: Östergård Patric R. J.
Published: February 2022

Two matrices $$H_1$$

H
1

and $$H_2$$

H
2

with entries from a multiplicative group G are said to be monomially equivalent, denoted by $$H_1\cong H_2$$

H
1

≅

H
2

, if one of the matrices can be obtained from the other via a sequence of row and column permutations and, respectively, left- and right-multiplication of rows and columns with elements from G. One may further define matrices to be Hadamard equivalent if $$H_1 \cong \phi (H_2)$$

H
1

≅
ϕ

(

H
2

)

for some $$\phi \in \mathrm {Aut}(G)$$

ϕ
∈
Aut
(
G
)

. For many classes of Hadamard and related matrices, it is straightforward to show that these are closed under Hadamard equivalence. It is here shown that also the set of Butson-type Hadamard matrices is closed under Hadamard equivalence.
Cattle-Derived Unsaturated Aldehydes Repel Biting Midges and Mosquitoes
Authors: Isberg Elin , Ignell Rickard
Published: February 2022

Host-derived repellents offer a novel way to reduce disease vector–host interactions, particularly for vectors and nuisance pests where commercial repellents are not available, e.g., Culicoides biting midges. By revising the criteria previously used to identify bioactive volatile organic compounds for Culicoides nubeculosus, we identify (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-heptenal, (E)-2-octenal, and (E)-2-nonenal to be differentially present in the headspace odour of cattle hair and to elicit antennal responses in this research model species. A blend of these unsaturated aldehydes elicited an aversive response in C. nubeculosus, as well as a repellent response in three disease vector mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles coluzzii, a response that was stronger than that to the commercially available repellents tested (DEET, IR3535, PMD, icaridin, and d-allethrin). Culicoides nubeculosus was behaviourally indifferent to these commercially available repellents tested, except d-allethrin to which it was attracted. The identification of a host-derived repellent odour blend, which reduces the interaction between biting midges extends the array of tools to be used in integrated vector management of these and other disease vectors.
Exploring the Geography of Subjective Happiness in Europe During the Years of the Economic Crisis: A Multilevel Modelling Approach
Authors: Ballas Dimitris , Thanis Ilias
Published: February 2022

This article builds on the efforts by geographers and regional scientists aimed at adding a geographical dimension to the analysis and understanding of happiness and well-being. In particular, the article explores the changes in observed subjective wellbeing measures of residents in countries and regions that were mostly hit by the severe economic crisis and austerity measures. To that end, we present a multilevel modelling approach to the analysis of suitable secondary data derived from the European Social Survey (ESS), as well as relevant contextual regional-level data from Eurostat. The article first presents a brief overview of the state of the art in happiness and well-being research, with particular emphasis on the relatively limited but rapidly growing geographical studies, as well as studies by economists regarding the impact of austerity and inequality upon happiness and well-being. We then present key findings from a comprehensive analysis of European Social Survey data combined with austerity related data at the regional level in order to explore the geography of happiness and well-being in Europe amid times of economic gloom and severe austerity measures. The research presented in this article involves analysis of data before, during and after (or in towards the end of) the crisis and it is aimed at identifying geographical as well as individual socio-economic and demographic factors that may be affecting happiness and well-being and their possible interactions. The model outputs suggest that living in one of the ‘crisis countries’ has a negative impact on subjective happiness around the time when the short, medium and long term effects of the recession would be mostly felt, when compared to ‘Northern European’ countries (controlling for an extensive number of important covariates selected on the basis of previous work). In addition, the results suggest that the happiness levels in ‘crisis countries’ were higher than the Baltic countries in 2014 and 2016 and higher than the Central and Eastern European countries in 2016. An additional interesting finding is that at the time when the effects of the crisis would be mostly felt, populations born in the country where the ESS took place are on average (after controlling for all other covariates) less happy than those born abroad in one of the years (2014) after the breakout of the crisis.
Construction and evaluation of a mindfulness-based quality of life and well-being program (MQW) in a randomized trial
Authors: Jones Patrick , Drummond Peter
Published: February 2022

