bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parent‐Adolescent Emotion Dynamics at Multiple Time Scales
Authors: Lougheed Jessica P. , Keskin Gizem
Published: April 2021

Developmental processes are embedded in social contexts, such as with family members. Adolescent development involves significant reorganization of the parent‐adolescent relationship, which is fundamental to the continued psychosocial development of both the adolescent and the parent. In this article, we introduce the model of parent‐adolescent dyads as temporal interpersonal emotion systems (TIES), which specifies the emotion‐related processes at multiple time scales that are implicated in the psychosocial development of both individuals. Building off our previous work, we outline study designs to examine development in parent‐adolescent TIES, which will lead to important new directions in research on developing adolescents and parents.
Transitions to adulthood from care in late 19th century England
Authors: Ward Harriet
Published: April 2021

Since the mid‐19th century, there have been concerns in England about suboptimal outcomes for care leavers. This paper draws on original data from case files of children who were admitted to the Children's Society between 1887 and 1894, and a contemporary study of outcomes for girls who had been brought up in Poor Law district schools, to explore the basis for these concerns. Widespread destitution in the community meant that many children in care were better fed, clothed and educated than their contemporaries. However, those who left the Poor Law schools were singularly ill prepared for independence, and the much vaunted training offered by the voluntary societies did not prepare children to enter occupations that would provide stable or well‐paid employment. Emerging understanding of the needs of care leavers for continuing support and protection was translated into policies and practices that continue to be relevant a hundred years later. However, factors that shaped the experiences of 19th century care leavers, such as short‐term financial considerations which led to compressed and accelerated transitions, and the principle of less eligibility, still tend to conflict with attempts to ensure that their needs are adequately met today.
From ‘the New Man’ to care‐leaver activists—Communist and contemporary discourses shaping 50 years of leaving care in Romania
Authors: Anghel Roxana
Published: April 2021

This paper explores discourses that have informed debates concerning care leavers in Romania over the last 50 years to understand why rights‐based reforms introduced in the mid‐2000s have been difficult to implement. The discussion is based on the analysis of a maximum variation sample of 40 documents published between 1951 and 2018. Across two historical periods during and after communism, framed by three political events which changed significantly the context of public childcare and leaving care, this paper explores how dominant discourses on ‘public childcare’, ‘care leavers’ and ‘children's rights’ have evolved, what mechanisms established them and with what consequences. The analysis revealed the stealthy presence of a ‘dinosaur discourse’ of deficit and ‘undeserving’, unsuccessfully challenged by the rights discourse, which alongside a neglectful attitude to social protection, informs the practice and ultimately the experience of public childcare and leaving care. However, the growing and increasingly clear voice of care‐leaver activists counterbalances this through a new narrative of strengths, value and capability aiming towards concrete change from below. The paper proposes a number of ‘absent discourses’ that could offer a powerful context for this new voice and avenues for meaningful action, with implications for research.
Sexualhormone und Akne: Aktueller Stand
Authors: Hu Tingting , Wei Ziyu , Ju Qiang , Chen WenChieh
Published: April 2021

Akne ist eine androgenabhängige entzündliche Erkrankung der Talgdrüsen. Diese Studie beschäftigt sich mit den zugrundeliegenden Signalwegen der Androgen‐Biosynthese und des Androgen‐Metabolismus, mit der nicht‐genomischen Regulation der Androgenrezeptor‐Expression und –Funktion sowie mit der post‐translationalen Regulation des Androgenüberschusses bei Akne und akne‐assoziierten Syndromen. Zu diesen zählen beispielsweise das Syndrom der polyzystischen Ovarien (PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome) und die kongenitale Nebennierenhyperplasie. Neue Erkenntnisse zur Rolle der Sexualhormone – insbesondere der Androgene – für die Homöostase der Haut und die Pathogenese der Akne werden diskutiert, einschließlich Komedogenese, Lipogenese, Mikrobiom und Entzündung. Die Wirkmechanismen klassischer Akne‐Therapeutika werden vorgestellt, ebenso neu entwickelte topische und systemische Antiandrogene.
Einfluss von Keratolytika auf die kutane Pharmakokinetik von Glukokortikoiden
Authors: Wohlrab Johannes
Published: April 2021

Hintergrund

Zur Beschleunigung und Verbesserung des therapeutischen Ansprechens hyperkeratotischer Dermatosen werden häufig Keratolytika eingesetzt. Keratolytika sind eine chemisch inhomogene Gruppe von Substanzen und Substanzgemischen, die klinisch zu einer Abnahme der Symptome einer Verhornungsstörung führen, aber unterschiedliche Effekte vermitteln. So werden keratolytische, keratoplastische, keratoemulgierende und keratodiluierende Effekte unterschieden. Durch die physikochemischen Effekte beziehungsweise pharmakologischen Wirkungen der jeweiligen Keratolytika ergeben sich unterschiedliche Effekte sowie Risiken bezüglich der lokalen oder systemischen Verträglichkeit. Bisher wird bei der Auswahl von Keratolytika kaum auf die unmittelbaren Konsequenzen für Diffusionsbedingungen und Pharmakokinetik sequenziell applizierter Topika, insbesondere Glukokortikoide, geachtet.