Due to the multi-factorial nature of the self-report of happiness, an enhancement program was designed that focused on mental style (subjective processes), and relationships, work, money, health, and leisure (objective life domains). An examination of interventions revealed mindfulness training (subjective factors) and goal setting (objective factors) as effective change modalities. To address this, the Mindfulness-based Quality of Life and Well-being Program (MQW) was developed and evaluated against the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Quality of Life Index, Personal Wellbeing Index–Adult, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, the Satisfaction with Life scale, and the newly developed Clinical Quality of Life Scale (CLINQOL). To explore training protocol effects, the program was delivered in a graduated (6 weekly sessions x 2 hours) and intensive (2 consecutive days x 6 hours) format. Using a randomized trial, participants were allocated across these conditions and a control. A total of 191 participants completed the study and were assessed at pre, post and follow up time points. Increases in mindfulness, quality of life, subjective well-being, and positive and negative affect (not life satisfaction), were greater in treated (combined formats) than control participants at post-test, and for mindfulness at follow up. Other than an increase in mindfulness for the 2 day condition at follow up, changes were similar in both intervention formats. Finally, to investigate what unique difference the MQW might have in comparison to teaching just mindfulness, the full version of the program was compared to an expanded section of the mindfulness component of the program. A total of 74 subjects began the program and filled out assessments across the three time periods. There was no difference between groups or an interaction between group and time. Overall, the findings provide preliminary evidence that a multi-dimensional training approach, using mindfulness and goal setting, may be a beneficial intervention model to enhance subjective and objective components in the perception of quality of life and well-being. However, further investigation into its added benefit to mindfulness alone is required.
Levels of nationalism among middle and high school social studies teachers: Implications for promoting equity for immigrant students and with educators
Authors: McCorkle William , Rodriguez Sophia
Published: February 2022

This article analyzes survey data from a national sample of K-12 public school teachers (N = 5190) with a focus on the nested sample of middle and high school social studies teachers (N = 927). The authors examine social studies teachers’ views on nationalism, including the sub-categories of chauvinistic nationalism and patriotism. In the analyses, the authors show differences in levels of nationalism based on demographic and regional factors and the relationship between levels of nationalism and teachers’ beliefs about educational rights for undocumented immigrant students using both correlation and linear regression analyses. We argue that teachers’ views on nationalism could be a critical factor in shaping beliefs toward equity in relation to immigrant students.
Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guidelines on Anaphylaxis
Authors: Gaudio Flavio G. , Johnson David E. , DiLorenzo Kelly , Anderson Arian , Musi Martin , Schimelpfenig Tod , Leemon Drew , Blair-Smith Caroline , Lemery Jay
Published: February 2022

The Wilderness Medical Society convened a panel to review the literature and develop evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on the treatment of anaphylaxis, with an emphasis on a field-based perspective. The review also included literature regarding the definition, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and prevention of anaphylaxis. The increasing prevalence of food allergies in the United States raises concern for a corresponding rise in the incidence of anaphylaxis. Intramuscular epinephrine is the primary treatment for anaphylaxis and should be administered before adjunctive treatments such as antihistamines, corticosteroids, and inhaled β agonists. For outdoor schools and organizations, selecting a method to administer epinephrine in the field is based on considerations of cost, safety, and first responder training, as well as federal guidelines and state-specific laws.
The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
Authors: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Published: February 2022

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for assessing the science related to climate change. It provides policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of human-induced climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. This IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate is the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the observed and projected changes to the ocean and cryosphere and their associated impacts and risks, with a focus on resilience, risk management response options, and adaptation measures, considering both their potential and limitations. It brings together knowledge on physical and biogeochemical changes, the interplay with ecosystem changes, and the implications for human communities. It serves policymakers, decision makers, stakeholders, and all interested parties with unbiased, up-to-date, policy-relevant information. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Varieties of Nationalism in the Age of Covid-19
Authors: Jenne Erin K.
Published: February 2022

In the lead article of this symposium, Florian Bieber predicted that the Covid-19 pandemic would have limited long-term effects on the global rise in the level of nationalism because most governments were likely to revert to their prior nationalist trajectories following the pandemic. Nonetheless, I argue that we can learn something about the role of nationalism in the management of public health crises by looking at the variable state responses to the arrival of the virus within their borders. In the modern international system, state governments are tasked with safeguarding the health and well-being of their national populations. During national emergencies, sovereigntist movements form around competing images of the nation that deserves protection. This article uses political artwork to show how different images of the idealized sovereign community were employed to justify divergent pandemic policies of US President Donald Trump and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Over the course of the pandemic, both leaders came under fire for failing to protect their constituents, providing space for alternative leaders and models of national protection.
Challenges of Pandemic-Related Border Closures for Everyday Lives of Poles and Czechs in the Divided Town of Cieszyn/Český Těšín: Integrated Functional Space or Reemergence of Animosities?
Authors: Böhm Hynek
Published: February 2022

The article asks whether the divided town Cieszyn-Český Těšín can be considered a joint “living space” in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. It evaluates the impact of the pandemic on various aspects of the daily lives of the inhabitants and institutions of both parts of this divided town. Three main dimensions of cross-border integration were studied: cross-border flows, cross-border structures/institutions, and the feeling of togetherness, which represents an ideational dimension of cross-border integration. The research was based on studying narratives covering border closures in the divided town, the analysis of cross-borderness of existing Facebook groups acting in both parts of the divided town, and the results of an extensive questionnaire-based survey among its inhabitants. The border closures restricted cross-border flows, which hit cross-border commuters and damaged the quality of this divided town as a living place because it introduced uncertainty. However, the health crisis also showed the high level of mutual interconnections between the local inhabitants and a functional cross-border civic society. The local people and politicians tend to perceive the divided town as a joint living space. The level of cross-border integration highly exceeds the one usual in the “new EU.”
The plasma amino acid response to blended protein beverages: a randomised crossover trial
Authors: Wegrzyn Teresa F. , Henare Sharon , Ahlborn Natalie , Ahmed Nasef Noha , Samuelsson Linda M. , Loveday Simon M.
Published: February 2022

Soya–dairy protein blends can extend post-exercise muscle synthesis in young people more than whey protein control. Older adults differ metabolically from young people, and their ability to absorb amino acids from dietary protein is important for muscle function. The objective was to determine how protein source affects postprandial plasma amino acid response and/or metabolomic profile in older adults via a single-blind randomised crossover trial (n 16, males 50–70 years), using three nutritionally equivalent meal replacement drinks containing 30 g protein, from a 1:1 (mass ratio) soya:dairy blend, a 1:2 soya:dairy blend or whey protein. The outcome measures were plasma amino acid concentrations at 0–300 min postprandially and urine metabolomic fingerprint. Soya:dairy drinks gave similar amino acid response in plasma over time and similar urinary metabolite fingerprints. However, there were significant differences in plasma amino acid concentrations and AUC values for the soya:dairy drinks v. the whey protein drink. AUC for Leu, Trp and Lys was lower and AUC for Phe and Pro was higher for the soya:dairy drinks. Differences partly reflected the amino acid profiles of the drinks, but overall plasma amino acid response patterns were qualitatively unchanged. Plasma amino acid differences between the whey protein drink and the soya:dairy blends were reflected in urine metabolite patterns. In conclusion, postprandial plasma amino acid responses were broadly similar, irrespective of protein source (and soya:dairy ratio). There were significant differences for some plasma amino acid concentrations, reflecting different amino acid profiles of the protein source and influencing urine metabolite fingerprints.
Morphological and nutritional diversity among accessions of marvel grass (Dichanthium annulatum(Forssk.) Stapf) and development of a core collection
Authors: Roy A. K. , Malaviya D. R. , Kaushal P. , Mahanta S. K. , Tewari R. , Chauhan R. , Chandra A.
Published: February 2022

Dichanthium annulatumis one of the dominant grasses of India, North Africa, Southeast Asia, China, Australia, Fiji, New Guinea, Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico. This drought-tolerant grass is an excellent fodder in mixed pastures. Developing varieties with improved quality and tolerance to various abiotic stresses is hampered due to its apomictic nature. Germplasm collection, characterization, genetic diversity analysis and core subset development followed by selection for desirable traits seems to be the most plausible breeding tool for developing new cultivars. In the present study, 498 genotypes collected from different agro-ecological zones in India were included. Genotypes were characterized for various metric and non-numeric traits; and the nutritional parameters. Agglomerative clustering analysis, using the Euclidean distance method, showed 14 distinct clusters. High variability was recorded for green forage yield, quantitative traits and nutritive quality parameters. A core subset of 50 accessions was identified, which captured most of the morphological and nutritional variability present in the total germplasm. Clustering of genotypes was observed to be related to the climatic conditions of the place of collection. High genetic variability observed for various morphological traits as well as forage yield indicated that these genotypes or subset of genotypes can be evaluated in different abiotic stress conditions such as salt, light and moisture stress for the identification of suitable varieties for the respective areas. Variability was attributed to inter-generic, inter-specific crossing together with the occasional presence of sexual plants in nature.
Review of endoscopic myringoplasty success: comparisons of intra-operative graft material and post-operative packing in terms of graft failure rate
Authors: Puttasiddaiah P M , Morris S , Browning S , Sanu A
Published: February 2022

Background

Myringoplasty success rate is estimated to be between 60 and 90 per cent. Factors predicting success include the choice of graft and use of auditory canal packing. This study aimed to determine the intra-operative factors associated with endoscopic myringoplasty success.