Patienten und Methodik

Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit dem Einfluss von Keratolytika auf das Penetrations‐Zeit‐Profil von Betamethasondipropionat in sequenzieller Applikation. Dazu wurden im Franzkammertest die kutane Bioverfügbarkeit mittels Tritium‐markiertem Wirkstoff in Abhängigkeit von der vorherigen Anwendung eines Keratolytikums untersucht und die Daten vergleichend analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Dabei zeigte sich, dass keratoplastische Substanzen die Diffusion des Glukokortikoids deutlich fördern, keratoemulgierende Substanzgemische üben diesbezüglich keine relevanten Effekte aus und keratodiluierende Substanzgemische hemmen die Penetration.

Schlussfolgerungen

Durch die gezielte Auswahl eines Keratolytikums können der therapeutische Effekt optimiert und die Bioverfügbarkeit sequenziell aufgetragener Topika entscheidend beeinflusst werden.
Primary cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas in childhood and adolescence
Authors: Wohlmuth‐Wieser Iris
Published: April 2021

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are extranodal non‐Hodgkin lymphomas of T‐ or B‐ cell origin, that predominantly affect older patients but have been reported in all age groups and as early as in the first years of life. Diagnosis of cutaneous lymphomas is challenging and requires high clinical suspicion and close collaboration between dermatologists, pediatric oncologists and pathologists. Skin involvement of non‐Hodgkin lymphomas in children or adolescents can either be primary cutaneous or secondary due to an underlying nodal lymphoma. The most common primary cutaneous lymphomas encountered in children are of T‐cell origin, with mycosis fungoides being the most prevalent cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma, followed by CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders. While cutaneous lymphomas share clinicopathologic characteristics between juvenile and adult forms, there are important differences in terms of clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment. The hypopigmented variant of mycosis fungoides seems to be overrepresented in the pediatric age group. Prognosis and treatment of mycosis fungoides are stage dependent. The majority of children present with early‐stage disease and respond well to topical corticosteroids and phototherapy.
Perceived impact of short‐term professional development for foreign language teachers of adults: A case study
Authors: Shin Joan Kang , Kim Woomee
Published: April 2021

Using Desimone's (2009) framework for studying the effects of teacher professional development (PD), this qualitative study examines the effectiveness and impact of a 10‐week professional development course on 31 foreign language (FL) instructional faculty and staff in a U.S. Government language school. Data sources included 31 K‐W‐L reflections, 15 questionnaire responses, and nine semistructured interviews from course participants. Etic and emic analysis revealed evidence of Desimone's framework as well as emerging themes that showed the importance of modeling, expanding the professional community, confirming beliefs, increasing confidence, and developing a learner‐centered mindset to effective PD for FL teachers. These emerging themes are presented as an expansion of Desimone's core conceptual framework based on contextual factors specific to PD for FL instructors of adult learners. The results of this study can inform the development and evaluation of FL teacher PD and ground future studies in this context using Desimone's framework.
Blowin’ in the wind: Wind directionality affects wetland invertebrate metacommunities in Patagonia
Authors: Epele Luis Beltrán , Dos Santos Daniel Andrés , Sarremejane Romain , Grech Marta Gladys , Macchi Pablo Antonio , Manzo Luz María , Miserendino María Laura , Bonada Núria , Cañedo‐Argüelles Miguel
Published: April 2021

Aim

To assess the relative importance of wind intensity and direction in explaining wetland invertebrate metacommunity organization.

Location

Seventy‐eight wetland ponds in Patagonia (Argentina) covering a study area of 3.5 × 105 km2.

Time period

Ponds were sampled once between 2006 and 2014.

Major taxa studied

One hundred and fifty‐eight taxa of wetland aquatic invertebrates.

Methods

We generated two beta diversity matrices (based on flying and non‐flying invertebrates) and six predictor matrices, including three environmental distance matrices, a topographic distance between ponds, and two wind pairwise matrices differing in wind speed. Using Moran spectral randomization of Mantel (MSR‐Mantel) tests (which account for spatial autocorrelation), we assessed the relationship between the response and the predictor matrices. We used a network‐constrained version of the nestedness metric based on overlap and decreasing fill (NODF), to assess if wind anisotropy (i.e., direction‐dependent) affected community nestedness among ponds.

Results

Flying dispersers’ dissimilarity was significantly explained by environmental variables, whereas non‐flying invertebrates’ dissimilarity was not significantly explained by any of the distances tested. When wind direction was ignored, wind speed had a negligible effect on both types of communities, whereas when it was considered a consistent nested pattern emerged, with the eastern ponds (downwind) communities being subsets of those from the western ponds (upwind).

Main conclusions

We found that the invertebrate communities were mainly assembled by a combination of environmental factors and wind directionality, although this depended on the dispersal ability of the organisms.
Excoriation (skin‐picking) disorder among adolescents and young adults with acne‐induced postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and scars
Authors: Ekore Rabi I. , Ekore John O.
Published: April 2021

A plethora of health‐related concerns, including skin disorders, are particularly common during the critical periods of adolescence and young adulthood. Their reactions to skin‐related disorders can be different from their reactions to other disorders. While medical problems could be physiologically impacting, skin disorders like excoriation disorder can, in addition, directly affect their physical appearance in ways that have psychological consequences like anxiety, low self‐esteem, and impaired quality of life. The increasing prevalence of excoriation disorder has resulted in its inclusion in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‐5) and the eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐11) manuals as one of the obsessive–compulsive disorders (OCD)‐related disorders. However, health care professionals may not often recognize this important entity especially among adolescents and young adults with acne vulgaris presenting with chronic or recurrent acne‐induced postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and scars. A number of self‐reported tools are available for use in screening and/or assessment of excoriation disorder and to aid its management. While both pharmacologic and non‐pharmacologic therapies are available, patient education is important. Physicians who usually make first contact with patients, such as Family Medicine Physicians, Pediatricians, Dermatologists, and Aesthetic Medicine Physicians, should have a relatively high index of suspicion for this disorder, especially in those presenting rather frequently with new or repeat lesions. Prompt referral to licensed mental health specialists is encouraged in order to ensure the provision of holistic care to affected persons.
Job satisfaction, resilience and social support in relation to nurses' turnover intention based on the theory of planned behaviour: A structural equation modelling approach
Authors: Zhao Yingnan , Wang Hong , Sun Dan , Ma Dongfei , Li Huanhuan , Li Yijing , Zhang Xu , Xie Zongting , Sun Jiao
Published: April 2021

Background

Many national studies have shown that nurses have a high turnover rate. The key to maintaining the stability of nursing staff is to explore the factors that affect their turnover intention; however, no research has been performed to explore the influencing factors and mechanisms of nurses' turnover intention based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

Aim

Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, examining the relationships among resilience, job satisfaction, social support and turnover intention of nurses, a structural equation model was constructed to examine the mediating role of job satisfaction and social support between resilience and turnover intention.

Methods

In this descriptive cross‐sectional study, a total of 350 questionnaires were distributed to participants from three tertiary hospitals in Changchun, Jilin Province, between December 2018 and March 2019.

Results

The final model fits well. Job satisfaction and social support directly influences turnover intention. Resilience indirectly influences turnover intention through job satisfaction and social support.

Conclusion

Turnover intention is a complex variable, which is directly and indirectly affected by many factors. In this study, a new structural equation model was proposed, which laid a foundation for future longitudinal studies.
Patients' and partners' experiences with prostate cancer and advanced practice nurse counselling
Authors: Geese Franziska , Willener Rita , Spichiger Elisabeth
Published: April 2021

Patients with prostate cancer (PCa) often experience physical and psychological challenges after diagnosis and therapeutic side effects after radical prostatectomy. To meet the needs of these patients and their partners, an advanced practice nurse (APN) support programme was initiated at a Swiss university hospital. The APN served as a constant contact person and offered psycho‐oncological counselling from the first day after radical prostatectomy to follow‐up care in the outpatient clinic, every third month over the first year and twice in the second year. Counselling was provided in‐person and through the phone. It focused on coping skills regarding cancer‐related distress, hospital stay, treatment and therapeutic side effects, post‐discharge life, and physical activity. This study aimed to explore the experiences of patients and partners with the disease, including diagnosis, radical prostatectomy, and follow‐up care. Additionally, their experience with the APN support programme was evaluated. A qualitative content analysis, according to Mayring, was used. Interviews were conducted with 10 patients and 8 partners who participated in the APN counselling programme. Interviews were performed individually in‐person or by telephone. Patients reported a variety of experiences with respect to the diagnostic process and the final decision for radical prostatectomy. Patients and spouses also described some unmet information needs during the PCa care continuum. They wished they received more information about PSA testing, treatment options, and management of surgically induced side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction. While most couples mastered the situation together, some patients did not involve their spouses. During the hospital stay, patients felt well cared for; the spouses agreed. Urinary incontinence was the primary challenge after discharge. Later, erectile dysfunction was a challenge for most participants. While counselling was experienced differently, patients and spouses valued the trustworthy APN as a constant contact person. In clinical practice, needs‐tailored information should be provided by all involved healthcare professionals. In addition, a support programme for patients and partners that includes an APN as a constant contact person over the PCa continuum is recommended.
Multiple mountain‐hopping colonization of sky‐islands on the two sides of Tropical Africa during the Pleistocene: The afroalpine Festuca grasses
Authors: Mairal Mario , Namaganda Mary , Gizaw Abel , Chala Desalegn , Brochmann Christian , Catalán Pilar
Published: April 2021

Aim

The afroalpine sky‐islands present one of the most interesting models to study discrete biogeographic patterns in a terrestrial island system. Here, we performed range‐wide sampling of the afroalpine clade of fine‐leaved Festuca grasses and address a set of hypotheses on its origin and dispersal. We focus on the widespread species F. abyssinica and explore the role of the eastern and western African sky‐islands.

Location

Tropical Africa.

Taxon

Afroalpine Festuca.

Methods

We combine data from field surveys, phylogeography, coalescence‐based dispersal modelling, and environmental niche and dispersal costs analyses to infer patterns of genetic diversity, genealogical relationships, colonization routes and range shifts under two Quaternary climates (current – to represent warm periods; and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) – to represent cold periods).

Results

The westernmost populations in East Africa show higher genetic diversity and higher similarities with the West African populations and the Ethiopian Simen Mountains than with the more closely situated East African populations. Dispersal models and ecological niche predictions of F. abyssinica supported multiple long‐distance dispersals (LDD) among the eastern African sky‐islands, and at least two dispersal events between the two sides of Africa (0.86 Ma and 0.52 Ma), probably facilitated by bridging suitable habitats during the coldest periods of the Pleistocene.

Main conclusions

We reconstruct an afroalpine mountain‐hopping dispersal model, with migrations occurring between adjacent sky‐islands in eastern Africa, and through a Central Africa–Sudan pathway connecting afroalpine patches on the two sides of the continent.
A needle in the haystack? Applying species co‐occurrence frameworks with fish assemblage data to identify species associations and sharpen ecological hypotheses
Authors: Zbinden Zachery D.
Published: April 2021

Different species can associate or interact in many ways, and methods exist for inferring associations and underlying mechanisms from incidence data (e.g., co‐occurrence frameworks). These methods have received criticism despite their recent resurgence in the literature. However, co‐occurrence frameworks for identifying nonrandomly associated species pairs (e.g., aggregated or segregated pairs) have value as heuristic tools for sharpening hypotheses concerning fish ecology. This paper provides a case study examining species co‐occurrence across 33 stream fish assemblages in southeastern Oklahoma, USA, which were sampled twice (1974 and 2014). This study sought to determine (a) which species were nonrandomly associated, (b) what processes might have driven these associations and (c) how consistent patterns were across time. Associations among most pairs of species (24 species, 276 unique pairs) were not significantly different from random (>80%). Among all significant, nonrandomly associated species pairs (54 unique pairs), 78% (42 pairs) were aggregated and 22% (12 pairs) segregated. Most of these (28 pairs, 52%) were hypothesized to be driven by nonbiotic mechanisms: habitat filtering (20 pairs, 37%), dispersal limitation (two pairs, 0.4%) or both (six pairs, 11%). The remaining 26 nonrandomly associated pairs (48%) had no detectable signal of spatial or environmental factors involved with the association, therefore the potential for biotic interaction was not refuted. Only five species pairs were consistently associated across both sampling periods: stonerollers Campostoma spp. and orangebelly darter Etheostoma radiosum; red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis and bullhead minnow Pimephales vigilax; bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus and redear sunfish Lepomis microlophus; redfin shiner Lythrurus umbratilis and bluntnose minnow Pimephales notatus; and bigeye shiner Notropis boops and golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas. Frameworks for identifying nonrandomly associated species pairs can provide insight into broader mechanisms of species assembly and point to potentially interesting species interactions (out of many possible pairs). However, this approach is best applied as a tool for sharpening hypotheses to be investigated further. Rather than a weakness, the heuristic nature is the strength of such methods, and can help guide biologists toward better questions by employing relatively cheap diversity survey data, which are often already in hand, to reduce complex interaction networks down to their nonstochastic parts which warrant further investigation.
Memory functioning 7 years after severe childhood traumatic brain injury: Results of the Traumatisme Grave de l’Enfant study
Authors: Câmara‐Costa Hugo , Viot Solène , Francillette Leila , Opatowski Marion , Toure Hanna , Brugel Dominique , Laurent‐Vannier Anne , Meyer Philippe , Watier Laurence , Dellatolas Georges , Chevignard Mathilde
Published: April 2021

Objective

To explore memory functioning 7 years after severe paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI), associated factors, and relationships with other outcomes.

Method

Children aged 0–15 years (n = 65), consecutively admitted over a 3‐year period in a single trauma centre, who survived after severe non‐inflicted TBI, were included in a prospective longitudinal study. Memory assessments were performed 7 years post‐injury using the Children’s Memory Scale or the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS IV), according to age. The General Memory Score (GMS‐7) was the primary outcome.

Results

Thirty‐seven patients were available for assessment at 7 years post‐injury. Mean GMS‐7 was in the low average range (M = 84.9, SD = 12.1). Lower GMS‐7 was significantly associated with markers of higher injury severity, such as length of coma. One year post‐injury functional and disability outcomes explained 74% of the variance of GMS‐7. Concurrent intellectual ability and type of ongoing education correlated strongly with GMS‐7. Age at injury and parental education were not associated with memory outcome.

Conclusions

Memory functioning is variable but often strongly impaired several years after severe paediatric TBI, and is mostly related to injury severity, functional outcomes measured 1 year post‐injury, and concomitant cognitive and educational outcomes. GMS‐7 was lower at 7 years than one year post‐injury, supporting the importance of long term follow‐up.
Weathering Cash Flow Shocks
Authors: BROWN JAMES R. , GUSTAFSON MATTHEW T. , IVANOV IVAN T.
Published: April 2021

Unexpectedly severe winter weather, which is arguably exogenous to firm and bank fundamentals, represents a significant cash flow shock for bank‐borrowing firms. Firms respond to these shocks by drawing on and increasing the size of their credit lines. Banks charge borrowers for this liquidity via increased interest rates and less borrower‐friendly loan provisions. Credit line adjustments occur within one calendar quarter of the shock and persist for at least nine months. Overall, we provide evidence that bank credit lines are an important tool for managing the nonfundamental component of cash flow volatility, especially for solvent, small bank borrowers.
Asset Managers: Institutional Performance and Factor Exposures
Authors: GERAKOS JOSEPH , LINNAINMAA JUHANI T. , MORSE ADAIR
Published: April 2021

Using data on $18 trillion of assets under management, we show that actively managed institutional accounts outperformed strategy benchmarks by 75 (31) bps on a gross (net) basis during the period 2000 to 2012. Estimates from a Sharpe model imply that asset managers' outperformance came from factor exposures. If institutions had instead implemented mean‐variance efficient portfolios using index and institutional mutual funds available during the sample period, they would not have earned higher Sharpe ratios. Our results are consistent with the average asset manager having skill, managers competing for institutional capital, and institutions engaging in costly search to identify skilled managers.
A Tale of Decline or Change? Working Toward a Complementary Understanding of Secular Transition and Individual Spiritualization Theories
Authors: Wilkins‐Laflamme Sarah
Published: April 2021

Evidence is widespread of declining religiosity measures in many countries, including some outside of Europe. Is this a transition toward secularity among general populations, or instead a change in the nature of individual spiritualities? This question is addressed by this study with International Social Survey Programme data spanning 27 years (1991–2018) and 46 nations. Many measures of religiosity and belief are found to be declining in most countries, supporting secular transition theory. Identifying as spiritual but not religious remains a minority phenomenon in areas with low levels of religiosity, but an important phenomenon nonetheless that has seen some growth. We argue here that there is a way forward in these data to understand secular transition and individual spiritualization theories as complementary, not conflicting.
Silence and Sameness in the Norwegian Church Abroad
Authors: Iversen Lars Laird
Published: April 2021

Employees of the Norwegian Church Abroad (NCA) avoid discussing politics. Understanding why increases sociological understanding of how everyday and nonextreme forms of religion may contribute to everyday and nonextreme forms of national feeling. This article leverages insights from studying the NCA in order to contribute to the sociological literature on everyday nationalism and religion. It does this by illustrating how the microsociological strategies of silence and avoidance contribute to imagined sameness. This increases our understanding of how everyday belonging draws resources from both nation and religion. Furthermore, it highlights the interactions between religion and nation as both resources for belonging and grounds for difference. The findings are based on interviews with 32 employees in six churches in the United States, and supporting observations.
Development of a home‐use method for the evaluation of food products by children with and without Down syndrome
Authors: Surette Victoria A. , Bernhard Charles B. , Smith‐Simpson Sarah , Ross Carolyn F.
Published: April 2021

This article describes the development of a method to evaluate the acceptance of different snack food textures by children with food texture sensitivities, including children with and without Down syndrome (DS). An in‐home use test (HUT) was developed to reflect recent taste study and allow greater recruitment. In this study, parents with children (ages 11–60 months) with DS (CWDS) and without (typically developing, CTD) were recruited and based on responses to several questions, children were categorized as food texture sensitive (TS) or nontexture sensitive (NTS). In total, 111 CWDS (49 TS and 62 NTS) and 107 CTD (42 TS and 65 NTS) participated. To select the food products for assessment, a trained panel profiled commercially available infant and toddler solid snack foods (n = 41), from which 16 products were selected and sorted into four flavor groupings. For the HUT, participating children evaluated each food product once per day for 6 days. Parents recorded their children's reactions to each food product; a panel of trained coders coded each video for verbal and nonverbal behaviors using a novel coding scheme. Parent prompts were also coded. Several challenges were experienced during this study, including poor‐quality videos, and standardization of the home environment during the feeding sessions. However, the high degree of successful completion of the HUT (96%) was attributed to the high motivation of the parents involved, as well as the close interaction between the experimenters and the participants on an individual family level.
Communities and employers show a high level of preparedness in supporting working mothers to combine breastfeeding with work in rural Kenya
Authors: Zerfu Taddese Alemu , Griffiths Paula , Macharia Teresia , Kamande Eva W. , Anono Esther , Kiige Laura , Gatheru Peter Muriuki , Jobando Susan , Moloney Grainne , Kimani‐Murage Elizabeth Wambui
Published: April 2021

Community Readiness Model (CRM) through pragmatic mixed methods design, combining quantitative CRM survey with qualitative data, was used to assess the level of preparedness and readiness among local leaders, employers and community members in supporting working mothers to combine breastfeeding with work. The study was conducted in one of the tea state farms in Kericho County of Kenya. A total of 17 purposively selected men (fathers), lactating mothers, peer educators, health professionals (doctors, nurses and nutritionists), tea plantation managers and grandmothers were interviewed. The CRM that has six different dimensions was applied to determine the stage of readiness to support working mothers to combine breastfeeding with work. Community Readiness Score (CRS) was calculated descriptively as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Thematic analysis using NVIVO software was used to analyse qualitative data. We found that the mean (±SD) CRS was 7.3 (1.9), which corresponded to the third highest level of the nine stages or the ‘stabilization’ stage of community readiness. Dimensionally, the mean CRS was the highest (8.3 ± 1.9) for leadership followed by community efforts (7.5 ± 2.1), whereas the lowest CRS was observed for knowledge of efforts (6.6 ± 2.3) and availability of resources (6.6 ± 1.9). In conclusion, high level of readiness to support working women to combine work with breastfeeding with suboptimal knowledge of efforts and availability of resources was observed in the area. Future interventions should focus on enabling the community to feel more comfortable and creating detailed and refined knowledge on combining breastfeeding with work.
India's Indo‐Pacific Strategy: A Pragmatic Balancing between the United States and China
Authors: Liu Hongsong , Jamali Ahmed Bux
Published: April 2021

Despite having differing foreign policy objectives against the core Indo‐Pacific fundamentals, Prime Minister Modi is constructing a robust, proactive, and influential role of India in the Indo‐Pacific region without formally aligning with the United States or gesturing for any confrontational behavior against China. To unfold India's Indo‐Pacific positioning, this paper asks how India behaves between the United States and China in the Indo‐Pacific. The authors argue that to address this, Modi's Indo‐Pacific strategy revolves around Pragmatic Balancing between the United States and China in the Indo‐Pacific. The paper highlights Modi's Indo‐Pacific ambitions to explore this pragmatic balancing, keeping in view the US Indo‐Pacific strategy. To deal with the United States on the geostrategic front, ensuring maximum strategic autonomy and building India's maritime security order in the Indian Ocean region are Modi's crucial policy outlooks. On the other hand, to deal with China on the geo‐economics front, maintaining the maritime economy's flow, thereby preventing any confrontational behavior with China on multilateralism, is the critical component of Modi's Indo‐Pacific strategy. The evaluation demonstrates Modi's pragmatism by redefining India's balancing behavior with the United States and China to achieve the desired foreign policy outcomes, before presenting the article's final conclusion.
To Live in Peace: Women Ex‐combatants in Burundi and Northern Uganda Envision Psychosocial Well‐being
Authors: Bragin Martha , Tosone Carol , Akesson Bree , Taaka Janepher , Nzeyimana Generose
Published: April 2021

Contemporary studies show that women play multiple roles in armed conflict. Only rarely are they passive bystanders or victims. Women are often part of the events that lead to armed conflict, and they may engage in combat. They have also led peace movements that have ended conflict. Nevertheless, the multiple roles that women play in war and peace are oftentimes not recognized, and their experiences, beyond victimhood, have been disregarded in post‐conflict reconstruction. Drawing upon research with conflict‐affected women, this paper focuses on how women ex‐combatants in Burundi and Northern Uganda conceptualize and operationalize psychosocial well‐being and articulate the specific contributions they can make to the peacetime community.
Substituent and Surfactant Effects on the Photochemical Reaction of Some Aryl Benzoates in Micellar Green Environment†
Authors: Siano Gastón , Crespi Stefano , Bonesi Sergio M.
Published: April 2021

In this study, we carried out preparative and mechanistic studies on the photochemical reaction of a series of p‐substituted phenyl benzoates in confined and sustainable micellar environment. The aim of this work is mainly focused to show whether the nature of the surfactant (ionic or nonionic) leads to noticeable selectivity in the photoproduct formation and whether the electronic effects of the substituents affect the chemical yields and the rate of formation of the 5‐substituted‐2‐hydroxybenzophenone derivatives. Application of the Hammett linear free energy relationship (LFER) on the rate of formation of benzophenone derivatives, on the lower energy band of the UV‐visible absorption spectra of the aryl benzoates and 5‐substituted‐2‐hydroxybenzophenone derivatives allows a satisfactory quantification of the substituent effects. Furthermore, UV‐visible and 2D‐NMR (NOESY) spectroscopies have been employed to measure the binding constant Kb and the location of the aryl benzoates within the hydrophobic core of the micelle. Finally, TD‐DFT calculations have been carried out to estimate the energies of the absorption bands of p‐substituted phenyl benzoates and 5‐substituted‐2‐hydroxybenzophenone derivatives providing good linear correlation with those values measured experimentally.
Hydrogen sulfide: An emerging signaling molecule regulating drought stress response in plants
Authors: Thakur Meenakshi , Anand Anjali
Published: April 2021

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a small, reactive signaling molecule that is produced within chloroplasts of plant cells as an intermediate in the assimilatory sulfate reduction pathway by the enzyme sulfite reductase. In addition, H2S is also produced in cytosol and mitochondria by desulfhydration of l‐cysteine catalyzed by l‐cysteine desulfhydrase (DES1) in the cytosol and from β‐cyanoalanine in mitochondria, in a reaction catalyzed by β‐cyano‐Ala synthase C1 (CAS‐C1). H2S exerts its numerous biological functions by post‐translational modification involving oxidation of cysteine residues (RSH) to persulfides (RSSH). At lower concentrations (10–1000 μmol L−1), H2S shows huge agricultural potential as it increases the germination rate, the size, fresh weight, and ultimately the crop yield. It is also involved in abiotic stress response against drought, salinity, high temperature, and heavy metals. H2S donor, for example, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), has been exogenously applied on plants by various researchers to provide drought stress tolerance. Exogenous application results in the accumulation of polyamines, sugars, glycine betaine, and enhancement of the antioxidant enzyme activities in response to drought‐induced osmotic and oxidative stress, thus, providing stress adaptation to plants. At the biochemical level, administration of H2S donors reduces malondialdehyde content and lipoxygenase activity to maintain the cell integrity, causes abscisic acid‐mediated stomatal closure to prevent water loss through transpiration, and accelerates the photosystem II repair cycle. Here, we review the crosstalk of H2S with secondary messengers and phytohormones towards the regulation of drought stress response and emphasize various approaches that can be addressed to strengthen research in this area.
Donald Trump's Big Lie and the Future of the Republican Party
Authors: Jacobson Gary C.
Published: April 2021

Donald Trump’s bid to nullify Joseph Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election was a grotesque assault on American democracy that ultimately provoked an invasion of the Capitol by a right‐wing mob trying to derail certification of Biden’s victory. Although most Americans were appalled by his actions, Trump retained the support of nearly three quarters of ordinary Republicans, most subscribing to this big lie of a stolen election. This poses dilemma for Republican leaders hoping to hold Trump’s base without narrowing their party’s appeal to the broader electorate. This article investigates the parameters of their dilemma by examining how the public in general and Republican voters in particular have responded to Trump’s attempt to steal the election from Biden and what these reactions imply for the party’s future.
Cultivars of popular restoration grass developed for drought do not have higher drought resistance and do not differ in drought‐related traits from other accessions
Authors: Garbowski Magda , Johnston Danielle B. , Brown Cynthia S.
Published: April 2021

Numerous functional traits have been identified as key contributors to plant performance under drought. However, many of these traits, specifically root traits, are rarely considered in the development of native plant cultivars. In this study, we assessed whether cultivars of the perennial grass Elymus trachycaulus (Slender wheatgrass) developed for drought differ in (a) drought resistance (i.e. a plant's ability to maintain aboveground biomass productivity under water deficit), (b) aboveground and belowground traits, and (c) trait responses to drought from other accessions (i.e. other cultivars, wild accessions). We also evaluated trait plasticity, assessed whether multivariate trait relationships varied between control and drought conditions, and determined which suites of traits are related to drought resistance. We worked with seedlings at two developmental stages to assess whether patterns vary ontogenetically. E. trachycaulus cultivars developed for drought did not differ from other accessions in drought resistance or traits related to drought‐coping strategies. The effects of drought and accession on drought resistance, traits, and trait plasticity varied by developmental stage, but relationships among traits varied little between the two developmental stages. A primary axis of functional variation related to resource acquisition (plant height, root length, root tips) was consistently associated with drought resistance. However, which secondary axes were related to drought resistance varied by developmental stage and moisture condition. Our results suggest that traits and performance of commonly used cultivars ought to be reexamined to determine whether they are actually the best candidates for revegetation projects in specific contexts.
Increasing Power for Observational Studies of Aberrant Response: An Adaptive Approach
Authors: Heng Siyu , Kang Hyunseung , Small Dylan S. , Fogarty Colin B.
Published: April 2021

In many observational studies, the interest is in the effect of treatment on bad, aberrant outcomes rather than the average outcome. For such settings, the traditional approach is to define a dichotomous outcome indicating aberration from a continuous score and use the Mantel–Haenszel test with matched data. For example, studies of determinants of poor child growth use the World Health Organization’s definition of child stunting being height-for-age z-score ≤ − 2. The traditional approach may lose power because it discards potentially useful information about the severity of aberration. We develop an adaptive approach that makes use of this information and asymptotically dominates the traditional approach. We develop our approach in two parts. First, we develop an aberrant rank approach in matched observational studies and prove a novel design sensitivity formula enabling its asymptotic comparison with the Mantel–Haenszel test under various settings. Second, we develop a new, general adaptive approach, the two-stage programming method, and use it to adaptively combine the aberrant rank test and the Mantel–Haenszel test. We apply our approach to a study of the effect of teenage pregnancy on stunting.
Dispersive shock waves for the Boussinesq Benjamin–Ono equation
Authors: Nguyen Lu Trong Khiem , Smyth Noel Frederick
Published: April 2021

In this work, the dispersive shock wave (DSW) solution of a Boussinesq Benjamin–Ono (BBO) equation, the standard Boussinesq equation with dispersion replaced by nonlocal Benjamin–Ono dispersion, is derived. This DSW solution is derived using two methods, DSW fitting and from a simple wave solution of the Whitham modulation equations for the BBO equation. The first of these yields the two edges of the DSW, while the second yields the complete DSW solution. As the Whitham modulation equations could not be set in Riemann invariant form, the ordinary differential equations governing the simple wave are solved using a hybrid numerical method coupled to the dispersive shock fitting which provides a suitable boundary condition. The full DSW solution is then determined, which is found to be in excellent agreement with numerical solutions of the BBO equation. This hybrid method is a suitable and relatively simple method to fully determine the DSW solution of a nonlinear dispersive wave equation for which the (hyperbolic) Whitham modulation equations are known, but their Riemann invariant form is not.
The Removal of Confederate Monuments: Reflections on Power and Privilege in Shared Spaces
Authors: Evans Sara Z.
Published: April 2021

Objective

This article considers the sociological perspective on the construction and removal of confederate monuments. Generally, monuments are believed to reflect the desire to honor and remember, however, often the decisions and viewpoints underpinning the creation of monuments are often more nuanced and complicated than the face‐value interpretation.

Method

The focus is a discussion of the sociological perspective on the creation of monuments and the removal of Civil War monuments in the United States.

Results

Vinitsky‐Seroussi argues that commemoration can be explained by three factors: the political culture, timing of the commemoration, and power of the agents of memory. These three factors are applied to the removal of commemorative monuments and explore the cultural significance of “who,” “what,” and “how” is being remembered.

Conclusion

Sociologists have a unique opportunity to use their understanding of group dynamics and relationships to empirically study the divisiveness present today with the ultimate goal of breaking it down and encouraging this reconciliation.
Risk factors for infestation by Triatoma dimidiata in a rural locality of Veracruz, Mexico, with active transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi: weather and rain as factors
Authors: Guzmán‐Gómez Daniel , Salas‐González Gerardo , López‐Monteon Aracely , Welsh‐Rodríguez Carlos Manuel , Torres‐Montero Jesús , Dumonteil Eric , Waleckx Etienne , Ramos‐Ligonio Angel
Published: April 2021

Objective

To analyse the ecological and social factors involved in infestation of houses by Triatoma dimidiata in a rural locality of Veracruz, Mexico, where active transmission of the parasite is occurring.

Methods

A survey was applied to the households of the locality to obtain sociodemographic data. In parallel, T. dimidiata insects were collected during one year through community participation. Using PCR, the insects were genotyped, their infection status was assessed, and parasite genotypes infecting the insects were identified. The vector’s blood meal sources were identified using a polymerase–heteroduplex chain reaction assay.

Results

Seasonal variations in the patterns of infestation by T. dimidiata were observed. An overall infestation rate of 19.46%, a colonisation index of 9.09%, a dispersion rate of 22.15% and a synanthropy index of 80.6% were found. The collected insects were identified as ITS‐2 group 2 insects, and a natural infection with T. cruzi of 54.35% was found. TcI and no‐TcI genotypes of T. cruzi were found in infected insects. Factors such as rain (P = 0.0006) and temperature (P < 0.0001) were associated with infestation. Analysis of the blood meal sources indicated frequent feeding upon humans and mice. Furthermore, house materials and peridomiciles were found to play an important role in the dynamics of infestation.

Conclusions

The contribution of this study is important for understanding the epidemiology of Chagas disease in rural areas of the state of Veracruz and will help to the establishment of an entomological surveillance system and implementation of prevention and control measures in accordance with the reality of the area.
Association of low birth weight and polyparasitic infection during pregnancy in Lambaréné, Gabon
Authors: Honkpéhèdji Yabo Josiane , Adegbite Bayode Romeo , Zinsou Jeannot Fréjus , Dejon‐Agobé Jean Claude , Edoa Jean‐Ronald , Zoleko Manego Rella , McCall Matthew , Mbong Ngwese Mirabeau , Lotola Mougeni Fabrice , Mombo‐Ngoma Ghyslain , Ramharter Michael , Kremsner Peter G. , Lell Bertrand , Yazdanbakhsh Maria , Esen Meral , Adegnika Ayôla Akim
Published: April 2021

Objective

To report the prevalence of polyparasitism during pregnancy in the Lambaréné region of Gabon and its association with newborn birth weight.

Method

Pregnant women in their third trimester were recruited in a prospective study between November 2011 and March 2015. Parasite infection status was assessed microscopically in stool, urine and blood samples. Maternal demographic and obstetrical characteristics and newborns anthropometric data were collected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between low birth weight and polyparasitism.

Results

678 of 927 pregnant women were included for analysis with mean age (SD) of 25 (6.8) years. The analysis showed that 69% (468/678) were infected with at least one parasite (Plasmodium spp., Schistosoma spp., soil‐transmitted helminths, filarial infections). This comprised of 38% with monoparasitism and 31% polyparasitism. The proportion of newborn babies with a weight below 2500 g (LBW) in our study was 21% (142/678). Compared to pregnant women without infection, women with monoparasitic infection had adjusted Odds Ratio confidence interval 95% CI (aOR [95%CI]) of 1.6 [0.95–2.73], those with two parasites had aOR 95%CI of 2.63 [1.51–4.62], and those with more than two parasites had aOR of 5.08 [2.5–10.38] for delivering a newborn with low birth weight.

Conclusion

In Lambaréné, an endemic area for multiple parasite infections, there is a high prevalence of polyparasitism in pregnant women. Polyparasitism is associated with low birth weight. Therefore, there is an urgent need for active screening and treatment of parasite infections in pregnant women to assess the potential public health benefit of such interventions.