Methods

A retrospective review of all endoscopic myringoplasty cases between January 2017 and January 2020 was undertaken. Data were collected on: patient demographics, tympanic membrane perforation size, intra-operative details, audiology and post-operative outcomes.

Results

There was no significant difference in graft success rates between cases using bismuth iodoform paraffin paste and Spongostan packing (86.7 per cent vs 84.9 per cent, respectively). Conchal cartilage graft had a higher success rate (100.0 per cent) compared with Biodesign grafting biomaterial (66.7 per cent), but was not superior to tragal cartilage (84.6 per cent) or temporalis fat or fascia (80.0 per cent).

Conclusion

Spongostan packing is equivalent to bismuth iodoform paraffin paste in terms of endoscopic myringoplasty success rate. Although conchal cartilage graft had higher success rates, it was not statistically significantly different from tragal cartilage.
Race at Work: A Comparative History of Mining Labor and Empire on the Central African Copperbelt and the Fushun Coalfields, ca. 1907–1945
Authors: Money Duncan , Teh Limin
Published: February 2022

In many ways, the vast industrial complexes that developed on the Central African Copperbelt and the Fushun coalfields in the early twentieth century were very different places. One on a high plateau stretched out across the border between what is now Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia with a sub-tropical climate; the other on the rolling foothills of Changbai Mountains in what is now Liaoning Province, northeastern China, with a humid continental climate. Yet anyone who visited either of these places would immediately and unavoidably have become aware of a basic fact about both: that racial hierarchies governed life and work on the mines. This article is about that basic fact, and in it we aim to make a two-fold contribution: First, it is a comparative history of mining regions, which, although it might seem an area of study ripe for comparison, is seldom undertaken. Second, through this comparison to argue that the prevalence and significance of race as a way of organizing life and work in the mining industry has been underestimated. We support this claim with an overview of production and everyday life in two seemingly very different mining regions: the Fushun coalfields and the Central African Copperbelt (see figure 1).
European Imperial Rule through Ottoman Land Law: British Cyprus, the Italian Dodecanese, and French Mandatory Syria
Authors: Rappas Alexis
Published: February 2022

This paper focuses on the articulation between property, sovereignty, and the construction of new political subjectivities in post-Ottoman provinces. Drawing on the cases of British Cyprus, the Italian Dodecanese, and French Mandatory Syria, it shows that European sovereign claims on these territories were pursued through the perpetuation of Ottoman land laws and the reorganisation of the judicial system responsible for implementing them. Dictated by the enduring legal uncertainty regarding the international status of these three provinces, this peculiar path toimperiumdid not deter European officials from working towards the ambitious goal of creating a class of individual peasant-proprietors, protected in their rights by colonial courts. Acknowledging the differences between these projects, their mutual influences, as well as their relative failure, the article contends that they nonetheless impel us to envision the transition from “Ottoman” to “European” rule as a gradual, multilayered process, instead of a sudden break.
Safety and feasibility of the paediatric post-cardiac catheterisation Wrap: a pilot study
Authors: Haley Jennifer , Engstrand Shannon L. , Cole Alexandra , Schenkel Sara , Hinsley Karen , Brawn Brenda , Esch Jesse , Ibla Juan , DeGrazia Michele
Published: February 2022

Objective:

The paediatric post-cardiac catheterisation Wrap (Wrap), an innovative medical safety device, swaddles young paediatric patients in a supine position aiding in immobilisation post-cardiac catheterisation. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and safety of using the Wrap on young paediatric patients during their bed rest period following cardiac catheterisation with femoral access.

Setting:

Boston Children’s Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Lab.

Participants:

20 patients, ages 1–5 years and weighing 3–25 kg.

Methods:

Investigator-developed tools used to collect data included the Demographic and Outcome Measures Data Tool, the Parent/Caregiver Satisfaction, and Provider Ease of Use tools. They measured:

1.

The feasibility of using the Wrap

2.

Wrap ease of use from the nurse providers’ perspective

3.

Parent satisfaction related to the Wrap

4.

Frequency of Wrap non-bleeding-related adverse events

5.

Frequency of rebleeding at femoral groin access sites

Results:

The Wrap was feasible and safe; increased nurse provider satisfaction by allowing visualisation of the groin access sites while minimising the need for hands-on care; and increased parent satisfaction by allowing parents to hold and provide comfort while their child was on bed rest.

Implications for Research:

The Wrap is a safe alternative to the current practice of swaddling with a bath blanket. Further studies are warranted to assess the Wrap’s effectiveness in reducing the incidence of rebleeding events in the post-cardiac catheterisation period and explore clinical use outside of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab.